#passion has worn off and now they’re just regular weird about it.

[livvyofthelake]

i love the full circle perspective i’ve reached on bbc merlin. stage one of watching it was like omg i luvvvvv this…. (obviously stage zero was I Am Never Fucking Watching That It Looks Dumb As Shit. but we’re ignoring that for the sake of the post). and stage two was like ummm besties it’s getting kind of bad out here. and stage three was like The Horrors. and stage four was like uh actually this was the worst show in the whole world why did i watch that. and then now stage five is like Actually you hater bitch (speaking to stage four me) there is beauty to be found in the earnest intentions the show had so why don’t you try seeing the truth and beauty.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #253

hope everyone is staying safe through this quarantine. wash your hands.

Which band do you have more music of than anyone else on your computer? Ozzy. Who’s your favorite philosopher? *shrugs* I don't know any's ideals well. How old were you when you learned how to read? I'm not sure, but I know I was exceptionally young. What’s the coolest Halloween costume you’ve ever worn? I don't think I've ever worn something rather cool. Who’s your favorite painter/artist? If we're talking about well-known, "popular" artists, I'm not sure. Maybe DaVinci. What’s your favorite song lyric- ever? ARE YOU??????????? FOR REAL?????????? Holy FUCK I get goosebumps from lyrics SO easily, this is like impossible. Probably an Otep lyric, though. I really don't like her personally, but goddamn can she write. What’s your dream tattoo if you don’t have it already? I've linked it before, so I'll just remind it's "Denialism" by deviantART's NukeRooster on my entire, upper left arm. I've already gotten her permission (I don't like just... stealing artwork to put on my body), now just comes the day I can pay for it by a top-tier pro. What’s the coolest screen name you’ve ever had? I don't think any have been necessarily "cool." Who do you think was the most badass serial killer? (Real life.) I'm not well-versed in serial killers honestly, but I can say Charles Manson was a C A S E. I think we can all admit he was... interesting. Just the epitome of weird. Most badass fictional serial killer? ig Jason; again, I don't know a lot off the top of my head, but I like him. How many bank accounts do you have? I don't have one. Have you ever been falsely accused of starting drama? Yep. Have you ever found a song that describes your whole life? Parts of it, sure. What kind of car do you drive? I don't drive a car, but Mom's is a... Honda? Kia? Idk. I'm bad with car brands. What kind of car would you like to have? Average size, pretty simple. Burnt orange or red. I know I want one of those screens you look into to see what's behind you when backing up. Have you ever been to Dairy Queen? If so, what’s your favorite thing to eat from there? mmmmmmmmMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. So unhealthy, but I will destroy and Oreo Cupfection. Try. That. Stuff. Their milkshakes are also great. Which website do you email from? Outlook. Do you enjoy receiving souvenirs? Sure, it's nice. Have you ever had the flu? No. What about strep throat? Maybe once? Do you normally have a lot of homework, if you’re still in school? Kinda, yeah. Did you ever enjoy gym class? Fuck no. Even when I was healthy. What is your biggest insecurity? My body. Have you ever painted a room alone? No. How many huge secrets do you have? Huge? Uhhh, none, I think. Have you ever painted something and been impressed by it? Yes. Would you rather go out to eat or stay in? I prefer eating out because yummy food, but considering I'm working on losing weight, I avoid it. Do you have any younger siblings? One. Have you ever considered bleaching your hair? To the point of being snow white. Considering my hair is super healthy and bleaching so heavily would destroy it, I'll be avoiding that. I DO want to bleach my hair to do other colors, though. Brown hair sucks. Do you drink vitamin water? No. Are there any old movies you absolutely love? Oh sure, a good handful. The Outsiders probably tops it. Have you ever had a Big Mac before? No, doesn't appeal to me. I don't like veggies on my burgers... despite eating veggie burgers when I was vegetarian lmao. Do you think you attract the opposite sex at a reasonable rate? I doubt that. Have you ever filed a lawsuit on someone? No. Do you enjoy reading often? I'm finally back into it!! Lately all I've been wanting to do is READ READ READ. Have you ever had a deadly illness? Well, I consider depression (among other mental illnesses) to be very deadly, but on a literal level, no. I mean I have dormant MRSA, which can kill if active, but it never has been. Most people carry that dormantly anyway, if I remember correctly. Ever had food-poisoning before? No, thankfully. Where did you last eat dinner at? Mom bought Nicole and me Sonic. Have you ever had someone pick you up off the ground & carried you? When I fainted, yes. Are you a flirty person? Not really. A name you hate with a passion? Edward, to name one. Erwin. A lot of old names. What is your favorite type of water (ex. arrowhead)? Essentia mmmmmmmmmmmmm,, Have you ever been to Warped Tour? I WISH. :( Do you know anyone who wears fur? I fucking hope not, because I wouldn't associate with them anymore. When was the last time you were on myspace.com? Damn yo, millennia ago. How often do you cuss? Too much. I mean, I don't even believe "profanity" is a thing by our definition of "that word is magically bad," but still, it's like when people say "like" too much. Have you ever cussed out a teacher? No. What did you think of the movie Juno? I never watched it. How often do you eat meat? Sigh, more than I wish. What grade did you meet your best friend in? We didn't meet in school. Last time you cleaned your room? Couple days back. I'm honestly bad at dusting regularly in here, but that's gotta change with Mom having chemo now. Her immune system will be compromised so this house needs to be as pristine as it can. When you were little, would you have rather watched Cartoon Network or Disney Channel? Disney Channel. We weren't really Cartoon Network kids, actually. It was Disney or Nickelodeon. Do you shave your arms? No. Are you a big fan of the Harry Potter series? Never read a book, never watched any movies; the first one was playing in my presence once, but I paid no attention. How often would say you pulled all-nighters, if you ever do? Shit man, never, nowadays. I don't think I've had one for two years now. My youth is escaping. Has a friend’s boyfriend/girlfriend ever had a problem with you for any reason? I don't think so. How many times a day do you find yourself cracking your joints, if at all? Maybe not even once a day. Only my big toes and upper back can pop. Is there a particular sport you follow on a regular basis? No. Are you 100% over the last person you kissed? No. Do you put ketchup on top of your french fries or on the side? On the side. Who was the last person you talked to in person? Mom. Do you have a dog? Not anymore, thank fuck. Do you like orange juice? Yes. Are you one of those people who obsesses over Hollister? I never liked it. They're not inclusive at all towards fucking NORMAL bodies, nevermind plus size. Apparently even their rules on looks for workers are absolutely horrible. Ashley liked them though, so sometimes I just had to go in with her. If money was no object, would you change your wardrobe? My goth could finally  E S C A P E. How do you/did you get to school? My mom drives me. Have you ever had to have a pet put down? Four times that I remember off the top of my head. What candy cane flavor is your favorite? MMMMMMMMMM get the pink Starburst kind. Do you get angry when fast food restaurants mess up your order? It's annoying, yes. Angering when you've already driven away, especially when you really wanted something. What was your favorite elective class in high school? Art. Did you ever wish you could be homeschooled? Yes. I was homebound for a little while. Have you ever had a dream so realistic you could’ve sworn it happened? Yes. Do you have any mental disorders? I'm a walking mental disorder, lmao. Y'all know the biggies, and now ADD and especially DPD (dependent personality disorder) are being considered. Do you feel comfortable talking about these disorders, if you have them? Yeah, I really don't care. Where did you go on your last field trip? I want to say to a band competition in high school. Are you able to agree to disagree? Or do you have to have the last word? Yeah, pretty easily. Is there a cover song you like better than the original version? A whole lot, actually. Do you have a hard time talking about sex with the opposite gender? I have a hard time with anyone. Have you ever had major surgery? Major, no. Is there any food you don’t like that a lot of others do? Here in the South, everyone is most surprised when they hear I hate fried chicken. What was the last thing you bragged about? Hm. I'm not sure, actually. I don't make a habit out of doing that. Can you do a backflip? Hell no. Are you listening to anything right now? I have a video up of relaxing tracks from Silent Hill 2 + 3. Great shit. Has anyone ever tried to tell you you were adopted? No. How many doors are in the room you’re in? Two, but one's just the closet door. Have you ever been engaged and broke it off? No. Has anyone ever drawn a picture of you? Yes. Do any of your friends have children? Yep. Is there anything you’re craving right now? Not really. Who got married at the last wedding you attended? A family friend. It was the second wedding I shot. Is happiness something to be achieved and sought after or is it something to be retained and held onto always, no matter what happens? The former. You can't just stay happy when, like, your grandma dies. What gives you a peaceful feeling? Nature. Hearing water and birdsong, specifically. Are you a Toys-R-Us kid? Hell yeah I was. My sisters and I would go crazy if we had the chance to go there. We were SOOOO upset when it closed down. If you believe in Heaven, are there separate heavens for different animals (kittie heaven. dog heaven, bird heaven, etc)? I don't know if I believe in a "heaven," but some sort of peace after death, yes. I believe it's one, unified "heaven." When you sleep next to someone do they fall asleep first usually or do you? They always do considering it takes me ten years to fall asleep. If they do, do you watch them sleep? I have. Not in a creepy way, but rather a "wow I love this person" sorta way. What is your usual breakfast? Usually apple and cinnamon oatmeal What do your salt and pepper shakers look like? They're nothing special. The salt is a blue ceramic, and the pepper one is just what you get from the store. Have you ever had your car towed? I've never had my own car. What band or singer do you believe started rock and roll? I'm pretty sure Elvis is given that credit. Whose voice irritates you like fingernails on a blackboard? The female singer of Mother Mother's voice. Mom and I can't stand her singing. All I songs we enjoy feature almost solely the main singer. I can *tolerate* it in some songs, but. What do you contribute to society? Ha. Do you take naps? Almost daily. Do you have any cavities? Not to my knowledge. Do you believe that there has been a man on the moon? Yes, though I do believe the "first" landing was faked in competition with Russia. It sounds ridiculous, but I'm so serious, look into the theory - there's incredible evidence. Would you ever go into a sex shop? I'd be too self-conscious to. I'd just order online. Let’s just say your school team is on a winning streak. One of the cheerleaders cheers both for your team and the other team during games. Does it make you angry? I don't care enough about sports to even consider how I'd feel. Do you prefer carnivals, festivals, circuses, parades or faires? To be real, I only know the difference between parades and circuses. What even distinguishes the other three from each other. Do you believe in psychic ability or is it a sham? I lean towards no. What is your favorite classic rock song? You CANNOT ask me this question. Classic rock is some of the best music there is.

