Tumgik
#i actually think the cambridge's social media is okay
goldielia · 29 days
Text
when jack met cassy
a part of: untouchable au
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
when cassy entered the mclaren garage on sunday to start getting ready for the canadian grand prix, she firstly found their social media admin and one of her closest friends in the paddock, anne.
mclaren had a close-knit group of girls consisting of cassy, anne, her girlfriend sabrina who was one of two team photographers and charlotte, who was a law student currently doing an internship at mclaren.
it had become a routine for the four of them to sit on the step to the pit wall for a second to chat before any grand prix. it was also usually the time cassy got to ask anne about the vip guests of the weekend which she did first things first ever since she missed when tom holland visited.
“uh, there’s not much going on today. some hockey players should show up though, you know, charlie’s brother and them”, anne looped her in while staring at her ipad. “eh, alright.” cassy murmured, slightly disappointed.
with a last tap of her own papaya-coloured high top converse against anne’s white and orange air force she got up to start getting ready for the race.
jack couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. he was going to see his sister again AND his first f1 race. lottie usually worked for mclaren during the summer break of the academic year, being located in cambridge for her studies, so when she invited him to see both her and the race in canada he instantly said yes.
they agreed to meet just before the entrance to the paddock so she could give him, cole and trevor (who she graciously invited as well) their passes. jack had been jittery the whole way there, not having seen his twin since christmas.
leaning onto a lamp post in front of the gate was a blonde girl, wearing black mom jeans, a mclaren t-shirt tucked into them and orange old school vans. he instantly ran towards her, charlotte barely being able to save the binder she held before jack tackled her into a crushingly tight hug that she returned with equal force.
after she’d given cole and trevor a side hug each and handed each of them a garage pass, the group entered through the gate and lottie talked them through the paddock on the way to the mclaren garage.
after she showed them their spots and told them about the screens and headsets she caught up with jack for a bit before a whirlwind of red curls brushed past them, grabbed her wrist and whisked her away to the steps in front of the pit wall where anne and sabrina had claimed their place already.
“charlotte-i-don’t-know-your-middle-name-hughes! tell me your brother’s not the one in the middle, please” cassy looked at charlotte with wide eyes. “uh, my middle name’s ruby, actually. but yeah, that’s jack. left is cole, right is trevor.” charlotte answered, confusion evident on her face.
cassy only groaned, hiding her face in her hands. “are all your brothers that pretty? your parents must be like greek gods or somethin’” she mumbled into her hands. sabrina smirked, looking at them over her shoulder as she was walking back to the garage with anne, both of them having to work some more before the grand prix. “i think our cass just experienced love at first sight”
charlie gasped and smiled teasingly at that, prying cassy’s hands away from her face. “you gonna make a move?“
“would you like, be okay with that? and are you sure he’s single?” “of course i’m okay with that, cass! i’m not blind you know. also he’s been staring at you like ever since you grabbed me.” cassy tore her eyes away from charlie and towards the garage instead.
the pretty boy from earlier, jack hughes as she now knew, was indeed staring at her. “also, he’s definitely single. i can-” charlie’s sentence and cassy’s staring were interrupted by lando’s voice. “jonesy, hughesy, come on we need to do the rule run down!”
fortunately for jack and less so for cassy, her workspace wasn’t far from the guest area. which meant he could watch her and she couldn’t concentrate because she felt his eyes on her.
the grand prix itself wasn’t too eventful, 11th place for oscar and 13th for lando. both cassy and charlie were needed after the race though, to review the penalty lando had gotten for “unsportsmanlike behaviour”.
charlie’s department handled the rules for each grand prix as well as topics like filing lawsuits over penalties. cassy as one of lando’s engineers was tasked with reviewing all the video material she could get her hands on to find something that could have the penalty taken back, or at least reviewed.
on her way to the conference room though, when cassy passed by jack, she slipped a tiny piece of paper into his hand, catching his eyes quickly to smirk at him.
he wanted to chat her up at least but she was rushed along before his brain could form a single word. instead, he opened the note. it read “you’re really pretty. text me?” with a little heart and a number, presumably her phone number on it.
before he could even try folding the paper back up he was already fighting for balance, both cole and trevor having read the note and started teasingly nudging him with their elbows, matching excited grins on their faces.
“did jacky get himself a girlfrieeeend?” trevor sing-songed into his ear. before he could continue though, charlie apprared in front of them, index finger poking jack’s chest.
“i love you but if you fuck this up i’m not guaranteeing for anything” she warned, serious blue eyes drilling into his identical ones to make sure he understood her. he grabbed her hand, eyes just as serious as hers, and spoke “if i find a way to fuck this up, lottie, please make sure i regret it.”
55 notes · View notes
Text
I deleted my old tumblr about a year ago but then decided to make a new account with the intention of logging on every now and then to see what was going on in the fandoms I interested in. I wasn't going to interact with the posts or post anything myself but I can't keep my mouth shut anymore. I know that tumblr is a very far-left-chronically-online-teenagers kind of website (where "teenagers" does not necessarily refer to the actual age but rather to the black and white thinking and inability to understand that the real world is much more complex than that) and I'm not a fan of social media in general, plus I'm a very busy person, so I don't really like spending a lot of time on here but sometimes it can be fun.
Imagine my surprise when I created my new account sometime in December or January, only to find out that Noah Schnapp had apparently been cancelled, when only a year earlier he was being praised for being "so brave and queer" (I have my thoughts on all of this too but they're irrelevant right now). Knowing tumblr, I obviously rolled my eyes and moved on, wondering briefly what he might have done to warrant people cursing him left, right, and centre. Then I came across that photo and was like... I have no idea what's going on. Because I literally didn't. I learn about the news from newspaper headlines and only occasionally glance through New York Times, The Guardian, Süddeutsche Zeitung, or some other reputable newspapers when I have the time and nothing better to do.
So I decided to do my research. Cambridge Dictionary told me that Zionism was "a political movement that had as its original aim the creation of a country for Jewish people, and that now supports the state of Israel" which sounded more than reasonable to me, I could 100% get behind that myself. This left me even more confused as to why everyone was freaking out. At that point, I knew that there was a war in the Middle East but I didn't pay much attention to it. But by that point I was so invested in finding out what started this witch-hunt that I decided to sacrifice some time I didn't really have and dig deep into the topic.
Since my knowledge of the history and politics of the Middle East was close to nill at that point, I just knew that it'd been very tense and very messy ever since I could remember, I had to do a lot of reading, and I quickly realised that the situation was extremely complicated. The whole region was a ticking time bomb and I couldn't think of any potential solution to the problem. In other words, I still don't think there was any chance of this not turning into an armed conflict sooner rather than later.
Armed with this new knowledge, I then returned to tumblr, thinking that people were upset that Noah was making a joke about the war, which is perfectly understandable. Instead I found out that the woke American left was now supporting terrorists. Which was an interesting development, to say the least. More terrifying was the realisation that they were getting all their information from Islamic sources, including the Hamas itself, because the West is apparently evil now (neo-orientalism, anyone? just me? okay...) and can't be trusted. Also, the Jews are responsible for that because they're controlling the governments and the media and basically everything else? Correct me if I got that wrong, I'm not very good at conspiracy theories, they confuse me, but I think that's what a lot of people are implying?
Let's take a moment to let it sink in: people believe everything a terrorist group tells them (see sources at the end if you have any doubts that that's what they are) as opposed to consulting different sources from various places where the press are reasonably free to tell the truth... Not only that, they are now "rooting for" Hamas (it's a war, not a football match, but fine) and, on the more extreme end, want to see Israel destroyed. In the same breath, with no sense of irony, they renounce genocide and praise the Nazis (which is what I actually wanted to talk about, but this has got too long, so more on those charming chaps, their modern counterparts, and how the far left has become the far right in my next post).
As for Noah, I find the post itself rather off-putting but not the fact that he might support Zionism (in its original form; people on this site seem to have redefined it and now I see it used as an insult, but I can't for the life of me figure out what you think it means, not to mention that none of you can actually agree on what it means, so I'm just going to stick to the original definition, thank you very much). But he's 19 and teenagers will always be teenagers, they rarely stop to think before doing or saying something. If he was 20 years older than he is, I'd think he should know better, but I've seen kids (and many adults) do much dumber, not to mention dangerous (as in could actually get them and/or other people killed), things in real life. I've done much dumber things myself. It's just that the most of us have the privilege of doing those dumb things in private, without millions of people analysing our every move.
Sources:
EU list of external terrorists (see 9 on p. 6); for more information, including criteria for listing, see this
An article from The Guardian from July 2017. Especially interesting:
The US classifies Hamas as a terrorist organisation, although in the UK it is not banned in its entirety. The Home Office’s list of proscribed groups only includes its military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, for their “aims to end Israeli occupation in Palestine and establish an Islamic State”.
US list of FTOs (Hamas designated as a FTO on October 8, 1997)
11 notes · View notes
mattslaboratory · 2 years
Photo
Tumblr media
did you see 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐖 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋 at that rager last night? i think they major in 𝘾𝙃𝙀𝙈𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙍𝙔 as a 𝙅𝙐𝙉𝙄𝙊𝙍. from what i hear they’re 𝘾𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙑𝙀 & 𝙎𝙋𝙊𝙉𝙏𝘼𝙉𝙀𝙊𝙐𝙎, but they can be pretty 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙊𝙏𝙄𝘾 too, depending on who you ask.
there was a rumor going around last semester that 𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨, but it seems way too wild to be true- maybe i’ll to get to know UCSB’s resident 𝐌𝐀𝐃 𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓 better & find out.  
  一  portrayed by 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒕, penned by 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒆.
𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒一𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐀𝐆 一 𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅-𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀 一𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 一𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒
Tumblr media
AGE: 23 
PRONOUNS: he/him
SEXUALITY: queer
HOMETOWN: London, England 
HOUSING: officially with @burkeshq​ at san joaquin. unofficially, at sierra madre village [off campus], with @beaunjour​ & @cfbuchanan​, dorm 150
EXTRACURRICULARS: men's soccer (defender, centre-back), ghost hunting club (he runs the subreddit, which is /r/ucsbmyths), yoga club and top chef cooking & baking club
NOTABLE HOBBIES: bothering his friends, smoking stuff, causing chaos, listening to podcasts and conspiracy theories, experimental chemistry, mixology, driving (he’s horrible at it, an actual danger for society), smooching with homies, meddling into his friend's lives (especially their love lives), cool experiments, partying, being loud as a whole, pranking people who deserve it (according to his own judgement lmao) . however, he's also really into animals and protecting them, so he'll always stop what he's doing to pet cute animals. 
CATCHPHRASE: "listen, but what if we did [insert here crazy idea/half-baked plan]" 
THEME SONG: young volcanoes, by fall out boy ( + 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 )
POSITIVE TRAITS: creative / spontaneous / loving
NEGATIVE TRAITS: petty / chaotic / privileged
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLE: @mattfaraday 
PETS: a cat named CC (Cookies and Cream), which he shares the parenthood with @ophelala​ and @cerulli​ + Beau’s dogs​
Tumblr media
𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑯𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑹𝒀​
campbell family’s backstory by becca @burkeshq
The Campbell family is a pretty well-off household from London, the kind of people who have more money than sense. Dex and Dennis Campbell, brothers who inherited the money and didn’t spare efforts to keep the family name. While Dex was a long-running member of parliament with a slim-to-none chance of losing an election, Dennis was a stock broker with a Cambridge degree on Economics and made a lot of money on a daily basis. 
That, alongside the family’s property portfolio and frequent donations accepted from companies to keep Dex’s votes in their favour, has meant that the family would never want for anything. Due to this, Matt’s grown up to be a sheltered and privileged child.
Dennis and Clara, his parents, are still married and have three children 一 the middle child being Matt. He didn’t have to grow up quickly or take charge as the eldest, his only duty was obeying - which he promptly did without questioning.
It’s not that he was passive to a situation, his life was really easy and there was no reason for him to do anything different than what he was told to. That said, you can just assume that he’s really innocent for some things about the real world, like taxes and the way law works.
What you see? That’s exactly what you’re gonna get from him. He’s petty, sometimes really mean and irresponsible, chaotic, loves to make new friends and experiment on different things.
He studied at a posh school near London, alongside his cousin, Burke 一 Dex’s son. The funny thing is: he never even liked chemistry. He just liked to try new things and see how they would react, which was more more cool than the way professors taught things at school. He’s a smart child, too lazy to do things the proper way and probably has ADHD.
All in all, he’s pretty easygoing and his parents are okay with him being queer. Not because they are understandable or supporting, but because this is the smaller of Matt’s issues.
𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑷𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻
In order to get here, Matt had to confront his parents for the first time. He wanted to be free of them, at least for a while, and the best way to do it was... You guessed, crossing an entire ocean!
Their marriage was falling apart, things at home were awful and he couldn’t stand it anymore. Thus, he took the opportunity to go to America and go to college there. Not that his parents like the situation, no. They remind him of how poor of a choice that is at least once a day.
Now, Matt is living his dreams of freedom and trying new things. He’s not completely oblivious stuff teenagers and young adults do, so it’s not like he’s seeing things for the first time.
For now, his goal is to survive the year and figure out what the fuck he’s doing before graduation.​
@cybulletin​
4 notes · View notes
Text
Facing my Demons - Act One
The Ex Bestie
It was your birthday recently...
3 years since I visited for your 18th...
2 years and 3 months since you told me I was the worst human being alive, and I walked away from you forever... But who's counting?
I shouldn't still dwell on a lost friendship... And I don't really. Only during times like this.
I congratulated myself actually. I'd been working hard on the day... Didn't realise it was your 21st birthday until the day after, when going through my phone memories.
Sometimes your face pops up... Regardless of how hard I tried to scrub you from my social media...
We were just that close...
Did you do anything for your birthday, I wonder? Did you have friends over? Did you do the same things we did on your 18th, those three long years ago?
I worry you haven't any friends. Most of yours walked away with me, knowing I wasn't the bad guy here.
It's silly. I shouldn't worry. You have a knack for finding friends. Keeping them...? Well... That was more difficult, wasn't it?
I wasn't the first 'bestie' to be thrown to the wolves, was I... Aranea?
Brian... Lassie?... They were both dumped in favour of me... And then I was dumped. Your Corvus. Because my mental health became too much for you to handle?
No... Because you realised I wasn't the person you needed anymore.
You needed me when I was able to give you a place to stay when moving. You needed me in the cold dark nights in Scotland, when all you had was your overbearing Mother for company, and a spirit girl who was tormenting your very soul. You needed me, so my mum could remove that spirit...
Once those things were done...
I wasn't needed anymore. I did my piece...
But I needed you.
And I never got pay back for all the good I did for you... All the nights I stopped up with you... Shared my soul with you. Helped you through dark times...
I got one weekend in Southern England, I suppose, and a night in Cambridge... Was it Cambridge? With your extended family... Who didn't seem to want me there... Or you either, if I'm honest.
Those were once some of my happier memories... Once. Now I just feel a stirring sickness in my stomach when I think about them...
It's like in the film 'Inside Out'... Where a happy memory is tainted by something sad. My only positive memory's of that trip now, was the journey with Ronnie.
I don't recall ditching you when the times were rough. I recall the few times I was too low myself, and I'd end up blocking you to give you space.
Ha. If I didn't, I'd obsessively check my phone, to see if you had messaged to tell me you were okay. Or if your mum had.
Looking back, I don't know if that was stupid... Or safe. All I remember is the constant anxiety.
I knew I annoyed you more... When I tried to help. I annoyed you when I was low myself. You stated as much. "I'm trying to pick myself up now... And you're pulling me down again."
That hurt. A lot of things you said to me hurt. It wasn't until afterwards... I realised though.
When I told Tim about some of the things you'd said in the past, over the few weeks after the final block...
He said "If I'd known she'd spoken to you like that... I would have stopped you talking to her. No one should say those kind of things... Especially not to their BEST FRIEND. I wish you'd told me sooner."
He regrets ever letting you in the house. You know that? He regrets letting us get so close.
I remember you being jealous of my girlfriend at the time... Am I not allowed to be openly Poly? She dumped me you know? About 3 weeks after we fell out. She could see I wasn't in the right place to have a new relationship.
And I knew you had a crush on me, Aranea... You told me as much.
A 12 year age difference was too much to handle. Its why I shot you down. I had to be the adult. Tim said to blame him, so our friendship didn't suffer. He regrets that too now.
You tried to get with my brother. If you couldn't have me, get the next best thing, I suppose.
Hope you know he saw you as a quick fcuk. Nothing more. He stated several times after we fell out, that he regretted not going all the way with you. I said, feel free. I don't care.
He tried to message you. You blocked him 😂
A few months after the block down... I'd posted some videos about you on my TikTok. Never mentioned names. Much like now. I don't mention names. Slander is a dangerous thing. I'm not that dumb. Nor can afford to pay solicitor fees.
I'd spoken about you in a group chat too, with my friends... You sent a spy for me. I found that quite funny. Although my brother soon sent them packing. It was beautiful to experience.
I remember coming out of the tattoo parlour I was apprenticing at... And my brother pulled out his phone and showed me a string of messages he got from your mother!
"Tell Corvus to stop talking about my daughter, or we will sue her."
Followed up with a bunch of screenshots of a group chat, and my TikTok.
I laughed... I was a tattoo apprentice. With what money?!
He told me to stop. I said I will, but also pointed out that you and your mum had no leg to stand on. I mentioned no names publicly on TikTok. The chat was private to my friends. He messaged back, and said that what I did was harmless, but what she did was Harassment. And he could sue her.
Your mum never messaged again.
This feels good. Getting all this out. I doubt you'd ever find this. You probably don't even care.
I think that's why I struggled for so long over this. Mum said when I told her that we'd fallen out that I never got to say my piece. You had a chance to throw down. Scream and yell at me, and call me all names under the sun.
I walked away. Quietly... Dignified.
I simply said "I'm sorry. Goodbye."
And hit block.
It hurt. I screamed... I was alone that night. Tim was working. I sent him a message. I called no one. I tore down the painting I bought from you. The alien. I punched it. Shot my hand right through the canvas.
I took out the stash of letters we had written each other. I read each one slowly, before dropping them in to the fireplace place. Same with your drawings.
The Tattoo I designed for you - Burnt.
The Ceramic Box you made me - Smashed.
The Bunny Plush you bought me - Charity Shop (I didn't have the heart to destroy something that could bring someone else joy)
The Cards Against Disney you got me - Kept... But certainly made many better memories with it. Its the only thing you gave me that I did keep.
Mum called me shortly after... You'd messaged her, asking if you could still be friends. She told you in the kindest possible way to "fcuk off". She actually hated you. Couldn't understand why you were my best friend. I look back now and I wonder that too. But I think I know now. It's quite obvious really.
I've always regarded my friends as top priorities. I love them all. And deep down... I still love you too. But...
I couldn't be your friend again.
It wouldn't work.
And I know that.
I think the only reason I gripped to you so tightly is...
I'd never had a Best Friend before.
Or let me rephrase that.
I'd never had someone call ME their Best Friend before.
Anyone I considered a 'best friend' always claimed publicly someone else was their best friend... And I never got picked first for anything. Its why I pulled away from most of my school friends post school. They still reach out. And now... Thanks to this experience with you... I reach back...
Because I realise now... You don't need BEST friends. Just enough close friends. And I have them.
I have Tim. I have Grell. I have Ronnie. I have the D n D crew. I have my witch family.
I have a new girlfriend. She's amazing.
She wants Tim and I to move out to the US to live with her. It's a long way down the line. But we're definitely thinking about it.
I have a new life. I think you'd be shocked how much I changed. Since I last spoke to you, I got an apprenticeship at the tattoo parlour that we got our coven tatts at. I saw you'd had yours covered... With a big ass eagle. Not what I expected, but you do you. I still have mine. I sport it with pride. I almost had it covered... But I now see it as something beautiful. It's proof I can pull through anything. That some friends aren't forever, but they still leave their mark on you. Lessons you must learn. It's poetic.
I lost that apprenticeship. Was the middle of the pandemic... And my mentor was a douche. Win some loose some.
But I recently landed a job at my local hospital. And I'm excited to get started. Its a great opportunity... And a chance to lead me to do what I really want to do.
Art therapy. To help people... Like I used to try and help you. But better... And using my degree. (You took my uni jumper by the way! But its fine. I smoked all the wacki backi you left behind. 🤷 Call it square.)
I feel so much better. Talking this out to the ether. It's like Shadow Work. Just putting down what my brain already figured out over the past 2 years... But in one spot.
Maybe now... I can finally focus on my own future... And not worry about yours, and where you'll one day end up.
I'm sorry for where I failed you Aranea... And you're welcome for where I didn't.
Blessed be old friend. If we ever meet again, I hope its on better terms.
Corvus
0 notes
snifflesthemouse · 3 years
Text
There's a sense of freedom that comes with anonymity of online interactions. This sense of freedom only exists because of the fact it's difficult for the real world to catch up with you in your real life. Unless of course, you go after the wrong one.
When a person goes after someone else solely because they think differently or have a strong opposing opinion, they often do so with a false gusto and bravery that only exists in the virtual realm. Like many say online, "You'd never say that to my face." And that's true for most people... but not all people.
And because of this anonymity, that affords all internet users the freedom to say whatever, a real life concern spawns from a virtual world. This real life concern is often referred to as "doxxing" where one internet user uses what clues and resources they have available to "expose" another internet user's real life. This has happened to many people I watch on YouTube. Some have even had to involve the real life police, as well as uproot their entire lives and move because of doxxing.
For example, Murky Meg has been doxxed a couple times now. She's had her real life threatened by doxxing. Terrifyingly, she wasn't the only target threatened because the douche flutes also brought her children into it. Yes, the same people who worship the Montecito Madam and preach the mantras of "compassion and kindness" and "leave children out of this" have gone so far as to go after Murky Meg's real life and real life children. And sadly, the threats and attacks never really stop. Especially when articles like the one I wrote about make the rounds. But Murky Meg doesn't allow this all to silence her; she keeps calm and carries on regardless.
Another example involves Yankee Wally. She was targeted repeatedly over copyright infringement on her YouTube channel, as well as having her social media accounts suspended repeatedly over the last few years. And even though Yankee Wally has never pretended to be anything or anyone else than who she is in real life, people have attempted to use her past as a weapon to discredit her. Those attempts are futile, though, because Yankee Wally has always been open and honest about her life. She's also been very clear to the people watching her that she will fight back if need be.
Then there's According2Taz. While Taz has gone through the same ringer that so many others have gone through (from doxxing to threats, harassment, and verbal abuse), she has also been attacked financially. Especially when it comes to her supporting good causes. Some twat waffles have sent her £0.01 via PayPal with notes attached. Notes that are grossly abusive, calling her fat and ugly, and saying her husband is cheating on her. Others have sent requests asking her to pay them £100 with notes attacking HRH Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge and her book. Murky Meg got a similar request, as well. But the most heinous impediment coming from the Montecito Madam's extremists, involved charity. Once, when Taz was raising money for Australian wildlife affected by the wildfires; someone reported her PayPal account and those funds were held up for some time before getting released for the cause. Then, again, Taz was targeted when she was raising funds to help an elderly woman who got robbed. Yes, the very same people, who stand on custom-made soap boxes emblazoned with the Sussex monogram, did everything they possibly could to marginally disrupt charity. Yet Taz does not waiver; she keeps going.
As bad as Murky Meg, Yankee Wally, and Taz have had it, they're sadly not alone. No, they are only three examples from a plethora of examples. Of that plethora, one more example comes to mind. That example involves DanjaZone (Ashli).
Ashli, who started her YouTube channel before the whole Megxit ordeal as a way to keep in touch with family, was even the subject of a blind item from CDAN (crazy days and nights). You see, Ashli and her family lost everything they had in a horrible house fire. Rumors swirled around the fire, but the most heinous comments came from the Sussex Squad's more prominent loudmouths. Some accused Ashli of lying about the fire in an attempt to scam people for money. Others called her white trash and trailer trash. So while Ashli was going through the loss of her home and everything she owned... while she was grieving the loss of family pets and irreplaceable family mementos... while she was down and out on her luck and trying to cope with all the pain and loss... while she was going through all of the attacks from doubters saying she faked the fire or was lying, that she was trailer trash... the disciples of the Duchess were laughing and celebrating her pain as a win. Never once considering the fact that Ashli has been in recovery for years now, and the stress from the fire coupled with the heartless, feckless attacks, could in fact push her over the edge.
No, the very same people, who scream via CAPS lock on social media that critics of Meghan should "leave her alone", that her critics drove the Montecito Madam to "suicidal ideation while pregnant" could care less about Ashli's mental health. Yes, the very same people, who lodged over 50,000 OFCOM complaints against Piers Morgan because he questioned their beloved's outlandish attacks during the Oprah interview, previously found no issues with attacking Ashli during one of the hardest times in her life. Yet, Ashli picked up the pieces and never gave up or gave into their attacks.
