Not even 48hrs into September and we’re already discussing the possibility of a 3rd pandemic

G r e a t

i'm your biggest fan [j.shaw x morgan!child!reader]

prompt: after jaedyn's great performance at the game against argentina, you become her biggest fan.

author notes: been trying to get back to writing more and finally got some inspiration. i have been wanting to write a child!reader fic forever, blame @/woso-dreamzzz because im in love with her child!reader fics so bad. this is me trying to make myself feel better after that shit ass usa vs mexico game 🤗 so enjoy! P.S. the reader is like around five in this.

you're standing on the pitch after the usa vs argentina, happily following around your soccer aunts. this game was one of the best lately. your throat was dry from all the shouting and cheering you have been doing. especially when your mother scored a banger in the nineteenth minute. of course you weren't only cheering only for your mommy, getting loud for all your soccer aunts too. like blondie lindsey and tiny rose. that doesn't mean you haven't been focusing your attention on the new girls though; they are officially your soccer cousins now since they are all too young to be aunties in your opinion.

one new girl in particular has caught your attention. the way she has been performing so strongly throughout the whole match has you obsessed with her. not that you understand soccer tactics or anything, but even a five year old knows good play when they see it. you screamed her name the loudest (right after your mommy's of course); jaedyn. not only was jaedyn the cool new girl who your mommy says is going to the next big thing for the team, but she also wears the number above your mommy's new one. you honestly hated the new number because your mommy is number thirteen, not seven but you can't seem to understand whatever rule your mom told you about because it's too much for your brain so you don't think about it. the only good thing that came out of the change is the fact your mommy's cubby is next to jaedyn's.

the moment you spot the girl in the question as you follow around lynn, who just stopped to talk to crystal about the game, you slip off to where jaedyn is which wasn't a hard task. just having to go through a few legs with some quick "hi!"s in-between.

finally you make it to where jaedyn is sipping on her water bottle. she looks so cool even when just standing around. it seems jaedyn doesn't spot you, so you just do the ol' tug them by the shorts trick and her eyes look down at you.

"oh? hey mini morgan," her smile is like the sun to you. her tone sounds so chill and cool that you try to copy her. "hi big shaw!" you say. your words coming out way less cool than hers but it was worth the effort. the american player lets out a short laugh, ruffling your hair that's in pigtails. making it a bit messy, but you don't really mind. it's jaedyn doing it so why would you?

"big shaw? i'm the only shaw around here, so shouldn't it be shaw the first?" you nod at her words already. "okay, shaw the first, can you teach me how to shoot a banger?" you ask. looking up at her with high exceptions already. the way you say your words make her laugh loudly which confuses you. why is cool girl jaedyn laughing? is it because she thinks you can't score a banger too? or maybe she's like a magician and can't reveal her secrets.

you lean more towards the magician theory, saying, "i promise i won't tell anyone about it! so you can keep your shooting superpower hidden." jaedyn just shakes her head before crouching down to your height. "you don't have to keep it a secret. i think everyone already knows," she whispers, "but yeah i'll teach you. just make sure to ask your mommy." you let a excited gasp as you whip your head around. looking for your mom across the pitch. your expert alex morgan finding eyes locate her easily. turning your head back to look at jaedyn with a smile. you hold out your pinky finger, "pinky promise?"

"pinky promise," jaedyn accepts your declaration of confirmation as she locks her pinky finger with yours. "thanks shaw the first!" you shout at her after pulling away. already running quickly to go ask your mommy to let jaedyn to teach you how to score bangers. hopefully she doesn't question why didn't you just ask her since you wouldn't want to break it your mommy that jaedyn is just cooler. your mommy is still one of the coolest though.

you almost bump into the legs of naomi on your way to your mommy, but dodge quickly with your great dodging skills. naomi even said you might be a defender in the making once. the loud voice of yours can be heard to everyone around you as you finally reach your mommy.

"can big shaw teach me how to score bangers, please!" you shout out happily. your mommy just chuckles before patting the top of your head, "of course, baby."

and that was possibly the path to you being a future forward. all thanks to big shaw.

MY LTWT 2022 vs MY FITFWT 2024 EXPERIENCE

This past Saturday, May 18th, I went to Louis’ show in Argentina, and I have a lot to say about it…

Let’s start with the show in general. When Louis announced the stadium he would be performing in (one show at Vélez Sarsfield - Capacity: 50k), in my mind I was already considering there was no chance of a sold out show, I already knew it wasn't going to happen. And it’s not that I don't believe in him or the amount of fans he has, but these are basic math to do and simple comparisons with his show in 2022 (two shows at Movistar Arena - Capacity: 15k). I won't go into details, but the chance of him selling out were a few, I won't say it was impossible, but it was difficult.

Here in Argentina, attending shows has become something that not everyone can afford to do, due to the high prices of the tickets. Besides the fact that many fans come from other provinces or distant cities, they need to pay for transport, hotel, food, etc. So, we can also blame the country's economy for not being able to sell out.

Although I maintain that the stadium was too big for him.

Let's not forget (or at least Argentinian fans still remember) that Louis did fill that same stadium, but with One Direction in 2014.

Something strange to note, and that some fans decide to pretend that it’s not strange at all, was that after months of tickets being on sale, and only a few sectors were completely sold out; only three days before the show, the rest of the sectors began to sell out completely. Are you going to tell me that in five months nobody could buy, the fans were collecting money, doing raffles, and in one day magically everything was sold out?

Now let's talk about the show…

My friend @anchorandrope (who I went with) and I had the cheapest sector, one of the highest stalls in the stadium. Both we and the fans who bought that sector were prepared, not only to withstand the cold that we knew we were going to suffer, but we also looked for comfort because we had seats and we were going to be able to be calmer in comparison to the general and VIP fields.

It was two hours before the gates opened, and the stadium staff started to tell us that we were going to have to move to another sector, specifically to the field. Nobody agreed, we paid for a specific ticket and "at the last minute" they decided to change us to another sector. There were long minutes of shouting between the fans and the stadium staff, where they gave us excuses as to why they were changing us, threatened us with not letting us in if we didn't accept this change and even blamed us for following an artist who didn't fill stadiums.

The funny thing is that they couldn't agree on a good excuse. While we were told it was because of problems in the toilets, a group further away were told it was a problem with the sound. If they knew days ago that they were going to change us, couldn't they agree on their lie?

I won't make this part of the story any longer, but much of my sector ended up in the general field, a much better sector than we originally had. But what was the problem? The problem was not being in that place, because I saw him much better than if I went where I should have been. The problem was the mistreatment, the thousand excuses they gave, being uncomfortable, because many of us didn't even have clothes for that sector, or we had backpacks that were too big with too many things, and if you know what it's like to be on the field, you know that you have to go with as few objects as possible.

The problem was all the parents who accompanied their children and got the cheapest seat for a reason, and they had to endure all those hours standing when they had purchased a sector with seats. And even if there were any children, I doubt that they would have been able to see or enjoy the show. There were people with a cast on their arm or with a disability that made it necessary to have a seated area, and they didn't care.

