#needless to say Alexa was not impressed

[sammysamstuff]

Will: “Alexa I accidentally offered my body to my hot male shrink while leaning against a ladder. What should I do?”

Will later that week: “Alexa is it okay to drink wine with my hot male shrink during our appointment?”

Will later on the same day: “Alexa can I adopt a teenage girl with my hot male shrink?”

1x10 || 2x12

#girl what kind of therapy is this

[jace-writes-about-things]

A Conjured Bed

Alexa play Hot In Here! Yes, we finally have some smut! Bare with me please because this is the first piece of smut that I have written in a LONG time, I've tried to do this man justice but please if you feel like I haven't tell me! Pointers are always accepted, anyways please accept horny Gale <3

After stumbling across Gale’s apparent mentor, Elminster who had not only forced his way into camp but had come baring a mission from Mystra, a mission that she demanded Gale to basically kill himself to destroy the Absolute, needless to say Tav was seething with rage which considering Halsin had informed their party that he needed assistance protecting a portal from attacking forces so that he could retrieve Thaniel, Tav was more than happy to cut down some enemies in the name of blowing off some steam. Meant at least she would lodge her longsword in the heads of some bad guys instead of misplacing her weapon in the next innocent that annoyed her, or worse one of her campmates.

After a long battle of seemingly endless shadow monsters and undead being thrown at the party left, right and centre Halsin emerged from his barely standing portal clutching a small child in his arms, this must have been Thaniel the poor child looked exhausted, Tav quickly urged Halsin back to camp before taking a moment to assess the damage everyone had sustained during the rather strenuous fight. Glancing sideways she noticed a hungry look in Gale’s eyes pointed directly at her, the stares meaning going directly over Tav’s head she approached Gale with concern, “Gale? Are you all right do you need an artifact? Has Elminster’s magic on you failed?” Confusing his hunger for her with his hunger for magical items Gale seemed to redden in colour at the misinterpretation, “No, it’s just, it’s quite thrilling, to fight off such grim creatures as this region throws at us. Especially being at your side.” He seemed to pause, considering his next words carefully, “I once read a book that explained in some detail the effect a brush with danger has on one’s desire for… other forms of stimulation.”

“Have you ever read anything on that subject?” Tav couldn’t believe what she was hearing, the big bad barbarian reduced to, silence, stunned with what he was propositioning her with in front of everyone no less… “You’re attracted to me… in a place like this?” She wanted to flirt back but given their audience she was hesitant, “I can’t imagine anywhere that would turn my heart away from you, cursed or otherwise. You’d always be as beautiful, and as impressive.”

“Perhaps it’s just the thrill of our near-undead experience talking. But standing at your side through such darkness and disrepair. It only makes me want you more.” Tav was ready to jump his bones right there and then, again given if they hadn’t had an audience, she would have let him take her right there and then below the Last Light Inn safe haven, but her hooded eyes must have given her dirty intentions away as Gale simply smirked and shut down every thought racing through her mind.

“Unfortunately, this is neither the time nor place to indulge such feelings. So, we must be patient and push all such thoughts aside. For now.” With a wink and a smirk, he set off to gather any useful supplies from the bodies the party had surrounded themselves in, the wind knocked out of Tav’s lungs as she stood in disbelief, this wizard had stood and confessed the dirty things he wished to do to her and just walked off like she wasn’t standing there dumbfounded with wet panties, a pitied pat on her back from Karlach and a “No luck soldier” thrown her way brought her crashing back to reality, shaking off the daze he had thrown her into Tav quickly gathered herself and assisted the party in ransacking bodies for valuables.

Only after they had assisted Shadowheart in abandoning Shar and freeing the Nightsong did anything from that night of battle come to fruition. Returning to camp after freeing the Nightsong Tav found a mirror image of Gale standing in his tent where the real Gale should have been, given instructions by the rather goofy mirror image was she transported to a clearing in some woods and there in front of her he sat, staring up to the stars on his blanket he had spread out for the both of them to rest on. All the thoughts of that night came rushing back to Tav in an instant her body and mind remembering all the things she wanted to do to that man that night as he had stood dangling the prospect of a night of passion in front of her face. Turning round to look at who had joined him his smile set her core ablaze. She knew he wished to speak to her of his given mission from Mystra but all she simply wanted to do was spend a night under the stars with this man, this man who ignited such passion within her.

“I love this time of night.” Came his simple greeting as she allowed herself to sink to the floor beside him, “There’s almost a reverent silence that accompanies the peak of darkness when you’d almost believe the dawn will never break. The cradle of eternity.” Tav listened to the man’s poetry as he shifted his hand towards the sky, as if he himself was commanding the very stars himself she found herself staring at the beauty above her, unaware of Gale’s loving gaze, “The timelessness of lovers. The most beautiful of fantasies.” She was lost in his words, listening to this man seduce her with utter poetry made her melt, desperate to be consumed with him. As they spoke of his mission from Mystra, Tav noticed Gale becoming consumed by his need to flaunt his magic talents offering a night amongst the stars with her, but Tav was not swayed, she simply wanted this man in the most carnal, human way possible.

Standing, Tav dragged him to his feet willing to show her commitment to the moral man that the hunger inside her from that night had reignited full force, gazing at him with hooded eyes she slowly slunk to her knee’s gentle touches down his legs on her way down. Gazing up at him revealed just how touch starved Gale was, his fists clenched at his sides as if holding himself back from the true desire he craved, with a smile she gave him her full permission, “Don’t be afraid Gale, I won’t break, use me as you please.” With a swift hand grabbing her hair to force her back to her feet and his lips crashing into hers in a desperate kiss she paced backwards at his command, finding the backs of her legs hitting a soft bed.

Allowing herself to fall backwards out of his grasp, she fell backwards onto a rather soft, cushioned bed, gazing up at him taking in his dishevelled appearance, the usual put together wizard was panting, looking down at her with raw desire in his eyes that tried to convey every single way he wanted to take her, she definitely wasn’t getting any sleep tonight.

Kneeling between her legs, his hands slowly trailing their way up to the waistband of her sleep clothes, looking to her with a plea, begging to let him remove the barrier and let him have his way with her. Her own hands shifting down to help him shimmy her trousers and underclothes down with them, his soft hands returning to her hips to caress her hips, “You are more beautiful than any skyline my hands could ever conjure.” Readying herself to reply to his compliments Tav was swiftly cut off with a kiss to her mound, her hips reaching up to meet him but a surprisingly strong arm clamping over her hips to prevent their movement fixed her to the bed below. His comments of a practised tongue came flashing back to her mind as he carefully took her clit into his mouth, laving it with all the attention she desired moaning into the night as her hands found their way into his hair threatening to rip the locks from his hair if he even dared thinking of stopping, her hips fought against him as he brought her closer and closer to her peak, and just before she got there he pressed a soft kiss to her mound and pulled away as much as her tight grip would allow him to.

“I’m sorry love, I know you don’t want me to stop but the only place you’ll be coming tonight is around my cock.” He was almost staring into her soul as he looked up, his beard drenched in her juices and all she wanted in that moment was to kiss him, let her taste herself on his lips.

Making his way up her body, gentle kisses and touches as he went, feeling his way along her hips, up her sides, to her breasts, committing her entire body to his memory before arriving at her lips, teasing him tongue at her entrance allowing her the opportunity to pull away if she found this uncomfortable in any way, but his doubts were quickly squashed with her lips connecting with his, drinking in her taste on his lips allowing herself to taste herself on his tongue. “Please Gale.” She pulled away, begging for the release she craved, release only he could give her.

Giving her a soft parting peck he knelt above her, removing his own clothing making a bit of a show of it with each piece of removed clothing, letting her hands roam his body to discover all parts of him, everything. Leaning back down he gently kissed her body before guiding himself to her entrance, holding eye contact as he gently slid in, allowing himself to moan out as he bottomed out, stilling inside of her finally slipping inside of her felt like absolute heaven and it took all of his willpower to not cum there and then. “You feel absolutely divine my love, you feel absolutely amazing.” He moaned into her mouth, kissing her softly she felt like putty in his hands, “Gale please I need you to move.” The words were gasped out as he began thrusting, like he had knocked the wind out her lungs with the force, her once words were reduced to moans and gasps, grasping onto his shoulders clawing at skin at the overwhelming pleasure.

Although she had had a number of fantasies and dreams about this moment, but nothing she had dreamed or fantasised could compare to being here with Gale, letting herself be consumed with the overwhelming feeling of Gale. He was all encompassing, he was everywhere all at once, in front of her, surrounding her, inside her, grasping at his shoulders trying to take him in deeper to become one with him, “I’m not going to last much longer love.” Gale gasped out as his hand reached down to circle her clit, suddenly it was stars surrounding her, not so dissimilar to the stars he had conjured for her, stars and then blinding white with gasp Tav let go, let herself be all consumed.

Back to reality, a sweaty and sated Gale lay atop her holding him closer as she ran her hands along his spine, helping to bring the man down from his high. Gentle breathing and soft kisses to her chest, she gazed down at him as he looked up at her with nothing but love in his eyes, “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.” His hand reaching up to stroke her face, she could do nothing but smile at this man and his genuine love for her, such as soft man that she felt nothing but the utmost love for.

“Hope you know, we aren’t done just yet.” His smirk returned as he slid himself down, ready to continue their escapades into the wee hours of the morning, Tav definitely was not getting any sleep tonight.

Cross Posted on Ao3 - jacethed00d

[amythedvdhoarder]

Making Decisions

Pairing: Steve x Reader

Summary: Steve lets something slip which results in you being removed from missions. Needless to say you’re not impressed

Warnings: Little bit of angst, the occasional bad language word, implied smut and lots of fluffy goodness.

Word count: 3.3K

A/N: (Gif not mine) I love a fluffy fic and am going through a Steve phase right now. Sooooo why not combine the two in honour of amazing August writing challenge hosted by the lovely @stargazingfangirl18​ and @navybrat817. I used the prompt “We’re not done yet.” 

Not beta read, any mistakes are my own.

Reblogs and feedback are most welcome, so let me know what you think x

Masterlist

xxx

You bit down on your bottom lip hard, the coppery taste of blood told you the delicate flesh had torn under the pressure. The sensation was the only think stopping you from shouting at the men sat opposite you. The anger coursing through you was simmering just below the surface, threatening to reveal itself at any minute.

Steve knew just by looking at you. How could he not? Your knee was bouncing up and down in an attempt to keep your temper at bay, eyes flashing dangerously in open defiance of what you were being told. What Steve was more concerned about was what was going to happen when you got home that night. He knew he was going to be in for it. He had told Tony the news in confidence as a warning, but Tony being Tony had jumped the gun, told Fury and it had been taken out of his hands. He hadn’t even realised what this meeting was about until you had walked in and he had put two and two together.

“We just think it’s for the best,” Fury said matter of factly.

“Do I at least get to ask why? I am still more than capable of doing my job,” you tried to keep the frustration out of your voice but you could tell by Steve’s wince next to you it hadn’t worked.

“Come on Y/N, it’s obvious isn’t it. This way we can guarantee your safety but also it prevents missions being compromised; we couldn’t do our jobs if we have to worry about you the whole time,” Tony replied.

“Worry about me? I am more than capable of taking care of myself. What is really pissing me off is that it isn’t your decision to make,” your voice was getting louder. Steve reached out and put his hand on your thigh, trying to calm you down. But the dirty look you shot him made him pull it back quickly and raise his hands apologetically.

“Y/N you’re not being fair. We have a responsibility to take care of the team. We are only do this because we care about you. It’s only 18months. You’re going to be occupied anyway,” Tony countered yet again.

You rounded on Steve now. “Have you got anything to say about this Captain?” His eyes widened at your challenge but he remained silent. Steve should have been backing you up but opted to remain silent, his silence speaking volumes to you; he agreed with them.

“Seems the decision is made. If you need anything don’t bother asking me.” The men didn’t have time to react as you got to your feet and headed out of the conference room.

Steve glared at Tony and Fury. Tony had the decency to look a little bit guilty about what had just happened but Fury, well he just shrugged, seemingly satisfied with the outcome.

“Steve-,” Tony started.

“Save it Tony, a heads up would have been nice.” Steve cut him off before heading out to follow you back to the apartment.

You heard footsteps behind you, knowing it would be Steve, you didn’t bother turning around. He was partly to blame for this.  As you reached your apartment you didn’t bother closing the door. You went straight to the bedroom and started pulling out your gym clothes. You heard the door go and Steve walk in. Ignoring him you went into the bathroom and locked the door. Steve sat on the bed and waited patiently for you to come out, hoping you were a little calmer and would be willing to listen.

