#my top songs from last year and 2021 respectively

[21shotglasses]

next up top 10 (8)

[lifeascaty]

I've been away from tumblr for a few months. In October 2021, my Dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer. I felt like my whole world was falling apart. He already followed me on tumblr, so I filled my feed with things he would like so he had something new and interesting (or a cute cat) to see every day. (I was already posting a lot for him, but now my queue was entirely for him.) It was a small thing, but I wanted to do anything to help make him smile or distract him. As it was a neuroendocrine cancer, there were treatment options, and soon he was back to living life as if nothing was wrong. But I still kept my queue running for him. In November 2023, a scan was misread. They told my Dad his cancer was responding well to treatment, and he wouldn't need any more nuclear medicine for two years. Unfortunately, this mistake meant my Dad passed away on January 26th 2024. There's no question that this is the worst thing to ever happen to me. My Dad is the person I am/was closest to in the whole world. I've never felt pain like this. I don't know what to do with my tumblr now. I've had it for over a decade, but I've been posting for my Dad for so long that it feels wrong to post without him. I know that's silly. I just miss him so much.

I'm going to post the eulogy I wrote for him below the cut. I don't expect anyone to read it, but I want it to exist somewhere online. I'm really proud of it. It has mistakes - repetitions of words etc. - but I also think it's the best thing I've ever written, because it's about my Dad.

As a professional writer, I’ve felt a lot of pressure to write a eulogy that does my Dad justice. The problem is, I don’t think that’s possible. Especially without him here to give me notes. My Dad has always given me his opinion on my writing at whatever stage it was at, bouncing ideas back and forth with me and arguing over intricate punctuation but, on this occasion, he can’t. I hope he’d like this anyway.

I could talk forever about my Dad. There are so many things I want to tell people about him, about his love and excitement for the world and his joy in getting to live each day. To quote Marcus Aurelius, as my Dad often did, “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” This sentiment defined him, really.

My Dad and I have so much in common. We traded books back and forth. He introduced me to his favourite shows and I showed him mine. He showed me his favourite movies from when he was growing up, and we were always first in line to see new releases at the Odeon in Wrexham. I would spend hours hanging out on the couch in his study as he worked and played music, talking me through his love and admiration of various songs and bands, like Led Zeppelin, Genesis, The Jam, The Smiths. We talked a mile a minute over dinner, always excited to share whatever new thing we’d learned that day. We experimented with various recipes and he gave me my love of cooking. We debated politics constantly, always talked about what was in the news, forwarded interesting posts and memes to each other across multiple social media platforms. Even when I lived on another continent we were in contact with each other every day, keeping track of our respective timezones so we could always find time to talk.

My heart aches every time I read a news article about some interesting new archaeological finding or a new discovery in space, because I want to share it with him. There are so many movies we planned to see, upcoming TV shows we wanted to watch, books we were waiting to be released.

I want to talk to him about the new Taylor Swift album and the Grammys she just won. As some of you may know, my Dad was a Swiftie – he was in the top 0.5% of Taylor Swift Spotify listeners last year. He was a fan of her before I was, often falling asleep to her 1989 album on international flights. He bought us tickets to see her Eras Tour together this summer and we were so excited. I can’t describe the pain I felt when last month he told me that I’d have to go and enjoy it without him. Because he should be here to see it with me. He loved stained glass – even taking classes and making his own artwork. He promised to teach me this summer, and now I’ll have to do it without him. But I’ll still do it. Like I’ll still go to the Eras concert – because it’s what he would have wanted, and because it keeps his memory alive.

I recognise how lucky I am that he is my Dad. So many things had to happen to make it so. Various ancestors had to meet and have children. My parents needed to be born, needed to both decide to go to the same university, needed some anonymous admin person to assign them both to the same university halls where they would ultimately meet. All so that one day I would come in to being and he would be my Dad. The chances of that happening, for everything to have gone right, are so infinitesimally small. And yet they happened. How miraculous is that?

I am who I am because of him. As a young man, he reviewed books for The Oxford Times and Interzone, a Sci-Fi and Fantasy magazine. (He was particularly proud to interview Terry Pratchett, his favourite author, and have his quote used on Pratchett’s books for years to come). He fell in love with stories and storytelling, a love that he passed down to me. Without him, I don’t know if I would have become a screenwriter and author. Storytelling is such a huge part of me, and I don’t know who I’d be without it, and without him. 

There are so many big, impressive things that my Dad did and achieved through his lifetime, but the things that make up a life are the smaller moments. My parents dancing around his study to God Only Knows by The Beach Boys. His love of all our cats across the years and his special relationship with each of them. The time we went out into the garden, on a freezing cold night in November, to watch the Leonids – shooting stars – falling brightly through the atmosphere. Picking me up from Gobowen station every time I came back from London or undergrad, no matter how late my train was. His specific way of stacking the dishwasher that only I could emulate. Summer holidays swimming in the pool, eating ice cream together, and marvelling over his tan.

The problem with loving my Dad so much is that it’s incredibly painful now he’s gone. One of his favourite Marvel TV shows, Wandavision, had the line “what is grief, if not love persevering?” There is so much grief because there has always been so much love between us. And I am thankful for that. Thankful for him, and everything he has done to build a beautiful life for our family.

My Dad’s last words were beautiful. Something we often said to each other, from childhood to adulthood, was “I love you more than the moon, and the stars, and the wide, wide world”. I started saying it to him, none of us knowing the end was hurtling so quickly towards us. He smiled as I began to say the familiar words, and as my Mum and brother joined in, so did he, still smiling as he said “and the wide, wide world”. And that was it.

'To reference Marcus Aurelius once more, he talks in Meditations about how just a day–just a minute–of happiness, of perfection, of peace, is enough. The same goes for the people we love. That we ever had my Dad in the first place is a wonderful thing, something to be so grateful for. Whatever comes after, whatever fortune has in store for us in the future? It can’t change that. What happens next matters less because of the wonderfulness of having had my Dad at all.'

He is my best friend. He will always be my best friend. Whatever happened, I knew he would look after me. That he loved me and cared for me and that with him I was safe. He would look after our family, always. And he did. Even now we’re discovering things he did and put in place to make sure we were okay.

I know I need to stop talking, although, as I said at the beginning, I could talk forever about my Dad. I will finish with a quote from Terry Pratchett: “No one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away.” Hopefully my Dad will live forever.

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 24/02/2024 (Dua Lipa, Djo, Calvin Harris/Rag'n'Bone Man)

Guess we know who’s winning the Civil War - Beyoncé’s “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” usurps Vermont on the throne of the UK Singles Chart. Welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

It’s kind of calming to have a week where outside of some new entries, of which there are only a handful to begin with. So, as always, we start with the notable dropouts, which are songs exiting the UK Top 75 (what I cover) after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, we bid adieu to a small selection of songs but some of which are pretty important. Sure, I guess we can say good riddance to “MY EYES” by Travis Scott (featuring uncredited vocals from Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Sampha) and “Body Moving”  by Eliza Rose and Calvin Harris without much fret, but we also see dropouts from the Barbie soundtrack with both “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa leaving, as well as Sam Fender’s “Seventeen Going Under” making yet another exit though I’m sure it’ll be back soon enough.

There isn’t much to speak of in our gains, either. The biggest story is probably our list of returns, since the new documentary, Bob Marley: One Love has people rediscovering the reggae legend’s catalogue. His greatest hits album is at #6 on the albums chart and two of his songs with the Wailers return to the top 75. Both songs peaked in 1980, with “Could You be Loved”, now at #51, peaking at #5 whilst Odyssey’s “Use it Up and Wear it Out” was #1 and “Three Little Birds”, now at #56, only peaking at #17, whilst “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” by The Police was #1. Marley would pass just one year after, of course, and it is pretty poetic to have his grandson in the top 10 right now, but just so this episode has some cool chart history trivia, how about we go through the several times these songs have charted? Different recordings of the two songs released in 1984 and 1985 peaked at #71 and #76 respectively. Joe Cocker’s cover of “Could You be Loved” peaked at #86 in 1997, and as far as I can find, no other covers of either song have charted, which kind of surprises me. After all, the latter was recently covered by Maroon 5, I figured they’d hitch a chart spot on name recognition but nope, not even a child singer Connie Talbot could do it in the talent show boom in the 2000s, so I guess Marley’s original really can’t be replaced.

As for the rest of our gains and returns, “Thank You (Not So Bad)” by way too many people who should know better is back at #73 and “Coal” by Dylan Gossett returns to #61. The gains include last week’s debuts, “Made for Me” by Muni Long and “Birds in the Sky” by NewEra at #48 and #44 respectively, “Lil Boo Thang” by the GOAT Paul Russell at #35 and, despite what the Official Charts Company would want you to believe, “Grey” by Yung Filly is at #33. There was an Aitch remix.

This week’s top 5 is actually pretty notable in terms of some shifting tides. We begin with ACR - search it up - striking Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” down to #5, and then one of a few big debuts with Dua Lipa at #4 with “Training Season”, followed by gains for some white dudes making big moves: “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims at #3 and “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone at #2, and finally, of course Queen Bey at the top. Now, we don’t have that wide of an array of new entries, or really, many at all, of which I’m pretty grateful for, so let’s zip through them.

New Entries

#66 - “Soaked” - Shy Smith

Produced by BeatBusta

Alright, I’ll bite… who the Hell is Shy Smith and why did they go with that… uncomfortable cover art? Well, this song is actually from 2021, and I assume through TikTok has gone viral, but this isn’t some indie artist as we typically see, this is a Canadian social media star, which makes this song seem a bit more like a joke. That’s a relief since despite being three years old, it sounds like Ciara made this in 2006 with the glassy synths, blocky Timbaland-esque production and squarrelling synth buzz, that is much more “in” now than it ever has been. Part of me understands completely therefore why this is charting now… but then another part of me doesn’t understand why this is charting at all. There’s really nothing to the stifled groove of the beat and it sounds like it actively strains Shy Smith to try having a personality. It’s so clearly going for semi-goofy seduction, but clawing actual intimacy out of this is as hard a job for me as it would have been for the vocal engineers, so I’m really not understanding this one.

