#Charleston School of Arts

[itgetsbetterproject]

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ GOOD queer news for the TL: a bunch of students across the U.S. are using grants to make their schools more welcoming for LGBTQ+ youth

Queer students deserve to feel safe at school! We're in our third year of giving grants to put the power in their hands to make their schools more welcoming - students know what they need most in their own communities and their own schools.

Through 50 States, 50 Grants, 5,000 Voices, we've awarded over $1.5 million in grants across the U.S. to support student-led projects. Our third season has some of the most badass projects yet, like these:

❤️ “With this grant, we’ll establish an LGBTQIA+ community space in the library, open to all students, with guest speakers, arts and crafts, LGBTQIA+ books and literature, and LGBTQIA+-specific resources.” - Pocatello, Idaho

🧡 “Our project aims to support LGBTQ+ students through teacher training, development of gender-neutral bathroom protocols, and the organization of a district-wide Queer Prom.” - Gypsum, Colorado

💛 “We’ll take students from the 3 middle schools and our local high school to Honolulu Pride to make local LGBTQ+ friends, feel accepted in a large group, and see the community beyond just school.” - Ewa Beach, Hawai'i

💚 “We’re going to increase access to queer literature by working with a local nonprofit to expand our school’s collection, host storytelling events, and foster community connection." - Mobile, Alabama

💙 “Our plan is to create new Inclusivity Zones across the state in critical areas for local GSA clubs to meet, plan shared events, and be their own safe space.” - Charleston, West Virginia

💜 “We’ll host the Rainbow Youth Summit for LGBTQIA+ youth from across southern California to network, learn, and have fun in a safe, judgement free and supportive environment.” - Cathedral City, California

These students are truly the definition of making things better - you can see the rest of the amazing projects lined up across the country on our blog here!

[moonbeam-dragon]

Rescue Bots: Swap AU

The 'bots are humans and the humans are 'bots. This is just the main four Rescue Bots and the Burns family. I might add other characters if this gets popular. But Optimus stays a Bot.

---

Human Heatwave:

Heath Wayne - Mixed: Cuban/Black - 23 - He/him - Bisexual

Born and raised in Griffin Rock. Only child. His parents were killed by burglars when he was twelve. Wound up being rescued. He was taken in by the Burnses, who were retired rescuers and childless. He got to do Teen Pioneers on the island. Just after he turned 18, he inherited the firehouse and trained to be a firefighter.

There was more of a rescue team before. They all either died, retired, or left. They thought "Heath Wayne" sounded like "Heatwave" so they started calling him that. He mentioned it one time around Blockade. Then he started using that since it was easier to remember. Gradually everyone started calling him Heatwave.

Human Chase:

Chase Dean - Mixed: White/Japanese- 23 - He/him - Homosexual

Born in Griffin Rock. Grew up an only child. Moved away as a toddler and didn't return until high school. He spent all of his years of school homeschooled. He went to real class in high school. Did Lad Pioneers on the mainland. Super autistic. Social cues? Never heard of her. He went to the police academy and quickly ranked up. When the running police cheif died on duty, he got the position.

The only one who uses his given name.

Human Boulder:

Pōhaku Akana - Hawiian - 22 - He/it - Panromantic/Ace spectrum

Born on the mainland. He was always huge into nature. Only child so he read and drew a lot. Was fascinated by plants. Did Lad Pioneers on the mainland. Moved to Griffin Rock when he was a high school junior. Then everyone kinda just did. He did online classes for college and has a degree in botany. Is going to Grimskey Tech as well. Passionate about everything. Joined the rescue team as an engineer but has gotten training to handle emergencies and stressful situations.

Nobody in school could pronounce his real name. The art teacher asked to call him Boulder and he agreed.

Human Blades:

Blaise Nuage - French - 21 - He/they - Panromantic/Demisexual

Grew up the middle child of five. The older sisters were Claudia (26, she/her) and Camille (24, she/they). The younger siblings were Olive (17, they/them) and Andre (15, he/she). He was babied by the older ones and he babies the younger ones. Their parents weren't that involved so Claudia was the responsible one. The siblings were all really close, growing up on the mainland. They moved to Griffin Rock when he was in middle school. Did Lad and Teen Pioneers on the island. He stayed when he graduated but the rest of the family moved back.

Blaise did pretty well in school and trained as a doctor for a short time. He hated flying but becoming an EMT helped him out in the field. He got familiar with one helicopter and got his pilot's license. Moved into the firehouse to join the team. They were content until the Bots showed up. Then things got weird.

Dartswift misheard his name as "Blades" so she called him that. It caught on with the team and soon all of Griffin Rock just knew him as Blades.

Bot Chief:

Strongshield - Blue - He/him - Straight Ally

The oldest of the team by a lot. His creators were Rescue Bots as well. They gave their Energon to a ship full of people and saved countless lives. He vowed to join the Rescue Bots in their honor. Strongshield used to have a different team but they all died on separate occasions. When he was done mourning he was put in charge of a group of young adults. He formed a close bond with each of them. He becomes a "father" figure to them all.

Chase told him about an officer he used to know named Charleston. He was the chief before he was shot. Strongshield decided he rather liked that name, so chase started calling him Charlie.

Bot Kade:

Blockade - Yellow - He/it - Bisexual

Trained to handle explosions and fires on Cybertron. His life-givers were both killed when he was a sparkling. He was raised in the Rescue Bots' base. He always admired Strongshield. He always blocked people out but made an exception when he met his team.

When he started calling Heath "Heatwave," Heath started calling him "Kade" for short. It was easier for both to remember.

Bot Dani:

Dartswift - Gray/Orange - She/her - Bisexual

Had a decent childhood on Cybertron. She played lots of sports. Was always into flying and had a flight mode before. Her carrier taught her about health so she learned medical procedures. She joined the Rescue Bots to put her talents to good use. Never had siblings and her relationship with her life givers wasn't good. They died when she was young and she spent the rest of her youth with the Rescue Bots.

Blaise started calling her Dani, after a character in a show they both liked.

Bot Graham:

Spectrogram- Blue-green - He/him - Bisexual

He grew up picked on a lot. He spent more time studying and experimenting than socializing. He never enjoyed nature. His creators never exactly cared for him. He found support and comfort in Strongshield. He joined the Rescue Bots as an engineer but almost failed the actual rescue training. Spectrogram ended up getting into Sigma 17 because Strongshield favored him among a group.

