#interesting mix of vets and newbies

[petermorwood]

This popped up on my YouTube the other day and not to brag, but...

Oh, why the hell not? It's a small brag, but satisfying. :->

I posted about refilling the Pilot Vpen (IRL-UK) / Varsity (US) - and adding how-to links - about 4 years and then again a year ago.

Here are the how-to links; I'm glad to see they're still active.

This one, like the video, calls for pliers and suggests removing the nib:

This one doesn't use pliers or separate the nib from the feed.

*****

Bragging aside, I'm pleased to see Brian Goulet of Goulet Pens giving this hack a higher profile (and Kudos for it, too - as a retailer it's more in his interest to sell them than refill them!)

His reason is very sound: those cheap little pens (usually about 3-to-4 local currency units whether €, $ or £) are ideal for FP-curious newbies or as no-loss-worries when travelling or no-damage-worries loaners.

They also have much better nibs than the price would suggest. Indeed that seems common to all the inexpensive Pilot pens I've tried, which includes every nib size of MR / Metropolitan.

In addition, IMO the notion of "disposable" fountain pens goes completely against the principal FP virtue, where once you've bought the pen, all you USE is the ink.

*****

I should mention, for completeness, that some "starter" fountain pens have prices not much more than these disposables and, refilled by "proper" ink cartridges / bottle-refill converters, don't involve anything like this trouble.

Just saying...

*****

It just so happens that one of my two Vpens was about due for a refill, so here are some pics of the process.

I scrubbed the markings off the barrels a long time ago so I could see what was inside, since refills mean the ink in the pen often has nothing to do with its colour-indicator cap.

First, disassembled and washed in changes of warm water until the water stays clear.

Here's the nib and feed: they've always come out of both Vpens as a single unit, with no need for pliers. Since the nibs show no desire to come off I've no desire to force the issue and maybe break something; those little ink-guide fins are delicate.

The filler is a small syringe begged from our local vet. I also use it to refill cartridges with custom ink colours (yup, I sometimes roll my own...)

Its "needle" is plastic tubing (an empty Pilot gel-pen cartridge, appropriately enough) which fits the syringe perfectly, and a pointy end made by stretching the tube over a candle-flame then snipping to length. If it gets too stained - this is nearly there - just chuck it in the recycle bin and make a new one.

The ink could have been any of the 30-odd I have at the minute, or something mixed specially, but I chose this one - a nice dark green - for the same reason @dduane had me buy it.

It's a very cute bottle... :->

*****

And here's the "disposable" pen refilled, reassembled and re-writing.

It really does have a better nib than you'd expect from a supposedly single-use pen...

*****

It sometimes takes a while for the ink to work its way by capillary action down from barrel to nib, especially if everything has been left to dry after washing. Put the cap on the pen and be patient.

Or speed things up by taking the cap off and running a thin stream of hot water over the barrel for 30 seconds or so. This increases internal pressure, forcing the ink along the section fins.

NB, this step is only for a refilled Vpen / Varsity. Don't try it with anything else, and in case it's not obvious, do this at a washbasin or sink, because You Never Know.

Now use a bit of kitchen paper or loo roll to blot the water which has got on the nib. This has a mild "suction" effect, and when you see ink on the paper (you might need to wet the nib again) your refilled pen is ready for use.

This wet-and-blot nib step can be used to encourage any stubborn fountain pen to get back in action, but the hot water trick, once again, is Vpen only.

Anyway, done.

[captainmartin20]

From what I’ve seen on SM, it’s a mix of comments like why she got waived when she’s the #3 all time NCAA scorer but Kate is still in (majority I’ve come across were like this). Hammon has always been about defense first and letting the offense come to you (which is what Kate’s mindset is, tbh). I’ve seen training camp videos where Fair was struggling with the defense schemes/rotations (I’ve seen bell struggle too, but that’s a different convo). Fair also looked lost when she came in the game, whereas Kate knew wtf was going on. It was evident during a pregame presser where Hammon was asked about Kate and Fair, and Hammon didn���t hesitate to say that Kate’s already a pro and is not worried about her, but didn’t say the same about Fair. I wasn’t really surprised Fair got waived because of how much Kate was brought up and how good she’s doing.

If people just watched the Indiana post game presser, Becky talked about Kate for like 2 mins and A’ja was agreeing with everything Hammon was saying. Hammon said her mind jumps off the charts, and that she’s a bball player, she’s earned the trust of the locker room and the coaches and that she’s a high value character.

I saw the IQ thing during the last game, in the beginning of the 4Q right after Kate scored her 2nd 3 of the game. SC wasn’t in the right spot and you can see Hammon yelling at her in the sidelines, and Kate moved her to the right spot. SC over commits and left Kate no choice but to cover the wing (that SC was supposed to go back to), and also haul ass down the baseline (which caused Hull to be open). After that sequence you can clearly see Hammon look at SC and yelling at her. I think some people dismiss the IQ comments Becky keeps saying about Kate. For her to pick up the schemes so quickly to the point where she’s telling a vet like SC where to go (who’s been with the team for like 2 yrs), that says a lot about Kate’s mind.

Hammon knows the team can score, but that it’s the defense that will win them games. I think they gave Fair time, but she wasn’t just picking up on it unfortunately.

oooo a long and juicy one. thanks for sharing, anon.

I agree with pretty much everything you mention. I noticed becky has been really firm about why she's been giving kate minutes, and im glad that kate is showing it on the floor. On draft night Kate said something along the lines of "all I wanted was an opportunity, and now I have it" and Im glad she's really making use of that opportunity. really, really proud of her

the bit about kate's IQ was so interesting to read. as a newbie, my wbb game-watching abilities and analysis is not even remotely close to yours anon so I really appreciate you sharing some insight. Feel free to share some more in the future btw!

[artisticparade]

Voice Actor Announcements!

Hokusai: Tomoaki Maeno (Yuri!!! on Ice, Gakuen Babysitters)

Rubens: Toshi Fukamachi (Arifureta, All Out!!)

Mucha: Yuki Kaji (Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia)

Watteau: Nobuhiko Okamoto (My Hero Academia, Nozaki-kun)

Denon: Kenjiro Tsuda (Free!, One Punch Man)

[storiesforallfandoms]

first show ~ aaron tveit

word count: 1756

request?: yes!

“I'll take anything Aaron Tveit. (There are not enough fics out there lol)”

description: after years of practice and studying, she gets casted in her first big broadway show, and finds herself falling for her leading man

pairing: aaron tveit x female!reader

warnings: swearing

masterlist (one, two)

I gasped as the costume person pulled out the beautiful black dress I was meant to wear for our run through of Come What May. I couldn’t get over how beautiful my costumes were. I almost felt like I was undeserving of them. I was fresh out of college and already cast in my first big Broadway musical. If this was a dream, I didn’t want to ever wake up.

“You don’t have long to get dressed,” the costume person reminded me. “The dress rehearsal for Come What May is in 10. Although I’d love to see you staring at all your costumes in amazement.”

“I’ll do that after dress rehearsal,” I joked.

I took the black dress and quickly changed into it, longing to look at myself in the mirror but knowing I had no time. With my hair and makeup already finished, I rushed to the stage. Luckily, I wasn’t the only one running a bit late as my co-star was yet to arrive once I took my place.

“There’s our Satine!” the director proclaimed as I stood on stage. “Welcome to the stage, dear. How do you feel?”

“Nervous,” I admitted. “But I look damn good for a nervous girl.”

The director chuckled. “Our Christian should be here soon.”

“He’s here!”

I tried not to seem as starstruck as I felt at the sound of my co-star’s voice. Aaron joined me on stage, dressed in his Christian costume. I had to try my best not to fangirl over him. He was basically Broadway royalty, and I was acting with him in my first show! I had to remind myself how to breathe.

I smiled slightly at him. “Nice to meet you. I’m (Y/N).”

“Nice to meet you, too, (Y/N). I’m Aaron.”

I had to stop myself from responded with I know as I shook his hand.

“While I’d love for you two to get to know one another, I’d like to run Come What May first,” the director told us. “It’s one of the biggest songs in the musical, and the one with the most chemistry. So, we need to nail this song before we can nail the entire musical.”

Aaron and I nodded and took our places for the song. The band started playing the song and I felt my nerves growing. I tried to focus just on Aaron, but that made me even more nervous.

