#beth macy

[jennamacaroni]

Americans, representing 4.4 percent of the world's population, consume roughly 30 percent of its opioids.

Beth Macy, "Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America"

[ladzwriting]

My 2022 in Reading: Jo Needs a Nap

My 2022 in Reading: Jo Needs a Nap

[whatsheread]

The Year of the Audiobook - Part 2

The Year of the Audiobook – Part 2

Part two of my one-sentence reviews for the many audiobooks I’ve listened to this year. Hang in there! I wanted to love this one so hard because it’s Neil Gaiman, but I found myself nodding off one too many times to say I enjoyed it. We all know that John Scalzi is a master author, but this first book of his Interdependency series is masterful. It seems that all my friends love this series, and…

[derekklenadaily]

carolineoconnorofficially: Flashback ⚡️ to @macys Thanksgiving parade NYC 🦃@anastasiabroadway 💜Good times and great memories ❤️ #livinthedream #countesslilymalevskymalevich #aussieonbroadway #lily

[pascalishere]

Macy and Theda need to do a KNFW episode where they embark on a quest to find the Giant’s Rolling Pin. Then they can roll the truth out so that the whole world can dig in.

[duranduratulsa]

Now showing on my 90's Fest Movie 🎥 marathon...Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) on glorious vintage VHS 📼! #movie #movies #drama #MrHollandsOpus #richarddreyfuss #GlenneHeadly #jaythomas #olympiadukakis #aliciawhitt #JeanLouisaKelly #terrancehoward #WilliamHMacy #joannagleason #DamonWhitaker #nicholasjohnrenner #AnthonyNatale #bethmaitland #josephanderson #ForestWhitaker #vintage #vhs #90s #90sfest #durandurantulsas3rdannual90sfest

[shaggy-dog12]

☆THANKSGIVING SURPRISE☆

John Price X Reader

A little bit of spice?) But mostly just fluff and wholesome time with fictional family and Price. Use of "Y/N" 1 or 2 times (and of course, the Macy's parade)

(Family members are given names already, you can always change the names up if you'd like, just thought this would be easier for me.)

Smells wafted out of the kitchen, pouring into the house. Scents of sage, thyme, apple, pumpkin, and most importantly, turkey. You stand in the kitchen, apron tied around your waist as you roll the dough for the homemade noodles out on the island counter, cutting them in thin lines so they won't be too long or thick. The front door opens, and your mother and father step into the living room, kicking their shoes off next to the fall themed welcome mat and walking into the kitchen. "Hey, hun." Your father walks over, pressing a kiss to your forehead. He walks over to the sink, washing his hands and joining you. Helping you to roll out the dough and cut the noodles. Your mother sets down the apple dumplings, sweet potato casserole ,and her famous corn pudding. Your mother turns to you, giving you a smile. The corner of her eyes crinkled, showing off her wrinkles. But she still looked quite young for her age. "Have you heard anything from John, sweetie?" Your lips swiftly curl into a slight frown, "Yeah…He said he won't be able to make it back for Thanksgiving.. said something about a botched mission.." A soft, defeated sigh escapes your lips as you throw the noodles into the now boiling water on the stove. You hear your father mutter, but don't catch what he said. "Really? That's not what I hea-" Your father was quickly cut off, your mother jabbing him in the gut. He was about to scold her, but the glare she gave him quickly shut him up, he clears his throat and went back to making more noodles. Throwing them into the pot with the rest of the noodles. The front door opens again, two brunettes, one 5 (male) and one 8 (female) run into the kitchen. Hugging your mom and dad, soon turning to you, hugging your leg, and waist as they beam up at you. "Max, Lexi!" You smile and bend down, placing a kiss on the crown of their heads. Their mother (your sister-in-law) walks into the kitchen with a platter of fruits and vegetables in hand. "Max, Lexi. Get out of the kitchen. We can't have you guys here in the adults's way." Max and Lexi pout, running out of the kitchen and into the living room. Turning on the TV, switching the channel to the Macy's Parade. You laugh. "Hi Beth." Beth turns to you, greeting you as she walks over. "Need help with anything?"Yeah, could you start mashing up the potatoes, and when William gets in here, tell him to start snapping the end of the green beans off. Beth nods and starts mashing up the potatoes, William soon joining to help out while Lexi and Max enjoy the parade. Twenty minutes pass, and the rest of the family shows up. The island and counters filled with desserts, appetizers, and main courses. The children sit around the kids' table, happily chowing down. The adults sit along a long, rectangular shaped table, eating and some sipping on wines and beer. "Y/N, could you get another bottle of Pinot noir? We've run empty on this bottle." Your mother looks at you, holding up the now empty bottle of Pinot noir. "Yeah, does anyone want another beer or another type of wine?" William chimes in, holding up his empty can of Bud Light. You give a quick nod walking into the kitchen, throwing away the empty can of Bud light and Pinot noir, walking over to the fridge you grab a Bud light out of the fridge, placing it on the counter, then walking over to the wine rack. Reaching for another bottle and corkscrew opener. Stabbing the opener into the cork and twisting it, pulling the cork out. Before you could turn around, two callused hands are placed upon your waist, turning you around. Your eyes widen as you look.

