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neomikey · 7 years

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DashCon

Some years ago, I frequented the convention circuits, mostly in the American midwest. Anime Central was a common staple, but thanks to a cadre of friends and contacts, I went to a whole host of others, such as JAFAX, Anime Crossroads, Youmacon, Anime North, and a bunch whose names I’ve forgotten over the years. I’m incredibly grateful that I was given the money to attend all these different conventionss during that time in my life, and nowadays, my time, money, and interests are diverted elsewhere (though mostly to paying bills). I was even a cosplayer that people remembered from con to con -- Samurai Pizza Cats, the Supreme Catatonic, Soldier A, and Death.

With all the recent talk of the travesty of Fyre Festival, comparison to a similar event has been making the rounds.

DashCon....

I was still something of a Tumblr neophyte at the time, both interested and curious about the culture in general. I mostly stuck to my humble corner, following a couple artists I knew and being happy about it. Occasionally I would hear talk of how huge Benedict Cumberbatch or Supernatural or whatever would be elsewhere, but I thought nothing of it.

Then, some way down the pipeline came talk of a new convention there in the Chicagoland area, catering to general nerdery, but also was tailored specifically to Tumblr fans. Glancing through their panels, there were the usual fandom things (such as Sherlock and online roleplaying), but there were other panels too, including battling depression. I thought it all sounded great!

What really clinched my decision, though, was this man.

Doug Jones was a convention guest.

Known for portraying Abe Sapien in Hellboy, various creatures in Pan’s Labyrinth, Silver Surfer in Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and a bunch of other stuff...and he was gonna have a panel on Saturday! What particularly interested me was that I remembered reading that he had my medical condition of Marfan syndrome, something that makes people lanky, bendable, and a bunch of other stuff. He would later tell me he didn’t have it, but I didn’t know that starting out. For a good deal of my school career, I��d been labeled a freak for how I’d looked, so to get to meet someone like me and go to a convention? Sweet, I’m in!

I invited my good friend @spazztasticxairhead to come along for the Saturday I was going to be in attendance, and while curious, she had to decline. However, as I did my Friday evening work shift of delivering medicine throughout Indiana, she sent me something odd. There’s only so much you can say in text message, but she told me that she had heard news that the convention was asking people for money. Well...c’mon, of course they would, we live in a capitalist society! Commercialism! Et cetera!

I wasn’t going to press her for details, since I was busy driving all over the state (plus texting and driving kills), so I finished my shift, got home, and had a couple hours sleep. And then...it’s go time.

...oh.

So I’m driving in this rainstorm of nigh biblical proportions, the highway is backed up, and I’m barely moving. I thought about how I had to work another shift that night and how I’d only have a couple hours at the convention, but there was something inside of me telling me it was going to be important that I go to this thing. I had to meet Doug Jones.

Eventually the rain eases up and I get out to the hotel. It’s a bit farther out than I usually go in Chicago, but at least I’m at the right place...or at least I think I am.

The thing with conventions is that generally, you see a lot of attendants (a lot of them in cosplay) milling about, including the parking lot. There? It was...like....

I had to drive a bit to find two girls walking by the hotel to ask if that was DashCon. They confirmed, I suited up in my Death cosplay, and headed on in.

It was...quiet. Abnormally so. I later on found out that it was mostly because right then, everyone was in the main event hall waiting for Welcome to Nightvale to perform. I went to the hall where there was registration, and holy criminy was it gigantic...and empty. Emptiness was a recurring theme during the convention. It took me virtually a full minute to cross from one end to the other to the completely open registration table. I remember thinking that while the badge was pricier than I wanted, dangit, Doug Jones.

I had good timing, because it was directly after Night Vale that Doug Jones was going to have his panel. I decided to kill time by first checking out this bouncy house they had going, because...come on, free bouncy house. There was also...the infamous ballpit. No, nobody urinated or had sex in it. It seemed to me like a small inflated raft with just some plastic balls thrown in and it was also very, very tiny. When I first came upon it, there were a cadre of Homestuck cosplayers jam-packed into there with absolutely zero room for me to join them.

I then meandered into the artist alley, where...there was nobody. I mean, the artists were there, yeah, plus a bunch of vendors, but I think there was next to nobody else.

I imagine that it didn’t paint the best picture for those in attendance for me to be walking silently down the empty aisles.

(pic not from DashCon)

Eventually, it was about time, so I found myself a seat in the back of the Welcome to Night Vale panel, where noticeably nothing was happening. It was about time for the “panel” to end when someone came up to the front and announced that they would not be performing, due to the financial whatnot. There was an instant rumbling of despair and disappointment from those in attendance. It was also announced that Doug Jones was coming up next and people were welcome to stay for that, but about 4/5 of the room was having none of that and just headed out.

Sweet, I get good seating! :D

After things thinned out, Mr. Jones took to the stage. The first thing I noticed about him was how freakin’ articulate he was. He jovially sat on the table onstage and kicked his legs about, and it was controlled. I know that’s a weird thing to say, but he was doing it!

From there, the panel was pretty awesome. He talked about his history with Guillermo del Toro (including a hand-made business card that del Toro held onto for years), adventures in make-up with Hellboy (his favorite quote was, “If there’s trouble, all us freaks have is each other”), perfecting moving like specific creatures in a gym’s studio, working on Pan’s Labyrinth, and a bunch of other stuff I can’t remember these years later.

The dude is super cool. After the panel, he had an autograph session in another room. It turns out where I sat in that room was rather fortuitous, because I was the third in the room who got to meet him. As soon as he sees me, he breaks into a big grin. “A fellow guy who’s tall and skinny, eh?”

We make brief smalltalk, I mention that he met my wife @ryukodragon at another convention, I ask him about Marfan syndrome, and he tells me doesn’t have it (but that this actor did!). He signs the picture I chose from his table (his role as one of the kangaroo people in Tank Girl), and then just like the two people before me, he gives me a big hug. Something I didn’t expect?

“You’re beautiful.”

When he let go, he told me to keep being skinny and awesome, and that was that, on to the next person. I’m sure he said that to all the people he met there in the autograph session, but...I was a 32 year-old man then, and to my recollection, no one had said those specific words to me, especially in reference to me being irrevocably skinny (”freakishly so,” some would say). Simple words, I know, but I still walked away utterly stunned...and honestly elated.

