#ben solo big energy

[blood-stained-lollipop]

the pastas if they had a normal life

BEN- Gamer boy who lives in his parent's basement. You saw it coming. Ben would literally spend his days living off energy drinks and chips. Brags about his game collection even though he doesn’t have a job. He doesn’t care that he doesn’t have a job, but he should.

Jeff- He never moved on from the emo renaissance. He has posters of MCR and other emo bands up on his walls. They’re chipped and wilted, but he’ll be dead before they get taken down. Definitely uses a pair of broken wired earphones because he thinks he’s too cool for AirPods.

Eyeless Jack-Jack would be the most pretentious male manipulator sorry. Donna Tartt would have a field day with him. He exclusively only listens to music from the 80s and mansplains everything. He is intelligent though, and he dresses immaculately. 

Toby- That friend who has never been calm in their life. One second he’s at home, then the next he’s in Portugal on a solo holiday. Should not be allowed a bank account. Always the life of the party. People wonder how he’s still alive. 

Helen- Weird art kid. Spends all of his time in his room, either playing piano or painting. He thinks he’s destined to be the next Picasso. Has good grades and big dreams, but no friends to tell them to. 

Liu- Probably the most normal. Good grades, decent social life. He’s not popular, but he’s not a loner. Kind of mainstream. Always drinking coffee, probably works like two jobs. Has connections everywhere. 

Jane- She walks down the street and like 90% of heads turn to look at her. Quiet, but not shy. Has a small group of friends, but feels like none of them know her. Probably has a glass of red wine every Saturday night. Has a cat. 

Nina- The town's bravest girl solely because she’s single-handedly bringing back scene-core. Doesn’t care that people give her weird looks on public transport. Makes kandi bracelets and gives them out to strangers. Literally SO sweet and for what. 

Clockwork- No one wants to get on her bad side. She has like two friends but she loves them with all her heart. Doesn’t give a fuck about grades. She probably works out a lot but never drinks water. Lives alone. 

[raisedbythetv89]

People thinking adam driver is super serious and intense meanwhile this is adam with a DEATH GRIP on his wife because he was already at and award show, which he hates because he’s such an introvert and hates attention, and a camera was suddenly in his face taking his picture when he’s been doing this now for like 15 years 😹😹😹😹

He is EXUDING terrified kitty energy just:

Him on his way to do press like:

Meanwhile his wife is basically exuding these vibes like don’t worry baby girl I got you lol

I am CACKLING he is such a large and impressive physical presence but he is SO SHY and socially anxious and it is ADORABLE it’s like a giant dog who’s aware of how big he is in a too small space and he’s not sure what to do with himself 😭 one time he was on seth myers show talking about what projects he might want to do next and he realized he was sort of sounding like he didn’t want to work and he literally said to seth HELP ME 😹😹 like I can’t get out of the word corner I painted myself into save meeee

He basically is Kylo Ren/Ben Solo - super intimidating and scary appearance actually a very sweet baby girl who needs his emotional support wife and would do anything for her 😹

[caxycreations]

Not my usual content but I need to get this out

Looooong post, read at your own risk. Danny Phantom vs Goku, DP vs Ben 10, and DP vs....Sun Wukong. Analyzing powers/abilities and weaknesses, and considering battle methods and circumstances of combat.

Danny Phantom solos everything. I don't mean "everything but goku" or "everything but ben 10", I mean -everything-

I'm gonna go over the big 3 fictional beings of ungodly power and explain how Danny bulldozes them all. Starting with everyone's favorite anime badass: Goku.

But before we go over anyone else, let's cover Danny's powerset:

Hybrid Physiology (immune to ghost-specific things in human form, immune to human-specific things in ghost form, vulnerable to certain things in both forms)

Super strength (easily lifted a 12-ton school bus)

Super speed (circled the earth easily in a VERY short time)

Super durability (Sustained damage from a being of god-like power and kept fighting in ghost form. Human form is incredibly durable as well, but only a fraction as durable as ghost form)

Super agility (Can perform acrobatic feats beyond the skill of the most experienced professionals in ghost form)

Super reflexes (is able to dodge ectoplasm blasts from other ghosts with ease, and caught an arrow fired at him with his bare hands near-effortlessly)

Super stamina (can function at absolute peak capacity for hours before becoming tired)

Supernatural Equilibrium (it's impossible to throw him off-balance. Either due to his flight or his agility, his equilibrium is incapable of being off)

Flight (or more accurately, gravity has no effect on his ghost form, allowing him to move freely through space)

Super regeneration (has reformed his entire body from a puddle of goo, survived severe punctures and slashes, and in ghost form can survive even more serious damage such as being bisected or large punctures due to ectoplasmic biology)

Transformation (Can switch between ghost and human forms at will)

Intangibility (incapable of physical contact, phasing through any and all solid matter. He can spread this to anyone or anything he is making contact with, allowing him to manipulate other intangible objects)

Invisibility (Can become undetectable by any and all visual senses/sensors, including but not limited to eyes, cameras, bioscans, etc. He is still visible on infrared, however.)

Interstellar Travel (has been shown to move through outer space at CONSIDERABLY HIGH speed without any aid, meaning his ghost form does not require oxygen and can survive, and navigate with ease, in the vacuum of space without special equipment)

Ghost Rays (can be manipulated into any shape/form and fired as a projectile, beam, or wave. Can be fired from ANY part of his body, not just extremities. Has been shown to be hot enough to melt steel, and often explodes on contact, and are powerful enough to destroy Ghosts [which are by nature supernaturally difficult to destroy] molecule by molecule)

Ecto-Energy Manipulation (Can channel the energy of his Ghost Rays into specific parts of his body to empower them greatly, allowing him to strike exponentially harder or use his hands/feet as blades to cleave through his target. Has been shown to be capable of easily piercing/slicing through steel)

Ecto-Energy Constructs (can form nearly anything he can think of by channeling his ghost ray energy into solid forms. Has been shown to form rings, discs, and shields which can either reflect or nullify energy attacks depending on what Danny wants)

Power Absorption (Can absorb powers and energy through his ghost shield, allowing him to use his enemy's abilities for a time, or to channel the energy of their attack into his own abilities)

Electrokinesis (can generate and manipulate electricity, as shown when he used it to charge the Fenton Thermos, and a few other times throughout the series. Often used as a Ghost Stinger)

Thermokinesis (Can generate exceedingly high temperatures, making anything he is touching as hot as he wishes)

Cryokinesis (Can generate exceedingly low temperatures, and generate ice at will. He can fire blasts of ice or solid ice constructs at will)

Pyrokinesis (Can generate ghostly fire to use as projectiles)

Aerokinesis (When split into two versions of himself, one was able to generate wind to cause his cape and hair to constantly flow as if there was wind even when in environments completely lacking in it)

Temperature Resistance (Due to thermokinesis and cryokinesis, Danny is EXTREMELY resistant, or even immune, to exeedingly high AND low temperatures. For fairness we will assume immune, as the vacuum of space had no impact on him at all)

Photokinesis (Can generate light from his hands at will)

Ghostly Wail (an incredibly powerful sonic wail capable of demolishing buildings, destroy many ghosts at once, and has a wide range while covering great distance)

Telekinesis (Can manipulate ecto-energy at a distance, allowing him to move objects with it. By extension, he is able to turn them invisible, intangible, or even restore them to pristine condition at will by channeling his powers into the energy surrounding the object or person)

Time Travel (through the use of the in-fi map and/or the time medallion, Danny is capable of traveling to any point in time he wishes and to any place he desires)

Overshadowing (Can take control of another person's body, manipulating them from within. Won't work without perfect concentration, or against those with strong wills)

Duplication (Can create copies of himself. His copies retain all of his powers and abilities, INCLUDING Duplication. However, if they collide together hard enough they do automatically fuse back together)

Spectral Body Manipulation (Can manipulate his body in all manner of ways, from stretching, growing and shrinking, bending and twisting beyond physical limitations, and creating holes in his body to allow projectiles to pass through, all the way to completely severing parts of his body from each other and reconnecting them at will)

Void Generation (Can draw all light into himself, leaving a room in complete and total darkness. He is able to see in this darkness with no difficulty)

Self-sustenance (Can survive indefinitely in environments with no source of food, water, or oxygen, by utilizing his ghost form. Ghost form Danny does not require food, water, or oxygen)

Rapid Learner (Has been shown to learn new abilities quickly after seeing them done, even without training, such as using the ghost shield mere hours after seeing Vlad do it for the first time, or obtaining the Ghostly Wail power ten years earlier than Dark Danny simply due to seeing Dark Danny perform it)

Indomitable Will (Immune to weaker forms of control, resistant to more powerful forms)

Skilled Tactician (able to quickly assess a situation and, in the heat of battle, plan out the most effective way to handle it)

Experienced combatant (has been facing near-indestructible enemies since he was 14, on a near-daily basis, as well as enemies as powerful or more powerful than himself. For this we'll assume it takes place just after the end of the series, giving him 2 years of experience, with an average of 2 battles per day [assuming most are smaller, weaker ghosts] to be safe given the frequency of the portals acting up)