“Never knew I could feel like this Like I’ve never seen the sky before Want to vanish inside your kiss Every day I love you more and more”

No shock that his voice sounded perfect. I already knew this, I had seen the show on its opening night years before. But it was different to hear the voice up close, too have him singing directly to me. It made my heart flutter and I almost forgot my cues.

“Come what may Come what may I will love you until my dying day”

For a moment I feared my voice wouldn’t work, but when I opened my mouth the words came out effortlessly.

“Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace”

I tried not to break character as pride swelled within me at the look on Aaron’s face. I could only describe it as a look of astonishment, as if my voice shocked him, and that made me so proud.

My heart spiked as Aaron took my hands and we sang together

“Storm clouds my gather And stars may collide But I love you (I love you) Until the end of time”

The music swelled as we reached the end of the song, our voices mixing together perfectly as we held the last line. I looked into Aaron’s perfectly blue eyes, glad that the song had ended because he had taken my breath away.

I had forgotten all about the small audience of crew members and our director until he spoke. “That was great! But can we take it from that last chorus and can you guys end the song with the kiss?”

“O-Oh,” I stuttered, still trying to recover from the song. “Y-You want to do the kiss now?”

“It’s better to get the first one out of the way now to get past any initial awkwardness.”

“Are you okay with that?” Aaron asked me, concern on his face.

I nodded. “Yeah. He has a point, we will be kissing almost every night. We should get used to it now.”

The director motioned to the band and they began playing from the last chorus again.

“Come what may Come what may I will love you until my dying day”

I looked into Aaron’s eyes, the only thing keeping me calm in that moment. One of his hands reached up to gently cup my face, bringing me closer to him. The distance between us was small, but it felt like I was waiting for his lips to touch mine forever.

When they finally did, it felt as though something had exploded inside of me. My whole body felt warm and fuzzy, and my stomach felt like it was full of butterflies. I couldn’t stop myself from putting a hand behind his neck, wanting to keep his lips on mine for a long time.

We were forced to pull away when the director began to clap, completely taking us out of the moment.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” he exclaimed. “That was brilliant! See? Now there’ll be no awkwardness when we run that scene from now on.”

I wouldn’t say that, I thought, glancing over at Aaron. I wondered if he had felt what I did, or if it was just another stage kiss for him. If he felt the latter, it would definitely be very awkward for me.

“Okay, you two take five and then (Y/N), I want you ready for your entrance medley.”

The crew continued on about their work while the director turned his attention to his assistant and began talking about the technical stuff having to do with the show. Aaron and I awkwardly stood on stage together for a moment, unsure of what to do next.

“I guess I should go get ready for my entrance rehearsal,” I said, trying my best to look at Aaron. How the hell did two actors who weren’t already in relationships kiss on stage and not fall in love?

“I’ll walk you to your dressing room,” Aaron offered. “We can get to know one another.”

I smiled at this and the two of us exited the stage together.

“So,” Aaron started, “there’s a rumor on the streets that this is your first ever show.”

I nodded. “Yeah, it is. I’m actually not long out of college. I graduated maybe a month ago? Top of my classes because I was always an overachiever, and most of my teacher’s favorites. Actually, it was one of my teachers that got me this audition. She knows the director and when it was announced that Karen Olivo was leaving the show, she urged me to audition.”

“Looks like it worked out in your favor.”

“Yeah, somehow,” I said with a slight laugh. “I’m sure there were dozens of better, more experienced girls who auditioned. My teacher must’ve slipped the director a bribe or something to get me this role.”

“Or, and hear me out on this one, you were actually that good and got the role on your own.”

I shook my head. “No way. That’s nearly impossible.”

“Nearly being the keyword. Newbies gotta start somehow or else Broadway shows would never have a cast.”

“Yeah, but most newbies start as a part of the ensemble or the company, then make their way to very minor character, then less than minor character, and then, if they’re lucky, they become main characters. It’s not as easy as auditioning fresh out of school and getting the role right away.”

Aaron shrugged. “I don’t know, I think it’s that easy for some people. You have a fantastic voice, definitely a voice worth of a Satine and not just an ensemble girl.”

I smiled up at Aaron. “I appreciate the compliment, and the confidence you have in me. I hope I don’t let any of you guys down.”

“I don’t think you will. I think you’re going to be amazing. You’ll probably steal the show from me.”

I laughed at this. There was absolutely no way that I, a newbie, could possibly steal the show from a Broadway vet like Aaron Tveit.

I was sad when we reached my dressing room, although I knew it wasn’t that far of a walk from the stage. I wanted to talk to Aaron for longer, to have more time alone with him. But we were trying to prepare a show, and that meant that eventually I had to give up my time with him in order to rehearse.

Both of us paused outside of my dressing room. It was almost like we were waiting for the other to leave first. I glanced at the clock in my dressing room and sighed upon seeing the time.

“I have about two more minutes to get into my costume for my entrance medley and to get back to the stage. So, I guess this is where we say goodbye.”

“Well, only for now. I’ll be in the audience watching you absolutely destroy that medley, and then we have basically the entire play together that we have to rehearse,” he told me. “But, if you’re not too tired after rehearsal, I’d love to maybe go out and grab a drink with you. If you’d be interested in doing that, that is.”

Now was when my voice stopped working. I could barley believe that this was actually happening. Too many amazing things going on the one time, I was sure I was dreaming. I had to slip my hands behind my back to pinch myself, and I had to suppress a yelp as I realized I was very much awake.

“Yeah,” I finally managed. “I’d love to.”

Aaron’s smile was as wide as a child on Christmas morning. “Okay! Well, I won’t distract you any longer. Break a leg out there.”

I watched after him as he went back in the direction of the stage before hurrying into my dressing room to prepare for my next scene. The entire time I had a smile on my face so wide that my cheeks were starting to hurt.

I guess dreams really do come true.

[rainbowrider1290]

Part 3 of my take on a genshin impact circus AU: Bennett, Fischl, and Razor as a beast-taming trio. Backstory under the cut.

Benny:

Bennett was adopted into a research team of zoologists (what in canon would be the adventurer’s guild). The ones that go out into the world and get their hands dirty in studying animals. He loved interacting with the animals, and though research was interesting, he always spent more time with the animal caretakers and vets than with the researchers so he’s extremely acquainted with their habits, how to feed them, when to keep them in captivity versus the wild, and how to regulate their environment properly when in captivity. He has this knack for interacting with them, even the big ones.

As for how he got into the circus: Well first off he got wind of how poorly these animals are treated in some circuses and got into the circuses for the caretaking purposes. He would hop from circus to circus to take care of the animals and show the performers how to Not Harm Them (like tigers jumping through hoops on fire??? Nuh-uh. Whips, tight collars, and muzzles? We don’t do that here). He certifies himself as a vet after a while of this.

More time passes and he realizes this is a bigger problem than can be solved by himself. He’s been kicked out of a few places and for a while had terrible luck finding work because some of his previous employers didn’t want to spend the extra resources on animal care (lacking funds and lacking planning for it) and spread word of a legal liability of a vet.

Aether and Lumine catch word of this and track him down to a little animal clinic where he works as an intern. They offer him a spot in their circus bc they’ve been wanting to introduce animals into the mix but want to plan correctly (like how many animals they can support properly). Long story short, Bennett gets into the circus and works with Yanfei to actually become a legal liability to the circuses not treating animals correctly, and he himself will take as many of those animals as he can into his corner of the circus and send the rest to his dads (since circus animals tend to be rare breeds and his dads have a branch of research on captive animals). And finally he can take care of his animals and show the world that you don’t have to harm animals for a good show. Mostly big ones like elephants, big cats, and camels.

He’ll do shows more like synchronizing movements between the animals and tricks like they do with marine animals. They do have cages for transport but they’re spacious and they take frequent breaks for physical activity. Benny will only take the animals that have been domesticated their whole lives and will send the ones fit to live in the wild to his dads to set free.

Fischl:

Fischl was born into the circus life and was that kid who would stop people from killing bugs, take them in a glass container, and set them outside. She regularly patches up the birds with broken wings she finds outside.

Def spent more time outside hanging with the birds than with the people in the circus, since birds aren’t technically a circus animal. Oz is an old old vulture (or falcon, I haven’t decided yet. If anyone can pinpoint his species please let me know) that has taken a liking to Fischl and so no matter where her circus goes, she sees Oz there to hang and bring her injured birds.

