#amazing book unban it now

[banned-books-daily]

Banned Book: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Intro: Extremely loud & Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer in 2002. Banned in many school districts, including Illinois and Wisconsin. One of the top 100 banned and challenged books from 2010-2019. Challenged in most school districts due to “extremely vulgar language” and “sexual descriptions” (One passage about interacting with a prostitute)

Major Plot Points/Topics in Book: -Grief -Family -Self-Destruction -Self Preservation -9/11 -Trauma -Journeying -Mourning

Brief Synopsis: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a emotional novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. It follows Oskar, a young boy who embarks on a scavenger hunt through New York City, searching for connections to his father who died in the 9/11 attacks.

Trigger Warnings: -9/11 -Trauma -Dangerous Behavior

Small Note: I usually keep my opinion out of these, but I read this book and I have to say: it's a emotional rollercoaster. Also, the “banned” reason is ridiculous: there is vague talk of having sex from two older characters, and the word fuck is only mentioned three times. The ‘incredibly explicit material” complained about is simply children discussing hand and blow jobs (incorrectly, might I add) and reproductive organs. As 10 year olds learning about anatomy do. Yes, I’m annoyed it's been so fought against because it's simply an amazing book and no one should be kept away from it if they’ve seen Animal Planet or taken a basic biology class. 

Long Summary: Oskar Schell, a nine-year-old boy, has not been happy since his dad died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Unbeknownst to anyone except for Oskar, on the day of the attacks, Oskar’s dad called the house five times. Oskar was home for the fifth call but couldn’t bring himself to pick up the phone. They never recovered his dad’s body and buried an empty casket at his funeral. Oskar is furious that his mom has started to spend time with a man named Ron and worries that she has begun to move on. Oskar suffers from extreme anxiety and imagines whimsical inventions in order to cope. One night, he decides to look through his dad’s closet and sees a vase hidden on the top shelf. In trying to retrieve it, Oskar drops the vase, and when it shatters, he finds an envelope labeled “Black” that contains a strange key. After doing some research, Oskar decides to visit every person with the last name Black in New York City to try and discover what the key opens.

There is also a parallel storyline about Oskar’s grandparents. The novel includes letters from Oskar’s grandpa, Thomas, to his dad, and letters that his grandma writes to him. Thomas stops speaking not long after immigrating to America out of grief for Anna, his lost love who died in the bombing of Dresden. Thomas communicates by writing one-line sentences in notebooks. He explains that Grandma, Anna’s sister whose name we never learn, encountered him in a bakery and asked him to marry her. Grandma writes her own version of their meeting, which doesn’t quite match up with Thomas’s account. According to Grandma, when she reunited with Thomas, he asked her to pose for a sculpture. She agreed and started going to his apartment daily to pose. Although he started touching her for longer and longer in order to get her into the position he wanted, the sculpture still looked like Anna. Eventually, they had sex, and Grandma proposed. Throughout their marriage, they divide up their apartment into “Nothing” places, where they can go to not exist, and “Something” places. However, the lines blur. After Grandma becomes pregnant, Thomas leaves for Dresden because he doesn’t want to keep living any longer.

Early in Oskar’s search for the key, he meets Abby Black, an epidemiologist who lives in Greenwich Village. Throughout their conversation, he hears a man yelling from the next room, but Abby ignores him. Abby claims to know nothing about the key, but Oskar notices she seems to hold something back. Nevertheless, his search continues alphabetically down his list of people named Black. He eventually meets a man only referred to as Mr. Black, who lives in the apartment right above Oskar’s. Mr. Black is 103 years old, very wise, and hard of hearing. Oskar invites him to join him in the quest for the key, but Mr. Black hasn’t left the house in the twenty-three years since his wife’s death, and he’s turned off his hearing aids. He allows Oskar to turn his hearing aids back on. From then on, Mr. Black accompanies Oskar on his travels through the city, encouraging Oskar to get over his fear of public transportation. After they meet with Ruth Black, who lives in the Empire State Building, Mr. Black tells Oskar he’s done searching for the lock. Oskar is devastated.

