#Yes. I think it was rather 2022/2021. Not because of the pandemic

[apparentlybychance]

Sold Out for Their Love Story: How I let go of my need for a Happily Ever After for Louis and Harry

(I need to give a bit of backstory before we jump into the ooey gooey sappy love story part. Please bear with me.)

In October 2021 I saw a picture of Harry Styles hand in hand with a woman I didn't recognize (like at all). He looked like he'd rather eat dirt than be near her. That was was the day I fell down the rabbit hole harder than when Harry fell on stage after fighting with the mic wire.

About me: I'm a PR and Social Media Marketing Director. Recognizing a carefully crafted marketing campaign is easy for me and that's exactly what this was. So I did some research because I wanted to prove myself right about it being a PR stunt. What I didn't realize was that I was about to discover one of the greatest love stories of our generation.

I'm Gen X and not Gen Z so I did my research about this awkward coupling on Google and not TikTok (shade not intended, I think). From there, the Larrie gods led me to YouTube and I found the Cosmic Leeds videos. (Side note: pour one out for their 2022 video when you think of them, because Jesus, Mary and Joseph, they have a job ahead of them!)

That led me to Twitter (don't judge - social media marketer here, remember?) and I was legit skerred. (Translation: skerred is southern for scared.) The Twarries are a rare and passionate breed, but it was all me, really. I honestly couldn't keep up! From there I found my way to Tumblr and settled into several months of quiet lurking. It wasn't until a bomb shell that I considered H-U-G-E in the fandom happened. I won't mention names, but a "big" TikTok-er was unlarrying.) *GASP*

I'm not ashamed to admit that my fetus Larrie heart was SHOOK. TO. ITS. CORE. I panicked. Were these two beautiful boys who I had been watching fall in goofy, sloppy, sappy love in hundreds of videos and interviews, possibly not together anymore? I couldn't even imagine such a travesty. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat. I had to do something.

I did the only thing I could think of. I took a deep breath and tentatively messaged a blogger here on Tumblr. I had followed her for months and trusted her for her level-headed responses. As I hit SEND on the message, I panicked. Would she ignore me completely? Or worse, just brush me off with a "get-a-life newbie", remark? Who was I but just a newborn Larrie? I was even newer than the pandemic Larries. Yikes! Imagine the shame I felt.

She responded almost immediately and she couldn't have been more welcoming and kind. She didn't treat me like a know-nothing newbie, but listened to my question with patience. She walked me through my first Larrie breakdown. (I've since learned that breaking down is a rite of passage in the fandom.) I now consider her a friend. Always in my heart @twopoppies. Yours sincerely, @Apparentlybychance.

<Insert one of may fav Harry and Louis pics to make sure you're still paying attention>:

Now onto the good stuff: the romance of it all.

(One more tidbit: I'm also a novelist. No, I don't write fan fiction. I leave that to the professionals, but my day job does allow me to indulge in my passion which is writing stories. This is where our sweet boys had me.)

Do I blame Louis and Harry for the fact that I've devoted more time to them than cleaning my house the last few months?

Yes. Yes I do. I mean just LOOK at how stinkin' adorable they are. My god.

As a fiction writer, I see a story in everything and everywhere. When I found Harry and Louis' story and watched with my own two eyes the genuine love they had for each other, I jumped in feet first and landed too hard. I saw the heart eyes and infatuation of the baby boyfriends and was hopelessly lost in their story.

Harry...sugar, wow. Just wow. You were a mess falling all over yourself to impress and attract your golden, bright as the sun, idol. And Louis sweetie, bless your little heart. You spent at least a full year trying to convince yourself this beautiful creature with the soft curls and the potent pheromones that you called "his smell" was real.

We get it. We really do. You both were (are) so smitten. And that feral need to touch each other every waking moment developed into a settled, hard fought, partnership between two committed lovers by 2015. It was breathtaking to watch.

What's not to love about their love story?

That's where I went off the rails. Maybe you see yourself in this, too? Let's discuss.

Story is ingrained in our very beings as humans. Our ancestors verbally told stories to pass down traditions and legends from one generation to the next. This wasn't only because they hadn't invented the alphabet yet, but because they knew that story was the best way to get to the heart of a person. To captivate them.

Harry and Louis' captivated me because it has all the elements of a good story:

No. 1: Captivating protagonists. Exhibit A, Your Honor: Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles. Have you ever seen more gorgeous, sweeter, more talented, more adorable protagonists? No, me neither.

No. 2: Vitriol inducing villain(s): Simon Cowell/Modest Management/Syco. Do I have to say anything else? Here we have our villain, ladies and gentlemen of the jury. The evil entity who want to keep the lovers apart, cancel their love, and crush their sweet spirits because of greed and the strong possibility that Simon isn't getting any in his own life. (Bless.)

No. 3: Magic and glamour: This is the part where story reigns supreme. (Genuinely sorry if that word was triggering.) Here we have two members of a global popstar boy band that had a meteoric rise to fame. They are rich, gorgeous, uber talented and travel to places they can't even pronounce. Not to mention, they look amazing in every article of clothing that has the privilege to grace their bodies. Will they be able to defeat the villain and finally express their love for the whole world to see? Their story is swoon-worthy. No exaggeration.

With all the makings of a good story, we are mesmerized by our star-crossed lovers, raise our swords and vow to see them through to the end. Standing behind us, they will be rescued from the nasty villain and finally be free to ride off into the sunset together to make beautiful music and raise curly-haired, ocean-blue eyed, chubby babies together. And then the famous last words cross the final page of the book: And they lived happily ever after.

Let's all just bask in that moment for a second. Our boys are free to be whoever they want to be. TOGETHER. Isn't that the pinnacle? The climax?

Am I the only one who didn't find themselves right here in this story? I definitely did when I joined the fandom. I assumed that Harry and Louis' total goal was to free from their shackles and ride off into the sunset. Surely, it was imminent. Right?

A year later, I understood why I that was immature of me. I realized that this is no fairy tale and Louis and Harry are real people. They have ambitions and goals and passions and talent and yes, immense, mature love for their partner of over 12 years.

They've been generous to share their love with us and give us signs about when they were happy and signs when they were in distress and needed support. They are still so grateful for our love and support. But I think I have to realize that they aren't ready to ride off into the sunset with their little cherubs just yet. They still have stuff to do. Goals to achieve. Talent to use. And they've chosen to pursue it the ways we are watching. With (nausea inducing) stunts that help them create a story that sells to a wider audience. It's hard for me to watch them make decisions in their lives and careers that I don't agree with or even condone. But, hey, my teenagers do it all the time so why am I surprised?

What I personally need to do for my sanity as a forever Larrie is to learn to trust them. I need to learn to let them tell their own story in the way they want. And if they don't like how their new teams are trying to get them to sell themselves, I have to believe they are strong enough together to do what they need to do to change it - though it may take time. And I need to stop looking for the Happily Ever After just around the corner. I'm really working on this part because if I was writing this damn story, they would have lit a match, set fire to the industry and watched it burn a long time ago. But I digress...

These are some things I'm doing now to release my need for the Happily Ever After and still make me feel like I'm supporting them:

I'm taking their contagious affection, care, attentiveness, hot af sex life, and sappy love declarations and bringing that same energy to my personal relationship. So far, I'm getting a good response. (wink, wink)

Despite facing incredible industry adversity, Harry and Louis are both driven to create art that is as authentic to themselves as possible while realizing that they also have to create something that other people want to buy. I've started applying that philosophy to my own art (my writing) and am releasing the fear of not being good enough. It's made for some interesting stories!

I've reached out to a local organization in my area that supports LGBTQI+ teenagers to support them in a volunteer capacity. I'm not queer myself, but I'm a good listener and I have some skills I can share to help the organization tell their story and build support. Maybe I can't take on a multi-billion dollar industry like the f-ing music industry, but by putting my time into supporting queer teens in my area, I can do something in the name of closeted queer artists all over the world.

I think it goes without saying that I'm also still on Tumblr reading all the posts from all my favorite bloggers enjoying "everything Louis and Harry" both together and individually. Maybe someday I'll get that Happily Ever After. ❤

#harry and louis #story #long term committed relationship #harry loves louis #louis loves harry

[chloeinletters]

hello! I love your work & your writing--as someone who is doing exactly the kind of thing I want to do (balancing substack + tumblr + internet identity/irl work) I was wondering if you could tell me a lil bit about how you came to the decision to link the two, and if there's anything you changed abt your tumblr use in doing so? tysm for your time!!

Hi!!

This is a really interesting question and I will try and be concise though I am not always good at that. Largely I was someone who was always sharing their writing online and during the pandemic I felt the desire to really take it more seriously as publications began closing and my options felt more limited. I was also like, I've essentially finished all my creative writing classes so why should I hold off from being a "writer."

A part of that did involve, in some ways, changing and reworking. I feel my motives in regard to social media is always how can I make this the easiest possible thing for me. I always want it to be easy and fun to do especially since I work full-time outside of writing for all my stuff. I didn't want it to feel precisely like a second job and I wanted it to be accessible to me on the go.

I changed my presence online in a kind of way. When I thought about what would be easy the easiest thing was like how can I be myself? Which I think is what makes So I had the handle chloe in letters reserved across most if not all platforms and I slowly began to establish myself on each. Instagram was probably the hardest and took the longest to figure out as far as the presentation. I began to experiment in early 2021 and I switched to a more casual personal approach so that it was easier and more me rather than a kind of steril homogenous vibe I had before which didn't really lend itself to, what I think is important in writing, which was feeling connected. It was also difficult to maintain.

Then one day I was on my way home from work and I wrote something in google docs and took a screenshot and I was like yes this is it. That was like in early 2022 so it took me a good year to get there! and then it was like wow its so easy to just....take a screenshot of my work wherever its posted and share it across all platforms. Most platforms support this kind of sharing of words really seamlessly. So in establishing myself one place, it was also easier to establish myself elsewhere. I wanted to take each social one step at a time so I could learn to juggle them all with practice rather than going all out on each. Substack first, then tik tok, then Instagram, then tumblr, then twitter. Since I had experience in most of these from my personal use of them it was pretty seamless to figuring out what to post.

All in all its a long process of linking. I mean I struggled with algorithms with readability, with length etc etc but there's a real learning curve and I think its one of those learn through doing. I don't think anyone has to join the internet in a fully formed way to begin with the process of finding your footing in its large capacity. The bulk of my following came from the period in which I was working out how I wanted to be ~online~

I wouldn't say I changed anything in terms of compromising myself either. I think if anything this has been a really thorough look at how can I really be myself. What feels good for me, what feels like me so that when people do find me it's consistent because it's always just who I am as a person. I don't wish to sound arrogant in saying that I think a big part of what is likeable about my work is the authentic (as much as social media can be) presentation of myself. Maybe yes I am more tender on twitter and funnier on Instagram or what have you, but its not a widely different shift because I have really gotten to the heart of myself and my desire. Which is honestly hard with social media and the idea of aesthetics.

I also think a big thing in linking everything was again this idea of who is going to say I'm a writer if not me? I really began this with a sense of the world is falling apart and I thought someone was going to pluck me from a sea of candidates and coronate me into the vast net of people who write for the internet. The fact was I wanted to be a writer so I decided to be one. And every day since has been a question of what kind of writer do I wish to be. ALl of that changes, it all changes all the time, but I feel more capable of it because I spent so much time trying to find a way to present myself that felt true and real so I know how to identify when some things don't serve me anymore or are old stories I am still telling myself about who I am.

