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swan-of-sunrise · 8 months ago

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Hawkeye (Part II)

Summary: Clint reaches out to (Y/N) for help and after a visit with the physically and mentally taxed archer, she takes it upon herself to meet Hawkeye’s #1 fan and impart a little wisdom onto Clint’s young partner.

Pairing: Steve Rogers X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 4.1k

Warnings/Disclaimers: None

A/N: This week's chapter is a little longer because (a) I'm not sure I'll have Part III finished by next Thursday and (b) You guys deserve it!! There's a surprise character that'll pop up in the second half of this chapter and if you've seen Spider-Man: No Way Home, then I think you'll know who it is lol thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoy!

Hawkeye (Part II) December 21st, 2024 Apartment of Moira Brandon, East Village (Previous Chapter)

Out of all the Avengers she’d been introduced to during that fateful party at the Avengers Tower so many years ago, (Y/N) always had a secret soft spot for Clint Barton; he was equal parts kind and sarcastic, quickly noting the anxiety she’d been desperately trying to mask from the moment she arrived and taking the time to get to know her while simultaneously directing playful jabs at his fellow teammates. Their first meeting and team-up in the subsequent conflict with Ultron coupled with Natasha’s endless stories from their days of working together at S.H.I.E.L.D. cemented (Y/N)’s unbreakable trust in the archer, and it was that trust that led her to an average-looking East Village apartment building only four days before Christmas with a priceless and top-secret piece of S.W.O.R.D. technology tucked away in her messenger bag.

“Thanks for coming on such short notice, (Y/L/N),” Clint smiled as he ushered her into the temporary safe house, checking up and down the hall before locking the door and leading her into the cozy living room. “See any of those idiot Tracksuits tailing you?”

(Y/N) shrugged her winter coat off and draped it over the back of the couch with a humorless chuckle. “Nope, but I almost wish I had; I could’ve used a good laugh or two after that horrendous traffic jam on the Brooklyn Bridge.” She folded her pink scarf in half and tossed it on top of her coat, meeting Clint’s eyes with a sardonic smirk beginning to spread across her face. “Wouldn’t you know, some dumb-ass archer decided to impale a Pym Particle-infused arrow into the Manhattan Bridge and create commute hell for anyone traveling in or out of Brooklyn?”

Rolling his eyes, Clint flopped down onto the well-worn couch and sighed in exasperation; he looked exhausted, with darkened circles under his eyes and a noticeable cut on his forehead. “Still a smart-ass, I see. For your information, I shot a Pym Particle-infused arrow at a regular arrow and then it impaled itself into the bridge.”

“Well, either way, I thought you’d like to know that Scott got his ass chewed out by Hank for that little stunt,” She replied in amusement and sat herself down on the couch beside him, taking a moment to adjust her sweater over her small baby bump before rummaging through her messenger bag. “Apparently, Hank’s not too fond of his life’s work being used for – and I quote – ‘stupid shit you see on the eleven o’clock news.’”

The archer scoffed at that. “I once saw the guy use Pym Particles to enlarge a goddamn chicken sandwich, but whatever.”

(Y/N) laughed as she withdrew a small metal case and handed it over to Clint. “Back-up hearing aid, as requested; my coworker said that this is one of the best on the market, so you should be well-covered if yours ends up breaking again.” He nodded in thanks and slipped the case into his pocket. Her former teammate’s recent hearing loss as a result of years of work as a S.H.I.E.L.D. spy, Avenger and vigilante inspired her to seek out Brooklyn College’s underfunded but resilient disability resource center; she studied ASL and learned enough to not only begin teaching Steve and Carina, but to also pre-film her lectures for any hard of hearing student who decided to enroll in her Introduction to American Popular Culture course. “And I looked into that socialite guy for you…” Activating the transparent S.W.O.R.D. tablet – a parting gift from Nick Fury before he traveled up to the organization’s newly-built space station – (Y/N) allowed it to scan her handprint and read off the information she’d collected. “Jack Duquesne, born into the obscenely-wealthy Duquesne family that’s apparently descended from European aristocracy. Since he’s seemingly never worked a day in his life, he’s had enough free time to become an expert swordsman and accrue a pretty impressive sword collection; is that what he was doing at that black market auction the other night?”

Clint nodded as he studied the images on the tablet’s screen. “He wanted to add the Ronin’s sword to his collection; according to Kate, he ran off with it after the Tracksuits crashed the auction, and then he almost took my head off with it when we broke into her mom’s penthouse this morning.” When (Y/N) thoughtfully tilted her head to the side, his frown deepened. “What?”

“When I did a little more digging, I found out that Duquesne is listed as the CEO of Sloan Limited. It’s a shell company, one that launders money for none other than-”

“The Tracksuit Mafia…” The archer exhaled and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and rubbing a hand over his forehead. “Kate thinks that Jack Duquesne killed his uncle Armand. At first, I thought the idea of him becoming her stepfather someday was clouding her judgement but it’s looking like her instincts might’ve been right.”

Taking note of the stiffness in his movements and the weary tone of his voice, (Y/N) tucked the tablet back into her messenger bag as she gave him a sympathetic smile. “None of what I found out really helped you, did it?”

“It helped, (Y/L/N), it really did…” Clint hastily reassured her. “But I’m no closer to being able to go home for Christmas. I’ve got the suit and the sword, but Maya Lopez and the Tracksuits still have me and Kate connected to the Ronin and there’s a good chance that they’ve got Laura’s Rolex; I can’t leave until I track it down and figure out a way to stop the Tracksuits from targeting Kate, and I’ve gotta do all that before Kingpin gets involved.” He sat back and offered her a small smile. “The Barton Family Christmas hit a little speed-bump, as you can tell, so how’s the Rogers-(Y/L/N) Family Christmas going so far?”

“Well, Carina helped us decorate cookies and gingerbread houses for the vets down at the VA hospital yesterday, and then she decided that our living room wall could use a thick coat of frosting as well.” Clint burst into laughter and (Y/N) couldn’t help but join him. “Steve’s convinced that she’s got the makings of an artist, but I just think she likes to keep us on our toes. And this little gumball…” Beaming, she rubbed a hand across her bump. “Moved for the first time this morning.”

“That’s amazing! Boy or girl?”

“We don’t know yet, but we’re gonna open the envelope my doctor sealed for us together on Christmas Day and find out.” Memories of her first pregnancy and the overwhelming loneliness she struggled with unwittingly came to the forefront of her mind, but she forced herself to ignore them as she continued. “I’ve never really been one for big gender reveals, but after Carina’s…shall we say, unconventional birth and everything we’ve been through since, I just wanted this pregnancy to be special for us.”

A look of understanding crossed Clint’s bruised face, as he was one of the few Avengers who could empathize with desiring balance between a normal family life and the superhero life they’d been thrust into, but he merely smirked and jokingly replied, “Well, if you’re still thinking of baby names, I’ve always thought that Clint Rogers-(Y/L/N) had a nice ring to it.”

(Y/N) snorted in amusement. “Oh, really? You know, I’ve heard the same exact thing about Sam Rogers-(Y/L/N), James Bucky Rogers-(Y/L/N), Bruce Rogers-(Y/L/N), Thor Rogers-(Y/L/N), Korg Rogers-(Y/L/N) and Rocket Rogers-(Y/L/N).”

“I’m not usually one to judge, but I’ll totally judge you if you name your kid after a talking raccoon or a big pile of rocks.” When his chuckles died down, the archer’s blue-grey eyes softened as they looked between her face and the bump she was unconsciously cradling. “I’m really happy for you guys, and I know…I know that Nat and Tony would be, too.”

After flashing him a thankful smile, (Y/N) leaned her elbow on the back of the couch and rested her temple against the palm of her hand. “So, what’s this Kate Bishop like?”

“A pain in my ass,” Clint bluntly replied and when she lightly scoffed at his answer, he crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m serious! That kid’s cocky, reckless and she talks way too much…but I can’t deny that she’s a damn good archer and her instincts are sharp.” His brow arched as a thoughtful expression crossed his injured features. “You know, she reminds me a little of you, actually; she put that suit on to protect innocent people from the Tracksuits without a single thought for her own safety, just like how you volunteered to help an Air Force vet and a couple of wanted Avengers save the world from Hydra without a single thought for your own safety.”

(Y/N), detecting a hint of concern in her friend’s tone of voice, nodded in understanding. “You’re worried about her.”

Clint nodded. “Damn right I am. You were twenty-seven when you helped Steve, Nat and Sam stop Project Insight, and Kate’s only twenty-two; you understood the risks of getting involved in this sort of life, but Kate…she’s got blinders on. I tried to make her understand that I’m not a role model, that I’m not someone that people should look up to and that this life I’ve led for the past twenty years isn’t a game but like I already told you, she’s cocky and reckless.”

“She doesn’t know about the Ronin, does she?” When Clint shook his head, (Y/N) bit her lip and carefully contemplated her next words before speaking. “Maybe the reason you can’t get through to her is because you haven’t shown her the real you and she can sense that you’re hiding something from her; if you open up to her now, then you might be able to stop her from getting too deep into all this.” He shrugged his shoulder, but she could see that she hadn’t convinced him to confide in his reluctant partner; she glanced down at her wristwatch and hummed to herself. “Well, I should probably head out now if I want to beat the commute traffic to Brooklyn…”

“Yeah, and I should give Laura and the kids a call before I pass out from exhaustion.” Clint helped her to her feet and gave her a fond smile as she pulled her coat and scarf back on. “It’s been good seeing you, (Y/L/N), and I really appreciate your help. Tell Steve that I said hi and that he should totally name his second-born after one of his oldest and coolest friends, okay?”

“Sure thing, Hawkeye,” (Y/N) chuckled, slinging the strap of her messenger bag over her shoulder as they walked over to the apartment’s front door and giving her friend a hug, careful of his bruised and battle-worn limbs as she did. “Good luck, Clint. You’re going to fix this and you’re going to make it home for your Barton Family Christmas and on Christmas Day, we’ll give you guys a call to let you know if it’s a boy or a girl.”

“Aye aye, Captain.” With a smile and a teasing salute, Clint opened the door and watched her head towards the building’s elevator before retreating into the temporary safe house.

(Y/N) stepped into the elevator and after the door slid closed, the uneasy feeling that had begun to form when the topic of Kate Bishop came up only seemed to deepen as the elevator descended. It was foolish to further embroil herself in Clint’s struggle against the Tracksuits; not only was she entering her pregnancy’s second trimester but if a powerful man like Kingpin caught wind that she was involved, it could put Steve’s secret life in jeopardy and their family’s safety at risk. But it was Clint’s comparison of Kate to (Y/N) that compelled her to pull the S.W.O.R.D. tablet out of her messenger bag and research the young archer’s cell phone number.

“I sure hope that I’m doing the right thing, Nat,” She murmured under her breath as she worked. “For Kate and for Clint’s sakes…”

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An hour later, (Y/N) was seated at one of the rickety metal tables outside Greenwich Village’s own Joe’s Pizza, patiently waiting for the twenty-two-year-old to work through her star-struck awe while she enjoyed a slice of pizza and scratched the young archer’s rescue Golden Retriever behind his ear.

“Holy shit, I can’t believe I’ve met two Avengers in less than a week! Is this, like, some sort of a superhero test? Or a trial period or somethin’? I mean, I’ve only been in four-ish fights so far…or wait, was it five? I don’t know, I can’t really remember ‘cause I’m pretty much running on caffeine and adrenaline at this point,” Kate nervously chuckled, a little out of breath as she finally stopped rambling and attempted to rearrange her excited features into a nonchalant smile. “…So, um, what can I do for you, Ms. (Y/L/N)?”

“Please, just call me (Y/N).” Smiling, (Y/N) took another bite of her pizza slice and used it to point at Kate. “I’ve heard a lot about you from our mutual friend, so I wanted to meet you for myself.”

The young archer’s brows raised almost comically. “R-Really? Wow, that’s really…was it all good things you heard?”

“Mm-hmm, and I also saw the video of you rescuing this good boy on the news.” The one-eyed Golden Retriever nuzzled his face against her lap and perked up when she tore her slice of pizza in half, wolfing it down in record time once she offered it to him. “He’s lucky that someone as skilled as you came along when you did.” After watching the dog enjoy his chunk of pizza, she looked back up at Kate and sobered as her eyes fixated on the steri-strips that closed the lacerations that were scattered across her youthful face. “Actually, I asked you to meet me here because I wanted to talk to you about this case you’re working with Clint.”

Kate slumped in her seat, a dejected frown beginning to form on her injured face while she took a halfhearted bite of her pepperoni pizza slice. “You think I should stay home and let Clint handle it, don’t you? That’s what my mom thinks, too; she didn’t say anything about it to me, but I know she thinks I’m crazy for doing this. I mean, I’m just a civilian and Clint’s a freaking Avenger, so I guess I see why it’s nuts that I’m helping him out, but I…I can’t just sit back when I know that I can help.”

Smiling a little to herself, (Y/N) dabbed at her lips with a napkin and shook her head. “Kate, I’m the last person on the planet who’d ever tell you to stay home and ignore the instinct to help. I was just a civilian when I helped Steve, Nat and Sam take down Hydra – an unpublished historical-fiction novelist with a part-time job at the V.A., who just so happened to be one of only two people in D.C. that a couple of wanted Avengers could trust. They tried their hardest to make me stay home and out of danger but I refused, because I knew that I could help them. I had to help, no matter what, and nothing they’d say could change my mind.”

“So, you understand why I’m still helping Clint?” The young archer’s expression brightened and she sat up in her seat. “That’s great!” When (Y/N) didn’t immediately answer, her head tilted to the side in confusion. “…Isn’t it?”

