#{ anyway my josh is going thru it so he's probably going out of his way to get stoned more often now

[abstractreign]

a dream? a hallucination? or purrhaps, even a vision?

{ please no reb/ogging if not @dandybarista or @catncore

[perfectclassic]

I remember back when I played football in high school. But let’s start from the beginning.

I played pop warner when I was like 7 years old. I was extremely shy and small and didn’t really get much playing time because of that. But I was fast, and that went overlooked too. I played for the Anaheim Lions. I remember a lot of moments...wow... -I wore a red tank top to the first day and was late. -I remember our running back...he was light skinned, half hispanic half white kid. I remember thinking at the time that he reminded me of the kid on our fridge who our family sponsored in Ecuador. -One day in practice, I ran down that star player and the coach was amazed that he got caught. He asked who got him and I raised my hand, and then the coach said something about angles and tackling as if it wasn’t just my raw speed. I was so overlooked, but I was way too shy to speak up about anything. -Before a game when we were all lined up to go out to the field, I don’t remember how it was brought up, but some teammates were talking about who was faster, and I think I spoke up and said I was faster than someone, that someone being “Lupe”, and everyone said he was faster, but I knew the truth. So we actually raced to a tree and back and I won.

Then I played flag football in 6th grade at Calvary Chapel Downey. We had coach Gallegos. He’d always say, “Alright, guys, now check it out...” haha, my best friend at the time and still to today, Josh, does the best impression of coach doing that exact quote. Wow next memory rush incoming... -I remember Dominic...wow...now I’m just thinking about all of 6th grade... but let me try and stay on track here... -I remember one of the first days, everyone was really hyped that I was out there and gonna play. I was a new student in 5th grade, and my athleticism, sport IQ, and top tier speed was evident at recess and lunch year round. So anyways, we did this drill where you had to juke a guy 1v1 and get thru the flags. And when it was my turn everyone was watching with anticipation, and I could feel it. And the coach was like all interested because word had gotten around from some of the other students I guess, so yeah haha. Then my flag got pulled everytime in the drill lol. Like I couldn’t utilize my speed cuz the boundries were so narrow and this was my first time wearing flags (you have to juke a certain way to be effective). -I remember Elijah Denton was our punter. -I was named 3rd string running back at beginning of the season, but I got the ball the most. But we had a lot of good players and we went undefeated... -until we lost in the championship in a fluky game with possible ref bias to a team we had beaten before. -I had a long touchdown run along the sideline and the ref called it back saying I stepped on out of bounds and I remember I was upset about that. -I got MVP at the awards ceremony.

Then I played flag football in jr. high. Wow memory flood... So it was 7th and 8th grade together on a team. This is still at Downey... My goodness I’m having so many memories of jr. high now. I’ll have to write about some of these memories another time. But for football when I was in 7th grade, I remember... -once, my girlfriend, Kristine, came to one of my games. We kinda became a thing in 6th grade. OH MY GOSH, I’m remembering so much now. I’ll have to write about this later too. ANYWAYS, her mom took a picture of us together at that game and I still have that picture. She was so much taller than me haha! But I think it’s normal for girls to start getting taller before guys, right? Especially around that age. -I remember our head coach, Coach Jones. Did not like him. Not a nice person at all. My talent went overlooked. I was still very shy. -I remember intercepting a ball that was thrown to his son in practice; Tyler was his name, and he started pouting like it was pass interference (lol no way), and his dad starting telling me, “you can’t go through the receiver...” blah blah blah. -I remember Eric Toscano, and how I would carpool with him and vice versa since they lived kinda close to us. -The coaches really got hyped on Eric one practice in the middle of the season cuz he was doing well and then they made him a starter. -I was pretty much overlooked. Underutilized talent per usual, partly because I’m so quiet and stuff. -Mr. Mendez was a coach too. His son was also on the team, 8th grader. Mr. Mendez was nice. -During the season I was getting really bad pains in my ankles and knees and my doctors diagnosed it as growing pains. I remember taking tylenol grape chewable tablets before practice. -I just sat in my chair for a few minutes thinking about this memory, wondering also if I should even share it, but I think I will. I even cried at one practice because we were all getting yelled at and doing sprints and my ankle was in so much pain, but I was too shy to say anything and plus Coach Jones is not a nice, approachable, understanding person. So it got to a point where I just went down on one knee and grabbed my ankle and I started crying a bit.  -There was a time where Ian was like my new friend. He was an 8th grader, super funny, and for whatever reason, he decided he wanted to be friends with me. I was thrilled with this new friendship to be honest. I remember after the end of one of our games he was like, “Where’s Maxx?!” so we could celebrate the win together. And then later when I was home, my dad asked me who that guy was that was looking for me after the game. -But that friendship with Ian was short lived. It seemed to me to be a thing that he did often. He would move from person to person like every 2 weeks. I don’t know if that was intentional or what, but I did observe that. -I remember a play I made on a kickoff where the other team did this lateral across the field on their return and I saw it coming all-day; not because it was obvious, I just have high football IQ (just being honest lol). And I pulled the guy’s flag soon as he caught the ball. And I went back to the sideline and Coach Jones gave me a high five and said “Way to stay home baby!”. And he was right, I stayed home just like I should have. But in my mind, I was thinking I should have been more aggressive and tried to intercept the lateral, because I saw it coming. Had I been more comfortable in the coaching staff knowing who I was and in my actual ability, I probably would’ve had the confidence to pull the trigger and not be afraid at taking shots at big plays. -Once at the end of the game, I was put in the game because we were gonna win and we were just running the ball to kill the clock. I was hoping to at least get the ball, get some handoffs. But I didn’t. All went to Aaron. I was upset. Then when I went to the sideline my bestie Josh told me that one of the coaches suggested to give me the ball for a play and Coach Jones said “No, he’ll screw it up.” -I think our banquet was at a Shakey’s. Ok, now 8th grade football was an absolute delight. It was probably the most fun year of football in my life. I just remembered, where our games and practice field were. We’d have to cross the street together at the crosswalk every day after school. I have a lot of memories on that field. So yeah, 8th grade football was filled with so much laughter with my best friends. -I remember having a race to see who was the fastest and I was so happy to hear it. So everyone raced and I won. But there was one kid who was actually not too far behind, and that was Joshua Guerra, a 7th grader. I remember him showing everyone his six pack in the locker room lol. But I went and talked to him after practice in the locker room and telling him he’s fast and stuff and he was pretty nice and polite, but he said he was surprised, and I could tell it bothered him (confirmed true). But I get it, I had been an elite fast kid my whole life. To lose a race would be test the ego was not used to. -We had Coach Hearron (I just looked up his name to see if I was spelling it correctly (I was), and I came across this: “his favorite shout out from the WORD is ‘MARANATHA!’”. So true! haha) as our head coach. -And Coach Christie. Josh and I would always mock his odd throwing motion with the full extended follow through haha. -Mr. Christie taught us about Thomas Hooker. -I got the ball a lot this year. So did Josh. Micah was our QB. We dominated everyone. -On one of the rival teams, there was a kid that looked like a chicken. Like he literally could have chicken dna like infused with human dna. Idk if that makes sense, but that’s what he looked like. -We won the championship. I remember Mr. Mendez, who had been a coach last year, said to me and another teammate in our class (he was a math teacher) after we had won the championship, “Wasn’t it easier though this year with the competition?”. And yes, it was, he wasn’t wrong. The team that we had lost to the year before was a really good team, but their school now had changed their jr. high football program to tackle, so they weren’t around anymore. I feel like I’ve written enough for this post. I’ll have to talk about high school football in it’s own post another time. Thanks for reading.

[unfair-sports]

2019 OSG Report Week 1

The 2019 NFL season kicks off Sunday, and fantasy football season does as well. It’s very important to know the types of contests or season long formats you’re competing in to have true success. DFS wise, multipliers, and head to head contests calls for safe yet good plays that may be a little chalky across the industry. Big tournaments where finishing in the top 10 is the goal, calls for deep plays at times, and game stacking where you go with guts mixed with some form of research. Cash games or multipliers and head to heads, go for players with good floors with ceiling mixed in. In tournaments, chase the ceiling plays.

Chiefs -3.5 at Jags (52.5)

As always, the Chiefs are in a high total game. The Jags were one of the league’s best secondaries last season and if we go off that and last year’s KC performance this would not be a spot to pay up for the likes of Tyreek Hill. Though his performance vs Jax was subpar last year as well, I’m more inclined to roster Kelce over Hill to be different at TE. Until McCoy was signed, I was all in on Damien Williams week 1 to pair with Mahomes and not heavily target the receivers and hope all TDS thru air and ground comes thru Mahomes and Williams. Will it be a 60/40 split or more in the backfield? Andy Reid did not bring McCoy in just to sit. But I may still take some shots on Williams. His price is still down across the industry. The best value play will be Mecole Hardman in the slot. He’s dirt cheap on all sites and could have the better matchup with Hill and Watkins locked up on the outside by two of the best returning CBs in the NFL

-If we believe the total and the close game theory, you definitely want to run back the stack with some Jags players. I have been leery on rostering or drafting the oft injured Fournette. Maybe with a better passing game it takes some work load off? Nick Foles was the WRs QB in Philly as oppose to Wentz the TE/Ertz whisperer. If true, this will go well for the explosive Dede Westbrook who hasn’t shown his potential yet in a stagnant offense. Westbrook will be a popular choice across all sites. He’s cheap and he’s the #1 WR on a team involved with a 52.5 total. If the Jags defense shows up and slows down KC in any way, they will be a great defensive leverage play in tournaments where a lot of ownership could fall on Kansas City.

Rams -3 at Panthers (50.5)

What to do with the Rams. Do they have Super Bowl loss hangover? Is Gurley healthy? Will his load be lighter to start the season, and save he for the long haul? Last year I believe he was just running so hard the first 14 weeks of the season that he was just banged up to finish. Will he and Malcom Brown split time? If he has a great game, then this will be his cheapest price of the season. If you are looking for a game to stack, then here is one. Cam/Goff, McCaffrey/Gurley and/or WR of choice you like out of Woods, Cooks, and Kupp. Big strong physical receivers like Woods has had success against the smaller CB core of Carolina. DJ Moore is getting a lot of hype, but I never favor WRs of Cam Newton. He’s not predictable. He uses his legs to escape, which turns it into a “throw it to whoever looks open” scenario. So, between his rushing upside, and C-Mac I think those two players get you all of the Carolina TDs.

49ers+1 at Buccaneers (50).

