#Tim was in Vegas for mostly a WE meetings

[bluerosefox]

Ghost Marriage Allows More Than One!

Tim wakes up in a hotel room in Vegas snuggled against a chest but he wasn't surprised.

He had been in the Sin City for a WE meeting and had brought Bernard along the trip since Tim's birthday was just shy a few days into it and well he wanted to spend time with his boyfriend since most of his family were off world (Dick, Jason, and Bruce all had important missions and they all apologized for missing out and Tim couldn't blame them he understood and he himself couldn't get out of the Vegas meetings no matter what he tried to do.) Or couldn't come to join him (Damian had school as did Duke and Alfred was taking care of them while the others were gone. Steph and Cass were out of country working with some important things with Babs and again he understood.) (Did it still sting yes but they all promised to make it up when they got back, Alfred even promised a coffee cake just for him)

So yeah, Vegas meeting trip turned somewhat birthday fun with his boyfriend. And since Bernard has always been good with encouraging Tim to try things it came to no surprise that during their stay he had managed to convince Tim to try drinking for the night.

Yes terrible influence Bernard was sometimes, but he did make a point. Tim was an adult now and sometimes it's okay to at least try adult dumb stuff, he didn't have to like it and could stop if he really didnt want to but he can at least say he tried it once. That it was okay for Tim to let go of his vigilante brain and just have fun in the one city that was made for it.

So try Tim did. Just for the night.

So yeah, Tim wasn't really surprised when he woke up the next morning, alcohol aftertaste on his breath, head pounding, nose scrunched up from the light of the sun peeking in from the curtains, and snuggling himself into a rather chilly chest...

Wait...

Chilly?

Tim opened his eyes when he realized that. Bernard never felt cold to Tim when they would snuggle, no he was always warm, like a warm heating blanket. It was why Tim loved snuggling him. Why was he-

Tim's eyes widened when he saw not blonde hair on the body in the bed with him but black hair. He almost flung himself off the bed from him startling awake and watched the one he had been snuggled next to mumble in his sleep and turn over.

Tim felt pure dread as he continued to stare, his stomach turning as his thoughts got bad, oh god..God... did he... oh no, no, no no. Oh where was Bernard- FUCK did he really-

Tim flinched when he heard a door open and snapped his eyes towards it. He felt his mouth go dry when he spotted his boyfriend coming out of what was the bathroom of the room and had just finished taking a shower from the sounds of left over dripping water and from the towel he was using to clean his hair.

Bernard stopped in his spot when he noticed Tim staring at him before he gave Tim a very uneasy chuckle, his eyes darting towards the sleeping body on the bed "H-Hey, good morning T. I see you... uhh seen our guest."

Tim felt ready to cry, to beg for forgiveness, but the only sound that came out was a strangled sound because of course he fucked up and ruined one of the best things that ever happened to him and-

But before he could spiral further into his anxiety and dread Bernard kept speaking.

"So ummm. Do you also remember meeting Danny at the bar, getting really tipsy, hanging out, having fun and then like going to a ghost bar with him so he could really drunk because he's like half ghost. And I mean like a legit ghost bar, like we saw Elvis and Marilyn Monroe there and they were like floating. Then we all got like super mega drunk and then... maybe kinda sorta got ghost married... because ghost marriage allows unlimited spouses cause you know, already dead doesn't matter and it's also almost permanent cause again the whole dead thing... Or did I hallucinate all that last night and we just brought in a random stranger to bed?" He asked his voice unsure as he looked between Tim and the stranger Danny in bed before lifting his hand up and showing Tim a glowing ring on it. "I'm pretty sure I didn't dream it up because I kinda woke up with this, and it refuses to come off."

Tim went silent for a moment, wide eyed as he stared back at Bernard before the pounding headache he had hit him harder than ever when the very memories of everything Bernard had said came flooding back to him. With a gasp Tim quickly looked st his own hand and sure enough on his finger was a matching glowing wedding band on it, his eyes snapped towards Danny... Danny Nightingale? Or was it Phantom? said his name was and spotted another matching one as well.

"B is going to kill us." Was the only thing Tim could muster up to say.

[symeraid-s]

2022 Retrospective: TV-Shows/Movies

I didn’t really watch any anime this year, so I took all the anime categories out of this retrospective, because I can’t just talk about Spy x Family and Chainsaw Man. So, instead, here are the 2022 shows/movies I watched quickly reviewed.

Zettai BL Naru Sekai vs Sekai BL Narutakunai ni Otoko/The Man Who Defies the World of BL Season 2

This show still is hilarious. I mean, sure, I was hoping for a bit more romance between Mobu and Kikuchi, because they are adorable, and I ship them so hard. But what we got was still good. The last episode of this season had me rolling in laughter and tears. The confession-scene in this show is one of my favourite BL scenes as of now and I rewatch it regularly. Now I only need a season 3 with some actual romance for Mobu and Kikuchi. Come on, don’t leave me hanging, please.

KinnPorsche the Series

Well, this is the big one. Mannner of Death walked, so that this show could run. Some of the scenes in this show are seriously close to pornographic. I still really enjoyed the show, though there were some moments where I thought that it dropped the plot. Mile and Apo are really great together though, so that doesn’t really matter. The fanfictions of this show are really great, and I hope to add some of my own in this new year (most likely not…). Though one thing that is a massive turn off for me is how the fandom baby meow meows Vegas and shits on Kinn. Like, why is there a “Kinn Apologist” tag? Do I really need to apologise for liking a fictional character who is supposed to be morally grey? No, I will not. Kinn is my favourite character, there, I said it. This show also has Jeff Satur in it which is always a plus. And this is also probably just the Ingredients fan in me talking, but wasn’t Gameplay supposed to play Porchay? Why isn’t he? I mean, Barcode is great as Porchay, but he and Jeff by far don’t have the same chemistry that Jeff and Gameplay have.

Old Fashioned Cupcake

Yeah, I think this is my favourite show of the year. The writing is amazing, the acting is fantastic, and the characters are great. The only problem I can see, is that there are only five episodes of this wholesome show. It tells you that even if you’re nearing 40 (which is apparently already considered old) you can always find yourself and that it’s never too late. Kouhei Takeda is absolutely stellar in this show. Funny thing about that is that I watched Kamen Rider Build in 2021, after watching Zettai BL 1 and now three of the main riders have starred in BL Shows and I can’t believe it’s a coincidence anymore.

Kei x Yaku

Another BL with Atushiro Inukai, who is on his steady way to become one of my favourite Japanese actors. It’s a mafia drama bromance, leaning more towards the mafia drama than the bromance. It’s basically Kinnporsche, but with more political intrigue and no porn. Well… on screen at least.

The Umbrella Academy Season 3

This whole season could have been solved in one episode if there were some communication. That’s the most I can say about the story. It’s good. I really liked this season. I really liked the Sparrows. Sloane is a cool character and I really liked Sparrow!Ben. He just such a petty gay throughout the entire season and I love it. The rest of the Sparrows were cool, though I would have loved to get some more development for them and not just meet them for three episodes. I’m really looking forward to the final season coming this year.

Sandman

Yes, this show is amazing, what else can I tell you? The characters are great, the writing is great, it’s a good adaption that uses it’s medium to its fullest. I mean, it’s written by Neil Gaiman, what more can we want, am I right?

Wednesday

Maybe Tim Burton is getting back on track. At least somewhat. There are parts of this show I really enjoy. Jenna Ortega is amazing as Wednesday and seeing her energy clash with Enid’s is one of the highlights of this show. They are cute and I ship them, and they should have been together, mostly because the rest of her love interests are boring guys. I really can’t imagine Wednesday with any guy. Or girl for that matter. I always thought she was Ace. But yeah, make them lesbians, Netflix. I also really like the aesthetic of this show. Though there is one aspect that I just can’t get behind: The rest of the Addams Family. Morticia as a character is fine, though she should have been played by Christina Ricci, it would have been a great nod. My problem mainly lies with Gomez. And no, it’s not because he’s not conventionally attractive. He’s just so slimy and pathetic and that’s not Gomez at all. He needs to be charming. Also, the Addams are not bad parents.

Usogui

I watched this movie on a 14-hour plane ride from Costa Rica back home, when I was unable to sleep. And for what it was, I really enjoyed it. When I got home, I googled the movie and found out it was a live action adaption of a manga. It didn’t dim my enjoyment. I watched the movie again with my sister just for this review and I have to say: For what it is, it’s not bad. It does condense about 100 chapters into two hours, so a lot of stuff gets lost. But, and this is something I can always kind off appreciate about Live Action Adaptions (except Death Note): Most of the time, they get you interested in the source material. I started reading the manga after watching the movie and I do not regret it. The manga is absolutely fantastic. Madarame Baku is one of my new favourite characters. And Ryusei Yokohama is a great actor to play him.

[buttonpusherdiy]

Legendary Tacoma, Washington mathcore/hardcore/metal band BOTCH have finally announced a run of UK and EU shows, happening next year through March 2024. The UK dates will be Bristol on March 21st, Manchester on March 22nd and London (at The Electric Ballroom) on March 23rd. Tickets go on sale Thursday 12th October at

10am BST, ticket link is - HERE

From BOTCH singer Dave Verellen: “We are really grateful to have the opportunity to be back in the UK. Playing in Europe has always been a highlight for us, very stoked to have one last run over there. Let’s melt some fucking faces!!!”

From BOTCH drummer Tim Latona: “Going back to tour the EU and UK with Botch is absolutely the fulfilment of a multi-decade dream of mine. We're so excited to share our music again with all of our fans!”

ALL UK and EU BOTCH headline dates, 2024:

March 8 – Prague, CZ – Meet Factory

March 9 – Vienna, AT – Arena

March 10 – Chemnitz, DE – AJZ

March 12 – Berlin, DE – Festsaal Kreuzberg

March 13 – Copenhagen, DK – Vega

March 14 – Hamburg, DE – Uebel & Gefährlich

March 15 – Brussels, BE – Botanique

March 17 – Wiesbaden, DE – Schlachthof

March 18 – Esch-Sur-Alzette, LUX – Rockhal

March 19 – Paris, FR – Elysee Montmartre

March 21 – Bristol, UK – Marble Factory

March 22 – Manchester, UK – New Century Hall

March 23 – London, UK – Electric Ballroom

March 25 – Athens, GR – Gagarin 205

Bassist Brian Cook, guitarist David Knudson, drummer Tim Latona, and vocalist Dave Verellen formed BOTCH in 1993, becoming one of the most ground-breaking and influential bands during a pivotal shift in heavy music. Their final show was June 15, 2002, the same day as the original release of An Anthology of Dead Ends. The members would go on to play in These Arms Are Snakes, Minus the Bear, and Russian Circles, among others, with acclaim for the band coming mostly post-breakup.

The band can also announce a re-mastered reissue of their final EP 'An Anthology of Dead Ends', out October 27th via Sargent House. Originally recorded in 2002, 'An Anthology of Dead Ends' serves as a swan song, sending off one of heavy music’s most inventive groups. Their monstrous concoction of metal, noise, indie rock guitar trickery, and depth is on full display. This is a last will and testament to the group's drive and intent, cementing their legacy as one of the untouchable greats, already having influenced many a group and artist.

An Anthology of Dead Ends is available digitally and will see its vinyl release on October 27th, 2023 via Sargent House. Pre-order HERE.

[bigowlenergy]

back by popular demand: jongerry vegas wedding AU

jon: alright everyone, that concludes the team meeting about all the info i gathered whilst in america and also from my late husband, gerard - basira, put your hand down, im not answering that question. thank you.

tim: i’m literally terrified to ask what you got up to in china

jon: oh, i started gaining the ability to comprehend all languages there but that isnt important. ANYWAY more about gerard - so it turns out that emma harvey was really talented at money laundering before gertrude burned her alive, and gerry got all her safehouses and supply areas that are still being covered by the institutes money to this day. so if anyone is looking for alternative free housing, i have the keys to two more places a bit further from the institute. i’ve been staying at the loft near the train station bc i like the ambient noise and thats where gerry’s record collection is. which, melanie - you should come over some time to listen to, i think you would really appreciate most of these albums. local garage metal and prog rock, right up your alley. and martin, i know you like retro ‘aesthetic’ things and gerry had everything from 8-track tapes to vinyl, so we could - martin? where are you going?

melanie: holy shit

jon: ....well, anyway, i think we can also make a list of confirmed destroyed lietners because gerry often took polaroids before he burned them. mostly selfies but sometimes just the book laying in a trashcan with his middle finger over half the cover. i keep this really great selfie of him with a lietner i personally hate in my wallet does anyone want to see what he looked like?

tim:.............yes

daisy: changed my mind, i like this guy

[featherymalignancy]

This is totally up to you if you want to answer this ask: What were Nesta's parents like? Their names, personalities, jobs, where they came from etc. Also curious about Nesta's aunt and uncle too :)

Okay, I SWEAR, I was gonna try and keep this brief. I literally whisper-screamed said to myself, “Keep it brief, Cara.”

Nesta, Elain, and Feyre’s Parents: Tim and Ines (neé Afonso) Archeron. Tim was a third-generation native Californian, Ines was, as we know, from Portugal 🇵🇹

Archeron Grandparents:

Tim’s dad Rick was an attorney (and an antisemtic prick, see Nesta’s mention of him in Fucking Lawyers for an example).

His mom Marie was a housewife.

Rick was a functional alcoholic “big drinker” and died when Nesta was 14, Marie died while she was in college.

Afonso Grandparents:

Ines’s father Sebastião was a professor of Antiquities at The Univeristy of Coimbra

Her mother Heloísa worked in her father’s butcher shop until she had Ines (she a dope cook, y’all).

Sebastião died two years before In Vino Veritas starts. Heloísa is the only of the four grandparents still alive.

(SIDENOTE: can we fucking TALK about what she’s gonna say when she meets tall dark and gorgeous Portuguese-speaking wine expert Cassian??)

Heloísa: *in Portuguese* Amorzinho, why have you not married this man yet?

Nesta: Avó, stop!

