#was I just way too good at lying to adults or is harry uniquely bad at it

[takaraphoenix]

random question but what's your favorite show genres and what's your favorite show in each?

Oh, I love random questions! Huh. Okay so full disclosure I do not know what really counts as "genres", so... let's go by the categories I use to distinguish between them! :D

1. Supernatural: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Supernatural shows are my favorite genre - vampires, werewolves, witches, hunters, demons. There's so often found family in it, I love magic, I love supernatural creatures. And among them all, BtVS absolutely takes the crown, no other comes close.

2. Fantasy: Relic Hunter

Okay, so... don't ask me to explain the difference I draw between supernatural and fantasy as a genre, since they can greatly overlap - both have witches and werewolves in this case. But... there's a difference, for me? Supernatural shows are usually darker, often with a hunt or be hunted element, with a hefty focus on the supernatural creatures. Fantasy are slightly more whimsical with more focus on the magic and magic users - elves, witches/sorcerers; I'd sort a "Harry Potter" into fantasy because the supernatural elements like werewolves are more a side note and the focus is on witches and a magical world, while "Buffy" has the witch-part more on the sidelines and the focus on the creatures of the night.

I prefer low fantasy over high fantasy, because most high fantasy is just... medievial AU but with dragons... So if I can add dragons to things, I'd prefer to see how they'd affect modern times.

I love Relic Hunter and shows like it - searching for magical artifacts. Childhood favorite that still holds up.

3. SciFi: Stargate SG-1

Okay, this genre is actually tougher. For one, because technically I distinguish it into two categories like I split supernatural from fantasy too, because there's a vast difference between a time travel/alien scifi show and a dystopian future on Earth kind of scifi show. Not too big on the latter, more a fan of the first. And then there are many.

For the longest time, I would have said Doctor Who and while I still very much cherish the 10th era and am enjoying 13 right now, I think that on the overall, the bad outweights the good at this point and if I had to choose only one singular scifi show to watch for the rest of my life, I wouldn't go with this anymore.

It's honestly Stargate SG-1 and I'm kind of surprised by that. Back when I watched it for the first time in 2018, I honestly meant to just waste a bit of time and I wanted something scifi and remembered my parents watching this when I was growing up. I never expected it to be as good as it is and while the last two seasons were a slight overstaying their welcome, it's honestly already impressive that there are 8 thoroughly solid seasons?

4. Comedy: Community

There are so many comedies and I guess you can sub-genre them with all other genres too, but if I had to pick, on the overall of comedy shows, I would pick this one, especially now that I've just finished my rewatch earlier this year and it's still hilarious and holds up.

5. Doctor Drama: Grey's Anatomy

Drama is like the vaguest genre possible, so I always split it up into the different categories - doctor, police, lawyer, fire fighter, family. Among them, medical dramas are my favorite and the clear victor here is Grey's Anatomy, I fell hard in love with the show when I watched it last year.

6. Con Arists: Leverage

This is such a nieche little genre and I only know a handful of shows that even fit into it, but there is something very particularly enjoyable about con artists and Leverage is definitely the best of them all.

7. Lawyer Dramas: For the People

I am so mad they cancelled this show after two seasons already. But yeah I love lawyer shows. And I am hoooping the upcoming one with Dom Sherwood is going to be so good it'll take my number one spot for this genre. Until then, the unique look into the different sides of lawyers and the dynamic among the characters makes For the People my favorite.

8. Magical Girls: Sailor Moon

This just ain't a competition. There have been many magical girl anime, but this is like... the OG. The big one. I will always love Sailor Moon.

9. Sports Anime: Haikyuu!!

Though I still harbor very strong frustration about the way the manga ended, after Sailor Moon this might very well be my most rewatched anime.

10. Cartoon: Recess / DuckTales (2017)

Recess has been my favorite cartoon since I was a child and even on repeated rewatches as an adult it still held up (though it's been a while since I last rewatched it), so I can not dethrone it in good faith, but I'd be lying if I didn't put DuckTales onto the top spot, the love and talent that went into that reboot are insane, the story is so good, it is so much fun and so engaging. Though, as with comedy, you could apply all the genres onto cartoons and do their own whole list honestly, but I generally go by my mood, what I want to watch, and when it comes to that, I've never gone for a fantasy cartoon when I was in the mood for fantasy. I have a specific cartoon mood and that can be satisfied by pretty much all sub-genres.

#About Me #I guess #Buffy the Vampire Slayer #Relic Hunter #Stargate SG-1 #Community #Grey's Anatomy #Leverage #For the People #Sailor Moon #Haikyuu!! #Recess #DuckTales (2017)

[twinvictim]

your opinions on each of the post team silent games and a rating out of 10. hand 'em over

YEAHHHHHH FINALLY CATERING TO ME!!!

Uh really long post oops. for reference, my rating for the first 4 sh's are as follows

Sh1: 9/10 Sh2: 7/10 Sh3: 9/10 Sh4: 9.5/10

Silent Hill 0/Origins

overall score: 7/10

Alot of the games issues can of course be attributed to it being a psp game, and while i won't excuse everything bc of that, j have to be honest and say I think it had so much potential as a (very) late ps2 game. Not to mention, the game ON THE PSP functions as it should. (The ps2 port does fucking not tho..oops) ans you'll see that this is...a rarity post team silent.

