#not to mention people would rather save their money for merch than drinks. it is so so evil

[glitteratti]

like literally actually venues charging so much for water is insane and evil. people at concerts NEED water, especially for high energy acts that people dance to and in any general admission area where people are more packed together. i went to a show last week where i was sitting the whole time and not even dancing and even i got super hot and needed water! like thank god that’s a venue that only charges $1 for a bottle and has free refill stations. at most shows, ESPECIALLY a pop concert like for taylor swift, you’re essentially doing a high energy workout while packed in shoulder to shoulder AND singing the whole time. not letting people bering water and charging $7+ a bottle is fucking criminal

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #348

“nothing will be free  /  nothing will be done  /  black out the sun”

Do you have any famous relatives? My third or so cousin is the author of Not Without My Daughter, but she's not like a smash hit or anything that most people know. I really do recommend the book, though. It's a long read, but a beautiful, true story. Do you care about celebrity gossip? Nah. Have you ever failed a science course in high school? No; I was very good at science. What’s your favorite breakfast food? Cinnamon rolls. Does your house have a basement? No. No house I've ever lived in has had one. Do you like Hot Topic? Well duh. Do you think imagination is valuable? VERY! Just imagine how many incredible things wouldn't exist without it. What was your reaction to your first time falling in love? Unspeakably happy, and I felt like I was building a future with someone. I felt like I had purpose, which I should mention to anyone reading is a mindset to NEVER adopt. No one gives you purpose; you're born with it. How much weight can you lift at once? Ha, not a lot. When you have your own house someday, what color Christmas tree do you want and how will you decorate it? I want a black one with faux snow on the branches, then maybe red ornaments. Kinda look like blood dripping off. Sounds metal. Name three YouTube channels you’ve been loving lately. Lately, John Wolfe, The Dark Den, and Aim To Head Mix. Have you ever bought a designer purse? No. Do you wear jewelry often? No. What color was your senior prom dress? Black. Are you colorblind? No. Name the people you know who are colorblind. Jason's older brother is colorblind to two colors, but idr which. Would you ever consider a career in writing? I'd love to. What was your first favorite color? Red. What do you think about horror movies? I love them. If you love them, what’s your favorite? I really enjoy The Crazies and both The Blair Witch Project movies. Oh, and of course Silent Hill. Got any cool Christmas presents picked out for family or friends yet? I don't have the money to get anyone presents... and while I sometimes get ideas about something I could make someone, then it wouldn't be fair to the rest of my family if I don't make them something, too. What’s your favorite word and why? I really like the sound of "serendipity," as well as its meaning. It's just a pretty, nice word. Do you like to do craft projects? If so, what’s the coolest thing you made? Not really... I think the coolest thing I made was when I put the clay heart I made in Art into a shadowbox, and a poem I wrote was in the background. It was a gift for Jason. I remember working really hard on the whole process and being really happy with it. I don't want to know what he's done with it since. What’s one occupation you think gets paid too much and doesn’t deserve to? I don't know. What’s something you are currently saving money for to buy? Everyone knows about Venus' terrarium by now... Do you smoke/vape? If so, what brand do you smoke/what device do you use? No. Ever done drugs? No. Tell me one of your worst habits. Catastrophizing. I take a tiny seed of something potentially bad, and in seconds it's a damn redwood tree. And I do mean "in seconds." What’s a weird quirk you have that no one else you know does? I don't know, I don't have any particularly unique ones, I think. If you game, what type of headset do you use? I just use earbuds. Do you think you would be a good therapist? You know, it's funny, I've actually pictured myself as one a few times, given my level of understanding and empathy for people, as well as how deeply I want to see others succeed and spread the word that recovery from things like depression is very possible. I've never truly entertained the thought, though, given I'm quite sure I legally couldn't be given my suicidal past and mental illnesses. There is also NO way I could listen to so many people's suffering and manage to stay healthy myself, so, no therapist position for me, thanks. Have you ever been to a Chinatown? No. Do you prefer chunky or creamy peanut butter? Creamy, 100%. Do you stop to pick up heads-up pennies? No. Do your pets have collars? Describe them: Roman has an adorable navy one with a bowtie. Do you have any friends that speak any languages you don’t understand? Old friends, sure. What is something you want to begin learning? I want to improve my ability to perform what in therapy is called "opposite action," where you do the opposite of what your depression (or other conditions) make you want to do. It always helps me feel good, like when I draw even when I don't initially feel like it, but it's rough to really force yourself to do it. What is a food you find comforting when you are sad? Ice cream is my comfort food. What is a quote you find comfort in? There are really a lot, but none come to mind immediately, gah. What is one Tumblr blog you really appreciate? I actually haven't been on my main Tumblr in months, but oh my god there is a Markiplier blog called "lady-raziel" and