Let's move on to talk about the fans…

The atmosphere was tense.The hours of queuing and the hours of waiting inside the stadium were tense. Louis’ fandom is not what it used to be, and many of those who attended follow some trends imposed by a few fans on Twitter, so we were surrounded. With my friend we spoke in code or omitted to name certain words, because you never know who you have next to you, and at that moment the idea wasn't to look for trouble. You didn't feel that fandom togetherness that there was, and I know about that, I've been in fandom since 2011.

For example, during the queue before going in, an alarm I have on my phone for my contraceptive pill goes off and the song is Silver Tongues. My friend and I were laughing, and I told her that the song I used to use was Kiwi. I knew that she would understand me, that she understood the reference and wouldn't say anything, after all it was a joke with no offense intended, but you never know. The fans around us looked at us as if we were crazy or missing a joke (or just pretending not to understand).

I feel that this fandom lives in a cycle where every now and then we repeat the same “trends” over and over again, but that's a topic for a separate post. 

Regarding the age of fans, I don't have a problem and I don't have anything against new fans starting to listen to Louis, in fact, I strongly encourage him to continue to grow as an artist. But as a 23 year old, it was strange that every single person I talked to was under 20 years old. There were no fans my age, only a few exceptions, not even older. How can this happen? Where are all those fans who grew up with his music? Where are all those fans who were still his fans in 2022?

It wasn't just the tension between fans that was a factor in saying it was a strange show. There were no signs, no flags, as you could see at the 2022 show. Only the brave had been an iconic song at the last show, with its fan project of the LGBT+ flag created by lights in each sector. But this year, I could swear I could count on my fingers the flags I saw. I even read fans on Twitter saying that there was no point in bringing them to shows anymore, as if it was a temporary trend, or something from the Walls era.

When the show started, you could tell it wasn't the feel of a Louis’ show, there was something weird going on. The fans were silent, not singing along to the songs, including Walls. They were just recording. I understand if you don't know a cover from another artist, because I admit, I didn't sing both covers, but songs from his first album… How could you not know them? I could swear I could hear myself singing them and Louis.

The other sectors were silent as well, and those with seats were completely immobile.

In 2022, Copy Of A Copy Of A Copy was one of the songs where the fans sang the loudest, now none of them knew it, as if Louis was singing new songs. I know there are fans who didn't live through the One Direction era, or even despise everything related to it (another topic for another post), but how can they not sing songs like Night Changes or Where Do Broken Hearts Go? Again, in 2022 these covers would have been screamed until fans’ voices were gone.

You couldn't see the dedication or fanaticism for Louis. I could easily believe they just grabbed people passing by the door and let them in. I wouldn't even find it crazy if they had done it either.

In the two years that have passed between shows, it’s disappointing and sad to see this change. And if it wasn't for the fact that I was accompanied, I don't think I would have had a good time in all those long hours of waiting. I would understand if it was the other way around, and this was Louis' first show, and he didn't have the years of career that he has, and the recognition that he has.

Since Saturday, I've had a bad taste in my tongue because of everything that happened at the show. And I'm not the only one who can say these things. I know there are fans who are blinded by their fanaticism and will say that everything was perfect, or will argue that Louis could have sold out (because it happened to me), but it's a matter of taking a moment, thinking and being realistic.

It doesn't make me a bad fan to say his fandom is being horrible lately, it doesn't make me a bad fan to say he wasn't going to sell out. And let's stop blaming each other for this situation and start looking at who are the real culprits in all this?

There is a lot more to tell, but the post would become too long. If anyone wants me to tell more, they can send me an ask and I’ll be happy to continue to explain this.

Can I make a request about Bakugo being with a partner (female reader) who is loving and affectionate, where she is not ashamed to show affection towards him?

(I don't know if you can make two orders 👀)

She comes from a culture where displays of affection are very visible in many parts of her country (Argentina more specifically), where a kiss on the cheek is a greeting for both women and men, in fact when she transferred to the UA, many from CLASS 1A were surprised when she greeted them all more informally, where one who was half disgusted was Bakugo, who was surprised and then acted like he didn't care, Y/N found that a little funny.

There would begin a little mischief between these two, Y/N was one where she showed her affection to everyone. She always hugged him, greeted him with a kiss on the cheeks or on the lips, whether in public or not, on occasions she would put her arm on his shoulder or when they were talking to the rest of the Bakusquad in the common living room and they are sitting, she will be next to him hugging him, etc. You can add more signs of affection!

A/n: awwwwwww Of course!! And just wanted to say if you enjoy my writing here, I have a fan favorite new story called "Beyond the Blast was Explosive Bonds" which is a (Bakugou x OC) slow burn romance. And support would be so appreciated..... The link is here my friends: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Cherries_Suki

Enjoy!

mwahhhhhhh

The hallways of U.A. High echoed with the lively chatter of students as Y/N, a transfer student from Argentina, made her way through the corridors. In her vibrant and affectionate nature, she greeted her new classmates with warm smiles and hugs, occasionally surprising them with a friendly kiss on the cheek.

As she approached Class 1-A, the students turned their attention toward the newcomer. Bakugou, in his usual explosive manner, eyed her with skepticism as she cheerfully approached.

"Y/N, right?" Mina Ashido chirped, pulling her into a friendly hug.

"Yeah, that's me! Nice to meet you all!" Y/N beamed, glancing around at the curious faces.

Class 1-A was a mix of confusion and amusement at her informal and affectionate greeting style. Most of them reciprocated with smiles and laughter, appreciating the cultural exchange. However, Bakugou, unaccustomed to such displays, couldn't hide his discomfort.

"HEY, huh? What's with the cheek-kiss crap?" Bakugou grumbled, crossing his arms.

She chuckled, not bothered by his reaction. "It's just how we greet each other in Argentina. No need to make a big deal out of it."

Bakugou huffed, trying to appear unfazed. "Yeah, whatever. Just don't expect me to join your weird greeting club."

Y/N grinned mischievously, deciding to have a bit of fun with the explosive hero-in-training. "Oh, come on, Bakugou. You know you secretly love it."

He scowled at her, trying to keep his composure. "Like hell, I do!"

Undeterred, Y/N leaned in and planted a quick, friendly kiss on Bakugou's cheek. The entire class gasped, their eyes widening at the unexpected display of affection. Bakugou, however, froze for a moment, a blush creeping across his face.

"Y/N, what the hell?!" Bakugou shouted, wiping his cheek furiously.

She burst into laughter, finding his reaction utterly amusing. "Relax, Bakugou. It's just a kiss on the cheek. It won't kill you."

He grumbled incomprehensibly, but the corners of his lips twitched, betraying a hint of amusement.

As the days went by, Y/N continued her warm greetings, slowly chipping away at Bakugou's initial resistance. Whether he admitted it or not, he found her affectionate nature intriguing, and deep down, he appreciated the genuine warmth she brought to the class.

Over time, Bakugou became more accustomed to Y/N's displays of affection, and while he still grumbled about it, there was a subtle softening in his demeanor whenever she greeted him. Unbeknownst to him, Y/N had successfully cracked through the tough exterior of the explosive hero, leaving a trail of laughter and warmth in her wake.

