#it was just one year doing something like mma. i was like 15-16. so super long ago

[diueliz]

There's something so beautiful about fighting sports/martial arts when it comes to the physical contact..no I don't really mean to wax poetic about the intimacy but at the same time you can't deny it, the intimacy...for the short time I experienced it it felt so good when it was good and I'm currently longing to have that again

[shy-marker-pliers]

High school AU thingamabob

Dark

17 year old senior

class president and is kinda high and mighty about it tbh

“yes i know student council can’t really make any changes without the input of the superintendent but IM THE PRESIDENT AND YOU’RE NOT SO SUCK MY DI-“

does sound/lights for all the shows the school puts on

dating wilford and no one knows how or why they’re together

had a deep as hell voice and a beard the second he hit puberty

takes every ethics/psychology class he can

wants to be a lawyer

that one kid that everyone fears but is actually kinda chill if not a little surly

wears a collared shirt and tie to school every day and would totally get made fun of for it if he wasn’t terrifying

listens to classical music unironically

“oh my god i’m so going to fail this test” *proceeds to get the highest grade in the class*

protector of the gays™️

person: *says something mean to a student because they’re lgbtq+*

Dark: *teleports in front of said student* omae wa mou shindeiru

Wilford

19 year old senior

Yes he still has the mustache

doesn’t give a fuck about what anyone thinks of him

deadass wore a dress to school after one of his friends got made fun of because she wore a suit to a school dance

b u f f a s h e l l

could bench press a teacher if he really tried

on the cheer team

“no i’m not wearing pants, this miniskirt makes my ass look great!”

everyone’s bodyguard

usually attracts a crowd of nervous underclassmen

has mild dyslexia

tol

gives his friends piggyback rides

president of the drama club

works hard enough in school to pass his classes but that’s pretty much it

sleeps in class

Bim

15 year old freshman

vice president of the drama club

wilfords shadow

first freshman to help run the drama club and shoves it in everyone’s face

shouts his gayness from the rooftops

secretly super insecure

loves plants and helps out in the schools greenhouse

named all of the plants but if you tell anyone he’ll stab you

gets mostly B’s and C’s

has mild ocd but not enough to affect him severely

talks like a game show host cause he thinks it makes him sound attractive

it doesn’t

Google(s)

16 year old juniors

identical quadruplets

they have to wear different colors every day or else no one knows which one is which

they’re called the googles because their backpacks match the colors of the chrome logo and they’re super smart

straight A 4.0 GPA students but Oliver has to try a little harder than his brothers

all of them are in the robotics team except for ollie

Blue works on programming and red and green are on the build team

Ollie is the sweetest day of sunshine to ever exist and everyone loves him

he’s basically adopted Eric as his lil bro

tutors people in the library every tuesday and thursday

the other googles disapprove of his relationship with bing but he makes ollie happy so they don’t do anything about it

they all work in a supermarket and they’re saving up for college

ollie wants to be a vet, red and green want to be engineers, and blue wants to be a web developer

Bing

17 year old junior

mostly A’s, a few B’s.

his full name is zachary bing but people call him bing because he’s always trying to one up the googles

dudebro

was pining after ollie for months before chase finally felt sorry for him and told ollie how he felt

they’re dating now and it’s adorable

so soft for his boyf

a really good skater and wins a lot of local competitions

doesn’t study but still gets p good grades

wears sunglasses all the time because he has light sensitivity

Has ADHD

s t r o n k

always challenges people to arm wrestle him

can sing really well and plays gitaur

shares a youtube channel with chase where they skate and to challenges and stuff

Dr. ipiler

18 year old senior

Everyone calls him doc because he helps the school nurse and takes every single biology and health class there is

all A’s

really wants to be a surgeon

best friends with Schneep

huge star trek/harry potter nerd (ravenclaw if you’re wondering)

almost always at schneep’s house studying or just chillin’

kind of a control freak

thinks he’s charismatic but he’s actually kinda annoying

but annoying in a funny way

has a pet ferret that he sneaks into school

feral

espresso and sugar flows through his veins

“i actually got a good sleep last night.” “oh really?” “yeah bro i got a whole half hour!”

super dark bags under his eyes

Host

17 year old junior

all A’s except for in gym class

he has eyes in this

his real name is Simon Charles Teller (there are specific meanings to those names btw look them up) but he’s called The Host because he does morning announcements every day.

has gold eyes and a lot of people find it unnerving

“hey i have a podcast you should totally listen to it”

nocturnal

spends all of his free time in the library

always reading in class but the teachers don’t really care bc his grades are good and he does his homework

wants to be an english/poetry teacher

crushing on the cute shy kid from his english class

doesn’t talk much but he’ll still be nice to you

that one kid who’s always correcting the teachers

Runs the D&D club (he’s the dungeon master)

Eric Derekson

16 year old junior

Mostly high B’s, a couple of A’s.

lives with his uncle mark after he ran away from his abusive dad and is living a happy life

the guy that always volunteers to take care of the class pets over the weekend

animals love him

has anxiety, mild paranoia and autism.

animals, harry potter, and pokémon are his hyperfixations.

he also really likes gardening

crushing big time on hostioli

spends his entire english class staring at him and blushing

is seriously considering joining D&D club just to be able to talk to him

he’s in the art club

wants to be a vet and maybe do some freelance art stuff on the side

Ollie keeps yelling at him to just ask host out already but he’s too nervous

my poor bb boi

Wears sweaters all the time

wears headphones to block out noise if it ever gets too loud at he goes into sensory overload

disaster bi

Yan

18 year old senior

gets C’s

non-binary

has a makeup tutorial channel on youtube and has a pretty decent following

That one weeb

dyes their hair a new color every week

also has a new crush every week

everyone knows who their newest victim is because they never stop watching them

draws anime or cute animals for every art class

wants to be a a fashion designer

does MMA

everyone kinda stears clear of them

writes their first initial along with their crush’s on every notebook they own

has gotten suspended for beating kids up on multiple occasions

doesn’t really have that many friends but they don’t mind

spends their lunches watching their crush

in the drama club and the art club

Randall Voorhees

18 year old senior

C’s and D’s

Eric’s cousin/bodyguard

they have a lot of the same classes and walk everywhere together

loves animals and has like 10 pet rats

he doesn’t really care about his grades because he knows that he wants to be a woodworker/construction guy

makes little houses out of scrap wood for his rats and Eric thinks it’s adorable

always sneaks his rats to school and lets them have play dates with dr. iplier’s ferret

“nO IM NOT RELATED TO JASON VOORHEES HES NOT EVEN REAL SO SHUT THE HELL UP-“

used to live in nyc in queens and still has a pretty strong accent

completely incomprehensible when he’s excited or angry bc of the accent

everyone is jealous of his hair

spends like 100 dollars on shampoo and conditioner and stuff but it’s worth it

acts like the straightest guy in existence but could not be more gay

his boots are always muddy

Yancy

16 year old sophomore

his name is Yancy Bird

g...get it? like jailbird? ahaha...ok i’ll stop

permanent resident of the detention room

but he gets to just chill out and read for an hour so he doesn’t really mind

mostly gets detention for beating up kids that bully others

fuck the system

always wears a leather jacket and blue jeans

“hey, the 50’s called and they want their-“ SMACK. “shut up.”

takes a lot of criminal justice and psychology classes ironically

in the botany club but if you tell anyone they’ll never find your body

everyone is surprised when they find out he’s friends with Eric and ollie

pan but in denial

“i’m not gay guys, that ain’t me, i’m just comfortable with my sexuality. so i can admit when i see a guy with a handsome face and pretty eyes-“

that song is great btw you should listen to it

anyway

always makes really dark jokes and everyone is like “are you ok?”

except for his friends they just laugh

“lmao wouldn’t it be funny if everyone like...died”

[bloodwynes]

OOC Q’s!

1.     What do you want to get out of playing this character(s)?

I mean, I get enjoyment out of playing any of my chars, so that’s probably my main motivation.

2.     Describe your character(s) with three words.

Protective, troubled, tired

3.     What made you decide to write this muse?

I’ve been writing her since I was 16 and I adore her, she’s a dumbass, she’s dealing with a whole lot of shit, and I kinda relate to her in some aspects. There’s different versions of her, and I really like this one I’m writing here in TI.

4.     If you could change one event in your muse’s life (in their main or canon verse), what would you change?

The disastrous relationship that she now has with her daughter. If Booker had managed to kill the witch that cursed Philippa, the girl never would’ve become bitter and dangerous. Booker feels terrible because she believes it is her fault that her daughter turned out to be a monster, but in other universes they have a real good relationship, with Booker being a queen and Philippa as the spymaster of the court. I miss them being okay with each other, they were an unstoppable team (and Zara was alive too!)

5.     If you could tell your muse one thing, what would you tell them?

“I adore you and I feel bad for all the terrible, terrible shit I’ve put you through, but holy fucking shit woman, you always get away with everything. I’m surprised you haven’t been punched in the face more often. You’ve done stuff here that makes me damn mad, pls learn to be better.”

6.     If you could give your muse one gift, what would you give them?

A kitten. Crazy cat lady can always have more cats around.

7.     If you had to take one positive thing away from your muse, what would you take away?

Her protectiveness. What would Booker be without her desire to keep others safe? Just a selfish, angry drunk. If she lost that aspect of her personality she’d be lost, she’d be nothing.

8.     If you could “borrow” one aspect of your muse and apply it to yourself or your own life, what would you borrow?

Gimme those mma skills plz omfg. How AWESOME would it be to have those fighting skills!? They could be so useful.

9.     Do you genuinely want your muse to be happy? What do you think would make them most happy in life?

I want this idiot to be happy, she’s an ass sometimes but she deserves happiness. I know she will probably never admit it, because she wants to believe she doesn’t need anyone else in order to be happy, but boy is she lying hard to herself. She’s pretty traditional in some senses, and honestly? All she wants is a family, even if she keeps saying that she does NOT want kids. She wants a house in the woods or the beach, a wife, kids and a whole lotta pets. It’s not super exciting, but that’s the whole point! With how rough and crazy her life has been, she craves nothing more than a little stability and just a very simple life.

10. Do you enjoy putting your muse through angst? What do you think would break their heart the most?

I do enjoy it sometimes cause a little angst is always necessary to make things fun imo, but I don’t want her character to always revolve around angst, or constantly be part of super angsty situations, I like to mix things up. Being unable to protect others is the one thing that will definitely break her heart, mostly because her being unable to protect others in the past has cost lives and her daughter’s well-being. She feels it’s her duty to keep her loved ones safe no matter what, and if she is unable to protect them she feels as if she’s failed them, creating a feeling of worthlessness. It’s kinda what happened to her when she lost her eye, she became unable to fight, so she had no idea what to do, how to help others or keep going so she just… pushed everyone away and vanished. Was it right? Nope, she fucked up big time. Is she ever going to admit she did something bad and hurt lots of people she cared about? Also no, she’s tired and done but she’s still goddamn stubborn.

11. What do you love about your muse?

How goofy she can be, despite everything she’s been through. Yeah, she can be grumpy and mean as hell sometimes, but she still has a side of her that’s super sweet and fun and sooooo loving.

