Betty jean robinson gospel music

I was alone in my bedroom when I first started talking to Lili Hope. My parents were out of town and I was stuck at the house on a dark and stormy night. It was another lonely weekend for me considering I had no friends in college, let alone a girlfriend. I had long started regretting the decision to stay home in Americus and attend Georgia Southwestern but tonight really emphasized my alienation. Here I was in the middle of nowhere in a house surrounded by roaming woods and dirt roads. And to top all this misery off, I was only twenty so I couldn’t buy alcohol.
But still there was Lili. In my room, I ignored the steady rain overpowering my classic rock YouTube playlist. I could ignore the February cold and it was all because of her.
I’d met Lili on MeetMe, a really shitty free dating app. But she stood out. Not just because she wasn’t a spambot either. For one thing, she was close. Buena Vista (that's BEW-NUH VISS-TUH), Georgia was only thirty minutes away and it was a town I was familiar with given how much my parents and I enjoyed visiting Eddie Martin’s Pasaquan art exhibit.
I could tell Lili enjoyed talking to me for more than just compliments and sexting (though I certainly wasn’t complaining about that). We discussed horror movies, The Beatles, and how we were made for each other given we were both pale Hispanic emos. She was my age but had dropped out of Georgia Southwestern after her first semester because she had no money or support from her shithead father. Now Lili was working at a gas station in Buena Vista, but her dreams of being an actress or a model persisted. She certainly had the looks no matter what hair color she ran with. And unlike most of the girls I encountered on MeetMe, Lili never used make-up or excessive SnapChat filters to disguise her acne or slight belly. She stayed true to herself.
After that magical night, she and I talked more over the next few weeks. There were phone calls, Facebook chats, text messages. Even FaceTime calls in which Lili thrilled me when she said I was even cuter on video. I could’ve said the same about her. Call it an emo romance, but to me, what we had was true love.
Through our talks, I did find out more about Lili's family. Her mom had died when Lili was only eight so she became very close to her dad. She showed me many of her old family photos but I was a little confused when I never saw one of her mom. Lili’s dad on the other hand looked old even though he was only in his mid-forties. He was a shorter man with dark long hair and a dark long beard. About the only thing he and Lili seemed to have in common were their big brown eyes.
I felt like Lili had rescued me during all those lonely school days and even lonelier weekends. I liked to think I saved her from the customer service depression as well. And then finally, the dream happened: we made plans to meet in person.
Spring Break arrived, and per usual, I had no plans. Lili gave me her address and on a quiet Monday while my parents were out of town, I got ready to head over to Buena Vista. I threw on my coolest band tee (my Ramones shirt), my nicest pair of jeans, and even had my straight dark hair perfectly combed over to the side. I felt the adrenaline of a prom night I never got to experience.
In the kitchen, I stopped to see a violent storm outside the sliding glass doors. Cold air had already seeped into the house. I threw on a yellow windbreaker to both stay warm and to prepare for the barrage of rain that was about to hit me like bullets.
But before I left, I needed something to calm my nerves: I grabbed one of my dad’s Miller Lites. But I needed music too. I looked toward our Amazon Echo standing by the Keurig, trying to decide on the perfect theme song for Lili and I's first date.
"Alexa, play 'Born To Run'!" I finally said.
"Okay," Alexa's calm, robotic voice replied.
Springsteen's classic roared over the downpour. The beer also did the trick even though I cringed with every sip. I had enough of a buzz to calm the jitters but not enough to get me a DUI. "Thank you, Alexa!" I said to that sweet machine.
"No problem," she stated. "No problem at all, Demian.”
In the Corolla, I turned on the heat before accessing the Waze app on my phone. I plugged in Lili's address then pulled out of the driveway. The app started to talk to me off my phone… only this wasn't the bland monotone Waze usually greeted me with. This was my voice.
Thanks to the beer buzz, I just chuckled at first. Especially once I heard myself giving the directions, the fusion of my deep voice and Alexa's deliberate tone amusing me. I put on a Spotify classic rock station to further calm the nerves.
The decreasing mile marker signs leading to Buena Vista excited me like a New Year's countdown. And soon, the route got more and more secluded. The highway got bumpier, the houses less frequent. Darkness soon blanketed whatever daylight I had left… even though it wasn’t even five o’clock yet.
Unease crept inside me as the ferocious storm never went away. Even over the music and my own methodical Waze voice, I could hear and feel the thunder. My windshield wipers worked overtime. I felt my tires spray water everywhere on this ocean of rugged pavement. Rather than a fearsome sight, the lightning actually became a helpful co-pilot for my Corolla's weak headlights.
The spiraling drive took me past Buena Vista's downtown ‘square,’ a conglomeration of decrepit historical buildings, the rundown gas station I figured Lili had slaved away at, and a seedy Subway.
"Turn left on Tenney Road," Waze Demian stated in a voice smoother than I could ever conjure in the real world.
I followed orders and turned on to the dirt road. The fact my Corolla didn't get bogged down shocked me. Rather than water, my tires now kicked up slushy mud. Lili had said she lived in the country, but this was something else: this was a fucking forest.
Needless to say, the headlights didn't help much. Leaning forward, I strained to see through the darkness and buckets of rain. The raindrops now drowned out all other noise. Up ahead, all I could make out was the faint trace of a driveway and a metal mailbox painted in harsh shades of red.
"What the hell..." I muttered.
"Your destination is on the left," Waze Demian said, his monotone struggling to contain excitement.
My unease only grew but I had to see Lili. I'd already come this far.
"Your destination is on the left," Waze Demian repeated for emphasis.
The closer I got to the mailbox, the more my fear intensified. I actually started to sweat on this dark, cold night.
"Your destination is on the left," my Waze voice continued to chant.
As I pulled into the driveway, the radio and headlights all cut out in a flash. My car came to a sudden stop. Darkness dominated the scene as I saw nothing and heard nothing except the merciless app.
"Your destination is on the left," Waze Demian repeated.
Panicking, I flicked on the headlights but nothing worked. I was trapped. "Fuck!"
Lightning flashed to give me a terrifying sneak peek of Lili's ‘home’:
Less than fifteen feet away from me stood three people dressed in red robes. Their hoods were pulled up and behind them lurked an isolated tree.
"Your destination is on the left," Waze Demian said.
Without warning, my headlights and radio roared to life. Only instead of classic rock, I got greeted by loud, distorted audio resembling the sound of a looped tape being grated by a machine.
"Your destination is on the left," I could hear Waze Demian say over such a horrifying sound.
I screamed when I saw through headlights that were way brighter, the chilling scene before me. I recognized Lili standing in the red cloak and her father right next to her. Both of them displayed painted smiles on those pale faces.
Ropes and chains were wrapped around the old tree. The tree tilted to the side, its long branches without leaves extending out like restless hands clamoring for me. I could even make out weird symbols carved into the tree's flesh, the engravings so deep they practically made the bark bleed.
I never got a good glimpse of the third person. They kept their cloak hood pulled over their face, every inch of their body disguised in red.
"Fuck this..." my quivering voice said in an antithesis to the calm cadence of Waze Demian.
Beneath the hard rain, Lili marched straight toward me to the tune of the unsettling noise from the radio, her steps slow and steady. Her confident eyes glued to me. I saw where Lili's smile was sharper than the long curved knife she held.
"Your destination is on the left," my Waze voice stated.
Lightning flashed as Lili raised the blade. Her red hair oozed out beneath the hood to blend into the cloak. Raindrops slid down her face. She was now less than ten feet away and only getting closer.
"Shit!" I cried. With a trembling hand, I put the car in reverse. The tires scrunched up dirt as I backed out on to Tenney Road in a reckless flourish.
Turning, I saw Lili reach for the passenger side's door handle. Goddamn, she was fast! And even through the darkness, I could see her gaze and feel it pierce straight into my soul.
"Your destination is on the left," my own voice seemed to taunt me.
Right when Lili grabbed the handle, I mashed the gas pedal and sped off into the night. Far from whatever Lili and her dad had in store for me.
I stole one glance at the rearview mirror to see Lili standing there in the middle of the road. The knife was now dangled by her side, her eyes still stuck on me.
"Your destination is on the-," Waze Demian started before I turned off the fucking app. I killed the radio to quash that fucking static. Now all I heard was soothing silence save for the steady raindrops.
Despite the lingering fear, I guided my Corolla all the way back to Americus. I called 911 and told the police everything and they said they'd send a car out to the address, but according to them, no one had lived on Tenney Road for years.
Back home, I staggered back into the kitchen. I was beyond sober and still scared. I grabbed another beer. Maybe getting a buzz would help me overcome the fear.
Thunder erupted outside. Startled, I looked toward the sliding glass doors but saw nothing but the black night. I let out an exasperated breath and took another swig before shifting my gaze to the Echo.
"Alexa, play 'Ninety-Six Tears'," I said.
The Echo light cut on. But instead of ? And The Mysterians's keyboards, I got my own chilling, calm voice:
"Your destination is on the right," Waze Demian stated.
I stumbled back against a wall. I was too frightened to scream.
"Your destination is on the right," Waze Demian repeated, louder this time so that my robotic voice echoed through the house.
I looked at the glass doors just as lightning flashed to form a perfect spotlight for the terrifying sight on our back porch.
Lurking behind the doors were the three robed figures: Lili, her dad, and the third person who I now saw was a middle-aged woman. Thanks to a beam emanating from a cell phone she held with the Waze app on, I could see the woman's entrancing eyes, flowing long hair, and wicked smile. I knew she had to be Lili's mom… Lili certainly took after her.
An agonizing screech sent chills down my spine.
Lili was sliding the curved blade all down the door for a long tease. One she carried out with a beaming grin on her face.
"Your destination is inside," Waze Demian stated.
rhonnie14FanPage

