#also tumblr is literally the only social i use apart from work instagram/facebook and that i use exclusively for work

[yourlocaldisneyvillain]

i appreciate the gesture, but if you send me tiktoks, it is unlikely i will open them as i don't have the app and opening it in browser makes me viscerally angry lol

#personal #also tumblr is literally the only social i use apart from work instagram/facebook and that i use exclusively for work #i hate looking at short format videos lol they make my blood boil bc i am a grandma #i know it's like nice and you wanna show me something but uh it's unlikely i will watch and if i do it's bc i literally make myself #bc i'm tryna be polite

[itsgeecheebitch]

Ugh, I honestly hate that my dopamine receptors are so used to me going on Facebook.

I managed to detach myself from twitter. I stopped going on Instagram. And I stopped listening to Black manosphere, "alpha male", red pill, male/female power dynamics bs podcasts(I was trying to understand how men think at one point in my life. And I was also trying to understand, in what ways, Black women have hurt Black men. As a Black woman, I am aware of the many ways Black men have and do hurt Black women, but I never heard their side of the story, hence why I started frequenting straight Black male dominated spaces and gawd, it's a terrible place. )

But for some reason I have yet to unplug from Facebook and I really need to because the bullshit I see on there frustrates me so much.

As toxic and nonsensical Tumblr can be sometimes, at least I don't have to deal with the toxic gender war mayhem while I'm on here. And I would much rather spend most of my social media time on here than on other platforms, I'm very unlikely to interact with the discourse that goes on, on here.

Only problem, I feel like a lonely island on here. I dont get that much interactions on here, whereas on Facebook and Twitter I receive a lot of interactions with different people so it makes me feel like I am apart of an online community.

But the toxicity is just raising my blood pressure. Example, a male influencer posted a post about Black fathers with Black daughters who disparage Black women online and how they would affect their daughters if they were to come across his posts. Tell me why there were Black men in the comment section saying that Black women are the bottom of the barrel, we are only good for fucking and dumping, we are rude and undesirable. Others were saying that his words(as a theoretical father to a Black daughter) as a father does not apply to his Black daughter so long as she does not grow up to become the type of Black women he hates.

In another post, I was told that a man's DNA from his semen exists forever inside of a woman's vagina(which isnt true) that her body contains the DNA of every man she has ever slept with and that their DNA will affect any baby she conceives(causing the baby to be born with the DNA of other men, which, again, is not true). The poster used this misconstrued unscientific babble as a reason why Black men should not date, respect, or marry any Black woman who was "ran thru". And according to a lot of Kevin Samuel, Jason Black, alpha male, manosphere, redpill bros, the vast majority of Black women, especially those from America, are "ran thru hoes".

And if a Black woman decides she is tired of this bullshit and becomes a feminist as a result then all of a sudden she is considered a hater of Black men. Someone who doesn't actually care about Black people or Black boys and is actively working against the welfare and needs of the Black community.

And god forbid this same Black woman decides to get into an interracial relationship.

I remember I was denigrated on facebook, and my boyfriend also broke up with me, all because I simped over Geralt of Rivia and called him zaddy(around the time I was unaware of the connotations surrounding that word, especially when a Black woman uses it to describe a non-Black man)

I'm just tired of the toxicity. I'm tired of the sexism. And according to alpha males and their enablers (such as Sharazad Ali) sexism does not exist in the Black community, Black women are just "hoes" and "Black male haters" who are afraid of accountability.

I just feel like I need to unplug from everything. I need to distance myself from people who spout this garbage(even if they're family members). I just wish I mastered the art of not giving a shit, especially about what people think. But it's easier said than done. Like most people I do care about what people think, it's literally hardwired into human DNA to care about what people think. In hunter gatherer society, if people didn't like you or thought badly of you, they left you to die. So it became imperative for your survival to become likeable or at least tolerable. And even tho we aren't hunter gatherers anymore we still very much think like them.

Sigh, I just need a vacation from the Black woman hating bullshit

#ranting #misogynoir #misogny #sexism #black people #black women #social media #toxicity

[theartoflivingalways]

i’ve been awake for over 24 hours

I haven’t been on tumblr in years. i stopped using it after high school, but I don’t know why. but now I’m back tonight, because I needed someone to talk to, but I have no one to listen. i have friends, i have family, i have a boyfriend. i have a therapist. but no matter what: i feel so unheard, so unseen, and so ignored by everyone in my life that i literally feel like i have no one to truly turn to. for anything. so, here i am. hope i get a warm welcome!!!

here’s the thing: i’m NOT a depressed person. i’m not sad, i don’t have any major mental health issues apart from anxiety and some adhd. and before you take that the wrong way, please don’t. i just got my master’s degree in social work and i’ll be starting my new job as a therapist in a couple of weeks.

but, i’m also NOT a happy person. tbh, i can’t really describe my overall ~mood~ or whatever you wanna call it. i kinda just wake up and survive the day, every day. i take it one day at a time ... kinda like what AA says to do; but no, before you ask or the thought crosses your mind, i’m not an addict. at least not a alcohol/other drugs addict ??? sorry

maybe this is why there’s no one to listen when i need them to. i fucking ramble about literally nothing before getting to the point. 

it’s weird that i’m writing right now (ok, typing???). i haven’t done this since i was little. it feels good to do this, to have some sort of outlet when you feel so fucking unseen and unheard by every. single. person. around you. 

so i haven’t slept in over 24 hours. it’s my own fault for sure and i have adderall to thank for that (yes i’m prescribed). i decided to start a blog again because i’m sitting here, still wide awake in my apartment, alone, while my boyfriend is sound asleep in my bedroom.

so what’s my fucking problem??? why do i want someone to talk to?? i don’t know honestly. i just feel like lately all i do is listen to others, help others, give myself completely to others. and in return, i get nothing. nothing even close to what i give, or to what i’m capable of giving. which is sad. not for me particularly (maybe?), but for others, yes, i think so. 

i’m not saying that i expect anything in return for helping others, because i don’t. i didn’t enter the field of social work for the fucking money. and i know a lot of fucked up shit is going on in the world right now, and in no way do i want to minimize ANY of that. i’m just feeling a little lost and lonely, so i’m hoping this is a new outlet for me to sort out those feelings.

the last couple of hours, i’ve had a LONG string of thoughts. if you read through, you’ll eventually found out how they started. but one of the things i’ve been wrestling with in my mind is the type of person i am. 

you see, it’s difficult to be “that” person for others your whole life, especially all the fucking time. if you’re anything like me, you know what i mean by that. and if you aren’t anything like me, well, first of all congrats!!!!, and secondly, i’ll explain what i mean.

when you’re “that” person for others, like myself, it’s easy for other people to walk all over you. take advantage of you, take you for granted, expect you to ALWAYS be there no matter the cost. and of course, why wouldn’t they? you’re always there to help. you’re ALWAYS there to offer support, guidance, and advice. you’re nurturing. you listen. you’re a fucking irreplaceable, loyal to death friend. if you’re VERY much like me, you’re also the one person in your family who isn’t a total fuck up (at least not publicly?)

you’re also nonjudgmental, and you were blessed with the curse of being empathic towards others at all times. empathy of course is beautiful and a very good thing to have in this life, but do you know how hard it is to feel for every single person around you.. and not have anyone feel for you???? damn

also, you never let anyone down!! ever. you’re reliable, dependable, trustworthy to the point where it’s almost sketchy because like??? who can be that way to everyone else at all times? you guessed it- people like me and people like u!! (if this is even semi-relatable, i’m sorry) 

but people like us, like you, like me, tend to do this thing where we keep the same shitty fucking toxic people around that have hurt us, continue to hurt us both indirectly and directly, and who have let us down time and time again, because we continue clinging on to the fucking useless hope that “someday they’ll change”. someday, they’ll realize how fucking important you are to them and how shitty their lives are, and would be, without you in it.

you- we - also live by honesty and truthfulness, and assume others just live by this as well. but then you’re proved wrong over and over and over again, yet you never fucking learn your lesson because you are STILL hopeful that somewhere, somehow, deep down, other people DO stand by the morals you try so hard to stand by in life. most of the time, though, you’re completely avoiding the reality of other people and their experiences and who they really are, only to try to fit your own narrative of how you see things and how you think things should be. 

if this sounds anything like you... i’m sorry. i know it all too well. 

i grew up as the “golden child” in my family. not just my immediate family. my entire fucking family. the pressure to be perfect has lead me to develop debilitating anxiety in my 20′s, and it is what it is, but like, why the fuck couldn’t i have anxiety in high school like a normal teenager? why now? 

so yeah my anxiety’s pretty bad. it’s pretty bad tonight, which is why i turned here. to tumblr. to try to write out my thoughts. which, by the way, i’m sorry, because this is an absolute fucking mess and makes no sense. if you are reading this, though, thank you. thank you for listening when no one else seems to.

anyway. growing up with the pressure of being *perfect* has a cost. at least for me it did: 1) anxiety of course, and 2) perfectionist tendencies. these have literally- LITERALLY - ruined my entire college and graduate school experience. perfectionism combined with anxiety is a recipe for fucking disaster, and i’ve been cooking it for years.

i am deliberately writing this without proper punctuation/grammer/whateverthefuckyouwanttocallit, not capitalizing my letters etc., because i want to not have to be so perfect all the time on here, if this is something i’m going to stick to.  i know that sounds silly but it’s actually been very difficult for me to write in all lower-caps and i’m very worried that no one will even read this and HEAR ME because of my literacy negligence (i have no idea if that’s even a real thing or if it even has meaning but it sounded right)

do u want to know why i decided to write this though, truly? what lead to me feeling like i’m “spiraling” - apart from no sleep in over 24 hours now? well, get ready to laugh, because i truly think i’m pathetic and going crazy.

i went to dinner tonight with my boyfriend and his fam. our waitress was a girl i used to know years ago in high school. my boyfriend knew her too. in fact, he knew her VeRY well. for the sake of my anxious overthinking, i don’t feel like going too much into the details of *that* situation, so thanks in advance for understanding.

anyway. this corny bitch made a joke about the current political environment. i won’t say what exactly, because i’d really like to keep my identity as concealed as absolutely possible on here. but long story short, no one really laughed - every one just kinda smiled awkwardly. but you know who did laugh? my boyfriend :) 

TO ME, it seemed intentional. she wasn’t fucking funny, for one. she made a bad - no, a very bad- joke. like one of those corny dad jokes. not even a dad joke actually. a step-dad joke, except your step-dad is a loser that you hate, who treats ur mom/dad bad, has no sense of humor or a horrible sense of humor and idk, just fucking sucks you know ???

sorry that got kinda dark and it was unnecessary but do u know what i mean??? and no, that was literally not relevant to me or my family system/structure in any way. just kinda came to me, ya know? ...writing works in mysterious ways man

alright so if you don’t agree, that’s fine. i already told you to get ready to laugh, because i am well aware of how insane i fucking sound. but you know what makes anxiety & perfectionism 100x harder to cope with? insecurities. and i’m FULL of them. 

so anyway. we left dinner. him & i were driving home. i will admit that i did have some wine at dinner, and i wasn’t drunk but i definitely was feeling cocky enough to stir the pot with him. so, i casually said, “hey... didn’t you date _____?” *insert annoying waitress’s name who i knew once upon a time*

i said it very calmly. very coooool. v collected and nice. he said “no? i’ve never even talked to or hungout with that girl”.

i wish u could see my face as i’m writing this right now bc i cannnot. like i gave u a choice.... the opportunity. tHE SIMPLE opportunity - a chance - to be fucking honest................................

this dude. straight up. lied to my face. about this fucking girl. ???????