she is FUCKING HYSTERICAL. The meme quality is A+. What is a comfort movie/show for you? When I actually liked watching movies, I enjoyed watching Silent Hill when I was down. That whole franchise just makes me so happy. What is a recent creative project that you are proud of? That I'm PROUD of, idk. I'm not that happy with the last drawing I made, and I haven't done any serious writing lately that I find noteworthy. What is a video game that you find comforting? Shadow of the Colossus is probably #1. I find it so relaxing while equally epic as fuck. The soundtrack is to die for, and after playing it a billion times, it's pretty easy for me to kinda breeze through and just enjoy myself. Do you know how to bake bread? If so, what is something you’ve baked recently? No. Would you rather live in the mountains, city, beach, or the forest? THE MOUNTAINS!!! Particularly in the woods IN the mountains! Are you closer to your mother’s or father’s side of the family? Mom's. I don't even remember anyone from Dad's. Have you ever been in a “perfect relationship”? I thought so. Have you ever lost a fingernail or toenail? No. Were you a Disney or Nickelodeon kid? I preferred Disney. Have you ever been inside a jail/prison? No, and I don't plan on it. Have you ever dated a guy with a beard, mustache, or goatee? Jason had a goatee usually. He'd go clean-shaven sometimes. Did you ever name your stuffed animals? I named every single one I got as a kid. Now I don't, really, unless they're really special. What’s the name of the person who cuts your hair? I'd rather not share, given her name is very unique. Do you like cheeseburgers? Yes, they're one of my favorite foods. Do you have a Flickr? Yes, but I don't use it anymore. Did you ever want to be a fashion designer? No. Do you drink milk? Yeah, I love milk. Where was your FB display pic taken? My room. Have you ever burnt your tongue like REALLY bad? If so, what on? Yeah; white rice. My dumb ass didn't realize it had JUST come off the stove. My tongue hurt literally for weeks. Have you ever gotten your legs waxed? No. Do you own any CLOTHES from Victoria’s Secret? Er, are undergarments not clothes? But I know what you mean. No. What are your grandfathers’ names? William and... I can't remember Dad's dad's name. Have you ever seen a snake in real life? Well yeah. Are you against seances? I don't know if I believe in them being effective, but either way, they seem like a bad idea. Even risking luring a negative energy/spirit to you is something I'd stay away from. Do you own any superhero shirts? No, just Harley Quinn ones, some with the Joker on them, too. I need to toss 'em though because I am like, violently against romanticizing their abusive relationship. I used to just like them as a story character couple, but I got to a place where it just seemed... wrong to "glorify" it by wearing merch and stuff. What band has the best guitar solos? Metallica, durrrr. Who is the biggest jerk you’ve ever met? Can you believe that would be my former best friend? Have you ever swerved off the road to avoid hitting an animal? I've never had an animal in my path. Have you ever grown your own herbs? No. Do you like kissing in public? If you're my serious s/o, I could care less, so long as it's a simple peck. I'm not making out in front of people. Do you think someone has feelings for you? I don't know. Do you want to be in a relationship this year? I don't know. I'm lonely and love feels amazing, but I need to get my life on track before I can be a good partner to someone and not just dead weight. Has anyone told you they don’t want to ever lose you? Huh, funny, he's the one that walked away. How long can you just kiss until your hands start to wander? Uhhh that would depend on how serious we are, where we are, and just what mood I'm in. What’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for you? ugh What’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever done for someone? also ugh What’s your dirtiest secret? TMI AHEAD. Probably receiving oral while bare-ass naked on the chaise in the living room while we were home alone. Or having sex in my sister’s bed. Oops. Would you ever get lyrics tattooed on yourself? Yeah. I already do, anyway, and I plan on getting another. Can you photoshop images well? I'm decent at it. Where did you last drive to? Mom and I went to go get our Covid vaccines today. What’s the first verse of the last song you listened to? "I don't know what we're supposed to be, but I know we lost it along the way to something better, something so much more than pleasure that we seek, so blind inside to fill these holes left by these lies that we tell to ourselves as we manufacture our own hell." What do you hear right now? The aforementioned song: "BLACKOUT" by 3TEETH. What was the last thing you laughed about? This is so fucking immature lmao but when we were driving earlier, we passed a gas station that had a sign that was advertising Coke, but due to space limitations, it abbreviated to "2 liter Cok" and I cackled like a child. Mom laughed harder than I did. Do you know any gay people personally? Ye. What was the last thing that startled you? I think it was a car hoonking at somebody the other day. What was the last thing to make you even remotely sad? Today's been a kind of rough PTSD day thanks to Facebook. My old high school friend had her beautiful daughter, a childhood friend just got married the other day, another friend is due to have her baby in just a couple weeks... It's just weird but even more painful to know it was the life I once fantasized about with a guy that just dropped me and made a break for it. I hate admitting that there's this deep, deep bitterness in me about it, like he took my life away from me, even though that's of course very unfair to say. I don't want to talk about this anymore, so moving on with my day.

