#Street Golfer

[posthumanwanderings]

[ Street Golfer (PS2) - BGM 6 ]

#Street Golfer #PS2 music #PS2 #PlayStation 2 #SIMPLE 2000 Series #SIMPLE2000シリーズ #simple 2000 #VGM #house music #dance music in games

[chiropteracupola]

blurry photo of street sign...

#every time we are on that street I have to resist shouting LOOK it's my GUY. but LOOK it's our GUY. #last night everyone also got confused when I was goofing about some golfer's name being 'wyndham'. but how could I not be goofing.

[babyfadeboi]

You try, I do

#fashion #golfers #golfr #bucket hat #explore #viralpost #viral photo #tumblrpost #trending #trendyfashion #lifestyle #street style #mirror #accessories #fashion accessory

[yurimother]

The 2023 Yuri Guide - Anime

Your ultimate guide to the best Yuri content with over 200 curated titles from every genre and medium.

Adachi and Shimamura

• School • Slice of Life • Romance • Friends to Lovers • Slow burn

Adachi and Shimamura's days of skipping school offer a new world to explore. But as these delinquents bond, unexpected emotions begin to blossom. Now if they could just admit how they feel…

Streaming on Crunchyroll (Sub/Dub)

BIRDIE WING -Golf Girls' Story-

• Sports • Comedy • Drama

Eve is an underground golfer who supports poor street orphans with the money she makes from illegal golfing matches. But her life is about to change forever when she meets a young golfer who's just arrived from Japan...

Streaming on Crunchyroll (Sub)

The Executioner and Her Way of Life

• Action • Fantasy • Isekai • Enemies to Lovers

When Menou, an Executioner of deadly interdimensional “Lost Ones,” encounters a Lost One named Akari who can cheat death, she sets out on a mission to kill the unkillable girl — but her newly stirring feelings might get in the way of her blade.

Streaming on HIDIVE (Sub/Dub)

Flip Flappers

• Fantasy • Action • Magical Girl • Love at First Sight

Cocona’s world is turned upside down with the appearance of Papika. They set off on an adventure in “Pure Illusion.” In the pursuit of the “Shards of Mimi,” obstacles arise, and the shards enable them to transform.

Streaming on HIDIVE (Sub/Dub)

If My Favorite Pop Idol Made it to the Budokan, I Would Die

• Comedy • Music • Multiple Couples • Love at First Sight

Two years ago, super-fan Eripiyo was hypnotized by Maina Ichii and her pop group ChamJam. Now Eri dreams of seeing her favorite group make it big, to the Budokan arena! Her passionate desire consumes money and time—but no cost is too high. This is fandom!

Streaming on Crunchyroll (Sub/Dub)

Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san

• School • Slice of Life • Comedy • Multiple Couples

A mutual friend introduces Yachiyo Inugami, a dog-like girl who loves cats, and Suzu Nekoyama, a cat-like girl who loves dogs. The girls find themselves drawn in by their opposite traits and the most outlandish relationship starts to take form in this wild comedy that will have you barking (and meowing?) with laughter.

Streaming on Crunchyroll (Sub)

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady

• Fantasy • Romance • Comedy • Isekai 

When noblewoman Euphyllia is unjustly stripped of her title as the kingdom’s next monarch, the buffoonish Princess Anisphia takes it upon herself to right this wrong. Despite being taken for a fool ’cause of her silly antics, Anisphia is a magic genius, and she has a plan to help Euphyllia regain her good name. But little do they know—their encounter will alter the kingdom and the entire world! Streaming on Crunchyroll (Sub)

Maria Watches Over Us

• School • Slice of Life • Senpai/Kouhai • Multiple Couples

Students at Lillian Girls’ Academy become “soeurs” to support each other during their time at school. Shy Yumi Fukuzawa never thought she’d attract a soeur like the beautiful Sachiko Ogasawara, but Sachiko has unexpectedly set her sights on Yumi!

Streaming on HIDIVE (sub)

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

• Sci-Fi • Mecha • Action • School • Drama • Marriage

A.S. (Ad Stella) 122― An era when a multitude of corporations have entered space and built a huge economic system. A lone girl from the remote planet Mercury transfers to the Asticassia School of Technology, run by the Beneritt Group which dominates the mobile suit industry. Her name is Suletta Mercury. With a scarlet light burning in her pure heart, this girl walks step by step through a new world.

Streaming on Crunchyroll (sub/dub)

Otherside Picnic

• Action • Sci-FI • Horror • Slow Burn

Moments from death, Sorawo is saved by the mysterious Toriko in the world of the Otherside. Entranced by its beauty, she discovers that this dimension is inhabited by monsters once thought imaginary. Joining with Toriko in her search for a missing friend, they set out to explore this nightmare realm and maybe make a little money. What they encounter could bring enlightenment—or drive them mad!

Streaming on Crunchyroll (Sub/Dub)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

• Fantasy • Magical Girl • Horror • Tragedy • Fated Lovers • Multiple Couples

Madoka Kaname is an average 14-year-old girl who loves her family and friends. One fateful day, this all changes when she has a very magical encounter with a strange creature called a Kyubey. Kyubey have the power to grant one wish to chosen girls. However, in exchange, those chosen must become magical girls and use their powers to fight against witches, evil creatures born from darkness and catalysts of despair. Was this encounter by chance or fate? No matter the circumstance, this will surely change her destiny.

Movies Beginnings and Eternal retell this legendary and dark fantasy story with new and retouched animation and voice acting. The sequel film Rebellion follows Homura, unable to let her memories die, the magical girl continues to fight alone in the world that Madoka left behind, dreaming of meeting that nostalgic smiling face one more time...

TV - Streaming on Crunchyroll/Hulu (Sub) Films licensed by Aniplex of America

Revue Starlight

• School • Action • Drama • Weak Yuri

Childhood friends Karen and Hikari promised that they would one day become the next theatrical stars. Years later, the two finally have their chance during a mysterious audition, but they are not the only ones who have trained for this moment.

Streaming on HIDIVE (Sub/Dub)

Riddle Story of Devil (Akuma no Riddle)

• School • Action • Enemies to Lovers • Multiple Couples • Love at First Sight

Twelve female assassins are sent to a prestigious boarding school to compete against each other in a secret killing game. The winner will be granted anything her heart desires, but only one girl can come out on top. The mission is simple: send fellow student Haru Ichinose to an early grave. The task should be easy for heartless assassin, Toukaku Azuma – but everything changes when she finds herself strangely drawn to her naive target. Her decision to use her lethal skills to keep her new friend alive will raise the stakes of the game and push the girls closer together as the other beauties threaten to tear them apart.

Streaming on Funimation (Sub/dub)

Sakura Trick

• School • Slice of Life • Comedy • Friends to Lovers • Multiple Couples

Best friends Haruka and Yu are about to take their relationship from friendship to something more when they share a kiss! But when one kiss becomes two and three, how will their relationship change?

Streaming on HIDIVE (Sub)

Strawberry Panic

• School • Drama • Romance • Senpai/Kouhai • Multiple Couples • Love at First Sight

Nagisa has just transferred to a prestigious all-girls school that happens to share a campus with two other elite academies for young women. The new surroundings are overwhelming but Nagisa quickly adapts to life in Strawberry Hall with the help of her new friends. However, when Nagisa catches the eye of the mysterious Shizuma, the respected representative of all three schools, both their lives are forever changed. A bond beyond mere friendship develops between the two ladies amidst a chaotic school year full of heated conflicts, petty jealousies, and crossed boundaries.

Streaming on Crunchyroll/RetroCrush (Sub)

Sweet Blue Flowers

• School • Romance • Drama • Friends to Lovers

Fumi Manjoume enters Kamakura's accelerated high school - Matsuoka All-Girls High School. While waiting at the Kamakura station on the day of her entrance ceremony, she runs into an old childhood friend whom she had not seen in 10 years: Akira Okudaira. As their friendship is rekindled and they start falling back into the rhythm of friends again, it starts a delicate love story...

Streaming on Crunchyroll (Sub)

Volicia of Pluto

• Action • Indie • Sci-Fi • Mecha

In 2006, Akiko Hoshigami’s dreams of track-and-field stardom are dashed after a leg injury. She enters high school with her best friend, Ayano Umisoe, and between club activites and meeting new friends, the empty Akio begins to resember her former self. Until one day, Ayano suddenly dissapears.

Streaming on YouTube (Sub)

Yurikuma Arashi

• School • Drama • Sci-Fi • Enemies to Lovers • Multiple Couples

In a world divided between humans and hyper-intelligent, man-eating bears, Kureha attends an all-girls school and holds onto a simple wish—to spend the rest of her life with her classmate and soul mate, Sumika. But after a secret rendezvous ends in tragedy, Kureha vows to never back down on her love and put a bullet in any bear she meets.

Streaming on Funimation (Sub/Dub)

YuruYuri

• School • Slice of Life • Comedy • Multiple Couples

Four students decide to occupy the room of the defunct tea ceremony club, dubbing it the ‘Amusement Club.’ While the Student Council does its best to eliminate this club, their endless energy, happiness, and comedy will keep audiences smiling all season long!

Streaming on Crunchyroll (Sub)

Read More of the 2023 Yuri Guide

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#lesbian #yuri #girls love #lgbt #gay #lgbtq #gl #queer #anime #manga #sapphic #wlw

[sluttywonwoo]

instead of you [part thirty-six] || l.mh

pairing: [best friend’s brother] lee minho x college!reader ft. han jisung

summary: you didn’t expect to spend your summer pretending to be your best friend’s girlfriend- then again, you didn’t expect to fall for your best friend’s brother, either. 

warnings: swearing, alcohol

word count: 3k

a/n: revamped my tom holland series from my main blog ( @wazzupmrstark ) to try and motivate myself to finish it!!

“Nice hat.”

You gave Minho a sideways look. “Really?”

“Yeah, it’s cute.”

You tipped the brim at him, grinning. “Thank you. Jisung picked it out.”

“He has good taste.”

You weren’t sure how to respond to the double entendre so you didn’t, choosing instead to direct your attention forward, where your fake boyfriend was teeing up. 

Back at school, Jisung had gone off to play golf with a few of your mutual friends once or twice, but it was an expensive hobby, and as broke college students, they couldn’t exactly make a habit out of it. For a little while, Jisung worked as an assistant chef at a nearby country club for a couple of months which allowed him free access to their course in his off time, but juggling the job and his studies quickly became too much to handle and he couldn’t even keep up with his responsibilities, let alone have any free time to take advantage of the course. 

