#after 16 YEARS. it can’t just be sm being Generally Bad there has to be something more Specific that he didn’t/doesn’t vibe with

[seilon]

im Really hoping taemin’s partly doing this to maybe gain more freedom in his concepts and such and what he’s Allowed to show or write or sing in his mvs and albums and all that. but i dont know enough about the new agency he’s bouncing to to say if they’re better or worse on that front

[liya4kar]

Liyada’s Fics Masterpost

It was time I wrote a Fic Masterpost.

So for everyone who is interested by my fics, firstly I invit you on my AO3 where you can litteraly find everythng, especially since I don’t post the fics directly on Tumblr. 

And if you want the details, here we go!

Also here the plan, because the post is really long lmao-

I/ Pokespe

1. Multi-chap fics

a) Three Years

b) The Magical Dexholders

2. AUs

a) Yorozuya no Lack-chan

b) Legendary Dexholders

c) Blonde Family

d) Yokai AU

3. Stand-alone OS and Drabbles

a) OS

b) Drabbles

II/ Other fandoms

a) Champion (Marvel)

I/ Pokespe

1. Multi-Chap Fics

a) Three Years

This one is my baby, the one I had been working on for 2 years and a half, the one I progressed the more in, and also the one I haven’t updated in a year even if I have 6 chapters ready to post, cause I’m lazy af. Also the ones where you can very easily see how much my writing progressed since I started writing for Pokéspe.

Warning: Graphic Description of Violence, Major Character Death (though this one is complicate and don’t fully apply)

Genre: Angst, Adventure.

Words Count: 69,567

Statut: In Progress

Characters: The whole Spe cast up to SM.

Relationship: Background Frantic, Entourage, Agency and Laverree, a lot of other friendships.

Summary: Some secrets should never be revealed. Or should they?

After a strange explosion, X and Y fear the apparition if a new threat for Kalos, and decide to get themselves implicate. But things are not as simple as they look, and nothing will go the way they want. And as those attacks take bigger scales and start to involve a large number of people, they would have no choice but to find the motive behind them to stop them; even if it means getting back on some bitter memories from three years ago they all would have preferred to forget...

List of chapters: Part I: Kalos

1. The Explosion

2. The Lumiose Badlands

3. Shalour City

4. The Attack

5. Next Action

6. Lumiose City

7. Blackout

8. Chase in Lumiose City

9. The Next Day

10. Couriway Town

11. Sunrise

12. Tic Tac

13. Terminus

Part II: Unova

14. A Day in Driftveil City I

14.5. A Day in Driftveil City II

15. Welcome to Unova I

15.5. Welcome to Unova II

16. The Twist Mountain I

16.5. The Twist Mountain II

b) The Magical Dexholders

This one is purely self-indulgent fic, where I basically write the dumbest thing that get in my mind. Aka some Dexholders become Magical Girls or Boys, but they’re dumb, but it’s okay because the bad guys, their friends and their world in general is dumb.

Warning: No Warning applies

Genre: Parody, Humor, Friendship

Words Count; 27,944

Statut: In progress

Characters: The whole Spe cast up to SM, and some OCs

Relationship: Diamond & Silver, Blue & Yellow & Gold & Platinum, Green & Crystal & Pearl

Summary:

It’s an emergency! The Darkness Power Of The Terrible Evil has invading the Pokespe world and take over the region of Kanto! Some magical fluffy creatures needs help in order to stop the Darkness Power Of The Terrible Evil!

The day Dia met a strange professor fan of Magical Boy and a strange pink creature, he knew his life would never be the same...

In the meantime, Blue and Yellow have to face a terrible threat to get back their home, but get new abilities in exchange.

List of chapters:

1.  A story is not interesting if nothing go wrong in it

2.  If you are a Magical Boy, don't forget to take an insurance for building destruction!

3.  If the authorities say that a radioactive cloud did magically stop at the border, you can totally trust them!

4.  You can’t be a protagonist if you don’t have an ultimate move, a dark past or a secret identity!

5.  No matter how good it looks on TV, sh*t stay sh*t!

6.  An homage to a work becomes a fanfiction when it becomes an important part of the plot, you moron!

7. If you update on the 1st April everyone's gonna believe it's a joke, even if it isn't, so update on the 31st March!

2. AUs

Those fics are not multi-chap fics, but more like OS and drabbles that are related between each others.

a) Yorozuya no Lack-chan

Heavily inspired by Gintama, AU where Lack did not get back in Interpol and started doing odd jobs instead. Serie of Drabbles.

Warning: No Warning applies

Genre: Parody, Humor, Friendship

Characters: Lack-Two, Whi-Two, X, Sun

Relationship: Lack-Two & Whi-Two, Lack-Two & X, Lack-Two & Sun

Summary:

When Whi-Two bumped into Lack-Two after months, she was not expecting him to went from Interpol officer to dog walker. And neither that he’d get her, and this guy from Kalos, to join he’s odd jobs agency.

List of chapters:

Dogwalker Lack-Two in action!

The Blazing Begining of Odd Jobs Yorozuya no Lack-Chan! 

b) Legendary Dexholders

In a world where being a legendary Pokémons can be boring, the legendary Pokémons decides to have a little bit of funs. Shenanigans ensue.

Aka the legendary Pokémons decides to become humans, and of course they happen to be our favorite DHs.

Warning: No Warning applies

Genre: Friendship, Family, Supposed to be comic at first but also goes on the character study sometimes

Characters: Silver, Giratina, others for next OS.

Relationship: Implied Preciousmetal, Blue & Silver

Summary:

When Whi-Two bumped into Lack-Two after months, she was not expecting him to went from Interpol officer to dog walker. And neither that he’d get her, and this guy from Kalos, to join he’s odd jobs agency.

List of chapters: Giratina

c) Blonde Family

In which Yellow, Pearl, Bianca and Y are all cousins. Shenanigans enssue.

Warning: No Warning applies

Genre: Family, Comedy, Crime

Characters: Yellow, Pearl, Bianca, Y

Relationship: Yellow & Pearl & Bianca & Y

Summary:

Family reunions are rarely all peace and calm. But when, out of four cousins, you have three Dexholders and a clumsy professor assistant, things are bond to be messy.

List of chapters: To be a cousin, Don't listen others confessions or you'll end as responsible as them

d) Yokai AU

What if yokai existed in the Spe universe? 

Warning: No Warning applies

Genre: Supernatural, Friendship, Adventures

Characters: Pearl, Schilly

Relationship: Pearl & Schilly

Summary:

Pearl had first seen them when he was four years old. And he had learned to live with this world only he could see, to maintain his balance of a normal life.

He had just not expected one of his junior to also see them.

List of chapters: Chilling Party

3. Stand alone OS and drabbles

a) OS

Here you can find the 1K+ words stand-alone OS. Links are in the tittles!

A Good Christmas Movie is Made of Hot Chocolate and a Fire-Breathing Cat

Warning: No Warning applies

Genre: Horror, Parody, Christmas, Hallmark Movie, Specord Winter Writing Event 2020

Words count: 4093

Statut: OS, Complete

Characters: Y, Sun

Relationship: Implied Laverree and Delivery shipping, Y & Sun

Summary:

Everything is perfect in Y's life. Too perfect, like in a Christmas Hallmark movie. Now, with a fire-breathing cat name Sun, it's up to her to find a way out of this Christmas hell.

One-shot wrote for the Winter Writing Event on the Specord, with the prompt X & Sun, Horror and Parody, My Life is a Hallmark Movie and PMD, and Chuck E Cheese's Ball Pit.

Celebi-rities in Distress

Warning: No Warning applies

Genre: Parody, Friendship, TV Show

Words Count: 5017

Statut: OS, Complete

Characters: Sapphire, Lisia, Ruby, Emerald.

Relation Ship: Background Franticshipping, Sapphire & Lisia, Ruby & Emerald

Summary:

Sometimes, it only takes a silly TV show, weird games and arrogant prissy boys to make a new friends.

Or how Sapphire became friend with Lisia to teach Ruby and Emerald a good lesson.

Bonding on the Grand Line

Warning: No Warning applies

Genre: One Piece AU, Pirate

Words Count: 2948

Statut: OS, Complete

Characters: Pearl, Cheren, Sinnoh and Unova Gym Leaders

Relation Ship: Pearl & Cheren, Mentionned Commoner Shipping, Past Pearl & Diamond & Platinum, Mentionned Cheren & Black

Summary:

In a world where Gold Roger is still an unknow name, Pearl and his crew left North Blue for the Grand Line. But are they ready for everything waiting them?

Of Swords & Of a Gun

Warning: No Warning applies

Genre: AU, Angst, 

Words count: 4209

Statut: Two-Shot, in progress

Characters: Pearl, Cheren, Sinnoh and Unova Gym Leaders

Relation Ship: Soudo & Bede, Bede & Rose, Soudo & Schilly, Schilly/Hop, Bede & Schilly & Hop

Summary:

In a world where everyone has a Sword, Bede is an abnormality who has a Gun.

In a world where the Tsurugi family is the best blacksmith clan of Galar, Soudo fails to meet people's expectations.

In a world where they have to fight and find their places, will the two of them discover why they exist? Maybe the answer had been in front of their eyes since the beginning.

Pallet Association

Warning: Graphic Description of Violence, Major Character Death <3

Genre: Cyberpunk AU, Pokespe Amino Festival 2020: Kanto Week, Angst, Dystopia, May be a bit OOC for certain characters

Words count: 3637

Statut: OS, Complete

Characters: Green, Blue, Red, Yellow, Prof. Chen

Relation Ship: Green & Blue, Green & Blue & Red & Yellow, Green & Prof. Chen

Summary:

In Pallet City, one of the biggest megalopolis in the world, the Pallet Association controls everything. Blue, Red, Yellow, and Green decide that it needs to change.

But Green may have forgotten to mention a few details to them.

(This OS have two alternative endings because I couldn’t picke one)

Storytelling

Warning: No Warning Applies 

Genre: Fluff, Domestic, Comedy,  Pokespe Amino Festival 2020: Johto Week

Words count: 2843

Statut: OS, Complete

Characters: Silver, Gold, Crystal

Relation Ship: Silver & Crstal & Gold

Summary:

Silver has apparently never heard a fairytale of his whole life, so Gold and Crystal decide to give him an express fairytale class. Turned out that it was a really bad idea.

Festival War

Warning: No Warning Applies

Genre: Comedy, Pokespe Amino Festival 2020: Hoenn Week

Words count: 2843

Statut: OS, Complete

Characters: Emerald, Latias, Ruby, Sapphire

Relation Ship: Franticshipping, Emerald & Latias, Emerald & Ruby & Sapphire

Summary:

It's the summer, it's time for festivals, but with the Hoenntrio and their love for bets and contests, it could only go wrong.

Family Business

Warning: Craphic Description of Violence, Minor Character Deaths <3

Genre: Angst, Villain AU, tw: Drugs, Weapons, Pokespe Amino Festival 2020: Sinnoh Week

Words count: 3596

Statut: OS, Complete

Characters: Platinum, Diamond, Pearl

Relation Ship: Implied Entourage

Summary:

Because she was the heir of the Berlitz family, she will continue to develop their wealth and their power, no matter what it takes. No matter if the path she’ll take was full of blood and corpses and crimes.

Parent-Teacher Reunion

Warning: No Warning Applies

Genre: Comedy, School life (but it’s still in the canon universe), Pokespe Amino Festival 2020: Unova Week 1

Words count: 2638

Statut: OS, Complete

Characters: Cheren, Black, White, Bianca, Iris

Relation Ship: Agency Shipping, Cheren & Black & White & Bianca & Iris

Summary:

Did you ever wonder how was Black's school life? Well, welcome in this parent-teacher reunion where Cheren have some things to say about his childhood friend... 

Crimes Movies are Sad Except When Everyone is Dumb

Warning: No Warning Applies

Genre: Crime, Comedy, Pokespe Amino Festival 2020: Unova Week 2

Words count: 5565

Statut: OS, Complete

Characters: Whi-Two, Lack-Two, Hugh

Relation Ship: Whi-Two & Lack-Two & Whi-Two

Summary:

It was a normal day for Whi-Two. A casting, a murder, two former classmates coming from nowhere... ... Wait, what?

Strength

Warning: No Warning Applies

Genre: Character Study, Pokespe Amino Festival 2020: Kalos Week

Words count: 2198

Statut: OS, Complete

Characters: (Malva’s) Delphox, Trevor, Furfrou, Floette

Relation Ship: Delphox & Trevor, Delphox & Furfrou & Floette

Summary:

Delphox was strong. Malva was strong, too, but Malva's had lost, so Malva was weak.

Delphox had lost too, but she could not admit she was weak too.

No, she was strong.

It was the boy who was weak.

Treasure

Warning: No Warning Applies

Genre: Negative Spe AU, Adventure, Friendship, Pokespe Amino Festival 2020: Alola Week

Words count: 1649

Statut: OS, Complete

Characters: Sun, Moon

Relation Ship: Sun & Moon

Summary:

Sun always liked helping at the soup kitchen, seeing the smile and laughs of everybody around him, but the lunch breaks were always the best moment.

Too bad that this girl decided to ruin this one.

The Child of the Outdoor

Warning: No Warning Applies

Genre: Character study, pre-canon, Pokespe Amino Festival 2020: Galar Week

Words count: 1317

Statut: OS, Complete

Characters: Schilly, her Pokémons

Relation Ship: Schilly & her Pokémons

Summary:

Schilly always loved outdoors. It was joy, fun and great memories. It was her Pokémons, too.

Professor Santa

Collab with @coppertrapinch for the Specord Secret Santa Event! (Check her work she’s amazing!)

Warning: No Warning Applies

Genre: Comedy, Christmas, Specord Secret Santa Event 2021

Words count: 3623

Statut: OS, Complete

Characters: Prof. Oak, Prof. Birch, Prof. Samson Oak, Prof. Rowan, Prof. Juniper, Crystal, Gold, Sapphire, Trevor, Soudo, Schilly, Prof. Magnolia

Relation Ship: Prof. Oak & his need for a break

Summary:

Something was bound to go wrong with Gold organizing a party... but a Secret Santa on top of that? Poor Crystal was just too stressed at work... it was time for Professor Oak to step up to the plate. Can the renowned Professor save Christmas in time without gaining another wrinkle?

...No. No he cannot.

