#from the Zero Brain Cell crowd at least and those are the ones who are dogpiling regardless

[cinnamonrollorder]

Whoops

I DID IT AFTER 9000 YEARS. This is prompt 3 of the set that the lovely @annikatti gifted the world with.

 Everyone knew Sonic was tired. It wasn’t a secret, no matter how much the Blue Blur tried to hide it. There was eventually no hiding the super-sized bags under his eyes, or how hard it was to catch his breath after a long run. He usually stood tall and proud, with his signature smile upon his face, so it was hard to not notice how much he slumped, or his smiles were strained. And yet, matter how bad it seemed to get, Sonic never stopped.

Anyone he’d pass by would at least get a greeting, or a half-hearted smile. He was trying so hard to bolster everyone’s spirits, even if the metallic patches of fur that always lingered on his skin nowadays dulled the effect. Sonic would often stop by Cream and Whisper, trying to see if they needed anything. When it was late at night, he’d go around making sure everyone was asleep. Amy eventually just let Sonic do all the night jobs, at the promise that he’d wake someone up if he was going on a run. Sonic never did, but somehow always turned up fine.

Espio should know, since he had been watching the hedgehog. It had been Amy’s request.

“He can’t run off the infection for long. I just worry about him, and I don’t have time to check up on Sonic.”

“You want me to watch him, correct? I can do that.”

“Thank you, Espio.” Amy had looked so tired in that moment; so tired, in fact, Espio had no choice but to set aside his grudge against the blue hedgehog and agree. He was quite aware that Sonic had no way of knowing that letting Eggman go would cause all this, but it didn’t change the fact that Sonic had caused all of this. If Sonic had destroyed Metal, and let Eggman be put away in a monitored location, then no one would be in this mess.

Vector and Charmy wouldn’t be in this mess.

The chameleon shook his head, dispersing those thoughts. There wasn’t any point in dwelling on the “what ifs”. What was happening now was too important.

The “now” was evacuating a sizeable little town that had just gotten hit by the virus. The problem with this town is that it had been adequately defended up until now; there were walls all around the town, along with multiple choke points made with buildings, and freshly dug draining holes that were supposed to limit the spread of the liquid virus. They couldn’t tell how well it worked, since they had to land outside the walls. Eggman and Starline had already flown off, seemingly content on leaving their group to suffer, and probably not wanting to risk getting infected themselves.

Sonic was there, this time, he, Silver, and Tails were supposed to climb over the wall and find a spot for the others to get in. Sonic and Silver would clear the spot out as Tails would go back to report it. On the surface, it was a sound plan. Sonic and Silver were the only ones who could safely hold off zombots, and Tails could easily fly to escape any dangers.

The problem was that Espio had been watching Sonic, so he know exactly what the hedgehog had been doing the last two days.

He’d watched as Sonic stayed up the past two nights doing all the night jobs, having convinced everyone that he was fine and they needed the sleep. Espio himself had to sleep both those nights, since he’d be found out if he just ominously was in dark, shadowy places watching Sonic. Not to mention, Sonic kept periodically checking everyone to make sure they were resting.

So, technically, he hadn’t seen Sonic stay up, but considering the hedgehog’s virus always stayed relatively contained those nights, it was clear Sonic hadn’t let himself rest. Or eat. Eating was another problem entirely.

Espio hadn’t noticed until it became his job to notice, but Sonic didn’t eat. He already had permission to eat at a different time than everyone else (Amy and Tails agreed that it’d be easier to keep Sonic away from the small crowd that always gathered when food was handed out), so it was easy to miss. Sonic just seemed to rarely stop by to get food. Espio remembered one night, where Sonic had stumbled into the storage room, grabbed a hidden half of a ration, and ate it. He realized what Sonic was doing at that point.

Sonic was trying to conserve food. He’d stop by every once in a while, and eat half of what he should. He’d leave the next half for whenever he came by again. That left more food for everyone else.

The problem with that was Sonic’s metabolism was as fast as the blue blur himself was, and that half of a ration was certainly not doing anything but barely keeping him alive. Oh, and the fact that Sonic ran enough miles every day to short-circuit a fitbit.

However, addressing this would reveal Espio had been watching Sonic, and then that would lead to asking why Espio had to watch Sonic, and then that would lead to Sonic being told he was slowly losing his immunity. Which, all things considered, wasn’t the best idea. Despite the fact the hedgehog was the easiest one to blame for everything, he was their one bit of hope. Even if it was running out, Sonic had an immunity to the virus. He was trying to bolster spirits and help as best he could.

Espio couldn’t afford to dim Sonic’s spirit, even just a little.

So, he pulled aside Silver and told him to keep an eye on Sonic.

“Got it! You can count on me!” He said, with a little smile. Espio left it at that, glad Silver didn’t ask why.  He was a good kid, but Espio wasn’t sure he was the best at secret-keeping. He’d done what he could, at least.

----

Silver may not always have the best judgement, but he wasn’t an idiot. He know what Espio wanted, and he knew why. He’d have to be stupid not to. Silver wasn’t around the pink hedgehog that often, but he’d noticed last time he was that she kept glancing at Sonic, who’d been on top of a shelf in the corner, watching everyone. He noticed her concern.

Besides, he was worried, too.

He could see it in the way the hedgehog carried himself, and he had a better picture of it by not seeing him every day. One week he didn’t have any bags, the next week he carried the world in them. One day he’s standing up straight, the next time he sees the blue blur he’s hunched over all the time. It was like watching a slideshow progressing towards someone’s death. He hated it.

It was obvious Espio was keeping an eye on Sonic, most likely because of Amy’s orders, and since he couldn’t come with them right now, he’d asked Silver to do it for him. He could do that. He was gonna do it regardless, because Sonic was particularly bad today.

----

Sonic couldn’t remember the definition of self-care. Sleeping, eating, drinking, all of it was foreign. Well, not exactly. He had a bit of stale bread…. A… day ago? He wasn’t sure. He knew he hadn’t slept all week, at least. Maybe it was getting to him.

He felt stiff all morning, and his head was pounding with vigor the rest of him didn’t have. He knew they were nearing a place with people, though, so he did his best to appear awake and alert.  He was pretty sure he did a decent enough job at it. No one stopped him, at least.

When he was finally told what his mission was, he couldn’t shake off a feeling of unease. It wasn’t that he thought it would be difficult, it was just some inherent feeling he couldn’t shake off. Silver was certainly capable of taking care of himself, since no Zombot could even get close to him. Tails was smart, and he could literally fly. Sonic himself didn’t have to fear being touched, he just needed to make sure he wasn’t grabbed and pinned. All things considered, he shouldn’t have felt so worried.

Upon later consideration, Sonic believed what should have happened was a future Sonic would suddenly appear, shake him vigorously, and demand to know why Sonic only had one brain cell.

The mission started off well enough. They scaled the wall, got inside, and Sonic hopped from roof to roof trying to find a nice, safe enough spot for everyone else to come in. He realized that the village’s defenses had actually sort of worked. The holes weren’t big enough and numerous enough to hold everything, but it did keep most of the virus from spreading through everything. The funnels between buildings helped keep the hordes at bay, since they were too stupid to wait to go through one at a time, and just amassed a body pile at the entrances. By now, uninfected townspeople were rushing over to the trio. A male goat with a kid in his arms pointed to a specific spot on the wall and yelled, “over there! There’s a mechanism that’ll open it up!” Sonic gave him a quick salute and darted over. One of the bricks was jetting out more than the others, so he pressed it. He was feeling oddly energetic, so he made sure Tails saw the opening in the wall before running for the zombots that were slowly beginning to get close to innocent civilians.

----

Silver made sure Tails got out before turning in the air and going after Sonic. He had only stopped for a second, but that was enough for Silver to realize that Sonic had been shaking. The blue hedgehog didn’t seem to realize it, of course, but he somehow looked like death had a ton of caffeine. Sonic was making a beeline for a few zombots who were trying to grab any nearby people they could. A few solid kicks from him and they were beaten back, so he moved on. Silver watched this as if it were a ping-pong match, just watching as Sonic seemed to bounce between targets.

It was at this point Silver remembered something very important.

The ground was all grass, and it was infected. It was slowly spreading through the town. At this point, everyone who could be infected was safe at the escape area, minus Silver himself. At least for now. Silver started trying to cover up alleys and breaks between houses with anything nonliving he could find. Sonic was watching him, too, and started clearing out areas specifically for Silver to block. They had to fall back a little, since the virus was still trying to spread, and the zombots were zeroing in on them, but it was OK. They were doing fine.

About half of the town had been lost, but the rest were OK. Silver glanced back a few times to see the progress of evacuation. They were almost done, it seemed. Some people hadn’t left, and they were trying to find them and get them out while they still could. They could hold out a little longer, it was OK.

Then it was suddenly very much not OK.

It was like watching dominoes fall, but instead of a gentle little tap knocking them all down, it was like Shadow had come in on his truck and ran over all the dominoes. One of the barriers failed, releasing a bunch of zombots and the liquid virus. When they went over to fix it, another barrier failed. Then another. And many more barriers.

“We can’t hold them! Get out of here!” Silver yelled as loud as he could. He couldn’t check to see if they’d heard him, because a zombot tried jumping up to grab his foot. He barely managed to fly out of reach. Sonic, who was grounded, wasn’t so lucky. A small beetle child had snuck up behind him and latched onto him. Silver used his psychokinesis to wrench the little kid off and throw her back towards the approaching hoard. Taking one look at Sonic was all Silver needed. His chest was heaving, and he was covered in metallic patches. He was still shaking, but this time he actually looked worn out. “Sonic! Run!”

“No way! I’ll be fine if I keep them off me; I’m not leaving you to hold them all off!” Sonic yelled back, delivering a firm punch to a zombot. Not wanting to waste time arguing, Silver accepted this. He kept a close eye on the hedgehog, keeping the zombots from grabbing the blue blur. Sonic, in turn, made sure no zombot had a chance to go after Silver. Suddenly, Silver heard his communicator beep. I forgot I had this. He quickly tapped it.

“Silver, everyone’s out. We have to shut the gates. Can you and Sonic make it out?” It was Amy. He glanced back to find that, yes, everyone was out, and that the virus had almost spread to the exit through the grass. There wasn’t time to go out that way, but they could use the wall.

 “Yeah, we’ve got this. Shut the gates, and we’ll get out.” He responded. Another beep and the closing of the gate (or sliding panels in the wall to be more specific) was all Silver needed. “Sonic! We’re clear!” He called to his friend. Sonic, without missing a beat, whirled around and started running away from the zombots. He didn’t have much time. Silver flew low enough to keep a good eye on Sonic.

This is the point where the dominoes actually get run over.

Sonic faltered in his steps, and stumbled clean off the roof he was on. Right below him was a river of the virus. Silver grabbed him with his psychokinesis, only to suddenly realize Sonic wasn’t moving. He’d just… completely shut down. Setting him gently down on the roof, Silver quickly tried to look the hedgehog over. He was injured, but not bleeding. So he’d been right. Sonic had passed out. The hedgehog from the future had about one second to take this in before he was brutally reminded of where he was. The zombots had gotten onto the roof, and they were not happy. Psychically grabbing Sonic and himself, Silver jetted up from where he once was. His head hurt. Sonic was twitching, probably due to being manhandled in the air.

Silver tried to get away, he really did. Just as he geared himself up for a dash out of the area, a rock hit him square in the head. Hard. He and Sonic dropped out of the sky like disappointing pizza dough. Sonic almost slid off the roof, but Silver caught him. It was then Silver realized something very very important for the last time.

His head hurt too much to focus now.

He couldn’t carry himself and Sonic out. He’d have to leave either himself or Sonic behind, which was a no-brainer. He scrambled to his feet, ran forward, and psychokinetically chucked Sonic as far as he could like a football, in his haste missing the fact the hedgehog’s eyes were suddenly wide open. The second he let go of his hold on his inert friend, he tried to lift himself away. It didn’t go nearly as well as Sonic Toss had.

Something grabbed his foot before he was a foot off the ground. Silver turned to see that same gremlin beetle child, latched onto his boot. He quickly tapped his communicator as he teetered on the roof ledge, unbalanced. He sent out one last message before he fell and plunged into the ton of metal virus on the ground.

