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[mycryptosuite]

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[samkerrworshipper]

Medication - Leah Williamson

fluff, little bit of angst, anxiety attacks, mentions of depression, 3500 words

balled my eyes out to black fridays by tom odell and then this was birthed.

blurb:

your a rookie on the lionesses squad, who suffers from anxiety and when you stop taking your meds after learning you are starting a game in the euros everything goes downhill for you.

i am so sorry for how vague this was lol i’m writing this and publishing at 2:30 in the morning

I’d never liked gamedays. Everything felt different, all the feelings and emotions heightened. The pressure was insurmountable, especially when you are playing for your nation. Especially when you are one of the youngest, one of the least experienced, one of the youngsters. Today, we were playing Norway, my first game as a Lioness where I was a part of the starting line-up. It was a must win game, the stakes were high for us to win these Euro’s, especially considering it was a home euro’s for us. If we wanted to progress to the finals we couldn’t lose, the pressure was on.

I’d understood that as soon as I’d been notified that I was to start the match, understood that everything changed as soon as you were actually on the pitch. Our one point win over Austria had been great, but we were all hungrier for more, hungrier for the points that we needed to get us ahead in the competition. Sarina knew that there was an expectation for us to win, we all knew that.

I’d been feeling it all week, feeling the anxiety thrumming through my veins as we practised and went about our normal routine for the week. Something was different, it was my first year as a senior Lioness and I’d never been named as a starter. That was a big deal, a really big deal. That was all I could think about. What if I fucked it up? What if I messed up and they told me that I wasn’t going to be welcome back. What if Sarina saw me on the pitch and thought that I was worthless, useless, bad. That was all I could think about as we were standing in the tunnel getting ready to walk out. I was sandwiched in between Lucy and Beth. My hands shaking in my pockets and my breath quickening subconsciously. If I wasn’t aware of it then apparently the defender behind me was, because just as we were about to walk out I felt one of her hands fall to my shoulder, pulling me back into her just enough for her to be able to press her mouth to my ear and whisper,

“You’ve got this amore, you’re going to do perfectly fine,” Lucy’s voice was so strong, but so comforting. She was like an older sister to me, and had been since my first day at training camp. She had been the first person to believe in me besides my Arsenal teammates, the first person to really advocate for my future. She was also the first person on the Lionesses team besides Leah to learn about my struggles with anxiety, adhd and depression. She’d been a light in my life, texted me to make sure I was keeping up with my medication, or just to check in.

In the wake of the Euro’s I’d stopped taking my anxiety meds. I took Lorazepam, which worked really well for me, but it also tended to make me really drowsy and fatigued. Things that are not ideal when you are training and playing almost everyday for your country. It had positive effects, I definitely found it a lot easier to train and play my hardest, but there were a lot of negatives. Like how I was feeling right now. Like my heart was going to beat out of my chest, my hands getting clammy with sweat and shaking non stop like I’d just shot up on steroids. The sound of the crowd at Brighton didn’t help either as we walked out onto the pitch. I struggled to get through the national anthem and the pre game pleasantries, my chest and body hurting from the anxiety that was building up inside of my body.

I was grateful but also not to step out on the pitch properly. It felt like I was on a different planet, my senses overly heightened and my brain short circuiting almost everything.

I could feel Leah’s gaze on me as we all lined up to start the game, she worried about me, a lot. I was also her Arsenal teammate and she’d taken me under her wing beyond football, we’d become very close in our time spent together. I ignored her sidewards glances though, tasking myself with showing our nation that I deserved to be where I was and some jitters weren’t going to affect that.

My first half was rocky, normally with the mixture of adrenaline and endorphins my anxiety subsided when I started playing but this time I must have been too far gone, too much pent up anxiety built up for it to just fade away. It reflected in how I was playing, but our forwards had been flawless, slotting in six goals which put us in a lead that was pretty much untouchable. Clambering into the rooms at halftime was a charade. Everyone besides myself seemed ecstatic and hyped about our lead, I was on the inside but I was also wrapped up in my own bubble. I took a seat on the floor of the change rooms, taking in Serena’s speech about keeping our heads and just continuing what we were doing. I allowed Lucy to pass me a drink bottle, obliging her request for me to hydrate myself. She could tell something was up, she’d been hovering around me on the pitch, covering me. When one of the Norwegian girls had taken my feet out from under me she had immediately been at my side, pulling me up and then yelling at the umpire about how it had clearly been a foul if not a yellow. Leah had to pull her away just to ensure Lucy wouldn’t get carded herself, all whilst I stood there absolutely helpless as result of the amount of effort I was having to put into not collapsing from the amount of pain in my chest.

Leah kept it pretty brief after Serena, sticking to what she’d said and putting an emphasis on a few things before we headed back out. She managed to snag a grip on my jersey though as I trailed with the girls at the back of the group.

“Are you okay?” There was a little bit of captain in it, but it was mostly gentle, her voice a little bit rugged from the amount of yelling she’d done on the field.

“I’m fine.” Her facial expression was enough to tell me she didn’t believe a word I was saying.

“I’m telling Serena to sub you off, you clearly don’t look well enough to be playing.”

“I told you I feel fine Cap, I can play out the rest of the 90, please let me play it out.”

Leah looked conflicted, conflicted with what to do and how to react to my plea. I wasn’t one who begged very often, I didn’t see the point in it.

“Fine but y/n, as soon as anything happens out there, you put yourself in danger or someone else in danger you are going off, understood?”

I didn’t have any other option but to nod at Leah.

“Yes, captain.”

My voice had held some sarcasm as I tore her hand from the bottom of my jersey and started jogging back up the tunnel to catch up with girls that I’d previously been chatting to.

The last ten minutes of the second half was when bad transitioned to really not good. My body began to catch up with my over exertion and every second on the field became a battle. It was a blessing that the ball wasn’t really travelling down my end, Less and Toony had both been substituted in and were having a field day in our forward half kicking it back and forth to run the clock down. The Norwegian girls were giving it their best but you could tell they knew it was over. As the minutes passed though and we went into extra time I could feel my body really starting to get heavier, you could blame it on the lack of hydration and the english heat that we were playing in but I knew it was my body betraying me. I’d been denying my body for too long and it was catching up with me. I didn’t even know how many minutes of extra time we had, my vision was slowly blurring, my steps becoming wobbly and the pain in my chest becoming overbearing.

I could hear my opponent, I think it was Maren, or was it Guro? Asking me if I felt alright. I didn’t really comprehend it though, I couldn’t hear anything properly, it felt like I was underwater, my ears ringing out and my vision blacking over as I fell face first into the turf. Maren managed to catch me before I fully face planted into the grass, helping my limp form down to the ground before starting to yell out for help. It was then of course that the whistles blew and the match ended. I could make out the sounds of the crowd going nuts, maybe even my teammates on the sidelines yelling in triumph. I couldn’t open my eyes though and I definitely couldn’t make out the voice of Maren on the ground beside me trying to ask me questions and attract the attention of a medic. It was all mellowed out as my body succumbed to a coma like state that I’d forced myself into.

Leah and Lucy were the first two from my own team to locate me, passed out on the ground with Maren trying to provide as much privacy for me as possible whilst also pressing her hand to my throat to make sure that there wasn’t anything seriously wrong. It was Maren, Guro had been subbed off at the 84’ minute mark. I remembered that because I’d silently been wishing at the time that Serena would do the same, but she’d made her final changes and taking me off apparently hadn't been one of them.

“Y/n, can you open your eyes for me? Or squeeze my hand?”

I could feel Leah’s own hand fall into mine and I squeezed it as best as I could, it was enough for me to tell her that I was conscious enough to make out what she was saying to me.

“Good y/n/n, the medics are about to be here, can you try and open your eyes and talk for me?”

I tried my hardest to crack my eyes open, when I did finally muster up the will to open one of them I was met with the brightness of the stadium lights. I groaned almost immediately, being forced to take in my surroundings. I was surrounded by our trainers, who were draping different towels over my body in an attempt to cool me down and cover me. My cleats had been removed from my feet and someone was soaking my socks in cold water, something that I was not pleased to be awakened by.

“Good sweetheart, stay focused on me yeah, eyes on me.”

My eyes snapped back up to Leah, who was crouched above my head, Serena and Lucy’s heads were beside her own, staring down at me.

“The medics are going to come look at you and you are going to let them, okay?”

I almost immediately shook my head at Leah but she kept her jaw clenched and her stern face up.

“I’m not asking y/n, you just passed out on the field, you need to be assessed.”

I shook my head again and Leah rolled her eyes at me.

“An-n-xiety.”

I could hardly make out my own words in the stadium full of noise and the words themselves made me realise how much I was struggling to regulate my own breaths.

Leah nodded knowingly, suddenly everything seemed to come into perspective for her.

“You stopped taking your medication, didn’t you?”

I gulped and nodded at her, trying to block out all of the distractions that were happening around me. She looked annoyed at me, I cowered a little bit with the glare that she was giving me. After the last time I went on a sabbatical from my medication I swore to Leah I would never do it again.

As the medics crouched down next to me I shut my eyes again, it all becoming too much for my head. I let the medics fuss over me, I blacked out somewhere in between them putting me on a stretcher and getting me off the pitch.

I reawakened with sweat dripping down my body, all of the oxygen depleting from my body and my chest aching like it never had before. I choked a little bit as I sat up from my spot, gasping for air to enter my lungs. It took me a few seconds to recognise where I was, sitting inside the makeshift medical room at Brighton. My head was pounding and my whole body was aching.

“Y/n, look at me, you're having an anxiety attack, deep breaths.”

“Wh-what.” The words came out in a gasp as I struggled to take in any air, looking at Leah for guidance.

“We’re at Brighton, we just played Norway, you had an anxiety episode on the pitch. You’re having an attack right now, I need you to take deep breaths, follow me, in and out.”

I watched Leah as she exaggerated some deep breaths, if it hadn't been for the circumstance I probably would have laughed at her.

As I slowly started to take in more air she tried a different tactic.