Skilled marksman (landed a shot on medusa with his eyes closed, and has incredible precision with his ghost rays)

Emotional Empowerment (His powers are influenced, or even generated by, his emotions as shown when his ghost rays fired of their own accord out of fear at Desiree and when he manifested the Ghostly Wail for the first time in a fit of rage. His existing powers gain strength from potent emotion, and at times entirely new powers come into being due to strong emotion as well)

Technomancy (has been shown to be capable of Overshadowing technology and insert himself into it, either controlling it or becoming part of it at will)

And Danny's weaknesses:

All anti-ghost tech (in ghost form, these work exactly as intended on him, in human form they may detect him as a ghost but have very limited or even no effect on him)

Blood Blossoms (red flowers with innate anti-supernatural properties. They cause him extreme agony and leave him devoid of all ghostly powers)

Ecto-ranium (rare element with anti-ghost properties. Ghosts making contact with it feel extreme pain, and it is assumed colliding with it hard enough would destroy them)

Goku

Goku's powerset includes:

Energy Manipulation

Transformative Power Increase

Energy Sense

Super strength (on a cosmic scale)

Super speed (faster than light)

Super regeneration (healed from an energy blast to the heart in seconds due to transformation)

Hyper-acute senses (sight and smell honed to peak levels)

Hyperperception (can perceive and think at the same speed his body can move at

Zenkai Boost (exponential power increase on near-death survival)

Divine State (Mastered Ultra Instinct makes him near-impossible to hit)

Unbreakable Will (immune to all forms of psychic manipulation)

Mental Image Training (able to visualize and telekinetically connect with others for mental training, allowing him a mindscape in which to act)

Skilled Tactician (able to quickly assess a situation and, in the heat of battle, plan out the most effective way to handle it)

Experienced Combatant (Has been training and fighting consistently for decades, with his body being 39-40, and his mind being ~43 due to time spent dead. He trains near-constantly, and has decades of battle experience to draw on, including from time spent dead)

Skilled Marksman (has incredible precision with his energy attacks and melee strikes, even as accurate as to strike specific pressure points in the heat of battle)

Master martial artist (has trained with several masters in various fighting styles and techniques, leaving him with a wealth of methods to draw on)

Emotional empowerment (his strength, ki, and tenacity increase exponentially with emotion, granting him massive power increases in times of great emotion)

Ki Armor (Can use his ki like a protective layer around him, preventing attacks that would normally harm or kill him from making so much as a scuff mark)

And Goku's weaknesses include:

Limited Energy (can sustain Super Saiyan 1 and 2 indefinitely, but 3 and onward have increasingly heavy limitations to match their increasing level of power)

Cannot survive a vacuum

Vulnerable to exceedingly high/low temperatures (can survive contact with lava, but still retains an upper limit to how hot or cold he can handle)

To make this fair we'll put Danny at his absolute peak, and account for Goku being at HIS absolute peak (his strongest form, Mastered Ultra Instinct)

Goku loves to build up to the big moment, so we KNOW he would start in base. He would...pretty quickly realize Danny doesn't quite know how to "start small". Danny has never known a fight against a powerful opponent that WASN'T for his life. Er...lack of life? ....Half-life? Half-life 2: Fenton Boogaloo? He would be fighting for his life on instinct. Goku's base form is very powerful, but in Super it's mentioned by Beerus during the Battle of Gods arc that base form Goku STILL isn't strong enough to have killed Freeza. By the Moro arc this may have changed, so we'll assume base-form Goku is at least on-par with 100% Power Freeza.

Danny may not be as fast (which is going to be the real difficulty in fighting Goku) but he has something else going for him: he can fight at max power for HOURS without feeling the effects. By comparison, Goku can fight for hours in base form, Super Saiyan, and Super Saiyan 2. However, Super Saiyan 3 has a noticeable energy drain, and limits him to several minutes. This may have changed by the end of the Moro arc, so we'll assume SSJ3 can be used consistently for an hour before he's too weak to use it. Super Saiyan God is even more limited, with mere minutes before it's drained. Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan (also known as Super Saiyan Blue) is further limited, and finally Mastered Ultra Instinct is more limited than that.

But despite all of Goku's powers and abilities, Danny has one simple set of powers that may win him the fight with ease. Goku is not used to fighting an opponent that can phase through his entire arsenal of attacks, and through him as well. Danny may be slower, but if Goku comes in close for a melee fight, Danny has a simple trick to win. Intangibility, invisibility. Turn invisible either partially (his arm+hand) or entirely (his whole body) and phase into Goku, pulling his organs with him as he phases out. Danny would, in character, never do something so brutal but it's not exactly in-character for these two to fight each other either, is it? Character personality has no place here. Only raw combat comparison. Goku does have ki sense, so invisibility may not be a true trump card, but he would only know where Danny is, not his exact movements. And assuming it became a battle of range, Danny's ecto-shield makes the fight entirely pointless, either redirecting, nullifying, or outright absorbing Goku's attacks. Ultimately, Danny has more endurance, greater durability, and his powerset makes him a major threat to all purely biological lifeforms thanks to his ability to simply fly through them and remove organs as he pleases. Goku does not have an answer (that I'm aware of) for an opponent like Danny. BY ALL MEANS CORRECT ME, THIS IS MY THOUGHTS AND I AM ABSOLUTELY DOWN FOR DISCUSSION! Change my mind, I want you to!

Conclusion: Goku can't defeat an opponent he can't touch, and he has no way of stopping Danny from using intangibility to remove critical organs. Even with transformations offering higher durability and faster healing, nothing will save him from the loss of his lungs. Danny, on the other hand, can survive being turned into a puddle, being bisected, punctured, and many other "fatal" injuries due to his ectobiology. It would either be a very short-lived fight with Danny holding Goku's lungs/heart in his hands, or a very long drawn out battle with Danny winning on endurance.

Ben 10

We'll assume Ben is unlimited in his access to the functions of the Omnitrix.

Ben 10's powers and abilities

Alien Forms (countless forms specialized for a wide variety of environments and situations)

Omnitrix Failsafe (instantly turns him into the alien most perfectly suited for surviving his current situation if he is dealt a fatal blow or in danger of dying)

Instantaneous transformation (his transformations happen instantaneously, and do not take time to occur)

Brilliant Tactician (Can assess a situation and form a plan to deal with it effectively and easily)

Universal Destruction (When the Failsafe fails, in the event of Ben's death the watch is set to self-destruct in an explosive manner powerful enough to destroy the universe)

Mental link to the Omnitrix (Can swap to/between alien forms with a thought)

Genetic scan (Can scan the biology of any living species and generate the peak physical example of that species, adding it to the arsenal of beings the watch can access)

Genetic Perfecting (Can simulate millions of years of the harshest conditions to turn a sample of a species into the most combative apex evolutions of themselves, creating more powerful versions of the samples already in the watch)

Innate Understanding (the watch grants ben full knowledge of every ability his new form is able to use, and how to use it, upon transformation)

Indomitable will (willing to die for his universe, unbreakable sense of self, mind is unwaveringly strong)

Ben's Weaknesses

Human reaction time (until he transforms, he is limited to human thought speed and human reflexes)

Watch cannot simulate time or experience (he is limited to the experience he has with a form, and will only be able to use abilities an "adult" specimen would be able to use, so species with abilities that come in old age will be unavailable)

This one is tricky. Are Ghosts a species, or a state of being? Is Danny a genetic hybrid, or a being between life and death? We'll look to the canon of the show for that answer: Ghosts are a species AND a state of being. Some ghosts (Desiree, Poindexter, and Ember as examples) were once human and, upon death, became spirits in the Ghost Zone with powers reflecting aspects of their human lives. Meanwhile, other ghosts (such as Clockwork, Undergrowth, and Nocturn) were never human and are extra-dimensional beings that have never existed as humans. Danny is unique: He is both Ghost AND Human. There are fan jokes that he's a corpse possessed by his own ghost, but the canon of the show states that he is a human whose DNA has been combined with ectoplasm, resulting in a Halfa. It's also been stated by the creators that Halfas are so rare because not everyone exposed the way Danny and Vlad were can become Halfas: most simply die. Danny and Vlad's DNA simply mixed perfectly with the ecto-energy. Now with that established, we come to this conclusion: the omnitrix CAN scan Danny, and it CAN add "Halfa" to it's arsenal. It would NOT be able to add Ghost to the list because Danny is, biologically, NOT a ghost. Regardless of which form it scans him in, it would get Halfa DNA because Halfa DNA is different from Ghost DNA.

However, Ben would NOT have a large list of powers to draw on. As most Ghosts have varying powers, Ben's Halfa form would have the typical ones (intangibility,spectral body manipulation, flight, invisibility, telekinesis, ghost rays, etc) but there's one fact to consider: the omnitrix cannot simulate experience, and Danny has more of it.