Heloísa: *still in Portuguese and well within earshot of Cash* If I was forty years younger I would marry him myself!

Tim & Ines (background):

They were both lawyers, they met in law school at Stanford (high achieving runs in the family).

Tim was worked as an M&A (mergers and acquisitions) attorney (can be boring shit but a lotta moneyyy). Ines was a special prosecutor trying drug companies for malpractice and fraud (social justice warrior FTW)

They both worked a LOT, especially when the girls were really little, so the girls were raised by a nanny named Benigna (Beni). Ines had insisted on a nanny who spoke Portuguese, and Beni was from Brazil.

Beni got unexpectedly sick when Nesta was 10, and she died after a too-brief battle with breast cancer.

It was Nesta’s first real experience with loss and she was inconsolably heartbroken, making Tim and Ines realize that they’d allowed their children to be almost completely raised by someone else, and that the girls had basically just suffered the loss of a parent.

At that point Ines decided to cut back to working half time to spend time with the girls, who were 10, 6, and 4.

Between losing Beni and her parents having been gone so much when she was little, Nesta was incredibly anxious to please her parents and make them proud. She was involved in a lot of activities and was very hard on herself, especially for a child. She was serious and dedicated, and though Ines tried to calm the best of Nesta’s outward fretting, she didn’t know how to cope with the more deeply-routed issues of Nesta’s compulsion to be the best. Instead she wrote it off as Nesta being incredibly bright and kept signing Nesta up for activities and paying for any private lessons, competitions, workshops etc. that Nesta expressed interest in. (Look, Nesta had to have something to tell her therapist about)

Starting the year Beni died, they began to take trips to Portugal every summer to see Nesta’s avô and avozinha.

before that, they’d only gone a handful of times, and Sebastiâo and Heloísa were thrilled.

Tim wasn’t close to his parents because of his dad was verbally abusive and his mother was permissive and enabling, so Nesta and the girls were much closer to her avô and avozinha.

Her grandfather spoke English but her grandmother didn’t really, so they spoke almost exclusively Portuguese when they were there (Tim was just sorta...j chilling with his incredibly mediocre Portuguese—he only usually stayed a week anyways, and he worked the whole time).

At home they spoke a mixture, Ines often spoke to the girls in Portuguese and they replied in English unless she insisted otherwise.

Family Ties...

Tim’s closest friend from law school (and the best man at his f*cking wedding) was Beron Vanserra.

Ines was not really a fan but she just sort of tolerated Beron for Tim’s sake, and Beron was clever enough to mostly behave when she was around, though he was definitely the friend who was always trying to coax Tim on a coke-filled bender to Vegas every time her back was turned

Whereas Tim and Ines had children later in life (Ines had Nesta at 35, Elain at 39, and Feyre at 41), Beron married his college sweetheart right out of law school, popped out two boys—August and Adrian—and fucked off for a younger wife. They got divorced without kids after like...a year

His third wife, Flavia, became good friends with Ines. She had her first boy, Eris, three years before Ines had Nesta. They were both pregnant around the same time with their seconds, Lucien and Elain.

The two couples were close and they took vacations together etc. AKA...the kids played together a lot as kids.

Tween/teen Nesta had an ENORMOUS crush on Eris. A senior in HS when she was a freshman, he...did not give a shit. When they ran into each other three years later (Nesta: 18 and two years into raising her two tween sisters and Eris: 21 and a swaggering senior prick at USC) and he hit on her that she was decided she hated him, lol

When Nesta was 14 (Eris: 17, Elain/Lucien: 10, Feyre: 8), it came out that Flavia had been having a longgggg term on-again, off-again affair with her college sweetheart. Screaming matches and paternity tests ensued...and it came out that Lucien was not Beron’s

Ines supported Flavia when Beron filed for divorce and came after Flavia with a VENGEANCE. Ines got Flavia a sick-ass divorce attorney, and sis cleaned up in the divorce 🧹 🧼 🧽 💵 . She and Beron had a very strained custody agreement, where Lucien mostly lived with his mom and saw his “dad” (Beron) only occasionally. Eris, who was about to go to college and was mad at his mom for this embarrassing secret, lived with Beron.

Tim, put off by how Beron handled Lucien’s paternity, distanced himself from Beron, and they were never close after that.

When Tim and Ines died, Flavia was one of the people who stepped up the most to help. Nesta was fiercely independent about the whole thing, but Flavia did babysit for Nesta when she had her own activities, and sometimes she would fill the Archeron fridge with groceries or do the mountain of laundry or take the younger girls back-to-school clothes shopping. Still, she was quiet about it knowing that Nesta considered herself a failure for any little thing she couldn’t do for her sisters.

Tim and Ines (personalities):

Tim

Tim was easy-going and fairly mild.

Of the three girls, Elain is most like him in temperament.

Like his dad, Tim was a total workaholic. He loved his daughters a lot, always bragging about them to colleagues and friends, but he wasn’t really around enough to really show them.

As a result, his main role as a parent was spoiling them with things.

Tim’s dad had been the diciplinarian, so Tim hated “being the bad guy” and was thus incredibly permissive. On the rare occasions that he was in charge of the girls alone for a weekend, there were...literally no rules.

Had he been alive, Tim would have strongly encouraged Nesta’s decision to pursue law school. He likely would have been more skeptical of Feyre’s choice to pursue fine art.

Ines

Ines was more type-A in her personality

Of the three, Nesta is most like her

As the daughter of a classics professor, she had a great love of classical art and music. She would have been pleased that Elain planned to be an academic like her Avô. She also highly encouraged Nesta’s pursuit of opera even though HS Nesta secretly would have rather done musical theatr (like literally any other teenager?)

Ines had been very close to her parents growing up and had planned to return to Portugal when she graduated law school; even though she loved Tim, she was sad when that didn’t happen

She was very nurturing with her girls, but less tolerant of them acting out. Appearances were important to her, and she expected her girls to be well-behaved.

Nesta, always desperate to please, was praised by every adult who ever met her for being perfectly well-behaved

Elain, easy-going and somewhat shy, was quiet and complaint by nature. She never caused problems and rarely even cried

Feyre, a fiercely independent spirit from day one, did not give a FUCK about making a scene if the need arose. Oh, it’s Christmas and Mamã bought Feyre a pretty dress to wear in the Christmas photos? Who cares; not Feyre! She wants to wear her Jasmine costume from Halloween, and if Mamã says she can’t, Feyre is PERFECTLY happy to make a good huge scene in the middle of the bougee photography studio...

OKAY FUCK THIS IS WAY TOO LONG BUT REAL QUICK THE AUNT AND UNCLE

Ines was an only child, Tim just had the one younger brother named Mike. Mike was the “disappointment” according to Rick, because he chose to major in communications and had no interest in law school.

Mike is incredibly unassuming and lived in Tim’s popular, affable shadow. Not lame but definitely unremarkable

The Archerons grew up in the affluent Beach town of Santa Barbara, but Mike was so vexed by his parents he move 385 miles away to Sacramento (if you know California, WEIRD flex on Sacramento of all places, but you do you Mikey)

He married a very sweet middle class girl named Linda and got a job in Insurance

They never had kids of their own, and though he and Tim were friendly, they didn’t really get together much because they just had vastly different lives/lifestyles

Mike and Linda were shocked and sort of bewildered when Tim and Ines died and they were awarded custody of the girls (literally do you not really know what it is to agree to be someone’s legal guardian, Michael ???) and they sort of started haphazardly making plans to move the girls up to Sacramento, even though every time Nesta called they weren’t much farther on arrangements.

Elain and Feyre FREAKED out when they were told they’d be leaving home and their friends and moving to Sacramento with Uncle Mike and Aunt Linda (10 yo Feyre: I HATE Sacramento, it’s a shithole!) and when Mike and Linda still didn’t really have any helpful insights on schools, etc (the Archeron girls all attended private school) Nesta decided the move made no sense.

She basically announced that they weren’t gonna move and that she was just going to handle the girls. Mike and LInda sort of (vaguely) protested before being like “yeah you right, we suck at this”. They still controlled Tim and Ines’s estate and helped Nesta deal with all that, but she took it over the MINUTE she turned 18 and they didn’t really have any part after that besides sheepishly calling like “so...hows everything going? Are you liking school okay?” 🤦‍♀️

Nesta tried to make an effort to be closer with them when they were all younger but like...as adults the Archeron girls have sort of tacitly agreed that Mike and Linda are sweet and they’re family but like...they aren’t that much fun to be around. They’d much rather go to sushi and get drunk on Christmas Eve rather than go to Sacramento and force polite conversation with their aunt and uncle

Okay so yeah! There is a far too detailed thing about her parents, hope you enjoy!

[buddietomytarlos]

9-1-1 Lone Star S2 Ep3 Thoughts *Spoilers*

under the cut are my thoughts on the episode!

- Tim 💔💔💔

-  CAP HAVING NIGHTMARES ABOUT IT :( OH GOD-

- 118 meets 126 yassssss lets goooooooo

- “Welcome to Texas, Buck.”

- Buck recognizing Marjan from the videos

- “you’re staring” Eddie is jealous idc. “that guy’s staring” TK asdfghjkl;

- Eddie looks so fucking FINE UGH.

- “It’s gonna be you and me.” BUCK ALSO BEING SO JEEALOUS OF HIM GOING WITH MARJAN. Firefox…? “I followed her on Instagram… but she didn’t follow me back.”

- Cap checking in on Captain Vega 🥺🥺

- “Hollywood.” Eddie be like “I’M FROM TEXAS”

- EDDIE AND JUDD FRIENDSHIP

- oh shit this poor dude… but no shit he’s not breathing he was literally in the fire’s smoke. Anyways I think sending kids into the woods to fend for themselves is so fucking dumb… like I see why and how good it could be for survival but??? that’s what learning is for… from a BOOK.

- “Hope your not squeamish” *Marjan gives a “bitch pease” look*

- Marjan and Eddie flirting lol

- BUCK TALKING ABOUT THE FIRST EP AT THE AMUSEMENT PARK BRUH

- Them all bonding via their trauma from the job

- TK SAVING BUCK HOLY FUCK those are my boys. WAIT THERE’S SOMEONE IN THE CAR? A DOG?!

- I love them sharing stories of things we’ve seen from them ahhhhh

- BUCK HELPED. “Wait is that that creepy guy that was staring at me?” “Yeah, he’s harmless. Well… mostly.”

- Shit not me suddenly remembering this helicopter goes down………

- A FUCKIN BEAR TRAP?! WHAT IS THIS DEAD BY DAYLIGHT?

- LOL PAUL “BEARS? WOLVES?!”

- FUCKKKK that kid looks like that one factor from Lord of the Rings

- JUDD AND HIS MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH BC HE’S BEEN IN HIS SHOES AHH

- Did he just hit that child…. bro- I mean yes it worked but fajkdfs

- No they’re going down I’m scared

- PROBIE BRINGING UP THANOS IT’S TOO SOON.

- BUCK, TK, AND PROBIE FINDING OUT NOOOOO

- THEY’RE RIGHT NEXT TO THE FIRE

- oh no he’s repeating himself oh no oh no oh no

- TK 🥺🥺😭😭

- Off topic but I hope that throughout the season we’ll get little nods to the firefighter’s new friends in Texas/LA

- Of course there’s DYNAMITE.

- BUCKKKKKK OMG

- I hope seeing Tim isn’t gonna be a regular thing. As cool as it is…

- Buck and TK being dumbass disaster twins “you obviously don’t know Buck” Eddie 😏😏 “Stop you? We’re going with you.” THESE ARE MY FAVESSSSSSSSSS

- Rip to their jackets…

- dead!Tim stop smirking like that

- They really paired everyone off perfectly. Hen and Captain Strand, Buck and TK, Judd, Marjan, and Eddie. And everyone talking about their traumas and such? Beautiful. I love it.

- Ahhhh they finally made it to the wreck site. THEY FOUND HEN AND CAPTAIN STRAND 😭❤️🥳

- Captain Vega lol yesss we love their friendship

- DID EDDIE JUST SAY THHAT THEY’RE GONNA GO TO HIS PARENTS TO EAT… BUCK IS GONNA MEET HIS PARENTS…?

- EDDIE TELLING MARJAN TO FOLLOW BUCK BACK AHH. TK knowing Buck is clearly bi. ALSO NOT TK TALKING ABOUT HIS BF AND THEN EDDIE COMING IN TO THE SCENE WITH BUCK?!?!! The way they could have nipped Buddie in the bud by having Buck say that he’s straight to TK but they didn’t. Mmhm. I can’t wait for slowburn!Buddie

- “Take care of yourself, Owen.” AHHHHH

- a bomb… WITH CHIM? NO NO NO. I had a feeling that they were too happy that something bad was gonna happen to Chim smhhhh

- OWEN ASKING HER TO MARRY HIM AGAIN AW 

[bensonstablers]

Hi Queen❤️ Can you make a ‘What we know (or think we know) so far about season 3’ post ?! There’s so much info and it’s so unorganized in my brain. Help 🥺💋

Hi, there!

Let me start by saying that I mostly kept this to information we’ve been given and tried to stay away from too many theories because this post got long. Because of that, I’m actually going to put everything I can find under a read more/keep reading tab. (Although that being said, I’m always happy to answer asks about theories, I just wanted to keep this post from becoming a ridiculous length).

There’s actually been a ton of information about Good Girls season 3 so far (albeit, some of it vague haha) so I’m sure I’ve missed some things. Saying that, I recommend checking out @pynkhues‘ blog (which I’m sure you have), particularly this tag for extra details and discussions as well as info I might have missed (I find Sophie often posts about, reblogs, or is sent asks regarding details of season 3 quite regularly, ha).

The Good Girls tag on here is also great to check out as well as any official social media accounts for the show as well as cast and crew. To be honest, a lot of behind the scenes stuff is posted to IG stories which delete after 24 hours and I find they’re not always captured in time to find elsewhere. 