If you’re looking for another stacking option game, then here we go. I do favor the Bucs side of the ball for many many reasons. I’m still not sold on the 49er offense outside of George Kittle who this week could be a top play at TE. Tampa Bay has always including last season been a prime defense to target with TEs. Aside from Kittle, I’m having a hard time clicking on players from teams no matter the over/under who I think are not good teams or players. Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman are splitting the backfield, Jimmy G remains a question mark. Against this Tampa defense however is a good spot to target. I’m just maybe going to miss out. I do think Winston will stockpile targets to Mike Evans for PPR leagues/sites, but TD equity will be a tossup between Peyton Barber, Chris Godwin (who should take a big leap this season, and OJ Howard. Winston as most young QBs loves his TE.

Falcons +3.5 at Vikings (47.5)

I was a little surprised to see the Vikings favored by over a field goal. Yes, Atlanta is on the road but still a dome setting. Xavier Rhodes wasn’t his usual self last season or the preseason, which bodes well for the Atlanta WR core. Particularly Julio Jones whom as of Friday “should play” despite contract negotiations. Matt Ryan is a classic spread it out in the red zone type of QB. While Freeman is Coleman-less in the backfield, I fear the Ito Smith vulture line of 5 rushes 11 yards, 2Td game. Ridley is not a target monster but is a TD machine vs the 0 red zone looks Julio for reasons unknown gets. Sanu is the alter ego of Julio because of his size and strength. My favorite pass catcher will be Hooper at TE who caught on late in the season as is a perfect funnel if the outside corners for Minnesota are doing well.

-Kirk cousins is still at the helm but it’s hard to ignore the concentrated targets of Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. Thielen is the safe play while Diggs is the tournament, dart, high upside play. My favorite play is Dalvin Cook. He’s at home✅. Favored✅. Used in the red zone✅. Could touch the ball 20 times✅. For several seasons we have picked on Atlanta with RBs, especially ones who catch passes. Kyle Rudolph seems to score a TD every other game and could be a pivot off Hunter Henry for a cheap TE.

Lions -2.5 at Cardinals (47.5)

Here is a game where I am having trouble with. At first, I skipped over it but think it could deserve some mention. Matt Stafford is underpriced and could go overlooked. The Arizona secondary has only been good in names on jerseys. Mix in a rookie QB who is making his coach feel like “teeth pulling” and the Lions route could be on. Stafford to Golloday or Marvin Jones Jr. could go under owned in tournaments and win a heavy tournament. Kerryon Johnson is also great in stacks with Stafford. If you don’t believe in Murray out the gate, the Lions defense could be sneaky here.

-The Christian Kirk/Kyler Murray train will begin steam and besides a flyer in a Million-dollar tournament stack I’m not sure if I’m heavy on Murray out the gate. He does offer rushing ability but on Fanduel he’s priced $700 more than Stafford. No way! I do think David Johnson returns somewhat to an easy 20 point/game fantasy producer this season. Just remember the Lions slow games down and their stacks are often frustrating to watch play out. I am stacking 2-3 lineups in large field tournaments just in case though.

Redskins +8.5 at Eagles (46)

This game has fade all over it. Large spread. Divisional game (I hate division games). So, with that said Jordan Howard is favored✅. At home✅. And is playable with the defense. Not optimal but if he carries 15-20 times and hits the end zone vs a shaky Washington team, he hits value. Wentz does tend to throw 2-3 TDS a game. He loves Ertz and he is a great pivot off of Kelce in the high priced TE range. He also has favored Alshon Jeffrey and D-Jack is always good for the long ball. But again, never a fan of stock piling divisional games.

Titans +5.5 at Browns (45.5).

Is Tennessee good? No. Do they suck? Yes. Can they go into Cleveland and shock us all and win? Not sure, but I’m willing to say they will cover the 5.5 underdog tag they have. They slow down and muddy up games. They make them real ugly. If Beckham is slowed down by his hip in any way, isn’t the team a lot the same on offense? Again, we are just talking about this week. I don’t favor any Tennessee offensive player but if you think they show up, Derrick Henry or Corey Davis is your guy. Two seasons ago, I would say play Delanie Walker because I have for several seasons successfully played talented TEs vs Cleveland. But are he and Mariota talented together? Maybe not.

-With that said I do like to avoid offenses vs Tennessee and this opening week will probably be no different. The only safe play in my opinion whom also offers upside is Nick Chubb at RB and maybe paired with the Cleveland defense who should be good. I do think we see Baker throw a lot of balls with Todd Monken at offensive coordinator. This is of special interest because Monken was the OC in Tampa and the combined numbers of Winston and FitzMagic, if were one player would have been the #2 scoring fantasy QB in the NFL. I hate being a week late, but I wonder if THIS is the matchup because in fantasy and DFS this game is all we care about for now. Plus, I’m interested to see how Baker distributes the ball. Which pass catcher is most viable? Is OBJ worth the price tag if limited in anyway. Can you trust Higgins or Callaway? I will focus most exposure personally on Nick Chubb and the defense here. He fits the bill. At home✅. Favored✅. Could touch the ball 20 times✅. Usually used in the red zone✅.

Chargers -6.5 at Colts (45)

I do feel I am a fish for it, but I do like the Chargers defense. Maybe Brissett is better than we anticipate, but we know what we are getting here. Austin Eckler’s buzz is growing and rightfully so. He should garner the majority of the rushes and should be involved in the passing game for a team who despite being on the road is favored and playing in a dome. The next fish play is site dependent, but Hunter Henry with no Antonio Gates is in play as is the Rivers/Allen or Rivers/Williams stack.

-I’m not in favor of tournament fliers on Brissett, Marlon Mack, and Eric Ebron. Those would be the only players I would consider but it’s a full fade for me.

Bills + 3 at Jets (40.5)

Why is a 40.5 over/under relevant? The prices. Is Josh Allen one of the best NFL qbs? No! Does he provide fantasy football value because of his legs? Yes.

-Is Sam Darnold the best QB? No. But at home, favored, and pricing, he and Bell could provide the TD equity in this game easy and this game will either fall under 40.5 or go way over and hit 50. I could easily see long TDs from Darnold to Anderson and could allow you to fit any RBs, WRs or defenses you want in lineup construction.

Bengals +10 at Seahawks (44). Chris Carson plus Seattle defense is the play here. Don’t fall for the Tyler Boyd with no AJ Green trap. Mixon could score but this is not an optimal spot.

Ravens -5 at Dolphins (37.5). As much as we may like Baltimore defense, how about the Dolphins defense for dirt cheap and just play all of the offense you want? Are they under dogs? Yes! But they are at home. And Lamar Jason could easily throw a pick six. That mixed with not allowing Baltimore to score 28-31 is good enough at their price. However, Jackson, Mark Ingram, and the Baltimore (an expensive defense) is still in play despite such a low total game. I think the Bills/Jets are more likely to go over their game total than this one. Young QBs like their TEs so Andrews is firmly in play as well.

QB

Jameis Winston

Matt Stafford

Lamar Jackson

Phillip Rivers

Pat Mahomes

Sam Darnold

Josh Allen

Carson Wentz

RB

Christian McCaffrey

Todd Gurley/Malcom Brown

Pollard if Zeek is limited in anyway (Giants/Cowboys not mentioned in article)

Saquan Barkley and his floor (Giants/Cowboys not mentioned in article. Barkley has a safe floor and potential ceiling, BUT it is a division game vs a good Cowboys defense)

Dalvin Cook

Mark Ingram

Peyton Barber

Jordan Howard

Nick Chubb

Chris Carson

Austin Eckler

Damien Williams/Lesean McCoy

WR

Rams (3). Robert Woods. Cooper Kupp. Brandin Cooks

Mike Evans/Chris Godwin

Adam Thielen

Calvin Ridley

Alshon Jeffrey

Kenny Golloday/Marvin Jones

Keenan Allen/Mike Williams

TE

Travis Kelce

Zach Ertz

George Kittle

Austin Hooper

OJ Howard

Kyle Rudolph

Hunter Henry

Mark Andrews

Defense

Chargers

Eagles

Browns

Detroit

Baltimore

Seattle

[bibbleboo]

Could we get some headcanons/more background on Abbey and Doyle’s kids? 🥺👉👈 I love the premise of this AU

YEEEEE (im just gonna ramble a bunch about the backstory i have so far but ill put it in bullets so its easier to follow lol i apologize for it being long as fuck-)

OKAY SO,,, first of all,,, doyle and abbey timeline,,,, [i am looking respectfully]

in this au, they get back together and have a sort of ‘lovers pretending to be enemies’ chaotic on again/off again hookup thing off to the side just between the two of them thru like Most of the final season, they try to keep it a secret (especially doyle who doubts the saturdays would be hAPPY if he was seeing her again) but in the end, saturdays ofc find out, probably are unsure about it at first, but she gains enough of their trust to be there for the big finale battle in the weird world mansion.

when shit goes down and argost becomes the vessel for the two opposing kurs (regular kur, and the anti kur from zak monday) and they like. explode his matter or w/e, i imagine instead of kur just completely disappearing, the ‘anti kur’ gets shot back to its universe, while original kur gets forced into a new vessel in this universe... the closest of which happens to be the unborn child abbeys unknowingly carrying. basically, what if the two kurs just LOOKED like they evaporated but actually did what happens when you try to like tape two same sides of a magnets together and they YEETED-

So thats how we have Parker, their firstborn daughter! and this... also implies ‘Parker Monday’ exists which. 8^) i havent thought about yet so forgive me on that but hoo, 

they dont know parker is kur, they got no idea and rly just assume kur is gone for good. but after they find out abbeys pregnant (which is a huge emotional trip for both of them in its own right) they do eventually sort of agree they dont want their kid exposed to that whole world of mystery. like, ik its a vital thing to the whole family, and ik these two people were probably voted least likely to ‘settle down’ in high school, but i cant imagine they didnt escape the kur/zak situation without a LOT of trauma, so while the saturdays stay in the cryptozoology field, doyle and abbey slowly pull away from the mystery and mercenary stuff, and also instead of going for big dollar lifestyle settle with ‘independently wealthy’ parenting.