I meandered about the convention a bit more, checking out things here and there. I don’t like Ed, Edd, & Eddie at all, but I was utterly blown away by the best Ed cosplayer that I’ve seen (even had a spatula). There was also a phenomenal Maleficent cosplayer who found my in-character Death banter with her to be utterly hilarious. There were also some dwarves I encountered....

Spoiler: They don’t survive the third movie.

During this time, I notice that the hotel is also setting up an area for a wedding...and it looks like it’s going to be a big one. Bless whoever was in attendance for that, because I’m sure they left with plenty of stories and pictures. I hop into a couple panels, a lot of which are surprisingly empty. I then see that there’s a panel going of which I’m rather curious....

FEMINISM.

So for those not in the know, Tumblr can be known for having a particularly...misandristic attitude. I needed to see this panel for myself, to see if that was going to be on display at this panel. And on the way there, I ran into a friend of a friend.

So this guy cosplays as Jesus.

Granted, he wasn’t cosplaying then, and I believe that was the first time I had actually seen him wearing normal clothes, but either way, he wanted to hang out. I told him I’m on my way to the feminism panel and he was so in.

All right, there were two highlights to my time there at DashCon -- meeting Doug Jones...and this panel.

Because.

DUDE.

REAL HEROES.

I cannot say enough good about this panel, and ladies, whoever you are, you were amazing. The folks who ran this panel were incredibly even-keel, they were definitely not the “kill all men” types that so many associate with Tumblr (though I suspect a couple in the room were, including a lady in front of me), were well spoken, and were very knowledgeable. Granted, I got in towards the end of the panel, but what I was incredibly impressed by what I heard in there, including the ramifications of the then-recent Hobby Lobby ruling. All brands of ladies were represented in there, including a hijab-wearing lady who reinforced that feminism is about having the freedom to do with your life as you like. At one point, a guy had a question about why birth control is so important, the forum-holders quickly quelled the mild room eruption, and answered his question in full.

I’m a feminist myself, and to see in-person social justice portrayed intelligently and knowledgeably, and in a well organized forum (instead of the sometimes cartoonish, stereotypical “SJW’s”) was amazing to me.

Seriously, whoever you ladies were that held this, I wish I could shake your hand. Thank you for doing what you do.

Anyways, after that, I meandered about a bit more, and word was getting around that things were pretty shaky at the con. I had heard about the craziness of the previous night’s fundraiser, plus there were plenty of signs around me that were symptomatic that things weren’t going well.

I have to stop and give kudos to the staff here, because despite everything...they pressed on. They were running a convention that was falling down around them, they knew it, but they held their ground. Props to ‘em.

Anyways, I found little else that really interested me (aside from finally sitting in the now-empty ball pit, just to say that I did it), and decided to head out a bit early, so I could have a nap before that evening’s work shift. The sun had come out by the time I had hit the road, and...that was that.

It was only later that I learned that the convention had garnered the infamy that it did. I’m happy that I got to go and I’m very thankful for what I experienced. It was far from a well organized convention, but that mess has been well documented plenty of other places online.

Anyways, so that’s my experience with DashCon. I just wanted people to know about the good that was there, instead of just its reputation of...well....

#dashcon #doug jones #feminism #neomikey

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finny-simmies · 9 months

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Dominic loves being a father, and is cherishing every moment he gets with Aisling, his and Moira's youngest.

#ts4 #sims 4 #dominic fyres #aisling fyres #fyres household #year 8 #premade save

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toldnews-blog · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/united-states-of-america/start-here-whitaker-mueller-measles-what-you-need-to-know-to-start-your-day/

'Start Here': Whitaker, Mueller, measles. What you need to know to start your day.

It’s Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. Let’s start here.

Interested in Start Here Morning Briefing ?

Add Start Here Morning Briefing as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Start Here Morning Briefing news, video, and analysis from ABC News.

1. Barr confirmation vote delayed

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote on attorney general nominee William Barr has been delayed a week as Democrats seek more answers on how he’d handle special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russia.

“They’re laser-focused right now on the report,” ABC News’ Devin Dwyer tells us. “What will come out? Can the public see all of it? They want to make sure that the next attorney general commits to that.”

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle also have questioned comments made by acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, who said this week the Russia probe is “close to being completed” and that he hoped a report would be produced “as soon as possible.”

“I don’t know why he knows that,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters on Tuesday. “Mueller will be allowed to finish his job. That’s the goal, that’s going to happen. I don’t know how you say that in light of the grand jury being extended six months.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also shared concerns, adding, “I think Mr. Mueller should speak for himself.”

2. Intel chiefs contradict Trump

Top U.S. intelligence officials were on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to present an assessment of global threats to the nation, and much of what they said contradicted the president.

On North Korea, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told the Senate Intelligence Committee the country is “unlikely to completely give up its nuclear weapons,” and CIA Director Gina Haspel said the North “is committed to developing a long-range armed missile that would pose a direct threat to the United States.”

Trump has said North Korea is “no longer a nuclear threat,” and he’s expected to attend a second summit with Kim Jong Un next month.

The officials’ “Worldwide Threat Assessment” also included warnings on Russia’s attempts to influence elections and the continuing threat of ISIS.

“I think right now,” ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz tells us, “you’ve got Donald Trump saying a lot of things and the intelligence community and others acting on them in a different way.”

Jose Luis Magana/AP

CIA Director Gina Haspel speaks with Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats during a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 29, 2019.

3. ‘Empire’ star attacked in possible hate crime

Authorities in Chicago are investigating a possible hate crime after “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett was attacked early Tuesday.

Police said Smollett was out getting food when he was approached by “two unknown offenders” who allegedly covered their faces and were “yelling out racial and homophobic slurs.”

The openly gay actor was then beat up, according to police, and an “unknown chemical” was poured on him. At some point during the incident, the two men “wrapped a rope around [his] neck,” officials said.

As investigators search for evidence and video related to the incident, ABC News’ Steve Osunsami tells us law enforcement officials are looking into a threatening letter targeting Smollett that was delivered about a week and a half ago.