She once asked if birds could be circus animals and was told that they tried but it didn’t work out. She gets into reading the obscure materials on birds as circus animals and deduces that they just weren’t taking care of them right. She brings up this idea to the circus manager and essentially gets the door slammed in her face. The last time she asks about it, it’s to her parents and is told to find something realistic to do in the circus and forget about the birds.

From then she sees all the other kids her age in the circus training to be in the show in some way or another and hears what they say about her “head in the clouds”. So she starts training with different branches of the circus (gymnastics-based, death-defying stunts, fire, etc.) and she... genuinely considers leaving to pursue another profession.

Then as her circus is about to get on the road, she catches wind of a circus performing in the town they’re just about to leave. One that uses animals, and since her circus never used animals due to lacking funding, she goes for a night out of curiosity and on the off-chance that they use birds. She noticed that this wasn’t anything like she’d heard about or read about circus animals, so she sends them a letter addressed to the person running the animal part of the show asking about birds in the circus.

Benny’s response boils down to “well it’d be a little complicated but what’d you have in mind?” so they start exchanging letters and the next time the two circuses are near each other, she goes on over and brings all her letters after a show and sees how gentle Bennett is with the animals. They get to talking and Benny takes her to meet the animals, telling her about how he does things while she tells him about how she’d go about introducing birds to a circus.

Aether and Lumine hear about this and before she knows it, Fischl’s being told to get her birds ready, she has an audition in a month (spoiler alert: she passes). Her act is made up of all kinds of birds. Very few of them are housed on the circus for very long since she’s never liked the idea of birds in cages. The birds she uses are all the injured ones in the process of rehabilitation brought to her by Oz. She also keeps the ones that won’t fly again or never learned to find food despite her and Oz doing their best to socialize them. Those that don’t perform are excellent at taking care of the newbies and overall helping Fischl out. 

At any given point she’ll be seen with about 3-5 birds of different sizes on her and she’ll always smell a bit like worms and seeds of various kinds. She expands on her first-aid abilities from watching Bennett, and in turn offers knowledge on birds and how to deal with smaller animals with different bone structures, metabolisms, and cardiovascular systems.

Razor:

Razor’s story is a lot simpler. Backstory is essentially the same as in canon, except he doesn’t meet Lisa right away, and spends a little more time with Varka learning to read and write at the most basic level and fight hand-to-hand. Instead of an abyss mage attacking them, it’s a group of hunters. During this fight, a lot of the wolves are gravely injured but he takes one of them and runs into town looking for help.

After a show, Bennett and Fischl are on their way to see Bennett’s dads to take some birds that can’t handle the circus life but also aren’t fit to be free. They happen to be in the town where Bennett trained to be a vet and they stop by the clinic to say hello. Inside they see a boy dressed in rags and covered in dirt cradling an unconscious wolf pup, trying to get the attention of one of the clerks. One of the clerks tries to help him but the communication barrier is not helping them and the boy seems distressed on top of that, pointing and growling with the word “help” thrown in here and there, so Bennett steps in bc he knows some of these people in the clinic.

Bennett comes in and he and Fischl follow him out to where the rest of the pack is. Fischl brings her birds bc they’re her babies in case anyone was wondering. They perform first aid the best they can given the conditions, and manage to save a good chunk of the wolves, but a good chunk of them still die.

The pack splits up into two. On the one hand, the older wolves take whoever’s still alive and resume their activities in the forest. On the other, Razor has this opportunity to go and find out whether he’s a human or a wolf, and the little wolf pup he brought to the clinic goes with him because she’s too injured to go with the others. Same for a few other wolves.

So they go and the only place they have to stay is the circus bc Bennett and Fischl want to monitor the wolves a little more, so they spend the night. Next morning, Razor gives Fischl and Bennett a basket of meat, berries, and seeds to feed their respective animals and they realize Razor has some valuable skills, so he ends up staying upon receiving the OK from Lumine and Aether and telling Lisa and Ningguang for administrative purposes.

Because wolves inherently do not do well with loud noises and circus settings, Razor is very off-put by the idea of performance. Not to mention that he himself probs wouldn’t feel comfortable in the performance setting, so he sticks to the background (even learning the basics of tech) and gets really good at gathering resources from food for the animals to helping Oz bring back injured birds and track other injured animals. He and Oz interact a lot, which helps his friendship with Fischl as he was initially closer to Bennett.

His relationship with Lisa after a while can be summarized as “focus up you little monsters. not you Razor. You’re an angel and we’re thrilled you’re here”

[maddiviner]

I do a lot of studying!

I left university in 2011, but I still study. As a witch, constant learning is important for self-development. Witches (and arguably anyone else out there teaching themselves new things) have unique concerns with regards to learning. Here, I’m providing my ten favorite tips for self-guided learning!

Be selective!

I like to research no more than two topics at a time, three occasionally, but that’s really pushing it! Some folks are no doubt going to be multitasking mavens. In my experience, though, taking on too many topics at once can be a major problem for newbie witches! I struggled with it for many years.

Magick is so interesting that it can be hard not to just dive into everything at once. It’s good to resist that urge and focus on only a few topics, particularly related topics. For example, your main focus for a certain period of time might be divination, and within that, Tarot, scrying, and runes. Keep it simple and connected!

Limit your sources!

I try to read no more than three books simultaneously, because it allows me to focus on each one without getting mixed up or overwhelmed. Your ideal number of books to read at once will vary, but try to keep it small!

It’s also, of course, helpful if you focus on books that share subject matter. If you’re keeping detailed notes, be sure to refer to where the information you record is coming from. This will make returning to the same resources easier over time.

Set goals!

These can be reading goals (“I will read five books this month”), writing goals (“I will have written an essay about Lunar Astrology by this time next month,”) or something more abstract.

Witches are good at being vague and understanding gray areas - that’s one of our strengths, but I’ve found that specific, measurable goals work best for self-guided study.

Find buddies to help!

Friends and other self-guided learners can be helpful for holding you accountable and nagging you. This can be as simple as telling your friends your plans and then giving them permission to gently prod you towards them.

It can be as complex as book clubs, covens, and study groups! Either way, friends can be colleagues, and colleagues can help you stay accountable.

Read Critically!

You need to vet your sources much more carefully than an average academic. Witchcraft books are rife with misinformation, especially older books. Don’t believe something simply because it’s published in a book!

Compare the books you read, and, most importantly, compare them with scholarly historical and anthropological texts. The latter are, of course, not without their own problems, but worth looking at.

Have a project!

Find something tangible to do as you learn. It can be helpful, even if it’s something totally private! If you’re (for example) studying astrology, you might make a project of interpreting your own natal chart as you go. If you’re learning Tarot, regular daily draws can fill this role. Use your imagination and find a way to stay engaged!

Take notes!

It really helps! I’m a bullet journal fan, but that isn’t for everyone. Some folks like to highlight and makes notes in what they’re reading. Others might find it best to rewrite what they’ve learned in their own language.

Still others might use a tape recorder to capture their thoughts. Note-taking is as individual as witchcraft itself, but highly recommended. See my article series on grimoires and how they can help, too!

Time yourself!

Setting timers and studying in short bursts can be helpful, too! I often ask my Alexa to time me for thirty minutes of reading/research, followed by a short break. I do the same thing when writing or working on other forms of research.

Do original research!

Don’t just believe an author because he or she says a technique works in magick! Try it yourself. Experiment actively with your Craft and keep your own records. This allows you to learn in a hands-on fashion. Who knows? You may discover something nobody else has! Be an innovator!

Buckle down!

Realize that even though you get to choose what you study, it won’t always be fun. After all, practicing magick is often referred to as the Great Work. Work is involved. It’s rewarding, but not always completely fun. Stick with it. It’s worth it, and you’re worthy of it!

You can do it!

I hope these tips are helpful for witches embarking on self-guided studies of the Craft and related topics. These ideas work well for me, but we’re all individuals! If you have your own tips, please do share!

Studyblr itself is a wealth of resources for studying techniques, and I really wish more non-standard students would participate in it. Even if someone isn’t assigning you a letter grade, you’re still learning, and that is important!

If you, too, are a studyblr aficionado focused on witchcraft, magick, or divination, feel free to message me! I’m always interested in making new friends!

