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violetnotez · 3 years

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Haaaaiiii! I don't know if you've done this before, but can you do a headcanon with Midoriya, Bakugou, Todoroki, and Kaminari (separately) dating a slim thicc reader who's waaaaay to kind to everyone for her own good? Sorry if that was specific lol. It just suits my life.

HC: Slim Thicc + Overly Nice Reader | BNHA

Music Genre: Pop | BNHA

Characters: Midoriya, Bakugo, Todoroki

Warnings: cursing, suggestive content

Music Collection | Tip Jar | Requests!

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ:

Shop Owner Note: The fuq how did you describe me in four words lmaoooo-I really liked this idea alot!!!!! Also I only did Bakugo, Izuku and Shoto caus emy brain got fried, so hope thats okay!

Midoriya

THIS GIF ISNT APART OF THE HC AT ALL I JUST FOUND IT AND NOW IM FEELING SOME TYPE OF WAYYYY😳😳

Midoriya most definitely drink his respect women juice

He was raised by his mother after all

BUT

doesnt mean the boy cant be a little perverted-

He just loves your body!!!!!

How can he NOT love everything about it, from the way your school tights slightly squeeze your thighs to the point where he feel like he cant breath

Or when you wear his shirts and its tighter around the chest and flowy around you waist

Mmmmmm lets not forget your hero suit- this man would probably kiss the shoes of the person who made your suit

Cause DAMN they really made it as tight as possible and he just loves it sm

Lets be real this dude has probably popped a boner by accident just thinking about your hero suit 😶

ANYWAYS 💀💀💀💀

He is very much respectful about you and keeps his raging hormones horniness to himself

He is ALWAYS making sure you feel comfortable in your relationship, whether its from holding hands to cuddling, he will always make sure you give your consent

Now, when it comes to your kindness, this is something Midoriya probably loves the most about you

But he does find it really concerning when he notices you say “yes” to everything somebody asks you to do for them

And running yourself down, not looking as energetic as yourself

He is very observant, so he notices little things that signal you are little overwhelmed

Like your clothes arent as perfectly ironed as they used to be, you seem to be forgetting your own things while remembering to bring everybody else’s, your smile seems strained, and you just look stressed

He is so incredibly empathetic- it pains him to his s/o look so distraught

It does anger him a bit that these people can so easily take advantage of you, and not even care that you arent feeling your best because of what they asked of you

But he swallows down the anger, offering to help you with whatever you need at your dorm room

He tries to make it as stress free as he possibly can, bringing your favorite snacks and playlist of music to calm your mind

But at some point hed give you a very gentle talk,,,,

He knows you havent been feeling too great, whether you deny it or not, and he wants you to know that its perfectly okay to not say “yes” to every person

He knows you mean well and you want to help everyone out of the generosity of your heart, and he loves that about you

But you as a person are important, and you come first over anyone

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

Bakugo

Like Midoriya, just LOVES your body

Like cmon, how can he NOT

Dude is a ass+boob man change ma mind

At first he deifnitely denies it-

Him??? Stare at your ass??? Pshh he was looking at the oven baka, if anything your ass was blocking his view-

You would know you caught him red handed cause he face would get redder than Momo’s hero suit and he would actually stutter—-

Which would make him extrmeely annoyed and he’d be cussing a storm+be in a grumpy mood for an hour or two

But once you two get more comfortable in your relationship-

NO HOLDING BACK

He will have use every opportunity to just be meannnn

And by mean

I mean turn slapping your ass into some sick game

Like if you dont yelp and cuss him out whats the point?

Once he slapped you so hard he legit left his big ass hand print on your butt cheek and you were about to slap his smug ass back....

But off a 50ft building 🙃

Also a big softie too

Like when you to cuddle he loves cuddling into your chest 🥺🥺

To him it’s just so comfyyyyyyyyyy

Honestly, Bakugo can’t understand at all how you can be so nice to people

It confuses him???? But he finds it really....nice???

Like half the stuff you do for people Bakugo wouldn’t ever dream of doing

He knows he’d either give that person an intimidating, dirty look or just laugh at them, cause yeah right he’d waste his time with their stupid problems

Ouchhhhhhhh

But you are totally different than him-you had a lot more patience and sympathy than he had, always coming to everyone’s rescue it seemed like

He finds it attractive and to him, it confuses the hell out of him how he does

But what bothers him is how much time you spend away from him

He won’t ever admit it, but he feels lonely when you’re not around

And what’s even worse-is by the time you do hang out with him, your too tired to even properly pay attention to him after running around and doing everything for everyone else

Bakugo the Attention Whore

One day this dude would have enough, as he’s been getting the bad end of the stick for a good couple of weeks——

He just barges into were ever your at, and doesn’t give to shits what so everrrrr

Bakugo has one mission in mind: getting his s/o back

Wouldn’t acknowledge anyone but you, grabbing your wrist and yanking you out of the room even if your protesting with him

“The hell are you doing Bakugo, let go-“

“No 😠”

“Pleaseeeeeee I was in the middle of working on something-“

“I said NO 😠😠😠”

Angry Pomeranian Activated

Once stop dragging you until he locks you in his room, forcing you to hear him out

He HATES being emotional or open, but at that, he starts spilling his guts through gritted teeth and choppy sentences,,

Saying that you waste too much time in thise “extras”, that they don’t deserve as much time as you give them, and that you have more “important” things than do all their work for them

*cough cough him being the more important thing

But hoenstly, you feel a little bad for him,,,,,

So you compromise with him and promise you’ll spend more time on him

He’s pretty happy with that,

but now he takes it one step further to make sure you deifnitely have enough time to hang out with him

If he’s around when someone asks you for help, he’ll cut them off and lie straight theough his teeth, saying you two have a “date” and squeezing you close to him with an iron grip

“Wait-Bakugo-we didnt have a date planned-“

“Tsch, now we do-“

Shoto Todoroki

I have said this timeeee and timeeee againnnn

But Shoto really is the definition of innocence

So really, it wouldn’t ever dawn on him on how killer his s/o’s body is

He’s just kinda like....yeah I know they have a butt and chest? Doesn’t everyone?😶

This poor Boi someone help him

It only really sets it after a few months of being together that he’s actually really, really in love with your body

Like how did he never notice how good you look in leggings?

Or how soft and comfortable your chest is?