“Good y/n/n, your doing so well my good girl. Can you tell me five things you can see?”

It was deflection, something that Leah had picked up on from her therapist.

“Serena, you, the light, Lucy and a drink bottle.”

Leah nodded at me encouragingly, rubbing slowly up my back as she continued.

“Good, you’re doing so well, how about four things you can feel?”

“Your breath, the scratchy blanket, my wet socks and I don’t know.”

My words were still choken as I used up whatever oxygen I was taking in to get the words out.

“That’s okay, that’s good, you are doing so well for me angel, how about three things you can hear?”

I tried to focus fully on Leah, on her words, her rubbing my back, her breath against my neck.

“Serena tapping her shoe, the heart monitor and the music from the changeroom.”

It was faint but if you focused in enough you could just hear the sound of my teammates in the change rooms, getting up to god knows that with the absence of their captain and manager.

“Perfect, you are doing absolutely perfectly. How about two things you can smell?”

“Antiseptic and your perfume.”

“Good, last one, one thing you can taste.”

I could feel my breath and body evening itself out, it felt like I was a piece of linen that was slowly but surely being ironed out, all of the crinkles and creases leaving my body.

“I don’t know.”

“Last one y/n, I know you can do it.”

“Metal, the iron taste from blood.”

Leah nodded at me, plastering a kiss on my forehead. Her words and actions being enough to bring me back down to earth fully. I very slowly took in my surroundings properly, Serena, Lucy and Keira were all sitting at the end of my bed, watching as Leah did her thing. I was hooked up to a few different things, cords and wires poking out of my extremities. A saline drip, heart monitor and another machine that I wasn’t sure the purpose of.

“Hey my girl, you back here with us now?”

I pushed my head into Leah’s chest, trying to hide from the world that I was now a participating member of.

“No hiding, not here,”

I groaned as Leah pushed me out of her chest, annoyed by the loss of contact and the confrontation of having to be put in front of some of the people I respected most.

“You gave us a fright back there, I think you came close to killing Maren.”

I gulped nervously, hanging onto every word that left Serena’s mouth, just bobbing my head in agreement because what else was I supposed to do.

“M’ sorry, didn’t mean to, just wanted to prove that I deserved to be here.”

Serena’s face held a kind of understanding, like she’d seen girls before me who had been the same, willing to die to prove their worth to the dutchwoman who we all regarded so highly.

“You wouldn’t be here in the first place if you didn’t deserve to be. It’s one thing to push yourself but to the point where you black out on the field is another thing. If it ever happens again y/n y/l/n then I can swear to you now that you will be benched, am I understood.” I nodded meekly at Serena,

“Yes ma’am.”

She nodded at me, she’d gotten her point across.

“Leah tells me this happened as a result of you not taking your medication?”

I pushed my head back into Leah’s chest, grunting at her when she pushed me out of it. I couldn’t do much else but nod at Serena.

“I get side effects ma’am, it makes me drowsy and sleepy, I didn’t want it to affect my game.”

Serena was very quick to fire back at me,

“You take medication to ensure that you feel well, there is no shame in that. If you are having a problem with side effects then you are to bring it up with one of our doctors, not boycott your medication entirely. From now on I am going to be responsible for your medication, you will come to me everyday to take it so I can ensure that you are receiving the correct doses so something like this does not occur again, is that understood?”

I gulped and nodded at Serena. She smiled at me knowingly in return.

“You are an elite athlete y/n, it is imperative that you care for your body. Or something like this happens, something with such magnitude that it can’t be overlooked. Your health and wellbeing comes first, always.”

I nodded at Serena once again, allowing her to give me a hug before leaving the room to give us some privacy. As soon as the door closed behind her I shed a few tears, I hated confrontation, it was one of my biggest fears.

“She’s right y’know, this could have been a lot worse, what if you’d put yourself in a really dangerous position because you were in a bad headspace and ended up seriously injured, you can’t just stop taking your medication randomly y/n, it’s not safe.”

Leah’s voice was murmured against my forehead, her lips staying plastered to the oily and cold skin.

“No one else on the team relies on medication to function, I thought I would be fine, I feel so stupid always being the one having to rely on shit to get through the day.”

I could feel Leah rolling her eyes from above me.

“No one else on the team struggles with intense anxiety and depression like you do, we are all different, we all function differently. There is no shame in needing medication y/n/n, Lucy uses an asthma puffer, does that make her stupid?”

I looked over at Lucy, it was different.

“No but it’s different.”

“How?”

Leah’s answer was fired back at me and I struggled slightly to recover from her sudden reply,

“Lucy has a physical problem, mine’s just in my head.”

“What you went through today seemed pretty physical to me.”

I was stumped by that answer, looking across at Kiera and Lucy who nodded along with what Leah was saying.

“You struggle with your mental health, there is no shame in that. You rely on medication. So what? Good for you for listening to your body and acknowledging that you need that to help you make it through the day. Y/n, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using medication to help you. If I felt sick, with the flu, and I needed antibiotics or whatever, would you think that I was weak for using them?”

I shook my head at Leah almost immediately, the question was a no brainer for me,

“Exactly, because I’d be taking the medication needed to keep me well and functioning. All you are doing is the same thing y/n, keeping yourself alive and well.”

[heycarrots]

Black Sails Nation!!! We’re back!

And we’re back in a BIG way! The Truth About Eros by @aisalynn is a 4 plus hour episode featuring 2 hours of her stunning story, and another deep dive discussion where we talk about everything from Plato, to how much we both adore Madi, our mutual love of Anne Rice, why Silver and Flint are so perfectly yin and yang and how Silver absolutely cannot look at himself with any amount of introspection.

The Truth about Eros is a SilverFlint soulmate AU that I’d been begging to record since my days in Japan. @aisalynn has constructed a stunning epic tale of fate, longing, loss, and redemption. This story spans Silver’s entire history, from his pre-canon childhood, all the way through a post-canon reunion with Flint. It’s stunning in both its scope and its visceral prose and I’m sure, like me, you’ll be absolutely spellbound by it.

Last year, Reading Between the Lines premiered on Good Friday with A Vulgar Holy Thing by @lupismaris so it’s only fitting that, in closing out our first year, we once again launch episode 12 on Good Friday.

Once again, these episodes would not be the same without the gorgeous cover art and this month is no exception. Once again, Kelsey, aka @magicbubblepipe has absolutely blown our minds with their stunning work! Inspired by a sculpture by Antonio Canova, this piece features Flint as Eros and Silver as Psyche. Can I just point out how difficult the angle of Silver’s face is? Holy moly, what a talent!

A LOT of work went into this episode, and if you listen, please let us know!

Links below.

[fans4wga]

'Hollywood Is on Strike Against High-Tech Exploitation' - by Alex N. Press

"LOS ANGELES — Before she appeared on HBO’s White House Plumbers and Fox’s New Girl, Stevie Nelson hosted a television show on Nickelodeon. On Crashletes, she and her cohosts, along with an audience of kids, reacted to viral videos of people failing at sports. The production ran for three seasons, wrapping at the end of 2020 with a total of sixty episodes.

Nelson worries that soon, a studio could use that body of work to train artificial intelligence (AI) to create a likeness of her to be used in perpetuity: a digital Stevie Nelson, doing things that she has never done, saying things that she has never said, yet indistinguishable from the real Stevie Nelson, based on her past on-screen work.

“There’s enough footage of me that they could technically have me host other shows for the rest of my life without ever having done it, and I’m sure I would not be fairly compensated for it,” said Nelson. “The idea of not a real person hosting shows is scary. The magic of acting, and of hosting, is its impromptu nature. I can’t imagine how soulless it all would be to replace it with AI.”

Nelson and I were speaking on Monday, July 17, a few feet from the picket line outside of Netflix’s corporate office in Los Angeles. She’s a member of the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), one of 160,000 such members who were then on their second day of a nationwide strike. In walking out, the performers joined roughly 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), who have been on strike since May 2. The last such double strike was in 1960, when Ronald Reagan was SAG’s president.

Unlike less accessible studios in the Los Angeles area — the standout being NBC Universal, which currently lacks pedestrian walkways and shade thanks to studio machinations — Netflix is in the heart of Hollywood. On Monday, morale was high: hundreds of union members picketed while music that sampled news coverage of the strike blasted from stereos and union staff supplied workers with beverages, snacks, and sunscreen as the temperatures soared above 90 degrees.

Nelson’s fears that an avatar of herself will host television shows indefinitely in a digital purgatory might sound far-fetched, an idea more fit for a Black Mirror script than the real world, but such a possibility is central to what is now the largest strike in the United States. In negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for a new three-year TV/theatrical contract, SAG-AFTRA is seeking to regulate the use of AI to protect performers like her.

Writers want to regulate the usage of AI in their own negotiations with the studios, but the technology poses an even more immediate threat to performers. SAG-AFTRA proposed provisions that would require the studios to get informed consent from a performer before using her likeness and fairly compensate her for that use. They also offered proposals concerning the use of generative AI for training purposes.

The AMPTP didn’t agree. While the organization called its AI counterproposal “unprecedented,” SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland characterized the studios’ offer as unacceptable.

“In this ‘groundbreaking’ AI proposal that they gave us yesterday, they proposed that our background performers should be able to be scanned, get one day’s pay, and their companies should own that scan, their image, their likeness, and should be able to use it for the rest of eternity on any project they want, with no consent and no compensation,” said Crabtree-Ireland at a press conference on Friday, July 15, announcing that the union’s board of directors had voted unanimously to call a strike. “If you think that’s a groundbreaking proposal, I suggest you think again.”

“The companies have responded to a number of the proposals we put on the table, but the problem is that the devil is in the details,” explained Crabtree-Ireland on The Town, a podcast about the entertainment industry. “We had reached some agreement on there being a requirement for consent but from our point of view, it has to be informed consent. Consent is not a boilerplate provision at the time you’re first hired on a project that says, ‘The company can create a digital replica of you and use it for whatever purpose they want, forever.’”