[gloieee]

(Belated and unfinished thoughts on) Mistakes

I don’t do regrets. It’s what I’ve said about myself for as long as I can remember. I torture myself over decisions, interrogate myself, hold on until its unbearable, “because” I don’t do regrets. Thinking about it like this makes me chuckle, because it’s abundantly clear that there’s something wrong with that statement. This is a digression though. What’s clear is that I’ve always made decisions carefully, often erring on overthinking and internal agony. I guess the true reason I haven’t regretted my decisions is because I hold onto decisions until it’s clear that I have no choice but to finally choose. At that point, I’ve beat the dilemma to the core. I can’t regret because I know I exhausted myself, and that I drove myself to a point of no return. Regardless of whether it’s the right decision or not, I know that whatever I chose was inevitable.

I’ve made a lot of decisions these past few years. I suppose all decisions are somewhat related to your circumstances, but I feel as though I’ve made some active decisions over the past few years. I guess it feels more like “active” decisions because many were decisions that not many supported. I’ve always gone against the current, but not in any kind of romantic, rebellious, edgy way—I find no delight in defining myself as ~alternative~ or a free soul or some bougie highbrow connoisseur of life. I literally hate that shit, perhaps because I feel indignant. I feel like more of a farce than some open-minded intellectual artist type. Ultimately, I want the plainest, most generic things in the world—revel in security, love the suburbs, love benefits-eligible positions and dream of being a homeowner—but yet, I seem to choose the hardest route to that goal. It looks like I’m purposefully trying to find the most difficult path, like some ego-driven power tripping junkie, which makes me let out an empty chuckle and feel despair at the same time.  

Anyway back to decisions. I guess it comes with the territory of “adulthood,” which must stay in quotations, because I most definitely don’t feel like an adult. I certainly don’t have the self-sustainability that I associated with adulthood, that I hope to have at this point in my life. Under this definition though, I do wonder whether I’ll ever really be an adult in the sense that my parents appeared to me as a young child. I doubt adulthood comes automatically with becoming a parent. At least not for our generation. Yes, many of my even my active decisions, have (perhaps) inadvertently led to suffering on my end, lots of pain, turmoil that most would label “unnecessary.” Yet, despite all that, I have never quite regretted my decisions. Partly because I was convinced it had to be so; partly because I did really value those experiences. I valued learning from suffering. I wasn’t as idealistic or passionately aesthetic enough (or, lacked in painful experiences enough) to ever see the beauty of suffering, as the deepest realization of the human experience. But I suppose I was open enough to see the value of experiences, of difficulties. “The world/ gives you/ so much pain/ and here you are/ making gold out of it –there is nothing purer than that.” I guess this was what I felt. This is certainly in the the past tense. It’s a pessimistic reading of my present state, because it implies that I am currently in a place where I can’t even appreciate some of the rather deep experiences of life, to embrace the ups and downs that have been thrust upon me. The alternative reading is a pessimistic, or even tragic reading of my past, in that maybe I felt that way back then because I had no choice. I was in such despair and pain that it was all meaningless, if I didn’t convince myself that I was “learning” from it, it would’ve broken me. And God knows there’s nothing that gets my ego and survival instincts going like the thought that something could “break me.” That’s definitely why I’ve made some of the most foolhardy decisions of my life, which have been many. Someone softens, and says that sounds too hard, and I balk, and go ham cause I can’t break my streak. I think I’m pretty humble, or at least, I’ve never been a humble bragger, but I have a weird protectiveness about being “strong.” But again, a part of me feels like it’s definitely a defense mechanism. 

I fell in love with Andre 3000 this winter/ spring—in Boston, is there really a difference at this point? On the surface level, his lyricism, the way he literally plays with language, has made me see how rap, in its truest form, is the most exulting and perfect form of poetry. It’s perhaps been the only form of aestheticism and beauty that I’ve been able to appreciate as of late. And of course, his obsession/ fascination/ fear/ disillusionment with love is something I’ve always resonated with. The unshakeable tone of resignation, the empty but deep sense of pain in Andre’s recent solo bits pulls at my heartstrings.  The profoundly real sentiment of emptiness comes across regardless of the content (T.I- Sorry).

I'm a grown-ass kid, you know ain't never cared about no damn money Why do we try so hard to be stars, just to dodge comments

And this that shit that'll make you call your baby mama When you gone on half a pill, don't know why but that I did Then you take a flight back to the crib, y'all make love like college kids And you say all the shit you gon' do better, we can try this shit again 'Round the time the dope wear off, you feel stupid, she feel lost That's that dope, I mean, I mean dopamine you think Cupid done worn off

Maybe should have stayed but it ain't yo fault Too much pressure, I fell off, I'm sorry Was young and had to choose between you And what the rest of the world might offer me, shit what would you do Well I'd probably do it differently if second the chance Only if some cool ass older man would've let me know in advance

This, this quarry, that is dug so deep in a father's chest When he feel that he's broken up his nest And he figured shit he was just doing the best that he could Which end up being the worst that he could

Regrets. You really see it here. True regrets are admitting you “would’ve done it differently,” but knowing you can’t go back and fix it. Even the hypothetical second chance is qualified: “Only if some cool ass older man would've let me know in advance.” But there was no cool ass older man back then, there’s just Andre now (props for his humble brag here, which he also does so well in “Walk it Out”—a glimmer of hope for Andre despite the sadness of his recent songs). It can’t be fixed at this point. It’s not about the people or the individual parts involved that could change the situation. Him getting back with Erykah Badu (who he’s most likely referring to) and raising Seven together at this point wouldn’t make it right.  The “second chance” can’t ever come. You can hear the “quarry,” dug so deep and hollow in Andre’s chest.  

Well, sitting here sad as hell Listening to Adele, I feel you baby Someone like you, more like someone unlike you Or something that's familiar maybe

The emptiness. You know you’re sad when you’re a man at a strip club but being “saddened” by the injustices of the pecking order of strippers (“All of them ain't all equipped/ And this saddens me, I see the pecking order/ Quote-unquote "bad bitches" work the whole floor/ Those that get laughed at sit off in the corner/ Like a lab rat nobody want her). “Someone like you, more like someone unlike you/ Or something that's familiar maybe” is such a biting analysis of how people feel post-break up. More often than not, we may want “someone like you” in the sense that we want someone we could share the intensity, the emotion with, but it’s “someone unlike you” that we actively seek—someone who won’t cheat, won’t treat you like shit, who will  accept you for who you are, won’t make you feel small, who’s stable, who’s fun, who might last—but yet, we often end up finding someone “familiar.” It’s a disenchantment. A sly peak behind the curtains to uncover the truth (Drake- The Real Her). Familiarity is covert—it’s not active, it’s not conscious, it’s a sense, a shadow, a feeling you can’t put your finger on. We don’t want to think we’re dating someone because they’re familiar, we want it to be fate, unique, the one.

Since you been gone I been having withdrawals You were such a habit to call I ain't myself at all had to tell myself naw She's better with some fella with a regular “job”/jaw I didn't wanna get her involved

Even when Andre misses someone, it’s almost as if he’s purposefully comparing her to a drug, to convince himself that it’s just a craving and a literal “habit” (Frank Ocean- Pink Matter). He gives up on her before he even gives it a shot—saying “naw, she's better with some fella with a regular “job”/jaw” (also love love love the play on words here with job and jaw (his protruding, unconventional jaw line), the ingenious rhyming with naw fella and jaw—it gets me every time). This entire song is divine. Soft pink matter, Cotton Candy, majin buu, so genius.

What do you think my brain is made for Is it just a container for the mind? Sensei went quiet then violent And we sparred until we both grew tired Nothing mattered Cotton candy, Majin Buu, oh, oh Dim the lights and fall into you, you, you My God, giving me pleasure Pleasure, pleasure, pleasure Pleasure over matter

I’ve rarely heard someone sing so intensely, which is contrasted with Andre’s off-handed ambivalence.  

5.22.2018

[sage-nebula]

And for the ship meme, Golden Trio OT3!

Who’s the messiest one:

Hmmm, I think both Ron and Harry? I would say that Harry would be conditioned to keep his things to himself after his time at the Dursleys, but we’ve seen numerous times throughout the books that he has no problems leaving things strewn about so long as they’re in a space where he knows they’re safe (e.g. he’ll trash his own room, he’ll have his socks all of the dorm at Hogwarts, et cetera). Ron, similarly, isn’t exactly known for his neatness. Particularly since Molly took care of all the cleaning at the Burrow, I feel that he was never really taught to pick up after himself with regularity. So I’m going to say both the boys for this one!

Who feels the most uncomfortable about PDA:

Well, we know it definitely is not Ron given the way he and Lavender were sucking each other’s faces off in the common room in HBP. We know that it’s also probably not Harry, given that he kissed Ginny in the middle of all of Gryffindor House and talked about kissing her between classes and the like. So it’s probably Hermione, because her relationship with Krum was very low-key, and although she did spontaneously kiss Ron, Harry was the only other person around at the time. I think she’s probably the most shy about it, therefore.

Who’s the funniest drunk:

I’m going to give this one to Harry, although it’d probably only be about 50% of the time. 50% of the time he lets his snark fly, is quite witty, laughs a lot, and is warm and affectionate . . . and the other 50% he gets super depressed as he remembers everything he’s gone through, and then just drinks more until he goes to sleep. It’s a bit of a gamble, but when he’s in a happy drunk mood, he’s probably the funniest and most amusing.

Who texts the most:

None! Electricity doesn’t work around magic, so they don’t have phones.

Who has the most embarrassing taste in music:

Ron actually genuinely finds Celestina Warbeck pleasant to listen to because he heard her so much growing up due to Molly’s fondness. Harry and Hermione give him shit about this every now and then.

Who reads the most:

Does it need saying? Hermione.