Anyway, everything below is split into sections and there are sources provided (said sources will potentially give extra information on top of what I’ve put!) I really hope this is organised enough for you and it’s not everything but I hope it’s what you were looking for! ^_^

Firstly, there’s this spoiler post that was made but if you don’t like spoilers and just want ‘official’ information that is announced on socials and through blog articles, I’d recommend skipping it :)

The basics:

We got an official release date: February 16th 2020 (source)

We’re getting 16 episodes this season (source)

Saying that, they’re potentially filming right through till March (source). As of right now, we’ve definitely got about 7 episodes done in terms of table reads (and filming too I think?).

We got the titles for the first 3 episodes (source) and due to IG stories we know episode 7 is called, “Vegas, Baby!”

Information about previous cast members (not including the obvious, ha):

Basically every kid on the show has been photographed on set including David Miranda who plays Marcus (a lot of the kids have instagram and you’ll see a ton of sources there).

It’s possible Jessica Walter will be back as Judith (source)

Sally Pressman is back as Nancy (source)

I don’t think it’s been confirmed if Zach Gilford is back as Greg but if Nancy is back, I’m assuming he’ll at least make an appearance.

Carlos Aviles is back as one of Rio’s boys (source - he’s also posted in IG stories about it too)

Julian Grant who plays JT (the Quick Cash guy) is set to return for at least 3x01 according to IMDb (source)

Sam Huntington doesn’t seem to be coming back for season 3 (source - his thank you tweet after season 2 finished).

Allison Tolman is playing the lead in the show Emergence so probably won’t return for this season (I guess it depends on schedule but I doubt it).

New cast members:

Charlyne Yi was cast as the fourth good girl Lucy who was hinted at at the end of season 2 and was also teased in interviews with Jenna Bans (source)

Jackie Cruz was cast a Rhea (source) and while that source revealed that Rhea was going to become friends with Beth we now have information as to who else she’s connected to as well as first look pictures of both Rhea and Beth in season 3 (source - if you don’t want to be spoiled, I wouldn’t recommend checking that source)

Ione Skye was cast as Gayle who works with Dean at his new job at a hot tub store (source) and Ione has made a couple of instagram posts like this one and this one. And I also want to say she made some IG stories but they only last 24 hours so I can’t link any, ha.

Noureen Dewulf was cast as Krystal (source) - she’s also posted a few IG stories in the past which confirmed her character’s name and also showed her on set with various people but mainly Reno Wilson bringing about the idea that Krystal will be connected to stan.

Wesley Kimmel was cast as Tim (source) and there’s really no information about him that I’ve noticed but he’s often seen with the other kids in photos (mainly the Bolands) and a lot of people have pointed out he looks like Matthew Lillard so there’s speculation he’ll be connected to them (the other theory is that he’s Gayle’s son).

Brent Jeremiah was cast a Thug #2 lmao (source) but the interesting thing is that he actually mentioned working with Christina which means this ‘thug’ is likely connected to Beth’s journey into crime (whether that be good or bad remains to be seen though).

There was also an IG post about Alex Jayne Go on set or something but I can’t seem to find it, however, she’s listed as ‘Fiona’ in 3x03 on IMDb (source)

Naomi Grossman was cast as Dr Amanda Johnson (source) and her role is only a guest one so I’m not entirely sure how much we’ll see of her.

Megan Thee Stallion has been cast to appear although there’s not really any information on who she’ll be playing and whatnot (source)

Some behind the scenes stuff:

I don’t actually follow him but I’ve heard that Gabe Rodriguez who works on Good Girls often posts a bunch of behind the scenes stuff on his instagram. - I feel like it was him who posted a picture of a strip club or something which added fuel to the fire of Krystal being a stripper or something along those lines, ha.

Christina, Mae, and Retta were filming in a graveyard at one point (source) and Carlos Aviles also posted about the same set on his IG stories (source) so most likely Manny/Rio is involved in those scenes too.

There’s a printing press this season (source) and (I think) it was confirmed that Beth and co will be working with cards as part of their business (in 3x01 on IMDb there’s a listing for ‘young card customer’) and there was a photo floating around where you see the sign: “Paper Porcupine” in the background.

I’m 90% sure it was seen in slightly more HD versions of these photos which were actually some of the first we got of Manny/Rio on set, ha.

In some IG stories, Reno mentioned he couldn’t show his face because of spoilers which I’m guessing means either a) Stan is injured or b) his outfit gives something big away about his storyline.

Whenever the cast have posted pictures that show Manny onset (whether it be for table reads or filming) those posts are usually promptly deleted (like this one) meaning that the show is still trying to keep his fate ambiguous, most likely wanting to make his return a big surprise for fans who haven’t quite figured out he’s coming back.

Everleigh (Jane) and David (Marcus) are often photographed together and its probably cause they’re close in age and friends but there’s a high chance we’ll see Jane and Marcus become friends in season 3 (it also seems that Marcus will just be in this season a lot more than season 2 in general).

There’s this photo of Jackie, Christina, and Mae which could mean nothing but we know Rhea and Beth will have scenes together but, considering that photos was from September, I wonder if Annie (and Ruby) will meet Rhea pretty early on and share scenes with her, aha.

[theparaminds]

Floor Cry’s music is simply a good friend on a bad day, the spark to eliminate sadness and the boost of positivity always needed in a seemingly gloomy world. Her sound is blended to reflect the emotions one feels when supported or leaning on another, she understands what it means to be available and vulnerable to allow others to be the same.

With her few but powerful releases, Floor Cry (real name Felicia Sekundiak) has set the groundwork for a growing base of music that relates to the youth and their overwhelming unsureness in life, she knows what it means to make it through the dark times and is excited to become she who extends a hadn't to bring others out as well. 

The future is truly limitless for Floor Cry, from collaborations to albums, the paths she chooses are sure to be landmarked by exciting and elevating music set to bring out feelings perviously unfelt, yet so currently essential. 

PM: Our first question as always, how’s your day going and how are you?

Good! I just finished writing my midterm exams a few days ago so I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Now I’m about to relax and watch Tales From The Crypt.

PM: To begin, what would you say is your favourite movie and what’s the best scene in the entire film and why?

I have so many favourites but if I had to choose one I would choose “The Lost Boys”. My favourite scene is when everyone’s at this beach party and Tim Capello is there playing “I Still Believe”. I don’t know why but it makes me so happy. A good soundtrack contributes so much to a movie! Some of my other favourites like Labyrinth and Purple Rain have amazing soundtracks as well.

PM: For those who don’t know you, who is Floor Cry and what is her musical vision? As well, where does the name Floor cry come from?

 Floor Cry is a name I came up with for myself. I feel like there isn’t much appeal to my given name so I wanted to go with something entirely different. I was having a hard time choosing something that I felt was an accurate representation of myself and hadn’t already been taken so at a certain point I had basically given up. Then one night I was laying on my floor listening to a record (and crying) and I thought of it. It was more or less a joke at first but I decided to roll with it. My musical vision is to keep growing and creating! I want to learn as much as I can and keep improving. I also really want my music to help people get through tough times as music has done that for me my whole life.

PM: How did you find yourself getting into a musical path? Was it those around you or possibly the environment you were in location wise? Possibly was it also the internet and the endless stream of content there?

 I think it was mostly just my love for music that started at a very young age. As soon as I was born my Dad was always playing music no matter where we were. He listens to a lot of different genres so that definitely had an influence on the kind of music I listen to now. He got me into A Flock of Seagulls which is one of my favourite bands. My uncle Dana was also in this really cool new wave band called Vienna so I’ve always been inspired by him. When I was 10 or 11 I begged my parents to take guitar lessons and from there I started writing and eventually recording my own songs.

PM: Who would you say are your biggest inspirations as an artist? What do you pull from them into your style?

 I am inspired by all of my favourite musicians. Every time I discover a new artist they inspire me to try new things. It’s really hard to narrow it down but I think my top ones would be Prince, Duran Duran, A Flock of Seagulls, Bowie, Cocteau Twins, The Cars, New Order, Book Of Love, INXS, and Tears for Fears. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with more synth in my songs which I think has definitely been because of these artists. I have also been trying to create a more atmospheric sound.

PM: On the topic of your style, you contrast great laid-back tone with introspective lyrics and themes, is this something you actively work for or more just naturally due to your personality?

Thank you! I think this is something that just comes naturally. Part of it is also due to the limitations that come with having a pretty basic knowledge of recording programs! I would like to create music that has a bigger sound someday as well as some more upbeat stuff. As far as my themes in songwriting go I have a lot going on in my mind at all times and I think this comes through in my lyrics. I leave a lot of things open for interpretation but I always strive to be honest as it allows me to make sense of my life and turn my experiences into something that other people can enjoy.

PM: As well, how do you hope to grow and add to yourself as an artist? What instruments or ideas do you hope to try in the future?

I have a lot of goals for the future! I hope to learn how to use more sophisticated programs to record my music. Right now I am still mostly on GarageBand as I find it easy to navigate but it is also very limiting. I have been trying to create a fuller sound by layering more tracks but I still don’t feel it is as full as I would like. I also really want to get a bass guitar and a good synth because right now I am just creating “bass” and “synth” on a Casio keyboard which isn’t ideal. My dream synth is a Roland Jupiter-8. Ultimately I want to transition into making synth-pop/new wave-inspired music one day as opposed to the kind of lo-fi stuff I’m making now. Another thing I want to do eventually is get a live band together so that I can play more shows and possibly tour one day. It would be amazing to meet the people who listen to my music.

PM: A lot of people point to experiences with fans or newfound life experiences as to what kept them driven to make music, did you find either to be the case for you or is something else pushing you to continue creating?

 Both! I started making music as an outlet. If you listen to my songs I don’t think it’s any secret that I’ve had my fair share of mental struggles and writing songs about them is how I cope. It’s not easy to be alive but music has kept me here through the good days and the bad. Once people started finding my songs and sending me messages about how I’ve helped them through their own experiences I realized that this is something I want to keep doing. I never thought my music would mean anything to anyone so hearing that it does mean the world to me. I still feel like I’m relatively unknown in the DIY music scene but I really appreciate every single person that listens to and supports me.

PM: Do you have any upcoming projects people should look out for? If so, how do they build or differ from past releases?

 I am working on an album! I still do not have a release date as I am very particular about what I want and am constantly revising songs. It’s completely different from the EPs I’ve put out in the past. My style has changed so much that I have a hard time listening to any of my older stuff now but I think that is something a lot of artists experience. Everyone grows so in a sense it isn’t the worst thing to dislike my older songs as it allows me to be able to acknowledge the progress I’ve made.

PM: What would you say is your number one favourite song of your own, and then your favourite song of all time, you can do three if it’s too difficult!

 I think my favourite song of my own is my most recent “I’ll Be Around” because I feel like it is a good representation of the progress I’ve made and the sound I am transitioning towards. As far as my favourite song of all time goes I will definitely have to take you up on your offer to do 3 (even 3 is hard)! Let’s Go Crazy by Prince, Space Age Love Song by A Flock of Seagulls, and Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins.

PM: If you could build a music and/or art studio anywhere in the world, where would it be and how would it look?

   It would be a dream come true to have my own music studio. I think I would build it in San Francisco because it seems like a city I would love or in England somewhere because that’s where a lot of my favourite bands formed. In terms of how it would look, I would want it to have bright colours everywhere! I’m a big fan of Patrick Nagel so I would love to have his art all over the walls as well. It would also be cool to have a room filled with pinball machines for when I take breaks during recording. And an ice cream machine.

PM: Do you have anyone to shout out or anything to promote? The floor is yours!

   I want to shout out all my friends for being so supportive and inspirational. I am so lucky to know all of them! I also want to take a moment to share this link because I think it is very important. The transgender community needs as much support as possible and I encourage everyone to donate to the Transgender Law Centre here: 

http://www.transgenderlawcenter.org/donate.

Follow Floor Cry on Instagram and Twitter

Listen on Spotify and Soundcloud

[finnmafia]

hockey asks: 6, 9, 12, 13, 26

6. first player you ever liked? having grown up in dallas, technically it’s probably mike modano because he was relevant when i was a kid, but when i first really, truly joined this fandom and became such a big hockey fan it was because of my love for jamie benn

9. have you ever met a player? if so, who? if you haven’t, who’s someone you’d love to meet? a couple years ago, i took my girl scout troop to a stars event and we got to very briefly meet seggy! he was the nicest and took a bunch of pictures with each of the different troops there. i think the one player i’d like to meet the most is geno or flower

12. a team you didn’t think you’d end up liking but you do now? the pens. before this off season, i could barely stand them (mostly bc one of my best friends loves them and i did it to spite him) but now i’m 100% in love and consider them in my top 5

13. favorite goal song? from ‘17-’18, vgk and preds, for sure. vegas lights by p!atd and i like it i love it by tim mcgraw? both ICONIC

26. what is your favorite hockey related thing that you own? i love all my hockey things!! but especially my vgk flag, my seguin jersey, & my marchand jersey (once it actually comes in the mail)

🏒hockey asks🏒

[mitchbeck]

