#but as an australian i know afl because its like | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

wileys-russo · 5 months

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Please would you be able to write an awfc x teen!reader fic based on the photos of the girls playing Aussie rules today in training? Maybe a bit of annoying younger sister energy (kind of like kyra)! I love you stuff thank you for all of it :)

not completelyy happy with this but it was something different to try! drop kick II awfc x teen!r

"oh you're not bringing that are you?" steph sighed as you stretched over to grab the bright red ball from her back seat. "yeah! why not?" you grinned as the two of you stepped out of her car.

"well because we don't play afl we play football." steph shook her head, though she knew better than to even try and argue the case knowing all too well how stubborn you were.

"then it'll be a fun learning experience for the girls! wheres your australian spirit steffy?" you gave her a toothy grin, the older girl clearing her throat as you spun around. "forgetting something?" steph raised her eyebrow and subtly nodded to your bag.

"oh! yeah that might help." you grinned, jogging back and grabbing it, kissing stephs cheek in thanks who pushed you off with an amused roll of her eyes.

"all this time off and she's forgotten what sport we play!" caitlin teased watching you stuff the ball with some difficulty into your gym bag but eventually succeeding, ruffling your hair as you smacked her hand away.

"sorry hard launch i couldn't hear you over the massive closet of your latest relationship?" you cupped a hand over your ear as steph snickered and you grinned, though catching the look which flashed across caitlins face you wasted no time sprinting off.

"ya could have four legs and i'd still outpace you foordy!" you yelled over your shoulder as she gave up chasing you, pausing to fall back into step with steph and flipping you the finger.

"i'll get you later skippy just you wait! i know where you live!" caitlin yelled menacingly after you, and of course she would considering you bounced between her place and stephs, not allowed to get your own as much as you'd begged and pleaded.

you were so busy gloating you didn't watch where you were going and wheezed as your body slammed into someone elses. "speed racers back in town then! who we runnin from now?" jen grinned, hauling you up and over her shoulder.

"i've missed these delightful walks of ours jb." you patted her back affectionately feeling her body vibrate with laughter as you flipped caitlin the bird before jen turned a corner, earning yourself a disappointed look from steph.

"lee!" you called out happily as the two of you entered the change rooms and you spotted her sitting at her cubby dressed for training, the blonde looking up from her phone as jen put you down. "you're back training properly??" the taller girl stumbled a little at the speed in which you crashed into her for a hug.

"much as i can be. missed you skippy!" the blonde ruffled your hair, kissing your cheek and shoving you over toward lia who seemingly appeared out of nowhere, wrapping you in another tight hug.

"hi wally! happy new year." you mumbled into her shoulder making her laugh. "happy new year winzig, did you have a nice break?" the swiss woman walked you toward your cubby which was between kyra and vics.

"yes! god i miss australia so much already. the beaches, the tan, the food, my family. its cruel that i come from warm sunny beautiful summer to this, english winter fucking sucks!" you huffed unhappily, wincing as a hand collected the back of your head.

"language little miss. thats a fiver!" beth wagged her finger at you with a stern look as you rolled your eyes and hugged her girlfriend instead causing her to scoff. "what? you know i am her favourite." viv shrugged as beth made a noise of disbelief and you sent her a smug smile.

you hadn't even separated from the pair for more than five seconds before a body hurtled into you sending you flying, kyras body latched onto you as stina hurried to grab you, stopping you from hitting the floor.

"get off me you rat!" you wrenched off the girls hands and sent stina a grateful look who gave the pair of you an amused smile, turning back to her conversation with amanda.

"rat! you're the little rat, did you forget about the pictures of-" kyra started as your eyes widened and you hastily covered her mouth. "you swore on calvins life you would take that to the grave." you growled quietly, pulling your hand away in disgust as kyra licked it, wiping it on her jersey.

"but i'm the child? grow up cooney-cross." you scoffed, letting out a yell as again kyra leapt onto you, this time successfully taking you down to the ground as the two of you rolled around wrestling until you were seperated by leah and steph.

most of the girls having filed out toward the pitch and steph impatiently tapping her foot in waiting you hurried to get your boots on, grabbing the afl ball out afterward.

"you can't bring it to training." "why not?" "well-" "see, you can't even think of a good reason stephanie."

and with that you tucked it under your arm and strode out of the change rooms as steph groaned. "can you see any greys jenny? she's been back for three days and its already falling out from the stress!" steph huffed gesturing to her hair as the tall scottish woman chuckled and slung an arm over her should.

"what is that!" vic pulled a face as you appeared with the foreign looking ball. "aussie rules ball!" you beamed, kicking it at kyra who dove to catch it, earning yourself the attention of a few more of the girls who looked on curiously.

"right i'm game. give us a go then skippy!" leah clapped as you tossed her the ball and explained how to hold and position it to be drop kicked. "yeah yeah its a ball, i'm an athlete. i got it!" she brushed you off as you held your hands up and took a few steps back.

you slumped into lotte who appeared by your side, pulling you into a hug and kissing the top of your head. "go on lee while some of us are still young, kimmy might have to retire by the time you kick this thing." you grinned cheekily, hiding behind lotte at the look sent your way by your captain across the pitch.

"oh brilliant! she's a natural." you threw your head back with a laugh as leah completely missed, nearly kneeing herself in the face as the ball bounced away. "shut up!" the blonde warned you with a glare, hurrying to grab the ball again.

"show me again." leah demanded firmly as lotte let you go and you grabbed the ball. "oi ireland!" you yelled, katie looking up from her conversation with gio and grinning as you held up the ball and she readied herself to catch.

"like this." you huffed as you kicked the ball with all your might, the red leather sailing up into the air and right into katies awaiting arms. "you know i might need to recruit you to take some of my goal kicks. how much do you really like being a striker?" manu messed up your hair with a gloved hand as you pushed her away with a smile.

"how the fu-" leah shook her head as katie booted the ball toward caitlin perfectly. "its cause she's got a bit of aussie in her, literally." you smirked quietly, leah turning to you with wide shocked eyes at the comment.

"i'm telling steph to wash that filthy little mouth out with soap tonight skippy."

you barely heard her as you were already taking off racing toward kyra who was trying to teach gio how to kick, your body hurtling into hers. "tackle!" you cheered as kyra groaned from beneath you and you plucked the ball from her hand and took off again.

"they don't tackle in afl you little shit thats nrl!"

"nope!" you were suddenly off the ground again as caitlins arms wrapped around your waist and took you down to the ground, tossing the ball to katie and getting off of you.

"piggy in the middle!" you cheered happily jumping to your feet and racing off toward an unsuspecting cloe who was merely holding the ball, the blondes eyes widening as she hurried to toss the ball toward sabs who frowned in confusion before your body hurtled into hers.

"hey steph." the defender looked up from where she was watching you as jen appeared by her side.

"yeah mate, i can see those greys now."

#woso #woso x reader #woso fanfics #woso imagine #woso blurbs #woso community #awfc x reader #arsenal women #awfc

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slashingdisneypasta · 2 months

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This idea/question popped into my head last night and I think it might intrigued you too. Or at least it'll be fun to think about.

So we know that in the Slasher AU, Rena is dead and Ryan and Kingston are still running their L.V mafia. But what if they were a bunch of slashers? Whether they replace the weasels as the Slasher Villains or they are Las Vegas' group of killers? How much different do you think they and their relationships would be (not just with each other but other people, like Maya and Kingstons parents)? What kind of irl slashers would you compare them to?

If they are slashers alongside the weasels... Ohhh boy Shiny, Poppy, and Lottie are in for a shit show when they get on the road, I imagine.

SLASHER AU SLASHER AU SLASHER AU-

Okay so I saw this and had to get up, fill a hot water bottle and get comfy so I could respond. I'm ready now, here we go.

Slasher!Rena is Freddy down to a T. She's an orphan, she's a Huge Tease, she's terrifyingly cunning, and she'd absolutely come back for her daughter just to use her when she needs her. So Rena's basically herself, but with a taste for bloodshed. As opposed to King and Ryan, Rena probably always had a little bloodlust in her, from childhood; I can see her being bullied when she was little (she was a lanky, awkward thing who looked just like her brother- they called her a boy, boyish, masculine. Said she would never be pretty; that kinda thing. As well as 'poor' and 'orphan'. She and Ry still get adopted by King's parents in this au but that doesn't change the fact they aren't her real mum and dad, and children are cruel) and hating everyone around her (Except Ryan and King). She started hating guys, particularly, even more after she hit puberty and SUDDENLY!! everyone liked her.

As she grew up she became more and more the character we know- addicted to drama. Except its even worse, because... well, she's not satisfied with a little sex. Yes, thats great, but she starts to think that if she can kill... and then go to the funeral, too,... t h a t would be perfect. And of course, she targets kids she grew up with and their families. (And at this point, she's the most popular woman in the little australian farm town. She knows everyone, she's friends with everyone- So she has access, to everyone.)

After they move to Vegas, america's capital of bad mistakes, Rena really hits her perfect stride. Everyone there is her puppet.

