#I explained the same thing approximately 76 times

[lifeisabitch-butimcute]

I just spent forty minutes going over tax documents and billing history spanning four. years. for someone…I’m visiting the roof

[mitamicah]

Spoilers from both Trollhunters the book and Trollhunters the series!

While reading the book I was really impressed with how many differences there were between the character so I have worked on giving my take on six characters from both media, book vs series, and how they differ from each other :3 

I should mention that while there was illustrations in the book I tried for the challenge not to copy those but follow along the describtions in the book - when possible - to give my own interpretation of the characters ^v^ 

Steve

First up we have Steve. Starting out as the stereotypical bully in both version their paths seperates quickly resulting in two different ending for the musuclar blond Jorgensen-Warner is the book version of Steve. Here's how he is described from our first encounter with him: "He was handsome but in the oddest way- He eyes were too small and his nose piggish: he had a ridiculous amount of hair and a couple of teeth that looked like fangs. Yet somehow in combination these features were sort of mesmerising. His unnatural muscular bulk and odd way of speaking -crisply, politely, as if he were a foreign student who had learned English in class - completed the strange package." page 21-22 For his outfit I went with the description of him on page 224 "[my clothes] ... didn't cast me in the best light when compared to Steve Jorgensen-Warner, who looked rather rakish in blue jeans and a shirt - definitely not a blouse - opened to the third button. He dribbled the ball casually with his left hand." The bold passages is added by me   This Steve is later revealed to be a changeling aka a troll   Before we go on: can any of you explain to me what a "ridiculous amount of hair" even means :'D? I had a lot of trouble with this prompt because isn't this so darn subjective :'D? and the official art look way less ridiculous than I'd figure it'll be :'D x'D Palchuk is the series version of Steve. His facial appearance being way less specific (I'd say he has normal sized eyes, a big roman nose and some more or less normal teeth) and his way of speaking is definitely not polite. Like book Steve, this Steve starts out with pushing smaller guys into lockerrooms yet after that he becomes way less of a terrifying bully and much more of a silly goose who brings a lot of the comic relief in my opinion Douxie says it best in Wizards when he calls Steve the "village idiot" x'D I do not recall seeing Steve being that sporty in the show, he is much more interested in becoming homecoming king  no basketballs around x'D While book Steve is revealed to be the enemy (a troll) series Steve joins the "good guys" creating the creepslayerz with the character Eli Pepperjack

Blinky

Blinky is just called Blinky in the book  Here's a bit of description of him "The third [troll] had scarlet eyes, eight of them on long stems. (...) The thing from my house glided toward me with a surprising grace for something with an indetermined number of legs, all of which were hidden behind a patched kilt scaled with layers of medals, prizes and trophies and award ribbons. An incalculable tangle of tentacles twined around one another as if dying to squeese something to death. As it passed the oven, the firelight revealed olive-green skin, reptilian texture, and lacquer of slime lubricating its undulating appendages Its moth a horizontal gash.. " The bold passages is added by me   So yeah this Blinky is quite something :'D I stopped caring to draw tentacles after a while but overall this was silly but fun to draw  since his teeth later is described as big as traffic cones I believe he must be very tall :'D Also he's close to blind   Has a bit of a dirty mouth but in a very "read" way if it makes sense :'D cannot seem to stop calling Jim dimwitted and tiny and Tobias big :'D Blinky's full name in the series is Blinkus Galadrigal  he has six eyes instead of eight and they are all working just fine, thank you very much x'D His tons of tentacles and legs has been replaced by four arms and two legs and while he is still olive-green he is now made of tone like texture just like the other trolls  the kilt turned into shorts and he is quite a bit smaller now not even as tall as Jim  He still has this very academic way of speaking yet he is way nicer to Jim calling him "Master Jim" instead of "the short one" x'D

ARRRGH!!!

Book ARRGHHH!!!s full name is Johannah Mmmm ARRRGH!!! and she is a pretty big deal warrior among the trolls in the book - she's so badass in fact Blinky has decided to call her by her last name to honor her for her deeds for trollkind   Here's a qoute from the book describing her appearance   "The goliath emerged from the tunnel as comfortably as a dog from a doghouse, coarse black fur pouring into the chamber before I could make out any actual arms or legs (...) Even beneath the fur I could see loops of muscles flexing. (...) ARRRGH!!! was built like a gorilla but three times larger: Two arms, two legs, and, thankfully, just two eyes. Horns, curled like those of a ram (...) The thing's orange eyes cast about with animal perceptiveness, and it used its snout and sniffed. Its jaws fell open to reveal a purple, slavering mouth armed with haphazard daggers of teeth." Page 75-76 The bold passages is added by me   (Also worth mentioning: the qoute is from before the protagonist knows of ARRRGH!!!'s gender which is why he calls her an 'it') At other times in the story we learn that ARRRGH! has quite scarred arms and really wishes for better tooth hygeine; so much so that Tobias actually end up making her a brace out of chicken wire :'D Idk I find it quite adorable :'D Now unto the serie's ARRRGH!!! - first up he is male, his name is Arghaumont and he is famous for another reason than Johannah: he was a general of Gunmar but retreated from the war making him a traitor to his people yet a hero for the good trolls in the series. Series ARRRGH!!! is likewise built like a gorilla but made of stone and having a mane long and green like it is moss  his horns is way smaller and less curvy and his teeth hygeine is never brought up  also his face is way less dog like x'D 

Tobias 

Book Tobias' full name is Tobias M. Dershowitz yet he is going by 'Tubby' or 'Tub'. Here is a describtion of him from the book: "You could call Tobias Dershowitz chubby, if you were being cute, or husky if you were being diplomatic. The fact is he was fat, and that was only the beginning of his problems. His hair was a thick, orange, out-of-control hedge. His face spilled over with the kind of freckles that make kids like Tub look like overgrown toddlers. Worst of all were his braces, marvels of modern torment: whips of stainless steel crisscrossing each tooth seperately and lashed to a dozen silver fasteners. The braces clicked so much when he spoke, you expected sparks. At least he was tall..." page 27 The bold passages is added by me   The outfit I went with is described on page 259 like this: "He stood in the driveway decked out in his best approximation of a ninja: black tennis shoes, black sweatpants, a black hoodie, a belt made from a red curtain sash, and an oversize fanny pack holding his gear (...) It was unfortunate that the fanny pack was lime green..." To describe Tub is a bit difficult because sadly he is not much in the story as I'd liked - mostly he is being quite serious and let us know he is not happy by being sidelined not speaking troll nor being invited on hunts which I completely understand tbh :'D What I do find interesting is how Tub and series Jim has seem to have switched roles a little bit: In the series Jim is the one giving a speech about how he is insecure about his place in life and how he wants more - in the book this is Tub in more than one occassion: "We have to accept who we are. And before you ask, I'll tell you. We're nobody. We have no life. We have nothing to look forward to. We're not special. I just want it to go away. All of it. The stupid being scared. Doesn't it seem we've been scared forever?" page 37 "Jim, you're wrong. We were meant to do this. This is exactly what we've been waiting for. They've chosen us. Of all people! Us! (...) Jesus, Jim, take a look at my life! You know what I'm worth! To anyone? Zero! Nothing! I'm a fat loser and will always be a fat loser. Until this. This is like a present. Full of, man, I don't know. Hope?..." page 196 (talking about trollhunting here btw) Oh yeah and book Tobias gets this badass scene where he uses his dentist's tool to kill trolls I loved that   Now series Tobias is way different :'D first up his name is Tobias Domzalski and his nicknames are Toby and Tobes. He is way shorter and has more neat hair (what is it with the series neating up the hair :'D? x'D). He also seems way cheerier and pretty happy with his place in life more or less  Unlike Tub, Toby is in it from the start being an important player in the story   He doesn't have the same drive to be something more than he is as Tub has instead Toby is going with the flow starting out quite afraid of everything troll and ended up being as brave as the rest of the team *tbh Jim's scared out of his wits too so they mimic each other x'D* Where Tub has dentist tools Toby gets a badass hammer so I'll say its an upgrade  

Claire

First off we have Claire Fontaine, a foreign student from no other than Scotland with a taste for military clothing and liqourice   Here's how she's described in the book   "She tucked her long dark hair behind her ear and left ir with an adorable smudge of white dust. I thought she was beautiful, though she wasn't in the classic sense. The popular girl would say she wasn't skinny enough. They would also point to the fact that she didn't wear makeup or do anything to tame that hair. And her clothes -well, what could be said about her clothes? Her boots were not sexy and knee-high: in fact, they were ankle-high and rubber-soled and looked picked from military surplus racks, an array of pea-green coats and multi-coloured slacks, all of which looked as if they'd been through actual World War II combat. And that beret she wore before and after school wasn't of the look-at-me-I'm Frensh variety: it was more in the style of I'm-going-to-invade-your-country-and-be-your-new-dictator. Only one thing didn't make sense: that bright pink, exceedingly girlish backpack that inexplicably hadn't one anti-establidh patch sewn onto it (...) Oh, I forgot to mention that Claire Fontain came from the UK. That's right- the girl had an accent. I think you are starting to get the picture." page 30-1 The bold passages is added by me It is hinted at that Claire is quite tall and a great deal taller than Jim (more when I get to him) and she is actually a whole year older than Jim since they both have birthday May 2 but Claire is 16 while Jim is 15  Since Trollhunters in this story is not a "protected title" (aka the chosen hero type) Claire ends up being one herself even though nobody even herself didn't know: AND. SHE. KICKS. BUTT! She's even better than the guy that had 40+ years experience so yeah safe to say she's badass :'D Even before that she has a hilarious scene calling out Steve in the wildest shitstorm of Scottish slang I lived for it x'D She's described quite a few times with lots of bracelets, sometimes made of wire so I gave her a bit of both   She's not really a part of the popular group but has her own thing going on   Now onto Claire Nuñez the series' version of this badass   Here Claire is hispanic and pretty much one of the most popular girls seen around  her style is way more ... I've called it punk rock in purple but Idk exactly what to call it x'D she's shorter than Jim and slimmer looking than her book counterpart   She enters the story not as a trollhunter but as a victim of having her brother stolen by changelings and as time progresses she becomes a fastlearning and quite competent sorcerer dealing in shadow magic   Unlike Fontaine, Nuñes is seen wearing make up, shorter hair with dye in it and hair clips instead of bracelets  

Jim 

First up we have book Jim. His full name is James Sturges Jr. and lives with his single parent, his dad, after his mother went away the day before his birthday in start May and never returned. Sturges Sr. had been traumatized loosing his brother to trolls although none of the characters didn't know this yet - only Senior had seen the creatures making him paranoid and in turn making Jim very embarrased about his father. At the same time Jim seems to honestly worry for his father and his behavior too makes Jim very cautious and fearful a character. Book Jim is pretty much a typical teenager for the most part  He is seen to be a tad clumsy and not exactly brave really. And the author's choice of basically not describing him anywhere made my job way harder trying to be book accurate :'D So I've mostly inspired him of the official illustrations in the book   Here's what I could find about our little trollhunter   First off: he's a short fellow  that is first mentioned on page 14; "Sunshine is important for growing boys." (...) "I am not growing" I took after my dad when it came to size and was still waiting for that growth spurt everyone kept raving about. "In fact I think I'm shrinking." This is brought up most of everything Jim through the movie from him not being able to reach a point of a chalkboard (page 32) to people's dissapointing sighs taking meassurements when he is chosen as Romeo (107) and him wearing super high heels for the same reason (224) but also Blinky directly calling him a "little fellow" (page 127) On page 27 we learn that he is getting a bruise on his chin after being slammed into his locker by Steve  Lockers he has been thrown into enough to have learned to open them on the inside :'D He is a skinny fella which Tobias so politely call "lack of muscletone" due to "glandular" at page 120 He is not very good at anything describing his room full of stuff from hobbies he tried and failed at (page 63) The longest describtion about his appearance is probably page 105: "I lowered my eyes and regarded the chewed, dirty fingernails holding my script, thes scuffed shoes on my feet, and realized that these were the symbols of my pityful life: worn-out, insignificant, ready to be thrown beneath Dad's industrial mower" It pretty much says it all when this is the longest quite I could find :'D For the outfit I mostly went by the small describtion on page 89-90: "I tucked the medallion beneath my shirt. After a full day of wearing it, maybe the rest of the suffocating fear would go away too. My plan was to dart into the kitchen, grab my sweatshirt and be out of the house. " I added jeans since he is said to wear jeans on page 283 - the medallion sneak out beneath the sweatshirt/shirt on page 97 which is why I added it on top here as well   Now since there's a bit more to both versions of Jim due to their role as the protagonist I've added in a little extra features here being the medallion in the book vs the amulet in the series and the weaponry given to the characters   For Sturges we have the medallion who's described like this: "It was a bronze medallion conntected to a rusty chain. It was engraved with a foreboding crest: a hideous, snarling face; indecipherable markings of a sevage language, and a magnificent long-sword across the bottom." page 9 The medallion is treated like it is a common artefact if a bit rare in the book - its purpose is to translate trollspeak for the wearer. Jim is giving two swords in the book; a rusty longsword he calls Clairesword (do I need to explain this one?) and a cutlass he calls Cat #6 after the one cat at Tobias' house that liked Jim  x'D For Sturges' personality my feeling about him is that he is a bit more ... passive than his series counterpart. He is not really standing up for himself that much and would rather blend into the background. This qoute from Claire sums him up pretty nicely I believe   "You're a good person, Mr. Sturges. A bit gloomy, but good" page 246 I do like that Jim in this version is a Taurus  (I am a taurus too x'D) born on May 2nd so that's a plus   It is probably also worth mentioning that in this world trollhunters aren't a chosen hero type like in the series: trollhunters or paladin was once a title held by many warriors yet now there's very few left. Sturges was a proud paladin family making Jim a chosen candidate for the honor of becoming a trollhunter but he is not the only one - or even the best - in the book. In fact out of the three trollhunters we learn about I'll say Jim is the weakest (and he is not even the least trained; ouch :'D) Jim doesn't get a nice armour like his series counterpart either but is seen in the illustrations wearing a blue hoodie (like the one in the little doodle)   The full name of Jim in the series is James Lake Jr. He is the child of a single parent and lives with his mother whom Jim "mothers a lot" (Tobias' words in the first episode) This Jim is pretty "tall for his age" (Jim's own words uttered quite a few times across all three series) yet with quite skinny legs (he is called out for this by multiple characters). He is much more competent in life than his book counterpart being an exceptional cook, good at Spanish, seemingly alright in PE and at school he seems to stand pretty good if only holding himself back. Unlike book Jim, series Jim seems much more active and longing to be something more than he is - he is seen to be quite brave and protective of his friends, very kind and selfless. Also even from the start he seems much more nimble than his book counterpart being able to climb the robe (a feat book Jim didn't do before later) and with his training as trollhunter he becomes even more badass   Trollhunter status in the series is way more important since the title is given to only one chosen warrior of Merlin chosen by the amulet of daylight (the medallion in the book). This also makes the amulet way more special and important in the series which probably explains its shine up from rusty bronze thing to silver and blue. While Lake Jr doesn't have named sword he does have a magical armour and sword made of daylight   We do not know the exact birthday of Lake Jr but the creators have replied to a fanquestion saying it would be around fall especially October so by that estimate Jim is probably a scorpio  pretty far from the before mentioned taurus in the book   While Jim Lake Jr isn't seen with long lasting bruises in the original series he does get two more permanent scars in Wizards  

[the-bejeesus]

To Those Who Say “I’m not gonna catch up on One Piece until it’s finished. Why would I watch/read 1000+ episodes/chapters when I don’t even get to know how the story ends?”

