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daydreamerdrew · 2 years

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Comics read this past week:

the Captain Marvel stories in Whiz Comics (1940) #29-30 and Captain Marvel Adventures (1941) #9-10 and America’s Greatest Comics (1941) #3

I’ve just gone from February 1942 to March 1942. Captain Marvel Adventures #9 referenced Pearl Harbor for what I believe is the first time among Captain Marvel’s stories. It also had a story with awful stereotypical and caricaturized Japanese villains, that ends with Captain Marvel forcing one of them to praise America on the radio. Though another story in it was the first appearance of Professor Edgewise. There’s more of an emphasis on global relations now, with one story being about villains trying to sabotage the relationship between the U.S. and it’s allies, which makes sense as the U.S. has now entered WWII.

the Captain Marvel story in Whiz Comics (1940) #25 and the Captain Marvel Jr. stories in Master Comics (1940) #22-24

I went back in time to revisit Captain Marvel Jr.’s origin issue then continued on to his solo stories. This little batch covers his appearances from October 1941 to January 1942. It was interesting to me how Junior’s first Master Comics story is really him featuring in a Bulletman story, and it’s not until the next issue that he truly has the cover feature. When Mary was first introduced, she immediately took over the cover feature of Wow Comics, with the prior cover feature characters Mr. Scarlet and Pinky briefly appearing at the end of her first story. It’s not until Junior’s next appearance that he gets his job at the newspaper stand, and then the next that we see where he lives. I like this because it comes across as him rebuilding his life after it’s destroyed by Captain Nazi in his first appearance. The villains he faces in these issues aside from Captain Nazi are Dr. Eternity, who turns people into wax figures for ‘eternity’, and Mr. Macabre, a coroner that investigates his own murders as to not actually provide useful information. We see Mr. Macabre kill himself by stabbing himself with one of his own poison darts when he’s caught, which stood out to me. While sometimes villain in Captain Marvel’s stories choose death at the end rather than prison, it’s not that common and usually through something like jumping off a bridge- less graphic and the actual part that kills them happens off-panel. And I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a villain die at the end of a Mary Marvel story. Master Comics #24 is when Freddy’s diary as a framing device is first used, as it concludes the issue. I really like the diary as it provides a look into Freddy’s mind- “Yes, Mr. Macabre died horribly- just as he killed those innocent men, it just shows regardless how shrewd or clever a criminal may think he is- fate always nets out a justice he deserves!”

the Marvel Family stories in World’s Finest Comics #263-270 and #272-282 and Adventure Comics #491-492

Finishing off the E. Nelson Bridwell and Don Newton run from the late 70s to early 80s. I really loved Bridwell’s approach to telling new stories that respectfully built off of the old comics without being too tied down to the Golden Age style. And I overall really liked Newton’s more realistic art for the Marvel Family, but fortunately Mr. Mind did not suffer Tawky Tawny’s fate and was kept cartoonish. Gil Kane drew issue just issue #282 which… I really did not like. There’s a bit in World’s Finest #264 where Billy is unable to transform and he thinks ‘oh no, I can’t stop the bad guys, but my secret weapon can!’ and his secret weapon is literally just Mary. He called her ahead of time. I loved that. Issue #268 and issue #280, the former of which retells the origin of Captain Marvel Jr. and adds more details to his backstory, laying the seeds for the reveal in the latter that Kid Eternity is his long-lost brother, are highlights. Kid Eternity really shined well under Don Newton’s pencilling, and the way the boys’ histories were intertwined was lovely. After this, Kid was kept as a part of the main cast, which was sweet. I also really liked how Kid Eternity was portrayed as secretly helping the Marvel Family behind the scenes in issues #277-279. Issue #272 is the first appearance of Chain Lightning, who Jerry Ordway would later use as a recurring villain in The Power of Shazam! (1995). Though Pre-Crisis she’s a Mary Marvel villain, and Post-Crisis she’s more closely associated with Captain Marvel Jr. Anyway, fun batch of issues! Would probably recommend the whole E. Nelson Bridwell and Don Newton run to new fans who are interested in checking out the Pre-Crisis Marvel Family, even though I do like a lot of the earlier Shazam! (1972) ongoing myself, because I think it would have the easiest appeal to people that are inexperienced with Golden Age comics.

The Incredible Hulk (1968) #130-141 and The Sub-Mariner (1968) #34-35 and The Avengers (1963) #88 and Fantastic Four (1961) #111-113

I’ve gone from June 1970 to May 1971. I believe Roy Thomas wrote everything but the non-The Incredible Hulk issues, same with Herb Trimpe on art. In issue #130 there’s the first appearance of Jim Wilson, a young poor Black orphan who the Hulk befriends. At the time, Bruce and the Hulk were split up in separate bodies, and the Hulk tries to enlist Jim’s help in killing Bruce, but Jim can’t go through with it once he meets Bruce and so betrays the Hulk to the army. Though it seems that the Hulk just sort of forgets about that once he later sees Jim try to help him and get hurt in the process, he’s very protective of Jim there. General Ross points out that the Hulk has a habit of trusting kids, first with Rick Jones and then with Jim. What I like about Jim is that he meets the Hulk first and is sympathetic to him before ever knowing Bruce at all, whereas I think Betty and Rick, who did know Bruce first, just sort of inherently care about Bruce more. Also, I’d never heard of Jim Wilson before reading these issues so… I am sorta expecting him to die at some point. On the thread of Hulk and children, I believe they were really just intended at the time as damsels in distress for the protagonist to help, the Hulk also has a pattern of protecting women, which I think fits well with his later established backstory of having grown up in a family with domestic violence. I think issue #131 is when Bruce was first given the full name Robert Bruce Banner, which I know was to explain an earlier error where he was called “Bob Banner”. Last round-up I noted the first instance of the Hulk killing someone, in which he threw Namor who hit a fall which fell over and crushed a person, though the Hulk never knew about that. In issue #134 the Hulk kills a bad guy when he destroys the evil war machine that he was operating and this time does learn about it after the fact, though the Hulk then says that he didn’t mean to kill him. The Sub-Mariner issues in this batch are a team-up between the Hulk, Namor, and the Silver Surfer, but unfortunately it does not end with them all as friends. Issue #140 is the first appearance of Jarella, a queen of a microscopic world that the Hulk briefly visits when he is shrunk down. The the Hulk being shrunk down was first built up in the Avengers issue, so it has that sort of justification, but the story of Hulk in the microscopic world still seem very random to me. The Hulk saves her kingdom, and she intends to get married to him, but he can’t understand her language, so she has her sorcerers magically teach him, which puts Bruce in control of the Hulk’s body, though that doesn’t last beyond them being forced out of the microscopic world by the end of the issue. The justification for Bruce dating Jarella is that he didn’t think he’d even become regular-sized again, so he didn’t think he’d ever see Betty again. While it’s technically Bruce in the Hulk’s body that Jarella was actually dating in this issue, the Hulk is the ones who pines after her in #141. Issue #141 is the first appearance of Doc Samson. He is portrayed as what other characters described as “cold, clinical” and what he himself describes as merely maintaining “scientific objectivity”. I think that this issue may exemplify a drawback with serialized comics from this era, where if the intention is to change the status quo of the series, you possibly can’t do a long drawn out story to justify it. This issue reads to me as though the end goal was to have Betty end up in a relationship with the new character Samson, and in order to get there in just one issue both Bruce and Betty’s established characterizations had to be disregarded, which has annoyed me deeply. I did like that the Hulk says that he was locked away in some dark place and that he wasn’t portrayed at not existing when Bruce was “cured”.

#it's embarrassing that this is literally just Marvel Family and Hulk comics #this will I Will Be Branching Out guys #comics read this past week #my posts

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onlylonelylatino · 2 years

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Bulletman, Bulletgirl, Spy Smasher, Mister Scarlet, Pinky the Whiz Kid, Hawkman and Hawkwoman by Dick Dillin

#bulletman #bulletgirl #mister scarlet #pinky the whiz kid #spy smasher #hawkman #hawkwoman #dick dillin #justice league #dc comics #bronze age #martin pasko #e nelson bridwell

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mldrgrl · 4 years

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Hello ! I love your fanfictions and i have a prompt for you: Scully discovers Mulder's secret talent. He gives the best back rubs. (ust to rst maybe ?).

Magic Fingers by: mldrgrl Rating: PG-13 to be safe

It was her shoulder, the first time. She’d been hunched uncomfortably over an autopsy table for too long in too cramped conditions - the best a small town without an official medical examiner could offer - and she had paid the price that night that a handful of Tylenol couldn’t cure.

And Mulder wouldn’t stop talking.

He went on and on, arguing not even with her, but with himself, changing his theory as rapidly as he thumbed through the latest photos. She tried to focus her attention on what he was saying, but the pain in her shoulder was too distracting and she was too weary.

As he droned, she reached up with her right hand and squeezed the top of her left shoulder. He didn’t notice her wince or her whimper, which was just as well. She closed her eyes, pressing as deeply into the aching muscle as she could with her fingers. It was somehow both more painful and less painful at the same time. Her brows drew towards one another in concentrated effort and after a few moments, she realized Mulder had finally, blessedly, stopped talking. She opened her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she answered, lowering her hand and unconsciously rolling her shoulder back. “My shoulder. It’s fine.”

