Ballet birthday party center pieces

EconMonitor

2018.11.22 15:59 Altruistic_Camel EconMonitor

Follow macroeconomic data releases and professional commentary. No news articles, no media outlets, no opinion pieces. Commentary must come from a major financial institution.
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2014.07.02 02:32 FouRPlaY Bad Rhetoric

A place for citizens of the racoon nation, who scour the trashcans of speech and politics. Looking for weapons of mass destruction. Putting pepper spray on our breakfast, and adopting the forgotten boy scouts. Our homes are filled with plenty of alley cats, and our baskets are deplorable.There may be peace between man and fish, but we are Trash pandas.
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2024.05.19 00:18 No-Upstairs-444 Using bolded letters to read quicker

Using bolded letters to read quicker submitted by No-Upstairs-444 to u/No-Upstairs-444 [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 00:09 Intrepid-Pie8964 Should I let my family and boyfriend of two years meet?

Me (21F) and my boyfriend (20M) met on the first year of our studies abroad. We have been dating for two years and a half and this year he will finally come during the summer to visit my home country. Since we both are from different places we have never met each other’s families.
His family is super sweet and welcoming, despite me having never met them. His parents always ask how I am, send me small gifts during holidays and try to communicate in various forms, such as sending him pictures to show me, wish me happy birthday, ask what food I want from his country etc. In general he is super open with his family regarding our relationship.
I, on the other hand, have never been comfortable with discussing stuff related to love and relationships with my parents, especially with my dad. I have never told them about my crushes or preferences growing up and have never asked them for advice on anything. This is my first relationship and I struggled so much to tell them I was dating someone. At first, they didnt even take my relationship seriously and called my boyfriend “just a friend”. Both of my parents continously made jokes about how I should date other guys despite me telling them to stop. Every time I make plans with my boyfriend I tell my mom who then tells my dad because its impossible for me to talk directly to him about these matters.
Now that my boyfriend is coming, I really want to do everything to avoid my family and him meeting. We will not stay at my place with my family because we will have 0 privacy and just rent a flat instead. I will not let any of my parents pick us up from the airport but rather take a taxi. I just feel like a meeting between them would be incredibly awkward and uncomfortable for me and all the other parties involved. However, I cannot help but worry that I will make my boyfriend feel like something is wrong with him and that he is not welcome in my family, especially since the way his parents treat me vs how mine treat him is so different. I am very unsure on how to proceed. My family still does not take our relationship 100% seriously despite us dating for a while now.
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2024.05.19 00:07 Queernp Cat birthday party ideas?

Cat birthday party ideas?
Prozac and Zoloft are turning one in a couple weeks! I want to have some (human) friends over for a party. I’ll of course have toys and treats for them, and a cat cake and human cake, but I’m not sure what else a cat party could include! Any ideas? Maybe we’ll play exploding kittens 😂
submitted by Queernp to OneOrangeBraincell [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 00:05 incyweb Ten tips from futurist Kevin Kelly

Kevin Kelly is a forward thinker, speaker and author. He founded Wired magazine and writes with great insight. Six years ago he turned 68. For each year of his life, he gifted a piece of advice to his children; things he wished he had known at their age. Each year since, on his birthday, he has added to that initial list. Below are ten pieces of advice from Kevin’s 74th birthday update, relating to happiness, habits and progress.

Happiness

1.Where you live (what city, what country) has more impact on your well-being than any other factor. Where you live is one of the few things in your life you can choose and change. In my biased option, Bath is a beautiful city. It’s been my home for the last 30 years and brings me great joy.
  1. The highest form of wealth is deciding you have enough. My instinct is to believe that if I had more money, I’d be happier. However, those richer and wiser than me have persuaded me otherwise.
  2. You’ll never meet a very successful pessimistic person. If you want to be remarkable, get better at being optimistic. I can choose how I interpret the world. I chose to be optimistic with a dose of realism.
  3. Asking “what-if?” about your past is a waste of time; asking “what-if?” about your future is tremendously productive. I can’t change the past, but I can influence the future.

Habits

  1. What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important. To get the important stuff done, avoid the demands of the urgent. I try to ensure that activities with longer term benefits are addressed.
  2. If you are out of ideas, go for a walk. A good walk empties the mind and then refills it with new stuff. My daily walk gives me space to think and reflect. A life changer for me.
  3. You have 5 minutes to act on a new idea before it disappears from your mind. If I have an idea, I note it down in my mobile notes app.

Progress

  1. The best way to criticise something is to make something better. I love building things and seeing others use them.
  2. The more persistent you are, the more chances you get to be lucky. I find the concept of increasing one’s luck surface area to be an empowering idea. I try to position myself to take advantage of lucky breaks.
  3. Decisions like to present themselves as irreversible, like a one-way door. But most deciding points are two-way. Don’t get bogged down by decisions. You can usually back up if needed. Few things in life are permanent. While hard to comprehend, this reality is liberating.

Other resources

Kevin Kelly Advice for Geeks (and others) post by Phil Martin
How 3 Books Rewired my Brain post by Phil Martin
I agree with Kevin Kelly when he suggests, Your behaviour, not your opinions, will change the world.
Have fun.
Phil…
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2024.05.19 00:04 Unlucky-Objective304 2 hours after mocking Arizona attorney general, Rudy Giuliani is served indictment papers at his own birthday party

2 hours after mocking Arizona attorney general, Rudy Giuliani is served indictment papers at his own birthday party submitted by Unlucky-Objective304 to facepalm [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 00:01 DiligentDoor7345 SI weekend but brattys not there!

SI weekend but brattys not there!
Love how she acts like she’s back home because she’s such a GOoD mOTHeR - you didn’t stay to party all weekend because you don’t have friends and the other SI girls don’t want to hang with you! 🤡🤣
submitted by DiligentDoor7345 to BrittanyMatthewsSnark [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 23:59 Queernp Cat birthday party ideas?

Cat birthday party ideas?
This is Prozac and Zoloft. They are turning one in a couple weeks and I want to have some (human) friends over for a party! I’ll of course have toys and treats for cats and I’ll have a cat cake and a human cake, but I’m not sure what else a cat party could include! Any ideas? Maybe we’ll play exploding kittens 😂
submitted by Queernp to cats [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 23:59 Unlucky-Band6037 crazy ca opening on twitch

crazy ca opening on twitch
250k worth of capsules now live on twitch monarch
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2024.05.18 23:58 AustralianChrono Chronologica's Drag Race Season 6: Episode 1- Prove Your Worth