Hello potential friend! I know the typical format is "hello this is me, let's be friends!" but I thought it would be a bit more fun to make my post a resume as I am applying to be your friend, so here goes:
Goal: To be a great friend to you, make you laugh, and listen to you when you need to vent.
Personality Overview: I'm a learned extrovert. For those unfamiliar with the term, my job has forced me to display enough extrovert characteristics (all the presenting) that you'd think I was an actual extravert, but my heart is that of an introvert. I'm nerdy in the sense that I love learning and I'm usually combing through a textbook of some sort trying to get better at one of my current skills or learn a new one.
Experience: I'm friendly to most people. The only exception would be clowns and this one girl named Betty from the 3rd grade because she sat on my slice of pizza and I told her I wouldn't be her friend if she didn't get me a whole Pizza Hut to make up for it.
Hobbies: As of recent, I've been trying to work on short fiction writing. The most fictitious thing about it is how worth reading my efforts have been! I'm into outdoorsy things like camping, biking, swimming, and not getting eaten by bears.
Pets: My apartment doesn't allow me to have pets :( I would love to have a cat, but ironically I'm allergic.
Friend Preference: Just someone that is kind and fun to chat with, if that seems like you I hope to hear from you :)
Music: I like 80s pop, house, and I enjoy my emo throwbacks.
If you're on the fence... I have a couple Dad jokes you might like. Slide into the DMs and we can talk further :)

Typing through the tears over Limousine team but now that we're past the 2nd elimination, it's time for another review of which performances' members survived and which didn't. For performances from episodes 1-4, which were covered in the first performance success rate review, the old results are hidden as spoilers for easy comparison (if they changed).
(Note: Groups are sorted from highest to lowest survival %, followed by best to worst average rank)
Star Level Test

Group	Survivability	Average Rank
STUDIO GL1DE (Beautiful Beautiful - ONF)	1/1 (100%)	1
Canada (All I Wanna Do - Jay Park ft. Hoody, Loco)	1/1 (100%)	4 (2)
CUBE (Shut Down - BLACKPINK)	1/1 (100%)	11 (7)
USA (Rush Hour - Crush ft. j-hope)	2/2 (100%)	16 (20)
Wang Zi Hao (Veil - Lay)	1/1 (100%)	19 (29)
Takuto (Instead of Saying Goodbye - Rain)	1/1 (100%)	25 (15)
Yuehua (Kick It - NCT 127) (K Group)	3/4 (75%) (4/4 (100%))	16.75 (18.5)
Yuehua (Kick It - NCT 127) (G Group)	3/4 (75%) (4/4 (100%))	20 21.5
Individual Trainees (Mirotic - TVXQ)	3/5 (60%) (4/5 (80%))	22.5 (28.25)
WAKEONE (The Real - ATEEZ)	3/5 (60%) (4/5 (80%))	26.8 (31.2)
WAKEONE (Bloom Bloom - The Boyz)	1/2 (50%) (2/2 (100%))	30.5 (29.5)
FirstOne (Attention - NewJeans)	1/2 (50%)	40.5
Osaka (Zero for Conduct - Block B BASTARZ)	2/4 (50%)	53.25 (51.5)
WAKEONE (Glitch Mode - NCT Dream)	1/3 (33%) (2/3 (66%))	35.67 (31.33)
Shanghai (Reveal - The Boyz)	1/4 (25%) (3/4 (75%))	28 (39.33)
Redstart ENM (Nunu Nana - Jessi)	1/4 (25%) (2/4 (50%))	50.5 (51.75)
Jellyfish (G.B.T.B. - VERIVERY)	1/4 (25%) (2/4 (50%))	51 (51.5)
Taipei (Tiger Inside - SuperM)	1/4 (25%)	62.75 (63.75)
Vietnam (View - SHINee)	0/2 (0%) (2/2 (100%))	30.5 (34)
Wumuti (UN Village - Baekhyun)	0/1 (0%) (1/1 (100%))	34 (43)
LM (Gambler - MONSTA X)	0/1 (0%) (1/1 (100%))	36 (42)
CABIN74 (My House - 2PM)	0/1 (0%) (1/1 (100%))	38 (27)
143 (Replay - SHINee)	0/2 (0%) (2/2 (100%))	43.5 (21.5)
CUBE (My House - 2PM)	0/1 (0%) (1/1 (100%))	46 (24)
TOPMEDIA (Who - Moonbin & Sanha)	0/2 (0%) (2/2 (100%))	48 (43)
GREAT M (Criminal - Taemin)	0/1 (0%) (1/1 (100%))	51 (48)
FNC (Mmmh - Kai)	0/1 (0%)	55
Beijing (Call Me Baby - EXO)	0/4 (0%) (2/4 (50%))	55.5 (55)
OUI (Love Scenario - iKON)	0/2 (0%)	64
ALLART (Criminal - Taemin)	0/1 (0%)	67
Aichi (CROWN - TXT)	0/2 (0%)	68
Individual Trainees (Lullaby - GOT7)	0/4 (0%)	69.66
Woollim (DamDaDi - Golden Child)	0/2 (0%)	74
Sichuan (Hot - SEVENTEEN)	0/2 (0%)	75
Canton/Guangdong (God's Menu - Stray Kids)	0/4 (0%)	77.25
Tokyo (Shine - PENTAGON)	0/3 (0%)	78.33
Hyogo (Maniac - Stray Kids)	0/2 (0%)	78.5
Thailand (Ko Ko Bop - EXO)	0/2 (0%)	79