He looked at her with his head tilted, plucking at his bottom lip with his thumb and index fingers. He scooted his chair over closer to hers and slid his pile of photos along with him. He picked up where he left off and he reached up, one-handedly massaging her shoulder as he pointed to different things in the photos he wanted her to see.

She probably should have told him to stop, but she was afraid if she were to open her mouth it would be to weep with relief. His thumb pushed into the back of her shoulder in the exact spot she needed him to and she had to bite her lip to stop from moaning.

With slightly trembling hands, she picked up one of the photos to examine the shape of some burn marks that he was insisting held a pattern that she couldn’t see. Without missing a beat, Mulder stood and shifted his right hand to her right shoulder and his left to her left. He leaned over her chair just a little, speaking down above her head as he continued on with a very firm and thorough massage of her shoulders.

“I, uh…” She blew out a breath and fought against dropping her head forward. “It looks...it looks…Mulder, even if I saw what you did, what does it prove?”

“You’re right.” He abruptly stopped his massage and his hands stilled on her shoulders. He gave her one last squeeze and then gathered the photos.

“Leave them,” she said. “I’ll look them over again in the morning, once I’ve gotten some sleep.”

He nodded and then looked at his watch and cringed. “Sorry, Scully, it’s…”

“It’s okay.” She got up to walk him to the door of her motel room. “Thank you for, um…” She gestured to her shoulder. “It feels a lot better.”

“Anytime.” He grinned and then wiggled his fingers at her. “They don’t call me Magic Fingers Mulder for nothing.”

“Who’s they?”

He shrugged. “People could.”

“Mmhm.”

“Night, Scully.”

“Good night, Mulder.”

****

The second time it was a headache that had been troubling her for the better part of an evening. They were very inconveniently on a stakeout, trapped within the confines of the front seats of their rental car. The headlights of passing cars would occasionally whiz by, the bright light making her flinch and try to surreptitiously sink below the dashboard. It was only when Mulder would press the binoculars to his face that she could discreetly rub her temples or pinch the bridge of her nose for some relief. She’d washed down a few aspirin with tepid coffee over an hour ago and the dull ache remained. She’d also made sure the glove compartment was well-stocked with napkins for any sudden nosebleeds.

“Give me your hand,” Mulder suddenly said.

“My hand?” Without thinking about it, she started to put her hand out to him, but then pulled it back. “Why?”

“I’m bored, thought I’d read your palm.” He put the binoculars down in his lap and turned his head to her and inclined his chin up at her. “I can help with that.”

“Help with what?”

“Your headache. Let me see your hand.”

“I don’t…” She stopped her denial short when she saw his brows go up. Reluctantly, she moved her arm up and held her hand out to him. He folded his arm over hers and held it steady tucked up against his side.

“This is the Hegu,” he said, pressing his thumb into the divot between the base of her thumb and index finger. In the same spot, but on her palm, he pressed with his index finger so that it was like he had her hand in a vice.

Almost immediately, she felt a lightness in her head. The pain hadn’t gone away entirely, but rather she was numb to it. She could still feel the thrum of the headache without actually feeling the ache.

“Tell me if I press too hard,” he said.

“It’s fine,” she murmured.

“Guessing they never covered acupressure in med school?”

“No, they didn’t.”

He moved his thumb in a slow circle, massaging her hand while keeping an eye on the suspect’s windows. Within minutes, she could no longer feel the pain in her head and finally she flexed her fingers and tugged on his grip every so slightly to indicate he could let go.

“Want me to do the other side?” he asked.

She wiped a hand across her brow. “No, I think...it’s gone, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He picked up the binoculars from his lap and put them to his face again. “Say something earlier next time. You don’t have to suffer.”

“Okay,” she replied, with no intention of keeping that promise.

*****

She’d been awake since 4:30 am EST and it was currently 8:42 am PST. That was over 31 hours by her estimation without sleep, on her feet, in the same boots she’d stepped into before heading to Dulles.

She hobbled into her motel room, barely able to muster the energy to remove her leather jacket. She tried to drape it over the chair by the window, but it slipped off the back and she left it on the floor. All she wanted to do was sleep.

Not bothering to turn the bed down, she crawled across the mattress and collapsed onto her back, sprawling diagonally and staring up at the popcorn ceiling. Mulder pushed through the connecting door only moments later, already in fresh jeans and bare-chested.

“I booked the next flight out,” he said. “We leave in twenty minutes.”

“You have got to be kidding me,” she muttered.

He chuckled and sat down by her feet. “Tomorrow morning,” he said, unzipping her right boot. She groaned as he pulled it off her foot. He took her left boot off as well and then pulled his legs up to sit cross-legged with her feet in his lap.

“Oh my god,” she said, when he slid his thumbs up her insteps. Her eyes slipped shut and she sighed.

“That good?”

“Don’t stop.”

“Careful, it’s talk like that that’ll lead to breaking the rules.”

“I don’t care. Don’t stop.”

He worked both feet at the same time for a few minutes and then concentrated on the left with both hands, massaging from heel to toe. She only let a few moans slip out. He moved on to the right foot and she winced when he squeezed the knuckle of her pinkie toe. She was fairly certain she’d developed a blister.

“Hurt?” he asked.

“Blister, I think,” she answered.

“Why do you wear them?”

“Why?”

“Don’t get me wrong, Scully, the heels, the boots, they’re sexy as hell-”

“Careful,” she interrupted. “It’s talk like that that’ll lead to breaking the rules.”

“But, your poor little feet.” He stopped massaging to gently caress the top of her foot.

“They’ll survive.” She wiggled her toes at him to hint that he wasn’t finished.

“I could’ve been doing this for you years ago.”

“It matters more that you’re doing it for me now.”

He stopped and her feet slipped from his lap as he uncrossed his legs. He hovered over her on his hands and knees and then bent down and kissed the corner of her mouth. She opened one eye and then reached up and pinched his chin before he could actually kiss her lips.

“It’s a stupid rule,” he mumbled, turning his head and pursing his lips to kiss her thumb instead.

“I didn’t tell you to stop.”

“No, actually, I think I recall you telling me not to stop.” He crawled back, returned to his cross-legged position, and took her feet back into his lap.

She yawned. “Just let me get a few hours in,” she murmured. “You should get some sleep as well.”

“You sleep. I think I’ll take the rental and head to Lady Footlocker and get you some sneakers.”

*****

How things have changed, she thought, as she knocked on his door. When she’d started feeling faint, feeling nauseated, instead of hiding away she went straight to Mulder. This thing between them was new, still in development, playful and flirtatious and fun. She’d never had to seek comfort or reassurance from him before, but she needed it now.

He brought her in, helped her into his bed and out of her shoes, wrapped his arms around her and whispered lovely things into her ear. The chill she felt left her and she was able to stop trembling. The nausea abated, but she still felt strange and restless.

“What can I do?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she answered. “I feel achy and tired.”

“The flu?”

“It doesn’t feel like the flu. It doesn’t feel like anything I’ve experienced before.”

He slipped out of the bed and turned off all the lights except for the dim vanity light in the bathroom. He came back with one of the sample-sized bottles of motel lotion and collected all the photos that had scattered across the bed when he laid her down.

“Let’s get you out of these clothes,” he said.

“Agent Mulder,” she murmured. “Are you coming on to me?”

“Only for the last seven years. You just finally noticed a few months ago. Can you sit up?”

She pushed herself up and tiredly brushed the hair out of her face. He opened the buttons on her blouse and she twisted her shoulders this way and that to free her arms. She unhooked her bra on her own and he rolled the comforter back and shoved the pillows aside as she pushed her slacks off her hips.

She laid down on her stomach with her right cheek pressed to the bed. Mulder straddled the backs of her thighs and kept most of his weight on his knees. The lotion he squeezed onto his palms smelled like lemons. Not unpleasant, but not ideal either. The next time he was inspired to give her a massage, she’d try to have something nicer on hand.

He started at the middle of her back and smoothed his slick hands up to her shoulders. She pushed out a small puff of air as she tried to settle and relax. He was quiet as he worked her shoulders and neck. No jokes, no witty remarks. She savored the silence and for once, allowed herself to just enjoy being taken care of.

“You really are good at this,” she murmured.

“I told you once before, they don’t call me Magic Fingers Mulder for nothing.”

“Yet you never told me who ‘they’ were.”

“Anyone who’s been lucky enough to have the magic fingers upon them.”

She smiled with the right side of her mouth and snorted lightly. He braced his hands on the small of her back and then scooted down closer to the backs of her knees. For her, it was at that point when the massage took a turn from gentle and comforting to unbearably erotic. And it wasn’t anything that he purposefully did, it was simply that her brain suddenly seemed to register the fact that her skin and his hands had gotten intimately familiar as of late and she started to anticipate what should come next.

It was hard work to be still when every drag of his fingers down her back and the slow slide of his palms up to the backs of her shoulders made her feel like writhing. Her pelvis ached and her stomach dropped and flipped and heat flooded her veins and made her skin prickle. She could feel sweat forming at her temples and low back from the effort it took not to push her hips up into his hands. Tears gathered behind her closed eyes and clung to her lashes before rolling slowly across her cheek and nose, dripping silently to the bed.