“You and I are a lot alike and because I see so much of myself in you, I wanted to tell you what I wish someone had told me ten years ago, when I took my first steps into the life of an Avenger.” (Y/N)’s fingers caressed the content Golden Retriever’s fur, taking small comfort in his calming presence as she continued. “When you choose to spend your life trying to help people, there’s going to be consequences you’ll have to face. Some of the consequences won’t come as a surprise – the fights and battles have taken a physical and mental toll on me, for example, and I’ll have to live with their effects on my body and on my mind for the rest of my life – but others will. From the moment it began, my entire career’s been called into question; you see, people assume that my success is due to my long-time association with the Avengers and not the writing skills I’ve worked my ass off developing and perfecting. I lost any chance at anonymity or a private life when I announced my engagement to Steve Rogers. I became estranged from my family, because they didn’t approve of my relationship or my association with the Avengers. I went through the joy of befriending some of the kindest and most misunderstood people in the world, and then I was forced to mourn them in a way that no one but my fellow Avengers could ever understand; the world lost Iron Man, Black Widow, Black Panther and the Vision, but I lost Tony, Nat, T’Challa and Vis.”

Kate bowed her head and stared down at the discarded pizza crust on her plate. “And you lost Steve, too.”

(Y/N) nodded mutely, careful to keep up the ruse that Steve Rogers died in the Battle of Earth and wasn’t currently wrapping Christmas gifts with their fifteen-month old daughter in their Brooklyn home. “When you face the threats that Clint and I have faced, you have to accept that there’s going to be things that you lose along the way. I don’t tell you any of this to dissuade you, Kate, far from it; I’ve always believed that if you feel that you can help, then it’s your moral obligation to do so.” She reached across the table and rested a comforting hand atop Kate’s, giving her a small smile when her eyes finally met hers. “But it’s important that you know that this life isn’t easy, and it’s only fair that you hear it from one of the only Avengers who stumbled into this life the way you have. Do you understand?”

Kate nodded, and the brief silence that filled the air as (Y/N) finished her slice of pizza was broken by a timid question. “Do you know who the Ronin is?”

“…I know who they used to be,” (Y/N) carefully replied. “But if you want to know more about the Ronin, then you’ll have to ask Clint.”

“Urgh, I knew you’d say something cryptic like that. Hey, what’re Clint’s favorite Christmas movies and does he have any strong opinions about ugly Christmas sweaters?”

After (Y/N) helped Kate plan out the perfect mini-Christmas party for a homesick Clint, she bid the young archer and her energetic Golden Retriever goodbye and watched them both stroll down the sidewalk with a fond smile on her face. It was clear to her that Kate’s heart was in the right place, and that perhaps she was the perfect person to help Clint move on from the Ronin as well as resolve the ongoing conflict with the Tracksuits. I just hope they’ll both stay safe, she thought as she anxiously bit her lower lip and stroked her small baby bump, her mind preoccupied with a myriad of the worst possible outcomes to the archers’ partnership.

“Here you go, Ms. (Y/L/N): one large chicken and olive pizza to go,” The young worker’s sudden appearance shook (Y/N) out of her heavy thoughts and after setting the pizza box down, he started to bus the table with a small smile on his face. “Need any packets of Parmesan cheese or red pepper flakes?”

“No, thank you, I-” (Y/N) cut herself off when her eyes caught sight of a familiar well-worn paperback sticking out of the teenager’s back pocket and she felt herself begin to grin. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen a copy of For Queen and Country with its original cover art. How’re you enjoying it?”

He nodded enthusiastically. “It’s one of my favorite books!” The young worker’s gaze briefly met hers as a light blush dusted his cheeks; there was a brief flash of grief in his brown eyes – a deep sort of grief that looked entirely out of place in the eyes of a teenager – but it soon vanished when a bashful expression graced his features. “I’ve been a fan for a pretty long time, Ms. (Y/L/N), and I was actually workin’ up the courage to come out here and ask you for your autograph. I don’t wanna bug you or overstep-”

“Of course I’ll autograph your copy!” (Y/N)’s smile widened as he stammered out a brief thanks and scrambled to hand her the paperback and his server’s pen. “Who should I make it out to?”

“Peter, Peter Parker.” Again, (Y/N) was struck by the strange emotion that flashed across his face, but what gave her pause was the sudden familiarity that his name brought her; she couldn’t put her finger on it, but something about the teenager’s name tugged at the far reaches of her mind. Doing her best to shrug the unsettled feeling off, she jotted down a brief greeting and signed her name before blowing on the drying ink and handing the book and pen back with a smile. “Thanks a lot, Ms. (Y/L/N)! It was good seein’ you agai-um, sorry, I think my manager’s callin’ me, happy holidays!”

Peter Parker, who’d abruptly turned as white as a sheet, shoved his book and pen into his pocket and scooped up the dirty dishes before practically sprinting back inside. (Y/N)’s brow arched at his odd shift in behavior, but gathered up her pizza box and strode down the sidewalk to where she’d been lucky enough to park her yellow Volkswagen Bug. After securing the pizza in the car’s front trunk (or ‘frunk,’ as Sam liked to jokingly call it), she carefully climbed into the driver’s seat and waited a moment for the baby to settle down before dialing Steve’s cell phone number.

“Hey, sunshine! How was your visit with Clint?”

“Productive, for the most part; he has an idea of who the middle-man between Kingpin and the Tracksuits is, but he’s still not sure how to stop them from targeting him and his new friend Kate or uncovering Laura’s past. I also had a quick chat with Kate over lunch, which is why I’m bringing home a chicken and olive pizza from Joe’s; you should also know that your offspring conned me into buying it.”

Steve chuckled. “Oh, they did, huh?”

“Mm-hmm, and you should count yourself lucky that it was only pizza; at four months pregnant with Cari, I was craving Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dipped in vanilla ice cream,” (Y/N) snickered as her husband made a sound of disgust on the other end of the call. “Oh, and the strangest thing happened as I was leaving! Do we know a Peter Parker from anywhere?”

“…I don’t think so, but the name sounds awfully familiar.”

“Right? There’s something strange about it but I can’t put my finger on-” A recognizable babbling in the background of the call caused her to stifle a giggle. “Someone’s feeling chatty today, aren’t they?”

“I think that last episode of Sesame Street might’ve riled her up a bit; you know how much she loves when the Count makes an appearance,” Her husband remarked before calling out, “Cari, did you wanna talk to Mama? Mama’s on the phone right now.”

The gibberish grew louder as the infant toddled over and happily exclaimed into the phone. “Mama!”

“Hi, lemon drop! I’ll be home really soon, okay? Mama loves you!” (Y/N) smiled to herself, listening to their daughter’s incoherent mumbling grow faint as Steve regained control of the cell phone. “I should be home in a half an hour or so, depending on how backed up the bridge is.”

“Fingers crossed that all the city’s archers decide to leave the Brooklyn Bridge un-impaled for the afternoon commute.” Steve joked. “You can tell me all about Clint and his new partner over pizza and my famous green smoothies. I love you, sunshine.”

She gave her phone an exaggerated air-kiss that made Steve huff out a quiet laugh. “I love you too, sweetheart, and I’ll see you soon.”

After hanging up the call and tucking her cell phone into her messenger bag, (Y/N) started the car’s engine and turned up the radio, the local station’s Christmas playlist already playing through the speakers. “Okay, gumball, your daddy promised to make us a smoothie, so let’s get this show on the road.”

Pulling away from the curb, (Y/N) hummed along to the upbeat Elton John track in the hopes that the music would distract from the unsettling feeling beginning to take form in the pit of her stomach, but the tune wasn’t enough to make her shake the suspicion that someone was watching her from afar.

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A/N: Who do you guys think was watching (Y/N)?? You'll have to stay tuned to find out! Thank you all so much for reading and commenting! I’ve created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, and I’ll be updating it every time I upload a new chapter. Enjoy!

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ziGMhEsAw833GQ9eV44nR?si=6dfead09c76848d5

Hawkeye (Part III)

Stumblin’ In Book VII: “Superhero Snapshots” Masterlist

Tagging: @mrs-obrien @lahoete @awkward117 @cminr @natdrunk @momc95 @savedbystyle @miraculouscloud @awkwardnesshabitat @marinettepotterandplagg @mangosandmimosas @supersouthy @benakenalove @brooke0297 @hufflepeople @becausewelie @outoftheregular @junipermurdock @ladydmalfoy @mads-weasley @username23345@crist1216 @capswife @lilmschild @avngrsinitiative @crowleysqueenofhell @y-napotat @mary1raven @groovyqueer @ljej95 @innersublimefury @prettysbliss

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alokkashyap123 · 6 months ago

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Revving Up: My love for automobiles

I am a fan of cars. I enjoy blasting through my engine sounds. But was I always fond of cars? Well if you think of something that fascinates you, you will see that it evolves. And sometimes the possibilities are that we like something at first, but then our interests shift. For me, I guess it was never only an interest but a dream that I wanted to turn into reality. Of Course, everyone has a dream that they strive for, live for, and work hard for (Alok Kashyap).

Talking about my love for automobiles. And how I got hooked on it. It happened a long time ago when Alok Kashyap, aged around 17 years during IIT preparation days, roamed on the streets of Hauz Khas with friends in Delhi, India. I saw a BMW passing by with an astonishing sound which swiftly caught my attention. And it wasn't the first time I was noticing a car, there were many times I used to notice different cars and their models but this time it was something different, maybe because on that day I thought of owning a BMW one day.

First car

Life moved with pace, I completed my education and started my professional journey. Witnessing my friends get their first car kept my dream alive. I always knew that it was going to happen one day as I did not want to buy just any car but it had to be Alok Kashyap’s dream car.

Finally, it happened in 2009, when I first bought my luxurious car, you can easily guess the name of it, yes it was a BMW. I remember taking my mom and dad to the showroom and when I handed over the keys to them I could feel the happiness in their heart when I saw the light in their eyes. It was just the beginning of getting things off your bucket list.

Currently in the garage

After getting my first car. I had several other cars on the list that I wanted to own and enjoy my swift full drives.

My most recent purchase is a Ferrari. Before this, I bought a Maserati with my name “Alok” on the registration plate. I also own an Audi A6 which I use to commute when I am at my home in India.

Next in the line

There is this popular quote that says “ I don't want to know what you do for a living I want to know what your heart aches for, I want to know what your dreams are made of ''. This quote has lived with me for a long time now. Cause I also have always believed that if we do not have a goal, an ambition for the future then what is the point of all this? You should have a source of motivation. Which pushes you to do great work every day. The answer to what is your goal or what are you working for has different answers at different points in life. For me, at this point in my life where I am living a stable life, my answer would be “I want to own a McLaren 650S and enjoy its roar as I drive it”. This thought itself inspires me to work hard every day and I know the feeling would be amazing when I drive it.

Content for the website:

Born in India, and living in the USA. A Project manager/ Scrum master at United Airlines with expertise as a Lead Business Analyst focusing on leading projects with single or multiple stakeholders to elicit requirements, prioritize needs, and deliver solutions.

Hello there! My name is Alok Kashyap. I am a Scrum Master and Developer. I am driven to provide excellence in work with constant hard work and dedication.

With 10+ years of experience as a Scrum master, I have the unique ability to turn leads into spectacular success stories. Let's work together and transform challenges into triumphs.

“Let’s channel possibilities into opportunities, and utilize technology for the betterment of humanity”

#alok kashyap #kashyap #alok #professional scrum master #project managers #project management #alokashyap #scrum master #alok kashyap fitness #alok kashyap automobiles #Alok Kashyap Entrepreneurship

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redsamuraiii · 4 years ago

Photo

Bought this wonderful journal from Original Ordinary.

I’ve never been the type to write a diary, let alone own one but ever since the pandemic began last year, my anxieties went spiraling out of control causing me to meet a therapist who suggested writing out my thoughts about personal things which I could not share with others instead of letting it bottled up inside me.

And then I remembered something from my last trip to Japan where I noticed the Japanese people still do things the traditional way, writing down every single things in their notebook or journal instead of typing it all online for easy access. And they read it while commuting on the trains and buses to reflect. (This happened in the laid back towns of Shiga Prefecture, people in the city of Osaka tend to behave the same way as us, sadly, glued to the phones. 😅)

There’s a culture called “Koukan Nikki” which means “exchanging diary”. A person buys a diary and share this with his/her friends. The person who buys the diary write their profile on the first page. Then they decide an order to write, who will be the first person to write before handing it over to the next and the next and it continues. And then during their weekly or monthly gathering, they’ll share the most funniest or epic journal entry as a form of amusement and a conversation topic. Unfortunately, this culture is dying with the rise of social media where everything can be shared online which takes the fun out of it since you literally know what your friends are up to every minute, hour and day. But in lesser developed part of Japan, where they seldom spend time online or they are less technologically savvy, this culture is still pretty much alive!

Anyway, I haven’t been getting around to get a diary until I saw this online and it immediately got my attention. It’s not like the normal plain diary with just dates, which makes me wonder why people buy it when they can just use a simple notebook and write your own dates, until I see this.

It’s aesthetically pleasing, with different designs for every month where you’ll see the pages are being decorated with different types of flowers, animals, coffees and teas, along with weekly quotes at the bottom and a monthly quotes with beautiful drawings at the beginning of every month.

It makes you reflect at the end of each week and before you begin a new month, moving forward. I admit, the photos here doesn’t do justice as I’m using an “economic” phone (I’m thrifty about everything except traveling! 😆) You can see the better quality pics here.