[4thstreetwrestling-blog]

Finding your niche: Interview with Sara Pattison

My interview this week is with a friend and my travel partner. Sara (the founder of Cheapshot merch) and I met at a local wrestling show in Quincy in January. The next time we’d see each other would see Sara travel from Chicago, to Quincy to pick me up, then Pontoon Beach. She drove a straight 14 hours in total that day because of her commitment to networking, and watching wrestling.

Jonah: When did pro-wrestling come into your life?

Sara: “My dad, Rick, got me into wrestling when I was pretty young. I was around 4 years young or so. He's my best friend and I was his youngest child so, he took the fact that I was already a tomboy, and sat me in front of the TV one night to watch wrestling and made it a tradition. I cant remember the specific match I first saw, but when i started watching it, you had all the legends in their prime. The Rock, Hogan, Stone Cold, Degneration X. I remember then women's wrestling wasn't exactly a thing just yet but as I continued to watch wrestling, it morphed into a thing and man. That in itself really captivated me to continue to watch. To see women on my TV screen doing some badass dives and really going toe to toe with each other was inspiring as hell.“

You’ve met a lot of people on the business. Who are your favorite people to see wrestle and where? 

“Indy wise, despite the fact he's not in the indies anymore, it will always be Cedric Alexander. Hands down. He's an incredible athlete, entertaining, and all around a super rad guy. Also, he lumbar checked Candice LeRae and it was pure gold. I would always go see him in Cleveland, Ohio. I remember that show but I don't know how I remember it considering I was pretty... not sober. But i remember pieces of it and that was one. Also the fact that I cussed Nick Gage out and didn't let him cut his promo in the ring because I was yelling at him the entire time. Don't blame me, blame the mark in me. And the alcohol. I also love going to N.O.W in Ohio, too. It's packed full of talented people - new to the scene and not so new to the scene. The shows are always A1 and Robert is an amazing promoter. I haven't really gone to many shows since I've moved back to Illinois but I have no issues making that 8 and a half hour drive to go to N.O.W because the quality is that damn good.”

Is there some advice you’ve gotten about the wrestling business you’d like to share?

“Some advice? Oh man, let's see. I have personally always been on edge, back and forth with the thought of training, myself. So when Cedric had brought it up and we had been talking about our love of wrestling, he asked me if I ever thought about training. And I just explained to him that I have but I'm too nervous because I might not be good and I'll disappoint myself and had concerns about my heart problems getting in the way or hindering me in some ways. And he basically told me that, besides the heart problems being a reason, everything else was an excuse. I was holding myself back. He said that with wrestling, as well with anything, you just have to do it. There will be times where you figuratively reach that cliff after climbing the mountain and you just...have to jump. No hesitation. Just do it. Age is no excuse. The fact that I was and am a bit heavier than I'd like to be, no excuse. Just go for it. He said that moves and mic skills can be taught but passion cannot. And nothing will hold you back from your passions.”

What makes you want to keep watching wrestling?