Again, these four examples are just the tip of the hypocritical iceberg. There are countless more examples out there. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people who criticize Meghan's and Harry's behaviors can all relate. Nobody is safe or off limits from this iceberg; from Royal Rota reporters, celebrities, and politicians to regular people who aren't rich, famous, or in possession of a global platform.
Yet nobody, and I mean absolutely nobody, in the media or in journalism ever cover any of this. You can find articles galore written with the intentions of exposing "Meghan Markle Haters". Articles like the one I wrote about attacking critics and reducing us all to the stereotypes of racist, misogynist, bigot, envious, etc.
What that does is send a clear, prominent message to the people who cling to every word of the Montecito Madam. The people who cling to the wind coming from her mouth, her "close friends" or fake "palace insiders" hear those dog whistles loud and clear. The dog whistles that say "It's okay, keep attacking and hurting people. They're evil, hateful racists. They deserve the abuse. You're on the side of good. Go harder!"
When in truth, the wind they cling to coming from their beloved's mouth or mouthpieces is actually falsehoods, lies, and manifestations of grandeur that is no more real than Netflix's The Crown. No, the wind they cling to really comes from the south mouth of their beloved. But God forbid anyone hold their little cult accountable.
We cannot have a society where sensationalism trumps truth. We cannot weaponize the press and use it against people simply because they criticize the Meghan Markles of the world. It is unacceptable for the press, media platforms, or anyone with a prominent influence on society, to celebrate defenders of the Meghan Markle faith without first acknowledging the truth.
The truth, which is often dream dashing and harsh, is that "Meghan Markle Lovers" could care less about compassion, kindness, charity, children, or community. The truth is, they could care less about forgiveness or loving thy neighbors. We don't have to look to their savior figurehead to prove this to be true. We only have to look at the comments section or Twitter.
Those of us who criticize or dislike Meghan and Harry because of their behavior know all too well the truth will never be written up on the front page of the Sun, the Daily Mail, or People Magazine. The mirage of us being the racists, misogynists, or detesting haters sells papers. And the papers don't want to be in that same category.
Maybe one day the press will tell the stories of people like Murky Meg, Yankee Wally, Taz, Ashli, and countless others in an effective way that exposes the real haters in the relationship. Maybe one day, the victims of the Montecito Madam's cult following will be doxxed, exposed, and sent a new message. A message that says, "We see you for the hypocrites you are. You may repeat the preachings of your Madam like it's the new woke gospel, but you don't practice it. You're a big reason why people loathe your beloved. You make her look worse. You aren't defending her, you are condemning her. Keep it up, because we see you and we will expose you!"
If only...
294 notes · View notes
royalpain16 · 2 years
Text
Prince William Shares Photos from His First Visit to Dubai (Including One Prince George Will Love!)
Tumblr media
Prince William has wrapped his first official visit to Dubai — and he may have had his eldest son in mind when posing for a particular photo!
The Duke of Cambridge shared a series of photos on social media from his trip to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, including a shot of himself standing in front of a futuristic police car.
"Thank you for a wonderful day in the UAE! From visiting the Jubail Mangroves and Jebel Ali Port to seeing our Earthshot finalists and celebrating the UK National Day @expo2020dubai - it was great to spend time celebrating sustainability, collaboration and innovation," the post was captioned. "And also to see this police car…! 🚔🇦🇪"
Prince William, 39, has previously shared that his 8-year-old son Prince George was "obsessed" with police cars.
"He is obsessed, actually, by the police….cars, toys, everything," William said at The Met Excellence Awards in 2018.
And in 2017 when Prince William met Santa Claus during a holiday outing, he passed on a Christmas list from Prince George. There was just one item on the list: a police car.
"I've seen you and I had to give you this letter," William told Santa. "He hasn't written down many requests, so I think one request is probably okay."
Prince William's visit to Dubai came at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and coincides with the 50th anniversary year of the UAE and U.K. National Day. He attended U.K. National Day at Expo 2020 Dubai on Thursday.
The bond between the U.K. and the UAE is deep and strong and Prince William's visit will highlight and build upon these links as he has the opportunity to engage with young Emiratis, leaders from government and committed conservationists, according to William's office at Kensington Palace.
In a speech, the Duke of Cambridge said, "I hope that attending this showcase today inspires you. It should remind you that we have reason to hope. Our future is not yet set. And while the task ahead is great, we still have the ability to repair our planet and create a better world."
21 notes · View notes
allthewayabt · 3 years
Text
✨things about ABB FIA  Formula E World Championship that i just think are neat ✨
it’s full name is the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and is therefore occasionally reffered to as such.
and we go green is such an iconic catchphrase to start a race as it represents both the nature of formula E as an eco-friendly sport but also that the lights have gone out so the race is green. clever that. also it slides so easily into every city name.
street racing. there’s hairpins in street racing.
these cars are ROBUST. yeah okay some wings etc are collateral but. yeehaw. also it means that every race has some added drama.
there are lots of shunts which adds to the drama and ‘story of the season’ though they can be frustrating. it’s a lot of wrong place wrong time. disclaimer: this doesn’t mean the crashes and shunts aren’t dangerous. it’s still motorsport. 
sometimes the cameras will lurk on a woman in the garage (more in earlier seasons) but jack nicholls in commentary will never bring that fact up unless they are a driver/member of team/drivers wife he knows well and just continue to talk about the racing this may seem like a weird point but trust me you really start to appreciate it when you hear how sexiest/gendered some commentaries can be.
has a reputation for being a graveyard for ‘failed’ formula one drivers, but really it only has a few now and they have been there nearly all 7 seasons. it’s not an ‘easy’ series or a series that your paid to drive no matter how much loic “came 8th as his season best” duval want’s to say it is there is a lot of skill to driving a formula e car (also put some respect on nyck de vries name, just because he went to fe instead of f1 doesn’t mean he should be forgotten as a f2 champion or his achievements in fe should be swept under the rug
has a wide pool of drivers that are not just from single seaters. which can help introduce people to different styles of racing, or bring those racing fans into fe.
nicki shields is one of the best pit lane reporters going. asking the right questions and always pushing while being super professional (and wearing incredible outfits.
the cars sound like that. don’t say it isn’t cool. they literally. nyoom in squeaky cursive
there is something really appealing about sam bird reading numbers to his engineer. i hope this continues at jaguar i really do
talking of engineers, oliver turvey is cambridge educated, studied engineering so basically could be his own engineer (if he wasn’t driving)
okay it currently lacks women drivers but at least it has had some in there and gives a lot more opportunity with tests days and such.
fanboost is literally the dumbest concept in the world and therefore one of the greatest things going. where else are you gonna wonder how stoffel can pull so many fans, how envision can have one of the best social media campaigns of any racing team but yet neither of their drivers get votes, why i still lost it whenever i see andré on 69%. also attack mode.
LOL ALSO LIKE ANY TEAM CAN BE ON THE PODIUM. when they say anything can happen, anything actually can happen. techeetah domination s7 will happen now lkdajskdjdskajd
loads of FE drivers have really cute pets
finally. you can’t help but root for all teams at the end of the day. idk about anyone else but whenever formula e do a survey and ask who my favourite team is, i just don’t know. every team has a story and drivers with a story, and because it seems so friendly (give or take) off the track. you know these drivers put aside actual friendship on the track. and while we still have iconic rivalries lucas di grassi at literally everyone. its not the end of the world when your favourite doesn’t win.
you want NIO to score a point, dragon to maybe just maybe pull their shit together. buemi to yell on the radio but be soft on socials. mercedes to stop having a hot team boss
also dario franchitti with his white pressed shirts tucked into his trousers is the most iconic thing about this sport thanks for reading
186 notes · View notes
youareinlovees · 4 years
Text
Taylor and Joe in 2019 
January 2nd – Joe is seen leaving Taylor’s Tribeca apartment. (x)
January 6th – They both attend the Golden Globes in LA.
Tumblr media
“While Taylor presented, Joe watched the teleprompter near him and smiled and [his The Favourite costar] Nicholas Hoult patted him on the back. After Gaga walked on stage, Joe shifted his gaze to the stage near Taylor. She was smiling at him while she walked off the stage. She looked over her shoulder and gave a sassy cute little smile at his table’s direction.” 
(via US Weekly)
January 6th – An ET reporter asks Joe if he and Taylor would ever work together. (x)
“It’s not planned at the moment but who knows.”
Tumblr media Tumblr media
“Swift joined Alwyn at Fox’s party at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The instant she entered the event, the “Gorgeous” singer made a beeline for The Favourite star, putting her head on his shoulder and hand on his chest. Swift didn’t leave Alwyn’s side, posing for photos and chatting with Alwyn’s co-star, Nicholas Hoult, as she kept her hand around Alwyn’s waist. At the end of the evening, the two exited through the back of the venue and away from the crowds.” 
(via Entertainment Tonight)
Tumblr media
FOX Post Show Celebration was also one of the starriest, with The Favourite cast holding court at their table and having a ball throughout the night. Big winner Olivia Colman was seen taking shots with Joe Alwyn, who was accompanied by girlfriend Taylor Swift the whole night. 
The Grammy winner cheered on the cast as they took the shots and was affectionate with her beau throughout the celebration. The ultra-private couple was spotted kissing and cozying up at their table along with Alwyn’s Favourite costar Emma Stone and her Saturday Night Live writer boyfriend Dave McCary. 
(via PEOPLE)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
CAA party: Alwyn and Swift made a brief appearance around 1 a.m. Security swarmed them,” the source says. “They sat in a couch at a table with their drinks in the back of the party and were talking with several people. They looked at each other a few times and it seemed like Joe was trying to make sure she was OK and gauge when she wanted to leave. They were then escorted out of a private exit together.”
(via E Online)
Video of them arriving at one of the afterparties.
February 8th – Taylor and Joe are spotted leaving The Spaniards Inn in Hampstead, London. (x)
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
February 9th – They’re seen walking around in Notting Hill.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
February 10th – Taylor skips the Grammys and attends several BAFTA afterparties with Joe instead. (x) (x)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Taylor Swift spotted caressing Joe Alwyn after sneaking into BAFTA dinner (x)
Determined to keep a low profile, Taylor swerved the main event at the Royal Albert Hall attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and headed straight to the exclusive dinner at the swanky Grosvenor Hotel on Park Lane.
“Taylor and Joe spent most of the evening in the middle of the room near the head table and based on table 68. They were chatting to colleagues but Taylor didn’t hide her affection towards Joe. She was seen caressing his back as they chatted away to a pal. It was clear they were an item but Taylor appeared conscious not to make a big deal about her appearance - she was just there for a good time rather than working like she would have to at the Grammys. Taylor didn’t leave Joe’s side all evening.”
Keen to keep a memento from the night, Taylor was seen taking home two pottery rabbit table decorations from her table. 
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Taylor talked to a Grazia reporter about The Favourite and how proud she was of him. (x)
While Grazia chatted to Joe about working with Olivia Colman (‘She was amazing,’ he gushed), Taylor appeared and gave him a congratulatory squeeze. ‘I was watching the show from home,’ she told us. ‘Every time The Favourite won another award, I was just squealing! I couldn’t believe it,’ she continued. ‘It’s so great for him – and it’s his first time coming to the BAFTAs, so it’s exciting. It’s a big deal.’ The singer, who is currently filming Cats, added how ‘proud’ she was of Joe’s success. 
They were seen leaving the Vogue / Tiffany & Co afterparty. (video) (x)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
February 12th – In an interview with ET, Rebel Wilson is asked whether she’s seen Joe on the set of CATS. (x)
“I haven’t! I have met him, but not on set.” 
February 22nd – Taylor and Joe attend the CAA Oscars pre-party in West Hollywood. (x)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
February 23rd – The Mirror publishes an article about Olivia Colman and Taylor becoming friends through Joe. (x)
A source revealed: “After the Baftas Taylor sang up a storm with Olivia Colman, Joe and Melissa McCarthy too at a London hotel. They had their own room and Olivia and Taylor were behaving like best buddies.Taylor thinks Olivia is amazing, she loves her and the sing song wasn’t a one off.” The insider added: “They have already made plans for Oscar week. They’re going to have a rerun of the karaoke night and Olivia has even been to Taylor and Joe’s LA home too.”
February 24th – Taylor and Joe hang out with Martha, Camila Cabello and Matthew Hussey at the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty.
Tumblr media
Video of them at the Fox afterparty.
