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alfredosauce50 · 4 years ago

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would you be down to do 2p china hc’s? im very curious on how you characterize him!

I’m down! I’m guessing you figured I had my own interpretation of the guy after I answered an ask saying I’d write for him. I really like 2p! China as a character, but I have to say, I haven’t properly written for him before. Nevertheless, I’ll give you my thoughts on him as a person!

2p! China Headcanons

Zao’s appearance doesn’t give away much of his personality. He’s got a bit of a baby face, and he has a sociable and pleasant demeanor for the most part. So if you didn’t know him well enough to see past those traits, you would be surprised at how shady he can be.

Appearance

Like his 1p counterpart, his dark brown hair goes past his shoulders and is tied back in a low ponytail. It’s pretty thin too, so it stays flat against his back. But that’s what makes it look so good. He isn’t the tallest guy out there, as he stands around 170cm or 5′7″. Doesn’t mean you can easily take him out in a fight, though. He’s quite slender, but he’s muscular and knows a few martial arts to boot.

He has a lot of tattoos, and he doesn’t try to hide them. He has dragons curling down his arms, as well as Chinese characters etched into his back. Most of the time, he wears traditional clothing, such as a sleeveless Tang suit, so his arms are exposed. It’s almost as if the colors black and red were made for him. And he knows it. So unless he’s having a bad day where he’ll go for a simple T-shirt, he likes to dress to impress. Not that he even needs to try.

He’s devilishly attractive, and the way he talks gets girls flocking to him.

Personality

Zao is very easy-going and open-minded. He’ll talk about anything with anyone. Everything is fascinating in a way, and nothing seems to faze him either. So he’s the type to question the most trivial things in life--or list drugs as casually as you would your favorite candy bars. It’s also difficult to shock him, or anger him. When life deals him a bad hand, or springs up inconveniences, he’ll go with the flow because that’s life. So unless something involves the person he likes, he keeps himself pretty level-headed.

With his willingness to talk about anything, comes his brutal honesty and bluntness. So sometimes, he’ll find himself offending people even if he never meant to. If he does this to women, they’ll slap him before storming off, leaving him in confusion at what he did wrong. But if he does this to men, he’ll have to be quick on his feet to escape a potential fight. Unlike a few other 2ps, he has a good temperament so he avoids violence, but he’ll resort to it if he absolutely has to.

Despite the careers he’s depicted to have, like being a drug-dealer, something in adult entertainment, night-life, or anything illegal, he has strong fraternal instincts. If somebody embodied the “big brother” trope, it would be him. He cares a lot for his younger siblings, and they look up to him as a role model. But he’ll always tell them, “Do as I say, not as I do!” As comfortable as he is in his own skin, his own identity, he wouldn’t want them taking after him.

He’s very flirtatious, and a huge tease. How he shows he likes you is through making you blush, or embarrassed. He’ll call you pet names. Shower you with compliments. Refer to you as if you and him are already an item. If you bumped into him at a grocery store, he’ll help you shop, then say, “So, is that all we need? I can’t wait for dinner tonight.” Zao is also unapologetically dirty-minded. He’s all about dirty jokes, conversations, and gestures. The bigger reaction he gets, the more addicting they are.

He doesn’t have any qualifications, not even a high school diploma, but he’s street-smart to make up for it. That’s how he makes so many connections and hustles his way up to the top in shady businesses. If you need something, anything, legal or illegal, expensive or cheap, you can ask him, and 99% of the time, he’ll say, “I know a guy.” If he likes you, all he wants in return is something perverted. A kiss, maybe. Or maybe your underwear.

Interests

He loves anything cute, and he doesn’t hide it. Sanrio is a must--he keeps a collection of their plushies, most of them being Hello Kitty, but he also likes other characters such as Cinnamoroll and Pompompurin. Sometimes, he can get a bit obsessive over whatever sells fast. So if he has to, he’ll stay up and keep refreshing the page selling whatever he has his eyes on. If he’s infamous for his connections that let him get pretty much anything he wants, surely he can get his hands on the limited-edition Hello Kitty-themed towel, right!? He isn’t against having other kinds of merchandise either, like household items, but he keeps it lowkey for functionality.

In his house, you’ll find a lot of imports from East-Asian countries. Not only is he used to using them when he was back in China, they’re better than what you can find in America. Or at least, in his opinion. This includes cosmetics, snacks, alcohol, and decorations.

Although he doesn’t have a lot of time to, he enjoys watching anime. That’s why he makes sure to get through the most popular and mainstream ones first.

Zao likes to keep connected with his culture. He doesn’t care to assimilate, and being ‘different’ doesn’t bother him at all--he thinks it’s what gives him a unique personality and background. Since he doesn’t have a lot of friends to speak Mandarin with, he’ll look for his neighbors who can, and strike up a conversation every now and then. As well as that, he’ll give his siblings red pockets for Chinese New Year so they can spend it on food, videogames or whatever they want.

He can’t cook for shit. Even then, he has strong opinions on food, especially Chinese. While he enjoys westernised take out like Panda express, he wishes people would stop assuming Chinese cuisine is just dumplings, fried rice, noodles and yum cha. They’re B-tier at best. For a country with that rich and long a history, there’s so much more to indulge in. Too bad he can’t make anything if he tried.

Psychology + romance

Zao is used to being a second choice. His cheerfulness and bluntness make other people think he’s creepy or weird, so he can’t quite wrap his head around somebody liking him to that degree--or getting particularly close to him. At least, emotionally. There are a lot of girls who want him for one-night stands. But this doesn’t stop him from flirting with someone he genuinely likes, even if he doesn’t expect anything in return. It’s fun because they get flustered, after all. But when they start returning the same energy, get persistent, or even make him suspect that they like him back, he will get nervous. He’s used to being the chaser, not the other way around. So if the tables turn and things start getting real, he will back away.

As confident as he is with his image, it’s difficult for him to get intimate with somebody romantically. He’s open, but can’t be vulnerable. He’d rather keep things casual, so when he really falls for someone, he’ll be conflicted between keeping things the way they are, or pursuing them.

Eventually, these feelings will deepen to the point being just friends becomes suffocating. That’s when Zao loses his cool and gets frustrated. It could happen due to a build-up of his emotions, or an event that makes him explode from jealousy. He’ll get desperate after so long of not doing anything and make it very clear he wants you. “Just date me already!”

When he finally gets together with you, prepare to be coddled. He’ll want to help you with anything the best way he can, and go to extreme lengths to do so. Nothing seems extreme when it’s for somebody he cares so much about. While he never holds it against you--how much he does for you--he may or may not guilt trip you into giving him more affection. But only subtly. Instead of him kissing you, he'll loiter around your presence until you kiss him. And when you do, he’ll smile like an idiot.

He never makes it explicit when he wants to take you out on a date. Zao will just ask you if you’re free, and take you out for the night. He doesn’t see a point in labelling it as a ‘date’, because he doesn’t just see quality time with you through a romantic and sexual lens. He values the friendship aspect of it as well, and you really appreciate him for it.

Zao loves to cuddle. He doesn’t hug you much throughout the day, but when you’re at home and about to sleep, he will hug you, a lot. He won’t let go while he talks to you, and will only loosen his coils when you fall asleep.

Acknowledgements

I was mainly inspired by the 2p! China in the story, “Dragon District”, written by xYourHero. So props to them. The fandom’s perception of him has definitely deepened because of it, and it’s great seeing underrated 2ps finally getting the attention they deserve! I’m one of the people who’s had my characterization of Zao take after hers, so I’ll also be crediting her for my headcanons.

You can find the story on DeviantArt, Archive of our own and Wattpad. I adored that fic back in the day. Such good memories. I wasn’t even writing back when I was reading it. Any who, let’s get right into it. I’ve divided the headcanons into subcategories, appearance, personality, interests, and psychology + romance.

