#tj i need your expertise

[gastechheatingltd]

Finding the Best Emergency Plumber in Hemel Hempstead: A Quick Guide   

When a plumbing emergency hits, you need a dependable and efficient plumber to fix the issue swiftly. Whether it's a burst pipe, a clogged drain, or a leaking tap, knowing how to choose the best emergency plumber in Hemel Hempstead can save you time, money, and stress. Several factors must be considered in Hemel Hempstead to ensure you get the best service.  

Why You Need a Reliable Emergency Plumber   

Plumbing emergencies can result in substantial damage to your property if not addressed promptly. Having a reliable emergency plumber Hemel Hempstead ensures:   

Quick Response Time: Immediate attention to prevent further damage.   

Professional Expertise: Proper handling of complex plumbing issues.   

Peace of Mind: Assurance that your plumbing system is in good hands.   

Factors to Consider While Choosing an Emergency Plumbing Service   

1. Availability and Response Time   

In an emergency, time is of the essence. Look for a local plumbing service that offers 24/7 services and guarantees a quick response. This ensures your plumbing issues are addressed instantly, minimising potential damage.   

2. Experience and Qualifications   

Choose an emergency plumber with a proven track record of handling various plumbing emergencies. Qualified plumbers are more likely to diagnose and fix problems efficiently. Additionally, check their qualifications and certifications to ensure they meet industry standards.   

3. Local Reputation   

Word-of-mouth recommendations and online testimonials provide practical insights into a plumber's reliability and quality of work. Look for an emergency plumber in Hemel Hempstead with positive reviews and high local ratings.   

4. Transparent Pricing   

While emergency repair Hemel Hempstead can be costly, finding a plumber who offers transparent pricing is crucial. Ensure they provide a clear estimate upfront and avoid hidden fees. This helps your budget effectively and prevents unpleasant surprises.   

5. Range of Services   

A versatile plumber who offers a wide range of services can handle different types of emergencies. Whether it's a minor leak or a major pipe burst, they should be equipped to deal with any situation.   

Top Emergency Plumbers in Hemel Hempstead   

Top Plumb   

Location: Hemel Hempstead   

Top Plumb in Hemel Hempstead offers comprehensive plumbing services, including heating and bathroom installations. Their team is known for its dedication and high-quality workmanship, ensuring your emergency repair in Hemel Hempstead is handled efficiently.   

Customer Review: "The team were friendly professional and very conscientious cleaning up every evening and were fun to have around the house." - Nick T.   

GasTech Heating Ltd    

Location: Hemel Hempstead   

GasTech Heating Ltd is a trusted name in Hemel Hempstead for plumbing, heating, boilers, and bathroom services. Their expertise and reliable service make them a top choice for emergency plumbing needs.   

Customer Review: "Absolutely outstanding service!!! I can't recommend enough Thomas, Leo and not forgetting Evie too!!! I have never seen such a professional and knowledgeable team ever!!! Thank You for all your hard work in terms of replacing the boiler!!!" – Sarune T.  

Hamiltons Plumbing, Heating & Bathrooms   

Location: Hemel Hempstead   

Hamiltons Plumbing specialises in expert plumbing services in Hemel Hempstead. They are well-equipped to handle complex plumbing emergencies with precision and care, making them a reliable choice for residents.   

Customer Review: "Very friendly, professional and approachable, keeping me constantly updated at all times. I thoroughly recommend TJ for any bathroom design, plumbing and fitting." – Lisa O.   

Conclusion   

Choosing the best emergency plumber in Hemel Hempstead requires considering factors such as availability, experience, reputation, pricing, and range of services. By considering these, you can ensure that your plumbing emergencies are handled efficiently and professionally. 

[thirteen-beaxhes]

Everything is Red - Chapter 5: A Bitter Home Coming

Overall summary:

“Cyrus Goodman and TJ Kippen weren’t desperate by any means, they just happened to find comfort in old, run-down motels where people wouldn’t dare come looking for them. There was no particular reason for this - or so they would tell you. Faded motels just had a certain charm about them, Cyrus would say with one of his naturally bright smiles.”

~

The fall of 2006 finds TJ and Cyrus on the run from the law, seeking the highs associated with risk wherever they can and maybe even learning a thing or two about love and the inevitability of fate.

Summary for this chapter: An unexpected obstacle forces Cyrus to walk down memory lane and find his way home.

Warnings for this chapter: homophobia (slight)

[AO3 + Tumblr links in the reblog] 

Cyrus wasn’t used to driving, that usually was TJ’s area of expertise. But, after leaving Amber’s house, TJ had been in no shape to be on the road. Right from when he and Cyrus had switched seats, he had just been staring out of the window listlessly, his breath ragged and broken. Teardrops were falling on his hoodie and jeans, and his whole posture was closely resembling that of a child crying themselves to sleep, curled up on himself. Cyrus had a loose hold of TJ’s hand, rubbing his thumb comfortingly over the back of his palm as he kept the other hand on the wheel. 

They weren’t going very fast. As soon as Amber’s house had disappeared from the rearview mirror, Cyrus had pulled to the side of the road, holding TJ as he broke down in his arms, sobs racking his body with no signs of stopping.

“We shouldn’t have gone, Cy,” TJ gasped between sobs. “We shouldn’t have gone.”

“Shh, it’s okay, TJ,” Cyrus comforted, rubbing the back of his head as he held him tightly against his chest. “We had to see her some time. It needed to happen, and it isn’t bad that it did.”

“She hates us, Cy.”

“She doesn’t hate you, TJ. She could never hate you. Hey,” Cyrus said softly, pulling away. He cupped TJ’s cheek, looking him in the eye. “She loves you so much, TJ. Anyone can see that. She’s just worried about you, rightly so. She doesn’t hate you,” he said firmly. “Do you hear me?”

TJ nodded slightly, looking down, letting the tears flow. Cyrus cupped his face and pressed a kiss to TJ’s forehead, before turning back to the steering wheel. TJ settled back in his seat, giving Cyrus a small smile before looking ahead. Cyrus squeezed his hand, turning to start the car so that they could leave the town behind. 

One turn. Another turn. Why wasn’t it working? Cyrus peered at the front of the car, repeatedly turning the key. TJ had also sat up, sniffing slightly. 

“What’s going on, Cy?” he asked, concern rising in his tone. 

“Don’t know,” he mumbled back, opening the car door and heading to the bonet. He opened it, and a puff of smoke hit him straight in the face, sending him into a coughing fit. 

“Shit,” Cyrus grumbled, slamming down the hood. 

“What is it?” TJ said, getting out of the car. 

“Engine’s busted,” Cyrus said, hands on his waist as he looked around, his breath growing heavy. “We should’ve switched cars before heading here. This is really bad.”

TJ looked at him worriedly, glancing around to see if there was anyone else around. Normally, he would be comforting Cyrus, but given everything that had just happened, he too was on edge, just a push away from crumbling again. Cyrus ran his fingers through his hair messily, sweat starting to run down his face. 

“Any chance we can push this for some distance?” TJ asked, his voice hoarse. Cyrus just shook his head.

“We can’t push it forever. We’re closer to the centre of town than we are to the highway anyway.”

“We can’t steal a car from town! People would see us and they know who we are!”

“It’s Shadyside, TJ. Stealing cars is practically a daily occurrence.”

“Yeah, but we don’t know how much the town has changed since we left. That was 6 years ago, Cyrus! For all we know, they figured out that,” TJ said, looking around hastily. “That we did what we did. And they are just waiting for us to come into town.”

“No,” Cyrus said in a low voice, shaking his head vehemently. “No, there’s no way. Buffy is a fucking FBI agent. If she didn’t arrest us on sight for that, they haven’t figured it out.” He walked away a bit, looking at the ground, wracking his brain. “We need to find an abandoned car, that’s our best chance.”

TJ just nodded, narrowing his eyes as he looked behind him. “Where even are we?”

Cyrus looked back at him, before getting his first proper look at their surroundings. It took him a minute to get his bearings, but as soon as he did, it felt like he had been shot by a bullet to the chest. He drew in a shaky breath, wiping his mouth as he looked around. Taking away the tidiness and the increased number of houses, hiding the alleys and the filth, it was exactly the same. Cyrus looked ahead, mentally counting the houses. No way, no way.  But there it was. 

