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clevercatchphrase · 3 years

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2020 Year Review~

2020. Pretty unique year, don’t you think? It’s the first year since 2002 to have only two different digits in it. After 2022, this won’t happen again until 2111. Yep. Absolutely nothing more interesting than that.

Anyway! It’s time I reflect on my 2020, look back on my yearly goals and rant about things that happened to me this year. I made a post like this last year, where I went over my 2019 goals and talked about what I accomplished and what I didn’t, and it’s only fitting I do the same again this year. Read more under the cut for a random stream of consciousness ramble!

So, first things first, let’s look at my 2019 goals;

Finish paying off that last student loan

Put more stuff on my redbubble

Illustrate my own fan fics

Sew at least one stuffed animal

Make an enamel pin

Read one new book a month

Write one page a day/Complete at least one new fan fic

Learn Python or C# for the game I want to make

Finish fully scripting Ghost Switch

Boost my patreon

Paying Off My Last Student Loan: Going down the list, I am proud to say that I FINALLY paid off all my student loans! (and not a moment too soon. The last payment I made was literally days before the first quarantine rolled out). It took me roughly 4 years on my part-time paycheck to pay off all my loans, and once I finished, I had no money to my name (literally; I had less than 1k as emergency money in case of car troubles or health issues). Heck, I’m STILL living at home as a save up for a place of my own. Finally paying off all my student loans DID activate my secret 2020 new year’s resolution, which was to adopt a cat! I did this too, literally a week later! She is the best thing that’s happened to me this entire year and I love her so much and she is the snuggliest cuddle bug I’ve ever met. I’m so happy she’s in my life now~

Put More Stuff On My Redbubble: ah ha ha ha… I thought I did this, but then I went and checked, and it turns out-! I did not. I made art I intended to go on my redbubble, but haven’t put there yet. They are all drawings of some OCs from a game I want to make, but because I haven’t progressed on making the game this year, I never got around to putting more stuff related to it on my redbubble. At the time of writing, there are 7 days left in December, so I guess I could go and put it up on my redbubble right now, but without context on where the characters are from, there wouldn’t be much point, now would there?

Illustrate My Own Fan Fics: Another goal that I was so stoked to actually do… and then just didn’t. Gee, I wonder why I couldn’t find the energy or motivation to do it this year? Truly a conundrum. (Hey, you know what? If Ghost Switch counts as a fan fiction in a visual form, then I am doing GREAT on this goal. 2.5 years in, 1 of ~4 arcs done, and still going steady~)

Sew At Least One Stuffed Animal: Okay, I have a valid excuse for not doing this one. I even knew which stuffed animal I wanted to make, and had the pattern drawn out and everything, but I had no money for materials because I had just paid off my student loans. And then, by the time I did have enough money again, quarantine was in full effect and I couldn’t go out to the fabric store. I’m still trying my best to stay out of public places even if the rules are laxer now, because I don’t want to catch the plague even if everyone in my goddamn city thinks and acts like the problem is over already. Even if they’re all wearing masks, even if they’re staying 6 feet apart, I still don’t want to risk it. I will stay inside until health experts give the all clear, and when that day comes, then I will buy some fleece and make a plush.

Make An Enamel Pin: I ACTUALLY DID THIS ONE. TWICE! Halfway through quarantine, I was feeling anxious and depressed about my job and how they were planning to have me work with the public despite climbing infection rates and positive covid cases. I didn’t quit then, but in a desperate move to try and become self-sufficient, I went to madebycooper and made two enamel pins based on some butterfly dragons I drew last year. They’re on my etsy store now! I even went out of my way to open a P.O. box just to start a small business! I haven’t sold a single pin yet, and I’m actually really nervous to sell my first because I don’t trust the efficiency of the postal system thanks to the actions of the GOP that really screwed them over this year! (If you would like to see my enamel pins, click here!)

Read One Book A Month: I did this! With dragon books I bought a couple years back! In fact, I read FOURTEEN dragon books, and still have more books for next year to read! The 14 books I read this year were:

The Hive Queen

The Poison Jungle

Wings Of Fire Legends: Dragonslayer

Dealing With Dragons

Searching For Dragons

Calling on Dragons

Talking to Dragons

The Bronze Dragon Codex

The Brass Dragon Codex

The Black Dragon Codex

The Red Dragon Codex

The Silver Dragon Codex

Dragon Strike, and

Hatching Magic

To be honest, I had read The Red Dragon Codex years ago when it first came out, but completely forgotten what it was about. I remembered liking it, and I knew the reading level was on the lower side, but the whole dragon codex series was pretty good! So far, the Silver dragon codex was my favorite, and black dragon codex was probably the worst! Hatching Magic was also really slow and bad and had plot points that went nowhere, but the book was written in the 80s, so I don’t know what I expected. The Dealing with Dragons series was very charming and great for the most part, save for one line in the last book that really rubbed me the wrong way, and all the Wings of Fire Books go above and beyond in this third arc. The second legends book could be a little tighter, though (sky and wren are the best duo and I want a book solely about them, but I honest to god do not care about leaf and ivy’s stories.)

Write one Page of any story every day/ complete at least one fic: I… did this? Okay, I kinda cheated near the end of the year. I was keeping up the one page a day thing for the first four months, but then the world went to shit and my schedule and habits got disrupted and I fell off my good track record. I completed 7 out of roughly 12 one-shots I had planned for this year (my goal WAS supposed to be one short a month, but… you know how it happens) I kept trying to catch up on this goal all year, but the days kept piling up…. Until November hit. I managed to write over 250 pages for Nanowrimo, and I consider this goal a win. 365 pages of fiction in total, which averages out to about one a day~. SHUT UP IT COUNTS.

Learn Python or C# for the game I want to make: Another goal I didn’t have the mental energy to commit to this year. Truly a mystery to where all our willpower went in 2020.

Fully Finish Scripting Ghost Switch: still haven’t done this one yet! The Snowdin arc is completely planned, but I just haven’t gotten around to getting the other areas. I’m not worried, though. I know all the major plot points I gotta hit, it’s just weaving them together in a way that flows nice is the final task. I’m not too worried though. I don’t expect to finish the Snowdin arc for another year and a half, at the bare minimum.

And my last goal of 2020, Boost My Patreon. I did this at the beginning of the year, but then very intentionally stopped about a third of the way through. It didn’t sit right with me to tell you guys to donate to me when suddenly EVERYONE was financially strained from layoffs or being furloughed. I told my patrons the same, and if you ever need to stop donating to me to take care of yourself first, then by all means, please do. I would feel much better knowing you’re using your money to see yourself fed and housed instead of given to me (where it is pretty much only used to buy gas for my car, honestly)

Welp! That was all my goals for 2020! I achieved 4 out of 10 goals plus 1 secret goal! Pretty much the same ratio as last year, but now this time I can blame all my failures on the pandemic! I don’t feel so bad about myself anymore~

ON TO 2021!

I have 11 goals for the new year, again some rolled over from this list, and some from even older years. They are, in no particular order;

Read 12 new books (roughly 1 book a month)

Finish the first draft of 2019’s Nanowrimo project and rewrite it

Script TDV

Finish Scripting Ghost Switch

Build A Comic Buffer

Sew 1 Stuffed Animal

Finish 1 Song Comic

Make another Enamel Pin

Finish 2 short original comics (this one counts as 2 goals)

Finish the 5 remaining one-shot fics

Now to go into depth on each one, more for my own sake, really. I want to know exactly what I have planned for each goal this year, and sometimes just looking at a short list doesn’t capture all the smaller details.

1)Read 12 new books. Same as last year! I The only difference is I might not be able to make it all dragon-related books. (I try my hardest not to buy from amazon anymore, but half-price-books doesn’t always have the obscure stuff I’m looking for)

2)Finish 2019’s nanowrimo project. If you read my 2019 year reflection, you’ll notice I said I wanted to do some original writing. And I did! The story I wrote for nanowrimo back then was a story I’ve been toying with since 2017, but it was only last year I finally got pen to paper. Now, you may find it odd that the keyword says “finish”. You may think, “but isn’t that what you’re supposed to do for nanowrimo?” and to that I say, WRONG! I wrote 50k words for nanowrimo, but the draft was only about halfway complete. I was kinda discouraged about what I had written last year, because I didn’t like how it was coming out, but I did manage to get it half done. Now it’s time for me to bite the bullet and just finish the thing so I can finally revise it and make it into something I DO like. (It’s still gonna be hella long, tho. That’s what I get for trying to write an epic fantasy, I guess.)

3)Script TDV. TDV is the abbreviation of the game I want to make. I… still need to do so much for this project OTL… In addition to getting the story solidified, I still need to draw art and game assets, and learn how to code for it, both of which are no small task. I keep having some sort of new year’s goal related to this on my list, and every year I just don’t hit this one. Will 2021 be different?

4)Finish Scripting Ghost Switch. (Or at the very least, get the waterfall arc completely written out). I have a plan to break this down into simpler steps, by focusing on just one arc for a month or two. Every major arc has 2 to 3 parts, broken up by flashbacks, and if I can just finish one section a month, then I should have the entire thing scripted by the end of the year. It’s not a difficult pace, but seeing if I stick with it will be the real challenge, as it is will all my goals it seems.

5)Build a Comic Buffer: I’m actually working on this one right now! Since I paid off my last loan and got a new job this year, my current Patreon goals are kind of out of date. They had all been centered around me paying off that last loan, and working towards full-time employment, but those are both completed now! So instead, I would love to get to a place where my patrons could read pages at least a week ahead, and to do that, I need to build a buffer. And since I’m working 5 full days a week now, I can’t afford to fall behind. But you can’t fall behind if you constantly stay ahead! I would like to have… a 10 to 12 page buffer. That’s roughly 3 months’ worth of pages to always have on hand in case I get swamped with work, or something. Right now I currently have a buffer of 3, which will cover me for half a January, which is better than not having anything at all, but still not the best. (ultimately, I would love to have a buffer so big, I could queue them up for the whole year. Wouldn’t that be something?)

6) Sew one stuffed animal: same as last year. ASSUMING the plague gets under control in 2021, I don’t expect to get to this goal until the summer at the earliest.

7)Finish 1 song comic: I have 7 song comics planned. One is a gift, one possibly for wandersong, one is a collab that’s currently in the works, but I’m waiting on a friend to do their part before I can continue mine, 2 are UT related, and 2 (well, technically 3, but one is the collab) are KH related. It’s one of the UT ones that will probably get finished, if I’m being honest. It’s completely story boarded, and now I just need to ink and color it. I would like to get it done for UT’s 6th birthday, since I made a song comic on the fly for the anniversary this year, and it was fun, and I’d like to do it again! So, look forward to that next september~

8) Make another enamel pin: I have a dolphin design I’d like to make because dolphins are cute, if not little murder machines. (need to save up some expendable income first, tho. THESE THINGS AIN’T CHEAP TO MAKE.)

9 and 10) start and finish 2 original short comics: I’ve got some comic ideas I want to do, but I need to get them written out first. I don’t think either would be too long. Each maybe a couple “episode’s” length, if envisioned on a website like webtoons or tapas. They’d both be heavy in allegory, but not overly drawn out (hopefully)

11)And lastly, Finish the 5 remaining one-shots I had planned for this year but never got around to. I’m going to try to write one every other month. Pure self-indulgent shipping fluff. If I finish these 5, then maybe I’ll ask other people for more prompts and ideas, which I’ve never done before. We’ll see how it goes~

Also, Like last year, I’d like to look at everything that’s happened to me this year, though to be honest, I’m not sure how much I remember/how accurate it’ll be. God, I don’t even remember what January was like. Who was I back then? Who were we all back then? I guess I’ll start my yearly retrospective in march because, heh, god we ALL know what started happening in march.

Firstly, I paid off my last student loan! Then a week later on March 18th, I drove half an hour out of my city to adopt a cat and I love her and it was the best day of this year for me. Spring break is just beginning this weekend, but the attendance at the zoo is shockingly low this year. Apparently, a lot of people watch the news, and they’re all taking precautions about social distancing. I wasn’t too disappointed. Fewer people at the zoo, the easier my job is for me. I was looking forward to getting some free overtime on spring break, since I’m broke after paying off that loan, and I’m a cat parent now and have a furry child to feed. Monday rolls around. My manager calls me and tells me that the zoo is going into lockdown until further notice. I worry for the birds I take care of, but understand it’s for everyone’s safety.

For two months I sleep in and watch way too much YouTube. I join a couple writing discords. I have nightmares about my birds escaping their enclosure and I dreamed one of the security guards I really like at the zoo gets covid and has to go to the ER. I woke up really upset.

I started and finished BBS for the first time. I also replayed and finished KH2 final mix for the first time. It had been about 5 years since I last played KH2 before my PS2 died, and it was like coming home~ I also finished tearaway, and played and beat Ryme for a second time (which I can’t remember if I did that last year, but it was a fun experience regardless)

Mid-June, and I’m allowed to start going back to work, be it on reduced hours. The zoo is still closed to the public, but I’m loving it! I get to work with full-time keepers and do full-time keeper things. It’s so much fun not having to deal with the public. August starts to creep up and there’s a rumor that the zoo will be opening to the public again, which I’m not stoked about. I don’t want to go back to standing in one exhibit all day, talking to guests who don’t listen to the rules or to me. 2 of my younger coworkers (who had both only been there a couple of months) get chosen for full-time positions, while I get passed up which really pisses me off. My other 2 coworkers quit when they think we might be reopening because they cannot risk catching the virus due to at-risk family. I am now the last keeper in the interactive bird exhibit.

I keep working, the zoo slowly opens, but with me as the only interpreter in our interactive bird exhibit, we can’t open because I can’t run the entire exhibit by myself. So my exhibit stays closed. September comes and goes, and then October starts. Now there is more serious talk of opening my exhibit before the end of the year because the zoo expects to bring in larger crowds for the Christmas lights event in November/December. I ask if I get hazard pay or health insurance since I’m doing full-time hours until they hire more staff. They say no.

I immediately start searching for a new job feeling incredibly indignant/hurt/slighted/insulted/used/abused/ALL the negative feelings at my job. I had been there for 4 years, but never got a chance to work full time, while the two newest hires who had only been there 2 months both got moved up. I can’t help but feel they were holding one mistake I made two years ago against me and never wanted to give me a chance. (that, or they knew I was reliable when it came to showing up for work in such a volatile position that sees a lot of new faces, and they didn’t want to bother going through the process of hiring someone new) I don’t want to risk my life working around guests who don’t wash their hands and don’t properly distance. I don’t want to gamble with my health when they won’t offer me health insurance because I’m part time.

