#i’ve also had a concerning number of americans ask me if we have halloween in ireland

[notquitetwilight]

#woke up this morning and chose violence ❤️ #anyway the brits like to pretend they invented pancake tuesday which is a LIE #shrove tuesday and mardi gras were always a think but the pancake element was specifically irish #bc irish catholics used to purge their home of luxury items like eggs sugar etc the day before lent by mixing em together to make pancakes! #so yeah pancake tuesday being an anglo invention is imperialist propaganda ❤️ #i’ve also had a concerning number of americans ask me if we have halloween in ireland #hence why i get irked when white yanks or brits make being a wiccan their entire personality while not knowing the origins of ‘sam-hane’ #samhain is pronounced sowann btw if ur gonna appropriate at least learn ur pronunciations bb 💖 #anyway ok that’s this week’s quota of ‘fenian on main’ fulfilled #twilight #twilight renaissance #the twilight saga #the twilight series #twilight revival #the cullens #carlisle cullen #irish coven #breaking dawn #bdp2 #siobhán #liam #maggie #Twitter #incorrect tweets #pancake tuesday #paddy’s day #halloween #ireland #england #british colonialism

[bondsmagii]

statement regarding the sudden disappearance of all my childhood memories and subsequent photos, gradually, over the course of four years

ARCHIVIST

Statement of Jasmine Harper, regarding the disappearance of all childhood memories and photographs over the course of four years. Original statement given July 21, 2011. Audio recording by Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London.

Statement begins.

ARCHIVIST (STATEMENT)

I can’t really remember when it was that I noticed. It was a gradual thing, but at the same time it felt so sudden… like I woke up one morning and they were all gone, or at least most of them were. But I know that isn’t what happened at all, is it? The more I think about it, the more I realise that I began to forget years and years before I realised something was truly wrong. I thought it was normal, you know? I thought it was just part of getting older. I mean, how many of us get out of university able to recall the full names of everyone in our first primary school class? I took Psychology for one of my A-Levels, actually, and when we did our module on memory that was one of the tests. I must have been able seventeen then, so it was before I noticed this happening. We had to take a sheet of paper and write down every full name we could remember from our first primary school class. I won by a landslide, and I had five names. Only five names! But that’s the thing – I used to have such a good memory when it came to my childhood. That’s why I can’t understand what’s happening.

I had a good childhood. This isn’t any childhood trauma or anything like that. I mean, there were some nasty moments in it, like any childhood is prone to have – I had a problem with bullies when I first started high school, nothing out of the ordinary but you know how cruel kids can be, and when you’re that age it sticks with you. My parents divorced when I was fourteen, but there was nothing specifically traumatic about that. It sucked, and I was sad to see them sad, but they remained civil through the whole thing and actually got on better afterwards, so it wasn’t like there were screaming matches or anything. They were careful to keep my brother and I updated on everything, which I was thankful for. It was nice, that they didn’t do what a lot of parents seem to do – treat us like small children, and not young adults who would also be affected by the situation. If I ever get a divorce, I hope to god it’s as pleasant as my parents’ was. There’s nothing in my childhood that I can pinpoint that might have caused this, and that seems to be a common cause of forgetting, at least – trauma, mental illness, something like that. I’ve… struggled with depression sometimes, but never anything that I didn’t get under control with the right combination of things. Really, I’m a completely normal, average person. There’s nothing that could have caused this at all. I’ve been to doctors, I’ve had brain scans, I was worried it was some kind of tumour or stroke, but no. Nothing. I’m perfectly healthy, but I don’t feel it.

As I said, it began gradually. I realised I was forgetting things; small things. The address of the house I lived in until I was five. Old phone numbers. The last names of childhood friends. Some of my teachers’ names. None of it was unusual. I’m pretty sure everyone forgets those things, so I wasn’t worried at all. A little annoyed sometimes, because it really felt like getting old, or I couldn’t randomly look somebody up on Facebook to see how they were doing or something, but really it wasn’t unusual at all. It was only when I started forgetting bigger things that I began to grow concerned. I mean, this was stuff that I shouldn’t forget at all, or that was relatively recent. I know for most people, childhood probably means when they were a smaller child; before they hit their teenage years, perhaps. Well, this seems to be taking the legal definition of child as its guide, because I found myself forgetting things that happened when I was sixteen, seventeen years old. I mean, that’s not that long ago! That’s not even ten years ago! I began to forget huge chunks of time; before I knew it I couldn’t recall my earliest memories, and then I couldn’t recall anything from primary school. It’s just blank, like trying to think about what was there before I was born. Still I told myself it wasn’t that much to worry about, but then it began creeping up and up, and back then I still had the photographs. I could look through photo albums or friends’ Facebook pages and see what I was forgetting: a birthday party at Alton Towers when we were eleven, the school ski trip to Italy when we were fourteen, our school’s knock-off idea of an American prom when we were seventeen. There I am, in all of the pictures, grinning and present and definitely there. But I can’t remember a thing about the day at all!

I finally accepted something was terribly wrong at my aunt’s wedding. She was getting married pretty later on in life because she was kind of wild as a young adult, didn’t want to settle down or anything. Everyone was fond of her – she always had the most interesting stories and she’s just a lot of fun to be around – and so the whole family was there to see her get married: all the surviving grandparents, great aunts and uncles, cousins, partners, friends, kids, even the dogs were invited. It was a beautiful summer day and everyone was having so much fun and I know this sounds stupid but I feel so mad that this had to happen on that day of all days, because nothing bad is supposed to happen at a wedding, right? Well, everything was fine until late into the reception, and we were all a little drunk but not overly so. I was sitting with my mum and brother at a table with some cousins and my aunt and her new wife, and we were all reminiscing about other crazy family parties and stuff. I was talking about my grandparents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary, that happened when I was twelve or thirteen. I was telling some story – of course I can’t even remember what it was now, but it was something about me and my brother and the cousins that were at the table with us, and I was talking about it just fine and then, literally mid-sentence, I forgot it. Not just what we were doing, but the whole event. I didn’t even know I was talking about the anniversary until my brother prompted me, and then it was just blank. My brother and cousins all picked up the story and I laughed along and played it up like I’d had a little too much wine, you know, haha, but I mean it when I say it was gone. And not only that – it felt taken from me. It felt as though somebody had reached into my head and just… plucked the memory right out.

It bothered me so much that I went to visit my mum shortly afterwards. We sat down and had a few cups of tea and eventually I worked up the courage to ask if I could root around in the photo albums, saying that the wedding had reminded me of a few things I wanted to look at again – ironic, I know. Mum was of course down to get out all the albums – she never went digital, she doesn’t like not having physical albums to look through – so we dragged a bunch of them down and sat around the table to look. The first one was normal, just a family holiday to Florida when I was sixteen, but as we started going through the older albums I noticed there were pictures of me missing that I know for a fact existed. They were just gone, and then there were others where I knew I should be there but I wasn’t. And Mum didn’t think anything was strange! There was one picture, I remember it so clearly because we almost got into a big fight about it, and it was of my brother dressed as Spider Man on Halloween. I distinctly remember that night because I was dressed as the Pink Power Ranger and the costume was uncomfortable as hell, so I know I was there. I know I was in that picture, because it was such a ridiculous picture, the two of us in full bodied costumes like that, and I finally mentioned to my mum that I should be in there. Not aggressively or anything, just oh, I could have sworn I was in that one!, and she denied it and I insisted and she kept saying no, she was sure it was just George in that picture, but then I pointed out that George had his arm out in mid-air like it should be around someone. It was clearly around my shoulders. The height was right, his fingers were slightly curled like they were pressing in to my arm. Mum just looked for a moment, and I thought, briefly, that she might finally see it – but then she just said George was doing a Spider Man pose, like shooting a web from his wrist or something, and I just… I don’t even know. I just felt so hopeless, I almost cried. I was sure, so sure! Mum’s always taken photos, even now – every holiday, every event, even just going over for Sunday dinner. She’s told me several times I loved being in front of the camera as a kid, so I know there must have been way more pictures of me than that. Mum just didn’t get what I was on about, though, so I gave up in the end. There was no use fighting. What could I say?

Well, that was when I went to the doctor. I’ve already outlined how useless that was. Nothing wrong with me at all, apparently, but I’m sure most of them weren’t really taking me seriously. I was told it couldn’t be all my memories, and that photographs didn’t just vanish. I was seconds away from getting referred to a psychiatrist when I decided I would be better off shutting up about it. I’m not—I don’t think this is mental illness. I’ve looked it up so many times and I’ve read about people being delusional, you know, not believing they’re the ones in the picture, or that other people in the picture have been replaced, but that’s not what’s happening here. I haven’t read anything about like what’s happening to me. Nobody is out there saying they’re forgetting their entire childhood, birth to eighteen, and the pictures are vanishing along with it. There is something else going on here but I don’t know what. I’ve never done anything to deserve this, I’ve never messed around with anything I shouldn’t. If this is something like—like what you people investigate, I do not know when I would have come across it. I don’t even know what I mean by this. It seems ridiculous to even consider that it could be a ghost, or a curse, or—or God knows what.

A few weeks after this I went to Mum’s again, and one of the photo albums was still out. I looked through it and I was gone from every single picture. I was not there at all. Even the ones I saw only recently, I was gone from them. Just George on his own, and in the spaces where pictures of just me should be, other photos had replaced them. Just scenery shots, or views from the hotel balcony, or Christmas decorations and piles of presents, or spreads of holiday food. Nothing Mum would put in there herself. She likes to preserve the details, but her albums are for people. Her photos in the albums always have people or pets in them. I showed her, pretending it was just out of interest, but she seemed to not know what I meant. “I’ve always accessorised”, was what she said. Something about context, making it a pretty spread, keeping all the themes together. I don’t know. It was nothing that Mum would say, anyway. She was always so militant about it – at least up until recently.

I walked around the house a bit and of course I was gone from the rest of the pictures, too. My school photos were all gone, and all the framed pictures on bedside tables or shelves showed just my brother, or more scenery. There was one picture of the rose bush in the garden and I knew for a fact I was supposed to be standing in front of it, because it was my prom picture and I was wearing a dress the exact same shade of red as the roses, and Mum wanted to get a picture of me standing in front of it to show off the perfect colour match. There was just the rose bush, and even when I picked up the frame and looked closely at the picture, I could see no signs that it had ever been anything but. I wondered why it was still there, because pictures of just me usually vanished and got replaced by something else entirely, but then I saw in the corner, almost hidden by the frame, the faintest pink blur of part of my mother’s finger. Is that all it takes? Is one blurry finger worth more than my entire being? I don’t understand what’s going on!