Tumblr media
“Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance with her boyfriend, The Favourite star Joe Alwyn. As the party wound down, Swift and Alwyn were overheard contemplating late-night karaoke with Alwyn’s co-star Nicholas Hoult.”
(via Vanity Fair)
February 25th – Joe posts a photo taken in Taylor’s LA house.
Tumblr media
March 3rd – Taylor and Joe are seen hiking together in the Santa Monica mountains. (video) 
A picture he took of her is later included in the Lover photoshoot. (x)
Tumblr media
March 6th – Taylor drops an ELLE article titled “30 Things I Learned Before Turning 30.″ (x)
Tumblr media
How to fight fair with the ones you love. Chances are you’re not trying to hurt the person you love and they aren’t trying to hurt you. If you can wind the tension of an argument down to a conversation about where the other person is coming from, there’s a greater chance you can remove the shame of losing a fight for one of you and the ego boost of the one who “won” the fight. I know a couple who, in the thick of a fight, say “Hey, same team.” Find a way to defuse the anger that can spiral out of control and make you lose sight of the good things you two have built. They don’t give out awards for winning the most fights in your relationship. They just give out divorce papers.
Apologizing when you have hurt someone who really matters to you takes nothing away from you. Even if it was unintentional, it’s so easy to just apologize and move on. Try not to say “I’m sorry, but...” and make excuses for yourself. Learn how to make a sincere apology, and you can avoid breaking down the trust in your friendships and relationships.
For too long, the projected opinions of strangers affected how I viewed my relationships. Whether it was the general internet consensus of who would be right for me, or what they thought was “couples goals” based on a picture I posted on Instagram. That stuff isn’t real. For an approval seeker like me, it was an important lesson for me to learn to have my OWN value system of what I actually want.
Playing mind games is for the chase. In a real relationship or friendship, you’re shooting yourself in the foot if you don’t tell the other person how you feel, and what could be done to fix it. No one is a mind reader. If someone really loves you, they want you to verbalize how you feel. This is real life, not chess.
April 17th – Emma Roberts and Garrett Hedlund (Joe’s Billy Lynn co-star) visit Joe and Taylor at their LA place. (x)
April 24th – Taylor sends @/daylightanna – a family friend of the Alwyns – reputation merch and a signed photo for her birthday. (x)
Tumblr media
April 26th – Taylor posts a video of her cat Benjamin Button, and Joe’s hand is clearly visible at the start of the clip. (x)
April 30th – In the ME! behind the scenes video where Taylor meets Benji, she says she has to “get on the phone” before she can adopt him. (x)
May 1st – In an interview with iHeartRadio Canada, Taylor is asked about how she chose Benji’s name. (x)
What made you decide to go with the name Benjamin Button?
I really liked the movie Benjamin Button.
Okay, that’s a good answer.
And Benjamin Button in the movies is such a good guy, you know? He’s always doing the right thing.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
May 2nd – The day after the BBMAs, Taylor leaves Las Vegas for London.
May 4th – Taylor is seen in Notting Hill (again).
Tumblr media
May 15th – Taylor is interviewed on The Ellen Show, and at one point Ellen says to the audience, “We have to take a break, and then uh, we’re gonna come back and she’s gonna talk all about her boyfriend!” (video)
May 21st – Taylor leaves LA for London, and then she and Joe fly to France the next day.
May 24th – Taylor and Joe are seen out in Paris together. (x)
Tumblr media
They visit the Pont Neuf Bridge and the Square du Vert-Galant, where scenes from the Begin Again music video were filmed.
Tumblr media
They also went to the Grand Palais on the same trip.
Tumblr media
Joe posts these photos that Taylor took. 
Tumblr media
May 25th – In an interview with NRJ Paris, Taylor was asked what she would do if her boyfriend forgot her birthday. (x)
“Wouldn’t happen. I don’t know how to react to something that is an impossibility. I’m so loud about my birthday, you couldn’t miss it.”
May 25th – Taylor likes and reblogs this chain post.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
May 26th – Taylor posts photos from her hotel room that Joe most likely took.
Tumblr media
May 31st – Taylor and Joe go on a double date with Rob Pattinson and Suki Waterhouse at San Vicente Bungalows in LA. (x)
The San Vicente Bungalows is an exclusive members-only club and has a "no phones, no pictures, no social media, no talking about other members-policy." So it truly is the perfect place for two private couples to have a double date out.
Other people still saw Swift, Alwyn, Pattinson, and Waterhouse, and one onlooker told Us Weekly that the date happened. It was good fun. "The four were laughing and talking" all night, the onlooker said. "They were at a table, just the four of them. Rob and Taylor were across from each other."
June 12th – Katy Perry posts a photo from Taylor’s place, and a blurry polaroid of Joe and Benji can be seen in the corner.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
June 19th – Taylor leaves NYC and flies to London.
June 27th – Taylor films the BBC Children In Need documentary and says she got involved because Olivia Colman reached out to Joe.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
(via taylorswifth)
Olivia talks about how she managed to get Taylor to show up and surprise Shaun. (x)
“Taylor Swift goes out with a very lovely fella, Joe Alwyn, who I did a job with. And I did a very cheeky text at him and went, ‘Do you think Taylor will come along and surprise Shaun Dooley?’”
June 29th – kingkeir tweets about Taylor renting a place near London Zoo.
Tumblr media
July 2nd – Taylor, Martha, Ashley and the HAIM sisters go on vacation to the St Thomas Virgin Islands. (x)
July 6th – Joe finishes filming A Christmas Carol, the same day Taylor and her friends are papped flying back to the US. They presumably meet up in New York the next day.
July 10th – Taylor performs at the Amazon Prime Day Concert in NYC. Throughout the show–and especially during Delicate–she kept looking and pointing at Joe, who was sitting in the soundbooth. (video)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
In Ashley’s IG story, Gigi says “Taylor can’t stop looking at him!” and she replies “here text him!” (video)
July 11th – The day after the Prime Concert, they fly from NYC to London.
July 13th – Taylor and Joe were reportedly seen at Starbucks in Muswell Hill.
Tumblr media
July 16th – In a radio interview with KIIS 1065, Katy Perry talks about ending her feud with Taylor. (x)
“I started seeing her around at like the Oscar parties when she was accompanying her boyfriend and I just went up to her and I was like 'hey, you know it's been a long time and I think we've grown up a little bit and I just wanted to say I'm sorry.”
July 18th – Taylor and Joe fly to Manchester, and it’s pretty likely that this photo (posted on July 26) was from this trip, because it was taken at the Peak District and that’s an hour long drive from Manchester.
Tumblr media
July 20th – Joe and Taylor arrive in LA.
July 24th – Taylor likes this post. 
Tumblr media
July 23rd – Taylor films the Lover music video in LA. Joe and Andrea are seen sitting together on set. (x)
Tumblr media
July 25th – Riley Knoxx posts a vlog on her YouTube channel about her experience of being in the YNTCD video. She talks about her conversations with Taylor on-set, and how Taylor showed her photos of her with Joe. (x)
“We talked about everything, from whether we want kids or not, [Taylor] showed me videos of her cats and her boyfriend, who she’s rarely seen with, but she’s showing me, you know, the pictures.”
July 30th – In an interview with Cosmopolitan, Rebel Wilson is asked whether she got some dating tips from Taylor while they were filming CATS. (x)
“She’s in a pretty committed relationship now, so it didn’t really come up.”
August 2nd – London secret sessions are held.
Tumblr media
Taylor name dropped Joe when explaining Cruel Summer, confirming that it’s about him. (x)
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
She also talks to theirgetawaycar about spending Christmas in Ireland, which stacks because we know she spent the holidays with Joe and their families at Glin Castle.
-
Keep reading
-
2016 // 2017 // 2018 // 2020 // 2021
411 notes · View notes
princessmadafu · 3 years
Text
37 bleedin’ pages!
I have condensed them for you and left out most of the bits that the nasty evil British Press have already covered. Feel free to skip any boring bits.
Dax Shepard: Welcome, welcome, welcome to Armchair Expert's Experts on Expert. I'm Dan Shepard. I'm joined by Monica Mouse.
Monica Padman: Hi.
[...]
There follows some heavy marketing of towels and stuff...
DS: Now please enjoy Prince Harry. We are supported by Brookelinen. My favourite hotel quality sheets to get into and writhe around in the nude. [...] They're impeccable. They're decadent, they're soft, they're absorbent. Brookelinen was started to create beautiful high quality home essentials that don't cost an arm and a leg. They're so confident in their product, they come with a 365 day warranty. So give yourself that comfort refresh you deserve and get it for less. Go to Brookelinen.com and use promo code 'expert' to get $20 off with a minimum purchase of $100. That's Brookelinen.com and enter promo code 'expert' for $20 off with a minimum purchase of $100. That's Brookelinen.com, promo code 'expert'.
Pretty ironic really, as Harry wades into fake news and how advertising algorithms are ruining us...
DS:...It's like the algorithms on the internet. You can't compete with that, a human.
PH: You can't if you have the awareness of what it's doing to you. And the fact that it's learning, which is scary. And advertising has been going on for hundreds of years, but done really responsibly. The difference here is targeted ads. If ads have always worked for companies, you can put on the TV, you can walk away, you can come back, your involvement is switching on switching off or changing the channel. Whereas now with algorithms is there, it's just feeding your habits. And it's also reading through your emails and everything else. So it's getting to know you, like, it gets to know the decisions you're gonna make before you make them, then it creates this echo chamber of no pushback, of no context of nothing. It's just perpetuating and feeding the bias and the habits that you already have inside of you, which is terrible.[...]
Harry needs to learn about AdBlock and Ghostery and VPNs and Tor and DuckDuckGo and Smartpage and all the other clever little ways the computer-literate have of ridding their lives of unwanted advertising. I haven't seen an ad in years. The only person feeding my habits is me. It’s called personal responsibility. Maybe Harry still needs a Nanny but most grown-ups don’t. Oh wait, I forgot, the “Meghan&Harry Show” fans are all kids.
PH: [...] It's a computer. It's like, who wrote the algorithms? You guys did? Probably all male and all white.
Oooh, let's be sexist and racist, Harry! Did you ever hear of these women or are they too scary?
https://biztechmagazine.com/article/2012/05/mothers-technology-10-women-who-invented-and-innovated-tech
Then they discuss Naked Vegas (this guy Dax has a thing about nudity) and Harry in Afghanistan. And discuss a calendar of naked men that DS and MP put together - their favourite male bodies. What a good job it's only gloating over naked male bodies and not naked female bodies. It's apparently acceptable, for some reason. Harry doesn't know who the guys are.
DS: Monica makes this for me every year and it's a calendar of all my favourite bodies of friends.
MP: And they're all men.
DS: They're all men.
MP: And they're all gorgeous bodies.
[...]
And is Harry nervous talking about mental health? He shouldn't be, he's been banging on about it for years.
PH: Yeah. Was I nervous? No. Not so much nervous. But I guess on this particular subject around mental health. Yeah. For me, it's always a, unfortunately, today's world is quite a sensitive subject, not just for the people who are sharing. But ultimately, the subject matter itself has to be handled with care. [...] It ends up getting weaponized by certain people.
Weaponised by certain people? Like him and Markle, for instance. Neither of 'em has any talent so they weaponise their mental health. Big big mental health bombs loaded with word salad to lob at their own families and cause huge distress. Not nice, Harry.
PH: That's how I've always felt when it comes to projection. I mean, hatred is a form of projection, right? [...] We're not born to hate people. So it manifests itself over a period of time. And of course, it can come from unresolved pain, or being hurt continually, as a young kid or through adult life. But ultimately, there's a source to it. There's a reason why you want to hate somebody else.
Like his dad, his brother...
PH: And actually have some compassion for them. Which is really hard when you're on the receiving end of this, like, just vile, toxic abuse. But the reality is, is you say, flip it. [...] Every single one of us wherever we are, wherever we come from, there will always try and find some way to be able to mask the actual feeling and be able to try and make us feel different to how we are actually feeling, perhaps having a feeling. Right, because so many people are just numb to it. That was a huge part of the beginning of my life, which was like, I rejected. I said, there's nothing wrong with me. I'm fine.
And now he's moved on to promoting his new mental health stuff with Oprah, The Me You Can't See...
PH: So if you are making that conscious decision to say: You know what, it's not self serving, but I want to share my story. I'm being asked to share my story to hopefully help someone or loads of other people. I'm probably going to get trolled. I'm probably going to get attacked by the same people that were doing anyway. If I'm willing to make that decision, surely that comes from a place of courage rather than weakness?