Mid October, I get an interview for a full time job and get hired on the spot. I peace out at the zoo 2 weeks later, literally 3 days before they planned to open my exhibit to the public. It was a close call for me to escape before they opened to the public (and pettiness was only partially the reason I dipped out so close to opening). Sorry new hires who are now in charge of the bird feeding exhibit. I taught you the best I could in the short time I had. If the managers are struggling with what to do with one less person, I can’t say I feel bad. I can only hope they delayed opening/closed you down again for your own safety. You are not lightbulbs. I really hope the higher ups stop considering you as replaceable as one. Will I go back to the zoo to visit? Probably. But not for a year at least.

I started my new job the very next day after I quit the zoo, and have been there ever since, (which isn’t that long yet, tbh. Christmas day was my 2 month anniversary). It’s full time, but it’s also a small business, and everyone’s hours this year have been on the short side due to the plague. I understand, though. They don’t want us to work if they can’t afford to pay us. Everyone is nice enough, though some people smoke and it’s hard to avoid them with how frequently we have to go in and out, and I really don’t want to get lung cancer, sorry not sorry, please and thank you. Also, with such a small team, gossip is certainly harder to go undetected, so it’s a relief knowing people don’t talk behind one another’s backs.

I participated and beat my 4th nanowrimo in a row, I made TWO apple crisps on thanksgiving, and made baklava on Christmas and both of these recipes were my first time making them, and they both came out adequately! I voted the first day of early voting, and I did an art trade/collab with two of my friends for my birthday! (normally we would have done monthly “art days” where we get together and do art projects for fun because we’re adults and we can spend our time together however we want, but the plague said otherwise this year) We drew pokemon and it was fun! (hopefully I can show you all the results soon. At the time of writing, I’m still waiting for the last two colored parts to get back to me)

I reached 100 pages on my undertale comic, and finish the first arc out of…! (im not sure. It’s either going to be 4 or 5, I haven’t decided yet)

Over all, I managed to stay healthy as far as I know. I wasn’t as productive as I wanted to be this year, but then again, who was? (don’t answer that. I don’t need that kind of comparison in my life right now)

Will 2021be any better? Honestly? I don’t think so. Not right away, at least. Just because a new year is about to start does not mean the slate is completely wiped clean. The change of the calendar year doesn’t magically make all our current problems disappear. Covid will still be here and cases will still climb when January starts. Small business will still be strained when the month rolls over, police will still go on murdering innocent civilians and getting away scot free, amazon and disney will still be monopolizing all consumer goods and media, and I can’t help but feel like there’s an impending shit show about to go down on inauguration day. I do hope things will get better, though. It’ll be arduous and unpleasant, but I do hope things will improve, because sometimes hoping is all you can do.

Good night.

#long post #new year's resolutions #year review #year retrospective

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quarterfromcanon · 4 years

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Huzzah!

for @imunbreakabledude

Thank you for the wonderful idea generators you listed in your request; every single one served to spark some element of this piece and I had such a great time putting it together. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! <3 Happy Valentine’s Day!

Word count: 3,820

Rating/content warnings: G. Mild swearing. No violence and nothing really sexual. Unless you count #archeryarms. They are quite powerful.

Relationships: Mostly general Gurl Group and co. in nature, but there may or may not be a little Rethaniel kernel planted here somewhere... ;)

Summary: Our beloved residents of West Covina take a trip north to engage in some Renaissance merriment.

Rebecca stood before the wall-length mirror and ran her fingers along the feather tucked above the brim of her hat. She adjusted the small tambourine tied to her waist and planted both hands on her hips.

"Well, fair ladies... or, should I say, RenFaire ladies, are we ready?"

A row of restroom stall latches slid aside and their doors swung wide to reveal the rest of the Gurl Group, all clad in their carefully selected costumes for the day. Rebecca bounced in place and clasped her hands under her chin.

A net beaded snood held all of Paula's beautiful red hair. An ornamental ruby brooch was fastened to the bodice of her ornate raspberry gown. She smoothed the fabric and held her head high, striking a pose.

Valencia repurposed the faux leather portion of her Bride of the Pirate King costume and fashioned it to be part of her falconer garb, complete with a Velcro wrist attachment featuring a tiny plush merlin fitted with a hood. A simple plait kept her field of vision clear with the added bonus of helping combat overheating. She twisted sideways and nodded approval at her reflection, pleased with the silhouette.

Heather had happily seized the opportunity to go as an archer, a set of garments she'd been assembling piece by piece ever since she started her continuing education class. Her hair was braided and bound together to reduce the risk of distracting strays. Many of her beloved camo greens were present in this ensemble, albeit separated into individual components of her attire. She moved to tuck her hands into her pockets, remembered that there weren't any, and instead hooked both thumbs through the belt.

The bridge of Rebecca's nose scrunched as she grinned. "Crushin' it. Fresno, here we come."

"Play us out, Cookie," Paula urged.

Rebecca scooped her lute - easily the most expensive item for her look since she had been adamant about carrying a functional instrument rather than a prop - off the countertop and strummed. Her gaze turned skyward as she left the rest stop bathroom attempting to generate lyrics on the spot.

"The countess doth my song request, I go at her courtly behest, and now I introduce four: there were none quite so resplendent, connected yet independent, trust me I'm the troubadour..."

Scott and Tommy were already waiting outside dressed as an earl and a squire, respectively. Tommy gave them all an appreciative thumbs up and Scott applauded. The latter strode over to Paula when she emerged. Scott bowed and then held out his hand. "My lady?" He gestured in the direction of their waiting minivan in an unspoken offer to escort her.

Paula smiled and accepted his outstretched palm. "Milord."

While they walked, Scott called over his shoulder. "I like the new ditty, Rebecca. Lotta info in a little time. Nice and snappy."

Rebecca waved an 'oh, stop' gesture, but she was unable to hide her delight in receiving positive feedback. "Thank you. I couldn't resist a little Danny Kaye tribute. I think it could work better if I ramp up the speed of my delivery, now that I've worked out the words."

Valencia flanked Paula on her other side and leaned in close to whisper, "What musical was she talking about?"

"No idea. It must've been before my time."

They loaded back into the vehicle, though with considerably greater difficulty given the added layers of their new outfits. Paula now had to sit in the middle with Rebecca to have room for her voluminous skirts. Scott took the driver seat in her stead, and Tommy sat beside him. Valencia detached the falcon from its perch and buckled it into the rear middle seat to keep it from sliding around on the drive. Heather observed this with quiet amusement. She patted the fake bird on the head. "Safety first."

The wardrobe-swapping pit stop in Tulare was only about forty minutes away from their final destination, a span of time which seemed to fly by after the previous three hours on the road. Eagerness for the festivities ahead reached a renewed high as the park finally came into view. Scott pulled up to the waiting staff member and exchanged pleasantries. He passed the young worker a bag of canned goods they'd brought to contribute to the faire's donation drive and then fished out his wallet to pay the parking and admission fee.

As soon as they exited the van, all the sights and sounds swept them into the action. There were myriad tents on either side of the path that wove through the trees. Bakers, potters, and weavers sold their wares; blacksmiths hammered hot metal atop anvils, and a cheerful tune drifted from a shelter housing a trio of professional musicians. The food court beckoned with the scent of cakes, pies, meats, and sandwiches. Their first quarter of an hour passed simply drifting from one table of offerings to the next, admiring everything and strategizing how they would spend their money later.

Once they'd gotten a general sense of the lay of the land, Rebecca began walking backward to face the group at large and clapped her hands together. "Okay, time to get the party started. Where to first? Birthday girls' choice. Heather? Paula?"

Heather pulled a face. "That's not gonna be how you introduce us all day, is it? You're gonna confuse everybody since it's not, like, actually either of our birthdays. Not even close."

"Okay, true," Rebecca conceded, "but 'a November day that happens to fall almost squarely in the middle between the two and on a weekend we could all ask off work' is a mouthful to explain to strangers."

"Or we could just try, y'know, not sharing any details of our personal life with the RenFaire performers?" Heather suggested with a sarcastic shrug.

"But then none of them will sing you a period-appropriate song or raise a celebratory cheer." Rebecca pouted.

Heather nodded with satisfaction. "Exactly."

"Verily, thou art a most obstinate addle-plot," Rebecca remarked with a sigh.

"Oooh, are we doing the olde timey talk now?" Paula brightened. "I've been practicing for this."

"Aye, good lady," Rebecca confirmed and linked their arms. "I believe the hour is upon us!"

Just like that, all lighthearted squabbling was forgotten. Rebecca and Paula joyfully riffed off one another using every medieval and Renaissance vocab word they could recall. They even dusted off their questionable English accents for an added layer of "authenticity." Tommy and Heather exchanged glances at some of the inventive word choices, having acquired a passing familiarity with the correct terms on their individual visits to similar faires, but they let the giggling duo indulge in their antics.

A short while later, they stumbled upon another tent of interest, which appeared to be dedicated to wood carving. There were wall hangings, placards, canes, birdhouses, and countless other novelty handcrafted objects. One rather simple looking cube with hinges on the corner of a table caught Rebecca's attention. She plucked it up for closer inspection. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips when she saw the lion rampant carved into the surface of the lid. She pried the box open with her thumb and gasped.

"Aww, there's a little compass inside! I wonder how much this would cost to send to Na--" Rebecca dragged out the first syllable of the name, realizing too late that she'd spoken the thought aloud. "--antucket. I've got a cousin out there who might enjoy it for... scout hikes."

She nodded perhaps a little too emphatically at the end of this improvised statement. Her eyes flicked from one companion's face to the next to see if they bought the cover story. The reactions were unanimously not in her favor.

"You were about to say Nathaniel." Paula gave Rebecca a reassuring nudge. "Sweetheart, you don't have to hide it from us. We've known for weeks that you two have been writing back and forth to each other. I accidentally used one of his envelopes as a coaster when you invited me over to hear a few works in progress."

"Yeah, and you stowed another letter behind Estrella's tank," Heather added. "Which is literally transparent so..."

"Having a pen pal is actually kind of perfect for you," Valencia said. "You're the only person I've ever known who bought stationery as a souvenir."

"It has been nice, keeping in touch," Rebecca admitted. "We're in different countries, both staying introspective and working on ourselves, but I think we've gotten to a place where we can check in on each other without undoing all the positive growth." She turned the compass over between her fingers and then held it out for the other women to inspect. "Do you think he'd like it?"

Heather's head tilted to the side. "Exclusive product ... a little pretentious but still practical... prominently features an animal you could find in a zoo... Sounds like a match from what I remember about him."

"Plus, it's kinda symbolic, y'know? Like he can use it because he's surrounded by wilderness but he's also finding his way," Rebecca explained. "This could be a memento to commemorate that."

She removed the wad of bills from the change purse on her belt and separated the necessary amount listed on the sticker. Once the compass was officially in her possession, Rebecca swung the bag back and forth, considering what a nuisance it would be to have that hanging from her wrist for the rest of the day. She nonchalantly turned a sharp corner as they left the tent. There, she discretely tucked the remaining dollars into her bra and stashed Nathaniel's gift in her former cash pouch.

The others were gathered around the pamphlet guide now open in Paula's hands when she returned.

"Looks like a lot of the big events are in the afternoon," Heather noticed.

"Count me in for the show where the guy swallows fire." Tommy tapped the corresponding spot on the park map.

"And we're getting funnel cake later, right?" Rebecca pointed to Paula and then back at herself.

"Oh, of course," Paula readily agreed. "It's quintessential fairground food."

"Don't forget the giant turkey legs!" Scott added, already scanning the large painted menus in the distance so he could make a beeline to that station once they were ready to eat.

Valencia looked ill at the mention and returned her attention to the accessory booth she'd drifted toward while the others spoke. She held up two pieces she might purchase and frowned thoughtfully. Heather plucked a small standing mirror off the display table and held it for her while she considered each necklace in the sunlight.

A faint buzz sounded from Valencia's satchel. She angled her body so the jewelry could rest against her chest without sliding off and then rummaged for her phone. "Ah, crap."

"Who is it?" Heather prompted.

"Darryl with the five thousandth Pinterest idea for his Blended Family Unity Ceremony. I thought the point was to do something simple and sentimental, once they decided they didn't want all the hassle and planning of another wedding in their lifetime. April seemed in favor of that. But Darryl's gone down an Internet-ing rabbit hole and can't be stopped. I thought the ceremony itself might clock in at twenty minutes at most, when they first brought it to me."

"Oh, my sweet summer child." Rebecca shook her head as she tuned in to the conversation.

Valencia’s shoulders sagged and she grimaced. "I know. Joke's on me. At this point, I'd recommend the guests just clear their schedule for the whole day. This latest concept involved a giant canvas and finger painting so... wear something you don't care about."

A collective groan rippled through the group. It was confessed, however, that they all expected at least one genuinely tear-jerking moment, given Darryl's fierce and unwavering attachment to each person who would be in attendance.

The six of them then followed the map to briefly observe a staged sword fight and a live joust. Paula and Rebecca reminisced over A Knight's Tale and lamented the fact that more stories depicting the era did not include extended dance and/or musical numbers.

"With the obvious exception of The Court Jester, of course," Rebecca said.

Paula gave a vague nod, smile locked in place but eyes blinking rapidly. "Right. Sure bet it does."

"You've never seen it, have you?"

"I'm not even sure if it's a play or a movie." Paula offered an apologetic wince. "You're sorta my primary go-to when I need to understand these kinds of references. I don't have the head space for it."

"I mean, a first watch is definitely something we need to remedy on a weekend soon but, given that I have three decades of passionate devotion to the art form, I get what you mean." Rebecca patted her lute fondly.

They stopped by the wooden ship stationed on the grass where actors dressed as pirates interacted with the crowd and set off small cannons. Then the group advanced toward the last thing on their list of pre-meal activities, which was to watch one of the live shows. The uproarious energy there sparked a sudden idea. Rebecca took extensive notes on her phone, deciding to flesh out her earlier improvised song into a full number to capture the vibe of the faire.

Afterward, they all left the seating in front of the stage and headed toward the food court. The sound of drums diverted their attention along the way and they searched for its source. A small gathering of belly dancers circled on a stretch of open lawn. Rebecca began nodding her head in time with the drum beat, but the motion stilled as she studied the trained and toned muscles undulating beneath the nearest dancer's skin. The woman stood out among her peers as not only being adept at the style but possessing a kind of theatrical charisma. She noticed her new audience and winked.