“Scully?” Mulder paused and placed his hand lightly at the back of her neck, thumbing her hair out of the way.

“I love you,” she breathed. “I…”

It took exactly two seconds for Mulder to respond. “I love you too,” he said. He bent down, touched his lips to the back of her shoulder and then continued with the massage. His touch was a bit firmer though, more confident. Saying those words out loud was like its own kind of release. She felt satiated and calm.

At some point, she felt Mulder move off of her and felt the blankets being draped over her. Half-asleep, she let her hand flop blindly across the bed, looking for Mulder.

“I’m here,” he whispered, sliding his hand into hers as he lifted the covers and slid in beside her. He’d stripped to his boxers. Warm flesh against warm flesh. She put her arm over his chest and slid one leg between his. “My little rulebreaker,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head.

*****

She was due in less than two weeks and she felt every bit as pregnant as she looked. She hadn’t seen her feet in a month and she couldn’t last more than twenty minutes without needing a bathroom. She loved it though. She loved feeling the baby kick; finding a little hand or foot or elbow pressed against her abdomen; or the time the baby had the hiccups. It was what she had hoped and prayed for.

What she didn’t love, was the constant ache that had developed in her hips and lower back. She had yet to find a position she could be in, standing, sitting, or laying, that offered any relief. She had asked about it at her last Lamaze class and the answers had been simple: take a warm bath or apply warm compresses, elevate the hips, try massage. She’d tried the bath, tried the compresses, and elevated her hips. None of it worked.

She was having a particularly rough day when Mulder knocked on her door. Things had been so strange between them since his return. She tried to understand his trauma, tried not to push, but she didn’t expect him to shut her out so completely. He had only recently started to express a hint of interest in the baby, but had yet to ask her the questions she knew he must have. He’d attended her last Lamaze class with her a few evenings prior and she had waited through the silence of the car ride home, willing him to say something, but he hadn’t.

“Pizza?” he asked, holding out his offering to her when she answered the door.

“Come in.” She pushed the door open and walked away to let him see himself in. Waddled, is more like it. She dug her fists into the small of her back and headed slowly to the couch. He was lucky she’d already been up, on her way from the bathroom to the kitchen when he knocked, otherwise he’d still be waiting.

Mulder followed closely behind and set the pizza box down on the coffee table. He shed his jacket and then pushed the sleeves of his sweater up as he headed to the kitchen for plates and napkins. He seemed relaxed, almost jovial. He brought the plates and napkins and then disappeared again, returning this time with two glasses of water. She eyed him a little suspiciously as he doled out the pizza.

“What, um...brought this on?” she asked, watching him devour nearly half a slice of pizza in a single bite as she blew the heat off her own slice.

“Thought you might need some sustenance,” he replied around his mouthful.

She stretched her back and sighed. “What I could really use are those magic fingers of yours,” she answered.

Mulder wiped his mouth with a napkin and glanced at her belly and everywhere else but her face. When he finally looked her in the eye he cleared his throat and then looked away, setting his pizza plate onto the coffee table.

“I can do that,” he said. “I’ve actually been...reading about it. There was, uh...a pamphlet at the Lamaze place. I brought it home.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine,” she said. “I was joking.” She was actually only half-kidding. She would kill her beloved pizza delivery man for a massage from Mulder.

“You don’t want me to.” The statement was very matter-of-fact and a little forlorn. He turned away and stared at the coffee table.

“I just don’t want you to feel...obligated.”

“When have I ever felt obligated?” He turned his head towards her and glanced down at her belly again. He tapped his fingers together nervously.

“I suppose...never.”

“But, if you don’t want me to, I’ll...it’s fine.”

“I do.” She put the pizza back onto the plate without taking a bite. “I want you to.”

“Okay.” He stood and then sat back down again and leaned forward off the edge of the cushion. “Uh, it says the best way to do it is for you to lay on your side. Should we…?”

“You’ll have to help me up.”

He took her hands and helped pull her from the couch. She puffed her cheeks and expelled a puff of air with the exertion and then twisted the knuckles of her index fingers into her hips after letting go of him. He put the pizza away in the kitchen while she went to the bedroom to lay down. She took her robe off but left her cotton t-shirt and flannel pants on.

Mulder stood in the doorway watching her arrange the pillows - one under her head, one between her knees, one clutched to her chest like a teddy bear. He hovered there until she was in place and then he stepped out of his shoes on his way over to the bed.

“The guides said not a lot of pressure,” he said, one hand hovering over her shoulder. “Long strokes and...if anything hurts or doesn’t feel right, you tell me.”

“I will,” she said.

He finally knelt behind her, but it was still a few more moments before he touched her. She sighed immediately, even the soft pressure of his thumbs above her tailbone was immensely gratifying. She groaned and his hands flew up.

“Too much?” he asked. “Hurts?”

“No, it’s good,” she assured him. “Feels really good.”

“Okay.”

For the first time she could remember, his touch was tentative. He’d never hesitated over her before and she hoped it was only because the health scare she’d had with the baby made him nervous, and not because she made him nervous. He gradually became less timid and her muscles were singing in appreciation.

“I want to confess something,” he said, suddenly, but didn’t stop massaging her.

“Okay.”

“I saw your chart when you were in the hospital. You’re...38 weeks now.”

“Yes.”

“I’m not the best at math, but...when you felt sick, in Oregon, does that mean…?”

She swallowed hard and shifted her eyes to glance back at him. “I found out the night you went missing.”

“Oh.”

There was an extended silence. She counted the slide of Mulder’s hands up and down her back. Fourteen passes and he said nothing more.

“Is there anything else you’d like to know?” she asked.

“I didn’t really know what was happening when I woke up. I thought...I thought years had passed, at first. I thought you had tried the IVF again or had moved on...with someone else.”

“You could’ve asked.”

“You could’ve just told me.”

“I didn’t want to push.”

“I was afraid of what the answer might be.”

She sighed and then he stopped and rested his hand on her hip. She took it, laced their fingers together and brought his arm up and across her waist to rest on top of her stomach. He shifted and laid down behind her.

“I saw something else,” he said.

“What?”

“You’re having a boy.”

“We’re having a boy,” she confirmed.

He pressed his face into the back of her head and breathed deeply. His chest swelled against her back and she pulled him closer until he fit snugly against her.

“When do you think we…?” he asked.

“After you went chasing crop circles in England,” she said. “I think.”

“I remember.” He pulls his fingers free from hers only to rest his whole hand fully on her swollen belly. “Scully, I’m not much of a catch right now - unemployed, recently raised from the dead, terrible cook, and I’ve been known to be a bit of a short-sighted, selfish SOB at times, but all I know is that one day we were in Oregon and we loved each other and suddenly it’s six months later and everything is different, but I still love you and...and I’m pretty good at keeping my fish happy and I tell great jokes and I can promise to give you really good massages every day for the rest of...for as long as you’ll have me. If you’ll have me.”

“Mulder,” she whispered, hugging his arm to her chest and pulling his hand up to kiss his knuckles.

“You don’t have to answer right now or anything.”

“Shut up, Mulder.”

“Okay, but-”

She cut him off by turning her head and pulling him into a kiss. It lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to end any doubts for either of them. She snuggled back down into his arms and he tightened his hold on her.

“Magic Fingers Mulder strikes again,” he whispered.

She rolled her closed eyes, but smiled.

The End

#i wrote this #xf fanfic #humor #fluff #msr #scully deserves all the massages #Anonymous

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rpmemesbyarat · 3 years

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RP meme from Scream Queens Ep 6 "Seven Minutes in Hell" (Note: Offensive content, use at own discretion)

Everyone would immediately assume the killer is me.

Are you one of those idiot savants who's heavy on the idiot, light on the savant?

I am simply a victim of my times.

Are you aware your pants are on backwards?

Then whose fault is it?

I am never talking about anything ever again!

Yeah, super sorry about what happened down there.

Why are you laughing?

What about that fit you threw down there?

You're not mad at me?

Oh, I meant everything I said about you.

I still think you're useless. I'm just not sad about it.

You never, ever want to be the boss in a time of extreme crisis.

As soon as you become the boss, you get a target on your back, from the feds, the other families, ambitious underlings.

Sure, seems like you have all the power, but you also take on the most risk.

Oh, don't judge me for trying to stay alive.

Do not give an inch.

What's your game here?

I trust you about as far as I can throw you.

I know we don't know who the killer is, but we know it traces back to this house.

There are two things that always happen at a slumber party; someone experiments with lesbianism and secrets are revealed.

We can create situations and scenarios to really prime the pump.

We'll lock everybody up overnight, and we're bound to find out something.

A slumber party sounds fun.

Let's play spin the bottle.

Someone always goes lesbian.

We're playing spin the damn bottle.

Why spin the bottle?

That is not a nasty rumor. That is a true rumor.

So I propose a panty raid.

You taste like wax.

I guess we have to kiss.

You're a great kisser.

Was I interrupting you?

I was just practicing looking disinterested.

I'm pretty sure I was born without that part of the brain that actually feels stuff.

We have so much in common.

I'm starting to think we have something very important and specific in common.

My sex life up until this point is what you'd call unusual.

I think the only way to be sure of your feelings is if you let me gently rub your uterus right now.

When I love someone, it drives them insane.