[continue reading]

[headingalaxys-spicy]

I have arisen from my deep slumber 😌

Could I request a part 2 for the Yandere Bully America ask? I like these kind of dynamics, which I also have discovered in another tumblr blog a few months ago, where America is being a total douche to the new country. I think their name was llamacup or something like that.

Anyway, have a nice day or night, thank you~

🥹😘

Hello there it’s 2023 and I’m filled with DETERMINATION ahahaha.

I want to answer all my story posts this year! 🌟

Tw: Death-of minor characters and torture.

✨⭐️Happy First Friday of the year⭐️✨

“You’ll never see the light of day again,” was a promise that hasn’t been broken.

Darkness became your new muse for crafting your mindset in captivity. Fear was on the loudspeaker having your mind teeter on the edge. When would you hear the dreaded clicks of his oxford loafers on the marble floor? Anxiety permeated your nervous system causing you to tremble like a neverending earthquake. How did things get this bad? Why, you? Why did it have to be you?

You felt hollow and sullen like a decaying tree succumbing to an infestation of black turpentine beetles. This is already after America stormed into your life like a hurricane and damaged you and your nation permanently with his supreme act of violence against you and Britain at the world meeting.

However while you may have been in captivity your love was not.

“Mr. Kirkland, how would you like us to give you some added assistance? We don’t have our duties at the palace today.” Some of his loyal long-time palace guards wanted to join in on Operation: Silent Alarm.

The messy golden haired blonde ceased his hurried pace towards the black Audi A1 car headed to the airport.

“It’s quite alright, gentlemen. I already have some of my best men with a solid plan to rescue Y/N.”

“Oh come on lad. You know that brute will definitely try to kill ye again. We can be a great backup after all we are trained and well equipped with weapons.”

Arthur couldn’t help but allow a small smile to form on his normally grumpy face. He loved how dedicated some of his people were to him and his royals. He still had to be as discreet as possible in order to get under that crafty American’s nose. It took him a few months in order to finally locate (Country Name). The bastard had her imprisoned in the New Hampshire wilderness underground in an elaborate labyrinth Alfred created back in the 60’s. He also had his pesky guards and security system to break through. Thankfully MI6 was more than ready to deal with this.

He again turned their offer down but requested that they be ready for him and his return with you. He would not be leaving without you. They relented and allowed him to leave so that the mission could begin. Arthur pressed the small button on his discreet earpiece.

“Testing operatives lavender and thyme do you read me? Have the both of you successfully landed in D.C. to carry on negotiations?”

A few moments drifted by while the diver started the car while Artheur continued to make sure all the pieces were in place for his rescue operation.

He waited tensely as he waited for a reply.

“Yes, operative Bluebell. We’ll let you know if we’ve located the Burger Man.”

“Copy that. Tally ho. To save y/n here we go.” Like a soldier getting ready to lead the charge on horseback Arthur sprints to his private jet that would take him just outside of Pittsberg, NH.

*******

After laying down in your own tears and mucus for what felt like a few minutes you lift your head up to look at the somewhat barren room you were confined to. It had the basics of what America thought you’d like to keep you entertained while you’re in captivity. A TV that had basic cable, Youtube, and Netflix. A plain (favorite color) journal, a stack of comic books and manga, art supplies, and a few old books that he clearly pulled from his attic in an attempt to try to find more things to entertain you since he plans on living the rest of your existence out in that tiny room.

You were beginning to go Stir-crazy from being confined for so long. Your only comfort was a man that you considered to be a monster that was crafted from a Stephen King novel. Your life became to that of a drawn out horror movie except the only difference is that the monster had taken a liking to you and fucked your brains out on numerous occasions.

“Damn it.” You spat in frustration. You growl under your breath, you wish the mental anguish would simply fade away. You begin to pace back and forth in your room. You listened carefully to the soft crunch of the marshmallow-like carpet given away under your feet. As you continued to do this for hours you eventually heard a few peculiar sounds that piqued your interest. At first you ignored it considering that what you were hearing was nothing more than maybe America or one of his staff milling about through the… where ever the fuck you were. Not that it mattered. No one could hear you nor could anyone-

The flatscreen TV that's mounted to your wall suddenly sparked to life. It startled you and you quickly jumped up in the air like a cat that’s seen a cucumber and flung yourself onto your plush bed and shielded yourself with your (favorite color) duvet.

“OH SHIT!”

“Y/N, Y/N do you can you hear me?” A familiar British accent called out from the screen.

With heavy drawn in breaths that filled your lungs it took you a few moments for your brain to recognize that it wasn’t the monster….

“Y/N?” He says much more gently this time. As if calling out to a severely injured dog. The tone was heavy with sadness. “Y/N… please …I hope you can hear me.”

A few tears pricked your eyes. His voice was the only thing that sounded like a daydream after being in this watered down version of hell.

“A…Arthur?” You say in a weak hoarse voice. There was still a voice in your mind screaming that it was a trick, a facade, a cruel prank that America was playing. All of the alarms in your brain were going off in a blaring symphony of panic. You were too afraid to remove your cover still and your shaking had begun again.

Silence hung over the room. You dared not to speak again.

Arthur stared at his screen that allowed him to see where you’d been imprisoned. He knew he had seen your slightly battered form run for the covers. He knew full well that you were not in the best headspace for any human nor country to be in. But he still had to try, because being left to America he'll surely turn you into a completely different country. You’d be unrecognizable. He tried not to think about all the ways that you’d change and did his best to put the images of you being America’s wife out of his mind.

Arthur called out once more with his voice cracking, this time you finally decide to take a peak from your massive duvet and look at the screen to see those dazzling emerald eyes. They were coated over with salt water that already began to spill onto his somewhat reddened cheeks.

“Oh my god it really is you. But…”

“Listen , Y/N we’ll save the heartfelt conversations for later. Let’s concentrate on getting you out of here. Within the next 30 seconds I need you to push your nightstand aside. One of my agents has constructed a tunnel that will lead you to the East and into the forest where I’ll be. I just need you to stay calm and….. It’s going to be okay.” He reassures you. Judging by the tension that you had in your face and the terror pouring from your eyes he knew he had to be more verbally accommodating to you in your fragile state.

‘Definitely going to ask France to make us a nice meal and I’ll actually have to be nice to get him to do it. Y/N is in some desperate need of pampering and escapism after this.’ He mused to himself.

You were still shaking tremendously. You hadn’t even registered his words in order to take action. However the agent Rosemary had reached you and effortlessly moved the nightstand from the hidden entrance that crumbled.

“(Country name)?” The agent calls out from the hidden tunnel. “Hurry, we have to get out of here. The guards are distracted but some of the other personnel will come to check on you and we have to allow the decoy take over for you before-”

Numerous footsteps pounding against the marble floor swarmed through the labyrinth. They began to draw nearer to your room.

“Y/N I promise it will be okay just listen to agent Rosemary. She’ll get you out of there safe and sound.”

“What are you guys going to use as a decoy?” Curious as to what your British love interest was scheming.

“This love.” A realistic hologram of you sprung to life from the screen. It was realistic. “Now tally ho. Get the hell out of there!” His transmission ends while your hologram continues to be projected through the screen. It wouldn’t be long before America’s guards figured out that it wasn’t you.

“My lady.” Rosemary pushed you into the escape route and you began to crawl for your life. With the agent right behind you couldn’t help but feel the tension that was in the pit of your stomach and made you somewhat nauseous. You had to cling to the fresher memory of Arthur in your mind to continue your escape and not be caught.

You had to get back to him you were determined to.

*******

In Washington, D.C. Burger Man I mean America was in a deadlock debate with Lavender and Thyme over trade deals. Agent Thyme’s golden hair swished violently as he pounded his fist against the table in heated debate with America.

“You can’t just harbor a personification and then begin a hostile takeover of their government and start spreading your propaganda like some twisted infestation! It’s illegal first and foremost. And second it VIOLATES THE ENTIRE BLOODY UNITED NATIONS CHARTER! And you’re supposed to be a LEADER?! You act like such a petulant child!”

“Funny that comes from a man that had more than half the world in the palm of his hand. How dare you insult me in my own senate.” He hissed back at England in pure defiance.

(they die at the end.)

“You’re acting like a super villain in one of your stupid comic books that you melt your already stupid brain with.”

The verdant versus aqua eyes collided with one another. Neither was the type to let their pride down. The air was tense with a thousand needles and no one wanted to be caught in the crosshairs. Teeth biting, nervous shifting, and over hundreds of eyes witnessing the showdown between two sworn enemies since the betrayal. Some cracked their knuckles to at least relieve some tension that was broiling within the room. America had reached the point where negotiations were at a stalemate and….

America’s earpiece beeped in his ear and although his facial expression stayed neutral and as distant as the moon. His eyes bled out with rage and stared out at ‘England’ with a look that was meant to obliterate one within mere milliseconds. He stood up suddenly as if a giant had been awoken from a peaceful slumber and was in a terrible mood.

He snapped his fingers.

Secret service surrounded Thyme and Lavender. The ruse was up.

“Kill them. Right here. Right now. They’re fakes.” America ordered.

“It was a pleasure working with you, Lavender.” The spell that Arthur originally put onto him wore off and their true identities were revealed. They raised their hands high into the air.

“We did our duty.” Lavender uttered her last words she’d ever speak in this world.

A few hundred rounds were fired off within seconds filling the air with deathly gunpowder. Two less souls came out of the senate that day. The monster raged through the White House all night. It was a scene straight out of hell. Glass broke, things set ablaze, people injured, and some even parished. The only thing that most who were in earshot of the White House could hear

Y/N HOW DARE YOU!

UK I WILL KILL YOU!

Y/N IS MINE!

Then just more hellish shrieks would follow. No one really wanted to question what was going on for fear they would be caught up in the chaos. They stayed away and allowed it to happen.

*******

For the first time in a while Y/N could rest peacefully without having a horrid lucid nightmare that would only bring her down deeper into depression. She finally felt okay for a moment between England’s athletic arms. She actually got to sleep and recharge her broken soul.

