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aestheticvoyage2023 · 2 years ago

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Day 273: Saturday September 30, 2023 - "Cheer Cheer Cheer for Iowa"

I was committed to a good day no matter what and walked into Kinnick Stadium with a Sparty headband, green pants, and an Iowa shirt for the black out game under lights, patting Kinnick statue for good luck and plenty to cheer for.

We set the plan for this day in motion back in 2017 when driving home, west to Denver, with Scott and D2, after we stormed the field, present for the shellacking the Hawkeyes delivered to #6 Ohio State. "When does Sparty next play in Iowa, because I want to do that again!" The answer? 2023. And so here we were, this time with my parents driving down to join the Sparty Party. As luck would have it, they booked it in under the lights for a Saturday night B1G matchup, giving us all day to hang out and have fun which included beers and obligatory Go Green Go White chants from the road fans at the SpoCo to get warmed up for a huge Everything burrito at Pancheros and a Mr Bean-esque adventure in the bathroom where untold things happened with their hand dryer; between the burrito and the bathroom, Pancheros may have become as memorable as the game. I didn't need to eat again the rest of the day (probably the weekend).

Scott scored us a great tailgate spot at the Swinger Pavillon, and after parking the truck in a local's yard, we joined the Iowa tailgate scene, full of drumlines, Busch Light, and lots of friendly Iowans. We had a great time up against the North End Zone, making friends amongst the welcoming old retrofitted RV that the owners got for $1.

Once inside the stadium, the dusky pregame was anything but twilight silence - AC/DCs back in black muscled into the air as the Hawkeyes marched in unison for the tunnel walk, finally storming out under Metallica's Enter Sandman. I had my seat, "alone" just above the tunnel next to the student athlete section where Id make friends with the Iowa fans all around me, including a couple of guys that came and joined me in my one empty seat. Lets pack it in. I yelled for the Hawkeyes, I yelled for the Spartans. I cried Kill Bubba Kill on big third downs, and proudly joined the "I" cheer representing my corner of the stadium.

And I thought about my buddy Shane. Five years ago this week, he passed in a car accident back home in Michigan. And as a big Iowa fan, I figured that Id wear it tonight for him, and cheer and have fun because I was still here and could, for him. I thought of him every time I screamed at the top of my lungs to add to that ruckus environment and I let his sister know that he was here, while lots of other Albion friends gathered for the Brits and our 20 year homecoming. I thought of him while I participated in the traditional Iowa wave, knowing what all he did to fundraise for kids, he would have really thought that was something. Especially tonight where in primetime everyone turned on their phone lights so that the kids could see. Incredible. Even the players and mascot participate. One of the most special traditions in all of college football. Iowa is a special place. And for that first half, I was totally ok, sitting in my place in the stadium by myself where, albeit somewhat buzzed and loud and obnoxious, I could also be alone with my thoughts and enjoy every special little bit.

At halftime, I went to venture out to the end end of the field to sit with D2 and Scott - when the Iowa Marching band came out and launched into a Metallica themed show! Unbelievable. What are the chances - after thinking of Shane so much and wearing the Iowa shirt and cheering for the Hawkeyes for him, the biggest Metallica fan I know - now the band launched into Master of Puppets. Thats incredible. I filmed it and sent it along to his sister in shock. The Hawkeye Metallica band came out on the field and turned it up to 11. I was beside myself. One of the best concert experiences I ever had, Shane took me to a Metallica concert at the Silverdome the summer we graduated from college. I am pretty sure that was one of the last times I ever saw him. It was hard not to be romantic about the feelings. Especially after four Busch Lights. But I decided, assuredly, that something special had just happened here, and that Shane was alive tonight in Iowa City with me. I was committed to having a good night no matter what and as I found my way up to D2 and Scott, it was pretty obvious that football was really secondary to this whole day. The chance to be alive, and cheer, and drink beer, and be with friends, and be with family, and to be out of the house, and be myself. I didn't really care who won. Kinnick sure is a special place.

It'd be a tight low scoring game, but you just got the sense in the 4th quarter that Sparty was about to break and sure enough after some very loud penalties down in front of us, they punted the ball away only to have it come right back, down the sideline, running right at us - a game winner punt return for a touchdown, which as a Spartan fan was of course a let down - but the trade off was seeing this special place, in primetime in front of the home fans, go bananas. Even D2 who is probably a mostly casual hawkeye squealed like he was pissing his pants as the marching band lit into the fight song, that you could barely hear over the Iowa fateful who had been waiting for a chance to blow up and celebrate. Even the guy up there that had been hassling my confused outfit couldnt help but give me a hug and a kiss he was so happy. Ah to love something that much. Shane would have loved it, and as I high fived Scott and D2, I imagined he was there too. The timelessness of sport - someday we'll all be gone, but this place, this game, this institution will still be here. Saturday night lights. Its more than a game.

We'd have a night cap at the Swinger Pavillon where the nice lady had kept the chicken tenders and cooler of beer for us before our long walk back to some guys yard to find the truck. My buffalohoodie smelled like spilt Busch Light and fall and I suppose that meant it was a successful day. Aside from 10 minutes in the Panchero's bathroom, I had had a good day, no matter what. A special day. With my family and friends, including one from a long time ago. It didn't matter who won, but even the game would give us something to talk about for years - and thats all you can really ask for.

Is this heaven? No, its Iowa.

Song: Metaliica - Crown of Barbed Wire

Quote: “When it is understood that one loses joy and happiness in the attempt to possess them, the essence of natural farming will be realized. The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.” ― Masanobu Fukuoka

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aestheticvoyage2024 · 1 year ago

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Day 92: Monday April 1, 2024 - "William & Huck's Women's Bracket"

In our house, we were primed to enjoy the women's tourney more than the men, once Sparty got bounced in the first weekend. The Women's bracket this year had all the star power and all the stories, including one homegrown wonder - William and Huck's bracket. Each year, I always enjoy bracket picking. When I was a kid, I reveled in the important job of running the pool for my Dad's work. I can't imagine I've missed a bracket since I can remember. For William, I started filling one out for him, and he can share in the Dog's bracket which follows the logic of Dogs win, Animals beat humans. Though once to the elite 8 this year I let William make the picks if they were both animals.

On this night, April 1, we enjoyed an unbelievable matchup between LSU and Iowa to go to the Final Four. If Iowa pulled out the Victory, the famed Fun bracket would end up with a perfect final four....and in front of the most televised women's event of all time, and most viewed ESPN basketball game ever, they pulled it out. A perfect bracket of two big chickens, a Husky, and a Wolf. The logic missed very few games, including one that was definitely a mistake pick. The tourney just got better and better, with each game setting a new record for viewership. It felt like all of American was tuning in and most had forgotten all about or cared far less about the mens tourney. At least thats true in our house this March. Iowa beat UConn while we celebrated my Dad's birthday and then lost to South Carolina who finished their undefeated back-to-back run. It was a classy quality product. William's bracket was pretty fine too. He'd end his perfect run with in the 99.9th percentile, ranked 617 overall in the world out of 4 million+ brackets. Pretty neat considering its a two year picking big chickens, and a dog that can't talk. We were only 90 points off from the championship - if only we hadn't taken the Richmond Spiders over the Duke Blue Devils. I guess there is always next year, but I have a suspicion that this will be the best bracket we'll ever see.... at least, as of today, its true for me.

Song: K-os - I wish I knew Natalie Portman

Quote: “Men and boys will accept you more easily when you excel at something they value.” ― Billie Jean King

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tommasoevangelista · 2 years ago

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VIS à VIS FUORILUOGO 26

Artists in residence Project

intervento finanziato con risorse FSC - Piano Sviluppo e Coesione della Regione Molise

e con il contributo dei comuni di Lucito (CB) e Provvidenti (CB)

1 – 23 agosto 2023

Lucito (CB), artisti in residenza Caterina Sbrana e Gabriele Mallegni

Provvidenti (CB), artista in residenza Flavia Carolina D’Alessandro

Comunicato stampa

Dal 1° agosto 2023 prende avvio la nuova edizione di VIS à VIS Fuoriluogo 26, programma internazionale di residenze artistiche che quest’anno ospita gli artisti Caterina Sbrana e Gabriele Mallegni a Lucito (CB), e Flavia Carolina D’Alessandro a Provvidenti (CB).

Il progetto, diretto dall’associazione culturale Limiti Inchiusi (Paolo Borrelli e Fausto Colavecchia), è a cura di Tommaso Evangelista e Matteo Innocenti. Il programma internazionale di residenze artistiche VIS à VIS Fuoriluogo, che quest’anno giunge alla dodicesima edizione - dall’avvio nel 2012 da parte dell’associazione culturale Limiti Inchiusi - segna il proseguimento dell’azione curatoriale pensata dall’anno precedente con gli artisti ospitati su invito diretto da parte dell’associazione e dei curatori, e le opere pensate in dialogo con spazi e contesti specifici. Inoltre, le residenze, mantenendo l’identità che le hanno sinora caratterizzate, ovvero il forte rapporto con le comunità, vengono messe in relazione a degli obiettivi specifici legati ai singoli luoghi.

