#I should organize and put back all the shit I brought to murphys

[rosicheeks]

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[mariamariquinha]

Versos de Placer (Colonel Carrillo x f!reader) - Five

Summary: You asked Carrillo why no one had fixed the elevator yet.

Word count: 2.9k

Warnings: Bad words, mention of injuries, allusions of sexual activities, inappropriate use of a workplace (don’t do that), a slight mention of illegal activities, brief talk of toxic masculinity, a bunch of kisses and... Carrillo will have his own warning on this one. 

Author’s Note: Took me some time to find the right way after the last chapter, so if it feels short it’s because I didn’t want to prolong things too much. Sorry for any mistakes!

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!

Join my taglist! Don’t forget to reblog, comment and like! As always, I would love to know what you’re all thinking! ❤

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“Oh, no, no, no, what the fuck are you doing here?” Steve grabbed you delicately by the arm when you struggled to pass by the first flight of steps in the office, making sure to stop your tracks even by your insistence to keep going.

“I’ve already heard that from Javier, don’t you dare to stop me, Murphy.”

He looked at you, then to Peña right behind, who just shrugged at the scene in a defeated stance.

“She’s stubborn, man.”

“... At least let me help, yeah?”

“Help with what? I'm still full of my mental faculties.” You said, already skipping from Steve grip to go back to your mission of going to your room by yourself, a hand on the wall for support because fuck if that bitch didn’t almost break you in the half.

Didn’t take long for you to feel a pair of hands on your body again, this time it was Murphy on his own ways to hold your arm carefully while Javier stayed behind with your purse slung from his left shoulder.

“You’re treating me like a child, there’s no need for it.” The mumble you left made Steve scoff.

“Messina was very clear about you resting at home.”

“Juan Marcos is making me look like a 90-year-old woman with a broken hip. I need to know about any information he might have.” You looked at another small flight of steps ahead. “And considering what you guys got from him…”

“Who told you we got something?”

With raised eyebrows at his direction, Steve rolled his eyes before gazing at Javier with a stern expression.

“What? I didn’t say anything!” He defends himself.

“Between the lines Javier, between the lines. You should be more careful when it comes to complaining about your night shifts around here.” You couldn’t help the teasing tone on your voice, not even the smirk that followed when he simply murmured a ‘fuck’, just to end the discussion.

When you finally got to the floor of the office, you found yourself able to walk properly around the place, having some curious eyes following you while finally reaching your desk. For the first time in ages you felt really happy to see your place of work, and the groan you left was really audible.

“Now what?” Steve asked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning beside you.

“What do you mean? I’ll work. We will work.”

“We organized a reunion in… ten minutes.” Javier puts the purse right in front of you, grinning. “You better get your ass out of this chair soon, grandma.”

He was laughing when you showed him your middle finger, leaving just a very preoccupied Steve Murphy staring at you with a worried face. You sighed then, leaning on the chair a little to look properly at the man.

“I’m fine.”

“At least you brought your painkillers with you?”

“‘Course I did, Murphy, don’t worry.”

“Great,” He sighed with a sympathetic hand on your shoulder. “You scared the shit out of us yesterday, so… Take care next time, okay?”

“I always take.”

“Yeah, and now you’re out there looking like you have a stick up on your ass.” Javier teased from his desk.

“If something ever happened to me, you would be crying yourself to sleep, Peña, shut the fuck up.”

“Now, now, kids, no need to disturb.” Steve interfered, hiding a smirk below that mustache of his. “Carrillo is waiting for us in a few minutes. We can discuss if Javier has an ugly cry face after that.”

“Hey, why would you…”

You knew that they were trying to lighten the mood after the almost failure from the day before, but even if it sounded nice of them, the mention of Carrillo’ name made the smile disappear from your face - not for a bad reason, though.

That kiss reverberated through your mind while getting dressed to go to work, a memory which suffered a small interference at the way Javier started grambling about Juan Marcos during your ride to the office, but not entirely forgotten. With the laughs lowered, you could pay attention to some details, like the fact that you chose your outfit more carefully and used a different perfume. Not that you packed a bunch of beautiful clothes to Colombia, but you couldn’t complain about the way that jeans fitted your body well.

Fuck, what the hell you were thinking? A brute nearly killed you the day before but now all you can think about is a goddamn kiss?

Yeah, damn right. It’s kind of all you thought when you started to head to his office on the next floor, this time more aware of your surroundings and not letting anyone hold you to get there. Call it pride or stubbornness; you didn’t know what you could find behind that door and you would be lying if the idea of making an impression didn’t pass your mind.

Trujillo came into your eyesight first, greeting Javier and Steve with a nod and frowning when he saw you right behind them. When Carrillo appeared, he was looking at something while leaning on his desk, laser focused. He raised his head in time to catch you, though, and stared for a few seconds, as if deciding what to do.

“Take a seat.” And you all did, Murphy giving up the chair so you could better accommodate yourself in the room.

Carrillo gave a second look at his desk, then to you again - this time checking your conditions from head to toe, which wouldn’t be considered weird under the circumstances. You couldn’t blame him for being naturally reticent; there were considerable implications about office relationships, and his reputation had been built with care, just like yours. Maybe, and it was something you thought, he just kissed you by impulse; maybe he was more alone now that he didn’t have a wife or his worries exceeded some limits.

“What?” Everyone was looking in your direction and you noticed that a question had been asked to you.

“Are you able to work? Or are your conditions distracting you?” Carrillo said in a harsh tone, arms crossed and that same stern expression on his face. You glanced at your partners, then to him.

Right, so back to normal.

“Keep going.”

He nodded and the discussion started. Information they get, conditions that Juan Marcos appointed to become an informant, an apology that never came for what he did at a federal agent but the implications of his actions - attempted murder could gave him a good amount of years in Colombia, you noticed. Anyway, they usually redirected the topics to you, waiting for opinions, but you decided to stay as quiet as possible because anything could be weighted by the experience.

So you shook your head, eventually said a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, sometimes a simple ‘mm-hm’. By the end of it, they made small decisions for interrogation approaches, and you felt ready to leave the office to start working on it as fast as you could.

“You stay.” Carrilo’ voice made everyone stop, staring at him with a frown because of the way he pointed at you. “We need to talk about yesterday.”

Javier and Steve shared a glance while you sank in your chair. Yesterday? Sure, sure, but the professional part or when we both kissed?

“Okay.” Your partners hesitated for a moment, but complied, ensuring the door was closed when they left. Carrillo accompanied them with his eyes and circled the desk to stay in front of you.

A silence filled the room, you both staring at each other with a lot and nothing to say  at the same time. He took a good look at your face, measuring your eyes, nose, mouth… And he lingered on the last one.

“That shouldn't have happened?” You were the one to say something first, to which he just bit his bottom lip and sighed.

“It shouldn’t.” He looked around again, paying more attention to the movement of people outside. “Can you accompany me?”

"Accompany? To where?”

“Just… Let’s go, come.” Carrillo offered a hand at you, gesturing for you to take fast. You did, kinda confused at this odd demeanor but not saying a thing about it.

There was a side opening in his office that gave space to a small room with shelves and few books. A little inconsistent, you'd admit, but it wasn't like you were in a position to complain, especially when he pushed you calmly against one of the shelves and kissed you in a surprising way. He was still careful, like the night before, this time holding your body by the hips to not cause any damage and letting you circle your arms around his shoulders for balance.

When your hand found his hair to massage his scalp, he sighed lightly against your mouth - an indication for that kiss to be stopped before it got too deep. You smiled at the way he just stayed with his eyes closed for a moment to compose himself.

“It doesn’t even make sense.” He murmured.

“I know.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay.” You raised your hand to touch his cheek and he looked at you with a cute face. “Probably not very professional, but... Shit, I haven't stopped thinking about it since yesterday.”

“As you see, neither did I.”

“Good. Yeah, good. Very good. Perhaps we should, you know, do it somewhere more comfortable next time?” It made him giggle with you. “For real, my back is killing me. There aren't any orders in progress to fix this elevator of yours?”

“If you had taken your time to rest as you should…” He used one of his hands to grab your chin while you rolled your eyes. For a few moments, he inspected the bandage right above your eyebrow, close enough for you to steal another kiss but reluctantly choosing to stare at his face. “What about dinner?”

“Huh?”