Chronologica's Drag Race Season 6: Episode 1- Prove Your Worth
https://i.redd.it/lnq1hwinb91d1.gif
In a bright yellow wig, her hair up to high heavens, and a massive black coat with a pair of matching black boots that go up to cover above the coat, Molly Moppit walks in. With a smile on her face, Molly Moppit looks up at the pink wallpaper of the room. “I want that.” Molly smirks, ripping off her coat to reveal a minidress made out of the same pink wallpaper of the werkroom. “Mopped it!”
Molly looks around at the empty room. “…and nobody here to see me stun.” She shrugs. “Pity for them!”
Molly Moppit: “I’m Molly Moppit, and I’m here to run away with the competition.” Molly winks.
“This table’s cuuute.” Molly looks over at the table, before running to a sculpture on the side of the workroom and trying to pull at the sculpture, before realizing it’s glued to the floor. “FUCK!”
Molly Moppit: “I am currently based in New Jersey, but I'm a New York staple, as well.” Molly grins. “First and foremost, I’m a NEW JERSEY DRAG QUEEN.”
“What about the…” Molly swipes at a coat hanger, tucking it behind her back.
Molly Moppit: “Being an Atlantic City Queen means being ready to do what you can to survive. It’s a cutthroat lifestyle, and that’s fine. It taught me to host, perform, serve looks, make ‘em laugh… and it’ll help me to win.”
“You saw nothing.” Molly smiles.
A lone tumbleweed rolls into the werkroom as clouds of red dust fill the entrance. There are two loud bangs, and on the far wall of the room, two bullet holes tear into the eyes of a hanging portrait of Chronologica.
Molly looks over as the portrait falls to the ground, the glass of the frame shattering loudly. When she looks back, a masked bandit stands amidst their midst, blowing smoke from his old-timey pistol. In a cowboy hat, long black jacket, beaded vest, and denim chaps, Ethan Angel-Eye glowers, his nose and mouth hidden behind a vigilante’s black bandana.
The room is silent for a long moment.
Molly Moppit: “It’s a Mexican Stand-Off. And I’m NOT talking.”
Molly and Ethan stare at each other.
Ethan Angel-Eye: “Please welcome the best performer this side of the Mississippi, your very own Apache-Dakota bandit vigilante drag king, and the only person here who actually needs to win. I’ve beaten Kaneq and Vitória in lip sync competitions, I’ve out-danced professionally trained celebs; I’m unstoppable onstage and I’m always providing that debonaire dastardly Western rogue fantasy. I’m Ethan Angel-Eye, and I’ve got my eye on this crown.”
“The fuck are you supposed to be?” Ethan asks, looking Molly up and down as he strides into the room, his voice low and gravelly.
“I’m Molly Moppit, what the fuck YOU supposed to be?” Molly raises an eyebrow.
Molly Moppit: “Are we cosplaying as ugly men this season?”
“Cute.” Ethan brushes past Molly, and then hops up on one of the werkroom tables, sinking into a menacing squat and looming over the space like a vulture.
“It’s pinker here than I thought it’d be.” Ethan glares, looking at her wallpaper look.
Molly scoffs. “Course it’s pink. Do you watch the show?”
“Do you watch the show?” Ethan parrots back, doing a crude impression of Molly’s voice. “I breathe this show.”
Ethan Angel-Eye: “I am not a pretty faerie princess, and I am not everyone’s cup of tea, but I know how to win this, in and out. Some petty little bitch isn’t getting in my way.”
“Ooooh, he’s a hater. Love.” Molly laughs, looking up at Ethan as he perches on the table. “What’s your name, my little masked bandit? Here to take some shots at me?”
“Ethan Angel-Eye.” Ethan cocks his head to the side. “My shots don’t miss.”
“Neither do mine.” Molly smirks.
Ethan looks around, as he realizes a button of his top has gone missing.
A tall, proud Indian woman struts out from the werkroom entrance, with many elaborate blue hair clips and a strikingly long blue gown which cascades in wave-like shapes behind her into a long train. She gestures broadly with her hands, emphasizing each syllable of her words as if they’re the most important thing anyone’s ever said. “WA-TER-FALL!!!!”
Niagara Halls: “New York in the HOUSE what-what!! Hey divas, it’s me, your Desi-American god-DESS of season 6, here to bring upstate pageantry and that Canadian border flair to your screens. I KNOW I’m serving as a pageant fashion icon in this entrance look, you can’t tell me otherwise. Don’t I look GORGEOUS?!”
Niagara Halls twirls, the blue gown’s long train wrapping around her feet, then swirling back out again, where it smacks Molly in the knee.
“Um, hello, waterfall woman.” Molly exclaims, pulling away to avoid being smacked again.
“Hello, hello!” Niagara Halls waves an emphatic wave to Molly and Ethan before daintily picking up her gown’s train with one hand and gently striding to sit at the werkroom table Ethan is perched on. “How are we?”
Molly reaches over and snatches a hair clip from Niagara’s hair, causing several long brown locks to tumble into Niagara’s face.
“Oh! You–” Niagara looks baffled. “So it’s gonna be THAT kind of season!”
Ethan rolls his eyes, looking decidedly down at the two girls.
Molly laughs. “No, oh my gosh! I just love these clips! Where’d you get them?”
Niagara pulls the fallen hair out of her face and clips it into another one of her clips, chuckling. “You WISH I would tell you. You could use the help with that mop!”
“MOP!” Molly bursts out laughing. “You don’t even know!”
“What’s your drag, what’s your name, who are you both? I need to know who I’m demolishing here.” Niagara smiles a huge smile, talking with her hands again.
“But where is the clips from?” Molly asks.
“I-” Niagara looks into the mirror.
“...You didn’t buy the clips?!” Molly says dramatically, putting on a gasping face. “Who did?!”
“What’s your names?” Niagara smiles awkwardly.
Niagara Halls: “My Drag Mother helped with the outfit! I don’t know!”
“I’m Molly Moppit.” Molly grins. “Atlantic City roya–”
Ethan interrupts. “Ethan Angel-Eye. And you’re Niagara Halls.”
Niagara enthusiastically tosses her hair (and all of its clips) back and forth. “I KNOW you know me, that’s right, that’s right!”
Ethan nods. “You lost Miss Toronto to Vitória Benedita.”
Niagara gasps.
Niagara Halls: “How did this MAN KNOW me?!”
Ethan Eagle-Eye: “Does no one look at reddit on their way to the season? Scope the competition out.”
A mysterious black mist seeps through the entrance of the werkroom, followed by a devilish laugh. Lokii struts in, and flips a green cape, revealing their face and leather-clad body. Golden horns, almost corrupted with black veins connected to his face, just from Lokii’s forehead. In thin black hands, Lokii holds a corrupted golden scepter and a smoke machine. She smirks, and her Londoner accent is obvious when she speaks. “I am Lokii, of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose.”
“We’re all stealing something, aren’t we?” Molly jokes.
“I don’t get it.” Niagara says.
“Loki. Marvel.” Ethan says gruffly.
“Welcome, nerd.” Molly smiles, as Lokii runs over.
Lokii blushes deep red. “Oh my gosh. Hello!”
Lokii: “I’m Lokii, and low-key? Aye, I’m pretty bloody psyched to be here! I’m 22 years old, visiting from across the pond by way of South London, and like, I’m pretty new to drag, but cosplay has been a huge part of my life since I was really young, and I’ve felt really called to take it in this new direction!”
“So are you really called Lokii? Like the Norse god?” Molly investigates every inch of Lokii’s outfit.
“The… Disney character?” Niagara ponders. “I don’t watch superhero movies.”
“They are.” Ethan flexes his ankles, looking at Lokii with an intense stare. “You’re the Tumblr cosplayer, right?”
Lokii nods, smiling. “Yeah! Loki was the first character I did in cosplay. We have a long history, he and I!”
“And so you came to Chronologica’s Drag Race dressed up in your little Marvel cosplay character!” Niagara chuckles nastily.
Lokii laughs awkwardly, making their way to the table. “Yep!”
“You look incredible, by the way.” Lokii smiles at Niagara. “This is a really beautiful garment.”
“I KNOW, baby, thank you.” Niagara smiles daggers. “You’re pretty new, right?”
Lokii looks surprised. “Oh, I–”
“JUST teasing!” Niagara laughs.
Lokii: “I have.. Not been doing drag, that long. But I have been crafting, designing and MAKING things for years. I think that’s my edge…” Lokii smiles slightly awkwardly.
Ethan Angel-Eye: “So far, the girls are…childish.”
“Wait, what’s this?” Lokii picks up a brown paper bag on one of the werkroom tables and reads something written on it in sharpie. “Barf bags…for if you gag too hard?”
Niagara makes a face. “What the fuck?”
Suddenly, in a sculpted silver one-piece with sharp ridges and bulky shoulders, a stylized mop of blonde and pink curls, super-shadowed fierce makeup and chunky black boots with chains, Lady Gag arrives. In an exact recreation of one of Lady Gaga’s looks from the 2009 VMAs, she purrs. “Dirty pony, I can’t wait to hose you down.”
Ethan makes an obvious look of disgust. Niagara stops laughing very suddenly. Molly laughs even harder.
“HEAVY METAL LOVER!” Lokii yells, before covering her mouth as if she is in fear of being too loud.
Lady Gag: “When our Lord and Saviour Gaga said ‘No matter gay, straight, or bi', lesbian, transgender life?” Lady Gaga smirks. “She was talking first and foremost about me. Are you gagging? I’m Lady Gag, foremost Gaga impersonator of Miami, Florida, and the most gag-worthy woman known to man. Mama I am known to man, if you know what I mean.”
Lady Gag strikes poses in the entrance, twisting her arms into strange shapes and cocking her head at strange angles. “Everyone, just imagine Alejandro is playing over this.”
“I’m imagining it.” Molly says, smiling and still laughing.
Niagara looks nonplussed, Ethan looks dismissive, and Lokii looks shy, but Molly warmly greets Lady Gag with a firm handshake.
“Welcome, Miss Gaga, welcome! You’re giving very 2000 and late! I’m Molly Moppit. Atlantic City roya–”
“MRS. Moppit.” Lady Gag stops her, putting a hand up. “Don’t try to read me with those smile lines and bags under your eyes. I’m 2000 and fresh off the boat if you ever saw it. You will not be coming for me on this, the day of my arrival.”
Molly’s jaw drops. She looks thrilled.
Niagara smiles softly. “You’re going to talk about her looks when you’re a copy-and-paste baby? LOVE to see a tiny little fighter.”