Boulder, and eventually everyone, start calling him "Gram" for short. Somehow it got spelled "Graham" and they went with it.

Bot Cody:

Codebreaker - Brown/Green - He/him - Polysexual

Spent his first years on Cybertron. When he was a sparkling his creators took him on a trip to another solar system while working. They died during this and codebreaker wound up safe in stasis. The Rescue Bots found and kept him. They never got him back to Cybertron.

He was kept with the team. Optimus found a small buggy for him to scan. He wants to be a racecar. Optimus and Strongshield won't let him. Boulder just kinda started calling him Cody because it sounded right. It caught on pretty quick.

[itscomingupaces]

Of the quarry counselors, who do you think is good or bad at dancing and what types of dances do you think they'd like?

Oh this is fun!

Ryan - I feel like Ryan feels awkward dancing around other people, and so pretends to be bad or not know how to dance. His grandparents taught him simple older dances like the waltz, and he taught himself some dances (I think @chrashley had the headcanon that he taught himself kpop group choreo and I can see it).

Dylan - I am torn between this man tearing up the dance floor and being completely unable to dance. Like maybe he has natural rhythm but doesn't know what to do with it. He gives it his all whenever Mr Brightside comes on though.

Kaitlyn - I feel like Kaitlyn did ballet as a kid, hated it, and then switched to hip hop before she got out of dance to pursue martial arts or track. She kept up her flexibility though and loves to show it off when given the opportunity.

Emma - Emma strikes me as the dance competition kid. She danced all through high school and was probably on her university dance team her first year of undergrad. She knows every viral tiktok dance and teaches the kids at camp.

Abi - She just sways her hips or bounces to the beat, but she gets too anxious to try anything more complicated around others. In her bedroom though she is perfecting the Charleston and pretends she is at those old-timey clubs where they actually dance like this.

Jacob - This man jumps and fist pumps and that is all dancing is to him. He will step on your toes if you try to dance with him. He is very enthusiastic about songs that tell you how to dance (cupid shuffle, cha cha slide, etc).

Nick - I believe this man is a very good dancer. He is an enigma to me so I feel like he could have done ballroom dancing as a hobby, and really knows how to tango. Perfect wedding date. Will dip you.

Laura - Laura can do the Hoedown Throwdown like nobody's business. I don't think she has any training but she is observant enough to watch what other people are doing and emulate it enough that she is a pretty good dancer at a party.

Max - Max has two left feet, he really is not a good dancer. But the few times he does dance he is so genuine and excited to dance that anyone around him can't help but smile. He likes to spin Laura and dances to pop songs like Ed Sheeran.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

[TW: Corporal Punishment, Child Abuse, Child Neglect. Cruel and Unusual Punishment Of A Minor]

Molly Parker and Beth Hundsdorfer at Capitol News Illinois, via ProPublica:

It was on L.J.’s 11th birthday, in December 2022, that child welfare workers finally took him away. They arrived at his central Illinois home to investigate an abuse allegation and decided on the spot to remove the boy along with his baby brother and sister — the “Irish twins,” as their parents called them. His mother begged to keep the children while her boyfriend told child welfare workers and the police called to the scene that they could take L.J.: “You wanna take someone? Take that little motherfucker down there or wherever the fuck he is at. I’ve been trying to get him out of here for a long time.” By that time, L.J. told authorities he hadn’t been in a classroom for years, according to police records. First came COVID-19. Then, in August 2021 when he was going to have to repeat the third grade, his mother and her boyfriend decided that L.J. would be homeschooled and that they would be his teachers. In an instant, his world shrank to the confines of a one-bedroom apartment in the small Illinois college town of Charleston — no teachers, counselors or classmates.

In that apartment, L.J. would later tell police, he was beaten and denied food: Getting leftovers from the refrigerator was punishable by a whipping with a belt; sass was met with a slap in the face. L.J. told police he got no lessons or schoolwork at home. Asked if he had learned much, L.J. replied, “Not really.” Reporters are using the first and middle initials of the boy, who is now 12 and remains in state custody, to protect his identity. While each state has different regulations for homeschooling — and most of them are relatively weak — Illinois is among a small minority that places virtually no rules on parents who homeschool their children: The parents aren’t required to register with any governmental agency, and no tests are required. Under Illinois law, they must provide an education equivalent to what is offered in public schools, covering core subjects like math, language arts, science and health. But parents don’t have to have a high school diploma or GED, and state authorities cannot compel them to demonstrate their teaching methods or prove attendance, curriculum or testing outcomes.

The Illinois State Board of Education said in a statement that regional education offices are empowered by Illinois law to request evidence that a family that homeschools is providing an adequate course of instruction. But, the spokesperson said, their “ability to intervene can be limited.” Educational officials say this lack of regulation allows parents to pull vulnerable children like L.J. from public schools then not provide any education for them. They call them “no schoolers.” No oversight also means children schooled at home lose the protections schools provide, including teachers, counselors, coaches and bus drivers — school personnel legally bound to report suspected child abuse and neglect. Under Illinois law, parents may homeschool even if they would be disqualified from working with youth in any other setting; this includes parents with violent criminal records or pending child abuse investigations, or those found to have abused children in the past.

The number of students from preschool to 12th grade enrolled in the state’s public schools has dropped by about 127,000 since the pandemic began. Enrollment losses have outpaced declines in population, according to a report by Advance Illinois, a nonprofit education policy and advocacy organization. And, despite conventional wisdom, the drop was also not the result of wealthier families moving their children to private schools: After the pandemic, private school enrollment declined too, according to the same report.

In the face of this historic exodus from public schools, Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica set out to examine the lack of oversight by education and child welfare systems when some of those children disappear into families later accused of no-schooling and, sometimes, abuse and neglect. Reporters found no centralized system for investigating homeschooling concerns. Educational officials said they were ill equipped to handle cases where parents are accused of neglecting their children’s education. They also said the state’s laws made it all but impossible to intervene in cases where parents claim they are homeschooling. Reporters also found that under the current structure, concerns about homeschooling bounce between child welfare and education authorities, with no entity fully prepared to step in.