And so, in the vibrant halls of U.A. High, Y/N continued to share the rich tapestry of her culture, one cheek-kiss at a time, bringing a touch of Argentina to the hero-in-training and inadvertently turning Bakugou's scowls into begrudging smiles.

----------

BUT:::::: for when you guys are officially dating.........

The warmth of Y/N's affection had found a permanent place in Bakugou's daily routine, and despite his gruff exterior, he secretly reveled in the tenderness you brought to his life.

One sunny afternoon, as you strolled through the campus, Bakugou's hands stuffed deep into his pockets, you couldn't resist wrapping your arm around his. You leaned your head on his shoulder, a content smile gracing your lips.

"You're awfully touchy-feely, aren't you?" Bakugou remarked, though the playful glint in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.

You chuckled, squeezing his arm a bit tighter. "You love it, Katsuki. Admit it."

Bakugou huffed, refusing to acknowledge the truth. Yet, he didn't pull away. In fact, he found himself growing more accustomed to the subtle displays of affection, a testament to the genuine connection you shared.

One day, after a particularly challenging training session, you surprised Bakugou with a soft, lingering kiss on the cheek. The rest of Class 1-A exchanged surprised glances, half-expecting an explosion from the usually explosive hero.

To their astonishment, Bakugou's only response was a grumbled, "About time," before he stormed off, his face painted in a light shade of pink. It seemed that the hero, once resistant to affection, had grown to appreciate the genuine warmth you brought to his life.

Later that evening, in the quiet of your shared dorm room, Bakugou finally let his guard down. "You're too damn affectionate, you know that?" he muttered, his gaze avoiding yours.

You grinned, pulling him into a tight hug. "But you secretly love it, don't you?"

His only response was a subtle nod, and you could feel the tension in his shoulders slowly melting away. As the night unfolded, you found comfort in each other's arms, the unspoken language of affection weaving a silent thread between you.

In the weeks that followed, you continued to shower Bakugou with your warmth, from casual cheek-kisses to heartfelt hugs. And, much to the class's surprise, Bakugou didn't resist. Instead, he found himself seeking those moments of affection, an unspoken acknowledgment that your presence had become an essential part of his life.

As the hero-in-training who once scorned displays of affection learned to embrace them, you and Bakugou discovered that love could be found in the most unexpected places, and sometimes, all it took was a little warmth to melt even the coldest of exteriors.

reading roundup: February 2024

I literally completely forgot I needed to do this oopsie poopsie

WHAT DID I READ IN FEBRUARY!!! LET'S TALK ABOUT IT!!!!

Rouge (Mona Awad, 2023) - listen. there are some very cool ideas in this book, and it's definitely big creepy in places. some of the childhood flashbacks, in particular, had me shrieking with pure dread. but ultimately my issue with this book is the same as my issue with Awad's most well-known novel, Bunny: I would just... kind of like to understand what's going on? like even a little bit? at literally any time? you don't need to explain everything, but man, give me something. vibes alone do not make a meal, and I left this book not really feeling fed.

Our Share of Night (Mariana Enríquez, trans. Megan McDowell 2023) - god, this book makes you WORK FOR IT, but I'm glad I stuck it out. Enríquez has written a fucking doorstopper of intergenerational drama, about an Argentinian family deeply embroiled in a cult that worships something otherworldly and... hungry. perpetually sickly Juan is the Order's prized prophet, but after his wife's death is orchestrated by her own mother he becomes determined to get their young son, Gaspar, away from the Order's control by any means necessary. a wrenching read that swings through every kind of horror, swinging from the supernatural to Argentina's military dictatorship in the 70s to the AIDS epidemic in the 80s and 90s to an absolutely brutal ending.

Red String Theory (Lauren Kung Jessen, 2024) - some of you may recall that Lauren Kung Jessen wrote Lunar Love, one of my favorite romance novels of last year thanks to a zodiac-obsessed protagonist who's (unintentionally) giving major Rebecca Bunch pre-diagnosis in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend vibes. Red String Theory also has a female lead obsessed with mythological matchmaking, so I was really hoping for another unhinged queen, but please don't make my mistake: everyone in this book is devastatingly hinged, and the only real conflict is two characters who like each other from the jump repeatedly coming up with unsatisfying excuses for why they can't date each other. my least favorite was "we'll only in the same city for A YEAR," which is absolutely hogshit wild. "only a year." get out of here. I hate you guys.

Drinking from Graveyard Wells (Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, 2023) - a tiny short story debut by Ndlovu, a Zimbabwean sarungano. one of my very favorite genre of short story collections is "women having a bad time taken up to 11," and god does this deliver. Ndlovu writes about the many indignities heaped upon Zimbabwean women at home and abroad, weaving together tight stories about misogyny, war, poverty, and immigration with restless spirits, bored gods, ignored wise women, and unsatisfactory afterlives. there's a story about a near future in which diamond miners are purposefully set up and sacrificed to an angry underground god to create more diamonds that was so fucking clever, and the final story - the titular Drinking from Graveyard Wells - was just... an absolutely perfect short story. suspenseful and eerie and just enough of a hint of explanation to really chill you. chef's kiss.

It Happened One Summer (Tessa Bailey, 2021) - shout out to all of my patreon supporters who voted to make me read another Tessa Bailey book; you truly wish darkness and despair upon me. here's the insane thing about this book: if you just completely ignore the actual central romance, it's just a sweet book about an infinitely likeable young woman unplugging from her shallow socialite life and finding a new niche reviving her deceased father's bar in a tiny fishing town in Washington. it's like, you know, the plot of a pretty okay disney channel original movie? it's no Minute Men or High School Musical, but it's cute. it's a solid Dairy Girls or Princess Protection Program. but then there's the love interest, who's just a fucking tool all the way down. reader, I kept wishing he would get swept over the rigging of his own crab boat and die ingloriously at sea. this guy sucks so bad. also the sex scenes were identical to the ones in Unfortunately Yours and they did not taste any better reheated. fascinating treatise on cishetero gender norms, rancid romance. I wrote a whole thing about it on my patreon if you're into that kind of nastiness.

Today, I experienced a rather strange and unpleasant situation. As a huge fan of the series "Wednesday" on Netflix and a supporter of the Weyler relationship, I enjoy meeting people who have also watched the series to respectfully exchange viewpoints.

It turns out that a friend introduced me to a girl, a friend of his. But she's not just any friend; in Spanish, especially in Argentina, we call these types of girls "Amiguitas," because they are not really friends but girls who are in love with a guy and are in the friendzone, yet clearly want something more.

Returning to the topic, I went to deliver some university books she needed to this girl, but from the very first moment, I noticed she gave me a cold look when my friend said, "This is Anya, and she also likes the series 'Wednesday'." I thought to myself, "She's going to be my friend."

We started talking, but she never dropped her passive-aggressive attitude towards me, although I decided to let it go. However, things took a turn when I mentioned that I ship Tyler and Wednesday, don't like Xavier, and adore the friendship between "Chica Sol and Chica Luna," referring to Enid and Wednesday.

