#coronavirus come at me bruh

[spadesofthecards]

I'm ready for the apocalypse y'all, got my plague doctor mask and everything.

and before you ask, i got it a few years ago for a holloween costume. i didn't buy one because of Coronavirus lol

[sociallyawkward--fics]

I am WHEEZING in laughter and idk if it’s actually funny or if I’ve just finally lost it, but full-on, a guy at church literally just invited me to a group gathering in his itty-bitty apartment this week and I’m like,,,,, are you dumb????

Bro,,,,, bro,,,, for one, we cannot 6ft social distance in your itty bitty apartment to watch Onward,,,, for two, I am currently one of the people you know that is most likely to have been exposed and you are inviting me into your home to breathe on you and (less than 10, he specified lol) other people,,,,,

Luckily I had an excuse other than that for why I couldn’t go that night so I could make the social distancing bit seem more like a joke, but BRO why are you having a SOCIAL GATHERING??????? Dude,,,,,, lol, the extroverts have NO chill anymore, what is he doing why is he doing it lol

[trumpetnista]

[friendly-neighborhood-ninjager]

so i came back

[q-gorgeous]

shoutout to the girls who were in the store at 5:30 today playing with dog toys and squeaking them really loud who i had to ask to stop who then either hung out in the store or came back until 7:30 because u kno its totally not like the state has a stay at home order and social distancing going on when theres a world wide pandemic that were trying to stop but please come to the grocery stores and hang out what a wise decision to make

[liminal-criminal]

So. My roommate’s (recently ex) gf is experiencing some sort of break down and is now making threats to him, herself, and has decided to involve me. Specifically by calling me terrible names, mocking my stocking of various feminine hygiene products, and claiming I can’t take care of my cats, among other things that cause me less anxiety.

I’m struggling to deal with this because I’ve expended no form of bad karma her way. Only good.

[mcyt-transcribed]

transcript of “where I've been”

TW for discussion of cancer and Covid-19

 Here’s the Google Doc link or you can click on the read more.

Techno: Yo, Technoblade here with another upload, oh my God I can’t believe it. We’re back, we’re playing Bedwars, uh, I don’t know why I said that in the present tense because I actually recorded these Bedwars games a few days ago. I have- I’ve played like, almost no Bedwars since the win streak, which was like, I dunno, years ago - so, you know, forgive me if I’m a little rusty. These are literally just the first three games of Bedwars I played, recorded them, and then just threw them in this background footage because, you know, I like live commentaries a lot, but I feel like sometimes, when you have a topic to talk about, having to play a video game simultaneously can sorta- it can sorta detract from the commentary, you know?

But before that: a plushie commercial filmed on my iPhone.

We got the first one - it’s Technoblade. He’s in a flying pose. He’s flying to save some civilians or he’s falling flat on his face. Depends on who you ask. Alright. We got the- We got Technoblade. He’s sitting down. He’s- He’s seated. He’s seated. It’s incredibly exciting. Uh, we got- we got Technoblade but he’s- he’s a giant- he’s a gigantic pillow. It’s Technopillow. This is actually- This is actually really- This is really soft. You’re gonna have to take my word for it.

These plushies go on sale on September 3rd at 3 PM EST at youtooz.com. The last ones sold out in around eight hours, so be prepared. I mean, one of them was like, two minutes but ehhh, it’s not happening again.

So where has Technoblade been? I know I’ve been gone since like, June. I was actually being really productive in July, which I know you guys are gonna- You’re not gonna believe me when I say that because I made no content. But I was! I was, you gotta believe me, okay? I was getting so much work done IRL; I was like, filling out paperwork, making business moves, working on merchandise, buying new equipment to make new videos. ‘Cause I really wanted- I really wanted to increase the rate at which I was making videos, ‘cause I kinda spent- You know, I kinda spent like, all this time becoming a famous YouTube and then instantly like, stopped uploading. Which, I mean, to be fair, I guess that started more in like 2018. So, that’s more just a pattern now.

 But I figured, you know, this whole thing where I go two- you know, one or two months without uploading- I don’t want that to be me, man. I wanna be uploading at least once per week. So I spent a lot of time preparing to do that. And the plan was that I would start doing that in August, but I took a- It didn’t- It’s, uh- It’s not going great, I’m not going to lie to you.

So in the last two days of July I noticed that my right arm was starting to hurt a decent amount and I thought- My best guess was that it was some kind of repetitive stress injury, ‘cause you know I’ve been playing video games since the age of like, five. It’s pretty much nonstop. I was gonna get carpal tunnel at some point but, uh, I took a few days to rest my arm and it really didn’t… really didn’t feel any better after that. And so after a few days of that, I looked at myself in the mirror and I noticed that my right shoulder was starting to swell like crazy and I was like, “Oh my God! I must’ve broken a bone, this is-” I mean, this- It looked- it looked crazy.

So, you know, the next day - August 2nd - I, uh, headed over to the doctor to see what was wrong and uh, they ran a couple of scans and then they came back and they told me that, uh, the reason my arm hurts is because I have cancer.