I hope this answers your question! I feel like I kept rereading your ask and confusing myself on what you were asking so it was not concise at all. I also hope it doesn't sound bleak I think the technical stuff on algorithms and such was a big part of my life at the beginning but really again it's boiled down to how can I make this easy since everything else is so hard. It's become less of a science and more of a joy. Even if it sounds like it's all very complex it's only because I am a work in progress as always!

[hallowed-be-thy-username]

To Papa IV...

I just wanna put this weight out of my shoulders... I am horribly stressed by the situation of my country right now. We had the elections in 2022 and Lula won (he is from the 'woke side', or 'left side' as we call it in Brazil), I was very happy even though i'm not a big fan of him, because our ex-president Bolsonaro (2018-2022) was a homophobic misogynistic imbecile that hid behind "Christian values" and conquered a legion of hallucinated fans and as scoundrels as he is (most of them are christians too). And one of these imbecile fans is, guess who? My father. Almost my whole family, actually, except for my mom and some aunts. Before yesterday (01/08/2022), a grup of imbecile fans literally INVADED THE PRESIDENTIAL PLATEAU because they didn't accept Lula's victory, people were hurted, police men, animals, innocent people that had nothing to do with their insanity, it was an absolute chaos. His fans are truly terrorists, false christians, conservative maniacs and absolutely disgusting discriminators of minorities. My father was so but so happy that all of this chaos happened, and he wished that those imbeciles to burn the houses of certain judges and other people who were in favor of Lula. Him, his sister and other people in my family are PRAYING (yes, PRAYING TO THEIR GOD) for a CIVIL WAR to happen, they want people to DIE. My dad said out loud and in all the words that innocent people MUST DIE for the "greater good" to be done; in this case, so that the ex-psychopathic, dumb, prejudiced president, who caused the death of more than 700 thousand people due to his negligence during the 2020-2021 pandemic, can return to power. These are the citizens of good moral followers of Jesus Christ.

I am actually scared that a civil war can happen. You don't need to search too much to find agressive, murderous attacks of Bolsonaro's supporters – BOLSOMINIONS, as we call them – against other people (LGBT people, dark-skinned people, women, or simply people with red clothes because red is the symbol of Lula's entourage). They are like animals, ready to attack and KILL (yes, kill) people that are different from them. The last months of 2022 was full of videos of Bolsominions attacking cars and even pedestrians because they didn't accept democracy. Shit... such poor, maniac, pitiful minds.

I just wanted to hear some comfort of my favorite Papa, the one I love so much, and to hear what you think about this. It's a horrible situation. I hope things can move on without violence, and i hope those Bolsominions will wake up one day... one day, who knows.

Sweetest one,

I can only imagine the stress you feel and I am deeply sorry that this is happening around you. These are terrible things for anyone to witness. Violence and hate, these show the worst side of humanity. When people who boast about a message of love and godliness, discriminate and persecute- they are worse than the demons they fear. These demons are not real. Fabricated specters of their own design they feel they must fight. They oppose what they do not understand. They would rather fight for some ideals that have been propagandized so deeply in their mind that they have been blinded to what they think morality is anymore. Brainwashed masses of poor souls with a thirst for vengeance upon a faceless deceiver they have been so well trained to feel threatened by.

This is an unfortunate part of our history that keeps repeating itself in different times and places, all with a similar manifestation. A group of people have beliefs that differ enough from another’s that the clash devolves into chaos and death. Pointless death. The solace I hope to impart to you, dolce, is that this fire in their hearts, one they feel will last forever, will burn out. A spirit that is tainted in this way will never survive. It is normal to feel both hatred and sorrow for the same folks who are part of this destruction, because they are unaware that they are carrying out their own demise in doing so. We can hope they see their error before too much damage has been done. We cannot bring back those who have been lost but we can honor them by staying together, like a stronghold in the storm. The more support there is, the more there is left standing when the storm passes.

Whenever and however you can, surround yourself with people you love and who love you. Support each other, cry and laugh when you need to, and don’t let those with words of hate on their tongues talk you out of losing that hope. You are doing so well in all of this and I am very proud of you. I know you are strong and I know you can keep going. Remember that you are never alone and that even though some people are piece of shit assholes, there are some good ones out there.

All of my love to you, my dear.

- IV

#asks for the papas #papa emeritus iv #so many hugs and so much support

[purplesurveys]

1603 - happy new year’s eve eve!

Have you done any of the same things as me? [2022 Edition] by joybucket

experienced something amazing and miraculous? 🤩 I’ve experienced amazing things like getting a new dog, seeing the sea, having profound conversations with a few Grab drivers, etc; but nothing miraculous mainly because I don’t believe in miracles.

switched to a new primary care doctor? I don’t even have a main doctor.

tried a new medication? 💊 Yes. When I sprained my ankle, the Good Samaritans who helped nurse my foot also gave me these capsules to take every 8 or so hours.

felt afraid to leave the house? Yes - that time in July when there was a shooting in Ateneo. My family was out that day and that scared me more, but I was staying at home at the time and thought under no circumstances was I going out that week. Kaye actually invited me to dinner NEAR THE DAMN PLACE and I had to tell her girl did you not know people literally got killed 8 hours ago? lol.

had a new neighbor move in? I can finally answer this question with a yes, lol. We didn’t have any nearby neighbors for at least like a decade, but in 2022 there was a family who moved in across us; the abandoned house beside ours also finally got renovated and another family is I believe currently renting the place.

met a new neighbor? I haven’t. We usually keep to ourselves but for the family who moved in across us this month I am thinking of sending them a little something.

read the entire Bible? 📖 I haven’t touched that book since high school.

had a smoothie that tasted really, really good? 🍹 I don’t like smoothies. I did try this great mocha nut latte earlier this month and discovered how fantastic chocnut works with coffee.

had some significant health issues? Other than my sprained ankle, my carpal tunnel syndrome acted up quite a bit this year.

made a lot of surveys? I’ve never made a survey.

taken a lot of surveys? Like any other year.

gave yourself a significant haircut? 💇‍♀️ I always have my hair professionally worked on, whether it’s a trim or dye job. I do not trust myself with a pair of scissors for anything haha.

discovered a new YouTube channel you really liked? Earlier this year I found Institute of Human Anatomy, who I bingewatched for a while. Bea also got me into Korean Englishman/Jolly. She’s been trying to get me on the train since 2021 actually, but it was only this year when my attention was finally caught.

discovered a new favorite book? 📖 I didn’t have any major book discoveries this year.

re-read a book you really liked? 📖 I re-discovered Midnight Sun when I found it in our storage (after thinking my mom threw it out), but I didn’t re-read it per se as I never finished it in the past.

debated reaching out to someone and asking for prayer, but didn't? 🙏 I do not ask for prayers, at least actively. People tell me they pray for me which is always appreciated as I know it must mean a lot for them to do so; but it’s not something I would take the initiative to ask for.

started taking a new birth control pill? I have never taken birth control.

experienced anaphylaxis? Nope.

...and then had to be on Prednisone for three months because of it? Nope, I don’t have regular medications.

gained weight from a medication? I didn’t.

...and then lost some of it once you were off the medication, but not all of it? I didn’t.

discovered you had steroid-induced diabetes? Nope.

daydreamed a lot? 💭 Probably, yeah.

had overdue library books? 📚 I haven’t been to a library, much less borrow a book, since pre-pandemic college, so no. I’ve always been terrible at returning books though and I always get that Look of Shock from librarians when they see the total of my overdue charges LOL so you were at least right about that.

worn a mask? 😷 Just about every time I’ve gone out! The government has lifted mask-wearing for both indoor and outdoor areas so technically we have the choice/freedom to go maskless now, but people in Manila are rather paranoid and prefer wearing a mask still – I do, too. Provinces though, I’ve observed that they are much less cautious and people hardly wear masks there anymore.

worn a mask when cleaning, because you're allergic to dust mites? 😷 I’m not allergic so I don’t wear a mask. I sneeze a lot though, lol.

went days without washing your hair? A few times, yes.

felt overjoyed one day and then depressed the next? It happens.

thought about how much you missed going to church? ⛪️ All I think about is when I can finally stop going, so no.

thought about how much you missed painting? 🖼 Yeah, a little bit! I had some paint-by-numbers stacked in my closet for a while - they were 2021 Christmas gifts that I never got around to sending out lol, and I was always getting that voice in my head asking what the fuck I wanted to do with them.

....and thought about how you'd like to start painting again? 🎨 Sure. The resolution to that ^ is that I finally pulled one of the packs out and started painting. Just this December, actually. I plan on continuing the template for the rest of the company break/shutdown.

found out that someone got hit by a car and died while crossing a street that you cross all the time? I unfortunately saw the aftermath of a very graphic motorcycle crash on Christmas Day, and that dude I saw with his face down was most likely a casualty. I don’t pass the area all the time, just whenever we head south; but it was still spooky nonetheless. More sad than spooky though, considering a family’s gonna have to find out they lost someone on Christmas Day.

enjoyed watching the snow fall? ❄️ I have never seen snow.

wished you had a car? 🚘 I already do.

talked to your mom on the phone? 📱 A few times, but they were always 15-second calls where either of us just ask the other something urgent.

talked to your mom online? 💬 Yeah, whenever she’s at work we communicate through Messenger.

realized none of your bras fit you anymore? Nope, they all still work just fine.

received a package in the mail? 📦 I mean this year was no different and I still bought stacks upon stacks of K-pop merch lol, so yes I did receive packages a handful of times.

started watching Youtube Shorts regularly? Oh I irrationally hate those. Trying so hard to be IG reels/TikTok lol when YouTube’s strong suit has always been longer videos.

practiced self-hypnosis? 😵 No, I don’t believe in hypnosis.

discovered a new food you really liked? Not food exactly but my mom got this tub of local vinegar called pinakurat that is SO good; works with any Filipino breakfast food. I ask for it all the time now. 

discovered your bike had a flat tire? 🚴 Not my bike but our car! Happened on our way back to Manila from Zambales. We were a mere hundred meters away from the expressway (where my dad would’ve gone 90-100 kph) when we heard a loud pop. The place we got stuck at (Subic) is notably a safer city than other provinces so it was such a welcome surprise seeing Good Samaritans all over the damn road momentarily stop by and offer help – even more amazing was that the vice mayor of the city happened to drive by at the time and immediately stopped where we were to give tips about what we should do, where to go, who to talk to, etc. In the end, my dad was also able to get a lift from another Good Samaritan to the nearest vulcanizing shop to get the whole thing settled. 