YEARS AGO, they most certainly did talk. a lot. in fact, my crAZy ass searched their names on facebook to find their old little love notes to each other that they posted on each others’ walls. which were very cringey but nothing that made me feel jealous or insecure (for once). after all, they were from years ago- i’m talking 5+ - so likeeee.... why would he lie (: 

oh and they definitely did hang out because.... i remember clearly.... a PICTURE OF THE two of them *together* *hangin* (prob bangin too) (sorry) years ago in this now-waitress’s bedroom. i believe it was a ~webcam photo~ that they took on the new mac computer her parents prob bought her. so this photo is now NO WHERE to be found. and believe me, i looked. no, i LURKED. i went to the beginnnning of her instagram posts and deep into her uploaded facebook pictures. ok, not ‘deep’, i literally got to the first pic she ever posted on FB just to try to find this damn picture. and it took me for. fucking. ever. because this bitch has prolly posted a million pictures in the last 5+ years like who does that???

but i swear to fucking whatever the fuck that this picture exists. i have fucking seen it. i’d describe it in perfect detail right now as if i saw it today, but, once again, i’m concealin my identity, yo, so i can’t do all that. v sorry

anywho. this dude - who i call my boyfriend (and yes i love him very very much and our past is absolutely fucked but that’s a whole other story for a very different time) - had the nerve, the audacity, to tell me to my face, that he “definitely doesn’t have a picture with her” because “they’ve never hung out or talked before” ... ?!??????

obv i sent him screenshots of the dirt i dug up on facebook from 5+ years ago (i.e., the old posts between them in case ya forgot during my rambling) bc like, caught ya in a lie sir. red handed.

i might be late on mentioning this part, but here’s the fucking kicker (and i’ve never used that phrase and i don’t know why i said that but ok?): TODAY, for the first time in MONTHS, literally!!!, bc of the virus and the quarantine and all that, i got ready today for dinner with his family. like actually got ready. i spent HOURS doing my make up. i don’t even remember the last time i did my make up, ok. i dressed in a really cute outfit. i felt fucking very good about myself. i thought for sure when he’d come pick me up to go to dinner he’d at least say something. at least acknowledge it. he has literally only seen me in raw form for too many days now. like, complete bare face and sweat pants basically every day since march.

but. did he even look at me twice?!!? no. did he mention anything about how i looked? how it was drastically different from my everyday attire the last couple months? did he take 2 seconds out of his day to say something corny or flirty to me? even just, “you look beautiful”??? honestly i would’ve even appreciated, “you look beautiful, for once” ???

did u guess the correct answer? well if u didn’t, it’s N O.

but u know who he did look at twice.

our waitress at dinner.

(: 

i think i wrote enough for one night. if u think this is my anxiety/perfectionism/insecurities combination spiraling out of control after being tamed incessantly for 20+ years, PLZ TELL ME.

but also, if you have a fucking brain, you’d know that:

1) this is definitely NOT the first time i’ve responded to something like this the way i did, and 

2) i really just needed to ramble on and vent about all the shit that’s been going through my mind the last 2 1/2 hours, so there’s that.

have a good night get some sleep!!! thank u for ur time. 

#why #me #cantsleep #upfor24hours #adderall #waitress #insecure #perfect #anxiety #sorry #helpme #help #needsleep #dontwanttotho #goodnight #getsomerest #ily #thanku

[shoriignis-blog]

HEADCANONS

tagged by: honestly no one i just found this & wanted to do it. tagging: also no one. if you want to do this. do it && tag me. 

fave/least faves;

music genre: bakugou is really into angry emo/rock music. but also classical. his least favorite is probably country. 

movie genre: acTION. he also enjoys crime dramas, &&& just straight dramas. he likes sci-fi/geeky movies as well. his least favorite movies are suspense/thrillers because he can never get invested in them. 

tv shows: since i can’t really point to a specific tv show, i think i’ll just do examples? he would like serious crime shows, like law & order sort of deal, he lowkey would like cartoons like teen titans. he hates sitcoms. 

movies: again, i’ll just give vague examples. since different world && all that. movies like fight club, kingsmen, star wars, predator, the dark knight trilogy are all ones he would like.  &&& he’d hate movies like “hush” or “split.” 

artists (singers & painters etc): bands like three days grace, fallout boy, red jumpsuit apparatus are things he’d be into. but in the classical sphere he really likes yiruma, this playlist probably saved his life, && he would have a lowkey crush on lindsey stirling. 

youtuber (optional if they don’t watch youtube): i don’t think bakugou would be invested enough in youtube to have people he was really a fan of or really disliked. but other than music he would like montages of people getting injured doing dumb shit. 

singles/tracks/album’s: again, this playlist he loves.

foods: bakugou fucking loves spicy food. but whenever he eats it he has to be extra careful not to blow anything up since he sweats so much. he doesn’t like junk food.

drinks: honestly he drinks a lot of Gatorade type sports drinks, water, &&& things like that. he’s really not a fan of sodas - or anything carbonated. 

personality stuff;

the archetypes (quiz): 39% athlete, 33% advocate, 28% rebel. 

game of thrones/a song of ice and fire house/rank type: i imagine his family would be on the noble side, but rather than having inherited it through generations they’ve earned it through knighthoods. katsuki would definitely be far more interested in being an active knight than the lord of some castle. 

living stuff;

where do they live - explain on why they live there - or we’re the forcibly thrown there? What does it look like, how many rooms - any curtains? etc etc: he lives with his family, in an apartment building ( even though they could afford a bigger place - his mother insists on not having more than they need ) there are three bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room & four little closets. they don’t have any curtains - but bakugou’s mother has pinned up a sheet over her window because no @ the sun. 

do they have neighbours (you don’t have to go supper deep into it but you can if you want - heck don’t listen to me it’s your fucking character.): lmao you mean “deku” 

we have the standard vices (drink/drugs/smokes); what do they eat - are they vegetarian, vegan - lactose/gluten intolerent: katsuki wouldn’t touch alcohol, drugs or cigarettes honestly. he really values his body. like he knows he has to be in the best shape possible to be the best hero. so his diet also follows that - he doesn’t eat anything genuinely unhealthy. 

do they exercise? how often? how dedicated are they to it: bakugou works out a lot. not only just in school - which is mandatory, but also on his own time. he runs a few miles every sunday, he does cardio in his room, he has a punching bag in his family’s storage unit that he visits on sundays as well & spends at least three hours kickboxing with it. decidedly not using his quirk. 

cleaning routine. do they clean? do they clean once a month, does someone clean for them? can they clean - like have they been taught the standards of cleaning or are they a germaphobe: bakugou cleans a lot actually. his room at least. you might expect it to be a little torn apart - but it’s actually pretty organized. having his space neat gives him a nice feeling that helps him calm down. 

accessory stuff;

do they have a phone? if so what colour is it in? Does it have a case - what kind? do they have a ring tone or is it always on vibrate/silent? What is the ringtone (default, some david guetta song etc: yes he has a phone. it’s black. his case is black, but with a orange gradient. it’s almost always on vibrate though because his mom is almost constantly messaging him about whatever nonsense. he doesn’t have a song for a ringtone - just the default one. 

what does their key chain look like - do they lock their front/back/side door? how many keys do they have? do they have charms or old pet name tags: his keychain is basic as hell. it’s literally just a silver ring with 5 keys. one to his house, one to his bike lock ( not that he rides his bike all that often tbh ), one that unlocks his families storage unit, one that unlocks his dads office & one that opens this little vault he has in his room that holds his Most Precious Things. 

do they paint their nails? which ones (ie their toe nails or finger nails)? what colour(s): matte holo, nail art, one colour, top coat & base coat, only top coat, ONLY base coat: he doesn’t paint his own nails no, but honestly i don’t think he’d be against having someone else paint his nails. 

way too close for comfort stuff;

what do they smell like - do they shower often? do they LOAD the perfume/cologne on? if so what does it smell like - or is it a bunch of smells from birthday/christmas presents: bakugou smells like nitroglycerin. literally. because he sweats it. like he tries really hard to cover it because no one wants to smell like a chemical so he ends up smelling pretty “clean” because he uses all kinds of odorless soaps & such to cover it. bakugou has to shower really often ( like two times a day - minimum ) because otherwise he becomes a legit safety hazard. because of, as discussed, he sweats nitroglycerin. 

what kind of laundry detergent do they use? i am stealing a headcanon from this fanfiction && saying that he has to use a custom detergent to avoid blowing up washing machines with his clothes. 

do they ‘five-finger discount’ everything (steal shit), or is it just the ‘small’ stuff: bakugou literally wouldn’t shoplift anything. ever. 

family stuff;

how did their family upbringing affect them? were they orphans? were they spoiled? I have a lot of headcanons on this so i’ll direct you to my headcanon tag. 

do they even like their family? headcanon tag. 

friends stuff;

are they a friend hoarder? do they have 1-5 really good ones; or 1,200 fb friends: bakugou has, if he’s telling you himself one friend. in reality he’s probably got five people he likes well enough to actually want to be around them. but he’s really such an idiot when it comes to friends tbh. 

what do they look for in a friend? a listener or a talker: i think it’s more just that he needs friends who can deal with his dramatic monologues without taking them too seriously, but don’t expect him to do much in way of conversation otherwise. 

relationship stuff;

what do they look for in a relationship? boy isn’t looking for a relationship right now. he’s focused on becoming a pro hero. but if he were to get into a relationship it’d have to be with someone who respected that his hero dreams are his first priority & someone who understood him well enough that they could deal with his personality without trying to change it. other things too, but those are the big ones. 

how old were they when they had their first kiss, what happened? katsuki was seven-years-old & a girl pretty much jumped out up out of nowhere during recess smacked her lips against his && ran away. he was so shocked he kinda just stood there for a while. he never told anyone about it. 

how many relationships have they had? why didn’t they last? lmao he’s never been in a relationship in his life. 

are they straight, bi, gay? something else? he’s bisexual. but hasn’t really had the time/energy/interest in sitting down & doing any soul searching. he just knows that girls can be really fucking hot but so can guys. 

are they poly? or mono? bakugou would have to be monogamous. he’s way too fucking possessive to share. however i can see him being okay with a closed relationship with two other people? as long as they were all together exclusively. 

pet stuff;

do they have a pet? are they allergic to any animal? do they LOVE cats or hate them with a fiery passion - or are they just fucking cats: he doesn’t have a pet, because his dad #cannot with animals. but he’s not allergic to any of them & he fucking LOVES cats but he won’t admit it if asked. 

are they dressed up super cute? katsuki wouldn’t dress any pet up tbh. 