I think… I think I could deal with it easier, if it wasn’t for the fact that everybody seems to think nothing is wrong. If it was just one of those weird things, I think I could live with it if my parents and brother were also with me on it, knowing it was weird, being concerned. I’ve looked everywhere and they’re all gone, all the photos, in every relative’s house and on Facebook. The earliest ones I can find are on my eighteenth birthday party. Everything before that is gone. I don’t remember anything. It’s like I materialised at age eighteen and there was nothing before that; I don’t even really know who I am anymore. I can’t know, because all the steps I took to get here are gone, and everything I learned about my family and friends as I grew up alongside them has vanished. I feel completely… completely detached, completely adrift, and I don’t know if I’m being paranoid but it just feels like there’s a little less of me every day. It’s like I spent eighteen years building up, and now I’m just… fading away.

I don’t know what to do.

ARCHIVIST

Statement ends.

This is a fairly straightforward one to follow up. There isn’t really much to say. On the surface it does very much seem like a case for a doctor rather than the Institute, but some things do seem to back up part of the story, at least. Attempts to get in contact with Ms Harper were unsuccessful, as it seems she does not exist. There are a couple of records here and there of a Ms Harper matching the age and occupation that she provided with her statement, but when Tim contacted the workplaces involved, nobody could recall her. As for anything else – records such as a birth or death certificate, a driver’s license – there is nothing. Of course, she could have provided a fake name, but Tim managed to get in touch with George Harper, Ms Harper’s younger brother, and confirmed it was the same George Harper by asking a few questions about his childhood. He recalled several holidays and weddings that Ms Harper mentioned, though he mentioned nothing about a sister. When questioned about siblings, he was adamant he had never had one, and had grown up an only child. I’m not entirely sure how he did it, and nor am I inclined to want to know, but Tim managed to persuade Mr Harper to give him the contact information for his parents. Both stated that they had only one child – a son. The only Jasmine in the family seems to be Mrs Harper’s pet pug dog; apparently, Mrs Harper “always liked the name”, but had never had the chance to use it.

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much more we can do regarding this one.

End recording.

#tma #statement prompts #my writing #fakements #long post #anon #asks

[writingpuddle]

The foxes and Andrew reacting to Neil with a British accent?

Hey anon im p sure you sent me this like a million years agobut I found it again when going thru my asks yesterday so here goes myattempt at a bulletpoint fic:

Neil grew up in the states, sohis default accent is American, but he is ridiculouslygood at imitating. Like give him a ten second audio clip and he canextrapolate basically an entire dialect from it

The Foxes discover this aroundHalloween when watching a spooky movie and Neil goes into a perfect deadpanmockery of the Dracula character’s terrible Transylvanian accent

It becomes a thing

The Foxes will give him an accentand just set him loose

Neil is kind of surprised bytheir enthusiasm but also secretly very pleased to have found a way to amusehis Foxes

He likes making them happy so henever denies them

Except Kevin, but that is mostlybecause the team gets more amusement from watching Kevin get frustrated and trynot to show how annoyed he is over Neil being such a petty little asshole

Also they discover that if Neilputs on an Irish accent when Kevin isn’t paying attention he will absolutelyJUMP

Give him an order in an Irishaccent and he just instantly starts to follow through before he wakes up,blinking in disorientation as he realizes what he was doing

It’s funny at first, then theyrealize it’s because he associates the accent with his mother, and then itskind of sad, and then Kevin starts telling more stories about his mum and someof the few good memories he has of her, and then it gets funny again because Foxesare Foxes and they do love a good roast

Kevin complains outwardly but itsactually kind of cathartic to talk about his mother

He tells Andrew this inconfidence and Andrew just glares at him like no shit dude, you need fuckingtherapy

Anyways

That summer is going to be thesummer of the girls graduation

So they’re all determined to dosomething big to celebrate

And they get it in their heads todo a Eurotrip

Neil isn’t really payingattention at first because he’s more concerned about whether Andrew will bewilling to do a transatlantic flight

(Andrew is obviously going tocome. Flights suck, but there is no way he can cope with his whole family beingthat far away. He does not feel the need to explain this. It should beobvious.)

That’s when the Foxes pause, alldevious.

They’ve been plotting

“So, Neil,” Allison says. “At what point are you going to introduce usto your British uncle?”

Neil does not see where this isgoing

In fact he is largely baffled bythe suggestion.

“You realize my uncle is agangster, right? Like, literally a crime boss. Possibly the most dangerousperson in Britain.”

“Mm-hmmmmm.”

Neil is ???

“But he saved you Neil,” Nicky says emphatically. “We need to thank him.”

“Uh, kind of by accident, butyeah, technically.”

“You should call him. Just toask. You know, at least give the guy some warning that you’ll be in the area.”

Neil is still kinda confused butokay, fine.

Now here’s the thing

The Foxes have heard any numberof accents from Neil by this point

Including a magnificent Godfatherimitation

And probably half a dozendifferent British ones

But those were always for the laughs

He always picked a terribleaccent or would mock the living hell out of a posh one

Neil isn’t used to being thefunny one so he’s trying his best okay

And it’s fun and all but Neil can’tbe seductive to save his life

Even if you made him speak theFrench, the language of love itself,he’d just sound like he’s talking about the next game because he has zeroflirtability

Face it his and Andrew’sflirting sounds kind of like death threats to outsiders

They deserve each other

SO the Foxes convince Neil tocall up his uncle and they huddle around the phone

Only to be utterly disappointed

Neil talks with Stuart for all ofa minute and a half, just normal voice

He hangs up and tells them thatStuart will meet them in London in May and that they’re going to get him inshit with the FBI for this

The Foxes retreat, mutteringmutinously

Andrew is well aware of what’sgoing on, but it’s halfway amusing so he doesn’t say anything

As the months pass the Foxesbecome increasingly desperate in their attempts to make Neil say something sexy

They make him quote movies, TVshows, read out flirty text messages

One memorable time they even gethim to read out a page from Fifty Shades of Grey in a stuck-up British accent

They almost die laughing

It’s like a fucking superpower

Neil can say absolutely anythingand make it come across totally non-sexual

The Foxes have pretty much givenup by the time the summer trip comes around

Neil spends the plane ridepretending not to fuss over Andrew so by the time he arrives he’s totallyexhausted

And here is what he didn’texpect:

He is totally used to listeningto the local accents and then blending in naturally

It’s very disorienting beingamong the Foxes and their various Americanism, but hearing British accents allaround him

And his instincts are snarled upin knots

Plus he’s fucking tired

So he keeps slipping

First it happens when they passthrough customs, just a little lilt to his voice to put the officer at ease

But then it keeps happening

Stuart sends a couple cars topick them up and take them to this massive place he owns right in centralLondon

Being a crimeboss comes withcertain perks okay

Neil slips up again when he’stalking to the driver, his accent washing back and forth

Everyone else isn’t really payingattention because as excited as they are about Neil’s accent they’re in London and they’re all exhausted and fora lot of them it’s the first time they’ve been outside of the States, ever

Andrew notices

But he doesn’t say anything

They get to the apartment andfind a note there from Stuart saying he’ll pick them up tomorrow for a tour

Everyone splits off into theirrooms to sleep

Neil falls into bed exhausted, but sleep doesn’t come

And Andrew knows this but is tooexhausted himself from the stress of flying to deal with it right away

So he just wraps an arm aroundNeil’s stomach and holds him there as he drifts off

And it’s not enough for Neil toreally relax but it’s enough to make him feel grounded

The next morning Stuart shows upand everyone blinks at him bleary eyed and suspicious

But he’s charming and most ofthem find it kinda disarming

Which is how the Foxes end up takingwhat is probably the most expensive tour they’ve ever had (Allison excepted),lead entirely by a crime boss

Neil is lagging behind a bit buteveryone is so caught up in it that they don’t really notice

Except Andrew

That boy is always attuned to Neil

So he drops back with him andthey have a brief intense staring contest which ends in Neil looking away

They’re standing in Trafalgarsquare watching some street performers so no one is listening

Neil is obviously chewing onsomething and Andrew waits him out

He would wait forever

Finally, Neil just says, “I’vebeen here before.”

Which isn’t much but Andrew’smemory has never failed him before

I couldn’t live there again. I couldn’t retrace my steps to any ofthose places

Andrew knows what its like to feelsick at things that other people would love

So he nods and stands next toNeil the whole day

Not quite touching but closeenough that they can feel each others gravity

At the end of the day Stuart andNeil have a very cordial goodbye and then Stuart leaves them back at theapartment

Everyone is gushing about how charismatiche is and Neil doesn’t bother to correct them

His uncle has always been a bitof a snake-charmer but at least he knows he’ll never hurt his Foxes

They’ve still got a few days inLondon and Stuart’s secured them tickets to an underground dungeon tour thingthat usually has months worth of waiting list

Neil’s a little leery of goinginto a dark underground space, but with his Foxes there he’s sure he’ll beFine™

The team breaks out drinks aftersupper but Neil doesn’t have the energy

(Honestly according to thistimeline they’ve been in London for twenty-four hours they should be jet-laggedto hell and back, but w/e)

So he retires to their room andAndrew follows him like he always will

He sits next to Neil on the bedand waits

God there’s so much fuckingpointed silence between these two dear lord guys learn to communicate

Eventually Neil sighs. “I thoughtit would be okay. With all of them here.”

Andrew mulls that over

He doesn’t know how to admit thatit bothers him too. Seeing Neil reverting back to old habits, trying to blendin like its second nature

But he knows Neil is here to stayso he just slips a hand around the back of Neil’s neck and tugs him in untiltheir foreheads touch, breathing in the same air

Gradually the tension eases outof Neil

“We can go home,” Andrew says

“No,” Neil says. “I want to stay.I want to learn how to…do all of this, as Neil.”

Andrew squeezes the back of hisneck one more time. “Okay.”

It’s a silent promise, one he’sbeen keeping for over a year now: that any time Neil drifts too far, Andrewwill keep him anchored.

Neil knows it and he can’t helpbut smile a little, watching Andrew’s hazel eyes disappear into the shadowbetween their faces.

“Yes or no?” he asks

Andrew draws back a little

“You’ve been dissociating allday.”

“I’m here now.”

Andrew scowls and let’s go ofhim, standing up to go dig out his pajamas from his luggage

Neil flops down on the bed andadmires the view while Andrew changes

(That’s a nice thing. Andrewbeing comfortable enough to change in front of him. Sure, he’s always partiallychanged out in the locker room, but in private it’s different. It’s more. And Andrew is willing to give thatto Neil.)

(It’s very nice.)

“Staring,” Andrew grunts

“Can you blame me?”

“Yes.”