Five minutes later you emerged; hair pulled up into a high pony all ready for the gym. He didn’t say anything but just watched you as you leant down and pulled on your trainers.

“I’m off for a run,” you stated flatly.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” You paused and looked at him.

“I wasn’t asking permission.”

Steve groaned “Honey, can you please stay so we can talk about this?”

“Now you want to talk? Didn’t seem like you had much to say earlier,” you bit back

As Steve stood up and walked towards you, you took another step towards the door.

“Please let me explain.” He sounded desperate now.

“I don’t think so.” You yanked open the door.

“Y/N. We’re not done yet,” he called after you.

xxx

Years ago, you had discovered that running helped clear your head. Whenever you were stressed or wound up an hours run would help put everything into perspective. Actually, running was how you had met Steve. You had been with Sam that day in Washington when Steve showed up, running literal rings around the pair of you. Both of you had followed Steve during his mission to take down Hydra, then during his search for Bucky. After that, when all of you were exiled things shifted between the two of you and the rest was history.

The tension began to leave your body as your feet thudded against the treadmill. You really wanted to go for a run outside of the compound but you knew Steve would have insisted on coming with you, even if you weren’t really on speaking terms. To be honest you understood why you had been taken off missions, you were going to step back anyway, but you wanted to do it on your terms. You had always been fiercely independent, being part of a team was challenging at times but you had always had some input. But having a decision made for you without being consulted made you feel like you weren’t in control anymore.

Steve wanted to follow you down to the gym but realised he needed to give you some space, some time to calm down. He understood why you were pissed off. He would have felt exactly the same. Tony would have to be dealt with later, the stupid idiot probably thought he was helping not realising the fallout telling Fury would cause. Since finding out, Steve had discussed what you wanted to do moving forward; you wanted to complete the last couple of missions you had prepared for, before taking a step back and doing more background work for the team. Steve supported you, he didn’t like it, but it was your decision. Whilst it was inevitable that you would have to cut back your involvement with the team, Steve was also questioning what he should do. He hadn’t discussed it with you yet, but he had an idea.

xxx

He was laying on the bed when you got back from the gym, he glanced up and gave you a quick smile as you disappeared into the bathroom. Your routine never changed after a run; quick shower, pull on one Steve’s t-shirts and follow up with a cup of tea. The tea was waiting for you on the bedside table when you came out of the bathroom.  You climbed onto the bed and turned on your side to face Steve. He mirrored you, leaving a small space between you, staying silent, allowing you to take control.

“Stevie, I’m sorry.” He reached out and swept some loose strands of damp hair back behind your ear.

“So am I. You had every right to be angry. I only told Tony to give him a heads up and also to get his advice. I should of -,” you cut him off by leaning and pressing a kiss to his lips. He sighed into the kiss, before gently rolling you so you were on your back allowing Steve to run his hand over your growing bump, your own hand coming to rest on his.

“Maybe Tony and Fury are right. I would be a liability in the field. Do you really think you would be able to focus if we went on a mission with you?” You gestured to your bump with your free hand.

Steve gave you a half smile “I always keep an eye on you during missions. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened you, even before.”

“Stevie,” you murmured softly as you trailed your fingers up his arm.

“Also, I went to see Fury when you were in the gym,” he paused to check your reaction. You raised your eyebrows in surprise but didn’t say anything. “I’m stepping back, at least until the baby is older. I want to be a good dad so I’m only going to be on day missions after this. That way I’ll be home every night to help,” Steve laced his fingers with yours.

“Steve I-“ your voice barely over a whisper.

“I’m sorry I didn’t discuss it with you first,” his blue eyes locked onto yours. “I just-“ he was babbling nervously now.

“Hey,” you turned to face him again, fingers carding through his hair “I’m not mad Steve. I love you. I just can’t believe your doing this. It’s not like this was planned but I know that our baby is so lucky to have you as a dad.”

“You sure?” Steve was a little surprised by how well you taking this considering the meeting earlier today.

“What about? Being mad, loving you or you being a good dad?” you teased

“Not funny Y/N.” Steve gently rolled you over so that he was straddling your hips, arms on either side of your head, keeping his weight off you. “I love you my baby mama.”

You giggled beneath him and reached up to stroke his cheek. “Isn’t this how all this started Captain?”

“I’m not sure. I’m over a 100, maybe I need a refresher?” He grazed his lips against yours.

Needless to say, your post gym cup of tea was forgotten about completely.

Taglist is open so let me know if you want in or out!

Taglist: @stargazingfangirl18 ,  @silentcoyotesong, @queenofstarliqht​, @buckys-henley​, @lonelyheartsm​, @alexa-lightwood-blog​​, @angrythingstarlight​

[dcarhcarts]

This.....is the 1000th post on this blog, and I definitely waited until that could be true to post it, and that’s honestly? Very fitting. Seriously, you guys are a m a z i n g and I have literally never done a milestone before so I can’t tell you what it’s supposed to look like?? But we’ve somehow Miraculously (tm) managed to reach 100 followers and - anyway, this is going to be me very unprofessionally gushing about everyone because....I love you all and you’re all amazing aaaaaa. I’m??? Literally so blessed to have made friends and write with all of you. Y’all with multiple blogs, I’m only tagging once so I don’t spam your feed ok? And - as usual, this is going to get Long, because everything I do gets Long apparently. I tried to do it chronologically but IDK how well it worked oops.

THE LOVES OF MY LIFE, THE SUN IN MY EYES, MY MOON AND STARS

@ccrrupticn  / D!!!! you are?? literally the reason I made this blog?? Without you, this thing would n o t mcfreaking exist omg!! You’re such an amazing writer (seriously, you manage so many muses and you give them all such distinct voices??? witchcraft???) and also so ???ridiculously kind! I love gushing to you about our Kids and you’re honestly A Saint (tm) for dealing with all of my blog construction/life related breakdowns, my crazy crossover headcanons and crashing into your inbox rambling about musicals <3 I miss talking to you so hmu whenever you come back if you want!!

@personnages /  Lynna!! You’re like an Actual Angel. I think you were the first person!! who talked to me??  And You were So Nice and Welcoming that you literally soothed half of my fears coming into rpc like immediately?? You basically helped me figure out how diminutives work and you’re responsible for me adding at least 3 of my muses and I cannot tell you how much I love you and every time you pop onto my dash/feed/discord/etc, it just makes me happy inside <3 Definitely 100000% will follow you to every blog (if you’ll have me lmao) regardless of fandom!! i’m super excited about all of our ship/friendship roulettes and you’re just an absolute joy to talk to.

@nikolacvnas / LYDIA goodness you are a W O N D E R. Probably the best? Historically based blog I’ve ever encountered, and definitely one of my favorite parts of the Anastasia rpc!! The care and research and attention to detail that goes into your portrayals are a s t o n i s h i n g? Your Tatya is divine, your Maria is So Lovely and I Cry For Joy that you write Dima honestly. I’d been eyeing your blog for a little bit before I made my own - and I was honestly a little scared of you when we started cause you are a GODDESS and I am a potato, but then we talked??? and you’re hilarious and a ridiculously kind person and I love you? And of course, I love your dog (the cutest in the universe).

@mythostold / LESLIE~  Different blog, same story~ Man, I’ve been following you since maybe day two of this blog being active? No matter which fandom you end up in and which muse you write, you have such!! good!!! takes!!! For one, I love reading your meta posts??? Like you’re just so incredibly passionate about your muses?? And your writing style is so good aaaaaaa it’s so atmospheric. And on top of all of that - you’re??? such a sweet and incredible??? person??? And I love talking to you boo <3 

@lifeawoke  /  NAT BBYSWEET <3 <3 <3  I have told the story of how I did a victory dance when you followed me to d e a t h probably but it’s t r u e your writing is amazing and your blog is amazing and y o u are amazing! You are the Natasha to my Sonya, and literally every time you send me a musing I’m like immediate-goofy-grin-heart-eyes???? It’s honestly a crime we don’t have more threads but like you’re an absolute joy to talk to and meme with and I adore you/your portrayal of beautiful bratty Natasha even if she drives my Sonya up the wall <3 You are Definitely the Funny Mutual lololol I crack up so much talking to you <3

@valianceearned / CARP you’re an amazing person/writer and holy h e c k am I impressed by your OCs!! They’re all so well thought out and developed? Your bios are so detailed and so much love and care is put into all of your characters. And your writing is so Lovely and it’s also very aesthetically lovely like holy heck the amount of work you put into both the content and the formatting? I am agog, I am aghast!! 

@gearsandlevers / Callie!!!!! YOU ROUND ALL THE CORNERS I STRAIGHTEN THE CURVES!! love your kids so much. Your Violet is a delightfully clever and likeable kid, your Evan might have literally walked off the stage two seconds ago, and you’ve put so much thought into your cinnabon stoner Henry. Your dialogue is amazing and I love our headcanon sessions lobbing ideas back and forth with you!! 

@spareisms / HEY MAGGIE GUESS WHAT YOU’RE WORTH MELTING FOR!!  You’re like the sweetest person alive??? How are you an Actual Real Life Disney Princess?? Your Anna is so well characterized and multi layered and I love how she an be so flawed but so brave and just how human she is. I’m very excited for your Anne Shirley too!! You’re a great writer (and a super sweet person aaaa) and I love you!! 

@gcneralvaganov /  Deanna, I have just one question: How? Have we only known each other for like 2 months???? It feels like my dash would literally be incomplete without you??  You play such deeply complex and incredibly flawed muses with such a great depth of respect and humanity. I love all of our AUs (we.....probably have a dozen by now), our long fix-canon tangents, and....look the inevitable conclusion to this whole thing is that we should....basically just write Anastasia tbh???  You’re incredibly funny and kind and talented and I’m so glad I yeeted myself into your IMs that first time 2 months ago! I love you, I love your muses, (Dima and Anya love their Dumb Boyfriend), and I love writing with you! 

@ncvaflows / ALEXA YOU ABSOLUTE LEGEND YOU. You??? Unlocked Ultimate AU Mode Ro and it’s like I c a n ‘ t stop?? First off, I cannot believe we literally own the same books and like the same barbie movies. How are we not literally the same person??  (Maybe w e ’ r e Anneliese and Erika lmao). Honestly from day 1 you’ve been so welcoming and lovely and I’m so glad we crashed into each other’s IMs yelling at top volume about random ya lit/movies/aus!! I adore literally all of your OCs (is everyone a b s o l u t e l y sure they’re not canon??? hmmmmm a Mystery)???? In the words of Li Shang, “You WRITE GOOD????” Anyway you’re amazing and I love you <3

WHILE IT’S DEFINITELY MY FAULT FOR BEING AN ANXIOUS BEAN WE REALLY NEED TO TALK MORE OFTEN CAUSE I LOVE YOU

@curtainrisen / Rebekah, dude, you’re a wonder. Your muses??? So diverse, and your voices for them? Super on the nose and amazing. I love your Helene and how human she is, and I really gotta toss more of my kids at you (Super excited for Duke!!). You’re real chill to meme with and I love talking/writing with you!!

@heartlosttravelers / Tor!! I love that you stan Raoul de Chagny So Hard ( the pure cinnamon roll boy deserves it honestly) and you’re super cool and great to talk to! All your muses are a m a z i n g and I always love the read when you pop up on my dash! 

@damerusse / Marie!! You’re hella chill. Your memes???? 10000000% actually legendary. Meming with you cracks me The Heck Up. Lily is forever the puppy dealer, that is all, thank you, gnight. Ok for real though - your Lily is pretty Legendary too and you really got all that Spark and Fire right down. You’re amazing, and I love stalking your threads on my dash!  

@lionhvrted / Fortune, my buddy my pal, we really be Out Here making Jane Austen plots even m o r e rom-com. Like. How did we manage that??? We might be literally magical lmao. We don’t have a ton of stuff going on at the moment but I love our dumb pining kids and I love the justice and humanity you give to your Caroline, and Fitzy loves his (future) wife.

@guvernantka / P R U E I already love our Exasperated Big Sis / Annoying Lil Sis / LITERALLY WHO EVEN ARE YOU YOU SMELLY DUMBASS LIL BRO IN LAW dynamic. You have the Best Sense of Humor (tm) and I’m always catching you when it’s like 12 in the morning here so I’m always cracking up silently in bed trying not to wake my roommies up. 

@anastcsie / I LOVE OUR ANGRY SMOL AND DIRTY TOL YOUNG-BUT-OLD MARRIED COUPLE AND THEIR OLDEST DAUGHTER NAMED MARIA ALREADY.  I love your Anya and how feisty and fiery she is (Dima, needless to say, loves his wife) and I love how chill (and hilarious!!) you are as a person. We do have a tendency to turn into angst monsters 24/7 but honestly that’s half the fun!! 