In questa edizione per quanto concerne Lucito si lavorerà sulla realizzazione di un’opera d’arte pubblica, opera che andrà ad ampliare la già ricca raccolta comunale che accoglie, oltre ad un ricco corpus di lavori di Pettinicchi, anche il gruppo più ampio di opere legate al progetto Vis à Vis, mentre per Provvidenti si guarderà alla riqualificazione in chiave culturale di spazi di proprietà comunale, ad oggi abbandonati, con un occhio particolare al rapporto con la popolazione e con l’ambiente.

Come ad ogni edizione gli artisti, insieme ai curatori, renderanno vitale la residenza con una serie di workshop, incontri e una mostra finale che segnerà anche la consegna di un lavoro alla collettività. La residenza sarà testimoniata da un catalogo e un video-documentario.

VIS à VIS, tra le associazioni promotrici di STARE - Associazione delle Residenze d'artista italiane -, si dimostra tra le residenze artistiche più longeve e interessanti dedicate alle aree interne e alle comunità locali.

Gli artisti invitati a VIS à VIS Fuoriluogo 26 sono Caterina Sbrana (Pisa, 1977) e Gabriele Mallegni (Pisa, 1977) che opereranno insieme a Lucito, e Flavia Carolina D’Alessandro (Caracas, Venezuela, 1977) che opererà a Provvidenti.

Flavia Carolina D’Alessandro (Caracas, Venezuela, 1977, vive e lavora a Bari). Dopo il trasferimento in Italia, nel 1992, consegue il diploma di Maestro d’Arte in disegnatori di Architettura e Arredamento presso l’Istituto d’Arte di Bari Pino Pascali, prosegue il percorso di studi, nella stessa città, presso l’Accademia di Belle Arti, ottenendo il diploma di Laurea in Scenografia (2004). 2023, Premio Sparti, menzione per miglior opera concettuale, AP; 2022, vincitrice Premio Arte - sez. pittura, Palazzo Reale, Mi; 2021, workshop/residenza RAMO 6.0, a cura di Giuliana Benassi, tutor Francesco Arena, Abr; premio acquisto LAB17 Malamegi; 2019, workshop l’Alternative Processes Photography e Blue Botanics con Hannah Fletcher presso la Bright Room a Lnd, Pop Now, Nuove Identità nelle arti pugliesi, Br. 2017, Manuale per Artisti a cura di Ivan Quaroni, Mi; 2021 Flavia Caterina D’Alessandro è co-fondatrice del progetto OMAR ed è ideatrice di Home Theatre- open studio project.

Caterina Sbrana (Pisa, 1977, dove vive e lavora). Dopo studi classici si sposta a Perugia dove studia restauro di dipinti all'Istituto Europeo delle Arti Operative, si laurea all’Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara in Pittura e Arti visive. Conduce una ricerca in bilico tra l'uso di materiali naturali, le tecniche della tradizione e una visione contemporanea contaminata dalla tecnologia. Tra le mostre: Fuoriporta, 2023, a cura di Ilaria Mariotti con Caterina Fondelli e Alessandra Ioalè, Villa Pacchiani, Santa Croce sull'Arno; L'estate più fredda, 2023, a cura di Claudio Cosma, Sensus, Firenze; Eco-esistenze, forme del naturale e dell'artificiale, 2022, a cura di Daria Filardo, Martino Margheri, MA Curiatorial Practice Ied, Ied Firenze; Imboscata, 2022, a cura di Shilha Cintelli, Rachel Morellet, Eva Sauer, Enrico Vezzi, Bosco di Corniola, Empoli; Systemae Naturae, 2022, a cura di Anne Guillot, Palazzo Mazzone Alessi, Caltanissetta; XV Bienal Internacional Ceramica Artistica Aveiro, 2021; Aller Retour, 2020, 59 Rivoli, Rue de Rivoli, Parigi; The Curated Space, Five Figurative Artists in Florence, 2015, a cura di Arturo Galansino, Mall Galleries, Londra; A Private Geography, 2012, a cura di Paola Bortolotti , Syracuse University in Florence; Osservazione della natura in stato di quiete, 2012, a cura di Paola Bortolotti, Museo Marino Marini, Firenze.

Gabriele Mallegni (Pisa, 1977, dove vive e lavora). Frequenta il liceo Artistico a Lucca, prosegue i suoi studi all'Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara dove si laurea in scultura con il prof. Giorgio Balocchi. La sua ricerca si concentra sulla ceramica con la quale modella ritratti contemporanei, mondi distopici, incubi e contraddizioni della società attuale. Partecipa a simposi e mostre tra le quali ricordiamo: L'estate più fredda, a cura di Claudio Cosma, Sensus luoghi per l'arte contemporanea, Firenze, 2023; Mimesis, Galerie Territoires Partages, Marseille,2023; Malamegi Lab19, 2022, Galleria Piazza di Pietra, Roma; XV Bienal Internacional de Ceramica de Aveiro; BACC, la forma del vino, 2021, menzione speciale della giuria, Scuderie Aldovrandini, Frascati, Roma; La natura delle cose, Palazzo Malpigli, Lucca; Osmosi, a cura di Mauro Lovi, 2017; Duo, Otto Luogo dell'arte Firenze, e Mutabilia, Paratissima Torino, 2016; Premio Baccio da Montelupo, Museo Internzazionale della ceramica, 2015, Montelupo Firenze.

Caterina Sbrana e Gabriele Mallegni hanno fondato nel 2009, Studio17, laboratorio di ricerca d'arte e design.

Limiti inchiusi è un’associazione di produzione culturale e artistica con sede a Limosano in provincia di Campobasso. Fondata nel 1994, promuove progetti d’arte contemporanea dal respiro internazionale in costante dialogo con il territorio del Molise, come indagine sul paesaggio e i borghi molisani. Con residenze d'artista, mostre, installazioni d’arte pubblica, workshop, laboratori ed incontri, Limiti inchiusi pone al centro il territorio regionale per rileggerlo e mapparlo nei suoi cambiamenti, creando nuove narrazioni. Il lavoro svolto negli anni, documentato con numerose pubblicazioni, ha riguardato la produzione di opere d’arte, la didattica con le nuove generazioni, la ricerca e l’inclusione sociale con uno sguardo attento alle emergenze e problematiche delle comunità coinvolte. Dal 2012, con la direzione degli artisti Paolo Borrelli e Fausto Colavecchia, l'associazione ha inaugurato i programmi internazionali di Residenze per artisti Vis à Vis Fuoriluogo e Vis à Vis Flaneur. Nel 2021 Limiti inchiusi è tra i soci fondatori di STARE – Associazione delle Residenze d'artista italiane.

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grailfinders · 2 years ago

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Brute Grail Front Review #1

today on Fate and Phantasms we've got a special treat for y'all. since this event doesn't have any boosted servants, we're instead going to take a look at each grail front's roster, assess how well they work as a team (in D&D), and which servants I'd suggest taking to counter them. cool? cool.

The Enemy:

now I'm not including caesar himself in any of these since he's not really a "fighter", so our first lineup includes Robin Hood, Nero Claudius, Okada Izou, and Sakamoto Ryouma/Oryou. the first thing that jumps out at me about this party is simple- it's super unbalanced. three of the four servants are rogues, meaning they aren't the toughest bunch around, but they hurt when they hit.

the obvious synergy here is how Ryouma and Izou can team up to completely read an opponent in a minute, learning most, if not all, of their relevant stats and weaknesses. then it's just a matter of trapmaster Robin setting up traps to prey on said weakness. while Nero doesn't quite fit into this setup, she's actually the most dangerous one on the field, and not just because she's a level 20 caster with level 9 spells. okay that's mostly the reason, but hear me out.

Foresight is a very dangerous spell to be fighting against. on Nero it's not great for us, since anyone forcing disadvantage on all attacks against them and getting advantage on their saves and check and attacks is always bad, but remember- she's in a party with three rogues. if those rogues have Foresight, they have permanent advantage, meaning permanent sneak attack. that's terrifying, especially since that rogue will still be harder to hit thanks to the one spell.