CANTLON: NHL 2019 HALL OF FAME CLASS ANNOUNCED

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings TORONTO, CANADA - Six more names have been selected to enter the esteemed NHL Hall of Fame on Yonge Street in Toronto on November 18th. Ex-New York Ranger, Sergei Zubov, as well as Guy Carbonneau, Hayley Wickenheiser, and Vaclav Nedomansky enter in the player's category while Jim Rutherford and Jerry York the longtime BC head coach, enter in the builder's category. One of the inductees played a major part of hockey history from the mid-to-late 20th century. Nedomansky, who was considered to be the best player in the world at the time, was the first Eastern European hockey player to flee the grip of communism and head to the West to showcase his talents. "When I made that decision in 1974 to follow my dream, I jumped right in," the 75-year-old Nedomansky, a soft-spoken man, said. "I’m so happy I did that." An original New England Whaler, Tim Sheehy, saw his pro career intertwined with Nedomansky’s in several ways having played with, and against, Big Ned. “I was on the US amateur team in 1969 with Larry Pleau (ex-New England Whaler great and Whalers head coach several times). We went over for the World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden. At the time, the Soviet tanks were still in the streets of Czechoslovakia after they crushed the Prague Spring in 1968. Tensions were very high at that time, and Czechoslovakia was supposed to host the event, but they declined because of the Warsaw Pact invasion. It was the first time I experienced a mixture of athletics and politics. It was pure drama. "It took us 36 hours to get there. Our bus hit a car. It was a crazy trip, and our first game was against Czechoslovakia. We lost 13-0. (Nedomansky) cruised all around us. Then we played the Soviets, probably their greatest team ever. We lose 17-2 and then the Soviets were scheduled to play Czechoslovakia. "For Czechoslovakia, it was the Gold Medal game, Stanley Cup, and Super Bowl, all rolled into one. It was one of the most intense games of hockey I have ever seen...Period. Ned was a force in that game, and his teammates were determined to beat the Soviets and they shut them out, 2-0,” Sheehy stated. The Czechoslovakian squad won the second meeting, 4-3, but lost both games to Sweden and finished with a Bronze Medal. A few years later Sheehy was on the 1972 US Olympic team in Sapporo, Japan and again, Big Ned was on the ice, but this time, the US got even beating the Nedomansky led Czechoslovakian team, 5-1 in the other “Miracle On Ice”. Then the Soviets beat the Czechs avenging for 1969. It allowed the US to vault into second place and the team edged out the Czechoslovakian squad for the Silver Medal. In 1974, Nedomansky made his decision to defect to the West and Canada after securing a two-week vacation visa to Switzerland. Big Ned landed in Toronto to play for the WHA Toros leaving behind the claustrophobic gray world of communism. Nedomansky didn’t disappoint scoring 41 goals and logging 81 points in his first season and improving to 56 goals and 98 points in his second year with the Toros, who played in Maple Leaf Gardens after successfully suing for the right to play there. In his third season, Nedomansky's team was relocated to Birmingham, Alabama and became the Birmingham Bulls. Sheehy was traded from the New England Whalers and found himself playing with Nedomansky, as well as the Canadiens' great, “The Big M” Frank Mahovlich. “They made it easy for me to get 41 goals. To be able to have played with and among the best the game has ever seen, was very special. Ned’s vision was so good. He saw plays develop before you realized it. He was a big man for a center in that era at 6’3. He was very strong with the puck very hard to knock him off the play.” Sheehy and Nedomansky then became a part of hockey history. The Bulls, like so many WHA teams, were deep in financial red tape, and they made the first inter-league NHL-WHA trade moving Nedomansky and Sheehy to the Detroit Red Wings, for Dave Hanson! Yes, the Dave Hanson of Slapshot fame. Birmingham also brought in the late Steve “Madman” Durbano, and Frank “Never” Beaton, which Sheehy quipped, “We gave up nearly 100 goals (97 to be exact) for 800 penalty minutes (804 to be exact).” Because Nedomansky had played in the WHA and in Czechoslovakia at the time, the NHL didn’t recognize his playing time so he was classified as a rookie… at age 33. “Years later, our Birmingham GM Gilles Leger told me we were traded really for a $100,000 because it allowed the team to make payroll, but the team folded at the end of the year anyhow.” Nedomansky played three years in Detroit and toward the end of his playing days ended in an unusual fashion. He was signed as a free agent by the Rangers on September 30, 1982, but had to be placed on waivers then on October 6th and was claimed by St. Louis where he played 22 games for the Blues. His roommate with the Blues was an NHL rookie named Bob Crawford, the ex-Whaler, Ranger and Nighthawk now a long-time Connecticut resident and owner of three Connecticut hockey rinks. “He was the man growing up in Canada. We all know about who he was at the time, besides Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe, who were both actively playing then. He was considered to be among the best in the world. I was a little upset at first as they gave him my jersey number (14). (Nedomansky) wore the number his entire career. He was a gracious and humble guy; no pretense about him. He was at the end of his career, but he had those flashes of what he was, it was very impressive. "It was a great way to start a hockey career, to have a guy like that to chat with when you're just starting out. His induction is long, long overdue,” Crawford stated. The relationship was short lived between the two as Nedomansky closed out his NHL career when the Blues traded him back to the Rangers with goalie Glen Hanlon for a present-day Connecticut resident defenseman, Andre Dore back on January 4, 1983. Nedomansky's career numbers were about a point a game average. He had 122 goals and 278 points in 421 games. In the WHA, he had 253 points with 135 goals in 252 games. His Czechoslavakian numbers with HC Slovan Bratislava were 320 games played and he accounted for 354 goals, 156 assists for 440 points. In World championship competition, he played in 80 games contributing 65 goals and 92 points. Over the course of two Olympiads, he played in 17 games adding 13 goals and 18 points. Sadly, some stats were incomplete during the communist era, such as his international competition. The only stats they kept were just games played and goals scored. Those numbers are 163 goals in 220 games. His Slovan Bratislava first season, there are no stats. The same holds true from his two junior years in his hometown team HK Hodonin, a town near the Slovak and Czech border. Big Ned then became a Head Coach in Germany for three years. He coached with ERC Schwenniger (DEL) and one season with HC Innsbruck in Austria. He was then was a European scout for Los Angeles for 14 years, a Nashville pro-scout for six years, and he's presently a pro scout with the Vegas Golden Knights through their first three NHL seasons. Sheehy was ecstatic to hear his old linemate had been selected for the Hall of Fame. “I couldn’t be happier to hear that he was selected. Ned is a wonderful person and endured so much to come here and showed his skills, he belongs there.” It completes things for Nedomansky who was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997. Sheehy’s was involved with two other selections from the 2019 Hall of Fame class. Jerry York, the all-time winningest college hockey coach, is still operating as the head coach for the Boston College Eagles (HE). He played for BC in the late 1960s and Sheehy got an up-close look himself when he was a BC freshman. “He was among top scorers on our team, and he was the captain, and he and the late John Cunniff (New England Whalers) were part of our big line and did so well. Jerry just caught the playing part of the game at the wrong time. While the NHL had expanded to 12 teams in 1967, at a time when not many Americans played pro hockey in the NHL, it was mostly Canadians players. The WHA was several years away. I didn’t get a chance to play with him because he was a senior then and I was a freshman. At that time freshmen were not allowed to play varsity sports." York's record speaks for itself. A number of players he has coached from his first stint at Clarkson went on to successful careers. His first recruit at Clarkson turned out to be Dave Taylor, who went on to have a long NHL career with LA. Then at Bowling Green, he won his first NCAA title with players like Rob Blake and Hobey Baker winner and now a current Vegas Golden Knights President and GM, George McPhee. At BC, York has won four more NCAA titles having players like Johnny Gaudreau, Brian Gionta, and the just-retired Brooks Orpik, all among the many that skated for him at Conte Forum, cementing his legacy. "I almost didn't answer the call," York remarked in his usual professorial manner. "I thought John Davidson was trying to trade for one of my players. When he told me I was going to be inducted, I had to sit down." While in Detroit, Sheeny befriended the team’s goalie, Jimmy Rutherford. “At the time our two goalies was this guy, Eddie Giacomin, and Ron Low. The late Ted Lindsay was our GM. Jimmy and I became quick friends. Our birthdays are very close and one of the funnier moments we had was in the Montreal Forum and I asked Rutherford, who is this player, Guy Lafleur? "Next shift, Lafluer goes through all five guys, and fires one top shelf.” 70-year-old, Jim Rutherford was inducted in the builder's category. One of his last seasons as a player before retiring was in New Haven with the Nighthawks. He was a part of the Hartford Whalers last three seasons in the Nutmeg State as its GM before the team left for North Carolina. “This is something you don't think a lot about, but you sometimes pause to dream about. I’ve traveled lots of miles in hockey and met so many great people along the way. I started my career in Beeton, 50 miles north of the Hall of Fame, never dreaming that I would once be in it.” He won two Cups with Pittsburgh, but the first one with Carolina was special. “We were still working off our move from Hartford, but the first one is special because we really didn’t expect it. We had a great run with the play of Rob Brind’Amour (now the team's head coach) and goalie Cam Ward. I liked the ones in Pittsburgh too, but the first one is always special.” Hayley Wickenheiser, 40, retired standing atop the women’s hockey mountain with records that are Gretzkyian and frankly, Ruthian in scope. She is tied for the record of most gold medals by any Canadian Olympian with teammates Caroline Ouellette and fellow NHL Hall of Famer, Jayna Hefford, a fellow Canadian. In Wickenheiser’s 23 seasons with Team Canada, she rewrote the national team record book for goals (168), assists (211) and games played (276). She also won a title at every level she played in including three Olympic gold medals and a silver, seven World championship golds, a CWHL Isobel Cup with the Calgary Inferno, and she became the first women to play in a men’s league in Finland with HC Salamat and won the Division-2 championship. She won a Canadian college title with the University of Calgary Dinosaurs and the WWHL title with the Calgary Oval X-Treme. Wickenheiser is currently the Assistant Director of Player Development for the Toronto Maple Leafs where she broke another barrier becoming the first women in the history of the game to coach NHL players in an on-ice capacity. "The Renaissance Woman couldn’t even answer the phone to learn of her selection," said Hall-of-Fame Committee Chairman, Lanny McDonald. "She was taking her medical exam at the University of Calgary. To have answered the phone during the exam would have led to a failing grade." Incredibly, she'll likely soon walk away from the position to pursue her career as a doctor. Sergei Zubov won two Stanley Cups. His first came with the Rangers in 1994 ending the 54-year Curse of futility. He then won it again in 1999 with the Dallas Stars. He was one of the most reliable defensemen in the league over a long stretch of his career. Zubov had a solid 16-year NHL career tallying 771 points (152 goals, 619 assists) and played in 1,068 games. His post season stats were equally impressive. He registered 117 points in 164 Stanley Cup playoff games. He started playing on the last Soviet-era Army CSKA Moscow squad. The first game under the Russian flag before starting out in Binghamton before ascending to New York and beginning his NHL career. “It was good to play in Binghamton. It was a tough start with the (language). I did well (36 points in 30 games) and there was an injury and I get called up and it worked out,” said Zubov. When he hits the Hall-of-Fame in November, it will be his second trip. The first was as an eight-year-old visitor coming to Toronto for a tournament. Now, 40 years later, he will be entering as a member of those enshrined within its walls. “I was eight years old when I traveled to Canada with the national team. We had a tournament in Canada and I walked into the Hall of Fame. Back then (under the communist system), I couldn't even think of or (even) dream that one day, I would have a chance to be part of it." His wife would mention it from time to time, but his work as a coach a head coach for HC Sochi (Russia-KHL) has kept him occupied mentally. “She would say something about it, but you have so much to do as a coach. I don’t have the time to think about that. The players like Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, and my first defense partner, Kevin Lowe, helped me so much (early on). In Dallas, Bob Gainey, Ken Hitchcock, and Ron Wilson were so very good. Wilson really helped me look at the game very differently than I had before,” Zubrov, who tallied 50 or more assists in seven years and was an assistant captain in Dallas for 10 of his 12 years with Stars, said. Guy Carbonneau, 59, was a part of three teams that played in the post-season for 17 of his 18 NHL seasons. He doesn’t have the stats of a Hall-of-Fame player - just 260 goals and 630 points - but he was the embodiment of the defensive player’s contribution to a championship before it was the mantra that is today’s NHL. He was the captain of the last Montreal Stanley Cup winner, his third with the bleu, blanc, and rouge. It was the last Canadian-based team to hoist Lord Stanley. He then went to Dallas, which was run by the forerunner of the defensive player. His captain early in his career and later Dallas GM, Bob Gainey. He won another Cup this time with Zubov in 1999 in the next to last season of his 1,318 game career, He started the career by reinventing himself after being a prodigious junior scorer with the Chicoutimi (QMJHL) and two solid AHL seasons with Nova Scotia Voyageurs. “I wasn’t playing a lot of minutes and (Head Coach) Jacques (Demers) approached me about it, and that I had to sacrifice some points and I went from five minutes to 20 minutes of play. "I think I deserve it. After your career, you kind of look back at what you’ve done and you look at who’s in the Hall-of-Fame and I thought maybe I would have a chance at one point, but it’s not something that I was disappointed about every year because I was not named. It was always fun, I guess, to think about it. Now its happened, so I don’t have to think about it anymore, and I can get prepared for my speech,” Carbonneau, one of the most reliable faceoff players in the history of the game, said. Read the full article

[lady-nevermore]

Dear Wolf....Tbh, our friendship was doomed from the start.

Disclaimer: The people whom I’ll be writing these letters to will remain anonymous for obvious reasons, nor will I actually be sending (or wanting for them to read) these so-called letters (hence why I’m calling/tagging these as “Letters to No One

Dear L*** (Codename: Wolf - Cause you told me how much you loved, and how your fave animal are wolves).

Dear Wolf,

*sighs* ....I don’t even know where the fuck to begin tbh. :/

The beginning seems like the best place to start I guess; It was year the 2007, during our 6th period English Class, of our freshmen year of highschool. First couple days of class, and your were sitting behind my desk, I remember cause you kept obnoxiously, and deliberately shaking my desk so damn violently just to annoy the fuck out of me (i kept asking you politely to stop, like multiple times, but you persisted anyways); till it made me snap and i raised my voice, telling you to STOP!.....Don’t think it worked tho, cause I remember asking our English Teacher (Ms. H) if I could change seats, and she allowed it. -___-;

It wasn’t until later on in our freshmen year, that you realized I liked anime (most importantly to you: Inuyasha and Naruto); I’m not sure, if this was what got you to stop acting like such a dick towards me, but it was between this revelation that i loved anime, and the fact that at the time, I had befriended your Best Friend/Your Brother by a different Mother (as you preferred to call it) aka Cisco-Kid, that our friendship actually stood a chance of being possible.