Or possibly naivety. Harry is only wanted for his money-making title and royal status; he has no mental health qualifications, he's not a mental health professional, he's not an expert, all he brings to the table is the glamour of being a prince of the BRF. Which he quite clearly hates. Markle is lining her pockets from their self-indulgent mental health whinge fest and he's too dim to see it. There follows the bit about the spectrum of upbringing that the press is covering nicely so I can skip the next few pages - the bits where Harry says he doesn't see that talking about his own issues is complaining, and “it's the job, right”, how he never wanted the job of being royal, and his therapy and how “massively self-critical” he is (yet still can't see that he's not being honest with himself), ooh and sharing his hatred of the British press - that's a good bit, let's skip to page 18:
PH I think the biggest issue for me was that being born into it, you inherit the risk, you inherit the risk that comes with it, you inherit every element of it without choice. And because of the way that the UK media are, they feel an ownership over you. Literally like a full on ownership. And then they give the impression to some of their, well, most of the readers, that that is the case. But I think it's a really dangerous place to be if you don't have a choice, but then, of course, then people quite rightly will turn around and go. So what if you didn't have a choice? It was privilege? [...] Page Six of the New York Post, they took pictures of my son being picked up from school on his first day [...] But I guess my point is the way that I look at it, especially now living here one hour outside LA. Like it's a feeding frenzy here. We spent the first three and a half months living at Tyler Perry's house. You let us stay. And the helicopter helicopters, the drones the paparazzi cutting the fence like it was madness. And people out there -Their response was, Well, what do you expect if you live in LA? It's like, Okay, well, first of all, we didn't mean to live in LA. This is like a staging area before we try and find a house. And secondly, how sad that if you live in LA and you're well known figure, you just have to accept it. The first security we had, I said, Well, where's the safest place? Inside. Just because I'm a well known person, you can't go outside anymore. [...] it's really, really sad. And of course, their argument is - the paparazzi and everybody else - is like all if you're in the public space, then it's absolutely fine for us to do it. So what is our human right as an individual and as a family, you're saying that if the moment we step foot out of our house, that it's open season and free game? What? Because of public interest?. There's no public interest in you taking your kids for a walk down the beach. Nothing...
And on and on it goes... He should've stayed in the UK then. The Cambridges are managing very nicely, thank you. They take their kids for walks on the beach, and we'd never seen them until they released their anniversary video the other week. Harry's clearly envious of William; Harry's mad wife is vitriolically envious of Catherine. Oh and I’m pretty sure it’s the mad wife who keeps phoning her go-to paps when she needs to be in the news again.
PH: [...] I believe we live in an age now where you've got certain elements of the media redefining to us what privacy means. There's a massive conflict of interest. And then you've got social media platforms, trying to redefine what free speech means. Why - I wonder why you're doing that. And again - so this has been happening for 15 years now. And we're living in this world where we've almost like all the laws have been completely flipped by the very people that need them flipped so they can make more money and they can capitalise off our pain, grief, and this sort of general self destructive mode that's happening at the moment [...]
He doesn't get how hypocritical this is, does he? The Markles are the ones capitalising on their grief, pain and the rest of it. And no-one would be interested in them without the royal bits because they have nothing else to offer. Failed actress and used-to-be-a-soldier wrapped up in festering bitterness.
Blah, blah... went shopping in a supermarket... saw lots of chewing gum... blah, blah... Archie on the back of his bicycle... girls want to be princesses... You don't need to be a princess, you can create the life that will be better than any princess or it's something along those lines... she said she expected [the press] to be fair... Pages and pages of how he hates the British press...
PH: [...] And especially when you can't defend yourself so yes, I think when you marry into it, especially when it's one Princess Diana's sons there is a certain amount of 'okay what I'm actually letting myself in for?' But very few people actually know - apart from the Brits - how toxic that element of the of the UK press is.[...]
We're up to page 24 now, if you're still with me. Oh here it is, Harry's unconscious bias... What’s the betting the mad wife has scripted this bit for him?
PH: [...] So going back to the whole sort of travelling around the Commonwealth, I thought I knew, right, having been able to travel that much and meet so many and such a diverse group of people. I thought I understood life. Especially bearing in mind most of the countries I was going to were, most of the communities are going to were people of colour. But then I was really shocked once I started doing therapy. And that bubble was burst. And I started doing my own work, really - a lot of work - and started to uncover and understand more about unconscious bias. And I was like, wow, I thought since I screwed up when I was younger, and then did the work. I thought I then knew. But I didn't. And I still don't fully know. It's like a constant working progress. And every single one of us has it. [...] Everyone has biases, of all sorts. But I think it's a really important point, especially now, after everything's happened in the last year and a half, like the world is changing, the younger generation are driving it. And you've got to like a multi-racial, cultural sort of movement happening, which has never happened before. But unconscious bias is the way that I understand it, is, again, it's not something that's wrong with you. Right? And you don't have to be defensive about it. That's the thing. No one's blaming you. But the moment that you acknowledge that you do have unconscious bias, what are you going to do about it? Because if you choose to do nothing you're continuing to fuel the problem, which means that you're then heading towards racism. Whereas unconscious bias is actually something that is inherent, unfortunately, in every single one of us. But that it is possible to educate yourself to be more aware of the problems and therefore be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
Markle's got him well-trained on this one, hasn't she. I wonder if he's read anything critical of the unconscious bias movement, or just repeating what he's been told to. Oh and then he goes off about being in the army...
PH: I loved it. I love wearing the same uniform as everybody else. I love being treated the same. I love the expectation of if you want to get that job, or you want that promotion, or you want to finish this race, it's all on you. There's no special treatment, you're not going to get any help. If anything, you're probably going to get treated the opposite because everyone thinks that you've had an easy life. And everyone's always helped you get to where you are.
But...but...but, Harry wasn't treated the same, there was special treatment, he was helped to get to where he was. He scraped a couple of poor quality A Levels and got admitted to Sandhurst because he's a prince. Good old Wikipedia says:
In June 2003, Harry completed his education at Eton with two A-Levels,[22] achieving a grade B in art and D in geography, having decided to drop history of art after AS level.[23] He has been described as "a top tier athlete", having played competitive polo and rugby union.[24] One of Harry's former teachers, Sarah Forsyth, has asserted that Harry was a "weak student" and that staff at Eton conspired to help him cheat on examinations.[25][26] Both Eton and Harry denied the claims.[25][27] While a tribunal made no ruling on the cheating claim, it "accepted the prince had received help in preparing his A-level 'expressive' project, which he needed to pass to secure his place at Sandhurst."[25][28]
PH: And then suddenly, like - while I was at school, I hated exams. And I promised myself I'd never do exams again. Then I joined the army of which is full of exams. I still promised myself I'm never gonna do it and then I end up flying Apache [...]
Gods, it's getting boring. Even the interviewers are zoning out. Still ten pages to go. Wish I hadn't started this, I could be out weeding. Weather's nice, not too windy... Do I deserve a quick G&T yet?
PH: Or worse, was they turn around and say, right, because last week, you're out the front. This week, you got to carry his bergan, I'm like - what, 30 extra pounds? Nooo. But it was, it was the most normalising experience or job that I could have ever hoped for. And then going to Afghanistan twice [...] And someone said to me very recently, from the moment that you're born into today's world, life is trauma, so the sooner that we actually acknowledge that but but [...]
A-a-a-a-and he's back on the mental health thing, PTSD or PTSI,
PH: Post Traumatic Stress Injury is like: Well, that makes sense, because I just saw my mate get blown out. But the other piece of this is, what we need to remember is, the lot of the recruiting that we do in the UK, comes from certain cities and certain homes, where there's childhood trauma. So what we collectively have already got inside of us, the trigger of seeing something happen in Iraq, Afghanistan can be the trigger. So everyone goes: Oh, it's because they were on operations, and because they saw their makeup blown up. It's like, no. [...] So that's what I've been working on for years, for the last five years, which is like, and it started in therapy of like, I don't want to lose this thing, because I think it's, I feel so connected to my mum. [...]
They move on to parenting, which the press is rubbing its hands over... Harry blaming everyone but himself and his saintly mother - Charles, HMTQ, PP... "They f*ck you up, your mum and dad". But not the mum bit. He can't push his mum off her pedestal.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48419/this-be-the-verse if you don't know Larkin's poetry. How much more? Nearly there. Monica loves The Crown and doesn't realise it's fictitious.
DS: [...]Well, Harry, I've really really liked talking to you. You're very charming. You're very intelligent. You're handsome, and I can't wait to see your torso.
MP: Thank you so much for coming.
DS: So I just want to remind everyone that May 21 on Apple Plus, you should check out Oprah and Prince Harry's 'The Me You Can't See'. I have to imagine it's similar to her book, which I just read, which is absolutely incredible 'What happened to you?' So everyone should check out 'The me you can't see' on Apple plus May 21.
And still Harry won't shut up... Shut up, shut up. Cut his mic. You don't have to read this last bit, they've already wound up the interview...He still won’t shut up.
PH: Yeah, we're moving from the physical to the emotional, right, physically. At the beginning of this pandemic, people were panicking. And there was that fight or flight like, ahh what do we do like lockdown, survival? Yeah. And now that the vaccines have been sort of, we're getting to the point where more and more people are being vaccinated, we're now in the emotional phase of what I read in the New York Times article was called languishing, which is really interesting. It's like the is the middle child between flourishing and depression. You just feel flat, and it's not depressed. It's definitely not flourishing. You lack the energy and the will, the motivation, all that kind of stuff. Because you're kind of sitting there going - Well, what happens next? And I think it's really important that we talk about languishing. And it was coined by someone I can't remember who but I think it was the journalist who wrote the story was Adam Grant. No, he didn't come up with it. Someone else came up with him, he wrote this, the most amazing article about languishing and the fact that how important it is to be able to talk about it because - look when it comes to mental health, we need to realise and accept that every single one of us have mental health. There's varying degrees, as we said, you've got the mental illness, and then you've got the sort of the awareness and the work that you can put in, like, Where do you want to be that we shouldn't just sit there and go: Oh, mental illness is once we are literally on the floor crawling around in the foetal position needing help. But for me, I don't think I need therapy anymore. But I wanted. And when I say therapy, I mean, actual therapy, sitting down having a discussion with someone. But I also mean like, nature, like going for walks, like throwing the ball for my dog down the beach and stuff like that. There are certain things around the world that are free, some you have to pay for, but ultimately go searching for the things that make you feel good about yourself. Like that's the key to life, get rid of the bad stuff, get rid of the hate, and just focus on the good. And your whole life turns around from that. I hate this idea. And I was one of them. I fell for it. Right? I didn't acknowledge that clearly what happened to me when I was 12 years old, losing my mom and all the other pieces that happened, the traumatic experiences that happened to me since then, I didn't acknowledge them, when perhaps - maybe I need to deal with this because if I don't, how the hell am I going to be a decent father to my son and my daughter? Like that awareness, I didn't have then. But again, we've got what - 40 experts as part of this series, and the Surgeon General, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, she's absolutely fantastic. And she was talking about this concept of mental health being sort of public health, right. Because the services are so limited. There's not enough money. The problem is actually immense. How can we all help each other rather than this: 'Oh, once I'm broken, or once I'm suffering, I have to go here.' And there's not enough rooms or spaces for the amount of people or the for the need, when actually you can get ahead of it, and work on the prevention by sharing and being more vulnerable with each other, and being able to process this grief or this loss, or this trauma that every single one of us have experienced and will experience. So anyone who's sitting there going: 'I don't have a problem, and I never will have a problem.' Well, you probably are already contributing to the problem, because you probably got your blinkers on, you probably created your own echo chambers. So I think it's a that, that's certainly what I've experienced for my own process, my own journey, my family and my friends and everybody else is. Anyone who thinks, oh, we're fine. You're the one who's like, willing to talk about it. It's like, yeah, I'm willing to talk about it and talking about it. And the financial element as well. We're pouring money into on the downsteam, when it's like, Can we just focus upstream? Yeah, we focus on one thing, like to me listen to Oprah was what was one of the reasons that this whole thing started was two of the biggest issues that we're facing in today's world, I think, is the climate crisis, and mental health. And they're both intrinsically linked. Basically if we neglect our collective wellbeing, then we're screwed. Basically, because we can't look after ourselves. We can't look after each other. We can't look after each other, we can't look after this home that we all inhabit. So it's all part of the same thing.
DS: Prince Harry, I don't say this lightly. I love you. Thanks for coming. This was great.
M: Thank you so much.
PH: Thank you very much.