That's when everything escalated. She started saying that for her, Wednesday is aromantic asexual and that if she had a partner, she would be a lesbian because she seems to like Enid. Furthermore, she claimed that Tyler is not a victim but the villain, and Xavier is misunderstood, and I was wrong and didn't understand the series. She even insulted me, calling me stupid.

In the face of her aggression, my friend stayed silent. Although I'm not one to confront people, this time I couldn't hold back, and I replied, "First, don't shout at me because I'm speaking to you respectfully. Second, we're talking about a teenage series on Netflix, not Marx's 'Manifesto of the Communist Party'; it's not nuclear science to understand it. If you don't see Tyler as a victim, it worries me because you don't grasp the violence an abused person experiences. As for your views on Wednesday's sexual orientation, it's okay to have a different headcanon than mine, but we should respect each other's opinions. At the moment, canonically in the series, feelings between Wednesday and Tyler have been shown."

After that, I asked my friend to let me leave that uncomfortable situation, and I departed. I feel bad for losing my temper with an 18-year-old girl when I'm 25, but her comments were too offensive. I hope we can find more constructive ways to share opinions and respect differences in the future.

Let's also remember that everyone can have their headcanons about a character, a pairing, etc. We have no right to disrespect the headcanons, ships, or opinions of others. Let's create a healthy community.

Prologue

Dying hadn’t been an experience you’d call pleasant. And then there’d been the book, and the instruction to move on to the Netherworld… You’d have thought it was some kind of practical joke if you hadn’t been standing over your own very deceased body. 

So you drew the door and the second it cracked open the pull of the Netherworld had dragged you, away from everything living and into its depths of darkness.

You wandered in the darkness, flinching as others of the recently deceased passed you by, until a voice rang out in the darkness. With nothing better to do, you did as the other wandering dead did and headed towards it.

The green-skinned woman gripped her keyboard and shuffled them all into line. You glanced along and there had to be several dozen gathered, most sporting some kind of grievous injury. The man next to you had some kind of metal pipe going right through one eye and out the back of his head, and you recoiled a little. He, on the other hand, didn’t seem bothered by it at all.

Time, whatever that meant in this place, ticked on and you fidgeted in your spot in line, before a new voice interrupted the quiet.

“My name is Juno!” The croaky voice called out, and you peered around everyone else who’d turned to look to see an old, severe looking woman with an impossibly tall hairdo. She took a long drag from a cigarette before her face was clouded with smoke that leaked out from her throat before she started marching slowly along the line, barking out instructions.

As she finished shouting about liquids, a glowing gateway appeared in the nothingness. Juno stood by it and when no one made a move she screamed again.

“Get a move on! I haven’t got eternity to spend on you lot!” With a sharp gesture, the line started to file through the gateway and off into…whatever came beyond.

The green skinned woman with the clipboard stood by her, checking things off as each person stepped through, while Juno stared hard into every face. A couple of times she stopped someone and gave them a look over before snorting out in annoyance and pushing them on through. 

You approached, making to step through, when a clawed hand slammed down on your shoulder.

“You. Wait.” With a dark smile, Juno gave you a look over, before shoving at your shoulder to get you to turn around. “How’d this one die?” She asked. Her eyes were locked on you, but it was the woman with her clipboard who answered.

“Good,” Juno said. “No visible marks.” She pulled you away from the gate and off to the side. “You wait here til we’re done.”

You watched as the rest of the line was shuffled on through, too scared to do anything but wait like you'd been directed. 

“So!” Juno said finally, turning to you. “You want another shot at life - don’t argue, everybody does. You want life, and I have a job that needs doing back on the breather side. So, we can strike a deal. Miss Argentina!” She snapped and the other woman jumped forward, pen at the ready over her clipboard. She looked more than a little uncertain about this whole thing, but didn’t say anything.

“Our deal,” she continued. “In exchange for return to life in the breather world, you - what’s your name?” You jumped at her snap of a question and gave your name. Miss Argentina noted it down.

“You get to live again in exchange for guiding a few troublemakers through to the Netherworld. Three breathers, three ghosts. Simple work. So, we have a deal?”

The way she said it, it wasn’t really a question, but there was a dark slickness that also promised it wasn’t anything near as simple as she was making it sound. 

Her hand was stuck out though, expectantly, and despite all your misgivings, you took it.

Juno’s smile grew wicked, Miss Argentina’s expression more concerned, but there was nothing to do about it now. With the handshake a chill had run through your body and there’d been a definite sensation of something happening. 

“Well, there you go,” Juno dropped your hand and gestured behind you. Another doorway had appeared, ringed in green like the one you’d been pulled through into the Netherworld.

“Don’t keep me waiting long.”

You didn’t get a chance to say anything before a hand shoved you hard in the back and sent you stumbling right through.

part 2 (4 parts i think? srry)

[After All Intros]

"Welcome teams! This will be your starting destination for your race around the world." Everyone claps and cheers. "There will be 11 legs on this race, 8 eliminations, 2 non eliminations, and one finale. So, for the winner… the person who crosses the finish line first will win 1,000,000 dollars!" More cheers and claps… "Your first clue will be on the luggage that you brought with you. Whatever you do after that is up to you." "So… is everyone ready?" Everyone shouts "Yeah!" "Alright…" Chris puts his hand up and everyone gets ready to run to their luggage. "Get ready… Travel safe…" Chris puts his hand down. "GO!"

Everyone runs quickly to their luggage. Except for Sam and Dakota… but everyone else is running pretty fast! Duncan and Scott get their first, so Duncan rips the clue packaging and reads it. "Route info… Make your way to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and get on one of three flights to… Buenos Aires, Argentina, Oh Yeah!" Duncan shouts, and they run to their cars along with everyone else.

[Everyone is driving to the airport]

Ella: "Dawn, follow those two!" She pointed to Courtney and Emma's car. "Alright!" She follows them. Emma: "Courtney! Someone's following us!" Courtney: "Who is it?" Emma: "It's the disney princess and nature psychic, LOSE THEM!" With Raj and Bowie: "Hun, what flights can we get onto?" Bowie read the clue. "American Airlines comes in first at 8:30… then United Airlines at 9:45… and EasyJet is last to come in at 11:00." Bowie: "Alright, so we just gotta be sure that we don't get on the EasyJet flight." Raj nodded.

Everyone was at the airport except for Blaineley and Dakota. "Ugh, where is this stupid airport!" Dakota says, getting mad. "I never used to have these problems!" Blaineley said. "This is so hard!" Dakota said. "I know, but we have to at least try and not get eliminated first. That would just suck for our popularity." "I guess your right, Blaineley! Let's go!"

For everyone except those two, it was a mad dash to the airport. They knew only two teams we're getting stuck on the last flight, and no one wanted to be the other team. Eva and Axel we're using their strength to their advantage. "OUT OF THE WAY!" Eva shouts, pushing a few people out of their way, and sure enough that got them on the American Airlines. "Nice job!" Axel, says, and they did a fist bump.