#53 - “Whatever She Wants” - Bryson Tiller

Produced by TylianMTB

I always forget Bryson Tiller exists until he shows back up again, and I mean no offence by that as nothing has given me the impression that he’s not talented or a good person, but not a single song has clicked with me, despite having a lot of respect for his mostly singular lane and pioneering of the trap-soul sound. I can think of people who perhaps want to be Bryson Tiller, but I can’t figure out who Bryson Tiller wants to be other than, well, Bryson Tiller, and even if the music doesn’t resonate, I’m happy with that. Problem here is that he’s obviously trying to be Drake. He’s always been the easiest comparison to make with Tiller, but other than the more Detroit-influenced percussion, which really sounds like a typical trap rhythm with a Detroit choice of sounds more than anything, other than an elegant Orion Sum sample… this is just a Drake song. He goes for Drake flows, Drake melodies, even Drake’s uncomfortable whispery ad-libs. You could argue that the influence is mutual, but it is really difficult for me not to see a Drake fan taking the acapella, running it through a Drake voice AI and making something completely believable. Even the content is a slightly less embarrassing Drake riff, which just shows to me that he may be a unique singer, but not so much a rapper. Tylian’s beat is pretty good on this, I will admit, but I’m compelled by Mr. Tiller enough as a unique presence to care much about this. The train-like way the song keeps to an uptempo chug is actually pretty interesting though, it doesn’t feel like it ever wants to stop and take a breath, and Tiller does contribute to that, he’s not a total dud on his own song. He’s not really improving it either, though.

#19 - “Lovers in a Past Life” - Calvin Harris and Rag’n’Bone Man

Produced by Calvin Harris and watt

The petty part of me wants to say “2018 called” but this collaboration isn’t dated on arrival: Rag’n’Bone Man is another one of those artists I always forget about until they show up and I think this will just be a repeat of what I said about “Giant” all those years ago. He needs a rough layer of grit under him, not this flashy, sugary house track that he sticks out like a sore thumb over. Now it may not be dated on arrival but it is in execution: this is a tropical house song, and whilst Calvin Harris has always been good at mixing and making his stuff sound professional, this actually detracts from the character-void guitar and four-on-the-floor programming that all just feels rote. He even goes for an ATB-like guitar lick in the drop amidst the house pianos that just doesn’t sit well with me. I don’t dislike this - or at least not that much - I’m just confused by how either artist felt the need to make it, because it really does not work.

#11 - “End of Beginning” - Djo

Produced by Adam Thein and Djo

How do I even begin to pronounce that? Is he D-J-O, Duh-Joe, Joe, Sho? Oh, who am I kidding? It doesn’t matter, you know him as Joe Keery from Stranger Things. He was in a psychedelic band for a while but left and has solo work as a musician out now, with this taking from his second album and not actually released as a single, just a breakout solo hit. Is it good? Well, listen… I wish he knew he wanted Steve. The only buzz I had heard about this is that it sounded just like Mr. Lacy’s “Bad Habit” and well, I actively laughed when certain elements of the song came in because they hit nearly exactly the same way as in that song. This is most likely an influence and definitely not worth suing anyone over, but that’s primarily because neither song is any good. The lyrics are largely about his connection to his home city of Chicago as well as the acceleration of his acting career, making a point about how well, he’s still from Chicago! Whatever version you get of him, Chicago’s still in him. Yeah, it’s safe to say it doesn’t have the lyrical intricacies or at least, intriguing moments, that “Bad Habit” does, or even, and it pains me to say this, its sonic depth, so surely I should like this even less? Well, no. Djo Mama’s voice is a lot less pursuant and awkward than Steve Lacy, who also came up with some actual earworms that I respect but never want to hear again, whilst Djo here is just yapping over some synthpop. Which is fine. Have your fun. My opinion doesn’t matter at the end of the day. Just… maybe make acting a priority.

#4 - “Training Season” - Dua Lipa

Produced by Kevin Parker

I wish Dua found an interesting way to be good. This is a great, funky pop song, a worthwhile follow-up to “Houdini” with some excellent atmosphere mostly found in the dynamic mix that I’m sure Mr. Tame Impala had a lot of involvement with. It may not be a psychedelic song by nature, but there are transitory phases that absolutely show he was on the boards for. This feels like a sequel to “Houdini”, if that’s not already the intention, as Dua isn’t being the carefree love-them-and-leave-them anymore, she’s genuinely frustrated that she doesn’t have a more consistent and intimate relationship. She’s sick of being in control in these relationships - if they can be called such - and wants someone to go there, to actually mean something to her and put that effort in. Yet it doesn’t hit as much as I want it to… it may be the replacement of the rubbery bass from “Houdini” with a focus on soaring psychedelic synths and a guitar tone I’m not really big on in the chorus. Maybe it’s just that this funk-pop sound isn’t all that new and in that case, it’s impressive that Dua has made it this far without sounding boring.

Conclusion

With that said, she still obviously gets Best of the Week because good God, this was a mediocre set. Honourable and Dishonourable Mentions would be overly charitable probably, but I am going to give Bryson Tiller some benefit here, specifically because ��Whatever She Wants” does have a decent instrumental, whilst Djo takes the Dishonourable Mention for “End of Beginning”, God, even the title is awkward. As for the worst, Shy Smith I think takes this handedly for “Soaked” but… will it even last a second week? I don’t know, it’s easily the least essential and least likely to last song that debuted. As for what’s on the horizon… I don’t know. Thank you for reading, rest in peace to Steve Wright and I’ll see you next week!

[dangerliesbeforeyou]

i just spent an embarrassing amount of time sorting all my spotify wrapped top songs from the last 5 years (which is how long i've been using it regularly) in order to see which songs and artists come up the most so, uh, i'm gonna go thru the data cos i'm a nerd lol

(this is all very self indulgent and only really exists so me from the future can come back and find it lol... but hey feel free to read if ur interested in my listening habits lol)

so what's interesting is that i've never had the same artist as my top artist of the year!

2018 -> BTS

2019 -> Banks

2020 -> Dreamcatcher

2021 -> EXO

2022 -> Girls' Generation

2023 -> Fall Out Boy

but despite that, both EXO and Banks have been in my top 5 for 5 times out of the 6 wrapped years!

even more interesting is that Banks is my 5th top artist this year despite the fact only one of her songs shows up in my top lists (i think i'm just always listening to her albums lol)

whiccchhh brings me onto the songs themselves

so no song shows up as top of my year every year, and there is also no song that appears in all 6 wrapped playlists BUT there is a song that shows up in 5 of the 6 and that is...

(drum roll lol)

Judas by Banks! not surprising cos it's such an amazing track but i kinda didn't realise just how much i listen to it lol! it's never been in my top 5 but it's always somewhere in the playlists lol

songs that show up 4 times out of 6 are:

Be by Hozier, Peppermint Chocolate by K.Will and Mamamoo, Vibrato by Stellar and Kingdom Come by Red Velvet!

songs that show up 3 times:

Lol by Taeyeon, Apple by Ga In, Snap out of it by the Arctic Monkeys, Bad Boy by Red Velvet & Tempo by EXO!

only other repeated song i'll mention is I Don't Care by Fall Out Boy which showed up in 2018 and then not again until this year lol

this year is a bit of an anomaly, because usually none of my top artists have more than 10 songs in the playlist (exceptions are usually if I had a particular album on repeat) BUT this year both my top artists (fob and hozier) have 18 and 20 songs in my top songs playlist respectively lol

(which is why when i've been rebloging those 'what is your 10th top song' posts it's mainly been fob and hozier tracks pfft.... rule of averages wins again lol)

& because of this most of the songs on my 2023 top songs list are ones that came out this year lol

some fun exceptions are:

How do you sleep by John Lennon, Why don't you do right by Lil Green, She's always a woman by Billy Joel, Can't rely on you by Paloma Faith and Irony by Wonder Girls lol!

honestly kinda shocked that hardly any of the mcr/green day stuff i was listening to earlier in the year has showed up (there are a couple mcr tracks, but i listened to american idiot SO much but not a single track is on my playlist rip.... guess i'm the (non)american idiot after all lol)

also kinda sad that spotify doesn't do a top albums things, though it is kinda obvious w/ my list pfft (top albums were So Much (For) Stardust, Unreal Unearth and The Age of Pleasure!)

& what i've discovered from looking at all this data is that i kinda like that every year is slightly different, with a different top artist and usually different albums that i play constantly throughout the year!

Last year it was Dance Fever, The Gods We Can Touch and 28 Reasons, few years ago it was III and 1719 lol! i just love having an album define so much of how i feel about a year :')

can't wait to see what albums define my next 5 years of life tbh!

anyway i think that's about all the data i can really pull from this lol!

[nickgerlich]

Seeing Rainbows

It is rare when music can withstand the passage of time, sounding just as good today as when it was released decades prior. Pretty much everything by the Beatles comes to mind, as does Hotel California by the Eagles, and the rock opera Tommy by The Who.

But let’s not forget Dark Side Of The Moon, by the British prog-rock band Pink Floyd. Songs from that album are in steady rotation on SXM Channel 26, my favorite station. So popular was this album that it remained on Billboard’s Top 200 for 724 consecutive weeks, from 1973 to 1988. That was back when people bought their music, and artists could make a tidy living from the proceeds.

Skip forward to this week, when Pink Floyd updated its profile pic on its Facebook page, and suddenly heads started exploding with dark forebodings. With the 50th anniversary of the album’s release rapidly approaching—1st March—the band opted for a stylized “50” that included the same prismatic imagery of the original album.