Touching show of humanity, but at the same time also gave me some sort of existential crisis because fuck knows what would have happened had we reached the freeway and had the tire pop there instead.

made a new playlist of songs you really liked? 🎶 My sister and I made a few Blended playlists on Spotify but that’s about it.

got rid of a ton of old clothes? 👚 Not yet at least. But I’m planning on gathering clothes I know longer use and giving them to Reena to sell, all profit hers. Poor girl got scammed 20k recently and I just want to help.

ran/walked a Christmas-themed race? 🏃‍♀️ You will never find me in a race/fun run/marathon haha.

watched your city's Christmas parade? We don’t have one.

enjoyed eating salads? 🥗 Just tuna sashimi salads.

enjoyed eating chocolate pie? I’ve never had chocolate pie.

celebrated Thanksgiving alone? I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving.

celebrated your birthday alone? I wasn’t alone. I was with my family on the day of; that same weekend my friends and I set off to Zambales for a quick beach trip.

didn't really have a good birthday? No, I had a fantastic one this year.

almost died multiple times? Apart from the time I had a bad fall in the bathroom and could have cracked my skull if not for the instinct of tucking my head, no.

enjoyed reading the Bible? 📖 I never enjoyed reading it and have no plans of touching one again.

danced around your living room? 💃 Sure, a few times.

written in cursive? ✍️ Yeah I practiced every now and then so that my penmanship doesn’t get rusty.

written in a journal? 📓 I have this account. I don’t write in journals because my mom is likely to snoop around.

written in a one-line-a-day journal? 📔 No, I don’t really do that when I have whole-ass surveys to fill out haha.

accidentally dropped a dish and broke it? Not a plate. But just this month my dad and I were unloading groceries when I dropped a tub of mayonnaise LOL. Luckily enough my dad got the one with plastic packaging that day, so the only thing that got damaged was the seal. Had we gotten the variant with glass packaging I would have gotten a mouthful.

went for a walk through the cemetery on Halloween? We went to a columbarium on All Souls’ Day (pretty close to Halloween, so I’ll count it) to visit my grandpa.

not brought your camera with you somewhere, and then wished you had? 📸 Not necessarily but I’ve had my phone die on me when I was at the beach wanting to take photos of the sunset.

discovered a new really good book? Nope.

read a book with a character named Simone in it? I did not.

had a doctor get irritated with you? Nah. I went to a couple dentists this year and they couldn’t have been nicer.

had a doctor not believe you about something? Nope.

broke out in acne all over your face? I had a few pimples show up here and there. I wouldn’t call it a breakout though.

found out one of your friends had COVID? 🦠 Yeah. People are still getting Covid all over the place but it’s no longer as bad or feared about as it used to be. “She got Covid” is just about as scary as “She has a fever” now.

wondered if you had COVID? 🦠 Every time I come home from being in an overcrowded place. Never got it though.

played Mahjong on your phone? 🀄️ I don’t even know how that works, so no.

used a lot of emojis? 🦄 🤪 💃 I use emojis frequently, but always the same ones. I have little use for the majority of them.

wore a cheetah-print mask? Nope.

worshiped God? 💃 Nooooooooooooope.

uploaded some new photos to Facebook? Yes, when Kimi passed I uploaded photos of me and him, photos of his urn, and Cooper and Agi standing beside the urn. I also always uploaded post-concert photos at the end of all of BTS’ online shows this year.

sorted through some old photos on your computer? Yeah, a few times.

wondered why your fridge was making funny noises? It didn’t.

gone for lovely and enchanting walks in the fall? 🍁 We don’t have fall.

wore the same outfit for days? Like, without washing? Eugh, hahaha. No. I do repeat outfits but I make sure it’s been like a month since I last wore a particular top-bottom pairing.

worn slipper socks? I didn’t this year.

gone out to eat with your parents? I took them out for dinner, just the two of them, earlier this year; but for the most part they prefer me to take the whole family out i.e. including my siblings, if I was going to give a treat.

enjoyed looking at your friends' baby pictures on Facebook? None of them have kids.

wondered what one of your friends was going to name her baby? We talk about it all the time.

wished someone would invite you to church, but no one did? Not applicable.

took more medication than you were supposed to when you were in severe pain? Not necessarily but I did take some desperate measures when I was dealing with wisdom tooth pain, pre-extraction. I strapped a cold compress to my face and also rubbed Katinko hoping it would feel numb.

wished autocorrect didn't make so many annoying errors? Well, not really. I just turned it off because autocorrect is an utter bitch when I’m typing in Filipino.

wished your cramps would go away? Don’t we always wish they would, when they do come?

enjoyed having a conversation with a random stranger while waiting in line for something? Not while waiting in line, but whenever I take a Grab on the way to a destination. I always make it a point to make conversation with my drivers because 1) everyone else probably wants a silent ride and I can’t imagine how lonely the drivers feel driving strangers all day, and 2) you wouldn’t believe the amazing conversations that can sometimes come out of those moments.

wished you could see your cousins more? Yeah, especially cousins on my dad’s side. 

thought about how much you used to love church? No.

had a certain traumatic incident keep coming back to haunt you? Not so much, no.

debated trying to get to know your neighbors more? Sure.

not eaten anything sweet on your birthday? This is true! I don’t really like cake, so I never planned on getting one made.

....for the first time ever, since you normally eat cake on your birthday? Nah, I’ve had a few birthdays with no cake.

eaten a lot of mango popsicles? I’ve never even had one.

[etes-secrecy-post]

Hi, before I explain my post, I want to say something important.

• What you see my blog has become a major overhaul. And despite the changes, I decided that my 2nd account will be now my artwork blog with a secret twist.

⚠️NEW RULE! (W/ BIGGER TEXT!)⚠️

⚠️ SO PLEASE DO NOT SHARE MY 2nd ACCOUNT TO EVERYONE! THIS SECRECY BLOG OF MINE IS FOR CLOSES FRIENDS ONLY!⚠️

• AND FOR MY CLOSES FRIENDS, DON’T REBLOG IT. INSTEAD, JUST COPY MY LINK AND PASTE IT ON YOUR TUMBLR POST! JUST BE SURE THE IMAGE WILL BE REMOVED AND THE ONLY LEFT WAS THE TEXT.

⚠️ SHARING LINKS, LIKE POSTS, REBLOG POSTS, STEALING MY SNAPSHOT PHOTOS/RECORDED VIDEOS/ARTWORKS (a.k.a. ART THIEVES) OR PLAGIARIZING FROM UNKNOWN TUMBLR STRANGERS WILL IMMEDIATELY BE BLOCKED, RIGHT AWAY!⚠️

😡 WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT EVER LIKED & REBLOG MY SECRET POST! THIS IS FOR MY SECRET FRIENDS ONLY, NOT YOU! 😡

Okay? Capiche? Make sense? Good, now back to the post…↓

Journey to Manila w/ my Paper Dolls [Recorded Jan 8th, 2023]

Hello, my secret friends! Here's what I'm promised. A journey to Manila, featuring my family & my paper dolls. 🙂🌃🇵🇭

If you haven't seen my 1st episode of "Take a Taste" 2023, then please [CLICK ME!].😉

So, without further ado, let's get started:

1st to 5th Image(s): ↑

• This is before we go to "1919 Grand Cafe" for some delicious sweet treats, and also after we ate at the "Delicious Restaurant".

• Before we proceed to another eating established, let's take a look at the "New Binondo Chinatown Arch". ⛩️🇨🇳🏙️ Isn't it pretty, you two? Love the changing colors! 😊💡

Fun fact #1: Did you know, that "Binondo's Chinatown" in Manila was considered the most oldest Chinatown in the world? That's right! It was established in 1594; 182 years before the United States of America declares their independence (July 4th, 1776) 🇺🇸📖🪶, and 304 years before the Philippines (my country) declares our independence (June 12th, 1898) 🇵🇭📖🪶. That's old! 😁 Know about more "Binondo's Chinatown"? Then please [CLICK ME!].

6th to 8th Image(s): ↑

• And this is after we're leaving the "1919 Grand Cafe".

• Here are my last three photos, as we stroll along at the new improved "Jones Bridge" 🌉. Yes, I said it "new improved" because of Mayor of Manila (Isko Moreno) order the officials to renovate the bridge into a nostalgic looking reminiscent of the past, and it amazed us. Don't ya think, you two? 😊 Love the scenery w/ the Philippine iconic structure; the "Manila Central Post Office". ✉️🏛️🇵🇭

Fun Fact #2: The original name of this bridge was "William A. Jones Memorial Bridge", It is named after the United States legislator William Atkinson Jones [CLICK ME! #1], although, Mr. Jones didn't architect the bridge, but rather a Filipino designer named Juan M. Arellano [CLICK ME! #2]. The original style of the "Jones Bridge" was the "Neoclassical arch bridge", from 1919 to 1945, where the latter was bombed by Japanese Army forces during WWII. A year later, they revived the Jones Bridge w/ several alterations until 2019. Which, I've already mentioned before.

Final Overall:

• My entire family are satisfied our stroll & eating delicious food from two establishments, at the same time. We're haven't done this since the pandemic, and we're missing out some great places in Manila (and other parts in my country). Here's hoping, that we planning another bonding, someday. 😊 And don't worry, we're always wearing face mask & arming some sanitation sprays. 😷😉

Well, that’s all for now. More journey moments, coming soon. 😊

And If you haven’t seen my previous episodes of "Take a Taste", then I’ll provide some links down below.↓😉

Take a Taste 2022:

• Popeyes U.S. Spicy Chicken Sandwich [Dec 6, 2021]

• Jollibee Chick'nwich & Crisscut Fries [Dec 21, 2021]: Part 1 [CLICK ME! #1], Part 2 [CLICK ME! #2]

• Mini Stop Chicken Fillet XL Sandwich [Feb 7, 2022]

• Minute Burger Cheese Burger(s) [Mar 1, 2022]

• Pepper Lunch Teriyaki Beef Pepper Rice w/ Egg (& Honey Brown Sauce) [Mar 5, 2022]

• Bacsilog’s Sulit Combo Bacon-Tocino & Samgyup Day’s Pork Herbs [Mar 12, 2022]

• Burger King Whopper w/ Sides & Drink [May 6, 2022]

• Marshmello’s Limited Edition Coca-Cola Zero [Aug 26, 2022]

• Cheesy Burger McDo with Lettuce & Tomatoes Meal [Recorded: Sept 16, 2022]

• Mcdonald’s PH McSpicy & Apple Pie (featuring their World Famous Fries) [Nov 14, 2022]

• Mcdonald’s McCrispy Hamonado Sandwich [Dec 31st, 2022]

Take a Taste 2023:

• Foods from Delicious Restaurant & 1919 Grand Cafe [Jan 8th, 2023]

Tagged: @bryan360, @carmenramcat, @leapant

[a-modern-major-general]

In the past five weeks, Dartmouth, Yale, and Brown have all announced that they would once again require applicants to submit standardized-test scores, ending an experiment that began in 2020. Hundreds of colleges made test scores optional during the pandemic, when COVID forced the SAT and ACT to shut down temporarily. Even after the pandemic receded, however, most stuck with their test-optional policies, ostensibly on equity grounds. Some elite institutions, including Emory and Vanderbilt, have recently announced extensions to their test-optional policies. Others, such as the University of California system, have sworn off even considering test scores. Critics argue that the SAT and ACT are biased against disadvantaged students, and just one more way for children of wealth and privilege to get an unfair advantage. And yet Dartmouth, Yale, and Brown all made the exact opposite claim in their announcements. They say that bringing back testing will allow them to do a better job of identifying and admitting talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The data are clear: These colleges have it right, and the critics are wrong. Yes, SAT and ACT scores do strongly correlate with parental income levels. But when colleges take tests off the table, the remaining measures used to assess applicants are even more biased. Wealthy kids have countless advantages in college admissions. They attend schools with more Advanced Placement classes and extracurricular opportunities. Expensive college coaches help them write essays about their unique life experiences (or even simply ghostwrite them). Poor kids can’t demonstrate their merit in the same way, not because they don’t have it, but because they’ve never been given the opportunity. Everyone at least has a chance to ace the SAT.