​
Signal Song

Group	Survivability	Average Rank
All Stars	12/14 (86%) (14/14 (100%))	13.14 (15)
3 Stars	9/22 (43%) (17/21 (81%))	35.18 (33.81)
2 Stars	3/19 (16%) (5/19 (26%))	64.95 (64.05)
1 Star	3/21 (14%) (9/21 (43%))	57.57 (58.18)
No Stars	1/15 (7%) (6/15 (40%))	58.07 (55.07)

​
K vs. G Battle

Group	Survivability	Average Rank
Kill This Love - BLACKPINK (G)	5/6 (83%)	19 (21.5)
Back Door - Stray Kids (K)	5/7 (71%) (6/7 (86%))	19.86 (25)
Love Me Right - EXO (K)	4/7 (57%) (6/7 (86%))	24.71 (27)
Very Nice - SEVENTEEN (K)	3/7 (43%) (6/7 (86%))	33.57 (30.43)
Back Door - Stray Kids (G)	3/7 (43%) (6/7 (86%))	38.71 (42.14)
Love Me Right - EXO (G)	2/7 (29%) (5/7 (71%))	40.29 (38)
Kill This Love - BLACKPINK (K)	1/5 (20%) (2/5 (40%))	58.4 (57.4)
Hot Sauce - NCT Dream (K)	1/6 (17%) (6/6 (100%))	40.17 (39.66)
Very Nice - SEVENTEEN (G)	1/7 (14%) (3/7 (43%))	51 (49.14)
Danger - BTS (K)	1/7 (14%) (4/7 (57%))	51.86 (44.71)
Hot Sauce - NCT Dream (G)	1/7 (14%) (2/7 (29%))	67.14 (70)
Danger - BTS (G)	1/7 (14%)	73.43 (72)
Burn It Up - Wanna One (K)	0/6 (0%)	66
Burn It Up - Wanna One (G)	0/7 (0%)	76

​
Dual Position Battle

Group	Survivability	Average Rank
Tomboy - (G)I-DLE	4/4 (100%)	5.75
Love Killa - MONSTA X	4/4 (100%)	8.25
Law - Yoon Mirae, BIBI	4/5 (80%)	18.2
GANG - H1GHR MUSIC	3/5 (60%)	24.6
Home - SEVENTEEN	3/5 (60%)	25.4
Rush Hour - Crush ft. j-hope	3/5 (60%)	26.4
Zoom - Jessi	3/5 (60%)	26.6
Feel Special - TWICE	2/4 (50%)	32.75
Man in Love - INFINITE	1/4 (25%)	34.75
BTS - Butterfly	1/4 (25%)	35.3
Limousine - BE'O ft. Mino	0/3 (0%)	36.67
Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms - HIGH4, IU	0/3 (0%)	47.33

​
Other Stats/Conclusion
Greatest changes
The groups which are now completely eliminated are Vietnam (View), 143 (Replay), TOPMEDIA (Who), Beijing (Call Me Baby) from the Star Level Test (solo performances not listed) and Limousine and Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms from the Dual Position Battle.
The groups with the greatest drop in average rank are 143 (Replay), CUBE (My House) (both 22 places) and CABIN74 (My House) (11 places) from the Star Level Test. The groups with the greatest rise in average rank are Shanghai (Reveal) (11.33 places), Wang Zi Hao (Veil) (10 places) and Wumuti (UN Village) (9 places) from the Star Level Test.
Interestingly, the Signal Song survivability rate ranking now matches the star level, as 1-Star and No Stars got gutted this elimination round, allowing 2 Stars to rise above them in survivability.
Dual Position Battle stats
For the Dual Position Battle, Rap/Dance had the best survivability rate (65%), while Vocal/Rap had the worst survivability rate (36%). Vocal/Dance had the highest average rank at 23.95, while Vocal/Rap had the lowest average rank at 29.57.
Artist stats
For the following stats on artists, artists that have only been performed once are not counted (performances of the same song are counted though), and solo songs are counted separately from groups (ie. Taemin vs. SHINee, Baekhyun and Kai vs. EXO).
Best artist(s) to cover for survivability (>50% survival rate):

• NCT 127
• Crush

Worst artist(s) to cover for survivability (0% survival rate):

• SHINee
• 2PM
• Taemin
• Wanna One

Best artist(s) to cover for ranking (average ranking < 30):

• NCT 127
• Crush

Worst artist(s) to cover for ranking (average ranking > 50):

• Wanna One
• Taemin

Hi, if someone has a moment could you clip a wedding announcement for me. It looks like there is a picture attached? Thanks so much!!
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/13417945/
Miss Betty Jean Dean and Richard Gagnon
Publication: Casa Grande Dispatch i Location: Casa Grande, Arizona Issue Date: Thursday, February 8, 1951 Page: Page 3
​
Also same person obituary
Betty J Dean Gagnon
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/777858801/
Publication: Ventura County Star i Location: Ventura, California Issue Date: Thursday, December 3, 2009 Page: 16