Who’s better with kids:

Ron! Not only did he grow up in a huge family with tons of siblings that actually loved him, but Ron is clever, warm, and likes to make others laugh. I think he’d be great with kids, particularly since he also knows what it is to be a young kid who’s often ignored, and he wouldn’t want other kids to experience that. He’d want to give them a listening ear, and would take them seriously. By contrast, Harry and Hermione would both try . . . but I feel like Harry wouldn’t necessarily know what to do, given that he never had much of a childhood himself and thus #can’t relate, and Hermione seems like the type who would try to be hip, but would just . . . miss the mark, because she was a dork as a child, and she’s a dork as an adult. She’d also be the one more prone to worrying over safety, or rules, et cetera, which wouldn’t make her a fan favorite with the kids, either.

So yeah, definitely Ron.

Who’s the one that fixes things around the house:

I feel like they’d all share this. I mean, they have magic, so it’s not as if they need to know how to fix things by hand. They’ve got the spells to do it. That said, I think Hermione is the one who’d procrastinate the least, so she’d probably get it done the most often.

Who’s got the weirdest hobby:

They’ve all shared this at different points.

Ron has a thing about memorabilia once he’s grown and has the spare money to throw at it, and so he goes through a period where he keeps hunting down Chudley Cannons memorabilia to have as collector’s items. And that’s not so weird, except he even goes for old, worn, used jerseys that the players used to wear. (“Ron, what the fuck, mate.”)

Harry goes through a period of being super into (perhaps even addicted to) stunts, and other risk taking things that can get him killed, but don’t. Things like doing handsprings off tall buildings, or eating really, really strange and potentially poisonous “food” . . . he tries it all, and even chases the things down to try them. Hermione reasons that perhaps it’s Harry’s brain’s way of coping with the stress of everything he’s gone through, and Ron thinks that it’s going to be extremely stupid if Harry goes and gets himself killed now after he defeated Voldemort, so maybe he definitely shouldn’t have done that last thing and shouldn’t do the next one either, but Harry just shrugs and goes, “But did I die, though.” (“Harry, mate, what the fuck.”)

Hermione has a phase where she gets super into serial murderers, both magical and muggle. To be fair, this is tangentially related to their business of being consulting detectives for the Ministry, because, Hermione explains, if they better understand serial murderers, they can better catch serial murderers. At the same time, though, she gets super passionate when explaining the details of various past cases and crimes, and doesn’t blink an eye at even extreme gore after all. (“Hermione, honestly, what the fuck.”)

Who cooks and who cleans up:

They share! They all pitch in with the cooking, and likewise, no one wants to burden one sole person with all the cleaning. That said, Harry still sucks ass at cleaning spells even as he gets older, but Hermione is of course good at them, and Molly whipped Ron into shape when she learned Hermione was doing the lion’s share of the cleaning, because no son of hers is going to act like that, no sir. (“You’re fine, though, Harry dear.”)

[jessejostark]

Jesse Jo Stark

When Jesse Jo Stark was in high school, she took regular road trips from her native L.A. to San Francisco. Her soundtrack of choice? The Misfits, AFI, and the Circle Jerks (it was her punk phase). Stark can detail “stages” of musical upbringing, which was an eclectic one, thanks to her parents; in the late-‘80s they founded the fashion brand Chrome Hearts, which has been worn by many a musician, and Stark remains involved in the family business through designing. They introduced her to everything from country (Merle Haggard) to rock (Fleetwood Mac), and she rebelled with pop powerhouses like Christina Aguilera. Nowadays, Stark looks more to the former than the latter as she shapes her own sound. “I’m not trying to recreate anything completely from the past,” she explains, “but if I’m looking up some inspiration, it’d probably be Cher from the ’70s.”

The result is an alt rock sensibility and an emphasis on songwriting, which became a passion for Stark when she graduated from her aforementioned punk years around age 18. In January, she released her first single “Driftwood” and today, days before the month comes to a close, premieres her second, “April Flowers,” below. “I wrote it quite a bit ago,” she says. “It’s about love, but it’s also about the idea of having everyone else involved in that and everyone having an opinion of what it is, handling your relationship.” Produced by Jason Lytle (formerly of the band Grandaddy), whom she met through a mutual friend, and co-written by Isaac Carpenter, it’s an unhurried, reflective song with surreal lyrics like, “All the spooky little kids / That can creep under your lids / With their Barbie Doll brains.”

Interview recently spoke to the 26-year-old, who plans to release two songs this summer with a full-length album to follow come September, by phone while she was at home in L.A.

HALEY WEISS: Has your perspective on your music changed at all? What do you think of these songs now that you’re a year out from writing them?

JESSE JO STARK: It’s all a development—I write and I go in and I record it, and then I mix it—so it’s building it into what it is now. It’s kind of a beautiful process, it’s not tiring and I don’t get tired of the songs, surprisingly. So it hasn’t really changed much, I’m still [working] on the body of work I’m releasing right now.

WEISS: You worked with Jonathan Rice on some of these new songs, or is it the whole album?

STARK: No, just some of them. I think it was six songs together.

WEISS: What do you value most in a producer or collaborator?

STARK: They’re going to challenge you, but also allow you to not be stuck in a corner, and accept the weirdness factor a little bit. I think it’s a vibe: when I meet someone, I can tell if we’re going to be able to spend intimate time together for a long time, and vice versa. With Jonathan, he’s a friend of mine, and we had a relationship over time and then sat down to write together and decided to go into the studio, so that was a really slow relationship; our relationship grew and I was able to create with him. Jason [Lytle], who I worked on “April Flowers” with, we really hit it off. He was able to pull a lot out of me; he dug deep with me, so it was cool to work with him.

WEISS: Is that a difficult thing to do? Meeting someone, when they’re not a friend first, and diving right into that personal, creative process?

STARK: I think it is challenging. Over time, it becomes a little less challenging, but it’s a really intimate thing. I call them blind dates: you go into this room with someone, and it’s hard to put yourself out there, but it’s what you’ve got to do in this world. It’s challenging but it’s cool, for me at least, because I’m really introverted and it allows me to grow as a person when I get to be put in a room with different people.

WEISS: How would you describe your writing process? Would you consider it autobiographical, methodical, are you writing from the point of view of characters?

STARK: I do write from points of view. But I really do love writing about love, and it’s from personal experiences, I think with a dramatic touch on it. I enjoy writing about the darker side of love and putting beautiful tones to it, so it’s not completely dreary. Most of my writing is about a lot of me, but I’ve definitely written with another viewpoint in mind.

WEISS: Do you write anything in addition to lyrics or is it exclusively songs? Do you write poems or fiction?

STARK: I’ve written short stories, and I started with poetry; when I was younger I would write poems, and it slowly developed. Then I realized I actually enjoyed writing, and I started to write songs.

WEISS: And your first song you wrote at age 12, right?

STARK: Yeah, I think I was younger than that. It was really short, but it was called “My Heart’s on Fire.”

WEISS: Do you recall any of the lyrics or what spurred you to write it?

STARK: I think I was pissed off at this boy in school, who was probably my first crush. The lyrics were pretty intense for being so young and feeling that way.

WEISS: When you wrote that, were you also singing songs publicly, or just writing them?

STARK: I was little, so I was just singing them in class and trying out different instruments—that kind of stuff.

WEISS: Were you equally interested in learning to play instruments as you were singing?

STARK: I was when I was younger. I did guitar lessons three days a week, but when I turned 18 I was really intrigued by writing. I wanted to write a lot more.

WEISS: When did you first decide to share your music in a more serious way and pursue it professionally?

STARK: I would say 18.

WEISS: What made you make that decision?

STARK: I’m very shy, and I think I was just ready to put stuff out there in that way. I’ve always done videos and I’ve always done performances here and there, but it wasn’t until I was 18 that I started actually wanting to book shows. You get to a point in your career where you’re ready, but I always wanted to do it. I knew what I wanted to do, not exactly what path I wanted to take, but I always wanted to be playing.

WEISS: If you’re on the shy side, how do you get past that to go on stage? I can’t imagine doing that.

STARK: It’s really crazy, but I think you just do it. I don’t know how anyone does it.

WEISS: Have you learned to enjoy it? You’ve been able to get to a comfortable place?

STARK: Yeah, 100 percent. I truly enjoy it. I don’t think the same fears come into your head. It’s just about getting the first foot onto the stage.

WEISS: I read that you grew up with an eclectic range of music. Who were the artists that your parents played while you were growing up? Do you come from a family that’s passionate about music?

STARK: I was raised on a lot of the Clash and a lot of country, and I think one of my first concerts was Motley Crue or Cher. I guess I was always immersed in it. At the time, I didn’t really like to admit that I liked what my dad was playing; I wanted to listen to Britney Spears—which I still love. [laughs]

WEISS: I feel like everyone has that experience with their parents.

STARK: For sure, and I can’t help but want to put on [those] songs [now]. Some of my friends are into it, but some of them would rather listen to rap, and that’s just not my vibe.

WEISS: In the artists that you admire most or listen to most, do you find that there’s a particular quality you’d like to emulate or that you really value?

STARK: I think that they’re—I feel like it’s everlasting. It’s not a fad. It’s not a trend. They kind of carry the same feeling; the first time you listen, 10 years later, they hold this feeling, and I have a respect for that.

WEISS: It’s hard to avoid trends, in a way. How do you determine what that everlasting quality is? Is that in the lyrics?

STARK: I think it’s in the lyrics. I could treat it like clothes: there are pieces that you always go back to, that your mom wore, that you’re then wearing again. I know everything is a cycle, but it definitely has to do with the lyrics, and country, for me, I feel like it’s so poetic. But then again Fleetwood Mac isn’t necessarily country—they do such a good job of that too. I don’t know what it is. I can’t say that my song isn’t trendy. But I do think we’re in a really different time for music, and I feel a lot more inspired by things that have been created a long time ago.

WEISS: You mentioned clothing, and I know you come from a creative household—your parents started Chrome Hearts—and you have an interest in fashion as well. Do you see your interest in fashion and music as totally separate entities, or do you see a crossover?

STARK: It helps to wear something that I feel good in when I play. I do think there’s a crossover; they’re all a way of making you, you, and you stick out. I want to feel good when I play, and I put on whatever makes me feel that I can carry the song I’m playing. I think everything connects, everything’s a way of communicating what you vibe is.

WEISS: You started a label, Sugar Jones Music, when you started releasing music. What was the impetus behind that? Are you looking to sign other artists?

STARK: I’ve actually not thought about that. Probably not, but you never know.