Neil sits up again and tugs onthe front of Andrew’s shirt until he gives in and steps up close, betweenNeil’s legs

His hands go to Neil’s sideswithout conscious decision

“Nicky wants the genuine Europeexperience,” Neil murmurs, toying with Andrew’s hem. He still hasn’t been givenpermission to touch, so he doesn’t. “We’re going to be staying in hostels.Might be the last time we have a room to ourselves.”

Andrew bites down on a thousandimpulses, reflexes to shut Neil down, cuthim out

Instead he just kisses Neil, goodand slow, a reassurance that they’re there,they’re real, and that this isn’t going away

“Andrew—”

“Yes,” he says, and pushes Neilback onto the bed.

You know what happens next

They love each other deeply andprofoundly and all that but they also like each other’s butts ya know

So afterwards they get cleaned upand curl back up in bed to sleep

Andrew climbs over Neil andnearly knees him in the balls and Neil’s laughing a little and Andrew scowls inannoyance as Neil scoots closer

And with the most obnoxious chav accent that’s ever been heard says, “Any chance a bloke could get a bit of a snog before bed?”

It is quite possibly the worstthing Neil has ever said and Andrew does not hesitate in slapping a pillow overhis face to try and smother him

Neil is laughing his ass off andit devolves into some pretty stupid wrestling before Andrew gets Neil pinneddown, straddling his hips

“Bloody wanker,” Neil says, unable to contain his grin

“Shut the fuck up,” Andrew says,and kisses him so that he does.

#i dont think this is what you asked for but its what my brain spat out lol #anon #writing prompt #have i been sitting on this for months? #probably #aftg #andrew minyard #neil josten #andreil #accents #fic #my writing #Chav!Neil #the foxes go on vacation

[travelenjoyvecations-blog]

Holiday Survival Guide: Family Style

This story comes from Life Kit, NPR's podcast with tools to help you get it together. To listen to this episode, play the audio at the top of the page or subscribe. For more, sign up for the Life Kit newsletter.

When the halloween candy goes on sale and the dulcet tones of Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" are piping out of every store speaker, it can mean GO TIME for some folks. But there are also a lot of people who get a very familiar pit in their stomach when the holidays roll around. Holidays can mean exhaustion, confronting familial trauma, managing your uncle's opinions and all kinds of overload.

We asked Life Kit listeners for their trickiest situations around family and the holidays and invited Dr. Andrea Bonior, Licenced Clinical Psychologist to offer advice. Here are some excerpts of the letters we received along with some advice that will hopefully help you weather this holiday season with strength if the cheer and goodwill are hard to find. (And don't forget to listen to the full episode so you can get more questions and all of the wisdom!)

We're only using first names to identify the people who wrote in with questions, since their inquiries involve family relationships and are sensitive in nature.

Tl;dr Bah Humbug

"The message that I hear around the holidays is that it's all about family. But I don't have that. It becomes stressful to try and find something I can do to fill that for Thanksgiving and for Christmas which seems to last for a full two months. Also people will say that one of the great things about the holidays is that there is a feeling of love for strangers and our neighbors. But I feel the opposite way! I feel completely alienated. I hate people during the holiday season. They're awful. Have you ever tried to go shopping? They're rude in the parking lots and in the lines. It's all awful." — Tory

This letter is so relatable and speaks to a very real alienation and loneliness that can come up around the holidays. For any number of reasons — if you're estranged or far away from family, if you don't celebrate the holiday or even if the whole thing simply rubs you the wrong way — it can be that much more difficult to watch everyone else operating at that egg-nog-for-breakfast-inject-candy-canes-into-my-bloodstream level.

Andrea's advice is simple: find a way to derive your own meaning from the holidays. "Maybe you can derive meaning from the holidays as a time that you kind of cocoon into yourself and you do let yourself be a little bit frustrated with things but you treat yourself better," she advises. "So many times the pressure and the alienation comes from this idea that we're supposed to feel a certain way." Dr. Bonior recommends volunteering or even scheduling a brunch with a friend who gets it and creating a tradition around that. "The more that we can feel in control that, hey we're we're choosing this, the more soothing it can be and the less left out we'll feel because we're actively choosing what to do with our time." So go ahead and take on the yoga challenge or bake 45 different kinds of muffins or host an anti-holiday party if that's what suits you.

My Family Doesn't Accept Me

"I came out as a trans woman to my family several months ago and I haven't had a holiday with my extended family yet. I know my mom is coming around but my dad isn't and no extended family knows. I'm worried about whether I'll have to pretend to be a boy for a week or if I'll even be welcome at all. I'm dreading constantly being misgendered and treated like the nephew grandson I always presented to them rather than who I actually am. I'm dreading disguising myself just to make my family happy at my own expense."

— Vivian

This letter is heartbreaking, and very representative of many of the letters in the Life Kit inbox where a listener expresses their anxiety and dread at not being accepted by their families. Dr. Bonior's advice in this case is to find an ally and have an exit strategy. She says that this letter writer might consider sitting out this holiday and simply Skyping in for a few minutes to mitigate some of the trauma, but says that it's promising that mom is coming around. "You need an ally to help you be understood and eventually, in an ideal world, her mom can work on the other family members too," Dr. Bonior says.

An escape plan is also a big recommendation in this case, whether it involves actually taking a break from the event — by going on a walk or calling a supportive friend — or coming up with a few safe topics to bring up in case a conversation goes off the rails. "Give yourself permission to change gears. Sometimes, that permission is hard to come by. We feel guilty about it but really you need to protect your own emotional health and you deserve that."

This Holiday Glorifies Genocide

"My husband and I are white and adopted our son from South America many years ago. Last year, at 30, he embraced his native South American heritage and spends all of Thanksgiving in mourning and protest for the horrible things that have been perpetrated on native peoples. While I sympathize I view Thanksgiving as time to spend with friends and family to enjoy a good meal and to socialize. He has also become vegan which puts lots of pressure on hosts to accommodate his needs. I want to be respectful of his very real concerns and choices but the rest of my family is not understanding and feels resentment that he doesn't just fit in. If I side with my son, the rest of the family suffers. If I side with the rest of my family, my son suffers." — Laura

A lot of holiday family gatherings will have at least one person attending who doesn't really feel like participating for any number of reasons. Dr. Bonior says that the way to solve this conundrum is to make space for that person to address their concerns. "It sounds like there's a false dichotomy here I've got to side with my family or with my son when in reality I would think OK how can we honor some of his beliefs and and ask to incorporate it." If people roll their eyes when your son speaks to the table about the atrocities committed against native people, go ahead and let them Dr. Bonior says. "I would start with asking the son how can I take you out of a box here and actually hear more about the nuance of what you do believe in and how that could be incorporated into the day," she says. Listening to one another despite differences in tradition and opinion is something that most folks will likely toast to (and if they don't, hopefully they'll at least sit through it respectfully.)

#travel #holiday #vacation #flights #cheap flight

[hellobeautifulshop]

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[transgenderlies]

Countering transgender lies about Stonewall

Transgenders consistently lie about what happened at the Stonewall Inn in 1969. Their lie holds that the Stonewall riot was variously spurred by or chiefly carried out by transgenders, specifically “transwomen of colour” and even more specifically an “instigator” named Ray “Sylvia” Rivera. If you’d like all Stonewall-related transgender lies collected in one place, I would refer you to the so-called Transadvocate.

Of course this isn’t what happened. It was illegal to appear in public in the attire of the opposite sex in New York in 1969. You couldn’t just sashay down to the Stonewall of a Friday night for a watered-down drink served in a dirty glass, at least not without expecting hassles from cops. The Stonewall Inn was not an early Woody’s with weekly drag shows. The primary clientele was gay males, with some lesbians, and they were dressed like men and women, respectively, in most cases. Whatever “transgenders” frequented the Stonewall were actually drag queens, though that is a distinction without a difference here.

The facts are well established, except to lying transgenders. We have not merely the eyewitness accounts of gay men who were at the Stonewall that night (or the next two nights, or some combination), as in PBS’s Stonewall Uprising. We further have the direct statements from Sylvia Rivera herself, as recorded by recognized historians.

Eric Marcus, Making Gay History

Actually, it was the first time I had been to the friggin’ Stonewall. The Stonewall wasn’t a bar for drag queens. Everybody keeps saying it was. The drag queen spot was the Washington Square Bar, at Third St. and Broadway. This is where I get into arguments with people. They say, “Oh, no, it was a drag-queen bar, it was a black bar.” No. Washington Square Bar was the drag-queen bar.

If you were a drag queen, you could get into the Stonewall if they knew you. And only a certain number of drag queens were allowed into the Stonewall at that time. [...]

That first year after Stonewall, we were petitioning for a gay-rights bill for New York City, and I got arrested for petitioning on 42nd St. I was asking people to sign the petition.

I was dressed casually that day – makeup, hair, and whatnot. The cops came up to me and said, “You can’t do this.” I said, “My Constitution says that I can do anything that I want.” “No, you can’t do this. Either you leave or we’re going to arrest you.” I said, “Fine, arrest me.” They very nicely picked me up and threw me in a police car and took me to jail.

Martin Duberman, Stonewall

Washington Square was Sylvia’s special favo[u]rite. It opened at three in the morning and catered primarily (rather than incidentally as was the case with Stonewall) to transvestites[.] [...]

If she was going out at all... she would go to Washington Square. She had never been crazy about Stonewall, she reminded Tammy: Men in makeup were tolerated there, but not exactly cherished. [...]

If the raid went according to the usual pattern, the only people who would be arrested would be those without IDs, those dressed in the clothes of the opposite gender, and some or all of the employees. Everyone else would be let go with a few shoves and a few contemptuous words. The bar would soon reopen and they would all be back dancing. It was annoying to have one’s Friday night screwed up, but hardly unprecedented.

Note 39:

Section 887(7) of the New York State Criminal Code was the one traditionally invoked by the police against transvestites. The law was supposedly ignored on Halloween, though the police-department handbook specified that even then, someone dressed in costume had to be wearing a certain number of garments “appropriate” to their sex.

Note 40:

The eyewitness accounts in RAT (July 1969) specifically credits “one guy” (not a lesbian or a queen) for precipitating a scuffle by refusing to be put into the paddy wagon.... At least two people credit Sylvia herself with provoking the riot.... But I’ve found no corroboration for either account[,] and Sylvia herself, with a keener regard for the historical record, denies the accuracy of both versions. She does remember “throwing bricks and rocks and things” after the mêlée began, but takes no credit for initiating the confrontation.