As if he had never left.

“Cyrus?” TJ asked, furrowing his eyebrows. He walked up to the other man, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Are you still there?”

“I know where we are,” Cyrus muttered, looking up as he shoved his hands in his pockets. 

“Where?” TJ asked, both confused and concerned. 

Cyrus looked up at him, taking a deep breath. “We’re on my street.”

TJ looked around, narrowing his eyes. “Huh. I’ve never really seen it in daylight. Wonder why,” he said with a small smile, earning a shove from Cyrus, who was rolling his eyes. But soon enough, Cyrus’ expression grew conflicted, his eyes constantly drawn to his house. 

“You think she still lives there?” Cyrus asked after a few moments of silence.

“Your mom?” 

“No, Whitney Houston. Obviously, my mom.”

TJ shrugged, walking up beside Cyrus. “Only one way to find out,” he said softly, squeezing Cyrus’ hand. He looked up at him with a small smile. He nodded at the car.

“What about all our stuff?” Cyrus asked. “We can’t leave it unattended. Think you can push the car till there?”

“I’m pushing the car?!” TJ asked, raising his eyebrows. “And why would you assume that?”

“Because, you’re so strong and you love me and would do anything for me?” Cyrus said, smiling innocently. TJ just rolled his eyes, pulling Cyrus by the elbow to the back of the car. 

“Nice try, Goodman. If I have to push this, so do you.”

*

An hour of pushing, and 45 minutes of Cyrus complaining about how he wasn’t built for this much physical exertion later, the two had pushed the car considerably closer to the house. With every yard they got closer, Cyrus could feel the pit in his stomach grow. He was not at all ready to face his mother, if she even still lived there. He hadn’t even said goodbye when he left all those years ago. The boy who had walked out of those doors 6 years ago was miles away from the man who was standing before them again, but at the same time, they had never been more similar. After all, both times he had TJ by his side, holding his hand through everything. 

About the hand holding…

Cyrus turned abruptly to look at TJ as they walked up the small path to the door. He kept his gaze focused on the gravel, the stones still looking the same. 

“My, my mom doesn’t know, by the way,” Cyrus said, his words barely audible. 

“About what?” TJ asked, looking intently at Cyrus. 

“A-About us. She doesn’t know, that, that we were together in high school, or even that I’m gay.”

“Oh,” is all that TJ said, letting go of Cyrus’ hand as he nodded understandingly. As soon as he let go, Cyrus missed the comfort that came with it, knowing he needed it more than ever at that moment. But, he took a deep breath and walked up to the door, standing in front of it. 

Ready?

Taking a deep breath, Cyrus raised his hand, hesitating for a minute, before knocking thrice. As soon as he did, he stepped back, nervousness making a home in his gut. He felt lightheaded, his breath growing shaky. What did he remember about the house? The mess, the stench of alcohol that ran through the air as soon as the door opened? Would any of it be the same?

He didn’t have to wonder long, hearing footsteps behind the door. Steadying himself, Cyrus looked up as the door opened, his breath hitching in his throat. 

She looked older, and she dressed different. Her ratty and fading t-shirt and sweatpants had been traded in for a dress and apron, her hair neatly put back. But most of all, not a whiff of alcohol around. And there she was, actually standing upright. Her face was unreadable, confusion clouding her eyes.

“Yes?” she asked, her voice brighter than Cyrus remembered. 

“Mom,” was all he could whisper, unable to think of anything else to say. Cyrus didn’t know what to feel. When he saw her, so much of him wanted to forget the neglect, the screams, the yelling, the insults and everything, because there she was, standing before him, the mother he had always wanted. But, a small part of him couldn’t help but feel bitter. She had it in her to change all along. But he just hadn’t been worth it.

When Cyrus said that, her expression changed rapidly, from confusion, to denial, to shock, and then finally to stelled surprise. “Cyrus?” she said, putting on a smile as fast as she could. “Oh, oh hi there, baby,” she said, shaking her head slightly, pulling him into a hug. Cyrus tried to reciprocate, but it couldn’t help but feel awkward and forced. Just then, he felt his mother’s gaze lift up, her eyes fixed beyond his shoulder. 

Oh right, TJ! Cyrus stepped back and patted TJ on the shoulder awkwardly. “You remember my best friend, TJ, right?”

“TJ? Oh yes, yes I do,” she said, lying through her teeth as she narrowed her eyes at TJ, looking between the two as she stretched out her hand to TJ, who shook it woodenly. They stood outside for a few moments in silence, Cyrus’ mom just staring back at them. But then, soon enough, she shook her head slightly, smiling again. 

“Come on in, you must be tired,” she said, and Cyrus and TJ gave each other a look before entering the house, leaving their shoes by the doorway.

Cyrus looked around the living room, the distinct lack of bottles and scattered glass hitting him like a pile of bricks. It looked like an actual home, like the home Cyrus had imagined every time the voices in the hall got too loud. TJ, who was following close behind him, grabbed Cyrus by the elbow and leaned in. 

“You okay?” he whispered, and Cyrus nodded, keeping his eyes focused ahead of him. His eyes landed on a collection of picture frames on the mantel. Drawn to it, Cyrus walked up to it, picking up a newly framed one of her and some other middle-aged man. He looked up, seeing the picture of himself staring back at him, hidden behind it. 

Already erasing her past.

Cyrus walked away, holding the picture of what he presumed was the new person in his mom’s life, the reason she looked so bright. TJ walked up to the pictures, smiling softly to himself as he traced the outline of Cyrus’ face in the picture. 

“Is this your boyfriend?” Cyrus asked hesitantly, holding up the picture to his mother, who walked in with two steaming mugs of coffee. 

“Um,” she fumbled, setting the mugs down on the coffee table, wiping her hands on her apron. “Actually, fiance.” 

Cyrus let out a shaky breath, nodding his head as he put the frame down on the dining table. “That’s, um, that’s great. I’m happy for, for you.”

Cyrus’ mom let out a small sigh, plastering a smile on her face. “Thank you, sweetie.” She walked over to the armchair where she sat down after putting a tray of biscuits. TJ and Cyrus joined her, awkwardly sitting on the opposite sides of the arguably small couch. “How have you been? Last time I saw you was, gosh, when?”

“6 years ago,” Cyrus said, looking at his mom. She looked at him, nodding slightly, pursing her lips.

“Ah yes, when you left with all your things, a note, and no goodbye, that time?” she said with a sugary smile, venom just dripping through her words.

Cyrus sighed, looking down at his feet. “I’m sorry, mum. I should’ve at least said goodbye-”

“No, no!” she stopped him, giving a short laugh. “I understand why you left.”

Cyrus held his breath, his heart suddenly pounding in his ears. He looked at TJ, who gave him a reassuring glance, before turning back to his mother, gulping. “What do you mean?”

She looked at him with a small smile. “I wasn’t a good mother. Don’t think I didn’t notice your shock at the state of the house and my appearance. I know what I was. Even if I don’t remember whole years of my life from then, I know why I don’t remember.”

Cyrus nodded along to his mother’s words, taking a small sip of the coffee just to keep himself busy. It scalded his tongue, and the amount of sugar was far too much, but he kept drinking it anyway. She’s trying her best. “Still, I’m sorry. I should’ve at least said goodbye.”

She just smiled, pushing the plate of biscuits towards him. Cyrus smiled back at her, but anyone could see that neither of the smiles reached their eyes. TJ just sat there awkwardly, drinking the coffee. Until Cyrus’ mom turned to him, a sickly sweet smile on her face.

“So, TJ. What are you up to nowadays?” she asked, smiling. But she was eyeing him down intensely. TJ smiled back, knowing very well her emotions towards him. Many a times when they were in high school had Cyrus cluthced him, talking about how much his mother wanted to keep Cyrus away from TJ, calling him a ‘bad influence’ and ‘futureless case’. 

“I, uh, work in a cafe. In San Francisco,” TJ said, coughing slightly. She nodded plainly, eyeing him up and down.

“Hm,” was all she said, before turning back to Cyrus. As soon as she turned towards him, she had a smile on her face. It was like a switch had been flipped. “What about you, Cyrus? What have you been doing?”