Chuck Hodes/FOX

Jussie Smollett in the “A Rose By Any Other Name” episode of “Empire.”

4. Aloha, measles

Yesterday, the number of confirmed measles cases in Clark County, Washington, grew to at least 36, and officials said two people in Hawaii now have the disease after contracting it in the Pacific Northwest.

ABC News Chief National correspondent Matt Gutman says low vaccination rates may be to blame.

Other news:

‘He killed five people. So this is a monster.’ A 21-year-old man confesses to killing his parents, his girlfriend and two of her family members.

‘The man immediately turned, punched that woman in the face’: The Los Angeles Police Department releases video of a man punching two women near a hot dog cart on a crowded sidewalk.

‘Out of control’ A Utah man files a $3.1 million lawsuit against Gwyneth Paltrow in which he accuses the actress, in 2016, of a hit-and-run skiing accident, “knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries.”

From our partners at FiveThirtyEight:

How Anthony Davis would fit on the Lakers, Celtics, Nets, Sixers and Knicks: We learned Monday that superstar big man Anthony Davis wants out of New Orleans, which all but means that the Pelicans have to deal him before he leaves for nothing.

Republicans in early primary states face a choice: Protect Trump or their place in line: Those officials have to decide whether to hold — or not hold — primaries and caucuses in 2020.

Last ‘Nightline’:

Fyre Festival investigation sparks conversation about power of influencers: In the world of social media influencers, the line between what’s fact and what’s advertisement can be blurry.

Play

Fyre Festival investigation sparks conversation about power of influencers

Ted Bundy movie faces backlash for allegedly glamorizing serial killer: Critics are up in arms that a man who confessed to brutally murdering 30 people is being played in a Netflix biopic by Hollywood heartthrob Zac Efron.

Play

Ted Bundy movie faces backlash for allegedly glamorizing serial killer

On this day in history:

Jan. 30, 2002 — In his State of the Union, President George W. Bush calls Iran, Iraq and North Korea the “axis of evil.”

Play

This day in history: Jan. 30, 2002

The must-see photo:

Snow falls as a man inspects an overturned pickup truck in a field on Blue Rock Road in Manor Township, Pennsylvania. (photo credit: Blaine Shahan/LNP/LancasterOnline/AP)

Blaine Shahan/LNP/LancasterOnline/AP

Snow falls as a man inspects an overturned pickup truck in a field on Blue Rock Road in Manor Township, Pa., Jan. 29, 2019.

For more great photos from around the world CLICK HERE.

Socially acceptable:

It was so cold in Chicago, crews had to set fire to commuter rail tracks to keep the trains moving.

Play

Rail crews set fire to train tracks amid deep freeze

All right, you’re off and running. Get the latest news on ABCNews.com and on the ABC News app. Details on how to subscribe to the “Start Here” podcast are below.

See you tomorrow.

“Start Here” is the flagship daily news podcast from ABC News — a straightforward look at the day’s top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, or the ABC News app. On Amazon Echo, ask Alexa to “Play ‘Start Here'” or add the “Start Here” skill to your Flash Briefing. Follow @StartHereABC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for exclusive content, show updates and more.

#abcnews #local news #national news #US news

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turbogrill · 5 years

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What to Cook This Weekend

Slow-cooked (outdoors or indoors) pork shoulder.

Slow-cooked (outdoors or indoors) pork shoulder. Credit Paola & Murray for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Rebecca Bartoshesky.

Slow-cooked (outdoors or indoors) pork shoulder.CreditCreditPaola & Murray for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Rebecca Bartoshesky.

By Sam Sifton

Good morning. Our Gabrielle Hamilton makes a powerful argument for cooking a pork shoulder on an outdoor grill this weekend, even if — and perhaps especially if — the glass is at zero and there’s snow underfoot.

“Maybe I can persuade you to recall the miseries of grilling on oppressive thick August afternoons,” she wrote in her “Eat” columnfor The Times. “The sweat that trickles down the backs of your knees when you stand over that kettle of white hot coals. The way the humidity hangs so heavily that the smoke can’t plume or swirl away and instead attaches itself to you, stinging your eyes — and everyone else’s too. The scorching of your palms and knuckles when you baste the chicken even with the longest-handled brush you have.”

And so: a pork shoulder rubbed with chile paste (above) cooked beneath the dome of a grill fueled by wood, in the still of the winter cold. It’s a Frost poem about barbecue, a thing to make alone, for others, simply because that is how it is done best. And wouldn’t that be great?

I recommend accompaniments to GH’s food at my peril. Once I told her my idea for grinding up popcorn spiced with chile oil and using it to top something else — a piece of fried fish? She stared at me for a moment to see if I was joking, and then a few more after that in the way of discipline, which left me quiet for a day.

Nevertheless! I do love smoky pork with this hot Mexican-style coleslaw, with charred cabbage and crema.

Back inside, I’d like a sour-cream coffee cake on Sunday morning, I think. (You might prefer a breakfast salad, after all that pork.) I’d like a tuna club sandwich for lunch, in the style of the old-school Union Square Cafe. And, for dinner, I’m thinking moo shu pork with a side dish of smashed cucumbers. Those all seem like a good way to spend the day, indoors.

It’d be neat, while you’re in the kitchen, to cook a little in advance of next week’s needs. Some bone broth from the pressure cooker for a breakfast treat, winter’s kombucha, silky and strong? You could make a black bean and chorizo casserole that’ll pick up flavor in the fridge, so you can luxuriate in it on Tuesday or Wednesday night. It’s always a good time to make Dorie Greenspan’s lemon-spice visiting cake, for breakfasting, for snacking, for eating after dinner.

There are many thousands mores recipes to consider cooking this weekend awaiting you on NYT Cooking. Go browse our digital aisles. (You’ll need a subscription to access the site, just as you need one to watch the Fyre Festival fraud documentaries on Netflix and Hulu. Join us today!) Come visit us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter as well, for inspiration, conversation and laughter. (Or visit me on Instagramfor dad-joke lifestyle journalism.) And if you want to get in touch or need help with a recipe or the technology, write to us for help: [email protected]. We love to help.