And why does he want you to squeeze him with your thighs? 😳

Hormones are ragingggggg

And also veryyyyyyyy protective over you

Shoto is very observant and quiet in social situations, usually opting to check out his surroundings instead of trying to be sociable

So he’ll catch from time to time classmates commenting on you and your figure, and it never sits very well with him

At first when these incidences happened he was very conflicted, not understanding this intense jealousy and need to protect you

But after a while of contemplating his feelings, he understood it was because he was protective of you

And ohohoohohoh

This man is PROTECTIVE

He does little things you would never reallly notice until you actually do

Like when he takes you home after hanging out or a date, he lingers a little longer outside your door to make sure you’re inside safely

Or when you’re walking together he will make sure your walking inside the street and away from the cars

Also has a tendency to grab your waist or your hand when a group of men come your way

He just gets paranoid okay 🥺🥺🥺

And because he’s so protective, he doesn’t practically like that you’re being taken advantage of sometimes because of your kindness

Especially when it comes to other men

On a few occasions Shoto has spotted you in a sticky situation with a guy who was being a little too close for comfort

It would make you uncomfortable of course, you had a boyfriend you already loved a lot-

but you felt kind of bad just being a total bitch to this guy who desperately wanted a chance

So you’d just awkwardly laugh and smile with their stupid pick up lines, trying your best to be polite but also show you weren’t interested

But Shoto at this point has radar for when your in trouble, and just pops out of nowhere 💀

He’s not the type to flaunt his relationship by impulsively kissing you or anything like that, but he’ll show it in subtle ways

Like calling you “dear” or wrapping his arm around your waist

Honestly, the look of pure relief and comfort in your face shows more than Shoto could have ever done,,,

And that Shoto was deifnitely someone that was more than just a “guy fiend” and soemthing like that

Also Shoto would give them a look that could kill and that instantly scares the shit out anyone lmao

These dudes faces would deflate like balloons real quick, cause at this point everyone knows who Shoto Todoroki is

And how the hell can they compete with that

Instant “oh shit my bad” type energy

After those incidents, Shoto locks down way harder

He practically has you glued to his side, and he doesn’t let go

Like at all

Get used to it cause for the rest of the day Shoto is gonna be following you around like some body guard 💀

None of these characters or shows are my own, only the storylines and narratives I create are mine. Copying, stealing, plagiarizing, rewording, or using my storylines in other media, claiming to be your own, or reposting without my consent is not allowed.

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tweekscoffeebean · 4 years

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you just said there are "anti's" in the fandom, and in my experience an anti is what pedos who like being called "maps" call people who are against pedophilia, so i really hope you have another definition of anti

When I refer to a anti I am talking about the people who have problems with the m/m/slash/yaoi shippers. I am talking about the people who ignore canon to spread their own(often homophobic) agendas and who especially label us as pedos or perverts for shipping male characters.

Lets look at the Facts.

South Park has always had the kid characters in actual canon relationships. These relationships are a important part of the show and often move the plot forward . The Kids are also portrayed as being older then their canon age, and are often put into mature situations which deal with heavy subject matter. Part of the shows humor is based around this facts so I doubt Trey and Matt will age the characters up again.

Some of these CANON situations are: Kenny dying(once of syphilis), suicide, parental abuse (butters/Tweek), drug abuse (Kenny cheesing/Cough syrup incident/Tweek being fed meth coffee), bullying, anti semitism, racism, Sexism, sexual abuse(catholic priests/Indiana Jones/), Student/Teacher relations (Ike), homophobia (Craig's dad/the egg eposide with style), violence, alcoholism (Stan), mental health issues(TWEEK/Stan/Butters/Cartman and Craig in Budda box/).

So what does this have to do with shipping and the problem with anti's? While the anti's will ignore all this evidence. The antis will ignore the canon narrative and attack shippers. Remember its part of the canon narrative that these characters are in relationships.

If the antis attacked all shippers it would be annoying but easier to Ignore. You see the antis prey on a specific type of shipper, the slash shipper. I have yet to see a single negative, horrible unjustified thing said about the straight ships.

I am going to stick with canon here so let's talk about the antis and creek.

Creek is canon and have been canon for 5 years. This is not some delusional fangirl ramblings this is fact!

Matt and Trey have said they are canon, they have said that they are more then friends and that their relationship is genuine . Matt even said that he really like creek's relationship.

And yet according to the antis they are not canon, their relationship is fake, or your a pedo for shipping creek; yet these people have no issues with Stendy. You see the problem here? The very people who will unjustly label a creek shipper as a sexual predator basing it on the characters canon age, then turns around and gushes over the straight pairing 🤔 They are twisting the canon to suit their own homophobic bullshit.

The number one thing I hear is, " oh but they were forced." So were Nicole and Token and yet where is the hate for shipping them(and I do they are cute) Why aren't there shippers being called names? Oh right because this is nothing but thinly disguised homophobia.

Another thing the antis like to say is that Creek cant be canonly gay because it 'ruins' Craig's character.. or he can't be gay cause they want to ship him with a Mary sue OC New kid character🙄

Like seriously fuck off with that bullshit. Craig character isnt ruined because he is gay . His character actually got better, he isn't as one dimensional anymore. In fact being in a relationship with Tweek has changed him for the better.

Yet the anti's still want proof. So here you go!

So basically to sum it up a anti is a homophobic piece of shit who ignores canon. Who has zero issues with the straight characters being shipped but will throw the gay character canon age in your face even when the entire fanom ages them up.

Antis is just another word for Homophobic.

#answer #kind on a pro creek rant #i am so sick of antis twisting the narrative #aged up means aged up

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solutionfat33-blog · 5 years

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eelliescott · 4 years

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Survey Results

(PLEASE READ THE POST AFTER THIS ONE FIRST,)

In this post, I will talk about my survey results and what they mean in terms of progressing my work. My survey only gathered 14 results, which is disappointing however the responses that it did gather are still useful and will give me a small insight into how other people are feeling in regards to the pandemic. My survey was created with the intention of finding out how people were feeling due to the pandemic and what they were doing to look after themselves as my direction has a focus on people adapting in this time and realising the importance of looking after themselves such as exercising therefore I felt it was important to find out whether this was actually something people were doing.

Q1. How are you feeling during this pandemic?

Majority of the answers were negative emotions that people were experiencing. I was expecting these types of answers as no one has ever experienced anything like this before, especially people of the younger generations who have never had their freedom taken away from this as extremely as this pandemic has. This question doesn’t really support my trend direction however I thought it was important to ask as it will give more of an insight when it comes to the next few questions.

Q2. Are you taking extra measures to look after your mental well being during this time?

85.71% of people said yes to this question, which is no surprise. With people being trapped in doors for majority of the day with no work or distractions, your mind can start to over think, especially keeping in mind the negative emotions people are experiencing which we concluded in Q1, its really important that people look after themselves. This question also had a comment box section so that I could find out what exactly people were doing to look after their mental well being.

There was a mix of different comments. A popular one was trying to keep up a routine of working out as that gets natural endorphins flowing and makes them feel accomplished, in addition to this someone mentioned that working out and trying out new exercises makes them feel in control of something in their, as there is a lot of things they cant control at the minute, this proves my points made throughout my blog that people are feeling out of control when it comes to their own lives, which is why there is a big focus on looking after ourselves as it is one of the only things we can do when we are stuck at home day in day out. The answers given definitely support my direction, they show me that my trend narrative does exist and the shift of looking after ourselves becoming increasingly important is already beginning to happen and it will only continue to grow throughout the pandemic.

Q3. Have you been keeping more active than usual?

Initially when I saw these results, I was shocked that it was split 50/50, as I thought that ‘Yes’ would be a lot higher just because I assumed more people were trying to keep themselves active and busy by going on walks, doing at home workouts, trying out new exercises however when looking at the comments, I didn't take into consideration that some people already up keep a pretty active lifestyle, by doing daily workouts, runs, walks therefore there was no change for them in terms of how they keep active, which is why the results are split 50/50, which I suppose also tells me that people are keeping active, whether they already did before or didn’t, meaning that it still supports my narrative.

