#NOT A TON ADMITTEDLY but i did try <33
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Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story
Developed/Published by: Jeff Minter, Digital Eclipse / Digital Eclipse
Released: 13/04/2024
Completed: n/a
Completion: Played and viewed all of “The Early Years” and part way through "The Hairy Years" and still digging into the rest of it.
I know, I can’t believe it either. Every Game I’ve Finished topical for two weeks and even posting a write up of a game on its day of release (well, for supporters, anyway). It’s like I’m a games journalist again (spit).
I was hugely excited for this after enjoying what I’ve played of Atari 50 (better than those flashback collections!) and The Making of Karateka, and although this is absolutely, 100% not what I would choose to put out if I was attempting to be commercial after The Making of Karateka, I’ve gotta say… fair play to them. Though they’re pretty much nailing their flag in the terrain that says the Gold Master Series is not so much The Criterion Collection of games as it is like… Vinegar Syndrome or something. I mean there’s nothing wrong with that! Someone’s gotta put out deluxe versions of Bruno Mattei films [checks notes] oh hang on, no.
(To be fair, it’s actually a lot more like my buddy Justin’s boutique label Gold Ninja Video, which actually does insane work to put out work by filmmakers who should absolutely be known better.)
Anyway. They say there’s a stonking 42 games on this, but that’s a slight exaggeration because there’s technically on 33 different games with a few offering different versions based on system (Gridrunner, for example, is on VIC-20, C64, Atari 8-bit and as a remastered version) and most of the games are pre-1985 so there’s a lot of stuff here that’s really only going to be of interest if you like diving into some very dusty cupboards. This is something I honestly enjoy very much, so I loved pulling out a VIC-20 game and trying to make sense of it, but for many, I assume, the main draw here is the fact that it’s a proper re-release of his beloved Tempest 2000, a well that Minter has been back to a bunch of times–I loved TxK to pieces. It’s a slight bummer that this doesn’t re-release Minter’s more recent games which have been delisted like the iOS “Minotaur Project” (of which only a couple of games have been re-released as Minotaur Arcade.) However, it seems pretty obvious that would be a ton of fucking work to port, as would, say, getting a Nuon emulator up to spec so people could play Tempest 3000, so that's... fine.
(There’s also no Defender 2000, but that’s rights issues, and as far as I remember people don’t think that’s any great shakes.)
Presentation-wise, you know what to expect with this release, the same wrapper as in Atari 50 and The Making of Karateka with some different colours and music. This is fine! I think I’ve settled into this three releases in. You get a ton of interesting images, details, and box art to look at, though I still have issues with the layout of the documentary/museum (I can't remember which terminology Digital Eclipse would prefer.) I have small quibbles: in “The Early Years” if you go through it in order you play a version of Bomber on ZX Spectrum before they introduce the system into the narrative (admittedly the kind of thing you won't spot unless you're brutally anal on these kind of things like myself.) Then the final video you watch recaps everything you’ve just learned in a way that makes you feel like it should either have come first, or been split up into more videos.
But I’d argue there’s deeper structural issues if you’re really trying to get people excited about video game history, and I again place it at the decision to go pure chronological* (as I did in The Making of Karateka.) If you play each game as you go, you’ll play a series of games so old and so ropey that you have to already be interested in this story to see it out. If you don’t know why you should care about Jeff Minter, I’m sorry, but a video of some talking heads and then immediately playing 3D3D, a baffling and slow first person maze game for ZX81 that has literally no analogue in the entire rest of his career is… not going to help! And I have to again bang on that I feel they just don’t place the games in enough context of the wider games industry at the time.
(*There's a quirk in that it's not exactly chronological, because all the Atari 8-bit ports are later in the documentary, which is a bit weird when you, for example, play two versions of Gridrunner and then the Atari 8-bit version several games later. I'm unclear on the exact reason if it, and if you're going to be even that irreverent, feels like you might want to just wildly reorder the whole thing for the audience anyway.)
I think Digital Eclipse’s counter overall would be that I probably want something more verbose and detailed which wouldn’t be as accessible, which isn't wrong. They might even argue that I'm basing my criticism on a hypothetical consumer who isn't even their intended audience! It's a hard line to ride, but I’d still argue that there’s a sense for storytelling in the curation here that’s missing--and I really don't want them to limit their audience because as critical as I might be, I love this series already and I want it to go on forever.
So yes, this is still the exact kind of thing I want to be released and if it’s opening up people to learning more about Jeff Minter and Llamasoft on their own time then I think it’s brilliant. I just think that anyone who picks this up who isn't already steeped in this era needs to be a bit forgiving and skip past all the ropey old games after looking at them for a couple of minutes tops and just enjoy reading the text and watching the videos until they get to the good stuff, so consider this fair warning before you buy it (because you should buy it.)
I mean if you only want this to play Tempest 2000 (and Llamatron 2112, actually) there’s nowt wrong with that, and that’s already worth the money.
Will I ever play it again? I’m still working through it!
Final Thought: I will, of course, be playing every game on this, and although I won’t be giving every Llamasoft release a full post, I have at least started with a write-up of each of the games in "The Early Years", as an introduction to the kind of things you’d be playing if you pick this up (and which sadly explains why you probably won’t want to play most of them... it gets better by the time you get to The Hairy Years, and significantly). If you want to read it, it's a supporter-only post over at my ko-fi. I suppose saying that makes my usual please subscribe stinger a bit pointless but let's hammer the point home why not.
Support Every Game I’ve Finished on ko-fi! You can pick up a digital copy of exp. 2600, a zine featuring all-exclusive writing at my shop, or join as a supporter at just $1 a month and get articles like this a week early.
#gaming#video games#games#txt#text#review#nintendo#nintendo switch#llamasoft#llamasoft: the jeff minter story#jeff minter#digital eclipse#gold master series
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Love Yourself Challenge
Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc. ) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!)
Thank you for the tag @elveny <3 sorry I’m late to this but hey...we got here!
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1. From the Ashes: F!Cousland x King Alistair
Though admittedly this project has stalled for the moment, it has been my passion-project since November 2018. I have done a lot of character and worldbuilding for it and poured hours of research into history (my passion!) to try and make Ferelden’s politics and cultures even richer! It follows Baraneth and Alistair through their journey ruling Ferelden (DAO-DAI) and I’m so excited to keep sharing their journey.
Right now we are just entering 9:33 Dragon, right after Baraneth and Alistair’s coronation.
This story has been mired with self-doubt and discouragement, but I really want to try and push through for it.
Read it here on AO3
2. Moments in Time: LOTRO Wulfwryn x Raenor compilation
I bring this fic up every single time but it has some of my favorite drabbles I’ve ever written within it. This was my Fictober 2019 project where I first got into writing LOTRO and as such got into writing (and shipping) Wulfwryn and Raenor.
It was one of the hardest writing challenges I’ve successfully made it through, as it was smack dab in the middle of my first university semester. The interaction I had with readers on this fic was fantastic and still makes me happy to go back and read.
While this fic covers a wide swath of topics it is bursting with romance of the sweet, snarky, angsty, and spicy varieties in small 300-1000 bitesized pieces.
Read here on ao3
3. Her Sweet Kiss: [smut] Raenor x Wulfwryn meeting
This was my first shot at writing smut ever and while that’s not the reason its on this list, it’s definitely something I’m quite pleased about lol. More importantly it documents the first meeting between Wuflwryn and Raenor and that makes it such an important key in their story to me. I’m just so proud of myself for finally getting it written.
Read here on ao3
4. Building Storm: Percabeth Fantasy AU
Building Storm is a rewrite of a scene from a very old (circa 2012) percabeth fanfic I wrote called Rebels Rise. I wanted to see how I had improved as a writer and I did not disappoint myself!
It follows Annabeth as she tries to rescue Percy from captivity by an angry royal court and is just a spliced out scene from the greater narrative.
...part of me wants to go back and “rewrite” the entirety of Rebel’s Rise. But new and improved because the old one was...*coughs* interesting as @shortmandown can attest to.
Read on ao3
5. Long Awaited Reunions: commission piece [SWTOR]
HO BOY this was a piece I did for @lumielles where Terrance and Idan finally got their reunion after 7 years apart and it hit me with a shit ton of feels. And we know I love some good angsty feels. I’m really proud of this piece just because of the raw emotion I feel like I captured, especially because I had to convey scenes all through emotion and touch because Terrance (POV character) can’t see!
[Lu wrote an amazing companion piece to it]
Read on AO3
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Tagging forth: @lumielles @ofmistandrain @shortmandown @berriku and anyone else who would like to join!
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1, 5, 13, 23, 33, 39 with Tokoyami x Tsuyu!! Don't have to do all of them, because frankly I'd be happy with any of them! One of my favorite authors writing stuff about one of my favorite (and disappointingly underrated) ships?? Yes please!!
Oh booyy, wow! No, I love the excuse to talk about some good bird frog content~
And aaa thank you! /// Admittedly, these two have very little canon content to use so this will be a Very Deep Dive into the headcanon void, hope you don’t mind~
you: You don’t have to do all of them
me: no I’m gonna
woah this needs a read more I wrote wayyy more than I intended //wheeze//
1. - How do they fall asleep? Wake up? Any daily rituals?
Tsuyu doesn’t like the cold when she sleeps, so she always slept under a thick duvet and even piled blankets on top of that too. Tokoyami has never been a very good sleeper and he suffers from insomnia from time to time. Even though they started with very different sleeping habits, both of them are so adaptable that they made it work when they moved it together: Tsuyu got rid of the extra blankets on top of the duvet, and instead got thicker pyjamas, while Tokoyami began to find that Tsuyu’s slow, regular, sleepy breathing lulled him to sleep. They still like their own space in bed, so they sleep on their own sides of it, but Tsuyu sometimes strokes Tokoyami’s feathers before she falls asleep and he holds her hand gently until he falls asleep too. They wake up most mornings still holding hands.
She says good night and good morning to Dark Shadow every day too.
Tokoyami actually brushes Tsuyu’s long hair while they’re getting ready for the day. It’s a very intimate act, and she wouldn’t trust anyone else to do it, but Tokoyami’s hands are gentle and patient and he would never hurt her. She makes him a coffee every morning, with lots of milk. (She would never ruin his image and tell everyone just how milky he has his coffee).
5. - Nicknames? Pet names? Any in-jokes?
Tsuyu tells everyone to call her Tsu, including Tokoyami. She never quite manages to get him to do it for a long while, but he slips up one day and does and it makes her day. He gets embarrassed about it but it makes her so happy that he bashfully calls her Tsu from then on.
She affectionately calls Tokoyami ‘Fumi’ (a shortening of his first name) or whispers a pet name of ‘Tori’ to him when they’re alone (the Japanese word for Bird).
She can keep such a straight face that an in-joke between them is that she’ll sometimes come out with something Dark Shadow has told her about Tokoyami with her best poker face, even if it’s something totally bizarre. ‘But Dark Shadow told me you can only eat spinach on a Tuesday, if you’re wearing something pink, and you’ve sang to it first.’
Dark Shadow always goes along with whatever Tsuyu says. ‘IT’S TRUE’ it’ll add no matter what outlandish thing she’s proclaimed it told her.
It’s like, the weirdest humour and their friends Do Not Get It, but they both think it’s hilarious. Tokoyami laughs so hard and blushes when it’s something embarrassing, even if it’s made up, and squishes her squishy cheeks. She grins like a champion every time. She’ll just come out with it totally randomly, so he never knows when or what the next crazy statement she’ll come out with is - delivered with a totally straight face before she cracks up at his reaction.
He still does his over-the-top darkness related descriptions for things, but Tsuyu also joins in. They both chuckle at that too.
13. - What do they do for fun? Do they have a favorite activity or do they like to switch things up?
The two of them go sightseeing often - they’re both actually very trendy, even though they don’t try, they just have really good fashion sense - so they look like a really cool couple when they’re out at tourist spots having ice cream and soaking in the atmosphere and the history.
Tsuyu also loves watching movies, wrapped in a duvet, in Tokoyami’s arms. They discuss the film in depth afterwards. Tokoyami cries at really emotional films, though Tsuyu is sworn to secrecy about it, and she’ll chuckle and wipe away his tears afterwards.
23. - How do they hug? Kiss? Tease? Flirt? Comfort?
Tokoyami hugs like he’s never going to let go, sometimes Dark Shadow joins into the hug too, while Tsuyu hugs like it’s a gentle precious thing and he can’t stand how much he loves her when she gives him a soft little squeeze. They’re not into PDA so they don’t hug while they’re out and about - it’s very much a private thing. Unless you knew them and their little nuances towards each other you probably wouldn’t know that they were a couple at all.
Kissing is hard with a beak and sometimes Tokoyami can feel bad that he can’t kiss his partner like everyone else - especially when they see other ‘normal’ couples. Tsuyu absolutely hates that he ever feels that way and can’t stress to him enough that she loves him just as he is, exactly how he is, and wouldn’t change him for anything in the whole world. She kisses the side of his beak, though he can’t really feel it, but prefers kissing the soft downy feathers just next to his beak. Which he loves.
Or she’ll kiss the human soft skin of his chest, which is much more sensitive due to the lack of feathers. He loves that even more.
Tsuyu likes to be held and feel the warmth of his body, since hers doesn’t regulate temperature very well because of her froggyness.