Thomas returns to New York after 9/11 with a desire to try and live again. Grandma at first wants him neither to stay nor leave, but she eventually allows him to stay in the guestroom. She makes him promise never to let Oskar know he’s there. After Thomas sees Oskar for the first time, he starts following him around from a distance. Mr. Black eventually confronts Thomas and tries to protect Oskar. When Thomas explains who he is, Mr. Black tells him that he should be the one going around with Oskar. Not long after, Oskar finds Thomas in Grandma’s apartment and assumes him to be Grandma’s mysterious renter. Oskar tells Thomas the story of the key and plays him the messages his dad left on the answering machine. Thomas tells Oskar if he ever needs him to toss stones at his window. Oskar later asks Thomas to help him dig up his dad’s grave. Thomas agrees, and they bury Thomas’s unsent letters to his son in the grave. Afterward, Thomas tries to leave Grandma again, but she follows him to the airport. He doesn’t want to stay or leave, so they stay there, writing.

Not long after Oskar meets Thomas, he notices that there has been a single message on his family’s answering machine for months. He listens to it and discovers that Abby Black called him because she had information about the key. He returns to her house and learns that the key belongs to her ex-husband, William. Furthermore, Oskar’s mom knew about Oskar’s key quest all along and had called Abby Black, along with many of the other Blacks, to tell them Oskar was going to be coming. Confused and frustrated, Oskar goes to William's office. William explains that the key unlocks a safety deposit box that William’s deceased father left for him. William didn’t realize the key was in the vase until after he’d sold the vase to Oskar’s dad at an estate sale. Disappointed that the key had nothing to do with his dad, Oskar goes home. He formulates a plan to dig up his dad’s grave. He looks at a series of photographs he has of a man falling from the World Trade Center. He reorders the photographs so that the man floats back up and imagines his last night with his dad playing out in reverse.

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for banning my ex from my restaurant?

My boyfriend (26M) and I (27M) broke up about 6 months ago. We’ve split up before, but this is the longest we’ve gone without getting back together. I hook up a LOT in between, & he’s fine with that, but up to now he hasn’t done the same, even though I’d be fine with him doing it too. I made a joke about how he’s too bitchy to land a date with anyone else, and that spiralled into a fight that basically ended things. I think he’s doing the rest of this bullshit to try and prove me wrong.

Other key info: I own and run a small restaurant downtown. We’re not super bougie, but it’s fine dining, and we made a couple listicles last Valentines, so now we have a reputation for being a date night spot. It’s amazing for business, but it’s TERRIBLE for my sanity, because it clearly gave my ex some ideas.

Every single weekend, sometimes even twice a week, he’s turned up at my restaurant with a different guy. I don’t know where the fuck he’s finding them, but every single one is douchier than the last. He’s booking the same table every time, and it’s directly in front of the window to the kitchen, so I KNOW that HE knows that I can SEE HIM!!

I asked the first time, and he said his date picked the venue and he was “above being petty enough” to hurt my margins over “inconsequential personal issues”. Even if that were true, we’re WELL past forty dudes now, and I still have to watch him play footsie with the twunk of the week on the reg.

Cool. Point made, he has game, I was wrong, whatever. I don’t wanna have to see that shit when I’m at work, so I told him to find somewhere else. He said he can eat wherever he wants, and I should be flattered my food’s so good he can “tolerate the meathead making it”. I said I don’t go to his studio and feel guys up, he said I was jealous, I said his dates were all paid actors and it was just for show, he said “Oh, I’ll GIVE you a show” and left.

The night after that, he’s back at his table, only he’s with the guy he dated before me. Who I hate.

I get that I’m biased, but objectively this dude’s a total fucking creep. He was terrible to my ex, and I’m honestly shocked he was even willing to talk to him, let along take him to dinner. I decided I’d take over serving their table, mostly so my staff didn’t have to, but maybe a little bit also because it definitely ruined the date. The creep freaked when he saw me and left early, ex stayed behind to finish eating, and I went on smoke break since the dude was gone already.

My ex came and found me outside, asked what the fuck I thought I was doing, and we yelled about it until something just SNAPPED and he kissed me out of nowhere.

He ran back inside, and by the time I got there he’d already paid and left. The day after he blocked my number, and the day after THAT he didn’t show at my brother’s engagement party (he’s still close with my brother, so even if we told our families about the breakup he’d have been invited, and he already RSVP’d ages ago). My brother was pretty upset about it, and I got pissed enough about this whole stupid thing I texted my staff and said he wasn’t welcome at the restaurant anymore.