Lots of the comments have a similar tone, people are choosing to keep active otherwise they will go ‘insane’ or will end up lying about the house all day. This to me tells me that people are actively making choices that they know will make themselves feel better in the long run, they all have extra time on there hands which they are choosing to use by looking after themselves, going on walks etc, this is a healthy choice and the start of the shift that we will begin to see in my trend of people opting for easily accessible exercise options, during this time its super easy to incorporate exercise into your day, something that people will want to keep up when life starts to return to ‘normal’, which in turn will start of the new demand for multi use items, a change in the fitness industry, people have started adapting and soon the surrounding industries will have to respond to this adaptation.

Q4. For this question I asked specifically what people had been doing to keep fit however from the previous two questions people had already answered this, especially within question 2 of people were doing to take care of their mental well being, people were walking, at home exercising to take care of their mental well being, so maybe I could of worded my questions better to ensure that people didn’t feel like they were repeating themselves.

Anyway, the majority of the responses were at home workouts & walking. This to me suggests that people will realise they don’t need all the state of the art gym equipment to keep fit, as this has been taken away from us, we have had to re-adjust, now I’m not saying that gyms will go out of business due to the pandemic, however I think the idea that we NEED, these extreme gym classes, fancy equipment to look a certain way will change, gyms often tell us a message that we need them in order to be fit, when actually we don’t, there are other alternatives that may be more suited to us and our lifestyle. People will adapt to the easiness of being in control of their workout at home or slower paced workouts without someone shouting at you to ‘PUSH YOURSELF’ when you are exhausted, people will want to workout more for the mental benefits rather than the physical benefits, the physical aspect will be more of an add on, it comes with the package but its not why you're doing it. This shift will encourage individuals to keep up their daily exercising as they are opting for slower paced exercise routines which are sustainable in every day life and will not exhaust your or push you to the absolute limit.

Q5. During this time of self-isolating & social distancing, are you appreciating the simpler things in life more than usual?

100% of people responded with yes. Which is no surprise. We have no choice but to enjoy home comforts & make do with what we have. I think this supports my direction of living with less & it will be the beginning of people realising that we don’t always need everything that we think we do, especially the luxuries. We will continue to enjoy quality family time, we will be grateful for having a home, being able to bake, having a garden to escape to on the warm sunny days of lockdown. I think we will become more grateful for what we do have. Say for example someone who has access to a big beautiful garden during lockdown, they may think ‘I cant imagine living in a sky rise flat during lockdown they must be so trapped’, yes they may have thought this before but they may resonate with it even more so now that access to public spaces is limited/restricted, they will empathise for people who aren’t able to go outdoors. As individuals we will become more aware of what we have and what we can do without, being grateful for whats around us.

Q6. Has this time in isolation made you realise you need to slow down in your normal day to day life?

Majority of people said No. Now my narrative is about adopting a slower pace of life and this response does not support this. However I understand why people said no, everyone is bored at home, unable to see friends, no work, we have been forced to slow down, people are eager to get back to being busy. With saying this, I believe that as lockdown continues people will realise the importance of being kind to yourself and taking a time out, as we adjust to this new way of life with nothing to do but take care of ourselves, the idea of slowing down may be adopted. As my survey was created at the beginning of lockdown, the responses were given before people had adjusted to not being busy... it would be interesting to see whether people responses would be different as we get further into lockdown.

Q7. Do you think the current situation of a global pandemic, will have an impact on how you look after yourself when you can return to your ‘normal life’?

The majority of responses were yes. Considering the response to the previous question, this could of took a similar approach with people adopting a mindset of ‘who cares’, were once lockdown lifted they immediately go back to there previous lifestyle, falling back into bad habits etc. So I was relieved to see the responses, as its refreshing to see that people are taking this time to make positive changes in how they look after themselves.

Lots of the responses mentioned hygiene, how after this pandemic they will continue to be more self aware on cleanliness and the importance of it... I guess this also could be because of the fear of contracting the virus, this is a scary time that is out of our control, they only thing we can do is be extra precautious, washing hands, using anti-bacterial wipes, cleanliness should really be a part of everyones, everyday lives anyway however post pandemic we will be so used to being so cautious that it will continue to be a big part of our lives.

In addition to hygiene, a popular answer was exercising and looking after yourself, which I was pleased to see as it tells me that my trend narrative is supported & looking after yourself is going to continue to be a part of peoples lives post pandemic. Again, I believe these responses are significant in showing that the shift towards, exercise being more easily accessible and multi use garments becoming more in demand, is beginning, as individuals begin to adapt to the ease of at home workout and learning to live with less, they will start to seek out new alternatives that suit there new way of living.

To conclude, I think my survey ultimately backs up my direction, it shows me that people are making looking after themselves a priority and they are going to continue to do so post lockdown... I think I could of tried to word my questions differently to try and avoid getting the same answers in different questions, this may of helped me get more of an sight, in addition to this I would of liked more responses to make the findings more accurate however I can use other sources available to me to gather evidence to support my narrative.

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trendingnewsb · 6 years

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Jaylen Brown: ‘Sport is a mechanism of control in America’

As the Boston Celtics star prepares to play in London, he talks to Donald McRae about race, the NBA and the death of his best friend

Jaylen Brown is one the most intelligent and interesting young athletes Ive met in years and it seems fitting that, midway through our interview in Boston, he should retell a parable that brings together Martin Luther King and the great American writer David Foster Wallace.

Weve got two young fish swimming one way and an older fish swimming the other way, the 21-year-old star of the Boston Celtics says as he considers the enduring backdrop of race in the United States. They cross paths and the older fish says: Whats up guys, hows the water? The two younger fish turn around and look back at the wiser fish and ask: Whats water? Theyve never recognised that this is what they actually live in. So it takes somebody special like Martin Luther King to see past what youve been embedded in your whole life.

Three years before his death, Foster Wallace included the parable in one of his most widely-read pieces of writing. Yet it carries fresh resonance when said with quiet force by a young basketball player who stands apart from many of his contemporaries to the extent that there have been numerous articles in which an unnamed NBA executive apparently suggested that Brown might be too smart for the league or his own good.

Brown was the No3 pick in the 2016 NBA draft and now, in his second season with Boston, he is a key figure as the Celtics arrive in London this week as the leading team in the Eastern Conference. Weve already spoken about Browns desire to learn new languages and his interest in books and chess while he loves playing the piano and listening to grime artists from east London. Even more intimately he has relived the death of his closest friend Trevin Steede in November. In the two games after that devastating loss Brown produced inspirational performances, which he dedicated to Steede.

He has also looked forward to playing in London on Thursday, against the Philadelphia 76ers, and answered a question as to whether his young Celtics team may become NBA champions in the next few seasons: Why not this year? People say maybe well be good in two years but I think were good now. Right now weve got one of the best records in the league. I think we could be as good as we want to be. But the more we let people construct our mindset, and start saying two years from now, is the moment we lose.

Last week the Celtics beat LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers 102-88. Excitement and anticipation surrounds the Celtics but race still stalks our conversation and it has echoed hauntingly through Browns life. Racism definitely still exists in the South, he says, remembering his youth in Marietta, Georgia. Ive experienced it through basketball. Ive had people call me the n-word. Ive had people come to basketball games dressed in monkey suits with a jersey on. Ive had people paint their face black at my games. Ive had people throw bananas in the stands.