John…

A scream of sheer glee escapes you, jumping into John's arms. A shocked gasp escapes John's lips as he quickly hoists you up, wrapping his arms under your legs as your arms wrap around his neck. A toothy smile plastered on his face as he leaned in, lips meeting yours in a passionate kiss, John walked over to an empty space on the counter. Placing you down, resting his left hand on your cheek, deepening the kiss and his right hand on your thigh, slowly sliding up your shirt. A low groan escapes John's lips. Pure bliss taking over the both of you. John's hand runs up and down your side and kisses your jaw and neck. A giggle escapes your lips due to John's beard tickling your neck. "John.. Don't you think we should wait until later?" You place your hands on his shoulders, pushing slightly so he'd look up at you. John chuckles and kisses your cheek. "I suppose so, love. Wouldn't want anyone to walk in on us." Price backs away, helping you off the counter, embracing you. "I thought you said you wouldn't be able to come back for Thanksgiving. What's with the sudden change?" Price brushes a strand of hair from your face. "Oh, no love. I only said that because I wanted to surprise you. I even told your Mom and Dad that I wanted to surprise you. They knew of this plan before I was even cleared to leave." Price placed more tender kisses on your face. "Well, you can consider me throughly surprised John. Now make yourself a plate and eat with us!" John smiled warmly, making himself a plate of food and sitting next to you at the table, chatting away.

You had to admit. It was quite a nice surprise.

[intheholler]

Hi friend! Do you have any reading recs related to the blog? I'd love to hear which books resonate with you

hey! i don't read as much as i'd like to thanks to a particularly hateful brew of neurodivergence/visual issues HOWEVER. that said.

"hill women" by cassie chambers is a touching and inspiriing memoir about women in appalachia

"dopesick: dealers, doctors, and the drug company that addicted america" by beth macy is a good read if you want to get FUCKING. ENRAGED. about what the fucking sacklers did to the region. informative, but obviously major tw for addiction

the red church by scott nicholson i read in high school and remember it being a pretty freaky religious horror novel (bonus: takes place in NC) but high school was Long Ago, so. make of that what you will lol

otherwise i have had, from people whose tastes i vibe with and/or whose views align with mine, recommend:

what you're getting wrong about appalachia by elizabeth catte

ramp hollow: the ordeal of appalachia by steven stoll

happy reading <3

[macgyvermedical]

Books That Interpret USAmerica

I'm trying to put together a list of books that interpret the USAmerican life at the individual and community levels. Please add to this list, including only books you have read and finished. I particularly need more books on this list by and about Black and indigenous peoples, but any book about the experience of life as a person living in the US will do. I look forward to expanding my to-read list!