“Although we have parents that do a great job of homeschooling, we have many ‘no schoolers’” said Angie Zarvell, superintendent of a regional education office about 100 miles southwest of Chicago that covers three counties and 23 school districts. “The damage this is doing to small rural areas is great. These children will not have the basic skills needed to be contributing members of society.” Regional education offices, like the one Zarvell oversees, are required by law to identify children who are truant and try to help get them back into school. But once parents claim they are homeschooling, “our hands are tied,” said Superintendent Michelle Mueller, whose regional office is located about 60 miles north of St. Louis. Even the state’s child welfare agency can do little: Reports to its child abuse hotline alleging that parents are depriving their children of an education have multiplied, but the Department of Children and Family Services doesn’t investigate schooling matters. Instead, it passes reports to regional education offices. [...]

There’s no way to determine the precise number of children who are homeschooled. In 2022, 4,493 children were recorded as withdrawn to homeschool, a number that is likely much higher because Illinois doesn’t require parents to register homeschooled children. That is a little more than double the number a decade before. In late fall of 2020, L.J. was one of the kids who slipped out of school. After a roughly five-month hiatus from the classroom during the pandemic, L.J.’s school resumed in-person classes. The third grader, however, was frequently absent. At home, tensions ran high. In the 640-square-foot apartment, L.J.’s mother, Ashley White, and her boyfriend, Brian Anderson, juggled the demands of three children including two born just about 10 months apart. White, now 31, worked at a local fast-food restaurant. Anderson, now 51, who uses a wheelchair, had applied for disability payments. Anderson doesn’t have a valid driver’s license. The family lived in a subsidized housing complex for low-income seniors and people with disabilities.

In an interview with reporters in late February, 14 months after L.J. had been taken into custody by the state, the couple offered a range of explanations for why he hadn’t been in school. L.J. had been suspended and barred from returning, they said, though school records show no expulsion. They also said they had tried to put L.J. in an alternative school for children with special needs, but he didn’t have a diagnosis that qualified him to attend. The couple made clear they believed that L.J. was a problem child who could get them in trouble; they said they thought he could get them sued. In the interview, Anderson called L.J. a pathological liar, a thief and a bad kid. “I have 11 kids, never had a problem with any of them, never,” Anderson said. “I’ve never had a problem like this,” he said of L.J. The boy, he said, lacked discipline and continued to get “worse and worse and worse every year” he’d known him.

To support the idea that L.J. was combative, White provided a copy of a screenshot taken from a school chat forum in which the boy cursed at his schoolmates. At the end of the school year, in spring 2021, the principal told White and Anderson that the boy would have to repeat the third grade. Rather than have L.J. held back, the couple pulled him out of school to homeschool. They didn’t have to fill out any paperwork or give a reason. On any given day in Illinois, a parent can make that same decision. That’s due to a series of court and legislative decisions that strengthened parents’ rights against state interference in how they educate their children.

[...] Faced with cases of truancy or educational neglect, county prosecutors can press charges against parents. But if they do, parents can lean on Illinois’ parental protections when they defend themselves in court from a truancy charge. [...] More recently, the ISBE made one more decision to loosen the monitoring of parents who homeschool: For years, school districts and regional offices distributed voluntary registration forms to families who homeschool, some of whom returned them. Then last year, the state agency told those regional offices that they no longer had to send those forms to ISBE.

[...] Over the years, the legislature has taken up proposals to strengthen the state’s oversight of homeschooling. In 2011, lawmakers considered requiring parents to notify their local school districts of their intent to homeschool, and in 2019 they considered calling for DCFS to inspect all homeschools and have ISBE approve their curriculum. Each time, however, the state’s strong homeschooling lobby, mostly made up of religious-based organizations, stepped in. This March, under sponsorship of the Illinois Christian Home Educators, homeschoolers massed at the state Capitol as they have for decades for Cherry Pie Day, bringing pies to each of the state’s 177 lawmakers. Kirk Smith, the organization’s executive director and former public school teacher, summed up his group’s appeal to lawmakers: “All we want is to be left alone. And Illinois has been so good. We have probably the best state in the nation to homeschool.”

This @capitolnewsil / @propublica story on how a set of parents decided to homeschool one of their kids, and it served as a crude excuse to abuse and torment that child.

This is one of the reasons why regulation-free homeschooling is a bad idea, and there ought to be some common sense regulations on homeschooling.

The main reason why Illinois remains regulation-free for homeschooling is the homeschooling lobby, which is disproportionately dominated by conservative evangelical/fundamentalist Protestants.

[lboogie1906]

Georgette Seabrooke (aka Georgette Seabrooke Powell; August 2, 1916 – December 27, 2011) was a muralist, artist, illustrator, art therapist, non-profit chief executive, and educator. She is known for her 1936 mural, Recreation in Harlem at Harlem Hospital, which was restored and put on public display in 2012 after being hidden from view for many years.

She was born in Charleston, South Carolina, the only child of George and Anna Seabrooke. Her family moved to New York City in 1920. George, a restaurant and hotel owner. Her mother was a domestic housekeeper. She studied at the Harlem Art Workshop.

She was admitted to the prestigious Cooper Union School of Art in New York, where she received the school’s Silver Medal, its highest honor, for a painting entitled “Church Scene.” She had been painting and drawing images of “Black American lifestyles and African symbolism”. Cooper Union denied her her diploma for what it said at the time was incomplete work, it invited her back to honor her achievements. She was presented with a lifetime achievement award, the school considers her a member of its class of 1937.

She was chosen by the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration as one of four “master artists” to paint murals at Harlem Hospital. She received a WPA commission to paint a mural at Queens General Hospital.

She married Dr. George Wesley Powell (1939-1959). They had three children. She illustrated calendars and magazines and she studied theater design at Fordham University.

She founded Operation Heritage Art Center. She became a registered art therapist, she earned her BFA from Howard University She was very active in combining art with mental health therapy, teaching at a series of events known as “Art in the Park”. She painted a series of portraits of homeless men and women which emphasized their plight. She traveled to Lagos to represent the US at the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture.