“Tonight. What about we have dinner tonight?”

You could suppose that Carrillo was this type of old school romantic - opening doors, bringing flowers, asking your father permission to go out and even bringing you back home at ten. But you both knew the circumstances were different. The job, the way this happened from the start… There wasn’t time to do everything right, not even a place, so the effort to at least offer dinner sounded good.

“Where?”

“Here.” The bold answer made you raise your eyebrows. “It’ll not be fancy, but I think we should talk about this properly. Everyone will be out and I can even send Trujillo home earlier.”

“Who knew, Colonel Horacio Carrillo planning hidden dates in the workplace?”

“I would prefer to take you to my house, but we can wait until your body is more healed.” He planted a small kiss on your neck, sending shivers down your spine. “If that’s something you want, of course.”

“Let me clear your doubts then.”

The promise of a good night with him made you warm; warm enough to chase for another kiss, this time more heated and full of a building desire. No matter how much experience he had in this regard, you were sure the kiss was more than enough to give a preview of his abilities. He moved his tongue deftly, running his hands lightly to touch the side of your covered chest or close enough to the junction of your ass and thigh.

Damn if it didn’t feel better when he stayed close enough to make you feel what that kiss was doing to him - touching the inside of your thigh, not hiding the excitement of a feeling none of you knew that existed before.

“You better go back to work.” You teased when you both separated to breathe. “We better.”

“Mm… So this time I’m the reason for your distraction?”

“This question already had an answer minutes ago and still does.” You pushed him playfully. “Now, now, I need to put a criminal in prison because I have this appointment tonight.”

With a last peck on his lips, you left the room with enough confidence to hide the way you’re melting from the encounter you sneaked for a few minutes. When Javier asked what Carrillo said to you, though, you shrugged and said the obvious.

“He just wanted to talk about what happened.”

-------------------------

“Where did you learn Spanish?” He asked, adjusting himself on the couch of his office to look at you.

As he said, it wasn’t a fancy dinner, but Carrillo made an effort to be a gentleman even on his rustic demeanor - in fact, you wouldn’t expect big things. So at some point of the night, after sharing a good meal, you both sat to talk. No kiss had been shared, not a mention of the whole situation; no pressure, which sounded odd for a man like him.

“My mother is a Spanish teacher.”

“Really?”

“For her it was important to practice a second language, so I’ve been having lessons since I was a kid.” You put your elbow on the back of the sofa, resting your head on your hand. “That’s one of the reasons why I’m here, in fact. Don’t tell Steve, though.”

When the laughs cessed and you both fell into another moment of silence, he frowned a little, as if thinking to himself, before leaning with his elbows on his knees, measuring things on his mind. You waited.

“... I didn’t want to disrespect you,” His voice was low. “When we kissed yesterday.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Well, you are you and I’m me, right? We used to have a completely different relationship before.”

He was right; this was an implication that not even you could explain. You’ve had enough experience with men who tried to use their position to oppress women in general; even if Carrillo wasn’t someone you appreciated a lot from the beginning, he never seemed like the type to show this behavior around the office.

The acknowledgment that he thought about it made you sigh, but not in a bad way - you just came to the realization that he was just a worried man, tired of his work, probably struggling to keep a marriage until it came to an end, and then facing the reality of starting something that could be messy, even if it turns out to be a casual thing.

“We can’t control who we’re attracted to sometimes. At least looking in retrospect, it kind of makes some sense. You are single, I’m single, this life is hell and we both felt the need to… I don’t know, decompress? Technically you're not my boss, so we're not doing anything too wrong.”

“Too wrong?”

“I think the Department never wrote any rule about having dinner in the office with a colleague, but let’s not take a risk.” He scoffed at your humored tone, just like you. “What I’m trying to say is that we can keep it cool.”

“How so?” His body turned to you slightly, as if he was too curious to see what you could offer.

“Don’t tell anyone about it is a start.” You shrugged. “Then we’ll need to specify a place to see each other… If that’s what you want.”

“I do.” You tried to suppress a large smile at this firm decision of his, because of course you’re relieved to know you both were on the same page.

“My apartment is out of the question because now and then Javier is literally my neighbor.”

“My house can be a good spot for so long, the frequency could bring suspicion.”

“Mm-hm, and in the office too. As much as I would appreciate it, the gossip around here is complicated. Our reputations need to stay intact, mostly because if someone finds out it will fall more on me than on you.”

“Noted.”

“But we can go out with the guys sometime, you know, have a few drinks and…” Your mind started to create so many solutions that you didn’t notice him getting closer to you until his hand touched your face for a kiss. You even kept babbling things against his mouth before giving up. “Why is that?”

“Let’s think about the details later. I’ll keep being a pain in the ass if that’s what you want me to do.”

“I’m pretty sure you can’t be more bearable even if you tried hard, Carrillo.” You pecked his lips with a smile. “Maybe we’ll need to settle the terms on this for every time you start to complain about my perfume.”

“It’s distracting, that’s why I complain.” He kissed your cheek, then just below your year. “Standing there with those jeans of yours, being all bossy around my men and thinking I wouldn’t find it not even a little sexy?”

“Such a sweet talker… Keep talking like that and we’ll not wait until my body is healed.”

“Was that supposed to be a threat?”

“No, but we can always talk about that elevator again.” He laughed against your skin, leaving a small bite on your neck that made you close your eyes to stay firm, even if his body was already leading you to lay down.

“Let’s do that thing… settle the terms.” Carrillo mocked your tone from before, lifting his head just enough to look at your face. “I’ll carry you through the stairs now.”

“Mm, it would be good for your physique.”

“You have such a smart mouth, woman…” Carefully, he grabbed your chin to fix an intense gaze with you, sliding his hand a little to place it on your neck. “That’s why I told you to wait enough.”

“And here I thought you just didn't want to hear from Messina.”

“Don’t be so naive.” He murmured in a sensual tone, biting your bottom lip. “Me importa un carajo quién se va a quejar cuando hago lo que quiero contigo.”

I don't give a fuck who's going to complain when I do what I want with you.

[disgruntledspacedad]

Better Love Notes

If you’re confused about location, timing, or characters in my Narcos AU series Better Love, this is the post for you.

Better Love is an AU reader insert series that begins midway through Narcos season two. Because it is AU, and because Narcos is complicated af anyway, I wanted to take some time to clarify what things in Better Love will be different than what you're used to seeing in the show.

Hannah “Ears” Aarons

First, I think it’s important to clarify that Ears is more of an OC written in second person than she is a generic reader insert. I might refer to her as “you,” but Ears has a name, a face claim, a backstory, and a huge personality. If that bothers you loads, I totally understand and you’re free to duck out at any point, but don’t come at me. If you have specific questions regarding Ears’ background, personality, physical appearance, family history, or whatever else, get with me privately. I would love to introduce you to my chaotic sunshine child.

Official Job Title: Ears is officially an employee of the CIA, but she is not an agent (read: spy). She was brought to Colombia to be a liaison between Centra Spike, the DEA, and the CIA. She introduces herself to Search Bloc by saying, "I'll be your ears," but in reality, she was put in place to be Bill Strechner’s ears. More on that later. She has a background with the US Army that's basically useless (desk job), a ton of training and zero practical experience with flyover recon and radiofrequency tracking, and she's itching to do something real with her life.

Timing

Ears arrives in Bogotá around August of 1992 and falls in bed with Peña pretty much immediately. Horacio Carillo did die recently, but Javi did not start working with Los Pepes and Don Berna until November of 1992. Assume all of the drama with Martinez Jr. and Los Pepes took place around the time that he and Ears were on the outs - that's just another factor that led Javi to make the emotional, rash decision to work with the cartels that he winds up regretting.

There is actually a one year span of time between season two, episode six and the end of the show. Pretty much the entirety of Better Love (for now) takes place during this year, so if it seems like I’m really stretching things out, that’s actually because the show mushed it all together. I promise, guys, I have done my research here.

Locations

The majority of scenes in Better Love will take place in Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. It’s important to keep Bogotá separate from Medellín, which is where the nit and grit of the hunt for Escobar takes place. 

Getting to Medellín from Bogotá requires a one hour flight or an eight hour drive (Colombia is roughly twice the size of Texas, fyi). For a gringo, driving around the cities was dangerous, but driving outside the cities was suicide. Javi and Steve might take planes, or they might take an armored chopper, depends on my mood when I'm writing. Assume there's a landing strip nearby the embassy, because I'm lazy like that.