That really couldn’t have gone worse, I don’t think. I feel a bit silly talking about this with, uh, Minecraft in the background; it feels a bit out of place. But I’m a Minecraft YouTuber - I don’t- I don’t do a face cam. Which is I guess how most people would talk about serious things, with a face cam. I also probably, uh- *chuckles* Also probably a bit weird to plug my merchandise in the- in the same video, like, “Hey, guys, I have a- I have a terrible disease, also buy my plushies, bro.” But uh- *laughs* Listen: I’ve been waiting so many months to sell those plushies, bro. And it keeps getting delayed and now cancer thinks it can stop me. No no no no no. I’m trying to make some bank, bro. I wanna get paid, also they look fantastic, I mean just look at them, they look incredible. Alright?

I mean, I guess it would be ideal to like, split up the announcements, but I’m going back into chemotherapy next week; I don’t got time for this, man. We gotta go!

To be fair, I could make this a lot weirder; I could have like, the thumbnail be a giant red arrow pointing to my tumor with the caption “Might die! Not clickbait!” *laughs* Yeah, just the ultimate- the ultimate YouTuber, bro. We’re clickbaiting the whole process.

So after the scans come in, I get transferred to another hospital which has an oncology award, so it’s a lot more specialized towards what I need. And I’m sorta like sitting there in the bed for a couple of days like, “Hello. Could I please get some healthcare? Could I- Could I just get a- Could I just get a crumb of healthcare? Please! Like, I *stutters* I wanna see people sprinting, you know? I feel like I want to see some urgency, you know? If you guys gotta- *stammers* You know, there’s like, this tumor on my arm - if you guys could just- if you guys could just get rid of it. Just get rid of it right now! Could we just go? If you gotta cut off my arm, cut off my arm, bro - do what you gotta do. I won’t complain, man, I’ve won enough Minecraft tournaments. I’ll just play Minecraft with my feet from here on out, bro. I’ll still be B tier at least, okay? It’s fine. Do what you gotta do.”

But then the doctors are telling me, “Oh, well, we can’t- we can’t do it immediately. We gotta- We gotta find out what it is, we gotta run some tests, do a biopsy.” I’m like, “Okay, do the biopsy.” Like, “Oh, well first we gotta do some scans.” I’m like, “Alright, dude, the scans.” And so it took a couple of days and then they did a biopsy, uh, three days later. And then I was like, “Alright. Let’s go!” And they were like, “Oh, well, the biopsy is gonna take like, a week or more to get back.” And I’m just sitting here like, “Bruh, please. Please, just treat me.”

I mean, it makes sense. It makes a lot of sense and I’m sure they know what they’re doing, but I’m just sitting there in the hospital like, “Please. Please, healthcare.” So they get the biopsy and they send me home and they’re saying like, I’ll come back in like a week or so when they have a treatment plan prepared, and so I- It was a very fun week at home ‘cause I was sitting there still not getting treated and I was just like, looking at my tumor like, “Alright, Mr. Tumor. You know, you need me to survive so it’s in your best interest to just- to just chill out for a little bit, you know? We don’t wanna go too crazy.”

And faintly- Faintly if you strain your ears, underneath my skin you can hear:

[Dream’s speedrun music plays for a few seconds]

Techno: Yeah, it was a really fun week. But I did finally get started on chemotherapy, which is a wonderful process. Let me explain chemotherapy. So basically uh, you know how society has progressed for thousands of years of technological and medical innovation? So basically, one of the top three ways we have to fight cancer is uh, for you to go to the hospital and then they uh, plug you into a machine and then they inject poison directly into your veins for several days. That’s uh, that’s one of the best ways we’ve got of going about this and the poison- it’s supposed to kill the cancer - it uh, also kills things like, you know, blood. But ehhh, does anybody really need blood? I feel like it’s pretty optional, you know? Uh- *small laugh* Blood for the Blood God as it were, alright? Uh, I’ll take what I can get.

I, uh, you know, I used to have a channel meme- ‘cause back in the day- you know how my motivation always goes up and down in, like, cycles? I used to have a meme where whenever I’d get super motivated I’d, ya know, I’d start uploading, like crazy. I’d also do things like get a haircut. And, so, I joked that, uh, the less hair I had, the more I’d upload. ‘Cause that’s- the hair was holding me back. And so, if that’s still true, I gotta say, chemotherapy, that’s gotta be daily uploads or something, bro. *laughs* It’s gonna be- Chemotherapy Arc is gonna be fantastic for content.

Well, ya know, after I got diagnosed, I, uh, I’ve been making a lot of phone calls- ya know, informing all of my distant family members about the situation- and, I gotta say, of all the phone calls I’ve made, nobody took the news worse than my health insurance provider. They’ve been inconsolable for weeks. They were like, “You got what!? No!” 

I mean, I had no idea they cared so much. They’ve just- oh my God. I- I think they’re the real victims of this. I mean, could you imagine? Could you imagine? Like, look at me! I was a healthy twenty-two year old, I, like, barely went to the doctor, even for, like, regular appointments. I- I guess I went to the dentist, that’s the one thing I did. I was the freest paycheck they’ve ever seen in their lives. They could’ve been milking money off of me for decades. And then, bam, cancer, bro. *laughs* Oh, those poor guys. 