That’s when we really started to bond,over naruto, over inuyasha, anime, etc. Hell, we used to butt heads from time to time, cause you’d argue that Naruto was better than YYH, and we’d debate (back then,  i was a cringey snobby, 90′s anime elitist, praising YYH above all else, thank god I’ve become more humble, liberal and open-minded on most things in life as a young adult, or else I wouldn’t be able to stand myself)....but we really started to get close during our sophomore year when I told you (you were the only person I ever told in those days) of how my Aunt C emotionally abused me, and you told me how you also suffered from abusement when you were young....that brought us closer together, you were prob the only person I ever allowed myself to get that emotionally close to. We also bonded over the fact that your former Best-Friend, let’s call her Karate-Girl, cause she used to love taking karate/self-defense lessons, ended up drifting apart from you and ended up being best friends with my former Best-friend (let’s call her Greenbean), cuz we too drifted apart from each other......in a way, we found solace in our mutual sense of loneliness together, and our friendship grew from there. Hell, we even talked a lot about our dream, especially when we used walk together after school, I remember cause you used to tell me how much you wanted to be a doctor or nurse. 

But yeah, we had good times as well with, me, you and cisco-kid, we’d always hang out go to starbucks and just talk about anything and everything both in real life and on the phone or through AIM, or just going to your house to play video games: like sing-star, hanging out at the mall, introducing me to sushi and making it a routine eating at Yo Sushi’s, We’d fangirl/fanboy over anime, studio ghibli films, anime, etc. Hell, during my 18th birthday, I ended up purchasing a replica of Kenshin’s Reverse Blade Sword (but it wasn't sharp, both sides were dull), and I remember how we’d fangirl/fanboy over it (but you especially had a gleam in your eyes when ever you held it and swung it around with one arm) and how’d you’d scoff at me for choosing to hang it on my wall.....cause you said it was pointless if you didn't use it.....and I was all like well it’s a replica, it just for decoration, it’s not meant to be used in real battle because it’s not in fact an actual real katana, plus kenshin’s way of life was to not show off and use his sword to hurt others, but rather as a last resort to protect the ones he loves....But yeah, after that we’d ended up often going to go eat Sushi at either Davis or San Francisco, which was always fun during the summer school breaks. Yup, them were good times indeed. ^-^

Then things got complicated, after i had broken up with Vegas-boy, you asked me why, I told you to keep this to yourself, and said: that I just didn't feel a connection with him, even after 6 months of us dating.....and the very next days, you told me upfront that the Bro before hoes aka the bro code was too important and that you told Vegas-boy what i told you to keep to yourself (that was when I truly felt a sense of betrayal from you....because yeah okay sure, i get that you value that stupid bro-code above all else, but what about our fucking code of friendship? Did our friendship mean soo little to you that you’d go and disregard my wishes to keep that to yourself (no matter how benign it as). I knew from that moment on, that I could no longer trust you to keep a secret, that’s for sure. :/

Later, on as time went by our playful banter back and forth turned into a slight sense of flirting, hell you almost even teasingly kissed me lightly on the corner of my mouth, almost, but then a few days later you told me how much of a bad idea it was for friends to date each other, because it would endanger or risk destroying said friendship (I thought that was ludicrous, because I would still be open-minded enough to remain friends with someone even if said relationship didn’t work out or if our feelings for each other weren’t mutual.....plus I think the concept of falling in love with a close friend, is such a beautiful thing)......But nonetheless i immediately backed off with the flirting, and so did you and we remained friends....hell I never even got the chance to tell you that i had feelings for you, mostly cause I was too afraid to get rejected, especially when you told me that it was a bad idea and too risky dating your friends, and all that nonsense (and I’m not gonna lie but it hurt seeing you date someone else for a bit....I got over it tho, and quickly cuz during my junior year I started crushing really like really hard on this girl, let’s call her Lady-Piña , but that’s a story for another time, i’m afraid). lol ^^;

As time went by, I remember how often you used to ask to borrow my cell-phone (a flip-phone in that day and age), cause you didn’t have one and you needed to text someone, and you used to say how important this was).....And I reluctantly agreed to let you borrow it (you said it was important, and my immediate thoughts were that you were using it to text your family members or something).....It never occurred to me that you were using for other means.....And see, this is what really started to piss me off about you (hell thinking back it still fucking pisses me off). You would borrow my cell-phone, and text (using my name mind you, and never telling others that it was you who was actually texting them) and you would emotionally manipulate anyone (most of our mutual friends, especially, in regards towards Karate-girl) that you texted or just talked shit to, in my name, using my name as your shield (and most of these text conversations were about defending your name in things, I remember cause during one of my classes, a couple of my good friends kept giving me the stink eye (and I was confused at fuck), hell one of them out right asked me upfront, What the hell was wrong with me and how could i emotionally mess one of our mutual friends like that....we cleared the air once she realized that I had let you borrow my cell-phone (I remember cause she said it was unheard of and just plain odd that I’d act like that, even if it was through text....I responded/and agreed with her with a “yeah, i know me too”.....Like WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK WOLF? >:(

^Who the fuck would do something soo damn shitty, petty and manipulative like that, and constantly, mind you?!?! >_<

I mean sure, we were teens, we were stupid and immature and all that junk, but dammit, it wasn’t the fact that you used my name to talk shit to people (i mean like a part of it is) but it was more over the fact that you fucking emotionally messed with some of my friends, especially Karate-Girl, and hurt them without a second thought (and it wasn’t for those two that supposedly called me out for all this, that was your fucking doing, I would have never have noticed how much you hurt them, and immediately made sure to reassure them otherwise, and try to damage-control whatever the hell you put them through). It took a great deal of patience on my part, to not go off on you, and just let it go.....I kept making the same excuses for your actions, that you were still just a teenage boy and you just hadn’t learned to mature yet, but that you’d get there.....but oh how wrong, i was.

....Fuck, I mean if anything, you’re the reasons my trust issues have sky-rocketed to be honest. :/

And don’t even get me started on your possessive/jealous nature (you’d refer to this as a high sense of loyalty, but here’s the thing, it wasn’t, it was more possessiveness, with you being in control rather than loyalty); Every Time me and Cisco-kid would do projects, or hangout, with other people, you’d throw a damn fit, it was impossible to get you to see that we were not trying to replace you, no matter how many times I tried to reassure, time and time again that that wasn’t the case (i mean i get it, i know what it’s like to feel insecure about where i stand in friendships, scared that i’m just either in the way, or fear that people don’t really actually care about me) but you weren’t just jealous oh no, you were the type of person who’d painstakingly guilt-trip us time and time again whenever we’d hang out we people that weren’t you....*sigh* I mean hell, i even made plans several time alongs with cisco-kid to get you to meet and hangout with our other fellow classmates/friends.....but you’d always declined, and the few times you did join us, you’d always brood and give them the stink eye the entire day (and they told me how uncomfortable you’d make them feel cause of that). 

I remember when I was walking home from school with panda-boy one day, and told me he needed to tell me something important, that just didn't sit well/ or right with him.....he told that he heard you call me a bitch (and not the bitch please, funny meme kind, panda-bot told me that it was in a malicious-tone of voice)....Panda-boy told me it didn’t sit right with him because he was appalled and he didn’t know what possessed you say that about me behind my back, and that it was completely uncalled for (I said that it you were probably having a bad day and that you prob didn't mean it, so  i didn’t really pay too much mind to it)......I mean sure, I did feel sad and disappointed to be sure, because i felt like maybe i wasn’t doing a good enough job in being good friend, i asked Panda-boy if he thought I was a good friend or not, and he said i was being ridiculous, and that of course I was......but I didn't feel like it, after hearing you say something like that....it made me feel very small, alone, unworthy as friend-material, and just plain conflicted. So much so, that I ended up asking Cisco-Kid the same thing, and he ended up calling you Wolf, so we could smooth things over and talk. I asked you Wolf, I asked you directly if you thought I was a good enough friend, and you didn’t really meet my eyes and laughed nervously and said I was; that made me feel quite relieved and it reassured me, even if your response did feel half-assed at best. 

^And tbh, this wasn’t the only time you’d made me doubt myself, hell I recall the times when you would always tease me, about my mexican accent/spanish being less than perfect too, or how I ashamed you made me feel about me not knowing how to cook some of our culture’s most important mexican dishes (such as pozole, frijoles, arroz, caldo, etc).....I mean I’m learning how to do all of this now, and it’s been a long time since I felt torn or caught between both cultures, now that I’ve long since embraced my mexican culture/roots as best I can, and have found a calming sense of peace and belonging in accepting both parts of myself....but i can’t deny that your voice/taunts still haunt me from time to time (making me feel like I’m not good or worthy enough in regards to my mexican heritage).

Which reminds me, you always took great pride in having machismo (a sense of masculine pride)....it always bothered me, cause even though you said it jokingly, or so it seemed, I always got a feeling from you: that you felt like women needed to stay put in their proper places so to speak.....that and in combo with your anger issues, and the the way you used to tell me that whenever you’d get angry you’d punch a hole through your wall (or that one time this one girl in our class pissed you off, and you told me if you were allowed to punch a girl, she’d be the only exception)......all of that made me feel hella uneasy/and uncomfortable...and this had been going on and accumulating for years since we met.....All of these were red-flags that i should have seen coming a mile a way, tbh (even Karate-Girl, your former Best-Friend, you had a crush on whom said that she felt hella uncomfortable with you texting her constantly non-stop about your crush on her, warned me that she was afraid I’d turn into a doormat, if i wasn’t careful....so why do i get the feeling  that she was referring to you when she told me that.....and now that I think about it, was that why she always took those selfdefense/karate classes? Cause of you, Wolf). Plus my own mother said she was really glad that I’d chosen to cut all ties off with you.....maybe they were right.....

Cause the last time we saw each other (we were around 18-19), a year or so after we graduated high-school (when I finally told you how uncomfortable you made me feel, especially with your quick temper/anger issues, and all this stuff accumulating over time, but that i always thought you’d just grow outta of this toxic mindset by now, but i guess you didn’t cause), you obviously didn’t take it very well, cause we were playing ping-pong ball and you were obviously brooding, in a very bad mood, but most especially towards me, and you kept hitting the ball with soo much force and ferocity in attempts to hit me, that I could see the malicious smirk whenever it almost did hit me,  i could see the terrifying look of pure hatred you had for me in your eyes whenever our eyes met; Cisco-kid even had to forcibly pull you aside and ask you what the hell was going on with you, and you reacted to this by flinging the ping-pong paddle to the side so damn hard in anger and just stomping away.

But from that day on, i could tell that day how i could no longer feel safe or comfortable in your presence, let alone in being your friend, so i did what  i thought was best for me, and cut you and all your toxicity out of my life completely....A few months later my mentor had passed away, i was failing/struggling with my classes, all of our friends were drifting apart, and just felt soo damn alone, apathetic, and I just couldn’t take all of this anymore, and had a nervous/mental breakdown and fell into a deep depression, and hell you know the rest. 

^And Tbh, you’re one of the reasons why I chose this username, the: Nevermore part at least.....cuz I promised myself that I would never ever again find myself in another abusive/or in an almost abusive relationship: Platonic, Family, Romantic or otherwise, which is ironic, because you were the only person back then I ever told about me suffering from emotional abuse from my Aunt C (I did not want history to repeat itself anew, cause I won't stand for it anymore.....not with my aunt and certainly not with you Wolf). >:[

^And tbh, looking back (with how you violently shaking my desk just to mess with me) I can’t help but feel like that was the first of many signs, that our friendship was doomed from the start. :/

I mean I’ll always try to look back fondly on the good times and stuff, at the very least, cause we did in fact have some really good times, but I can’t help but feel like it’ll always be in a bad-taste in my mouth sorta way......just utterly disappointed and tainted....

I don’t regret our friendship, we had some good moments to be sure (but I can't deny that there are moments where I almost feel like I do regret it, looking back).....but if there’s one thing I’m absolutely certain of, is that I will never forget that look of pure hatred in your eyes when you kept hitting that ping-pong ball with suich force in my direction.....and in turn, will never feel safe, comfortable, or trust being alone with you, let alone want to reconnect with or couldn’t try to be your friend ever again.

I’ve made my peace with this anyway, and it’s best we continue to go our separate ways......but if need be, we can each always look back fondly at the good times at least (I know I will at least continue to try to do, despite it all).

Welp, thanks at least for trying to be civil there towards the end, I guess.

Farewell Forevermore,

-Lady Nevermore

[timclymer]

How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off

The holidays are harshing my mello, if you know what I am saying. Being someone who has had a large weight loss of over 150 pounds, it is still a struggle to not gain weight; especially through the holidays, when the temptation is even greater than the rest of the year.

I am not a special snowflake, let’s get that straight. I have been a fat kid, a fat teen and a fat adult. I lost my weight in a contest for money, thinking that after I won, I would go to Vegas and pig out, buffet style.

But, a funny thing happened. The contest that my work put on was for a 6 month period of time. That, my friends, is a long time to “diet.” I knew that I had to do something different than I had in the past-I mean, I couldn’t do the cabbage soup diet for 6 months, I could die of cabbage poisoning, for God sakes!

I had to change some habits, trick my brain, and not die of hunger. Those were my goals; oh, and eat cake. I was so not giving up my cake…

The long and the short of it-I lost over 150 pounds. That was in 2009 when I started. I have kept off my weight now for 8 years, and I want to tell you how I have done that-and I am not a special snowflake.

I have no more “willpower” than I did when I was fat. I have no special pill or drink you can take. I have no really earth-shattering information that you probably don’t already know. Here is what I have done:

I changed some pretty bad habits.

This is numero uno on my list of keeping off my weight. I think that willpower is total BS. That’s meant for another article rant, but suffice it to say, when I started to change my habits, that’s what made all the difference.

I eat mostly the same stuff, I workout hard at least 5 days a week and I just don’t think about it. I am on autopilot. You don’t have to have any special powers to be on autopilot, you just have habits that you have formed and really keep to. I am rather boring…

I gave myself some grace. I made up the 49/51% rule because I was always handicapped by fear of failure. I would hold myself to such a high standard that I never could come close to meeting, then when I fell short, I dove into a whole cake and a ton of candy.

Hmmm… can you say “self sabotage?”

I was so afraid to try again and fail that I never ever cut myself some slack. So, in an objective ruse, I tricked my brain into the 49/51% rule.