also, neither of them really . grasp the concept that theyve even started a family, and are ‘together’, and that this is REAL, until around when she gets pregnant with their second daughter, Kendall. and then theyre like. oh nooo wait are we actually like boyfriend and girlfriend EWW-

when kendall is born parker is 3, and the next like 10+ years are pretty smooth sailing. as far as what the kids know/see, they probably know the cryptids when theyre little but. (tw animal death sORRY TO BE DARK I JUST??????) idk,, how long komodo dragons live/how old komodo already is and i definitely dont know Anything about giant prehistoric birds and am not even sure if science knows that lifespan, so. im not sure how long they could really be in each others lives??? i almost imagine parker would have memories of them that she assumes she remembers wrong, like “oh yeah they used to have a lizard and a bird... my imaginative little kid brain thought they were a komodo dragon and a dinosaur”, and as for fisk im still working on it but i . actually kind of imagine he might have a much longer lifespan (since lemurians are like ancient or w/e? and also if hes by dna like a gorilla cat or w/e gorillas at least live long af) and also feel like once he got older and settled down a bit he might live somewhere in the woods, maybe even his old tree? and the saturdays see him ALL the time obviously, but hey zaks gotta go to college eventually, a gorilla cats gotta eat bugs in forest, we all have to grow up and leave the nest sometime,

so idk the last time parker has actually seen fisk and she might assume he was an imaginary friend or smth but, 1. if i do write a fic they absolutely have to meet again, 2. overall the vibe is they know the saturdays are cryptozoologists, like, the same way josh gates does destination truth, seeking answers and studying, they dont really. know that theyre REAL. to them its like, a hypothetical science. (this is also part of why they dont realize parker is kur, she isnt around cryptids and therefore whenever her powers would actually show up they wouldnt be recognized) anyways parker isnt embarrassed or put off by it but just thinks its a little wacky, meanwhile kendall is obsessed with the world of mystery/paranormal/cryptic lol

speaking of the girls personalities;;;

parker is like. not really normie/preppy, even if she seems it at first glance, shes nice and has a good head on her shoulders but also is a teenage girl (inherently unhinged) and shes THEIR teenage girl (+5 feral) so despite her success and charm shes also very witty/crass when she wants to be, and deep down shes closer to the kind of person that would on pure inexplicable instinct put something random in your mouth when you’re yawning so you bite down on it afterwards. or like. that video of the girl singing in the bathroom while her friends curl their hair and she grabs the curler to use as a microphone before realizing its burning hot??? shes. the voice of reason, but the voice is usually shrieking in fear, making a cursed joke, or half the time whatever shes saying is actually smart. she kinda wants to go to college and travel, but struggles with indecisiveness and anxiety, so she has no idea where to go, what to major in, etc. and is again kinda just livin thru the typical teen life in that regard

kendall on the other hand is like. weird kid culture, the kind of kid that believes they are secretly a new supernatural creature each year (mermaid phase, werewolf phase, alien phase, etc), probably completely accidentally starts cults or witch covens at school (didnt realize teaching peers how to become ‘blood brothers’ and ‘make potions’ from puddles and stolen school supplies would be taken so seriously by parents) , very into emo/scene/punk/alt culture but not rly in an overtly dark/edgy way, more of a having fun and expressing self way. she wants answers for everything, really loves mysteries and being open minded, and definitely a rebel/adventurer at heart, even if she gets naive or in over her head sometimes.

the girls get along well! parker is not dismissive of kendall she just. isnt really into the same stuff/is more freaked out by it most of the time, but she would tag along on certain adventures, especially if it was to keep her safe. and kendall definitely directs gentle mockery towards parker a lot but does see her as a good role model and guiding figure, their bond is really strong!

other details !

doyle and abbey prob decide to say fuck it and get married after kendall is born, they probably have a few rough patches but nothing is more important to them than the kids now and in the end they understand each other better than anyone else so . canon tension idk her! family ftw! power couple! they intimidate the teacher during parent teacher conferences together hand in shady little hand !

their parenting style is exactly what one would imagine, 70% fun and sass and controlled chaos where theyre the bigger children than their children, 15% ‘this is how you hack the government and dual wield swords-- i was not supposed to teach you that im sorry’, and 15% actual guidance / emotional depth / etc. flaws might be overcoming their own immaturity for the first few years, and then being lowkey overly protective (while claiming they arent, but just bc you semi jokingly tell parker she should join the football team doesnt mean you dont actually hide 60% of ur life from her and check that her bedroom windows are locked every night and have 24 people listed in her school emergency contacts and used to cut up her food till she was 7 and-)

so abouT THE BABY BOY (Phoenix), 1. his middle name is leonidas bc im gay and i love emotional turmoil babes , 2. fully unironically the idea behind such a late pregnancy is abbey would be mid fourties when hes born right. so like. [has two kids] ‘ok birth control time’ [when theyre teens many years later] ‘ok im old enough to stop taking this’ [the hyperfertility curse that plagues many women rears its ugly head with one last hoo-rah]

and finALLY a very quick elevator pitch of what id write an actual fic to focus on;;; kendall sneaks into the attic to look for old shit bc they BOTH know their parents have been hiding stuff over the years, she finds things like a cryptopedia (now offline), the claw, maybe even a piece of the kur stone, and ropes parker into the long haul of figuring out what all this stuff is. and ofc the second they ever find the naga relic and parker comes face to face with it, [rest in rip] time for mom and dad to find out and all this kur shit to start ALL over again-

[zandyin]

Some DBH plot hole and general not fun rambling (spoilers)

OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD HE DID NOT JUST HAVE A BLACK PERSON GO “my people were made to feel bad too” HE’S GONE BEYOND SMACKING US IN THE FACE WITH A FRYING PAN AND TURNING OUR COLD CORPSE INTO A PILE OF MUSH WITH HIS HAMFISTEDNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was also talking to a friend earlier that it’s verrrryyy hmmmmmm that Kara and Alice are afraid of Luther at first, cause... well. Kara wasn’t afraid of CREEPY MURDER HOUSE ON A RAINY NIGHT, not at all creeped out by the guy who answered the door with the most villain name ever and BLUE BLOOD ON HIS HANDS (Zlatko? really?), but here comes Luther, just approaching them like anyone else, and the camera angle makes it a point to show you how Luther towers over the two of them. :/ Very unsubtle, Cage.

I’m beyond sick of how “do you get it? ze slavery!!” cage has been with his writing, I’ve kinda accepted the fact that androids have been serving as a representation of the working/lower class for a while, but this is just... too much. Someone pointed out that Luther could possibly be... a reference to... Martin “Luther” King and I’m. HNNNNNNNNN.

Also, Cage, y’know that police officer that asks to come in to see if there are androids? Do you know what a warrant is? I’m assuming laws are generally the same in the future, so any thing that cop found would be inadmissible in court anyways. No warrant? Fuck off! Bye! I guessss you could argue those characters present wouldn’t know about the law, but... it’s all so convenient, lol.

Ah, I’m jumping out of order but I’m writing this as it comes... so Markus? Infiltrating that building. He looked GREAT. Where did he get those new threads, tho? Am I supposed to assume he stole those too? Lol. ALSO... WHY HIS MOUTH MOVE WHEN THE RECEPTIONIST RIGHT THERE?? It was established androids can just link up mentally and communicate that way, how is hacking into a phone any different? Why can Markus hack so much, anyways? Will it be explained? I read some comments that say “not really, it’s just implied” and that’s cheap haha. We’ll see, tho. THE SCALING THE BUILDING SCENE PAST THE “RISE” SIGN... HHHHHUDDUSDFKJSDFLK CAGE PLS I’M ALREADY A BLOODY PULP FROM THIS MERCILESS BEATING OF OVERT SYMBOLISM. Why didn’t they just take the window washing scaffold thing? Who hid the uniform, btw... was it a human? AH JUMPING BACK TO KARA’S THING, how is there already an “underground railroad” when it seems deviancy is relatively new? Apparently the whole game takes place over the course of a week and now I’m even more B0 about it.

Speaking of that break in, why.... how... Simon and Josh? How did they just breeze thru security? How’d they get on that elevator, lol. Also North is just human at this point. Her little “ladies first” quip is... far too human. I don’t like how Markus and Kara got shafted into just BEING human after their first scene. Connor’s going a lil faster than I like, but he’s been more of an android than those two at this point. I heard Connor’s parts were the least touched by Cage, haha... Markus and Kara tho? Oh boy, you can tell he’s all over those. Yikes.

Someone pointed out it’s funny that Markus is the poster boy for the android rebellion cause he lived a (relatively) privileged life. I don’t think they ever touch on this? I think it’d be a cool thing to explore.

Ah, when Alice says “why do they hate US” i’m like... alright cage, we got the hint of him never reporting his daughter missing, so she’s probably an android you bought to abuse, huh? can androids not identify other androids? Or is it just Kara?

Y’all I’m just about androids who actually act uncanny valley and not like Markus and Kara. They are still cute, just... victims of a cage game, y’know? I can see why people draw/write them better stuff. It’s ALL better than their canon, lol.

In other news, we have talked about a android AU for Raidou/Dahn and the other problematic rarepair, so I’ll probably write something about that later.

[toddbeeson]

Guides/Ghosts/Spirits/Angels

I am going to remind you why I started these blogs to begin with...to point out that as a child I would point to lights and say “See.”  “See” was my first word.  This is directly such a story.

As a child my mother came to my room each night to pray with me and my brother, Brett.  Brett and I shared the same bedroom. We slept in twin beds. While my Pops was a traveling salesman and quite often away all week, my mom would prepare us for bedtime, turn out the lights, kneel down in the space between our beds and we would say the Lord’s Prayer.  If there was a special prayer request, she would include that as well.

Looking back at it now, it is a beautiful memory.  My heart is warmed at having shared time with my mother and brother in such an intimate, loving way.  Mom helped usher in the direct connection to God/Life/Spirit.

Also at that time, I would see shadowy figures standing around my bed. 

Yes, you read that correctly. 

They were different colors...and most easy to see when the lights were off. They almost looked like cartoon characters except for the fact that they appeared life size.  I couldn’t make out any facial characteristics.  They were just more of a shadow/shade thing that you could see through.  There actually was a real comfort in having them around during that time.  I never felt scared.  I do not remember how old I was when I stopped seeing them…maybe i was 5 or 6?...or probably shortly after I remember telling my mom that I saw such things as she was sure I wasn’t seeing anything.  She tells me now that she doesn’t remember this stuff at all.  i do-- I can close my eyes to this day and still remember what that bedroom and the shadowy figures looked like.

October 2002

After a traumatic weekend in Austin, TX that involved the closing of a relationship, the memory of the shadowy figures re-entered my mind.  I told a couple trusted friends about it.  They believed me and had heard similar stories, in fact.  My friend, Gigi, went on about how her child/son recalls details from his previous life...saying things and words that a child couldn’t possibly know.