Believe me when I say that if it was possible for me to feel anything I would totally be crying right now.

That doesn't seem healthy.

All the doors are locked solid. Windows, too. Upstairs and down.

I decided to have the whole house turned into a panic room.

But wait, doesn't that mean that there's some sort of switch somewhere to deactivate it?

I hate being trapped in small places.

There's only one reason why the killer would do something like this-- to pick us off one by one.

Guess it's just a matter of time before one of us or all of us ends up dead.

You have to help us.

Look, I'm prepared to say I'm sorry I did that.

What I'm not prepared to do is say the sex was bad.

Yeah. I'm not gonna apologize for that one.

I'm about to get murdered, so can you please just hang up and get over here?

How on earth are we supposed to get in if all the doors and windows are locked?

Dude, we climb up the ladder, break the windows upstairs, save all the girls, climb back down, then it's vagina city for all of us.

Why would you bomb-proof upstairs windows? For what, like, a flying bomb?

Don't be an idiot.

It's hero time.

Save me and I'm yours forever.

I'm not really sure I'm ready for that level of commitment.

Break the glass!

Stand back, fair maiden.

Give him the dignity of watching him die.

Someone in this house definitely knows who the killer is.

It's truth or dare time.

Whatever it takes to stop the douche that's trying to kill everybody.

I mean, do you ever just stop and ask yourself if we can actually pull this off?

Maybe we all just need to get out of here.

The best way to avoid a shark attack is to not go in the water.

We all have a crisis of faith sometimes.

Maybe you're hiding something.

I'd pick truth and then just lie.

If you want to lie, you can just pick dare.

That's the whole point of truth or dare. You can't lie.

Does your vagina have teeth?

I'm not lying.

My vagina doesn't have teeth.

Does your vagina still have teeth?

So it used to have teeth, but you got them removed?

So your vagina still has teeth.

Sounds like you're trapped in a web of lies.

You're forfeiting your turn, bitch.

Okay, I guess it's my turn, then.

You promised you wouldn't tell.

Sorry. I had to tell the truth.

Of course you're the killer.

I propose we take a little break, You know, take a whiz, get a refill.

You know what? I'm sorry. I'm sorry I ever trusted you.

I wanted to talk about the other thing you said, about how you thought you had feelings for me.

The only feelings I have for you now are rage and pissed offedness.

Now go sit in that bathtub and think about what you've done. And try not to rub one out, okay?

Come on! I said I was sorry!

If anybody's down here, please don't jump out at me.

Is that blood?

Wait. If you're gonna kill me, at least show me who you are first.

I knew it. I knew it was you.

Please. You don't have to do this. I could help you.

There's never any food in there. Just laxatives.

I got the impression that you and I are on the verge of being the next "it" couple.

See, this is the problem with texting, you know? You can't hear the context.

Even though I decided to not wear a bra, you haven't been staring at my shirt raisins once.

Okay, look, I was waiting to talk to you about this 'cause secretly I was hoping you'd be killed and I wouldn't have to hurt your feelings.

I just don't think it would work out with us.

You're nuts, and not like a typical crazy-eyes co-ed, but wake-up-with-my penis-in-a-jar lunatic.

I love space mountain. Best ride at Disneyland. But I love my penis more.

Number one-- I never take second place. And number two-- I don't stop till I get what I want.

Was that salad spinner hitting on you?

I am super turned on from her, and I need some sweet release.

Is there any, like, Crisco or cooking oil here? Just, like, dry handies bum me out.

I propose we treat ourselves to a little heaven. Seven minutes in heaven.

Whatever your plan was, it isn't working.

Would you like to pat the little man in the canoe?

I want to take our relationship to the next level.

I want us to be together, but I want it to mean something.

I love boning girls all over this great land. But really, at the end of the day, I just kind of want to bone one girl. Like, that one special girl.

I just didn't think that girl was you. Because, obviously, there's so much wrong with you.

Will you get back together with me?

I would consider taking you back under one condition.

You have to pinky-pledge that you will be monogamous to me.

You will not have sex with anyone else. Do you understand me?

Dude, she looks like prepackaged meat from the supermarket.

Oh, god, has someone checked on the kids?

Pretty convenient that you're the one who found the body.

You're the darkest bitch of them all.

Those are some serious accusations, and they make no sense.

I would be opening myself up to a lot of trouble if I were to turn you in to the authorities.

It doesn't do any of us any good to start accusing each other with no evidence.

I suggest that we just have someone stand guard and watch me for the rest of the night, or until someone else dies, therefore proving that I am not the killer.

This feels so good.

I tried to scream, but nothing came out!

Interesting. That's all I'm gonna say. Interesting.

There is a trapdoor with, like, a tunnel system.

But wait, there are secret tunnels in this house perfect for a killer to use, and you neglected to tell us?

That's a little suspicious.

We are losing sight of the big picture here.

I'm not going down there. I do not dig on cobwebs, and I'm guessing there are loads of cobwebs down there.

If you get murdered in those tunnels, I promise I will never bang anyone harder than I banged you.

You're so rich and hot.

These are the nicest secret tunnels I've ever seen.

Wow. What amazing legacies they all have. What do you think ours will be?

If we can get through this year without everyone getting killed, I think we'll go down as the greatest of them all.

You came back for me.

Purely selfish.

You are probably the worst cop ever.

Wait, where are we going?

I won't go!

In three seconds, I'm gonna pick you up and carry you out of here.

I just kind of came over here because I farted over there and it smelled bad.

Wait, you're a lesbian?

Basically, I'm in love with love.

The next time I feel love for someone, I'm going to tell them. Right away. Just in case they're murdered before I can.

I just feel like I'm never gonna find a guy who likes me.

I'm a freak.

Nobody actually likes me.

You are totally gonna find another guy.

They're custom-made pink nunchaku.

Thank you for making that announcement that no one cared about.

No slumber party is finished without a kickass dance party.

This is so wonderfully random.

What a great way to pretend all these people we know weren't brutally murdered.

#rp meme #rp memes #rp starters #roleplay meme #roleplay starters #roleplay memes #scream queens

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dannyreviews · 4 years

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Lost Boundaries (1949)

On my MUBI account, I’ve accumulated 6,000+ ratings of all types of films and almost 4,000 on my watch-list. Like a hand going into a hat of scribbled pieces of papers, I scrolled the list to find that random film in the depths of 10 years worth of bookmarks and came across the subject of today’s post. Alfred L. Werker’s “Lost Boundaries”, made at the tail end of Hollywood’s Golden Age, can be viewed as a harbinger in the discussion of racism in explicit terms.

In the early 1920s, married couple Scott and Marcia Carter (Mel Ferrer and Beatrice Pearson), two light-skinned African Americans, make the move to Georgia after Scott’s graduation from medical school. Scott has trouble finding an internship because of his skin color, which he eventually finds. It is while treating a patient, that an opportunity to take over a medical practice is presented to Scott. The Carters move to a small town in New Hampshire and Scott becomes a pillar of the community, raising two children, Howie (Richard Hylton) and Shelley (Susan Douglas (Rubes)), but living a lie about their true race. When Scott and Howie decide to enlist in the Navy, their long held secret is threatened.

“Lost Boundaries” may seem like a paint by numbers drama on the outside, and you would be half right. Dramatically, the film features no stand out performances and just focuses squarely on the story. Director Werker creatively turned this film into a quasi-documentary at times to demonstrate Dr. Carter’s standing in the community, incorporated Greek Chorus scenes randomly and even inserted a musical segment just for the hell of it. Those motifs helped make the film unique and not so much a mediocre retelling.

The racist topics behind “Lost Boundaries” tend to be very tame by today’s standards, but nonetheless dealt with seriously and without kid gloves. The evolution of the Carters from down on their luck to success stories all revolve around skin color and the bumps in the road sting like salt on an open wound. It also transpires into the film’s present time when the family are exposed. Each member copes differently with the change, from reserved to identity conflicted. It’s the film’s climatic scene, that puts the perspective of both identities together, and it’s beautifully crafted.

Mel Ferrer makes an impressive debut as Dr. Carter, playing a character steeped in dignity and class, something lacking in a lot of today’s film protagonists. Also in his debut was Richard Hylton’s Howie Carter, which was also well acted. The two were able to pass off as light skinned African Americans which made their characters believable. The same could not be said for Beatrice Pearson and Susan Douglas, who were casualties of outdated color blind casting decisions. While both gave decent performances, I could not take both seriously in the roles played. That was especially the case with Douglas, an Austrian born Jew of Czech ancestry. That knocked things down a peg with me, without marring the overall appearance of the film. Finally, there was the use of the “Gee whiz” teenage figure in Carleton Carpenter and the cliche best friend in William Greaves, which were both reminders of the era of filmmaking.

Appropriately enough, it would be the screenplay and direction that got “Lost Boundaries” attention with awards. The Cannes Film Festival awarded it Best Screenplay over competing classics “The Third Man” and “The Hidden Room” which shows just how much the story stood out. The Writer and Director Guilds also nominated the film in its respective fields, but surprisingly got shut out of the Academy Awards. 1949 was also the year of “Pinky” another film about a black person passing themselves off as white, where Jeanne Crain got nominated for playing the title character. I definitely could have seen nominations for Screenplay, Director, and acting for Ferrer and Hylton.