Not too far from them, also getting on the first flight we're Raj and Bowie, knowing that they would have to watch out from Axel's strength, also getting them on the first flight. "Yes! Hoot hoot!" Raj says with a tone of pride and happiness. Duncan and Scott got on the flight too, because they we're the first team out. "Hell yeah, man." Duncan said with happiness. "First flight and we got a chance at first place."

That only left one more spot left for the first flight. It was close, but Alejandro and Heather got the last spot on the first flight. "Yes…" Heather said silently, knowing that they got on the first flight.

Which left six more teams. Blaineley and Dakota we're actually there now, rushing into the airport. But, Ella and Dawn, Crimson and Gwen, Courtney and Emma, Katie and Sadie, and Jen and Lindsay had filled up the United flight, leaving them and Sam and Harold on the flight, arriving 2 and a half hours later then the first flight.

So if you need a recap, here's whos on which flight.

1st flight to arrive:

Eva and Axel

Scott and Duncan

Bowie and Raj

Alejandro and Heather

2nd flight:

Lindsay and Jen

Courtney and Emma

Ella and Dawn

Crimson and Gwen

Katie and Sadie

Always wanted to ask this: How were all of your World Cup final nights?

I have THE most insane story. So basically, I had a MASSIVE physics test the next day. But my mom and basically the entire family had gathered for this. I was in my room studying DURING THE WORLD CUP FUCKING FINAL while they were all watching 😭😭. The moment Argentina scored, there were fire crackers everywhere, people shouting in their houses, cars and every vehicle pressing their horns. It was like watching the match without watching it. It was simply a movie. So skip to the 79th minute. I unknowingly come out to take a break and eat my dinner. Boom, mbappe scores. My mom almost dropped our entire dinner. THEN BOOM, THAT MF SCORES AGAIN?!?!?!?!??!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!?! MY ENTIRE FAMILY WAS SCREAMING AT ME AND CALLING ME BAD LUCK

istfg that moment is forever engraved in my mind. I wasn't even there to watch Argentina score, and the moment I step out, there goes kylian. It was absolutely insane.

Dinner turns from 10 mins to 20 to 30 to extra time to the penalties. I remember sobbing and feeling so torn. Like my parents were having an ugly divorce. OFC I wanted messi to win. OFC I wanted to see him lift that fucking world cup. But when mbappe was so fucking close, i couldn't help but cry. I literally sobbed watching him walk up with that broken, stone cold expression and receive that award. Fucking hell that was a night to remember.

Another hour and a half went into all the social media, trophy lift, calling up friends, opening up bottles of champagne. A literal dream is the only way to describe it.

The next day, the teacher literally asked if any of us actually studied, and all of us unanimously broke into laughter. Literally, everyone failed, but looking back? I'd fail it 100 times over. The buzz that entire day was simply electric. What a fucking story to tell!?!??!?!?

Writing promps? Okay, give me Lutteo's (or someone else's, you decide) reaction to Gastina having gotten back together at Oxford

They were cuddling on one of the couches at roller, when his tablet started ringing with the ringtone he set for Gastón

“Nooo, I don’t wanna moveee” his tiny girlfriend whined

“Well, someone has to pick up that call, it might be important”

“Fine” she got up, picked up the device and answered the call, flopping back against his chest

“Hi, I need to tell you somethi- oh hi Luna” the tan boy said

“Hey, ignore me, I’m gonna take a nap” she nuzzled against Matteo’s neck, closing her eyes

“Wait, you should hear this too”

She stood at attention “gossip? Tell me now!” Matteo chuckled “Chica delivery, let the man speak!”

“Thank you Matteo, now,” he turns away from the camera, motioning for someone to come closer, and suddenly Nina comes into the frame “look who I found?”

“So you guys met again and didn’t tell us???” The paler couple chorused

“Not only that” Nina piped in, showing their joined hands to the camera

“WHAT?!” Luna yelled, doing a little celebratory dance when she processed what that meant

“THE FUCK?” Matteo shouted, starting to cuss them out in Italian, which Nina responded in tandem, surprising everyone, but they were too shocked to say anything about it

That’s the scene Juliana walked in on “Opa, opa, opa, you both to-“ she notices the call’s still on and grabs the tablet “Hello Nina and Gastón, your friends will have to say goodbye if they want to qualify for the couples competition they got coming up”

“Hey Juliana, it’s fine, just turn the camera to them real quick?” Gastón asks, and she complies, knowing how deep the bonds between these four run

“Bye Luna, bye asshole” Gastón said, turning to his newly rekindled girlfriend

“Bye Luna, bye Matteo”

“Bye Nina, bye Gastón”

“Bye Nina, bye idiot” and they disconnect the call, the britain-based couple going to study and the argentina-based one going to practice their skating

@liverpoolfanfiction @alissonbecksfan234 @millythegoat I FINALLY FINISHED IT. Here is the fic, I cannot believe I have actually finished a fic. Anyway follow me on Ao3- Moomin279. This is the product of me needing a Klopp hug.

As he sits there and contemplates, he wonders who to call.

He should probably call his wife but she’s so busy looking after their kids, he could call Virgil but he was preparing for Messi, he could call Jordan but he was preparing for France. He feels like a burden, he feels like a weight that needs to be carried around and he hates it.

He’s on the roof of the hotel, looking out over the beautiful city below him. He doesn’t want to talk but he knows that he’ll combust if he doesn’t.

Finally he calls the man that he calls when he has no one else to call.

Jurgen doesn’t pick up and he feels defeated. Jurgen’s meant to catch him when he falls, pull him up when he’s sinking.

He looks out on the city, fighting the tears coming to his eyes. Suddenly he’s back out on the pitch, he can see his teammates' tears and his coaches' tears. The shames back too, he has that same urge to apologise but it’s stronger now.

The shouting is back and it’s loud, it’s so loud that he almost doesn’t hear his phone ringing again. He answers it without looking.

“Hello? Sorry Ali, I couldn’t find my phone. I could hear it ringing but couldn’t find it anywhere. Anyway, What’s wrong?”

“Did you see the game?” He asks, listening as Jurgen shuts his door and sits down.

There’s silence and he can picture Jurgen hesitating, trying to find the right words to not offend him. “Yes.”

“I feel so guilty.” He whispers, that feeling at the back of his throat telling him that he needed to cry.

“Why? It’s not your fault.”

“Yes it is, I should’ve saved a penalty. I shouldn’t have conceded the equaliser. It’s all my fault.” He breaks off into a sob.

“Alisson, you are suffering from being the best. You have set the standards so high for not only the world but for yourself. People expect you to be fantastic so when you have an off day then they attack you for it. You didn’t even really have an off day, it was a deflection off the defender that put you on the back foot.”

Alisson is weeping silently. “Penalties are a lottery. The goalies are not expected to save any, the perfect penalty is unsavable anyway. You can’t blame yourself for the fact that Marquinhos missed, that Rodyrgo’s was saved.” His voice is soothing, Alisson can feel his crying start to cease.

“If… If I saved one then it could have been better. Could have been different.” He chokes the words out and Jurgen wants to wrap his arms around him.

“Croatia haven’t lost a penalty shootout since 1998. Football is a truly beautiful sport but sometimes it’s simply not meant to be.” Alisson leans back against his seat, looking out over the city.