I thought I was alone in sharing the expression that I had seen spirits.  I thought only “crazy” people see them!  But, I shared my memory anyway.  I had a feeling I needed to step into this truth and share it. (Btw- also in 2002 when I was staying at my ex-gf’s grandmother’s home in Galveston, I took pictures around her Historically protected home and although I didn’t realize it at the time that I was snapping pix, I did indeed capture a picture of a ghost-- you make out the details of an older woman! I have to find that picture!!)

After returning to LA a couple days later, I was asked to watch a 4th grade class for a half-hour while the homeroom teacher tended to another need.  She asked me to read a story, but could not find the book that she had wanted me to read.  So instead she had me read a story called,  “The Uninvited Guests.”  I was amazed as I read aloud to the class to find out that this “fictional” story was about a family that had moved to a house where ghosts lived.  The parents could not see the ghosts- only the children could see them!!!!!!

I told my truth and I felt validated.  My spirit was heard!   The timing of reading that story was perfect!!

Present Time

In keeping my interest of such stories and the wonderment of what happens to our spirit after we pass, I have read some books-- Brian Weiss’s “Many Lives Many Masters” -- which by the way I had actually attended his workshop in Austin, Texas that same weekend I was experiencing my break up and shared my shadow story with friends, Gigi and Josh...and most recently this past year my Pops gifted me books “Reality Unveiled” by Ziad Masri and “Journey of Souls-Case Studies of Life Between Lives” by Michael Newton. 

A week ago Saturday night, I felt exhausted and just wanted to sit back and watch some fun and silly movie before I faded to sleep...and had planned to watch Wayne’s World 2 as the movie just happened to illuminate itself from others -  I couldn’t even recall anything about the movie, so it would probably feel like the firs time watching it.  But before I watched it, I had a little ding hit me-- I felt inspired to read from Michael Newton’s book...so I picked it up off my nightstand and went thru the table of contents...leading me to wish to read the chapter on “Guides.”  

After I read a little bit and felt the gift of inspiration, I was now finally comfortable enough to allow myself to sit back and enjoy being entertained= I finally then felt it was now time to start watching Wayne’s World 2...and to my amazement and wonder, the movie pretty much started out with Wayne having a dream that he has a Native American Guide who connected him to Jim Morrison and on a mission...leading him to go on a faith-filled lark-- ultimately connecting to someone who had been guided by the same Native American Guide. Whoah!

It definitely now seems on this quiet Saturday night of relaxation and rest that I had again been led by a Guide to experience such a connection.  

I also had a flood of memories of those magical times I had been led in the past-- in previously posted stories.  To name a few:  I recalled having a dream in 2006 after a 13 year old girl I used to teach had died due to drowning while having an epileptic seizure while bathing alone-- in my dream she visited me in my bed to say she was fine.  I recalled my time being led to the Eden Prairie mall to run into a girl I used to date.  I recalled being connected with my ex-gf Lynn when she had lost her phone, but somehow happened to walk into the same place at the same time in a way that could never happen on a daily basis. Around 2007 I recall teaching my student, Charlie, the James Bond theme on guitar and being in such a flow I said now expect that your’e going to have a connection with James Bond-- and wallah-- I went downstairs to talk to Charlie’s mom...and she had a friend over who told a ghost story (out of the blue)-- one of which he mentioned he had visited an Irish castle that has a ghost-and he even added that he was there with the guy who played Q in James Bond movies(again w/ no knowledge of my having taught that song during my lesson)-- and many more stories= All feel Divinely guided.  

Last Monday (a couple days later) I woke up to the horrific news that a couple of old high school classmates (technically one was my year and the other was a year younger) had passed away unexpectedly.  Shocking and So so so sad.

It led me to picking up my Reality Unveiled and Journey of Souls books of my night stand at the same time...but I had to pick just one to read, obviously...and I settled on Reality Unveiled-- and just opening a random page.  I had a bit of trepidation to read that one at that moment, actually...as I heard my mind argue to just keep with the Journey of Souls per its magic last time.

But...as it turned out, I was correct...as the random page I opened to actually wrote specifically from the Journey of Souls book!  

It mentioned how when people die their spirits linger for a time on earth before going to a heaven place (no matter what their religion or beliefs, btw)..and that spirits are different shades of colors depending upon their vibrational frequency/energy.  Wow.  Dr. James Newton has scientific proof of such stuff having taped interviews with thousands of patients describing their in-between-time before re-incarnation.  

In a world where it seems that information/media/religion are being used for exploitation and selfish gain via misinformation, we can rarely trust what we see in front of us-- its even more clear that we need to carve quiet time-- to go inside/connect with our spirit and our guides...trust our heart and our truth...and know that without a doubt I have been shown so many ways that we are not alone in this life.  Ever.  We are always in the company of guides...and they help us in ways we might not even know.  

Its time to trust and remember this magic...more than ever.  

Thank you for reading this...I hope this helps you find peace, comfort, inspiration and trust in this world.

i wish you peace and magic.

Love, Todd  

Warmth by The Lift. 

[thepatricktreestump]

black & red

one : reader

// gender neutral reader and trigger warnings throughout //

Josh would never shut up about this kid. Every single day when he got on the phone with you, he would talk for hours and hours about this boy who played the ukulele and screamed dark lyrics and had strange tattoos and liked to cry a lot. Ever since high school, Josh and you had still remained friends. Through those four years, the two of you created the best friendship you could ever ask for, and although you had to leave to go to college, you had managed to keep your relationship with Josh alive. He called you almost every single day for hours on end, and you would both talk about your day, about the people you’ve met, the places you’ve seen, the things you had done. You weren’t all that special really. You found your passion for your career in high school, got fairly good enough grades to get a halfway scholarship to college a handful of states away, and ended up graduating with a degree and no place to get a job. Sure, it was nice to feel accomplished, but unable to apply yourself only made everything feel so useless. You had called plenty of companies and people and managers, but nobody seemed to want you. Without a paycheck, you were forced to take the long drive home back to Columbus, Ohio where your friend Josh had offered to let you stay with him until you could get back on your two feet.

Unlike you, Josh had managed to find his passion for his career, and be successful with it. In fact, he had even gone on tour with this band he got in, traveling state to state and playing drums alongside the boy he constantly talked about. Most people would think that you would get sick of hearing your best friend babble about their new best friend, but honestly, you were interested. You wanted to know everything about this ukulele boy, not only because Josh was so infatuated with him, but because you were too. Josh spoke about how this boy used to write songs in his basement when he was only a teen, how he had played basketball for years on end, how his older brother taught him how to rap and became his biggest inspiration, how he came from a dark and terrible past, how his eyes light up whenever he hears a Death Cab For Cutie song come on the alternative radio station. You were happy for Josh, that he was able to find a friend that meant so much to him, to be able to be living his dream, to be so successful in so little time. You were driving back to your hometown, just a couple hours away, talking to the phone with Josh when the subject came up.

“So, you’re finally going to meet Tyler,” you could practically hear Josh beaming on the other side of the phone. That’s the name of the ukulele boy. Tyler. His name had been ingrained in your head from the moment Josh had first mentioned him. “I’ve told him so much about you. Like all the crazy pranks we pulled off in high school or that time we ditched school or when-”

“When we went through the Taco Bell drive thru with the motorcycle we stole from my dad,” you finished, laughing a bit. “Yeah. I remember that.”

“Anyways, you’re going to love him,” Josh sighed. “Geez, I can’t believe I haven’t seen you in over five years. That’s wild.”

“College is rough,” you simply responded. “But I missed you too.”

“Did you finally listen to that video I sent you? Of our show last week?” he wondered eagerly.

“Yup, that was amazing,” you grinned. “I really liked that song.”

“It’s a new one,” he explained. “Tyler wrote it with the mind set of playing it in a huge crowd you know, with everyone singing along. He can’t wait until the day when that happens.”

“I’m sure it will happen,” you reassured. “With the way you guys are cranking out content left and right.”

“Anyways, it will probably be late when you get here,” Josh reminded. “Just knock on the door as much as you need to until I get up in case I fall asleep.”

“Will do, knucklehead,” you rolled your eyes.

“Alright,” he smiled.

On the entire ride home he kept talking to you, and when you reached his apartment, he captured you in a huge hug. “Oh my god!” your face hurt so much from smiling. “It feels like forever!”

“Gosh I missed you,” he sighed, hugging you even tighter.

“How have you been?” you inquired.

“Come on, we just talked like two minutes ago on the phone,” he laughed. “You know how I’m doing.”

“Alright then,” you sighed. “Then tell me something I don’t know.”

The two of you talked almost all night long. He had picked up Chipotle for the both of you and you listened to music and watched television shows, caught up on life. You actually ended up falling asleep on the sofa together, and that’s what led to the events the following morning. The events that little did you know, would change your life forever. Meeting Tyler. Because it was that next morning when everything began. The day when you met the boy who you would want to spend your entire life with. The day when you would meet the guy who would bring you the best joy you’ve ever known in your entire life. The day when you would meet the person who you would sleep next to every single day for the rest of your life. But also, the day when you would unknowingly meet your worst nightmare.

[hansolmates]

170827 DIAMOND EDGE NYC: VVIP/HI-TOUCH & vernon moment!

disc. THIS IS A LONG AND COMPREHENSIVE post about my experience and mostly this is for me so i can look back at it in an hour and cry and i’ll probably add onto this later. im really really thankful that i had an amazing experience and i will love svt forever nd ever

During the day:

I woke up around 4am and arrived around 7.30 and they lined us up. My group of three vvip friends were around the 50s so we had a good line spot. The one thing I must say was that it was extra frustrating that the people who camped out (which is not allowed!) Were given PRIORITY tickets and cut the line! I can't even begin to explain how frustrated I was that they got special treatment for something they weren't supposed to do. We sorta just chilled around until 11 o’clock, we danced a little nd watched the carat ice cream truck go by!