      Now for the past few years, when I came across somebody who said this, my rebute would be something like “Well the series is great already. It doesn’t really matter if I don’t know how it ends, because the journey itself is enjoyable.” or “Man if that’s your excuse, who you gonna explain why you read/watch stuff like Berserk, Hunter X Hunter, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and My Hero Academia? Newsflash, they aren’t done yet.” But it came across my mind that I can now apply a completely different approach:

“If you start watching/reading at this pace right now, it will be over by the time you catch up.”

      If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll know that for awhile now Oda has been saying that he plans to end the series in just 5-4 years. Now he’s made lots of claims in the past that turned out to be ridiculous. However, many One Piece researchers have compiled his claims and found out that they only get more accurate as time goes on, with the most ridiculous claims being found to be myths. And with the most recent claims of ending the series in less than 5 years, even his editors who are usually skeptical have started to trust that he can do this. After all, he has officially set there to be only one more saga (which isn’t necessarily one arc, but it’s either going to be 1-2 major arcs or an anthology of 5-6 shorter arcs). And now that we can trust this claim, we can essentially extrapolate how many chapters/episodes are left and what pace we have to binge to catch up at just the right time.

If you plan to read the manga (black and white):

The manga in black in white is a perfectly fine way to enjoy One Piece. It’s what Oda draws, it’s how he intends it to be viewed, and best of all, it will be the first version of publication to finish.

     Out of the 1223 weeks since the first chapter published in July 19, 1997, 1000 chapters have published, meaning on average he publishes 42 chapters per year, or in other words, there are only 10 hiatuses per year (including holidays where WSJ does not publish). Now if I wanted to be more accurate, I’d only look at the chapters published this year, to exclude outliers like how he had no hiatuses for the first 200 chapters, or how he had a 4-week hiatus during the timeskip, but 2020 has been a bit crazy, so we’re not doing that for this or any of the others.

     Going off of this, the final chapter would be chapter 1212 in December 28, 2025 (yes, the 28th would be a Sunday again.) So here’s how you’d calculate the pace in which you need to read One Piece, and really this is how we’ll calculate it for every version)

     Now I know math is boring, but the reason I’m showing this to you is because the amount of weeks until One Piece ends will vary based on when you start this binge. Chances are you aren’t going to start the day you see this post, and there’s an even greater chance you won’t see this post the day it’s posted. For every example I’m going to assume you started binging on December 28, 2020. Now let’s try to use it for this example.

     And there’s your answer, just read 4-5 chapters per week. By the end, One Piece should be nearly over or have very recently ended. To put that into a different perspective, you could purchase and read just two volumes per month and you’ll be at prime pace. Or you could read one chapter every day, but only on weekdays.  If you want to, you can see this calculation in action in graph form.

     While this is a very rudimentary graph, it’s a basic visualization of what we’re calculating here. We’re calculating what speed we need to binge to catch up at exactly the right moment. I say exact, but ultimately no one can predict how many chapters there will be exactly, nor how many hiatuses Oda will go on during it. It will be important, as you’re nearing the end, to find a spoiler-free way to keep up on how close One Piece is to ending. To know whether you ought to speed up or slow down.

If you plan to watch the anime (subtitled):

For years now people have hated on the anime “terrible animation!” “terrible pacing” but at the end of the day, it’s the more popular version. Or the more viewed version I should say. And personally, I think that once you acknowledge its problems and learn how to deal with them, it’s a perfectly fine experience. There’s enough good voice acting and enough good storytelling that you’re easily able to ignore the problems. Plus, the animation has substantially improved since Wano.

      Now for this we’re going to have to change a lot of variables to get this right. We’re going to have to adjust when publication started, and recalculate when One Piece will end by looking at how slowly the anime adapts the manga, and how behind it is. The anime aired on October 20, 1999, and has aired 956 episodes since then. This means on average they air 44.9 episodes per year, meaning there is pretty much only 7 breaks the entire year. With these 956 episodes, they have adapted 955 chapters, making the pace almost exactly one chapter per episode. However this is really inaccurate, considering all the better-paced arcs earlier on in the story. Looking solely at episodes 2012 and onwards, the anime adapts at a pace of 0.65 chapters/episode.

     Knowing that there are roughly 212 chapters left, and Toei adapts at 0.65 chapters per episode, we can assume that there are going to be roughly 324 episodes left. That sounds like too many, but keep in mind that there will be several, several instances where the manga will be on hiatus whereas the anime will keep on airing. Knowing there are approximately 324 episodes left, and that the anime only takes about 7 breaks a year, we can assume that it will take 7 years, or 374.49 weeks before the anime will end. So now we have the information we need to do the math again.

x = 1280/374.49

x = 3.417 episodes/week.

     It may seem like a more relaxed binge, since you get a whole 2 extra years to binge, and you only have to do 3-4 episodes per week, compared to the 4-5 chapters. But keep in mind that these episodes are 24 minutes each. Still not at all bad, but you will be spending more time on it overall.

If you plan to watch One Pace:

One Pace is a fan project that edits the anime so that filler and padding is cut, other edits will be made to make the anime more manga-accurate, such as reorganizing scenes, or adding title cards where absent. Originally only used by a niche number of One Piece fans, One Pace has grown in popularity, and has tried to improve its quality to accommodate more fans, such as making their episodes Dual Audio (meaning you can switch between the dub and original Japanese audio tracks), and including Spanish subtitles.

      You’d think we’d have to adjust for when One Pace began, how slowly One Pace catches up, and the works, but there’s not much to calculate. Fortunately for us, no matter how far behind One Pace is on editing the current arc, they always like to wrap things up just a few weeks within when an arc ended, if not the very same week. So really all we have to calculate is how many One Pace episodes there will be by the end of all this, so that we know how many you’ll need to watch per week.

      Looking solely at what they’ve covered so far, One Pace has taken 573 episodes and condensed it down to 259 episodes. That’s a pace of 2.21 anime episodes/ paced episode. Earlier we calculated that there would be 324 episodes of the anime left, making for 1280 episodes total. This would mean that there would be around 578 One Pace episodes by the end. And One Pace would probably wrap up in, let’s say 376 weeks, because as I said, they’ll probably finish editing the final arc a week or two after the last episode airs.

x = 578/376

x = 1.53 episodes per week

      Now that’s a relaxed pace. 1-2 episodes per week? That’s so slow, I’m not even sure if I’ll remember what I watched last week next time I watch some episodes. The only problem is some of the pre-timeskip still haven’t been edited. They’ll probably be done by the time they finish the final arc, but that’s not gonna work out fast enough. You’ll hit your first roadblock about 7 weeks in when you need to watch the Baratie arc and it’s not done. And don’t even get me started on how many arcs aren’t done in dub or Spanish sub yet. Hopefully you could just switch to the anime or manga when you hit these arcs, readjusting how many episodes/chapters you need to watch/read when you do. But that’s a bit of an excessive amount of math for something that’s supposed to be fun. So yeah, if you’re still convinced you shouldn’t get into One Piece until it’s ended, maybe this is the option for you.

If you plan to read the manga (Colored):

Since 2012, Shueisha has made a colorization of One Piece. It’s not a fan coloring, it’s as official as it gets. Many consider the color schemes portrayed in this version as the most canon, as the majority are pulled straight from whatever colored illustrations of Oda’s they can find. And quite frankly it makes the manga at least 10 times more beautiful. It’s especially great if you have trouble interpreting dense, small black and white panels.

      This one is a doozy. You’d think all I gotta do is calculate how far behind the colored manga usually and just adjust from there, right? Wrong. Because how far behind the colored manga is, or how frequently they release volumes in full color, is one of the most inconsistent things I have ever seen. You wanna see what I’m talking about? This is how they’ve chosen to release each volume since 2012:

Volume 1-12: July 15, 2012

Volume 13-23: September 28, 2012

Volume 24-63: December 4, 2012

Volume 64-65: April 4, 2013

Volume 66-68: December 20, 2013

Volume 69-70: August 25, 2014

Volume 71-72: September 16, 2015

Volume 73-75: October 4, 2016

Volume 76: December 2, 2016

Volume 77: March 3, 2017

Volume 78: July 2, 2017

Volume 79: September 4, 2017

Volume 80: December 4, 2017

Volume 81-82: March 3, 2018

Volume 83: October 4, 2018

Volume 84-86: August 2, 2019

Volume 87-92: September 16, 2020

     How I am supposed to find out how long it will take for Shueisha to colorize the final volume of One Piece is beyond me. I guess the first step would be to look at how far behind the manga each release was on average, but I’m going to ignore all the ones before 2013, because those were clearly just Shueisha catching up really fast cause they just started and didn’t want to be dozens of volumes behind forever. So of the 14 publications between 2013 and now, on average the last chapter of the last volume they colored was 97.78 weeks after that chapter had published in Weekly Shonen Jump. This means that if the final chapter of One Piece is chapter 1212 on December 28, 2025, then you can expect the final colored volume to publish November 14, 2027.

x = 1212/359

x = 3.37 chapters/week

     So if you prefer the manga but don’t want to read 5 chapters every week for 5 years, this might be a better option for ya. But yea, I have no doubt my prediction is at least a little off for this one.

If you plan to watch the anime (dubbed):

Unlike the 4KidsTV and Odex dubs of One Piece, the FUNimation dub is a perfect way to enjoy One Piece. The DVDs come with enjoyable commentary and a marathon mode, great for binging.

       FUNimation’s releases of the dub are inconsistent, although not nearly as erratic as the colored manga release. However, there was recently a 2-year hiatus we only just got out of. Since Episode 1′s dub in May 27, 2008, the dub has gotten as far as Episode 614. But that’s only looking at the DVD releases. If you’re willing to stream on FUNimationnow, the dub is as far as 641, and if you’re willing to digitally purchase it from an e-shop such as the Microsoft store, it goes all the way to Episode 654. With that being said, that would mean that on average, FUNimation dubs 1.004 episodes per week. Although if we go back to before the two-year hiatus so as to exclude it from the average, it’s actually 1.10 episodes per week. Not a huge difference, actually. And then if we look solely after the two-year hiatus, it’s actually 2.25 episodes per week, which is insanely faster. It’s hard to tell what the future of the dub will be. I can’t assume they’ll go this fast forever, so I’m just going to take the average of all 3 and say it’s 1.45 episodes per week. Don’t know if that’s the best mathematical approach, but the number seems about right.

     So knowing that the dub is at Episode 654 and looking at our previous guesstimation that the anime will be 1280 episodes long, we can predict that it will take 431 weeks before the dub catches up and ends. That would be in 2029! Sounds quick at first until you notice it’s 4 years behind!

x = 1280/431

x = 2.96 episodes per week

      Looks like it’s almost exactly 3 episodes per week. Not as much less of a workload as I expected, compared to catching up to the sub. You know, I figured those 4 extra years would make you binge a lot slower.

Final Thoughts:

      There’s a lot of my math that was estimation, approximations, extrapolations. Feel free to correct me or fact check me, especially if you plan on using this. I figured this would be a fun thought excercise. There’s also a lot of smaller variables I simply didn’t want to take into account because of how long this is already. For example, reading the black and white manga. The calculation can vary slightly depending on if you read it the day it’s published (which I assume would have to be a fanscan unless you can read Japanese), reading the weekly publication legally on Viz.com, waiting for the physical volume release. The dub can also vary depending on whether you buy from Microsoft, wait for the FUNimationnow release, wait for the DVDs, or wait for the Collection sets. So feel free to take this into account.

[joshmspicer]

lets get personal.

Nabbed from @pantherdaemon​ and somehow missed last week

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most? “One Foot”, “Voicemail Freestyle Mike Wiebe”, “A Walk Down the Trail” (though it’s been a bit), “First Time”, “It Ends Tonight”, and “Survival”

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be? @pantherdaemon​ It’s about time bro

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17. “WWE maintained little interest in scouting, much less signing, Japanese or Mexican talent, widely considered the second and third points of the wrestling world’s triangle.”

4: What do you think about most? “So at what point...?”

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say? “Stopping for tear”

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on? I gots pants

7: What’s your strangest talent? I can curve my tongue?

8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence) Girls deserve the fucking world but can go too far. Boys can be rude without knowing they are but can also be endearing.

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you? Not to my knowledge.

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar? A few moments ago when I was listening to “Undisputed”

11: Do you have any strange phobias? Not a fan of little bugs

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose? Yes

13: What’s your religion? Agnostic Lutheran

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing? Going to my car or walking into somewhere

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? In front

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band? Breaking Benjamin, easy

17: What was the last lie you told? “I’m sick as a dog, can’t make it into class.”

18: Do you believe in karma? A form of it, yes

19: What does your URL mean? It’s my old OC from my Xiaolin Showdown days, Jack Spicer’s brother. Brought it with me during the brony days as my alias and it kind of became more than I ever though it would be.

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength? Weakness is my need to please everybody. Strength is my ability to listen to everybody and offer advice even if I’ve never personally been in that situation.

21: Who is your celebrity crush? Emily Blunt

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping? Yes

23: How do you vent your anger? Either my listening to Linkin Park or venting in a text post

24: Do you have a collection of anything? Magazines, video game or animated posters, pictures, and t-shirts

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online? Phone, never done the latter

26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become? I’m just happy I’m not completely like my dad.

27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love? I loathe that one stupid fucking bird from Iowa that always does that same rhythm all damn day. I love an animal chirping that isn’t a bird.

28: What’s your biggest “what if”? “What if you stayed in Minneapolis after Dad died?”

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens? Yes and yes

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm. A pen and a water bottle

31: Smell the air. What do you smell? My usual media room. I’m used to it so it smells like normalty

32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to? High School Homecoming

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast? East

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender? Sydney Sierota

35: To you, what is the meaning of life? Living and breathing in an attempt to survive.

36: Define Art. Creative outlet through various forms with an intent to tell a narrative, vent emotion, or for personal entertainment.