(And *cough* I have this thought where, after Poppy/Shiny/and Lottie come to Vegas and meet the Roo's, and Lottie naively thinks she's finally found a parent who wants her (Rena's spinning it like Smartass took her and hid her from her mother- which we both know is nothing but lies), Rena digs into her daughter. She finds out everything that happened, convincing Lottie with gentle motherly touches and warm openness to tell her all her secrets. Then, for fun, Rena sells Lottie out to Greasy)

Slasher!Kingston is Chucky for sure XD Oh! And also Foxy and Stu!! Kingston still seems to think pretty clearly (Unlike, say, Otis or Baby. Or Tiffany. Or Billy.), he k n o w s the difference between right and wrong, he can explain ethics, but he just doesn't care ('wrong's the fun one'). Kingston basically started developing a bloodlust after Rena started killing. He was always pretty popular in school (AFL star) and in town; he was never bullied, but he's always up for trying something new! King's a bit of a thrill seeker (He drove before he had a licence way over the speed limit, he drank before it was legal, he smoked, he did drugs, he was up for really any dangerous stunt, etc), so when he stumbles upon his girlfriend with blood on her pretty face and his old football coach laying still on the ground, he's basically like... 'oh is this what we're doing now?? Well- shit- I'm down! Whadawe do with this??' *gesturing to the body of the man who kindly taught him football all through highschool* Who's next??'

And its not personal for him at all like it is with Rena, he'll kill anyone. Doesn't matter. He has very little in the way of empathy.

King just jumps on board immediately- following Rena's lead but quickly ~flourishing~ on his own. And, being a thrill seeker, he almost blows their cover so so many times! Rena gets so annoyed 😅 She has tied him to a chair with military grade knots through the night before on multiple occasions because they need to lay low now goddamnit!

As for his parents... he would absolutely kill them, no guilt no shame. He doesn't want to, he's not gonna go out of his way to do it (They're his mum and dad! He loves them, in his way), but if they found out about his extracurriculars and they started creating problems then he will shoot them in the heads.

Slasher!Ryan, true to his character, was never a really cruel person (Just complicit)... until Maya** was killed. So, I'd liken him to... maybe... Needy? From Jennifer's Body? After Jennifer and Chip were killed, she lost a l l semblance of being the 'good guy'. She went basically monotone, and just... pissed. And thats definitely Ryan (In the original universe too, but its definitely more violent in this one). Ryan definitely also has a mindless, wrathful Michael Myers thing about him.

He wants to destroy whoever did it, whoever took Maya away. But once its done... he still doesn't feel better. Ryan will never feel better. He's lost something very important inside him, he doesn't care anymore, and it will not ever go back to the way it was. He's like a mindless soldier for King and Rena to use as they will. (To their credit- they do try not to treat him that way though. Thats their brother, who's been with them no matter what since the start, and... they love him. He's their soft spot!! But sometimes they have to use him.)

Ryan goes into dissociative states where he will hurt anyone near him, and King has to hold him back (Which is a struggle- Ryan's stronger then any of them) while Rena forces a pill down his throat; covering his mouth until it goes down and he goes to sleep.

** Maya did not know about Kings and Rena's killings when she was alive. Ryan kept it from her, and though King made some odd jokes sometimes around her, and she might have had some suspicions... she never outright found out.

#i hope all that makes sense!! 😅

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2dieavirgin · 1 year

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i have a chase thought that i think is way too specific and way too australian and like entirely irrelevant to who he is as a person but im scared i dont know him well enough. so Can i ask really quick does he have a canon afl team i know theres a 99.9% chance he doesnt like why would they ever bring that up on an american show hes a Doctor its Irrelevant but im curious. and you are The chase guy

honest to god had to google what AFL stood for because i had no idea. (there's ANOTHER football?! god. too many sports to keep track of) ermmm as far as im aware no he doesn't, but also i started the show 6 months ago so there is the slim but possible chance that they mentioned it one (1) time and never again and i simply didn't retain it. But no i dont think he does. but please do share if you decide to assign him a team cause i gotta know

#ask

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sporadicprincesspainter · 7 months

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priceoverby · 2 years

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Cryptocurrency Being Less Talked About In Social Media, According To Globaldata

You wouldn’t invest in stock from an anonymous group, would you? If the developers have recognized themselves by video on Instagram or Youtube, for example, they’re considereddoxxed and far more reliable. With their appearance known by the public, it’s a lot much less likely to be a rip-off. It is unlikely that lots of coins / tokens will see any type of action for a while so HEX seems to be the safer bet. For all their guarantees, cryptocurrencies and internet 3.0 technologies are sophisticated and unwieldy like many other types of technology before them. That’s why different firms have found opportunities to come in excessive and make them user-friendly.

There are crypto indices that monitor initiatives with the largest market cap, those which are probably the most decentralized and with the largest market cap, most scalable projects per market cap, and so forth.

Investors can also entry an rising range of tokens that give an exposure to a broader range of tokens, not dissimilar to the means in which an ETF is listed on an exchange but in addition invests in firms listed on that very same change.

There isn't any cause for a project team to be anonymous until they have one thing to cover.

Speculation is rife in addition to shady coordinated pump-and-dump schemes that rip off people hoping to make a couple of dollars trading.

Crypto sponsorship deals were already well-established in sport – the Australian Football League announced a $25 million cope with Crypto.com in January – but with its takeover of the Super Bowl, the industry summited a peak.

You could make him CEO or CFO so there was a nice title with the job. Crypto.com is shopping for up naming rights to a variety of the world’s most valuable properties (like Los Angeles’ Lakers stadium) and also with the AFL. A project to buy a Fijian island and an original copy of the US constitution based mostly on groups built on the blockchain each failed. I even have an exclusive funding opportunity for you in a new, thrilling know-how product with an incredible upside that’s getting lots of buzz. There shall be a burning of 2.69% from every transaction of the MeInU Coin, which signifies that the provision of the Coin will keep on lowering.

Nfp’s Impact On Gold Costs

Despite all their issues, digital currencies are a quickly increasing part of the financial universe. Now it’s time for national and worldwide businesses to set some exhausting rules. Web3 goes simply nice makes use of the motto “an monumental grift that’s pouring lighter fluid on our already smoldering planet”. And it’s that environmental harm, especially the huge fossil fuel energies consumed by mining bitcoin, that has made the controversy round cryptocurrency not solely more bitter but in addition more pressing. As a end result, she based a website named Web3 is going simply nice, a clearing house for crypto scepticism.

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Bitcoin could additionally be an exception – it is too mature and diffuse to manage simply – while different tokens, exchanges, platforms, could probably be delivered to heel. “I additionally don’t see it because the ‘future of finance’ or the ‘future of the web’ or anything like that,” she says. One of crypto’s most perceptive critics had attacked exactly this excuse. “I don’t assume latest crypto news has sufficient potential to earn the moniker ‘frontier market’,” Molly White says.

Newest Blockchain News

The tales are especially compelling as these persons are common of us —it's simple to imagine your self of their sneakers. Although there are lots of people getting free PLS so perhaps some will sell to get pHEX/PLSX? I did not donate / sacrifice in the course of the PLS sacrifice, so I don’t have any PLS lined up on launch day. This one raised a massive1 billion dollars, and in addition got here with a multiplier bonus, so everybody will receive a worthless bag of PLSX for donating their money. Stake validators get 75% of the fees and the opposite 25% are burned, so much less provide. Lower provide and higher demand drives the value up over time.

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just-stop · 3 years

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From AFLW to roller derby, experts say its time to take concussion in women's sport seriously

When the Crows chase their third AFLW premiership on Saturday, captain Chelsea Randall will be watching from the sidelines.

A concussion from a collision during last week's preliminary final left her ruled out of the match.

It's a bitter sweet way to end a season — but as Sarah McCarthy knows, a concussion can have much longer consequences

In 2016, Sarah was the jammer for her Sydney roller derby team, skating at high speed in the league's Grand Final, aiming to get past the opposition and score points.

Risks of contact sport

Sarah McCarthy received a knock to the head during a roller derby match.

"I was a few feet in front of the pack, looking over my shoulder," she tells ABC RN's Sporty.

As she skated, a competitor's elbow hit Sarah's neck and jaw hard and she crashed to the ground.

She doesn't remember if she passed out or not, but recalls feeling briefly sick.

She got up, sat out for awhile, but later re-joined the bout, feeling reasonably ok.

It was Sarah's second concussion that week, having had an earlier blow at training.

The next few months passed in a blur of sickness, dizziness and ringing ears.

"I could barely make it past lunch time without falling asleep. My head felt like it was in a vice 24 hours a day," she says.

What was worse, says Sarah, was the memory loss, heightened emotions, and constant haze in her mind as she struggled to manage a big work project.

Sarah's experience is not out of the ordinary. Experts say sportswomen are at higher risk of concussion than male athletes, and the effects of concussion in women tend to be more severe.

Sarah still lives with the ongoing after effects of her concussion even today.

Almost five years on, Sarah continues to live with the implications of Post Concussion Syndrome.

"I struggled verbally, and I still do now if I have a poor night's sleep," Sarah says.

"It's almost like I'm sitting on a chair in a room with a curtain around me and all of my vocabulary is just beyond the curtain. And I can't reach it or I use the wrong words. I forget people's name all the time," she says.

"I'm fatigued every day. I still can't exercise. I can't handle stress, I can't handle light, I can't handle sounds."

What happens when you're concussed?

Dr Adrian Cohen, an emergency and trauma physician who researches concussion prevention, says concussion is not as simple as was once thought.

He says concussion results in less blood flow to the brain.

This means brain cells, called neurons, don't get enough oxygen and glucose. They also suffer a "structural deformity".