But anyway there was nothing we could do and they sent vvip into the venue around 12 by then there were so many people and we stayed upstairs of the venue because having 3k people around one street was way too crowded. At first I didn't know what was going on but they were apparently preparing us for hi touch. We all lined up on the balcony and it was kinda sorta balls sweat hot. WE WERE BLASTIN MUSIC AND DANCING I WAS SCREAMING SO HARD lemme tell u less than 200 people on the rooftop that’s a party and then the staffer (who i will affectionately call J because she was amazing) was like “lol svt is doing soundcheck they can hear u downstairs and they think y’all are funny” and it was only 200 of us singing and stuff so they recorded us cheering for them and sent it back to svt. At the time she was filming i just came out of the bathroom and she filmed me and kris looking like absolute idiots dancing for svt by the bathroom LOL Afterwards mmt and svt sent us more water and snacks and soda because we couldn’t leave the venue to get food THEY'RE SO SWEET THE STAFF TREATED US SO NICELY!! J and mmt handled our fangifts with care and put them in sturdy boxes and made sure that we were hydrated and energized before we went back inside

HI TOUCH

OK THE HI TOUCH WAS A LITERAL BLUR they sent us to some stairs and was telling us the rules then all of a sudden we rounded the corner!! No warning!!! AND SEVENTEEN WAS THERE GIVING THE HI TOUCH!! The order thanks to haru peeps are as follows: minghao, vern, hosh, jun, jeonghan, woozi, seungkwan, dino, wonwoo, dk, scoups, josh mingyu. I wasn’t prepared for vern to go first nd I have an audio of me freaking out and going “oh shiiiii” when Vern was right next to me oh mah gah. I tried to pull it off and say “bro” and I did but Vernon kept staring at me until he got to kristine lol im so sorry vern!! But he’s even more gorgeous in person, his eyes are beautiful and his jawline can cut a bitch and he was wearing his cute red flannel that he always has on!! His head is big and his smile takes up his entire face and he’s just one big puppy you want to cuddle and im infinitely thankful for the eye contact!! Minghao is so hot oh my god he looks so confident and chill and he was givin those “yeaah babe” vibes. Their hands feel like lily petals. Boonseoksoon and cheol were very heartwarming, i squeezed all their hands until i was rushed off but i stopped to tell josh that he had pretty eyes and ended it off with mingyu and we jogged to our spot at vvip.

Concert Experience

I must say that i’m wholly impressed and happy that vvip did not push (it totally would’ve been fckin embarassing bc svt is really close to the stage so yes if they pushed it would’ve been awful) and i’m really sorry to hear that the rest of vip/p1/p2 had a really hard time trying to see BUT IT’S OKAY SVT IS NEVER COMING TO T5 EVER AGAIN. So im infinitely thankful that i was really really close to the stage and got to see the boys. BUT OKAY THE ONE THING THAT PISSED ME OFF? ??? CAMERAS. CAMERAS EVERYWHERE! I wouldn’t have cared if you were upstairs or in the back, but WE WERE LITERALLY FIVE FEET FROM THEM AND THESE PEOPLE ARE 6 FEET TALL and cameras were blocking my view because they were filming the whole damn concert. LIKE IT’S RUDE? GO TO THE BACK? DID YOU LITERALLY PAY TO SEE THRU A COMPUTER I DO THAT EVERY DAY!!! I ended up seeing the concert to its fullest so it’s fine BUT STILL SVT DOESN’T WANNA SING TO  BUNCH OF CAMERAS ESP TO THE PEOPLE IN THE FRONT? PEOPLE ARE PAID TO FILM THEM, THERE ARE FANSITES EVERYWHERE!! Enjoy the fleeting time you have with them!

But in the end it was more opportunity for me to soak up all the fanservice because *twiddles fingers* mwhahaahahahha there was enough room for me to dance for hoshi and going svt and i made eye contact with him, wonwoo during the dancing as well, mingyu, jeong *dies* it was too much 

Vernon (extended fanservice + rapping together!)

VERNON GETS A WHOLE DANG SECTION OKAY!!!! BECAUSE HE!! WAS NOT OKAY!!11! Kristine and i have been strategically preparing for MONTHS watching countless performances to stay in the corner where vern/jun would be performing on the most, turns out to be the right side so im two people away from the stage so i had a really good view of vernon’s beauty. I thought it was just me being biased but out of all the members Vernon’s stage presence is IMPECCABLE!! He doesn’t quote-unquote try to captivate you, he just naturally attracts people because his aura is so so so palpable. He was made to be on that stage!!!

Fanservice w/vern!

*sweats* after the whole hi touch fiasco i was convinced vern wouldn’t want to look at me but i held up my “vernon u lit” poster (dw i didn’t raise it high to block ppl) AND IT WORKED!!! My main highlight with him together was during check in (skip to 5:00) and since there was a lot of room I WAS GOING OFF dancing with him and rapping mingyu’s part along with him and shit i thought we had such a “feelin it” moment it was so surreal we were both in the song getting super super hype and the music was just immersed around us and i felt like the whole room melted apart and it was just the two of us sdlfjds;fjk;dsf im so gross my heart is warm my eyes are watery as i type this!! i miss him so much

anyway every performance after that, especially rock/if i and the ending ment i felt his stare and y’know that feeling when you pass someone attractive in the mall and you have that five-minute crush on them… i hope vern had that five minute crush on me because man i almost felt a way that boo or someone might feel when vern has that stare on you. He’s infinitely sweet and thankful at the ending ment when he thanked us for giving him new memories for his hometown i almost cried but he was lookin in my direction so i swallowed my feels

Final Details

Dino is the best. Performer. Like hosh performs really well when he dances! But shiii boy dino is on ALL THE DAMN TIME. i was told to be forewarned when u see dino AND Y’ALL WERE RIGHT

Lots of dk/minghao stans!!!! DK’S EYES ARE SO TWINKLY I UNDERSTAND WHY U LOVE HIM SO MUCH! A vvip had their gift as sunflowers with dk’s face on it IT’S SO FITTING

Performance unit IS WILD i used to think performance unit was just bc they did a lot of the choreo BUT NO. THEIR PERFORMANCE IS ALL THE WAY UP THERE you could feel every inch of their body carefully calculated and perfected even with OMG and highlight ND I WAS NEVER PREPARED FOR “MY I” WHY WASN’T THERE ARE TRANSITION FROM CRAZY LOVE TO THEN HOW DARE U

I used to go to concerts and from far away watch them spray water in the pit and u wish u were those people during healing cheol sprayed water and i felt CHRISTENED but all of a sudden ALL OF SEVENTEEN SPRAYED US IT WAS WET AND I FELT REBORN

At the ending ment hoshi screamed “I LOVE NEW JERSS----I LOVE NEW YORKKKK” lol my jersey self giggled

wonwoo/jun/scoups/jeonghan were definitely the most tired. Jun and Wonwoo were spacing out like crazy and coups literally ate his mic. Jeonghan was in another world most of the time, especially during the ballads he looked out to the crowd making exhausted eye contact. It looked like he was trying really hard to sing. Jeonghan and seungkwan had very visible cystic/stress acne, even through their makeup

*sigh* i guess i can’t avoid talking about the jeonghan situation amirite. From where i was everyone was v confused, sevnteen included. It lasted probably total of 10 seconds and we moved on. It was bad. We know it was very bad. Although Jeonghan seemed lowkey amused afterward THAT ISN’T THE POINT the concert was 99.9% perfect and i hope everyone remembers that and doesnt antagonize american carats (as american fans usually are for all the baddies)

All and all i feel honored that i was able to spend a comfortable night with svt, i know a lot of people aren’t able to say the same esp the people in the back. Its still replaying in my head and im infinitely thankful to stan such a wonderful group of boys and im glad to be a part of their tour

[mnranger5]

Hello Nitro Z19, Norris, OK, 5/11/19

So, Greg’s cold, hard, cash sure didn’t last long in my safe.  Two weeks after selling the Ranger, Dyan and I made a deal to buy a Nitro Z19 Pro from Norris Marine in Norman, Oklahoma.  It’s a beautiful boat that had the exact options we, errr, I, was looking for.  But finding it was kind of like finding a needle in a haystack.  It was a frustrating two weeks, but clearly, was worth it in the end.

When it came down to it, I wanted a black/silver bass boat.  I just like the way black and silver sparkles whether it’s on the water, or in the driveway. That was probably the biggest hurdle to overcome, because black/silver boats are few and far between.  Every dealer I looked at had white, red, silver, blue and green color combinations.  But none had black/silver.

I contacted the local Nitro, Phoenix, Skeeter, Bass Cat and Ranger dealers.  None had a black/silver in stock, but they’d all be happy to order me one if I was willing to wait 12-15 weeks.  Hmm, that’s a delivery date in late July/early August.  I decided to keep looking.

Dyan and I saw a Nitro Z20 at Cabela’s in Woodbury that was black/silver/blue, a striking combination.  That would work, if it were a Z19.  Unfortunately, the Z20 is too big for the garage.

I contacted Nitro and asked them to do a national search for the black/silver/blue color combination.  It was a premium color, that was rare.  There was currently only one that was available across the nation.  It was located at D&R Sports in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  Just about every angler knows that Kalamazoo is home of the legendary Kevin Van Dam, the most decorated bass fisherman of all time. So naturally, I thought of him when I saw this beautiful boat they were offering for sale.

I contacted the sales team at D&R inquiring about the boat.  As it turns out, the store/dealer is owned by Randy Van Dam, Kevin’s brother.  No way!  Unfortunately, the boat is currently being demo’ed by Randy Van Dam, meaning it would not be available until Sept.  Ugh.  But if I put a down payment on the boat, they would have Kevin available for a meet and greet the day I came and picked up the boat in the fall.  Very cool, but I needed to think long and hard about it.  Not only would it be a used boat (which wan’t necessarily bad), but it also means I would be boat-less during the summer.  I’d keep looking.

After a few days, the new quotes for boats started rolling in.  I had each manufacturer build out a comparable 19’ boat with all the same accessories, such as trolling motor, graphs, etc.  The quotes were breathtaking…

Skeeter FX 200: $61K

Phoenix 919 Pro: $62K

Bass Cat Pantera Classic: $63K

Ranger Z519: $66K  

No way was I spending that kind of dough on a boat.  I’d keep looking.

I called D&R again to get more specific on the price.  I asked to add a few more options.  It was still in my price range.  Many thousands of dollars under those brand new prices.  But the delivery date now changed.  Seems as though Van Dam had a couple of fall tournaments he was planning to fish and the boat would not be ready until mid-November.  What?!?  Ugh.  They may as well just winterize the boat while they are at it because we’ll probably have ice on our lakes by then.  No way I am going buy a new boat and let it sit in the garage for 4 months as I wait for open water. I’d keep looking.

I was starting to get frustrated.  Brand new boats were way too much money.  The D&R boat would rob me of an entire fishing/boating season and would jealously watch me give all my attention to my sexy 2.5HP snowblower.  And the cherry on top is that the local Nitro dealer didn’t seem to have any time for me as they were constantly delivering boats, helping other customers or out of town.  When they were available to talk, they were very friendly.  But their process was way too slow.  They had no idea how fast I was ready to move with Greg’s cash!

I began doing my own national search.  I was looking at dealerships from Florida to Texas to California.  I somehow stumbled across a smaller dealer in New Richmond, WI, I had never heard of.  They’re a Nitro dealer less than an hour from my house.  They had a brilliant blue/black/silver color combination.