It aims to help you organized, unleash your creativity and remind you how to live with mindfulness, as mindful living is the essence of a happy life. The quotes and drawings on every pages reminds you to take care of yourself and live your life to the fullest while accomplishing your goals mindfully.

There’s nothing wrong with setting your goals but bear in mind that life happens, so you can’t expect to fulfill every single goal on the day which you have fixed it. You can always change it to other days if something happens. If today is no good, there is always tomorrow. If tomorrow is no good, there is after tomorrow.

And it doesn’t matter how trivial, weird or ridiculous it may seem to others about what your goals are, as long as it makes you happy. After all, that’s the purpose of this journal for you to write down personal things that you’re not comfortable sharing with others verbally, through texts or online blogs.

I love this journal because looking through the beautiful drawings and inspiring quotes motivates me to write down something, anything as compared to staring blankly at a plain notebook wondering what am I supposed to write. 🤭

So if you’ve been thinking about writing a journal, now’s a good time do it, a fresh start on the first month of the new year. Nothing is too late to start! 🤗

#diary #journal #mental health #self care #koukan nikki #japan #life #aesthetic #mindfulness #writing therapy

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mcwriting · 5 years ago

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starstruck (3)

So after my post earlier about how I’m still planning on writing for Tom, I figured I’d follow through with my promise to post this chapter that I made last week. I like this chapter. It’s kinda cute but still got the “actually we h8 each other” vibe going on.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9

Fandom: Tommo Holland

Ship: Tom Holland x Reader eventually

Setting: LA

Word Count: 1366

Warnings: i actually don’t think there’s any here, but lmk if there should be

Rating: K+ still because nothing’s happened lol

Background: part 3 of my DCOM inspired fic

B/f/n: your best friend’s name

__________________________________

Previously on starstruck...

Tom’s cologne

You sat up, sniffing around the sheets, pillows, and covers, realizing he had left his scent everywhere.

“I need to wash these sheets tomorrow” you breathed to yourself in an annoyed tone.

With that you laid back down, glad that b/f/n wasn’t there to ask whose scent was all over your bed. Though you tried to convince yourself that you wanted the smell gone, had anyone been watching, they couldn’t deny the way you sunk into the bed and the faint smile that made its way to your lips as you drifted into slumber.

__________________________________

You padded over the sand, exhausted but sticking to your word.

After a quick dance class, you had rinsed off and headed to a lowly populated beach in Malibu, where Tom was supposed to be waiting for you “in disguise.”

You smiled upon realizing his disguise was a new baseball cap, board shorts, and sunglasses unlike the kind he normally wore. You too were in a disguise of sorts, wearing a flowing sarong over your swimsuit, a white, broad-rimmed floppy hat, and a small beach tote slung over your shoulder.

He was sitting on a bench, looking nervous, probably afraid of getting caught with you again. You sat down at a bench nearby and shot him a text.

Look to your 2 o’clock. Don’t make it obvious

He looked at his phone, then to the left, seconds later realizing 2 o’clock was on his right. You locked eyes and both grinned, then he made his way to you.

“Fancy meeting you here. It must be fate for us to keep running into each other like this.”

You gave him a push on the shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let’s just get this thing over with.”

You walked together along the water, seeing only a few people along the way who were too either focused on the waves or relaxed in the sand to care who was going by. The cool ocean tide distracted from the hot summer air.

“You were right about everyone thinking that picture was me. B/f/n showed it to me yesterday and thought we were ‘like twins.’ I lied about it, but tons of the fan pages who saw the picture from the premiere think it’s me again. What should we do?”

Tom looked down at his sandy feet in thought, both of you stopping and letting the remnants of waves wash up past your ankles.

“I know you ‘don’t like me,’” he used air quotes for emphasis, “so we should play on that, you know. I just won’t make a statement about it and you can go on your Instagram story and say something about it not being you, yeah?”

“So you’re gonna make me do all the work? That’s cold, man,” you joked, nodding at the decent idea. “I think it could work.”

You eventually started walking back towards the parking lot when you distantly heard a man’s voice say “is that Tom Holland? And that girl?”

Your eyes widened and you leaned over to Tom, whispering, “did you hear that too? We need to go.”

You started walking faster, the soft sand making your calves ache. You began to hear more male voices getting closer and risked a glance over your shoulder. They were beginning to follow you and you made it known to Tom.

“Come on,” he grabbed your hand, “I think I know where we can hide.”

You both began running, his fingers wrapped tightly around your palm, and you let yourself be pulled by him. You ducked around a building, then jogged through a wooded area. Finally, you found a small cement shack.

“Please tell me this isn’t what I think it is?” you pleaded, a terrible smell emitting from it.

“Sorry! It’s the first place I could think of. Plus, it’s big enough to fit us both!”

You shot him an angry look, but stepped into the public restroom anyways, Tom following behind and locking the door. The single roomed bathroom was wet and musty, but thankfully big enough that you didn’t have to press against Tom, though the proximity allowed you to get a whiff of his cologne again.

Maybe later you would remember to ask what he wears. Not because it reminded you of him, but because the smell was relaxing and seemed to put you to sleep (at least that’s what you tried to convince yourself).

Sunlight flowed in from some open slits between the wall and roof, giving you some decent light to see each other.

You looked down to see your hands still holding each other’s, highlighted by a stray sunbeam. He followed your gaze and you both let go dangerously fast.

A few moments later, you heard footsteps and one of the people saying, “God it smells awful here. You really think they disappeared to this nasty beach bathroom?”

“It’s worth a shot, I’ll knock on the door,” another answered.

There were three bangs on the metal door and you both looked at each other, not knowing what to do. You thought on your feet and decided to say something.

“Hey! This thing’s occupied, give me another ten or fifteen minutes!” you yelled, deepening your voice and doing a random accent that wasn’t your own, the sound echoing around the walls.

“Oh, uh, sorry about that…” the man trailed. They discussed where you and Tom could’ve gone again, admitting defeat and deciding to go back to the city in the hopes they’d find someone else to bother and make money off of.

You waited another ten minutes after hearing their footsteps leave before peeking outside. With no one in sight, you stepped out into the open again, breathing in some fresh air.

You waved to Tom, signaling him to follow. You both carefully made your way back through the woods and found yourselves standing near the parking lot, hidden behind a large tree.

“Well, that was fun, I guess,” you wondered aloud, turning to Tom.

“Yeah, we should definitely do it again sometime,” he grinned, you shooting him a glare followed by a grin of your own.

“There’s my car,” you pointed, “I guess we oughta head our separate ways.”

“Oh right, about that…”

__________________________________

You navigated through the city traffic, glad your car had been returned from the shop but incredibly frustrated that Tom didn’t have his own.

He made the excuse that his brothers had dropped him off to go hang out somewhere else, figuring that you could just take him to meet them when you were done, not thinking about the potential of being photographed again.

You sat in silence for a bit before finally getting tired of it.

“I’m gonna play some music. Any requests?” you began, opening up spotify on your phone.

Tom shook his head, so you opened up your personal playlist, clicking on your favorite Shawn Mendes song.

“Hey, I really like this song! You know, Shawn Mendes and I actually follow each other on instagram,” he bragged, earning a surprised glance from you.

“That’s actually pretty cool. I enjoy his music a lot.”

Tom agreed and a few seconds later, you began singing along under your breath, and soon after, Tom had joined you.

A couple songs later, and you were both belting the pop songs in your playlist at the tops of your lungs, the commute back towards Tom’s hotel feeling somewhat enjoyable.

You also couldn’t help but notice that his voice was… good? You were inclined to let him know, but also considered how that could mess with the whole “enemies” thing going on between you.

You snapped back to reality when Tom’s phone rang, the sound piercing the air. You paused the music so he could answer.

“Hey what’s going on? Uh huh. No, we actually have it handled. I might or might not be with her right now… no it’s fine. Seriously, we are laying low! We’re on the way to the hotel right now. Alright, alright I’ll see what I can do. See you in a few.”

And with that, he hung up, turned to you, and said, “That was my manager. Apparently we’ve got a problem.”

__________________________________

A/N: there’s part 3, finally! I finished it a few days ago but never got around to posting it. I’m sorry it’s short again, but I think 4 is gonna be longer, but also 4 is gonna have some angsty tension soooo... stick around for that! As always, y’all are awesome and ily.

Tag List: @marvel-lously, @jackiehollanderr

#starstruck #tom holland #tom holland x reader #tom holland imagine #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland x you #tom holland x y/n #spider-man #SPIDER MAN FAR FROM HOME #spider man #Spider Man: Homecoming #SPIDER MAN: FAR FROM HOME #tom holland headcanon

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sunandrunn · 6 years ago

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Hey Mel! Could you maybe share your thoughts & some inspiration regarding sustainability if you feel like it? :) I recently got into this topic and love how it gets more and more attention in our generation bc people care about the planet! ♻️ sending good vibes! x

hi!! so i’ve been really interested in hearing about the “zero waste” + “minimalist” thing kinda goin on. i think it’s super cool that people are reducing their waste and starting to become conscious consumers and it’s inspiring me to be the same way!! however, i think the labels “zero waste” and “minimalist” can be a bit intimidating and make you think your trash for the year has to fit into a tiny mason jar and you have to own one pair of pants+one shirt(cause that’s definitely what i thought when i first heard about this stuff) but it’s so not that way!! i think being environmentally conscious is literally just that…being conscious!! putting just a bit more thought into what you’re doing and buying and using. no one is perfect, having zero waste is basically impossible. throwing out all your things so you can own 3 items is not sustainable. so here are my tips and some stuff i’ve been putting a little more effort into!

1) reducing my plastic. i took a look around and saw that the main area for this consumption was in my food!! i got reusable produce bags and started bringing those+random jars i had laying around to fill up at the bulk section from my grocery store (also a lot cheaper). i am way more consistent with bringing to-go ware: reusable coffee mug, water bottle (this was a no brainer for me), utensils (fork+spoon+straw), etc. and i just have aimed to not buy as much stuff with plastic!! (ex: buying granola in plastic bag vs. making your own)

2) i stopped supporting fast fashion. don’t quote me but i am pretty sure the fashion industry is the 2nd largest polluting industry. it’s such a make and throw a way business! and years ago i used to be in the pit of it. i loved shopping and would go to forever 21 for the latest trends, wear the clothes a few times and then never touch it again. so wasteful. thankfully as i’ve gotten older, i actually dread shopping for the most part. but i’ve learned to enjoy thrift shopping when i am eager to shop! you can find such cool pieces, new or gently worn. clothes that could end up in the landfill that are perfectly fine. it’s kinda sad. thrift shopping is so fun and it doesn’t take away from the creativity of fashion. i love putting outfits together and i think a lot of people do. you can still do that with recycled clothing! search for your local thrift and consignment stores (there’s probably a lot around you!) if you’re looking for something specific use buy and sell apps like mercari, poshmark, depop, etc. and when you clean out your closet, please, please do not throw your clothes in the dumpster. please. sell or donate them. other people might love that sweater you’re throwing out!!

3) commuting. this isn’t ideal for everyone, but if you can use alternative means of transportation. i’m lucky great i live across the street from my college campus and in a VERY bike friendly city. you can also utilize the bus, train, etc. (i’m not saying if you drive a car you’re destroying the environment lol) we all do it, but if you can reduce it by walking, biking, etc., that’s awesome!!

4) supporting local businesses and farmers. this kinda plays along w/ the fast fashion thing, but if you’re going to buy new, check the materials and the type of labor/treatment that’s going on behind your clothing/products. there’s a lot we don’t know/aren’t told about what happens behind the scenes of our stuff. (also, again check thrift shops/apps for stuff like gently used or even untouched cooking wear or house stuff). also, where does your food come from? buy organic when you can. pesticides don’t just effect us, think about the farmers working right there!! go to local farmers markets (its way fresher+better quality anyways).

that’s what i can think of off the top of my head. this response isn’t to be all la-tee-da. i’m not perfect and i don’t strive to be. but i’m trying and i’m putting in a more conscious effort. and that’s all i encourage anyone else to do! that’s all we can do! just try your best. make slow changes. swap your usual plastic straws for a reusable metal one. donate your unwanted clothes. get an organic peach from your local farmers market. live your life normally, but with a little more intention!! that’s all.

if anyone has any more tips, feel free to add them!! we’re a community of growth😊♻️

#zero waste #sustainamel #myposts

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comingouttoteach · 6 years ago

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Week 3

We began the week thinking about inclusion. It felt a bit overwhelming trying to think of how to support every specific need, however, I think once I am in the classroom, having spoken to colleagues and spoken to the pupil/s it will all come together. Effective communication is key. The group I worked in were focusing on dyslexia. We came up with some obvious tools to use in the classroom, such as a writing slope, C-pen, window rulers, coloured acetate sheets and rainbow reading rulers. We then thought more broadly about how the lessons themselves might be tailored to make them as accessible as possible. If a person has issues surrounding reading and writing, then we thought it necessary to vary lesson styles: we could use music, song and sounds, maximise visual learning with images and drawing, create a tactile element, even if it means just passing round an object to hold and finally, movement. This second train of thought would surely benefit everyone. However important a student’s particular leaning towards a learning style actually is (visual, kinesthetic, aural), implementing variety isn’t going to be a hindrance, especially once the teacher-student/s relationship has been built and the learner’s feel safe. We decided that there are NO excuses for a person with special needs or a disability not to be able to access a lesson.

Writing is.....

A cognitive activity -thought process

Socio-cultural -social act, socially constructed tool

Linguistic -terminology is a building block

None of these are more important than the others, but, in being forced to pick sides we discussed the topic with more vivacity than if we’d been merely presented with three aspects. We’re starting to catch on the the tutors’ tricks now.