The Christmasly Idiotic Adventures of Pearl and Lack-Two, or the time when two idiots stopped an evil organization while being on a gift hunt

Warning: No Warning Applies

Genre: Comedy, Christmas, Specord Secret Santa Event 2021, Crime (??), Adventure

Words count: 5326

Statut: OS, Complete

Characters: Pearl, Lack-Two

Relation Ship: Pearl & Lack-Two

Summary:

Pearl liked Christmas. Really. Well, except when some (false) "Gift Fashion Specialist Journalist" disturbs all his plans and ruins his gift hunt. Why do he has to get a present for such a brat anyway? 

Screw up Secret Santa! This year, we're gonna kick some ass for Christmas!

b) Drabbles

Ok no big presentation here cause it’s only very short drabbles (>1K words)

Valentine Day 2020: Laveree Shipping

Valentine Day 2020: Entourage Shipping

X teachs incorrect French words to Gold

Crystal is scary and very powerful

Soudo and Chilly don’t like they English localized name, and Marvin is too young for this

II/ Other fandoms

a) Champions (comics)

Heat-Haze Days

Warning: Graphic Description of Violence, Major Character Death <3

Genre: Angst, inspired by the Kagepro song “Kagerou Days”, Time loop

Words count: 4213

Statut: OS, Complete

Characters: Miles Morales/Spiderman, Kamala Khan/Miss Marvel, Sam Alexander/Nova

Summary:

It was a normal summer day, everything was fine... But the heat of haze had decided otherwise, and it was up to Miles to try to find a way out. 

[sailormoonandme]

My thoughts regarding the Usagi/Mamoru age gap

I am writing this in response to this thread.

To be clear as crystal here, this is just my take on the situation.

With all that said, for the sake of argument let's say we are in total agreement that in real life a 14 year old middle schooler and a 17 year old college student shouldn't be dating.*

But that is the key phrase here: 'Real life'.

The thing is...there is no end of fairy tales or media aimed at children that at best start to fall apart or at worst become extremely creepy when you apply a realistic lens to it.

That is the joke about the majority of Disney's canon in fact. For instance, Aladdin was 18 whilst Jasmine was 16. I'm British and over here 16 is the legal age of consent for sex but even so I'm at least iffy on a 16 year old dating an 18 year old. And to trade off some of the comments elsewhere in the above linked thread, you could absolutely argue there was a 'mental gap' between Al and Jas given how she was a sheltered and somewhat naive princess who'd never left the palace and he was a streetwise older guy who'd obviously flirted and charmed his way out of trouble before.

But let's consider a different Disney classic, perhaps their most famous movie, the Lion King.

The Lion King is a beloved and rightly iconic movie but if you take it at face value and realistically (albeit ignoring the fact that animals can talk, sing and are capable of human emotions and cultural references) it's guilty of:

Promoting incest because Simba and Nala would have at best been first cousins (Nala being Scar's daughter) at worst brother and sister. Because that is how lions work. Male lions murder the cubs of other males with the possible exceptions of their brother's cubs where they co-rule a pride. Even with the best case scenario, deleted scenes had Scar try to make Nala his queen and those scenes were reinserted for the hit Broadway musical. So either a brother and sister hook up or two first cousins hook up and a Dad tried to have sex with his daughter.

Promoting racial/class segregation: The Hyenas are from the 'dark shadowy' place and are given traits you can easily interpret as associated with black, Hispanic, Latinex or mentally disabled people. They are also framed with Nazi imagery and it is Scar's decision to let them roam freely that causes famine. Simba beats them, they are forced back to 'where they came from' and all is well.

Promoting authoritarian absolute monarchies. That's the whole movie's plot. Simba must embrace his destiny as the 'rightful ruler' of the pridelands whereby all other animals bow down to him. It's not even like the lions are the ruling class and they are at least democratic amongst themselves, it's literally this ONE specific bloodline that is not only in charge but is SUPPOSED to be in charge. Even if the wrong person from that bloodline is in charge the entire land suffers until the 'right' person takes the throne. That's a pretty terrible and pretty anti-democratic message isn't it, and that's coming from someone who lives in a country WITH a monarchy.

And, I admit this one is a serious stretch, but you could even argue that it's saying two men raising a child is a detriment to said child. Because Timon and Pumba raise Simba into an adult and the movie is very clear that he's grown up wrong, he is not the person he should be because he's embraced Timon and Pumba's upbringing.

So you see...the Lion King is mega terrible.

Except it isn't.

Because we all have the cognitive ability and understanding to grasp that you are not SUPPOSED to take it that realistically nor at face value. Even as children we grasped that, hence the generation that grew up with the Lion King (by and large) obviously don't think incest is okay, don't oppose same sex couples raising children, don't think segregation is a good idea and clearly do not think monarchies are the bee's knees.

Maybe as kids people couldn't put it into words, but material like this essentially exists in this realm of symbolism, psychological shorthand if you will.

In fact all fairy tales do that.

And Sailor Moon IS a fairy tale, or at the very least it borrows a whole lot from fairy tales.

In addition to being a fairy tale though Sailor Moon is a wish fulfillment fantasy story intended for a female audience (or at least a predominantly female audience).

Now of course what one woman's wish fulfillment fantasy might be may not be another's and I wouldn't be so presumptuous as to argue that Sailor Moon even clicks with the wish fulfillment fantasies of MOST female audience members. But I think it's fair to say from the cultural impact it has had, and how it's fanbase is clearly mostly made up of women, that the wish fulfillment fantasy it offers clicks with a sizeable enough number of women.

The reverse is true of something intended as a male wish fulfillment fantasy. James Bond was obviously intended as a male wish fulfillment fantasy, and it's success speaks to how it clearly clicked with a sizable enough number of people. And I don't think I'm being overly presumptuous here when i say MOST of those people were male.**

Both SM and 007 are wish fulfillment power fantasies but they are also romantic/sexual fantasies too.***

I don't think it's unreasonable to argue that for a sizable number (but not necessarily the majority) of women, including the tween/teen girls SM was aimed at, having an OLDER lover is a romantic wish fulfillment fantasy. On the flipside I don't think it's unreasonable to argue that for a sizable number of men and boys having an endless string of casual and completely consequence free sexual encounters with (traditionally speaking) gorgeous women who find you incredibly attractive is a sexual wish fulfillment fantasy.

And the thing is BOTH those things can become bad when you apply a realistic lens to either of them.

James Bond's sex life realistically would involve at least a few sexually transmitted diseases, unintended pregnancies (one of which occurs in the novels) and at least a few callously broken hearts. Even when you look at it strictly from Bond's POV that life only seems glamorous at first glance. Perhaps it is a fun fantasy, but only when it remains in the realm of fantasy. Because in real life that kind of life if lived long term is ultimately incredibly empty and unfulfilling. Even James Bond media has acknowledged this because there have been occasions in the novels and films where he has at least attempted to settle down with a stable partner. Many Bond fans (understandably) decry this as undermining part of the appeal of the character hence Bond inevitably defaults back to being single because that is a baked in part of the wish fulfillment fantasy the character offers.

Let's consider some other ways the Sailor Moon anime offers a wish fulfillment fantasy, namely the future of Crystal Tokyo.

At first glance it seems wonderfully utopic right. It is a beautiful crystalline world where everyone lives in peace and harmony, hunger disease and even aging having been functionally eliminated.

Well, that isn’t the case if you apply a realistic lens to it.

It's an absolute monarchy wherein everyone is functionally immortal and children don't reach maturity even after 900 years. Chibi-Usa clearly chafes at this reality so how do you imagine other children (who aren't royalty) might feel? How might their parents feel having to raise their children and be responsible for them for centuries as opposed to around twentysomething years? What if you became immortal in your 80s, you might be a very healthy 80 year old but you aren't in the prime of your life and you are stuck that way for what is essentially forever. Not to mention what if you don't like or do not agree with Neo-Queen Serenity's policies? What if they are actively detrimental to you, your family, your livelihood, etc? You can't vote her out of power and you can't even hope for things to change because everyone is healthy, provided for and lives forever. The chances of someone else coming to power are at best very, very, very slim.

Then you have the fact that it’s surely a society that would’ve stagnated because everyone is provided for. That’s the whole point of a utopia. It is perfection. But what if you are someone who defined your live by striving for improvement? What if you were a doctor and now found yourself redundant. Sure, you might acknowledge that’s for the greater good but you are still yourself left completely without purpose in this world.

And that’s not even considering the inevitable monotony of existing for hundreds of years. Modern medicine and science has allowed human beings to extend their life spans FAR beyond how long we’d live if we were still just cave people. As biological organisms are concerned we never evolved to live for 80-90 years. Even if your body isn’t breaking down across the centuries the human mind would never realistically be able to cope with centuries worth of memories and life experiences. Mental illnesses and conditions would be rife. If nothing else living in that world would sooner or later become utterly BORING!

Hate to say it and obviously it doesn’t justify their methods, but the Black Moon Clan kind of have some valid points against the world of Crystal Tokyo. At least they do when you break things down REALISTICALLY.

And that’s my thesis here. Sailor Moon isn’t supposed to be dissected realistically, at least not to THAT degree. It is a wish fulfilment fairy tale fantasy and demands a certain amount of suspension of disbelief and understanding of what the fantasy is offering.

And for the record I can 100% assure that no teenager in real life has, or could, ever get into a harmful relationship with someone older than them BECAUSE they watched Usagi and Mamoru’s relationship in the anime.

The human mind is a very complex and very powerful thing. At a younger age it’s impressionable and can therefore be influenced. But it’s not so susceptible that the romantic relationships in a cartoon about schoolgirl super heroes is going to influence a viewer into making any major life decisions that OTHER factors weren’t also influencing them to do.

In other words if a real life 14 year old girl began dating a 17 year old college guy it would’ve happened regardless of whether they watched Sailor Moon as a child or not.

Indeed, one of my frustrations with the podcast Sailor Business is how many guests on the show cite how they liked Usagi and Mamoru as children but now think their relationship is bad and creepy. I disagree with them for the reasons I cited above, but the fact that those panellists nigh universally give that same narrative proves how nobody was ever going to be prompted to do anything potentially harmful to themselves in real life by the show.

*Personally speaking that is certainly my own off the cuff attitude.

**Not to dismiss the fans who aren't, same goes for the non-female SM fans.

***Although I think you could argue SM is more on the romance side of things and 007 on the sexual side of things.

[bltngames]

SAGE 2020: Fan Games

I’d hoped to have this article out a little bit sooner, but I overestimated how long it would take to write about some of these games. Whoops! Like I said when I outlined the posting “schedule” on the first day, we’re playing it fast and loose, so this is just what you get.

Today is the day I talk about fan games! And even though SAGE has “Sonic” right there in the acronym, it’s always hosted fan games from all types, so today we’ve got Mega Man, Mario, Rayman, and even fan games of fan games, if you can believe it.

Sonic Pinball Panic!

Pinball is one of those things where I’ve always been obsessed with it, but never very good at it. And now, with access to digital pinball collections like Pinball Arcade and Pinball FX, I don’t actually find myself playing as much pinball as I thought I would when I was 14 years old. Still, I find myself fascinated by a good pinball table, and this honestly caught me off guard. This could very easily be an official DLC release for one of those aforementioned pinball collections and I wouldn’t even bat an eyelash (in fact, if you ask me, this is better than Pinball FX, which has always had weird ball physics). This looks, sounds, and functions exactly like a real pinball table should. My complaints are minor: for starters, the table feels kind of easy. I’ve never been a pinball wizard, but I was losing balls left and right here and it still took a good 15 minutes before I finally got a game over. Score accumulation is also pretty slow; most pinball tables will dump millions and millions of points on you, but here, it felt like a struggle just to reach the 379k I finished with. Both contribute to the fact that the table feels a little flat, like it’s missing a spark to really put it over the top. And, third, it would be nice if it had controller support. The keyboard works just fine, here (it’s just pinball, after all) but I find that the triggers on a controller feel really good with pinball flippers, and mapping the plunger to the right stick is great, too. This is a Unity game, so I wouldn’t think it’d be that hard to hook it up to the controller mapper. Still, I came away impressed.

Mega Man: Perfect Blue

There are two things out there that always give me pause: fan-made Doom level packs, and Mega Man fan games. Fan made gaming content generally has problems when it comes to difficulty balancing anyway, but these games have earned a certain reputation for their difficulty, which creates a problem when you have content made by fans, for fans. This insularity means these things are usually way too hard for what I would consider “normal” people (read: casual fans and outsiders). Add on to the fact that I’d even say that there are official Mega Man games with bad difficulty balancing, and you have a recipe for frustration. Sadly, this is how I’d characterize Perfect Blue: though this introductory level isn’t impossibly hard, it’s definitely pushing that edge where it’s not very accommodating to someone who hasn’t played and finished every Classic Mega Man game ever made. It almost immediately throws you into scenarios where you have jumps you can barely reach, insta-kill spikes, and enemies that not only actively dodge your shots, but invincible enemies that launch counter attack homing missiles. And then it starts making you juggle all of this stuff, together, at the same time. None of this is insurmountable as long as you’re paying attention, but as a very casual Mega Man fan, it’s an unfriendly first impression and makes me worried about what the rest of the game is going to be like as the challenge naturally ramps up. For those hardcore Mega Man fans among you, the rest of this is solid, at least. The presentation and controls are excellent, and the new sprites are beautiful. It’s a game I’d love to enjoy when it’s done… but I’m assuming I’ll be left out in the cold. A shame, really, because there’s so much promise here.

Sonic and the Mayhem Master

There’s a lot to like about this game, but there’s a part of me that really wonders if this should even be considered a Sonic fan game. Mayhem Master’s depictions of Sonic and Amy Rose are atypical to put it mildly. Here, Sonic seems to be a bookish nerd of sorts, a sidekick to Amy Rose, who has been turned into a burnt out, cigar-smoking detective. Most of the game plays out as half an adventure game, half an RPG, where you roam around the world talking to NPCs and gather clues while being assaulted by random battles. The battle system is super off-the-wall, too, perhaps taking inspirations from games like Mario & Luigi and Undertale. This means that battles aren’t passive -- you spend most of each fight dodging or nullifying incoming attacks with simplistic action-based commands. It’s weird, and different, and occasionally even a little bit overwhelming. That’s kind of the whole game, really. It’s the sort of thing that really doesn’t feel like a Sonic game at all, but it also doesn’t feel bad. The artwork is very charming, I’m interested in seeing the characters develop, and there’s plenty of worldbuilding and mystery. Would this still be as intriguing if you removed the Sonic connection, even if it’s so threadbare? That’s a hard question to answer. I know that some of my interest in this game is seeing how it spins more familiar Sonic elements into something that’s completely different. Worth checking out, for curiosity’s sake if nothing else.