37: Do you believe in luck? Yes

38: What’s the weather like right now? Dark, clear, cold

39: What time is it? 10:47 PM mountain time

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed? Yes, YES

41: What was the last book you read? How WWE Should Have Booked The Book Vol. 1

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline? Yes

43: Do you have any nicknames? Toad, Toadman, Spicer

44: What was the last film you saw? Bad Times at El Royale

45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had? Worst pain at the time was a broken pinky. Worst pain over time was a fucked up shoulder that any movement caused it to just drive me into agony.

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly? No

47: Do you have any obsessions right now? Probably

48: What’s your sexual orientation? Rather not put a label on that right now

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you? Yes

50: Do you believe in magic? Yes

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong? Don’t forgive so easily, much harder to gain back trust

52: What is your astrological sign? Cancer

53: Do you save money or spend it? Spend

54: What’s the last thing you purchased? Technically it would be Patreon

55: Love or lust? Lust

56: In a relationship? Nope

57: How many relationships have you had? None

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue? Nope

59: Where were you yesterday? At home

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? Yeah the envelope that came right My First Girlfriend is a Gal

61: Are you wearing socks right now? Nah

62: What’s your favourite animal? CAT

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you? God I could not tell you

64: Where is your best friend? Probably at home or asleep in the Canadian wilderness of the BC

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr. I am not going to do that. Not sorry.

66: What is your heritage? A whole bunch of European countries. My dad’s side is known to be varied and my mom’s side is the same, but I’d assume mostly Germanic

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM? Reading fics in my bed

68: What do you think is Satan’s last name? Murphy

69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off? Of fucking course

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend? Yes

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do? Save the fucking dog. If I’m that deep in my job that one more tardiness means I’m done than it’s not worth it. Plus, I can explain to them and my future jobs why I was late. I feel like people would understand.

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid? A. Yes B. If I can, travel places, see all the people I haven’t see in a while or at all, and actually finish things I haven’t ever finished. C. Of course

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love. Trust

74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it? Fuck me for it but “"Crepuscularity” but it’s a sad kind of happy

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number? Nice

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship? Trust and the ability to talk to each other about anything and especially when it’s about that trust or about things that are hurting the other person

77: How can I win your heart? Show genuine interest in me and what I like.

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity? Yes

79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far? Oh god. Um...submitting that audition for “This is Why I Clop”. I wouldn’t know any of my online friends if it wasn’t for that.

80: What size shoes do you wear? 11 1/2

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone? “RIP: This is empty because there’s no body in it, so feel free to go ham.”

82: What is your favourite word? Fuck

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart. Alone

84: What is a saying you say a lot? “To be quite honest”, “everyone and their mother”, “to be fair”

85: What’s the last song you listened to? “POP/STARS”

86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours? Red/orange

87: What is your current desktop picture? Still the ME 2 collage

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be? I can’t answer that

89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on? What’s the one kink you hate liking?

90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do? Ask if they can talk. If they can’t and are just looming, try to get back to sleep.

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power? Control time

92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again? Oh this is a good question. That last 30 minutes of the Jan. 2012 BronyCon where I modded the stream and heard “You Only Got One Life to Live”

93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? Goodbye that sexual assault in the common room

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be? Always music huh? I’m gonna say Cher

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? Los Angeles

96: Do you have any relatives in jail? Probably

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car? Nah

98: Ever been on a plane? Yep

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say? It’s...it’s not easy anymore. And I know I make a lot of mistakes and whine a lot and am in no position to hate who I am or what I’ve done and I know that I don’t deserve everything I’ve gotten, but...it’s hard to want to live life and enjoy little things when you’ve been told that you’re great at a lot of things and end up never getting there because you didn’t put enough work in or you weren’t lucky enough to get it. And then you’ve got this great big old dream looming over you that you can escape in because it’s so much to imagine what it would be like. But you know that deep down you’ll end up back home working at Menards and ending up just like your father. Well guess what? If I’ll never be shit, duck? Than I’d least like to fucking know if I ever had a chance in the first place.

[arconn]

I remember how much I used to do these in high school/my early 20s, I wish I could do an old one and compare responses. Here's one for today, 06/21/21

1) Sexuality? Pansexual, meaning I don't have a preference of what you're working with and I don't exclude those who identify as nonbinary/agender.

2) If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be? Russel Crowe

3) Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17. with a stock of white, forearms tattooed in black Borean ink- the black dragon that marks him as an outsider. - Witches of America by Alex Mar

4) What do you think about most? That people want to be good and be happy but also very much have the opportunity to cause the opposite

5) What does your latest text message from someone else say? Hope you have today off...

6) Do you sleep with or without clothes on? Usually with but it depends on what time of year it is

7) What’s your strangest talent? Being able to guess poeple's zodiac signs pretty accurately.

8) Girls…. (finish the sentence); Boys…. (finish the sentence) should be treated the same

9) Ever had a poem or song written about you? Yes

10) When is the last time you played the air guitar? I don't even remember honestly.

11) Do you have any strange phobias? Preying mantasis, they absolutely terrify me and are bore deep into my psyche

12) Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose? Yes

13) What’s your religion? I identify as an omniest, meaning I find truth and beauty in all religions and also as a pagan witch- a woman who loves and respects the earth, her elements and the way it effects us. I read tarot and look for divine guidance primarily from a central collective consciousness/energy and divinity that is in us all.

14) If you are outside, what are you most likely doing? Hooping, going on a walk

15) Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? Behind

16) Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band? Like a whole band with instruments and multiple musicians? Either Born of Osiris of August Burns Red

17) What was the last lie you told? That I was okay when I wasn't

18) Do you believe in karma? Absofreakinglutely

19) What does your URL mean? That I'm one tough bitch ;)

20) What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength? My quickness to trust someone and be vulnerable and shutting myself off or down when I realize I shouldn't have. And loving other people and things, when I'm at my best I aspire to emulate loving goddess energy and make others feel safe and seen.

21) Who is your celebrity crush? I honestly am not a big fan of most celebrities

22) Have you ever gone skinny dipping? Honestly, no.

23) How do you vent your anger? Usually to a friend or through hooping

24) Do you have a collection of anything? Crystals, metaphysical books, tarot decks.

25) Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online? Through messenger

26) Are you happy with the person you’ve become? Yes, though there is a lot I am still working hard on.

27) What’s a sound you hate; sound you love? The sound of people chewing or brushing their teeth and I love the sound of deep low frequency bass and my bunny Winston "purring"

28) What’s your biggest “what if”? What if a certain relationship worked out and I hadn't left and we stayed together

29) Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens? I believe in the possibility of everything but also that anything can be debunked. I say yes to both.

30) Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm. Left- my phone, right-a bag of cashews :)

31) Smell the air. What do you smell? A candle burning nearby.

32) What’s the worst place you have ever been to? Probably the part of Bahrain we got dumped in while waiting for our ship. Of course, at the time I had never been to or lived in Philly or Baltimore, but it was a lot and was absolutely not safe.

33) Choose East Coast or West Coast? East coast, but I haven't been to the west coast yet.

34) Most attractive singer of your opposite gender? Anderson Paak *heart eyes* thats my BAYBEEEEE

35) To you, what is the meaning of life? See #13

36) Define Art. Expression

37) Do you believe in luck? I believe in divine blessing

38) What’s the weather like right now? Absolutely beautiful and 70 something outside

39) What time is it? 2:51

40) Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed? Yes, though I don't have a car right now. And no I haven't, only been rear ended once.

41) What was the last book you read? Been reading Witches of America by Alex Mar lately as well as some study astrology material.

42) Do you like the smell of gasoline? Love it.

43) Do you have any nicknames? Mana

44) What was the last movie you saw? The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It... it was absolutely amazing

45) What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had? Dislocating my knee, it went all the way to the backside of my leg!!

46) Have you ever caught a butterfly? Oh yes

47) Do you have any obsessions right now? Learning my job and getting better at it, smoking weed, getting these next couple milestones together that are coming up.

48) What’s your sexual orientation? Pansexual, see #1 for an explanation

49) Ever had a rumor spread about you? Oh yes

50) Do you believe in magic? Definitely

51) Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong? Nah, I wish I could sometimes, but I'm actually pretty bad at it, to my own demise.

52) What is your astrological sign? Aquarius sun, Scorpio moon, Capricorn rising

53) Do you save money or spend it? Spend it. UGH.

54) What’s the last thing you purchased? A smoothie

55) Love or lust? Love

56) In a relationship? Not currently, no.

57) How many relationships have you had? I don't even know anymore... that would be a lot to count out.

58) Can you touch your nose with your tongue? Yes

59) Where were you yesterday? Work and then home and in my bed sleeping for almost 13 hours.

60) Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? Yes, a hula hoop

61) Are you wearing socks right now? Nope

62) What’s your favorite animal? Rabbits and octopus

63) What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you? Look at them very intently with my eyes and show genuine care/focus on them

64) Where is your best friend? I don't really have a best friend right now, my closest is in Maryland right now, but I haven't seen her in over a year.

65) Spit or swallow?(; Always swallow

66) What is your heritage? Irish/Scottish

67) What were you doing last night at 12 AM? DEAD ASLEEP

68) What do you think is Satan’s last name? Gon'getcha

69) Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off? What kinda question is this? Duh. Society is so weird about sexuality it's kind of gross. *shudders*

70) Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend? Yeah!

71) You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do? Yell for help, save the dog. Take pictures once the rescue is a success and try and explain it to my boss, if they let me go, they let me go.

72) You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid? I tell everyone I care about, yes. I would spend the rest of my time with my family and saying goodbye to certain friends. I'd try to fit in as much live music as humanly possible as well and maybe take a few days trip abroad, probably somewhere where I could be on the beach.

73) You can only have one of these things; trust or love. Love, because if it's true, you get both

74) What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it? Touch by Hybrid Minds

75) What are the last four digits in your cell phone number? 1***

76) In your opinion, what makes a great relationship? Trust, over communication, taking time for the cute and little things

77) How can I win your heart? ^

78) Can insanity bring on more creativity? Absolutely

79) What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far? Letting things go in order to gain

80) What size shoes do you wear? 8 1/2 or 9

81) What would you want to be written on your tombstone? EVERYBODY LOVE EVERYBODY! C'MON! -WILL FERREL

82) What is your favorite word? Fuck

83) Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart. Swell

84) What is a saying you say a lot? "The road to suffering is paved with expectations" -The Buddha

85) What’s the last song you listened to? Loan Shark by Commodo

86) Basic question; what’s your favorite color/colors? Lavendar, royal blue, deep purple, light magenta, neon red, burnt orange

87) What is your current desktop picture? $uicideboy$

88) If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be? Oh boy, I don't think I'd want that to happen to anyone because they could be with other people like their family and shit. That would be so horrible.

89) What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on? Haven't found one yet.

90) One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do? Slowly look around and see if I can find a weapon, then quickly get to it and make a quick exit, defending myself from the mummies if need be.

91) You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power? It's a tie between teleporation and being able to heal others/myself.

92) You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again? My wedding day.

93) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? Early memories in the barracks at Fort Meade

94) You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be? Al Ross or $crim

95) You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? India

96) Do you have any relatives in jail? Not that I know of

97) Have you ever thrown up in the car? Yup, but it was into a bag every time

98) Ever been on a plane? Many times

99) If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say? EVERYBODY LOVE EVERYBODY, c'MON!

[totallylesbians]

1-99

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?Lately it’s been, in no particular order…-There’s Nothing Holding Me Back by Shawn Mendes -Curious by Hayley Kiyoko -Follow You by Bring Me The Horizon-Fuck You by Sleeping With Sirens (pop goes punk cover)-Perfect by Ed Sheeran -Just the Girl by The Click Five (All but Hayley are on my drag list, which is what I’ve mostly been listening to…)

2. If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?Probably Alycia Debnam-Carey, honestly

3. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17. Charlie bit Alex’s shoulder through her coat. “Just admit you love the…” line continues to “city in winter.” From KL Hughes’ The Art of Us

4. What do you think about most?I don’t even know, dude. My mind is so fucking random and scattered. It’s probably not good stuff if I really think about it.

5. What does your latest tattoo from someone else say?“Still”

6. Do you sleep with or without clothes on?I sleep with my boxer briefs on. That’s it though. Unless I’m on my period or sleeping with someone else or at someone else’s house.

7. What’s your strangest talent?I don’t know really. I can manipulate my voice a bit. It usually makes people laugh or be like “what the fuck?” I can bend backwards and make my feet touch my head too. So there’s that.

8. Girls…(finish the sentence); Boys…(finish the sentence). Girls…are strong and beautiful and need to realize they need someone to tell them that for it to be true. Boys…are strong and beautiful, too. Both need positivity and to be kinder to themselves and others.

9. Ever had a poem or a song written about you?No. My first girlfriend said she wrote a poem about me, but what she read me was actually what she wrote about her ex. That was kind of awkward.

10. When is the last time you played the air guitar?Earlier today. So like…3-4ish hours ago

11. Do you have any strange phobias?Not that I know of

12. Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?Not that that I can recall. Maybe chopsticks or a pencil when I was a kid but that’s about it. And I’m not even sure I did that.

13. What’s your religion?I don’t have one

14. If you’re outside what are you most likely doing? Walking. Or going for a run, if it’s nice out.

15. Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it?Behind it. Definitely.

16. Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?I’m going to have to go with Pvris. They saved my life. Other bands have too. But I have to say them.

17. What was the last lie you told?Probably “I’m okay.”

18. Do you believe in karma?Something like that, yes. For sure.

19. What does your URL mean?Essentially, that is blog is gay as fuck and contains anything lesbian related.

20. What’s your greatest weakness? Greatest strength?Weakness: stubbornness Strength: loyalty

21. Who is your celebrity crush?I have so many dude. Ryan Ashley, Eliza Taylor, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Kristen Stewart, Anna Kendrick, etc

22. Have you ever gone skinny dipping?Not that I know of

23. How do you vent your anger?Usually through violence and aggression. I yell. I scream. I throw things. I hit things. It’s the only thing that truly helps me. I can write and draw but it doesn’t help much at all.

24. Do you have a collection of anything? Movies. That’s the only thing that comes to mind.

25. Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online? Neither honestly. But if I had to choose…maybe talking on the phone.

26. Are you happy with the person you’ve become?No. But I hope to be someday.

27. What’s a sound you hate? Sound you love?Hate: high pitches like nails on a chalkboard and similar sounds Love: the sound of rain

28. What’s your biggest “what if?”What if I had been there when he died? What if I had gotten to say goodbye to him? Would I still be mourning him the way I do? Would it have made a difference in how/who I am now? I’ll never know. And it kills me.