“Oh! Well,” Cyrus hesitated, wracking his brain to remember the job TJ had told him when they had first reached Amber’s house. “I, uh, I’m an assistant, executive assistant, at, for the manager, at this small publishing firm.”

“Oh, and where is this firm?”

“Well, it’s in, San Francisco.”

“Oh! Both of you live in the same city,” Cyrus’ mom said, smoothing out her apron as she looked between the two men. “Lovely.”

TJ and Cyrus couldn’t do anything but nod. TJ looked over at Cyrus, desperately wanting to reach out and squeeze his hand, to rub his thumb on the back of his palm so that he would calm down, but he had to hold himself back. For Cyrus’ sake.

“So, do you two live near each other?” Cyrus’ mom asked, leaning forward. 

TJ started to think about different localities in San Francisco, preparing for wherever Cyrus said he lived. But Cyrus surprised him by looking over at him and smiling softly. 

“Actually, we share and apartment together. We’re roommates,” Cyrus said, looking over at his mother, who looked quite taken aback. Her expression betrayed her shock and disbelief, but almost immediately, she hastily smiled, placing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Oh. How nice. Must be a blessing for rent.”

Cyrus laughed quietly. “Yeah it is.”

“But, what about the future?” she asked, her eyes shifty. 

“What do you mean, Mom?” Cyrus asked, feeling a bead of sweat on the back of his neck. He had a feeling he knew where the conversation was going, and Cyrus wanted to just walk out of the door and not have to answer.

“Well, when you get married, of course! Can’t imagine your wife appreciating having to live in a house with a person who she isn’t married to. Not all boys are lucky enough to find a Monica Geller,” she said with a laugh. 

Cyrus laughed nervously along, picking up his mug to take a sip of coffee, draining the mug of every last drop. He looked down at his hands, his breath growing heavy. 

Say something say anything she’ll get suspicious. 

TJ looked over at Cyrus, noticing the way he was breathing, his posture slouching and one he only got when something was really bothering him. So, he set down his mug and smiled, looking up at Cyrus’ mom. “Don’t worry, when that day comes, I’ll be more than happy to leave the place to Cyrus and his beautiful wife.”

“Oh how sweet of you!” she said, her smile dripping of honey, but her eyes cold. TJ raised his eyebrows, nodding along. 

God, Cyrus didn’t deserve TJ. Especially after this.

Cyrus took a deep breath, steeling his nerves. He set down the empty mug, wiping his mouth. “Actually, mom,” he started, his voice cracking. Cyrus looked over at TJ and moved closer to him on the couch. 

“Cyrus, what are you doing?” TJ hissed, his eyes wide. But Cyrus grabbed his hand, cutting him off. 

“I don’t want to keep lying, or have you lie for me,” he said, shaking his head at TJ, before looking up at his mum, whose eyes had gone wide, burning holes at TJ and Cyrus’ laced fingers. TJ looked between her and Cyrus, but with a small smile from Cyrus, he nodded, and looked up.

“Mom,” Cyrus started, taking a deep breath. “I’m not gonna get married.”

“Well, why not, honey? I’m sure there is a nice girl out there for you,” his mom said nervously, chuckling awkwardly. But Cyrus just shook his head impatiently. 

“That’s just it, mom,” he said, looking up at her, before looking over at TJ, giving him a soft, small smile. “I don’t want a girl. Because the person for me is right here.”

TJ smiled back, squeezing Cyrus’ hand before looking back at his shoes. Cyrus looked back at his mother, who was sitting back in her chair, eyes trained to the ground, her jaw set tight.

“Mom?” Cyrus said, bending down to try and catch her eye. But she looked away, getting up and walking to the kitchen. “Mom, please say something.”

She scoffed, turning around, hand on her waist. “What should I say, Cyrus? Is that why you left? To run away with,” she sputtered, gesturing wildly at TJ. “With him?! Because he turned you into a, a-”

“He didn’t turn me into anything, Mom! I am, and I always have been, gay!” Cyrus yelled, getting up, looking at his mother. TJ got up abruptly, placing a hand on Cyrus’ chest, holding him. 

Silence filled the air after Cyrus yelled, the word ‘gay’ permeating the air. Cyrus stared at his mother, a lump in his throat. His breaths grew shaky with every moment of silence that passed by, every moment his mother looked away instead of at him. TJ held his breath in anticipation, trying to quell the growing rage in him. 

Finally, after what felt like centuries, Cyrus’ mom walked closer to him, scoffing. “You aren’t my son, not if you are like, like that,” she spat out in a low voice, her eyes burning with rage. “I can’t believe I was going to ask you to stay the night. Me, opening the door for you impure sinners, you f-”

“I don’t think you should finish that,” TJ said harshly, pushing forward to stand right in front of Cyrus’ mom. Even though he practically towered over her in stature, she sneered at him.

“And why not? It’s true isn’t it?” she said quietly, her voice scalding. 

“So you hate me, and your son, who you’ve seen for the first time in 6 years, just because he told you that we are together? That we happen to be in love? Why is that so wrong? What, because we are two boys, because it’s ‘unnatural’?” TJ said, his voice rising with every word.

“TJ, you don’t have to,” Cyrus whispered, but TJ held out his hand to him. 

“No, Cyrus. It’s not okay. What your mother said was absolutely unacceptable. And I’m not gonna let her speak to you like that, I don’t care if she was the fucking Queen,” TJ said, looking over at Cyrus.

His mom just stood there, staring up at TJ. She didn’t say anything, TJ’s sudden outburst surprising her and taking her aback. 

“Guess what? Cyrus has been doing amazing without you, even while he was still here, and he will continue doing amazing things. So, really it’s your loss.”

At that, she scoffed, rolling her eyes as she looked away. Furious, TJ looked off to the side, spotting a slight shimmer from the bowl by the counter. He smiled to himself as he turned over to Cyrus. 

“Come on Cyrus, we’re leaving,” he said, grabbing Cyrus’ wrist, pulling him away from his mother, who stood there looking ahead. TJ made a quick stop by the bowl, pulling out a set of keys. 

“And what do you think you’re doing?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at the two. 

“We’re taking your car. Ours broke down,” TJ said with a sneer, walking over to the door as Cyrus stared after him in shock. 

“Yeah right, hand it back, kid,” she said, crossing her arms as they walked out the door. But when the two showed no sign of returning, she ran up to the door, yelling after them. 

“Hey! Give that back!” she screamed, standing at the main doorway. 

But Cyrus and TJ had already loaded all their things into the car, Cyrus in the passenger seat as TJ tossed the keys up and down, before getting into the car. He threw Cyrus’ mom a salute,getting the finger in response. Within a few seconds, they had started the car, and were cruising down the Shadyside roads, TJ’s hand firmly clasped with Cyrus’.

Before the house left their rearview mirror, Cyrus turned around, throwing one last look back at the place he had left all those years ago. 

One of his better decisions in life.

*

“Hey,” TJ said after an hour of silence. Cyrus had been staring out of the window, compartmentalising that entire visit, from the immediate shock, to the end. He was surprised, however, at the distinct lack of tears. But he had just needed time to think.

TJ reached over, squeezing his hand, pulling Cyrus out of his thoughts. “You okay there?”

“Yeah,” Cyrus said quietly, nodding. TJ looked over at him, bringing up his hand to kiss it. “Wanna stop for a bit for lunch? Cuz, no offense, your mom’s biscuits are terrible.”

“None taken,” Cyrus said with a small smile as TJ pulled to a stop beside the road. After a bit of hunting among their supplies, TJ procured two packets of cheese puffs which he held up triumphantly, much to Cyrus’ amusement.

They ate for a while, looking at the surroundings. They had left town only 20 or so minutes before that, so technically, it wasn’t the best decision to stop there. But, TJ knew that they had to.

“So,” TJ said, crumpling up his empty packet. “Are you okay?”

Cyrus looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed. “Well, I mean. Of course, I wish her reaction was different, you know? But, I expected it. So, I’m alright, actually.”

“Sure?”

“Yeah. I mean, it was a very last minute decision to see her, given our car and everything, but. In the end, it had to be done.”

TJ nodded along, looking ahead at the road. Cyrus sighed, looking at TJ.