Her work appeared in 72 major exhibitions (1933-2003) in the US, Senegal, Venezuela, and Nigeria. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[alldancersaretalented]

Dancers You Might Know That Competed Against ALDC (Dance Moms) - Season 3

Season 3 Episode 1 In10sity Dance Denver 2012

Gianina was in this episode as a cameo

ALDC does not appear on any official results for In10sity Denver 2012 or 2013

Season 3 Episode 2 Xpression Fort Wayne 2012

Ally Serigne came in 2nd in Teen Solos

other well known studios: Tr!ve Dance Company

Season 3 Episode 3 In10Sity Dance Youngstown 2012

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode 4 Dance Troupe Greensboro 2012

Season 3 Episode 5 In10Sity Dance Invitational Woodbridge 2012

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode 6 On Stage America, Voorhees 2012

Nick Daniels placed 1st in Junior Advanced Solo with "Ordinary People" (Encore PAC), and 4th with his other solo "Extreme Effects!" (Art of Gymnastics and Cheer), he competed under two different studios - He placed ahead of Nia (didn't place) Chloe (10th) and Kendall (9)

Nick Daniels Group "The 151st Psalm" (Art of Gymnastics and Cheer) came in 3rd behind CADC (2nd) and ALDC (1st)

other well known studios: Jamie's Dance Odyssey

Season 3 Episode 7 WILD Dance Intensive Detroit 2012

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode 8 In10sity Dance Ft. Lauderdale 2012

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode 9 Xpression St. Louis 2012

Season 3 Episode 10 Xpression Bernardsville 2012

Season 3 Episode 11 In10sity Minneapolis 2013

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode 12 POWERHOUSE Cincinnati 2013

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode 13 Xpression Grand Rapids 2013

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode 14 Energy Dance Highland 2013

Mari Dudash (CADC Dancer later on) places 4th ("Hollywood") and 5th ("Titanium") in Energy Junior Solo under Dance Grosse Ile

Ava Cota ("My Prayer", BDA) places 1st in Energy Junior Solos and wins title

other well known studios: Karen's School of Dance

Season 3 Episode 15 POWERHOUSE Philadelphia 2013

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode 16 Energy Youngstown 2013

Mari Dudash (Dance Grosse Ile) places 3rd ("Titanium") and 4th ("Hollywood") behind Chloe (2nd) and Maddie (1st)

Sammie Lenzi (RDP Dance Center) places 1st in Energy Petite Solo and wins title, the following season she switched to ALDC

Season 3 Episode 18 Masters of Dance Arts Bernardsville 2013

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode 22 Masters of Dance Arts Coraopolos 2013

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode 23 POWERHOUSE Fort Wayne 2013

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode 24 Dance USA Youngstown 2013

competition created just for dance moms

Bryant Culler (CADC later on) performs solo

Season 3 Episode 25 Masters of Dance Arts Columbus 2013

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode 28 In10sity Dance Syracuse 2013

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode 31 Believe Lancester 2013

Haley Huelsman competes under Jennifer Napolitano SoPA, comes in 5th with her solo "Gypsy" behind Maddie (1st)

Haley comes in 3rd for title with her other solo "August Rush", behind Maddie who comes in 1st

Jade Cloud (Select Team, New England Dance) comes in first in Power Solo 12-14 with "Vengeance"

other well known studios: Dance Dynamics, New England Dance and Gymnastic Centers

Season 3 Episode 32 Xpression Orlando 2013

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode 33 Believe Sandusky 2013

Season 3 Episode 34 Masters of Dance Arts Charleston 2013

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode 35 POWERHOSE LV 2013

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode 36 In10sity Dance Buffalo 2013

competition created just for dance moms

Season 3 Episode Masters of Dance Arts New Orleans 2013

competition created just for dance moms

[jules-has-notes]

2019 VoicePlay winter travels — let it snow, make it rain, feel the love

After a reasonably busy autumn and holiday season, VoicePlay eased into the new year by spending a little more time with their families. Then they got back to work with new musical arrangements, ambitious music video projects, and live shows.

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On the road again

As they did for many years, the boys began their travels with a trip to New York for the annual Association of Performing Arts Professionals conference. They did some networking with other artists, and performed a showcase set to allow potential bookers to see what they have to offer.

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During the few days they had at home, J.None and sound guy Paul released an original song they'd been working on. Then VoicePlay hit the road again for a weekend in Indiana.

First up was a return to the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, where they'd last played three years earlier. An unexpected joy of the night was meeting a couple dozen high school singers from a town just across the state line in Illinois, who were brought by their teachers.

Terre Haute show — photo by Nancy Mongomery // choral students from Charleston (Illinois) High School — photo from the Journal Gazette & Times Courier

The following day, they drove up to Wabash for their next concert. Sadly, they had to hurry to the airport right after the show rather than doing the usual meet-and-greet, lest a nasty winter storm prevent them from getting home.

Wabash, IN show — photo by Carolyn Schult

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While they were home for the week, Layne and Tony finished up a fun video that PattyCake had produced for YouTuber Danny Gonzalez. On the VoicePlay side of things, Eli did an interview with a reporter from the Kitsap Sun about the group's origins and performance philosophy in advance of their two upcoming shows in western Washington state.

When the weekend rolled around, the boys took to the skies again. They started in Bellingham, near the Canadian border, then scooted down Puget Sound to Bremerton.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by J.None 🧈🎶 🎙📝🎬🎹🎸📽🤣 (@itsjnone)

While the other guys headed home again, Eli met up with Ashley and popped over to Seattle to begin their anniversary vacation travels.

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Night out, night in

In the middle of the week, J.None headed over to Clearwater to see a gaggle of friends. Echo were the local openers for DCappella at the second stop on their national tour. That allowed J to reunite with his colleagues in the first-wave DCap cast and musical director Deke Sharon, and let beatboxer Antonio Fernandez spend a night with his former bandmates.

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Meanwhile, Layne spent the evening at home doing a bit of culinary experimentation, using advice from fitness enthusiast Earl.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Layne Stein (@laynestein)

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Love is in the air

Over the next week, VoicePlay spent several days capturing footage for their first music video of the year, an expanded version of "Grow Old With You" from The Wedding Singer.

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They like us!

The end of the month brought a lovely surprise when the nominees for the Shorty Awards were announced. VoicePlay found themselves in fine company for the Best YouTube Musician category.

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Doing the work

February was comparatively quiet as the fellas worked on various projects that were in progress and planned for the months ahead. J.None played a few events with Paradigm Party Band, including a laser-tastic gig for Google at the House of Blues.

Later in the month, VoicePlay headed to the REBL HQ studio at Full Sail University for a day to film two new videos for their PartWork series. First up was ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky", which they'd been performing at live shows for a while. The second was a full version of "Any Way You Want It" by Journey. Fans had been requesting that for several years, since they'd included a portion of it in the polyphony section of "Don't Stop Believin'".