It’s just that some people thought the band had gone “woke” and was making a statement of support for the LGBTQ community. Rainbows, anyone? Tell me you’re not a Pink Floyd fan without telling me you’re not a Pink Floyd fan.

As of this morning, there were 17,000 comments on that image alone. Who would have thought that something so simple as this would cause so many peoples’ undies to get in a bunch? And over a non-event in the first place? Sheesh.

Now please allow me to digress a bit. The word “woke” is perhaps to most over-used and misunderstood word being used these days. I bet that most of the people using it do not know its etymology, nor history of usage. Worse yet, it is used as a baseball bat against anyone with whom they disagree, and, typically, from Right to Left. All this in the last two years.

For the record, the first political usage of the word dates to 1962, and was used by African-Americans. Technically, it meant “alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice.” It was used sparingly from the 1940s forward, though, and only hit the zeitgeist by virtue of a New York Times article. More recently, it was used by BLM activists starting around 2016, but by 2021 had been co-opted by non-blacks as a derisive slur.

In other words, it never had anything to do with gay rights, veganism, women’s rights, or whatever seemingly deplorable cause du jour. But hey, “Go woke, go broke” became the rallying cry of the Alt-Right against any company or individual who dared go against their grain.

I do not allow politically motivated speech in my classes. It’s perfectly OK to disagree among us, even with me, about anything, but we must do so in a respectful manner. Don’t use the word “woke” unless you are trying to tell me you “woke up late and missed a deadline” or something like that.

But back to the music. Dark Side Of The Moon is arguably one of the best albums ever released. It has stayed relevant and current by virtue of being that good, but has also benefited from a little myth and lore too. It was in the mid-1990s that a newspaper columnist suggested pairing the album with the classic 1939 film, The Wizard Of Oz. Supposedly the music and lyrics matched the film’s actions minute for minute, as if it were a masterfully created soundtrack 34 years after the fact.

While the band has vehemently denied such intent, they have not argued with the free publicity. If it gets people playing your old album again, then have at it. Which brings me to my final point. In spite of the negativity and willfully exposed ignorance of many commenters, there might just be a silver lining on the dark cloud of social media.

You see, Pink Floyd is now getting tons of unpaid publicity about the anniversary, which necessarily includes a remastered release of the album on vinyl and CD, and even a planetarium tour pairing the music to a star show. While it is regrettable that so many people failed to see the intent of the new logo, and were quick to make accusations, it is also admirable of Pink Floyd to kind of just let it all happen. The PR machine can take on a life of its own.

And Money is more than just a song on that album. It’s what these guys are going to continue making. Got to keep the loonies on the path.

Dr “Everything Under The Sun Is In Tune“ Gerlich

Audio Blog

[munson-blurbs]

I posted 833 times in 2022

That's 833 more posts than 2021!

248 posts created (30%)

585 posts reblogged (70%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@munsonquinns

@manicpixiedreamcurl

@trashmouth-richie

@corroded-hellfire

@munsonology

I tagged 393 of my posts in 2022

#eddie munson - 151 posts

#fic recs - 142 posts

#eddie stranger things - 134 posts

#eddie munson x reader - 122 posts

#stranger things - 121 posts

#fanfic - 121 posts

#stranger things fanfic - 109 posts

#eddie munson x you - 107 posts

#eddie munson stranger things - 92 posts

#eddie munson x female reader - 90 posts

Longest Tag: 33 characters

#i love each and every one of them

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Wayne Munson has always doubted that he’s done right by his nephew. Sure, the situation is better than Eddie living with his deadbeat dad, but the kid sells drugs and spent an extra two years in high school.

It’s not until you come into the picture that Wayne sees the values he instilled in Eddie.

Like when Eddie brings you to meet Wayne for the first time, holding the door open for you and taking your jacket. You hand a package of Oreos to Wayne, telling him, “Eddie said these are your favorite, so I had to get them.” The three of you sit in the living room, sharing the cookies and swapping stories.

On his birthday, when he comes home to you and Eddie in the little kitchen, putting candles in a homemade cake. “Happy birthday!” you call out in unison, and Wayne can’t help but smile. Eddie lights the candles and you tell Wayne to make a wish. “Besides me moving out,” Eddie teases as Wayne blows out the candles. “You made this?” he asks the two of you. “I baked it, and Eddie put the frosting on,” you say. Wayne hasn’t had a homemade cake in years.

Or when Eddie walks through the door, eyes red and puffy, explaining to his uncle, “We had a fight, but I did that breathing thing you told me about and calmed down. I think we’ll work it out.” He’s referring to the time he was 14, frustrated with a riff he just couldn’t get, and punched a wall so hard he broke his hand. On the way back from the hospital, Wayne told him, “When you feel that angry, you gotta breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Slow and steady. Can’t afford another hospital bill, kid.” He didn’t realize Eddie remembered it after all this time.

The time he gets home from work a little earlier than usual, only to overhear you telling Eddie softly, “'M sorry, Eds. I’m not really in the mood.” Without any hesitation, Eddie says, “Don’t apologize. We can cuddle though, right?” There’s no pressure, no whining or begging. Only Eddie respecting the girl he loves.

The day you and Eddie finally get your own place, boxes loaded into a moving van. Before you leave, you give a neatly wrapped gift to Wayne. “Shouldn’t I be getting you a housewarming present?” he jokes, opening it carefully. It’s a photo of the three of you at last year’s Fourth of July carnival, fireworks in the background. The wooden frame reads Family is Forever. “So you don’t miss us too much,” Eddie teases him. He pulls you both in for a quick hug. The photo sits on his bedside table, where he sees it first thing every morning.

On Eddie’s birthday, Wayne gives him a card with a check inside; not a lot, but a little something. “What’re you gonna spend it on?” he asks, thinking his nephew will cash it and buy something for his van or his precious guitar. But Eddie gives him a shy grin and tells him, “Actually, I’m saving up for an engagement ring. Just wanna get her the best, y’know?”

When you pull Wayne onto the dance floor, feeling beautiful in your white dress, the new Mrs. Munson. Wayne isn’t much of a dancer, but he’s two drinks in and just so damn happy, and he can’t help but shuffle about when the band sings “Twist and Shout.” He also dances with you to a slow song, which is where you whisper to him, “thank you for raising such an incredible man.”

Or during a Sunday dinner, when you and Eddie invite Wayne over and ask him if he prefers to be called “Grandpa” or “Pop-Pop.” Later, he privately asks Eddie if he’s nervous about being a dad, to which he truthfully replies, “A little. But I learned from the best.”

And when Wayne sees Eddie hold his newborn son, he swells with pride. My boy has a boy of his own, he muses incredulously, and then it’s his turn to hold the baby. “So, what do you think?” Eddie asks him, beaming. Wayne pauses for a moment before he answers.

“I think we did all right.”

829 notes - Posted November 5, 2022

#4

We’ve Got a Secret (Dad!Eddie x Mom!Reader)

Read Part I here!

Warnings: lil bit of language, pregnancy, anxiety, weight gain, literally so much fluff your teeth will hurt

WC: 1.6k

Taglist: @dylanmunson @tayhar811

April 1992

“Babe, you ready?” Eddie calls from the living room where he’s slipping on his Dio vest. 

“No, I’m not going!” you respond back, nearly in tears.

“So I’m just supposed to tell everyone about you being pregnant...without you?” he teases gently. A frown forms on his face when he doesn’t hear you say anything; just the sound of light sniffling coming from your bedroom.

“What’s going on?” He peers in to find you laying back on the bed, struggling to close the button on your favorite jeans. “Oh, sweetheart...”

“They...don’t...fit!” you cry out, giving up and letting the tears fall. You’re only three months along, but you’ve gained a little weight, and it must be enough that your pants don’t fit anymore. “I don’t get it! They just fit last week.”

Eddie chuckles and presses a kiss to your temple, then to your pregnant belly. “You’re growing a whole human. You have to be kind to yourself.” He pauses for a moment. “Wait here.”

He rummages through the bathroom and you hear a small “a-ha!” as he closes a drawer. He holds up a hair tie in his hand triumphantly. “You can use this to keep your pants up while they’re technically unbuttoned.” You give him a confused look. “Steve told me about it,” he explains sheepishly.

“What is he, the pregnancy guru?” you ask, but you take the hair tie and it works. Your shirt is a little big, so it covers your handiwork. “Huh. Would ya look at that.”

“Now, c’mon, let’s go,” Eddie whines. “We gotta stop off at Wayne’s before dinner and tell him!” You’d already told your parents, who were ecstatic at the idea of a grandchild. Your mom called you this morning to let you know she picked up some baby clothes because she just got so excited.

Eddie holds your hand as he drives to his uncle’s house. His left leg is bouncing and he keeps looking over at you with a grin.

“He’s gonna freak out in the best way,” Eddie can’t contain his excitement. He stops at a red light and grabs your face, punctuating the kiss with an exaggerated mwah!

You giggle. “Eds, I’ve never seen Wayne do more than crack a smile. He didn’t even cry at our wedding.”

“Just you wait and see, Mama Munson,” he says. His new nickname for you fills you with giddiness and warmth. 

~

Eddie raps at the trailer door frantically. 

“Stop it! You’re gonna scare him!” you hiss. In your right hand is a small gift bag. You clutch it tightly, like it’ll float away if you don’t. “Sorry, Wayne!” you call out. “It’s just us.”

Wayne opens the door with a roll of his eyes. “What the hell is wrong with you, boy?” He pokes Eddie in the chest, but your husband just laughs.

“Sorry. Just have something for ya.” He takes the gift bag from your hand and gives it to his uncle.

“’s not my birthday...” Wayne steps back so you and Eddie can come in. Eddie takes your hand and squeezes it inconspicuously.