Racism definitely exists across America today. Of course its changed a lot and my opportunities are far greater than they would have been 50 years ago. So some people think racism has dissipated or no longer exists. But its hidden in more strategic places. You have less people coming to your face and telling you certain things. But [Donald] Trump has made it a lot more acceptable for racists to speak their minds.

Jaylen Brown takes on LeBron James earlier this season. Photograph: CJ Gunther/EPA

Brown admits that, when he was 14, It wounds you. But when I got older and went to the University of California [Berkeley] I learnt about a more subtle racism and how it filters across our education system through tracking, hidden curriculums, social stratification and things I had no idea of before. I was really emotional because one of the most subtle but aggressive ways racism exists is through our education system.

In his year at college, before pausing his degree to play in the NBA, Brown wrote a thesis about how institutionalised sport impacts on education. I was super emotional reading about it, he says of his chosen subject. Theres this idea of America that some people have to win and some have to lose so certain things are in place to make this happen. Some people have to be the next legislators and political elites and some have to fill the prisons and work in McDonalds. Thats how America works. Its a machine which needs people up top, and people down low.

Even though Ive ended up in a great place, who is to say where I wouldve been without basketball? It makes me feel for my friends. And my little brothers or cousins have no idea how their social mobility is being shaped. I wish more and more that I can explain it to them. Just because Im the outlier in my neighbourhood who managed to avoid the barriers set up to keep the privileged in privilege, and the poor still poor, why should I forget about the people who didnt have the same chance as me?

What did he think of Colin Kaepernicks protest against police brutality and racism which the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback began even before Trumps election to the White House? It was peaceful and successful. It made people think. It made people angry. It made people want to talk. Often everybody is comfortable with their role in life and they forget about the people who are uncomfortable. So for Colin to put his career on the line, and sacrifice himself, was amazing. But Colin was fed up with the police brutality and pure racism. He speaks for many people in this country including me.

Did Brown understand from the outset that Kaepernicks career was in jeopardy? Absolutely. I wasnt shocked how it turned out. Colin was trying to get back into the NFL and find another team and hes more than capable. But I knew it was over. I knew they werent going to let him back. Nobody wanted the media attention or to take the risk. They probably just wanted to blackball him out of the league.

Thats the reality because sports is a mechanism of control. If people didnt have sports they would be a lot more disappointed with their role in society. There would be a lot more anger or stress about the injustice of poverty and hunger. Sports is a way to channel our energy into something positive. Without sports who knows what half of these kids would be doing?

Were having some of the same problems we had 50 years ago. Some things have changed a lot but other factors are deeply embedded in our society. It takes protests like Kaepernicks to make people uncomfortable and aware of these hidden injustices. People are now a lot more aware, engaged and united in our culture. It takes a special person like Kaepernick to force these changes because often reporters and fans say: If youre an athlete I dont want you to say anything. You should be happy youre making x amount of money playing sport. You should be saluting America instead of critiquing it. Thats our society.

Has his anger been amplified during Trumps presidency? Not really. I just think Trumps character and some of his values makes him unfit to lead. For someone like him to be president, and in charge of our troops? Its scary to be honest.

Trumps Twitter war in November with LaVar Ball tipped the scales, for Brown, beyond credulity. The President accused Ball of being ungrateful following the release from China of his son, LiAngelo, and two other UCLA basketball players after they were caught shoplifting. He demanded a thank you, Brown says of Trump. Its ridiculous. What happened to people doing things out of the generosity of their heart or because it was the right thing to do? There have been multiple situations where its been ridiculous but that one was like: OK Im done. Im done listening to anything you have to say. A 19-year-old kid makes a mistake overseas and [Trump] demands an apology from his dad? I think Trumps unfit to lead.

Jaylen Brown dunks during a game against the Brooklyn Nets. Photograph: Justin Lane/EPA

Browns readiness to talk about politics and culture might account for the surreal suggestion in 2016 that he was too smart for the NBA. From the outside, smart seemed a euphemism for troublesome. What did Brown think when, as a teenager, he heard words unlikely to be used in conjunction with a white athlete? It was hinting at something very problematic within society. It bothered me but I was so focused on getting to where I was going I never dissected it or pointed it out to anybody.

But I disagree that an athlete cant be intelligent. Some people think that, in basketball, we have a bunch of masculine adults who dont know how to control themselves. Theyre feeble-minded and cant engage or articulate ideas. Thats a narrative they keep trying to paint. Were trying to change it because that statement definitely has a racist undertone.

Brown chose Berkeley because he knew he would be stretched academically. Has he missed the intellectual stimulus since swapping college for professional basketball? Absolutely. Ive missed it so much. Im in a good environment here but at Cal I was learning something new every day. Im now trying to keep well-balanced instead of single-minded. I take piano lessons after I spent the last year teaching myself piano. If Im frustrated or had a bad day, but need to keep engaged, practicing the piano does that for me. Same with the YouTube [vlogs which he makes]. I use the camera so I can show something of this life to the everyday person who is interested in seeing what its like for an athlete on a day-to-day basis. Everybody puts you on a pedestal especially when youre playing well and they make it seem like youre not human. But Im just a regular guy.

During his first year at Berkeley, in his spare time, Brown learned Spanish from scratch and became fluent. Im not as good now, he says. I started again because therere so many conjugations that slip your mind if you dont practice. But I also just learned the Arabic alphabet. Im proud of myself because the pronunciation is hard.

Brown starts to say the Arabic alphabet out loud and, to an untutored ear, he sounds impressive. Yeah, he says with a grin, Im trying.

He describes himself as an introvert and it must be hard being quiet and reflective in a boisterous sporting environment? Absolutely. Its not just the locker room. In life if you stay quiet youll get left behind. So I had to learn to be more vocal and outgoing. I just try to be respectful of everybody. But the closer you get with guys the more you talk to them. It becomes like a family especially when youre winning. Last year I was much quieter but this year my opinion is valued more. We have a good locker room.

Jaylen Browns Celtics are set for a deep playoff run this season. Photograph: CJ Gunther/EPA

The value of that locker room was felt by Brown after the tragic suicide of his friend Trevin Steede. Brown found the will to play against the NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors, the night after Steedes death and he inspired the Celtics to a memorable victory by scoring the most points [22] while producing tenacious defence. After the game Kyrie Irving, the Celticss superstar, gave Brown the ball and said: This ones for Trevin.

Before they played again, in Atlanta, where Steedes family live, Brown visited his friends mother and other grieving relatives. He then went out and shot a career-high 27 points. Im so thankful for the people around me. They lifted me up. I dont know what my mental state would be right now without them.

I met Trevin when I moved to Wheeler which is a big basketball school in Marietta, Georgia. Trevin was a year older so he was a sophomore and I was a freshman. They brought me in and there was only one spot left on the team and it was between me and him. They gave it to me.

I didnt know anybody when I first got there so at lunch in the first week Id eat by myself acting like Im on my phone. Trevin came up to me after the third day. Id seen him in workouts but I didnt really know him. He said, Man, come sit over here with us. Ever since then, we were best friends.