Rebecca tugged off her troubadour's hat and fanned herself. "Damn, that level of confidence is sexy."

Eventually, watching half a dozen stomachs reminded them of their rumbling own. With some reluctance, they finally moved along. At last, it was time for their much-anticipated lunch. Scott immediately purchased his coveted turkey leg and ale, both of which he enjoyed while the others mulled over their dining options. As they scanned the stands, the girls spied a large kiln not far away and recognized a familiar dish in the shadows.

Rebecca pressed a hand to her middle. "Okay, I know it's not the kind of thing you can only get at the faire, but I need that pizza in me."

"Seconded." Tommy joined his honorary sister in staring at the melting cheese.

Once everyone had a plate, they found a place to sit at one of the wooden tables. Paula dusted some of the powdered sugar from the funnel cake off her fingers with a napkin and leaned toward Heather, who was stationed diagonally across from her.

"So, I haven't seen you much since fall break ended. How's grad school going?"

"The marine biology coursework combined with the kind of work that gives me money is kicking my ass but, like, in a good way. Especially since so much of it involves trips to the beach."

"I really admire you for going back, and for finding an area of study that would let you take so many fun field trips," Paula praised.

Valencia caught Heather's eye and beamed. "Well-played, professor."

While everyone ate, they unfolded the map again atop their table. They scanned the times for where each person wanted to go between noon and dusk when the event would close. A second-half schedule was established and they prepared to seek out the first stop. Before doing so, however, Paula opened her phone's camera for a picture. Rebecca rounded everyone else up for the photo.

"Prithee, gather ye round the magic picture box. Lady Proctor wouldst appreciate the opportunity to capture our likeness and preserve the memory."

They wrapped their arms around each other and leaned into frame, looking respectably at home before a backdrop of other costumed faire-goers. Paula showed them all the end result before turning it back to herself and grinning at the image. "Perfect."

First on the listed activities was the archery contest. Heather rarely had an occasion to utilize her champion level skills as a bowman, so this chance was too good to skip. The competitors formed a line before their targets.

"Make ye ready!" the announcer cried. "Draw! Aim! Loose!"

Heather's shot found its mark and embedded in the bullseye. Her companions clapped and whooped.

Rebecca watched her nock the following arrow and line it up for release. "She's got a whole Keira Knightley in Princess of Thieves look going for her today."

The second arrowhead pierced a hair's breadth from the first.

"I think it's kinda doing it for me."

Valencia nodded. Her eyelids crinkled at the corners while she regarded Rebecca with curiosity. "Are you having some sort of Renaissance awakening?"

"TBD. Check back in with me later. Kinsey scale rating may need an update."

Heather’s final arrow was dead center. The announcer declared her the winner and the visitors from West Covina alarmed everyone nearby with the shouts that erupted from them. They surged forward to embrace and congratulate her. Heather awkwardly allowed herself to be jostled by her circle of friends. She exuded discomfort but, when they all formed a group hug, she did not squirm away.

After that landslide victory, next up was a demonstration with a trebuchet. The impressively tall apparatus cut through the air and launched pumpkins at a makeshift castle wall. Tommy was ecstatic. He fished out his phone to record a video. "Brendan would love this. I've gotta send it to him."

At the mention of her eldest son, Paula's lower lip protruded sympathetically. "Do you miss your big brother knight, squire?"

Tommy tried to feign indifference, but the shift of his shoulders couldn't hide the expression that flickered across his face. "A little, I guess."

"Aww, pumpkin," Paula cooed. She hooked him toward her with one arm and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Me, too."

"Hey, careful with the mom smooches," Tommy cautioned. "Girls might not talk to me if they see I've already got a lipstick mark on my face."

Paula licked her finger and wiped off the traces. The boy allowed the assistance with resignation. "Okay, yeah, I did sorta set myself up for that one," Tommy muttered.

Somewhere in the crowd, a recognizable voice caught their attention.

"Just a minute, Amari. It's Agila's turn. Baba can't hold both of you on his shoulders at the same time. Somebody might fall... most likely me."

Paula stood on tiptoe and waved. "Sunil! Sunil, over here!"

Rebecca heard the name and slumped. "Great. This guy."

Sunil wove his way toward them, holding one of his daughters’ hands on each side. "Why, hello! Fancy meeting you here!"

He drew up short when he spotted Rebecca. "Bunch."

Rebecca arched her eyebrows. "Odhav."

"So, how are you liking the RenFaire so far?" Paula asked, interrupting the showdown.

"We're having a blast. The girls rode the giant unicorn. They said it would've been better if it were a pegasus but, hey, next best thing, right? We've caught three shows already. Really resurrects the old acting bug. And I'm still on a shopper's hunt for a crystal chalice with a palace. As we all know, it 'holds the brew that is true,' and I could really use the pick-me-up after four hours of bickering toddlers." Sunil chuckled at his own humor. Paula weakly attempted to do the same, lost.

Rebecca snapped to attention at the reference. Unable to help herself, she interjected, "Yeah, those can be pretty fragile. You might be better off getting a vessel with a pestle."

Surprised, but pleasantly so, Sunil's expression warmed. "You've seen The Court Jester."

"Oh my gosh, yes!" Rebecca's eyes went comically wide with fervor. "I've been talking about it all day. I must've watched that at least twenty times as a kid."

"How could you not? It's a classic."

Sunil gleefully launched into another quote. "'What are you loo-loo-looing about?’”

Rebecca was ready with the rejoinder. "'Oh, I'm not loo-loo-looing, sire, I'm willow-willow-wailing.'"

Sunil responded with a kingly wave of dismissal. "'All right, all right. Willow away, willow away.'"

They cackled.

"Dear God," Paula murmured, but she was visibly grateful her usually adversarial friends were getting along.

"There are two of them," Valencia joked affectionately.

Sunil rubbed his hands together. "Listen, we were about to track down that lesson on how to do a courtly dance. Would all of you like to join us?"

This proposal was met with general agreement (although Heather required a little additional convincing to accept the prospect of participation). They reached the designated area just as instructions began. Most of the dance took part in a large group but, for the small section where those involved were expected to break off into pairs, they planned ahead for who would dance with whom. The combinations ultimately turned out to be Paula and Scott, Heather and Valencia, Tommy with both Amari and Agila, and - in a truce that would've been inconceivable prior to that instant - Rebecca and Sunil.

As all the gathered dancers moved in a great circle, Rebecca took the opportunity to look at each of her loved ones in turn. The chances to enjoy hours with everyone like this sometimes proved rare and difficult to orchestrate, but shared moments of laughter and fun such as these made it infinitely worth the effort.

She turned to Heather on her left and gave the other woman's hand a teasing squeeze. "Having a good time after all?"

"I'll live," Heather answered simply, but Rebecca knew her well enough to detect the truth beneath her nonchalance. "What about you? You've been sending us a pre-trip countdown for, like, a full month leading up to this. Is it holding up to the hype?"

"Hundo P," Rebecca replied. "Ugh, it works when Maya says it but I think there might be too much of a generational divide for me to pull that off. In other news, I might be bi?"

Heather's laugh huffed out on an exhale. "Congrats on figuring that out. Welcome to the club. Darryl will make you a t-shirt."

"Thanks. I'm gonna need your out-and-proud advice later to sift through this brand new information, but it feels like I'm onto something."

"Anytime."

"So, calendar date notwithstanding, has this been a good birthday?" Rebecca asked hopefully.

Heather's lips twitched. "I'd let you talk me into it again."

In time with the music, Rebecca twirled in a circle and her friends all blurred together in her vision. A soft smile spread across her face. She thought she could safely declare this day a win.

#CEG Writing By Me #crazyexvalentineexchange #imunbreakabledude

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lingthusiasm · 6 years

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Space babies and more new merch!

New merch alert!

Space Babies

What language would we speak in space? Thanks to the Space Race, languages of space are English and Russian, and aboard the International Space Station, the astronauts and cosmonauts speak to each other in an English-Russian hybrid language, a sort of Space Pidgin. But of course, we wondered, if babies start being born in space, presumably they'd transform Space Pidgin into a fully grammatical Space Creole.

Based on the popularity of the languages of space moment in episodes 1 and 7, and the support of our patrons, Lingthusiasm has commissioned an artistic rendering of Space Babies communicating adorably with each other while they float through the cosmos, complete with tiny plush-toy Space Pigeon. (Longer story here.) Check out our linguist-turned-artist Lucy Maddox’s website for more of her ridiculously charming work.

Space Babies are fictional, but real babies on earth deserve to have support in the full spectrum of human languages. A portion of the proceeds from the Space Baby merch will be donated to the Resource Network for Linguistic Diversity.

SPACE BABY ART

Hang out with Space Babies to make your office or bedroom show off the mysteries of language and the wonders of the universe!

The classic Space Baby circle on a rectangular galaxy background, as a poster or as a more durable smallish four-ply art board.

SPACE BABY SCARVES

Wear some Space Babies around your neck to remind yourself to ponder the mysteries of language and the wonders of the universe as you go about your day!

Two Space Babies at each corner and two more in the centre of the scarf, for maximum draping versatility.

SPACE BABY PHONE CASE

Houston, we have a problem...your phone is insufficiently lingthusiastic!

A circle of ten Space Babies OR Space Pigeon on a case to adorn your iPhone or Samsung Galaxy. ��

SPACE BABY STICKERS

Adorn your laptop, notebook, or other hard-sided case with this international array of ten frolicking Space Babies on five stickers.

Five stickers all sold together on one page, in a durable vinyl finish: we strongly recommend getting the MEDIUM or LARGE size rather than the SMALL, as the designs on the small stickers get a little fuzzy around the edges.

SPACE PIGEON STICKER

The intrepid lil Space Pigeon plushie as its own full-sized sticker to hang out with you on your laptop or stickerboard.

All sizes are good for the Space Pigeon, because it's a single sticker by itself.

SPACE PIGEON BABY CLOTHES

We couldn't make merch with babies ON it without making it FOR babies! Space Pigeon available on baby t-shirts, short-sleeved onesies, or long-sleeved onesies, in a variety of colours. (We recommend black, navy, or dark grey for maximum Space Vibe.)

SPACE BABY/PIGEON T-SHIRTS

Space Babies (in a line OR in a circle) or Pigeon t-shirts are a subtle lingthusiastic nod as you go about your day! Adult t-shirts available in classic, fitted, and relaxed cuts on a variety of colours. (We recommend black, navy, or dark grey for maximum Space Vibe.)

SPACE BABY/PIGEON MUGS

Bring some cuteness to your kitchen or office with these mugs, available with Space Babies, or with Pigeon!

Plus, a few new non-Space Baby merch items

While we’re adding new merch, we also added a few new things in other categories!

Not judging your grammar, just acquiring it - Baby clothes!

Babies can be descriptivists too!

Enjoy this playful riff on our original NOT JUDGING YOUR GRAMMAR, JUST ANALYSING IT t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, and zippered pouches for the too-young-to-be-analyst set. Baby shirts and onesies (short and long sleeved) in light grey on a variety of colours - the perfect gift for the linguist or language-nerd friend of yours who's having a baby!

I want to be the English schwa. It's never stressed. T-shirts!

Who wouldn't want to be a schwa? Amuse the heck out of your fellow linguists with this soft-fabric, bold-message t-shirt, in light grey text on various colours and fitted, classic, and relaxed cuts.

IPA Scarves

New colours available! You can now check out scarves with an International Phonetic Alphabet print on them in white on plum, forest green, and royal blue, in addition to the existing colours of navy blue, red, olive, black, grey, light pink, teal, rainbow stripes, or rainbow with black and brown stripes.

(Not seeing a colour you’d love to wear? This is also a reminder that we’re happy to make custom colours of the IPA or tree diagram scarves for patrons at any level.)

IPA Ties

By popular request, we're also making IPA ties available via Zazzle!

The same IPA print as the scarves, but now smaller and on a necktie for your lingthusiastic formalwear needs! (Alas, we couldn't find anywhere that would do custom single-order bowties - if anyone knows of a Redbubble/Zazzle-equivalent for bowties do let us know!)

IPA ties are available in white print on navy blue, red, olive, grey, black, or light pink. (Custom colours again for patrons.)

Brought to you by Lingthusiasm: clothing and merch that’s enthusiastic about linguistics! Lingthusiasm the podcast transforms your boring commute or chores into a lively, nerdy conversation, and now you can wear your linguistics fandom on your sleeve, around your neck, and surrounding your coffee or books.

As ever, we'd love to see photos of any of the merch as part of your lives!

#linguistics #lingblr #merch #shirts #scarves #space babies #art

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comic-watch · 6 years

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In Case You Missed It: The Quest of Ewilan gets a gorgeous adaption! Image and Top Cow Present Aphrodite V! Shannon Wheeler reveals the MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS! IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog and Scout’s Stabbity Bunny Sell Out! WIN a Trip to San Diego Comic Con! and Lion Forge continues to make a difference!

News from the World of Indie Comics you might have missed this week!

IDW EuroComics Begins a new Quest

The Bestselling Pierre Bottero Novels THE QUEST OF EWILAN are being adapted to Gorgeous Graphic Novels, Providing First Visuals of the World of Gwendalavir Before Feature Film

IDW EuroComics proudly presents the English-language debut of The Quest of Ewilan, Vol. 1: From One World to Another, the first chapter in the sequential adaption of Pierre Bottero’s bestselling novel series and a whimsical adventure featuring strong female characters, in the tradition of Lewis’ Narnia and L’Engle’s Time Quartet. Scripted by Lylian and illustrated by Laurence Baldetti, The Quest of Ewilan, Vol. 1 will be available in stores in September.

Image Comics and TopCow’s APHRODITE V—A NEW ENTRY IN THE APHRODITE MYTHOS—ARRIVES THIS JULY

Writer Bryan Hill (POSTAL, BONEHEAD) and artist Jeff Spokes will launch APHRODITE V this July from Image/Top Cow.

In the near future, Los Angeles is a city on the brink of evolution, struggling with a new wave of terror fueled by black-market technology. Enter Aphrodite V: a fugitive from her masters, seeking individuality and purpose. She is the bleeding edge of biomechanics and L.A.’s best hope against a new enemy—one that seeks to become a god among machines.

“This is a great way for people unfamiliar with this side of the Top Cow universe to jump into a story about the intersection of technology, humanity, and justice,” said Hill.

One machine wants to destroy the city. Another has come to save it. Only one will survive. APHRODITE V #1 hits comic book shops Wednesday, July 18th.