@asundrop / Polly!!!! ok so I know we haven’t really done anything w/ Raps (yet muahaha) BUT b o y was I hella excited when I found someone willing to yell about CDrama with me??? Thank you for being the Eternally Stoic/Always Annoyed Ancient God to my Tiny Dumb Fox Princess?? I love them and I love you (you’re hella cool) so there! 

@moretreasurewithin / KAAAATE goodness it’s only been a couple of days but I’m So Comfortable talking to you already? You’re just honestly really amazingly kind and I love screaming about Anastasia with you. We gotta get more going but I love your Dima and Maria Already (tm) and I love your sense of humor (here’s to torturing Dima with ties!!) and I can’t wait to get to know you better!

@annastrxng / AAAA somehow I managed to chat with you and then?? We never got anything going and it’s definitely mostly my fault cause of that High Anxiety (and also the fact that I got Immediately Busy) but you are literally So Nice and The Most Understanding and super great to talk to!! I hope we get something going in the future!! 

@soulcrossed / ROSE we have the same name I keep forgetting this lmao BUT ANYWAY. All your muses?? Amazing. You gotta throw more of them at me. Your Sophie?? Are you Actually Diana Wynn Jones in disguise?? I love our crazy au/headcanon sessions and I love/hate that you’re The Worst Enabler and I’m inevitably going to end up with the other two Hatter sisters on this blog lmao. 

I HAVEN’T TALKED TO YOU TON YET BUT HI!!! YOU SEEM CHILL!!

@alonecour / @steeledstark / @professor-of-predators / @sclskinn / @dulcettc / @volaticoux / @frxncaise / @argelfrasterr / @i-wrote-myway / @zharptiitsa / @villainsfall / @anyaromanovarp / @agoodandloyalrussian / @aliquisinter 

AND EVERY ONE OF Y’ALL AMAZING PEOPLE OUT THERE I’M ADMIRING SILENTLY FROM AFAR EVEN NOW BECAUSE I CHICKENED OUT OF TAGGING YOU LAST MINUTE CAUSE WHAT IF YOU’RE LIKE “LMAO WHO IS THIS WEIRDO TAGGING ME??” (p.s. this is 100000% permission to slide into my IMs/like a plotting call/etc. I honestly think y’all are hella cool and probably love you already)

[0nlyfiends]

i told alexa to play despacito and she said she couldn’t unless i signed up for the trial of some app BUT she said she’d play a radio station compiled of music similar to despacito

and me! by taylor swift started playing

needless to say i am not impressed

[thepriceofburning]

They sat around the long table exchanging pleasant conversation in the dimly lit central room of their suite. Candlelight shifted shadows about in stuttering movement and the pop and crackle from the huge fireplace added the occasional cheerful note to the sound of conversation.

The double storey suite had six adjoining bedrooms; three upstairs and three downstairs. Across the hall was another similarly large but less extravagant suite that their “guard” was rooming in. Taya, Darien, and the faux ladies in waiting had claimed the downstairs quarters, while Alexa, Chanta, and Dani had happily settled upstairs.

Dinner was more comfortable than expected. With Darien at the head of the table, Chanta, Danaeal, and Meryarna on his left, Taya and Alexa on his right, and John at the other end, they had all managed to maintain a mostly meaningless conversation through the first two courses. But now that Mery had become more comfortable in their presence, it became clear that she was having a hard time not asking questions of a more personal nature.

As coffee was placed before the women, and brandy before the men, the conversation lapsed into silence that quickly grew uncomfortable. Taya almost sighed with relief when artistically displayed desserts were placed before them and Alexa exclaimed at its beauty. The echoes of agreement seemed to relieve the tension enough for Mery to put forth what had been on the tip of her tongue.

“I have to ask,” she said, choosing her words carefully, “is it common for men to have many wives in the South?”

A small, surreptitious grin passed between Taya and Dani. The four of them had been quietly communicating all night and had taken bets during the first course on how long it would take her to ask. Taya had won.

Darien lifted his hand and tilted it in a so-so gesture. “It’s an old tradition from before the divide. A man who had many wives was a man who had plenty. It would be foolhardy to have more than one could provide for. Especially when taken into consideration that many wives generally mean many children.” He idly fingered the brandy glass before him. “These days people prefer to measure their wealth in gold rather than wives, but it is not uncommon among the upper class. Particularly amongst the more traditional families.”

Mery smiled prettily. “Might I assume you are from one of those families?”

Darien's response was a charming smile as he raised his brandy glass in salute. In one smooth movement he emptied the glass and lowered it back to the table, the server quickly coming to refill it.

John’s voice, quiet yet commanding, rumbled from the other end of the table. “I can’t help but notice that your surname is particularly Northern. Not something I’d expect from traditional Southern loyalists.”

Taya felt the tension build palpably as John and Darien eyed off across the table. She wondered if he asked the question because he already suspected something was off or because it was just in his nature to do so. Either way, it had made Darien prickle.

She looked across the table to Chanta who was hiding a small smile behind her coffee cup as she sipped. Li se byen filè. I like him. Chanta’s heavily accented voice passed through the minds of all the Elites.

He is very sharp. Taya agreed.

Dani’s voice joined the conversation. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Darien squirm before. I’m quite enjoying this.

Alexa’s tinkling giggle was almost enough to break Taya’s composure. She chanced a sideways glance and saw Alexa daintily nibbling on cake and looking oblivious. Feeling Taya’s eyes on her she lifted her gaze and met Taya’s. Only centuries of knowledge knew that the tiny little crinkle in the corner of her eye was the shadow of a smile. Taya gave her a wink.

She was not at all surprised that Dani would get great satisfaction from Darien's discomfort though. When they had found her in Kingshead she had been branded a lunatic for telling anyone who would listen about the monsters among them. People thought that the loss of her husband and son in a horrific murder had broken her mind. After years of being called insane, learning of the Thyfa had made her both ecstatic and furious.

When she had joined them, she had already developed a strong ability as Air, and they had all been quite impressed. She had immediately been offered the position of Elite and told all that such a life would entail. She had spent half the day telling Darien what she thought of him for even suggesting that people should live such a life, and spent the next half telling him why she would accept anyway.

Needless to say, Dani and Darien were not the best of friends. They managed to be polite and respectful of each other, but their mutual and sometimes rather open dislike of each other made more than that impossible. Even so, she trusted him. Maybe even admired him. She smiled now not only because Darien was being challenged but because she trusted in his ability to rise to it. He would handle the situation as he did everything else - with cool confidence and that damned cocky attitude.

“That’s quite true,” Darien said finally. “It is a rather Northern name but the family has always been proud that they could be traced back to a time before the divide. Heritage and all that.” His mouth turned up in a smile that he directed at Mery. “Actually my mother was quite a progressive thinker, politically speaking. She always said that you don’t learn new things from following old ways, which is why she sent me North for schooling when I was younger. She wanted my eyes opened to new perspectives. I actually spent much of my youth in the High Forest with my nanny, my tutor and my guard, who was also my trainer.”

Mery’s face lit up with further questions, but John jumped in before she could ask them. “And did it? Give you a new perspective?”

Chanta’s fingers toyed with one of her hair beads. What do you think he is hoping to find out?

I don’t know, Taya replied curiously. She wondered if John even knew what he was poking at.

Darien's smile suddenly turned wolfish and she found herself waiting for his next words, as though some great drama was playing out before her. “Yes actually, it did,” he answered smoothly. “It gave me the eyes with which to see Taya.” His eye found her fondly and with a hint of challenge. “If not for my time away from the haughtiness of court I might never have seen her at all.”

Suddenly all eyes were on her and she exuded self-control, holding back the snarl she wanted to deliver Darien at that moment. She did her best to look like she was blushing while she silently cursed him.

“Why don’t you tell our hosts how we met, my dear?”

Either the other three women had decided to stay silent, or leave her out of the conversation, but they all now smiled openly, enjoying the show. A glance at Mery showed her with a bright and eager smile. A longer look at John showed him sitting almost lazily in his chair, eyes and mind sharp, but disarmingly relaxed.

At that moment the staff came to clear the dessert plates and refill coffee cups. Other people would have used the spare moments to make sure they had their story straight. Taya just wished they’d hurry up so she could get it over with. Playing princess was starting to grate on her.

A cool brush of fingers against her hand and she looked over to Alexa who gave her a bolstering smile. She returned a gentle one of her own. When the plates were cleared she took her place in the spotlight, focusing her tale on the most eager recipient - Mery.

“Honestly I was just a street kid that got lucky. I was orphaned fairly young and wound up on the streets doing odd jobs for money. Occasionally I would be able to get work at the big house where Darien’s mother lived. Helping in the kitchens or the gardens. Things like that. I’d heard she had a son but I’d never seen him before, not that I expected to, mind you. Orphans are hardly among the interests of a young duke.” She cast a sideways smile at Darien, who had the good sense to look a little worried at where the story was going.

“So one day,” she continued, “I went there to see if they had any jobs for me, and I hear these people fighting on the other side of the hedges. So I start shoving past people, running around the gardens trying to figure out where this ruckus was coming from. I was no stranger to the rougher side of life, and I was utterly convinced that someone needed help. Naturally, being the tough kid I was, the help was going to come from me.”

There was a brief moment of chuckling from around the table, and Taya shot Chanta a small mischievous smile. “So I come around the corner in the garden, and there I see this boy, a man really, screaming curses at this chicken while he’s trying to catch it. Meanwhile his trainer is standing on these empty chicken cages, banging them with a sword yelling, ‘Feint, boy! Feint!’”

Alexa could not contain her giggle and it immediately set off rolls of laughter. Taya didn’t dare look at Darien for fear that she would start crying from laughter, but she cast her eyes to John. Something in her stomach moved at the sight of the amused grin on his face.

Pulling herself back together, she continued with her tale. “Of course, I thought it was ridiculous that this nigh on man didn’t know how to catch a chicken. So I walked right in, snatched up a bird and handed it to him.”

This time John chuckled and the movement in her stomach became a complete roll. Her eyes couldn’t help but settle on his. “Naturally he declared it was unfair because the chicken hadn’t been expecting me.”

“Naturally,” he replied with a teasing grin. For just a moment his eyes seemed to capture her.

A faint, but decidedly masculine prod at her mind jolted her back to the telling. “So we spent all day chasing chickens and just being stupid and when the sun went down I realized I had no money, and nothing to eat. But Darien had shared his food with me so I figured I’d be alright, and went to trudge back to my hovel. Then he stopped me. I think it wasn’t until that moment that he realized I was wearing rags.”

She turned her eyes to Darien then and they were full of genuine gratitude and love. “He asked me if I needed a place to stay, and he took me in.”

The memory that played through her mind was little different than the one she had told. She had been 14 and he a grown man. She remembered the way he had helped her to her feet and cast a troubled eye over the two of them before he had asked if they had a safe place to stay that night. If not for Alexa’s thin and shivering form protectively tucked against her side, she would have told him they did and scurried away. But the idea of a real meal and a warm fire for Alexa had sold her on the idea, and if she could steal some stuff on the way out even better.

That night she had slept under a silken quilt, caving to Alexa’s begging requests that they stay until morning. Two and a bit centuries later, here they were. It had been a good life. “He’s been stuck with me ever since.”

The five of them shared a moment that was not seen, or heard, but felt. No matter what their differences or disagreements, they had become a family. First through Darien's care of Taya and Alexa, and then with the addition of Chanta and Dani. She loved them all deeply.

She locked her mind down hard as an unspoken sorrow threatened to rip through her.

Mery soaked it all up with glistening eyes and a wondrous smile. “That is beautiful.” She cast her eyes around the table. “How did the rest of you meet the Duke?”

Seeing her escape, Taya nominated the next victim. “We rescued Chanta from a life of service to the Sea God.”

Chanta, all too happy to regale Mery with tales from her days at the temple, firmly took her place as the center of attention. Taking a deep breath, Taya tried to shake off the emotions that had crept up on her. None of the others made a question of her sudden withdrawal, used to her carefully guarded emotions, and she was glad for it.

She looked down at the coffee cup that sat at her fingertips and wished it were brandy.

As though he read her mind, John’s hand, holding his brandy, reached out and gently touched the back of hers. Her eyebrow rose as fraction as she turned her eyes to him, and he raised his brandy glass in offering.

She hesitated at the open display of kindness. Surely he couldn’t read her so well.

He leaned forward with a soft smile and spoke quietly. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone you’re made of down.” He tilted the glass a fraction. “Go ahead.”

She smiled at the statement. Made of down? It was probably the first time anyone in her whole life had judged her to be soft. She shook her head so slightly that it might have gone unnoticed had he not been watching her so intently.

