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#Monday Sweet Caroline
rustedhearts · 1 year
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Turn Me Loose (Steve Harrington x Fem!reader)
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summary: steve has a hard time committing—you have a hard time letting him go.
uses she/her pronouns and female anatomy.
♡ all out 80s: short fics based off 80s hit classics ♡ based off the song ‘turn me loose’ by loverboy
warnings: infidelity, loveless relationship (on steve's part), angst, break-up.
w.c: 2.2k
hawkins, indiana august 1987
Before you, Steve had a reputation.
Golden-boy, stellar athlete, peaked-in-high-school Steve Harrington was constantly surrounded by women. They rotated through the passenger seat of his BMW like a revolving door. Caroline on Monday, Heather on Wednesday, Natalie for the weekend. Word spreads quickly in a tiny town like Hawkins, and in no time, Steve Harrington became Hawkins' resident man whore.
But then he met you—and for the first time, he was hooked. He stopped going out of his way to chat up other girls at the mall, started calling you once a day. He was eager to take you out to dinner, overjoyed by every kiss and minuscule affection. There was something so enticing about you, and every moment spent with you felt like electricity in his veins.
At the five month marker, you decided to move in together—a small apartment on the outskirts of town. You fell into a normal routine, maneuvering around each other in the kitchen, falling asleep in each other's arms. You spent nearly every moment together, and it only took a few weeks of constant attention for Steve to feel suffocated. He quickly realized that your glittery charm wasn't enough to keep him satisfied.
It lasted a year before he cheated.
The first whiff of infidelity had you crumbling. Steve started coming home late, stopped answering the phone when you called him at work. His friends assured you he was just busy, stressed with the new role he took on at work as manager. But you could see it in the strained pull of their smiles—they knew, just as well as you did, that he was being unfaithful.
He came home one night drenched in sickeningly sweet perfume with lipgloss smeared on his collar, and you broke down. You spent hours screaming at each other, throwing anything in your reach at his stupid pretty face. He slept on the couch, and you cried yourself to sleep.
The next morning, he crawled into bed with you and wiped your face clean.
"Baby...baby, I'm so sorry. I'm so stupid. I just...I don't know how to have a girlfriend, honey. I love you, you know I love you. I'm just not good at all this."
He promised it was the first and last time. A stupid mistake. He'd never make it again. He'd be better now. And you swore that if you heard he was unfaithful again, you'd pack your bags and be out of the house before he could even beg you to stay.
Steve lied.
But so did you.
♡ ♡
"Hi, honey."
You came flouncing into the room dressed for work, pencil skirt neatly ironed and blouse buttoned to the collar. You breezed past Steve at the kitchen island, hunched over a bowl of cereal, stopping only to press a kiss to his cheek. His reply came in the form of metal against porcelain, his spoon clanking into the bowl.
You pulled a mug from the cabinet and reached for the coffee pot, glancing at him over your shoulder with a raised brow.
"You okay?"
Steve's eyes barely flickered your way as he hummed, eyes empty and face blank. "Yep."
You swallowed, putting the coffee back. After a small sip of the bitter drink, you leaned back against the counter and flashed him a small smile.
"I was thinking we could have dinner together tonight after work? I'll cook—"
"—M' goin' out with Eddie."
Your cheeks warmed, heart sinking. You placed your coffee mug down and cleared your throat.
"Oh. Okay...I'll see you after then?"
Steve huffed, brushing his ruffled hair out of his eyes. "Maybe."
You smoothed your hands over your skirt, looking at anything but the bored expression on his face.
"Okay...have a good day, honey," you cooed, crossing the kitchen to stop next to his stool and press another kiss to his cheek.
He tipped his head away, and you pulled back with a frown.
"I love you."
Steve flashed a tight-lipped, toothless grin. "Mhm, you too."
You stomped down the stairs to the parking lot and slammed your car door closed, willing hot tears away before they soiled your makeup. Steve had been like this for weeks now. He was there, but he acted like it was inconvenience to him. His annoyance was always a little too evident. You wished he'd try a little harder to hide it, or at least keep it tucked away until he went out with Eddie Munson. You knew every time they 'went out,' it was to pick up girls at The Hideout and complain about you.
But all you did was love him. Why couldn't he see that?
Back in the apartment, Steve shoved his head into his hands at the kitchen island. His cereal was soggy, his head was pounding, and the kitchen still smelled like your perfume. It was the same one you'd been wearing for years, and it used to make Steve woozy and lovesick. Now, it just made him plain sick.
You were gorgeous, no doubt. Sweet, funny, loving, and kind—but Steve just didn't love you. He wasn't sure he ever really did. But you were always there, promising him happiness and looking at him like he was the best thing in the world. You fueled his ego, at least for a little while.
Now, it wasn't enough. He was bored. And no matter how many times he cheated, how many times he left you waiting or wondering, no matter how many times he flaked on plans you'd had for months—you always stayed. He didn't know how else to drive you away.
"She just won't break up with me," Steve groaned to Eddie that night.
They were sitting at a sticky, wobbly wooden table at The Hideout. The crowd was sporadic, the hour still a little too early for most. But Steve's beer glass was already half empty, and two shots had already been thrown back. Eddie chewed on a toothpick and rolled his eyes.
"Crazy idea, Harrington," he droned, tearing the took pick from his mouth, "why don't you just break up with her?"
Steve winced and grimaced, gazing down at his frothy beer. He gave his glass a shake on the table, sloshing it around.
"I can't. I can't do that to her."
Eddie shook his head, reaching over to punch Steve's arm. "Oh, sure you can, champ."
Steve pushed him away, eyes drooping.
"Eddie, I'm serious, I can't."
Eddie leaned his elbow against the table, cupping his hand over his forehead. His patience for dealing with his best friend's relationship had been wearing thin for a while now.
"You dip into a new pussy every night, but you can't cut this girl loose?"
Steve's cheeks burned at the admission, but he concealed it with the rim of his beer glass, gulping down the tangy liquid eagerly. He slammed the empty glass down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I don't want to hurt her."
For a moment, it was quiet, the void filled only by the low hum of the jukebox playing a KISS song—until Eddie cackled so loud heads turned. Steve's own snapped up to glare at his friend, who had fallen into a hunched over fit of laughter.
"Alright, shut up," Steve scowled, scratching at his hair.
Eddie clutched his stomach, gasping in air.
"You cheat on this girl regularly, shove it in her face, but can't break up with her be-because you don't want to...hurt her?"
Eddie giggled again, waving his hands as if in a plead to make Steve stop amusing him, but the latter could only glare at his friend across the table.
"Oh, now that is rich, Harrington," Eddie chuckled.
Steve snatched a pretzel from the bowl between them and gnawed on it anxiously. He looked off toward the bar, where a familiar long-legged redhead perched on a stool. She waggled her fingers at him, a sideways smile painted on her red lips. Steve sighed, shoving the rest of the pretzel in his mouth.
"I gotta break up with her, don't I?"
Eddie eased back into his chair, following Steve's line of sight toward the redhead. Eddie crossed his arms, head shaking again slowly.
"Someone's gotta put an end to this shit."
Steve tore his eyes away from the girl, nodding in agreement toward his friend. He motioned toward the tequila shot sitting in front of Eddie.
"You gonna drink that?"
Eddie held his hands up in surrender, and Steve quickly snatched the glass and threw it back. He groaned at the sting, stood to his feet, and clapped Eddie on the shoulder.
"Thanks, buddy. I'll see you later, yeah?"
Eddie opened his mouth for a reply, but Steve was already off. Eddie watched him stagger toward the pretty girl at the bar, and snickered when she immediately began to giggle as he leaned against the bar beside her.
"Stupid bastard," Eddie muttered.