Now, it’s a far cry from pastured lamb and CBD-infused balsamic vinegar, but I loved Krista Tippett’s 2015 interview with the poet Mary Oliver, which she brought back to the radio in the wake of Oliver’s death on Jan. 17. Please give that a listen.

By allowing food to rotate over the coals, from hot to cold zones, the TurboGrill not only keeps your food from burning, it allows food to cook very evenly and retain more moisture; creating a very succulent; crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, results.

TurboGrill™

What to Cook This Weekend published first on https://turbogrill.us/

#BBQ #Grill #Grilling #Weber Grill #kettle Grill #Turbo Grill #TurboGrill #Outdoor Cooking #Grill Master

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ganymededreaming · 5 years

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Lord of the Brocean

Kent’s best friend Julie had urged him to take a long-earned break. Long working hours had left him as strung out as she had ever seen him. And when she saw an ad for a gay music festival on a remote (and blissfully out of cell service) private island, she knew it would be just the break Kent needed. She giggled a bit. Kent, so dark hared, pale, and serious faced, would be a strange sight on a tropical island. But that’s what made it all the more important he go. “I don’t know…” Kent stirred his cappuccino absentmindedly. The café they’d met at after work was almost empty. “Frankly, it just sounds like a more specific version of that Fyre Fest debacle.” He gave a small frown a he sipped. “Kent, come on. You’ll lose the vacation time if you don’t go now, and I bought the ticket. And I’ll buy you another if it doesn’t work out!” Kent pouted, but knew she was right. And he couldn’t help but stare at the pictures of all the happy, smiling men playing in the sun, the delicious platters of fresh seafood, and the itinerary of parties and musicians. It all looked so fun. An office life had been so draining lately.

“You owe me a dinner anywhere I choose if it’s not as advertised….but I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.” Julie beamed as a breeze from the bay blew into the café.

Kent was never a good flyer. Something about shooting up in the air felt deeply unnatural to his every instinct. Usually, his plan was to knock himself out with a glass of wine and a heavy eye mask, but that wouldn’t cut it for the final leg of his voyage. It was only an hour, from Miami to the remote island on a tiny little charter plane. A double whammy; not long enough to fall asleep, and as nerve wracking a plane as he could imagine.

As Kent took his seat, hair flopping in his eyes, he fidgeted with one of the drawstrings to his shirts hood. Dressed in white and blue, looking up through the windows at the clear sky, he wondered if he’d even be noticed if he fell out of the plane against the vast blue expanse.

The other men filtered in – an attractive bunch, not a dud among them. He gave a small smile – at least he could distract himself with that. A cute twink and his giant boyfriend sat across the row, the twink giggling in his tight tank top and short shorts, playing with the giants long hair and beard. Suddenly, what he immediately thought must be the most gorgeous specimen of all the men came up to his row. “Excuse me, I think this is my seat. Mind if I sit down, little guy?” The man was taller than Kent by a good foot, going on two. The nicknaming was apt, if a little rude. But instead of irritating Kent, it merely made him blush furiously. He had sun tanned skin, wave tossed dirty blonde hair, and a toned, broad shouldered body. Curly dark hairs poked at the top of his floral short-sleeved shirt, two buttons undone, and a tooth necklace of some sort nestled between his pecs. Bigger than a shark, but Kent couldn’t place it; it was adorably tacky. But the sparkle of his smile and green eyes were what turned Kent’s knees to jelly. And he smelled wonderful – like long, lazy days on the beach, sweet and salty all at once

The man sat down, pressing against Kent in the narrow little seats of the propeller plane. He started to introduce himself when the shudder of the engine provoked a similar shudder in Kent’s shoulders.

“Little guy, what’s the matter?” The man put a friendly, massive hand around Kent, hugging him close. “Not….good with planes.” Kent managed to stammer out. “Aw, buddy, no, hey little dude, it’s gonna be alright. My brother’s the one running this flight – he’s not gonna let anything happen to his bro, or to any of his bro’s little friends. And you’re my friend now, little guy. So my bro and I are gonna make sure this trip is nothing but fun for you.”

By this time, the plane was in the air, as the man – Kent now was beginning to think of him as the good natured madman – massaged his shoulder, and excitedly talked about all the amenities of the island. “Well, there’s all kinds of waterslides they set up, and there’s all kinds of tasty stuff! Do you like cake? Oh man, save room, the shrimp is delicious, but the chef, he makes these tarts, you know-“ “Ahem!”

A golden twink with floppy, golden hair had approached them with a drink cart. He wore a scandalously cut outfit for a steward: a tiny tank top that barely covered his nipples, the shortest of shorts, and pointy shoes, everything in a bright purple. “You boys want anything?” “Oh, damn Ganny, didn’t realize we were doing that now! Yeah, get me and my little buddy some rum punch! Come on, little man, you’re gonna love this.” Kent chuckled. The whole thing was so absurd, but he supposed this was the kind of crowd that took vacations like this. Might as well take in the local flavor.

As the twink handed the two of them tall hurricane glasses – real glass to Kent’s shock – filled with a bright red liquid, he gave a wink. “You boys have fun! I’m going to finish up my run, then the captain wanted me back for his break!” He giggled and skipped off. “You two know each other?” His heart sunk with a dark jealousy for a moment, and he could swear the twink – that “Ganny” – had giggled again the minute the thought crossed his mind. But when he looked back, he was pouring the largest beer he had ever seen for the giant across the row. “Oh, yeah little man – remember my bro? That kid’s my bro’s main thing. We played once or twice, but he’s honestly not my thing. Like mine with dark hair, like yours, Kent….y. Damn bro, gotta think of something better to call you. Little man suits you just fine though for now bro.” Kent figured that he had seen the name on his boarding pass, and shrugged ff the fact that he’d known his name. He was, however, flustered twofold. First of all, he couldn’t process that many pet names in a single sentence. Second, the idea he was this hunks type made him a happier, jollier sort of flustered.