Considering how long it had been since he last played, you weren’t expecting much from Jisung’s first swing, but when he stuck the golf ball with his club, it actually went relatively far. Of course, you didn’t have much knowledge of the sport to go off of when it came to gauging how well he was actually doing, but from the looks on his brothers’ faces, you assumed he’d done pretty well. 

“Good job!” you cheered, running up to your best friend and kissing him on the cheek. “That was good right?”

He caught you with an arm around your waist and pulled you close. “Thanks, baby. It wasn’t bad, but it could have been better.”

“Whatever, you’re just being humble.”

“He’s not,” Felix piped up from behind the two of you. “Let me show you how a real golfer plays.”

You rolled your eyes in unison with Jisung but stepped back to let Felix tee up anyway, both watching as he took a couple of practice swings. 

“How much do you want to bet he comes in last?” Jisung muttered in your ear. 

“I’m not willing to go bankrupt over this, sorry.”

Jisung snorted and tried to muffle his laugh in your shoulder but it was still loud enough for his twin to hear. 

“Oi! I don’t want to hear it when you’re up thirty points over me.”

“Yeah, we’ll see, Lix,” Jisung scoffed. “Just swing already! We don’t have all day, mate.”

Felix shot his brother a look but did as he was told. He rolled his shoulders and focused in on the ball, huffing out a breath and drawing the club back over his shoulder. He put more power into his swing than Jisung had but hit the ball with the edge of the clubhead instead of the center which sent it flying a little off to the left. From what you could see, the ball still landed on the pitch. It hadn’t gone into the trees or the lake, it was just in a trickier spot to clear. 

“What was that you were saying about points?” Jisung asked smugly.

Felix groaned and turned back around to argue with him as Minho came up and took his place at the starting point. 

“It’s going to be a long day, isn’t it?” you muttered to Minho. 

He gave you a tight half-smile and shrugged. “You have no idea.”

-

It had only been an hour since the boys started and you didn’t think you’d ever heard so many insults and curse words thrown around in such a short amount of time, which was saying something. 

Jisung, Felix, and Minho were all neck and neck with each other, with Dom far ahead of all three of them. 

The course itself was beautiful. It was just across the street from the resort you were staying at, right on the edge of the water. You were able to see the ocean from the tops of the faux hills on the green, sparkling with the reflection of the sun. The waves were dotted with little boats and surfers all enjoying the good weather and making the most out of the afternoon.

You would have been content to spend all day there if it wasn’t so hot and you weren’t forced to stand around listening to your best friend argue with his brothers.

“How many more holes are there?” you asked Nikki, leaning over and whispering quietly so that the others wouldn’t hear you. 

“Too many.”

“Kill me now.” 

“Why don’t we get ourselves a drink when the cart girl comes around? It’ll make the time go faster.”

You grinned. “I like the way you think.”

-

You weren’t a stranger to day drinking, not by a long shot, but you didn’t want to get too sloppy while the sun was still up. You had long since given up on the little pact you’d made with yourself not to drink for the remainder of the trip— not that you’d ever really followed it in the first place. Nikki got herself a High Noon when the aforementioned cart girl came by, so you did the same, insisting on covering the tab for both of you.

“Please?” you practically begged. “It’s literally the least I can do after everything you’ve done for me.”

She seemed to think about it for a minute. “Fine. I’ll let you do it this one time. But don’t get used to it.”

You did a little dance in celebration and handed over some cash to the cart girl after she popped the tabs on both of your cans. 

“Want anything?” you called to the boys. “It’s on me!”

Felix was the only one to take you up on the offer, both Minho and Jisung making a fuss about not spending your money on them. Where was this attitude back at school? you asked yourself, scoffing at Jisung’s refusal. 

“I’m in the lead, I can’t afford to lower my inhibitions now!” Dom said. “But when I win, I’ll treat you to a pint, even though you’re canoodling with one of my opponents.” 

“I’m starting to think you guys have something against me,” you accused the two non-participants as you handed Felix his beer. “What, do you think I’m broke?”

“We’re just gentlemen,” Minho said pointedly, shooting Felix a look.

“You are broke,” Jisung muttered.

“Watch it,” you shot, waving your drink at him. “You’re not getting a sip now.”

“Babe, I didn’t want a sip to begin with.”

“Okay, well even if you change your mind you can’t have one.” 

He laughed and shook his head at the ground, walking back over to the teeing-off point with his hands on his hips.

Nikki was right, the afternoon did indeed pass a lot quicker with drinks in your hands. They kept you cool in the heat of the sun and the alcohol made the hours blend into each other.

In the latter half of the game, you started to pay more attention. You had finally begun to pick up what was good and what was bad from everyone else’s reactions to the shots and could actually tell for yourself. 

“Baby, can you switch this out for the driver?” Jisung asked, holding his current club out to you.

“Which one is that?” 

“The big one.” 

You selected the club he described and passed it to him, taking the one he’d just used to put back in the golf bag. He kissed you when you met him in the middle to swap the two, smiling against you when he noticed Minho looking on. 

“Sorry, couldn’t help it,” he whispered in your ear. “It’s too fun to fuck with him.”

Confused, you turned around to see what he was talking about only to see Minho standing a few feet away with his tongue in his cheek. 

“Thanks, baby,” Jisung said, putting his hand on the small of your back to remind you of what you were doing. “You make a cute caddy.”

Minho mumbled something under his breath that you didn’t catch but you figured that was probably for the best.

-

After golf, you hung out with Jisung’s family at the pool for a few hours before heading back up to the rooms to get ready for dinner. 

“Do we need to dress nice?” you asked.

Jisung peeked out from the bathroom to answer you, shaking his wet hair dry with a towel. 

“Uh, not like nice, nice but nicer than just jeans.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

You turned back to your open suitcase and rifled through it in search of something that fit the dress code.

“By the way, where did you go last night?” 

“With Minho?”

“Yeah, you were gone for like hours. I fell asleep and then woke up randomly and you still weren’t back.”

“Minho took me to some beach.”

“Did you have sex with him?”

You looked up. “Yeah. Why?”

Jisung shrugged. “Just wondering.”

You could tell he wanted to say more but you didn’t push. If you did, you’d only be hurting your own feelings. He had told you that himself. Jisung had been very clear that he wasn’t ready to talk about the Minho thing with you so all you could do was be honest and answer the questions that he asked, even if it was awkward and uncomfortable. 

You were so used to guilt by now that you almost didn’t notice the fresh wave that washed over you. You knew it was wrong to still sleep with Minho after everything— hell, you knew it was wrong before everything, but neither of those facts stopped you from doing it. 

You realized Jisung was still looking at you so you shook it off and picked up a random sundress from your luggage. 

“How’s this for tonight?”

“Looks good to me.”

An hour later, you and the rest of the Hans were seated around a table in a dimly lit restaurant. The sundress had been the right choice. The place was right on the water and open to the outdoor air so all of the other patrons were dressed pretty similarly. 

Jisung ordered for you after you looked over the menu together like always. Your hands rested on the table, fingers entwined for his family to see. You had been doing this for so long now that it was almost second nature to you. You had fallen into the routine a long time ago but you didn’t even have to think about it anymore. You probably wouldn’t even be giving the action a second thought had it not been for Minho staring at your hands from across the table. 

It looked like he was zoning out, like he wasn’t actually glaring at you holding hands with his brother but you couldn’t be sure. You kicked him gently in the shin to get his attention. He jolted and locked eyes with you immediately, erasing any trace of subtly.

“You okay there, son?” Dom asked, patting Minho on the back. 

“Yeah, yeah, ‘m fine. Just got a chill.”

Thankfully, everyone seemed to move past it and the conversation resumed. Dinner was otherwise uneventful. The boys recounted the golf game and Dom’s landslide win, while you just listened and nodded along when it felt right. It was a relief not to have to add anything to the discussion. You didn’t have the energy to. 

Dom stayed true to his word from earlier and bought everyone a round from the bar at the restaurant. You weren’t a big beer drinker but you didn’t want to be rude so you suffered through the whole pint, ignoring Jisung’s worried glances from the side. 

“You know I could have finished that for you,” he muttered. 

“I don’t want to look like a pussy in front of your dad,” you hissed back. “He bought it for us. And I didn’t want to be left out.”

Your best friend scoffed and shoved his hands in his pockets. “You’ll do anything to prove a point, won’t you?”

“You know me.”

-

Minho pulled you aside after dinner, once you were back at the resort. 

“Think you can ditch your ‘boyfriend’?” he whispered as you both fell back a couple of steps.

You stopped. “What, why?”

“I just want a moment alone with you.”

“A moment or several moments?” you challenged. 

He smirked. “I’ll take whatever I can get.”

“I can’t keep blowing Jisung off,” you sighed, “and neither can you.’

“You know he doesn’t want anything to do with me right now.”

“That doesn’t mean you should stop trying!”

“Look, can we not do this right now? When they’re literally right there?”

“You’re the one who pulled me aside right in front of them.”

You watched his jaw clench in frustration but he didn’t say anything else because he knew you were right. 

“Can you ditch him or not?”

You sighed again and looked back to Jisung. He was in what looked to be a heated debate with Felix. You didn’t need to hear it to know it was over something stupid.  

“I’ll see what I can do.”

-

Jisung barely bat an eye when you told him where you were going. 

“Okay, be safe,” he said as he kicked off his shoes. 

That’s it? That’s all he had to say to you? You wanted to ask him just that, but you were afraid of creating another rift between the two of you. Jisung had said he wasn’t ready to talk about it so you shouldn’t push, right? But was it wrong to keep leaving like this?

Going back and forth with yourself was only wasting time and Minho was still waiting for you downstairs. Fuck it. 

You grabbed a spare room key from the dresser, shoved it in the pocket of your dress, and left without another word before you could change your mind. 

Minho was right where you left him, leaning against the wall by the elevator hub. He grinned when he saw you. 

“Thought you’d never escape.”

You rolled your eyes at him as you let him lead you through the lobby by the hand. You were still wary of people seeing you together but the lobby was seemingly empty. 

“Jisung didn’t care. It was me who took forever.”

Minho paused, letting go of your hand as he gave you a concerned once over. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

You nodded. “Yeah, I don’t really want to talk about it. So, where are we going?”

He frowned, but only momentarily, quickly covering it up with a smile. “I- okay, um... remember how you said we don’t do ‘couple stuff’?”

“Yeah?”

“I thought maybe I could take you somewhere where we can do that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m taking you on a date, silly.”