♡ ♡
That weekend, Eddie hosted a party at his trailer. You always tagged along with Steve when Eddie had a party, and tonight was no different. You sat on the bathroom sink and smudged eyeliner on your lash line, mouth hanging open as you applied mascara. You called to Steve to toss you your lipgloss on the dresser, and when he came into the bathroom to hang it to you, he paused in the doorway.
"What?" you asked, turning to take it from him.
He shrugged, head shaking. "Nothin'. You look pretty, s' all."
You broke into a smile, heart thumping hard in your chest. He hadn't given you a compliment in a while. Steve realized, as you thanked him sweetly and giggled to yourself, that he hadn't seen you smile in a while, either.
He trudged into the living room to wait for you with a lump in his throat.
At the party, Steve excused himself to get a drink, and immediately cornered Eddie in the kitchen.
"I'm doing it tonight," he declared quickly.
Eddie pushed Steve back by the shoulders, tossing him a look. He dipped into the cooler on the counter and pulled out a beer for Steve.
"Doing what?"
"Breaking up with her."
Eddie tossed his head back with an incredulous groan. "Dude, seriously? Don't fuck up my party with your drama."
Steve snatched the beer in his hand and scowled. "I'm not gonna fuck up your party, man. Just don't let any of the hot chicks leave. Thanks, buddy."
Eddie glared at the back of Steve's head as he rushed off, shaking his head to himself again. What a tool.
You were waiting for Steve in the living room, smile slipping when he came back with only one beer. Seeing the change in expression, he handed it off to you.
"You didn't want one?"
Steve shrugged. "I'll get one later."
You accepted the sweating bottle gingerly, flashing a smile. You hated beer, and after over a year together, you figured Steve would've remembered. But it was the thought that counts.
"Thanks, honey."
Steve sank down beside you on the small couch, hands clasped together dangling over his knees. You took a tiny sip from the bottle and winced, clearing your throat to combat the taste. Steve ran a hand through the front of his hair, scratching at it frantically. You frowned, reaching over to rub his shoulder.
"You okay, Stevie?"
Steve sighed, hooking his chin over his shoulder to look at you. Just one last time, he wanted to look at you and know you were his. His heart squeezed at your eyes blinking up at him, your lips pouty and glossed. He felt terrible, but it wasn't right. He couldn't let this go on.
"Actually, can we go talk somewhere? Just us?"
You pulled your hand away, searching his eyes. They were softer than you'd seen in a long time, round and doe-like. He looked sad.
"Yeah, okay."
He took your hand to guide you toward the hall. His touch was soft and warm, and you could only peer at your intertwined fingers longingly as he pulled you into Eddie's room. Steve gently nudged you toward the bed, and as you sank down onto the edge and watched him pace, you suddenly knew exactly what he was going to say.
Steve's hands found his hips, head hanging toward the floor to watch his feet stride back and forth. You sighed, pulling at the soggy beer label with your fingernail.
"I know what you're gonna say, Steve."
Steve came to a halt, eyes wide on your deflated figure.
"You do?"
You nodded, grinning solemnly. "Yeah, honey. Yeah, I know."
Steve sighed, and when he sank to his knees in front of you on the carpet, he felt like the world's biggest loser.
"We should've done it a long time ago, baby. I just...I can't be anybody's boyfriend, you know? I don't know how to...be good to you."
You nodded, and this time your smile was sarcastic. "Yeah. Yeah, I know."
Your fingers were cold and damp as they swept across his forehead, brushing his hair aside. For the first time, you could see the guilt wading in those big hazel eyes. It seemed in that moment, Steve realized what he had all along.
"Good luck, Steve. I hope this makes you happier."
But it was too late. Slumped on his knees, Steve watched you walk out the door, and never look back.
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Friends with Military Benefits | Prologue | Jake Seresin x Reader
[graphic]
next chapter | masterlist
synopsis: purple hearts!au in which you marry jake “hangman” seresin for insurance… and what seems like a simple scam might turn out not to be so simple after all
warnings: no use of y/n, mention of divorce
 ...
“Hey! Movie star in the corner! Butt over here, stop lollygagging around!”
“You’re trying too hard,” you call back in response, standing nevertheless and stretching before heading over to where your best friend, Lina, is working on setting up the bar before opening. Bending down to open a few cabinets, you yell into the other room, “Hey, Pen, we still on to perform tonight?”
“Depends on how dissatisfied the crowd is with you stopping their music,” your boss shoots back. Savage.
Penny Benjamin, your boss and friend-slash-mentor, was your saving grace. She had hired you around the time she bought the bar, The Hard Deck, a few years ago from some of the money in the settlement of the divorce with her ex-husband, Darren—or as you and your coworkers call him, Darren the Douche. Creative, you’re well aware. Penny was the only reason you weren’t on the streets, giving you a place to put your feet down and start working to pay back the colossal mountain of student loan debt you had acquired over four years of undergrad.
You’ve given up on grad school entirely.
Time flies as you, Lina, and your coworkers Sam, Evan, Hannah, and Cody finish prepping for opening rush. Penny has six of you on staff—everyone one rotates days off, and today, a Monday, is Sawyer’s. Yours is Thursday, so only three days to go.
Soon enough, the bar opens. It’s the hotspot Navy bar in the area, uniforms filling the place as it gets later on into the evening.
“Lina!” Sam hollers suddenly as she hurries to the bar, calling your name as well and snapping you out of the zone. “Penny gave the all-clear.”
You grin, high-fiving the blonde. “Perfect.” Hopping the counter, you wink at your boss as she comes to take your place, prompting her to shake her head in fond exasperation. The jukebox cuts out suddenly, causing groans as everyone looks to where Evan unplugged it while the rest of you head to the piano that doubles as a makeshift stage for your purposes. One night after the bar had closed, on Penny’s night off (Tuesdays), the half-drunken six of you had discovered that you were all musically inclined. That led to the creation of a band; practices were bi-weekly after closing Tuesday and at Hannah’s apartment on Friday before work.
Picking up the mic, you tap it to gain the attention of the bar’s patrons, who quickly grow excited as they realize what’s about to go down. Despite missing a bassist—Sawyer—who doubles with backing vocals, you’re still going to make some music and it’s going to sound good. It’s a sporadic event, so when given the chance, your group grabs it whole-heartedly.
“Hey, everyone, how we doing tonight?” You greet to cheers and whoops as the band begins playing in the background. You grin, waiting the necessary measures before coming in.
Where it began, I can’t begin to knowing
But then I know it’s growing strong
Was in the spring
And spring became the summer
Who’d have believed you’d come along
Hands, touching hands
Reaching out, touching me, touching youuuu
Sweet Caroline!
You pause, holding the mic out to the crowd as they yell, “BUM BUM BUM!” before resuming.
Good times never seemed so good
“SO GOOD! SO GOOD! SO GOOD!”
I’ve been inclined
“BUM BUM BUM!”
To believe they never would
But now I…
The song ends to soon for your liking, and Penny is motioning for you all to wrap it up instead of going into something different. “Thank you! We are Jukebox Replacement!” You say into the mic, to the groans of the crowd at its ending. You chuckle as one holds up a thumbs down. “Dude, that was your request. Anyways, give it up for Penny, the owner, who really meant it when she said only one song! Oh, and please don’t forget to tip your servers, ‘cause—P.S.—we’re also your servers.”
Laughing with your friends, you move back to your paying jobs, the vibrant air from playing remaining for a split second before dissipating as you return to the real world, feeling far less alive than before.
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pekuliar · 1 year
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Music references that I think would make FANTASTIC Jojo stand names/references:
Love Shack
Hotel California
Mr Blue Sky
Spirit in the Sky
Sweet Caroline
Stacy’s Mom
The Chain
Super Freak
Uptown Girl
Fortunate Son
Bad Moon Rising
Proud Mary
A-Wimoweh (ya know, from The Lion Sleeps Tonight)
Footloose
Crazy Train
Funky Town
Super Trouper
Blue Monday
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workingforthewidow · 6 months
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You spoke to me so sweetly
-
Sun to Me Masterlist!