I would be on point with my diet for 4 days out of the week, and the other 3 days I would be “lax.” No, it wasn’t a free-for-all, it was lax. If we went out for dinner, I just had what I wanted, If I wanted desert I did it.

I still do this.

I find I meet my goals faster if I cut down to 1-2 days that I am a little more lax, but yes, this has been instrumental in keeping my weight off.

I write crap down-like all of it.

I need to write out what I am doing every day so that I can meet my goals. I do this for my business, and I do this for my diet and exercises. Having a plan really makes me accountable and also solidifies my habits.

If you aren’t a fan of writing stuff down, at least plan what you will be doing throughout the day in your own way.

If something isn’t working, then its time to change it up.

Now, I am not talking “I want to be a size 4 by next week” and you have to lose 50 pounds. No, I am talking about doing the same thing for weeks, and it not working for you.

For women, then temptation to change their diet to almost no calories is the norm.

Don’t be the norm.

My goal now is to be able to eat a bunch and not gain weight. How I did this? I had to heal my metabolism. When I was running 40 miles a week and gaining weight on 1400 calories a day, I had to re-evaluate what would be my best course of action.

The long and short of it:

Willpower has nothing to do with keeping weight off. It has everything to do with habit changes.

It can be tough through the holidays, but I can honestly say the 4 rules above I have lived by for 8 years now, and they work. I am diligent, and formed habits that I try not to deviate from.

When I do deviate from them, because, lets face it, life happens, then I give myself some grace and get right back on the proverbial wagon.

Any one can do this.

Just because someone did it and you haven’t yet, doesn’t mean they are a “special” snowflake. It means they are following rules you haven’t started following yet, that’s pretty much it.

So, when you get frustrated, go back to these rules. There is no special “willpower” trick I have for you. I actually have very little self-control and love food, especially chocolate cake more than my children (well, it’s a close second), and if I can keep off 150 plus pounds, so can you!

Source by Julie Smith

from Home Solutions Forev https://homesolutionsforev.com/how-to-lose-weight-and-keep-it-off/ via Home Solutions on WordPress from Home Solutions FOREV https://homesolutionsforev.tumblr.com/post/186964791485 via Tim Clymer on Wordpress

[kansascityhappenings]

Military veterans, 2 friends, bar workers killed in shooting

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THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — One was a veteran police officer who didn’t hesitate to run toward danger. Another had survived the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Others include two friends who loved off-roading, a Marine veteran who dedicated his life to service and a recent college graduate who worked with children with special needs.

They were among a dozen people killed in a shooting at a country music bar in suburban Los Angeles on Wednesday night. Authorities believe the gunman, Ian David Long, ultimately killed himself.

___

RON HELUS: ‘COP’S COP’

Ventura County sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus was talking to his wife when calls started coming in about a shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill.

“Hey, I got to go handle a call. I love you. I’ll talk to you later,” he told her, according to Sheriff Geoff Dean.

It was the last time she would talk to her husband.

Helus rushed toward the shooting and immediately exchanged fire with the gunman, Dean said. Helus was hit multiple times.

Sgt. Eric Buschow, who said Helus was a friend, described him as a “cop’s cop.”

“The fact that he was the first in the door doesn’t surprise me at all,” he said. “He’s just one of those guys that wouldn’t hesitate in a situation.”

Helus took up fly fishing a few years ago and loved pursuing the hobby in the Sierra Nevada mountains with his grown son, Buschow said.

“He was just a great guy, a gentle soul,” Buschow said. “Patient. Calm no matter what. When you call 911, he’s one of the guys you want showing up.”

Helus was on the SWAT team for much of his career and worked in narcotics and investigations, he said.

“If you were a victim of a crime, you want him investigating the case,” Buschow said. “He would go to the ends of the Earth to find a suspect.”

Dean choked back tears talking about Helus and called him a hero.

“He went in there to save people and paid the ultimate price,” he said.

___

CODY COFFMAN: ‘THE BIG BROTHER THAT MY KIDS NEED’

Cody Coffman, who had just turned 22, was talking with Army recruiters and preparing to fulfill his dream of serving his country, father Jason Coffman said, weeping.

Cody adored his siblings — three brothers between ages 6 and 9 — and he couldn’t wait for the birth of a sister, due on Nov. 29, his father said.

“Cody was the big brother that my kids need,” he said. “He was so excited to have his first sister and now she’ll never know …”

He trailed off, sobbing, then said, “Oh, Cody, I love you, son.”

Jason Coffman said his son was passionate about baseball, serving as an umpire for a little league, and they fished together.

“That poor boy would come with me whether he liked it or not,” he said. “That’s the kind of stuff I am truly going to miss.”

Jason Coffman said he last spoke to his son Wednesday night before Cody headed to the bar.

“The first thing I said was, ‘Please don’t drink and drive,’” he said. “The last thing I said was, ‘Son, I love you.’”

___

JUSTIN MEEK: ‘FULL OF LIGHT AND HAPPINESS’

Newly graduated from California Lutheran University, Justin Meek performed as a singer and worked at the Borderline.

Meek, 23, also worked for Channel Island Social Services as a respite caregiver, supporting families with children with special needs, mostly developmental disabilities, chief executive Sharon Francis said.

“Parents just adored him. He was able to bond with their kids,” she said. “He was just an all-around guy.”

Danielle Gallo, who also works at the family-run organization, said he was dedicated to the kids he worked with.

“You could tell he really had a heart for what he did,” she said, sobbing.

Meek also toured professionally as an a cappella singer, said family friend Patrick Ellis, who called Meek a talented musician, singer and athlete and a “fantastic human being.”

“He was a hero every day of his life,” Ellis said. “It was just always positive energy. … Anything he could do for you, he was just there.”

Meek worked at the bar with his sister and fellow Cal Lutheran student, Victoria Rose Meek, who survived, Ellis said.

Meek played water polo for Cal Lutheran. He also lent his full, velvety voice to the school choir, where “every time he sang, you could just feel it in your soul,” recalled choir member Rachel Counihan, 20.

“He cared so much about his craft and just cared so much about other people,” she said. “He was just full of light and happiness.”

Scott Roberts, 20, a junior at the school and friend of Victoria Rose Meek’s, recalled Meek being “just the nicest dude.”

___

ALAINA HOUSLEY: ‘AN INCREDIBLE YOUNG WOMAN’

Alaina Housley was just 18, a promising student at Pepperdine University with plans to study law, her family said.

Adam Housley, a former Fox News correspondent, and Tamera Mowry-Housley, an actress known for the 1990s TV series “Sister Sister,” said their niece was killed at the bar where she had gone line dancing with friends.

“Alaina was an incredible young woman with so much life ahead of her, and we are devastated that her life was cut short in this manner,” the couple said in a statement.

Alaina was bright, popular and well-loved, a student who had a 4.5 grade-point average since junior high school and earned college scholarships, said her grandfather, Art Housley.

She played soccer and tennis all through high school, studied piano and violin, and sang, he said.

“She’s a really good kid,” he said, fighting tears. “Everybody loves her.”

___

NOEL SPARKS: ‘ALL-AROUND GOOD GIRL’

Noel Sparks, a 21-year-old college student, loved going to the Borderline Bar and Grill, so friends and family were not surprised when she posted a photo of herself dancing there Wednesday night.

Her aunt Patricia Sparks of Morristown, Tennessee, told The Associated Press that the family was “in shock.”

She described her niece as an “all-around good girl. She was the kind of girl that if you had friends, you’d want them to marry her.”

Sparks, who was majoring in art at nearby Moorpark College, often went to Borderline with friends and her mom, going there for Halloween and her 21st birthday in August.

When friend Jackie Jones heard about the shooting, she jumped into her car and headed to the bar, determined to find Sparks.

“She would do that for me,” Jones said.

The two met through church two years ago and became fast friends. Sparks worked part time at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, helping with children’s programs, the Rev. Shawn Thornton said.

“She loved kids. We had a lot of parents show up today to say, ‘She made my child feel important and that they mattered,” Thornton said.

___

SEAN ADLER: ‘A VERY, VERY BIG PERSONALITY’

Sean Adler, 48, was a security guard at Borderline who would stay late to ensure people could get home safely, said Debbie Allen, a longtime friend.

The married father of two boys died doing what he was passionate about — protecting people, Allen said.

“He was a very, very big personality and had a very, very gorgeous smile,” she said, adding that he had once considered becoming a police officer.

His other passion, she said, was coffee. Adler recently opened his own coffee shop, Rivalry Roasters, in Simi Valley, said Phil Englander, another longtime friend.

“He was just the most passionate person about coffee you would ever want to meet,” Englander said.

Adler joked about being a “coffee dealer” and spoke energetically, using his hands.

“He always had that energetic personality,” he said. “He’s just such a warm and friendly and passionate person about everything in his life.”

Englander said he stopped by the coffee shop Wednesday to visit Adler.

“We talked about family, and we reminisced about an old friend of ours we haven’t seen in years,” he said.

___

TELEMACHUS ORFANOS: VEGAS SURVIVOR KILLED

Telemachus Orfanos, 27, lived through the mass shooting in Las Vegas last year only to die inside Borderline, less than 10 minutes from his home, according to his mother.

“Here are my words: I want gun control,” Susan Schmidt-Orfanos said, her voice shaking with grief and rage. “I don’t want prayers. I don’t want thoughts.”

She said she wants Congress to “pass gun control so no one else has a child that doesn’t come home.”

Orfanos was a U.S. Navy veteran and Eagle Scout with a thick beard, an easy smile and a gladiator helmet tattoo. His friends called him “Tel.”

One of them, Aliza Thomas, said she knew Orfanos since high school and called him one of the nicest men she’s ever known.

“He was the most likely person to throw himself in front of that gun,” Thomas said. “He would have thrown himself on top of someone else, 100 percent.”

She said it’s especially tragic that Orfanos survived Vegas only to die in another mass shooting.

“He survived Vegas, where a lot more people died than this. It’s just unreal,” Thomas said. “It’s not fair.”

___

DANIEL MANRIQUE: ‘A SAINT’

Daniel Manrique, 33, dedicated his life to service — as a hospital volunteer, U.S. Marine and manager of an organization that helps veterans adjust after leaving the military.

He was a radio operator with the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and he deployed to Afghanistan in 2007 with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the Orange County Register reported.

After the military, Manrique began volunteering with Team Red White and Blue, an organization that works to help veterans avoid isolation by connecting them to their community. He was named a regional program manager last month.

“The best way I can describe him is as a saint. He truly believed in service,” friend and business partner Tim O’Brien told the newspaper. “Dan was the guy you could rely on if you ran out of gas in the middle of the night. He would help you out if something bad happened. He was there, dedicated, loyal.”

The two high school friends were preparing to open a veteran-oriented brewery called “O’brique” — a combination of their last names.

Manrique also volunteered at a hospital helping the homeless and at a local church.

“Dan’s life was dedicated to serving others, during his military career and beyond,” Team Red White and Blue executive director John Pinter said on the organization’s website. “We offer our deepest condolences to the Manrique family.”

___

BLAKE DINGMAN: ‘HIS LAUGHTER AND SMILE WERE SO SPECIAL’

Blake Dingman was passionate about working on cars and motorcycles, challenging himself to make repairs on anything mechanical even if he wasn’t exactly sure how to do it, mother Lorrie Dingman said. The 21-year-old always had a smile on his face and grease under his fingernails, she said.

Blake was working in the electrical field and was excited about getting a new job, his mother said.

His large group of friends went off-roading in the desert and mountains, with Blake and his friend Jake Dunham, who also was killed at the Borderline, “always in the center of the fun.”

“Blake had a zest and joy for living life to the fullest,” Lorrie Dingman said in an email. “No gathering was complete without Blake. His laughter and smile were so special and whenever you talked to him, he was genuinely interested in you.”

She said he was confident, talented, caring and had a huge heart.

On Instagram, brother Aidan Dingman wrote that “my amazing brother was taken down by the shooter” and that his life has been forever changed.

“Words cannot describe the pain I am feeling,” he wrote, adding: “Blake I love you so much and I miss you more than you can imagine.”

___

JAKE DUNHAM: GUTSY OFF-ROADER

Jake Dunham, 21, was known for driving his truck hard. He was a regular at rides in the desert and at group bonfires made from igniting vehicles and old dirt bikes, according to a friend.

“He always tried to convince people to (let him) drive their car. Everyone knew it was a bad idea, but sometimes they’d do it,” Michael Moses told the Los Angeles Times, laughing.

Dunham was at the bar with his friend and fellow off-roader, Dingman, who also was killed.

Aliza Thomas told The Associated Press that Dunham and Dingman were her friends and grew up in a tight-knit group of young men with her younger brother Emmet.

“They were the nicest, most respectful, selfless men I’ve ever met,” she said.

Thomas, a single mom, cried as she recalled how Dingham and Dunham would go out of their way to make her son feel like one of the boys, “make him feel special.”

Dunham’s sister, Alexis Dunham, asked on her Facebook page for privacy to let the family grieve, saying “these last days have completely shattered us.”

___

KRISTINA MORISETTE: ENERGETIC AND THOUGHTFUL

Kristina Morisette worked at the front desk of Borderline and had just bought her first car — a 2017 Jeep Renegade — with the money she had saved, her father said.

Michael Morisette told the Los Angeles Times that his energetic and talkative 20-year-old daughter had just returned from a trip to Austin, Texas, and he hugged her, relieved she was back home safe in Simi Valley.

Kristina gave her mother a coin purse she bought for her on the trip before heading to work Wednesday.

“We’d rather just curl up in a ball and turn off the lights, but there are other people out there that are hurting, too,” Michael Morisette told the newspaper as he held his wife’s hand. “We could either retreat and draw our curtains, or we could talk about the beauty of the things that were.”

He said Kristina, the youngest of three children, was a thoughtful friend who always helped others. She enjoyed hiking and drawing and was considering applying for an animal training program in Austin.

“We didn’t want her life to end, but we don’t want her memories now to end, either,” mother Martha Morisette told the newspaper. “We’ll probably always have a hard time dealing with it.”