“Anyway, cheers bro! Here’s to a happy little vacay.” He knocked back the giant drink in one gulp. Kent smiled a wry little smile. “Cheers to that.” Maybe this would be a good break. He took a sip. The drink was sweet, with a sour little kick of lime at the back, and Kent couldn’t quite place the exotic liqueurs…maybe ginger? But it felt good. Refreshing. He unzipped his shirt the slightest bit more, panting, and swigged the rest of it down. He wiped his brow with a moment of surprise – his hair wasn’t there anymore. It had been styled up, attractively messed, and lightly held by wax. And a zit he had noticed that morning was totally gone. Huh – he shrugged it off. Maybe when the neighbor had mussed his hair, it had settled like this.

“Awwww, hey little man! Now you look like you’re feeling good! Better?” By now the plane had started its descent towards the island, a beautiful little piece of sand in crystal clear waters. Kent gave a genuine smile, relaxing. “Yeah, man. You never gave me your name, bro?” “Awww, bro! Sorry ‘bout that – you can call me Sid, or just bro for now. I’ll se you on the island, yeah little man?” Kent gave a happy nod, and moved to disembark.

The sun was blinding on the island, and the heat encouraged Kent to zip open his shirt all the way, letting his skin hit the sun. A light tan blossomed across it, spreading from his chest. Not as dark as Sid’s, but a little splash of color.

As Kent walked towards the check in, “Ganny” came bounding next to him, running towards a man in a lifeguard’s visor and a leopard print speedo. His hairy chest and dusky skin drew a number of stares, and Kent could see the mischief in his eyes, even though his tinted sunglasses. “D-Man! You made it! You’re chilling at me and the boss’s tent tonight, yeah?” “Wouldn’t miss it. Just gotta check everyone in.” He ruffled his hair and gave his ass a swift pat as Ganny skipped off towards the cocktail bar set up nearby.

The lifeguard settled behind the desk, pointing the happy travelers towards their various tents. He saw the twink and giant from across the aisle – he was riding on the giant’s shoulders like a little kid, as the giant whooped and hollered as he carried him towards their tent. Heh – just like two good bros ought to. He felt a pang of jealousy t that thought, but quickly shook it off.

As he approached the lifeguard looking man, and handed him his ticket, the lifeguard scanned it and smiled. “Woah! Good news and bad news, kiddo – you’re one of our two lucky guys to win a room in an above water cabana. Bad news is it isn’t ready yet. Can you be a good little thing and go play in the waves, have some fun while we get it set up? Sure a tasty little snack like you can find some fun mischief for a couple hours. Your luggage is gonna be there tonight, so you don’t need to worry. And the big music acts don’t start until tomorrow morning, so don’t worry about missing anything while you get settled in tonight.” He ruffled Kent’s hair, and gave him a flirty chest flick.

Kent bounced up, beaming. Everyone was being so nice to him! Julie was right. He just needed to spend a nice relaxing trip with the guys, chill out with some drinks, go swimming. “Thanks, man! So cool of you to do that for me! You guys at this island are like…the best!” Kent skipped off into the island. Sid was right- the island WAS incredible. It must have been used for events all the time; it was so built up. The food was delicious; mountains of shrimp, flatbread pizzas, sushi, giant parfaits, all washed down with giant frozen drinks. And the sun made him ravenous. He was so glad he’d worn his swimsuit, so he could splash in the crystal blue water. But most of the attendees were in couples or friend groups. Kent felt a little awkward walking over, and playing on his own got old a little fast. He frowned. Maybe the whole trip was a mistake. But one of the slides was a four person tube. That would introduce him to a few people a little less awkwardly.

As he climbed the tall wooden steps to the slide, he felt a powerful clap on his shoulder. “Bro! Oh my god, bro, I found you! Gotta introduce you to my other friends!” Sid stood there, chest slick with sweat from the afternoon sun, blue baseball cap covering his hair, clad only in a pair of baggy board shorts. He pointed behind him to a tall, muscular black man with shoulder length dreadlocks, and a nervous looking Hispanic twink with shaggy black hair clinging to his hand for dear life. “This is my bro Sobek, and his little buddy Mateo!” Sobek reached out his hand and shook Kent’s, nearly crushing it. “Don’t mind Mateo, he’s just shy. And nervous for the big slide. Worries I won’t keep him safe. Cheeky of him.” He gave Mateo’s forehead a playful flick, and Mateo stuck his tongue out back at him. “It’s nice to meet you too! Sid, you didn’t tell us you found someone!”

Kent couldn’t quite place the name, but it sounded familiar. Maybe someone from a book? And his accent wasn’t one Kent was familiar with. Sobek gave a mischievous grin as if he could see the wheels struggling to turn in Kent’s head. “I know Sid from work. Think of us…like managers from different offices. Am happy you’ve got someone to hold on to this trip.” Sid beamed. “Yeah, this is my little guy Kent! You don’t mind being my date for the afternoon, do you little buddy?” Kent couldn’t help but blush and nod happily. “Aw, I’m so glad! We’re gonna have such a great time, little guy.” They got to the top and got in the big inflatable tube. Mateo giddily clung to Sobeks arm, and Kent had only barely glanced towards Sid when he threw a massive arm around him and pulled him in close.

As they barreled down, Kent heard Mateo’s shrieks of delight and Sid and Sobek’s whoops and hollers. But his main focus was just on the feelings. The cool water splashing on him, the warmth of Sid’s chest as he clung close. He could feel the rest of the world, every bit of doubt and worry drip away, until he finally let out a whoop of his own as their tube was shot out of the slide, Sid and Kent spilling out of the tube into the water in a laughing tangle of limbs.

The rest of the afternoon and evening went much the same way – swimming at the beach, drinking more cocktails, and hitting the dance floor. As the sun went down, Sid had a moment of surprise cross his face. “Damn, bro – just remembered. I have to check into my room, it was gonna be ready late tonight. Want me to walk you back to yours first? Cute little babe like you shouldn’t be alone, jerks like Sobek would just gobble you up.” “Hey!” Mateo pouted. Sobek chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’m only going to be gobbling you tonight, pet.” Sobek gave Sid a playful punch, before throwing a squirming, blushing Mateo over his shoulder and walking off.