Top tip: If you ever want to feel the pain of a person who struggles to write, try writing a whole short story with your left hand in a time-pressured situation. You will feel the following: angry, bored, ashamed, distracted, frustrated.

SCHOOL

I’m in school. It’s a cracking school. I had an unfortunate first commute though. I got there ten minutes before the bus arrived, patiently waited, whilst reading Great Expectations; the bus arrived, I got on and to my horror there was no card payment option (classic millennial problem, which shouldn’t have been mine because I’m not a millennial). I didn’t have enough of a breakdown or enough charm to convince the bus driver to let me on so shuffled off. The next bus was DUE so I ran to the nearest cash machine. On my way back I saw the bus departing, and noted that it was most definitely a bus on which you could pay by card. The next bus would get me in four minutes late which was unacceptable. I nearly-in-tears called my partner who sent me an uber (I repaid her with a fancy much-deserved meal out) and eventually arrived with 15 minutes to spare. Nothing could be worse than that I thought, and nothing actually was. The school is lovely, very big, everyone is friendly, behaviour is generally good with low level chatter, I only saw one member of staff wearing a suit and that was the headteacher. All in all I feel grateful to be here although I sometimes feel a bit out of place, like when I was pursuing a pupil for the day and there’d be no where to sit, or when my Year 8 tutor group were highly enthusiastic and I had no luck in calming them down, or when I was in department office and everyone was talking about the cost of their children’s school clubs and my only dependent is a house plant. I spent most of the week adjusting to the feeling of being new and awkward. Here are some things I took away from it though:

- If people know something about each other they will work better, more effectively together. - we gotta be honest, brave and resilient! (advice from my dynamic and spirited professional tutor) - a ‘sweep’ is a quick-fire feedback strategy where everyone contributes and no one repeats an idea. - Lesson planning should at first consider the ‘who’, ‘why’, ‘what’, ‘when’ and ‘where’ before the ‘how’ - When you give instructions to a class, show them an example of WAGOLL, which is not a dance move but a What A Good One Looks Like. - When observing lessons, think of a focus point before you go in, and it can be helpful to pay particular attention to aspects you think you may be weaker at. For example, I want to observe a lesson next week and focus on presence and voice. - ‘Challenging behaviour or conflict may arise as a result of unmet needs’ - a good quote.

My classes that I actually will actually be teaching soon:

Year 7 - Performance poetry Year 9 - Romeo and Juliet Year 10 - Creative writing

What a dream! I have only observed one lesson of these groups so far, which was with the Year 9s, and they spent half of that watching the Baz Luhrmann film, but they seemed engaged and well behaved. I have to come up with a starter idea and teach it on Wednesday. Help?

Celebrating Creativity Conference

Alternative title, Practice What You Preach. On Friday we were safely back in university where we met PGCE English cohorts from three other universities and participated in a day of thinking, writing and more socialising. The idea was that teachers should identify as writers and should write creatively as much as possible. Since starting the PGCE I have not written for pleasure at all, which is something I would like to change. There was an inspiring talk by an author of some notable YA fiction, an adventurous group writing task, various workshops and some individual writing time. The workshop I attended, Creative Writing for Grammar, got me inspired about grammar, and made me want to understand better how grammar works. As I mentioned, I have been reading Great Expectations and have continued to note how the variety in sentence structure is what makes the text so rich and playful. Some things I learned from the workshop:

It’s not about where the verb is, it’s about what it does.

Grammar is for... - developing knowledge about language. - using metalanguage to talk about grammar. - Making connections between grammar and writing.

Did you know that writing is as cognitively challenging as playing a game of chess because of the number of decisions your brain has to make?

LEAD (a good way to teach grammatical techniques):

ink: make a link between the grammar being introduced and how it works in the writing being taught.

xamples: explain the grammar through examples rather than lengthy explanations.

uthenticity: use examples from an authentic text to link writing to the broader community of writers.

Discuss: as a whole class, discuss the grammatical choices and how they affect the text.

The final message of the workshop was that a teacher should ‘create space to engage the imagination and the emotions - help the writers want to write.’

In summary, I have gathered a lot which I can potentially put into practice. The reality of standing up in front of a class will soon be upon me and I hope that not all my knowledge scurries off into the darkness, leaving me as desperate and fearful as Pip in a graveyard.

#pgce #english teacher #charles dickens #teaching

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zhjy96-blog · 6 years ago

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Week 1 / PHOTOGRAPHY IN LONDON

London Nights at Museum of London

To be honest, I haven’t visited any photography exhibitions before London Nights, and it was also my first time to try to “read” photos so closely and carefully, so this visit was really a new and exciting experience for me. All the exhibited photos featured a typical nocturnal scene in London from different historical periods. The trivial objects and unexpected shooting camera angles deeply impressed me.

The lights go up in London, 1945

Felix H. Man (1893-1985)

The photo featured the Houses of Parliament, especially its Clock Tower— Big Ben, shining brightly against the dark sky and the calm River Thames. The glaring light beams and the sharp contrast between brightness and darkness caught my eye at first sight.

The photo was under the collection of the Blitz period. However, it was quite different from other pictures of the same collection since most photos of this period was enveloped by darkness and fear while The lights go up in London focused on light and brightness. In terms of composition, the photograph was presented symmetrically, with the shining Big Ben and its reflection lying on the vertical centerline and the bank lying slightly below the horizontal centerline. Such a symmetrical composition is pleasing and comfortable to viewers’ eyes. In terms of the use of focus, as I have mentioned, Felix focused on the lights of the upper half of the photo. The contrast between light and shadow probably indicated the hope and joy of people who were eventually relived from the threat of night-time bombing.

In 1945, the World War Ⅱ ended eventually, and in celebration of this, the Houses of Parliament and other buildings along the River Thames shone brightly. The lights symbolized hope and a new start for the city. The bridge linking the dark side to the bright side of those shining buildings across the River also indicated that the British, and the whole world were moving out from the threat, oppression and depression brought by the War and were heading for a bright new life.

Song and Dance, 1983 from the series London by Night

Tish Murtha (1956-2013)

London by Night was a series that depicted several sex workers in London at night. Those lonely figures of the women participating in sex trade added a sense of tragedy to the photos. The one I chose was accompanied by the following lines — I walk out with Linda one night when Soho was quiet. She shouted out “You want to make love darling.” and exposed her breast on the street as usual but didn’t get much attention. When I saw these words and the photo below, I felt extremely sorry for these marginalized people and was deeply touched.

Song and Dance was a black-and-white photo with only the sex worker and fluorescent board highlighted. There was a strong light coming from lower right and shining through the frontier to the background, which enabled the viewers to see the woman’s bare back. However, except the light on her back, the sex worker was totally surrounded by darkness, which presented a sense of loneliness and impotence. The shining board was ironic since the “entertainment” there was more than song and dance. What’s more, the use of explaining words made it possible for viewers to imagine the whole process and movements of the woman.

In combination with the lines quoted in the first paragraph, it can be inferred that the women was trying to appeal to her potential guests. In the latter half of 20th century, the rights of women in the UK was increasing. However, there were still many women who had to make a living on sex trade and Tish documented these marginalized people. The series probably aimed to appeal to the public for more attention on women’s rights.

From the series On the Night Bus, 2016

Nick Turpin (b. 1969)

Series On the Night Bus was one of the very few colorized photographs on the exhibition. Each photo in this series was fogged by the condensation on the bus window and featured one single commuter who took the night bus home. The painterly colors and vague figures in these photos deeply attracted me the moment I saw them. Such scenes also reminded me of my high school life when I napped or reviewed lessons on the bus during my way home after a whole day's study. After I returned from the exhibition, I searched online and found that this series has already been published as a photo book. The photos exhibited were only part of the series and among them, I chose the one that I liked most.

The photo depicted a young woman who were napping on her seat, with her head against the window. The light from fluorescents inside the bus shone brightly from the top and made the whole photo of brilliant hue. Such use of light, in my opinion, presented a sense of peace, warmth and nostalgia. Although the facial details were blurred by condensation and drops of rain, the shadows on her indirectly reflected her exhaustion, from a whole day’s work perhaps. The photographer’s choice of camera angle was also interesting. He chose to shot from outside the bus instead of inside it, which contributed to the fogged effect by the bus window. The painterly colors in the photo enabled it to stand out from other black-and-white photos at the exhibition and made it more like a painting rather than a photograph.

As the name of this series implies, the photo presented a scene on a night bus. The photographer took candid shots to show us the most real self of his objects. The woman in the picture might just returned from work and travelled back home for dinner or to prepare a meal for the family. She napped so comfortably as if there were no other passengers around her, which coincided with Turpin’s statement—an odd period of anonymous ‘no man’s land’. All the other photos in the series, too, present different images of various commuters, immersing in their own world at the night of London.

My Own Photo Response

Inspired by Turpin’s statement—‘no man’s land’ between work and home, I decided to find ‘no man’s land’ around me. Therefore, I spent a night wandering in the school library and took photos of students working hard on their assignments. Among the photos I have taken, I chose a totally candid one as my photo response since ‘no man’s land’ should be achieved without interruption and interference. When I took this photo, it was about 10 minutes before the close of the library. However, the girl seemed to be immersed in the world of the book she was reading, ignoring the continuing broadcasting. Therefore, when I took this photo, I thought that it would definitely be my version of ‘no man’s land’! I increased the exposure compensation to make the figure clearer and more colorful. With painterly colors like the ones used in Turpin’s series, the image would be more attractive and vivid. In short, I’d like to capture the attentiveness of students studying late at night in London and create my series of ‘no man’s land’ — Library by Night — perhaps.

#Photography in London #London Nights #museum of london

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hooliainprague-blog · 7 years ago

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i ❤︎ prague

8.2.2018

People in my Czech class were talking a lot about Chipotle, and this inspired me to get a quesadilla from a nearby small restaurant. We walked there with some hot wine we bought from a stand in the streets.

The quesadilla was no Moe’s quesadilla, but it’ll have to do for now. After I ate, we walked back towards Old Town Square because my friend wanted another hot wine. I decided to get a nice touristy pivo (beer).

We had previously decided to go to IKEA after class today, but we didn’t want to get on the public transportation with our cups (or we don’t know if it’s actually allowed or not, so we didn’t want to risk it). Because of this, we decided to be extra touristy and hang out in Old Town Square for a little while so we could finish our drinks. I’m glad we did this because today there was a man blowing tons of bubbles in the middle of the square. It was fun to watch the little kids run around popping all the bubbles they could catch, and we snapped a few pictures, too.

We finished our drinks and went down into the metro station and started the 50 minute commute. After 20 minutes on the metro, we had to get off and switch to a bus. This is the first time I’ve ridden a bus here, and compared to the trams and the metro system, the buses are trash. It’s great that it’s included with the three month transportation pass and it’ll be nice to have options, but I prefer the trams and metro.

IKEA was a maze and was confusing and tiring to go through. We didn’t really need anything except something to do, but it was nice to see what was on the outskirts of Prague and to see where the store is. We even found a cool pasta poster on sale for 5 Kč, which is about $0.24. I got chocolate cake and it was great. Here’s some proof that we were here (and some nice dramatic shots of this succulent):

9.2.2018

My midterm went very well, a bit better than I expected. Our professor told us the national liquor of the Czech Republic, Becherovka, and said we had to try it. I bought some, and it actually tastes like Christmas. Me and a friend decided to go out for drinks tonight, and we found two super cheap bars.

At the first one, an older man tried to get us to sit with him, but we refused. The nice bartender gave us two lil drinks that tasted like lemonade for free. I also had a mixed drink with absinthe and it tasted like licorice in a good way. That older man kept trying to get our attention, so we decided to leave. On the way out, the bartender threw something at us to get our attention and said that we should stay longer, but we left anyway.

The next place was super chill and even cheaper. We met a guy around our age from Russia. He was very nice. He told us that 90% of Russians support Putin and Trump and didn’t understand why we don’t like Trump, but it was refreshing that he was polite about it. It’s interesting to hear someone from another country so invested in our political situation. It’s all about perspective, I guess. Also, the only picture I took today was a blurry one of this bar.

After we left, we sprinted faster than we ever have before to catch a tram because it just arrived to the station when we were a block away and the next one wouldn’t be coming for another 20 minutes. A little surprise when we got back to the dorm: someone paid for a bag of potato chips and left them in the vending machine. Free chips!

10.2.2018

This day was pretty relaxed. I liked it. I slept in because I DESERVE IT. Zuzana had another one of her cafe and gallery tours, and we went to the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art. I liked this place a lot more because of an exhibit titled DeTermination by Daniel Pešta. It was so intriguing and captivating and I never wanted to leave.

There’s also a giant airship that apparently hosts small concerts and speakers. It was trippy to be inside of it and it kind of hurt my eyes.

A nice quote from a journal in the shop:

The other artist featured in this museum, Plny, was strangely obsessed with the human body, especially his own. Some of his pieces invoked a lot of discomfort but were difficult to look away from. Overall, it was a great experience.

For dinner, we were going to go somewhere in the Old Town about 30 minutes away, but since it’s Saturday night, there weren’t any places that had room for eight people without a reservation. After wandering around trying to decide where to go for half an hour, we decided to go the whole way back to a Chinese restaurant five minutes away from the dorm. It was a bit frustrating, but luckily it was a nice night and everyone was in a good mood. We made the best of the situation.