Sonic and the Dreamcatcher

This is a fairly brilliant little game with two unfortunate quirks. If you didn’t know, the special stages in the original Sonic the Hedgehog were inspired by an arcade game of the era called Cameltry, published by Taito in 1989. Now, Sonic’s special stages were different enough from Cameltry that it wasn’t a case of Sega outright stealing the gameplay, but there’s a clear lineage there, and it only becomes clearer when you compare the special stages in Sonic 4 Episode 1 to Cameltry (spoilers: in that game, they’re nearly identical). Dreamcatcher is also from this lineage, but is infinitely more charming than either Sonic 4 and maybe even Cameltry itself. The idea is that you must collect a specific number of blue spheres in order to reveal the Chaos Emerald, after which you have a limited amount of time to find and collect it. It’s very simple, but the presentation really sells the game’s charm. It’s just a game that looks good and sounds good, with an interesting premise executed very well. Also, you get a dedicated “& Knuckles” button to spawn infinite Knuckles to help you collect blue spheres and bash enemies. Being able to have unlimited numbers of these guys sounds like it would break the game, but once that countdown clock begins, the last thing you need is 20+ echidnas clogging up the route back to the emerald. The first quirk this game suffers from is that there’s only two levels. Parts of this have a very “game jam made in a weekend” vibe to it despite the rock-solid music, sound, and gameplay, and only having two levels contributes to that. Hopefully more are coming in the future. The other quirk? You can’t actually download this game -- it’s embedded in a webpage. I’m sure this is to make it easy to play on any platform with a web browser (phones, PCs, etc.) but I find myself greatly desiring a hard copy of this game that can live on my computer forever.

Sonic Galactic

Now here’s just a good old fashioned Sonic fan game. Though it clearly takes inspiration from Sonic Mania’s aesthetics in some places, it’s clearly doing its own thing, featuring not just the core cast of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, but also Fang the Sniper, and even a brand new character named Tunnel the Mole. Unlike a lot of Sonic fan games at SAGE, this appears to be using something besides Clickteam Fusion, Game Maker, or Unity. Here, it’s the “Hatch Game Engine,” whatever that is. Whatever the case may be, the game runs very well and is basically indistinguishable from just playing Sonic Mania. Visuals are sharp, music’s good, the two included boss fights are surprisingly fun to fight -- everything seems to be in order. As a result, there’s not really a lot to say. This is just a good, fun game. Anything else I’d say would come off sounding like nitpicks. For example, there’s no way to set graphics options yet, so the game is stuck in 2x Windowed mode. Fang and Tunnel are cute additions, but I wonder how much utility they have as characters. Unless I missed something, Fang’s pop gun is mainly for a weak double-jump ability, and Tunnel’s ability to dig and ricochet off floors, walls and ceilings is cool, but it doesn’t have quite the universal utility of Tails’ flight or Knuckles climbing and gliding. It’ll be interesting to see how or maybe even if their abilities have a chance to grow into something special. Anyway, like I said, those are nitpicks, so try to give this a shot if you can.

Sonic Robo-Blast!

Remasters seem to be a bit of a theme this SAGE, between Sonic Triple Trouble 16-bit, Sonic 2 SMS, Sonic 1 Revisited, but this is perhaps the most surprising of them all: a loving remaster of the original Sonic Robo-Blast. SRB1 was perhaps one of the first true “landmark” fan games, given that it was basically a whole entire game that people could play. It's not a stretch to say that SRB1 probably helped kickstart the fan gaming community that still survives to this day -- I certainly owe my involvement in the community to seeing SRB1 for the first time. The problem is, as historically significant as the game might be, it’s nearly impossible to go back to nowadays -- it’s much, much too dated to be any fun. This remaster completely re-envisions SRB1 as a regular Sonic game, while also pulling in gameplay elements from Sonic Robo-Blast 2. It’s a bit of a time paradox mindwarp, but it helps give it a bit more personality than just making a bog-standard 2D Sonic. It works, aided by the fact the sprites, music and overall presentation are fantastic. The only downside is the Act 2 boss, which commits the cardinal sin of taking away player agency and making you wait around far too much. Here’s hoping this gets finished, because it’s definitely on my radar now.

Super Mario Flashback

This has been floating around for a few years now and I’m glad to see it’s finally starting to get some more substantial content as it moves towards becoming an actual game. That being said, this is also one of those games that’s kind of hard to talk about because it’s just… really polished. The art is incredible, it controls exactly like a Mario game, and there’s already a decent mixture of ideas at play in the demo. Anything else I’d say would sound like nitpicking -- like, for example, the backseat game designer in me wonders if maybe the game is prioritizing aesthetics a little too much. This is a wonderfully animated game, absolutely gorgeous, but some actions, like the butt-stomp and the wall kick, feel a bit sluggish, and I think it’s because they show off fancy animations. Even if it’s a split second, waiting for Mario to attach to a wall to kick off of it feels slow. Really, though, that’s an insignificant complaint. This demo is still well worth checking out.

Sonic Advance 4 Advanced

This game seems like a greatest-hits of Dimps best ideas, spanning the first Sonic Advance all the way to Sonic Rush. There’s just one problem: the game seems broken. Now, my desktop PC is starting to show its age. I built it four and a half years ago, and though it can handle game like Gears of War 5 on high settings at 60fps, slowly, newer games seem to be leaving it behind. That being said, I don’t think a game like Sonic Advance 4 here should be running at what appears to be half its intended speed. It also originally launched in a teeny-tiny window (we’re talking, like, smaller than a postage stamp) and even though the options menu has a toggle for full screen mode, it doesn’t want to work. Something about this game under the hood seems to be struggling very, very, VERY hard. It’s a shame, because if this actually played at the proper speed, it seems like it might actually be an alright game, if a bit complex and busy.

Sonic 2 SMS Remake

Here’s a game I was all buckled in expecting to enjoy. Like it says on the tin, this is a remake of Sonic 2 for the Master System (and Game Gear), but with wide screen visuals and huge expansions to the mechanics, roster of playable characters, and levels. On the outside it seems really impressive, and to a certain degree it is, but something about the controls feel a little off. Sonic’s heavier here than he is on the Master System, perhaps to simulate “real” Sonic physics a little more accurately, but you can also pretty much stop on a dime, and the combination of the two feels awkward. The camera also needs a lot of work, as it’s basic at best and does a poor job of letting you see what’s below (to the dev if you’re reading this: there’s actually video tutorials out there on how 2D scrolling cameras work, it might be worth looking a couple of them up). It also leans into some of the tech limitations of the Master System, like how you aren’t given any rings for boss fights (and even hiding the HUD, a move done to save on resources for the large enemy sprites). I could be picky on a bunch of other little stuff, too, like how the flight mechanics feel, but there are other games to play at SAGE and I’ve got at least two more articles to write. Needless to say, this is a solid (impressive, even) foundation but it’s missing a lot of late-stage polish to clean up the tiny little rough edges.

Rayman Redemption

I tell this story every so often, but it was about three quarters of the way through Rayman 2 on the Sega Dreamcast when it struck me, suddenly: I love this game. I was being chased by a pirate ship through some rickety bridges and even though I was dying over and over and over again, I realized I had been enjoying Rayman 2 enough that I might put it in my top ten Dreamcast games. But that was 2002, and the years haven’t been so kind to ol’ Rayman. From the strangely celebrity-infused Rayman 3, to the tragedy of Rayman 4 (eventually becoming Raving Rabbids) to the endless, careless ports of Rayman 2 to every platform under the sun, one gets the impression Ubisoft maybe didn’t know what to do with Rayman. Especially now, when most of Ubisoft’s games are some form of online live service or cookie cutter open world experience (or increasingly both). But the fans know what they want. Rayman Redemption takes the original 1995 Rayman game and lovingly gives it a fresh coat of paint. The results are akin to what Taxman and Stealth did for Sonic CD in 2011, with wide screen visuals, improved controls, touched up level design, but gameplay that still feels faithful and accurate to the original experience. Except that Sega charged money for that, and here, fans have released this for free. Ubisoft’s loss, I guess. I didn’t play Rayman 1 until well after I’d finished Rayman 2, and I’ll admit, I kind of bounced off of it back then. It felt slow, and awkward, and when the difficulty ramped up, it got very hard, very quickly. Now, admittedly, I’ve only put about 30 minutes into Redemption here, but just the addition of a run button is incredibly welcome, and the retooled level design and powerup mechanics helps the game feel way less obtuse overall. It’s just a cleaner, tighter, more accessible and more polished version of Rayman.

Stay tuned for the next article: Indie games.

[eventschimp]

115 Fantastic Happy Birthday Funny Messages. best wishes

Best Funny happy birthday wishes

Looking for the perfect Happy birthday funny messages & pictures to brighten someone's day? Whether it's someone you know, or someone you're friends with, or even someone who's lost their birthday wish, we have all the humorous birthday wishes you'll need and absolutely enjoy.

Fun should be an integral part of our life and must be on the occasions of Good days of life. The funny wishes and fun notes are sure to make their day brighter and make them laugh! Send them in greeting cards, by SMS, or via Facebook and Twitter!

Here you will find quick-links to specific sections and the complete list of funny birthday quotes and wishes.

funny birthday message to my best friend

You have many friends, but some of them have a special badge of a best friend, so they need special attention, more time to spend with them and priority over others in your life. If you want to wish them well on their special day, here are some great happy birthday funny messages to make them smile.

1.Wish you a happy birthday, sweetheart, and keep smiling until I have enough evidence to send you to the mental asylum.

2.Use these funny happy birthday quotes to wish someone a very happy birthday and poke fun at their age. You can use them in a card message, a Facebook caption, or even a t-shirt.

3.Statistics tell us you will live longer if you have the most birthdays (but it has also been proven that too many birthdays will kill you.

4. I know you are celebrating your birthday, but you can't stop your favorite food items from being right in front of you.

5.Happy birthday! After all those years and yet another year, you still haven't become wiser.

6.On your birthday, you can always depend on me to let loose with a night to remember in the morning.

7. Do not let age catch you down... it is too hard to bounce back!

8.On your birthday, I have something gluten-free, completely calorie-free, and absolutely delightful gift. Guess, what I have for you? Yes, you are right... It's a text message!

9. The kind of friend I am, I forgot your age.

10. I can't believe how fast time flies when you're having fun! When did we get so old?

11. The fact that we managed to keep this friendship going despite generational differences is wonderful.

Funny messages and wishes for girlfriend.

Having a girlfriend is a privilege no one must forget to wish on special occasions, and everyone would like to do something out of the ordinary to strengthen the bond of friendship and love.

It seems that funny happy birthday messages do the job perfectly. A good and funny note can put your lover's smile on her face and this is the ultimate goal of greeting them. Here is a compilation of some fine wishes messages for your girlfriend.

12. The one and only time I lied to you was when I said I'd love you forever, but realized that i couldn't live that long..

13. Last night, I dreamed of you while hugging my pillow. I wish one day I could dream about my pillow and be hugging you.

14. Regardless of what economists may say, you are the only one for me. There is no one else I can replace you with.

15. If my eyes are bothering me, I can't remove them from you.

16. Falling from the sky or a tree is fine, but the finest way to fall in love is with you! Happy Birthday my sweetheart.

17. The proverb goes wrong that a picture is worth a thousand words, but after looking at yours, I have no words to describe!

18. I'm no gambler, but I guess I'm just betting with my heart and mind that I will never stop loving you.

19. Too much smiling has caused me to develop wrinkles. Stop being so lovely! It drives me crazy..

20. It's evident that I adore you, from the sparkle in your eyes.

21. I hope your birthday is as awesome as your hair in high school.

You may check out: 71 Birthday Wishes in Unique Style- Best Bday messages

Best humorous wishes for boyfriend

22. We will lock up our hearts together and toss away the key; I give my heart to you; do give yours to me.

23. Because monopoly is always harmful and competition is always beneficial, it makes sense to have many crushes and flirts instead of just one true love! An economic theory on love.

24.  Whenever we're together, you make me feel so young. Thank you for being the first.

25. It's a pleasure to celebrate the birthday of someone I hope will be my friend, even when we're too senile to remember each other's birthdays.

26. Happy birthday to a person who is charming and talented, as well as witty, and is much like myself.

27. It is your birthday, so we will eat fired up baked goods and sing at you while you sit there awkwardly.

28. Happy birthday. Thanks for being older than me all your life.

29. Wishing you a unique birthday wish every year would be difficult. Choosing a special wish for next year would be even more challenging, so I'll just say happy birthday.

30. Despite the truth that today would be a perfect time to write sweet words about my best friend in the world, I already finished my autobiography a month ago.

Happy birthday funny messages for brother

Depending on your brother's personality and what type of relationship you have with him, these next funny birthday wishes for brothers could be just the thing for you to give him a laugh on his birthday too!

Hoping that these happy birthday funny messages will amaze your dear brother on his birthday, so keep scrolling to choose the perfect one.

31.That's all you really need for a gift. Just saying. Happy birthday!

32. Although it's hard to understand why we're celebrating your day since only mom did all the efforts. Happy birthday!

33. I am amazed at how long we have tolerated each other. Happy Birthday.

34. Your birthday falls at just the right age. You are old enough to see your mistakes, but still young enough to make more. Happy Birthday!

35. Wishing you a happy birthday! Hope you have a day as beautiful as a unicorn farting rainbows!

36. Hey big bro! They say that as you get older your intellect grows, but since we keep doing the same stupid thing we did as kids, we must be the exception to that rule.

37. It's my brother's birthday and he's smart, funny, witty, charming… and a lot like me!

38. I'm glad you're finally 21 and can finally do all those things you've been doing since you were 16! Happy birthday!

39. There's only one person you can be completely idiotic with through thick and thin. So glad I have you, bro! Have a great birthday!

40. After searching the web for 3 hours, I gave up trying to find the perfect birthday message for you. Happy Birthday.

41. When I thought about what I would get you for your birthday, I realized you already have me. Thank you very much. Happy birthday!

You may check out the amazing article

Funny happy birthday wishes for a lil sister

Finding funny happy birthday wishes for your younger sister has never been easier, with a wide selection of funny greetings, funny jokes, and wishes. We have all the best, cute, beautiful, and sweet words to bring a smile to your little angel's face.