Image Comics MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS—an irreverent and entertaining new book from the creator of Sh*t My President Says

New Yorker cartoonist and multiple Eisner Award-winner Shannon Wheeler (Too Much Coffee Man, Sh*t My President Says, God is Disappointed in You) debuts MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS this July from Image/Shadowline Comics.

MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS is an irreverent book of personal short stories and gags featuring Shannon Wheeler’s critically acclaimed humor, pathos, and honesty—including a 40-page full-color section!

“Books are like children. It’s with pride I send this one out into the world to fend for itself, have its heart broken, take a job that will slowly erode all self-respect,” said Wheeler. “That said, this is the best book I’ve ever done.”

MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS TP hits comic book stores Wednesday, July 11th and bookstores Tuesday, July 17th. The final order cutoff deadline for comics retailers is Monday, June 4th and it can be pre-ordered via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, Indigo, and Books-A-Million.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG COMIC BOOKS CONTINUE TO SELL OUT

IDW Publishing is proud to announce that the first three issues of the new Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series has sold out at the Distributor level and will receive further printings. In addition to the complete sell-out of issue #2 and #3, each within a week of their release, issue #1’s second printing sold out only six days after its announcement. To satisfy fans and retailers, IDW will make Sonic the Hedgehog #1 Third Printing and Sonic the Hedgehog #2 Second Printing available in stores on Wednesday, May 16th, with Sonic the Hedgehog #3 Second Printing slated for release on May 23rd.

The heat on Sonic the Hedgehog marks a huge success for IDW Publishing, who is launching their first-ever Sonic series with weekly releases throughout the month of April. Each of the first four issues of Sonic the Hedgehog — written by longtime Sonic scribe Ian Flynn and illustrated by rotating artists Tracy Yardley, Adam Bryce Thomas, Jennifer Hernandez, and Evan Stanley — focuses on a different guest star (Tails in issue #1, Amy Rose in #2, and Knuckles in #3, leading into the debut of the hotly anticipated new character Tangle in issue #4).

STABBITY BUNNY #3 FROM SCOUT COMICS GOES BACK FOR SECOND PRINTING!

SCOUT COMICS AND ENTERTAINMENT announces that Scout’s break-out hit for 2018, STABBIY BUNNY by Richard Rivera and Dwayne Biddix, has continued its trend of selling out and issue #3 has gone back to a second printing.

STABBITY BUNNY could take place at the intersection of Sesame Street and Nightmare on Elm Street, where a 100-year-old plush bunny and seven-year-old Grace must combat evil in all its forms. Horror and mystery combine in this captivating series. Stabbity Bunny is published monthly by Scout Comics. Please visit us at  www.ScoutComics.com!

Traveling Stories & IDW Present the Ultimate San Diego Comic-Con® Sweepstakes

Traveling Stories and IDW are proud to launch the annual San Diego Comic-Con® sweepstakes, a contest which will last through June 13th at 3:00pm PT.

Those who enter have a chance of winning the following ultimate experience package: ● Two 4-day passes to sold-out Comic-Con® ● Airfare for 2 within the continental U.S. ● Four nights stay at the Wyndham Bayside in San Diego Gaslamp district ● An exclusive tour of the San Diego Comic Art Gallery with Ted Adams, CEO of IDW ● Airport pickup and shuttle to the gallery, and then to the hotel

Anyone in the world can enter! $10 gives you 10 chances to win. Each additional $1 is another chance – the math is simple. Every dollar is a donation to Traveling Stories, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that empowers kid to outsmart poverty by helping them fall in love with reading by the 4th grade.

“I’ve always been an avid reader, even when I was little. I’m excited that through this sweepstakes we’re able to raise the funds needed to give kids in underprivileged areas the same literary experience I was lucky enough to have,” said Ted Adams, Founder & CEO of IDW Publishing.

How to snag entries in the sweepstakes is easy, fast, and secure via: bit.ly/comic-con-sweeps. Just follow the steps from there!

“Anyone who does not have tickets to San Diego Comic-Con® would be crazy to not enter this sweepstakes! It’s a full and complete package including a cool tour of the Comic Art Gallery with me,” said Emily Moberly, Founder, and CEO of Traveling Stories.

To learn more about Traveling Stories and its programs, please visit travelingstories.org.

LION FORGE JOINS THE CBLDF AS A CORPORATE MEMBER

Lion Forge is proud to join the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund as the organization’s newest Corporate Member! Lion Forge is a trans-media studio with a focus on comics publishing across all age groups. A company committed to “Comics for Everyone,” Lion Forge strives to publish titles that reflect the diversity of our world in the characters, the creators, and the Lion Forge team, creating content that is just as original.

Lion Forge founder and CEO, David Steward II says, “We truly believe we are bringing the brightest and most diverse talent in the industry into the conversation, while creating the most awesome new comics and graphic novels that we — as fans — want to see in the world.”

CBLDF provides legal and educational resources to protect the freedom to read comics. The organization is a partner in Banned Books Week, the Kids’ Right to Read Project, Free Comic Book Day, and other national institutions that support intellectual freedom and literacy. CBLDF’s work extends from courtrooms to classrooms to conventions, where CBLDF defends the freedom to read by providing legal aid, letters of support in book challenges, challenges to unconstitutional legislation, and a robust schedule of programs about current and historical censorship to audiences all over the world.

Lion Forge stands beside Abrams, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, BOOM! Studios, comiXology, Dark Horse Comics, DC Entertainment, DCBS, Diamond Comic Distributors, Fakku!, IDW Publishing, Image Comics, Lion Forge, Oni Press, Neverwear, Penguin Random House, Rebellion, ReedPOP, Scholastic, SPX, TFAW.com, Valiant, Viz Media, and the Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation as a corporate member supporting CBLDF’s important work.

Until the next installment of ICYMI, WE’LL BE WATCHING!

Ross Hutchinson was a contributing editor to ICYMI this week. Thanks, Ross!

Join our Age of Social Media Network consisting of X-Men, Marvel, DC, Superhero and Action Movies, Anime, Indie Comics, and numerous fan pages. Interested in becoming a member? Join us by clicking here and pick your favorite group!

ICYMI: INDIE NEWS ROUNDUP for the WEEK ENDING 4-22-2018 #comicwatch #iamawatcher #ICYMI In Case You Missed It: The Quest of Ewilan gets a gorgeous adaption! Image and Top Cow Present…

#Aphrodite V #CBLDF #Comic Book Legal Defense Fund #MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS #San Diego Comic Con #Sonic The Hedgehog #Stabbity Bunny #The Quest of Ewilan #Traveling Stories

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sunflowerheartwriting · 6 years

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Dragonic: 3

A/N: YAY! Back with another update!! Was totally gonna post this yesterday, but I was so wrapped up in last minute Christmas shopping I lost track of time! It’s not as long as the others but I still hope you like it!! You can read the previous parts on FF.net and AO3! :)

Opening the door to the spacious carriage, the man had to duck in order to step in without banging his head. Placing the girl gently on the seat across from his Queen, he shot her a glance filled with some many emotions.

“What’s wrong and who is she?” the Queen asked eyeing her old friend and the newcomer that was placed across from her. She did a double take when she saw the newcomers face. The Queen quickly stood from her seat to kneel on the plush carpet in front of the seat, looking closer at the face that was smudge with dirt and grime and sunken in from lack of nutrition.

“Capricorn…..it’s…..”

“Yes Lucy, I think we’ve finally found her. I must move the carriage out of the road. I’ll be back.” He bowed, before he left to resume his position.

Feeling the carriage lurch forward, Lucy surveyed her old friend. Noticing how thin and tired she looked. She felt how hot she was and hastily fetched a rag, dipping it in a tub of ice that chilled a few drinks. Ringing the moisture out, she pat her friend down with the cold rag before placing it on her forehead. She sat intently on her knees with her light pink gown fanned out around her, staring intently at Levy. When Capricorn finally entered the carriage, Lucy nearly jumped, surprised by how lost in thought she was.

He kneeled beside her staring at Levy as well. “She’s gotten so thin. We will have to fix that.” Capricorn smiled as Lucy nodded, planning already what she was going to do once she got Levy finally home. This along with questions she had about what she has been doing since they last saw each other.

When Levy stirred awake, it was like they were both holding their breath, unsure of her recognizing them. With her eyes still closed she sat up slowly, feeling the plush carpet on her sore bare feet and the never ending hunger pain in her stomach. Her stomached growled loudly and she quickly doubled over her arms wrapped around her abdomen as she groaned.

“Here, eat this.” A faint voice demanded as a gold platter filled with fruit and cheese filled it. At that moment, she didn’t care where she was or if it was a trap from her Master. She desperately wanted food and didn’t hesitate in accepting it with a shaky thank you. Looking up as she was about to take a bite from a strawberry, her vision blurred in and out at a familiar face and blonde hair. Levy squinted than rubbed the fatigue from her eyes before returning her gaze to an old friend she thought she would never see again.

“Lucy?” she whispered as the fruit fell from her fingertips and tears welled up into her eyes. She turned her head to see another familiar face, and white hair. “Capricorn?” she muttered as her tears took that as the ok to pour down her face. Lucy was the first to leap towards Levy, hugging her tightly crying with her, then Capricorn wrapped his arms around both of them. He engulfed them in a familiarity of his warmth causing the two girls to sob even harder.

Once, the tears were all shed and everyone stopped laughing hysterically at themselves, Capricorn excused himself to go back to watching over the carriage and leaving the two girls to talk in private.

Levy demolished the plate of food as she retold the events of her life, putting an increasing frown on her friend’s face. “Why do you look so angry, Lu?” Levy asked setting the finished plater on the little table top that resided inside the carriage.

“I wasn’t there by your side like we both promised and why didn’t you tell anyone who you were or who I was. I would’ve came to your side in an instant.” She huffed crossing her arms over her large chest.

“I tried, no one believed me. I was just another deranged kid looking for a way out. And once I heard that your mansion was destroyed during the Great Dragon War, I was afraid I would find you dead too.” She fiddled with hem of her tattered apron, remembering the sinister look on who she later found out was the mad King Acnologia.

He wanted to destroy every great family and their heirs so he could rule the world. Being a great ruler over everyone without any hindrance of other royal families trying to take his place, drove him to be mad. He was mainly after the children of his brothers and sister, the baby dragons some people called them. It is said that they have the bloodline of a dragon and their customs depend on what line they’re in. The fathers of the baby dragons helped destroy King Acnologia, giving the families the title of Dragon slayers. Some people worship them as if their gods, while others know they are human with outlandish abilities. Since Levy’s parents were so intertwined with the great families, they were considered a threat to the King and had to go. It also didn’t help that her parents donated most of their family wealth to others who needed it the most, that’s why they lived in a small village instead of a mansion filled with empty rooms. They were happier that way, though.

Levy’s face twisted in sorrow as she thought of everyone that she’s lost, causing Lucy to grab her hand. “I miss them too. They were great to my family all the way to the end.” She smiled, squeezing her hand tighter, making Levy smile.

“I see you finally, married……was it Natsu Dragneel the Fire Dragon?” Levy stated, looking at the small gold crown that sat on top of Lucy’s head.

Lucy laughed, nodding her head. “Even though it was arranged, I’m glad it was him.” Levy giggled, remembering their first introduction to each other when they were kids. Both Lucy and Natsu looked grossed out by each other, stating the other had cooties. He picked on her a lot, by calling her by the wrong name and saying that she was weird. And she, lectured him on his destructiveness.

“I’m glad one of our lives turned out for the better, I’m so happy for you, Lu!” Levy cheered hugging her friend.

“Thank you, but you’re not disappearing from me again. I’ve looked for you and Aquarius for years, there’s no way I’m letting you go.”

Levy’s eyes went wide in shook at her statement. “You’ve been looking for me? And Aquarius, where did she go?” Lucy’s face fell for a few moments before taking a deep breath reliving the day they were separated. Once the soldiers stormed the mansion, Aquarius hid Lucy and ran to lead the soldiers away from her hiding spot. Capricorn was the one that found her after the fight, and said no one knew where Aquarius was. Lucy knew she was alive somewhere, and once she found out all the details of what happened to Levy’s village, she vowed to find both of her friends.

“And here you are, and you’re coming back home with me.” Lucy stated, their hands still together, afraid that if they let go, their friend will disappear.

“I can’t. According to the law and papers, I belong to Master Everlue and until I am bought, I belong to him. I read the contract myself one night when I snuck into his office to read my file.”

“Then I’ll buy you! I hate saying that by the way. You’re not an object.” She scowled at the thought of her friend being bought and sold like property.

Levy shook her head, “you can’t. My Master refuses to sell to women. Even if you are the queen, he won’t sell me to you.”

They sat in silence, Levy stared down at their hands as Lucy thought of a plan to get her friend back. She perked up at a thought. “I got it! Natsu has a cousin that is looking for a tutor, do you perhaps still speak Dragonic?”

“Of course! The beautiful language of the dragons.” Levy swooned over the thought of speaking to someone else who spoke the same language.

“Excellent!” Lucy cheered, “I will get you out of here within the next month. I will talk you up to him and make sure Natsu nags him until he comes and get you. I warn you though, he’s a grumpy fellow and stays to himself, so don’t take it to heart. That’s just who he his.”

Levy interest peeked as she quirked an eyebrow. “Who is he?”

“You’ll know when he arrives. I want it to be a surprise, but this I promise you. You will not be here forever.” She smiled, pulling her friend into another hug.

They talked for another hour before, Levy said that she only had a few more minutes with her best friend until she had to go back.

“What were you doing here anyway?” Lucy asked as they exited the carriage with the help of Capricorn.

“I was delivering a notice, requesting that the King that is rumored to come to the town to visit the Master’s house.”

Lucy, blushed slightly twiddling her thumbs. “It was probably me they were talking about. I was seen heading this way and I’m sure word spread that someone important, most likely a King was on their way here.”

Levy laughed embracing her friend again saying, “I’m glad it was you. I’ll see you in a month?”

“I’ll see you in a month.” Lucy smiled, not wanting to see her best friend leave her sight again.

“Goodbye, Ms. Levy. You will be missed terribly.” Capricorn smiled wide embracing Levy tightly causing her to giggle. They bid their final goodbyes and watched Levy walk away.

“We have to try our best to persuade, Gajeel.” Lucy sighed smoothing the wrinkles from her dress.

Capricorn nodded, “I will do my best to help, as well. Now let’s get home. Now that our sources has confirmed that she was here, I’m sure the King misses his wife.”

Lucy smiled fondly at the thought of her goofy husband, as Capricorn helped her back into the carriage before taking his position at the reigns. The horses moved forward, trotting in the direction of home.