It’s been a few days, and I mostly forgot about it, but today he tried to come in for a work lunch with a client and got turned away. The maitre d’ was classy about it, and nobody made a big scene or anything, but he looked really embarrassed and I feel kind of awful, especially since he was on the job.

Should I like, unban him? Apologize? Tell HIM to apologize???

[thelastrefrigerator]

This is gonna be a long one

To any new and old followers and people dropping by:

TLDR

I'm an odd person with a large amount of interests and beliefs.

You will find that I don't interact that much.

Info:

Age: 17

Bi and european.

Knows about a wide amount of topics with a small amount of knowledge in each.

Has been very good at not being an active part in that many communities (being a lurker most of the time)

Variety of youtubers and artists I follow

Linus Tech Tips

Will Wood

Cosmo Sheldrake

Tomska

Sr Pelo

Berd

Eltorro64Rus

Pantsless Pajamas

Aimkid

Grian

Technoblade (Rest In Peace)

City Planner Plays

Real Civil Engineer

Rtgame

Fun facts about me:

I have a large head, and am slightly near-sighted (literally)

I'm taller than average

I don't like interacting too much

My brain goes weird around people

I don't drink as I don't know how I am when I'm drunk. Also, beer taste disgusts me.

I like thinking up worlds, characters and stories, and proceed to not share them anywhere. Not even here.

I am not good at keeping attention when stuff feels useless/worthless (to the detriment of my grades).

I like gathering information about subjects I find interesting, keeping my attention on them for longer periods of time (to the detriment of my grades).

I like making milkshakes and smoothies when it gets too hot outside.

Music helps making me keep focus (i'm currently listening to Hawaii: part II - the mind electric).

I sometimes go on rants about literally anything, which usually drains people around me from energy (I suck their energy. It's mine now).

I overthink a lot when I make posts (this has been in drafts for weeks).

I probably maybe have a form of social anxiety and/or autism (not diagnosed, so therefore not proven).

I do not like to self diagnose.

I have read the entirety of wings of fire (and so should you)

Most of my days are spent in front of a computer screen.

I'm constantly looking for self improvement, and trying to better my mental health.

In my opinion:

Music is yes. music is all

Self diagnosing is good.

Self diagnosing up to the individual person (please for the love of god do not put labels on other people that they do not feel comfortable with).

The third arc of wings of fire was the weakest one.

The second arc of wings of fire had some of the best books.

Capitalism has on average made humanity more depressed.

Communism is currently only good on paper.

Liberalism is pure freedom, low to no taxes, but highly favors people with a lot of money. It directly ignores people in need.

Socialism is not liberal nor communistic. It is very controlling, high taxes, but has a large focus on economic safety nets for people in need.

Conservatism slows down change, be it for the better or the worse. Like socialism it is controlling, medium taxes.

Socio-liberalism is the ideal form of government in the current world.

Debates are only debates if both parties are listening. Otherwise, they are arguments.

Free healthcare is a human right.

Abortion is healthcare.

Medical weed should be legal

Recreational nicotine products should either be banned or remain unbanned on top of legalising recreational weed products.

People should be educated on the way their country is run (political system and whatnot)

The european union is great!

Brexit was dumb on so many levels.

You can't both be a good person and a billionaire (why don't you pay your workers/employees more, jackass?).

Not having consequences for your actions does not excuse them.

Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs.

If you have read through the entirety of this post then you are amazing

It's fine if you don't have the same political opinions as me. Just don't shove yours in my face and then tell me that I'm wrong.

I send a 'have a lovely day' to anyone that read this, and also the ones who didn't bother.

[sepublic]

Been thinking about your “Luz is a Cryptid post” and it’s so ??? True??? Because like Willow even mentioned that “hey, no one has ever beaten the Bat Queens Trials before” in which Luz literally fuckinh blasted her way through and the fact that Luz & Amity literally Turned a monster who’s been in their school for what a century??? Into a tree. Penstagram is full of Cryptid human posts who’s literally taken care of by the most hunted down criminal.

           Gus has a Penstagram account dedicated to all of the weirdness and eccentricities of Luz Noceda, documenting all of her human quirks; Completely oblivious to the fact that by even Human standards, Luz is INCREDIBLY strange!