42. I wish you a very happy birthday to the sassiest, coolest, and funniest little sister in the world!

43. Congratulations on your birthday, little sister, you may have always been smarter than me, but you have always been my best friend.

44. I will always love you for being my little monkey, but you've grown up, happy birthday Lil sister

45. My parents never gave me a pet before you were born, but after you were born I finally got a pet. Happy birthday, Sister I hope you never grow up.

46. You are not only funny but also crazy, just like your sister. No one else has a sister like you. Happy Birthday.

47. Thank you for being the most competitive person I have ever encountered in my life. Why couldn't you accept my win against you? I didn't understand. Happy Birthday my little sister

48. Happy Birthday, sis. I will always think of you as my silly little sister, no matter how tall or wise you get.

49. I love you, dear one, and I will love you until the very end. Despite your age, it doesn't mean you are any better or worse off than I am. I love you.

50. You have indeed given me nerves of steel, Happy Birthday little sister.

Happy birthday funny wishes for father

Regardless of your age, dad always celebrates your birthday well. Now, it's his turn to celebrate and have a great party! Use the best Funny Birthday Wishes for Father to show how much you respect the humor and zest for life your dad possesses. Your father is the best man you know, so give him a happy birthday celebration with Funny Birthday Wishes for Father he'll remember and love!

51. I know it's not an easy job being a dad, but it's done with class and style. Happy birthday to the father who does it all.

 52. Your schedule is just like that of a student with a lot of classes. Happy birthday, Dad!

53. Happy birthday dad, I'm sorry I can't be there to wish you a happy birthday in person, but please know that I think of you on your special day. Thanks for everything you do! Can't wait to see you again!

54. Here's a fun fact-you're not getting older, but you take great pleasure in making bad jokes. Enjoy more of those, Dad, and happy birthday!

55. Having said that, I know that today is your birthday, but that does not make it a holiday, so I'm not too excited about it. Just kidding. Happy birthday to an important man!

56. It's been a week since I thought of what to write in a funny birthday message for you. But I couldn't think of anything funny. Happy birthday!

57. Your mother told me that, even though you're getting older, you're not becoming any wiser. You should be grateful for the information she shared with you. Just kidding.

Happy birthday funny messages for husband

It makes sense, then, that, at least once every three hundred and sixty-five days, we owe ourselves something special. And on those days, consciously or subconsciously, we all crave to be celebrated by others. It is especially important to celebrate our spouse's birthday every year. After all, our spouse is our better half. Who else will do it?

58. You transformed everything about companionship when we met. It still amazes me how amazing you remain throughout our marriage. Happy birthday, dear husband.

 59. I count my blessings twofold, honey because you brought light and fragrance into my life on the hardest of days. Happy birthday to you, love.

60. I wish you the most beautiful days of your life because you are the most amazing human ever. Have a great day, my prince charming.

61. Even if I were reincarnated as a woman multiple times and found you every time, I would never marry anyone else. Happy birthday to you.

62. Thank you for being devoted, supportive, enthusiastic, compassionate, creative, strong and resourceful. You are an amazing human being and I love you more than anything.

63. I feel safe and prepared for any obstacle with you by my side. You are a fantastic teammate, and I love you for that. Happy birthday, dear.

64. I celebrate you every day, so there is no need to limit my celebration to one day. But let me take this opportunity to remind you how deeply I love you. Happy birthday, dear!

Best birthday messages and wishes for Mother

Whether you agree or disagree with me, mothers are the best! If the mother you have is not your best, that's huge! Mothers are truly God's gift to us. Mothers know how to shed tears and smile when necessary. They give so freely for you when no one else will. They sacrifice a lot to make you happy. Mothers are gold! They deserve the best! 65. Despite being the best mom in the world, I can't express how much I love you enough to wish you an amazing birthday.

66. I appreciate how patient and loving you have been with me. Thank you for letting me wish you a wonderful birthday.

67. It is the greatest honor of my life to celebrate my mother's birthday. She is the most wonderful mother a person could ask for.

68. Cheers to a terrific birthday and a successful year to come for the best mom in the world.

69. In return, I wish you all the happiness on your birthday. I am extremely lucky to have a mother like you who is caring, kind, and giving.

70. Mom is a great mother who brought me into this world and has loved me ever since. And to your mom for bringing you into this world, which gave us the opportunity to celebrate your birthday today.

71. Having been born to you makes me feel more blessed than I could not imagine. Happy birthday to my great Mom

72. Your love and guidance led me to where I am today, and I would like to express my gratitude for your birthday.

73. My mom, you always put in a lot of effort to make this day special, but now it's my turn to make it memorable.

Happy birthday funny note for wife

After spending a long time married to one's sweetheart, you might want to express your gratitude, show your love and give her additional attention whenever there is another reason to celebrate. On her birthday, you will obviously want to look for a unique present, yet it is important that you also share your thoughts.

If your wife doesn't want a physical gift, or if you don't have one, here are dozens of birthday wishes for her that you can use as inspiration or use as is. It's the acknowledgment or attention she gets from you that really makes her birthday magical.

74. It is the one day out of the year I put my wife's mother-in-law in my prayers. Happy birthday, sweetheart!

75. PI is like how much I love you, darling wife: endless and never-ending.

76. Unless I use Nutella on my toast or ice cream on my apple pie, I wouldn't eat my honeybun without you. Happy Birthday, my beautiful wife.

77. The only thing better than bacon… and that's a lot… is my love for you.

78. Thank you for being the only copilot I'd ever want. Happy Birthday

79. Happy Birthday to my beautiful, thoughtful, intelligent wife! I am lucky enough to be your husband…but you only surpassed my luck by being mine!

Funny wishes for daughter's birthday

Here you will find an impressive range of heartwarming happy birthday funny messages for daughters to inspire you. Whether you're looking for a short message to send or a thoughtful card, you'll find something here to suit your needs.

80. Our beautiful daughter celebrated her birthday today! We love you so much, Mom and Dad!

81. Getting you the best present possible makes my day complete. Wish you a day filled with sunshine, rainbows, laughter, and fun!

82. Happy birthday to our daughter, we wish you all the best.

83. We are so happy to have you in our lives, Sweetie! We're so glad you're kind, fun, and crazy!

84. My dear daughter, I hope your day is as wonderful as you are, as shiny as your doll’s grin. Thanks for everything.

85. Having you in it makes the world a better place! Although we need to be smarter in handling you and our dishes has been a challenge. Happy birthday, lovely daughter!

86. Thank you for being such an amazing friend and we wish you a wonderful birthday. Love from Mom and Dad 

87. I love having you as a daughter. Thank you for being mine. Happy birthday darling, love from Mom.

Birthday funny wishes for daughter-in-law

You can find so many amazing funny happy birthday wishes and messages for your daughter-in-law right here on our website. Make sure you take advantage of them and send them to her!

You can pick from our extensive collection of original birthday wishes to transform your beloved daughter-in-law’s birthday into an unforgettable experience she will cherish for years to come.

88. It's a wonderful birthday wish to a daughter-in-law blessed to have such a great mother and father-in-law.

89. Thank you so much for not being a malicious daughter-in-law towards me on your birthday, dearest. I can't thank you enough.

90. Thank you so much for putting my son on the map. Without you, he would certainly be nothing - just as teens would be nothing without smartphones and social media accounts. Happy birthday!

91. The idea that daughter-in-laws are wicked and difficult is wrong. May the good Lord bless you abundantly for not being a witchy in-law. Have a great birthday.

92. Have a wonderful birthday! Did you know that science-backed studies have proven over and over again that too many birthdays lead to premature death?

93. While we celebrate your birthday, dear daughter-in-law, I find my mind wondering about the rumors that you were so old your first car was a covered wagon. I hope you will take this opportunity to clarify that issue once and for all!

humorous birthday messages for Mother-in-law

Birthdays are the most glorious days on earth and so, without doubt, they are always special to the individual who celebrates them. So, a funny message of happy birthday and a lovely wish to your MIL on her birthday would really make her happy and tell her that you love her, too.

94. In honor of your birthday, I am sending you a belated birthday message. I hope you accept it ma.

95. Enjoy your birthday, no matter how noisy we are. May you find the energy and patience to put up with our annoying habits. Happy birthday.

96. How wonderful my mother-in-law is, she is just terrific, and I'm sure she will serve me a bottle of Fanta today.

97. Mother-in-law, I couldn't have given you a better birthday gift than the precious daughter you gave me. I can only strive to be the son you never had. Happy birthday, mom!

98. You seem to be defying the laws of aging; you seem to be turning back the clock. If there is some secret to this, please share it with me. Happy birthday.

99. Lastly, I want you to know I really appreciate you not executing me while I slept for taking your precious daughter and I am so thankful I still have a wonderful mother-in-law.

How to wish your boss in a funny tone?

A leader's job can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding. Keeping clients satisfied and having respect from employees is important for success on the job. You should let your boss know he/she is appreciated and that you are happy to work together, especially on his/her birthday. You will not only make your boss's day more exciting by sending happy birthday funny messages, but you may even brighten your own, as well.

100. During this intensive year, your support has been vital to many people and the company. Thank you for everything you do.

101. You are an example of all that is good in this company, and I see you making smart decisions all the time that benefit both the company and our clients. You truly are a great role model for us all.

102. We are so grateful to you for being such a blessing in our lives! You are a treat and a blessing.

103. Congratulations on your birthday to someone who makes every day go by without any bumps and plenty of laughter!

104. Let's take this day to honor you and your excellent leadership!

105. Your leadership stands out! Happy birthday and here's to many more years of fabulous leadership!

106. What does it matter if we don't visit you anymore? It's true! You're the best boss around.

107. What does it matter if we don't visit you anymore? It's true! You're the best boss around.

Funny happy birthday to co-worker

If you work together with unity and uniformity for 8+ hours daily, then you have spent one-third of your life together with your colleague. Your colleague also needs to be congratulated on their birthday with funny happy birthday messages.

108. Throughout your life, I wish you many adventures, heartfelt moments, and many more milestones. Happy Birthday.

109. You make this place tolerable - and that is hard to do! Happy Birthday! Come grab some lunch or drinks soon!

110. A birthday is a reminder that the world is waiting for you to dream, to move forward, to fulfill your dreams. Happy birthday!

111. Congratulations, we're not sure how old you are yet. Only you, God, and Human Resources know your true age.

112. I am honored to work with you, thank you so much for all of your help and guidance, and I wish you a happy birthday.

113. Progress is a matter of faith, unity, and patience. I wish you great success as long as you hold onto these principles. Happy Birthday.

114. Congratulations to my wonderful coworker who celebrates his or her bi-annual birthday today! Good luck and happiness in the years to come!

115. Congratulations to our very special colleague. Wishing you and your family the most abundant blessings and may your life always be filled with joy.

funny happy birthday thank you message

[thememcry]

bby can i ask heid / aerith for that ship meme and then as a bonus can you just tell me like somthin bout the ship of sexy pete/danny devito cause i cant stop thinking about it love u

      whose a bigger gremlin, ship edition. i actually choked on my spit and air at the same time. i love you sm.

who the fuck put the peeps in the microwave?

      does ... does heidegger even know what a peep is? aerith does. aerith does it to show him about it. heidegger is curious why the fuck she’s putting a sugar chick in the microwave. but he finds the explosion amusing, at least. because he would. because it’s heidegger.

who forgot to put the cat outside before sex?

      there is no cat in this scenario because i am so, so scared that heidegger’s fucking answer would be to just dropkick the poor cat out of the room so we’re going to save everyone involved the trouble and say THERE IS NO CAT. ... alternatively, if there was a cat and he didn’t try to remove it so forcefully, he’d laugh about it. gyahaha! even the cat’s watching!

who posts vines of the other doing embarrassing shit?

      aerith. for a few reasons. 1) heidegger doesn’t know what vine is. 2) aerith would 100% record herself teaching him how to use shit he doesn’t know how to use and the subsequent anger/frustration to come. LIKE WHEN SHE SENDS HIM A FUCKING TEXT AND HE SHOWS UP AT HER HOUSE!? shit like that, but in every scenario where the boomer has to learn how to be more like a millennial. it’d probably be a wildly popular vine channel, too.

who breaks the most phones?

      if you tell me that there isn’t a budget specifically for heidegger’s phone when he gets angry and crushes them / throws them / steps on them / shoves them down some poor asshole’s throat, you’re lying to me and you should feel bad.

who dies first?

      aerith. unless heidaddy is gonna bust into the temple of the ancients and punch sephiroth in the face until he doesn’t have a face anymore. which i could honestly see happening? i mean, he did promise to protect her ...

which one I could see as being lactose intolerant?

      neither. heidegger hasn’t lived 8900 years being as fucking fit as he is by letting his body have allergies like that. heid woke up one morning when he was 16 and tried to drink a glass of milk and when his stomach said “no, you’re allergic now” he punched his stomach until his body tolerated milk. that’s canon.

who thinks they can do something really well even though they can’t?

      i joke that heidegger thinks he can find aerith but can’t, considering how many people who shouldn’t know where she is ... do. across all of the universes. BUT THAT’S CRACK. neither of them. heid is an accomplished military tactician and general, and a director of the board in a terrifyingly successful company that’s destroying the planet. aerith is street smart and not dumb enough to try shit she knows she can’t do.

who is more likely to get kicked out of the bed?

      neither? i mean, i know heid is a tough dude but i don’t see him kicking her out of bed, especially not after what it took to get her there??? and the dude is like 90% body heat. aerith is curling up on that like a cat in a sunbeam.

who uses the computer most?

      boomer mcleod. i mean heidegger. IT must love him.

BONUS: sexy pete and danny devito, eh? i heard that pete makes danny dress up as humpty dumpty and he scrambles that fucking egg all night, you know what i’m sayin’? some real cheek clapping. beating them egg whites till they’re fluffy. it’s the most sinful shit you’ll ever hear.

[nctinfo]

[TRANS] Yuta’s solo interview with Men’s Nono!

“K-pop” which keeps on surpassing Asia, winning fans all over the world. Men’s nonno invited NCT 127 which consists of multinational members including a Japanese, whose songs, fashion, and overwhelming performance stands out. Following last summer’s article, YUTA’s first single interview has finally happened! Immediately after his performance in his hometown, Osaka, he talked with us thoroughly.