do they WANT a pet really badly but *insert relationship here* is allergic, hates animals etc? baku would like to get a cat but as said above, his dad just can’t with them. 

social media stuff;

do they have…  if so what is there… AND (since it applies to all of them) what’s their avatar? if they don’t have these in their world what would they be if your character could have them. 

facebook [user name], [## friend count], [any family members on the sidebar], [their about] : bakugou katsuki. 403 friends. his header image is an old family photo. his profile picture is him flipping of the camera & his about says, “if you don’t know who the fuck I am, why are you here?”

instagram [user name], [## following], [## followers], [## posts]: explosioncrowned. avatar is of him in a beanie. he’s following five hundred blogs, but has four hundred thousand followers because so many people love his posts tbh of which he has 2k of. he’s had his instragram for a little under a month & absolutely brags about his follower count. 

skype [user name], [## contacts], [description]: his skype username is just bakuplosion, he’s got 2 ( two ) contacts && no description. he exclusively uses skype to talk to his dad when he travels for work &&& his mom when she goes with him. 

tumblr [url], [## followers], [## following], [## mutuals], [## posts], fancy theme they made, fancy theme someone else made, OR tumblr default: honestly i don’t think baku would have a tumblr. he doesn’t care enough to maintain one. 

twitter [user name], [## followers], [## following], [## mutuals], [## posts]: explosioncrowned is his username again & once again he’s got a pretty significant following with 350k. he follows about 50 other people, 46 of which are mutuals. the other four are his #favorite celebrities.  

snapchat [user name], [## contacts], [## stories]: again, I don’t think he’d have a snapchat. it’s just not his thing. 

youtube [user name], [## subscribers], [## subscriptions], [## videos] - extra; are they a vlogger, gamer, musician, cover artist etc. he has a youtube account that’s literally just linked to his email. he only uses it for music && to watch montages of people failing at things. 

pinterest [user name], [## boards], [## following], [## followers]: while bakugou wouldn’t have his own pinterest - I have a pinterest for him so check it out. 

deviantart [uses name], [## watching ], [## watchers], [## submissions], [## favourites] - extra; do they sort anything?: yeah he definitely doesn’t have one of these. baku baby sucks at art. 

#✶ || letting this fire inside simmer down ( queue ) #✖ || headcanons

[we-hear-her]

Introducing ME

As I am working on the stories of other girls, I wanted to share with you my story and how I decided to start this project.

Here is me at 21 (left) and me now at 30 (right):

It all started for me about 9 years ago when I was 21. It was the age of Tumblr, Formspring, Instagram (like the legit start of Instagram), Twitter and Facebook. Maybe the social media craze started earlier than that but for me it felt like it blew up when I turned 21. We had so many ways of communicating, judging, commenting, sharing, etc. It was kind of overwhelming but 21 yr old me loved having something to occupy my anxiety ridden mind with. 

I was still in school at the local community college for either education or psychology. I couldn’t tell you for sure because honestly, I changed my major so many times back then. I was in college because my mom wanted me to finish any kind of a degree. She just wanted for me what she didn’t have. While I was finishing up a liberal arts associates degree, I had friends who starting touring with their bands. I decided I would be a tour manager. I remember the next year in what seems like a blur. I was always at shows, helping out or hanging out with friends who would stop by in the tri-state area. Then I met this guy who was in a band, I won’t bore you with the details of this failed relationship but lets just say I fell in love and it ended badly. While we were dating though, something both upsetting and amazing happened, I started getting messages from girls on the internet calling me names and sharing mean things about me on different social media sites. At first I was hurt but honestly I’m a relatively introspective person so I just assumed they were upset because they were mad I was dating a musician they liked. I thought it’s so easy to dislike someone you don’t really know and only see bits and pieces of on the internet. I decided to share about myself. Share stories that maybe they could relate to or at least help make them realize that I am a person with feelings just like them and when you say hurtful things, it causes damage. I called it Juste Love and for a while I had these amazing dreams for what this blog would become. Girls would message me that they loved my project and they wanted to be a part of it too. It was such a great surge of positive energy and so many of the girls that made nasty comments actually came forward and apologized. I loved being able to be a part of something that could potentially do so much good. 

But then my relationship ended, my tour ended (I only ended up doing like one full tour..turns out tour life was DEFINITELY not for me), and I went back to college to get my bachelor’s in psychology. I figured with a degree I could put so much more into my project. Unfortunately, I lost steam, I was working over 40 hours a week and in school full time and eventually I called it quits. 

Recently, I started taking notice of all of the self care and mental health awareness being shared so openly and it started to give me the fuel to share again. I have had generalized anxiety disorder for what feels like my whole life. I literally can remember being 6/7 years old, shaking in my bed late at night, having an anxiety attack. So fast-forward to what made me want to restart this. I was talking to my dad one day and he told me that he was so impressed at what I had accomplished at my job as a UX Researcher in a major media company, in such a short period of time and with anxiety disorder. I honestly hadn’t stopped to think about it because I honestly don’t think constantly “I have anxiety disorder so it’s harder for me to do things that average people do every day”. But it’s true. Just having basic social interactions with others can sometimes ware me down. Having anxiety is like adding another layer onto my day. One more thing I have to get through to get to the finish line that is 5pm. I remember sharing this to a friend I worked with and she looked at me in disbelief and said something I wasn’t expected, “But you seem to normal, I had no idea you were anxious! I couldn’t even tell!”. She meant well, what she meant is that I hide my disorder well. I was reminded that not only on social media, but in real life, most people don’t have the faintest clue what anxiety disorder looks or feels like. Every human being has had some form of anxiety in their life but anxiety disorder is NOT that. I believe that is what makes it so hard for others to understand. Anxiety is NOT Anxiety Disorder. Thus, I felt I should share again. But not just my story, I wanted to share the stories of others girls, some like and some unlike me. We are all perceived differently to others and it’s easy to judge without knowing the whole story. If we share, we can become a community and we don’t have to feel like we are so alone. And it’s just a bonus if that person who shares has gone through something we’ve been through at some point in our lives and got through to the other side. I wanted to share the change that happens from being a teenager in high school to becoming an adult in the “real-world”. I wanted to stress that we’ve all been in someone else’s shoes before and we can get through it. Sometimes we won’t have all the answers but we will have continued to fight to work on ourselves. And with this idea in mind, I started “We Hear Her” because we hear you, we hear your struggle, your triumphs, your fears, your hopes and you are NOT alone. 

If you’ve hung around this long, here is my story.

So a summary of who I am, I’ve had anxiety disorder for basically my whole life. When I was younger I think I felt my parents had everything under control and thus I only really ever had issues with anxiety when I started something new or had to perform in front of others. Pretty normal kid stuff. I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 16, after a friend committed suicide and sent me into a pretty dark place. I remember every day I would dread going into school. It would be overwhelmingly emotional, some days I would just curl up into a ball on the floor in my house. I would tell my mom I didn’t want to go to school most days. Almost every morning when I finally got forced into school (Thank you Mom, otherwise I would have no degree now) and I would have to text her if I was okay. It would be this sickening feeling. I would get nauseated, shake, and feel like I needed to cry. Some days I would have the nurse call my mom to pick me up. I told my mom I needed a therapist and possibly medication. As I started seeing a therapist, I started to realize that I needed to feel like I had more control over my life. My bedroom became my sanctuary. I felt like I had total control there. Eventually, I found that hot baths soothed me when I got anxious as did relaxing spa music. And when I finally got my driver’s license, I felt like I could breathe again. I realized that so much of my anxiety occurred when I felt “stuck”. So I got through high school and again, almost no one had any idea I was suffering, unless I told them. 

As I got older, my anxiety continued to change. I started to understand the symptoms and the triggers but I also got new triggers and sometimes knowing I had so much control over things ended up causing more anxiety. And of course, life changes happened. I moved out of my house into an apartment, I got new jobs, I would start new semesters, etc. The biggest change happened about a year ago, I went from working solely with children for over 8 years in the town next to mine to working in the corporate world as a researcher at a top media company in the city. It was like overnight so many things changed. So much of what changed was good but honestly my anxiety was in full swing. I was working with adults now, doing a job I had never done in true practice, learning constantly every day, learning how to create my position in this new role, and commuting every day 4 hours in total. It was so much to take in and then I started suffering from chronic pain issues, which frankly are still being a mystery between possible Lyme’s or a mystery auto-immune condition which are made worse with anxiety, ha. 

So, what do I do now? How do I handle having a high-pressure career in an overwhelming environment with sometimes little control over my environment while trying to manage aches and pains? 

I create space for myself that feels like my safe spaces. I use essential oils, acupuncture, acupressure mats, diet changes, exercise, meditation and of course my favorite hot baths with lavender. I give myself ways that I feel I can get “un-stuck”, I talk to my therapist, I talk to my family and sometimes friends, I focus on the good this blog can do for girls like me. I wake up every morning and push myself because I know the life that I want. Does that mean it just goes away and it’s easy? No, not at all. It is so hard some days to force myself to do what I have to. Chronic pain and fatigue combined with anxiety disorder make things rough but I know I want to try. When I fall short of my goals, which are sometimes very small: i.e. having a tough conversation with a superior, I remind myself that I work hard every day and that I will get there some day. 

Ultimately, there is no one cure and sometimes I am better than others times. I write this to say that I do not have all the answers but I have a lot of ways I try every day and maybe something I’ve tried can help you. Even if the only way I help is by sharing this story, I feel I have done something positive. All people are different, all anxiety can present and be felt differently, all experiences are felt differently by different people. I want you to know that I know it’s hard but you can get through it. Sometimes it takes a long time, a lot of effort and a lot of stress to get there but you can get there. And if you fall short, that’s OK. You can have good and bad days. You will get there when the time is right for you. In the meantime, you are NOT alone. 

Please reach out if you want to share your story, need to talk or have any comments about my story! I love hearing from others and can’t wait to share my next girl! 

Until next time XO,

Vicky

#We Hear Her #blog #interview #positivity #optimism #sharing #stories #anxiety #anxiety disorder #mental health #self care #mental #depression #gad #sad #anxious #truth #relief #techniques #therapy #therapist #help #advice #try #positive #community #girls #women #together #listen

[gettin-bi-bi-bi]

Okay this is probably my third submission but I really like your advice you guys give you never have a problem no matter how long the ask is no matter what it is about you don’t know how much that means to me I’ve asked this question to one other blog and all they did was freaked out on me in in the response this is a little bit personal but please don’t judge me because it’s something I’ve been thinking about.