           Like, let’s look at her accomplishments shall we;

-Somehow crossed the dimensional plane into the Demon Realm

-Is the personal apprentice and roommate of Eda the Owl Lady, a wanted criminal and THE most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles

-Led a prison break in the Conformatorium and made a fool of Warden Wrath

-Infiltrated Hexside as an Abomination and got banned for it

-Did MAGIC, despite that literally being impossible for humans, using a long-lost technique that most people don’t even recognize

-Made a fool of Amity Blight and by extension her mentor Lilith –Emperor Belos’ hand-picked Head Witch of his Emperor’s Coven- at the Covention

-Animated an entire house and led it down a rampage through Bonesborough (and THAT was also documented by Penstagram posts!)

-Helped Willow wreck a clan of Demon Hunters so badly that they had to become Animal Control workers just to make ends meet

-Caused mayhem in Bonesborough before destroying the Treasure Shack, and also ran around on all-fours

-Broke into Hexside again, and then broke the Detention room after fighting the monster inside

-Apparently helped babysit the Bat Queen’s kids??? Then completed her trials and actually changed her mind!?

-Publically stood up to the author of the highly-successful Ruler’s Reach book series

-Got unbanned from Hexside, became the first human ever to enroll at a Magic School, defeated a Greater Basilisk that had effortlessly defeated three schools of Witches, and then changed Bump’s mind about multi-track learning when even Lord Calamity couldn’t!

-Survived against a group of voracious animals while shrunken down before destroying Tibbles’ livelihood a second time

-Volunteered to be Grom Queen, won Amity Blight’s heart, and destroyed Grometheus

-Softened Amity Blight, helped Willow become more confident and popular, challenged Boscha multiple times, and won the affection of her friends

           And these are just the public incidents, too! And we also know that Luz will break into Emperor Belos’ sacred treasury, personally fight Lilith herself, and maybe lead a second prison-break in the Conformatorium! This girl is just inexplicable, she must be a whirlwind of chaos to anyone who’s even heard of her, truly terrifying and incomprehensible, utterly unstoppable! She is no doubt a charismatic criminal mastermind… And to people who personally know Luz… She’s basically all of the above, but also incredibly kind-hearted, loving, and an AMAZING friend who inspires people to be their best! She’s a true force of nature to be reckoned with, a bizarre entity from another world!

           Like, I wouldn’t be all-too shocked if Luz got her own separate wanted poster by the Emperor’s Coven, with a snail bounty on her head comparable to even Eda’s! Now THAT would be a step-up from her now-defunct Banned Poster from Hexside! Luz must be terrifying to the Emperor’s Coven as a completely out-of-context problem that they’ve neve dealt with before, one brimming with a natural charisma that practically infects others and changes their mind!

[ironspiidey]

Superhero’s Get Bullied too

Chapter: 1 

Chapter 4: Harley Stark and House Arrest (Tony Stark Style)

Read on A03

Harley storms into his room and flops down onto his bed “Fuck sake!” he punches one of the pillows. He goes to grab his phone and text Tommy but realizes it’s still on the table in the kitchen.

“Hey Friday?”

“Yes Harley?” the Ai responds

“Is Tony and Peter still in the kitchen?”

“Yes they are, do you need me to alert Master Stark?”

“No no, I just left my phone out there. How mad is he Fri?”

“Based on his heart rate and level of speaking. I think it’s safe to say he’s mildly annoyed right now.”

Harley sighed in relief, knowing how moody his uncle could get. “Okay thanks Friday, that’s all I need.” He got up off his bed and lightly pushed his door open, listening to see what they were talking about. He couldn’t quite catch their words but the blonde could tell they weren’t fighting so he slowly made his way out into the hallway.

“Tony this isn’t a big deal. I told you the gist of what happened so why isn’t that enough?” Peter sighed.

“How many times do I have to tell you before I get through that beautiful thick skull of yours? You are my world Peter Parker and if someone yells at you or hurts you emotionally or physically I want to know because you deserve the world and I will not stand by and let anyone badger you. “

Harley smiles softly as he came into viewing and hearing distance of the kitchen. His uncle was mostly a cold man and it had been since he was a young boy that he had heard the older man’s tone so soft. Harley stopped short of the kitchen so they could have their moment.