Here is what I have so far:

Evicted, by Matthew Desmond- RE the housing crisis

Temp, by Louis Hyman- RE the staffing crisis

How the Other Half Eats, by Priya Fielding-Singh- RE how food, mother/daughter dynamics, and socioeconomics fit together

Shorting the Grid, by Meredith Angwin- RE the energy crisis and how grid electricity works in the USA

This is Your Mind on Plants, by Michael Pollan- RE the regulation of psychoactive plants

The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan- RE where food comes from

Savage Inequalities, by Jonathan Kozol- RE the severe inequality in the education system

Hyper Education, by Pawan Dhingra- RE pressures placed on children in and beyond the education system

Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism, by Peter J Hotez- RE: the fight over vaccines

$2.00 Per Day, by Katheryn J Edin, H Luke Shaefer- RE the lives of people below the international poverty line living in the USA

The Worst Hard Time, by Timothy Egan- RE the great depression

The Velvet Rope Economy, by Nelson D Schwartz- RE how different services and systems serve different levels of socioeconomic status

Janesville, by Amy Goldstein- RE a small town's struggle after losing it's main employer

Indebted, by Caitlin Zaloom- RE the student debt crisis

McMindfulness, by Ronald E Purser- RE how the lack of happiness was pushed on the individual instead of the system

Fat Talk, by Virginia Sole-Smith- RE questioning the source and outcomes of the obesity epidemic

Dopesick, by Beth Macy- RE the opioid crisis

[ausetkmt]

Dopesick : Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company That Addicted America

Dopesick : Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company That Addicted America

Beth Macy reveals the disturbing truth behind America's opioid crisis and explains how a nation has become enslaved to prescription drugs. 

"Dopesick goes to the heart of one of the most urgent problems of our time."  - The Tablet

This powerful and moving story explains how a large corporation, Purdue, encouraged small-town doctors to prescribe OxyContin to a country already awash in painkillers. The drug's dangerously addictive nature was hidden, whilst many used it as an escape, to numb the pain of joblessness and the need to pay the bills. Macy tries to answer a grieving mother's question – why her only son died – and comes away with a harrowing tale of greed and need.

"...a masterwork of narrative journalism, interlacing stories of communities in crisis with dark histories of corporate greed and regulatory indifference ... The further Macy wades into the wreckage of addiction, the more damning her indictment becomes ... Macy introduces so many remarkable people that, midway through Dopesick, readers may find it challenging to keep track of them. (Imagine the writer as the literary equivalent of a triage doctor, with more patients to stabilize than she can linger on.) Taken as a whole, however, this gripping book is a feat of reporting, research and synthesis."  -  Jessica Bruder, New York Times Book Review

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

The Brice Family ✤ Centre Stage

Antonio "Tony" Motta-Brice & Keegan Brice (dads; mid 40s) Carter Brice (31) Kaia Brice & Malia Brice (28/29) Mateo Brice (19) Carla Vasquez-Brice (15) Maci & Chelsie Brice (13) Zane Brice (12) Ava Brice (6)

Ages are based on season 1, all of them are adopted (Chelsie & Zane are full siblings, parents put them up for adoption when Zane was an infant), and Tony & Keegan adopt Beth at the end of season 1

As the only one who remembers her bio parents (she was 5 when they died, Carla survived a car accident and they didn't), Carla chose to hyphenate her last name to honour them and gets very annoyed when people only call her by one of them

Carter Brice is the same age as Josh St James and they've been friends for most of their lives, and Kaia & Malia Brice were high school friends of Amelie Kline, Lindsay Wright, and Franny Fabray

Carla has spent her life doing community theatre with both Josh and Shelby Corcoran and they're both part of the family, she also considers Jesse to be an honorary extra sibling, and there is always an extra bed at the Brice house for anyone who might need it, their children's friends are all considered family

After The Incident™, Carla's dads seriously discussed moving out of Lima, but that would have also involved moving four children 11 and under, so instead Carla asked if she could move in with her uncle Al and favourite cousin Sugar, and she lived with them until Al and his wife (Kamilah Motta) decided to get a divorce, which led her to finally returning to her dads and siblings for her sophomore year of high school

Tag List: @airwolf92 – want to be added?

[shu-of-the-wind]

stories you have to read to understand my brain:

(this includes both fiction and nonfiction because people need to stop being wimpy about nonfiction tbqh)

i make no promises about the quality of each particular work or whether you will like them personally. some of them i have not reread in years. some of them i reread at least once a year. some of them are for children. some of them are definitely not. google the triggers for each and make your own judgments. this is not in any particular order either.