Niagara Halls: “The good thing about doing drag that’s literally on the Canadian-American border is that I can leave the worst of both sides behind. Canadians, watch out: I will NOT be apologizing for my shade! And I can say THIS… who the fuck is Lady Gag?”
“Your shade needs work, I think.” Lady Gag says. “It’s about as dark as midday in FLORIDA. I would know.”
Ethan’s eyes give away his smile. He sits back on the table, relaxing for the first time, to listen to the girls snip back and forth.
Ethan Angel-Eye: “I’m watching these girls, and I think, good. Let them fight. If this is the energy first day, they’re never gonna be able to focus on a challenge, and that’s perfect for me.”
“I BET you would know Florida pretty well!” Niagara shoots back. “That contour job looks pretty Florida Man to me.”
“I am a WOMAN and you will treat me with respect!” Lady Gag yells dramatically.
Niagara looks confused, almost as if she is unsure if Gag is playing into the shade or not.
Molly chuckles. “Girls, girls, oh my gosh! This is gonna be fun as fuck.”
Lokii looks utterly horrified and speechless.
There’s a sound of heels approaching, and the contestants turn to look at the entrance.
“Please give me another crazy bitch,” Molly joke-pleads. “Please!”
In a heavy, blood red reconstructed kimono covered in pearlescent white beads, Shiseido Red slowly struts into the werkroom. Her hair is bold, black and sculpted upwards into a towering beehive, and her silhouette is intricate, yet the restructuring of the kimono lets her show off her legs. “Paint the town red?” She cackles. “Baby, just paint these lips.”
Shiseido blows a kiss. Lokii whoops.
Ethan’s eyes glint with recognition. “An old bitch. Thank goodness.”
Niagara vigorously applauds. Lady Gag still looks caught up in the fight from before. Molly looks concerned, before putting on a smile.
“Oh, it’s YOU!” Molly yells.
Molly Moppit: “I know Shiseido from the New York scene. I travel around the area, and she doesn’t.” Molly smiles.
“Ahh, you’re here!” Shiseido ignores the others around her, looking straight at Molly. “Would you take my bags to that corner of the werkroom over there?” Shiseido asks, pointing to the farthest (and largest) dressing alcove.
“I’d rather not.” Molly drops the playful facade for a moment, as the two look at each other.
Shiseido Red: “Darlings. I’m Shiseido Red, and I’m no spring chicken. I am 45 years old and proud–I have a long legacy in New York City that will outlive any of these basic-bitch children. I was a princess of the 90s club scene and now, I’m their grand duchess. In my scene, we’re all about originality, ingenuity, innovation. So… nothing like what most of these kids are wearing.”
Lokii scurries over to Shiseido. “This kimono is incredible.”
Shiseido smiles curtly. “It’s certainly one step up from a costume, yes.”
Lokii looks awkwardly.
Molly tries to roll one of Shiseido’s suitcases from where it’s parked near the entrance and fails to move it despite pulling with all her strength. Nobody seems to notice.
Molly Moppit: “Damn it, I was going to take half of her shit- subtly!”
Niagara waves a broad hello. “HELLO NEW YORK! I’m SO glad you’re here, these girls are all WHORES so far.”
Niagara goes in for a hug, but Shiseido moves away.
“I’m sorry…do I know you?” Shiseido asks, clearly baffled.
Lady Gag loudly guffaws. Niagara laughs once, awkwardly.
“Oh, yes!” Niagara blushes, pulling away from her failed hug and gesturing wildly with her hands. “I’m Niagara Halls, mama. We worked together at–”
“All you young girls blend together for me.” Shiseido shrugs. “Name doesn’t ring a bell.”
Molly, laughing under her breath, opens Shiseido’s suitcase while she’s distracted and snatches a blonde curly wig.
Molly Moppit: “I don’t get along with Shiseido. But I know this- she has good wigs… and I KNOW that old lady is a smart bitch. Whether or not she actually knows Niagara, she won’t admit it. Throw the girl off. I see you, mama.”
“Aha.” Niagara looks put off. “No worries. It was just last year when–”
“Hello, children.” Shiseido addresses the group like a troop leader. “I fear you look as bland as expected.”
Lady Gag starts up again. “GIRL, this is not–”
It’s Drag Time!
Chronologica steps into the werkroom, and the gathered contestants gasp in shock–except Ethan, who looks over passively.
Ethan Angel-Eye: “Interrupted at 6. So it’s a split premiere…which hasn’t happened since Season 3. Just, of course…of course it would be…”
Molly hurriedly closes Shiseido’s suitcase and tucks the stolen wig into her top. Lady Gag, Niagara, and Lokii rush over towards Chronologica excitedly, while Shiseido and Ethan take their time, making eye contact as they do.
Hello, racers! I’m thrilled to welcome you to the fantabulous Season 6 of Chronologica’s Drag Race! Here, you’ll be competing for the chance to win a spectacular crown and scepter from Moxie Maniac jewels, plus an extra-special grand prize of $100,000.
Everyone cheers and applauds.
One of you could become the next Drag Superstar…orrrr one of the other bitches who shows up next week could snatch the crown away from all of you. This week is your chance to prove your worth before any of those nasty skanks come and get in your way.
Lady Gag: “Quite simply, yes. We ALL know Gaga is THE queen. I can guarantee I’ll be the one to get her her crown!”
For your very first challenge, you’re putting on a premiere talent show. Show us what YOU can do that no one else can, and show us who you are. First impressions count! And you’d better hope it’s not a countDOWN…good luck! And don’t fuck it up!
Shiseido Red: “Believe me, for some of these baby girls? The countdown’s already started.” Shiseido smirks. “I’m prepared for a talent show. I’ve been talented since I was born.”
~
Later, the monarchs strip out of their entrance looks and claim their dressing areas.
Shiseido Red: “For this week’s maxi challenge, it’s time for us to showcase our abilities in a talent show. But first, it’s time to get to know each other.”
Without a word, Ethan picks up Shiseido’s heavy suitcases and moves them to her preferred corner.
“A gentleman.” Shiseido smiles, looking at Ethan’s bandana. “My faceless guardian.”
Ethan chuckles. “No. You’re just not my mark today.”
“Your mark? Alright. You’re an assassin, of sorts.” Shiseido ponders. “Mhm.”
Shiseido Red: “Ethan is giving some sort of Bessie Big Sky-Jupiter Sterling story…but evil? It’s a very specific take, I’ll give him that…I’m at least…curious.”
Ethan looks serious. “Assassin. You could say that.” Ethan retrieves his own bags and puts them next to Shiseido’s, just as Lokii enthusiastically hurries up towards the two-person dressing alcove.
“Oh, sorry!” Lokii says, chuckling awkwardly. “I would love to uh, room with Shiseido, here, uh, the other girls are kinda mean and–”
Ethan looks over, one eyebrow raised.
Shiseido makes a face. “Baby. You’re not old enough to be here.”
Lokii blanches. “No worries, then.” She scurry off.
“...If she bantered back, I’d have had her.” Shiseido responds.
“The baby queens can’t take it. No surprise.” Ethan grumbles.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Niagara, Molly, and Lady Gag each make for separate adjacent dressing stations. Lokii stands awkwardly in the middle of the room.
Lokii: “The producers very clearly told us that we had to share 4 of the dressing rooms, two racers per room. But none of the girls are willing to share with each other… what’s … happening right now? Where am I supposed to go?”
Niagara carefully changes out of her blue gown and puts on a comfortable yellow sweatsuit, then starts picking the clips out of her hair one by one. She watches Ethan and Shiseido across the room as Ethan takes off the bandana covering his face for the first time, then lets out the loudest gasp imaginable and throws her arms to the side, shocked. Blue butterfly clips fall to the ground everywhere.
Lady Gag gives Niagara a look in between racks of hanging clothes. “Diva, what the FUCK are you doing?”
Niagara whispers loudly. “Looooook!!!!” She aggressively points at Ethan, who is currently changing his shirt. Ethan very clearly and visibly has scratchy scruffy facial hair, and no makeup on the bottom half of his face.
Niagara looks gagged. “That’s a MAN, Maury!”
Niagara Halls: “I didn’t expect him to look like that, out of drag… kinda tracks, THOUGH!” Niagara cackles.
Lady Gag yells across the room. “Mister Ethan!”
Ethan looks over as he takes off his beaded vest and reveals his bare chest, clearly showcasing obvious top surgery scars.
Lady Gag looks back to Niagara. “Queens recognize kings. Are you gagging yet?”
“Not on your copy-and-paste eleganza.” Niagara shakes her head, then takes a step and slips on the fallen butterfly clips, awkwardly plopping on her butt.
Niagara Halls: “We’ve had many trans divas compete in this competition- me included. But is this the first trans man here?” Niagara ponders.
While Niagara has fallen, Molly sneaks in and grabs some more blue clips off the ground.
I’m ba-ack!
Chronologica waves from the entrance. Lokii returns the wave. Everyone else hurriedly finishes changing.
Our producers let me know that we’re having some trouble getting into our dressing stations. We do actually need you to share space, here, now.
Lokii: “I kinda was just waiting around- when they came in. I guess I kinda looked.. Awkward.” Lokii exhales. “This is a lot.”
Lokii nods. Lady Gag and Niagara roll their eyes. Molly tuts excitedly.
Molly Moppit: “I live for this drama, honestly. It’s so stuuupid I love it. I’m gonna make this shit eat up as much time as I can.”
“Our space is set, Miss C.” Shiseido says assuredly.
Great. So, which one of you three wants to share space with Lokii?
“I KNOW you’re not equating Miss GAGA to a Disney gay–” Lady Gag smirks.
Niagara shakes her head. “Well, I don’t think our visions are exactly aligned–”
Molly winks, looking at the others. “I’m not cut out for sharing…” She says cheekily.
Lokii stands awkwardly, a bit embarrassed.
Okay, fine. Which two of you want to share with each other?
Niagara scoffs. “The impersonator? That raggedy-ass mop bitch? I am not–”
Girls.
Chronologica looks annoyed.
Okay. Let’s be serious.
“No, of course, I’d love to work with Lokii in our space.” Molly smiles.
Molly Moppit: “I am a playful artist, but I do take this seriously- and I look around, and Lokii looks like a deer in headlights. It’s a competition. But I’ll make her feel welcome. I mean, she’s better then the Gaga impersonator and fucking Niagara Halls.” She takes a sip of her drink.