Welcome to part 6 of Sun to Me! This is a short filler chapter wrapping up where left off on the boys birthday! But oh boy is part 7 gonna be fun, especially for our sweet baby Lester *wink wink nudge nudge*
This story is NSFW and not for minors- if you are under 18 go ask your legal guardian if you can watch the movie.
Warnings: kidnapping, forced marriage, dub-con, attempted non-con, abuse, Stockholm syndrome, age gap (15 years- K&C are 19 Sinclairs are freshly 34) Don’t like it don’t read it!
Tag list: message me if you wanna be tagged- @hollabackgrl
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The truck stopped in front of the house. And the four got out.
“Let me go alone.” Caroline started towards the house.
Lester grabbed her hand and stopped her, “No sugarplum let me and Vinny go first. Make sure he’s calm.” Caroline gently pulled her hand away shaking her head.
“No. I need to do this. Stay here and if he’s still being an ass we can leave.”
“She’s going to do whatever she wants no matter what you say.” Katie comments from behind them. “Just let her go.” She looked to Caroline who mouthed ‘Thank you’.
Caroline walked up the stairs and slowly opened the door. The house was dark. Only the light from the tv glowed in the room and she could see Bo asleep on the couch.
She carefully tiptoed over and knelt by him putting her hand on his chest whispering, “Bo, love, I’m home.”
He stirred up didn’t fully wake up. He started muttering his sleep but that eventually became full sentences, “Mama… Mama I’m sorry. I didn’t want to make her leave. I didn’t want to mess up. You were right Mama. I ain’t lovable. I’m a monster that no one can love. Just take me now Mama. Take me away. I can’t hurt her if I’m dead.” Caroline could see tears on his face.
She kissed his cheeks the salty tears hitting her lips. Her own tears hitting her face.
“Bo, don’t say that. I can’t live without you. Wake up please love. I’m home. Let’s talk about this.” Bo’s eyes popped open at her voice.
“Baby, why, why did you come back?” His voice was shaking.
“Because I can’t stay away from you. Am I mad at you? 100%. You better have lots of plans to make this up to me. But I love you Bo. I may be an idiot for it but I do. I had to come back to you.” By this point Bo had sat up and took her hands.
“Come here Baby.” He pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist burrowing his face in her chest. She could feel the hot tears starting up again. “I’m so sorry. I was angry. After I left for work it seemed like everything was shit and I took it out on you. I promise baby I will do better. I will be better for you. Please forgive me. I’ll do whatever it takes for you to bless me with your forgiveness. I love you Caroline.”
Caroline took his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his. “It’s gonna take more than words Bo. I have to see change. But I believe in you. I know you can be the best man for me and our babies someday.”
He looked to her when she said that, it was the first time she had brought up having kids with him. He nodded and kissed her again.
“I promise Baby. I will be better for you. For our family.”
The next two months seemed to fly by without notice. The only excitement was Bo earning the trust of his family back. It wasn’t easy but finally they got back to what was normal for them. The girls fell into the routine of being Sinclairs and keeping the boys happy. Wake up at 4:45, make the boys breakfast by 5:30, clean inside the house on Mondays and Thursdays, Laundry on Tuesdays, clean outside the house to get ready to garden in the spring on Wednesdays, Friday’s were spent with their respective husband at their work, lunch at 12:30, back to their daily activity until 4 then get ready for the twins to come home at 5, dinner ready by 6, one show at 7, then the girls in bed by 8 to start over the next day. Friday was also the day Bo took Caroline to see Mama. She mentioned it to Katie once who asked Vincent but he said he connected to their mama through his art. Saturdays were mostly spent in bed, cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and something easy for dinner, sometimes Bo would grill for them. And Sundays it turns out the movie channel, that Bo with Vincent’s help, had gotten to stay in tune, played a different horror movie. So it became tradition to eat dinner early at 5 so they could get prepared for bed before the movie. Once it was over straight to bed.
Lester seemed to come around more and Caroline was 97.3% sure she had talked Bo into letting her getting a puppy the next time Lester saw one near the roadkill pit. Katie had convinced Vincent they needed a cat to get the mice in the museum. So Lester was on the lookout for a puppy and kitten for his new sisters. The girls fell in love with Lester and vice versa. It was like the brother they never had.
Everything seemed to be falling into place for the Sinclair family. But things are never as they seem in Ambrose.
They hadn’t seen a tourist since the girls showed up. The boys were both thankful and upset about that. It meant they could keep the girls in the dark about their activities but also slowed the process of the town. Caroline asked once at dinner why they hadn’t opened the town yet, at least reopen the museum to get some money to pay for the upkeep in the rest of town. Bo was able to smooth talk over it, something about taxes and the state permits.
It was getting colder, not yet freezing, but enough that the girls needed more clothes than the dresses and shorts they had brought when their original plan was sunny California. They tried to talk the boys into letting them go to town with Lester but the boys worried since they didn’t know the truth about the town they might let something slip on accident.
So one night while the girls slept the boys went into all the old houses and tried to find as many clothes as they could in the girls’ sizes or maybe a little bigger. They cleaned them all and Vincent mended any holes that were found. Under the guise that Lester was able to get them clothes at a second hand shop to save money the boys showed the girls the piles of clothes they had gathered.
Katie’s eyes lit up and she started pulling pieces and muttering things to herself.
“Uh Vinny I think we broke her.” Bo glanced over to Vincent as Katie continued her process.
Caroline laughed and shook her head, “Not broken! She was a seamstress remember. She’s pulling out things she can use to make new clothes. No offense to Les but these are kinda out of style right now. Katie can fix them up for us.”
Katie looked to Vincent, “We have needles and thread, yeah? I can work on these down in the studio with you?” Vincent hadn’t seen her smile like this. The way her eyes were sparkling, like they were made of emeralds.
He nodded making her smile even more, “Will you help me carry them down please?” It had taken the boys two trips to get all the clothes inside but with the girls it only took one trip down to the studio.
Caroline and Katie discussed what they wanted and needed before Bo was finally able to pull Caroline back up to the shop.
Katie spent all day working on sorting the clothes and designing patterns. She realized this was going to be a lot of work to do by hand and made the comment that she wished she had her sewing machine. Shortly after Vincent disappeared and returned taking her hand.
“Where are we going?” She asked him as they walked down the hall and up into the museum. They stopped at a door with a sign that read “Employees Only”. Vincent opened the door and Katie gasped.
It must have been his mothers office/studio when she ran the museum. A majority of the room was for wax sculpting but off in the corner was a sewing station, she assumed where Trudy had made the clothes for her figures.
Vincent handed her his notebook and she read what he wrote,
~You can make this space yours if you want. I can move all the wax works to my studio and move the paints and things we do together here.~
“I… I… this is too much. I can’t take over this. This was your mothers.” She shook her head but he took her hand making her look to him. He took his notepad back and quickly wrote,
~She would want it to be used. And once we open the museum again we will need to use the space anyway. Please angel, make it yours.~
“Okay, thank you. This means a lot to me.” She quickly wrapped her arms around him. “I can have Caroline help me move things in here. It’ll be fun, she can model for me again.” It felt right, getting back to sewing. Things really were falling into place for the Sinclairs.
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sugarcoated-lame · 4 months
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rules: share the first line of your last ten published works (or as many as you are able) and see if there are any patterns!
thank you so much for the tag my lovey @sebsxphia !!! 🥰💗💕
Dad’s best friend!Jake | Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin
Maybe you’re just back from college, and Jake has always known you’ve had a bit of a crush on him since he moved into the neighborhood a few years ago and befriended your father.