Sabriel by Garth Nix

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

Sisters in Hate: American Women on the Front Lines of White Natinoalism by Seyward Darby

The Moorchild by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Adnan's Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial by Rabia Chaudry

Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement by Katheryn Joyce

The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow by Ono Fuyumi

Ghost Hunt by Ono Fuyumi

Zan'e, or The Inerasable by Ono Fuyumi

Fullmetal Alchemist by Arakawa Hiromu

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Umineko no Naku Koro Ni | うみねこのなく頃に by ryukishi07

A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown by Julia Scheeres

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy

Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark

Rogue One by Alexander Freed

I Couldn't Even Imagine That They Would Kill Us: An Oral History of the Attacks Against the Students of Ayotzinapa by John Gibler

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Being Lolita: A Memoir by Alisson Wood

The Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs by Camilla Townsend

East by Edith Pattou

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

The Anatomy of Fascism by Robert O. Paxton

On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

Soul Full of Coal Dust: A Fight for Breath and Justice in Appalachia by Chris Hamby

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

Fire Bringer by David Clement-Davies

Unspeakable Things: Sex, Lies, and Revolution by Laurie Penny

A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle

My Man, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

[secretsleuthexchange]

SECRET SLEUTH GIFT MASTERPOST 2022

we had nearly 50 sign-ups this year an with that came some incredible gifts! thank you to everyone who participated this year and we’re amazed by you all!

Abbie/bess-turani-marvin (tumblr) for Alison/eyescllsed (tumblr) - GIFT

Abby/kazrietveldss (tumblr) for Chené /discocirce (twitter) - GIFT

Alison/eyescllsed (tumblr) for Carly/drewdflorence (tumblr/twitter) - GIFT

Allison/ScarletSlippers (tumblr) for Susan/stormofsansas (tumblr) - GIFT

Ames/screaminglip (twitter) for Melanie/perfectpurls (tumblr) - GIFT

Anne/_Polaris_09 (twitter) for Mel/redhauntings (twitter) - GIFT

Ash/flythesail (tumblr) for Beth/honey-tea-and-lemon-trees (tumblr) - GIFT

Beth/honey-tea-and-lemon-trees (tumblr) for ghostmaggie (tumblr) - GIFT

bethanyactually (tumblr) for Jess/simmosa (tumblr) - GIFT

Bhargavi/pxrcyannabxth (twitter) for Leigh/hbhijinks (tumblr/twitter) - GIFT

Bianca/BiancaGrace02 (tumblr) for Ry/dustinswill (tumblr) - GIFT

Caitlyn/amycurtismarchs (tumblr) for Abbie/bess-turani-marvin (tumblr) - GIFT

Carly/drewdflorence (tumblr/twitter) for Jenny/amidalleia (tumblr) - GIFT

Carrie/addisonsdrew (twitter) for Holly/savedbythecase (twitter) - GIFT

Chels/nanncydrew (tumblr/twitter) for Ames/screaminglip (twitter) - GIFT

Chené /discocirce (twitter) for Macy/nancysleuth (twitter) - GIFT

Cornelia/witchdaughter20 (twitter) for Samantha/acesgranolabar (twitter) - GIFT

ghostmaggie (tumblr) for Olivia/heartunsettledsoul (tumblr) - GIFT

Hannah/Heliza24 (ao3) for Natalie/naceisonthecase (twitter/tumblr) - GIFT

Holly/savedbythecase (twitter) for Nsu/NsuYeula (twitter/tumblr) - GIFT

Iz/last-ace-on-the-left (tumblr) for Abby/kazrietveldss (tumblr) - GIFT

Jenny/amidalleia (tumblr) for Cornelia/witchdaughter20 (twitter) - GIFT

Jess/simmosa (tumblr) for Kris/itwaswhileyouweresleeping (tumblr) - GIFT

Jules/mermaeids (tumblr/twitter) for Samantha/nancydrevv (tumblr/twitter) - GIFT

Katelyn/binancydrew (twitter/tumblr) for Bianca/BiancaGrace02 (tumblr) - GIFT

Kelsey/pressdbtwnpages (tumblr) for Hannah/Heliza24 (ao3) - GIFT

Kris/itwaswhileyouweresleeping (tumblr) for Carrie/addisonsdrew (twitter) - GIFT

Laura/mastress (tumblr) for bethanyactually (tumblr) - GIFT

Leigh/hbhijinks (tumblr/twitter) for Kelsey/pressdbtwnpages (tumblr) - GIFT

LikesToSolveThePuzzle for Macy/macyaudenstarr (tumblr/twitter) - GIFT

Lynn/keepingthepeaceinouterspace (tumblr) for Melissa (shipsinlove3 (tumblr/twitter) - GIFT