Molly Moppit: “Can we circle back to Lady Gag as a name? Like be inspired and be an orignator but LADY GAG?! I DON’T GET IT!” She bursts, interrupting herself from finishing her drink.
Shiseido and Ethan, who have returned to their corner, give each other a look.
Ethan Angel-Eye: “It’s just like the last few seasons. All the kids are incompetent. No surprise.”
I’ll leave you to it. Now. I’ll see you on the main stage. Let’s keep it professional, alright?
Chronologica departs, and Molly drags her singular small suitcase into Niagara’s dressing station. She drops the bag heavily, and all of the butterfly clips Molly has stolen spill out of it onto the floor.
“Where’s my clips?!” Niagara yells.
Lokii and Molly look at each other, and Molly giggles.
~
Chronologica goes to visit the racers.
Hello, Mr. Angel-Eye.
“Chronologica.” Ethan says gruffly.
Now, you’re drag family, right?!
The other’s ears pick up, as Ethan nods.
“Yeah, I used to be related to Bessie Big Sky. But we’re not talking about that, we’re talking about my talent show.” Ethan says, clearly displeased.
Shiseido Red: “Oh… Inteeeeerersting.” Shiseido purses her lips. “This makes a lot of sense.”
Totally. Well, tell me then, what ARE you doing for the talent show?
“I’m from Montana. We’re not basic-ass pageant queens, who haven’t fought for anything a day in their life-“
Niagara’s head turns over to Ethan’s conversation as she has caught interest, clearly offended.
Niagara Halls: “Wow.” Niagara is looking in a complete state of shock in her confessional room. “… Alright.” Niagara nods.
“…because life’s hard,” Ethan continues. “I was a rez kid, I was in the foster care system, I been through some shit. And I’ve picked up a few skills along the way. So I will be doing a Projectile Weaponry Showcase.”
Interesting. What does that entail?
“Pistols, throwing knives, bow and arrow, shotgun.” Ethan nods. “I’m a good shot, no matter what I’m shooting.”
Fuck yeah.
Ethan smiles for a moment, before nodding.
I was raised at my local gun club, over in La Perouse, Sydney. I know a good few weapons. How are you going to make it dragged up?
“I do it my way. Ethan Angel-Eye is the evil Indian from cowboys and Indians. He’s a vigilante bandit, and these are a bandit’s weapons. I’ve got a story. I know what I do in my performance space- to me, the art stands for itself. I don’t need bells and whistles, because this has never been done before.”
If you keep us excited, well that’s all that matters.
Ethan nods. “I will.”