As Kent and Sid walked along the slowly emptying beach, they came to the above water Cabana. It was a beautiful grass-roofed little house on stilts on the water. It was a suite, with all the rooms but the bathroom facing out onto the water. Suddenly, Sid started shouting. “FUCK YEAH! My bros rock! I can’t believe it! They gave me and my new little bro a cabana! Aw, fuck yeah, bro, this is so rad little man, can’t believe it, get my own whole place with my new little bro.” He practically dragged Kent in, through the fancy kitchen, peaceful deck, and into the bedroom, sitting him down on the big king bed.

“New…little bro?” Kent looked up at Sid, confused. Sid started to take his cap and necklace off. “Yeah little man...” Sid looked sheepish for a moment. “I grew up the youngest of three brothers, and I always was kinda pushed around as the little bro. And I just wanted a little bro of my own, yknow? So…maybe you could do it? Be my little bro, little guy?” Sid earnestly looked like he might cry if Kent said no, but he had no intention of that. Kent chuckled a little. “Yeah, I’ll be your little bro.” Sid immediately lit up again. “WHOO! Fuck yeah, you’re not gonna regret it little bro, gonna be such a good big bro for you, make sure no one messes with you, keep you safe and happy. Now come on, get out of those trunks, let’s pop in the shower, wash all the days funk off.” Kent gave a small whimper and looked away. “What’s the matter? No reason to be shy, just us bros, yeah?” Kent gave a quiet nod, and slipped out of his trunks, still a little nervous looking. “Aw, that’s it little man, nothing to worry about. Now hop in the shower little bro, meet you in there in a sec.” He gave Kent a playful swat on the ass as Kent scampered off. The shower was big, tiled in tan terra cotta, with a small wooden bench, and sliding glass doors almost twice as tall as Kent. He had just stepped in, letting the warm water flow over him, when Sid stepped in. “Aw, see, told you, nothing to be ashamed of little bro. You got a nice body, kiddo.” Kent smiled, giggling. “Thanks, big bro. Nothing compared to your big muscles tho.” Sid looked at Kent with a look of sheer adoration. “So fuckin’ sweet, first time you called me big bro. That’s right. Go on, flex for me little bro. Show your big bro your muscles.” Kent gave a flex – he was surprised, it felt bigger and more toned than he had remembered. “That’s it. Nice biceps bro. Nothing like my sick guns tho.” He flexed a giant arm, showing off his taut muscles. Kent almost drooled. “That’s it. Go on and squeeze it bro. Give it a fuckin’ kiss too.” Kent panted a little as he squeezed it, before drawing his lips gently to it. Even under the warm water, he could taste faintly taste the sweet and salty tang of sweat. “That’s it. Soooo fuckin’ sweet. Let’s get you all soaped up.”

Sid started manhandling him, rubbing shampoo into his hair, soaping his body up as Kent began to whimper. “You get me too bro, soap me up.” Sid lifted his arm, shoving Kent’s face in. “Course you can always tongue me off. Come on, little bro, get me all clean.” Kent couldn’t help himself, tonguing Sid’s armpit, licking up his intoxicating musk. “So fuckin’ tasty bro. So good…” Sid chuckled. “Better really get me clean now. Come on, soaps on the bench.”

Kent ran his soapy hands over Sid’s rock hard muscles, lingering over his abs before finally soaping up his massive cock. “That’s so fuckin’ big bro….” Kent drooled a tiny bit as he said that, hardening as Sid massaged the soap into his ass, gently tapping his puckered hole with his finger. “Heh, you’re not too shabby. What you packin’, 6 inches?” He grabbed Kent’s dick, pressing it up against his own hard cock. “Nothing compared to my rod, ‘course, but pretty hung for a little guy like you.” Thick and veined, Sid’s dick hovered around twice Kent’s size. “That’s fuckin’ perfect for my little bro, take after his big bro, but still, we both know who the real big bro is. Bet you’re gonna brag to all your little friends how hung your bro is, huh?” As the warm water rinsed them off, Sid smacked Kent’s ass, and scooted his arms underneath Kent, picking him up, pressing their bodies together. “Gimmee a fuckin’ kiss bro.” Kent leaned into the kiss, letting Sid slip his tongue inside him. Supporting Kent with one arm, Sid flicked the water off, then opened the door, carrying Kent out of the shower, throwing him on the bed. “Legs up little bro. Let me see that hole.” Kent grinned, lying back and lifting his legs, spreading his cheeks apart. “Look at that cute little hole. So good for me.” Sid dove forward, lapping at his hole. Kent began to whimper. “Ugh, fuck bro….big bro, eat me out. Need my hole filled.” Sid happily obliged, feasting on Kent’s hole. Kent threw his head back, just enjoying it, relaxing as his big bro’s tongues worked him open. Kent got up and lay next to Kent. “Come on bro, sixty-nine with me. Suck my cock. Eat it, bro.”

Kent eased himself on to Sid’s cock, pushing his head deep down and taking in more of that addictive scent. “So fucking tasty, bro.” He sucked at the precum-beaded head, greedily trying to shove it deeper. “Uh….take it easy bro. Plenty left, and it’s all here for you.” Kent whimpered, Sid probing him with a finger now, stretching him out. Sid rose up, pulling his finger out, suddenly looking dead serious as he sat down on the bed next to Kent. “Sit up, little bro. What I say next is gonna be important.” Kent sat up, curling up next to his bro. “You’ve got a choice to make now. I know you’re horned, bro, so am I, but you ride my cock? That’s it. Gonna be Poseidon and his little bro ‘gainst the world. Forever. You want that bro? Be my little man, let me take care of you, stick by my side?” Sid tilted Kent’s head up from the chin, looking him in the eye. “Tell me. Say you’re gonna be my little bro.” “Please...oh my god bro, just wanna be your little bro forever. Don’t let me go back to being all stressed bro. Let’s just be happy fuckin’ bros forever. You…heh.” He started laughing. “What’s so funny bro?” Sid frowned. “Well…you scared all the scary stuff away! You’re the best. ‘Course I wanna be your little bro.” He beamed.

“Fuck yeah bro! That’s my best bro for life. You’re not gonna regret this, I’m gonna make sure of it. Leave it to big bro. Now let’s get our fuckin’ cocks taken care of, yeah?” Sid ruffled Kent’s hair and grabbed his cap off the bedside table, throwing it backwards on Kent, then patted his lap. “Now jump on my lap bro – gonna give you best ride of your life.”