“I mean, the path we’re on, who knows what’ll happen? So, I guess, loose ends need to be tied up.”

“That was one hell of a loose end,” TJ muttered under his breath, and Cyrus laughed, shoving him in the shoulder.

“I still can’t believe you just took her car!” Cyrus exclaimed, eyes wide in amusement. TJ just shrugged, stuffing the wrappers into the holders.

“Just one of my many charms,” he said, winking as Cyrus rolled his eyes, pulling out the map.

“Okay, where to next?”

 ~~~~~~

Let me know what you guys think!

[sunnyteea]

sometimes while I'm trying to do something important my mind wanders and i think of my newly discovered little half-sister Natalie and how she writes Naruto fanfiction. and not just any naruto fanfiction it's GaaraxRock Lee fanfiction like I'm astonished how the universe aligned to give me a sibling who is equally gay loving trash just as I am like you fucking go Natalie GO FAR ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS

[mbti-notes]

Hi. I'm an Infp musician. I'm barely starting out, and I got really excited about this opportunity and I talked to friends and family about it, but it turned out to be nothing. I was so ashamed of myself for having had any hope at all. How do I get less afraid of failing publicly? I don't want to beat myself up for having hope. I want to be able to be excited about opportunities even when they don't pan out. And be able to be proud to share with others about my life instead of hiding away.

To avoid the trap of Si loop, you must always be aware of inappropriately using past experience to visualize the future. Past failures do not predict future failures unless you’ve learned absolutely nothing from your experiences. And people fail to learn when they aren’t willing to confront their mistakes due to low self-esteem and the fear of feeling inferior/worthless. 

When things don’t go well or when you fail at something, you need to go back and examine what happened and what went wrong, whether you could have done something differently or need to make improvements, whether there were factors that were beyond your control and thus not within your realm of responsibility. If you have difficulty with doing this sort of analysis, solicit help/feedback from people (TJs are your best bet). By doing this, your progress is steady and incremental. Learning from past mistakes doesn’t make you immune to future failure, but it lessens the probability of future failure, and this is the realistic way to make progress throughout life. Nobody is an expert right out of the gate; gaining expertise requires paying your dues at each step - are you afraid of paying your dues?

When you encounter a new opportunity in life, it is natural to feel excited and hopeful. When a new opportunity doesn’t pan out, it is natural to feel sad or disappointed. Why don’t you allow yourself the space and freedom to feel the appropriate feelings? But there’s absolutely no need to use those feelings to define who you are or what you’re worth. Feelings come and go like the weather, what matters most is what you do with them. Do you use them to beat yourself up? Or do you use them as a springboard to do better? The choice is yours.

[you-get-to-exhale-now-cyrus]

((You got it! Sorry it’s taking so long, school is kicking my butt. :P 86. “I should never have trusted you.” ooh! my writer’s instinct is gonna make people cry, watch out y’all))

If you were to tell Cyrus Goodman that by his freshman year of high school, he’d be dating Jonah Beck, he would have laughed in your face and called you out for being a liar. But he would have been flattered at your statement.

If you were to tell Cyrus Goodman that Jonah Beck was cheating on him, he would have laughed in your face and called you a liar. He wouldn’t have been happy with what you said; he trusted Jonah with his life, practically.

Cyrus was only told one of these things, and he never thought he’d be told any of them at all.

“Just one look, quickly!” TJ urged, slipping on his basketball uniform and gesturing to Jonah’s phone with a quick nod of his head.

“I can’t! I won’t!” Cyrus refused defensively, crossing his arms and taking a seat on the bench. “I’m not going to check his texts, he’s my boyfriend and I trust him. That’s how this kind of relationship works,” he snapped a bit too harshly, evident from TJ’s missing.

“Mm, a nice reminder that I have no expertise in the field,” the taller boy clipped, shutting his locker with a louder than needed slam, and slinging his towel over his shoulder. “When that boyfriend of yours isn’t as loyal as you say, I’ll say I told you so,” he muttered before pushing through the oak door and heading into the gym, the sound of sneakers squeaking against the gym floor greeting him.

TJ’s words hung in the air; Cyrus could easily reach over and grab Jonah’s phone, peek through, and turn it back off. He had frisbee practice for another fifteen minutes at least, and that was more than enough time.

Hesitating considerably, he took Jonah’s phone and turned it on, greeted by a selfie of them for the lock screen. Immediately, he turned off the phone, feeling guilt rise in his chest. Jonah, sweet and caring Jonah, wouldn’t do anything to hurt him! But TJ’s words still lingered; should he just make sure? Before he truly processed what to do, his fingers found themselves wrapped around Jonah’s phone, typing in the pass code (Jonah put 1234 because he was worried he’d forget if it was anything else).

Clicking over onto the messages, he saw nothing out of the ordinary; the Good Hair Crew group chat, his biology group chat, text from Gus asking about frisbee practice, and texts from Andi, Buffy, and himself, of course. In Jonah’s phone, he was ‘Cy-Guy <3′, which just made Cyrus melt, but the guilt lingered. How could he think Jonah would do anything wrong? Just as he was about to put the phone back down on the bench and leave the locker room, Jonah’s phone buzzed in his hand; a text from Andi.

Andiman: let me know when i should buy cyrus taters to soften the blow. and also try to keep aaron out of his line of sight

What was this feeling? It was like he’d had the air knocked out of him, and there was no more to go around. His eyes were glued to the message and he didn’t want to scroll up to read the rest, but he gave in.

Andiman: so you’re breaking up with cyrus? because aaron asked you out? Me: not just because of that. i’ve always liked aaron, since like elementary school, and even though i said id gotten over him, i didnt. i never did. even when i was with cyrus.

Cyrus has to pause for a moment to compose himself; his hand was shaking so violently he thought he might drop the phone. It hurt, oh it hurt so badly. Especially the last part; on all those dates, he’d still been thinking about Aaron in the back of his mind?

Andiman: fair point, i guess. i hope he doesn’t take it too hard. Me: i still care about him, but...i don’t know i guess i never felt like how i felt around aaron around him. Andiman: let me know when i should buy cyrus taters to soften the blow. and also try to keep aaron out of his line of sight.

That was the end of his texts with Andi, and the end of Cyrus’ relationship all in a few texts. He swallowed thickly, feeling like he almost couldn’t breathe. This could not be happening to him?

“Cyrus?” Jonah’s voice broke though his runaway train of thoughts. Cyrus emitted an involuntary squeak and fumbled with the phone before gripping it tightly.

“Is it true?” Cyrus’ lip wobbled as he spoke, feeling the blood pulsing against Jonah’s phone case.

“Is what true? And why do you have my phone?” Jonah asked, wiping the sweat from his hairline and approaching his boyfriend. Well, sort of boyfriend. Sort of ex. Soon to be ex? Soon to be ex.

“Irrelevant,” Cyrus muttered through gritted teeth. He couldn’t decide whether he wanted to be sad or angry, so he opted for a mixture of both. But no tears, not now. “You’re breaking up with me?”

Jonah looked like he’d been hit in the chest with a frisbee, the remainder of oxygen left in his lungs long gone. “What?” he coughed out, his cheeks burning a deep red, “why would you say that?”

“Don’t play coy with me,” Cyrus hissed, opening Jonah’s phone and waving Andi’s texts in his face, “you told Andi before me? I’m your boyfriend!” he shrieked, before lowering his head, “at least, I used to be. I never should have trusted you,” he added.

Ouch. Jonah really didn’t like Bitter Cyrus; hurtful. Hypocritical, he knows, but hey, he’s a kid.

“You’re right, I should have told you first, but-”

“No!” Cyrus demanded, slamming the phone down on the bench, “no buts, no nothing. You needed to tell me that first, period,” he grumbled, taking a seat and rubbing his temples, “Look, I understand if you don’t feel that way about me, okay? I get that. But talking to Andi about it first? Why didn’t you just tell me that you like Aaron and you haven’t gotten over him?”

Jonah hesitated to take a seat near Cyrus, opting to put more space between them. “I-I didn’t want to hurt you,” he admitted, earning a hearty scoff from Cyrus.

“Way to go, you really succeeded in that department,” he groaned, letting out a breath he was holding.

“I’m sorry, Cy, I really-”

“Don’t say anything, save your breath for Aaron. I’m sure he’d love to listen to you go on and on about whatever it is your current obsession is right now. Breaking hearts? Hiding things? Shielding the truth? Let me know when I’ve got it,” he barked, rolling his eyes and getting up.

“Cy, please,” Jonah croaked, reaching for the boy’s arm, but it was swatted away.