“Really? Where?” When he didn’t answer, you groaned. “You and your stupid surprises.”

“It’s more fun this way and you know it,” he insisted, tugging you along by the hand.

“I like being prepared,” you argued. 

He grinned. “So be prepared for a good time.”

The drive wasn’t far at all this time but you were confused when he pulled into a crowded lot. You were even more confused when he didn’t turn off the car or more to get out of it. 

You turned to him in confusion. “Minho?”

“Y/n?” he parroted. 

“Where are we?”

“We’re on our date.”

“Yes, but where?”

“Did you not see the sign when we turned in?” You shook your head. He grinned. “It’s a drive-in.”

“Really?”

“Why do you think no one’s getting out of their car?” 

“I didn’t really notice, to be honest.”

“Too distracted by your hot date?” 

You didn’t spare him a reaction. “How’d you find this place?” 

“I did some research the other night,” he explained, “when you, you know, we talked about it. I figured this is about as close as we could get to a real date. At least right now.”

“That’s… really thoughtful.”

He shrugged. “Nah, it’s nothing, really.” 

“Well I was going to kiss you, but if it’s nothing—”

“No, no. I want the kiss. Give me my kiss.”

You chuckled, relenting as you leaned in. He met you halfway over the center console and kissed you sweetly. It was short but eager, just enough to leave you wanting more. 

You had to remind yourself not to get your hopes up. Sure, Minho was showing interest in you now, but what about when this was all over? Would he want to do long-distance? Did he want to date you at all? You had been telling yourself that it was just sex all this time but now you were on a date... but what did it mean? You could just ask but you were scared to ruin the moment, ruin whatever it was that was actually going on. 

You’d been asking yourself the same questions for weeks now and the scary thing was, it seemed like Minho was serious about you. He had all but said it outright to you. And here he was taking you on a fucking date. It was you who kept pushing back. You told yourself it was because of Jisung, but if you were being honest with yourself that was only half of it. You were afraid of getting hurt. You had never been in a real relationship before for that very reason. Well, that and you liked being single. It seemed favorable considering the dating pool of your university. 

“I want another one,” Minho murmured, leaning in again. 

“Nope, that’s all you get for now,” you teased, even though you did very much want to kiss him again. 

His lips parted in surprise. “Wha- why?”

“Because I only promised you one! I can’t just go giving my kisses away, can I?”

“Sure you can,” he argued. 

“That would lessen their value. I can’t wager them to get what I want if they’re not worth anything.”

“Your kisses are very valuable to me,” Minho insisted. 

“Because I’m sparing with them.”

Minho inched even closer to your face, eyes trained on your mouth. “So I can earn them,” you started to nod, “if I’m a good boy?” 

You almost choked on nothing, swallowing a moan. Minho watched your reaction with a self-satisfied smile and then settled back in his seat, turning his attention to the giant projector screen at the front of the parking lot. 

“We’ll see,” you muttered hoarsely.

He hummed, still looking forward. “I’ll be good then.”

lmk what you think i always appreciate feedback!!

#instead of you stray kids #instead of you skz #iou stray kids #iou skz #stray kids x reader #skz x reader #lee know x reader #lino x reader #lee know smut #stray kids smut #skz smut #lee minho smut #lee minho x reader #lee know series #stray kids series

[formulakatya]

MET YOU AT THE RIGHT TIME | MICK SCHUMACHER

"living in a movie i've watched and funny, cause you couldn't have called it, met you at the right time, this is what it feels like"

not my gif :)

part 1

summary: where your best friend is sick of you thinking your not deserving of love and so she introduces you to a certain someone

pairing: mick schumacher x professional golfer!reader

notes: hi! sorry for the long wait but part 2 of ‘this is what it feels like’ is finally out, thank you for your patience 😭🤍

warnings: a universe where mick is in ferrari and ferrari aren’t idiots

—

“amazing drive, mick!” you smiled, congratulating the german, “congrats on that win!”

“thank you, (y/n),” mick smiled shyly as both of you exited the paddock and walked down the streets of monaco, the sun setting as nighttime came. “so, uhm…how’s golf going? lily says you’re amazing at it.”

chuckling, you shook your head, “i hope she didn’t oversell me to you.” smiling as mick let out a laugh, you couldn’t help but let out a laugh of your own. “well, i just won my first major— the chevron championship— uhm, and i also managed to win the cognizant founders cup after that…before that i won the honda lpga tournament in thailand.”

“your kidding!” mick exclaimed, looking at you.

“oh no, did she oversell me? because if she did—“

“no, no! absolutely not,” mick smiled. “she talks about you a lot and before i met you i already had a good impression of you based off the things she said…and then i met you and you’re really just as much of an angel as she says you are,” he chuckled.

“really?”

“yeah,” he nodded, “and for the record, she never told me you were winning tournaments left and right…when’s your next one?”

“the lotte championship in hawaii,” you replied, “and why are we only talking about me? come on, lily says you have a dog!”

“she told you about angie?” he smiled as he scrolled through his camera roll quickly to find a picture, “she’s an australian shepherd.”

“stop, she’s so cute,” you shook your head, “i wish i had a dog…”

“i’ll let you meet angie one day.”

“please, that’ll be a dream come true.” laughing, you averted your gaze to the sunset as the both of you neared the restaurant.

mick smiled, admiring you for a split second. “am i allowed to say you’re pretty or is that too soon?”

—

you let out a deep breath as you took your driver from your caddy. spectators were crowded as they watched your group since you were the favourite to win. and you weren’t going to let the pressure get to you, absolutely not.

“approaching the tee, (y/n) (l/n)”

looking out into the fairway, you went through your pre shot routine before addressing the ball. drawing your club back, it wasn’t soon until the piercing sound of your metal club against the ball was heard as you looked where the ball went— twirling your club as you did so.

well done, good shot.

the other 2 players making their way to the fairway as soon as you picked up your tee and walked to your caddy, you gave a smile as you followed your fellow players to the fairway. whispering words of encouragement under your breath, you kept yourself calm as you found your ball in no time.

holding back a laugh upon seeing the small formula one car drawing stamped onto your ball, you looked at your caddy who gave you a thumbs up in encouragement before giving a glance into the crowd.

and you could’ve swore you saw someone you knew there.

gripping your club, you let a deep breath out as you repeated the same routine as before. swinging the golf club, the satisfying sound could be heard once again. squinting your eyes as your gaze watched the direction, you crossed your fingers together as it landed onto the green.

“not bad,” you chuckled, shrugging as you passed your club back to your caddy. “also is it just me or are my friends in the crowd?”

“it’s possible,” he shrugged, laughing as you two approached the green, your eyes glancing around the crowds before returning your focus back to the green as you did a quick analysis.

from where you were it would be a left to right, fast downhill putt. if you were able to find the right line and speed, you’d birdie the hole. and despite not knowing what your score was at the time, it was clear that it would be a putt that would decide your fate as a winner or the first of losers. marking your ball, you took another deep breath before stepping away, watching as your competitor run through her routine before making her putt.

the air grew tense as you wiped the sweat off your head, patiently waiting for your turn.

time seemed to slow down as you set up, your eyes focused on the ball as you concentrated on your putt. the soft sound of the metal hitting the ball could be heard as you watched the small golf ball roll down the green.

“go, go, go,” you mumbled under your breath, watching nervously as the ball slowed down as it approached the hole. “YES!”

smiling as you gave a hug to your caddy, thanking him for his congratulations as you quickly searched the bustling crowd with your, shaking hands with your competitors before you went on the search— confident that you’d find someone you knew in the crowd.

“(y/n)!” the familiar voice of lily could be heard as she squeezed her way to the front of the crowd, “that was amazing! oh my gosh! congratulations!”

“thank you so much, lily,” you smiled as you hugged her before pulling away only to see alex and a familiar blonde stood behind. “mick?”

“hi,” he smiled, giving a shy chuckle as he waved his hand. “lily said you’d be playing so i decided to come. congrats!”

“thanks, mick,” you smiled, a light blush forming on your cheeks as he pulled you into a tight hug, “it means a lot.”

“do you wanna go out to celebrate? dinner’s on me.”

“but you payed last time!” you exclaimed, “let me pay!”

“then take it as a date,” he shrugged. “and let me pay, my love.”

—

“i’m still mad you didn’t let me pay.”

“well…” he chuckled, “that prize money isn’t spending itself and i much rather spend it on a girl like you.”

“and no one else?” you asked playfully, resting your head on your palm as you looked outside the window.

“only a fool wouldn’t choose you,” he paused, “and based off my results in school, i count myself a genius.”

#f1 fic #f1 fanfic #f1 fiction #formula 1 fic #formula 1 fanfic #mick schumacher fluff #mick schumacher x reader #mick schumacher x you #f1 blurb #f1 x reader #f1 x you #f2 fic #f3 fic #mick schumacher #mick schumacher imagine #mick schumacher smut #mick schumacher fanfic #mick schumacher x y/n #f1 x y/n #f1 au #f1 x female reader

[wileys-russo]

✨ leah williamson masterlist ✨

☼ fics;

house wife

dancing in the street

face masks and horror films

mrs williamson

mrs williamson ficlet (2)

ignorance is bliss

ignorance is bliss ficlet (2)

green eyed snake

small intimate interactions

small intimate interactions ficlet

handyman

handyman ficlet

insensitive

spontaneous

put a ring on it

cold snap

wined, dined and dipped

love is blind

☼ blurbs;

step by step

top golfer

teenage love

skin on skin

jorts

a deals a deal

heels

work wife

lucky charms

sore loser

big swing

sidetracked

garden gnome

the ick

narcissist

horror movies

mrs williamson

mario kart

hobbies

early mornings

tech fleece

mascot

eight legged attack

two wheels

3am serenades

happy gas

bubble wrap

drill sergeant

portugal sunsets

don't pout baby

an hour of sleep

i can't sleep

left unsupervised

4am wake up

topless

the bet

one of your girls

legacy

superstitions

the new number six

under strict instruction

lock down

gossip

#leah williamson x reader #leah williamson #woso blurbs #woso imagine #woso fanfics #woso x reader #woso

[pink-princess-pussy-pop]

Scream For Me Rafe Cameron Ghostface x Reader PART 4

Warnings: Language, Rafe being a perv, sexual innuendos

Rafe texts in Blue, Ghostface texts in Red.

Scream For Me Masterlist

You probably shouldn't be getting into a car with a boy you hadn't spoken to in weeks, if at all. Especially with the serial killer running rampant around town.