“Tony I’m not some damsel in distress, I did just fine before you. I don’t need you to fight my battles for me.”

Harley shook his head. At least until Peter ruined the moment with his stubbornness. Peter really was meant for his uncle.

“Nor am I claiming you of those things.”

“Then what would you call it?”

“Your mine Petey, and I’m starting to think it’s time the world knows it.”

Both Harley and Peter gasp at Tony’s words. Peter and Tony have been together for the best part of a year but to save the press from tearing them apart the decision had been made to keep things low key until Peter and Harley were done at Midtown High in the spring.

“Tones…”

Harley used this opportunity to quietly walk behind them to the kitchen table, not sneaking as he didn’t feel like fighting with his uncle anymore but also not wanting to disturb the couple either.

“I’m serious Peter, you get walked over way too much and I’m done standing by--- Oh hello nephew. Decided to join us with your presence again?”

Harley shakes his head and lifts his phone up once he reaches the table “No, just wanted my cell.”

Tony’s eyes narrow “to do what exactly?”

“Text Tommy and tell him I’m not going back out tonight.”

“Really? That easy eh? You’re not going to attempt to sneak out or have him here?”

Peter sighs “Tony give him a break.”

Both Harley and Tony look at the other teen in shock. Peter never says anything or sticks up for Harley while Tony and him are arguing, knowing how heated they can get. Maybe Flash did hit him on the head and give him a concussion.

“I’m sorry what?” Tony asks with a raised eyebrow

“Well think about it Tones. When we first became a thing, you purposely had a talk with Harley and made him understand that we were staying a secret but that he was to always keep an eye on me regardless of the situation. That he needed to protect me. So you really have zero right to freak out at him for trying to deal with my bully before you pulverize him. ”

Tony looked at the brunette with love in his eyes. How is it that this young boy can be afraid of speaking up to a teacher or student about some silly or simple but when most people would be afraid to question Tony Stark, he goes all in. “Oh Petey, you amaze me every day?” Tony leans ahead and kisses his forehead

Peter leans to the touch then turns to the other teen “Now don’t for one second think I want you doing that shit Harley. I’m able to take care of myself.”

Harley scoffs and glances down at his arm “Yea you’ve done a great job so far Parker.” Then the blonde disappears down the hall into his room.

Peter rolls his eyes. “Stark men and their attitudes I swear to god.”

Tony chuckles and wraps his arm around Peter “As long as Thor or his kin aren’t the god you’re praying to, I don’t care.”

“It’s an expression old man. Sometimes you really are a Boomer.”

Tony gasps in mock hurt, pressing his hand to his heart. “You wound me my precious millennial.”

“I think somehow you’ll survive.” Peter presses a soft kiss to Tony’s nose

“I know what would make me feel better.”

Peter raises an eyebrow “oh and what would that be?”

Tony smiles and whispers in his ear “Tell Daddy what happened with the bad bully at school”

Peter scoffs and pushes Tony away “Oh my god! You’re actually terrible you know that?”

Tony laughs wholeheartedly. “What? It would you know?”

“Yea but bringing my Daddy kink into this isn’t fair!”

“Oh baby don’t be ashamed. Daddy just wants to help.”

Peter shivers, damn tony and knowing how affected he can get when he goes into ‘Daddy’ mode. “Tony!”

“Baby please?” Tony gives him his best puppy dog eyes.

“Damn you Tony Stark.” Peter says sighing in defeat. “Fine you win. You win but we have to make a deal.”

Tony smirks knowing his Peter all too well. That the boy could never say no when Tony spoke like that. “And what would that be?”

“You don’t do or say anything to him directly or indirectly until tomorrow. “

“Indirectly?” Tony questions

“Meaning you don’t use Happy or Rhodey or anyone else to get to him either.”

“Smart boy, you’ve thought of everything haven’t you?”

Peter blushes “Deal or not?”

“Yes deal but I don’t wanna be interrupted or have Harley get anymore motive to try and leave the tower. So let’s go down to the lab and talk.”

Peter nods, knowing its bad enough he needs to discuss in detail to his boyfriend of what happened let alone anyone else. “Okay, I’m just going to tell Harley we’re going downstairs.”

“Be quick Petey. “

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

“So what are you going to do?”