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Puttin' on the glitz

March started off swanky, as the guys were part of the entertainment for a gala / charity fundraiser in advance of the grand opening of a new IPIC movie theater in Delray Beach. Some other acts for the night were the lovely ladies of The American Sirens (who VoicePlay and PattyCake fans might recognize) and Rockette-style dancers from Zhantra Events.

photos courtesy of The American Sirens

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Congratulations all around

A few days later, Eli returned to the Full Sail campus to help their buddy Rek Dunn celebrate finishing his degree.

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And a few days after that, the boys were very pleased to learn that they'd advanced to the final round of their category for the Shorty Awards.

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That's a wrap

On the video production front, Layne and Tony finished up their next PattyCake project, a Disney-fied version of Maroon 5's "Girls Like You" featuring a cavalcade of animated ladies.

Then VoicePlay gathered at Rayne's Room to record their next "Aca Top 10" video, themed around Disney villains.

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Rollin', rollin', rollin'

In the middle of the month, VoicePlay hit the road once more, starting with a workshop and concert in Harrisburg, PA.

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Over the weekend, J.None and his family popped down to Tampa to support his Americal Idol buddy Clark Beckham at his album release show. J even jumped on stage for a song or two.

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The next week, they headed back to the Rockies for another high-altitude concert in Beaver Creek, CO. The air was still a bit thin, but that was balanced by getting to see their artist friend Leon.

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Their final gig of the season was closer to home, just a quick drive down to Naples, FL. In a fun coincidence, Layne's brother- and sister-in-law also had a show in town with their band on the same night, so the two groups met up for dinner.

backstage smiles // post-show dinner with family

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Fingers crossed

The cherry on top of a fun weekend was receiving two nominations for the A Cappella Music Awards. The five of them were up for Best Pop Group, and Earl was in the running for Best Male Vocalist. Several of their friends were also nominated in other categories, which gave them even more to root for.

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All in all, the year was off to a pretty great start. There was plenty more fun to come, but that's a tale for another time.

[harriswalz4usabybr]

Monday, August 12, 2024 - Tim Walz

This is the ‘official’ schedule of Tim Walz s today on the campaign trail. With some added detail for press purposes. Additionally, the Governor is traveling with Maryland's Governor, Wes Moore on this trip to gain some valuable insight into the region while traveling and meeting with voters. 

Governor Walz will be taking part in three events across the state of West Virginia. The Harris-Walz campaign is highly invested in the region, as we know that there are many policies of the democratic platform—especially those dealing with climate change and labor—fragrantly disregard the region or cause harm. We want to make sure the region is continually invested in and that our policies are better explained or changed if they are causing harm.

Event #1 (Morgantown, WV) Event Location: West Virginia University Event Type: Get Out the Vote Event Event Time: 9:00-11:30 ET

Event #2 (Morgantown, WV) Event Location: The Art Museum at WVU Event Type: Educator's Dinner with Discussion Event Time: 12:00-3:00 ET *Note this event has a target audience of 150 attendees who are school district superintendents and principals as well as teachers who have completed 20 years of service. These educators will come from across the state!

Event #3 (Charleston, WV) Event Location: GoMart Ballpark Event Type: Community Event Event Time: 6:00-10:00 ET

Morgantown, WV Event #1 - This event is focused on voter registration and voter turnout. Speech will be posted shortly. Event#2 - This event is similar to the events hosted in Montana and Idaho over the weekend. As an educator, Governor Walz is passionate about hearing from educators and how the Harris-Walz can implement changes to aide them in their daily ventures.

Charleston, WV These event is focused on interacting with the community, food trucks will be present as will other carnival-esque type activities. This event will allow for Governor Walz to directly interact with voters and have personalized conversations with them and document their concerns. This will also be an opportunity for Governor Moore to gain valuable stories to better serve the region.

~BR~

[alphaman99]

Art promoting

Daniela Astone ( b.1980 Pisa )grew upon in the sea-town of PortoSanto Stefano ,Italy, formally began studying art at the age of 14 in the High School of Arts in Grosseto.

After graduating in 1998 she moved to Florence to study Illustration at the international school of comix, in her second year she started to work indipendently for several editors and in the studio of illustration Inklink.

At the age of 21 Daniela decided to change direction and to re-start studing drawing and paint from life at The Florence Academy of Art under the direction of Daniel Graves.

She began to teach to the younger students in the Academy when she was in her second year , she graduated in 2004 with the end of the year award , but she continued to work as a principal teacher for the Florence Academy of art .

In 2005 she had her first and very successful Solo show at the Ann Long Fine Art Gallery in Charleston so she decided to build up a studio in the Tuscany countryside.

In 2013 Daniela became the director of the intermediate program at The Florence Academy of Art , entered in the BP award in London and recived a honorable mention from the Mod Portrait award,Spain .

Her work has exhibited internationally and in 2016 it became part of the permanent collection of MACS ,the Contemporary Art Museum in Sicily.

She also collaborated with Tiac ,China with Liveandlearn ,Thailand ,with Streamline , East Oaks Studio and teaches workshops of landscape painting in her studio-house in Chianti Tuscany and around the world.

In 2019 together with Gaia Grazioli she curated the Show “Corpo a Corpo” in the Museum of Villa Bardini in Florence thanks to Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze and Carlo Sisi.

[renee-writer]

What If It Were Brian Chapter Thirty-eight

AO3

She cradles Julia Janet Elizabeth in her arms. She makes funny faces as she adjusts to being out of her mam. Brian ‘s wife was safely delivered just an hour ago. Elizabeth now sleeps, her husband by her side.

 

“My darling, you are so loved, you know that? By your mam and daddy, myself and your papa, your uncle, aunt, and cousins, and your Godfather, Murtagh.”

 

Murtagh was everyone’s Godfather. When the priest arrives from Charleston, he will have quite the job with the christening. Fergus and his bride have four with one on the way and now sweet Julia.

 

She looks like Brian, and therefore like Jamie. Her mam has black hair and she wondered if the child would as well. Jamie’s  genes are strong and Julia is fated to be a ginger.

 

“It isn’t to bad, sweet lamb. All the tenants will know at a glance, who you belong to.”

 

Fraser’s Ridge is a thriving community. They have a school, a blacksmith, a Kirk, and a pub.

 

“All the necessities,” as Jamie puts it. Now it has Brian and Elizabeth ‘s daughter.