So I started college four years ago during my first year I was going through a breakup with my high-school girlfriend she was really really physically and sexually abusive and she went away to college and I stayed in my hometown to go to school nearby and for a good month or two my girlfriend at the time wouldn’t even call me she wouldn’t even text and the one day I Skyped her it was awful so much was shown and said so I decide to mail her a letter because I wasn’t able to get to her state to do in person so I sent her a letter in the mail and explained that these two and a half years were a great but we don’t have time for each other and it’s time to break up. I haven’t heard from her in four years she kind of just never responded she freaked out on me though after her I dated someone online for six months but they broke up with me to date someone else and then I was single. My second year of college I can’t remember much of it whether it because I have bad memory due to some stuff that happened to me in high school. My second year of college I met the love of my life we had met through tumblr but for the whole year and 1 month it was a great relationship but it was also toxic. I was more in love with her than I ever imagined after she broke up with me I was and still am destroyed. While we were dating in school I met this guy well I took his class three years in a row. Three different classes but all taught by him I really like this professor but he saw my now ex girlfriend he met her and he knew from the start that she wasn’t good for me. I got close to this professor and we became like best friends. I’m legal of age I’m more than legal of age and at the time I was legal of age. We would just hang out after class at the school and just talk about life I felt so close because finally I had someone who cared. After my ex girlfriend broke up with me I decided to randomly hook up with anyone whether that be someone I went to work with or someone I just met off of a dating site and let me tell you that was the worst ideas I have ever done. I’m onto my third year of college and I started dating a guy I meant two years prior in college. Everything was going great but we started to slip here in there I fell for him. Now onto my fourth year everything was great but I got super depressed and it was really difficult I had my ex-girlfriend threaten me talk s*** about me do all this stuff stalk me stalk everyone I’m friends with and do all this crazy s*** against me and it was a difficult difficult time. Because she wanted me to feel like total s*** and it hurt because she knew I was already struggling struggling with Family Life you name it. Well the question I’m asking and the part I said please don’t judge me. I just graduated two months ago from my college. But I still want to have contact with some of the professors I became friends with how is it a good way to keep in contact besides email. Like my one professor who I talked about above I was really really close like he knew literally anything about me and everything about me I knew a lot of s*** about him. I want to be able to still talk to him but knowing in less than a year my account at my college is going to deactivate with no way of going on it I want to know that I could still somehow have contact. Would it be weird if I gave him my phone number or a Facebook or Instagram. Or? I don’t want to lose contact because I really don’t have any friends nearby anymore my closest friend lives an hour away and my other friend works every single second and she never responds anytime. Me and my professor are only 10 years apart in age which I don’t find too bad because I have friends older than him I’ve dated older than him and it wasn’t awkward.

I’m pleased to hear you find the advice given here helpful. :) We like to be helpful!!!

It sounds like you’ve had a rough love life in college. I’m sorry you had to go through all that. I know all too well what it’s like to love someone who is abusive. I’m glad you’re not in those relationships anymore and I hope you’re staying safe. If that girl continues to stalk and harass you, you might consider filing a police report (I’d suggest campus police, but it sounds like you won’t be in college much longer?). If she’s threatening you, you may be able to get a protective order. That’s up to you (I know not everyone has much faith in cops, myself included), just want to make sure you’re safe.

Anyway, on to your actual question. Based on what you’ve told us about your relationship with this professor, I don’t think it would be weird to exchange contact information. Just tell him that you’ve really enjoyed his company and talking to him and that you’d like to stay in touch after you leave. It’s up to you and him what kind of contact information you share. I personally prefer social media because I feel like it gives you more of a foot in the door as far as kind of seeing into their day-to-day lives. Then again, phone numbers are a little more personal. Hey, maybe exchange both!

As far as the age thing, I don’t really think it’s a big deal. I prefer older men. I know Maddie is in a very healthy relationship with someone considerably older than her. My only concern about the dynamic you have with him is a possible power imbalance not only due to him being to some extent an authority figure, but the fact that you met him while in a vulnerable place and he apparently knows that. You haven’t indicated that he’s behaved in any way other than friendly and helpful, but always exercise caution. When we’ve been in abusive or toxic relationships, especially more than one, it can kinda screw up our idea of what a healthy relationship looks like, even if we acknowledge that our previous relationships were unhealthy. We might start to excuse Person B’s abusive behavior because it doesn’t look like Person A’s abuse so maybe it isn’t at all, or it’s not as bad as something you’ve put up with before so you think you should just hang in there, or you start to think that maybe all relationships are secretly like this (they’re not, I promise).

Furthermore, abusers and predators generally seek out people with specific personality traits, because they’re easier to exploit and manipulate. This is not at all your fault, but being a little more assertive about your boundaries and independence can help. Sometimes working on yourself a little–building up your confidence, your sense of self-worth, and your standards for how other people treat you–can work wonders on future relationships. 

Btw, I don’t mean to say your professor is a predator, but since you’ve been targeted and hurt several times, I just wanted to give you a little advice about that. I hope that’s okay. Your partners and your friends should be supportive, understanding, and kind. They should make you feel happy and boost your self-esteem. You deserve to be surrounded by people that uplift you, and if that includes your professor, then definitely exchange contact info!

This was very long. I hope I didn’t get off track too much and I hope this helps. :)

KC

#bisexuality #bi help #bi advice #bisexual help #bisexual advice #abuse mention tw #submission #nikkaylovezevrythin

[fenlily]

11 questions tag + ANOTHER 11 questions tag

I was tagged by two different people, and I figured since the questions were different I may as well answer all of them! :D

Under the cut!

@wangthepuppy​’s questions:

1. WHAT TIME IS IT WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW

It’s 11:25am as I’m typing this.

2. YOUR CURRENT ENERGY LEVEL?

Hella low, I didn’t get any sleep last night. :(

3. WHAT IS A SONG YOU’RE OBSESSED WITH AT THE MOMENT?

Monsta X -  Beautiful

4. WHICH KPOP GROUP DO YOU STAN APART FROM BTS? (IF ANY)

Monsta X, but not to the same extent as BTS to be honest. Also kind of Big Bang but they’re on hiatus and also I find GD a little problematic sometimes so I’m??? about them?

5. WHICH BANDS OUTSIDE OF KPOP DO YOU STAN?

None, really? I’m a fan of literally hundreds of bands and artists but there are none that I follow as closely as BTS and now Monsta X.

6. DOGS OR CATS?

BOTH BOTH BOTH

7. FAVOURITE SOUND?

Heartbeats. Cats purring. My dog snoring. My family laughing. Stuff like that? 

8. SOMETHING THAT MADE YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD IN THE PAST FEW DAYS?

One of my cats tried to jump up on my bed but kind of miscalculated the jump and ended up hanging off the edge like Mufasa in the Lion King for a second. She got up just fine eventually but the “oooof” noise she made as she collided with the mattress almost made me pee myself.

9. YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOUR BIAS (IN BTS OR NOT)?

If I can only choose one for this, then I’ll stick with Hobi and say that my favourite thing about him is how his eyes light up when he looks at the other members. He always seems so genuinely happy and proud of them all, and I kind of want to have a friend like that. Someone who just adores and supports me wholeheartedly, so much so that their eyes sparkle when they see me? I feel like I’ve done this so much for other people but never really had it in return.

10. WHICH APPS/WEBSITES DO YOU USE MOST OFTEN?

Tumblr, Kakao Talk, YouTube, Facebook, TTMIK, Memrise, Instagram, Snapchat, HelloTalk, Tandem? Stuff like that. So social medias and learning sites/apps, language exchange stuff.

11. WHERE ARE YOU FROM? 

I’m from a tiny ass little village, just south of Sundsvall, Sweden. I currently live in the UK however.

@rudeoppa’s questions:

1. Are you more of an introvert or extrovert?

Introvert, for sure!

2. Since when have you been into KPOP and how did you discover it?

Since about 2009 I think, and I was introduced to Big Bang by a friend of mine who was into the same J-Rock and visual kei bands as me. Then I got kinda hooked on their music, for a while, but kind of lost interest cause they put out new stuff so rarely, and then eventually I found BTS and I’ve been avidly following them since I found them, which was in 2015. After Dope came out, and just before Run. :)

3. Who was the first KPOP group you got into?

Big Bang

4. Do you have any pets? If yes, which one(s)?

I have five pets. A dog who is a mix between pug and bichon frisee, and four cats. There are pictures of all of them on my instagram. :3

5. Tea or Coffee?

COFFEE

6. Day or Night?

Night. I prefer the quiet of night. :)

7. What kind of movies do you prefer watching?

Um, Lord of the Rings + The Hobbit movies, or the Harry Potter films. But I rarely watch movies as I find them hard to focus on. 

8. What is your biggest wish for the future?

To be able to support and provide for my family, especially my mum. My family has done SO MUCH for me, and I want to be able to do something back for them and make them proud. :)

9. What’s your way of being creative?

I draw, I make music, I write (when I must) and then I put all those things together and try to turn it into a video game.

10. What’s your dreamjob?

Working with games, art or music. 

11. Which country do you desperately want to visit?

I desperately want to visit South Korea and Japan. And do a tour of Europe at some point. :)

Okay, so here are my questions to the people I’ve tagged:

1. How many languages do you speak?

2. What was your favourite subject in school/college/university?

3. Do you play, or have you played, any musical instruments?

4. Do you believe in horoscopes/zodiacs?

5. Is there anything you really want to learn to do? 

6. How many times in your life have you moved house/city/country?

7. Would you rather have no children or a lot of children?

8. Are you religious/spiritual?

9. Do you drink alcohol?

10. If you got to spend a whole week alone with your idol, what would you want to do? (apart from sex... ¬_¬)

11. If you could be the best in the world at ONE thing, what would it be?

I’m tagging:  @purplelonelyunicorn, @rudeoppa, @jungkoog, @mey-ryuu, @coffee-with-bangtan, @sbazzing, @je0n, @taeiephant, @august93, @basicallyadragon, @bts-aegyo, @bts-is-best-bias, @kijobu, @innohurry, @mochikissme, @naamjooon, @baxngtan, @yoongiski​, @brightjin​, @blameblamebts​, @rninyoonqi, @parkjimnin

#tagged

[meeedeee]

Dear Simon Sinek: STFU About Millennials RSS FEED OF POST WRITTEN BY FOZMEADOWS

The last few weeks or so, I’ve seen the same video endlessly going around on Facebook: a snippet of an interview with Simon Sinek, who lays out what he believes to be the key problems with millennials in the workplace. Every time I see it shared, my blood pressure rises slightly, until today – joy of joys! – I finally saw and shared a piece rebutting it. As often happens on Facebook, a friend asked me why I disagreed with Sinek’s piece, as he’d enjoyed his TED talks. This is my response.

In his talk, Sinek touches on what he believes to be the four core issues handicapping millennials: internet addiction, bad parenting, an unfulfilled desire for meaningful work and a desire to have everything instantly. Now: demonstrably, some people are products of bad parenting, and the pernicious, lingering consequences of helicopter parenting, wherein overzealous, overprotective adults so rob their children of autonomy and instil in them such a fear of failure that they can’t healthily function as adults, is a very real phenomenon. Specifically in reference to Sinek’s claims about millennials all getting participation awards in school (which, ugh: not all of us fucking did, I don’t know a single person for whom that’s true, shut up with this goddamn trope), the psychological impact of praising children equally regardless of their actual achievements, such that they come to view all praise as meaningless and lose self-confidence as a result, is a well-documented phenomenon. But the idea that you can successfully accuse an entire global generation of suffering from the same hang-ups as a result of the same bad parenting stratagems, such that all millennials can be reasonably assumed to have this problem? That, right there, is some Grade-A bullshit.