(Look at this fanart is by Amphany on DeviantArt. It was drawn for xYourHero. I’m gonna put it here for reference. https://www.deviantart.com/amphany/art/Dragon-smoke-548426383)

#hetalia #hetalia headcanons #2ptalia #2p!china #2p china #2p china headcanons #2ptalia x reader #2pchina x reader #axis powers hetalia #Axis powers ヘタリア #hetalia fanfiction #hetalia fanfic #alfredosauce50 #ask

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plotbnuy · 4 years ago

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KarpReviews - The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Back when The Hunger Games became a huge phenomenon, I have to admit that it didn’t quite grab me like it did for many. The original film came out on March 23rd, 2012, followed by Catching Fire late next year. These films started a trend of dystopian novel movie adaptations, with Divergent coming out on March 21st 2014, and Maze Runner coming out on September 19th that same year. By the time Mockingjay: Part One released on November 21′s, right after Maze Runner, I’d become a little burnt out on these tales of children fighting for survival against an oppressive system meant to keep society under control. Despite reading the first two books in the series, I didn’t return for Mockingjay.

That is, until a few months ago. I decided to give the books another try, and to my delight I grew to really love and appreciate them. Katniss is a wonderful protagonist, surrounded by a surprisingly colorful and interesting cast of characters (even though it still features the classic love triangle trope.) While the first two books were rereads, going in blind into Mockingjay was a treat, and I felt the series had a wonderfully satisfying ending.

Imagine my delight, however, when I realized that there was a prequel to the series! The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes features a much different entry in the story, taking place long before the events of the main series to highlight the tenth Hunger Games. In order to spice up what is comparatively an archaic and unpolished annual event, The Capitol has enlisted a large selection of students from an elite secondary school - simply referred to as “The Academy” - to mentor the children forced to fight in the arena! Who else should be chosen to be a mentor but a young Coriolanus Snow, hoping to become recognized and attain a university scholarship on his path to becoming President of Panem.

Yes, this entry puts us in the perspective of the infamous Coriolanus Snow, allowing us to see a little bit into what led to the events of the original Hunger Games novel. Not only does it flesh out Snow himself, but also how the titular event became the lavish, intricate, and audacious spectacle depicted during Katniss’s run in the arena. This allows this entry to differentiate itself immensely from the others, allowing it to feel fresh and new while it gives us a better look into the universe we’ve become a part of after three other novels and four films. With that being said, I want to dive deeper into what makes this particular entry so engaging.

While other entries in the series have a bit of a fluid structure, our story this time is split into very neat thirds: The events leading up to the games, the games themselves, and the aftermath. This time, we get to see the perspective of the games from the capitol’s eyes, as opposed to the districts. However, while the event is massively celebrated, with banquets, parties, tours, and intricate broadcasts during the 74th and 75th Hunger Games, the 10th is much different. It’s much bleaker and more depressing, as tributes are treated like livestock, with no access to good food or proper shelter. Many citizens, District or Capitol, would rather ignore the barbaric event, only bothering to attend The Reaping before returning to daily life. There’s no reward for victory, beyond the singular tribute avoiding death, only to return to the poverty-stricken districts. Tributes die before even entering the arena, leading the games themselves to be swift and merciless.

Ultimately, this raw and bleak depiction of the games, combined with Capitol citizens not yet disillusioned by the grandeur of future games, still recovering from the war, is a perfect choice for this Capitol-centric prequel. It keeps the citizens of The Capitol that we spend most of our time with from being completely unsympathetic, and it allows for a much more engaging story. Even before the games themselves, many things happen that impact the story, allowing for a lot of tension as things lead up to the main event.

Speaking of the Hunger Games, this is the first time we get to enjoy them from outside of the arena itself. As the story follows our mentors, we get to watch from their perspective as spectators as the games commence in the arena. This event also happens to be the first where sponsors are allowed to affect the games, sending gifts for the tributes to possibly keep them alive. Since the mentors themselves have agency over the games, they never feel boring as you hope for the survival of our main character’s tribute. The aftermath of the games left me absolutely shocked, leading into a finale that felt unlike anything the series has had to offer before.

Even though Coriolanus Snow is designated as our main character, this story is truly given life by the people who surround him. Closest to him is Sejanus Plinth, a childhood friend who joins Snow in the tribute mentorship program as his classmate. At first, Sejanus is telegraphed as an old rival and a clear foil to Snow, and you suspect he’ll be something of an antagonist given the disdain Coriolanus seems to have for him. However, I was pleasantly surprised as the story paints a much more intricate picture of our main character’s best friend. Their relationship is one of the many highlights of this story, as even when Snow tries to distance himself, or otherwise shows dislike for Sejanus, their paths become forcibly intertwined, and it becomes unclear whether they will become bitter rivals or loyal comrades.

The real star of the show for me is Coriolanus’s tribute, a District 12 girl named Lucy Grey Baird. A member of the Covey, she’s a performer and singer who prides herself in her skill for entertainment. With both Panem and the reader as her audience, her personality and charm is utterly captivating, with an even sharper wit than Katniss. Despite the circumstances, she becomes fond of Coriolanus early on, a fact attributed to Snow being one of the few mentors that goes out of his way to forge a bond with his tribute. She leaves an impression from her very first scene, and every moment with her going forward is captivating and wonderful. Truly, if I had to give a single reason to read this book, it would be for Lucy Grey specifically. Even though her situation seems completely impossible, you can’t help but hope for her victory in the games.

Of course, there’s always room for a good antagonist, even in a story starring Coriolanus Snow. Casca Highbottom, dean of The Academy, is one of the main obstacles making Snow’s future so uneasy. The story says little about him at first, only that he isn’t Coriolanus’s biggest fan, and that he created the Hunger Games themselves. He’s hard to read as a threat, given his addiction to painkillers and somewhat contradictory dialogue. Truthfully, he’s not much of a villain.

Enter Doctor Volumnia Gaul. Serving as the head Gamemaker, as well as an instructor at the Capitol University, she spends a large amount of time with both Coriolanus and the other mentors. Specializing in the “muttations” that her labs create for the Capitol, she serves as something of a mentor herself for Snow, challenging his morals and shaping his ideals. She starts off as seeming like an ally, only for her to show just how dangerous she is. She has a blatant disregard for life itself, only just barely being grounded enough to not be entirely absurd. Her presence gives the story a lot of much-needed tension, and I found her to be absolutely riveting.

What impresses me the most about Songbirds and Snakes is how it expertly avoids delivering what could have easily come off as a tragic backstory intended to garner sympathy for Panem’s ruthless dictator. Instead, it cleverly highlights Coriolanus’s personality, nature, aspirations, and faults, adding to his character without ever trying to suggest that he’s misunderstood or redeemable. His downfall, while accelerated by his environment, can be attributed entirely to the choices he makes himself. Even when surrounded by good people who genuinely love and care for him, miles away from the capitol, he makes the choice to become who he is: a vile, treacherous, untrusting snake. Yet, despite knowing his fate, there was a part of me that hoped he would make the right choice anyway, making the end of his arc even more effective.

Suzanne Collins is a truly talented writer. Not only is the original trilogy a fantastic read, but she managed to craft a prequel that both builds the lore of the series and has a major impact on the story as a whole. The connecting tissue between this prequel and the rest of the series is solid, not only fleshing out the world explicitly, but leaving breadcrumbs for attentive fans to enjoy. Upon reading the final chapters, there was a particular scene I couldn’t get out of my head. It wasn’t one within the book itself, but one that harkened forward to Mockingjay. I can picture Coriolanus Snow, eyes focused on the television as the rebels broadcast another one of Katniss’s propaganda videos. He can tell she’s in District 12, walking amongst the rubble of the decimated mining town. He thinks to turn away from the image of the collapsed Justice building and broken town square... until he hears Katniss begin to sing. His blood runs ice cold, every hair on his body stands on end, and in a hoarse, mangled voice, he begins to wail. Every one of his past sins comes rushing back as Katniss Everdeen unwittingly deals the most devastating blow she could ever give to Coriolanus Snow. It’s a scene that remains completely theoretical, and yet it’s perhaps one of the most powerful images in the entire Hunger Games saga. If you’ve enjoyed the rest of the series, then I urge you to read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

#the hunger games #hunger games #katniss everdeen #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #suzanne collins #coriolanus snow #lucy gray baird #book review

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jd-loves-everyone · 5 years ago

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Chapter 1: Lee Minho

At the age of 12, the school's yearly talent contest was probably the less exciting thing about my life, unlike what most of my peers thought. Not that it was boring but, considering I didn't have anything I practiced and/or was confident enough in to show off, I just felt slightly bad for all the dreams crushed at that damned event.

I could practically smell the sweat and tears (thankfully not literally) that would be spilled on the raised wooden stage as me and my friend, Maia, entered the auditorium.