11.2.2018

It’s a Sunday, and I wanted so badly to get out of the dorm and do something new. I started going through hashtags of Prague events on instagram, and I found something that said there was a festival in Prague 3. I mentioned it in the group chat, and we decided to head over there around noon. Little did I know, the caption on this instagram picture LIED TO ME. It either said it was in the wrong place, it was the wrong date, or I read it completely incorrectly and nothing was even happening. Luckily, the little square it took us to had a bunch of cute coffee shops and breakfast places, so we wandered over to a creperie and got some coffee and, obviously, crepes. I was so hungry at this point and the savory crepe I got looked so good that I completely forgot I wanted to take pictures for this blog. Anyways, here’s the cappuccino from here:

After, we just wandered in and out of various stores in the area.

12.2.2018

Our professor said we looked too tired to learn anything else, so she took us to get ice cream for the last hour and a half of class instead. I love this city.

On the way there, we saw the place where students of Charles University started the Velvet Revolution that ended communism in the country. I hadn’t realized that something this powerful started on a street that I frequently walk on.

After this, I met up with a friend to go to the Communism Museum. This was hands-down one of the most chilling experiences of my life. It’s still so strange to me that communism only ended here 29 years ago. I would try to explain how I felt walking through these exhibits and watching the videos, but I do not have words. I think it’s something you have to experience in person to truly understand that feeling, and it’s even more powerful when you’re in a country that it actually happened in. Communist soldiers marched and beat people to death in the same place I walk freely.

Here’s a little snippit about the Stalin monument that used to be where the Prague Metronome I went to earlier:

13.2.2018

This was a slow day, and I’m trying to be more okay with having slower days while I’m in Europe. I almost feel guilty when I’m spending a bit of down time in my room.

I got another fried cheese sandwich in Wenceslas Square after class (all my money will go to these).

I did some laundry again, and one of my friends asked if I wanted to go get a beer with her before the hall meeting. I said yes, because like I said, I was already feeling bad about spending time in my room. Also, beer.

This town, even at a busy tram station/metro entrance, is so beautiful. I am so grateful to be here.

After the hall meeting, we went to the cheap Chinese restaurant to celebrate a birthday. It’s a good place because even when we show up at prime dinner time with no reservation and 11 people, we still easily find a table because it’s never busy. I got a whole meal, an extra side of fries, a ginger ale, and a fried ice cream for under $10. Amazing.

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adins-bejoty · 7 years ago

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Before we begin let me shock everyone reading this by proclaiming that there will be spoilers. Do we really need to keep doing this? It's 2017, it's the internet. There's always going to be spoilers. Anyway, this is a long post (surprise!) and mostly about Luke, but there's other stuff down at the bottom. First, however, please set your opinions and emotions aside for a moment and let us give thanks for the one unimpeachable truth that all Star Wars fans should be able to unanimously agree on: This is a badass fucking land speeder.

So, I love Star Wars. I've read (listened to Audible on my daily 3-hour commute) about a dozen of the new canon books, I've read all the new comics, and I've seen every episode of The Clone Wars and Rebels multiple times. Yes I've had some issues with creative decisions, yes I'm kind of bummed that the old EU is now "Legends" and that my absolute favorite Star Wars content (Knights of the Old Republic, huge suprise I know...) is currently non-canon, but overall I've been 100% on board with the direction everything has been going.

My premiere showing of The Force Awakens is one of my all-time favorite movie-going memories. The first showing on opening night with fans in costume, lines wrapping around the block, and a highly reactive audience made for an amazing experience. The manager of the theater even came out and gave a little speech about how important Star Wars is to people before the lights went down. Then we were in it, no trailers, and the audience went wild as soon as that John Williams fanfare erupted. People don't cheer at the Marvel logo when it appears. Hell, I don't remember people cheering for the Enterprise in any of JJ Abrams' Trek movies, but one shot of the Millennium Falcon brings grown men to tears. And fucking BB-8 is the best. Can droids win best supporting actor awards?

I saw The Last Jedi at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh last Friday, so I was a day behind opening night. My audience was a little more subdued, possibly because some of them were already on their second showing, but we had the same cheers at the opening crawl and applause at the end so the experience was similar, but it will never be the same. And in general I think that's part of the message that this movie is trying to send: whatever your memories and emotions surrounding this franchise are, it can never be exactly the same as that one moment that made you a true fan. And that's okay, because the same isn't always the best.

And now spoilers...

But first! How about the backlash to this thing? It seems like there is an even split between people who really like this movie, and those who really hate it. I've yet to see a convincing argument as to why this film is as terrible as people claim, though. Just a lot of "it sucks" without much substance. A lot of the vitriol seems aimed at the perceived lack of payoff to some of the "mysteries" introduced by the last film including Snoke's backstory, Rey's origins, the Knights of Ren, and Luke's reason for exile. I've also seen quite a few claims that this movie does unspeakable, everlasting damage to the character of Luke Skywalker. (I don't agree, see below.) My absolute favorite reactions to read are from the people who bemoan the ruination of their childhood based on Luke's actions in this movie. As if years or decades of human social and behavioral development can be undone in an instant because a fictional character did a fictional thing or said fictional words that they didn't like.

Allow me to quote my thoughts on this subject from my recap of Sailor Moon Crystal:

Even more so is the utterly baffling prevalence of the notion of Crystal somehow “ruining” Sailor Moon for you? ... It cannot by virtue of its existence invalidate your affection for any other version of the story.

Slightly different circumstance, but the central thesis is the same: how does one thing totally destroy your enjoyment of another thing? You have the ability to ignore the thing you don't like. Stick with Legends, or if you never got into the old EU, just watch the original six films. Or just the original trilogy. Or just Empire Strikes Back since Star Wars content can never ascend beyond that lofty realm... Star wars isn't the sort of franchise where one big (perceived) fuck-up is going to drive away half of the fandom. I guarantee 98% of the internet pundits proclaiming that they're done with Disney and Star Wars forever will be back on opening day for Episode 9. We survived the Holiday Special, we survived midi-chlorians, hell we survived a whole rather poorly received prequel trilogy. We can survive one more bad movie.

Except this isn't a bad movie. It's a great movie in which bad things happen to good people. Kind of like real life! Now, I know there's an immediate rebuttal to be made there: I don't want movies to be like real life; I go to the movies to escape real life. True, but if we want our entertainment to be completely unrealistic, how can we derive anything more from them than simple escapism? People hold Star Wars as a source of inspiration in their childhood and have taken moral lessons from the series. Yes, most of the motivational posters would feature Yoda, but the simplest stuff comes from Luke: help your friends, look for the best in people, reject temptation, and aspire to greatness. Even a simple farm boy from Tatooine can become a great Jedi and save the galaxy. He is rightly every child's hero, including mine.

You want to know what I think about Luke dying? I fucking hate it. Luke Skywalker was a badass Jedi master who failed hard, but still had a lot of tread on the tires. I, like Mark Hamill,thought the scene in The Force Awakens where the Skywalker lightsaber is pulled past Kylo Ren's face was going to pan over to reveal the saber in Luke's hand, not Rey's. How fucking cool would that have been? In The Last Jedi I was expecting crusty, angry old hermit Luke to eventually realize "You know what, the galaxy really does need me for one last roundup" and fly off with Rey to face Snoke and Kylo together. How fucking cool would THAT have been? The two literal last Jedi going up against the two powerful not-Sith? So yeah, I hate that Luke is dead and that we won't get any grand master badassery like we saw in the EU, but OH MY FUCKING GOD I don't care because what we got was amazing and honestly the best possible way it could have happened. Did we as fans really want to see Luke Skywalker cut down by his nephew, or even worse by Snoke? Did we really want to see a possible turn to the Dark Side from the man who told the Emperor "Never!" and won by throwing his lightsaber away? No, we wanted Luke to survive the sequel trilogy and live forever happily training Jedi until the end of time because we want our heroes to have happy endings.

Except all heroes have to die sometime, and heroes, unfortunately, aren't perfect. That's what I can't wrap my head around when people say this movie was a character assassination of their childhood hero. Yes, Luke did heroic things, but he's still a flawed person who is often wrong. Becoming a hero doesn't mean your less desirable traits suddenly disappear. There are no perfect heroes, but we tend to deify all the good and forgive much of the bad. Luke has plenty of flaws: he's reckless and acts on emotion way too often. He's arrogant (see Return of the Jedi for all the proof you need) but thankfully nowhere near Anakin's level. He's fairly judgemental, especially in A New Hope. And while this isn't necessarily a flaw, he does whine a lot. It makes sense that in his old age the youthful whining has evolved into antisocial grouchiness. Also, remember that Star Wars is a space soap opera about a tragically fucked up family of drama queens who gratuitously overreact to their problems. A lot of Anakin's issues seem to have skipped over Luke straight to Kylo, but the big one that remains is his tendency to act on emotion first, and think later.

So the big bad moment in this movie has Luke at his Jedi temple suddenly feeling the dark side rising in Ben Solo. He stands over his nephew and sees the death and darkness he will unleash and for one split seconds he ignites the green lightsaber and thinks there's only one way to stop this. Then he immediately regrets it and feels (rightfully) ashamed. Unfortunately Ben wakes up, thinks he's about to be murdered and, predictably because he's part Skywalker, overreacts. Now, does Luke's action follow his character from the previous films as a guy who is prone to acting on instinct and emotion? Here are three big examples, one from each movie:

A New Hope - Sees Obi-Wan killed by Vader and immediately starts shooting at stormtroopers heedless of the danger around him.

Empire Strikes Back - Ignores Yoda's warning and jumps in an X-Wing to try and save his friends, losing a hand for his trouble.

Return of the Jedi - Completely loses control and starts wailing mercilessly on Vader after just mentioning Leia.

So yes, I do believe Luke could have a split-second moment where he considers a really bad decision but ultimately doesn't follow through. I don't understand why people think that throwing away his lightsaber and telling the Emperor he'll never turn to the dark side somehow means that Luke will also never make a bad decision or have a moment of inner conflict for the rest of his life. And to the bigger question of why Luke would just give up and go into exile after Kylo destroys the temple, well... everyone has a breaking point. Luke overcame huge hurdles and kept pushing himself and he blew up the Death Star, became a Jedi Knight, saved the galaxy, and redeemed his father. He was on his way to rebuilding the Jedi Order until that one bad decision (with outside influence from Snoke muddying the water) proved to be the last straw. It's sad to see a hero fail, but that's what makes them human and relatable. And since this is an ongoing saga,

you can have peaks and valleys of achievement and failure. For all his courage and heroic intent, Luke failed in Empire Strikes Back. He failed his training and he failed to save his friends. Then in Return of the Jedi he was the hero again, bringing Anakin back to the light. He rode that wave for almost 30 years until in a moment of conflict he failed again, but was then back in the heroic saddle by the end of this movie. It would have been unbearably tragic for Luke to die in disgrace with his last act being to turn his back on everything, but thankfully he and the audience had our cake and got to eat it too!

Luke straight up asks Rey what she though was going to happen, if he was going to face down the entire First Order with a (tee-hee) laser sword? That's the Luke we were expecting. It's the Luke I was expecting, anyway. What amazing things can Master Luke Skywalker do after 30 years immersed in studying the Force? Well, he can face down the entire First Order with a laser sword. He totally fucking does it, just not in the way we expected. I don't have a problem with the Force projection because it accomplishes so many things at once. We as an audience wanted to see Luke be a badass and he is, even if he's not bodily present. The Resistance needs to see Luke be the legend they've all heard about to restore a little bit of hope. Kylo Ren needs to see Luke to cement once and for all that he's not coming back to the light. And Luke needs to redeem himself after being cut off from the galaxy for so long by playing all of this as a distraction so Rey can rescue the remains of the Resistance.

And then Luke dies. We're made to believe it's because of the exertion of projecting himself across the galaxy, but I don't buy that shit for one minute. Obviously it was a strain on him, but after he turns off the projection and collapses he gets back up. I fully believe Luke could have fully recovered, but to what end? He's an old man now and for all the wonderful angsty frustration it's caused Kylo Ren, the Force projection is a one-trick pony. He can't pull that stunt a second time, so the only option is a direct confrontation which, as awesome as it would be, Luke would probably lose. He's made the symbolic sacrifice; there's no need for him to throw his life away on a no-win scenario. Much like Poe Dameron has to learn that being a suicide flyboy isn't the way to lead a resistance, Luke knows that falling on a lightsaber for no reason is no way to inspire a rebellion, or set an example for the next Jedi in line to carry on your legacy. To do that you project a badass immortal Jedi master to utterly humiliate your opponents while your allies escape. So Luke decides to let his legend live on and he goes out on his own terms, at peace, and having fulfilled his last noble purpose. For a farm boy who has lived through so much awful shit, it's really the best way for him to go.

Okay, enough about Luke. What about the rest of the movie? Bullet points FTW!

Loved everything with Poe Dameron. He's my favorite new character to come out of these sequels and if he's inheriting the Resistance from Leia, I'm all about General Poe doing some badass shit. "where's my droid?" The fact that he treats BB-8 like a beloved pet (and calls him "Buddy!") is so god damned endearing. Hopefully once he's dealt with the First Order he can go back to his old job as a champion for droid rights.

Leia was great in this although the Mary Poppins Force save in space was a little off. I get that the intention here is that she's reacting instinctively, like parents who get Hulk strong when their kids are trapped under a collapsed building, but I don't think we necessarily needed to see super-Leia flying through space. The hand motion, the eyes, maybe just a hint of movement would have been enough and we could have cut to the shocked faces of Poe & company before cutting to the airlock. I don't know how they're going to handle Leia's absence in Episode 9, but as a final appearance on film I'm happy with what we got.