Uh, the one- the one favor I- I do wanna ask- If you guys could all do one small favor for Technoblade- uh, you know that coronavirus thing you been hearing in the news for the last couple of years? Uh, I want you guys to get rid of it. Just, uh, I want it gone. Just a couple days should be sufficient for you guys to do that.

No, but, seriously. I’m kind of, uh, immunocompromised right now, which means, uh, if a bacteria touches me or, like, a virus touches me, I will explode. So, yeah, uh, I wanna- get the vaccine, is what I’m saying.

I’m gonna get cancelled by the anti-vaxxers for saying it, but it’s such a good vaccine, bro. Pfizer got full FDA approval, this week, for people aged sixteen and up. I think you- you can also get it if you’re eleven to fifteen if you’ve got emergency approval or whatever. Uh, I mean, if you have any concerns, don’t listen to a Minecraft YouTuber, but, please, at least talk to a doctor. Because it’s- it’s so good bro. It’s so good.

The hospitals are currently getting flooded by unvaccinated people. I’m gonna go ahead and speak on behalf of all cancer patients when I say that it is incredibly annoying when the- when the hospitals are getting overworked by people dying of preventable diseases. I’m just saying- we got dibs on those hospital beds. So, ya know, you- you probably don’t- you don’t even want them really. You don’t even want to need them. So, I think the vaccine… what is it? It, like, reduces the chances of you needing hospitalization from Covid by, like, ninety-six percent? I mean, it’s so effective, bro! Come on! I mean, you might still get, like… I mean, you could still catch coronavirus, but, like, the symptoms are gonna be so much milder, bro, I’m just saying. Think about it. Think about it. Talk to a doctor.

I remember when I first went in for chemotherapy, A: I was thrilled, ‘cause, like, yo! Healthcare! Inject it into my veins, bro! Let’s go! But, also, like, the first couple of days were actually pretty chill. I was like, ‘Dang! This is easy, bro!’. And then it kicked in. And then it kicked in. My energy levels were zero; they were absolutely nothing. It’s hard to describe how tired I was, but I think my one example is- so they let me go back home. And after several days of resting, I had a virtual appointment with a doctor. And, so, they were, like, ‘Alright’. And I was just sitting there, like, ‘Wait a second. You guys want me to sit upright in a chair for an hour? What is this, the Olympics, bro? I’m going back to bed! What? What?’ *laughs* ‘Wha? Let’s calm down here. Sitting in a chair? Am I Superman? Like, come one, bro.’

As you can probably tell, I’m feeling a lot better right now. Which is, uh, I think that’s part of the process, is, uh, you get a little bit of recovery time to, uh, ya know, eat a lot of really good food- get the weight back- and get ready for the next round.

And, uh, before we go back for the next round, I’m gonna be playing a lot of video games, uh, making some content, seeing if I can get some more videos prepared, because, uh- I know people are gonna be like, ‘No! Technoblade! You don’t need to make videos for us! Please rest!’

Nah, this isn’t about you, bro. This is about me. I enjoy this, man. This is, like, one of the safest and most fun things I could be doing right now, bro, I’m gonna do it. I don’t know how much content I could make, ‘cause I’m kinda slow, but we’ll see. We’ll see.

I already have a video prepared for next week, uh, September third. You guys are gonna love it. It’s, uh, it was actually- it’s kind of, kind of an old video. It was, uh, from a few months ago, but it’s very good. So, yeah! You guys have that to look forward to. 

And, for the record, I know I’ve been complaining a lot in this video, but I just wanna clarify that the doctors I have are, like, insanely good, bro. I’m gonna be getting some of the finest healthcare in the world, so don’t worry about me too much.

I think the treatment has already started to show some results. I- I mean, it’s been so short of a time, so the results aren’t gonna be insane or anything, but, at the very least, the speedrun music has stopped playing. 

So, yeah, that’s where I’ve been and that’s what I’m gonna be doing for the foreseeable future. Wish me luck, and, uh, wear a mask, I guess. Ya know, standard coronavirus procedures. All that coronavirus stuff and like, getting vaccinated - that goes double for Californians, okay? But it helps everywhere.

Uh, that’s all I’ve got for today. See you guys next time!

[tbhwhocaresanymore]

Nancy Drew 2x5

It’s official everybody: love conquers all

Okay WOW I cannot believe this was the original Nancy Drew season finale and that I had to wait an additional eleven months to see this episode I am suing the coronavirus for emotional distress. Because let me tell you this was one of the best season finales I have seen in a WHILE. And once again the writers have swaddled me in a safety blank and assuaged all of my concerns. I was a little worried when they made Odette a wlw because then that meant a lesbian was hunting down the good guys and would have to be killed, but MORE THE FOOL WAS I. I should have learned by now not to doubt the Nancy Drew writers.

Every single plot thread was wrapped up and a whole host of new ones were set up and I cannot wait to dive into all of them.