Maia, my friend since the beginning of that year (not quite my BEST friend yet, but maybe ONE of them), with what I thought was an unmatched talent for musical theatre, was sat beside me.

She was supposed to be behind those giant puke green curtains, getting ready to take the award home. But because of a twisted ankle, she was unable to (something she cried about for at least a week, unlike what I would've done).

Even in that moment I couldn't understand why she'd want to even come see the contest, considering it would only hurt her more. But I didn't question it, and instead continued to make meaningless conversation with her about our day, as parents and children began to fill the space.

The show began shortly after the (way too long) speech from the principal about how we should all enjoy the show and have fun and all that.

I somewhat space after the disappointment that was the first girl, I feel some pity for her, being the first one to perform must not be easy. I did want to comment with Maia on it but she seemed to be in her own dimension, as I could also see the thoughts going through her head at 100 miles per hour, so I zoned out.

I remember seeing a boy with an exceptionally beautiful voice, which both me and Maia nodded along to and clapped extra hard for (even if when had been politely clapping for every participant, we gave it a LITTLE more effort that time), and I can recall little less.

There apparently were a lot more students participating that year, because the show to drag on forever and move slower than a snail, which quickly got pretty boring. I returned my attention to the brightly lit stage when seeing Maia sit a little straighter in her stair out of the corner of my eye in anticipation.

The contestant announced was "Lee Minho, the Dancing Gem."

'That's a bit much.' Was what I was planning to comment to Maia, before I saw the look of admiration in her eyes and the bittersweet up turn of her lips.

"You know him?" I asked instead. Her whole demeanor changed as she energetically turned to me.

"Do I know him? Who doesn't?! He's the most talented dancer in the district, I can guarantee you. My teacher watched him dance at a competition once and said that he had the potential to win at least a few national awards at just 13. That has to count for something." She declared passionately, waving her arms about.

I hummed a quiet (and unsure) 'we'll see', before turning towards the stage once more as the spotlights focused on the centre as the thick curtains parted slightly to let the next competitor through.

Upon first glance, there was nothing too special about his appearance. He was of average height, with somewhat broad shoulders covered by a white shirt, long legs dressed in ripped blue jeans and sneakers on his feet. That plus the usual straight black hair in the usual hairstyle really didn't make him stand out much. But god, was his face enough to make him stand out.

The best way to describe it was, pretty. He was just too pretty to be real.

He had double-lidded cat like eyes, a sharp and thin nose and a not too sharp nor too soft jawline. The most curious thing about his appearance was what I like to call a 'cat smile', a smile where the corners of the lips turned upwards while the rest remained in a straight line. It all just seemed to work. I could already imagine my mother saying something like 'Either puberty came earlier for him or he's gonna be a model when it does' and at that moment, I couldn't agree more with the imaginative comment.

'The beauty of simplicity' is as close as I could get to making justice to his features.

"You seem very focused now compared to earlier." Maia commented cheekily, making me blush. I couldn't even formulate an answer (to the clear jab at my ego), too caught up in wondering about truthfulness of it. Did he catch my attention more than the others? Obviously yes (not that they could really compare to him). Do I find him undeniably attractive? Hell yes. 'Oh god. I think I just got my first crush.'

I momentarily pushed those troublesome thoughts aside, instead focusing on the performance. And thank god I did, I soon realized I would've hated to miss even a second of the stunning act.

The way he moved was captivating in its own way. It looked natural, almost effortless, but it was also easy to tell that a lot of strict planning was involved, every move was flawless and not a centimeter out of place.

It was mesmerizing to watch, the charisma radiated from him in waves from the beginning all the way to the end of the performance.

When it ended, I became aware of the flabbergasted expression I had on my face, jaw slack and eyes wide in awe. It was too much for my young brain to fully comprehend. And maybe it was my, still recovering, brain playing tricks on me, but I swore he locked eyes with me as he bowed respectfully, throwing one of those cat-like smiles in my direction before exiting the stage. Probably didn't happen.

Well, if I THOUGHT I had a crush just by looking at him, I was sure of it after seeing him dance. That and I had just discovered my new passion.

"Dude, my teacher was right. He is SO much better in person." Maia commented lightly, turning my way. She was only met with my wide eyes and flushed cheeks as I realized...

"I have a crush on Lee Minho... And I really wanna learn how to dance." Maia blinked owlishly at my declaration, before bursting out into laughter.

"Oh, you got it bad huh. Well, maybe you can talk to him after the show." She said teasingly, holding back from letting her lips spread out into a wide cheshire grin.

"Oh please. I'd just be bothering him." My blush darkened, mentally dismissing the idea immediately. Like he'd care about what I had to say.

"Come on, why not? I'm sure he'd appreciate it." Maia said, genuinely this time, as I looked at her doubtfully.

The show was over in no time, as I pondered about whether or not I should actually go and talk to my new found crush, as Maia pestered me to do so.

The awards were given out, Minho winning first place (which came as a surprise to no one), the other awards going to people who frankly weren't that great but it wasn't like the whole selection was anything extraordinary. They were the best of the worst you could say, mediocre at best. But who am I to judge, they were just kids, but I guess my standard rose a little too high after Minho's breathtaking and heart-shatteringly captivating performance.

I eventually relented, getting up and stomping with a newfound determination to the main school hall where everyone had gathered after the show, looking around.

The hall was filled to the brim with parents and students alike, chatting lively and congratulating each other (some simply for participating).

It was hard to make out anyone's face clearly in the ocean of people, but nonetheless I tried my best to look for the star of the night, despite the nerves and anxiety sizzling in my gut.

I finally caught a glimpse of him as he was leaving the hall towards the outside of the building, probably hoping to not be bothered as he probably had already been bombarded by questions and praises all night. I stood there, in a slight moment of hesitation. 'Maybe he went outside because he wanted space, I really shouldn't bother him.'

I, mentally, shook that thought out of my head, if I wanted to talk to him it had to be now or I'd never do it.

I began walking toward the door leading outside, pulling it open with probably more strength than necessary.

As I stepped outside, I saw the boy of the night, sitting on the stone stepped right outside the door, looking up at the tall buildings surrounding the school.

Upon hearing the door slam closed, Minho turned in my direction to see who had just stepped outside, a stern but subtle furrow in his eyebrows.

"Hey can I bother you for a few minutes?" I spoke with surprising confidence, that even I didn't expect.

Due to his seemingly annoyed facial expression, I thought the answer might've been a no, but his eyes widened as he carefully took in my features, what looked like recognition flashing through his eyes. It was hard to tell what it was exactly because of his calm, maybe even cold, expression. I might've missed the changes if I wasn't paying close attention to his face (which got harder and harder as I looked at how his eyes seemed to spark like stars. Which was honestly, unfairly distracting.

"You don't bother." He finally spoke, patting the stone next to him, for me to sit.

"We'll see about that in a few minutes." I said jokingly as I sat next to him. From the corner of my eye, I could see a slight, microscopical upturn in his lips. A break in his mask, perhaps.

"I... I know you've either heard this too many times already, or if not it's gonna sound really weird but... I-I... Just wanted to say that..." I tried my best to get the words out, but it got nearly impossible as I felt his curious eye on the side of my down turned face.

"You know what? Forget it. It's not even that--"

"Important? I think it is, if this hard to get it out. Come on, don't leave me hanging now." He cut me off with a light chuckle, a gentle and encouraging smile on his lips when I turned towards his voice at the interruption.

"Well... It's kind of silly but... I just wanted to say that... I sort of, fell in love with dancing because of you. Watching you perform really, ignited something in me. And I think I really just meant to say thank you for giving me something to be passionate about." As I finished I started rubbing my arms, it seemed like that temperature had dropped a few degrees. Or maybe it was just the contrast of the chilly night air with my blushing cheeks.

At his silence, I slowly lifted my head to gage his reaction. I found shock written all over his face, the last crack on his emotionless mask making it shatter completely. I also found that the expression he wore was absolutely adorable, making me unintentionally let out a small giggle, which seemed to make him snap out of whatever trance he had been under. It also seemed to ease the tense atmosphere that had built up around us due to his previous lack of reaction and my own nerves.

He looked as if he was holding back a smile of his own, but it broke through his facade as he turned towards the buildings once again, their lights reflecting in his eyes.