WEISS: Why is it important for you to release under your own label?

STARK: It was just the move for me, and I didn’t want to be held back because of my position. I have songs that I want to put out there and play, and I think it was the right move for me right now to self-release.

WEISS: Now that you’re nearly done with this collection of songs, and you’re releasing it piece by piece, how do you feel about it as your first complete body of work?

STARK: I’m nervous, but I’m happy, and I feel like I’m in a good place with the songs that I’ve chosen to release right now and I’m proud of them. It’s been a while since I’ve put out music, and I feel really stoked about it. I’m playing a show tonight and on Monday, and that’s the cool thing, being able to finish it and play it and see people’s reactions, and to be proud of something you put out. So I feel good. It’s always nerve-wracking putting things out for judgment, but I’m pretty proud of what I’m putting out right now.

WEISS: Is there one reaction in particular, that say a fan or family member has had to one of your songs, that surprised you or has stuck with you?

STARK: I’ve played a lot of rock, and the last two tracks—the track I put out and the new track I’m putting out—they feel more mature to people. It’s been interesting to see my family react and give me really good feedback. The cool thing about them is they won’t lie to me; I was kind of shocked by their response and it was a good one.

WEISS: Once you finished making this music, who was the first person you wanted to hear it?

STARK: Jonathan, who I wrote with, has been a big inspiration, so I play a lot of my stuff for him, but also my boyfriend. He’s kind of brutal, so if he doesn’t like it he’ll tell me and we’ll have a little fight about it, but it’s always nice to hear the negative, too, and not just have a pat on the back. I like to know the truth.

[flauntpage]

50 More Hot Takes for the Philadelphia Sports Fan

The first “hot takes” article did well last October, so I figured I’d do another one. This will be 50 more hot takes for the Philadelphia sports fan, which brings us to 100 hot takes over the course of eight months.

Now, not all of these are “hot” or even “takes,” i.e. some are lukewarm and some are just observations or maybe even aphorisms. But since this is 2019, I feel encouraged and motivated to just say shit without really thinking it through, then we’ll get people all riled up and benefit from the fake arguments that ensue. That’s the strategy, right? Just fire off a bunch of outrageous claims and watch site traffic roll.

Right, so with that Pulitzer-worthy lede, here are 50 more hot takes for you and your mom, after the jump:

Grown men should not bring a baseball glove to the ballpark unless accompanied by a child who is also wearing a glove.

Glen Macnow and Ray Didinger is the best radio show in Philadelphia.

It’s really weird that fans and media always call NBA players by their first names. We’re not their close friends, so I don’t know why Kawhi Leonard is just “Kawhi” and Kobe Bryant is just “Kobe” and LeBron James is just “LeBron.” We don’t refer to Tom Brady as “Tom” and we don’t refer to Drew Brees as “Drew.” It’s kind of creepy.

Philadelphia sports fans are horrendous at detecting sarcasm and satire.

Shitting on Pat’s and Geno’s for being “touristy” is a tired take. The “what’s your favorite cheesesteak?” argument is beyond worn out.

If you cut off other drivers at the sports complex, you’re an asshole. This is especially true for people in the outside lanes who turn in front of Xfinity Live and just force their way into the Wells Fargo Center parking lots. Wait in line like the rest of us.

Wearing a matching Eagles hat and jersey is inappropriate. The max should be one article of specific team apparel, so either the hat OR the jersey, but not both.

Too many media members in this city treat sporting events like social events, as if it’s important to “see and be seen,” but not actually do any work or ask any interesting questions. It’s the struggle to remain relevant.

You can’t talk shit about soccer if you watch WWE.

Late 90s ECW was better than anything WWE or WCW ever put out.

Tommy Dreamer should be ranked higher on any list of the best ECW wrestlers of all time. (Coggin tells me this is not a hot take)

Every able-bodied writer should be forced to play or referee the sport they cover for at least one year. It adds to your knowledge of the game while offering more credibility at the same time.

People like to complain about “fanboy journalism,” but the fact of the matter is that people click whenever we write a story that makes fun of Dallas, Boston, or New York.

Fake news isn’t fake news because you disagree with it. The term literally means that the story is fabricated. We had this problem with the Joe Santoliquito story, when people outright dismissed it because they didn’t like the assertions being made, regardless of whether or not they were true.

Synchronization at Philly sporting arenas is pretty bad. I’m not sure if it’s an acoustics problem or what, but sometimes simple cheers like “M-V-P or “De-fense” are being shouted at different times by 2-3 different sections of the stadium. It makes it look like we don’t know what we’re doing.

I can’t take you seriously if you can’t actually pronounce player names. It’s not Nelson “Aguilar,” nor is it Alshon “Jefferies” or Chase “Daniels.” Sports radio hosts should be instructed to hang up on callers who can’t pronounce names.

Pittsburgh isn’t a rival city. They are geographically further away than New York and D.C. and the fans who live there are very similar to us.

The NHL has the best overtime rules among the “four major North American sports.”

The NFL has the worst overtime rules, by far.

162 games of regular season baseball is a total snooze fest. Trim the regular season (boring TV) and add more playoff games (excellent TV).

The Flyers’ decision to cover and then remove the Kate Smith statue was totally rushed, like they didn’t think it through and just copied the Yankees in fear of bad publicity.

Likewise, it bothers me how quickly people were calling for Odubel Herrera’s removal from the Phillies organization. This is America; we gather facts, collect evidence, and exercise due diligence. Then we make informed and educated decisions.

Baseball traditionalists are the worst. “Nothing needs to change! Baseball is perfect the way it is!” Ugh, go away.

There’s too much mucking, grinding, and bullshitting on the boards in the NHL. The international dimensions make for a more open and enjoyable game.

Stephen A Smith is a national treasure.

“Click bait” is defined by the body of the story, not the headline. We are literally trying to write headlines that grab attention and result in people clicking on the story. They’re called “teases” in television lingo.

Boston isn’t much different from Philly. Both are great cities with history and culture and passionate sports fans. The only difference is they have horrible accents and Coggin thinks they’re more racist.

The in-game interview is the worst segment of all time and eternity. There’s no reason a coach should have to speak to the media during an actual game.

Media should not be allowed in the locker room, which is a sacred and private place for athletes.

Arena music is really bad in 2019. Some of the stuff you hear at Sixers’ games is the worst mumble rap ever.

“Welcome to the Jungle” needs to be banned from sporting events forever. It’s worn out.

I can’t support calling touchdowns “tuddies.”

Tomato pie is whatever. It’s not horrible, but it’s not good either.

Twitter should lock for at least 30 minutes after an Eagles loss, and everybody should be required to go outside and smoke a cigarette before they can log back in.

People still have no idea what Colin Kaepernick is protesting.

Criticizing the Wing Bowl for objectifying women feels off-base to me. Nobody forced anyone to be a wingette or escort the eaters to the stage, those women signed up to do that.

I don’t understand Philadelphia’s love for Pearl Jam. Alice in Chains and Soundgarden are the superior Seattle grunge bands. Nirvana is also overrated.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band may very well be the most overrated act on the planet.

Mike Trout is boring.

Most sports writers and editors have an inflated sense of worth. We are not firefighters or doctors. We are not uncovering Russian collusion. Sports is entertainment. It’s the appreciation of athletic skill and achievement. We can inform and write interesting stories without taking ourselves too seriously.

Let’s not confuse journalism for sports writing. Peter Arnett was a journalist who reported from Vietnam and Iraq. Dan Shaughnessy is a sports writer who covers Boston teams.

We talk about how much we love Philadelphia, about how “blue collar” we are, yet I see trash and dog shit on every street corner. We need to do a better job of taking care of our neighborhoods and showing some pride in where we live.

If you shovel out your own parking spot, then put a cone there to save it, you’re a selfish asshole. It literally takes five minutes to shovel out your neighbor’s car or clear the snow from their steps. Do something for somebody else.

Stop calling Fishtown “hipster.” It hasn’t been hipster for years. All of the hipsters moved to the west side of Frankford Avenue or down to East Passyunk.

Media members who don’t show up during the regular season should be banned from attending playoff games.

Eagles talk should be banned from the end of minicamp to the start of training camp.

I wasn’t a fan of Justin Gaethje’s “American vs. a foreigner” angle at the recent UFC Fight Night at the Wells Fargo Center. Gaethje is from Arizona. His opponent, Edson Barboza, has trained in New Jersey for several years. Barboza was born in Brazil but has more of a connection to this region than Gaethje does. That felt a little hollow to me, the fact that the crowd was lopsided in Gaethje’s favor.

Media members should never talk shit about a player on social media, then go put a microphone in his or her face. Athletes pay attention to those kinds of things.

Calling millennials “soft” is dumb, because Baby Boomers were the ones handing out the participation trophies. We literally created the environment they are living in.

Parents who yell at their kids, the coach, or the referees at a youth sporting event should be immediately escorted from the premises and put on six months of probation.

That’s what I’ve got.

Agree? Disagree? Just want to troll the comments section? Get at me dog.

The post 50 More Hot Takes for the Philadelphia Sports Fan appeared first on Crossing Broad.

50 More Hot Takes for the Philadelphia Sports Fan published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[thefatefuldescentrpg]

Name: Rachel Berry Age: 18 years old Character Traits: Academic, Inquisitive, Thoughtful

Born the only child to Hiram and LeRoy Berry, Rachel was nothing less than simply adored. Named after her Dads favorite character in “Friends”, Rachel was a shining star the moment she graced the world with her first words. (Which, if you ask her, was at 10 months old, despite the fact that her baby teeth hadn’t fully adjusted in her mouth yet.)

Ambition poured from every pore in her body, and Rachel’s Dads could sense it the second she slipped on a pair of toe shoes. Regular ballet lessons began immediately; tap followed shortly after, then rhythmic gymnastics to give her an edge up against the rest of the 3-year-old girls who only wanted to wear their tutus, while Rachel practiced her positions over, and over, and over again.

They thought she was on her way to stardom – her ambition kept her head in the game, in every aspect of the word. Her grades flourished as her quick wit kept her sharp in school, and her vocal training brought her voice to a full range that no 10 year old should accomplish. She was a triple – nay, quadruple threat wherever she went, and a childhood of community theatre and singing competitions put stars in her eyes and New York City in her heart.