The U.S. Embass(ies): Centra Spike, Search Bloc, and the DEA office are all housed in the old embassy building that's basically right across from the new one (the super upscale nice one that actually functions as an embassy). 

There's a lot of confusion and shuffling around in the show, so I wanted to clarify what goes where (also, the real Murphy and Peña had offices in the old, unused embassy, so this is sort of legit). For simplicity's sake, I am assuming that CNP (Colombian National Police) headquarters are also in or nearby this building. Ears might refer to "headquarters," "the office," or "the embassy," and it's all the same place. Basically, everything is centrally located in Bogotá, and when I refer to “the DEA office,” or “Javi’s office,” picture it from season one - two desks that are not shoved on top of each other, with glass windows and real filing cabinets. The CIA is also located here, as is Strechner's office and the fabled White Room.

These buildings are in Bogotá, nearby Peña’s and Murphy's apartments. I will differentiate between the New, Swanky, Functional U.S. Embassy by capitalizing it and giving it its full title. If I say “embassy,” assume I’m talking about the older one where Javi and Ears are based.

The Carlos Holguin School: This is the base of Search Bloc operations in Medellín, and the primary location that we see in season two of the show. Think of it almost as a military base - training grounds, barracks, bare-bones, no a/c, shitty food. Javi and Steve often stay at "the school" overnight while conducting operations in Medellín. They might also refer to this as “camping” or “the camp,” or “base.” It sucks balls. This is where Javi and Steve have their messy, shoved on top of each other desks that we tend to associate with the show. Javi and Steve still work from here just as often as we see in canon, there just won’t be as many scenes in this location because Ears is never there. 

Javi’s apartment: Javi and Steve primarily live in Bogotá. This is the same apartment building that you see in season one, with the big steps in front of the building and then an even larger set of stairs inside. There is also a big set of stairs on the back end of the building that leads to an underground parking garage (we see this in the season one finale, where Steve gets snatched by Navegante). This building is a five minute walk to the U.S. Embassy, but Javi and Steve mostly chose to drive for safety and convenience. It’s in a pretty decent part of Bogotá. There is one small canon deviation in regards to the apartments: in Better Love, Javi lives upstairs, across from Steve’s front door instead of below him like we see in the show. They share a large front landing. I just really liked the idea of Javi having a view of the city from his bedroom window.

Ears’ apartment: Ears lives in a tiny little flat on top of a drug store, a place that she found on her own through the friend of a work friend. It’s also in a decent part of Bogotá, but not quite as safe or upscale as Javi’s. It’s about a ten minute hike from the embassy and fifteen minutes from Javi’s place.

Miscellaneous 

CIA/DEA Collaboration: The relationship between the CIA and the DEA in Colombia was not pretty. The show makes it look like a personal conflict between Strechner and Peña, but in reality, it was so much deeper than that. These two organizations have opposing goals, and communication and sharing of information was a real problem. Basically, they squabble more than they collaborate, and there was a lot of backstabbing, underhanded fuckery, and generally getting in each other's way. Naturally, this is going to create tension between Ears and Javi.

Bill Stechner: The show makes it clear that Bill doesn’t give a shit about Escobar or the cartels except in regards to the power dynamics they create, but let me reiterate here - his primary goal in Colombia is to keep it from becoming a communist state. That’s all he wants.

OC Sicarios: Don't get Velasco (canon sicario) mixed up with Verdugo (my OC sicario). They are different characters. Verdugo is the guy who features in The Rules of Engagement. 

Feo is another sicario who is an OC. More updates on him later.

Canon Deviations in Better Love

Series spoilers from this point on. I’m going to take it fic by fic, so if you haven’t read something and don’t want to be spoiled, stop at the bold print. Again, Better Love is super fucking plotty, so I thought it was only fair to give you guys a reference sheet. Lord knows I need one, too.

The Rules of Engagement: Introduces Ears. Horacio Carillo did die recently, but Javi’s role in his death is undetermined/not mentioned. Javi does start working with Los Pepes during Rules, but only after he and Ears have their fallout. All of the bullshit with Martinez Jr. and the Castaño brothers takes place during the time that Javi and Ears aren’t speaking.

Aftershocks: Establishes with certainty that Javi is working with the cartels. His primary contact with Los Pepes is Don Berna. This is going to be critical later. Also establishes that Don Berna has more connection to the Cali cartel than he does in canon. 

Yours: Establishes that Connie Murphy is a badass biker bitch with a heart of gold, because I think the show did her dirty. She loves Steve and Steve loves her. Ears and Stechner get to know each other a little better, and Javi doesn’t like this one bit. Ears starts thinking about a leak in Search Bloc, and how dangerous that might be for Javi.

Bang: Javier Peña gives Ears a shady ass, probably trafficked gun for her protection. We don’t know details of where he got it. Solidifies the bro/sis relationship between Steve and Ears. Implies heavily that Javi is doing some shady things with some shady folks. A light introduction to the theme of weapons trafficking in Colombia, which was a massive problem that is barely even mentioned in the show. It will feature heavily in Better Love.

The Shoebox: Introduces the character of Arturo, Ana Delgado’s shady older brother. Ears starts wondering if Ana knows more than she should. Confirms that the Fernando Duque arc does take place in Better Love, and that Javi is genuinely torn up by it like he is in canon. This leads Ears to start thinking more deeply about that leak in Search Bloc, and she begins to actively collect evidence with the intention of sniffing out the rat and keeping Javi safe. Mentions sex trafficking, a major problem in Colombia at the time, and also a minor theme later on in Better Love.

Shit Hits the Fan: Establishes that Arturo Delgado is actually a hitman working with Los Pepes, and that he and Javi have gone on some raids together. Javi is desperate to keep this a secret from Ears, who is friends with Ana, both for her protection and because he’s kind of ashamed of how deep he’s in with Los Pepes. Establishes that in the wake of the Ferando Duque debacle, the Castaño brothers did not reach out to Stechner for help, but instead decided to put a hit out on Javi to either kill or scare him off. Javi is no longer working with Los Pepes, but he never did find out that Stechner was the one who set him up in the first place.

The White Room: Bill Stechner reveals to Ears that her purpose in Colombia is to be his own personal spy on the DEA. He is investigating a mysterious sicario named Feo in relation to a massive russian weapons ring. Bill wants Ears to report everything that the DEA learns about Feo because he suspects that Feo might have connections with FARC, a communist guerrilla group that is Stechner’s public enemy number one. Ears realizes that she’s in deep shit, and also realizes the depth of the resentment between the DEA and the CIA, and how much their goals in Colombia actually oppose. Stechner is revealed to be a real bag of dicks here.

Closing notes

Whew, okay. I will update this post periodically if more information becomes necessary or if you guys have questions, and I’ll reblog it if I do. I’m going to go ahead and tag my taglist folks in this, just because it’s a huge information dump. Of course, you probably don't need to know these things to get the gist of what’s going on in Better Love, but if you’re a chronic overanalyzer like me, it might be helpful. 

Also, let me know if you guys want a list of the characters who are major players in the series. I know I had to make one for myself but I wasn’t sure if posting it would be overkill (this is probably already overkill, tbh).

Tags: @jedi-mando, @aerolanya, @pikemoreno, @bitchin-beskar, @mostly-megan, @huliabitch, @starsandmando, @starlight-starwrites​, @thirstworldproblemss, @knittingqueen13, @yespolkadotkitty

Javier Peña tags: @magpie-to-the-morning, @tiffdawg, @danniburgh, @1800-fight-me

Mad love to you guys if you’ve stuck around for this long.