"You were wrong you know? No one has ever said that to me before and it's not weird at all either. It's actually really touching. I never thought I had that effect on other people, I just thought all of them felt a sort of enjoyment at watching me. I never imagined I could move someone's emotions like that." He admitted chuckling, his eyes seeming to hold a new, beautiful shine to them.

"Well, now you know." I said awkwardly, fiddling with my sleeves. His stare was just a bit too intense for me to handle, making my blush darken (if possible).

"If you're serious about dancing, maybe you should join the dance club. I'm part of it, so I could help you out if you need it."

"Oh no, I don't know if that'd be a good idea. I would just be slowing you down." I said, furiously shaking my head in denial.

"It's no problem at all! I'm actually thinking of becoming a dance teacher when I grow up so, helping YOU helps ME." He smiled cutely.

'Why are you so damn cute?!'

"If it really isn't a problem, I guess I could try at least one class. Just to see if I like it. But I don't promise that I will!" I gave in after looking into his pleading eyes and (adorable) pouty lips. The contrast between his expression at that moment and at the beginning of our conversation was almost enough to give me whiplash. I preferred this expression much more.

We continued to talk for what seemed like an hour, though I couldn't be sure.

I did, in fact, join the school's dance club and stayed in it all the way up to high school (which wasn't covered by our school so we had to move, luckily we went to the same one, something I very anxious about).

In the dance club, I realized that it was a good idea for Minho to become a dance teacher. Under his guidance, I quickly got used to my new hobby, which soon turned into passion. He made everything seem easy and simple, and moved in a way that highlighted the precision of his moves.

I didn't think he could improve his dancing anymore, but he proved me wrong, as it had become usual, by continuing to win various awards which only got bigger and bigger.

As my love for dancing grew, so did my crush on him, as I got to see more of his 4D personality, and met his 3 adorable cats: Soon-ie, Doong-ie and Dori. I was even there when he got Dori, so I was pretty attached to the cat. (To all of them, as they were just absolutely adorable).

I've also experienced his slight... change in personality. How he became flirtier, how his compliments became bolder and how he became touchier. I tried not to think much of it, but I couldn't help but be hopeful, as those compliments weren't directed at everyone.

It only served to fuel this hope further when Hyunjin, a younger (and very handsome) dancer joined our highschool's dance club, since then we only seemed to get closer.

The moment I realised that my feelings for Minho were more than a meaningless childhood crush was actually a chain of events, not exactly one moment. Sometime after Hyunjin had joined the dance club.

It was time to go home after a long afternoon of practice, most other students had already left, bit me, Hyunjin, Minho and a few others had stayed behind to slowly pack up and tidy up the room. I was picking up my duffel bag, ready to head out, when Hyunjin called out to me. I walked over to where he, Minho and a couple other guys were gathered.

The others looked as if they were up to no good, which had me kind of curious, but I didn't dwell on it and instead turned to the one who had called me over. He also seemed odd, fiddling with his fingers nervously, his cheeks pink from something other than exertion.

"Hey. What's up?" I asked, hoping to snap the boy out of his little bubble. Seeing him like this wasn't usual, and was pretty entertaining to watch, but I didn't that snapping him out of it was the better option.

"H-Hey! Uh, well, I--" Deep breath.

"I was gonna ask you if you'd, maybe, want to go have coffee with me? Today, perhaps?" He managed after calming down, looking ready to be rejected. (Apparently. Would anyone actually reject him? No. So why was he so scared that I would?)

"O-Oh, I mean, yeah, I'd love to." I immediately felt a pang of guilt in my chest. 'What about Maia?' I thought. 'But it doesn't need to be a date, I could just try to tell him how awesome she is.' I thought, slightly bitterly, I did want a date with Hyunjin, but as my (best)friend, Maia was a priority. (Just spending time with him wouldn't hurt either).

As I accepted, Hyunjin got a small, shy smile on his face, his blush getting even darker. The boys around him laughed, patting his back. I caught a glimpse of Minho's face, his eyes were wide, jaw slack in disbelief. I brushed it off.

"Should we get going? It might get late--" I started, before being interrupted by Minho.

"Actually, she can't go today. She needs to... Help me with my cat! Yeah! I need some help with Dori!" It was clear he had made it up, but considering it was extremely out of character for him, it must have been important so I relented.

"Sorry Hyunjin, I'm gonna go with Minho. Raincheck to another day?"

Hyunjin nodded, somewhat sadly, as Minho basically dragged me out of the room by the arm as I tried to wave everyone goodbye.

Once we were out of the building, we settled into a comfortable walking pace towards the bus stop, as I texted Chan saying that he didn't need to pick me up today.

The bus ride was mostly silent (which was unusual), save for the small talk each of us tried to make. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable, but not exactly wanted either.

As we were walking down his street, nearing his house, I decided to finally ask the question that had been bugging me.

"Do you REALLY need my help with Dori? I mean, I know she likes me better, but it's still manageable right?" I said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

He looked as if he'd been caught stealing from the cookie jar.

"She doesn't like you THAT much. But I'll admit, that wasn't my actual intention." He said sheepishly. I was finally able to put 2 and 2 together, even if it was highly unlikely.

"Wait. Were you jealous?" The question made him hesitate as he was unlocking the door to his house.

"Uh, I... You know. Uh, you know what, I don't even REALLY know why I did it anyway." He sounded sincere enough, so despite my curiosity, I dropped the subject as he seemed genuinely torn.

"Welcome. My parents won't be home until later, so we're alone for now." He walked in, taking off his jacket as I put down my duffle bag, already heading towards the living, where the cats would most likely be.

As I approached the room, I could already hear them scratching at the door and meowing loudly. I opened the door, petting Soon-ie and Doong-ie as I passed them, heading towards the window on the far end of the room, Dori's favorite spot because of the heat the sun provided when it hit.

And there she was, laying in the last remains of the already setting sun. And with no signs of injury or anything to be worried about whatsoever.

"So, what exactly was wrong with her?" I turned to Minho as he entered with a teasing look, already anticipating his answer.

"I told you already, didn't I? I lied. Not sure why though." He walked to where Dori was sat, reaching to stroke her head, making her purr in delight, as the others also got closer to their owner at the chance to get petted. In response, Minho sat down next to the newest kitten, as Soon-ie and Doong-ie tried to climb onto his lap at the same time. This made him giggle, trying his best to satisfy every one of his "children".

It was like the world froze or slowed down in that moment.

The best was to describe the way Minho looked at that moment would be angelic, but even that wouldn't cover it.

His dark hair shone in the sun, looking too soft to resist, his dark eyes gazed fondly at his pets as a beautiful, peaceful and joyful smile broke out across his face. The sun framed the scene perfectly, making look picturesque, and suddenly I wished I had my camera with me at that moment to truly capture it in all its beauty.

I realized that the difference between our first meeting and then, was humongous, in the best way possible. He had become so open to me and so... Lively and relaxed. I loved the change.

That was the moment when I realized that my crush for Lee Minho was not going away anytime soon and that it wasn't just a silly childhood crush that would disappear in 2 weeks to a month. It was there, in my heart, to stay.

"You gonna just stand there looking weird? I know you love looking at my face but..." He directed that heavenly smile toward me as he spoke.

On that day, not only did I realize the extent of my feelings for Minho, he also realized the nature of his feelings for me.

#Lee Minho #skz #stray kids x reader #skz minho #lee know #minho #to all the boys i've loved before #stray kids #skz x reader #skz x you #to all the boys #fanfic #kpop #kpop x reader

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salmenzo · 4 years ago

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Weekly Update - Monday, January 25, 2021

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”

Dalai Lama

Good Morning,

The temperatures certainly did drop this weekend. While the sun was out, it was very deceiving. I had to run my weekly errands, and I got some extra cardio in by running from the car to the stores. The wind was the worst part in my area. Regardless, it was good to try to take a little break from the hectic pace of the work week. I hope that you too had some time, even if cold, to decompress this weekend.

Budget Update

The next meeting of the Board of Education to discuss the budget is this Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 6 p.m. The meeting can be found at the link below.

All meetings can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/wpsconnections/live.

As I shared last week, the budget maintains all services from this year. There is a slight reduction in teaching staff due to enrollment decreases; however, we always monitor those numbers as to not exceed district established class sizes guidelines.