The story has alot of potential, Travis as a character is interesting and sympathetic and j think his dynamic with alessa js super fascinating to dig into, both of them being abused children and there was alot of intrigue regarding his powers, the game feels like a smaller more watered down she, and for that I can't fault it too much. The weapons system isn't my favorite but the combat itself is reminiscent of 1 and 2 and I really like a good chunk of the monster design, there was clearly thought and care put into it, nurses and strughtjackets/lying figures be dammed. The unlockables are pretty cool though and alot of the environments look pretty cool for a psp game, hell i LOVE the theater level its super unique, I would love to see it in (actually functional) better graphics. I also think the puzzles are pretty solid, not hair pulling like sh1 even if they're not quite as clever as say sh3.

My biggest criticisms come from the reuse of sh1 characters (just alessa and Travis would've been fine, maybe dahlia and some more org characters would've been better) the bad ending being straight up bad writing. Not to mention they did the sh3 thing of "kill too many monsters and get the bad ending" which is...stupid. The foreshadowing of the butcher being? He's just kinda there, I like the lead up but it would be more interesting if the butcher represented something from those years between Travis' father dying and him being an adult. And while there's more replayability imo than sh2, it doesn't have difficulty sliders and that makes it kinda hard to come back to quite as often. Not to mention unlike sh1, 3or sh4 there's not as much horror focus and random events.

Overall, solid game its fun to play, very silent Hill and if you're willing to look past a few continuity errors and accept its a little different and slightly derrivitive at the same time, I like to say I had alot of fun with it and still do. (Maybe I just like Travis alot...idk)

Silent Hill: Homecoming

Overall score: 6/10

Once again most of the issues here are gonna be corporate fuck ups, but I'm also not gonna beat around the bush, this game isn't like...good. its bad actually. "But you gave it a 6/10?" Yeah bc its not NEARLY as bad as some other games I've.. experienced.

The negatives here are, many and vast, so let's run them down. Firstly the games performance is janky on console (ps3 at least) and abysmal/unplayable on PC, what with framerate issues that are detrimental to game play on pc and make the third boss impossible. That said on console it is completable and not even too terrible...usually. Scarletts boss fight however is terribly unbalanced and broken on all skews so :/. The combat is...functional but not anyone's favorite, it's difficult to use any actually strong weapon and you can pretty much strong arm ur ways through shit with just the knife (except scarletts first form..don't try it, it won't work) for some people this will be borening (not my opinion but w/e). Most of The puzzles...leave alot to be desired. I hate sliding block puzzles. Also no run button? At all?? No easy mode? Ok... also what is this.. wheel design for the inventory...im accidentally using my serum..what is serum also? And why is the item pickup noise like...bass boosted.

The character models look awful most of the time, and comically unfinished other times, some human models are just grotesque, (judge halloway, Adam shepherd, mayor Bartlett. .you get it) and yes...there are sexy nurses. Bc of course there are. (Whole ass out???) They did straight up have some terrible endings for this game (ph ending for one, the way you get the ufo? Hell the ufo ending is kinda boring. I like the in water ending here too but. Yeah.) the story has some, problems. To say the least.

However, while the performance is bad its not the worst I've played (on the ps3 once again..unplayable on pc) and I hardly noticed the framerate when I was just running around, I personally found the combat kinda fun, between trying to dodge accurately and still attack and not use all my health items (bc those and ammo are actually rare! Unlike some games...) it is kind of a challenge and reminds me of a much worse sh4. And hey, the health items both heal an understandable amount of health that i can easily read with a bar (unlike 1-3) and they're not a complete joke (unlike sh4...) i find the exploration really fun and sure the characters look shit but the environments are Fucking great. The church is one of my fav sections, short as jt might be and yes it stole the confessional scene but its pretty well written and acted I think. The monster design is pretty fucking rad too honestly, I like the schism, siam, I like the DESIGN of the needlers even if they make me so mad to fight, and hey the nurses and ph don't show up that much to be too aggregious. The boss monsters are also fantastic design wise, very unsettling and the boss rooms are interesting as well.

The story has problems but it also has alot of potential, the concept of people sacrificing ther children for silent Hill and being overcome by their own pain and guilt is pretty fucking cool, and alex is a good character they did a good job of giving him personality, ppl bitch about him being a soldier but a) he's not and b) soldiers are people too, and a sh game that could tackle toxic masculinity, be critical of the military, and also tackle abusive religeious parents is pretty intriguing, not to mentions themes of brotherly love that's complicated bc of how they clearly favored Josh . Sure, it misses the mark, but I like taking the potential and thinking about it bc its compelling to me. And like I said, i like alex alot.

Overall, bad game yes, but not the worst as it has enough good for me to honestly really enjoy it, besides it is pretty funny when it is bad. Don't play the pc port tho

Silent Hill Shattered Memories

Overall Score: 8/10

Unpopular opinion im sure but honestly? I find this game ALMOST on par with the team silent games. Its really that good, yes its a wii game, so this is my score taking into account the motion controls BTW.