Wake Up Call | Joel Miller
It’s a Monday morning like any other.
Life’s a Beach | single dad!bradley pt 2.
You’re checking yourself in the mirror for probably the twentieth time when your phone buzzes with a text alerting you that Bradley is outside.
Lost and Found | single dad!bradley pt 1.
Bradley’s daughter, Caroline, who’d just recently turned four— and was growing up way too fast for his liking— was set to begin preschool next week.
Pretend to Be My Boyfriend? | Rhett Abbott
“Hey, honey!” Rhett hears a sweet voice call out through the dimly lit, noisy bar.
Always a Bridesmaid | Jake Seresin
Today was a big day, and you wish you could say you were more excited about it. It’s not every day that your big brother gets married to the love of his life.
Hourglass | Bradley Bradshaw
Five months. It had been five long months since you had last seen your boyfriend, Bradley. Five months of longing—missing his smile, his warm touch, his even warmer honey colored eyes that always look at you like you’re the only person that matters in the world.
Warmth | Bob Floyd
You wake up to the feeling of warmth. Warm chest pressed to your bare back, a strong arm draped securely across your middle, legs entangled between your own.
Into the Woods | Joel Miller
It's been a few weeks since permanently settling in Jackson. A reprieve after months spent on the road with Joel, escorting the 14-year-old girl who had become family to you both, across the country.
Joy Ride | Rhett Abbott
It was nearing 2am when the ringing of Rhett’s phone pulled him out of the dozy state he’d fallen into watching a movie on the couch.
no pressure tags ❤️ : @sunlightmurdock @hangmanssunnies @joelsgreys @ohtobeleah @wkndwlff @roosterbruiser
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mondkopf · 1 year
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Favorite Albums of 2022
Almanac Behind by Daniel Bachman
For Leolanda by Maria Moles
I get along without you very well by Ellen Arkbro & Johan Graden
caroline by caroline
Monuments to Impermanence by Pyrithe
Fleeting Adventure by Andrew Tuttle
Mondays at The Enfield Tennis Academy by Jeff Parker ETA IVtet
Bonnie Rides With Us by Adam Harding & Thor Harris
Ghosts by HARESS
Sweet Tooth by Mali Obomsawin
ZYGGURAT by Zyggurat
Music for Magnesium_173 by Ian William Craig
Amplified Guitar by Mat Ball
All The Things That Happen by Steve Bates
MCVII - I by DISTANT VOICES
Labyrinthine by Nadja
How I Learnt To Disengage From The Pack by Ben McElroy
Good and Green Again by Jake Xerxes Fussell
NOW I AM ALONE BEFORE THE STARS by VILLENEUVE
Earthbound by Tome of the Unreplenished
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nancypullen · 7 months
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Creeping Toward September
Shhhh. The last three days we've woken up to temperatures hovering between 58-60 and I don't want to scare it away. I know it's still August, summer is still spreading her fiery breath around, and we're a solid month away from really pleasant weather, but this sneak peek is wonderful. Our daytime highs still soar to the 80's, but I'll take that cool morning kiss and dream about fall. I haven't posted in a week! We had the sweet grandgirl for three days and had a ball. We returned her Monday afternoon and then I took Tuesday off. I didn't lift a finger. Since then I've been cranking out earrings like my life depends on it. I still need to make cards and if I have time, do some of my altered art watches. I'm working on earrings first because they require more time. First I condition and blend the clay and decide what sort of pattern or look I want, then I roll and cut, and into the oven they go. Once they're baked I do a little sanding to smooth the edges, then they get an acrylic glaze and go into my little UV machine. When they're all pretty and glossy, I drill holes and put them together with jump rings and posts. None of it is hard, but it is a bit time consuming. I am building an inventory though, and that's the goal. My plan for Artisans on the Choptank is to have one display of autumn and Halloween earrings, one display of the local high school colors, and one display of just really FUN earrings - all colors and designs. I've made several pairs in the high school colors, and right now I'm in the thick of the autumn batch.
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I'm really digging the gray, gold, and white. I was actually just using up scraps when I made those, but I may make more.
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I won't be charging much because I know how imperfect these are. I'm not using high end findings, I'm still a bit clumsy with the whole process, and I'm simply not a perfectionist. If anything has to be exact, I'm not your gal. But for a few bucks, surely the ladies of Caroline County would like some fun earrings. I guess I'll find out. I'm planning to post this sign at my booth.
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I may also have a little sign with a "days until Christmas" countdown. It's closer than you think.
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So, that's what's keeping me busy. I'm happiest when I'm creating, so it's been a good week. I can't wait to complete the earring plan and get started on the cards. I've roughed out a couple of ideas.
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Come on over to my booth and buy a gift for the fancy gal in your life and a card to go with it. One stop shopping! I have the Square thing for my phone so I can swipe a card, I have appropriate displays for my wares, and I'll have this banner on the front of my table.
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That's me! I think that since my first foray into the craft fair world is in September, I'll use an orange table cloth and maybe some mini pumpkins with that banner. Keep it simple, but noticeable.
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I'm trying not to over invest because this may be a flop. Or I might decide that I hate sitting at a booth all day. That banner was $7, my time is free (seriously, what else am I going to do?), and my supplies are mostly inexpensive. Clay is cheap. I don't want this to become a money pit of a hobby. Hopefully I can sell enough to pay for my spot at the event. Booth space for the day is $50 and it's only four hours! I think that's steep. Maybe I'm naïve.
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Aright, enough about that. You've probably fallen asleep while I yammered on about clay earrings. B-O-R-I-N-G. Sorry. Honestly, I can't share a zillion photos of the grandgirl (which is what I want to do) and there's not much else happening around here. The mister is still running far and wide doing his photo stuff. The last two evenings he was at Summerfest. That's Denton's BIG send-off to summer, celebrating harvest as well as sending the kids back to school. They don't start school until after Labor Day here (throwback to my childhood!). Anyway, at Summerfest there's a lot of good music, dancing, food, fireworks, a play area for kids with giant sides and bouncy houses, and so on. I probably should have gone, but I end up attending those sorts of things alone. That's no fun. I figured I'd stay home and use those hours to produce inventory (I was trying to avoid saying earrings again). Last year I tried to enjoy it, but I had horrible sciatica pain and I was still feeling puny from a double bout of covid. I did enjoy the music though!