A little more blue than what I was hoping for, but still, a gorgeous boat.  I was fed up of searching, and ready to make an offer - on the spot.  I called the marina with my credit card in hand.  In my head, the down payment was made, and as soon as the call was over, I’d be on my way to pick up my new boat in New Richmond.  But, there was one slight problem.  The salesman who picked up the phone had just sold the boat and was delivering it to the customer that afternoon. Deflated.  I’d keep looking.

I proceeded with my national search. Using google images, I searched for a “black Nitro Z19″ posted within the past month.  Buried in the search return was a small thumbnail of what looked like a black/silver boat.   I clicked on it.

The picture brought me to the web page of Norris Marine, a boat dealer in the south suburbs of Oklahoma City.  The online price depicted a base model, bare bones boat.  However, it was the right color.  It’s probably sold, but I decided to call anyway.

The salesman, DJ, took the call with a friendly hello.

“Hi, I am inquiring about a black Z19 Pro on your website.  Is it still available?”

“Hell, yes that boat is available, and it is gorgeous!”

Of course it was.  What was he going to say, “It’s ugly”?  So I continued.

“From the pictures it looks all black, is that the case?

[HOOK] “Actually, it is a custom color that I specifically picked out.  There are four colors: black mist polyflake, mineral gray polyflake, black sahara polyflake and onyx gel (matte black). With custom colors, there are thousands of color combinations so it would be quite unlikely anybody else will have this exact boat.  It’s one of a kind.“

After finding out the boat is actually completely loaded with tons of upgrades, I asked: “It looks like it has most of the options I am looking for other than the dual console and talons.  Any chance your dealer can add those?”

[LINE] “Absolutely, we can do anything you want.”  

Of course they could…I am pretty sure he’d have said yes to installing a .50 cal rifle on the casting deck.  Don’t laugh, it is a legit option with at least one manufacturer…

“So, when can it be ready?”

“When do you want it to be ready?”

“This weekend?”

[SINKER] “Done Brotha!”

Like Greg with my boat, I was hook, line and sinker with this boat, sight unseen.  It was that easy.  Other than a few minor details that had be worked out through some separate calls, the boat was purchased.

The week passed by painfully slow.  On Friday, Dyan and I did the first leg of the trip (6.5 hours) by driving into Kansas City.  We rolled into Josh & Melanie’s sometime after 9PM. But it was a quick visit because we were on the road to Oklahoma by 4:30 Saturday morning.  KC to Norman is a little more than 5 hours, and with the light rain, it really made for an especially long drive.  But as we pulled into Norris Marine, the rain stopped on queue.  We walked into the showroom, full of boats, but the Z19 was nowhere to be seen.  One of the Norris staff asked us if we were the couple from MN, to which we said yes.  “Wanna see your boat?”

“Uh, yeah!”

He led us out to the service garage.  Sitting there among much larger boats was our gorgeous and sparkling Nitro Z19.

It was absolutely perfect.  The black and silver contrast so perfectly creating the exact image I was going for.  It was one of a kind and it was ours.  One cool change DJ made without my knowledge was swapping out the red Mercury Pro XS decals on the motor for gunmetal grey decals.  He thought the decals would really finish off the “blackout look” the boat has.  He was right!

DJ gave me a quick walk-thru on the boat showing me how to use the Talons, Ultrex and gauges.  Afterwards, we filled out some quick paperwork signing the boat over to us!  In under and hour, we were on the road, back to KC.

With the boat in my rear view mirror, the drive was much shorter.  By 4:30 we rolled into Kansas City and had an early dinner at Joe’s BBQ in Leawood.  Mmmmm, ribs.

A decision needed to be made.  It was 6PM.  Do we just stay the night in KC and drive home in the morning, or just suck it up and drive straight through?  We decided to just make the final push.  What’s another 6 hours when you’ve already been in the car for  11.5?  We drove into the night listening to a Camino Island, a John Grisham book on CD.  It wasn’t a great book either, but after the first few CD’s, we felt invested enough to finish it. We arrived home shortly after midnight.  It was a total drive of 17.5 hours.  We were exhausted, but we were home, with our new Nitro Z19!

[jorgeperezmx]

NFL Week 3 Bold Predictions

Hey there! It’s me again with Mexican spicy-style NFL week 3 predictions. It’s been a crazy week for most teams because of injuries and releases. This will definitely have an impact on the week 3 scores. However, someone has to do the dirty job of predicting every single weekend game and, guess what, that’s me. Let’s get started.

Buffalo 21 (-6), Cincinnati 17 Bills have the 2nd best pass defense and 2nd best rush defense. Bengals have 2nd best past offense and the worst rush attack. It seems like we’ll watch a unidimensional game on the Bengals side and it’s probable that Dalton will be intercepted at least once. But, it also means that he will probably have 400+ as in the previous 2 games and at least one TD catch from John Ross III. It might be a close game, especially if Josh Allen gets picked and the Bengals defense emerges. Singletary will have a hell of a game and probably gets more touches than Gore.

Dallas 31 (-21.5), Miami 13 Oh, boy! This is a bad time to be a Dolphins’ fan, even for Felipe. The defense is awful, but the offense is painful. And Mr. Prescott is on fire this season. Gallup is out due to an injury but rookie Smith has already shown he’s ready to take his spot. Put your money in Dallas, no more to say.

Green Bay 17 (-8), Denver 10 This is going to be a defensive game. Packers defense has held opposing play-callers to a poor 58.3 QB rating and has allowed only 19 points in 2 weeks. I mean, Chicago is everything but a good offense and Cousins had the chance to defeat them but made childish mistakes. If Flacco starts the game as he’s finishing them, it could be closer than expected. The key will be the Broncos’ defense. If they can stop Rodgers and Jones, it could be the big surprise of the week. Anyway, the bold prediction could be Broncos winning on the road but I’ll stick to the logic.

Indianapolis 20(-2), Atlanta 19 This is for me the closest game this week, even on top of Bal vs KC. After a disastrous first 2 quarters against the Vikings in week 1, Atlanta has managed to improve their defense and could hold the Eagles in week 2. On the other hand, Brissett has played well enough to not be a factor in the games his team has played. 3RD rush offense vs 3rd overall defense, the game will be decided in the trenches. If Colts can establish the rush game, it would be really difficult for ATL to overcome that. And if Ryan continues with his streak of picks, way more difficult. Colts take it by one.

Kansas City 24 (-6.5), Ravens 21 This is, by far, the best game of the week. Two 2nd year rookies face to face, the best QBs starting this season and two undefeated teams on fire. I would not like to predict a score here because this game has so many implications that it’s almost impossible to come up with an idea of how it would develop. Mahomes vs Ravens’ secondary will be awesome. Jackson will run thru KC’s front and they will try to get the tempo and possession of the game. Two opposite approaches to football will clash this afternoon in Kansas. If the rain appears, it would be a big upset for the Chiefs.

Minnesota 31 (-8), Oakland 17 Derek Carr used to be a great QB but after the injury on his shoulder, he hasn’t been the same. His numbers are poor. He has no weapons. The rush offense is trying to rise and the defense is not dominating. Raiders are a team in the build and playing on the road to the Vikings is not going to be an easy job. Last week, Vikings had the chance to win in Wisconsin but Cousins was so erratic in key moments that they lose because of him. Dalvin Cook is a friking monster running with the ball and he also catches passes. Thielen, Rudolph are a dangerous duo. And they’re playing home. Go Vikings all the way!

New England 31 (-22.5), New York Jets 3 I don’t expect another shoutout this week for the Patriots defense for only one reason: Le’Veon Bell. Jets’ game plan will be: Faulk handing the ball to Bell every single snap. Even if they’re losing by 20. This is going to be enough to make at least one FG. The NE defense record of 3 or fewer points in the last 3 games will continue this week. My concern comes on the offense side for NE. Cannon, Wynn, White, and Develin have been ruled out for this game. The rush game will be definitely affected but the question that arises is if Brady will get enough protection to score over 30 points as in the last 2 weeks. My bold suggestion is that NE will struggle to beat the Jets and will be a closer game than expected but, with so many weapons (Michel, Burkhead, Bolden, Dorsett, Edelman, Gordon) everything is possible, even if Brady doesn’t have enough time in the pocket. NE defense will win this game.

Philadelphia 13 (-7), Detroit 17 Jackson and Jeffrey have been ruled out for this game and Carson Wentz’s weapons are limited. Lions defense made Philip Rivers looked really bad last week and their red zone defense was impenetrable. Even with the Eagles playing home, the undefeated Lions are a very underestimated team that might come up with the road win. It will be a good night for Matthew Stafford and the Lions’ WRs. The Eagle’s defense could leverage the game and if they make Stafford make mistakes, it could be a closer game. Matt Patricia and the Lions will come out victorious from one of the toughest stadiums in the NFL.

Arizona 17, Carolina (-2.5) 10 Cam Newton is out and all the pressure will be on Kyle Allen’s shoulders. With that awful offensive line, I wouldn’t like to be in his shoes. Kyler Murray continues improving and playing home should be good for him, even facing a good defense like Carolina’s. David Johnson will be key in this game and we could probably see another good game for Larry Fitzgerald, the eternal Cardinals’ wr. If Panthers’ defense can keep them close in the score, they might surprise the home team but it’s something that has to be seen.

Tampa Bay 17 (-6.5), New York Giants 10 It will be an interesting match between SaQuon Barkley and the Bucaneers’ defense who held Mccaffrey to a subpar 2.8 yds per carry last week and stopped him in the last play of the game. Daniel Jones will finally have the opportunity to show up he’s the future for the Giants. Won’t be easy because the Tampa Bay’s pass rush is aggressive and he will be pressure the whole game, ask Cam Newton if not! If Winston plays smart and doesn’t throw any pick, things will go well for the Bucs.

Los Angeles Chargers 27 (-3), Houston 26 DeSaun Watson has shown he’s mature enough to lead a comeback late in the 4th quarter but Houston’s defense hasn’t been as good as in previous seasons. Texans should have won the game in NO after a masterpiece of offensive play by Watson and his receivers but, we know that was a whole different story. Chargers are looking to bounce back after a horrible exhibition against the Lions. Rivers had an awful game and Ekeler played well but, with that fumble in the red zone, he sealed the loss for his team. It will be a tight game.