“Sonic got out.”

-----

Everyone had seen something get thrown out of the village. If they were looking, that is. Espio was looking. Espio saw it. And being a detective, it took him one second to see something blue fly out and realize holy heck that’s Sonic’s body. Espio also correctly deduced that something had gone very, very wrong. He started running towards where Sonic had fallen, but stopped when he saw Amy’s face.

It was like someone had just died. Which, considering the situation, was probably what it was.

“Amy, what-“

“Silver didn’t make it.” She said, then threw her communicator to the ground. Espio wished he had the time to say something to that. He did. But, instead, he just started running towards Sonic’s impact zone. Once again, he was stopped by seeing that telltale blue streak of a supersonic hedgehog running away from him. From everyone. He just turned on his heel and went back to the group, clenching his fists.

He did not just sign up another one of his friends to die. He did not set Silver up to die.

That’s what he told himself, at least.

That’s what he told himself when he saw Amy giving out orders through her tears.

That’s what he told himself when Tails kept telling everyone that Silver probably couldn’t use his psychokinesis anymore, but that they still had to go.

That’s what he told himself when right before they took off Sonic came back with a haunted look in his eye.

I’m so sorry, Silver.

[jksangelic]

↳ rating: M

↳ genre: romance, angst, dry humor, smut, undergroundrapper!yoongi (don’t be fooled, yoongi is a soft lover in this), one-shot (divided for the sake of a functioning mobile tumblr)

↳ pairing: yoongi x reader

↳ parts: 1 | 2 | 3

↳ word count: 2.8k

↳ a/n: here’s the first part! second part comes tmro, and third comes the next day, both releasing at 10PM PST! please look forward to them heehehehe. 

this part does not contain smut, only light swearing and maybe some sensual themes? i don’t remember lol. it’s also not very edited hehe i’ll come back to it.

*each squiggly divider represents a flashback, straight divider represents current time*

Yoongi preferred the heat set to exactly eighty degrees Fahrenheit, which was utterly ridiculous. It caused you to toss and turn in a pool of unattractive, and possibly foul-smelling, sweat all throughout the night. Even more so, he trapped you with his own limbs, protecting you like that stupid dog from Tom and Jerry protected that awfully large and awfully raw steak. You’ve fallen in and out of consciousness because of it, surely waking up every thirty minutes while the man slept like a log.

But it was wonderful.

You open your eyes for the umpteenth time, assuring he’s still attached to the hip and planting a kiss on his forehead sleepily. What a dream it would be to stay like this forever, you think, tossing the idea away as quickly as it came. It was punishing as is and you dare not tie the noose around your own neck.

You scan the room, curtains drawn closed and tv silently flicking through commercials, casting a dim width of light onto the bed. It must still be pretty early in the morning, you assume, a bittersweet realization.

Enjoy the moment, you correct yourself, be happy that you were able to have this. So you peer down at him through foggy vision, his eyes closed and mean, twitching a bit enough that you suppose he’s dreaming of something himself. Nudging your face into his hair, which smelled faintly of smoke and peaches, you force yourself back into slumber.

For the first time tonight, you sleep deeply.

Wondering how the hell anyone was permitted admission after the venue breached occupancy threefold, you rub at the aching spot of your ribs that your neighbor unintentionally keeps jabbing. You attempt to peer over the sea of heads anyway, looking for that goddamned girl that dragged you here in the first place. Where was she? Why was she so short? Why did you wear heels to a concert?

Never did you suspect you would be pushed against barricade at 11PM on a Thursday, waiting for an artist you have never heard. The sweat that accumulates, quite frankly, everywhere was probably starting to stain your clothes at this point. The beauty of public outings.

“Y/N! Y/N! Right here!” screams the woman of your nightmares, waving maniacally more towards the middle of the crowd than you but nevertheless farther than you would like to travel in this density. You make your trek, apologizing profusely as full-grown adults glare at you for moving, oh help them all.

“I will have your head for this,” you yell into her ear, gripping the divider to ease the stinging pain stemming from your toes.

“Lighten up, you’re at a concert that you got into for free, for heaven’s sake,” Chungha pouts, bopping her head happily to whatever DJ was opening for her beloved. “I think you’ll like these guys, anyway. Really good rappers, up-and-coming and all that good stuff.”

“Yeah, if they even show up. This poor dude has been playing for over an hour. Do you suppose his fingers hurt from pressing all those buttons?” She rolls her eyes in a way that says, please stop already. You really just want to know.

If this DJ had any influence of what the main act would be, you would rather just leave, plain and simple. This wasn’t really your thing in the first place, Overwatch and Red Dead Redemption (not one, but TWO!) sounding much more appealing than listening to EDM’s Worst Hits. But Chungha was a sweetheart who you’d marry in an instant, and when she asked you to come and claimed she already got you a ticket because she knew you couldn’t possibly say no to her, well, you couldn’t possibly say no to her.

You even dressed up for the occasion, a mix of Instagram baddie and Tumblr aesthetic (a sum of words you’d never like to use again) smooshed into one oddly cute outfit, if you did say so yourself.

It wasn’t worth your time.

But then the music starts changing pace, lights changing colors and dimming and smoke machines going ham and you suppose it’s finally starting. Three men walk out, one with orange hair and a long but pretty nose, heart mouth showcasing the straightest teeth you’ve ever seen on a human being, the second slightly shorter, bleached hair styled messily and the hand holding his mic covered in rings, the final with a smirking dimple, leading them out and hyping up the crowd with a few welcoming words that you don’t quite make out.

“There’s three,” you state dumbly.

“Great job counting! Remind me to give you a cookie later,” Chungha retorts halfheartedly, much more intrigued by seeing these men in person, “The guy in front is RM, he’s their leader. Blonde is Suga. J-Hope is the sexy one—HOSEOK OPPA!” She screams as if she’s been struck with a spatula, eyes wide and focusing.

You like their style, you’ll give them that. RM starts the song strong, lyrics so quick and diction so clear that it sounds as if he’s rapping directly to you. They all bounce around the stage, people at barricade, including your friend, reaching out and bobbing along in synchronization. J-Hope follows suit, stage presence oddly intimidating and seductive concurrently, his body more fluid and powerful than any dancer you’ve seen before. You can see why he would be the ladies’ man, lying to yourself if you said your eyes haven’t focused on his hips more often than not.

And without warning, Suga bursts into his own lines, atmosphere changing almost immediately when he brings the mic to his mouth. It’s hypnotic, his words continuously stringing out without break, without a single beat missed. You watch in fear. As the crowd around you screams and attempts to chime in, Suga steps closer and closer to them, squatting down right in front of where you stand and finishing his part with a deep, breathy note. He sits there as both men and women (and Chunga) paw at him and for the smallest of moments, do you think, his eyes lock on you.

It sets you on fire.

Yoongi always made it a point to study the faces of his fans out of appreciation. It would be foolish to say he’d be able to recognize each and every person he’s ever encountered, but he knows you were one to sketch into the archives of his mind. It doesn’t help that you are the only one, mouth slightly agape and teeth biting the inside of your cheek, completely still and studying. For the first time in a while, he feels intimidated; self-conscious even. More than a listener amongst the energetic mob, you look more like a critic.

It makes him shiver.

I would be his groupie in a heartbeat, you think, no doubt that he too is infamous around women wherever he goes. Whatever the matter, seeing this enigma of a man was worth your whole night’s experience.

I love, I love, I love myself! The audience screams, bass intensifying as the other two reach for water bottles propped on the stage. I love, I love, I love myself!

J-Hope throws in some ad-libs, sipping from his water before chucking the lid entirely, Namjoon putting a hand to his ear to egg everyone on and holding his own water above. You still stand in place, astonished how ethereal someone can look on stage and you instantaneously understand why people barricade. Suga catches you again, still squatted in the same position, possibly too lazy to get a water for himself but lets his brothers do what they must, and grins subtly.

You must look absolutely moronic gaping at this man, tongue-in-cheek impressed and hands barely gripped around the bars while everyone else around strains to be closer to the stars of the night.

I love, I love, I love myself! Y’all player hater, you should love yourself!

And that’s when you get—at least, half of a water bottle’s worth of water thrown at your direction. Right in front of the newfound man of your dreams. Everyone else screams madly, acting like these gods have blessed their parched souls with water after days on end, while you now look a little like a wet dog dressed in a hoochie skirt. You shrug, wiping at whatever was worth attempting to dry and thanking the gods that your makeup wasn’t running.

“Oh my god, your shirt is soaked!” Chungha lately notices, head whipping back and forth from the boys to you, back to the boys just in case she was missing something important.

“I would sell myself for that man,” you deadpan, not even blinking towards her.

“Suga? I bet he would accept if you managed to offer it to him.”

“I would easily give him all of the money in my savings right now.”

“You don’t have a savings. Pay attention.”

So you did.

You relished in every part Suga had, finally gathering up enough brain cells to at least rock with everyone else. Every song was like a lucid dream, the concert high really resonating with you. Either that, or you were literally high off of how much smoke there was. Gotta love rap concerts.

Perhaps it was the luck of the opening song, but Suga didn’t make eye contact with you again, a beaten disappointment gurgling in your stomach. But instead of behaving as a kicked puppy and moping about losing every possible chance that the blonde devil would bring you atop the stage and dedicate his serenade of sorts strictly to your face in front of hundreds of people--well, the chances were nearly zero. We're not all winners.

Suga continues on, trying not to focus on the girl with the sharp eyes that makes him clammy to the point where his throat threatens to constrict on him, which isn't optimal. He finishes song after song with his brothers, taking long enough breaks in between to catch his breath and focus on the bigger picture: that there was an entire crowd to please and not just you. Besides, there would always be a pretty or handsome face no matter where he went, he was Suga, goddammit, he wasn't a high school horndog ready to pounce on every intriguing entity he just casually glanced at. That role was a style more befitting for his brothers.

 Upon your cognizance that this group was downright brilliant, the concert ends much sooner than you would have liked it. And just like that, the three send their love and are ushered behind the stage. It takes a while for the swarm to dissipate, interlacing your fingers with Chungha's to insure you don't lose her again.

 "So, I take it you liked them," she giggles, forehead sheen with sweat because holy shit it's so fucking hot in here.

"They are really... talented. I award proper recognition when it's truly deserved." Tired of waiting, you practically shove your way past the bodies, dragging your poor friend behind you and bee-lining for the entrance.

"Wait! Do you want to get merch?" You twitch your nose, not entirely opposing the idea.

"Are you sure you don't want to just hop in? I'll pay for you!" Chungha cries, halfway into her Uber.

"Sis, I live down the street, I promise I'll be fine. I'll call you when I get home."

"That's so far!"

"I'm walking away now. Go home."

She harrumphs once for effect before waving goodbye, Prius soundlessly whooshing away while your best friend sticks her tongue out at you in the back window. You laugh at her foolishness before spinning on your heel and making your way.

It was just the right amount of chilly, breeze cooling you down a notch. You bet your ass you would remember this night forever, writing a mental note to check out the group on every social platform there was when you got home.

 You skirt down a corner of the building, aiming for the route of your apartment--or, at least, where you think it is? "Sense of direction" surely wasn't the best trait on your resume. Walking down the dim street, you notice a few trickling souls walking in and out of the building, probably help from the venue closing up. It's when you see Suga, attempting to light his cigarette and leaning against a black van that you stop like a deer in headlights.

"Suga!" you point and exclaim like a child.

"... Wanna say that any louder, toots?" He chuckles, though, seemingly pleased rather than offended. He scoffs at his empty lighter, tucking the thing in his pocket and leaving his cigarette unlit on his lips.

"S-Sorry. My bad. Do you, uh, need a light?" you offer apologetically, digging through your purse to grab your lucky lighter, an embarrassing bright pink thing with Betty Boop floating in the middle.

"Thanks," he smiles, grabbing the lighter from your hand and flicking it to life as he takes a drag. "Do you smoke?"

"Not cigarettes. Honestly, I already regret offering that to you. That's a bad habit to kick," you sigh, taking it back when he hands it to you.