Moreover, because colleges know that the standardized-test playing field isn’t level, they put a thumb on the scale for disadvantaged students. In a recent study of the long-run impacts of elite-college admissions, my colleagues and I found that low-income applicants to “Ivy-Plus” colleges were much more likely to be admitted than middle-class or upper-middle-class applicants with the exact same SAT scores. (The very wealthiest sliver of applicants received the biggest admissions advantage, however.) Colleges understand that test scores measure not just innate talent but rather a combination of talent and opportunity, and they adjust accordingly.

Colleges care about diversity and equity, but they also care about academic excellence. Standardized-test scores do a good job of showing who is ready for college-level work, and they are equally predictive of later life success. In our study, my co-authors and I linked all SAT and ACT test-takers to internal college-admissions data and to U.S. tax records. We found that test scores were much better than high-school grades at predicting who would be a top earner or attend a prestigious graduate school. Importantly, the tests were equally predictive for disadvantaged students.

Even if you buy all that, you might still favor test-optional admissions. After all, colleges still allow applicants to submit their test scores if they think it will benefit them. Choice is good, right?

Not necessarily. To understand the impact of test-optional policies, Dartmouth commissioned a study of its own admissions data. The study compared the application cohorts of 2017 through 2019, when tests were required, with the test-optional cohorts of 2021 and 2022. During this time, the average SAT score for Dartmouth students was about 1480. Applicants from the test-optional cohorts who scored below that mark were, understandably, much less likely to submit the score. However, internal data from the Dartmouth study showed that low-income and first-generation applicants scoring in the 1400s were twice as likely to be admitted if they submitted a score than if they did not. There was no such gap for high-income students. The study also found that low-income applicants were less likely overall to submit their scores, and concluded that “there are hundreds of less-advantaged applicants with scores in the 1400 range who should be submitting scores to identify themselves to Admissions, but do not under test-optional policies.” In other words, low-income students were harmed by test-optional admissions because they underestimated how much Dartmouth wanted them. A test-optional policy turns out to be the worst of both worlds.

We shouldn’t be surprised. Test-optional admissions may sound like a reasonable approach, but in practice, it adds significant complexity to an already-bewildering college-application process—and complexity tends to harm the already disadvantaged. Simplifying the college-application process, however, can bring in more low-income students. For example, in 2015, the University of Michigan sent personalized mailings to high-achieving, low-income high-school seniors in Michigan guaranteeing them four years of free tuition and fees if they were admitted. A group of researchers who studied the policy—called the HAIL scholarship—found that receiving this up-front promise made students twice as likely to attend the University of Michigan, and that about a quarter of those kids would otherwise not have attended college at all. The complexity and opacity of the standard application process had been deterring low-income students from revealing their talent to selective colleges who would be very happy to admit them.

How did the university identify those high-achieving students? Crucially, Michigan is one of only a few states that require all high-school juniors to take the SAT or the ACT. Universal testing made it much easier for the University of Michigan to find disadvantaged kids with untapped potential. That’s consistent with evidence from several other states, where universal testing has improved college outcomes for low-income students.

And yet, despite this exciting progress, the University of Michigan announced recently that it would remain test-optional for the foreseeable future. It also ended the HAIL scholarship program in 2023 in favor of a new program called the Go Blue Guarantee, which gives financial aid up to full tuition but first requires income and asset verification. The same researchers that evaluated HAIL found that the added complexity of the Go Blue Guarantee made it much less effective.

The fact that more schools aren’t following the lead of Dartmouth, Yale, and Brown should trouble anyone who cares about fairness in higher education. The SAT and ACT aren’t perfect, but they are the best way to identify talented low-income students who can succeed at highly selective colleges. Their universality is their virtue. To make college admissions more equitable, we should test more, not less.

Standardized testing could be made even fairer by solving some practical problems. Colleges should discourage “super-scoring,” in which only the highest score on each subtest is included in an application. This creates a strong incentive for applicants to take the test repeatedly, because there is no cost to racking up low scores on the way to a better one. A recent study found that high-income students are more likely to retake the SAT and that, for them, retakes increase scores by 40 to 50 points. Colleges could instead require applicants to submit all scores, as Georgetown and a handful of others currently do. Colleges should also take on the responsibility of making sure potential applicants know about and can access free or low-cost test prep through online resources such as Khan Academy.

Because selective college admissions is so competitive and high-stakes, the rich will exploit any advantage, including buying access to academic and extracurricular experiences that are unavailable to ordinary families. Instead of scrapping college-entrance exams, we should focus on making them universal and fair—allowing talented poor kids to earn the academic distinction that money can’t buy.

#current events #education #usa

[absolutebl]

I’m getting a general vibe that BL is/has been **taking off**, showing intense growth in terms of audience, investment, international market penetration between 2020-today—esp. looking at forward to what’s slated for 2022. Yea or nah? And I’m wondering whether/how you think “pandemic viewing” figures into this? New audiences? New production models? I just found your blog and I'm obsessed (analytical acumen + babies, all I've ever wanted).

OMFG I love questions like this. Thank you! 

Is BL Taking Off?

> Growth in terms of audience, investment, international market penetration between 2020-today (end of 2021).

I think you’re right. A true analysis would have to look at YouTube unique watch numbers for BL over time plus things like new subscribers to GaGa & Viki who then watch mainly BL. That data is all proprietary. I don’t have access. So this is pure speculation. But I would guess if not exponential growth, 2021 is at least double 2019′s numbers. 

I think we can assume huge growth in these areas (audience, investment, international market penetration) based on a number of factors, including increased output/forthcoming BL announcements from: 

Korea (who watches and analyzes global viewer markets very carefully) and really only produces when it knows it has a growing market 

Thailand, specifically GMMTV’s line up, they pay attention to not just their viewer numbers and most popular productions of the past, but also to which of their actors get the most sponsorship, awards, and social media attention. They’re doubling their BLs from last year - that’s very telling. 

Active interest from newer countries with less developed film industries intent on breaking into BL (like Cambodia, Vietnam, and Singapore for example)

These will base their 2022 line ups, funding, and commissioned projects on what was effective/popular over the last 3 years: first internally then in surrounding countries and market shares. Also they absolutely take into account what is effective (penetrative) internationally (with nationalistic concerns around global social standing, increasing tourism, and political clout). 

Don’t ever discount the power of pop culture to manipulate consumer sentiment on a global scale. I can assure you these countries know which side their BL bread is buttered on. How many of us are learning Thai or want to visit Thailand partly because of Thai Bl? You know that tourism accounts for 12-15% of Thailand’s gross GDP, right? How many people are learning Korean or tried Korean food for the first time because of Kdramas? BTS? 

> I’m wondering whether/how you think “pandemic viewing” figures into this? 

Significantly. I talked about this with regards to (what Hollywood calls) the Apple Pie Demographic (women ages 25-65). Historically Apple Pie is the hardest for the entertainment industry to target because of their habit of never actually sitting down to watch anything (because they have work, or laundry, or errands, or something their husband/child would rather watch instead). This is also the romance reader/consumer demo (which includes BL). Apple Pie is the mainstay target demo for goods (products) but NOT for the entertainment industry. 

During lockdown it was this contingent that actually sat still for the first time in decades. I think it had a huge impact on streaming service watch numbers, including BL (but also stuff like Bridgeton and romantic Kdramas). (Yes I know we queers are out there too, but sadly, we are few if mighty and mostly not statistically significant on a macro scale. Sorry us.) 

The age bracket of Apple Pie also means that Thai BL’s, in particular, likely garnered large new audiences off YouTube during lockdown. Because YouTube’s end users also skew older and into this demo (by comparison to say SnapChat or TikTok). (NOTE: Smart SEO managers would be promoting BL HARD on Pinterest because it’s the same demo again. So if you blog about BL, Pin those gifs and still of pretty boys kissing for greater traffic.) 

I’m not sure they are quite this strategic, but back to the global pull, guess what else the Apple Pie demographic is historically responsible for? Planning weddings and family vacations. As soon a lockdowns stop, I think tourism to Thailand and Korea is going to seriously spike. 

> New production models? 

Hum. This I don’t think so much. The only really new production model I’ve seen in BL is long form commercials, like literally BL that is all one big product placement (Ingredients, Skinship). And that doesn’t look like it’s taking off. It seems more like places like Korea and Taiwan are revamping existing production houses to produce more BL. 

Thailand is just expanding and growing what started in 2016 exponentially in all directions at once (it feels like). But I actually anticipate a bit of a contraction from Thailand in 2022, especially the pulps. 

Japan, I do think, is changing slightly towards Korean-length BL series (they used to mostly just do live action yaoi movies). But these kinds of series (Given, Kieta Hatsukoi, Utsukushii Kare) are really just movie length shows broken up, so I suspect they are filming them in the same way and with the same kind of team as they always have since 2004. They are just airing them differently. And I think this shift is due to the rise in web series and streaming services more than anything else. 

It’s possible production models have shifted in the Philippines and Vietnam because of BL, but I don’t know what it was before, so...?

> Talent, pairs, and the taint of BL

You didn’t ask about this but I think it’s an interesting thing to note. 

In Korea it seems to be getting more and more “okay” for idols or former idols to safely do BL without too much of a residual pong. And I say this despite Hwall et al. Color Rush issues/whatevers. I don’t know if this is a social shift in younger actors away from homophobia, or if it’s just that there are so many KBLs in production now it’s becoming an acceptable gateway into the broader Kdrama industry. 

In Thailand, BL is certainly now just another thing a Thai actor will likely do at some point in his career. There are so many BLs, and so many pairs have ended in bellyflops, I think we are going to see more and more Thai actors who just do a BL to check-off the “romcom” or “melodrama” box, or because it’s a stepping stone that’s expected of them. Possibly, this might translate to fewer and fewer co-branded pairs. Or short term pairs who only last the length of the project and promo. And more free-agent actors like Singto and Ohm who do lots of BL but with different partners. Seeing GMMTV 2022 field First, Khaotung, Mike, and Krist outside of their original BL pairings was eye-opening to say the least, and feels like a big step for Thailand. 

I think these are all signs of increasing view numbers and broader demographic appeal. Not to mention ramped up production. 

Final Thoughts 

I have a whole stats thing I've been updating throughout this year. It monitors trends and production quantity, average series length, stuff like that. So I’ll have more hard data plus final numbers for you at the end of the year. 

And I’ll link back to this post in that one.

(source)

#trends in bl #bl 2021 #more bl #new bl #how bl is changing #thai bl #korean bl #gmmtv #2022 bl #upcoming bl #bl trends #market analysis

[cherries-n-rocknroll]

Queen drummer Roger Taylor: 'No more number 1 in the Top 2000? Which arse has that on his conscience?'