___

MARKY MEZA JR.: ‘LOVING AND WONDERFUL YOUNG MAN’

Marky Meza Jr., who was less than two weeks from his 21st birthday, was working as a busboy and food runner at the bar when he was killed.

“Marky was a loving and wonderful young man who was full of life and ambition,” the Meza family said in a statement provided to Santa Barbara TV station KEYT. “His family is devastated by his loss.”

Meza grew up in the Santa Barbara area and had worked in the service industry since he was a teen.

He was one of the few teenagers who got hired at Sandpiper Lodge in Santa Barbara, manager Shawn Boteju said. Meza worked full time at the Sandpiper in housekeeping and would come to work on a hoverboard.

“He was extremely nice,” Boteju told The Associated Press. “He obviously worked well with the rest of the staff.”

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2018/11/10/military-veterans-2-friends-bar-workers-killed-in-shooting/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2018/11/10/military-veterans-2-friends-bar-workers-killed-in-shooting/

[frankachental-blog]

Cannabis, coworking, and the marijuana-industry land rush

Legal weed could be a $75 billion business by 2030

In Los Angeles, a pair of soon-to-open coworking spaces will offer a twist on the formula popularized by behemoth WeWork and The Wing in New York City. Though they boast whiteboards and shared workspace, host regularly scheduled meet-ups and speaking events, and even offer access to advisers and investment capital, these LA incubators aren't about computers-they're about cannabis.

Developers see the marijuana industry as an increasingly profitable arena for innovation and business-and coworking spaces as key to connecting players in an industry that, for some, has the frisson of the Wild West.

As the cannabis industry matures, so too will the real estate industry associated with this heavily regulated business. Developers want to capitalize on the potential they see in creating new innovation hubs, office parks, and upscale retail around this emerging opportunity.

According to BDS Analytics, a financial firm that specializes in the cannabis market, California's marijuana industry is predicted to hit $3.7 billion in sales in 2018 and rise to $5.1 billion in sales in 2019, part of the overall growth of legal sales nationwide.

“This is really an emerging industry, and I think LA is going to be the headquarters of cannabis in America,” says Sean Beddoe, founder and president of Bow West Capital, the lead developer for one of the projects, Green Street. “The Starbucks of the cannabis industry hasn't been created yet.”

The appeal of cannabis coworking

The backers of both Green Street, a 67,000-square-foot building in Los Angeles's Jewelry District slated to open in November, and Paragon Space, a four-story office in Hollywood set to open in late August, aren't interested in stoner-themed offices plastered in tie-dyed ganja posters. No cultivation or retail operations will be permitted in either building, just the work of service industries connected to cannabis, like advertising, branding, and legal firms. The coworking spaces are being pitched to potential clients in the same manner as any startup space, with an emphasis on innovation, technology, and business development.

“The Starbucks of the cannabis industry hasn't been created yet.”

“As time goes on, the political risk of investing in pot is subsiding,” says Matt Karnes, a financial analyst with GreenWave Advisors. “If the Trump administration was going to do anything, it would have already. That's putting more institutional investors at ease, and they're starting to open their eyes and look at businesses in the cannabis and tech space, anything ancillary to the plant-handling part of the industry.”

Green Street, which is set to contain a members-only club, restaurant, and rooftop space, and host a class of 10 to 12 startups seeking advice and funding, may be the “Soho House” of cannabis, says Beddoe, a reference to the successful group of upscale members' clubs. Paragon, a project of the startup ParagonCoin, will only accept payment in its proprietary cryptocurrency.

Bow Street Capital

The Green Street space in downtown Los Angeles.

Beddoe believes marijuana presents commercial landlords with a sizable opportunity. Developments like Green Street allow them to get involved in the business of cannabis without the regulatory risks that come with the cultivation and retail sides of the business. Bow West and Green Street Agency, a cannabis-centric branding and advertising firm partnering on the project, purchased the turn-of-the-century building for $14 million in December. According to Beddoe, they've already leased most of the space.

Jessica VerSteeg, CEO of ParagonCoin, says that Paragon Space is also nearly full, in no small part, she argues, because it fills an important need. Many cannabis-related businesses-even those that don't directly deal with the product-have trouble finding office space, and when they do find space, owners often charge a premium due to the perceived uncertainty of working in weed. It's not unheard of for cannabis retail to pay two or three times as much as a traditional tenant.

Paragon offers the security of a landlord comfortable with the industry, the ability to smoke a joint in your office if you so desire (a no-no at WeWork), and competitive rents that range from $449 a month for access or between $2,070 and $2,300 for a private office.

“There isn't a 4/20 theme anywhere,” says VerSteeg. “It's whiteboards, desks, and all the same amenities as any other startup space. But here, you know that everybody knows the industry, and could be a potential partner.”

In cannabis, as in real estate, it's all about location

Cannabis is a land-hungry industry, and finding room for cultivation and retail operations offers the real challenge, and profit center, for cannabis-related real estate. In California, for instance, thanks to Proposition 64, which legalized recreational use, cities can pass their own zoning regulations and the number of licenses is strictly controlled.

But even in a highly regulated industry that is technically illegal on the federal level and lacks traditional banking access, many developers see opportunity in retail space and warehouses for growing, processing, and manufacturing. Industry monitoring firm New Frontier Data believes that by 2020, sales will rival California's $7 billion wine industry, and prices for scarce square footage have already skyrocketed. In Lynwood, a city in Los Angeles county where taxes on cannabis companies have been lowered, industrial buildings that once cost $107 to $120 per square foot in 2016 now go for $300 or more, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Canna-Hub

A rendering of a Canna-Hub space, one of a series of cannabis-focused business parks going up in Northern California.

For Tim McGraw, it's all about making things easy for tenants. He co-founded Canna-Hub, a Sacramento-based company that's developing two cannabis-specific business parks in the northern half of California. On the company's 31-acre site in Mendota and 80-acre site in Williams, startups can find a home base that's appropriately zoned and from which they can operate. There's no worry about wrangling with municipalities or trying to convince a landlord skittish about marijuana, the extensive power and water needs of growing have been taken care of, and the opportunity to work alongside like-minded companies offers the same synergies found in startup hubs.

“There are cannabis guys trying to do real estate, and real estate guys trying to do cannabis,” McGraw says. “But there are few people who know both worlds, and have actually built large-scale facilities.”

Cresco Labs, a large, Midwest-based manufacturer mostly involved in medical marijuana, recently announced it will move into Canna-Hub's Mendota facility as part of its planned expansion to the West Coast. In addition, a handful of cities in Southern California have also inquired about hosting a Canna-Hub. Expansion to the rest of the state is “almost certainly going to happen,” says McGraw.

California industrial real estate-the type of real estate attractive to large-scale cannabis growers and product manufactures-has entered the “surge” part of the market cycle says Spencer Levy, a real estate analyst for CBRE who has studied the industry. He predicts there will eventually be a decline in prices, once the industry matures and consolidates. But until then, he argues, cannabis will be a big driver pushing up the price of already-scarce warehouse and manufacturing space. Los Angeles' industrial vacancy rate in the first quarter of this year was 2.2 percent, the lowers in southern California.

“It's like the microbrewery trend,” says Levy. “You're eventually going to see some pull-back. But right now, local is the driver for retail and flex industrial space, since companies want to be close to their customers. Cannabis is just the latest industry to start competing for those spaces.”

Building a brand with retail

The competition for retail space will only increase as the industry evolves and matures. Due to supply constraints caused by regulation (only certain commercial spaces are far enough away from schools and parks) and federal laws that make it illegal to cross state lines with cannabis (you can't yet buy weed on Amazon), marijuana is a very localized business.

These uncertainties make owning real estate that much more important. Adam Berk, CEO of Stem Holdings, an Oregon-based company that purchases and develops cannabis-related commercial and industrial spaces, says that it pays to own every aspect of the business in this industry. When it can cost millions to buy and retrofit properties, that's something you want to own and have on your balance sheet, he argues.

“You want to be able to control your destiny, and not have a landlord back out,” Berk adds. “Most people in this business say you want to own the process 'from seed to sale.' I think you need to take it one step further and start with the facility.”

MedMen, a high-end national chain of cannabis stores based in LA, sees retail real estate as a central pillar of its growth strategy. According to Daniel Yi, the company's senior vice president of corporate communications. MedMen focuses on opening stores in high-visibility corridors, such as 5th Avenue in Manhattan or Abbot Kinney in Venice, California, to normalize cannabis retail. The company plans to grow from 14 stores to 45 stores by 2020-including opening dozens of locations in Florida-and expanding its footprint in Las Vegas.

“As the industry grows, the competition for those key pieces of real estate will only grow,” says Yi. “It's going to get harder, not easier. That's why it's important to have that Abbot Kinney store now. We are paying that premium for the branding opportunity afforded by these stores, because we believe in that strategy.”

Yi admits that the high-end strategy isn't shared by many if his competitors. But MedMen believes in the value of mainstreaming the industry and locking up affluent customers as the “green wave” grows. Earlier this spring, investment firm Cowen estimated the market will grow to $75 billion nationwide by 2030. Like any retail business, high-end locations will be worthwhile investments, Yi believes. The company is currently “scouring” Canada for potential store locations after the country passed nationwide legalization for recreational use, set to go into effect in October.

“We'll look back at this period of the cannabis industry as quaint,” Yi says. “It'll be equivalent to looking back to when the alcohol industry was run by Al Capone.”

Joe Schildhorn/BFA.com

A MedMen location in New York City.

Turning cannabis from a curiosity to an anchor

The next six months will see “exponential” growth in the cannabis industry, according to many of the sources quoted in this story. Michigan has a recreational-sales initiative on the ballot in November and legislators in both New Jersey and New York are strongly considering it. California in particular will go through a shakeup. An ordinance that requires all products be lab tested and tracked went into effect this summer, leading many to brace for a supply shortage. Some even predict that so many small startups will be bankrupted by the compliance costs, there might be a bit of a pot property bubble, which will lead to underpriced assets and consolidation.

In addition, the release of more retail licenses in Los Angeles at the end of the year has already caused investors to seek out real estate for potential storefronts, according to Rose Vasilj, a local real estate broker who specializes in the cannabis industry.

“These new compliance laws present a huge inflection point,” says Bow West's Beddoe. “It's a great opportunity for consolidation. This industry will be like the alcohol industry, and you'll have an oligarchy who owns it.The size and potential of cannabis in incomprehensible; it's all about who's willing to take all that risk on the front end.”

With growth potential measured in the billions of dollars, it's certain that more investment, especially in real estate, will continue to shape the nascent cannabis industry. What will be interesting to watch is how-as more areas legalize marijuana and the business becomes more mainstream-companies invested in weed will go from struggling to find suitable spaces to operate, to being anchors and lead tenants of future developments.

“At the end of the day, our developments speak for themselves and the economic benefits they bring to cities,” says Canna-Hub's McGraw. “In real estate, it's always good to be wanted.”

[domhovasse]

Europe 4.0

Clearly, I just can’t get enough of backpacking Europe. After leaving my wonderful first job in Paris, I packed my bags for a month of adventure and I said goodbye to Olivier, who would be leaving a few days after me, to travel Greece with his friend Annette!

First up was Manchester, to visit my friend Sean, who’s been living there for a few months with her boyfriend Chris. She kindly offered for me to stay with them at their apartment, and managed to get an extra day off work, so we spent the weekend together catching up and seeing Manchester. I arrived at their apartment in the afternoon, so we spent the evening walking around the Northern Quarter, a hip area with lots of cool bars and restaurants. They showed me some of their favourite spots and we enjoyed some drinks and food before heading home for and early night in. My second day was spent with Sean, mostly walking around and doing some shopping. She showed me her work, the main shopping street, and the main square (where people were gathered to pay tribute to the lives lost at the concert shooting that happened a week prior). We met back up with Chris for dinner and they brought me to the best burger joint ever. 

The next morning, Chris, who commutes to Liverpool everyday for work, offered to give me a ride, which was so nice of him! He dropped me off at my hostel, where I waited for a few hours before heading off on a walking tour. It was a little rainy, but I still enjoyed the tour (as always). On the tour, I made friends with another female solo traveller, so we had lunch together, then took a train to the outskirts to check out a famous art piece consisting of 100 cast-iron statues in the water. The sun came out for a couple of hours while we were there, which was so nice! We headed back into town together, got dinner at my hostel, and then walked into town together for some drinks at night. She left the following morning, so I spent the day exploring some of the city on my own, walking around areas the walking tour had not taken me to, and visiting a few museums, including the Beatles Museum. I spent the rest of the evening/night hanging out with 3 Columbian guys from my hostel room. 

The next morning, I woke up early to catch a bus to London, where I met Timnit at work. Since she wasn’t done for a few more hours, I got her keys from her and made my way by underground to her place, dropped off my bags, and made my way back into town to wander around (mostly along the river) before meeting back up with Timnit for food and drinks in Shoreditch. 

The next day, I went on a walking tour of the city, before meeting up with Emily, a friend from Kelowna, who was in town to check out universities. We went to cute teahouse called Sketch, that’s well known for its modern and contemporary interior design, and walked around Regent Street/Oxford Circus, before I left to go meet another friend, Jasmine, for dinner. Jasmine was a classmate of mine at Langara years ago and has now been studying at an art school in London for a few years. After dinner, I met Timnit at her place and we spent the night at an event that our friend was dj-ing at. 

The following day, I decided to go on a walking tour of Shoreditch, which is an entertainment district/artsy area of London. After the tour I spent the rest of the evening with the tour guide and a few people who were also on the tour. After a quick bite to eat and a few brews, the tour guide brought us to a really cool cocktail bar, called the Alchemist. I got home after dark, and got news of the drive-by shooting that had just happened. So sad and tragic, but thankful that everyone I knew was safe.