[vickisventures]

The Invasion

(These are pictures from a day trip to Ft. Hays State Park.)

This will probably be my last blog for a bit. We have only 2 weeks left here and then we’ll be traveling. We are so excited to see the countdown begin. The city park where we are at is thinning out. After this weekend, there will probably only be 4 of the 10 spots filled in our section of the park. DigiKey even feels quieter. With so many workampers leaving, things are busier though and the offer of overtime is starting to come back. This last week we arrived on Monday to our “super bay” to find 2 other girls there. Both said they were assigned to it. One only works Sunday-Tuesday so we hadn’t seen her and the other one had been on vacation and said she was promised that bay when she returned. So we figured it was only a matter of time before we got the call to move elsewhere. It came around our “lunchtime” and our supervisor told us there’d been a mix-up and that we were supposed to go to KG to work. That was the bay that we had been at for a day and a half that I didn’t like. So, grudgingly, we moved back there. The first day was a disaster. There was stuff all over the place and it’s not a big area anyway. A guy told me what they call that bay but it’s something I can’t repeat! Thankfully on Tuesday when we returned, the product had been put away and things were fairly organized and so we did some more organizing to make it more user friendly for us and the day went fine. The rest of the week, we remained busy and were able to keep the bay how we like it- clutter-free. It’s only a 2 row (4 shelf) bay but with that comes a small work space and a feeling of claustrophobia at times. Steve and I survived the week and assume we will be there for the next 2 weeks but I would not place a bet on it! I have learned that at DigiKey.

I can’t believe we waited so long to do it, but we finally bought a small humidifier for the RV. We really should have gotten one when we were in S. Texas. I remember looking for a used one but never found one that would work for us. It’s amazing how much water can fill the reserve in a short amount of time and it’s not especially humid right now. It has been raining more lately which is why we finally got one on Amazon. I think it’s one of those “must haves” for RVers. You think you won’t need one, but you will. I’m doubting we’ll need it much in Arizona but even there you can have those days…

One week later: We survived another week, but we didn’t survive the Asian Beetle. Last year we got an infestation of the stink bug and it just about drove me to drink! I would wake up and find one of those nasty bugs staring at me from the ceiling and it’d scare me to death. I had read plenty about people having the same type of situations with this ladybug like insect. For those of you who are not familiar (and be glad) with the Asian Beetle, it looks like a ladybug only it’s orange instead of red. It loves to find warmth to escape the cooler temperatures. Like the stink bug, if you kill one, it’ll leave a liquid/smell behind that draws its “family members” to it and after a while you can have a real issue with them. I have heard of people having hundreds of them and finding them everywhere…in the slides, in the rolled up awnings, in the A/C, etc. So I’m not exaggerating when I say, you don’t want them even if they look cute. I started seeing them about a week ago and told Steve. I tried to express the seriousness of this situation to Steve and I don’t think he quite got it. After we started seeing them more and more, inside and out, I think he finally got the picture. One day, they were swarming. I was out walking Aspen and when I got back to the RV, I was afraid to go to the door because they were everywhere. I grabbed the broom and started to brush them off the door so we could dash inside but as soon as I’d brush them off, they’d come right back. They were even attacking me. I finally gave up and just picked up Aspen and we ran inside. Some came in with me…on me…but we lived. I jokingly told Steve we might have to call our supervisor and tell her we couldn’t make it to work that day because we were being held hostage by beetles and couldn’t leave our RV. It was really awful. The next day, I told Steve, I couldn’t take another infestation and so he called the Express Pro (our employers) office and asked if we could move to another RV park in town. They said “yes” and so yesterday, we got up early and packed up as quickly as we could and moved to the other park before we had to report to work. They said they had some of the beetles there too but we really haven’t seen too many. Now I’m not saying we don’t still have a problem with them. I’m sure we brought plenty with us even though Steve did everything possible to leave them in St. Hilaire. There was just no way of getting rid of them completely with how they like to hide in places. Today we bought some spray that is supposed to kill them and Steve just got through spraying inside and out. Hopefully that will take care of the situation and we will stop seeing them soon. In the meantime, we just use our hand vac to sweep them up. We only have 1 more week here and I don’t want to bring the problem with us! The park we moved to is nice. We actually have WIFI (thus the ability to write this blog without wanting to scream) and cable and a nice big site. We are maybe 2 miles from Digikey, another plus. This is where we wanted to be in the first place, but it was full when we arrived. Now that winter is approaching, spots have opened up. We’ll enjoy it for a week!

We had our 3-month evaluation on Friday. They showed us our pick averages and repick numbers. Lisa was very happy with our numbers and so were we for newbies that keep getting moved around to different bays.

Aspen was supposed to have a grooming appointment today. We drove to Grand Forks and dropped him off. I got a phone call about 30 minutes later from the groomer saying he’d had an attack and fallen over and she was afraid that grooming him would stress him out too much and she wasn’t willing to take that chance. I tried to tell her that he has those from time to time but she was too traumatized and said she’d trim up his face and clip his nails but asked me to come get him. He has been having these “attacks” more. It’s hard to decide whether we should take him to the vet and hope there’s something they can do for him or just let him be. It’s so hard when you are a full timer and don’t have a vet who knows your pet.

Lastly, we have decided to change our winter plan. I saw an ad on Workamper News of a job that sounded interesting. I wasn’t really looking for anything because I was looking forward to returning to Mesa Regal, but we decided it wouldn’t hurt to send our resume and see what happened. I figured the position had already been filled anyway. The next day, we got a response from the GM saying he’d like to talk to us so we called him and talked about the position and he offered it to us. We bounced it around for a day looking at the pros and cons but, in the end, we decided it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Let me reiterate, we never see jobs like this offered in the winter, which is why we felt like we should put in our resume. We are working at a resort in Apache Junction which is still the Phoenix area. Two of the cons are it’ll be a longer drive to get to most of Madison’s softball games and we really prefer Mesa to AJ. It’s called Roadhaven Golf & Tennis Resort. It has around 1062 sites and they are owned by the residents. It has about all of the activities you would expect of a large Arizona resort: pickleball, 3 pools, crafts rooms, fitness room and exercise classes, etc. Our job will be to manage the hospitality office. We had to ask what that entailed but basically we will be dealing with people who are interested in the resort and either want a tour or have questions. We are responsible for finding volunteers to cover the office hours when we aren’t working it and we also will give prospective owners information they need in order to investigate properties for sale. We also will help the activities director setting up and tearing down for some of the major events. We will each work 25 hours/week and we are going to try to make sure we have volunteers for the days Madison has games so we don’t miss any. We will see how it works…we have until February to try to get it worked out anyway. I’m sure we’ll have some issues since we are “management” but we are going to give it a shot. This is the amazing part: they pay for ALL hours worked AND the site and all utilities are free. Unheard of for winter workamping jobs. We earn PTO as well. We have hopefully learned not to accept any job solely based on the money and we had to check ourselves, but the pros seemed to outweigh the cons on this one so we gave Cal-Am/Mesa Regal the bad news. We still start November 1.

So that ends our time at DigiKey and this blog post!

[tipsycad147]

Starting a Pagan or Wiccan Group or Coven

Are you ready to start your own Pagan group?. Matt Cardy / Getty Images

By Patti Wigington

Updated April 27, 2019

Starting a Pagan or Wiccan Group or Coven

Perhaps it's time for you to start a Pagan group of your own. Interested in more than just a casual study group, you've spent enough time studying Paganism on you own to know that you’d like take advantage of the many benefits of group practice.

If you’re starting a group, for the purposes of this article, we’re going to assume you’ve read Becoming Pagan Clergy. While you don't necessarily have to be clergy to run a successful group in all traditions, it's something to keep in mind, depending on which direction you want your new group to take.

It's also important to acknowledge that group rituals and ceremonies aren’t for everyone - if you’re someone who prefers to practice as a solitary, then by all means, keep doing so. Coven or group life has its own unique set of challenges - and if you’re someone who’d rather just go it alone, you should read How to Practice as a Solitary Pagan.

For the folks interested in starting their own groups, however, the one consistent question is, “How do we get started?” If you’re part of an established tradition, like one of the many Wiccan trads out there, there are probably guidelines already in place for you. For everyone else, it’s a multifaceted process. One of the things people want to know is how to vet potential Seekers, and figure out if someone would be a good fit for their group, before the individual is initiated or dedicated into the tradition.