First off I would like to say that everything about the scenes with the Aglaeca coming to kill them was perfection. The five-way phone call, the deathbed confessions, the soft French singing and ominous chain rattling. And then when she APPEARED on the hood of the car like Dead Lucy appeared to Nancy on top of her car to tell her to summon the Aglaeca aaaah parallels and Nick and George held each other. “oh where is she, where is she” SHE’S RIGHT BEHIND YOU! The fire leaping out at Bess, the meat hook cutting Ace, Nancy falling from the bluffs. And then the crew reconnects back at the Claw thinking all is well but OH NO WHAT’S THIS ANOTHER PORTENT.

Hey how is it the entire gang seems to have forgotten that they willingly volunteered for this whole Aglaeca mess. Like I get it, your lives are on the line, you’re scared, but Nancy was all “no I cannot let you guys summon the Aglaeca with me it’s far too dangerous absolutely not” and they were all “psh danger fuck danger we have the power of friendship” and went right on ahead. And now that they have to face actual consequences they’re all “Nancy I cannot believe you put a gun to our heads and forced us into this how dare you” like GUYS. But yeah that scene caused me pain, with them all yelling at each other. I do think it’s interesting that proverbial lines in the sand have been drawn. Generally speaking whenever there are massive disagreements I’ll be watching to see if it stays as George and Nick v Bess and Ace with Nancy as the sort of swing vote.

Also because I am a Drewson shipper until I die it was satisfying to see that Nick, despite being in love with George, still has unresolved feelings about what went down with him and Nancy. We love unresolved feelings, and once Nancy learns how to communicate and be more open they will find their way back to each other and be even more in love.

The writers continue their never ending tally of taking seemingly unimportant moments from past episodes and making them SO IMPORTANT. NANCY HAVING THE PORTENT IN RYAN’S CAR??? *SCREEEEAAAAAAMS* And then speaking of the car. Oh my god you guys. Ryan and Carson the dad duo was peak comedy. I was legit dying. On the topic of parental figures

Hannah Gruen: Nancy no!

Nancy Drew: Nancy yes!

BABE. SHE LITERALLY TOLD YOU NOT TO OPEN THE DEATH BOXES AND YOU DIDN’T EVEN WAIT LIKE SIX HOURS BEFORE BLATANTLY DISOBEYING.

I know some people who watched the episode are probably going to be like “are you kidding me they beat the angry sea spirit with the power of love? Ugh pathetic” but no actually you’re wrong and it was BEAUTIFUL. Not just the concept but the execution. The lights going out one by one, the Aglaeca popping up and screaming, throwing them across the room one at a time, the words having to come from the heart, Nick speaking French he can speak French to me all day long, the Aglaeca melting and Odette rising once more. BRUH.

And then of course the blood bucket curse came to fruition and George fucking died and I was losing my mind only for Nancy to fucking revive her because THAT won't have consequences. And George talking about her sisters was so sweet I thought it might give me a cavity, and her with them in the morning. Quick question though. We know Victoria is around because she gave them the inhuman sea spirit banishing ritual like five days ago, soooo where is she now? Like George is about to die and she hardly gives her mom a spare thought aside from making sure Jessie will be able to take care of their sisters. Nancy had a fucking beautiful moment of reconciliation with Carson, couldn’t George have at least exchanged some kind words with her own mother?

Moving ahead we have sooo many plot lines to talk about I can’t wait.

The Bobbsey twins are coming back. Don’t know how I feel about that yet.

We have Ace with the sibling in Witsec. Now I know like the entire fandom wants Ace to be a Hardy brother, but here’s the thing. Ace has apparently never met this person and his dad doesn’t have any of that tortured ‘I’m-missing-my-child’ vibe going on, so I’m thinking maybe it’s Ace’s half-sibling. Like he’s half a Hardy. Cause also why would just the one kid go into Witsec and not the whole family? Maybe his mom had a baby as a teenager and gave them up for adoption, maybe his dad had an affair and didn’t realize it ended up as a pregnancy. Who’s to say???

We have Nick and Ryan (and possibly Nancy) taking down the Hudson empire. Nick is going to commit to honoring Tiffany’s dying wish and with Ryan as his man on the inside, he can hopefully actually do it. Nancy will probably also have a role in this storyline, because as evidenced by Ryan taking the flash drive she’s going to be the driving force behind Ryan listening to his conscience. And then of course we will have Nancy’s whole my-DNA-is-evil struggle, and her wanting to prove she’s not a bad person. Separate from the Hudsons (potentially) Nancy will also be working for her father this season as he regrows his law practice, and it will be so nice to see them finally have a good relationship again.

We have The Possession of George 2: Electric Boogaloo. This possession, if that’s even what it is, is very clearly different from the last one with Tiffany. George is still in control, and she’s not switching back and forth between herself and Tiffany like last time, she just has some new personality traits or whatever. The next episode summary includes Nick being concerned about George’s behavior, so I’m guessing some of the changes will be pretty obvious. But it probably isn’t something that’ll be fixed right away it’ll take a while. And I also don’t think Odette possessed her on purpose? Like she had given up the Aglaeca and seemed ready to move on, and then we see her in the mirror. Maybe there’s something she has to do regarding her girlfriend, like she has to find the Englishwoman’s ghost? Because the public story is Odette got married on the ship and died, what if her lady love thinks Odette forsook her or something and Odette wants to make it right? Last but not least I have said it before I’m saying it again I want George to develop psychic powers like her mother. Come on writers she’s not even cousins with Bess at least give me this.