AMERICAN CONSERVATISM AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
The relationship between the modern conservative movement and the Catholic Church in America is just now beginning to be understood. Despite evidence of a close relationship between Catholicism and conservatism, the Church is most often considered a liberal institution, while the Catholic Church in its official capacity denies that it has an inherent connection to any political party or ideology. Nevertheless, the connection between American conservatism and Catholicism is much closer than is usually realized, so much so that the Church is better understood as a conservative than as a liberal institution.
Catholic Origins of American Conservatism
One of the overlooked facts about the modern conservative movement is the irreplaceable part played by Catholics.1 Indeed, it is almost possible to believe that the conservative movement in America was largely a Catholic thing, but this would be to overestimate the influence of Catholics. The conservative movement was not an explicit attempt of lay Catholics or the Church itself to manufacture a movement or arm to gain political influence for the Catholic Church. (This is in contrast to the Moral Majority, which was an explicit attempt to gain evangelical Protestantism a secular arm and direct political influence.) The Catholic Church in America, in contrast to the Church in Europe, has not allied itself officially with any political party or ideological movement, respecting the American separation of church and state. Further, Catholic influence tends to be more diffuse, representing the wide variety of political opinions held by its members.
The two outstanding representatives of Catholicism in the conservative movement, well-known to readers of this journal, are William F. Buckley and Russell Kirk, the founders of National Review and Modern Age, respectively. Buckley was a cradle Catholic who attended an English Catholic boarding school. He held a strongly traditional view of the Church and was an opponent of the vernacular Mass that resulted from the Second Vatican Council. National Review often dealt directly with Catholic issues, most famously in attacking the encyclicals of Pope John XXIII but also in its criticisms of the neo-Marxist Catholic liberation theology emanating from Latin America. Russell Kirk, whose book The Conservative Mind went through multiple printings, greatly encouraged a traditionalist form of conservative thought. He was a Catholic convert but had already established his conservative philosophy at the time he entered the Church. While Buckley represents the influence of cradle Catholics whose religious beliefs made them sharply critical of political and social developments in America following World War II, Kirk represents the conservative Catholics who joined the Church for personal reasons of faith, certainly, but also because their conservatism was explicitly and strongly represented in the Catholic Church. The presence of a large number of cradle Catholics in the conservative movement and the tendency of conservatives to become Catholic converts raises the question: what is the nexus between Catholicism and conservatism?
There is a large overlap between Catholicism and conservatism, and five areas can be distinguished. First, there is the conservative respect for tradition, that is, the Burkean assumption that any social institution in place for a great length of time and serving many people well has a claim on us. The Catholic Church has contributed an essential and distinctive element to Western civilization in art, literature, music, theology, and philosophy, and— not least—in its spreading of the Christian gospel, which had a civilizing effect on the many peoples of Europe, including those originally thought of as “barbarians.”
Second, there is a moral realism intrinsic to the Church’s doctrines and practices that presupposes good and evil’s actual reality and actual distinction. As the European world order collapsed during the twentieth century under the weight of total wars and totalitarian movements, good and evil were forsworn as ancient notions easily disposed of in the face of the onslaught of naked political power. The Catholic Church’s continued assertion that there exists an objective moral order thus seems salutary and providential.
Third, there was the policy of anti-Communism, which was especially noteworthy after World War II, when the Church supported centrist or mildly leftist political parties in Italy and France in opposition to Communist political parties that had many adherents. In America in the 1950s, figures such as Bishop Sheen and Cardinal Spellman vigorously opposed Communism; a disconcerting result of Vatican II was the Church’s change from a policy of anti-Communism effectively to one of antianti-Communism.
Fourth, the Catholic Church provides a primary example of an institution that survives in history not because it remains static, but because it changes slowly over time, accommodating itself to new circumstances while retaining its essential identity. Thus the confusing effects of the Second Vatican Council have amounted to a seemingly radical change in the Church and sorely tested the faith of many Catholic conservatives. Alterations in the order of the Mass and the reversal of the anti-Communist policy have caused especially severe discord.
Finally, especially appealing to intellectual conservatives is the Church’s espousal of the doctrine of natural law, which is conformable to the doctrine of natural rights found in the practice of American law and written in the Declaration of Independence, which refers to “nature’s God” as the source of rights and an implied moral order by which the actions of political agents can be fairly and rationally judged.
These considerations do not mean that Catholicism and American conservatism are altogether compatible. The conservative tradition in America is diverse, tending especially toward the principle of personal freedom from state controls. The Catholic tradition is communitarian and familyoriented, seeing the individual as embedded in a network of social connections and responsibilities ultimately of divine origin. This communitarianism sharply contradicts the individualism that is an inherent part of American culture, especially as expressed in the libertarian strain of contemporary conservatism. Previously, Catholic teaching had criticized the doctrine of individual rights; this, however, is changing. Since Vatican II official Church documents have stressed the individual’s right of conscience in order to defend freedom of religion in places where the Church is actively suppressed, as in China, or where Christian worship is severely curtailed, as in Muslim nations.
Another point of likely disagreement is free-market capitalism. Continental Catholic theologians have long had an animus toward the “Anglo-Saxon” social arrangement of England and America with its emphasis on political freedom and monetary advancement. This may be only a cultural prejudice, but in fact Catholic social teaching cannot be comfortable with an unrestrained form of capitalism in which there is no Reagan-style safety net (at least) for those who do not benefit directly from the free market. Catholic doctrine leans toward promoting communal solidarity with some kind of guarantees for housing and income for all, and from a Catholic perspective, the philosophy of unrestrained capitalism elevates the free market as a false idol. Here again, however, Catholic attitudes are changing toward a more conservative position; Pope John Paul II’s last social encyclical approved the free market as an efficient way of setting prices and allocating goods, and prominent lay Catholics such as William Simon and Michael Novak have favored the free market as compatible with Catholic thought.
The Liberal Church
While there is nothing in the documents of the Second Vatican Council that explicitly commits Catholicism to a liberal social philosophy, liberals and progressives have seized upon the Council to promote their programs and philosophies within the Church. Vatican II urged lay participation in the world, so that the Christian message would be spread through all aspects of society. Without careful delineation by the bishops who attended the Council and under whose supervision its documents were written, it was somehow automatically assumed that the Council reforms meant social activism of the sort carried out by promoting left-wing schemes and agendas. The bishops, including the popes who initiated the Council, John XXIII and Paul VI, were unaware of how suddenly changes would overtake the Church under pressure from various cadres of the Left, including feminists, pacifists, liturgical experts, anarchic radicals, and advocates of welfare expansion. Church authorities were overtaken by events until it became necessary for them to push back and re-establish lines of authority, as happened under Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
One of the reforms of Vatican II was to give national councils of Catholic bishops a greater degree of authority and independence, without having to wait for direction from the Vatican.10 In the United States the bishops made policy in their annual meetings and relied on the bureaucracy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to promulgate those policies and bring them into effect. Since both the bishop’s annual meetings and the USCCB are based in Washington, D.C., this amounted to the Church’s becoming a Dupont Circle-type lobbying group promoting a liberal line in virtually all areas of public policy and domestic and foreign affairs. USCCB policies, which are intended to “share Catholic social teaching,” have nonetheless attracted opposition from conservative Catholics and other critics who not only have a different ideological take on the issues but often have more expertise about the issues addressed than the USCCB staff that writes the policies and lobbies for them. The one exception to the liberal line taken by the USCCB is in the area of sex and reproduction, including abortion, gay marriage, cloning, and stemcell research.
The presumption that the Church had become politically liberal and progressive was encouraged by the writings of the two popes who oversaw Vatican II. John XXIII promulgated two major encyclicals and, as mentioned above, Mater et Magistra, in particular, was criticized by NationalReview. In fact, however, that encyclical was a sensible essay on Catholic social doctrine as it had developed to that time, and it appeared that conservative criticism of it was about its utopian tone or presumed intent rather than its specific provisions. Paul VI, on the other hand, in his document (not an encyclical) Populorum Progressio expressed a deep concern for justice for the Third World and condemned the economic policies of the First World. Not merely progressive, but radical, dimensions of Catholic social doctrine were rapidly developed by the Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM), which explicitly deployed Marxist themes and language to denounce American capitalism. A major contribution of CELAM was to promote the doctrine of the preferential option for the poor, which quickly became the usual standard by which social and economic policies were judged and promoted by the American bishops and the USCCB.
The bishops promulgated a pastoral letter entitled Economic Justice for All in the 1980s that was meant to be a guide for Catholic social action emerging from public hearings on economic issues, a new approach to writing such documents. Despite the open manner in which opinions were sought and the importance of the topic, the letter was a failure, since it was basically a committee document with a general tendency toward progressive social and economic reform but whose recommendations did not consistently make sense. Unlike a previous pastoral letter by the bishops on nuclear war, the letter on the economy made no splash on the national scene.
The left-wing social policies advocated by Catholic liberals after the Second Vatican Council were as much influenced by contemporary liberal thought as by the Gospels. The preferential option for the poor reflects the argument of the liberal political philosopher John Rawls that economic and social inequalities can only be justified by their positive effect on the poorest in society. It is noteworthy that the preferential option marks a significant departure from the Church’s previous concern refl ected in the social encyclicals of earlier popes. The point of these earlier encyclicals was to provide a moral argument on behalf of workingmen and their families, who were seen as far less powerful than the owners of factories and commercial enterprises employing them. In the process of rapid industrialization, the Church was anxious to protect those people who had left farms in large numbers to become factory workers in large cities. The preferential option for the poor, however, has displaced the Church’s concern for productive workers to those who are at the bottom rung of society and do not or cannot contribute to it. In this manner, the Church has, in effect, turned its back on middle-class workers and taxpayers, who no longer appear to need its advocacy. It now seems as if in promoting the prefer ential option in an age of global expansion of an industrial, capitalist economy, the Church seeks to draw attention to those who cannot be participants in its expansion. Catholic advocates of progressive social doctrine in America are inclined to equate the preferential option for the poor directly with the expansion of welfare state benefits and must have found it disconcerting when Pope John Paul II in his last social encyclical declared that the “social assistance state,” that is, the welfare state, was not a refl ection of gospel concern for the poor and that the free market was valuable as a means of distribution.
The downside of the liberal influence in the Catholic Church can be seen in its effects. First, the promotion of engagement in the world as the preferred Christian vocation following Vatican II resulted in many priests and nuns’ leaving their vocations and a precipitous decline in new entrants to these vocations on which the Church depends for its existence. Social activism trumps sacramental dedication in the liberal church. Second, liberal churchmen and -women doubt the legitimacy of the Church’s claim to be a divinely founded institution and argue that the Church should cultivate a dramatically humbler idea of itself. Liberals argue on principle against the Church’s putative triumphalism and think that the only sufficient act of reparation for Catholic anti-Semitism is a degree of self-abnegation tantamount to institutional suicide. There is in the liberal church, a general spirit of anti-authoritarianism reaching beyond resentment of the imperious attitude of priests and prelates in the immigrant church. Rather, it is an attitude that denies or seeks to downplay the relevance of historical norms and institutional structures present in the Church. The absolutism of moral rules, the male priesthood, the existence of hell, and the authority of the pope are attacked as if no impediment to radical reform of the Church or restriction of any kind on an individual’s personal belief or behavior is acceptable. The existence of the Catholic Church in its historical form is seen by liberals as an impediment to the attainment of true freedom and earthly perfection.
The Conservative Church
It was not long before a backlash began against the liberals who had dominated and set the terms of the reforms, first by tradition-minded priests and lay Catholics, but subsequently at the level of the papacy.19 The accession of John Paul II to the papacy seems providential in this regard. Liberal critics see him as a figure of reaction, yet John Paul II and his successor Benedict XVI were not setting the Church’s clock back to where it was prior to the beginning of Vatican II. Instead these two popes were bringing forth the intended aims of the Council, for it seemed to them that the effects of the Council had gone too far. John Paul and Benedict are not reactionaries in full, but representatives of an ecclesiastical Thermidorean reaction fighting against the excesses of post-conciliar reforms and attempting to return the Church to the true form originally envisioned by the Council fathers. It was never intended by the bishops of the Council that ancient Catholic traditions be abolished, so among these reforms is a greater willingness to have the old Tridentine Rite (the Extraordinary Form) of the Mass made available to those who want it, and lately, to put brief sections of Latin into the vernacular Mass (the Ordinary Form or Novus Ordo); Catholics in favor of liturgical reform portray this as a complete aboutface rather than an accommodation. However, John Paul II did forcefully squelch the movement for female priests even as he rode triumphantly in parades throughout major cities in all parts of the world.