Basically, Dr Cohen says, the brain has a "metabolic crisis" and neurons stop working properly.

Why is concussion more common in women?

We don't have enough data on the size of the problem, Dr Cohen says.

But research and scrutiny of concussion in women in sport is growing — largely in the wake of developments in elite men's sport such as the AFL and NFL.

"Doctors like myself who work in this area are definitely seeing it more often and we're seeing it with more severity," Dr Cohen says.

He says women sustain more concussions than men in high-impact sports such as rugby league, rugby union and Australian rules football. Women also take longer to recover.

One possibility is that women may be more likely to report concussion.

But Dr Cohen says there are complex physiological factors at play.

"There are structural differences between men and women's brains," he says.

"They actually have a slightly faster metabolism than male brains, and they have slightly greater oxygen flow to the head.

"The cells themselves can be thought of as being slightly hungrier. So in the context of an injury that disrupts the supply of glucose and oxygen, it can help explain why they suffer more damage."

He also says women are joining high impact sports without years of tackle training and have had less opportunity to build up the strong neck muscles crucial in protecting against impact.

Dr Cohen says these factors are not an argument for reducing women's participation in contact sport — the benefits, he says, far outweigh the risks — but he is urging for new ways to minimise those risks.

"We have to outlaw illegal play that causes damage, we have to get people off the field when they have an injury, we have to recognise concussion," he says.

He is part of a team developing a new device which he says can quickly and accurately assess a player for concussion.

"Instead of just asking somebody whether they're okay, and putting [them] through a 10 minute test, which seems fundamentally flawed at the moment, we have got to put this in the field of objectivity."

Concussion and migranes

Dr Rowena Mobbs, a Macquarie University neurologist who researches and treats the effects of concussion in sportspeople, says there is truth to suggestions that women experience concussion symptoms more severely.

"But there is this really important overlap of chronic migraine after trauma, and the term for this is post-traumatic headache," she says.

"When we talk about migraine ... they're the same multitude of symptoms that can occur in concussion.

"So you can be dizzy and clouded in your thinking, lethargic and have double vision. And we know that women are at three times the risk of chronic migraine than men."

A woman on roller skates playing roller derby can be seen flying up the court.

Experts say more research is needed into concussion in sportswomen.(Liam Mitchell Photography )

She suggests there could be an association between chronic migraine syndrome and concussion, a kind of double whammy for women.

"It's really a complex area," Dr Mobbs says.

"It's fairly new to research because, unfortunately, there's been so much preferred research in men in sport, and we're only just now approaching female concussion."

In Australia, the Sports Brain Bank works on diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and other brain disorders associated with previous concussions or head impacts.

Dr Cohen says there are several Australian sports women who've pledged to donate their brain to the Sports Brain Bank.

"But in general terms, these women won't have been playing the games for as long, and at as high a level," he says.

He says concussion and its long-term consequences "are a numbers game".

"The more impacts to the head you have, the more likely you are to suffer short, medium and long-term consequences. Therefore, the more likely it is to show up as CTE. But we're going to be seeing it in women unfortunately, in the not too distant future."

Invisible injuries

Concussion rules are changing in Australian football codes — the rules that mandated Randall miss the AFLW grand final were brought in earlier this year.

Dr Mobbs welcomes these new rules, but hopes the conversation in elite sport will extend to how concussion is managed at training and in community sport.

In 2019, the Australian Institute of Sport released an updated set of concussion guidelines to improve player safety and address rising concerns in the community around the links between concussion and CTE, which has been linked to dementia and behavioural problems.

Dr Mobbs wants measures like restricting heading the ball in soccer training to be considered.

"We must look after people's brains," she says.

"We can preserve what we love about the sports, they can still be played hard, but it just means that we've got to all get together and think of ways we can preserve brain health for these players."

Sarah McCarthy wishes she'd been stopped from returning to play in the 2016 grand final, and regrets not taking time to immediately rest after the injuries.

She has advice for other people who experience concussion.

"First and foremost, stop everything - stop," she says.

"If you can, stay in a dark room, don't do anything that's too mentally taxing. Don't exercise.

"If I had taken that four to six weeks to rest [and] not have too much mental and emotional stimulation, I think my recovery would have been a lot quicker."

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ryanugenthopkins · 4 years

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50 questions game!

i was tagged by @cartrshart (tysm ash!!)

what is the color of your hairbrush? it’s a boar bristle brush so brown

name a food you never eat? i really dislike olives so i never touch those

are you typically too warm or too cold? often too warm bc i really enjoy the cold and anything over like 25 degrees (celsius) is too hot for me

what were you doing 45 minutes ago? walking back from work!

what’s your favourite candy bar? kit kat

have you ever been to a professional sports game? i have! i’ve been to a few AFL games (mainly when i was younger) and a couple of cricket games with my family. i’ve also been to aihl and awihl games but those aren’t technically professional (rip)

what is the last thing you said out loud? “can i write my essay in your room” to my friend (as you can tell i am. not writing the essay)

what is your favourite ice cream? probably hazelnut or salted caramel!

what was the last thing you had to drink? a cup of tea (although this reminded me i should drink some water so thank you!)

do you like your wallet? i don’t really have one actually.. i have this stick on card holder on the back of my phone case which i always use instead

what is the last thing you ate? a pork banh mi for lunch!

did you buy any new clothes last weekend? not on the weekend but last thursday i went op shopping and bought a cute cardigan and top

what’s the last sporting event you watched? game five of tampa v dallas (only a bit of it tho)

what is your favourite flavour of popcorn? usually the most buttery i can find (often triple butter flavour explosion lol)

who is the last person you sent a text message to? my best friend! she did her med school interview today so it was a congrats text

ever go camping? i have! i went camping more as a kid and on school camps but i really want to go again with my college friends soon

do you take vitamins? no i actually never have (if anyone has advice on if their worth it lmk)

do you regularly attend a place of worship? nope!

do you have a tan? i mean i have a very faded (fake) tan right now but otherwise im pale af

do you prefer Chinese or pizza? chinese food for sure

do you drink your soda through a straw? to copy ash’s answer- if its from restaurants then yes but if its straight outta the can then no

what colour socks do you usually wear? i have a couple of funky pairs to mix it up but usually just white/grey/black solid colours

do you ever drive above the speed limit? despite having my learners for almost five years i still don’t know how to drive so no

what terrifies you? people secretly thinking i’m super annoying and clingy

look to your left, what do you see? my friend’s super cute watermelon rug

what chore do you hate most? one of the best think about college is less household chores but in general probably cleaning the bathroom

what do you think of when you hear an Australian accent? peachprc accent (actually im aussie so. not much.) (also ash your answer to this is so funny i don’t think i’ve said crikey unironically in my entire life)

what’s your favourite soda? i don’t have soft drink a lot but probably sprite

do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? drive thru for sure

what’s your favourite number? 8

mysterious deleted question

favourite cut of beef? i don’t really have an opinion on this but probably tenderloin?

last song you listened to? groceries by mallrat

last book you read? not this reminding me i haven’t read in way too long i think it was the murderbot diaries series by martha wells (would recommend)

favourite day of the week? probably friday (hey ash why is yours wednesday)

can you say the alphabet backwards? nope :( i could do it for a hot second at ten years old because we had to learn it on our year five camp but promptly forgot it (which im a bit sad abt bc sounds like a cool party trick)

how do you like your coffee? if i’m getting it from a cafe then a latte but if im making it myself then black with a bit of milk

favourite pair of shoes? my favourite ones i own are my black docs that reflect iridescent rainbow whenever the light hits them and they’re super cool but i haven’t broken them in yet so can’t wear them :(

time you normally get up? if i have work then 8am but otherwise it’s anyones bet (usually before 11 but really who knows)

what do you prefer, sunrise or sunsets? sunsets (mainly bc they’re the only ones i see unless i stay up all night)

how many blankets on your bed? two!

describe your kitchen plates? the ones i have at college are like blue and white patterned? idk how to describe them

describe your kitchen at the moment? again at college so a bit difficult!!

do you have a favourite alcoholic drink? i’m a big red wine fan so probably that (only if it’s nice though otherwise i’ll usually drink ciders)

do you play cards? does go fish count?

what colour is your car? refer to #23 (pls no judgement for me being 21 and not having my licence shksdkjs)

can you change a tire? nope!

your favourite state? i’m just going to take this as australia since i don’t know USA states very well and say victoria because it’s where i’m from and i love it (mainly for how cool melbourne is tho)

favourite job you’ve had? probably my current job! i do fundraising for some really great causes and i love it

tagging: @jordaneberle @lajnias @korpisolid @ijustlovehockey and anyone else who wants to do it!! (but also feel free to not because this is defs a long one)

#no pressure at all to do it!!!#this was a good way to even further procrastinate the essay which is due in 7 hours #wish me luck lol #thanks again for tagging me!!!#ask games #about me

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theweeklychronicles · 4 years

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Why Racists Don’t Deserve to Watch the Great Game of Rugby League

Firstly, hear me out. I know it sounds harsh, but there is a huge contradiction present in the Rugby League community where so-called fans still seem to have this racist mentality, yet follow our great game full of multiculturalism, talent and pride amongst its athletes. The NRL as an organisation does so much to promote an inclusive culture free of bullying, domestic violence, pride and cultural acceptance and representation within the sport, and I like to think they do a pretty good job. However, for some reason in 2020, where we have seen so much change in the world and sport alone when it comes to racism, it is still a problem.