“Is everything going to be alright Arthur?” Your anxieties are still nibbling at the back of your ears. It was nice that you could talk to him but you still feared that he’d leave you because you’re damaged and neurotic. A ball of untamable wild energy that no one would want to deal with.

“Y/N it’s okay. I want you to relax. I won’t leave you. I won’t harm you like America. I promise.” He kissed the back of your collarbone. You felt a million bright butterflies fly from that area and through your entire being you felt relieved and could live in the moment. You felt relaxed and safe. Nothing could ruin this for you. You melted like hot butter in Arthur’s arms. You didn’t want to think, just feel. Nothing else mattered.

Except for the brewing storm that was brewing from across the pond.

[dougielombax]

Alright.

Behold my anti-sex music playlist!

For music that just won’t work when you’re planning on doing it.

Not saying any of these songs are bad. Just that they won’t be good for sex.

In my mind…

Here they are:

1. Chumbawumba - Tubthumping.

2. Blarf - Banana

3. Eric Andre & the Last Seed - Beef Patty

4. Midge Ure - The Man Who Sold the World (OH NO. NOT ME)

5. The Serbian National Anthem! (Bože pravde) - by I Don’t Fucking Know. (Yes I’m serious)

6.Geometry Dash theme tune

7. My Country ‘Tis of Thee (Boston Pops version)

8. Peaches - Fuck the Pain Away

9. That FUCKING Pina Colada song!

10. Aerosmith - I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing

11. Otis Redding - Shake

12. The Trashmen - Surfin’ Bird

13. Liberty Bell March - John Philip Sousa

14. That weird boingy Delaware version of the Dr Who theme what was only used once in the Australian broadcast of Carnival of Monsters.

15. Swans - She Loves Us

16. The Platters - My Prayer (for any David Lynch fans, if you know, YOU KNOW!)

17. Grieg - In the Hall of the Mountajn King (it HAS to be the Portsmouth sinfonia version)

18. Georg Friedrich Handel - Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah (also the Portsmouth Sinfonia version, ideal for maximum awkwardness)

19. 1800 Pain - Hurt

20. Weezer - Buddy Holly

21. ANYTHING by Nickelback (especially Photograph (LOOK AT THIS FUCKEN’ SHIT!) or Rockstar)

22. The Cure - Friday I’m in Love

23. Nine Inch Nails - Mr Self Destruct (only an animal could fuck to this!)

24. Hanggai - Drinking song (this is actually a fucking banger but still)

25. Jamie Christopherson - The Stains of Time (except every single lyric is AND IT WILL COME)

26. Babylon Zoo - Spaceman

27. Suede - Filmstar

28. Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart (on full blast)

29. Ligeti - Lux Aeterna (may induce existential crises)

30. Korngold - Theme from King’s Row

31. AJCW - Wonderland (very loud, this is some cosmic horror shit)

32. Girl Talk - Play Your Part (Pt 1.)

33. Akira Yamaoka - Black Fairy

34. Ludvig Forssell -204863

35. Bach - Chorale BWV 645 (slow instrumental organ/trombone version)

36. Akira Yamaoka - My Heaven

37. Kikagaku Moyo - Dripping Sun (the beat drop at the end is some next level shit)

38. Carpenter Brut - Le Perv

39. Dawn of the Dead - The Gonk

40. de Wolfe music - Lubricator

41. Wizzard - I Wish it could be Christmas Every Day

42. Venetian Snares - All the Children are Dead

43. Van McCoy - Do the Hustle

44. Roy Orbison - In Dreams (look, it’s a great tune, but still).

45. Smash Mouth - Walking on the Sun

46. Mansion Basement - Resident Evil Director’s Cut Soundtrack

47. Happy Days (as in the main theme tune from Happy Days!)

48. Exhumed - As Hammer to Anvil

49. Muddy Magnolias - American Woman (David Lynch Remix) (if you fuck to this then you are legally not a human, you are a CREATURE)

50. Sonny Terry - Old Lost John

51. Hanatarash - My Dad is Car (VERY LOUD!)

52. Clubbed to Death (instrumental)

53. Jerry Manolas - Midnight Dream

54. Guided by Voices - Game of Pricks

55. Ludvig Forssell - Death Stranding theme tune

56. Glenn Miller - In the Mood

57. Venetian Snares - Winnipeg is Fucking Over

58. BJ Thomas - Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head.

59. Limp Bizkit - Break Stuff

60. Huun Huur Tu - Eerbek Aksy

61. Whitney Houston - I'm Your Baby Tonight

62. Mussorgsky - The Great Gate of Kiev

63. Low Roar - Give Up

64. Ludwig Van Beethoven - Rage Over a Lost Penny

65. Neon Indian - Slumlord’s Release

66. The Caretaker - All You are Going to want to Do is Get Back There.

67. Horace Heidt - This Time It’s Real (instrumental - slowed down)

68. BluntedBeatz - I Am

69. Eddie Vedder - Out of Sand

70. Olga Wojciechowska - Remember When the Light Came (unfortunately I can’t find it ANYWHERE!)

71. Blarf - The Me in Me

72. Chuck Person - Lightning Strikes

73. Polkas y Huapangos - Los Dos Laredos. (Pretty sure you legally CANNOT fuck to this)

74. Tom Jones - What’s New Pussycat (VERY LOUDLY)

75. Merzbow - Ultramarine Blue

76. Fool’s Garden - Lemon Tree (I NEED Wes Anderson to use this song in his next film! FIND A WAY to get him to do it!)

77. Big Brother Theme Tune

78. Fanfare Vagabontu - Batuta Din Moldova

79. Lvovsky - Now the Powers of Heaven

80. Tuvan Ensemble - Arbyn Ossun

81. Weird Al - EBay song

82. Marathon 2 main theme (I mean come ON!)

83. Electric Light Orchestra - Mr Blue Sky (SHUT UP!!!!)

84. My Chemical Romance- Famous Last Words

85. Van Halen - Panama

86. Powermad - Slaughterhouse

87. Bjork - It’s Oh so Quiet

88. Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla

89. Richard Strauss - Zueignung (specifically the version performed by Jessye Norman (RIP))

90. Apollo 100 - Joy (especially if you speed it up)

91. Carol Anne McGowan - Sycamore Trees (look it’s beautiful but you cannot fuck to it!)

92. Brian Eno - Weightless

93. Jean Sibelius - Symphony no 2.

94. Handel - Hallelujah Chorus (as performed by the Portsmouth Sinfonia)

95. The White Buffalo - I Know You (it’s a great piece of music but it’s really depressing)

96. Rednex - Cotton Eye Joe

97. Men Without Hats - The Safety Dance

98. Blink 182 - I Miss You. (WHERE ARE YEEEEEEEW)

99. Francis Stanfield - O Sacred Heart. (Yes I know it’s a Catholic hymn! That’s the point!)

100. Surasshu - The Penis (Eek!)

101. Non Phixion - The CIA is Trying to Kill Me

102. All-American Rejects - Move Along (SHUT UP! It’s a good song but come on)

103. Big Data - Bombs Over Brooklyn (their curiosity for learning has skyrocketed)

104. Adam & the Ants - Stand and Deliver

105. Animal Collective - Derek

106. Ludwig Van Beethoven. Symphony no. 5. Movement 1.

107. Hong Kong 97 Soundtrack - I Love Beijing Tiananmen.

108. Mr Bean animated series theme tune (piano, obviously).

109. John Williams - The Immolation Scene. (From the Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith soundtrack)

110. Ludwig Van Beethoven. Again. - Ode to Joy. Symphony no 9. Movement 4.

111. Vague003 - Tonight

112. Tchaikovsky - Serenade for Strings in C Major Op. 48.

113. Old Gods of Asgard - Take Control

114. Zbigniew Preisner - Lacrimosa, Day of Tears

115. AJCW - Fog Horm

[temp-check]

Friday's temperature check (procès-verbaux of 4-5)

Release my companions and me or I will blot out the sun!  Or at least most of it.  Sometime Monday afternoon depending on where we are at the time.  Behold, you have angered the gods and I fear that only my sacrifice of the sun can rectify their fury.  I warn you, there will be darkness, but not total darkness.  It’ll be kinda like a late-ish twilight.  This isn’t the Twilight, the movie series, but twilight the time in the evening when the sun is setting, but you can still see.  Of course, there will be lights, I’m not going to extinguish your lights.  Hopefully, you are using recyclable batteries.  Those are much better for the environment.  I also warn that nocturnal animals will arise and do their nocturnal things.  Diurnal animals will think it’s night and try to sleep.  Although my dog sleeps sixteen hours a day and I might not notice.  Birds will flock, bees will refuse to fly, automatic headlights will turn on.  Primetime television shows will be missing from this darkness.  You’ll have to stream or watch The View.  Of course, you’ll want to observe this sun-blotting in person because that’s the only way to assure yourself that the black magic of the universe will not extinguish all light in the world.  If not, I’m sure you can join cosmic wizards Bill Nye or David Muir here: https://www.planetary.org/

Or here:

Starting at 11 am PDT or 2 pm EDT.

So, release me and I’ll make it stop, but only after it starts and then goes on for a while, but then it will stop. 

Stay safe (and bright)!

Tom

[deesmenagerie]

2. Autumn in Acadia

Hey there! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Before I dive into the fun stuff, I want to take a moment to set the intention of these posts.

First, a little bit of background-- I began my photography journey in December 2019, taking the leap of faith and buying a DSLR (I cannot recommend Black Friday camera deals enough!) and committing to learning the art I've always gravitated towards. Now, I'm going into my 5th year of taking photography seriously (!!!) and I've finally hit the point where I feel confident sharing my work for the world to see.

That's where these posts come in!

We all know that a photo is worth a thousand words (eye-roll). But I think it's a bit more nuanced than that. I think that the story behind the photo is what makes you actually care about the image you're looking at. Plus, I have so many fun memories tied to all of these photos, and documenting them is also important to me!

Okey dokey! With my intention set, allow me to introduce this month's drop, Autumn in Acadia, depicting the splendor of fall in Acadia National Park!