“Lost Boundaries” should be more of a hit with today’s audiences because of its gentle, yet firm grip on race relations.

7.5/10

#dannyreviews #lost boundaries #mel ferrer #beatrice pearson #richard hylton #susan douglas rubes #racism #blacks #whites #carleton carpenter #william greaves

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freddyfreeman · 2 years

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My mind is going a mile a minute reading these Golden Age comics. Suffice to say, I love Mr. Scarlet (and Pinky). I love when Mr. Scarlet is impersonating other dialects to fool criminal masterminds. When he shows up to the scene of a crime, in a fedora and smoking a meerschaum pipe. When he flips into lawyer mode (Brian Butler) and heckles everyone, leading to panels like this one...

Brian Butler -- most loathed man in Gotham (Wow Comics #6)

When he’s so effective as Mr. Scarlet, that he loses his job. Whenever Pinky does something ineffectually and endangers their lives. That time one of their rogues just threw a brick at Mr. Scarlet’s head, and it worked and knocked him out cold. Imagine if Batman was taken out that easily.

Batman isn’t this entertaining. Mr. Scarlet and Pinky are on their last two brain-cells, and I love that for them.

#carl was right when he said mr. scarlet was probably fawcett's best superhero after captain marvel. lol #fawcett comics #mr. scarlet #brian butler #pinky the whiz kid #pinky butler #mr. scarlet and pinky #1940s #golden age #golden age of comic books #fawcett comics universe

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strato-viper-raven-blog · 2 years

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More Modern Day Fawcett Hero headcanons

Seeing as Mary was good friends with Pinky in Wow Comics. I'd like to think the Mary from New Champion of Shazam would know Pinky as well. Of course, the only reason Pinky is going to Fawcett Community College is that his Dad Brian insisted that he'd get a college education and he can't earn money as Pinky the Whiz Kid, or young adult as he would be. ;)

Wondering if modern-day Spy Smasher would have been brainwashed and the rest of the Fawcett Comics heroes would have to snap him out of it. Of course the scenario would be a lot different from Whiz Comics #16-18 but I wouldn't be surprised if it unleashed a lot of trouble the villains of the piece didn't expect.

#fawcett comics #mary marvel #pinky the whiz kid #spy smasher

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kpopplayroom · 4 years

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First Crush (Pt 2)

Nyx and I have been working on this together for the past little bit. Hope you’re enjoying it.

Choi

Years passed, Jiyong often thought of her; the first person to pull him out of his shell, that embraced his quirks, he owed her everything, he was living quite the life because of her.

“Just pretend that it’s just us,” she gave his hand a squeeze, “The whole world deserves to know this mind of yours.”

What was she up to, he wondered, he had heard through friends, that she had moved away in the last few years of high school, was she keeping tabs on him too? He pulls out his phone, searches different variations of her name. Nothing.

Jiyong sigh, he should’ve seized the moment, he would’ve ran straight to her after the audition, the months that came after were hard, and when he had to go back to square one, he wished so badly that he still had her.

A text message to meet up with his members,brought him back to reality.

***

“Y/N!”

You spot your best friend flagging you down. It was so nice to see a familiar face after what felt like days of travel, you also couldn’t deny the feeling of being back home. Your wanderlust had taken you away, for a few years, now it was time to settle and be back amongst friends.

“I missed you!” she squealed giving you a big hug, she holds your face in her hands, “Is it really you?”

You laugh, “don’t be silly, it hasn’t been that long.”

“It’s been forever.” she loops her arm into yours as you walk towards the baggage claim.

“Has it always been this ridiculously busy in the airport?”

You took notice of all the commotion that was surrounding the two of you; you were narrowly missed a few times, by girls running past.

“Probably some celebrity coming back, you know how it is.” she rolls her eyes.

“Incredible.”

You look back to see who it could be, you catch eyes with one of the members. Something inside you ticks, those eyes, but you were just catching up on all the gossip on the flight, maybe he was one of the celebrities.

“Yah~! We should hurry up and get out of here before it gets crazy.”

You agree and follow her lead; there was something about those eyes, you definitely knew them.

***

Jiyong wasn’t sure, there were the odd times that fans would show up in multiple venues; that had to be it. He quickly follows the path made for him, head down, and he hears it, that laugh.

He quickly turns to the direction, only to be blocked by a crowd of people, he gets into the awaiting vehicle and drops into his seat and prayed that if it was her, that they would cross paths. Hs head pressed against the window, the buildings blur as they whiz through the city streets.

***

“It feels so good to be back,” you say, taking a sip of soju, “There’s nothing quite like it.”

“It’s good to have you back”

You had decided to stop in at your favourite snack shop, from when you were kids, a spot that you had frequented often as teens.

“Everything tastes the same!” You exclaim savouring each bite.

“Soak it in, I need a favour.”

You rolled your eyes, it was never anything easy with her and you always were left alone, “Absolutely not.”

“I’ll spare you the details, but its open bar, and I need to make a quick appearance, then it’s whatever you want to do.” She pouted her lip, and clasped her hands together, “Anything you want. I promise.”

You closed your eyes, to stop her charm from working, “Ugh! Fine, but you promised; but I get to cash in whenever I want.”

Her face lit up as she extends her pinky finger, “a work party, it’ll be worth it, I promise.”

“FIne, “ you finish the pinky promise, “But,remember cash in whenever I want.”

***

Two days later you found yourself sitting in front of your bathroom mirror; half a face on cursing, your friend for taking advantage of your jetlagged, alcohol fueled state of mind. You glanced over to your phone, there was still time to cancel, it would be really short notice, and she’d probably hate you forever but it was a chance you were willing to take.

Just then your phone lights up, Don’t even think about it! Tons of fun tonight, promise!”

She wasn’t wrong, you two always had a good time when you were together. You finish your face and get into a long sleeved black dress that ended mid thigh, and had an open back, it was the perfect dress, and gotten you some excellent sexcapades.

You check your lips one more time before slipping into, a pair of red peep toe pumps. It had really been a while.

“Okay.” you grab your clutch and brace yourself for the night, “Man, I hope I get some tonight.”

#bigbang #g dragon

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miasswier · 5 years

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miasswier’s ultimate glee ranking: no 39

39: Home

Written by: Brad Falchuk Directed by: Paris Barclay

Overall Thoughts: Here we have yet another season one episode that I basically totally forgot about, and which I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. There’s actually a lot more that I like about this episode than things I dislike, which really surprised me considering I placed it pretty low in my pre-watch ranking. I feel like all I remembered of this episode was the Will storyline, and somehow forgot all the amazing Kurt, Mercedes, Quinn, and Finn stuff. It really is an amazing episode. Although it might also just be that it seems that way when compared to “The Power of Madonna”.

What I Like:

The start of Burt and Carole’s relationship! I don’t know whose idea it was to have these two get together, but I honestly want to bake them a cake.

Literally everything about Mercedes in this episode makes my heart sing. Her struggle is so palpable and real that it’s almost painful to watch. I teared up so many times during her scenes because I’ve felt that. I’ve felt that a thousand times over. Having attention drawn to it, showing how a bigger woman can love her body but still feel insecure and be willing to give into societal pressure is one of the most honest and heart wrenching stories Glee ever tackled, and unlike some of their later topic episodes, this one is handled perfectly. Bravo.

Having the person who brings Mercedes down from the edge be Quinn. It would have been so easy to stick Kurt, or Puck, or even Finn or Artie in there to give her a pep talk and remind her of how beautiful and wonderful she is, but they didn’t. And not only did they have Quinn come in, but they also let Mercedes tell her point-blank that Quinn is thin and fits the typical standards of beauty. It’s just a wonderful scene. I also really enjoy the contrast of Quinn saying “you are beautiful Mercedes”, compared to Artie saying “you know we like you no matter how you look”. With Artie’s, it sounds like “we can look past the fact that you’re fat. You’re beautiful despite being fat”. With Quinn, it’s just “you’re beautiful” point blank. Mercedes is beautiful because of her size, not in spite of it.

“You were conceived on a pinball machine” they really should have given Carole more comedic moments oh my gosh.

“You two have dead spouses, maybe you should talk” Kur you little shit.

Brittany and Santana linking pinkies and Santana leaning her head on Brittany’s shoulder. They’re so goddamn gay it makes me so happy.

Burt and Finn bonding. I’ve always felt it strange that Glee wanted to portray Will as the father figure that Finn never had, when Burt was literally right there and a much better role model for the guy.

Kurt apologizing to Mercedes at the end of the episode. It’s nice to see him like that, because it shows once again that even though Kurt can get really into himself and his wants and ambitions, he can also take a step back and realize how what he’s done has affected others. He’s the perfect blend of selfish and self-less, and it makes for a really compelling character.

The scene where Tina and Artie and Rachel and Jesse turn into food. It’s honestly hilarious, even if the context is upsetting.

No Rachel storyline! I think it’s one of, like, three episodes in all of Glee that doesn’t have a Rachel storyline. It actually is kind of refreshing. Plus, it shows that a Finn storyline that doesn’t center around the three hundred girls who want to have his babies is actually pretty interesting. Honestly, I always found Rachel and Finn’s storylines a lot more interesting when the other person wasn’t involved, or it didn’t center around a romantic interest. It’s a shame there were so few like that.