“I don't watch WWE that much anymore. If I do, it's NXT or PPVs that I watch with my dad. And I think that's the biggest part of it all. My dad. He got me into wrestling initially and when I got older I started connecting with workers from all over and just branched out from there. But my dad used to travel a lot. He's met several huge, infamous names in the biz. Hogan and Andre being two. He had drinks with them at an airport bar one time and tells me that story often , but I love it. Because I can just imagine what they talked about and how my dad was feeling sitting next to two men he watched on TV and now he's casually having drinks with them. Wild. And besides my father, watching my friends evolve and really chase after their dreams in the business is just so fun for me. I always tell them to just throw me in the trunk and let me go on the road with them. It's just a lifestyle that I've grown to love and I'm so happy and appreciative that I get to be apart of it in the way that I do.”

Do you have any plans to train soon? Who do you look at for inspiration of style?

“Ugh. [Laughs]. I don't know. Honestly at this point in my life, I think I'd much rather be behind the scenes. And if anything, be the next Paul Heyman. But wrestle? Nah. I feel like I'm pretty entertaining and have no qualms claiming that and being confident in that. I'm very expressive with my movements and facial expressions but I think becoming an actual wrestler would just be too risky for me, health wise. My heart problems are pretty serious and there's no changing that. But I still imagine it, a lot, being a wrestler. I pulled a lot of inspo from women like Lita, Victoria, and even Sable and I have a few female friends who are amazingly talented workers on the indy circuit who I love watching them grow on their journey. It just makes my soul so happy to see my friends live out their dreams and I'm 100% okay being an on looker. Holler at me for some graphic design work, though.”

What sparked the idea to start Cheapshot?

“I wanted to find my niche in the business and graphic design seemed like it would be just that. I'm self taught but went to school for it. Only for like, two semesters but it still counts [Laughs]. I did this shirt design for my ex years ago and holy sh*t when I tell you it was the absolute worst......it was the absolute worst. I mean, just so pixelated and white pixels on the edges and..yeah..it just was not good. I felt terrible because his mom bought one and I'm like, cool, what an impression you're making right now by giving her some shit artwork for her son. *Slow clap*. But since then, I've gotten far better. The classes I took helped me understand color better and understand the business side of graphic design. I've always held this dream of having a traveling t shirt shop on wheels and honestly, I figured that's going to take a bit to save up for. So in the mean time, let me do this. Let me start a merch company via a dropshipping site and just do it. Like Cedric said, just do it. Go for it. So I finally did. Threw around some names to go by and Cheapshot just stuck with me. Everyone loves a good heel spot,a good cheapshot. I wanted workers to have an easier and cheaper (no pun intended) option to get merch. I take no money up front and they receive full profit of whatever sales they make. And I know even the smallest amount is something to these guys and gals. They work so hard and give so much to their fans and the audiences weekend in and out...I just really wanted to help them grow.

Cheapshot stands out because it's just me. I'm doing the artwork, I'm connecting with wrestlers who want to have merch out there but can't necessarily fork out $200 plus dollars to get it physically, and I (attempt) to run the Facebook page, as well. On top of all that, I work two jobs and I'm a mom, too. So, you don't see many female bosses in the wrestling world. It's nice to plant that seed and begin growing in that position. I've got huge goals and visions for Cheapshot and I'm really grateful for the athletes that have taken a gamble on me representing them via merchandise.”

Where can people find your store and reach out to you for designs?

“ Visit Cheapshot Merch on Teepsring

and feel free to add me on Facebook Sara Pattison. Follow me on Instagram @thelifeofjohnni. Reach out to me about doing some business via those two social medias or if you're more old school, shoot me an email at johnni.malone@aol.com. And if you mention how retro I am for using AOL, I'll send you $5 (don't actually do this because I actually won't).”

Who’s hot in the independent scene that you’re aware of? Shout out da homies

“SHOUT OUT TO DEMMMM. THE COME UP IS NIIICEEE. But uh, yeah, I love watching Terra Calaway, Alex Weir, Indy Card Mafia (ayye, fellow interviewee), Space Monkey, Sage Sin, Curt Ganon to name a few. And no one could ever forget Uncle Bob Evans - you would seriously be a damn fool to not attend his seminars.”

Sara, you’re a saint and I love you. Thank you so so so much

“Love you! Any time! You know how to make a woman feel special. #Blessed.”

Check out Cheapshot merch at the link here.

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You’re very nice for reading this article. Please do that every Wednesday when we post more interviews. Love you.