[thesportssoundoff]

“This is a bad show and yet....” The UFC Blachowicz vs Anderson Fight Night  Preview

Joey

February 10th, 2020

A week after chaos and controversy in Texas, we stay in the Southwest as the UFC heads to Rio Rancho, New Mexico for a little bit of a weird ass fight card. The UFC has a tendency to just put together shows in weird locations to fill their schedule and a show from the Santa Ana Star Center in New Mexico sort of just fits that mold with a very blegh card. There's good fights on here but for some reason, most of them lurk on the prelims while the main card is pretty much a big ball of fluff and weird Jackson-Wink style matchups. Corey Anderson vs Jan Blachowicz is a fine enough headliner I GUESS while Diego Sanchez vs Michel Perreira is one of those fights you have a morbid curiosity for live but eventually will turn to disgust once it happens. Names like Jim Miller, Scott Holtzman, Ray Borg and John Dodson lurk on the prelims if you're willing to dig around for them and any card with Tim Means on it probably warrants viewing. IF ANYTHING it feels like this card is really a more painful reminder of the downfall of Jackson-Wink and how most of the name fighters they've relied upon have either left, retired or fallen off the map completely. It's a dying gym and it's sort of brutal to see it go this route even if you found Greg Jackson and Mike WInklejohn to come off as perhaps arrogant and condescending at their peak. Either way, there's live fights and I'll be here so it's my duty to settle in, strap up and get ready to guide us through what is a very weird helter skelter-y fight night from New Mexico.

2020 Stat-O-Matic:

Debuting Fighters (3-2): Daniel Rodriguez, Brok Weaver Main Event Exemption:

Short Notice Fighters (2-2): DeQuan Townsend, Daniel Rodriguez Main Event Exemption:

Second Fight (2-2): Rodrigo Vargas Main Event Exemption: Vs Debutantes: Rodrigo Vargas

Cage Corrosion (Fighters who have not fought within a year of the date of the fight) (5-0):  Yancy Medeiros Main Event Exemption (1-0):

Undefeated Fighters (2-4):   Main Event Exemption (0-1):

Fighters with at least four fights in the UFC with 0 wins over competition still in the organization (2-1): Mark De La Rosa, Tim Means Main Event Exemption:

Weight Class Jumpers (Fighters competing outside of the weight class of their last fight even if they’re returning BACK to their “normal weight class”) (1-3): Ray Borg, Dequan Townsend Main Event Exemption ():

Twelve Precarious Ponderings

1- So does this main event not matter anymore? Regardless of how you might've felt about Corey Anderson and his streaking success or Jan Blachowicz's second half career resurgence, the fact of the matter was that IF Jones beat Reyes convincingly like most expected then Jones vs the winner of this fight felt like a lock for July or August. Consider that the UFC originally brought up the idea of Jones vs Jan in MSG to both camps but Jon passed on it or requested a new deal for it or whatever the case. Corey Anderson has some semblance of heat to him these days after smelting Johnny Walker and trying to develop or rabble up some sort of counter UFC fanbase. This WAS a #1 contender fight in theory but now? Is anybody going to want to see any fight at 205 lbs BESIDES Jones vs Reyes 2? I'm betting that's going to be a hard no. Now it is worth remembering that Jones once turned down Gus 2 (which the UFC thought would be a 1 million buy PPV) so that Glover Teix could get a title shot. This is also the UFC's rise of the champions era where champions can dictate their opponents. That said I bet it's going to be borderline riot territory if the UFC goes with the winner of this fight over a Reyes rematch.

2- The first fight featured a ton of wrasslin' as Jan couldn't stop Corey Anderson takedowns to save his life. The problem repeated itself vs Pat Cummins as well. This has been LESS of a problem for Jan since hitting this insane run he's been on since the Cummins' fight but Anderson hasn't gotten worse as a wrestler and if anything he's rounded out some of the holes in his game as a striker. Feels like a toughie for Jan to win BUT if Jan can take solace in anything, it's that Anderson has been KO'd twice since that fight and got his head bounced off the turf by Shogun Rua in a contested split decision loss. Jan also has rediscovered his kicking game which has been the catalyst for this renaissance run. There's some intrigue here but in all likelihood, this is Bader vs top 10 LHW territory where he can outgrapple dudes en route to the eventual fight with a big hitter who sleeps him.

3- Who WOULD win in a fight between Ryan Bader vs Corey Anderson?

4- Is it fair to just want Diego vs Michel to happen just so you can say you saw it happen?

5- At the risk of opening myself to critique and sassafrass, the main card fight I'm MOST looking forward to is Mara Romero vs Montana de la Rosa. I still think there's plenty of upside for Montana de la Rosa as she's very young but also pretty experienced with a 3-1 UFC record and a sole loss to Andrea Lee who is pretty good. She's got some discomfort on her feet that makes me worried about the ceiling but her grappling, positional awareness and fluidity is well worth seeing if it develops. For Mara Romero, I'm just sort of not sure what she is as a fighter. She debuted, upset the Titan FC bantamweight champ in her UFC debut, lost a close fight to Katlyn Chookagian, upset an undefeated Brazilian prospect in Brazil and then got swamped by Lauren Murphy in her next fight. Like Montana de la Rosa, there's a clear lack of comfort on the feet for extended periods of time but when the fight hits the mat, she's a lot of fun to watch usually. Kinda digging this fight on paper.

6- Jim Miller vs Scott Holtzman is weird because this is a fight that both guys tend to find a way to lose. Miller rolls into this one on a modest two fight winning streak which means he's one more kinda good mid tier guy away from getting thrust into a violence fight vs some sort of stylistic nightmare. Holtzman is still riding his "look great one fight, shit the next" rollercoaster as he comes into this one off violent smelting of Dong Hyung Ma after a loss to Nik Lentz after violently finishing Alan Patrick. So much of Holtzman's game seems to be broken down by whether or not he is "in" the fight after the first round since he seems incapable of grinding out those close brutal fights, especially when he doesn't have a pronounced strength advantage. Chances are this one ends poorly for Miller (who was rocked by Clay Guida twice in a minute) but this is Jim Miller and we are obligated to root for a dude who fought for years with lyme disease and had no idea.

7- Lando Vannata vs Yancy Medeiros in a battle of guys who can best be described as violent enhancement talent should be fun. It's worth remembering that fighters who have taken a year or more off and come back are at a ROUSING 5-0 in the early stages of 2020 and Medeiros hasn't fought since Jan of last year.

8- If Ray Borg makes weight, he's got a REALLY winnable fight against Rogerio Bontorin who is super powerful and hits hard but doesn't bring much else to the dance. How quickly can Borg ascend up the ranks with a win?

9- A bit ago,  @theanticool  and I discussed the plight of Jon Dodson; a super athlete who probably should've rounded out his game more en route to what is now the end of his athletic peak and the start of what would be the crafty veteran portion of his career except I don't think he's particularly crafty. Powerful? For sure. Still plenty fast? Yep. Lacking a change up to his game? Feels pretty evident. Dodson has a chance to pretty much stem the tide of irrelevancy against Nate Wood in another one of those low key great bantamweight fights. Wood was/is a bit of a wild man all action fighter but since coming into the UFC, he's settled down a bit and really refined his game to the tune of a 3-0 record all by stoppage. He's less frenetic, smarter and looks like a dude benefitting from UFC paychecks where he can probably train more/better. Wood vs Dodson should be awesome and especially in the first round where I can see Wood having trouble if Dodson comes out hot early.

10- I'm still not off the Macy Chiasson bandwagon but this fight with Nicco Montano is going to be pretty damn important for her. Nicco got off to a really strong start in her bantamweight debut vs Julianna Pena before she tired out or got sucked into prolonged grappling exchanges or whatever happened. I still think her weight class is down 10 lbs but she's got the stuff to really challenge Chiasson. This feels like a case of two women living in two opposite weight classes and having to meet in the middle to be honest.

11- Speaking of Nicco, she went from the first ever women's flyweight champion to the follow up fight to the curtain jerker. That's tough.

12- I've been a pretty damn bad judge of talent off of the Contender's Series but I really think that Brok Weaver is going to be a big time bust.

[artistjojo1228]

Rock and Roll Storytime #8: Motherf***ing Altamont (Otherwise Known as the Worst Mistake the Rolling Stones Ever Made)

Let’s face it, 1969 was a pretty crazy year no matter where you stand. On one hand, there were the moon landings, Woodstock, and general protesting against the Vietnam War (much to the chagrin of the Establishment), but on the other hand, there was the Chappaquiddick incident, the death of Brian Jones, and the Beatles starting to head full-steam down the path that led to their breakup in April 1970. 

And then, there was Altamont, what has otherwise been labeled as the darkest day in Rock and Roll History. 

This one’s going to be frustrating (and as an aside, I’m actually quite glad that Brian Jones missed out on this one, and likely would have even if he hadn’t drowned, by virtue of getting fired from the Rolling Stones in June 1969).