Note: Thank you to @riaaanna for the first version! It was already pretty alright (I was pleasantly surprised for a google translate job!) but I thought since I'm Dutch I'd go over it and try to make it even better in some places. I took some liberty in a few spots because to, in my opinion, convey the message better rather than to give a literal translation that makes no sense. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it!

Roger Taylor. IMAGE YOSHIKO HORITA

For the first time in eight years Roger Taylor comes out with a new solo album named Outsider. With Adam Lambert as their frontman he is also working on new Queen music. 'We'll keep playing as long as we're able to do so.'

Stefan Raatgever 29 september 2021, 09:25

In a lavishly decorated room with velvet curtains and gold-shining candlesticks on the dresser, Roger Taylor appears in front of a screen. The connection was made by an assistant. We look inside his house in Surrey, an hour's drive below London, says Taylor. It is the house where, the Queen drummer showed on Instagram last year, an 8 meter high statue of Queen singer Freddie Mercury, who died in 1991, is displayed in the garden. "A little flashy, but I think Freddie could have had a good laugh about it," he added.

Roger Taylor (72) looks cheerful this afternoon. He says he spent the strict British lockdown in his English home on the coast of Cornwall. "I got lucky. I could walk in peace there every day."

With Outsider, Taylor – writer of Queenhits such as Under Pressure and These Are the Days of Our Lives – made a solo album for the first time in eight years. It appears the day after tomorrow (October first 2021). On songs such as Isolation and We're All Just Trying to Get By, he sings about his experiences with the pandemic. Taylor also took old songs like Foreign Sand from 1994 and Absoluty Any-thing from 2015, and added them to the new album. There will also be a new Queen tour, with Adam Lambert as frontman. On July 1st and 2nd 2022 the group will perform the Rhapsody Tour in the Ziggo Dome.

What made you decide to make music on your own again?

"All of a sudden I had a lot of free time to come up with new ideas and I felt like I had to put that to good use. I also felt the creative juices flowing again. The songs came easily. The circumstances were inspiring. On the news I saw the people in Italy. It was terrible to see how they were locked up. That's how Isolation came to be."

Opening song Tides is about mortality. Were you very busy with that?

"Of course I was concerned. At my age, I fall into the risk group. If I had gotten the virus, I could have died. But the song is mostly about getting older, about starting the last chapter."

Does your age influence the choices you make?

"I do look differently at, for example, my own solo tour this fall. Now that the clock is ticking audibly, I want it to be all about having fun. So I also play my favorite Queen songs (he was heavily criticized for that in the past in the British press, ed.). I just want to enjoy it with my audience now."

That used to be different?

"We had to build our career! We couldn't just do whatever we wanted. Thanks to that sharpness and a good dose of luck, Queen's music is still so popular. What also helped: with Adam Lambert as our frontman, we really managed to lift our concerts to another level. It fits so well! And then of course there is the film (Bohemian Rhapsody from 2018, ed.): it brought our music to a new generation. Just like the musical We Will Rock You."

"Brian May and I could have retired years ago, but we enjoy continuing to play. We'll keep doing it as long as we can."

In 2008 you made a Queen album with Paul Rodgers as your lead singer, The Cosmos Rocks. Will you also make new music with Adam Lambert?

"I was listening to that album recently. I don't think it got the attention it deserved. There are really good songs on it. But it's always about timing and the people just weren't ready for a Queen album without Freddie. There was reluctance to accept Paul as our singer, even though he has a beautiful voice. Very bluesy. On the other hand, he was not the perfect match for us because of that. Adam is a much better fit in that sense."

And is the timing for new music better now because of that?

"Without a doubt, yes."

So? There is something coming?

"We recorded a song with Adam in Nashville, yes. But it's not quite finished yet. We haven't decided what we want to do next, but I'd love to record more with Adam."

Something else: do you know the Dutch Top 2000? In that radio list of listeners' favorite songs, you topped 17 out of 22 editions with Bohemian Rhapsody.

"No, I don't know that one, but it sounds like good news."

Only you lost the first place since last December.

Laughing: "What? Which arse has that on his conscience? Danny Vera? That does not ring a bell. Roller Coaster? I've heard that song before. Oh, I'll give it to that boy. I think 17 out of 22 is a pretty good score for us."

Tagging some people who might wanna read this: @sixtiesblues @illfoandillfie @terryboot @natromanxoff @scorpiogemini @jennyggggrrr @ohladymoon

#Roger Taylor #Queen #Adamn Lambert #Brian May #Queen Rhapsody tour #bohemian rhapsody #Roger Taylor Outsider #Roger Taylor Outsider tour

[copperbadge]

Whimper, indeed. My great-aunt died in 1920, from what my grandmother was convinced was Spanish flu, rather than seasonal flu. And that is how my aunt, my grandmother's only daughter, ended up with a name suitable to the generation before. But although history doesn't repeat, it does rhyme a bit. Things to watch for -- inflation, changes in tax structure, and YOLO spending patterns. The latter can be insidious and budget-busting.

I mean, if what I’ve been reading is correct, it’s not that seasonal illness wasn’t a thing before the 1918 pandemic, but seasonal flu wasn’t nearly as common as it was today, and most seasonal flus today are descended from that pandemic, so your grandmother is likely correct. 

What I found really interesting, and something I’d never encountered before doing deliberate economic research (as opposed to just general history reading) is that there was a depression coming out of the pandemic before the Roaring 20s took hold. Yes, the stock market didn’t do great during the 1918 pandemic but it didn’t fall the way it did at the start of 2019 (which may have had to do with an artificially inflated market to begin with, for us). But emerging from the pandemic in 1919, there was a real dip across the end of 1919 and all of 1920, low enough that economic historians do refer to it as a depression, which economists really don’t like to do. The Roaring 20s didn’t really get going until 1922. 

A lot of this was caused by economic shocks to do with WWI -- a reduction in demand across a number of sectors now that the war was over meant whole industries had to readjust their forecasting, and overproduction in the immediate postwar months drove prices down further because supply was now far outpacing demand. But given the economic impact this pandemic has had, between the devastation it has dealt to small businesses and the shuttering of “weak” retail, plus an increased demand for services provided by gig workers which may vanish post-vaccine, we are likely to see massive economic conservatism in business in the next few years. We may see big businesses not investing much in expansion, venture capital not investing as much in general and then in only very promising concerns, banks reluctant to extend loans -- nobody spending money because either they haven’t got any or they’re concerned they won’t soon. 

I think we should also all be aware that the same subprime lending practices that led to the crash of 2008 are beginning to happen again.  

I’m hoping that there will be a lot of post-pandemic programs to help entrepreneurs jump-start small businesses, and with Biden and Harris in the White House we have a shot at it, though I don’t love our chances with the GOP numbers in Congress. We may see nonprofits funded by major grantors stepping in to fill that role instead. I deeply dislike the government outsourcing its job to charities and billionaires, but they do it a lot. 

In any case I don’t think it’s outlandish to expect that we might be in for an immediate post-vaccine boom in 2021 on a wave of optimism, followed by a major drop in the markets towards the end of the year or in early 2022 when reality sets in. From there it’s anyone’s guess.

#covid #pandemic #crafting in a time of cholera #Anonymous

[syubub]

Rae I was hoping you could do a reading (nothing grand, it can be small) on BTS’ (each member’s individual) current post-Grammy energy? The past 24 hours have been a rollercoaster of emotions. I noticed a lot in their demeanors on both their vlive, and reaction to the loss they posted on Twitter. I have my own analysis and observations, but all that mostly comes from a psychological/logical pov. I want your take on the spiritual side and most importantly your thoughts on what the cameras won’t show us and what the members would probably never vocally/publicaly express (since bless their hearts, they’re such humble people). — 💼

That's such a great ask 💼 anon! I love the idea and I have to do it right now bc I need to know lol

bts post-grammy energy reading

Disclaimer: this is for entertainment purposes and not to be taken as fact. This is only my personal interpretation!

So first off we have the energy of the group.

The 6 of coins, the magician, ten of wands reversed.

Starting with the 6 of coins

This to me feels like they are happy to have preformed and likely feel very loved.

Like they're happy to have shown their talents to the world and spread some joy and love

The card itself Is a lot about give and take and sharing and I think they feel that with army

The kind of solidarity and appreciation of eachother

With the magician (this came up in pre grammy read too) it feels like the determination and drive to succeed. They probably are feeling motivated to come back again stronger.

I see this too as bts not holding back and doing what they feel they have to do (I'm excited for what it could be)

Then we have 10 of wands reversed

This talks about feeling relief about being able to release a burden

This makes a lot of sense

In a way they were kinda carrying A LOT on their backs with this grammy nom

And for it to be over I think now they can catch their breaths

Seokjin

Knight of wands.

This is so very him.

Passion, inspired action, energy.

It's the "pushing foward bc I have a thing that I'm going to do" energy

I see this as him being fired up and like "Okay so this is how we can do this and next time this will happen and we can do this as well"

Very much no time to dwell

It's the confidence and belief in himself and the group and their goals

Like he took his time to be be angry, sad, mad and whatever but I don't think it was at not winning. It was all the other stuff

And now hes ready to continue and push through

He could have a million ideas in his head rn

The knight of wands is one of my absolute favorite cards

It's also associated with sagittarius so maybe I'm just a bit biased lol

Renewed energy and passion

Love it

Yoongi

YOONGI

It's in caps bc im yelling

Ace of cups

You absolute pain

Yes this card can be about love

In this context though I see it as creativity

Ace is always the start of things.

The ace of cups is an emotional beginning

The beginning of a new creative project fuled by emotions and your emotions about your experiences

Yall

Yoongi is writing and making stuff and this might just be the new project that takes them to the grammys and win them the trophies

Yoongi had a planned we should always listen carefully to his words.

He technically said a 2021 grammy preformance and 2022 grammy win...

Ugh

Essentially I think that whatever project comes from the emotions of this time will be extremely significant for them

Maybe we'll get a song or album that talks about the shit they go through with interlude: FUCK YOU AND YOUR BULLSHIT

I hope we get swearing...

Probably not bc in true bangtan fashion they can form their emotions and experience into beautiful metaphors.

To sum up I think yoobi kinda knew what would happen so he sees it as an opportunity to take the emotions/creativity and create a very special thing(again, is he consciously aware of this shit??)

Hoseok

Wheel of fortune reverse

Hobi :(

Dissapointment and misfortune

It's that "the whole world is against me" feeling

I bet he was extremely excited and it was just an emotional blow to him

I think he probably can't help but be hard on himself

Like, "if we did this better" or "we should have done this"

But he knows that it's not his fault. It's just hard not to question yourself

It's feeling like they just can't catch a break

With this card though I feel like there's also an energy of no longer feeling like they have to "play the game"

Breaking the cycle

I think dynamite served 2 purposes

1. To bring joy and some sense of normality to a mid pandemic world

And 2. To play the game by its rules. Everything according to the book

Kinda an experiment

And to see that even doing everything right and excelling at the game didn't really change the scammys mind

Theirs freedom there

They did it the grammys way

And now they'll do it the bangtan way

Bc they've learned

Maybe they'll try another English song but it will be more them

Namjoon

Seven of cups

This card...