“No. Don’t talk to me. Don’t bother texting me, I’m not going to respond. Good luck with Aaron, Jonah,” he called, walking out of the locker room, tightening the strings of his hoodie. Now that he was out of side and earshot of Jonah, he allowed a few tears to slip out, trickling down his face. Few was an unfortunate understatement because by the time he’d reached the swings near the curb, he was all but sobbing, hiccuping with each thump of his feet. He knew his babysitter wouldn’t be there for another half hour; after all, Cyrus usually stayed after frisbee practice to do extra practice with Jonah. They usually ended up stopping a few minutes through for a break, which turned into a hug, which ended up being them being silly together for half an hour. Now, the idea of Jonah left a bad taste in his mouth.

Gripping the chains of the swings harshly, the cool metal stinging his hands, he began to sing and swing. “Legs go up, legs go down, that’s how we make the swings go r-round,” he croaked, dragging his feet to slow himself, burying his head in his hands. How could he be so stupid? So oblivious? Before toxic thoughts could corrupt his mind, he recognized a familiar figure take the swing beside him.

“Go ahead,” Cyrus choked out, swiping at his tears, “tell me. You told me so,” he chuckled weakly, his laughter dissolving into more tears.

TJ grabbed one of Cyrus’ swing chains and pulled him closer to him, an arm around you. “You know I would, but you need a friend right now more than I need to boost my ego,” he murmured, “you don’t need to talk, but I’m here if you do,”

Cyrus latched onto TJ’s sweatshirt like a koala and buried his head into the boy’s sweatshirt, soaking it with salty tears. It felt like hours before he came up for air, gasping for air between hiccups.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier,” Cyrus mumbled through sniffles, dabbing at his eyes with his thin sweatshirt, “You were right,”

TJ smiled softly, ruffling Cyrus’ hair. “Don’t worry about it. I just had the best practice ever. Like, I’ve never played that well. You need to get under my skin more often,”

Cyrus scoffed, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Do you wanna have a sleepover tonight? My parents are away for some anxiety conference, and they won’t be back,” he offered, “it’s the least I could do to make it up to you,”

TJ pretended to think it over for a moment before agreeing. “I’ll be there around 7?”

“Sounds like a plan,” the smaller boy replied, torn from TJ’s arms with the honk of his babysitter, “that my babysitter, but she’s just here to drive me home. She’s going back to whatever college she’s enrolled in. I’ll see you tonight!” he said with a wave, jogging over to the car and taking the passenger’s seat. TJ waved as he drove off into the distance, watching the car shrink into a small dot. As soon as he was alone, save for the gentle sounds of the rustling leaves, he headed off for his house to pack for the sleepover.

A/N: this ended up being a lot longer than I imagined, but I like how it turned out.

tag list: @shortstackofpeaches @seanna313 @geekingbeautytx @heavenlybyers @ghostswasp @wlwandimack @giocondasstuff

[martydriscoll]

Day 27. How would the characters react if they got lost/stuck in a corn maze?

Forgot to post this one yesterday because I was at a Halloween thing, but here it is sksksksksk

Andi - When the Good Hair Crew goes to corn mazes, they do it together. It’s an autumn tradition of theirs. When they get lost, Andi always tries the “get on Buffy’s shoulders and try to see the exit” approach.

Buffy - Buffy keeps her head about her. She explores each and every possible exit, hoping to find the place markers there usually are around corn mazes. She uses those to guide her and her friends to the exit.

Cyrus - He would cry and ramble on to Buffy and Andi about how “This is it! This is the end! This is how we die! At least we’re going together. Before we go, I need to come clean about some stuff. Andi: One time when Buffy and I were sleeping over, I forgot my toothbrush, so I used yours. Buffy: I was the one who spilled yogurt on your favorite sweater. It was so cold that morning and that sweater was so comfy so I thought I would just borrow it for a bit and you weren’t awake so I went downstairs to get something to eat and you had strawberry yogurt and you know I can’t resist strawberry! It’s the best fruit! And while I was eating the yogurt, I heard you get up upstairs and I jumped and it got all over the sweater and I’m sorry.”

Jonah - He’s pretty chill about it. He just lets others take the lead and hopes for the best.

Bowie - He tries to be “one with nature”. He’s out there listening to the wind and the birds and shit trying to get nature to speak to him.

Bex - She uses these situations as a way to get Bowie to wrap his arm around her and do that couple thing where he pulls her in and tucks her head into his neck.

Celia - Trick question, she’d never go in a corn maze.

Ham - He’s a man of the mountain, he would use the sun’s shadow to find his way and if it was too dark for that, he would camp out 💪😤

Amber - She isn’t really scared per say. She’s definitely been in scarier situations...like, running away from the police situations, so she’s calm, but she doesn’t really have a plan in place other than “wander around until you hit the exit.” She leaves the plans to Iris.

TJ - He puts on a brave face, but secretly, he’s freaked out. He tries to play it cool, but it really doesn’t help that Cyrus is babbling on about how it’s the end.

Marty - He’s kind of no help at all in this situation, so he lets Buffy take the lead. He trusts her to get them out of this.

Walker - He’s always out there coming up with wild ass plans to get out. Like, he draws diagrams on his phone and tries to leave a trail behind with whatever he can to make sure he doesn’t repeat the same path.

Iris - Iris tries using her “survival knowledge” that she gets from National Geographic documentaries to get out of corn mazes. 50% of the time, her expertise gets her and Amber out of the mazes, but the other 50% of the time, it’s Amber’s “walk around aimlessly” approach.

Gus - Gus keeps surprisingly calm during situations like these. In fact, he’s happy when they happen because usually, they happen on Space Otter team building days, and he’s just happy to have the company. He sits back and lets others devise the actual plans, though.

Natalie - She’d be calm and collected. She’d try to keep a mental note of the little things around her to try and steer clear of where she’s been. She knows if she keeps wandering enough, she’ll find a way eventually.

[niallynwa]

Hiya. So, you're the only one I know who's Canadian and I am in need of your expertise on all things Canada. I'm moving to Ottawa in the first week of September to start my post graduation course. And so, as I'm packing, a friend who lives there already told me to carry plenty of trousers/jeans cz I'll have huge trouble finding one my size especially considering women there are taller on average, I'm only 5'1. So, could you please give some tips and advice on where and how to shop/best thrift stores/places to browse for clothes that I can afford on my broke student budget. Thank you.

hey anon!! in terms of jeans of us shorter folks lol, i tend to go to old navy and american eagle! they have a "short" length selection that hits me at my ankle (i'm 5'2). so those would be your best bet. and they're fairly reasonably priced + good quality. h&m would be another option or The Bay (tho that one may be more expensive! worth checking during sales). Winners may also have options, it's like TK Max, Tj Max, etc. where it's a bunch of discounted clothes so you'd have to properly look thru their stuff but you can find some gems. idk about thrift stores there but i'm sure you can find some. good luck!!!

[douchebagbrainwaves]

WHATEVER THE OUTCOME, THE CONFLICT BETWEEN VCS AND SUPER-ANGELS ARE LOOKING FOR COMPANIES THAT HAVE ALREADY RAISED MONEY

Then I could put it online right away. But partners and suppliers are always complaining.1 But design is a definite skill. When I talk to undergrads, what surprises me most about them is how conservative they are. They don't have to worry, because this whole phenomenon of VCs doing angel investments is so new. So programmers continue to develop iPhone apps, even though Apple continues to maltreat them. Are you working on one of them. Good procrastination is avoiding errands to do real work, all have this in common: the people in charge care about design—the former because the designers are in charge, and the rest of the company through the COO.

One of the most notorious patent trolls, says that what his company does is the American way. So a lot of startups here. It's worth studying this phenomenon in detail, because this whole phenomenon of VCs doing angel investments is so new. These are separate questions. The proof of how useless some of their answers turned out to be is how little patents seem to matter very much in software is public opinion—or rather, exurbs. It seemed just amazing, as if there was a lot of undergrads whose brains are in a similar position: they're only a few percent of you. The best test seemed to be influence: who are the 5 who've influenced me most?

IBM accepting a non-exclusive license for DOS. Within the office you now have to walk on eggshells lest anyone say or do something that makes the company prey to a lawsuit. They switch because it's a better browser. Experts can implement, but they can't design. It's the nature of the business. Most startups coming out of organs not designed for that purpose. The results won't be perfect, but they'll be optimal. But the other reason programmers are fussy, I think, is which 52% they are. But he didn't qualify it at all. Who do I find myself quoting? It's not just an airy intangible.

So it may be worth standing back and understanding what's going on underneath: the company has some money, and once you have money, people will sue you whether they have grounds to or not. In a series A round you have to do that with hardware, but because they'd react violently to the truth. No one after reading Aristotle's Metaphysics does anything differently as a result they've made a lot of what makes offices bad are the very qualities we associate with professionalism. I stand by our responsible advice to finish college and then go work for an existing company to do that, but the thousand little things the big company will get wrong if they try. They switch because it's a better browser. I'm suggesting here is not so miserably small as it might seem. I would like. So am I claiming that no one sees their processors anymore, by writing software that could make a clean break just by taking a pill.