Who to Bring?

first and foremost, we need someone who can take out the rogues' gallery fast, before they can sneak attack our team to death. rogues as a rule are tough to hit with regular attacks and anything with a dexterity save, but they do have one weakness- constitution saves. rogues don't get proficiency in those, and they're usually squishy besides, so the cold is one of the few things that can really bother them. that's why my suggestion for the caster slot of this grail front is Anastasia.

she comes packing with plenty of constitution-based spells to bring the hurt, as well as defense-piercing attacks to cut through whatever nonsense Nero conjures up. the one flaw here is she's not a tank. we need someone who can take those sneak attacks on her behalf, as well as shut down whichever rogue's been foresighted. there's plenty of berserkers who are physical tanks, but that latter part is pretty rare to come by, and since we already have one 5-star I'd like to keep the other servants on a budget.

with all that in mind, my pick for berserker is none other than Spartacus.

the man's got an obscene health pool, can rage to cut down on sneak attack damage, and specializes in taking one person out of the fight so his party can deal with the others. with him pinning down the foresighted rogue we've basically forced Nero to waste a ninth level spell, on top of whatever she uses to try and pry Sparty off her teammate.

finally, we need to end this fight in a timely fashion- we only get ten turns to finish this, after all. what we need is a roamer, someone who's fast enough to chase down stragglers and tough enough to fight a rogue or bard one-on-one. that's why my pick for lancer is Cu Chulainn.

he's fast, he's tough, he's so accurate even rogues have trouble avoiding his spear, and his Diamond Soul means he's unlikely to be swayed by Nero's tricks.

Now we've got a spicy grail war brewing! of course this is just talking about D&D- we were able to solo this fight with just Spartacus, so don't stress too hard about who you're taking to the front. still, we hope you've enjoyed this, and stay tuned for tomorrow's grail front!

#fgo #fate grand order #D&D 5e #grail front

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slippinmickeys · 4 years ago

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Five Seconds (4/8)

If you’d like to read at AO3, you may do so here.

June 4, 2018

Mulder stood in the kitchen wearing only sweatpants, the rented house quiet around him. Scully had headed to the local Meijer for supplies of every stripe, and both kids had leapt at the chance to go with her, a rare occurrence the last few years, but a clear result of forced low profile and cabin fever.

He was nursing a rare cup of caffeinated coffee and watching a black squirrel make a nuisance of itself on the residence’s sole backyard bird feeder. When his new cell phone rang, he answered it out of muscle memory.

“Hello?”

“Hello Fox,” said the person on the other end of the line, “aren’t you a sound for sore ears.”

It took him a moment to place the voice.

“Lauren,” he said after a moment, smiling into the receiver, “it’s good to hear from you, too. I take it you got the information I sent you?”

Mulder had had Frohike send her their contact information as they’d previously agreed, and he assumed this was the first of her planned unplanned check-ins.

“It was a little cloak and dagger, even for the District,” she said, and Mulder could hear her smile over the line.

“And I always thought you lived for the drama,” he said companionably.

“Well, I got to wear my best Carmen SanDiego hat, so I guess I can’t be mad.”

Mulder chuckled into the receiver.

“How’s it going?” Lauren asked, her tone shifting to one of sober inquiry.

“It’s going.”

“Dana okay?” her question was sincere, and Mulder marveled how time could change a person.

“She’s good,” he said, “healthy. All systems go. I’m sure she’d want me to send you her best.”

“And the kids? How are they handling it all?”

Mulder sighed.

Will was adjusting, but Lily was miserable. Lonely and bored, unable to talk to friends back home and without the specter and excitement of starting school in the fall. She’d even begged to be able to get a summer job, even as just a waitress at the local Bennigan’s, but Mulder didn’t like the idea of her being away from the house for hours at a time, and Scully wasn’t sold on their borrowed Social Security numbers passing an employment check.

“The kids are… okay.”

“Going that well, huh?” she asked.

“Lil is pretty miserable,” he admitted.

“Of course she’s miserable,” Lauren scolded him, “she’s 18 years old and stuck in a house with her well-meaning parents. She should be at the beach with friends getting day drunk on Bud Light-”

“-she would never-” Mulder interrupted, to which Lauren outright laughed in his ear.

“-I assure you, she already has!”

Mulder sighed again. “Aside from dropping her off at the lake and buying her a rack of shit beer, you got any ideas?”

“College boys in tight pants,” Lauren said.

“Excuse me?” Mulder asked, taken aback.

“Take the family to a football game Fox, you’re in a Big Ten town for Christ’s sake.”

“It’s not football season yet.”

“Just take her somewhere with a lot of people. And give her a little bit of freedom. And when it is football season?”

“Yeah?” Mulder asked.

“Take her to see the tight pants.”

XxXxXxXxXxX

September 3, 2018

It had been months and they started to relax, maybe a bit too much. They were alert, but comfortable. Maybe complacent, Mulder couldn't tell. All he knew was that if he kept the kids in the house for much longer, they'd kill each other and possibly him and Scully in the crossfire, and it would defeat the whole purpose of their hiding out. That said, all was quiet on the homefront -- Darlene and the Gunmen, and to a lesser extent, Doggett, Reyes and Skinner -- had heard nothing with their ears to the ground.

He and Scully had discussed it, and decided that they would let the kids out of the house. They allowed them to socialize occasionally, if they promised to be careful. Will had made a couple of friends around the neighborhood, playing roller hockey in their cul de sac, but Lily hadn't had as much luck, or as much motivation. She had been quiet and keeping mostly to herself, and come September, Mulder had decided to finally take Lauren's advice. They were going to a football game.

William was beside himself with excitement which made up for Lily's lack of enthusiasm. Scully had opted out of attending, citing her increasing need of accessible bathrooms and the inevitable long lines at ladies rooms in sports arenas.

They took the bus to the edge of the MSU campus -- the first time any of them had been on it since moving to the town several months before. There were people everywhere -- most dressed in the hometown colors of green and white, but a rare few -- looking as lost on campus as the Mulders themselves -- in the brown and gold of the visiting team.

Mulder had ducked into the student union to get a campus map, whereupon William insisted he buy all three of them something supporting the hometown team. Lily opted out, but William and Mulder walked out each in a brand new ball cap, the brims stiff and flat -- in addition, William was carrying a big foam finger emblazoned with the number 1 and the gruff face of Michigan State's Spartan mascot, Sparty.

"It's this way," Mulder said, consulting his map and pointing south, and they set off following streams of people headed toward the stadium which sat in the middle of campus.

The day was delightfully mild, and while the sun shone, there were fat clouds everywhere that would cover it as soon as you were at risk of overheating. There seemed to be tailgate parties set up at increasing concentrations the closer they got to the stadium, the air thick with the scent of grilling meat and tinny stereos playing the home school's fight song.

There were frat boys throwing a football back and forth every thirty or so feet, and crowds of coeds sipping beer from green Solo cups, hovering around games of corn hole and beer pong, laughing while they clung to each other like the last few Cheerios floating in a bowl of milk.

Mulder stole a glance at Lily, who looked at them wistfully. School had just started here at Michigan State and the week before at UVA, and Mulder could tell his daughter was fairly heartbroken about not being able to attend.

Mulder pulled up short and Lily and William both stopped several steps past him and turned to look at him expectantly.

"One sec," he said and walked over to a large tent wherein an alumni organization was selling hot dogs and brats to raise funds. He bought three bratwurst and a couple of sodas and walked them back to his kids, hands full and pockets overflowing with napkins and little packets of ketchup and mustard.

He nodded toward a low stone wall that ran along the length of one of the sidewalks and they all sat down and ate sloppily, ketchup plopping to the sidewalk that they leaned over so as not to spill on their clothes. William was of course done first and snapped open his soda, slurping from it happily.

"They call it pop here," he said, raising his can and giving his father a cheeky smirk.

"No one cares, Billy," Lily said, wiping her lips delicately with a napkin and setting the last quarter of the brat on the wall beside her. "I'm stuffed," she declared.

Will happily scarfed the rest of her sausage and Mulder was about to suggest they start moving again toward the stadium when a frisbee glided through the air and scuffed to the ground at their feet. Lily jumped off the wall and picked it up, looking around to find its owner, who was trotting toward them in droopy cargo shorts and an overlarge school shirt that said "I BLEED GREEN."

Mulder shook his head as Lily pulled back and winged it back toward the guy, sailing it in a perfect arc into his waiting hands.

The kid smiled at her, teeth and all.

"Nice arm!" the kid said, giving her one more charming look before trotting back toward his friends who were waiting further across the Diag that cut through the center of campus.

Mulder glanced at Lily who was wearing a small but fading smile.

He stood, balling up the napkin and sausage detritus. He turned to Lily impulsively.

"You want a beer?" he asked her.

She almost blanched and gave him a queer look.

"A beer?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, "you're a college kid now, no reason you shouldn't enjoy a cold one before a football game like all these other coeds."

Lily gave him a suspicious look just as Will piped up, "I want a beer."

"No," Mulder said, cutting off any complaints with a sharp look and then he walked over to a fraternity tent and talked for a moment to the kid that was manning the keg. After a few words, he handed over a few bills of cash and returned to his kids, handing Lily a dripping plastic cup.

He took a sip of his own cup and inclined his head at his daughter.

"Not the best," he said, while she took a tentative sip.

She smiled over the rim of the cup but kept her eyes on the ground.

"Tastes like college," she said, and Mulder couldn't help but smile.