The first thing I want to talk about is illusion

The idea that an option you pick has a whole lot of things hiding behind the surface and it's not what it first looked to be

Being hyped up by the grammys and having a bunch of interviews and stuff only to be used

I think namjoon is dealing with that extra hard because as a leader I think he has this idea that he's ment to protect his members

I think he feels a bit like, "I should have seen this coming and been more careful"

Stuff like that.

When joon said "I told you" after they announced the winner

I feel like he told them that it was un likely bc the closer and closer it got he kinda started to see things for what they really were

I think too that joon is trying to decide where to go from here

Do they try a new English song?

Do they say fuck it and make a metal album?

Do they make an album focusing on the positives?

Do they make an album talking about the negatives?

Do they mix a bunch of ideas together?

Do they go back to their roots?

Very many options and namjoon is trying to choose the best one

However.

Everything has an upside and a downside

Jimin

Chim chim

The hermit

Soul searching and introspection

Listening to yourself

I think jimin might feel a bit down

Like, he needs time to re evaluate

I think jimin tends to base his worth on some external factors and he might have put a lot of his own worth on this situation

So now he has to go back and remind himself that this doesn't define him and that his value has nothing to do with the grammys or how others view him

Like hobi he might be bit hard on himself rn

But the hermit is such a powerful card bc you find yourself in the soul searching and you can asses how to move foward

I think also the hermit might also symbolize feeling shut out of the music industry and maybe too a bit of shame about not winning

JIMIM :'(

Taehyung

Ha

The high priestess

This whole situation did not pass his vibe check in the first place

I think he probably knew

Maybe his angel told him or he subconsciously knew

Very much trusting his intuition and will probably be using that to guide him going foward in what he will do with this situation

Creating and being vulnerable and open is important

Anything that has to do with intuition and creativity and empathy

He's probably also comforting jimin in preticular rn

He's also probably thinking about how to comfort us

(Maybe he's working extra hard to push the mixtape foward in order to comfort us)

(( we are trying to comfort YOU. You don't need to comfort us!!))

Regardless

It's a very intresting energy and it makes sense lol

Jungkook

The hanged man

Koo

A pause to re evaluate

Similar to jimin in that this is a time to reflect and to do some soul searching

Taking the time to see things from a new perspective that is desperately needed for him

Some new and important thing might be on the horizon (see yoongis reading) and he will be able to see it and see its potential because he's taking time to just

Exist

Gather his thoughts so that he can know what he's feeling and take that

Morph it into something beautiful

And use that to move foward with a new perspective.

I think also this could indicate feeling like this is a hurdle they can't get over.

Stuck where they are bc the obstacles are insurmountable.

Another interpretation is being made an example of publicly?

Like he might feel like they failed publicly and that it hurt rather than helped south Korea as a whole?

But overall feeling like he needs that new perspective and taking this as an opertunity to find that!

I hope this kinda makes sense! I only pulled one card bc I think they're all feeling A LOT of things and I wanted to focus on the main theme.

It's a lot more positive than I thought but that's bts for you, always looking to grow and learn and create. I'm really interested to see what kind of songs come from this emotional influx! I think it definitely differs some from what they've shown so I'm curious how this energy manifests for them!

#💼anon #bts #bts tarot #seokjinnie #seokjin #jin #suga #min suga #yoongi #hoseok #jhope #hobi #namjoon #rm #jimin #park jimin #taehyung #v #tae tae #jungkook #kookie #jk #bts reactions #bts imagines

[that-shamrock-vibe]

Depp v Heard: Warner Bros. Damage Control

As the Coronavirus Pandemic ultimately ends the 2020 movie season, it seems other forces are set to threaten the 2021 and even 2022 release schedule, but rather than a global life-threatening pandemic, this comes from the ongoing, highly-publisized domestic legal battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.

This post will be predicting the state of play for the future careers of the two actors as well as the typhoon of trouble Warner Bros. find themselves in as they try to weather the storm they find themselves caught in as two of their biggest movie franchises find themselves in flux.

No More Grindelwald:

So yes, the latest headline in this ever-growing Depp v Heard battle is that Johnny Depp has been fired from the Fantastic Beasts movies in the wake of the actor’s libel case loss days ago.

Now clearly this is the direct action of Warner Bros. as all the headlines tend to include the words “fired” or “axed” rather than Depp himself stepping down, which is a very definitive difference as both Depp and Heard wanted to delay these court cases so they could get back to their respective roles which they have admitted they both enjoy.

Now to be honest, Johnny Depp in the role of Gellart Grindelwald has been tainted since the reveal of his casting in the first Fantastic Beasts movie. This was of course tainted by the fact that this legal battle was already going on but Depp was effectively vilified as the culprit in all this.

However, despite the very public controversy around the casting to the degree of a mass boycott petition for The Crimes of Grindelwald, for some fans like myself we enjoyed him in the role. It may not have been him back on the form of his glory days but considering his other work of late, his role in the Wizarding World franchise and his small yet crucial role in Murder on the Orient Express remind fans of when he was at the top of his game with the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Now that’s not to say Grindelwald is gone in the movies going forward. I mean yes these prequels are supposed to be about the history between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, but that doesn’t mean Grindelwald has to always be portrayed by Johnny Depp. He can change his face magically as he did in the first movie with Polyjuice Potion to look like Colin Farrell, a role by the way many fans believed he should have continued with, so why couldn’t he change his face again?

In fact it has been confirmed that Grindelwald will be recast as well as also being confirmed that Fantastic Beasts 3 has now been delayed due to this news from December 2021 to Summer 2022. I don’t understand how this franchise is still standing with all of this controversy...even without COVID the franchise is a hea

What Goes Around Comes Around:

Now I am not for one second siding with either Johnny Depp or Amber Heard in this battle, in fact I believe they are both at fault and the best way to resolve this with minimal damage prior to this libel case was for the two of them to both accept blame, get a divorce and move on from each other. However, Depp chose to sue a newspaper for liability and now we are where we are.

Why I am targeting this post at Warner Bros. specifically is because, in my opinion, as they publicly fired Depp from Fantastic Beasts, then there should also be some repercussions for Heard with Aquaman 2 unless the studio wants to be seen as siding with Heard in this ongoing case.

That being said, like Depp as Grindelwald I really enjoy Heard as Mera. That’s not me saying I like Heard, agree with Heard or anything like that. That is me doing what I always do which is not really paying attention to the artist’s personal life and simply focusing on the job they are hired to do.

The good thing about the Heard side of this argument is that Warner Bros. DC are already taking steps to potentially phase Mera out in the DCEU by introducing a new female character to Aquaman 2, that many fans believe will be Dolphin, as a potential new love interest for Jason Mamoa’s Aquaman. So unlike Depp’s Grindelwald who is a major pivotal part of the Fantastic Beasts movies, Mera, though essential to the Aquaman story for any DC fan, isn’t pivotal to the movies unfortunately.

DCEU Future:

Another linking factor that forms the unholy trinity creating the shitstorm for Warner Bros. is what to do with Ezra Miller in both Fantastic Beasts and at DC.

While maybe not as damaging to the franchises as the Depp v Heard case, or the J.K. Rowling controversy for the Wizarding World franchise, Miller has proven to be a problem child for Warner Bros. firstly as The Flash and then as Credence Barebone.

Now yes the final straw for many DC fans may have been the photographic/video evidence showing the actor throttling a civilian on a night out, but Miller has always been a wild card for any franchise given his somewhat unique artistic styling and wanting to put as much of himself into a role as possible.

Let’s face it, when we first saw him in Justice League as The Flash. We didn’t see Barry Allen, we saw Ezra Miller as The Flash. Now maybe the upcoming Snyder Cut will prove why Miller was originally cast in the role but I am putting my foot down onto my dislike of the portrayal by saying that Joss Whedon wanted Ezra Miller to fall onto Gal Gadot’s cleavage, Gal Gadot refused and they had to bring in a body double but Ezra Miller was still okay with it.

Am I saying that if DC fires Amber Heard they need to also fire Ezra Miller? No because not only has Ezra Miller been in the promotion of both the Snyder Cut and the upcoming Flashpoint movie, I feel it sets too negative a precedent of negative press or controversy equals being cut no matter how pivotal to the movie or show you are.

The Bright Side:

I do want to try and finish this on a lighter note because all there seems to be is doom and gloom at the moment. Not only has this happened to Depp and may potentially happen to Heard, but also it has been rumoured that Wonder Woman 1984 is set to once again be pushed back from its dual Christmas Day cinematic/PVOD release date to June 2021.

However, while I feel if Heard was to be cut from Aquaman 2, the movie would also be pushed back which would benefit both it and Black Panther 2 which are both currently slated for the same year and Black Panther 2 strongly hinted at introducing Namor who is effectively Marvel’s Aquaman, we do still have The Batman in our sights and that movie is at least being teed up wonderfully.

It does pose some disappointment in the fact that Colin Farrell probably won’t return to the role of Grindelwald due to his role as The Penguin in The Batman, but there’s a reason Batman remains DC’s strongest property due to the fact in the entirety of DC’s multimedia history it is always Batman-related properties that thrive in movies, television and games.

I mean, in regards to Colin Farrell returning to the role, never say never to Warner Bros. wanting to I guess appease fans by bringing back one of the few good aspects of this Fantastic Beasts movies considering when the characters went from Percival Graves to Gellert Grindelwald fans were screaming for a reversal. Especially as both The Batman and Fantastic Beasts 3 are being filmed in Liverpool.

Overall, as has been said before, I feel the Depp/Heard case is very sensitive and tricky to navigate but how it’s affecting the two actors’ respective movies is the part where I feel we fans can step in. Not obviously change things but at least have our say.

So what do you guys think? What do you think should happen with the Fantastic Beasts movies going forward, not just with this recent development axing Johnny Depp but also with the controversy around Ezra Miller and J.K. Rowling...how much more heat can this franchise withstand?

Similarly should Amber Heard be dropped from Aquaman 2? Would Warner Bros. turning a blind eye show favouritism on her part?

Post your comments and check out more entertainment reports as well as other posts.