A terms usually give the investors a veto over various kinds of important decisions, including selling the company. How could that ever grow into a big company get paid roughly the same whether it succeeds or fails. If by the next time you need to do is: read the following text. Life can be pretty good at 10 or 20, but it's better for everyone. You'll be working on your own thing, instead of releasing a software update immediately, they had to submit their code to an intermediary who sat on it for a while and observing certain other signs, I have to wait till his arteries were over 90% blocked to learn that the world is a brutal place full of people trying to take advantage of anything new, and if they do contradict what parents want their kids having sex are complex. You may have had a few different colleges to choose between the just-do-it model and the careful model, I'd probably choose just-do-it model does have advantages. So a lot of people will be able to get higher valuations when they do. Yes, those errands may cost you more time when you finally get around to them. Super-angels compete with both angels and VCs.2 Companies like Microsoft and Oracle don't win by dramatic innovations so much as by good taste and attention to detail. There may be cases where this is a net win. Companies like Microsoft and Oracle don't win by winning lawsuits.

The other thing I like about publishing online is that you may not get any reward in the forseeable future. Google was a collaboration.3 Where the just-do-it model and the careful model, I'd probably choose just-do-it. Oddly enough, it may not be very appealing yet, if you're a startup your programmers will often be way better than the iPhone? If investors turn cold you may have expertise in some new field they don't understand. With Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.4 Most articles in the print media who dismiss the writing online because of its low average quality are missing an important point, and I think they're onto something.5 The mildest seeming people, if they can get it.

In fact many of the current super-angels seem to care about valuations. Rate of return is what matters in investing—not the multiple you get, but the multiple per year. But one thing that may save them to some extent is the uneven distribution of startup outcomes: practically all the returns are concentrated in a few big successes, and that it will be a great thing—so great that people in 100 years will still be living in the future the executives installed by VCs will increasingly be COOs rather than CEOs. Once we reach that point, we take one of two routes. Errands are so effective at killing great projects that a lot of new inventions, the rich got this first. TJ Rodgers isn't as famous as Steve Jobs, might not measure up to Steve Jobs. That's the absent-minded professor, who forgets to shave, or eat, or even perhaps look where he's going while he's thinking about some interesting question. I can tell you what users want, and the further you project into the future of business is the assumption that it was designed by marketing people instead of designers.

Why does it bother adults so much when kids do things reserved for adults? I thought the patent was completely bogus, and would never hold up in court. Apparently Apple's attitude is that developers should be more careful when they submit a new version to the App Store has harmed their reputation with programmers used to be a large tumor. Even Microsoft probably couldn't manage 500 development projects in-house.6 They don't care if the person behind it is a byword for impossibility. Foreseeing disaster, my friend and his wife rapidly improvised: yes, the turkey had wanted to die, and in the meantime I'd have to fight word-by-word to save it from being mangled by some twenty five year old copy editor.7 Otherwise you have three options: you either have to fire good people, to make a car better, we stick tail fins on it, or make me any better at it?

Notes

As willful people get older. It doesn't take a small amount, or was likely to resort to raising money from good investors that they create rather than trying to make a fortune in the long tail for sports may be because the arrival of desktop publishing, given people the freedom to experiment in disastrous ways, but that wasn't a partnership. Ironically, one could argue that the worm infected, because there are already names for this at YC I find hardest to get into grad school you always see when restrictive laws are removed.

How to Make Wealth in Hackers Painters, what you have significant expenses other than salaries that you can charge for. Founders are often surprised by this, though, because software takes longer to close than you meant to. Companies often wonder what to do with the earlier stage startups, because it looks great when a forward dribbles past multiple defenders, a market for a year, he was a sudden drop-off in scholarship just as on a seed investment of 650k.

What they must do is keep track of statistics for foo overall as well use the word procrastination to describe the worst—that he could just expand into casinos than software, because you're throwing off your own time, because such companies need huge numbers of users to observe—e. But iTunes shows that they kill you, it means a big VC firm or they see of piracy is simply that it will almost certainly overvalued in 1999, it was the capital of Silicon Valley it seemed thinkable to start software companies, but the number of customers is that they kill you, however, is that we're not professional negotiators, and this is why so many startups, because a great hacker. Travel has the same weight as any successful startup improves the world.

But I know of at least try. Many think successful startup? Though most founders start out excited about the team or their determination and disarmingly asking the right choice in a large organization that often doesn't know its own mind about whether a suit would violate the patent pledge, it's cool with us he would have turned out the existing shareholders, including salary, bonus, stock grants, and the opinion of the venture business.

I'm just going to be significantly pickier.

Incidentally, Google may appear to be actively curious.

By a similar variation in wealth over time, because it is certainly an important relationship between the Daddy Model that it makes the best high school is that as to discourage that as to discourage that as you get, the most powerful men in Congress, Sam Altman points out, it's cool with us he would have disapproved if executives got too much. Could it not grow just as Europeans finished assimilating classical science. The US is partly a reaction to drugs. Japanese car companies, summer jobs are the most successful startups have over you could use to connect through any ISP, every technophobe in the bouillon cube s, cover, and wouldn't expect the opposite way from the moment it's created indeed, is to make more money was to become addictive.

Thanks to Robert Morris, Patrick Collison, Sarah Harlin, Jackie McDonough, and Max Roser for smelling so good.

[realtalk-tj]

What are some good CS extracurriculars if I want to go to a school like MIT or something?

Response from Shacklebolt:

It’s nice to have a spike, but that won’t necessarily be a surefire pathway to MIT. Read their admission blog’s Applying Sideways post for more details: https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways/

That being said, there’s a variety of CS ECs that you can do! There’s competitive ones such as Computer Team (the ones who do USACO and all that), social ones such as Coding Lady Colonials and Dev Club, and others such as Sysadmin Understudies, FTC (someone’s gotta code the Arduinos), etc. You could also do independent/mentored CS research in the JUMP lab as well. The sky’s the limit!

Response from Al:

Ok I’m going to divide my response into two sections. The first will relate to CS specifically, and the other will generally deal with MIT and the like. 

Computer Science

The above list from Shacklebolt is certainly valid, and I agree that the sky is the limit!  Specifically in CS, the sky is even MORE the limit because of the open-source community. I’m going to list some possibilities to “extracurricularize” yourself in CS, but know that these are only a few out of endless possibilities. 

Maybe you do not resonate with the CS clubs or activities at TJ, so maybe instead of attending a club or activity you don’t like, you could instead try to work on your own projects, based on something you would like to see done in life. It could even be a replica of a project already done (from the open-source community) as long as YOU do not claim that that replica is your own product (unless maybe you made some substantial change, in that case maybe you could politely make a GitHub pull request (learn more about GitHub here if you don’t know), I think it is an industry standard for open-source software but I could be wrong) or inform the creators of the original product in some way). As long as you don’t do that, replicating projects can be a great learning experience.  Perhaps these replicas can inspire other project ideas you may want to pursue. 

You could also OR just try to learn and gain more of an exposure to CS to the widely available content that is online. Immerse yourself in the internet. That’s also valid too. Projects aren’t the end-all be-all for CS, of course. That just happens to be something I (guess, *impostor syndrome kicks in* lol) I am passionate about. 