Heyyyyy, speaking of pain...guess who is living practically pain-free these days? Ol' Grancy has found the perfect recipe for feeling whole again! First, movement. Walking for just 30 minutes every morning and being diligent about my stretches and some core work has made a huge difference. I'd like to get a treadmill and increase my waking time. I used to do 3.5 miles every morning and it set the tone for the rest of my day. That was before my ankle surgery. After the ankle surgery I tried so hard to maintain activity, water aerobics, Jazzercise,etc. I even had a routine before Jazzercise - ibuprofen one hour before class, after class I'd drive home with an ice wrap on my ankle and then elevate it. Stupid, huh? THEN WE MOVED. That move was when I hurt my back and the sciatica stuff started. If you want to know how much true sciatica issues hurt, brawny boxer Mike Tyson uses a wheel chair when his flairs up. So PT, stretches, and walking had reduced my pain by about half. I'm not bragging when I say that I endure pain well. That's just how I'm made. An ER nurse once called me "stoic". But that doesn't mean it's not exhausting. It takes a toll, it robs you of joy. It's no bueno. That's when someone I love and trust told me all about gummies. Let me start by saying I've never smoked pot in my life. I've never had a negative view of it, it just wasn't my thing. I've never been a drinker either, I don't care what anyone else drinks or smokes, it just wasn't for me. Do you, enjoy your life, none of my business. Maryland recently legalized marijuana, like so many other states, and people are becoming more educated about the plant, the products, and the benefits. What I knew could have fit in a teacup. I learned that medical marijuana is often used for chronic pain with great success and no side effects. I cringe at the thought of using prescription meds with a long list of possible and horrifying side effects. I was already living on a steady diet of Tylenol (not good) that only half worked. So when that dear person explained to me what she uses and how, I was intrigued. Fast forward to visiting a dispensary and telling the very helpful person at the counter, "I don't want to get high, but I'm old and I hurt." She said, "Gotcha." Because I am a lightweight with everything from alcohol to cold medicine, I tried one quarter of a gummie to start. One fourth of a CBD/THC gummie and I am a perfectly normal, not high, PAIN-FREE person! I am astounded. I knew that THC is used for people who are suffering with conditions from cancer to Lyme Disease, but I assumed that those patients were trading lucidity for relief. Maybe at higher doses they are, I don't know. Still, better than so many of the alternatives. So this plant, possibly put on Earth just for this purpose, criminalized and stigmatized (with the help of big pharma who wants your money), is the simplest solution of all. Of course, just like alcohol, there are people who abuse it. Alcohol, oxycontin, all sorts of legal things are abused. People are people. I'm just saying that 1/4 of a little gummie candy allows me to move through my day without pain and feel like myself again. No expensive, addictive drug with scary side effects - just a plant. Hallelujah. I may regret sharing that, because plenty of people will judge without researching. I'm okay with it. I know what I know. I'm not a drinker, a smoker, a pill taker, or a whiner. I'll just say that if your state has been smart enough to legalize it, and you have any sort of chronic pain, I'm happy to answer any of your questions about my experience. I'm still learning, but I can tell you that it's been a miracle for me. I'm dancing again! No foggy brain, just relief.
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If anyone had told young me that old me would be chewing up pot candy, I'd have called you a damn liar. Old me is wiser, thank goodness. Alright, it's past time for me to get some chores done. I've already cleaned the bathrooms but I definitely need to water a few things outside. A couple of days ago I tidied up the gardens and hacked down about half of the spent sunflowers (because I'm pain free!). I stuck the heads into a staked planter so the yellow finches can keep enjoying them.
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Once I finish outside I can get busy painting eyes on these ghosties and giving them some glitter.
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Can you tell I don't use my good baking sheets for making earrings? Some eyes, some glitter, and some posts and they'll be ready to go! I'm not going to do very many cutesy earrings - just these ghosts and some pumpkins. I don't want to get too stuck on holidays, I'd rather do seasons. Anywho, wishing you a wonderful Sunday. I hope that yours is as busy or as quiet as you like. Do something that delights you, whether that's a lazy afternoon in a hammock with a book or a deep clean of your space. Take care of yourself, body and soul. It's important. Sending out loads of love. Stay safe, stay well. XOXO, Nancy
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lisannauthor · 2 years
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Hope's Mission
Hope Mikaelson didn't know whether to be happy or pissed because Lizzie had just announced that there was new supernatural activity and when the Super Squad finally got to Headmistress Forbes office she announced that new supernatural activity was being measured in Germany, more specifically said in Frankfurt. They came from a 17- year- old girl named Lena Frey, that much Caroline had already found out and she wanted to recruit this girl for the Salvatore School. But Caroline had complete trust in Hope and for this reason she would fly to Germany tomorrow and take this girl to school. Lizzie helped Hope pack and explained how this mission would work: Hope would be smuggled into the Otto- Hahn- High School as a new student and would try to get this Lena, win her trust and send her to the Salvatore School. The next day, Hope flew to Germany and lived in an apartment that was probably still owned by her family, at least that's what her brother Marcel had explained. As soon as she was settled, Hope went outside to have a closer look at the city where she would probably stay for a while and she noticed that the Germans were much more polite and friendly than some people in America and then she felt it again, this supernatural activity. They came from a pretty brunette girl who was sitting on a bench in a summery outfit- That had to be Lena Frey, because she fitted the description Caroline had given her perfectly! She walked up to the girl and asked "Excuse me, but do you know where to find some stuff around here?". The girl replied "I don't know what you are looking for but there is a shop where you can find almost everything. I can take you there if you want it". Had she promised too much? The Germans were very polite. The Tribrid smiled and said "Thanks very much! By the way, I'm Hope. Hope Marshall". She shooked the girl's hand and she replied "I'm glad, Hope. I'm Lena Frey". Bingo, that's her girl! Nevertheless, Hope stayed calm and went with Lena to a shop called Action, where you could find almost everything and since she was here she immediately took some cleaning products and sweets (and a notebook to write down about her experiences here in Germany, because she was sure Lizzie would be very interested). After they paid Lena kindly helped carry the bags home (not that she was really needed help) and just before Hope went to the stairwell she said to Lena "Thank you very much for this little tour of the city. I'll definitely see you again". Lena smiled and answeared "Definitely, but which school do you actually go to?", whereupon Hope replied "I'll go to the Otto- Hahn High School in the twelfth grade starting Monday". Now Lena smiled and said "Then you already know someone, I also go to the Otto- Hahn High School in the twelfth grade. See you". Lena waved Hope goodbye again and headed home. Hope had to admit that Lena actually seemed quite nice- now all she had to do was to slowly approach her, gain her trust and bring her to the Salvatore School. But first she had to find out what kind of supernatural being Lena actually was, but first she had to get through the first day of school on Monday.
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aestheticvoyage2022 · 2 years
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Day 171b: Monday June 20, 2022 - “Tigers at Fenway”
Miggy and El Mago brought their team to Boston for game 2 of our back-to-back Fenway visit - the night cap to our trip.  It was a hit parade on a beautiful evening. The last time I was here, Miggy hit a big game winner - one of his now 503 homers and it was a big memorable one for me, as I also put the baseball park tour onto the Bucket List Boneyard that day.  And now I am back here sharing this place with my Dad and my Son (my wife and mom are here too!) and this is one of those very few parks where its about the place as much as it is about the game and thats one of the more romantic things about this sport.  That romance for me started young when I collected baseball cards of old Tigers and old Red Sox like Frank Tanana and Dwight Evans, Doyle Alexander and Jim Rice, Lou Whittaker and Roger Clemens.  Both these teams were pretty good back in 1986 when my collection started, and now 36 years later looking back on the nostalgic foresight of my Dad to put me to sleep with the Tigers on the sleep timer of my clock radio, listening to Ernie Harwell and now it was a great pleasure to help bring him here with the hope that someday he can tell William with pride about we brought him here for his first two games to make sure it was historic and memorable.  And it was.  Someday, I’ll do what my Dad did - laying him down to sleep with baseball on the radio and help support his fascination with baseball cards and pass down this game to him.
Before the game we found ourselves down that 3rd base line hoping for a signature as the Tigers two big rookies Riley Greene (very recently called up) and Spencer Torkelson warmed up.  Soon several other players joined them to see the pregame festivities that included Manny Ramirez throwing out the first pitch to David Ortiz - it was obvious that Miguel Cabrera came out specifically to see that.  We did not get Wm’s baby shoe signed but we gave it good effort and saw a spectacular Star Spangled Banner before heading to our seats.  Dad and I enjoyed some really great seats in the old wooden section behind home plate but man it was cramped so after 4 innings there and seeing Miggy bat twice (unfortunately like Pujols the day before, Miggy would go 0fer today), we went to explore the stadium and connect with the fam sitting over on the 3rd base side.   Of course, we found that Wm, who loved the popcorn, had been a big hit with everyone else in his section.  He sure is hard not to love!   We even stopped in pre-game and said Hi to the usher that let him on the field the day before and he smiled big for her.   We strolled literally around the whole park together even making our way up to the Green Monster for peek.   We’d settle into some really nice seats up high behind homeplate where Dad and I’s knees could also enjoy the game and we’d stay there all the way through the top of the 9th, and the playing of that Dirty Water song as Wally waived the flag for another Red Sox win.   It was another great evening at the Ballpark.