A great way to do this is by hosting an introductory meeting.

Your Introductory Meeting, Part 1: Preparation is the Key

A great way to meet new people is by holding an introductory meeting. This is an informal get-together, often held in a public place such as a coffee shop or library, where potential Seekers can come and meet the group’s founding member or members. You’ll want to advertise and spread the word ahead of time, and that can be as simple as sending out emails to any acquaintance who might be interested, or as detailed and formal as mailing written invitations to a select group of people. If you’d like to reach out beyond your immediate circle of friends and get some new folks involved, consider placing an ad or flyer at your local metaphysical shop.

Your invitation or flyer should be simple, and say something along the lines of, “Three Circles Coven is a new Pagan tradition forming in the Metropolitan City area. This group will honor the [pantheon of your choice] gods and goddesses and celebrate the Sabbats within a NeoWiccan framework. Interested Seekers are invited to attend an open get-together at the Java Bean Coffee Shop on Saturday, October 16, 2013, at 2 pm. Please rsvp by email to [your email address]. Child care will not be provided, so please make other arrangements for your children.”

It’s a good idea to use only an email address for your contact information initially. Putting your phone number on invites - unless you know every invitee personally - is a good way to get a lot of phone calls from people you may not want to speak with.

The day before your introductory meeting, send out a confirmation email to everyone who has RSVP’d. Not only does this serve as a reminder to people, it also gives them an opportunity to let you know if something else has come up, or if they’ve simply changed their mind about attending.

When the day of your meeting arrives, get there early. Depending on how many people have RSVP’d, you may only need a small table, or you may need a private space. Many coffee shops have Community Rooms that you can reserve at no charge - if you do this, make sure you encourage your guests to buy at least a small item to help patronize the business. If you’re meeting in a place that doesn’t serve food - the library, for instance - it’s common courtesy to provide bottles of water and small snacks, such as fruit or granola bars.

Your Introductory Meeting, Part 2: What to Do Next

A questionnaire is a good way to get to know your potential Seekers. MarkHatfield / Getty Images

When guests arrive, be friendly, welcome them and introduce yourself by name. Have a sign-in sheet for guests to write their names (magical or mundane), phone numbers, and email addresses.

You should have a handout summarizing, briefly, what your group is, what its goals are, and who the founders are. If it’s just you, include a short paragraph explaining why you want to start the group, and what qualifies you to lead it.

Start as close to the scheduled time as possible. While it’s acceptable to give people a few extra minutes to get there if there’s bad weather, or you know there’s an accident a mile down the road, don’t wait longer than about ten minutes past the planned time. People tend to get impatient if they’re kept waiting, and their time is as valuable as yours. Be sure to read about the idea of Pagan Standard Time.

It’s a good idea to get people talking before you get into the meat of the discussion. Go around the room and ask everyone to introduce themselves. You may want to include a question about, “Why are you interested in joining this group?” Be sure to read Ten Reasons Not To Become Pagan for some red flags. Keep in mind that even if you dislike or disapprove of someone's answers, this is not the time or place to discuss it.

After everyone has introduced themselves, it’s not a bad idea to hand out a questionnaire (if you do this, be sure to bring pens - many people don’t carry them). The questionnaire doesn’t have to be long or complicated, but it will help you to remember who your guests were, when you’re going through the selection process. Questions to ask might include:

Have you every been part of a Pagan group or coven before? Why did you leave?

How will your family feel if you are part of a Pagan group? Does your spouse know you are Pagan, and if so, how do they feel about it?

How long have you been a practicing Pagan? What do you feel is the most important aspect of your Pagan studies?

Are there any types of people that you absolutely do not want to be in a group with? Is there anyone in this room that you have personally had a negative experience with?

Once everyone has completed their questionnaires, collect them to review later during the selection process, and explain who you are, what your background is, and what you hope to achieve with the formation of your new group. Writing up a draft of your coven bylaws may help you focus on topics to cover during this part of the meeting, but you do not have to go into excessive detail.

Take any questions from your guests. Answer truthfully, even if the answer is not the one the person wants. If someone asks a question to which the answer is oathbound, by the guidelines of your tradition, it is definitely okay to say, “That’s a great question, but it’s something that I can only answer once someone has committed to being in the group.”

After you’ve answered questions, thank everyone for attending. Let everyone know you will contact them, one way or the other, to let them know if you feel they are a good fit for the group - because not everyone will be. A week is a reasonable time to let people wait. Any longer than that reflects badly upon you and your group.

Selecting Potential Seekers

Which people will be a good fit for your group, and for each other?. Plume Creative / Getty Images

This is one of the hardest parts of starting your own Pagan group. Unlike in a study group, which tends to have a more casual and relaxed atmosphere, a coven or group that holds ritual together is like a small family. Everyone has to work together well, or things will fall apart. If you have a co-leader or assistant priest/priestess, ask them to help you go over the questionnaires that your guests filled out at the introductory meeting.

You’ll have to determine what items are your deal breakers. Do you only want female members, or a mix of male and female? Mature adults, or a mix of older adults and younger people? Are you only interested in working with people who have already studied, or will you take “newbies”?

If you included the question, “Are there any types of people that you absolutely do not want to be in a group with?” be sure to read the answers. While some of these answers may be things you can work with, such as “I won’t stand in a circle with someone who’s drunk or high all the time,” others can be red flags pointing out various intolerances that you may not wish to have in your group.

Likewise, the answers to the question, “Is there anyone in this room that you have personally had a negative experience with?” can be important. If Seekers A, B, and C all say that they’ve been to Seeker D’s shop and he makes them uncomfortable, that is something to consider when you review Seeker D’s questionnaire. While this doesn't mean that Seeker D has to be ruled out, you've got to consider the potential group dynamic if you invite him in along with A, B, and C.

Once you’ve got a good crop of candidates chosen, send an email or call the individuals you would like to invite to be part of your group. This is when you’ll plan a secondary meeting, which we’ll talk about on the next page.

Be sure to contact the people you’ve opted not to invite into the group - this is simply common courtesy, and you should do it before you contact the people you are inviting in. It’s acceptable to send an email saying, “Dear Steven, thank you for your interest in Three Circles Coven. At this time, we do not believe that this group will meet your needs. We will keep your information on file for reference, should the focus of our group change in the future. Good luck to you in your endeavors, and we wish you the best in your spiritual journey.”

Your Secondary Meeting

Hold a secondary meeting, with the people you think would be the best fit for your group. Thomas Barwick / Getty Images

Once you’ve selected your candidates who look promising, you may wish to hold a secondary meeting. This will be somewhat more formal that your introductory meeting, but again should be held in a public place. Invite your candidates to attend this meeting, with the understanding that attendance does not automatically guarantee them a spot in the group.

At your secondary meeting, you may want to go into more depth about what the group is and what your plans are. If you’ve written up a set of coven bylaws - and it’s a really good idea to have those - you can review these at this time. It’s important for Seekers to know up front what they are getting into. If someone is unable to follow the guidelines you’ve set for the group, it’s important that you - and they - are aware of this before an initiation or dedication takes place.

If your group includes a Degree System, or has study requirements, make sure you are upfront about them. Members who are expected to do a certain amount of reading or hands-on practice should know what responsibilities are going to be given to them. Again - this is important to do beforehand, rather than later, after the person has been initiated.

This is also a good opportunity to discuss, in general terms, the initiation process with your candidates. If the initiation (or any subsequent group ceremonies) will involve any ritual nudity, you absolutely MUST tell them so at this time. For some people, that is a deal-breaker, and it is unfair to allow someone to come into a ceremony expecting to be initiated in their ritual robe, and have them surprised when they are told to remove their clothing. It is unfair and should not happen.

The secondary meeting gives you and your candidates a good chance to get to know each other, and to ask and answer questions. After this second meeting, if there is anyone you have opted not to extend an invitation for membership to, email or call them as soon as possible. For those members you’ve decided to bring into your group, you should send them a written invitation to their initiation or dedication ceremony.

Keep in mind that your group may choose to welcome new Seekers with a dedication, followed by a year and a day of study, at which time they are formally initiated. Other groups may opt to initiate new people right away as full fledged members. The choice is yours.