29. Do you believe in ghosts? What about aliens?Yes to both. I’m not sure I’d call either of them that. But I definitely believe in both. I’ve had experiences that I can’t explain. And I find it hard to believe that out of the entire universe, we are on the only planet that has life.

30. Stick out your right arm, what’s the first thing you touch? Do the same to your left. Right: the arm of the couch. Left: the folded body pillow that we keep on the couch

31. Smell the air. What do you smell?The candle during. Lilacs.

32. What’s the worst place you’ve ever been to?The only place that comes to mind immediately was my ex’s mom’s house.

33. Choose: east coast or west coast?I’ve only ever been on the west coast

34. Most attractive singer of the opposite gender?I’m not sure exactly. But my favorite male singer would have to be M. Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold. I love his voice. He’s got nice tattoos and a great smile.

35. To you, what’s the meaning of life?I’m not sure I’ve found it yet

36. Define art. I don’t think I can. Art is subjective. Describing it depends on the piece. It depends on the person viewing the piece. I believe art is meant to make someone feel something though. It’s meant to express what the artist feels in some way. Whether it’s pain or beauty and anything and all in between.

37. Do you believe in luck?Something like that

38. What’s the weather like right now?Calm. Somewhat cloudy skies. Maybe a slight breeze.

39. What time is it?Currently, as I reach this question, 12:08am

40. Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?Not legally, yet. But I have crashed. Just about everything I’ve ever rode/driven. At least once.

41. What was the last book you read?Published book: The Art of Us by KL Hughes

42. Do you like the smell of gasoline?Not really

43. Do you have any nicknames?Spiffy is my most popular one. A few call me Midget. And family members call me one too, but I’m not saying that one.

44. What was the last film you saw?I’m currently watching Salt. But the last one I watched through and through was The House

45. What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?Probably whatever happened to my wrist. Considering it still hurts over a year later

46. Have you ever caught a butterfly?No. But I remember raising one from a caterpillar in elementary school and releasing them as butterflies.

47. Do you have any obsessions right now?Not that I know of

48. What’s your sexuality?Gay/lesbian

49. Ever had a rumor spread about you?I’ve had quite a few spread about me. I think the ones that effected my life at the time the most was that I was pregnant or that I was trans.

50. Do you believe in magic?I’m not sure

51. Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?Yes. Absolutely.

52. What’s your astrological sign?Taurus

53. Do you save money or spend it?A bit of both, but more so save it. I spend it on necessities for the most part and save the rest.

54. What’s the last thing you purchased?A smoothie, a lemonade, two bags of chips, and two boxes of donuts.

55. Love or lust?I’d rather have love

56. In a relationship?No

57. How many relationships have you had?4, technically. One only lasted like two weeks and was long distance so I don’t count it. One with a boy, 3 with girls.

58. Can you touch your nose with your tongue?Nope

59. Where were you yesterday?I know it’s technically past midnight but I haven’t slept yet so I’m going to say that it’s from the 9th. And I was at work.

60. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?Yes. My stuffed dog I’ve had for as long as I can remember

61. Are you wearing socks right now?No

62. What’s your favorite animal?Probably otters

63. What’s is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?I don’t know. I don’t think I have one. I don’t care if people like me or not.

64. Where is your best friend?Probably in bed at home. I don’t know.

65. Give me your top 5 blogs on tumblr.Some that come to mind are @eatmeoutnowbabe@ericajonorris@perksofbeingalesbian@yourgaydarisonpoint@youknow-me-not-my-story

66. What is your heritage?I’m Native American

67. What were you doing last night at 12am?Laying in bed

68. What do you think is Satan’s last name?Probably something cheesy and harmless sounding

69. Be honest. Have you ever gotten yourself off?Never

70. Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?Kind of. To an extent

71. You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?Save the dog. Fuck my boss. I can find a different job. That said, my actual boss, wouldn’t do that to me

72. You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. A) do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? B) what do you do with your remaining days? C) would you be afraid?A. Maybe a few people, but not everyoneB. Live my life to the fullest that I canC. I don’t think so

73. You can only have one of these things: trust or love?I think this is a trick question. I think they go hand in hand a bit. But I choose trust over love.

74. What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?Not sure really. Maybe Goodbye Earl by the Dixie Chicks. It reminds me of some good times in my childhood

75. What are the last 4 digits of your cell phone number?7260

76. In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?Open communication. Trust. Honesty.

77. How can I win your heart?Can’t win what I don’t have

78. Can insanity bring more creativity?Maybe to an extent

79. What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?Getting Dexter

80. What size shoes do you wear?Depends on the brand and style. But anywhere from 5-7

81. What do you want to be written on your tombstone?“I’m not easy to kill…fuck”

82. What is your favorite word?Fuck

83. Give me the first word that comes to your mind when you hear the word; heart?Less

84. What is a saying you say a lot?“It is what it is”

85. What’s the last song you listened to?Follow Me by Uncle Kracker

86. Basic question: what is your favorite color/colors?Black

87. What is your current desktop picture?I’ll reblog a picture of it. I posted it before

88. If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?My mom’s ex-boyfriend’s son

89. What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?I’m not sure, honestly

90. One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find out you are surrounded by mummies. The mummies aren’t doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?Tell them to fuck off. Or kill them. Depends I guess

91. You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with a superpower of your choice. What is that power?Transfiguration/shapeshifting

92. You can relive any point of time in your life. The timespan can only be a half hour, though. What half hour of your life would you like to experience again?Any time I had with my best friend before he died. I don’t care if it’s us playing. Or sleeping. I just want one more moment with him

93. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?Nothing. My past has made me who I am. I am a product of all that I have been through. I may not like myself, but this is who I am. If something hadn’t happened, I may not be the me I am now. It’s up to me to change and become the person I want to be with everything that’s happened.

94. You have the opportunity to sleep with the music celebrity of your choice. Who will it be?Probably Lynn Gunn. Maybe Lauren Jauregui

95. You just got a free plane ticket to go anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you going to go?I don’t know specifics. Somewhere where no one knows my name or my story. Somewhere where I’m free to be whoever I want to be 96. Do you have any relatives in jail?Probably. I think my cousin is in prison. Looking at like 25 years I think.

97. Have you ever thrown up in a car?Not that I remember. But I heard that I did when I was black out drunk a few years back

98. Ever been on a plane?Yes. Quite a few times. But only for visits to two places.

99. Answered

[libraryleopard]

2017 reading wrap-up

I don’t normally do this, but I figured that since this year was the first year I kept track of the books I read and also set a specific goal (1/3 books by authors of color), I thought it could be interesting to see what I read in 2017. And yeah, this is a little late but I didn’t have laptop over Christmas break so *shrug*.

I read 186 books total, with 73 being by authors of color. (That’s actually 11 more books than I needed to read, so yay for being an overachiever.) I think having a specific number to aim for helped me to diversify my reading and push me to read things I wouldn’t normally have read and I want to continue doing that. Of those 186 books, 108 had a person of color as a pov character and 61 had a LGBTQIAP+ main character. I think I’ll try to focus on reading more books with good disability representation next year because I only read 23 books with a disabled main character (not counting thrillers that used mental health as an an unreliable narrator plot twist because ugh). 

I read mostly the same number of books (between 9-20) each month during school or summer, which surprised me since I normally think of myself as reading more during vacations. Also, I read 9 books when I should have been doing NaNoWriMo, which might explain why I didn’t finish..

Anyway, here’s the whole list below the cut if anyone wants to see!

*=reread

January

1/ Vicarious by Paula Stokes

2/ Run by Kody Keplinger

3/ Pantomime by Laura Lam

4/ Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard

5/ Don’t Fail Me Now by Una LaMarche

6/ The Force Awakens novelization by Alan Dean Foster

7/ The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury*

8/ Timekeeper by Tara Sim

9/ Tattoo Atlas by Tim Floreen

10/ Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova*

11/ Life in Motion by Misty Copeland

12/ Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak

13/ Peas and Carrots by Tanita S. Davis

14/ This Is Our Story by Ashley Elston

15/ The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine*

16/ The Cursed Queen by Sarah Fine

February

17/ See No Color by Shannon Gibney

18/ This Side of Home by Renée Watson

19/ I’m Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl by Gretchen McNeil

20/ Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

21/ Rogue One novelization by Alexander Freed

22/ Railhead by Philip Reeve

23/ When the Moon was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore*

24/ Truthwitch by Susan Dennard*

25/ Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley

26/ The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig*

27/ Here We Are: Feminism For the Real World edited by Kelly Jensen

28/ We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

29/ City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson

30/ Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

31/ A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab*

32/ The Young Elites by Marie Lu*

March

33/ A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab*

34/ A Study In Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

35/ History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

36/ The Rose Society by Marie Lu*

37/ The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

38/ Windwitch by Susan Dennard

39/ American Street by Ibi Zoboi

40/ The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

41/ The Midnight star by Marie Lu

42/ Heist Society by Ally Carter

43/ Pasadena by Sherri L. Smith

44/ A Good Idea by Cristina Moracho

45/ Camp So-and-So by Mary McCoy

46/ Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson

47/ Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

48/ Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz*

49/ The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

50/ Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

51/  The Last of August Brittany Cavallaro

April

52/ Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

53/ Every Breath by Ellie Marney*

54/ Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick

55/ Dramarama by E. Lockhart

56/ Every Word by Ellie Marney*

57/ The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee

58/ Lucky Few by Kathryn Ormsbee

59/ The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

60/ Caraval by Stephanie Garber

61/ Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

62/ Yaqui Delgado Wants To Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina

63/ Every Move by Ellie Marney

64/ Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

65/ These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas*

66/ A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

67/ Fear the Drowning Deep by Sarah Glenn Marsh

68/ The Valiant by Lesley Livingston

69/ 37 Things I Love (In No Particular Order) by Kekla Magoon

70/ The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

71/ The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig

72/ Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

73/ Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue

74/ Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

May

75/ The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud

76/ Hunted by Meagan Spooner

77/ The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos*

78/ A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi

79/ Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman

80/ How To Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake

81/ To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

82/ P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

83/ P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

84/ Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

85/ You’re Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner

86/ The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein

87/ The Weight of Stars by Tessa Gratton*

June

88/ Does My Head Look Big In This? By Randa Abdel-Fattah

89/ Diverse Energies edited by Tobias S. Buckell and Joe Monti

90/ The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie*

91/ The Lines We Cross by Randa Abdel-Fattah

92/ The Edge of the Abyss by Emily Skrutskie

93/ Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

94/ Cat Girl’s Day Off by Kimberly Pauley

95/ Rook by Sharon Cameron*

96/ York by Laura Ruby

97/ Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali

98/ Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

99/ False Hearts by Laura Lam*

100/ Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

101/ The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

102/ Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee

103 That Thing We Call A Heart by Sheba Karim

104/ In A Perfect World by Trish Doller

July

105/ Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

106/ Want by Cindy Pon

107/ Behold the Bones by Natalie C. Parker

108/ The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

109/ When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

110/ The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

111/ This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab*

112/ Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older*

113/ Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab

114/ If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

115/ Because You Love To Hate Me edited by Ameriie

116/ Wildlife by Fiona Wood

117/ Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson*

118/ The Diviners by Libba Bray*

119/ Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

120/ Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim

121/ The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine

122/ Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray*

123/ Flying Lessons and Other Stories edited by Ellen Oh

124/ Amberlough by Lara Elena Donelly

August

125/ The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Gray*

126/ The Next Together by Lauren James

127/ Past Perfect by Leila Sales

128/ The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana

129/ Once and For All by Sarah Dessen

130/ Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody

131/ Burn For Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

132/ Radio Silence by Alice Oseman*

133/ The Great American Whatever by Time Federle

134/ Miles Morales by Jason Reynolds

135/ Heartstone by Elle Katharine White

136/ Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

137/ Solo by Kwame Alexander

September

138/ The Savage Dawn by Melissa Gray

139/ Boyfriends With Girlfriends by Alex Sanchez

140/ Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff

141/ Dove Arising by Karen Bao

142/ Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

143/ Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

144/ Little and Lion by Brandy Colbert

145/ Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart

146/ Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

147/ Warcross by Marie Lu

148/ Spinning by Tillie Walden

149/ Release by Patrick Ness

150/ Here Lies Daniel Tate by Cristin Terrill

October

151/ Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

152/ Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

153/ Dress Codes For Small Towns by Courtney Stevens

154/ Shadowhouse Fall by Daniel José Older

155/ Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

156/ Venturess by Betsy Cornwell

157/ Night of Cakes and Puppets by Laini Taylor

158/ An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

159/ When I Am Through With You by Stephanie Kuehn

160/ Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

161/ Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon

November

162/ Speak Easy, Speak Love by McKelle George

163/ The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

164/ You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins

165/ Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

166/ In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

167/ A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo

168/ Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi

169/ Echo After Echo by Amy Rose Capetta

170/ Geekerella by Ashley Poston

December

171/ You Don’t Know Me But I Know You by Rebecca Barrow

172/ Like Water by Rebecca Podos

173/ Last Leaves Falling by Fox Benwell

174/ Black Boy, White School by Brian F. Walker

175/ Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser

176/ They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

177/ The Wicker King by K. Ancrum

178/ If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth

179/ Empress of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

180/ King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by Anne Berthelot

181/ Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

182/ Life On Mars by Tracy K. Smith

183/ Grendel’s Guide to Love and War by A.E. Kaplan

184/ The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

185/ The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

186/ You Don’t Know Me But I Know You by Lilly Anderson

[littlefoxesonthehillside]

Another survey I found. Because I’m bored af.

1) Sexuality?

Gay.

2) If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

Lily Tomlin.

3) Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.

“should have continued to talk of it, and allowed their guest to re-”

4) What do you think about most?

Movies, wrestling, men.

5) What does your latest text message from someone else say?

Thumbs up emoji.

6) Do you sleep with or without clothes on?

Usually with.

7) What’s your strangest talent?

I used to be able to shimmy up doorways.

8) Girls…. (finish the sentence); Boys…. (finish the sentence)

Girls should have the same rights as everyone and be treated equally.

Boys are stupid.

9) Ever had a poem or song written about you?

Don’t think so.

10) When is the last time you played the air guitar?

About a week or so ago.

11) Do you have any strange phobias?

I’m afraid of birds.

12) Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?

An almond.

13) What’s your religion?

I’m not religious.

14) If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?

Yard work.

15) Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?

Behind.

16) Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?

It varies, honestly. I’ve been in an early-to-mid-2000s mood lately, so I’ve been listening to The Killers recently.

17) What was the last lie you told?

That I’m doing okay.

18) Do you believe in karma?

Not really.

19) What does your URL mean?

Just the name of my blog, which is a riff on Lillian Hellman’s Little Foxes and the song from Weeds that goes “little boxes on the hillside.”

20) What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?

Weakness: Caring too much about what others will think. Strength: Empathy.

21) Who is your celebrity crush?

Stanley Tucci.

22) Have you ever gone skinny dipping?

Yes.

23) How do you vent your anger?

I use a bunch of curse words.