12. What do you hate about your muse?

She needs to stop being so stubborn. This woman will never admit she is wrong and will ALWAYS play the victim. Sometimes I feel like she really needs to grow up.

13. What about your muse amuses you?

The amount of shit she’s been through. Her poor body doesn’t have more space for scars, and yet she keeps on being an angry hothead that seeks fights, despite being tired and super done with everything. I’m surprised she’s been able to go on this long. Right now the fire that made her fight for important things has waned and died out, so now she mostly just gets into senseless bar fights.

14. What about your muse makes you sad?

Her own family hates her guts, except for Lys, and she lost the one person who loved her the most. Her mother treated her like shit all her life, and when Booker finally ran off and found someone who truly loved her, who made her feel like she belonged, this person died. She has lost way too many people, and she grew up hearing how terrible she is and how she doesn’t deserve her wings. She’s excellent at hiding it but BOY IS THIS WOMAN’S SELF ESTEEM LOW.

15. How would you describe your muse to someone about to meet them, in person, for the first time?

“You are gonna recognize her immediately. Tall, with a thick accent, and a mane of red hair. Seriously, it’s like she got pulled out of a Vikings episode or something. Don’t mind her humor, she’s a bit awkward but she’s fun to have around.”

16. Would you like your muse as a person if you met them in real life?

I think I’d have a crush on her if I’m being completely honest. Now, if I got to know her better? Idk, she’s intense and I’m way too lazy, but I’d think she’s cool.

17. In what ways are you better than your muse? In what ways are they better than you?

Im not a hothead like her, or egotistical and violent, so I guess I could say I’m better at handling my emotions than her. Booker is wild, a bit unpredictable and super volatile, I’m glad to be the opposite most of the time lol. Now, she’s better than me in the aspects that she can fight really damn well and I’m barely a yellow/white belt in karate, she can also cook really well while I’m here burning boiled water, among a LOT of other things, because this woman has been around for 400 years and knows how to do many things.

18. Why do you think you connect to your muse?

Well, unfortunately we share something that I definitely wouldn’t have added if I knew it was gonna happen to me too later on, cause it brings back a lot of pain. We recently lost a family member at the hands of someone violent and dangerous. We have to live on with that loss, knowing that the person who killed our family member is still out there, living. It hits way too close to home, and I don’t think I’d ever be able to explain the level of anger and pain I feel with words, so I get how Booker feels, I get why she is angry, why she is drunk, why she feels helpless and has zero fucks to give now. It is something so deeply personal, so wild to people who haven’t experienced something like it, and like… it hurts, a lot, but here we are, still existing, still going on, and trying to make damn sure we keep the memory of those we lost alive.

19. What aspect of your muse’s personality is most important to you? What aspect of your muse’s personality do you think is most important to them? Is it the same? Why or why not?

I think the most important aspect of her personality is her protectiveness, and she’d probably say the same. Booker lives to protect others, in the other places I wrote her she was a Queen, and a really good one might I add, because she was fiercely protective of her people and her family. Booker is a guardian, that’s her whole thing.

20. Has your character(s) changed over the time that you have been playing them? How have they changed?

I actually started writing the accent™️ now, so that’s new. Other things that have changed is her personality in general, she’s a bit shyer than before, overall the things I’ve changed are just small details that probably aren’t very recognizable, with the exception of a few bigger details. She’s also drinking a bit more, it’s starting to become a problem. She’s not doing great, but she’s good at hiding it (kinda?). She’s also a little more aware of what she wants in life right now, her views on some things have changed. For example, before she left, she just craved adventure and an exciting life, I decided to change this, now she wants simplicity, she wants a family. She is not the same person she was before I took a break from TI, and the changes will begin to seep out slowly.

[thesportssoundoff]

“It’s not that bad and YET” UFC Fight Night: Sacramento Preview

Joey

July 9

The show AFTER the big July PPV always tends to have some sort of bad vibes attached to it and I guess this one isn't any different. In 2016, injuries took us from Michael Chiesa vs Tony Ferguson to John Lineker vs Michael McDonald (two guys no longer in the org). In 2017, the UFC loaded up their July PPV slate and gave us Gunnar Nelson vs Santiago Ponzinibbio the week after an injury (and sinus infection) cursed card from Vegas. Last year, the UFC gave us Blagoy Ivanov vs JDS and Sage Northcutt vs Zak Ottow after Miocic vs DC. This year's card after Vegas is either good or bad depending almost solely on how you feel about the main event. Fights 2-13 are your usual garden variety Fight Night mix of intriguing and irrelevant but the main event, a clash between Germaine de Randamie and Aspen Ladd, will likely determine whether it's the worst thing ever or a totally acceptable main event. I can kind of see the two sides at play here. WMMA title fights are acceptable main and co-main events but convincing MMA's audience that there's quality outside of the title fights is often met with chuckles, snickers and some derisiveness. MMA fans work in doses and drips and so foistering this main event upon the audience even years after the rise of WMMA requires some understanding that there's a chunk of fans who won't see this as a quality headliner. Aspen Ladd to my knowledge has never been on a main card and GDR has had one fight in two years. On the other hand if one had the ability to view both fighters objectively, this is a pretty damn good fight. Headline worthy? I mean why not. It's a pseudo #1 contender fight with a former champion and a rising prospect. Seems totally acceptable to me. Either way we got thirteen fights to talk about so let's just get on with it.

Fights: 13

Debuts: Brianna Van Buren, John Allan, Wellington Turman

Fight Changes/Injury Cancellations: 5 (John Phillips OUT, Wellington Turman IN vs Karl Roberson/Gian Villante OUT, John Allan IN vs Mike Rodriguez/Cynthia Calvillo OUT, Brianna Van Buren IN vs Livia Souza/Sara McMann OUT, Julianna Pena IN vs Nicco Montano/Martin Day OUT, Vince Morales IN vs Benito Lopez)

Headliners (fighters who have either main evented or co-main evented shows in the UFC): 8 (Urijah Faber, Josh Emmett, Beneil Dariush, Andre Fili, Julianna Pena, Nicco Montano, Darren Elkins, Cezar Mutante)

Fighters On Losing Streaks in the UFC: 1 (Darren Elkins)

Fighters On Winning Streaks in the UFC: 9 (Germaine De Randamie, Ricky Simon, Aspen Ladd, Beneil Dariush, Drakkar Klose, Mirsad Bektic, Livia Souza, Ryan Hall,Pingyuan Liu)

Main Card Record Since Jan 1st 2017 (in the UFC): 24-11-2

Aspen Ladd- 3-0 Germaine de Randamie- 2-0 Urijah Faber- 0-0 Ricky Simon- 3-0 Josh Emmett- 3-2 Mirsad Bektic- 2-1 Beneil Dariush- 2-2-1 Drakkar Klose- 4-1 Karl Roberson- 2-2 Wellington Turman- 0-0 Cezar Ferreira- 2-2 Marvin Vettori- 1-1-1

Fights By Weight Class (yearly number here):

Featherweight-  3 (33) Bantamweight- 3 (36) Women’s Bantamweight- 2 (12) Middleweight- 2 (23) Women’s Strawweight- 1 (19) Light Heavyweight- 1 (28) Lightweight- 1 (43)

Welterweight- (38) Heavyweight- (18) Flyweight- (8) Women’s Flyweight-  (18) Women’s Featherweight- (6)

2019 Number Tracker

Debuting Fighters (18-40)- Brianna Van Buren, John Allan, Wellington Turman

Short Notice Fighters (16-25)- Brianna Van Buren, John Allan, Wellington Turman, Julianna Pena, Vince Morales

Second Fight (38-15)- Nicco Montano

Cage Corrosion (Fighters who have not fought within a year of the date of the fight) (12-26)- Urijah Faber (I could/should put him in the debut category but Faber was never cut and so I figure he's better suited here?), Nicco Montano, Julianna Pena, Marvin Vettori, Mirsad Bektic

Undefeated Fighters (25-27)- Aspen Ladd

Fighters with at least four fights in the UFC with 0 wins over competition still in the organization (9-8)-

Weight Class Jumpers (Fighters competing outside of the weight class of their last fight even if they’re returning BACK to their “normal weight class”) (17-16)- Nicco Montano, Ryan Hall, Karl Roberson

Twelve Precarious Ponderings

1- It's only fair to start with what can only be described as an experiment of sorts by the UFC. We currently have on the calendar four WMMA main events and rumors of a 5th (I've heard some rumblings about Rose vs Nina Ansaroff in the late Fall) is out there. The UFC is clearly giving us more WMMA main events and taking some chances in the process. Part of this is clearly an ESPN design; you give them four shows a month more or less and you're less concerned about popping a number on a digital platform. The scheduling and the assembly line of "See UFC product, get UFC product" on ESPN+ allows you to be a bit more flexible. It's kinda cool that in a span of four weeks, we've gotten a massive HW fight, a big UFC PPV, this show with a credible WMMA main event and then a pretty solid San Antonio main event with RDA vs Leon Edwards. We get a little bit of everything and I'm glad Ladd vs GDR occupies a part of that. With less of an expectation to do a one off rating (Ladd vs GDR probably would've been the lowest rated show on FS1) then I hope we see more credible WMMA main events. In a vacuum, I'd rather see two top 5 fighters at strawweight headline an event than two big doughy guys at LHW or HW just because we're afraid the audience might not like it.

2- At the same time I have zero problems admitting GDR vs Aspen Ladd as a main event wasn't making me want to rush out and buy a ticket if it was in my town. The more I think about it though. the more intrigued I am about it. Maybe it's just the "it's coming to get excited!" aspect of an approaching card or what but I'm genuinely excited by this main event. Maybe it's because GDR could either be Amanda Nunes' next opponent or the ultimate 'Whatever happened to?" story.  Germaine de Randamie's title shot was somewhat circumstantial  at best but be it by hook or by crook, she DID win the UFC's first ever featherweight title. After pulling out of fights on and off for three straight years (and with wins over Anna Elmose and Larissa Pacheco of all people), Germaine was ushered into a fight with Holly Holm in a makeshift main event. She won the first three rounds in my estimation, lost the final two and in a fair and just world, probably loses the fight with points deducted for repeated shots after the bell in rounds 1 and 2. We don't live in an alternate universe, we live in a current reality and SO de Randamie beat Holm on points to become champ. What happened then? Well....de Randamie copped to a hand injury after the fact, hinting she wouldn't fight Cyborg. She came out a bit later and said she wouldn't fight Cyborg because Cyborg was a PED user. She was stripped of the belt, hinted at retiring, came back, got hurt, hinted at retirement some more and then finally returned in a one sided breeze vs Rocky Pennington. The point of all that is to say that GDR is either about to break out into the best version of herself with a dominant win over Aspen Ladd or she's going to just disappear for two years after this fight.

3- Is Aspen Ladd more or less rushed than when Sara McMann got a title shot off of beating Shayna Baszler and Sheila Gaff? Ladd's got some credible wins but she's still super green and like a lot of green WMMA prospects, she pretty much gets by on her ability to be aggressive and dogged in firefights. Offensively though she's so much fun to watch. This fight in tight with GDR's crisp powerful boxing vs Ladd's aggression, pressure and fearlessness could be a real treat. Also let's not forget that Ladd absolutely has the strength to just bowl over GDR the way Nunes did as well.