Let me start off by positing one simple question: WHICH DUMBASS CAME UP WITH THE BRIGHT IDEA OF HIRING THE HELL’S ANGELS AS SECURITY?!

Okay, I guess I’d better start earlier than that, even, with some of the lead-in. The Rolling Stones had last performed in the concert circuit in 1967, and by June 1969, they wanted to get back on the road. One problem: their guitarist, Brian Jones, was unable to get a work visa due to having racked up two drug convictions in the meantime (at least one of which was definitely based on planted evidence). Even then, Brian, for reasons known mostly to him and only speculated upon by me, had stopped contributing to the Stones’ music, if he even showed up to recording sessions at all. Mick Jagger, himself, said that Brian’s last major contribution to a Rolling Stones song was the hauntingly beautiful slide guitar on the melancholic “No Expectations”. 

It was apparently their road manager, Ian Stewart, who brought up the idea of letting Brain go from the band. Bill and Charlie had absolutely no say in the decision, but ultimately, on June 8, 1969, Mick and Keith went to Brian’s residence, Cotchford Farm, to tell him he was being fired, with Charlie tagging along to make sure a fight didn’t break out. However, by most accounts, Brian had been expecting this would happen, and agreed to leave the band. Mick and Keith left the press statement up to Brian, and possibly to save face, he decided to make it look like he’d left the band on his own accord. 

The statement read: “I no longer see eye to eye with the others over the discs we are cutting. We no longer communicate musically. The Stones’ music is not to my taste any more. The work of Mick and Keith has progressed at a tangent, at least to my way of thinking. I have a desire to play my own brand of music rather than that of others, no matter how much I appreciate their musical concepts. We had a friendly meeting and agreed that an amicable termination, temporary or permanent, was the only answer. The only solution was to go our separate ways, but we shall still remain friends. I love those fellows.”

How much of this statement was true is up to personal conjecture. In either case, Brian was replaced by 20-year-old Mick Taylor, who’d previously played with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. In a press conference on June 13, the band announced Taylor’s arrival (having two Micks in the band gets so confusing), as well a free concert in Hyde Park on July 5 to introduce the youngest member of the band. 

Then, just two days before the concert, Brian drowned in his backyard swimming pool at the age of twenty-seven. His death was ruled as misadventure (which personal research seems to back up), but theories persist to this day that he was, instead, murdered. 

In the blink of an eye, the Hyde Park gig went from being an introduction to Mick Taylor to being a tribute to Brian Jones. In honor of Brian, the concert began with Mick reading two verses from Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Adonais,” and as the band began playing “I’m Yours and I’m Hers” (one of Brian’s favorite songs), 2,500 cabbage white butterflies were released (against stipulation), though, by this point, many had died in the July heat, due to the boxes not being properly ventilated. Even if, on a technical level, it wasn’t one of the Stones’ best shows, it still showed the world at large that the Stones were back (baby). 

So, what does all this have to do with Altamont? Well, providing security that day was the London chapter of the Hell’s Angels. Apparently, it was Rock Scully’s idea, after he’d hired the Angels as security on multiple occasions while managing the Grateful Dead. 

Thing is, the London chapter was a lot calmer when compared with the infamous Californian branch of the Hell’s Angels. 

So yeah, there’s problem #2...

That summer, a little concert called Woodstock took place, which ended up epitomizing the peace and love movement. But if that was the high, then Altamont was what brought that idealism to a screeching halt. 

Problem #3: the concert was based entirely on the notion that the Stones could hold a free concert as a sort of West Coast Woodstock. 

After all, even journalists throughout that tour had been complaining about high ticket prices (even though $3-$8 seems to me a steal considering they’re going in the triple digits nowadays...). What could go wrong?

Those of you familiar with Murphy’s Law may be able to see where I’m going with all this. 

Problem #4: their tour manager, Sam Cutler, just couldn’t get a venue. 

He tried to score them a gig in San Fransisco, but there was a football game taking place, San Jose wouldn’t have another concert so soon after the last one, and Sears Point Raceway asked for a $100,000 fee as well as distribution rights to the concert footage (the entire tour had been filmed by a crew including the Maysles brothers and future Star Wars director George Lucas). So, a mere forty-eight hours before the concert began, the Stones finally settled on Altamont Speedway. 

Needless to say, anyone who’s ever been to a concert or organized any large scale events would be able to tell you that choosing the venue at the last minute is NEVER a good idea. This is also evidenced by the fact that the venue was covered in trash and lacked basic amenities such as water and toilets, but hey, the owner offered it for free, so why not?

I swear, the level of incompetence shown by multiple parties throughout these proceedings is on another level (and I read the Darwin Awards...)

Also, as a result of the ASTRONOMICALLY poor planning, the stage was only an inch off the ground, and since there were only two days before the concert, there was no time to make the stage safe, so already, anyone playing at Altamont the day of December 6 were putting themselves at risk (I don’t know if waivers were signed either). Not to mention the fact that there would be absolutely no barriers between the performers and the reported 300,000 attendees. 

So, that should cover problems #6 and #7, but in my personal opinion, the coup de grace of all these fuck-ups was the decision to hire the Californian Hell’s Angels as security. 

Again, as I said, the Stones did have the London branch of the Hell’s Angels at the Stones in the Park concert, but anyone who knows anything worth a damn about the Californian Hell’s Angels would know that it’s a whole different ballpark dealing with them. From what I’ve heard, the hippies had an unrealistically idealized version of them in their heads, and Cutler apparently even tried warning the Stones about the “real” Hell’s Angels. Even then, the Hell’s Angels were offered $500 worth of beer to basically just sit on the side of the stage and make sure no one got too close. 

If you’ll excuse me, I need to go call the organizers fucking idiots in a minimum of seven languages. ... Okay, I’m good. Still pissed, but I’m fine. 

In either case, also not helping matters was that at least 95% of the audience were high on one substance or another, because, let’s face it, this was the hippie movement. And according to Rolling Stone magazine, the organizers also didn’t warn neighboring landowners of the hippies descending on the scene, set the whole thing in a desolate, treeless, wasteland (and still there was no clear barrier between the performers and the audience), the sound system was shit, and in general, the stage was completely surrounded by people and their cars. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m already smelling a disaster waiting to happen. 

The concert was to feature Santana, Jefferson Airplane, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, The Grateful Dead, and of course, the Rolling Stones. 

Things started out smoothly with Santana’s set, but only deteriorated from there, as the Hell’s Angels got increasingly drunk. Throughout the day, the Angels would attack anyone who was being problematic (sometimes with sawed-off pool cues and motorcycle chains), although their victims include a guy running around naked and another who was trying to take pictures of the stage. Things only got worse after someone (possibly accidentally) knocked over one of the Angels’ motorcycles. During Jefferson Airplane’s set, Marty Balin jumped into the crowd to stop a fight and was knocked unconscious, and when Paul Kantner sarcastically thanked the Angels, one, Bill Fritsch, took up a microphone and argued with him about it. One woman called a radio show the next day to say that she saw several fistfights break out, and every single one of them involved the Hell’s Angels. When she tried to speak up about it, other people around her told her to keep quiet out of fear of provoking them. Denise Jewkes, lead singer of Ace of Cups and who was SIX MONTHS PREGNANT, got hit in the head by a beer bottle, causing a skull fracture (the Stones later paid for her medical expenses). Stephen Stills was reportedly stabbed in the leg several times by a “stoned-out” Hell’s Angel. When the Rolling Stones flew in, Mick was punched in the face almost the second he got off the helicopter. Things got so bad, that the Grateful Dead basically just said “Fuck it” and got the hell out of dodge. 

Apparently, the only time the crowds calmed down, even a little, was when the Flying Burrito Brothers took the stage. 

It was dark when the Rolling Stones finally took the stage (partly because Bill Wyman missed the first helicopter), and by then, things were only deteriorating further (if such a thing is even possible). Fighting between audience member and Hell’s Angel alike kept breaking out, to the point where Mick stopped the show in a vain attempt to get the crowd to calm down. 

All I can say is, “Too little, too late.”

