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odinspattern · 3 months

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What is Tav and Astrid's speech like? Do they have distinct accents? Or any other notable ways of speaking, like using particular phrases, slang, or terms of endearment?

Bonus question: What do their voices sound like?

So I have been thinking about this a lot, hence why this took me so long. Language in dnd and adjacent media facinates me as someone who has studied linguistics.

One if the best and worst things about it is that one is free to interpit what you want it to be. It can be daunting tbh.

Back when Tav was an Adventure Leauge character I was working on, I envisioned them having an US southern drawl, specifically Texan, because I thought it would be funny to imagine the Drow as having that. Their soceity is often portrayed so over the top and chaotically that what comes to mind is the expression; «Helt Texas.»

(For those who are not Norwegian, a common expression for something being over the top or chaotic, possibly insane is «Completely Texas.» Aka the joke.)

However, I have rethought this stance. Instead I have gone more classic. Dnd elves are often inspires by the elves of Lord of the Rings, and fun fact. Tolkien’s Elvish was inspired by the Karelian language, which is really cool.

Now I do not know Karelian, but I am learning Finnish, which is related. So yeah, I am claiming that the elves of Underdark speech sound Finnish, it developed diffrently in isolation and with both Svirfneblin and Duregar neighbours it took on some changes.

When it comes to expressions, they have this one that for the longest time took everyone completely by surprise, because they took one from their own language and translated it directly, and even Astarion and Shadowheart was like. What are you saying?

«This swings like a hook-horror.»

If they are impressed by you they might also claim that you have sisu.

As for Astrid. The dwarves are Norwegian, because this is my city now, and I do what I want. Also a lot of Dwarven names are Scandinavian in Origin, so I am claiming them. Miss me with those bad Scottish accents y’all are putting on them.

Fun linguistics fact about Norwegian. Did you know it is considered a Macro-language? It just means that it has many standardisations, both written and spoken.

I honestly considered giving her a Fredrikstad accent. Partly because it is considered the uglist Norwegian accent, but I found it very funny to imagine the scourge of the world speaking like she came out of Lange Flate Ballær

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Because many of you do not know what the Fredrikstad dialect sounds like, here is an example.

Another linguistics fact, that thick L sound is very specific to Eastern Norway and there is some Northern Norwegian dialects that have it, which may suggest it came from the East. It showed up in the 1300’s, and has barely moved since. It is also hotly debated as it started moving the last 20 years after standing still for centuries.

I could also have gone all Oslo on y’all, because I am proud of Oslo, it is my shit city, the jewel and the ass of Norway. we have three dialects (four if you include Kebabnorsk, which would also be funny. I am old enough to remember when media actually took note of it, I was in High School at the time when you could watch a program where they spoke it on NrK, I Even remember that they made a Midsummer Nights Dream performance where they spoke Kebabnorsk.)

I decided not yo go there, for several reasons. Fist off, the kebabnorsk that I know is older already, it is like many other languages changing. But mostly because if I did, I would have to decide what other languages would stand for Arabic, Turkish, Balkan languages and Somali just to name a few that has influenced Kebabnorsk irl.

Not to mention that I doubt that Astrid grew up quite that urban. Which also cancelled out Groruddøling. (And no way she would speak the dialect of Oslo Vest.)

Instead, I have chosen the Hallingdal dialect.

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Why?

Again, my city now. Also I am surrounded by it, so it makes sense to me to use it.

She uses the Word krimsjuk, which is specific to where I am located, it means to have a cold. Also pøse, which means bag, and she does love a good vaffel og svall.

#Astrid the drow #Astrid Dawnbringer #linguistics #bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #my ocs #mostly me ranting linguistics #long post

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blorbocedes · 2 years

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Was reading your Nico fics and had some thoughts about pet names the various people he is paired with would have for him.

Jenson- princess, Britney obviously but also I think he'd call him every other pet name under the sun sweetheart, kitten, angel, baby, darling etc

Mark- kitten/Britney that's it ( unrelated side note that is also Mark's pet name for seb just replace Britney with brat)

Seb- Exclusively German pet names but he uses them all he also expands to Italian pet names after joining Ferrari

Michael- Same as Seb but the Italian ones were always there

Toto- One specific German pet name for when he means it but he uses all of the other when he's trying to convince Nico to do something that Nico doesn't want to do

Kimi- Finnish pet names. He sometimes just straight up has full conversations with Nico in Finnish in hopes that he'll pick up Finnish by osmosis

Nico H- Every generic pet name ever most of the time but always uses my as a prefix (ie my angel, my darling)

Charles- French pet names that they both use for each other except for once it's Nico who uses them smoothly and Charles who is giggly

Pierre- unusual pet names in French that have no meaning. Literally just random words that somehow convey the love vibes

Max- Dutch pet names Max uses them because he thinks Nico doesn't know what they mean (he does know)

Lewis- just Nico but he has this insane ability to say it like a prayer, like it's the most intimate thing in the world and also dollface.

This is probably the most random ask you've ever gotten but I hope you don't mind. What are your thoughts about Nico+ pet names?

This is actually catered incredibly to my tastes thank you anon.

jenson, mark - absolutely agree

seb - 😭 I love the implication he learned Italian at Ferrari or was very obnoxious "spent a semester abroad" about it even tho both Nico and Seb do speak Italian, my waltmeisters <3

Michael: AHHHH. sorry Michael x Nico always makes me act up 😳😳😳 german and italian petnames

toto: anon your brain is so sexy.... One (1) German nickname to wheedle him into doing something...... the ones I usually see are liebling and schnatz... German is not terribly romantic like that. Nico would be into it tho

Kimi: 😭😭😭 laughing at the thought Kimi is having full blown conversations in Finnish to Nico who only knows what mouse shit is Finnish 😭💀💀💀 I commend him, keep trying <3 we'll get them......

Nico H: somehow I've never considered nico x nico before? I always think dating someone with your own name is such a nightmare idk how taylor lautner does it.....

Charles: aww giggly baby charles.... they could do Italian too, apparently Nico's Italian sounds practically native (better than charl's 😚) I love my Monaco polyglots

Pierre: :O somehow I have never considered them..... hmm..... I don't see it but it has to be French

Max: you reminded me to get to my maxnico post 😭 but yesssss max using Dutch pet names when he thinks Nico doesn't understand and pretends they're insults if he asks but Nico Knowing huhuhu

Lewis: oh fuck me. this one was like a punch to the face cause you're right you're so right. he doesn't need anything other than Nico and it's not cause the queen's English is his only language

This was fun anon! i enjoyed it a lot, thank you!!! and you're never weirding me out <3

#blorbocedes ask #nico rosberg #petnames #it's what he deserves!!! to be loved

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septembercfawkes · 5 years

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Creating Fictional Languages (Conlangs)

I wish I could say I'm an amazing linguist and could give you my take on creating languages for fiction, but I'm not and I can't.

So seems kind of strange I'm doing this post, right?

Well, recently I spent a good deal of time researching how to actually make a constructed language (the term for a constructed language is "conlang," by the way), so I could create one for a manuscript. It was easier than I was expecting (and yet more complex than I was expecting at the same time), and super fascinating! So I wanted to do a recap/review of my experience for anyone else out there looking to do this from scratch. If I can do it, chances are so can you! (For the record, I don't speak any other languages.)

I used a couple of resources, but I found this guide to be my favorite.

As Always, Start with the Basics

The idea of creating a language can seem really daunting, especially when you look at conlangs like Tolkien's Elvish or Star Trek's Klingon--which are essentially full "complete" languages. But like just about everything, you don't need to start with a huge complicated language, you need to start with the bare basics, and you know what's amazing about the basics? Everything else builds off them!

And as an added bonus, for books, you don't actually need a complete language, you just need to give the impression of one. (However, if you are the type of person who really gets into this, you might have so much fun that you don't stop and that's cool!)

At this point, some of you may be wondering if it's really necessary to even create a language--that depends on the project, the effect you want, and your personal opinion. Because I want to expand my conlang to other projects, I decided to create one--even if I only needed 4 - 6 sentences for my current WIP. 😂🙈

The Very Basics

If you're like me, when you think of creating a language, you think of coming up with words and sentences. But guess what? Those aren't the very basics! Sounds are.

So if you are going to create a language from scratch, it will go in this order:

Sounds --> Syllables --> Words --> Sentences

Roughly. You might have already made up a few words, and that's okay. You can break what you have down to syllables and sounds, and when you identify those, build from there.

Selecting Sounds

Each of the three sources I used (including a linguist briefly), said to start with sound. If you aren't really sure how to do that, I'll get you going in this section.

So, there is this thing called the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), and it includes every sound of every language (even has clicks!). If you've looked up words in the dictionary, you've probably noticed symbols like this:

That's how to pronounce the word using IPA symbols.

You can go to InternationalPhoneticAlphabet.org and click on the symbols to hear the sounds. The chart is also organized based on where in the mouth (and how) a sound is made.

But if you want to give the impression of a real language, you shouldn't just jump in and pick a bunch randomly, because there are natural reasons certain sounds occur together and others don't.

You think I know all the ins-and-outs of those rules? No way! But this video will help guide you.

Some of the common sounds in languages include: p, t, k, s, h, m, n

Some sounds are voiced, some are not (compare how you say the "p" sound with the "b" sound--they are essentially the same, but "b" requires your vocal chords). If a language has the voiced version of an obstruent consonant (ex. "b"), it will also have the voiceless version ("p"), but not necessarily vice versa. Most languages have at least one nasal (such as "m" or "n") and one (what's called) liquid (such as "r," "l," or "w")

Most languages have five vowels, but every language has at least two.

Most languages have 20-30 sounds. But if you want a distinct language with more "character," it might be smart to go with fewer.

Making Syllables

I thought I had a good understanding of what a syllable was. After all, I remember clapping words out like "ap-ple" and "bas-ket-ball" when I was in elementary school. And as a native English speaker, that was good enough for me.

What I didn't know was that in other languages, there are actual rules for syllables!

That's when I realized my understanding of syllables was rather narrow.

But don't worry, it's still not too crazy.

You can handle it.

In general, a syllable is made up of these components: the onset, the nucleus (hey, bet you didn't know we had sciency terms), and the coda.

So in the syllable "bas" (for "basketball"), "b" is the onset, "a" is the nucleus, and "s" is the coda. Bas. Ket. The "k" is the onset, "e" is the nucleus, and "t" is the coda.

Every syllable has a nucleus (almost always a vowel), but not every syllable has an onset or a coda (for example "ap" in "apple" doesn't have an onset, and the "za" in "pizza" doesn't have a coda).

Some languages have rules for codas.

Hawaiian is what's called an "open syllable" language. That means none of their syllables have a coda. They all end on the vowel. Have you noticed? Ho-no-lu-lu. A-lo-ha. O-ha-na.

Other languages have codas, but only certain sounds can be a coda.

Mandarin has set codas. Only "n," "ng," and "r" can be codas. So every Mandarin syllable will end in "n," "ng," "r," or a vowel (nucleus) as an open syllable.

Crazy, right?

One thing I've learned from this process is that the English language is super crazy. For example, we sometimes have syllables with up to five codas! "Angsts."

Along with syllables, you'll want to consider stress. Some languages have very specific rules for stress. For example, in Finnish, stress always falls on the first syllable of a word. In Armenian, it's always the last syllable. Some have systems like "always the second-to-last syllable unless the last syllable is open." Then you have languages like English that is kinda haywire, but the stress can also change the meaning of the word, like in "present": PREsent or preSENT.

I've learned I'm kind of terrible with stress! (Luckily my language will be written more than spoken).

Creating Words

Now you can get to creating words.

First you want to create some simple root words. String together your sounds into syllables, and your syllables into words (make sure you follow any rules you set). Root words are words that can't be divided down further. Often these have simple concepts.

There is more you can go into here, like creating (believable) prefixes and suffixes, compound words, articles, plurals. If you want to make this realistic, you can check out Biblaridion's videos. He explains things like how prepositions often come from either nouns or adjectives.

Structuring Sentences

Once you have a few words, you can start making some simple sentences. First you'll need to decide the basic word order. In English, we structure basic sentences as subject, verb, object.

Here are your options:

Subject, verb, object -- I hug her.

Subject, object, verb -- I her hug.

Object, subject, verb -- Her I hug.

Object, verb, subject -- Her hug I.

Verb, subject, object -- Hug I her.

Verb, object, subject -- Hug her I.

(Note: some languages can actually go in any order, but the words have to be modified)

Then you will be able to start constructing simple sentences with your words.

Beyond that, you have adjectives, which describe nouns.

Adjectives are primarily derived from either nouns or verbs.

Derived from nouns: I hunt tall thing animal.

Derived from verbs: I hunt animal [that] is talling.

English adjectives primarily come from nouns. If your adjectives are primarily from nouns, they will go before the noun. If your adjectives come from verbs, they will go after the noun they are describing.