However, her 13th birthday put an end to her Broadway-bound destiny. It’s normal, the doctors said, for someone her age to have tonsillitis. In fact, it was almost weird that she hadn’t had hers removed yet! They told her to remain on vocal rest until the surgery – nothing but herbal tea with honey and cold, liquid foods until she could talk again.

Rachel Berry isn’t known for sitting down quietly, and because of her rash attitude, she lost her voice. Almost completely. The surgery helped her retain the basics, but the warnings they issued couldn’t prepare her for the news of her unlikeliness to sing again.

Weeks of bed rest – and a grief that couldn’t be helped – caused Rachel to turn to the only other friend she had: her bookshelf. She read, and she read, and she read some more until everything had been read twice. The more she read, the more she got lost in the stories – princesses from far away, living a life much more glamorous than she ever had. Heroes crossing countries to save their homes from sure destruction, and sure evil. Magic that helps a young boy realize just how extraordinary he is, and how he’s the only one who can keep his world safe.

If they could do it, why couldn’t she?

Her passions shifted almost overnight – if being a star on the stage was no longer an option, than taking up a pen and rewriting her own story would have to be just as good.

All throughout junior high, and well into high school, Rachel dedicated herself to the world of reading, a literature. Her tastes became more mature as she aged, with things like Moby Dick, Great Expectations, and The Odyssey finding homes on her bookshelf. She threw herself into these worlds – these mini realities that would take her away, give her some peace of mind that maybe, just maybe, all hope wasn’t lost.

Her increased commitment to her grades landed her in the same classes as Quinn Fabray – an upperclassman, no doubt, though Rachel didn’t take being in AP English lightly. She began to mingle, to talk, to chat, even. She’d never had friends before – when she was young, her time was spent in auditoriums, rehearsal rooms, and dance studios. Her ambition made it hard for people to get close, but losing a dream made her shell soften if only to lessen the blows from the outside world. When you lose something that you’ve spent nearly half your life working towards, everything else doesn’t seem so bad.

Soon, she had friends. A whole group of people who wanted to spend time with her, who wanted to hear what she had to say. It was hard to believe – in fact, sometimes, it still is. Friday night study groups turned into Friday night parties at Blaine Anderson’s house, with his cousins Madison and Mason in tow for an evening of teenage debauchery. (She’s dabbled, here and there, but for the most part, Rachel tends to keep things PG. Board games are where she thrives, and she’s lucky that she met someone like Sam who indulged her in what some might call a naive mindset at age 17.)

Being invited to the cabin at the end of the year was icing on top of the cake, and Rachel didn’t think twice before she joined the rest of the crew up on the mountain in Blackwood Pines for what Blaine promised would be one of the best weekends of their lives.

In a way, he was right. Everything was going fine, at first – they drank (even Rachel, who splurged on a wine cooler), they played cards, and they danced in the living room until they fell over into an exhausted heap.

It was Kitty who broke the silence, who showed them the note she drafted up from Sebastian that professed his feelings towards Madison. (Quinn had talked to her about it once or twice before – the way that Madison would stare at Sebastian for too long, the way that Kitty and Quinn would ream her for it behind her back, and how Santana had a hard time juggling the emotions of 3 people at once. Rachel did her best to stay out of it – it didn’t concern her, after all, and though she could understand that feelings are feelings, she couldn’t help agree with Quinn on what was and wasn’t appropriate behavior.)

It’s just a prank. Nothing can really go wrong, right?

Rachel marched upstairs, concealed herself in a closet, and jumped out with perfect timing to what she assumed would be a group full of laughter. (Part of her knew it was a bad idea – she knew nothing good could from something like this. She kept telling herself, though, it wasn’t her place to say it. It wasn’t her battle to fight. It helps sway the guilt, she thinks – makes her feel better about being a bystander.)

They searched for a week. Mason and Madison were nowhere to be found, and after two weeks, they were presumed dead. Rachel watched as they buried two empty caskets, watched the horror on Blaine’s face as they were lowered into the ground, and quickly slipped into herself for 2 months based on nothing more than personal guilt.

Several months later, she’s not sure what’s been going on in Blaine’s mind. She’s tried to keep in touch – it’s hard when half of them are in college, while the other half are stuck to pull through the rest of their senior year – but the only person she’s found she can actually rely on is Sam. She wonders, though, if returning to the actual scene of the crime is a good idea for anyone involved. Maybe it’s for closure? God knows she’s filled at least 4 journals since New Years with multiple attempts to reach closure on what happened, but nothing’s really stuck. Nothing ever does.

She’s going. It took some debate between her Dads, herself, and some good advice from Sam, but – she’s going. Seeing everyone again, even Quinn and Kitty, will do everyone some good, she thinks. Give the group a chance to make new memories to flush out the old ones, and give them a chance to start over. (That’s what she tells herself, anyway, though she knows better than anyone else that no one – especially Blaine – will ever forget what happened last year.)

Rachel hasn’t sung since her tonsillitis affected her voice. Though most people would agree that getting your tonsils removed isn’t something you have to worry about when it comes to singing, she’s horrified of opening her mouth and hearing a noise she isn’t familiar with. So, to avoid confrontation of an issue she’s not even ready, to begin with, she keeps her lips shut, and sticks to humming along with the radio every now and then. Better safe than sorry.

Rachel’s favorite author is Jane Austen. She won’t talk about it much– afraid of being a cliche, she thinks – but Pride and Prejudice got her through some of the toughest months of her life, and she often carries her worn out copy with her wherever she goes. It’s frayed (and annotated, with multiple post-its that hang off the side of the pages), and bent out of shape, but it’s hers. And that means more to her than any new book smell could possibly offer.

Though Rachel knows she can’t be blamed for the prank, her guilt eats away at her and has chipped some of her unbridled optimism away. She’s still happy-go-lucky, still beaming at all times and happy to be apart of the group (since she’s never really had a group of friends before or people who could stand her long enough to give her more than 5 minutes of their time), but there’s something… missing in her eyes. The way they used to shine, when things were easier, and two of their friends weren’t dead at the bottom of a mountain. (Part of her still hopes they’re just missing, lost in the thick of the woods. Sometimes, she’s not sure which option is better.)

Out of all of the people that went up to the cabin that year, Rachel remains the closest with Sam. She can’t remember when their friendly banter turned into something that made her blush when their hands brushed, something that made her stomach twist into nervous knots every time they were left alone together. She doesn’t plan on saying anything, ever, if only because she knows that Sam can do better than someone like her. She’s never had a boyfriend before, and she doubts that now is the right time for her personal life to suddenly take wind.(It doesn’t stop her from thinking about it, though. And it certainly doesn’t stop her from stealing glances whenever they get to see each other on the weekends.)

Rachel Berry is based on the character of Ashley Brown and is currently taken.

[russellthornton]

Diaper Fetish: Everything You Want to Know But Don’t Want to Ask

Having a diaper fetish means you gain sexual gratification from wearing adult diapers. Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about this fetish.

Why anyone would want to wear a diaper beyond the age of four years old is probably a mystery to most, but to those with a diaper fetish, it’s simply a way of life.

A diaper fetish means you are an adult who wears diapers socially or as a form of sexual gratification. According to Psychology Today, most diaper lovers are males in their late 30s. If you’ve ever heard about having a diaper fetish, your first reaction was to wash your hands of the issue and call it a day. But, what if you’re dating that person?

If you are dating someone, or have a friend who is into the diaper fetish, you’re probably looking up every article you can to learn more about their particular sexual preference and what it means. Well, look no further. We’re discussing everything you ever wanted to know about someone with a diaper fetish.

What is a diaper fetish?

If you’re thinking a diaper fetish is purely sexual, you’re about to be wrong. The real question is, does that make the fetish more normal… or even stranger? [Read: Unbelievable sex – 20 sexual fetishes bordering on crazy]

Diaper fetishes usually fall into one of two categories. Either you’re a Diaper Lover, a community of fetishists who enjoy wearing and using diapers, or you’re engaging in autonepiophilia, slanged “Adult Babies.”

As the name implies, adult babies like to engage in childlike behavior. This could include wearing a diaper, sucking a binky, playing with baby toys, and acting like a baby. Diaper lovers do not engage in childlike behavior.

Feelings experienced by diaper fetishists when wearing adult diapers can’t be pinned to one stereotype. Where one fetishist may experience comfort from wearing a diaper, another may feel arousal of a sexual nature. It really varies from person to person.

Facets of a Diaper Fetish

There are many facets of a diaper fetish that you may not be aware of. If you think diaper lovers simply enjoy *wearing* diapers, you’re way off. Here are some of the common sub-fetishes of the diaper lover community. [Read: Types of fetishes – Dirty little secrets]

#1 Going out in public in a diaper. Some enjoy the thrill of going out in public with their diaper on under their regular clothes. Some say it’s like doing something naughty and wrong, while others simply like the feeling of getting away with wetting themselves publicly unbeknownst to their friends and colleagues.

#2 The sounds a diaper makes. The crinkling and puffing noises created when moving around in a diaper is stated as both a turn on and a comforting aspect of this particular fetish by diaper lovers.

#3 Wetting your diaper. Peeing or “wetting” one’s self while in a diaper seems to be a huge turn on for the diaper fetish community. Some simply wet the diaper with water, while others prefer the au natural method of urinating themselves until the diaper is soaked. Whichever method chosen, diaper fetishists enjoy the feel of sitting in a soaking wet diaper. [Read: 11 most common fetishes, plus 5 super weird ones]

#4 Defecating. We wish it wasn’t true… but it is. When diaper lovers use their diaper, they really use it to the full. Some diaper fetishists enjoy going number two in their diapers and then derive pleasure from… well, sitting in it. Having your diaper changed by a partner can also be a turn on for many in the diaper lover community.

#5 Watching other people in diapers. It doesn’t matter which gender you’re attracted to, most with a diaper fetish like to look at pictures or pornography featuring anyone wearing a diaper. Some like to watch people messing themselves, while other enjoy the humiliation aspect of the fetish. Either way, those who enjoy a good diaper fetish also enjoy looking at media of other adults in diapers.

#6 Worn for comfort. Others in the diaper fetish community simply choose to wear diapers because they are more comfortable than regular underwear. This is often the case for those who have dealt with legitimate incontinence in their lives.