Macy/macyaudenstarr (tumblr/twitter) for Jules/mermaeids (tumblr/twitter) - GIFT

Mel/redhauntings (twitter) for Sara/teamhodgins (tumblr/twitter) - GIFT

Melanie/perfectpurls (tumblr) for Lynn/keepingthepeaceinouterspace (tumblr) - GIFT

Melissa/shipsinlove3 (tumblr/twitter) for PluckySidekick (tumblr) - GIFT

moon_jigsaw (tumblr) for Fonsie/strangenightsofdaydreams (tumblr) - GIFT

Natalie/naceisonthecase (twitter/tumblr) for Rachel/PlatanchorSociety (tumblr) - GIFT

Nsu/NsuYeula (twitter/tumblr) for Anne/_Polaris_09 (twitter) - GIFT

Olivia/heartunsettledsoul (tumblr) for Chels/nanncydrew (tumblr/twitter) - GIFT

Olivia/heartunsettledsoul (tumblr) for Iz/last-ace-on-the-left (tumblr) - GIFT

PluckySidekick (tumblr) for Laura/mastress (tumblr) - GIFT

Rachel/PlatanchorSociety (tumblr) for moon_jigsaw (tumblr) - GIFT

Ry/dustinswill (tumblr) for Persona/randompersona786b (tumblr) - GIFT

Samantha/acesgranolabar (twitter) for Allison/ScarletSlippers (tumblr) - GIFT

Samantha/nancydrevv (tumblr/twitter) for Winter/winterlovesong1 (tumblr) - GIFT

Sara/teamhodgins (tumblr/twitter) for Caitlyn/amycurtismarchs (tumblr) - GIFT

Susan/stormofsansas (tumblr) for Ash/flythesail (tumblr) - GIFT

Winter/winterlovesong1 (tumblr) for LikesToSolveThePuzzle  - GIFT

---

+ to find links via twitter VISIT HERE

+ to visit the SSGE2022 AO3 collection VISIT HERE

+ to check out this years gift tag VISIT HERE

+ to join the have a nace day (18+) discord VISIT HERE

+ to join the clue crew (all ages) discord VISIT HERE

+ to provide some anonymous feedback VISIT HERE

thank you to the great admin/mods who helped facilitate this event:

Katelyn - @binancydrew​​

Jen - @nightspires​

Katy - @nancy-drew​

Bhargavi - @barbarahoward​

Sam - @acesdrew​​

Cama - @cadetcama​

Happy Holidays from us to you, enjoy your new year and may we be blessed with a S4 premiere date soon!

[hournites]

Hot & Cold

Hournite 3x07 reaction fic

Summary: Just what happens between the cafeteria scene and the math room?

“We should check the bathrooms.” Beth surveilled the school hallway. Six cameras down, and according to her scan, five more still active in the building. So far they found the auditorium, the cafeteria, the gym, three classrooms on the first floor, and this one mounted on the ceiling in front of Cindy’s locker. The thought of cameras installed in the bathrooms of the schools absolutely disgusted her, and by the look on Rick’s face, it pissed him off too. Although, everything seemed to piss Rick off tonight. The unstable mood of his was one Beth felt very unsettled by—And she wasn’t an idiot. Rick had never turned the hourglass over? Not even for a minute? He’d given himself no reprieve. 

He nodded, leading the way. Or rather, stomping off for Beth to scurry after him. “Let’s go.” 

On the one hand she completely understood the paranoia and anxiety that accompanied finding out some unknown peeping tom was creating havoc all over town. It was a bad thing. Not only because they all had secrets; they were doomed as it were, with the cameras in their homes, a place which was supposed to be private and safe, but Beth knew—she was guilty of it—that they discussed JSA matters in public. She was the one that fully disclosed her Dragon King hypothesis in this very hall at school. So, Rick on high alert and not wanting to surrender his power source made some sense. Back when Eclipso ran loose Beth refused to take her goggles off too. She sympathized with him, really. She did. 