Initiation and/or Dedication

Once your group is initiated, the real work truly begins. Ian Forsyth / Getty Images

When you invite someone to be initiated or dedicated into your group, even if it is a new group, this is a major step, both for them and for the group itself. In general, new members can be initiated at the same ceremony, although they are typically initiated one at a time.

Some groups choose to have a rule that if a Seeker fails to show up on the designated time and date of the initiation ceremony, then their invitation is revoked, and they are no longer deemed to be a good fit for the group. This is actually a reasonable guideline to follow - if someone can’t be bothered to show up on time for something as important as a dedication or initiation, they probably aren’t taking their spiritual journey very seriously.

For a sample initiation ceremony, be sure to read the template at Initiation Rite for a New Seeker. Make adjustments as needed, according to the guidelines and needs of your group.

Finally, once a member has been initiated, you may wish to offer them a certificate indicating that they are now part of the group. It’s a nice thing to have, and provides them with something tangible as they start this new part of their life.

Once your new people are initiated or dedicated, you now have a group that’s ready to learn and evolve. Get started, lead them honorably, and be there for them when they need you, and you’ll all have the chance to grow together.

https://www.learnreligions.com/starting-a-pagan-or-wiccan-group-or-coven-2561534

[womenofcolor15]

The Internets Say Petey Pablo Saved Saweetie’s BET Hip Hop Awards Performance + Here’s Everything Else That Went Down

Rapper Saweetie made her BET Hip Hop Awards debut, but apparently, folks weren’t feeling it until a rap vet came in to save the set. See her performance with Petey Pablo, plus all of the green carpet and backstage pics of your faves inside…

Rap newbie Saweetie landed a hit with her banger “My Type.” It landed her on the Billboard charts, it gets major radio play and she even got the chance to perform it at the 2019 BET Hip Hop Awards, which aired last night. The show was previously taped the weekend before.

”My Type” samples Petey Pablo’s 2003 track “Freek-a-Leek,” produced by Lil Jon. So, it’s only right she brought the Hip Hop heads out during her debut performance. And it’s a good thing she did. Folks were sounding off on Twitter about her lackluster performance and praised Petey (and Lil Jon) for saving her set.

  Saweetie performance is fucking I’m disgusted #HipHopAwards pic.twitter.com/W0PJbQeOGu

— Dee Baby (@Deesmoooveee) October 9, 2019

    Get saweetie lip singing ass off this damn stage dancing like this a 2004 pep rally #BetHipHopAwards2019 pic.twitter.com/WFVfGpXAxD

— Miss Alinda (@ThatChicKirby) October 9, 2019

    Saweetie is really out here lip syncing this basic ass song? #HipHopAwards pic.twitter.com/LfWQhVIzxW

— Amanda (@amanda2saint) October 9, 2019

    Lil Jon and Petey Pablo coming to save Saweetie’s performance #HipHopAwards #BetHipHopAwards2019 pic.twitter.com/80M1rObH7p

— q (@_dearwallflower) October 9, 2019

    I hope Saweetie realize that applause was for Lil Jon and Petey #HipHopAwards

— Jawan (@LitIndividuals) October 9, 2019

    Petey Pablo's 1 min performance >>>>> whatever Saweetie was up there doing #HipHopAwards pic.twitter.com/HBtYteGMYC

— SaSa LeLe (@iHeart_youKeish) October 9, 2019

  Oop!

Her boyfriend Quavo liked it though:

  If you’re not supporting me like how Quavo supports Saweetie, leave me alone pic.twitter.com/Z4hDzz2GiH

— Mel Bae (@__melbae) October 9, 2019

Well hell, he better.  That's what bae is for.  And to urge her to practice.

Peep their performance below:

Backstage...

The ICY rapper was all boo'd up with her BAE Quavo. During the show, they were all loved up and being extra cutesy and cuddly.

  #Saweetie and bae #Quavo in LOVE LOVE

( : @bet) pic.twitter.com/hUp0SDavTO

— Power 106 (@Power106LA) October 9, 2019

  Quavo's Migos bandmate Offset was in the mix after hitting the stage with DaBaby. He snapped it up with Teyana Taylor, who presented an award.

Megan Thee Stallion was spotted backstage after she opened the show. Peep her HOTTIE-approved performance below: 

The Head Hottie won her first BET Hip Hop Award, scooping up the Mixtape Of The Year Award for FEVER:

Comedian Lil Duval brought the laughs as this year's host.

New dad again Chance The Rapper was tapped to perform. He served up vocals for his track "Sun Come Down." Check it: 

Backstage, he snapped it up with Avengers star Anthony Mackie.

On the afterparty scene, he and his wife Kirsten drove the boat with Megan Thee Stallion.

Rapper Rick Ross - who was tapped to present - and T-Pain linked up backstage after their performance.

Check it out below:

  Rapsody put on a powerful performance and KILLED it. Catch her vibes below:

On the carpet...

Lil Kim - who rocked custom Dapper Dan x Gucci threads - hit the green carpet with her Junior M.A.F.I.A. family before she accepted the "I Am Hip Hop" Award and performed.

Sup, Cease.

Host Lil Duval  was all smiles on the carpet before getting to his hosting duties.

The Chi-town rapper brought his wife Kirsten - decked out in all white everything - on the carpet with him.

Teyana Taylor & Iman Shumpert - who recently celebrated their third anniversary - served up coupledom vibes. When Iman isn't shooting hoops on the court, he raps. He participated in one of the Cyphers: 

Not only did Saweetie show love to the Hip Hop vets on stage, she also showed love on the carpet. According to designer Angel Brinks, she paid homage to Jay-Z's "Excuse Me Me Miss" Spring ‘03 Trosman Churba dress.

        View this post on Instagram

                  Beautiful @saweetie at #bethiphopawards paying homage to JayZ’s “Excuse Me Miss” Spring ‘03 Trosman Churba dress, we collaborated with @bryonjavar for the recreation! Wasn’t easy to make, hard to see in the video, but this dress has 100% beading!! Beautiful! Awards come on tonight on BET.

A post shared by Angel Brinks�� (@angelbrinks) on Oct 8, 2019 at 2:00pm PDT

  Before he rocked the stage with Saweetie, Petey Pablo snapped it up on the carpet.

Rapper Kash Doll made a colorful appearance on the carpet. She also rapped in one of the Cyphers. Peep it above with Iman Shumpert.

Rapper Dave East rapped for late rapper Nipsey Hussle on the carpet.

Rapper DaBaby showed off his custom Dapper Dan x Gucci ensemble before he hit the stage with Offset.

He brought his mother along as his date. He won Best New Hip Hop Artist.

Peep his performance and his acceptance speech below: 

Rappers Rick Ross, Lil Boosie (and his son), Juicy J (in an interesting 'fit), B.o.B., T-Pain, Blac Youngsta, and O.T. Genasis (who's about to have a baby with on-again, off-again girlfriend Malika Haqq) were in the mix:

There's ALOT going on here Juicy.

And here B.o.B.

OT Genasis recently made his "KUWTK" debut.

Quality Control honcho Pierre Thomas brought two of his four kids along.

Rapsody hit the carpet like the queen she is.

Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya was in the mix. His new movie, Queen & Slim, with Jodie Turner Smith hit theaters next month. See the trailer HERE.

XSCAPE singer Tamika Scott showed off her curves in a golden bodycon dress alongside her daughter, Young Niyah:

          View this post on Instagram

                  God is good! Watching my mini me @officialyoungniyah walk the green carpet @bet #bethiphopawards following her destiny #living her dream #youngniyah #tamikascott #likewhoa #new #music #xscape #xscapebabies

A post shared by Tamika Scott (@therealtamikascott) on Oct 8, 2019 at 4:41pm PDT

  Cute.

    Oh, hey Musiq Soulchild!

"Love & Hip Hop:Atlanta " star Tommie Lee turned the carpet into her own photoshoot.

Former "Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" star/rapper Yung Berg made an appearance.

"Queen Sugar" star Omar Dorsey was also in the mix.

In case you missed, check out Lil Kim accept her "I Am Hip Hop" Award and performance HERE.

    Photos: Getty

[Read More ...] source http://theybf.com/2019/10/09/the-internets-say-petey-pablo-saved-saweetie%E2%80%99s-bet-hip-hop-awards-performance-here%E2%80%99s-ever

[ts-indonesia]

FTC - OPENING STATEMENTS

ANABEL'S OPENING STATEMENT:

JESS' OPENING STATEMENT:

INTRO.