Could Rafe be the OBX killer?

Your eyes snapped to him, in the driver's seat, one hand on the wheel, the other resting on the window edge. You had half expected him to start playing rap music the second you got in the car, but Rafe and you were sitting in silence.

"Y/N?"

He was talking to you.

"Wh-what? Sorry, I was-"

"It looked like you were checking me out." He chuckled, side-eyeing you.

Shit.

Suddenly you were stammering over your words.

"N-n-no. I was just thinking." He nods to himself.

"M'kay." His head turns forward again. "I asked for your address."

Rafe, of course, already knew how to get to your house, but in order to keep the suspicions down, he needed to ask. As far as you knew, Rafe had never been near your home, let alone been inside it.

"Oh, um. Just take the next right." He does.

Was Rafe always this attractive?

Fuck.

Now you were checking him out.

Look away. Look away. Look away before he notices.

But damn. His jawline and...

"You're doing it again, baby." Your nose scrunches.

"Ew, don't call me that." You turn away from him. "Next left, please." He looks over at you again, legs crossed away from him. He's so close to you he could just reach over and touch the hem of your skirt-

What in the world were you doing to him?

His hand tightens on the steering wheel as you pull the hem down.

"It's the third house after this right."

"So, are you a golfer?"

A question that Rafe already knew the answer to, but again, he needed to keep the suspicion down.

His hand squeezes the steering wheel again at your giggle.

"No, I hate golfing. I was just out with my family. They don't love me being home alone right now because of the killer."

His lips twitch into a smile.

"But it's alright for a guy you barely know to take you home... to an empty house?"

"I mean, they know who you are it's not like you're just a random guy I met on the street. I go to school with you and your family name is all over the OBX."

"Alright, babe."

He's parked in your driveway.

"I told you not to call me that."

Your heart flutters at the smile he gives you.

"Nope. You said I couldn't call you baby. I dropped the 'y'."

You roll your eyes and turn to open the door, hiding the blush from him.

But the door is locked.

Your heart drops.

As you jiggle the door handle, ready to yell at him, he's on the other side of the door, opening it for you. Unfortunately, when the door opens, you go with it, falling out of the car and into his arms.

"Shit, babe. You ok?" At the current angle, your face is right in line with his crotch. You snap your head to his face, the situation becoming increasingly intimate.

A whole slew of vulgar words run through Rafe's mind at your position below him.

On your knees in front of him, your hands wrapped around his arms.

He'd be taking a cold shower tonight.

You scramble up to your feet, brushing off your skirt. When you look up, Rafe is looking down at where your hands are currently holding up your skirt.

You drop it immediately and his eyes snap to yours, another smirk on his handsome face.

Shit. He really was handsome.

"Uhhhhh, thank you. For bringing me home." You push past him, walking to your front door.

His hand wraps around your wrist, pulling you back to him.

"Wait." His tongue darts out to wet his lips. "What sort of gentleman would I be if I didn't walk you to your door?" You look away from him.

What was going on?

Rafe flirted with nearly every single girl in your grade. You had watched it happen. He'd sweet-talk them, fuck them, and then move on like it never even happened.

He had never done it with you.

You knew you should resist his charm, send him on his way without a second glance. But how could you when he was looking at you like that?

He gently pulled your arm, leading you to your own door. He then watched as you fumbled with your keys, and then fumbled to put the key in the lock. He was grinning when you finally stepped inside and turned around to him.

"Thanks, again. I uh- I can Venmo you if you want or..."

"Don't worry about it. I'm always down to give a pretty girl a ride." You stared at him, the double meaning causing you to gape at him in shock.

"You ok in there?" His finger pokes your forehead and you slap it away.

"Stop that." Your eyes narrow into a glare. "You may go, Rafe." His eyebrow raises.

"Can I get your number first?" His hand is on the top of your door frame and you blush at the way he's looking down at you.

"Why do you want my number?" He pulls his phone out of his pocket.

"Why wouldn't I?" You stare at his fingers typing on the screen before he holds it out to you.

Against your better judgment, you take the phone out of his hands and type your number in.

"See you later.” he smiles at you, another one that gives you butterflies and turns to walk back to his car.

You shut the door, lock it and turn around.

"What the fuck?"

Your phone buzzed.

Have a good night......... babe. ;)

You don't reply.

Rafe, back in his car, smiles down at his phone.

Time for the real fun.

As you walk up the stairs, your phone buzzes again.

You look very pretty right now, sweetheart.

I cannot. im so excited for this.

Taglist: @iameatingmyhair@cherrrywraith@lil2023@lcvrsheart@sophiah2253 @mila1224 @iamlilykrav @emotionalldamage @earthruled @bluuuughh @sunsetargent @kingedmund007 @iluvbunnyhops @steveharie @rafelover @tarrenshayne @stcrkeyluvr @idktheusual@eddiemunson86 @taylorswiftloversera @wh0r3-for-klaus @veescorneroftheworld @wildwallflower24@poge-life@fuckmelikestilesstilinski @user556677889900 @lonnielain@sachaa-ff@xhaliemax@kravitzwhore@coryisagee@multidimensionalslut@fratboyharrysgf0201 @iheartthe90s @settingmoxn @lewisroscoelove@hannahxhoney @iluvcatslolol @x2skyler @user36376373 @kkmstblog @kinokorii @pickingviolets@somebodys-enola@bloody-mf-bsc@rafesxgold @img-stilinski24 @nmedina8611@tahliac11@sublimepenguinpeach-blog @bru1sedhe3rt @byarmstrongs @lulu-lovesellie

#rafe cameron #rafe cameron smut #rafe #rafe x reader #obx #rafe fanfiction #rafe obx #outerbanks #rafe smut #outerbanks fanfiction #rafe imagine #rafe x reader smut #rafe fic #rafe outer banks #outerbanks rafe #rafe ghostface

[jennarations]

A comprehensive summary of the chaos that was the Netflix Cup:

- as the drivers/golfers walk onto the course a woman and a man are apprehended (by one of the hosts(?)) as they are waving posters and screaming something. lando was unbothered by this.

- everyone was introduced except alex for some reason

- the “speed” hole

- mark wahlberg is there. his daughter is interviewed and she reveals her favorite driver is lando. lando is once again unbothered by this.

- lando picking up his ball and being disqualified from the hole

- the golfers BOOKING IT and the hosts having shocked reactions to this feat (“who says golfers aren’t athletic!”)

- justin thomas to carlos “what did [host] say?” carlos “he said i’m pretty”

- random cuts to prerecorded nonsense

- the sphere being referred to solely as the egg

- the hosts making fun of the golfers and the golfers making fun back (very interesting i would not expect this level of sass from golf)

- pierre reveals he is a passenger princess “I don’t actually drive on the roads. i don’t like it.”

- shots of lando and carlos playing but pierre and alex are hot-mic’ed ???

- asmr whispering from one of the hosts telling zak brown she has to pee

- no one can hear each other

- zak brown can’t figure out his mic and it’s making so much noise you can’t hear anything else

- “mr. maximus homa this is joel damon, can you hear me?” “unfortunately, i can yes, joel.”

- max homa making fun of joel damon for a solid minute and then saying about alex “yo my partner is dialed, that’s the money” unhinged behavior

- host (same bodyguard from before - burt kreischer(?)) cannot express how excited he is to have steve aoki ask for his #

- not one host can pronounce sainz correctly

- “that’s sniffing my ball speed there” “ok joel”

- marshawn lynch “these golfers boutta get they happy gilmore on”

- squid game CHALLENGE HOLE(???) burt kreischer “are they gonna kill me or break out into dance? who knows but they are creepy as shit”

- burt yet again “i will piss myself on live television for $4.56 million. i’ve done it for less”

- the mystical steve aoki has appeared

- the (infamous) Albon Tumble™

- pierre aiming directly into the crowd and alex and max applauding him (kudos to finau for reassuring pierre afterwards that everyone is fine)

- a conversation: “smooth operator, is that your nickname?” “yes that’s what they call me” “how’d that happen?” “i sang it once after a race”

- marshawn lynch “i met the squid game people. you got triangle face, square cuz and circle head”

- alex announcing that the squid game doll looks like Lily. alex i will hunt you down (endearing)

- patrick mahomes phoned in to tell pierre the exact amount of coors lights’ he must drink to play golf effectively (i am not kidding)

- joel objectifying tony finau by commenting (in detail) about his arms and hands (i know what you are joel)

- “a sexy street circuit here in vegas” ma’am it looks like a pig what are you talking about

- carlos and justin won. burt wants to party like it’s new year’s eve. i would pay to see this

and thus wraps the (somewhat) comprehensive review ! maybe next year netflix will make it less of a shit show but honestly, iconic.

#netflix cup #formula one #f1 #pga tour #lando norris #carlos sainz #pierre gasly #alex albon #las vegas gp 2023

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Bower's Revenge: Confirmed

Harry supported or endorsed Meghan's Vanity Fair article. (But we all knew that anyway because he didn’t dump her when it came out.)

"Contrary to Omid Scobie's assertion that Meghan wanted 'to tell the world "I'm in love" and did the 'interview with Harry's blessing,' Kashner arrived in the pouring rain at Meghan's home knowing that his interviewee was under strict orders from both Harry and Keleigh Thomas Morgan. Aware that Diana and Sarah Ferguson had destroyed themselves in interviews, Harry had ordered Meghan to maintain tight-lipped silence about sensitive subjects - Donald Trump, race, their relationship and especially himself. He was not to be mentioned." (p157)

Meghan is a kleptomaniac.

Bower writes that she took the shoes from the Reitman’s photoshoot. He also kinda dances around the possibility that she may have taken items from her time with the royals for future profit – whether hers or others’ – which the BRF knew about or suspected, hence why she never got any substantial loans from The Queen or William (for Diana's pieces).

Meghan hated her engagement ring from the word "yes" and has wanted to redesign it immediately. #noshitcaptainobvious

“Harry gave her a ring that he had commissioned, with two of Diana’s diamonds set in yellow Botswana gold. He was particularly proud of his design. Meghan did not conceal her excitement, even though she was secretly determined to have the ring redesigned as soon as possible.” (p156)

Meghan convinced Harry to go off his meds and stop therapy.

Bower confirms that Harry was in therapy or receiving mental health care that was working well before he met Meghan and that Meghan either convinced him to reconsider or introduced him to more holistic homeopathic remedies for his mental wellness.

Meghan cheated on Cory with Rory/other golf players.