Levy walked back to the house with a wide smile and full belly. Once she was back, she quickly made her way to the bathroom to wash up and get in bed. She didn’t want any run-ins with the Master or Mary. They would immediately notice her happy mood and assume correctly that she indulged herself. That night for the first time in a long time, her dreams were filled with memories of her and Lucy playing at the Heartfilia manor and nothing more.

#Dragonic #gajevy #gajevy fanfic #multigajevy #gajevy multific #fairy tail fanfic #ftfanfic #ftfanfics

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princess-megzie · 6 years

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jfc could you maybe stop spamming all of us with your gofundme bullshit? we get it already. go get a job like everyeone else who has to work to pay there bills. your hats are crap and cost way too much. who the fuck is going to pay 20$ for something you can get on amazon for 3$? grow the fuck up and get a job.

Hi. I’m Rainbow aka Megzie’s wife. Megzie is currently out of the office and I gleefully announced that I would reply. Why? Because she has shit to do, and I just finished work. I also haven’t slept in over 24 hours so this is going to be extra exciting!

I usually attempt to be somewhat diplomatic when responding to comments like this. Thankfully we have had very few, as usually all of our accounts keep anonymous questions off. I find that cowards seek out ways to be nasty if given the chance and it’s best just to not give them a way to do that. If you’re going to be a horrible piece of shit, it’s always better to use your name so I can ridicule you publicly, have others join in to point and laugh at the sorry loser and then block your ass! That way we all have fun.

I am at the moment very upset. If this had come to me my answer would have been “lol loser. Poor pathetic idiot has no life and wants to make everyone miserable. Sit on my sparkly dick and spin shit head!” HOWEVER. You did not send this to me, you sent this to my wife. So now, I’m fucking pissed. So allow me to express this in the best way I know how.

Fuck you.

Now! Since that’s out of the way, let me tell you why you are a small pathetic little coward that should really think about your life choices. I know a lot of you idiots are losing even more brain cells with those tide pods your sucking on, but do me a favor and drop the colored sack for five minutes.

1. News flash, I am currently working four jobs plus school. Megzie just got done with an internship and is also currently looking for something else. So right away, you assumed that A, we’re not working, and B, we’re not trying to find anything. Bless your narrow minded little soul, I WISH I was that fucking ignorant. The world must be as bright as those pods for you huh? I could just pinch that cheek if it wasn’t covered in soap.

2.Our hats are very nice thank you. I know it’s reeeeeeeeeally hard for you to understand how small handcrafted cottage businesses work and I wouldn’t dream of trying to make you put any REAL thought into it so I’ll just say that, A) lying about the quality of something you have never actually tried is usually frowned upon in the grown up world. B) We price our hats (and all the rest of our products) so that we can pay ourselves at least something of a living wage after the price of materials. Bu it still takes around two hours for Megzie to make a single hat if she’s focusing solely on it. I know you’re short on brain cells, so I’ll do the math for you-- despite the utterly EXORBITANT price tag, we’re still making just above minimum wage for each product sold. And lastly, C) a really amazing solution to not wanting to spend the money on a handcrafted item, would simply be to just…..(wait for it).....not buy it! SIMPLE RIGHT?! OMG EVEN YOU CAN DO IT! And the best part is……………..you can do it without being a fucking shit face! What a concept!

3. Sweetie. That wasn’t spamming. That was simply reblogging. Trust me. I can spam. Megzie can spam! But we are restraining ourselves. Lord have mercy if we actually start promoting something. But that comes to the best part! Guess what every tumblr user has on their page? Guess guess! That’s right! A ‘Follow/Unfollow’ button!!! I bet you already sort of know what that does. I mean you can sort of type so you must have some idea of what buttons do. But just in case you forgot! ‘Following’ someone on tumblr means that you LIKE their content and would like to see more. “Unfollowing” someone means that you are not interested in the content and would like to stop seeing it. CRAZY RIGHT!? WHO KNEW THE INTERNET WAS SO FUCKING SIMPLE!? So just remember, when you get on tumblr everyday and think, “HM...SHOULD I HARASS SOMEONE GOING THROUGH A TOUGH TIME BECAUSE I DON’T LIKE SEEING THIS POST!?” You can say “NO! I WILL ACT LIKE A PERSON WITH SOME VAGUE SENSE OF EMPATHY AND RESTRAIN MY SMALL BRAIN AND SIMPLY, UNFOLLOW.” Magic. Am I right? You don’t have to answer that. I know capital letters are hard.

So in conclusion little person. There is one simple fact here. And that fact is, we are currently going through a hard time. We are one of many people in this world that is facing poverty. We have over the years build up a strong group of support. We helped when we were able and hoped it made a positive difference in people’s lives. (Trust me, we have a huge stack of plush that we got when we donated towards projects from other friends). We find ourselves in a situation where we are in need of help, and our support system has been kind in ways that even I could never hope for. We are even the recipients of a food bank charity that lets us get groceries every week. (We qualify because we make enough money to show we are actually working and not just sitting around looking for a handout, you fucking dillweed) Anyone who graduated college will tell you that jobs are not easy to come by, especially around this time of year. Everytime I think about getting a fifth job (along with school) and working fast food or retail, I have to remind myself of the physical limitations that have prevented me from doing so recently, such as an autoimmune disease that is untreated due to no way to pay for medication and doctor visits. (Apparently because the drugs I need are the same they give to chemo patients, they need to test my blood every month which is like over $100 per test. Doctors. Am I right?) And that’s just the physical disability. I mean I could talk you ear off all the other things I have to deal with like ADD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, executive dysfunction, severe depression, so on and so forth. Megzie is even worse off than I am at times, and these times, have been very hard.

But you know what makes this amazing? They won't be that way forever. One of those jobs I have, is working on a movie where I will get IMDB credits, which in the entertainment industry, will go a long way. I’ve worked my ass off to make sure that I will succeed as a video editor, and when my searching finally pays off, I will be able to support us. Megzie is currently working to organize consulting work as well as other means of employment and we have more leads every day. One of them WILL stick. In the meantime, we have our small cottage business. It’s toxic green and full of work and a genuine love for what we do. One day, our hard work will pay off and we'll both be employed again. Have regular income, pay bills, make sure we can buy toilet paper, think about a retirement fund, buy clothes without guilt, take her to a movie every now and then, slowly start to pay off our mountains of student loans, help out those who gave us a hand when we needed it and relax after a long day at work knowing that we will not be homeless.

And you will not matter. Years from now, hell, maybe even month, you will not matter. Did you hurt Megzie with your cruel comment? Of course you did. It was meant to hurt. It was meant to be cruel. And it did it’s job. But that hurt is fleeting, and we get up the next day to do our best. Your spitefulness will fade from memory and eventually you will become to us, what you know you already are--nothing. Because when we are back on our feet, when we are stable and working towards the rest of our lives, you will still be nothing. You will be dirt that clogged the gears for only a moment before it was brushed aside and discarded. You will be a passing annoyance. You have to live with that. You have to carry that shame inside you. You are a cruel person. And that’s something you will have to have inside you for all of your days. And I take great satisfaction in that. Because this struggle we are in now? That’s temporary. You being a cowardly pathetic disgusting sack of garbage? You get to carry that around for the rest of your life.

And should you change your mind, I will still sell you a nice warm hat. :)

#what a dillweed #thanks for that #i hope you step on a leggo #or bonk your head on a cabinet really hard #or get your socks wet whilst wearing them inside your shoes #i hope your earbuds get all tangled #or a cord gets stuck in the wheel of your computer chair #and you hit every red light on your way to something really important #and may you never put a usb in the right way ever #and finally #may you sit down and get all comfy on your reclining device of choice #ready to binge netflix or watch someone do some cool shit on twitch or whatever #and as soon as you're all happy and comfy #may you realize the remote is nowhere to be found #good day sir #Anonymous

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jaeyloaded · 4 years

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What Mr Eazi’s Father, Captain Ajibade, Has To Say About His Son

Not much is known about Captain Alexander Olukayode Ajibade who retired from the Nigerian Air Force as a Squadron leader.

But his son, Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade, better known as Mr. Eazi will ring a bell in the ears of many Nigerians or lovers of Afro beat. Even though being a celebrity parent has its perks, Captain Ajibade, as fondly called and his wife chose to remain off the scene as their first son, Mr Eazi swept through cities after cities with hit records, using his style of ‘Banku Music,’ touring and striking deals across the UK, US and other markets as one of the smartest African musicians alive. Two days before meeting Captain Ajibade at his Lagos home, I put up his name on Google but nothing came up, nothing linked him with the singer except during one of the music star’s video shoots, where Mr Eazi disclosed that Kpalanga, a military-themed music video was inspired by his pilot father’s absence from his family life. The video features the singer and a troupe of backing dancers dressed in camouflage fatigues, reflected the “toll” his father’s absence took on their relationship. He recalled meeting his father for the first time when he was two. As we sit down in his plush living room, I start by asking why they were not out there despite the fact that their son is arguably one of Nigeria’s most commercially successful artistes at the moment, especially in the international market. From sold-out concerts to making huge streaming revenue, Mr Eazi can be said to have successfully cracked the code on how effectively break into the international market. He has generated more than 900 million streams worldwide, including over 226 million plays on YouTube alone. From his tone, his reactions, one will definitely doubt that Captain Ajibade who hails from Ayetoro, Ogun State, once worked in the military. He is calm and cool, a rare trait to see in a military man. “I have always been a very private person, let Mr Eazi do his things and we do our things here too”, he replies before narrating a scenario to support why they chose to remain private as Mr Eazi’s parent. “I think it was in the news that Mr Eazi’s father was kidnapped, people who saw the news were trying to reach me. It was on Sunday and I got back from Church early so I was sleeping at home and my phone was off. By the time my wife got back and they called her, she said my husband is here. “So they kidnapped the wrong person,” he narrated. Upon our arrival at his home, Mr Eazi’s parents just filled up a car with cooked meals heading to somewhere in Agege to give them out to the less privileged. A week earlier, the parent through Mr Eazi’s foundation – emPawa Foundation, had donated food items to residents in Sango Ota in Ogun State, and also visited Little Saints Orphanage in Lagos to support vulnerable children with food items. Initially, Captain Ajibade did not plan to follow the family to Agege to distribute the food but when we arrived, he had to take us in his car and waited, and after we were done, we headed back to his home and there I told him about our mission. “I thought you guys will want to interview Mr Eazi not me and he’s not around right now,” he said. I told him “we are here for you for now sir.” After we settled down, he took us back to his military and religious journey as well as other things he ventured into at the same time. “I don’t believe in titles. People just refer to me as Captain Ajibade, simple. I remembered when I was in Liberia, people call me Chaplain rather than addressing me by my rank, I retired as from the Air Force as a Squadron leader, in some circles they call me reverend, some call me pastor. In fact, there is a renowned Bishop in this country that always addresses me as a prophet.” After leaving service, Captain Ajibade did not stop rendering service to his country,“And to the Glory of God, I fly more or less for fun now, training Police pilots with no charge,” he says. “I fly helicopters that are rare, that when you go round the whole of West Africa, you will only see one or two people that can fly that type of helicopter. So that’s basically the person I am. Captain Ajibade has worked with notable people in Nigeria in the aviation sector, “I retired after 19 years in service of Nigerian Air Force, since then I have worked in several places. Bristow Helicopters, Adenuga’s Southern Airlines through Chief Makanjuola who owns Caverton Helicopters because he was the one paying us. “As I said, I still fly, my dream is that one day I have my own helicopter, not necessarily because right now I’m at the retirement age of even flying but then seeing some young ones growing, doing it and I love imparting knowledge on people, whether religious knowledge, spiritualism or knowledge as per aviation because after forty-something years in the military, you know I have something to offer. Captain Ajibade was also in Sierra Leone for ECOMOG for three years, a West African peacekeeping force that was founded to stop the bloodshed and ethnic killing. “All those experiences shaped me and my perception about life,” he added. Captain Ajibade and his son had a weird relationship because of absence in his life while growing up. “I think I didn’t see him for about 12 months after he was born,” he says as I asked him about his relationship with his son. “15 months, it was 15 months,” Mr Eazi’s mother, former banker now a pastor and an entrepreneur who was sitting at the dining table observing the interview from afar chipped in. “I actually met my wife in the bank where she was working,” he had told me earlier. “Well you know women do keep accurate date and time,’’ Captain Ajibade added as he flashed back to those struggling times to serve his nation and leave his family. “I was to go to Liberia during the civil war, I only waited for some time to do the naming ceremony and I left. It was a tough time for me because he doesn’t know me, he won’t listen or speak to me,” he lamented, “it was after I retired from the service I finally found time to work on our father and son relationship.” Mr Eazi’s father is from Yewa constituency in Ogun State while his mother is from the South-South region of Nigeria. The couple met in Port Harcourt where Mr Eazi was born, but how did Ghana came into the picture? I asked Captain Ajibade. Mr Eazi’s musical root has always been traced to Ghana, the singer once told Rolling Stone Magazine that “My music started out in Ghana, moved to the U.K. and then to Nigeria. To this day, the U.K. is my Number One streaming location on Apple Music and Spotify.” Mr Eazi had his growing up years, from 15 to 22 in Ghana for his educational endeavours, enrolling in the mechanical engineering programme at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He later proceeded to Coventry University, United Kingdom. Helping people has always been Mr Eazi’s mission, “it was during his time at KNUST, he started doing MC, DJ and booking artistes to perform at college parties using the money to help students,” says Captain Ajibade. He did not start making music to make money.” Mr Eazi would later contribute vocals to the track “My Life”, a song that gained traction and became a popular record at KNUST. It was during his time as show MC that he got his stage name. “When he is MCing at the party, he always cautioned people at the event to take it easy, easy easy je je which now becomes Mr Eazi,” Captain Ajibade reveals, adding that his name was Easy Easy Jeje at first. Mr Eazi went on to pioneer Banku music, a fusion sound he describes as a mixture of Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian chord progressions and patterns. It is a sound characterized by percolating rhythms and laid-back vocal delivered in Ghanaian Pidgin English. Expanding his community service beyond Nigeria, Mr Eazi launched a talent incubator programme ‘emPawa Africa’ in 2018, with the goal of investing in promising artists early so they could develop self-sustaining careers. Each artiste will receive a $10,000 grant to go towards a music video, along with mentorship from professional singers, producers, and video directors. Captain Ajibade, while reacting to that nodded in affirmation, “that’s how all my children were brought up. It is not that he is rich to sponsor all those artistes, he has sponsors, some people are also supporting him.” “Mr Eazi always told us the story of the $1,000 investment someone made in his career and how that made a huge difference,” E Kelly, a music producer and close collaborator, told Rolling Stone in 2019. The strategy seemed to work for singers like Joeboy, J. Derobie, and others who scored hits last year after connecting with emPawa. I asked at what point did Mr Eazi showed interest in music, the father did not give me a specific answer but disclosed that all his children have access to many musical instruments at home and they listened to records he would play for the family while having breakfast. Giving the fact that Military men are always strict, Captain Ajibade is far from strict, he’s actually the one we should be calling Mr Eazi. As a man of God, he believes people should do what they are passionate about and be fulfilled. Speaking about his kind of private lifestyle, Captain Ajibade who doesn’t always attend his son’s shows and will remain in the crowd for the once he attends, said “that’s where all the fun is actually,” while his son will announce that his father is around but won’t get him noticed because he does not take life too serious because of experience while growing up. In his words, “There are always two angles to human beings. There is spiritual and there is physical and when you have experienced both, you just know that there is nothing to it. He went on to narrate how things were hard while growing up, “I say extremely rough, right from my primary school days, I even had ulcer but reading the bible and following the scripture, it impacted on my character and my way of life.” Captain Ajibade also had a little stint in politics, he contested Federal House of Rep for three times and lost all. Prior to that, he boasted to have built more than 200 boreholes across the country as a way of giving back to the communities. While narrating how his third attempt in the National Assembly made him quit politics, he agreed that it has always been like that in Nigeria politics. “The one that I won, those who have money bought it and that’s politics,” he says “At one point I was wondering that how can I win someone in his polling unit, in his ward, in his local government and yet at the end of the day, I still lose the election?” But for someone like Captain Ajibade who believes in God, took the situation as part of the training of life, “it shows how people can go into a lot of diabolical means to win elections and what I told the man was that. I said the way the animal that went to sacrifice suffered and died, that’s the way you will end up your life, and that was what happened. He was in the House of Rep three times consecutively, but he rotten to death, I was not happy about it but there is nothing you sow in life you will reap it, whether here or hereafter.” Captain Ajibade started his political career from Alliance for Democracy, AD, and migrated to People’s Democratic Party, PDP, “and that was when Gbenga Daniel started his campaign in Ayetoro with some of my projects. I moved all my followers from AD to PDP and I have always contested under PDP, though I am not an active PDP member anymore,” he reveals. Despite his contribution to his communities and having a good plan to represent them at the National level, Captain Ajibade’s efforts were not appreciated. “In fact I stopped been active in politics after my third-time attempt. I have come to realize that people are not ready, maybe for those who believed in divine intervention, maybe we will look for divine intervention, but the attitude of the people cannot actually bring an effective change,” he concluded. Read the full article