Similarly, prepositions originate from nouns or verbs. Likewise, if your prepositions come from nouns, they will go before the noun. If they come from verbs, they will go after (and technically be called "postpositions")

Then you have possessors ("the man's food"). Most of the time, languages will order the possessor like an adjective, so it will go where your adjectives go. Either "man's food" or "food of man."

After this basic word order, you will need to consider tenses--if your language has them. Some of them don't.

Language Evolution

All languages evolve and change over time. If you are trying to give the impression of a real language, yours should probably "evolve" as well. I'll be honest, some of this stuff was a little over my head, but I think if I were to go over it several times, I'd get it.

Why didn't I simulate this?

Well, luckily, my fake language is meant to be very ancient, so it wouldn't have evolved much, so I didn't stress about this part.

Here is a video on how to evolve your language phonetically.

And here is a video on how to evolve your language grammatically.

Once you have established (and written down!) all your language's sounds, structures, and grammar, you are set to create whatever sentences you need as you need them. You can "grow" your language from there, and it will stay consistent, giving the impression of a real language. Just don't forget to record all your made-up words in a dictionary. And when making new words, check to see if you can make them out of words you've already made up.

How cool is all that?

One more thing, your language may need a writing system. With that said, not all languages have had writing systems. This video will guide you through different types of writing systems, how they develop, and how they evolve. It's just as fascinating.

If you do need a language, I highly suggest Biblaridion's playlist, which will guide you through the whole process.

Until next time . . .

Vol shēla hla

(P.S. If anyone who knows more about languages than me would like to chime in, feel free to comment!)

#Writing tips #writing tips and tricks #writing references #writing fantasy #conlang #writeblr #fantasy #constructed language

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flamingo-writes · 5 years

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Coffee Date — Portgas D Ace x Reader

Summary: Modern!AU Ace. Ace spontaneously asks his crush to hang out with him and his brothers one morning at the usual coffee place the both of them frequented. how did he find the courage to do it? He wasn’t sure. But he was happy he did, as he got to better know his crush and spend time with her.

A/N: I think I’m getting over this slump. I wrote 1.2 words of this in one go, and that’s good. Although, I gotta admit I feel a bit rusty, but practicing should make that feeling go away. Also, these last weeks I’ve been craving lots of Ace content. So, kinda plotless fic, also, this might become a multichapter fic, I’ve been thinking a lot of things I could keep dding to this, but I’m not going to pressure myself to write it, it’ll be like a casual-writing-plotless-fic for when I’m feeling the Ace cravings.

Word Count: 1.8 K

Warnings: none

Shout out to twitter user @kkskzz becuse their art is amazing, their ASL fanart always makes me cry and specially their modern!AU ASL. Their art is one of the things that inspired this fic, go check them out.

Ace was never one to enjoy mornings. He was the less morning person in the small apartment he shared with both of his brothers. However, over time, he’d learned to enjoy waking up early. However, it wasn’t because he really enjoyed waking up in the morning. It was because a few streets away a new coffee place had opened.

Before work, he’d go for a huge dose of coffee, almost every day. Eventually, he growing familiar with the usual morning customers in the coffee shop. Among them, he always saw a girl in a small table at the corner. At first he didn’t pay much attention to her, as far as he knew, she was always studying, either reading, taking notes or typing on her laptop at an incredible fast speed.

It wasn’t until one day, both of them arrived at the same time and spent five minutes waiting in line. Five minutes which Ace wished lasted more. At first they simply exchanged a head nod, acknowledging each other’s presence, since both of them recognized each other. After Ace asked her how she was doing, a small “how’s all that studying going?” was enough to start a small conversation.

Those five minutes in line felt longer, but not long enough for Ace’s taste, he wished he had more time to talk to her.

After that day, whenever they exchanged glances at the coffee shop, they’d wave at each other. Sometimes, she didn’t even notice him, as Ace simply gazed at her, sighing, like a little kid with a crush.

“Ace! Wake up!” Sabo cheered opening his brother’s bedroom door, to find a half naked Ace tangled in the bed sheets. “Wanna go grab some coffee?”

Sabo, who only had the weekends to hang out with his brothers knew about Ace’s crush on [Name], The Coffee Girl. Motivating Ace to get out of bed early was a good way to get to spend more time with him.

The word coffee worked magic on Ace, as he quickly rolled out of bed into the floor and before Sabo could even realize what had happened, Ace had already ran towards the bathroom and turned on the shower.

Giggling, Sabo knocked on Luffy’s door, hearing videogame music on the other side.

“In!” Luffy shouted, as Sabo opened the third door in the hall and walked inside his little brother’s room, sitting on his bed. “Wassup, Sabo?”

“Ace and I are gonna get coffee, wanna join?”

“Sure, let me finish this bastard first!” Luffy said, biting the tip of his tongue, focused, determined to finnish off the boss he was fighting in his video game.

Sabo stayed in Luffy’ room, entertained and fascinated by Luffy’s abilities, pressing all buttons and none at once, and kicking ass on the screen. Losing track of time for a while, neither Sabo nor Luffy heard Ace leave the bathroom and running into his room.

“Let’s get coffee!” Ace sang kicking off his bedroom door.

Luffy cursed in a low voice as he proceeded to collect all the loot around him before pausing his game and saving. Sabo chuckled, amused by how clean and well dressed Ace looked. Ace the guy who mostly wore shorts, boots and ironic t-shirts, looked well groomed with some dark jeans and a long sleeved v-neck shirt.

“I drive!” Ace sang taking his car keys and leaping into his car.

Once at the coffee shop, while Luffy and Sabo stopped and looked at the menu hanging from the wall above a wooden bar, Ace’s eyes scanned the coffee place. The barista greeted Ace with a warm smile, as Ace located his crush waiting at the end of the bar.

“Same as always, Ace?” The short girl said cheerfully.

“Please” He said handing her his money, already knowing the price of his usual order.

He went to the end of the bar, trying to act all casual. The girl on the other end was resting her elbow on the bar, and her chin on her palm, her eyes slightly closed.

“Sleepy?”

“Yup” The girl said opening her eyes, recognising Ace’s voice and smiling shyly at him. “Had a test very early today”

“Oh, gee. How did that go? Are you going to ace it?” The girl giggled softly, making Ace heart beat faster, glad that she’d laughed at his terrible joke.

“That was clever” She sighed “I hope so, really. It was a bit hard. I didn’t study that much, Instead I went to bed really late working on a project”

“You’re gonna do just fine” Ace answered.

“Thank you, you’re too kind”

At that, another barista handed [Name] her drink. Ace knew his time with her was going to end soon, and instead, his spoke, his words tripping out of his mouth before he could even realize it.

“I came with my brothers to have breakfast. Would you like to join us?” Once he realized how his invitation came out without a previous warning, he tried covering it up. “Or, if you’re busy, we can...hang out...some other time” He smiled, trying his best to not look nervous at all.

“I’m actually heading home and have some sleep. But, I’d actually like that, I’ve got nothing to do for today, so hanging out sounds like a perfect idea”

“You sure? You can go sleep if you want…”

“No, it’s alright” You interrupted him softly, “I could use some socializing to help me remember how it’s like” You giggled taking a sip of your coffee.

“Oh, bad decision to have me and my brothers to socialize with” Ace chuckled awkwardly.

“How come?” You giggled back at him noticing the few trails of awkwardness in his demeanor.

“We’re not precisely normal…” Ace added.

“Don't worry, none of my friends are either” Trying to comfort him, you winked at him, making his smile grow wider across his face.

“No. I mean chaotic. We’re all very chaotic. Probably Sabo, is the most...behaved.”

As Ace spoke, his brother walked next to him.

“What are you saying about me?” Sabo said reaching the both of you as Luffy stayed behind deciding on what to get.

“That you’re the most civilized of us” Ace answered as Sabo blinked a couple of times before giggling and nodding.

“Oh, that is true” Sabo said patting Ace on the shoulder

“[Name], he’s Sabo, my brother” Sabo stretched his hand towards you as you oftly shook his hand, Sab squeezing your hand gently before letting go “And that little noodle monkey over there is Luffy” Luffy eard his name and hopped towards the end of the bar where everyone else was waiting for their order.

“Loof, she’s [Name], Ace’s friend” Sabo said as Luffy poked his head and looked at you briefly before shooting you a big radiant smile, almost feeling the joy radiating from the boy.

“Yo!” He said cheerfully.

“So, now that you know my brothers, are you still interested in hanging out with us?” Ace said looking back at you as you smiled back at him and gazed at his brothers.

“You guys look like fun, I’d actually like that”

As shy as you considered yourself to be, you weren't precisely socially awkward. However, you sometimes felt particularly shy around new people because you were worried about what would they think of you. Growing up you were always the weirdo.

But something in their friendly chaotic energy made you feel comfortable among those three. Each of them weird in their own unique way. And collectively all three were huge dorks.

Ace, sitting next to you, was constantly touching you in very subtle ways. Hitting you softly with his elbow, containing his laugh while Sabo told a funny story. Patting your hair or touching your shoulder while explaining something about his brothers.

You could see, hear and smell the subtle flirting. And it all made your heart skip every other beat. His expressive eyes adjusting to whatever tale he was telling or hearing, his wide smile taking over his face, it only added to the uncomfortable butterflies flying around your stomach.

What probably made you blush the most throughout your morning was a big chocolate cake slice he bought to share with you. However, it ended up becoming a community slice since eventually Sabo and Luffy started digging in as well. Ace still apologized for his brothers' actions.

"Friendly reminder, Ace, we have to go to the supermarket and get supplies"

"Ah, you're right…" Sabo sighed deeply. "Alright. Supermarket it is"

"I better get going, then" you said. "You guys have things to do, I have to get home and sleep" you smiled at the boys before you and stood up from your seat. "It was very nice meeting you all. I had fun hanging out with you, we should do this again" you grabbed your car keys from your bag and kept them in your grip.

"Bye, [Name]!" Luffy said cheerfully.

"Nice to meet you too" Sabo added politely. "Have a good rest"

"I'll walk you to your car" Ace said standing up.

"Thanks" exchanging glances with him, you felt yourself slightly blush.

Walking away, you lowered your head so ace wouldn't see you blushing as the birth of you walked into the small parking lot. Once you reached your car, you sound on your toes and looked up at Ace.

"Thank you"

"For what, angel?" Ace said raising one of his eyebrows at you.

"Inviting me to hang put with you and your brothers. I had fun"

"I'm glad you did, sweets. We should definitely do this again someday huh?"

"We should" you smiled softly, as Ace looked for.his phone in his back pocket, unlocked it and handed it to you.

"Here, type your number, so we can plan beforehand next time we hang out" Ace grinned upon noticing the gentle shade of pink coloring your cheeks.

"Sure" you said taking his phone and doing as he told you. After you handed him back his cellphone, he quickly sent you a text, a wink emoji.

"There, now you have my number too"

"Thank you, Ace"

"No, thank you"

You turned around, ready to get inside your car when Ace opened the car door for you. You exchanged another quick shy glance before getting in. Ace closing the door and waving at you as you started your car.

He waited for you to drive off before he returned back inside the coffee shop, where Sabo and Luffy were waiting for him.

"So, when are you seeing her again?" Sabo asked with a cheeky grin on his face.

"Don't know yet but I'll text her later today or tomorrow morning"

"Sounds good. C'mon we've got groceries to buy"

"A'ight"

Ace said pretty contempt with how his planes worked out. Feeling daring at the beginning, and even foolish, thinking things wouldn't go as smoothly as they did. And right now, he was pretty happy he did. He got to spend time with you, get to know you a little bit better, only to confirm his crush on you.

Ace followed Luffy and Sabo out of the coffee place, walking towards his car, recalling all the events from that morning, wondering when would he see you again.

#my mum almost gives me an anxiety attack while editing this #she is unbelievable #anyways I'm glad I'm finally posting something #i was going to start writing something else but now I have to clean the mess my mum left in my room over a whim #Portgas D. Ace #portgas d ace #portgas d ace x reader #fire fist ace #one piece #One Piece Fanfiction #one piece imagine #one piece imagines #one piece x reader #one piece ace

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lukatheselkie · 4 years

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June 17: Letters

This is based in a Royal, Cinderella-like AU of a fanfic I’m writing but haven’t completed to post yet lol. Basically all the women in the land were invited to a masquerade for Prince Kiku to find a wife. Plagued by poverty, Mathias, Berwald, Lukas, and Emil all agree Tino is the most feminine in appearance of them, and send him to the masquerade dressed as a woman. He and Kiku fall in love immediately, and revealing he’s not a woman only makes Kiku happier, as he didn’t want a wife. A jealous party-goer overhears and rats on him, causing him to get thrown into the palace dungeons. There, our story starts, months into his imprisonment.

My dearest, most beloved Tino,

I am working night and day to get you out of there. You may have claimed my heart, but what you did to claim it was illegal. There is only so much of that I can fix without going into dangerous territories myself. If I weren’t prince I would break you out on my own, but as of now that will not set a good example for my citizens. They always come first, no matter how much I want my love back. And, believe me, I want you back in my arms. So very much. I dream of dancing with you again. Literally and figuratively. I promise I will get you out of there. No matter how much I have to sacrifice. I love you so very much. My bed awaits you. I await you.