“’I saw Rory McIlroy. I walked over and he was with Meghan Markle…’ By midnight, as the golfer and Meghan were photographed sitting close together, Fitzpatrick was hosting a party of 20. The following morning, McIlroy arrived at the Ringwood golf course 30 miles away to play in a new competition. Worse for wear after a hectic night, he fell back to 101st place. Nevertheless, he refused to sleep as usual near the golf course to be ready the following day. Instead he drove back to New York to see Meghan. His performance suffered. ‘I wasn’t quite on my game,’ he confessed. ‘I was enjoying myself.’” (p67)

“Asked by Cory Vitiello whether she was having a relationship with McIlroy, Meghan insisted their time together was innocent.” (p68) #birdsflyandmeghanlies

“Meghan left the hotel for dinner with Rory McIlroy at the upmarket restaurant Fade Street Social. She was spotted looking ‘smitten,’ gazing intently at McIlroy. ‘They sat beside each other looking very cozy and chatted all night,’ reported Alexandra Ryan in a newspaper gossip column. That was Meghan’s third night in Dublin. On a previous night John Fitzpatrick would describe his dinner with her, and later implied that she and McIlroy had secretly met. Meghan’s Irish friends assumed that she and McIlroy had also met unseen, earlier during her visit.” (p70)

Meghan wanted to be a sports WAG; Harry was a last option when the athletes weren’t interested.

Bower confirms that Meghan went after several athletes while dating Cory, including both Rory McIlroy and Ashley Cole.

Meghan wanted to be a TV chef/foodie so she hooked up with Cory to achieve legitimacy in that realm.

“…Nick Ede, a fixer paid by Sunshine Sachs to book her appearance at the TV gala, had also arranged for her to meet Jonathan Shalit, a successful and likeable TV agent. ‘I want to be a TV celebrity chef like Gordon Ramsay,’ Meghan told Shalit in his office. Or, she volunteered, she would be happy to appear in any other non-scripted TV show. Shalit was excited. She was charming, good-looking, and admired by the small audience for Suits. He was unaware that while Meghan liked eating good food, her cooking skills were limited. Other than blender-made vegetable soup her specialties were plain pasta, roast chicken, barbecued hamburgers and steak. The rest of her food was bought ready-made. Rather than cook, she imagined fronting a TV program to tour the world tasting food.” (p61)

Meghan demanded many versions of the banana bread for the Aussie block party from Admiral House’s kitchen team and passed it off the next day as her own bake.

See above.

Meghan doesn’t really have any Hollywood friends. They are all PR acquaintances with quid pro quo.

“Over the next few days, [Sam Kashner, the VF author] called those who Meghan had recommended as her friends. Serena Williams denied she was Meghan’s friend but just an acquaintance.” (p159)

Harry adopted Meghan’s American wokeism personality, which lost him all his friends.

Harry proposed LONG before the engagement was announced.

Bower writes that Harry proposed while the Queen was at Balmoral and before the Vanity Fair interview, which would’ve been sometime July 2017. They received the Queen’s formal approval for the engagement in late October 2017.

Which is a verrrrry different story than the one Harry tells in Spare…Harry says he proposed in October after getting the Queen’s approval and they announced it 2 weeks later.

Direct quotes from Bower in the inconsistencies post 4 posts back.

Harry and Meghan intended for the Sussex Royal charity to be profitable and pay for their lives.

Bower writes that how the foundation was organized went against Meghan’s intentions, which caused a tantrum because it removed her from the foundation’s direct oversight and leadership. Bower also alleges that Meghan was angry over not having any say in who the foundation’s appointed directors were.

Meghan is a fauxmanitarian, doesn’t really believe in supporting humanitarian causes altruistically.

Bower writes that Vanity Fair couldn’t confirm or substantiate the charity work Meghan claimed in the interview she did and therefore did not include her charity work in the article. The VF author agreed and supported this after Revenge was published.

Meghan never intended to be a part of the BRF, she always wanted to cut and run as soon as she could.

“Unwilling to grasp that she could not share the spotlight with the Queen, Meghan had accelerated her return to California.” (p380)

Meghan has and has had several aliases on social media.

Meghan schemed and entrapped Harry by preying on his emotional vulnerability.

“Since she had carefully researched Harry’s life, Meghan kenw exactly how to make him feel loved and appreciated. So long as she looked at him with intense affection and trust, she would not trigger his insecurity or paranoia. To reassure him that he was admired for himself she would tell him what he wanted to hear, especially about the importance of his ambitions and principles.” (p122)

Meghan pockets the donations to Archewell for herself.

Bower writes that the secrecy of Delaware’s laws for charities and foundations meant that owners/creators are in control of any money used, earned, received and that foundations/charities have no obligations to report any monies received. Bower also specifically says that they intended to use Archewell as their income.

Meghan cheated on Cory with Harry.

Bower says that Meghan was furious at Sunshine Sachs over the VF article printing that she met Harry in May 2016 and demanded they fix it. VF later issued a correction that the Sussexes met in July 2016.

Bower also says that Meghan broke up with Cory after spending time with Harry and “Two weeks later [from the bananagram IG photo on 3 July 2016] Harry secretly flew to Toronto. He stayed for about one week in the house of a friend of Meghan’s, probably Jessica Mulroney. With Cory still sharing her home, the situation for Meghan was tricky by manageable.” (p122)

Meghan manipulated Harry to release the KP statement by preying on his fears and anxiety of Diana being harassed / stalked to death by the paps.

“For her part Meghan knew by then that she was pushing a man eager for revenge against the media and his family. … Even more pertinently he blamed Diana’s death on the media. Feeling ‘deeply disappointed’ that he had been unable to protect his mother he eagerly declared war against his enemy – the newspapers – to protect Meghan. Nothing could be done without the assistance of his key aide, Jason Knauf. ... In order to pacify Meghan’s anger, Knauf agreed to issue a statement on Harry’s behalf damning the media for their description of Meghan. Harry dictated the sentiments for Knauf to fashion into a statement. Committing Knauf to a conundrum, Meghan demanded that the statement should reflect the parallel between her potential fate and Diana’s. Knauf suggested that over-dramatizing Meghan’s distress would backfire but Harry was adamant. If Meghan’s wish to be equated with Diana was not satisfied, insisted Harry, he would probably lose her. Knauf acquiesced.” (p135)

Meghan wanted a bigger, emerald tiara for the wedding.

“No member of Buckingham Palace’s staff is closer to the Queen than Angela Kelly…Kelly’s many duties included caring for the royal collection of tiaras. Invited to the palace’s secure room, Meghan alighted on a tiara sparkling with emeralds. Her choice was approved by Harry. Kelly suggested that its Russian origin made it unsuitable. Harry became angry.”

Also confirmed by Harry in Spare.

Meghan never wanted to do the Fiji market visit. She wanted to lay out at the hotel with Jess all day but was forced to keep the engagement. She bailed after 10 minutes for “security” purposes.

Bower writes that Meghan had some kind of falling out with UN Women and was angry that they were involved in the Fiji market or were supporting her visit.

It sounds like Meghan wanted the same UN Women gig that Emma Watson had and quit the partnership when it didn’t happen.

Meghan was emotionally / verbally abusive to Charlotte during bridesmaid dress fitting.

“[Meghan] was uninterested in royal tradition [girls wearing tights]. Her insistence was supported by Jessica Mulroney, present as an advisor and the mother of another bridesmaid, Ivy. Some would say that Meghan compared Ivy favorably against Charlotte. Others were surprised by Meghan’s close attachment to Mulroney.” (p189, iPhone version)

Meghan yelled at/bullied Cambridge staff.

“By then, Kate was irritated by complaints of Meghan bullying her staff.” (p189, iPhone version)

Harry and Meghan bungled Archie’s birth announcement to earn a profit from it.

“To build up Meghan’s profile in America, Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King had an exclusive agreement with Meghan to produce a glowing CBS TV documentary about her first year of marriage. It would be transmitted at peak time, soon after the birth of her baby. In exchange, Meghan guaranteed that no other TV network would get access to her or the child…Harry agreed that Buckingham Palace be given no choice. CBS would be given the exclusive rights to film the Queen being introduced to baby Archie.” (p262, iPhone version)

Charles fled Windsor after Philip’s funeral to avoid dealing with Harry.

“After [Philip’s funeral] service, eager for signs of reconciliation, the media seized on Kate’s maneuver to engineer a conversation between [William and Harry]. Cameras followed them as they walked up the hill towards the castle....The three princes spoke briefly before Charles drove to his cottage in the Brecon Beacons in Wales. William was handed the burden of rescuing the monarchy from the damage caused by his brother” (p.356-357, iPhone version)

Harry’s Home Office lawsuit will be used as an excuse to avoid the Jubilee and/or public acknowledgement of the Sussexes’ demotion.

“Although the Queen had invited Harry and Meghan to join the nation’s extravaganza [Platinum Jubilee], the couple appeared to seek reasons to avoid humiliation. As private citizens they could not expect to be invited on to the Buckingham Palace balcony or ride in the carriages. Isolated on the periphery, the image would undermine their royal status in America. To forge a valid excuse, Harry applied to the High Court in London for an order to compel the Metropolitan Police to provide protection for himself during his visit or allow him to pay for police protection. Predictably, his $400,000 case failed. As a private citizen harry was told he could not force the government to provide police protection.” (p371, iPhone version)

Harry to betray his family in memoirs.

“Most Britons could not understand Harry’s hostility towards his country and family…No one realized how his hostility had grown during his conversations with John Moehringer, the ghost-writer of his memoirs. To secure vast sales and recoup the huge advance, the publishers had encouraged Harry to criticize his family in the most extreme terms possible. Easily persuaded, Harry edge towards betraying his father, Camilla, the Cambridges and even the Queen. And then the deed was done. To earn out the publisher’s advance, nothing and no one had been sacrosanct.” (p.372, iPhone version)

And alllll of Spare.

Sussex children to be used for access / prominent placement at the jubilee.

Bower writes, “But festering was their fury that the Palace had refused all of their demands for a prominent role at the Jubilee in return for returning to Britain with their children.” (p379, iPhone version)

Secret Windsor meeting in April 2022 to discuss return for the jubilee.