Halfas gain new powers, and their current powers grow in strength, with EXPERIENCE, not age. The omnitrix cannot simulate that. It could create an Ultimate Halfa (which may have more powers and much stronger base powers) but it would not give it the powers that only come with experience. He would not have the Ghostly Wail, the Technomancy, the Duplication, or any of the other powers that are born from experience and powerful emotion. The watch can't give those by default: only experience and circumstance can. And we've seen Danny manipulate other intangible things, meaning even intangible, Ben would not be safe from Danny's physical attacks. Now for the fight...

The failsafe is instant, which means if Danny tried the trick he used to beat Goku (intangible, grab lungs, pull, profit), Ben would simply be transformed into an alien that either heals fast enough to survive it OR he would be transformed into a species that does not adhere to typical biology (Ghostfreak, Alien X, Upgrade, etc) So Danny couldn't simply kill Ben, it wouldn't be that easy. Even if it were, Alien X makes it effectively impossible. This, my friends, is where Danny's Technomancy comes in. No matter what form Ben is in, no matter if he scans Danny or not, the omnitrix is ever-present as a mechanical device on his person. Danny can Overshadow people AND technology, and while Ben may be immune to Overshadowing due to his unbendable will, the omnitrix is not. Danny, upon Overshadowing the omnitrix (again, regardless of Bens' current form) could unbond it from Ben, leaving him entirely human and completely vulnerable. And given none of Ben's forms have the ability to see true invisibility like Danny's (save for those with infrared vision) he would never even know Danny was up to anything until it already happened. At that point it's as simple a matter as the Goku trick, or even simpler, a ghost ray to Ben's head or chest, carrying him high and dropping him, the Ghostly Wail, or any other of Danny's countless ways of killing regular humans.

Conclusion: Ben has a few ways of stopping Danny (Alien X, Ghostfreak, some of his energy-manipulators, etc) but none of them mean anything if Danny Overshadows the Omnitrix and unbonds it from Ben. A very simple trick, one Danny is more than capable of, and one Ben would not have time to react to unless he was in one of his faster-thinking forms such as XLR8 or Greymatter. Once removing the watch is done, Danny wins as easily as he would against any regular human.

Sun Wukong

Ooookay, this one is a DIFFICULT fight. I'm using classic Wukong, not westernized Wukong. Classic Wukong is...terrifying. Let's go over his powers and abilities. I'm using his most powerful version BEFORE his attainment of buddha-hood due to the fact that obtaining buddha-hood makes one completely and entirely above all things, leaving one truly invincible, invulnerable, indestructible, and incapable of anything in between.

Taoist immortal (age has no bearing on him, even should his body decay and become old, he will never become frail or weak due to age)

72 Transformations (can shapeshift into various forms as the situation demands, anything from a tiny golden cicada all the way to a massive and powerful elephant, and everything in-between such as tigers, rhinos, and more. For each transformation mastered, one gains an additional life, meaning should Wukong die through some method, he will be born again until his 72 lives are gone)

Superhuman agility (martial arts training coupled with his monkey instincts leave him with a level of agility impossible for humans)

Cloning (can create perfect clones of himself from the hairs on his body. Each clone is equally as powerful as the original, and can in turn create clones of themselves. Each clone holds the full powerset of the original, and can be dispelled by the original at will)

Universe-level strength (the Dragon Gods, the ones responsible for creating the universe and capable of creating infinite realms, were afraid of his raw strength)

Cosmic speed (Traveled from one end of the universe to the other with a single leap in mere seconds)

Universe-level durability (able to endure strikes from the Dragon Gods themselves)

Infinite Stamina (never tires, never feels fatigue or exhaustion)

Super-intelligent (mastered virtually every martial art, trained by the supreme Taoist sage for 20 years, learning and mastering techniques and lessons that take most hundreds or thousands of years in a mere 2 decades)

Spiritual Immortality (erased his name from the Book of the Living and Dead to ensure he could not die)

Limb multiplication (can create additional limbs at will, up to at least 1,000)

Body Freezing Spell (Can cause lower-ranking demons, humans, and monsters to freeze in place with a gesture and a single word)

Water Avoidance Charm (Can survive in deep water without breathing, but prevents flight)

Fire Avoidance Charm (can survive in any flame, no matter how hot or intense it may be)

Protective Circle (can create a magical ward of protection. Any inside the circle are protected from ALL harm)

Fiery Golden Eyes (Can see over 300 miles during the day, and almost 200 at night, as well as being able to see through any and all illusion, disguise, or transformation)

Riyu Jingu Bang Mastery (ornate gold and red quarterstaff that can extend or shrink as much as the user wishes. It weighs roughly 17,500 pounds regardless of form. When creating clones, the Riyu Jingu Bang also multiplies so each clone bears one of their own)

Cloud-walking boots (allow him to walk on clouds, integral in his use of the Cloud Somersault which allows him to cover great distances in the blink of an eye)

And his weaknesses....

Complete Goofball (incapable of taking a fight seriously. Even in his darkest moments, Sun Wukong has never given his opponent the benefit of a serious battle. He may not always joke, he may not always smile, but he NEVER takes a fight seriously and will use every opportunity to play with his enemy. Whether as a method of distraction, an attempt to make them drop their guard, or simply out of a love of fun, he never takes a fight seriously)

That's it, that's the list.

So here's the thing...Danny CAN'T kill Sun Wukong. His name is removed from the Book of the Living and Dead. He's got 72 rebirths. He's biologically immortal. His durability, strength, and power are unmatched by any being in all of fiction or reality, except for the Buddha. But what Danny CAN do is defeat him. How? Well, it's not easy, but this is how I think he'd do it.

Wukong loves to play. Danny is pretty quick on the catch so it wouldn't take him long to figure that out, and given his own love of not taking people seriously, the two would have a pretty even match as far as jokes and japes go. And Sun Wukong HATES to lose. All Danny has to do to defeat Sun Wukong is play on his hatred of losing and his refusal to take anything seriously. Danny leads Sun Wukong to the nearest portal to the Ghost Zone and tricks him into going into it with him (VERY easy for Sun Wukong to be tricked through deception, he's a fast learner but he's not that wise). Sun Wukong, now in the Ghost Zone, is limited to only being able to get out through one of the portals. Danny simply tricks Sun Wukong into staying for a moment (Sun loves games, Danny could suggest a race to the end of the Ghost Zone and ask for a ten second head start "to make it fair, since [Sun] is so much faster...Unless [Sun] is afraid he'll lose." Sun's competitive nature would rise, he would agree to the head start, Danny would have plenty of time to leave through the portal they came in from and use the Fenton Thermos to close it (Reverse Polarity seals and closes portals after all) behind him, thereby trapping Sun Wukong in the Ghost Zone forever. Sun wouldn't know how to navigate the Zone, and his magic and equipment will do nothing to help him escape. He would be stuck until he could find another portal, and he would only start looking AFTER winning/losing the race, because he would spend the entire time trying to "catch up" to Danny. Eventually he may get bored or give up, but he still wouldn't even know what he was looking for as far as getting out of the GZ. Conclusion: While Danny can't KILL Sun Wukong, he could still defeat him through deception and clever use of the Ghost Zone. Given Danny's strategic mind and the fact he's been fighting "unbeatable" threats for years, it's no stretch to believe he would figure out pretty quickly he needs to trap Wukong rather than try and beat him in a fight.

Conclusions

I do truly believe Danny Phantom wins against almost any opponent, and the big three badasses of fiction are no exception. That said, if you see an issue in my logic or can think of a reason he wouldn't be able to beat them, PLEASE let me know. I love discussion and if you change my mind I'll be all the happier for it. Again, I know this isn't my usual content, but I needed to get this out of my system cause I'm rewatching the show and it's got me kinda hyperfixated, ha.

Anyway, later guys! New Relan post coming soon, next one is about the countries!

[one-album-wonders]

The Greatest American Rock Star Tournament

A lot of new people have discovered the March Madness of American Rock Bands in the past couple of days and are reblogging and commenting on polls that closed some time ago.  I appreciate the energy, but unfortunately there’s also a lot of anger and threats directed at bands and the people who voted for them.  I propose redirecting that energy to our follow-up tournament for The Greatest American Rock Star!  Follow this blog and reblog this post so we can get as many voters as possible for the next tournament and hopefully avoid people being angry about it after the fact.

Here's the plan:

I’m making a list of solo rock performers from the United States (including artists who were born, naturalized, or just lived in the US for a long time).  The list is below the cut and currently has 312 artists.  I’m still accepting submissions but will cap it 320.

We're using the broadest definition of rock for the artists participating in this tournament. Genres and sub-genres will included acid rock, alternative rock, art rock, blues rock, country rock, dance music, doo-wop, electronic music, folk rock, funk, glam rock, grunge, heavy metal, hip hop, indie rock, industrial, new wave, pop, power pop, punk, rap, reggae, r&b, rock and roll, rockabilly, singer/songwriter, ska, soft rock, soul, surf music, yacht rock, and more! If you think an artist is "not rock" then the best thing you can do is not vote for them. Nobody wants to see your comments about how you think [artists name] is "not rock" and if you're too obnoxious about it you might get blocked.