She took the glass from him lightly and sipped, keeping his gaze the whole time, trying to learn something from the soft brown eyes.

When she handed the glass back, he took it casually and leaned back in his chair. Resuming the guise of the aloof predator, he did something she would never have expected. He winked at her.

Her stomach flipped again, and the faint smile on her face became mild confusion. Why was she reacting this way? Any other man would have earned her scorn with that gesture alone. Why not him?

Turning her eyes from him she shifted a little uncomfortably and tried to focus on the conversation, but for the next 30 minutes she heard nothing but the intense silence beside her as John observed the interaction.

Every now and then he shifted, or sipped from his glass, and she became acutely and uncomfortably aware of the distance between them. She started to wish there was a way she could excuse herself just to clear his presence from her being.

The moving of chairs across the polished hardwood made her aware that dinner had finally, and thankfully, ended. All standing they exchanged their good nights, Mery cheerfully, and John formally, and then they were gone. Taya suddenly felt like she’d been holding her breath.

When the carts loaded with dishes and trays were rolled out and the door closed, everyone visibly relaxed. Even Chanta looked strained after the daylong act. All except Darien, who seemed quite content and rolled his shoulders as he told them they would go over events in the morning. Taya watched with chagrin as he strolled into his room and closed the door behind him.

Kalten, the leader of her back up team, sat on the chair John had vacated and propped his hand on his knee. “Well, that was interesting.”

Taya shook her head slightly, knowing he’d seen the interaction between her and John that everyone else had missed. “More than a little.”

Alexa leaned her hip against the table. “The Commander is interesting.”

Taya slid a quieting glance to Kalten who carefully kept his features neutral. “Yes, he is. Now get me the hell out of this dress.”

***************************************************************************************

Firmly out of earshot of the suite and it’s contingent Mery slipped her hand into the crook of John's arm. “So what do you think of them?” She asked in excited tones.

John frowned a little. “I don’t know yet.”

Mery’s hazel eyes lost a touch of their sparkle. “I sense some concern there.”

They passed the guards at the end of the hall with a nod. “Something is not right with them, Mery. You didn’t notice anything that seemed off?”

Her brows lowered as she thought. “I don’t think so. What do you mean exactly?”

He couldn’t help but smile at her innocent acceptance of their guests, and his eyes looked down at her with affection. “As a whole they make a perfect picture, correct?” When she nodded uncertainly he continued. “Now consider them each individually. Alexa, for example. She is not anywhere near as shy or stupid as she pretends to be. She hardly said a single word over dinner, but I could practically feel her soaking up all the information and storing it. And Danaeal might be the image of a poised lady, but there is definitely dissention between her and Darien. There’s something not quite at ease there. Chanta on the other hand has a very familiar act. It’s the same as mine. Sit back, let people get comfortable with you, be ready to handle whatever gets thrown at you. But underneath under all that calm she’s a coiled snake. If I had to lay down money I’d say she’s every bit of a warrior.”

“And Taya?” Mery asked, when he didn’t add her to the list.

Something inside him expanded and contracted in the space of a heartbeat. He found it very uncomfortable. “She’s the bad girl, the playful seductress, the maiden in distress… None of them fit quite right though. Little pieces of herself keep slipping through.” He shook his head to clear her green eyes from his mind. “Now consider them as a group again. Four very different women, all playing very different roles. What’s the common thread?”

“Darien?” Mery ventured.

John nodded. “Yes, Darien. And he is slimy, Mery. Something about him feels wrong.”

They walked in silence a moment, John’s brows drawn down in concentration. Mery’s voice was tentative when she gently pulled him to a stop. “John, I can only imagine that women in their positions have expectations they must live up to, roles to play to gain acceptance. And,” she added slowly, “the Duke may be a little more dangerous than he would have us believe, but… none of that means they have some ulterior motive.”

John crossed his arms over his chest and regarded her with restrained admiration. “And what makes you think I was looking for one?”

She laughed lightly. “Because I know you. You’re always looking for the hidden bits.” Her smile turned a bit nervous and she clasped her hands in front of herself. “There is one thing you may not have taken into consideration with all your…” she waved a hand in the air, searching for the right word, “gauging.”

His eyes narrowed a little as he considered her sudden uncertainty. “What’s that?”

“You and Tayanara. Your energies. They seem to be synchronizing a lot.” She gave a self-conscious shrug. “It could be both of you trying to get a read on each other, but that kind of synchronicity usually means something a little more intimate.” She interlocked her fingers for a moment. “There’s a lot of meshing happening there.”

He let out a long breath as he regarded her. “Careful, Mery. Your inner romantic is showing.”

Mery’s face lit in a small and mischievous smile. “And said inner romantic might be just a touch interested in what you’ll have to say about Taya after you take her on a tour of the guard tomorrow. Especially considering it will just be the two of you.”

He shook his head and put his hand gently against the small of her back, moving her along with him. “She’s married to a Duke who is here to ‘foster peace between the people’” he said in mocking tones. “And she is definitely up to something. There’ll be no romances happening there.”

Mery looked up at him with adoring eyes, and slipped her arm around his waist. Such close physical contact was such a rare thing from Mery that it made his heart swell with warm love. “Never say never, John. Besides, if any woman has a weakness it’s a little romance.”

He considered in pensive silence, clear green eyes still at the forefront of his mind.

***************************************************************************************

In a dark quiet room voices whispered from mind to mind.

He’s going to be trouble.

Isn’t that what we want?

Yes, but not like this. We want her focused, not distracted.

A small silence lapsed, and he took the moment to refill his glass, taking a long sip when he lifted it to his lips.

She’ll do what needs to be done, Darien, the voice whispered through his mind. I’ll see to it.

Knocking back the rest of his drink he smiled into the darkness. Patience was not a skill his beautiful Fire had mastered, but its lack could definitely be put to use.

The Merciless Fire was the name she earned among the Voro. The most feared and reviled of the Thyfa. She gave no quarter, showed no kindness, and took no time for deeper thought. Thinking was hesitation. Hesitation was death. Once she set her eyes on a target there was nothing else.

Oddly enough, he was looking forward to knowing what that felt like. It shocked him a little that his heart picked up pace at the thought. After all the time and effort she’d put into looking for him, he wondered how long it would be until she figured out he’d been under her nose all along.

[placetobenation]

The Road to WrestleMania is off to a white hot start!

Your first two superstars set for Tampa April 10-11 are Bianca Belair and Edge with their respective Royal Rumble wins. Both had magical runs with Edge running the table for a full hour from the #1 spot while Belair almost matched him from the #3 position, going 56+ minutes.

I thought both Rumble matches were very good with men’s being a bit more cohesive. They missed a storyline detail with Orton’s face being magically cured just 6 days after seeing it exposed on RAW. I’m glad they didn’t go down the road of Orton missing most of the Rumble with the new injury and then coming back at the end to eliminate Edge. Edge going wire-to-wire was inspirational. Ricochet being in and no Keith Lee was never explained, although I’m sure it was COVID-19 related for Lee with Mia Yim already announcing she had tested positive prior that weekend. Bad Bunny taking out The Miz & John Morrison was your entertainment clip for the next day and the start of a beautiful relationship with the WWE for Latin rapper/wrestling fan. Good showings for the returning Seth Rollins, Big E and Damian Priest with 4 eliminations a piece to lead the men. Omos got two eliminations from the outside when he pulled out Big E and Rey Mysterio. At what point do they expose him to some action in the ring?

Bad Bunny Hits Frog Splash Off the Top Rope at Royal Rumble, Take That Miz! https://t.co/d7AlwU7lqx

— TMZ (@TMZ) February 2, 2021

On the women’s side, Billie Kay was funny, Rhea Ripley was a beast with a night-topping 7 eliminations and the final three was fantastic with Belair, Ripley and Flair.

Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens stole the night going around Tropicana Field beating the holy hell out of each other. I’m just glad Paul Heyman finally got those handcuffs off!

Sasha Banks vs. Carmella was very good, but I just wonder what they do with Carmella now after all the hype.

Drew McIntyre and Goldberg did what they needed to do – pass the torch of respect and keep Goldberg in mind, looking relatively strong for another match at WrestleMania.

The less we say about the kick-off women’s tag team championship match the better. Predictable as the day is long and we get Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler as champs again, YAWN!

Star of the Week:

Edge – Seriously, is any explanation needed?!

RAW

RESULTS

United States Championship Match: Riddle defeated Bobby Lashley by DQ

Xavier Woods defeated Mustafa Ali

Damian Priest defeated The Miz

RAW Tag Team Championship Match: The Hurt Business defeated Lucha House Party

Triple Threat Tag Team Elimination Match: Naomi & Lana defeated Charlotte Flair & Asuka and Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke to win championship match

Jeff Hardy & Carlito defeated Jaxson Ryker & Elias

Alexa Bliss defeated Nikki Cross

Edge defeated Randy Orton

Needless to say Edge is having one hell of a week and Monday Night RAW and thus, we the fans, are benefitting.

Monday Night EDGE was full of the Royal Rumble winner from Sunday night. First, off, he sets the tone for the night by telling WWE Champion Drew McIntyre that he and he only, will set the place and time when he decides who Edge will face at WrestleMania.

Why @WWESheamus WHY?! The Celtic Warrior has just Brogue Kicked his best friend @DMcIntyreWWE on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/YoDWX6oyuN

— WWE (@WWE) February 2, 2021

Just a few moments later, Sheamus turned on his friend of 20 years, setting up their feud and future title match.

Amazing.@ArcherofInfamy just got words of encouragement from @EdgeRatedR. What a first night on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/WzjQ2KQxST

— WWE (@WWE) February 2, 2021

Then, later on in the show, Edge gives his rub and thumbs up to Damian Priest, RAW’s newest member after his Royal Rumble debut. Finally, after a challenge from old friend Randy Orton, Edge puts to bed his feud with The Legend Killer with an assist from Alexa Bliss. A fun night of EDGE indeed!

An unnerving distraction, to say the least, for @RandyOrton…#WWERaw @AlexaBliss_WWE pic.twitter.com/paRiHFui8X

— WWE (@WWE) February 2, 2021

Speaking of Little Miss Bliss, she continues to be a primetime player, inserting herself into the finish of the Edge/Orton match, paying back The Viper for his costing her the RAW Women’s Championship one week earlier. You wonder if at some point, they have them face-off in the ring in an intergender match. And oh yes, we’re just waiting for the reincarnation of The Fiend before WrestleMania.

It looks like we will get an intergender match between Xavier Woods and RECKONING once Mia Yim comes back from COVID-19. It’s now 2-2 between Woods and RETRIBUTION, so Woods wants the tiebreaker. We can only hope it’s as good as Sasha Banks vs. Reginald.

Damian Priest, along with Bad Bunny, made their RAW debuts a successful one taking out The Miz. Say what you will about celebrities, but I though Bad Bunny made a good showing with the leap off the top rope at the Royal Rumble and then with appearance on MizTV followed by the Priest/Miz match. I can just see a tag team match down the road, maybe at WrestleMania coming. It’s a win-win for the WWE with mainstream following of Bad Bunny. BTW: Booker T is hilarious in his old GI Bro get-up for the video.

Nice to see Carlito back in the Rumble and on RAW. Not sure why he’s teaming with Jeff Hardy other than filling up a spot to take down Jaxon Ryker & Elias, a team that seems to be going nowhere after an impressive start.

As for The Hurt Business, Bobby Lashley won the war but lost the battle by DQ to Riddle. There’s most to come between those two I’m sure. Meanwhile, the tension continues between Cedric Alexander, Shelton Benjamin and MVP. It’s only a matter of time before the unfortunate break-up between these three. It’s unnecessary for sure.

NXT

RESULTS

Dusty Rhodes Women’s Tag Team Classic Semifinals: Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai defeated Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter

Austin Theory defeated Leon Ruff

Dusty Rhodes Men’s Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: Legado del Fantasma defeated Lucha House Party

Jessi Kamea defeated Toni Storm by DQ

NXT Cruiserweight Championship Match: Santos Escobar defeated Curt Stallion

Dusty Rhodes Men’s Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: Timothy Thatcher & Tommaso Ciampa defeated The Undisputed Era

Talk about a jam packed two-hour show folks! NXT had it in spades Wednesday night.

.@KacyCatanzaro is a HUMAN HIGHLIGHT REEL.#WWENXT #DustyClassic @RaquelWWE pic.twitter.com/pm7E2BnePb

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 4, 2021

To start the night, Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai fought off a valiant effort from the underdog team of Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter to gain a spot in the Dusty Rhodes Women’s Tag Team Classic Finals. Truth be told, I thought Kacy & Kayden were going to pull off the upset until Gonzalez’ brute strength won out.