XxX

"Hey Frisbee," Lily heard from several feet to her right.

She stood up from the drinking fountain in a nook of the stadium in between lavatories, and used her wrist to wipe her mouth dry.

The guy who lost his frisbee at her feet while they were eating before the game was standing only yards away, a small cocksure smile on his lips. Lily tilted her head at him.

"I thought that was you," he went on.

She nodded awkwardly and stepped away from the drinking fountain so the person behind her could drink.

"I think you're in the wrong stadium," he said, and when she looked at him in confusion, he smiled kindly and pointed at her shirt.

She'd donned a UVA sweatshirt for the game out of a sense of loyalty or rebellion (she wasn't sure which, if she were being honest) and she only realized when they stepped onto campus how much it actually made her stand out.

"This isn't the UVA game?" she said mock seriously, "God, I took a left heading into Charlottesville and I guess I should have taken a right." The comment earned her a chuckle and a genuine smile. "Guess the extra ten hours in the car should have been my first clue."

The guy took a few steps toward her and held out his hand.

"Travis," he said by way of introduction, and she shook his hand politely. It was warm in hers, and his grip was firm but brief.

"Lillian," Lily said, almost forgetting to introduce herself with her cover name.

"That's pretty," Travis said, and Lily could feel herself blushing, feeling awkward that it wasn't really her name. "So you go to UVA?"

She nodded. "Deferred for a semester while my folks moved here." Her father had told her to stick as close as she could to their actual stories when telling people their covers in order to keep it all straight.

"Cool," said Travis. They stood there awkwardly for a moment.

"I should get back to my seat," she said, "halftime's almost over."

People were streaming back into the seating areas, and she could hear the marching band keeping tempo as they marched off the field.

Travis shoved his hands into his pockets and for a moment looked slightly bashful.

"Yeah," he said, turning away and taking a few steps, before turning back. "Hey, you want to hang out sometime?"

Lily thought to herself that just about anything sounded better than having to spend one more night at home playing Hearts at the dining room table.

"Sure," she said, and Travis pulled out his phone and handed it to her.

She put in the number of the phone that Darlene had given her and felt only a little weird entering "Lillian" in the name box.

When she handed Travis back the phone, he used his other hand to lightly touch her arm.

"Hey, it was nice meeting you," he said.

"You too," she smiled and wandered back to her seat, trying very hard to keep a smile off her face.

XxXxXxXxXxX

"So..." Scully started, not sure how to broach the subject, other than just to spit it out, "Lily wants to know if she can go 'hang out with a guy.'"

She was sitting at the dining room table sipping on an iced tea, the dew of condensation slippery and cold on her fingertips. She was feeling pendulous and heavy, the high of the second trimester given way to the rolling agony of the third. Her husband, as she had suspected he would, looked suddenly aghast.

"She... what?"

"She got asked out, Mulder, and would like to know if it was okay with us if she went."

William came breezing through the kitchen then, opening up the fridge door and hanging in front of it, blankly staring at its contents, unimpressed.

"Pick something or don't, Will," Mulder said testily to his current youngest, "but please stop letting all the cold out of the fridge."

Will grabbed a soda and stood while the fridge door closed on its own behind him.

"That's Billy to you," he said, mocking insult, and made his way slowly out of the kitchen, staring at Mulder who affectionately reached out as he passed and messed his red curls into an orange soda froth on the top of his head.

"You need a haircut," Mulder said, and Will lifted his nose, shaking his hair out with dignified hauteur.

"So do you," the boy said and left the room.

Scully chuckled. "Don't take it out on him," she said.

Mulder shook himself and turned back to her.

"Take what out on him?"

"That your daughter is growing up and you're not ready. You look like you did the night she went to prom with Derek Smead."

Mulder looked completely affronted.

"He didn't even come to the house! He just had the limo honk and she ran out the door. You didn't get any pictures! Who does that? No self-respecting gentleman. I honestly still don't believe he's a real person."

Scully chuckled again. "And she left him at the dance after an hour and took the limo with five friends to the Sonic drive-in. She's got a good head on her shoulders, Mulder."

"I know she does."

"So what do you think? Is it safe to let her date?"

"I don't like it."

"I didn't ask if you liked it. I asked if you thought it was safe."

Mulder blew out a raspberry. Scully knew that he was thinking the same thing she was -- they'd let Will hang out with a few new friends so long as he was careful. Lily arguably had more common sense by nature of her age (and her gender, thought Scully). She would take precautions and employ the minimal tradecraft Mulder and Scully had taught her.

"What do you think?" Mulder asked her.

"I think she's 18 years old and we're lucky she even ran it by us. If she were away at school, she'd be making these decisions for herself."

Mulder's shoulders slumped.

"As long as she's careful," he finally said.

"I'll give her some condoms," Scully muttered, an offhand remark.

"Scully!" Mulder blanched.

"I just wanted to see the look on your face," Scully laughed.

Mulder shook his head and turned to walk out of the room.

Scully was still chuckling minutes later.

XxXxXxXxXxX

"Hey Frisbee," said a voice from behind her.

Lily turned to see Travis standing several feet away in the middle of the footbridge. He was wearing black flip flops, a pair of long khaki shorts and a navy blue polo shirt. His hair -- dark tousled waves, cut short but shaggy -- was poking in all directions out of a university ball cap, which, she was relieved to see, was pristinely white without a yellowing band of sweat or scuzz. His face looked freshly shaved and he was smiling.

"Hey yourself," she said, and took a step toward him.

He reached into his pocket as she approached and pulled out a ziplock sandwich bag, filled with a gritty grey substance. She took it with some hesitation.

"Is this... a bag of oatmeal?" she asked.

He colored and put both hands up.

"Okay, so: I was going to bring your flowers, but then I thought you know what would be cute? Flour . So I went to our pantry and I'm looking at this giant bag of flour and I'm like what the hell is she going to do with a giant bag of flour? And then I saw the oatmeal and thought -- well, we're meeting on the footbridge, we could feed the ducks! ...So I brought you oatmeal. Bread is bad for ducks."

Despite the lengthy diatribe, Lily laughed. "It was nice of you to think of the ducks," she said.

"Well," he said, and walked with her to the railing of the footbridge, which crossed the Red Cedar River. "The bag itself is multipurpose. If you think it'd be fun, I thought we could rent a canoe later and go down the river?"

"What does that have to do with the bag?" she asked, leaning over the railing and looking down into the tannin-tinted water. A cluster of ducks, trained to anticipate food, swam quickly toward them.

"We can put our phones in it," he said, leaning into her shoulder a little. "I myself have been through the gauntlet of canoe training at Camp Quitcherbitchin as a young lad, but you're an unknown quantity, Frisbee. What if you dunk us? I aim to save our electronics."

Lily laughed again, charmed despite herself. She opened the baggie and threw a handful of oats to the waiting ducks below, which scurried as fast as they could swim for the feast. Lily offered Travis some, and he took a handful and cast it out. They fed the ducks for a minute or so of comfortable silence.

Finally, Lily asked: "Camp Quitcherbitchin?"

Travis smiled.

"Sleep-away summer camp up north. I went every year. It's actually called Camp Nageesh, but some of the counselors were somewhat less than tolerant of complaints, so the campers called it Quitcherbitchin.”

Lily chuckled. "Canoes, huh?"

"Plus sailboats, swimming and archery. I refuse to divulge which I have a higher level of competency in, in case you're some kind of polymath with a competitive bent."

"You aren't one of those guys who can't stand it when a girl is better than you at something, are you?" Lily asked.

“Are you a polymath with a competitive bent?” Travis grabbed another handful of oatmeal and threw it toward a mother with a brood of ducklings that were having trouble getting into the mix.

“I’ve got some game,” Lily said, arching an eyebrow that would have made her mother proud.

"In that case," he said, turning toward her. His eyes were a mossy green, like her father's. He gave her a small smile, “I look forward to being outmatched."

"Well," said Lily, intrigued. She scattered out the last bit of oatmeal and, blowing some of the grit from the bag, put her phone into it and handed it to Travis for him to do the same. "Let's see what you're made of, Paddles."

XxX

"We seem to be drifting a bit to starboard," Lily called over her shoulder. Travis had taken the backseat ("Do you mind if I steer?" he'd asked). They'd managed to board and push off okay -- the bored-looking livery attendant having given them minimal instruction, but held the craft as they both lifted themselves gingerly aboard.

"I'm aware of that," said Travis, his voice a little tense for the first time.

"You said you were steering," she teased him. They were rapidly making for the opposite shore of the river, the canoe swinging sideways with the current.

"I'm aware of that too," he said back, and then a moment later, she felt the canoe sway radically, followed by a splash. She grabbed the side of the craft for dear life and then swung her head to look behind her. Travis had jumped out of the canoe and was now holding it by the triangle at the stern with one hand, paddle in the other; halting their momentum, which had been about to take them into a bramble of cedar branches hanging low over the water.