For the good, man where do i start. Its BEAUTIFUL for a wii game and esp for a post team silent game, the graphics are nice and Constsitent, the environments are pretty and it has a pretty nice cold color pallet to contrast the warmer tones the series tends to skew towards. The acting and intrgrige are all on point and the WRITING is fantastic, its one of those games you play the first time not knowing the twist and play the second time picking up more and more clues and things that strengthen that twist so much more. Like sh2 its a simple story told in such a clever and interesting way that you'll probably be too invested to put it down, I beat it in one sitting in 6 hours bc i was so engrossed in the narrative. And the Puzzles man! The puzzles are phenomenal and fun to accomplish and there's even a little bit of variety in a few places on repeat playthroughs. The level of detail in this game is insane really, the things that change with the different psychology answers are pretty cool too and tho it all plays out relatively the same its still fun to see the different things you can get to happen. The gimmicks like the phone as an object, taking pictures, sneaking and zooming in, they're not too intrusive as to take away from the exploration or other game play but not completely useless and have some pretty fun Easter eggs too. The game plays sort of like a worse outlast with good puzzles and for that I do have to commend it. Oh and the fucking MUSIC is INCREDIBLE idk something ab this soundtrack has alot of heart put into it clearly.

Now, it's not perfect. The thing is, it is a WORSE outlast type game, in the running and hiding sense but well, the hiding is completely useless, its a run away game, which is ok, but I understand that people aren't gonna be a big fan of that when silent Hill has always balanced combat ad puzzles and exploration. The running segments are..aggravating, mostly bc its hard to figure out where to go, not to mention using motion controls that don't like to work half the time to fight the monsters off of you. Also, the monsters are not scarey in the slightest and the raw shock scream is actually enragaging if you've died one to many times, there's also...not really any penalty for dying. And once you're out for these running segments,there's no danger, no monsters, nothing to hide from despite having a hiding mechanic. Its not really a horror game more of a psycological thriller and I understand that the fact that its not horror can be disappointing. The psychology things might be a bit overhyped And yeah fine, the wii foreplay scene...well yeah its weird but it IS also funny as fuck.

That said, there's still alot thats good and alot thas unfair criticism lobbed at this game. Harry didn't have much of a personality in sh1 bc he's a ps1 character and sm really fleshed him out well, not to mention giving cybil some nice characterization, and they did some interesting things with dahlia and kaufmann. And Lisa.. well I'm gonna be honest I never found Lisa all that interesting in sh1..so it doesn't bother me that she's the way she is in this game. I know people hate the "horny" aspect of it but to be completely fair, YOU choose to make the game that way, don't answer in a sexual manner or look at boobs or anything else and you won't have an overly sexual game, its...literally that easy. Its given as an option for the play id they want to go for what is arguably another joke ending. (You cannot tell me sleeze and sirens is meant to be a real serious ending to the game. Cmon) and you can complain about the innacuuracies if you want but its a spin off, a retelling of the original game. Its not canon, and it didn't change the original game. It just took the ideas presented there and made them more human and lest fantastical, there's some supernatural elements but it takes a backseat to the human moments. And its honestly really cool.

Overall, great game, i reccomend it if you don't mind some slight jank with the motion controls and honestly? Look up directions on where to go for the running segments and you'll have a pretty good time overall.

Silent Hill Downpour

Overall score (so far): 7.5/10 *to be noted i haven't finished actually playing it yet but I know the basic plot and some of the details so I doubt it'll change

And so for the final silent Hill Game, I have to say, i don't think it deserves NEARLY the hatred it gets, there's alot about it that i find really cool and even fun and I think its a solid entry, a little better than origins in some parts and its downsides are both unfortunate and once again, mostly Konami's fault . That said, I'm also not gonna kid and say its a good game, just that I like it alot and we should be nicer to the last silent Hill game were probably ever gonna get.

Downpour has a pretty good, original story overall, there's alot to it, alot of intricacies and intrigue to it that honestly make it a pretty sold silent Hill game. Its different enough from the others to stand out but not super far removed from its themes and messages. I like that it doesn't try and lean into the cult aspect and tries to do something else with it, it doesn't try to explain silent Hill, but just use it to torment the characters, as it should be. There's tragedy ad human feelings here and some of them aren't the most...sensitive but they are pretty reasonable reactions id say. Playing as someone who's odds are stacked against him from the beginning as he's a prisoner is a cool way to open the game, someone convicted and you must discover if he is a good person or not. Themes of revenge explored more than in sh3 which is pretty cool. The environments look pretty nice, and i like the look of the otherworld, once again being unique with its cooler color pallet, but without the ice so it really feels like its own thing. The EXPLORATION is awesome with an actual open world which I think works well, there's alot to do in town (unlike sh1 and 0 on limiting hardware and 2 which just pretends you can explore to town but you cant) there's alot for cool little stories and sidequests to do, my favorite so far being the cinema (which has a section of ACTUAL fixed cameras like old Resident evils which is smth SH has never done and its super fucking cool!) And all the sidequess help strengthen murphy as a cheacter and argue for his innocence or complexites. The weapons system is pretty cool, picking up items and attacking with whatever you might find, finding cool Easter eggs with exploration and having fun noticing things. And it does honestly have the strongest side characters outside of SM. The puzzles are pretty solid and fun to figure out with some cool mechanics and the seperate difficulties is a great thing to bring back (actually done well like sh3) I also kind of like the method of triggering the night world/rain/monsters, and silent Hill really feels likes its constantly punishing Murphy, as it should. The music might not be Akira but its still pretty damn good, and fuck yall I like the Korn song, and you CAN press start and skip it yknow. (Thx tomm hewlit)