Bad parenting isn’t a new thing. Plenty of baby boomers and members of older generations have been impacted by the various terrible fads and era-accepted practises their own parents fell prey to (like trying to electrocute the gay out of teenagers, for fucking instance), but while that might be a salient point to make in individual cases or in the specific context of tracking said parenting fads, it doesn’t actually set millennials apart in any meaningful way. Helicopter parenting might be comparatively new, but other forms of damage are not, and to act as though we’re the only generation to have ever dealt with the handicap of bad parenting, whether collectively or individually, is fucking absurd. But more to the point, the very specific phenomenon of helicopter parenting? Is, overwhelmingly, a product of white, well-off, middle- and-upper-class America, developed specifically in response to educational environments where standardised testing rules all futures and there isn’t really a viable social safety net if you fuck up, which leads to increased anxiety for children and parents both. While it undeniably appears in other countries and local contexts, and while it’s still a thing that happens to kids now, trying to erase its origins does no favours to anyone.

Similarly, the idea that millennials have all been ruined by the internet and don’t know how to have patience because we grew up with smartphones and social media is – you guessed it – bullshit. This is really a two-pronged point, tying into two of Sinek’s arguments: that we’re internet addicts who don’t know how to socialise properly, and that we’re obsessed with instant gratification, and as such, I’m going to address them together.

Yes, internet addiction is a problem for some, but it’s crucial to note it can and does affect people of all ages rather than being a millennial-only issue, just as it’s equally salient to point out that millennials aren’t the only ones using smartphones. I shouldn’t have to make such an obvious qualification, but apparently, I fucking do. That being said, the real problem here is that Sinek has seemingly no awareness of what social media actually is. I mean, the key word is right there in the title: social media, and yet he’s acting like it involves no human interaction whatsoever – as though we’re just playing with digital robots or complete strangers all the time instead of texting our parents about dinner or FaceTiming with friends or building professional networks on Twitter or interacting with our readerships on AO3 (for instance).

The idea, too, that millennials have their own social conventions different to his own, many of which reference a rich culture of online narratives, memes, debates and communities, does not seem to have occurred to him, because we’re not learning to do it face to face. Except that, uh, we fucking are, on account of how we still inhabit physical bodies and go to physical places every fucking day of our goddamn lives, do I really have to explain that this is a thing? Do I really have to explain the appeal of maintaining friendships where you’re emotionally close but the person lives hundreds or thousands of kilometres away? Do I really have to spell out the fact that proximal connections aren’t always meaningful ones, and that it actually makes a great deal of human sense to want to socialise with people we care about and who share our interests where possible rather than relying solely on the random admixture of people who share our schools and workplaces for fun?

The fact that Sinek talks blithely about how all millennials grew up with the internet and social media, as though those of us now in our fucking thirties don’t remember a time before home PCs were common (I first learned to type on an actual typewriter), is just ridiculous: Facebook started in 2004, YouTube in 2005, Twitter in 2006, tumblr in 2007 and Instagram in 2010. Meaning, most millennials – who, recall, were born between 1980 and 1995, which makes the youngest of us 21/22 and the eldest nearly forty – didn’t grow up with what is now considered social media throughout our teenage years, as Sinek asserts, because it didn’t really get started until we were out of high school. Before that, we had internet messageboards that were as likely to die overnight as to flourish, IRC chat, and the wild west of MSN forums, which was a whole different thing altogether. (Remember the joys of being hit on by adults as an underage teen in your first chatroom and realising only years later that those people were fucking paedophiles? Because I DO.)

And then he pulls out the big guns, talking about how we get a dopamine rush when we post about ourselves online, and how this is the same brain chemical responsible for addiction, and this is why young people are glued to their phones and civilisation is ending. Which, again, yes: dopamine does what he says it does, but that is some fucking misleading bullshit, Simon Says, and do you know why? Because you also get a goddamn dopamine rush from talking about yourself in real life, too, Jesus fucking Christ, the internet is not the culprit here, to say nothing of the fact that smartphones do more than one goddamn thing. Sinek lambasts the idea of using your phone in bed, for instance, but I doubt he holds a similar grudge against reading in bed, which – surprise! – is what quite a lot of us are doing when we have our phones out of an evening, whether in the form of blogs or books or essays. If I was using a paperback book or a physical Kindle rather than the Kindle app on my iPhone, would he give a fuck? I suspect not.

Likewise, I doubt he has any particular grudge against watching movies (or TED talks, for that matter) in bed, which phones can also be used for. Would he care if I brought in my Nintendo DS or any other handheld system to bed and caught a few Pokemon before lights out? Would he care if I played Scrabble with a physical board instead of using Words With Friends? Would he care if I used the phone as a phone to call my mother and say goodnight instead of checking her Facebook and maybe posting a link to something I know will make her laugh? I don’t know, but unless you view a smartphone as something that’s wholly disconnected from people – which, uh, is kind of the literal antithesis of what a smartphone is and does – I don’t honestly see how you can claim that they’re tools for disconnection. Again, yes: some people can get addicted or overuse their phones, but that is not a millennial-exclusive problem, and fuck you very much for suggesting it magically is Because Reasons.

And do not even get me started on the total fuckery of millennials being accustomed to instant gratification because of the internet. Never mind the fact that, once again, people of any age are equally likely to become accustomed to fast internet as a thing and to update their expectations accordingly – bitch, do you know how long it used to take to download music with Kazaa using a 56k modem? Do you know how long it still takes to download entire games, or patches for games, or – for that matter – drive through fucking peak-hour traffic to get to and from work, or negotiate your toddler into not screaming because he can’t have a third juicebox? Because – oh, yeah – remember that thing where millennials stopped being teenagers quite a fucking while ago, and a fair few of us are now parents ourselves? Yeah. Apparently our interpersonal skills aren’t so completely terrible as to prevent us all from finding spouses and partners and co-parents for our tiny, screaming offspring, and if Mr Sinek would like to argue that learning patience is incompatible with being a millennial, I would like to cordially invite him to listen to a video, on loop, of my nearly four-year-old saying, “Mummy, look! A lizard! Mummy, there’s a lizard! Come look!” and see what it does for his temperament. (We live in Brisbane, Australia. There are geckos everywhere.)

But what really pisses me off about Sinek’s millennial-blaming is the idea that we’re all willing to quit our jobs because we don’t find meaning in them. Listen to me, Simon Sinek. Listen to me closely. You are, once again, confusing the very particular context of middle-class, predominantly white Americans from affluent backgrounds – which is to say, the kind of people who can afford to fucking quit in this economy – for a universal phenomenon. Ignore the fact that the global economy collapsed in 2008 without ever fully recovering: Brexit just happened in the UK, Australia is run by a coalition of racist dickheads and you’ve just elected a talking Cheeto who’s hellbent on stripping away your very meagre social safety nets as his first order of business – oh, and none of us can afford to buy houses and we’re the first generation not to earn more than our predecessors in quite a while, university costs in the States are an actual goddamn crime and most of us can’t make a living wage or even get a job in the fields we trained in.

But yeah, sure: let’s talk about the wealthy few who can afford to quit their corporate jobs because they feel unfulfilled. What do they have to feel unhappy about, really? It’s not like they’re working for corporations whose idea of HR is to hire oblivious white dudes like you to figure out why their younger employees, working longer hours for less pay in tightly monitored environments that strip their individuality and hate on unions as a sin against capitalism, in a context where the glass ceiling and wage gaps remain a goddamn issue, in a first world country that still doesn’t have guaranteed maternity leave and where quite literally nobody working minimum wage can afford to pay rent, which is fucking terrifying to consider if you’re worried about being fired, aren’t fitting in. Nah, bro – must be the fucking internet’s fault.

Not that long ago, Gen X was the one getting pilloried as a bunch of ambitionless slackers who didn’t know the meaning of hard work, but time is linear and complaining about the failures of younger generations is a habit as old as humanity, so now it’s apparently our turn. Bottom line: there’s a huge fucking difference between saying “there’s value in turning your phone off sometimes” and “millennials don’t know how to people because TECHNOLOGY”, and until Simon Sinek knows what it is, I’m frankly not interested in whatever it is he thinks he has to say.

from shattersnipe: malcontent & rainbows http://ift.tt/2iKOneF via IFTTT

#IFTTT #shattersnipe: malcontent & rainbows #RSSFeed

[fangirlmomentsandmytwocents]

Broken in Silence by Katze Snow Release Blitz

Darkness is a pleasure to be desired…

Title: Broken in Silence by Katze Snow

Series: (Demons and Wolves #1)

Author: Katze Snow

Genre: Supernatural/Paranormal erotica

Publisher: Indie publishing

Release Date: March 18, 2017

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34388355-broken-in-silence

Blurb

Darkness is a pleasure to be desired… Tannerian Wulfric is a leader—a strong alpha who bows to no-one, especially those who try to undermine his authority. When an opportunity arises, he grabs it with both hands and lets nothing get in his way. Trouble is, his brother has been caught in the crossfire of glorious retribution, and Tanner is in need of assistance. For many years, Alex Jonas has lived his life in peace. But when fate lands him in the hands of his ex-lover and alpha, he finds himself in the centre of a feud he never knew existed, and must immerse himself in ways he had never imagined. One chance encounter, one night, and everything comes crashing down around him. Alex must fight for his life while Tanner fights for one thing and one thing only—vengeance, which has never tasted sweeter. Can Tanner avenge his family’s death without spilling more blood? Or will his inner demon tear apart everything he has worked for, and lose the man who owns his heart?   Warning: Contains strong use of language, violence, and graphic, erotic scenes which will require a cold shower to calm yourself down. Proceed with caution! HFN.