How did he hear about Trevins death? His mom called me. Im thinking shes just checking on me or saying hi. But she called to tell me hes passed.

Brown looks down and his hurt is obvious. He also admits he needed the support of Steedes mother to face Golden State. I probably wouldnt have played unless she called me. Brad Stevens [the Celtics coach] asked how I was doing. I told him, I dont think Im able to come in today. He said: Thats fine. Take your time. Three seconds after I hung up, Trevins mom called. I told her I wasnt doing well and I probably wasnt going to play that night. She said: You know thats not what I want and thats not what Trevin would have wanted. So if you can find it in your heart to go out and play for him, do it.

Did he play in a daze, or was he inspired by Trevin to help Celtics win? I didnt feel anything. It was like I was out there by myself.

The chance to play in London lifts his mood. I visited London for the first time last summer. It was great. I went to see Big Ben because one of my idols is Benjamin Banneker [the African American scientist who, among other achievements, worked with striking clocks in the 18th century].

This week Brown would like to hear more grime and to see Arsenal. I like Barcelona because of the players theyve had traditionally from Ronaldinho to Messi. I really like Arsenal too. I like their tradition, and their diehard fans. I hope to see them in London. I think Thierry Henry is going to be there so Ill just hit him up and see if I can get some access to the [stadium] tour, get some shots on the field. Last summer I became really close with Thierry. I got to talk to him and we keep up with each other and he gives me advice about sports and life. Hes one of the all-time greats.

At the Celtics training facility, on the outskirts of Boston, Brown rises to his full 6ft 7in. He looks around the empty court before turning back with a smile when I say weve covered a lot of ground from the mysteries of water for two young fish and the enduring problems of race in America to the impact of learning and the pleasure of following sport around the world. Yeah, Brown says softly, stretching out his hand, thats the way I like it.

The NBA London Game 2018 sees the Philadelphia 76ers host Boston Celtics at The O2 on 11 January. The game will also be live on BT Sport and NBA League Pass.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jan/09/jaylen-brown-boston-celtics-nba-interview

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garyh2628 · 5 years

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President of the Prestigious Club and Global Head of Corporate Responsibility and living your best life

I’m very happy that my people are amplifying the message of the me and the Global Mandate and what we are doing and what we have achieved so far and what is forecasted to be achieved. People are asking other have you had a chance to read the blog, the chances are you know someone who has. I’m so grateful for the work those people that we have on the ground around the Globe, what they are doing, I’m happy for my Investors and my Intellectual Institutions and my Personal Wealth Fund and our Global Monetary Footprint and those people who are Investors and more and confidantes but through this process and what we are doing for this sector have jumped in pro bono and are providing a platform that will not prevent the narrative from reaching far and wide. This is a wonderful time for us. They are already talking about the series from just reading the blog and is already say that it is already on the best seller, but as the authority on intellect. We must push forward to our intellectual carnival and we must push forward to those requisite approvals by me for work to begin and for those strategic discussions to commence across the Globe. I’m happy that across the Intellectual Spectrum this is especially important right now. My suite of digital and technology probon people who have formed a group in order to hasten this process using their reach and technical abilities and expertise, the idea arose from seeing the early results of what the Global Structure inclusive are achieving, but more importantly they are seeing the valuation and what we are forecasted to achieve and they are understanding the use of time as definition and value and purpose and value and further responsibility. They have jumped into this process at the right time. They have decided to inject their expertise because as the successes we are achieving many people and important people who are now interested did remain woefully under informed about the greatness of the Global Structure inclusive and what intellect is doing across the Globe and about the series that everyone is anticipating and the programs and initiatives and how the Foundation Sector as a result of my work is poised to dominate the Globe. Further, they decided to profile me because word got out that I am the successor. I’m very delighted that your Organisation decided to profile me and the work that we are doing and the Global Structure, I’m looking forward to sitting with you in my private time in Germany.“Everyone told them, oh the Structure is dead,” He says laughing. He remembers people saying, “No one wants to invest in the Global Structure” “Basically,” he continues, “anything about the The Global Structure inclusive that today people celebrate, when we started, people hated.” he began to laugh even more heartily. Then he said this is Gary the successor and the President of that same Global Structure and those Monetary Footprints etc that you heard people talking about that Global success and their dominance, that is the man that will be delivering that Fire and Brimstone address you ready about and that is the man the authority on intellect. That excitement across the Globe and that Intellectual Content you cant access but want to invest in, there he is, we are now working with them to push forward to launch. We must continue to abandon that group of people, whose main purpose it is to purport as though they can undermine intellect. Those talk you heard in Melbourne and those talk you heard in South Africa and those talk you heard those intellectual experts are buzzing about, there he is, stop being star struck. This is where that transformational change you are seeing across the world, this is where it is happening from, but wait, he hasn't even started according to the Foundation sector, he was chosen to succeed because of exactly what is happening across the Globe. They are now officially if you didn't think this before, the authority on intellect, that book is flying off the shelves all across the world. I’ve never heard of it before, its magic, it's a must have in your library. The Foundation sector is delirious with what is happening, is this the next biggest thing, intellect all of a sudden have returned to the top of everyone's agenda. We cannot wait to Launch and to hear his interviews, everyone is talking about the magic that will happen. A responsibility to intellect, language as a psychology, this Global Structure intellect, has blown intellect to where it supposed to be. You read the blog and you can see the cliff edges because there have not launched, but as an intellectual, you jump off your seats and began pacing, and then you decided we have to jump in and push also to get this to launch. I’m delighted that you feel proud to be part of this transcendence moment for intellect and living your best life and you like me can't wait until The Family private value sessions and all the other value sessions and the activities we have planned for the smooth running of this Global Structure inclusive after approval by me and Launch. We must reject poverty and we must reject its use as ideology and we must reject and abandon its use as a conduit for mediocrity and purpose value and definition. We must abandon and reject those whose intention it is to create facades and caricature and opportunities for a landscape of delay. We are the authority on intellect and success and prosperity and we will deliver as such. I’m proud to say that we I will deliver the series and I know you guys want it bad. I’m looking forward to our celebrations. Never before has a process had so many attempts at intrusion and attacks of deception, it’s just to show that we are indeed the authority on Intellect and it has nothing to do with because I’m black or ethnicity, it has to do with those who are lacking intellect and those who use poverty as definition.

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writingguide003-blog · 5 years

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Sunflowers and Santa Claus: Guardian writers and readers on how their first memory changed them

New Post has been published on https://writingguideto.com/must-see/sunflowers-and-santa-claus-guardian-writers-and-readers-on-how-their-first-memory-changed-them/

Sunflowers and Santa Claus: Guardian writers and readers on how their first memory changed them

Our earliest memory can shape our lives, but new research suggests that many are false. Here, writers and readers reflect on their earliest recollections

It starts as a dreamy state of dizzying vertigo, and then I rattle, headfirst, down the wooden stairs. Falling down the white-painted (I think), definitely uncarpeted stairs of our first house is my first memory, and I must have been around two. But is it real? A new study suggests not, and if you can remember lying in your pram/taking your first steps/having your nappy changed, then you are almost certainly wrong, too.