Bess is going to try and stop stealing and some other stuff I’m sure and maybe learn about Marvin family skeletons and hopefully start dating Amaya??? Pleeeease???

We still have no idea what Det. Tamura’s purpose here is and I for one continue to want McGinnis back.

And then of course we have like fifty million horrors that Nancy just unwittingly unleashed on the previously sleepy town of Horseshoe Bay, and I absolutely cannot wait to see where that goes.

Hmm yeah that seems just about everything, except for I feel like there’s something I’m missing, something I'm forgetting, something important that’s slipped my mind. Oh, that’s right.

WRITERS.

WHERE THE FUCK IS LUCY SABLE.

[bitchesgetriches]

Being broke makes me frustrated, disappointed and depressed that I can't ever enjoy new things with everyone else. For example, EVERYONE I know is going on about how fun Animal Crossing is, but I can't afford the $400 it will take to buy both a Nintendo Switch and the game. It's lonely and isolating. By the time I play, if I ever can, I'll be so late to the party that no one will care anymore. How can I deal with feeling so left out all the time?

HOT TAKE: ANIMAL CROSSING IS NOT FUN ENOUGH FOR YOU TO BE SAD ABOUT NOT PLAYING IT.

I love so many things adjacent to this damn series. Farm sims! Life sims! Games set in small towns! Games with sassy animal casts! But I find the Animal Crossing series to be an aimless, joyless chore simulator. THERE, I SAID IT!

I am the only one of my friends who isn’t balls-deep in Animal Crossing right now. So I understand how you feel. There is an element of fomo to not being involved in The Thing everyone is talking about.

But I honestly don’t think you’re missing out on much. Animal Crossing was already going to be very hyped, because it has an enthusiastic fanbase, and it’s coming out at a pretty dead time for new games.

Now for many people, it’s become a tiny beacon of joy. It’s a welcome respite from the ugliness of the real world. No judgements there! It’s so beautiful that video games can bring joy in such dark times. But this one game is not the only way to feel fun and connected right now!

In fact, I think the social connection aspect is mostly an illusion. The last in-person friend date I had was a day after Animal Crossing came out. My buddy came over to refill our social gauge one last time. But he brought his Switch and buried his face in it the entire time instead!

“So, uh, how’s Animal Crossing?” I asked him, a bit acidly.

“Oh, it’s great,” he assured me, without lifting his eyes for a moment, totally oblivious to my annoyance. “I’ve already caught every bug and every fish that I can, so I’m practically out of stuff to do!”

...Bruh...

Practical solutions for feeling left out

When browsing social media, mute content with associated keywords so you don’t feel like it’s being rubbed in your face. There are browser plugins that help with this!

Pick up an old game that you already own and really loved, and get way into it again. I just spent 100 hours playing Rune Factory 4 for the Nintendo 3DS again. I’m probably going to bust out my PS2 for some kinda vintage Final Fantasy experience. Now is the time to luxuriate in unproductive, time-wasting nostalgia!

Pick a new game you can afford for a system you already have.

Wait it out. The video game industry thrives on recency bias. Games get amazing scores when they come out; gamers get super excited about them; they rave about how perfect it is; then, the game abruptly disappears from public conversation, and is never spoken of again.

Set up Skype dates with your friends and talk about anything other than:

Animal Crossing!

Coronavirus!

Remind yourself that this game is not the second coming of Jeebus Cripes. It can’t instantly cure the loneliness and anxiety of isolation. It’s just a pleasant, novel distraction bringing momentary delight. And you have many free and low-cost options for pleasant, novel distractions.

I hope everyone who is playing Animal Crossing is having a lot of fun. But if you know you have a friend who can’t afford a Switch, try not to rub it in, arite?

[bluebellhairpin]

I'm just here waiting for my ultrasound and there's the whole room open. No one else sitting anywhere. Person comes in. Sits right next to me. Like bruh. Coronavirus. Whole room. Empty. And you choose tho sit next to me?

[actualhumansunshine]

Bruh Im just happy he didnt went on pub like look at the pubs it was worse than party hchchfjc

www*bbc*co*uk/news/uk-53294816 this one was way worse than party

www*telegraph*co*uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-lockdown-end-uk-new-rules-pubs-hairdressers/ or this bcjvkvuviv uk is wild

(bbc, telegraph) the pub scene in london last night is legitimately horrific to me??? the fact that THAT MANY people decided that a drink and some Atmosphere is worth risking not only their own lives, but the lives of everyone they may come into contact with for the next two weeks? it’s selfish and stupid and shortsighted as fuck.

that being said, i STILL take issue with niall going to that party. just because it’s “not as bad” or might tEcHnIcAlLy fall under the current guidelines and mandates doesn’t mean that it wasn’t just as stupid, selfish, and reckless. especially coming from a man that spent months preaching to all of us about staying home and doing your part to protect others

[caws5749]

The Emotional Post

Thank you so much. Truly, to each and every one of you. I am so so so so so grateful.

This is probably going to come across as all over the place, because if I’m being honest, I’m an emotional mess right now.