Particularly in Australia, we have not been shy of controversy within sport, which we have a supposed “pride and nationalism” in. Take these examples:

1996. Hazem el-Masri makes his debut as Australia’s first Muslim Rugby League player. Throughout the 2000s, he was subject to a lot of racism through (unrelated, mind you) events such as the Bali Bombings, Salary Cap scandal, Cronulla Riots and yet he remained graceful and tact through these times where he was unfairly chastised in both the fandom of NRL as well as negative press by the media.

2010, the year which Timana Tahu withdrew from the State of Origin after reportedly hearing Andrew Johns call Greg Inglis a “Bl*** C***”. Not only had Tahu walked out in protest and spoke publicly of the issue, but Johns was also pressured to resign as the NSW coach.

2013, the year when Adam Goodes became more vocal in his addressing of issues of racism in Aussie sport and was met with the “Booing Saga” which followed him in the crowd at his subsequent AFL matches. The year a 13-year old yelled out an insult to him from the crowd and caused a media uproar. Who was forced to retire in 2015 due to having time away from the game to deal with these issues which unfairly pummelled him and overshadowed his career.

2019. Latrell Mitchell cops an on-slew of abuse on social media from trolls which almost pushes him out of the game. He bravely stands up and helps push the #RacismStopsWithMe movement after Mitchell became sick of the casual racism which fans continue to think is okay.

Now, these are only four examples in Australian sport of some of our greatest stars having to withstand the toxicity which remains in our crowds and sporting fans. But quite simply, if you’re going to be racist, you don’t deserve to watch Rugby League. You are not a fan.

- 12% of our NRL players in first grade are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island background.

- 24% of our Australian Kangaroos side have Indigenous backgrounds.

- Did you know, over 45% of the NRL is made up of players with Polynesian heritage? That’s almost 1 in 2 top graders.

- 116 countries are the birthplaces of our first-grade athletes, whose parents come from 144 countries around the globe.

The NRL Indigenous Round is one way the NRL has dedicated space to recognise the contributions of our Indigenous brothers and sisters to our game, both on and off the field. It’s also a time the NRL can highlight some key social issues Indigenous people face and how we as a community can work to change them.

Recently with the Black Lives Matter movement reaching our shores from the USA, we have seen players such as Blake Ferguson, Adam Reynolds, Josh Mansour and Cody Walker take lead in bringing this passion to our football fields to recognise the role multiculturalism has in our great game. These players are just one example of individual-lead actions taken to create a more inclusive environment for all, and it wasn’t even some PR stunt organised by the NRL, but choices made by the players themselves to help stamp out hate in the community.

I am hoping that if you’re still reading this, you understand why I wanted you to hear me out on why I don’t think racists are entitled to watch the beautiful game of rugby league when their behaviour does not stand with the values and ethos set by the NRL and its players. It is hypocritical to be calling your idols racist remarks or casually slandering other players because of their difference to you.

This was not meant to individually target anyone, but I just hope that talking about racism and multiculturalism right now while we celebrate the Indigenous round can help highlight why this time is so special to recognise the achievements and contributions which our Indigenous brothers and sisters have made.

Let’s just celebrate the game for what it is, a melting pot of talent and culture that can keep us crowds and fans in awe of the abilities these athletes replicate week in and week out for their fans, and their fellow teammates. NRL players should be able to stand tall for their beliefs, cultures and values freely without any unwarranted abuse or attacks, and hopefully one day soon, we will get there!

Photo credit: NRL

Statistics: NRL

#nrl #blacklivesmatter #racism #indigenous #indigenousround

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scarletrose333-blog · 5 years

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Aussie Politics: The Best Joke We Ever Came Up With

Reaching one’s eighteenth birthday is a milestone. You’ve either finished school, or you’re getting very close. You’re probably about to start University, or maybe an apprenticeship. A gap year, perhaps? Who knows?

From eighteen onwards, everything is a new experience. Every journey is new and exciting, or hard, but enlightening. This is where your official ‘adulting’ begins. So, as I reached my eighteenth year and celebrated with friends, I couldn’t help but think of what being an eighteen-year-old in Australia really means. The ability to drink (well, legally anyway)? True, very true. Open a bank account in my name and, more importantly, getting my own debit card? True, and positively amazing. Legally being able to leave home? Again, very true. But the ability to vote? Um… let me get back to you on that.

You see, for those of my fellow human beings across the sea, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but a bit over six months ago in Australia, we had a change of Prime Minister. No, he was not voted in via an election (not by the Australian people, anyway). And no… we’re not really all that concerned either. This kind of sheer madness and indecision? It’s happened before. Back in 2015, during the fine spring month of September, Malcom Turnbull—the guy that just got kicked out and replaced by current Prime Minister, Scott Morrison—overthrew Tony Abbot as the leader of the liberal party.

A Machiavellian play (or, more appropriately, a Shakespearean comedy. I’m thinking along the lines of the group of artisans from A Midsummer Night’s Dream) would be given a run for its money when compared to the ridiculous scandals and intrigue of the Australian Government. We’ve had married men (yes, children and all) with mistresses (and using tax payers’ money to do so), mining scandals, changes in prime minster, and, most recently, cringy adds for the lead up to the 2019 election, the award for the worst of which, going to Clive Palmer.

“Let’s make Australia great again,” he claims after a clearly scripted rant about keeping coal in Australia. I’m unsure as to whether or not Clive knows that he’s stealing that line from another famous political figure. This time, in America. But, while it may have worked for Donald Trump (I mean, I guess he’s still in the White House for some reason, right?), it just makes dear, old Clive seem rather—well… to be blatant—stupid. Not once did he take his eyes off the camera during the ad, not once did he pause for breath. Not once did he sound even remotely believable. He did, however, provide some entertainment and disbelief for my little sister and I. Even she, at the ripe old age of fifteen, shook her head. “You can tell he’s reading off a script,” she’d said. And let’s not forget how he used a parody of Twisted Sister’s We’re Not Gonna Take It, changing the lyrics to ‘Australia’s not gonna cop it’, which wouldn’t be so bad, if he’d asked for permission from the band first… and if they’d said ‘yes’.

As ludicrous as it may sound to you, this is the truth of Australian politics. Changes in government, intrigue and scandals, and let’s not forget past political figures trying to crawl their way back up from the walk of shame. The latter is actually my favourite: when someone screws up so royally in politics, disappears for a few years, and then magically reappears a year or two before an election. I’ve heard talk of Tony Abbot returning, and, clearly, even after he lost the support (and trust) of voters after the mining scandal, Clive Palmer’s still trying to make his dream of becoming prime minister a reality. The only politician smart enough to stay out of politics once their career went up in flames (so far as I’ve heard anyway, but it could change) is Julia Gillard. Yes, the carbon tax was unpopular, yes, I didn’t miss the ‘ditch the witch’ posters in my hometown, and yes, she was also the first female prime minister. However, even if her political career failed, at least she was smart enough to leave politics, and not (as of yet) return. Points for Julia there. She had enough brains to realise a sinking boat when she saw one.

Other political figures? Yeah, not so much. Apparently, it’s not over till the fat lady sings (and if this is the literal case, I’m not averse to the idea of climbing onto the roof of my house and giving the suburbs of Brisbane a riveting rendition of Frozen’s Let It Go—but with permission from Disney first, of course).

Humour aside though, how does the latest batch of Australian eighteen-year-olds help decide for the future of their country? If I’m being perfectly honest, I don’t particularly like any of the current politicians. They claim to have different policies. They say they’re all unique. They tell us they’re fighting the good fight, but, at the end of the day, they all sound exactly the same. They tell us the same lies, give us all the same false hopes, and then tear it all to shreds once we face the shocking reality that the word politician means nothing more than ‘professional liar’ (and yes, for any fans of Green Lantern: The Animated Series, I did just quote the definition Hal Jordan gives to describe the politicians of earth). So, in light of this revelation, I’m seriously considering drawing a little box at the bottom of the ballot paper and writing ‘I don’t like any of them’ at the bottom. And then, I’m going to put a little ‘one’ in the box, because I genuinely, whole-heartedly, don’t like any of the current politicians in my country. It’s no wonder that most Australians care more about the outcome of the AFL grand final or the State of Origin, rather than the election results. At least footballers can (usually) be counted upon to pull their heads in and finish the game, unlike the sloppy, unfinished (or perhaps ‘work in progress’) effort that is Australia’s NBN.

So, to summarise? To conclude? To give a final call to action? I give a message to Australian politicians, one that will probably go unheard. A cry amongst a million others, lost in a sea of disappointment. To them, I say this: pull your heads in and stop thinking about your $200,000 salary when some of your people are living on so much less (about $20,000-$30,000). Start doing your job and earning the money we pay you to run the country. Democracy is for the people, by the people, right? So, I guess we’re kind of like your bosses? Well, your bosses are unhappy with you. So, stop arguing like little children and fix it.

—Sincerely. Scarlet Rose.

#auspol #18 #politics #irony #sarcasm #biggestfreakingjokeever

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radramblog · 3 years

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Of jabs and jerseys

Dateline, right fucking now: There are two major things going right now. Number one: I have finally received my second COVID vaccine. Number two: The Australian Football League Grand Final is on.

These two things are interacting in a strange way.