Niagara Halls.
“Chronologica.” Niagara smiles.
Now, you’re a pageant Queen. How is that going to impact you in this competition?
“Well, MAMA!” Niagara says excitedly, talking with her hands. “For me, it’s about serving. I’m pretty, I’m gorgeous and I am not scared to CUT a bitch when I want to.” Niagara draws a line across her throat with one hand.
Chronologica chuckles.
Tell me, what are you doing for the talent show?
“Yodeling.” Niagara smiles brightly.
…Yodelling? Are you a singer?
“NOT at ALL.” Niagara shakes her head. “Like, I’d probably say I am a bad singer.”
Then…why are you yodeling?
“For me, it’s about standing out. I wanted to deliver something no one has really done, make it camp, and then stun on the runway.” Niagara tongue pops.
But do you feel like you are able to do this well? If you’re not a singer-
“I feel like it’s an opportunity to showcase what I can do, and make it fun.” Niagara smiles.
Okay. Well, good luck…
….
Molly Moppit!
“Shhh.” Molly whispers, pointing Chronologica to outside.
I-
“Let’s chat outside; I don’t need them hearing.” Molly whispers, as the two walk to the smoking area outside.
The others look confused as the two disappear.
“Cigarette?” Molly hands one to Chronologica.
Is that from my packet- Okay, tell me, Molly, what’s your talent show?
“For me, I do really take my drag seriously.” Molly smiles. “But I don’t need them all to know that, initially.”
I get it. So, what are you doing for the talent show?
Molly whips out a packet of notes.
Chronologica grins.
“I’ll be presenting onto the main stage, MOPPING DUTY. It’s a live freestyle Diss Track of the Cast of Season 6.” Molly smirks. “And I’ve got the notes for it.”
Why is it called… Mopping Duty?
“Because I am about to wash these bitches out and mop the crown, duh.” Molly chuckles.
Chronologica bursts into laughter.
I think that’s a fantastic idea.
“I don’t want them to know what I’m doing, because part of the work here is centered around making them react. I’m great off the cuff- and planned, secretly. So, for me it’s really important to get to embrace all of that.”
I am really excited to see how you do it, Molly.
Molly grins. “I am too.”
Molly Moppit: “I am going to blow these bitches out of the water, they just don’t know it yet.” Molly winks.
~
The next day, the racers twirl into the werkroom and get ready for the talent show.
Lady Gag: “It’s time for the talent show, and I’m ready. Are these girls ready? Well, they should be, because… I’m coming for them.”
“So, what are you bitches doing for the talent show?” Lady Gag asks, plaiting her hair. “I mean, I know some…”
Niagara starts to yodel.
Ethan rolls his eyes.
Ethan Angel-Eye: “Bitches. The way these children talk.”
“I’m not a bitch, first of all.” Shiseido says. “So let us start there, lookalike.”
“Okay, I was just talking like us girls do.” Lady Gag scoffs.
“Do you know actual Drag Queens?” Shiseido asks.
Lady Gag rolls her eyes.
Lokii whispers under her breath. “So much shade…”
“I’m doing a Stand-Up show.” Lady Gag flicks back her hair. “I’ve been told I’m a funny bitch, so-”
Everyone looks surprised.
Molly Moppit: “She’s a comedian?” Molly bursts into laughter. “Oh, let’s be honest, her biggest joke is her name!”
“Have you done comedy?” Lokii asks.
“Actually, yes.” Lady Gag smiles. “In my room, to my family…”
“Love.” Niagara clicks her fingers. “Werk, bitch, creativity…”
Shiseido Red: “I am starting to notice something. These girls claim to be experienced, knowledgeable- but then, you speak to them, and suddenly they’re like ‘I’ve done this… at home.’ Lacking experience. It SHOWS.”
“I am a designer and club kid.” Shiseido smiles to herself.
“I’d love to hear about what that was like.” Lokii interrupts.
“Well, if you survive the first week, you might hear it.” Shiseido says swiftly.
Lokii looks to the left, then down.
“I’m doing a megamix to 90s club anthems, and designing a look all the while.” Shiseido nods.
Shiseido Red: “This will allow me to put my best foot forward instead of dancing the stage up and down, something I… can’t do as well anymore.”
“That sounds… fine.” Niagara shrugs.
Niagara Halls: “Like, BORING…and honestly, I don’t see it for her?!” Niagara laughs. “OH, the shade of ME!”
Niagara giggles to herself.
“What are you two doing, Molly and Lokii?” Ethan says, surprising the two.
“I’m not talking about it.” Molly winks. “You can wait and see.”
Ethan purses his lips.
“I do wonder if it’s going to be anything of note.” Shiseido says.
Shiseido Red: “Molly has a…not-so-great reputation, in New York. I’ll be honest, she’s never been notable to me, though. Beyond the theft jokes.”
“Well, you gotta wait and see.” Molly winks.
Molly Moppit: “Keep it fun… until you make the move.” Molly smirks.
“I am a bit of a nerd.” Lokii says.
“What a surprise.” Lady Gag jokes.
“...Finish your thought.” Ethan looks at Lokii.
“I’ll be repeating the plot of star wars, with puppets.” Lokii grins.
Everyone once again looks around awkwardly.
“Well, I’m excited for MY own talent show, because it sounds like I’m winning.” Lady Gag says.
“Don’t count your chickens yet, Miss Copypasta.” Ethan responds.
Lady Gag rolls her eyes for what appears to be the 10th time.
Lokii: “I… don’t think anyone gets me here.”
“The cosplay newbie… and the puppets.” Shiseido whispers, shaking her head to Ethan. “The impersonator who does stand-up in her bedroom. The tone-deaf girl singing, and the thief who probably doesn’t even have talents of her own. Great.”
Lokii: “But I have crafted an entire concept. I’ve sewn and made these puppets, made a comedic story and saga- and if there’s one thing I do believe in, it’s the lore. It’s my knowledge in the cosplay, nerd space…”
Lokii giggles, playing with her puppets.
Lokii: “Lokii, you can do this…” Lokii gulps. “I think.”
“Who’s.” Niagara claps. “Gonna.” Niagara claps. “GO HOME FIRST?!”
“You, bitch!” Lady Gag snaps her fingers.
“RUDE, RUDE!!!!!” Niagara yells.
“Not me.” Molly whispers into the camera and winks.
~
Stats
Voting
Spreadsheet
submitted by AustralianChrono to ChronologicasDragRace [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 23:57 sjanevardsson The Keeper, the Seeker, and the Avatar