4- Fun question; would you prefer the winner of this fight vs Amanda Nunes at bantamweight or up 10 lbs at featherweight?

5- The total lack of hype from the UFC on the return of Urijah Faber almost makes it feel like they're embarrassed he's even trying this.

6- Karl Roberson's UFC run thus far has been pretty easy to figure out. He's had four fights and gone 2-2 with an easy enough pattern; guy gets him down? He gets subbed. Guy doesn't? He wins. He subbed Darren Stewart which is still a pretty impressive win in hindsight and beat up on Jack Marshman in November. He took a really short notice fight vs Glover Teixeira in January and was beating the shit out of him before Glover did as he do; got on top and subbed him out in the first round. Roberson gets the debuting Wellington Turman and it's going to be an interesting test to see if he can avoid getting taken down against a guy making his debut on short notice. I still think Roberson has high upside and is more or less a victim of some unfair rough matchmaking.

7- Julianna Pena is back after taking a year and change off and it's surprising just how little fanfare her return is getting. Pena's last fight was on Fox in the headline spot vs Valentina Shevchenko in a fight she lost by armbar in the second round. Before that though, she had beaten the likes of Jessica Eye and Cat Zingano and looked to be on her way to maybe becoming something in the post Rousey landscape. The fact she's sort of just slipped into the picture as a late notice replacement for a filler prelim fight is so weird. Pena is just 29 and even if her striking was really rough to watch, she's the sort of fighter who has enough in her arsenal as a strong (yet clunky) wrestler that I can't rule her out in what remains at 135 lbs. We've seen the likes of Rocky Pennington get title shots and Nunes is close to cleaning out the division so maybe Pena (or even her opponent Nicco Montano) has a shot at creeping back up in the title picture quickly.

8- Casual reminder that Nicco Montano was the first ever UFC women's flyweight champ. Kinda gets forgotten given how things played out with her.

9- So are we officially off the Mirsad Bektic hype train now?

10- Ryan Hall vs Darren Elkins is such a weirdo fight on paper that I can't help but want to see how it plays out. At the very least we know (hope) Elkins won't take any significant damage via strikes.

11- Sheymon Moraes vs Andre Fili is a really good fight that almost feels misplaced as a prelim fodder fight but will be worth your time if you search it out. A damn good fight between two solid mid level FWs.

12- Does any card better encapsulate the collapse of TAM like this one does?

[lazaefair]

For the fanfic ask: 15-22.

asks for fanfic writers

The original ask meme specified a fandom for each ask, so I’ll just go with Mag7 here.

15. hardest verse to write

The priest AU. I’m good enough that I can sort of blindly feel my way forward at getting into the heads of a mercenary assassin and a sniper-turned-Catholic-priest but it’s not easy. It’s a major slog, actually, which is why that WIP has stalled out. I’ve already done so much fucking research for what little of it exists, even more than the MMA AU. 

I worry that Billy and Goody’s professions and lives in this story are so far removed from anything I could possibly relate to, that everything I’m writing will ring false. Particularly the Catholic thing - I was raised very Protestant, very evangelical, and while there are many overlapping themes and issues, I know there are some fundamental differences in theology and culture. I am 100% overthinking it.

16. easiest verse to write

…the GI Joe/Mag7 fusion. Not just my favorite, but also the easiest because everything’s made up and the canon doesn’t matter. Also partially motivated by wanting you to write more of it, so I write my commentfics as combination gifts and bribes in hopes of egging you on.

17. favorite AU to write 

Answered here.

18. favorite pairing to write 

Billy/Goody by far. I don’t know how much of it is the pairing itself, or the fandom for them, or the particular state of my mental health this year, but for whatever cocktail of reasons, those two have hung around in my brain for far longer than almost any other pairing. And my interest doesn’t look like it’s waning, which is a break from the pattern. 

More significantly, they’ve inspired me to dream and write far more often than even the previous contenders: Baze/Chirrut (Rogue One) and Larry/Ahkmenrah (Night at the Museum). 

(…I might have a bit of a type.)

19. favorite fandom to write

I have to say Mag7 actually does win out over any of the fandoms I’ve written for. Rogue One was amazing, but collapsed under the weight of simply being a Star Wars fandom. I wandered around fandomless for a while afterwards. And then…you all appeared on the horizon, herding your stories and your meta and your art ahead of you, and swept me up along on the drive. And now we’re all headed up the Chisholm trail to Kansas for the 2018 Secret Santa auctions. 

20. favorite character to write

Billy. He’s basically me, but wearing Lee Byung-hun’s face and way more physically badass. That Tumblr post about women writing slash because they’re fantasizing about relationships without that ingrained power imbalance very much applies here.

21. least favorite character to write

Faraday. Besides one or two brief moments, I super disliked him in the movie because he’s the kind of arrogant white fuckboi I can’t stand, and which was compounded by the script and editing treating him as The Sexy One anyway. I wanted more screentime and backstory for literally everyone but him.

The bitch of it is, he’s my least favorite character to write, but he’s not the most difficult character to write simply because of how much time I’ve spent around arrogant white fuckbois in real life and how much they pervade mainstream media. I guess he’s handy for when I need someone around to say something a jackass would say.

22. favorite story you’ve ever written

Of the completed and published works, My Modus Operandi Is Amalgam - being one of the only completed and published works. But I’m legit proud of it from a craft standpoint and am kind of mystified that I managed to pull something that good out of my brain. 

Of the scraps and WIPs, I’d say the Red Riding Hood AU. I wanted to go somewhere different, and do something clever with the prompt, and I think I succeeded on both counts.

[super-not-naturall]

85 Statements

I was tagged by the wonderful @assbutt-still-in-hell and I am tagging anyone who wants to do it. If you do just tag me in it so I can see your answers. I love gettting to know my followers/mutuals better! (Answers under the cut)

1. Drink? Soda; usually Mtn. Dew or Rootbeer

2. Phone Call? Ehhh, depends on with who. I can talk to my mom for hours on the phone, other people I just feel awkward.

3. Text Message? Is this asking my last text message? If so it was a picture of some beautiful dyed hair to my best friend because I’m thinking about getting mine dyed tomorrow.

4. Song you listened to? *Opens up my spotify to see what was last played* Forever Bound - Von Grey

5. Last time you cried? LET ME TELL YOU, THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY TIMES THESE PAST TWO WEEKS THAT I WAS CLOSE TO BAWLING MY EYES OUT BUT I MANAGED TO HOLD IT TOGETHER SOMEHOW. That being said, I actually don’t remember haha

6. Dated someone twice? I mean I guess; we took a small break then got back together.

7. Ever kissed someone and regretted it? Yep

8. Been Cheated On? Yep and it tore me to fucking shreds

9. Lost Someone Special? My grandma when I was 15; we were really close

10. Been Depressed? For as long as I can remember, but I was formally diagnosed my sophomore year of highschool. #imatrainwreck

11. Gotten drunk and thrown up? I don’t like the taste of alcohol so I’ve never drank enough to get drunk let alone throw up.

Favorite Colors 12. Purple 13. Blue 14. Gray

In the last year have you

15. Made new friends? Yes

16. Fallen in love? With Sam Winchester? Yes. With someone who is not fictional? Nope.

17. Laughed until you cried? Yep

18. Found out someone was talking about you? Oh my god, I happened to walk by just as a girl from my rec sports team was talking shit about me and it literally fucked me up. I was already having trouble with my depression and that just sorta was the tip of the iceburg so I quit the team.

19. Met someone that changed your life? @energeticallyem when she walked into my room and proceeded to deal with my awkwardness (Love you, Dean)

20. Found out who your friends are? Yeah; I mean, I’ve always had a good clue though.

21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list? Had a brief thing with a guy so yeah

22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life? All of them. I don’t accept anyone I don’t know.

23. Do you have any pets? ONLY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DOGGIES IN THE WORLD

24. Do you want to change your name? I did when I was younger because I’ve always hated my name. I tried getting people to call me by my middle name for a while, but I never responded because I just always forgot.

25. What did you do for your last Birthday? My cousin took me out to lunch with his girlfriend, I got some writing done, and my mom made family dinner.

26. What time did you wake up? Around 10:30 am because my dog decided she had to wake me up.

27. What were you doing last night at midnight? Finishing up a chapter to my fic

28. Name something you can’t wait for? The semester to start

29. When was the last time you saw your mom? A couple hours ago

30. What are you listening to right now? The fan

31. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom? I feel like I have . . .

32. Something that is getting on your nerves? Asshole boys

33. Most visited website? Tumblr (is that even a question?)

34. Hair color? Super light brown

35. Long or short hair? Long af

36. Do you have a crush on someone? I mean, I did, but then drama ensued (again stupid asshole boys) 

37. What do you like about yourself? My eyes (picture Jared’s with a bit more green and that’s mine.)

38. Piercings? Ears and nose

39. Blood type? I think A- ?

40. Nicknames? I don’t really have one that is serious, but t-sizzle, t-swizzle, t-dog. Sometimes I’ll get called Tris. My aunt calls me Naner-baner (because my middle name is renae.)

41. Relationship status? #foreveralone

42. Zodiac? Cancer

43. Pronouns? She/her

44. Favorite TV Show? Spn, The Flash, Doctor Who, Quantico, Daredevil.

45. Tattoos? Yep! Two runes from TMI series on my ribs

46. Right or left handed? Right

47. Surgeries? Appendix and Gallbladder

48. Kids? Hopefully someday, but for right now I just play with my pastor’s 4 little ones.

49. Sport? I danced for 7 years and did MMA for 1

50. Vacation? I’d love to vacation somewhere cool like London (or anywhere int he UK tbh.)

51. Pair of trainers? I don’t understand?

52. Eating? right now? no

53. Drinking? Some water (it’s a miracle, really. I am prob the most dehydrated person on the planet)

54. I’m about to? Probably go to bed seeing at it 12:30 am

55. Waiting for? nothing? I guess . . .

56. Want? To travel the world and become a beautiful writer

57. Get married? Hopefully someday

58. Career? Right now I go to college full time, but I’m hoping to do military social work after I graduate!

59. Hugs or kisses? Hugs-they’re so nice and warm

60. Lips or eyes? Eyes-everyone’s eyes are different and beautiful and I just love that about people

61. Shorter or taller? As in me? Shorter (5′2′’) I’d like to date someone taller, but that’s not hard to accomplish for me.

62. Older or younger? Usually same age or a couple years older, younger guys usually piss me off with their immaturity.

63. Nice arms or nice stomach? I’m a sucker for arms; it’s a weakness of mine.

64. Hook up or relationship? Relationship all the way

65. Troublemaker or hesitant? Depends on who you ask. Ask the small town i grew up in, I’m a liberal trouble maker. Ask the suburban/urban area I live in now, probably more hesitant. (And i just realized this was talking about love interests still, whoops - def hesitant.)

66. Kissed a stranger? Nope

67. Drank hard liquor? Had a sip of rum and coke and never again. 

68. Lost glasses/contacts? Yepp

69. Turned someone down? Yeah, some guys seem to think I’d be good with being FWB and I’m not about that life. (Nothing against those who are, it’s just not for me.)