I was led to believe that the second Pfizer vaccine hits you harder than the first one. I was also in an awkward situation where I didn’t quite know how hard the first one hit me. One of the biggest side effects, I understand, is fatigue- however, the morning before the jab, I had been up early for a delivery shift at work, and as such was both tired from having already been up since 4 in the morning and also physically tired from the mass box lifting said shift involved. I don’t know how tired the vaccine made me, so I don’t have a point of reference for that side effect- it did make my arm quite sore, though.

That was 23 days ago. I managed to get my second vaccine shot booked almost as soon as possible, having had it literally yesterday. I sure didn’t get tired, but my arm hurts like a bitch.

And so, the AFL grand final. It’s not something I really care about- neither team I give half a shit about is involved, and I don’t follow those most of the time anyway, so it’s wasn’t really on my radar. Interestingly, it does seem to have gotten my mum excited, which is odd considering she’s typically full stereotype when it comes to complaining when dad puts the footy on. If I had to guess, it’d be because one of the teams participating is the Melbourne Demons, her brother’s team of choice.

The other notable thing about this grand final is that it’s here. As in, it’s being played here in Perth, whereas typically the game is played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground regardless of which teams are in it. Turns out that isn’t a particularly practical idea mid-pandemic, especially as Victoria keeps getting worse. They did it in Brisbane last year, but there was a big push to bring it over west for once- I’m not entirely sure why, frankly, considering its not like we can get tourist dollars for the game right now, but it was hard not to get swept up in that fervor. This whole thing has upsides- a band I quite like, Birds of Tokyo, is playing at halftime, and that’s sick as hell- but the downsides are where these disparate things come together.

I have work tonight. It was already going to be busy, it’s a Saturday night, but the game is going to make it worse. My store isn’t super far from the stadium (though there’s at least a fair few kilometres and another store to blunt the blow), but it’s not that particular outflow I’m worried about. No, everyone’s going to be out at the pub, or getting together with mates, or going to afterparties, and so people are going to be wanting fast food late at night. Which makes us busier. And I was hoping that the vaccine would knock me on my ass hard enough that I could feasibly call in sick, seeing as I forgot to actually pick the day as unavailable. But alas, I’m not down bad enough to justify that, my sore arm both a reminder of my failure to convert and of the gruelling shift awaiting me.

In essence, I haven’t been unlucky enough to be lucky. Demons are doing pretty well, though. I guess we’ll see how well that comment ages.

#ramble #honestly this is just me whining sorry

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crossroadsdiner · 6 years

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“hi, I’m not from the US” ask set

given how Americanized this site is, it’s important to celebrate all our countries and nationalities - with all their quirks and vices and ridiculousness, and all that might seem strange to outsiders.

@princessofshadow said they were interested in my answers to most of these, so here are the applicable ones.

1. favourite place in your country?

Oh wow. That’s hard. I actually think my favourite place is Adelong Falls. Its just a small series of falls and swimming holes at an old gold mine site near my home town. I’ve done some archaeology work there but I really just find it a very relaxing place.

2. do you prefer spending your holidays in your country or travel abroad?

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to afford to travel at all? Its much cheaper to travel within Australia. Since we’re so far from everywhere its very expensive to travel. Especially abroad.

3. does your country have access to sea?

You know what? I think we do.

4. favourite dish specific for your country?

Ooh. Australia doesn’t have many unique dishes, I don’t think. An actual proper mince meat pie. America doesn’t do the mince right, I know that much. Kangaroo snags (sausages) are pretty good.

8. do you get confused with other nationalities? if so, which ones and by whom?

I have a more polished Aussie accent so some people think I’m English but not too often.

11. favourite native writer/poet?

Melina Marchetta is my favourite Australian author but for native authors, I like Anita Heiss.

13. does your country (or family) have any specific superstitions or traditions that might seem strange to outsiders?

I had someone comment that it was crazy that we sometimes leave beer out for Santa instead of milk and cookies. Its not a common tradition because we don’t really do milk and cookies for Santa, but its more likely to be beer.

I’m afraid of the willie wagtail because its an omen of death and I used to see them “dance” where I later got hit by a truck so...

14. do you enjoy your country’s cinema and/or TV?

Australian cinema and television is actually really good. Everyone should see Rabbit Proof Fence and Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Other great Aussie flicks are Mad Max, the Babadook, the Dressmaker, the Sapphires, Muriel’s Wedding and a bajillion others.

15. a saying, joke, or hermetic meme that only people from your country will get?

I once said “Lets fang it to Maccas for smoko” and confused a bunch of foreigners. It just means lets hurry to Mcdonalds for our lunch break.

Initially I had Rowan kill his father with a “king-hit” but it turns out no one outside of Australia knows what that means. Its a one hit punch to knock someone out or kill them. We had a huge problem in Sydney with people being killed by getting king-hit so everyone collectively decided to start referring to it as a coward punch.

16. which stereotype about your country you hate the most and which one you somewhat agree with?

We don’t use the word shrimp. We say prawns so we put prawns on the barbie. But only if you live near the coast where you can get them fresh and only the day before bin day because otherwise the heads stink everything up really quick.

Casual swearing is definitely a real thing. You’d call your good mate a c*** to their face but if addressing someone you hate they’d be sir. For example, say I liked the Prime Minister and met him, I might call him “A good c***” when I shake his hand. If I hate him, he’d “sir.”

17. are you interested in your country’s history?

Australia has a really interesting history but its taught to us in such a boring way as children that no one ever wants to know about it. I love Aussie history though. Feel free to ask me about it.

19. do you like your country’s flag and/or emblem? what about the national anthem?

The flag is a Commonwealth wank. The national anthem sucks ass but has a really nice message. I love the second verse.

20. which sport is The Sport in your country?

Oooh. Depends on where you live. Cricket is big. AFL, Australian Football League, is a sport unique to Australia so its big.

21. if you could send two things from your country into space, what would they be?

Send Pauline Hanson so we can be rid of her. Peter Dutton too.

22. what makes you proud about your country? what makes you ashamed?

Our asylum seeker policy makes me ashamed. I’m proud of our medicare system and gun control.

23. which alcoholic beverage is the favoured one in your country?

Beer? Beer. Craft beer is getting popular but mostly favourite beer depends on location. Like, XXXX for Queensland. VB or Melbourne Bitters for Victoria.

24. what other nation is joked about most often in your country?

America because wtf?

26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal?

Urgh. Its so wrong. That’s not... that’s not right.

27. favourite national celebrity?

Deborah Mailman, Geoffrey Rush and, of course, Hugo Weaving.

28. does your country have a lot of lakes, mountains, rivers? do you have favourites?

Ha. Ha. Ha. We... no. We don’t. My favourite river is the Murrumbidgee, though.

29. does your region/city have a beef with another place in your country?

North Canberra and South Canberra have beef with each other. Typical Northside verse Southside.

30. do you have people of different nationalities in your family?

My dad is the child of post war migrants so he’s Dutch-Australian. My mum’s family are all convict stock, we think, but there were too many illegitimate children to properly trace the history.

#mun meme

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oliverphisher · 4 years

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Cathryn Hein

Cathryn Hein is a best-selling author of rural romance and romantic adventure novels, a Romance Writers of Australia Romantic Book of the Year finalist, and a regular Australian Romance Reader Awards finalist.

A South Australian country girl by birth, she loves nothing more than a rugged rural hero who’s as good with his heart as he is with his hands, which is probably why she writes them! Her romances are warm and emotional, and feature themes that don’t flinch from the tougher side of life but are often happily tempered by the antics of naughty animals. Her aim is to make you smile, sigh, and perhaps sniffle a little, but most of all feel wonderful.

Rocking Horse Hill (A Levenham Love Story Book 1) By Cathryn Hein Buy on Amazon

Cathryn lives Newcastle, Australia with her partner of many years, Jim. When she’s not writing, she plays golf (ineptly), cooks (well), and in football season barracks (rowdily) for her beloved Sydney Swans AFL team.

Cathryn’s latest release is EDDIE AND THE SHOW QUEEN, book five in her popular Levenham Love Story series.

What are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?

Riders By Jilly Cooper OBE

Riders by Jilly Cooper

What an eye-opener this book was. All those horses! All that upper-class naughtiness! That promiscuous but oh-so-sexy cad Rupert Campbell-Black! It was Riders and Cooper’s other early books that had me on a desperate hunt for Australian equivalents but, sadly, I could find none. I knew then that I would have to write my own, so it was a bit of a shock to discover my stories turned out nothing like Cooper’s.

A Place In The Hills By Michelle Paver

A Place in the Hills by Michelle Paver

It was probably more a combination of reads (see above), but I suspect this book is the one that cemented my desire to write romance. Everything about it is romantic, from the opening line, “It was noon on the Day of Blood when he first saw her” to the south of France setting, the forbidden love of both the historical and contemporary characters, and the kántharos - or chalice, that binds them all.

What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)?

I signed up for Dragon Anywhere, a dictation software that I can use on my phone or tablet and works as long as I have an internet connection. It’s $20 a month and such a handy thing. I can dictate at home or when I’m out and about, and it’s quicker than note-taking or typing. Once I’ve relayed the words, I just tell the app to email the document to me. Easy.

There is a learning curve with dictation but the more you do it the easier it becomes. My goal is to write the first draft of an entire novel with it. So far, I’ve only managed the occasional chapter, and notes and blog posts. I’ll get there though.

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?

It reminded me why I write – because it brings me joy.