Burt calling Kurt out for setting him up with Carole and then getting upset when he started bonding with Finn. “Didn’t you do it to make me happy?” Even though I don’t think it fully got through, I do think Kurt needed to hear that.

Carole shutting down Finn’s pity party by reminding him that he didn’t even know his father. Something Finn does a lot that I’ve only noticed with this re-watch is that when something difficult happens to him, and that thing affects a woman in his life as well, he makes it all about himself. It’s so hard on him, he’s so stressed out, nobody wants to help him because they’re so focused on her. Meanwhile the show actually does focus on him, and the woman, who is usually suffering a lot more than he is, gets sidelined. It happened with Quinn’s pregnancy, and it’s happening now. I think it really shows the importance of having adult characters who are actually adults influencing these kids lives. Carole is able to tell Finn without any hesitation that his father’s death has been infinitely harder on her than it was on him, and that he needs to stop playing the victim and acting like she is the one being insensitive to his feelings. This is a message that characters like Will or Emma would never be able to get across, and it’s actually a great, emotional scene.

What I Don’t Like:

Once again, April sings three songs in this episode. She’s a guest star, and I get that she’s amazing, but it really does feel excessive.

Will’s storyline is a little boring. He never seems to be able to do anything without a woman who is attracted to him helping him pave out his path. He can’t come to any realizations on his own, and it’s starting to get really frustrating. Neither Emma or Terri are in this episode, so the role of Will’s Keeper falls onto April. It’s just annoying that this guy who is supposed to be this amazing leader and motivator literally can’t get his life together without someone there to help him glue the pieces together. While I understand needing help every now and then, it feels like the only purpose of any of the female characters that are interested in Will is to make his life easier and better.

Kurt is actually quite frustrating in this episode. First of all, setting up your dad with your crush’s mom is really fucking stupid. It’s not going to make you closer, it’s going to make you family. Ew. Secondly, he was really selfish in doing it, and Burt was right to call him out on that. As soon as things aren’t going his way, he wants to pull the plug, even though Carole and Burt are obviously very happy together. Third, he’s a dink to Mercedes, which IMO is inexcusable. Come on, Kurt. Get your shit together.

Sue acting like Mercedes pep rally was her idea, and taking all the credit for it. I mean, I know that’s just how Sue is, but it’s still a really ugly move.

Sue in this episode, period. Encouraging Becky to literally be bulimic, which is awful, and then asking Mercedes to drop ten pounds in a week?!?!? The most a person should lose per week is 2 pounds, and even that isn’t that healthy. Plus, what difference is ten pounds going to make? No, seriously. Maybe on someone like Quinn or Santana you’d be able to notice ten pounds, but on someone like Mercedes? I’ve been hovering around 200 pounds for about five years now, and I’ve looked exactly the same weighing 190, 200, and 210. On bigger people, something like ten pounds really does not make that much of a difference. Mercedes would have to lose 20-25 pounds at least to have a noticeable difference. Which means that Sue literally made her faint from hunger for no reason whatsoever. Fuck, that pisses me off.

April wanting to do an all-white version of The Whiz. April, that literally exists, and it’s called The Wizard of Oz.

Songs

Fire: This song isn’t necessary. It doesn’t work in the context of the episode, and it just takes away time from one of the actually interesting storylines in this episode. They sound good together, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just really not necessary.

A House is Not a Home: I think Kurt sounds incredible in this song, but it’s never been a favourite. It’s too slow for my taste, and I don’t like that it was a surprise sneak-attack duet instead of just a Kurt solo (I don’t actually think we’ve had one of those yet which is brutal). I’m counting down till “Laryngitis” here, people. I’m ready for my Kurt solo.

One Less Bell to Answer/A House is Not a Home: Holy shit. Okay, so. This song is way too long, and they could have cut a good two minutes from the performance (it’s literally a four-minute-long in-episode performance which is out of this world). That being said, holy fucking shit. The vocals on this are amazing. Not just April, but Will too. There’s not that many songs that make me think “goddamn, Matt Morrison can sing” but this one does. I actually only really noticed the length of the song once it ended because I was so enraptured by how incredible these two sound singing this song. Goddamn.

Beautiful: an absolutely amazing and powerful performance. I cried the entire way through. It’s so uplifting, and Mercedes obviously sounds incredible. Absolutely top-notch

Home: Boring, and once again, unnecessary. Kristen Chenoweth has a great voice, nobody is denying that, but three songs for a guest star is too much. And frankly, the choir-style background singing of the Glee club doesn’t really work for me. A bit of a mediocre ending to an otherwise fantastic episode.

Final Thoughts: This was an episode I started not expecting to enjoy it, as all I remembered about it was the Will stuff. When it ended, I was in a much better mood than I’d been when it started, and it made me excited to watch the next episode (something I don’t often feel in season one).

#ultimate glee ranking

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yumenosakiacademy · 3 years

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my parents always exaggerate tht im good at things like!! im rly NOT good at anything! tht isnt singing! just bc i vaguely remember tht rule of thirds doesnt mean i retained much from imaging class! just bc i like 2 take random pics when i see pretty shit doesnt mean i kno shit abt angles n lighting n photography! just bc i doodle doesnt mean im good at art! a fucking 13 yr old has more artistic ability in their fucking pinkie than ill ever hav in my whole gd body. just bc i kno what a layer mask is n can recolor an anime boy’s hair doesnt mean im a Master at editing suddenly! in quite mediocre in fact!! just bc my grades in school were decent in school doesnt mean im smart! not a bit!! i didnt retain shit! i dont hav any talents! never hav, never will! the few tht i minutely hav wont help me w a decent job in the future! they should kno tht damn well! theyre just boomers who think bc i can easily use a computer that im a whiz kid! newsflash, even millenial n gen z fucker knows how to use technology n has basic skills! im not special! i hav nothing i wanna hav a career in, nothing im good at, n no motivation to even further myself! all i can do is fucking pray n let myself down. im not “underestimating myself” or w/e i KNO im a worthless, unwanting, empty coward. i kno myself more than theyll ever fucking kno. i kno i cant do shit, will never do shit, n will never ever ever BE shit.

#delete later #the future makes me want to fucking vomit #im just gonna resume playing gensh!n n distract myself b4 bed

0 notes

profbruce · 4 years

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Bananas

Teach your children the power of positive and negative numbers by playing a terrific game called “Bananas” with them. It’s a free utility brought to you by Prof Bruce and his five kids and (so far) three grandchildren…

Drive everyone “bananas!”

***

How to play Bananas, a video tutorial

Bananas is a free online game that teaches children the power of positive and negative numbers. How? Because die rolls of 4, 5 or 6 are positive while 1, 2 and 3 are negative 😊

So, if you roll a 4 and a 1, it’s not 5 spaces you move ahead, it’s 3 (4-1).

Here, in this video tutorial, game creator Bruce M Firestone, PhD, demonstrates the intricacies of Bananas and how sometimes negative numbers can lead to a positive result!

The game rules are written out below, but, for many people, watching Prof Bruce play against his alter ego will teach you the rules and strategy of the game much faster!

youtube

https://youtu.be/57XPVec3a1Q

When you feel ready, play the game online with your kids at, https://brucemfirestone.com/bananas/.

Enjoy arithmetic!

Prof Bruce

Bruce M Firestone, B Eng (civil), M Eng-Sci, PhD

***

THE REAL STORY BEHIND “BANANAS”

A girl named Pinky, who by the way is a math whiz, wants you to learn more about the power of positive and negative numbers, so she invented a game for you to try called “Bananas!” Pinky has loved playing with numbers since she was just a teensy kid.

Here’re the rules:

1. This is a game to teach you the power of positive and negative numbers.

2. It is a game of strategy too.

3. To start, each player clicks on “ROLL.” Whoever has the highest sum of two dice goes first.

4. Decide which player you want to be: Player 1 (red) or Player 2 (blue).

5. Roll again.

6. If you get a 4, 5 or 6, these are positive numbers. Simply move one of your players (by left clicking on a token and holding it down) and move it the appropriate number of squares forward.

7. If you get 1, 2 or 3, these are negative numbers and you must move backwards (ie, in the opposite direction of the arrows)

8. If you roll only negative numbers at the start of the game, you are stuck—you can’t move any further back than the start.

9. You can use both die rolls to move one of your tokens or you may decide to share the dice roll between both of your tokens.

10. If you land on a square occupied by just one of your opponents, they go back to the start—put the player in the “Penalty Box.” That player must start again at square one ☹

11. If you have two of your player tokens on a single square—you are safe, and your opponent may not land on that square.

12. If you land on either square with a Mask, you lose a turn. Note that you can often avoid that result by moving one die roll first (say backwards 1, 2 or 3) then forwards with the other die roll.

13. If you land on a square with one end of a Vine on it, you swing across. Please note that sometimes negative numbers are good—if you are one space ahead of a Vine and you roll a one, you go backwards first and swing across! Negative numbers can actually propel you forward! Remember that Vines only go in one direction—swing forward. If you go backwards, it must be on the board not on a Vine.

Vines can be useful! So can negative numbers!

14. If you are behind your opponent by four or more squares then even if they roll a 1, 2 or 3, they can’t knock you off! Unless, of course, they roll a 3 with one die and a 1 with the other—but it takes two dice to knock you off, which is harder to do that a single roll of one die.