Love always, Kiku.

Tino sighs heavily after reading the letter. As always, he wants to write one back. But receiving them is already suspicious enough. Thankfully, the guards don’t know they’re coming from the prince. But they do know they’re sealed with the royal crest, which is why none have dared open them yet. Yet, because he knows they’re super curious, and it wouldn’t take much to get them to tear into his letters. He crawls under his bed, and tugs up a loose floor tile. He brings the letter up to his lips, closes his eyes, and kisses the paper lovingly. “I won’t let you do all the work,” he mumbles. He opens his eyes slowly, and places the letter under the tile, with all the rest of them. He removes the one previously on top, and stares at his own handwriting in the gloom. He’s been writing on it every time he receives a letter from Kiku. Only a sentence at a time, but he’s gotten so many the entire page is nearly full. He’ll never let his prince see it, of course. It’s entirely too cheesy, and not at all put together well. It’s mostly flirtatious lines, but there are some of how much he misses the prince. He takes a deep breath, and adds I await the day I can be in your bed with you as well.

He hears steps coming down the hall, and shoves the letter and tile back into place. He withdraws from under the bed, and hops onto the dusty covers of it. He coughs softly, swatting his hand in front of his face to clear the air a bit. A guard shoves a tray of food into his cell. “Who’s sending you letters from the palace?” Tino’s head snaps up, and he snarls at the guard. The man laughs softly, then lowers his voice. “Relax. Prince Kiku sent me. He can’t stand not hearing from you any longer. He wants you to write a letter. I’ve got the supplies. No other guard will be down this way. They were ordered to leave you be until you finish your meal. I was instructed to stay until that happens. Of course this was a placement from the Prince, but they don’t know that. So take as much time as you need. Here.” He hands him a cloth bag, smiling slightly. “I hope you don’t mind using the same type of parchment he does.”

“Of course not. I’m actually really happy I get to use it!” He laughs, opening the bag excitedly, food forgotten. “I miss him a lot.” He frowns deeply. “We probably sound crazy. We knew each other for a few hours before deciding to get married. Then, they discovered I was in disguise.” The guard shakes his head.

“You’re not crazy. You’re in love. Love at first sight is a very real thing. I found my own at a similar party. It wasn’t a masquerade though, so our meeting wasn’t as mysterious. But it was just as perfect.” He smiles at the Finnish man. “And, in your defense, the masquerade was so he could find someone to marry. He was supposed to find a woman, which is why you wound up down here.”

“I know.” He sighs softly, closing his eyes. “They wouldn’t have let me in if I weren’t dressed as a woman though! I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with Kiku. And I definitely wasn’t expecting him to fall in love with me back.” He shakes his head. “He didn’t want a wife. He was so happy when I told him I wasn’t a woman. Why did no one listen to him?”

“He’s our prince. It’s tradition he marry a woman. But he’s threatened to run away and live with you as a peasant if he has to, the moment you are released. He’s brought it up to next week.” He brings a hand up to his mouth. “I’ve said too much. Write your letter and eat. I will give it to His Highness as soon as I can. And if there is anything you wish for me to tell him without putting it in writing, lest it get taken from me, I will relay that information to him as well. We are very close.” Tino opens his eyes slowly, and looks up at him. He nods solemnly, and gets to work writing.

My beautiful, kind love,

I am so very thankful you have been sending me letter after letter. They have helped keep me company in this lonely place. I can almost hear your voice in my head as I read every perfect word. You have an elegant way with everything you do, especially writing. I only wish I had a sliver of that talent. All I can do is write how very much I love and miss you. Perhaps I could send you some tales of my time here? But my love first. I adore you. I have since the first moment I saw you. I wasn’t looking for love at that moment, but I could no longer deny it when I saw your eyes. They may be what most would consider a boring colour, but brown eyes show the most emotion. Even with your expression set firmly, I could see the curiosity dancing in that brown. Such a wonderfully infectious curiosity. And the trust. I have learned you do not trust easily, but there was so much of it on the night we met. You will never know how much that means to me, but I will try my hardest to show you, once I am out of here.

Speaking of here, it’s been… interesting. The guards gossip a lot. The halls echo, but the cells do not. The guards cannot say anything we all do not learn. But there is other knowledge here. Knowledge the guards do not know of. It is incredibly easy to spread information within the cells. The further back you go, the less likely you are to be overheard. Everyone here is bonded. From what I can gather, they have all done trivial things. Any serious criminals seem to go deeper, or get sentenced to death. I have made a friend I wish to speak with you about releasing, once things have settled between us. I do hope we can settle things. We are still supposed to marry, aren’t we? I know I am no woman, but I will love you with everything I have. I already do, so even if we cannot marry I will love no other. I shall wait for you.

Eagerly awaiting your company,

Your dearest beloved.

“Please inform him I kept it vague so he would not be tried if it falls into the wrong hands. No one can trace who it is to for certain, and it will be difficult to trace it back to me as the sender, but not impossible. I have someone in mind if I am asked who it is to.” He folds the parchment carefully, and hands it to the man.

“I am sure he will be thankful for that. Eat now, so I can return with an empty tray. But please, try to hurry. We have already taken enough time to become suspicious.” He nods, and hurries to eat the food offered to him. It tastes better than normal. He doesn’t ask what was done to it; he’s too hungry. Decent food is leagues better than the horrible slop he’s been given up until now. “This will be your best meal until the prince can get you out of here. He was able to distract the guards with his orders long enough for me to be able to slip some spices onto your food. He loves you very much, and thought this was the least he could do for being the reason you are here in the first place.”

“Thank him for that. Please. This is gourmet compared to what I’ve been given. When I am out, I plan to take over cooking for them. I know what each one is allergic to, what they love, and what they hate. I know which cells they are in as well, so it will be easy to have it delivered to the proper place, if I cannot do it myself.” He bows his head shyly. “If Kiku will allow it.”

“I am sure he would be more than happy to allow that. You have taken your time to get to know them, despite being put in here wrongly.” Tino shakes his head quickly.

“I am not in here wrongly. I believe this was the reason I was caught. I was meant to improve their lives.” He tucks a strand of hair behind his ear, smiling sheepishly. “We are an unofficial family now. And I won’t stop fighting for them.” He nods confidently, then holds out the empty tray that previously held his food. “Here. Hurry. Thank you for all you have done.” He watches the man leave without a word, and falls back onto his bed, letting his eyes fall closed. Maybe he’ll get out, one day.

A week later, the door to his cell opens, and a hooded figure makes their way inside quickly. Tino tenses up, fear coursing through his body. Who on Earth could it be? “Beloved?” The anxiety leaves him in a rush. He throws himself into the man’s arms, pushing the hood away from those beautiful black locks.

“Kiku,” he breathes out, before kissing him passionately. He’s never felt more free.

@aphrarepairweek2020 I had SO MUCH FUN with this one!

#aphrarepairweek2020 #finpan #day 4

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serendistudy · 5 years

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I graduated high school a few days ago! And it made me think of the past 3 years of my life and all the things I learned. I grew up a lot in those years. The 16-year-old me who entered this school and the current me who just graduated are two completely different people. So here’s five things I learned in high school that I wish I had always remembered throughout my journey there.

(note: i went to a Finnish “high school” and the system is very different from the American one for example, so these are just general things and might not exactly apply to all high school experiences depending on where you live)

take courses that you’re interested in, even if they won’t necessarily benefit you

I tend to be a bit lazy sometimes and let’s be honest, I cut corners A LOT during my time in high school (In Finnish high school you have to get 75 courses to be able to graduate and I barely made those 75, whereas some of my friends had 100+ courses). Don’t make it too hard for yourself but also don’t be afraid to take interesting courses from good teachers and learn things that interest you. Take optional art classes even though you don’t plan on ever making art into a career. Take that one history class that handles your favourite eras. It’s enough reason to take a course just because it interests you, you don’t need to have multiple reasons for taking extra courses. And if you’re only taking the course for fun, you don’t need to stress too much about the course grade! I wish i hadn’t dropped some courses because I felt like I don’t “need” them, even though I was interested in the subject. Knowledge is never pointless.

always put your health before your grades

And that includes both mental and physical health! Learn to recognize your limits and when you need a rest. If getting a couple of grades you’re not completely satisfied with is the price you have to pay to get your personal health together, then that’s what you have to do.

Please, do your body and mind a favor, and never cut studying time from your sleeping time. NEVER pull all-nighters. I know it sometimes seems like the only option but it’s in no way the healthy option. Learn what you have to do to be able to avoid situations where you’d have to stay up all night to study. Plan your schedules ahead in a way that you have time to cover everything without pulling all-nighters. I know it might seem hard, but I graduated high school with really good grades without ever cutting from my sleep. It’s 100% possible, you just have to plan everything in a way that leaves you at least 7-8 hours of sleeping time every night. Because I swear, if you sleep less than that most of your nights, it will affect your studies and not in a good way.

I know how tough school can get, especially if you’re already suffering with mental issues. When it all gets too overwhelming, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. You can talk with your friends about it but there’s also counselling that you can utilize. There are people who you can talk to, who can help you with your school stress and all other problems. I wish I had realized that sooner.

don’t be afraid to be yourself

I know this one sounds cheesy but it’s very true. I promise, the right people will come your way without you having to pretend to be someone you’re not. You can find a ton of great friends in high school, you can find Your People, if you just gather up the courage and talk to the people who seem interesting to you. Dare to be yourself, and the right people will come your way.

engage in school activities and projects

I went to a music oriented high school and I can be certain that the things I will always remember about my time there are all the projects and performances that I was a part of. I guess in retrospect I see them all as nothing but amazing experiences despite of how hard and exhausting they might have felt at the time. I will never forget the musical I was in, as equally tiring and rewarding as it was.

And you don’t have to be a part of every single thing, but even a few great experiences through projects like that can be incredibly gratifying. I highly encourage any current high school students to consider if your school has something you could participate!

uncertainty is normal

During my time in high school i met a bunch of people who seemed like they had it all figured out, their future studies and goals absolutely certain. I talked with people who knew from the spot that they aspired to get to med school or law school, or they just seemed like they really knew what they were doing. It made me feel like that was the norm, like knowing exactly where you want to see yourself in 5 years was expected from every 16-year-old high school student.

The thing I learned though was that that is not the case. It’s very rare to know your calling from such a young age, and in psychology i actually learned that it’s very unusual for a young brain to be able to know it yet. Plans change, nothing is truly certain. And the only thing you truly have to get used to in high school is that nothing is really worth getting used to yet. If you know your path and your future major from the beginning of high school, that’s awesome, but it’s perfectly normal not to know yet.

Taking a gap year to figure it out is okay, as is trying out a major and then later changing it. There’s really no one way to do the whole transition from high school to forward studies and life.

“These are the times we will hold, when our memories fade.”

#studyblr #study tips #motivation #studyspo #adelinestudiess #emmastudies #lookrylie #heypooh #itshannyb #lookecho #heypat #dutchlabstudent #emstudies #mine #studying tips #high school

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eternalstateofoctober · 4 years

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It’s a bit complicated!! I mean technically I’m still in highschool, I’m getting some of the subjects I failed on my last year all done again so I can pass it and all be good! It’s a bit strange but I’ll go to University next year (if everything works out) WOop!!!! Thank you so much!! Also that’s amazing! You kinda are your teachers fave ARENT U??????? Honestly same English teachers love me lmao sjsjsj 💁‍♀️✨

well good luck then! 💕

but no, not a teacher’s fave (tho actually, the finnish & literature, english and psychology teachers did love me in hs too so hhhhhh) we do everything in our productions ourselves! the school is just there to offer all the equipment we’ll need and is there for consultation and support if we need it with anything. (we’ve had our ‘’basic’’ education last year on everything so now how we learn is just by doing. this is a university of applied sciences after all. ofc we then have other kinds of courses on the field of film, the media branch etc.) i kinda wanna give a too-brief introduction into how stuff works in film school, so idk, i’ll maybe put this under a read more because it will still be annoyingly long? maybe someone’s interested? 😅

How our official short film productions work is, around March we have a small scale pitch event when our class gathers around with our main teachers (cinematography, screenwriting, sound design, editing etc. teachers). On that day, the students interested in screenwriting present and pitch their scripts (our shorts are in general around 3-15 min, most around 10 min) with their producer’s production plans and director’s directing plans to the class and the teachers. (The pre-production stage has already begun long before this point, now we only need the green light!)

Then after, depending on how many pitches there were, how complicated the filming would be, all kinds of things considered, we all vote for two or sometimes three films that we wanna make in the becoming months. Then in the end of the day the teachers greenlight them from the school’s end and grant us our budgets. (We can also clown around outside these more official shorts if we just have the time and passion, but they follow the same steps only without the bigger pitch event since those are scheduled.)