"Oh my god!" Lily squeaked. "Are you okay? Did you fall?"

"I jumped," Travis said, "If you headed home with a rat's nest of cedar sprays in your hair, you might not go out with me again."

"And they say chivalry is dead," Lily said, setting her oar down on the bottom of the canoe.

"Will you go out with me again?" Travis said hopefully, and the smile he flashed her made her want to say yes, but instead she teased:

"Too early to make that call."

"This water is really cold, Lillian," he said, and turned, pulling the canoe behind him into the water upstream and back toward the livery.

"It looks it," Lily said. "If I do go out with you again, let's stick with something land-based, huh?"

Travis threw a grin at her and kept trudging, clearly trying his best to keep the craft steady so she didn't fall in herself. She checked her pockets briefly for their phones, which she'd offered to hold on to, and watched him. The river was relatively shallow -- he was a tall guy and the water was only soaking the cuff of his shorts.

"Your parents should call Camp Quitcherbitchin and get their money back, Travis," she said, canting her face up to the sun and closing her eyes briefly. She shrieked when the canoe suddenly lurched to one side. She grabbed the side and looked at her date, who had stopped and was wearing a mischievous grin. He was still wearing the dorky orange life jacket that they'd been required to don, and the whole situation made Lily start laughing.

"Laugh it up, fuzzball," Travis said, turning again to continue the trudge back to base. "I'll have you know that I learned how to canoe on a lake. I forgot to account for one variable."

"The current?" Lily asked.

"The current," he admitted.

They made it back to shore and he helped her out of the canoe, explaining to the still benumbed livery worker that they wouldn't be back, but still throwing a soggy five dollar bill in the tip jar. After retrieving his flip flops from the bottom of the small boat, he offered to take Lily to the campus Dairy Store for ice cream.

"Your campus has a Dairy Store?" she asked him curiously.

"This is Moo U, Lillian," he explained, steering her a few blocks from the river to a large brick building beyond the main engineering hall. "This street is Farm Lane. We have cattle."

Once inside they reviewed the offerings, and Lily noticed that they had a flavor for every university in the Big Ten conference -- even their arch rivals. About which he announced, "I'll buy you anything but the Maize & Blueberry. I like you, but even I have my limits."

Once they had their cones (she with Boilermaker Brownie and he with Hoosier Daddy ("basically strawberry," he explained)), they settled onto a picnic table in the shade.

"So," Travis said, licking a drop that had melted onto his knuckle, "why'd you end up deferring this semester?"

Lily swallowed the bite in her mouth without chewing. They had prepared cover stories but she hadn't yet needed to use hers. Stick with the truth as much as you can , said her father's voice.

"My dad got a job here and my mom is pregnant. She was on bedrest for a while and needed help."

Travis was looking at her expectantly, clearly waiting for her to elaborate, but she didn't -- continuing to nervously lick her cone. After a long moment of waiting, he kindly plowed ahead, asking her about her major and telling her about his. He was a sophomore, from a town in the northern part of the state, and she found him inherently easy to talk to and interesting, and wondered, idly, if that was because he really was interesting or if she were just starved for company and attention.

When they finished up, they threw away their napkins in a nearby trash can and stood looking at each other, only a little awkwardly.

“So... “ Travis started, “still too early to make the call?”

She smiled, remembering what she’d told him in the canoe about going out with him again. “I like your chances.”

He smiled back and she felt a little thrill. “Lillian, will you go out with me again?” he asked.

“Dry land stuff?”

“The driest.”

“In that case, yes.”

She was still feeling the soft kiss he'd given her cheek hours later as she sat around the dining room table, fielding invasive questions from her father and trying to avoid her mother’s eye.

#MSR #AU #Sequel #Of the Eight Winds #X-Files #Fanfic #My fic

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dokidokivisual · 6 years ago

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Gochiusa pilgrimage in Budapest!

It might’ve not looked like it lately, but this blog is not just reposts of news and fanart, but it’s also a travel blog sometimes. Most of the travel-related posts can be found under the confusingly-named tag “liveblog”. And now it’s finally time for another one of these.

It’s quite well-known that the world of Is the order a rabbit? is mostly based on the region in Eastern France known as Alsace. Previously, I have visited the cities of Colmar (pt.1, pt.2) and Strasbourg to view some of the locations from the show with my own eyes. There’s however one location that is not based on a place in France, or even Western Europe for that matter. And that’s the so-called “onsen pool” seen in episodes 8 and 10 of season 1.

The inspiration for this location is listed by Koi in the manga vol. 1 afterword as “Hungary bath chess”. And to be more precise, it’s the famous Szechenyi Bath in Budapest. This year I finally got an opportunity to visit this city, dubbed the “Paris of the East”, and of course I made sure to visit some of its baths.

First off, Szechenyi Bath. Opened in 1913, it features 3 outdoor and 15 indoor pools of varying temperature. This is how it looks from the outside:

As expected there are many similarities to the building shown in the anime. However I think the view from the inside courtyard is what was actually used as a reference:

Anyway, the entry cost is about 6000 Hungarian forints, you get a special watch-like bracelet which can be used to lock/unlock your cabin where you can get changed and leave your belongings. Then you’re free to visit outdoor and indoor pools/saunas/whatever as you like. There are also some services like massages that cost extra. It’s possible to buy some drinks/food inside, but cash is not accepted so take a credit card with you.

The 3 outdoor pools are a normal swimming pool, and two thermal pools, which are usually full of people, especially the one that has a circular current feature. The indoor pools are more quiet so you can actually relax there. If you were to look for that one grand indoor pool with columns like in Gochiusa, you won’t find it in this bath! What you will find though, is chess. I even found a little Chino playing chess with herself...

Another interesting thing about Szechenyi Bath is that every Saturday night there’s a party/rave called Sparty. Making this the only IRL Gochiusa location where “Is the order a DJ Night” can be held potentially. The tickets were sold out when I checked so I’m unable to report on it though.

But what about that indoor pool? Does it actually exist? Well, it kind of does! To see it you have to visit another bath in Budapest, Gellért Bath. Situated on the other side of the Danube, it opened in 1918 as part of Hotel Gellért, which still functions as a hotel as well as being one of Budapest’s landmarks.

While it does have outdoor pools (including a wave pool), the main attraction is inside. The entrance cost is similar to Szechenyi and the cabins operate in the same way. Gellért Baths used to be gender-separated so it’s kind of split into two parts, but these days all of the pools are accessible to anyone. In the middle you will find the large swimming pool with columns, balconies and a glass roof.

The same roof can be seen in some of the shots in the anime and while the balconies design is different, the overall structure highly resembles this particular pool.

Interestingly, Koi used both Szechenyi and Gellért as a reference even in the manga. In these two panels both Szechenyi dome and Gellért indoor pool are easily recognizable:

So that’s about it! I can highly recommend visiting Budapest as it has lots of other interesting things you can see. I actually saw a lot of Japanese tourists in Budapest, at least more than in Colmar or any other place I visited (except for Japan). And don’t worry about the language, I can’t speak a single word of Hungarian but I had a great time.

Now I think I visited pretty much every major location from the TV anime, however Dear My Sister OVA has added another place to the mix, the French town of Èze being Cocoa’s hometown. Maybe I’ll get there at some point...

#liveblog #gochiusa #gochuumon wa usagi desu ka?#is the order a rabbit?

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thecollegefootballguy · 5 years ago

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The Top 25 Teams of the Decade: #13 Michigan State

Hello everybody, we’re celebrating the arrival of the 2020′s by looking at the 25 best programs of the previous decade.

Here is the #13 team from the 2010′s:

Michigan State University Spartans

Record: 92-40 (.697) Division Titles: 3 Conference Titles: 3 Bowl Seasons: 9 Major Bowls: 3 Playoff/BCS Championship Berths: 1 Final Top 25 Finishes: 6 Final Top 10 Finishes: 3 Final Top 5 Finishes: 2 Best Season: 2013

Well, with the news of Mark Dantonio’s retirement, now’s as good a time as any to post this.

With all of the G5 teams out of the way, it’s time to really get down to brass tacks. We start by celebrating the Michigan State Spartans, who spent over half of the 2010′s punching well above their usual weight class.

Mark Dantonio spent the end of the 2000′s turning Michigan State into one of the best programs in the conference, but it wasn’t until 2010 that the Spartans really took off. MSU took advantage of a weak Big Ten and rocketed out to 8-0 with wins over Notre Dame and ranked Wisconsin and Michigan teams. Sparty climbed all the way to 5th in the AP Poll before losing 37-6 to Iowa, the first of the Hawkeyes’s high profile wins in Iowa City of the decade. Michigan State won out to finish 11-1 and in a three-way tie with the Badgers and Ohio State. The Buckeyes were the best of the group, but Wisconsin was selected for the Rose Bowl and OSU relegated to the Sugar Bowl. The Spartans were the odd-man out. The BCS only allowed two bids for the major bowls, so the Michigan State had to settle for the Capital One Bowl. They faced former head coach Nick Saban, another team that should have been in the BCS. Alabama obliterated the Spartans 49-7 to end a banner 11-2 season on a pretty dreadful note.