70. Sex on the first date? I’m waiting until marriage #thatchristianlife

71. Broken someone’s heart? I mean it broke my ex’s heart when we broke up, but that was because he cheated on me when he was drunk so that’s more on him than me.

72. Had your heart broken? Shatter then stomped on then set on fire then thrown in the trash broken.

73. Been arrested? Never

74. Cried when someone died? Yep

75. Fallen for a friend? Yep

Do you believe in

76. Yourself? Depends on the day

77. Miracles? Yeah, it’s kinda hard not to when you look around you

78. Love at first sight? Nope, but I do believe in lust as first sight.

79. Santa Claus? Fun Fact: My mom still uses different wrapping paper and uses different handwriting for the gifts she signs from santa every year. My brother is 22 and I’m 20.

80. Kiss on the first date? Depends on the chemistry

81. Angels?  Yes

Other

82. Current best friends name? Emma to the Lee (it’s all one word.)

83. Eye color? Hazel

84. Favorite Movie? She’s the Man

85. Favorite book? Okay so I usually put down the TMI Series or the Great Gatsby, but I finished a book last month called Teach Me To Forget by Erica Chapman and it literally tore me to shreds but was SO GOOD. (It’s a super triggering book though for those with mental health issues though, so I’d be wary about it.)

[matthewthemage]

Harry Potter Creature Themed Asks

Matthew the Mage’s Book of Shadows Contents

Harry Potter Creature Themed Asks

1. Ashwinder: Have you ever had a really bad burn? Where? Yes in my heart

2. Basilisk: What experiences have you had with snakes? I had one draped around me in the first grade and it was awesome, and I even used a snake-vanishing spell to vanish a person acting like a snake

3. Billywig: Would you rather be able to levitate or be consistently giddy? Levitate

4. Blast-Ended Skrewt: What creatures would you breed in order to make a brand new hybrid? Augurey = Weather prediction Bowtruckle = Tree Guardian nature Demiguise = Invisibility by choice and seeing the next likeable possibilities Phoenix = Tears and Rebirth

5. Boggart: Worst fear/phobia? My brothers disowning me

6. Bowtruckle: Do you have attachment issues? Yes

7. Bundimun: On a scale of 1 to Bundimun infestation, how clean is your room? About a 5

8. Centaur: How connected to nature are you? Very much so

9. Chimaera: Would you rather have lions head or a dragons tail? Both

10. Clabbert: How good are you at sensing a bad situation coming? I honestly don't think I am, however, my awesome kid brother, Koda, is and we are rather close

11. Demiguise: How wise are you? I like to think very

12. Diricawl: If you could teleport to anywhere in the world where would it be? To my big brother Rob's as long as my little bother's and fmaily could be there too

13. Doxy: Have you ever been mistaken for anyone? Yes, quite a few times

14. Dragon: What is something you horde? Books, books, and books

15. Erkling: What is your favorite dark fairytale? Cinderella

16. Erumpent: How would you attract a mate? Just by being me

17. Fairy: What’s one physical feature you take really good care of? My brain

18. Fire crab: If you had a gem encrusted shell what would it look like? Everchanging to suit my need

19. Flitterby: What’s a tune you always find yourself humming? Double, Double, Toil and Trouble

20. Flobberworm: Have you ever felt as useless as a flobberworm? Yes, sadly by muggles

21. Fwooper: Have you ever sung so much that your friends/family have threatened to kill you? No

22. Ghoul: Is there something you do that really annoys people? Yes, tell my brother to be quiet

23. Giant Squid: Favorite Hogwarts creature? Hogwarts itself

24. Glumbumble: What’s something that makes you really melancholy? Thinking about my earth father

25. Golden Snidget: Google “Ancient Sports Facts” and tell us the one you find most interesting. ((1) Pankration: While today we have MMA, the Ancient Greeks had something known as Pankration, which was something like a free-for-all hand to hand fight that mixed boxing, kicking, and wrestling.

26. Graphorn: If you were one of the last mating humans in existence who would you want as your mate?

27. Griffin: If you could chose a creature as a guardian, which one would it be? My otter

28. Grindylow: What’s something about the ocean that scares you? Nothing I love the great big blue

29. Hippogriff: Who is someone you have the upmost respect for? My family

30. Horklump: Do you like mushrooms? Yes, they make great resources

31. Jarvey: What is your favorite comeback? That the haters are just jealous

32. Jobberknoll: What would be the last thing you say before you die? I'll be right back

33. Kelpie: If you could take any form what would it be? Of a cat

34. Knarl: How touchy about food are you? I am a bit

35. Kneazle: What do you think about cats? I love them

36. Leprechaun: How Irish are you? By blood 50% by heart 10000000%

37. Mackled Malaclaw: What’s the most unlucky thing that’s ever happened to you? I had to work with people who are small-minded

38. Manticore: If you could chose one of your body parts, when touched, to cause instant death, what body part would it be? My brain

39. Merpeople: On a scale of “Out of Water to In Water”, how good is your singing? In water

40. Moke: Would you rather shrink at will or grow at will? Both

41. Mooncalf: How adorable are you? My friends and loved ones think a lot but I don't see it

42. Murtlap: Are you a biter? Maybe a little

43. Niffler: What’s your favorite shiny thing? My Patronus

44. Occamy: Were you a fussy child? A little bit yes

45. Phoenix: Do you believe in reincarnation? Oh definitely yes

46. Pixie: Do you like to play tricks on people? Only in love but yes

47. Pogrebin: Have you ever been followed by someone before? Yes, on many planes

48. Porlock: Have you ever been horseback riding before? Oh yes and I loved it

49. Pygmy Puff: What is the cutest animal in your opinion? My animagus form, my cat

50. Re'em: If you could have super strength for one hour what would you do with it? Change it to magical prowess and strength

51. Runespoor: Are you a planner, a dreamer, or a critic? A bit of all three to be honest

52. Shrake: Do you enjoy fishing? I like the peace and quiet, however, hurting animals is not my cup of tea, that's why I like to fish in the astral.

53. Sphinx: What one question would you want answered most in the world? Why aren't there more books about playing with magic?

54. Streeler: Would you, given the choice, make your skin change color every hour? If I could choose the color yes.

55. Swooping Evil: In what way are you often misunderstood? I am often found entertaining the devil's advocate for the sake of understanding whatever topic I'm handling.

56. Tebo: If you could make yourself invisible, what would you do? Go for a walk and spook people

57. Thestral: Whose death has shaken you most in the last year? Stan Lee

58. Three-Headed Dog: What’s something you guard with your life? My famiily

59. Troll: What’s one really stupid thing you’ve done? Tried to give an old boss a chance

60. Thunderbird: What’s your favorite type of weather? Any especially magically charged weather

61. Unicorn: Are you a virgin? Yes I am in the respects of how my Matron Goddess, Athena, is a virgin goddess, in reference to the original definition of virginity.

62. Werewolf: Is there something about your life or yourself that you can’t control? Yes, my love of Harry Potter and I wouldn't want to change or control it because it is quite the entity.

[rabidwrestlingfan]

Payback time! 1-50 on the Wrestling questions! Hahaha

Little did you know that I was 100% prepared for this. Because what else was I supposed to do 😂1. What got you into wrestling? The Rock. My mom is a habitual channel surfer, and she'd always end up watching whatever was on. She ended up on the channel Raw was on a lot of the time, and I'd cry whenever she changed it and The Rock was on. When I was still in a walker. A couple years later my older cousins made me watch it with them. I watched Jeff Hardy jump off something and the rest is history.2. What is your favorite wrestling promotion? Honestly, fuck this question. My heart says WWE. So we'll go with that.3. Favorite male wrestler of all time?Edge! Always has been.4. Favorite female wrestler of all time?Lita! I was completely mesmerized the first time I seen her hit a dude.5. Favorite current male wrestler?I have to say Jeff Hardy. He's my second favorite ever.6.Favorite current female wrestler?Nixon Newell! She's a ball of energy and I love it. 7. Favorite theme song?Is it wrong to say Jack Sexsmith?8. Least favorite theme song?Alicia Foooooooooox.9. Favorite gimmick?Fashion Police. Love it. 10. Least favorite gimmick? Alexa Bliss. Probably gonna get shot for this, but I just don't like this whole bullying thing.11. Best entrance (either their usual entrance or a special one, like a Wrestlemania entrance)?Shawn Micheals! All the time.12. Best Undertaker Wrestlemania match?Ummmm... 2008 vs Edge. Oops.13. Most overrated?Brock Lesnar.14. Most underrated?Mark Haskins or Zack Ryder... can't decide a definite answer there.15. Have you ever been to an event? If so, which one?Halloween SmackDown in 2015, Raw after MiTB last year, and NXT live in May.16. Who has the best merch?Yikes. Young Bucks!17. Do you own any merch?Two Enzo and Big Cass shirts, an AJ Styles shirt, an Edge shirt, Zack Ryder shirt, Dolph Ziggler shirt, Dean Ambrose shirt, MOUSTACHE MOUNTAIN SHIRT, and a Roman Reigns necklace. I used to have the Dean Ambrose glove things, but I gave them to my little cousin.18. Best nickname?Aerial Assassin. Fight me.19. Worst nickname?The Great White. Sorry, Shea... but it's bad.20. Best mic skills?Randy Savage will always be king to me.21. Most annoying?Randy Orton. He just drones on and on.22. Most attractive male?Random generator says Tyler Bate...23. Most attractive female?Candice Lerae! The cutest cupcake! 24. Favorite faction?currently? BSS... probably.25. Worst faction? The Authority.26. Best ring gear?Young Bucks.27. Who do you think would be the nicest in real life?I've heard Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles are both super sweet.28. Who would be the rudest in real life?Funny story. My sister met Brock Lesnar years ago at an MMA event. He literally scoffed when she asked for a picture. AT A MEET AND GREET.29. Favorite heel?Eddie Guerro30. Most hardcore?I want to say Mick, I do, but Jimmy Havoc. 31. A wrestler you could beat?Brah, I couldn't even beat Hornswoggle.32. Best story line?Jimmy Havoc's entire Progress title run.33. Biggest missed opportunity for a story line?BAYLEY AND HEEL CARMELLA34. Worst story line?Whatever Bliss vs Bayley was35. Which wrestler should turn heel?Sasha Banks36. Which wrestler should turn face?Carmella. Whoops.37. Who would be the worst to room with?I feel like Jack Gallagher is a neat freak. I am not. 38. Who would be the best to room with?Mark Andrews. 39. Who would be your best friend if you were a wrestler?Both Jack Gallagher and Enzo talk a lot.... so do I....40. What would your job be in a wrestling promotion? I actually kind of want to be a commentator!41. Favorite wrestling podcast/ Youtube channel?WhatCultureWrestling42. Favorite finisher?Bitter End is beautiful43. Least favorite finisher?ZigZag....44. Favorite match?It's corny. Hardys vs Dudleys vs Edge and Christian at WrestleMania 17!45. Favorite PPV?TLC.... I like the more hardcore matches 46. Guilty pleasure wrestler?David Finlay and Juice Robinson47. Favorite submission?Octopus Hold? It looks like a video game glitch and I love it.48. Most entertaining to watch?I love Enzo Amore. Not even apologizing.49. Best spot?Spear off the dangling belts. 50. Who do you most respect?Undertaker. He used to legitimately scare me when I was a really young. Then I came to love him. He definitely paid his due to wrestling.