"Don't I know it." He glances up at your face when he returns your lighter, showing a regretful smirk but studying your face in the process. Well, hell, if it wasn't for the barricade critic.

"I recognize you," he continues, "you were up front, right?"

"Oh, god, I can't believe you remember that."

His heart skips at the match, blowing smoke out the corner of his mouth and pushing himself off the van. "You, uh, looked unimpressed. Got me worried that I lost my game for a bit."

"No! I wasn't unimpressed at all. I'm just a new fan, I guess. My friend brought me. I think I was just in awe, if anything. I even got this hood--"

You quite literally bite your tongue, wishing you could slap your face at the outburst, realization running over you like a train.

"You got what?" he presses, a sly curiousness brimming.

"N-Nothing. You were good. That's all."

"'That's all'? Geez, you're really putting me down over here, toots." He throws the butt and stomps it out, "Those eyes of yours really made me nervous."

Your eyes? How smooth of him. "Oh, I doubt that. You seemed just fine to me."

He hesitates to respond; what exactly are you trying to get at here? Sweet and sour, he supposes. It's interesting to him compared to the countless amount of substance-less gals that suck up to him to simply suck him. New fans certainly were feisty, he supposes.

"Do you live around here?" he asks.

"Are you going to stalk me? Yes."

"Well, if I was, you probably shouldn't have said yes before I answered. But luckily, no." He sticks out his hand, clad with rings of, you're sure of, soaring prices beyond what you can imagine for jewelry, "I'm Min Yoongi. But I guess everyone kinda just calls me Suga now. You can call me Yoongi, if you'd like. Can I ask for your name?"

You take his hand softly, hoping he doesn't notice the way you shrink in it because heavens that near-zero chance of meeting Suga certainly did skyrocket. "It's Y/N."

"Mm, pretty," he comments surely. "Well, Y/N. We're actually going to be here for a while, just finished a few shows here and there and decided to take a break until we can figure out bigger plans," he's talking too much, "Anyway, would you want to hang out sometime?"

You shiver in astonishment, what was happening here? What kind of lucky star flew over your head for this? Your goosebumps had goosebumps.

"That... Yeah, that would be great! Do you... Do you want my number?"

"Would love it," he declares, taking his phone out and setting up your contact without delay.

"Do you do this much? Snag a girl's number after a show?" you joke as you type in your number. Yoongi snorts.

"Girls don't necessarily talk to me in a well-respected manner, let alone offer me a light."

"Well, don't expect that last bit anymore. Smoking really is a pet-peeve of mine," you warn. Who were you to warn him of something you didn't like? Idiot!

"Yes, ma'am. I'll shoot you a text sometime. Was nice meeting you," he says, watching you nod and smile and wave goodbye as you continue on home, Suga's name printed enormously on the back of the new sweatshirt you bought from the merch stand. He bites back a snicker, picking at the hair on his neck before walking back inside.

[heart-on-her-sleeve]

Character Development Questions -- Michael Scofield

Curious about Michael Scofield? He’s a deep character with a lot of layers that are begging to be explored. 

Questions based on this ask meme

What position does your character sleep in? ( i.e; stomach, side, back, etc. ) Describe why they do this — optional.

While in prison, Michael slept on his back or side - this was the least vulnerable position for him to sleep in

At home, Michael sleeps on his side or his stomach, as this is the most comfortable for him after being on guard 24/7 for so long.

Does your character have any noteworthy features? Freckles? Dimples? A scar somewhere unusual? etc.

Michael is missing two toes due to a prison incident, as well as having a large burn scar on his right shoulder blade. There are other scars that he received while in prison. (Stabbings, burns, etc)

Does your character have an accent? What does it sound like?

Michael has a general american accent, generalized around a Midwest accent. Says things like “outta” instead of “out of,” “gotta” rather than “got to/have to.” He also carries many of the typical Midwest slang and colloquialisms that are popular in the Great Lakes/Chicago area.

Do they have any verbal tics? Do they have trouble pronouncing certain words or getting their thoughts across clearly?

When there is a lot of emotion stirring within Michael, he can tend to have more outbursts. He can also be very quiet if he’s calculating something in specific detail. 

What are their chief tension areas?

Michael’s primary tension area is in his neck & hands.

If you were to pick one song — and only one song — to describe your character, what would it be and why?

“Save Me” - by Remy Zero

How does your character perceive themselves? Positive? Negative? Neutral?

Michael sees himself as an overall good person, but sometimes even the best people have to do bad or hurtful things to get where they need to be.

Are they a quick thinker or do they need time to sort through their thoughts?

Both. Michael was diagnosed with something known as low latent inhibition, meaning while one person sees a doorknob as a doorknob, Michael sees the doorknob for every single part, even the ones the naked eye cannot see.

He’s a quick thinker most of the time, but when the plan he had set doesn’t go exactly as he had planned and set up, he needs time to think and sort through things.

Does your character dream or are their nights filled with an empty blackness?

If he dreams, it’s usually a nightmare of some sort. Fox River changed him, causing more trauma on an already traumatized person. Usually the dream/nightmare consists of losing someone he loves while he is helpless and can’t do anything to aid them.

 Describe a dream they’ve had or a night they couldn’t sleep and what they did to preoccupy their time.

There were many sleepless nights while Michael was incarcerated. He spent them planning and re-planning the escape, making sure every minute detail was fully planned for. When the original plan backfired, he would pace his cell, trying to figure out a new plan.

After his nightmares, he can never fall back asleep, so he thinks about time with Lincoln and LJ before everything happened. He reminisces on the good memories they had together.

If they had a choice, would they prefer a subway or a bus for public transportation?

Train, because there is less stimuli for his LLI to get fixated on, and he can put some headphones on, pull a hat down over his eyes, and have some control of the stimuli.

What do they think of creation? Do they believe in evolution or do they believe in God? What is their religion like?

Michael is a Christian, but it’s not prominent in his life. While at Fox River, he attended chapel as a time to see his brother. He speaks about God occasionally, but isn’t really much of a church-goer or a man of prayer.

Describe 5 unusual characteristics your muse has.

Creative Genius, due to his low latent inhibition & high IQ

unflappable determination

taciturn

Stoic

teetering on the edge of psychosis

Have they ever been so overwhelmed they had to stop and take a break from something?

Sometimes the amount of incoming stimuli is too much, and Michael’s brain powers down for him, saving him from falling into complete psychosis.

Rarely, Michael notices that he’s overwhelmed and can take a step away from things and let himself cool down and be in a quiet place.

Are they a team player or do they prefer to be solo?

Michael has only known being on his own or with his brother. He prefers to go things alone, but when faced with certain situations, he can be a team player.

Being a team player is actually one of his faults, because he puts others before himself, making huge sacrifices to help others, and is often more concerned with other people’s welfare than his own.

Can they multi-task or must they focus on one subject at a time?

Yes. He can to do both, but if there is a lot of incoming stimuli (pretty much always), he must only focus on one thing at a time

What are their best school subjects? What are their worst? List five of each.

Best

Math

Physics

History

Architecture

Art

Worst

Science

Home Economics

Economics

Music

Gym

Is your character an introvert or an extrovert? How do they handle big crowds of people?

Introvert. Michael doesn’t do well in crowds, so he tries to stay close to the edge of larger crowds. During Rec time at Fox River, you could usually find him alone, somewhere along the perimeter of the fence. During block time in Gen Pop, Michael typically stayed in his cell unless he absolutely needed to talk to someone.

Are they a leader, do they prefer to follow, or would they rather just stay on the sidelines altogether?

Michael prefers to lead, because he knows if he doesn’t, shit won’t get done properly.

He also knows when to delegate tasks to other people and when it’s appropriate to sit on the sidelines and/or follow.

If your character was suddenly challenged, would they rather run away or stay and fight?

Depends on the situation, honestly. Michael feels a great deal of pain and suffering from those around him, and he has a severely low sense of self-worth, meaning he will let himself get beat to a pulp. The only time he fights back is when threats have been made to his family, or a family member or close friend is relying on him to stay alive.

If your character was allowed to murder one person without any consequences, who would that person be and why?

Michael is not one to murder. The memories would haunt him and torture him for all of his life. I think even if he had the chance, he still wouldn’t take it.

Your character has been granted 3 wishes; what would they wish for and why?

Happiness and health for his friends & family

A relationship with his parents

(to be determined)

Does your character trust people right off the bat or does it take them some time to warm up to someone?

Michael trusts very few, especially when it comes to his safety and the safety of those he cares deeply about. He also can lead people to believe that he’s trustworthy, when in reality Michael can be pretty untrustworthy at times.

Do they prefer romance or affection? What is the quickest way to your character’s heart?

Michael has been touched starved nearly his entire life, so when he shows affection, it’s huge for him. The quickest way to his heart is through words of affirmation and positive physical touch. If a touch is unwanted, unwarranted, or unexpected, Michael will pull away.

Does your character have any enemies? If so, who and why?

Due to his time in prison and the connections he made (or lack thereof), Michael has racked up his fair share of enemies. Some in the Chicago Mob, some because he somehow wronged them while in prison.

Do they have any weird bedroom habits? Any unusual kinks?

How does your character prepare for bed? Do they sleep at all or can they stay awake for days on end without trouble?

Michael follows a usual routine when getting ready for bed. This routine helps him to have some semblance of control in his otherwise hectic life. The routine usually starts with brushing his teeth, washing his face, and changing into pajamas before crawling into bed and reading until he starts to feel drowsy. Then, inevitably, he puts his book away and is wide awake, tossing and turning for another hour or more with his racing thoughts before he actually falls asleep.

If your character had one thing to say to their parents before they died, what would it be?

Michael would hug his mom, and tell her how much he loves her. With his Dad he would just want to ensure him that he forgave him.

Are they afraid of death? Do they have any regrets?

Michael fears death just as much as the next person, but he also doesn’t care about it. I think he fears the pain before death more than death itself.

Does your character get restless when things are too quiet or do they favour solitude and silence? Why?

Michael longs for solitude & silence. When he’s surrounded by others, the voices, sounds, and movements can be too stimulating for him. If he’s in a group and leaves suddenly, he’s taking the steps to remove himself from the situation and stop himself from overstimulation.

Finally; if your character was forced to eat one thing for the rest of their life, what would they choose and why?

Honestly, as silly as it is, i think it would be cornbread. There’s something about the simple food that he enjoys so much. It’s sweet, but salty. 

[maladaptive-ninja-returns]

It’s The Avengers (2)

Loki x Reader Avengers The Office AU (Slowwwwww Burn)

Episode 2: The Vibes

Warnings: ...none.

Word Count: I’m supposed to be shopping for three upcoming weddings but all I feel like doing is writing and posting stuff here. Also, I’m probably sleep deprived???

A/N: But I’m happy.

MASTERLIST

E01, E02, E03, E04, E05, E06, E07, E08, E09

"'Morning Y/N!"

Wanda called out to your drowsy figure, still clad in your PJs, coming out of your room into The Dorm's lounge, followed by 'morning princess' from Sam, 'Got some good amount of rest?' from Bruce, 'please tell me it wasn't you snoring last night' from Clint, 'good morning, Y/N, would you like some coffee?' from Steve and a 'So you are Y/N!' from an overly enthusiastic Pietro.

Y/N: Woah! Had I known I was going to live with such enthusiastic early birds I would have never let Mr Stark bring me here. Not that these people are bad, I just don't wake up well to loud sounds.

*nodding your head in agreement with yourself*

Also, who calls their sleeping quarters Dorms? What are they? Eighteen?

You greeted everyone back as you made your way to the kitchen space that housed all breakfast items and snacks for the Avengers. Steve offered you coffee while Bucky was already making some tea for you and him. He knew from your previous encounter you weren't a coffee girl. You were taking out a tiny bottle of a liquid concentrate from one of the drawers when Sam came over and took Bucky's mug.

"That's my tea, Sam," his hoarse voice tried to stay calm. Sam took one good sip and put it back on the counter, "Still want it?"

Y/N: *scrunching her nose* hmm, scratch that. They're twelve.