For the first stage of the competition, artists will be in groups of 4 with other artists from the same decade.  Since many artists have multi-decade careers, I’m placing them in the decade when they first emerged as a popular recording artist, which is deliberately vague, and I may shift some artists around a bit to balance the groups.

Schedule:

April 3-10: Group Stage

Every day I will post 9 to 10 polls of groups of 4.  These polls will be open 7 days to allow them to get the most possible attention from Tumblr users.  Campaigning for favorite artists is encouraged. Vitriol directed at artists and especially at Tumblr users who vote for them is not, and may get you blocked.

April 17-20: The Winnowing

Artists who advanced from the group stage will be seeded for head to head, one day polls against other artists who participated in groups whose polls started on the same day.

April 27-May 10: Bracket

All surviving artists will be placed into a bracket for head-to-head matchups lasting one day each.

"Weird Al" Yankovic

50 Cent

Aaron Neville

Afrika Bambaataa

Akon

Al Green

Al Jarreau

Albert King

Alice Cooper

Alicia Keys

Angel Olsen

Aretha Franklin

Ariana Grande

B.B. King

Bad Bunny

Barry White

Beck

Belinda Carlisle

Ben E. King

Bernie Worrell

Bette Midler

Beyonce

Big Daddy Kane

Big Joe Turner

Big Mama Thornton

Bill Haley

Bill Withers

Bille Joe Armstrong

Billie Eilish

Billy Joel

Billy Preston

Bo Diddley

Bob Dylan

Bob Mould

Bob Seger

Bobbie Gentry

Bobby "Blue" Bland

Bobby Darrin

Bobby Womack

Bonnie Raitt

Bootsy Collins

Brandi Carlile

Brenda Lee

Brian Wilson

Brittany Howard

Bruce Springsteen

Bruno Mars

Buddy Guy

Buddy Holly

Busta Rhymes

Cardi B

Carl Perkins

Carlos Santana

Carly Simon

Carole King

Cat Power

Chaka Khan

Chance the Rapper

Cher

Chris Cornell

Chris Isaak

Chuck Berry

Chuck Willis

Clyde McPhatter

Common

Conway Twitty

Coolio

Curtis Mayfield

Cyndi Lauper

DaBaby

D'Angelo

Danger Mouse

Darlene Love

David Byrne

David Crosby

David Lee Roth

Debbie Harry

Del Shannon

Diana Ross

Dick Dale

Dion

Dionne Warwick

DMX

Dolly Parton

Don Henley

Donna Summer

Dr. Dre

Dr. John

Duane Eddy

Eddie Cochran

Eddie Money

Elvis Presley

Eminem

Erykah Badu

Esther Phillips

Etta James

Everlast

Fats Domino

Fetty Wap

Fiona Apple

Flo Rida

Frank Ocean

Frank Zappa

Future

Gary Clark Jr.

Gary Puckett

Gene Pitney

Gene Vincent

George Clinton

Ghostface Killah

Glen Frey

Gloria Estefan

Gloria Gaynor

Gram Parsons

Gregg Allman

Gwen Stefani

Halsey

Hank Ballard

Harry Nilsson

Howlin' Wolf

Ice Cube

Ice-T

Iggy Pop

Ike Turner

Irma Thomas

Isaac Hayes

J Dilla

J. Cole

Jack White

Jackie Wilson

Jackson Browne

Jadakiss

James Brown

James Ingram

James Taylor

Jane Wiedlin

Janelle Monae

Janet Jackson

Janis Joplin

Jason Derulo

Jason Mraz

Jay-Z

Jeff Buckley

Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Lopez

Jenny Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis

Jill Sobule

Jim Croce

Jimi Hendrix

Jimmy Reed

Joan Baez

Joe Tex

Joe Walsh

John Fogerty

John Lee Hooker

John Legend

John Mellencamp

John Prine

John Sebastian

Johnny Ace

Johnny Cash

Johnny Winter

Jon Bon Jovi

Joni Mitchell

Josh Groban

Juice WRLD

Juliana Hatfield

Justin Timberlake

Kanye West

Katy Perry

Kelly Clarkson

Kendrick Lamar

Kenny Loggins

Kesha

Kid Rock

Kim Carnes

Kurtis Blow

Lady Gaga

Lana Del Rey

Laura Nyro

Lauryn Hill

Lavern Baker

Lenny Kravitz

Levon Helm

Lil Baby

Lil Kim

Lil Nas X

Lil Wayne

Linda Rondstadt

Lindsey Buckingham

Link Wray

Lionel Richie

Lisa Loeb

Little Richard

Little Willie John

Liz Phair

Lizzo

LL Cool J

Lloyd Price

Lorraine Ellison

Lou Reed

Lucinda Williams

Ludacris

Luke Bryan

Madlib

Madonna

Mariah Carey

Marvin Gaye

Mary J. Blige

Mary Wells

MC Lyte

Meat Loaf

Meg Myers

Megan Thee Stallion

Meghan Trainor

Melissa Etheridge

Meredith Brooks

Method Man

MF Doom

Michael Jackson

Michael McDonald

Miles Davis

Miley Cyrus

Missy Eliot

Mitski

Moby

Muddy Waters

Nancy Sinatra

Nas

Neil Diamond

Neko Case

Nina Simone

Otis Redding

P!nk

Pat Benatar

Patti Smith

Paul Simon

Paul Westerberg

Paula Cole

Percy Sledge

Pharrell Williams

Phil Ochs

Philp Bailey

Phoebe Bridgers

Pitbull

Post Malone

Prince

Queen Latifah

Randy Newman

Ray Charles

Richie Havens

Rick Derringer

Rick Springfield

Ricky Nelson

Ritchie Valens

Rob Zombie

Roger McGuinn

Ronnie Spector

Roy Orbison

Ruth Brown

Ryan Adams

Sam Cooke

Sammy Hagar

Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Selena Gomez

Sharon Van Etten

Shawn Colvin

Sheb Wooley

Sheila E.

Sheryl Crow

Sly Stone

Smokey Robinson

Snoop Dogg

Solomon Burke

St. Vincent

Stephen Stills

Steve Earle

Steve Miller

Steve Perry

Steve Van Zandt

Stevie Nicks

Stevie Ray Vaughn

Stevie Wonder

Sufjan Stevens

Suzanne Vega

Taylor Swift

The Big Bopper

The Notorious B.I.G.

The Weeknd

Timbaland

Tina Turner

Todd Rundgren

Tom Petty

Tom Waits

Tori Amos

Townes Van Zandt

T-Pain

Tracy Bonham

Tracy Chapman

Travis Scott

Tupac Shakur

Usher

Wanda Jackson

Warren Zevon

Waylon Jennings

Whitney Houston

Willie Nelson

Wilson Picket

Wiz Khalifa

Wyclef Jean

Yasiin Bey (Mos Def)

[aimmyarrowshigh]

fic writer meme: 2, 12, 22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72?

Answering under a read-more!

2. Do you plan each chapter ahead or write as you go?

For long multi-chapter fics, I plan ahead by chunk but not necessarily by chapter -- I have a general outline and I write to that, and then after I write, I cut it down into chapters where there are "good breaks." I never decide ahead of time how many chapters I'll have and then outline to that, though! That's too much planning for me.

For long one-shots, I generally don't plan and I often don't outline more than knowing the beginning, the climax or big turning-point, and the ending? (And I often don't know the ending tbh.)

12. How does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you?

I would say that not getting feedback affects me less than it used to, just because there are so many things that I write now that DON'T get any feedback that if it still made me feel like total shit, I'd feel like total shit all the time, and I don't have the bandwidth for that.

Getting feedback definitely makes me feel more connected to a fandom, though, and inspires me to want to create more for that fandom than the fandom(s) where I don't get any feedback. Fandoms like Steve/Bucky, The Baby-Sitters' Club, Scooby-Doo, and Miss Fisher give me more creative energy through feedback than, say, The Old Guard where I don't really get any feedback anymore, even though I objectively like TOG in a more "fannish" way than Scooby-Doo, or whatever.

I'm in fandom in large part for the connection to other people who love the stuff that I love. If there's no feedback, then a major part of the equation is missing for me, and if I don't feel like the other people who love the thing are out there, then it makes me love the thing less, too.

22. Are there certain types of writing you won’t do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)

Not really -- it depends on the fandom and how to best serve the story. I've written in first-person, second-person, and third-person POV; I've written non-HEA darkfic; I've written kink and vanilla and gen; I've written slash, femslash, and het. There are certain tropes/kinks that I personally am not at all into and wouldn't write just because I personally don't think I'd ever like a fandom where those were in-character for the characters, but that's just kinktomato. There are a LOT of things that I wouldn't write "on request," though, because I would have to have an actual inspiration to be able to feel out the thread of the story -- like, I wouldn't write Steve Harrington/Joyce Byers for an auction/exchange fic, even though I wrote a 10k fic for them. Same with Poe Dameron/Ben Solo.

32. Name three of your favorite fanfic writers.

This changes all the time and I more have favorite fics than favorite writers, but I always love @dracosollicitus, @fille-lioncelle, and @kaikamahine when their fandoms-they-write line up with fandoms-I-read. But 99% of the time I pick to read something based on the summary and not the writer.