What can you say about Leon Ruff and Austin Theory? Loved the way the match played out. Everything was entertaining and made sense. Ember Moon, Shotzi Blackheart, Indie Hartwell and Candice LeRae was just enough to let Ruff pull off an Eddie Guerrero tribute to get Johnny Gargano tossed. Theory getting the win was the right choice and then Dexter Lumis making the save while pulling out Theory’s hair extends the story.

Lucha Libre grabbed the spotlight as Legado del Fantasma took out Lucha House Party in a high-flying match. Now, we get MSK and Legado in the Dusty Rhodes Men’s Classic Semi’s next week in what will be a certain classic.

.@EdgeRatedR hasn't held the #NXTTitle yet. Ya know, #WrestleMania would be a great time to hold it… just saying.#WWENXT @FinnBalor @PeteDunneYxB pic.twitter.com/GMU6NixS4e

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 4, 2021

What better way to put more intensity into Finn Balor and Pete Dunne’s NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day announcement then to put the Rater R Superstar right in the middle of it! Edge’s first visit to NXT puts even more intrigue into who the Royal Rumble winner will face at WrestleMania. Talk about a promo bringing goosebumps. That was it, friends. Straight to the point and I loved the line about sometimes in WWE they focus more about the “E” but in NXT, it’s more about the “W.” 

"𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒂 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦."#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/Y0WphQYYE6

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 4, 2021

How old is Tian Sha? Did they 1,000 years old? #Intrigued

I could’ve done without the run-in by Mercedes Martinez and Io Shira in the Toni Storm vs. Jessi Kamea match. The DQ ending in under two minutes didn’t do anyone any justice. But, let’s be honest, when Shirai, Storm and Martinez is the low point of your show, that’s a pretty damn good night!

Never scared, never intimidated, ALWAYS Chingon #NORespect

@WWE belongs to my Legado. pic.twitter.com/djbR1uL8UB

— SANTOS ESCOBAR

(@EscobarWWE) February 4, 2021

Santos Escobar is Elite. That much he proved again with another successful defense of his NXT Cruiserweight Championship over Curt Stallion. There’s few that can match in move for move in the ring. But, now where will this latest beef with Karrion Kross lead to while Scarlett watches him win and then Kross gives him the gift of time after beating up Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza. Tick. Tock. Who’s on the clock. Could it be Edge and Kross? Yes, please!

"Words like that, they can be motivating. They can motivate me to come back here. I don't think you'd like that." – @EdgeRatedR to @WWEKarrionKross We'd like that very much tho' #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/QplaMEd2fY

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) February 4, 2021

Pretty sure bodies aren't meant to bend like that. #WWENXT (via @WWENXT) pic.twitter.com/5dUnjnWpog

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) February 4, 2021

For a team that was just thrown together out of respect, Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher are making things mighty interesting in the Dusty Rhodes Men’s Tag Team Classic! I knew it would be a good main event, but that was one fun, physical match against The Undisputed Era. Thatcher even gave himself up so that Ciampa could get the pin over Roderick Strong with the Willow’s Bell. Now, it’s the Grizzled Young Veterans in the semis next week.

SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Dominik Mysterio defeated King Corbin

Cesaro defeated Daniel Bryan

Bayley defeated Ruby Riott

Non-title SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler defeated Otis & Chad Gable

Intercontinental Championship Triple Threat Match: Big E defeated Sami Zayn and Apollo Crews to retain title

Even an assault on both Rey and Dominik Mysterio before the match didn’t eliminate the chance of yet another Corbin vs. Dominik match this week. At least Mysterio got the pinfall this time, but it still didn’t really give me any intrigue as to why I should be invested in their story. Has Corbin given us any reason why hates the Mysterios so much? Nah, didn’t think so.

.@WWECesaro picks up a HUGE win over @WWEDanielBryan on #SmackDown! pic.twitter.com/qGw3wq4G3H

— WWE (@WWE) February 6, 2021

In better news, we get more Cesaro and Daniel Bryan. Just give these guys 60 minutes and an Ironman Match already! Love the run that Cesaro is on. There’s got to be a nice payoff coming for the King of Swing. Maybe he’ll get the spot against Roman Reigns that we all thought Bryan was going to get.

It'll be #BossTime at @DAYTONA!#SmackDown @SashaBanksWWE @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/qdZr8ssMC3

— WWE (@WWE) February 6, 2021

Vroom! Vroom! Sasha Banks is going to get them started at the Daytona 500!

Give me more Reginald! Every week, he puts himself more and more of the spotlight. This week, though, he does protest too much and after telling Bianca Belair that she can’t beat Sasha, he gets a hairful of whipping ponytail across his backside. No official decision from the EST, but things are heating up with Banks, Carmella, Belair and of course, Reggie.

New music for the tag team champs plus a win over Otis & Chad Gable. Nice commentary work by The Street Profits. I’ll put this one in the same place as Bayley vs. Ruby Riott, more filler than anything special. Not bad, just not memorable.

#SmackDown @EdgeRatedR @ShinsukeN pic.twitter.com/MGbHheksHX

— WWE (@WWE) February 6, 2021

Edge and Shinsuke Nakamura. Respect.

Not sure Edge needed the Hulk Hogan rub but it was nice going down memory lane 33 years ago for Hogan vs. Andre on The Main Event.

Bye bye, @SamiZayn! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/dfP9gvs3va

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) February 6, 2021

Good three-way work for the I-C Title between Big E, Sami Zayn and Apollo Crews. Poor Sami, gets power-pressed into the timekeeper’s area after Crews stopped him from pinning Big E for the title. In the end, Big E retains over Crews and continues his ascent on SmackDown. Who’s next?

Who will @EdgeRatedR choose to face at @WrestleMania? pic.twitter.com/Agl2AmYqap

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) February 6, 2021

Edge wraps up his week on SmackDown. But, will we get an answer to who he’ll face at WrestleMania? Reigns wants acknowledgement. Edge says he’s already taking up space in Roman’s head but he’s not here alone. Bingo! Once Reigns clears Paul Heyman and Jey Uso from the ring, Kevin Owens is back with a stunner. No decision from Edge but we do get one long smirk to end the show. Keep the intrigue going! Great decision. Slow walk it and build up the anticipation on all the shows!

Parting Shots:

Still cannot believe @RonKillings managed to cut a flawless promo on my show after tossing me around my room and taking my title! https://t.co/nIck9htkey via @YouTube

— Peter Rosenberg (@Rosenbergradio) February 2, 2021

Nicely done Peter Rosenberg. Less than 24 hours as 24/7 Champion and losing it on the YES Network LIVE!

Things are looking sweet for Valentine’s Day at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day.

NXT Championship: Finn Balor vs. Pete Dunne

NXT Women’s Championship Triple Threat Match: Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm vs. Mercedes Martinez

NXT North American Championship Match: Johnny Gargano vs. KUSHIDA

Dusty Rhodes Women’s Tag Team Classic Finals

Dusty Rhodes Men’s Tag Team Classic Finals

Coming up this week:

RAW: What’s next for Sheamus and Drew McIntyre?

NXT: Cameron Grimes returns Dusty Rhodes Women’s Tag Team Classic Semifinals: Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell vs. Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon Dusty Rhodes Men’s Tag Team Classic Semifinals: Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher Dusty Rhodes Men’s Tag Team Classic Semifinals: MSK vs. Legado del Fantasma

SMACKDOWN: Seth Rollins returns

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at jcrowe567@gmail.com. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND

[123designsrq]

ORIGAMI INSPIRED FOLDABLE HEADPHONES

AI in Every Product:

The buzzword today is AI (Artificial Intelligence) and its integration. Getting Google Home and Alexa into your home is by far the most fierce push you will ever see in Tech Giants such as Google, Apple, Amazon etc. These companies have been pushing towards getting these devices in your house to an extent that they almost want to give you the product for free. How about self driving cars? You can find kitchen appliances, home goods integrated already. It’s now time to see a little bit of AI digital assistant power in Headphones. The AudiBall is a Bluetooth headphone that transforms into an impressive spherical smart speaker, with in-built Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant capabilities.

The inspiration:

It came from basic origami techniques. The Headphone is compact and portable. It is designed to fit into just about any space. Being a practical device, it is waterproof, dust-proof, and durable. Designer Vedang Kulkarni has kept in mind the key aspects of functionality and transformation. Needless to say, all controls are intuitively placed and you can access and adjust them easily.

The Product:

Audiball is your personal headphone and a smart speaker on the go. The telescopic headband are stylish and look very chic as an accent in the speaker mode. Features include active noise-canceling technology for a better listening experience. As Vedang puts it, “In the headphone mode, AudiBall sports a semi closed-back design. This gives users comfort for prolonged wear and a large soundstage. At home, AudiBall quickly collapses into a smart speaker with in-built voice assistance like Amazon Alexa. Now you can ask AudiBall to play music. You can tell the device to control your smart home devices. How about tell it to manage your calendars. Even better get weather updates. If that not enough just tell it to access tens of thousands of Alexa skills.” AudiBall communicates control and voice data messages with the Alexa App over Bluetooth using a BLE or RFCOMM connection.   Read the full article

[die-rosse]

Saturday 16/03/2019

Tomorrow, March 17, is Saint Patrick’s Day but Dallas celebrated it today.

Greenville, one of Dallas’ streets/ areas, was closed down for traffic and transformed into a party scene. At 11 am a parade passed through the street. After that there were block parties all over.

My plan was to go hang out with a MeetUp group, together with Kristen and Bhavi. We ditched this plan once we met Alexa, an enthousiast girl who had just moved to Dallas. She got us in a private party spot with free drinks and food. Needless to say we had a lot of fun and didn’t see much of the parade. Or, well, I don’t remember much of the parade. It was not that impressive, most groups were the same, all in green. We caught some beads and free t-shirts. When the parade was over, we got some extra food. Time to start sober up. Unfortuntely A. was too far gone so she went home.

After a pit stop in the supermarket we started walking towards the block party. All of a sudden, I noticed a parking lot with a lot of cheering - they were doing kegstands! A kegstand is doing handstand on a barrel of beer and chugging it for as long as you can. The thing you see in movies! So I had to see it in real life! When we got over there, everyone was pushing me to do. A once in a lifetime opportunity, no?! It was a great experience!

Around 5pm we had seen it all and were getting tired of the crowd. Two friends and I went to a quiet place for dinner and got home early.

I went out for a last minute walk at White Rock Lake. The sunset was very beautiful. It reminded me of my walks with my dad near de Schelde in Sint-Amands...

[nuadox]

10 tech articles to read from 2018

- By Phil Siarri , Nuadox -

2018 is coming to a close and it’s time to reflect on highlights global innovation ecosystems have produced throughout the year. Let’s look back at significant, insightful fintech, health tech, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and VR articles that marked the year (as well as other disciplines).

Model can more naturally detect depression in conversations (MIT News)

MIT researchers detailed a neural-network model that can be unleashed on raw text and audio data from interviews to discover speech patterns indicative of depression. Given a new subject, it can accurately predict if the individual is depressed, without requiring any other information about the questions and answers.

Cyber security is an 'international problem', requires cross-country collaboration, say tech experts (The Straits Times)

Cyber security is an "international problem" that goes beyond national borders and requires cross-country collaboration as well as working with private tech companies such as Google. This is according to tech experts from Singapore and South Korea who spoke at The Straits Times panel discussion on cyber security in Seoul last May.

How VR can be used as a powerful painkiller (Silicon Republic)

While some turn to a pill to alleviate pain, artist Deepa Mann-Kler believes the cure lies in virtual reality.

Will Europe's Emerging Fintech Cities Rival London in 2019? (Forbes)

Will Brexit and the emergence of new regional players affect London’s position as the uncontested leader in European Fintech?

Over 800 cryptocurrencies are now dead as bitcoin is 70 percent off its record high (CNBC)

Needless to day, it has been a rough year for cryptocurrencies.

Alexa for Hospitality: A clear example of IoT benefits for end user and business (Tech Republic)

Amazon unveiled Alexa for Hospitality, a specialized version of its digital assistant designed for hotel rooms and concierge tasks. With Alexa for Hospitality, users can call the front desk, order room service, or find a local business, according to the product page.

Intel: 90% of 5G data will be video, but AR gaming and VR will grow (VentureBeat)

A report from Intel and Ovum lays out the companies’ expectations for the growth of 5G cellular networks over the next decade, and the conclusions are impressive: video will account for 90 percent of 5G data use, but 5G-powered VR and AR will reach a tipping point.