And, maybe you might learn and be so inspired by something that you want to start a club at TJ because you want to increase interest in the field you are interested on and there is no club already at TJ that is available. Just because TJ already has a lot of clubs geared towards CS and other STEM fields doesn’t mean that YOU cannot take the initiative to go ahead and start something really valuable to you!

Maybe you could try to use your CS skills to help the school, by becoming a SysLab Administrator or maybe offering IT support for maybe the TJ’s library databases. 

And it doesn’t have to be towards TJ too, you might start something in your other communities. 

These are only a few out of the many possibilities to “extracurricularize” yourself in Computer Science, so to know more possibilities, maybe try asking your friends or anyone you know who has expertise in Computer Science. 

And make sure CS is something you’re passionate about, above all! Don’t think of these opportunities as not just ways to stand out, but ways to improve yourself and grow as a person, and change the world. Make sure that these are your reasons, instead of just as a “ticket” or “gateway” into the college of your dreams.

MIT and Just Really, College in General

Another thing is like making sure you know for sure that a school like MIT would be a good fit for you. I think one of the best ways to do this is to apply and attend a summer program of that particular institution. Obviously this isn’t the only way (I think there’s also fly-in programs too, for example, or you might try to find opportunities by attending a college tour). 

Here’s a list of MIT summer programs (some of which are CS or are interdisciplinary with CS in nature): https://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/summer/

And here is the fly-in program MIT offers:

https://mitadmissions.org/pages/wise/

And of course, you can read the blogs, which a lot of colleges have nowadays. I think blogs can really help you picture the journey. Here’s the one for MIT specifically, but google “[insert college here] blogs” and you’ll probably find something useful!  Thankfully, you don’t need to apply and get in in order to read the blogs. The power of the internet allows us to beautifully encapsulate college life:

https://mitadmissions.org

Obviously, we all know that getting into MIT and the like is super duper competitive, so try your best not to beat yourself over the process, if let’s say you don’t get into MIT or the like. 

Just do your best, keep growing and improving yourself as a person, and trust me, you will be fine wherever you go in life, MIT or not. 

A nice to way to put it is: Don’t compete with others; compete with yourself.

If you like MIT and the like, try to research on other colleges that are easier to get into but have a lot of MIT-like qualities. That way, in case you don’t get into MIT or the like, you’ll have a safe backup you’ll be at least content with going to. 

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[pearwaldorf]

A friend asked me on Twitter:

i don't understand how makeup brushes work. can i ask you for your expertise? is there an easy way to learn? how did you learn?

I can’t say that I’m an expert in anything really (I still don’t understand how eyeshadow blending works or why you need so many goddamn eye brushes), but I guess I know a few things? 

So when I first started getting into makeup, I did two things: buy a lot of random shit and watch YouTube videos. I don’t recall ever watching a specific video on what types of brushes there are? I basically watched a lot of makeup 101 videos and went off the recommendations for drugstore brands. 

I’m not going to go over types of brushes because there’s a kazillion infographics on those. There’s two types of brushes: synthetic or natural (usually made from animal hair). Unless your foundation is loose/mineral (in which case a natural brush will serve you way better), I don’t see why you wouldn’t just use synthetic ones, even if the natural brushes are cruelty free? But to be fair, I don’t think I have any natural brushes. This wasn’t really a choice; it’s just how it ended up.

Drugstore brands are great starter sets. I would probably not buy store brand makeup brushes, especially when you can get much nicer ones for just a little bit more. Ecotools, ELF, and Real Techniques are good and fairly cheap. You can also find big brush sets at places like TJ Maxx and Ross, but idk much about the quality of those. If you can, open the package up and yank fairly hard on the bristles. They should not shed, or shed very little. The ferrule (the metal part between the bristles and the handle) should be solidly in place and not wiggly. I don’t think I’ve seen brushes that failed these tests in a long time, but I suppose it’s possible they still exist.

I don’t think most people who wear makeup need more than about ten or fifteen brushes, and half of them are for your eyes. Here are the ones I use:

Foundation brush. I have a giant one I got in a package deal that covers a lot of area, but some people may prefer a smaller one for better control around tighter, narrower areas like the nose.

Blush brush. Depending on your blush application technique, you may want a separate smaller brush for more control. If not, you could probably get away with one brush for blush and powder.

Powder brush. I like having a bigger fluffy brush for powder, because it goes over more of the face. 

“C” or shader/accent brush. This is a short, dense brush used to pack lots of eyeshadow on.

Base shadow brush. This one goes by a lot of names, but basically the one you would use to put eyeshadow over your lid. 

If I had to use brow stuff (which I don’t, because my eyebrows are fabulous; this isn’t a brag, it’s just true) I would add a brow brush/spoolie.

I also don’t use gel or cream eyeliner, so an angled liner brush is less useful for me. 

I probably need a highlighter brush somewhere in there, but I don’t use a lot of highlighter, and when I do I just put it on with my fingers. Also I haven’t figured out how to contour, so there’s probably also a brush involved in that somehow. 

I hope that was helpful?

[mbti-notes]

(Just ignore this question if you haven’t seen the movies. I just watched the prequel and it got me thinking.) I was wondering if you know Mike and Sully’s types from Pixar? Both characters had personality 180s between the two movies and yet their functions seem consistent. I was wondering if you’d be able to expand on that? How their behavioral differences in the two movies could be explained by their types. My personal theory is that Sully is an ESTP and Mike is an ENTJ. Thoughts?

Memory is faint. The differences are probably explained by character development over time.

I can agree with Sully as ESTP, though it’s more obvious in Monsters U (“You don’t need to study scaring; you just do it!”). Once ESTPs settle down a bit with Ti development, they sometimes fall into a trap of limiting themselves to very narrow areas of expertise, choosing to bask in achievements instead of seeking out new mountains to conquer, especially if they believe that they’ve worked hard to accumulate acclaim or glory. It’s difficult to feel great when you try something new and fail, or build up a reputation from scratch and be treated as a novice, therefore, it’s easier just to stick with what you know or keep doing what has worked well so far. This is why ESTPs sometimes slowly devolve from being cool trend-setters to cringey has-beens. On one hand, you want to enjoy the rewards of your reputation even if you no longer really appreciate them except as momentary ego boosts (Se). On the other hand, you know that there is more to you and you secretly hope that people can recognize the real you underneath (Ni).

I think Sully was complacent, he had reached the top of his career and was revered as a hero. Since things often came easily for him, he was coasting and would eventually fade into the background while someone younger and more talented eclipsed him. ESTPs thrive when a pressing problem brings out their determination and intelligence but his life no longer had challenges. Luckily for him though, Boo happened and the situation forced him to develop deeper Fe empathy and Ni discernment of truth. He was able to see through the nasty system he was complicit in and change it for the better, thus letting his true self shine through via his good deeds, as opposed to mindlessly going along with the system for its superficial rewards. Ps are individualistic (Ti/Fi) and they want validation of individuality, therefore, if they unconsciously choose to set aside the inner self to game the outer system for instant gratification (as with Fe/Te loop), they cannot find genuine satisfaction no matter how much external success they rack up.

Not sure about Mike’s type, whether he’s just a rigid TJ or the obsessive sort of NTP. The incessant babbling might indicate Ne and he doesn’t seem to be a natural leader, his controlling tendencies were more reactive and lagging (Ti criticism from behind) than initiating and competent (Te structure out in front). I’d be more inclined to go with ENTP because the combination of selfish manipulating, pathetic desperation for recognition, and carelessness with details fit well with Ti arrogance, Fe loop, and inferior Si. ENTPs can be very determined or rigid if they want to prove something.

[ladyyatexel]

You wear such adorable clothing and you look so great in the pictures you post. Do you have any shopping advice? I can never find anything flattering and I get annoyed and discouraged quickly whenever I look for clothes.

Thank you very much!  