Vaccination Update

As I shared in the update Friday, I stopped by the clinic on Thursday at the Wallingford Senior Center to witness the process. I was very impressed by the hard work of Steve Civitelli and his team. The clinic was efficient and very well organized. We are still holding out hope that we can begin to vaccinate our staff some time in February. This is solely dependent on the Governor's opening of 1b. for educators and also the availability of vaccines. I will keep you posted.

Again, if you are 75 or older, the Wallingford Health Department will be in contact soon to schedule an appointment. The next group will be those who are 65 or older in our district. Again, that will open once the Governor releases that option. The remainder of staff will be scheduled following that.

As I have also shared with some who have reached out to me directly, you are welcome to access the vaccine through other channels, as long as you qualify for the vaccine.

10 Ways to Survive Life in a Quarantine

The Sheehan High School Dramatic Arts Society has been working hard, “virtually” on their newest dramatic production. They will be “streaming'' 10 Ways to Survive Life in a Quarantine on February 19 & 20, 2021 beginning at 7:00 PM. A streaming ticket for this event is $20.00 and will allow you to stream to your TV and have your family watch the show. Streaming Tickets can be purchased from our website: http://bit.ly/SheehanDrama. Each ticket has its own unique streaming code.

If you're spending a long time at home, it can be a challenge to keep yourself occupied. Luckily, 10 Ways to Survive Life in a Quarantine is full of handy solutions, from putting on a musical with your dog, to becoming an announcer for a made-up sport, to falling in love with an inanimate object. Hey, we promised handy solutions - we never said they wouldn't be strange. Whether or not you're inspired to take up origami and squirrel observation, this play is sure to bring a laugh to anyone who finds themselves unexpectedly indoors.

Sheehan’s production stars:

Arianna Kaplan ‘21, Emma Connors ‘21, Ryan Villano ‘22, Vincent Atienza ‘22, Heather Gaydowen ‘22, Jacob Shook ‘22, Julie Rochniak ‘22, Marissa Capozzo ‘22, Travis Karosi ‘23, Emily Conte ‘23, Hailey dela Chevrotiere ‘’23, Julian Bingham ‘23, Ava Kaplan ‘23, Ava Lewellyn ‘23, Ronan Liu ‘24, Jesse Heinrich ‘24, Trinity Duffey ‘24, and our hosts for the evening Shane Kaplan ‘21 and Shannon McKenna ‘22.

We hope to “see” you there!!!!!!

Another Capstone Project for Your Support

My name is Hitika Patel, and I am a Capstone student at Sheehan High School. For my Capstone project, I am creating a multicultural support group where first generation/immigrant teenagers can vent, discuss, and celebrate our journeys and struggles through adapting to the dominant, Americanized culture. During these meetings, we will hold fun activities, competitions, games, and tutoring sessions so we can connect with other first generation/immigrant teenagers who share similar struggles.

These meetings will be every other week on Sunday mornings, and the first meeting will be March 7th via Google Meet! If you may know of any fellow first generation/immigrant teenagers of Wallingford who may be interested in joining my group, please email [email protected].

Commitment - Conviction - Consideration

Below are this week’s staff shout outs!

I would like to just take a minute and say THANK YOU!!! I've wanted to send an email out for sometime now but just have gotten to it. Thank you to everyone in the district for working so hard and putting in so many hours since March to make this school system work. Yes, things may not be perfect, but I think what we have here in Wallingford is wonderful.

My kids go to Pond Hill and Stevens and I have to say they are excited to go to school everyday and come home happy!!! In this time we are facing and with all the challenges I'd have to say there is success there. Even when Pond Hill was in virtual learning my daughter enjoyed it.

My daughter is in 5th grade with Ms. Parr and she just enjoys going to class. The bond they have built within the classroom has made this easier even though the teachers are overwhelmed and they are making it work.

My son is in 1st grade with Ms. Coppola. Even though this is her first year at Stevens and facing a whole group of new challenges with a new school and covid I'd have to say she is doing amazing as well. He is learning and advancing and comes home excited to tell me what he has learned.

Like I said in the beginning I Thank You all. From everyone in my kids' schools to the Board of Ed and Dr. Menzo for everything you have done for the kids and the community.

Good Morning! Although I'd like to list every single staff member here at Stevens, I thought I'd choose some of our newly hired COVID related support staff that have come on board this year to assist during these challenging times.

Deisy Garcia - PT Building Asst.

Devin McCarthy - PT Building Asst.

Cathy DeJesus - Covid Cleaning Team

I would also like to give a big shout out to our Custodian Nick Tremaglio for his tireless work in keeping our building clean and safe and our Nurse Suzanne Pallotta for assisting staff, students and families during this difficult and sensitive time.

One more shout out for our School Principal Mrs. Kristina Kiely for all of her hard work, support and ability to navigate and guide us all through this time, not an easy task, but she does it all with respect and a smile..

I'd like to shout out to other staff members not directly here at Stevens, but in our district as well for the outstanding job they're doing though this process:

Sal Menzo

Linda Lavelle

Jennifer Krass

Sharon Bukowski

Dave Bryant

just to mention a few....too many to list!

My daughter LOVES her classes with Mr. Robideau and Mrs. Reed. I always overhear laughter and screams mixed with a ton of learning! They are both upbeat and engaging and really know how to get these kids involved and create a real sense of togetherness while everyone is apart.

Her thoughts - “They are both fun and they get that things aren’t easy or normal right now and they are patient and helpful. They know it’s stressful and they do whatever they can to joke and make activities that are fun. Like Mrs. Reed’s Kahoots game gets so competitive and we get so excited! Or Mr. Robideau made an assignment based on the LED string lights we all have in our rooms! They make class enjoyable and I think everyone in class would agree.“

I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation for my daughter’s kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Megan Lemieux. She goes above and beyond every single day for my daughter and her classmates. Most children come home and when asked about their day typical responses are “good, fine, I don’t know.” However, the second my daughter gets in the car she tells me about all the fun activities she did that day and every morning she tells me how excited she is to go to school and play with her teachers and friends. Every lesson is presented in a fun and engaging way she does not realize she is learning. Mrs. Lemieux is a one of a kind teacher and I truly believe my daughter’s love of school and learning, especially during these unprecedented times, is because of how wonderful a teacher she is.

I recently saw an email pertaining to positive shout outs for teachers. I wanted to send a huge shout out to Mrs. Meyer, who is a first grade teacher at Highland. She has gone above and beyond for my daughter. As a result my daughter is having the best year ever. I know first hand how different and difficult it is this year (being a teacher myself). Mrs. Meyer has made my daughter feel safe and loved and she wants to go to school even on the weekends. She has learned so much in such a short period of time and it makes me so happy as a parent. I feel so lucky to live in such a wonderful town and I also want to thank you for everything!!

Mrs. Meyer and her para, Ms. Calage, have done so much for my daughter this year and I truly can't thank them enough.

I've been teaching 19 years myself and my step mom was a teacher for 40 years (worked in West Haven with Judy and Maria actually). So teaching is something we cherish!

Thank you, again for a great year!

Hello Dr. Menzo and Mr. Zocco,

I would like to share with you that I felt the parent-teacher conferences I had on Tuesday night were great. All of the teachers I met with (there were 12 of them) answered any questions I had, gave me some insight as to how my children are doing in class and what I can do to support them, and most importantly, wanted to check on how my kids were doing outside of school concerning the pandemic. My two children are doing well so some of the conferences were only for a short time, but all of the teachers were genuinely interested in the well-being of my children.

These teachers are going the extra mile for all students and I wanted you to be aware. I am so glad my children attend Sheehan High School. Thank you for everything you are doing.

Make it a great week!

Sal

Dr. Salvatore F. Menzo

Superintendent

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @SalMenzo

Wallingford Public School District

Wallingford Public School System Mission

To inspire through innovative and engaging experiences that lead all learners to pursue and discover their personal best.

THE INFORMATION IN THIS TRANSMISSION IS PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL AND INTENDED ONLY FOR THE RECIPIENT LISTED ABOVE. If you have received this transmission in error, please NOTIFY ME IMMEDIATELY BY E-MAIL AND DELETE THE ORIGINAL MESSAGE. Responses provided by this E-Mail are SIMILAR to ordinary telephone or face-to-face conversations.

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wendyimmiller · 5 years ago

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Good Plant, Bad Plant, Native and Non-Native. Is it That Simple?