Wish I'd done my weeding.
10 notes · View notes
blouisparadise · 4 years
Photo
Tumblr media
Here is a list of amazing bottom Louis fics that were posted or completed during the month of January. Between the second month of the Bottom Louis Fic Fest and all the other fics that authors posted throughout the month, it’s clear that this was a great way to start off the year of bottom Louis fics!  Happy reading!
1) You Can Be The Boss Daddy | Explicit | 1641 words
This is just Louis being used and humiliated by his strong Daddy
2) Don't Pretend That I Don't Entice You | Explicit | 2086 words
“Speaking of which, he couldn't wait to get home to see him. They both worked long days and most of the time their days off didn't line up. But they made up for things like that when they could, spending hours cuddling in bed and talking about the randomest of things or ya know, having mind-blowing sex that left them sated and panting, heated limbs tangled together and breaths and scents mingling. Harry enjoyed those moments quite a bit, if he was going to be at all honest.”
3) The Sound Of Music | Explicit | 2602 words
Harry quietly makes his way down the stairs and into the large foyer, the marble floors are cold against his bare feet and he regrets not taking his slippers.
The tinkling of piano keys flirts its way to his ears and he turns his head in the direction of their living room. His mouth quirks sideways with a smile and he makes his way towards the music.
4) Letters From Boston | Explicit | 3316 words
Louis’s standing in the kitchen when he opens the first letter.
5) Starlight In Your Eyes Of Blue | Mature | 4434 words
Harry is in New York while Louis is back home at London waiting for Harry’s return. Unfortunately, Harry may be unable to come back home in time for Christmas and most importantly—Louis’ birthday. Louis can’t wait any longer to be in a bed that’s no longer empty but in the end it changes.
6) I Couldn’t Get Away From You | Mature | 5185 words
Suddenly in the heat of the moment, Harry’s eyes turned darker as he pushed Louis’ back more and more towards the wall. “Fine.” He plants his lips on Louis’ and begins to roughly kiss him, soon enough turning it into a make-out session.
“Fuck you, Styles,” Louis moans and grips onto Harry’s shoulders, hands trailing up to the taller’s hair and gripping that as well.
“We’ll see about that.”
7) My Kingdom for Your Graces | Explicit | 5257 words
Louis gets a last minute day off and Harry decides to surprise him with a visit. They proceed to do what lovers do.
8) I Think I'm In Love | Mature | 6019 words
Louis' a young man looking for love. Harry's a sugar daddy looking for a new sub. They meet through a dating app and decide to try out a relationship.
9) Daddy's Little Kitty | Mature | 7224 words
Harry Styles is a gentle master. But what happens when Louis pushes him to his limits?
10) There's More Than One Place To Call Home | Explicit | 8416 words
Harry never asked for much from his neighbors - he didn't care about barking animals during the day or loud talking during the night.
The only thing he needed was silence when he was writing. And that was the only thing his new neighbor wouldn't give him.
Deciding to confront the loud guy who lived next door, Harry found himself ringing his doorbell one night. And that decision just may be the best thing that's ever happened to Harry.
11) Cooking With Styles | Explicit | 9119 words
Anyone can cook— or so they say.
12) Watching The World Fall | Explicit | 11777 words
This segment has been going on long enough that Louis knows what’s coming before James starts in on it, trying to sell him on something he knows that Louis wouldn’t normally be buying. But there’s four cameras surrounding him, and an audience watching him expectantly, so if Louis wants to continue convincing people that he’s doing just fine, he’s going to have to go along with it.
“We have a whole host of single men backstage waiting to meet you, Louis,” James tells him. “We want to help you find love tonight, on Late Late Live Tinder. Is this okay? Do you want to play?”
It actually kind of makes sense that his first date after the break-up is going to be just as public as said break-up. Something like coming full circle.
“Alright, James,” Louis agrees, hopping down off his stool.
“Okay, come down to the stage,” James says. Louis can’t even tell whether the excitement in his voice is genuine or not. “Right now, come on down!”
13) We'll Be the Fine Line | Not Rated | 13443 words
Louis listens to Fine Line, and, drunk, he leaves a voicemail for Harry after months of not speaking. This reminds Harry of a time before everything fell apart, slowly, painfully, a time when the two of them were still in love. And he desperately wants to go back.
14) (You're Gonna See Me In A) New Light | Mature | 13631 words
A fake relationship au where everyone knows it's real but Louis.
15) Don't Know If I Could Ever Go Without | Explicit | 14140 words
“We’ve come up with a solid solution. You’re not going to like it.”
“What is it?” Louis narrows his eyes suspiciously, glancing at a visibly enthusiastic Liam.
“What if you pretended to be an Alpha?” Zayn suggests.
16) Something Wicked This Way Comes | Explicit | 16526 words
A regency murder mystery au where Louis is married to an earl and Harry is a detective. Hatchets are buried but not everyone is as they seem.
17) Keep It Sweet In Your Memory | Explicit | 17039 words
'How'd it go?' Harry pushes them into Niall's room and shuts the door behind him, so Georgia doesn't overhear.
'It was good. We just caught up, mostly... I may have done something a little stupid, though.'
And Niall's eyebrows are in his hairline at that.
'I mean. Okay, so I invited Louis out on Saturday.'
'Saturday? Your--'
'Yes, my bachelor party...' and then Harry has to explain himself, 'I just felt guilty. I think. He was like. Telling me he wanted to hook up.'
'He WHAT!?'
'No. I mean, not with me. Like. He wants to go out and meet people.'
'He'll hate that. He's too much of a romantic.'
'Yeah, well. Whatever his name was messed him up a little, it would seem.'
18) UN(RE)SOLVED | Explicit | 20873 words
The ghoul boys are back, but this time around there are some unresolved feelings involved. Harry is a skeptic, Louis is not. Watch them go on their ongoing investigation into the question: are ghosts real?
Or, BuzzFeed Unsolved AU.
19) The Way The Storms Blow | Explicit | 21649 words
Louis doesn’t have a habit of thinking about Harry’s dick.
That would be weird, seeing as they’re best mates, and they share a flat, and they’ve spent holidays at each other’s family homes. Their friendship hasn’t ever risen to a point where Louis should want to see his mate’s dick, and he’s happy to keep it that way.
Except, all that Louis can think about is exactly that. The size of it. The shape. The amount of people it’s been in.
Maybe it’s the tequila talking, or the fact that Louis’ just recently walked in to an eyeful of Harry taking turns on some slags that he’s never seen before, but. Louis’ mind can’t stop obsessing over the idea.
20) Hold Onto This Heaven (Of Yours) | Explicit | 25213 words
an ode to being too young, too sad, and too in love.
(aka: a college au, harry is a frat boy, and louis wants to know all of his secrets.)
21) Weightless | Explicit | 25330 words
He hopes that Harry still thinks of him. God knows Louis thinks of him every day.
Or: Harry is the best dragon racer the world has ever seen and Louis is an almost-vet who feels like he is carrying the weight of the world.
22) Creep | Explicit | 26092 words
Harry is a wallflower, louis is a sophomore brat with a heart of gold no one seems to notice, harry, a senior, is a musician in disguise. louis finds him in the music room, Harry performing his self written song Creep on a talent show. he steals Louis' heart and begins to stalk Harry on social media, finding out the boy is gorgeous inside and out, tattoos popping against his milky skin, unashamed of his amazing body.
a story of a boy with dark thoughts finding his way through the dark with his light guiding him.
23) Blue Lotus | Explicit | 29815 words
Note: This fic is Louis/OMC.
After the Second Rebellion and the dismantling of President Cowell’s regime, Louis struggles to make sense of life.
A post-Hunger Games AU.
24) You Contain In Your Eyes The Sunset And The Dawn | Mature | 38152 
Harry Styles was to spend six months at AT&T Inc. of all telecommunications companies in the world, also known as the largest one in its field. This was the biggest deal of his life; it will both improve his expertise in the domain and maybe secure the job of his dreams. There was only one problem standing in the way, and it came in the form of a stunning, irresistible and intimidating cat hybrid of the name Louis Tomlinson. In other words, his boss.words
25) We Can Go On Forever (When Everything’s Gone Forever) | Mature | 39421
Harry spent most of his adult life focused on either his studies or his books - 5 of which he has already had published before he was 30. Immediately after completing his dissertation, he was offered a lectureship at Cambridge University where he’s been for 2 years now.
This wasn’t the first time in his life that he had felt the incessant itch to know more about a subject by any means. However, this was the first time the subject had been an Omega.
26) Canyon Moon | Explicit | 40895 words
For as long as Louis has remembered, he has been promised to be mated to Harry, his best friend and the future pack alpha. But Louis’s heart belonged to the forest and to the hunt more than he could ever imagine it belonging to Harry.
Then Harry’s father dies in a violent accident, and Louis’s future alpha disappears on the wind.
An A/B/O Lion King AU
27) Strangers In Love | Explicit | 42207 words
Louis wakes up to find himself in a marriage with the last man he thought he'd ever end up with.
28) If You're Out There (I'll Find You Somehow) | Explicit | 55916 words
Harry looks so intensely into Louis’ eyes it’s as though he’s reaching in and touching his very soul. “I never thought… I never… I’ve been searching for so long, Louis, but I never gave up. I couldn’t stop, wouldn’t stop trying,” Harry says, bottom lip trembling as he strokes the backs of Louis’ knuckles. “I just knew that if you were out there, I’d find you somehow.”
OR the story of how one man’s love changed the world.
29) “If I Cut Out a Heart...” | Explicit | 66225 words
Stripper au! louis is a stripper who’s known for his huge ass. he works at a club owned by harry and everyone wants to fuck him. eventually louis has sex with each of the boys, separately and perhaps eventually all together in a big gang bang. lots of focus on louis’s big bum (even twerking, jiggling, etc.)
30) You Smell Like | Explicit | 185369 words
The one where Louis is the Alpha’s mate and everyone is aware of it except for Louis and Harry. Go figure!
Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.
You can find other monthly roundup fic rec lists here.
171 notes · View notes
awrldalone · 4 years
Text
13th September 2020, 8.37pm
So tomorrow school begins. I do not know whether I should be sad, scared, excited, or relieved. 
Sad because school has become synonymous with stress, and anxiety, and waking up early. Scared because it is my fourth year of high school and I still feel like a twelve year old who does not know what his place in the world is.  Excited because I cannot wait to start learning new things again. Relieved because I will spend less time alone, and because my thoughts will stop eating me alive from the inside all the time.
It’s also terrifying to think that I am starting in class, while the world is in the middle of a pandemic and covid-19 cases have been steadily rising. I know for sure that even if i got infected, I would be okay - the worst that could happen to me would be permanent damages to my respiratory system, but to be frank I do not think I’ll live so long that it will become a real problem. But I do not want people around me to catch the virus. i do not want my little sister to get sick, or my parents, or my grandma, or anyone i come in contact with.
To be honest, I give them three weeks until everything closes down again. Israel has just gotten in a second lockdown and while their war practices disgust me I think they made a good decision. 
Tumblr media
[sylvia plath’s notes to self from her first year at cambridge university, april 1956]
These are my notes to self:
Stop caring about what your professors think about you – wear what you want (wear those electric blue wide leg pants and those pink sneakers with the pink t-shirt tomorrow), although they will judge for sure remind yourself that your academic work is what matters.
Do not drink too much coffe, or tea – it stains your teeth too much, you do not want to look or feel gross; when you do, brush your teeth straight away if you can; also, stop buying that 50 cent coffee from the coffee machine, it’s disgusting and the plastic cup is unnecessary waste.
Do not be scared of sharing your work – make people read your poetry, make them read your short stories, make them read the first chapters, listen to their feedback; write more for your school newspaper; participate in writing contests, if you want to ever have even a side career in writing you have to put yourself in the game.
Be nice - say hi to people you barely know, you might make their day better, and they will start to like you more.
Do - just do. When you do not know if you should, do it.
Quit. Procrastinating. - seriously, do your homework, even the Math ones; translate everything you need to translate, quit copying from the internet because you will be tested on those things. And if you decide to procrastinate, at least do it by doing something productive (i.e. writing, not scrolling from social media.)
Talking about other things, lately I have been struggling with food a lot. 
Today I barely ate anything, so at dinner I was starving and my stomach hurt, but when I ate my stomach still hurt - probably because I felt disgusting. I really need to get this sorted out because I already have too many problems to develop a serious eating disorder.
This October i will finally go back to the gym. It’s not like I like it, but it does make me feel better and I do feel more confident when I workout. Before quarantine I was actually pretty happy with my body. Maybe after working out I will feel like I deserve to eat and I will not feel bad.