Vice Admiral Holdo. While I have no real qualms with her function in this film and her lightspeed sacrifice was one of the greatest things I've ever seen with my own two eyeballs, I was kind of left unfulfilled by her character. That's probably because I read (Audible'd) the Princess of Alderaan book in which Holdo is introduced so I had expectations of what her character would be like going into the movie. Obviously she's several decades older than she was in the book so she would have evolved, but the younger Holdo was quirky and weird and has been described as similar to Luna Lovegood. She was fond of speaking in metaphor which Leia nicknamed "Holdo-speak" and I would've appreciated seeing at least one instance of that. But still, Laura Dern was great and I'm glad she did actually like Poe despite their head-butting.

Okay, one more thing about Luke: Nothing in this movie made me that emotional, but there was one moment that nearly wrecked me. Not "Where's Han?" or Luke and R2-D2 or Luke reuniting with Leia or even Luke dying with the majestic score and the binary sunset. No, it was C-3PO's delivery of the line "Master Luke..." and that fucking wink. Luke is (with the possible exception of Padme) the only character in the whole of Star Wars who doesn't lose his shit with Threepio. Even Leia tells him to shut up in this episode if memory serves. Luke was always calm and patient with him.

Yoda once again delivers some all-time great wisdom. "The greatest teacher, failure is." deserves to be up there with the rest of his sage advice. I've seen people complain about his "happy dance" after he blows up the Force Tree and... I don't understand why? Yoda has always been a giggly little muppet plus he's dead now, so what does he care if he lets his guard down and has some fun? I personally like the idea that one of the most powerful Jedi in history is a bit goofy and mischevious. "Lost a planet Master Obi-Wan has; how embarassing!"

Captain Phasma, oh how they continue to let you down. Her fight with Finn was great, but she literally just showed up for that one brawl. She had no presence in the film until that moment and the movie did nothing to develop her character beyond what it already was in The Force Awakens: a cool suit of armor. She got a novel and a comic book to build up her character and this is the best we could do? You know how much better TFA would have been if Finn fought Phasma on Takodana instead of the no-name stormtrooper? (His name is TR-8R. It just is.) Well, how much better would TLJ be if instead of having to escape Canto Bight police Finn and Rose have to escape Phasma, who has been dogging them the entire time? Then that last fight would have felt suitably epic. Also, she's not dead. Not if you don't see the body. RIGHT STANNIS?

Rose is a fun new character, fits the universe, and I like her. Not too much more to say. She has good chemistry with Finn and it'll be interesting to see what they do with her in the next film.

Rey being a nobody is perfect. Greatness from humble nothingness. I know Star Wars fans are conditioned to expect familial connections and for the movies to adhere to certain traditions (they rhyme!) but not everyone needs to have “that mighty Skywalker blood” to be a great Jedi. I really hope JJ doesn’t walk this one back. The only acceptable retcon would be if she were actually Han and Leia’s daughter, but at this point I don’t think you can make that work. Poor Jaina Rey.

One of the more common complaints I've seen of the movie is that the humor doesn't land as well as it should. To my memory the only humor that didn't really work with me was the first gag of Poe & Hux going back and forth like a bad phone call. It felt a little too goofy even though it's 100% in-character for Poe to be fucking around like that with a guy who only a short time before blew up an entire star system and ended a galactic government.

And while we're on the subject, let's talk about General Armitage Hux. I love with every fiber of my being how much Hux gets shit on in this film. Not because he's a badly written character or because I don't like him, quite the contrary. I think he's extremely effective at being a villain you can truly hate, especially if you know his backstory. He's like every upper-class rich little shit that you love to see knocked down a peg, and on top of that he's a backstabbing lunatic Nazi. So yeah, I love how cartoonishly evil he is, but I also love when Snoke literally mops the floor with him and when Kylo Ren knocks his ass across the cockpit of his shuttle. Considering how instrumental Hux's father was to creating the First Order I'm hoping he's a big part of the reason why it eventually falls apart. Maybe he'll try to lead an internal coup (which is totally something he would do) and it happens at the moment when Kylo Ren is about to claim his final victory, possibly by killing/turning Rey, and then Hux waltzes in and the whole thing goes to shit.

The Ships. Not the Supremacy or Kylor Ren's TIE Silencer or those badass new bombers, no you know what ships I'm talking about. Now, I've made it fairly clear in the past that "shipping" is not an activity I engage in, but this is Tumblr so here are my extremely meager thoughts: Finn and Rose isn't a thing. It's fairly obvious that she was in sort-of shock when she kissed Finn, he doesn't reciprocate, and he's totally still hung up on Rey. Finn and Poe probably should be a thing, but I think Disney is still hesitant to go all-in. I've heard some people claim that one of the final scenes where they meet for the first time is setting up Rey and Poe and... what? Finally, Reylo. Yeah they have a Force bond and shared some pretty intimate moments, but I think it's pretty clear from their final Skype call that she's literally closed the door on him.

So the legendary Skywalker lightsaber is broken now, but Rey kept the pieces. So... she's totally going to rebuild it, right? Jedi have to build their own lightsabers as part of their training and all, so that makes sense to me. It would also make sense for her to modify it into a double blade since she's obviously way more comfortable swinging her staff around.

Need to see it a few more times, but I wasn't particularly wowed by the soundtrack. I know John Williams doesn't have to prove anything to anyone (and the themes from The Force Awakens get dialed up to 11 here) but I don't remember any stand-out new pieces of music. I do love that March of the Resistance theme though. Oh my.

So those are my scattered thoughts, probably missed a few things but, yeah. Overall I enjoyed the movie. One curious thing I walked away with was a lack of any desire to immediately start theorycrafting over where Episode 9 is going to go. This movie definitely expanded the lore of the series, dashed a few people’s hopes and elevated others, but I really didn’t feel the need to start examining frames and looking for the hidden connections that might foreshadow the next big twist. For once I was happy just to experience a film on its own and not worry about its relationship to the rest of the series. I think that’s a pretty impressive feat for a Star Wars movie.

Possibly more later. MTFBWY.

#star wars #the last jedi #star wars episode 8 #review #star wars spoilers #Luke Skywalker

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thisdaynews · 5 years ago

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Super Bowl 2020: The NFL Academy & its first students on new path to US game

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/super-bowl-2020-the-nfl-academy-its-first-students-on-new-path-to-us-game/

Super Bowl 2020: The NFL Academy & its first students on new path to US game

The first intake of students started at the academy in September

It’s 5am and an alarm clock goes off in Milton Keynes. Fraser Holden has to get up and out in time to catch the 05:53 to London Euston.

From there he takes the tube to Southgate, north London, and is down to work by 7.30am. He might not leave until five in the afternoon.

Unlike the other commuters, Fraser travels kitted out in sportswear. He’s 16 and is going to college to learn how to play American football. Today. the aspiring linebacker will meet Jerry Rice, one of the greatest players of all time.

Yet this is not a one-off, it’s a regular day at the NFL Academy. Backed by the NFL, Nike and some superstar mentors, the programme is the first of its kind in Britain.

The aim? To transform the perception of American football in the UK and Europe.

The NFL said nothing until a surprise social media campaign announced the details last May. Within two weeks, over 1,500 had applied for the 90 places on offer.

In September, the first intake started at Barnet & Southgate College. Here, 16-to-18-year-olds study for regular qualifications alongside elite American football training.

Fraser was one of those who applied. He grew up playing rugby but had started playing small-sided American football games too. He was lured by the ‘We Can, We Do’ campaign, aimed at British youngsters dreaming of following Efe Obada and Jay Ajayi into the NFL.

The first try-outs were held in June. Cleveland Browns’ wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr was there – as well as BBC pundits Osi Umenyiora and Jason Bell.

From the outset, the message was clear. Academy hopefuls would be judged on their attitude and character as much as their athletic ability. And the programme would be very demanding.

Jerry Rice is widely regarded as the greatest wide receiver in NFL history

“It’s dedication, it’s commitment,” says Will Bryce, NFL UK’s head of player development. “It’s prioritising studying, managing your time, getting to bed early, getting off social media when you don’t need to be on it. It gives the kids structure, they’re part of a team, plus there are some pretty cool opportunities too.”

Selfies with OBJ was just the start. After the try-outs, 150 hopefuls were called back to a stadium showcase in the first NFL event at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in July. There they met Obada himself and did drills with Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Juju Smith-Schuster.

Fraser was among the 90 eventually accepted. He admits the first few weeks of the programme were “a big shake-up – especially after going to school five minutes away”. Now he is proud to wear his NFL-branded kit, to be one of those who stands out on campus.

In pride of place is the academy gym, which was converted from the college’s theatre and now features NFL branding inside and out. Jerry Rice came for the official opening.

The 57-year-old, who won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers, tells students that at their age he was a “diamond in the rough”, that he never thought he would play professional football, that he wasn’t the greatest athlete and didn’t have the best skills but refused to let anybody “out-work him”.

The legendary receiver speaks with the ‘inspiration wall’ as backdrop. It features quotes from NFL players, each one almost always featuring the same word – work. Three more are prominent too: Responsibility, integrity, respect.

The students are often here lifting weights at 7.30am. For linebacker Fraser and defensive end Tyrese Peters-Tovey, 19, the strength and conditioning work has been the toughest part. But the shared experience quickly saw the group bond.

“You kind of have to when you’re running 110-yard sprints together and running into each other for three hours a day!” Fraser says.

Each week they have three field sessions, four classroom sessions and four weightlifting sessions. On Wednesdays, the focus is on character development. Staff and external speakers talk about life skills, wellbeing, and issues such as social media safety and domestic violence.

They have 10 hours of classes in their chosen subjects – the same as all the college’s students – plus 15 hours of training on top. And if anybody wants extra video footage to review in their own time – an essential part of life in the NFL – staff are happy to oblige.

“If they’re willing to put the work in, we’ll match it and then some,” says Bryce. “It’s going to produce a type of American football player which this country has not produced before. They’re going to be much better prepared to compete in the NFL, mentally and physically.”

Only 90 could be accepted for the academy’s first intake in September

Head coach is Tony Allen – the long-serving London Warriors coach. He and his staff have had to tailor sessions to accommodate a range of skillsets.

Some signed up having already broken into Great Britain’s Under-19s, some had never played a snap. Many have come across from rugby, others have switched from sports like athletics, tennis, judo and swimming. In total, 32 of the 90 students are considered ‘crossover athletes’.

While American youngsters grow up with the game, British players like Umenyiora and Obada have proved you can pick it up late and still succeed.

Umenyiora was born in London and hadn’t even heard of American football until he moved to Alabama at the age of 14. He went on to win two Super Bowls. Obada didn’t play until he was 22 and, five years on, has just signed for a third year with the Carolina Panthers.

“We always said that if we’re going to help develop European talent we need to get them earlier and here we are working with 16-year-olds,” says Allen.

Students come from very different backgrounds, too. Three are involved with the Big Kid Foundationwhich seeks to help “young people at risk of social exclusion and youth violence”. Another is a former pupil at Charterhouse boarding school in Surrey.

Thirty-five have left home to be here – 30 from further afield in the UK, five from Europe. Because they’re under 18 they aren’t permitted to live on their own, so the college has partnered with a homestay programme to place them with local families, with extra pastoral and welfare staff on hand to support them.

The dream for many is to earn a scholarship and join the American collegiate system, from which NFL players are drafted. The academy has therefore had to find centres in London where they can sit the SAT test, for college admissions in the US.

That’s true of George Reynolds. He wants to be the NFL’s first British quarterback and has just been out in Florida. He was one of eight from the academy, selected by fellow students, to take part in a High School skills showdownbefore Sunday’s Pro Bowl all-star game in Orlando.

Fraser has recently joined George in the British U19 squad, and although he also hopes to play in the US too, he feels his academic choices could help him pursue an alternative career in politics.

Tyrese chose to put off university for a year, moving from Hackney to his dad’s in Enfield so he could be closer to campus. While his parents backed the decision, he initially faced opposition from his grandparents, who are lawyers and dentists in Trinidad.

“They made it sound like I wasn’t being productive,” Tyrese says. “But I’m not just getting better at football, I have a chance to get a qualification and get something in life.

“Whatever happens after this, I’ll be a better player and a better person. I think I made the right choice.”

Fraser Holden grew up playing rugby but switched over to American Football

With the NFL’s regular season already over, British players Christian Scotland-Williamson and Jamie Gillan recently dropped by. Obada is also set to pay another visit.

He and Scotland-Williamson are products of the International Player Pathway, which started in 2017. And the success of that programme, for over-20s, gave Alistair Kirkwood the inspiration to revisit an idea he first presented early in his 20-year tenure as NFL UK’s managing director.

Back then, things were focused solely on producing more elite, international players. But after helping bring regular season games to London, Kirkwood realised an academy could do much more.

“We wanted something from a community perspective in north London that was more year-round and impactful than just playing the London Games,” he says.

“Now education is as important in the academy as the athletic side, if not more so. An elite few will go to the States but success for us is 100% of kids having some form of defined success, be it going on to further education, becoming more employable or being role models who can influence younger kids.

“We’ve had lots of little landmarks where we’ve confounded ourselves and gone on to greater things but of all of these, I’d say the academy has the potential to be truly transformational. It could be something we look back on and say it changed the shape of the sport.”

As the students watch Super Bowl 54 this Sunday, it will be with a clear path of how one day they could get there too. Realistically, few will make it. Only 1.6% of US college players were drafted in 2018.

But even if they don’t, the experience will last a lifetime, wherever their future lies.