Then after we know which shorts are going into further production, we split into the departments we’re all most interested in. Those who aspire to be cinematographers will gather their camera assistants, the gaffers look for light assistants etc. etc. Who’s going to be the boom operator? Who will edit the final material? Who wants to be the assistant director ETC.ETC. ETC. There is so much ok, all of this is far too brief. And we form our crews. Naturally, we also work closely with students from all grades (and other art students around as well, anyone who’s interested!) and we all take part in all of each other’s productions around the year. We look for catering sponsors, other local businesses interested in collaborating with mostly costumes, set, props, hair and makeup, sfx… (For example, we’ve had a local lunch café offer us a discount lunch when we were filming around the corner and now for the other short going on we have a local vintage car shop’s(?) car we can use.)

There aren’t an awful lot of us that wanna specialize in any of the branches of the art department, but I know for a fact that’s what I wanna do in the future. Set decorator/production buyer/set dresser/property manager. We’re always wanted especially here in school since we’re not necessarily found in multitudes lol.

When we roughly have our crews for all the shorts we’re going to film, we just…. Start planning everything. Start working, start doing. For several months until the filming takes place. It’s meetings, a lot of planning by everyone hod (head of department), sponsorships, contracts, creating your vision, casting, fittings, storyboards, location scouting, shopping, collaboration and focusing intensely on your own thing. Everything that any real film production would have. Only on a smaller scale. We don’t joke around here!

And then it’s time for filming. A good few 11/12/13 hour days have been spent on set, but also fun lil mini unit days. 😅💕 And then it’s post-production where it’s time for the editors, sound mixers/editors, composers, foley artists ETC. to work their magic. And that’s how we make a baby!

#i'm not NEARLY big or interesting enough to have posts like this #but i have a problem with rambling so #it talks #also i feel like all this is pretty obvious?#my point was only that we do everything ourselves all through the production and the school is just there for moral support #imsusx

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catsbest-uk · 5 years

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7 tips which you absolutely must bear in mind before acquiring a cat

You can purchase practically anything on the basis of a spontaneous decision. But not a companion animal!

So you’ve been wishing you had a cat for some time, and are seriously thinking of getting one? And you’re finally contemplating actually taking steps in this direction? Then you really need to be aware, first of all, that when you acquire a cat, a cat is for life (almost) and not just for Christmas! – After all, cats can live to an age of more than twenty years.

Apart from this, you would like to do your very best to meet the natural needs of your domestic tiger – so what do their basic needs really amount to?

What does your future cat really need, in order to be happy with you in every way?

Tips for further cat related topics are listed below:

The cat’s nature

Do you want a male cat of independent spirit? Or a cuddly female lap-cat?

Either male or female cats may be totally cuddly, as a matter of intrinsic character, or else free-spirited and independent.

And there’s no way of finding out in advance. It’s more likely to be the costs which decides on the gender of your future cat, – spaying a female on average costs less than the castration of a tom.

In either case, it absolutely must be done, as you don’t want to see unlimited feline propagation.

Unless of course you are intending to breed cats. But in view of the many stray cats who are already urgently in need of a loving home, you should really have a good think about this!

Deciding for a rescue cat

Getting a cat from the shelter

There are hundreds of cats of all ages desperately looking for a permanent home:

Stray cats, that have been picked-up, countless progeny, cats abandoned during a separation or after their households have broken up – all these are to be found in your local shelter, and they may include pedigree cats as well! You are really doing a good deed if you make this your first choice, to find your ideal new companion animal.

It must be said, though, that you need a whole lot of empathy and patience for a cat from an animal rescue home, as it may well have suffered a trauma in its former life, and it may take a while before it can learn to trust humans again.

Tip 1: if you are considering getting a cat from the shelter, it’s useful to visit it several times first, and also to observe it at different times of day. This way you can find out a bit more about its character and preferences, which in turn might help you to better adjust to it.

Do you want a mature cat or a kitten?

A grown-up cat will be less work from the start, as it is already to some extent ‘up and running’, it can do stuff and knows how to do it. Kittens, on the other hand, become independent at an early stage, and pick up a lot from their mothers, but just like human babies they still need to learn everything from scratch – including how to use the litter tray.

Moreover, kittens are naturally more sensitive and more prone to disease. And when they reach a certain age, they need to be spayed or castrated – when the cat is fully grown-up, the previous owner will already have dealt with this.

Tip 2: the younger the cat, the higher the ‘starting capital’ – and you will need all the more time for getting the cat used to your home, and having it learn the basic rules of hygiene.

When can you separate a baby cat from its mother?

A Finnish study of more than 5700 cats of a wide range of breeds came to the following conclusion: baby cats who had been taken from their mothers before the eighth week of life were definitely more aggressive, in relation to new members of the household, than animals which had been left with their mothers for 12-13 weeks.

Animals that had only been weaned after 14-15 weeks proved to be more tractable, had better appetites and also were free from undesirable symptoms like compulsive licking and grooming.

In short, those cats showed very much the best development who had been allowed to live with their mothers till they were quite old, or had not been separated from the mother at all.

– It almost sounds as if there might be parallels here with human development, don’t you think?

Checklist before you acquire a cat

Do you have enough time to look after a pet? Or are you always away from home? A cat needs a lot of time and affection, especially when it lives exclusively indoors. The great majority of cats dislike changes, and prefer rituals and regularity. Have you got enough space? A cat needs its own space – and ideally, a large outdoor area to explore as well.

Tip 3: if you’re living in rented accommodation, you absolutely must check with your landlord to see if he is all right with you getting a cat. In some cases, if you are in an apartment block, you may have to get the approval of other residents.

The cost factor – can you afford the cat food, cat litter, accessories and visits to the vet? Above all the last can run up a considerable bill, especially if the cat suffers from a chronic condition. Does the cat’s character suit you? Observe the cat, if possible, at different times of day, before you decide. If you like a bit of peace, a wild exuberant animal may not be the best choice for you. There are cats and cats – their natures vary just as much as is the case with people! Timid and extremely withdrawn behaviour is sadly quite common in rescue cats, but with growing trust and confidence this can actually flip over into the opposite: especially cats who have been through a lot in the past may become exceptionally attached. If you can’t manage to find your ‘dream cat’ at the shelter, then only buy one from a properly serious and certified breeder – or else give a new home to a stray cat – he’ll be really grateful!

Tip 4: try to get as much information as possible about the earlier life of the cat you are interested in. This puts you in the best position to judge whether you and the cat are really and truly going to hit it off.

How do you recognise a good cat breeder?

A good breeder keeps the animals in his apartment or home, and they have contact with the family. Cats should only reproduce once a year. By careful questioning you can find out if the breeder observes this rule. Of course the breeder must know everything about the breed and the needs of his cats, and give you comprehensive information voluntarily. Membership in a cat breeder association is an indication, but unfortunately never a hundred percent guarantee of a breeder’s seriousness. You would do well to steer clear of kittens that are (supposedly) going at a specially low price! Ideally, when buying a pedigree cat you should be issued with its family tree document, and ensure that the register of owners will be updated following the purchase. In the case of long haired cats, the cats should already be used to the grooming routine. Sad to say, those who sell cats include some ‘black sheep’ who pretend to be breeders, but just allow animals to multiply irresponsibly. So you should be extremely careful about choosing a breeder to go to!

Should cats be kept alone or not?

Cats start to become socialised from the fourth week of their lives. In most cases this involves their siblings (‘single children’ are a rarity in cat families). During this period they find out everything about pussy cat interaction, and this way they are brought up not just by their mother but by their siblings.

If a cat grows up under these circumstances and in a species-appropriate way, it will be a “solitary hunter” all its life; but only in exceptional cases does it become a “solitary animal”, because cats are very gregarious by nature.

Cats love cats

This being the case, if you want to keep a cat indoors, you would do best to offer two cats a home together – because it has to be admitted that a human being can never replace another cat completely. Whatever lengths you go through, you can never satisfy the need for closeness and entertainment in quite the same way as a member of the same species. But of course this is OK – you are a human- being after all, and don’t have to mutate into a cat just to make your puss cat happy!

When several cats are kept in your apartment together, they will provide mutual fun and games. And the unpleasant concomitant phenomena that can result from isolation – like lack of hygiene, and other forms of inappropriate behaviour – will not occur at all.

It’s a different matter with cats who are allowed to go outdoors. Outdoor cats have enough adventures in the wild, and are also going to come across other furry friends.

What kind of cats go well together?

Siblings are ideal, in the nature of things – here the likelihood is highest of an affectionate feline friendship developing.

It also works very well you can join an older cat and a very much younger one together. At least at the beginning, the older one will turn a blind eye on the little one’s antics.

The benefits of keeping two cats

Two cats reduce the stress that a bored cat gives you when it scratches the furniture, or gears up to other kinds of mischief. Vet’s bills will be reduced with additional cats as well, since cats living together are much less prone to illness.

However, you will have to fill two bowls, and the litter trays (ideally, two for each cat) also need to be cleaned regularly.

If you use a top-quality plant-based cat litter like Cat’s Best, though, the work is manageable. Pure plant-based cat litter makes use of technologically refined active wood fibres, which absorb moisture and odours immediately and lock them away. This is why you can leave Cat’s Best for as long as seven weeks in the litter tray before you have to change it completely. This results in natural cleanliness all round, and makes going to the toilet something like a pleasant walk in the woods for your cats.

Things you need to get for your cat

To keep the new member of your household happy on the physical and emotional level, you must provide the right sort of equipment.

Cat litter and a litter tray are of course indispensable. For each cat you should reckon with two litter trays – these should be placed in easily accessible, but quiet places. When it comes to feeding, you would do well to have several sets of feeding and drinking bowls made of metal, glass, enamel or porcelain. Food should always be provided for the cat in a clean vessel. By the way, cats often like drinking out of watering cans, indoor fountains and even directly out of the tap! Please give your cat top-quality and species-adequate cat food, with as balanced a diet as possible. Dry food on its own is not a good idea. If possible, several small portions spread out over the course of the day is the best way of feeding the cat. Tip 5: if you want your cat to stay fit and healthy, be very conscious of hygiene. Remove soiling from the litter tray every day, and change the litter completely on a regular basis. Ensure that food and water bowls are always kept clean.

For indoor cats, you will need a cat tree with scratching posts. There is an almost unlimited choice available on the market. The range extends from stylish, expensive designer furnishings to homemade creations made of natural wood. The important thing is to give your cat plenty of opportunity to sharpen its claws. Even playful bundles of energy need a rest from time to time, and for this they will need a cosy place where they can withdraw – ideally a plush cave or a favourite cushion: a cosy retreat, in other words, where your cat will really enjoy taking a nap. Indoor cats in particular enjoy drinking from fountains and eating cat grass. This ensures that they get enough liquid and natural vitamins. As cats are cave-dwelling animals, a simple cardboard box (even if it doesn’t come from a reputed online dealer) can stimulate cats and get them incredibly excited. Just cut a few holes in it of different sizes, put a lid on the top – and the fun begins! Another indispensable accessory is a carrier cage. Plastic carriers with a lid that opens and closes on top are highly suitable, so you can lower the cat into the box comfortably and without stress. It’s a good idea to put a familiar comfort blanket inside. You should get your cat used to the carrier right from the start, as sometimes an urgent visit to the vet may be required. If an indoor cat makes excursions onto the balcony, this should be provided with suitable cat netting, so the cat can’t get away or fall. If you want to set up this kind of netting, though, you may have to ask your landlord for permission. If you have an outdoor cat living in your home, but are not able always to open the door in person, you would be well advised to install a cat flap. To prevent a situation where all the cats in the neighbourhood come round to party, you can now get cat flaps that are fitted with an individual chip and so will only allow your own microchipped cat to pass. Cat’s toys are particularly important for indoor cats, because they lack the stimulating experiences that outdoor cats get when they are roaming around outside. For the same reason, purely indoor cats are more geared to people and on the whole more attached, but they also depend on additional entertainment. Depending on the cat’s fur, there are various grooming tools available: combs with special tines, brushes, trimming knives and even hair balm to make combing easier. Grooming your cat’s fur is not just a pleasure, it is mandatory – especially with long haired cats, semi long haired cats and elderly animals who are no longer flexible enough to get at every spot when they clean themselves.

Tip 6: it is very easy to make cat toys yourself. You’ll find lots of fabulous suggestions on how to do this online. It’s environmentally friendlier and a whole lot of fun!

Living with cats

Living with a cat (or cats) will give you many wonderful moments, because cats have an irresistible way of attracting the attention of their care-takers. It’s no accident that people talk about cat owners as being ‘tin openers’ or ‘door openers’. It is actually rather magical the way cats succeed in training ‘their’ people – and they’ve been doing it for hundreds of years!

But actually it’s not so surprising: the human-feline (or should I rather say, feline-human) constellation is simply perfect! The cat enjoys the care you give it, and for you it is a fabulous feeling when this wild animal has so much confidence in you and trusts you so completely that it lies on its back or side (actually a defensive position) and invites you to stroke it.

And what is more, it has been scientifically proven to be relaxing, when you stroke a purring cat.

It’s less relaxing, of course, when a cat suddenly develops oddities. And it’s actually very unpleasant when the cat ceases to be ‘clean’. There can be many causes for this, which is why we have specially compiled our Cat’s Best Feline Hygiene Tips – these will give you plenty of advice and suggestions on the subject.