Loki came out from his room into the hall, giving the lounge his signature smile that sent nearly all of them to turn to ice towards the frost giant. Ignoring it all, he came towards you and picked up your mug of tea. Bucky started to protest at the action when you interrupted him. "Oh, it's alright. I wanted to eat something before my tea anyways. Here, keep back the sweetener," you asked Bucky, bringing forward the tiny bottle you'd taken out earlier.

"I'll take that for my tea, thank you very much," Loki grabbed the bottle and put three drops into his tea.

Clint: It hasn't even been twenty-four hours and he's already started. *sips coffee straight from the pot in his hand*

*looks far away deep in thought before coming back* should I donate him as a sacrifice to the flat-earthers? If they ever find the edge of the world at least they'll kick him down into oblivion.

Loki: I always find joy in the simplistic things. *sips tea from the same mug*

It's fun to see tiny actions or faults irritate the small human mind, forcing them to lose their sanity little by little. That's what I plan to do to this excuse of a puny human that is Y/N.

You smiled back at Loki, surprising him a little with the genuineness of the emotion that reflected in your eyes. "Happy to help," you jested before taking out some eggs from the fridge to make yourself an omelette. "Would you like some, Loki?" You asked, making his smile falter for a bit before he looked into the camera and went back to his tea.

Y/N: I grew up with two brothers. One older and one younger. The crap they used to pull on me is nothing compared to what happened ten minutes ago. The trickster better up his game.

What no one else, except the camera was noticing was the heart eyes Pietro was having for Y/N.

Pietro: Who? Y/N? Yeah, she's cool. Don't know much about her but she seems okay. Average. Not the bad average. The good average. *crossing his arms while moving uncomfortably in the chair* She's good. She's...she's fine. *a hint of smile runs over his lips as his cheeks start to turn red*

You got ready for the day to let Wanda and Bruce give you and Pietro- the newcomers- a once over of the facility. Loki and Scott joined in as an unwelcome fifth and sixth wheel to have a bit of fun of their own.

Scott: I don't know what's happening as I woke up fifteen minutes ago but I am down for whatever it is the kids are doing. *gives two thumbs up to the camera with a wide grin*

"This is the east wing of the facility, as you know," Wanda stated with excitement as she pointed out while everyone walked behind them and Bruce, "it has our Dorms and lounge, our dining and kitchen, and study on three separate floors."

"We are now entering the north wing." Bruce took over as Wanda stopped on the way to pick up a message for her from Friday, "This one houses your training area...sorry the Avengers training area and relaxation space. I'm sorry I'm not sure if you're allowed here Y/N though I don’t think it should be a problem."

You were about to give a modest reply when Loki thought it best to interrupt. "Why not? She could really use some sort of manual labour while she's here. From external as well as...internal threats."

Bruce and Wanda looked at Loki with judgment with a hint of fear in their eyes- the fear not from him, but from themselves.

"Oh my God! You're right, Loki," you pointed out, "I think I do need some sort of training to help me put my stress and rage that I usually aim at another person to some productive use. So true about the internal threat buddy." Bruce and Wanda looked at you with admiration as they proceeded to show you more of the wing. Loki crossed his arms over his chest cocking an eyebrow at you as he watched you follow the doctor and the witch. Scott lagged behind, looking at you and Loki with suspicion in his eyes before turning to the camera and pointing in your direction with furrowed brows.

Scott: Is it just me or do I sense a little bit of a 'love' vibe between those two? Eh? Eh?

You were in the west wing now, leaving Wanda and a very reluctant Pietro behind as they'd been called back by Steve.

"This is research and development wing. We've got the best of the machines doing our work for us, thanks to Tony and Shuri," Bruce announced proudly before watching your blank faces. "Oh, Shuri is King T'Challa's sister. She's a genius."

"T'Challa as in the Black Panther?" You asked with piqued interest, Loki's ears following the change in the pitch of your voice.

Bruce affirmed.

"Cool!" You and Scott said in unison with stars in your eyes, making Loki roll his eyes hard before turning to the counter of multiple types of equipment you were checking out. Scott was at the opposite side of the room drawn in by a structure made out black metallic balls, trying his level best not to touch them.

"Do you know what that is?" Loki asked from behind you. You picked up the tablet lying in front of you as you studied the data regarding a research it displayed.

"Fascinating!" You breathed, your eyes going wide, "this is a study on the brain cell's ability to pick up messages from the...uhh...cosmos...universe, whatever you call it and trans-"

"Translate it. Yes, allow me to explain it to you in ways your little brain can understand." Loki snatched the tablet from your hand as he went on about the magic of the cosmos.

Y/N: Mansplaining! *smiles* He nearly got me there. It actually would have gotten on my nerves until he started rambling about the research through the example of his telekinetic abilities. *chuckles* His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. He didn't even realise when he broke his character.

Loki: *angry* I didn't break my character. *camera pans in* I've just never had someone hear me digress about my magical abilities like she did.

*camera pans in again* Oh, that sly fox. She's cleverer than she shows to be. But not to worry. I still have to play my final move.

Y/N: Nope. I don't think I'm clever. I'm just...observant. Why not cle- *deep inhale* I spent thirty-five minutes searching for my phone in the middle of the night yesterday with my phone's flashlight.

*camera pans in* I'm dumb as hell.

Bruce: Y/N seems like a good kid. I'm still not sure why she's living here with a crowd that composes mostly of a bunch degenerates, depressed or anxious minds. *smiles* She's so...so nice and-and *sighs* normal. *shuts his mouth as expression changes to grim* and then there's Loki. The polar opposite of this girl. Why is he living with us?

The south wing was the most extravagant thing you'd seen in your life. It was purely for the purpose of experiencing high society luxury. A dance hall, a cigarette room, a grand buffet room, an entirely different room for 'coats', and so much more. "Why do we have this here?"

"Ask Tony. I have zero ideas about this section," Bruce responded to your question, going straight out through the French door opening into the lawn ahead.  Scott, who was nibbling on some marshmallows, was about to go after the scientist when he stopped in his tracks as he saw Loki take you by the arm and disappear into the huge dining hall. He was quiet on his feet as he pressed his ear to the wall while coming near the door.

Loki took your hands in his, watching your air falter for a second.

"You seem really new to all this lady Y/N. I can only imagine how lonely you must feel within the crowd of such abnormality, wondering what purpose could you possibly have here."

Loki moved his fingers over your bare arms, chasing the goosebumps developing on your skin. "But you should know that I am here for you if you ever need me, my precious Y/N. For anything. And I do mean...anything." The whisper of his last word sent this little shiver down your spine as you looked into his green eyes seductively smiling at you.

"Loki I..." You looked at him as you took his hand in yours, "I know what you mean. And your invitation is quite tempting but," you moved closer to him, moving his single rebellious onyx strand behind his ear, "I wouldn't want you to do anything you're not sure about yourself." You reflected the similar whisper in your words, but with more concern and less seduction, taking the God of Mischief by utter surprise while Scott stood behind the wall next to you gasping and wide-eyed, smushing the marshmallows in his mouth.

Loki: *brooding until he becomes aware of the camera*

*whispers* why in Hel am I still here? *leaves the room*

Scott: HAH! I told you! *starts singing* Sexy love doo-doo-doo

You made sure you were able to catch Thor alone in the evening when he was back from his local kingdom.

"I apologise on behalf of my brother, Y/N. Is there some way you'd like to punish him?"

You had not even spoken a word to the God of thunder and he was ready with an apology and a method to punish his brother's unspoken crimes.

"Uhh...no. No. I just wanted to ask you if today's something special. Some sort of special occasion or anniversary of some event."

Y/N: I figured that the person trying to get under my skin today is practically the same person who had quite a controversial but considerable contribution in bringing down the worst villain of the universe. So, either he's diluted his IQ or he was trying to distract himself from something today. *shrugs*

"Why yes," Thor responded to your question with a sparkle in his eye, "it is a special occasion today."

An hour later, you, Thor and Scott were at Loki's door, knocking. Loki took his sweet time to open up, only to look at the three of you with questioning eyes before turning his gaze to the cupcake you held in your hand.

A string of 'happy-birthday-Loki's surrounded him making him scrunch his nose in disgust. "What is this madness?"

"This," you began as you took his hand in yours to place the cupcake dish in his palm, "is a small treat from us."

You couldn't help but smile as he looked at the dessert with questioning eyes, suspicious of what was inside it.

"It's a molten chocolate cake," Scott gushed, pointing at his own share half consumed already, "it's amazing. Y/N made these. Eat it while it's hot."

Scott went away for his second helping. "Don't push yourself too hard, my prince," you asserted to the God reading you with apprehensive eyes, "I am very easy to break."

Loki watched you go down the corridor, his eyes never leaving you till you disappeared at the turn to the lounge and kitchen.

He looked back at his brothers standing tall in the hallway smiling at him.

"So, what would you li-"

"Did you tell her?"

"...Yes."

"Why?"

"Because she specifically asked about it."

"And did you apologise on my behalf considering whatever punishment deemed necessary?"

"... Yes but I-"

The door was shut in Thor's face.

"I deserve that," Thor whispered to himself as he walked away.

Loki: *eating the molten chocolate cake* Why would you do this to a desert? It's disgusting *taking another bite and turns to the camera* I've had ten, why?

(You asked for this. Now suffer! 😂 )

E01, E02, E03, E04, E05, E06, E07, E08, E09

Taglist:

Permanent

@greenarrowhead @magiclolipopqueen @choke-me-sweet-pea @classy-swiftt @smexylemony @hazzastyles2471 @lokis-lady-death @lokixme @l0kisbitch @bambamwolf87 @tarithenurse @hiddlestonstansworld @itheoneofmanyfandomsi

The Office

@wishrains @ultraslytherwin @loki-the-fox @awkward-dr-strang3rman @royaldork @avenging-blackwidow

(If you have something specific you’d like to see in this AU please send me an ask, I’d love your inputs. If you’d like to be tagged, send an ask as well. xx)

[jonathanalumbaugh]

Weekly Digest

Dec 23, 2017, 4th issue.

A roundup of stuff I consumed this week. Published weekly. All reading is excerpted from the main article unless otherwise noted.

Read

When women are discussed on the main economics discussion forum, the conversation moves from the professional to the personal...

Even with generous subsidies, low-income people are still unlikely to buy health insurance...

Managers are biased negatively against minority workers, and this, in turn, makes the minority workers perform worse...

Living standards may be growing faster than GDP growth...

The World Bank’s $1-a-day poverty line inadequately deals with local context, and a better measure can be derived through more complicated math...

Decriminalizing sex work makes it safer and more common...

Poor kids who grow up in rich neighborhoods do a lot better than poor kids who grow up in poor ones...

Better trained doctors mean fewer opioid related deaths...

After a bad outcome, female surgeon’s referrals went down much more than male surgeons...

The average worker does not value an Uber-like ability to set their own schedule...

Foreign finance has led to more inequality...

Preschool programs targeted at the poor don’t work nearly as well as universal pre-school programs...

Shocks to the economy in certain sectors can have larger effects on the entire economy than previously thought...

— 13 economists on the research that shaped our world in 2017

Comments section: Pilote345 - NO WONDER: Recently, the pilots' pay was less than it was in the 1980's. They might be trying to improve, but for example, I just now found Allegiant Air found pays MD-80 1st Officers $34,440.00, not much more than the $15/hour crowd wants for starting burger flippers.

— Airlines battle growing pilot shortage that could reach crisis levels in a few years

— APOLLO 10 0N BOARD V0ICE TRANSCRIPTION

Under Schmidt’s leadership, Google notched its fair share of not-quite-not-evil missteps. After getting everyone hooked on Gmail and Search, the company started to erode some of its original privacy promises.

— Be Kind of Evil

“People want to cast it as a choice between policy or technology as a solution but those should exist hand-in-hand. We would have never gotten renewable energy prices where they are today without really ambitious public policy. It shows the importance of bold goals,” Brown says.

— California Poised To Hit 50% Renewable Target A Full Decade Ahead Of Schedule

“Keep your phone away from your body,” the state health department writes. “Although the science is still evolving, some laboratory experiments and human health studies have suggested the possibility” that typical long-term cell phone use could be linked to “brain cancer and tumors of the acoustic nerve,” “lower sperm counts,” and “effects on learning and memory.”