24) Do you have a collection of anything?

I have a collection of movie ticket stubs that I only update sporadically.

25) Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?

Phone.

26) Are you happy with the person you’ve become?

I guess.

27) What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?

Hate: Airplanes flying over my house. Love: Page-turning.

28) What’s your biggest “what if”?

Right now my “what if’s” are all about the pandemic. Otherwise, I prefer to live in the now.

29) Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

No to both, honestly. I believe there’s possibly life on other planets, but who’s to say whether they’re anything like us.

30) Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.

My laptop screen for both.

31) Smell the air. What do you smell?

Nothing.

32) What’s the worst place you have ever been to?

Texas.

33) Choose East Coast or West Coast?

Maybe East Coast? Don’t have a strong opinion.

34) Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?

Probably Beyonce?

35) To you, what is the meaning of life?

Love.

36) Define Art.

Any form of creative expression (photography, writing, dance, painting, music, etc.) that inspires a distinct, stirring reaction from a spectator, whether in a positive or negative way.

37) Do you believe in luck?

Sometimes.

38) What’s the weather like right now?

Cloudy. Not too hot.

39) What time is it?

5:06 PM

40) Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?

I do. Never crashed, thankfully.

41) What was the last book you read?

The Shining by Stephen King

42) Do you like the smell of gasoline?

Ugh, no.

43) Do you have any nicknames?

No.

44) What was the last movie you saw?

Michael Clayton.

45) What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?

Stepped on my foot sideways and possibly broke my right pinky toe. It was swollen and hurt to walk on.

46) Have you ever caught a butterfly?

No.

47) Do you have any obsessions right now?

Fantasy booking WWE.

48) What’s your sexual orientation?

Gay.

49) Ever had a rumor spread about you?

I don’t think so.

50) Do you believe in magic?

No.

51) Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?

I do my best not to. I sometimes find it harder to trust those people, but I try to love them to the best of my ability.

52) What is your astrological sign?

Virgo

53) Do you save money or spend it?

Save what I can.

54) What’s the last thing you purchased?

Gas.

55) Love or lust?

Why not both.

56) In a relationship?

No.

57) How many relationships have you had?

One.

58) Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

I can’t.

59) Where were you yesterday?

At my home. The same place I was today and tomorrow and the next day and the next day and the next day and the next day and

60) Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?

The case for my DVD copy of Mean Girls is pink.

61) Are you wearing socks right now?

No.

62) What’s your favorite animal?

Dogs.

63) What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?

Treat others the way you want to be treated.

64) Where is your best friend?

Not sure.

65) Spit or swallow?(;

Spit.

66) What is your heritage?

German. I also have a great-great-great grandmother who was Native American.

67) What were you doing last night at 12 AM?

Watching a movie.

68) What do you think is Satan’s last name?

Trump.

69) Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?

Yeah.

70) Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?

There’s only one me. I have a lot of strong qualities that would make for a great friendship, but the key to being a good friend is accepting people for who they are.

71) You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?

Save the dog. Explain what happened.

72) You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?

a) Probably.

b) Spend it with people I care about.

c) Probably.

73) You can only have one of these things; trust or love.

Love.

74) What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?

"By the Way” by Red Hot Chili Peppers

75) What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?

****

76) In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?

Trust, communication, love.

77) How can I win your heart?

I have famously low standards, so you could so much as breathe a certain way and I’d be in love. lol

78) Can insanity bring on more creativity?

Almost certainly.

79) What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?

Any good decisions I’ve made would be an oasis in a desert of bad ones. That being said, adopting my now-deceased dog would probably be up there.

80) What size shoes do you wear?

11

81) What would you want to be written on your tombstone?

If my mother could see me now.

82) What is your favorite word?

Wiggle.

83) Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.

My cousin’s heart condition.

84) What is a saying you say a lot?

Drive safe.

85) What’s the last song you listened to?

I was listening to Coldplay’s Viva La Vida album in its entirety.

86) Basic question; what’s your favorite color/colors?

Blue

87) What is your current desktop picture?

88) If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?

I don’t believe in blowing people up.

89) What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?

Depends on who’s asking, but “Why are you sad? would be one.

90) One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?

I’d shit a brick.

91) You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?

Invisibility. So many advantages.

92) You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?

Storytelling Festival 2007. Orange backpack night. Don’t ask.

93) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

I don’t wanna say.

94) You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?

Willie Nelson.

95) You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

Private island with a year’s worth of supplies for me and everyone I love.

96) Do you have any relatives in jail?

I definitely have relatives who’ve been in jail. And one who’s at risk of being in jail.

97) Have you ever thrown up in the car?

I have! Trip to Disney World.

98) Ever been on a plane?

No, unfortunately.

99) If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?

WEAR A DAMN MASK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[blossoms-eng]

Prologue-03

Husheng looked at his watch. He was supposed to meet Ah Bao at the Commander café at eight-thirty. Husheng said, cut the story even shorter. Tao Tao said, it gets more and more nerve wrecking the more you listen to it. Husheng said, so, what’s the ending? Tao Tao said, you do know the old lady from house 36, right? She’s like the female agent on Jessfield Road. She immediately went and reported everything she’s seen to the resident’s committee. The committee told her, “Madame, this is what you call a budding sprout, back in the days, the homeless people ate the sun rays in the morning, drank the dew at night. They never had proper clothing, most of the time, three would share a pair of pants, a single piece of underwear would be worn by everyone, there’s nothing to be surprised about. What the government asks of us now, is just to keep our dirty deeds behind closed doors, so long as they do that, the resident’s committee would not need to step in.” That reply of course did not satisfy the old lady, so she decided to wait for the man in the morning. If I asked you, who is this man that she’s waiting for, what will your answer be? Husheng said, I don’t know. Tao Tao said, the fish lady’s husband, of course! He wakes up in the wee hours of the morning every day and cycles the wife to the marketplace. The couple will then sit down and have soya bean milk and sticky rice dumplings, when he’s done, he would cycle to work. Husheng said, keep your descriptions simple.

Tao Tao said, on this day, the old lady from house 36 jumped out as soon as the man’s bicycle made its first turn. They made small talk, and soon enough everything was revealed. The man did not believe her words initially. The old lady from house 36 then told him, “My young brother, one ought to know one’s woman!” The man was shaken, and stunned. Husheng asked, why was he? If it was me, I wouldn’t trust her, who would actually trust the rubbish mouth of an old lady from the alley? Tao Tao said, of course he would, he looked calm on the outside, but he believed her on the inside. As long as you are a man, you would think twice about the matter. Husheng said, you are familiar with the thoughts of another man? Tao Tao clucked his tongue, long story short. To be honest, just this part alone, I can go on for hours. Husheng said, what’s good running your mouth on someone’s misfortune? Tao Tao ignored, the old lady from house 36 is really something else, her words made the man careful, whatever it was, he felt different. He did not lash out at his wife straightaway, but he started watching her in the dark. He watched her from her head to her toes, from night to day, from the inside to the outside. Blimey, I think a few hours wouldn’t even finish the story! Husheng looked at his watch, saying, so, how many more hours are you intending to take? Tao Tao quickened up his pace and said, the husband works the morning and afternoon shift every day, so it would be hard for him to study the situation thoroughly. He asked a friend from the alley to watch his wife for him. If she puts any toe out of line, the friend would pass him the message instantly. A few days later, there came the message. So, it usually is a time around lunchtime, the woman would come back first, and after 15 minutes, the egg seller would follow her into the alley, enter the front door, go up to the third storey. In this building, there were only three storeys. And during working hours, there would be no one in there. An hour later, the egg seller would walk out of the alley with his head down.

Husheng sighed, this kind of horrific message, it will not lead to anything good. Tao Tao said, exactly! The husband rounded up three young apprentices and that friend from the alley, so there were five of them in total, it’s as good as gathering a Li Shiqun team! (Li is the head of the secret service of No. 76, who betrayed the Communist Party and gathered intelligence for the Japanese) They each assigned tasks. The next morning, they went to work at the Cotton Mill factory as per normal. They watched the clock, took the day off, and left the factory. A little past 11:30am, the friend went into the alley and sat next to the shoemaker’s stall. He saw the woman knock off and open the front door with her keys. The friend did not have to alert anyone that she’s here, because at the same time, the rest of them were seated in the Da Ming eatery a road away, eating noodles. Then, he saw the egg seller step into the alley, push the front door open and entered the building. The friend stood up, left the shoemaker’s and ran up to the Da Ming eatery. There the three young apprentices sat, gobbling down pig’s liver noodles and vegetarian chicken. The husband did not order anything, he had no appetite, his face was green. The friend nodded to the husband, and he nodded back. He pinched the butt of his cigarette and stood up. Seeing that, the young apprentices buried their heads into their bowls and swallowed all that’s left and stood up too. They flung their chopsticks and left the eatery. It was approximately 20 minutes since the egg seller had first entered the building. They hurriedly ran into the alley and looked up at the third floor, the curtains were tightly drawn. The husband looked at the time, 25 minutes has passed. His lips twitched, and he dashed up the building with one of the young apprentices. The other two guarded the opposite ends of the alley, just in case the egg seller tries to make a hasty escape from the roof. The friend was their secret lookout. He leaned against the wall and lighted a cigarette. And in the end… Tao Tao paused and lifted a hand to press down his chest, as if he was running out of breath.

At this point, Husheng is no longer in a hurry to leave. No matter how long Ah Bao would have to wait, it was impossible for him to tear himself away from the story now. He looked at Tao Tao, who was telling the story in such an enthusiastic manner that it was as if he had been there when it happened. Husheng was ready for Tao Tao to drag out the story. He will simply treat it as though he was listening to the Story of the Western Wing (a Chinese romance novel), where people would rush down from their homes just to listen keenly, even if the story were to spread over sixty-six chapters, and each chapter split into two sessions of story telling. Husheng said, calm down, it’s the egg seller, not you, why are you getting nervous for? Tao Tao said, it’s too nerve wrecking, every time I tell this story, I will get goose bumps. Husheng said, fooling around with another man’s wife, it’s like playing with flammable liquids. Tao Tao said, right? Tell me more. Husheng said, what do you mean? I am listening to your story right now, are you stupid? Tao Tao laughed. Husheng said, you are only energised when you talk about things like this. Tao Tao said, no, the one most energised, is the woman’s husband! In the day, there are usually very little people in the alley, so he and his apprentice ran up the stairs and kicked open the door. As they worked for the Cotton Mill factory, they have an immeasurable amount of energy. The door and its sterling lock were all cracked open from their kicking. The apprentices downstairs started shouting with their blooming voices trained by the noisy factory, “Don’t run, there’s people on the roof, he’s seen you already, Ah San, don’t let him get away!”. Who would have missed such a commotion? The residents from both sides of the alley began streaming in, all eager to watch a free show. They left behind their rinsing of vegetables, frying of dishes, cleaning of cutlery, even those doing their daily businesses on top of their toilets bowls came running out. Something like this is hard to come by.

Husheng said, even those sitting on toilet bowls? Right. Continue bullshitting. Tao Tao said, it is a hundred percent true! Even an officer from the resident’s committee came! It was a mess, so noisy! An old man from the neighbouring house thought that they were gathering residents to do sports day again, and peed himself out of the abruptness of it all. Husheng chuckled, great, now you are adding more flavours into this story. Tao Tao said, I have said nothing but facts! It took them only a while for the husband and his apprentice to come walking out with the troubled lovers in their hands. The husband clenched tightly onto the woman, and the apprentice cupped the egg seller’s head, they pushed and shoved them down the stairs. The woman was unwilling to step out of the front door. The husband said, “Wretch, move, move! We have to go to the resident’s committee!” The woman tried to recoil back into the door, and the egg seller tried to hide his face. It took them a while to be dragged out of the back door. Once they were outside, the residents shouted, taken aback, “Why oh why? Why are the two of them naked?” It was not apparent in the dark room, but when she was dragged out of the door, her fair skin shined, blinding the residents. The woman kept recoiling, dragging herself back inside and squatting down, hiding as much of her body as possible. The husband said, “Move, you shameless fool, you are cheating on me? You must go and explain yourself, move!” The husband dragged her once more, and so she shifted two steps further down the alley and stopped, pressing her breasts and privates tightly with her two hands. The egg seller was shovelled out of the back door, where he tripped on accident. The old aunties and young wives stared on, laughing uncontrollably. One of the apprentices scolded, “A good-for-nothing wanton! You can’t walk now? Get up!” An old auntie from the resident’s committee quickly took off her jacket and clumsily placed it on the woman, shouting, “No one moves! Go back home and settle your problems peacefully! Go back in, do you hear me?” The husband suddenly turned around and pushed his apprentice away, throwing himself at the egg seller. With both hands, he grabbed the man’s offending body part and tried to bend it with all his might. The unpleasant sensation of pain was immense, of course. The egg seller resisted, shouting for help. It was only during his tearing screams when everyone realised how exceptional his wiener actually is. It has been through all that “catching” and “dragging”, and yet, it was packed with energy, unfazed by all that’s happened, which was, as a matter of fact, extremely telling of its worth. But though brave, it was not a smart soldier, for it moved without an aim. The husband secured his grip on his cock and twisted it, as if he was squeezing juice out of a sugar cane, or a turnip. The husband barked, “F*ck, why don’t you f*ck now, don’t you love f*cking? F*ck, f*ck!” The eggs seller screamed. A policeman stepped in and bellowed, “Hello, hello! Be civilised! Move away, everyone move away!”

Husheng said, I pity the poor lovers. Tao Tao said, they agitated the husband. Husheng said, yes, but dragging your naked wife onto the streets, does that boast his ego, does that make him feel better about himself? Tao Tao said, many people said Shanghainese are good to their wives, but I’m not sure in what way. Husheng said, when a Frenchman finds out that his wife has been cheating on him, he wouldn’t even slam the door. Tao Tao laughed, that’s delicate, Meirui once said that the Frenchmen are the most delicate people you’d ever meet, they are the best lovers, and the poorest husbands, but… Husheng asked, what? Tao Tao lowered his voice and said, in the eyes of a Frenchman, every woman on earth are a fish that can be caught, as long as you have enough patience. Husheng said, well, the key is how well-bred you are. Tao Tao said, you are right, lower class citizens can never hide their anger, they fight and curse, but of course, we do understand where they are coming from. Husheng said, this husband, he might think that he is brave, but he is the most despicable person. Exposing your wife’s body in public is as good as showing everyone your own naked body, what for? Tao Tao said, it’s indeed embarrassing. Husheng said, you know about God, right? Tao Tao said, do you mean Jesus, or the Jade Emperor (the Chinese Emperor of Heavens)? Husheng said, there is a village woman in the past, who committed adultery, so the residents decided to take her life. And Jesus said, if you pride yourself as a good Samaritan, then kill her now. In the end, no one spoke, no one moved, and they all went back to washing their grains, cooking their dinners and taking their naps. Tao Tao said, Jesus is ruthless indeed. Husheng said, Jesus thought that there must be at least one good Samaritan on this planet. If a bad thought has ever passed through your head before, then it’s as good as you doing the bad deed. So if you think about it, what the wife did is not all that unforgiving. You are better off going back home, eating your own dinner and using your own toilets. Tao Tao said, Jesus makes sense, if this happens again, I should go back and take my own nap too. Husheng looked at his watch, alright, I have to leave now. Tao Tao said, hang around for a little while more! Husheng smiled, that’s enough for now, you’ve added sugar canes, turnips, oil and soy sauce, how is that not enough? Tao Tao, I’ve only told you the truth!