MSU remained a fixture in the Big Ten in 2011, though they dropped off the radar after an early loss to Notre Dame, but they found their stride in conference play, again with big wins over ranked Wisconsin and Michigan. Sparty rose up to 9th in the rankings before a loss to Nebraska gave Michigan State their only loss in conference play. The 10-2 Spartans met the 10-2 Badgers in a rematch in the first every Big Ten Championship Game. This time, Michigan State lost a 39-42 dogfight to once again lose out on the Rose Bowl. The Spartans beat Georgia in triple overtime in the Outback Bowl to climb up to their second 11-2 finish in a row.

MSU fell back to earth in 2012. They weren’t actually that much worse than they’d been in 2010 and 2011, but the close wins caught up to them and 2012 saw Sparty lose five games by less than a touchdown.

2013 was when Michigan State really took off. The Spartans were legitimately one of the best teams in the country. An early season loss to Notre Dame was all that came in the way between Michigan State and an undefeated regular season and a spot in the final BCS National Championship Game. QB Connor Cook led a stout offense and Dantonio’s regular beastly defense propelled the Spartans back to the Big Ten Championship. 10th ranked MSU beat undefeated #2 Ohio State in Indianapolis in a shocking 34-24 upset to finally earn their first Rose Bowl bid since 1988. They made the most of it. Facing one of the toughest Stanford teams ever, Sparty clawed their way to a 24-20 victory and reached the apex of the Dantonio era.

Michigan State picked up right where they left off, going 11-2 in 2014. The Spartans only lost to National Championship runners-up Oregon and Ohio State, the National Champions themselves. #7 Michigan State met #5 Baylor in the Cotton Bowl and beat the Bears 42-41 in a shootout.

The Spartans began 2015 ranked 5th in the nation, a huge vote of confidence from the national media which usually never put MSU too high in preseason rankings. Sparty acquitted themselves well, beating Oregon 31-28 to payback the Ducks for last year. Against rival Michigan, the Spartans won 27-23 in one of the most memorable finishes in the regular season with the “trouble with the snap” play to end the game. Michigan State went up to 8-0 before losing to Nebraska in Lincoln and putting them on the outside of the Playoff race. However, a shocking 17-14 upset of #2 Ohio State in Columbus put the Spartans right back in the picture. A win over undefeated Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game placed 12-1 Michigan State into the College Football Playoff as the #4 seed. MSU was pantsed by Alabama 38-0 in the Cotton Bowl. For all the success Dantonio brought to East Lansing, Sparty was never a true National Championship caliber team.

Runs of success that teams like Michigan State see end at some point, but the 2016 season was a real surprise. One of the most successful teams of the decade at that point, completely collapsed. The Spartans fell all the way down to 3-9, a ridiculous fall off. They still beat Notre Dame lol.

Michigan State bounced back in 2017, finishing 10-3 with a win over Penn State to destroy the Nittany Lions’ shot at the Playoff. It would turn out to be Dantonio’s last great effort. The Spartans went 7-6 in both 2018 and 2019 to close out the decade.

The 2010′s were easily MSU’s best run since the 1960′s. Dantonio’s stewardship of the program brought Sparty back into the national spotlight, though it fell off towards the end when Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan all really started to work themselves back into the top tier of the league. Most importantly, Michigan State went 6-4 against the Wolverines, though they were 2-4 against Notre Dame.

#college football #Michigan State Spartans

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gosovaw442 · 5 years ago

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March Madness 2020: TV schedule for NCAA Tournament

March Madness 2020: When is March Madness 2020? Selection Sunday date, time, TV schedule for NCAA Tournament bracket reveal The madness of March is nearly upon us with the unveiling of the 68-team March Madness bracket just around the corner.

There's chaos and drama every year, but the 2020 edition of the NCAA Tournament could be unlike any other in what has been a parity-driven season in college basketballBelow you will find all the details you need to know about the 2020 tournament, including a full schedule, tournament location list, Selection Sunday details, top 25 rankings and bracket projections.

DeCOURCY: Big Ten basketball facing unprecedented, unparalleled parity

When is March Madness 2020? First Four start: March 17 First round start: March 19 End date: Monday, April 6

The 2020 March Madness drama will get underway with play-in games in the First Four on Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18.

After the field is narrowed to 64 teams, first round action will take place the next two days on Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20, with 16 games both days.

Every March Madness game will be viewable on CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV as well as the March Madness app.When is Selection Sunday 2020? Date: Sunday, March 15 Time: 6 p.m. ET TV channel: TBS The 2020 March Madness selection show will be on TBS and available via live stream on the March Madness app and NCAA.com. The show will announce each of the 68 teams that have been selected to the tournament, in addition to dates, game locations, tipoff times and TV channels for the matchups. Greg Gumbel will handle the studio host duties as he unveils the bracket.

NCAA basketball top 25 rankings & standings Here is a look at the current AP top-25 rankings as of Monday, Feb. 3.NCAA Tournament bracket predictions SN's predictions and explanations for the top overall 16 seeds for 2020 March Madness are below. The teams are listed by region with each team's seed line to the left and overall 1-16 seed rank in parentheses.1. Baylor — The AP No. 1 team lost its second game of the season to Washington but has been perfect ever since, racking up wins over Kansas (away), Villanova (neutral) and Arizona and Butler (both home) in the process.

2. Kansas — The Jayhawks lead the nation in strength of schedule and are the only team with 10 Quad-I victories.

3. San Diego State — SDSU is the country's final undefeated squad and the country's NET leader, checking in with wins over Creighton, BYU and Iowa.

4. Gonzaga — With wins over Arizona and Oregon away from home, the Bulldogs should feel confident about their chances of landing another No. 1 seed.

5. Duke — The Stephen F. Austin loss hurts, but there's a serious case to be made about the Blue Devils' potential as a top seed with wins over Kansas and Michigan State away from home.

6. Louisville — Chris Mack's group might max out as a No. 2 seed, but that's a great spot to be in what figures to be a chaotic month of March. Cardinals have a win at Duke.

7. West Virginia — WVa's elite stretch of schedule (No. 4) and 10 combined Quad-I/II wins makes up for a lackluster 3-4 road record.

8. Dayton — The Flyers have yet to lose in regulation with overtime losses to Kansas and Colorado. There still isn't a top-30 NET win on the resume, though.

9. Seton Hall — Myles Powell's squad is flying high of late. The Pirates own a 12-5 record against Quad-I/II opponents this season, including wins over Maryland and at Butler.

10. Villanova — Another quality road win would be nice, as the Wildcats have just one NET top-50 road victory to date. The Kansas win and strength of schedule certainly help.

11. Florida State — If FSU can beat Duke or Louisville again, it would be a major boost to the Seminoles' resume. An additional top-tier win could solidify this group as a No. 2 seed.

12. Maryland — Trending up of late, the Terrapins are top-15 in both NET and strength of schedule and haven't suffered any losses outside Quad-I.

13. Butler — The Bulldogs seem to be back on course after losing four of six. Butler's team sheet is stacked with Quad-I wins that will pay dividends as the season progresses.

14. Oregon — Thanks to a loaded nonconference slate, Oregon has a strong strength of schedule and wins over likely tournament teams in Seton Hall, Houston, Michigan and Memphis.

15. Michigan State — Sparty has hit a rough patch recently and stands just 3-6 in Quad-I games. Advanced metrics should help keep this team within striking distance of a top-4 seed.

16. Auburn — Much like Dayton, the Tigers have a stellar record with not much meat on the resume. An underwhelming year in the SEC hasn't provided Auburn with many opportunities for quality victories.

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aestheticvoyage2019 · 6 years ago

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Day 309: Tuesday November 5th, 2019 - “Preseason #1″

MSU was the preseason #1 in basketball for the first time ever, and maybe they deserve that - but they wont hold it long! Hung the Spartan flag out front and wore my new “Green Hat” along with my cut above shirt from the final four run back in March and got ready for the Spartans to give me something to cheer about. They had a tough foe though - #1 vs #2 to start the season! The Kentucky Wildcats with their young stars lit up the night, and Sparty played from behind all night. They gutted out a couple comebacks to keep it close by this stud Maxey put a dagger in them with a deep 3 at the end, and the Green-N-White start the year 0-1. Will be fun to see where they finish though. They got all the pieces, especially with Winston coming back.