#first #students

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sarahlemkeconsume · 5 years ago

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Day 9 (9/12/19)

My days consumption started of course with a morning commute to school. I’ve been noticing the color of the leaves lately on my walk to school. The leaves are already turning yellow and moldy orange. The rain leaves little droplets all over the leaves. This weather and constant rain has been making me moody and tired. I suggested to my friends that we go on a coffee date to Spyhouse coffee shop to pick up our mood. This time, I thought we should spend quality time together rather than doing homework. I purchased a drink known as ‘spy girl’. I am not much of a coffee drinker but this lavender iced latte was easily a 11/10. Maybe I am becoming a coffee drinker... On my way to the coffee shop I saw something on a truck that caught my eye. It said “pippin ain’t easy”. I assume it’s some sort of analogy for whatever the company on the truck was. Still, I was intrigued by the font and quote. So much that I snapped a picture. This inspired me for my 30 day challenge to photograph random signs or sayings around Minneapolis. Even on my way to Spyhouse, I noticed a butterfly painting on a ramp I pass by frequently. I had never noticed it till now.

Another day of my consumption was forcing myself to go to yoga again. This time I went to a somewhat easier secession. I still sweated through my clothes but I didn't feel as worn out or exhausted. I felt the same as I did the other day, relieved and a little less stress free. My yoga teacher was talking about how her and her dog volunteer at various schools and will do mind stress activities with the kids. One thing the whole class did was have everyone say their name out loud and then say “you matter” afterwards. My yoga teacher said she didn't want it to get too corny but that it’s important as adults to recognize that about ourselves too because we often look past it or are so busy in our own lives to appreciate ourselves or others.

My favorite part of the day was setting up the Christmas lights in our porch. Me, Morgan and Mary spent about half an hour getting the lights to look perfect and having the exact same droop in every window. After we finished, the rest of my roommates came down and all five us talked for about an hour and half. It’s nice to end my day and consumption with all of them just hanging out.

I was planning to go to bed at 10:00 pm since I have work at 7:45 am the next morning but the neighbor boys downstairs were being extremely loud. I am getting real sick of all that testosterone all these college boys seem to have. I then decided to sleep at my moms house because its closer to my job and I knew I could find some peace and quiet. It felt weird being at home with my mom instead my own house. I couldn't even fall asleep till 12am and woke up at 5 am. So much for that.

0 notes

choosinglight · 5 years ago

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09.06.2019 - Options

Deep inside, I am a mess. Healing is a messy process. I am still sifting through my emotions, the memories, and creating them into lessons. It takes a lot of effort and tears, but at the end of the day, I find so much more relief. Last month I wrote out my two main options for the next big step in my life.

1. Stay in Hawaii and work full-time somewhere, hopefully at BYU–Hawaii, even if it meant not working in my desired career field, or

2. Move to Utah and seek new opportunities there -- job opportunities, dating opportunities, and you know the rest.

Both options felt good. They were both excellent options for me, but both required different sacrifices and came with unique faith-building opportunities. I presented my plan to God.

"Heavenly Father, you've given me this time to focus on myself and my future. I need to land a job that will put me in good hands. I desire to progress in my career. Please help me find the job you know where I am needed most," I pleaded.

Both options scared me and made me feel uncomfortable.

Option one felt uncomfortable because it frustrated me that I couldn't grow as quickly as I would like to. Job opportunities are scarce, dating is weird here, and if I were to leave my parents' home, the financial situation is rough. But as stuck as I felt living at home, I also felt myself growing.

Was this the pace that I needed to progress? Was I accepting God's will or fighting against it?

I prayed and pondered and came to a conclusion. I came across the daily quote of inspiration from President Monson's "A Future is as Bright as Your Faith" book. It said:

"Opportunities in Our Own Backyards.

“Every man seeking the interest of his neighbor, and doing all things with an eye single to the glory of God.” - Doctrine and Covenants 82:19.

Too often when we speak of missionary work we think only far away places with strange-sounding names and thereby overlook the opportunities to be found in our own backyards."

I then understood that I needed to embrace each day and widen my spiritual eyes. There are endless amounts of opportunities around us. I began to see this option as a blessing. If God knew the desires of my heart, I know that He would consider it while providing me what is best for me.

Option two felt exciting and a little dreadful. I've gone to Utah once in my life and to be honest; I am a true island girl. I love living on an island. I like smaller crowds and communities. But moving to Utah would allow me to live away from family and to become completely independent. It would let me live financially comfortable as long as I can find a job and figure out my health insurance situation. But what worried me was the weather (I cannot live in snow nor drive in those type of weather conditions) and the lack of diversity in culture and people.

I set the deadline. If I can't find a job by the end of this year, I will leave the island. If I do land a job before or by then, then I will know that I need to stay. Job hunting is rough. Since I've graduated from college, I've applied to at least 50 different jobs. Maybe 2 or 3 of them seemed promising but would've required me to commute to downtown every day. I thought about what I want for myself and my future family, and I decided.

My dream is to live in Hawaii for the rest of my life. Or at least to have a family and raise them where I've grown up. I want my future kids to grow up near my parents and their cousins. I want to embrace the closeness of our family in such a small community. I want them to be exposed to Hawaii and its beauty both inside and out. I've never gotten the chance to grow up near extended family. I didn't know my grandparents very well. I want to give my kids the opportunity that I didn't have. Plus, I hope that from my example of how I take care of my parents will teach my kids how I would like them to take care of my future spouse and me. I presented this to the Lord and prayed that He would consider it as well.

The more that I applied for jobs, the more my heart wanted me to stay on the island. It is so easy to think that I'm choosing the easier route to stay home instead of moving to the mainland. But I think otherwise. I believe that it's harder to live here. So many of my friends that I've grown up with have left to Utah. They can settle down and marry. The wives can stay home with the babies while the husbands work. They live in bigger houses and can afford a gallon of milk. That's great for them! Then those who stayed in Hawaii, they work their butts off. Both spouses work full time or even multiple jobs to keep up with the bills. Many families live off of food stamps and squeeze into small houses on this tiny landmass.

I know it is so easy to overlook those who have chosen to stay.

Are they living beneath their potential?

I don't always think that is the case. But one thing I know for sure is that it keeps them humble, makes them work harder, therefore making it a place where we can still progress and grow. We don't progress living the same pattern in life. Neither do we grow at the same pace. But the main thing is that we grow. I knew that if God were to allow me to stay in Hawaii, I would still be able to grow as long as I show Him that I am willing to do His will. I promised God to stay on the covenant path no matter what and that if He wants me to leave Hawaii, that I'll do it. But of course, I've made it clear that if I can stay in Hawaii, it'll make me the happiest girl alive.

One month after the engagement was broken off, I was so blessed to find out I was getting my security deposit back from the landlady where my ex and I were going to live. On that same week, I was offered a full-time position in a department within my area that I worked for.

Wow. And wow. Miracle after miracle.

I wanted to take the job, but it wasn't within my career path. I didn't want to make any rushed decisions in my job search until I felt it was right. I prayed about it, and the spirit told me to wait it out...to wait until the right opportunity comes. Again, another possibility would come. I went in for the job interview. It didn't feel right. I wasn't selected to hire, and it only gave me a clearer path of where I need to go--forward. Stepping stones, hopping from one to another until I landed on the right one.

Now I cannot say what option I am going with, yet. I probably will next week. The occurrences of this week made the path more visible for me. I feel so much more peace and excitement. I am growing, and I am healing.

Last night I went to institute. My sister and I arrived late. We walked in from the front to sign in and then walked towards the back of the room to find seats. As I sat down, I saw my ex-fiance in the row in front of me on the other side of the room. My heart didn't drop. I was a little shocked, but I was okay! I then looked around and saw a handful of people I knew and loved. I felt safe and not because I felt like I needed a team of people to be on my side of the situation, but knowing that I was in a safe place and that I had nothing to worry about. I didn't feel any pain. In fact, because I was having such a fantastic day, I couldn't stop smiling. Things were looking up for me, and I couldn't let anything bring me down.

This is entirely different from the last time I ran into Adolfo. The last time I ran into him, that weekend, I was beginning to feel better and free. I began to forget the pain. Then seeing him took me back to square one. I remember being in so much pain that day and that entire week.

Last night, I felt a minimal amount of pain, but it vanished right after. I felt peace. I felt the love from my Heavenly Father for him and for me. I felt free.

Well until I get the official news, I will announce it here. Stay tuned. :)

Love,

Rissy xoxo

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gyrlversion · 5 years ago

Text

32 Products Thatll Have Any Miyazaki Fan Squealing

We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

A set of tree spirits from Princess Mononoke you can add to a planter or simply keep at your desk for some much-needed company.

Amazon

Added bonus? They glow in the dark!

Promising review: “Look very cute on my desk next to my other geeky figures. Paint job was tidy. The pearly look really helps them look more like spirits (I had initially looked for flat white, but was pleasantly surprised with this instead).” —Elizabeth Aurich

Get five from Amazon for $4.99.

A Totoro water bottle to sip out of on your commute while wishing you could travel via Catbus.

Amazon

Promising review: “I love this thermos! Super cute, easy to clean, durable, and easy to transport. PLUS it’s easy to bring drinks into venues like movie theaters because it looks more like a figure than a thermos” —Samantha McBride

Get it from Amazon for $15.99.

A Calcifer quote pin inspired by Howl’s Moving Castle that’ll definitely ~spark joy~ when you add it to your bag or jacket.

Miyazaki socks featuring a variety of the films, so you’ll never have to choose a favorite flick while accessorizing.

Amazon

I have these socks and they make me smile every time I wear them. I like rocking them with booties or letting the characters peek out of the tops of my sneakers. They’re the perfect combination of quirky and cozy. Seems like the people of Amazon agree with me, as they have a 4.9-star rating!

Get a set of four from Amazon for $11.85 (one size fits most).

A pocket tee featuring Ponyo and a side of ramen, essential for wearing during your next cozy movie marathon at home.

BoxLunch

Promising review: “Love this shirt! Really soft, and fit perfectly! I saw it in stores but they didn’t have my size so ordered online. It does run a little big, at least for my frame, I usually wear a size small but XS fit perfect.” —Betty1004

Get it from BoxLunch for $21.67 (available in women’s sizes S–XL).

Spirited Away on Blu-ray, because literally 1,820 fans have taken the time to give it a 5-star rating so you DEFINITELY need it in your movie collection.

Amazon

Spirited Away was the first Miyazaki film I ever watched and it quickly got me hooked. It’s a trip, as any real fan will know. You might as well own a hard copy so you can watch it over and over and display it proudly.

Promising review: “If you’ve never seen a movie by Hayao Miyazaki and you want to see what all the fuss is about, buy this one. It’s very unique, quirky, and somewhat confusing. But don’t let that bother you. You’ll want to watch it again and again (as my family has). It’s the story of a girl who walks into a strange world, then ends up on a quest to save several loved ones. It’s best to know as little as possible before watching it.” —JuLee Rudolf

Get it from Amazon for $15.60.

Studio Ghibli shot glasses you can break out to impress your fellow Miyazaki-loving buddies. Just don’t drink like No-Face, ingesting everything and anything, and you’ll be golden.

Complexwish / Etsy

Promising review: “Beautifully hand painted!! Super impressed with the quality and I will definitely be using these in the near future.” —Josh Schott

Get a single shot glass from Complexwish on Etsy for $10+ (available in five styles or as a full set).

Or a No-Face bank that actually SHOULD consume all of your coins for safe keeping

Amazon

Promising review: “This bank is adorable. It opens at the big mouth and tilts the coins to slide inside. It makes some noises and then burps. Pretty funny. Great incentive to put lots of change in it!” —AK

Get it from Amazon for $18.

10.

Minimalist Studio Ghibli–inspired posters, perfect for incorporating the whimsical movies and their characters into your home.

Amazon

Promising review: “These posters are just as vibrant and detailed as shown in the photographs. This was an impulse buy; we didn’t need anything new. Though as soon as I saw them, I showed them to my spouse and we knew we had to have them. Our friends have made countless comments/compliments and requested where they could get them. I only include this information, because I feel it’s important to note that we’re not just biased toward them. So grateful to have something this lovely in my home.” —Jenny

Get four from Amazon for $72+ (available in two sizes).

11.

A Porco Rosso sticker you can refer to anytime someone tries to pull the old “when pigs fly” line on ya’.

Redbubble

Get it from Redbubble for $2.68+ (available in sizes S–XL).

Amazon, amazon.com

Promising review: “I think this is a super cute mug. My favorite color is orange so I am happy that I was able to choose this option. It holds 16 ounces of liquid comfortably. I think the silicone lid is a great addition as it helps with the steeping process, or if you are a slow tea drinker it helps to maintain heat in the mug. I am definitely going to gift this in the future to a friend or two and most likely purchase more for myself in other colors.” —Mel

Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in four colors).

13.

An illustration of the bathhouse from Spirited Away printed directly onto an old dictionary page, a must-have for your very own bathroom (gross sludge and bath tokens not included).

PrintsWithStyle / Etsy

Promising review: “OH MY GOSH — THIS IS AMAZING! The colors are SUPER VIBRANT and just really great quality. Shipment was packaged with great care. Thank you so much!” —Sparrow82

Get it from PrintsWithStyle on Etsy for $9.99.

14.

A plush version of Jiji you’ll love snuggling up with while watching Kiki’s Delivery Service for the thousandth time. Just don’t try to feed him pancakes (he’s a stuffed animal).

amazon.com, amazon.com

I have one of these little guys and just love him. A friend gave him to me and I keep him in my bedroom window — just like the real Jiji.