42. What’s the last fic you read? Do you recommend it?

I've been in a book reading phase for a while now and less of a fic reading phase, so I'm not 100% positive what the last fic I read was! HONESTLY it was most likely a reread of owlet's Infinite Coffee & Protection Detail series, which I recommend to literally everyone all the time. It's a fic I would recommend to my DAD, it's that good.

52. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I do but I'm slowwwwww at it. I get anxious that I'm going to sound stupid or conceited or something, so I let the comments pile up until there are an unreasonable amount and then I get overwhelmed by how many there are and how long I've been sitting on them. It's a bad system, but it's what I got. I do try to write back reasonably quickly if someone asks an actual question or something, though.

62. Thoughts on cliffhangers?

Very hard to write well. Even in books. I can count the number of actually good cliffhangers I've read on my fingers, and honestly at this exact moment the only one I can really say definitely counts is the end of Catching Fire (THG #2). I think A LOT of the time they feel really contrived and don't actually hit that emotional tension spot that a good cliffhanger needs to hit. Oh, you know what fic has a good one? The Maskfic (despite the threatening sky and shuddering earth (they remained) by @praximeter). It's not the ending, it's the chapter-ender of the Big Reveal.

72. What order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else?

It depends on the format! For a free prose longfic like Lent From Tomorrow, I write out of order and just go for the scenes in the way that they come to me and lead into/from one another. Usually it starts from either the climax or the opener and then jumps around to get from one to the other.

BUT if I'm writing something as a structured drabble series like Not In The Answer But The Question or Could Use A Guy Like Me, I write strictly in order chronologically. Those I can't write out of order because I would die.

[afterthesequels]

DEEP DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE BEN & REY PHENOMENA!

#LOVEISFOREVERYONE

Firstly, we want to tell everyone that we invite all opinions --- positive, negative, and in between -- and welcome respectful discussions from every Star Wars fan from around the world.

That said, its not a secret that our Executive Producer, Director, and Writer for this fan film trilogy is a big fan of Ben Solo and Rey as characters. It is certainly something she deems a highlight throughout all three films. It is also not a secret that she dislikes some of the choices the filmmakers made in those movies. She has pros and cons for each of them.

As for other couples or possible couples that were not featured on this podcast, those actors simply were not available that day. They are working actors, thus their schedules are not always free. BUT... we'll get to see more of them in future podcasts too. And yes... there are couples like Larma D'Acy and her wife, Norra's sister, Esmelle and her wife, Shirene, as well as many other different types of relationships. These were just those available for this day.

Lastly, please remember this project involves nearly 50 people that all came together to turn it into a reality simply because they agreed that we needed to move the story forward. For the most part the one thing they all agree on is that the death of Ben Solo was 100% short sighted. We have folks that love the sequels, folks that really don't like the sequels, folks that both hate and love the prequels, even some that admire the originals but aren't crazy about them, and some folks who don't relate to anything in Star Wars. But they've all poured their hard work, time, and energy into creating these films.

ENJOY and #BENSOLOLIVES <3

[dirtbag-linecook-kyloren]

I just found your diner AU? (Sorry not sure what it's called) but it's amazing. I'm invested in stressed out student Hux and grumpy line cook Ren/Ben. Please tell me is Rey is the owner who inherited the diner from Luke or Leia, are finn and poe general managers, what's phasma's roll? Is Rose their maintenance or HR person? And is there more to read? Thanks.

(The fic tag on my blog for this is Hands off Hands out, because that's what we say when we finish an order, and then when we need servers to get it out of the window. Hands off we don't say much, but it can be helpful, but Hands out is probably said seventy times an hour at lunch, because something about lunch makes servers lazy about running food, especially when no one is on window and Expo is trying to do both jobs)

HELLO I NOW WISH IT HAD BEEN A DINER

i have worked in a lot of restaurants but the first one was called broadway diner in Missouri where I went to school, dropped out, and turned to the food service industry so i didn't have to move back home. It had seven booths and a ten seat counter and I was a sassy waitress it was great. During a hippie film festival one year I rented a sailor costume from a local shop and we had a special small menu and it WAS the peak of my serving career I was so cute. I have the diner acumen I could have done this gdi

BUT, this is definitely a steak house based off the one I work at now. We have an open kitchen, because the restaurant was founded when those were cool, and the whole thing is build around a wood fire grill at one end that honestly? It's so hot but does cook a very cool burger and we get to keep a shopping cart full of wood that we 100% stole from a walmart around. (It used to be a costco cart but those are too big, it was taking up to much space. I have never asked how we got the walmart cart here, as the nearest walmart is a mile away, while we're right next to a costco)

Our line is one section, and then theres a dividing wall, and right behind it is the prep area, or true back of house, as it were. there are technically two kitchen doors, but I've deciding that clarifying which one their going through at any time would be more confusing than just trusting the reader to go with me on this journey. The dish pit is off one, as is the server alley, and the management office and back door is off of the other. The only cues will be context or something

BUT, time for the actually back story. Leia Organa is the anakin, an anthony bourdain-esque figure who was not great to his wife and died of an overdose because the industry is rife with substance problems. this likely wont be covered in the fic, but it's fun backstory. She, having learned to love the industry but also learning from her father's mistakes, started opening restaurants and not doing drugs, and she eventually hired Han Solo as a manager. They fell in love, but she's a professional, so she sold the restaurant to someone to open another, and they started dating. Eventually, they got married and opened some unnamed restaurant. They sold that, and opened this restaurant, and everything was going great. Ben is conceived and grows up in this restaurant, and also comes to love food. Then a recession hits, and business is bad. Han and Leia start fighting, argue about management and other things, eventually they divorce. Han buys out Leia's half of the restaurant, she starts doing her own thing with those funds.

Right around this time, Ben is trying to break into the industry, and he doesn't want to work for his dad, so he starts working at the restaurant that his uncle Luke manages. Doesn't own, because he thinks owning a restaurant is a seperation from truly being in it, or something dumb. This Does Not Go Well. He leaves and works a shitty, back breaking minimum wage job at a NOMA-esque restaurant run by snoke. Maybe he develops a coke habit, but there's definitely a drinking problem, because he's working fuckin 70 hour weeks and barely has enough energy to breathe let alone take care of himself. He absolutely burns out, walks out during a shift and never goes back.

After a month of moping, he comes to work at the millenium falcon, the restaurant our story takes place in. It used to be called something else, but Leia kept the naming rights to the previous restaurant, so there was a rebrand. It wasn't a petty thing, the name was incredibly sentimental to her, but idk enough about star wars to make up that name. I'm open to suggestions

Which Brings us to your actual question, which I 100% have an answer to, because I've assigned most of the main characters their staff positions.

Hux, obviously, is lead host. I doubt he has a key to the restaurant, but he's the guy who makes sure all of the servers are doing their side work and organizes the alley. In return for this work, he makes $4/hour instead of the state minimum $2.13, which isn't much but is something, and since he's 100% not claiming his cash tips, it doesn't affect him too much, come tax season.

Ben is a key holder, and mainly manages so that his dad can have some time to hang out and not be in the restaurant. You can love a place and still get tired of being there.

Han is the owner-operator. If something goes wrong, ultimately, the fault runs up to him. He hates this, wishes it was still Leia's problem, but understands her decisions. (They still talk, she comes in every once in a while. It's a cordial relationship.)

Rey is the Front of House Manager. This means a couple of things. 1) she does the ordering for things like liquor and bar cordials, and probably also glassware and flatware. She decides how sections are set out, what reservations windows look like, and which POS they're going to use. (Han doesn't care as long as it uses paper tickets. Big order screens kind of ruin the open kitchen look.) She's also the person who tries to calm a table down when their food is taking too long or someone gets too drunk, and she's Very Good At It.

Mitaka is Lead Host. If you make a reservation, you're likely talking to him. I haven't decided if the restaurant will have bussers, yet, because we don't, and if not, Mitaka will also help clear and clean tables to create a faster turnover rate.

The Knights of Ren all work various positions on the line. They exist as periphery characters because a restaurant this size needs a lot of people to function. They'll all get nicknames because they have silly star wars names and I can't handle them, honestly.

Poe is a bartender. Look that man in the eyes and tell me he's not a bartender. You can't, because he is.

Finn is a tough one for me. Right now, he's a server, because it was plot convenient for me. Originally, I had him doing togo orders, because togo is the bridge between FOH and BOH like he is between the first order and the resistance, and it made sense for me. He may end up serving as both, because we have a few people that do that.

Rose is another character that mainly exists in the background? I don't know much about her so I just have her as a server, and she may end up developing an importance but as of now, she's just rolling silverware and taking orders in the miasma of this story.

Phasma, my sweet, lovely, wonderfully tall queen, is a pantry cook. They do salads, fry, and dessert and are often one person doing the job of two. I'm a pantry cook, I'm putting a lot of love into her, because I fuckin love pantry, as I am a mad woman.