In a survey of more than 6,600 people, published in Psychological Science, researchers found that 40% of people believe they have a first memory from when they were two or even younger, even though evidence suggests it is not possible for memories from this age to be retained. Around three to three-and-a-half seems to be the agreed age of a first memory, although Martin Conway, the studys co-author and director of the Centre for Memory and Law at City, University of London, has said its not until were five or six that we form adult-like memories due to the way that the brain develops and due to our maturing understanding of the world.

People genuinely believe that [these very early recollections] are their memories, says Shazia Akhtar, senior research associate at the University of Bradford and co-author of the study. Where do these memories come from? There are a few theories. It could be a memory from a story that a parent or grandparent told, or from a photograph. Or it could be something they simply thought they remembered. When the researchers looked at these improbable memories in detail, the descriptions of the fictional memories were longer than those that were more likely to be real. This could suggest they have been embellished and rehearsed over the years, or informed by photographs.

For many of us, these early memories have been part of the narrative of our lives. Middle-aged and older people, the researchers discovered, were more likely than young adults to recall fictional memories from infancy the older we get, the more attached it seems we become to recollections from our early years.

While its a little earth-shifting to discover these may well not be real, all memories, the researchers point out, contain some degree of fiction. With that in mind, here are some Guardian writers and readers earliest recollections.

I howl and howl Polly Toynbee, aged about two. Photograph: Courtesy of Polly Toynbee

Polly Toynbee

Am I two? We are in the Isle of Wight, where I was born, probably on the road to Shorewell, the village nearby. I am sitting in a battered khaki pram, wearing a prickly red woollen pixie bonnet with itchy ties under the chin, knitted by my mother.

My father is pushing me downhill and my older sister is trotting along beside, laughing, because my father is playing Look, no hands! and letting go of the pram, as we all roar with laughter. But on the hill the pram rolls away faster and faster, hits a grassy bank, tips me into a ditch and I howl and howl. He picks me up, dusts me down, puts me back in, saying: Dont cry. Dont tell Mummy! My sister says: Stop making such a fuss! But I snivel all the way home. As soon as I see my mother, I start howling again, pointing at my head. Daddy, bump! Daddy bump! And she gets the message. Sneak! says my sister, and my father looks disappointed in me. Is it true? All are long dead now. But its true to my relationship with both father and sister; they the daring adventurers, me the snivelling tell-tale.

Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist

Remona Aly

My illustrious moment of glory remains the time I was awarded the school prize for the tallest sunflower competiton. All the rival kids in the Kent area were competing alongside me: the only brown girl in my working-class village primary school. I carried my sunflower seed home like it was a rare jewel, and planted the treasure with mum and dad. Every day for months, I watched, watered and waited for a miracle. It felt like for ever, but finally by late autumn my little seed had become a towering, beaming thing of beauty. I took my place next to its furry neck, which stretched to the heavens , ready for dad to take the photo, and hoped, prayed and begged for it to be a winner. At school, my jaw dropped on the assembly floor when my name was called out and I was presented with a tiny trophy no bigger than my hand. But I was off my head with joy. Ive never been a winner again since, so the memory of the tallest sunflower, insignificant as it seems, still makes my heart shine.

Remona Aly is a journalist and commentator

Remona Aly and her prize-winning sunflower. Photograph: Courtesy of Ramona Aly

Stephen Moss

My first memory or at least what I have always convinced myself is my first memory is of falling, down steep stone steps. I was about two and a half. I remember nothing except the sensation of falling, of not being in control. My mother tells me now that I was wearing a siren suit, an old name for a onesie, with a fur hat. Perhaps the padding made the impact less painful. But there were certainly tears, and my mothers friend emerged from the adjoining flat to see what the commotion was.

I dont remember any of that; nor does my mother recall how this fall occurred, or where she was. She who was absurdly protective. I had almost died of pneumonia in infancy, and that had made her super-vigilant. Except the day of my vertiginous tumble.

We lived in what my parents rather disparagingly referred to as rooms: four flats in a rambling old house occupied by families with young children waiting for a council house. Another early memory I would have been three is moving to that estate and seeing cows outside the window, cows grazing on farmland that would soon be replaced by housing in the great Macmillan building boom of the late 50s and early 60s, one world giving way to another.

My mother was absurdly protective Stephen Moss, aged four. Photograph: Courtesy of Stephen Moss

The move and the cows and the security of the new council house which would be my home for 15 years till I left for university are happy memories, but many of those earliest recollections are painful: a boy throwing sand in my eyes as we watched the big new road next to the estate being built; standing on a wasps nest in a neighbouring wood and being stung multiple times I was going to the circus a day or two later and had to hide my puffy, swollen face behind sunglasses; and, at five, going to school, screaming and clinging to my mother as she left me, for all I knew for ever. Falling, always falling.

Stephen Moss is a Guardian feature writer

Hadley Freeman

The first thing I remember involves me doing something incredibly stupid, which ended up hurting me and causing my parents an enormous amount of stress, because, at the age of two, I was a big believer in starting as one means to go on. My little sister was eight months old, so my mother was looking after her and my father was supposed to be watching me. But I managed to give him the slip and was wandering around our apartment in New York. I remember walking into our dining room, going towards a chest of drawers, opening the top one and seeing a pack of photos inside. Certain these must be photos of me (narcissist from day zero, baby), I gripped the drawer and pulled myself up so I could see them. Suddenly I was lying on the floor with the chest on top of my legs and my father was picking me up. The next thing I remember is lying on my bedroom floor in a full body cast, because it turned out that Id managed to break my thigh bone. My poor mother had to spend the next eight weeks looking after a newborn baby and a toddler in a body cast. Lets just say photos from that era dont show any of us looking our best.

Hadley Freeman is a Guardian columnist and feature writer

Simon Hattenstone

I had just started school. I had a balloon. I loved my balloon. I was blowing it up and watching it whiz round the playground. The dinner lady came up to me and tried to confiscate it. Give me your balloon! she said. I couldnt believe why anybody would do that. I was having great fun, not hurting anybody. I looked at her, and said no. Give me your balloon, she repeated. No, I said. And she snatched it out of my hand. Fuck off, I said. I dont know where the words came from. My parents never used that language.

I was shamed by the headmaster in the playground. Even worse, my sister, who at six was two years older, was humiliated. We were lined up in the playground, waiting to go inside, and he walked up to me and pulled me out of the line by my ear, and led me to the front. He then said: Where is the sister of this boy? And she had to come out to claim ownership and be ritually humiliated. They never told the other pupils what I had done. Too shocking. But they knew it involved a balloon and a dinner lady. The children were simply told that Id be getting double punishment. Strangely, I cant remember what double punishment was. I left that school shortly afterwards, for one that was more tolerant of balloon-blowers.

Simon Hattenstone is a Guardian feature writer

Jess Cartner-Morley

It is crystal clear. High-resolution picture, surround sound, date-stamped March 1977. I am three years and nine months old, and someone is holding me up at the window of my parents bedroom in the Dalston commune where we live, so that I have a rare birds eye view on the world to watch my mum climb carefully out of our orange 2CV car. She is carrying a bundle of white blankets that I know is my new baby sister Alice. I can see how slowly and carefully my mum moves, and with the primal instinct of small children, I instinctively know, at some level, that this is a moment that changes everything, that the tiny bundle I am laying eyes on for the first time will grow up to be my best friend.