During his long papacy John Paul II wrote and sent out to the world a large number of writings addressing spiritual, but just as often cultural, political, and economic issues. There were important encyclicals opposing moral and epistemological relativism and another on the relation of faith to reason aimed at Catholic theologians but of direct interest to philosophers and intellectuals concerned with the topic. There were other writings as well, but it was by his very presence as a charismatic leader who often outshone the politicians with whom he appeared that John Paul II was influential, reviving confidence among many Catholics about their faith and, not incidentally, inspiring many young Catholic men to become priests. It was by his charismatic presence that he inspired the Solidarity movement in Poland, and his conspiratorial maneuvering with Zbigniew Brzezinski (also a nativeborn Pole), the American labor movement, and President Reagan was instrumental in bringing down the Communist regimes in Poland and Eastern Europe and eventually in Russia itself. The papacy of John Paul II was enormously influential, because it revived the sense of Catholic tradition and brought to fulfillment the Church’s anti-Communist policy in Europe.
There is a parallel conservative church consisting of educational institutions, publishing houses, and a television network existing alongside the liberal church. Among them are colleges including the University of Dallas, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ave Maria College and Law School, and Thomas More College, mostly newly formed institutions, often founded by laymen, with a traditionalist or conservative bent (Thomas More and other traditionalist colleges often advertise in National Review). These colleges are more likely to produce priests and nuns from among their alumni, on a relative basis and possibly an absolute basis, than the older, more established Catholic colleges and universities. There are several conservative Catholic journals including Crisis (formerly Catholicism in Crisis), founded by Ralph McInerny and Michael Novak, while the National Catholic Register is the traditionalist weekly counterpart to the liberal National Catholic Reporter. Ignatius Press, founded by Joseph Fessio, S.J., is the largest provider of books, Bibles, DVDs, and audio recordings for the conservative church. The most unique and visible element of the conservative church is the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), founded by a charismatic nun, Mother Angelica and directly supported by its viewers. EWTN broadcasts 24/7 and produces most of its programming from Irondale, Alabama.
The Catholic Church in America shares certain religious and cultural tendencies with Protestantism in its multifarious forms. One such shared tendency is with evangelical and tradition-minded Protestants who have brought great attention to the need for the restoration of traditional values and of opposition to the recent secularization of American politics. Conservative Catholics and traditionally minded Protestants have combined forces on social issues including abortion and the sexualization of the media, and traditional Christians of all denominations enthusiastically received Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ.22 Protestantism and Catholicism, which historically have been at loggerheads, found themselves with a great deal in common in the face of secularization and moral relativism, a coming together that has provided significant support for the conservative movement in America.
The Catholic Church Divided
The dilemma of American Catholicism is that it is in a situation of profound internal conflict between those roughly characterized as left-wing, liberal, or progressive, on one side, and right-wing or conservative on the other. This internal split affects the manner in which doctrines are interpreted and understood, the way that individual Catholics practice their religion, and their opinions about politics, culture, and the role of the Church in the public arena. It is possible, and indeed likely, that a conservative Catholic will disagree with an official statement of the American Catholic bishops expressed through their official organization, the USCCB. On the other hand, it is often the case that a liberal Catholic will disagree with papal pronouncements and policies that contradict the “spirit” of Vatican II, which, albeit indefinite, seemed to promise a greater freedom of opinions and actions within the Church. It is possible for either a liberal or a conservative to be a “good Catholic,” that is, one who attends Mass regularly, is loyal to the Church, and tries to obey the Commandments. However, it is likely that liberals will eschew traditional Catholic practices such as Eucharistic adoration, the Rosary, or devotions to specific saints such as Therese of Lisieux, and will support the ordination of women to the priesthood. The liberal mindset tends to make the Catholic religion rest on its concern for the poor and on social activism while downplaying traditional Catholic expressions of the evils of sin and the need for reparation. In Catholic Masses today, it is usual that almost all the congregants receive Communion even as very few Catholics go to confession any more, an anomalous situation that is more likely the result of “feel good” apologetics within the Church than a decisive increase in the holiness of most Catholics. The conservative mindset remains alive to the existence of evil in the world and the necessity to combat it and is particularly energized by the presence of abortion, which it sees as a scandalous fault of contemporary American society. Conservative Catholics will participate in traditional devotions and may look favorably upon the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.
In the 1980s Cardinal Bernardin of Chicago proposed a “seamless garment” solution to the divisions between the liberal and conservative trends in the Church. Bernardin’s approach sought to combine the energy of the anti-abortion movement, which characterizes the conservative church, and apply it to the broader social concerns of the liberal church. Thus poverty, prejudice, the environment, and inequities in housing and education would be included as “life” issues with the hope that the same degree of spontaneous intensity that the Catholic faithful bring to the abortion issue would be applied to these social issues. The seamless garment appeal did not take hold, although the broader social issues are still sometimes referred to in the rhetoric of the institutional Church as “life issues.” The main reason for its failure seems to be not so much resistance to social justice among conservative Catholics but a result of their greater concern about abortion. The ferocious defense of abortion rights in secular culture reflects an overall sensibility that desacralizes human life and has been expanded to harvesting embryonic stem cells, cloning, euthanasia, and assisted suicide. Allied movements include the legalization of homosexual marriage and a sexualization of the popular culture so extensive that even secular critics are presently noticing and condemning it. The power of these aggressively secular and immoral movements within American society presents a clear and present danger according to Catholic morality, and shocks the conscience of Catholics (and many others) more than inequalities in housing and income. The accusation is often made that Catholics today are “cafeteria Catholics,” accepting those practices and doctrines of the Church of which they personally approve and neglecting or ignoring those they don’t. This claim might seem to be evenhandedly applied to both the liberal and conservative positions within the Church, the liberals ignoring the Church on abortion, sexual morality, and authority, the conservatives ignoring the Church on poverty, social justice, and capital punishment. However, the claim more clearly applies to the liberal positions, since the immorality of abortion is a matter of clear definition, as are homosexual acts and living together without benefit of sacramental marriage, while both doctrinally and historically, the Catholic Church defended the authority of bishops and the pope. On the other hand, the conservative position on poverty does not deny the central mission of Christians to help the poor but questions how it is to be done. Welfare-state solutions to poverty, health concerns, and social inequalities meet with sharp conservative opposition, which gives a false impression that conservatives are indifferent to suffering. Conservatives will depend on free-market solutions for systemic problems in the economy and emphasize the personal obligation to help the poor we meet and among whom we live, rather than supporting massive government programs whose inefficiency and wastefulness is notorious. (Dorothy Day, a heroine of liberal Catholicism, opposed the government welfare programs of Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson.) Regarding the death penalty, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, imposition of the penalty is allowable, although significant criteria must be met if the death penalty is to be licitly administered.
Through the USCCB and the allied Campaign for Human Development, the institutional Church promotes what amounts to a left-wing agenda and often exerts its considerable influence on behalf of liberal governmental programs. This approach makes an appeal to liberal elites who often tout their own sense of compassion for the poverty-stricken and alienated, but in America, as in developed nations worldwide, the liberal elites tend to be explicitly secular to the point of excluding religion from their purview.28 While secular liberals may accept the help of the Church in lobbying for the extension of food stamps or loosened immigration standards, those same elites promote gay marriage, abortion, and embryonic stem-cell research just as strongly, if not more. Thus any appeal to secular liberal elites has a downside since it legitimizes positions that the Church finds immoral, even as the liberal church refuses to appeal to the business, financial, or entrepreneurial communities for support.
Embracing the Church’s “Inner Conservatism”
The conflict between liberals and conservatives within the Church results in mixed messages going out from its bishops, so that the majority of Catholics in the last presidential election voted for Barack Obama even though he is a firm supporter of abortion rights. One of the causes of the Catholic majority vote for Obama was a document put out by the bishops called “Conscience and Your Vote,” which encouraged Catholic voters to consider candidates’ positions on topics other than abortion in coming to a decision on their vote. The document followed a common liberal argument within the Church that abortion need not be the decisive issue in voting for a political candidate. The dilemma for the bishops and Catholic liberals is that political candidates who are “pro-life” are almost always conservative on such issues as welfare, housing, immigration, the death penalty, and war, so that making abortion the decisive issue effectively results in the institutional Church’s supporting Republican candidates.
Another confl ict between the Church’s liberal and conservative impulses arises from the Campaign for Human Development, the Church’s official arm supporting Saul Alinsky-style direct action to offset social injustice. The annual appeal made at Sunday Masses nationwide to support the CHD met with more-than-usual resistance this year because of the revelation that CHD had been contributing monies to ACORN, which has recently been accused of engaging in systematic voter fraud. One local pastor distributed the self-exonerating statement put out by Bishop Morin regarding relations between the CHD and ACORN, but added to it his own statement that left it to the consciences of individual members of his congregation whether or not to contribute to the annual collection for the CHD.
The exception to the left-wing agenda of the USCCB are the issues involving sex and reproduction, but in the present context this is not merely a broad exception to the Church’s liberalism; it is a disqualifying exception. No matter how progressive it may be on issues such as poverty and immigration, the Church’s opposition to abortion, gay marriage, cloning, embryonic stem-cell research, in-vitro fertilization, and euthanasia, and its refusal to ordain women to the priesthood mean inevitably that in the context of secular American culture, the Catholic Church will not be seen as progressive. On the contrary, the Church continues to be seen as a retrograde force by progressively inclined people, including those within the Church.
Culturally, the Church continues to be seen as a bulwark of social conservatism, in its doctrines and practices the last institutional resistance to moral relativism and absolute personal freedom within American culture. This evokes tremendous opposition amounting to a new form of American anti-Catholicism. The original source of American anti-Catholicism was Protestant doctrine and anti-immigrant sentiment, most of which has been overcome as the general Catholic population has become integrated into American society. The new form of anti-Catholicism is based on the Church’s doctrines regarding sex and reproduction, as well as its explicit declaration that an objective moral code based on divine inspiration exists.31 The new anti-Catholicism is ideological and is based on the progressive belief in personal autonomy completely free from any social connectedness and opposition to any putative authority seeking to impose social control or promote a public moral standard. Catholic attempts to influence the culture with reference to an objective moral order have been seriously undercut by the recent pedophilia scandal. But the conflict remains, and the Church’s explicitly progressive policies promoted by USCCB lobbying and CHD agitation do not and almost certainly cannot overcome the implied conservatism of its actions on behalf of the truth of divinely inspired moral teaching. In effect the Catholic Church today in America is politically liberal but culturally conservative. But in the context of the increasing secularization of American culture, it is its cultural conservatism that will increasingly characterize the countercultural position of the Catholic Church in America.
Those currently called “conservative” within the Church often started out as defenders of the Church’s traditional practices and its doctrines whose motive was not to promulgate a conservative political philosophy within the Church. But like “neocons” in the political arena they often find themselves called “conservative” and relegated to an outer darkness by liberals within the Church, although their center of gravity lies in religious rather than political or economic concerns. (A well-known Franciscan preacher active in the pro-life movement has felt compelled to say, “We are not conservatives.”) Nonetheless, on the issues of abortion, church authority, and promotion of traditional devotions, the aims of these religious traditionalists coincide with the conservative mindset. But a crisis is coming and in fact has arrived, and as a result the Catholic Church in America will have to embrace her inner conservatism, even though this will strike many Catholics as unseemly. The Church will be better off, however, by dropping its attempt to appeal to liberals and extending a more benign attitude to those peculiarly American traditions of entrepreneurialism, personal independence, dislike of big government, and the middle-class values of hard work and toleration that have enabled Catholics in America to achieve an unparalleled degree of integration and success— and which provide the universal Catholic Church with a model of how best to meet the new conditions of postmodernity.
Source American Conservatism and the Catholic Church https://isi.org/intercollegiate-review/american-conservatism-and-the-catholic-church/