(If you were wondering Ben is competent at all of the stations but he mainly works expo or grill. Han can do all of them, but he prefers dish, because when you're on the line all the time being a dishie for a day is a fuckin vacation. It's a day where no one is yelling at you unless they need plates and everything can be solved pretty easily. my first BOH job was a dishie job at a dennys I have a soft spot for it.)

Realistically, I need a few more people to fill out the actual story, and I may just straight up borrow my coworkers bc we have some wild people.

And I'm not kidding when I say most of the major plot points are things that truly happened at my restaurant. It's been a great source of inspiration.

Also please let me know if any of my terms aren't common knowledge and need to be explained? Like I don't expect people to know a santoku by name but beyond that I'm really trying to feel out what the general knowledge base for restaurants in the regular world is. not even in a pretenious way but in like a "why would regular people need to know what a cambro is, and that while yes, cambro is a brand name, when used as a improper noun, refers to a 22 or 12 quart container like this

[darth-caillic]

GlitchVerse - SuperHero OC Masterlist

Note! Please be advised that this masterlist has a lot of flashing gifs in it.

The Glitch is a stranger phenomenon throughout the multiverse where seemingly random individuals develop teleporting powers during a moment of stress or panic.

At first, it was believed to be random, but later discoveries made it clear it always happened to four certain people in each universe.

Andrea Benito (Known as The Spectacular Glitch)

Origin: Earth-93

Occupation: English major later Article Editor

Powers / Skills: Teleportation, Energy Bursts, Multiverse Hopping

Friends / Allies: Mishap Squad (93), Amazing Spiderman, Venom, Birds of Prey

Enemies: Scream, Miguel O'Hara, Green Goblin

Face Claim: Alycia Pascual-Pena

Andrea Benito was born in the late 90s. She grew up in the Bronx and attended Midtown High School where she became friends with Casey Tshui.

Andrea developed her Glitch powers while The Lizard was terrorizing New York. She kept developing her powers well into adulthood, and it's possible she became powerful enough to travel through the multiverse at will.

Casey Tshui (Known as The Spider Glitch)

Origin: Earth-712

Occupation: Student later Game Developer

Powers / Skills: Teleportation, Spider-Sense

Friends / Allies: Mishap Squad (712), Peter Park (712), Spiderman, SpiderGwen, Spider Society (formerly)

Enemies: Doc Ock (formerly), KingPin, Chameleon

Face Claim: Jessie Mei Li

Casey was born in Brooklyn and spent the first years of her life in the foster system. She was eventually taken in by Ben and May Parker and raised alongside their nephew Peter.

While supervising a field trip for Peter's grade, Casey was bitten by a radioactive spider and gained spider-like powers. She didn't end up developing her Glitch powers until after an adventure with other Spiderpeople from different universes.

Anika Sinha (Known as The Marvelous Glitch)

Origin: Earth-1610

Occupation: Art Student / Babysitter later Art Teacher

Powers / Skills: Teleportation, Stalling

Friends / Allies: Mishap Squad (1610), Spiderman, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles // Mad Dogz, April O'Neil, Cassandra Jones

Enemies: Baron Draxum, Big Mama, Baxter Stockman

Face Claim: Megan Suri

Anika is a Brooklyn-born artist who attended Visions Academy during the mid-2010s. When she was younger she would babysit various kids in her apartment building, including a young April O'Neil.

She developed her powers while trying to escape a crumbling building and, in the process, discovered a secret city under New York inhabited by mutants.

Keena Noble (Known as Titan Glitch)

Origin: Earth-138

Occupation: Cashier, Sound Tech, Bass Player / Singer

Powers / Skills: Teleportation, Illusions

Friends / Allies: Mishap Squad (138) SpiderPunk, Teen Titans

Enemies: Her Father

Face Claim: Ruth Negga

Keena grew up in Western Ireland but later ran away from home and start travelling around the world for different types of work (mainly to England and later America for schooling).

She developed her Glitch powers when trying to save someone from a collapsing sound stage in New York. She eventually made this a part of her on-stage character and became relatively famous for her solo bass performances.

CG-99 (Known as The Cyber Glitch)

Origin: Earth-928B

Occupation: Unknown

Powers / Skills: Teleportation

Friends / Allies: New Mishap Squad, Scream 99

Enemies: Miguel O'Hara

Face Claim: N/A

CG was an experiment where the goal was to recreate the Glitch Powers. Soon after their creation, they were discovered by some descendants of the original Glitch and Mishap Squad. The group decided to recuse the cyborg from the labs.

[theghostpinesmusic]

Last week, I watched the only two Goose shows from 2023 I hadn't already seen: 11/19 and 11/20 from the Electric Ballroom in London. Watching "new" shows was a little bittersweet knowing that Ben has since left the band, but I wanted to see all of the Euro tour, especially after watching the amazing year-ending Goosemas shows earlier in December (I'll write up a song or two from those shows here eventually).

I'm glad circled back: night one in London was just as good as, if not better than, the top-tier Euro shows like Amsterdam and Manchester, and night two had maybe the best second set of the whole tour. More on night two later, though: right now I want to talk about the "Hot Tea" from night one.

I'll be honest before getting into it: this is probably my third or fourth favorite jam from 11/19, but none of the others have pro-shot video on YouTube for easy reference. If you're keeping score at home, this show has an all-around great setlist, including a monster show-opening "Arrow," yet another amazing Euro version of "Red Bird," one of my favorite versions of "Arcadia" from what's been a banner year for the song, and a wild "Empress" -> "Shama Lama Ding Dong" -> "Empress" sandwich to end the show (in my show notes, I just wrote "God DAMN IT" next to this).

The "Hot Tea" ends set one, and is in my opinion perfect for that role. I usually try to pick out jams to write about that have a lot of interesting changes and spaces happening, but this one sort of doesn't have those things. Instead, it's just a freight train of groove, a sledgehammer of funk that serves as the exclamation point for a set full of high-energy rock and roll.

I already wrote up a sort-of intro for "Hot Tea" as a song in my post about the Luxor version, so let's just get right into it!

Typically, the band drops into the vocals of "Hot Tea" pretty much right off the bat. In this version, though, Peter takes a neat, brief organ solo before Rick starts up the first verse. It's not a huge deal, but puts me in the mind of the Brussels "Animal": the band sounds extra loose, and like they're having fun with the tune.

Also, I don't comment a ton on Jeff, partly because he's kind-of the "secondary" percussionist in the band and also he's often just hard to hear in the mix...but he kills it on this version of the song and also gets more camera time than usual. Watch him go!

Also also, Peter rips his in-song solo so hard that at 5:10 Rick just stops playing for a minute to watch, which cracked me up the first time I saw it.

After a bit of fun vocal scatting from most of the band, we drop out of the song and into the jam at 8:40. Now, "Hot Tea" has been a big jam vehicle for the band for a long time, but they'll typically spend a few minutes rocking out over the outro chords before launching for deep space. What I love about this version is how they go for the throat pretty much immediately: Rick barely gets a solo underway before the whole band drops into a deep funk groove in unison at 9:10. Peter's jump over to the clav is especially great.

At 9:25, Rick adds to the groove by riffing low on the neck (instead of up high, where he usually sits when soloing), and I feel like you can actually hear Trevor (obligatory Euro mix complaint) thumping along as well. The band sits in this groove for while, though Pete switches over to the organ from the clav around 10:15. The interplay between him and Rick afterward is pretty fantastic.

There's a smooth change of keys at 11:38 that moves the jam a bit away from the chunky funk sound and toward something a little more melodic, but the rhythm section continues holding in an amazing groove. They finally lay back a bit starting at 12:40, and Rick jumps out in front for a solo. This section of the jam is a bit more typical for "Hot Tea": extremely rock forward and Rick-centric. That's not a bad thing, the energy here is amazing, but if you listen to the band regularly this isn't necessarily going to blow your mind, fun though it is.

At 16:05, the band switches back into the "Hot Tea" key (I should really learn what keys these songs are in some day), and Rick takes us home with a bit more shredding, with a tension-y section thrown in at 16:55 for good measure.

As I said earlier, there are certainly weirder "Hot Tea"s out there, but I love this one for its monster groove and its great placement in a great setlist from a great show.

Next time I'll round out my write-ups from the Euro tour by covering the "Hungersite" from 11/20!

[taocrafttarot]

t worked for Benjamin Franklin.

Not Lenormand Tarot. As far as I know Ben wasn't into Tarot. 

I mean being self taught. Benjamin Franklin was a voracious self-directed learner. I can't recommend his autobiography highly enough. I may give it a quick re-re-re-read after writing this. 

Mr. Franklin is proof that being self-taught isn't necessarily a bad thing. It isn't the right approach to everything. He was an apprentice, he learned from others - but I'm pretty sure he figured out the electricity thing on his own. When you are self-taught, you just might be the fresh eyes that see something brand new. It's as Terry Pratchett wrote in his book Equal Rites: "It is well known that a vital ingredient of success is not knowing that what you're attempting can't be done."