The negtitives tho, well they are there. For one it has the worst performance of any sh game outside of pc homecoming and like...the hd collection, the framerate like to shit itself alot lmao, its not usually detrimental bc I've played re2r with similar framerates but, yeah its not great. Not to mention while the models look better than hc they don't animate well or often at all, and the game has trouble loading in the models as fast as they should. The sound mixing could use...some work too, poor murph sounds like he's eating the mic. While I find the games exploration really fun, murphy also has the issue of not running very fast so it can be a little annoying to get back to a place you want to be when you can't run that fast, not to mention the loading times. The monster design is def the worst in the series, maybe on par w SM. Which is disappointing bc there's some pretty good moments here and there, but not nearly enough to make it scary and there's so much you can do with monsters with this premise. Also, the running sections in the otherworld are better than SM ad even more engaging than the brief ones in 2 and 3, but still, I'd prefer to do puzzles or fight a boss or smth. I will also say, the endings are, iffy while the main 2 endings are really good and Anne's bad ending as well as the joke ending are great, murphys bad endings are weird and ooc for the muphy you come to know in the game (even more so than Origins) plus, idk that the writers knew all that much about prison andbprison culture, nobody in a real prison would be mad ab Murphy killing a pedo (there's some racist implications here and there too which is. Unfortunate and disappointing. I like Howard and Robbie but they are a bit tropey, esp Howard) that said Anne is a compelling albeit unlikable character and thas pretty cool to see pulled off.

Overall, while it has downsides, I don't think Downpour is worthy of all the scorn it gets, this can have problems and you can point them out without disregarding the good parts and while it is unfortunate it doesn't run better and have some extras and didn't handle some things great, I still think its worth a playthrough, esp if you go out of your way to do the sidequests.

Bonus round

Book of memories is not a game I intend to play bc I don't wanna get a vita and can't imagine I'm missing much. It doesn't look bad pwr say but I'm not interested tbh

Fuck PT. :)

#entries #silent hill #long post #thank u thank you #ill try tk put a cut in here at some poitn hold on srry

[thetypedwriter]

Cemetery Boys Book Review

Cemetery Boys Book Review by Aiden Thomas 

In true Halloween fashion, I decided to pick up Cemetery Boys to get me into the festive mood, along with pumpkin spice everything, Harry Potter movie marathons, and sweaters I don’t need as southern California is still a million degrees. Currently on the New York Times Bestseller’s List, Cemetery Boys is author Aiden Thomas’ debut novel about, you guessed it, boys in a cemetery. 

Although, in a way, the title is a tad deceiving as the book contains much much more than boys loitering in graveyards and lying next to mausoleums (anyone catch the reference?). In fact, said boys don’t spend much time in the cemetery at all. 

But I digress. 

The short novel starts off and surrounds our main character Yadriel, a Latinx youth from East Los Angeles that is struggling with the death of his mother, the looming festivities of Dia de Muertos, getting his family to accept his true gender and name, the sudden disappearance of his cousin Miguel, and you know, the casual summoning of a hot dead boy with too much energy and a wicked smile that makes Yadriel feel like he’s on fire. 

But it doesn't matter because the boy Yadriel summoned on accident, Julian Diaz, resident bad boy extraordinaire, is dead right? He’s just a ghost. 

Or is he?

Yadriel and Julian, with the help of Yadriel’s best friend Maritza, spend the few days leading up to Dia de Muertos in hot pursuit of what happened to Julian in the hopes that it will reveal Miguel, allow Yadriel to finally convince his family and his community that he is indeed a brujo, a male servant of Lady Death, the Goddess of their lives and religion which allow them to speak to spirits and perform other magical abilities like healing and even raising people from the dead. 

Yadriel is convinced that if he finds Miguel and severs Julian’s spirit ties, sending him to the afterlife, his father and the rest of the brujx will have to see him for what and who he truly is after years of being denied and called the wrong name and gender. 

However, Yadriel quickly finds himself way over his head as Julian turns out to be the most annoying, most hot-headed, most alive spirit he’s ever met. Not to mention that he’s developing feelings for him, feelings which soon are returned. 

Yadirel is then faced with a bigger dilemma: does he lose everything he’s wanted-acceptance from his father and his community and his true place as a brujo, or Julian-the dead boy he’s fallen for?

In what is probably the most frightening thing of all-cliffhangers-I won’t give away the ending this time people. You’ll have to read Cemetery Boys to find out. 

What I will do though is give you my breakdown on this very sweet, very young, fictional novel that is quite honestly the furthest thing from being spooky. 