— California says the only safe way to talk on your cell phone is to text

Developer infatuation with Chrome is not good — because competition between browsers is good.

— Chrome is Not the Standard

The initial physical deployment of 5G networks alone could pack a major economic punch. A 2017 Accenture report forecasts the cellular communications industry will invest $275 billion in new networks, which will create up to 3 million jobs and add some $500 billion to the United States’ gross domestic product. Longer term, researchers expect the new 5G networks to help stimulate productivity growth to rates not seen since the 1950s.

— The Coming 5G Revolution

In early tests, the company claims the feature helped to reduce ghosting behavior on its service by 25 percent.

— Dating app Hinge rolls out a new feature to reduce ‘ghosting’

Liberated from the diamond and pointing calmly eastward, perhaps a designer’s pure intent is revealed—direction for an otherwise aimless walk in the woods.

— Decoding the Mysterious Markers on the Appalachian Trail

Trade the ginkgo biloba for a bag of spinach during your next stop at the store: Leafy greens may be your best resource for boosting memory... The study involved 960 people, all between 58 and 99 and without dementia. Everyone enrolled in the study was part of the Memory and Aging Project, which has been ongoing since 1979 at the Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Washington University.

— EATING SALAD EVERY DAY KEEPS BRAINS 11 YEARS YOUNGER AND PREVENTS DEMENTIA, STUDY SHOWS

— Edward Snowden on Twitter

Commander Persera swam out into intergalactic space last week, she says in a forum post, piloting a ship called the Jack of Flames. The reason for the trip is simply to go further from Sol than anyone else (a previous record was set by one Commander Deluvian, who travelled 65,652 lightyears from Sol along a similar route). But also, she says, to bring a canister of mugs from the infamous Hutton Orbital space station into the void and leave them there. Just because.

— Elite Dangerous pilots are scrambling to rescue an explorer stranded in the void between galaxies

[Eminem says] that he's not making his music for other artists who aren't fans to begin with.

— Eminem Responds to Vince Staples’ Criticism of Him

Reports so far claim the spec will offer support for low, mid, and high-band spectrum from below 1 GHz (like 600 and 700 MHz) all the way up to around 50 GHz while including the 3.5 GHz band. It’s been said that the first 5G networks for consumers will begin rolling out in 2019 and this will continue throughout 2020.

— First 5G Specification has been Declared Complete by the 3GPP

As Brian and his wife wandered off toward the No. 2 train afterward, it crossed my mind that he was the kind of guy who might have ended up a groomsman at my wedding if we had met in college. That was four years ago. We’ve seen each other four times since. We are “friends,” but not quite friends. We keep trying to get over the hump, but life gets in the way.

— Friends of a Certain Age

Comment section: Blaming Amazon for this is wrong. The people make a choice to work for them. This is an indictment on our society that forces these people to have to work. Amazon isn’t a charity that should have to take care of people. But it’s all of us who are to blame.

— A Glimpse Inside CamperForce, Amazon's Disposable Retiree Laborers

Effective filmmakers, no matter their genre or taste, put their fingers in the air, feel for a current, and then make art that either complements or pushes against it. They distill the world they live in, which is why there’s no such thing as an apolitical film.

— How Big Screen Sci-Fi and Horror Captured 2016’s Political Paranoia

The Legislative Analyst’s Office predicts California will eventually make more than $1 billion annually from taxing recreational marijuana.

— HOW RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA IN CALIFORNIA LEFT CHEMISTS IN THE DARK

What makes for an effective office environment? Random encounters with your coworkers. And food. Lots and lots of food.

— How to Build a Collaborative Office Space Like Pixar and Google

Fidelity suggests having your yearly income saved at 30, three times your income at 40, seven times your income at 55, and 10 times your income at 67.

— How Much Should You Have Saved at Every Age?

HCI (human-computer interaction) is the study of how people interact with computers and to what extent computers are or are not developed for successful interaction with human beings.

— Human-computer interaction, from University of Birmingham

The company says it is now focused on “on developing and investing in globally scalable blockchain technology solutions,” but, as reported by Bloomberg, it has exactly zero partnerships in the works with crypto firms

— Iced Tea Maker's Stock Price Triples After Adding 'Blockchain' to Name”

9 “Should you invite someone who assaulted you to your wedding.” No.

— It Came From The Search Terms: “I Can See The Sun In Late December”

The best way to cook a steak is medium rare. Plenty of people will disagree with this statement, for different reasons.

— Medium Rare: The Best Way to Cook a Steak

It sounds like it was made by an algorithm. It checks off so many boxes it could land in anyone’s “Because you watched” recommendations.

— Netflix’s first big movie “Bright” feels like a blockbuster built by an algorithm

State law that is rarely invoked requires tied elections to be settled by “lot.”

— Oyster shucking? A duel? No, Virginia will pull a name from a film canister to settle tied election

— Parents give teacher wine with son's face on label

— Reggie Watts: Fuck Shit Stack

— Reggie Watts: Humor in music

Self-efficacy is defined as a personal judgement of "how well one can execute courses of action required to deal with prospective situations".

— Self-efficacy (Wikipedia)

The problem Haven aims to address is known as an “evil maid” attack. Basically, many of the precautions you might take to protect your cybersecurity can go out the window if someone gains physical access to your device.

— Snowden's New App Turns Your Spare Android Phone into a Pocket-Sized Security System

After doing a lot of online research and making a terrible mess, I thought I could make a tutorial for humble people like me. If I can do it, you can do it too.

— The Ultimate Guide to DIY Screw Post Book Binding

The robot obediently appeared in the distance, floating next to Miller. Miller then walked into the same space as the robot and promptly disappeared. Well, mostly disappeared, I could still see his legs jutting out from the bottom of the robot. My first reaction was, “Of course that’s what happens.” But then I realized I was seeing a fictional thing created by Magic Leap technology completely obscure a real-world human being. My eyes were seeing two things existing in the same place and had decided that the creation, not the engineer, was the real thing and simply ignored Miller, at least that’s how Abovitz later explained it to me.

— We Need to Talk About Magic Leap's Freaking Goggles

What’s this mistake so many make? It’s using your current job title as your headline.

— What Your LinkedIn Headline Reveals About Your Self-Confidence At Work

With the Dec. 14 repeal, Comcast and others will be able to charge content companies exorbitant fees without, technically, blocking. This fundamentally changes how the internet works, argues Ryan Singel, a fellow at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School.

— What will happen now that net neutrality is gone? We asked the experts

The story [Cat Person] stuck with me because I, too, have felt like the story’s main character, Margot. I have belittled myself to make a man in a vulnerable situation feel more comfortable. I have allowed myself to spend time with boys who I did not like that much but who I felt I owed my time to because they really liked me. And I have also taken part in the practice of ghosting- ignoring somebody who is texting me, instead of outright rejecting them. With time, I have gotten much better at being straightforward when someone is interested in me and the feeling is not reciprocated, but I still do the dance many women do: We exert energy into finding the most polite, passive way to get ourselves out of uncomfortable situations with men.

— Why Women Are Ghosting You

[magzoso-tech]

New Post has been published on https://magzoso.com/tech/camp-grounded-digital-detox-returns-after-founders-death/

Camp Grounded Digital Detox returns after founder’s death

Summer camp for adults and beloved tech-free weekend getaway Camp Grounded ground to a halt in 2017. Its big-hearted founder Levi Felix who’d espoused the joys of trading screens for nature walks was tragically killed by brain cancer at just age 32. Left in his wake was mourning community who’d lost their digital detox rally just as everyone was realizing the importance of looking up from their phones.

As an attendee, I’d been impressed by how the founder (known as Professor Fidget Wigglesworth at camp) used playfulness and presence to transport us back to childhood, before we got hooked on the Internet. But he also broke people’s addiction to shame, mandating that anyone who screwed up in a sports game or talent show announce “I’m awesome”, and be met with a cheer from the crowd, “your awesome!”

Attendees compete in camp-wide games

Luckily, one of Felix’s elementary school friends Forest Bronzan wants to write a happier ending to this story. Almost three years after it went into hibernation follow its creator’s death, Bronzan has acquired Camp Grounded and its parent company Digital Detox.

Camp Grounded will relaunch in May 2020 as two back-to-back weekend retreats at Northern California’s gorgeous Camp Mendocino. Attendees will again leave their devices in Tech Check lockers run by hazmat-suit wearing staffers, assume nicknames, and stop the work talk. They’ll get to play in the woods like technology never existed, indulging in Camp Grounded favorites from archery to arts & crafts to bonfire singalongs about enthusiastic consent. However, to simplify logistics, Camp Grounded won’t hold sessions in New York, North Carolina, or Texas any more.

The company will also organize more four-hour Unplugged Nights in cities around the country where partiers can switch off their phones and make new friends. The idea is to give a broader range of people a taste of the Grounded lifestyle in smaller doses. Those interested in early access to tickets for all of Digital Detox’s events can sign up here.

Camp Grounded’s Tech Check staffers confiscate attendees’ devices upon their arrival. Image Credit: Daniel N. Johnson

Meanwhile, Digital Detox will start a new business of education and certifications for K-12 schools, coaching teachers and parents on how to gently reduce students’ screentime. Schools will pay per student like a Software-As-A-Service model. Through research by a few PhDs, the company will recommend proper rules for using tech in and out of the classroom to minimize distraction, and empathetic penalties for violations.

The obvious question to ask, though, is if Bronzan is just some business guy coming to coin off the anti-tech trend and Felix’s legacy. “I’m not Apple coming in and buying the company. This isn’t a tech acquisition” Bronzan insists at a coffee shop in San Francisco. “I knew Levi before anyone else knew Levi. We went trick-or-treating and played in school band together. I want to the first Digital Detox summit, and brought my company year after year. I’ve been involved from the begginning, seeing Levi’s passion and inspiration.”

Levi Felix and Forest Bronzan (from left) in 1996

Fidget had an innately soothing camp counselor vibe to him that Bronzan doesn’t quite capture. He’d previously built and sold Email Aptitude, a CRM and email agency, not an event or education business. But he truly seems to mean well, and he’s earned the support of Digital Detox’s team.

“My mission was to find someone that was as excited and ferocious as Levi and I were when we started Digital Detox to further it as a movement” says Brooke Dean, Felix’s wife and co-founder. “It was imperative that the person running DD and CG had actually experienced the magic. This person had to be more than a lover of camp and nature, they also needed the hard skills and successful track record of running a company. Forest is stable, business-minded and also finds value in that very unique magic.”

Brooke Deand and Levi Felix (foreground, from left) at Camp Grounded

Bronzan tells me the acquisition includes a cash component (“We’re not talking eight figures”) and a capital investment in the business, both funded by his email company’s exit. Two other individuals and one company had also expressed interest. Dean and Felix’s brother Zev will retain equity in the company, and she’ll stay on the board of directors. The trio are launching the Levi Felix Foundation that will donate money to brain cancer research.

While moving into education might seem like a left turn for Digital Detox after throwing events since 2012, Dean says “Levi was planning on going back to school and was deeply interested in being an academic in this field. We always believed that there needed to be evidence in order to convince the masses that being outside and connecting with other human beings ‘IRL’ is critical to our health and longevity.”

Some alarming stats the organization has already uncovered include:

77% of people check or pretend to check their phone to avoid talking to others

38% feel less connected to their partner or close friend due to cell phone use

Nearly 20% check their phone while having sex

“We want to eventually be the central source of tools on how tech is affecting lives and relationships at all age levels” Bronzan tells me. It’s zeroing in on how compulsive behaviors like endless scrolling increase anxiety and depression, and how parents glued to their devices train children to not be present. The father of two kids under age five, Bronzan knows a weekend at camp in your 20s or 30s is too little too late to seriously address the crisis of fractured attention.

Digital Detox’s new CEO says he’s heartened by the progression of some of Felix’s ideals, as with the Time Well Spent movement. The screentime dashboards launched by tech companies don’t do enough to actually change people’s actions, he says, though “They’re at least making some effort.” Digital Detox plans to launch a comprehensive quiz to determine how addicted you are to your phone, and Bronzan says he’d happily work with tech giants to integrate his company’s research.