[pumpkinspicelexatte]

*puts on scientist goggles* EVERY QUESTION

           Random and personal questions  Redacted abusers from history     

1. Name:Amy Brianna Rose Meadows

2. Birthplace:Worksop

3. Ancestry: I have zero idea but apparently i have some irish family lol is all i know

4. Zodiac Sign: Gemini

5. Biggest fear:Tied between getting older and people I love abandoning me

6. Strength/Weakness: Loyalty/Stubbornness

7. Worst habit:Eating salt packets whole?

8. Favorite holiday: Halloween I guess?

9. Ever been in a car crash: Nope

10. Have you ever had a crush on a teacher: So many times

11. What do you do as soon as you walk in the house: Check tumblr lol

12. Age at first kiss:25

13. When did you fall in love for the first time: I wanna say 11 ish?

14. Who Is Your Longest Friend & How Long:

15. Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year: Be happier

16. What were you doing at midnight last night: Sending my girlfriend a birthday message and listening to the new paramore album

17. When was the last time you laughed hard: today with @janes-nature-garden “I guess you just have internalized drumphobia”

18. Who was the last person that told you they love you: @allisbornagain

19. What was the first thing you thought when you woke up yesterday morning: yesterday as in thursday i guess, either @allisbornagain is so cute or why are there chickens

20. Where did you go for your first date and who was it with: I guess the cinerma with my first ever girlfriend grace when i was like 13 lol

21. Who’s wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid or a groomsmen:I have never

22. Who did you see in concert first:Thursday when they opened for MCR

23. Who was your favorite teacher:Jemma my college biology twacher

24. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day: @allisbornagain or @janes-nature-garden

25. Who do you think about most: @adorablyamy or @allisbornagain or @janes-nature-garden

26. Is your ideal occupation?  If i didn’t suck at it a writer of some kind

27. Beer, wine, or liquor? I guess wine

28. Favourite restaurant? Firezza in soho is amazing but i’ve been to so many good places recently

29. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Dairy free soy vanilla

30. McDonlads or Burger King? Burger king

31. Fantasy dinner guest(s)? Alexa bliss, Poppy, Lana del rey, Hayley williams

32. Have you ever been drunk? When was the last time? lots of time, Probably the night me and jane did karaoke

33. What is the most embarrassing thing you have done drunk? probably karaoke with Jane lol

34. Wonder Woman or Cat Woman? I have no idea

35. How many pets do you have? Does a vulpix count? :p

36. What would be the first thing you bought if you won the lottery? A house so i could live with my girlfriends

37. When was the first time you smoked? Technically age 2 or 3 lol

38. Who last sent you a text? Jane

39. Who did you last send a text to? Jane

40. What 4 things would you take to a desert island? Sattelite internet, water purifier, phone , solar charger

41. Name the 3 most important people in your life? @allisbornagain @janes-nature-garden @truetrashsoulrebel

42. Favorite song? Right now it’s idle worship by paramore

43. Favorite movie? The disappearance of haruhi suzumiya

44. When did you last cuddle someone? today

45. When did you last have sex? I guess technically wednesday although weird feels lol

46. If you woke up tomorrow with no fear, what would you do first? Internet stuff for money lol

47. What was your biggest worry five years ago, do you still feel the same about it at this minute? That i’ll never be able to be a girl

48. If you could change one law of your country, what would it be? I have no idea

49. What relationships have ended? But you can’t let go? I guess there’s one online one where i still love them a whole lot and i just can’t get past it

50. Where would you take a road trip? I have no idea

51. How do Mondays feel for you? alright

52. If you could spend ten minutes with your ‘hero’ alive or dead what would you ask them? i dont know

53. Do your practice ‘self love’ or ‘self loathing’? self loathing mostly lol

54. What’s your greatest achievement to date? Escaping an awful abuser?

55. What scares you about your future? Money and fascism

56. Why does pizza come in a square box? Because delivery bags are square?

57. What would happen if you knew you could not fail? no idea

58. How does it feel to be photographed? nice sometimes

59. If you could erase an event from your mind, which one would you choose? A certain night in november

60. Do you want your children (if you have any) to be ‘just like you’? Nope bpd is hell

61. Do you stand for what you believe in or are you pleasing others? I’m kinda bad at just trying to please others

62. If money were no concern, what would you do for the rest of your life? Something useful and good like volunteer

63. What are you thankful for, this moment? Actually feeling like i have a chance to live

64. Do you have same sex gender fantasies? Always

65. If you have had sex in a public place, where? Not quite but there was a bus station with em

66. Have you ever cried during/after sex? lol yep

67. Who is the oldest person you’ve had sex with? 27

68. Who is the youngest person you’ve had sex with? 21

69. Would you rather be in a relationship with a totally submissive partner or a totally dominant partner? as a polyam i can choose both right? :p

70. How tall are you?    6′3 ish

71. How much do you weigh? I have no idea, I avoid because ed related reasons   

72. What color is your hair naturally?     dark blonde/ light brown?

73. What size jeans do you wear?    16?

74. What is your favorite color to wear?  pink or black  

75. Do you have any piercings?     nope

76. Do you have any tattoos?    nope

77. Do you care how other people see you?    very yes

78. Do you like sports?    eh not really, thanks to certain podcast hosts i have a slight interest in mma lol

79. How do you feel about age differences in relationships?    mostly fine as long as everyone is over 18 although huge age differences particularly way older men scream creepy power dynamic

80. How do you feel about race differences in relationships?    why would that be an issue????

81. Do you believe in karma or fate?    very yes

82. Do you keep a journal?    nope

83. Describe the last dream you remember:   making out with a tumblr follower, although one i interact more with on twitter lol

84. Describe your favorite dream:    

85. Where are some places you would like to visit?    Arctic to see aurora, Japan with em tbh

86. Any upcoming concerts you want to attend?    not really

87. What music do you listen to when you are happy?    paramore, lana , poppy

88. What music do you listen to when you are mad?    paramore , lana, poppy, melanie martinez

89. Do you like to burn candles or incense?    not really

90. What was the last alcoholic beverage you consumed?    wine

91. What are your favorite alcoholic beverages?    prosecco is good atm lol

92. Do you smoke cigarettes or cigars? What about marijuana? only when jane gives me them :p i have before

93. Who is your number 1 friend and why is he or she there?    All my friends are good, but i guess Jane has a best friend feel?

94. Has anyone ever mistaken you for a family member?   nope

95. Is there anyone of your friends that you would ever consider having sex with? a few

96. Would you ever have sex in the shower or the bath? seems dangerous :p I’d fall in the shower lol

97. Have you ever kissed or had sex with someone of the same sex gender?I have only

98. Do you think your last ex still wants to be with you?ew

99. Ever wondered what it would be like dating the same gender as you?no cause thats all i’ve done , well mostly , i’ve dated some nb people

100. What are your outlooks on gay/bisexual people? Amazing

101. How often do you brush your teeth?Daily, thanks exec dysfunction

102. How often do you shower?  When was the last time you had a shower? most days , today

103. How often do you shave your legs?weekly?

104. Political affiliation? not sure

105. Opinion on abortion? let people do what they want /need with their bodies

106. Opinion on immigrants/ immigration reform? immigrants are in no way a bad thing

107. Should prostitution be legalized? very yes

108. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? if i could choose? like 19

109. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do? Capitalism?

110. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world? make men not in charge

111. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich? Something involving looking after pets?

112. Would you break the law to save a loved one? yes

113. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why? italy seems nice i guess?

114. Why are you the person you are? Abuse and trauma?

115. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend? Kinda although im super needy

116. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars? they don’t really,

117. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you? do my comfort things in public, be visibly trans

118. Were you happy when you woke up today? not really

119. What’s a fact about the last person who text messaged you? she laughs at the tube station euston cause of euston we have a problem

120. Want someone back in your life? Not anyone who would be good

121. What are you excited for? My chewable necklace thing

122. Are you scared to fall in love? not any more thanks to @allisbornagain

123. When is your next road trip? never?

124. What was the last thing you did before you went to bed last night? message em?

125. Do you like to cuddle? very yes

126. Have you ever kissed more than one person in 24 hours? I’ve kissed two people within five seconds of each other

127. Plans for tomorrow? Rest i’ve been told

128. Do you care too much/not at all/just enough? can’t care too much so just enough

129. How is life going for you right now? okay to good in different aspects

130. If you were offered a shot of whiskey right this second, would you accept? sure

131. This time last year, can you remember who you liked? probably @catnip-brownies :p

132. Could you stay in the same relationship for over a year? yep

133. If you could have one super power what would it be? shapeshifiting seems fun

134. Background on your cell phone? Me jane and em

135. What are you thinking about right this second? Girlfriends

136. Last book you read? How was it? The sigh of haruhi suzumiya  pretty good

137. What is the last thing you bought? food

138. Do you live with your parents? nope

139. Have you ever been caught sneaking out? nah my parents never cared

140. Have you ever met a celebrity? nope

141. What are you like when you’re drunk? fun and loud

142. What are you like when you’re high? emotional

143. Do you want children? idk

144. Do you want a church wedding? idk

145. How many pillows do you sleep with? 3

146. Have you ever been scuba diving? nope

147. Who was your first real crush? Lauren styles a blonde girl who moved to where i lived from croydon,

148. What are you allergic to? some antiallergy meds

149. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they?Meadow Meadows

150. Do you want a boy a girl for a child? girl prolly

151. How did you get your name? i chose it , inspired by someone who saved me

152. Name one thing about your body you love? My butt is pretty nice

153. What is your biggest goal in life? be happy and help people I care about be happy

154. Do you still have feelings for your ex? is hate a feeling?

155. Do you think aliens are real? yeah

156. What age did you start drinking? I guess 14 on a school trip to italy?

157. What do you think of President Obama? I don’t know enough about politics nevermind american ones

158. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now? Yep , nearing 6 months and 5.5 months with my gfs :)

159. Describe your dream girl/guy? furryish cute, weird, gay

167. Favorite fictional character (movie, book, tv show)? Weiss schnee right now

168. How many followers do you have on tumblr? What about twitter/ instagram? 1274 , 215 ish , 50

169. Are you friend with your parents on Facebook? hahahahahhahahahahhahahah no

170. First time you thought you were in love? When did you realize that you weren’t actually in love with that person?

171. Do you talk to yourself? Always, in the third person referring to myself as aimz , amyface, amykins or aimster lol

172. How old will you be on your next birthday? 26 ew

173. How did you meet the last person you kissed? On tumblr

174. Do you have any hickies?i have never

175. Turn ons? girls

176. Turn offs? boys

179. How many siblings do you have?  one sister

180. Have you ever taken anyone’s virginity? ew yes

[flauntpage]

UFC Fight Night in Philadelphia: Previewing a Good Card with a Great Main Event

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Philadelphia this weekend for the first time since 2011, when Tito Ortiz fought Rashad Evans at UFC 133 at the Wells Fargo Center.