Firstly, the best and most wonderful thing about this novel is representation. Trans, gender fluid, and intersex characters are still wildly bereft in the young adult fiction world, especially as main characters, so a new novel with the main character being trans is wholly welcomed and appreciated. 

Yadriel is an anxious, but relatable sixteen-year-old with problems that many of us face: fear of isolation, desire to belong, and feeling like an outcast. It was so relieving and enlightening to hear from a character and experience the challenges and emotions they faced while attempting for the world to understand and accept them for who they were. 

In addition to Yadriel, you had other representation in terms of the Latinx community, other trans characters, gay characters, foster youth, homeless youth, and even small side delves into veganism and much bigger issues like deportation, medical care, and runaway children. 

This book was short, but man did it pack a punch in terms of the social issues it revolved around and introduced into its story. 

In addition to the wide cast of characters with myriad backgrounds and circumstances, the focus on Latinx culture in particular was very strong and very saturated. Throughout the whole novel you have characters speaking Spanish, a plethora of food specific to certain Latinx cultures, and the sometimes heavy handed explanations of certain customs and traditions unique to Yadriel’s community and ancestors. 

On the one hand, I really enjoyed this. I love it immensely when authors bring in their own background to further expose readers to different cultures and customs, especially as it pertains to the main character and their experience. 

However, oftentimes in Cemetery Boys it came across a little too burdensome. It was like I was reading a pamphlet on Dia de Muertos instead of a young adult novel. I wholeheartedly understand Thomas’ vision and goal of Latinx inclusion, but the way it was written was not always seamless.

 It often dragged me out of the book and irritated me when the flow of the story was interrupted for a whole page so that Dia de Muertos could be described, or so paragraphs of Latin foods could be listed out. 

Once again, I love this representation, but the writing could sometimes be a little too chunky and repeatedly it was too long and too obvious for it to come across seamless and natural. 

Speaking of natural, the biggest criticism I probably have of this book is that it comes across much younger than presented. Even though Yadriel and the other characters are sixteen, they often felt much more immature to me, especially with how the story unfolded and Thomas’ writing as a whole. 

This is not itself a criticism, but I would definitely recommend this book for much younger consumers than it is currently targeting. 

As a teacher, I could see this book being recommended for middle school in order to teach children about trans youth, the importance of acceptance and love, and of course, for the representation that is abundant throughout the novel. 

I personally think this would be too juvenile for high school and above. 

I certainly found it juvenile as a 26-year-old-woman. 

Once again, this does not mean it’s not enjoyable. I still enjoyed the book and had an overall good time reading it. But it also means that there were several parts that I found predictable, exaggerated, or as I said before, heavy handed in how certain aspects of the novel were displayed and organized. 

The plot for instance, was laughably easy to predict. I think I had the entire ending down when I was about ⅓ of the way through with the book. Does this make it a bad read? Of course not. But books that have unpredictable endings or that manage to surprise me end up leaving more of an impression on me as a reader .

In addition, often the way Yadriel and Julian, especially Julian, would react was very childish in my opinion. Simply how they processed emotions, handled their problems, and dealt with high-stakes situations were very reminiscent of characters much younger than they were. 

Most of all however, the juvenile feeling of this book I would attribute to the writing. Thomas is definitely not a bad writer, but nothing about it came across as young adult to me. Some scenes were a bit cheesy, but the writing itself was very easy, uncomplicated, and very straightforward. 

There were some scenes I felt like were not dealt with enough (aka Yadriel losing his cousin and thinking about it once or twice and the whole Julian running away and Rio being like meh, Julian is Julian). Some scenes just seemed....odd and out of character and others needed to be expanded upon more. 

I want to reiterate that these are NOT BAD THINGS. 

Overall, I found the novel very cute, very refreshing, and a wonderful addition to the literature world. All of Thomas’ characters are likable, the representation is amazing and nuanced, even if it is a bit arduous in certain parts, and the story is interesting and action-packed, keeping readers on their toes and never bored with what is going on. 

As a whole, Cemetery Boys is quite honestly a lovely little read that is perfect for the Halloween season. You might not be frightened, but you will get a cute story, some very welcome representation, and wholesome relationships and themes that, while simple, are not to be overlooked or underrated. 

Score: 7/10

Recommendation: Put on Hocus Pocus, light your pumpkin scented candle, make yourself some tea or hot cocoa, snuggle up with a blanket (either because it’s actually cold where you live or because you have the AC on like me) and delve into Cemetery Boys for some lighthearted fun, some magic, some ghosts, and of course, a whole heaping of good feelings where love wins and the world is a better place for it. 