I have played classical piano as well as film music for a number of years so I am already fairly technically skilled - probably about RCM 9 or maybe 10. I am looking to get into pop accompaniment, where currently my skills amount to little more than playing chords in the right hand on every beat, with perhaps some arpeggiation if I'm feeling fancy.
I have tried to learn more interesting accompaniment, but it is difficult as I'm not really well versed in the "motivic language" of accompaniment, and with pop accompaniment in particular I am also not well versed in the "rhythmic language". I will be accompanying quite skilled singers so ideally there should be fills that are interesting and perhaps even a bit flashy here and there.
I think the fastest way for me to learn would be to practice some pre-arranged accompaniments using sheet music, just to get a feel for the various styles. I am especially interested in ballads, gospel, and musical theatre, but I'm open to most things.
Any recommendations are highly appreciated, whether they are collections of sheet music or individual pieces - ideally fairly advanced.

Some real gems, many just being in the right place at the right time. Peter Noone and Lennon swapping Bacardi for Cokes is pure Kismet. Ray Manzarek may have been the best story teller ever, short as this one was.
https://youtu.be/9unsbjiaTIQ
Songwriter Seth Swirsky grew up idolizing the Beatles. He set out, video camera in hand, to talk to people who had crossed paths with his heroes. From Sir Ben Kingsley to Sir George Martin, and Beach Boy Brian Wilson to astronomer Brian Skiff, Swirsky filmed hundreds of personal recollections from people who knew them well to those who just had an unforgettable encounter. Longtime Beatles personal assistant Tony Bramwell calls Beatles Stories, “A Magical Mystery Tour De Force!”
Documentary Director-producer Seth Swirsky — a bestselling author, singer-songwriter, and member of the band The Red Button — grew up in the 1960s, fell in love with the music of The Beatles, and followed the lead of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr to a future in the music business.
After Swirsky was invited in 2004 to perform at The Beatles' old Liverpool haunt, the Cavern Club, he began asking locals about The Beatles. To his surprise, these strangers shared their fondest recollections about the band; treasured stories he had never heard before, which Swirsky captured on his hand-held video camera. That prompted him to wonder how many more stories are out there that people have never heard about The Beatles stories, which prompted him to start the Beatles Stories project.
For the next eight years, Swirsky traveled around the world, filming an array of people – including many celebrities – who wanted to share their stories. Sometimes, the stories even found him. Swirsky discovered stories in unexpected places and even got The Beatles’ intimates to open up — neighbors, tour mates, business associates, and even former girlfriends — and tell stories you’ve never heard before. Featured celebrity storytellers include Beatles producer Sir George Martin; musicians Smokey Robinson, The Moody Blues' Justin Hayward, The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, Klaus Voormann, Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits, Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, The Doors' Ray Manzarek, Art Garfunkel, The Monkees' Davy Jones, Badfinger's Joey Molland, Quarrymen member Rod Davis, Graham Nash, The Bangles' Susanna Hoffs, Denny Laine, Jackie DeShannon; actors Jon Voight, Henry Winkler, Sir Ben Kingsley and Victor Spinetti (a co-star in three Beatles movies); photographer Henry Diltz; Elvis Presley confidante Jerry Schilling; John Lennon's onetime girlfriend May Pang; and TV host Bob Eubanks.