He gets embarrassed at first that he nibbles at her shoulder or hand or just inside the curve of her neck with his beak when they’re being close - because it’s a birdy impulse he just can’t shake. (have you ever owned birds? that nibbly thing they do is so freaking cute I swear)
Tokoyami is so bad at handling flirting, which is hilarious because he’s usually so collected and doesn’t say much, but Tsuyu flirts with him and he just melts, while she is cooler than cool and never looks phased. She usually just says what’s on her mind and it comes out like flirting. (Tsu: moonlight sets off your eyes you know, kero. Like stars in the night, shining out of your dark feathers. Tokoyami, voice cracking: thAnKS YOu toO)
In terms of comfort, Tsuyu is so grounded and sensible that she often internalises any worry or guilt and it ends up playing on her mind until she can’t contain it anymore and she’ll just break down into tears. Tokoyami gets particularly good at spotting when she’s holding something back or keeping bad emotions inside - just knowing when her look is more distracted than usual, or her smile is a fraction ‘off’ - and he gently asks her to share it with him. She’s so used to shouldering her burdens alone that it takes her a long time to be able to come to him for reassurance, though she’s always glad when she does because he’s also so level-headed and practical that she always feels much better afterwards.
Tokoyami is always, always harbouring secret fears of what he could do to her if he let his quirk get out of control. Tsuyu loves Dark Shadow, because it’s a part of him, but he can never forget the nightmare of what happened at the training camp. Tsuyu bought a night light for their room that comes on automatically at night, but never made a fuss about it, just bought it and installed it and neither of them have ever brought it up. For someone who’s essence is to be more powerful in the dark it makes him uneasy that he’s so unwilling to be immersed in it when he’s around her - so worried for her safety and the thought that he’d be unable to live with himself if he ever did anything to her. She trusts him beyond a shadow of a doubt (puns?) and knows he doesn’t need the night light, but if it makes him feel better she’ll go with it.
33. - What kind of presents do they get each other? Do they only do it on special occasions?
Tsuyu is all about handmade presents. She’s actually quite crafty, so she’s usually sticking things together or whipping out the glitter glue. Presents from her are unique and all about the person she’s making it for - you didn’t know you needed a new pen pot? Here’s a glittery one. Or a peg basket with tissue paper flames around it for those times you need to put the washing out and don’t have anywhere to store your pegs. A feathery dream-catcher weighed down by a ton of beads? She’s gotcha covered. Her hands are large due to her quirk, but she can be super delicate with them. Their house ends up full of craft items, and Tokoyami treasures each one.
He gets her all sorts of ‘thought of you’ gifts while he’s out. But it’s usually stuff like a notebook with a frog on it, or a frog pen, or a pebble that kind of looked like a frog’s face. They end up with all sorts of frog themed bits and pieces around the house. It’s a real eclectic kind of mixture. Tsuyu smiles like he’s brought her the world every time he gets her one of these little froggy gifts.
39. - Who initiated the relationship? Who kissed who first? When did they realize they were in love?
Tsuyu was the one who initiated the relationship. They’d been put together for a few group assignments throughout their time at school and really loved working as a team, so by their third year they just started hanging out together outside of class. Their personalities complimented each other so well. Tsuyu got teased by Mina one day for the amount of time she was spending with Tokoyami outside of school and she just totally without even missing a beat replies that it’s because she’s in love with him and her friends are just like Oh Wow, No Hesitation. When they suggest she should do something about it it’s the first time they ever see her truly bashful and a little unsure.
Tokoyami remains blissfully unaware that he has Feelings for Tsuyu, despite Dark Shadow teasing him about it relentlessly.
One evening she’s adding more feathers into her scrapbook than is really necessary and she just gets up from her desk, goes to his room, knocks on the door and just straight up tells him that she really likes him and would he like to go out with her? He is emotionally floored by this completely out of nowhere reveal and manages to choke out that he really likes her too and yes of course.
It was a realisation of ‘I really enjoy spending time with this person, I actively seek them out and I have this warm feeling when I’m around them, I’m obviously in love’ for Tsuyu while for Tokoyami it was her knocking on his door and him going ‘THAT’S what this feeling is’ while Dark Shadow internally is like Of Course You Dumbass.
Their first kiss is after a particularly tough team exam. They actually fail the exam and they’re both exhausted and Tokoyami is about to apologise and she just puts a hand to his beak and kisses his cheek. A really innocent first kiss, but full of emotion.
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Day 3:
Okay… dare I say 3 days in and I feel different? In a good way! Last night was the first night in weeks I wasn’t awoken around 4/5 am in pain. I slept through til my alarm went off at 6:30 am and that rarely happens. And even at 6:30 I wasn’t in excruciating agony and hobbling to down some Advil! Matter of fact I didn’t take Advil until 7:30 am and only as precautionary. And now at 6pm I’m still doing good and I made it to the gym today!
First of all… shout out to my local Planet Fitness because they’ve remodeled and upgraded since I was last there (eons ago) and it’s SA-WEET! But I digress…
So I went… and did 35 minutes on the treadmill. 35 very (no VERY) slow paced minutes. Like literally three elder gentlemen were walking in front of me and smoking my ass! But despite some discomfort and huge self-doubt 8:33 minutes in… I DID IT! And yes I’m trying to not to focus on the fact that I used to run much farther in ten minutes than I walked today in 35 minutes. That type of self doubt and comparisons is neither needed nor wanted!
I’m at the gym to help improve my current wobbly walking situation. My gait and balance is all fucked up so I’m trying to get some (if not all) of it back. And to build endurance in walking! It’s sad that I’m here but it is what it is. Over time I hope to obviously go faster and increase the strength and mobility in my right leg. Right now its just junk… 😒
And I’m sure I looked foolish but ask me if I care? Two weeks ago I had two days where I could barely walk at all! That’ll scare ya straight! I missed a day of work because of it and I NEVER miss work! So I’ll take a slow 35 minute walk any day over that bullshittery!
And best of all… I’ll be back to the gym tomorrow!
Oh and I used the hydro massage! Not gonna lie it kinda hurt but in the hurt so good kind of way. Purrrrr! 😻
AND I ran a ton of errands today. CVS, Dollar Tree for my Mom, my Moms twice, T-Mobile, Walmart and the gym of course! Usually one store and put a fork in me, I’M DONE! Today I felt like the old me a year or so ago!
Tonight my daughter and I made a simple dinner of mushroom pizza on a vegan wrap and a simple salad… easy peasy but very delicious!
So all in all a very good day! I can’t believe how good I feel and if I feel like this three days in how will I feel in a week or two???
So fucking excited and admittedly proud of myself! ❤️❤️
~C~
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Welp.. That’s Something to Think About
What’s good y'all? Yaya is back, and at this point, y’all should know not to expect me to post often. And if you don’t see the active pattern at this point, then that sounds like a personal problem. Anyways, like usually I’ve spent these last couple of weeks watching a ton of movies, like the fake-ass movie critic I am. This time, I’ve decided to watch movies that have more of a LGBTQI narrative. These movies are Mysterious Skin (2004), Boys Don’t Cry (1999), Moonlight (2016), Call Me By Your Name (2017), and of course Brokeback Mountain (2005). After watching these movies, I started to think of the visual style within these movies, and how they relate to one another.
BUT, before I go on, let me warn y’all again… EXTREME SPOIL ALERT!!! Like deadass! I’m finna go in with these movies, so proceed with caution.
Now, I’m sure we’ve all heard the term “queer eye,” which typically refers to a specific aesthetic that has a particular style. Usually, people use this term to describe the style within fashion, house decoratives, or anything that has something to do with art. Some people visualize that style to be incredibly creative or sheik, and others have more of an insultingly stereotypical view of it. As for the movies I’ve watch, I can’t say that the style of those films have a “queer” aesthetic within the editing style. Instead, I feel that the editing within these movies portray more of a variety of perspectives on the lives of the LGBTI community.
First of all, can we all agree that the styles within each of these movies are completely different from one another? For example, the mise-en-scene, language, and character style for Moonlight compared to Brokeback Mountain are total opposites.
The setting for Moonlight takes place around a city-type setting, and their choice of fashion and language is more urban. For example, the movie LITERALLY starts off with showing such characteristics within those factors. The second Juan enters the scene, we can already get a feel of that type of atmosphere just from watching the two minute sequence alone (0m:35s - 2m:30s).
In Brokeback Mountain, the setting had more of a western theme, and the setting usually took place around an isolated wilderness. As Ennis and Jack begin their first shift, we can admittedly notice the country-like atmosphere that focuses around the mise-en-scene, language and character style aspects of the film. (8m:26s - 10m:30s).
With that being said, the cinematographic styles for these films do share some similarities, but not in a “queer” aesthetic style. What I mean when I say they share similarities, is how the cinematography heightens the romantic tension between characters. In most of the movies listed, the close-up shot angels captured the intimate moments between the couples in each movie.
For instance, during the sex scene in Boys Don’t Cry, a series of close-up shots captures the lustful moments between both Brandon and Lana (54m:46s - 56m:22s).
This type of cinematographic style can be seen again in Call Me By Your Name. During the sex scene between Elio and Oliver, medium and close-up shots captures the intensely intimate moments of their foreplay (1h:23m:56s - 1h:25m:46s).
But, doesn’t every film involving romance or sex edit their shots in that specific fashion? Exactly! So, I feel it those factors have little to do with a ‘queer’ aesthetic. Anyways, like I mentioned earlier, the style of the characters and film captures more of the perspective of the LGBTQI community. Their style in fashion and vocabulary is influenced by the setting and atmosphere surrounding the characters.
Now as I mentioned earlier, yes again, the characters personalities and styles resemble their surroundings. Nonetheless, there are certain factors within the characters that I can say can be read through their visual styles in the movies. I mean, when you think about it, certain factors such as race, gender and sexual identity sort of go hand-in-hand when creating a particular visual style.
For instance, in Moonlight, the setting wrapped around an urban area. The social expectation for Chiron was to act similar to the other characters within his neighborhood. Chiron grew up in poverty, and lived in an area affiliated with gangs and drug abuse. Because he was bullied for not fitting in with the other characters, it proned him to grow up into becoming a drug lord in order to be accepted by society. We can instantly notice his dramatic personality transition when he reunites with Kevin as an adult (1h:22m:12s - 1h:36m:02s). Furthermore, he also does this in order to prove his masculinity to the people around him.
As a black woman, I can definitely vouch and say that there is a particular acceptance level within the black community. For some dumb ass reason, in order to be considered ‘black enough,’ you would have to act and look a certain way. Such as, being ghetto, speaking ignorantly, dressing ‘hood,’ and having a ‘hood-like’ mindset. Because I don’t necessarily fit into that category, most black people would say that I’m ‘acting white,’ solely based on my appearance and intelligence level. To be honest, that’s one of the most ignorant and pressuring things to have to deal with as a black woman. Thus, is why he would often get in trouble and engage in illegal activity.
Also, the visual style in gender roles greatly has a connection between one another. For instance, Brandon in Boys Don’t Cry, made it apparent that he sexually identified as a male. In the beginning of that film, Brandon was adjusting his appearance, in order to emphasize his masculine features (1m:42s - 2m:27s). The way he dressed and carried himself made it completely obvious. Furthermore, throughout the movie, Brandon would engage in extremely risky stunts and activities, in order to prove his masculinity. Even when Brandon wasn’t 100% comfortable with the activities, he still proceeded in order to fit in with the masculine crowd. Overall, these factors do go hand-in-hand with one another to create a visual style within the movies.
Now, with all of that in mind, I started to think about how queer films shape and influences the perceptions and emotions of the audience by the power of the queer aesthetic. I’m telling you, the power behind these movies will definitely have you feeling some type of way. And, that feeling usually comes from a sentimental place. To be honest, I can name you at least one scene from two different movies that will definitely have you feel some type of way, just from the queer aesthetic alone.
Note, that the way the queer aesthic is used is to capture more of the intense moments of the films and characters, not necessarily the appearance or look of it. Also remember, when it comes to this aesthetic, I’m focusing on the emotional aspects not the editing styles. So, don’t try to tell me I’m contradicting myself with those two different factors.
Anyways, firstly, the character arcs in both Neil and Brain from Mysterious Skin will have you sympathize with them as the story unfolds. Once you see how much the molestation from their former little league coach has shaped them, you tend to feel bad about how much that had affected their entire lifestyles. Brain suppresses his memory of being molested, and thinks that he was actually a part of an alien abduction instead. Neil begins to prostitute his body because he didn’t view sex very highly or of utter importance. Once Neil and Brian finally meet, Neil explains to Brain what actually happened that night he thought he was abducted (1h:28m:44s - 1h:41m:43s). That intense conversation had definitely made me feel incredibly sympathetic towards Brain. Some may even question Neil’s true intentions towards that situation. But honestly, I feel just as sympathetic towards him as I feel towards Brian. I mean think about it. Neil didn’t know what the fuck he was getting himself into as a child. He was tricked and deceived by his former little league coach. Honestly, I feel like his misinterpretation towards sex was just his own way to suppress his feelings towards those past incidents.