That night, Husheng walked into the café and saw Miss Wang, Meirui’s colleague, sitting next to Ah Bao. The other beauty seated on the other side of Ah Bao was Lili. She was tall and lean, bright eyed and attractive. Miss Wang said, it’s been a while, Mr Hu, allow me to introduce, this is my friend Lili, she recently purchased a restaurant, she and the seller both wish for the restaurant to continue operating, and to have a seamless handover. Would Mr Hu be so kind to assist her in that? Husheng took out his name card and said, I’ll try my best.

Lili said, I will appreciate your help. Husheng said, hearing your accent, are you from the north? Lili said, yes, I used to work in Shenzhen, I’ve only been in Shanghai for a couple years. Miss Wang said, Lili has done modelling before, she’s been to many places and gained a lot of experiences. Lili smiled, looking at Husheng. Ah Bao thinks that Lili is a born beauty, and that her elegance came straight from her bones. Lili said, it’s my pleasure to meet the both of you, in future, treat the restaurant as your canteen. I hope you guys would come by often. The four of them chatted for about an hour before Miss Wang and Lili both left. The air was still. Ah Bao took a sip of coffee, how are you, Husheng? Husheng said, I had a busy day, I’m a little worn out. Ah Bao said, Lili reminds me of Xiaomao’s neighbour, Little Sister. Husheng smiled, indeed, she does remind me of her. Ah Bao asked, has Baiping written back? Husheng answered, very little. Ah Bao set his coffee cup back onto the table and sighed, Little Sister, Xiaomao, we haven’t seen them in so many years, time passes really quickly. Husheng did not reply.

Link to the picture used above (the view into a Shanghai alley)

[bey0nd-my-thoughts]

1-99

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?

-- Bad at Love // Halsey, Don’t Play // Halsey, Alarm // Anne Marie, Bonfire // Childish Gambino, Deadroses // Blackbear, Jump // Rihanna

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

-- Halsey

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.

-- But then someone explained to me: “that’s what editing rooms are for.”

4: What do you think about most?

-- Getting Wrigley soon

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?

-- “I get off at 2 and then could come pick ya up”

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?

-- with clothes on

7: What’s your strangest talent?

-- i have no talents lmao

8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence)

-- Girls are hot af. Boys scare me.

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you?

-- yea

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar?

-- yesterday

11: Do you have any strange phobias?

-- I hate elevators

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?

-- yea

13: What’s your religion?

-- i don’t really do much with religious stuff

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?

-- going to my jeep or leaving my jeep

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?

-- behind it

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?

-- not a band but halsey is my love

17: What was the last lie you told?

-- that i wasn’t hungry

18: Do you believe in karma?

-- absolutely

19: What does your URL mean?

-- i think everything i have done in my life or shit that has happened is beyond what i could have ever thought i’d do

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?

-- love for both..

21: Who is your celebrity crush?

-- amber heard

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?

-- no

23: How do you vent your anger?

-- i smoke weed and get petty af

24: Do you have a collection of anything?

-- not really

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?

-- facetime is my fav

26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become?

-- not really

27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?

-- hate knives on a plate. i love music.

28: What’s your biggest “what if”?

-- a girl i was with end of last year who i fucked over for my shitty ex all because i was at same college as my ex

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

-- yes and no

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.

-- right; wall. left; water bottle

31: Smell the air. What do you smell?

-- mouthwash

32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to?

-- a college in iowa i hated

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?

-- west

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?

-- justin bieber

35: To you, what is the meaning of life?

-- love

36: Define Art.

-- getting your emotions and thoughts out into the world in a beautiful way

37: Do you believe in luck?

-- yes

38: What’s the weather like right now?

-- 72 and sunny

39: What time is it?

-- 9:10am

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?

-- i do, and no but other people have crashed w me in the car. i hate ptsd from an accident and i am a miserable passenger so that’s why i always ask if i can drive places

41: What was the last book you read?

-- i have been reading “if i did it” about OJ Simpson

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?

-- yea

43: Do you have any nicknames?

-- tay, tay tay, tator tot, tator thot, twat, tdub, waterfountain

44: What was the last film you saw?

-- i went and saw Rough Night last night

45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?

-- I broke my cheekbone and eye socket area two years ago on 4th of July playing softball

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?

-- yea

47: Do you have any obsessions right now?

-- halsey’s new album

48: What’s your sexual orientation?

-- lesbian

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?

-- yup

50: Do you believe in magic?

-- depends

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?

-- yes

52: What is your astrological sign?

-- virgo

53: Do you save money or spend it?

-- save then binge spend

54: What’s the last thing you purchased?

-- a tattoo gun..

55: Love or lust?

-- love

56: In a relationship?

-- nope

57: How many relationships have you had?

-- only one really serious, official one

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

-- no

59: Where were you yesterday?

-- all over going shopping and going to movie 

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?

-- yes, my shirt is pink

61: Are you wearing socks right now?

-- yes

62: What’s your favorite animal?

-- dog

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?

-- my personality sometimes is pretty great

64: Where is your best friend?

-- one is in wisconsin and one is in arizona

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr.

-- i cant name any now

66: What is your heritage?

-- idk

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?

-- stick and poke tattoo

68: What do you think is Satan’s last name?

-- idk

69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?

-- nah

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?

-- yes bc i go above and beyond for those closest to me

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?

-- get my ass fired. i would save the dog

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?

-- a) yes ; b) i would travel as much as i could ; c) yes..

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.

-- trust. love isn’t anything without trust..

74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?

-- jump // rihanna

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?

-- 5117

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?

-- trust and communication. be my best friend as much as you are my girlfriend

77: How can I win your heart?

-- be honest with me and compliment me sometimes and get along with my family

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?

-- yes

79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?

-- moving to arizona

80: What size shoes do you wear?

-- 8.5

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?

-- something about how i have overcome so much shit in my lifetime

82: What is your favorite word?

-- supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.

-- love

84: What is a saying you say a lot?

-- wow

85: What’s the last song you listened to?

-- deadroses // blackbear

86: Basic question; what’s your favorite color/colors?

-- purple

87: What is your current desktop picture?

-- me and two of my friends from asu

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?

-- my abusive ex

89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?

-- “what drugs have you done?”

90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?

-- ask wtf they are doing there

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?

-- fly

92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?

-- i went a huge rave festival in arizona and it was the most fun i’ve ever had so i’d go back to that

93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

-- everything my ex did to me and also my car crash

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?

-- HALSEY

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

-- florida

96: Do you have any relatives in jail?

-- yes but i think he recently got out

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?

-- yes

98: Ever been on a plane?

-- yes

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?

-- get trump and pence out of the goddamn white house

[i-smile-so-i-must-be-fine]

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most? i don’t have a specific amount of songs i listen to more than others they’re usually on shuffle 

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be? either Demi Lovato or Margot Robbie

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17. don’t have a book close to where i’m sat

4: What do you think about most? my girl.. but it also varies on my mood 

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say? was a personal text so not saying 

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on? i sleep in a t-shirt and underwear 

7: What’s your strangest talent? don’t consider it a talent but i have very flexible fingers 

8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence)

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you? no

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar? can’t even remember 

11: Do you have any strange phobias? no 

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose? i used to stick stones up my nose so they would bleed so i could get out of class as they made my nose bleed 

13: What’s your religion? atheist 

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing? either going get buses and trains to see my girl.. walking the dog.. going to the shop.. or smoking 

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? behind

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band? don’t really have a favourite 

17: What was the last lie you told? “i’m fine” is the main one i use 

18: Do you believe in karma? sometimes 

19: What does your URL mean? that people believe a smile and thinks your fine 

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength? weakness - not been able to say no to my girl  strength - loyal  

21: Who is your celebrity crush? Demi Lovato and Margot Robbie 

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping? no 

23: How do you vent your anger? i get snappy.. and then take it out on my self when i’m alone 

24: Do you have a collection of anything? key rings 

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online? depends who its to 

26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become? meh i’m not happy with my self in general 

27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love? i hate the sound of people biting their nails  love - dunno theirs quite a few things 

28: What’s your biggest “what if”? what if that one thing didn’t happen 

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens? ghosts yea.. aliens i’m not really sure about 

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm. right arm - my phone and ipod  left arm - can of coke, lamp, tv remotes, my pills, a snow globe, my ipad 

31: Smell the air. What do you smell? my air freshener 

32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to? dunno tbh 

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast? west 

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender? Braiden Barrie 

35: To you, what is the meaning of life? not quote figured it out 

36: Define Art. art is whatever your feeling and it can be interperated in many different ways 

37: Do you believe in luck? kinda ish 

38: What’s the weather like right now? sunny 

39: What time is it? 7pm 

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed? no currently not able to.. but when i was able to do driving lessons i tried to crash into a tree and also drove over a roundabout 

41: What was the last book you read? the last one i actually completed was rose and rosie oversharing.. can’t remember the title of the book that i’ve read a bit of but don’t currently have the concentration to finish 

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline? yea 

43: Do you have any nicknames? a few 

44: What was the last film you saw? annabelle comes home 

45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had? broken shoulder (got hit by a car).. and i’ve also torn all the ligaments in my ankle.. i still get the pain from the both to this day since i didn’t follow doctors order and let them heal properly 

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly? no i hate them 

47: Do you have any obsessions right now? not that i can think of 

48: What’s your sexual orientation? lesbian 

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you? story of my entire school life 

50: Do you believe in magic? kinda 

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong? yea 

52: What is your astrological sign? virgo 

53: Do you save money or spend it? both 

54: What’s the last thing you purchased? a pack of cigarettes 

55: Love or lust? love 

56: In a relationship? absolutely 

57: How many relationships have you had? a few

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue? no 

59: Where were you yesterday? took my child to the park 

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? theres a perfume box thats pink a few steps away from me 

61: Are you wearing socks right now? yea 

62: What’s your favourite animal? tiger 

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you? i have no idea.. but i’m lucky i’ve found the person that does 

64: Where is your best friend? my girl is my best friend so she’s currently in hospital 

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr.

66: What is your heritage? not really sure 

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM? on facetime 

68: What do you think is Satan’s last name? no idea 

69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off? maybe 

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend? maybe 

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do? save the dog.. and explain to the boss what happened and hope i wouldn’t get fired 

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid? A - i’m not really sure if i would tell anyone as i wouldn’t want to try save me  B - spend it with the people i love the most  C - i’d be afraid of leaving my kid behind (5 year old) and also my girl 

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love. there is no love without trust 

74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it? Stitches - shawn mendes  lucky to know you - Braiden Barrie 

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number? 5808

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship? trust, loyalty, communication, commitment, respect, be able to have serious conversations and be able to joke around with them 

77: How can I win your heart? already taken so you can’t 

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity? to an extent 

79: What is the best decision you have made in your life so far? keeping my child - despite how much i hate his sperm donor  getting with my girl 

80: What size shoes do you wear? depends on the brand  adidas - 6 (even though i’ve just had to re order some in a bigger size) Nike - 7  Vans - 6  Converse - 6  and i have superdry boots but not sure on the size 

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone? finally fucking dead 

82: What is your favourite word? don’t have one 

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart. beats 

84: What is a saying you say a lot? don’t really have one 

85: What’s the last song you listened to? celine dion - dance with my father 

86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours? red, blue, black 

87: What is your current desktop picture? the quote “love is louder than the pressure to be perfect” 

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be? if i could do it to three people then.. my kids sperm donor, his cunt of a wife, and my girls ex 

89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on? i hate telling people how i’m really feeling 

90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do? let them do what they gonna do 

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power? invisibility 

92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again? difficult to choose between 2.. so the first one would be making sure my ex wasn’t in theatre whilst having a c-section and having my mum with me  and the second one meeting my girl for the first time and not been scared to ask her out in person or kiss her bye 

93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? what my ex did 

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be? Demi Lovato 

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? Greece

96: Do you have any relatives in jail? not that i’m aware of 

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car? yea 

98: Ever been on a plane? a few times 

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say? sort your shit out 

[datavisualizationgurus-blog]

6 Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Infographic

Infographics can make any complex information understandable - this is approximately the view of many of its customers and creators. But confused or incorrectly composed infographics in interactive dashboard service only interfere with the perception of the material and scare readers away - in this case, you get anti-advertising for your own money. Here are examples of mistakes that infographic authors make while providing interactive dashboard service.

A card that needs 3 more cards to read

    To understand something from this infographic, you first need to look at 3 maps in the left corner and remember what three shades indicate the region of interest to you. And then lay these colors on top of each other. True, the scheme does not explain all the combinations of colors, so you have to dilute the colors in a jar to find out what the mixture of pink and blue looks like. Then you remember the new color and look for it on the big map. And then you will know the indicators of any region - if by then you do not forget what all of this means at all. However, it will not come to this - readers will simply skip too complicated infographics.

   Too complicated graphics format

   Radar charts look beautiful and useful when you need to evaluate something by several indicators or compare two products. “A regular bar chart would be much more convenient than a complicated infographic. For each topic, you should choose the optimal format for the infographic”, says data visualization gurus.

   Errors in infographics

    The author of the chart either wrote the wrong percentage of the poor, or incorrectly portrayed him. After all, 76% is a little more than 3/4, and on the chart we see something completely different. It is unlikely that the World Bank consciously decided to deceive readers, but rather someone was mistaken. Programs for preparing presentations or infographics can also spoil the result due to a failure. Therefore, even a professional designer should once again check all the data when the work is ready.

   Infographics that confuse, not explain

    Infographics are created to clearly explain a complex topic. Therefore, if it confuses the reader even more, drawing anything makes no sense. For example, this infographic does not explain how the movement of the cochlea was calculated, or why such calculations are needed. But there are many incomprehensible formulas - with the same success they could be written in the text. And the stylization of the manuscript does not fit the topic.

   Too much information in small print

    Including much information could be enough for a small book, but the authors squeezed everything into one infographic. Understanding the characteristics of dozens of organizations and the relationships between them is a difficult task for an unprepared reader. People simply don’t remember anything from what they saw - because there is too much information placed randomly. Which of the organizations is more, who influences what - all this remains a mystery.