#7 Masturbating to a diaper fetish. You knew this one was coming, right? *No pun intended* Yes, it’s true, some individuals derive naughty thoughts from looking at pictures of other adults in diapers or from being in a diaper themselves. Others engage in sexual activity with a partner and use their diaper as foreplay or during sex. [Read: 7 extremely weird but surprisingly popular sex fetishes]

#8 Diaper clubs. Some communities do exist out there where diaper lovers gather to wear their diapers and perform daily tasks together. That’s right, they’re not sitting around masturbating each other, they’re simply sitting around watching movies and eating mac and cheese in their diapers. What the…?

#9 Psychological issues. Many diaper lovers have this fetish not because they are attracted to children, but because of something that happened to them in their past. Those who deal with incontinence, for example, may have grown to derive comfort from wearing adult diapers.

Studies show many other diaper lovers often show signs of being transgender or have experience some form of child abuse in their past. For example, one man reported being beaten by his mother at age 8 and wetting himself in the process. As punishment, she sent him to bed in a diaper where he then experienced arousal due to rubbing against the diaper. From then on, he associated diapers with sexual pleasure. [Read: The kink list – 20 freaky fetishes that aren’t weird at all]

What to do when you know someone has a diaper fetish

The short answer? Nothing, really.

If your friend is revealing this personal preference to you, it’s best to smile, nod, and move on. Alright, alright! Be a good friend and give a listening ear. But unless you want to stare at their backside every time you see them wondering if that was the crinkle of a diaper you heard, it’s best to pretend you don’t know a thing.

If your significant other has a fetish like this, that’s a whole different ball game. Many diaper lovers are in committed relationships and have been upfront about their diaper passions. Listen to your partner and try to understand where they’re coming from. It’s likely they may feel shame associated with their fetish, so try not to make them feel even worse about themselves.

If you’re open to trying new things, you may just be slapping on a nappy before you know it. If not, it’s best to break off the relationship. And never ever do anything you aren’t comfortable doing… especially in the bedroom.

[Read: 10 fiery hot reasons you should date someone with a fetish]

Now you know that there is such a thing as a diaper fetish. It may seem creepy and pedophilic when you first hear about it, but it’s always better to let your partner explain their viewpoint before jumping to conclusions.

The post Diaper Fetish: Everything You Want to Know But Don’t Want to Ask is the original content of LovePanky - Your Guide to Better Love and Relationships.

[flauntpage]

50 More Hot Takes for the Philadelphia Sports Fan

The first “hot takes” article did well last October, so I figured I’d do another one. This will be 50 more hot takes for the Philadelphia sports fan, which brings us to 100 hot takes over the course of eight months.

Now, not all of these are “hot” or even “takes,” i.e. some are lukewarm and some are just observations or maybe even aphorisms. But since this is 2019, I feel encouraged and motivated to just say shit without really thinking it through, then we’ll get people all riled up and benefit from the fake arguments that ensue. That’s the strategy, right? Just fire off a bunch of outrageous claims and watch site traffic roll.

Right, so with that Pulitzer-worthy lede, here are 50 more hot takes for you and your mom, after the jump:

Grown men should not bring a baseball glove to the ballpark unless accompanied by a child who is also wearing a glove.

Glen Macnow and Ray Didinger is the best radio show in Philadelphia.

It’s really weird that fans and media always call NBA players by their first names. We’re not their close friends, so I don’t know why Kawhi Leonard is just “Kawhi” and Kobe Bryant is just “Kobe” and LeBron James is just “LeBron.” We don’t refer to Tom Brady as “Tom” and we don’t refer to Drew Brees as “Drew.” It’s kind of creepy.

Philadelphia sports fans are horrendous at detecting sarcasm and satire.

Shitting on Pat’s and Geno’s for being “touristy” is a tired take. The “what’s your favorite cheesesteak?” argument is beyond worn out.

If you cut off other drivers at the sports complex, you’re an asshole. This is especially true for people in the outside lanes who turn in front of Xfinity Live and just force their way into the Wells Fargo Center parking lots. Wait in line like the rest of us.

Wearing a matching Eagles hat and jersey is inappropriate. The max should be one article of specific team apparel, so either the hat OR the jersey, but not both.

Too many media members in this city treat sporting events like social events, as if it’s important to “see and be seen,” but not actually do any work or ask any interesting questions. It’s the struggle to remain relevant.

You can’t talk shit about soccer if you watch WWE.

Late 90s ECW was better than anything WWE or WCW ever put out.

Tommy Dreamer should be ranked higher on any list of the best ECW wrestlers of all time. (Coggin tells me this is not a hot take)

Every able-bodied writer should be forced to play or referee the sport they cover for at least one year. It adds to your knowledge of the game while offering more credibility at the same time.

People like to complain about “fanboy journalism,” but the fact of the matter is that people click whenever we write a story that makes fun of Dallas, Boston, or New York.

Fake news isn’t fake news because you disagree with it. The term literally means that the story is fabricated. We had this problem with the Joe Santoliquito story, when people outright dismissed it because they didn’t like the assertions being made, regardless of whether or not they were true.

Synchronization at Philly sporting arenas is pretty bad. I’m not sure if it’s an acoustics problem or what, but sometimes simple cheers like “M-V-P or “De-fense” are being shouted at different times by 2-3 different sections of the stadium. It makes it look like we don’t know what we’re doing.

I can’t take you seriously if you can’t actually pronounce player names. It’s not Nelson “Aguilar,” nor is it Alshon “Jefferies” or Chase “Daniels.” Sports radio hosts should be instructed to hang up on callers who can’t pronounce names.

Pittsburgh isn’t a rival city. They are geographically further away than New York and D.C. and the fans who live there are very similar to us.

The NHL has the best overtime rules among the “four major North American sports.”

The NFL has the worst overtime rules, by far.

162 games of regular season baseball is a total snooze fest. Trim the regular season (boring TV) and add more playoff games (excellent TV).

The Flyers’ decision to cover and then remove the Kate Smith statue was totally rushed, like they didn’t think it through and just copied the Yankees in fear of bad publicity.

Likewise, it bothers me how quickly people were calling for Odubel Herrera’s removal from the Phillies organization. This is America; we gather facts, collect evidence, and exercise due diligence. Then we make informed and educated decisions.

Baseball traditionalists are the worst. “Nothing needs to change! Baseball is perfect the way it is!” Ugh, go away.

There’s too much mucking, grinding, and bullshitting on the boards in the NHL. The international dimensions make for a more open and enjoyable game.

Stephen A Smith is a national treasure.

“Click bait” is defined by the body of the story, not the headline. We are literally trying to write headlines that grab attention and result in people clicking on the story. They’re called “teases” in television lingo.

Boston isn’t much different from Philly. Both are great cities with history and culture and passionate sports fans. The only difference is they have horrible accents and Coggin thinks they’re more racist.

The in-game interview is the worst segment of all time and eternity. There’s no reason a coach should have to speak to the media during an actual game.

Media should not be allowed in the locker room, which is a sacred and private place for athletes.

Arena music is really bad in 2019. Some of the stuff you hear at Sixers’ games is the worst mumble rap ever.

“Welcome to the Jungle” needs to be banned from sporting events forever. It’s worn out.

I can’t support calling touchdowns “tuddies.”

Tomato pie is whatever. It’s not horrible, but it’s not good either.

Twitter should lock for at least 30 minutes after an Eagles loss, and everybody should be required to go outside and smoke a cigarette before they can log back in.

People still have no idea what Colin Kaepernick is protesting.

Criticizing the Wing Bowl for objectifying women feels off-base to me. Nobody forced anyone to be a wingette or escort the eaters to the stage, those women signed up to do that.

I don’t understand Philadelphia’s love for Pearl Jam. Alice in Chains and Soundgarden are the superior Seattle grunge bands. Nirvana is also overrated.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band may very well be the most overrated act on the planet.

Mike Trout is boring.

Most sports writers and editors have an inflated sense of worth. We are not firefighters or doctors. We are not uncovering Russian collusion. Sports is entertainment. It’s the appreciation of athletic skill and achievement. We can inform and write interesting stories without taking ourselves too seriously.

Let’s not confuse journalism for sports writing. Peter Arnett was a journalist who reported from Vietnam and Iraq. Dan Shaughnessy is a sports writer who covers Boston teams.

We talk about how much we love Philadelphia, about how “blue collar” we are, yet I see trash and dog shit on every street corner. We need to do a better job of taking care of our neighborhoods and showing some pride in where we live.

If you shovel out your own parking spot, then put a cone there to save it, you’re a selfish asshole. It literally takes five minutes to shovel out your neighbor’s car or clear the snow from their steps. Do something for somebody else.

Stop calling Fishtown “hipster.” It hasn’t been hipster for years. All of the hipsters moved to the west side of Frankford Avenue or down to East Passyunk.

Media members who don’t show up during the regular season should be banned from attending playoff games.

Eagles talk should be banned from the end of minicamp to the start of training camp.

I wasn’t a fan of Justin Gaethje’s “American vs. a foreigner” angle at the recent UFC Fight Night at the Wells Fargo Center. Gaethje is from Arizona. His opponent, Edson Barboza, has trained in New Jersey for several years. Barboza was born in Brazil but has more of a connection to this region than Gaethje does. That felt a little hollow to me, the fact that the crowd was lopsided in Gaethje’s favor.

Media members should never talk shit about a player on social media, then go put a microphone in his or her face. Athletes pay attention to those kinds of things.

Calling millennials “soft” is dumb, because Baby Boomers were the ones handing out the participation trophies. We literally created the environment they are living in.

Parents who yell at their kids, the coach, or the referees at a youth sporting event should be immediately escorted from the premises and put on six months of probation.

That’s what I’ve got.

Agree? Disagree? Just want to troll the comments section? Get at me dog.

The post 50 More Hot Takes for the Philadelphia Sports Fan appeared first on Crossing Broad.

50 More Hot Takes for the Philadelphia Sports Fan published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[flauntpage]

50 More Hot Takes for the Philadelphia Sports Fan

The first “hot takes” article did well last October, so I figured I’d do another one. This will be 50 more hot takes for the Philadelphia sports fan, which brings us to 100 hot takes over the course of eight months.