If William grows up a Red Sox fan, it will be in his subconscious how great a baseball Father’s Day he had for his first two major league games. Trains, games, and Sweet Caroline. Friendly ushers, friendly mascots and Tessie on the radio. Nursing and Naps in the fifth inning and seeing the sweet game under a sunsetty orange and pink sky and over a place called Green Monster. For Love of The Game (and that Dirty Water) with family, loving a great story, talking fantasy baseball stats, cheering for a pitcher or a hitter or a rookie who just got the call up, or the old Hall of Famers counting down their last games, and going to see the statues of the greats that came before - it’s all that in the lyrics of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” and if he ends up a Red Sox fan, that will be fine by me as long as he loves it as much as I love bringing him to it.
Song: Vicente Fernández - El rey
Quote: They'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again." ~Terence Mann, Field of Dreams
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jcmarchi · 3 months
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2.009 gets “Wild!”
New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/2-009-gets-wild/
2.009 gets “Wild!”
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Things got “WILD!” in Kresge auditorium on Monday night — that was the theme for this year’s class 2.009 (Product Engineering Processes) senior capstone course, and it’s also a great word to describe of the energy of the capacity crowd gathered for the course’s annual product prototype launch event.
The popular mechanical engineering course, known on campus as “two-double-oh-nine,” is designed to emulate what engineers might experience as part of a design team at a modern product development firm. Working with mentors, teams of students are challenged to design, build, and draft a business plan for a product prototype. They’re given a budget of $7,500 and just three months to bring their concepts to fruition before pitching to a live audience on MIT’s largest stage. The event also attracts a global audience of thousands watching live online.
This year’s theme invited teams to imagine products that could help end users with a diversity of “wild” experiences — from enabling them to engage more safely in risky sports or activities to creating more freedom from physical constraints. The six teams, each represented by a color, delivered with products that ranged from a health-care solution to a home crafting system to a track cleaner for mass transit systems.
Throughout the night, spectators in Kresge cheered and waved colorful pompoms as teams demonstrated their prototypes and shared business plans, pitching their products with stories and elaborate sets, backdrops, and props.
Between presentations, animated shorts entertained viewers, video montages showed the “wild” events of the semester, and a live band performed pun-filled renditions of popular songs like Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night,” but with lyrics substituted to reflect 2.009 concepts, like “watch us build!” and “we design, we design, we design!”
In one special musical interlude, the band played Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” to celebrate longtime 2.009 and Pappalardo Lab staff member Stephen Haberek, who is retiring after 29 years at MIT. Haberek and course instructor Professor David Wallace (who donned several costumes throughout the evening, but was then dressed as Max from Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are”) danced as the crowd sang along. Wallace returned as event emcee following a sabbatical last year. He has instructed 2.009 since 1995.
Purple Team
In the first pitch of the night, the Purple Team presented their prototype for “Sway,” a medical bed attachment and sheet system designed to aid nurses in patient repositioning. The students explained that nurses in nursing homes, hospitals, and skilled care facilities reposition patients as frequently as every two hours to prevent pressure sores, which are painful for the patient and can become infected, leading to added complications or even death. Although necessary, the process can be difficult and time-intensive. Lifting patients can lead to injuries for nurses and the experience, which can take up to 30 minutes, can be invasive for patients.
Sway, a remote-controlled bed sheet and roller system that is connected to the hospital bed, cradles and lifts the patient to prevent lifting strain on nurses and can cut the time to about two minutes. The remote control can be operated with one hand, freeing the nurse’s other hand to maintain contact with the patient and guide positioning. The team next plans to pilot Sway in nursing homes around the Cambridge area and apply for FDA approval.
Green Team
The Green Team was up next, presenting “Wake Buddy,” a water skiing handle and monitoring system that enables two-way communication between a water skier and boat driver.
Traditionally, water skiers use hand signals to communicate with drivers but this requires taking one hand off the bar, a process that the team said can be incredibly difficult, for novice skiers especially. Buttons on the handle allow the skier to indicate to the driver that they’d like to slow down or go faster, and a vibration system lets the driver alert the skier when there’s reason to pay extra attention, like rough water ahead. When the skier falls and the handle is dropped, a “force sensitive resister” senses the change in grip pressure and alerts the driver.
In perhaps the evening’s most notable use of the term “beachhead market” (a term that describes a market with specific characteristics that makes it an ideal target for the launch of a new product or service), the team announced plans to first launch Wake Buddy by partnering with marinas, resorts, and sporting goods stores in Florida, after engaging in another period of product testing.
Pink Team
The Pink Team followed, launching “Contour,” a software-free laser-powered cutting machine that cuts user-created outline drawings out of organic materials. Rolled out with the tagline, “sketch, scan, create,” the students introduced Contour as an option for crafters with designs that are “too complex for scissors or X-Acto knives,” who may not have space for or interest in working with power tools, or who may not have an interest in learning complex software.
The machine, which is slightly bigger than a breadbox, employs a camera with 120-degree view to identify the design, and a 10-watt diode laser to perform the cutting. It can cut pieces of wood, cardboard, or paper up to one-eighth-inch thick. The team said the tool not only has applications for artist and hobbyists, but also in classrooms or for rapid prototyping in engineering workplaces.
Blue Team
For their pitch, the Blue Team opened with data from a survey they conducted of MIT students where they asked a question the team members, themselves, said they dreaded being asked: “How often do you wash your reusable water bottle?” More than half of the 264 MIT students they surveyed reported performing that task “less than once per month.”
Enter “nami,” an automated water bottle cleaner designed to be installed on college campuses alongside existing water bottle filling stations to make washing easier and more convenient. Named for the Japanese word for wave, nami uses nozzles to directly target the places the team identified as the dirtiest parts of the water bottle with hot, soapy, pressurized water drawn from plumbing supply lines and its onboard detergent tank.
An MIT staff member watching from home submitted a question asking if the system could also be used for washing travel coffee mugs and lids and the team answered, “yes;” as long as the coffee mug fit the size specifications, it could also be cleaned using the system. A young audience member in Kresge asked if the team might consider installing units in elementary schools in the future. Yes, they said, that’s also a possibility.
Yellow Team
Healthy water is important for animals, too. Next to present was the Yellow Team. Their product, “Feedback,” is an automated fish food dispensing control and monitoring system for commercial fish farmers that works with the farmers’ existing fish feeder to maximize fish growth while minimizing food waste.
Through a sensor placed in the tank to monitor oxygen and temperature, and using information inputted by the farmers, the system calculates and dispenses an optimal amount of food, while also tracking and livestreaming data. The team estimates use of the tool could save individual farmers up to $50,000 per year on food waste and labor costs.
Red Team
There was no slowing down for the last presentation of the evening, as the Red Team took the stage. Their product, “On Track,” is an automated, electric-powered device that scrubs contaminants off of railroad tracks to improve rail safety and minimize travel delays.
Black precipitate, also dubbed “slime,” builds up as heavy train cars compress fallen leaves on the track under their weight, the students explained. This build-up can lead to accidents, or “slip-slide” incidents, on tracks, forcing added maintenance or the creation of slow zones on train lines until cleaning can occur.
Measuring 66 x 75 x 25 inches and weighing about 600 pounds, On Track units are small enough to be stored on-site at train stations throughout a transit network, and can be quickly deployed by maintenance teams. Steel-wire brushes polish the tracks to a shine that the team said makes the rails look almost new and, with a cleaning speed of 6 mph, the units can cover a lot of track during off-hours.
The team also factored in safety measures. On Track is equipped with a “smart obstruction avoidance system” and stops the when it senses something in its path — a feature demonstrated by one student who hopped on to the tracks behind the moving car. The move drew gasps, followed by applause from the crowd when the vehicle sensed him and halted.