Kent giggled as he settled into Sid’s lap, wrapping his arms around Kent’s neck and leaning in for a kiss. “So sweet. Let me just…” Kent guided his slick cock towards Kent’s entrance. “Ready bro?” Kent nodded. Sid slowly pushed in, his cock slowly stretching Kent open until just the head popped in. Kent gasped, whimpering and leaking onto Sid’s stomach. “H-hurts bro…” Sid rubbed Kent’s back and nibbled his ear. “You’re so fuckin’ tight, little guy…gonna make you relax, gonna make you perfect hole for your big bro’s cock.” Suddenly, the pain started to dissipate. In fact, even the memory of the pain dissipated. All Kent could focus on was the feeling of being wrapped in strong arms, and so, deliciously full.

Inch by inch, without any effort, Kent sunk down onto Sid’s dick, whimpering and writhing before bottoming out, falling into Sid’s warm chest, panting. “Look at that. So proud, bro. So full of your stud bro’s dick.” He rubbed at Kent’s stomach, kissing him. “Let’s get you all full of my spunk too. Not real bros until I’ve creamed you too.”

With that, Sid began jack-hammering Kent, drilling him. By now, Kent could barely form words, the pleasure was so intense. He had a brief moment when suddenly, he remembered that he hadn’t checked his email – fuck, what if the office had tried to contact him, maybe there was wifi, after sex he’d grab his pho- “Eyes on me bro.” Suddenly, Sid grabbed his face, forcing him to look into his eyes, the pumping of Sid’s thick cock filling his mind, his thoughts washing away in the tides of pleasure. “Just gotta stay slutty and happy for your big bro, and he’ll take care of the rest.”

After the pounding went on for a good while, Sid flipped Kent to the bed, going deeper, holding Kent’s legs in a breeding press. All Kent could do is let out a high pitched whimper. “Gonna cum bro….get ready.” But despite the warming, almost instantly Kent was filled with what fet like gallons of cum. It leaked out onto the bed, filling his brain with nothing but the scent of cum. And that triggered him, as hands free, he shot all over both of their chests. Sid grunted and shouted. “Fuck yeah! Shoot that load bro. My cute little pussy bro cumming just from my big fuckin’ cock. So fuckin’ sweet.” He gave Sid a kiss on the forehead as he pulled out, pulling Kent against him as a little spoon.

“When you wake up tomorrow, feeling your hole still slick with my cum, you’re gonna remember. You’re my little bro now. And walking around tomorrow, we’re gonna show everyone we’re the best pair of bros here. You got that little guy?” And with the last of his strength, Kent cuddled back into Sid…Poseidon. His god, his lover, his bro. “Fuck yeah.”

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mikemortgage · 5 years

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NYC Chinese eatery heats up cultural appropriation debate

A New York City restaurant owner who touted her “clean” American-Chinese cuisine and derided Chinese dishes as swimming in “globs of processed butter,” sodium and MSG is renewing the long-simmering debate about stereotyping and cultural appropriation in the restaurant world.

Arielle Haspel, who is Jewish and a certified health coach, told the dining website Eater that she wanted to offer modified, “clean” versions of typical Chinese menu items. In a now deleted Instagram post, Haspel said that a Chinese noodle dish, lo mein, can make people feel “bloated and icky.”

Online critics pounced, including New York Baohaus restaurateur and author Eddie Huang who dismissed Lucky Lee’s as “the Fyre Fest of food & ‘wellness,”‘ on the restaurant’s Instagram page.

Haspel’s comments are the latest misstep in a succession of restaurateurs and TV chefs who have been criticized for insensitivity when dealing with food from a culture that’s not their own.

Robert Ku, a professor of Asian American studies and food studies at Binghamton University, New York, said Haspel came off as relying on age-old stereotypes of Chinese food being unsanitary or grotesque. It was especially tone-deaf in New York City where most locals regularly eat Chinese food, he added.

“These are long-standing tropes that have followed specifically Chinese food more than any other cuisine,” said Ku, who has written about the cultural politics of Asian food in the U.S. “What she’s focused on is health and being clean, which implies the others were not.”

He also said it’s a myth that Chinese-American restaurants use MSG. Most cut it out of their kitchens in the 1970s because it was so unpopular, making Haspel’s reference problematic, Ku said.

On Tuesday, the restaurant acknowledged the uproar via Instagram and promised to listen and reflect on people’s comments. But it also denied insulting all Chinese food.

“Chinese cuisine is incredibly diverse and comes in many different flavours (usually delicious in our opinion) and health benefits. Every restaurant has the right to tout the positives of its food.”

The restaurant’s owners did not return messages seeking comment.

White TV chefs like Andrew Zimmern and Gordon Ramsay have been skewered for their respective Asian restaurants (both of which also use the adjective “lucky” in their name).

Zimmern last year said in an interview that his Lucky Cricket restaurant in Minnesota was saving the souls of people who dine at “(expletive) restaurants masquerading as Chinese food” in the Midwest. The “Bizarre Foods” host later apologized.

Ramsay, who is British, is opening the Japanese-inspired Lucky Cat restaurant in London this summer. In a press release in February, the “Kitchen Nightmares” star promised a restaurant that would be “revolutionary” and “authentic,” but many noted the lack of Asians in key executive positions.

On the flipside, there are chefs who have earned reputations as visionaries for mixing cuisines. Chef Roy Choi elevated the food truck when his Kogi BBQ hit the streets of Los Angeles in 2008. Choi combined his Korean roots with tortillas and came up with mouthwatering munchies like Korean short rib tacos.

Being against cultural appropriation doesn’t necessarily mean being against anyone cooking outside of their own ethnicity or culture, said Ku, the professor. It’s the line between appropriation and appreciation where things can get tenuous.

“What people are reacting to is saying ‘For generations, Chinese in America were doing stuff but they did it horribly. As a white person, I can do it better,”‘ Ku said.

New York restaurateur Stratis Morfogen, who is of Greek descent, doesn’t worry about the cultural appropriation accusations against his steakhouse for its Chinese-inspired items.