Jess Cartner-Morley, aged three, with her baby sister Alice. Photograph: Courtesy of Jess Cartner-Morley

Except in the interest of fact-checking, I just called my mum, 41 years later. If thats how you remember it, darling, then thats how you remember it, she says diplomatically. But I had Alice in the middle of the night and you came to the hospital with your dad the following morning, and we all came home together.

Jess Cartner-Morley is associate editor (fashion) at the Guardian

Hannah Jane Parkinson

It is fairly embarrassing to admit, but I grew up as quite the storyteller. I remember making up an uncle who worked as a Cadburys delivery-truck driver (to boast about receiving mythical free chocolate), and in reception, lying to my mother that a man had brought snakes to school for show-and-tell. But the earliest memory I can recall took place in nursery when I was three or four and Father Christmas visited. For some reason, I decided to tell the teachers and parents that Father Christmas bit my finger, while holding it tight, as if it would spring blood. This was met with perplexed expressions, and an interrogation of what was probably a 20-year-old in a cotton wool beard, and not a cannibal Santa. I have no idea what prompted me to make this up but I like to think it speaks to my florid imagination and is not the mark of a generally duplicitous character.

Hannah Jane Parkinson is a Guardian columnist

I grewup as quit the storyteller Hannah Jane Parkinson, aged three. Photograph: Courtesy of Hannah jane Parkinson

John Crace

When youre the wrong side of 60, dating memories becomes an ever more imprecise science. What you believe happened in one year may actually have happened some time later, and what you think you remember might only be the memory of a photograph. But the first memory of which I can be sure is from when I was five. I was sitting in the back of the family Ford Cortina with my sister. My mother dropped my sister off to return something to a friend and turned the car round and parked up. When my sister returned she got in the other side and told me to budge up, which I did and we set off again. As we went round the first corner, I went flying out of the car as my sister had not shut the door properly. I was unconscious for several hours and remember coming round to find myself at home in bed seeing two versions of my mother. Ive often wondered if that fall erased all other earlier memories, or whether the reason I remember it was because it was so traumatic.

John Crace is the Guardians parliamentary sketch writer

Hugh Muir

I was six or seven. I remember a whispered conversation. Sister Archer will look after him. The details came later. Mum, a Pentecostal minister with global ambitions, was upscaling. So she went off to Kenya, the first of many trips to a country and an area she came to love. And I, with no obvious person in our working family to care for someone so young, went to stay with a kindly old lady who had a big house near my school. It meant sweets and fizz after school on weekdays, weekends back at home and a love of brightly lit airports at night. For some reason, Mums flights always returned at night.

Hugh Muir is a Guardian editor and columnist

Sarah Phillips

I grew up in 1980s suburban southern England, where nothing ever happened. So it is ironic that my earliest memory is probably the most dramatic thing to happen in our neighbourhood. I was three and playing in the garden with my mum and sister. All of a sudden we heard the most almighty bang. In my memory of events, we ran, barefooted, along with scores of others who just happened to be around in the middle of a working day, towards the smoke. We later found out that a pilot had killed himself by flying a light aircraft into our local community centre where I had been due to start at playgroup the next week. Of course, it was the talk of the neighbourhood for years but I am sure I can remember how it felt to be there.

Sarah Phillips is the Guardians deputy features editor

Anne Perkins

When I was two and a half my mother took me, my four-year-old twin sisters (one with a broken leg) and my one-year-old brother to New Zealand to introduce us to her parents, our grandparents. It took four days to fly around the world then, and everyone was sick except me, though that is family legend, not memory. My only actual recollection of the whole epic journey is not of my grandparents, or the country, but of my great-grandparents tiger skin rug. It lay spreadeagled on a polished floor like a fugitive from one of our story books. Most of all I remember the poor creatures great gaping mouth and the teeth and their cruel sharpness, and the vivid image of being eaten alive that they conjured up. But that is not so much a memory as a memory of a memory, rehearsed so many times that sometimes I wonder if it ever was.

Anne Perkins is the Guardians deputy political editor

I realise the memory couldnt be real Poppy Noor, aged four. Photograph: Courtesy of Poppy Noor

Poppy Noor

My earliest childhood memory is of me propped up on the sofa, too small to move, and my granny Coralie bringing sweeties home. I remember the pinky-brown of the sofa, my grandmas wispy hair, and the rustle of the brown paper bag with sweets in. The customary embellishments have faded with time; the gust of warmth that entered the room with her, a sweet smell somewhere between soap and perfume; and her kindness.

With age, I realised the memory couldnt be real. My granny died in 1992, two years after I was born. Plus, the scene in my memory resembles two early photos that used to sit on my aunties mantelpiece one with me as a baby, the other without me in it.

My first real memory is a lot sadder. It involves my mother, who has schizophrenia, being sectioned. I know its real because nobody takes photos of that kind of thing. I definitely prefer the made-up one about my granny.

Poppy Noor is a Guardian columnist and commissioning editor

I have a vague memory of coming home wrapped in his overcoat Jeffrey Thomas with his father. Photograph: GuardianWitness

Jeffrey Thomas

When I was four, my family lived in south London and we had a caravan on the Kent coast. I remember going down there with Dad, presumably because Mum was pregnant with twins. Lunch was fish and chips and then off to the penny arcade to play the slot machines (Dad was a martyr to them). I have a vague memory of coming home on the train wrapped up in his overcoat, and I suppose I got carried home from the station.

Dad was hospitalised and eventually died from Parkinsons and old age. In the last months of his life, his long-term memory was incredibly vivid. I asked him if he remembered our day out, 40 years before. He sat quietly and then said: You were running up and down in the station waiting room, tripped and bashed your face on the wooden bench just as the train came in. I had to hold a handkerchief on your face because your lip was bleeding and everyone was looking. I dont remember that bit.

Jeffrey Thomas is a Guardian reader

Denna Hintze

My earliest memory is walking hand-in-hand with my maternal grandfather to the corner shop where he let me choose sweets. I picked the pink and white coconut bar and he said it was his favourite too. He died in late 1971, so I must have been almost three years old when the incident happened. My mother has no memory of this happening; there is no one to corroborate the memory, so it couldnt have been based on a family story or photo. The only photo we have of us together is him holding me upside down over his shoulder at roughly the same age; were both laughing. It is my only memory of him; I dont even recall him holding me and making me laugh.

Denna Hintze is a Guardian reader

Denna Hintze with her grandfather. Photograph: GuardianWitness

Diane Hiscox

I remember being bathed by my mother in the kitchen sink. Im not sure how old I was, but I was small enough to fit in the sink. As she lifted me out, I could see my two sisters and my dad outside through the kitchen window. It was overcast, the grass and trees were the deep green of early autumn. One or both of my sisters wore something red. Most remarkably I remember the muddle of uncomfortable feelings this evoked, which of course I could not name until much later: shame (at being naked perhaps?) and exclusion I wanted to be outside with my sisters.