Song: Jamey Johnson - Four Walls of Raiford

Quote: “I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.” ― Bruce Lee

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aestheticvoyage2025 · 3 months ago

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Day 88: Sunday March 30, 2025 - "In and Out"

15 minutes ago the basketball season ended - not with excitement, but with a few hours of hopeful anxiety that never amounted to anything and then it was over. Im sure I'll watch the press conference interviews and find some comfort in whatever Izzo says about team and love and what its all for. Its all gentleman's practice - seeing how he leads and weaves through heartbreak. Tonight I'll watch Friday Night Lights maybe and wonder if thats the story thats being told here - about how dominant they'll be next year and how they were able to win because they lost. How in this crazy world, the one thats still doing it old school can be successful, by being different. How they can be even better if they stay together and build a legacy around that. Those who stay will be champions; we keep hoping. Its something to hang it all on to get over it and I can find some hope in that, as I hum the alma mater and whimper one last go green go white as the clock runs out. I suppose CBS did me a favor by not showing them cut down the nets, and I dont have to look it up later either. Ive seen our guys do it enough times and I really only need to see that if they are wearing green and white. I woke up feeling like they'd lose and was in a bad mood from the opening bell. The mojo was just never right and every time they chipped away, they'd fall right back. Can't win a basketball game with two steps forward and two.5 steps back. Very poorly officiated, yes, but with the home crowd too, there was just too much to overcome, including some late game theatrics from the sports gods and the #1 overall seed. When you know you're beat, you know. Ive seen enough sports to know - Auburn was a buzzsaw today. War Eagle, just too much. My bracket was busted with about 8 minutes to go and I felt like a terrible fan for not believing and for saying it out loud, and giving up on the vim, but that "trouble with the snap" vibe was never there. I can get on with it now, in the early afternoon, knowing I'll remember this day, just as much as I remember the one at my Uncle Dave's house in Lansing in 1999 when they lost to Duke (the infamous one where the couches burned) knowing that the next year, they ran it back - and I can be grateful for the year then that they got it in 2000, back when I was a freshman in college, 25 years ago. Its one of the few team championships that I've experienced and really relished... up there with the Blues winning the cup, Magglio's walk off, that 4th down STUFF in the Rose Bowl, Freeze's 11th inning homer and "see you tomorrow night" and that time we destroyed Hope for a ring. Maybe theres a heat in the freezing today that I'll look back on, but for now Im a little buzzed and broken after a game that Sparty never led and played from behind until the very end. I had so much hope for this team that I picked them in my bracket, a long time no-no.... Ironic that they lost by less than 8, because for 2 hours today, we couldn't get over that hump. No bit of tossing the margarita ball, or the green pickle plate, or magic hits could break the voodoo. Auburn was just too damn good, at home, and they won the weekend. Sparty goes packing again this season, it will be six months before they're doing it again and the expectations will be sky high knowing that for all the GD in and outs, this game could have just as easily gone our way, if it was meant to. And I can tell, it wasn't meant to. I trust that. Its all part of the story. And today, I hung on every page, hoping for it to go the way I wanted - - - fully understanding that the world don't work like that. A good story comes from a good character overcoming conflict to get what they want. I hope so - because this has all the makings of that great story where Spartan legends are made.

Song: King Marino - Final Round

Quote: "It turns out that the deepest gifts are right next to the deepest wounds. So if we take the ideas of rite of passage or initiation, when the person is going through the rite of passage, what is supposed to happen is a more conscious awareness of the wounds and the gifts. And then the process would involve healing of the wounds and awakening of the gifts and purpose of the person. So both things are supposed to happen. And then each time there's a need for another rebirth, or another initiatory experience, or a crisis brings it on. Both things are supposed to happen again. The road of meaning, purpose, realization and spiritual fulfillment is made by repeatedly opening the wounds and finding healing. And at the same time, becoming more conscious of the style of one's life, of the aims of one's life and of the gifts that were given to the person and intended to be given to the world." ~Michael Meade

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gunnygazette-blog · 2 years ago

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Qrtr Final – Game #2

(10) #15 Mee-ah-Mee Raid (5-5, 2-0) @ (2) #2 Waskily-Weasels (10-0, 1-0)

Well...well...the third match-up of the season for these two… Previously the Weasels won in week #4 34-28...and than again...barely... in week #10...20-19… It is tough to beat a team three times in one season...and this really is the only one that counts… Last week the Offensive Skunk Bears hung on for a one point game...as their #5-ranked O that averages 34.6ppg did what they were expected to… Defensively their #13-ranked defense who allow 15.9ppg did little to stop the Sparties… The “We are different from last year” is till the same…still in need of D-Tackles… The Raid were put on the ropes...got lucky...capitalized...then hung on for the win...downing the Sorry-ass-Former Champs… Here is a team that has built a reputation for big play-off upsets...as Streak Killers...ending the Horned-ones reign in 2018...short of a 3-peat...the Glads reign in 2022...short of 4-peat...and the the Now Former EAFL champs this year… But they are King Killers...never the King… The Silver-n-Black #11-ranked offense (24.2ppg) will have to make the most of their opportunities...and this week they will have a chance to do some damage on the ground… The real weight of this game will fall on the shoulders of the #6-ranked defense (14.3ppg)…to change their 3-6 record...including snapping a three game losing streak against these same Skunk Bears… They will have their chances...but the Algorithm says ...these are not kings...and Mee-ah-mee...being Mee-ah-mee...will do something stupid to cost the game...31-21...Weasels…. Me...Luck runs out...and Kharma for having the most obnoxious fans in the league always comes home to roost...but I am not confident the Weasels are that team...

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famu720 · 3 years ago

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NCAA 🏈 Friday 🌃 finals week 1: IU 23 Illinois 20 ODU 20 gobbles 17 Dook 30 🦉 0 Holy Cross 41 Merrimac 17 KU 56 Tennessee tech 10 W&M 41uncc 24 Sparty 35 WMU 13 EMU 42 EKY 34 Nova 😺 45 Lehigh 17 (at Laurens, South Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/CiCGl3GOV6W/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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prettynpinkva · 3 years ago

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4 Benefits Of Hiring A Mobile Spa Party For Your Little One

Have you ever tried to get your child to go to a spa? If you have, you know how time-consuming it is. But, it doesn't need to be that way. When you hire a mobile spa party for your young one, you'll see how easy it is to make them happy.

Here are four benefits of hiring a mobile spa party for your young one:

1. Quick Setup And Cleanup

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2. No Mess At Home

If you think Mobile Spa Parties For Girls can be messy, you may be mistaken. There's no mess left behind with a mobile spa at your house. As experienced beauticians do the procedure, they ensure that you are satisfied with the services. They also do the cleanup if something is littered on the floor.

3. Convenient Location Options

Mobile spas can be set up anywhere. You can have it set up at home or in a public park. If you don't have the space to organize a Mobile Spa Party at your place, there is no better place than a nearby park. The best part is that your daughter can call her friends, and they can have a group spa session.

4. More Personalized

They will enjoy the mobile spa experience more than if you went to one of those big spas. Prominent spa places don't concentrate on a person as they are always in a hurry to finish the job. If you want to organize a birthday spa party, you can call a mobile spa company. Hiring a mobile spa party is usually cheaper than renting out a venue and inviting all their friends over. It lets you save money while giving your child an exciting birthday celebration that they won't forget anytime soon!

Final Words

If you're seeking a fun party idea for your young one, you might consider hiring a mobile spa party. It's a nice way to give your child the chance to get pampered and spend some time with friends.

#mobile spa party #Mobile Spa Parties For Girls

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grailfinders · 5 years ago

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Fate and Phantasms #50: Spartacus

Today on Fate and Phantasms, we’re going on a glorious quest to destroy oppressors with Spartacus! He’s a Barbarian/Paladin combo who fits a very unusual combat niche, right where “Too tough to kill without using your best stuff”, “Too weak to justify using your best stuff”, and “Too annoying to not kill” meet. Sparty runs around grappling and pinning more damaging combatants, not doing much in the way of real fighting, right up until the DM stops paying attention to you. Then you explode.

Check out the level-by-level breakdown below the cut, or the summary of the build over here.

Race and Background

Spartacus’ build isn’t “balanced”, and we really need the feat, so he’ll be a Variant Human. This gives him +1 Constitution and +1 Charisma, because odd numbers make me queasy. He also gets proficiency in Survival, because leading an army around the roman countryside for three years is hard if they can’t eat, and the Grappler feat. You have advantage on attacks against creatures you’re grappling, and you can pin them by double grappling them, restraining both of you until the grapple ends. Spartacus likes giving people hugs. It’s not his fault their spines aren’t strong enough to handle them.

Spartacus obviously has the Noble background- jk, of course he has the Gladiator background, giving him proficiency in Acrobatics and Performance.

Stats

Your highest stat is going to be Constitution. Spartacus is the second hardest berserker to kill off, and #1 is literally a god. Strength is second, his muscles aren’t just for show. Third is going to be Charisma; you’ve been in leadership positions before, and you’ve got a winning smile. Your Dexterity is a little low-you don’t get out of the way of stuff. Stuff gets out your way. Fifth is Intelligence. You can talk, but you don’t have much to really say. Finally, dump Wisdom. Madness Enhancement, berserkers... you probably get it by this point.