And still, as the Stones tried to keep performing, the situation only got worse. While Mick was singing “Under My Thumb”, yet another melee broke out, and in the chaos, 18-year-old Meredith Hunter, who had come with his girlfriend Patti Bredehoft and who happened to be high on meth at this very moment, was stabbed to death by 21-year-old Alan Passaro, after apparently brandishing a .22 caliber revolver in the direction of the stage. Passaro was later acquitted of all charges, which I think was a horrible mistake. It’s impossible to know for certain whether Hunter had been trying to defend himself or if he actually intended to shoot Mick Jagger, but what is known is that Hunter’s murder was captured on camera. You can watch the footage, but I must say, it makes for grisly viewing: 

People who were at the scene have since reported that Hunter was in urgent need of medical attention. However, the helicopter pilots who were there refused to take off for any one but the Rolling Stones. EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS CLEARLY A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION. 

Excuse me, I need to take another break to scream to the heavens about why this was allowed....

Needless to say, Hunter died while waiting for an ambulance to come. In addition, two other people were killed in a hit-and-run accident, whilst another drowned under the influence of LSD. Also, four babies were born. 

The next day, the Stones were on a plane back to London. 

In the years since Hunter’s death, no one in either the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, or the Hell’s Angels have taken responsibility for what happened. The Hell’s Angels, the organizers, and the crowds blamed each other for what happened, and the Stones have never really spoken up about it. They’ve never even had the decency of apologizing to Meredith Hunter’s family. 

If you ask me though, I’d say that the fault lies entirely with everyone who organized this whole mess. Somehow, everyone involved was naive and/or stupid enough to try and organize an entire concert in just a few weeks as opposed to months, and the decision to hire the Hell’s Angels as security only exacerbated the ineptitude of everyone involved. 

Let’s face it, none of the organizers were innocent, and no one in the crowd escaped without losing their collective innocence. There’s a damn good reason that this is considered the death knell for the hippie movement, and it’s all in the footage taken that night. 

Sources/Further Reading: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/remembering-meredith-hunter-the-fan-killed-at-altamont-630260/ https://www.ranker.com/list/altamont-free-concert-facts/jen-jeffers https://allthatsinteresting.com/altamont-speedway-free-concert https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-chaos-of-altamont-and-the-murder-of-meredith-hunter Up and Down with the Rolling Stones by Tony Sanchez Life by Keith Richards Altamont by Joel Selvin https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-altamont-festival-brings-the-1960s-to-a-violent-end https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/02/01/altamont-free-concert-in-1969/ https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/08/21/altamont-festival/ https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/07/23/altamont-the-rolling-stones-and-the-death-of-the-sixties-dream/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altamont_Free_Concert https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Meredith_Hunter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones_American_Tour_1969 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stones_in_the_Park https://web.archive.org/web/20161116164203/https://theravenreport.com/2016/10/31/rock-and-rolls-worst-day-this-1969-concert-ended-in-death/ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-rolling-stones-disaster-at-altamont-let-it-bleed-71299/ http://timeisonourside.com/chron1969.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUlyVSfhgaM

[skaihedaofthe100]

"Xenos" series

Chapter 3. Rescueing friends

description: "Xenos" from the Ancient Greek "stranger, foreigner". Xenia Kane and the other 99 delinquents are strangers for everyone who managed to survive on the Earth. Her story has just started. Enjoy

-We will continue walking when you give us your bracelets,- Bellamy addresses to me and Clarke. Damn, he and Murphy are so good at getting on my nerves, they should get a reward for it. -The Ark will know that we're dead only when we really are,- the blonde snaps at him -And what do we say to death? -Not today,- I add smirking. Yeah, this is one of my favorite quotes and I'd like everyone to remember it. -Brave Princess and brave Commander, - the older Blake tells us not seeming to have a proper answer

-Hey, think about your own nicknames!- suddenly there is Finn appearing from nowhere, he didn't join our rescue party when it was leaving the camp.-Nia, Clarke, come with me. -My savior! - I name him chuckling and leave the other trio behind. Then there is me near the lake waiting for my friends to stop playing in the water and continue searching for Jasper. To be honest, I'd like to have some fun in the water too but maybe another time when I'll finally calm down after yesterday's story. -Guys, I think I've found something that you'd like to see,- I inform them looking at the drops of blood on the rock that I saw while exploring the near surroundings. -We should go this way,- now serious Finn points to my right. Three years of tracking lessons, no one argues with him. Looking around I see Well's figure in the bushes and call the boys. We are now walking together suddenly hearing a groan and see my friend tied to the tree in the distance

-That's Jasper,- I gasp taking off to him with Clarke following me -Girls, wait!- Finn warns us but I'm already in the middle of my way to Googles. Reaching the tree I hear a scream behind me and turn around. Wow, me and Clarke have been running a few inches away and she is the one who managed to fall in the hole with peaks. There is Bellamy holding her arm seeming to be not so willing to pull her up and does it only after Finn shouts. I turn back to Jasper, Clarke will be okay but he is in the worse state. -Does someone have a knife here?- I ask regretting not making one from the piece of the dropship back at our camp. Murphy gives his not saying anything and I climb on the tree calling for Collins to follow me. Cutting the rope on Jasper's wrists I notice some movement in the grass near us. -Guys, you better watch out,- is my warning -What are you talking ab...,- Bellamy doesn't finish his question because of a loud growl. The moment later a large black panther appears in front of him. -Bellamy, your gun!- Clarke shouts but Blake can't find it. That's called "too much boasting", my friends. "Thanks God I'm in some kind of safety on the tree",- I think to myself and then hear several gunshots. That's Wells, wow. Unfortunately, it doesn't help that much 'cause the animal continues having its way to the others, only limping this time. Finn just ended cutting the ropes so I quickly grab the knife from his hand and without a backup thought through it at the predator. Maybe I'll be lucky and it hits it, at least I have to try. And guess what? It really does! Damn, I'm SO good. The knife hurts some of life-important organs and the animal fells eventually killed on the ground. -Now she sees you,- Bellamy tells the dark skinned boy and when his eyes meet mine nods. On "cool kids'" language it means "Thanks". I saved his damned life and that's all I get? "Huh, he wants to play a "cool boy"?Then I'll be a "cool girl", "-I decide in my thoughts and don't even nod him back that means "You're welcome" on this language. Do you realize how far can I go? My feet touch the ground after the jump from the tree and I move in the way of the camp being accompanied with the delinquents' still shocked looks. -Get Clarke everything she needs,- Bellamy orders his "dogs" while the blonde hurries to the dropship, Finn and Wells carrying Jasper after her. I follow them to the second level and greet Monty and Octavia who look really worried. -Clarke, what should I do?- is my question -Help the boys to hold him still,- she answers pointing on the Googles.

I do as Griffin says and shut my eyes knowing I won't like the sight of what is going to happen. Hearing Jasper's screams is terrifying so after we can leave ours spots I decide to breath some fresh air outside. There is Bellamy entering the dropship and by how he looks I can understand he is not going to support my injured friend. -Bellamy, we didn't risk our own lives just to let him die now,- I remind him.- And you don't have the right to take his away. -Yeah, but I have the guts to do it,- he snaps and it makes me turn away from the older Blake quickly and head outside. What he's just told me was disgusting! How can some people be so selfish? Leaving the dropship I hear people starting to cheer looking at me. Guess who is their local hero now? -Make sure you've pulled all the bullets and Murphy's knife out!- I order thinking how strange these teen are. Just yesterday they were calling Clarke and me "privileged", not wanting to have any authorities and now Bellamy is their beloved leader and I'm associated with a "Commander". -You did good today,- suddenly there is Finn near me grinning. - I'm proud I have a friend like you,- he adds causing me to blush and look at the ground. -Stop! No,you know, carry on,- I chuckle and then add seriously.- How is he? -Clarke says there is hope but Bellamy... I interrupt Spacewalker shaking my head: -No, don't speak with me about him or I'll going to puke. Better call for the blondie to eat with us,- is my advice Three minutes later we are already standing near the line of delinquents who are giving up the bracelets for meat that we've brought them. What a stupid idea. It definitely was Blake's. -I guess I can have some meat for free,- I say to Murphy while taking one stick and smiling "innocently" -Hey, the rule says tha...,-he tries to stop me but gets interrupted by Collins -And I thought there were no rules,- my friend snaps at him and heroically takes one stick for himself and one for Clarke Looking at Murphy's surprised face I can't hold my laugh back. -I, I w-wish you saw your expression right, right now,- I try to tell him but find it really hard because of my endless giggles and everyone's wide smiles around me. -What so funny, Kane?-suddenly there is a voice behind. Great. Here he is.