My childhood in Osaka and my encounter with K-POP

What made you want to travel to South Korea and take part in the KPOP world? I always wanted to play soccer in my hometown Osaka. I was the active type when I was a child, always running around with my friends from morning till night. I was playing soccer for my dear life, but during middle school, I started to wonder about my future. During that time, I saw TVXQ on TV, “they’re so cool” I was amazed. Anyhow, their performance was so amazing. I thought I also wanted to become someone like them. I was 14 years old. My mum was a fan so she had their DVD, rather than being advised to do this it was something that flowed naturally.

Were you more interested in KPOP rather than soccer?  Since my older and younger sisters were taking dance classes, music was something really familiar to me. It was something I listened to every day so I feel like I may have already had a base.

What kind of things did you do before jumping into the KPOP world? When I got to Korea I was 16 years old. I passed the audition for SM entertainment, where I belong now, held in Japan and got to go to South Korea as a trainee. I was in a situation where I didn’t understand Korean at all so before I moved there I studied hard, even sticking Korean words in our bathroom walls. 

At what time did you discuss it with your family? Ah, I, auditioned in secret. I told my parents when I passed though, “I want to go to Korea”. My mom was really surprised... then, I saw my dad cry for the first time. I may have been a little lonely because I was going to live away. But I was so focused that I don’t remember much about it. I also didn’t tell my sisters. I was a teenager so I was kind of embarrassed. (laugh) I used to check for auditions in magazines alone. 

So that ability to take action by yourself has finally shown results.  Yes. I think is important to take action by ourselves if there’s something I want to do. But it wasn’t like I was that confident, for the time being, I was trying to challenge myself. Since there was an audition from the company of the group I liked I decided to take it. I was really nervous, actually, I get nervous even now when thinking about it (laugh). It was the start of everything after all. 

The frantic days when I aimed for debut

It is a tough world where not all trainees can debut, right?  Thinking back, I thought “I really want to debut” so singing, dancing, I did my best every day. I was, in many aspects, thinking only about myself. But, after I debuted and experienced this first tour, I realized that we are here thanks to our fans, so I want to show our best performance. Now compared to my trainee days, my way of thinking is completely different. 

Did you take your lessons and learn Korean at the same time? I feel like I learned it naturally during the lessons. At first, I used to talk using a translator app on my phone. Sometimes it was a really weird or screwed up translation, hahahaha. 

It seems that even though you were struggling you maintained a positive attitude.   I’m doing something I like so, of course, there are some bad things but I have fun. Also, I didn’t get homesick at all. I didn’t think about thing like wanting to go home. For, that I’m really grateful.  

Things Yuta has Faced as He's Debuted 

What did you especially work hard on? What I really thought about is was how to express my own thoughts and feelings to others. There are of course many modes of communication but how can I communicate my own feelings while also making sure to respect the opinions of others so that we can work together. It's not about the difference in languages necessarily but how you express or communicate your thoughts and feelings. I think, whether your thoughts come across clearly isn't an issue of whether you can speak a language or not. For music and concerts, I speak with a lot of different and various people while working on the process. You have to make sure that what you want to do is clearly communicated and comes across, but at the same time you have to make sure that you are taking in others' opinions as well. It's a collaborative process, so it's essential that the channels of communication are clear. Did you have to put in a lot of effort outside dance and vocal lessons? Improving my dancing and singing is of course important, but beyond that, learning how to interact with people is very important. Did you also experiment on how to show and express yourself more? I think the most important thing when expressing yourself is that you can't unless you know yourself really well. I think it's the same with fashion as well. When I have the opportunity to work with really impressive creators and artists,  I notice that when I talk to them that they know who they are. If you can't analyze yourself, then you can't show who you are, so it's important initially to think about "how you want to be seen by others and how you are seen by others." I've only just started thinking that way though. After I debuted I would sometimes look at myself objectively and thought "something's a little off, I really want to be seen more in this way but why isn't it coming across like that." I think those experiences are important as well. What do you think is your strength that you've found through this experience? My singing and dancing still have much farther to go, but I want to challenge myself more, and in that sense I think I have "confidence" in those abilities now. I think you gain confidence while building up experience, and if I have confidence, then all that's left is to work hard so that I can show everyone what I can do. Please wait for me with anticipation, is the current feeling I have. What do you find the most rewarding about debuting? I'm still thinking…but I think it's probably getting to perform at concerts. This January we had our first solo concert in Seoul and there was something I really felt. By doing the concert it felt like returning to my roots, and I was able to remember when I first debuted. I think it's been the biggest turning point for us. 

Yuta on NCT 127’s Charms

NCT 127 has been steadily growing their area of activities and their fan base. Our strength is that we constantly challenge are ourselves. On music and fashion, we are opened minded. Our members being multinational is also big. We do talk about wanting to try all the genres and wanting to become a team that can bring about trends. It’s why every time we release a new song, we change our concept completely each time. We never have an instance where we say no to a concept because it doesn’t suit us. Your music continually takes in the latest sounds and it seems almost like you have an antenna to pick things up. That’s also because we are multinational. As we are based in Korea, we pay attention to their music trends and for what’s popular in western music, we ask our American and Canadian members. Various members have different expertise like R&B and hip-hop is Mark while general pop music is Johnny. I can ask about any genre! (😂) I sometimes tell my members about what’s trendy in Japan. It’s such a rewarding environment to be in, that in addition to our great teamwork, it’s so open. The Japanese debut “Chain” is a song that symbolizes that, with the message of “transcending borders to connect”? in the lyrics. That’s true, I performed with the feelings of connecting from Seoul to Tokyo, and to continue that connection beyond to the world. I would love for MEN'S NON-NO readers to listen and also to look at the choreography. While we’re on the topic, what music do you listen to? I listen to a lot of different genres. Rather than considering it work, I just love music. Kanye West, Sam Smith, Bruno Mars....I also listen to Japanese music, I love back number   For Japanese rappers, BAD HOP is my favorite and I recently recommended them to Taeyong, who is in charge of rap. As a group, what is important in terms of finalizing your performances? Teamwork. For instance, if a member is singing at the center and someone on the edge does a flashy move, it can be distracting. We try to be cognizant of not just our own performances, but also the other members’ highlights. We know each other’s high points well and it’s fun because we all have different specialties. What do the other members compliment about you? This is embarrassing haha. I’m told I have a bright personality. They tell me my performance skills are good but they are all kind so......I do get criticized at times though. Our leader Taeyong has great stage presence and will tell me “Yuta, this move should be more like this” or “Maybe try this expression” and I find that helpful. These interactions continue even after finishing a performance and we are constantly fixing things. In my case, I always change the small gestures I do. They are different each and every time. 

Worldwide activities of NCT 127

NCT 127 has made a  lot of buzz with your North American debut, being on the Jimmy Kimmel live show, and an exclusive invitation to the Mickey Mouse's 90th-anniversary celebration concert in Asia. You were the first Asian artist to be featured on Apple Music Up Next, and at the American Music Awards, various celebrities posted pictures with you on social media. It's been a really exciting experience. To think that I would go from Japan to Korea, only to perform in America….I would have never imagined. It was great to see that our music has been accepted in various places, and I also got to study the differences in culture. But, the fans' feelings are the same no matter what country we are in. Even if the way they bop to music can be slightly different. Oh, and English is difficult. Even if I learn the phrases, pronunciation is a struggle. Before recording, I go to the members who speak English to learn from them. I'll tell them "say it super slowly!" and record them as a voice memo on my phone so I can listen to it multiple times (haha). Japanese is the easiest to put my feelings into singing, but I'm enjoying the experience of singing in different languages. In the future, I would love to have activities in even more different countries. For your first Japan tour, what is something you want people to pay attention to? I'd love for people to pay attention to everything (haha), but the slightly acrobatic performances. We practiced really hard for those! Oh and our music generally has a strong dance performance image, but this time we have songs from medium tempo to straight ballads. We changed our style for the different songs so please enjoy that. 

Expressing Yourself through Fashion

Since it is a MENS NON-NO interview, let’s move on to fashion. Here it comes~ (haha). I often wear a bucket hat in my casual attire. I wear them when I’m dancing as well and they’ve become a bit of a trademark for me. On my style, either I’ll be dancing or in front of the mirror and striking a pose, before deciding if an outfit works on me. No matter how cool or stylish an outfit is, if I’m moving and I feel like “this isn’t me” then it doesn’t feel right. I’m sure you have opportunities to wear luxury brand items, but have you found favorites? Lately, it has been neon colors! My sneakers today are neon, but I want to challenge myself more. They stand out onstage, and I think I look good in them (haha). What do you want to wear heading towards the spring season? An over-size coat. I'd like to wear one that's a bit large. I turn 24 this year so I'm thinking of going with a more relaxed mature style with a wet hairstyle. Oh, I'll read Mens Nonno for this (haha) What are the differences between performances and fashion jobs like today's shoot? I think they're pretty connected. When I look at people who are really stylish or fashionable and I think "wow~ that's an artist."  Building a performance and coordinating a style is quite similar in my opinion. Both express your sense of style and emotions, which makes them personal. In a fashion shoot, that moment when you pull off a perfect pose or facial expression is really similar to dancing. Is there anything that you would like to ask the MEN'S NON-NO audience? I'd like to ask what everyone does for the when they coordinate their outfits. For me, I had a moment of inspiration today where I thought "ah I should  wear a ring with this." I started wondering how people come to such conclusions, and I found the idea very interesting, since it depends on each and every person I'm sure.

Your future goals and dreams

Now that you’re making your dreams come true, what are your future goals? I want to do concerts in bigger venues, even tour all 47 prefectures! I want to give back more to the people who’ve been waiting for us. I sometimes struggle with not being able to articulate what I want to say at the moment. I’ll think later “ah why couldn’t I just say this?” I want to lessen those instances while traveling from Hokkaido to Okinawa.   Lastly, what would you say to your 16 yr old self who’d made the decision to go to Korea from Japan? Worry your heart out, it’ll help you grow.

Translation: Eri, Leda @ FY! NCT (NCTINFO) | Source: Men’s Nonno — Do not repost or take out without our permission!

[1358456]

Final Dex Holder Preference List, 1st Edition

Heh. These titles are getting long. Dex Holder Preference List, so the same thing I’ve been doing for a long while every now and then. Final because... Generation VIII started, and I can’t see myself staying around for Generation IX. The end is near. And 1st Edition because So-boy and Shi-girl are brand new, so this only has my first impressions on them. As I see more of their data, their position is bound to change. So this is the start of the final series of the list. Think of it like the “Final Battle” type chapters in the Pokemon Special arcs that end up being something like “Final (最終) Decisive (決) Battle (戰) IX” or some sh*t.

If I recall, when Y debuted, she was ranked 8. When Moon debuted, she also ranked 8. So... where would Shi-girl rank?!

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

Top Favorites

Platinum (1) ... Duh. 晝夜長川, 初志一貫, as usual. I think this is the third time I used these phrases for Platinum’s ranking in the Preference Lists. Thankfully she didn’t appear in SM/USM for random ass bullsh*t, so nice dodge there!

Y (2) Also not going to change ever. Thankfully she didn’t appear in SM/USM for pointless random ass bullsh*t, so... another dodge! Now, while Y’s ranking hasn’t changed for years, the phrases I used for Platinum can’t be used here because it wasn’t consistent (一貫) from the very beginning (初).

Red (3) Same as Y. Good thing he didn’t show up in SM/USM. ... I recall saying that I was going to experiment with a more “brutal” Red. ... It’s incoming in an SC update. But the update is for the end of the year, so... have to wait.

Blue (4) ... Good thing she didn’t show up in SM/USM! If anyone in the top 4 did, they would’ve all fallen enough that they’d still be in the top 4 in this exact order. ... Wait, what? Heh. There’s that much of a gap between the 4th and 5th. And while Blue may be 4th, she’s honestly in the same ranking as Red. They’re like a single entity. Blue (女) and Red (子) livin’ together and even married in some chapters, and it’s good (好)!

Moon (5) The power of overhaul. She’s back into the Top Favorites! ... Not that her ranking has changed at all. The Spirit of Vengeance! Undying devotion to serve Platinum, and undying hatred for her enemies mixed in would be quite interesting to write about! ... If I ever get to doing it...

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High Preferences

White (6) Hey, she’s back up here. Now that I’ve been convinced that she’s not really a laughing stock in a battle, she can do some cool stuff on screen for once. And overhaul~!

Emerald (7) I have to get used to the idea that after the overhaul, Emerald is the most combat effective Dex Holder among Generation III. ... Unless I choose to overhaul Ruby and Sapphire too, but... hm. Anyways. With the “new” overhaul a long ass time ago, he should be far more fun to use in battles. ... Whenever that’ll be.

Diamond (8) My interest in Heart is plummeting. But then again, my interest in all the others are plummeting too, so... I guess that’s pretty irrelevant. I feel like I could use him a lot more now that I’ve organized the headcanon chronology. And maybe I can come up with more headcanon entries as time passes! What if Platinum teaches him etiquette?

X (9) So close to being able to use him a lot more with Y in a cute and sweet setting and whatnot. I need to come up with more headcanon stuff for X & Y. Maybe he can teach her how to swim? ... Assuming he knows too? Can’t have both drowning at the same time. Heh.

Pearl (10) I want to focus a lot more on the united Sinnoh trio, where Diamond protects Platinum from closer while Pearl protects her by taking the offense. Like Platinum’s shield and sw... sigh...

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Low Preferences

Sapphire (11) Overhaul incoming along with Ruby as a united unit? Hmm... Currently, Sapphire and Ruby serve like a... middle zone. Point of neutrality, I guess?

Ruby (12) I have to find purpose for these two. Sapphire especially, but Ruby needs to be there too since those two are basically a single unit. But at this point, I’m kind of bored of these two.

Black (13) He’s freeeeeeeeee~! Hell, it’s about time. ... But... meh. I’m kind of bored with using him in a doomy setting with White, and I’m also kind of bored with using him in a fluffy setting with White.

Sword (14) Hey, new boy. ... A mix of Diamond and Ruby, and is ranked lower than both, since I don’t like Diamond’s passive traits, and Ruby’s seriousness doesn’t really complement it. More data required, of course, since the arc just started, but my first impressions for him aren’t that good. ... Also, because of the identical set hat with Shi-girl’s coat, his head kind of... blends in in the picture. Hahaha.

Gold (15) Oh how far he had fallen. His post-Cycle personality is kind of boring. He’s just “one of the good guys” now, and there are already a lot of them. But his pre-Cycle personality is that of an ass. So... heh...