“I really need a hug.” Jurgen smiles, pulling his legs up underneath him.

“I will give you one when you come back to Liverpool.” Alisson smiles. “Now, you get your week's holiday that I promised everyone. Are you going back to Brazil?”

“Probably yes. Natalia is already there with the kids, we’re flying home tomorrow.” Another tear escapes his eyes.

“Don’t think about football, you need to disconnect and not think for a bit. That’s the best thing that I can say, spend time with your kids and your wife. Don’t blame yourself for anything, you did everything that you could. It just wasn’t meant to be.”

“It’s starting to feel like it’s never meant to be. We lost the Copa America final to Argentina, knocked out by Croatia.”

“Sometimes it is just not meant to be. Brazil is one of the biggest footballing nations in the world, glory will return to it soon. You just need to switch off for a while.”

Alisson wipes his eyes, “Thank you Jurgen. I didn’t know who else to call, I didn’t want to bother Natalia or Virgil.”

“Why did you not want to bother your wife? I imagine she hates the idea of you suffering alone. You signed up to suffer together, I would hate the idea of Ulla struggling with something she wouldn’t tell me about and I’m sure you would hate the feeling of not being able to help too. I’m sure that she would love to talk to you.”

“She’s so busy…”

“Not too busy to help you.” Jurgen says, his tone final. “You should talk to her, enjoy your holiday and switch off for a while. You deserve it.”

Alisson smiles against his will. “Thanks Boss. You're the best.”

“Thank you, you’re the best too so don’t worry about this. I’ll give you that hug when you come back to Liverpool.” Alisson smiled before ending the call.

When he didn’t know who to call, Jurgen was there. When he needed someone, Jurgen was there. Jurgen had always been there and Alisson smiled at the realisation he probably always will be too.

World Cup headcanons I have for Cars characters although some time has passed since the final match (Argentina VS. France edition because I am Argentinian and I still can't believe we won)

The ones that supported Argentina are: Lightning McQueen, Cruz Ramírez, Danny Swervez, the Weathers family, most of the WGP racers (like Jeff, Carla, Rip, Francesco, etc.), all Radiator Springs folks and some Next-Gens racers (Tim Treadless is a big example) and Chick Hicks.

The ones that supported France are: Raoul Çaroul (obviously), and some others Next-Gens.

The ones that don't care af about football, but still congratulated Argentina are: Jackson Storm and most Next-Gens.

(humanized au, very long text)

Radiator Springs

Everyone was watching on the TV in Flo's café and even there were Argentina themed decoration both outside and inside just for that day. Also, there were some people from Argentina watching and Cruz was chatting with them, laughing and singing with them and Luigi and Guido decided to join them at some moment.

Lightning was watching the whole match with Sally and they also were chatting with some of the Argentinian fans. Tim, Harvey and Danny decided to take some vacations and stay at Radiator Springs and when they saw how things were decorated and at how many people looked hesitant about the match, they decided to join and watch.

In the last penalty, all Radiator Springs was silent, waiting for the results. Lightning and Sally were watching the tv silently, Cruz and the visiting Next-Gens were crossing their fingers and sweating, Luigi and Guido were at the verge of tears. Everyone wanted to know what was going to happen and when Argentina's player Gonzalo Montiel scored, the café was a COMPLETE CHAOS. Almost everyone was hugging eachother, many others were crying of joy (including Cruz, Luigi and Guido), some people like Tim and Harvey were recording with their phones because they have never saw something like that in their whole lives and most people were clapping and shouting: "¡ARGENTINA CAMPEÓN DEL MUNDO!".

At some point, the Argentinian people were in the main street of Radiator Springs and started to celebrate. Obviously, everyone decided to go and join them after some time.

Chick Hicks watched the whole match and on his social media (with the help of some people) he congratulated Argentina.

________________

(random fun fact about me: I headcanon that Francesco has family in Argentina and at his free time, sometimes, he visits them)

Francesco was watching the match at his house with his mother and some friends. At one point Francesco's nerves were such that his blood pressure dropped and he almost fainted (almost like me lol). In the penalties the nerves reached such a point that he was shaking non-stop and when Montiel scored the final goal, he screamed non-stop of happiness and at one point I imagine he hugged his mom and his friends while he cried along with them.

When he calmed down a little bit, he posted something on Instagram saying congratulations to Argentina and sent greetings to all his fans.

_________________

The WGP racers were having divided opinions. Some supported Argentina but others supported France.

Long story short, Argentina won and Carla, Rip,Jeff and Nigel were clapping and celebrating.

Raoul was obviously hoping for his country to win, but at the end he felt very bad and he went silent. Obviously the ones that were celebrating noticed that and they stopped for a moment to try to calm Raoul down, but every effort was useless because after a few seconds he began to cry non-stop and decided to go to his room.

When Raoul calmed down and came out of his room, he smelled a very delicious yet familiar smell in the kitchen. When Raoul went there as fast as possible, he got surprised that Carla, Rip, Jeff and Nigel prepared his favourite foods. He asked why they made such a thing like that for him and Carla said:

"We decided to make this because we wanted to see you happy for something. We know the results made you feel sad and you also haven't ate something for some hours, so…" she was about to finish, but then she felt how Raoul was hugging her.

At that moment, he thanked her and decided to go and eat with them.

__________________

So this is all!! Thank you for reading!

The 2022 writing Advent calendar: Day 13

13. Can reindeer really fly

We are once again continuing our adventure at te north pole with the Holy trinity. Go read days 3 & 9 if you have not already!