“Just open it!” he practically shouts. He’s just a ball of nervous energy; he’d probably be bouncing around the trailer if you weren’t holding onto him.

Wayne shoves the tissue paper aside and pulls out a mug. “Oh, good. Don’t got enough of these,” he says sarcastically.

“You have to read what it says,” you offer, watching as his eyes scan the text plastered on the front of the mug.

“World’s Best Grandpa...” he reads. It takes half a second for him to process it, and then a huge grin spreads across his face. Eddie looks at you, his facial expression screaming I told you so.

“I’m gonna...you’re--” Wayne turns to you, and you can only nod to confirm. Tears spring to your eyes and you’re 100% sure it isn’t just the hormones. “This is the happiest day of my life, and I bet it will be until that baby of yours arrives.”

See the full post

860 notes - Posted October 15, 2022

#3

Hi! Just found your blog and saw you were looking for ideas.

A best friends to lovers trope that gets super smutty 🥵? I'm a sucker for it

- @eddiesprincess86

Eeep I love this trope, too!

Warnings: so much smut (18+ only minors DNI!!!!), oral (f receiving), fingering, handjob, piv, protected sex, language, pet names, angst

WC: 3.5k

A/N: getting requests seriously makes my whole day. Please keep them coming (no pun intended) <3

--

It was the silliest action that had you falling for your best friend. Almost ridiculous, really. He was driving you home from work a few months ago, like he did every Thursday when you worked the closing shift. He’d browse the library for the new fantasy releases until you clocked out.

“I’m ready to go!” you announced, exhaustion evident in your voice.

“Your chariot awaits,” Eddie says as he walks you to his van. There’s a group of teenage boys smoking outside, leering at you, but they leave you alone when they spot Eddie by your side.

“Can I hire you to be my bodyguard?” you tease, opening the van door. The smell of stale cigarettes, weed, and Eddie’s cologne hits you as you climb in. He closes the door behind you.

“Depends. What’s my salary?” he jokes right back, turning the key in the ignition.

You pretend to consider this seriously. “Hmm,” you ponder, tapping your finger to your chin. “If you’ll be my bodyguard, I won’t tell anyone that you secretly love Grease and have a massive crush on Olivia Newton-John.”

“First of all,” he starts, keeping his eyes trained on the road as he lectures you, “everyone loves Olivia Newton-John. And second, you’re supposed to be keeping that to yourself, anyway. My salary needs to be something in addition to keeping your big mouth shut.”

You’re about to threaten to spill the beans all over the morning announcements when a sports car zooms around the van, cutting Eddie off and then slamming on the breaks as a sudden curve materializes. 

“Holy shit!” Eddie curses loudly and swerves onto the shoulder.

And that’s when he does it.

He puts his arm out in front of you, even though you’re wearing a seatbelt. His calloused hand grips your bicep as he multitasks keeping you and the vehicle safe. 

“I am so sorry,” he apologizes, even though what happened clearly wasn’t his fault. “Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine, Eds,” you croak, heart beating out of your chest for multiple reasons. “Just shaken up.”

“You sure? No bumps or bruises?” Concern seeps into his face as the adrenaline dies down. He uses his thumb to move your chin to him so he can get a better look.

“Positive. W-what about you?” you ask, realizing that he wasn’t buckled in. 

He rubs his side and winces. “Got thrown into the gear shift. Gonna leave a nasty bruise, I bet.” 

“Don’t worry, I’ll tell everyone you got it fighting a bear,” you attempt to crack a joke, hoping to get him to smile. He’s too deep in thought to process it.

“I thought--I was scared you got hurt,” he blurts out. “Never would’ve forgiven myself if something happened to you.” He massages the back of his neck, hair sticking to his skin where he’s started to sweat.

“Eddie, I’m okay. And if something did happen, it would’ve been that idiot’s fault,” you gesture to the empty road where the other driver cut you off, “not yours.” And maybe it’s because you’re too rattled to think straight, or maybe because it just seems right, but you grab his hand and squeeze it tight. “Take a breath. Wanna stay over at my place so you don’t have to drive all the way home? You can crash on the couch.” Or in my bed, you think, but you don’t dare say.

He nods and slowly pulls back onto the main road.

~

Eddie’s feelings towards you were much more of a slow burn, but they most certainly were strong.

See the full post

996 notes - Posted October 20, 2022

#2

Oh, Baby (Dad!Eddie x Mom!Reader)

First installment in my Dad!Eddie series. Feedback and suggestions are super appreciated :)

Warnings: language, pregnancy, allusions to sex, allusions to abortion, mentions of Eddie’s deadbeat dad

WC: 1.5k

February 1992

It’s Saturday, a day where you normally slept in, but you’re abuzz with nerves that wake you at 7:00 AM. Your husband, Eddie, sleeps soundly next to you, arms splayed across the pillow and sheets bunched around his waist. His long curly hair is pulled back in a ponytail, though strands have fallen out of the holder in his sleep. He’s oblivious, blissfully unaware of the emotions that pang through your body. For a man who prides himself on being so in tune with you, whose tagline is “I know your body better than you do, babe,” he hasn’t picked up on the fact that you’ve been eating your pasta with butter because you suddenly can’t stand the smell of marinara sauce, or that you come home from work and immediately fall asleep on the couch, or that you didn’t ask him to pick up tampons from the pharmacy next to his record store this month.

You creep out of bed and tiptoe into the bathroom, digging quietly in the back of a drawer where you’ve hidden the EPT box. A few weeks ago, you would’ve been excited at the prospect of being pregnant with Eddie’s baby. Then he’d made an off-handed comment about not wanting to be a dad because he didn’t know how to be one, and that he was happy for it to be just you and him forever.

It’s the longest five minutes of your life, but when your watch finally signals that it’s time to look, you take a deep breath and peer at the counter. 

Two pink lines.

A sob escapes your lips and you clamp a hand over your mouth to keep from waking Eddie. You have no idea what you’re going to do. It feels wrong ending the pregnancy without telling him, but you also don’t want him to feel any pressure to be a dad. His own father had repeatedly told him that he was a mistake, that he was a burden, and you didn’t want to risk repeating the cycle.

You’re still mulling over your options when you hear the sound of footsteps shuffling towards the bathroom door. You cap the test and shove it in the waistband of your underwear, hoping it’s covered by your oversized T-shirt.

Knock knock knock.

“Sweetheart, I gotta come in,” Eddie mumbles sleepily. You can picture him rubbing his eyes and stretching, thinking about injecting caffeine directly into his bloodstream to wake him up. He’d been promoted to manager at the record store, and while the extra income was certainly helpful, it also means he’s a lot busier.

You open the door and smile weakly. He blinks a few times and asks, “Are you crying?”

“Just allergies, I think,” you offer, lying through your teeth.

“In February?”

“Yeah...winter allergies.” It’s pathetic, but luckily he’s still tired enough to leave the matter alone.

“Okay. Go back to sleep and get some rest. You need any medicine or tissues?”

You shake your head and pad on back to bed. The pregnancy test is still pressed up against you, and you shove it under your pillow as soon as you climb under the covers.

~

“Hey, Munson! Got anything new for us to listen to?” Steve Harrington walks into the record store around 11:00 AM, hoisting his son on his hip. “Maybe something with Elmo for Andy to rock out to?” He tickles the toddler, who lets out an excited giggle.

Before Eddie can respond, Andy wriggles out of his father’s grasp and makes a beeline for Eddie, crashing into his legs with a laugh.

“Hey there, bulldozer!” Eddie scoops Andy up as the boy tugs on a lock of his hair. “‘Course I got something for ya! Saved it in the back because I had a feeling Dad would be bringing you by today.” Steve always stopped by on Saturdays. It gave Nancy some time to herself, and Andy loved seeing his Uncle Eddie.

Steve, Eddie, and Andy walk to the back where Eddie’s stashed away a Sesame Street cassette. Andy’s face lights up when he spots the familiar Muppets on the cover. 

“Ed, do you and Y/N wanna swing by later for pizza?” Steve asks. Andy nods his head vigorously, which makes Eddie’s heart melt.

“I’d love to, but Y/N has been real weird about food lately,” he states.

“Weird how?”

“Like she doesn’t really have much of an appetite, and normal foods gross her out. Y’know, all of a sudden I can’t put cream cheese on a bagel because the smell makes her throw up.”

Steve’s eyes widen. “Sounds like she’s pregnant, dude. Nancy had the same thing...I think they’re called aversions?”

Eddie practically falls over. “No, she can’t be...” But then it all clicks into place: the exhaustion, the short tempers, the nausea. “Oh, fu-fudge,” he amends, acutely aware of Andy’s presence. 

See the full post

1,044 notes - Posted October 14, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Fight for You (Dad!Eddie x Mom!Reader)

Your friends throw you an incredible baby shower, but an unexpected guest threatens to spoil your fun.

Warnings: all the fluff + angst, pregnancy language, emotional abuse (not from Eddie), a bit of violence (nothing gory, but mention of blood)

WC: 2k

Part One | Part Two

Taglist: @dylanmunson @tayhar811 @princess-eddie​

--

August 1992

“Wow,” Eddie breathes as he walks into your bedroom. You’re wearing a flowing sage green dress that shows off your seven-month baby bump. “You look stunning.”

You press a kiss to his lips, smiling against him as your belly brushes against his stomach. It hasn’t always been easy to feel beautiful as your body changes, but your husband hasn’t stopped reminding you that he thinks you’re perfect; that he’s so happy you’re having his baby; that every time he thinks he can’t love you more, he looks at you and falls even harder.

He takes your hand and walks you to the van. You’d moved apartments last month; same building, but now you have a two-bedroom so the baby will have their own room. 

“You ready for your party, little baby?” you talk to your belly, rubbing a hand over it. It was Will’s idea to make it co-ed, and Eddie wasn’t going to turn down an invitation to something DnD themed. He’s wearing his nicest pair of jeans and a blue button-down shirt. His hair is pulled back into a low bun, and you lean over and kiss his cheek. As you do, you feel a fluttering in your stomach.