But this? Rick was turning the entire school into his personal punching bag. This new and improved Hourman was restless and unpredictable, grossly so, and she knew that Rick was blind to how drastically he had changed overnight. 

At the auditorium, Rick ripped half of the curtains down just because he could. She had only suggested that maybe the heavy curtains were hiding a camera, since, most productions in the theatre were recorded anyway, and Rick took that as permission to rip the entire set to shreds, proudly producing a tattered mess for her. 

Beth was appalled. 

“What is the drama teacher supposed to think!” Beth admonished. “It costs money to fund public schools!”

“Why would I care about nerdy theatre geeks?” Rick laughed, spinning on his heel. “You’re not in the theatre club, so we’re good.” 

Beth made a funny face behind his back.  

She tried talking to him. And he’d stop to listen to her, dark eyes blown wide and focused on hers with an eerie intensity. But whatever she told him it was like it went in one ear and out the other. He was too focused on impressing her. It was embarrassing. 

Pushing and shoving doors for her,  “Beth, watch this!”  and “Hey, look at that!” and “Bet you never saw anything like this!” with an obnoxious smirk that made Beth roll her eyes. He was being such a…Beth never cared to use bad words but… the phrase  A-class asshole would not leave her mind. 

He laughed, glancing at her over his shoulder when she couldn’t match his impatient steps. “We have to beat the clock, remember?” He tossed his flashlight up in the air, but his swing caused it to fly, smashing into the ceiling. It rained drywall as Beth covered her head and face with a shriek. “Rick!” 

“Oops,” he huffed. When Beth took her time to catch up with him, he smirked at her and called over his shoulder, “I can carry you if you’d like.” 

Beth clenched her fists in her gloves. “No, thank you.” 

“You sure?” He glanced her up and down as she stepped carefully over the mess he left. She felt so horrible for their custodians, Jim, Macy and Nathaniel. When Beth shook her head after picking up the flashlight and returning it to him, he huffed. “Thought you’d like it.” 

“What does that mean?”

Rick shrugged. “Whatever you want.” 

Beth held her tongue. She used to like Rick when he used his strength. She used to like it a lot. He was confident and very reassuring when she was often worried, and she couldn’t deny that was attractive. What Beth was impressed by was Rick’s well-timed decision-making in how to utilize his hour. He’d been especially prudent with it. After what had happened with Grundy, he used his abilities with a sense of duty and responsibility that Beth had respected. And while of course she knew deep down he had wanted his hourglass to last a little longer, he had never once complained.  

In front of the girl’s bathroom, Rick bursted in. He spun around, looking for cameras. Beth tapped her goggles, and found one mounted by the sinks. “There,” she said. 

Before Rick went for it, he smashed a sink in half. 

“Excuse me?” Beth jumped back. “What was that for?” 

“There was a crack in it anyway.” 

“Rick,” she seethed through a dangerous whisper, grabbing onto his arm.

Rick stopped, looking down at where she was latched onto him then grinned wolfishly at her. “You wanna hold my hand now? Just say the word.” 

She let go, flustered or angry, probably an uncomfortable mix of both. 

“Rick,” she said again, “listen to me.” 

“Okay.” 

She took the time to scan his vitals. His heart was racing at an erratic pace, his white blood cell count was off too, which was odd. 

“You need to calm down.” 

“I will when we get this done.” 

“No, I mean you need to calm down right now.” She gestured around the mess. “You are wrecking our school. We have class tomorrow. Do you understand me? You can’t wreck this place just because you feel like it!” 

She took a step forward, trusting him to yield to her, if not just for a moment. Pressing both hands to his chest, she lifted her goggles up so she could look  right up into his eyes. “Rick, I’m asking you to stop and assess. Think about what you’re doing. What are you feeling?” 

He covered her hands on his hourglass with his own with a genuine smile. “I’m feeling a lot of things.” 