#CaptainAjibade

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ashitomarisu · 6 years

Photo

As it stands, these are the following pieces of merchandise available for sale. I have to work on setting up a new Paypal due to security issues, but it will be up sometime this weekend. For those who are interested, here is a little breakdown of each item:

Precure Merchandise

1. Go! Princess Precure: Cure Scarlet and Cure Twinkle (7″)

These are in very good condition and were barely messed with. Scarlet’s tag is still intact, but Twinkle’s is missing. eBay users are selling these for about $30 each. My offer: $25 (OR $45 for both)

2. Cure Ace and Cure Fortune (Fluffy Cure Friends; about 15″)

Both are in very good/like new condition. One of Ace’s cuffs have come loose over time, but is very minor. Fortune is somewhat not hard to find anywhere else (eBay has a few listings going for $25-$30). Ace, on the other hand, is rarer due to its age.

Fortune offer: $25

Ace offer: $89? No. I won’t sell it at such a ludicrous price. My offer stands between $35-$40.

3. Precure Mascots (Pop, Potpourri, and Lance)

These are being sold as a lot. Potpourri is a change purse plush (very cute and plushy); very good condition. Pop is like new; never used. Lance is in very good condition; has had stains but cleaned it recently.

Offer: $20 for all

4. Suite Precure (Kanade and Cure Muse; UFO catcher plush)

These were in very good condition; almost like new. Going for about $10 a piece on eBay.

My offer: $15 for both

Sailor Moon Merchandise

Outer senshi plushes (sans Saturn) + Small Lady (8″)

Yes, sadly; as much as I want to keep Puu, my bills and health come first. All four have tags (Pluto’s were taken off but kept in a safe area). Like new condition; never really played around with.

My offer: $15 OR $50 for all

Sailor Moon Manga set (Shinzoban) + Bag

I have talked about this before, in another post, but there has been a change. If anyone is highly interested, read carefully.

Includes: Sailor V Vol. 1+2, Sailor Moon Vol. 1-12 +2 specials, and the 1999 Sailor Moon messenger bag.

Only read the manga once in completion, have never touched it since. Offers on eBay are going for as much as $200. These are being sold as a lot (will not sell individually or partial). I spent 11 fucking dollars on each of these DAMN manga volumes and $15 on the bag. That would have been almost 200 dollars right there, but I’m desperate and need them gone.

My offer: $100 (will negotiate)

Miscellaneous SM plushies (two pictures)

All in very good condition. Artemis had stains, but was also recently cleaned. Only Tuxedo Kamen and Artemis are from GE Animation. Sailor Mercury is from the same line as the Outers. I have one Banpresto UFO catcher (Venus) and the other Sailor Mercury is from Irwin (2000).

My offer: $35 for all (no individual or partial sale)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Homura Akemi UFO catcher plush (7-8″)

One of the first plushies in my collection. Still like new; missing the little strap on top. Hasn’t been used for years.

My offer: $14 (because I really don’t have a reason to keep it anymore)

Love Live!

Jumbo Rin Hoshizora plush (40cm)

Very good condition. Used. Great to cuddle and snuggle with. Paid $45 for it on eBay (which was BS). Needs a new home, or else my nephew will destroy the darn thing.

My offer: $25

The sale will start December 2nd (sooner if my Paypal is active). If anyone is interested or have questions, please inbox me. United States only; no International shipping. I will update if necessary. For now, I need to prepare the Paypal and get things ready.

This is an opportunity that may not come around again. As I have said before, any unsold item may get donated after a few weeks. Don’t hesitate!

#personal #Ash is having a sale!#precure #sailor moon #love live #pmmm #merchandise #anime #plush #manga

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ittybittybatsie-blog · 7 years

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PowerPuff Pet Shop

Since I opened up the suggestion so many people have been open to the idea and offered to donate!! For that, I love you all. Seriously. I'm in the middle of moving and transferring schools to a completely new school (the only plus is Daddy goes there), I'm literally scrapping change together to get the food for my fur babies. Donations to me opening up the shop would be amazing and I'd love you forever, even if it's just one or two dollars. I'm planning on setting up a raffle later once everything gets settled, and prizes for people who donate a certain amount of money to the shop, because I don't want to just take your money. I'm so excited to get started with this. I've been thinking about doing this for a year or so now. As it is, I'm working on setting up the shop itself, and I just finished setting up a Gofundme account. If it lists a beneficiary who's receiving the money, it's my grandma (I'm not old enough to withdraw money, and she's the only one I trust to actually give me the check when it arrives). The donation link is gofundme.com/powerpuff-pet-shop You can message me about questions or ideas, as well. I'm usually online (even if my internet isn't always the best. I'll try to reply as soon as possible). The aim of PowerPuff Pet Shop: The aim of the shop is towards pet regressors, since I've been in the community all I've found are tails, leashes, collars, etc. The basics. Though amazing and great quality, I'd still like to be able to find toys and snacks aimed towards pet regressors, and not just puppies, kittens, and foxes (nothing against them, I regress as them too, it's just that they're a vast majority of the merchandise). I may eventually branch out into cute bows, tails, and ears. The Pet Shop will do it's best to reach out for each type of regressor, and if you're a rare animal and can't find your regression animal on the merchandise, message me and I'll custom make a set specifically for your animal! So far, I've planned out the basics of what I'll be offering. For sale will be: • custom day-time, public appropriate collars • custom food and water bowls (hand painted and decorated to what you like) Toys: • felt food toys (sold in bundles of 10 and 20. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts. Vegetarian, omnivorous, and carnivore) • felt squeaky toys • soft rope toys • feather toys Accessories/miscellaneous/socially acceptable: • stress toys (glitter jars, stress balls) • bag charms • bag plushes • (maybe) clay figurines (I've not tried clay as a medium yet) Bundles: • Meal Time Bundle ▪will include a plastic plate, children/animal themed fork and spoon, or a water and food bowl, 2 felt food meals, an apron and chefs hat, and a snack • Play Time Bundle will include: ▪ 4 pet specific toys ▪2 bag plushes/toys/charms ▪bubbles, and a surprise toy • Sleepy Time Bundle will include: ▪1 - 2 story books ▪1 - 3 plushies ▪2 pacis ▪1 bottle or sippy cup (if pacis are not wanted, you may switch them for 2 chew toys. If bottle or sippy is not wanted, you may switch them for a snack) • Bath Time Bundle will include: ▪1 body wash ▪1 2-n-1 shampoo and conditioner ▪1 bubble bath ▪3 bath toys ▪1 washcloth or loofah ▪(maybe) 1-2 bath bombs • Snack Time Bundle will include: ▪3-4 homemade snacks (pet specific. It will be something like cookies shaped like a pets favorite food or toy or candied fruits/nuts) ▪ 2 large cookies (Pet specific) ▪2 candies (large lollipops or a handful of smaller candies) ▪2 felt desserts or charms I'll be posting a separate post detailing everything I'm planning on selling and the aims and potentials of the store. -------------------------------------------------------- reblogs would be so helpful, please! @sleepylittlevixen @cutesys-daycare @liltotcommunity @honeypotpreschool @angelic-pets @pettot

#lkc #cglre #pet regression #angelic-pets #liltot #pettot

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triumphharmony · 4 years

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Do People Really Want Birthday Gifts?

Happy Birthdays are instantly associated with gifts and paying special attention to the one celebrating. For one day a year, each of us becomes the center of attention and our wishes are fulfilled. But that might not always be the case, surprisingly. While as kids most of us liked throwing a big birthday party and looked forward to the colorful wrapped packages our friends would carry, some of us have changed a little or ended up disliking birthday traditions. Some people don’t like to celebrate their birthday after a certain age, but still appreciate gifts. Others have established a strict no-gift policy in their lives. Or they might prefer activities and spending time with friends and family more than a packaged object. Remember the friend who has been traveling the world this past year? He can’t use a fancy decorative bowl. Mothers of young kids have no space to store another toy, so no wonder they seem terrified at the site of a big plush bear. Everyone is different, and everyone is continually changing because of personal choices or unexpected happenings. So next time you think about mailing a fun birthday gift to your friend who you haven’t seen in two years, stop and think how much things could have changed in their life. Ask yourself if it is what they need or if it is the best you could give them right now.

Statistics and examples

While there are no official statistics that reflect people’s preferences when it comes to receiving online birthday gifts delivery, I am pretty sure the results would be widely varying if everyone told the truth. Many times we really need a particular thing or have a long wish list, but telling others that feels selfish and uncomfortable. Even if you say you need new clothes, for example, no one can ensure that you won’t end up with five floral dresses and two hand knitted beanies when you actually wear black suits everyday.

For me, the most difficult person to choose a gift for will always be my mother. It’s because she is very selective when buying for herself, and she rarely likes what others get her. Deep down I know she doesn’t want us to spend money and that’s why she tells us she wants nothing every year. There were some success stories, but mostly it has been a miss with the presents I have made/bought for her. My dad hands her an envelope and she can get herself whatever she likes. Such an easy way to go, but I think it just works better with certain people.

As for my father, he really appreciates my thoughtful presents, the handmade ones or the ones I have been planning for a long time. However, he would never admit he didn’t like anything, so he is the easiest kind of guy to choose a gift for.

A friend of mine from university would make a wish list a month before her birthday and show it to everyone. Items in the list ranged from eyeliner to a mobile phone, so I guess the first ones to choose were the luckiest.

My husband and I, after many stressful years spent thinking of creative ideas, have agreed that the best gifts are the ones we need. We don’t really expect anything else besides spending our birthdays with each other, but if there has to be a gift, it will be something from our wish list or “need” list that we will use all the time. I got him a gadget and he got me sunglasses this year. They are things we’ve been using daily and now carry extra value, making us take better care of them. A different case is my brother, who doesn’t expect gifts, but asks for them strategically (from our parents, obviously). He won’t gift others anything either, unless he finds something really cool or he can afford an expensive present. I like that he doesn’t put too much stress on the topic and goes with his own flow.

My rule of thumb

If you asked me what I like for my birthday, I would always tell you there’s nothing I need. You could get me anything and I would be content. That doesn’t mean I’d keep it forever and not re-gift it though. All I can promise is that I’d be genuinely happy with your gesture of thinking of me on my special day. Although I get more joy from giving presents to others, receiving them feels awesome too. The best presents I can remember, were from people I didn’t expect a gift from and the ones I had asked for. On the same note, I always feel the need to give others birthdays presents, because it’s their day and I need to remind them that. For people like my best friend, birthdays are grumpy days, with no celebrations. That doesn’t stop me from giving her something small when I meet her a few days later. After all, it’s a way of celebrating her and expressing my gratitude for her being in my life. As a rule of thumb, I go with something small when the birthday girl/boy is not expecting any gifts and for something really meaningful or what they asked for, in case it’s a family member or close friend (who’d be secretly sad/disappointed if I didn’t give them anything).

Why birthday gifts disappoint

While Christmas gifts are usually the hardest to shop for, best online birthday gifts delivery in India are no better. You may only have one person to focus on, instead of 20, but it doesn’t make it any less difficult. Chances are you often forget about birthdays, unless you put them on the calendar, phone alarm or are reminded by social media alerts. The lack of time rushes you to get something last minute just for the sake of it, spending more money than you can afford or choosing something totally unrelated to the birthday person. Sometimes you have literally run out of gift ideas after many years of getting presents for him/her. Also, we all know that dreadful person who already has everything and what we get should be nothing short of spectacular. It happens though, that people change and what you thought would make your high school friend jump of joy, fails to give her the slightest smile. Or there is a particular current intention in their life, such as going clutter free or living a more meaningful life. No matter how appropriate or expensive your gift is, it will end up trashed/sold/donated because it doesn’t sync with their intention.