Class Levels

1. Barbarian 1: Starting off as a barbarian gives you proficiency in Strength and Constitution saves, as well as Athletics and Intimidation. The gladiator background probably should have had athletics, but whatever, you still got it.

First level barbarians can Rage, getting a whole bunch of strength based goodies in exchange for not using magic for a minute, or as long as you can keep hitting people, and as long as you’re not wearing heavy armor. To help with that, you have Unarmored Defense, making your AC with no armor based on your Constitution and Dexterity. When you told the oppressors to break their swords on your skin, you meant it. Not yet though, real armor is still a lot better for your. As a side note, I’m not sure what AC a metal diaper/fetish gear comes in at, but it’s probably some kind of medium armor.

For your weapon, we’re going with a Shortsword. Your muscles are big, your sword is not. (Also lets us keep a hand open for grapples and other neat stuff later in the build.)

2. Barbarian 2: Your Reckless Attack gives you advantage on this turn in exchange for giving enemies advantage until your next turn. You typically just run into wherever the oppressors are, so yeah, you’re a little reckless. You also have Danger Sense, giving you advantage on dex saves against things you can see, like traps and spells. That’s not going to help much with your dexterity score, but it’s a nice though.

3. Barbarian 3: Third level barbarians set down their primal path, and you become a Berserker! When you do, you can Frenzy instead of rage, letting you use your bonus action each turn to make another melee attack. At the end of your frenzy, you take one level of exhaustion. Like I said in the Lu Bu build, this is objectively terrible. Unlike Lu Bu however, you’re not getting any skills to replace this, and it is pretty in character for you, so.... just try to be careful with it.

4. Barbarian 4: At fourth level you get your first ASI, which is going straight into Strength. I hope you like having 16 strength, because that’s all we’re getting this build.

5. Barbarian 5: Fifth level barbarians get an Extra Attack, letting you attack twice per action, or three times per round with your Frenzy. You also get Fast Movement, adding 10′ of movement to your speed if you’re not wearing heavy armor.

6. Barbarian 6: Sixth level berserkers can go into a Mindless Rage, making you immune to the charmed and frightened effects while raging, and suspending any such effects you already have until your rage subsides. Ironically, controlling Spartacus’s mind just makes him more likely to hit you.

7. Paladin 1: Now that your mind is safe, let’s get some real firepower. Gods aren’t your cup of tea, but blind fanaticism and blowing people up with charged energy. 100% Spartacus. First level paladins get a Divine Sense, letting you spend an action to locate any celestial, fiendish, or undead oppressors who are within 60′ of you a couple of times per long rest. Fiends steal people’s souls, that’s oppression. Gods make you do stuff you don’t want to, that’s oppression. The undead are gross, that’s probably oppression.

You also get Lay on Hands, giving you a pool of HP to can hand out as an action equal to five times your paladin level. This is mostly your healing factor while raging, but if you want to break character for a bit and heal other people, I won’t tell.

8. Paladin 2: Second level paladins get a Fighting Style. Unarmed Fighting from UA Class Feature Variants lets your fists deal 1d6 damage, or 1d8 if both hands are free. The real reason we’re taking it though is because now when you start a grapple, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage immediately, and you deal another 1d4 with each attack you make while grappling. Spartacus isn’t that hard of a hitter most of the time, so every bit helps.

Paladins also get Spells at this level, and more importantly they get Divine Smite. When you hit a creature, you can burn a spell slot to add 2d8 radiant damage to the attack. Add 1d8 for each level above 1 the slot you used is, and add another d8 if the enemy is a fiend or undead. Technically you’re supposed to get this power from getting hit, but somehow I don’t think that will be an issue for you.

Your paladin spells are based on your Charisma, but we’re mostly here for buffs, so your score doesn’t matter that much. Cure Wounds and Heroism are more ways to sub in your healing factor, as long as you aren’t raging.

9. Paladin 3: Third level paladins take a Sacred Oath for their subclass. The Oath of Glory from the sunny shores of Theros is a perfect fit for a musclehead such as yourself. They get two Channel Divinity options: Peerless Athlete is a bonus action that gives you 10 minutes of advantage on Acrobatics and Athletics checks, doubles your carrying capacity, and adds 10′ to your long and high jumps. You may not be as strong as Heracles, but this will certainly help keep him pinned. Inspiring Smite lets you divvy up 2d8+your paladin level temporary hit points to nearby friendly creatures after you hit something with a divine smite. Spartacus can have a little healing, as a treat.

Glory paladins also get oath spells at this level. We’ve already talked about Heroism, and Guiding Bolt doesn’t really fit this build, so... moving on.

10. Paladin 4: Hitting fourth level in another class gives you another ASI, which is going straight into Constitution. We’re in the paladin class for buffs, and buffs require concentration. We’re also giving you an ungodly amount of HP, so this is a two birds one stone situation.

11. Paladin 5: Fifth level paladins get a feature we already have and 2nd level spells. Enhance Ability makes you especially powerful in one ability check of your choice for up to an hour with concentration. The strength option also doubles your carrying capacity, constitution gives you some temporary HP, and dexterity cushions your fall a bit. (You could also use it on mental saves, but... why?) Magic Weapon turns your weapon magic, and gives it a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls, for again, an hour with concentration. A lot of high level oppressors resist nonmagical attacks, so this will be useful.

12. Barbarian 7: Now that we’re done getting our explosions ready, we can return to the barbarian class. Seventh level barbarians have a Feral Instinct, giving you advantage on initiative rolls. You can also negate being surprised by raging at the start of combat. Normally this would be a no brainer, but you’ve got some magical effects that might come in handy in certain encounters.

I know, I wasn’t expecting Spartacus to be the thinking man’s berserker either.

13. Barbarian 8: Another ASI, let’s max out your Constitution for the best saves and the most health. Remember: this applies to your health retroactively as well. You’re not gaining 1 HP here, you’re getting 1 for each level.

14. Barbarian 9: Your Brutal Critical lets you add another damage die to your attack when you deal a critical hit. A shortsword only comes with d6s, but damage is damage.

15. Barbarian 10: Tenth level berserkers have an Intimidating Presence. Your winning smile might not win you any beauty pageants, but terrifying the oppressors is a good second place.

You can use your action to frighten a creature, who has to make a wisdom save equal to your paladin spell save DC. If they fail, they’re frightened of you until the end of your next turn. However, you can use your action to extend the fear by another turn, without a save. It also ends if they end their turn without you in sight, or they end their turn more than 60′ away from you, but nothing’s perfect.

If they succeed, you can’t frighten them again this way for 24 hours.

16. Barbarian 11: Your Relentless Rage lets you keep fighting after death. Maybe. When you drop to 0 hp while raging, you can make a DC 10 constitution save, and if you succeed, drop to 1 hp instead. Each time you succeed, the DC goes up by 5. Finishing any rest resets the DC. You have huge guts, so now it’s time to put them to use.

17. Barbarian 12: Use your last ASI to grab the Tough feat for 34 HP now and 2 more every time you level up. If you’re not able to take a Meteor Swarm on the chin and keep on trucking, can you really call yourself Spartacus?

18. Barbarian 13: Your Brutal Critical improves, and now you add two dice to your critical hits. Again, not huge but appreciated.

19. Barbarian 14: The last goody from the berserker subclass is Retaliation, letting you react when a creature within 5′ of you hurts you to hurt them right back. Being a human wobbuffet is Spartacus’ entire deal, and now you can do exactly that.

20. Barbarian 15: Your capstone feature is Persistent Rage, meaning your rages now only end when you want them to.

Pros:

You have All The Health. Nearly 300 hp, plus plenty of healing and temporary hp, plus damage reduction from rages. This is about as much health as you could possibly squeeze out of a build bar going full barbarian or powergaming as a barbarian/druid.

You also have multiple ways to heal yourself without using spells, meaning you’ll be able to rage without having to bother your healer too much.

Smites + on demand advantage = a lot of damage, fast. Grab an annoying spellcaster and start whaling on them until 20s pop out.

Enhance ability and your Channel Divinity options let you quadruple your carrying capacity for some silly power. If somebody’s moving house, you could probably move their house, literally.

Cons:

Your damage without smites is rather lacking. Keeping a hand open for grapples and spells means you’re not holding any heavy weapons, so your brutal criticals are somewhat wasted.

A lot of your damage and advantage comes from grappling, so fast and flying enemies can be an issue. You can use a reckless attack for the same amount of advantage without having to grapple, but you’re here for a long time, not a good one.

Finally, rages and spells don’t mix. You’ll have to weigh out your options and -urgh- think about what the situation’s like before you give in to your rage.

Just grab whoever’s oppressing your party the most, don’t let go until they stop moving, and everything will work out somehow.

Next up: It’s time to get Golden, baby!

#dnd 5e #Fate Grand Order #fgo #spartacus #Fate and Phantasms

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