-c.
8 notes · View notes
royalintown · 4 years
Note
When we compare the cambs to other monarchies they are soooo far behind, as a matter of fact the entire brf is so far behind, not just in terms of what they share but even what they support. I personally feel the public or maybe "I" am okay with their current attitude only because the Queen is the one reigning. Questioning anyone under her reign almost feels like questioning her coz everyone says she's "in on this approach". Do you think Cambs and brf can continue like this in future?
Omg, I feel everything you’re saying on a personal level. I’m shaking in my spirit.
It’s so annoying and pretentious how the Cambs and BRF aren’t very buddy buddy with the other Royal families. Yes, there are stately dinners. However, the only time Kate and Crown Princess Mary are being mentioned in US or UK media is when they are talking about Kate’s “Royal look alike”. We’re never talking about their close friendship or their great friendship, like a Queen Maxima and Queen Leitizia.
It’s so sad to see the rest of the royal families having these great photo ops with each other, but then Prince Charles, the Cambs, or the Sussexes are no where to be found. I mean, the Wessexes do more European diplomacy, but now that the world is becoming more globalized the Cambridges (the future rulers of the UK) cannot miss out.
Sometimes the way the BRF moves just seems a little of out touch and xenophobic. Do the Cambridges even have aristocratic friends that don’t live in the UK?
I don’t want the BRF to continue if they continue down this path of Royal aloofness and prentiousness, but I think they will. Seeing how everything is in 2020, with Brexit and Trump and Poland, etc etc, I just think that there is a group of people who are true monarchists and traditionalists. They love the Queen and the Cambridges and they love whiteness and they honestly think that they way the BRF is going is perfect. These older, less open minded people are the people who vote, they actually get up to vote.
So while you and I may actually want to hold the BRF accountable for horrible PR, the majority of people who actually are involved in British politics see nothing wrong with the BRF, because the BRF symbolizes their white Britishness.
The only way I can see the BRF “going down” or being held accountable, is definitely once the Queen passes (because people love her immortality 🙄), if Prince William becomes a jack*ss, if Scotland leaves the UK, and if the Camb kids are not showing any promise (as in, they just party, are only social media influencers, don’t go to school/military, seem to just be using taxpayer money for a certain lifestyle, no diverse spouses).
Thank you so much for your question 😊
9 notes · View notes
awanderingcanadian · 3 years
Text
A Royal Crisis!
Tumblr media
This is a photo I took when I attended this Royal Wedding. Well okay, I was not actually IN the church with Oprah, but I was obviously very close to the couple as they went by. Of course, now that I know it was a fake wedding, it will be the last royal wedding I attend!
I have an interesting relationship with the Monarchy: Diana was only a year older than me, and I watched what seemed like a fairy tale story unfold. My mother has always loved the Queen, (often reminiscing about Princess Elizabeth’s efforts during WW2), and I’ve always had a soft spot for William and Harry because of what happened with their mother. Then there’s the rest: Randy Andy, Charles...and Phil the Greek. I met Edward and Sophie in a First Nations community. They were lovely, approachable and had very little security with them. I think perhraps that the monarchy maybe serves a purpose in England, (they sure are a big tourist draw...myself included), but I don’t know that we still need them in Canada. With that little piece of background, here’s my take on the past week, both good and bad.
We were living in Scotland when Harry & Meghan’s relationship got serious. Craig and I both said, “well, this will be interesting,” and we meant it on so many levels. The following thoughts are not in any order apart from how they came out of my addled brain. First off, I’m sure there is truth in Meghan and Harry’s interview: I’m sure there is racism, (although it may not be realized...kind of like NY Governor Cuomo truly believing he’s done nothing wrong). There are more than a few things I question though...
How would Harry be able to prepare her for royal life when he’s never known anything different so how does he really know what she needs to learn? After the disaster of Diana, it seemed like the Royal machine figured out they DID have to prepare new members and did an admirable job with Kate MIddleton, (so we know it CAN be done): why didn’t they do the same with Meghan? Was it because there was hardly any chance she would have to be Queen, was it because she refused to take part, or was it a racist move? Did anyone in the Royal Family look at their unintentional bias before she entered the family, or did they assume because the Commonwealth includes people of colour, it would all be fine? Subjects are different than personal friends and family members, just saying.
Meghan...how could she NOT know or have done the research around the institution she was marrying into? Come on now. And to answer her rhetorical question about how long they were supposed to maintain their silence: that answer is easy...forever. That’s the deal. Royals don’t air personal dirty laundry in public. Every comment made ends up on the front pages of the papers. I may have an issue with my in-laws, but my complaints stay within my circle of trust, partly because I think that’s how it should be, and partly because there would be no media interest in my situation. In going public, Meghan has burned every bridge in spectacular fashion.
There’s an interesting article in The Economist, if you’re so inclined to read it.
https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/03/08/prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-take-on-the-firm
As for Archie and his title: the ‘rules’ say that he will only have a title if his grandparent, (or parent), is the ruling monarch: that would be Charles. So Archie would become a Prince when, (if...and that’s another story), Charles becomes King. Until then he would probably just be an Earl.
Let’s address the security situation: the Canadian Government, (therefore the Canadian taxpayer), picked up the security tab until the end of March, 2020. After that, I’m sure security would have continued, but the invoice would have to go elsewhere, either to the Royal institution or to Harry directly. My guess is that by that time he had been cut off, (that’s what happens when you leave your job), so Harry would be left footing the bill, however, if they wanted to pay, they could still have had security here. Here in Canada, we’re flexible that way. Saanich is absolutely not dangerous, but I do agree that once their address was known, it was a security hazard from crazy people, (and every country has them). However, I can’t go along with the idea that  LA/Santa Barbara , (or frankly most places in the U.S.), are safer than Saanich. Feel free to compare crime/assault/murder statistics at your leisure.
As for the people who can’t empathize with them because they’re staying in their $14 million USD home, I actually don’t begrudge that. After all, he was raised in palaces, and she was a successful actress. They HAVE come down a ways in the world, (by their standards).
Returning to racism, let’s be clear: they did not flee to the U.S. because it’s any less a racist country than the U.K. Even the much discussed Charlie Hebdo cartoon, (see below), is based on one of the many recent publicly racist incidents that have taken place in the U.S. since Meghan and Harry moved there. Canada is certainly less overtly racist towards African Americans than the U.S., however, we too have racism. They moved there because 1) Meghan knew the system, 2) Meghan had a support system there, (when her in-laws were being mean, she had no support system in England), and 3) because her mom is there. There’s the added perk that her work is there, especially now if they have to support themselves. However, I think that Americans are lapping up this interview because it makes America look good: they love to save people, (just ignore the refugees at the southern border, and the shame of the food bank line ups mere weeks into the pandemic), this makes them feel good. After 4 years of having an international black eye, they need a ‘win.’
What will happen from here? Who knows, but I’m sure Randy Andy is happy to be knocked off of the front pages. His dalliances with underage girls, (on which the Royals have been silent), have netted his withdrawal from public life, and thus far, that’s been the only consequence. I’ve been fascinated watching William and Kate work to present a carefully managed image, with William whenever possible, walking beside a person of colour, and Kate wearing the anti-bullying colour pink. However, I have to say today, (Mother’s Day in the U.K.), I was completely turned off by the Cambridge’s social media accounts releasing cards made by George. Charlotte, and even Louis for “Granny Diana”. I don’t like it when children are used to advance political agendas. The fact that Kate went along with it tells me that the Royal Family is in full blown crisis mode.
In my opinion there are faults on all sides here. I think the Royal Family are the clear winners of Dysfunctional Family Feud. I’ve attached just a few of the memes and cartoons circulating from both ‘sides.’
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
This last one serves as a reminder, that things are not always what they seem.
1 note · View note
freezingbeach · 4 years
Text
on paper ‘the social dilemma’ looks exactly up my alley. in reality? laughable and so. painfully. corny, especially with those reenactments scenes —on god, what was that truman-esque 3-people pretending to be an algorithm inside the app?
this doc doesn't really take any radical position beyond 'social media bad because the business model needs to be reformed :/'. the nuance is lost as soon as everyone starts pretending that the problem isn't capitalism itself and  spend an hour talking about how people/virtual models of people/the attention of people have been turned into a product they're selling to advertisers but how this cannibalization happened in the first place, or how that ties into the natural evolution of capitalism and imperialism... nah, none of that ofc. they're always on the verge of questioning the very incentive of making as much profit as possible at the cost of everything, but never quite get there. it becomes even more laughable when one of the many talking heads warning us against the dangers of capitalism in tech is a venture capitalist who invested in facebook in its early days.
for some reason, the star of the doc is a guy who studied how to use persuasive psychology at the stanford persuasive psychology lab but is surprised his manipulation skills were used to develop technology with the intended goal of manipulating people, and that no one cared about his concerns when he voiced them to his colleagues... at google, no less!
it's even more insane to me that they had shoshanna zuboff on this doc and gave her a maximum of 2 mins of screen-time *and* one her scenes is immediately followed by this same stanford guy saying 'some people call this surveillance capitalism' without crediting her for literally coming up with that term and writing a book about it. or even going in depth about said surveillance capitalism, and bringing up the many examples she has talked about before... PokemonGO being an experiment by Google? or that Google Earth had been a CIA-funded startup before being bought by Google? Anything surrounding the Cambridge Analytica scandal, does anyone remember that? Literally anything with actual substance? But no, we watch stanford guy compare social media to a bicycle, because if a bicycle is just sitting there then obviously someone is gonna use it (?) come oooon people
the doc reaches what can only be described as its most american moment, when they willfully pretend that the footage of zuckerberg testifying was not part of the cambridge analytica scandal (or even acknowledge its existence, because i guess it goes against their plot point where they blame russian interference for their election results lol), yet still want to push a "both sides are bad" argument. Footage of violent protests is edited in the same way they criticize social media for being polarizing without giving any facts, with voiceovers of republicans asking for an open dialogue and compromise between both sides without ever mentioning that one of these sides has neo-nazis and white supremacists but okay! this goes on for a painfully long time, with everyone talking about a "divided nation", a phrase that never made sense to me but resonates even more tone-deaf after this summer.
finally, the torture comes to an end with all of them asking you to delete social media accounts or switch to alternatives that don't track every single one of your move (well, it was one single recommendation made by one guy and that should've been an angle they actually pursued in the movie but oh well, what do I know lol!), then most of them cheer on as they gleefully ask for an open dialogue, having a conversation with both sides —even the one that wishes for your death! I couldn't help but think of journalist Alex V Green's article on the Having conversation Industrial Complex (please read it, it’s SO good), as this went on and the tech experts (now apparently absolved of all guilt) started talking about raising awareness. Raising awareness about what exactly? techbros exploiting people for their own gain? capitalism? climate change? fake news, which is just liberal euphemism for right-wing propaganda at this point?
Having conversations in the wake of a world flooding, in flames, in a pandemic, and in the midst of an abolitionist movement? Seeking liberal reformism from people who had no problem overthrowing literal governments and letting white supremacists fester on their apps as long as it meant they made money?
Yeah... no. Burn it to the ground.
1 note · View note
UC 49.34 - Trinity, Cam vs Jesus, Ox
I’ve been furloughed, which you’d think would result in a more well-researched and tightly edited blog than usual given all of the extra time I find on my hands. But predictably you’d have been wrong (the fact that I’ve spent much of that time trying to wash it off of my hands for hygeine purposes notwisthstanding). 
I did watch the Godfather this morning though, so my time hasn’t been completely wasted. I was having bluetooth sync issues so went on YouTube for some tips and the guy in the video was also watching The Godfather (just an interesting little coincidence for you there).
Furlough is one of those words that makes you understand how infuriating it must be to learn English as a foriegn language. Its a fairly rare word, so many native speakers won’t have known which of the ‘ough’ sounds should follow the ‘furl’ (as in rough, cough, through, plough and though etc). Is it fur-loh, fur-low, fur-luff, fur-loff or fur-loo? For me it seemed right that furlough should be fur-low, to rhyme with cow, but then furloughed to rhyme with though. I was right on one count, but furlough is just one of a number of terms that have been added to the national lexicon at breakneck speed over the past few weeks. Social distancing, herd immunity, self-isolate, ‘Protect the NHS’ (actually, this one only counts when its Boris saying it. Plenty of us have been saying it for years)
And the word itself isn’t the only weird thing about furloughing (in this formI would have guessed it’d be fur-loffing). I’m fortunate that I’ll be okay with 80% of my pay, but for some people that won’t be enough, but they can’t do anything else to make up the rest. And then what do you do all day? I’ve seen a bunch of Self-Betterment gurus on the tweets saying that if you don’t master at least one language and martial art (each) then you’re a total failure who lacks the discipline to make anything of themselves in life, which is obviously bollocks. Everyone is in a different situation so for some people simply carrying on will be a great victory. 