So first of all, I would like to thank the hosts Alex, Ali, and Jones for hosting this amazing season! I also want to give a big huge congratulations to both Trent and Anabel because you both crushed it. To the cast this season, I just want to start off by saying a big thank you to each and every one of you for making this season what is was: amazing. Lastly, I want to once again thank you all because whether you liked it or not, each and everyone of you has played a part in getting me here today.

Now before I begin, I acknowledge that I've played a game where I had to lie, backstab, and hurt people I've grown to care about. I know this all got messy and that I left off on the wrong foot with some of you. With that being said, the moves I've made are in no way an indicator of how I feel about you as people. They were in my own self-interest. All I ask is that you all take the time to read what I have to say and consider voting for me to win.

I truly believe I played a fairly well rounded game in regards to three aspects of Survivor (Outwit, Outlast, Outplay) aka: Social, Strategic, Physical.

Physical.

Contrary to popular belief, I have never been great at challenges. So being a challenge threat this season was an unusual role to play. However, I tried my hardest and gave it my all in each and every challenge this season. This resulted in 3 individual immunity wins (the most out of everyone). I don’t think I necessarily needed to win these immunities for only for safety (although it was nice)..I knew regardless (apart from the final 7 vote) I would have the numbers to ensure my own personal safety. Honestly, I won these immunities to ensure those who I wanted out didn’t have protection. However, winning final 5 did allow me to make a move against Michael without being voted out.

Social.

Coming into this season I had a unique perspective that I believe no one else could relate to. My first season was ironically a “Fans .vs. Favs” season where I played as a fan. With my prior “newbie” perspective in mind, I knew I could use this to my advantage and empathize with the newbies while playing as a vet. These prior experiences became stepping stones I could build onto in the future.

Throughout this game I was socially connected to various people. However, as the game grew so did my target. As seen in “Touchy Subjects” I was labelled someone who people WANTED to see win in the end and someone people trusted. As “flattered” as I was at winning these titles, I knew that people’s perceptions of me were just exposed and I could potentially have to play defense. Therefore, I relied more and more on my social game to keep the target off of my back as it could have easily blown up in my face. 

I used my social game to receive information about people’s advantages within the game. I used the information I received strategically to not only to further my own game but to establish build trust with people. For example: Olivia’s idol, Anabel’s, Stoner’s “possible idol clue/advantage clue”, and Trent’s idol. With this knowledge, I knew that information was a currency that everyone sought in the game and therefore I used it as a building block to build stronger connections. The risk of this all blowing up in my face was huge however, I was able to do this without repercussions of a potential flip against me.

Although, my leaking did cause a bit of a show at final 7 it wasn’t the only thing that happened.

As most of us know.. Trent was the original target. However, my name was also thrown into the mix due to my threat level. BUT the relationships I had built were strong enough for people to put aside their established plans to save ensure my safety. This vote is crucial as it solidified the numbers I had moving forward and giving me a split majority at worst at Final 6 (3 with Anabel and Trent/ 3 with Michael and Olivia).  Being in the middle of an alliance of 5 was a CRUCIAL part of my game. It allowed me to use my social relationships I have built throughout the game with everyone to control my own destiny and ensure my spot at Final Tribal Council.

Strategic.

Now I know I have already dabbled a bit into my strategic game however, I do firmly believe I had a good grasp on the strategic aspect of the game. 

I do admit my strategic moves might not be perceived as your classic “flashy” moves. As someone who has played two seasons of Tumblr Survivor I can appreciate those who make big moves and especially each and everyone of you who attempted one this season. However a common theme this season was: big moves got people sent home that same round (Owen, Matt, Stoner etc..). Therefore, making a big unnecessary move early on would be almost sacrificial for my game. So the way I made my moves (which were subtle) occured in the way I positioned myself throughout this game. Most notably, my position within the majority alliance. Although, I can’t take credit for starting it I was arguably the glue to it. When push came to shove, I was able to sway which ever way I saw most fit for my way game. Whether it was pre-merge (Dylan and Isaac) or when it got down to the 5 (Olivia and Michael) I was able to choose my own destiny and make moves that were best for my game. My biggest moves and my hardest moves were the final 5 and 4 votes. I had been positioned in the middle at this point to where I believed I had a chance at that final 3 with both “sides” of this alliance. I saw too many similarities to my game with Michael’s and Olivia’s and I knew in order to have a fighting chance at the end, I had to vote them both out.  My position and relationships throughout this game allowed me to go without any votes until Final 7, be labelled the “most trusted” and “who would you like to see win at the end” during “Touchy Subjects” all while being arguably one of the biggest threats.

In conclusion, I put my heart and soul into this game. I may not have played it perfectly or “ethically” but I played it from the start. I put in the work from day one to ensure I was in the best position going forward (round after round) and I think I achieved that. I made bonds and relationships with people, won a couple of immunity’s along the way, and later took some huge risks to ensure I was in control of my own fate. I’m an open book and I will answer everything you throw my way open and honestly. Ask me anything and I will try my best to deliver. I look forward to hearing from you all! Once again a big congratulations to both Anabel and Trent! And thank you for the amazing season!

TRENT'S OPENING STATEMENT:

Hello everybody. I just wanted to first thank you all for an amazing season. I truly have enjoyed getting to know you and being able to play this season with you. This was my first REAL survivor game and I am glad I got to share that with you.  When looking back at this season I feel like I have earned my spot in the final 3 and the title of Sole Survivor. I have played not only a strategic game but a very social one to outwit, outplay, and outlast.

I honestly feel that I’ve done more than anyone else to really affect and influence the overall course of this game. I was on the minority twice, once with Nuchaya after the swap where vets outweighed the nebiews, and then once at merge when both Nuchaya and newbies were the minority group. I was able to survive both times and flip to become the majority once. I did this through a couple of very strategic moves. One big strategic move I made was during the first merge vote. I was stuck in a very tough spot. I could either vote with my all newbie alliance or my Nuchaya alliance. I decided to take this opportunity to weaken the side that had two previous winners (Nuobor). I wanted to find a way to truly break that side so they would not work together in the future. I did this by saying one thing and doing another. I convinced Owen (who passed the word onto Stoner) and the other newbies (Chris O, Leigh, and Lorelei) that I would vote alongside them and vote Matt out, when I really was voting Lorelei. This ensured that not only they lost one of their numbers (Lorelei), but they’d lose a second member of Nubbor (Matt), due to the fact that they just tried to vote him out. I knew that if I would have just told Owen and Stoner I was voting for Lorelei, they would have switched their votes as well allowing them the opportunity to work with Matt in the future. But doing what I did, I ensured that Nuchaya now had 6 (Nuchaya plus Matt) votes against 4 (Owen, Stoner, Chris O, and Leigh). This is just one example of the many strategic moves I made this season.

The next major aspect of my game was a strong social game. Even though I would get caught lying about who I was voting, or who I heard the target was, people still believed me the next round. This happened time and time again. People still came to me and told me what they heard, or who they were voting, even though I just had betrayed their trust the previous round.  Even after I won best liar, most likely to back stab, and biggest villain in touchy subjects, people continued to trust my word. This was due to my strong social game and being able to bond with people when not talking about the game or the future vote. I was able to make connections and fix any broken relationships. Each round I was able to lead a successful blindside because of the bonds I made with people.

I am proud to say that throughout the entire season I was never the target of the vote and I was never in danger of leaving the game. I have received 3 total votes the entire season, and all of those were a single throw away vote, 3 different times. I have never received more than one vote in a night and I have not received a single vote since the night Chris O went home, which was the third merge vote. I have known exactly what was going to happen with every single vote. Even though I would be caught playing the game hard and caught lying I was able to flip the attention away from myself and onto another target.  I always had a target and was always able to get that target out. I even won one immunity challenge, ensuring my target would not be given the safety of immunity at tribal. I had an idol from very early on in merge and never once felt the need to play it to guarantee my safety.

In summary, I have played a very strategic and social game all season. Yes, I have lied and manipulated in this game to control a vote and get an outcome I preferred. I came into this season ready to play the game. I have never once made this game personal and anything I have done; I’ve done it for the game, to get myself to the end, and to win this game. I’d love to get your vote tonight, and I feel like I’ve earned my way here and played every facet of the game. I have played strategically, socially, even won immunity once. I am ready for your questions and I am ready to explain my game.