#cemetery boys #aiden thomas #ya fiction #YA Books #YA Book Review #ya book rec #top books #book blog #book review #book blogger #juvenile fiction #trans character #LGBTQ fiction #halloween #diademuertos #latinx #books with poc #Book Recommendations #book reccs

[thedarkestcrow]

Tagged

Tagged by @abybweisse (thank you ^^)

1. How has your opinion of yourself changed over the years?

I guess I’ve become more relaxed and don’t worry so much anymore what others may think of me. I’m happy with who I am. :)

2. If you had to pick one book to read for the rest of your life, which book would you pick? 

Only one book? Hmm, I guess every book gets boring if you read it too often. Haha, how about a dictionary? At least I’d be learning a new language then. XD Or a very long book with lots of small riddles and mathematical puzzles. I really enjoy such things and once I’d be through with all I could start again since I probably would have forgotten the solutions for the first ones already. XD

3. What’s your favorite season? Do you have a particular reason for liking it? 

Every season has something unique that’s enjoyable. But my favorite is spring. I like it if it gets warmer again after winter and if all starts to bloom. :)

4. What’s your favorite thing to do when you want to relax? 

Listening to music, especially classical/instrumental music. There’s great music in movies or in anime and listening to it while lying on my terrace or even while riding a bike is one of favorite things to do. :)

5. Do you consider yourself lazy? 

Yeah, sometimes I really am. I mean, if I do have plans I’m pulling through but I also have days where I laze around all day and realize in the evening that I haven’t done anything productive all day. XD

6. What’s your view on morality? 

I guess everyone has their own view of what’s right or wrong. And there isn’t just always good and bad, there’s a lot in between. Sure, no one is perfect but I think if everyone respected each other even if they have a different opinion, if no one did to others what they wouldn’t like others doing to them and if everyone tried to be more friendly and less demanding of each other things would be a lot nicer.

7. When are you most productive?


When I’m motivated and if I don’t have any distraction. 

8. Do you have any strong opinions about things most people don’t think much about? 

Hmm.... about Kuro, I guess. XD

9. How do you handle stress? 

I usually can handle it quite well. I am usually quite organized so I try not to let stress become too much at once. I always try to take some time to distract myself from whatever’s stressing me and that usually works quite well.

10. What would your ideal world be like? 

No war, no disease, no suffering, no hate, no fear. A harmonious coexistence between all cultures and religions with access to education, healthy nutrition and healthcare for everyone. Equal rights, mutual respect, freedom (of speech, movement,...),... A world in which people and nations would find solutions for the world’s problems (climate change, pollution, decline of natural resources,...) together instead of fighting each other for profit and power. A world in which everyone can pursue their own individual idea of happiness without being hindered and without hindering others.

Extra Questions:

1.) What’s one story that you want to write/create but won’t (or haven’t yet)? 

I’m not really much of a story writer. I rather enjoy reading them. ^^

2.) What’s an interesting moment of self-discovery in your life?

Hmm, I don’t think I can pinpoint it to one moment in my life. There are always small changes and I think that’s how I have developed until now. And isn’t life a constant journey of rediscovering yourself anew? ;)

3.) Dream job? 


Hard to say. I just hope that the path I’m following right now is the right one for me and leads me to my dream job. :)

4.) What’s a book/movie/show that has had a large influence on you?

While I grew up the Harry Potter books accompanied me and I still love reading them. I even started to read them in English -- which is not my first language -- when I was 13 or so. It was the first book I read in English by my own choice and it helped me immensely to get a feeling for the foreign language. So I guess you could say Harry Potter taught me English. XD

And of course Black Butler also had great influence on me (who would have thought). XD I was aware of manga/anime before but Kuro is what really caught me. It made me active in the fandom, let me get to know great people and new friends and got me into other great shows as well. :)

5.) Has music ever changed your life, or at least your outlook on life? 

Music is very important to me. It helps me to relax or reminds me of certain stages in my life. So without music there would definitely be something missing.

6.) Imagine you’ve become an established author/artist/creator. What would you want the fandom for your works to be like?

I would like the fandom to be nice to each other. Discussing my work, being creative with fanart, fanfiction or other fanworks and finding new friends within the fandom. But I’d hope that they always be respectful with each other and that there’d be no place for hatred. 

7.) Same scenario as #6. What would the fandom actually be like? 

I guess, there would still be hatred, sadly. But as it is with most fandoms (at least that’s what I hope), those who spread negativity are a noisy minority. Most fans are gentle, respectful and friendly. :)

8.) What’s a subject that you think should be taught in schools but typically isn’t taught at all? 

I think what really is missing in schools (at least here) is how to be an adult. And by this I mean some teaching about insurances, taxes, how to handle property and capital, some basic knowledge about stock exchange, investments, tenancy law, tax return,... I know this sounds like boring stuff but this is really important once you are an adult. And I think it would be a lot easier if you learn some basics in school so that it’s easier once you really need it.

9.) What’s a subject that you think should be taught differently in schools from how it usually is? 

Maybe religious education. Instead of teaching every religion separately at school I think children should be taught together and the teacher should be neutral without trying to convert anyone in a certain direction. In that way, everyone would get different views of different religions and learn to respect one another in their beliefs. And it should not only cover religion but also ethics, morality and how to get along with each other. I know, R.E. is not only about the religion one has for themselves and it also covers other religions and problems in society. But it’s main purpose is still to lead the children to the respective religion (at least that’s what was written in the curriculum when I went to school) and I feel like this is something that a church but not a school should do.

Of course, this is just my opinion. You don’t have to agree. ;)

10.) Are there any patterns in your interests/works that wouldn’t be immediately obvious to an outside observer?