On the camp for adults front, we’ve seen Burning Man go mainstream but lose some of what made it special including a lack of cell phone reception. It’s now common to see people on the playa staring at their phones, talking about work, and stressed about the clock — all of which are prohibited at Camp Grounded. Festivals like Coachella seem to get more corporate and less mindful each year. That leaves plenty of open space for Digital Detox to fill with purposeful breaks from the default world.

Bronzan also wants to introduce more surprise and serendipity to the event calendar. Camp Grounded will experiment with a “Mystery Trip” where eight to ten people sign up to be whisked away, only receiving a confidential briefing package the day before they show up. The point is to extract people from their routines where unhealthy habits manifest. Without connectivity, Camp Grounded hopes people will forge new connections in their minds, and with each other.

[weeklyhumorist]

If the National Parks Responded to Real One-Star Reviews

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Diane F. from Mesa, AZ; review of Glacier: Worse trip I had. Yellowstone is so much better. This is just a lot of burnt areas and mountains. Very long uneventful day. Would really consider telling someone else to go spend 30. 

  Dear Diane: Thanks for your review and breathtaking typos. Those burnt out areas are because YOU HUMAN MOTHER FUCKERS LIKE TO SET SHIT ON FIRE. We don’t want to be bald like your husband, Al. We want to be lush like the earth was before you humans overpopulated it.

  P.S. We told Yellowstone what you said about us and they said you’re no longer welcome there. The next time you pull up to their gate, there’ll be a big sign that reads: “DIANE F. FROM MESA HATES MOUNTAINS AND IS CHEAP.” Yellowstone said they’ll have a pasta pass from Olive Garden waiting for you in exchange for never stepping foot in a national park again. 

  Alexa R. from Buffalo, NY; review of Badlands: I didn’t see what the big deal was. We drove a million years to see some semi impressive rock formations? And there were RATTLESNAKES everywhere? Dumb. You lose cell service because you’re in Nowhere USA. The only thing bad about these lands is entire experience. Waste of time. Thank god I was drunk in the backseat for the majority of the trip. 

  Dear Alexa: Thanks for noticing the large amount of rattlesnakes on our land. We purposely rounded up every rattlesnake we could find and released them in the Badlands to scare off visitors—particularly ones from Buffalo. We’ve found that people from NY become confused and frightened when west of the Mississippi River and we do our best to eliminate these weak humans from the planet. Sadly, it looks like you survived. Dumb.   

  Penny M. from San Francisco, CA; review of Yosemite: Absolutely LOVE Yosemite …BUT a new policy has just been put in place, if you don’t have your ID with you, even if you’re a grandparent, you will not be served a glass of wine, no exceptions!!! This is beyond ridiculous and incredibly awkward, if we all complain, policies can be changed. 

  Dear Penny: We’re sorry you weren’t able to get wasted around your grandkids at our park. We know how disappointing it is to be sober while traveling with 6 little shitheads who are pissed off their cell phones don’t work even though they’re standing next to a natural wonder. Believe us—if we were human and not public land for people to enjoy—we would get wasted because of your grandkids too.  

  Jorbi P. from Somerville, MA; review of Grand Canyon: Whoopity do, Grand Canyon. You are a giant hole in the ground. You don’t have roller coasters or dippin’ dots. Jeeesh. Can you say “overrated?”

  Dear Jorbi: Thanks for your review. If our 1,900-mile canyon is not adventurous enough for you, please, let us dangle your snively ass over the South Rim while you piss your pants and yell out for your mama. (Speaking of your mom, she called us and told us you’re a giant hole too.) BTW–Dippin’ Dots are for children who enjoy eating packing peanuts.

  Mike J. from Lexington, KY; review of Great Smoky Mountains: Don’t waste your time spending money to go to any place around or in these mountains between May and August. It rains and he severe thunderstorms everyday and almost all of the day. At least at a beach it rains for 20 minutes and stops. This place is beautiful, but not a great trip due to crappy weather that plagues the area. Won’t be back ever again.

  Dear Mike: We appreciate the review and will take into consideration THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE FUCKING WEATHER. Hey, why can’t any of you spell or use proper grammar? We are land—physical land with zero education or even a brain—and we can write better than you humans. Enjoy being basic at the beach with your basic family and basic 2,000-calorie frozen margaritas and diarrhea seafood buffets.

Kahil G. form Bethesda, MD; review of Yellowstone: The problem with Yellowstone is that it’s dull. Yellowstone is on a caldera. A caldera is a volcano that blew up and left a crater. The dirt from this is of poor quality. The only tree that grows is this ugly thing called a lone pine. No flowers to speak of grow here. The last thing is once you see water come out of the ground once your good. 

  Dear Kahil: We’re sorry our 2 million-year-old land is not exciting. You know we can explode at any time and wipe out the majority of America, right? Also, we have over 55 flowers and seven trees, and none of them are called a lone pine, dude. Where the hell did you even get that from? We’re starting to think you’re making shit up. Geysers that shoot water 100 feet in the air don’t impress you, Kahil? What does impress you? And don’t tell us Starbucks and hotel rooms with TVs because we’ve heard that shit before. If we had a fucking dime for every time a human said they missed their Starbucks and TVs, we wouldn’t have to ask you fuckers for $30 at the gate because your RVs and cigarettes and 10 children named Madison and Chad destroy our land. 

  Steve D. from Las Vegas, NV; review of Zion: Been here 3 times and it’s the last. What a joke. I had to pull over 3 times on my bike to let the Californians get to work on time. What’s the hurry? To get to the next crowded view point? Can’t get to the Red lodge to get ice cream unless you have a red sticker or ride the trolley. WAY over rated. My guess is the people that love this place never get out much. 

  Dear Steve: We’re sorry you won’t be visiting us anymore. Just kidding. We don’t give a shit. Can we ask you something? Why is that none of you can construct a goddamn sentence? And why is that you all love ice cream so much? And what Californians are you referring to? There are no Californians commuting to work through Zion National Park in Utah, Steve. Funny thing: The people who enjoy our park DO get out. They’re hiking and talking with fellow travelers and not bitching about imaginary Californians or lack of access to ice cream. If you’re looking for less crowds and more ice cream, check out the Dairy Queen off rt. 9.

    If the National Parks Responded to Real One-Star Reviews was originally published on Weekly Humorist

[sheminecrafts]

Camp Grounded Digital Detox returns after founder’s death

Summer camp for adults and beloved tech-free weekend getaway Camp Grounded ground to a halt in 2017. Its big-hearted founder Levi Felix who’d espoused the joys of trading screens for nature walks was tragically killed by brain cancer at just age 32. Left in his wake was mourning community who’d lost their digital detox rally just as everyone was realizing the importance of looking up from their phones.

As an attendee, I’d been impressed by how the founder (known as Professor Fidget Wigglesworth at camp) used playfulness and presence to transport us back to childhood, before we got hooked on the Internet. But he also broke people’s addiction to shame, mandating that anyone who screwed up in a sports game or talent show announce “I’m awesome”, and be met with a cheer from the crowd, “your awesome!”

Attendees compete in camp-wide games

Luckily, one of Felix’s elementary school friends Forest Bronzan wants to write a happier ending to this story. Almost three years after it went into hibernation follow its creator’s death, Bronzan has acquired Camp Grounded and its parent company Digital Detox .

Camp Grounded will relaunch in May 2020 as two back-to-back weekend retreats at Northern California’s gorgeous Camp Mendocino. Attendees will again leave their devices in Tech Check lockers run by hazmat-suit wearing staffers, assume nicknames, and stop the work talk. They’ll get to play in the woods like technology never existed, indulging in Camp Grounded favorites from archery to arts & crafts to bonfire singalongs about enthusiastic consent. However, to simplify logistics, Camp Grounded won’t hold sessions in New York, North Carolina, or Texas any more.

The company will also organize more four-hour Unplugged Nights in cities around the country where partiers can switch off their phones and make new friends. The idea is to give a broader range of people a taste of the Grounded lifestyle in smaller doses. Those interested in early access to tickets for all of Digital Detox’s events can sign up here.

Camp Grounded’s Tech Check staffers confiscate attendees’ devices upon their arrival. Image Credit: Daniel N. Johnson

Meanwhile, Digital Detox will start a new business of education and certifications for K-12 schools, coaching teachers and parents on how to gently reduce students’ screentime. Schools will pay per student like a Software-As-A-Service model. Through research by a few PhDs, the company will recommend proper rules for using tech in and out of the classroom to minimize distraction, and empathetic penalties for violations.

The obvious question to ask, though, is if Bronzan is just some business guy coming to coin off the anti-tech trend and Felix’s legacy. “I’m not Apple coming in and buying the company. This isn’t a tech acquisition” Bronzan insists at a coffee shop in San Francisco. “I knew Levi before anyone else knew Levi. We went trick-or-treating and played in school band together. I want to the first Digital Detox summit, and brought my company year after year. I’ve been involved from the begginning, seeing Levi’s passion and inspiration.”

Levi Felix and Forest Bronzan (from left) in 1996

Fidget had an innately soothing camp counselor vibe to him that Bronzan doesn’t quite capture. He’d previously built and sold Email Aptitude, a CRM and email agency, not an event or education business. But he truly seems to mean well, and he’s earned the support of Digital Detox’s team.

“My mission was to find someone that was as excited and ferocious as Levi and I were when we started Digital Detox to further it as a movement” says Brooke Dean, Felix’s wife and co-founder. “It was imperative that the person running DD and CG had actually experienced the magic. This person had to be more than a lover of camp and nature, they also needed the hard skills and successful track record of running a company. Forest is stable, business-minded and also finds value in that very unique magic.”

Brooke Deand and Levi Felix (foreground, from left) at Camp Grounded

Bronzan tells me the acquisition includes a cash component (“We’re not talking eight figures”) and a capital investment in the business, both funded by his email company’s exit. Two other individuals and one company had also expressed interest. Dean and Felix’s brother Zev will retain equity in the company, and she’ll stay on the board of directors. The trio are launching the Levi Felix Foundation that will donate money to brain cancer research.

While moving into education might seem like a left turn for Digital Detox after throwing events since 2012, Dean says “Levi was planning on going back to school and was deeply interested in being an academic in this field. We always believed that there needed to be evidence in order to convince the masses that being outside and connecting with other human beings ‘IRL’ is critical to our health and longevity.”

Some alarming stats the organization has already uncovered include:

77% of people check or pretend to check their phone to avoid talking to others

38% feel less connected to their partner or close friend due to cell phone use

Nearly 20% check their phone while having sex

“We want to eventually be the central source of tools on how tech is affecting lives and relationships at all age levels” Bronzan tells me. It’s zeroing in on how compulsive behaviors like endless scrolling increase anxiety and depression, and how parents glued to their devices train children to not be present. The father of two kids under age five, Bronzan knows a weekend at camp in your 20s or 30s is too little too late to seriously address the crisis of fractured attention.

Digital Detox’s new CEO says he’s heartened by the progression of some of Felix’s ideals, as with the Time Well Spent movement. The screentime dashboards launched by tech companies don’t do enough to actually change people’s actions, he says, though “They’re at least making some effort.” Digital Detox plans to launch a comprehensive quiz to determine how addicted you are to your phone, and Bronzan says he’d happily work with tech giants to integrate his company’s research.

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  On the camp for adults front, we’ve seen Burning Man go mainstream but lose some of what made it special including a lack of cell phone reception. It’s now common to see people on the playa staring at their phones, talking about work, and stressed about the clock — all of which are prohibited at Camp Grounded. Festivals like Coachella seem to get more corporate and less mindful each year. That leaves plenty of open space for Digital Detox to fill with purposeful breaks from the default world.