#johnny depp #amber heard #warner bros. #fantastic beasts #wizarding world #mera #gellert grindelwald #colin farrell #percival graves #aquaman #dc #j.k. rowling #ezra miller #the flash #barry allen #aquaman 2 #the crimes of grindelwald #fantastic beasts 2 #fantastic beasts 3 #flash #credence barebone #aurelius dumbledore

[sing-it-out-anonymous]

Open Letter No. 33

Hi, sorry guys kung tabian kaayo ko recently, there are a lot of unsaid things. but today, i love to share this with you one of the best things in life na na-realize nako when covid began: home cooked foods. yes guys, that's right better than jollibee, restaurants. sa among balay wala man jud kaayo mi naga luto og mga extravagant filipino foods like caldereta, afritada, ginataang gulay, sinigang na baboy or fish, foods na makita lang nimo sa mga filipino restaurants. because of work and hectic schedules, no one would really do efforts to rediscover this beautiful foods. og kung huna hunaon nimo, it's so pricey for me to spend almost 1,000+ pesos for the ingredients alone, gasolina, time pa nimo muadto og mall. sa balay it's always the mainstream easy cooked foods. mao before covid time i was so in to food panda deliveries i was so amaze nga whatever i want nga pagkaon nga naa sa akong huna-huna pwede na nako mapalit, like kung gusto kog tortang talo makapalit ko, hangtod niabot ang pandemic didto na ko nakaila ang Grab Foods coz compare sa food panda mas syncronize ang deliveries and maka communicate pa ka sa driver--i can make alterations. maskin naa ko sa office or sa balay, i can eat whatever i want to eat. sorry guys mejo off topic na ba ko? pero mao jud ni ang sugod sa story. please bare with the writer :) so, year 2020 to mid year 2021 grabe akong gasto. i am not millionaire or a person nga "extravagant" job. i was just a common and ordinary person, nga wala lang jud koy ginagastusan sa akong life coz i was living under my parent's roof.there was a time that i am spending TOO MUCH of money just for the foods, and mura bag kato na time akong tan aw sa amount sa delivery fees kay piso ra. I wasn't thinking "straight". i was spending too much coz i don't like to be in isolation with foods. if i like food, 95% of me wants to share food with people na gusto nako ma experience nila akong joy, na maskin naa ra ko sa balay i can eat the food na gusto nako.meaning akong gina order na food is more likely good for 3 or more persons depending kung kinsa akong kauban ana. wala ko nag huna-huna na i am wasting money, wala gani koy tarong nga savings na ana na time. hunaa gud, pandemic + kaon = hagba jud ka financially. i even linked my credit card to my grab app kay para maskin wala koy kwarta i can still buy, pay, and enjoy. back then, the only realization i had was " life is temporary" why not eat want you want haha until finally, by God's grace, nakamata ko sa akong "not okay" lifestyle. na realize nako na i was so addicted with buying foods online. i realize wala na ko naka save og money. dili ko shopper guys pero mura kog every day shopping sa pagkaon. kung mangutana mo, nanaba ba ko? yep, i gain weight usahay i lose the weight, average lng jud akong timbang, the foods na akong wala na ginakaon is home foods. that time, if dili na ko feel mukaon sa food sa balay, i will buy another food. ang importante guys nakamata nako sa realiad nuh. wala na ko gipakuyawan akong self sa pag stop. first i gather the facts and kung unsa akong current financial situation. i put goals na mag ipon balik, to pay first my investments. and gi kwenta na ko na tanan. that was way better than spending all the money on foods na dili man nako need.  ang first nako gibuhat, tanan na akong balance sa credit card gibayaran nako tong Dec 2021. nag decided ko na dili ko magpalit og any new clothes or something new sa christmas. i paid them all maskin advance na ako status, wala pay due pero gibayaran nako. so all my allowance, salary, 13th month... TANAN... gibayad nako sa credit card. because niabot na ang amount og ing-ana. walang wala jud ko sa dec 2021 guys. halos tanan trabahante nag celebrate sa 13th month buy spending something, but i rather pay my debts first so that i can start a new goal sa 2022. ako man gung gina huna-huna na, unsaon man nako pag ipon kung naa koy ginabayaran nga utang pa sa credit card? so need nako e back to zero tanan.  i wanted to start year 2022 with a different perspective. so balik sa akong una na statement, one of the best things in life is home cooked foods. mao na akong gina search guys. how can i achieve cheap home cooked foods without spending too much money. then na isip na ko, daghan man diay og calenderia/eatery sa gawas sa office why not buy foods didto, actually gapalit man jud kog pagkaon sa calenderia pero naka stop ko kay kapoyan kog baktas kanang init ang adlaw, manimaho pa jud tag bata na nagdula dula sa adlaw. wala sad kaayo ko nagabaon kay unsa man say ma prepare sa morning na bag o pang mata ang mga tao. og kung magbaon sad ko, bugnaw na sad ang food. dili jud nako na bet, bahalag itlog akong sud an basta init ang rice og ang egg. so nangita kog eatery na worth it ang pagkaon. previously tong mga eatery na ako nakaonan diri banda sa office, di jud nako bet, mao sad ma discourage ko, walay something new pud na mga putahe. hangtod naka discover ko og eatery na lahi lahi ilang putahe sa MWF and TThS, ganahan kaayo ko kay lami jud silag foods. ang challenge lang kay layo gamay sa amo office need nako mubaktas back and forth og approx. 15 mins, usahay ulan pa jud, ushay pud perting inita. pero didto gihapon ko naga order og food then sa office ra ko mukaon. then kadugayan, na realize nako naay kulang. ang kulang kay ang temperature sa food. i don't like eating food na bugnaw na. most sa mga calenderia diri, dili naman jud tantong init. warm-warm nalang sia tungod kay taod-taod napud sia giluto. good thing lang jud pud kay fresh pa jud ang foods og init ang rice. pero still dili pa sia the best para sa ako. and then kadugayan nangita kog bag-ong calenderia, because as time goes by natingala ko ilang food baho man og cockroach, it really pissed me off. super. mao nibalik kog food deliveries napud, for the meantime. hangtod naka discover kog bag ong calenderia dapit ra kaayo sa among office, bag o ra sila nag open, ganahan ko sa ilang foods, something new pud, naa sad akong favorite na vegie dish. so nag stick ko didto. since 11am ko nagapalit og sud an (kay kung 12 pa ka mupalit wala nay mga sud-an, sold out dayun), og ang lunch time kay 12pm, bugnaw jud ang foods. so nangita kog way para ma init, hangtod naka agi kog item sa shoppee nga food steamer, baonan type iyang size tama lang jud sa foods na ako gina order. nasulbad ang tanan. so every time mag order ko sa 11am, ako initun balik quarter to 12, and pakals na dayun. lami kaayo ang feeling guys. kanang init imong ginakaon. worth it. that's it. until now i am satisfied. i can eat the foods na gusto nako kaonan, init ang food pag kaonon na ko, and affordable price pa. i was spending less than 1/4 amount sa akong daily spending sa una. makaingon ko na, i was proud of how things turned out. narealize na ko na not all expensive things are the best things in life. rather, it's about meeting daily needs in a rational way. i am not saying na wala na jud ko naga order online, naga order nalang ko kung naay mga celebrations or mga ana, at least not to the extent na dili na ko maka save. not everything that makes us happy is worth it. some times the best things in life are hidden, it needed effort or sacrifice para makita nato na mao diay toh. the food is not big deal for me, my financial status is. but foods are beautiful too, what is life without beautiful food? right? am i sharing too much? gusto pa jud ko mag share pero my eyes are killing me. needed to rest. sorry hehe and thank you for making my piece exist. love, A

#davao city #davao #Davao conyo #DavaoCity #Davao Del Sur #mindanao #Bisaya

[notnatawree]

it’s, time

im getting older. and that’s a very fucking uncomfortable feeling. well, comfortably uncomfortable. 

i look back at the things 16, 19, 20 year old me felt... and i feel warmth noticing the growth. i gave up pursuing classes that i absolutely despised. i let go of the feeling that you need to be suffering in order to succeed. i was forced to. i think a worldwide pandemic can have that effect. like if i didn’t have my sanity and peace i’d have absolutely fucking nothing (well, my health too).

speaking of, the year 2021 brought me some interesting health concerns that i’ve never really thought of prior. i’ve always been a bit of a hypochondriac. writing helped me cope with panic attacks. but i never expected to get actually real symptoms-- joint pain, namely. it started with a wrist, to a shoulder, a knee, a hip, an ankle. fuck writing that down just sounds like a lot. i’m still in pain quite often actually, in fact i’m going to physical therapy this week. i probably spent more time in the hospital in 2021 than i had in like the six years previous. it sucks, but i’ve learned some valuable lessons. 

the first one essentially being that the doctors isn’t all that bad. yes, it’s okay to admit you were traumatized by your pediatrician because they told you to eat lettuce with a squeeze of lemon juice for a meal. but that’s not everyone. you can step on the scale now too and it’s no longer a trigger! i’m proud of u. but why the fuck did we need to get weighed in school when everyone knows good and well that kids get bullied on the basis of weight. i can’t blame myself. but, i digress. 

i also learned the valuable lesson that health is wealth. and truly if we do not have our health we do not have fucking anything. i went to the gym, well, i go to the gym in the present. i learned that exercise isn’t just something you should do in the months leading up to an event, or a vacation, but a fucking entire lifestyle like truly. it’s on the everyday to-do list like taking the orgasmic morning piss. 

i made smarter financial decisions, too. albeit, far from perfect (i blame aritzia clothes), but much better than previous habits. i even saved enough to take myself somewhere i’ve always dreamt of ~~europe~~. and i’m going... alone. which is slightly terrifying but holy shit i can’t believe i’m finally going and forcing myself out of my comfort zone. 

which leads to yet another epiphanic point (if it’s not a word, it should be)-- i realized i had major codependency and trust issues --> with my literal fucking self, by the way. i realized i did shit to make others, or societal norms happy. i did this in absolutely every facet in my life. and thanks to consuming too many edibles at a fogo de chao, i finally realized this and it really hit me in the most awful, uncomfortable way. but at least something good came.

back to my solo european vacation, i realized i have some deep (or more surface level at times) rooted trauma when it comes to the way i trust myself, or don’t rather. i’ve proven myself to be capable of doing various things, but within i do not have the confidence to trust myself doing shit. straight up. i’m still working on that, and 2022 is a year i hope to truly put trust in myself. i’m literally forcing myself too. i bought an airline ticket that was intentionally non-refundable so i wouldn’t bail out and try to cancel the trip when a family member (grandpa, sorry, but stop talking) advises me to not go. too fucking late. 

there’s more to a year in which i think i spent a whole of 0 (maybe wrote, 1x) writing. to be continued...

[aion-rsa]

PlayStation Bets on Big Games as Game Pass Slowly Wins a Console War

https://ift.tt/2OJsVvC

When someone asked me during the PS4/Xbox One era which console they should buy, I usually told them “PlayStation 4.” In a generation that usually allowed fans of both consoles to play the biggest third-party games, Sony’s emphasis on major first-party titles simply left them with the greater quantity of exclusive games and, in my mind, the greater quality exclusive titles as well. It really just came down to the idea that owning a PlayStation 4 put you in a better position to buy the next major console exclusive that you might be interested in.

In some ways, then, I absolutely understand the motivation behind a recent report that suggests Sony intends to devote more of their resources towards blockbusters in established franchises rather than new IPs that they consider to be riskier or “niche” games that largely appeal to specific regional markets. It’s a strategy that they were clearly developing during the PS4 era, and it obviously worked out pretty well for them there. Why wouldn’t they want to do more of the same this time around?

Well, it’s because the industry and world are in a much different place than they were in when the PS4 launched in 2013, and the ways that things have changed since that time not only cast doubt over Sony’s strategy but have made it much easier to recommend Xbox Series X/S to prospective next-gen gamers more than I ever thought it would be at end of the last console generation. To be honest, Game Pass is the biggest reason for that.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Even though I know nobody wants to talk about it, the most immediate problem with Sony’s reported blockbuster strategy is the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. It amazes me that there still seem to be so many gamers who don’t understand the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the video game industry. There’s seems to be a popular belief that the pandemic will soon be over and that the game delays of last year and early this year are also coming to an end. However, that’s just not true.

Mounting evidence suggests that we’ve only just seen the first wave of major video game delays as more are likely to come once studios return to normal working conditions and assess just where they’re at on development timelines. We’ve seen games like Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League get delayed to 2022 already, and there’s a real feeling that 2022 is the year when we might inch closer towards a “normal” video game release schedule. Just look at what happened to movie releases last year and apply something similar to games in 2021.