 

She smiles recalling her son’s reaction. “I fear I will break her.” He said at first being handed her.

 

“You won’t .” His mama assured him.

 

She will recall the look on his face always. The awe and wonder as he cradles his daughter. Fergus has the same look at holding Germain, then Joanie, Felecia, and John- Henri.

 

“Your uncle needs more to do,” she tells her latest grandchild, “Every time he looks towards your Auntie Marsali, she gets pregnant.”

 

The baby yawns. Her granny laughs.

 

Olivia, at least, was yet to be married.  Not that there weren’t  lads seeking the privilege. As yet, none had passed Jamie’s standards. At sixteen, it is only a matter of time.

 

“Your Auntie Olivia is going to adore you. She loves babies.”

 

Olivia spends a lot of time at Fergus and Marsali ‘s helping with the babies.

 

“Good training for her.” Brian said. He knows all his sister wants to be is a wife and mam. She lost interest in the healing arts when she discovered lads. Thankfully, there is a young lady, Sara, that Claire is training.

 

“For when I can’t do it anymore.”

 

“Och Sassanach, you are turning pleasantly grey. You are just coming into your power.”

 

She laughs at recalling. “Your papa still remains in awe of me.”

 

“And always will.” He enters and kneels down beside his wife and granddaughter, “oh she is a true beauty.”

 

She transfers the baby to him. “She looks like Brian as a newborn.”

 

He grins. “Welcome to Fraser’s Ridge, sweet lass.”

 

The end.

[9teenninety5]

16 Questions // Tagged by @9-wing-1 :))))

Are you named after anyone?

My mom liked the name and spelling of Hayley bc of Hayley Mills. Mae is my great-grandma's middle name.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Umm probably like two days ago lol

3. Do you have kids?

Just my Bammy. Love kids but love my potential kids too much to ever birth them.. so, not happening. Plus I couldn't imagine not being able to blast my music whenever I wanted, could never do 10 years of Kids Bop. Aunty life 5ever!!

4. What sports do you play/ Have you played?

LOL played softball when I was in kindergarten. Floor hockey was my fav in PE. I loooooove swimming. Does dancing count? Love that too.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Probably if someone is sassing me. Not usually.

6. What is the first thing you notice about people?

Their energy. It's always refreshing to be in the presence of sweeties but a lot of people are weird af. Physically? Shoes

7. What's your eye color?

Blue, like a boring blue. Although one of them has a lil green, can't remember which.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Depends. I prefer shitty endings tbh. I like to be fcked up when I watch something lol. Scary movies are only good if they're psychologically thrilling or incredibly cheesey. Happy ending movies are nice when you're cuddly in blankies during the day and it's raining outside.

9. Any talents?

I'm really good at floating in the pool, people tell me this so I'm not just making it up. I'm also not a horrid singer but only the shower will get that out of me. Oh and I'm also really good at spotting random animals from afar, I don't really know how to explain this one.

10. Where were you born?

Chesapeake, VA. I have been chained to the 757 my whole life except in first grade my mom moved us to Charleston, SC for a year.

11. What are your hobbies?

I could've copied his answer but.. walking nature trails, going to shows, going to museums, estate sales/thrifting/yard sales, buying art supplies that collect dust bc my creative juices have left me, going dancing, singing, designing houses on Sims or roomtodo, melting into a bed, loving on my Bammy.

12. Do you have any pets?

Bam aka my loverkinz

13. How tall?

5'3 shawty. Used to be 5'4 but I shrank bc I stopped stretching after high school PE class :D

14. Favorite subject in school?

Art all day, hate math

15. Dream Job?

When I was a kid I wanted to be a realtor just so I could look at houses all day. Now, I think it'd be fun to be a kindergarten teacher or own a big wildlife sanctuary.

16. What animals do you identify as your familiar?

Otters aka kitties of the sea

tagging @inlovewetrust555 :)

[lycanthian]

blaseball.

a eulogy, of sorts.

(cw for mentions if suicide under the cut)

blaseball was my solace.

my only source of warmth by any definition in the cold (both literally and figuratively) of november 2020. that year was desolate. it was freezing.

i joined blaseball at the suggestion of, who was at the time an acquaintance, at the tail end of season eleven. i was skeptical, but latched onto the shoe thieves.

the season ended, and i spent the entire grand siesta researching just about every single thing that had ever happened in the game to that point. i was neck deep on hyperfixation, with no clue as to how deep that love would become.

blaseball helped me through a really hard time. in the years 2019-2020, i was a high school freshman navigating a brand new setting with hardly anyone i knew. being hit with quarantine was, possibly, the worst thing that could have happened to me. it was awful knowing that i spent so much energy making new friends only to be forced away from them, many of which not only cutting contact but dropping out or moving away.

i had to make new friends again when we came back. blaseball was one of the only ways i knew how. i spent lunches upon lunches of discussing everything that was happening and everything lored by the community. it helped me connect with people when connection was hard to come across.

(heres where we get into the cw a bit)

blaseball was an escape.

2020 and 2021 were shitty, shitty years.

covid aside, my mental health was at an all time low. i managed to keep going because of blaseball. it distracted me from the horrors of the world.

being cooped up made our already tense family life worse. my parents were at each others throats near constantly. they were at my brothers throats near constantly. my brothers were at each others throats near constantly.

when i started going back to school in person, covid was still rampant. shootings were picking up more and more, especially in my state.

blaseball, the act of being able to invest myself in it, was what kept me from doomspiraling for months on end.

im surprised i survived quarantine. if it werent for the community blaseball gave me, i dont think i would be here today to tell this story.

the community that blaseball gave me was extemely supportive and actually instrumental to my beginning to love and learn more about myself.

if i never got that opportunity, i think i very well would have offed myself by now. i mean, with the stress of school and the shitty world outside mixing with the added stress of having to witness both of my brothers' attempts... its hard not to to understand at least a bit

i dont think about it often. i never have. but the way stress has been piling on since that quarantine started, blaseball was the one escape from all that stress.

and for that, im grateful. ive met so many wonderful people here.

ive touched and been touched by so many amazing pieces of art, literature, and music.

my self image wouldnt be where it is today without the support of members of the shoe thieves communities.

my art wouldnt be anywhere near the skill level it is now if i didnt become obsessed with these players.

im sad to see it go this way, dying to the same corporate scope creep that it warned against, but i understand why it had to go.

am i mad about this outcome? yes. absolutely.