Crystal (16) Her personality is very generic among the girls. So... she doesn’t really add anything.

Shield (17) Hey, new girl. ... I really don’t like those overly “bubbly” personalities. So... very bad first impressions. Hopefully she does something cool instead of freaking out little kids. ... That... sounds weird.

Rakutsu (18) He jumped up a bit because I find him roasting Black and White to be far more amusing than it should be. To the point where I might choose to have him exist in my stories, with him constantly roasting Black and White and every time he does, someone (usually Y) just shouts “GET F*CKED!” in the back.

Faitsu (19) So far, she’s just cute and amusing to watch, but... ehhh...

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Rock Bottom

Sun (RB) Was his only character development seriously reverted at the end? What a waste.

Yellow (RB) Generic personality, no development, bullsh*t powers. Yawn.

Silver (RB) Meh.

[silverlightqueen]

k-pop opinions

so y’all I was watching some unpopular kpop opinion videos on youtube and omg, a bitch has so much to say like they were all just so wrong, so here I am with some of my opinions (and idk how to make youtube videos so you’re just gonna have to settle for this)

disclaimer: if you disagree with any of my opinions…. I don’t care lmao

1.      BTS vocal line is fantastic and versatile 

I’m not gonna claim to be a musical expert here, but all four of the boys in the vocal line are so talented. everyone hypes rap line (and they deserve it too) but I rarely see stuff about how amazing vocal line is, and they’re so versatile (examples = Jin in Awake and Dionysus, Jimin in Lie and Serendipity, Taehyung in Stigma and DNA, and Jungkook in Boy In Luv and Begin). also, to those who say BTS can’t sing well live, here are some videos to prove that wrong

 Hold Me Tight - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsQget6baP8 (Jimin’s high note though🤩)

Fire - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbSy36fu6Pk

Save Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BN-atw8wCw

Spring Day - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMqmnhgNLXY (ft Hoseok’s beautiful vocals too)

Stigma - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwoPKn_qh8k (Tae literally ate a CD before this, idc)

Let Me Know - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIKjNauCHzc (another Jimin high note)

Awake - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gCt0UlkMZU (my favourite Jin performance of all time)

Begin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqUejlb0z1o (JK’s stability also needs a shoutout because damn, he could be running a marathon and his voice is still stable asf)

Euphoria - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4oRxgvoDCc (that little switch up he did in the bridge whilst flying through the air omg)

 2.      Twice’s cute concept suits them and that’s it

before I got into Kpop, I used to just see at as cringy bubblegum pop and never saw myself liking that. and then I heard Twice’s Fancy. that shit slaps and I won’t hear anything else. the girls pull off the cute concept so well, and the outfits and mv visuals are amazing like Twice is owning it. I’m not really a Twice fan but I’ve listened to some of their other title tracks and I think they’re really good, like Twice do the cute concept really well. also, Mina, Sana, Nayeon and Jihyo’s vocals during the bridge give me chills, they sound amazing)

 3.      if idols can’t sing/rap/perform well live, they shouldn’t be idols

I’m not aiming this at anyone in particular, so don’t get mad and start defending your faves in the comments, but the whole kpop culture is live performances. idols do live performances all the time, much more often than western artists, and so it is so important that they can perform live well. this includes vocal stability, volume, strength, breath control, everything.

 4.      stop putting female artists in dresses/skirts so short that we can see their shorts underneath

performing live to an audience is hard; I know, I’m a dancer, and I’ve done it (not to audiences as big as ones of k-pop artists obviously, but the point still stands). when you’re onstage, you want more than anything to feel comfortable so you can give a performance to the best of your ability and feel proud of yourself afterwards. I’m sorry, but I find it hard to believe that these female idols feel comfortable dancing in clothes that are so short and so tight. they can barely move properly, which limits the effort they can put into the choreography, making them seem lazy. I’m not saying this because I disagree with sKiMpY cLoTHiNg but I just think it’s ridiculous and must be uncomfortable for the female idols. it also limits the complexity of their choreographies, which is when you get shitty, boring and unentertaining choreographies, in comparison to some boy group choreographies. I’m sorry, but if I was following certain boy groups performances at an award show with a simple choreography like ddu-du ddu-du (no shade, I love it, it’s just simple), I’d be a little bit embarrassed lol

 5.      Blackpink have so much potential and YG just doesn’t use it

I don’t even know where to start. there isn’t a single blackpink song out there that I don’t like; their vocals and rap are good, choreography and visuals are good, everything is good. but they could be so much better. first of all, Rosé’s voice is so beautiful and unique and I don’t know why they make her sing in that stupid voice. it’s going to start damaging her voice soon enough and I don’t know why they do it. second, Jisoo’s voice is so amazing and she always has the least lines. I just think her voice is beautiful but she’s so underused in their songs. third, Lisa is such a good dancer, but the Blackpink choreographies don’t do her justice. they need to give her little solo bits in the choreos or something because her talent is just going to waste.

 6.      Blackpink are overhyped

controversial, and before y’all start, I love Blackpink like tattoo blonde Jennie in the KTL teaser on my forehead please, but it needs to be said; Blackpink don’t deserve the hype they get. this point links in with the point above because omg they literally have like 15 songs, and they’ve been around for like 3 years. they haven’t even released a full album like damn YG be clowning us, stanning a group that’s never released an album. I’m sorry, but they get so much hype, when there are other groups out there, that are so much more versatile, their choreographies are better, their songs are better, they’re just better in general. I’m not blaming the bp girls for this because we all know it’s YG’s fault. if maybe they had the chance, with better choreographies, better songs, better everything, then they would be deserving of the hype they get

 7.      STOP SENDING HATE TO BLACKPINK WHEN IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT, IT’S YG THEY’RE THE MOST HATED ON GIRL GROUP AND THEY DON’T DESERVE IT LEAVE THEM ALONE

8.      NCT 127 line distribution is a joke and I don’t know why it hasn’t been spoken about more

the fact that in Regular, Taeyong and Mark both have more than 30 seconds each, and Winwin doesn’t even have a full 5 seconds is ridiculous. in Cherry Bomb, Taeyong and Mark both have more than 40 seconds and Johnny has less than 9. SM need to distribute lines between them more effectively, or cut down the members in the group (and one of them is a much better choice than the other). they’re all talented but SM only seems to recognise Taeyong and Mark and idk why tbh.

 9.      being told to stan someone will make me want to stan them even less

no shade at the group themselves, but all I see on twitter is Loona stans saying to stan Loona (it’s not just Loona but that’s the one that comes to mind). you telling me to stan them doesn’t make me want to stan them. I’m sure they’re super talented and nice people, but I now have no desire to find that out for myself.

 10.   ARMY are constantly being shit on for being a nEgATiVe fAnBaSe when the majority of ARMY are amazing, generous and kind people

obviously, every fanbase has toxic fans, that goes without saying, but for some reason, ARMY has a reputation amongst the kpop community for being toxic and negative, and I just don’t see it. every time someone who doesn’t know about BTS tweets about them, all the replies are ARMYs gently and kindly educating them, giving them links and pictures so they can learn more. they’ve donated so much money to charity and done so many charitable things under the boys names, and the ARMY community is just full of amazing wonderful people. stop shitting on us for no reason, y’all just hate us because your faves probably like them too lol

 11.   you can’t call yourself a stan of a group if you don’t like all the members

in my opinion, I don’t see how someone could call themselves an ARMY if they don’t like all of BTS, a Once if you don’t like all of Twice, a blink if you don’t like all of Blackpink, an EXO-L if you don’t like all of EXO, a NCTzen if you don’t like all of NCT, etc. imagine the members’ reactions, like I just don’t think you can be a stan if you don’t like all of them members.

 12.   FANCY IS A BOP I KNOW I’VE ALREADY SAID IT BUT I DON’T CARE, I WILL LISTEN TO IT ON REPEAT FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE, LIKE I’LL PLAY THAT BITCH AT MY WEDDING LMAO

 13.   please stop putting people into groups just for their looks

like I’m sorry but how can you put someone who can’t sing/dance/rap into a kpop group, make it make sense. by doing that, it also teaches people that you can get far based on your looks and your looks only (and don’t start bringing models into this because y’all know damn well it’s not the same thing). I get the idea of a visual, sure, but if they can’t sing or rap as well, what’s the point? 

 14.   STOP CALLING NAMJOON AND JIN BAD DANCERS. THEY MUST HAVE SEEN THAT SHIT ON TWITTER (AND DON’T GET ME STARTED ON THAT IHEART RADIO THING) AND HOW DO YOU THINK THAT MAKES THEM FEEL AFTER THE YEARS OF HARD WORK AND EFFORT THEY’VE PUT INTO THEIR DANCING. THE FACT IS THAT THEY CAN PROBABLY DANCE BETTER THAN MOST OF Y’ALL SO SHUT IT AND LET THE SYNCHRONISATION IN SAVE ME AT KCON TALK INSTEAD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bija-HneHNI

 15.   Not Today’s line distribution is still a joke and I will never get over it

Jin has less than 5 seconds and JK has over a minute. I don’t think I need to say anything else because y’all should agree with me

 16.   kpop culture is so toxic and then y’all wonder why locals call us crazy

fanwars, solo stans, streaming wars, ‘maybe they should’ve stanned ___’, etc. are just some of the things that back this statement up. not just the culture with stans, but also the companies and idol lifestyle is really bad, overworking idols is one thing that bothers me, but mainly the whole weight thing. the fact that trainees literally starve themselves to fit the companies’ standards is so wrong and disgusting on so many levels. people don’t have to be stick thin to be successful like I don’t understand. it’s so unhealthy, it puts lives in danger, and it also encourages fatphobia.

 17.   STREAM EPIPHANY BITCHES ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIkZOLsnoqY )

 18.   you’re allowed to stan one member of a group, but hating on other members of that group or liking all members and hating on one is trash and you deserve no rights if you do that

that’s it from me, discuss and debate with me in the comments or drop me an ask (but don’t bother sending hate bc i’ll just ignore you lol), if this doesn’t flop I’ll do some more bc god knows I've got enough to say...…. um stream epiphany and fancy bye

[flcwerstudies]

cute tag!

pretty long post coming up!! Thanks to @cafedetude for tagging me!! im tagging: @hermiionegrcnger​ @studying-frenzy​ @belledoe​ @tiny-notes​ @theteadesk​ !! You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to ofc and if u want to do it and i haven’t tagged you go ahead!! 

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? there must always be more milk than cereal, but that amount must not exceed a certain amount do you get me? when i scoop my cereal there has to be proportionate amounts of milk in each scoop, consistently, until i have finished my bowl. my mind is a strange and lonely place. 

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? yes! its so refreshing and i feel like all your lethargy just evaporates... i love taking walks in the winter around my neighborhood in the evenings.

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? spoons, lipsticks, i once used another book to bookmark a book, hair elastic, my contact lenses case, compact mirror....im a mess, i know 

4: how do you take your coffee/tea? tea: scalding hot with lots of sugar and some milk. coffee: lots of milk, so much sugar 

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? no? i just want my braces off!!

6: do you keep plants? yess

7: do you name your plants? yes! i am currently growing two wild roses and I’ve named them Calliope and Polymnia. 

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? journaling, writing, reenacting musicals and dramatic renditions of songs? 

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? yeah ofccc it keeps me sane 

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? back and side 

11: what’s an inner joke you have with your friends? CAROL THE LESBIAN LIBRARIAN // mary walks by // too many to list here tbh 

12: what’s your favorite planet? mars! and also venus 

13: what’s something that made you smile today? my friends 

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? a hurricane flew thru the entire place, empty wine bottles on the ground, beanbag chairs, stacks of books and movies, maybe a cat and a dog lazing around on the couch 

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! there’s a gigantic cloud of alcohol wayyyyy out in outer space that could produce over 450 trillion pints of beer 

16: what’s your favorite pasta dish? give me all the pasta. i love all pastas. 

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? im ok with my hair color now 

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. GETTING A CAPUCHIN MONKEY AS MY PATRONUS ON POTTERMORE

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? yes! i rant a lot and i sort of write down reflections? on my day and things. its really emo and angsty lmao im 16 pls 

20: what’s your favorite eye color? brown eyes. so gentle. so sharp. so kind but so cruel. so ambiguous! 

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. my tote bag from myanmar! the straps are falling off but i love it so much 

22: are you a morning person? depends on if i slept early enough 

23: what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? sleep, watch a movie, watch youtube, read 

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? absolutely not. it always pisses me off when people are like ohhh you can tell me anything??? no i can’t???? 

25: what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into? my friend’s house lmao 

26: what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit? my peach converse! they’re so pastel and they seem weird but converse generally go well with a lot of things 

27: what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor? i don’t like gum tbh 

28: sunrise or sunset? both 

29: what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? sticks his tongue out when he’s concentrating and its so cute i die everytime 

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? yes but i will never ever go into detail with anyone about this lmao 

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. i love socks, i like wearing weird socks except for toe socks, people who sleep with socks on are Immune to Heat and Not Afraid Of Dying?? no white socks get nasty real quick and they’re so bland, i love socks i have this grey pair with french bulldog faces allllll over it and i wear them all the time and even though people can’t see them i still get happy and tell people about my dog socks. 

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. HA LMAO we had just watched a scary movie so obviously we turned on my little pony and watched that for two hours 

33: what’s your fave pastry? cupcakes! anything tbh i have an enormous sweet tooth 

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? my dad used to go on a lot of business trips and he came back once with a huge stuffed bear from switzerland and its so fuzzy its still on my bed. it’s name is Fred and it wears overalls and it has brown fur! 

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? yes to all!!

36: which band’s sound would fit your mood right now? paul anka lmao he’s not a band but ya know 

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? clean

38: tell us about your pet peeves! wHEN UR JAMMING OUT TO MUSIC AND THEN SPOTIFY JUST STOPS WORKING?? people asking me if im mad when im just being quiet and then making me mad by continually questionning me, people who will ask dumb questions (yes, there are always dumb questions. google is free and im not going to tell u the homework, it’s written on the board quite clearly u moron), racist/homophobic/ableist/ generally offensive and disrespectful people 

39: what color do you wear the most? grey and navy 

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you? I have mismatching earrings that my grandmother got me for my birthday! 

41: what’s the last book you remember really, really loving? Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis! 