Thanks, and goodnight
Concluding the night, Wallace thanked the many behind-the-scenes people who worked to make the evening a success, including lab instructors, teaching assistants, staff members, technicians, mentors, and show producers. He also extended his thanks to the students, and offered some parting thoughts.
“Above all, please feel the potential of your inner wild,” says Wallace. “Be free to dream. Be a bit untamed. Move boundaries, and don’t accept good enough. Know that you can take action, and that the thrill is really in the effort of trying, isn’t it? Imagine the stories that you have yet to write and, in time, even if everything doesn’t work out as hoped, in time you’ll be able to look back and think ‘wow! That was wild.’”
A replay of the 2.009 webcast is available on the course website. Products and final presentations from previous years, along with project milestone presentations, are available in the 2.009 gallery.
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atlanticcanada · 1 year
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A rendition of “Sweet Caroline” takes over Cape Breton hockey tournament
Two opposing teams singing the Neil Diamond classic “Sweet Caroline” together in the hallway wasn't what anyone expected at the Red Cup Showcase high school hockey tournament in Cape Breton over the weekend.
The County Arena in Coxheath, N.S., went dark that Saturday morning in the opening minute of a game between the Memorial Marauders and Horton High.
As the temperature went down, the music -- and the mood -- got turned up.
"Power went out 30 seconds in. Might as well start a party in the hallway,” said Memorial Marauders player Hudson McGean. "So I [brought] out the speaker and started dancing, buddy."
"When it started, their goalie had come down and he started their train, I think. Then the whole team came and we all started singing together,” explained Marauders captain Daniel Young.
The video has received thousands of shares and likes online.
"You know what? I'm not the least bit surprised, because they're a very good group of young men,” said Memorial head coach Marc Lyle.
The general consensus seems to be that this was a sweet show of sportsmanship.
Lyle said his message has long been that the student-athlete experience is about more than just hockey.
"Go out there and make some memories,” Lyle said. “Have fun. I think that's definitely something they did this weekend. And I think they have a story they can tell for the rest of their lives."
Some are surprised that teens would know most of the words to a song that's more than 50 years old.
Athough a member of the Horton team reportedly requested it, “Sweet Caroline” has held a special meaning to Memorial all season long.
“Every time we win a home game in our rink, we play it in the dressing room,” Young said.
Hockey purists might argue opposing teams aren't supposed to be so friendly.
"You can't be a rival when you play 30 seconds into the game,” McGean said with a shrug.
The power eventually came back on and Horton won 7-2.
"It's a good thing they remember the video and not the score,” McGean joked.
Even Monday at Memorial High School in Sydney Mines, N.S., where the video was all the talk, the players’ respect for their hallway karaoke partners carried on.
"Those guys were a good team all around. Good group of guys too,” Young said.
The Red Cup was eventually won by Dr. J.H. Gillis of Antigonish, N.S., beating the host Riverview Ravens in Sunday’s final.
from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/qSGaKuB
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usnewsrank · 2 years
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ICYMI: Recession, Archie Battersbee and another heatwave – this week’s five biggest stories, explained
ICYMI: Recession, Archie Battersbee and another heatwave – this week’s five biggest stories, explained
usnewsrank.com has compiled the last week into one article – for you (Picture: SWNS; PA; Getty) Well, at least the week started strong. The Lionesses treated the nation’s Sunday night blues with a perfect 2-1 tonic of success. We strutted into work on Monday with the sounds of Sweet Caroline still echoing in our ears and a feeling of optimism wafting through the streets. It was a happier time, oh…
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miamicomedy · 3 years
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Friday Night Comedy Show Added To Miami Comedy
Friday Night Comedy Show Added To Miami Comedy
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everydayconman · 6 years
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Tumblr only let me put in half the memes I could.
Please watch the full video.
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damonalbarn · 3 years
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Hey I was wondering if you knew the article that Justine spoke about suzi in?!
It was in The Guardian in 2000. Here you go:
Sweet revenge
In the mid 90s, Justine Frischmann and Damon Albarn were the First Couple of Britpop. Then he used a Blur album to rake over their break-up, while she languished in obscurity amid rumours of heroin addiction. Now she's back with a new album, and it's her turn to exorcise her demons.
Caroline Sullivan
Friday March 24, 2000
As Alison Moyet once said, it's hard to write a decent song when you're happy. Rock bands thrive on romantic turmoil in their private lives, without which they would be reduced to padding out lyrics with football scores and the weather.
Thus it was for Blur's Damon Albarn in mid-1998 when he sat down to write what would become the 13 album. His eight-year relationship with Justine Frischmann of the chart-topping Elastica, whom he once described as **"the only person who's ever been completely necessary to me" **had just ended, at her instigation. Pained and humiliated, he decided to exact revenge by exposing their most intimate details to public scrutiny.
The outcome? Embarrassment for Frischmann, a number one album for Blur and a bit of a result for Albarn.
Break-up albums are by definition both embittered and yearning - in the case of Marvin Gaye's vindictive Here, My Dear, they're just plain nasty - but 13 got more up-close and personal than could be considered gentlemanly. Albarn portrayed his former partner as neurotic, even slipping apparent drug references into the single Tender: "Tender is the ghost, the ghost I love the most/Hiding from the sun, waiting for the night to come". Frischmann was the ghost, supposedly, who was on the verge of being consumed by what one music paper euphemistically called "the darkness at the heart of Elastica".
Frischmann's response can be found on a song called The Way I Like It, which appears on Elastica's first album in five years, The Menace (out next month): "Well, I'm living all right and I'm doing okay/Had a lover who was made of sand, and the wind blew him away".
This is unlikely to be her last word on the subject. As she ambivalently begins her first round of interviews since 1996, she's finding that everyone has the same three questions. Why did Elastica nearly sabotage a promising career by taking so long to follow up their million-selling debut? Had Frischmann taken leave of her senses when she walked out on Mr Britpop? And what about the drug rumours?
"One journalist said to me, 'Dahling, I heard you were on heroin - Mahvelous!' " she says with some amusement. "Drugs are around, but I'm not that interested and never have been, although there have been elements of party animal in my band. The rumours are a lot to do with rock'n'roll mythology, where people want to believe you're having a more exciting time than you are."
The only drugs on her person today, as she perches on the edge of an armchair in her publicist's north London living room, are Marlboro Lights. Her other indulgences are two cups of herbal tea and a Cadbury's Flake cupcake, which she nibbles with well-bred pleasure. Her dark eyes are clear, and her long, tanned body is a testament to the virtues of a daily swim in a pool near her Notting Hill home. Only Elastica know whether they really succumbed to heroin and hedonism after their self-titled debut made them more famous than they'd ever expected to be, but if they did, Frischmann, 30, seems little the worse for it.
Given the current predominance of damnable boy bands, the Britpop mid-90s are beginning to seem like a halcyon period for English music. It was a time when the underground went overground, and a self-described "little punk band" like Elastica could sell 80,000 albums in a week.
More than a few loser guitar groups saw Britpop as a licence to print money, but Elastica, led with cool elan by the androgynous Frischmann, were one of its gems. The Blur connection was a marketing godsend (Frischmann and Albarn met on the London indie circuit, she as guitarist in an early line-up of Suede and girlfriend of frontman Brett Anderson, he as a cherubic baggy hopeful), yet the spiky-haired Elastica LP embodied that euphoric time like nothing else.
Frischmann, guitarist Donna Matthews, drummer Justin Welch and bassist Annie Holland were unprepared for the album soaring to number one in its first week. When they signed their record deal, Frischmann, whose great-grandfather was a conductor of the Tsar's orchestra at the Summer Palace in Byelorussia, was five years into an architecture degree at London University. A liberal north London Jewish upbringing - her engineer father built the Oxford Street landmark Centrepoint - had instilled expectations of success, but the reality of being photographed in the supermarket and having her rubbish stolen was a shock. Fiercely independent, she also resented her unsought role as half of Britpop's First Couple.