My husband and I love Acadia. It's the closest National Park to us (clocking in at a solid 5.5 hour drive) and it is worth every single second of that drive. So much so that we've gone every year since our first visit in 2020.

Out of our four trips to Acadia, two have been in October. Fall in Acadia is a magical experience, and there's a good reason for the nickname "Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast". Even though these two visits weren't anywhere near the 'peak' of foliage season, they were still truly stunning in their own right.

Our first visit was in October of 2020.

Yep. I know. Fully in the thick of the pandemic, in that sweet spot where the initial panic had subsided, but was replaced with existential dread. We were no longer in an inter-state travel ban (remember that?), and we were desperate to get the f*** out of our tiny box of an apartment. At this point, we sure as sh*t weren't going to fly, so Acadia was it.

That trip remains one of the best ones of all time, despite being squarely in peak COVID times. If I were to describe Acadia in three words or less, I would say Acadia most embodies the 'traditional beauty' of the Northeast Coast. You know the kind- the rough seas and rugged coastlines, deep emeralds, and, for an all too brief part of the year, dazzling oranges, crimson, and yellow. It's damn near impossible not to get swept up in your surroundings here. Everything here feels so rich, powerful, and dynamic. There's a damn good reason why this is the 10th most visited national park in the country.

Over the course of our long weekend, we managed to hit SO MANY iconic spots in the park. We:

Hiked Jordan Pond and the Bubbles

Hiked Beech Mountain

Froze our butts off stargazing atop Cadillac Mountain

Hiked the Beehive and Gorham Mountain loop

Checked out Thunder Cove (no thunder, unfortunately. This phenomenon has continued to elude us)

Checked out Eagle Lake

Checked out Sand Beach

Hiked Jesup Path

Hot take: I will die on the hill that Jesup Path is THE best place to be in the fall. The colors are consistently incredible, even if the rest of the park isn't quite there yet (this happened during our second October trip-- the trees were taking their time turning everywhere else in the park, but by Jesup Path, they were stunning.) I swear there is a certain sort of magic in this part of the park. You can feel it. It's in a quieter area, so I think nature is a little bit more 'out there', so to speak. All of my wildlife sightings have been on Jesup Path. Although, paradoxically, if you go too far along Jesup Path, you do eventually reach a golf course, and that seems pretty bizarre... but remember, you are in Maine. I think it adds to the charm.

Check out the rest of this collection on deesmenagerie.com, and feel free to follow me on Instagram @deesmenagerie to stay in the loop!

[the-meadow-of-a-fluffy-sheep]

The meadow of a fluffy sheep: Entry 12/2/2023

Welcome back to my meadow! 

I’ve been insanely busy this week. I have 139 things on my to-do list, 126 of which are repeating tasks. I have three upcoming entrepreneurship competitions which I need to put a huge amount of time and energy into. I’m in association for nonsmokers Minnesota, big brothers big sisters, and distributive education clubs of America. I don’t even have time for dog agility class anymore which was one of my favorite parts of the week. I’ve missed two therapy appointments in a row because of events and fundraising for programs and organizations. I also have chores and work Fridays and every other weekend and that I haven’t had time to hang out with friends outside of school in almost a month.

I met with my DECA chapter leader to get the answers to some questions I had about DECA. I asked him what he thinks my chances of qualifying for nationals are with my business start-up written plan. He says that if I check the write-up rubric, make sure I follow everything there, check the penalty sheet, and make sure I don’t lose points on that, and that if I’m clear and confident, my chances of getting to the state competition are high. He says the state competition is much more challenging and that only the top 10% of state competitors qualify for nationals. For all three competitions, I will hand my written business plan to the judges, they will read only the executive summary, then I will do a 15-minute presentation of my business plan with the last 5 minutes being for the judges to ask questions and for me to answer. I will have a trifold poster with text and diagrams. He says that if I put work into my trifold poster and make sure it looks neat and printed and not like I threw it together in a couple of minutes, it will help my chances. I will need to do a lot of practicing with him. The national DECA competition is in Anaheim California and is from April 27th to April 30th. DECA Blazers are not required at the district or state competitions but they are required for the national competition. I carefully looked at the dress code on the DECA website. It is very strict. I’m going to wear a navy blazer, white blouse, navy dress trousers, and black round toed pumps. I’m also practicing putting my hair in a braided updo to look more formal. If I get into DECA nationals, I’ll stay at a hotel that DECA has rented out for the competition, meaning no other families will be staying there during that time. I would either share a room with a female identifying student since I am comfortable with that or get my own room. If I am the only person who qualifies for nationals then I would get my own room by default, but it’s likely a female student in my DECA chapter will also qualify just given that she’s experienced and this is not her first year doing DECA. If she and I both qualify and are expected to share a room, I’m pretty sure I will request to have my own room if money allows. Because of my personality type, I need my own space, specifically a room with a door that closes, especially in a very stimulating environment with so many people and so much social interaction. The very last thing I would want is to get burned out, exhausted, and dysregulated. Our DECA chapter leader would not come into my room because he’s an adult but I would be able to call him on the phone if I needed anything. After curfew hours, a piece of tape would be put over my hotel room door, so that if I left the room an adult would know because the tape would be broken, which is to ensure I don’t leave the hotel room for safety reasons unless there’s an emergency. I’m fundraising for DECA by selling frozen Heggies pizzas; I’ve sold 14 pizzas so far. The money from the first pizzas will be put toward basic and general DECA costs, and the rest will go toward me for whatever costs I’ll need for district and state, and if I qualify for nationals, then the hotel, food, competition, and special DECA blazer. I’m going to try not to take it too personally if I don’t qualify for nationals. I know it’ll be a huge disappointment for me, but I’ll try to handle it as well as I can, so even though I’m very excited for the opportunity, I’m trying to keep a realistic perspective in the back of my mind. 

I met with my English teacher to work on the last summative assignment of the trimester, which might not sound like a big deal, but I was really struggling with motivation to get schoolwork done that day so I was really proud of myself, especially since I did well on it. 

I had a meeting for ANSR (association for nonsmokers Minnesota) with my school’s principal. We talked about possible solutions to students vaping in the school bathrooms. We have another meeting on the 4th of this month, in two days, and I’m bringing Girl Scout cookies to share with Clara and her friends. Because vaping among teenagers and mental health are so related, I made a detailed list of coping skills categorized by both emotion and type. I’m going to hand out a copy to the leaders of ANSR and see if they want to mass print it to give out to students who are feeling stressed so they can use those coping skills instead of vape. 

This week, I called with three friends separately, and that was really nice. I called with Kalia, who is also in ANSR but was unable to make the meeting about vaping in the school bathrooms. I filled her in on what happened and also my opinions on it. We also talked about DECA and she was very supportive. I called with my friend Nora. She’s a really great friend. I told her about DECA and she told me about how her family is having a baking contest. I love baking, and I actually had just made chocolate chip banana bread, so I told her about that too. Then, I called Kamillah, and we talked about ANSR and she gave some good example analogies of how it’s important to give firm consequences to the students who are vaping at school. 

Work has been going pretty smoothly. It’s still exhausting, but I’m getting more used to it. I get to take food home at the end of my shift, and it’s really good, fancy food. The co-worker who trained me in today was super kind and friendly to me. I’m getting to know more of the residents’ names. 

Thank you to anyone who replies for supporting me and giving your insight, I appreciate it very much.

[jcmarchi]

Cyber Monday fraud prevention tips 2023; CyberTalk.org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/cyber-monday-fraud-prevention-tips-2023-cybertalk-org/

Cyber Monday fraud prevention tips 2023; CyberTalk.org

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Excited about stocking up on everyday home essentials, epic electronics or must-have fitness gear? This November 27th, Cyber Monday will be the season’s second-major shopping event, second-only to Black Friday, with mega-sales and deep discounts that are accessible from the comfort of your couch.

Founded by the National Retail Federation in 2005, Cyber Monday was originally intended to promote online-only deals, in an effort to reduce in-store Black Friday foot-traffic. However, due to an uptick in e-commerce, both commercial holidays are now intertwined. Whether you shop on Black Friday, Cyber Monday or both, it pays to be a cyber savvy consumer.

In 2022, nearly 20% of U.S. online retail transactions that occurred between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday were fraudulent. Americans lost more than $337 million dollars, according to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Cyber awareness and vigilance pays – Obviously, nothing beats spending the holiday season on-hold with your bank’s fraud department (just kidding).

6 Cyber Monday fraud prevention tips

This season, proactively prevent fraud.

1. Stay savvy when it comes to scams. Take a moment to review the latest holiday scam tactics. For instance, some scammers may set up fake online stores and send you emails advertising slashed prices on popular goods. Top Cyber Monday scams include those related to fake websites, gift cards, multi-factor authentication phishing, and fake charities.

2. Shop from a secure connection. Ensure that your computer or phone is protected by antivirus software. Otherwise, the risk of accidentally downloading malware increases. Avoid making purchases from cafes or other public spaces, as cyber schemers could intercept public Wi-Fi communications or ‘shoulder surf.’

3. Only shop on secure sites. Regardless of whether you’re browsing sites belonging to well-known retailers or smaller vendors, verify that the web page you’re visiting is legitimate. Here’s how: When visiting any website, look for the little lock icon in the top left corner of your browser bar. Also, be sure that you see HTTPS in the browser bar.

While there is no single solution that can help everyone easily distinguish fraudulent websites from legitimate ones, and cyber criminals can imitate both the lock icon and HTTPS, other means of site verification include checking for domain misspellings, and accessing sites by searching for them on Google, rather than by clicking on links embedded within emails.

4. Strive for strong passwords. If you create accounts with retailers to streamline and simplify the shopping process, be sure to protect the account with a strong password. Cyber criminals may employ tactics like password spraying to steal credit card numbers, but a strong password can help protect you from this type of cyber threat.

5. Consider credit over debt. If concerned about online retail security, consider making purchases with a credit card rather than a debt card. The advantage of using a credit card is that real money never leaves your bank account. In addition, credit card fraud may be easier to resolve than debt card fraud, for which you could be on the hook for a larger portion of the stolen funds.