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! the starbucks on center street it’s very Starbucks, exactly what you would expect, but I always sit in the corner spot near the windows 

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? My family! 

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? sitting in the sand in shell key, florida. my feet are in the water and i am watching my family swimming. I am very sunburnt but my mind is completely blank in a good way 

45: do you trust your instincts a lot? absolutely 

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. ofc they used a baby lion as their mascot. it’s simba-lic. 

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? there’s this food in korea that’s just stir fried rice with soybean sprouts and the sprouts..... aw god....they refuse to be bitten in half and it’s so gross i hate it sm 

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? darkness! and no it is different today!

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? there are scarce places to buy CD’s now but the last one I bought was Micheal Jackson’s Bad 

50: what’s an odd thing you collect? bottle caps and paperclips and also pens i pick off the ground 

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? my dad. any aretha franklin song 

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? the spongebob one and the gif of the white man who blinks a lot....u know the one 

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? i loved all of them and i want to be able to quote them in all of my speech but i dont think people have watched all of them 

54: who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face?  i was working on homework last night and when i was turning on my laptop to work on my project i met my reflection in the screen 

55: what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point? been incredibly bitchy like damn.....i surprise myself and i really hate it 

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? when people use weird shit as bookmarks, when they laugh with their eyes shut, laugh lines near their eyes, dimples, kindness, when they aren’t afraid of making eye contact with me bc i have weirdly intense eyes  

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? it did not fit the mood of my day but yes i did reenact the lyrics 

58: who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? my friend diana is the wine mom but i am the vodka aunt. why?? she is infinitely more caring and kind and sophisticated and also wine gets u lowkey, calm drunk, while i, the vodka aunt, am caring, but i have a bit of a laissez faire attitude and go with the flow and ‘damn what the hell fuck it’ kinda vibe and vodka gets u sloppy shitfaced drunk with none of the sophistication that comes with wine. 

59: what’s your favorite myth? icarus

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? i dont LOVE poetry but i like haikus they’re like clever one liners ha 

61: what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received? I gave my friend a notebook that i’d hastily made the night before and I have received a box of pads which in retrospect is not even a stupid present bc pads are expensive 

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? i drink oj when i can 

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? i organize them every month bc i am ridiculous and i can’t function if my bookshelf is weirdly organized 

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? pale grey almost white.

65: is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with? my oldest group of friends (TNT lmaoooo) OR YOU KNOW callixtus from volunteering holyyy. you know those people who u meet and u immediately click with?? he’s on of them magical people and he was hella funny too i miss that guy to all hell 

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? small roses! peach blossoms and cherry blossoms too. one huge ass hibiscus or lotus flower as a statement piece 

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? cozy and sheltered. valid excuse for not going out 

68: what’s winter like where you live? terrible but i love it kinda 

69: what are your favorite board games? monopoly 

70: have you ever used a ouija board? NO WHAT 

71: what’s your favorite kind of tea? barley, green or reallllyyyy black tea with loootss of sugar so that it makes your teeth ache 

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it? yeah how’d you know 

73: what are some of your worst habits? expecting everyone to be on the same page 

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. dedicated and brash, loud and hilarious, soft, amazing, i love them a lot 

75: tell us about your pets! i dont have pets!! T-T  

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t? studying BUT DONT CALL ME OUT LIKE THIS OK

77: pink or yellow lemonade? pink 

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? hateclub sorry 

79: what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? done my makeup for me while gossiping with me

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? pale green and yeah i did. i chose it bc i love green! and the old color was boring and i didn’t like it  

81: describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. no edges at all, soft bovine eyes , shaking leaves, crocodile tears 

82: are/were you good in school? yes! it’s a source of a lot of pride for me! 

83: what’s some of your favorite album art? amsterdam by nothing but thieves omg 

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? oohh nahh im not planning on getting tattoos im scared of needles 

85: do you read comics? what are your faves? through the woods? i used to read a lot of them but you know i grew out of them 

86: do you like concept albums? which ones? not especially no 

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? the drop, double indemnity, back to the future, idk there’s a lot 

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? the rennaissance! it was so extra and i loved it a lot 

89: are you close to your parents? yeah

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. TORONTO-soaring skyline from the highways at night near the lakeshore, the lights from the condos are like stars and its ridiculous but i also loooooveee dubrovnik in croatia and hanoi in vietnam and kaunas in lithuania and kyoto in japan.....in dubrovnik the wind blows in from the shore and at night when the lights are on in the walled city the stone glows amber. In Hanoi in the old quarter, motorbikes flash by and there’s yelling and the smell of pork skewers and there’s old buildings and new ones, huge stalks of bamboo leaning up against the walls. In Kaunas the wind is so cold and sharp and the buildings are so clean and there’s that old fortress and the tower! it’s so beautiful. and Kyoto is old and archaic but so modern it hurts and the streets are too uniform and the houses creep me out a bit bc they’re so quiet. 

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? i dont think so 

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? i will bury my pasta in cheese just you watch 

93: what’s the hairstyle you wear the most? my hair is one style fits all bc its short 

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? my friend!

95: what are your plans for this weekend? study and work on projects and homework and stress and nap and have dinner with a guest 

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? no updates. we die like men. 

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? isfj-t, aries, ravenclaw 

98: when’s the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? sometime in september? it was nice! 

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. put your head on my shoulder by paul anka....there’s a lot and im really lazy sorry 

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? 5 years in the future, just to see where I end up 

[grossly-unremarkable]

50 Questions Tag

Tagged by: @listlessmaenads

1 What takes up too much of your time?

Being interrupted (in speech, work flow, etc...)

2 What makes your day better?

When I work with people I like or get to see my friends.

3 What’s the best thing that happened to you today?

I worked with my favorite people.

4 What fictional place would you like to go?

The world that’s portrayed in the video game “The Sword of Mana” (I’m not sure if it actually has a name......maybe Granz Realm??)

5 Are you good at giving advice?

Depends. In general, yes, but there are times where I’m just....kinda awkward

6 Do you have any mental illness?

I got depression and anxiety (both are classified as moderate-to-severe, but let’s not get into that)

7 Have you ever experiences sleep paralysis?

No, but I hear it’s beyond terrifying

8 What musician inspired you the most?

Probably........Kim Taeyeon. Just the way she deals with all the stuff that the media has thrown at her while not losing her composure. And I absolutely love her voice and style. Also Jessica Jung and the way she came back so quickly and confidently after the whole 2014 thing between her and SM.

9 Have you ever fallen in love?

Uh, no. Would love to do that one day (it’s on my list of things to do)

10 What’s your dream date?

No idea. Maybe.....something really casual. Like stay at home and just hang out. You know, converse, play video games, walk somewhere in the area to get food and then go back home

11 What do others notice about you?

It’s usually my height because I’m really short (I’m like 150cm) and my lipstick (I always wear a red/berry color)

12 What is an annoying habit you have?

I internalize personal problems. I don’t like arguing, especially if I think it’ll blow up into something it’s not, so I just keep everything to myself

13 Do you still talk to your first love?

I think I should probably find a first love to answer this one

14 How many ex’s do you have?

None!

15 How many songs are on your playlist?

Probably......300-400?? Not sure

16 What instruments can you play?

Flute

17 Who do you have the most pictures of?

Probably Jeon Jungkook (but they’re mostly meme pictures). I have a lot of aesthetic pictures of Joy and Yeri

18 Where would you like to go before you die?

My hometown in China. And I’d like to go back to Japan some day so I can experience everything I wasn’t able to the last time

19 What is your zodiac?

Virgo!!

20 Do you relate to it?

Yes, and no. I’m born in the third decan, which means I got some Libra influence (I also have a Libra moon), so I DEFINITELY have some Libra traits. I’d say I’m a pretty good mix of both signs

21 What is happiness to you?

Feeling like nothing needs to be changed or fixed because you’re that satisfied with how it already is

22 Are you going through anything right now?

Ya

23 What’s the worst decision you ever made?

Going into a job without researching it. The manager and the team were both........really bad

24 What’s your favorite store?

UNIQLO and Blanc&Eclare

25 What’s your opinion on abortion?

It’s a personal choice. I’ll just leave it at that

26 Do you keep a bucket list?

No

27 Do you have a favorite album?

BTS’ “Love Yourself: Tear”, The Rose’s “Dawn” and “Void”, f(x)’s “Pink Tape” and “4 Walls”, and Red Velvet’s “The Red”

28 What do you want for your birthday?

I don’t answer this question for two reasons: 1) I feel awkward receiving things, and 2) even if I send a direct link to someone, 100% of the time they’ll get me something else anyway, so I don’t see the point

29 What are most people’s first impression of you?

That I’m sassy and straightforwardly honest

30 What age do you seem according to most people?

Most people think I’m 18-19. I’m 22

31 Where do you keep your phone when you’re sleeping?

On my nightstand

32 What word to you say the most?

I swear a lot (so all of those words)

33 What’s the oldest age you would date?

About 10 years older. As long as he’s not old enough to be my father, we’re good

34 What’s the youngest age you would date?

I wouldn’t. I have a mental block with age, and I HAVE to be younger, even if it’s only by a few months. But......I seem to attracted younger guys more, so I got a problem there

35 What job/career do most people say would suit you?

A lot of people say I should have a podcast or a TV show. But like......dark, sarcastic humor mixed with brutal honesty and snappy, well-placed one-liners

36 What’s your favorite genre of music?

Jazz and Kpop

37 If you could live in any country in the world, where would it be?

China (let me go home), Japan, or South Korea

38 What is your current favorite song?

Yoona’s “When the Wind Blows” is always a good one. And Girls’ Generation TTS’ “OMG”

39 How long have you had this blog?

I don’t keep track. About 2-3 years maybe

40 What are you excited for?

Nothing right now. I don’t have anything planned

41 Are you a better talker or listener?

......both? I’m a highly observant talker. I talk more than I listen, but I notice everything and I remember the vast majority of it

42 What is the last productive thing you did?

Made a list of everything wrong with my department that I’m going to present to my manager so we can fix it. Everyone complains about things, but no one does anything about it, and I’ve had it

43 What do you want for Christmas?

I don’t answer this question, either, for the same reasons I don’t ask for things on my birthday. No point

44 What class do you get the best grades in?

Science and history (did above average in everything else except math because.......I’m not good at math)

45 On a scale of 1-10, how are you feeling right now?

Around 5 or 6. I just woke up, so I haven’t recalibrated for the day

46 What can you see yourself doing in 10 years?

I can never picture myself in the future

47 When did you get your first heartbreak?

I wouldn’t call it love, but there was a guy I really liked a couple years ago. He’s a childhood family friend, so I knew him for a long time, but I really started to get to know him in more recent years. But he asked me something one day that changed my perception of him. It wasn’t like it was immoral or illegal, but I just didn’t think he’d be the type of person to ask me that, and I can’t get over it. I no longer have a crush on him, but I’ll exchange pleasant small talk if I see him at an event

48 At what age do you want to get married?

I don’t know. I’ll have a better idea of that once I’m in a relationship, I think

49 What career did you want to have as a child?

Professional dancer

50 What do you crave right now?

Water and a honeycrisp apple

[torentialtribute]

Legendary Bayern Munich boss Ottmar Hitzfeld on being blown away by Man United’s comeback

Ottmar Hitzfeld can still feel it now. Der Orkan, he calls it. The Hurricane

The explosion of noise from fans of Manchester United at the Nou Camp when Teddy Sheringham equalized the number in 1999

His horror as the game out the hand ran in three catastrophic minutes of injury-time before the winner of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer grabbed the European Cup from his grasp

<img id = "i-d2a7053f1297e9c4" src = "https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/23/16/13868056-7063475-image-a-1_1558625689845.jpg" height = "435" width = "634" alt = "< img id = "i-d2a7053f1297e9c4" src = "https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/23/16/13868056-7063475-image-a-1_1558625689845.jpg" height = "435" width = "634" alt = "<img id =" i-d2a7053f1297e9c4 "src =" https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/23/16/13868056-7063475-image-a- 1_1558625689845.jpg "height =" 435 "width =" 634 "alt =" Ottmar Hitzfeld has made the final comeback of the Champions League in 1999 from Manchester United repeated "Ottmar Hitzfeld has recalled the final comeback of the Champions League in 1999 in 1999,

<img id =" i-ef87f589f06376ec "src =" https: // i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/23/16/13868556-7063475-image-m-3_1558625912679.jpg "height =" 482 "width =" 634 "alt =" Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored the winner in injury time, just two minutes after the equalizer "

<img id =" i-ef87f589f06376ec "src =" https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/23/16/13868556 -7063475-image-m-3_1558625912679.jpg "height =" 482 "width =" 634 "alt =" Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored the injury equalizer only two minutes after the equalizer "

Twenty years later

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored the winner in injury time just two minutes after the equalizer and Hitzfeld still carries a look of disbelief when he talks about it.

A master tactician who trained to become a teacher before becoming one of the greatest football coaches of his generation has long given up the 70-year-old to look for logic in all this

& # 39; I can't & he replies with a gentle shake when asked to explain how Bayern Munich fell apart from all the teams in Barcelona that evening. & # 39; That's why we're talking about it now. & # 39; When he then closed the door on a silent and shattered group of players, the Bayern coach wandered back to the tunnel where he embraced his old friend Alex Ferguson.

& # 39; He just said & # 39; incredible & # 39;, & # 39; Hitzfeld remembers. . & # 39; I have always had a strong relationship with Ferguson. & # 39;

& # 39; I have always had a strong relationship with Ferguson. There is a lot of mutual respect and we also love each other's personalities.

& # 39; But we never spoke about it again. What can you say It goes without saying.

& # 39; But that moment of embracing in the tunnel, the gesture and the empathy, meant more than a thousand words. & # 39; It was the only time in seven meetings between the two men that Ferguson emerged as the victor. & # 39; I lost the wrong & # 39 ;, Hitzfeld says with a smile.

<img id = "i-465cf089a2f94045" src = "https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/23/16/13868542-7063475- image-a-4_1558625960361.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-465cf089a2f94045" src = "https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05 /23/16/13868542-7063475-image-a-4_1558625960361.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" Teddy Sheringham equalized for United right at the Nou Camp in 1999 Teddy Sheringham equalized for United equalized at Death at the Nou Camp in 1999

Teddy Sheringham equalized for United at death at the Nou Camp in 1999

<img id = "i -8e179df041f78404 "src =" https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/23/16/13868116-7063475-image-a-6_1558626028807.jpg "height =" 408 "width =" 634 " alt = "<img id =" i-8e179df041f78404 "src =" https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/23/16/13868116-7063475-image-a-6_1558626028807.jpg "height = "408" width = "634" alt = "Hitzfeld runs along the Champions League trophy after seeing how he took the lead passes the Champions League trophy after seeing his side see the lead "

Hitzfeld passes the Champions League trophy after taking his lead

He defeated United at home and on his way to winning the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund in 1997, and again when Bayern finally won the European Cup in 2001. He belongs to a select group of only five coaches who have won two different clubs.