There was more. Two of Frischmann's musical heroes, The Stranglers and Wire, decided that two Elastica songs were suspiciously similar to two of their own tracks, and won royalties. Meanwhile, there were malicious rumours that Albarn had done much of the work on the record. He hadn't, but he did find Justine's success in America, where she was substantially out-selling Blur, hard to endure.
"It was very hard for him to deal with and he's very confrontational," she says, with the flattering openness of someone who prefers interviews to be more like conversations. She admits she often says too much, but in an era of image control and spin, her honesty makes her a one-off. Not that she's likely to land herself in it too badly - she possesses the intellectual ammunition to look after herself, which must have been instrumental in attracting two of rock's more articulate stars, Albarn and Anderson.
She's been accused of being a professional rock girlfriend, though it was probably they who were lucky to get her. She spent the cab ride over reading the Sylvia Plath letters in Monday's Guardian, and muses on the irony of the poet's subjugating herself to Ted Hughes when she was the more gifted. (Her new boyfriend, by the way, is an unknown photographer, "though that'll probably change, because men seem to get famous when I go out with them".)
"I reacted the way a lot of women do, by being passive," she continues. "He put a lot of pressure on me to give up Elastica. He said, 'You don't want to be in a band, you want to settle down and have kids.' " In so many words? "In so many words. He kept putting on pressure till I started to believe him." She adds bemusedly: "I've met his new girlfriend, and one of the first things she said was that he wanted her to give up travelling with her work to stay home with the baby [Missy, born last autumn]. I'm surprised he's got away with being thought of as a nice person for so long."
After 18 months, during which they did seven American and three Japanese tours, Elastica came off the road to record company demands for an immediate second album. Annie Holland's response was to quit the group, while Donna Matthews became renowned for hard partying on the nocturnal west London scene. They lethargically recorded some demos, but their heart wasn't in it. By 1997, when a second album should have been ready to go, Frischmann and Matthews were barely speaking, and there was nothing useable down on tape.
Holland's replacement, Sheila Chipperfield (of the circus Chipperfields), was deemed not good enough and left by mutual consent. By 1998, their continued lack of productivity was being likened to the Stone Roses' lengthy and ultimately self-destructive holiday between their first and second LPs.
"I didn't think Elastica were going to continue at that point, and we did kinda split up," she says, absently stroking her publicist's cat. Frischmann is a cat person; she's owned a tabby called Benjamin since she was 10. "Unconditional love," she coos. The pet's place in her life is so assured that prospective boyfriends are subjected to his feline scrutiny before she'll go out with them.
On top of everything else, in early 1998 her relationship with Albarn was in trouble. Frischmann retains enough of the indie ethic to detest the phenomenon of celebrity couples, and was dismayed when they became one. "I really hated the tabloid interest, and I went out of my way not to be photographed with him. Only about three pictures of us together exist, I think. In many ways, I think the media interest broke us up, because it made me feel the relationship was quite ugly, and I had to get away from it. There were other factors, too, obviously, because we were together for eight years, and I finally felt it was better the devil you didn't know, really."
Albarn's ego seems to have been severely undermined by having a girlfriend who was nearly as successful as he was, and something of a sex symbol to boot. Despite adopting a resolutely boyish T-shirt-and-jeans uniform, she's thoroughly feminine, a mix that got her voted fifth most fanciable woman in a lesbian magazine.
"I'm completely heterosexual, so I didn't know how to take that. It scares the shit out of me, the idea of being with a girl. I'm glad I've narrowed it down to half the people in the world."
She seems to view Albarn with indulgent exasperation these days, simultaneously praising his intelligence ("The Gallaghers just couldn't compete") and ticking off his flaws. "Damon adores being in the press, and sees all press as good press. He orchestrated that rivalry thing with Oasis. He really wanted kids, and I didn't feel our relationship was stable enough. He was a naughty boy, and he wasn't the right person to have kids with. I had this cathartic moment..."
At which point they split up. Albarn wrote 13 and then met Suzi Winstanley, an artist. "She was pregnant within three months," Justine observes wickedly.
Of the acclaimed 13, she's tactful, describing several songs as "really lovely". She studies her cigarette for a while before adding, "but I'm cynical about selling a record on the back of our relationship". But you're doing the same now. "It's true, but at the time I had no right of reply."
Elastica finally pulled themselves together last year, just as the music industry was about to write them off (their American label had already "very kindly let us go", as she puts it). Holland rejoined, Matthews went to Wales to sort out her life and the band banged out an EP and played the Reading Festival. Things came together quickly after that. They spent the last £10,000 of the recording budget on re-recording a dozen tracks, finishing the album, after years of procrastinating, in six weeks. They've called it The Menace "because that's what it was like to make".
It's dark and resolutely uncommercial - all wrong for 2000's pop-oriented climate. It's unlikely to match the success of the first one, which is fine with them. Call it (though Justine doesn't) their White Album. Its 70s punk aesthetic brings to mind angry girls such as the Slits and the Au Pairs, although the defining mood isn't anger so much as catharsis. None of the songs is specifically about Albarn, she claims. "The dark feeling is due to the sense of isolation, tasting success and getting frightened by it. I was questioning whether I wanted to be in a band any more, and there was no one I could ask for advice. Getting success and everything you ever dreamed about is hard to handle, and makes you question everything."
She's better prepared for success, if it comes again, this time. Already the privacy-preserving barriers are in place. The next interview of the day is with Time Out magazine, which wants a list of her favourite restaurants. "I'm not telling them where I eat," she says reflexively. "I'm gonna lie."
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occidentaltourist · 2 years
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Originally I had a different way that I was going to write about the slow burn love affair of Sophie Moore and Ryan Wilder (Wildmoore, for those of you in the know).
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I was going to talk about their sweetness, their loyalty, how fun it is to watch the Batwoman writers so openly flirt with gay fanfic tropes on prime-time television (at one point in the second season, Sophie tells her younger sister that she and Ryan will never happen, “not even an ‘enemies-to-lovers’ maybe,” and in the third season they go on a Fake Date undercover). And that is all still true!
But on Monday, Javicia Leslie, the Black bisexual actress who stars as Ryan/Batwoman, responded to yet another one of our End of Year Lists celebrating Sophie and Ryan with a personal love letter of her own:
“As a kid, it was so rare to see romance between 2 black women on screen. A lot of shows tend to pair the person of color with a person of a different race than their own (which is beautiful as well). But to see a reflection of myself, and other women I know… RARE!”
She went on to thank the Batwoman writers and show creator Caroline Dries for “creating characters that showed ‘our’ kind of love.”
That’s when I knew, I had to write the more honest tribute.
Yes, it is great that Sophie and Ryan are a main text slow burn relationship, written with the kind of layered, detailed care — even in the middle of an often over-the-top silly fun superhero show! — that is almost never given to queer romance. But it also matters, so deeply and emphatically in my toes matters, that what we are seeing on Batwoman is a lead romance between two Black women.
It’s just not that it hasn’t been done before (though it hasn’t! Not like this.) — I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what gets lost in conversations when we talk about “representation.” Over the years we’ve used the word so much, I fear we’ve begun to flatten it. Representation still matters, but not all representation is equal. What has happened this fall, where we’ve gone from nearly no Black women being in relationships with other Black women in our television history, to it rapidly becoming something like a norm, is already unparalleled and should be celebrated. Within that, what is quietly developing between Sophie and Ryan on Batwoman — the depth, the authenticity, the learning how to trust and tongue-in-cheek flirtations and always always reaching out for each other’s hands — it is the kind of romance that takes my breath away.
- Carmen Phillips (Autostraddle)
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