“Oh my God!” you yelp, and Eddie slams on the brakes.

“What?” he asks nervously. “Is the baby okay?”

“Yeah, s-sorry,” you flush, slightly embarrassed. “They just kicked me.” You take one of his hands, feeling him visibly relax, and place it where you just felt the kick. “Right here.” Sure enough, the baby kicks again, and Eddie grins.

“Holy shit,” he says, “we got a little soccer player in there!”

~

You pull up to the Byers house and waddle you way up the steps. “Careful,” you hear Eddie murmur, placing a hand on the small of your back. You open the door to a room filled with your favorite people. Your parents are on the couch next to Wayne and Jim Hopper. Eleven and Max are drinking some punch, laughing at something Mike said. Or maybe just laughing at Mike; you never know with those two. Will and Lucas are fixing a streamer as Joyce oversees their work. Dustin, Robin, Steve, and Nancy are gathered around a bowl of chips. 

Everything looks amazing. The family room looks like a Dungeons & Dragons game come to life. Even the food is labelled on-theme, with figurines placed strategically along the table. Next to a pile of brightly-wrapped gifts is a Dungeon Master throne, which would usually be reserved for Eddie, but there’s a sign on it that reads “Reserved for Mama Munson.”

The guests rush to hug you, ask how you’re doing, feel your bump. You hate when strangers do that, think they have the right to touch you just because you’re pregnant, but you truly don’t mind when your family and friends--your chosen family, really--do it.

Wayne shoves a paper plate into Eddie’s hands. “Go get your lady something to eat, hm?” he hints. No matter how old Eddie gets, Wayne will always treat him like a son.

Eddie obliges, leaving you with Joyce as she dotes on you. “You are absolutely glowing,” she says. “You were meant to be a mom.”

“Thank you.” Tears spring to your eyes. “You’re gonna make me cry.”

“No, no crying!” she laughs gently. “C’mon, we’ll get started with the games.” She leads you to your seat. “Those pregnancy hormones are a bitch, huh?”

You laugh and nod in agreement.

Eddie, meanwhile, is loading the plate with cupcakes and cookies, knowing you’ve had a mean sweet tooth lately. He brings it to you and you bite into a chocolate chip, savoring the taste. 

“This is exactly what Baby Munson wanted,” you state, taking another bite.

The next few hours pass in a flurry of games and gifts. You’re excited to go home with a collection of new bottles, burp cloths, teeny tiny clothes, and enough diapers that look like they’ll last a lifetime, but Joyce claims will only get you through the first week.

Eddie, Steve, and Hopper have loaded everything into the van, and everyone is helping clean up the Byers’ living room, when there’s a knock on the door.

“Who could that be?” Joyce wonders aloud, and Hopper steps in front of her to answer the door. You know it’s never good when his instincts kick in.

See the full post

1,196 notes - Posted October 17, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[whiskeyswriting]

I posted 2,024 times in 2022

That's 2,015 more posts than 2021!

173 posts created (9%)

1,851 posts reblogged (91%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@callsign-dragonbaron

@cycbaby

@youlightmeupfinn

@therebeccaw

@stargazing15

I tagged 435 of my posts in 2022

#top gun maverick - 102 posts

#mrsjaderogerswrites - 92 posts

#top gun - 84 posts

#whiskey talks crap - 54 posts

#tgm things - 45 posts

#oh it’s some mail 💌 - 43 posts

#mrsjaderogersanswers - 43 posts

#tgm - 41 posts

#callsign dragonbaron - 39 posts

#jake hangman seresin - 33 posts

Longest Tag: 86 characters

#this is the prime example of taking characters and throwing them into alternate worlds

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Maverick: I know you snuck out last night, Slider.

Whiskey: Play dumb!

Slider: Who's Slider?

Whiskey: NOT THAT DUMB!!!

~*~*~*~*

Slider: Come on, I wasn’t that drunk last night.

Iceman: You were flirting with Whiskey.

Slider: So what? They're my partner.

Iceman: You asked them if they were single.

Slider:

Iceman: And then you cried when they said they weren't.

~*~*~*~*

Whiskey: Bye Slider! Bye Iceman! Bye Maverick! Bye Goose! Bye Slider! Iceman: You said ‘bye Slider’ twice. Whiskey: I like Slider.

~*~*~*~*

Whiskey: Slider and I don’t use pet names. Wolfman: I see. Hey, what do bees make? Whiskey: Honey? Slider: Yes, dear? Whiskey: Wolfman: Don't ever lie to my face again.

~*~*~*~*

Goose: Here’s a fun Christmas idea. We hang mistletoe, but instead of kissing, you have to FIGHT whoever else is under it. Whiskey: Goose no. Slider: Mistlefoe. Whiskey: Please stop encouraging them.

~*~*~*~*

Goose: Whiskey isn’t answering their phone Slider: I’ll call Goose: Iceman and I have both tried six times each, what makes you thi- Whiskey: Hello?

~*~*~*~*

108 notes - Posted November 2, 2022

#4

Love Me Like You - Chapter 1: Breathe

Read Chapter 2: A Mess (Happy 4 U)

😍pairing: Jake “Hangman” Seresin x F!Reader

💭summary: High school and college sweethearts. That’s what the two of you were. And that’s the keyword: were. What are you to do when you come face to face with the man that broke your heart three years ago?

⚠️warning: mentions of alcohol consumption

🎶 Song Inspiration 1: Breathe by Little Mix

🎶 Song Inspiration 2: A Mess (Happy 4 U) by Little Mix

🎶 Song Inspiration 3: Love Me Like You by Little Mix

See the full post

117 notes - Posted October 12, 2022

#3

How To Be A Heartbreaker: Rule 1

😍Pairing: Ron “Slider” Kerner x Reader

🎶Song Inspiration: How to Be a Heartbreaker by Marina

💭Summary: During your time in the Navy, you learned how to heal the hearts of the aviators, as well as yours. You also broke your fair share of them. Now you teach your favorite instructor’s granddaughter on how to be a heartbreaker.

⚠️warning: mentions of alcohol; Naval inaccuracies;

📝A/N: Goose is alive here! Reader’s call sign is Whiskey. Dividers by @firefly-graphics. Cover image and Slider banner created by yours truly (@mrsjaderogers) using Canva.

📝A/N2: This is a work of fiction. Please do not copy or post anywhere else. Feel free to like and reblog but do give credit. Any constructive criticism is appreciated. I do not own any of the photos included in this post. Photos used have been from Pinterest or Tumblr or Instagram. I also don’t own any of the characters mentioned.

See the full post

123 notes - Posted October 31, 2022

#2

What If I Missed You?

😍pairing: Beau “Cyclone” Simpson x F!Reader

💭summary: Can two people be lucky in life and have a second chance at love after their respective spouse passed?

⚠️warning: mentions of death and grief; age gap

🎶 Song Inspiration: What If I Missed You by Jesse McCartney

📝A/N #1: This is a work of fiction. Please do not copy or post anywhere else. Feel free to like and reblog but do give credit. Any constructive criticism is appreciated. I do not own any of the photos included in this post. Photos used have been from Pinterest or Tumblr or Instagram. I also don’t own any of the characters mentioned.

📝A/N #2: While no physical description is assigned to reader, she is in a band that does covers of musicals and other songs. Reader is between 29-34.

Read Part 2

See the full post

153 notes - Posted October 2, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Chaos Activated

📝 A/N: No prompt just word dump of hilarious chaos the Dagger Squad causes… Mainly the Chaotic Trio: Maverick, Rooster, and Whiskey (Reader’s Call Sign) Oh and Reader is Slider’s daughter…! Fic based on the comments of this post.

It was a miracle that Maverick and Rooster survived the mission despite the near death experiences. The both of them had to thank Hangman and you for saving them and getting them back to the ship.

What was more of a miracle was that Vice Admiral Cyclone did minimal shouting at Rooster for breaking orders and going after Maverick.

Now they were being taken to the infirmary to check and treat for any injuries. You don’t know why the doctors and nurses even bothered trying to separate the two.

Despite their rocky past, the two deeply cared about the other. You knew Uncle Mav did what he thought would be best for Rooster by pulling his papers. It was something you and your father never agreed with and expressed it to him.

Rooster was like a cousin to you and you knew he was just as stubborn as Mav. You couldn’t help but love the two to death. (Sometimes quite literally).

The weeks passed and you all found yourselves back at The Hard Deck. It didn’t matter how much you tried to behave, you knew, one way or another, Mav and Rooster would end up dragging you into their schemes.

“No! No! No way am I going to use my daddy’s name to get Cyclone to give us another three free days to play dogfight football,” you say.

“C’mon kid. You’re a Kerner. You’re Slider’s sunshine. He’ll move earth and planets to make the Navy listen to you,” Mav says.

“When did you turn into a poet?” You ask sarcastically.

Bradley throws an arm around your shoulder. “Princess. Whiskey… We all know Cyclone is sweet on you. Live up to your name Whiskey. Use those smooth words and seduce him.”

You can’t help but start laughing. “You do know I don’t have to seduce my own boyfriend?”

Penny comes over and refills your drinks. “I can already sense the chaos activating with you three.”

“I’m heading out to the beach to get away from these two troublemakers,” you say taking your drink with you.

Penny winks at them and at that moment the rest of the squad came out from hiding. “So is the plan set?”

Phoenix nods. “I’ll go keep her distracted for a moment but then Mav and Rooster come back into the mix while Yale and Fritz get Cyclone here.”

Fanboy starts setting up the camera to record the planned proposal.

But Penny knew. She already knew that whenever the three of you got together, nothing would ever go according to plan. She started closing out tabs and closing the bar early.