Now, not all of these are “hot” or even “takes,” i.e. some are lukewarm and some are just observations or maybe even aphorisms. But since this is 2019, I feel encouraged and motivated to just say shit without really thinking it through, then we’ll get people all riled up and benefit from the fake arguments that ensue. That’s the strategy, right? Just fire off a bunch of outrageous claims and watch site traffic roll.

Right, so with that Pulitzer-worthy lede, here are 50 more hot takes for you and your mom, after the jump:

Grown men should not bring a baseball glove to the ballpark unless accompanied by a child who is also wearing a glove.

Glen Macnow and Ray Didinger is the best radio show in Philadelphia.

It’s really weird that fans and media always call NBA players by their first names. We’re not their close friends, so I don’t know why Kawhi Leonard is just “Kawhi” and Kobe Bryant is just “Kobe” and LeBron James is just “LeBron.” We don’t refer to Tom Brady as “Tom” and we don’t refer to Drew Brees as “Drew.” It’s kind of creepy.

Philadelphia sports fans are horrendous at detecting sarcasm and satire.

Shitting on Pat’s and Geno’s for being “touristy” is a tired take. The “what’s your favorite cheesesteak?” argument is beyond worn out.

If you cut off other drivers at the sports complex, you’re an asshole. This is especially true for people in the outside lanes who turn in front of Xfinity Live and just force their way into the Wells Fargo Center parking lots. Wait in line like the rest of us.

Wearing a matching Eagles hat and jersey is inappropriate. The max should be one article of specific team apparel, so either the hat OR the jersey, but not both.

Too many media members in this city treat sporting events like social events, as if it’s important to “see and be seen,” but not actually do any work or ask any interesting questions. It’s the struggle to remain relevant.

You can’t talk shit about soccer if you watch WWE.

Late 90s ECW was better than anything WWE or WCW ever put out.

Tommy Dreamer should be ranked higher on any list of the best ECW wrestlers of all time. (Coggin tells me this is not a hot take)

Every able-bodied writer should be forced to play or referee the sport they cover for at least one year. It adds to your knowledge of the game while offering more credibility at the same time.

People like to complain about “fanboy journalism,” but the fact of the matter is that people click whenever we write a story that makes fun of Dallas, Boston, or New York.

Fake news isn’t fake news because you disagree with it. The term literally means that the story is fabricated. We had this problem with the Joe Santoliquito story, when people outright dismissed it because they didn’t like the assertions being made, regardless of whether or not they were true.

Synchronization at Philly sporting arenas is pretty bad. I’m not sure if it’s an acoustics problem or what, but sometimes simple cheers like “M-V-P or “De-fense” are being shouted at different times by 2-3 different sections of the stadium. It makes it look like we don’t know what we’re doing.

I can’t take you seriously if you can’t actually pronounce player names. It’s not Nelson “Aguilar,” nor is it Alshon “Jefferies” or Chase “Daniels.” Sports radio hosts should be instructed to hang up on callers who can’t pronounce names.

Pittsburgh isn’t a rival city. They are geographically further away than New York and D.C. and the fans who live there are very similar to us.

The NHL has the best overtime rules among the “four major North American sports.”

The NFL has the worst overtime rules, by far.

162 games of regular season baseball is a total snooze fest. Trim the regular season (boring TV) and add more playoff games (excellent TV).

The Flyers’ decision to cover and then remove the Kate Smith statue was totally rushed, like they didn’t think it through and just copied the Yankees in fear of bad publicity.

Likewise, it bothers me how quickly people were calling for Odubel Herrera’s removal from the Phillies organization. This is America; we gather facts, collect evidence, and exercise due diligence. Then we make informed and educated decisions.

Baseball traditionalists are the worst. “Nothing needs to change! Baseball is perfect the way it is!” Ugh, go away.

There’s too much mucking, grinding, and bullshitting on the boards in the NHL. The international dimensions make for a more open and enjoyable game.

Stephen A Smith is a national treasure.

“Click bait” is defined by the body of the story, not the headline. We are literally trying to write headlines that grab attention and result in people clicking on the story. They’re called “teases” in television lingo.

Boston isn’t much different from Philly. Both are great cities with history and culture and passionate sports fans. The only difference is they have horrible accents and Coggin thinks they’re more racist.

The in-game interview is the worst segment of all time and eternity. There’s no reason a coach should have to speak to the media during an actual game.

Media should not be allowed in the locker room, which is a sacred and private place for athletes.

Arena music is really bad in 2019. Some of the stuff you hear at Sixers’ games is the worst mumble rap ever.

“Welcome to the Jungle” needs to be banned from sporting events forever. It’s worn out.

I can’t support calling touchdowns “tuddies.”

Tomato pie is whatever. It’s not horrible, but it’s not good either.

Twitter should lock for at least 30 minutes after an Eagles loss, and everybody should be required to go outside and smoke a cigarette before they can log back in.

People still have no idea what Colin Kaepernick is protesting.

Criticizing the Wing Bowl for objectifying women feels off-base to me. Nobody forced anyone to be a wingette or escort the eaters to the stage, those women signed up to do that.

I don’t understand Philadelphia’s love for Pearl Jam. Alice in Chains and Soundgarden are the superior Seattle grunge bands. Nirvana is also overrated.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band may very well be the most overrated act on the planet.

Mike Trout is boring.

Most sports writers and editors have an inflated sense of worth. We are not firefighters or doctors. We are not uncovering Russian collusion. Sports is entertainment. It’s the appreciation of athletic skill and achievement. We can inform and write interesting stories without taking ourselves too seriously.

Let’s not confuse journalism for sports writing. Peter Arnett was a journalist who reported from Vietnam and Iraq. Dan Shaughnessy is a sports writer who covers Boston teams.

We talk about how much we love Philadelphia, about how “blue collar” we are, yet I see trash and dog shit on every street corner. We need to do a better job of taking care of our neighborhoods and showing some pride in where we live.

If you shovel out your own parking spot, then put a cone there to save it, you’re a selfish asshole. It literally takes five minutes to shovel out your neighbor’s car or clear the snow from their steps. Do something for somebody else.

Stop calling Fishtown “hipster.” It hasn’t been hipster for years. All of the hipsters moved to the west side of Frankford Avenue or down to East Passyunk.

Media members who don’t show up during the regular season should be banned from attending playoff games.

Eagles talk should be banned from the end of minicamp to the start of training camp.

I wasn’t a fan of Justin Gaethje’s “American vs. a foreigner” angle at the recent UFC Fight Night at the Wells Fargo Center. Gaethje is from Arizona. His opponent, Edson Barboza, has trained in New Jersey for several years. Barboza was born in Brazil but has more of a connection to this region than Gaethje does. That felt a little hollow to me, the fact that the crowd was lopsided in Gaethje’s favor.

Media members should never talk shit about a player on social media, then go put a microphone in his or her face. Athletes pay attention to those kinds of things.

Calling millennials “soft” is dumb, because Baby Boomers were the ones handing out the participation trophies. We literally created the environment they are living in.

Parents who yell at their kids, the coach, or the referees at a youth sporting event should be immediately escorted from the premises and put on six months of probation.

That’s what I’ve got.

Agree? Disagree? Just want to troll the comments section? Get at me dog.

The post 50 More Hot Takes for the Philadelphia Sports Fan appeared first on Crossing Broad.

50 More Hot Takes for the Philadelphia Sports Fan published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[flauntpage]

50 More Hot Takes for the Philadelphia Sports Fan

The first “hot takes” article did well last October, so I figured I’d do another one. This will be 50 more hot takes for the Philadelphia sports fan, which brings us to 100 hot takes over the course of eight months.

Now, not all of these are “hot” or even “takes,” i.e. some are lukewarm and some are just observations or maybe even aphorisms. But since this is 2019, I feel encouraged and motivated to just say shit without really thinking it through, then we’ll get people all riled up and benefit from the fake arguments that ensue. That’s the strategy, right? Just fire off a bunch of outrageous claims and watch site traffic roll.

Right, so with that Pulitzer-worthy lede, here are 50 more hot takes for you and your mom, after the jump:

Grown men should not bring a baseball glove to the ballpark unless accompanied by a child who is also wearing a glove.

Glen Macnow and Ray Didinger is the best radio show in Philadelphia.

It’s really weird that fans and media always call NBA players by their first names. We’re not their close friends, so I don’t know why Kawhi Leonard is just “Kawhi” and Kobe Bryant is just “Kobe” and LeBron James is just “LeBron.” We don’t refer to Tom Brady as “Tom” and we don’t refer to Drew Brees as “Drew.” It’s kind of creepy.

Philadelphia sports fans are horrendous at detecting sarcasm and satire.

Shitting on Pat’s and Geno’s for being “touristy” is a tired take. The “what’s your favorite cheesesteak?” argument is beyond worn out.

If you cut off other drivers at the sports complex, you’re an asshole. This is especially true for people in the outside lanes who turn in front of Xfinity Live and just force their way into the Wells Fargo Center parking lots. Wait in line like the rest of us.

Wearing a matching Eagles hat and jersey is inappropriate. The max should be one article of specific team apparel, so either the hat OR the jersey, but not both.

Too many media members in this city treat sporting events like social events, as if it’s important to “see and be seen,” but not actually do any work or ask any interesting questions. It’s the struggle to remain relevant.

You can’t talk shit about soccer if you watch WWE.

Late 90s ECW was better than anything WWE or WCW ever put out.

Tommy Dreamer should be ranked higher on any list of the best ECW wrestlers of all time. (Coggin tells me this is not a hot take)

Every able-bodied writer should be forced to play or referee the sport they cover for at least one year. It adds to your knowledge of the game while offering more credibility at the same time.

People like to complain about “fanboy journalism,” but the fact of the matter is that people click whenever we write a story that makes fun of Dallas, Boston, or New York.

Fake news isn’t fake news because you disagree with it. The term literally means that the story is fabricated. We had this problem with the Joe Santoliquito story, when people outright dismissed it because they didn’t like the assertions being made, regardless of whether or not they were true.

Synchronization at Philly sporting arenas is pretty bad. I’m not sure if it’s an acoustics problem or what, but sometimes simple cheers like “M-V-P or “De-fense” are being shouted at different times by 2-3 different sections of the stadium. It makes it look like we don’t know what we’re doing.