Beth had a feeling that she was doing this all wrong. He’d been suggestive all day. Beth swallowed down the frustration. Rick teasing her about her feelings for him was not cool. It hurt, even. Because if Rick wasn’t hopped up on this hourglass, she was certain he wouldn’t be throwing her crush on him in her face. She wasn’t even sure that he knew that she liked him until this mission together. And the fact he’d known all along, and just to feel powerful, was making her feel small? This wasn’t the Rick she knew, and she tried to tell herself that’s why this was a problem, that he wasn’t being himself, but another part of her just wanted to go home and leave him here to cause his mess and let him get in trouble for it. To crawl into a ball in her bed and cry, that her feelings mattered so little to him that he could smirk in her face about it. First Courtney leaving Beth out of her secrets, and now Rick, too self-absorbed to realize he was hurting her. And no parents to talk to her about this, either. 

Beth swallowed it all down. “Talk to me about it. What’s on your mind right now?”

Rick said, “I’m thinking we should be close like this a lot more often.” 

“I’m being serious!” she snapped. 

He dropped his show. “Okay, okay…” Rick closed his eyes and exhaled. “I feel…I feel different.” 

“Yeah? Different how.” 

He laughed dryly. “You wouldn’t get it.” 

“No, try to tell me.” 

“I feel like I can finally be who I was meant to be.” 

“And who’s that?” she whispered. 

“Hourman.” 

“But what about Rick? What about him?” she asked. “The guy underneath the hourglass? I care about him. What’s happening to him?” 

Rick stared at her oddly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“I’m talking about the person who’s sensitive and cares about hurting people’s feelings.” 

“Who am I hurting?” 

“Me,” Beth said. “You’re hurting me by not listening to me.” 

He frowned. “I’m trying to protect you.” 

“Yeah, and you’re being a jerk about it.” 

She could tell the gears were turning in his head. “I’m sorry.” 

Beth sighed, finally, she felt she was getting through to him. “It’s okay. Clearly, something is off and we’re—“

“Wait,” Rick interrupted her. An unfamiliar look seeped into his eyes. “So, I’m a jerk because I’m happy?” 

Beth drew back. “No!” 

“You think I should be depressed?” Rick continued, returning back to their task of looking for cameras. “You want me to feel insignificant again?” 

“I’m not saying that either. You’re twisting my words!”

Rick flexed his arms, stretching them as he cricked his neck back and forth. His eyes darted anxiously around the dark hall as they returned to the hallway. “Thanks for the concern, but I’m fine.” He swung his flashlight around in circles, created a light show that made Beth dizzy. “Let’s check Ms. Woods’ room. I bet the creep show has cameras there.”

“Yeah.” 

“Good. Great.” He shook his limbs loose. His sour mood flipped fast, back to his playful banter. “Coming, moonbug?”  

“Moon...bug?” 

“It’s a nickname for you. Just thought of it now.” He winked at her. “Because the moon is your symbol and you’re small like a bug. It’s cute.” 

If this was any other day, Beth probably would’ve had to excuse herself from the sheer rush of serotonin that would’ve given her. But now, she didn’t know how to even begin the process of this whiplash of emotions. 

“Do you like it?” 

“Yeah…” she said, because she did, and she didn’t feel like having another fight. “Great. I knew you would. C’mon.”

She followed him, putting her goggles back over her eyes as her stomach filled with dread. “I’m coming.” 

[bzedan]

May! Officially springtime, I wanted my May playlist to key off of 'Les Fleurs' by Minnie Riperton, a song my bff shared in our family discord and has haunted me since (positive).

This playlist put itself together pretty quickly, and basically was in its final form by mid-month. And, since part of the whole point of me even starting doing monthly playlists was because I am prone listening to the same playlists over and over (and over), I had no problem spending two weeks of workdays listening to the same series of songs. It's comforting! My comfort playlist is six songs long and I used to play it on a loop through most of a workday at a Bad Place I Worked. Three hours of syrupy spring joy every day was a delight.

The vibe for May was, if I may quote what I sent my bestie in describing it: "Flowers and joy sweetness and fierceness is the vibes, Middle finger in a lace glove." I mean, I think I achieved that, anyway.