“I can’t believe Santa Claus let Luna sit on her lap,” Simon laughed after they were walking out of Santa Claus’s office.  “He probably thought she was still a child.” Gastón joined him in the laughter. Nina and Ambar, who were walking behind them, just rolled their eyes at them.  “That was so much fun!!!!” Luna was still jumping up and down as she and Matteo excited last from the building. “Santa was so nice. And I got finally to present my Christmas wishes in person.” “Luna, Christmas was a week ago,” Nina noted to Luna as she and Matteo caught up with the rest of them.  “Yeah, I know that,” Luna just shrugged, “I meant for like next year.” “You mean this year.” “Yeah, sure. Earlier the better! Maybe now I will actually get that banjo.” Luna threw some pretend dagger eyes at her friends. “You want a banjo?” Ambar asked dryly in complete disbelief. “YES! I have been asking one for years.” Luna nodded, “No one has gotten me one.” “And maybe that is a blessing…” Ambar whispered to Simon. “What?” “Ah, nothing.” Ambar shook her head, “How much time do we have left?” “The bus leaves here at 12:15, but I have no idea how punctual the Finnish busses are in this region.” Gastón answered looking at his phone, “The weather is probably quite a big component in that. But today’s is not that bad. Can’t imagine what would happen in a snowstorm. To answer your question, we still have about an hour.” “We should probably go eat at some point.” Matteo pointed out. “I read that there was this restaurant that was completely built out of the snow here,” Nina explained. “No way!” Simon exclaimed, “How is that even possible?” “I guess the same way they built those huge sand castles. Apparently, that is another tourist thing in Finland. Somewhere called Lappeenranta they built one every year.” “OMG!!!!” Luna suddenly exclaimed. Matteo quickly grabbed her arm so she was not able to run away. “Look at them! They are real?” “What are real?” Everyone turned to look where Luna was pointing.  She was pointing towards the reindeer yard.  “Hold up a second?” Gastón asked, “You did not know that reindeer were real?” Matteo exchanges a skeptical look with Matteo.  “Well, I thought they were just fairytale creatures.” Luna started speaking, “Just like dragons and unicorns. I mean Santa Claus is not real, I know that, so I thought his reindeer were not too.” “Luna, quiet down,” Simon hushed her, forgetting that it was pretty unlikely that any of the people around the understood what Luna had been saying in Spanish, “You can’t just shout something like that out loud. There are children around. You’ll end up in the notty list for good.”  “Uuuups.” “Well, anyways. Reindeer are mostly native to arctic areas like Northern Europe and I think there are some in Canada.” Nina explained. “The whole their affiliation with Santa Claus comes from a lot of legends.” “Well, can we go see them?” Luna asked jumping up and down once again.  “Well, why not.” Ambar nodded. “They are cute, you are right.” “Hey! Can these reindeer really fly?” Luna asked the reindeer keeper, who was also dressed as an elf.  “Ööööö, Anteeksi?” The keeper asked bit confused.  “Luna.” Matteo reminded her. “Sorry about that.” He started speaking English. “We are tourists from Argentina. She was just asking you if these reindeer can actually fly.” “Oh noh,” the keeper laughed, “These ones don’t. Santa has a lot of different reindeer for different purposes. These guys right here don’t fly with him on Christmas Eve, but still are very important to our small village.” “Can we meet Rudolf?” Luna asked. “What?” She said once she saw all the others staring at her. “I wanna see his red nose.” “I wish you could see him,” The keeper responded, “But Rudolf and the other Flying Forces are resting. They had a long journey on Christmas Eve flying all around the world, even with the earth’s rotational speed regulator. But if you really wanna meet him, keep your eye open next Christmas Eve and you might catch a glimpse of him.”  

Preserving the Flow: A Water Conservation Crusade

Definitions

Story: A story is a sequence of events communicated through different media, whether words, images or performance, and can address any subject, real or imagined, in a variety of genres and styles.

Tale: It is typically a short narrative that relates a sequence of events, often involving characters and a plot that has a beginning and an end, which becomes more interesting as the story progresses. Usually these narratives are intended to leave a moral.

Science fiction: Also known as "speculative fiction," is a literary genre that focuses on the exploration of possible futures. It speculates on how technological advances may give rise to alternative life forms.

Story

On October 17, 2025, the greatest disaster for our race turned out: the Argentinean plant called "Atucha 1" blew up. As a result, the waste reached the Antarctic and invaded the Antarctic soil, contaminating it.  In the Antarctic 70% of drinking water was stored and by this time... on the 30th of the same month, the world gave way. I immediately sought to mobilize with two friends Jack and Max to Florida, since it is a state that has a water storage that has been scale up in recent years. With this in mind, Jack got tickets for the cruise; in effect, we had to pass through the area known as the "Bermuda Triangle". When we arrived in that area, everything felt calm, but suddenly a storm started and a whirlpool began, which ended up dragging us away. Max shouted at the top of his lungs: "The ship is going to plunge into the whirlpool, release the boats and jump into the sea!”. However, everyone was suspicious and thought about staying on the boat, and as we separated from the boat, we saw it completely submerged in the sea. 

Consequently, my mind could not take it anymore and I ended up fainting. When I woke up, I woke up in the body of the prime minister of Argentina, Jack in the body of the president of Argentina and Max in the body of the vice president; the three of us were in a meeting and coincidentally we woke up in the same place; we were very surprised not only to be in other bodies, but also to be in 2023. In brief the strange zone was a distortion of space time, this was the real reason for the disappearance of ships and planes. We took advantage of the positions of these bodies and established a program for the reestablishment of the plants and called into the United Nations to organize security measures for any situation that could harm the water. Our argument was made by Jack and with this he convinced the majority of nations, Jack simply said: "Care for water is a manifestation of our love for nature and a commitment to sustainability, so that future generations can also enjoy this precious gift".

When the meeting was finally over, we fainted at that instant and when we woke up... we were in my house ¡in 2025! Apparently it was all a dream; however, there is a great care with the water in every home, this means that...

Ia image

This image was made by Canva's IA generator, for this image to be set, you had to put a description about the expectation you had of the image, then I wrote the most relevant scene of the story, the moment in which the ship was going to give its temporary trip.

References

Admin. (2018, 3 noviembre). Story: Definition and Examples | Literary Terms. Literary Terms. https://literaryterms.net/story/

Tale - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms. (s. f.). En Vocabulary.com. https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/tale

Guides: Science fiction - Greensburg Campus: What is science fiction? (s. f.-b). https://pitt.libguides.com/scifi

Video

425 of 2023

This one seemed fun since I miss traveling

survey by –rainboweyes–

When you think of this country, what first comes to your mind? Argentina: Muneca Brava XD I liked this TV series as a kid. Brazil: Soap operas. Canada: Maple trees. Denmark: Bornholm. England: Tea. France: Croissants. Germany: Tokio Hotel XD Hungary: Paprika. Ireland: Sheep. Italy: Pizza. Jamaica: Bob Marley. Japan: Anime. Korea: K-pop. Libya: Good food. Morocco: Dubai XD Norway: Black metal. Poland: Bigos :D and pierogi simultaneously. Romania: Sugi pula XD Russia: Vodka. Spain: Serrano ham. Tunisia: Palm trees. Turkey: Soap operas, too. And pretty women. Uganda: Africa. United States of America: Burgers and New York. United Kingdom: The Queen. Australia: Koalas. New Zealand: The end of the world.

List 3 movies you like in each genre. (skipping this, I don't watch movies) Action: Comedy: Drama: Fantasy: Horror: Kids/Animated: Romance: Sci-Fi: Thriller: Western:

Answer just in numbers. Number of brothers you have: 0. Number of sisters you have: 1. Number of the house you live at: 37. Number of close friends you have: 10+. Number of pets you have: 2. Number of times you shower a week: 14. Number of concerts you’ve been to in your life: 3? I don't remember. Number of cars your household has: 1. Number of serious relationships you’ve been in: 2. Number of movies you’ve seen at the cinema this year: 0. Number of people who live in your house: 3. Number of plug sockets in the room you’re in now: 6 or so.

Some more randomer questions.

What food do you have cravings for the most?

I typically don't. Just yesterday I wanted McDonald's.

What TV shows do you hate to miss on TV?

When there's YouTube and Netflix, nothing is truly missing :D

What do you tend to lose the most?

My head lol.

The last time someone shouted at you - why were they shouting?

Because I lost my savings. My husband gave me a bollocking and he was right.

Would you rather have a cactus or a bonsai?

Bonsai. Looks prettier.

What scary story freaks you out the most?

None. I like stories.