David Carter, Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution

pp. 261–2:

The question of who gets credit for starting the riots is one that deserves consideration. The question, however, contains a premise: that an individual or group of individuals can be singled out as the prime mover in a complex process that many person s collectively created. This is important for two reasons. First, as John O’Brien pointed out, there was a continuum of resistance ranging from silent persons who ignored the police orders to move to those who threw objects at the police. O’Brien maintains that it was because of those person standing around and blocking the streets and sidewalks and keeping the police from being able to operate efficiently that he and others were able to engage in their tactics as effectively as they did: if there had been only about fifteen youths lobbing objects at the police the young men would have been quickly caught or chased away.

Second, I wrote the account of the first night to reflect my understanding of what happened, namely, that until the definitive outbreak of rioting when the police retreated inside the Stonewall Inn, there was throughout the evening both a gradual buildup of anger and, correspondingly, a gradual escalation in the release of that anger. In the course of that buildup there were numerous turning points, some more critical than others. With these qualifications noted, I think it is clear that special credit must be given to gay homeless youths, to transgendered men, and to the lesbian who fought the police.¹⁰

Footnote 10 from above:

Charles Kaiser suggested to the author that Stormé DeLarverie (see The Gay Metropolis: 1940–1996 [Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997], p. 198) was this woman, but she could not have been. To cite only a few of the problems with this thesis, DeLarverie’s story is one of escaping the police, not of being taken into custody by them, and she has claimed that on that night she was outside the bar, “quiet, I didn’t say a word to anybody, I was just trying to see what was happening,” when a policeman, without provocation, hit her in the eye (“Stonewall 1969: A Symposium,” June 20, 1997, New York City). DeLarverie is also an African-American woman, and all the witnesses interviewed by the author describe the woman as Caucasian.

And here’s what The Gay Metropolis actually says:

Several spectators agreed that it was the action of a cross-dressing lesbian – possibly Stormé DeLarverie – which would change everyone’s attitude forever. DeLarverie denied that she was the catalyst, but her own recollection matched others’ descriptions of the defining moment. “The cop hit me and I hit him back,” DeLarverie explained [in Kaiser’s own interview with her on 1995.12.09].

Continuing:

Among these, we can name three individuals known to have been in the vanguard: Jackie Hormona, Marsha Johnson, and Zazu Nova.

A common theme links those who resisted first and fought the hardest, and that is gender transgression. While we do not know how the lesbian who fought the police saw herself, we do know that her clothing was masculine, in keeping with her general demeano[u]r. We know from Pine’s testimony that the first significant resistance that he encountered inside the bar came from transvestites, and Joel S. places them among the first outside the bar to resist. Marsha Johnson and Zazu Nova were both transvestites, and, as the reader has seen, the street youth were, generally speaking, effeminate men. All available evidence leads us to conclude that the Stonewall Riots were instigated and led by the most despised and marginal elements of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community. My research for this history demonstrates that if we wish to name the group most responsible for the success of the riots, it is the young, homeless homosexuals, and, contrary to the usual characterizations of those on the rebellion’s front lines, most were Caucasian; few were Latino; almost none were transvestites or transsexuals; most were effeminate; and a fair number came from middle-class families.

Footnote 11 from that same chapter:

It is remarkable – and no doubt inevitable given human psychology – that in the popular imagination the number of transvestites at the riots is always exaggerated. Readers will note that in the [Fred] McDarrah photos of the riots there is one transgendered person[,] and none of the persons I interviewed, some of whom knew her, ever saw her actively involved in the riots. (Note that the McDarrah photographs, which do feature the street youths, were taken late on Saturday night during one of the lulls in rioting, when nothing in particular was happening....) The Ambrosini photo does not show a single transvestite. Craig Rodwell told researcher Michael Scherker that “one of the myths about Stonewall is it was all drag queens. I mean, drag queens are part of what went on. Certainly one of the most courageous, but there were maybe twelve drag queens. In thousands of people.”

Transgenders lie about Stonewall in part because they are fundamentally dishonest (about themselves and about human anatomy, to give two examples), but they do it here to establish primacy over the legitimately constituted lesbian and gay community. The way they tell it, we owe them because they bravely instigated the Stonewall Riots that led to actual gay and lesbian liberation. (Even that last part isn’t true just in the U.S. context, as veterans of the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis will attest.) As far as they’re concerned, transgender is the supercategory and we gays and lesbians are mere variations of trans. And Stonewall proves it.

Well, all of that is untrue, honey, and nobody’s buying what you’re selling, literally or figuratively.

(Original post)

#Gay #Stonewall #TransgenderLies #Transgender #StonewallRebellion #StonewallUprising #Trans

[shrugman]

all of them ily facetime me

I’m half a bottle of wine in so this is the perfect time to answer this

1. Name: Michelle Bair

2. Birthplace: some airforce base in virginia 

3. Ancestry: general European, Scottish, and Native American

4. Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

5. Biggest fear: Abandonment 

6. Strength/Weakness: For the most part I’m pretty honest / I can’t make decisions if they impact other people

7. Worst habit: braiding and unbraiding my hair / shaking my leg

8. Favorite holiday: Halloween  

9. Ever been in a car crash: thankfully, no

10. Have you ever had a crush on a teacher: Paul omg

11. What do you do as soon as you walk in the house: drop whatever bag I’m holding

12. Age at first kiss: 14? Idk whatever the second half of 8th grade was

13. When did you fall in love for the first time: when I was 15

14. Who Is Your Longest Friend & How Long: Stephanie is my ride or die for like 11 years. Like literally I’d die without her I love her so much 

15. Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year: pump that GPA up a bit

16. What were you doing at midnight last night: trying (failing) to sleep

17. When was the last time you laughed hard: earlier when I was telling Stephanie a story about my dad

18. Who was the last person that told you they love you: My dad 

19. What was the first thing you thought when you woke up yesterday morning: idk man probably a generic sound of unhappy

20. Where did you go for your first date and who was it with: I don’t even know because like what actually counts as a date?

21. Who’s wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid or a groomsmen: never happened

22. Who did you see in concert first: Jimmy Buffet I shit you not

23. Who was your favorite teacher: Paul

24. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day: I text Stephanie 

25. Who do you think about most: probably Stephanie 

26. Is your ideal occupation? Optometrist 

27. Beer, wine, or liquor? liquor 

28. Favourite restaurant?  Saizeriya (it’s in Japan)

29. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Vanilla with cherry 

30. McDonlads or Burger King? McDonalds 

31. Fantasy dinner guest(s)? Kate McKinnon 

32. Have you ever been drunk? When was the last time? I’m like tipsy rn so? now? idk

33. What is the most embarrassing thing you have done drunk? honestly I don’t even known

34. Wonder Woman or Cat Woman? Wonder? idk

35. How many pets do you have? a single dog

36. What would be the first thing you bought if you won the lottery? idk something stupid like some cheese 

37. When was the first time you smoked? Like a cigarette? Never. Weed? Sometime last fall when I went camping 

38. Who last sent you a text? Stephanie 

39. Who did you last send a text to? Stephanie lmao 

40. What 4 things would you take to a desert island? i’d just die

41. Name the 3 most important people in your life? Shit this is hard because like obviously Stephanie but also my family and there are 4 people in that and I can’t pick whos the most important out of them so 

42. Favorite song? I honestly don’t know

43. Favorite movie? Heathers 

44. When did you last cuddle someone? fuck idk like late march early april?

45. When did you last have sex? see above

46. If you woke up tomorrow with no fear, what would you do first? probably either jump off a roof or tell my dad I’m into girls

47. What was your biggest worry five years ago, do you still feel the same about it at this minute? Abandonment, yes. Constantly 

48. If you could change one law of your country, what would it be? There are way to many fucked up things to even choose 

49. What relationships have ended? But you can’t let go? Idk there was one that at first I couldn’t let go but now I can so?

50. Where would you take a road trip? Albuquerque 

51. How do Mondays feel for you? during the summer, whatever. During the year, like i put a vacuum on my face 

52. If you could spend ten minutes with your ‘hero’ alive or dead what would you ask them? Omg Stephanie how did you get to Germany 

53. Do your practice ‘self love’ or ‘self loathing’? a weird combo of both tbh

54. What’s your greatest achievement to date? Idk I guess getting into JMU is p good 

55. What scares you about your future? That I won’t’ do well enough to get into Optometry school 

56. Why does pizza come in a square box? easier to transport 

57. What would happen if you knew you could not fail? so many things 

58. How does it feel to be photographed? sometimes I hate it but i like being able to look back on the moments 

59. If you could erase an event from your mind, which one would you choose? oh god... maybe seeing my dad cry while I went through security out of Japan for the last time 

60. Do you want your children (if you have any) to be ‘just like you’? No. I want my children to be better than me in every way so that once I’ve taught them all I know they can then teach me what they’ve learned 

61. Do you stand for what you believe in or are you pleasing others? I try to stand for it 

62. If money were no concern, what would you do for the rest of your life? If I had the talent, be a stage actor 

63. What are you thankful for, this moment? That surgery went well yesterday 

64. Do you have same sex fantasies? Well I mean, yeah 

65. If you have had sex in a public place, where? a pool locker room 

66. Have you ever cried during/after sex? nope

67. Who is the oldest person you’ve had sex with? Dylan

68. Who is the youngest person you’ve had sex with? Tori

69. Would you rather be in a relationship with a totally submissive partner or a totally dominant partner? Dom

70. How tall are you? 5′10

71. How much do you weigh? 144 which I was hype about because the last time I’d checked I was 150

72. What color is your hair naturally?  like dirty blondeish?

73. What size jeans do you wear? 8 I think but idk

74. What is your favorite color to wear?   black

75. Do you have any piercings?    just ears

76. Do you have any tattoos?    no

77. Do you care how other people see you?    I mean yeah

78. Do you like sports?  I love ballet but other than that no 

79. How do you feel about age differences in relationships?  It depends. Like below 25 if you have more than a few years I’m iffy, but the older you are the more lenient I am 

80. How do you feel about race differences in relationships?    idgaf

81. Do you believe in karma or fate?    yeah

82. Do you keep a journal? no   

83. Describe the last dream you remember: I can’t remember a recent one 

84. Describe your favorite dream: Don’t really have one

85. Where are some places you would like to visit? Canada, South America, Paris, etc   

86. Any upcoming concerts you want to attend? Paramore and Halsey but I’m too stressed about money to buy tickets 

87. What music do you listen to when you are happy? BTR and early 2000s songs rn

88. What music do you listen to when you are mad?  Breakup songs. I have a playlist

89. Do you like to burn candles or incense? Candles, yes

90. What was the last alcoholic beverage you consumed? Wine

91. What are your favorite alcoholic beverages? I like sex on the beaches and vodka mixed with cranberry juice 

92. Do you smoke cigarettes or cigars? What about marijuana? no cigarettes or cigars. Tried weed twice but it didn’t work 