Tip 7: before you even acquire your cat, you should choose a vet. Compare the costs of inoculation, worming and other treatments. Look at the online reviews of the practice, or ask other cat people who they would actually recommend. And it’s just as important to think who is going to look after the cat if you yourself are away on holiday, or sick, and so not in a position to see to your cat’s needs.

Cats like it quiet

Basically your cat favours a carefully maintained, peaceful environment. Cats love rituals and a regular daily programme – regular feeding times, a litter tray kept in the same place and emptied at the same time every day. Most pussy-paws react sensitively to variations from the norm. Rearrangement of the furniture, a completely new apartment, new animals or humans in the home, a different rhythm of life – all these things can disturb a cat to a greater or lesser degree.

But all cats find the following things extremely unpleasant: cigarette smoke, loud music, voices raised in anger, an unhygienic litter tray and the lack of a place to retreat to.

Getting a cat – the essentials

As Loriot – alias Vicco von Bülow – so pertinently remarked about his favourite dog breed:

'A life without a puppy is possible, but pointless.'

This can equally well be applied to cats!

Admitingly, life with a new partner does harbour certain risks, and you may even have to make sacrifices – but at the same time, your life will become so much richer:

Your animal companion has just chosen to embellish your curtains with a snazzy fringe – and the very next moment, it jumps onto your lap, purring, and gently nuzzles your wrinkled brow with its head – I swear, you don’t have a chance!

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kristallioness · 7 years

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I was tagged by @cassidy-alice. Yay! Thank you so much for tagging me, it's been a while since I last got to answer something like this. This will be fun. ^_^

🎀 - Are you named after someone? No, I'm actually named after something - the name of a brand of a specific type of product, but my mother changed the last letter.

🎀 - When was the last time you cried? Last night after watching one of my favourite Kataang AMVs, this one right here. The song, the lyrics and the scenes used in that video all blend together so well and it makes me really emotional.

🎀 - Do you like your handwriting? Yes, very much! I've always liked cursive because I think it's pretty. My handwriting has pretty much stayed the same since basic school. When taking quick notes on some random piece of paper or solving crosswords, I usually use block/capital letters and not cursive. I have many nice examples of my handwriting posted along with some sketches in the 'my sketch' tag (such as: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).

🎀 - What is your favourite lunch meat? Umm, I don't think I have a favourite. When it comes to making sandwiches or cold dishes, then perhaps turkey or just regular ham/sausage?

🎀 - Do you have kids? No, but I've given it some thought already and I believe that I'd love to have at least one child in the future.

🎀 - If you were a different person, would you be friends with you? Probably not, since right now I consider myself to be very kind, humble, intelligent and rather confident with who I am (which has taken me a long time to accept). If I were different (mean, cocky and not worked hard to study as much as I could during school and university to become a well-educated person), I might not like me as much.

🎀 - Do you use sarcasm? Quite often every day, ever since I learned what it is and how to use it properly.

🎀 - Do you still have your tonsils? Nope! I had those removed when I was a very little girl, about 7+ years old. Whenever I became sick, I used to take a long time to recover from even the simplest colds and that happened pretty often during my childhood. The doctors thought it'd be better for me to have them removed. My voice changed a bit after the surgery and everybody (my parents and, later when I returned to school, my classmates) kept saying that I sounded different, but I never really noticed it (or was too young to understand the difference), so it was really funny to me.

🎀 - Would you bungee jump? I haven't so far and I don't think I will in the near future. I'd have to be reassured several times that everything is secure and there'd have to be some soft thing to land on down below in case anything happens.

🎀 - What's your favorite cereal? I've eaten so many throughout the years and they're all so good! I've been eating lots of Froot Loops and Lotte cereal lately (Lotte is an Estonian dog cartoon character), which tastes exactly the same as Chocapic, but I also love Nesquik, Coco Pops, Frosties, Cookie Crisp, Cini Minis and Cheerios. Did I miss any of my childhood favourites which are still sold in our shops?

🎀 - Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Every time.

🎀 - Do you think you're a strong person? Physically, strong enough to defend myself but not like I visit a gym daily. Mentally, stronger than I might seem because I've endured bullying throughout basic school and learned how to defend myself against such people.

🎀 - What's your favorite ice cream? Right now I'd have to say it's vanilla Jättis by Ingman, which is a Finnish ice cream company. *sends greetings to awesome neighbours*

🎀 - What's the first thing you notice about someone? Probably their face and, shortly after, their general appearance.

🎀 - What's your least favorite physical thing about yourself? I strive to be thinner (for a good reason, since I'm overweight). During the last 5 years I've managed to lose 55 pounds and I've never been as thin as I am right now in a long time (my mother said I was this thin back in 6th grade). I'm proud of that. I feel lighter and am confident that I'm healthier, too.

🎀 - What color trousers and shoes are you wearing right now? I'm not wearing any shoes since I'm indoors, but I'm wearing black jogging pants that have white stripes going down the sides.

🎀 - What are you listening to right now? Nothing, but I remember one of the last songs I listened to on YouTube was "Good Grief" by Bastille.

🎀 - If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Maybe pink? Because I'm optimistic, friendly, feel great love for all my friends and family. Or perhaps blue? Because I'm also realistic, intelligent, introverted.

🎀 - Favorite smell? Fresh air, freshly cut grass, the Mayday trees and common lilacs near my home.. some smells I like when it comes to nature. Our apartment (every apartment has a unique smell, believe me), nice soaps, washed laundry/clothes, when my mother is cooking something tasty. The smell of new books (my Estonian/literature teacher from secondary school told our class how she likes smelling new books and her habit sort of grew on me when I started ordering the Avatar comic trilogies, those Dark Horse books have a unique smell that I like).

🎀 - Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? My mother.

🎀 - Favorite sport to watch? Formula 1, followed by football, athletics, skiing and everything else (especially those fields where Estonians are participating).

🎀 - Hair color? Blonde.

🎀 - Eye color? Greyish blue.

🎀 - Do you wear contacts? Luckily no, no glasses either.

🎀 - Favorite food? I try to vary my menu, so I can't choose anything specific. Have you heard of kama, Estonia's national food? It's so yummy, I love making it sweeter by adding more sugar to the kefir (which gives it a sour taste). You should definitely try a spoonful when you have the opportunity.

🎀 - Scary movies or comedy? I prefer comedies over scary movies, but I wouldn't mind watching a good scary movie sometimes.

🎀 - Last movie you watched? "Planes" on channel 3 last Saturday (which I enjoyed, but "Cars" is definitely closer to my heart).

🎀 - What color shirt are you wearing? A dark emerald green tank top.

🎀 - Summer or Winter? Why must you make me choose between two of my favourite seasons!? Nah, I love all of the seasons to be honest. Summer, because it's warm, you can wear lighter clothing, I enjoy eating strawberries, my birthday is near the end of July, Estonians celebrate Victory Day and St. John's Day in June as well as the day we restored our independence in August.

🎀 - Hugs or kisses? Hugs.

🎀 - Book you're currently reading? None, because I prefer reading (and writing) fanfiction nowadays. The last one I read though was "North and South: Part Three", the third part of the last Avatar trilogy. I'm waiting for my preordered copy of "Turf Wars: Part One" to arrive next month, so that'll be next.

🎀 - Who do you miss right now? My old classmates from secondary school and my coursemates from university. Our school is organizing a reunion in October, so I'll get to see my fellow alumni of our class then.

🎀 - What's on your mouse pad? The background is red, but there's a mouse holding a piece of cheese. The mouse has a wide smile with human teeth and it looks really funny. Like someone photoshopped a human's smile on the mouse's mouth.

🎀 - What's the last tv program you watched? "Bones".

🎀 - What is the best sound? This soundtrack, the entire Avatar series' (both ATLA and TLOK) soundtrack, the thrush nightingales singing at the beginning of spring, Estonia's national anthem (which has the same melody as Finland's), the soothing sound of a (slow) heartbeat.. it's impossible to bring out just one because there are so many and some of these totally depend on my mood.

🎀 - What's the furthest you've ever travelled? I've never left Estonian soil, at least not yet.

🎀 - Do you have a special talent? I solve sudokus pretty fast. My friends were surprised to discover that I draw using only my touchpad and/or my mouse.

🎀 - Where were you born? In a local hospital of the town that serves as the hub of the county.

Tagging: @chel-burr @eskalations @hailkuvira @jinoras-light @kataracy @mindatworkk @snotpup @thecaroliner (I hope I don't miss your posts and that you haven't already been tagged!)

#personal #shards of Kristal

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flauntpage · 6 years

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DGB Grab Bag: Three Stars of Comedy HOF, Ugly X-Mas Blazers, and RIP Johnny Bower

Three Stars of Comedy

The third star: Radko Gudas – We've all been there.

The second star: Tyler Seguin vs. P.K. Subban – It's the ol' last-off-the-ice superstition stalemate. Stick around for the twist ending.

The first star: Peter Laviolette and the Predators' coaches – The players bet the coaches that they could take at least five of six points on a tough Western Canada road trip. They did, so Laviolette and his staff had to wear these:

And yes, they made them wear them during an actual game.

The Inaugural Class of the Three Stars of Comedy Hall of Fame

Last week was the 200th edition of the Friday Grab Bag. The column has been running for nearly five years now; it dates back the Grantland days, made a brief stop at ESPN, and has lived here at Vice Sports for the last two years. Based on extensive customer research, for many of you it remains your Very Favorite Hockey Column to Read in the Office Bathroom After Lunch on Friday.™

That milestone, mixed in with the slowest week of the NHL regular season, would seem to make this a good time to unveil the first ever Three Stars of Comedy Hall of Fame. The three stars actually predates the Grab Bag itself, having launched as a monthly feature way back in 2011. And despite my occasional attempts to kill it when nobody is looking, the section continues to hold down the leadoff spot in the lineup.

Some weeks, finding three picks is easier than others. But certain personalities have done their best to ease my burden. That's where the Hall of Fame comes in. We'll do this HHOF style, with room for four picks per year. Ladies and gentlemen, the inaugural Class of 2017.

Ilyz Bryzgalov – The first star of the very first edition, Bryzgalov dominated the early days so thoroughly that at one point we tried to retire his number and eliminate him from future consideration. It didn't take, and even though he hasn't play in the NHL since 2015, he still finds a way to make periodic appearances. He's one of two unanimous picks for the inaugural class.

Phil Kessel – The other slam dunk pick, Kessel has appeared in the Three Stars section more than anyone else. Granted, some of those are cases where he's the butt of the joke, as everyone from Ilya Kovalchuk to Ryan Reaves has taken their runs at him. Sometimes he'll accidentally own himself. But in recent years we've learned that Phil can give as good as he gets, and then some. Here's all you need to know about why he's in on the first ballot: He's the only person to ever sweep all three stars in a single week. And he's done it twice.

P.K. Subban – Unlike Kessel or Bryzgalov, when Subban makes the Three Stars he's almost always in on the joke. And that's fine, because lord knows the NHL could use a few more guys with a sense of humor who aren't afraid to show it. Whether he's stealing The Rock's catch phrases, playing dress-up, or kissing Pierre McGuire, Subban's almost always fun. Even when he's sucker punching guys, he finds a way to make it funny. How this guy isn't the face of the league's marketing efforts in the U.S. right now, I'll never understand.

Roberto Luongo – Luongo is the Howie Morenz of funny hockey players, blazing the trail for the generations to come. It's easy to forget it now, but when Luongo first started using Twitter to make jokes, the idea of an NHL star trying to be funny was controversial enough that he had to pretend it wasn't him. But he's made regular appearances in the Three Stars ever since, with his best tweets often being the ones that poke fun at his own controversies, including his tire-pumping feud with Tim Thomas and his never-ending trade saga. And also, um, poop.

And that concludes the Class of 2017. The big omission here is Jaromir Jagr, who falls victim to the four-pick maximum. It was a coin flip between him and Luongo for the last spot, but I figure Jagr will be a unanimous first-ballot pick in the real Hall of Fame, which will probably slightly dampen his disappointment at missing out on a bigger honor here. Also, Luongo once let me play in (and win) his fantasy football league, so I feel like owe him.

Others receiving votes: Brian Burke, Joe Thornton, Wes McCauley, Taylor Hall, Darryl Sutter's face, Brent Burns, and Evgeni Malkin. Better luck next year, everyone.

Obscure Former Player of the Week

It's World Juniors time, with this year's tournament being held in Buffalo. It's always fun to browse through the list of the tournament's all-time top scorers; the list features plenty of future NHL superstars, like Peter Forsberg, Pavel Bure, and Eric Lindros, as well as some European players who never made it over to North America. But if you keep going, you get into the sweet spot of vaguely memorable NHL quasi-stars, like Michal Pivonka and Ulf Dahlen and Reijo Ruotsalainen. And you also find this week's obscure player: Finnish forward Petri Skriko.