-None of your damn business, Blake,- I retort turning to the guy with a serious look and leave noticing how his arms fell. Well, it was his fault. The next morning after my sleep (well, if you can call laying with your eyes closed listening to Jasper's groans "sleep"), I am sitting near the dropship making some knives for myself and my friends 'cause I FUCKING CARE about them, what you can't say abou... -Nia, we're going hunting, you are with us!-Bellamy calls me. -Speak of the devil...,- I retort and leave my spot. Yes, I'm still mad at him for what he said yesterday but I if stay in a camp a little longer listening to the Googles I'll loose my shit. The older Blake ignores my words and hands me a knife. -Uh, no, thanks, already have one. Or five, to be exact,- I refuse and show him my "collection". The boy seems impressed, don't doubt it.-Hey, Miller, I think? Please, take these 4 knives straight to Finn, you got this?- I ask a random guy who seems surprised but accepts them eventually. -Can we go now?-I hear Murphy's "pleads" and hurry to the haunting party deciding not to get in trouble. -No, Nia, you can't keep it! Give it back!- Bellamy orders me -But whyyy, you mean nothing to me and I don't follow your orders!- I retort stepping away from him. We are already back from hunting and are standing practically in the center of the camp with all the teens staring at us.

-I said give it to me,-he continues.- This creature will be a dinner for three people in the camp. -Then I'll give up my three dinners, okay?-I ask the older Blake and I swear, I see a look of worry in his eyes for a second. -As you wish,- he gives up turning away from me and leaving. Now I'm standing as a winner of the argument with this, as Bellamy called it, "creature". Why do guys think that if they say such a cute word "bunny", their masculinity will fade a way? Yes, you understood right, I petted a bunny. At first I was going to kill it, to be honest, but then I just looked at the animal carefully and decided not to. Moreover, I've already did really good on the hunt, they all should be thankful. The bunny is so soft due to his light brown fur that I even bring it to my face. My eyes meet Murphy's and he seems not to agree with Bellamy letting me keep it. I quickly look away not paying attention to his threatening look and head to the dropship. -Monty, hi, do you have a box or something?- I ask my friend on the second level. Monty is sitting next to Jasper and even doesn't turn his face to me when I enter. Of course, he has a reason for that, his best friend is in a really bad state. Who wouldn't be worried?

-Um, yeah, look in the corner,- he answers What corner? Huh, this information didn't help me at all but my decision is not to bother him right now so I just silently search for a place where to put my new friend. Finally, Roger is in his new "house". Yes,this is how I named my bunny. Don't ask why, I don't know myself, it was the first name I thought of. -Look after Roger for me, please?- I ask Monty.- His box would be here. -Yeah, yeah, okay,- he retorts still not turning to look at me. -Where do you think you are going?-Bellamy asks me when I almost reach the exit of the camp -UGHH, to get some fresh grass for Roger, why do you even care?- I snap at him sighing. -It is unsafe out there. And who on Earth is Roger?- our leader wonders -My bunny. Any more questions?- is my answer. -Yes, would you mind coming with me and teach some people to throw knives? That shocked me. Since when I'm asked to help with things like this? I totally like it, you know, so I agree and run out in the woods. AGAIN. Why do I always end up there and can't rest my ass in the some sort of safety of the camp?

[endlessarchite]

Dueling DIY: Guest Room Gauntlet!

Dueling DIY is BACK! Between talking shit and getting shit done, I’m bringing back my favorite DIY series to face off with another master DIYer and give my guest bedroom its official makeover.

You’ve heard me hinting at it over the last few weeks. I said I would be bringing my Dueling DIY series back, and today is the official launch date! This time, it will be bigger and more badass than ever, because my friend Charlotte (from At Charlotte’s House) is absolutely PERFECT for the role of soon-to-be-beaten guest host.

With SO much going on over the next few months, I quickly realized that the guest bedroom project will quickly slide to the back burner if I don’t keep my focus. So, much like I’ve done in the past with other Dueling DIY sagas, I’ve brought back this reader favorite so I have more motivation to get ‘er done.

My sad little guest room

A good number of you guys have already seen some info about my guest room and what it looked like just a few months ago. Since then, my boyfriend brought a few things over from his place: a giant TV, his dad’s vintage stereo equipment, and other items more suited for a media room than a pleasant place for guests.

Ultimately — obviously — it makes for one very confused, very disjointed, very un-guest-bedroom-like space. I had plenty of ideas for what to do inside of these four walls already. But it wasn’t until K brought over his “big-ass tv” (as you’ll see me calling it in the video below) that I realized: I have a few other things to plan for where he and I are concerned. The more we talk about our future plans together, the more his stuff starts trickling into my house (what once was a slow drip is now a steady stream), the more my reality is shifting toward too many knick-knacks and more furniture than my tiny home can fit.

my inner shame

ugly boob light

But as many a seasoned homeowner knows: just because I have too much stuff, doesn’t mean that I’m going to part with it or get organized overnight. In fact, all of my other projects are making the guest bedroom the opposite fo a priority right now. So, I need a little help. Enter: DUELING DIY.

The backstory

If you don’t already know about Dueling DIY and what it’s all about, I’ve got the full info for you right HERE. It all started a number of years ago when I was neck-deep in 247 projects with no end to my to-do list in sight, and I desperately needed to refresh my focus. Sometimes, my project A.D.D. gets the best of me, and my ambition and the number of hours in the day just have no hope of overlapping enough. It starts to feel like I’m working and working, but nothing is being achieved. In truth, there is also a limit to how fun fixing drywall is when a second season of Stranger Things could use rewatching.

That’s where a challenge like this comes in. It helps me regroup, start making actionable goals, and really make some progress. Because there’s nothing like having your friend send you memes of how she’s kicking your ass with her own home’s progress to make you feel like a lazy chump and get you painting walls again!

The smack talk is the best part…

The fact that I get to talk a lot of shit at another blogger is, frankly, the best part of this whole thing. This challenge not only forces us both make progress on similar room/space, but also adds in a thick, delicious layer of friendly — but snarky — banter. To keep it more apples-to-apples in terms of challenge, it’s always the same project type (staircase vs. staircase, kitchen vs. kitchen, and this time, obviously, guest room vs. guest room!).

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Schedule: every other Wednesday

Since Charlotte and I both have eight billion other things going on (and in just a few weeks, we’ll see each other in person at a DIY conference, so I hope we’ll have time to do a Facebook Live or something), the schedule won’t be every week like it was in previous years, but every other week. This will let us fit in the other DIYs that aren’t related to this room (I still have the shed and the master bedroom stuff going on, plus some other kitchen updates).

The goal: finish and fun

As with previous versions of this series, there is no official end date picked ahead of time. It’s meant to give the both of us something new for you guys every other week, which is plenty motivation by itself. Someone finishing first still offers plenty of bragging rights, so that threat is always looming. Maybe this time, I’ll actually have to send Charlotte a golden hammer… or maybe I’ll be a THREE TIME CHAMP.

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Vlogging progress, too

As you guys already know, one of my goals this year is to mix in video with my DIYs and tutorials. It’s meant to complement the posts I write, but not replace them (like many of you, I like written tutorials and don’t plan to abandon that for video anytime soon). So, a vlog will pair with this series once a month on my Youtube channel for anything I think I can add in for the update (especially clips of me laughing at Charlotte’s defeat). I think a series like this lends itself perfectly to video… personality is such a huge part of what makes a challenge like this so fun!

You can catch my whole intro vlog describing the series for new followers, plus an updated tour of the guest room from where it was a couple of months ago (which happens to have a lot of K’s stuff in the room, coughcoughfuturepostscough) here.

And, you should also check out Charlotte’s first post and vlog about her room here and let her know that you’re rooting for ME in this game. While you’re at it, make sure you’re subscribed to both of us so that you can catch all video updates.