You also can get an emotional connection with Brandon from Boys Don’t Cry too. I mean how can you not feel some type of way after watching him get sexually harassed and raped by John and Tom (1h:25m:33s - 1h:31m:33s). And, don’t get me started on when they killed him (1h:47m:51s - 1h:50m:33s). Not only did I feel extremely appalled towards the situation, I also felt anger and hatred towards John and Tom, after seeing what they had done to Brandon. And, once you learn that the movie was based on a true story, well that’s just more fuel to the fire right there.
Anyways, I know I really dragged this blog out, but those movies literally made me go through some whole type of movie-related epiphany. I honestly really enjoyed watching them, and it made me more interested in watching more movies similar to those ones. I’m not sure if I mentioned it before, but I’m more of a horror movie fan. It wasn’t until recently when I started watching more movies of other genres. Well, it’s also because there hasn’t been any good horror films being made lately. Ehh.. maybe someday. Anyways, thank you for taking the time out of your day to read what the fuck I had to say. I know y’all love it when I put my two cents in. Welp, until next time guys. Bye, bye!
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Sten Hugo Hiller - 627184: Mountain Climbing Mecha Combat #1369
(By Sten Hugo Hiller - 627184)
Mountain Climbing Mecha Combat #1369
Brought to you by ANN
Highlighting the May 3365 Top Line Only
This time the Gaming Authorities held a Top Row Only event, -or as I look at it; a serial Point Mech event.
While it have some similarities to a Frontline event, the fact that only one Mech from each side will be fighting at a time makes the selection process really important.
Which Mechs you use, how you arm and equip them is what will give you an edge over opponents who just send in their main line.
Admittedly, most Commanders probably have all of the top Mechs in their main line already, and flattening that line to fill the upper row is not hard. But as the threaths of Fork, Splash and Wide Fork have to be acknowlegded in a regular line, here some change in shielding to counter Trample is needed.
This also affects the weapon loadout. As you only have to deal with one Mech at a time, high Speed, Crit and Slow/Freeze might be even more important than big multiples. And of course, a hefty Trample to damage the reserve opposing Mechs certainly doesnt hurt.
I was unsure of what rides to use. As we yet again were to face an uphill battle on K3 against mostly 200 club members, the temptation to bring some Penners along were strong.
But Bruno (my chief Tech) poured a bucket of cold water over me when I suggested such a thing.
"Dont be even more daft than usual. Yeah, the Penner can carry some more weapons, but those we have are so far from fully upgraded that they have barely room for half of the equipment the opponents will have"
I was told to run away and dont bother him as he prepared the formation, and as he usually know what he talks about that was what I did.
A few minutes before the scramble I returned, and picked up the rides. A trio of Humbabas, backed by another trio of Notoses and a Cyclops to bring up the rear.
We arrived and were shown a place on the plains. The only other Commander who hadnt reached the 200 mark yet was Leopold Hackenbush from Death`s Collectors.
The top was held by Darren Jackson from Myth and Legends Team Banzai, and the slopes were overflowing with some of my hardest adversaries.
Ken Fuchs and Darryl Proctor from Northwind Dragons, myeponym from Death`s Collectors and KiloTone Recoil from the Brotherhood of Arcane Dragons.
My only hope was that at least some of them had brought their regular formations. In that case we might perhaps be able to win some fights.
Of course, to do so required us to push our way onto the foothills first, and we met some reverses before a spot was claimed there.
It was a good thing that we had a full load of hatorades.
After a handfull of failures we finally managed to defeat Proctor.
Question was when he would come back? To get ourselves out of his range, some additional attacks were made, and soon the slopes was a furball of dimensions.
It seemed all of us could beat each other, -given enough tries in our case, (while none could touch Jackson on the top) and the hatorades disappeared almost faster than they could be opened.
When we were down to four fights left I called a halt to the attacks, and as none of the others was attacking either, an uneasy truce settled over the slopes.
My crew started getting some footage, so when the light flashed shortly after, it was easy to see that this time the winners had been:
Div 1 343+ (37 Commanders): Claude Poirier, Nemesis (2m,39s)
2: Roy Cheah
3: Sherriff Leary Wretham
4: Mk Mathews
5: Fabio Favaro
6: Jaime Beltran
7: Bernard Johnson
8: Gary Muenzel
9: Jeff Haas
10: Were Wolf
Div 2 -342 (11 Commanders): David Sifford, Northwind Dragons (4m,34s)
Div 3 -256 (17 Commanders): Darren Jackson, M&L Team Banzai (1h,40m)
Div 4 -189 (29 Commanders): Brian Wilson, Smurf Platoon (3m,57s)
Div 5 -143 (21 Commanders): Jack Myers, Black Star Bandits (1h,49m)
Div 6 -100 (21 Commanders): Mike Slowenski, Chess Dragons (2h,17m)
Div 7 -76 (22 Commanders): Fredo Gustavo, Renegades (2h,6m)
Div 8 -49 (17 Commanders): Mathew Le Gassick, *R.V.* (1h,28m)
Div 9 -33 (20 Commanders): Cathy Goetz, I.N.A. (14h,12m)
Div 10 -21 (14 Commanders): Ken Bud, Ronins 2 (1d,15h)
Div 11 -11 (13 Commanders): DamnWei, almanac clan (1d,44m)
Total Contestants: 202
Total medals claimed: 158 (of 165 possible)
Compared to the previous (Anzu) event, the participation was increased by three-score and two.
But there was still some imbalance between the tops, so a total of seven Bronzes from a trio of tops ended unclaimed and had to be returned for resmelting.
The last half-hour saw a trio of Golds changing hands at least once. Five Golds were held for at least two hours, two of them for more than a day.
So while we had some hard fights, most of the winners seemed to have been quite unaproachable this time. But did the same hold true for the lesser prizes?
We try to find out by looking at the number of medals held for more than 30 minutes in this event:
.............Silvers......Bronzes
Div 1 ....0 of 4.........4 of 10
Div 2 ....1 of 4.........4 of 6
Div 3 ....0 of 4.........8 of 10
Div 4 ....0 of 4.........7 of 10
Div 5 ....4 of 4.......10 of 10
Div 6 ....3 of 4.........7 of 10
Div 7 ....2 of 4.........8 of 10
Div 8 ....3 of 4.........9 of 10
Div 9 ....4 of 4.......10 of 10
Div 10 ..4 of 4.........9 of 9
Div 11 ..4 of 4.........8 of 8
We had a quartet of tops (K5, K9, K10 and K11) where no succesfull medal attacks was launched. In fact, on K11 no successfull medal attacks was launched the last day.
But on Mount Olympus, K2 and K4 was there quite fierce action that resulted in most of the medals ending in fresh hands..
The last four tops had a total medal-turnover of eight Silvers and eight Bronzes.
None of the clans managed to claim more than one Gold in this event, and none of the unaligned Commanders managed to claim a Gold either.
The sole repeat winner was Darren Jackson from Myrth and Legends Team Banzai on K3.
Upcoming event: Orester
Here we get an tonnage limited event.
No Mech massing more than 65 tons will be leagal on any of the tops.
In addition, on the eight highest tops the Orrester is supposed to have its day, so a Commander is only allowed to bring ONE non-Orrester along.
Event ends November 17 between 1600 and 1630 New York Time
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Kevin C Cox
On the road at 11AM. How confident are we?
Once again, most of us took Auburn against the number last week and failed miserably. The Tigers still came out with a victory, but it wasn’t exactly anything to write home about.
This week features a road trip to Columbia, SC. Auburn has never lost to the Gamecocks since they joined the SEC 28 years ago, and the 2010 team dropped South Carolina twice on the way to a national championship. How will the 2020 team fare?
Auburn (-3) @ South Carolina (O/U 51.5)
SP+ Pick: Auburn -6; under (48)
I’m honestly not sure what to think here. On the one hand, Auburn is the significantly more talented team in this matchup. Despite how last week’s game went down, the offense clearly showed progress in both the passing and ground game, and the defense will hopefully be getting some healthy bodies back (Big Kat, Simpson) to bolster their ranks.
However, just judging by production, things favor Carolina. The Gamecocks lead Auburn in all four yards per attempt categories (Offensive Passing and Rushing YPA, Defensive Passing and Rushing YPA). South Carolina has been slightly more productive at turning Red Zone chances into points (90% vs Auburn’s 80%), and the two teams are roughly identical on 3rd down on offense (40%). However, Carolina’s defense is vastly better than Auburn’s on 3rd Down, allowing a conversion rate of just 19% to Auburn’s 56%. Obviously none of those numbers account for opponents, but I’d say South Carolina has played an equally hard schedule at this point, with Tennessee, Florida, and Vanderbilt so far.
What does it all mean? Who knows. Predicting Auburn football is a futile exercise at this point. 30-21 Tigers on the back of Tank Bigsby, who becomes Auburn’s first 200 yard back since Kerryon Johnson’s 204 yard day against Ole Miss in 2017. (Auburn wins and covers; under by the hook)
—Ryan S Sterritt
I saw a good portion of both of South Carolina’s first two games, and one thing stood out in both. They just like to play big dumb football. While their run defense has been solid, the passing defense has left a little to be desired. Meanwhile, Auburn’s had a similar issue on that side of the ball, but there’s cause for hope! Last week’s struggles can directly be related to the thin lineup we had due to injuries. Offensively, we only played 15 guys. Fifteen! Both sides of the ball were getting a little banged up, and they’re not going to get much of a break this weekend with a pretty physical South Carolina run game.
While Muschamp hasn’t really made a serious mark in Columbia yet, he’s got two legitimate weapons in Kevin Harris (326 yds, 5.8 ypc, 4TDs) and Shi Smith (26 catches, 271 yds, 2 TDs), but not a whole lot outside of that. Colin Hill’s a walk-on, but he won the job in fall camp and he’s been pretty solid. Man, I don’t know. I have no idea. This year is so weird anyway, so I’m taking Auburn to win. Josh Dub has an interesting theory about post-Vanderbilt games for teams, and South Carolina played them this past weekend. We’ve got them right where we want them. Tigers get it done, 33-20. (Auburn wins and covers; over)
—Jack Condon
I have a theory. The Vanderbilt Effect. pretty much the opposite of the Bama Effect from a few years ago. Used to, you’d get so beat up playing Alabama, you typically play worse the following week. Regarding Vanderbilt: Basically, every team that plays Vanderbilt one week plays worse the next because they’re used to soft competition.
A&M scrapes by Vandy week 1, gets stomped by Alabama week 2 (Alabama covered)
LSU glides by Vandy week 2, gets lulled to sleep, loses to Mizzou week 3 (Mizzou covered)
Folks, who played Vanderbilt in week 3? That’s right, the fighting Will Muschamps.
Is there any statistical evidence of this? nope, not beyond what I just wrote. Who cares. Saturday will be a get right game for Auburn. Things will start to click for the offense and the defense.
Auburn 37
South Carolina 13
(Auburn wins and covers; under)
—Josh W
This is a pivotal game for the Tigers. Granted, you could say that about literally every game this season considering the all SEC schedule but I think this game has the biggest chance of indicating the trajectory of the rest of the year. Lose this game and Auburn is staring at 3-7/4-6 in the face. Win in a close one and the 6-4 finish continues to look the most likely. But, maybe just maybe, if Auburn can get their sh** together and put together four quarters of quality football resulting in a convincing victory we can start to dream of 8-2 again.
Unfortunately, I don’t really like this matchup for Auburn. Defensively, South Carolina has a talented front four that can be disruptive and will likely challenge this Auburn offensive line more than Arkansas last week. Offensively, new Gamecock offensive coordinator Mike Bobo likes to attack defenses in a way that has worked well against the Tigers this season. The #1 receiver is Shi Smith who operates mostly out of the slot. The #2 is tight end Nick Muse while #3 & #4 are running backs. Arkansas shredded Auburn’s defense, specifically on 3rd down, with their tight end and running back. Auburn struggled to slow down UGA slot WR Kearis Jackson two weekends ago. The Tigers need to find a pass rush so they don’t have to rely on blitzing to get pressure and can keep those linebackers back to cover those backs sneaking out of the backfield or tight ends leaking downfield.
For Auburn to win, I think they must take a step forward in one of these 3 areas:
1.) Downfield passing game
2.) 3rd Down Defense
3.) Redzone offense
If Auburn is noticeably better in any of these 3 areas they will win this football. Take a big step forward in most if not all and the Tigers will win in a blowout injecting some much needed positivity into this program.
My homer heart believes it happens and we head into a trip to Oxford next week excited about a Tiger offense coming alive. The realist brain tells me this is going to be a heartbreaker Auburn loses late. So I am going to split the difference and say the Tigers 3rd down defense steps up while the offense continues to flounder but does enough to get it done. AU gets some stops and generates enough big plays offensively from the trio of Seth/Schwartz/Tank they escape Columbia with a much needed W.
Auburn 27 South Carolina 23 (Auburn wins and covers; under)
—AUNerd
Welp, it almost worked last weekend, so let’s try it again.
On paper, Auburn is more talented than South Carolina. The Gamecocks have looked good....alrigh....ok, better than expected on offense with Collin Hill and his spaghetti knee. I am waiting for it to explode because of that SEC defensive pressure...BUT.....who knows if that will happen till the Cocks are exposed to the Dawgs.