Harley rolls his eyes “What is there to do Tom? I’m basically on lockdown here.” Harley props his phone up against one of his bike mechanics books while he leans against the wall next to his window.

“Stark lets you smoke in the tower?” Tommy watches the blonde light a smoke, leaning against the window.

“Pfft. Yea right. But he wants to treat me like a moody teenager then I’m going to act like one.”

Tommy laughs “You’re playing right into his hands dickhead.”

Harley rolls his eyes “Whatever, Flash is a piece of shit and something needs to be done.”

“What even happened man?”

“Well, what I can tell you is Parkers got a nasty bruise in the shape of Thompson’s palm. “

Tommy takes a sharp inhale “Fuck.”

“Yep.”

“So you want to get ahold of him before your Uncle does?”

Harley nods “but that’s not going to happen.”

Tommy shrugs “Fuck it bud. Let Stark go ape on him. He’s a piece of shit and deserves it.”

Harley takes another puff of his smoke then flicks it out “Yes because my uncle would stop short of murder.”

“Well I doubt he’d actual kill someone “

Harley shook his head. “I think you under estimate what my uncle is capable of when it comes to the ones he love.”

“Hey Harley? Can I come in?”

“Hey I gotta go, I’ll call you back in a bit”

“Alright bud.”

Harley quickly disconnected the call “Yeah c’mon in Parker.” The blonde shoves his pack of smokes and lighter in the desk drawer

Peter scrunches up his nose as he walked in “You were smoking.”

Harley shook his head. “Yes bloodhound I was smoking. Gunna rat me out?”

Peter rolled his eyes “Noo! I just can’t help that the Spidey sense makes me super sensitive with smells and stuff”

“Fair point. What’s up buttercup?” Harley flops down onto his bed, crossing his arms behind his head.

Peter sits down on the computer chair and spins it to face the other teen. “Just wanted to let you know me and Tones are going down to the lab for a few hours.”

“Oh?” Harley raises his eyebrows suggestively

Peter rolls his eyes “Get your head out of the gutter. Today is lab day anyway.”

“You know if ya’ll want some private time all you gotta do is get Stark to unban me from the rest of the tower.”

“I’m pretty sure his nephew being on the same floor would not affect him. Sound proof walls are a thing.”

Harley’s eyes widen in horror. “Please tell me you haven’t  ...” When Peter doesn’t respond Harley shakes his head. “You know what? I don’t want the answer to that.”

Peter laughs. “Anyway if you need anything just let Friday know and behave!” Peter gets up and starts to walk out, stopping in the doorway to holler over his shoulder “Oh and Harley? Quit smoking, it’ll kill you”

Harley shakes his head, wondering if his room is sound proof. Now there’s a thought. Maybe he could sneak somebody in tonight after all.

[mattyslittleworld]