  Buy Links

Kindle

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XHPYN9R

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XHPYN9R

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B06XHPYN9R

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B06XHPYN9R

Excerpt

When Alex opened his eyes, Tanner was right there in front of him. His heavy breath blew against Alex’s freckled cheeks, and his black, fathomless eyes were completely fixed on his face. Alex blinked and looked up, his breath hitching as Tanner’s huge frame towered over him. The alpha had an easy advantage on him, making him feel even smaller under his hardened stare. He was so close that he could smell Tanner’s scent. A strong whiff of tobacco and sea-water aftershave. And whisky. Well, that explained his sudden close proximity, then. Whisky did this to Tanner—brought him close. Alex tried to dismiss the scent crawling up his nose and down his trachea, but with Tanner so near to him, he could think of only him and how his world utterly immersed Alex with a simple gaze. An effortless tilt of his head, a brush of Alex’s cheek, and he became undone. “Gimme some space already, jeez.” Alex shoved the alpha away, but Tanner grabbed onto his wrists and pushed their bodies against the sink, dipping his head to take Alex’s mouth. He worked a knee between his thighs, and Alex felt the force of Tanner’s strong leg lifting him up off the ground. Motherfucker! Alex was trapped, but fuck, he wanted to be—needed to be. He had waited so long to melt into Tanner’s arms he couldn’t restrain himself. Tanner’s world literally flooded around him, his eyes, his breath, his lips, and all he could do was cling onto him and aim to keep his head above the water before he drowned. Ten years... Ten years it’d been since he felt the alpha’s lips against his, felt his tongue slide down his throat, arms folding around him. He carried him as if he weighted nothing, and in spite of his leanness, Alex was no feather-weight. But, Tanner lifted Alex up and sat him on top of the sink effortlessly, all the while fucking him with his tongue and grabbing onto his ass. “What’re you doing, old man?” Alex rasped against Tanner, pulling away from his lips. “Crazy mobsters like you don’t get jealous.” Tanner merely smirked at him, his eyes raw with lust. He leant forward and nipped the bottom of Alex’s lip, catching it between his teeth. “Just claiming back what is mine.” He threw his suit jacket down onto the countertop behind and then began tugging at Alex’s red sweater and shirt. His dick hardened in his pants, aching to be released—to replace the memory—and guilt—of Tobias, and taste Tanner’s cock sliding into his mouth, down his throat, throbbing and slick with saliva… “I can’t.” Alex pushed Tanner away with every fiber of his being and tried to compose himself; surprised to find he was short of breath. “My sister... She’ll be back soon. I’ve gotta…close up the shop. I’ve made plans tonight.” He watched a shadow eclipse the alpha’s suddenly impassive features. “Cancel them.” Two words that immediately killed Alex’s hard-on. “Don’t tell me what to do just because you think you can!” Alex spat. “I’m not a child anymore. I don’t belong to you either, asshole, and you can’t just keep tossing me away like some disposable doll!” There. It’d escaped Alex at last—how he truly felt about Tanner’s abandonment. How much anger he had harboured for him randomly telling him to up and leave him that day. To ‘vacate the manor by dawn’, and then just jump back into his life as though nothing had happened between them. This motherfucker had pushed him to his limits! “When I tell you to do something, boy, you do it.” “No.” “Are you defying me?” Alex winced, but he held his ground. He’d had enough. Truly. Fuck this!

  Giveaway

One lucky winner will get an e-copy of Broken in Silence

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Katze Snow never learned when to shut up. Food and coffee are what encourage Katze to function in a semi-normal, sort of socially acceptable way. Doses of sarcasm and sass are what she lives for, and her wolf, Kiba, who is Katze's little furbaby. She's been writing since she was a child, but finally published her debut novel, Alpha's Bane, in Autumn 2016. While Katze also writes MF, MM is where her heart truly lies. Her writing is dark, gritty, and takes satire to a whole new level. Come and join her! But be warned: Katze likes her men dark, twisted and all kinds of fucked up, and she hopes you do too.

Website plus subscription list: www.katzesnow.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snowlings

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/katzesnowling

Hosted By:

https://divinepromotions.blog

FGMAMTC 

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Google+ / Pinterest / Goodreads / Tumblr / Bloglovin' / Instagram

var addthis_config = {"data_track_addressbar":true};

#release blitz #Katze Snow

[writ-2004]

Animated Video 

After reading “Keeping Safe (and Queer) by Zarah Moeggenberg, I decided to create a short animated video to express the Queer experience on social media. The medium of video was important to communicate the connection between the experiences, user personas and the “virtual home” for vulnerable LGBTQ+. Primarily, I focused on the site rhetoric used within different platforms and how that contributes to the Queer experience. This video shows a Queer man checking various social media notifications with regard to his proposal post to his long-time boyfriend Ryan. This first of these sites displayed is Instagram, which hosts many likes on the post, but controversial comments. The Second is Facebook, which hosts many dislikes and angry reactions. The final notification is from Tumblr, which Is met with love and community support. To analyze how these experiences relate to the Queer experience, we must analyze the rhetoric of each given site.

As noted by Rodrick, technology is created by humans and therefore is modeled after specific human behaviour. Liking or commenting on an event or conversation are things we would do in face-to-face social interactions and are therefore emulated within the online rhetoric of these sites. However, the sites are also created to emulate that specific companies values or ideas and can lead to variations of experience across different social media. As outlined by Moeggenberg, Facebook creates a space that promotes hate. Unlike other platforms, Facebook has a “family friendly”, “traditionalist” mentality and because of that, its users tend to dispute the un-traditional. Making Queer friendly posts, or “virtual homes”, easy targets for members of other, larger “virtual homes”. Furthermore, Facebook creates a space for these “virtual homes” or groupings to occur within literal “Facebook groups” or “liked pages”, in which you can connect with people of similar interests. Allowing pages with more followers, to digitally attack those with less. Facebook as a platform also makes it extremely easy to promote hate with emotional reaction features as displayed in the video and the new feature of “up voting” or “down voting” specific comments.

These rhetorical devices encourage users to express blatant like or dislike for a post or comment. For the easily targeted Queer group, who “oppose” traditional values or are seen as “not family friendly”, this can create an extreme sense of vulnerability. As shown within the video, this can lead to the user removing their post all together. As stated by Moeggenberg, this can cause many users to practice dis-identification. Where they will not risk posting photos or links pertaining to their sexuality and create a separate or more reserved persona on Facebook. This can manifest itself in the fear of “doxing”, in which personal information will be tracked down and used against a user. Doxing is a form of social control over “abnormal” groups to withhold the norm, or else face consequences that will jeopardize their way of life; whether that be the leaking of an address or nude photos. This is why many Facebook users would rather “play by the rules of society” then question them and be hated off the platform or tracked down in person. 

Instagram, whose parent company is Facebook, takes a step in a positive direction as the rhetoric of their site does not allow for “disliking” or “downvoting” a post or comment. As seen within the video, the content posted on instagram can be easily liked, allowing targeted users to feel safe. However, instagram still allows for a comment section without liking the post, or in some cases even following the account. It is also composed of photos only and promotes a visual representation of it’s users. This is what may lead to controversial commentary from other users, especially for someone with a large following whose account is public. In turn, the rhetoric of instagram does push for more love than hate, and eliminates the obvious grouping and exclusion as seen within “Facebook groups”. Moreover, the overall rhetoric or goal of instagram is to be progressive and influential, therefore leaving a space for a large queer or other minority community. This allows queer users interacting with the site to feel they have a “virtual home” in which to share their thoughts. 

Within his reaction to Tumblr, we may find that in the general post, our character was a lot more open about his life and his feelings. This is particularly because the rhetoric of Tumblr, minimizes hate. Tumblr leaves no room to “dislike” a post, nor does it allow for comments without the sharing of the original content. Because of the nature of the site and it’s users, sharing the original content will be imply to other users that you agree with the post or at the very least are content with displaying it on your own blog. Tumblr does not allow for comments or feeds to be displayed without the use of the reblog button. If you delete your reblog, your comment is also deleted. Furthermore, you can direct message/comment to the content poster, but they have easy access to ignore or block you without public humiliation; which often occurs on the other sites mentioned above. At the end of the video, our character is seen feeling positive and reassured while being apart of a large community. The LGBTQ+ community on sites like Tumblr is massive and generate a huge following. Many of these Queer blogs also act as social activism platforms and help to fight for community awareness. This gives users the chance to feel protected in a large “virtual home”. 

These concepts do not only apply to the LGBTQ+ community, but other minority groups as well. The rhetoric of these sites is not specifically aimed at Queer people, but at all minorities or people who defy the “norm”. The concepts discussed above, should allow us to consider how we interact with forms of hate or hate groups on various platforms and how the rhetoric can be re-written to combat this. It also places an important focus on public safety online and the risk of social activism. I myself have been afraid to post or share my personal traits or political views out of fear of attracting negative energy or becoming a target. If the rhetoric of these sites is meant to emulate human interaction, what does that say about our society? When someone is receiving hate for being themselves, what does that say about how we view abnormality in the digital age. In my opinion, we may appear to accept “abnormalities” more, in that they have the sense of equality in posting and commenting on the same platform, but there is still an underlying view of the “weird” or “un-family friendly” type of person; rooted in the rhetoric created by these sites and their need for social drama. Furthermore, we may view digital dis-identification as a form of oppression on specific groups, in that they are denied the human right to feel safe being genuine and honest.

To further reflect upon my choice of medium, we may also consider the “maker culture” of the specific applications I used. The video was made with Powtoon whose creative Rhetoric is very limited. Powtoon wants you to create business-style presentations and limits the available images to reflect that. This can be related to the traditional workings of Facebook and Instagram, where a vulnerable user may feel they have to present a business friendly or non-offensive version of themselves to avoid hardships. However, the video was later uploaded to YouTube, a site which promotes user creativity and support. In this sense, we can relate YouTube to the rhetoric of Tumblr, where users are encouraged to further the conversation.

Works Cited:

Edwards, Dustin, and Heather Lang. “Entanglements That Matter: A New Materialist Trace of #YesAllWomen.” Circulation, Writing, and Rhetoric, Utah State University Press, 2018. 

Hutchinson, Les. “Wielding Power and Doxing Data.” The Routledge Handbook of Digital Writing and Rhetoric, Routledge, 2018. 

Moeggenberg, Zarah C. “Keeping Safe (And Queer).” The Routledge Handbook of Digital Writing and Rhetoric, Routledge, 2018, pp. 511–534. 

Porter, James E. “Rhetoric, Copyright, Techne: The Regulation of Social Media Production and Distribution.” The Routledge Handbook of Digital Writing and Rhetoric, pp. 581–600. 

Roderick, Ian. Critical Discourse Studies and Technology: a Multimodal Approach to Analysing Technoculture. Bloomsbury Academic, 2016. 

Warnick, Barbara, and David Heineman. Rhetoric Online: the Politics of New Media. 2nd ed., Peter Lang, 2012. 

#Maker

[moderneras-blog]

互联网危险 (Internet danger)

My second year in college marked the end of my declaration as a chemistry major hopeful. Organic chemistry problems spoke a variety of languages, painting multidimensional causalities from atom to compound. Unfortunately, I was not able to adapt to the organic chemistry literacy and was forced to withdraw from the course before it caused permanent damage to my pitiful GPA. Thankfully, mastering the O-Chem language is not mandatory for everyone to succeed in life. However, as we peek at the intriguing touch screen mommy is using to find new recipes, it is clear that digital literacy is a near non-negotiable “tongue” to understand. A typical script of a curious Chinese-American child peering over mom’s technology-occupied shoulder would go (no worries, it’s translated):

小孩 (child): 妈我可以用吗? (Mom, can I use that?)

妈妈 (mom): 互联网有很多不好的事情. 它对你来说太危险了. 去做你的数学作业. (The internet has lots of bad things. It is too dangerous for you. Go do your math homework.) 

Sorry, I couldn’t help it with that last sentence…that was my childhood in a nutshell. In all seriousness, the rest of the dialogue sums up (see what I did there?) a realistic response from mom when you were 5 years old, yeah? Can we somewhat agree that most people, regardless of their race, gender, sexuality, etc. find the internet as a fascinating yet complicated gadget that’s increasingly prevalent in our lives? Of course, we can sympathize with mom’s concerns because the ignorant child could get into big trouble by randomly slamming their fingers over pixels. I’m now 21 with a deeper understanding not only of how it serves as a useful communication tool but also how it conveys a survival manual through my various browsing experiences. 