“To achieve this goal [Harry and Meghan to appear on Buckingham Palace’s balcony with the Queen during Jubilee celebrations] Harry badgered the Queen’s resistant advisors. When this failed he asked the Queen if he could visit her in Windsor on his way to the Netherlands. To secure her agreement, Harry appeared to give the impression that the meeting would offer an ‘olive branch’ to ‘clear the air’…[It] was civilized but failed to resolve the fraught relations created by their Oprah Winfrey interview.” (p378, iPhone version)

#tom bower #revenge #confirmed #all the shade #and i oop #she took the blender for vegetable soup

[posthumanwanderings]

[ Street Golfer (PS2) - BGM 9 ]

#Street Golfer #PS2 music #trance #trance music #PS2 #PlayStation 2 #sports games #dance music in games #SIMPLE 2000 Series #simple 2000 #SIMPLE2000シリーズ

[scotianostra]

John Rattray, the Scottish Jacobite Surgeon and golfer was born on September 22nd 1707, Craighall Castle, Rattray, Perthshire.

John’s father was an Episcopalian priest who became the Bishop of Dunkeld, then of Brechin and was elected Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. On his death in 1743 his elder son James became clan chief and inherited the estate. As the second son John had no such inheritance and he trained as a surgeon in Edinburgh by apprenticeship to the surgeon John Semple between 1728 and 1735, when he began surgical practice in Edinburgh. To enhance his professional status he applied to become a freeman (or fellow) of the Incorporation of Surgeons of Edinburgh (later the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh) This involved sitting a series of four examinations which were held in the later months of 1740, and, having passed these, he was admitted a freeman of the Incorporation in November 1740.

In his spare time John Rattray was a keen sportsman he joined , The Royal Company of Archers in 1731 winning the archery competition for the silver punch bowl on 4 occasions and The Company’s most prestigious prize, the Edinburgh Arrow, twice. He was also a skilled golfer and his prowess at golf is recorded in this extract from the mock heroic poem ‘The Goff’ by Rev. Thomas Mathison published in 1743, the first poem devoted to the sport of golf.

North from Edina eight furlongs and more, Lies that fam’d field, on Fortha’s sounding shore. Here Caledonian Chiefs for health resort, Confirm their sinews by the manly sport. Macdonald and unmatch’d Dalrymple ply Their pond'rous weapons, and the green defy; Rattray for skill, and Corse for strength renown’d, Stewart and Lesly beat the sandy ground, And Brown and Alston, Chiefs well known to fame, And numbers more the Muse forbears to name. Gigantic Biggar here full oft is seen, Like huge behemoth on an Indian green; His bulk enormous scarce can 'scape the eyes, Amaz’d spectators wonder how he plies. Yea, here great Forbes, patron of the just, The dread of villains and the good man’s trust, When spent with toils in serving human kind, His body recreates, and unbends his mind.

John Rattray was one of the men who drew up the first ever Rules of Golf and on March 7th, 1744, the City of Edinburgh Council provided the Gentlemen Golfers at Leith (now the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Muirfield) with a Silver Club on condition they draw up regulations for their competition and rules ‘for the goff’.The following month Rattray won the first ever competition for the Silver Club, was duly appointed ‘Captain of the Goff’ and became the sole signatory of the first known written ‘Rules of Golf’.

18 months later the Jacobites entered Edinburgh and Rattray’s older brother James, the Laird of Craighall, suggested he offer his medical services to Bonnie Prince Charlie, I say suggested, as Clan Chief he chose which side to be on for family members.

Please note not all followed their Clan Chief, this split many families down the middle, you had brothers taking different sides during th ‘45 Uprising.

As the Jacobites mobilised ahead of Prestonpans, Rattray, who lived at South Foulis Close off the High Street, rode to the East Lothian encampment along with John Lauder, a fellow of the Incorporation of Surgeons,according to their records he tended the wounded and travelled as surgeon with the army as it advanced into England and then retreated from Derby, eventually becoming surgeon general and personal surgeon to Prince Charles.

Records also show Rattray and Lauder were captured on the battlefield at Culloden on April 16 1746. The pair were held in a church in Inverness and their medical instruments removed, according to accounts. They were moved to Inverness Prison three days later. Their detention, however, was short lived after Lord President Forbes sought a direct reprieve for Rattray and Lauder from the Duke of Cumberland, Forbes, the same Forbes mentioned in the poem, and a friend of the surgeon.

Following his release, Rattray headed to Culloden House, the family home of his golfing companion.

One account of his release in The Lyon in Mourning, a collection of papers, letters and speeches of Jacobite supporters of the ‘45 Uprising, said: “Mr John Rattray came to Culloden House after his liberation at Inverness. President Forbes told the said Mr Rattray that he had obtained his liberation upon condition that he should become evidence.”

John Rattray was horrified by the prospect of becoming a witness for the state, according to the account.

It added: “This provoked Mr Rattray so much that he told the President in a passion that he would far choose to give himself up in a second and to return to the miserable situation of a prisoner once more than to become an evidence.”

Lord President Forbes convinced him not to surrender with the law man sure he was able to spare the surgeon. The medics returned to Edinburgh and Rattray confided in a friend about Lord Presidents’ offer.

It is said the Lord President, who died the following year, was so taken aback at Rattray sharing details of the proposal that “it had bad effects upon the President’s health, and even hastened his death.

“It is indeed a prevailing opinion that the President died of a broken heart,” the account said.

Rattray was quickly seized in the capital and was again taken prisoner on 28 May 1746 before being sent to London, by Cumberland’s orders, to act as a witness.

He was finally released on January 7 1747 and eventually returned to his usual routine of work and sport.

In 1751, he won the Silver Club for the third time. Today, you can visit a statue of John Rattray on Leith Links, close to the first hole of the original course that was played 276 years ago. He died in Edinburgh on 5th July 1771.

#scotland #scottish #history #jacobites #sturgeon #golfer #archer #soldier

[justforbooks]

When Carl Weathers auditioned for the role of Apollo Creed, the prizefighter who gives an untried contender a shot at his heavyweight title in Rocky (1976), he was asked to read opposite the film’s writer. “Now – I’m ignorant – and as I finish reading, I say, ‘Well, wait a minute, if you can get me a real actor to read with, I can do this a lot better.’”

Unbeknown to him, his scene partner was the newcomer Sylvester Stallone, who had not only written the script but was playing the title role. “Somehow I got the job,” said Weathers.

A 6ft 2in former NFL linebacker, Weathers, who has died aged 76, brought the full force of his charisma to a role that could in less skilful hands have prompted straightforward hisses and boos. There was a depth and kindness to him that no amount of on-screen braggadocio could conceal. He spoke, said one LA Times reporter, with the “overly concise diction of a TV evangelist”.

To prepare for the role of Apollo, Weathers watched old Muhammad Ali fights for inspiration. Shot for peanuts, the film grossed $225m, won three Oscars, including best picture, and spawned four sequels. A further three films in the spin-off Creed cycle featured Michael B Jordan as Apollo’s son Adonis.

Weathers was taken aback by the instant fame that Rocky brought him. The day after the film opened, he said, “I was out for a walk in Manhattan and street vendors are yelling, ‘Yo, Apollo.’ That is scary. You are not prepared for that.”

He reprised his role in the first three Rocky sequels. Rocky II (1979) begins immediately after the events of the original film, with both fighters in wheelchairs, coming face-to-swollen-face with one another in the hospital.

“Get up out of that chair, chump, and let’s finish this fight right now!” Apollo demands, having won only on a split decision after 15 rounds. Later, there is a moment of tenderness when Rocky, bandaged and slurring, wheels himself to Apollo’s hospital room late at night, nudges open his door, and asks whether Apollo really gave the match his all.

Though they decide initially against a rematch, Apollo becomes incensed by the hate mail he receives branding the fight a fake. Rocky II ends with the opponents bloodied on the canvas. Struggling to his feet, Rocky is declared the winner.

In Rocky III (1982), Apollo trains Rocky against a vicious new opponent, Clubber Lang (Mr T). The old adversaries get back in the ring at the end of that film for a friendly sparring match, the outcome of which remained a secret until Rocky revealed to Adonis in Creed (2015) that Apollo had clinched it. In Rocky IV (1985), Apollo is brutally trounced in a bout with the Russian boxer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). He dies in Rocky’s arms.

Weathers found many of the subsequent roles he was offered to be “pointless and meaningless”. But he enjoyed squaring off against another of that decade’s action heroes – Arnold Schwarzenegger – in the fantasy thriller Predator (1987).

In their first scene together, the men greet each other with a handshake that develops into an impromptu arm-wrestling contest. It is won by Schwarzenegger, his bicep bulging monstrously in close-up – a clear case of the more famous actor literally flexing his celebrity muscle.

Weathers later meets a sticky end during an encounter in the jungle with a shape-shifting alien. He loses an arm – his finger is still firing the trigger of his automatic weapon even as the limb falls to the ground – before expiring with a blood-curdling scream.

During his down-time on Predator, the actor developed with the film’s producer Joel Silver a lead role for himself as a Detroit detective in his own shoot-’em-up adventure, Action Jackson (1988), though a hoped-for franchise never materialised.

He acquitted himself well in the Adam Sandler golfing comedy Happy Gilmore (1996) as a pro golfer whose hand is bitten off by an alligator; in one scene, he sits at a grand piano on a golf course playing We’ve Only Just Begun. He reprised the role in Sandler’s Little Nicky (2000) but was even funnier as a tight-fisted, cost-cutting version of himself in four episodes of the sitcom Arrested Development between 2004 and 2013.

Weathers was born in New Orleans, the eldest son of a labourer father. He won a sports scholarship to St Augustine high school, then attended Long Beach Poly high school and Long Beach City College. He made it to San Diego State University on a football scholarship and graduated with a degree in theatre.

His professional football career began in 1970 with a single season with the Oakland Raiders. After being dismissed for being “too sensitive”, he played for two years with the British Columbia Lions in the Canadian Football League. “How good was I? I was good enough to make it … But I was never dedicated enough. I was never in love with football.” Acting, he said, was “a lot more fun, and I ache a lot less.”

He retired from football in 1974 and won supporting roles in television series such as The Six Million Dollar Man (1975) and Starsky and Hutch (1976), and with Pam Grier in the blaxploitation thrillers Bucktown and Friday Foster (both 1975).

After Rocky, he starred with Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson in the football comedy Semi-Tough (1977); with Robert Shaw and Harrison Ford in the Guns of Navarone sequel Force 10 from Navarone (1978); and alongside Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin in the thriller Death Hunt (1981). He also wrote and performed the 1981 soul single You Ought to Be With Me.