Seattle 24 (-4.5), New Orleans 12 No Brees, no wins. That’s the odds for the Saints. Brees is out for at least 8 weeks and the playoffs chances rest on Teddy Bridgewater’s hands. No easy yask for an average QB. Rush game should be the key but Seahawks’ defense is no joke. Alvin Kamara has to stand up for his team if they want to keep their chances of going to the playoffs. Seattle will run and run and run and run the ball until Wilson comes up with a deep ball for a TD. Seahawks are a dangerous team and they will get the win this week.

San Francisco 23 (-6.5), Pittsburgh 13 Two words for Steelers’s defense: Garoppolo and Breida. 131.2 QB rating for the first and 6.2 yads per carry for the later. Mason Rudolph played well vs Seattle but 49ers’ secondary is way better. Conner has shown he was a one-season wonder and it seems that now he can’t find his rhythm. The only offensive weapons remaining for Pittsburgh are McDonald and JuJu. It’s going to be a long season for the bumblebees.

Cleveland 13, Los Angeles Rams (-3) 23 Sunday Night Football returns to Cleveland. And with primetime comes the last year Super Bowl losers and one of the favorites to win this season: the Rams. Rams are a balanced team: they can run, they can pass, they defend. The Browns are an explosive team but explosive also applies for the locker room. Baker Mayfield can play as a ProBowl or as an inexperienced rookie. Defense is aggressive but Rams can find the way to take away the pressure to Goff. I don’t expect a close game, the Rams will control the clock, the ball and the score.

Washington 13, Chicago 10 (-4) Two poor offenses head to head in Washington. A good QB vs an overrated QB. One of the best defenses of the league vs the worst secondary. Who will win? As I have told to my Bears’ fans friends when Chicago plays I bet under and against them. Last week vs Denver, they should have lost; officiating and a good kick helped them out. I don’t see Trubitski throwing a 50+ yds touchdown as Wentz and Prescott did, but I do see Montgomery having a hell of a game. This time, Redskins won’t lose the early lead and will win by a minimum margin.

[eliashiebert]

Instrumental Soul

Rolled by: Me For: A., J., D. and the rest Late Summer 2018 TRT: 1h19m21s

There are a few instrumentals I’ve been putting on evry tape for years…Bar-Kays’ “Knucklehead”, Kool & The Gang’s “Street Corner Symphony” and Ike Turner’s “Funky Mule”.  For awhile I’ve been thinking about a mixtape of all instrumentals.  Normally I like making tapes that go off in all directions.  I don’t usually do themes, altho I think of a lot of them.  I have almost never done a tape of tunes from mostly just one genre.  I like this one a lot tho.  Maybe I’ll do more.  Settle down a bit, stop childishly trying to impress you with my hard lefts & flying leaps. 

Once I finally started, this tape came together super-quick.  It wasnt hard to find another hour of funky jazzy soul-ey instrumental toons.  I assumed, as you might, confronted with a mix calld Instrumental Soul, I’d eventually get around to some Booker T. and the M.G.’s.  Somehow, tho, they are not here…but their influence is defnilly present. 

I usually try to make my mixes fit on an old-school 74-minute ceedee…you know, just like the 9th Symphony.  I like to use the most restrictive definition, even tho I’ll ultimately be dumping it onto an 80-minute CDR.  Or, these days I’d as soon keep it as file, but my friends they all still like getting the “physical” disk, don’t ask me why.  Anyway, this is all to say I broke that rule this time around.  I already weeded out a bunch of stuff I wanted to put in to get it under the 80 minute mark (yes I’m already planning a Part 2), and I didnt want to lose any more. 

Another thing I did different with this one is give the songs some room to breathe with a couple seconds of silence between each one instead of running them all together like I usually do. 

Here we go…. 

Roger & the Gypsies “Pass The Hatchet Pt. 1” Seven B 7001 (1966)

Happy hypnotic groover from New Orleans funkmaster Eddie Bo, a dude with really excellent hair.  Like a lot of what’s on here, he came to my attention originally thru Funky16Corners.  The original 45 costs mad cheddar but it’s on lotsa collections…various little indie N.O. funk comps and even the Desperado soundtrack.  I took it from Mojo’s “Southern Soul” disc.  I don’t think it’s on any of the main Eddie Bo collections, Funky Delicacies’ Funky Funky New Orleans or Vampisoul’s In The Pocket with Eddie Bo or etc.  It’d be nice if there were something truly comprehensive out there, but ya know. 

The J.B.’s “Pass The Peas” From Food For Thought (People 1972)

Maybe part of the reason the JB’s have been looped so often is that they sound like a loop to begin with.  No one can lock like they could.  Long solo from leader Fred Wesley…I love a good trombone solo, but the player has to have a fabulous tone and mad technique, both which of course the legendary Fred Wesley has by the bucketful.  What he doesnt have is the vocabulary of a jazz player—it’s pure funksoul; it stays inside its box.  You might find that a little repetitious after some 36 bars but I don’t care I don’t care.  Some organ in the background from the Creator himself.  I playfully referred to the instrument as the “pipes,” as in, “Is that James Brown on the pipes?” and Jen would not have it.  “It’s a Hammond organ!” she yelled, “There’s no pipes!!” 

Some of my sources for this tape are vintage elpees and some, like this one, are slightly suspect vinyl re-issues.  They look good but questions like Are they properly licensed? and Were they mastered from the original tapes or some inferior copy? are anyone’s guess.  I don’t know, it sounds good to me.  That’s how a lot of this type of material is available these days.  Many of these albums never got any official re-issues, digital or analog.  You can’t be too picky unless you want to lay out for first pressings. 

Dizzy Gillespie “Matrix” From The Real Thing (Perception 1970)

The jazz legend (is legend a strong enuf word?) ’s soul-flavord The Real Thing album gets my highest recommendation.  A heat rock if ever there was one.  You wanna hear Dizzy Gillespie and his fine collaborators blow over hard beats from a funky rhythm section?  Yes you do. 

Eddie Harris “Listen Here” From The Electrifying Eddie Harris (Atlantic 1968)

Some cool elevator jazz from the electric saxophonist once referenced in a Beastie Boys hit.  Is it fair to call it elevator music?  Does that term even mean anything other than an offhand dis?  When I say it, I’m talking about something specific, at least in my own head.  Elevator music, like disco, is something I wasnt supposed to like but which I now have a growing appreciation for.  Maybe I shud make a tape of all elevator music, like the stuff I used to hear at Kohl’s when I was a kid.  Maybe I’ll make it for my friend J. who likes to listen to the smooth jazz station when he’s hungover. 

This tune evokes a train moving underground, and it might inject some joy in yer commute if you put it in your headphones. 

J. C. Davis “A New Day (Is Here At Last)” New Day 1373 (1969), remixed and re-issued on A New Day! The Complete Mus-I-Col Recordings Of J. C. Davis (Cali-Tex 2005)

My brother A. put me on to this dude.  The saxophonist and bandleader (not to be confused with the other J. C. Davis who played guitar with Hank Ballard and the Midnighters) backed James Brown in the early 60s and around ’69 released a few singles on his own label.  Around ’05, Josh Davis AKA DJ Shadow went back to the studio in Columbus, Ohio, where those records were made and he remixed them “on the original mix board” because he’s the king of the nerds.  That irresistible smooth, slightly edgy sax sound crooning over haaard mutherfuckin drums begging to be sampled—and they have been!—with that cool 60s chickenwing funk guitar & organ. 

Tom Scott and the L.A. Express “Sneakin’ In The Back” Originally from their self-titled album (Ode/Epic 1974), later appearing on volume whatever of the Ultimate Breaks ’n’ beats (Street Beat 1990)

A little misterioso now.  This smoothie I got from my bootleg version of Lenny Roberts & Lou Flores’ collection of evry essential breakbeat ever.  No doubt Tom Scott & the L.A. Express would find their way to my elevator music tape too. 

Willie Bobo and the Bo-Gents “Do What You Want to Do” From Do What You Want To Do… (Sussex 1971)

Of course it was Larry who first introduced me to this album.  Try to be unhappy listnin to this sawng.  Try.  Classic example of that East Side salsa n soul I love. 

Freddie Hubbard “Backlash” From Backlash (Atlantic 1967)

Again, a great jazz artist doin’ a record in a funksoul-influenced style.  Freddie Hubbard is one of my favorite trumpet players, and this tune scorches. 

Bar-Kays “Knucklehead” The flip side of “Soul Finger”, Volt 168 (1967)

I bought the Soul Finger album (yet another suspect re-issue) becuz the title track is essential, but this hard hitter is my faverit tune on it.  The B side wins again! 

Dizzy Gillespie “Soul Kiss” From The Real Thing (Perception 1970)

Another tune from The Real Thing, a more frantic one, with kissy noises from the trumpet.  By the way, if you sound like this when you kiss, I’m pretty sure you arnt doing it right. 

The Mohawks “The Champ” Pama PM 719 (1968)

It’s called “Champ” but it sounds more like “tramp” a la Carla Thomas.  The band is doin’ the Booker T., and that screamin organ riff by Alan Hawkshaw (sampled many, many times of course) over top of it is un dee nigh uh bull. 

Zap-Pow “Soul Revival” Jaywax 45 (1974?). Also on the album Revolutionary (Roosevelt 1976?), but most likely to be found on the compilation Funky Kingston: Reggae Dance Floor Grooves 1968–74 (Trojan 2002)

Another gem brought to my attn by Funky16Corners.  Heard it on the blog and had to run out right away and buy the comp just for one song.  Probably the tightest record on here next to the JB’s.  Usually filed as reggae due to its place of origin, but this is str8 funksoul. 

Kool & The Gang “Street Corner Symphony” From Light Of Worlds (De-Lite 1974)

I love it when Kool & The Gang does their fake jazz thing.  Got soul-jazz from both sides of the fence on here.  At the end the sax quotes “My Favorite Things” (a nod to Trane I assume) which always cracks me up. 

Ike Turner & the Kings Of Rhythm “Funky Mule” From A Black Man’s Soul (Pompeii 1969)

Ike & Tina Turner made a lot of really cool records and a lot of mediocre ones (and I wish I knew which was which), and these days they are scattered across a hundred seedy bargain compilation ceedees.  The act has never been anthologized properly, maybe due to Ike’s reputation (which I’m sure is well-deserved…recent attempts to rehabilitate him kind of piss me off…tho also irritating is the popular image of him as a cartoonish monster, mostly due to the movie, which even Tina said didnt happen like that.  Evrybody does good and bad things in their life.  The good things don’t take away the bad things and vice versa, and you can dig music with eyes open to the fact that some of the ones who made it were not cool people).  I pickt up one such random comp choosing it mostly for the title: I Smell Trouble!!! (yes with three exclamation points !).  It included this hard funk instrumental that cracked my head open wit a axe.  It’s one of those songs where they just crammd in evry badass riff they could think of.  Again, hard, hard muthafuckin drums, driving horns growling and belching smoke, funkee geetar, a busy bassline dancing underneath it all.  Wish I knew who the players were but no credits given. 