Diane Hiscox is aGuardian reader

Johannes Karremans

I lost my teddy in the bushes behind a huge stone monument in a park near our house. I say lost, but actually my brother threw it there. I was terrified to look for it in the dark green leaves, so I cried and screamed a lot. Finally, I was given back the toy. In my mind, I see the monument and the leaves, not the teddy bear. I remember the fear. The monument is still there. When I last saw it a decade ago, it looked small and innocent.

Johannes Karremans is a Guardian reader

Richard Hall

My earliest memory is from 1949 when I was three years old. My sister had been riding a bicycle with me on the handlebars. I jumped off and broke my leg. My memory starts from when she put me with my broken leg back on to the handlebars to go home. I remember crying; a man, who was working in his garden, staring; and a huge water tower near where I had jumped off. Oddly enough, I have no memory of the pain or the fact that my sister was there. Nor do I remember any fear of riding on the handlebars.

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shametheshadow · 5 years

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Okay so I finally finished Ready Player One. Got a little eh in the middle with the romance and sometimes a little too openly expositiony with some things but I otherwise loved it. I can definitely see why it's been considered the nerd bible. Between the references, the action packed and imaginative scenes, the subtle pushes at the darker sides of nerd culture (enough to make you feel a little uncomfortable but not open enough to feel like you -a nerd- were being lectured), and the inclusiveness that didnt feel forced... It definitely made for a good read. It's an old book by now but spoiler if you want to read it still. I cant use the read more on my phone so here's just a warning. You had an abysmally poor fat kid as the protagonist (even when he gets fit he still becomes bald and eyebrowless), a curvy "rubenesque" gal with a large birth mark on her face who word vomits when anxious, an african american lesbian who also rocks her curves using a caucasian male avatar, and two japanese otakus who have never met irl but are considered brothers in the OASIS. Like... I know I'm one of the biggest skeptics when it comes to so-called diversity in media, but this book does it right. It slips it in there and doesnt make a huge deal about anything. It doesnt hold up this huge sign that shouts "HEY! Look at our african american character and our female love interest who needs no man!" it just lets the story happen and the characters do their thing so you can judge them on their own merit and personality. Besides Wade, you dont even know the identities of the other four of the High Five till near the end. It perfectly uses the anonymity of the internet to it's greatest advantage. And on a last note of diversity, the two god like beings of the book Ogden and Halliday are examples of how introversion and extroversion are required to make great things... And Halliday, creator of this entire virtual world, is even believed to be on the autism spectrum. And as I said before, at no point do you feel like you are being lectured to go outside and play or that someone is telling you that your interests are wrong. Instead it speaks as a voice of experience, showing you an outsider perspective on the lives of unhealthy nerd culture in ways like Wade eventually only ever wearing two haptic suits that he wears in rotation and shaving off all of his body hair... Or the "missing million" where the hikikomori epidemic in Japan is driven to the extreme. It gives the main character the wealth and power to do whatever they want just for the very uber nerd Wade idolized to give a gentle reminder in his last message that reality matters more than escapism in something that isnt real. Then there are the references. 80's and even some late 70's, there was so much crammed into every page that I, as a 90's child, could not hope to understand every one even with my love for older media. But that's okay. At no point did I feel lost. Instead I felt... A lot of Wade did I think. There is a reverence for the 80's. For Wade it was because the 80's came to represent his entire life, everything that his hopes, dreams, and fantasies were built on because Halliday was an 80's kid who built the OASIS and filled it with an easter egg hunt dripping in nostalgia. For me, it's similar. The 80's was the basis for everything I loved in the 90's. From the music to the fashion to gaming, and most of our greatest nerdy pop culture icons wouldnt have existed without the groundwork being laid in the late 70's and 80's. 90's kids are marked as some of the first with widespread access to computers and the internet at childhood, but what would that be without the creation of games like pacman or programming prodigies like Wozniak. It wasnt something I considered much before, but it definitely made me feel something to read a book all about the 80's. Not exactly nostalgia but kind of parallel to it. I feel like the 80's is often overshadowed by the 90's. So yeah... This book is awesome. I really enjoy the Steve Jobs/Wozniak duo of Ogden and Halliday. I think it showed off the positives of their very different characters very well. I loved to hate the Sixxers. I loved all of the High Five (I do wish we got more of the Daisho guys though. The part where Daito was actually murdered had me going "Oh shit" outloud) especially Aech whose name I really like. I did want a little bit of payback to Ir0k and I wanted to know more of what happened afterwards, but overall I'd say that by the end I was pretty happy. I did make the mistake of purchasing the movie and watching that though... It made me a mixture of sad, upset, and disappointed. You would think with Spielberg behind the wheel it would nail all of the right buttons but it... It just doesnt. Like... What was up with the bug eyed, elfish avatars? Except for Aech, most of the high five are just more idealized versions of themselves. Totally human with some of their less personally desired traits. But then like Aech... Wth... You took an average white dude with a cheshire smile and turned him into a hulking grey beast. Totally lessens the impact when discovering that he is a black woman by already having her avatar be to unrealistic. And why is Art3mis's avatar given a more athletic gymnast build? One of the body types that Wade states in the book is commonly used by most people, which is why her more curvy figure is unique and interesting. Her entire avatar is supposed to be more realistic to herself, something that captures his attention from the beginning. He can imagine it's what she looks like because she doesnt hide those features like most everyone does. The only thing she really changes is her birthmark. And do we really need to give her one of the best moments Wade has in the book just to make it seem like she has more power in the narrative? Art3mis is great because at no point does she really need Wade's help or rescue until the very end when the gate requires 3 people. She figures out the first key by herself first and is just unlucky enough to not be skilled at one particular game in a million. Even without Wade's suggestion at switching to play the other side, she would have won eventually. She was clever enough to realize that she could have two plays by waiting till midnight and was practicing in every spare moment. And even after she and Wade start seeing one another, it is Wade who is infatuated beyond reason and her who tries to keep her head in the game and feet grounded in reality. She finds and obtains the second key without any help at all. It was Art3mis who knows everything about Tempest, one of the final hurdles Wade needs to overcome, including the bug that gives you 40 extra lives when Wade starts with only one (and he eats through the extras fast). She doesnt need help to be an awesome female character. Wade has skills, I wont take that from him, but he gets by mostly on a lack of self preservation, paranoia, and luck ex machina. If it werent for him getting the second clue wrong and going to the entirely wrong planet, then wandering a different direction out and stumbling upon an arcade machine that nobody has ever found before (despite claiming that the world was picked over by every Gunter ever) and then utilizing his skills in pacman to win a mysterious quarter that just so happens to grant him an extra life after everyone else is vaporized in the final battle just outside the third gate... He never would have won. In that entire scenario his skill is utilized once. Arguably his skills only really come into play during the actual challenges for the keys and the gates. Every other moment actually focused on is mostly him stumbling around either as a paranoid mess or obsessive and depressed. Even with the first key, it's only by chance that during his Latin class he selectively hears the right words to set his brain into motion that takes him from Schoolhouse Rock to D&D to omg the key is hidden on the same planet that has every school! Granted he put in the time to compile all the experience and knowledge needed to connect those dots, but it was still luck that laid the dots out to be connected. I think I've ranted enough though. Originally this was going to most be, "Man, I loved this book!" and "Boy, I hated the movie..." but it got away from me as it usually does.

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