but

im grateful for everything that blaseball was able to do for me.

the ending is bittersweet, but i want to say thank you.

thank you to my great friend callie who i dont even know will see this for introducing this wild game to me.

thank you to the fans who worked behind the scenes for hours to archive and record past events so people like me could get up to speed.

thank you to all the amazingly talented artists, writers, and musicians in the fanbase who have created many of the most wonderful, inspirational pieces that rarely leave my mind to this day.

thank you to all of the charleston shoe thieves fans, past and present, for cultivating one of the most diverse, welcoming, and absolutely diehard loving communities ive ever been a part of and giving me a home for when my own was too much for me.

thank you to all of blaseblr, especially my friends and mutuals, who listen to me rant endlessly about my shoe thieves blorbos that most people know nothing about.

and finally, thank you to the game band for creating this absolutely eldritch beast of a project. it changed my life for the better. it has inspired me to do things ive never considered before, and it as well as the fanbase has drastically fundamentally altered who i am as a person.

we stole shoes. we fought gods. we raised the dead. we sucked really hard. we partied until we died. and then partied more. and we won the championships.

👐🏋️‍♀️🔥🍗🐅🔱

🥧📱🛠️🥩🎸💋

🌷🌞🌮🚤🕵️‍♂️🪱

🍬🌴🗣️👟✨🦀

many teams, one league.

[orcaoceanking]

Main Characters:

⭐Shing (Neo) Yu

Asian. Half Chinese half Vietnamese. Male. Age:15 Height: 5'8 eyes:brown. hair:black birthday: July 16th.

Mild autism. Speech impediment stutters. Hard headed, gets mad and frustrated easily. Serious overprotective type of guy. Only let's his guard down with his close friends.

Struggles with academics. Has a scar above his eyebrow

Interests: wrestling, martial arts. Video games.

Parents

🌀Father: Guan Yu

Age: 40 height: 5'9

Strict father.

Martial arts teacher. Owns a training studio for his students. Wants his son to be the best. Named his son Neo from the matrix

🌀Mother :Kieu Vu

Age: 36 height: 5'2

Carefree loving mother. Owns a hair salon. Loves her children

⭐ Lisa (neos younger sister)

Age: 12 height: 4'5 eyes: hazel

Birthday: January 29

Interests: singing, dancing, cut fashion. Has a crush on Neo's close friend Raphael but he only sees her like a little sister. She likes to hang around the guys

⭐ Raphael (Raph) Johnson

Age 15 African American half Russian.

Height: 5'6 age:15 eyes:brown

Has a hard relationship with his father. Only child. His mother (Dariya) died when he was 10 in a shooting. She saved his life and he hid under her body. Remembers it everyday.

Interests: playing music. Guitar. Wants to be in a band. Likes to play songs with Neo's sister who likes to sing. Average grades.

🌀 Darrel Johnson

Age: 40. African American. Height: 6'1

Police officer. Strict on his son and enforces the laws. Single father. Wants his son to be successful and go to college and not focus on music as a career. Has a beef with Neo's dad Guan. They use to fight each other when they were teenagers over a girl Darrel's wife who died.

⭐Adrien Bartkowski

Height 6'1 age:15. Caucasian. polish.

Eyes: blue. Hair: curly brown.

The youngest child of 2 older sisters in college. They treat him like a little kid and spoil him. Very smart and intelligent. Academic scholar strives for success. Helps the guys with homework and even helps them cheat on test. Is a smooth talker. Very mature for his age. Level headed the leader of the group but also lacks the strength and energy. Lives with his father.

°Mary (20) goes to a nearby university studying Forensics.

°Ashley (23) lives in New York city works as a waitress lives with her boyfriend Tyler (25) who is a Store manager. She study to be nurse. Only comes visit family on the holidays.

Parents

Father

🌀Mandek Bartkowski

Age:45 height: 5'11

Works as a construction worker. Is good friends with Darrel they see each other and talk on lunch breaks.

Mandek likes to watch sports and TV. They get together with other guys on night out at bars and drink together.

Easy going father but also gets drunk a lot. Divorced from his wife Amelia.

🌀 Amelia

Age: 43 height: 5'7

Divorced her husband because he drinks too much they divorced 5 years ago. She lives in New Jersey close to Ashley. Works an office job. Lives alone with 2 cats and plants.

Other characters

Coach Charleston :

Neos wrestling coach gets on his ass about his grades and pushing him to reach state championship. Has a secret sexual relationship with a senior student.

Mr. Kline

Math teacher who doesn't care if his students cheat on their tests. Talks about how the education system is flawed and thinks it's better to work together then against each other and compete.

Principle Walker

African American. Age 42

Went to highschool with Darrel and Guan. Older than Guan and was on the wrestling team had a big rivalry.

Is a smart mouth talker. Finds any reason for Neo to get in trouble to have a talk with his dad and hurt his chances to compete.

Officer Chester

Age: 41 height 5'10

Darrel's police partner in crime. Often. Shows up at the school for anything. Gives Raph and the boys a ride sometimes. Taught them how to shoot a gun.

Otis:

Height: 5'9 eyes: green hair: black Neo's rival and enemy. Also trains with Neo's father on his off season in the summer time. Wants to prove he's better than Neo. Always gets under his skin. A player who flirts around with all the girls.

Mrs. Parry

Science teacher very passionate about her job tries to give the best advice she can to her students. Her husband Tyler Parry is a bartender at the local bar down the street from school. Their son Alex (12)

has a crush on Lisa

Alex Parry

Age:12 height:4'7 eyes: brown hair:brown

A trouble maker

Christina Tao

Height: 5'4

Female student having relationship with coach Charleston. A good person but also confused on what she wants to do in life. Doesn't really talk much to other people .

Tiffany Jenkins

Age: 15 Height 5'7 eyes: blue hair:red.

A ginger girl in competition with Adrien to be student council class president. A try to be know it all. Very sassy. Her two friends Jenny and Allison follow her to be class Queen.

[lboogie1906]

Perry Watkins (April 13, 1907 - August 14, 1974) was the first African American set designer on Broadway. He was a stage painter, makeup and costume artist, producer, and film art director.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, he attended Hope High School where he and a friend hand-wrote and decorated a daily newspaper called “The Foolscape.” Awarded a scholarship to study art at the Rhode Island School of Design, he studied figure drawing and still life.