Promising review: “This Jiji is so cute!! I love him. Yes, he is small, but I think that adds to his endearing charm. His fur is very soft, some sort of microfiber perhaps. I like his weight from the beans, he feels good to hold. Wouldn’t change a thing about him and highly recommend this purchase!” —Bananagus

Get it from Amazon for $11.05.

15.

A replica of Howl’s ring, so you and your own Calcifer can feel connected at all times.

sophofcourse / Etsy

Promising review: “Amazing quality! The gem and details are well put on, and the metal is very solid. I’d completely recommend it! Make sure to double check your ring size and you’re set.” —Wynne Elgin Gallahan

Get it from sophofcourse on Etsy for $12.52 (available in UK sizes J–Z).

16.

A notebook and pen that’ll make you feel like you just ventured through the bushes and landed on Totoro’s belly for a nap every time you open it.

Amazon

Promising review: “I was so excited to find this! Cute little journal with fun pen! Pen even has another small replacement ink cartridge.” —cat

Get it from Amazon for $13.99.

17.

A necklace you’ll find to be as loyal of a companion as Jiji is to Kiki during her first flights.

Hot Topic

Promising review: “Really happy with it. Something I didn’t know — the tail swings as you move because it is attached kind of like a hinge. Jiji isn’t stuck in one place on the broom. He can slide from side to side, which I think is cute also.” —BROOKIASAURUS

Get it from Hot Topic for $9.90.

18.

A coat hook that recreates the iconic scene where Totoro and Satsuki wait together in the rain, sure to bring a smile to your face every time you enter and exit your home.

amazon.com, amazon.com

Promising review: “I am so happy I decided to buy these hooks. The quality is above and beyond anything that I was expecting for the price. It is very sturdy. The hooks are generously sized and it looks great! Exactly what I was looking for to hold dog leashes and keys! Even my husband likes it and he isn’t a fan of decorating the house according to my Totoro/Ghibli obsession” —AllieKryptonite

Get it from Amazon for $16.99.

19.

A T-shirt that’ll help you pay tribute to arguably the fiercest BOSS in the Ghibli universe; Yubaba.

Hot Topic

Get it from Hot Topic for $16.03+ (available in sizes XS–3XL).

20.

Or Kiki’s Delivery Service stickers you can use to cover every inch of your laptop with your favorite young witch.

Amazon

Promising review: “Say no more… I would buy these again and again if I had the need for more stickers! I bought these to decorate my GF’s birthday gifts and she absolutely loves them! I used double-sided tape to stick them on the gift wrapping so she could save them for her own needs.” —Rhi0

Get a set of 15 from Amazon for $5.99.

22.

A Catbus planter you can leave on your desk and count on to provide a mid-day ~pick me up~.

amazon.com, Amazon

Promising review: “Super cute. I love the hand-painted quality, makes it extra adorable. I don’t have a succulent at the moment… so, it’s holding my pens until I do.” —Sara

Get it from Amazon for $27.38 (available in three styles).

23.

A Calcifer sticker that’ll have anyone who notices its sassy message saying “oooooh, burn!”

Redbubble

Get it from Redbubble for $2.68.

24.

A soot sprite window cling for keeping you company in your car. Be sure to keep some star-shaped konpeito on hand in case it gets hungry!

amazon.com, amazon.com

Promising review: “My soot sprite rests in the corner of my driver’s side window as if he’s peeking around the corner. I am amazed at how well the suction cup is holding him in place through this incredible heat.” —RobinsonTribe

Get it from Amazon for $9.97.

25.

Or a soot sprite dad hat to keep the sun out of your eyes the next time you venture into a dusty, but magical house, looking to spot one of these creatures.

Hot Topic

Promising review: “I love this hat! It’s adjustable, comfortable, and very well made. It’s a nice subtle way to show some Ghibli pride.” —SIPPYSIPPY

Get it from Hot Topic for $11.83.

26.

A phone case chock-full of Studio Ghibli characters, so perfect you’ll never want to buy a new device again.

Amazon, amazon.com

Promising review: “If you are familiar with the movie that came out, I must say, this is COMPLETELY different. Yes…it’s mostly the same in the beginning but other than that, much of the plot is different as well as the ending. I really loved this book and love Howl’s character. It’s a ‘feel good’ book that gets you hooked right away.” —~Butterfly214~

Get it from Amazon for $8.54.

28.

Leggings with an all-over print of Kiki, her bow, and Jiji (obvs) that’ll accompany your broomstick nicely.

Hot Topic

Promising review: “I cannot say how satisfied and happy I am with these leggings! They’re comfortable and stunning, gorgeous! Absolutely in love. Definitely a must have without a doubt. Worth every single penny!” —DEC25STEPHANIE

Get them from Hot Topic for $19.95 (available in sizes 0–4).

29.

An entire book about Hayao Miyazaki’s life and work you’ll definitely want to read from cover-to-cover then proudly place on top of your coffee table for all to see.

Amazon

Promising review: “Susan Napier has been writing about animation for years, and she has a special place in her heart for Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki. That passion shows through in this volume. If you have any interest in Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli, or any of their works, this is a must-have book.” —Fumitaka Joe

Get it from Amazon for $16.50+ (available for Kindle and hardcover).

30.

A temporary Catbus tattoo you can wear as a test run before deciding to fully commit to getting the real thing.

31.

A Totoro crossbody bag that looks like a vintage book cover and will leave you plenty of room to store all the seeds you discover in the forest.

Hot Topic

Promising review: “Really cute and well made! It’s been my go-to when I want to carry a small bag with just the bare essentials, and I always get compliments on it from other Ghibli fans.” —BRITT G

Get it from Hot Topic for $27.99.

32.

And a pocket tee with a hidden surprise any Studio Ghibli fan will be delighted to discover and show off time and time again.

Dorkypop

When you pull the pocket of the shirt down it reveals No Face’s monstrous mouth ready to consume gold (and possibly…you!) There are also adorable designed featuring Totoro and the soot sprites!

Promising review: “The shirt is absolutely amazing! High quality and not thin and flimsy. The shirt fits true to size for a unisex-style shirt, so I purchased a large (I’m 5’10” and like my shirts a bit looser). The shipping was extremely prompt and the shirt came with a personalized card inside, which I thought was really sweet. I will be purchasing from Dorkypop again!” —Patricia V.

Get it from Dorkypop for $32 (available in unisex sizes XS, M–2XL).

You, patiently waiting for your Studio Ghibli products to arrive:

Studio Ghibli

Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.

The post 32 Products Thatll Have Any Miyazaki Fan Squealing appeared first on Gyrlversion.

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toldnews-blog · 6 years ago

Photo

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/politics/watch-takeaways-from-president-donald-trumps-state-of-the-union/

WATCH: Takeaways from President Donald Trump's State of the Union

Transcript for Takeaways from President Donald Trump’s State of the Union

So last night was trump’s second state of the union address, and before we get into how we think he did, I want to show one moment that made both sides of the aisle get up on their feet. Watch. Exactly one century after congress passed the constitutional amendment giving women right to vote, we also have more women serving in congress than at any time before. Okay, so wait a minute. Is he so clueless that he actually thinks that the reason there are women in congress in these numbers is because he did something right? Yeah. It’s the opposite. Yeah. He’s taking credit when he really should take the blame. Am I wrong about this? Yeah. I thought they were trolling him. I think they were. I think they were, right? They ran because they didn’t like his policies. A lot of them. I found it to be just an empowering moment for women. I saw like trump ae not going to be in office forever and so there were a number of moments — He’s not? We do have term limits. I thought it was a moment we could get on our feet and be proud of how far we’ve come. Obviously I think the Republican party has a lot of work to do to get women to run and to win. Isn’t it unbelievable, the two sides. For me, I agree with your assessment that I did think it was trolling on their part. By the way, take the moment when it comes. State of the unions are so much a part of sort of signaling your politics in one way or another to your base of supporters. Yeah. He did that. And they did as well, even just wearing the white suits. Make no mistake, these are liberal democratic women. So for me as a woman, when you see women not applauding for the 20-week abortion ban which by the way 70 to 80% of women, Democrat and Republican, in the country are against, this women’s issue is complicated for me because I’m not a liberal woman. For me, I thought it was weird to see some people clapping when it’s like for me I’d like to see more conservative women in my vain, more conservative women get elected. The wave of democratic congressman who were recently elected, they were in the right taking in their moment last night. I was up late last night. I understand what you’re saying. I like the idea that women a there but I don’t want somebody like Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann. Women’s issues be convoluted, like all women vote the same way, feel the same way about abortion. Look at this table. I think it’s misguided to have this applause for the president at the same time because this wave was real and it was a mass rejection of him by so many women com up. By the way, as conservative women, we need to see this bright and clear. There are not a lot of Republican women getting elected. I don’t remember the exact numbers. It’s like a four to one ratio. Why is that? Why don’t conserve women like you go out there and call it what it is, that the emperor is wearing no clothes. And can they be elected though? I don’t know if this fever because the trump fever is loud and strong. Over 80% of Republicans support president trump. For me, I’m a classic jack Kemp conservative and I can’t get on board with this populous phenomenon. It was weird to see Republicans by the way clapping against trade. We’re supposed to be the party of free trade. Why did they do that? Because the party has reinvented itself in the world of trump. What’s the purpose of that when I have this wonderful job here at “The view”? Exactly. Really, both sides are going after that, right? The address was received far better than his first state of the union. Some called it reagan-esque. Really? Yes. It was very — Let me show you something before you talk. Sorry. Economic miracle is taking place in the United States and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics, or ridiculous partisan investigations. Year after year capitalist Americans are murdered by criminal illegal aliens. In the past, most of the people in this room voted for a wall, but the proper wall never got built. I will get it built. First of all, let me just say that there’s so many things to say in those three things he just said. Number one was the — let’s go for the wall. The majority of Americans don’t want the wall. They think it’s stupid. Then crime amongst illegal or legal immigrants is so far down that mostly it’s Americans who are committing Americans in this country. That’s a lie. The other one about the investigations, does the name Richard Nixon ring a bell? Nixon said enough with the watergate, and less than 200 days later he was gone. Yeah. So these investigations, that train has left the station, honey, and there’s nothing you can do about it. You know what, look — That was very — my takeaway, I thought it was kind of a dark speech. It seemed to be at the beginning about unity and I was like, this sounds pretty good. It was reagan-esque in that sense but then it took a turn when he started talking about the wall. He wasn’t really reading the room well. I felt like that’s when people were like — it didn’t have that you lie moment but people started grumbling a lot. I felt that there were a lot of lies there. He started talking about undocumented immigrants and he was using that term illegal alien. He sort of resurfaced that. People are not illegal. Acts are illegal. I think we need to start saying that more and more and more. It’s about undocumented immigrants. That was the first thing that I noticed. Then he starts talking about undocumented immigrants, you know, committing more crime. Well, no, 44 — it’s less — I think the stats are they commit about 44 — they’re less likely to commit — there were about 44% less likely to be incarcerated than native born Americans so that’s not true. Keep in mind the room in the audience for 2020, a lot of the candidates who have already announced and will more than likely be announcing so this was virtue signaling which says a lot about immigration. I’m going to butcher this. Excuse me, I was up late on the coverage of this. The politicians with their walls and guarded security, that is a siren call to his base that’s watching right now and I think it started out, I agree with you, I was like, who doesn’t love astronauts and veterans and men who stormed the beaches of normandy. Those are all wonderful things I think everyone can get behind, and then intervened were his policies and virtue signals for 2020 which is Normal for a president to do. What was hard for me last night, I was prepping and getting ready and reading my notes beforehand and I get a notice that president trump had a meeting with the network heads a he had called sen chuck Schumer a nasty son of a bitch, Joe Biden dumb, said disparaging things once again of my father who passed five and a half months ago. So for me when he’s talking about we must reject the politics of revenge, politics and retribution, you aren’t being bipartisan near hours earlier obsessing over people you consider your enemies. For me it was a kabuki theat virtue signal. The entire speech last night towards his base, please don’t sit here and tell me you are grasping for bipartisanship when chuck schumers a son of a bitch and my father is, quote, bombed — To go after somebody who’s dead, my god. I D’t know why he keeps bringing it up because what do you gain by that, even if you’re in his base. They don’t care. What about the lies that are immediately fact-checked. I would think at this point, especially the lies about the wall, the lies about immigration, the lies about — he also said this, he said, oh, by the way, I want more legal immigrants common to the country than ever before. He has the lowest C for legal immigration. He only wants 30,000 legal immigrants to come. That’s the lowest in U.S. History. He doesn’t want them from any countries except the people — Doesn’t his base read. Meghan’s right — They know it’s lies. Go ahead. Can I speak now? Yeah. The state of the union at least for me is a time to find unifying messages and it’s a time when you’re the president you won the election, you have the platform. Obama talked about health care, moment famously when someone said you lied. There were strong moments last night. It was less about trump for me and more about inspiring stories and the guests invited to the speech that gave me chills. One of those was this moment that’s never happened in the state of the union where a happy birthday was sung to Judah Samet who turned 81 yesterday. He survived the mass shooting at the tree of life synagogue. I think we have a clip of that if we can play it. We don’t have a clip. We don’t. Well, there was that moment and there was also Alice Marie Johnson talking about criminal justice reform. There he is. I don’t know if we have the clip. In 1997 Alice was sentenced to life in prison as a first-time, nonviolent drug offender. In June I commuted Alice’s sentence. She is a terrific woman, terrific. Alice, please. I think there were some moments that if you could step away and say, loo — I want to give him credit, trust me, but I can’t. If you can focus on some things that areigger than the president right now. But political props, why is that — Talking about criminal justice — We’re actually going to come

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