Dr. Octagon “Bear Witness” From Dr. Octagonecologyst (Bulk 1996)

Dr Octagonecologyst is a goofball boom-bap classic.  I remember hearing Blue Flowers on AMP.  For a while that was the best or one of the only good things on MTV, and it turnd me on to a lot of cool stuff.  This instrumental showcases DJ Q-Bert’s scratching and a bevy of funky breaks.  The sampled battlecry, “Creating rap music ’cause I never dug disco” sure sounds like Chuck D (thanks to some processing) but it’s actually an obsure MC from the 80s called 4-Ever Fresh.  Automator and a supercrew of DJ/producers including Prince Paul & Shadow would revisit this track a few years later on Handsome Boy Modeling School’s equally classic first album. 

James Brown “Spinning Wheel” From Sex Machine (King 1970)

James Brown’s mellow organ version of Blood, Sweat & Tears’ Spinnin Wheel is an unsung classic. 

Bill Doggett “Honky Tonk Pt. 2” King 4950 (1956)

Long ago, my former coworker K. turnd me on to Bill Doggett and this much-coverd happy, handclapping, sax-driven early rocknroll hit.  I took it from this comp. 

Doc Bagby “Crazy Chemistry” Okeh 4-7098 (1958)

My good, good friend M. once gave me, for my birthday maybe, when I was like 20, a big stack of 45s from his own collection.  I still prize them to this day.  This was one.  Demented carnival music with Wurlitzer organ and bouncy guitar. 

The 45 King “Get Funky” On The Lost Breakbeats Volume 1 & 2 (The Yellow Album) (45 King Records 1983)

Super duper beat maker the 45 King.  Lotsa gems on this collection, which I got on bootleg download. 

Hugh Masekela “Grazing In The Grass” From The Promise of a Future (Universal City 1968)

It’s a gas.  The original, instrumental version by South African trumpet player Hugh Masekela.  Only 2 anna half minutes.  Supposedly recorded just to fill time on the album.  Huge hit.  Gotta have more cowbell, more overdriven brass, more POP! 

The Meters “Sophisticated Cissy” Josie 1001 (1968), the band’s first single I think. Also on The Meters

Aww, such a badass slow groove, makes you say “UH!”  KRS-One and Scott LaRock sampled this on “Essays On BDP-ism”, a very cool record made just before Scott LaRock’s death in 1987 and unreleased until 2000.  I’m surpised it hasnt been sampled more.  Great way to come in for the close. 

Ray Charles “Doodlin’” From The Great Ray Charles

Ray Charles and his associates do a sweet version of the Horace Silver tune, with a muted trumpet by John Hunt and tenor sax David Newman.  I was first introduced to Ray Charles’s jazz material and this tune in particular via a tape in my brother’s car he was way into around, oh, twenty years ago.  A tape he got from his friend G. probably.  Ray Charles made a couplefew jazz albums.  Highlights from them appear on this odd artifact, with its yellow cover and monochrome portrait that looks like a zeerox.  With a title like The Best of Ray Charles, you might expect material like “What’d I Say” and “Georgia” rather than 6 instrumental jazz tunes.  Nevertheless it is highly recommended. 

Boom! 

[droppingthebasssince1997]

Even though its January 14th and new years was 14 days ago i just feel the need to talk about some stuff thats happened. Im not the kind of person to talk about things that happened. I’d rather keep it in and figure it out myself cause i guess I'm just used to it and also its so hard for me to voice out my emotions at some times. I just can never put it into words. 2017 was honestly the hardest year of my life and i know there are people out there who have it way worse but it was pretty shitty. So many things happened. I fell in love with an abusive, angry, self indulged coke head who made me hate myself and made me feel like everything i did in life was stupid. I stopped believing in myself, slacked hella in school, skipped school to basically be his fucking maid. all i did was clean, cook, sleep, drink and repeat this entire cycle. and if he was having a rough day well that just meant that id get yelled at for the tiniest things even if it means us arguing over who could get a can of pop. I guess thats when i stopped caring about everything, my mental health and physical health, my relationship with my family and friends (the 2 friends that i had lol) and my education. I was so lost and confused that I had pretty much given up on everything. I stopped trying to be positive or doing everything with a smile like i usually do. Long story short I had a little slip on june 9th. that was the day when i decided to end everything. fortunately enough i got stopped and long story short i got slapped with a record for trying to call out for help. Instead of saying its okay for wanting everything to stop in life for once, the first thing the psychiatrist told me at 12pm (after being taken in at 4am and being kept there) was that i was slapped with a criminal record. After he said that i guess i just shut down as usual. why the fuck would you consider someone a criminal for trying to kill themselves. Till this day i can't put the pieces together or come up with an idea of why they would do so. yes i had empty blow bags in my wallet and maybe its because i was drinking that night but still it made no sense in my head. It made me feel unimportant and unworthy despite everything that i had just went through. I didn’t talk to anyone for 3 days and funny story even tho i was told to stay away from alcohol my ex and his fam still got drunk and drank around me the entire night. the same night i got out of the hospital. I spent the first night alone because well everyone was partying and I didn't have any good friends to talk to. I lost kalli because i was dating a jerk and i lost kayla well basically because she had a busy life. long story short my parents found out i was lying about doing summer school and i went back to live with them beginning july. i really broke their hearts and my dad didn't talk to me or even look at me for 2 weeks. My dad is a sweetheart and in my 20 years on this planet he has raised his voice at me once and he apologized 30 minutes after. I really hurt them and I guess i waS still to dumb to see how i was still hurting them. i was still with josh the entire summer and i would come home hammered and coked out at 3 in the morning way past my curfew and fight with my parents. it got so bad once to the point where my dad and i got almost got into a physical fight. I was trying to leave the house and he grabbed all my stuff and chucked it. It was a horrible night. that was also the night i came clean to my mom about everything except coke because i don't think i could ever come clean about it. long story short i decided education was what i wanted to do for the rest of my life esp after having a great time during the summer being a summer camp leader. So i went back to kelowna to start year 2 well kinda. I was on probation cause i fucked year 1 up hard. i was still with that jerk but my good friends that i lived with made me realize what he was doing to me. he had me shoved up against car doors and walls while being right up in my face yelling at me. or getting made and pushing me because i accidentally lost cocaine. well i finally got the courage to break up with him for good. It was probably the hardest thing i have ever done. I never thought i could break up with him or get out of that abusive relationship. and sometimes it still hits me that I'm done with his bullshit for good and I'm okay. Im safe and I'm never going back there and he can never ever hurt me again. I guess I'm just scared and so fucking angry at myself for not seeing everything and the larger picture. I called myself a feminist for the longest time and would be like “how can girls stay in abusive relationships?” and now i know how. Being manipulated and controlled is a real thing. You are completely blinded by everything. your sense of power and identity get ripped away from you and your abuser becomes the only thing you have and find comfort in. Its weird and some people might not understand it. But i sure do and i finally realized all the things he had done to me. mentally and emotionally. anyways this is where 2017 got better for me. I started talking to my old friend edwin again. Josh made me ghost him when we got together. we talked everyday. it was like nothing had changed and within 2 days of talking to him i basically told him everything that happened in a year and 7 months. it was a lot tbh and i never actually noticed haha. but he stuck thru everything including my wild drunk nights out. I turned into something else and hoed around. I guess it was my way of dealing with stuff and found comfort in seeing guys? Because i didn't know who i was and my confidence was so used to being dependent on a guy for security and empowerment that i couldn't do it alone. I couldn't empower myself and thats mainly the reason to why i slept around. anyways edwin and i talked 25/7 day and night and we got so close without even realizing it. we gave each other relationship advice as he was seeing a couple girls and so was I. when i came back for reading break he kissed me and thats when i realized he had feelings for me all this while. I was so blinded by all these fuck boys to see he was right under my nose the entire time. and when he was flirting with me he actually was flirting with me and not joking about it. well i made a mistake after but long story short i liked him in an instant. i liked him more than like. i loved him but i knew it was too soon. i was scared to get serious so fast considering its only been a couple months since i broke up with josh. anyways he asked me out and i said yes in a heartbeat. He is not like any other guy and i know it. he’s far from them and he;s never going to hurt me. he didn't even have to say that to reassure me i just know. and I'm dating my best friend like how much better could it get. he helped me get sober and i could be 5 months sober but i had slip up. so its been 2 months fully clean and i couldn't feel anymore cleaner and pure. end of 2017 started to look better for me. I started dating my best friend, got sober, got out of probation, got a job in kelowna and my relationship with my parents got so so so strong. My mom and I haven't been closer and its honestly the best. little did i know we are the same person esp when drunk haha. But then some stuff with my little sister when down and i ratted her to my parents because it was the only way to get her out of that situation. anyways she doesn't talk to me anymore or ever. And i guess I'm so hurt and thats why i decided to write everything out because I'm hurt. I lost my best friend since 2013. yes she is my sister but she is also my best friend. If you ask me who i want as my bridesmaid id say shalini right off the hook. without thinking because when we moved here we had no one but each other. we moved half way across the country and left everything and everyone behind just because I  was failing school in singapore. we got close i guess after only having each other and it just stings a little that she can't trust me cause who do i trust now.I know i have edwin but its different. she’s my sister she just knows me like no body else. we were fobs together and we matured and grew together. i don't have any other girl friends i trust besides her. i don't have a girl best friend and i guess I'm just sad over that. I lost all my girl best friends cause of josh and the others are back home half way across the fucking world and i just don't mean as much as i used to to them. distance and time difference can play a part lol. I really don't know what got to me to talk about everything or at least a couple things but maybe its just cause i finally got my period after 3 months and I'm super emotional and hormonal? sighs anyways i know 2018 is going to be my year and so many things are happening this year its defs gonna be a year to remember. I just wish for my best friend to come back or for me to find a good girlfriend who's on my level and wants to talk to me about her date or texts me while she;s on her date or something or comes over to nap or eat food or netflx or maybe go shopping with idk. i know i already have a friend./ twin sister  like that, hanna, but she’s half way across the country and boy have we distanced. anyways i took like 45 mins typing this out and crying so i think its time to toughen up and get back to reality and life. Im a strong girl who’s been thru a couple things and with that experience of being hurt, used and manipulated I'm gonna make a change and 2018 is going to be waaaay different. I got this, all of it.