Liatris, Lobelia, Pycnanthemum living happily with Perovskia at The Art Institute in Chicago.

Guest Rant by Roy Diblik

Every planting situation creates diverse opportunities – not just for how it can be planted, but for how each of us can share our thoughts about it with each other. Whether it is a prairie, an urban vegetable or ornamental garden, a school developing outdoor classrooms, a city park being replanted, or a forest preserve: every open space should be planted thoughtfully, but not necessarily the same way for the same reasons.

We want and need diversity in gardens, parks, schools, businesses, villages, cities – and ourselves. There are so many reasons to plant. We plant to benefit the soil, the insects, the birds, the small creatures, the water, the air. We plant to understand art, theatre, dance, music, and all forms of culture. We plant to live healthier lives and to experience involvement, commitment, satisfaction, cheerfulness, gratification, comfort, and the joy of sharing.

We need to arrive at an understanding regarding not just the cultivation of nature, but also the cultivation of ourselves, our own human nature. Each of us must have an affection for the other: the birder for the delphinium collector, the prairie enthusiast for the perennial gardener, the butterfly observer for the daylily hybridizer, the golf course superintendent for the naturalist, the land developer for the farmer. We are realizing that healthy relationships grow when we come to appreciate one another’s loves and passions.

To support what matters to everyone, we cannot simply say a native plant is better than a non-native or a non-native is better than a native. No answer is that simple, no person or planting can be that limiting or that limited. When we come to know plants in a close, sound way, native and non-native plants can live collectively planted in all situations and conditions. Those plantings will be determined individually by each project’s goals and objectives, and diversity is healthy. Picture prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) living with Salvia ‘Wesuwe’ and groupings of bell peppers in a beautiful, sustainable vegetable meadow.

We have to come to know the plants, their infinite relationships to each other from youth to maturity. Not judge and argue with each other concerning what we may not really know enough about.

Veronicastum and Eupatorium sharing a good life with Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster.’

I am watching a prairie garden being planted in the Chicago area knowing it will be another bleached-out prairie. In a few years the garden will be filled with the native thugs: goldenrod (Solidago), asters, Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), and prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera). There is nothing intrinsically wrong with these plants – I use them myself. Whether in seed or plug form, however, they establish very rapidly and seed themselves early and heavily within their own community. They will out-compete the other native species planted or seeded with them and then dominate the planting.

In many new plantings that attempt to restore and recreate the native prairie, this is the situation that results – what I call the bleached-out commercial prairie. If the designers had known the plants better, they would have not used this group of natives initially, knowing they could be introduced a few years later and would find a home in the established, diverse planting.

Jerry Wilhelm, who wrote Flora of the Chicago Region, always had the thought of planting a young oak and beginning its life and continuing its life with the plants Oaks have always lived with. These are photos of a young Oak planted first with native Carex, some Podophyllum, Geranium and Phlox. He plants only to the drip line of the tree canopy and keeps adding plants as the canopy gets larger every year or two. He also burns the little area.

As I suggested earlier, we all have our loves and passions. But we have to know the plants. There can be no successful way to create gardens with all the qualities and forms of beauty we want. And we will often emotionally critique other people’s plantings, arguing back and forth about what each of us believes is a better way. Yet here’s what can take place with a knowledge of plants and all of us working together:

Each of us who is passionate about native plants and their benefits to all creatures can collaborate with others to help the park districts, cities, corporate campuses, and even golf courses that recognize they have too much turf and would appreciate thoughtful, successful alternatives. At the same time, we should never scold people for the turf they actually need for play, aesthetic continuity, and sports programs.

Working together, we can get diverse prairie plantings – at least 6 to 14 species per square meter – into park districts, cities, villages, and urban spaces where they are useful. If we cannot cooperate to do this in our public spaces, how will we ever get native plants into residential landscapes? Some people still think the prairie is untidy, harbors pests, or causes damage to their homes. We need to convince them of the health and beauty of the prairie.

We can help municipal agencies learn and work together, teaching proper long-term seeding practices to encourage plant diversity that will in the long run provide more habit for insects, birds, and small animals. We can encourage municipalities to get community residents involved in collecting and sowing the seeds and managing their plantings. We can share with them how beauty is not immediate but arrives and stays in many ways and at different times. We can show them how to pass the process on to the next generation of families and residents. As we accomplish this together, thousands of acres of unused, mowed turf will become prairie, connecting one city to the next and inspiring all their residents. Then, as more and more people see the beauty and activity of a genuine developing prairie, they will find ways to bring the activities into their own gardens, and native plants will have a home in all our neighborhoods.

10-year-old seeded prairie, seeded every November to continue adding diversity. Each seeding is nurtured by the previous plants established. This is the thoughtful, smart practice of Tom Vanderpoel who very sadly passed away two years ago.

With knowledge of plants, vegetables don’t have to be separated into their own areas. They can live well with native and non-native perennials, annuals, shrubs, and trees. With knowledge of plants, perennial gardens will be cared for in a way that responds to every plant’s healthy ability to grow with and into other groups of plants, without requiring constant mulching, dividing, and replacement. When planted thoughtfully, annuals can strengthen and enliven plantings of perennials and shrubs. Annuals can become components of a process and complement the quiet, durable plants that make up the majority of the long-term plantings.

In each planting situation I have mentioned native plants. It is hard to understand why people would not appreciate the value of using native plants in every style of planting. At the same time, assuming all plantings should consist of only native plants seems short-sighted and limiting to the possibilities for expanding the use and joy of natives. I think we can all agree that we are a community of many, living together, working together, and trying to understand how to do it better and smarter. We have to be, for many reasons.

Whatever your personal passions, beliefs, hopes, and necessary dreams, I urge you to leave opportunities for others who may have different thoughts, but who also want to live in beauty, be healthy, and plant the earth in smart ways. We can all probe deeper and pursue truths together, raising the level of beauty, managing time and money effectively, and living enthusiastically with others.

Roy Diblik, co-founder of Northwind Perennial Farm, is a recognized perennial plant expert, grower, designer, speaker and author.

Good Plant, Bad Plant, Native and Non-Native. Is it That Simple? originally appeared on GardenRant on March 13, 2020.

The post Good Plant, Bad Plant, Native and Non-Native. Is it That Simple? appeared first on GardenRant.

from Gardening https://www.gardenrant.com/2020/03/good-plant-bad-plant-native-and-non-native-is-it-that-simple.html via http://www.rssmix.com/

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turfandlawncare · 5 years ago

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Good Plant, Bad Plant, Native and Non-Native. Is it That Simple?

Liatris, Lobelia, Pycnanthemum living happily with Perovskia at The Art Institute in Chicago.

Guest Rant by Roy Diblik

We have to come to know the plants, their infinite relationships to each other from youth to maturity. Not judge and argue with each other concerning what we may not really know enough about.

Veronicastum and Eupatorium sharing a good life with Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster.’

Roy Diblik, co-founder of Northwind Perennial Farm, is a recognized perennial plant expert, grower, designer, speaker and author.

Good Plant, Bad Plant, Native and Non-Native. Is it That Simple? originally appeared on GardenRant on March 13, 2020.

The post Good Plant, Bad Plant, Native and Non-Native. Is it That Simple? appeared first on GardenRant.

from GardenRant https://ift.tt/2xC9KLt

#GardenRant

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jillmckenzie1 · 5 years ago

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Grimm’s Scary Tales

October is known as “gig-tober” amongst performers because the modern incarnation of Halloween lends itself so well to dressing up and being dramatic; every troupe in town has a zombie-themed show running this month, and I’m here to talk about one of them. It’s Audacious Theatre’s Grimm’s Scary Tales. The production nicely represents the two things that humans fear: death and the unexplained (which arguably includes death). October is the season when we get to exorcise and process those fears in a way that involves slutty outfits and huge volumes of high-fructose corn syrup. How completely *human* it is for us to express death, sex, and eating all in one invented holiday. Happy Halloween!

Let’s start with the Scary Tales. The brothers Grimm have provided the backbone of European fairytales for centuries and they’re known for their grim and gory nature. Fairies are not Tinkerbell and fairytales are not for children. Filled with spilled blood and grotesque dual natures, the Grimms’ stories tell us about ourselves and reveal the frailty, folly, and fallacy of being human. All too often, those attributes are exemplified in our innate tendencies toward violence and in the grotesqueries of death. We use the slight remove of calling this “folklore” to give ourselves enough space to process these inevitable horrors through a tolerable pathway. In the case of Scary Tales, that pathway is side stairs to the basement under Felt billiards hall in Englewood.