6. Post-holiday shopping fraud review. After you’ve completed your shopping for the season, take a few minutes to review your bank and credit card transactions. Glance at your transactions daily or every few days. Ensure that amounts are correct. Look for fraudulent transactions. Should you identify any unknown purchases or obvious fraud incidents, contact your card service provider as soon as possible.

Further information

If you’re concerned about the legitimacy of a site, an advertisement, otherwise suspect malicious intent, you might want to pass on that bargain and instead tell yourself that you’ll look forward to future buying opportunities. It beats contending with bureaucracy and bank fraud.

Lastly, prior to starting your Cyber Monday shopping, take a few minutes to ensure that your web browser, antivirus and operating systems are up-to-date.

Learn more about advanced security solutions here. Discover timely trends, expert analysis, premium business whitepapers, and so much more when you subscribe to the CyberTalk.org newsletter.

[umichenginabroad]

Week 2: Best Week Ever

Welcome Welcome Welcome back!

This week was intense. Educationally, emotionally, physically, and drinking-ly (drinking-wise?). The theme for the program this week was marketing and prototyping and let me tell you something: it can be very difficult to create a prototype of a product when you have very little money, resources, and expertise. And I suppose that is the point -- start-ups do not have a lot of money or resources so it is essential to be as efficient as possible with the resources you do have. At least I'm pretty sure that's what the point is: otherwise we're just spending money. However, I digress. Let's get into this week.

This week, in addition to prototyping your product, the team was also tasked with formulating a marketing strategy. So we decided our best bet was social media: everyone is on it all of the time and our target audience is college students and young adults. That being said, please follow @theloungepopup on Instagram! The bio has a link to our website so please check out if you're interested!

We also continued experimenting with mocktails this week and we had a breakthrough! Our favorite recipe so far according to our team and everyone who has tested it: the gorgeous mocktail "Mama Knows Best". It's amazing what some college students can create with orange juice, orange syrup, sprite, mint, pomegranate juice, and black currant syrup. Behold:

We debuted this drink at the business expo on Friday where all the teams had the chance to walk around and see other teams projects and practice pitching their start-ups to friends and staff members at EIA! Our team had a great day and everyone loved our mocktail. So it was amazing week for business but it doesn't come close to the fun we had outside of business this week.

This weekend we spent exactly 24 hours in the city of Lisbon, Portugal which is about a 3 hour bus ride from Porto. Lisbon was a massive city and had a very different energy from Porto. We arrived at 10:30 pm Friday night and proceeded to head out to Bairro Alto: a half-mile square block of streets filled with bars and nightclubs and is well-known as Lisbon's nightlife district. Unfortunately I didn't take a lot of pictures in Bairro Alto, only lots of drunken videos that are over a minute long so I want to spare everyone reading here but trust me it was one of the best nights out I've ever had.

Then we spent the rest of Saturday in the beautiful town of Sintra which is about a 40-minute train ride from Lisbon. We really enjoyed the gorgeous little town and then explored the castles that Sintra is famous for!

Finally, we arrive at my favorite part of the Porto trip so far. On Sunday, my friends and traveled with a tour guide to Peneda-Geres National Park. I cannot say enough how this tour was one of the best experiences of my life and I've never seen or done anything quite like it. We hiked and then swam in the azure blue and green lagoons of the park before having the most delicious traditional Portuguese lunch at restaurant with scenic views of the mountains. I could talk for hours about how amazing this place was but instead I think I'll just drop a bunch of pictures and let them speak for themselves. That's all of the updates I have for this week so if you actually read this far, I appreciate you and hope you're doing well. Hopefully these pictures are motivation enough to make you want to visit Porto and Portugal! See ya next week!

Joe Restivo

Chemical Engineering

Entrepreneurship in Porto, Portugal

[reasoningdaily]

As summer approaches, many hip-hop lovers are excited to see their favorite artists perform live once again. This year, some of the biggest names in music will be hitting the road for summer 2023. From Queen Bey to Drake, here are five artists you won't want to miss.

Comments Off on Beyoncé, Lil Durk, Moneybagg Yo & Other Hip-Hop Artists Who Will Be Hitting The Road For Summer 2023

Moneybagg Yo Announces “Larger Than Life” Tour, Featuring Special Guests

Updated By: Kynedei Hobbs (6/9/23 at 5:36 pm)

Moneybagg Yo, who recentlycollaborated with Rap Snacks alongside Lil Durk, took to Instagram to share the exciting news of his upcoming Larger Than Life Tour. The tour, set to kick off on August 3 in Orlando and conclude on September 30 in Memphis, promises to be a memorable experience for fans. 

Special guest appearances from talented rappers like Finesse2Tymes, Sexxy Red, Luh Tyler, Big Boogie, and YTB Fat will join the Memphis rapper. With tickets soon being sold, fans eagerly anticipate witnessing Moneybagg Yo’s captivating performances on his first tour since the successful A Gangsta’s Pain Tour of 2021. 

NEWSNBA Superstar Zion Williamson Faces Backlash After Revealing He Is Expecting A Baby Girl; Adult Star Speaks Out

Lil Durk Announces “Sorry For the Drought Tour” To Promote Upcoming Album

Lil Durk is set to embark on his highly-anticipated “Sorry For the Drought” Tour in Summer 2023. The tour will coincide with the release of his upcoming album, Almost Healed, scheduled to drop on May 26.

Lil Durk will be joined by a stellar lineup of artists on tour, including rappers Kodak Black, NLE Choppa, and DD Osama. The “Sorry For the Drought” Tour will kick off in Tampa, Florida, on July 28th and conclude in Phoenix, Arizona, on September 7th. 

Presale tickets, available through Live Nation, went on sale on May 17, with general ticket sales starting May 18 at 10 a.m. local time. Prior to the tour announcement, the Chicago rapper made headlines by challenging New York rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine to a high-stakes boxing match with a staggering prize of $50 million.

Additionally, in an ongoing feud that spanned several years, NBA YoungBoy also aimed Lil Durk with a diss track.

Killer Mike Announces The High & Holy Tour to Support Upcoming Album “Michael”

Grammy-winning rapper Killer Mike has announced The High & Holy Tour to support his upcoming album, “Michael.” The tour includes 19 stops across the United States. It is set to start on July 10th in Birmingham, AL, and end on Aug. 5th in New Orleans, LA.

Killer Mike, known for his politically charged lyrics and activism, is hitting the road to promote his first solo album since 2012’s “R.A.P. Music.” “Michael” officially goes on sale on Friday, May 5th, 2023, and includes a special fan presale on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. The tour will feature 19 stops, including a performance at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago on July 23.

“MICHAEL” promises to provide a holistic introduction to the totality of Michael Render, a lifelong rap fiend who has been seeped in the sounds of multiple eras of southern rap flows, Sunday church service, and barbershop discourse. 

The High & Holy Tour is sure to be a treat for Killer Mike’s fans who have been eagerly awaiting his return to the stage. The tour is expected to start on July 10 in Birmingham, Al. and end on Aug. 5 in New Orleans, La. Fans can look forward to experiencing a show filled with energetic performances of his new and old hits.   

The announcement follows the release of his new single “DON’T LET THE DEVIL (feat EL-P & thankugoodsir).” Other singles include “RUN (ft. Young Thug)” and “TALK’N THAT SHIT!”

Updated By: Chris Samuel (5/2/2023)

Beyoncé – The Renaissance World Tour

Queen Bey will start her tour on May 10th in Stockholm, Sweden, and end on September 27th in New Orleans. The tour promises to celebrate Black culture, fashion, and music. It is set to feature songs from Yonce’s latest album, Renaissance.

Lil Baby – “Its Only Us” Tour

Lil Baby recently took to Twitter to announce the news of his summer tour for 2023, revealing his excitement to perform for his fans in cities across North America. In a clip of him lounging in a pool, the “Yes, Indeed” rapper unveils the full city line-up while also hinting at who could possibly join him such as fellow QC Records label member Gloss Up.

The Atlanta native has become one of the biggest names in hip-hop over the past few years, and fans can’t wait to see him perform live. Fans can expect to hear songs from his latest album It’s Only Me which is Baby’s third No. 1 album.

Erykah Badu – Unfollow Me Tour

Updated By: Nicole Bartley (4/19/23 at 11:31 am)

Grammy-winning artist Erykah Badu has taken to her Instagram to announce her upcoming “Unfollow Me” tour, which will feature fellow artist Yasiin Bey (Mos Def). Tickets officially go on sale on April 20, and the first show will be taking place on June 11 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX.

Fans have been eagerly anticipating Badu’s return to the stage since her energetic twerking session with Megan Thee Stallion during a surprise appearance at the Red Rock Amphitheatre in Colorado.

Don Toliver – Thee Love Sick Tour

Houston rapper Don Toliver will embark on his Thee Love Sick Tour on June 18th, starting in Denver, CO, and ending on July 16th in San Francisco, CA. This tour will be a great opportunity to see Don Toliver perform tracks from his latest album, Love Sick.

Drake – It’s All A Blur Tour

Canadian rapper Drake will be taking his “It’s All A Blur” Tour to cities across North America. The tour begins on June 16th in New Orleans and ends on September 5th in Glendale, Arizona. With a string of hit albums and singles under his belt, Drizzy will surely put on an unforgettable show. 

The “Gods Plan” rapper will be headlining with 21 Savage, who recently did a collab album for Her Loss. However, it is still unclear if Drake and 21 can tour internationally due to 21 Savage’s immigration status. 

Drake is rumored to sing many throwback songs from his previous albums.

Bryson Tiller – “Back And I’m Better” Tour

Louisville-born singer Bryson Tiller will be starting his “Back And I’m Better” Tour on May 4th in San Diego, CA, and ending in Seattle, WA. Tiller’s unique blend of R&B and hip-hop has won him legions of fans, and this tour promises to be a showcase of his incredible talent.

Megan Thee Stallion Returns To The Stage

Megan Thee Stallion officially performed for the first time this year.