Several covers on this one, like the Cowboy Junkies covering Vic Chesnutt 'Flirted With You All My Life,' which is a hard one to cover for a lot of reasons but this is (to me) a successful attempt. The 'Goodbye Horses' cover by Dead On A Sunday is also a new favourite, it doesn't really change much about it, but it's just a good damn song. The Cardigans singing 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' hit me so unexpectedly, I was delighted.

Related media to some of the songs:

I enjoy the music video for Indigo De Souza's 'You Can Be Mean'. 

An Dro's arrangement of the Hieronymus Bosch butt music is probably my favourite version, and I'm grateful to this Tumblr post for introducing this artist to me.

There are two songs from Schmigadoon! season two in here, if you can find a way to watch it (Apple TV+) and are a musicals fan you're in for a treat. It's a damn tragedy how they've got so few clips for this show and were consistently late in sharing what little they had or in making songs available quickly on Spotify. It's a musical show! You're a giant network! Anyway, enjoy this Chicago-inspired piece that is not on this playlist but is a delight nonetheless.

Anyway here's a link to May's playlist on Spotify, with the track list below the cut.

Also embedded if you like that:

'Les Fleurs' - Minnie Riperton  

'Like Her Before' - Em and Dzeej  

'You Can Be Mean' - Indigo De Souza  

'Feel The Way I Want' - Caroline Rose  

'Temba, Tumba Y Timba' - Los Van Van  

'Army Dreamers - 2018 Remaster' - Kate Bush  

'Hieronymus Bosch Butt Music' - An Dro  

'Friends' - Ween  

'Replacements (feat. La Roux)' - Chromeo  

'Scarborough Fair / Canticle' - Simon & Garfunkel  

'Athena' - Tristen  

'Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall' - Simon & Garfunkel  

'Wear Your Love Like Heaven' - Donovan  

'Petals' - Mariah Carey  

'Lady May' - Tyler Childers  

'Miracle' - Caravan Palace  

'Hothouse Flower' - Tristen  

'Lavender' - Oneida  

'Sussudio' - Phil Collins  

'For Real' - Mallrat  

'Invisible Light' - Scissor Sisters  

'This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)' - Talking Heads  

'Cut To The Feeling' - Carly Rae Jepsen  

'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' - The Cardigans  

'Babalon' - Twin Temple  

'Bustin' Out' - Dove Cameron  

'Concerto In G' - Roger Neill  

'Goodbye Horses' - Dead On A Sunday  

'Faraway Look' - Yola  

'Paradise' - Sade  

'Electric Feel' - MGMT  

'Sugar on My Tongue - 2005 Remaster' - Talking Heads  

'Sweet About Me' - Gabriella Cilmi  

'Suspended In Gaffa - 2018 Remaster' - Kate Bush  

'So Sweet' - Nurses  

'The Windmills Of Your Mind - Mono Version' - Dusty Springfield  

'Bitter Sweet Symphony' - The Verve  

'The Orchids' - Psychic TV  

'Patchouli in the Morning / The Outlier' - An Dro  

'Sugar Daddy' - Thompson Twins  

'Kaput' - Dove Cameron  

'Sweet Turns Sour' - Macy Rodman  

'Savoir Faire' - Beth Ditto  

'Sweet Poison' - Naked Eyes  

'Violet' - Hole  

'Eat The Acid' - Kesha  

'Wave Catalyst (Low Tide)' - Pacific Coliseum  

'Flowers - Medieval Style Instrumental' - Stantough  

'Time Bandits' - Angel Olsen  

'Flirted With You All My Life' - Cowboy Junkies  

'Then Came the Last Days of May' - Blue Öyster Cult

[jwowwsboobs]

2 14 21:)

2) Album of the year?

DEFINITELY pain of truths not thru blood … also love love loveeee bound by naked skies by lathe of heaven, unityTX’s ferality & no models demo ... the hardcore came 4 me this year LOL

14) Favorite book you read this year?

i really loved dopesick by beth macy & i recently picked up if i die in a combat zone by tim o’brian which ive been liking a lot!!

21) What’s something new about your place of residence (room, home, or general location) now vs the start of the year?

i have a bunch of show fliers taped up on the walls of my room now, a couple of new band shirts in my closet, more music in my collection & a new guitar on my floor 🩷