I just don’t have a good feeling this weekend. Something tells me this is Muschamp’s chance to show that the program is getting better...all be it as slow as possible. On the other hand, Auburn is getting a ton of talent back, namely Big Kat...so that will help. I expect the offense to struggle and the defense to look better, but if Carolina has a lead late, I don’t expect the offense to be able to come through on the road like they did last week.
28-24 Cocks (South Carolina wins outright; over)
—Drew Mac
Admittedly I have been extremely hard on this program. I’m not happy with the lack of development of the offensive line for 3+ years, our inability to see a quarterback actually improve year over year for the better part of the last 30 years, targeting only 2 receivers for the most part in the various versions of this offense for the last 3-4 years, and not having your best running back start from day 1 in several years of this era. And sure, this defense has been banged up. I’ll die on the hill of defending these defensive coaches for 2020 thanks to carrying the water for this program for 4 years.
What we saw last week was one of the more inexplicable last 30 seconds of a game we’ve ever had, which is quite a statement. We had no business being in that position, then had no business winning the game, but still somehow did enough clutch things to actually win the game. And the most incredible part of it? None of it surprised me, especially winning. Why? Because Gus Malzahn doesn’t lose to teams he should beat. If Auburn has the talent advantage, no matter how truly weird it may look, Auburn usually wins. Which brings us to Saturday…
We’re going to win this game because we’re not (yet) a bad football team. We’re most definitely a deficient football team at the line of scrimmage. We’ve also been a banged up football team. That part looks set to improve. And to their credit, the offense line looked improved (I know, not saying much) on the ground last Saturday, and showed in the Kentucky game that they can be competent against the lower to middle pack of the SEC, which is essentially looking like 12 of the 14 teams this year.
Essentially I expect a rock fight Saturday between 2 coaches who may have the writing on the wall in 13 months. Then again in our case, who knows year to year anymore? But the levee hasn’t broken yet and I don’t think it will Saturday because for as hard as we all are on Gus Malzahn, his players have never quit on him or his staff. This isn’t a team that is hopeless like 08 or 12 was. We knew after 3 weeks in both years that we were dead. In 2015 we thought we were dead and yet somehow that team got to .500 in the regular season with absolutely nothing a quarterback in November. Maybe this year is more in line with 2015. Maybe this group will start to click as they get healthier. And maybe, just maybe they’re better than they’ve looked and a month of actual football with less COVID issues and getting players healthy will show that this is potentially a 7-8 win football team in 2020.
Again, time will only tell, but I ain’t picking a damn South Carolina team that tied us in 1932 and beat us last in 1933. That’s their history of success against us. Auburn doesn’t lose to this team. And if they do, then “Cryin’ won’t help ya, prayin’ won’t do you no good…when the levee breaks, Mama you got to move.”
Auburn 27 South Carolina 23 (Auburn wins and covers; under)
—Josh Black
Auburn is finally going to be close to full strength on defense and is playing a team that dares you to do as dumb of stuff as it does. If Auburn plays a sloppy gross game it will lose to South Carolina because they didn’t adopt sloppy gross games, they were born in them.
Auburn is going to win this game. There’s too much talent at auburn’s skill positions that eventually someone is going to break out and have a big game. This is that week for someone and I hope it is Tank.
Auburn 40 Scar 20 (Auburn wins and covers; over)
—Son of Crow
Auburn makes their first trip to Columbia since 2011 on Saturday which shows the ridiculousness of what is the SEC scheduling model. Auburn has not lost to South Carolina since 1933, the only time the Gamecocks have defeated the Tigers.
It sounds like we should have a much better idea of what the offensive line will look like the rest of the season after the game on Saturday but the Tigers were able to establish the run last week against Arkansas.
Tank Bigsby has been a godsend this year and I look for him to have a big game again this weekend. Hopefully the defense will get a bit healthier and the Tigers are able to take care of business.
Auburn 34 South Carolina 20 (Auburn wins and covers; over)
—Dr Will
Auburn is running out of time to bounce back from that Week 2 loss to Georgia. This has to be the game where they start putting things together. We saw the running game get going last week, and I’d like to see more of that this week. You have to think Muschamp is putting a little extra emphasis on this one so the Tigers could be in a for a nasty one, but I still have to believe they’ll get things together against a team they vastly out talent. I look for Bo to improve and for Tank to fully emerge as this offense’s feature back.
Auburn 27 - South Carolina 16 (Auburn wins and covers; under)
—AU Chief
I just don’t have a good feeling about this game at all. This Auburn team has shown me zero reason why I should be confident in them winning on the road against an SEC team. Auburn should have a coaching edge in this one, given who is on the other sideline, but I just can’t get all of the poor redzone mistakes (both coaching and execution) and five straight Arkansas scoring drives out of my head. This South Carolina team has more talent than Arkansas, and they’re playing at home. Each week is different, and Auburn will be a different team if they have a healthy Seth Williams and a few more healthy members of the defensive backfield, but until we know that we have both of those things, I’m out on this one. I hope I’m wrong, but I said in the post-Arkansas recap that we’re going to lose this game. I’ll stick to my guns. South Carolina 19, Auburn 16 (South Carolina wins outright; under).
—AU Jonesy
from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2020/10/17/21519783/staff-picks-south-carolina-vs-14-auburn
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Confession 21: A boy, the Open, and that weird spinny feeling.
So that’s it. The 2017 CrossFit Open is over. I feel like I speak for most of us when I say, whew. A big sigh of relief is necessary for many this year, it seems. I don’t know if it was that all of the workouts (aside from 17.3 if you sucked like me) were long or if it was just that they were insanely hard (as they’re supposed to be), but I am beat up today. I’m proud of myself, as all of us should be, but I am beat up. I had a number of goals this year. The first was to do every workout as prescribed. Last year I only did two of the workouts Rx because there were so many movements I hadn’t figured out yet and weights I knew I couldn’t lift. It’s a year later and I’ve figured out most of the movements well enough to do at WOD speed. I’m stronger, so most of the weights are manageable. This goal I achieved and I’m really, really proud of myself for that. That in itself shows I’ve made a ton of progress. These are super hard workouts designed to test the fittest people on the planet. Now, I was nowhere even remotely close to performing the workouts at the level of a Games athlete. I don’t care. It has never been and never will be my goal to be a Games competitor. But the fact that I can complete these workouts that the fittest people on Earth are doing makes me feel pretty damn good. Whether you qualified for Regionals, did every workout Rx for the first time, or did every workout scaled, completing these workouts in any capacity is an achievement in itself. It’s impressive. And if you’re reading this and just finished your first Open or your tenth, be proud of yourself. You are impressive and strong and fit and a goddamn force to be reckoned with. You’re amazing. Give yourself all the credit in the world. These are tests and we passed and we came out on the other side better than we were. Go you. Go me. 17.1 was a burner. The introduction of the dumbbell to the CrossFit Open. I’m really glad they dropped the hints leading up to the Open (even if it was to sell out Rogue’s inventory) and our coaches had the wherewithal to program the dumbbell snatch in a WOD before it showed up in this workout. I did this workout twice because I was so close to finishing the 225 reps under the time cap that I just had to. I was 19 reps short my first try and 7 reps short my second try. Close, but not quite there. I was super bummed that I couldn’t get it done, but it was a new movement with a new piece of equipment and I wasn’t sure what to expect in the first place. Oddly enough the dumbbell snatches weren’t the problem. It was those goddamn burpee box jumps that blew my soul to pieces and left them scattered across the gym floor. F those things. Zortmans are not jumpers. When colossal d-bag Dave Castro announced 17.2 I was both excited and terrified. Dumbbells showed up again in the 100 lbs in the front rack walking lunge. Gross. Who thinks this is a good idea? I guess the guy who spent 7 days with corn rows at the Games last year, that’s who. But, the saving grace, the thing I was excited for, was bar muscle-ups. I just somewhat recently got my first muscle-up and was really happy to see them show up in an Open workout. Getting to them was another story. Those stupid lunges wrecked me and took far longer for me than they did for just about anyone else, it seemed. I struggled hard to get through the three sets of those before I could tackle the muscle-ups. I did, though, and I ended up getting 6 muscle-ups in that workout. My goal was 5, so I beat that. Yay! Gluten/sugar/frosting/taste free cupcakes all around. Through two workouts I was still feeling strong, excited, and confident about what I’d done so far in the Open. I was in the top third in the world and state for men. Much improved on my top 60% (or bottom 40% if you’re a dick) from last year. I felt really good about that. Another goal of mine was to be in the top 50% in the world, so to see myself in the top 33% felt really satisfying and kept my spirits up after two really hard workouts. Then, 17.3 happened. Strangely, this is the workout I did best on in terms of where I stood compared to the rest of the world, but it is the one that broke me. Chest to bar pull-ups, fine. Squat snatches? Not so fine. Probably the most technical Olympic lift and the one that haunts my dreams and leaves me waking up in a pool of sweat. My shoulders and groin hurt just thinking about them (and after 17.3, my pride). I knew going into this workout that if I got to the round with 185 lb snatches I was screwed. The heaviest I’ve ever done is 165 and that was as ugly as any snatch has ever been (I’ll leave that alone). I felt OK about the rounds of 95 lbs and 135 lbs, though. How disgustingly optimistic of me. I got through the rounds of 95 lbs fine enough, then struggled and failed on my first two or three attempts at 135, a weight I know I can do without many issues. I finally settled in and got through one round at 135 before my time ran out. This was the shortest workout for me since I didn’t get through the three rounds at 135 in under 8 minutes, but that’s all the time it took to crack my confidence. I fell apart after that workout. I came back the next day to try again and couldn’t get 135 as high as my waist. I struggled and failed for four minutes and stomped out of the gym ready to never come back. I wrote a long post about how I wasn’t sure I want to do this CrossFit stuff anymore. That I’ve lost my motivation and my love for it (see two posts ago). A lot of people stepped in and set me straight and I saw the light. I do still love CrossFit, but I needed rest, which isn’t something I had been able to admit to myself before. I’d also been having some issues with dizzy spells for a couple weeks, but they were very brief and weren’t causing me any issues, so I sort of just ignored it and went about my business. Leading up to 17.4 they had started to get a little worse. They were lasting minutes instead of seconds and were becoming much more frequent. So, at the urging of my girlfriend and many at the gym, I took a couple days off before I came in for 17.4, which I was excited about because it was a repeat from a workout in the 2016 Open that I knew I could improve on. My head wasn’t feeling great when I got to the gym that day, but I went ahead with the workout anyway. And I did better than last year. A lot better. But not as well as I know I could have. 55 deadlifts at 225 lbs, 55 wall balls, 55 calories on the rower, and 55 handstand pushups in 13 minutes. Last year I got through 27 calories on the rower before I hit the time cut off. This year I got through the entire row with a minute to spare. Awesome! 28 reps better in a full minute less. I’d have 60 seconds to work on handstand pushups, which I’ve never done in a workout before. Not so much. The second I stepped off the rower I almost passed out. I could hardly stand. Everything was spinning and my vision was going in and out. Instead of trying for a couple handstand pushups, I spent that minute (and about 15 after) trying to stay upright and conscious. Not good. I’d never felt that way after a workout. Not when I weighed 315 lbs. Not any time between then and now. It scared the crap out of me, so I took the weekend to rest. I had been feeling better and hadn’t had any issues all weekend, so I went in for the normal workout on Monday, which was fine. I didn’t have any issues before, during, or after the workout. Then, at work the next day the dizziness hit and never went away. I spent the whole day (and the next three) sitting at my desk in a fog trying to focus on my work and not falling to the ground. Something was pretty obviously wrong. I was, admittedly, terrified. So much so that I sped home in the middle of the day one day, woke up my girlfriend who was in the middle of working 6 out of 7 overnights (learned a lesson there), and told her I was pretty sure I was dying. I took the rest of the week off training because I wasn’t sure I could get through a workout or if it was even healthy for me to be out there. I went to everyone’s favorite chiropractor and felt much better. I didn’t have any issues with dizziness for almost three days, so I decided it should be OK for me to go in and do 17.5. As luck would have it, the dizziness came back about an hour before the workout, but wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been. I had made it this far and was committed to finishing the Open and doing this workout as prescribed. 90 thrusters and 350 double unders…yeah, all that up and down should be fine for someone dealing with dizziness issues…totally fine. OK, not so much. Somewhere in round three the dizziness kicked in HARD. My vision was going in and out and focusing on what I was doing was becoming seemingly impossible. I gutted it out and finished the workout, which I’m proud of. It took me probably 6-7 minutes longer than it should have since I spent so much time trying to rein my eyesight in, but I finished it and there it was, my goal of doing every workout as prescribed this year. Today as I write this I’m not sure where I stand in the world, state, or inter-gym rankings. I don’t care, honestly. I imagine I fell after 17.5, but it doesn’t matter because I hit every goal I had for this year’s Open. My body hurts and my head is still cloudy (which I’m being treated for), but I feel really good about what I was able to achieve. My body is truly capable of things I never thought possible, even when I’m not feeling anywhere near 100%. The improvement in what I can do over what I did last year is evident, obvious, and pretty freaking amazing. I did not qualify for Regionals. I did not finish in the top 10 in my gym (we have amazing athletes at Viral – you guys are animals). I probably fell out of the top 33% in the world. Whatever. I really do not care. This Open was hard. Much harder than I remember last year being. That may be credited to the fact that I did all the workouts Rx or cool guy Dave Castro upping the ante. I don’t know the exact reason, but it was freaking hard for everybody (except maybe Matt Fraser, but he’s a psycho – I mean that with the utmost respect). It was hard for me. I went through some stuff during this Open. A major blow to my confidence and self-esteem. Questioning if this is all right for me. Questioning myself as an athlete. Fighting through what, to me, has been a really scary health issue. It was hard. But as hard as it was, it was worth it. I proved some things to myself. I can overcome setbacks. I can push through pain and fatigue. I can take some rest when I need to. Hopefully others can relate or celebrate other successes. Maybe you PR’d your squat snatch. Maybe you got your first muscle-up. Maybe you were top in your gym of all scaled athletes. Maybe you showed up and did your best for all five workouts. Whatever it was, you did it. You should be proud. I know I am. I’m also very ready to get back to regular programming and training to do even better next year. Here’s to another Open season and to a clear head going forward.