Television work was plentiful, though attempts to fashion a long-running TV vehicle for him were hit-and-miss. In Fortune Dane (1986), he played a political troubleshooter battling white-collar crime; the show lasted six episodes. Its producer Barney Rosenzweig called Weathers “one of the more intelligent people I’ve ever been in business with. But he’s a physical animal. He’s gorgeous … The guy looks like a Greek god.”

He was a regular on Street Justice (1991-93), In the Heat of the Night (1993-95), inspired by the 1967 Sidney Poitier film of the same name, and Chicago Justice (2017).

Weathers also provided the voice of Combat Carl in Toy Story 4 (2019) and played the bounty hunter Greef Karga in the Star Wars spin-off series The Mandalorian (2019-23).

Weathers’ three marriages ended in divorce. He is survived by two sons, Jason and Matthew, from his first marriage, to Mary Ann Castle in 1973.

🔔 Carl Weathers, actor, born 14 January 1948; died 1 February 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

#just for books #Carl Weathers #in memoriam

[thebuckblogimo]

When I was growing up, what parents were made of was more important than what they made.

February 5, 2024

I feel compelled to offer an exclaimer about this piece to old friends who follow my musings: The following essay is based mostly on personal reflections of my "grade school years"--from the fall of 1953 (when I started first grade) to the spring of 1961 (when I finished eighth grade). However, my mind's eye sees the past through a clouded lens. So if you're from the old East Dearborn/Northwest Detroit neighborhood where we grew up, you may remember some of the people, places and things mentioned below differently than I do. So you will know, I made a couple calls to friends and former neighbors for corroboration--where possible--of my memories. No matter who you are, I hope what follows causes you to think. And if you lived in close proximity to the streets where I played or the five-and-a-half block route I walked to St. Alphonsus School every day, I hope this entry brings a few grins to your face.

I regularly monitor several newspapers and periodicals online. I have my own opinions about the issues of the day, of course, but I try to avoid confirmation bias by including opposing points of view among the things I read. With that said, the following is an undeniable fact:

In America today, the single best predictor of whether a young person will attend college, have a good income, get married, stay married, live in a "good neighborhood" and enjoy good health is the performance of his or her parents, based on the same metrics.

When I think about my children and their friends, my nieces and nephews, as well as other young people I know, that statement is indeed true.

But in my experience it wasn't always so.

When I was a kid, I would say the best predictor of how my friends and I would eventually turn out had little to do with the income and education level of our parents. Rather, the metrics of our success was based on the examples set by our parents, the amount of encouragement they provided us, and the quality of caring we received from each other's parents and neighbors in the hood.

Household incomes had little to do with it. Family inheritances, by the way, were minimal, practically non-existent in those days.

In any case, I decided to go back six or seven decades in time and take an imaginary walk down the streets where I lived, and tell you about some of the families I knew and how their children--many of them in their late 70s and early 80s today--turned out in life. I think you'll find it interesting.

Next door. My family lived at 13117 Tireman, a busy street that marked the borderline between Dearborn and Detroit. The Phillips family lived in the bungalow adjacent to ours. Mr. Phillips was Polish, but had changed his last name. He did not attend college. Yet he had some sort of white collar job at the Budd Company, a supplier of body components to the automotive industry. Before he retired, he surprised me with a brand new set of front bumpers for the first car I ever owned, a nine-year-old '60 Corvette. Mrs. Phillips was a stay-at-home mom. She did not attend college. One of the sweetest ladies I ever knew, she gave me my first baseball bat, a Louisville Slugger (Yogi Berra model), for my birthday. There were two Phillips boys next door: Mike (a.k.a. Mickey), who was three years older than me, and Billy, five years older than me. I played a lot of basketball with them as a kid. There was a backboard and rim on their garage as far back as I can recall. Mrs. Phillips said I could play there any time I wanted. Mike Phillips, a dedicated golfer, attended Lawrence Tech. He wound up in a good job at Chrysler's headquarters. Brother Billy, also a golfer, went to St. Joseph College, a small private school in Indiana. I only know that he ended up in a white collar job.

Around the corner. Located at 7870 Reuter--an address forever imprinted on my brain--was a bungalow with knotty pine paneling in the basement and den where the Conflitti family lived. Mr. Conflitti operated a one-man heating and cooling service. He was a dad who owned his own catcher's mitt and would crouch over a plate marked by electrical tape on the driveway to receive pitches fired by his sons after work. He did not attend college. Mrs. Conflitti was a stay-at-home mom. She was not college-educated. She used to make me toasted tomato sandwiches in her kitchen, which usually smelled of green peppers simmering in an Italian sauce. Mrs. Conflitti was a relative of the owners of Gorno Ford in Trenton, Michigan. As a result, the Conflittis drove a new car every other year. There were three Conflitti children: Mary Jo (who reminded me of Annette Funicello) was a sweetheart and six years older than me; Nick who was three years older than me; and Jerry, my close childhood friend, who was two years older than me.

Living in the modest colonial next door to them were the Dorringtons. Mr Dorrington was a pharmacist (considered a "trade" in those days) for Cunningham's-Kinsel's. Mrs. Dorrington, who worked in administration for Dearborn Schools, died of cancer in 1959 when I was in the sixth grade. Suddenly, Mr. Dorrington was raising four children as a single parent. There was Skip, the oldest child, who was four years older than me, and three girls: Mary, Colleen and Janet. As kids, I played touch football and "running bases" in the street with Nick, Jerry and Skip almost every day. All four of us would go on to become accomplished sprinters on our respective track teams in high school.

Of the seven children who lived in those two homes, four attended college. Mary Jo went to Michigan State, got married and became a stay-at-home mom. Nick attended Xavier University where he played some baseball and attended graduate school at Ohio State. He had a successful career in insurance services. Jerry, on the other hand, was mischievous, to put it mildly, and struggled with "the books." However, he was the only kid I ever knew who registered four years of perfect attendance during high school. He was then drafted into the Army and became a successful electrician after returning home from Vietnam. Skip attended Michigan and ultimately became a member of senior management at Polk & Company, a provider of marketing information to the automotive industry. I crossed paths with him many times during my years in the advertising agency business. His sister Mary went into nursing. She did her undergrad at Madonna University, received her master's at Rush University in Chicago, and earned an MBA at Northwestern. Sister Colleen was a stay-at-home mom. Sister Janet worked in grahic design.

Down Reuter. There were several other kids, many of them older than me, who lived on Reuter before it crossed Esper Blvd. to the south. But on the first block, near the intersection at Diversey, was a large, 1920s brick home with two "flats" where my classmate, Ken Halibozek, lived. He and his family, including sister Charlene, lived upstairs. Downstairs lived his grandparents and two bachelor uncles. Mr. Halibozek packed a lunch every day and worked in the machine shop at the Dodge Main in Hamtramck. Mrs. Halibozek was a bookkeeper at the Edward C. Levy Company. Ken, with whom I played grade school basketball and board games (everything from Candyland to Monopoly), attended Wayne State and earned an M.A. at Eastern Michigan. He went on to run Ford's worldwide telecommunications operations. His sister attended Henry Ford Community College.

On the second block of Reuter lived another classmate of mine, Butch Forystek, who came up the street to play sports, hop fences and jump off garages with the other Reuter boys and me. Butch and I were extremely close until he died of cancer a few years ago. I am the godfather of his oldest daughter. Butch's father had served in the Marines Corps and had some sort of white collar job at Cadillac. He did not attend college. Mrs. Forystek, from Indiana, was a stay-at-home mom. She was not college-educated. There were six kids in the Fortstek family. Their home, a modest ranch, was not a particularly happy one. I recall how Butch's folks yelled at each other in the kitchen while we watched cartoons in the living room. Butch was a smart, underachieving kid who was forever pulling stunts and blurting wisecracks in school. His parents divorced sometime between our freshman and sophomore years of high school. Butch did not attend college. He enlisted in the Army and scored so well on tests that he was stationed in Japan to work in intelligence rather than being sent to Vietnam. It took him several years to get established after his military experience, but Butch eventually became a successful sales representative for companies that sold forklifts, conveyors and commercial shelving. For many years he quietly helped to support his mother, stepfather and siblings, several of whom struggled in life.

The walk. My daily trek to school was often filled with adventure and hijinks. On the way I picked up my classmate, Anthony Adams, just a couple of blocks away from St. Al's on Calhoun. I must have entered the side door of his family's colonial a thousand times as a kid. We made that walk together almost every day for 12 years. Along the way we talked sports, school stuff, rock 'n' roll, girls, sex and news of the latest shenanigans pulled on the nuns at school. That walk was an education in itself. We did it twice a day--usually with Ken Halibozek and Tom Flanigan--during the winter because of nightly basketball practice. Mr. and Mrs Adams (the family name had been changed from Adamo) were two of the greatest parents a kid could ever know. Mr. Adams, the general manager of the Foundary Division at Ford Motor Company, was a former amateur boxer and transplant from West Virginia where he attended Salem College. When we were in high school, he earned his doctorate at Wayne State. I liked that Mr. Adams made me feel as though I was more than just "a kid." He started every conversation with "Well, Lenny..." or "Well, son..." He was full of wisdom and just seemed to assume that Anthony and I would be successful one day. As for Mrs. Adams, she just knew everything that every kid was up to in the neighborhood. Unlike my mother, she never freaked out about our adolescent interests in girls or "mixed parties." She simply understood. Mrs. Adams did not attend college. She was the proverbial stay-at-home mom, looking after Pat, Angela, Anthony, Luci and twins Kevin and Karen. Anthony attended Western Michigan (where friends started calling him Tony) and simultaneously served in the Army Reserves. Thanks to his dad's connections, he worked summers at the Ford steel mill when we finished high school. He joined the union and became an hourly worker there after college, building a nest egg by working lots of overtime. When the steel division at Ford became a separate business entity, Rouge Steel, Tony made a transition to its front office where he became a successful purchasing agent. Sister Pat attended Eastern Michigan; Angela attended Salem College; Luci attended Western Michigan; both Kevin and Karen went to Michigan.

On the way to basketball practice we always stopped at the Bonkowski house, a small bungalow on Calhoun, to pick up little Mickey. He was the best grade school free throw shooter I ever saw, consistently making 22 or 23 out of 25 at practice. Before his father worked in the auto industry, Mr. Bonkowski was an engineer on Project Mercury in the U.S. space program. So I assume that he attended college. However, I rarely saw him. I never had a conversation with him. Mrs. Bonkowski, on the other hand, greeted us every night in her kind and genuine way when we came through the side door. She was always baking something and once said to me, "Lenny, have more...It's a compliment to the cook when you ask for seconds." And so I always did. Mickey gave up basketball in high school. After graduation he attended RETS, a trade school. He became co-owner of a small electronics company with his older brother Ed, who attended Wayne State. Sisters Edith and Marlene did not go to college.