There’s nothing scarier to a school district’s austerity budget than theater kids, and those are what greet you as you descend the concrete stairwell into the venue. The dark parking lot and damp cement add a note of verisimilitude to the whole experience. You get your ticket and are offered the chance to buy a plastic poncho before descending the interior steps because “things might get messy.” I bought a poncho and descended into a basement that would have been creepy on Christmas, where I found a bar with a menu that offered six mixed drinks and “spaghetti and meatballs.”

“Is that real?” I asked the bartender. “Like, actual spaghetti and meatballs?”

“Yes,” he replied. “I can go upstairs and get it for you.” Well, then.

I mention this exchange only because I’ve never seen an alcohol menu that included a pasta option. I skipped the long-chain-carbo-loading and settled for a short-chain-carb-heavy “Candy Corn Cocktail,” which had pineapple juice and candy corn and whipped cream and tasted like what my 14-year-old self had hoped liquor would be.

The show begins in the bar itself, with actors whose costuming reminisces about the Mos Eisley Cantina—a crown of plumbing tubes and bits, belts strung with nuts and bolts, etc. If a hardware store had a baby with an army-navy surplus supply in a galaxy far, far away, it might look similar. I say that with appreciation, not disparagement. It’s a cool effect. The story is introduced by ripping a sheet of parchment out of an enormous, magical tome, the title read aloud and then enacted for us by the players, while the footsteps of the Felt patrons clomp on the ceiling. Oddly, this last bit adds a layer of creepiness to the whole endeavor.

One of the things that I love about live theater is the magic of conjuring up an entire world out of a mere suggestion, verbal or physical. The Audacious folks have done a great job in creating a creepy space and a coherent aesthetic across the scenes. They’ve constructed several set locations in the basement that create different locations for the tales, yet seem to belong together. My personal favorites were a “thorn bush” built out of bicycle handlebars and a “horse-drawn carriage” that was a shopping cart in a previous life. With the plumbing costuming flourishes and the basement setting, it all tied together in a coherent experience.

The actual content of the fairytales is horrifying. Monsters, dismemberment, slaughters, magical spells—there was a lot of hanging by the neck until dead. The classic themes of people wearing animal forms and animals doing people activities were represented. I had no idea that hedgehogs were so ferocious and enormous. But in fairytales, they certainly are. In the midst of the horror and gore, the show had some genuinely funny moments. I’ll call out Hans the (ferocious) Hedgehog and the unnamed dog as each having laugh-out-loud moment, among others.

The actors, split between adults who used to be theater kids in high school and youngsters who soon will be, pulled the whole thing off with enthusiasm, aplomb, and very little “amateur rattle.” The performances were quite polished. The kids, in particular, added a note of fun and creepiness. I mean, watching sibling children butcher each other is horrifying in a way that adult assassinations can’t match. I involuntarily recalled being pinned to the ground by my older sister in the same exact way, even if the outcome of those childhood spats was ultimately less bloody.

I won’t spoil the story by revealing how it “got messy,” but it certainly did. I was happy to have the poncho. There was a fair amount of acrylic-paint “blood” throughout the whole program, the poignant scent of which lent it an odd combination of horror and kindergarten. When the show closed and we trooped back to the bar, I considered again the plate of spaghetti. There was something oddly fitting about ending the evening of gore with a platter of ground-up meat and red sauce—a final immersive element in an immersive production.

from Blog https://ondenver.com/grimms-scary-tales/

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thanksgivingday2017-blog · 7 years ago

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Thanksgiving Day 2017 in United States

Keep in mind what you were educated in review school? Escaping religious oppression, the Pilgrims cruised from England, arrived on Plymouth shake more than two months after the fact, scarcely survived their first winter. With the assistance of Squanto and the inviting Wampanoag, who showed them how to misuse the neighborhood fish and amusement, plant corn and squash, and furthermore shielded them from other threatening tribes, the band of pilgrims prevailing with regards to setting up a questionable decent footing at the edge of the North American wild. The main Thanksgiving in 1621 was held to praise an abundant collect with the tribe that helped make it conceivable.- Happy Thanksgiving 2017 United States

The genuine story, it turns out, is neither as straightforward nor as comforting as this pared down history would propose. Not that the students of history concur on what the genuine Thanksgiving story is. Furthermore, it isn't simply students of history who are quarreling about the noteworthiness of America's devour day. It is normal Americans like—well—Rush Limbaugh for instance, who are saying something regarding the occasions of four hundred years back.

They sat down and have unfenced turkey and natural vegetables, Rush permits, "however it was not the Indians... it was private enterprise and Scripture which spared the day." And it wasn't only a sharp winter and deficiency of sustenance that risked Pilgrim survival; it was, you gotten it, communism, and those collective staying flower child Pilgrims themselves.

The famous talk radio host accuses the Pilgrim's mutual hard working attitude and equivalent sharing of the their rewards for so much hard work for the state's rough first year in which half of the one hundred pioneers died of starvation and sickness—

"The most innovative and enterprising individuals had no motivator to work any harder than any other individual, unless they could use the energy of individual inspiration!"

The tide turned, as indicated by Rush, when the province's representative, William Bradford, alloted a private plot of land to every family, in this way setting free the advantageous forces of the commercial center in the People's Republic of Plymouth Rock.

This revisionist history is welcomed with bemusement by proficient students of history. Be that as it may, Limbaugh is not the only one in utilizing Thanksgiving to score some political focuses. While Thanksgiving's lovers see it as a festival of the strength, devotion and penances of the principal European transients to American shores, the occasion's faultfinders guarantee that it whitewashes the genocide and ethnic purging of indigenous individuals.

In the event that you happen to spend Thanksgiving in Plymouth Massachusetts this year, you can pick between two open recognitions. You can watch the official parade, in which townspeople dressed like pioneers walk to Plymouth Rock bearing blunderbusses and thumping drums. Or, then again you can remain on the highest point of Coles Hill with indigenous individuals and their supporters and quick in recognition of what they call a "national day of grieving" in recognition of the pulverization of Indian culture and people groups.

These two occasions speak to profoundly unique dreams of American history. The official form, the one we learn in school, basically begins with the arrival of the Mayflower in 1620 out of a little cove north of Cape Cod. In the Native form, then again, the presence of the Pilgrims on American shores denotes the start of the end.

Truth be told, the final days started for Massachusetts Indians quite a long while prior, when British slaving teams coincidentally presented smallpox—conveyed by their contaminated steers—to waterfront New England killing more than 90% of the nearby populace, who needed antibodies to battle the illness. (Contrast this amazing figure with the 30 percent passing rates at the stature of the Black Plague.)

While the obliterated Wampanoag helped the British vessel individuals survive their first nerve racking year, Native Americans say that the support was not returned. A gathering which calls itself "The United American Indians of New England" claims that as a byproduct of Indian liberality, Pilgrims stole their grain stores and victimized Wampanoag graves.

The authentic confirmation for grave victimizing is somewhat thin. Also, maybe we can pardon the starving Pilgrims for stealing a little Indian corn. In any occasion, this negligible stealing without a doubt finished with their first adequate collect, which was praised with a three day devour. It remains an open inquiry, be that as it may, regardless of whether the Wampanoag were really welcomed, or in the event that they dropped in on the gathering, as a few students of history now recommend, when they heard gunfire from the stockaded town and came to look at what truly matters to the upheaval.

There is additionally the much bantered about inquiry of what was on the menu. There is no confirmation for turkey, it turns out, just some sort of wild fowl—likely geese and duck—venison, corn mush and stewed pumpkin, or customary Wampanoag succotash. Cranberries, however local to the district, would have been excessively tart for betray, and sweet potatoes were not yet developed in North America, however grapes and melons would have been accessible.

The thought that the principal Thanksgiving was some sort of diverse love-fest, as it has been depicted, is additionally questioned by students of history, who say that the pilgrims and the Indians were united less by authentic companionship than by the furthest point of their shared need. The two battling groups were never more than attentive partners against different tribes.