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rlord christ uh okay
1: Kitchen Counter, Couch, or on top of the dryer?
kitchen Table. ;3
2: Your last sexual encounter: Good or Bad and why:
good!!!!! it was early morning and aiden was off work so we decided to mess around and it was just v low stress and nice
3: A fictional person that you think would be good in bed:
hm uh. who;s that one tiger from zootopia? shit dice drew a commission of him a while back. the sexy one. he’d treat me right.
4: Something that never fails to make you horny:
there are like a million dumb fucking things aiden does that makes me lose my gdamn mind!!!!!! like, when he loosens his tie and gives me The Sex Look or kisses my neck in a certain spot... luv that husband
5: Where is one place you would never have sex:
somewhere kids could see :/
6: The most awkward moment during a sexual experience was when ______________
one time admittedly when i was new to anal i had the inevitable ShitDick scenario bc i didn’t know how to prep myself properly........im so fucking sorry, trey, im so sorry
7: Weirdest thing that ever made you horny:
this petsmart flyer came in the mail once. that was a weird jerkoff. made me realize im deep in petplay pff
8: What is the best way to sexually bind someone: Handcuffs, Rope, or Other [if other please explain]:
aiden;s been practicing shibari and it’s pretty fun! i’d say its my fav way to be restrained rn
9: What is the fastest way to make you horny:
it aint hard idk
10: Top or bottom?
this bitch be bottomin, my ass is Ready
11: We were about to ____________ but then ______________ [example: we were about to have sex but then his mom walked in]
12: Is one orgasm enough? Are multiple orgasms necessary?
it depends on how much stamina u have or if you’re in the mood for more? that time waiting for the refractory period tho suuuuuuuucks, im so jealous of dfab ppl that can come multiple times :/
13: Something that you have hidden in your room that you don’t want anyone to find:
a valentine’s present for aiden, shhh
14: Weirdest nickname a significant other has ever called you:
sometimes aiden fuckign. does French Shit and i dont know what he’s saying until after but it’s kind of become a joke because we’ll be having a really nice moment and he’ll lean in and like, whisper some bullshit like “my little lima bean” or “my sweet polished fork” and i fuckignt rftg,,, IT STILL SOUNDS HOT, WHY IS HE LIKE THIS
15: Two things you like [or dislike] about oral sex:
that “pop” noise when ur mouth comes off the dick. also, when he like, holds your head with his fingers tangled in your hair and bobs your head down on his cock g gg go gogfdoood thats so hot i love it when he does that to me its nice
16: Weirdest sexual act some has performed [or tried to perform] on/with you:
welcome 2 Trauma Land next question
17: Have you ever tasted yourself? [If no, would you?] [If yes, what did you think?]
yeah. it’s a pretty slutty thing to do, it’s not great tasting if u don’t like, pineapple and shit but it’s a pretty good way to get your partner turned on more
18: Is it ever okay to not use a condom:
if u and ur partner get tested together and r clean and not seeing anyone else
19: Who was the sexiest teacher you ever had?
my sophomore year humanities teacher in my study abroad program....holy Fuck. hooooly fuck. mr. nakamura still gets me going to this day. he has a wife tho :(
20: A food that you would like to use during a sexual experience:
whipped creaaaam!
21: How big is too big:
some bad dragons are really intimidating. christ.
22: One sexual thing you would never do:
let ppl use me as an object again :/
23: Biggest turn on:
humiliation is pretty good
24: Three spots that drive you insane:
my neck
my back
my pussy, and my crack.
25: Worst possible time to get horny:
driving is pretty rough.
26: Do you like it when your sexual partner moans:
ch r is t y es
27: Worst sexual idea you ever had:
define “worst,” anon.
28: How much fapping is too much fapping:
who fucking calls it “fapping” still
29: Best sexual complement you ever got:
Yikes^TM
30: Bald, landing strip, Jumanji:
is this like, a lesbian thing? i dont get it
31: Is it good sex if you don’t nut:
YA GATTA NUT!
32: Fill in the blank: "If they ____________, we are fuckin"
IF THEY TRUCKIN WE ARE FUCKIN!
33: What your favorite part of your body:
my belly........? idk i used to Hate My Mcfuckin Self but aiden blows raspberries on me and its fkin cute holy hell
34: Favorite foreplay activities:
if i suck on aiden’s fingers he basically fucking Dies on the spot, so that’s fun to use. for myself, uhh. thigh kisses are hot. so hot.
35: Love (>,<, or =) Sex For those of us who don’t remember our math thats “greater than, less than, or equal to]
there was a a time when i wouldve said sex is bnetter but no, it’s Lov....i Love Husband
36: What do you wear to bed?
boxers, and my husband
37: When was the first time you masturbated:
probably when i was like nine or ten? in the “i dont know this is masturbating but it kinda feels nice” way
38: Do you have any nude/masturbating pictures/video of yourself?
there’s a lot floating around there but most of it is during The Bad Time
39: Have you ever/when was the last time you had sex outside?
uhhh shit its been a while i can’t really remember?
40: Have/would you ever have sex outside?
mhm. it’s not my fav tho
41: Have/would you ever had a threesome?
i;ve had more than a threesome, buddy
42: What is one random object you’ve used to masturbate?
when i was young and desperate and trying anal for the first time i used a vibrating toothbrush but no one told me you’re supposed to not use the brush end. the bristles were rough.
43: Have/would you ever masturbate at work/school?
yes to both?? im a tiny troglodyte man what do u expect
44: Have/would you ever have sex on a plane?
maybe? this is a very specific situation, i know aiden would rather die than do anything on a plane tho
45: What is one song you’d like to have sex to?
i feel it coming - daft punk
46: What is something nonsexual that makes you horny?
literally like anything can make me hard im fucking easy
47: Most attractive celebrity?
my husband....he’s a star, to Me...
48: Do you watch gay/lesbian porn? why/why not?
yes. source: am gay
49: If a child was born on the occasion of the last time you had sex, how old would that child be right now?
Unborn.
50: Has anyone ever posted nude pictures of you online?
yes. i dont particularly like to think abt it but there’s a. big fan community wanting me to “come back” and it makes me super uncomfortable.
51: What is one thing that NEVER makes you horny?
girls :/
52: Do you have stretch marks? (How do you feel about them? Has anyone ever had a problem with them?)
i have a couple on my thighs and my belly from some healthy weight gain, but aiden doesn’t mind. he likes em
53: Do you like giving head? (why/why not)
dick....me Sucky Cock...nya
54: How do you feel about tattoos on someone you are interested in?
i dont rlly care
55: How would you feel about taking someones virginity?
i was a few people’s first lay and it was uh. difficult. they think they can just pound a man’s ass like their fleshlight and it’s rough when you’re like, laying there and your ass is on fire while you remind them to use more lube and also fucking go slower to start
56: Is there any food you would NOT recommend using during a sexual encounter?
sticky rice. good fucking lord, do not use sticky rice.
57: Is there anything you do on Tumblr that you would not like your significant other to see?
not really? we don’t hide things from each other
58: Do you own any sex toys? (what is it? (how long have you had it?)
we own a Shit ton. i’ve had some since i was like, a teenager but i’ve been collectin some over the years
59: Would you give your significant other unrestricted access to your Tumblr for a day?
oh god no. aiden barely knows what memes are
60: Would you be offended if your significant other suggested you get plastic surgery?
no, me and aiden have already discussed like, scar reduction shit. i have a few nasty keloids :/
61: Would you rather be a pornstar or a prostitute?
neither?? i mean, i was both for a while but *SLAMS TRAUMA BUTTON*
62: Do you watch porn?
duh
63: How small is too small?
all dick is good dick!!!!
64: Have you ever been called a freak? Why?
continues to Slam the Trauma Button
65: Who gave you your last kiss? Did it mean anything?
66: Would you switch phones with your significant other for a day?
probably not because aiden’s in a group chat with his work buddies and they’re all middle aged or young mom nurses. im a fish out of water.
67: Do you feel comfortable going "commando"?
sure, as long as its not like skinny jeans or something
68: Would you have a problem with going down on someone if they hadn't shaved their pubic hair?
not rlly. good dick is good dick
69: If you could give yourself head, would you?
im p sure everyone tries but usually i get my husband to B)
70: Booty or Boobs?
ass. please god, i’m all about ass
71: If you had a penis, what would you name it?
Ass Blaster 69
72: Have you ever been on an official date?
yes? like a movie and restraunt thing?
73: Have you ever cheated on someone? (Why?)
not that i know of, but there was a point when i was pretty low in life that i hopped around w/ partners and one night stands.
74: If you were a stripper, what would your name be?
the Pole Faller. i have no body strength and im named that bc i’d fall off the pole
75: Have you ever had sex in your parents bed? (Would you?)
no??????????? nO??
76: How would you react if you found out your parents had sex in your bed?
what...what kind of question even is this
77: What was your reaction the first time you saw a penis/vagina
“god i wanna put my mouth all over that”
78: If you had a penis/vagina for a day, what are five things you would do?
DOUBLE PENETRATION!!!!!! DOUBLE PENETRATION!!!!!
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Why Is Going To The Gym Scarier Than Holding A Spider?
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Following new findings that reveal 50% of non-gym goers admit to feeling scared of the gym, PureGym conducted a social study to find out what it was about the gym experience that instilled the most stress.
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The scale of our gym-phobia
Speaking to non-gym members in the UK, the country’s largest gym provider discovered the scale of our gym fear, with half of the participants saying the gym was scary, and 20% admitting that they actually found it very scary.
The findings (full report here) compared gym anxiety to other common fears and helped to show that some people are so spooked by gym that one in four would rather choose to have an injection with a needle, or be alone in a room with a spider than go to the gym.
30% of millennials said they’d rather give up their phone for a day instead of going to the gym alone, and 1 in 4 (25%) women said they’d rather go on a rollercoaster than head to the gym.
What’s the scariest thing about the gym?
What people said they found most scary about the gym was put to the test in a novel experiment. Three non-gym members with a fear of the gym were monitored for heart rate and temperature changes whilst they braved a visit to the gym and were tasked with three non-physical challenges that non-gym goers said frightened them the most:
Approaching the free weights area and selecting weights that they thought were the right size for them
Setting up a treadmill for a 10-minute workout
Asking a gym member for help with a specific machine
The resulting data showed:
Least stressful = visiting the free weights area: Although nearly a third (32%) of non-gym goers said the most intimidating area of the gym was the squat rack, and 64% said they didn’t know how heavy the weights they should use should be, this activity prompted the smallest increase in heart rate in all three case studies.
Pretty stressful = setting up a treadmill: Participants had a significant stress spike in both heart rate and temperature when setting up a treadmill for a run.
Most stressful = asking for help: Asking a member of staff or fellow gym-goer for assistance proved the scariest for all three of the researchers, with a big surge in both temperature and heart rates.
(Note: The participants did not undergo any physical exertion, simply performing the set-up of a workout without actually performing the exercises to ensure readings were related to their emotions, and not their physical exertion).
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How the participants felt
Roxy, 37: “My father and his relationship with the gym has definitely made going to the gym a ‘thing’ for me. Over the years, him pushing me towards going to the gym has made me resistant to actually going. Outside of that, the main thing that makes me nervous is the busy-ness of gyms especially at peak times. This really brings my feelings of low self-esteem to the fore, especially in situations such as the changing rooms, where I would find myself comparing my body to the other women. Put simply, the busier the gym is, the more intimidated I am.
Stepping foot inside the gym today has taken the power out of my fear. Being honest about that fear and going through the process; from getting dressed for the gym, to walking here, going through the doors and exploring its different areas has gotten me one step closer to joining.
What also helped today was being given a list of things to do, from going to the free weights section, to the treadmill and then leg extension. I wasn’t just let loose in here without an idea of what to do. I think gyms need to be explicit in what they offer for beginners, and an easy step-by-step workout card would go a long way. There’s a long way between just being a member of a gym, to having a personal trainer, so helping to fill that gap would really help.”
Robin, 44: “Before visiting the gym today, the thought of it would always remind me of P.E. at school. I was a ‘wimpy’ kid with asthma, and was always a ‘sick note’ when it came to P.E. I also went to quite a rough school, so found it a very intimidating environment. Every time I’ve thought of the gym, it brought me right back to those feelings of feeling out of place and worrying about who might be watching me.