I’m not sure. I mean of course there are things that I’m keeping to myself and that are not obvious to people who don’t know me so well, if that’s what is meant here. But I guess everyone has that. ^^

Tagging: @midnight-in-town, @hitsugikuro, @thebeautifulmacabre, @abbyfushimi, @yelena-chan, @chickennuggetnoodles, @kashikoikawaiisaschachen, @lapyn, @redvioletprincess, @nellgrey, @shinigami-mistress, @rachel-dalles and @sebas-chan-butler (of course only if you like to do it or haven’t done it already) <3

#these were quite interesting #some of these were quite deep #^^ #about me #tagged #personal

[torturedwarrior]

Healthy ways to deal with mental illness:

What is mental illness? Mental illnesses are conditions of health involving (or a combination of) changes in emotion, thinking, or behavior. In social, work or family activities, mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems. Nearly one in five (19%) adults in the U.S. experience some form of mental illness, one in 24 (4.1%) has a serious mental illness * one in 12 (8.5%) has a diagnosed substance use disorder. “There’s only us. There’s only this. Forget regret, or life is yours to miss. No other road. No other way, no day but today.” — “No Day but Today,” Rent (submitted by Colleen McDaniel). It takes time and patience to find the right coping mechanism, but it can have a huge impact on how you feel. If you haven't had success with the strategies you've used, or you're looking to add a few more to your toolkit, here are seven coping mechanisms that are worth trying out suggested by mental health professionals. They are Radical Acceptance, Deep Breathing, Opposite to emotion thinking, the five senses, Mental Reframing, and Emotion awareness.

Radical Acceptance- According to Marsha Linehan (creator of dialectal behavior therapy), progressive tolerance means "fully and absolutely embracing something from the core of your soul, with your heart and mind." The idea that no matter what, you can't change a situation is included in this definition. Imagine, for instance, that a tornado is coming. Obviously, to stop the tornado you can't do anything; it's not possible. But if you agree that it's coming, you can respond, plan and stay safe. If you're lying there hoping to get the storm to stop or pretend there's no tornado, when it arrives, you'll be in real trouble. The same applies to the illness of the mind. They can't change the fact you're having a mental disorder, so any time you're wasting trying to "get rid of it" or pretending it doesn't exist just drains precious energy from them. Grant. Accept. Consider the state you are in. Then take the steps you need to take care of yourself.

Deep Breathing-At this level, relaxing is an irritating cliché, but that's because breathing deeply is really the best way to relax fear. I switched to the idea of "5 3 7" breathing while combating my own anxiety: breathe in for 5 seconds Keep the air for 3 seconds Breathe out for 7 seconds This subtle repetition sends a message to the brain that all is well (or soon). Your heart will slow its pace soon, and you'll start relaxing — sometimes without even realizing it. Opposite to emotion thinking-That's how it sounds: the instincts command you to behave in the opposite way. Say you're angry and you need to separate yourself. Reverse-to-emotion urges you to go out and be with men, isolation's reverse behavior. Fight that with something calming like meditation when you feel anxious. Switch to something that stabilizes you while you feel manic. Perhaps this strategy is one of the toughest to put into play, but the outcomes are amazing if you can do it.

The use of a technique called "the five senses" is another effective method of using the physical space to help you perceive the crisis. Instead of concentrating on a particular object, "the 5 senses" shows you what each of the senses feels in that moment. As an example, think of a PTSD flashback in the classroom. Save it! Stop it! Look around you. Look around you. See the clock's hand movement. Feel under you the chair. Listen to the voice of your professor. Smell the chalkboard's faint scent. Chew a rubber slice. It takes only a few seconds to pass through your senses and helps you keep up with what is real, what is happening right now. Mental reframing involves taking and thinking differently about an emotion or stressor. Take traffic, for instance, to get stuck. Yeah, you might say, "Oh, my life is terrible. It's awful. Due to this rain, I'll be late. Why is this happening to me always? “Or you can reframe the thought that might seem like it," The traffic is bad, but I'm still going to get where I go. I can do nothing, so I'm just going to listen to music or an audiobook to spend time. "Perfecting this technology literally can change your point of view in difficult situations. But this ability takes time and practice, as you might imagine.

Emotion Awareness- If you live in denial, it will take much longer to care for your emotions, because once we realize what we feel, we can deal with it or what it causes. So, if you're afraid, take a few minutes to meditate, let's you be anxious. If you're angry, just get angry— then listen to some soothing music. Taking your feelings into account. Allow yourself to feel like you are, and then take action to reduce unhealthy feelings. You can't control your psychological condition, but you can monitor how you react to your symptoms. This isn't easy or easy (like everything else with mental illness), but it can make you feel better emotionally, spiritually and physically by learning, practicing and perfecting treatments. I have tried all of the above approaches and changed the way I deal with the challenges of mental health. To heal from mental disease, it takes strength and determination–in the expectation of feeling better, to try to battle symptoms. You are incredibly strong to survive them, even if you feel weak or helpless about your daily battles. Simple and practical methods can help you fight. Consider these techniques, and the way you feel and live your life will change clearly.