How to prepare better gifts

To make things easy for yourself, get back to basics and write this down if you need to. “No one should expect online gifts for birthday and you don’t have to get every one something. But every present should be chosen with a purpose and received with gratitude.” To ensure this, do your homework. Here are some simple tips to help you get it right every time: First of all, go on and ask them. They might not tell you what they really want, but they will for sure let you know if they don’t want gifts for any reason.If they are just being thankful and reflective on what they already have in their lives, it’s up to you to decide on a gift or not. Make sure it adds value to what they are doing. Spending time together or sharing a special activity is always unforgettable. Donating to a cause they care about is a nice pick too (you can also apply this to kids/teenagers).

If the reason they don’t want gifts is because they are not celebrating this year, ask why. For cases of loss or illnesses, go with flowers and a short note. Reading heartfelt and encouraging words during difficult times is comforting

When you have decided to buy something, set a budget and find the best your money can get you.

Consider their interests and likes. The less generic the gift, the more chances they will like it.

Whenever you can, choose a “package” gift, something you can share together, like going out for dinner or taking a weekend trip.

If you know them well, get them something they love, but would never buy for themselves.

When you can only afford small or cheap things, make sure they are either beautiful or useful.

Edibles make perfect birthday gifts delivery online, as long as they fall in the range of that persons favorites. They can be easily shared, which makes things more fun. Also, no clutter left behind.

If the person has an expensive item on their wish list, offer cash or gift certificates towards it. They will remember you as one of the people that made it possible for them to buy it.

When you live far away from each other or don’t communicate often, rely on the internet to find possible hints for what they like. Social media platforms and website where people share their wish lists make it easy to see a pattern of what they care for.

Sometimes you have to go the other way round. Start from yourself and think about what it is that you really want to say to them through your gift. If you want to express love or appreciation, choose something that best reflects what love or appreciation means for you. When you want them to be surprised or laugh out loud, put your skills to work and deliver that. It might not work well in every case, but at least you had an intention behind your gift and you can always explain that to any confused or disappointed gift receiver.You might be surprised at how many people will react differently after a short explanation note or a verbal story, telling you “It totally makes sense now!”

If nothing helps and you are short on time and ideas, try your luck with a fun quiz. Don’t expect much though. The best it can give you is a hint (or a good laugh) and maybe spark a better idea eventually. Also, here are links to a horoscope gift guide, DIY gift ideas and free meaningful gifts to inspire you further.

source - https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/people-really-want-birthday-gifts.html

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mastcomm · 4 years

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Captain Ajibade, Mr Eazi’s father opens up on son

Captain Ajibade retired as Squadron chief from Nigerian Air Drive. Picture by Ayodele Efunla

By Taiwo Okanlawon

Not a lot is thought about Captain Alexander Olukayode Ajibade who retired from the Nigerian Air Drive as a Squadron chief.

However his son, Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade, higher often known as Mr. Eazi will ring a bell within the ears of many Nigerians or lovers of Afrobeat.

Although being a celeb mum or dad has its perks, Captain Ajibade, as fondly known as and his spouse selected to stay off the radar as their first son, Mr Eazi swept by cities after cities with hit information, utilizing his type of ‘Banku Music,’ touring and placing offers throughout the UK, US and different markets as one of many smartest African musicians alive.

Two days earlier than assembly Captain Ajibade at his Lagos residence, I Googled his identify, Nothing got here up, nothing linked him with the singer besides throughout one of many music star’s video shoots, the place Mr Eazi disclosed that Kpalanga, a military-themed music video was impressed by his pilot father’s absence from his household life.

The video options the singer and a troupe of back-up dancers wearing navy fatigues, mirrored the “toll” his father’s absence took on their relationship. He recalled assembly his father for the primary time when he was two.

Mr Eazi taking pictures Kpalanga video

As we sat down in his plush front room, I requested why the Squadron chief and his spouse weren’t on the market although their son is arguably certainly one of Nigeria’s most commercially profitable artistes in the meanwhile, particularly within the worldwide market.

From sold-out live shows to creating large streaming income, Mr Eazi may be stated to have efficiently cracked the code on tips on how to successfully break into the worldwide market. He has generated greater than 900 million streams worldwide, together with over 226 million performs on YouTube alone.

From his tone, his reactions, one will certainly doubt that Captain Ajibade who hails from Ayetoro, Ogun State, as soon as labored within the navy. He’s calm and funky, a uncommon trait to see in a navy man.

“I’ve all the time been a really personal individual, let Mr Eazi do his issues and we do our issues right here too”, he replied earlier than portray a situation to help why they selected to stay personal as Mr Eazi’s dad and mom.

“I believe it was within the information that Mr Eazi’s father was kidnapped. Individuals who noticed the information had been attempting to achieve me. It was on Sunday and I bought again from Church early. So I used to be sleeping at residence and my telephone was off. By the point my spouse bought again they usually known as her, she stated my husband is right here.

“In order that they kidnapped the fallacious individual,” he narrated.

Upon our arrival at his residence, Mr Eazi’s dad and mom simply stuffed up a automobile with cooked meals heading to someplace in Agege to provide them out to the much less privileged. Per week earlier, the dad and mom by Mr Eazi’s basis – emPawa Basis, had donated meals gadgets to residents in Sango Ota in Ogun State, and likewise visited Little Saints Orphanage in Lagos to help susceptible kids with meals gadgets.

emPawa Basis distributed meals to the much less privileged in Agege, Lagos. Picture by Ayodele Efunla

Initially, Captain Ajibade didn’t plan to observe the household to Agege to distribute the meals however once we arrived, he needed to take us in his automobile and waited, and after we had been executed, we headed again to his residence and there I instructed him about our mission.

“I believed you guys will need to interview Mr Eazi not me and he’s not round proper now,” he stated.

I instructed him “we’re right here for you, for now sir.”

After we settled down, he took us again to his navy and spiritual journey in addition to different issues he had ventured into .

“I don’t imagine in titles. Individuals simply confer with me as Captain Ajibade, easy. I remembered after I was in Liberia, folks name me Chaplain quite than addressing me by my rank. I retired from the Air Drive as a Squadron Chief. In some circles, they name me reverend, some name me pastor. In actual fact, there’s a famend Bishop on this nation that all the time addresses me as a prophet.”

After leaving service, Captain Ajibade didn’t cease rendering service to his nation, “And to the Glory of God, I fly roughly for enjoyable now, coaching Police pilots with no cost,” he says.

“I fly helicopters which can be uncommon, that while you go spherical the entire of West Africa, you’ll solely see one or two folks that may fly that sort of helicopter. In order that’s mainly the individual I’m.

Captain Ajibade has labored with notable folks in Nigeria within the aviation sector, “I retired after 19 years in service of Nigerian Air Drive. Since then, I’ve labored in a number of locations. Bristow Helicopters, Adenuga’s Southern Airways by Chief Makanjuola who owns Caverton Helicopters as a result of he was the one paying us.

“As I stated, I nonetheless fly. My dream is that in the future, I’ll have my very own helicopter. Proper now I’m on the retirement age of even flying however then seeing some younger ones rising, doing it and I like imparting information on folks, whether or not spiritual information, spiritualism or information as per aviation as a result of after forty-something years within the navy, I’ve one thing to supply.

Captain Ajibade was additionally in Sierra Leone for ECOMOG for 3 years, a West African peacekeeping pressure that was based to cease the bloodshed and ethnic killing. “All these experiences formed me and my notion about life,” he added.

Captain Ajibade and his son had a bizarre relationship due to his absence in his life whereas rising up.

“I believe I didn’t see him for about 12 months after he was born,” he stated .

“15 months, it was 15 months,” Mr Eazi’s mom, former banker now a pastor and an entrepreneur who was sitting on the eating desk observing the interview from afar chipped in.

“I truly met my spouse within the financial institution the place she was working,” he had instructed me earlier.

“Properly girls do maintain correct date and time,’’ Captain Ajibade added as he flashed again to these struggling instances when he served his nation and left his household.

“I used to be to go to Liberia throughout the civil struggle, I solely waited for a while to do the naming ceremony and I left. It was a tricky time for me as a result of he doesn’t know me, he received’t pay attention or converse to me,” he lamented, “it was after I retired from the service I lastly discovered time to work on our father and son relationship.”

Mr Eazi’s father is from Yewa in Ogun State whereas his mom is from the South-South area of Nigeria.

The couple met in Port Harcourt the place Mr Eazi was born.

However how did Ghana come into the image? I requested Captain Ajibade as Mr Eazi’s musical root has all the time been traced to Ghana.

The singer as soon as instructed Rolling Stone Journal that “My music began out in Ghana, moved to the U.Okay. after which to Nigeria. To at the present time, the U.Okay. is my Quantity One streaming location on Apple Music and Spotify.”

Mr Eazi had his rising up years, from 15 to 22 in Ghana for his academic endeavours, enrolling within the mechanical engineering programme at Kwame Nkrumah College of Science and Know-how (KNUST).

He later went to Coventry College, United Kingdom.

Serving to folks has all the time been Mr Eazi’s mission.

“It was throughout his time at KNUST, he began doing MC, DJ and reserving artistes to carry out in school events utilizing the cash to assist college students,” stated Captain Ajibade.

He didn’t begin making music to become profitable.”

Mr Eazi would later contribute vocals to the monitor “My Life”, a track that gained traction and have become a well-liked report at KNUST.

It was throughout his time as MC that he bought his stage identify.

“When he’s MCing on the get together, he all the time cautioned folks on the occasion to take it simple, simple simple je je which now turns into Mr Eazi,” Captain Ajibade revealed, including that his identify was Simple Simple Jeje at first.

Mr Eazi went on to pioneer Banku music, a fusion sound he describes as a combination of Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian chord progressions and patterns. It’s a sound characterised by percolating rhythms and laid-back vocal delivered in Ghanaian Pidgin English.

Mr Eazi wears a JW Anderson sweater. (Photographed by Seye Isikalu for Billboard)

Increasing his group service past Nigeria, Mr Eazi launched a expertise incubator programme ‘emPawa Africa’ in 2018, with the aim of investing in promising artists early so they may develop self-sustaining careers.

Every artiste will obtain a $10,000 grant to go in direction of a music video, together with mentorship from skilled singers, producers, and video administrators.

Captain Ajibade, whereas reacting to that nodded in affirmation, “that’s how all my kids had been introduced up. It isn’t that he’s wealthy to sponsor all these artistes, he has sponsors, some individuals are additionally supporting him.”

“Mr Eazi all the time instructed us the story of the $1,000 funding somebody made in his profession and the way that made an enormous distinction,” E Kelly, a music producer and shut collaborator, instructed Rolling Stone in 2019.

The technique appeared to work for singers like Joeboy, J. Derobie, and others who scored hits final yr after connecting with emPawa.

I requested at what level did Mr Eazi present curiosity in music.

Ajibade didn’t give me a particular reply however disclosed that each one his kids have entry to many musical devices at residence they usually listened to information he would play for the household whereas having breakfast.

Giving the truth that Navy males are all the time strict, Captain Ajibade is much from strict.

He’s truly the one we must be calling Mr Eazi.

As a person of God, he believes folks ought to do what they’re captivated with and be fulfilled.

Talking about his personal life-style, Captain Ajibade stated he doesn’t all the time attend his son’s reveals.

When he attends, he will soften with the group.

“That’s the place all of the enjoyable is definitely.”

His son will announce that his father is round however received’t get him seen as a result of he doesn’t take life too severe due to his expertise whereas rising up.

“There are all the time two angles to human beings. There may be religious and there may be bodily and when you will have skilled each, you simply know that there’s nothing to it.

He went on to relate how issues had been arduous whereas rising up, “I say extraordinarily tough, proper from my main faculty days, I even had ulcer however studying the bible and following the scripture, it impacted on my character and my lifestyle.”

Captain Ajibade contested the Federal Home of Rep for thrice and misplaced all. Picture by Ayodele Efunla

Captain Ajibade additionally had just a little stint in politics, he contested Federal Home of Rep thrice and misplaced all.

Previous to that, he boasted constructing greater than 200 boreholes throughout the nation as a manner of giving again to the communities.

He stated his third try to the Nationwide Meeting made him give up politics.

“The one which I received, those that have cash purchased it and that’s politics,” he stated.

“At one level I used to be questioning how the individual I defeated in his polling unit, in his ward, in his native authorities and received the election on the finish of the day. ?”

However for somebody like Captain Ajibade who believes in God, he took the loss as a part of the coaching of life.

“It reveals the extent folks can go, together with going into diabolical means to win elections.

“I instructed the person that the way in which the animal that went to sacrifice suffered and died, that’s the way in which you’ll find yourself your life, and that was what occurred. He was within the Home of Rep thrice consecutively, however he died I used to be not glad about it however there may be nothing you sow in life you’ll reap it, whether or not right here or hereafter.”

Captain Ajibade began his political profession from Alliance for Democracy, AD, and migrated to Individuals’s Democratic Get together, PDP, “and that was when Gbenga Daniel began his marketing campaign in Ayetoro with a few of my initiatives. I moved all my followers from AD to PDP and I’ve all the time contested below PDP, although I’m not an energetic PDP member anymore,” he reveals.

Regardless of his contribution to his communities and having a very good plan to signify them on the Nationwide degree, Captain Ajibade’s efforts weren’t appreciated.

“In actual fact I ended been energetic in politics after my third try. I’ve come to comprehend that individuals are not prepared, possibly for many who believed in divine intervention, possibly we’ll search for divine intervention, however the perspective of the folks can’t truly carry an efficient change,” he concluded.