Skriko was a teenage star in Europe, winning rookie honors in the top Finnish league in 1981. This was back when many European stars never made it over to the NHL, but the Canucks used an eighth-round pick on him in that summer's draft. It turned out to be a good gamble, as Skriko would have the second biggest impact on the Canucks of any 1981 eighth-rounder, just behind a defenseman picked by the Blues a few spots later.

That impact would have to wait, though. Skriko stayed in Finland until 1984, starring in a pair of WJCs along the way. But when he arrived in Vancouver, he fit in instantly, scoring 21 goals as a rookie and then following that with four-straight 30+ goal seasons. That included one stretch in 1986 in which he recorded three hat tricks in a span of eight days.

His production faded during the 1989-90 season, and he'd be traded to the Bruins the following year for a second-round pick. That deal ended up helping the Canucks down the line, as they used the pick on Michael Peca. Skriko helped the Bruins get to the 1991 Cup final before being traded to Winnipeg for Brent Ashton, had short stints with the Jets and Sharks before heading home to Finland in 1993 and then finishing his pro career in Denmark. He ended his NHL career with 541 games played, scoring 183 goals and 405 points.

Also, he had fantastic hair.

Be it Resolved

Last week was a big one for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Not only did they celebrate their 100th anniversary by pounding the Carolina Hurricanes 8-1, but they did it while scoring the 20,000th goal in team history.

Or did they?

Here's how the 20,000 breaks down. See if you can spot the problem.

Yeah, "shootout winners" aren't goals. I mean, they are, according to the league. For reasons that have never been entirely clear, the NHL awards the team that wins a shootout one "goal" in the goals-for column of the standings. That makes sense when you're describing the results of a game – you'd rather say "The Rangers won 5-4 in a shootout" than "The Rangers won 4-4 in a shootout," even if the fifth goal wasn't scored during the actual hockey portion of the game. But there's no reason to pretend that it was a real goal for deeper record-keeping purposes.

The NHL's always been weird and inconsistent about this. For example, they consider the shootout winner to be a goal, but don't give the guy who scored it credit for one in his personal stats. (A cynic might suggest that teams don't want their star players padding their stats with an extra half dozen goals a year and then expecting more money.) So it's a goal, but nobody scored it. That makes no sense. And they go the other way too, counting a shootout loss as a goal against even though, statistically, nobody let it in.

And it's not like this is all some sort of semantic argument, since goals for and against can come into play as a tie-breaker in the standings. That hasn't happened yet, but we have seen the league's weird shootout goal math decide the Jennings Trophy, so it's been etched into the record books already.

Needless to say, people who pay attention to this stuff were quick to point out that the Maple Leafs' stat wasn't what it seemed.

As with just about everything that doesn't involve bicycles, Dellow is right. Shootout goals shouldn't count towards a team's historical totals. So be it resolved: The Maple Leafs are well on their way to 20,000 but they're not there yet. Maybe they heard the complaints because they took a big chunk out of it with seven goals last night, but they're still 35 goals away. Real goals.

Classic YouTube Clip Breakdown

This week's YouTube clip isn't really a video; it's more of an audio file. But it's a good one, and under the circumstances I hope you'll indulge me.

This week's clip is Johnny Bower singing "Honky The Christmas Goose."

The hockey world lost Bower this week, as the Hall of Fame goaltender passed away at the age of 93. The rest of the week became a chance to mourn the loss of a legend, while celebrating a life well-lived.

Bower was one of the greatest goalies of all time, and quite likely the best of the 1960s, period. But somehow, that fact ended up being way down the list of what most people remember him for. In all of the many stories and tributes that poured in this week, the point that kept coming home was what a wonderful guy he was. For pretty much his entire life, Johnny Bower was just a very, very nice man. He didn't have to be, because he was a famous athlete and people were going to like him no matter what he did. But it seems like everyone in the hockey world has a story about Bower staying late to sign one last autograph or shake one more hand, or donating his time to a good cause, or having an encouraging word for someone going through a tough time. That's just who he was.

It sounds strange to say it, but it's almost impossible for a hockey player to be a universally beloved figure in Canada. The game just means too much to us up here. It gets too personal. We don't like to see fans of other teams get to be happy, so we instinctively dislike anyone who plays well for someone else. And it takes a lot to get us past that.

Put it this way: If I'm talking to a Habs fan who's getting a little too smug and I decide I want to knock them down a peg or two, I can come up with bad things to say about just about all of their beloved legends. Rocket Richard? He started a riot. Patrick Roy? He quit on the team. Guy Lafleur? What, you mean the guy from the Nordiques? But there's one ironclad exception: Jean Beliveau. No matter how much you hate the Canadiens, you can't find a bad word to say about Beliveau. That's just how it is. And Bower was the Maple Leafs' version of that. That's about the highest compliment you can pay a player.

On the ice, he really was one of the best, as this piece does a good job of showing. He ranks high on just about all of the all-time lists, both traditional and analytics-based. And while many have since been broken, he retired holding several goaltending records.

And of course, he left behind one record that will never be topped: "Honky the Christmas Goose."

You're listening to the story of Honky, a Christmas goose who struggled with his weight until he learned how to blow his nose. No, that doesn't really make sense, not least of which because geese don't have noses. Just enjoy the song and don't think about it too hard.

Honky was the creation of a CBC producer, and in 1965 he approached the Maple Leafs about having a player record the vocals. As Bower recounts it in this Toronto Star article, "He came into the dressing room and wanted to know if anybody on the team would be interested in singing these songs. I’ve never seen so many guys undress and get into the shower so quickly in my life!"

Bower ended up agreeing to do the song because, as the producer said at the time, he was basically "the friendliest man in Canada." There was one minor problem: Bower couldn't sing. But as longtime readers of this column know, that's never stopped a hockey player before, and the rest was history. (The children on the track are apparently Bower's 11-year-old son and some of the neighborhood kids.)

The song tells the story of Honky saving Christmas after Santa gets spooked by all the air traffic that's suddenly clogging up the skies. Continuing his long history of selfishly exploiting animals for their nose-based magic powers, Santa hires Honky to clear out a path.

"Rockets, kites and satellites." Yeah, I'm no aerospace engineer but I don't think there should be too many kites at that elevation. I'm pretty sure nobody in history has ever successfully got a kite twenty feet off the ground for more than six seconds before it nosedived directly down onto Grandma's head, so chill out Santa.

Luckily, the plan works and Honky saves the day. Finally, he'll get some respect, right?

"Though he is fat he is still some use." Holy smokes guys, Honky just saved Christmas for the entire planet, maybe ease up on the body shaming for one minute.

The record came out in November 1965, with proceeds going to charity. It was reportedly a big hit, selling 40,000 copies. They tried to get Bower to record a follow-up a year later, pitching something about "a pelican with a broken wing," but he knew how to quit when he was ahead.

For years, the song was lost to history, with only a handful of copies circulating in the pre-Internet days of the early 90s. But it's resurfaced since, and a new generation has had a chance to enjoy to story of Honky the Christmas Goose. If you can't get enough of the song, here's a clip of Bower performing it on stage at a children's benefit concert years ago.

RIP Johnny Bower. An all-time great goaltender, an even better person, and a passable singer. Not necessarily in that order.

Have a question, suggestion, old YouTube clip, or anything else you'd like to see included in this column? Email Sean at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @DownGoesBrown.

DGB Grab Bag: Three Stars of Comedy HOF, Ugly X-Mas Blazers, and RIP Johnny Bower published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

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amtushinfosolutionspage · 6 years

Text

DGB Grab Bag: Three Stars of Comedy HOF, Ugly X-Mas Blazers, and RIP Johnny Bower

Three Stars of Comedy

The third star: Radko Gudas – We’ve all been there.

The second star: Tyler Seguin vs. P.K. Subban – It’s the ol’ last-off-the-ice superstition stalemate. Stick around for the twist ending.

The first star: Peter Laviolette and the Predators’ coaches – The players bet the coaches that they could take at least five of six points on a tough Western Canada road trip. They did, so Laviolette and his staff had to wear these:

And yes, they made them wear them during an actual game.

The Inaugural Class of the Three Stars of Comedy Hall of Fame

Some weeks, finding three picks is easier than others. But certain personalities have done their best to ease my burden. That’s where the Hall of Fame comes in. We’ll do this HHOF style, with room for four picks per year. Ladies and gentlemen, the inaugural Class of 2017.

Ilyz Bryzgalov – The first star of the very first edition, Bryzgalov dominated the early days so thoroughly that at one point we tried to retire his number and eliminate him from future consideration. It didn’t take, and even though he hasn’t play in the NHL since 2015, he still finds a way to make periodic appearances. He’s one of two unanimous picks for the inaugural class.

Phil Kessel – The other slam dunk pick, Kessel has appeared in the Three Stars section more than anyone else. Granted, some of those are cases where he’s the butt of the joke, as everyone from Ilya Kovalchuk to Ryan Reaves has taken their runs at him. Sometimes he’ll accidentally own himself. But in recent years we’ve learned that Phil can give as good as he gets, and then some. Here’s all you need to know about why he’s in on the first ballot: He’s the only person to ever sweep all three stars in a single week. And he’s done it twice.

P.K. Subban – Unlike Kessel or Bryzgalov, when Subban makes the Three Stars he’s almost always in on the joke. And that’s fine, because lord knows the NHL could use a few more guys with a sense of humor who aren’t afraid to show it. Whether he’s stealing The Rock’s catch phrases, playing dress-up, or kissing Pierre McGuire, Subban’s almost always fun. Even when he’s sucker punching guys, he finds a way to make it funny. How this guy isn’t the face of the league’s marketing efforts in the U.S. right now, I’ll never understand.

Roberto Luongo – Luongo is the Howie Morenz of funny hockey players, blazing the trail for the generations to come. It’s easy to forget it now, but when Luongo first started using Twitter to make jokes, the idea of an NHL star trying to be funny was controversial enough that he had to pretend it wasn’t him. But he’s made regular appearances in the Three Stars ever since, with his best tweets often being the ones that poke fun at his own controversies, including his tire-pumping feud with Tim Thomas and his never-ending trade saga. And also, um, poop.

Others receiving votes: Brian Burke, Joe Thornton, Wes McCauley, Taylor Hall, Darryl Sutter’s face, Brent Burns, and Evgeni Malkin. Better luck next year, everyone.

Obscure Former Player of the Week

It’s World Juniors time, with this year’s tournament being held in Buffalo. It’s always fun to browse through the list of the tournament’s all-time top scorers; the list features plenty of future NHL superstars, like Peter Forsberg, Pavel Bure, and Eric Lindros, as well as some European players who never made it over to North America. But if you keep going, you get into the sweet spot of vaguely memorable NHL quasi-stars, like Michal Pivonka and Ulf Dahlen and Reijo Ruotsalainen. And you also find this week’s obscure player: Finnish forward Petri Skriko.

Skriko was a teenage star in Europe, winning rookie honors in the top Finnish league in 1981. This was back when many European stars never made it over to the NHL, but the Canucks used an eighth-round pick on him in that summer’s draft. It turned out to be a good gamble, as Skriko would have the second biggest impact on the Canucks of any 1981 eighth-rounder, just behind a defenseman picked by the Blues a few spots later.

His production faded during the 1989-90 season, and he’d be traded to the Bruins the following year for a second-round pick. That deal ended up helping the Canucks down the line, as they used the pick on Michael Peca. Skriko helped the Bruins get to the 1991 Cup final before being traded to Winnipeg for Brent Ashton, had short stints with the Jets and Sharks before heading home to Finland in 1993 and then finishing his pro career in Denmark. He ended his NHL career with 541 games played, scoring 183 goals and 405 points.

Also, he had fantastic hair.

Be it Resolved

Or did they?

Here’s how the 20,000 breaks down. See if you can spot the problem.

Yeah, “shootout winners” aren’t goals. I mean, they are, according to the league. For reasons that have never been entirely clear, the NHL awards the team that wins a shootout one “goal” in the goals-for column of the standings. That makes sense when you’re describing the results of a game – you’d rather say “The Rangers won 5-4 in a shootout” than “The Rangers won 4-4 in a shootout,” even if the fifth goal wasn’t scored during the actual hockey portion of the game. But there’s no reason to pretend that it was a real goal for deeper record-keeping purposes.

The NHL’s always been weird and inconsistent about this. For example, they consider the shootout winner to be a goal, but don’t give the guy who scored it credit for one in his personal stats. (A cynic might suggest that teams don’t want their star players padding their stats with an extra half dozen goals a year and then expecting more money.) So it’s a goal, but nobody scored it. That makes no sense. And they go the other way too, counting a shootout loss as a goal against even though, statistically, nobody let it in.

And it’s not like this is all some sort of semantic argument, since goals for and against can come into play as a tie-breaker in the standings. That hasn’t happened yet, but we have seen the league’s weird shootout goal math decide the Jennings Trophy, so it’s been etched into the record books already.

Needless to say, people who pay attention to this stuff were quick to point out that the Maple Leafs’ stat wasn’t what it seemed.