15. Or if you are seven squares ahead then no combination of die can get you—remember a 6 and 1 makes 5 not 7! Think about it yourself—if 1, 2 and 3 are negative numbers, there’s no roll of two dice that can ever add to 7…

16. Beginners may only want to play with one player token—the first to get his or her piece into the WINNER circle, wins. Note any positive number will do—you do not have to roll the exact positive number to win.

17. For more experienced players, use both pieces and agree that the first person to get both pieces into the WINNER circle wins.

18. If you roll doubles, you get another turn. There is no limit to how many doubles in a row you may play.

19. There are shortcuts on the board—look for them in the A’s of the word BANANAS.

20. To start a new game, simply click on NEW GAME—but this time, the loser of the last game automatically goes first…

Enjoy math!

All the best,

Pinky

Ps here’s a picture of me with my friend, Inky! You can read more about Inky and moi at, https://brucemfirestone.com/product/the-true-story-of-inky-pinky-and-the-troublesome-tattoos/.

#bananas #children's game #power of positive and negative numbers

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thewebgate · 7 years

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CONFIDENCE CLUB

YOUR LIFE IS AN AMAZING adventure. Right now everything is changing so quickly for you. You might like different activities than you did when you were a little kid. Maybe you’ve changed schools or just have different friends now. You are certainly growing, which means your body is changing as well. All these things are exciting, but they can be a little scary, too. You need to value who you are to make the ups and downs of this time a smooth ride. The amount you value yourself is your self-esteem. If you believe that you can nail any activity you try and anyone who doesn’t want to be your friend is crazy, then you have high self-esteem. If you think you’re crummy in school, sports, and everything else in your life, then your self-esteem is low. Most people fall somewhere in between these two extremes. Wherever you land on this spectrum, you can always build your self-esteem. Let’s find out how.

GIVE YOUR SELF-ESTEEM SOME STEAM!

SELF-ESTEEM IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE it affects everything you do. When you feel good about yourself and appreciated by others, it’s easier to make friends, try new activities, and push yourself to be a better student in school. This is different from being conceited. You don’t need to pretend you’re the greatest person in the world. That would be really phony. A healthy self-image actually comes from accepting who you are—just the way you are. Here are some ways to improve your self-esteem.

Let lots of people into your life. Camp counselors, teachers, relatives, classmates, and neighbors make up your support network. Don’t forget friends who move away—pen pals are a terrific hobby. Keep the members of this network updated on what’s going on in your life. Their opinions, love, and guidance will come in handy one day.

Be helpful. Whether it’s carrying an elderly person’s groceries across the street or showing a new student around the school, helping out feels great. Making a difference in someone else’s life will definitely make one in your own.

Try new experiences. Are you a jock? Then give drama a try. At first it might be intimidating to experiment with a new activity, but soon enough you’ll find you’ve developed a host of new talents, skills, and friends!

Don’t try to be perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s normal to worry about making them, but they are really lessons in disguise. So don’t let the fear of mistakes keep you from trying new things. When you learn how to ride a bike, every time you fall off you are teaching your body how to balance. If you keep getting back on the bike, eventually you can ride like the wind . . . or at least to your friend’s house.

Believe in yourself. Have faith that you can accomplish the goals you set for yourself. Make a plan for what you want to achieve and stick to it. You might not always end up where you thought you would, but you’ll be better for the journey.

Ask for help. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it. If you are stuck on a math problem, ask your friend the math whiz to explain it to you. You can learn from everybody in your life, not just your teachers. Your friends and family are a rich resource, so use them!

BEAUTIFUL ATTITUDE

BODY IMAGE IS THE MENTAL picture you have of your physical appearance. Does that sound confusing? Simply put, it’s what you see when you look at yourself. Your body is changing, and you may feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about these new physical developments. You may also feel bad that your friends are developing and you’re not. You have to remember everyone develops at a different pace. Remember, no matter your shape or size, you are beautiful and there are things to love about yourself.

The Ten Commandments of a Better Body Image

1. Thou Shalt Not Criticize Thyself. When you concentrate on what you believe are your limitations or weaknesses, you give them a lot of energy. In turn, that gives them power. Take that energy and put it toward your assets. Start by writing down one thing you like about yourself every day.

2. Thou Shalt Not Spend So Much Time at the Mirror. It’s fine to check yourself out (it’s especially a good idea to look in the mirror to make sure your shirt’s buttoned right). And if you love what you see, go ahead and keep gazing. But if staring at your reflection makes you self-conscious, quit it. You have more important things to do.

3. Thou Shalt Not Worry About What Thou Can’t Change. There are some things you simply can’t change, like the color of your eyes or your height. So lamenting the fact that you aren’t taller, or that your feet are too big, is simply a waste of time. If what’s bothering you is in your control—like getting in shape—then start working on your goal instead of obsessing.

4. Thou Shalt Surround Thyself with Supportive People. If you spend time with nice people who care about you and compliment you on areas that really matter, you will definitely feel better about everything—including your body.

5. Thou Shalt Wear Comfortable Clothes. A dress can be the hottest trend in the world, worn by celebrities on the red carpet. Still, if it makes you feel awkward, take it off. There are plenty of fun styles to try, so don’t force yourself into clothes you don’t like.

6. Thou Shalt Exercise. Moving your body relieves stress and helps you get physically stronger. Exercise isn’t about losing weight, it’s about being healthier. When you get in shape, you’ll feel great. 7. Thou Shalt Not Weigh Thyself More than Once a Week. If your physician says your weight is healthy for your height and age, then believe the doctor and move on. Worrying about the number on the scale is not as important as maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

8. Thou Shalt Look at Others the Way You Would Like Others to Look at You. Don’t be overly critical of people’s appearances. That means you shouldn’t make fun of people for being tall or short, or wearing last season’s shirt. If you judge people by how they look on the outside, you may miss a lot of great stuff inside.

9. Thou Shalt Not Compare Thyself to Others. Your best friend might have beautiful gray eyes, while yours are a deep shade of brown. Everyone is unique, and your beauty is all your own. So size yourself up by your own set of measurements.

10. Thou Shalt Respect Thy Body. Eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep. If you treat your body like the precious instrument it is, it will allow you to make beautiful music throughout your life.

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall

IF YOU STUDIED YOUR COMMANDMENTS, you already know it’s important to limit the time you spend gazing into the looking glass. But staring at yourself in the mirror can be a tool for a better body image if you do it the right way. People think they need to change their body to feel good about themselves—not so. They need to change how they see themselves. By age thirteen, 53 percent of American girls are “unhappy with their bodies.” This percentage grows to 78 percent by the time girls reach seventeen. But you can beat this statistic if you follow the better body commandments. Here’s how:

1. When you look in the mirror and think something cricitcal, such as “My nose is too big,” immediately make yourself find one thing you like. It could be as small as your pinkie nail or as big as your smile.

2. Once you find what you like about yourself, say it out loud into the mirror three times. Get louder each time you repeat the sentence.

3. Try to find new things you like about your body each time you look. Soon you’ll have so many choices, you won’t know which sentence to say first.

IMPROVISE!

IMPROV, SHORT FOR “IMPROVISATION,” IS a form of theater in which the actors don’t read off a script or follow any form of stage direction. They just say and do whatever comes to mind. Improve isn’t limited to actors, however. People in all walks of life use improve to become better public speakers and improve their confidence. Not only that, but improve is also a lot of fun. Grab a friend and give these popular exercises a try.

Freeze Tag

THIS EXERCISE IS ALL ABOUT body movement. It works best with groups of people. Person A starts by miming an activity, say playing tennis. When someone calls “Freeze!” Person A comes to a complete stop. Person B starts miming a new activity based on the frozen position of Person A. Maybe Person B decides to be washing a window. Someone calls “Freeze!” and Person C jumps in, and the cycle continues.

Yes, And

IN THIS EXERCISE, YOU LEARN to think fast. You and a friend have a conversation. The only rule is you have to start each sentence with “Yes, and.” For example, you might say, “I like your backpack.” Your friend responds, “Yes, and it’s filled with money!” Then you respond, “Yes, and money is good for buying clothes.” And so on. See how long you can keep it up without breaking into hysterics.

Photograph

THIS EXERCISE TEACHES YOU HOW to work with a group. It starts with one person freezing in a position. One by one, others join in to make a photograph. When the last person joins in, the group decides what’s happening in the photo and what each person is doing. Maybe it’s a straightforward family photo, with mom, dad, son, daughter, and dog. Or it could be more abstract, like a photo of a forest or other scene from nature.

YOU CAN SOMETIMES BE YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND

FRIENDS CAN’T ALWAYS PLAY IN the park. Your mom can’t always drive you to the mall and go shopping. Sometimes you find yourself alone—and that’s okay. Alone time should be a great time. It’s actually a gift. When you are alone, you can do whatever you want. Well, almost. Check out the alone time dos and don’ts to see if you’re making the most of it!

Do!

• Go anyplace else you would go with a friend. Just because you’re alone doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy activities you usually do with other people. The experience will be different, but you will still have fun.

• Pamper yourself. Get a pedicure or take a long bath.

• Take a long walk. Accompanied by your own thoughts, this is a terrific way to get some exercise and catch up with yourself.