     To see the text, you will need a very large screen - otherwise you will have to zoom in multiple times. But the information is scattered haphazardly, and in this case you simply won’t know where to look further. Therefore, for users of phones, tablets and even laptops, this infographic is useless - they simply can’t see anything.

   Complex diagrams instead of a simple picture

    The number of phones in comparison with newspapers and TVs, the popularity of various operating systems and phone models, the number of SMS, and the preferences of Internet users. Instead of several slides or one slide with the most important numbers, you can depict everything at once with the help of diagrams. As a result, infographics turned into a heap of pie charts and numbers that do not explain anything. There is so much information that it’s hard to single out the main thing. Readers who want to quickly understand the features of the mobile market, such graphics will disappoint.

[dallasrecklessandrelentless]

2018 Kia Soul Review

Omaha, Nebraska used car dealership

Introduction

" But he's got an excellent character!" When it pertains to blind dates, this is the default description for someone who might be lacking in the appearances department.

The Kia Soul, a compact multi-purpose lorry type thing that's not quite a subcompact crossover because of its absence of four-wheel drive, and not rather a hatchback since of its towering height, is not only a car with character brimming from every crevice, however also has looks covering the variety from lovable to terrible, depending on whom you ask. And simply last year, Kia gave the Soul much more wit by slapping a turbocharger on the engine to make it much more personalized.

What Owners Say

2018 Kia Soul front quarter left photoThat last change, provided solely in the top trim level, resolved a major grievance with this spunky little vehicle. Therefore, for this evaluation, J.D. Power assessed a 2018 Kia Soul Exclaim equipped with optional floor mats. The price concerned $23,820, consisting of the $895 destination charge.

Prior to we discuss the outcomes of our assessment of the Kia Soul, it is useful to comprehend who buys this automobile, and what they like most and least about their Souls.

More ladies than guys own Kia Souls, with 52% of Soul owners identifying as woman. Compared to the Compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle sector, 46% of owners are women.

Soul owners have to do with the same age as compact MPV owners (60 years vs. 61 years for the section), but they take pleasure in considerably lower average annual household earnings at $59,286 (vs. $78,682). This extreme difference might be explained by the lorries in the competitive set, which consist of the Ford C-Max and Toyota Prius v, committed hybrids that might interest more upscale buyers.

Approximately the exact same variety of Soul owners and compact MPV owners identify as Price Buyers, appearing to validate that lower mean yearly household earnings among Kia purchasers is not, within the sector, determining their option in a lorry. Compact MPV owners are more concerned about fuel economy and ecologically friendly automobiles than Soul owners are, reflecting the presence of devoted hybrid designs in the competitive set.

In other aspects, Soul owners and compact MPV owners are aligned with 2 exceptions. Soul owners are most likely to agree that they like an automobile that stands apart from the crowd (72% vs. 60%) which they like a car that offers responsive handling and effective acceleration (82% vs. 76%).

Owners report that their favorite aspects of the Soul are (in coming down order) the outside styling, interior design, driving characteristics, seats, and storage and space. Owners indicate that their least favorite aspects of the Soul are (in descending order) presence and security, the infotainment system, the climate system, the engine/transmission, and fuel economy.

What Our Expert Says

In the areas that follow, our professional provides her own perceptions about how the Kia Soul determines up in each of the 10 classifications that consist of the 2017 APEAL Study.

Exterior

The Soul is a vehicle of cartoonish percentages, all created to set it apart from its competitors. It's boxy from the beltline up and a little lumpy down, with the wheel arches and the front headlamps including blobby elements to an otherwise squared-off lorry. The front grille (which isn't one, really) looks too small and the lower air consumption looks too huge.

Kia jazzes up the Soul Exclaim's already extroverted outside with red accent lines to denote the engine's extra boost and larger 18-inch wheels to provide it a more assertive stance. The Soul is one of those cars that you either like or dislike, however even haters might grow fond of it after driving it for a while.

Interior

Consider the base Soul. It has a tiny starting rate of $16,995 (with $895 destination), however it includes a much nicer interior than you 'd believe a vehicle of that price may include. In truth, the quality level easily makes sense in my more expensive test vehicle, or perhaps a vehicle priced closer to $30,000.

When compared to compact crossovers like the Chevrolet Trax or the Toyota C-HR, which have plenty of cheap products, the Soul's interior quality sticks out much more. The cabin is comprised of appealing soft-touch materials and tough, well finished plastics, and collectively they provide the car an unexpected quantity of refinement.

The Exclaim's exclusive cloth seats with leather bolsters and red contrast stitching are also magnificent stylish.

Seats

For chauffeurs, the Kia Soul is quite comfy, and I constantly appreciate it when small, low-cost vehicles consist of a center console armrest, like the majority of versions of the Soul do. Seriously, who does not need an armrest? Nobody keeps his/her hands on the wheel at all times.

For guests, convenience is fine except that the front right chair is installed too low and is not equipped with a seat height adjustment unless you decide for the package that includes power modification. Without this upgrade, the passenger is dealt with to the equivalent of a dunce chair for a small time out. This, combined with a lack of thigh support, implies pain.

Rear-seat guests fare much better, because the seat is mounted greater. Foot room is abundant, however hard plastic front seatback panels could prove unpleasant for taller individuals. Shoulder space is great for 2, however three will discover it tight.

Environment Control System

The environment control system is relatively fundamental, but in the Exclaim cut it is a single-zone automatic system. A single knob adjusts temperature, and since the automobile lacks a temperature display you simply make it hotter or cooler than you are when you dial in change.

Impressively, however, the Soul has a Clean Air ionizer, which supposedly cleans the cabin's air and keeps the interior smelling good. If it's working with my grade-school-age children in the vehicle, it's simply hard to tell.

Infotainment System

I was a little bummed to see that my test car did not consist of the Technology Package, that includes speaker that pulse with light to the thumping beat of what's playing on the audio system. They're extremely entertaining, and along with all the other goodies that it includes, like a navigation system and heating for the seats and steering wheel, the Technology Package is a good buy.

Luckily, though, the Soul Exclaim's standard infotainment system consists of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smart device forecast, so it was simple to get directions to destinations.

In addition to smart device projection, Kia gives Soul owners complimentary access to UVO eServices telematics functions for the duration of ownership. This includes services such as automatic crash alert; speed, curfew and geographical boundary informs for teenaged motorists; an app that keeps an eye on where you last parked the Soul; and much more.

Storage and Space

The Soul's rectangle-shaped shape lends itself to carrying a lot more than you would believe for such a little vehicle, and storage is one of things that Soul owners like about their Kias. This is not surprising, because in the cabin, storage area is plentiful. There is a big glove box, thoughtful little bins and trays around the transmission shifter, and huge door panel bins to make arranging your things easier.

Behind the rear seats, an 18.8 cu.-ft. trunk gets itself to you. That measurement includes a covered, compartmentalized tray under the cargo floor that organizes your things. Take that out and get rid of the freight floor, and this little cars and truck products access to 24.2 cu.-ft. of area.

Without rear travelers, you can fold the seats to develop 49.5 cu.-ft. of stowage, with a maximum of 61.3 cu.-ft. opening up with the rear storage tray removed. These numbers extend beyond subcompact crossover SUV territory and into the realm of bigger compacts, but only if you take the difficulty of getting rid of the beneficial tray.

Visibility and Safety

Chauffeurs enjoy exceptional forward presence, but the view to the rear quarters is pretty abysmal due to the shape of the vehicle and the width of the rearmost roof pillars. Thankfully, big side mirrors and a standard reversing camera do their finest to relieve this issue.

While Kia makes a blind spot caution system with rear cross-traffic alert offered in both of the Soul's higher trim levels, the turbocharged Exclaim can't be geared up with features like adaptive cruise control, forward crash caution, automated emergency braking, or lane departure caution. That's a disappointment.

The Soul does a good task of protecting occupants in an accident. The NHTSA awards the Soul a 5-star overall rating for crashworthiness, while the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives it "Good" scores all around.

Engine/Transmission

Soul owners cite the powertrain as one of their least favorite aspects of the car. Hopefully, they'll offer the turbocharged Soul Exclaim a try, as it alters the character of the automobile, and for the much better.

With 201 horses on tap from the 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine, the Soul Exclaim is not exactly a rocket, but it's much livelier than it used to be. Enthusiast publications declare it will accelerate from absolutely no to 60 mph in about 7.6 seconds, which suffices to infuse your commute with some additional zip. Power delivery is relatively direct, although there is some turbo lag right off the line.

Tasked with sending the power to the front wheels, a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission shifts correctly but gracelessly. A little more smoothness and refinement would be great, as would a manual transmission that, undoubtedly, nearly nobody would choose. Likewise missing is any sort of all-wheel-drive system, which would protect the Soul's membership in the popular crossover SUV segment.

Fuel Economy

The EPA approximates that you ought to get 28 mpg in combined driving (26 city/31 highway mpg) with a Soul Exclaim. My testing produced a return of 25.5 mpg, which isn't outstanding. The turbocharged Soul, in spite of making much more power than the naturally aspirated versions of the car, is actually a bit more fuel efficient than the engines that go into the base Soul and the Soul Plus cut.

Driving Dynamics

To help take full advantage of driving satisfaction, Kia slightly adjusts the Exclaim's suspension tuning, sets up larger front brakes, and includes bigger wheels and tires.

While the Soul still preferred knocking about in the city, with its diminutive footprint, active handling, and capability to absorb the ruts and bumps of ignored public roadways, it nevertheless held its own on twisty back roadways threading through regional range of mountains. The steering had a fair amount of heft to it, especially in Sport mode, but I wanted a bit more feel, feedback and accuracy to make the car more satisfying to drive. The brakes successfully withstood fade throughout aggressive driving, too, and dealt with daily driving jobs without getting or bringing the car to a scrambling stop.

No, the Kia Soul Exclaim will not be competing in autocross rallies with the Volkswagen GTI or Mazda 3 anytime soon. But its happy-go-lucky character and newfound virility makes it a lot more satisfying to drive than the tiny crossover lorries versus which it will most likely be cross-shopped.

Final Impressions

By now, everyone should be familiar with Kia's generous warranty that covers the entire lorry for five years or 60,000 miles, while the powertrain is secured for 10 years or 100,000 miles, together with totally free roadside help for five years without any mileage limitation. That appeals to the sensible side of your brain, in addition to the quality awards that both this vehicle and Kia have gotten from J.D. Power over the last few years.

What's more, the Kia Soul has a character. Yes, it's a little strange. And now, with its offered turbocharged engine, it is more attractive than ever previously.

There are lots of people who drive the exact same thing everyone else does. With a Kia Soul parked in your driveway, you can proudly be one of the others.

2018 Kia Soul front quarter left photoThat last change, used exclusively in the leading trim level, dealt with a significant complaint with this spunky little car. For this review, J.D. Power evaluated a 2018 Kia Soul Exclaim equipped with optional flooring mats. For drivers, the Kia Soul is quite comfy, and I constantly value it when little, economical vehicles consist of a center console armrest, like most variations of the Soul do. The Soul's rectangular shape provides itself to carrying a lot more than you would believe for such a small lorry, and storage is one of things that Soul owners like about their Kias. The turbocharged Soul, despite making much more power than the naturally aspirated versions of the car, is in fact a little more fuel efficient than the engines that go into the base Soul and the Soul Plus trim.

[kushflycom]

Marijuana Smuggling Arrests At LAX Have Increased 166% Since Legalization

Marijuana smuggling arrests at LAX have become increasingly popular. Michael Vechell had already drawn the attention of an airline worker and two passengers in Los Angeles International Airport by the time he had been confronted by authorities.

Waiting to board his Philadelphia-bound plane together with his dog Odie, Vechell had sparked concern when he sidled up to another passenger and asked if she wished to join his “drug smuggling ring,” authorities say.

Although Vechell told LAX authorities it was a misunderstanding, officers demanded to see his checked bags. Inside, they found almost 70 pounds of vacuum-sealed marijuana bundled into packages labeled “T-shirts,” “cold weather” and “sexy pants”

More than a year after California legalized the recreational use of cannabis, trafficking arrests like Vechell’s have soared 166% at LAX, according to arrest documents acquired from the Los Angeles Times.

Emboldened by legalization and facing only light punishment if caught, more and more smugglers are carrying to the friendly skies in an effort to escape California’s glutted cannabis market, according to authorities, marijuana industry experts and a lawyer who represents accused smugglers. As a result, the world’s fourth-busiest airport is now an expanding hub at the illegal export of marijuana, they say.

“That is normal process for all these guys, and I’d say 29 out of 30 times they make it through with no problem,” explained Bill Kroger Jr., a 20-year criminal defense lawyer who specializes in marijuana cases and that represented Vechell.

Authorities in LAX say they’re encountering more and more airline passengers that are carrying small amounts of marijuana for personal use, but the amount of checked bags stuffed entirely full of marijuana has soared also. Police in Oakland and Sacramento state they are seeing exactly the same thing.

“We intercept massive amounts of marijuana regularly,” said Sgt. Ray Kelly of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, which has jurisdiction over Oakland International Airport. “We find it in roughly 50-pound quantities… the carry-on rate for luggage. I’d imagine we are just intercepting some of it, maybe not all of it.”

The abrupt increase in airport smuggling is mainly the result of legalization and a saturated industry. California grows far more marijuana than its residents consume — up to five times more by some accounts — and cannabis consumers in different states will pay a much higher price.

“Since pot’s been legalized in California, there’s no money to be left because everybody got involved in it,” Kroger said. “They’ve got these large 50,000-square-foot [grow] houses, and they’re flooding the marketplace. The money is outside of California.”

In 2018 — the nation’s first year of legalized recreational pot use — LAX police made 101 trafficking arrests, compared with 38 trafficking arrests in 2017 and 20 in 2016, based on Los Angeles Airport Police records.

“I think we anticipated it,” said Los Angeles World Airports police spokesman Rob Pedregon. “If you just look at the sheer numbers for us — 87 million passengers a year … I wouldn’t be surprised if in a couple months we do what the other airports do in a year.”

Although the recreational and medical use of cannabis is legal in California, it remains illegal in the opinion of the national government, which believes it a Schedule 1 drug on par with heroin, LSD and ecstasy.

Hoping to prevent a confrontation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the California Bureau of Cannabis Control has prohibited the export of marijuana to several other states.

Experts, however, state prohibition will do little to stop California from exporting the majority of its marijuana harvest.

In a 2017 paper about the financial ramifications of marijuana’s legalization, researchers at the University of California Agricultural Issues Center estimate that around 80% of the marijuana grown in California is sent out of state — to not be taxed or regulated here.