One of the books I’m most proud of is Wayward Heart and I wrote that just for me. It wasn’t contracted and I was resigned that it was unlikely to appeal to a publisher if I did shop it, which meant there was absolutely no pressure during its creation. I could make it whatever I wanted. So I did.

I love that book. It was written with absolute delight and I think that shows in the finished story. Wayward Heart was picked up by Harlequin Harper Collins and is loved by readers too.

Are there any quotes you think of often or live your life by?

I’m going to go with an oft-quoted one, which I think belongs to Nora Roberts – you can’t edit a blank page. Because it’s true, you can’t. Even the worst day’s writing can be turned around.

My process is to edit as I go, which means I’m always rewriting. Some days getting that raw page down can be incredibly hard (other days it can pour out fast and near-perfect – if only there were more of those… sigh). The words will be awful and wrong and the doubt-demon on my shoulder will start sniggering and telling me how terrible I am, and I’ll wonder why I’m bothering. Then tomorrow will see me picking up those raw bones and rewriting them into something good.

I love that part of the process. Mind you, I’d love it even better if the words came out right the first time but you can’t have everything!

What is one of the best investments in a writing resource you’ve ever made?

My workstation. I love this desk, although in some ways it’s been a lot of trouble. I bought it when I was working on my second contracted book, Heart of the Valley. It’s a commercial corner workstation with loads of space that I can sprawl my stuff over and lets me keep important things like my notes and diary, and collection of fountain pens and books close at hand.

It’s been trouble because with my partner being in the military we moved house a lot and it’s not only big but an awkward shape, and not designed to be pulled apart. Getting it into its current position took some serious manoeuvring and resulted in a couple of wall dings. Worth it though.

What is an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love?

I’m not sure this is particularly unusual, but I do like to have a theme song for each book. If I can find the right song, I’ll play it on a loop over and over, across the day until it fades into the background and I barely notice it.

What happens then is that the songbecomes so entrenched with writing the story that hearing it acts as a trigger. I hit ‘play’ and am immediately thrust into the story’s world again.

The biggest hassle is finding the right song, with the right feel.

In the last five years, what new belief, behaviour, or habit has most improved your life?

I walk a lot. Being a keen golfer, I tend to walk a fair bit anyway but about three or so years ago I developed an eye condition that stopped me driving and forced me to walk more. Walking time makes for fantastic thinking time.

Want to solve a plot problem? Go for a walk. Or have a shower. That works brilliantly too.

What advice would you give to a smart, driven aspiring author? What advice should they ignore?

I’ve never prescribed to the “write every day” school. I do write most days, but I don’t get het up if I don’t. That doesn’t mean I don’t think about writing or my storieson a daily basis. If I’m in the middle of a book, I’m thinking about that baby all the time, sometimes to the point of obsession. But writing every single day? Nah.

I treat writing like a job because it is my job, and take weekends off. Although I do tend to do admin type stuff and write blogs on weekend mornings.

As for what advice I’d give... Finish your stories.

Every book you write will teach you something – even if it’s not what to do. Don’t fret over those words being wasted because they won’t be. Some will go the high-jump, sure, but you’ll probably find yourself later mining those stories for gems. You might steal back a character, a dramatic scene, or a setting. Maybe you’ll recycle the premise but approach it in a different way.

I think I wrote six full-length novels before I was first contracted, and every one of those books have been raided and had parts of them recycled in some form since.

In the last five years, what have you become better at saying no to (distractions, invitations, etc.)?

I really want to say I’m better at limiting my time on social media but that would be a big fat fib. I’m trying though and I’m much better at scheduling now, which helps a lot.

Social media is an excellent way of keeping in touch with your readers and the writing community. It can also be a massive time suck and distraction from writing.

What marketing tactics should authors avoid?

I’m not sure I’d rule out anything specifically. Market according to your goals and target audience. Try things out. Make mistakes and learn from them. Although please, please do not be one of those people who friend or follow a person on social media, then once that person has friended or followed you back, you immediately reply with a ‘here’s my book’ message. Urgh. Even the thought makes me shudder. It’s stupid and rude and just about guarantees that person won’t touch your book.

What new realizations and/or approaches have helped you achieve your goals?

Readers don’t care who the publisher is. They just want your next book. Understanding that has allowed me to embrace self-publishing, in addition to releasing traditionally. Self-publishing means I can release more books for my readers in all sorts of lengths and formats. What fun!

When you feel overwhelmed or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do?

Walk. Take a shower. Or go and do something completely different, preferably something mundane or mind-numbing, like doing the dishes. It clears your head and lets creativity flow again.

If it’s a particularly stubborn or difficult issue, I book a get-together with my writer buddies so we can talk the problem through. Writer buddies are gold. I don’t know what I’d do without them.

Any other tips?

Make friends with other writers. Loved ones can be supportive, of course, but only writers truly understand the quirks of this weird life. They can empathise when you’re in knots over horror revisions or the bad cover the publisher wants you to accept or the scene you’ve ground to a halt over. And they can cheer with you and know how truly amazing it is when you’ve achieved something magical, like finished a book or reached a best-seller list or solved a thorny plot problem.

________

Enjoyed this Q&A? Want to discuss in more depth? Join Community Writers. You'll get access to 100+ exclusive writing tips. Q&As with successful authors, an exclusive ebook on building an audience and much more. Sign-up for free as a community writer here

source https://www.thecommunitywriter.com/blog/cathryn-hein

#Writing WriteMotivation WritingAdvice

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davewakeman · 4 years

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Talking Tickets--8 May 2020: Refunds! Social Seating! Strategy! More!

Hey There!

Thanks for being here again this week. If you are enjoying this newsletter, tell your friends and colleagues to sign up by visiting this link.

What a week?!

How’s everyone doing?

Everyone hanging in there?

Let me know. I read a piece on the mental health crisis that is developing in tandem with the public health crisis and it shakes me to consider how much pain folks might be facing, alone.

Join me and my buddy, Ken Troupe, for a happy hour this evening at 5 PM EDT. We’ve switched our platform and protocol to make sure folks can get in and to add a layer of security in case we have anybody try and disrupt the meeting.

If you haven’t had the chance to check out our Slack Community yet…do it!

To the tickets!

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1. Are We Thinking About What Comes Next In The Right Way?

This week, the big news has been coming up about plans to return and what events will look like in the future.

I don’t know about you, but if I see one more far fetched social distance seating plan…

This week I’ve been reading a book called A More Beautiful Question and it talks about questions being more valuable than ever in modern life. If you’ve had the chance to work with me or hear me speak, you know that I love to talk about my questions and that I often use questions to reframe and reflect on the ideas that “everyone knows to be true” or to rethink “the way we’ve always done it.”

Of course, I link to a piece I wrote at the top and I don’t usually do that, but in this case, as I’ve been watching things shake out around the world, I continue to be struck by the idea that if we aren’t careful, the industry comes out of this mess worse off, not better off, than when we went into it.

If you look at the history of pandemics and financial crises, you’ll see that more things stay the same than things that change. I’ve been following along with Scott Galloway and Kara Swisher on their podcast, Pivot. Scott and Kara have been consistently talking about the way that this crisis is not going to radically change things but will accelerate trends that were already taking place in the market.

Hey…they didn’t steal the idea from me, I stole it from Peter Drucker.

But that’s the reality of what we are dealing with. In rushing to get things back to normal, we are likely setting ourselves up for longer-term pain because we aren’t addressing the underlying issues that were already evident before the pandemic like poor marketing, pricing that priced out huge segments of the population, technology that doesn’t always meet the demands of modern consumers, and many more.

So when I started thinking on that topic this week, I came around to the idea that maybe we aren’t asking the right questions and I don’t know how much bigger a crisis you need to get you to approach your business from a new angle?!

The truth is that we don’t really know when we will be able to readily get back to holding events because the science behind what needs to be in place to safely open isn’t certain. The idea that Congress is going to give folks a waiver to protect businesses from people getting sick is pretty sick in its own way.

I understand there are psychological aspects to the desire to plow ahead with ideas on reopening, but I just hope that folks aren’t using these ideas to hide from a more balanced and thoughtful approach to what comes next.

Maybe I’m wrong, but let me know what y’all are thinking.

2. Refunds and Such Only Get More Attention:

Some screenshots started popping up this week, showing that StubHub has been locking folks’ accounts if they initiated chargebacks for tickets to events that were delayed, canceled, or postponed.

Well! Well! Well!

Bold move! I guess you can do whatever you want, but this isn’t a move I would make.

StubHub isn’t alone in catching heat either with Ticketmaster getting pushback, SeatGeek having a lawsuit filed against them, and pretty much folks all over the place complaining about refund and exchange policies.

To put my personal experience into play here, I have tickets to some Wilco shows and some Pearl Jam shows that have either been postponed or are iffy. I’m cool with the tickets to the new shows unless I’m traveling for business.

But I’ve been talking to a lot of folks inside and outside of the industry, and the way some folks are approaching this is: We will do the least required and other folks are taking the tact that “our fans and customers need the money more than we do right now.”

This whole scenario as it plays out highlights a few things that we should be conscious of and are also part of the reason I led with asking the right question:

1. Are we in business to build long-term relationships with our fans and customers? 2. If we hold people’s money now, what’s the long-term impact on our ability to have customers trust us in the future? 3. How can we do a better job of risk management and financial management in the future to help cover unexpected events?