This time around it’s a “Fight Night,” event, live at The Center on ESPN and unfortunately sandwiched into a window that will overlap with a Phillies home game and a Sixers road game.

“But that’s okay!” as Joe Cordell once said. There are some interesting fights on different portions of the card, so even if you only catch a fight here or there, you’re bound to see something intriguing.

The lineup:

Main Event: Edson Barboza (#6) vs. Justin Gaethje (#8) – lightweight

Should be a total war between two guys who recently ended losing streaks with solid wins.

Gaethje is 19-2 and coming off an August victory over James Vick. That was a bounce back for him after a couple of outrageous battles against Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier. Barboza recently took out Dan Hooker with body shots after a couple of lopsided losses against Kevin Lee and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Barboza and Gaethje are both stand-up fighters with violent tendencies, guys who throw crazy shots and hit pretty damn hard.

Edson is three years older (33) with six more fights under his belt. He has one of the promotion’s most dangerous kicking games, if not the best, and is the only UFC fighter with multiple leg kick finishes. He does have a couple of submission wins, but he’s typically going to remain on his feet and hit you with this kind of stuff:

Gaethje is a straight-up brawler and another guy who wants to fight on the feet. 15 of his last 16 fights have ended in finishes, so he’s not a guy who’s going to go five rounds and try to out-point you. There’s no way this fight lasts longer than three rounds and I’d be stunned if it even goes past the second.

Gaethje will try to close the distance on you and start firing off bombs. He isn’t super interested in defending himself, and in most of his fights he’ll just sort of try to outslug his opponents. That was apparent in the Vick fight, when he steadily walked him down before landing an overhand right and ending the fight right there.

He also has a similarly nasty kicking game, maybe the 1b if Barboza is UFC’s 1a. Typically, he’ll throw leg kicks to start, make opponents forget about their head and body, and then start coming in high as he closes the gap. He did a good job of limiting damage and finishing the Vick fight early, but when the Poirier and Alvarez fights went into the third and fourth round, he got tired, took too much damage, and both fighters just started throwing desperate haymakers:

Barboza’s recent losses both came to guys who were successfully able to close the distance, negate the leg kicks, and wrestle him to the ground. That was interesting to me, since Edson does have pretty good takedown defense, but Lee and Khabib are both high-level mat guys, so they made it look incredibly easy. The consensus seems to be that Barboza will benefit from working at range while Gaethje will try narrowing the gap. Gaethje’s MMA career has been focused on striking, but he does have a wrestling background and can lean on that to tie down Barboza and steal a round or two.

It’s honestly a pretty evenly matched fight. Both guys will come out swinging. It might be a short bout, but it’ll be fun.

Prediction: Barboza 2nd round TKO

Co-main: David Branch (#11) vs. Jack Hermansson – middleweight

Branch is similar to Gaethje in that his recent MMA success hasn’t really translated to the bigger promotion like some thought it would. He’s 2-2 since returning to the UFC from the World Series of Fighting, where he went 10-0 from 2012 to 2016. He’s a good starter but I feel like he runs out of steam a bit, which is to be expected since he’s 37 years old. He’s the more experienced fighter and probably the better grappler.

Hermansson is a solid enough fighter, a pressure and volume type of guy who does a lot of damage when he can secure top position. He’s younger and is 4-1 in his last four fights with three TKOs and a submission.

I honestly don’t know why this is the co-main, but whatever.

Prediction: Hermansson via unanimous decision

Josh Emmett (#10) vs. Michael Johnson – featherweight

A featherweight bout between a couple of veterans.

Johnson fought most of his career at lightweight, though he missed weight in his most recent fight, a win against Artem Lobov. He hit 146 on the scales today, so he’s good.

Emmett began his career 11-0 and is now 13-2. He’ll hang back a bit and try to feel out Johnson, but he’s more of a volume guy and I think he moves better than Johnson does. I think he’s also a little faster.

Johnson does have good hands, however, and has fought a much tougher resume over the years (Gaethje, Barboza, Khabib, Poirier, Nate Diaz, Tony Ferguson). Emmett is coming off a loss to Jeremy Stephens that resulted in surgery for a broken orbital, broken cheek and broken nose. I’m not sure where he’s at physically or mentally going into this one, and it’s been more than a year since he’s fought.

Prediction: Johnson via UD

Michelle Waterson (#9) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (#6) – strawweight

This should be the co-main, a matchup between top-ten strawweights. Karolina fought for the title not long ago and Waterson is the former Invicta Atomweight champion (105 pounds) .

Kowalkiewicz is a bit bigger and stronger than Waterson at 115 pounds. She’s a good clinch fighter and will pile up points on her feet. Her last seven wins have been unanimous decisions and she only has one sub and one TKO victory in 15 career fights. She has a muay thai and kickboxing background.

Waterson has a karate background and pretty strong ground game. She has multiple rear naked choke and armbar submissions in her 22-fight career. She’s smaller and quicker, so she can keep distance via leg kicks or get in closer with takedown attempts. She doesn’t want to get caught in the middle, where Kowalkiewicz can lock her up and start throwing elbows and knees.

This is a classic matchup of octagon control and forcing the opponent to play your game. I just think Karolina’s size advantage and pedigree as a former UFC title challenger gives her the advantage here.

Prediction: Kowalkiewicz via UD

Paul Craig vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu – light heavyweight

Nzechukwu comes from Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. This will be his UFC debut, so he’s a green type of guy but really has the raw profile to be a great fighter.

He’s fighting a dude in Paul Craig who has lost 3 of 4 since coming to the promotion back in 2017. Craig is smaller, older, and gives up a ton of reach to Nzechukwu, so he’ll likely try to get this one to the mat to spoil the newcomer’s first Fight Night performance.

Prediction: no clue

Sheymon Moraes vs. Sodiq Yusuff – featherweight

Moraes has a muay thai and kickboxing background and will play a smart game here. He’s got finishing power but is smart enough to play his game and out-point a less-experienced fighter.

Yusuf also comes from the Contender series and won his first fight back in December with a 1st round stoppage.

MMA News has more on Yusuff’s style:

If Yusuff wants to hand Moraes his third loss, he should look to use his self-proclaimed “blacksplosiveness” very well on the counter, which is when Yusuff can be dangerous and attack in spurts. Sodiq Yusuff appears to be an MMA version of a basketball “streak shooter.” He waits for open opportunities to present themselves, and when he they do, he scores shots in flurries: a streak fighter, if you will.

Moraes has won of 4 of 5 and is the more well-rounded guy. His only losses have come to the excellent Marlon Moraes and one of my favorite dudes in the entire promotion, Zabit Magomedsharipov.

Prediction: Moraes via TKO

Undercard:

Jessica Aguilar vs. Marina Rodriguez (strawweight)

Ross Pearson vs. Desmond Green (lightweight)

Enrique Barzola vs. Kevin Aguilar (featherweight)

Kevin Holland vs. Gerald Meerschaert (middleweight)

Ray Borg vs. Casey Kenney (catchweight – Borg missed weight)

Sabina Mazo vs. Maryna Moroz (flyweight)

Alex Perez vs. Mark De La Rosa (bantamweight)

The post UFC Fight Night in Philadelphia: Previewing a Good Card with a Great Main Event appeared first on Crossing Broad.

UFC Fight Night in Philadelphia: Previewing a Good Card with a Great Main Event published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[niktizzy]

I miss Myspace, so here

1. First thing you wash in the shower?

My hair

2. Are you more of a coffee or alcohol drinker?

Oh, well I would have to say coffee but I do drink a lot of beer and tequila. Both?

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

Nope

4. Do you plan outfits?

If I have to, if it's for a special occasion then yes. If it's for work or just around town, hard no. Whatever I pick up first

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now?

E X A U S T E D

6. Whats the closest thing to you thats red?

My blanket or my couch

7. What would you do if you opened your door and saw a dead body?

Look at it for a second, turn around and yell, "alright, which one of you didn't clean up your mess?" to my roommates

8. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?

I can't remember my dreams

9. Three of your current feelings?

Tired, depressed, excited

10. What are you craving right now?

For someone to tell me I'm doing great. That I'm on the right path and everything will work out. Honestly, that's all I want

11. Turn ons?

Physical: Fade, muscles, tattoos, & scruff

Sexual: lip biting, ass grabbing, biting, choked, slapped, teased & being rough.

12. Turn offs?

Bad smile, terrible sense of humor, garbage taste of music, fuck boy life style, awfull kisser

13. What comes to mind when I say cabbage?

Trash

14. When was the last time you cried? Why?

Well as of late, it was from me over thinking and going into a depressed state

15. If you could be a superhero, who would you want to be?

Honestly, a girl version of deadpool even though he's not a super hero. I know but I guess I would say I guess black widow or storm

16. Did the one person who hurt you most in your life apologize?

Lolzzz no mate

17. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?

Lick it you fucking animal

18. Favorite movie ever?

Fight Club or SLC Punk

19. Do you like yourself?

Some days

20. Have you ever met a celebrity?

Yeah, I've met a few

21. Could you handle being in the military?

No

22. What are you listening to right now?

My spotify playlist that is mostly made of pop punk

23. How many countries have you visited?

Just the United States

24. Are your parents strict?

When I was younger, yes 100%. I use to get so frustrated too, but now, I understand. I love them and appreciate them

25. Would you go sky diving?

Why not?

26. Would you go out to eat with a stranger?

I have before so what's one more person

27. Whats on your mind right now?

A lot, but it's not worth bringing up

28. Is there anything you want to say to someone?

I hope you like watching me succeed and make you wish you never played with my emotions, shit head

29. Have you ever been in a castle?

White Castle

30. Do you rent movies often?

I use to, RIP Block Buster

31. Whats your zodiac sign?

Libra

32. When was the last time you had sex?

Last month

33. Name five facts about yourself.

I enjoy watching people getting tattos

I'm a ginger (I've always bleached my hair)

I use to train for MMA

I can't eat bread anymore without feeling like shit

Vodka makes me angry

34. Ever had a near death experience? If so, what happened?

I mean I work in a city so, I almost get killed every time I walk across the street

35. Do you believe in karma or predestiny?

Yeah, karma, she may not show herself right away but she'll catch up to you

36. Brown or white eggs?

Neither

37. Do you own something from Hot Topic?

Old band shirts

38. Ever been on a train?

Honestly no

39. Ever been in love?

Love is for posers

40. If you were paid 1 million dollars to spend the night in a supposed haunted house, would you do it?

Hell yes

41. If you could trade places with any person living or dead, who would you trade places with?

I'm good lol

42. If you could shorten your life expectancy by 10 years to becopme more attractive, would you do it?

Nah I'm good with being a potato

43. Whom do you admire and why?

My parents, they have to deal with me

44. What was your favorite bedtime story as a child?

I do not remember

45. You’re walking down the street, you come across a burning building. A woman says her baby is trapped inside, what would you do?