As with just about everything that doesn’t involve bicycles, Dellow is right. Shootout goals shouldn’t count towards a team’s historical totals. So be it resolved: The Maple Leafs are well on their way to 20,000 but they’re not there yet. Maybe they heard the complaints because they took a big chunk out of it with seven goals last night, but they’re still 35 goals away. Real goals.

Classic YouTube Clip Breakdown

This week’s YouTube clip isn’t really a video; it’s more of an audio file. But it’s a good one, and under the circumstances I hope you’ll indulge me.

This week’s clip is Johnny Bower singing “Honky The Christmas Goose.”

Bower was one of the greatest goalies of all time, and quite likely the best of the 1960s, period. But somehow, that fact ended up being way down the list of what most people remember him for. In all of the many stories and tributes that poured in this week, the point that kept coming home was what a wonderful guy he was. For pretty much his entire life, Johnny Bower was just a very, very nice man. He didn’t have to be, because he was a famous athlete and people were going to like him no matter what he did. But it seems like everyone in the hockey world has a story about Bower staying late to sign one last autograph or shake one more hand, or donating his time to a good cause, or having an encouraging word for someone going through a tough time. That’s just who he was.

It sounds strange to say it, but it’s almost impossible for a hockey player to be a universally beloved figure in Canada. The game just means too much to us up here. It gets too personal. We don’t like to see fans of other teams get to be happy, so we instinctively dislike anyone who plays well for someone else. And it takes a lot to get us past that.

Put it this way: If I’m talking to a Habs fan who’s getting a little too smug and I decide I want to knock them down a peg or two, I can come up with bad things to say about just about all of their beloved legends. Rocket Richard? He started a riot. Patrick Roy? He quit on the team. Guy Lafleur? What, you mean the guy from the Nordiques? But there’s one ironclad exception: Jean Beliveau. No matter how much you hate the Canadiens, you can’t find a bad word to say about Beliveau. That’s just how it is. And Bower was the Maple Leafs’ version of that. That’s about the highest compliment you can pay a player.

And of course, he left behind one record that will never be topped: “Honky the Christmas Goose.”

You’re listening to the story of Honky, a Christmas goose who struggled with his weight until he learned how to blow his nose. No, that doesn’t really make sense, not least of which because geese don’t have noses. Just enjoy the song and don’t think about it too hard.

Honky was the creation of a CBC producer, and in 1965 he approached the Maple Leafs about having a player record the vocals. As Bower recounts it in this Toronto Star article, “He came into the dressing room and wanted to know if anybody on the team would be interested in singing these songs. I’ve never seen so many guys undress and get into the shower so quickly in my life!”

Bower ended up agreeing to do the song because, as the producer said at the time, he was basically “the friendliest man in Canada.” There was one minor problem: Bower couldn’t sing. But as longtime readers of this column know, that’s never stopped a hockey player before, and the rest was history. (The children on the track are apparently Bower’s 11-year-old son and some of the neighborhood kids.)

The song tells the story of Honky saving Christmas after Santa gets spooked by all the air traffic that’s suddenly clogging up the skies. Continuing his long history of selfishly exploiting animals for their nose-based magic powers, Santa hires Honky to clear out a path.

“Rockets, kites and satellites.” Yeah, I’m no aerospace engineer but I don’t think there should be too many kites at that elevation. I’m pretty sure nobody in history has ever successfully got a kite twenty feet off the ground for more than six seconds before it nosedived directly down onto Grandma’s head, so chill out Santa.

Luckily, the plan works and Honky saves the day. Finally, he’ll get some respect, right?

“Though he is fat he is still some use.” Holy smokes guys, Honky just saved Christmas for the entire planet, maybe ease up on the body shaming for one minute.

The record came out in November 1965, with proceeds going to charity. It was reportedly a big hit, selling 40,000 copies. They tried to get Bower to record a follow-up a year later, pitching something about “a pelican with a broken wing,” but he knew how to quit when he was ahead.

For years, the song was lost to history, with only a handful of copies circulating in the pre-Internet days of the early 90s. But it’s resurfaced since, and a new generation has had a chance to enjoy to story of Honky the Christmas Goose. If you can’t get enough of the song, here’s a clip of Bower performing it on stage at a children’s benefit concert years ago.

RIP Johnny Bower. An all-time great goaltender, an even better person, and a passable singer. Not necessarily in that order.

Have a question, suggestion, old YouTube clip, or anything else you’d like to see included in this column? Email Sean at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @DownGoesBrown.

DGB Grab Bag: Three Stars of Comedy HOF, Ugly X-Mas Blazers, and RIP Johnny Bower syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6

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the-real-vera-jo-blog · 6 years

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Don’t you just wish that you could support and trust yourself in everything you do? What if you were the biggest support for yourself? What if you encouraged every good idea you had and made it happen? That’s the biggest aim and the ultimate goal in my life right now. I know many of my friends are their own best friends and love themselves unconditionally however I’m not there yet and know many others who aren’t. It doesn’t mean we cannot get there, it just means we need to work harder.

Most of my childhood and teenage years I was shy – some people even called me timid. When I first heard the word, I didn’t know how to translate it into Finnish however I knew it didn’t mean anything good. At least not for the job I was applying for at the time. I was always the one at the background, the one following everyone else, the one not sure what they want but willing to support friends in their dreams. It gets tiring at times but then you kind of settle into your role. The role that you created for yourself. No one ever forced me into staying at the background, no one told me not to stand out, no one blocked me in anyway. I’ve come to realise it was me all along – I was my own worst enemy! That’s awful when you think of it. You could even somehow justify it to yourself IF there was someone who stamped on you and made you feel down. That’s never the case. Give me a scenario, I bet I can turn it around for you to realise there was no one who could have set the ultimate barrier for you chasing and achieving your dreams. You were the one setting that particular barrier for yourself.

I left Finland thirteen and a half years ago. I have moved from a country to another between 5 locations since then and although my main working language has always been English, I have also had to cope with German, Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Dutch at work. It might sound like I’m bragging about my language skills whereas I keep comparing myself to other Nordic speakers or multi-lingual candidates. There are plenty of people who fluently speak several languages and compared to them I feel like I’m nothing. I feel happy for them yet “not good enough” about myself. It does make me feel good to hear my English friends telling me “You’re a genius, you’re so good at languages!” or “Did you know she speaks and understands like 6 languages…?” when they introduce me to their friends – only for the moment. Then I crawl back home and think to myself “Only if they knew there are so many more talented people out there!” That’s toxic, that attitude right there is what we should all step away from – far away. Why an earth would you push yourself down? Not everyone can be the best in what they’re good at nor should they be. We should only try to be as good as we can be, but not aim to be better than everyone else. Only that way we can appreciate ourselves and get the satisfaction needed for our minds to continue being creative.

I have never felt different from the locals when living abroad. In fact, nowadays I consider being in Finland more like “being abroad” rather than being in England. When I moved to England for the first time, it only took three weeks for me to start dreaming in English. Since then I can count dreams in Finnish language by one hand. I also naturally started thinking in English. Anything I write, I write in English whether it’s a shopping list or a diary. My family and friends would never expect to receive a birthday card or a postcard from around the world written in Finnish. They all know I’ve only written in English since 2004. It’s not something I think of, it’s just easier and natural for me. Accent however is something that cannot be faked – more often not. I know some people who aren’t English yet only few could tell the difference. I wish I had an English accent and some people think I do but I’m so full of self-criticism I could never give myself the opportunity to enjoy that thought. Most often it doesn’t bother me because I do know the vocabulary and I can keep up with any conversation but there are situations when I get insecure speaking with a group of people who have a posh English accent and I think to myself “How could I compete with that?” I cannot and I don’t have to compete with that because what makes me me is the fact that I’m multi-lingual. Most often the people with a posh English accent aren’t. I certainly don’t want to come across overconfident but at times thinking “Well, I can speak many languages whereas they cannot.” helps me to keep up with my self-confidence. Or if someone looks at me like “Well, you have an accent that I don’t recognise” or “You’re not from here” or “You’re not English” by thinking “I can say this in 6 different languages, I could easily ask them if they could do the same.” I know they couldn’t and it makes me more confident. I can then carry on focusing on the subject and forget about my own insecurities. There is no right and wrong in this subject. All I’m trying to say is that one shouldn’t underestimate themselves. If one wants to learn more languages, they can easily do so. If one cannot pick up a native accent, they surely have other competencies beneficial to them.

I might come across quite loud and confident to people who meet me for the first time – even to some who know me already. Mostly people who are close to me know me as someone who loves to have fun and appreciates a good laugh but also is sensitive and considers others. However the truth is I’m quite insecure and careful with how I represent myself to others. I’m very self-critical and often end up not doing all the things I want or wish to due to lack of self-confidence. Actually I have come to realise I care far too much of what others think of me. That thought even limited me from writing a blog years ago when my father first suggested me to do so. I used to write loooong emails to my family and friends of what it is like to live abroad. My father then said I should write to the Finnish magazines yet I wasn’t ready. Deep down I thought it would be a dream coming true but I was too scared. Later on I started thinking what I was scared of… I couldn’t think of a concrete situation that would have scared me. It was my own insecurity telling me not to. I simply didn’t believe in myself and my skills. When I finally started writing a blog in 2015, it felt good. I felt like “Why haven’t I done this for the past 10 years?” I started writing a blog about travelling as I found it an easy topic. The more I write, the more I want to write. Since then I have written multiple articles regarding motivation, feelings, life in general and the latest inspiration I’ve been working on is scriptwriting. I yet have lots of material to be published.

Dealing with lack of believing in yourself is devastating. I wish that for no one. I truly wish that everyone takes the time to find themselves and to fall in love with themselves. That’s my ultimate goal in life. Talking to friends, attending therapy or support groups can help you get there. I have my secret ways and started working on becoming the person I wish to be. I’m only in the beginning of the journey but I already feel relieved, content and more positive. The future is bright, the future is what YOU want it to be. Of course there will be times that test us, times that push us to our limits, but we can always choose our attitude towards the situation. Let’s remember to let go of the things we cannot control and to change the things we can!

Best regards,

Vera Jo

Xxx

PS.

Whatever you do, do it to the best of your abilities. If you write, write as if you’re the best author. If you act, act like you’re the most famous actor. If you sing, sing like you’re the best singer out there. If you’re a translator, translate like there’s no one who can replace you. You might not be the best but you will certainly make yourself feel worth it and that’s what gets you forward! That’s what makes you want to do better and to succeed further. Remember that everything you do has a chain reaction. Everything you do is meaningful.

Insecurities – Turn them into Strengths! Don't you just wish that you could support and trust yourself in everything you do? What if you were the biggest support for yourself?

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venus-and-bluebells · 7 years

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Fully Constructed Languages in Media