However, after visiting today I’m admittedly such a novice, but its helped to remind me and make me realise that while I might be worrying about people watching me, no one actually is. They’re here to get fit and anyone I did speak to was friendly. The image of the gym being like school has left me now, and I already feel more comfortable being inside one”.
Rebekah, 33: “For me, it’s a fear of judgement when it comes to the gym. Because I’m a curvy girl, some people can make an assumption that you don’t know what you’re doing and I don’t like that. It also takes me back to group sports at school, and being pushed into doing things I didn’t want to do. I always liked solo sports like gymnastics and rock climbing, and being forced into sports like netball put me off!
Being in a gym today helped me to realise just how anxious being here does actually make me feel, and face that head on. It’s been eye-opening and on the other side of it, maybe surprisingly, I would want to come again, and am considering getting a personal trainer!”
What makes the gym scary and how do we overcome our fears?
Stephen Rowe, Chief Marketing Officer at PureGym says “Our research revealed two principal causes of fear for people new to the world of gyms. The first is a general fear of the unknown and secondly, people worry that others may judge them as they don’t know what they’re doing which can lead to social anxiety. To help first timers with their first visit, we’ve created a behind-the-scenes gym video tour which shows what a PureGym looks like from the inside, so they can get used the gym before they even leave the house. There is also an online treadmill guide on how to set-up a machine and three new workouts specifically for beginners to help a nervous member on their first visit. By arming new starters with a little more knowledge before they step into the gym, we hope to give them a bit more confidence and remove some of those anxiety barriers.”
Dr. Margee Kerr teaches and researches everything ‘fear’ related at the University of Pittsburgh. She even consults on deliberately fear-inducing rollercoaster and theme park attractions. Dr. Kerr explains the reason why the gym is different to other healthy activity in our minds is because “Going to the gym is a social experience, meaning it carries all the potential gains that come with socialising, but also all of the fears and anxieties too.
“We, as humans, are constantly comparing ourselves to our peers, analysing how we’re similar, better, or worse. We also compare ourselves to our own expectations of what we think we should be capable of, our internal representation of our ‘best’ self.
Where we might be able to hide some of our vulnerabilities in the workplace or school, our weaknesses feel on full display in the gym, inciting intense feelings of vulnerability, of self-doubt, of fear.”
Dr. Kerr suggests the following tips for recognising and over-coming your gym anxieties:
Remind yourself that you are in control. Studies show a sense of control makes scary social events easier to tolerate and overcome. So, acknowledge, and frequently remind yourself, that you are the one choosing to take on this fear inducing situation. Your doctor, spouse, family member, coach, etc. didn’t make you go to the gym, YOU did. Knowing it’s your choice will empower you to embrace the challenge ahead.
Don’t ignore that you feel scared. Denying, or attempting to suppress your fears doesn’t work, in fact studies show it does the exact opposite. The more we try to NOT think of something the more importance we give it in our minds! Give yourself permission to feel scared, acknowledge the fear when it creeps in, welcome it and know that it’s OK to feel this way. And applaud yourself for feeling the fear but doing it anyway!
Educate yourself. Fear is all about the unknown, so you can do yourself a BIG favour and reduce a ton of anxiety by learning more about the gym before your first workout. Either research online, or book an induction to learn where the locker rooms, water fountains, and exits are located, and learn any important gym protocol like proper equipment use and class etiquette. Thinking strategically will help you manage your fears, you have to know your territory before you make a move.
Read more of Dr. Kerr’s tips on coping with gym anxiety at https://www.puregym.com/blog/how-to-get-over-gym-anxiety/
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01 03 10 11 15 18 23 25 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 39 (I'm not sorry. I had to stop there though since so many already.)
(fantasy) writer ask meme!
01. which world/region is your favorite? least favorite? why?
Personally, I really love both Evoles and Hana. My least favorite used to be Vousili until I revamped it. Honestly, there’s not really one I dislike, but I guess if there’s one I’d have to choose it would be between Sindora and Sorestras.
Evoles is one of my favorites because it was the first that I made. It’s Tya’s country, and it’s always the one I can most vividly imagine in my head.
Hana is the other one because it’s just honestly so damn beautiful. I love the dark history of it as well as the customs, the clothes, the buildings, the government.
Sorestras honestly just hasn’t had a lot of development which puts it low on the list.
Sindora isn’t a big problem to me, I just don’t have a whole lot of attachment to the story over all, so I guess it would be low?
03. is there a character without abilities? why are they unique?
Yup, quite a few! Out of my main characters though, only Leera Fae and Sayka Faire don’t really have abilities. Leera is unique because she’s a pretty powerful lady. She was a part of her country’s forces until she was killed by a shapeshifter. The Matriarch of her country took interest in her ridiculous will power, and sat back to watch what she’d do, which eventually led to allowing her restore completely with the promise of returning a soul back to the Matriarch.
Sayka didn’t originally have any abilities at all, but what makes her unique is the fact that she got… so fucked up. In an attempt to help her father, Sayka worked to kill one of the Matriarchs, the collectors of souls, with the Ancient’s Maiske, a sword imbued with the Ancient’s will. In doing so she just displaced the entity that was the Matriarch herself, and ended up possessed as the next host.
10. what type of clothing do your characters wear?
That depends on which character it is, where they come from, and their status, honestly. Tya always bundles up in baggy, dark greens, blues, and browns, because those are common fashion in Evoles. Lucien and Sophie kind of wear whatever they find, though they mostly bundle up in cloaks and stuff both to block out the sun and keep warm in Alkais’ freezing temperatures. Rori tends to wear sleeveless things with a low cut that cover her legs and her stomach as well as a lot of gold jewelry just because that was always what she was most comfortable in. Emtirian fashion is a lot of firm fabrics in dark blue, silver, and gold, yet Rori never really wears that stuff. Her attire is closer to what you’d see the Saburan women wearing casually.
Anhalia wears things that are kind of like sleeveless vests with light clothing underneath and gloves that cover her arms, as does Veselin because that’s Amaloran fashion. Then Asher and Lacey wear a lot of furs and floral print because those are key points of hannic fashion, as well as flowing fabric.
11. are there any fancy balls and festivals held in your book?
I haven’t decided yet whether any of the festivals will actually be present. There’s a gathering present in Tya’s involving the celebration of a new queen but it’s not really a ball or a festival. The only one I know for sure that’s in any of the books is one I haven’t got a specific name for, but in Hana hold a lot to celebrate specific flowers where they harvest them in bulk and make art / clothing out of them.
But there are a lot of festivals, like a specific one in each season to celebrate a designated Ancient, and then harvesting festivals are common, then the one where they paint the snow in Alkais.
15. is any part of your book inspired by fairytales?
I’m not sure? Maybe unintentionally? But I don’t know a lot about most fairytales, so if it is, it’s subtle or I don’t know it’s there.
18. what kind of jobs exist in your fantasy world? what is the career of your main character(s)?
Well there’s a ton. Anything ranging from crate carrier to leader of a country. And it ranges with the characters as well. Tya has had two jobs, both working class, until Lillia named her queen. She was first a stablehand when she was still making her body, occasionally helped on her father’s farm, and then she was essentially an errand runner for Lillia after that. She was supposed to be named Lillia’s first knight but.. that didn’t really get a chance to happen. People in her group all had different jobs- Melody Visser was a hunter that brought fresh game in to restaurants that hired her, Skye Cailbane was an apothecary for the Aikali Queen’s, aka the leaders of Vousili.
Lucien and Sophie are both unemployed and find work through flyers mostly. What they do is mostly like the sidequests you’d find in a video game. ‘Go find this in a cave and I’ll pay you’.
Anhalia and Leera were both infantry in different countries. Lacey was the Princess of Hana’s body guard.
Rori wasn’t necessarily employed because the Saburans don’t really do that- they designate jobs to people in the community and if you don’t do the job you’re required to do you don’t get food / shelter. But she was a night guard at the prison.
Kiara Razir cut wood and served tables at an Inn as well as occasionally sung.
Aspen Varro has a little stall where she sells imported crystals and herbs.
There’s a bunch of jobs, I can’t name all of ‘em.
23. what type of jewelry is typically sold/worn, if any? who would be the one to purchase it?
All kinds honestly. Again, depends on the country but there are y’know big things and little things, chains, spikes, a whole variety. A lot of my characters wear them. Tya wears a particular fire opal ring, Lucien has a little skeletal hand.
25. what type of food do people eat in your world/region? is there some only few can afford?
Evoles is known for really good quality vegetables, Alkais for it’s nice elk / deer meats, Hana for it’s seasonings, Sindora for mushrooms, Amalar for poultry, and Emtiris for rice and bread. Alkais and Evoles are opposites in their food- In Alkais greens are expensive and Evoles meat is expensive. In Amalar, vibrant seasoned meals are the more expensive ones because a lot of the food there is bland and dull colored.
30. what kind of folklore exists in your world? are there stories people tell their children?
There’s a couple myths that are pretty widespread in Arantis- things such as the Matriarchs rise from flames when they collect your souls, and because of that they use ‘flames’ as a curse.
There’s also stories such as the Ten Mothers, where it’s said that if you do the thing, and you do it right, and you don’t fuck it up, you can have an absolute mastery in anything you desire.
Melborn’s Blood tells of this very precise and difficult ritual that will bring unending happiness, but if you fuck it up you’ll end up crazy.
But those are tales. There’s lots of little customs here and there in different counties, like hanging certain herbs outside your home in the fae touched cities in Hana to keep them from messing with your stuff and in Sindora, you never look the snake statues in the eye.
31. are there prisons in your story? any form of a criminal justice system?
Yup! The biggest prison in Arantis is called Azenty and it’s in the northern desert of Sorestras. It’s in the middle of nowhere and the only water supply for days on the inside of a massive wall. It harbors the worst of the worst criminals, needless to say.
The criminal justice system is different in each country, obviously. In Evoles, the bad crimes are dealt with by the leaders of each city, and generally kept in the dungeons beneath the castles for their terms. Evoles also offers forgiveness systems for example, for Tya after being imprisoned for Arson, she worked off her sentence by helping the High Queen directly, as did Vaisa for his of treason. Of course that’s only really applicable if the High Queen thinks there is something on the same level as the crime to tend to meaning Arson and Treason = saving the country from mass genocide.
In Alkais they have trials, and in Vousili, the Court of Queens oversees every decision.
32. how do your characters tell the time of day in your fantasy world/region?
They tell through the placement of the sun and moon in most places, but clocks are a thing too.
33. do you experiment with government in your story? if so, how?
Not really. I’m admittedly not overly interested in politics, even if it’s mine.
34. are there any parts of your world/region that are more industrial than the others? what is produced?
Yup! In Evoles, the tetranian province is pretty industrial. They work on technology and advancements mostly, and have lately been working on trains. Amalar works on weaponry a lot and glass. Emtiris’ industry is mostly for processing fabric.
35. are there any laws in your world/region that are important to the plot? any restrictions on magic?
Well aside from ‘don’t burn down historical monuments’ not really. They aren’t overly fond of teleportation magic and people trying to resurrect other people, but honestly none of them are really illegal.
36. how do the higher class live? how do the lower class live?
The upper class have the usual, you know, bigger houses nicer, clothes things like that. There’s also the fact that they can keep food in the house- in Evoles particularly it’s a noticeable thing because the lower classes flock to the Queen’s homes for dinners because they usually have nightly meals to feed the people and things like that.
In Hana the upper class is evident in the fact that they’ll live in places like Ashvale, the capital, or Visticaria, the most elaborately beautiful city in all of Hana and possibly the world. The lower classes in Hana travel with the seasons a lot so they can find work wherever the flowers are growing.
In Amalar, wealth is really widely shared. Of course not everyone gets it but honestly there’s not really a big differentiation between wealthy and poor aside from those that are really really really poor to the point they don’t even have homes.
In Alkais, a biiiiig tell between the classes is the types of furs people keep warm in. Stupidly wealthy people wear more exotic and more embroidered furs whereas poorer people will wear just kind of whatever they can get their hands on. They less money you have, the more likely you are to be bundled up because what you have is thinner. Wealthier people also tend to wear brighter colors.
In Sorestras, education is a very big tell. The more intelligent you are, the wealthier you are, and because of this people tend to really really flaunt their degrees, their souvenirs from travels, things like that. Along with that, it’s also a big show of wealth to have a big library in your home. A wealthy Soresean has likely traveled to every country at least once.
In Emtiris, colors are also a show of wealth, particularly dark blue and silver. It’s worn a lot by the wealthy. Because of Emtiris’ view on people that give birth, the wealthy are generally women which flock together. It’s a really big tell for wealth when you live with a bunch of other women.
In Vousili, no one is wealthy- Vousili works primarily under a bartering system and doesn’t accept the world-wide currency at all. You work for what you have or you have nothing- the only people that could be considered wealthy would be the Aikali in the Court of Queens, but really, they are wealthy in respect and power but nothing else.
In Sindora, it all depends on the clan you’re under. In the southern clan, wealth is shown in protection and power. Generally those that work for the Sindor militias are more wealthy, so weaponry and muscle is a sign of wealth. Those that are wealthy generally also have more people with them? They live in larger homes with more people, usually lower class, that are willing to defend them and fight for them in exchange for food and shelter. The northern clan has an elected official and they are the only one that is wealthy. They don’t really have much more than other people- their house has a treasury in it, and is therefore slightly larger than everyone else’s. Mostly the biggest thing that differs in the way they live is the fact that they hold more responsibility as they aim to create complete equality among everyone on their side.