9 Questions Someone with Mental Illness Wishes You Would Ask: Can you help me understand what it’s like living with your condition? Is there anything you need from me or something I can do to help you? Can we do something together – get coffee, go for a walk or see a movie? (Just because the person has mental illness doesn’t mean he/she won’t want to do regular activities), What is your diagnosis and how do you feel about it?, Do you need to talk?, Sometimes talking can help make things feel a little better, What can I do to be there for you, and help you feel supported?, How can I support you – can I listen to you, leave you alone, give you a hug?,  How has living with this condition shaped who you are today?, How are you? You don’t seem like yourself, and I want to know how you’re really feeling because I care about you. “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” — Albus Dumbledore from “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (submitted by Eva Gigis). “Sometimes you climb out of bed in the morning and you think, I’m not going to make it, but you laugh inside — remembering all the times you’ve felt that way.”— Charles Bukowski from “Gamblers All” (submitted by Ashley Mobley).

Mental Health...involves effective functioning in daily activities resulting in Productive activities (work, school, caregiving), Healthy relationships, Ability to adapt to change and cope with adversity. Mental Illness...refers collectively to all diagnosable mental disorders — health conditions involving, Significant changes in thinking, emotion and/or behavior, Distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities.

1.     Talk about your feelings:

         Talking about your feelings can help you stay in good mental health and deal with times when you feel troubled.

2.     Keep active:

Regular exercise can boost your self-esteem and can help you concentrate, sleep, and feel better. Exercise keeps the brain and your other vital organs healthy and is also a significant benefit towards improving your mental health. 3. Eat well: Your brain needs a mix of nutrients in order to stay healthy and function well, just like the other organs in your body. A diet that’s good for your physical health is also good for your mental health.

4. Drink sensibly:

We often drink alcohol to change our mood. Some people drink to deal with fear or loneliness, but the effect is only temporary. When the drink wears off, you feel worse because of the way the alcohol has affected your brain and the rest of your body. Drinking is not a good way to manage difficult feelings.

5. Keep in touch:

There’s nothing better than catching up with someone face to face, but that’s not always possible. You can also give them a call, drop them a note, or chat to them online instead. Keep the lines of communication open: it’s good for you!

 6. Ask for help:

None of us are superhuman. We all sometimes get tired or overwhelmed by how we feel or when things don’t go to plan. If things are getting too much for you and you feel you can’t cope, ask for help. Your family or friends may be able to offer practical help or a listening ear. Local services are there to help you.

7. Take a break

A change of scene or a change of pace is good for your mental health. It could be a five-minute pause from cleaning your kitchen, a half-hour lunch break at work, or a weekend exploring somewhere new. A few minutes can be enough to de-stress you. Give yourself some ‘me time’.

8. Do something you’re good at

What do you love doing? What activities can you lose yourself in? What did you love doing in the past? Enjoying yourself can help beat stress. Doing an activity, you enjoy probably means you’re good at it, and achieving something boosts your self-esteem.

9. Accept who you are:

We’re all different. It’s much healthier to accept that you’re unique than to wish you were more like someone else. Feeling good about yourself boosts your confidence to learn new skills, visit new places and make new friends. Good self-esteem helps you cope when life takes a difficult turn.

10. Care for others:

‘Friends are really important… We help each other whenever we can, so it’s a two-way street, and supporting them uplifts me.’ Caring for others is often an important part of keeping up relationships with people close to you. It can even bring you closer together.

“Promise me you’ll always remember — you’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” — Christopher Robin from “Winnie the Pooh” (submitted by Monica Jean Cozadd).  “Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” — Saint Francis of Assisi (submitted by Sherri Paricio Bornhoft). Most people who do not want to address mental illness. But there's nothing to be afraid of mental illness! It is just like heart disease or diabetes a medical condition. Yet symptoms of mental health can be controlled. They constantly broaden our knowledge of the workings of the human brain and therapies that assist people in the effective control of mental health conditions.

 Work Cited:

"How to look after your mental health | Mental Health Foundation." Mental Health Foundation. Web. 10 Jan 2020. <http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-to-mental-health>.

Insights, Magellan Health. "9 Questions Someone with Mental Illness Wishes You Would Ask." Magellan Health Insights. 17 Jul 2018. Web. 10 Jan 2020. <http://magellanhealthinsights.com/2018/07/17/9-questions-someone-with-mental-illness-wishes-you-would-ask/>.

Pombo, Emmie. " Self-Help Techniques for Coping with Mental Illness | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness." Home | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. 1 Feb 2019. Web. 10 Jan 2020. <http://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/January-2019/Self-Help-Techniques-for-Coping-with-Mental-Illnes>.

Schuster, Sarah. "25 Quotes Everyone with a Mental Illness Should Hear | The Mighty." The Mighty. Making health about people... 11 Feb 2016. Web. 10 Jan 2020. <http://themighty.com/2016/02/25-quotes-everyone-with-a-mental-illness-should-hear/>.

"What Is Mental Illness?" Home │ psychiatry.org. Web. 10 Jan 2020. <http://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness>.

#mental health #mental freedom #mental heath support #blog post #bloggin #healthy coping skills #coping methods #healthyway