Despite having his paintings displayed at the Springfield Museum and the Providence Art Club, he struggled financially and worked as a waiter, chauffeur, insurance salesman, reporter, draftsman, and commercial illustrator. He applied to the Federal Theatre Project with a sample production and was employed.

Starting as a stagehand and becoming assistant technical director at Lafayette Theatre, he began a flurry of work, painting drops, dying costumes, and operating the lighting for Macbeth, designing sets for The Case of Philip Lawrence, Haiti, Plays of the Sea and Horse Play, as well as designing the costumes for Androcles and the Lion. He created sets for Mississippi Rainbow for the Chicago Negro Unit of the FTP and for the Los Angeles Negro Unit’s revival of Run Little Chillun!

He made a breakthrough, becoming the first Black Broadway set designer when he was commissioned for Mamba’s Daughters. He was permitted to take the drafting and art exam for admission into the Set Designer’s Union. He passed it easily and became the first African American to be admitted. He taught in the Rose McClendon Workshop Theatre and the following year designed the set for the revival of The Big White Fog at Lincoln Theatre.

In 1944 he served as the assistant technical director for Walk Hard, which was shown in Harlem and on Broadway. He co-produced Beggar’s Holiday. It was a success, showing one hundred and eight performances.

He ventured into film and television, working on art direction and design for films such as Hercules in New York, Come Back, Charleston Blue, Across 110th Street, and Gordon’s War. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[chloe--bug]

40 days and 40 nights for a period that makes me see god

I’m in my parents’ backyard in Texas, watching the sunlight filter through the branches of this big oak tree that must’ve seen a thousand lives before me. I wanted to write to you a little life update. The essence of it is: I’ve never been this good before, and I’m crying about how positively I’m interpreting the fig tree metaphor, and I have my period in a really literary way right now. 

Life is a thousand years long, and only a moment, all at the same time. What seems solid and unchanging will always crumble in an instant and nothing will ever grow there again as it had before. Virginie Despentes wrote about that. You live further outside of your body than you might think, and you’re usually looking into the universe or perhaps some dense fog instead of within, always seeing yourself, never looking into a mirror. There will always be this huge thing that is every moment and every memory and every wish all the time. It will be breakfast and lunch and dinner and the creak in every floorboard and every stranger at the coffee shop, and you will reach for it and wrap around it and yearn for it inside of you. And it will follow you, attached at your feet like your shadow, to the places you wanted to go alone, and the places you needed to be with only one other. Sometimes it becomes realer and, in turn softer, or sometimes it gnaws at you until you just fucking hate it, and sometimes it just sort of grows differently than you and one day you set it down and forget to pick it back up again. The latter is the strangest. To feel something in your teeth when you wake up every morning, and to cry for it to eat you alive, then to one day feel the same way about it that you feel about a shirt you never wear anymore. It’s just weird, your life will always happen in seasons, none of them ever stretching too far. 

Four years in Savannah, each of them sweeter than the last, watching the city get smaller and my perfect house fill up with photo booth strips and endless pieces of art school ephemera. The same three bars and the same twenty or so friends and the same bike route and grocery store and park and exes and weird stories and people I can’t stand. Four years and then last week I told my shrink I’d need her help finding a new one, because I decided I’m moving. Because I get to decide this sort of thing now. I sort of approached it sheepishly at first, thinking I’d toy with the way those words sounded from my position on her couch, then I meant it, and it was real. So I decided.

I did everything I could to spend almost all 365 days of 2022 in Savannah. I felt like I couldn’t leave, I couldn’t miss a moment, it was impossible to imagine what would happen if I spent a Saturday alone at the beach. I was pining. Yearning for someone intensely of course. I have never known what it’s like to want something a little bit. When I want, I want like I want to swim in the fountains within someone, I want to drink their thoughts so bad you’d think I was some traveler in the heat of the desert; I want to wash myself in their sweat. I want to pour every ounce of myself into their cup and watch it overflow over and over – knowing it could never hold me, I want to give all of me to them regardless. Where else would I go? But oh, my god, no one ever talks about how marvelous it is to feel that want dissipate. I’ve spent so much of this year away from home and I never worried about it. 

Atlanta earlier in April was something else. Just one night, it didn’t end well, but a funny story if you leave out the bad parts. Charleston for groceries by myself because I finished my work early. Florida with my sisters for the weekend was sweet and slow and warm and quiet. Austin to visit friends, I just got back today, and it was so fun I couldn’t hold in my heart from bursting the whole time. I don’t think I stopped smiling at all. It’s beautiful and people are smarter and kinder there. I saw old friends and new friends and they all have lives and jobs and apartments now and I couldn’t even handle it. And now here, at my parents’ house, getting a pedicure with my mom and watching Marley roam in the backyard. My parents have their own lives now that we don’t live here anymore. I feel like the adult now.

Two months of freelance work that I didn’t really look or ask for, then two perfect job interviews last week. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t care, there are so many good options I’m excited about all of them, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I really am the happiest girl in the world. I’d argue it in front of a judge. I’ve never been this good. I thought I was going to die 11 days after I turned 17. When I was a kid this was all I ever wanted and now I have it and the weather has been beautiful everywhere I’ve been for the past two months consistently. I think I’m just always going to be confounded with a happy day, let alone a perfect month.

I had to wait 40 days and 40 nights for my period. I’m like Jesus in that way. You don’t trust the Clearblue “NOT PREGNANT” flashing at you when you’re a girl who loves sleeping with a vast array of men and hates using condoms. Peeing in the graffitied pink stall in the bathroom of a karaoke bar we were drinking ranch waters at last night, I saw blood on my shorts and started laughing out loud. It’s all just continuing to feel so serendipitous. If this goes on forever, I’ll never get anything done because I can’t stop smiling and hugging whoever’s nearest.

By the end of the week I’ll know whether or not I’ve got to pack up and move to DC. I’ll be happy either way. I just wanted to write to you happy for once. I’ll let you know what happens next :p

[hawkfurze]

!! for the OC introduction bingus

I have like, 2 more after this one, but here's one more down! This is Julia "Jules" Fox! She's from Charleston, South Carolina, where she was known as an upcoming rising artist, despite being so young. She is known for making beautiful sculptures that have already been presented in a few galleries, but has decided to pursue her education instead of going straight into the art scene. In reality, Jules is really burnt out and needed a change of scenery and decided school might be what she needed, even if it's an art school. She already likes the small rural town over the busy loud city.