37. what do people in your fantasy world/region do for entertainment? are there games that children play? do people go to the theatre?
Of course there are games children play. I don’t know any specifically, the kids make them up as they go rather than having widespread ones, though I don’t doubt there are a couple that are more known than others.
As for other forms of entertainment though, reading is a very big one. A lot of people do that, as well as play sports- don’t ask about them I haven’t actually made much of any of them because I know 0 things about sports and have to figure out all the fun gameplay things.
And yes, theaters are very popular. Street plays and various sorts of street entertainment, and concerts too. People really enjoy music.
Gardening is something people really enjoy, hiking, playing outside in general, swimming, then there’s inside things like card games and board games.
39. are there any customs followed at important gatherings (e.g., funerals, weddings, birthdays, etc.)?
Oh yeah. Weddings aren’t REALLY a thing in most countries in Arantis? It’s an elven tradition mostly that means very little in legality and is more a show of love to one another. It’s common to tattoo the inside of the couples hands with specific symbols that the couples have made- one half for each of them so when they put their hands together it’s a full picture.
Funerals in Amalar and Evoles are dealt with pretty simply- people bury their loved ones and mourn, you know, the usual basic shit. In Hana, it’s tradition to have your loved ones cremated and ‘fed to the land’. In Emtiris.. they take that same sentiment farther? It’s widespread tradition to have the dead butchered and spread in composting lots.
Birthdays are kinda celebrated case by case? They aren’t really a big deal unless the person thinks they are. The only time they are celebrated is for the gods and for people like Sancor The Great, since every birthday he’s had for the past few centuries has been a blessing given by the people themselves.
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50 Eminem quotes and lyrics about success and life
Looking for inspirational Eminem quotes? In this post, we’ve gathered some great quotes and lyrics from the rapper for you. Enjoy!
Marshall Bruce Mathers III, better known by his stage name Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, music producer, record executive, and actor. He is among the world’s best selling artists of all time with over 47 million albums and 220 million records sold.
Born on October 17, 1972, in St. Joseph, Missouri, Eminem developed a passion for rapping at a young age and released his debut album, Infinite, in 1996. Soon after, he signed with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment and released several successful albums.
To date, Eminem has released 9 studio albums, which have all been massive hits, making him one of the biggest sensations in the rap industry.
As one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time, Eminem has clearly managed to tap into his Everyday Power to rise to the top of his game.
In that regard, here are some memorable Eminem quotes to inspire you to become the best in whatever you may be pursuing in your life.
Eminem quotes and lyrics about success and life
1.) “Throughout my career, I fed off the fuel of people not being able to understand me.” – Eminem
2.) “The truth is you don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow. Life is a crazy ride, and nothing is guaranteed.”- Eminem
3.) “It feels good to have your work respected again.” – Eminem
4.) “Fame hit me like a ton of bricks.” – Eminem
5.) “Behind every successful person lies a pack of haters” ― Eminem
6.) “You’d have to walk a thousand miles in my shoes just to see what its like to be me!!” ― Eminem
7.) “But music is reflection of self, we just explain it, and then we get our
checks in the mail.” ― Eminem
8.) “Before I was famous, when I was just working in Gilbert’s Lodge, everything was moving in slow motion.” ― Eminem
9.) “You don’t get another chance, life is no Nintendo game.” – Eminem
10.) “You can make something of your life. It just depends on your drive.” – Eminem
11.) “A normal life is boring.” – Eminem
12.) “Success is my only option, failure’s not.” – Eminem
Eminem quotes about music and life
13.) “Sometimes I feel like rap music is almost the key to stopping racism.” – Eminem
14.) “Personally, I just think rap music is the best thing out there, period. If you look at my deck in my car radio, you’re always going to find a hip-hop tape; that’s all I buy, that’s all I live, that’s all I listen to, that’s all I love.” ― Eminem
15.) “If people take anything from my music, it should be motivation to know that anything is possible as long as you keep working at it and don’t back down.” – Eminem
16.) “The emotions in a song – the anger, aggression – have got to be legitimate.” – Eminem
17.) “I think my first album opened a lot of doors for me to push the freedom of speech to the limit.” – Eminem
18.) “You better lose yourself in the music. The moment, you own it, you better never let it go. You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo.” – Eminem
19.) “Dealing with backstabbers, there was one thing I learned. They’re only powerful when you got your back turned.” – Eminem
20.) “If there’s not drama and negativity in my life, all my songs will be really wack and boring or something.” – Eminem
21.) “I started learning how to not be so angry about things, learning how to count my f—ing blessings instead. By doing that, I’ve become a happier person, instead of all this self-loathing I was doing for a while.” – Eminem
Eminem quotes to inspire confidence
22.) “My thing is this; if I’m sick enough to think it, then I’m sick enough to say it.” – Eminem
23.) “I am who I am and I say what I think. I’m not putting a face on for the record.” – Eminem
24.) “I was poor white trash, no glitter, no glamour, but I’m not ashamed of anything.” – Eminem
25.) “Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity. To seize everything you ever wanted in one moment. Would you capture it or just let it slip?” ― Eminem
26.) “Everybody has goals, aspirations or whatever, and everybody has been at a point in their life where nobody believed in them.” – Eminem
27.) “Be proud of who you are.” – Eminem
28.) “We’ll walk this road together, through the storm. Whatever weather, cold or warm.” – Eminem
29.) “If you have enemies, good that means you stood up for something.” – Eminem
30.) “I’m just a little bit sicker than the average individual I think.” – Eminem
31.) “That’s why we seize the moment try to freeze it and own it, squeeze it and hold it.” – Eminem
32.) “Why be a king,when you can be a god?” – Eminem
Eminem quotes and lyrics about love, family and relationships
33.) “Love is just a word, but you bring it definition.” ― Eminem
34.) “Trust is hard to come by. That’s why my circle is small and tight. I’m kind of funny about making new friends.” – Eminem
35.) “I say what I want to say and do what I want to do. There’s no in between. People will either love you for it or hate you for it.” – Eminem
36.) ”Ultimately, who you choose to be in a relationship with and what you do in your bedroom is your business.” – Eminem
37.) “Why is it so hard for people to believe that white people are poor?! I wouldn’t say I lived in a ghetto; I’d say I lived in the ‘hood. The same friends I had back then are the same people on tour with me now.” – Eminem
Other memorable Eminem quotes and lyrics
38.) “Somewhere deep down there’s a decent man in me, he just can’t be found.” – Eminem
39.) “Don’t do drugs, don’t have unprotected sex, don’t be violent. Leave that to me.” ― Eminem
40.) “It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me. Admittedly I probably did it subliminally for you.” – Eminem
41.) “People can try to reinvent themselves. I don’t think you can really change who you are, though, because who you are is pretty much where you came from and what you’ve done up to now.” – Eminem
42.) “In my mind I’ma fighter, my heart’s a lighter, my soul is the fluid. My flow sparks it right up.” – Eminem
43.) “Hip-hop is ever changing but you’ll always have the pack. And you’ll always have those people who are separated from the pack.” – Eminem
44.) “We sing for these kids who don’t have a thing.” – Eminem
45.) “I don’t think I’ve ever read poetry, ever. I’m not really book-smart.” – Eminem
46.) “Honestly, I’d love to be remembered as one of the best to ever pick up a mic, but if I’m doing my part to lessen some racial tension I feel good about what I’m doing.” – Eminem
47.) “I need to keep working on myself for a while.” – Eminem
48.) “I was a smart kid, but I hated school.” – Eminem
49.) “I didn’t have nothin’ going for me… school, home… until I found something I loved, which was music, and that changed everything.” – Eminem
50.) “There was a while when I was feeling like, ‘Damn, if I’d just been born black, I would not have to go through all this’.” – Eminem
Which Eminem quotes are your favorite?
Eminem is regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time. Although he had a troubled childhood and was bullied in school, he rose to become a successful rapper.
His lyrics and quotes have inspired many people who initially felt like they had nothing much to live for. Hopefully, these Eminem quotes have motivated you to be the best you can be.
Did you enjoy these Eminem quotes? Which of the quotes was your favorite? We would love to hear all about it in the comment section below.
The post 50 Eminem quotes and lyrics about success and life appeared first on Everyday Power Blog.
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The Basics:
16 individuals drafted every main show match in WrestleMania history (along with Neville vs Austin Aries from WrestleMania 33 to keep things even). This gives each person a total of 20 matches selected. The draft was conducted snake style so the individual that had the 16th pick in the draft also had the 17th pick to start round two. Each round will have an individual post leading up to WrestleMania 34 and the draft will culminate in our own Mel Kiper (Brad Woodling) giving his opinions and draft grades for how each person did overall. Place to Be Nation will also be able to vote on their favorite draft overall.
Round 4:
Pick #49: Charlotte Flair vs Sasha Banks vs Becky Lynch (WrestleMania 32) – Selected by Jennifer Smith
I definitely knew I wanted a good women’s match so I consulted PTBN’s WrestleMania List-a-Mania from 2017 and drafted the #1 on the Best WM Women’s Match list. Plus, all of these ladies are easy on the eyes.
Pick #50: John Cena vs Batista (WrestleMania 26) – Selected by JT Rozzero
I continued to target underappreciated big time matches, as I feel this one doesn’t get the love it should. It was really good, filled with big bombs and a fun storyline, plus heel Batista at his best.
Pick #51: John Cena vs The Rock (WrestleMania 29) – Selected by Tim Capel
It would seem that I continue to feast on Stacey’s scraps. Unlike Shawn vs. Taker II, this admittedly does feel more like settling for the lesser match. Unwanted though the rematch was by seemingly everybody at the time, Rock and Cena still bring an iconic, big match feel – and with the title on the line to boot. I still admire their efforts in going absolutely nuts with the false finishes to deflect from the foregone conclusion. No regrets here.
Pick #52: CM Punk vs Chris Jericho (WrestleMania 28) – Selected by Chad Campbell
At this point with my top three matches secured, I was looking for best available. I feel like this is an underrated gem that gives you a workrate style main event match with some nice star power that don’t have too many Mania gems elsewhere.
Pick #53: John Cena vs Triple H (WrestleMania 22) – Selected by Brian Bayless
As one era ended in Rock vs. Austin, another begun with Cena winning his first World Championship. Despite the crowd being pro-HHH, Cena showed he belonged in the main event and stayed on top of the company for a very long time.
Pick #54: The Undertaker vs Triple H (WrestleMania 17) – Selected by Scott Criscuolo
The first of a trilogy of Mania matches for these two. On a show already stacked these two could just go out and have a nice tidy brawl all over the Astrodome.
Pick #55: Lawrence Taylor vs Bam Bam Bigelow (WrestleMania 11) – Selected by Neil Trama
Here we get the greatest WrestleMania celebrity match of all time coupled with tons of pomp and circumstance. Plus it puts me on my way to fulfilling JT Rozerro’s prediction that I would draft the entire Wrestlemania 11 card.
Pick #56: Trish Stratus vs Mickie James (WrestleMania 22) – Selected by Aaron George
So I want the full UNEDITED version. With the grabs, the licks, and the audience losing their fucking minds. There’s a moment where Mickie drops Trish’s throat on the top rope as she falls to the outside, she throws her hands in the air and laughs while the crowd goes ballistic. In that moment I knew I was watching the best women’s match in WrestleMania history. It was then, it is now. It’s legit special, the vibe, the work and the atmosphere are top-notch.
Match time: 9 Mins
Show Time : 48 Mins
Pick #57: Andre the Giant Battle Royal (WrestleMania 30) – Selected by Jordan Duncan
Another aspect I considered was to try to ONLY consider the matches, not the long term results. If you look at this match and it’s long term effects, it failed to make Cesaro a singles star. But on THAT night? He seemed poised to break out as a huge deal. A really fun battle royal with a great finish.
Pick #58: Triple H vs The Big Show vs The Rock vs Mick Foley (WrestleMania 16) – Selected by Steven Ferrari
This match is often overlooked, I think, as a really fun WrestleMania main event. But it has a couple fun storylines, a lot of great action and Rock hitting the People’s Elbow on Stephanie for another classic moment.
Pick #59: Ahmed Johnson & The Legion of Doom vs The Nation of Domination (WrestleMania 13) – Selected by Andy LaBar
Andy Pick: #4 Overall Pick: #59
I know this match isn’t for everyone, but all things considered, this is honestly one of my very favorite WrestleMania matches of all time. It could be part nostalgia, or part HOLY SHIT, but having never seen ECW when this match happened, nor much other hardcore wrestling, the brawl that this match is truly blew my mind. Everything is a weapon, and Road Warrior Hawk is king. Truthfully I almost picked this match with my third pick, and was super happy it fell to me at #59, with my fourth pick. From a card perspective, this match marks where shit is gonna pick up and get really real. We are going to let up ONLY ONCE in these last handful of matches, and we are gonna see spectacle after spectacle. Some say this match may drag on too long, and it may, but it’s fun as hell.