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ethelbertpaul444-blog · 6 years

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The Nintendo King and the Midlife Crisis

It was December in San Diego, the palm trees strung with tinsel in Ocean Beach. Pat Contri shuffled barefoot on the floor of his game room, pitch-black hair sodden from the shower and writhing above his eyes. He was in front of a wall of practically 1,000 competitions for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the greatest console ever secreted; the wall, flooring to ceiling, was amazing to gaze, Contri as tiny as Ahab in front of his whale. He spoke from the stickers of gray-headed plastic cartridges he’d spent two decades collecting: Spy Hunter , with its Peter Gunn theme, which he got for Christmas in 1987; Jaws , which he picked up at a flea market with his mother in Rahway, New Jersey, a year or two eventually; Zelda II , video games he had his parents order from the Sears catalog in 1988, a game he cried over because it made perpetually to arrive. The wall was both a sanctuary to his life’s pastime and the backdrop for his use. For a decade, Contri has played a reputation called Pat the NES Punk for nearly 250,000 spectators on YouTube. Supporters realise him at the airport, at the gym, at the swap meets, and he has become not only the panel of experts on Nintendo but a public look for anyone who grown up with the NES, anyone who’s worn a Donkey Kong T-shirt or who still has the Super Mario Bros . theme song throbbing in their heart. The Punk is goofier than the real-life Contri–a bit more manic, an exaggeration of his id. Games are the Punk’s life, and remembers of the NES sing him to sleep and then wake him in sweat. Almost all of his videos, which run around 10 instants, focus on the Punk’s experience with a single NES game. Each is a compounding autobiography instruction and evaluation, handed with a narrative articulation that causes Contri( as scribe, superintendent, and wizard) show off his sense of humour, his knowledge of Nintendo, and rarely even the extents of his introspection–about being boxed into an endless infancy by videogames, about the inherent sadness of trying to fill a flaw in their own lives with them. See more from the Life Issue. April 2018. Subscribe to WIRED. Nik Mirus One of Contri’s better videos, a 12 -minute piece from 2013 devoted to the rare and expensive NES game The Flintstones: The Surprise at Dinosaur Peak ! em >, starts with the Punk rustling awake from a excitement fantasy, strangling out “I need help.” And, looking at his plays: “What am I doing? They’re just videogames. I’m supporting like hundreds of thousands of bucks’ usefulnes right in my hands. That could be going to something handy, something memorable. Like a vacation! I could go anywhere I miss. Scotland. Italy. Tahiti … ” And there he pauses. “I wonder if there’s NES games in Tahiti.” It was a bit, predominantly, but as Nintendo celebrates the 33 rd birthday of its historic console–and as Contri approaches 38 — it was also a sign of the conflict within him. Like a lot of people who were born in the years just before and after the launch of the NES, he is no longer young and not nearly old-time, neither brand-new nor vintage, and it seems like he has started to feel a little bit lost in the in-between. “I don’t know if I want to be 65 years old speak about retro videogames, ” he told me. “I don’t wanted to go to be the only thing I talk about perpetually. I think sometimes,’ Is this where my flair begins and extremities? ’ ” He says he doesn’t dally NES videogames anymore–except when he’s in character–and that it’s different now: It’s work. He admits this in abdication, like it’s blasphemy, the man for whom Nintendo became a career. “There’s something a little self-deprecating about the Punk character, and about my reference too, ” enunciates James Rolfe, a 37 -year-old godfather of YouTube gamers who dallies a persona reputation the Angry Video Game Nerd and is a collaborator of Contri’s. “All these YouTube characters have some kind of component of sadness to them. Meditating back to childhood, were we consuming our times with competitions? Were we really entertaining ourselves? Were we really happy? ” Contri’s home library consists of nearly 1,000 NES games. SHAYAN ASGHARNIA Contri is a 3 7-year-old man who has been playing videogames his entire life. His cousin’s Atari 2600, when he was 4. His family’s PC-IBM XT. Then he was 7 when his mothers bought him an NES console, and preadolescent Pat started expend hours in his family’s rec room in front of a small Magnavox monitor. Later, in high school, he frisked Super Nintendo and then PC sports, and rediscovered the NES while he was in college. After he graduated, in 2002, he eventually settled into a chore in market research, acting 50 -plus hours a week in Princeton, New Jersey, and living in nearby North Brunswick. He detested it. One day in 2006, he came across the Angry Video Game Nerd’s grouchy game recollects, and the perception of a courage boozing beer and railing about video games Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest rang out to him. “I ascertained the AVGN doing well, but I discovered a lot of bad videos out there too, ” Contri says. “I’d watch them and think,’ Not simply does this person not know how to play the game, he didn’t include any history of it.’ At the least, I envisaged I could do better.” Contri became his first video, six and a half minutes of him as the Punk playing a couple of NES baseball games before acre on the best, Baseball Stars . He picked the moniker because he thought it had a ring to it, had an stance , and, well, ladies he’d dated told him he behaved like a punk. It also captivated the overwhelming compassion he got where reference is played video games; the NES compiled him glad, and the specific characteristics was a strange, joyful increase of who Contri really was. He procreated his second video a few months subsequently, about The Three Stooges , and then another one after that. He started running out videos, each loaded with enough feeling, temperament, and insider knowledge to set it apart from everything else online. In 2012, a few years after leaving New Jersey for San Diego, he discontinued his market research chore and started obligating videos full time. Related Stories Angela Watercutter I’m a Nintendo Switch N0 0b Who Just Got a Hands-On with Labo Julie Muncy Celeste Is Precisely How the Nintendo Switch Continues to Win Jim McLauchlin Oral History: How Marvel’s Creative Head Helped Bring Nintendo to America Today Contri gets flown across the country up to a dozen terms a year to accompanied videogame assemblies, where he often arrives sleep-deprived and accentuated, carving a smile in front of his followers. He schleps suitcases full of NES Punk wristbands and DVDs across dinner hallways and sits at a booth wearing a T-shirt and sandals, a guy with that everlasting five-o’clock darknes and the foppish hair, selling his product and indicating his word a hundred times on NES consoles and controllers and activity cartridges. He gives six figures a year, his receipt coming from stock and volume royalties; from YouTube ads and the sponsors of his two podcasts, Not So Common , which he hosts by himself, and the Completely Unnecessary Podcast , a testify he cohosts with a sidekick worded Ian Ferguson; from the Patreon allies whose monthly donations facilitate pay for his content. As of earlier this year, the NES Punk videos were the least advantageous and most time-consuming of all Contri’s projects. One of its recent videos, about a game called Stadium Events , made him more than 50 hours to create–much of that time spent researching the inscrutable scarcity of the game–and it allured exactly over 70,000 opinions at long last counting, earning him a little less than $400. A low-spirited income, by any measure, and he’s started to think more and more about withdrawing the character and maybe doing something else with his time. “For the last year and a half, I’ve never really known what he does for entertaining, ” pronounces Ferguson, who convened Contri in 2008. “I can’t think of one specific pastime aside from workout that he does that’s perfectly undone from slog. His drudgery was formerly his hobby, and now he’s married to that work.” Contri insists that he does, in fact, have other interests: “I like movies. I affection the zoo. I like watching boasts on Tv. I detest the Patriots, but who doesn’t? ” He’s never been married, has no teenagers, and lives alone, unless you count the Punk. “The Punk is just a reference, ” he mentions. “Sometimes people think it’s actually me. But at some phase this will end.” In the game room where he films the videos, Contri persisted over the wall of NES cartridge sports he no longer toys for merriment. “I don’t know if they give me a find anymore, ” he remarked. “And I don’t know if I’m still looking for that find. Most of us are well-adjusted adults now.” Maybe he intended the proposed establishment of adults who’d affection the NES as kids, or the obsessed beings like him who’d mustered the whole North American library( he stops three activities in a bank vault ), or the really maniac people who would want an old, mint-condition NES holographic cereal carton, which he proudly showed me. Pat Contri holding a jumbo-sized yield Donkey Kong plush from 1982 at his house outside of San Diego . div> SHAYAN ASGHARNIA Contri doesn’t know what to do–walk the Punk into the sunset, or kill the character off. Nintendo is as popular as ever, which isn’t fixing the decision any easier. The Switch–a Nintendo console designed for middle-aged people as much as it is for anyone–has sold more than 14 million units since it was exhausted last year. Stores spent a year selling out of the NES and SNES Classic. And in the summer of 2016, Contri liberated a 437 -page, $60 hardback coffee-table-sized bible called Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the NES Library, 1985-1995 , which took him nearly three years to finish 1 . It includes its further consideration of every mainstream NES game released in the US along with information and factoids and NES curio history. He wrote 450 of the 800 -plus recalls, then compiled everything there is before publicizing it himself. It suffocated him but turned into a amaze hit–with two etch flees totaling 10,000 copies–thanks in part to his meticulous research and the upsurge in those who are interested in retro NES games. It was a big reason why he was able to buy his house in San Diego, where Nintendo is on the walls and in the bedroom, on the floor and on the shelves, in the beady plastic hearts of the stuffed swine and on his personalized wristbands and the five-o’clock darknes that his YouTube character can never seem to get rid of. Nintendo forged him and allowed him the strange bonu of internet prestige , not to mention a ton of crazy nonsense he has collected for no other rationale than that it probably fixed him feel like a kid. He has already projected a sequel to the book, a template for the Super Nintendo library that he hopes to publish next year. “I am happy, I think–I’ll surely be joyous, formerly I finish the next record, ” he alleges. Contri’s hair is get a bit gray-headed, and he mentions that maybe the Punk might endure to have totally white hair–that maybe he could still be talking about plays 30 years from now, like aged adults talking about toy set lists in the regions of pattern ballrooms. He has enough recreations to make it all last-place eternally. The Punk, an age-old guy, hunched over, still collecting, still frisking the ancient sports, still living in a house full of Nintendo. Read More Real Wedding, Virtual Space* The Pursuit of Youth* The Digital Vision Problem* The True Screen Addicts* Rebooting Reproduction* Silicon Valley &# x27; s Brotox Boom* The Next Steve Jobs* Solving Health Issues at All Stages Justin Heckert (@ JustinHeckert ) is a writer living in Charleston, South Carolina. This is his first peculiarity for WIRED . em> 1 Correction appended, 3/27/ 18, 8: 28 PM EDT: Contri publicized his record, Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the NES Library, 1985-1995 , in 2016 , not 2017. Such articles appears in the April issue. Subscribe now . em> Related Video Gaming The History of Nintendo: By the Numbers With the announcement of the Nintendo Switch and the stop of the Wii U, let’s take a look at some of the numbers behind the mythical video game company. Read more: https :// www.wired.com/ story/ nes-punk-nintendo-gamer / http://dailybuzznetwork.com/index.php/2018/06/15/the-nintendo-king-and-the-midlife-crisis/

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The Nintendo King and the Midlife Crisis

It was December in San Diego, the palm trees strung with tinsel in Ocean Beach. Pat Contri shuffled barefoot on the floor of his game room, black hair wet from the shower and curling above his eyes. He was in front of a wall of nearly 1,000 games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the greatest console ever released; the wall, floor to ceiling, was amazing to behold, Contri as small as Ahab in front of his whale. He read from the spines of gray plastic cartridges he’d spent two decades collecting: Spy Hunter, with its Peter Gunn theme, which he got for Christmas in 1987; Jaws, which he picked up at a flea market with his mother in Rahway, New Jersey, a year or two later; Zelda II, a game he had his parents order from the Sears catalog in 1988, a game he cried over because it took forever to arrive.

The wall was both a shrine to his life’s hobby and the backdrop for his work. For a decade, Contri has played a character called Pat the NES Punk for nearly 250,000 viewers on YouTube. Fans recognize him at the airport, at the gym, at the swap meets, and he has become not just an expert on Nintendo but a public face for anyone who grew up with the NES, anyone who’s worn a Donkey Kong T-shirt or who still has the Super Mario Bros. theme song thumping in their heart.

The Punk is goofier than the real-life Contri—a bit more manic, an exaggeration of his id. Games are the Punk’s life, and thoughts of the NES sing him to sleep and then wake him in sweat. Almost all of his videos, which run around 10 minutes, focus on the Punk’s experience with a single NES game. Each is a combination history lesson and review, delivered with a narrative voice that lets Contri (as writer, director, and star) show off his sense of humor, his knowledge of Nintendo, and occasionally even the depths of his introspection—about being boxed into an endless childhood by videogames, about the inherent sadness of trying to fill a hole in his life with them.

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One of Contri’s best videos, a 12-minute piece from 2013 dedicated to the rare and expensive NES game The Flintstones: The Surprise at Dinosaur Peak!, begins with the Punk rustling awake from a fever dream, choking out “I need help.” And, looking at his games: “What am I doing? They’re just videogames. I’m holding like a thousand bucks’ worth right in my hands. That could be going to something useful, something memorable. Like a vacation! I could go anywhere I want. Scotland. Italy. Tahiti …” And there he pauses. “I wonder if there’s NES games in Tahiti.”

It was a bit, mostly, but as Nintendo celebrates the 33rd birthday of its historic console—and as Contri approaches 38—it was also a sign of the conflict within him. Like a lot of people who were born in the years just before and after the launch of the NES, he is no longer young and not nearly old, neither new nor vintage, and it seems like he has started to feel a bit lost in the in-between. “I don’t know if I want to be 65 years old talking about retro videogames,” he told me. “I don’t want that to be the only thing I talk about forever. I think sometimes, ‘Is this where my talent begins and ends?’ ” He says he doesn’t play NES videogames anymore—except when he’s in character—and that it’s different now: It’s work. He admits this in resignation, like it’s sacrilege, the man for whom Nintendo became a career.

“There’s something a little self-deprecating about the Punk character, and about my character too,” says James Rolfe, a 37-year-old godfather of YouTube gamers who plays a character named the Angry Video Game Nerd and is a collaborator of Contri’s. “All these YouTube characters have some kind of element of sadness to them. Thinking back to childhood, were we wasting our time with games? Were we really entertaining ourselves? Were we really happy?”

Contri’s home library consists of nearly 1,000 NES games.

SHAYAN ASGHARNIA

Contri is a 37-year-old man who has been playing videogames his entire life. His cousin’s Atari 2600, when he was 4. His family’s PC-IBM XT. Then he was 7 when his parents bought him an NES console, and preadolescent Pat started spending hours in his family’s rec room in front of a small Magnavox monitor. Later, in high school, he played Super Nintendo and then PC games, and rediscovered the NES while he was in college. After he graduated, in 2002, he eventually settled into a job in market research, working 50-plus hours a week in Princeton, New Jersey, and living in nearby North Brunswick. He hated it.

One day in 2006, he came across the Angry Video Game Nerd’s irascible game reviews, and the sight of a character drinking beer and railing about the game Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest rang out to him. “I saw the AVGN doing well, but I saw a lot of bad videos out there too,” Contri says. “I’d watch them and think, ‘Not only does this person not know how to play the game, he didn’t include any history of it.’ At the very least, I thought I could do better.”

Contri made his first video, six and a half minutes of him as the Punk playing a couple of NES baseball games before landing on the best, Baseball Stars. He chose the nickname because he thought it had a ring to it, had an attitude, and, well, women he’d dated told him he acted like a punk. It also captured the overpowering feeling he got when he played the games; the NES made him happy, and the character was a weird, happy extension of who Contri really was. He made his second video a month later, about The Three Stooges, and then another one after that. He started pumping out videos, each loaded with enough humor, personality, and insider knowledge to set it apart from everything else online. In 2012, a few years after leaving New Jersey for San Diego, he quit his market research job and started making videos full time.