After nearly thirty years of research, field work, digging, and sometimes living off the land, Ana had finally found what her family had sought since her great-grandfather. The door was so well hidden that she hadn’t realized it was there until she attempted to break a bit of the surface rock off with her geologist’s hammer. The hollow behind the door resonated with the sound of the hammer on stone.
She tapped along the door to find the edges. With the chisel end of her hammer, she chipped away the encrustations that had built up along the edges. After hours of hammering, chiseling, and digging at the base, the outline of the door was visible. Made of the same rock as the surrounding gneiss, it had gone unnoticed for untold millennia.
Ana pushed the door from the sides, the middle, the top, the bottom, looking for the smallest movement. The door didn’t budge. She sat, leaning against the door on the flat bit of ground she’d dug out. She ate some of the year-old jerky she had in her pack while the sun set.
It was a clear, moonless night, and Ana focused her attention on the whirl of the Milky Way overhead. The sight wasn’t enough to keep her mind off the stubborn door behind her and the aching of her joints from sitting on the rocky ground.
She stood and turned to take a last look at the door for the day. Even in the faint light of the stars, she thought she could make out the edges. At one corner, a flash caught her eye. She moved her head back and forth, trying to find the position that had, she thought, reflected light.
Not finding it, she pulled out her flashlight and shone it on the corner of the door where the flash was. She expected to see a reflection but saw none. She turned out the light, and there it was, except it was two flashes this time.
There was no doubt it was coming from inside, shining out a pinhole in the door seam at the upper left corner. “Monkey see, monkey do?” she asked herself. She pointed the flashlight at the corner and flashed it twice. When nothing happened, she flashed it again.
The response was five flashes. “Oh, fibbi-whatever,” she muttered. “Three and five is eight.” She flashed the light eight times. There was no immediate response. She began to worry that she’d been wrong in her counting or in what pattern they were looking for.
A loud hiss sounded as the whole door slid out away from the wall. Bright light shone around the edges of the door that continued to slide out, far thicker than she’d expected. Where she’d stopped digging in front of it, the door bulldozed its own path.
It stopped with a little less than a meter clearance between the back of the door and front of the rock wall. Beyond lay a downward-sloping walkway. It was shaped like an oval with a flattened floor. A voice echoed from within, “Enter, Anastasia.”
She didn’t know how they knew who she was, but she wasn’t going to turn back after having come so far. She stepped around the door, held by a single, flat piece of metal that disappeared into a groove in the ceiling. The metal that held the massive slab of stone looked far too flimsy for purpose, but pushing against the edges of the open door did nothing to sway the door or distort the metal support.
With a deep breath, Ana threw her pack over her shoulder and stepped into the hallway. As she continued down the hall, more would illuminate ahead of her while behind her, the lights shut off. Where the light came from was a mystery to her, but she was more interested in what lay ahead at that point.
She felt a slight, sudden increase in air pressure in the tunnel, followed by the echoing sound of the door as it closed. She pushed down the edges of panic that wanted to take hold. “I’m on my way,” she said to the tunnel.
The deeper she went, the more the temperature seemed to settle at close to fifteen or sixteen degrees Celsius. Her lips felt dry in the still air, and she applied lip balm while she continued apace ever deeper. Somewhere far underground, the tunnel curved back on itself and kept descending. After two more switchbacks, and what felt like hours of walking, she found herself in a chamber.
It was monumental in scale. The walls curved to meet at least twenty meters overhead. As the lights in the chamber came up, the far side looked a hundred or more meters away, while the doorway she was in was situated about twenty meters from the walls on either side. Covering the bottom two-thirds of the walls were row upon row of plastic-like boxes with lights blinking inside them.
In the center of the chamber was a dais with a holographic glyph floating in the air above it. Standing next to the dais was the owner of the voice she’d heard on entering. The shape was semi-translucent, the lights from the boxes behind it seeming to light it from within. “Welcome,” it said, although it had no mouth with which to speak. Its form shifted and changed, from an amorphous blob to an array of wings and eyes, then through creatures both real and mythical, until it finally settled into the shape of a large woman with wings.
“Who are you?” Ana asked.
“I am the keeper,” it said. “You are Anastasia, the seeker, yes?”
“I’m Anastasia Kell, but I go by Ana.” Ana moved closer to the center of the chamber and the shape-shifting entity at its center. “What is your name?”
“I am the keeper. I have no name.”
“Fine, I’ll call you Odette, then. You look like an Odette.”
The keeper flapped its wings twice, then shrunk its body by adding a long tail. “That is acceptable, seeker Anastasia.”
“Please, just call me Ana.”
“Of course, Ana. Please, come to the dais for your reward. Your dedication has won through.” The keeper moved away from the dais and extended an arm toward Ana. The arm kept extending, reaching Ana’s hand twenty meters away from the keeper.
Ana was surprised that the hand felt warm and dry. She’d expected some sort of slimy, cold thing, but it wasn’t. She let herself be led to the dais. “What are you?”
“I am the keeper.”
“Are you a biological creature or a construct of some sort? Some sort of soft-body robot, maybe.”
“I am a biological construct, designed to keep a record of all intelligent life on this world. I have been keeping these records for 72,363,412 years.”
“Since what…the dinosaurs?”
“Yes. The first were theropods. Traveling in hunter groups, they had a limited language. If they had been more adaptable, they might have not been already dying out by the time of the asteroid.” The keeper changed its shape to a theropod that Ana didn’t recognize. It was about the same height as her, with three-toed feet, three-fingered hand on medium-length arms, and a slightly domed head.
“That’s what they looked like?” she asked.
“Yes.” The keeper shifted into the shape of a porpoise. “There were and are the cetaceans, of course. They have language and culture but are not in a position to leave their cradle.”
“Is that what you’ve been waiting for? An intelligence capable of space travel?”
“Yes. My creators have placed other keepers like me on millions of worlds.” The keeper changed into a sphere. “This is where I am keeper.”
“So now, humans, I guess, are what you’ve been looking for.”
The keeper changed into a primate that resembled a chimpanzee and then morphed through several hominin species shapes, pausing on Neanderthal before finishing up with modern human. “I’ve watched entire civilizations come and go without so much as a scratch to mark them in the geologic record, and yet your kind has made an indelible mark on the planet. Whether that is for better or worse remains to be seen.”
“My guess would be worse, but I’m a pessimist.”
“So you say, but you never stopped searching for the library at the heart of the world.”
“True.” Ana took a deep breath and put a hand on the dais. The holographic glyph hovering above it disappeared, and an eight-limbed creature appeared in its place.
The creature spoke in English, even though its squishy mouthparts made movements that were often in total contradiction to the sounds it made. “Welcome, seeker Anastasia. Updating. Welcome, Ana. What would you like to learn today?”
“What are my limits here? This place was hard enough to find, what kind of things won’t you tell me?”
“The records will answer any questions you have that can be answered. Nonsensical and paradoxical queries will be ignored. The library is hidden to ensure that only those ready to take the next steps beyond their cradle can find it. As such, all our knowledge is yours for the asking.”
“So, I blinked a light in a simple sequence. How does that mean we’re ready to take the next steps – whatever those are?”
“You are the fourth generation of your family that has searched for the library, correct?” the holograph asked.
“I am.”
“And you have spent the majority of your adult life in the same search, have you not?”
“I have,” she said, “but how does that–”
“Multi-generational planning and execution, combined with drive and determination, and the knowledge of basic mathematical concepts. This is enough to start with.”
“Are you just another aspect of Odette?”
“No, I am the avatar of Krshnlgik-mlOgnk, the current head of remote planetary studies on our home world of MFkst.” The pronunciation of the non-translated names sounded more like someone choking in a bowl of oatmeal than a language.
“Is faster-than-light communication possible?”
“It is. I am currently speaking with you from a distance of thirty-one thousand light years.”
“How?”
A series of formulae appeared in the space above the dais. “You may use your phone to photograph these, since memorization might be difficult.”
Ana did. “And faster-than-light travel?”
The formulae were replaced with more, some of which looked similar to the first. She photographed those as well.
“Do you have any other questions?”
“How can you claim to keep track of everything happening all over the world?”
“The keeper, or Odette as you call it, has a connection through quintillions of microscopic wormholes to points all over the planet.”
“So, would you have the contents of the Library of Alexandria as they were just before it burned?”
“We do.” Thousands upon thousands of titles scrolled by, many in languages Ana couldn’t even guess at, but with an English translation next to them.
“That might be something for another day,” she said. “Are there others out there in the galaxy or just your people?”
“There are many others,” the avatar said, as images of dozens of strange body plans showed. “We are a small part of a wider galactic community.
“You seem to be pondering something,” the keeper said. “Do not be afraid to ask your question.”
“How do we get off this rock and join the galactic community?”
The keeper morphed into the shape of a cozy chair and said, “Get comfortable.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because,” the avatar answered, “this is going to take a long time to explain.”
prompt: Dream up a secret library. Write a story about an adventurer who discovers it. What’s in the library? Why was it kept secret?
originally posted at Reedsy
submitted by sjanevardsson to HFY [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 23:54 DefinitelyLuka $1,000,000 stream on twitch - KATOWICE CAPSULES