Nothing heroic, I would call the fire department

46. If you could choose the future profession of your son or daughter, would you?

I can't choose that, they have to find their own path. I just hope they don't have to go through all the rough times like I did to get there

47. What was your best experience on drugs or alcohol?

Honestly, I use to love smoking but it just fucked with my training and fitness so I stopped. I just never found a reason to go back. I would be so relaxed, less stress, love the world a little more. I don't have a novel of my drug usage because I honestly don't, but if I had to choose without any consequences, it would be smoking

48. What was your worst experience on drugs or alcohol?

I love drinking, but every time, especially as I get older, it just sucks waking up. But when I drink vodka in particular, I can be very sweet and flirty and if I see something I don't like or someone is pissing me off, it's like a switch, a bad switch and I plot your murder lol

50. As your walking down the street you find a suitcase full of money sitting next to a parked car, would you take it?

No man, issa trap

51. If you found that a close friend has AIDS, would you still hang out with them?

Yeah, they would more than likely need me more than ever. Why leave them?

52. In front of you are 10 pistols, 5 of which are loaded.

If you survive you’d receive 100 million dollars. Would you be willing to place 1 to your head and pull the trigger?

Half of me says yes and the other half says, "bitch are you crazy" so I kind of have to go with her lol

53. How old were you when you lost your virginity?

17 I think

54. Do you believe in ghosts, werewolves or vampires?

I believe there are things that roam this earth that are not human

55. If you could live forever, would you want to?

I would want to travel, watch the sunset everyday on a beach somewhere, and be less stressed

56. Which fictional movie character most resembles who you are?

Fuckkk, I would have to say Stevo from SLC Punk

57. If you could go back in time, which time period would you visit?

Maybe the 70's but more than likely the future

58. If they were to televise a live execution, would you watch it?

I mean, they kind of show that on CNN and such already sooo

59. If you could be the president of the USA, would you be willing to do it?

Hell no

60. If you could choose the sex of your unborn child, would you want to?

I'm honestly terrified to have a kid but if I had to choose, a girl

61. Would you rather live longer or be wealthy?

It's a toss up mate, you either struggle and live forever or live about the amount of time you thought you would be alive and be wealthy.

[erinjdoyle]

Notes on biologists

This isn’t about science, this about the scientists.

 Marine biologists are ten a penny

A lot of people go into marine biology because they have this idea that as a marine biologist they will get to sit on the beach all day or frolic with dolphins, but no. Sure, some people do in fact work with whales, dolphins, or sharks, but a marine biologist is more likely to work in fisheries management or study nudibranchs. (This, of course, is true on a wider scale- some people work with gorillas, elephants, and pandas, but more work with cows and sheep.)

The large numbers of people specialising in marine biology means that a lot of them never actually work in marine biology, and many re-train as high school biology teachers.

So, if you’re writing a biologist, this sort of thing could add a little depth to their background. They might have worked with seals or something equally as exciting while at university, but now work doing something totally different.

Beer + Biologist = More Beer

At a staff Christmas party, I once saw a senior geneticist decide he really liked one of the dozen or so beers that were being served. He ran into the lab with the last few mouthfuls still in the bottle, to spin it down and sample the yeast at the bottom so he could brew his own version of it later.

During a job interview, I was once asked if I brewed my own beer. This was not an interview for a job working with yeast or fermentation. They showed me around the lab, and pointed out the cupboard ‘for jackets’ then started laughing- inside was a full-size fridge half dedicated to beer and cider.

If the field trip requires staying overnight there will probably be beer. Even in Antarctica.

  Hunters, Gathers, and Vegans

A lot of biologists I know go hunting. I don’t know if this is a relevant factor, but nearly all hunted species in New Zealand are also introduced pests that are harming our ecosystem, so hunting them is good for our native wildlife. But, I doubt it- there is a story (I can’t remember where it was anymore, but it wasn’t in NZ), where the rangers at a park had a secret policy. If one of them saw an animal die of non-natural causes (like, hit by a car right in front of them), they would bring it back to the station and everyone would eat it. One day, a certain animal was killed and, because of its conservation status, they had to report the death to some authority or other. Nothing more was said on the matter. A week later, someone from the authority randomly showed up to collect the body. Everyone was very surprised to learn that they were meant to hand over the body and no one knew where it was, and so the animal was listed as simply ‘missing’ but, yeah, they had eaten it.

It’s also super, super common for biologists to grow vegetables or to keep chickens in their back yard. Some keep bees.

 Every biologist I know who is a vegan or vegetarian is a botanist. One botanist switched from animal to plant biology after an unpleasant experience doing field work with prairie dogs. They were catching them, doing science to them, then releasing them. One day, she came across one that had chewed its leg off to escape the trap. It freaked her out, so she switched to plants.

 Field biologists are cowboys who do math

Biologists are strong and physically capable. If you can’t carry 10+ kilos (22+ pounds) of equipment, can’t wade through thigh-high mud for an hour or hike upstream in fast-moving water while carry said equipment, then you probably don’t do much field work.

I know several biologists who have had to jump out of helicopters to get to their field sites. Others have had to kayak out to an island in the harbour, and then spend a few days camping out there before paddling back. Sometimes fieldwork means isolation, no power, no facilities to speak of. So, it’s not a surprise that a lot of biologists hit the gym every day, or ran marathons. I know one who is an MMA fighter, another who regularly runs a local mountain summit track which includes 1349 steps. Personally, endurance training is my thing. People who do field work also tend to have outdoorsy hobbies, like scuba diving and hiking. I know a handful who are pilots.

They also tend to be on the handy side because they may have to build their own equipment or be able to fix equipment in the field. I have spent an afternoon with my supervisor going through dusty farm sheds in order to find something we could use to make into equipment for one of our experiments. I have also modified items from a pet store.

It may vary between organisations, but the safety rules will usually require that staff have certificates to show that they can do some tasks safely, even if the task isn’t really that big of a deal e.g. using a chainsaw. And, this may annoy the hell out of a scientist who sees a task that needs to be done and knows that they can do it, but then gets told they aren’t allowed to because they don’t have a piece of paper saying they can do it safely.

 A list of non-science skills required for biology jobs currently being advertised:

1.      Scuba diving

2.      Snorkelling

3.      Boat skipper

4.      First aid certification

5.      Experience with all-terrain vehicles

6.      Experience with Chainsaws

7.      Wielding

8.      Forklift licence

9.      Strong swimmer / Ability to pass a swim test as part of the screening process.

10.  Preparedness to be outdoors for long periods of time

11.  Experience working with large animals

12.  Ability to liaise with local community groups, landowners, and stakeholders. (That means you have to be a good communicator with strong interpersonal skills and can handle the odd arsehole getting in your face.)

13.  Fluency in English, French, and German. “Applicant must be fluent in at least two and prepared to learn the third.” (This relates to work in European Patent office. These 3 languages are the major languages in academia. I once had a colleague who absolutely had to use a specific paper, and it was only available in French, fortunately, we had a French intern who was able to translate the sections she needed.)

Also these phrases:

14.  “This position will be extremely physically and mentally demanding”

15.  “This position requires a high level of fitness with the successful applicant being required to spend four week periods on the island” (The island being an offshore preserve with only a small hut as a base of operations, and often camping alone in the forest)

16.  “You must be willing to meet our vaccination requirements.” (This happens with jobs working with pathogens or infectious materials. These employers will pay for you to get vaccinated for certain things if you are not already.)

 Logical Quirks

I have noticed that my colleagues tend to have the same little quirks or pet peeves. I assume these same things keep coming up because they make sense to the mind of a person who has studied enough biology.

1.      Hatred of heated towel rails. You want to take a moist cloth, filled with skin cells and other filth, and you want to drape it over a slightly warm surface? So, you want to grow bacteria in the towel that you’re going to dry your hands on after washing them? Hell no!

 2.      Refusal to use fly spray. The concern is that overuse of fly spray will lead to insects which are resistant to fly spray, so you have to use more fly spray or a stronger fly spray, and it just keeps going. The automatic sprays that continually ‘circulate’ insect spray throughout your home? Even worse! Not only are you over using fly spray, you are covering your household surfaces in a fine layer of toxins.

 3.      Depending on the type of work, avoiding using lab coats. A lab coat protects your clothes from contamination, but unless your coat is being washed daily (which it is not), then it is also a source of contamination which may get into your samples. Also, while lab coats can be made out of different materials, they are usually on the heavy side and are uncomfortably hot during summers. So, some people won’t wear a lab coat if they can get away with it, like if they are not working with anything dirty or dangerous.

 4.      Carrying an oven timer in their pocket. A lot of work done in a genetics lab requires samples to be incubated at different temperatures for specific periods of time, with nothing to do in between. So, you start something (a gel electrophoresis for example), which has to run for X minutes but will be ruined if left any longer. So, you head off on your coffee break with a timer in your pocket, to make sure you make it back to the lab in time.

 5.      A biology student taking micro will, somewhere around their second year, realise how filthy the world is and become more concerned about general cleanliness. Then, after their third year, they realise that everything is even more filthy than that and that if they haven’t died by now then they’re probably not going to, and will go back to eating things they’ve dropped on the floor.

 PCR Superstitions

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a pretty standard thing for a geneticist to be doing- it lets you dramatically increase the amount of DNA in a sample so that you have more to work with. The problem is, it is also a fickle bitch. The process is so sensitive that it can go wrong for, seemingly, no reason whatsoever. Because it will go wrong even when it has worked the previous fifty times, and because this is both time-consuming and expensive, people start to develop little superstitions about it.

 The most common superstition is about the placement of tubes in the thermocycler. Once you have prepared your samples, you place them in a thermocycler (a machine which subjects your samples to very tightly controlled changes in temperature). The machine has a metal plate filled with little holes that hold your tubes nice and snug throughout the process. In theory, every hole should be the same but you see people avoiding holes along the edges or in the corners, convinced they are somehow unlucky or less effective. It’s also common for people to place the tubes in every second hole (I do this, but mostly because a PCR tube is tiny, and it’s easier to lift them back out afterwards if you have a little space in between them.

If a lab has multiple thermocyclers, some people will have one that they refuse to use, because it failed them once too often. Or, they have one machine that they will use, and no other. I have had a favourite machine, which I used over and over just in case there was some tiny variation between the machines, but I would use the others if my favourite in was in use. Others are less yielding; I have had a colleague who had one machine that he preferred. He came into the lab once, saw that someone else was using his favourite machine, and went home for the day.

 Some people have a PCR idol. This is a random object that they place on top of the thermocycler while it’s running, for good luck. I have seen researchers using a little Eiffel Tower keychain, a Whine the Pooh, a Budha, a toy sheep, a rugby player bobble head, and a statue of Apu. A PCR idol can really only exist in a relaxed lab, however. If the lab is working under highly controlled conditions, has strict rules, is run by a jerk etc, then they won’t be there.

There may superstitions surrounding the idols themselves. A piece came off mine once, and I took it into the office to glue it back together, my supervisor saw it and said,

“You’ve taken it out of the lab! What if you killed its luck?”

A lab with a view

This is a story about a chemist, but I’m throwing it in any way.

I once worked at a research facility with extensive grounds, which included a swimming pool and a sports field. The regional rugby team was based on our campus and used these facilities during the week. At the time, one of the men on the team was also on the national team, and he was the major rugby-heart-throb of the month. Personally, I could not have cared less, but every time someone found out where I worked, they asked if I had seen him running around with his shirt off.