Alright y’all. Long story short my bestie is having a hard time listening to the twinkle music master that is Porter Robinson because of a breakup with a partner who really romanticized their music. She still loves the music, but says it bums her out now. To make her laugh or have her rock out, I was wondering if something as absurd as a metal or dubstep remix of a Porter song existed 😂
And if it does not this is your sign to create one. I’m lookin at all you innovative producers. Look forward to hearing from y’all 🫡

Hello potential friend! I know the typical format is "hello this is me, let's be friends!" but I thought it would be a bit more fun to make my post a resume as I am applying to be your friend, so here goes:
Goal: To be a great friend to you, make you laugh, and listen to you when you need to vent.
Personality Overview: I'm a learned extrovert. For those unfamiliar with the term, my job has forced me to display enough extrovert characteristics (all the presenting) that you'd think I was an actual extravert, but my heart is that of an introvert. I'm nerdy in the sense that I love learning and I'm usually combing through a textbook of some sort trying to get better at one of my current skills or learn a new one.
Experience: I'm friendly to most people. The only exception would be clowns and this one girl named Betty from the 3rd grade because she sat on my slice of pizza and I told her I wouldn't be her friend if she didn't get me a whole Pizza Hut to make up for it.
Hobbies: As of recent, I've been trying to work on short fiction writing. The most fictitious thing about it is how worth reading my efforts have been! I'm into outdoorsy things like camping, biking, swimming, and not getting eaten by bears.
Pets: My apartment doesn't allow me to have pets :( I would love to have a cat, but ironically I'm allergic.
Friend Preference: Just someone that is kind and fun to chat with, if that seems like you I hope to hear from you :)
Music: I like 80s pop, house, and I enjoy my emo throwbacks.
If you're on the fence... I have a couple Dad jokes you might like. Slide into the DMs and we can talk further :)