Pick #60: Chris Jericho vs Christian (WrestleMania 20) – Selected by Nick Duke
There were only a few must haves in my mind coming into this, freeing me up to pretty much go with what I felt was the best available match throughout. That came into play here, as Jericho vs Christian is severely underrated and often forgotten in my opinion. Plus, heel Trish. I believe the term is “hache mache.”
Pick #61: Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit (WrestleMania 17) – Selected by Greg Phillips
I believe firmly in variety in wrestling. So far I’ve drafted an all around classic, a Ruthless Aggression era epic, a Hell in a Cell/Attitude Era Brawl match, and now a technical exhibition between two of the finest scientific wrestlers of all time. This match is exactly what it needs to be to fill this niche on the card.
Pick #62: Money in the Bank (WrestleMania 24) – Selected by Stacey O’Louglin
I desperately wanted a Money in the Bank ladder match. While the first couple are more famous and a lot of them run together, I think IV might just be the highest quality match in a vacuum. It’s a crazy balls out spotfest with a litany of reckless and stupid ladder spots, an awesome run in, and a fun surprise winner.
Pick #63: Triple H vs Sting (WrestleMania 31) – Selected by Todd Weber
Sting is one of my top-5 all-time favorite wrestlers, and getting him on this card was a must for me, even if this is a pretty basic and predictable match. Also, this was one of my favorite matches from the first WrestleMania I ever watched live in person! The nWo and D-X run-ins are my favorite part-the stadium rocked!
Pick #64: The Undertaker vs Randy Orton (WrestleMania 21) – Selected by J Arsenio D’Amato
Any dream Mania Card has to have an Undertaker match and this is one of his best.
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Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Who can really predict what will happen in this wretched league?
Well that was just what the SEC intended, right? None of the “Big 6” played each other, so they should all be undefeat....oh. That’s right. LSU decided to defend an endless series of mesh routes with man coverage and two high safeties. Welcome back Bo Pelini!
This week there are no such setups. Texas A&M attempts to prove they were just sloppy at home against Vanderbilt. Kentucky and Ole Miss face off to get their first win, and also to make Auburn/Florida fans feel better/worse about last week. LSU gets what should be a breather for that pass defense against Vanderbilt. MSU gets to try and light up what UGA fans have assured me is a very improved Arkansas defense. Tennessee and Missouri are also playing, and I’m sure they’ll get plenty of exercise.
This year I’m going to track everyone’s picks, not just my own. After one week:
Chief: 10-4
James, Josh Black: 9-5
Ryan, Josh W: 8-6
Jack: 7-7
Nerd: 6-8
Drew Mac, Dr Will: 5-9
Crow: 4-10
Yeah, that looks about right. JoshDub deserves the tie-breaker over Ryan for picking MSU outright. Chief managed to go 10-4 while also forgetting that MSU had hired Mike Leach! Go figure. On to this week:
Note: Just like last week, some of my brethren decided to include more than just a score. Some didn’t. [shrug emoji]
South Carolina @ Florida (-17.5) (O/U 57.5)
So how much do we believe in Florida’s offense? If they’re truly as good as they showed, and that wasn’t just a really poor Ole Miss defense, then this shouldn’t be too much trouble. Meanwhile, South Carolina didn’t really play that well on offense against an average Tennessee team at home. I don’t think Florida is as bad as some of the numbers showed against Ole Miss. That was a team pulling everything from under the kitchen sink to try and pull an upset. South Carolina will not have any of that fancy bullmess. Heck they’re still huddling! As far as the total, my only concern is that the Gamecocks slow things down to a crawl and try to get home healthy. I think they move the ball a bit between the 20s, but they don’t have the athletes to punch it in. That keeps the clock running enough to stop just short of the over. Florida 41-16 (Florida wins and covers; under by the hook)
Rest of the Staff
AUNerd: Florida 42 SCAR 14 (Florida wins and covers; under)
Jack: I went against the Gators last week and thought the Lane train would be able to make something funky happen. Wrong idea. Gators showed off the offense and Kyle Pitts will win the Mackey Award this season. Florida covers at home. Gators 41-17 (Florida wins and covers; over)
Drew Mac: Gatas 42-21 (Florida wins and covers; over)
Dr Will: Florida 38 South Carolina 20 (Florida wins and covers by the hook; over by the hook)
Josh Black: Florida 35 South Carolina 20 (Florida wins, South Carolina covers; under)
Ryan S. Sterritt: SC 13 UF 38 (Florida wins and covers; under)
Josh W: South Carolina 21, Florida 52 (Florida wins and covers; over)
Chief: @#$% Georgia. Florida 38 - SC 12 (Florida wins and covers; under)
Crow: Gators 52-12 (Florida wins and covers; over)
Missouri @ Tennessee (-11.5) (O/U 48.5)
Missouri had 7 players out for COVID and still (backdoor) covered against Alabama, which was a herculean effort. Tennessee was fine against South Carolina, but they needed a punt to carom off of a Gamecock blocker in order to avoid needing a stop from their defense. The Vols are the better team, and they’re at home, for whatever that means in COVID, but I think this number is a little too large. I’ll take both the underdog and the under: Tennessee 26-17 (Tennessee wins, Missouri covers; under).
Rest of the Staff
AUNerd: Tennessee 27 Missouri 21 (Tennessee wins, Missouri covers; under by the hook)
Jack: Tennessee looked alright last week on the road, Missouri started to figure things out against Alabama’s backups in the second half. I think Tennessee is about as good as Bama’s backups. Vols take it at home, but Missouri covers. Vols 27-23 (Tennessee wins, Missouri covers; over)
Drew Mac: Vols 23-21 (Tennessee wins, Missouri covers; under)
Dr Will: Tennessee 38 Missouri 17 (Tennessee wins and covers; over)
Josh Black: Tennessee 27 Missouri 14 (Tennessee wins and covers; under)
Ryan S. Sterritt: Mizzou 21 UT 24 (Tennessee wins, Missouri covers; under)
Josh W: Missouri 24, Tennessee 28 (Tennessee wins, Missouri covers; over)
Chief: @#$% Georgia. Tennessee 24 - Missouri 13 (Tennessee wins, Missouri covers; under)
Crow: Tennessee wins 35 15 (Tennessee wins and covers; over)
Texas A&M @ Alabama (-17) (O/U 51.5)
I want to believe that A&M just played a really sloppy game against Vanderbilt. They fumbled a ton, they committed penalties, and they even attempted to run a punt back out of their own endzone and made an illegal block in the process (that’s where the safety came from). I’ve just never had a lot of faith in Kellen Mond, and I don’t see that helping against Alabama. A&M’s best chance is to control the ball, try and string together a few first downs, and keep Alabama off of the field.
One of the perks of writing the picks article is that I get to see everyone’s picks before making my own. EVERYBODY has Bama laying the points this week. Well, time to try and zag and pick up a win on everyone. Alabama 33-17 (Alabama wins, A&M covers; under)
Rest of the Staff
AUNerd: Alabama 38 A&M 10 (Alabama wins and covers; under)
Jack: Saban assistants against Saban has literally never gone well, and this won’t either. There was the thought that A&M was preparing entirely for this game and skipped prep for Vandy, but I think most teams in this conference could beat the pants off of the Commodores without prep. A&M looked affected by the lack of practice, Alabama will hum at home. Tide 38-13. (Alabama wins and covers; under by the hook)
Drew Mac: HAHAHA, uat 42-13 (Alabama wins and covers; over)
Dr Will: Alabama 44 Texas A&M 14 (Alabama wins and covers; over)
Josh Black: Alabama 38 Texas A&M 13 (Alabama wins and covers; under by the hook)
Ryan S. Sterritt: TAMU 17 Bama 35 (Alabama wins and covers; over by the hook)
Josh W: Texas A&M 13, Alabama 42 (Alabama wins and covers; over)
Chief: @#$% Georgia. Alabama 33 - TAMU 15 (Alabama wins and covers; under)
Crow: Bams 47, aggy 7 (Alabama wins and covers; over)
Ole Miss @ Kentucky (-6.5) (O/U 61.5)
Now here is where we find out how good Auburn and Florida might actually be.
Does Kentucky allow Ole Miss to throw all over the place? They might, given how efficient Bo was.
Does Ole Miss allow Kentucky to run up and down the field? They could, given how many yards they allowed to Florida.
Does Kentucky just control the ball and play keep away?
Maybe I’m overrating them after watching them last week, but I think Kentucky controls the line of scrimmage in this game. The hardest hit areas under recruiting sanctions are always the lines. That’s exactly where Kentucky’s strength lies. Both PAPN (RIP) and Solid Verbal had the idea of teams like Alabama putting someone in the crock pot. I think Kentucky does a minor version of that to Ole Miss. The Rebels will make some plays when they have the ball, but they may have even fewer snaps than Auburn’s 57.
Kentucky 28
Ole Miss 21
(Kentucky wins and covers; under)
Rest of the Staff
AUNerd: Kentucky 35 Ole Miss 31 (Kentucky wins, Ole Miss covers; over)
Jack: Last week I took Ole Miss in an upset, and it backfired. This time I’m going Ole Miss in a milder upset and hoping it works out. Rebels upset Kentucky on the road and we get nervous watching it wondering how good our victory looks. Rebels 35-24 (Ole Miss wins outright; under)
Drew Mac: Rebel/Black Bear/Shark/Turnover Moneybags 27-20 (Ole Miss wins outright; under)
Dr Will: Kentucky 31 Ole Miss 27 (Kentucky wins, Ole Miss covers; under)
Josh Black: Ole Miss 28 Kentucky 24 (Ole Miss wins outright; under)
Ryan S. Sterritt: Ole Miss 28 UK 31 (Kentucky wins, Ole Miss covers; under)
Josh W: Ole Miss 28, Kentucky 31 (Kentucky wins, Ole Miss covers; under)
Chief: @#$% Georgia. Kentucky 36 - Ole Miss 29 (Kentucky wins and covers; over)
Crow: Ole miss 38-30 (Ole Miss wins outright; over)
Arkansas @ Mississippi State (-18) (O/U 69)
Arkansas was done in against Georgia by failing constantly on offense, save the long touchdown, and allowing Georgia to be efficient in the short passing game in the second half. That second one is a concern against Mississippi State. I do think they’ll have a better game plan than LSU did, but I don’t think it’s going to matter.
What I don’t understand is that, admittedly NICE, total. A full push assumes a 43.5 to 25.5 MSU win. I just don’t see Arkansas putting up 26 unless they get a defensive touchdown or two (which LSU did get last week, but that’s LSU and this is Arkansas). I think Arkansas tries to slow things down and keep it out of State’s hands. State handles business on their end, but this one stays under.
Mississippi State 44
Arkansas 17
(MSU wins and covers; under)
Rest of the Staff
AUNerd: Mississippi State 52 Arkansas 31 (MSU wins and covers; over)
Jack: Leach may have a little bit of a lull here after beating LSU, but this is the team you can afford a lull against. Since he knows no other way but to keep going, MSU covers after a close first half. Bulldogs 42-20 (MSU wins and covers; under)
Drew Mac: Staaate (YAR) 46-17 (MSU wins and covers; under)
Dr Will: Miss State 42 Arkansas 17 (MSU wins and covers; under)
Josh Black: Mississippi State 55 Arkansas 17 (MSU wins and covers; over)
Ryan S. Sterritt: Arkansas 16 MSU 40 (MSU wins and covers; under)
Josh W: Arkansas 24, Miss St 59 (MSU wins and covers; over)
Chief: @#$% Georgia. State 55 - Arkansas 17 (MSU wins and covers; over)
Crow: Mike Leach has a habit of losing to 1-AA teams. Arkansas 34-31 (Arkansas wins outright; under)
LSU (-20) @ Vanderbilt (O/U 48.5)
Vanderbilt got just about every break imaginable in College Station, and they lost by 5 in a game that wasn’t really that close. They’re happy with their new QB Seals, but less than 6 yards per attempt doesn’t excite me. I think LSU comes out angry. They should have Stingley back as well. I think he has the kind of day where he doesn’t allow a completion and maybe even has an interception. LSU gets a short field most of the day and makes this look worse than it really is.
LSU 45
Vanderbilt 17
(LSU wins and covers; over)
Rest of the Staff
AUNerd: LSU 34 Vanderbilt 17 (LSU wins, Vandy covers; over)
Jack: Vanderbilt showed some defense last week, and LSU is eager to prove themselves in a ton of ways. I think this ends up being like Dwight Schrute punching the karate dummy. Commodores know no pain that can affect them anymore, but LSU isn’t super effective anyway. Tigers 34-13 (LSU wins and covers; under)
Drew Mac: Fightin Tigas 23-16 (LSU wins, Vandy covers; under)
Dr Will: LSU 38 Vanderbilt 17 (LSU wins and covers; over)
Josh Black: LSU 38 Vandy 9 (LSU wins and covers; under)
Ryan S. Sterritt: LSU 30 Vandy 13 (LSU wins, Vandy covers; under)
Josh W: LSU 31, Vanderbilt 21 (LSU wins, Vandy covers; over)
Chief: @#$% Georgia. LSU 33 - Vanderbilt 10 (LSU wins and covers; under)
Crow: LSU 21-14 (LSU wins, Vandy covers; under)
from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2020/10/2/21498179/staff-picks-sec-week-2
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