All of a sudden the aviators hear shouting and see Mav and Rooster running along the beach and you running after them yelling.

A group of college aged guys were following the three of you. It was then they realized that Mav and Rooster used you as bait to steal the guys’ football to start their own game.

Bob looks around a bit panicked. “Shouldn’t we stop them?”

You can feel uncle Goose and Ice just shaking their heads in disbelief. “I know… I know,” you mutter as you keep running after Mav and Rooster.

Penny finally rushes outside. “Did I miss anything? I closed off the bar. I didn't miss it right?”

Hangman hands her some popcorn (that mysteriously appeared) and a drink. “No you are just on time.”

Suddenly you feel yourself getting thrown over someone’s shoulders. You are about to start screaming, thinking it was one of the college guys. You then recognize the backside you’re looking down at. “Oh hey!” You give it a squeeze.

Maverick and Rooster stopped running and ended up explaining dogfight football to the college guys when they spotted you being carried by Cyclone. They shake their heads.

“As I live and breathe… I never thought I’d see Cyclone running at the beach?“

“Was that supposed to happen?” Bob asks looking around. “Did we all see the same thing?”

Phoenix wraps an arm around Bob’s shoulders. “Cyclones loves Whiskey too much to actually be mad at them. Mav and Roos on the other hand,” she says grimacing.

See the full post

155 notes - Posted October 10, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[dustedmagazine]

Chris Liberato's 2022 favorites

Photo of Courtney Marie Andrews by Chris Liberato

2022 got off to an unusually slow start for me, as far as connecting with new music. Fortunato Durutti Marinetti’s Memory’s Fool, released in March, was both the first record that grabbed me and the one that I returned to most often. To give you an idea of what it sounds like, imagine if Robert Forster grew up listening to Bill Callahan/Smog, and made a record with Robert Wyatt producing, and you’ll be pretty close. Right up there at the top of my most-played pile, next to Fortunato, is Courtney Marie Andrews’ Loose Future, which didn’t come as much of a surprise to me given how hard I fell for her last one, the stunning Old Flowers. Although, getting the chance to see her and her band perform the Loose Future material live last fall (more on that below) definitely helped seal the deal.

A couple of records that did surprise me, in terms of how much time I ended up spending with them, were the latest Jeanines, Don’t Wait For A Sign: a pure comfort listen whenever I needed it this year, which was often. And Free Time’s Jangle Jargon, which barely made a blip in the indie world but seems like it would appeal to Destroyer fans — the way it evokes that project’s Thief and Streethawk eras — and definitely fans of Twerps, whom they uncannily resemble on standout track “That’s Rare,” and whose former frontman Marty Frawley guest stars on the album. It’s an addicting one. I also want to give a special nod to the Morteza Mahjubi compilation, Selected Improvisations From Golha, Pt. I, even if it might not fully qualify as a 2022 release (it was released digitally and on cassette in 2021, with the vinyl ultimately landing this year). I discovered it via a Steve Gunn tweet in November and it’s since become my go-to morning record — equal parts ghostly and jaunty, improvised piano pieces from 1950s/60s Iranian national radio broadcasts that are sure to get your bones rattling. 

I also saw more live music in 2022 than I have in years, both for obvious Covid-related reasons and because I decided I needed a break from school, and therefore had more time and energy than usual to make it happen. Of the shows I caught, my favorites were Quivers, who made it over from Australia in support of last year’s glorious Golden Doubt, and Courtney Marie Andrews, who played to an adoring, capacity crowd at Cambridge’s Middle East in early November. Something these two acts had in common was an obvious love of playing music with their respective bandmates, which translated into an infectious onstage energy, in both cases, that left me feeling a lot lighter at the end of the night. Picking a favorite single moment is easy: it was the absolutely devastating centerpiece of Andrews’ set, “Near You,” a song I wasn’t familiar with prior to the show but which left a raw, empty feeling in the pit of my stomach that I can still viscerally recall (you know, in a good way). In a very different way, catching Kraftwerk and their synchronized screen show at The Wang Theater ruled, too. As did seeing Berlin resident Ned Collette, not once but twice, after catching Collette fever last Spring when I picked up the reissue of his debut, Jokes & Trials, and subsequently deep diving into his back catalog. 

But that’s enough out of me. So, without further adieu, here are the records I enjoyed the most this year. If we reviewed the record here at Dusted, or I covered it in a different context elsewhere, I made sure to link to it. 

Courtney Marie Andrews — Loose Future (Fat Possum) 

Michael Beach — 2022 EP (Goner) 

Blue Ocean — s/t (Dandy Boy) 

Jackson Reid Briggs — Out Of Line EP (Self-released) 

Thomas Bush — Preludes (Mamma’s Mysterious Jukebox) 

Laura Cannell — Antiphony Of The Trees (Brawl) 

Sarah Mary Chadwick — Flipped It (Kill Rock Stars) 

Chronophage — s/t (PPM) 

Ned Collette — Jokes & Trials (Feeding Tube/Sophomore Lounge) REISSUE 

Loren Connors — Airs (Recital) REISSUE 

Exek — Advertise Here (Castle Face) 

Field School — When Summer Comes (Bobo Integral) 

Fortunato Durutti Marinetti — Memory’s Fool (Soft Abuse/Bobo Integral) 

Free Time — Jangle Jargon (Bedroom Suck) 

The Glass Picture — s/t (Chapter) 

​​Lande Hekt — Romantic / Octopussy (Emotional Response) 

Jeanines — Don’t Wait for a Sign (Slumberland)

 Jeanines — Latest Light / After All (Market Square) 

Alicia Jeanine — Demos (Self-released) 

Kitchen’s Floor — None Of That (Petty Bunco) 

Morteza Mahjubi — Selected Improvisations from Golha, Pt. I (Death Is Not The End) 

The Orchids — Dreaming Kind (Skep Wax) 

The Reds, Pinks and Purples — Summer at Land’s End (Slumberland) 

The Reds, Pinks and Purples — They Only Wanted Your Soul (Slumberland) 

The Stroppies — Levity (Tough Love) 

Ben Woods — Dispeller (Shrimper/Melted Ice Cream/Meritorio)

Chris Liberato

[imathers]

I posted 998 times in 2022

That's 6 more posts than 2021!

40 posts created (4%)

958 posts reblogged (96%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@40ism

@rubyvroom

@quoms

@khealywu

@laughterkey

I tagged 991 of my posts in 2022

Only 1% of my posts had no tags

#politics - 314 posts

#1000 words - 248 posts

#music - 196 posts

#personal - 161 posts

#context - 147 posts

#laugh rule - 139 posts

#40ism - 93 posts

#philosophy - 90 posts

#bodies - 85 posts

#+1 - 74 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#and in guelph sometimes this one restaurant would have a pastrami and ox tongue sandwich that might be my favourite sandwich i've ever had

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Yesterday, Alan Sparhawk of Low let people know that his wife and the other half of Low, Mimi Parker, passed away from ovarian cancer. I already shared some songs and wrote very briefly about it, but that’s all I’m doing today, too. Not much writing; I’m not sure how to sum up my favourite band or my feelings about them. I wrote about their last three records at Dusted (and that tag will also show you how prominent they were in my last couple of year roundups), but today, I’m just going to mostly post some of my favourite Mimi songs/performances. She will be missed, so much and by so many.

Someday this will all make sense.

12 notes - Posted November 7, 2022

#4

After all that, I made a post for our 10th anniversary earlier and forgot for a bit to put it here as well! Here’s all the pictures, and here’s what I said:

I had a bunch of crap here about my tough weekend. And here's the thing: none of that matters. In the 10 years to the day since we got married in NYC if we've learned anything about each other and ourselves it's that the formality of the specific anniversary day, the idea that this one in particular needs to be perfect, just doesn't matter to either of us and definitely not us together. Neither of us has unrealistic expectations of the other, and both of us care more about the love and respect and communication between us than if we do a fancy thing on a fancy date. It's been true ever since the day MORE than 10 years ago that I was sitting nervously on a plane down to Florida, going to meet for the first time this person that I already thought might be my girlfriend, or something more. Did I tell you guys that like a week or two into talking I told my mom is suspected that just maybe we'd get married some day? I had previously not cared whether or not I got married. And then we did meet, and within maybe an hour or two it was just... oh, there you are. That's what my life is now. No money, no idea how immigration worked, still getting to know each other, and still. And now for 10 years we've given each other the biggest, best thing we could: we get to live together every day and hold the things we need to hold together, even when it's tough, and deal with our idiot cat, and have so many bits of private vocabulary and injokes, and try to keep the apartment running, and spend hours talking about everything and anything with each other, and being quiet and together in the same room, and nap together, and have dumb fights that seem to always wind up with more love and understanding between us. 10 years of actual, imperfect wedded bliss that I wouldn't trade for anything. Thank you for everything you do and are and for being the most perfect partner I could have. And for taking these pictures.

(but not this picture, I took this one)

13 notes - Posted November 14, 2022

#3

I am being Punished for my Crimes

13 notes - Posted April 30, 2022

#2

It’s imagery of someone dying and someone being left behind to live. Eventually that second person dies, and ends up in the same place in the universe as the first person. It’s not a pessimistic song. It’s two people talking under the assumption that they’ll both live forever – I guess that’s what it is.

We were having kids for the first time around that time. I had a naive desire to ramp up my grappling with the universe. Trying to understand what’s worth saying, the permanence of what you do and say and the impermanence of life. I think that song is pretty simple – it’s two people talking to each other who are on the same team.

The Quietus, “The Strange World Of... Low”

17 notes - Posted November 7, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

So

The thing I’ve been sitting on for weeks now until I can talk about it finally officially happened yesterday. After more than 8 years at my current job, which started out very good (good enough that Anaïs got a job there too) and got very bad (bad enough that last November they laid off 10% of our department at the end of a very successful year for no good reason, including Anaïs), I wound up looking around and seeing a position that looked promising elsewhere, one looking for fairly specific and I’m guessing relatively rare experience I happen to have. 