Bronzan also wants to introduce more surprise and serendipity to the event calendar. Camp Grounded will experiment with a “Mystery Trip” where eight to ten people sign up to be whisked away, only receiving a confidential briefing package the day before they show up. The point is to extract people from their routines where unhealthy habits manifest. Without connectivity, Camp Grounded hopes people will forge new connections in their minds, and with each other.

from iraidajzsmmwtv https://ift.tt/2OxRrfh via IFTTT

[technicalsolutions88]

Summer camp for adults and beloved tech-free weekend getaway Camp Grounded ground to a halt in 2017. Its big-hearted founder Levi Felix who’d espoused the joys of trading screens for nature walks was tragically killed by brain cancer at just age 32. Left in his wake was mourning community who’d lost their digital detox rally just as everyone was realizing the importance of looking up from their phones.

As an attendee, I’d been impressed by how the founder (known as Professor Fidget Wigglesworth at camp) used playfulness and presence to transport us back to childhood, before we got hooked on the Internet. But he also broke people’s addiction to shame, mandating that anyone who screwed up in a sports game or talent show announce “I’m awesome”, and be met with a cheer from the crowd, “your awesome!”

Luckily, one of Felix’s elementary school friends Forest Bronzan wants to write a happier ending to this story. Almost three years after it went into hibernation follow its creator’s death, Bronzan has acquired Camp Grounded and its parent company Digital Detox.

Camp Grounded will relaunch in May 2020 as two back-to-back weekend retreats at Northern California’s gorgeous Camp Mendocino. Attendees will again leave their devices in Tech Check lockers run by hazmat-suit wearing staffers, assume nicknames, and stop the work talk. They’ll get to play in the woods like technology never existed, indulging in Camp Grounded favorites from archery to arts & crafts to bonfire singalongs about enthusiastic consent. However, to simplify logistics, Camp Grounded won’t hold sessions in New York, North Carolina, or Texas any more.

The company will also organize more four-hour Unplugged Nights in cities around the country where partiers can switch off their phones and make new friends. The idea is to give a broader range of people a taste of the Grounded lifestyle in smaller doses. Those interested in early access to tickets for all of Digital Detox’s events can sign up here.

Camp Grounded’s Tech Check staffers confiscate attendees’ devices upon their arrival. Image Credit: Daniel N. Johnson

Meanwhile, Digital Detox will start a new business of education and certifications for K-12 schools, coaching teachers and parents on how to gently reduce students’ screentime. Schools will pay per student like a Software-As-A-Service model. Through research by a few PhDs, the company will recommend proper rules for using tech in and out of the classroom to minimize distraction, and empathetic penalties for violations.

The obvious question to ask, though, is if Bronzan is just some business guy coming to coin off the anti-tech trend and Felix’s legacy. “I’m not Apple coming in and buying the company. This isn’t a tech acquisition” Bronzan insists at a coffee shop in San Francisco. “I knew Levi before anyone else knew Levi. We went trick-or-treating and played in school band together. I want to the first Digital Detox summit, and brought my company year after year. I’ve been involved from the begginning, seeing Levi’s passion and inspiration.”

Levi Felix and Forest Bronzan (from left) in 1996

Fidget had an innately soothing camp counselor vibe to him that Bronzan doesn’t quite capture. He’d previously built and sold Email Aptitude, a CRM and email agency, not an event or education business. But he truly seems to mean well, and he’s earned the support of Digital Detox’s team.

“My mission was to find someone that was as excited and ferocious as Levi and I were when we started Digital Detox to further it as a movement” says Brooke Dean, Felix’s wife and co-founder. “It was imperative that the person running DD and CG had actually experienced the magic. This person had to be more than a lover of camp and nature, they also needed the hard skills and successful track record of running a company. Forest is stable, business-minded and also finds value in that very unique magic.”

Bronzan tells me the acquisition includes a cash component (“We’re not talking eight figures”) and a capital investment in the business, both funded by his email company’s exit. Two other individuals and one company had also expressed interest. Dean and Felix’s brother Zev will retain equity in the company, and she’ll stay on the board of directors. The trio are launching the Levi Felix Foundation that will donate money to brain cancer research.

While moving into education might seem like a left turn for Digital Detox after throwing events since 2012, Dean says “Levi was planning on going back to school and was deeply interested in being an academic in this field. We always believed that there needed to be evidence in order to convince the masses that being outside and connecting with other human beings ‘IRL’ is critical to our health and longevity.”

Some alarming stats the organization has already uncovered include:

77% of people check or pretend to check their phone to avoid talking to others

38% feel less connected to their partner or close friend due to cell phone use

Nearly 20% check their phone while having sex

“We want to eventually be the central source of tools on how tech is affecting lives and relationships at all age levels” Bronzan tells me. It’s zeroing in on how compulsive behaviors like endless scrolling increase anxiety and depression, and how parents glued to their devices train children to not be present. The father of two kids under age five, Bronzan knows a weekend at camp in your 20s or 30s is too little too late to seriously address the crisis of fractured attention.

Digital Detox’s new CEO says he’s heartened by the progression of some of Felix’s ideals, as with the Time Well Spent movement. The screentime dashboards launched by tech companies don’t do enough to actually change people’s actions, he says, though “They’re at least making some effort.” Digital Detox plans to launch a comprehensive quiz to determine how addicted you are to your phone, and Bronzan says he’d happily work with tech giants to integrate his company’s research.

//

  On the camp for adults front, we’ve seen Burning Man go mainstream but lose some of what made it special including a lack of cell phone reception. It’s now common to see people on the playa staring at their phones, talking about work, and stressed about the clock — all of which are prohibited at Camp Grounded. Festivals like Coachella seem to get more corporate and less mindful each year. That leaves plenty of open space for Digital Detox to fill with purposeful breaks from the default world.

Bronzan also wants to introduce more surprise and serendipity to the event calendar. Camp Grounded will experiment with a “Mystery Trip” where eight to ten people sign up to be whisked away, only receiving a confidential briefing package the day before they show up. The point is to extract people from their routines where unhealthy habits manifest. Without connectivity, Camp Grounded hopes people will forge new connections in their minds, and with each other.

from Mobile – TechCrunch https://ift.tt/2OxRrfh ORIGINAL CONTENT FROM: https://techcrunch.com/

[shirlleycoyle]

e-race

In the not-too-distant future, mandatory, state-enforced high-tech microsurgery will enable all citizens to join the brave new colorblind e-race. In his latest cutting speculative parable, fast-rising SF writer Russell Nichols satirizes techno-optimism, the ways tech is deployed in the service of ‘combatting’ racism, and much more. Enjoy. -the Ed

[Starting tomorrow, racism in America will be history!]

When the urgent notification popped up in his eye-mail, the very old man swatted it away. How was he still getting these damn things? He unsubscribed twenty times at least from this mailing list he never even signed up for. Tried to block them. What part of no means no didn’t these parasites understand? Last week he was so fed up with the spamming, he called the U.S. Department of Reparations toll-free number to strongly suggest they go straight to hell, but nobody answered.

[Today marks the deadline for compliance. After midnight, all non-members of the new e-race will face severe penalties, including…]

He slapped at the air again, deleting the message mid-scroll. Then groaned, rolling over in bed. The nubs where his legs used to be itched. The sign of a storm coming. Then: Boom! Boom! Boom! On the door of his senior living pod. He pulled the cover over his head, but knew he couldn’t hide. “Police!” came the voice from the other side. “Open up, Mr. Ellison!”

*

Fifteen minutes later, the security guard dragged Ellison into a crowded microsurgery clinic.

“Get your hands off me!” Ellison hollered, fighting but failing to break free. “I’m exempt!”

The guard took Ellison to reception. “Got another 406 for ya.”

“Wunderbar!” said the receptionist. She aimed an ID scanner, clicked, and a blue light flashed. The data loaded onto her computer. “Waldo Ellison. Been playing a little hooky, have we?”

“No, no, seriously, I—I’m handicapped, look—” Ellison showed off his robotic prosthetics. “I’m supposed to get a pass.”

The guard bent down like talking to a toddler. “Can you say man-da-tory?”

“Please,” Ellison pleaded. “I’m not supposed to be here.”

“Rightio, you’re supposed to be over there.” The receptionist pointed to the long line of people waiting to go through pre-op body scanners. Then she pressed an intercom and muttered, “Need a fix on a 406,” as the guard escorted Ellison away.

“Hold up, I can’t do this. I don’t do hospital beds, I break out real bad—”

“If you try to break out of here, it won’t be good. Trust me.”

The guard patted Ellison’s shoulder and left him in the back of the line. The line was a snarl-up, going nowhere, like a scene from the DMV back in the day, before autonomous cars. A shame that cars learned to be autonomous before people. Look at them. More like drones in skin wrapping paper. With zero perspective beyond their eye-mail. Look at them, staring all blank, scrolling through retinal feeds, the contents of which Ellison could only guess—e-race fashion dos and don’ts: Do wear bright colors and you’ll be fab! Don’t wear gray or you’ll look drab!

Didn’t they see what was happening?

[The Indivisible Nation Act will level the playing field by eliminating the perception of skin color from the visual cortex…]

Ellison whacked the notification away with a grunt.

Then: a voice behind him. “What’s the matter, legacy?”

[Legacy [leg-uh-see] noun, offensive: An old or obsolete person with machine parts]

Ellison dismissed the pop-up definition, turned around. “Whatchu call me?!”

Standing in line behind him was a boy, maybe fifteen, wearing an LED shirt that kept flashing Now You See Me then Now You Don’t.

“No trigger, no trigger,” he said with his hands up. “Just launching dialogue with you. Looking like we’ll be frozen here a minute.”

Ellison almost asked the boy where his parents were, but then remembered he didn’t give a shred of damn. He turned back around, hoping a non-response would shut him up.

But the boy asked: “Why you all sad-faced?”

Ellison turned around. “Lookie here, you—”

“Call me Disher.”

“I’m tired and it’s about to rain and I’m just tryna get out of here. And I got a hunch that if you zip those lips of yours, that’ll happen a helluva lot faster, you got me?”

Ellison turned back around.

“I think I got you,” Disher said.

Ellison turned around. “No, no, you clearly don’t, see, ‘cause that was a rhetorical question. That means you’re not supposed to answer.”

“I know what rhetorical means.”

“Then why are you still talking to me?”

Disher frowned. “Is that rhetorical?”

Ellison shook his head, turned back around.

“Why the downvotes, legs? I mean, judging by your body-mods, that last-gen suit and your buggy social skills, I’m getting a strong centenarian signal. I fig, what, a buck oh-five? Buck ten? Point being, this should be an achievement day for you.”

Ellison scoffed. “Achievement day.”

“No more color lines. Equality all around. That’s God particle!”

Ellison glared at Disher. Was he born remedial? Or was that LED shirt offing brain cells?

“It’s Trojan horse-shit,” Ellison said.

“Edit: Okay, maybe not God particle, but at least it’s a step in—”

“—Trojan horse-shit.”

“Whatchu infected with? Verify, I’m not as ancient as you. Still I’ve d-loaded enough history to know it was all glitched up back in your era. But now, thanks to this program, I can be somebody.”

Ellison palmed his face. “A monochrome somebody.”

“Legs, you can’t act like complexion don’t matter. You know how long it took me to find a job? How many opps declined me because my skin tone? How about all the undocs looking for sanctuary?” Disher motioned to the people in line. “Like or dislike, this new law levels the playing—”

“Spare me the sound bites, alright? It’s the same field, different game.” Then, without thinking, Ellison shouted: “You fools really think not seeing color will make racism disappear?!”

“Who’s a fool?” came a voice from the crowd.

Ellison felt all eyes on him. But he got an idea: If he could get enough of these drones riled up, the guard would have to step in, and Ellison could step right the hell out.

“Who’s a fool?” he asked. “Everybody in this line, that’s who.”

“Who this legacy think he trolling?” somebody asked, rhetorically.

“I speak the truth!” he said. “You’re all getting herded up like cattle. In the name of equality. Am I the only one seeing this?”

“Amigo, you’re going to be seeing a whole lot less if you keep at it,” somebody said.

Ellison kept at it. “Discrimination never dies. If not the color of your skin, it’ll be your accent.”

Pointing to various people around him. “Or your eyes. Or your nose. Your height. Or your weight.”

Ellison pointed to Disher. “That hair.” To himself. “These legs.” A man in a color-changing hijab.

“That Christmas ornament on your head.”