Right before I started the job, I was introduced to the chemist I was going to be working with from time to time. Right of the bat, she advised me that I should try to organise the chemical analysis aspect of my work so that I was in her lab on Wednesday afternoons, because that was when the rugby team used the pool, and her lab had a good view.

[thesportssoundoff]

“The Oreo Cookie of MMA Shows, ignore the top and the bottom and focus on the killer middle” The UFC Fight Night From Florida

Joey

April 21st, 2019

April has been a pretty hectic month overall for MMA and we end...on a pretty so so note. If you view the main and co-main event on its face, this card is a TOUGH ask. Jack Hermansson vs Jacare Souza feels like the third fight on one of these Strikeforce cards from 2011 while Greg Hardy vs Dimitry Smolyakov is a really bad co-main event designed to once again milk off of whatever name value Greg Hardy has at this point. Look beyond those two fights and there's PLENTY to really take in. Fights 3 to 13 are really interesting from a divisional relevance standpoint to just flat out "There will be violence" standpoint. You have fighters like Mike Perry, Cowboy Oliveira, John Lineker, Cory Sandhagen, Jim Miller, Andrei Arlovski, Gilbert Burns, Angela Hill and then familiar people like Ben Saunders, Dhiego Lima, Carla Esparza and Court McGee.  This is NOT the worst card in the world, you just gotta be willing to stomach what's at the top of the helm. ESPN made a really honest decision moving this card down to ESPN+ but now it's just a really solid ESPN+ card to take in on a Saturday night. If you can handle some filler and a yucky co-main of course.

Fights: 13

Debuts: Mike Davis, Thomas Gifford, Takashi Sato, Virna Jandiroba

Fight Changes/Injury Cancellations: 7 (Paulo Costa vs Yoel Romero CANCELLED/Jacare Souza vs Paulo Costa NEVER SIGNED/Yoel Romero OUT, Jack Hermansson IN vs Jacare Souza/Jessica Penne OUT, Angela Hill IN vs Jodie Esquibel/La Jingliang OUT, Mike Perry IN vs Alex Oliveira/Eric Wisely OUT, Mike Davis IN vs Gilbert Burns/Livia Souza OUT, Virna Jirandoba IN vs Carla Esparza)

Headliners (fighters who have either main evented or co-main evented shows in the UFC): 9 (Jack Hermansson, Jacare Souza, Mike Perry, Alex Oliveira, Carla Esparza, Greg Hardy, Glover Teixeira, John Lineker, Andrei Arlovski)

Fighters On Losing Streaks in the UFC: 4 (Andrei Arlovski, Ben Saunders, Jodie Esquibel, Carla Esparza)

Fighters On Winning Streaks in the UFC: 5 (Jack Hermansson, Gilbert Burns, John Lineker, Cory Sandhagen, Ion Cutelaba)

Main Card Record Since Jan 1st 2017 (in the UFC): 25-11

Jack Hermansson- 5-1 Jacare Souza- 3-2 Greg Hardy- 0-1 Dimitry Smolyakov- 0-0   Mike Perry- 3-3 Cowboy Oliveira- 4-2 Glover Teixeira- 3-2   Ion Cutelaba- 2-0 John Lineker- 2-0 Cory Sandhagen- 3-0 Roosevelt Roberts- 1-0 Thomas Giffords- 0-0

Fights By Weight Class (yearly number here):

Welterweight- 3 (26) Lightweight-  3 (26) Heavyweight- 2 (13) Women’s Strawweight- 2 (11) Middleweight- 1 (12) Light Heavyweight- 1 (16) Bantamweight- 1 (20)

Women’s Flyweight-  (13) Featherweight-  (18) Flyweight- (7) Women’s Bantamweight- (2)

2019’s Records We Keepin' Track Of:

Debuting Fighters (9-24): Mike Davis, Thomas Gifford, Takashi Sato, Virna Jandiroba

Short Notice Fighters (8-11): Jack Hermansson, Mike Perry, Mike Davis, Angela Hill, Virna Jandiroba

Second Fight (26-6): Greg Hardy, Roosevelt Roberts, Augusto Sakai

Cage Corrosion (Fighters who have not fought within a year of the date of the fight) (10-14): Dimitry Smolyakov, Jason Gonzales

Undefeated Fighters (13-18): Virna Jandiroba, Roosevelt Roberts

Fighters with at least four fights in the UFC with 0 wins over competition still in the organization (6-5):

Weight Class Jumpers (Fighters competing outside of the weight class of their last fight even if they’re returning BACK to their “normal weight class”) (14-8):

Twelve Precarious Ponderings

1- If Jack Hermansson finds a way to beat Jacare, is he officially legitimate?  I mean I can't imagine a lot of dudes topping Jacare and David Branch back to back in terms of big fights at 185 lbs. Those are two high quality tough dudes at middlewieght and to do them both in back to back months? Hermansson is pretty young, surprisingly tough and showing off some versatility in how he can get things done. At the very least, he becomes somebody to remember going forward.

2- How likely is it that Jacare is allowed to sit out until a title fight opens up for him? Jacare has been promised (suggested) a title fight IF he beats Hermansson and so now I'm left wondering what happens if Whittaker gets hurt again or there's some controversy in Adesanya vs Whittaker in August or September.

3- Let's get the elephant out in the open. Greg Hardy is not a co-main eventer----but kinda he is. Let's be fair and point out that the draw on this card isn't Jacare or Hermansson or a surprisingly good undercard BUT Greg Hardy who brings in perhaps a bit of a freakshow audience. Let's be entirely 100% fair, Greg Hardy is the closest thing the UFC has had from an in cage perspective to Kimbo Slice. There's an appeal there; a charisma and yes a freakshow factor that other dudes lack. While Kimbo was a freakshow gimmick by one of the nicest people ever, Greg Hardy's a freakshow full stop. In a perfect world where contrition is legitimate and guys do the hard work to earn their way back into the good graces of the public, we may not even be having this discussion because Hardy is not in the UFC but as Joe Blanchard once said in the wrestling biz, "You can draw people to a gutting if it's for the right guy." People want to see Greg Hardy lose and until that loses its luster, he will be featured prominently.  Also again, Shakur Stevenson JUST fought on Saturday and nary a mention of his issues based on a fight he allegedly instigated by catcalling women which led to a dude getting dropped. "Keep the same energy" as a fella I know would say.

4- How much longer does the Greg Hardy experiment last if he loses? CM Punk got two fights, James Toney got one, Kimbo got two and so on so forth. How tight is the leash here before they pull the plug?

5- I don't know who is going to make me more uncomfortable on this card, Andrei Arlovski or Ben Saunders.

6- Mike Perry vs Cowboy Oliveira seems like a microcosm of what 170 lbs is. Win enough fights and eventually you're going to get somebody who is out of your league. Win that one and you get a title shot because who else exists to get one? Lose and they discard you into the mid tier shark tank of action fighters. Mike Perry went from Max Griffin to Paul Felder to Donald Cerrone and his "bounceback" from Cerrone is another Cowboy who is just weirdly violent in all facets of the game. Cowboy Oliveira violenced dudes like Carlos Condit and Andre Pedersoli before getting Gunnar Nelson and now HIS bouncback is a violent as hell Mike Perry. There's a purgatory at 170 lbs between numbers 20 to 10 and most of these poor dudes are living in it. 170 lbs feels like the one division where "action fighter" is a detriment designed to suck the life out of your career.

7- So what can Cory Sandhagen do to vex John Lineker? The dudes who have given Lineker problems have to be a) tremendous movers who can dart in and out of the line of fire and b) really good wrestlers who can convince Lineker that there's danger in pressing forward because the threat of the takedown is real. I don't think Sandhagen is THAT kind of wrestler and I don't think his offense which is very flashy is going to fit well with a dude who just marches you down, cuts off your escape routes and then throws his entire existence into combinations. That said if you go REAAAAAAAAAAAL deep into the memory banks, Jose Maria Tome found success with knees when he could commit to them. It didn't stop the rain so to speak but it kept him dry long enough to not be a human speed bump.It's been a long while since Lineker looked suspect to submissions and I get the feeling that if the gameplan is to sub him, it's going to require something real deep in the arsenal.

8- So the UFC is going to keep feeding Glover Teixeira to young dudes until he finally gives up, right? Ion Cutelaba is just really violent and really aggressive and not much else so this is a fight Glover would've won five years ago but now it's going to be very, very hit or miss. Ion can wrestle a touch as well although the one fight I saw him use a takedown heavy gameplan, Jared Cannonier was just like "Take me down see if I give a fuck" en route to Cannonier just pasting Cutelaba for a late surge decision win.

9- If there's an honorary wing for "Small Tough Dads", Jim Miller has to be in there. He may not be in the riding lawnmower division but that's because he's too small to reach the steering wheel. Miller's last seven opponents are absolutely insane; Charles Oliveira, Alex White, Dan Hooker, Francisco Trinaldo, Anthony Pettis, Dustin Poirier and Thiago Fuckin' Alves. All of those dudes are still in the UFC, two of those dudes are champions, FIVE of those dudes are competent top 15 lightweights (Hooker, Pettis has position flex, Poirier, Trinaldo and Do Bronx) and two of those guys are active welterweights. That's a man's man right there. He gets a bit of a breather in the dangerously flawed Jason Gonzalez. Gonzalez is a tremendous kicker with so-so fight IQ, so-so takedowns, so-so submissions and fights at a so-so pace. He feels like a guy who could be better than he is but just might be IN that range of good but not great.

10- So let's talk about what I'm calling "the UFC Fast Pass Fuckery" for a bit. The UFC found Marcelo Golm, gave him a super gimmie fight and then turned around and put him in there vs Tim Johnson. Johnson isn't "good" but he's big, committed to a gameplan and just kinda knows what he can do and knows how to do it.  Golm lost a decision to Johnson and his career hasn't recovered. Junior Albini? He KO'd Johnson in his debut and then the UFC turned around and gave him Andrei Arlovski. Arlovski is another quality competent big dude who knows what to do and how to do it. He Muk'd his way to a decision over Albini and Albini's career hasn't recovered. Arjan Bhullar lost HIS second fight after the UFC gave him a big time step up in competition. Sometimes winning fights early in your career, especially at HW, is a detriment. The UFC might've found a fun violent HW in Augusto Sakai so OF COURSE two fights in, he's fighting a very faded but kinda not really bad Andrei Arlovski. It's a dicey proposition but again, this is kinda what the UFC does.  Best of luck, Augusto Sakai.

11- Court McGee vs Dhiego Lima is the sort of fight that you normally see on a show that  has the stench of being thrown together at the last minute. It's the ECW spotfest tag match opener from 2000.

12- It's an AWFUL matchup but Mike Davis making his UFC debut is intriguing. It's short notice vs Gilbert Burns (two big issues off the jump) but Davis is a really exciting prospect whose sole loss is to the damn good Sodiq Yusuff. He's got pretty much every tool you'd want from a young up and coming prospect. The problem is he's a natural 145er fighting at 155 lbs against a dude who really should be at welterweight.