$1,000,000 stream on twitch - KATOWICE CAPSULES submitted by DefinitelyLuka to csgo [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 23:52 MarkyT45 Razer kiyo light ring repair help

So my Razer kiyo light ring was working well, I fiddled wit my it and boomed stopped working, the LEDS don't turn on except for the center but that is flickering and the camera itself is making a grinding sound, worse it even disappears as a device from my PC (even synapse).
I can't really afford a new camera right now so... I started tinkering, the problem is I'm no electrician and I don't know where to find the components so maybe try to resolve this myself.
Has anyone else ran into this problem and knows a better solution? If not where could I find like a booklet for the internal pieces.
submitted by MarkyT45 to razer [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 23:50 MenaceToEarth Is buying a split level townhouse with 6 levels a bad idea?

i came across this townhouse and i love everything about it! my parents however think the split level layout completely kills the appeal of it. they will be living with me for a few years. the decision is ultimately mine to make but they keep trying to convince me it’s awful and i will regret buying this home if i do. what am i missing here?
this is how the levels are separated level 1 (basement): large unfinished storage area level 2 (entry floor): small hallway leading to garage, hallway closet, and a big laundry room with a sink level 3: kitchen + dining area. also has a half bathroom ideal for guests. the access to the back patio is right off the dining area level 4: living room. has a small balcony level 5: open space with vaulted ceilings perfect for an office or kids play area. master bedroom with private bathroom and small walk in closet is also here level 6: 2 additional bedrooms and a shared bathroom
personally i think the split levels make the house feel much bigger than it is. my parents main gripe is about the separated kitchen and the inconvenience of having to repeatedly go up and down the steps when you have guests over and you’re serving coffee/drinks. they also think the laundry room being 4 half flights of stairs from the bedrooms is a huge hassle. but nearly every townhouse we’ve seen has 2 full floors between the laundry and bedrooms.
they also do not like how there is a single window in the master bedroom. it’s a floor to ceiling window but it’s not wide. the room had decent natural lighting.
i love everything else about this home. it has a backyard, it’s an end unit, it’s priced 50k lower than the others we’ve considered, and the area is safe. it hits all of my requirements. plus the hoa is on the lower end and it includes access to private community center with indoor pool, library, party room, sauna, pool tables.
what are your thoughts?
submitted by MenaceToEarth to FirstTimeHomeBuyer [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 23:50 AutoModerator Ask Me Anything: DJ Jamison

About DJ
[](https://imgur.com/a/MzsJJtM) I live in the Midwest (apologies for my region of the country) and write M/M romances about everyday life but extraordinary love featuring a variety of queer characters, from gay to bisexual to asexual. I spent more than a decade in the newspaper industry before pursuing my first dream to write fiction. I am a lifelong introvert and avid reader, and I continue to get my social fixes through books and a screen more than any other way!
I’ve been published since 2015, but I wrote my first piece of fiction in second grade. It was a skit about dental care, and the teacher had the class perform it.
About DJ’s Books
I write low-angst, tropey, fun contemporary M/M romance. I’ve gone through some evolutions as an author, and in the past couple of years, I’ve been writing more quirky small-town romances with tight-knit groups of friends, nosy neighbors, “punny” business names, and old ladies who make a nuisance of themselves but have big hearts!
I really enjoy the world building in these types of books where the town is like another character that readers enjoy. But I also have quite a few books in my catalog that are not so focused on the small town aspect. Thrust into Love, for example, is about college students and app hookups that go awry in all the best ways.
My newest book is Dock Tease, Book 1 of Swallow Cove, set in a quirky lake town in the Ozarks. I am also writing a Rom-Com Reboot series inspired by Hollywood movies. Sexless in Seattle is out now, and You’ve Got Male is dropping May 22.
My most popular series is Games We Play, about a group of friends in small-town Granville stumbling into their HEAs via party games like Never Have I Ever and Truth or Dare. Two Truths and a Lyle, a prequel novella that launches that series, is free!
My entire catalog is in Kindle Unlimited (except for Lyle, which is free). I also have a growing selection of audios, some of which are distributed wide.
Where to Find Me
GIVEAWAY
To show my appreciation to everyone for being here, I’d like to give away your choice of an ebook or signed paperback of my newest release, Dock Tease! As long as you’ve asked a question below during the hours of this AMA, your name will be entered to win. The winner will be chosen at random after the AMA and contacted through Reddit!
submitted by AutoModerator to MM_RomanceBooks [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 23:48 TheSevage AITA for not inviting my autistic best friend to my 18th birthday?

My 18th birthday is coming up and I called the friends and people who I'm inviting, unfortunately my best friend isn't one of them, now I know what you're thinking "She's your best friend and you're seriously not inviting her!?" Yes but the thing is I used to invite her when we were younger.
My best friend and I met in the 5th grade but then I moved schools next year, we still texted but we never hung out in person outside of when we went to the same school together until the 7th grade, I invited her to my 13th and my 14th birthday and oml was she a pain.
My best friend is autistic so sometimes she kind of has trouble expressing her emotions. She'd always breakdown or call her mom when she didn't get her way, sometimes she'd call her mom when we were doing something she didn't want to do or when she felt left out when me and my other friends talk about a topic she doesn't know/care about (keep in mind she also talks about things that I don't know or care about too in her birthday parties with her other friends but I don't say anything) (Also she doesn't tell us when she feels left out, etc...), she'd keep me all to herself and not let me hang out with the other guests, one time we had to delay blowing out the candles (on an ice cream cake in a hot Texas Summer nonetheless) just because she was mad that I didn't want to play a game she did, I try to ask what's wrong and be there for her and try to include her in more things (even building a pillow fortress for her) of course but you can see how it can be a little annoying.
After that I stopped inviting her to my birthday parties but I always felt like a bad friend, my mom recently asked if I was inviting her to my 18th birthday and I told her I wasn't and she called me a bad friend and saying how I didn't care about her, I tried to tell her that I did and told her why I stopped inviting her but she told me if I was really her friend that I would endure.
AITA?
submitted by TheSevage to AmItheAsshole [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 23:48 Zirnis_13 My space related stuff collection + backstory

My space related stuff collection + backstory
Since my brother started studying in Florida Tech with his massive interest in space, he also dragged me into his world a bit. With the very few times a year he came to visit us, he always brought with him some little sticker, bag or toy with him. He paid especially much attention to myself, as I was the youngest of the 3 brothers.
It all culminated when he graduated from university. Naturally, as family we had to come visit him in Florida to not miss this important event, with this being my first trip to the states.
It just so happens that his graduation happened to fall around the same time as my 10th birthday. To celebrate it, he decided to bring us to the Kennedy Space center. And man, what an unforgettable experience it was! I guess I shouldn't go that much into detail, since I can guess that a major amount of readers here have visited it themselves.
Quick note, the signed Sunita Williams picture was gifted to me along with some other cool stuff, like the NASA patch, while driving to the space center. At the time of writing this, they should launch in about 3 days, so fingers crossed :D
To sum it up, between exploring the center and checking out the expositions, we had booked "lunch with an astronaut". After he was done talking about his experience in space, he turned to the audience. Since the dining room was distributed between a few tables, he went one by one, interacting with the audience. When he came to our table, the first thing he did was that he directed a question at me, asking "How old are you?" and, with English being my second language and having him ask that exactly at my birthday, I mustered something along the lines of "Well, today I'm 10". I just remember him congratulating me afterwards with the whole hall erupting in applause. After the event, there was an option to take a picture with him and have it signed afterwards, which you can see in the pictures.
Like I said, unforgettable.
With my brother finishing master's degree there as well, he wanted to aim for working in NASA, as it was his dream job. But for him to do that, he had to get a green card, so he didn't bother. At least his american roommate got a job there. His last attempt at fulfilling his dream was to apply for the European Space Agency, the European version of NASA. And, low and behold, he got the internship. I won't disclose any further information on what he worked on.
Just recently, he had the chance to visit him again, this time at the ESA complex in the Netherlands. Although the childhood excitement wasn't there anymore, it was still interesting to tour the center. Of course, we couldn't leave without buying at least some stuff, though the patches, fidget toys and keychains were gifts.
I hope you found reading through my experience with space exploration worthwhile and not disappointing. I will be posting this as my first post on both the ESA and NASA subreddits respectively.
submitted by Zirnis_13 to esa [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 23:47 Spinning_Back_Fist I feel lonely & expendable