On Friday, March 31, the March Madness Music Festival AT&T Block Party in Houston was the first time Meg was spotted on stage since the December trial that found Tory Lanez guilty of shooting her.

[dreamthiefstudios]

Online Auditions - February 19th, 2023 (1-6pm Central time)

Dream Thief Studios will be holding virtual auditions on Sunday, February 19th from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm Central Standard Time for the feature length psychological thriller NINE BLACK ROSES to be filmed late 2023 or early 2024 in and around Nebraska. The film will center around a private investigator on the trail of a serial killer and will contain mature subject matter.

All roles will be paid and sides will be provided prior to the auditions. The virtual audition will be booked on a first come, first serve basis in 15 minute blocks. In order to book your time slot, please e-mail DreamThiefStudios@gmail.com with the following:

Your preferred time slot (ex. 2:15-2:30 pm, etc.)

Characters you want to audition for (Multiple is ok)

Head shot and resume if available

Upon receiving your e-mail, Dream Thief Studios will e-mail you sides for your requested character and an audition form. Please note that if a time slot is booked and a no-show occurs, you will no longer be considered for the role(s).

Dream Thief Studios will be holding additional auditions over the course of the spring and summer and this is the next opportunity to leave an impression. You may have additional opportunities in the future, but preference on future time slots will be given to actors who have not had an opportunity to audition. Auditions will be promoted nationally but we want to ensure that we do hire local Nebraska actors for as many roles as possible.

The Casting Call is below. Please note that some roles do require nudity and/or sexuality (see character descriptions). An Intimacy Coordinator will be on set and part of the production process, both during pre-production and on set during filming.

Again, audition times are first come, first serve. E-mail now to lock in your time slot for February 19th!

----------------------

LEAD- Ivy (Female, mid 20’s - later 30’s - NOTE: this role would require nudity and a love scene) - Rough, tough, and ready to rumble. After her sister was abducted by a serial killer, Ivy gave up her normal life, vowing to catch the man who took her. After spending several years under the wing of an ex-cop turned private investigator, she is now her own boss, working just this side of the law. Highly intelligent and clever, Ivy is still willing to throw a punch and figure things out afterwards if she has to.

LEAD -David (male, early 30’s to mid 50’s NOTE: this role would require nudity and a love scene) - David has just found out his wife of 15 years was cheating on him with his best friend…after the cops informed him that they were brutally murdered in his own bed while he was away on a business trip. Emotionally devastated, David is determined to find out who killed his wife, and to stop the killer from striking again.

MAJOR SUPPORTING - Jess (female, early - mid 20’s) - Assistant? Secretary? She prefers sidekick. Jess is Ivy Slade’s “Girl-Friday”, loyal and dependable to the end. A computer nerd with a splash of geek running thought her veins, at first glance you may underestimate her, but don’t… behind that goofy and slightly aloof persona is an ass-kicker that knows how to get shit done.

SUPPORTING - Harvey (male, late 30’s-early 50’s) - Years as a homicide detective have made Harvey apathetic to his job. He is always in the hole with his bookie and never has the money to pay his child support. He may be a shade crooked, never too proud to take a bribe, but he’s a reliable source. Slap some green into his hand and he’ll tell you what he knows.

MINOR - Jackson (male 20’s- 40’s) - A small time bookie with a fondness for strippers who just stole a lot of money from gangster Rocky Pitts. He’s on the run with a boatload of cash….

SUPPORTING- Kathy (female, late 20′s- early 30’s, NOTE: This role would require nudity and a love scene) - Kathy isn’t sure how she fell into the arms of David’s best friend. Perhaps it was all the long business trips and her loneliness, perhaps not. Whatever the reason, she’s about to find herself face-to-face with a sadistic killer on a dark and stormy night…

SUPPORTING - Carol (female, late teens, early 20’s) - a young college student trying to make ends meet by waitressing. She comes face to face with the ripper….

[theliterateape]

The Wooden Door (3)

by Wayne Lerner

The Street Corner Friday, June 10, 1966 2:35 pm

The stage was set. The sidewalk sizzled under the scorching sun. The humid air made it hard to breathe. June feeling like August brought out the worst in people. Few were fortunate enough to have air conditioning. The kind of day when tempers flared and fists clenched. When grudges ached to be released so terror could commence. Gangs loved hot and humid days. It was easy to lose control when sweat drenched your body and pent-up hatred turned to fury.

Sgt. Maloney knew these kinds of days and what they could lead to

“I dunno how many more of these I can take, Ron,” he said.

“What do you mean?” Ron asked. “We’ve been training for this all last month. We know the shit’s going to hit the fan.”

“I’ve been through this so many times, it’s getting weary. When the first blacks moved into Austin, the good ole boys were not very happy, as you might expect. Every night we had to bring in CFD to put out the fires they set.”

Ron looked at Maloney long and hard. “You’ve been saying this for the 7 years we’ve been together. Do you think this one will be as bad as some have said?”

Maloney paused as he pondered the information they had received from Central command and some not-so-official sources. Grooming informers was critical to becoming a successful beat cop.

“I think this will be the big one,” he said. “The gangs are geared up for action. No more brass knuckles and blades. I heard that they have guns and not just 22’s.”

“Jesus,” exclaimed Ron. “If they have automatic guns, this will be a bloodbath. On both sides.”

“Yep,” said Maloney. “There isn’t anything we can do to stop it. They didn’t give us automatics at roll call this morning. We’re going to need help and lots of it.”

“The rumors have been flying since last week,” said Ron. “This isn’t new news.”

“What they don't understand,” said Maloney, “is that the fight is not just between the rednecks and the blacks but with the gangs from the other schools. It’s going to be fucking ugly.”

The two officers continued their beat, walking east from Central towards Laramie, continuing on to Cicero. A long walk, sweat dripping from their faces, but the business owners and residents appreciated the false sense of peace.

When they approached the drugstore, they spotted Lamar and his boys hustling toward Madison from the north. Paulie and his guys streaking from the south. Maloney grabbed Ron, both running to the corner. At the same moment, they noticed Albert and Martha crossing Lotus to go into the drug store.

“Christ! They’re going to be caught in a crossfire!” Maloney shouted to Ron. “Let’s grab them and get them in the store. Then we can take care of the others.”

The 2 gangs ran toward each other, guns drawn and loaded. Angry shouts and insults were thrown at their enemies inflaming the situation with every passing moment.

Maloney and Ron tried to put themselves between the 2 groups to head off the expected violence. Screams, shouts, shots in the air made sure that anyone on the street took cover.

Business owners locked their doors. Residents headed for home.

“Ron, see if you can get to the Paulie group,” said Maloney. “I'll try for Lamar and his guys.”

At that moment, Albert stopped walking with Martha. They recoiled at the violence about to unfold. Martha tried to hold Albert back from approaching the gangs.

Everyone stopped in their tracks when bursts of gunfire rang out from the east. Maloney and Ron looked at each other and the 2 gangs. None of them had pulled the trigger that many times.

“Look there!” Albert shouted. “Look at what's coming.”

They turned, in shock. Hundreds of young people, boys and girls, all armed, running down Madison Street.

“We’re going to make you pay for the rape! You’re all going to die. You don’ took your last breath,” they shouted.

Maloney screamed into his radio. “Madison is packed with armed kids, all coming hard down the street! Alert all units and the National Guard. We’re going to need every officer we can find.”

“The cops in the ‘burbs are mobilizing a wedge to move in from the west,” shouted Maloney to Ron. “Let’s get everyone into the store and pray the mob did not see us.”

Albert tightened his grip on Martha’s arm and turned to view the scene behind him. Chaos and confusion inflamed the melee. No matter what the police did, Lamar’s and Paulie’s gangs weren’t about to let a riot take them away from their destiny.

As if in slow motion, Albert pushed Martha into the store and proceeded across the street to where the confrontation was taking place. With every step, his gait got stronger and he stood taller. No more tap tap tap. He was ready to use his cane for a different purpose.

“You idiots,” he hollered at the 2 gangs. “Don't you see what’s happening.”

He raised his cane and pointed at the rioters streaming down Madison. “They don't care if you're white or black. They’re going to kill us all. The police can't hold them back. The National Guard won't get here in time. Stop this nonsense. NOW!”

Albert shouted with such force that the 2 gangs stopped and looked at him in wonder. Bullets began flying towards them as the screaming grew louder. Police cars steamed toward the riot from all directions, lights flashing, sirens howling. Far off near downtown, the rumble of tanks could be felt as the street vibrated from their weight.

“Now,” Albert said. “Everyone in the drugstore. And I mean everyone.”

Albert grabbed Lamar and looked him in the eye. “Tell your guys to back off and get moving.” He did the same to Paulie, standing still, paralyzed by what he saw. Albert took him by the collar and dragged him across the street as his gang followed him into the store. They slammed the old wooden door as the rioters got within a block of Lotus, guns blazing, molotov cocktails ready to fly through business and apartment windows.

Albert and Martha were in command, much to the amazement of everyone in the store. They began shouting orders. “Block the doors and put the cabinets by them. Take all flammables down from the windows and put them on the floor by the brick walls. Let’s hope the door is strong enough to hold the rioters back.

The gangs, Jimmy and Irving, went into action following the orders of Albert and Martha. They put anything heavy by the door to create a blockade. They did the same by the stairway to the basement which led to the little used back door.

As the rioters and the police faced off, the acrid smell of smoke permeated the store’s walls and windows.

“That’s my Cadillac parked on the corner, '' said Irving. “Fuck it. I didn’t like the color anyway.”

Bullets pinged off the building’s walls as they tried their best to break through the stone and the wooden door. The occupants hid behind the barricade they made, listening to barrages of shots that seemed to go on forever. Black, white, it didn’t matter. They concealed themselves. For the moment, forgetting their hate for one another. The only thing on their minds was survival.

The roar of the tanks and the squeal of the police cars’ tires surged as the battle rose to a climax. Albert and Martha remained standing in the middle of the store, watching over their minions, making sure they were safe.