Timnit had spent the previous day and night with her relatives at a wedding, so she spent the night with them, and met back up with me at Camden market around noon. Timnit had all her things from the night before, so she went home to drop them off/change, while I continued on my own, exploring Regent’s Park, Marylebone neighbourhood and Regent’s Street, before meeting back up with Timnit. Next, we spent some time walking around Convent Garden and Russell Square area, stopping for pictures and milkshakes along the way. For dinner, we had been invited by my old gymnastics friend Jessica and a few of her classmates, to a Japanese restaurant. She’s been in London for the school year, working on her masters and it’s been a while since I’ve seen her last, so it was sweet to catch up.

My final morning in London was spent at a cute/hip coffee in Shoreditch for brunch. From there, I went to pick up my camera, which I had left at my hostel in Liverpool. Luckily, one of the boys from that room was living in London and would be returning home before I left. After being reunited with my camera, I took the tube to Portobello Road, hoping to checkout the market, which I’d never been to before. Sadly, the market was already done for the day, so I wandered around through Notting Hill, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, and the famous department store, Harrods. Timnit had made dinner reservations for us at her favourite Indian restaurant, so I met back up with her for dinner, and we had an early night in.

Early the next morning, I caught a bus from Timnit’s place to the airport and boarded my flight to Porto. I arrived there just before lunch time, so after dropping off my bag at my hostel, I got lunch, and then wandered around the city before heading back to my hostel in the late afternoon to check into my room. Porto is a super cute city, and small enough to get around by foot, so it was easy see most of the main sights in one day. That evening, I went back to the hostel for dinner, made a few friends in the process, and we all decided to join the hostel’s pub crawl together. My second day was spent with my new friends (Emily & Connor), mostly walking around and hanging out by the pier. After lunch, we decided to take a bus to the beach and spend the rest of the afternoon getting some vitamin D. When we got back to the hostel, we showered, ate dinner at the hostel, and were planning on having a chill night in - until we got swindled into going on the pub crawl again. I get serious fomo (fear of missing out), especially when it comes to social events, so Connor and I agreed to both join, but not pay for the free alcohol portion, as an attempt to not drink too much. Of course, we failed miserably, because the leader of the pub crawl ended up giving us all the shots for free anyways.

Before even heading to bed, I made my way to the airport to catch my 6am flight to Lisbon, one of the more brutal flights of my life. I once again arrived before check-in, so I dropped off my bags at my hostel and [running on maybe 1 hour of sleep], I head out on a walking tour of Alfama, one of the most famous neighbourhoods of the city. After the walking tour, I ate lunch with the group from the tour, and head back to my hostel for a very much needed nap. After a few hours of sleep, I headed back out for a little walk to a lookout point before going back to the hostel for dinner. The hostel offered a cheap family dinner and servings were huge, so I decided to partake since Timnit wouldn’t be arriving at the hostel until shortly after dinner time. That night, once Tim arrived, we decided to tag along on our hostel’s pub crawl.

Day 2 was spent mostly on a waking tour of Belem, a district in the west of Lisbon that has been long associated with seafaring and the early Portuguese explorers. This is where egg tarts originally came from. I ate one and almost passed out ‘cause it was so good. Before the tour, we wandered around a little before grabbing lunch at a cool indoor food market (recommended by Olivier). In the evening, my new friend Emily (who I had met in Porto) and I wanted to check out a rooftop pool that a local had recommended to us. After taking pictures and going for a quick little swim, we met back up with Timnit, and then against their will, we walked up a huge hill to a lookout point, and watched the sunset over the city. We got dinner on the way back to the hostel, and then spent the evening drinking in the streets with a group of people from our hostel. There was a huge festival going on in the city, so the streets were all decorated/lit up and thousands of people were gathered in the streets to listen to live music, dance and drink. 

The next morning, we woke up quite early, ate breakfast at our hostel, then caught our bus to Lagos. Lagos was absolutely stunning, and the best combo of crazy and chill. We spent our time mostly chilling on the beach, or walking around town and at night we went bar hopping. On our second day, we went on a kayak safari along the coastline and through some caves. It was absolutely breathtaking and definitely something I’ll remember for a long long time. Our hostel was a family-style hostel, where we all lived in different rooms of a big house, and ‘mama’ made us crepes every morning. We made some good friends and were actually quite sad to leave them :(.

Our last day and night together in Portugal was spent in Albufeira, which is pretty much the Vegas of Europe. We arrived just before noon, and dropped our things off at our hostel before grabbing lunch by the beach. We wanted an easy way to see as much of the city as possible, so we decided to pay a tuktuk driver to drive us around for a few hours. It was actually super fun! He showed us the city’s main lookout spots and gave us a little history lesson on some things. After this, we went back to our hostel to check-in, and had a little nap before heading out for dinner. We spent the rest of the night walking around the main part of “new town,” mostly people watching, then did our own little bar crawl in new town and old town, before going to bed.

[janiceclaudetteo]

Yoast in 2017: Events we attended

2018 is approaching rapidly. Time to look back at yet another awesome year at Yoast. A year in which we attended quite the number of conferences. In this post, we’ll give you an impression of a few of the conferences we have been to, cities we’ve visited and friends we’ve made! So, without further ado, these are the events we attended in 2017. Bring on 2018!

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Info Kicking off the year

As always, the new year hasn’t really started until we had our infamous Yoast New Year party. Turning the office into a dance hall, we partied with our closest friends as only Yoasters can party!

There ain’t no party like a Yoast party!

As always, the first conference of the season was PHPBenelux in Antwerp. We’re regulars at this conference because it always offers excellent talks by renowned speakers, amazing socials, and a unique theme. This year our developers when into ‘space’ to learn all about PHP.

Just a week later and only 50 kilometers further south was FOSDEM. This huge free conference is drawing thousands of Open Source developers and enthusiasts to Brussels. It’s a great place to make and meet friends from a wide variety of communities, unlike most conference aimed at a particular audience. This year, we focussed on learning in the PHP and JavaScript tracks.

While we mostly go to WordCamps to share knowledge and to meet our old and future friends, customers and business partners, attending other conferences usually has a slightly different goal; to learn. That’s also why one of our developers and our linguist (this early in 2017 it was still singular) attended CLIN27/CCL25. This conference about Computational Linguistics brings the best speakers in the field on stage.

Have you ever heard of TYPO3 Camp? Neither had we until we joined our friends at MaxServ for a weekend at TYPO3 Camp in Venlo (NL). We learned that this developer-aimed conference offers great developer talks, even if you don’t do TYPO3!

Omar presenting at TYPO3Camp.

Time for a WordCamp! Four of my colleagues flew to London for WordCamp London. This two-day conference, preceded by a contributor day, usually draws attendees and speakers from all over the world. WordCamp London is easy to travel to (and from The Netherlands even fairly cheap). Live captioning, chill-out rooms, three tracks, and a legendary party, what else would one need?

Our next stop was Iceland. Joost went to the Reykjavik Internet Marketing Conference (RIMC), an annual conference on everything internet marketing where all the world-famous marketers go to. Joost went, spoke and aced his keynote.

Yep – we all have a deep appreciation for @jdevalk – he's done a lot to professionalise SEO and increase transparency #RIMC17 https://t.co/R1lQQkFNXb

— Nick Wilsdon (@nickwilsdon) March 31, 2017

On 7 and 8 April 2017, we attended the second WordCamp Torino. A year earlier, WordCamp Torino was the very first Italian WordCamp in a very long time. Its success motivated other Italian communities to organize other WordCamps, leading to an unprecedented growth of the Italian community. And that was obvious in 2017. WordCamp Torino completely sold out and had an extensive and very successful contributor day.

Contributor day at WordCamp Torino 2017

Choosing which events to attend can be a real challenge. Especially with the number of WordCamps, even close to home. This means that we sometimes have to disappoint conference organizers, who really personally invite us to attend, or even speak at, their event. And sometimes we just have multiple events in a single weekend. This happened on April 20th – April 23rd. First, we attended Meet TYPO3 Rotterdam in the Rotterdam Zoo, a TYPO3 conference aimed at marketers. The next day, we went to both WordCamp Vienna and ReactNL.

Oh by the way, did you know that we released the very first version of Yoast SEO for TYPO3 at Meet TYPO3 Rotterdam? We did! Joost de Valk (our CEO) and Richard Haeser (lead developer of Yoast SEO for TYPO3 at MaxServ) pressed the button in the Shark Room.

Events in Q2

Meet TYPO3 in the Shark Room of Rotterdam Zoo.

Traditionally, Q2 of each year is very busy regarding conferences. With four conferences in April, three in May and a massive conference in June 2017 was no different. Moving more and more of Yoast SEO into JavaScript, it made sense to be at JS Conf EU in Berlin, so Omar, Anton, and Jimmy went and learned a ton. Not just about JavaScript, but also about the city. Useful knowledge, because less than two weeks later Andy and Michiel visited the city for WordCamp Berlin!

Meanwhile, we launched Yoast SEO for Magento 2 which is why we just had to attend Meet Magento. This one-day conference in Utrecht is a real multi-track conference. It gave us a nice insight into the Magento community, and we got to meet quite a few people we already knew from the PHP and WordPress communities. It seems we’re not the only company bridging communities, which is a good thing!

The final conference of the first half of 2017 is the biggest European WordCamp of the year; WordCamp Europe. 30+ speakers, 50 organizers, almost 200 volunteers, and close to 2000 attendees traveled to Paris for the WordPress Community Summit and WordCamp Europe. And you know what, WordCamp Europe was HOT. No really, it was literally hot. That’s why we’re happy we brought our Yoast fans to Paris. Within a day, we saw so many people use them like their lives depended on ’em. Even the men and women on the live captioning team were waving all the time…

@WCEurope most used freebie I picked up at #wceu, my lovely Yoast fan – it's come in very handy, thanks! @yoast http://pic.twitter.com/5dNTRWsxbE

— Global RT Captioning (@GRTcaptioning) June 19, 2017

You know what else was awesome at WordCamp Europe in Paris? The themed afterparty. Of course, we took that as a challenge and dressed up our entire team. What do you think, did we win this?

Like this tweet if you think team Yoast won the best costumes at the #wceu afterparty, retweet if you think we didn't. http://pic.twitter.com/CuXfGrFnVc

— Michiel (@michielheijmans) June 17, 2017

After a nice and long vacation we kicked off our conference season with a WordCamp very close to home; the very first WordCamp Nijmegen! Yoast has been actively involved in this WordCamp. We provided an organizer, several volunteers, two (!!) speakers and a whole lot of attendees. Marieke shared her knowledge on writing, and Michelle helped the attendees prevent common SEO mistakes. Both talks were very well-received!

Despite Rule of the Internet #22 and #23, not everything on the internet is copy/pasted. Some of us are really into creating new content. That’s why Erwin and Tim went to Playgrounds 2017. They’re responsible for creating all the images you can find on yoast.com, in our products and in the presentations we give. There they were introduced to new techniques, tools and a LOT of new ideas!

A busy end of the year

November, nearing the end of the year and the holidays, so time to slow down. Hah! No way! At Yoast, we celebrated our most conference heavy month of 2017. With ten events in just 30 days, November rocked!

The first event of November doesn’t need a lot of introduction, as we assume you’ve all heard about YoastCon. Our very own one-day SEO conference featured top-notch speakers from the SEO world, and local talent hosting sold-out workshops. More than 350 attendees saw Joost’s keynote, followed by a blazing fast, insanely inspiring talk by the Belgian Karl Gillis. For the sad few who’d to miss YoastCon we published the videos. You can find them on our YouTube channel.

And in true Yoast style, we ended  YoastCon with an epic afterparty. A party that everyone involved will remember forever. We’re not going to tell you too much, but let’s just say that you never want to miss a Yoast party.

Just a couple of days after YoastCon, Joost hopped on a plane to keynote at Pubcon in Las Vegas. Pubcon is one of the largest, if not the largest, SEO and online marketing conferences in the world. His key take-aways were shared on twitter a lot.

Spending time on accessibility and UX will save you money. @jdevalk #pubcon

— Katy Katz (@katykatztx) November 8, 2017

For the first time in a long time, Yoast attended a WordCamp in Asia. Our support engineers Michael and Jerlyn went to WordCamp Manila to meet the local community. And just a couple of weeks later, Jerlyn and Rumejan, also a Yoast support engineer, went to WordCamp Kuala Lumpur to promote our brand and have a good time with the local community.s

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Meanwhile in Europe, we attended WordCamp Cologne, WordCamp Milano and Conversion Hotel. And we have to tell you about Conversion Hotel as it’s special. Conversion Hotel is a 3-day conference organized on one of the Dutch islands. Nope, not Aruba. Not Sint Maarten. It takes place on the beautiful island Texel. The conference focusses on growth strategies, conversion (what’s in a name), copywriting and psychology. An original way to kickstart your conference? How about teaching all attendees a Haka?

Learning the haka at Conversion Hotel 2017

Our linguists, Manuel and Irene, went to the 16th Dutch-Belgian Information Retrieval Workshop in November. This very technical conference focussed mainly on topics like information search and the automated generation of recommendations, from music to e-Commerce.

The 10th conference we attended in November was a special WordCamp. This first edition of WordCamp Utrecht was held in the venue where WordCamp The Netherlands had been for quite a few years (until 2015). It felt so familiar that people felt at home quickly. We attended and helped out as speakers, volunteers, sponsors, and attendees.

Finishing up

And now it is December. When you’re active in WordPress, the one event you have to follow in December is WordCamp US. Not just because it’s one of the biggest WordCamps in the world, but also because it’s where the State of the Word is held. In this annual presentation, WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg reflects on the past year and looks forward to what’s coming in WordPress.

Of course, this year’s State of the Word was all about Gutenberg. So if you haven’t seen it yet, watch it today!

And what’s a better way to end our conference year than by going to the eternal city? Jimmy, Patrick, and Andrea went to Rome’s first local WordCamp where they enjoyed a great event and, almost equally important, the local culture and cuisine.

When in Rome, pose with a Roman (Andrea) at the Coliseum.

Missed us in 2017? Don’t worry! If anything, our conference year will be even more busy in 2018! And if you want to know where to find us, regularly check our calendar.

See you in 2018!

Read more: ‘Yoast Calendar’ »

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