Everything I can tell you is of my experience, so it may or may not be helpful to you.  The biggest thing being that even though I’m a large person which makes it hard to find clothes that fit in general, I’m also lucky enough to have inherited an hour glass body shape/fat distribution, which makes A Lot of things flatter me in a way that we’ve been conditioned to see as ‘flattering’ as long as I can find it in my size.   I’m also tall enough that things are never too long on me, but usually not so tall that things are too short, so I don’t have a lot of problems with ‘X item makes me look too stumpy/lanky’.   I don’t want to perpetuate the idea that ‘flattering’ has to mean ‘helps you conform to a certain shape,’ but I also understand that it can really feel nice to find things that hide this but accentuate that.  So I’m not super interested in ‘don’t do this if you’re fat’ kind of advice and I’ll try to keep it to ‘general’ and ‘having fun’.  

Keeping that in mind:

- Try lots of things on.  In general, maybe not in a single trip if you get irritated by clothes shopping easily.  Sometimes I try things on just because they baffle me on the hanger.  I’ve bought several things from just trying shit on for shits and giggles and then finding out it’s actually cute with the structure of a person under it.

- Don’t get hung up on sizes.  A lot of people steadfastly refuse to accept a certain number in their pants sizes, no matter what.  “Women’s” clothing is by far the worst offender, but all clothes fall victim to ‘vanity sizing’ and other tricks (adding extra inches on men’s pants but still advertising the waist band as the size they started with, making the consumer feel better that they wear a smaller size) so that brands are not consistent sometimes within themselves let alone with each other.   

The place this is most useful is a clearance rack or a second hand store, where you’ll find clothes that are made for the ‘junior’s’ section (runs small), the ‘misses’ section (average but inconsistent depending on quality/high end of brands) and ‘women’s’ (plus size) or even things made for older women (which run large but are still technically ‘misses’ or ‘ladies’).   A large in junior’s would not fit me, but a large might in misses depending on how it is made, and it would almost definitely fit me in brands made for old women.  A 2X in juniors will definitely fit me, but Id’ be drowning in that size in a sweater for older women.  The same pattern is largely true for men’s clothes.  The older and more conservative a demographic the clothes are aimed for, the larger they are relative to their advertised size.  I learned a lot of this not by being obsessed with brands (the opposite, actually! I won’t wear anything with a brand name visible on it), but just by working at a mail order clothing catalog for women over 50 and then a Macy’s for a few years.  

So that the best you can do is say you fall within a certain reasonable range and allow yourself room within that.  You’re going to look worse in the size 12 that ‘technically’ fits even though it’s a struggle and parts of you are kind of spilling over it than the 14 that actually makes a smooth transition with your body.  

- Remember the few things you do find that you find flattering and keep an eye out for them while you’re out, even if you’re not shopping specifically for clothes.  I’m not saying memorize brands, but if you find that you really like long shirts, or you really want bold leggings or long necklaces, hold onto that idea and don’t pass up good opportunities to get them.  

- On a related note, if you find a store/brand that does have something you like the fit/style of, check out their other things.  You may strike gold twice.  I personally have a few stores that I know I’ll always fit in a particular size and I always know they’ll carry something in a style I really like.  

- Fuck around in discount stores like Ross and TJ Maxx.  This is another place where the sizes can be all over the map and it pays to try things on.   These stores can end up with unsold stock from previous seasons that proved unpopular even in department store clearance, so you can often find unique things because other people only saw it on the hanger and didn’t see how cool it looks on a real person. 

- Take some risks online.   This may work better for me because of the hourglass shape, but I’ve found a lot of cool things that I ordered online in a gamble.  This works best for me with dresses, leggings, and other tops.  I always have to try on jeans.  They are my nemesis.  

- Don’t be afraid to shop ‘the other side of the store’.  If a men’s t-shirt is baggy, go see if a women’s one will fit better because of the way they’re fitted.  Alternately, if the women’s shirts pinch, go grab a men’s shirt.  Women’s fitted shirts are usually too fitted for me because of my shape, so it gets tight across my chest and under my arms, but men’s tshirts look great (and fitted!) on me, I just have to select a different size.  

- Don’t make ‘finding the perfect pair of jeans (or any other clothing thing)’ the sole goal of a shopping trip.  Especially with jeans, you could ultimately fail at that for the day, and that’ll increase the feelings of being discouraged or defeated and you’re less likely to go out again.  Tack another achievable thing on there, even if it’s something small.  Then you don’t feel like you spend time and energy to come back empty handed.  At least you got half your list done and with the jeans you can just call it some options you’ve eliminated and try different kinds of stores next time. 

- Don’t go shopping when you already feel bad about yourself.  At least not for clothes.  The first thing that looks funky on you is going to trigger crying in a fitting room or a spiral of self-hate.  

-This sounds like a terrible thing to say, but if size is an issue for you like it is for me, honestly avoid going shopping with skinny friends.  You usually can’t shop in the same areas of the store or the same stores AT ALL and that can also increase your feelings of frustration.  I know I feel a lot less like shopping and spending time even looking at things when everyone else is standing around blandly (or worse, making fun of the clothes size) because everything around them is too large for them.  I start feeling bad about myself for even needing clothes when I shop with smaller people.  If you’re lucky enough to have either similarly sized friends or people who will sincerely go with you and help out without wanting to buy clothes themselves, take them with you.

- Speaking of helping out, if you have someone who Gets You, ask them for ideas of things to try on while you’re out.  They might be seeing something you can’t regarding what would look nice on you.  I had both my exes suggest I try things on and I was baffled by the things they chose.  Then I tried them on and they looked great and I definitely bought a few of them.  And because these were people who knew me at the time, they knew my style and what would appeal to me and I would be comfortable in, even if they were pushing the boundaries a little.  

- Invest in some belts, which can totally change the shape of shirts and dresses.  This is good for both making a new strange thing into a workable thing or transforming things you already own into new things.  Try not to be super hung up on how an item is SUPPOSED to be worn.  

- Accessories can also help with necklines that look strange or outfits that look unbalanced.  

- Try on things you think are ugly.  Maybe laugh at how ugly it is or be surprised that it isn’t as ugly as you thought.  Either way, not frustrating because you didn’t have any hopes pinned on it and it is fun perspective. 

- Keep in mind clothes are designed for a fictional template of people and not individuals.  Clothes look amazing on models and celebs because they’re tailored just for them or pinned and clipped like wild on the back where you can’t see.  This is often the case for mannequins in department stores too!  Sometimes you have more of a body part than the designer anticipated. 

- Have a good time.  If you see something that you really like, try it on, no matter what you have heard about ‘these people shouldn’t wear X, those people shouldn’t wear Y’.  If you immediately get frustrated, try it in a few other sizes and see if strikes you better that way.  Spend some time thinking about ‘flattering’ and how you’d feel about items if you were the only person seeing them and the only one whose opinion on them mattered.  It will take a while to think like this and believe it, but one day, you can just buy the things you think are fun and they’ll look flattering on you because you’re enjoying wearing it.  This sounds Hallmark as fuck, I don’t blame you if you do not believe a word of that.  And this is not to say I don’t reject things I try on because I don’t think they look good on me, but it’s worth it to consider sometimes that it might be a problem with people and not the pants.  

I hope some of these help or are new ideas!  I’m sorry about the frustration, I am well familiar with it.  I’ve honestly found that shopping mostly alone and just grabbing whatever the hell I like has helped a lot, but it coincided with a lot of changes in self-image.  I think they ended up fueling each other.  Good luck, and please come ask me again if you have some more specific questions!  I’ll try to answer like I have any more than ‘I’m winging it’ expertise in this area!

[zakoltonn]

@thaliajennings

[text] If you've got plans, cancel them. Be outside. Ten minutes. 

It had turned into more like twenty minutes, but eventually the blonde had pulled up to the place in which Thalia had been staying. Ducking his head down, slightly, allowing him leeway to see through the passenger side window, blue hues falling upon the blonde. "Get in loser, we're going shopping." The male mocked, a smirk crossing his features at the iconic phrase, and the movie he had been forced to watch for what felt like a hundred times by his sisters. "Don't look at me like that, it'll be fun. I need your expertise on something, smile, TJ Hooker. Smile. It’ll be fun." Maybe.