First, I feel like I must address a big thing that’s pretty much constantly on our mind right now- the coronavirus. I’ve been stressed because of it, we all have. It’s changing our daily lives. It’s scary. And I’ve tried to use writing as a means of escape during this time, hoping that by writing and posting things, i might be able to distract you too, should you need it. And after all this stress, being able to finally post this for you guys, it is so so liberating. Because yes, the stress is still there, but this is something I’ve wanted to talk about for SO long. And I hope that you guys love it and it distracts you and just makes you feel something.

Second, I have to thank specific people.

- @cloversofshea . This 1k celebration would not be in existence without you. You listen to me rant about my ideas and just talk your ear off constantly. You were there with me when I first was even toying with the idea of doing this kind of fic. You were with me and planned with me each ending, each part, each choice, down to the small details. You worked with me for months to actually accomplish this. But besides that, you’re my best friend. You’ve been with me when I’m at my best, you’ve been with me when I’m at my worst- the point is that you’ve always been here for me. Through anything. I cannot thank you enough. I love you, my fwiend.

- @empyreanwritings . My beautiful tumblr wife. It’s crazy because we haven’t been talking for that long, but I talk to you all day long, and we’ve talked about so many important things. We became friends so fast, and I love it. You’re incredible and sweet and amazing and truly I am blessed to be your friend. Thank you so so much for helping me with my 1k and listening to me talk about it and checking things for me to make sure they work. I love you my tumblr wife.

- @london-ireland . Fanfiction isn’t your thing. Natasha Romanoff isn’t your thing. Yet you read each part of my 1k (the only person to do so before it was posted). And you gave me critiques on it. Thanks bruh, I love you.

- To several other people who helped to read parts of it or listen to me talk about it, such as @natthisback , thank you so so much.

Third, I have to thank all of you. I would not be at 1000 without each and every one of you. I am so so grateful to all of you. This blog is as much yours as it is mine. To my mutuals (I’ve tagged some of you below), it amazes me that I get to be your mutual. Whether you write or not, I love seeing your posts. The positivity and camaraderie I have with my mutuals makes me so happy, and I am grateful to you. To my other followers, I love you so much, and of course am grateful. It’s amazing to me how so many of you I know now, whether it’s because I’ve interacted with you, or because you’re constantly liking my stuff. I look forward to hearing about your days now, hearing about your lives. To people like @solaettristis , @rosadiazfan84 , boink anon, @swanqueensupercorpshouldbegayirl , reminder anon, and more, I immediately know and recognize when you’ve come into my inbox, or like my stuff. Your comments and such make my blog what it is. I’m convinced that I have the most amazing followers in the world. I’m scared to say this, for fear that saying it will change it, but I have never ever received a hateful anon on here. I’m incredibly lucky, but this is what convinces me that i have the kindest, sweetest, followers in the world. You are all so encouraging and positive and just amazing to me. I don’t deserve you. I hope you know that my inbox/messages is always open for you, should you need anything.

Also, I can’t not say something about Natasha Romanoff. The reason we’re all here is because of her, when it comes down to it. So, even though she won’t see this, and neither will Scarlett, I have to say thank you to them. They’ve created a safety net for me. One that got me through so many things. One that kept me alive. So thank you.

This is too long so i have to shut up. Please, I hope you all stay safe and healthy and indoors if you can. Thank you to those of you who are out there working, and have to be. We wouldn’t be able to live right now without you. I love all of you, and am so grateful. And I really really hope you enjoy my 1k celebration fic, which has been something i put months of effort into, and am so happy to finally be able to share it.

-Madison 💛

++++++

Mutuals that I’m tagging (I’m sorry I’m sure I’m forgetting some, I’m just so emotional Rn alsdfjalifjelwij):

@hopingforbarnes @carol-thirteen @agentnatasharomanov @lesbian-deadpool @wherevputtheirfanfics @5aftermidnight @readyforthemoshpitshakabrah @natasha-romanoff-fics

[surprisebitch]

tbh I think ppl were taking that post too seriously. there are good and bad things to every situation, and god forbid someone try to find some good out of everything that's happening right now. like I understand where people are coming from but it literally sounds like ppl are going "people are dying, so NO ONE is allowed to be happy >:(" like ok sorry for trying to be optimistic bruh

i understand where you’re coming from but i also understand why the reaction.. cause when i see celebrities posting “coronavirUS” or like #UnitedInLockdown or some shit, i resent them too because while they have good intentions, they’re living in a $500m mansion and will never ever experience the true ugly impact of the covid.. so in a way it was really hypocritical of me because i hated that but made a really bad statement on seeing the pandemic as a way to reduce pollution. so it was a really bad take and while i also had good intentions, it was really short-sighted of me and i’ve learned why it’s bad.

but there is absolutely nothing wrong trying to be positive or optimistic in this situation. so dont let anyone make you feel guilty for trying to see the positive side in things. regardless, just know that there is a bigger picture out there and you should be aware of that and do your best to help if you can

[littlepinkbeautifly]

Collection of things I’ve heard in the hallways this semester (Semester 2, Sophomore Year)

I really didn’t expect to be posting this so early on in the year, but the rest of my semester is online, so here it is.