Don’t!

• Pitch a fit. Don’t get angry with your family or friends who might have canceled plans with you.

• Plop on the couch for a TV marathon. Being alone isn’t an excuse to zone out for countless hours.

• Dial yourself into a frenzy. You don’t need to call everyone on your cell phone to pass the time. Hang up that phone and start a conversation with one of the coolest people you know—you!

SPEAK UP!

YOU ARE SO PASSIONATE ABOUT so many subjects. Why not share your passions with the world? There are many ways to express yourself—fashion, friends, schoolwork, and sports are just a few. Another wonderful way is straight talk. Sounds simple, right? Not always. You and your friends go to a movie, and everyone hates it except you! You loved it. Do you speak up and share your opinion, or do you keep it to yourself because you don’t want to be different from the group? ⇁Getting things off your chest is crucial to feeling good about yourself. Even if you are naturally shy, talking to others about your true emotions isn’t important only for your self-esteem. It also helps build strong relationships with the people around you. You can practice what you want to say before you say it. That way, if you get nervous, which is totally normal, you will have already worked on your ideas. ⇁It’s also important to talk in class. You are smart, but you need to show that to your teacher and classmates. Nobody will know you have the answers if you keep them to yourself. If this doesn’t come naturally to you, it will be pretty hard at first. But the more you do speak up, the easier it will get. Challenge yourself to speak in class or to someone new each day. It’s time to get talking!

Talk Helps and Hurts

WHEN YOU TALK, YOU CAN’T see words, but you can definitely feel them. Especially when they hurt. There’s a saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Who said that? Name-calling does hurt. When you’re angry, you might be tempted to say mean things. But if you call someone stupid, fat, ugly, or any other kind of terrible word, it will stick with them, and you, for a long, long time. So beware of words. They are strong stuff. Gossip is another land mine you should avoid. It can seem like fun to be part of a bunch huddled together, whispering secrets during recess. Think about how it would feel if you were the subject of the gossip being spread. Doesn’t sound so great anymore, huh? Basically, if you wouldn’t want it said about you, don’t say it about others. Politely excuse yourself from the gossip group—you don’t have to say why if you’re embarrassed—and go do something more fun.

How to Ask for What You Want and Get It . . . Sometimes

LEARNING TO USE YOUR VOICE to stand up for yourself is important to being happy. But even adults struggle with finding the courage to ask for what they want. It’s totally understandable to feel jumpy inside when asking for a raise in your allowance or for a big favor from a friend. To make the conversation go a little smoother, try out the tips below. Whether or not you get what you asked for, going for what you want will make you feel better. Promise.

See Eye-to-Eye

Making eye contact is step number one. Looking someone in the eye is a big sign that you are confident and believe in what you are saying. It’s also a chance to make a real connection with the person you hope will give you what you want!

Smile

Oh yeah, that again. Smiling never hurts. Don’t be fake, but a warm smile will put everyone in the discussion at ease.

Body Language

Your body says as much as your words. Even if you are really nervous as you approach the conversation, fake confidence by standing straight with your shoulders back. Don’t hunch over, since it’s a sign that you don’t feel worthy of your request. And don’t cross your arms, which looks like you are ready for a fight.

No Crybabies

Don’t whine for what you want. You’ll get a lot more sympathy for your cause if you simply state your wishes. And don’t complain if things don’t go your way. Instead, try to understand the other person’s argument by listening. You might find a compromise, and you’ll definitely be more convincing if you decide to ask again later.

Practice Makes Perfect

If you have something really hard to ask, you might want to first write down your thoughts on a piece of paper. What do you want to say? What are you trying to achieve? Once you have a clear idea, grab a friend or parent and practice what you want to say out loud. You might stutter or stammer at first, but the more you repeat your request, the easier it will become to say it straight.

Never Say You’re Sorry

Ever heard someone say, “I’m sorry, but can I ask you a question?” You don’t need to apologize. Just ask! It’s perfectly fine wherever you are—at home, at school, or with your friends. So go ahead and ask away.

LET’S MAKE A DEAL

NEGOTIATING ISN’T JUST SOMETHING your mom and dad do when they want a raise at work. You need to learn to put this important tool to work in your life at home and school! Negotiating is a process where two different people talk until they come to an agreement where you both feel like you won. Let’s not waste another second! Here are some tips to help you negotiate.

1. Know what you want. This might sound simple, but Amy says, “This is the hardest part of the process, because you really have to think about what would make you happy.” Do you really want that new shirt? Or if you consider the situation, do you find yourself asking for one item every month? Maybe this means you really want a raise in your allowance so you can manage how you spend your money. Make sure you have your true end goal in sight.

2. Think very hard about what the other person wants. This isn’t easy either. You need to get inside the brain of the person you are negotiating with—what could you give them in return? “You’ll be in a position of power if you can anticipate what they are going to want,” Amy explains. In the example of your raise in allowance, perhaps you know that your parents really want you to babysit your little sister. That’s a start.

3. Know what you are willing to give up. “And always ask for more than you want,” Amy counsels. Here’s where you seal the deal: So you want a raise in your allowance and know your parents want you to babysit. You would be willing to babysit every other week for that extra cash, so you offer to babysit once a month. They say, “No way!” and ask you to sit for your sister once a week. You meet them in the middle and agree to every other week. Your original goal! You get your money, your parents get a sitter, and your sister has an awesome role model. Like Amy says, everybody wins.

FAMILY AFFAIR

GOOD COMMUNICATION STARTS at home, and it can start with you! Take a leadership role by organizing monthly meetings with your family to keep talk open, honest, and current.

Get it on the calendar: The first step, and the hardest for most families, is finding a date and time when everyone can meet. Once you find one that works for everyone, mark it on a wall calendar. Make the meeting place around the dinner table, or any space where the entire gang will feel comfortable.

Listen up: The family meeting isn’t a solo performance. Let other people finish what they are saying without interrupting. Be interested in what others are talking about. It’s especially nice to ask about events that have happened, like how your mom’s big meeting went or if your brother aced his math exam. Your attention means a lot to everyone, even your folks!

Grown-up behavior: If you are mature enough to start these meetings, then you have to be mature enough to participate in a grown-up way. Your sister might say something hurtful—that can happen when people are speaking about deep and true feelings. When that happens—and it will if everyone is honest— don’t immediately react. That means don’t scream, throw chairs, or have a fit, even though you probably feel like you want to. Take a deep breath, or three, and hear your family member out. Then it will be your turn to vent. And it may sound silly, but your posture can affect the way your family reacts to what you have to say. Sit up straight, and you’ll see how much easier it is to speak with confidence—and get everyone to listen!

NO REJECTS ALLOWED

IT FEELS TERRIBLE TO HEAR the word “no.” It stinks when you’re not invited to a party. Your stomach takes a tumble when you learn you didn’t make the team. Unless you are living in a cave, rejection is an ordinary part of life. No one is saying it’s easy to take. But if you are going to take risks, you have to be ready for a little rejection. →The key to dealing with rejection is not to take it personally. What? You’re thinking, “But it is personal.” If you don’t get picked for a part in the school play or a guy you like asks someone else to the school dance, it’s not about you. A lot goes into any decision, and many things are out of your control. Maybe that boy doesn’t know you like him. Maybe the drama teacher gave the part to someone who has helped out with the props. Maybe neither the play nor the boy is right for you. →What is in your control is your attitude. You can find another boy, audition for another play. Winners try and try again.

CRITICAL APPROACH

IT’S NOT EASY TO TAKE criticism. Nobody likes to hear how they could have written a school assignment more clearly or could have done a better job making their bed. But none of us is perfect, so getting a little criticism is a way to improve. It’s like turning lemons into lemonade. There are a few ways to make the giving and getting of advice a lot easier to take.

The Three Be’s of Offering Criticism

1. Be nice. For any conversation where you want to offer some criticism, start with something positive. If your best friend is making you sad because she’s been spending more time with new friends than with you, tell her how much you love her and miss hanging out with her. Remind her of some fun times you’ve had together. That will work a lot better than if you accuse her of being a jerk for ignoring you.

2. Be upbeat. Don’t scold, nag, or whine. When you have a good attitude, acting warm and open, you will put the other person at ease. Smile and look directly at the person you are talking to.

3. Be part of the solution. Offer some practical ways to fix the issue. Don’t put it all on the other person. You should make an effort as well. For that friend who has grown apart, you could suggest a few fun and new activities to do that would mean spending time together in a great way.

The Three Don’ts for Getting Criticism

1. Don’t protest. If someone you care about has taken the trouble to give you feedback, you should assume there is truth to what they are saying. Don’t fight or try to deny it. If someone had the courage to confront you, listen and see if you can understand what she’s talking about.

2. Don’t be closed-minded. You aren’t always going to agree with someone else’s ideas. In the end, you have to be happy with your beliefs and behavior. But let’s say a teammate tells you that you hog the soccer ball on the field, and you don’t believe her. Try gently asking some other teammates to find out what they think. If a few agree, it’s safe to say you’re probably a ball hog.

3. Don’t get stuck in your ways. You are great just the way you are, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn new skills and insights. Criticism is a chance to do things differently. Take that chance and find out where trying something different takes you.

#health #nature #social

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