Are you better with gadgets or cooking?

Gadgets, but I'm good with both.

How would you rate your own looks? Personality?

Looks 0/10, personality 5/10.

What accent is the most attractive?

West-Flemish, but I'm biased. Also, Amsterdam accent.

Do you get annoyed when people spell your name wrong?

Not anymore, everyone who doesn't speak Dutch spells my name wrong.

Where are we 2022/2023

I know I am so original talking about the transition from one year to the next, yet thousands of other writers, bloggers, etc.. are doing it so why not me.

Yet where are we? Regular readers know how tired I am of the failures of the two major parties and that is staring us in the face again. Sure some semblance of a budget was passed at the end of the year only three months late, but our government’s budget is so cumbersome very few people really know what is in it. I am not here to take about the budget though.

Today is about today. And to start let’s talk about some good.

First I want to show some admiration to President Zelensky. He took an innumerable amount of risks to come to speak to the U.S. and to meet with President Biden. You have to admire the man for so much, yet he keeps taking risks to do what he can to save his country. If we are ready to start nominating the major heroes of the 21st century, he goes to the top of the list.

Second it is all the first responders, volunteers, workers who are trying to help everyone survive this Christmas storm that just walloped a large chunk of the U. S.. I was going through a news site that published pictures from across the country and wow! That was one major storm that barreled across our country. We definitely want to send our prayers to the people who are still trying to survive what just happened to them. In general it is always good to support our volunteers and first responders, but this storm proves how valuable they are to our society.

I will continue to talk about the good in a minute and I am trying to avoid throwing childish digs at people, but one keeps clawing at my brain and has finally dug in enough where I have to type it out so the intensity of the blood flowing out by ears stops. I was amazed at how well spoken is President Zelensky. It is maddenly scary how bad our education system is that a former President who is a graduate of an esteemed business school cannot even compare in articulation to a man whose first language is not English and even with a thick accent spoke much more effectively. And the fact our former President who is cherished by so many in this country can barely speak at a middle school level is such a sad comment on our education system. I usually rail against the failure of public education, but when esteemed universities let this human being receive a degree it shows that education in general is not a current strong attribute for our country, nor one that speaks well for our country. And what have the two major parties done to improve education at all levels for our country? Hmmmm

Yet, let me get back to finding the good.Congratulations to Argentina for their World Cup win. I am still struggling that Qatar was the host and have been trying to push out that the players and the fans love of their country’s team is the most important aspect of this World Cup, but the more a person reads the sadder a person can become. Again congratulations to Argentina and a shout out to the U.S. Men’s team for their efforts and for keeping us engaged as fans. I definitely hope they build on this World Cup since they are such a young team.

If you love Dallas home teams this past holiday weekend was a joy to watch. All three major teams won their game on Saturday and Sunday. Just a quick moment to celebrate since basketball and hockey still have a long season in front of them and well the Cowboys…I will just say hopefully this proves they can win when it counts. (I am trying to believe. I am trying to believe. I am trying to believe)

I truly believe that we need to support the family, here and around the world. So much is happening to the “average Joe” around the world that I struggle to find hope. As a Christian I know we are not suppose to worry about the ways of man, nor what politicians do, etc… and that our lives are for another world and not this one. Some days I understand this, other days watching what is happening and seeing the immense suffering caused by so few drives me crazy. 

Oops another claw has dug into my brain. Okay, I think I pulled it out for the moment hopefully.

Again we need to support the family structure because when families are strong it leads to a stronger society. And this is not right wing hyperbole, families are important to the health of a society, yet what is a healthy family. I think this is when the vast majority of a country can support themselves; such as when parents are able to raise/feed their children, make sure they receive a good education, instill a general sense of values in their children so the children show respect for all, where the children are not living in fear, when children can play in their neighborhood, where parents are able to interact in their community without fears of retribution for their beliefs. And this includes when the government prioritizes families in public policy; such as affordable health care, living wages, affordable housing (and this is something I have quite a few thoughts, but will come back to those at a different time), support of art and culture so people learn to appreciate the best in what we do as humanity. I hope this gives you an iota of what might be more valuable than the current climate on this planet. Yet this always takes a back seat to so much other banality. 

To move on I have to say I wish certain people would quit calling themselves conservatives or the media saying right wing people are conservative. Conservatism is dying in this country due to the machinations of a few politicians. Please learn to identify what is true conservatism from right wing thinking. It is not just right wing extremism that is confused with conservatives, but even general right wing thinking. Please learn to distinguish the difference. If you need an example think of the few Republicans who are holding the party hostage to their desire to run roughshod over anything the Democrats want to do or quite frankly a few democrats in particular. There is no real agenda or public policy, just a few people wanting to exert undue pressure on the body politic to achieve personal bitterness and xenophobia.

Let’s step back a moment. I am not saying President Trump is intelligent or smart, but he is smarter than some people give him credit. He managed to find some excellent buttons to push in the 2016 election and espoused them whole heartedly. These problems still exist and need addressing? Yes the border is a mess, but right wing hysteria does not solve the problem, nor an overpriced graffiti board called a wall. Our immigration policy needs a complete overhaul. Also the relationship with China needs an overhaul. We need to develop a long term strategy economically and strategically, but tariffs aren’t the solution that Trump projected. He did identify some problems, but had no idea the solutions. And truth be told he didn't care as long as he heard the people scream his name. Unfortunately his adulation did not create productive policy. So we can add these two items to the many items on the list that need our attention in 2023.

And here comes another claw, but I just have to say Christian Nationalism is not “a thing”. In fact it is an oxymoron. Christianity has nothing to do with nations, nation building, attributing it to a national politic. If you really are a Christian you know Christianity is your sole belief and know Christianity is not for political aspirations or political achievement. 

So what is there to look forward to in 2023. First there is no national election to hound our sensibilities. Sure we will hear about 2024, but with 2023 we can wish some one better or some new party appears on the horizon to give us hope for 2024, but a wish is a wish. Is inflation receding? Can we avoid a recession? Or worst case scenario enter into a mild recession? An aside, aren’t you tired of seeing umpteen articles/advertisements about what the economy is going to do next year and what to invest in to be successful? Do you invest in gold, the stock market, bonds, crypto, a new mattress to stash your cash? it seems financial articles are all over the map about what to do. Or are they just fancy advertisements? Going back to the point, can we even think of anything to look forward? The answer is yes, but as always with each year we do not know what it is yet. Terrible things will happen and someone will do well. A new problem will arise and solutions will be sought. Life always presents challenges and people survive. It would be nice to end needless suffering such as what the people in Ukraine are experiencing, yet some suffering such as earthquakes or volcanoes we cannot control, yet people will rise to the occasion for those catastrophes.  I wish we could find ways to rise to the occasion to the man made disasters as well as we do for the natural disasters. Who knows maybe 2023 will give us that answer. That would be something to look forward to and celebrate. 

Our family Christmas went well and we all had a good time. I hope your celebrations went/go well also. So here is to a happy and prosperous new year to you and yours and you are blessed with good health, love from family and friends, and a world that realizes we need each other more than we act.

Cheers!