Brooklyn Chop House, which opened last fall, offers cheeseburgers, pastrami and French onion soup encapsulated in Chinese-dumpling form. Morfogen is collaborating with singer Patti LaBelle to bring the dumplings to frozen food aisles later this year, packaged in reusable bamboo steamers.

“If people didn’t move forward or innovate or create and fuse different cultures together, the culinary landscape would be pretty boring,” Morfogen said.

Morfogen employs more than 15 chefs from China across his restaurants and a Chinese chef is also one of his partners. He thinks restaurant owners worried about inadvertently stereotyping just need to think twice before they speak.

“I really believe that those words are insensitive and it hurts people,” Morfogen said. “I don’t think that is what food is meant to be. I think food is meant to bring all the cultures together and respect each other.”

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Follow Terry Tang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ttangAP

from Financial Post http://bit.ly/2uY4LAa via IFTTT Blogger Mortgage Tumblr Mortgage Evernote Mortgage Wordpress Mortgage href="https://www.diigo.com/user/gelsi11">Diigo Mortgage

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technato · 6 years

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CES 2018: On the Hunt for Tiny Treasures in the CES Aisles

These gadgets being launched at CES aren’t going to change the world, but I’m still eager to check them out

Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images

CES 2018 starts Tuesday for most of the industry, Monday for the press corps. So I will be spending five days being wow’ed by the biggest and thinnest TV displays ever, new networking and wireless power technology, impressive wearables, and lots more that I’ll be reporting on all week. You can keep up with it all, along with all the other reporting from my colleagues at IEEE Spectrum, on our dedicated landing page.

But as I planned my schedule to make sure I attend all the most important tech industry announcements, and tried to figure out which new gadget will be the must-have item in 2018’s zeitgeist, I also put together a very short list of personal must-sees. The criteria? It must be something I actually might want to own; something that I just think would be fun to try; or something whose existence makes me want to ask the developers: what were you thinking ? Hunting for these little gold nuggets can get me down an aisle or two of the endless CES show floors that I might pass up otherwise, so it’s the list that I’ll take out when I need a little energy boost.

In no particular order, here are the shiny bits of treasure I pulled from the deluge of hundreds of pre-CES press releases and related news feeds:

Ovie Smarterware. I’m sure most of the major appliance manufacturers will be touting their latest and every smarter intelligent refrigerator. This year, startup Ovie will be demonstrating a set of what they call Smarterware—food storage containers, bag clips, vegetable tags, and other gizmos that track how long your food has been in your fridge and remind you to use it before it goes bad.

These gadgets solve a major challenge that faces smart fridges—knowing what’s gotten shoved in the back of the shelves or buried in the bins, particularly things like fruits, vegetables, and leftovers, which don’t have bar codes. And Ovie promises that the starter set of the gadgets will retail for less than $90.

Do I actually want Smarterware? Probably not. It’s unlikely that I’ll be willing to tag my carrots and Brussels sprouts when I get home from the grocery store and am hurriedly shoving things into the vegetable bins so I can just be done with shopping. And, frankly, I feel guilty enough about ordering takeout when I know that the green beans have been sitting there for a while without an app reminding me. But I love the idea that a $90 set of gadgets can beat a $4000 smart fridge at the intelligence game.

Reliefband 2.0. Two years ago the first generation of the Reliefband, a wearable that treats motion sickness, changed my life. I still carry it with me everywhere and use it often. But nobody ever denied that the first-generation Reliefband is a clunky and not particularly attractive gadget. The company has been promising a redesign for a while, one that looks better and does a better job of transmitting the right amount of electricity to the right spot on the wrist (I confess I sometimes end up holding version one to make sure it doesn’t lose contact during situations in which I’d be particularly susceptible to motion sickness.) So I can’t wait to try out version 2.0.

E Ink’s Prism Dress. An outfit based on the color-changing technology previously found in e-readers display? No, I don’t want one. But I do want to see this mutable garment, if only for its viral photo possibilities—remember the white-gold/blue-black dress debate?

Helite’s Hip’Air. Helite, a startup from Fontaine-lès-Dijon, France, is promising live demos of a wearable airbag. The gadget looks a bit like a fanny pack—or two—and contains sensors that detect a fall in progress and deploy airbags to prevent hip breaks on impact. Given my elderly relatives won’t even wear alert pendants, I don’t see this flying off store shelves. But points for finding a new way to jump on the sensors/wearables/senior tech trends.

Cauldryn’s Fyre Smart Bottle. Cauldryn, based in St Charles, Mo., started their pitch with “What if you could talk to your water bottle, ask it to brew coffee…” so they pretty much had me at hello. I usually carry a water bottle and yes, there are times when I’ve stared at it and wished it were coffee. Cauldryn is promising an Aladdin’s lamp of a water bottle—one that will boil water, and, with upgrades coming in 2018, will grind coffee beans, charge my phone, and act as a speaker. The company touts that the gadget is also remotely accessible, though I have a hard time seeing the point of that. What’s the downside? I’m guessing it’ll weigh as much as my fully loaded CES bag, and that will be a deal breaker, but yes, I want a look.

Samsung’s In-Folding Smartphones. Samsung may be bringing back the flip phone, or something like it. The company hasn’t specifically said that these gadgets will be at CES, but a few months ago announced that they will be released in 2018, so I’m hoping for a CES unveiling, at least as a concept product.

Why foldable? The obvious reason is that it lets the company fit a much bigger display into a pocket-sized gadget. For me, though, there are some things about a flip phone that I still miss—for example not worrying about scratching the display when I tossed it from my pocket and that a device that could be closed up seemed a lot easier to ignore.

Cambridge Consultants’ Vincent. Product development firm Cambridge Consultants is planning to show off their AI chops at CES. One promised demo is Vincent, what the company calls “a breakthrough in machine learning that is capable of interpreting what a human is drawing and then completing the piece for them in real time.” I’m a persistent but not particularly talented art hobbyist who is really slow at completing anything—so I am eager to see what Vincent does with my attempts at sketching.

CES 2018: On the Hunt for Tiny Treasures in the CES Aisles syndicated from http://ift.tt/2Bq2FuP

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