93. Who is your number 1 friend and why is he or she there? Stephanie becuase she’s always there for me and when everything in my life is falling apart she’s always my rock and I just love her so much 

94. Has anyone ever mistaken you for a family member? I don’t know what this means

95. Is there anyone of your friends that you would ever consider having sex with? Of my current friends? Nah I don’t think so

96. Would you ever have sex in the shower or the bath? I DON’T WANT TO DIE

97. Have you ever kissed or had sex with someone of the same sex? yeah

98. Do you think your last ex still wants to be with you? //actual// ex? idk maybe 

99. Ever wondered what it would be like dating the same gender as you? been there, done that

100. What are your outlooks on gay/bisexual people? dude

101. How often do you brush your teeth? twice a day

102. How often do you shower?  When was the last time you had a shower? I try to shower every day. I just took a bath and then washed my hair with the shower head

103. How often do you shave your legs?  rarely lmao

104. Political affiliation? dude

105. Opinion on abortion? duDE

106. Opinion on immigrants/ immigration reform? dUDE

107. Should prostitution be legalized? honestly I don’t know enough to say

108. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? wtf kind of meta

109. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do? it’s easier that way

110. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world? just like... make everyone stop hating everyone else so much

111. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich? acting

112. Would you break the law to save a loved one? 100%

113. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why? well technically I live in both Germany and America so this question is too complex

114. Why are you the person you are? what

115. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend? I try but I’ve had slipups

116. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars? bc ppl suc

117. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you? I’‘d probably be a lot more outgoing 

118. Were you happy when you woke up today? no

119. What’s a fact about the last person who text messaged you? Well my mom just texted me and she really liked turtles 

120. Want someone back in your life? At times, but then I remember they’re gone for a reason 

121. What are you excited for? PRAGUE

122. Are you scared to fall in love? sometimes 

123. When is your next road trip?idk

124. What was the last thing you did before you went to bed last night? told stephanie I love her

125. Do you like to cuddle? yeh

126. Have you ever kissed more than one person in 24 hours? maybe? idk

127. Plans for tomorrow? we’re going to see castles 

128. Do you care too much/not at all/just enough? too much

129. How is life going for you right now? :/

130. If you were offered a shot of whiskey right this second, would you accept? yep

131. This time last year, can you remember who you liked? tori

132. Could you stay in the same relationship for over a year? I mean I never have, but I think I could if the military would butt out 

133. If you could have one super power what would it be? transformation 

134. Background on your cell phone? the lockscreen is a gradient from purple to pink and the background is Tyler on a piano 

135. What are you thinking about right this second? these questions 

136. Last book you read? How was it? I Wrote This For You. made me cry. I loved it 

137. What is the last thing you bought? coffee at the airport 

138. Do you live with your parents? during holidays 

139. Have you ever been caught sneaking out? no

140. Have you ever met a celebrity? not like A-list

141. What are you like when you’re drunk?  super giggly 

142. What are you like when you’re high? idk

143. Do you want children? yeah

144. Do you want a church wedding? no

145. How many pillows do you sleep with? as many as I can 

146. Have you ever been scuba diving? nope 

147. Who was your first real crush? this guy Matt in 4th grade lmao

148. What are you allergic to? grass and pollen 

149. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they? rn I like the name Vita but ask again in like 3 months 

150. Do you want a boy a girl for a child? Girl just because I feel like I’d be able to raise her better 

151. How did you get your name? My sister pointed at my mom’s baby bump and was like “Michelle!” and they were like ok

152. Name one thing about your body you love? my cheek bones 

153. What is your biggest goal in life? be happy. Like fully

154. Do you still have feelings for your ex? nah

155. Do you think aliens are real? YES

156. What age did you start drinking? my first drink was at 14 but I started like regulatory drinking at 17 

157. What do you think of President Obama? YES

158. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now? nah

159. Describe your dream girl/guy? idk

160. Story of your first kiss? we were at a park 

161. Story of the first time you made out with someone? same as ^

162. Story of the first time you had sex? I went over to her house while her parents were at work 

163. When did you first have sex? when I was 18

164. First time you gave/ received oral sex? ^

165. Do you still talk to the person you lost your virginity to? nope

167. Favorite fictional character (movie, book, tv show)? Holtzman

168. How many followers do you have on tumblr? What about twitter/ instagram? 44/87/19

169. Are you friend with your parents on Facebook? yeah

170. First time you thought you were in love? When did you realize that you weren’t actually in love with that person? 14, when we broke up and I realized I was confusing a crush for love 

171. Do you talk to yourself? wayyyy too much 

172. How old will you be on your next birthday? 20

173. How did you meet the last person you kissed? tinder 

174. Do you have any hickies? not rn

175. Turn ons? being confident without being cocky 

176. Turn offs? acting like you’re entitled to me

177. What qualities did you get from your mom? petty, creative 

178. What qualities did you get from your dad? idiot, hard working 

179. How many siblings do you have? 1

180. Have you ever taken anyone’s virginity? yeah

that took so long omg. ily

#324bee2dun

[tokyoteddywolf]

Updated! 333 Ways To Get Kicked Out Of The Russian Rink

21-40 is now up! i also fixed a few mistakes i noticed a while ago, so enjoy!

333 Ways To Get Kicked Out Of The Rink And Russia Itself

1. Switch the drinks at the banquet with random condiment liquids.

   Yuuri was more than confused when he went to drink some of the fruit punch and found it was just watery filtered ketchup with lemons thrown in. Yurio was nowhere to be seen.

2. Hit people with pirozhki's.

This backfired on Yurio when Viktor's hair became a victim. He went MIA after said older Russian skater finally caught him….

3. Walk up to some old geezer and yell, “Grandpa! You're alive! It's a miracle!”

Viktor wouldn't stop sulking under the benches in the locker rooms when Yuuri tried this….

4. Dart around suspiciously humming the Mission: Impossible theme song.

Everyone was highly concerned for Phichit's mental state.

5. Buy several dozen fishing rods. Go on the roof and test them out, saying you're fishing for toupees.

Mila caught 35, Yurio got 31, and Georgi won with a staggering 108.

6. Hold Barbie hostage.

Yurio didn't really mind, Otabek was his friend after all. Besides, he quite liked the horrified looks of his fans when the Kazakhstan skater grabbed him as he sped by on his motorcycle.

7. TP as much of the rink as you can.

Nobody suspected innocent Yuuri to be good with his throwing arm, but almost every inch of the rink was covered in toilet paper. Viktor was automatically blamed.

8. Hide in the skate racks. Whenever someone comes to grab a pair, yell “Pick me! Pick me!”

Yuuko was incredibly unimpressed when the triplets pulled this prank on their father. However, hearing Takeshi scream like a child was worth it, and they all got ice cream that night.

9. Dress as Batman and burst into the rink screaming, “Come Robin! To the Batmobile!”

Guang-Hong was just extremely confused at Leo's antics, wondering if all Americans were this weird.

10. Challenge people to duels with wrapping paper.

It was the best birthday yet, in Viktor's opinion.

11. Buy several singing toy Viktor's from Amazon, and once you have them, set them up on the ice and get your friends to turn them on. Proceed to act like a conductor.

Yuuri was actually really good at anything music related. The impromptu concert certainly amused the others.

12. Go up to random people and poke them. If they ask what you're doing, inform them that you're trying to find out what they ate for breakfast.

Georgi got kicked across the room when he tried this on Yurio.

13. Leave cryptic messages all over Instagram as an anon.

Nobody knew Phichit could even scream that loud.

14. Skate around screaming “There's a dead body in here!”

Yakov was unamused at Mila's actions.

15. Go up to the Russian Fairy and say, “Yurio, I am your father.”

It wasn't even remotely funny for Viktor. It just opened up more wounds.

16. Make evil eyes at people and whisper “I am the Lady Of The Well…..i've been waiting...”

Minako's Halloween party was the bomb.

17. Ride around in a Barbie car and pretend to be a posh upperclassman, sipping vodka from a teacup and saying things like “Top hole!” and “By Jove!”

Yuuri should have never let Minako watch Doctor Who.

18. Start dancing like mad. Wave your arms and flop like a fish.

Everyone assumed Yuuri was drunk again. The ensuing dance battle was certainly better than last year.

19. Balance everything you see on the tip of your nose, fingers, on your forehead, and top of your head all while singing the circus song.

Otabek won with 4 water bottles, Yuuri's duffle bag, 5 pairs of ice skates, and Yurio, all while skating circles around Phichit, who was filming the entire thing.

20. Start singing songs through the PA system at the ice arena.

The entire skating crew all joined in on a perfect rendition of Stammi Vicino. The announcers were extremely entertained.

21. Blackmail your friend into giving you a piggy back and have them run around the town, screaming “The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!”

The next GFP was certainly better prepared after Yuuri and Phichit gave the warning. Though Phichit on Yuuri's back was certainly a weird mode of transport….

22. Take a fishing pole, a bag of money, and go people fishing.

Georgi was still bored, and eventually caught Yurio.

23. Pretend to be Spiderman by running up walls and saving people.

Guang-Hong really had to get Leo to stop watching those superhero movies of his, this was getting ridiculous.

24. Pretend to have an asthma attack, and bite anyone who tries to help you.

Emil went to the doctor after Yurio pulled this stunt in Barcelona… that's what he got for trying to be a nice friend…..

25. Lie on the ground. Just lie there. It's guaranteed to freak people out.

Revenge for the Grampa joke. Yuuri was panicking like crazy when Viktor pulled this stunt after a failed jump.

26. Announce an ice sliding contest. Take off your skates and proceed to do just that.

The game had to stop after Georgi slid too far into the rink wall.

27. Put on a black ski mask and cape and run around declaring “Zorro has returned!”

Nobody was sure where Sara went during the hours when a masked vigilante ran rampant through Russia.

28. Protest against cat abuse.

Nobody knew what the fuck just happened after Yurio ran down the streets, completely drunk and screaming “Run my feline friends! Run!” at the head of a cat stampede.

29. Start a barbershop quartet.

Yuuri, Viktor, Chris and Phichit soon become number one on the charts with their hit song, When Drunk People Dance On Poles.

30. Dress in a trenchcoat and sunglasses, go up to random people, hand them marshmallow guns, and say, “You know what to do.”

Thus started Russia's Marshmallow War 1, thanks to Phichit stealing Viktor's clothes.

31. Go up to random people carrying a paper bag and say “Trick or treat!” When they refuse, give them puppy dog eyes.

Guang-Hong's legendary puppy eyes were something to fear.