love doesn't mean it'll last

I went for a walk a few hours ago to listen to some music. I got caught in a thunder storm, hiding like Tom Hanks with a volley ball, under some hangover at a school near my crib. I had to sit there for mad long. A cop drove behind it and asked if I had a warrant, wanted my name and address and all this shit I was like you’re bugging. Then drove away without giving me a ride back home like a typical trash middletown cop. But I was forced to sit down and listen to music and relax, it was actually amazing. I listened to The National’s new record Sleep Well Beast. I listened to City and Colour’s new live album. Ben Howard records. Owen’s cover of American Footballs “Never Meant”. I know from my IG and the public perception im very heavily into Hip Hop and shit but I don’t think anything can touch my heart soul and interest level like these records and artists do. Indie / Folk music really cuts deep. Some of my favorite bands are Thursday, Death Cab For Cutie, The Postal Service, Bright Eyes, Elliot Smith, Dylan, all that shit. I came up on that shit. Bands like Mae, or even Metalcore that crossed over into clean jazz parts like Misery Signals and 7 angels 7 plagues. Their piano ballad jhazmynes lullaby changed my life and I got that name tattooed on the tops of my wrists. I think that was the first time I realized you can be into hardcore, create hardcore, have the stereotypical lifestyle and look, but still be emotional. They’d go from the heaviest breakdowns right into clean pedals delay and beautiful soundscapes that you could really get lost in on a night like tonight stranded out to sea. 2 nights ago Albee played his first show back in New Jersey since the D.A. unbanned him. It was crazy. I pulled up solo and met up with them and it was crazy to see how many people fuck with that dudes movement. It was also crazy to see how famous and embraced Fetty Wap is. He was mad cool. Anyone who’s family to Belv is family to me. The crowd freaked the fuck out when he came on stage it was so sick. There was like 50 of us on stage it was such a good time and im glad I went. Makes me so stoked on all the work me and Belv have been putting in. We both got albums on deck for 4th quarter 2018, first quarter 2019. The new Mozzy came out and im sitting here just vibed out listening to the song “Blackhearted”. The beats this dude picks are so beautiful. Like piano ballad beats with soul samples, he seems very intelligent because these bars are insane. Tonight I met up with Jeff because he have this weird tradition of just going to as many shows as possible. We saw Brian Fallon again at Count Basie in Red Bank. First off - ive been working so hard lately that ive been feeling extremely extremely extremely alone. I don’t hangout with anybody 1 on 1 these days, I don’t really go out side. I literally don’t even have a social group. I travel everywhere alone, and I just in general move by myself. Im at a point now where some people have tried some fuck shit to get to some of the people ive been working with. Before this I was so busy recording so any social time to myself and “friends” was basically engineers, collaborations, and music related. The whole “go to the movies” type of social life or any normal shit has just kinda been erased from my life. Sometimes when Im out, in passing, ill see a group of like 5 or 6 kids just laughing passing me. Bonding in the simplest way and it makes me choke up. I love it. I haven’t felt that in mad long but when I think back on when I did have that - in the back of my head all I wanted to do was get a shot at music. So now that I have that shot I have to bite down. Im foaming at the mouth for this shit. Anyway tonight with Jeff was the first in awhile where I put shit aside and hung out and caught a show outside of some business shit. I appreciate that dude probably more than he realizes. He saw something in me, a fight, a fire, and linked me with Jesse - who literally spun my life in a 180. Brian is probably one of my favorite songwriters these days. I know thats a cliche thing to say but I really was there from the jump, like Myspace days. Ive met him a few times and he has a tattoo of a band I Sang for and we chopped it up and he was a really nice dude. After his show there was an immediate standing ovation. Im talking like within a second the entire sold out count Basie theater jumped to their feet and roared. It literally scared him. The look in his eyes was so unreal. I could see him thinking “how did I get here?” For kids like us its a dream to play that room. I cant imagine 10 years from now being blessed enough to sell that bitch out with a standing ovation. Within that moment I can tell he went right back to being a kid walking past that shit with “one day” eyes. I really had a good time tonight though. It was so nice to get out. After I caught up with my boy Joe who booked the show and runs The Basie. The shit he was saying to me put me on cloud 9. So encouraging. He mentioned my work all across the boards, in all genres and told me to keep going. Its hard sometimes to hold the faith but times like this when a dude who used to book your hardcore band and is now booking these crazy concerts says keep going for said reasons….damn man. Makes me wonder. Its 4:30 am and I had food and watched Ebro / Genuis interviews and passed out so im probably up for the day. This Mozzy record really is amazing. Now that im getting older im finding myself wanting to settle down with a girl and spend more time with my family and hers. That aspect of my life is creeping up. Ive never felt that. Every relationship ive ever been in was shit and stagnant with people who switched up. Ive never felt true bond. True companionship. True love. True strength. True ride or die I got you till the end marriage type shit. My hearts been empty for so long. My hearts been closed. But tonight I walked from Starbucks in red bank to the Basie, with a cup of coffee, felt the breeze of October…..and I just felt my heart being open again. Its still empty, but at least its open and I felt warm and excited for one day hopefully having the opportunity to meeting somebody that will let me make them coffee. I know that I have met her. Ive known her for about 10 years. I feel her deep in my soul….but sometimes love aint enough so ive been faced with the crossroads and I had to move forward. Hopefully one day it’ll pan out because my fists are bloody from fighting. You know who you are. I know you’re reading this. Im looking forward to halloween, and the holidays and the cold weather. Spending time by the fire, having good coffee, with good people that ive neglected over the past couple years due to tour and life and me being a dumb kid. I feel the energy shifting. I feel the industry shifting. I feel them watching. I feel her, I think of her everyday, I hope she thinks of me. -1-

Mozzy - Black Hearted