Other walkers. During the last few years of grade school, Anthony and I were joined on the walk to school by three other classmates: Tom Flanigan who lived on Ward, a block north of my house, on the Detroit side of Tireman; Sam Bitonti who lived a couple blocks east on Oakman Blvd. And Patrick Rogers who lived "out of parish," east of Wyoming Ave. in Detroit, and walked about a mile to get to my house.

Tom came from a family of 11 kids. I was close to him and his brother Brian who was a year ahead of us in school. They were both scrappy athletes and really smart. Mr. Flanigan, a former Marine, always called me "Buckey." He was a sales analyst at Ford. He was not college-educated. Mrs. Flanigan was another one of those genuine, loving, stay-at-home moms who populated our neighborhood. She did not go to college, either. Tom attended Western Michigan while simultaneously serving in the Army Reserves. He went on to work in labor industrial relations at Chrysler, sitting in on contract negotiations with the UAW. Brian enlisted in the Marines after high school, saw combat in Vietnam, then attended Notre Dame University. He went on to become perhaps the best crime reporter in the long history of the Detroit Free Press.

Sammy lived in a huge Spanish revival home on Oakman, the street where doctors, dentists and successful business owners lived. His house had a four-car garage. Sam was the catcher on our Dearborn Recreation baseball teams. We used to joke that "he was even slower than he looked" on the base paths. Mr. Bitonti was said to "own properties." It was also said that he had connections to the underworld. I rarely saw him around. I never had a conversation with him. Mrs. Bitonti, on the other hand, was talkative, gregarious. She once drove us to the Goodfellows Football Game, the annual showdown between the Detroit Public School League champion and the Catholic League champion for the city championship at Briggs Stadium (before it was known as Tiger Stadium). I liked her. We lost Sam several years ago. I don't believe he attended college. I think he worked in a lab that dealt with solvents and paints. He had an older sister, Kathy, and a younger sister, Joanne. I know little about them.

I don't remember what year Patrick Rogers started school at St. Al's, perhaps the fifth or sixth grade. He was the last one to join us in "the walk." He was a rough-and-tumble kid who never mentioned his mom or dad. I once rode my bike to his house, a wood frame home in need of paint, but was asked to stay outside. I remember feeling as though he, or someone inside of the house, was trying to hide something from me. Pat was a feisty grade school football player. He left St. Al's during our freshman year. I never saw him again until he surprisingly showed up at our 20-year high school reunion.

Yours truly. My dad reached the eleventh grade at Detroit Northwestern High School before dropping out to help support his family. After returning from the Army during World War II, he purchased the marble business where he had been employed before the war from its owner, for whom my dad had great respect. Len Sr. was a risk taker. Before his marble business struggled due to differences with his partners (a brother and a brother-in-law), he did well and owned several acres of land on the east side of Detroit with a couple of big shots in the tile business. He also invested in a grocery store (with liquor license and fresh meats) in Dearborn Heights. My dad liked to tell the story about his partners in the land deal and how they asserted that he would have been a force in business if only he had attended college. My mother, a stay-at-home mom, reached the tenth grade at Detroit Chadsey High School before dropping out to do housework to help her family. She told me that she was a voracious reader before she and my dad got married. I'm sure she would have done well in college, if only she'd have had the opportunity. I, of course, went to Michigan State and achieved my dream of becoming a writer. My sister Mary moved to Albuquerque after getting divorced at a young age and eventually earned her degree in journalism--at age 40--at the University of New Mexico. She became the development director at KUNM, the public radio station there. Sister Betty did not attend college, but had a long career in various capacities at American Airlines. Brother Mark did not attend college, either. He and a friend wound up owning a small pneumatic tool repair company. My youngest brother, Paul, attended the Specs Howard School of Broadcasting. He still works in radio today.

Epilogue.

The older I get the better I understand that the '50s were a unique time for families with young children in America. Most of the dads were little more than a decade removed from a world war in which upwards of 85 million people (both military and civilian) were killed.

And practically all of the moms and dads in my day had been kids during the Great Depression. So they raised us while possessing a sense of what it meant to be poor. My Dad used to tell stories about how ashamed he was to go to school as a child wearing pants provided to him by "welfare."

I've long thought that experiencing both a world war and the most devastating of economic times are the primary reasons that my parents and those of my childhood friends seemed to be such resilient people, so high in personal character (although not without their faults).

And consider that when my friends and I were in grade school, Detroit's economy was sizzling. Many dads had good jobs at the Big Three--or at automotive suppliers--at a time when GM, Ford and Chrysler really were the Big Three. Meanwhile, very few mothers worked outside the home.

With thoughts of war and memories of hard times in the backs of their minds, our parents wanted us to have better lives. So they encouraged us to "get an education." If not that, then to pursue a trade. And if that wasn't an option, well, there were always good paying jobs--with benefits--to be had at one of the Detroit auto plants in those days.

Ultimately, many of my friends and I received the college educations our parents wanted for us. And for the most part we wound up enjoying good careers in our respective fields. As did those who became police officers, fire fighters, carpenters, electricians, etc. Most of my friends--at least those who did not move out of state--eventually moved their families to exurbia--into lovely homes in the outer ring of Detroit suburbs such as Plymouth, Rochester, Bloomfield Hills, Northville, Farmington Hills, Milford, etc. My wife and I moved our family to Clarkston.

And life was good.

In my opinion.

The kids that I grew up with turned out to be good people, solid citizens. We didn't have to fight in a world war, thank God, but my generation did have Vietnam. We didn't suffer through a depression, but we experienced our share of serious recessions. And, generally speaking, my contemporaries turned out to be more tolerant than our parents in regard to skin color, the role of women in society, religious affiliation, etc.

When we made our moves away from the old neighborhood, we took with us our IRAs, mutual funds, 401ks, etc. And many of us became real estate rich with the appreciation in the values of our homes. So when we encouraged our own children to go to college, most of us could come up with the money to cover the rising cost of education.

But without realizing it, I think we were also building barriers to the good life for those left behind in the city and older suburbs where blue collar, less educated workers tend to live. In general, their children are unlikely to attend college these days. And if they do they're usually burdened by tons of debt from student loans.

Now, let's return to the fact in the second paragraph when I started this essay:

In America today, the single best predictor of whether a young person will attend college, have a good income, get married, stay married, live in a "good neighborhood" and enjoy good health is the performance of his or her parents, based on the same metrics.

Also consider that young people with college educations today tend to marry other young people with college educations, thereby doubling (usually) their wealth. Plus many of them are in line to receive inheritances that were unheard of 60 years ago.

Passing along privilege is fine, but we may be doing it at the expense of other people and their children.

Bottom line, we seem to be unconsciously building roadblocks to the ladder of success for people lacking education. Maybe that's why we have a growing disparity in wealth, social immobility, political instability and a "great divide" in America today.

I'm not sure where it's all headed for our society. I just wish our government and business leaders would put their heads together to create an economy that works better for more people.

I'm talking about people on the lower rungs of the ladder in the "land of opportunity," including those who are less educated--people like maybe your parents and mine.

[wileys-russo]

keep getting a lot of nonnies asking what fics are next so here’s a few WIP titles to appease you just a smidge 🫶🏻 the titles may change a little once posted

-

right person wrong time: e.carpenter

a practically perfect pair: l.wubben-moy

dancing in the street p2: l.williamson

top golfer: l.williamson

blue and red make purple: e.toone

seeing red: e.toone

the closet is glass: a.russo

you never asked: a.russo

paging dr russo: a.russo

the striker and her wingman: a.russo

friends with(out) benefits: k.mccabe

through the lens: g.stanway

lads day out: r.daly

bet you look better in red: m.bright

the wrangler: l.williamson x a.russo

chess pawn: l.williamson x a.russo

#woso #woso x reader #woso fanfics #woso blurbs #wip

[irishgolfadventure]

Day One

Hi to All - We arrived early this morning in Dublin at 8:00a which was 3:00a ET in the U.S.  Everything went smoothly with the exception that Delta canceled our flight out of Indy and put us on an earlier flight which caused us to have a six hour layover in Boston. Small inconvenience.

Once we landed in Dublin and secured our rental car, we headed north for Newcastle which is about 80 miles up the east coast from Dublin located in Northern Ireland. Of course getting adjusted to driving on the opposite side of the road with the steering wheel on the right side, caused some early anxiety for both driver and passenger. The round-a-bouts were and continue to be the most confusing part of the driving adjustment!

Newcastle was very busy today as the people of Northern Ireland celebrate May 1st as a holiday. So the streets were packed with people and the pubs were doing a brisk business. So we parked our car and walked around and enjoyed some people watching. Rural Ireland seems like a step back in time to the fifties and sixties which to us creates a quaint cool vibe!

We’re staying at The Briers Country House. The property was recently acquired by Darren Fenton the new owner. He and his staff personify the friendly nature of the Irish people. Very helpful, kind and always willing to strike up a conversation...and it may last a while. And they have a trait we could all use more of - very attentive and great listeners! 

We learned some of the differences between Ireland and Northern Ireland which were helpful. First of all, they are both separate countries and occupy one island! Northern Ireland is part of the UK and Ireland is a sovereign country that is part of the European Union. Northern Ireland’s currency is the British Pound and Ireland is the Euro. There are no patrolled borders but since Brexit there is ongoing debate as to whether there should be. I’m sure you’re thinking that’s enough info on this topic!!

Tomorrow we play our first round of golf. And we’re starting with one of the courses I’m most excited to play, Royal County Down. By all measures RCD is one of the best courses in the world and you can find it ranked anywhere from number one through number ten in the world. Pics and videos will be in tomorrow’s post.

Are you wondering why I included a picture of Tom Coyne’s book, A Golf Course Called Ireland in this post? First of all, the book is a very enjoyable read whether you’re a golfer or not. Secondly, I reached out to Tom and was able to have a 90 minute Zoom call and a couple of other follow up calls with him to go over our agenda. He was extremely helpful and gave me a ton of names and places not to miss along the way. He also told me using his name would be helpful with acquiring golf merch and course favors at many of the courses! Of course you know, I would never think of doing such a thing.....by the end of the trip people will think Tom and I are brothers! :-)  

Have a good evening! Look forward to sharing our Royal County Down experience with you tomorrow. gb