Big Blockchain: The 50 Largest Public Companies Exploring Blockchain (Forbes)

Contrary to popular belief, some of the largest public companies in the world are already dabbling in blockchain tech.

Huawei beats Apple to become second-largest smartphone maker (The Guardian)

The famed iPhone manufacturer drops to third after Chinese company splits Samsung and Apple for first time in seven years.

How artificial intelligence is transforming journalism (Equal Times)

Artificial intelligence is shaking up present-day journalism. Automated news writing and distribution, without human supervision, is already a reality. This obviously raises a number of questions.

Read Also

7 African fintech startups to follow

10 Canadian AI companies to watch

[maritzaerwin]

16 SEO Best Practices 2020 : The Do’s and Don’ts of SEO Writing

When it comes to SEO writing in 2020, things will change in a great manner and in case you are not preparing now, you won’t be able to keep up with the times.

The good news is that the SEO trends next year display the clear search engine priority for the content that fulfills every particular need of the lead generation company. The major change to SEO in the upcoming year will be the development of voice search as 50% of all online searches will be voice-based by 2020.

With the help of voice search on the desktop or Smartphone, it is still good enough to have the links appear on the very first page of Google search results. 

Let’s dig deeper and find out the 16 DO’s and DONT’s for SEO writing in 2020 :

1) DO NOT Ignore the Relevance of Keyword Research

Keyword research is one of the most beneficial parts of the content strategy which can help you in targeting the right audience and optimizing your website. This further builds links and helps in developing content for your audience or any online marketing campaigns.

For the campaign pieces, blogs, white papers, and service pages, etc., all the keyword research is done by following the SEO guidelines to identify what keyword phrase will likely to bring in relevant traffic for your website blog.

Some DONTs you should not forget : 

Don’t forget to use the keyword in the title tag.

Don’t forget to use the keyword in the meta tag.

Don’t forget to use the keyword with significant variations in the text.

Don’t forget to promote your blog.

2) DO Make Your Content In-depth

Rather than publishing the half-baked blog posts twice in a week, produce a thoroughly-researched article that could leave a great impact on a great number of the audiences. As lack of right information will slower down customer engagement and further result in low ROI.

People love stories and that is why you should share the experiences as it will build authority and trust.

Never forget that Google wishes to display the most effective content for a search query. This is the major reason why you should invest an ample amount of resources and time in generating the content that can cover your target audience’s pain points.

In case the content can offer answers to the queries of users, it will bring the best results. 

3) DO Write Quality Content

In case you look closely at the major writing trends in SEO, one thing is common for all i.e., maintaining content quality. Irrespective of how instant your site loading time is, how well the keywords match the user intent or how cool the videos look, there is no way that you will have a good rank if the content is not good.

It is suggested to publish less in case you do not have the budget or time to generate sufficient content.

In today’s intensely competitive market, the quality of your content matters more than ever. 

Please note that quality has nothing to do with the flashiest user-interface or the most impressive graphic design. It refers to replying to the right queries as well as offering useful, top-quality information to the reader.

4) DO NOT Imitate Your Competitors

Mostly in this situation, people take the help of live chat to interact with the customer and to solve their queries. You can only provide value for your business if your voice for the writing words is unique and creatively different and original. There are a lot of writers out there in the market who copy as well as rewrite blog posts throughout the industry, from the digital marketing world to finance to motorcycles to biohacking to real estate. 

In terms of writing, the only time you must pay heed to the customer’s competitors is for the keyword rankings as well as top linking sites. You should provide your writers with the guidelines required to produce something which will rise above proverbial noise. 

5) DO Rewrite

Write. Read. Edit. And then rewrite. Repeat.

During the rewrites, eliminate anything unimportant, as well as simplify things. While guiding the writers, instruct them to outline and then blow out the very first draft without having to worry about sloppiness, spelling, or grammar issues.

Never forget that magic happens at the rewriting stage. However, do not forget that the aim is not to edit the written piece to “perfection” as it will lead you to be extra cautious about everything as well as you won’t be able to deliver the content on time.

  6) DO NOT Forget to Be Exceptional

Always keep it in mind that the only method of dominating the digital world is by creating an exceptional service or product, as well as remarkable marketing. Now, this also refers to the creation of exceptional content writing. 

You should leave no stone unturned in making each word count for producing a remarkable piece of content.

In case something doesn’t add value or make sense (also called “fluff”), do not show reluctance in killing it and creating something new, or rewriting the existing piece. Put an equal amount of energy into your every written piece, be it the 160-character Meta description, 250-word product copy or 2000-word blog. 

7) DO Master the Art of Patience

Needless to say, patience is the basic driver for achieving success in any sector, from building the business to relationships and, specifically, for writing. It takes time to write good content and for that most of your time includes editing.

This is the major reason why you should learn patience for editing, rewriting, and editing as much as needed, to become a much better writer. Moreover, perfectionism is procrastination. 

8) DO NOT Ignore the Significance of Headline

The headline of your content comes under the category of the most relevant elements of writing. Put a lot of time into producing the headline just like you do while creating every piece of your content.

Always use the target keyword and do not forget to appeal to the emotions.

Ensure the fact that while doing content writing, you do not make your headline an afterthought but offer it the much-deserved creative energy. 

9) DO Learn the Science Behind On-Page SEO

It will help you in easing up things for your company, whether you have the SEO team or not. It is suggested to learn about the internal linking structures for passing the link equity to those pages which you wish to highlight for both search engines and readers. 

Format the on-page SEO for including the same in snippets, like: 

Utilizing bullet points.

Breaking-up the written piece into various headings.

Focusing upon sentences or words with italics or bold. 

In addition to this, in case you are working on blog or page content, you must learn how to write exceptional meta descriptions.

They can assist you in backing up that equally amazing headline you wrote and as a result of which, the agency or business you are associated with will start loving you more. 

10. DO NOT Become Irregular

Your Company should keep uploading the schedules for the blogging campaigns in a consistent manner. In case you are doing 3 blogs weekly, they must be scheduled at the same time on the same day as per the analytics of when that site usually gets the most traffic.

The same rule applies to all the writers out there. You must train yourself for writing every day at the same time, and your creativity/mind will adapt to it instantly and ultimately, the flow of words will turn out to be seamless. 

There is no denying the fact that average writing cannot build loyalty and without loyalty, you won’t be able to make your mark and will remain just another online writer.

As the SEO trends get continuously updated in 2020 as well as beyond, you will also be required to empower the writing skills as much as possible. 

 11) Do Use A Tool to Avoid Content Embarrassment

You should always keep track of what you are writing. Right from the keyword research to sending blogs, you should use tools to avoid silly mistakes.

Always use keyword analytics to identify the right keyword and to improve the efficiency of the content.

Use Grammarly or any tool to check the grammar and spelling of the content and help you in writing content faster and better.

As it is always tricky to identify plagiarism in the content, choosing an online tool to check the plagiarism of the content can help you without any error.

Alexa, Moz, and Hubspot are also a few other tools that will help you in making the right decision to write content that could fit best in the category you are writing.

12) Do Not Hesitate to Write Without Any Delay

Don’t ever feel afraid, stressed and uninspired while writing a blog, this may reduce your productivity. There is no waiting for the right time for writing content with perfection and creativity. This is the only time, time to research, time to explore and time to start writing content without procrastinating.  

Points to help you gain self-confidence while writing:

Just Start Writing now, the words will flow itself.

Do not repeat the patterns of writing, stand and move to refresh your mind and once you are ready, sit down and start writing again

Set a deadline for yourself to increase your writing speed.

Don’t just be perfect; write content with full imperfection to train yourself to write better content next time.

Choose a goal to avoid any difficulty while researching the content you are interested in writing.

Find a location where you can best use your mind and write content with full interest and dedication.

13) Do Not Get Affected With the Criticism

A good writer should always understand the difference between good writing and bad writing. Good writing is not always about appreciation and perfection, you should always take the criticism with full positivity and learn from those mistakes to go the extra mile which many people will not take.

Do not back step to rewrite the content if demanded by the clients and choose to be different. To become a good writer and to become a professional, one should be humble and one should have the willingness to listen and accept change.

14) Do Not Forget the Interest of the Audience

Writers these days just focus on SEO and forget to gain the attention of the audience. This is not right to ignore the reader’s interest and write only to please the search engine and run behind Google ranking.

One should always make a strategy that focuses on both SEO as well as caters to the interest of the audience. An SEO strategy will help you in identifying the required content which helps you in Google ranking and with the help of that content one must write content that should be a great read for the audience.

15) Do Not Forget to Add Images While Writing Your Blog

Adding relevant images on your blog post not only makes your writing look attractive but also makes it easier for the readers to understand what exactly you are trying to deliver. Attractive images drive the reader’s attention and help you in engaging more audience which further helps you have huge traffic and more social engagement.

 Things you should take care while posting an image:

Find a photo that fits best with the content.

Share live, experienced pictures.

Edit downloaded photos and give credit.

16) Do Write Using ART (Authority, Reputation, and Trust):

It is very easy for readers to recognize fake and trash writing. It is very important for the writer to gain complete and true knowledge about the topic he is writing. If you want to write content with ART, you have to read daily and follow their lessons.

You have to write with full authority to build a reputation in the industry and gain trust from the audience.

The post 16 SEO Best Practices 2020 : The Do’s and Don’ts of SEO Writing appeared first on CareerMetis.com.

16 SEO Best Practices 2020 : The Do’s and Don’ts of SEO Writing published first on https://skillsireweb.tumblr.com/

[hoplaonlineblog]

Newspaper ads and radio commercials have had their peak days in the past. Now, things are changing and digital marketing services are taking the lead.

The Pinnacle of Digital Marketing Services

An online course provider in Digital Marketing called The Left Bank sourced a report on the hiring trends in 2018 and showed an increase in the demand for digital marketing services. Topping the charts is the need for Digital Advertising Experts with 45% demand from hiring companies. Second is Content Creation and Curation with 42% demand, while coming in third, is Content Strategy.

The need for uniqueness grows more as companies tussle against each other for the attention of the public and an ongoing trend is social change campaigns. Here are some brands which turned a lot of heads and succeeded.

  We Believe: The Best Men Can Be – Gillette

On the first month of 2019, Gillette released their campaign entitled “The Best Men Can Be”. The campaign aimed to change the stereotypes of today’s views on masculinity. It showed how society’s tolerance for the unpleasant behavior of men everywhere affects the growth of young boys. In this redeveloped advocacy, the grooming company wanted to encourage men all over the world to strive to be better. This includes taking responsibility for how society perceives what it means to be a man.

Alongside with the awareness campaign, the company pledged to donate $1 Million annually to non-profit organizations. They partnered with groups advocating to help men to improve for the better. This included movements that involve youth development, promotion of healthy behavior, enhancing leadership and promotion of positivity among men.

Be The Guy – Be The Match

Be The Match is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving cancer patients through bone marrow donation. Before the campaign was launched, the company lacked donors from men aged 18-24. This inspired them to create a humorous campaign which targeted their hard-to-reach audience. Be The Match collaborated with a digital marketing company and came up with an amazing concept of “flipping the script”. The ad showcased their target donors instead of their patients. They filmed men being themselves, doing normal things to show that even these men could save lives.

They started releasing these short ads where most men spend their time online. The ad was released on social apps like Reddit, Snapchat, Twitch, Facebook, and Instagram. The company’s strategic approach of tapping into the market paved way for the campaign’s success. The videos gained a total of 212 million impressions from social media platforms. There was a 970% increase in direct website traffic as well. After launching the campaign, the non-profit organization saw a 280% increase in their target donors. They received over 17,974 new donations. Needless to say, the campaign was a total victory.

The Talk: My Black is Beautiful – Procter & Gamble

Back in 2018, Procter & Gamble released a controversial ad which tackled an issue about the prejudice against black people in the United States. The video showed a couple of scenarios of parents having “the talk” about the hard-hitting reality of growing up black in the country. P&G used the campaign to speak out about an ongoing bias towards the community hopes to raise awareness on the issue and create a significant impact.

The digital marketing sevices campaign garnered success with the video alone gaining two million views on Youtube. It even won an Emmy award and beat other ads from Apple, Monica Lewinsky, Amazon’s Alexa, and another P&G ad for Tide detergent.

#WeAccept – Airbnb

Back in 2017, US President Trump started a fuss from the public when he banned refugees and immigrants, mostly from the Muslim nation. This caused a ruckus and made high-profile celebrities and companies to state their sentiments on the issue. One of the concerned establishments was Airbnb and they indirectly voiced out their opinion on the matter using a campaign ad titled #WeAccept. The commercial aired on SuperBowl and spread across social media using the hashtag to promote acceptance regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs and others.