And then I found out in my first interview for it that it’s also one with a much bigger salary than I would have guessed, big enough that Anaïs (who was already in school to become a relational psychotherapist, but it’ll be a few years before she’s set up with that) won’t have to look for another job until she’s done school and ready to start her practice. And after being offered the job and signing the employment agreement a few weeks ago and then sitting in limbo with the background check in progress, yesterday I was officially cleared and gave official notice at my soon-to-be-old job. Which I was dreading doing but actually went pretty well. 

Now I just have to finish up my last round of publications at my old job and move on to one that I’m very excited about. I am sure it will be a job with issues like any other, but I have reason to be cautiously optimistic that in addition to everything else it will be a lot less stressful than the last one eventually got. And my new boss even told me when we were figuring out the start date he’d rather have me take a week if I need (I do) and come into the new position more refreshed. 

The whole thing on the one hand has happened quite fast but on the other has felt like it’s been something I’ve been working on for years, and I still can’t quite believe that within days of me sending in my resume they wanted to interview me and within days of finishing interviews they offered me it and the whole time everyone involved acted like they wanted me there enough they kept acting kind of worried I’d get a better offer elsewhere (I might... have worth? believe me, I have been talking to my therapist about it). I’m very happy about it and last night was the first time in a while I fell asleep without worrying about one part of the process or another. Please clap. 

49 notes - Posted April 28, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[mrbutchdyke]

I posted 3,137 times in 2022

That's 1,507 more posts than 2021!

171 posts created (5%)

2,966 posts reblogged (95%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@ourflagmeanslgbtqia

@mhaccunoval

@weirdgirlcore

@eyeldritch

@caughtinnatrap

I tagged 1,991 of my posts in 2022

Only 37% of my posts had no tags

#ofmd - 965 posts

#our flag means death - 872 posts

#edward teach - 435 posts

#stede bonnet - 375 posts

#fanart - 299 posts

#blackbeard - 255 posts

#queue make stede happy - 206 posts

#ej talks - 107 posts

#ed teach - 76 posts

#blackstede - 71 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#hiiii charles (do u still go by yassen too??) i love ur writing and i love having u on my dash. glad our hyperfixations overlapped again :)

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

absolutely obsessed with the line "hey eddie, give us another song!" eddie. they called him eddie. they love him so much and they want him to hang out with them and sing a song with them and be their friend and they called him eddie. they have so much love for him that they gave him a nickname!!! that's what he wanted!!! that's all he wanted his whole life, and they were so so so willing to give it to him, so willing to be his friend and try to move on without stede, so willing to just enjoy being together for however long it lasted and still ed didn't even think he deserved it!! but they called him eddie!!!!

673 notes - Posted April 28, 2022

#4

I want Stede to go balls to the walls fucking crazy trying to woo Ed back. I want him to sweep Edward off his feet and recite poetry and gift him fancy clothes and books and little trinkets and flowers and sweets and special soap.

He wanted to marry for love, he's a romantic!!! Let him unleash that now that he knows what love is!! It's gonna make Stede soooo happy to show Ed how much he loves him and once Ed gets used to it he's gonna bask in it

1,186 notes - Posted March 27, 2022

#3

ofmd izzy hands is an extremely homophobic gay man. he's the masc4masc that is literally physically revolted by effeminate men. he's the personification of the "gay people I respect/don't respect" meme. he wrote "no fats no fems" on Pirate Grindr and means it. he thinks it's guys like lucius and black pete who make the rest of them look bad. he would love corporate pride parades

3,112 notes - Posted March 22, 2022

#2

The crew of the revenge cares about each other so so much. Calico Jack kills Karl and everyone freezes in their tracks. Their faces all fall. They're devastated for Buttons. One of them presumably runs to get Stede, unless he noticed the cease in activity and ran out to see for himself what happened. Stede sees Buttons holding Karl and banishes Jack from his ship immediately, no hesitation. Stede can be as uncomfortable as Jack wants to make him. The man pissed on his shoes and he still thought that it was worth it to have him around if it made Ed happy! But as soon as he sees what Jack has done to his crew he's done. Get off my ship he says! Now!

3,696 notes - Posted March 27, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

jim jimenez is the most character ever. they're so complex. they were raised by a vengeful nun. their favorite color is teal because that's the color of olu's earring. they kept lucius in a trunk for like two days. they threw a knife at some english guy because he was racist to frenchie and olu. they think stede is the worst pirate captain in history. they loved performing their disemboweling skit during the fuckery. they told stede that killing stays with you forever. they grabbed a corpse's face and threatened to kill it again. they're arguably the most competent crew member on the revenge. they confronted spanish jackie alone and without a plan c. they have a diary. they're nonbinary. they're catholic? they're gay. they're my best friend

11,640 notes - Posted April 18, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[rora-dolphinheart]

I posted 407 times in 2022

That's 407 more posts than 2021!

27 posts created (7%)

380 posts reblogged (93%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@therainbowvaquero

@dinosaurvalley

@everwindfields

@dorianwolfforest

@foggy-milk

I tagged 394 of my posts in 2022

Only 3% of my posts had no tags

#ssoblr - 342 posts

#sso - 341 posts

#star stable online - 73 posts

#galloper thompson - 71 posts

#gunnar thrymson - 53 posts

#sso oc - 47 posts

#sso spoilers - 17 posts

#sso sabine - 13 posts

#sso ydris - 11 posts

#gunnar thyrmson - 10 posts

Longest Tag: 133 characters

#itd be even better if mc gets wind of it and gunnar is like ‘not you too’ and then mc just proceeds to lay elaborate traps that throw

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

👀 Slowly but surely...

14 notes - Posted November 8, 2022

#4

Do we have any clue as to why Dark Core is waiting on the fifth general? Or what the fifth general is? I mean according to the books, the four Dark Riders are decidedly not human. But what if the fifth general is supposed to be Aideen reborn who gets corrupted?

I just remembered Mr. Sands mentions none of his offspring having the right “stuff” or something like that (i need to go find a recording of the quest). Like he was trying to make Justin the fifth general. Which would make sense because he’s the son of the last generation’s Aideen reborn. And sure Justin has wild whispering, but it isn’t as powerful as the fifth soul rider having all four circles (and possibly more as it seems like wild whispering is a circle??? There’s also that fire one in the Mistfall series???).

This comes up because I started wondering what if Gunnar wasn’t just supposed to be a Dark Rider, but was in fact the fifth general? And in keeping with the above theory, would mean he was Aideen reborn. But then the Vala get to him before the druids and ‘corrupt’ him. Because even though the druids say he’s unclean in Aideen’s light, Ydris mentions he’s never seen Aideen’s gift so strong as with Morrigan and Gunnar.

Also I just like the idea of guys being Aideen reborn instead of it always being a cis girl. Like, let Gunnar in the sisterhood, man 😂

19 notes - Posted September 27, 2022

#3

Working on a little something… 👀

This is gonna be the last part of the song. The first part is going to be like a historical song that probably would’ve been sung to Jorvik natives around halloween warning them of the legend and praising Jon Jarl as a leader and founder of the island. This last bit is supposed to be MC adding on to the tale about the truth they discover with Linda. ———————————————

The moon and the light rider followed him where

The mare’s heavy hoofbeats urged them to beware

They came to the island, they witnessed the flame

Where the mare she did perish to be born again

To the townsquare he did go, all shackled and shamed

With calm and a silence, he approached to be maimed

As the axe fell, so voices till the screaming began

And the mare born of fire he rode once again

Beware, the Jarl’s men, let history know

Was I not the one who told you so?

Don’t touch the runes stones, let magic lie

Now one of us is cursed not to die. 

No victory did he find, no respect for his rank

Alone but for one soul, his eternal heartache

His betrayal a curse the Jarl brought on himself

Beware the island, she fights for herself

26 notes - Posted October 27, 2022

#2

!??!??!?

!??!?!?!?!?!?? BUT ITS USED AS A TITLE IN LIKE 1218???

54 notes - Posted September 24, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Spoilers for the new SSO comic

Casually realizing that this scene:

Is this scene from Morrigan's perspective:

See the full post

57 notes - Posted November 7, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[thelensofyashunews]

Babyface Ray-Signee Samuel Shabazz Shares Lovestruck “For You,” Announces Upcoming Album

Recently signed to Babyface Ray’s Wavy Gang label, Samuel Shabazz has been steadily building his rap career for over a decade. Now with the support of one of the most respected acts in his home city of Detroit behind him, he announces his upcoming album, PLANE BOY, coming June 21st via Wavy Gang/EMPIRE. With the announcement comes the lovestruck new single and video “FOR YOU”

The upcoming album finds Sam embracing his Detroit roots and tapping into his city's signature sound. The project’s title takes inspiration from the vintage aesthetic of the iconic Playboy “Big Bunny” plane. Sam has also referenced aviation previously in his work, including his clothing line “DOP✈️R Clothing," known for the slogans, “We Up Forev✈️R” and "Fly Beyond The Hype."

Along with the album announcement, Sam shares the project’s first single “FOR YOU.” The song finds the Detroit rapper feeling infatuated, admiring his girl’s beauty and the mesmerizing effect she has on him. Over steady drums and buzzy synths, he croons, “For you, I search high and low / It should be a crime for you to be this fine / I’m runnin’ out of lines to tell you every time / This might be fate, I can’t ignore signs.” In the video, Sam plays a private investigator who is hired by a client who suspects his wife of cheating. In a turn of events, Sam ends up falling for the subject of his investigation, much to his client's demise.