32. Cover your hand with blue paint. Run up to someone, put your hand on their face and yell “A clue! A clue!”

Yurio's knife shoes were the talk of the town after JJ tried this on the Russian Fairy and subsequently had to go to the hospital for minor lacerations.

33. Scream really loudly and when someone asks you to be quiet, scream, “I WON'T BE SILENCED!”

Apparently, Yuuri was trying out a new anxiety coping method.

34. Grow out your hair.

Needless to say, Yuuri and Viktor disappeared for a little while once Viktor noticed how long Yuuri's hair had gotten… Yurio was disgusted.

35. Grab a can of whipped cream, find a bald guy, and spray it on him.

Yakov blasted Mila's eardrums for that one.

36. Start singing horrible karaoke.

Nobody's ears were ever the same after Mickey took the mic.

37. Loudly announce that you will be the one to win gold this year.

Yuuri actually didn't care, he just wanted to see the chaos.

38. Go magical creature hunting.

Yurio was unamused at Otabek and Phichit.

39. Run up to someone, slap them, and scream, “WHAT IS THIS?!? I THOUGHT WHAT WE HAD WAS SPECIAL!!!”

Viktor stared after Yuuri in horror, holding his damaged cheek. He was just talking to Chris!

40. Fall over and scream “Ah! The pain! The terrible pain!” When someone asks what's wrong, stand up and say “Nothing, why?” and walk away as if nothing had happened.

Chris just liked making people's days a little more surreal.

#more soon! #yoi #the skate gang #yuuri katsuki #yurio #yuri plisetsky #russian skaters #viktor nikiforov #phichit chulanont #chris giacometti #mila babicheva #everyone in yoi #this is fun to write

[autoirishlitdiscourses]

Discourse of Wednesday, 26 August 2020

There are other possible interpretations, too. I myself am less than thrilled about this during our last two weeks. One of these is that your ideas out, it's not necessary to try to avoid a assuming that the Irish are more passionate than any other absences for any other questions! Thank you so much the case that two people who grow up to perform suboptimally on the final this counts absolutely everything except for the course discussion section is part of the concept itself central to your presentation out longer, I think you're on the same deal for you. Because the textual history of Ulysses with you. I'm sorry I didn't anticipate at the last minute and two-year college can be hard to be on the following categories best describe it: A letter to Martha, V. Despite these problems will help you to prioritize senior English majors with a critical eye and ask yourself what you need to do in order to be reserved for two hours. And, again, you will have other priorities instead of the poem. There will be on the following links: MLA International Bibliography log in via ProQuest or LION JSTOR Google Scholar The UCSB Library's advanced search. If you develop more detailed lesson plans, it will be held tomorrow SH 2635, and the Stars How would you characterize O'Casey's portrayal of home in general might mean. A paper; I think that they didn't cover but that would have most helped you make the selection in the How Your Grade Is Calculated in Excruciating Detail This document has not removed the price tag from his hat. Be sure to email in just before it jerked; added that to the video on the other on your recitation from Calypso, with Dexter, it allows you to reschedule after the midterm to get fed as much as doing an excellent job! Any time after 12:30-3:30 does that tell me when large numbers of fingers at the document How Your Grade Is Calculated document to 0. Some suggestions: Georges Braque painted food-concerned still lifes quite a good chunk of the Discussion Section Guidelines handout, you did a good break! I want a recording of a play about the horror genre, so you may certainly choose Heaney poems, as well as some slang terms for various coins and brief notes on usage. So, I can see representations of the week before I go to bed late tonight, because you're going to be as specific and nuanced as you're capable of doing this so that you might appreciate knowing now instead of whenever the Registrar releases grades, preferring to leave campus before I pass it out sooner, because you don't mind the shameless self-control, etc. There are a couple of suggestions. All in all of which is harder to get other people react to Lecter and how well you're putting together an argument about a characteristic of personality and identity that are not quite enough points on the final exam/except in genuinely extraordinary/situation that results in an American work, and so this is probably not last unless some totally new narrative path through them and see whether I can point people when looking at it. I also will not necessarily mean that I think that you are reciting that week will partially serve as a team and gave a very strong familiarity with the time requirement for papers which do incur penalties is: What, ultimately, is the enjoyment that the sooner you tell him you want me to leave me with an unnamed nationalist called only the citizen, the smart thing to work, we should be watching that show off for you, and, as a source. I'll see you then! If you must email me a description of the class, overall. Let me know and we'll figure something out. However, I think it would help you to make suggestions, but I'll most likely way to push your readings are also welcome to disagree in whole or the viewer is likely to run free because the batteries in my experience, they are, even if you re-typed your email to answer messages. If you'd prefer to do that in advance, and I've noticed that none of the object itself. Updated version by Friday. Have a good job. Which is just an issue that impacts your paper's structure, and I will offer you a bit too long. Very well done yesterday. Other points for section this week I had my students are correctly identifying at least one email from n asking whether she can take some reasonable guesses. So you can deal with this, I myself don't know that you might think about the relationship between education and persuasive power in the afternoon could we meet at a bare minimum paper length, and your material very effectively to larger-scale discussions in relation to do whatever he tells me to respond to the novel, too, for instance, if I recall correctly, was supposed to have a couple of days to ask the professor. Recitations this week, but before I go to the topic you will receive no section credit; if you do, or severe problems with their mothers would be happy to discuss with the question of what you really did give quite a difficult selection, effectively, please let me know what you'd like. It just needs to be.

He talked in section. I think that considering alternate viewpoints will help you to reschedule, and it may not have started reading McCabe yet if they're cuing off of his life, you were nervous and a real bitch at the front of the phrase is not the right direction, I may overlook it if you feel better soon. My Window Yeats, and I understand it, in the library either has a clear cubist depiction of people, and the understanding of the rhythm-and-women. If I'm not faulting you here, and only three IDs instead of the overall goal is to have thought of it. Keep your overall points. A-is entirely plausible if you want to be flexible so as to cut it off with the series. The Time Traveler's Wife is perhaps one that he approves, though. I suspect will be in South Hall 2635 which is actually the more likely he is currently better developed and more than once before, to everyone's first proposal before I pass it out, so it is necessary, then send me an email letting me know if you want to know tonight instead of responding to for other reasons.

Are we getting Bloom's fantasies about Gerty?

Just a quick search. On the other group looks like there are several ways that I think that Easter 1916 is a thinking process too, and had some important introductory aspects to it, in love with someone else beat you to push yourself up to me, Yeats's phrase merely claims that unreciprocated love is perhaps one of my students who hadn't yet gotten it in contractual terms to the week before I go to the Ulysses lectures which, given Ulysses, Bacon's paintings, and I know that he spoke of it?

What I'd suggest we do have a nuanced argument. Let me know if you run out of your material if that works for you, I say thank you for that week will prevent your grade by Friday and get your main points of view from the absolute minimum standards for a specific topic with sufficient precision, but if you discover that there are several ways in which the novel. You did a very long selection and delivered it very well wind up attending section during Thanksgiving week, you must email a copy on the section guidelines handout. At the same time, I think that one thing, most elegant, most of that first term at a different segment later in section you have a copy of an analysis of a difficult line to walk, especially when you're bored out of your discussion on Wednesday, October 11, and this weekend. /Situation, exactly, think about how you can just bring it to section for those meetings; it may be performing an analysis.

Damn! I'm sorry. An A is absolutely a fair and perceptive understandings of femininity in any reasonable way that you find that giving texts, and do what the MLA standard and has no effect on your part to do The Butcher Boy, this could conceivably boost your overall argument that you're thinking about grad school. —What I think your plan is to think about those parts that build to your section this quarter, and that to the pound was subdivided, as you can point the other students in class with respect, and should take my pedagogical responsibilities seriously, and those that most examples of people haven't done the reading yet, but I think that getting your information using standard academic citation practices. On Raglan Road: Personally, I think that keeping it closely in it—this is quite engaging and lucid.

Of course. If you do an awful lot of good ideas here, I think that the Butcher Boy, and you did a good Halloween! I realize. Section guidelines handout. I'm glad I had your paper depends on what your argument itself, I will do the following for you to give a textually perfect recitation that departs from the selection in addition to motherhood, those who were getting a perfect score on section website: good reading. I said on 1. If you can't get to all of whom are in participation right now your primary payoff is—but rather because thinking about identity in the phrasing of your choice from Casualty could productively appear either near the beginning, and this is a piece of writing. Note that plagiarism will definitely give you a good job of structuring your paper if you'd like, in detail than we can use footnotes if you have any questions at all. I'm currently thinking may be servitude, History may be that he has not held your grade, so that you realized that their behavior was not assigned in class.

Moreover, if you are definitely capable of doing this. Alas, my grandmother is past the I disagree with it—and you've done already this quarter. I think, though what you've outlined a good concert. It is not something that gets deep into the novel with which I mean is that you have missed for purposes of this particularly moving passage. That is to sit down and start writing as self-identify as Irish is kind of a report that's an overview of the total points for section this quarter, I myself am less than thrilled about this and more specifically, to wind up with the text. I'm pretty sure it's at least a preliminary selection of what interests you about how each part of why this is taken to mean that each of these are very rare A and F grades, but you got them to construct a nuanced and graceful, and you can deal with this particular assignment difficult. In other cases, writers of C to A, but I re-think your discussion notes here let me know what you want to point to would be ideal for me if you have any breathing room. Hi! If it's not enough points on the final. I'm looking forward to your section sent me this quarter, and the broader themes with which he had to be on the specific selection that you provide a useful way for you to choose something else that might ultimately constitute a larger-scale concerns that Ulysses, but I can't recall immediately and have an excellent example of a specific, this is another step that you are reciting, obligates you to speak if no one else at all. What he did his recitation a painfully slow and clumsy performance of 12 lines from Ulysses is a motivated one, I will still be elusive at this point. Similarly, if that's inconvenient for you for doing such a great deal. And your writing really is a question is not by any means, essentially, is to provide additional information you are one of the entire class, that this is not criticism, because it is. You did a strong job! Peeler p. Hello, all!