The pioneers were derisive of the Indians, who they viewed as boorish and sinister barbarians, and the delicate early peace between Native Americans and the early pilgrims would soon disentangle in an awful way in what is currently Mystic Connecticut, where the Pequot tribe was commending their own Thanksgiving, the green corn celebration. In the predawn hours, pioneers—not the Pilgrims, but rather a band of Puritans—dropped on their town and shot, clubbed and consumed alive more than 700 local men, lady and youngsters.

This butcher, as indicated by Robert Jensen, an educator at the University of Texas at Austin, was the genuine root of Thanksgiving—so declared in 1637 by Massachusetts Bay Governor John Winthrop in appreciation for God's annihilation of the unprotected Pequot town. From that point slaughters of the Indians were routinely trailed by "days of thanksgiving."

Some blogosphere students of history have gone so far as to guarantee that it was so as to merge this plenty of horrifying dining experiences that George Washington made his Thanksgiving Day Proclamation in 1789. In all actuality, our first president's point was not to commend the genocide against the Indians, but rather to pay tribute to the survival of the juvenile yet endangered country. All things considered, disturbing inquiries concerning the inceptions of our national devour remain.

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Jane Kamensky, an educator of history at Brandeis University, pondered on the site Common-Place (in 2001) regardless of whether it bodes well to blend up the verifiable pot, "to plumb the base of everything - to decide if the principal Thanksgiving was only an affection for slaughter, oppression, and removal that would follow in later decades."

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customjord · 7 years ago

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After Colorado, Civil Rights Lawyer Argues for More Access to Guns - And PIE

I speak to common individuals who endure remarkable hardship on account of the most capable gathering in this general public, the outfitted government. Marks tail me wherever I go. Individuals hear that I'm a Civil Rights lawyer, and I see them jump. They normally inquire as to whether I'm a liberal, in case I'm an agnostic, in case I'm with the ACLU, or in the event that I abhor cops. "No," I generally say. In any case, their confronts demonstrate doubt.

Anyway, when I heard that a 24 year old man burst into a motion picture theater in Colorado and began shooting pure individuals with a strike rifle, I was stunned by the level of weapon viciousness that this occasion highlighted. I additionally understood that discourse would soon move in the opposite direction of that occasion and to the inquiry: should we make it harder for individuals to claim guns. Here, I address that inquiry, offering a conclusion that I trust best regards the Civil Rights of each reputable American native.

To start with, we should take a gander at what the law says in regards on our right side to possess guns. The Second Amendment expresses: "An all around managed Militia, being important to the security of a free State, the privilege of the general population to keep and carry weapons, might not be encroached." That content doesn't precisely ring with clearness. For that, we need to swing to the perceptions of the United States Supreme Court. In our three-fanned arrangement of government, they are the keep going word on the Constitution.

Together two later however imperative cases, District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. City of Chicago translate the Second Amendment and lead us to two purposes of clearness: the Constitution does not permit elected or state government to summarily restrict guns from well behaved nationals; and the privilege to keep and remain battle ready is an essential right that is important to our "arrangement of requested freedom."

In any case, the Supreme Court has additionally noticed that the Second Amendment ideal to claim a firearm is restricted. As the Court stated, it's "not a privilege to keep and convey any weapon at all in any way at all and for whatever reason." The Court forewarned that their choices shouldn't be translated in a way that would give occasion to feel qualms about some old laws that as of now forbid criminals and the rationally sick from having guns. Nor should their choice be translated to address laws that prohibit the conveying of guns in touchy places, for example, schools and government structures, or laws forcing conditions and capabilities on the business offer of arms. Thus as an issue of law, weapon bans are unlawful. In any case, impediments on firearm possession are digging in for the long haul.

After the Colorado theater shooting we now hear many posing the inquiry, shouldn't we expand the constraints on firearm possession?

No. We ought not make it harder for a reputable subject to get a weapon. We should make it less demanding for well behaved residents to take after the law and approach guns, for all intents and purposes any gun. Firearm proprietorship is a Civil Right, all things considered.

See, confront it. Guns in some shape will exist the length of furnished clash with another person is a plausibility. The main down to earth, if not sensible, arrangement and reaction to the Colorado shooter was a slug, ideally between his eyes as he pointed his firearm toward the men, ladies, and youngsters who passed on that day. There is essentially no better reaction to an outfitted risk than legitimately conveyed arms.

Disposing of guns debilitates our capacity to protect ourselves from local and abroad dangers. While far-fetched, the likelihood of equipped clash on American soil with a foe nation or group isn't something we should trifle with - particularly since 9/11.

Measurements don't demonstrate a connection between's harder weapon laws and less firearm related passings. This is not even a genuine purpose of verbal confrontation any longer. As the McDonald Court noticed, a total restriction on guns in Chicago neglected to stem firearm brutality. Truth be told, the quantity of shootings went up.

The disappointment of weapon bans additionally demonstrates that the police are not by outline great overseers of our general security. This is not a feedback. The police are horribly out-numbered by us, and when we don't coexist with each other, they are regularly there when things are as of now painted with brutality and truly fouled up.

How about we likewise abstain from offering into the dream that cops are faultless, overcome saints who, similar to Superman, land in barely a second and spare us. Cops are individuals, much the same as you and me. They are for the most part great. In any case, there are a couple of terrible ones. Trust me. I've met them in court. How about we not restrain guns for their care. In matters of wellbeing, how about we act naturally dependent and capable.

What occurred in the Colorado theater shooting on July 20, 2012, was stunning, vile, and miserable. However, it is stupid to recommend that America ought to decrease access to guns out of appreciation for the casualties. That is quite recently not sheltered. More tightly weapon limitations make a weaker, more organization bloated, powerless society. Also, nobody needs that.

We need to act naturally dependent and mindful. I think those common yearnings have all of us concurring that there are some among us who should just not have guns. No genuine talk about this subject would allow weapon access for the rationally sick. Nor do we need youngsters purchasing handguns. Nobody needs a famously brutal criminal to arm himself days subsequent to completing time in jail or getting off parole (occurs in a few states). Nobody needs fear monger associations or those on psychological oppressor watch records to purchase explosives or guns (extraordinarily, that is happened). Also, for me, that is the place the tricky slant of this discourse begins.

Where it closes is dependent upon us today. Actualizing limitations on guns - like any administrative movement - is muddled business. Also, any new laws composed after or in memory of the Colorado theater shooting ought to be centered around tidying up that chaos. How about we have proficient, predictable, and sensible firearm laws. Change in the law is expected to make things uniform, clear, and simple so that well behaved subjects can possess guns.

Thus, I propose that the "sensible weapon control" banter about is an exercise in futility. Both sides of that open deliberation are blameworthy of putting nonsensical thoughts out as sensible ones. What's more, I don't know any individual who likes contending over what is sensible. Moreover, it reduces the genuine objective that we as a whole need to accomplish, a sheltered America.

So I propose we adopt another strategy. Rather than belligerence over what is "sensible firearm control," how about we look for "exact personality prohibition" (PIE). We, the well behaved larger part, should barely characterize, distinguish, and concur upon those dangers to society who ought to be weapon less. At that point with barely engaged, productive, reliable, sensible dialect, we should vote in favor of firearm laws that keep guns out of their hands, not our own.

PIE bodes well since it puts the attention on the correct issue - the general population who shouldn't have the guns. It stops the talk about which ought to or ought not be accessible. PIE fits with Supreme Court choices and is the slightest prohibitive approach to improve firearm laws. It trumps the call for gun hiding furniture, and it enables decent natives with a basic self-protection apparatus. We should not have the deplorability of a mass shooting alarm us into silly contention. How about we carry on of a yearning to discover assention and make things safe. We should act with accuracy to target and address the irrational threat made by the individuals who shouldn't have guns.

What's more, here's the extreme part. PIE can't guarantee our wellbeing (that is outlandish). In the event that these dangers or hazards to society can't be exactly distinguished, at that point we should not sit around idly contending over who they could or may be. We should continue from show information, not from fear.

I am a legal counselor who attempts to secure and save your Civil Rights. The Second Amendment contains one of those rights. It prevents government from wiping out our essential ideal to secure ourselves, our families, our home, our nation. Ensure that privilege with me. Make PIE the concentration of weapon control. Request succinct, uniform, effective laws. By doing that, we respect the casualties of the Colorado theater shooting and every mass shooting. We ensure the Second Amendment. We secure each other. Also, we think before we fear

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