“Reality sure is fake at 8:15 am on a Monday.”

“It’s Tuesday.”

“Maybe in your reality.”

In the future I’m gonna be a hot yoga mom with a past.

Don’t get floor AIDS just eat my fries.

“Someone told me saying ‘bruh’ was a sin.”

“Bruh”

It was all going good until I burned the garlic and then the house smelled like the inside of a witch’s armpit.

Next time a boomer complains I’m just gonna pull up my phone and show it to them and then press f on my keyboard.

That’s called genocide. And it’s illegal.

If I run for dictator will you guys all vote for me?

“Hey I’ve got coronavirus let me cough on you we can die together.”

“Aww bro.”

I’m a big fan. Like the ones they have in Costco.

“I think Kennedy was the last president everyone in America liked.”

“SOMEONE LITERALLY SHOT KENNEDY IN THE HEAD.”

Your life is simply a sitcom for the rest of us to laugh at.

Bloomberg should be President just so we can make fun of his name.

I only rap caucasian-ally

AP Student (crying): “Please, I only have the mental capacity of a five year old.”

Teacher: “Same”

I inject cocaine directly into my veins so we can rein genocide upon mosquitoes.

Will someone PLEASE just come vibe with me?

I’m gonna check all of your acoustics.

No come here you dumb chicken nugget.

Man that was like a TED talk and a half.

Why does Nicholas Cage look like an old gay man?

I simply CANNOT vibe with this.

Stick a pencil in her bun, see what she does.

For a 15 year old who can’t even cook Mac and cheese, I sure do have a lot of baby fever.

Why buy coffee when you can just go into a coffee shop, steal all their creamers, drink them individually, and still feel like a piece of garbage for free.

As always,

PHS Mustangs

[jeanvaljean24601]

Tyler Perry on How He’s Managed to Safely Make TV During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Tyler Perry wants you to wear your mask. After successfully completing production on his BET series “Sistas” without a single case of COVID-19 during the two-week shoot, shooting on “The Oval” is up next, with cast and select crew beginning to arrive at Tyler Perry Studios for their stint in “Camp Quarantine” on Thursday. And Perry says there’s not much he plans to do differently this time around, especially when it comes to having everyone wear masks both on-set and around the 330-acre campus.

“I made sure that the cast and crew and everybody wore their masks when they weren’t on set because I do know for a fact that masks help stop the spread — scientifically, I know that,” Perry tells Variety. “And everybody adhered to that, even though we were all testing negative. I just didn’t want someone to be incubating with [COVID-19] for three to 12 days, and we not know it.”

Perry and the “Sistas” crew wore their masks between 12 and 14 hours while shooting the 22-episode season, with an hour and a half lunch break as a chance to catch their breath.

“Listen, I was the mask police. Every time I saw something I was screaming about it,” Perry says. “It’s summer in Georgia so credit to the crew — it’s burning up here and they were still doing the right thing. So, I gave a lot more breaks for people to have water because we had a couple people that got dehydrated from all the heat, and the water breaks were actually the ‘breath break’ where you can pull your mask down, drink some water and get some fresh air.”

Of wearing his mask while directing the show, Perry admitted that he did feel “mask-drunk” from time to time due to lack of oxygen, but the team got through it. “For me, once I got the actors comfortable seeing me looking like a man from outer space, it was fine. But you’ve got to remember that I direct in a wig and a dress sometimes so that wasn’t as odd for me,” he quipped.”

To perfect their method of working in the quarantine bubble, Perry’s team worked with Emory University’s Dr. Carlos Del Rio, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Dr. Colleen Kraft to execute a rigorous testing schedule with a nasal swab test administered upon arrival at Tyler Perry Studios and follow up tonsil tests every four days on site.

“Every fourth day was so important and that’s when my anxiety was raised most was in those first two tests because I was so concerned,” he recalls.

After the first 160 cast and crew moved into Tyler Perry Studios, two people tested positive during initial the sequestering period. When the next 200 people arrived a few days later, two more people tested positive during their initial test. Those four people never worked on set and were sent to get medical attention.

“I felt this wave of relief after the last test results, where everybody was negative, I was like, ‘Okay, we pulled it off,’ so I’m so proud of my crew,” Perry says, celebrating his group of “underdogs” for the achievement. “I don’t know how any other production, if you’re not in quarantine, I don’t know how you do it, but testing is key.”

Though Perry took extra care to address COVID behind the scenes, he says that his shows will not reference the pandemic in any upcoming storylines.

“All these scripts were finished right at the time that COVID started to show up,” Perry explains. “And also, what I know about COVID is people are tired of hearing of it, and entertainment is escape, so I don’t think my audience want to brought into more of what is happening in their reality. All of my work has been about escapism, so I’m just going to hold to escapism.”

One challenge to production, though, is operating with a reduced crew size; Perry says his crews were reduced by about 80-100 members, with a total of 360 people on site for production on “Sistas.” When asked whether he thinks shows will continue to go on with reduced crew sizes after the pandemic is over, he concedes that there is some financial reasoning to do so.