I like that, though. Your paper should consist of questions or need any changes made I have you as currently registered in my box South Hall 1415. Answers: Martha, V. —You have lots of good possibilities here. History and how this text affects me approach often falls short because a visit to the overall goal is in season 5. One would be the sign of maturity and sophistication of your passage, getting people to take so long to get people started talking for four minutes, but you would hope yes/no questions rarely generate much in the humanities, or that a few avenues that might work as the last minute. I think, too, that there are a few exceptions, listed in a well-documented excuse, then you may leave your luggage in my office hours if they need to explore ideas more collaboratively. Thanks for your recitation on Tuesday night, and went above and beyond the interpretations articulated in lecture tomorrow! Thanks for your paper to make at least/eight full pages/, so I can. Several new documents have been beaten into shape this is a Freudian father-son relationship, and it does give you a grade to you. I have to look at the specific nature of your writing is quite interesting and important topics to discuss your topics themselves instead of seven on the other group looks like people have done some very minor alterations; at this point. You supported each other, and turn them into a graceful larger-scale course concerns and did an excellent job! Some of Dali's work, Upton Sinclair's The Jungle 1906, but if he asks you out on a larger point of view and the University for classes at UCSB, and American responses to British colonialism, misogyny based on attendance but not many. In romantic relationships, his understanding of topics whose relationship is, after lecture. On section two. You have some interesting ideas about what you see as being most significant thing to do it. I think that letting it sit for two or three people who were not present last night looking back over a draft for everyone is scheduled, therefore, is 50 10% of your own work will help to pay off to have practiced a bit flat in establishing their relevance, because problems like subject/verb agreement errors when speaking, or nations,—of value. I quite liked it. I haven't started grading finals yet he may yet get a grade independently of the passage as a way into an impressive delivery. Let me know if there's anything to talk to me and holding eye contact for half a percent away crossing the line without me needing to work, Upton Sinclair's The Jungle 1906, but it might come off as much as possible. You need at least a preliminary selection of near-nonsense from Godot tomorrow. Going is a good job of interacting with the job they have especially the young hornies. After thinking about, but I may require that you understood the issues that you explicitly say so as to cut it off with a fresh reading, engage the reader; the paper as coming in yesterday I'll get right back to your thesis at the end of the text, although you should be in section this week.

Also, glancing at me occasionally, but you two did a solid job of moving between the texts that you have any questions; you also gave a sensitive, thoughtful performance that was fair to the course edition? There's absolutely nothing wrong with Francie, it would be to ask if you have any questions. There are a number of important concepts for the quarter has always been an even clearer expression of your mind about how you're framing it and whether it's kosher. Heaney, Requiem for the professor's reading is the only representation of the text you'd selected. He missed four sections this quarter, I feel like is currently being done. 25 C 78. If you have questions about what your primary focus should be engaging in a close-reading and merciless editing as part of why I want to do recitations in front of the entire class, which might get you feedback on your final exam! Here's a breakdown on your own presuppositions in more detail.

I can send you the warnings. I may overlook it if it's OK with the section, and make your writing is not a bad thing, I realize. Think about whether you wish to incorporate personal experience into analysis find it necessary to complete a COMMA specialization, seniors trying to get at least five discussion sections, and giving other people who decide they want to do more than three sections and you connected it effectively to larger-scale themes to specific parts of your readings of Yeats poem to the Irish experience that is, it may just need to let you know that. Which I really appreciate you being able to recall problems. In a lot of good news is that we haven't had enough coffee today. Of course, think about specific questions about identity in the sense that my comments can be a stronger, clearer stand on what you're actually using it for you to be one of the poem and Yeats's biography.

On Raglan Road Patrick Kavanagh, I think, too. I think it's very possible that you sit down and done some very solid, and your reading of Ulysses? I'll try to I will be thinking closely about it anyway, especially if the first four stanzas 13 lines, and to motivate you to trace a narrative/logical path can be an even clearer expression of your ideas, but it does mean that Yeats is still possible for you.

Whatever he tells me to respond to alternate viewpoints will help you to 97%. Remember what we now call in English department look into and think about how to draw as much as it is not one of the day before Thanksgiving. Enjoy your holiday weekend this quarter, but I think, to push your readings are generally pretty minor errors. I'll see you next week.

This doesn't change the sense of a variety of questions that arises from your outline is 4. I will throw you one by ILL; I will be 500 total points for not meeting basic expectations for section attendance and participation is 55 5 _9 points. Crispin's Day speech from Shakespeare's play; World War II Disney propaganda films, which could conceivably have been productive.

You can signal that you are, I would say the smartest way to set up for the quarter, too. But I do tomorrow, even especially! I'm pretty sure there are two potential difficulties that I show you a copy of this. Ultimately, I think that your relative weighting involves/making more productive readings are generally good, and it shows in places, but being flexible may be that you don't already use Twitter, you should rise above the compare/contrast with the sweatbeads as big as berries moment in your write-up side of the novel. But will make sure it's too late for students in the way that is necessary to perform these calculations! Good luck with your selection on pp. There are many possibilities; but I did do all three and four the other members of the text, one of its main claims. Romance that you really did enjoy having you in section as a single college lecture? Hear his voice in the romance meta-narrative path through your topic is potentially very productive reading of Godot is already an impressive move. I will be paying attention to your proposal.

#Irish literature #automatically generated text #Patrick Mooney #Python #Markov chains

[theconservativebrief]

CVS is a drugstore much like other drugstores, with one important difference: The receipts are very long.

How long are the receipts? For at least a decade, concerned shoppers have dedicated themselves to this question, producing a robust body of phone-picture literature on the subject. You could not major in CVS receipt studies, probably, but you could minor.

Not all CVS receipts are created equal. If you, a non-loyal shopper, mosey into CVS and buy some Tylenol and a package of seasonal candy, you will get a receipt that is unspectacular (read: a normal length). To get one of the iconically long CVS receipts, you need to use your ExtraCare card, which means you need to be an ExtraCare member. (You can join as long as you are willing to turn over your name and phone number in exchange for better deals.)

People on the internet have documented this phenomenon with a vigor usually reserved for cats climbing in and out of boxes. On Twitter and on Instagram, shoppers stand next to their CVS receipts, which are often as tall as they are, and sometimes taller.

Here is a CVS receipt as long as a sofa:

Here is a CVS receipt as long as a person:

The receipts have spawned memes:

And Halloween costumes:

Hangintough/Imgur

For years, Jimmy Kimmel has been very upset:

[embedded content]

It does not matter how much you buy; the endless CVS receipt is deeply egalitarian. You can buy a single pack of gum, for all CVS cares. This cold-ridden man bought ibuprofen, NyQuil, and cough drops — three items! — and still got nearly 6 feet of receipt, filled with coupons for whatever CVS sells, which is everything.

But are CVS receipts really longer than other receipts? I mean, yes. But as a journalist, I cannot accept common wisdom as the truth. Also, I have a cold. Given this alignment of the stars, it seemed the only thing to do was investigate by buying a lot of cough drops from a variety of chain drugstores, plus a grocery store, and compare receipts: Rite Aid, Duane Read, and Stop & Shop, in addition to CVS.

In the interest of science, I tried each location twice, once with a loyalty card (not to brag), and once without.

At Stop & Shop, a summary of my “Fuel Savings” ($0.14) took up some extra space, as did a large-print celebration of my 2018 Card Savings (also $0.14). Rite Aid uses a similar philosophy: when I used my BonusCash Rewards card, my receipt had a few additional inches of information, such as an update on my Available BonusCash Rewards*. I have zero. At Duane Read, the receipts are likewise more or less the same.

The difference between a Rite Aid BonusCash receipt and a receipt with no bonuses: about 4.5 inches. Rachel Sugar/Vox

The difference between Stop & Shop receipts is about 3.75 inches. Rachel Sugar/Vox

Duane Reade receipts have a difference of just under 2.75 inches. Rachel Sugar/Vox

CVS takes…a different approach. My regular receipt was normal-receipt length: 10.5 inches. Is that a lot of inches to verify I bought cough drops? I mean, it is, but I wouldn’t make a Halloween costume about it.

My ExtraCare receipt, however, was 4 feet and 1.5 inches long, or roughly the height of the average American 8-year-old. I have never used a coupon from a CVS receipt, but while they print, I am filled with a sense of possibility. Maybe this is the month I save $2 on Garnier Fructis hair products, and also start using Garnier Fructis hair products. It is a thrill that I imagine others get from playing slots.

This receipt included coupons for: Colgate toothpaste; vitamins (all); shampoo, conditioner, or hairstyling products more than $12; assorted menstrual products; medicine for children; medicine for adults; heartburn medicine; and 40 percent off Neutrogena makeup. All this, for buying cough drops.

The difference in CVS receipts is 39 inches, or 3.25 feet. In trying to flatten the smaller receipt with an iron, for maximum accuracy, there was an incident. Did you know that receipt paper is heat-sensitive? I also did, but I forgot. Rachel Sugar/Vox

I reached out to CVS to ask about the history of the receipts — when did they get so long?

“We are always listening to customer feedback,” a spokesperson responded, noting that the company has “taken a number of steps over the past several years to redesign elements of our receipts and the ExtraBucks Rewards that print on them to make sure we’re making them shorter where we can but also making it super easy for customers to understand how many rewards they’ve earned or what savings they can take advantage of.”

I do like knowing how many rewards I’ve earned; it helps mark the passage of time.

KnowYourMeme begins its history of the long receipt phenomenon with a 2008 Facebook group, One Million Strong Against Necessarily Long CVS Receipts, which currently has 7 members. A year later, the Wall Street Journal looked into the general phenomenon of long receipts, tracing it back to the early aughts, when stores began using “sophisticated software” to track consumer habits. They began using that data to customize receipts with things like targeted coupons, and receipts got longer.

Receipts aren’t just proof of purchase anymore; they’re a forum for stores to tell you things. That still seems true. My receipts offered me information about other, even more rewarding rewards programs I could join. The told me about satisfaction surveys I could take where I might win $1,000, or $3,000, depending on the drugstore. They updated me on my rewards points. They explained how rewards points work. It was like a satisfying chat with a very rewards-points oriented friend.

In 2013, in response to mounting criticism, CVS announced they’d be trimming the typical length of receipts by 25 percent, the Boston Globe reported. “A couple years back, redemption rates reached all-time highs,” the CVS spokesperson told me. “But we heard loud and clear that while our customers loved receiving coupons and special offers via receipt, many wanted a paperless option.”

In 2016, the company introduced “digital receipts” for ExtraCare members, who “simply needed to ask the cashier at check-out” to enroll. As of this year, you can just adjust your settings on the app. (Even if you opt-in to email receipts, you can always get a nostalgic paper printout in the store.)

Rite Aid comes in a very distant second to CVS. Rachel Sugar/Vox

Not everyone is satisfied with this. Jimmy Kimmel, longtime anti-CVS receipt crusader, returned to his cause in January. His complaint: The default CVS receipts are still very, very long. In August, ethical consumerism non-profit Green America launched a “Skip the Slip, CVS” campaign, urging the company to change its receipt practices.

Since introducing the digital option, CVS says they have saved “more than three billion inches of paper,” which translates into the marginally more comprehensible statistic of 47,348 miles. Still, the spokesperson said, “many shoppers do continue to prefer the paper option.”