I can’t take you seriously if you can’t actually pronounce player names. It’s not Nelson “Aguilar,” nor is it Alshon “Jefferies” or Chase “Daniels.” Sports radio hosts should be instructed to hang up on callers who can’t pronounce names.

Pittsburgh isn’t a rival city. They are geographically further away than New York and D.C. and the fans who live there are very similar to us.

The NHL has the best overtime rules among the “four major North American sports.”

The NFL has the worst overtime rules, by far.

162 games of regular season baseball is a total snooze fest. Trim the regular season (boring TV) and add more playoff games (excellent TV).

The Flyers’ decision to cover and then remove the Kate Smith statue was totally rushed, like they didn’t think it through and just copied the Yankees in fear of bad publicity.

Likewise, it bothers me how quickly people were calling for Odubel Herrera’s removal from the Phillies organization. This is America; we gather facts, collect evidence, and exercise due diligence. Then we make informed and educated decisions.

Baseball traditionalists are the worst. “Nothing needs to change! Baseball is perfect the way it is!” Ugh, go away.

There’s too much mucking, grinding, and bullshitting on the boards in the NHL. The international dimensions make for a more open and enjoyable game.

Stephen A Smith is a national treasure.

“Click bait” is defined by the body of the story, not the headline. We are literally trying to write headlines that grab attention and result in people clicking on the story. They’re called “teases” in television lingo.

Boston isn’t much different from Philly. Both are great cities with history and culture and passionate sports fans. The only difference is they have horrible accents and Coggin thinks they’re more racist.

The in-game interview is the worst segment of all time and eternity. There’s no reason a coach should have to speak to the media during an actual game.

Media should not be allowed in the locker room, which is a sacred and private place for athletes.

Arena music is really bad in 2019. Some of the stuff you hear at Sixers’ games is the worst mumble rap ever.

“Welcome to the Jungle” needs to be banned from sporting events forever. It’s worn out.

I can’t support calling touchdowns “tuddies.”

Tomato pie is whatever. It’s not horrible, but it’s not good either.

Twitter should lock for at least 30 minutes after an Eagles loss, and everybody should be required to go outside and smoke a cigarette before they can log back in.

People still have no idea what Colin Kaepernick is protesting.

Criticizing the Wing Bowl for objectifying women feels off-base to me. Nobody forced anyone to be a wingette or escort the eaters to the stage, those women signed up to do that.

I don’t understand Philadelphia’s love for Pearl Jam. Alice in Chains and Soundgarden are the superior Seattle grunge bands. Nirvana is also overrated.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band may very well be the most overrated act on the planet.

Mike Trout is boring.

Most sports writers and editors have an inflated sense of worth. We are not firefighters or doctors. We are not uncovering Russian collusion. Sports is entertainment. It’s the appreciation of athletic skill and achievement. We can inform and write interesting stories without taking ourselves too seriously.

Let’s not confuse journalism for sports writing. Peter Arnett was a journalist who reported from Vietnam and Iraq. Dan Shaughnessy is a sports writer who covers Boston teams.

We talk about how much we love Philadelphia, about how “blue collar” we are, yet I see trash and dog shit on every street corner. We need to do a better job of taking care of our neighborhoods and showing some pride in where we live.

If you shovel out your own parking spot, then put a cone there to save it, you’re a selfish asshole. It literally takes five minutes to shovel out your neighbor’s car or clear the snow from their steps. Do something for somebody else.

Stop calling Fishtown “hipster.” It hasn’t been hipster for years. All of the hipsters moved to the west side of Frankford Avenue or down to East Passyunk.

Media members who don’t show up during the regular season should be banned from attending playoff games.

Eagles talk should be banned from the end of minicamp to the start of training camp.

I wasn’t a fan of Justin Gaethje’s “American vs. a foreigner” angle at the recent UFC Fight Night at the Wells Fargo Center. Gaethje is from Arizona. His opponent, Edson Barboza, has trained in New Jersey for several years. Barboza was born in Brazil but has more of a connection to this region than Gaethje does. That felt a little hollow to me, the fact that the crowd was lopsided in Gaethje’s favor.

Media members should never talk shit about a player on social media, then go put a microphone in his or her face. Athletes pay attention to those kinds of things.

Calling millennials “soft” is dumb, because Baby Boomers were the ones handing out the participation trophies. We literally created the environment they are living in.

Parents who yell at their kids, the coach, or the referees at a youth sporting event should be immediately escorted from the premises and put on six months of probation.

That’s what I’ve got.

Agree? Disagree? Just want to troll the comments section? Get at me dog.

The post 50 More Hot Takes for the Philadelphia Sports Fan appeared first on Crossing Broad.

50 More Hot Takes for the Philadelphia Sports Fan published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[flauntpage]

The Phillies are Ten Games Above .500 – Does Anybody Care?

On paper, things look good at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies have won six of seven to improve to 47-37, 10 games above .500 for the first time since 2011 and just 1.5 back from division leader Atlanta.

Aaron Nola is an ace pitcher. Young talent abounds and the manager is an interesting and unique and charismatic guy. There’s a lot to like about this team, but it feels like the buzz just isn’t there yet, right? 30,943 people showed up yesterday (72% capacity) to watch the Phils beat a wretched Orioles team on a sweltering Independence Day, and if the thought of sitting there for three hours in the middle of a heat wave is enough to drive people away from the ball park, then you can start and stop the story right there. It’s July 5th, so I understand.

But it just seems like something is “missing.” It doesn’t feel like the same type of interest or excitement we saw from 2008 to 2012.

They were, of course, a World Series winner and perennial contender back then, chock full of superstars in the field and on the mound. That’s what our resident Phillies guy, BWanks, seems to think is the main issue here. This Phillies squad still doesn’t feature a marketable star. They’ve got young risers like Nola and Rhys Hoskins and Odubel Herrera, but would those guys fit on the I-95 billboard in the same manner as Chase Utley, Cole Hamels, and Jimmy Rollins? Maybe next year if they keep it up. Manny Machado would certainly move the needle:

Phillies fans with banner

“Who Needs LeBron. We Want Machado”#BeBold pic.twitter.com/AnhTbTRZEb

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) July 4, 2018

It could be the fact that that this team wins ugly, if that’s how you want to describe seven innings of Nola dominance and three hits from the offense, like we saw yesterday. I love a great pitching performance as much as the next guy, but I’d also prefer to watch my college football team win 31-17 instead of kicking three field goals and defensively smothering a directional school for a 9-3 victory. The problem with this Phillies team is that they’re a “whole is greater than the sum of the parts” type of squad, which makes for good “rah rah” stories but doesn’t do much to motivate the casual “4 for 4” Anthony Gargano/meat locker type of Philly sports fan.

And maybe people see a ceiling for this team, even if they’re playing well. Does anybody think this club beats the Cubs or Dodgers in the playoffs? Brewers? I don’t know, I don’t think winning a seven-game series against those squads is as big of a task as most people seem to believe. It’s not like the National League is murderer’s row right now.

Some reasons why I think the Phils aren’t getting a lot of attention right now:

It’s July 5th

Baseball really doesn’t start until Independence Day, right?

Sixers fatigue

I think LeBron James-mania certainly overshadowed anything the Phils were doing over the last month or so. With free agency wrapping up and summer league beginning and ending shortly, the Sixers will fall off the radar soon enough.

Eagles domination

Sports can be cyclical in this town. The Phils dominated not so long ago, and now we’re back to being a football town again. Training camp starts on July 26th and the Super Bowl champions will fully and rightfully dominate pages B1 through B10 in the Inquirer once that begins.

People are still hung over from the 2008 to 2012 run

Maybe? I don’t know.

I’d describe myself as a casual baseball fan but I don’t feel like I’m worn out on Ruben Amaro Jr. and Kyle Kendrick and Dom Brown and Cody Asche. I think that whole non-era has run its course and people are ready for relevant baseball in Philadelphia again. As much as everyone bitched about all four teams (plus the Union) sucking at the same time, it feels a bit weird to me that people have been so lukewarm on the Phils and Flyers, two teams that are clearly on the “ascendancy,” as the Brits would say.

People are anti-Kapler for the sake of being anti-Kapler

Gabe Kapler does things differently, yeah. He’s always positive, sometimes too positive. The horror! He rubs some old school fans the wrong way and he probably got some decisions wrong earlier in the year.

But the guy has shown himself to be a quick learner and it looks like he has the chops to coach a big league club. I’m fine with the job he’s done this season.

More millennials don’t watch baseball

Yeah, it’s true.

A lot of twenty-somethings find the sport to be boring, mostly because they don’t have the attention span to sit there and watch nine innings of pitching changes and foul balls and career .219 batters stepping out of the box. It’s a smart phone and internet generation, the same type of people who go to brunch with their friends and spend the entire time scrolling Instagram instead.

MLB has made some small tweaks to speed up the game in recent years, but I don’t even think “speed” is the biggest issue here, it’s just that 162 games is way too much regular season baseball. I love playoff baseball and I want more of it, not shortened wild card and divisional series where a team can get knocked out in less than a week after playing 25+ times per month from April through September.

And while national baseball ratings are down, local ratings are still very good, which shows that people still have a ton of passion for the sport in general even if the typical Phillies fan has no interest in watching the Diamondbacks and Rockies play a Sunday night game on ESPN.

The irony is that baseball fans seem to find soccer boring, while soccer fans find baseball boring. Maybe football fans find both sports boring. I don’t know. I did 8 years on the Union beat, so I watched a lot of boring nothingness, but I also didn’t have to sit through four hours of commercials and whatnot. I think comparing the two sports is utterly pointless, since they are both broadcast and consumed in completely different ways. God forbid you watch and enjoy both soccer and baseball, but I digress.

Either way, we’ll learn a lot about this Phillies team over the next month. They’ve got 11 road games before the All-Star break and won’t be back at CBP until July 20th. Do they return home 10 games over .500? Or do they drop results to the mediocre Pirates and crappy Marlins and Mets? I think this road trip will probably shape the outlook of the team and the fan interest moving forward, because that home stand with the Padres and Dodgers is going to butt right up against the beginning of Eagles camp.

I’m ready to put my butt back on the Phillies bandwagon; they just need to keep this thing going through the summer and pull the sitters off the fence.

  The post The Phillies are Ten Games Above .500 – Does Anybody Care? appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The Phillies are Ten Games Above .500 – Does Anybody Care? published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/