The same holds true in Tarot. Many, if not all, aspects of intuition and magick cannot be fully taught and must be experienced for oneself, . I forget whether it was Mat Auryn or Marshall WSL who wrote about this being the essence of "mystery"  or occult traditions. It's not so much that the information is secret as it is that the experience of it is entirely subjective and can only known to you as an individual. In the "mystery" traditions the teacher can give you theory and information. A teacher can take you right up to the threshold of experience, but only you can take that last step through the doorway to deep knowing. That step through the doorway can only be experienced first hand, thus remaining a mystery to those without that first hand experience. Initiation, it seems to me, is a matter of taking a solo step through the doorway and joining others on the other side who have taken their own solitary step before you.

That's what these "Learn With Me" posts do...I show you the path I took to get to this place. It's still down to you to decide if that path is right for you, if you want to take other steps, or whatever. Even when I read Tarot for you as an individual, the goal is to amplify your connection to energy, to amplify you intuition and help you to connect to your own message - not to be a substitute for any of that. But that's another story for another day. Back to Lenormand Tarot.

I'm largely self-taught, but a big piece of self-directed learning is selecting and finding the right teachers and classes. I've had classes in intuition development, aura reading, psychometry, and full training and certification in Reiki. I'm grateful and privileged to have met Ted Andrews at his."Animal Speak" workshop in Sewickley PA at the old Open Mind bookstore back in the 1990s, just before his Animal Wise Tarot was released. I've read reams of books and consider those authors to be teachers, too. But when it came to finding, curating, synthesizing, internalizing, applying, living all of that, it was up to me and me alone. The same is true of your learning path. If you aren't self taught at the very least you choose who else teaches you.In the middle of the biggest and best Ivy League university, you are still self-taught to some extent because it is entirely up to you what you do with that ocean of information. It is up to you which thresholds you actually step across. After stepping across some thresholds and crossing a fair few bridges too far, the "Learn With Me" posts on the Sage Sips blog are about how to find the doorway. Regardless of whether I'm translating spirit/energy into English for a private individual reading, peeking at the collective energy for the blog, teaching a specific oracle or teaching an intuition building process, the final steps are ones only you can take.Mistakes creep in both when you are self-taught and when you are tutored. Finding your own way through the forest makes you a little more vulnerable to making honest mistakes. It also empowers you because you don't know what is impossible, Terry Pratchett style. To my way of thinking, that easily balances the extra trial, error and experimentation a solitary self-learning path entails.

So - I could be wrong.

Over the years, with the information I've found, Lenormand Tarot has given the impression of being separate and distinct, an oracle tool unto itself. Lenormand Tarot is not the familiar format or symbolism we all know so well from other Tarot decks like the Visconti-Sforza from 1425, the Marseille deck from the 1500s or the ubiquitous Rider Waite Smith deck from 1909. Perhaps because it is older, ostensibly from the late 1700s to middle 1800s, the Lenormand Tarot stands apart from modern oracle cards, too, both in symbolism and emotional tone. Lenormand has never really captured my attention until recently. I was chatting with fellow reader and energy healer extraordinaire Pip Miller who reads both RWS and Lenormand Tarot. She described them as largely similar in concept, but the Lenormand had a more direct, succinct, no holds barred, smack-in-the-face sort of personality (as far as card decks have personality, but we'll put a pin in that for another day, too)Until that conversation, I had a vague (possibly unfair and inaccurate) impression of Lenormand Tarot and its community being a little bit stand-offish, guarded, perhaps a smidgen elitist. Lenormand always felt like a gated community while RWS style Tarot readers felt more like a fandom, like a contemporary, dynamic collective of individuals with a shared interest and varied skill sets. I had the impression that Lenormand deck was staid, quaint and archaic like some sort of wealthy widow in a mansion in a Nancy Drew mystery book.But, like I said, I could be wrong.Let's find out together.The Learn With Me: Lenormand Tarot series will post on Wednesdays. Next up: Weekend Update where we take a closer looks at this week's "growing energy" card from Monday's Energy Path reading for this week, the Five of Cups.Please subscribe to Sage Sips blog by entering your email in the box on the right side of the page (the the bottom of the page on mobile)

Next time: Weekend update with this week’s “growing energy” card, the five of cups

(via Learn With Me: Lenormand Tarot, introduction part 1)

[aestheticvoyage2023]

Day 128: Monday May 8, 2023 - “After Action”

I spent the day feeling very accomplished and proud of myself as I debriefed with Audrie, regaling her with stories from our three day excursion through Phoenix and St Louis and back.   It was my first solo trip flying with William, who at 22 months is still breast feeding and working on potty training.  This was a big bite.  A very big bite for this Dad who is working hard to figure it all out and be a rock.  This was huge - not something that I had to do, but something I wanted to do; something I needed to do, to level up. It felt exactly the same as the first time I threw my heavy back pack on for my first ever overnight in the Wild and how proud and confident and bad ass that felt. Exactly the same feelings.  And with the literal non-stop task-loading I did from Friday at 3:30pm until Sunday at 7:00pm, I was pretty mentally drained when I hit my pillow; but today on the day-after, I could sit back in awe with some real pride of how it all came together.

Looking back over the 3 day run, I noted the things Id do different (like maybe make sure to pack shoes!), and shared the things that I thought really went well (I definitely aced bringing the big mama-water).  I laughed at my “Jesus Take The Wheel” presentation to TSA and how now I think I could go back and ace that like an old pro after my two trips through. Ben sent me a picture he’d snapped at Lambert Airport before hugging goodbye - with me carrying my intentional planning (literally) - the bones of the whole operation on display.  Car Seat, Suitcase to check with both of our clothes and bathroom bags, messenger bag of books, snacks, and toys, stroller, diaper bag, and the old “throw it in there” bag which will absolutely be a staple of every trip I take with him from now on.  The intentional planning of every piece - checked the car seat and the suitcase, kept my shoulder bag and everything else went under the stroller, which was gate checked, with the ease of a bullride. I played it all through in my head several times the week before to make sure I had it all visualized and knew how it would go before it went, taking my weekend Dad-show on the road.  And it went, just as I had visualized.  My operation is aced.

I couldn’t have done any of this on intentional planning alone.  As is usually the case with the standby game, getting there with confidence was easy, with load updates right up until boarding.   Its the getting home that is always the crap-shoot. I thanked my lucky stars for the run of good standby luck, made possible by my skillful planning to give myself the best options by starting the trip Friday out of Phoenix AND the blind luck of an intoxicated guy getting booted to ensure my one spot home. But I felt confident that either way that would’ve gone yesterday, travelling back, I was ready for it.  5 hour energy, snacks to the gills, books including the long Choo Choo book - I was ready to play the long game if I had to; I worked hard to manage my expectations.  My mind was steady through it all - “slow is fast. slow is fast” | “take it as it comes”   I literally coached my way through the weekend with my “Dadconscious.” And just like weekends at home, I checked the waypoints until the only thing left to do was get home on this 3.5 hour middleseat flight. We were the last two rushed on in a standby stroke of luck, helped by a Flight Attendant that carried William for me, and sat us down where I was too cramped to even get my headphones or snacks. I buckled in and knew it was on me to bring this whole trip home strong by relaxing William to sleep, keeping him comfortable and steady and off the people on either side. Id skillfully worked Sunday to try to line up this flight with a long hard earned nap and it worked as planned.  But now, with no entertainment and nothing to do but to just sit there still as I can be letting him sleep, I passed the slow time, mentally preparing for the witching hour coming my way once he woke up, and how I’d manage the close quarters here on the descent with a rested excited stir crazy toddler and no back up aside from my own resilient mindful will; the one thing that no amount of intentional planning could help with. I would now be leaning full on to my mindfulness as I rode this last wave. With about an hour to go, he started to wiggle himself awake, until finally his eyes opened, and mindfully I worked with him to land the plane with no tears and no real struggle.  With our wheels back down in Arizona, the only left now was to get our luggage, and get to the car, and drive home.   Mission accomplished.

And it was nice today, to be able to sit in my success and be proud of it, and share what I had learned as if I had just climbed some mountain or aced some trail - some real adventure.   And I suppose thats what its always about, out here living a great story.  That no matter what it is that you’re trying to do, that you go for it and stretch your boundaries, and level up.  I definitely did that this past weekend, and today I felt like a whole new Dad.

Song: Brian Wright - You Got It All

Quote: “Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.” ― J.K. Rowling

[akbartravelsonline]

JetSetting from the UAE: The Top Holiday Destinations for Travelers

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the most popular destinations in the world, known for its breathtaking landscapes, luxury shopping, and vibrant culture. With its prime location at the crossroads of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, the UAE is also an ideal starting point for exploring some of the most sought-after holiday destinations around the globe. In this article, we will highlight some of the most popular holiday destinations from the UAE.

Thailand

Thailand is a top choice for UAE residents looking for an exotic and affordable vacation. With direct flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Thailand offers a unique blend of culture, nature, and adventure. From the bustling streets of Bangkok to the tranquil beaches of Phuket and Koh Samui, Thailand has something for everyone. You can explore ancient temples, indulge in delicious street food, shop for souvenirs, or simply relax and soak up the sun.