Subscribe to my Youtube channel here

Subscribe to Charlotte’s here

My guest room inspiration and plans

That’s the whole series plan in a nutshell, but what I haven’t covered yet is the actual room plans! Here’s what that’s currently looking like in my head:

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Sources (clockwise from top left): ceiling fan / macramé hanging plant / paper shadowbox art / office swivel chair / paint colors: Sherwin-Williams Retreat and Stone White / rug / faux fern / wall sconce / black and white pillow / leather pillow / tassel throw

One of the biggest projects, as you can see, is the custom Murphy bed setup that will hide the bed when not in use. This room will serve double- or triple-duty as office space for my favorite bearded dude and his design work as an engineer (in fact, he’s the one who is drawing up these Murphy bed plans to turn my 2-D drawings into 3-D plans for you once we’re finished).

I’m also sticking to a really simple color palette and adding visual interest via texture. Lots of global-inspired textiles, keeping the room comfy, with a sort of eclectic influence. And of course, my favorite black and white combo! I figure this will be the best palette for allowing the multi-use space to be calming for guests and clean for every need this room will serve (but still refreshing with plants and visual interest). I haven’t really picked out art yet, but I expect a city map, some of my vintage map collection, and more botanicals to find their way in.

Other DIYs planned:

a coffee/info station (for things like the wifi password, toiletries, etc.)

art

curtain rod (woodworking project)

floating shelves

So, there you have it! If you’re the kind of person who prefers to stalk every minute of this makeover (I’ve already been sharing some sneak peeks on social), you should definitely follow me as well on Instagram. IG stories are becoming a new favorite way to share my thought process behind the scenes and give hints at what’s coming next.

UPDATE: I added one more tour video to walk you around the room and share room plans. See that here.

Ready? Let’s jump right in! Oh, and Charlotte?

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P.S. I realize that’s a number of different things to follow, but think of it as a smorgasbord to pick and choose based on preference — aka, a way (if you want) to see more stuff as we go. My posts will still cover the updates just fine. But behind the scenes stuff is going on IG between posts because it’s easy to share them there, and video is meant to add that “real life” layer in because it puts me in front of the camera. So, a little mix of everything!

The post Dueling DIY: Guest Room Gauntlet! appeared first on Ugly Duckling House.

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[infinitebrownianmotion]

On Shifting Baselines or ‘I Don’t Even Know What’s Normal Anymore’

Dear Nobody,

Life in the field is certainly not for the fainthearted. This is not to say that I’m especially brave or that I was prepared for the sort of chaos that ensues on a daily basis here, but that after over a year of living in Arunachal Pradesh, I’ve entirely surrendered any illusion of control. Murphy’s Law is something we live by here – if anything can go wrong, it most certainly will. I’ve had to deal with more situations than I could have ever imagined.

A normal workday in Bangalore (the few months in the year when I’m based out of there) would begin with snoozing my alarm five times before rolling out of bed to get ready for work. I would then have a perfunctory bowl of cereal and hitch a ride with a colleague. At the office, time is spent checking Whatsapp, Facebook, occasionally the news, and emails (usually in that order), before staring at a screen and typing furiously every now and then, pretending to be productive. Lunch time usually sneaks up on me before I’ve managed to check off the first two things on my to-do list, after which there are only 2-3 hours before it’s time to pack up my things and leave. Then, I would spend a considerable amount of time commuting from Point A to B (either home or Ultimate Frisbee practice) in bumper-to-bumper traffic. There might be a few changes here and there, but the routine, for most part, stays the same.

Now let’s take a regular day in the field. We deal with so many variables – weather, staff, logistics, supernatural powers, to name a few – that it’s hard to make a plan in advance. But eternal optimists that we are, we will make one the previous evening anyway and hope for the best. We’ll call this Plan A. And for simplicity, we’ll assume we only have to co-ordinate work amongst 3 people. Persons 1 and 2 will go to the Tiger Reserve on the other side of the river to complete Task X. Person 3 will go to such-and-such village for Tasks Y and Z. There’s only one field vehicle, these places are too far apart and everyone needs to leave around the same time. So, Person 3 will take the vehicle while the other two cycle or walk. Pretty straightforward so far? It’s 4.30 AM the next day, Person 3 is ready to leave, but Person 1 is waiting for Person 2 to show up, since it’s not safe going into the forest alone. At 4.45 AM, there’s no sign of him/her and it’s getting light outside. So, Person 1 and 3 drive to Person 2’s house in the village, only to find that s/he had been binge-drinking all night and is in no state to put one foot in front of the other. What happens next? It depends. This was an extremely tame example but a fairly common occurrence – if not binge-drinking, it’ll be something else.

Two friends visited me in the field a few months ago. The afternoon that they were to arrive, I was called away on an emergency because a Wreathed Hornbill (magnificent birds, endangered, ecologically and culturally important) had been found dead near a village with a bullet wound at the base of one wing. Bacteria had been happily engaged in the decomposition process for at least a day or two, judging by the stench. But even so, he was a majestic specimen – three wreaths on his beak, an adult male. It was heartbreaking to watch the mandatory autopsy, to see such a beautiful animal butchered like poultry (not to demean the death of any living being, mind you). The cause of death, although obvious from the start, was determined to be the fatal injury caused by the bullet, fragments of which were embedded in the eye and the gular pouch as well. There was a hurried burial, the hornbill’s grave dug up right next to the equally majestic sambar that was found killed the previous week. It was only when I reported the events of the afternoon in a matter-of-fact way to my newly arrived friends and saw their raised eyebrows that I realized my baseline for a normal workday had shifted quite dramatically. It certainly wasn’t the last time it happened during their stay (I should actually ask them to contribute an article, perhaps!).  

Portrait of a Wreathed Hornbill by Sartaj Ghuman

While we’re on the topic of autopsies. What’s the worst stench you’ve ever come across in your life? I bet a dead elephant trumps that by infinity. Once, I’d gone out to check some hornbill nests in the forest surrounding a far-off village with two of our staff. To get there, we had to crisscross a river multiple times and trek up a steep slope. On our way back, the wind direction had changed and we got a whiff of rotting carcass – probably a deer or something, we thought. Curiosity unabated by the fact that we had to hold our breaths, we followed the trail until it led us to a massive elephant-shaped carcass writhing with maggots. We reported the incident to the Forest Department, who then promptly asked us to lead them to the location. I think that was my first autopsy in the field, in fact. It’s hard to keep track.

And while we’re on the topic of elephants. This one time, I was heading to yet another far-off village to check on hornbill nests in the forests surrounding that area. It was 5 AM and not even halfway there, a small group of people stopped our vehicle. “You wildlife people,” they said. “There’s an elephant calf stranded in the water tank on the other side of that hill and the mother has been desperately trying to get it out for many hours. Do something.” We got out of our jeep to investigate, climbed up the hill, and all of a sudden came face to face with an angry adult female elephant. I say face to face because we were at the top of this tiny hill and she was at the bottom on the other side, and due to the difference in our respective heights, we were a standing a little above her eye level. Her calf couldn’t have been more than 2 months old, it was clumsily trying and failing to get out of the open water tank it had fallen into. The mother looked right at us and trumpeted once. Loudly. It was all the indication we needed to scamper back down the hill and back to the jeep. “We’ll call the Forest Department,” we shouted, as we stepped on the gas and fled the area, hearts thumping wildly. We were stopped once again on our way. Bad news again. One of our staff from another village, a young chap of 29 who suffered from chronic alcoholism, had died in a hospital in Itanagar a few hours earlier after his organs failed. His relatives were bringing his body back. Thoroughly shocked, we spent the next 4 hours helping out with funeral arrangements. On our way back to the base camp (with all plans of fieldwork abandoned, naturally), we stopped at the place where the elephant calf had fallen into the water tank. There was a huge crowd dotting every inch of the hill. The Forest Department had tranquilized the mother, while a JCB was brought in to break the tank and rescue the calf. At least one story that day had a happy ending.

There are countless stories to tell. Like the time I thought I would bleed to death after I got three Tiger leech bites on my butt which bled profusely for 8 hours, or the time we had to rescue a King Cobra from someone’s house in the village, or the rescue operations we’ve had to plan and execute when our staff get stranded for days deep inside the Tiger Reserve in the middle of the monsoon with no road or cellphone connectivity, or the expedition I had to plan once when we went in search of nests of the rare and highly endangered Rufous-Necked Hornbill, or the politics in this crazy place. I could potentially go on and on and on and on and on and on and on.. you get the point. All manner of utterly crazy shit happens here in the span of 24 hours, but at least there’s never a dull moment. That’s a good thing… right?

Love, D