--

And that's all for opening statements! To the members of our jury, it is now your time to ask any questions, voice your comments, concerns, etc. You have until 9:00 EST on October 9th to submit your questions, let us know if you need an extension or anything of the sort!!

[fossadeileonixv]

Split Personality Theater: A Little Late Preseason Version

Here you go folks. Both good Lisi and Bad Lisi are here. Conflicted lisi is here too, but no one like him. 

GOOD LISI

ATALANTA: As long as talisman Papu Gomez is there this team will continue to challenge the best teams in the league week in and week out. Caldara? Cristante? They’ll just be replaced by the next youngster to step up. They are an assembly line at this point.

CAGLIARI: Other than the highly rated Nicolo Barella there isn’t much to get crazy excited about here. Alessio Cragno is yet ANOTHER young Italian keeper to watch. Juventus loanee Alberto Cerri is a giant up top who scored 15 goals while on loan at Perugia last year and might also be someone to watch.

EMPOLI: Their roster reads like an honor roll of Serie A vets that have bounced around the league, with Afriye Acquah being my personal favorite. They are always fun to watch and usually are able to bring the offense. Even with the lowest valued roster in the league, Empoli rarely disappoints.

FIORENTINA: Youngest team in the league? Check. Crazy talented offense? Check. Young and talented but also possibly painfully inexperienced backline? Check. Talented keeper that you’ve never heard of that could be a household name by Christmas? Check. Old French guy I had no idea still played (Cyril Thereau)? Damn straight. These guys are gonna be a blast to watch and will push for a top 5 finish all year long.

GENOA: They have a laundry list of guys I either like to watch (Hiljemark, Pandev, Lapadula) or guys that I’m interested to see watch for the first time (Criscito, Favilli, Medeiros). Other than that, they will land right where you expect them, probably 12th.

LAZIO: That back line is skeeeeeeeeeetchy.... but boy are they fun to watch in the midfield and up top. If hell would be watching Chievo play each other for eternity then heaven would be watching Lazio playing itself to a 6-6 tie for eternity. I still can’t believe we shut them out over 2 legs in the Coppa Italia semis last year.

ROMA: It’s an interesting experiment for Roma as they try to replace the best goalkeeper in the league last year with a very average one and try to reconfigure the midfield on the fly. Olsen will be very meh in goal which might expose a backline that I think Allisson made look awfully good last year. The midfield overhaul of Cristante, Nzonzi and Pastore needs to go well for another solid finish. I’m very skeptical BUT I think Di Francesco can steer the ship to a top 4 finish.

SASSUOLO: After last weeks win I’d like to pick them to win the title. Plant my flag. Die on that hill! But I’m not crazy. They will do well, Berardi will resurrect and they will still be a huge pain for good teams. Only negative thought? Locatelli falls flat and is on loan either by January or for next season.

TORINO: You really can’t go wrong with Belotti and Zaza as your strikers. There was a minute where this combo be the strike duo for the Italian NT. I’m not sure if that minute was totally terrifying or a lot of fun. Maybe someone can remind me. Anyways. I like what they’ve done to shore things up through the middle with Rincon, Meite and Soriano and also look forward to seeing how their back line comes together in front of Sirigu. i think Mazzari figures things out and Torino land comfortable in that 8-12 spot with some bumps along the way.

UDINESE: Barak+Fofana+Mandragora in the midfield equals a team that’s gonna be able to contend in a lot of games. The back line is sketchy (50 bucks to whomever can name their CBs week one) but they do have Scuffet in goal. Let’s not forget that healthy serving of LASAGNA up top! MMMMmmmmm!!!! I’m seeing positive things for

BAD LISI

BOLOGNA: The Pippo era at Bologna is not gonna go well. I have a feeling that in time Pippo becomes the next Donadoni. A bit ironic that one just replaced the other as coach of the Rossoblu.

CHIEVO: That 3-2 loss at home to Juve was probably the highlight of their season. They almost beat a good team and got to trade sweat with a living god. It’s only gonna go downhill from here.

FROSINONE: Bad team. Bad start. Feel bad for the likes of Marco Sportiello and Joel Campbell. Sportiello is  fine keeper and Campbell FINALLY escaped Arsenal only to hop on the relegation train. Sorry guys.

INTER: Nainggolan was done for last year. Vrsaljko looks like a red card waiting to happen. Asamoah will break down. Keita Balde will take time some getting back up to Serie A speed. They are one of the oldest teams in the league and have to compete in the CL this year. This will not go well folks.

JUVENTUS: (SIGH)... Let me say this quickly..... they will win the league this year but will fall short in the CL and Ronaldo won’t break 18 goals in the league. For all their talk of focusing on the CL, they still don’t quite have the balls to spend the money to get over the hump.

PARMA: Parma is a nice story but the next chapter reads, Benevento part 2. It’s gonna be a long year for the newbies. My only hope for them being interesting was all the talk of Balotelli going there. Even he wasn’t THAT desperate to get back to Italy. Smart move Mario.

SPAL: Poor Alberto Paloschi. From scoring in his first few minutes for Milan way back when to being in exile at Chievo to finally crash landing at SPAL. And that’s my only good thought them. Oh wait, former Milan youth Petagna is there now. Yuck. WAIT! They have a guy named DICKMANN!! DUDE! Still, they’re relegation material. Sorry.

CONFLICTED LISI

NAPOLI: I was ready to hand Carlo a giant shitburger for the season. Essentially the same roster for the 3rd season in a row seems like a bad idea and mixing that with an older coach trying to rekindle the flames sounded like a recipe for disaster. I thought for sure Lazio would mash them week one. I was wrong. They look good and now they get us at home week 2. I’m holding out opinion for now.

SAMPDORIA: They have raided the rest of Serie A in an effort to repeat last years 10th place finish. Tonelli, Saponara, Defrel and jankto have come from 4 different corners of Serie A to help out. Old man Quags is still in the house, but can he come close to last years 19 goals? Probably not. Who can fill those shoes this season? I don’t know. You tell me.

There’s my 2 cents on the other 19 teams in the league. Tomorrow I’ll take a long look at us. Brace yourselves.

Cheers

Lisi

[cutecats2017]

Hi everybody!So my husband and I foster-failed last month with our beautiful Bombay mix Helo. We decided to keep him because after three days of play, our older female cat Boomer fell in love with him. We joke that she has her own cat. Things are great for the most part - they share toys and food very well and spend lots of time playing and stalking one another around the house.However, I've noticed some recent behavior that I'd like some insight on. Boomer is not an affectionate cat, for the most part - she likes a snuggle here and there, maybe a pat, but she's very independent. She's always been this way, and we love her. Helo, however, is extremely vocal and extremely cuddly. He wants nothing more than to be in your lap purring and making biscuits. He is just as affectionate to Boomer, and he's aloof to her need for space and privacy. They will be playing and she'll call for a time-out, and retreat. But then he'll follow her into the next room meowing, and she'll hiss at him. Sometimes it takes one, sometimes it takes two or three short hisses. My husband jokes that I'm "such a momma" because this will happen in the middle of the night at the height of play hour and will wake me up because I think something is wrong.Is this normal behavior? Is there something I need to do or look for in the moment to help Boomer feel more comfortable? She adores him most of the time, chirps at him when she wants to play, and they groom each other CONSTANTLY while purring (their faces always smell like kitty spit). She mothers him and shares her food with him, and even tries to groom his butt after he uses the litter box. I think their relationship is great for such a short period of time, but both of their comfort is very important to me. I'm a newbie cat owner and a long time dog trainer, so I need help.Also, Helo generally has some interesting behaviors. He will NOT respond to claps, shouts, taps, or any other forms of disapline when climbing counters in the kitchen, and REFUSES to leave the kitchen. He is very stubborn and we never had this problem with our other kitty, so we're at a loss. Water spraying seems mean (also, he likes the shower so I don't know that it'd be effective). He also suckles on people while they're sleeping. Is this bad behavior that needs correcting or is it up to the owner? He always seems calmer after he snuggles up and suckles on my t-shirt for a while, and he gets "stuck" at the water bowl because he suckles there too (which we were told before fostering him because it looks really silly!). The vet said he was weaned too early but that's about it.We could really use your help, guys! Thanks