Maldives

The Maldives is a paradise on earth, renowned for its turquoise waters, pristine beaches, and luxurious resorts. With direct flights from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and other UAE cities, the Maldives is a popular destination for honeymooners, families, and solo travelers alike. You can stay in overwater bungalows, go snorkeling or diving, or simply unwind on the beach with a refreshing cocktail in hand.

Seychelles

Seychelles is another breathtaking destination that is easily accessible from the UAE. Located off the coast of East Africa, Seychelles is home to some of the world's most stunning beaches and natural wonders. With direct flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, you can explore the lush forests, hike to the top of the mountains, or simply relax on the pristine beaches.

London

London is a popular destination for UAE residents looking for a taste of Western culture and history. With direct flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, London offers a unique blend of art, fashion, cuisine, and entertainment. You can visit iconic landmarks such as the Big Ben and the Tower Bridge, explore the world-class museums and galleries, or indulge in some retail therapy in the famous shopping districts.

Paris

Paris is the city of love and romance, and a popular destination for couples and families. With direct flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Paris offers a magical blend of art, culture, history, and cuisine. You can stroll along the banks of the Seine River, visit the iconic Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum, or savor the delicious French cuisine in the charming cafes and restaurants.

Bali

Bali is a popular destination for UAE residents looking for a peaceful and spiritual retreat. With direct flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Bali is known for its lush rice paddies, volcanic mountains, and ancient temples. You can practice yoga, meditate, or simply relax on the serene beaches and soak up the island's tranquil energy.

In conclusion, the UAE offers a wide range of Holiday Destinations from UAE that cater to different tastes and budgets. From the exotic beaches of Thailand and the Maldives to the cultural capitals of London and Paris, there is something for everyone. Whether you are looking for Dubai tour packages, relaxation, honeymoon holiday packages or simply a change of scenery, these destinations are sure to leave you with unforgettable memories.

[theloniousbach]

HANGING OUT AT SMALL’S LIVE, #28: PIANO TRIOS AT MEZZROW’S, 31 DECEMBER 2022-2 JANUARY 2023

JONNY KING with Dezron Douglas and Alan Mednard, 16 DECEMBER 2022

ADAM BIRNBAUM with David Wong and Joe Farnsworth, 15 DECEMBER 2022

EDEN LADIN with Or Bareket and JK Kim, 24 DECEMBER 2022

These sets have been a welcome contribution to the last weekend of winter break and an equally fine looking forward/looking back as I embark on a new jazz year. Looking back to favorite musicians like Dezron Douglas who, like Nicole Glover, has not been as present, him in part because of an electric gig in the Trey Anastasio Band which in just a few weeks puts him in front of more musicians than a year of jazz club gigs. David Wong hasn’t gone away, but I’m always pleasantly reminded how rich and compelling his bass playing is. Joe Farnsworth is not simply reliable, but reliably tasty.

Alan Mednard, especially, but JK Kim too will grow, one hopes, into playing drums with trios at Mezzrow’s. Mednard had a powerful JONNY KING as his leader and Douglas is equally big, but he was a notch too high. King opened with Africa and so replicated not just McCoy Tyner but the big ensemble of Africa/Brass. His Let’s Cool One was also big and busy but lighter. His original was lighter still but still had lots of notes, though he took the ballad solo. But that was a high energy gig.

ADAM BIRNBAUM evidently took the gig on short notice, but who wouldn’t want to play with that rhythm section. Maybe they would have gravitated to familiar tunes anyway, but there was a Thad Jones, Tea for Two, Monk’s Pannonica, and Charlie Parker’s intricate blues Cheryl. The high point though was Twilight Time by his teacher Kenny Barron. It was a moody bossa for Farnsworth to dig into. But great tunes with Birnbaum, last heard doing arrangements of Bach Preludes very nicely, showed again that he does jazz very well. He’s on a more occasional Small’s/Mezzrow’s cycle, but I try to keep my eye out for him.

EDEN LADIN caught my ear at last week’s Itamar Borochov gig, so hearing him in a trio setting helped. He was modal that night for tenor Ben Solomon but would have eagerly dug deeper with Borochov into the Moorish/Mid-Eastern elements had Beirut Blues streamed smoothly. There weren’t those elements in this gig, though I got to hear Or Bareket who was on the Ari Hoenig/Nitai Herskovits recording. He was rich and rewarding. JK Kim was interesting with lots of rhythmic toys to make things not just complicated but often interesting. Ladin opened with a Jarrettish vamp Loop which also served as an outro to the final I’m Old Fashioned which was typically edgy. If Loop served to show that the trio could go in all directions while being unified, Michel Pettruciani’s 13th and Bobby Hutcherson’s Herzog kept the edge while being brighter and more familiar. Mel Torme’s Chestnuts Roasting was obligatory for being on Erev Xmas, but he and the majority of the band is Jewish. At least it’s a jazz tune.

Fine stuff with Birnbaum my favorite. But I am into the New Year with this music.

[expertspiner]

Candlelight theater

#CANDLELIGHT THEATER PLUS#

The space was the home of the Inland Valley Repertory Theatre Company, which is presenting a Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein revue, “A Grand Night For Singing,” at the Candlelight Pavilion March 1-9. They included classics such as “My Fair Lady” and newer works such as “Sister Act.” Classical guitarists and harpists performed while waiters served dinner. The space featured chandeliers, group tables with linen tablecloths on the first floor and private dining rooms upstairs. He created the Citrus Singers, which performed throughout the region in the 1970s and can be heard on Kiss band member Gene Simmons’ first solo album, released in 1978.īollinger opened the Candlelight Pavilion in 1985. The message cites the difficulties having to cancel productions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the loss of parking due to development and “the increasing difficulty of maintaining an aging (80-year-old) building.”īollinger was a choral director and dean of performing arts at Citrus College in Glendora who also taught for a few years at Ramona High School in Riverside. His son, Michael “Mick” Bollinger, is the venue’s general manager. Still, I'll give Shanley and the team credit for trying.The news was announced on the venue’s website by its management, attributed to the family of its late founder, Ben D. An imaginative cast of characters and a delightful disregard for theatrical conventions seem like a recipe for success, but the absence of a strong plot and cohesive tone cause Candlelight to quickly fly off the rails. Sadly, I found that to be the case for most of the play. While we do get a devil-squirrel fight that's rather fun, it's not clear what this scene is accomplishing. A purposeful structure that sets up the rest of the play is notably absent. Bones-a skeleton who only appears this one time-parade around her darkened room and shout various commands at her. The Candlelight Theatre Sweet Charity Sweet Charity, winner of five Tony Award, tells the story of Charity Hope Valentine, an adorable and effervescent bundle of energy determined to maintain her optimism despite whatever hardships or obstacles are placed in her path.

#CANDLELIGHT THEATER PLUS#

In an overly long opening scene in Esperanza's bedroom, one character after another, plus Mr. While there is a delightfully quirky, Jim Henson element to these characters, the way they interact with the story is nonsensical. Esperanza's toy fairy, her bedroom mirror, and her mother's possessed robe also invade the little girl's dreams-or is it waking life? Candlelight blurs the line between reality and imagination a few too many times. Nor does Shanley stop at angels and demons. Esperanza's dead, damned mother dances at the edges of reality, and when the devil breaks into Esperanza's bedroom at night in the guise of her drunk father, God sends a giant squirrel to rescue her. For starters, Tito keeps a pet demon given to him by his Venezuelan uncle, which emerges as a black, hairy hand from inside his oatmeal pot. Equally delightful is the concept-or at least, once again, it sounds delightful in theory. Candlelight has some definite standout lines and genuinely beautiful moments. Secondly, there's a reason Shanley has been awarded a Tony, Academy Award, Pulitzer Prize, and Lifetime Achievement: he's pretty good at this writing stuff. In fact, when it's only the two of them onstage, Candlelight is charming. At once naively bold and innocently shy, always unable to keep still, they give the perfect impression of 1o-year-olds. Dumeng is perfect as Esperanza, a little girl with an overactive imagination and Reign is beautiful as young dreamer Tito, who approaches Esperanza as a pilgrim might a shrine (he's even started praying to her). Before telling you why, let's look at the positives.Īs two starry-eyed 10-year-olds with big crushes on each other, Ivette Dumeng and Marc Reign are absolutely adorable. So it's reluctantly that I admit Candlelight just didn't work for me. That he's still experimenting at this point in his long and highly successful career speaks volumes about his courageous artistry. On the one hand, I'm proud of Shanley for attempting to pull off something this bizarre. Directed by Lori Kee, Candlelight, a Nuyorican fairytale set in Brooklyn, receives its world premiere at the New Ohio Theatre in the daring and usually competent hands of Nylon Fusion Theatre Company. John Patrick Shanley's new play Candlelight is sort of like West Side Story-but with 10-year-olds, Jim Henson-esque demons, and a scantily clad fairy. Ivette Dumeng and Christina Toth in Candlelight.

[whatpistachio]

Adam Driver X BurberryHero

ladies and gentlemen, the greek god adam driver✨🌊🐎🕊🔱✨

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[emilyredekerart]

the light

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