Maybe Sony can weather the storm a bit until things settle down (and more people are able to buy next-gen consoles), but for at least the next couple of years, we’re going to see delays impact an industry that some already felt was too reliant on big-budget titles that are too often unable to be meet the release date expectations of gamers with more on-demand entertainment options available to them than ever before.

As you’ve probably guessed, that brings us to Game Pass.

Read more

Games

Best Games to Play in 2021

By Chris Freiberg

Games

Best PC Games to Play in 2021

By Chris Freiberg

As someone fortunate enough to own a PS5 and Xbox Series X, I can tell you that 90% of my gaming time has gone to the Series X since both consoles launched last November. Most of that time has gone to Game Pass titles. As the aforementioned COVID-19 delays leave next-gen gamers without a lot of next-gen games to play, Game Pass feels more valuable than ever.

PlayStation 5 may have boasted the stronger overall launch lineup thanks to Astro’s Playroom, Demon’s Souls, and Spider-Man: Miles Morales, but no matter how good those games were (and they were all great), the fact of the matter is that they eventually ended whereas Game Pass has offered a constant stream of new experiences that even includes recent titles like Outriders.

Sony has improved the quality of their PlayStation Now service in recent years, and PlayStation Plus’ free games program remains a fantastic deal, but Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan previously said he doesn’t feel adding new first-party games to PlayStation Now as day one releases is a”sustainable” practice due to the fact that those games cost “many millions of dollars, well over $100 million, to develop.”

But that argument just takes us back to the main issue here, doesn’t it? Sony seems to be committed to the belief that the only games worth pursuing (or at least the ones worth focusing on) are those ones that cost “well over $100 million.” Yet, much like horror movies, we’ve seen numerous instances of lower-budget games going on to post record profits.

Minecraft was a fairly low-budget game that became the best-selling title ever, Stardew Valley was developed by one person and still ranks high on multiple platforms’ sales charts, and even Rocket League (which PlayStation once helped promote through PlayStation Plus) went on to become a phenomenon despite reportedly only costing about $2 million to make and being based off the kind of failed project that Sony’s reported strategy would have likely led to them abandoning.

Yes, those are handpicked examples, but in their own ways, Sony is being very selective with how they present their own successes. They talk about the success of major PS4 games with big budgets (such as God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man), but they don’t necessarily talk about how part of the reasons budgets have skyrocketed so much in recent years is that studios continue to chase a very specific kind of game that costs so much to make.

I love games like Spider-Man and Ghost of Tsushima which utilize that open-world style with RPG elements that major PlayStation exclusives are becoming known for, but they’re not the only games I want to play. It’s pretty clear that what’s unsustainable in the video game industry is the cost of making them and the toll that the process of making often takes on developers even during “normal” times.

It’s a big part of the reason why we’re seeing a push for $70 games becoming the standard. Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden once pushed for $70 games, but after leaving the company, he acknowledged that part of the solution to the problem of ever-expanding development costs may be emphasizing smaller games and not running from them.

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Games

E3 2021 Needs to Find a Way to Stay Relevant in Changing Times

By Matthew Byrd

Games

20 Nintendo Games That Changed History

By Matthew Byrd

Let’s also not pretend that big games have achieved this mythical “too big to fail” status. As Cyberpunk 2077 showed, no amount of pedigree and promise can prevent a big game from being a disaster at launch. That particular game may end up recouping its development costs, but we’re already seeing that the long terms costs of Cyberpunk 2077 include a blow to its developers‘ reputation that they clearly did not need if they’re going to continue to rely on the strength of their name to push major releases and pursue big-budget projects.

In a way, Sony already got a taste of that with The Last of Us Part 2. It was a very good game, it was a successful game, but even those who liked it noted that the title was fairly bloated and sometimes seemed to be designed to fulfill a promise of “X” hours of gameplay even when that promise was counterproductive to the game’s artistic ambitions. The Last of Us Part 2 didn’t even feature an updated version of the original’s underrated multiplayer mode, which is one of those things that makes you question how these big budgets are being used and whether they’re always in service of giving gamers the most bang for their (70) bucks.

You’d have a hard time finding anyone who doesn’t think that the escalation of game development has indeed become unsustainable. What I don’t understand is why Sony seemingly feels that the best thing to do is to lean into that dangerous trend rather than find a way out of it.

I don’t know what the gaming industry is going to look like at the end of this pandemic or this console generation. What I do know is that the most beloved video game consoles ever are typically the ones that offer the most robust library of games. As I look at what Microsoft is doing at the moment with Game Pass, cloud gaming, enhanced backward compatibility support, and even the acquisition/support of various development partners that will financially help them pursue more projects, I have a better understanding of how they’re going to offer a more diverse library of games in the coming years.

When I look at Sony’s strategy, I see a lineup of those same great PlayStation games that made it fairly easy to recommend PlayStation consoles in the past. As the competition increases, though, and those games look fewer and further between than ever before, my hope is that the PlayStation team finds a way to offer more than that.

The post PlayStation Bets on Big Games as Game Pass Slowly Wins a Console War appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[kylekozmikdeluxo]

The Mitchells’ Rumble with Dragons...

Just some quick thoughts on some recent animation developments...

1) I absolutely love that Sony Pictures Animation is going back to the original title of their upcoming Mike Rianda-Jeff Rowe sci-fi road trip adventure picture. THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES is what it was first known as, before a last-minute title change to the adjective CONNECTED in early 2020. When it was still intended to be a theatrical release, we got promo materials and a trailer bearing that (in my opinion) bland new title... Coming to Netflix sometime this year, it’ll be THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES once more. Great title, and I’d rather see animated movies like these keep such titles, instead of having them watered down for “marketing purposes”. (I get it, a title is merely a title, and it’s the movie that ultimately matters most. There are bigger issues, yes, but this little switch-back makes me pretty happy... There’s also nothing wrong with one-word titles, but I think there’s a tendency in mainstream feature animation to go for vague or adjective words because someone else did it and now everyone’s gotta do it.)

2) So many release date changes. But it’s necessary, the ever-so-horribly-handled worldwide pandemic wasn’t going to just end, magically, after our new president took office. Skydance Animation’s LUCK and SPELLBOUND were going to be theatrical releases - complete with concrete release dates, 2/18/2022 and 11/11/2022 - from Paramount, until Apple TV+ got them, now they are both off of the schedule. Paramount Animation subsequently delayed their adaptation of MONSTER ON A HILL - bearing the title RUMBLE, to emphasize the WWE’s involvement I suppose - to the former. Previously, it was set to open in mid-2020, then in Q1 2021, then in May... Now we have to wait till early 2022. This is probably because Paramount is relaunching CBS All Access as Paramount+, and I don’t think that service is as big as Disney+, HBO Max, et al.... So they want to launch that in theaters when the time is right. Disney/20th Century Studios also pushed back Locksmith Animation’s debut feature RON’S GONE WRONG to 10/22/2021, the latest in many delays for what was once a fall 2020 release. BOB’S BURGERS: THE MOVIE is without a date, another film that would’ve debuted in mid-2020 in a pandemic-less world. Lastly, we had the announcement that Sony Animation’s Chinese co-production WISH DRAGON will be a Netflix release some time this year. Their next theatrical release is set to be VIVO on 6/4/2021, but that is sure to change some time soon...

3) I’m not really into GAME OF THRONES, but the idea of an animated “drama” series based on the George R. R. Martin multi-media franchise made for HBO Max does very much intrigue me... Because Western animation needs more kinds of adult animation, other than just “hah hah cartoon characters swearing”. I mean, we have Netflix’s CASTLEVANIA, but it’s always good to have more. GAME OF THRONES, I feel, is a potentially good step. Now, whatever happened to Warner Animation Group’s planned feature adaptation of Martin’s THE ICE DRAGON? Speaking of dragons...

4) Disney Animation’s RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON’s latest trailer is very impressive. The picture is being sold as a straight up action-packed adventure, though the trailer doesn’t spare the funny bits, mostly the scenes with Awkwafina’s Sisu character. (I just want to hear her say “bawk bawk, bitch!” from CRAZY RICH ASIANS, hehe.) One of its filmmakers even remarked that it could’ve gotten an R-rating, that’s how intense the action is going to be in this film. It seems to be Walt Disney Animation Studios channeling ATLANTIS and TREASURE PLANET, and it’s also not dissimilar to recent non-musical adventures of theirs like WRECK-IT RALPH, BIG HERO 6, and ZOOTOPIA. They keep going strong. If I’m vaccinated by then, I may just make that one my comeback theater movie. Pixar’s ONWARD was my last theater visit before this is all broke out, which was a March 6th release. This is aiming for March 5th... Would be one hell of a circle.

#animation news #animation opinions #opinion stuff

[conservativefreepress]

New Post has been published on Conservative Free Press

New Post has been published on http://www.conservativefreepress.com/trump-administration/dr-doomer-fauci-dont-expect-normalcy-in-america-until-2022/

Dr. Doomer Fauci: Don’t Expect Normalcy in America Until 2022

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In a virtual interview with the University of Melbourne on Wednesday, infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci threw cold water on the expectation that Americans will be able to congregate, gather, and resume their normal activities anytime soon. Asked by the interviewers when Americans can expect to return to some sense of normalcy, Fauci gave a timeline that will come as a shock to many.

“I think you said it correctly, that it’s going to be some time till we get back to what we considered normal before December 2019,” Fauci said. “It will happen gradually, probably very much stimulated by what I hope will be the successful implementation of a COVID-19 vaccine campaign globally. Because if you vaccinate in one country and the rest of the world continues to have a pandemic outbreak, inevitably all countries will again be involved.”

Fauci then outlined what we would need to see in America before returning to normal.

“I would imagine, at least in the United States, the way things are looking, that if we get a vaccination campaign and by the second or third quarter of 2021, we have vaccinated a substantial proportion of the people. I think it will be easily by the end of 2021 and perhaps even into the next year before we start having some semblances of normality,” he said.

Now, we know that Dr. Fauci has come under plenty of criticism from the right – some of it well-warranted, some of it not so much – but it’s probably worth remembering that he’s speculating here. He’s not prescribing or recommending. He’s simply looking at the lay of the land and making his best bet. And we have to imagine that a guy like Fauci is used to hedging those bets on a worst-case-scenario, rather than wanting to give people false hope that winds up being thrown back in his face when people still can’t fill up a concert stadium.

At the same time, we can’t forget that there are other killers out there besides the coronavirus, and some of them have been made worse by the precautions.

Loneliness is a killer all by itself, as we’ve seen from the spiking suicides and arresting levels of new drug addictions. In a startling report this week, NBC News revealed: “Social isolation was listed as a contributing cause of death for at least nine Minnesotans — almost all long-term care residents — from June to September, according to state death records; no deaths in the previous two years cited social isolation as a cause.” These are people literally dying from quarantine, and they should not be taken for granted.

Human beings are social creatures. We need each other. It’s in our tribal-based blood. And the longer these pandemic restrictions force us to deny these biological and evolutionary realities, the worse it’s going to be for our society, our economy, and yes, our overall health.

2022? No, we have to do better than that.