AirBnb successfully emanated a positive perception of its brand by taking advantage of the current issue and launching a timely campaign. Within the first month of the launch, the video already gained 5 million views on Youtube alone and 100 000 views on Instagram. Influencers online, TV personalities, and politicians even adapted the hashtag #WeAccept.

It’s remarkable how these brands take advantage of their reputation by actually taking a stand and contributing to social change. In the digital landscape, delivering your service won’t cut it especially if your competitors are already catching the hearts of your target audience. Say goodbye to traditional marketing of hard selling and embrace the concept of influential marketing. Although doing this requires a lot of effort and conceptualizing, online marketing companies like HOPLA can help by providing affordable digital marketing services like photo & video editing, content writing, web design services and more. Contact us today and let’s talk about your next campaign.

The post Epic Brands That Changed The World Through Digital Marketing Services appeared first on .

[yeskraim]

Best vacuum cleaners in Australia: from cordless Dyson to robot Roomba

Home

News

You know what sucks? A good vacuum. And we’re here to find the perfect one for your everyday needs. We know that finding the best vacuum cleaner can, well, suck – there are just so many models to choose from, and who really wants to spend their time finding an appliance that means more work around the house?

The thing is, vacuum cleaners have come a long way since the days where you had to haul out that massive corded behemoth from your hall closet and plug it into a new socket every few minutes. Compared to some of the slick vacuums on the market today, that’s practically medieval. 

Today’s vacuums are much slimmer, and while most are still controlled by hand there’s a growing number that have robotic brains and can clean up all on their own. Many of today’s vacuums also run on battery power, so you won’t have to worry about dragging cords all around your house. 

While it’s still a ‘chore’ in the traditional sense, vacuum cleaning can now be done in far less time and with far greater ease thanks to cordless vacuums. But if even that sounds too hard, you’ll likely be chuffed to learn that most robot vacuums can be set on a schedule, so they’ll even clean your house while you’re out living it up (or working).

It’s true that high-end vacuums can be quite costly, but they can also be the sort of investment where the benefits become almost immediately clear. As soon as you’ve experienced the added ease and efficiency first-hand, it’s hard to go back to anything else. 

Whether you’re after a lightweight cordless, a super-powerful upright or the kind of brainy robot cleaner that’d give Will Smith night-terrors, these are the best vacuum cleaners currently available in Australia. They all suck, but in the best possible way.

(Image credit: Future)

Dyson V11 Absolute

The Absolute best vacuum you can buy

Power supply: Cordless | Weight: 3.3kg | Bin size: 0.76L | Run-time: Up to 60 minutes

Powerful Suction

Light-weight and maneuverable

Informative LCD Screen

Expensive

Adding another integer and two years of R&D to its V-series cordless range, Dyson’s V11 Absolute takes another giant leap forward for vacuum cleaner kind. It’s more potent than its best-in-class predecessor, cleans even better on all surfaces, is quieter, and has a impressive run-time of over 40 minutes on the seriously-capable Auto power mode.

The powered tools ooze design class and hard-earned experience in the field, with the mini motorised tool easily outperforming air-powered equivalents, and the adaptability of the vacuum when you pair the torque head with the Auto mode makes the V11 Absolute easy to use as well as powerful. It also has an LCD screen, a first for Dyson, which tells you the exact run-time remaining, where blockages are located and how to clear them. Pretty handy if you ask us!

Admittedly, the V11 Absolute doesn’t come cheap, but we think it’s worth the money if you’re after the best cordless vacuum cleaner available today.

Read our full Dyson V11 Absolute review

(Image credit: Ecovacs)

Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo 930

A robot vacuum that’s quiet and efficient

Power supply: : Cordless, battery | Weight: : 4.6 kg | Bin size: : 470ml | Run time: : Up to 110 minutes

Mops and vacuums

Google Assistant and Alexa enabled

110-minute battery life

Unable to climb over thresholds

3-4 hours charging time

The main reason to get yourself a robot vacuum cleaner is so you can either put your feet up and get something else to do all the hard work for you, or so you get more time to do more important things – or perhaps both. The Deebot Ozmo 930 will do just that for you and goes further than most other robovacs.

There’s not much we can fault with this little droid: it vacuums, it mops and it does so quite well: Ecovacs Robotics has pretty much aced it with both hardware and software. 

It’s already a must-have in our books, and if there was a way to increase suction power in these robot vacuums, the Deebot Ozmo 930 would be the perfect helper, no matter what type of floor you have at home. Add to that the ability to control it remotely and the addition of voice control makes this robot worth every penny.

Read our full Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo 930 review

(Image credit: Dyson)

Dyson Cyclone V10

A turning point for Dyson and its vacuums

Power supply: : Cordless, battery | Weight: : 5.9 lbs / 2.6 kg | Bin size: : 0.75L | Run time: : Up to 60 minutes

Unrivalled design

Powerful suction

Fantastic attachments

improved battery life

Battery drains fast on highest setting

Expensive

At the time of its release, Dyson was so confident in the sucking prowess of the Dyson Cyclone V10, that the company ceased production of new corded vacuums going forward. Now, it did eventually develop a successor in the Dyson V11 Absolute (because of course it did), but that should still give you an idea of how good the 

Dyson has redefined its cyclone technology to produce more suction power than previous generations; the V10 digital motor is 20% more powerful than the previous V8, and, we can assure, it sucks a lot (we mean that as a compliment).

You’ll notice a number of crucial changes between the V10 and older V models. For example, the barrel is now front-facing, and all attachments connect here directly. This design allows for greater suction efficiency, according to Dyson. The V10 is smarter than ever before, too, and can even detect differences in altitude, air pressure and temperature, and auto-adjust itself for maximum performance. 

Prices and models vary across regions, but needless to say, you pay for the Cyclone V10’s souped-up suction. And while the Cyclone V10 is super powerful and boasts a more energy-dense battery than previous models, putting it on the highest setting will drain the battery in about five minutes. At the lowest setting, however, you’ll get up to 60 minutes of use, and that should be plenty for your everyday messes. 

Read our full Dyson Cyclone V10 review

(Image credit: iRobot)

iRobot Roomba 980

A fantastic robot vacuum

Power supply: Battery | Weight: 3.94kg | Bin size: 0.6Lm | Suction power: 33AW

Environment mapping

Relatively low clearance

Easy to schedule cleaning

Sluggish app control

Struggles with cables

Dyson might be dominating the handheld vacuum arena at the moment, but when it comes to the robot vacuum space, many people rate iRobot and its Roomba 980 vacuum cleaner at a similar level of esteem. 

With its low-clearance design and smartphone app control functionality, this dirt-sucking disc is intelligent enough to go about its business in your home without much prompting on your part. The Roomba 980 will intelligently map your home for problem spots, kicking into a high-power mode whenever it rolls over carpets, and weaving around chair legs and other potential obstacles. 

Making things even easier, you can manage the Roomba 980’s daily schedule from the device’s accompanying iOS and Android apps, allowing you to set the time and duration of its cleaning routine however you see fit. You will have to empty it out after each use, though.

With an impressive two hour battery life, it’ll also manage a longer cleaning cycle than any cordless or robot vacuum from Dyson, and when it’s running low it’ll automatically head back to its dock to charge itself.

Other smart features of the Roomba 980 include its battery-powered Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers which you can place around your crib so that your ‘bot will know which areas to avoid, such as rooms you don’t want it to enter or floor-level pet food bowls you don’t want it to crash into.

However, the Roomba 980 does still have some room for improvement, with its app being a little sluggish at times. The robot also has a tendency to get trapped in cables and stuck under furniture. 

Sure, it’s pretty pricey for what is admittedly a cleaning luxury, but it really is like having a robot maid that will keep your place clean. If you hate vacuuming and can afford it, the Roomba 980 offers exceptional cleaning convenience. 

Read our full iRobot Roomba 980 review

(Image credit: Dyson)

Dyson Cinetic Big Ball

Because sometimes cordless isn’t enough

Power supply: Corded | Weight: 8kg | Cord length: 6.4m | Suction power: 250AW

Can stand itself up

Articulated handle

Occasional blockage

Still has a cord

There’s no question that Dyson’s manoeuvrable and endlessly convenient stick vacuums are incredible, sporting powerful suction and a modular design that allows for a number of area-specific attachments – all without having to worry about pesky cables getting in the way. However, cordless vacuums do have their caveats.

Getting a limited amount of vacuum time from a battery that takes hours to charge can be extremely frustrating, and there are times when you may require a more powerful and heavy-duty vacuum solution. Cordless models are often pretty darn expensive, too.

If you share these concerns, Dyson’s Cinetic Big Ball vacuum may be a terrific alternative, offering the same quality cleaning experience that the company’s vacuums are known for, while avoiding all the usual annoyances that make inspire people to choose a cord-free option.

Most vacuums will tip over as they’re dragged along the floor — not the Cinetic Big Ball, with its ball-shaped design that has been perfectly weighted to roll back into place whenever it falls down — it’s a neat example of Dyson’s knack for finding solutions to problems that have plagued these kinds of products for decades. 

Another advantage over cordless vacuums: its suction power leaves them in the dust — literally. At 250 air watts, the Cinetic Big Ball is even more powerful than the new Dyson Cyclone V10, which offers around 150 air watts of suction.

Taking into consideration that you can now pick up a Dyson Cinetic Big Ball for under $500, and what you have is a highly-recommended alternative to Dyson’s pricier cord-free options.

Read our full Dyson Cinetic Big Ball review

(Image credit: Miele)

Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat Dog Bagless Vacuum Cleaner

Power supply: Corded | Weight: 6.5kg | Cord length: 10m | Suction power: 1,200W

Bagless and easy to clean

Terrific filtering

affordable

Filters can be annoying to clean

Like most Miele vacuums, the cat and dog version of the CX1 is a little more expensive than the non-pet versions, but that extra cost is offset by the additional attachments you get that will help you round up and deal with shed hair and the general mess that comes from having four-legged members of your family. 

Plus, when you consider how affordable it is compared to the average Dyson product, the price of the CX1’s ‘deluxe’ model will seem quite reasonable.

We also love that it’s got an AirClean lifetime HEPA filter to remove allergens from your household, as well as an extremely high airflow that works hard to remove as much dust and debris from your floors and carpets as possible. It’s also the first bagless Miele device, and it does a pretty darn good job of that, too. 

Boasting a 1,200W “Vortex” motor, the Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat Dog Bagless delivers an air speed of more than 100km/h and still manages to separate dust into two types: coarse stuff goes into the clear dust container, while the finer stuff is caught and trapped in its own filtered container.

Impressively, the Blizzard CX1 also sports a new CleanStream filter, which has a sensor-controlled self-cleaning system. You’ll still need to clean the filters yourself on occasion, though.

That’s not the only big change Miele has in store for us: the design is also quite modern-looking, putting the device in a league above its predecessors. For a vacuum that goes for less than $500 at some stores, Miele has certainly stepped up its game with the CX1 Cat Dog Bagless. 

(Image credit: Future)

Vax Blade 2 Max 40V

A powerful cleaner with great stamina

Power supply: Cordless | Weight: 3.1kg | Bin size: 0.6L | Run time: Up to 45 minutes

Powerful suction

Great on all floor types

Feels heavy when using

Loud

Once the leading name in vacuums, Vax is still going strong today and its Blade 2 Max 40V vacuum more than proves it. Easy to use, and delivering excellent results on different floor types, the cordless Vax Blade 2 Max 40V offers powerful suction and long run-time for a great price.

It has bright lights on the floor head, so you won’t miss any dirt, and a good-sized bin for a cordless machine too, meaning fewer bin-emptying interruptions when cleaning. The Blade 2 Max is easy to use, but it’s let down by how heavy it feels in the hand – your arm may not be able to hold out for as long as the battery.

The Blade 2 Max delivers great cleaning results on different floor types, and it’s no slouch when it comes to tackling pet hair; however, it’s far from the lightest-feeling or quietest cordless cleaner out there.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Ecovacs Deebot 900

A fantastic robot vacuum

Power supply: Cordless, battery | Weight: 3.5kg | Bin size: 350ml | Battery life: 100 mins

Perfect app control

Google Assistant and Alexa enabled

Relatively quiet

Battery life could be better

Unable to climb over thresholds

There was a niche that needed filling and Ecovacs decided to take a stab at it. Unless you’re willing to pay top money for the iRobot Roomba 980 – the only robot vacuum we’ve tested that comes with a carpet agitator – there aren’t very many autonomous vacuums that can deal with carpets.

While the Deebot 900 does a good job on a low- to medium-pile carpet, it struggles on high-pile rugs. The fibres impede movement and dirt is often so deep-seated that there’s not enough suction, even on the Max setting, for a good clean. Moreover, with a limited battery life of 45 minutes on Max, a large home will always require a double run. On hard floors, however, there’s absolutely nothing you can fault the Deebot 900 for – it’s works like a charm.