Considering the socio-emotional digital literacy and the consequences of failing to adapt to the language sets me up to be a worrywart parent. I’ve committed intensely in MMORPGs where trades of goods between in-game characters and chat boxes define the excitement of video gaming. Yet scamming, or at least gullible victims of scamming lost motivation to continue after losing their hard work and quit. While random game administrator chats shout “please treat each other with kindness” and “do not share your personal information with anyone”, most players “fuck the rules”. I believe there are rules and methods to follow if it means surviving on the internet, especially if the person depends on their digital success for personal income. 

Apart from games, another noteworthy aspect of socio-emotional digital literacy that could pose a problem is the social anxiety induced from social media. In worse cases, people with depression and other mental illnesses are more likely to misunderstand texts and overanalyze periods and all-cap letters. In my case, I’d say that I’m more than literate when it comes to the internet and that’s why I’ve chosen to delete my Facebook, Instagram and uninstall my MMORPG games. I am well aware of the dangers of facing people who would abuse their social platform for the demise of others. Seeing that I’ve posted this Tumblr blog, you can guess that I have enough technological privilege. It’s only dependent on how the individual approaches a radiated screen. For once, I prefer doing math homework with pencil and paper. 

References

Eshet-Alkalai, Y. (2004). Digital Literacy: A Conceptual Framework for Survival Skills in the Digital Era. JI. of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia. 13 (1), 93-106. 

#grinnellyouthculture #internet #digitalage

[ashash355]

My Journey

Hi,

I’m rarely on Tumblr, mostly because I don’t know how to use it since I’m an old ass; but alas, here I am.

Yesterday I felt the intense need to write my journey down somewhere, and where better than Tumblr? The place with no rules, no limits, nobody watching. It’s perfect. I’m not ready to post a before an after on my Facebook (my main social media platform...told you, I’m old) but I do post them on my Instagram (@ashashgoesketo). Mostly because I don’t have a whole lot of followers there either.

Anyway, let me take you from the beginning. I am currently a 26 year old mother of two. In a relationship that gets more complicated than I would appreciate most of the time. As long as I could remember, I have always been bigger than my peers. One memory in particular, I was in either 2nd or 3rd grade, and for some reason we were discussing our weight. It had to tie in with gravity and weight, or something or another. I can’t remember....old. I was 80 pounds at that point. I don’t remember thinking of myself as fat, I don’t think I was fat even now looking back. I was just always heavier but carried it well. One of the boys in the class was 60 pounds and I remember him saying “Wow! She’s 20 pounds heavier than me!” I was embarrassed. I never discussed my weight ever again.

Fast forward many years later. It’s May 2015. I’m a 24 year old paralegal. Working my ass off for part time legal work. Didn’t pay too well, but I told myself “I love this job!” because I did, and also, “I’m using this for experience to move on to something better”. Sounds like the typical 20 something in a shitty economy mantra, right? I was lucky enough to be able to save enough money for a down payment on a house for an FHA loan and I was super excited. House hunting in the semi shitty areas of town was GREAT! *sarcasm* But I was able to find a house that was doable for my boyfriend and I. Pretty much, we both hated it. I put the offer down on this house. It’s a 3 bedroom! So exciting! I tell my boss I would be needing Friday off to close on the house AND to be able to move from our two bedroom apartment into the house, since I was able to move in upon closing. He said no big deal. About a week or two before closing I find out I’m pregnant. Good thing it’s a three bedroom right? Let’s go ahead and throw my plans for a playroom out the window. Thursday before I left for the day he said to me “Happy Closing!” Yeah....happy closing indeed.

I purchase a moving truck, and try my hardest to move our two bedroom apartment mostly by myself (since my significant other is SO FUCKING TERRIBLE at scheduling shit off from work). But it gets done and I have everything in from one place to the other. Then on Saturday, the phone rings. It’s my boss. I figured he might be checking in on me to see how the move went. I answer. The conversation went somewhat like this; 

Boss: Hello, Ashley? Me: Hi Unnamed Bossman! Boss: Sorry to tell you this, but I won’t be needing you any longer. So, don’t come in on Monday. Please call next week to schedule to come in and pack your belongings. Me: Oh, um. Okay....Yeah.

Yeah, what a way to start a new life in a new house right? I’m now a 24 year old mother of a 2 year old who is currently pregnant and now UNEMPLOYED! Fun times. The struggle was surely real. Panic mode immediately sets in. WHO IS GOING TO HIRE A PREGNANT LADY?! It was rough. I wasn’t comfortable buying anything for the house, not even food. I applied for food stamps and was denied. Apparently the State of Indiana thinks an unemployed mother who is pregnant making $150 a week on unemployment makes too much for assistance. Luckily, it only took me 3 months to find another job. Another 3 months, and I would have been kicked off of unemployment, because the State of Indiana only allows you to collect unemployment for 6 months. It was as a temp for a local insurance agency. I was DETERMINED to work my ass of to get hired into a permanent position. I even put the health of myself and my baby at risk doing it, by moving big ass boxes filled with files from one place to another. To be fair, they didn’t know I was pregnant, and I justified it to myself by saying “This box CAN’T be any heavier than a 2 year old”. But, my determination paid off, as I was hired into a permanent position even though I was noticeably pregnant, and was going to have a baby in about 2 months of my new position’s hire date. I will forever be thankful.

Fast forward, it’s March 2016. I just got back from having a baby and was cleared by my doctor to resume all normal activity including exercise. I decided 2016 was the year I was going to start taking care of myself. I had hit my absolute lowest of the low mentally, physically, and emotionally the past year, and I wanted to do what was right for myself, and my body. I went to the dentist for the first time in 5 years, went to the doctor, and started exercising four days a week (mostly). My place of work happens to have a gym in the building for employees to use, which was perfect! I could go down on lunch, and not have to pay more for a membership AND wouldn’t have to worry about childcare. Amazing! But, as time went on, and I continued to work my ass off, my ass was not coming off. I toned a little, but I was 100 pounds overweight. Working out and moving my body, lifting weights, doing cardio, SHOULD have made me lose SOMETHING right? Nope. That damn number on the scale was NOT budging. I kept at it, nothing happened, so I kept at it some more. Literally, the definition of insanity.

December 2016, I hear about this crazy diet called the Ketogenic diet. It’s a high fat/low carb diet. You basically give up sugar and bread and everything that makes the world go ‘round. And, instead, you eat butter, and bacon, and leafy greens. I figure that this diet might be doable. It wasn’t a new years resolution, but I happened to start the first week of January 2017.

The goals started small then gradually got bigger. “Make it two weeks”, “Make it 30 days” “Lose 20, 30, 40 pounds”. I haven’t quite hit that last one yet.

Six months in and I still work out 4(ish) days a week. I still have a ways to go weight wise, but I’m getting closer to my big weight loss goal of a 50 pound loss. People at work are noticing, even people I don’t see very often. This is very exciting.

I’m FINALLY taking control of my weight, and my body. To be honest, I don’t even miss carbs that much. The ease of carbs? Sure, but the carbs themselves? No.

This story is not finished, but will it ever be finished? Likely not until I die. I just wanted to get this out into the world. Life is tough, but you will always be with you, and you need to take care of yourself, however that might be. It doesn’t HAVE to be diet and exercise. If taking care of yourself is gardening, reading, playing video games, or sleeping. You do it, and you be the best you can be at it!

#keto #ketogenic #ketolife #diet #ketodiet #exercise #weightlossjourney #weightloss #mystory #myjourney #myweightlossjourney #progress #lowcarb #highfat #lowcarbhighfat #lchf

[weblistposting-blog]

New Post has been published on Weblistposting

New Post has been published on https://weblistposting.com/seven-apps-that-every-royals-fan-should-have/

Seven apps that every Royals fan should have

With the begin of the 2017 baseball season upon us, this is a superb time to replace your phone or tablet with some apps if you are a Royals fan.

Seven Apps

Some of these apps are beneficial to have in case you are going to Kauffman Stadium, but some are just exact to have in case you are partial to the Royals.

1. 15SOF

What this app does is supply a video clip of a fan of the sport, if they may be on a broadcast. After downloading the app, a fan takes a selfie and exams into the game he or she is attending. If the Television cameras capture a photograph of the individual during a sport, that clip could be sent to the fan after the contest is over.

“That is content material that people have continually desired but in no way been able to obtain earlier than, so I am hoping human beings will download it and experience their 15 seconds of reputation,” 15SOF Chief Executive Officer Brett Joshpe stated.

Joshpe said that fanatics at a game regularly recognize they may be on a videoboard, but might not realize they may be on Tv. This app will allow them to know.

“those moments, they are meant to last all the time and we’re able to place them in a tangible layout wherein literally they are able to ultimate for all time,” Joshpe said.

2. GameDay Sky

if you plan to wait for a Royals game, you could get by way of with the climate apps which might be obtainable. What’s cool approximately this app is that you can select a crew (absolutely multiple teams), and also you’ll see the forecast for whatever city that group is playing a game.

For an upgrade ($1.ninety nine a month), enthusiasts can get an in-game study the radar beginning 4 hours earlier than the start of a game.

3. Principal League Baseball’s At Bat

There really isn’t a better sports app. This app gives pitch-with the aid of-pitch updates on games and in-recreation box scores. That’s unfastened. you could upgrade and get video highlights and radio pronounces from any recreation. Every other improve (to MLB Tv) could permit you to flow out of market games.

4. Fox sports Go

When you have a cable subscription, you’ll be able to circulate the Royals video games to your phone or pill. You’ve got certainly been in a role within the beyond while you wished you can were capable of observing a recreation on your smartphone.

5. MiLB First Pitch

The ads can be a nuisance, however, you may easily preserve song of the Royals’ minor-league affiliates and observe a sport if you pick.

6. MLB Ballpark app

This is largely a big business for Most important League Baseball, but it’s free and there are a few beneficial aspects. There’s an interactive concourse map, which makes it easy to see food and drinks add-onsalternatives. you can additionally improve seats at some stage in a recreation.

7. Authentic Blue

Optimistically you’re studying this to your cellphone right now thru our app. however I might be remiss if I didn’t point out this app from The Star. You get all of our tales and we have the Royals agenda, roster and more. And it’s unfastened.

The Top 7 Photography Apps on your Smartphones and Tablets

Enhance cellular era has allowed us to get the most of our smartphones and Tablets. Other than sending SMS, calling and surfing, smartphones can now be used as digital camera substitutes. A variety of folks who very own Drugs additionally use their gadgets to take photos. Despite the fact that those gadgets can not definitely evaluate with excessive-stop point-and-shoots and SLRs in phrases of photograph high-quality, there are apps that allow customers to give you pictures which are greater than the ordinary.

Right here are seven apps that telephone and tablet customers can use to improve their photographic experience. The apps are divided in line with their feature or main feature.

Modifying and Filtering Apps

The maximum popular image apps are the ones used for Enhancing and/or filtering pics. these apps deliver anybody the hazard to give you a image that he or she can be pleased with.