I could go on all day with these questions…but the reality is that the refund and exchange policies that are being rolled out aren’t doing folks a lot of favors, minus the NFL.

If this were a PR battle alone, I think we could all figure out a way to overcome the messaging war.

But the larger issue it highlights is how fragile the business of tickets, sports, and entertainment is and it should elevate a lot of these core discussions because it doesn’t seem wise to just rush back to the same 0ld, same old…in fact, it seems downright dangerous.

3. Bailing out the arts and entertainment:

In the UK, members of the House of Lords are calling for a bailout of the performing arts.

When we were early in the pandemic, the NATB was one of the organizations calling for some support to folks in the world of tickets.

And, the Australian government pledged money to support the entertainment industry.

The response of governments around the world has been varied, understandably. Because even in normal times, the support that the arts and entertainment receive varies depending on many factors.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been keeping an eye on the conversation around Rugby Australia.

Right now, we are seeing the struggles to get Broadway reopened. The Bundesliga’s return was pushed back to May 22 after originally being slated for 15 May.

The thing is that concerts, events, and a whole summer is likely to be wiped out, if not completely, almost completely.

The We Will Recover initiative put together by the folks at Activity Stream, along with efforts like Rescue Meet being organized by Eric Fuller, and several other trade efforts are all being designed as industry efforts to help rescue and rebuild the industry, but when a vital part of the economy, social and mental part of the economy, and spiritual wellbeing of the community is under such dire threat, government support and intervention is likely warranted.

The form of that assistance is likely to vary from country to country, but if any organization or group is looking to lobby their government for assistance, let me know. I’d be grateful to use my experience organizing political campaigns in NYC and messaging in a presidential election to this effort.

4. How will we deal with the financial impact of the loss of events is a serious concern:

ESPN reported that the loss of revenue due to the shutdown of sports could reach $12B in the United States. To quote my friend, Derek Palmer, “that’s a number.”

No one is immune.

Everyone is struggling with how to get games and events going again. I’m looking at what is going on in Israel where they are going to restart on May 30 with isolation for teams at home between matches. The Israeli league recognizes that there are dangers with starting up and that there is a distinct possibility that the league could find itself shutting down again due to a fresh outbreak of the disease.

The reality is that the financial impact on the industry, globally, is going to be massive…even in a best-case scenario.

There are various plans and ideas about getting some semblance of a season going for a lot of sports due to the need for clubs and leagues to collect their TV rights monies.

But the realization is coming into focus that even with the TV money, a lot of sports businesses are still going to be in trouble.

The challenge of revenues is going to touch buildings and businesses around the globe as concerts and productions are pushed into 2021 and 2022, for now. This is before we even know what could happen with a Wave 2 of the coronavirus or what needs and demands are put in place to ensure that people’s health is protected.

As we see with the AFL’s strong media numbers from the past month, attention is great, but the bigger question isn’t whether or not folks are giving you their eyeballs because in this situation….it is much more important that people give you their money.

So we have to think through ways to help generate revenue due to the attention that folks are giving us.

Megan Maurice wrote about how these events bind us together and give us a common touchpoint, a sense of identity. She’s absolutely right. I think back on the Capitals run to the Stanley Cup two seasons back and how I’d never really felt a real strong connection to anything DC until that point…coming out of the pandemic, my hope is that we all find ways to come together like that around sports and entertainment again.

And, that this coming together leads to better ways of connecting with fans, growing a sustainable fan base, and generating money.

Impressions, engagement, likes, and the lot have always been BS measures of success.

Coming out of such a huge challenge to our business models, the only path forward is going to be more creative, more customer-focused, and more focused on the meaningful over the easily measured.

5. Some random things that didn’t fit into a story but are fun to share:

The New Jersey Devils are starting up healthcare workers plan to get tickets to healthcare workers at a nearby medical facility. This is great and I hope that healthcare workers aren’t easily forgotten at the end of this pandemic.

In Australia, it is interesting to watch the NRL and the AFL take different approaches to return to action. A few things that stand out for attention is the power of money, how having controllable assets is helpful, and to think about how this will play out with a potential second wave of the coronavirus in North America in the fall since the southern hemisphere is in fall and heading to winter.

Tom Cruise is going to space! I mean, I love the Mission: Impossible movies. But if one goes to space! OMG! I’m going to the theatres ASAP for that!

Y’all know I went to the University of Alabama, right? Here’s a great interview with Alabama men’s basketball coach, Nate Oats talking about his day shadowing Nick Saban.

One of the publications I definitely want to write for at some point is The Stage. And, the importance of the publication is more pronounced in the times of the coronavirus.

I don’t know if A-Rod and JLo are really serious about buying the Mets, but as a Mets’ fan, the idea is interesting to think about. I mean, I have documents and plans for how to regrow the Mets’ fan base and business that I jot down and play around with all the time.

Finally, a downturn is a great time to start something new.

—————————————————————————————————————- Check out my website daily. I’ve been making sure to add a little something to my blog every day. Also, I should have a few new things dropping this week in regards to events I’ll be a part of, webinars, classes, and a few other things.

You can download some old podcast episodes and now that I’ve fixed my internet, I’m going to get back to the podcasting game.

Sign up for my masterclass on the We Will Recover website with my friend, Frederic Aouad. We are going to cover how to turn your event into a revenue-generating experience using the power of curation. We are doing 2 sessions so that if you live in Europe, you can get a session mid-day on your end and one in the North American mid-day time period as well.

Please follow and like us:

Talking Tickets–8 May 2020: Refunds! Social Seating! Strategy! More! was originally published on Wakeman Consulting Group

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tripstations · 5 years

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It’s time to stop spruiking ‘mateship’

Australia’s new tourism campaign

Tourism Australia has released it’s new campaign ‘Come Live our Philausophy’ focusing on our informal approach to life.

It must be that time of year again. Drunk people are watching horses being whipped. Instagram users are boasting about beach days. And there’s a Tourism Australia campaign that everyone hates.

This last one is a tri-annual event, when our national tourism body unveils a new set of advertisements aimed at attracting foreign tourists. This time the slogan is “Come live our philausophy”, a mind-bending play on words that must have gone through the Chinese whispers of committee meetings and focus groups about 30 times to eventually be belched out as it is.

The campaign includes billboard ads featuring various “Aussie” epithets such as “No worries”, and “A stranger is a mate you haven’t met yet”, while the video ad features real people who work in Australia’s tourism industry, spruiking our country over extended vision of sweeping landscapes and smiling faces – a formula that has a look and feel not dissimilar to the Qantas inflight safety videos (which, I’m pretty sure, is where they took their inspiration).

The big problem with Tourism Australia’s new campaign isn’t the pun ‘philausophy’.

But where the bloody hell were the marketing experts? Were they hanging out in a place where “Live our philosophy” is such a common, regular saying that you could create a pun from it? Apparently.

And so “Come live our philausophy” has joined a rich canon of Tourism Australia ad campaigns that a whole lot of media commentators and social media tub-thumpers with no expertise in marketing and no access to the relevant market research have declared a failure before it can even get off the ground.

Do Australians honestly believe that we own the concept of becoming friends with people?

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I’m not here to join that chorus. I have no idea about marketing an entire country to a worldwide market. I don’t know what the focus groups have come up with. The slogan, for all I know, might be brilliant.

The trouble is, no one ever likes Tourism Australia campaigns, mostly because we Australians are still a bit uncomfortable with how we look to the outside world. We like to think we’re modern, forward-thinking and sophisticated, whereas the rest of the world thinks we’re kangaroos, Foster’s and Crocodile Dundee. An ad pitched to those people is never going to feel good to those of us who call Australia home.

So I’m not going to bag Tourism Australia’s new marketing philausophy. Except for one thing.

According to the campaign, there are nine distinctly Australian “philausophies” for us to promote to the world. Those include generosity of spirit, a sense of adventure, optimism, a “no worries” attitude, and mateship.

Generosity of spirit is pretty dubious these days, but the one that really bugs me is mateship. Mateship? Most people haven’t even questioned its inclusion, because the concept is such an ingrained and accepted part of the Australian mythology. Australia stands for mateship. That’s what we do. We… become mates with people.

But this has always grated with me. Do Australians honestly believe that we own the concept of becoming friends with people? That we alone have the ability to form platonic, symbiotic relationships with other human beings? That we embrace our fellow man like no one else?

That’s garbage. Of course we don’t. You only have to leave Australia and travel to any other country for the barest second to realise that the entire world is pretty good at making friends as well.

Australia doesn’t own the concept of making friends with people.

And what does “mateship” even mean? Nothing about us that’s enviable or unique, that’s for sure. It’s such a bland claim as a national trait, so obvious and unimaginative.

(Although that’s kind of our style: take our national anthem, which is so full of bland claims that don’t mean anything that it might as well be an AFL team song. We’re lucky, we’re free, we’re surrounded by water. Great. Why not just say “We are the pride of Brisbane town, we wear maroon, blue and gold”?)

We don’t own mateship, and we don’t even do it a way that’s noticeably better than anyone else. Have you been to Brazil? Brazilians are fantastically warm, lovely people. When you become friends with a Brazilian, you’re friends with them for life. They’ll treat you like family forever. That’s mateship.

Or what about Scotland? I lived in Scotland for eight months or so when I was 17, and the friends I made then are friends I will never lose in my lifetime. Every time I go back to Scotland now, whether I’ve been away for one year or for 10 years, those same people invite me into their homes, they treat me like I’m one of them. Mates.