Ecovacs has aced both the hardware and the software. Our only complaint would be the droid’s inability to clamber over obstacles and thresholds more than 18mm high, but that’s us nitpicking, really.

The droid moves exactly as you’d expect with practically perfect mapping, and the evidence of its cleaning performance will be there for you to see every time you empty the bin. And it’s all done quietly and at a relatively affordable price. Need we say more?

Read our full Ecovacs Deebot 900 review

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[djrrated-blog1]

10 rules of winter clothes.

Winter is almost here, yet don't give the icy climate a chance to addle your closet mind. Form proofreader Jess Cartner-Morley has some auspicious counsel.

In winter, garments ought to have sleeves

Once in a while you need to express the totally draining clear for a significant long time before you get heard. Ladies' suffrage in Switzerland, for example. What's more, now, pleasant garments with sleeves. Not, maybe, a reason célèbre of an incredible same soul-mixing extent however advance in any case. Most dresses and tops at a bargain in Britain in winter have short sleeves – a headache, I think, from the days when we would have been doing the clothing with a container and ravage. Those days may have long gone, however the short sleeves have stuck, which is the reason we as a country are fixated on cardigans. In any case, a long-sleeve top, or long-sleeve dress – in the event that you can discover one – looks significantly more quick witted and more rich than a decent dress with a cardie over it.

Try not to wear cat heels with a pencil skirt

Crazy people design has a ton to respond in due order regarding. The garments in Mad Men are astonishing; nobody's contending with that. Yet, there are a considerable measure of ladies out there diverting Mad Men and missing the point. Prime suspect is the lady wearing a pencil skirt to the knee with a couple of cat heels. It's anything but difficult to direct the lady in-an-office part of Mad Men however getting the suggestions right – noon Martinis, stacked looks, a whiff of Arpège by Lanvin noticeable all around – implies scrupulousness. You can wear cat heels with a pencil skirt, yet the skirt should be somewhat longer than most, completing beneath instead of on the knee. On the other hand, you can wear the cat heel with a perfect waisted, full-avoided shape. In any case, wear a slick best with a decent bra and do your hair appropriately. Else you're not Joan, you're a nonexclusive office director.

Get some level boots that you extremely like

In the event that you are a vain blockhead like me, this one buy will change your life. I guarantee. My level boots are shearling with a fuzzy coating and they are Jimmy Choo so I'm not in any case going to reveal to you the amount they cost since I can't manage every one of the haters. Be that as it may, I remain by them. I simply don't generally see how it has taken me two many years of grown-up life to understand that footwear I can wear outside, in winter climate, without gambling either frostbite or a slipped plate is an okay thought. I think perhaps there is a piece of me that is just barely grappling with the way that displaying my shoe gathering on Tamara Mellon and Carine Roitfeld isn't too down to earth when you don't have a driver. A biker boot, an Ugg, an Emu: take care of business. You will love it.

Wear a legitimate coat, not an anorak

Apologies, however would you say you are 12? No. Right at that point, take that parka off and get yourself a legitimate coat. Indeed, you are very ideal, there was a point a year ago when Kate Moss and Alexa Chung and suchlike wore parkas rather than legitimate coats and got stores of revering segment creeps for it. In any case, right off the bat, they for the most part wore them with Chanel smaller than normal dresses and child giraffe legs, which not every one of us have, and besides, that was a year ago, individuals! This year, get an appropriate coat. This does not need to mean a costly coat. It implies an adult coat that doesn't influence you to resemble a slobby fourth previous on a field trip. The Jil Sander accumulation at Uniqlo has some wonderful custom fitted fleece coats for around £100; at the season of composing I am still on the sitting tight rundown for my Whistles dream number and am wearing an Oasis camel coat.

Panther is the new denim

How bothering it is when individuals influence a reserved artificial confusion even with the cutting edge world. The who-is-Gazza/what-is-Twitter unit. Indeed, here's something else for them to get all snobby about. Panther, which used to be a sort of vampy skanky brazen landlord look, is currently standard chic. To such an extent that I don't even truly consider it to be an example or a shading any more – I consider it an impartial, similar to denim, to be worn with totally anything. (The new form of twofold denim, a symbol of respect for design's thrill seekers, is twofold panther; you need to have a specific panache not to look gooey, but rather that is the general purpose.) If despite everything you're making "grrr" jokes when looked with a panther print dress, show some signs of life, grandpa.

Try not to release this Black Trouser minute to squander

At this moment, a straightforward combine of dark or charcoal pants is a hot ticket mold thing. Clearly, in the event that you are a pant young lady you don't really require a marked authorization slip from the Paris mold week controls that-be to wear them, yet the fashionability is as yet significant. Right off the bat, on the grounds that in design, stream down hypothesis truly works, which implies there are at present extraordinary pants to be had on the high road, so you should exploit, or you will kick yourself when your most loved match goes into disrepair in a half year and the shops are loaded with calf-length skirts. Also, on the grounds that on the off chance that you can essentially wear what you generally wear and appear as though you're working a catwalk look, that is a simple win, no?

Disregard capes

There, I've said it. Since genuinely, what's the point? They are senseless. Simply senseless. It is possible that you can't utilize your arms at all or your arms stand out of gaps at an ungainly edge so you look as though you are completing a Punch and Judy appear. Additionally, any individual who might really be awed by the way that you are wearing a cape is somewhat of a prat. Truly, superheroes wear capes, however as a rule they wear them for flying. Would you be able to fly? Very. Take it off. Presently.

Be watchful with sequins

What's more, I don't simply mean about not giving them a chance to ping off and fall everywhere throughout the floor, despite the fact that that is an issue. That is to say, know that sequins have gone from strange to amusing allure to needless excess in the previous a few years. Same goes for counterfeit hide. With so much razzle-stun around, you need to abstain from resembling the most established theme young lady nearby. Best modernizing trap for sequins and phony hide is to dress them down. So remove your sequined best from your Night Out area and layer it under a cardigan for an end of the week lunch. "Fabulousness" textures have affect since they emerge, so it clears a path more sense to wear your sequins and fake hide when nobody else is.

At the point when enticed by The Military Look, remind yourself You Are Not In A Fashion Shoot

Garments with a solid account are splendid in magazine shoots, where the general purpose is to make a convincing backstory for the dull high school twiglet who is wearing the garments. In any case, here's the thing: you have a backstory as of now. It's called your life. Directing a bossy-yet overcome war-legend thing is diverting and befuddling. Military mold has its uses: warriors require coats that do up safely and are waterproof, which are valuable coat-properties. However, don't escape.

Wear red

To me, unquestionably the most noteworthy compliment one can pay anything amid November and December is that it is Christmassy. For those two months, Christmassy trumps Amazing. (Impressive went out with the ark, sweetheart, didn't you know?) For this reason I adore red in winter. In any case, at that point, I am somewhat of a Christmas-pusher. (Go on, only one snowflake sticker on the window won't do any damage. It's Christmassy!) For harvest time/winter 2010/11, red has been declared the new dark, so the power is with me this year.

[vfr-blog]

This Week in Wrestling

Welcome to the very first edition of my new column; This Week in Wrestling, and what a week it was.

                      WWE

Might as well kick this column off with a bang, the WWE did a lot of things right this past week. On RAW several things fired on all cylinders as they continued on the road to No Mercy. Cena and Reigns had yet another classic encounter, and they have done an incredible job making sure that their match at No Mercy is must see. In the Universal Championship picture, Strowman and Lesnar  came face to face in a much anticipated showdown in which Lesnar was left laying by Strowman who looked very dominate. The Raw Women’s Championship picture is shaping up nicely as the title is set to be defended on Sunday in a fatal four way between Sasha Banks, Emma Nia Jax and the champ Alexa Bliss. However the real story is between Jax and Bliss, both of whom seem to only want the match to be between the two of them. Needless to say it will be interesting tomorrow night to see where this goes.

        Over on SmackDown Live, the U.S. title picture between Baron Corbin, Tye Dillenger, and AJ Styles is really heating up as all 3 men are proving why they are three of the best WWE has to offer. However the big story is between Kevin Owens and the McMahons. Owens had a heated face to face encounter with Vince McMahon this past Tuesday, that lead to Owens beating Mr. McMahon up after McMahon made a match between his Shane and Owens, and giving Owens his word that he would not be fired for beating up a McMahon. This led to Stephanie McMahon coming down and exchanging words with Owens to end the show.

                            GFW Impact

    On Impact Wrestling, a new X Division Champion was crowned in the form of the ever impressive Trevor Lee. LAX retained the Tag Championships in a fun fatal four way. The main story however was Bobby Lashley apparently asking for his release from GFW to go to MMA full time and laying out Moose to end the show.

     This week in wrestling was a great week for wrestling, WWE is firing on all cylinders, however Impact still has a ways to go before reclaiming any former glory they once had. But as always the ups always have their downs, as I write this it has come to my attention that the great Bobby Heenan has passed away. All week the wrestling world could rejoice but tonight we weep as we lost one of the greatest broadcast journalist, managers, and overall entertainers the industry has ever seen. Rest easy Brain, thank you for all the memories and the inspiration you gave me this one is for you.

 Dedicated to  the memory of Bobby “The Brain” Hennan.

[resistancekitchen]

the roast of resistance

This is a guest post from Alexa Garcia-Ditta, a Texan, reproductive rights advocate and former journalist. She lives in Austin with her husband Spencer and their mutt Charlie. You can follow her on Twitter at @agarciaditta for all things reproductive justice, running and rosé.

Tuesday, in their first act after President Creamsicle was sworn in, congressional Republicans passed a shameful bill that would make the Hyde Amendment permanent law. The Hyde Amendment, part of the federal budget and not technically law (yet), bans Medicaid and other public insurance programs from covering abortion. The measure explicitly cuts off access to affordable abortion care, especially for low-income people, people of color and young people. It’s a prime example of racism, classism, and misogyny.

More than a year ago, I wrote a story for the Texas Observer about the first person to die after the Hyde Amendment was passed. Rosie Jimenez was a mom, college student and south Texan on Medicaid. When she couldn’t afford to pay for her abortion out of pocket, she turned to a local midwife who performed abortions illegally out of her home. In 1976, Rosie died from an infection she developed after the unsafe abortion, leaving her four-year-old daughter, family and friends behind. Reporting this story left a lasting impression on me, and today, at NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, I work alongside abortion funds like the Lilith Fund, Texas Equal Access Fund, West Fund, Frontera Fund and others that help Texans like Rosie who can’t afford their abortions; these organizations are also on the front lines fighting to rid our world of the Hyde Amendment entirely. (DONATE to these organizations, y’all.)

Needless to say, Rosie, the Hyde Amendment and the implications of Tuesday’s congressional vote are on my mind. So, instead of sleeping until my normal 6 a.m., I was awake at 5:30. After answering a few emails and walking the dog, I got to work on tonight’s dinner. I find that a recipe, in the midst of my anxiety about our state and country’s future, helps calm me down. We now live in a world of “alternative facts,” but the measurements and step-by-step instructions remind me that there is order, somewhere, despite our world being on fire.

My husband, our best friend and I have been on a somewhat sadistic gastronomical sojourn since January 2 — the Whole30 diet (not really a diet, more of a nutrition reboot meant to last no more than 30 days). I haven’t had rice, beans, cheese, flour, corn or booze in 23 days. So everything I cook these days is free of all that stuff (read: no fun) but, in truth, most of what I’ve made is delicious. Which is why I’m particularly excited about tonight’s Whole30-friendly roast.

I chopped up baby golden potatoes, giant-ass carrots, a fennel bulb and white onion and tossed it all in a crock pot. I mixed a roast rub of black pepper, oregano, garlic salt and dried parsley and massaged it into the three-pound roast. Next, I browned the meat on all sides before placing it in the crock pot with all its vegetable friends. I poured some beef bone broth (I don’t have time to make Whole30-compliant broth, so I bought some embarrassingly expensive shit at Central Market) over the whole shebang and put the crock pot on low.

I conduct my daily morning routine to the sounds of NPR’s Morning Edition. This morning in particular, while the Hyde Amendment was on my mind, I listened to news of the Creamsicle administration silencing the EPA and the National Park Service and forthcoming immigration executive orders. By the time this roast would be done 10 hours later, President Creamsicle will have issued orders limiting immigration from Syria and other Middle Eastern countries, and he’ll have ordered the construction of a border wall -- which, by the way, already exists and it’s YUGE and terrible.

Who knows what he’ll have done by the time we finish the leftovers.