1. Instagram (Android, iOS)

Probably the most popular image Editing app inside the marketplace, Instagram is desired by using many cell phone and pill users because it is multi-functional. Apart from permitting you to take photographs and filter or add results to them, this app also acts as a social community. you could without problems publish and percentage your pictures to friends and followers. you could connect your Instagram account together with your Facebook and Twitter debts.

Instagram has filters (both custom and widespread ones) which are only to use. The filters allow you to upload special effects in your pics so they will have greater depth. You may discover its “selective consciousness dropper” pretty beneficial, too.

2. Hipstamatic (iOS)

iPhone users shoot rectangular photos the use of the virtual Pictures app Hipstamatic. pix can then be edited to look rustic, as if they had been taken the usage of an antique camera kind. That is viable due to software filters and consequences. The app has 3 styles of flashes, four lenses and 3 kinds of film that you may pick out from. Additional consequences can be purchased if you aren’t contented with the loose ones.

3. Snapseed (iOS and Android)

Released as Snapseed cell for the iPad lower back in 2011, this image app allows users to edit a portion or the whole a part of the photo. It is easy-to-use: there may be an vehicle-correct characteristic which could work wonders to your image’s brightness, contrast, colour, texture and other further critical elements of Photography. There also are filters and effects you can pick out from.

Snapseed permits you to add your images on Google +. But, You’ll shell out some dollars for it as it’s now not at no cost like different image Editing apps.

Replacement or Opportunity digital camera Apps

If you need an Alternative on your cellphone’s general digicam, You will need to find a precise Substitute camera app. Right here are of them.

4. camera + (iOS)

supposed for the iPhone and iPad, camera + is the remaining Substitute camera for iOS customers. It gives a spread of Func IAD accessories so one can flip your photographic revel in right into a fulfillment. Its most thrilling function is the Touch Publicity and awareness, which gives you whole manage over how your photo should come out. have to it be as darkish as night time or as mild as day? You will have the liberty to modify the focus and Exposure one at a time.

Moreover, you may pick extraordinary shooting modes (like burst and point-and-shoot) after which improve your snapshots with just a tap of your finger. Like Snapseed, it does not come free.

5. Pudding camera (Android)

Android’s digicam Alternative phone app is the Pudding digital camera. Providing 9 best digital camera types and eight movies to use, this app allows you to take images with different results. you may take movement pictures using a retro movie or a breathtaking shot with an antique film.

6. PhotoGrid (iOS, Android and Windows telephone eight)

PhotoGrid is an app used mainly for photographs on Instagram. It permits users to create a spread of collages that they can proportion no longer best on Instagram, however also on Fb, Twitter, Tumblr, Picasa, among others.

you can pick out from exclusive modes, university styles and frames or grids. Rearranging photos on a grid is easy: simply shake your phone! different f9ef7d9e905d1a4504697a5c6dd610d7 include stickers, decorative backgrounds and fonts you may use for putting textual content into pictures.

7. 360 Landscape (iOS and Android)

Take Landscape pictures of your favourite sceneries with the 360 Panorama app. What makes this program excellent is the truth that it approaches snapshots in real time! This means You will see your panoramic shot spread as you are taking snapshots. No want to wait for everybody to be processed.

Like a maximum of the picture apps in this list, 360 Panorama lets in sharing to social media networks like Facebook and Twitter. you can additionally e-mail your pics to others.

those are just seven of the Pinnacle Pictures apps for smartphones and Tablets. They will not make your iOS or Android snapshots appearance as incredible as SLR pics, but they will certainly make a Photography fan out of you. Attempt them now and you’ll have a greater interesting photographic enjoy!

Michael Gabriel L. Sumastre is a regular contributor to Contrastly.Com – an internet magazine approximately Photography, technology, visible arts and the myriads of other subjects that fall in between. Founded in 2013, Contrast is a collaboration of numerous expert photographers, Photography enthusiasts, writers and experts from all around the global. The internet site covers a wide range of subjects including comprehensive Images tutorials, panorama Pictures, portrait Images, cameras, lenses, Images tips, and hints, amongst others.

[adelearcherwrites]

I’ll admit straight away that I’ve written about the various social media platforms before (here). I’ve written about everything before. But I wrote about them a month into my blogging career (which is almost exactly 2 years ago – I might write a post about that in early February, I’ll definitely be scratching around for ideas by then…). And I didn’t know jack-sh*t in those days. I mean, I don’t think I quite understood how all the various platforms worked back then. Of course, I knew Facebook like the back of my hand – who doesn’t (actually, there are still a few souls out there who, understandably, avoid it like the plague)? But my aim back then (as a newly self-published author and blogger) was to have a social presence on everything. It’s all in the game. It’s my job to publicise myself on the internet; to spend much of my life on social media (much to my husband’s chagrin). But all the other social media sites were fairly new to me back then – now I can pick and choose. Some platforms I literally couldn’t do without, some I can take or leave, others I won’t touch with a barge pole.

You may be a social media junkie or you may utterly detest that kind of thing. I use it more than most – I have no choice. So, I’m going to briefly discuss the social media platforms with regards to their usefulness to me as an author and a person (because authors are people too). I never say never; if you know something I don’t, I’ll happily eat my words. But I’ve been in ‘the game’ for nearly two years (writing, not prostitution). I won’t bore you with details regarding what each site is for (I’ve put Wikipedia links in each title, I’m so good to you), we’d be here all day…

Won’t Touch with a Barge Pole

Reddit:- There’s only one site on my ‘Won’t Touch’ list. Reddit. It’s elitist, prescriptive, unfriendly, antagonistic, and a thoroughly horrible place to be. I have no clue how many followers I have, or if one even has followers. I can’t remember. I dislike it so intensely, I’ve forgotten my password, so I can’t even look for research purposes. I’ve never had any hassle there, but I know plenty of people who have been ‘told off’ for not posting to Reddit’s strict guidelines. I hate Reddit. I loathe it. Sorry if you don’t, but that’s just the way I feel.

Take it or Leave it

Tumblr:- Now Tumblr means no harm but I just can’t get into it. It’s just another way of having a blog, I think. And if you already have a blog, why do you need Tumblr? So your blog is just duplicated somewhere else. My blog is automatically shared on Tumblr, but I only have about 2-3 followers (can’t remember my password to check). But as with all sites, you only get out what you put in. And I don’t put anything in.

Stumbleupon:- If I’m honest, I don’t even know how to use Stumbleupon. I have 2 followers – which pretty much reflects my lack of effort.

Pinterest:- I try to like Pinterest. I do. It’s definitely grown on me. Whenever I see useful stuff on the internet about writing or exercise, I will endeavour to ‘pin it’. But it doesn’t seem to be terribly helpful to a writer, as such. I have 20 followers – nothing to write home about.

LinkedIn: – Now, you’re probably thinking ‘LinkedIn is for business; people get headhunted or find jobs on there. Adele doesn’t need to be on LinkedIn‘. And you’re probably right. My blog has a setting which will automatically share my posts on other sites the moment they are published (Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter…and LinkedIn is one of them too). I have no dislike for LinkedIn; I keep my profile updated, I chat to a few authors over there. I have 40 ‘connections’ – not too shabby. It’s harmless, it’s innocuous. But as an aside, did anybody in the history of the world ever get a job through LinkedIn? No. Never.

Me on Facebook…

Me on Google Plus…

Me on Twitter…

Me on Instagram…

Literally Cannot Do Without

Twitter:- I’m in a very small minority when it comes to Twitter. As an author and a blogger, I just have to have a Twitter account. Anybody who is anybody has a Twitter Account. As we speak, I have 631 followers – pretty nifty. I check my Twitter account on a daily basis (which can’t be said for the two aforementioned categories). But do I actually like Twitter…? Well… I mean, it’s alright. But it’s a pretty cold and loveless place to be. All my author friends are over there, and some of my real-life friends too. But it doesn’t send a huge amount of traffic to my blog. Maybe that’s because it’s too fast-paced, it certainly is for me. The timeline  moves too quickly, and I never spot any tweets from the people I really interact with. I’ll always have a Twitter presence, but I don’t have to enjoy it.

Facebook:- Now, I like Facebook. I’ve been using it long before I ever deigned to call myself an author. I have two accounts; the real me, and the writer me. Facebook is great for sharing photos, sharing blog posts, and conversing with friends in the ‘messenger’ app. I don’t have a tonne of ‘FB friends’ but it sends the majority of my readers to the blog. Without question. The author me has 129 friends on FB (the real me has marginally more), but that’s because even the author me is a bit more careful who I’d befriend on FB. Still, no writer could do without it. But Facebook has it’s dark side. During the British General Election and Brexit (and to a lesser extent as a British person, the American General Election), Facebook was an unpleasant place to be. Everybody had an opinion, not necessarily the same one. It got ugly over there; people fell out, people deleted one another as friends. During these rough times, I had to retreat to Google Plus and Instagram where there was little to no political agenda or aggression. I like Facebook, I couldn’t do without it. But I know people who hate it; they hate the constant stream of photos of people showing you how wonderful their lives are, and how much better an existence they lead than you. It’s all fake, of course. Most of us only post the good things that are happening to us, not our bleak days (I tend to post photos of fridges [private joke]). Facebook is fine. It certainly has it’s place. But if you use it, take it with a pinch of salt. Or use another platform from time to time.

It was just like this…

  Google Plus:- I’m a big fan of G+. I’m one of a few rare Brits over there (it never really took off in my country). As an author, it has been a lifeline. I’ve met the majority of my author compatriots on G+. To date I have 522 followers – also pretty nifty. It doesn’t quite send the large amounts of readers to my blog that Facebook does, but that’s partially because I’m now friends with my G+ buddies on Facebook too. So they’re more likely to see I’ve published a blog there first. But it’s easier to chat to my author friends on G+. This is where my connections are made and I wouldn’t be without it.

Instagram:- This is a surprise one. I only joined Instagram exactly 40 weeks ago (that’s as precise as I can be). I couldn’t see the point of it. I’m not a hugely talented photographer. What pictures could I possibly share that would be of interest? How could it be helpful to a writer? Well, that’s where I was wrong. I only have 146 followers, but I’m still a relative newbie. Instagram doesn’t send a huge amount of readers my way, but it’s such an affable place to be. There is no political agenda. There doesn’t seem to be that ‘look at how wonderful my life is‘ ethos that Facebook has, either. I’m a fan. And the filters you can use to spruce up your photos are sublime!

Now, not everybody reading this blog is an author or somebody who requires a big internet presence. So a lot of these sites will be of no interest to you. In fact, this entire blog may be of no interest to you. Oh. But to those people all I can say is, if you like using social media at all, there’s more to life than Facebook. I’d recommend G+ and Instagram to anybody. Give it a whirl, you might even see me there. But then, you’re going to see me everywhere. I’m pretty much unavoidable (apart from on Reddit).

PS: I can be found in numerous other places too, I just couldn’t be arsed to put in any more links which virtually nobody will bother clicking on.

  All in the Game I'll admit straight away that I've written about the various social media platforms before (here…

#author #blogging #facebook #googleplus #instagram #marketing #publicity #socialmedia #twitter #writer #writing