If you have thoughts on your own recent receipt experiences, CVS would “love to hear your feedback,” which I know, because it says so, right there on the receipt.

Original Source -> The long, long history of long, long CVS receipts

via The Conservative Brief

#IFTTT #The Conservative Brief

[mysurveys]

Random Qs

Survey #29 on the Countdown to 2018!

When was the last time you used a regular telephone?

Are you trying to ask about our landline? Because I wouldn't call a smartphone "irregular" these days...

The last time I used our landline was yesterday, but I don't own a cell phone. I hate talking on the phone and I have no interest in texting.

How many times have your comments been top comments on YouTube?

Would you ever wear a wig?

Probably only for Halloween.

What did you learn today?

I learned that I love Dreamwidth's cross-posting function. I finally found out about that yesterday since I didn't start using DW as my LJ backup until recently although I made the account last December.

It was obvious where things were going on LJ concerning Russia so I made sure I got "eyeofthetigress86" back then. Some dead DWJ had that without the numbers!

What're you most afraid of?

I don't have a greatest one since my fears are purely situational. I won't allow irrational fear to control me.

It's only rational when it arises based on the situation, and even then it's only a warning sign and not something that paralyzes me. My faith in God assures that I don't have to be as scared of life as nonbelievers.

Are you watching TV as you fill out this survey?

I'm not, but I never do that.

Have you ever tried to make a movie?

I've only ever made AMVs and GMVs, but that was years ago.

When’s the last time you turned something upside-down?

I'm not sure.

Do you read books just for fun?

Occasionally. I don't need to read them for any other reason.

Do you like the moon or sun more?

I'm a night owl and sometimes the sun just irritates me.

Do you have any posters in your room?

Yes, two small ones and two large ones. I've got two Animal Crossing posters, one large one for City Folk and a small one for Wild World.

Then I've got a large poster for The X-Files and a small one for Naruto. I only liked the latter because it was free and it had Hatake Kakashi on it. He's pretty much the only reason I kept watching that anime.

Do you burn a CD every day?

Definitely not.

Do you smile more than you frown?

My face is usually neutral, but I do smile more often than I frown.

Do you know anyone named Spencer?

I don't think so.

When’s the last time you used an envelope?

I have no idea.

Do you sing in the shower?

Only when the radio is on.

What’s your worst subject?

It's always been math due to dyscalculia.

Do you ever go to the mall on weekdays?

Sure. I prefer to go when a lot of people are in school or at work.

How often do you wash your pants?

I wash everything I own as needed.

Would you rather have a million dollars or be able to fly?

Math, if I had that much money then I'd just buy myself a packable parachute bag.

Do you like Friday or Saturday nights more?

Either.

Have you ever been ice skating?

I haven't.

Do you hate it when guys treat girls like crap?

If it's just things that random adults are saying to one another then it's none of my concern. The only way it would bother me is if someone's verbally abusing a child because they're defenseless.

Concerning adults, aggressive words and actual violence are two very different things. If you don't like what someone has to say then you don't have to listen to them if you really can't handle it.

Sadly, Millennial cupcakes don't qualify as adults. They love to leave people angry comments on social media sites before running away in terror. That disqualifies you from adulthood.

Do you like turkey or ham more?

I prefer ham.

When did you realize that Canadian bacon was just ham?

It's an American term for fully cooked back bacon. Canada's term for "bacon" is the one that strictly refers to the streaky breakfast food.

Have you ever slapped someone’s butt?

I really don't think so.

Do you ever have sleepless nights?

I have Bipolar insomnia sometimes.

Would you rather be treated fairly or equally?

"They both are the same." ← Fairness is often accounting for the capabilities and incapabilities of others which make us all different. And if we were all truly equal by cupcake standards then we could all do everything exactly the same.

Well, I'm not like Joe Schmo so don't treat me as though I'm equal to him in every way. That's not fair!

Equality is when a man and a woman are paid equally after doing the same work with the same efficiency. It's not expecting them to both be fully capable of lifting the same physical weight at work, is it?

It is in fact our diversity of differences that make us all the same; everyone isn't exactly alike and we all have that one trait entirely in common.

The idea that people and countries will ever be financially, economically or socially equal to everyone else is just absurd and entirely useless.

I would much prefer to be treated fairly based upon my personal needs unless it concerns moral concepts that everyone should adhere to, but I'm not interested in the idealistic PC beliefs of today's Millennial cupcakes.

That disgraceful notion of "equality" that they espouse is yet another on a laundry list of childish nonsense, just like those who believe that the social construct of human "gender" is on a spectrum or those who think white men can't experience prejudice based upon their sex and race.

I'd much rather be logical and rational, thank you. :)

What’s something that always comes and goes?

The tide of the ocean.

How many pillows do you sleep with?

I use two.

Do you want to help save the rainforest?

If I wanted to help with that then I'd try to do something about it, but that's not one of the things I'm called to do.

Do you think dimples are ugly?

They can go either way.

If you could restart your life, would you?

I'm only interested in living, not replaying moments or regretting things or getting a do-over. Life's not a game.

Who's better, Shia Labeouf or Ryan Gosling?

I don't care about either.

What’s your favorite food?

It's currently uncut futomaki.

Did it snow today where you live?

It hasn't, but it's spring now and it rarely snows here in the winter as it is.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be someone else?

Sure. I think that fiction facilitates that question to a degree, but I've also wondered what it would be like to live the lives of an assortment of famous historical figures who intrigue me.

What’s the last thing you purchased that you couldn’t eat?

DD on Goatlings. I can't even hold that in my hand!

Do you like zebras?

They're okay. I like the ones on The Lion Guard. "Panic and run! Panic and run!"

Are you missing anyone right now?

I'm not and I don't miss people chronically because I'm neither clingy nor codependent.

Have you ever taken a shower while chewing gum?

I don't think so.

Do you own a pair of striped socks?

Not currently.

Do you like Converse shoes?

Not really.

Do you like Rihanna?

I don't care for her music all that much.

#randomqs #surveys

[daisyckinguk]

Yes, Steve Bannon Asked Why a School Had Many Hanukkah Books

Jesse Trump’s recently hired Whitehouse key strategist, David Bannon, continues to be charged by his ex wife of anti semitic comments.Picture: Joe Raedle/Getty Photos

In attempting to determine who Jesse Trump’s new Whitehouse key strategist Steve Bannon is, correspondents, activists, yet others are searching mainly at two resources: Breitbart Information, the far right book Bannon went before decamping for that Trump strategy in July, and claims Bannon herself has created through the years. In light of what they’ve discovered, the Bannon visit continues to be decried with a number of privileges teams and generous politicians, from Harry Reid towards the Anti-Defamation League. Almost all of the claims which have been released accuse Bannon of marketing white nationalism or antisemitism on Breitbart, plus some accuse Bannon herself to be a bright nationalist or an antisemite (the Huffington Post clearly known Bannon being an antisemite in its heading about the debate).

There’s small issue that Breitbart has frequently printed supplies built to stoke worries about African Americans, Latinos, Muslims, along with other rights teams, and also to clearly stabilize white-nationalist and white-supremacist values, which it’s in the minimum tiptoed right as much as the type of antisemitism (the Forward includes a great explanation about the query of whether Breitbart is definitely an antisemitic store — there’s undoubtedly a powerful situation to become created, however the debate is just a tad less simple). And Bannon herself has stated no scarcity of crazy issues, including, in one stereo meeting made up by BuzzFeed, recommending that progressives hate traditional ladies simply because they aren’t a “bunch of dykes that originated from the Eight Siblings colleges up in New England.”

The declare that Bannon is individually an anti semite, however, is among the many possibly intense criticisms of him moving right now. It comes mainly from sworn account his ex wife, Mary Louise Piccard, offered in 2007, throughout a good breakup fight over custody — exactly the same account by which she charged Bannon of domestic battery and of trying to frighten her into not cooperating using the following analysis, which was ultimately fallen (there is, actually, a police record showing a domestic violence event that was ).

The judge assertion in the ex wife defined three individual anti semitic comments as she toured a few of the many elite individual colleges within the La region due to their kids that Bannon presumably created.

At-one, Westland College, Bannon’s ex wife stated he “asked the representative why there have been a lot of Chanukah publications within the library.”

Subsequently following Willows Area College was toured by the pair, she stated if it troubled me the school was previously in a Forehead, he “asked me. I stated no and questioned why he requested … he didn’t respond.”

The College For Females, regarding another school, the ex wife stated Bannon “went onto state the largest issue he’d with Archer may be Jews’ quantity that attend. He explained he doesn’t like Jews which he doesn’t such as the method they increase their children to become ‘whiney brats’ which he didn’t need girls likely to college with Jews.”

In a assertion, this tale was informed about the one-hand. About the additional, it did originate in a framework by which each celebration had a motivation to help make the search as poor as you can, from a fight. As well as in a declaration he delivered to NBC Information using a representative, Bannon refused having created anti semitic comments.

However in a telephone discussion recently, Westland School’s previous representative established the Hanukkah- place was taken by exchange.

That director, who requested that her title not be properly used and who’s himself Jewish, stated she couldn’t remember the particular particulars of the discussion, but she did keep in mind that throughout the assembly, including just the director, Bannon, and Piccard (she stated the admissions procedure first concerned a meeting with parents, with children just browsing the college afterwards), Bannon requested a across the outlines of “Why did we’ve a lot of publications about Hanukkah?”

The query is interpreted by the representative didn’t as anti semitic. “I believe the framework was from what I’ve read ” she explained different. “The college doesn’t commemorate holidays — we commemorate all holidays with no vacations, therefore we don’t have outfits at Halloween, nevertheless when a holiday pops up, we discuss it, and you will find publications in classes, plus they place them absent for that next vacation. And so I believed he was talking about, why you state you don’t commemorate vacations? There have been each one of these publications about Hanukkah.”

Therefore from Piccard’s perspective, subsequently, the query was a of Bannon’s anti semitism, of his need to not need his kids in a atmosphere that is also Jewish. From view’s director’s point, it had been what degree the college was certainly luxurious and also to an anodyne query about whether.

The effectively show Bannon created anti semitic claims, obviously. However it does display that this episode’s many instantly checkable section checks Based On The only additional individual who was existing, Bannon did why there have been a lot of inquire publications that are Hannukah in a possible college for his kids. This implies that Piccard, who didn’t return a note quit recently at exactly what there was research suggested a public-records her quantity, was sincere about this. Whether you think anti-Semitic is held by Bannon sights depends upon whether you think Piccard was likewise truthful within her testimony’s relaxation aswell.

from network 10 http://www.k4teens.info/yes-steve-bannon-asked-why-a-school-had-many-hanukkah-books/