How to begin?
I'm a 38F; single.
My hobbies are D&D, art, video games, traveling, and karate. I play D&D every weekend, and go to karate 3xs/week. I work full-time doing tech-related things for a small department.
While I have "friends", I feel as though I'm often the only one reaching out to see how they are, or the only one wanting to spend time together.
I've given up the dating scene for now as it's been really disappointing after the last 3 months with local men, and a hurtful last year with falling for someone who never did (and still doesn't 'see me' or know what makes me tick.) He and I were friends before the situation, and still are, but he's distant; which sucks as I feel the closest to him more than anyone else in the area....though it may be one-sided at this point.
At work, I feel like an outlier as I don't fit in with the other girls in the department that I work with. Hobbies, age, body type; everything is different. Most of them are married as well. None of them do tech, and I feel awkward being in groups of women as most of my hobbies have always been male-dominated and I'm more comfortable talking about geek stuff than getting my nails done or the latest video on Tiktok.
D&D is fun, and I like several of the people that I play with, but they are all married/have children, while I have neither of those. And some of them are good friends of people who I don't get along with at all, and would rather not be around.
I love karate. I would go to class every day if I could. The dojo feels like my spiritual home, but it's small with a lot of kids. I would love to spend time with some of the people that go there, but they're always so busy; usually with their families or their jobs. They'll make promises to hang out, and not follow through. Or they'll make plans with me, and then change them without discussing them with me first; telling me afterwards when I've already made other plans and can't join them with their new plans.
I think the worst thing is hearing them talk about going home to their families, or the ones who are roommates; ask each other what they want for dinner as they walk out together...They say we're friends, but friends make time to hang out together, don't they? I often just end up sitting in my car for awhile after class; either in the parking lot or at home, as I don't want to return to an empty place. (I can't afford a pet right now.)
I spent 7.5 years teaching English both in Korea and Japan. The isolation and loneliness there was to be expected; with the language and cultural barrier and whatnot. I even got so lonely that I signed up for junk emails just so 'someone' would email me. I also started writing a diary and emails that I never sent to feel like maybe someone was hearing me. So I guess that I felt like when I got back here, I would naturally fall into friendships and relationships, but that hasn't been the case. My local friends from high school I feel as though I've outgrown, and my foreigner friends that I made in Japan aren't allowed to talk after a certain time, are busy with s/os, or are depressed so don't want to talk anymore.
I know that I'm "really cool" and a good person and friend with a big heart. I've heard it alot. But it just feels like if I were to slowly disappear, would people notice? Would they even care past the work I do or me being one of the few women at the dojo? I love the dojo, and I want to help there with whatever I can, but I often feel shot down when I offer to help with things; even if I have the skills or experience to help and they could really use my help.
Sometimes I fantasize that my friends would call upon me for help and support with something and I could swoop in there and be appreciated by them. I guess I just want to be wanted and needed by someone, if not something. I want to be included, and invited to things. I want to help my friends and have a strong bond with them and spend time outside of our shared hobbies with each other. I want to belong somewhere.
I miss the community that I had in high school. I tried joining community band here, but it didn't go well so I joined karate instead. My online gaming friends either are busy with their gfs and we very rarely game together now, or they no longer have a subscription to play online.
I've tried to embrace the fun parts about being alone; like staying in pajamas or staying up late or following my own plans. I'll take myself out to do fun things, like seeing a movie, or lunch, or the beach, but the novelty wears off when I get home and I'm alone and have no one to really share it with. Except Facebook.
While I was invited to a friend's birthday party last-minute, I'm also currently under an incredible amount of stress at the moment with my dad being in the hospital, and having to see him nearly every day. I haven't been able to focus on work, and when I get home, I'm mentally and physically tapped out. Household affairs have greatly fallen behind and it makes me come down on myself even harder...why do other people not have this problem and not break down and cry like I do? I've been so frustrated and hard on myself lately... I have a therapy appointment next month, but that's still so far away.
I just really need a hug, and an invitation to hang out with friends and be seen and understood without judgement.
Thank you for listening.
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2024.05.18 23:46 Kejmarcz Rudy Giuliani gets indictment papers at birthday party after mocking Arizona attorney general

Rudy Giuliani gets indictment papers at birthday party after mocking Arizona attorney general submitted by Kejmarcz to nottheonion [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 23:46 Used-Place-2496 Guys do i need help?

Hey Im Male 20, and from iran. So i became a Tarayummy fan after her recent blowup, and quickly enough i become Dropouts podcast fan as well. Im literally obsessed with her and the podcast, i just love Tara for being herself and her humor, confidence and personality (which apparently a lot of people don't like these things about her). It all happened 2 months ago and since then, I've been watching every content of her Religiously, at this point I watched all of her episodes on Dropouts at least twice. I know its Odd but watching her always makes me laugh and happy in general, so i just do it. And the fact that she is Persian just like me just makes me more obsessed with her, to the point that its has become my dream to meet her and be friends with her (which is impossible based on where i live but it's always good to dream about) because I love how emotional she is and how she cares about her friends. (if you watch her YouTube video "spoiling my dog for his birthday" a month ago, the way she keeps getting emotional ans wants to cry just melts my heart, so that's what I mean by i love hiw emo she is) So recently i tried to look at it more realistically and now that im thinking about it, am i taking it too far? Seeing others opinions about her is starting to open my eyes a little, i mean i know she's self centered and spoiled and egoistic, but these are kinda the reasons why im in love with her, so now im confused, am i just a lonely Boy that has nothing to do with his life or some of you can actually relate to how i feel about Tara? By the way English is not my first language so, sorry if i had mistakes.
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2024.05.18 23:45 Tony_Barker Daughter’s birthday party outfit!

Daughter’s birthday party outfit!
Cute but also comfy!
submitted by Tony_Barker to OUTFITS [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 23:45 haxor699 JOIN THE FUCKING CASTLE PART GIVING AWAY 5k coins u PUSSIES JOIN THE STREEAM GUYSSSSS kick.com/monarch

JOIN THE FUCKING CASTLE PART GIVING AWAY 5k coins u PUSSIES JOIN THE STREEAM GUYSSSSS kick.com/monarch submitted by haxor699 to csgo [link] [comments]


2024.05.18 23:44 CoolGlassesBrah Got crush problems

Soo tomorrow my crush is gonna throw a party for her 18th birthday. Some of my friends were invited but i wasn’t, surprisingly. This isn’t a weird situation at all, we met on a dating app and it turned out that we share the same friend group. We’ve been texting for over three weeks and we even met a few times so we aren’t strangers at all. Now heres the thing. Suddenly she tells me i cant come because her parents dont know me but surprisingly all the friends we share are allowed to go to her party, even tho none of them know her parents. I just feel kinda weird since we were kinda bonding and we even seemed to build a steady relationship but now all of a sudden im just not invited??? Its not even anything like “uh her friends dont know about me”. Her friends openly admited (her best friend was with us, on our first date”meeting”) that they would ask me out immediately if it weren’t for her best friend having a crush on me (the girl im talking to for like a month now)
submitted by CoolGlassesBrah to teenagers [link] [comments]


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