But it still feels like we should be doing something, because the alternative is just to read the news and lose yourself in worry. But what do we do? Constant distraction can feel like a cop out too, like you’re not facing up and acknowledging everything thats going on, taking a holiday instead of action, although that doesn’t make much sense as a stance either. The best action most of us can take is inaction, and besides, there’ll be people who’ve never had more than three weeks off work in decades, so do they not deserve to treat this like a holiday, even if in these circumstances it can feel guilty to do so?
Anyway, tell you what, The Godfather is properly marvelous isn’t it? A stone cold classic, I say, and you can take that to the bank. Also, a little bonus on top of the earlier coincidence, this was both the first time I’d watched the Godfather and the first time I’d ever used Bluetooth headphones with my laptop. Make of that what you will.
Tumblr media
Last week, which feels like a lot longer ago than a week (I’d place it at more than a fortnight at least, were I a betting man. I’d have lost that bet of course, which is why I’m not a betting man, but the point stands) Trinity College, Cambridge absolutely walloped Jesus College, Oxford in the final Quarter Final of University Challenge 2019-20 (that’s right, I’m flipping the switch (note the highly contemporary reference to Tik-Tok, a social media platform which continues to baffle me) and revealing the result at the start of the blog (or at least the middle) rather than the end). 
Tumblr media
That paragraph had 29 words outside brackets, 48 words inside brackets, and 22 words inside brackets inside brackets, which I think might be a personal record. Anyway...
Trinity had certainly come into this match as favourites, with their loss to Corpus Christi somewhat of an aberration, with Durham the only other team to get within 60 points of them in three other appearances. Jesus by contrast, had a combined margin of only 80 from their three wins, in addition to the pair of losses they had to their name. But they tended to put up a fight even in defeat, so this shouldn’t have been a whitewash.
It was though (th-off).
Both sides missed the opening starter, but Hughes got Trinity going with the replacement. He would go on to have a jolly old time in this episode, racking up seven correct buzzes in total, along with a clear and large gain of confidence. Hourihan too, seemed far more comfortable on the buzzer towards the end of the match, when victory was more than assured. If they could take that same self-belief into then they’d have a cracking chance of making the final. 
They’ll need to hold their nerve though, and keep going for it even if things aren’t going their way, seeing as in the one match they lost, they were blown away from the start and struggled to recover. If they have learned from that defeat then they’ll keep buzzing without hesitation, but that’s easier said than done.
In this match they were under basically no pressure, as it took until -5 plays 90 for Jesus to get up and running, and only then at a very slow pace. The game was over by the halfway stage, with Trinity 155 points clear, and though they didn’t ease up, Jesus start buzzing again, knowing that it doesn’t really matter if they get penalties anymore. Jesus pass fifty, smashing the ignominity that would have brought them, and Trinity pass 250, meaning that at the gong, the Cambridge side had been involved in the three highest scoring quarter final matches.
Final Score: Trinity, Cam 285 - 75 Jesus, Ox
WIth this match over, we now had the semi-final lineup confirmed:
Corpus Christi, Cam vs Durham
Imperial vs Trinity, Cam
Jesus’ defeat meant that this was the first year since 2007 that no Oxford college had made the last four. That year there were no Cambridge teams in the semis either, remarkably, as Warwick beat Manchester in the final.
4 notes · View notes
thespeedyreader · 5 years
Text
The Oxbridge application process
Hey, stxdywarrior here! I’ve recently just applied to Cambridge University to study English, and I wanted to share my tips and experiences to help you if you’re interested in applying. First of all, if you’re applying to Oxford or Cambridge, that’s great! They’re both amazing universities, and applying is going to be challenging but so rewarding. I have no doubt that you’ll excel, whatever you want to do.
Please share this and add to it if you wish to!
A quick note: While this masterpost is general, I have to stress that lots of these tips may only apply to humanities subjects. I don’t have much to say about the sciences, I’m afraid. If you are applying for a science, however, I still hope you can find some great content in here for you.
UCAS application
Okay, first thing’s first: the application itself. Applying to Oxbridge is different because you have to have your UCAS form sent by October 15th (while everyone else has the luxury of waiting until January), and while that sounds stressful, it’s a great feeling to get it done early, trust me. And this means having applied to ALL your chosen universities, not just Oxford or Cambridge.
Another thing that’s different about Oxbridge is that they’re collegiate universities, so you’ll have to choose a college. Or, you can choose to make an open application, meaning you’ll be assigned a college later by the university. Don’t stress too much about this stage - people choose certain colleges for all sorts of reasons, and they’re all good anyway. I chose my college because it was small and had good student wellbeing services.
Because the deadline is so early, I would recommend you start thinking about your personal statement by Summer, so that when you get back in September, you can hit the ground running. Here are a few tips I have for your personal statement:
 Get all the help you can. And by this I mean: ask everyone you know who might be helpful to have a look over it. This means teachers, family members, classmates, and anyone you know who’s recently been through the same process you are going through.
That being said, make sure all of the opinions don’t leave you at see. I found it really hard when one person was telling me one thing and another was telling me the opposite, but I learned to balance my OWN judgements with other peoples’.
Don’t worry about the character count until your last drafts. Make sure you nail the content first.
It doesn’t matter how many drafts you have to get through, as long as you save all the drafts. I think I got through like 14 drafts?
Don’t JUST write it for Oxbridge. What I mean is, the other universities on your list matter too. So even though Oxbridge don’t care much about your extracurriculars, that doesn’t mean you should ignore them.
It isn’t about quantity, it’s about quality. Even if you’ve only done a few things, if you write about them well, then they’re still just as impressive.
A tip not everyone hears is that the universities want to hear about your personal response to things. Don’t just say you read a book; say how it made you feel, and why you were interested in it. Use phrases like ‘I was fascinated by’ and ‘this intrigued me’. I’m serious.
Remember that your personal statement is literally the hardest piece of writing you have to do. It’s easy to feel daunted by it, but there are plenty of resources out there to help.
Supplementary Application Questionnaire (Cambridge only)
If you’ve applied to Cambridge, you’ll soon get ask to do the SAQ. This isn’t a big deal, but it’s quite a long form to fill out, so it’s best to do it carefully and start early. You’ll be asked things like what modules you’ve studied in your a levels, and you have to include a profile photo of yourself. At the end, you can also write an additional personal statement. This is optional, but just for reference, my one included some things I’d done that I hadn’t included on my personal statement, and I related them to some of the specific modules on the Cambridge course.
Entrance exams
Depending on which subject you’re applying for, you may be asked to sit an exam. This will be typically registered through your school or college, and it’s important to make sure you sign up before the deadline (which will be set by your school). The exams happen around late October.
As I was applying for English, I took the ELAT (English Literature Admissions Test). In the ELAT I was given six texts (poems or novel excerpts), all linked by a theme, and I had to pick two to ‘compare and contrast’. So there was no set structure, and I couldn’t strictly revise for it. In terms of preparation, you can find past papers, and it also helps to do language analysis of some unseen poetry just so you’re used to it. You will NEVER be tested on things you don’t know; they’re more looking for the way you form and present an argument.
Essay submission
Depending on which subject you’re applying for (mainly humanities), you may be asked by email to submit essays to your chosen college. I was asked to send in two essays that I’d done in a school setting (I got to choose, whew), and I needed to print four copies of each (no idea why) and get my teachers to sign it to prove it was my work. The essays can’t be edited.
One thing to note is that, while Oxford usually let you email them, Cambridge are still in the Dark Ages and will only receive them by post. So if you’re applying to Cambridge and are a confused millennial like me, who literally never uses post, I’d get the essays in early.
Another thing is that my college constantly emailed me reminders about the essay deadline, so unless you live under a rock you can’t miss it.
The interview
As the final stage of the application process, you will (hopefully!) be invited to interview. They’ll let you know by email in late November. Cambridge typically invite about 80% of applicants, whereas Oxford invite less, which I think is about 50%. So if you get an interview, congratulations! And don’t panic. People say it’s the biggest factor in the process, when in reality the universities treat each part of your application equally.
Interviews are done differently by each university. In Oxford, you’ll be asked to stay at your college for a few days, because not only do your college interview you, but your application is sent around other colleges, so you could be invited to interview at another college at any time. (Sorry I can’t shed more light on this, as I didn’t apply to Ox.) In Cambridge, you only get interviewed by one college, and you have the option of staying overnight or just going for the day.
How to prepare:
While you don’t need to go overboard with this one, do read a lot around your subject in the few weeks beforehand, so that if they ask, “so, what have you been reading lately?”, you’ve got a lot to say.
If you have the opportunity to do a practise interview, take it. My school organised one for me, but even if your school doesn’t, find someone - like a teacher - who can do it for you. Even if it’s them just grilling you on your personal statement, at least you’ll be used to articulating your arguments in an interview setting.
If you sent in essays, make sure you read over those essays beforehand. They asked me about one of mine.
Map out some generic questions that they might ask you. For English, for example, I researched questions like, “is it better to read a play or see it in production?” and “what’s the difference between literacy and literature?” and even “what is literature?”
You’ll be notified by email the professors who will be interviewing you. I’d recommend looking them up (they’ll be on your college website) and finding out what they specialise in.
Read over your personal statement as many times as you have to. They’re very likely to ask you about something on there.
This sounds cliche, but PLEASE look after yourself before the interview. It always takes place right at the end of a really busy term, so watch out for colds and things (I’m telling you this because I was recovering from a chest infection when I interviewed, and had only just got my voice back RIP)
The interview itself
If you’re doing a humanities subject, you might be given a source or written extract to look at before one of the interviews, and then they’ll discuss it with you. I’d bring lots of highlighters for you to annotate. (I was expected to just be given a poem for English, but I actually got a poem AND part of a critical essay. Go figure.)
No one cares what you’re wearing. I mean, wear sensible stuff, but there’s no need to try to hard.
This is a bit random, but my teacher told me to make a list of all the things I love about my second choice university the night before, to remind myself that Oxbridge isn’t everything. Believe it or not, it worked.
You have to expect to be put on the spot, and this means on-your-feet thinking. I heard they can smell a rehearsed answer from a mile away.
When you’re waiting to interview, you’ll probably meet loads of other applicant like you. It’s up to you whether you chat with them or not - I know some people like to keep themselves to themselves to keep their focus, while I personally loved getting to know people, as chatting helped me stay calm. Either way, everyone’s in the same boat, so don’t worry.
If you’re like me, and easily get distracted by social media, I’d recommend staying off it for the whole day if you can. I did this, and it helped me protect my mental space and keep out negative thoughts.
Some of your interviewers might come across as a bit scary. They might also disagree with everything you say, which can be off-putting. Try not to worry too much if this happens - stand your ground.
When you make an argument, be prepared to justify it, but also, if you want to change your mind, do it. The interviewers are looking for a teachable mind, not someone who’s right all the time and knows everything, so show you have an open mind.
Once the interview’s over, all you have to do is get some well-deserved rest and wait! Try not to overthink how it went, because in reality you have no idea. Some people think they did awfully, but end up getting an offer, so.
The decision
Okay, here’s the truth: Oxbridge is not the be-all and end-all. It just isn’t. Your worth and intelligence cannot be defined by an institution.
For when you’re waiting for a decision: think of Oxbridge as a bonus. This is what I did: I had another university as my ‘first choice’, so that Cambridge was just an extra.
If you don’t get an offer: You will be so happy at wherever you decide to go instead. Think of it as Oxford or Cambridge’s loss, not yours - hundreds of applicants who are very much smart enough to get a place don’t, and that isn’t because they aren’t good enough.
While it’s okay to feel disappointed, it’s best to focus on the amazing learning experience that applying has been. You’ve shown yourself that you can handle all that while still maintaining your priorities and sense of self. So you should STILL be proud.
If you do get an offer: Congratulations! Party time. Except it’s not time to party just yet, because you’ve still got to get the a level grades to secure your spot.
I hope this helped! Don’t hesitate to ask me anything else you want to know.
Just tagging a few people who have been through the same process/have asked about it: @rebeccaravenclaw @littlebitofstudy @lesbianlondongrammar @sectumsempracurse
423 notes · View notes