His partner pushed Ellison’s hand away. “You crossed the line.”

“See, exactly, that’s my point! There will always be a line.”

The security guard waved a finger at Ellison. A warning to stop.

Ellison didn’t stop. “Do any of you know what it feels like to get hit in the face by a high-pressure fire hose? I’m talking enough water pressure to tear bark off a tree or brick off a wall. Of course you don’t, but I do. See, I was out there, Kelly Ingram Park, singing ‘Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around’ while getting sprayed to the ground by pigs.”

The security guard didn’t budge.

“Bet you never even heard that song, huh? Listen, don’t be mad at me, I’m only speaking truth! I grew up in the segregated South. Marches, boycotts, sit-ins. Out there fighting for my rights. My life. But see, that’s what’s wrong with you kids today. You don’t know nothing about sacrifice!”

The security guard wasn’t intervening.

“And now look at you, staring all blank, scrolling through retinal feeds, for what? e-race fashion dos and don’ts? Do wear bright colors and you’ll be fab! Don’t wear gray or you’ll look drab! Ha! You’re standing in line for a mandatory surgery to be colorblind and that’s supposed to be quote-unquote great for America? I didn’t vote for this. Did you vote for this?”

Why wasn’t the security guard intervening?!

“But wasn’t this the end game?” Disher said. “A future where we don’t see color? That means all the protests paid off, right? Isn’t this the world Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of?”

The question wasn’t exactly rhetorical. But Ellison didn’t answer fast enough, and the tension evaporated with murmurs of “That’s true.”/“Good point.”/“Preach!”

Ellison hollered: “I know where I stand!”

Somebody hollered back: “Yeah, in line just like the rest of us!”

The crack drew laughs. Moment gone, just like that. Everybody went back to their business. Scrolling through retinal feeds. The security guard raised his fist in the air like “power to the people.”

Ellison, rage boiling over, stepped out of line. Power walking. Straight for the guard.

[Starting tomorrow, racism in America will be history!]

Ellison punched the notification.

The guard held his ground, grabbed his nightstick.

Ellison closing in.

Tunnel vision.

[Starting tomorrow, racism in America will be history! Today marks the deadline…]

Ellison batted the air. He’d show them a deadline.

The guard stepped forward, winding up.

“Don’t take another step!” he said.

Ellison didn’t stop. But a default safety feature made his legs slow down.

The guard lit up, convinced of his godlike power.

Ellison pushed himself forward, but Disher’s hand grabbed his arm, holding him back.

“No ban, mods,” Disher told the guard. “I’ll take care of him.”

“Get off of me!” Ellison said.

But Disher used the energy to pivot and escort Ellison to the vacant restroom.

Inside: there was a window up in the wall, getting pummeled by pellets of rain. Disher locked the door and went to a urinal. Ellison leaned over the sink, adrenaline coming back to Earth.

“What were you thinking?” he said, staring at his reflection.

“You’re welcome,” Disher said. “And don’t start spamming me about colored-only restrooms.” Ellison splashed his face with water. “I don’t know nothing about colored-only restrooms.”

“Riiight.”

“That’s the truth. I never stepped foot in one in my life.”

“But you said—”

“I never marched. Never boycotted. The only sit-in I ever did was at home, alone on my couch, when I didn’t feel like being bothered with people. Which was all the damn time.”

Disher washed his hands, keeping his mouth shut.

“Back then I felt like, if I could work hard, make something of myself, anybody could. And everybody blaming racism was just using that as an excuse. I really thought that.”

“Where’s the error?” Disher said. “Race is a social construct. If you don’t believe in ghosts, they can’t attack you.”

“I used to say, ‘I don’t believe in race.’ But see, to say that, I was denying the struggle of the oppressed. Hell, my own struggle! I was in denial of myself.” Ellison turned to Disher. “Look, I know you think this Indivisible Nation Act is the end-all, be-all, but I’m here to tell you, it’s not even close. Racism is grafted into the skin of America. You can’t remove it without spilling a whole lot of blood.”

Disher seemed to consider this, staring up at the window.

“Look at me: I’m 125 years old. Lost my legs in a car crash. Before autonomous cars took over. Didn’t fight for any kind of rights. But here I am, a survivor, and I can’t live with the guilt of doing nothing. I have to resist. I want to make a difference and … I will not let our history get wiped away.”

“History lives on,” Disher said. “Right here.”

Disher pointed to his chest. Ellison figured he was talking about his heart, but all he could see was the shirt flashing Now You See Me then Now You Don’t.

The room was silent, except for the patter of heavy rain.

Disher looked at the window again. “Ready to ex outta here?”

“You and me?” Ellison felt a surge of pride, but he knew the weather would force his prosthetics into safe mode. Probably wouldn’t get two blocks. “I don’t know—”

Disher tapped Ellison’s arm. “That was a rhetorical question.”

Ellison chuckled. Took a deep breath. And positioned himself under the window.

Then: Boom! Boom! Boom! On the restroom door.

Ellison’s legs held steady under the weight as Disher stood on his shoulders.

Disher opened the window, looked down at Ellison. “You following?”

Ellison heard keys at the door. “You go on. I’ll see you on the other side.”

“No you won’t.”

“Go on! I’ll find you—you just go and keep going. And don’t look back, you got me?”

Disher gave him a sad smile. “I got you, legacy.”

The boy pulled himself up, crawled out of the window and into the storm.

When the security guard burst in, the very old man fell to his mechanical joints.

[Starting tomorrow, racism in America will be history!]

*

Moments later, Ellison came out of the restroom on a stretcher. Eyes heavy. The world fading as a sedative took hold. Body going numb, but he could still feel the weight on his shoulders, where the boy had been standing. An orderly pushed him through the pre-op area. Past the line of drones he gave no damns about. He sacrificed himself to make a difference and nobody could take that away.

“You can’t make me do this!” a woman hollered at reception. A kindred spirit.

As the orderly pushed him through a door and down a white hall, toward the operating rooms, Ellison heard the receptionist over the intercom: “Need a fix on a 406.”

And that was when he saw it. At first he thought it was side effects from the sedative or his old eyes playing tricks on him. But no! There, through the window of a waiting room, he saw a group of kids sitting completely still, their heads plugged into the walls. And one of them, a girl, maybe fifteen, unplugged herself and walked out toward the pre-op area, in the same LED shirt they all wore, flashing Now You See Me then Now You Don’t.

e-race syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[sheminecrafts]

Camp Grounded Digital Detox returns after founder’s death

Summer camp for adults and beloved tech-free weekend getaway Camp Grounded ground to a halt in 2017. Its big-hearted founder Levi Felix who’d espoused the joys of trading screens for nature walks was tragically killed by brain cancer at just age 32. Left in his wake was mourning community who’d lost their digital detox rally just as everyone was realizing the importance of looking up from their phones.

As an attendee, I’d been impressed by how the founder (known as Professor Fidget Wigglesworth at camp) used playfulness and presence to transport us back to childhood, before we got hooked on the Internet. But he also broke people’s addiction to shame, mandating that anyone who screwed up in a sports game or talent show announce “I’m awesome”, and be met with a cheer from the crowd, “you’re awesome!”

Attendees compete in camp-wide games

Luckily, one of Felix’s elementary school friends Forest Bronzan wants to write a happier ending to this story. Almost three years after it went into hibernation follow its creator’s death, Bronzan has acquired Camp Grounded and its parent company Digital Detox .

Camp Grounded will relaunch in May 2020 as two back-to-back weekend retreats at Northern California’s gorgeous Camp Mendocino. Attendees will again leave their devices in Tech Check lockers run by hazmat-suit wearing staffers, assume nicknames, and stop the work talk. They’ll get to play in the woods like technology never existed, indulging in Camp Grounded favorites from archery to arts & crafts to bonfire singalongs about enthusiastic consent. However, to simplify logistics, Camp Grounded won’t hold sessions in New York, North Carolina, or Texas any more.

The company will also organize more four-hour Unplugged Nights in cities around the country where partiers can switch off their phones and make new friends. The idea is to give a broader range of people a taste of the Grounded lifestyle in smaller doses. Those interested in early access to tickets for all of Digital Detox’s events can sign up here.

Camp Grounded’s Tech Check staffers confiscate attendees’ devices upon their arrival. Image Credit: Daniel N. Johnson

Meanwhile, Digital Detox will start a new business of education and certifications for K-12 schools, coaching teachers and parents on how to gently reduce students’ screentime. Schools will pay per student like a Software-As-A-Service model. Through research by a few PhDs, the company will recommend proper rules for using tech in and out of the classroom to minimize distraction, and empathetic penalties for violations.

The obvious question to ask, though, is if Bronzan is just some business guy coming to coin off the anti-tech trend and Felix’s legacy. “I’m not Apple coming in and buying the company. This isn’t a tech acquisition” Bronzan insists at a coffee shop in San Francisco. “I knew Levi before anyone else knew Levi. We went trick-or-treating and played in school band together. I want to the first Digital Detox summit, and brought my company year after year. I’ve been involved from the begginning, seeing Levi’s passion and inspiration.”

Levi Felix and Forest Bronzan (from left) in 1996

Fidget had an innately soothing camp counselor vibe to him that Bronzan doesn’t quite capture. He’d previously built and sold Email Aptitude, a CRM and email agency, not an event or education business. But he truly seems to mean well, and he’s earned the support of Digital Detox’s team.

“My mission was to find someone that was as excited and ferocious as Levi and I were when we started Digital Detox to further it as a movement” says Brooke Dean, Felix’s wife and co-founder. “It was imperative that the person running DD and CG had actually experienced the magic. This person had to be more than a lover of camp and nature, they also needed the hard skills and successful track record of running a company. Forest is stable, business-minded and also finds value in that very unique magic.”

Brooke Deand and Levi Felix (foreground, from left) at Camp Grounded

Bronzan tells me the acquisition includes a cash component (“We’re not talking eight figures”) and a capital investment in the business, both funded by his email company’s exit. Two other individuals and one company had also expressed interest. Dean and Felix’s brother Zev will retain equity in the company, and she’ll stay on the board of directors. The trio are launching the Levi Felix Foundation that will donate money to brain cancer research.

While moving into education might seem like a left turn for Digital Detox after throwing events since 2012, Dean says “Levi was planning on going back to school and was deeply interested in being an academic in this field. We always believed that there needed to be evidence in order to convince the masses that being outside and connecting with other human beings ‘IRL’ is critical to our health and longevity.”

Some alarming stats the organization has already uncovered include:

77% of people check or pretend to check their phone to avoid talking to others

38% feel less connected to their partner or close friend due to cell phone use

Nearly 20% check their phone while having sex

“We want to eventually be the central source of tools on how tech is affecting lives and relationships at all age levels” Bronzan tells me. It’s zeroing in on how compulsive behaviors like endless scrolling increase anxiety and depression, and how parents glued to their devices train children to not be present. The father of two kids under age five, Bronzan knows a weekend at camp in your 20s or 30s is too little too late to seriously address the crisis of fractured attention.

Digital Detox’s new CEO says he’s heartened by the progression of some of Felix’s ideals, as with the Time Well Spent movement. The screentime dashboards launched by tech companies don’t do enough to actually change people’s actions, he says, though “They’re at least making some effort.” Digital Detox plans to launch a comprehensive quiz to determine how addicted you are to your phone, and Bronzan says he’d happily work with tech giants to integrate his company’s research.

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  On the camp for adults front, we’ve seen Burning Man go mainstream but lose some of what made it special including a lack of cell phone reception. It’s now common to see people on the playa staring at their phones, talking about work, and stressed about the clock — all of which are prohibited at Camp Grounded. Festivals like Coachella seem to get more corporate and less mindful each year. That leaves plenty of open space for Digital Detox to fill with purposeful breaks from the default world.

Bronzan also wants to introduce more surprise and serendipity to the event calendar. Camp Grounded will experiment with a “Mystery Trip” where eight to ten people sign up to be whisked away, only receiving a confidential briefing package the day before they show up. The point is to extract people from their routines where unhealthy habits manifest. Without connectivity, Camp Grounded hopes people will forge new connections in their minds, and with each other.

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