“I think that the producers and the people who are controlling the purse strings would definitely want to hold it to this [size],” Perry says. “But I can tell you that it was stressful on some of my crew, because they were they were down people. So, I would make sure that they had what they needed to continue this way.”

Citing one specific example, he adds, “The extras are a problem, especially when you’re doing big scenes and you only have 10 extras. You’re changing their clothes, moving them around the room and hoping that people don’t recognize them, trying to shoot the back of their heads or having the crew jump in and be extras. That was a challenge. Some things I think we will be good for this [to continue], but others won’t work.”

Another challenge to producing content during the pandemic is the sheer cost — which in Perry’s case, included housing all cast and crew at Tyler Perry Studios and flying out-of-town players into Atlanta via private planes. Perry previously told Variety that he expected costs to be high, now estimating that after producing “Sistas,” “The Oval,” “Ruthless,” and “Bruh” (which will all shoot in succession), the total could be somewhere around $18 million.

Michelle Sneed, the president of production and development for Tyler Perry Studios, further detailed the logistics of filming, explaining that the ultimate cost of COVID precautions was somewhat higher than initially budgeted for, though most of the extra spending was unavoidable.

“The most important thing is to trust people to do their job and to be able to acclimate to whatever these COVID standards are,” Sneed says. “What COVID does for production is slow it down — it costs money and it slows it down. So, our thing was, is it going to be ridiculous for cast to wear masks? Can a cast member really take off their mask as soon as they open their mouth to do a scene? Absolutely — they can and they did. Can our camera people really wear a face shield with a mask even if he wears eyeglasses. Absolutely, yes he did. So I think it’s trusting these professionals and crew to do what they have to do.”

Prior to filming, Perry’s team added 315 one-bedroom housing units with private bathrooms (which Perry likes to call “luxury mobile hotel rooms” or pods, which house 14 people each) in addition to the 60 housing units for cast and crew. They also added more than 70 golf carts (according to Sneed, most productions would have 20-25 golf carts) for transporting cast and crew around the campus and allowing for more social distancing than average production vehicles. In addition to two COVID compliance officers, Perry’s team also employed a safe service officers to oversee food. Sneed says they also ended up doubling the housekeeping staff on site.

The most significant cost, though, came with the different kinds of PPE gear each department would need to perform their specialty, which required “trial and error” to figure out. “We’d discover we have to get the $15 per face shield, versus the $3 one that we had budgeted for, for departments that rely heavily on face shields, or get these version of the goggles for this department, so that really adds up,” she explains.

Perry and his team also paid for the cast to have some socially distanced fun too. “When you’ve got 360 adults were working these kinds of hours, of course, I had to have a bar, food trucks, and movie night on the lawn and church on Sunday, so that people could feel like they were at least not in prison,” Perry says.

And in addition to working during the pandemic, Perry is also filming during industry’s internal reckoning about how the Black Lives Matter movement relates to changes needed in Hollywood.

“George Floyd’s death, as horrific and tragic as it was, it was the thing that was the catalyst to open people’s eyes,” Perry says. “When people saw that played out — eight minutes and 46 seconds, real time video of what really happened — I think it just struck a chord of the conscience of America. So, to see so many races galvanizing together to come and fight this level of injustice has been so moving to me. I just want to be sure that that message doesn’t get lost about what we’re fighting for. More than anything I’m grateful that all industries are waking up and going. ‘Wait a minute, there is something that we can do here there is something wrong.’ That makes me very proud of just the human spirit of our country.”

Speaking of the record-number of Black actors nominated for Emmy Awards this year, Perry says: “It says a lot about the Emmys, the governors and the voters and all that they’re doing to try to at least hear — that’s what it’s so important — that we hear each other. I was very happy to see that because I feel like Hollywood Is a place that dreams come true for everybody, and to have the Emmys recognize so many people of color, it was really, really moving for me.” x96 tv box

When it comes to what else he wants to see from Hollywood, Perry defers to the mentality that has gotten him so far professionally.

“I come from a people who had to find a way — make your own way, own your own way, build your business, build your studio. That’s my mentality, so rather than asking Hollywood what they can do, I want to see more people like me, just come in and own, and take a sledgehammer to anything that is unjust,” he explains. “Ownership is what really changes things long term, because what happens is, when there’s a movement, people get excited and they’re with it. But when it fades, things tend to go back to where they were. If there are more people in ownership and more people in power and more people rising through the ranks in Hollywood, I think that is that is the change that is really needed to make a long-term difference.”

[idsb]

i want u to know that my boyfriend is refusing to see me because there is a confirmed case of corona in my state. he acknowledged he was being irrational and still won’t see me this weekend and somehow i’m the one not being understanding. like even sending this to you right now is embarrassing bc i can’t even believe this is happening to me. i genuinely want to scream.

one of my friends almost refused to come on the southwest trip we just did bc they didn’t wanna get on a plane bc of the coronavirus (and they ended up dipping for different reasons) but i was just like,,,,,,,,, bruh

i do think though you have to be okay with not seeing your significant other every weekend though, and even if you don’t agree with the reason and even if it does suck and it is annoying - especially if it feels totally irrational - i don’t think it’s worth starting a fight over unless there were very specific plans that you cannot do at any other time on any other weekend.