Just as fast as the fight had started, it stopped. No more sounds of bullets flying or angry shouting.

“Are you ok in there?” asked Sgt. Maloney through the man-made blockade.

“Yes, we are fine,” said Martha. “No one was hurt here.”

“C’mon out,” said Ron. “It’s safe to open the door.”

As everyone in the store rose to their feet, the two gangs looked at each other and then at the two old people who had led them to safety.

“Where did you learn that?” asked Lamar with undeniable respect in his voice “That was crazy. You saved us all.”

Martha took Lamar’s hand. “This gang warfare is senseless. It will get you nowhere,” she said. Then she took Paulie’s hand. “Don’t you understand that if you beat Lamar and his boys, there will always be someone else waiting to take you on. The battle will never end.”

Albert turned to Paul and, in a quiet voice, said. “Your mother and father are hurting. They are trying to give you a better life but they can’t do that with you in jail. Get over this hate and make something out of yourself.”

Martha looked at Lamar. “You’re supposed to make your mother proud. You’re the oldest. You have a responsibility to your family. Figure out how you can achieve that.”

“How do you know such things?” said Lamar. Paulie nodded his head in amazement.

“You think we are just two old people standing on the corner,” said Martha. “People tell us their stories when they walk by. They know we are good listeners and won’t tell their secrets.”

Everyone stood still to consider what they lived through and what they heard from Albert and Martha.

Albert broke the silence. “C’mon, Martha, let’s go. These two are just hard heads.”

“What do you know about us?” said Paulie. “You look like you have everything you want.”

Martha took a step towards the two gangs. “Where we come from, we were niepożądani ludzie. What the Nazis called ‘undesirables.’ Martha tapped her chest. “We know what it means to have little and be treated like dirt. We made something of ourselves. Now, you need to do the same.”

Albert took Martha’s hand and moved toward the front of the store. “We’ve said enough. They have to take the first step, not us. I hope they listened to you.”

Albert grabbed the old wooden door. It opened with its usual squeal. “Ach,” he said. “Czy w koncu mozesz te drzwi naprawić?”

“What did he say?” asked Lamar.

Martha smiled. “Albert said, ‘Now will you get this damn door fixed?’” as the door slammed shut behind her.

[thementalgym]

How to Deal With Holiday Anxiety?

We have all heard the expression “holiday blues,” but are you familiar with the term “holiday angst?” This “most joyous” time of year can become stressful to even the calmest and most collected individuals. The anxiety-provoking expectation to have a “perfect” holiday season has been humorously depicted in TV and film for generations. In movies such as: “A Bad Moms Christmas”, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, and “Four Christmases;” the goal is to get through it with a sense of peace, joy, and SANITY. And with all of the necessary holiday demands, who wouldn’t be anxious, right?!

The decorating!

Aah…. the lights, the bells, the wreaths, the stockings, the ornaments, the TREE!!! Its time to go into the garage and dust off those boxes filled with holiday décor. We throw out our backs, freeze our butts off, and usually prick and/or hammer a finger but who cares so long as our decorations look better than our neighbors! And of course, once everything is in its perfect place…we have our pets eating tinsel, toddlers playing with fragile tree ornaments, and the electric bill to worry about! No biggie though, right?!

The shopping!

Once Black Friday hits, shopping for the most cutting-edge toys for your kids, the perfect blouse for your mom, and the best deal on the iPhone X for your partner becomes top priority. You go to the mall, pushing through the crowds and waiting in the lines only to find out that your best friend got everything online for 20% off WITH free shipping. And on Dec. 15, when you’ve just finished buying gifts for everyone on your list, you find out that there is a mandatory Secret Santa this year at the office holiday party! But even then, you still believe that the season is merry and bright, right?!

 The cooking!

If perfectionism is your inclination, this time of year really becomes your arch nemesis. But even if it isn’t, the pressure of hosting a holiday dinner can seem very overwhelming. We question and second-guess everything!! Is the spread impressive enough? Are the hors d’oeuvres to their liking? Is there enough alcohol? Will the ham be ready on time? Did I accommodate enough for my vegan guests? My gluten-free guests? My lactose-intolerant guests? And then, the moment comes when you remember that you forgot about Barbara’s nut allergy after making the cranberry sauce!! It’s ok; you’ll just whip up a new batch real quick, right?!

The traveling!

Let’s not forget about the joys of traveling during the holidays. The stress of dealing with traffic and the airports alone can compel anyone to speed dial their therapist. But not you, you made it, you just got past security and the anxiety is finally beginning to subside when you learn that your flight has been delayed for 3 hours and the Starbucks in your terminal is closed for renovations. Ugh! Hang in there though, right?!

The Anxiety!

And once you’ve made sure that everybody got everything that they wanted and needed throughout this holiday season, you come to realize that nobody even thanked you. This is when you think; “I’d better call my therapist to schedule 2 sessions next week,” right?!

Following some of these tips on how to reduce “holiday angst” may help as well.

Get organized: Plan a schedule of daily/weekly tasks so that you are not doing everything at the last minute.

Add a little fun into your days: Use humor and practice self-care.

Delegate: Ask your daughter to help with decorating, your son to help with shopping, and your spouse to help with cooking.

Lower your expectations: It’s ok if the mashed potatoes have some lumps; many people prefer them that way.

Give yourself a break: If you weren’t able to get that “one special toy” by Christmas morning, it’ll most likely be in stock (and on sale) the following week.

Designate a “support person”: Pick someone you can vent to when you are feeling stressed.

Keep in mind: Consuming yourself with a skewed idea of “perfection” will surely promote unnecessary anxiety.

The Mental Gym

[diverolli]

Iscream ice cream rolls

#Iscream ice cream rolls tv

#Iscream ice cream rolls free

The shop, owned by Khalilah Womack, plans to serve ice cream that is poured onto a machine which quick freezes it and is then carefully scraped into rolls and served in a cup with a variety of toppings. IScream Ice Cream Rolls will open later this year at the revamped Underground Atlanta complex on Upper Alabama in downtown Atlanta, What Now Atlanta reports. Rolled ice cream shop will open at the revamped Underground Atlanta Another shuttered Barberitos space at the Peach in Buckhead is being replaced by Tamago Ramen Bar. Owner Duc Tran has another restaurant called 575 Bistro in Kennesaw serving similar fare. 285 Colonial Kitchen, which could open by September, plans to serve pho and various Vietnamese noodle dishes, along with beer and wine. Vietnamese restaurant 285 Colonial Kitchen takes over the former Southwestern grill Barberitos space at the Prado, Tomorrow’s News Today reports. Vietnamese restaurant replaces Barberitos in Sandy Springs I Scream Ice Cream Rolls will provide fully customized. You get to see how the make the ice cream rolls and they have many toppings for you to choose from. Established in late 2018 IScream Ice Rolls is located on the top floor of the Underground Atlanta. It’s owned by Monique Rose Simms and Chopped Redemption winner chef Sammy Davis. It´s Ice Cream Time We make Ice Cream out of everything. They sell ready to go ice cream and also candy. All-day brunch restaurant the Real Milk and Honey just opened last month on Main Street in College Park. We will also be attending fairs,carnivals and other community events so follow us on social media to. We cater private events such as birthdays,weddings,corporate events,fundraisers and more. Explore complete information about IScream Ice Cream Rolls customer service, including phone, address, e-mail, online support, working hours and other. Opinión escrita 14 de octubre de 2017 mediante dispositivo móvil. Tripadvisor realiza comprobaciones de las opiniones. Esta es la opinión subjetiva de un miembro de Tripadvisor, no de Tripadvisor LLC. We offer next day delivery on orders placed between 8am and 11pm. Pregunta a RWandSW sobre Cinellis Ice Cream Rolls. Page owns Page’s Pink Teacup Villa restaurant in Miami. Cryo Rolls is a mobile rolled ice cream business based out of Bellingham, Washington. Black Gurl Brunch Club’s menu consists of “fresh spins on Southern staples”, according to the website, and will also serve bottomless mimosas and other breakfast cocktails. The restaurant takes over the former Pig & the Pint space.

#Iscream ice cream rolls tv

WE’s Hustle and Soul reality TV stars chef Lawrence Page and Ana Lavender have opened a restaurant called Black Gurl Brunch Club on Virginia Avenue in College Park, the AJC reports. There’s another new brunch restaurant in College Park The Westview scoop shop pop-up is just down from D’s Cafe. doling out scoops of coconut milk-based ice cream at YogaSkills, located at 1536 Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard.

#Iscream ice cream rolls free

The Oreos don’t add a ton of flavour once they’re ground into dust, so the fruit was definitely the star of the show.Want a free scoop of vegan ice cream today? Austin’s NadaMoo ice cream shop is in town Friday, August 2, from 4 p.m. We’ve got great big bursts of banana, some sweetness from the strawberries, and just a hint of chocolate. I dunno guy, but I’m pretty sure if the Righteous Brothers were triplets, they’d be this dish. Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This icecreamrolls icerolls ferrero ferrerofiesta minicake rollingicecream. Me, I went with the killer combo of banana, strawberry and Oreos. We Can Make Ice Cream Out Of Anything icecreamrolls chips amicachips rollingicecream icerolls snacks. They offer up five different kinds of fresh fruit, and you can add as many as you want…oh, and Oreos. This stand is sandwiched in between Bacon Nation and a legit sammy shop, so it’s basically Murderer’s Row, bro. Since 2016, we have brought the concept of rolled ice cream to the forefront of event planning, making it one of the biggest requests by event organisers and clients. We bring captivating entertainment and delicious ice cream rolls to every corner of the country. 50 Upper Alabama St SW, Suite 74, Atlanta, GA 30303. But when they chop it, drop it and open up shop it right in front of you, well, that’s more than worth the price of admission-which is actually just five bucks! Frew & Co are the premium rolled ice cream brand in the UK. We provide single servings of made-to-order ice cream hand-rolled to our customers preferences. I sweated right through my Affliction tank-top, bro! And on a day like today, ice cream pretty much sells itself. Dude, it was like 270 degrees in Toronto this afternoon.