Bayern also played United twice in the group stage in 1998-99, drawing both games 2-2. But when it really mattered, Ferguson found a way to win.

It is the result that more than any other Hitzfeld would change.

& # 39; Yes, of course, & # 39; he says. & # 39; I don't know what to do, & # 39; he said. & # 39; But you have to go further. You cannot spend your life dreaming about what may have been. & # 39;

He kept the deal despite the fact that at the beginning of this week he undertook a small operation that will prevent him from renewing acquaintances with Ferguson in the reunion game & # 39; 99 in Old Trafford on Sunday .

The two men keep in touch via SMS. & # 39; I am not calling because I cannot understand him – my English is not good enough & # 39 ;, Hitzfeld says through an interpreter.

Studious and silent, he was a good choice to succeed Giovanni Trapattoni, the Bayern coach, and acts as a buffer between outspoken President Franz Beckenbauer and a dressing room full of strong personalities such as Stefan Effenberg, Lothar Matthaus and Oliver Khan

<img id = "i-5c539c2b39d67cc7" src = "https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/23/16/13868066-7063475 -image-a-7_1558626070669.jpg "height =" 617 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-5c539c2b39d67cc7" src = "https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/ 05/23/16 / 13868066-7063475-image-a-7_1558626070669.jpg "height =" 617 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-5c539c2b39d67cc7" src = "https: //i.dailymail .co.uk / 1s / 2019/05/23/16 / 13868066-7063475-image-a-7_1558626070669.jpg "height =" 617 "width =" 634 "alt =" Hitzfeld embraces Sir Alex Ferguson After the last whistle in one of the best finals ever

Hitzfeld embraces Sir Alex Ferguson after the last whistle one of the best finals ever

& # 39; As a coach you have to be strict with such people and control the wild horses & # 39 ;, says the man with the nickname Der Generaal. & # 39; Trapattoni did not give the players clear boundaries.

& # 39; There are pros and cons to having a world. & # 39;

& # 39; But you cannot win a fight with Beckenbauer if you are a player or coach. Cup winner as your boss. The good thing is that they know about football, but the bad thing is that they have always had an opinion.

& # 39; Sympathy means nothing to Bayern. You just have to win. You are always under pressure. & # 39; The pressure on Hitzfeld was even greater because Bayern knocked on the Nou Camp for their first success in the European Cup in 23 years and – like United – still for Treble (they would later lose the German cup final to Werder Bremen)

Unlike United, who had just won the Premier League title on the last day against Tottenham and the FA Cup final against Newcastle, Bayern & # 39; s easy run in the Bundesliga meant that they were slightly undercooked.

Hitzfeld nods. & # 39; You try to stop that, but it does happen.

& # 39; I think it was actually an advantage for United to have those games because the concentration was there while we had to dive and then rebuild it. & # 39; It did not show Bayern for much of the game. Mario Basler gave them an early lead. Mehmet Scholl hit the post and Carsten Jancker hit the bar.

& # 39; They had missed opportunities and I thought we should put the game to bed, but I wasn't scared at that time & # 39 ;, Hitzfeld says. & # 39; We were in control of the game. & # 39; Then it started.

<img id = "i-bc9d2f0e464287c" src = "https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/23/16/13868434-7063475- image-a-8_1558626145643.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-bc9d2f0e464287c" src = "https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05 /23/16/13868434-7063475-image-a-8_1558626145643.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" The legendary Bayern boss admits that he still cannot explain what is in the Nou Camp happened

The legendary Bayern boss admits that he still can't explain what happened at the Nou Camp

& Ferguson had to risk something. When you are in that situation, you have to throw such players into the cold water and see what happens.

& # 39; The fans exploded in the UK when Sheringham leveled. There was a hurricane. I realized it could happen and United could get a second.

& # 39; Such situations are so rare. When such a goal takes place and the way the fans respond, it is different from a normal game. I have never experienced anything that was even close by.

& # 39; There was not enough time to communicate or respond between the goals. United suddenly had a momentum and euphoria – and Solskjaer scored the goal of his life.

& # 39; I felt exactly what the players on the field felt.

& # 39; If United had dominated the game and had many opportunities, we would have been prepared, but it was the other way around.

& # 39; It's a shock that stays with you. & # 39; Hitzfeld believes that the pain of & # 39; 99 helped Bayern to perform even better when they beat Valencia in the 2001 final

<img id = "i-b8151c2b92cb7d30" src = "https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/23/16/13868150-7063475-image-a-9_1558626222503.jpg" height = "407" width = "634" alt = "< img id = "i-b8151c2b92cb7d30" src = "https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/23/16/13868150-7063475-image-a-9_1558626222503.jpg" height = "407" width = "634" alt = "<img id =" i-b8151c2b92cb7d30 "src =" https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/05/23/16/13868150-7063475-image-a- 9_1558626222503.jpg "height =" 407 "width =" 634 "alt =" The united players celebrate the battles of Solskjaer in the winner 20 years ago in Barcelona "class =" blkBorder img-share "

The united players celebrate Solskjaer's battles in the winner 20 years ago in Barcelona

<img id = "i-d97c8940efa6c618" src = "https://i.dailymail.co.uk/ 1s / 201 9/05/23/16 / 13868922-7063475-image-a-10_1558626283598.jpg "height =" 332 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-d97c8940efa6c618" src = "https: // i .dailymail.co.uk / 1s / 2019/05/23/16 / 13868922-7063475-image-a-10_1558626283598.jpg "height =" 332 "width =" 634 "alt =" Show the Bayern boss and his players their depression after missing the European Cup

The boss of Bayern and his players show their depression after missing the European Cup

That summer he was installed as favorite to succeed Ferguson at Old Trafford,

In fact, Hitzfeld never worked outside of Germany or Switzerland, where he won the total. of 25 trophies and was twice named World Coach of the Year

When he turned 65, I went back to Lorrach with his wife Beatrix to spend more time with their son Matthias and three young grandchildren Henry, Carlotta and Oscar.

& # 39; People talk a lot about it with me, about the replacements I made and the team I chose, & he concludes.

& # 39; I really don't think I made any mistakes. I would do nothing else. "

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[729renegades]

UP CLOSE & PERSONAL – TOM DEAN

Hello and welcome to another edition of Up Close & Personal for the Renegade magazine. I think it’s fair to say that we have a bit of a young superstar with us today.  It’s not all stale and grey here in Renegades.  I first met this guy about 12 months ago and was super impressed with his thinking and maturity.  He’s truly a great guy and normally whatever comes out of his mouth makes perfect sense.  So, let’s hope that happens today. . . From a very profitable paper round to a manufacturing apprenticeship, he’s lived the story from shop floor to boardroom. He’s had a rental property from the age of 21 and he just got married this year, so it’s been a big year for him. I think it’s fair to say, he’s the youngest old bloke I know.  He has the level of thinking and experience of a 50-year-old but he’s only 26.  He’s the Managing Director of Screentec, a screen and digital print company employing 26 staff in the back end of the Rhondda Valley, in Ferndale. Where men are men, women are men and sheep are scared. I’m allowed to say that obviously because I’m Welsh.  So, without further ado, let me introduce you to the Prince of Print, Tom Dean. How’s tricks Tom?

Tom Dean: Yea, not bad buddy. As busy as ever.

Steve Matthews: How’d you like my intro?

TD:  That was the best intro… In fact, I might borrow this recording just to play it for my Mrs.

SM:  Yea, get a bit of kudos in the house.  Put it on your Facebook profile… Listen to this, it’s all true. So, come on, normally in these interviews we have 30 years of job experience to go through before we get to anything decent and why your part of Renegades.  But you’ve got about 8, so we should be done in about 10 minutes. So, tell us how it all started, tell us about that paper round.  Where did it all begin for you Tom?

TD:  It all began in school.  I never really had a firm idea of exactly what I wanted to do through school.  My thoughts and opinions changed like the weather. . . I wanted to be a firefighter because I liked the athleticism of that and I thought they earned good money.

SM:  Nothing to do with all the girls screaming when they turned up?

TD:  No, I get that anyway!  Then I wanted to be a plumber, because again I thought they earned good money.  You’ll notice a theme, whatever career I wanted to do, it had to revolve around money. But my opinion changed a lot and so whilst I realised I had to do well at school, or I thought I had to do well at school and get good grades; it was more because I wanted my options to be open than to have any particular passions, other than sport.  The sad realisation that I wasn’t going to make it as a professional football player came at the age of 13, so I knew I was going to have to find a proper job.

SM:  So, you’re not playing for Liverpool this year?

TD:   No, unfortunately not.

SM:  Let’s not talk about Liverpool or we’ll fill a whole hour with Liverpool.  So, no professional sports then?

TD:  No, the closest I ever got was trials with Cardiff.  I remember my Dad sitting me down and saying, ” Look, if you want to make it as a footballer and you want to play for Cardiff, you’re going to have to dedicate your time to them. They do training courses 3 or 4 times a week and I’ll happily take you to them”.  This was when I was about 10 or 11 but I just wanted to be out playing with the boys, so I passed on the opportunity to do that.  Growing up I never wanted for anything, I was quite fortunate on that regard.  If I had a football under my arm, that’s all I needed, I’d be out for the day.  But one thing I did always have, was an interest in money.  I always wanted my own money and to save.  So, when a friend of mine, who was a year older, got a job in the local newsagents, I was fascinated by it.  He was bringing home his own money, he never had to worry or ask Mam or Dad for it.  So, from the age of 12 I knew I wanted to be a paper boy and went to the local newsagents. He was great, as soon as you were 13 he gave you the opportunity to work and he’d let you work whatever hours you wanted.  So, for the most money you’d actually have to be in the shop by 4:45 am to start writing the addresses on the papers.  There were maybe only 5 or 6 boys willing to wake up that early. So, I was up at 4:30 am.

SM:  Most people that age don’t even know there are two half fours in the day.

TD:   Tell me about it.  I had a twin brother sleeping in the same room and my alarm was going off at 4:30 am. He absolutely despised me for that for about 3 years.  But it was great.  This owner must have had 20-25 kids on the books, he paid well, he appreciated hard work and the longer you were there, the more you were paid. When I started I was earning about £40 a week, but I was doing 3 hours a day, 7 days a week.  By the time I finished, for the same amount of hours, I was earning over £100 a week. I pulled my weight and if any of the boys had any questions, they came and asked me.  So, that was my paper round and I loved it.  It was a hard slog, especially with the bad weather in Wales but I loved the fact that I never had to ask anyone for money. I had a little pot of savings because as I said, I never wanted for anything, so I never really used to spend it.  I used to have a £100 a week that went straight in the bank.

SM:   You were probably too tired to, in bed by 6 every night after Blue Peter.

TD:   I think only one day my parents didn’t let me go to school, because I came in from my paper round in the snow, absolutely knackered and I couldn’t keep my eyes open. They were red raw, and my Mother said, “I can’t send you into school like that”. But it was a great opportunity. Loved the fact that I could work and earn a living and then I never really looked back.  I knew I’d have that job for as long as I wanted it.  Then when I was 16, I was just taking my A levels. This will show you that I didn’t know what I really wanted to do. I took biology, maths, law and business studies, which was quite a spread-out mix.  I enjoyed maths because I never really had to work particularly hard at it and I was good at it.  Business just interested me in general, law was one of those that you can make a good career out of, and biology, just because of the element of sport and athleticism that went with it. But at that time, Dave and Darren who were running Screentec, realised that they had a load of other irons in the fire and they wanted to build a succession plan. Essentially work their way out of Screentec so they could focus on their other business interests.  I was about 4 or 5 months into my A levels I think and wasn’t particularly enjoying it, but because I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do, I stuck it out. And when that opportunity came up, Dave asked if it would be something I’d be interested in, I said, “yes, definitely”.  It was a step in the right direction of being a senior manager in a company, and that really interested and excited me. Unfortunately, the conditions were, that you had to work from the bottom up.  So, it was sweeping the floors and general lacky. I can’t tell you the amount of times I was sent to get a glass hammer or a tin of tartan paint, but it was good.  It was great for me and I think it set me up really well because other employees had respect for me.  It wasn’t as if I was going in as a manager straight away, I didn’t have a clue.  I knew I had to move between each aspect of the business… Digital print, screen print, pvc welding, print finishing.

SM:  We’ll come onto Screentec in a sec but there’s a couple of things I want to talk about. . . For a start, people who are listening around the globe at this, don’t understand the perils of being a paperboy in Ferndale for a start.

TD:  Porth actually.

SM:  Even worse.  Obviously, you had to carry a weapon with you… A rolled-up newspaper in your case. But for me, I think people will marvel at the fact, a young guy getting up at 4:30 in the morning, 7 days a week. It shows a massive independence and a work ethic. Do you think that stood you apart from the rest of the guys?

TD:  Yea, I think so.  A lot of my mates used to think I was crazy but then the minute we go out and I buy a pair of trainers or something, they wanted to know where I got the money from.  Many of them had the opportunity and got a job within the company but only lasted a couple of months.  Two of my close friends lasted as long as I did, but they were willing to work at it.

SM:  It’s amazing though isn’t it.  I wonder if we could get away with that now? Everything is so politically correct now.  Like you said, you were working 3 hours a day, 7 days a week and getting paid £40.  I wonder if they could do that now?

TD:  Yea… I don’t actually know what the rules were.

SM:  I think that’s sad though isn’t it, it must teach you so much but how many perspective employers are put off from doing that because of bureaucracy legislation.

TD:  It is.  I remember having to fight for that job.  Not with the employer, he was happy to hire me.  But I had to fight with my Mam and Dad.  My Dad was an easier sell than my Mother, but they didn’t want me to wake up at 4:30 in the morning because it would affect my schooling. And they thought I wouldn’t make the money I said I would. So, I said, “let me try it for a month and if I’m coming home tired and not making the money, I’ll stop”. And it was fine, but I had to put some work in for my parents to allow me to have that job. . .

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