“Projections from all sources indicate that illegal cannabis will remain significant,” the study stated, “given that it is a market with long-established manufacturers and consumers.”

As a consequence of this ongoing black market — and other factors — the state has been disappointed by the quantity of tax earnings that legal pot generates.

The bulk of illegally exported pot leaves the state by car or truck. In 2018, the California Highway Patrol captured more than 8 tons of marijuana in 63 incidents. The year before that, officers captured just over 2 tons in 76 stops. “The events are fewer,” said CHP Capt. Jason Daughrity, “however, the weight is heavier.”

Nevertheless, the number of traffickers using commercial airlines appears to be growing. Popular airport destinations include Chicago, Atlanta, Indianapolis and Dallas, according to LAX arrest documents.

Kroger said the consequences for getting stopped at a California airport using just two checked bags of marijuana were relatively modest: a misdemeanor fee for someone with no history of drug or violent offenses.

In the eyes of the national authorities, the spike in smuggling is a clear case of “I told you so.”

Related: Some U.S. Representatives Want To Legalize Marijuana Nationwide

“I don’t think we’re surprised by the amounts. These are things we foresaw and we’ve warned people about,” explained Kyle Mori of the DEA’s Los Angeles office. “When conditions legalize it, you provide folks a false sense of safety that they can come through TSA checkpoints…. They believe what they are doing is legal.”

Last year in LAX, there were 503 reports of marijuana discovered in luggage, and just one-fifth of them involved trafficking suspects. In comparison, there were 400 reports of bud in 2017 and 282 reports in 2016.

A lot of the marijuana discovered is a consequence of passengers being confused over state and national jurisdictions, and where those lines are drawn. In fact, people are allowed to have up to 28.5 grams of marijuana approximately 8 g of concentrated marijuana at LAX, according to the airport website.

“Although it’s still illegal and they would be in violation of national legislation, we as airport authorities cannot enforce federal legislation,” Pedregon said. “As long as it’s a usable, private quantity under an ounce, they’re free to go.”

Hundreds of passengers today regularly pack personal amounts of marijuana, cannabis oil or edibles in their carry-on or checked luggage assuming it is legal to fly with, denying that the federal government has dominion over the skies.

From Nov. 16 to Nov. 26 — when a estimated 2.52 million vacation season passengers normally pass through LAX — Transportation Security Administration representatives called police 27 days after discovering marijuana in carry-on or checked luggage, even though just six arrests were made.

One of those ceased was a UCLA student-athlete on scholarship who had been carrying 34 grams of marijuana — almost 6g more than the state allows one person to take — and a pipe in her bag. The girl “spontaneously said the marijuana was hers and she was sorry for having it.” Officers let her off with a warning, and she continued on her flight with no bud.

Traffickers, though, will put more effort into hiding large amounts of cannabis and its derivatives, by simply wrapping the contraband in matters like wax paper, tinfoil or present wrapping or disguising their goods as candies or other foods.

Such was the case Nov. 14 of TSA employees scanning checked bag opened five suitcases that had failed to make a scanned image in their monitors.

The bag belonged to two guys on a Newark-bound flight and contained over 100 pounds of cannabis products, according to reports.

In December, police arrested a man carrying three lbs of edibles and cannabis oil in his bag. The suspect said he was struck by how low the prices were in the Inglewood dispensary he had been seeing compared with prices he found at home at Hagerstown, Md..

In numerous arrest reports reviewed by the Los Angeles Times, trafficking suspects told authorities they flew to California to purchase cheaper and better cannabis products to sell for a gain back home.

When some states legalize marijuana but others do not, providers will move in to fill that void even if it’s through black market channels, stated California Cannabis Industry Assn. spokesman Josh Drayton. A pound of marijuana flower that costs $600 to $800 at California could be resold for $4,000 in the Midwest, he said.

Regardless of the increase in commercial aviation trafficking events, marijuana stays a low enforcement priority, police state. The DEA’s stance is that the drug has no medical benefit and that legalizing it raises DUI-related arrests, crashes and helps fund Mexican cartels. But beyond that, their immediate attention is elsewhere.

“Heroin trafficking,” Mori said, “and the diversion of substances and pharmaceuticals to the hands of gang members and violent offenders — those are certainly our priority.”

Kushfly is a legal delivery company, and operates under all mandatory licenses required in the state of California.  If you are in LA and looking to legally purchase marijuana flower, CBD, edibles, or concentrates for delivery, register with Kushfly here.

The post Marijuana Smuggling Arrests At LAX Have Increased 166% Since Legalization appeared first on Kushfly.

from Kushfly https://kushfly.com/blog/marijuana-smuggling-arrests-at-lax-have-increased-166-since-legalization/

[seidipaddlaw-blog]

Dating apps demographics

40 Interesting Online Dating Statistics (2019) Profiles are also viewed by users' close friends who are keen to give advice.  Perhaps the ubiquity of Tinder means that the differentiation offered by premium subscriptions seem worthwhile.  Percentage of male and female Tinder users who use various tactics Data source: Using male and female created profiles, the study also found that female profiles would get a lot more matches a lot quicker than male profiles chiming with the above tactics.  In terms of female users, 9% of female Tinder users aged 18-25 found it hard to maintain a relationship due to too many choices, falling to 6% for 26-34 year olds.  App makers responded with specialization.  Tinder seems to have taken the place of these old-fashioned rituals — and with the added benefit of letting users meet a far greater variety of people than they would in the darkened corners of their usual den of iniquity.

Online dating In the United States, the was Match with monthly app revenues of 1.  Subscriptions aside, Tinder has come to occupy a crucial place in dating habits around the world — particularly among younger people.  The decreasing stigma surrounding online dating will lead to increased adoption and new opportunities for marketers.  While 24% lasted only one-two dates, 14% had ended or looked set to end in marriage, and 15% had gone on more than a year.  The likes dried up when he posted two pictures with thinning hair and with no hair — so the lesson is clear here: men using Tinder need to have hair in the right place! However, given the surge in the number of dating apps available, I would say that creating a large enough user base quickly is critical to ensure the long term viability of any one of them.  Tinder now claims to have matched billions of online daters, with its daily number of swipes often surpassing a billion.

Online dating Are the first three links on search not always right? Brands and advertisers should be paying attention to Tinder.  It seems to operate in a shallow S, that builds up from the morning to peak in the early evening before curving back down over the course of the night.  For straight couples, that number is closer to 1 in every 4 couples.  In fact, 7 in 10 Tinder users say they visited an online dating site last month.  Male users were most interested in short-term dating.  This in turn can influence such closed social circles to become more open.  Women were more careful in their approach, with 91% reporting that they only liked profiles that they actually felt attracted to.

Intriguing Insight into Online Dating Demographics Dating sessions app sessions per day Source: Tinder Revenue , which has an effective monopoly on the international or at least Western online dating game.  India also made the top-10, despite never qualifying for the tournament.  Grindr is the newest and latest app to enter the online dating pool.  In 2005, nearly one-third of Americans believed that those who used online dating services were desperate.  If indeed people do not know what they actually want in a partner, as Ansari alludes to, do you think it would be more beneficial for these dating applications to more heavily rely on algorithms and logic-based rationale to match users? These mobile matching markets have revolutionized the way singles meet.

50 Interesting tinder Statistics and Facts (December 2018) You roll your eyes and move on but you might also catch yourself wondering why you're single, and when you're going to find your match.  In 2017, a study done by Quantcast compared popular online dating apps to determine how each rank.  I see the industry evolving towards more predictive matching that takes the game out of the equation.  In fact, approximately one-in-five 18- to 24-year-olds 22% reported using mobile dating apps in 2015-a stark increase when compared to 5% in 2005.  With , Coffee Meets Bagel may not be the most popular, but that doesn't really matter.  Online dating statistics show that 20% of those in current, committed relationships began online and 7% of marriages in 2015 were between couples that met on a dating website.  There were also differences in how men and women felt about being single: 25% of women but only 17% of men felt empowered by not being in a relationship.

Online Dating Industry Report Top dating apps by country Source: Staying with the Ogury Tinder statistics, remember what we said about the percentage of female dating app users not being the same as the volume? Tinder usage in India Source: Back in 2016, Tinder reported 7.  This is according to a which looked at over 480,000 searches from January 6, 2017- February 5, 2017 for Bustle.  For singles out there, sounds like a solid wing.  Interesting possibility of technology reshaping the world to its own needs! The GlobalWebIndex survey also shows that 76% of Tinder users were based in an urban setting, while 17% were rural and 7% rural.  For men, photos are the most-important thing.  Suddenly, dating becomes almost mechnical.

Online Dating Industry Report Perhaps at the expense of short term profitability.  Tinder already had the European edge at this stage.  We never limit our ever-expanding array of topics to ensure you will always discover something new each time you stop by for intense research or a quick visit.  More men than women also said they used dating apps to get free drinks or meals… What do male and female online daters want? Only 33% of women who use online dating websites say they have sex on the first online dating encounter, and 60% of female Tinder users say they are looking for a match, not just a hookup.  It is credited with improving.

Advertising On Dating Apps Explained In 7 Statistics The top three most user-approved apps, as reported by Applause, did not include some big-time mobile dating apps, such as Tinder 5 , Match. One-off in-app purchases can also be made.  They found a relatively wide spread of lengths.  In second place, not too far behind, however we find the dedicated contingent who still have the Tinder app on their phone.  November 20, 2016 says: An interesting point mentioned in this article is assortative mating, which is highly discussed among researchers of different disciplines, as the article of Richard R.  The 30% of men with blank bios would do well to take stock of this, if they want to know how to use Tinder effectively.  Tinder is not stagnant though — and with , the Tinder experience looks set to move confidently with the times.

[imnotsebastiansten]

34

1) Put your iTunes on shuffle. Give me the first 6 songs that pop up.

sometimes - my bloody valentine, new generation slaves - riverside, bloom - radiohead, high hopes - pink floyd, tiny vessels - death cab for cutie, medicine - bring me the horizon

2) If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be? i have no idea, at the moment id say hale appleman tho

3) Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17: ”listen, if that doesnt do it i think im alright with not knowing” the magicians land

4) What do you think about most? i dont even know

5) What does your latest text message from someone else say? ”idk who i am”

6) Do you sleep with or without clothes on? with

7) What’s your strangest talent? i dont have any talents

8) Girls…. (finish the sentence); Boys…. (finish the sentence) fuck stereotypes

9) Ever had a poem or song written about you? no :(

10) When is the last time you played the air guitar? its been years at least

11) Do you have any strange phobias? dont think so

12) Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose? nah

13) What’s your religion? i dont really believe in any

14) If you are outside, what are you most likely doing? going somewhere

15) Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? behind

16) Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band? bring me the horizon i guess

17) What was the last lie you told? i told a cop i dont have my id with me uwu

18) Do you believe in karma? sort of but ehhhhhh

19) What does your screen name mean? my what

20) What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength? why would i tell you this

21) Who is your celebrity crush? hale appleman

22) Have you ever gone skinny dipping? no

23) How do you vent your anger? im not an angry person idk i dont really ever need to vent it out

24) Do you have a collection of anything? yea i collect movie tickets

25) Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online? video chatting is bullshit

26) Are you happy with the person you’ve become? no

27) What’s a sound you hate; sound you love? when dishes touch each other idk how to explain but i fucking hate that song and sound i love well my playlist

28) What’s your biggest “what if”? what if is wasnt such a piece of shit

29) Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens? aliens definitely yes, im not sure about ghosts tho

30) Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm: with my left arm i touched my bookshelf and with the right one nothing

31) Smell the air. What do you smell? nothing 

32) What’s the worst place you have ever been to? not sure costinesti probabil

33) Choose: East Coast or West Coast? idk geography

34) Most attractive singer of your opposite gender? oliver sykes

35) To you, what is the meaning of life? it doesnt have meaning

36) Define: Art: cant be put into words

37) Do you believe in luck? not really

38) What’s the weather like right now? its raining

39) What time is it? 00:21am

40) Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed? i dont drive

41) What was the last book you read? the magicians king by lev grossman

42) Do you like the smell of gasoline? yes

43) Do you have any nicknames? yea

44) What was the last movie you saw? i think it was green book

45) What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had? not sure

46) Have you ever caught a butterfly? no

47) Do you have any obsessions right now? sort of loveless and transatlanticism

48) What’s your favorite music genre? i dont even fucking know at this point

49) Ever had a rumor spread about you? yes

50) Do you believe in magic? i wish

51) Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong? yea

52) What is your astrological sign? capricorn

53) Do you save money or spend it? i usually save it

54) What’s the last thing you purchased? cat food and a kit kat

55) Love or lust? love

56) In a relationship? i wish

57) Are you a virgin? yes

58) Can you touch your nose with your tongue? no

59) Where were you yesterday? i went to a movie directing course and then home

60) Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? does the loveless cover art count its on youtube

61) Are you wearing socks right now? yes 

62) What’s your favorite animal? cat

63) What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you? I WISH I HAD ONE

64) Where is your best friend? dont have one

66) What is your heritage? idl

67) What were you doing last night at 12 AM? i think i was listening to music

68) What do you think is Satan’s last name? my name

70) Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend? sort of but also id rather not

71) You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do? i try to save it or call for help or something and if he doesnt understand hes an asshole

72) You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid? im not even gonna think about this

73) You can only have one of these things: trust or love. uHHHHHHHHH

74) What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it? not sure i have one

75) What are the last four digits in your cell phone number? im not gonna post them lmao

76) In your opinion, what makes a great relationship? trust

77) How can I win your heart? be a sleep deprived looking white boy with nice taste in music and good sens of humour and im sold

78) Can insanity bring on more creativity? i guess?

79) What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far? dying my hair red i got so many compliments that day it was neat

80) What size shoes do you where? 37 european

81) What would you want to be written on your tombstone? ”bye”

82) What is your favorite word? loveless

83) Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word: heart - heart shaped box

84) What is a saying you say a lot? nice or fuck 

85) What’s the last song you listened to? currently listening to i only said by my bloody valentine 

86) Basic question: what’s your favorite color/colors? red and green

87) What is your current desktop picture? my bloody valentine eps cover art

88) If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be? not sure

89) What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?  anything about my feelings i guess lol

90) One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do? kick them out tf

91) You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power? i can change the probability of things happening because its the most useful one

92) You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again? meeting sebastian stan!! it was for just a minute but i was around him for more than half an hour so 

93) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? im not sure

94) You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be? lmaooo idk 

95) You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? id just run away but i know id chicken out so i probably say thanks im good and give it to someone else

96) Do you have any relatives in jail? idk if hes still in jail but my cousins dad lmao

97) Have you ever thrown up in the car? no

98) Ever been on a plane? yes

99) If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say? shut the fuck up

100) Give me your top 5 favorite blogs on Tumblr - i dont have any