Ok, I'm going back on my word in the last post, and I'm going to mention Elvish and Klingon. I have never watched or read Game of Thrones, and I don't feel qualified to talk about things I don't understand, like Dothraki. So. *Elvish is a language used by the elves in Lord of the Rings, most notably the books (though it is spoken in the films). There are, to my knowledge, a couple different forms of Elvish, known as Quenya and Sindarin. Quenya is a more archaic, fancier version of the language, and Sindarin is common Elvish speech. It uses an alphabet system, and Quenya is based on Finnish, Latin, Greek, and some Germanic languages, while Sindarin is based heavily off of Welsh. Fun fact, my baba taught me how to speak Sindarin after I saw Lord of the Rings at the ripe old age of six (and became enthralled with it). I forgot how to speak it, unfortunately, and I never got a chance to learn to read it. Outside of LOTR, you can listen to some music lyrics sung in Elvish, but there's not very many resources outside of the mass of stuff Tolkien wrote, but I assure you; it will take years to read all that Tolkien wrote about this linguistic family. Elvish is so popular that it is a legally recognised language in the real world. *Klingon is a harsh, war-like language spoken by (you guessed it) the Klingon people in Star Trek, and is also called Klingonee or Klingonaase. It is gruff and sharp sounding, with a secondary battle dialect known as Clipped Klingon. This language was developed by actor James Doohan, producer John Povill, and linguist Marc Okrand, and while a few elements from Native American languages slipped in, it was purposefully designed to sound, look, and grammatically/syntactically function as differently from Earth languages as possible. Quite a few works have been translated into Klingon, including but not limited to the Epic of Gilgamesh, Hamlet, and Tao Te Ching. There is also an opera in the language known as "A Klingon Christmas Carol." The Klingon Language Institute promotes the language, but it is notoriously hard to use this language, as the dictionary to it is copyrighted for franchise use, and the known vocabulary deals a lot with things not often seen in our world, like spacecrafts. However, many people have learned this language, and it has somewhere around a dozen native speakers. *Atlantean is an archaic, graceful language developed for the Disney film "Atlantis: The Lost Empire." This language was created by Marc Okrand (again) for character dialogue and inscriptions. The language is based on Ancient Greek, Proto-Indo-European, Hebrew, and Sumerian, and is intended to sound like what a proto-language to our proto-languages might've sounded like. It uses an alphabet system, and notably is read left to right, right to left, left to right, in a zig-zag pattern meant to mirror the flow of water. This is actually a system used by very ancient written word in our real world. While the lines in the film are basically the only resource for the language (and the translations are very rough), the language is complete, and can easily function as a real language, especially to those who know the bases of these languages (in fact, while I don't really know any of the base languages, I've heard at least one story in each, and know the sounds of the languages, and was actually able to recognise some particularly Sumerian and Hebrew-sounding bits as the characters spoke it onscreen)! *Barsoomian is a staccato, choppy language spoken by the Barsoomians, who are residents of Mars. I couldn't find any resources saying what this language was based on, and I'm not sure if it even has a writing system (this language really doesn't have many resources). It is spoken in the Barsoom book series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the language was developed by Dr. Paul Frommer for the film "John Carter of Mars." Barsoomian, while a completed language, is functionally impossible for a human to speak, as lexical words are spoken aloud and grammatical words are telepathically spoken. The residents of Barsoom all speak the same language, and mutual intelligibility is shared across the planet. The books and film previously mentioned are basically the only works where this language is shown. *Ascian is a language developed by Gene Wolfe for the book series known as The Book of New Sun. There are two versions of the language, known as the lower level and the secondary level. In the book, the lower level has been lost, and is considered a dead language, while the secondary level thrives as a complete, but limited, language. The secondary level, much like Newspeak from 1984, is comprised of sentences from propaganda known as Correct Thought, so each Ascian person knows hundreds, even thousands of these sentences, and uses the literal, implied, and figurative meanings of the sentences to form new meanings, and to express themselves, in what is really very similar to code or slang, albeit so highly developed that it becomes its own whole linguistic system. The books are the only resource on this language. *Ptydepe and Chorukor are two intertwined languages developed by brothers Ivan M. Havel and Václav Havel for the play "The Memorandum." Ptydepe is a somewhat satirical scientific language in which no word can be less than 60% dissimilar, which means that words can become ridiculously long (the word for wombat is 319 letters long)! Ptydepe has no homonyms, and is incredibly specific and precise, and non-expandable. Chorukor is a dialect of Ptydepe, and is meant as a more accessible form of the language. In Czech, Ptydepe has become slang for unintelligible language used in bureaucratic processes, but the actual language is (unsurprisingly) not found outside the play. *Galach, while it looks incredibly fascinating, is something I know next to nothing about, because, like with Dothraki, I haven't read the books the language is found in. I know I need to read Dune, stop pestering me. But Galach is, to my knowledge, an imperial language based off of English and Russian, and is something of a common tongue. I'll probably geek over it someday later, so stick around? *Láadan is a feminist philosophical language developed by Suzette Elgin to test the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, and is featured prominently in her book series titled "Native Tongue." The language is meant to be very descriptive, and is based off of Navajo and English language systems. The language is extremely agglutinative, and can not be found much outside of the book series. *Na'vi was developed by Dr. Paul Frommer and James Cameron for the film "Avatar" (not to be confused with Avatar: The Last Airbender), and it is spoken by the alien Na'vi people. The language was developed mostly during filming, but the systems of the language had been determined before filming, as had the languages it would draw inspiration from (Polynesian and Latin). Many of the mistakes made in speech by actors actually advanced the language, much like how sound shifts occur in natural languages. Dr. Frommer is still currently writing and developing the language, and hopes it may gain the same kind of following as Elvish or Klingon.

#constructed languages in media list #holy ahit #so many #i'm so happy #linguistics

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furimmerfrei · 7 years

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Title image credit: Panthers Images

Miika Wiikman is in his second season with the GMB Nottingham Panthers and is arguably one of the best net-minders in the Elite Ice Hockey League. This season he has won silverware for the club along with the rest of the team and secured the Continental Cup for the Panthers, making them one of the first British clubs to ever do so as well as qualifying for the Champions Hockey League for next season. Though as always, this interview seeks to take you Behind the Mask and into the mind somewhat of the man who wears it.

Wiikman was born in Sweden to Finnish parents. He actually has dual citizenship, but it was in Sweden that he grew up. He went to school there but once he’d finished with school he went to Finland to play hockey back in 2003 . I asked him what made him leave Sweden and move to Finland in order to pursue his career.

“This was back in 2003, the goalie coaching in Sweden wasn’t really at the same level as it is today. I knew Finland was the leading country for goalie coaching and I pretty much get a better offer from a better league in Finland, Mestis. It’s their second league and I didn’t really have any good offers after Juniors in Sweden so I thought I might as well try it and it’s also my Mum’s hometown actually, so we spent a lot of summers there so it was a place that I knew and it was pretty easy to go there. I knew they had a really good goalie coach with a really good reputation so there was really nothing to think about. Just sign and go there. I only stayed one season there, I had a really good season and then I got a contract with a really good league, with the SM-liiga. I played three seasons there for HPK.”

I asked if he had a favourite team from the Liiga. “Not right now, though of course the first team I played for HPK, great memories. I won the championship there and everything, It’s a smaller club, they don’t have the same money as those big teams like IFK or Helsinki. So yeah, HPK is probably the closest to my heart. I was also with Saipa for a couple of months and that was a really, really nice club, good club, great people around the team and it was fun to play there for a few months.” Miika explained.

Photo credit: Panther’s Images

Next we move on the the Panthers and talking about the Elite League. Claire Bentley wanted to know if he would he want to play again next season with the Panthers? “Yeah, absolutely.” No hesitation in his answer. “I mean if I don’t have any really good offers from like KHL or the Swedish Elite League or Finnish League then I don’t really see any reason to go anywhere else. I mean, I like it here, my family loves it here too.”

The move to Nottingham, how was that for him in comparison to where he was before? “Well I played in Slovakia and Slovenia the year before and it was a horrible experience.” He still hasn’t been paid for his time there and this doesn’t sound like he’s an isolated case in that repect, as Desbiens of the Steelers has also played there and didn’t get paid both with the Olimpija Ljubljana. “I’m close to giving up on that too.” He comments when I mention that it might take a while and possibly won’t ever come his way.

Photo credit: Panthers Images

Back to Nottingham; and we talk a bit about his family life here, thank you for Audrey Davis for the question. “My son he goes to school here and he’s there for more than half of the day.” I asked him about if there were any places he liked to go with the family in Nottingham.”He loves to go out and search for Pokemons, but he’s so tired when he comes back from school that we don’t go out much. When we do that’s pretty much what we do. It gets us outside and walking everyday and we go to parks and do stuff, like play football. Actually we just came back from the rink just now since he’s got half term so we went skating for an hour and a half. He’s a really active boy and there is a lot of stuff to do here in Nottingham so that’s good, but we don’t have any particular places we like to go or anything.”

How does he enjoy the crowd in Nottingham? It’s one of the biggest arenas in the league. Does it have an effect on his game? asked Panther’s fan Pippa Morley. “Oh yeah of course. Especially when we’re winning. When we’re losing it’s pretty quiet in the arena.” He begins and it’s interesting when he begins to compare to places he has played around Europe. “It reminds me of Finland a little bit, it’s pretty quiet in the rinks. In Sweden it’s completely different. People are happy and cheering for their team and it doesn’t matter what the score is, it’s always nice and loud. Here sometimes it gets so quiet, I mean we got a big arena and a big crowd and it’s so quiet, it’s just weird sometimes but these are probably some of the best fans I’ve played in front of but then again I’ve played in Finland and North America and in Slovenia we had like 50 people at the game, so here it’s a little bit different.”

And now for the obligatory, did you always want to be a goalie question. I always like to hear the different stories on how they moved from wanting to play hockey in general to wanting to play goalie. “Ah, not really. I did a lot of different sports when I was a kid, football, wrestling everything. I started as a player in hockey and I think I was nine or ten when I started playing goalie. Every guy on the team got a chance to try it and I guess I was the best at it, I got stuck there pretty much.”

Miika preparing to make a glove save, his favourite when he was a child. Photo credit: Panthers Images.

“I always wanted to make glove saves and catch the puck, the was the big thing. I remember when I was a kid, every practice I counted how many glove saves I made. It was my favourite way when I was a child, now it doesn’t really matter so much.”

Routine is something that I’ve found to be crucial for goalies specifically, as it helps them get into the zone or head space they need to be in to be able to play their absolute best. Miika is one who takes his routine incredibly seriously as he describes. “Obviously it’s a bit different between home and away games as you have to take a seat on a bus for a couple of hours. It takes a lot of time and energy to prepare for a game for me at least. I know a couple of goalies and they don’t care, like they can do whatever they want, do grocery shopping or whatever but I can’t do that. I can’t leave the house pretty much. I try to stay in and do the same thing every time, it’s kind of like an OCD, it was way worse when I was younger though. I’m a bit different now I got the kids and stuff, I can do more stuff with them, be a little bit more relaxed and it doesn’t have to be that strict but I still have to eat the same breakfast, try and do the same things in the morning. Like if I have a morning skate I do the same things. If I don’t have a morning skate I still try to do some of the things. It’s almost overdoing it and a bit OCD. I try not to let it stress me out though if things don’t go to plan.”

His main example of this was in Italy during the Continental Cup campaign and the fact that the breakfast wasn’t even close to what he would normally eat. He had it anyway and then got a shut out in the first game. It seems to take the pressure off if he can break his routine and still be okay in games. “Oh yeah.” He continues. “Exactly, when I was younger it was a disaster, if even one thing went wrong it threw me off completely, now stuff like that doesn’t really affect me anymore.”

So does he have a favourite NHL team? “Not anymore really, when I was younger I was a Vancouver fan.” Why Vancouver? I ask, with a small grin. I wonder what it is about the team that drew him in. “Oh, the jerseys.” He says with a small laugh. “And the logo, I just loved it and Kirk McClean was my favourite goalie when I was a kid.”

Team Russia and Columbus Blue Jacket’s stating goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky.

“Of course I watch the NHL goalies, there is always something you can try and I’m always open for new stuff and I’m a pretty quick learner too so it’s pretty easy for me to put that into my game. One guy I’ve been watching recently is [Sergei] Bobrovsky in Columbus. Obviously Holtby.” That makes me chuckle, Holtby is my favourite goalie and when I mention it, Miika makes a comment about seeing my twitter. Consider me busted! “I actually played against him in the East Coast, I beat him 7-0. I’ve played against a lot of those guys who are in the NHL right now. Halak, Rask. I played against Rask a lot in the Finnish league. Quick, all those guys and it’s just crazy how I have actually been when I start thinking about it. You just have to be in the right place at the right time and making good choices I guess.”

So what advice would Miika give to an aspiring netminder? “Learn how to skate, without gear and then try the gear on. That’s where everyone starts.” He says, like it’s the most obvious answer in the world. I ask him about the weight of the gear and if it’s really as heavy as I’ve heard. “Well it’s getting lighter every year, those Bauer pads are real light, CCM’s are a little bit heavier. Some guys like that a little bit more, like me. I’ve just had CCM all my career and I tried the Bauer stuff and I just didn’t like it. It’s really just individual. How you like it, working out what gear you want. I feel comfortable in mine. I’ve been thinking about trying some other brand but I don’t know if there’s any point because I really feel comfortable in what I’m wearing now.” If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

I had to ask him about the inspiration behind his mask design as it has become quite the talking piece this season, I wanted to know why he chose to make it the way he did.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Thank you to Juha Peltonen of Paint It Black in Finland for the images of Miika’s mask.

“I kind of forgot about the whole Pokemon thing, coz I played it when I was a kid, with my brother and then Pokemon GO came up and me and my son started playing it, then we started talking about maybe putting it on my mask and he was all ‘Yeah, we should do Pikachu on mask’ So I said let’s do it then, so it was pretty much my son’s idea. On the other side I have Megaman, remember that? From the old Nintendo? I’m just a huge fan and I love those games, I still play them on the Wii back home. The back plate is the logo and I think there is a smaller logo in the front somewhere too.”

___

This is not all that we spoke about in the hour, but I wanted to break it down into more manageable chunks for those of you reading it. The other topics we spoke about are:

His time with the New York Rangers organisation

Continental Cup experience and the CHL

Junior Hockey in the UK

Moving to the Elite League.

Team that taught you the most about yourself.

Best goalie in the league besides yourself.

Who do you not like taking shots from?

Movies, Books, Podcasts and other on the road trip entertainment.

Discussing the league and how the goalies should be used according to Miika.

If you want to me to post more of this interview with Miika, leave me a comment on my Facebook page @chasingthepuck or tweet me @freiheit_1989 with which one you’d particularly like to read about next.

I want to take a moment to say thank you to all those who have helped me in providing images and also permissions to do this interview and to the Panther’s organisation as well. Thank you so much to Adam Gouldson and Karl Denham of Panthers Images for the images of Miika Wiikman that have been used in this article.

Behind The Mask 4 | @miikawiikman : @panthersIHC Title image credit: Panthers Images Miika Wiikman is in his second season with the GMB Nottingham Panthers and is arguably one of the best net-minders in the Elite Ice Hockey League.

#Behind The Mask #EIHL #Interview #Miika Wiikman #Nottingham Panthers

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