PLANE BOY will be Samuel Shabazz’s latest step in journey to the top of Detroit’s rap game. Growing up in Detroit’s Westside, he was introduced to music by his father, Uncle Sam, an R&B artist signed to Boyz II Men’s label during the 1990s. Starting to rap, write, and produce amidst a restlessly creative childhood, filled with trips to the studio with his dad, he later began recording during stints in Atlanta and California, while earning a Bachelor's degree in Recording Arts. In 2014, while returning to Deroit, Samuel met Babyface Ray through a mutual friend.

The two artists bonded as brothers and began collaborating on music. Their chemistry is evident in Product Of My Environment, their 2019 collab album, which includes the hit track "Hall Of Fame” ft. Veeze (9M YT views). The track pushed Samuel onto new radars and made him a sought-out Detroit collaborator. He began to break beyond the city with 2021's From Me To You and 2022's Not A Fan. Last year, he released the introspective I Changed My Mind, which marks a shift in direction and Samuel's reframed attitude about his career. The project earned Samuel’s most buzz yet in Detroit, and includes Samuel’s most streamed song to date “Dotted Line” ft. Veeze (1.5M YT views).

Now with PLANE BOY on the way, the Detroit hero is ready to soar to new heights.

[pinkiepie29]

So according to Billboard’s charts and like how long in weeks it spent at no. 1, the top US charting song at the time at their deaths would have been:

Vaggie (2014): Happy - Pharrell Williams

Cherri (1980s): Physical - Olivia Newton John

Husk (1970s): You Light Up My Life - Debby Boone

Vox & Niffty (1950s): Don’t Be Cruel - Elvis Presley

Angel (1947): Near You - Francis Craig

Alastor (1933): Night And Day - Fred Astaire

Sir Pentious (1888): (Probably) Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite No.1 Op. 46 OR Erik Satie - Gymnopedie No. 1

Things I should point out

These tracks are from US topping charts so things may be different

With many characters, I may not be 100% sure where they died, but if it was in the places I have been told they’re from then, in their respective years:

Vaggie (El Salvador): Bailando - Enrique Iglesias

Cherri (Australia): Locomotion - Kylie Minogue

Husk has Russian heritage but confirmed to die in America, but for the Russian but, for this purpose let’s just say it could be Rasputin - Boney M which did come out in the 1970s coincidentally

Vox and Niffty are shrouded in mystery to their deaths and heritage, Vox hasn’t got much and Niffty has a ton of different leads but that I’m aware of, both possibly American

For Angel, a similar scenario with Husk, I should point out one song that came close to no 1. (Like literally no. 2) was a cover of Heartaches, yea, that funny depressing meme one, that one

Alastor was from America so he’s good to go

The last one was tricky but I read on some classical pieces that stood the test of time that came out in 1888 and went with those as the most popular pieces

Unmentioned characters I have now just edited in are as follows along with their death dates:

Baxter (1900s): Take Me Out To The Ball Game - Haydn Quartet

Tom Trench & Mimzy (1910s): Alexander’s Ragtime Band - Arthur Collins

Katie Killjoy (1992): End Of The Road - Boyz II Men

Here is a list of the songs I mentioned in order of when they died going back chronologically

Order of year of death

死んだ順番🗒

[slowtravelingcat]

The Best Christmas Ever, a special musical edition

Monday, December 27th, 2021

CAL - I can’t believe it’s that time of year again. It seems like only yesterday that the large, bald one and I were snuggled up in our tiny house in Austin. We were just at the beginning of our journey and had no idea what lay ahead. At the time I could have never imagined that this year we’d spend the holiday season in an extra-large condo overlooking the great town of Oakland, California. 

It was early Christmas morning and I was making my normal rounds before waking Michele. I was surveying the laundry room when I stumbled upon something so completely unexpected that I could hardly believe my eyes. I knew that it was Christmas morning, but this very special gift was beyond what I could have possibly imagined. 

There, laying on top of the washing machine, was my very own, pure cotton pillowcase. Its delicately hemmed edges called out to my soul. My stomach began to growl as I imagined chewing on the light yet deliciously dense cotton fabric. It has been so long since I’ve had access to cotton for chewing, I was beginning to think that Michele had forgotten about my favorite delicacy. 

Out of deep respect for this very meaningful gift, I took my time smelling the beautiful piece of fabric. Next, I rubbed my head all over it. I wanted to saturate the linen with my scent so that we become one. Finally, I allowed myself to take a few nibbles from the side and felt overwhelmed with satisfaction. It’s been so long since I’ve had linens for breakfast!

In a Herculean effort of restraint, I pulled myself away from the Best-Christmas-Gift-Ever to complete my morning rounds. This is when I saw it! Gift number 2. Oh, I must have been a very good cat this year, indeed!

Located next to the bathroom sink, I slowly approached the present. It was a pile of elastic hair bands. I had not seen this many hair bands in one place since last winter when I binged on them until I became sick. I knew this special gift carried great responsibility and I carefully picked out 4 to start with. I swatted them onto the floor, for easier access, and saved the rest for later.

After a magical morning filled with pillowcase nibbles and snacking on fresh hair bands, I was in a state of complete and utter bliss. I had almost forgotten about my present for the large, bald one when I heard her stirring in the bedroom. I quickly bolted in and began to summon the longest, most dramatic cat puke I could muster. It’s important to show Michele how much I appreciate her gifts.

Cal’s Song (in the style of Rub it in, Rub it in by Billy “Crash” Craddock), Written and performed by Cal’s Grandfather, Dennis Wilson

[jjmottt]

TUKLAS

Last September 6th Tuklas was held at Luis Capito Cultural Stage

Congresswoman has been supporting Tuklas for 16 years, and she is delighted. The city of Borongan will always have Maria Fe Romerica Abunda as its patroness. She enjoys seeing how pleased we all are. We undoubtedly make our stomachs laugh with Pooh The Comedian, K Brozas, and Ethel Booba because She brings three of the top comedians in the entire Philippines, making it the most vibrant, lively, and full of laughter night ever. for our mothers, uncles, and aunts as well as our fathers. You can sing "My love will see you through" continually, "I'll face tomorrow," and many other well-known songs with your grandfather and grandmother. Marco Sison is the author of these songs. Elmo Magalona, a leading man, will perform also and of course Ms. Yeng Constantino is also their that night she performed some of her best songs like jeepney.

#tuklas #bestnight

PADUL-ONG FESTIVAL

Last September 8th Borongan Eastern Samar Celebrated the Feast of the Nativity of Mary.

Padul-ong Festival comes from the word padul-ong, which in the Waray language means deliver or transport. As a fiesta, it recalls the miraculous journey of how Nuestra Señora dela Natividad (Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary) became the patroness of Borongan during the Spanish rule.

Padul-ong Festival is a religious festival in Borongan City in the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines held every September 8th. A weeks-long festival, it is conducted in honor of Nuestra Señora dela Natividad, the patroness of the city. It also coincides with Borongan City Native Pig Lechon Festival.

According to the tale, a woman with a box as luggage was given accommodation in a Portuguese ship heading towards the Philippine archipelago. Sadly, she died in the sea voyage. When the ship arrived in the Philippines, it docked in Punta Maria of the island of Samar. The box that the woman brought was opened and revealed the image of the Blessed Virgin, which was installed in Punta Maria.

Padul-ong Festival schedule of activities generally begin towards the end of August. In the 29th of August, kick-off activities occur as well as it is the start of the nine-day novena prayers. The highlight of the Padul-ong Festival is the reenactment or dramatization of bringing the image from Punta Maria to Borongan Cathedral through a procession. It takes place on September 7. It starts early in the morning where religious rites are performed in the chapel of Punta Maria. In most years with good weather, the image is moved to Borongan Cathedral through a fluvial procession in Rawis Bay. The image is installed in a special ornamented vessel called andas or pagoda and accompanied by boats of the lay faithful and organizations. When the day has inclement weather however such as in 2021, the image is transferred through a street procession in a vehicle motorcade. A reenactment soon follows in the plaza that depicts how the patroness arrived from Portugal to the Philippines. And in September 8, the next day, is the fiesta celebration. It is marked with observance of religious activities such as mass and solemn procession in Borongan Cathedral. Secular activities of Padul-ong Festival are participated by various institutions, individuals, and organizations of the city. They include civic military parade, street-dancing, talent competitions, sporting events, music fest, etc.(https://www.festivalscape.com)

#fiesta #padul-ong

QUINTUPLE MEET

Five campuses of Eastern Samar State University will come together for a 3-day sporting event at the Quintuple Meet 2023 after a long break that delayed the sports unity of the institution's community. There were various athletes competing for championships in their respective sports from various university campuses which is held at Eastern Samar state university's main campus at Borongan city.

#sports #essu

[lifeilin]

Hey all! My name is Anabelle and I made an album titled "Feet on the ground", which I'll release in February.

I don't want to make this post TOO long even though quite frankly, the story behind putting these ten songs together is an extremely long one. I will share more about it when those who want to hear them, get to. For now, I'm excited to say that I worked with very talented Cameroonian and American musicians to bring this little story to life in music form and I'm endlessly thankful for every single one of them. Again, more about them later!

I've been sitting with the mastered files of this record since September 2021, thinking of the millions of ways to release it, not having much of a clue about the "right" time to do it. The truth is, there's no "right time" to make art, and there's certainly no "right time" to share it. There are standards and there's History, precedents that need to be respected, but there's no "right way" to make or share art either. I'm just grateful for art. It saved my life.

Sooo, to make my pulp cover idea for this pulp music (HA! 🤣) a reality, the amazing @kimberleyclaudia (no really, she absolutely is amazing), conceptualized the album's artwork from top to bottom, down to the colors and the textures. She also shot and edited it in November 2021, assisted by @davybell. Hair and makeup by yours truly and @estherrosaline. Last but not least, the super fun @vijith.illustrations took care of the graphic design early last year.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this, and be on the lookout for album content in the upcoming weeks!

Love, always.

Anabelle. Check out my Instagram page @_thebelle_