The same thing happens in the USA. In Canada. In Fiji. In South Africa. In Italy. In Portugal. I would venture to say that it happens in some form in every country in the world.

So come on Australia. Give up on this mateship business, it’s embarrassing – far more embarrassing than Foster’s or Crocodile Dundee. Let’s exchange it for something that really does make our country unique, something we can be proud to call our own: our multi-culturalism; our First Nations culture; our sun-bleached salt-kissed good nature.

That’s my philausophy.

What do you think of Tourism Australia’s new campaign? And do you think about mateship? Is this something we can really call our own, or do other countries do it as well?

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: instagram.com/bengroundwater

To subscribe to the Traveller.com.au podcast Flight of Fancy on iTunes, click here.

The post It’s time to stop spruiking ‘mateship’ appeared first on Tripstations.

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getseriouser · 5 years

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20 THOUGHTS: Bugger

FAR too many assumed we’d be having the biggest grand final in over 30 years this time last week

Half-time Friday night we all thought we’d got it wrong but alas regular programming prevailed and they then expected Saturday to be the breezier of the two prelims .

Yeah nah.

Now we have third playing sixth in a Grand Final no-one saw pre-season, mid-season, to start the finals or even last week when it was a one in four chance.

Expect the unexpected they say. And they are usually right on that.

1. Tigers just win, by five goals plus. As soon as that siren went Saturday, and thousands of male Collingwood supporters suddenly sprouted innies, thousands of Richmond fans grew really firmly in the trouser knowing it was only the expansion kids ahead of them next week now. Giants have won two games by under a kick in the dying minutes, once lucky, twice you’re kidding yourself, three times though, yeah nah.

2. Actually, lets knock out some Brownlow before getting back to the on field. Interesting year, probably the greatest field of live chances going in for some time. So much analysis available these days that someone out there will get it right but about a dozen others, whilst looking super schmick with their spreadsheets and formulas, will be way off. This column has no idea although liked Fyfe for a while. Gets 2 or 3 votes in each Dockers win. Nice platform.

3. Otherwise, three randoms to watch – Boak, Yeo and Treloar, could easily podium. And a real smokey from the clouds? James Worpel. One for the exotics.

4. Back to on field, let’s go back to Friday. Cats missed a Scott Selwood type in the midfield. Getting ahead was one thing, and they did that well to their credit. But when it got tough in the second half, when the Tigs were coming, they lacked grunt and determination like the Giants showed in the final term Saturday, to get the job done. And to be honest its plagued them since the bye too. Can look flashy, can score, but when it needs to get ugly for 15-20 mins, think back to the first half of the first final too, no dice. Kinda like when its past 2am on a Bucks night, usually phantom, usually pass out, usually Ryan Babel.

5. Alrighty, Saturday. Yikes. Wet weather clearly didn’t favour the Pies. No excuse but it mattered. Why? Well would you like to know who trained in a down pour midweek? The Giants, in their main session. Probably the best training session in that football history given the conditions that eventuated.

6. So – and thanks to Rohan Connolly for this, who I’m shamelessly stealing from – between 2008 and 2015 only one Qualifying Final winner of 18 lost a prelim final. The last four years where we’ve had a pre-Finals bye, it’s a 4-4 record. Look at the Pies, didn’t turn up until three quarter time, the Tigers at least turned up after half time. Plus last year, the Pies had no right in their matchup with the Tiges and jumped them something shocking in that first half. Might be something to it. Might not be wrong, but there’s something to it.

7. If you look at the Pies, Tigers and Giants, on balance this all looks about right. Richmond since 2017 probably deserve at least one flag and a go this weekend at a second. The Giants these last four years probably deserve a Grand Final appearance for their body of work. And Collingwood these last 18 months, a toss of the coin Grand Final result probably sits about right for them too.

8. Difference between Richmond and Collingwood? One covered their injuries a lot better and was better set up for the pointy end as a result. Injuries aren’t the reason the Pies lost Saturday or that they would have been underdogs to Richmond had they won, but it’s the reason Richmond has a better list and is likely to win a second flag in three. Case in point – Richmond’s reserves win the Grand Final a week before their Seniors probably win as well, the Collingwood reserves didn’t even make the VFL Finals.

9. Bucks getting questioned a bit in the media, ‘oh, that’s 22 years now without a flag, ho hum indeed’. Relax. On that basis we should give Bob Skilton a call, interrupt his midday movie to let him know despite his three Brownlows and everything else he means to South, his Hall of Fame Legend status is getting revoked coz he never won a flag. And that his spot will be taken by Tom Barrass instead, because he has actually won one. That Buckley hasn’t got a flag isn’t news, it might be factual but its not a story. The idea that obviously would clearly yearn for one is also factual, but not a story. Please be serious.

10. Matt De Boer was excellent on Saturday but then again the Collingwood mids weren’t requiring a tag to be kept quiet. Does he got to Dusty and try and ruffle him again like he successfully achieved last time in Sydney? Won’t matter, Martin goes forward and kicks four on him in that case. Whether Martin gets shut down in the midfield by De Boer or not won’t prevent a Tigers’ flag anyway, lets not bother about that discussion all week.

11. Norm Smith tip – no Tiger is in better nick than Shane Edwards, otherwise Bachar Houli for a little value with you preferred corporate bookmaker. But Titch onball will be as dangerous for Leon Cameron as nailing your Tinder date in Bali. You better put a clamp on that otherwise you’re in big trouble.

12. Marlion Pickett was BOG in the VFL GF yesterday. We know that the Tigs have held over Jack Ross and Kamdyn McIntosh in lieu of the incredibly-stiff Jack Graham being doubtful to get up for Saturday. But back on May 28th we said this lad, who was playing for South Fremantle four months ago “would be best 22 by year’s end”. We’ve left it late but whilst McIntosh might be the safer play, Dimma will go very close to debuting the Western-Australian in the hope his mercurial style might just be perfect for an occasion like Saturday. If he’s picked, remember where you heard it first. Or read it first, even.

13. Presume Kevin Sheedy is on standby to present the cup to Phil Davis and Leon Cameron should the Giants salute, the link to Richmond notwithstanding. The GWS best and fairest is the Kevin Sheedy medal, and unless you’re looking to Chad Cornes or Izzy Folau it has to be Sheeds. On the Tigers side, I think about Dale Weightman, otherwise Matty Knights or even Chris Newman if you want to go more recent.

14. So yes, Richmond has been the pick for a while and it remains the pick. They are beatable though. Last four games their opponents all had strong chances they didn’t take. Eagles down here, in the wet, stuffed it and lost by a kick. Brisbane the week after got spooked but did a lot right but too late. First final, Brissy again, they kick straight they’re in it up to their eyeballs and then Geelong was leading by 21 points at half time, kick straighter its over five goals and the Tigs are staring down a repeat of last year. They’re not invincible, but it was only ever going to be a hot Essendon or hot Collingwood who stood a chance this finals series. Yet the Bombers lasted as long in September as Saturday Night Rove and then the Pies made a mess of it like The Veronicas on a Qantas flight.

15. This column gets it right far more often than most and has banged on about the Clarkson-assistants theory for some time. This week’s Grand Final coaches, both ex-Hawthorn assistants. It will mean that after this weekend the last seven premierships will have been coached by Al Clarkson or one of his ex-assistants. Incredible. By this column, that is.

16. More people in Sydney watched the Giants on free to air Saturday afternoon than people in Melbourne watched the Storm on free to air that night. What do we make of that?

I love Victorian footy as much as the next Ted Whitten. This column still lapses occasionally and refers to Fitzroy instead of Brisbane, and it’s only been 20+ years. And whilst this column’s position on the Gold Coast experiment is well documented, the idea of a team in Western Sydney has always made sense to me. The population out there alone is more than Perth, Adelaide and Geelong combined.

So to see GWS successful, largely on their own merit now (Gold Coast with the same concessions stuffed it, and you didn’t see Toby Greene playing on Saturday did we), is a good thing for the comp. Leave Gold Coast and Tassie aside, mind you.

17. Speaking of Victorian footy, can we just kick the AFL reserves team out of the VFL into a legit reserves comp, and let Williamstown and Port Melbourne and Werribee actualy duke it out for a proper VFL title? Williamstown are long-storied VFA club who were looking for their 15th flag in 155 years of history. They lost to a team who sat out two of their players because they might be needed this coming weekend in a different comp. Don’t like it. Split the AFL reserves from the VFL. And the SANFL…

18. Great to see Glenelg, another historic club in this country, win its first flag in 33 years. And yes they were playing Port Adelaide, their biggest rival, but half the opposition Sunday were Port Adelaide’s reserves, not SANFL players, so it’s a similar story. Great for the Bays to get up, but let the SANFL Magpies be just that, and then Port and the Crows can have separate reserves teams playing reserves footy.

19. Speaking of Williamstown, feel for Willie Wheeler. Just a knockabout VFL footballer who had the win on his boot twice in the last term, so to lose by under a kick is devastating.

20. Still not bothered by trade chatter. It’s all glorified brainstorming and suggestion permeating from the Herald Sun lunch room. When something remotely close to an actual story emerges I’ll get interested. Until then I’ll pass on Ralphy and Sammy and Jay-Z getting far too eggplant about what boils down to guesswork or stuff they dreamt about the night before when their partner slept at her friend’s house once again.

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