Hi there!! I'm Jerinna! :)
I want to find a guy that is compatible to me and shares the same values. Hoping to find him here!
I am a 22 year old college student studying psychology and creative writing at my university and is moving away from school in 2 months to Upstate NY!
I am looking to form a bond with someone before I move, and then continue with an in person relationship!
A bit about me:
-I am on a weight loss journey! So I cherish healthy living and fitness. I am looking for someone who will motivate me to make the right decisions but at the same time also loves my body the way it is right now. I am currently 170lbs, my goal is around 130-140lbs. I've done it before, so I know I can do it again! I love walking and being active so definitely looking for a man who is the same!
-I am looking for someone who is mature and is established. Meaning, a man who works hard every day in any aspect of his life (career, family, or fitness). Someone who is level headed. But I am also looking for someone fun, kind, affectionate, and chill to hang out with!
-I am looking for a man who will prioritize spending time with me, whether it is virtually or in person. Someone who communicates and is neither pushy on me texting back within seconds, but someone who respects me enough to let me know if they're busy/to expect a longer wait time. Someone who is not shy to take random pictures of themselves and send them to me just so I know those silly little thoughts you have. Also someone who doesn't mind me taking tons of pictures too (because I do take a lot of pictures haha)
-I believe in communication! I need someone emotionally available, someone who isn't afraid to have those long, deep conversations with me. Someone who will hear me out and not judge me. A man that really listens but also has enough confidence to speak up too!
-My love languages are words of affirmations and quality time! It's my top two love languages :) Also, I want a man who intentionally plans dates/hang outs/skype sessions, and wants to genuinely have fun with me!
-I love anime! I watch so much anime, and I need a guy who is willing to watch some with me!
A bit about my careeschool...
-I am a published author! I have written 3 books, first one dating back when I was only 13! I was introduced to the publishing industry at a young age, so I went to college to study creative writing. I am currently minoring in creative writing and majoring in psychology! What I plan to do in the future is become a liscensed Expressive Writing therapist and/or create books for the youth to help their mental health!
-I have 3 on campus jobs when I am on campus. Library Assistant, tutor, and I work at the gym as a proctor. I would consider myself a busy person, but I ALWAYS make sure to prioritize my relationships that are serious, and I expect my man to do the same with me.
***I consider myself to be a religious person, and this is something that value. I am Catholic and hope to meet someone who shares my faith! I'm looking for a deep connection, where we can pray together and listen to gospel music!
*** I smoke weed! So I am also looking for a man who does the same! I'm very 420 friendly!
*** I would consider myself to be asexual, which means that I want to form a relationship where sex is not a priority and isn't expected of me. Sending nudes is also something I will not participate in and is a hard boundary. However, I am an extremely romantic person and value intimacy and closeness in other ways! If you want clarification on this, I will gladly explain further over PM!
I am open to talking to anyone between the ages of 22-29 years old!
I want to say that I am a very open-minded person and welcome many different guys! Please decide for yourself if you meet these qualities and send me a message! All I ask for is commitment to having something serious and someone who is ready for that. Looking forward to finding you!

This is a true story, I'm the photographer, the model is a composite of a number of models I've worked with over the years. Everyone is over 18.
"TiM"
I was taking my usual afternoon dog walk in the park. On the other side of the park I saw a young shirtless guy enter on the same path I was walking on. From a distance he looked pretty hot, so I sat at a bench so I could watch him as he walked by. I knew I'd be staring if I had to walk towards him. I'm sitting on the bench looking away from him trying to be casual, and he stops and asks what kind of dog I have. "A greyhound". "Wow, I've never seen one in person, I didn't know they got that big. How fast can he run?" "As fast as a horse, 40 miles and hour". This guy is drop dead gorgeous. Not tall, but a wrestler's body, tight pale white skin, and short blonde hair. He's carrying his t-shirt in one hand and has those old school polyester running shorts on that leave nothing to the imagination. On his feet are a pair of leather dress shoes without the laces, and he had a large bandage on one knee. He introduces himself as Tim and extends his hand, smiling all the while, and tells me he's on his way to work at BrewBurgers, just on the other side of the park. Was he flirting with me? It caught me off guard. I'm 32, work out regularly, and get cruised often enough at the gym, but this guy is young! and way out of my league! I decide to risk everything and tell him I'm a photographer and would love to photograph him. I tell him how amazing he looks and take out my phone and show him my website. I specialize in photographing bodybuilders and personal trainers for their own websites, so it's pretty much all hot guys. Luckily A&F is popular and everyone's seen their bags, and most young guys dream of modeling for them. "Awsome! I've never had professional photos done, what should I wear?" I tell him I like exactly what he's wearing, that it looks like I styled him myself, but to just grab a bunch of clothes he likes and we'll see what works. He asks if I have Instagram, he says he'll follow me and takes out his phone. He finds my page, I'm a little worried because my IG posts are much sexier than what's on my website, but he doesn't say anything, he's still smiling. He leaves saying he'll message me. Sure enough, the next day there's a message from him saying he forgot to ask what I charge for a shoot. I quickly respond telling him I wouldn't charge him anything because I'm sure I'd get some great pics to use on my site as well, it would be an even trade. I give him my number and tell him to text me. I don't hear back from him, but head to the park at the same time hoping to run into him again. I hang around for a while and head home. At least the dog got a good walk in. Around 10 that night I get a text: "I'm free after school tomorrow around 2 if you still wanna shoot". I text him back and tell him that works and give him the studio address, right around the corner from the park. Then I panic because I don't know how old he is, he can't sign a release unless he's 18, and would need a parent or guardian at the shoot if he's a minor. I text him:"By the way, how old are you?" He gets back: "Eighteen and one month". "Perfect! See you tomorrow at 2!".
He shows up while I'm still setting up the studio lights wearing sweats and carrying a big black garbage bag he's thrown some clothes into. I ask him to spread them out so I can see what he brought. Lots of football jerseys, a couple pairs of jeans, some cargo shorts and a few pairs of boxers, some t-shirts. Nothing catches my eye, but I can make most anything work. I put on some music and show him where to stand and do a few test shots to check the lights. I've got the main light centered above him and two lights on the white seemless paper. I make a few adjustments, he seems a little nervous, asking me how to stand, etc. I call him over to show him the test shots in the camera so he has an idea what the lighting looks like. "Amazing!". I get him back in place and tell him just to look at the camera and lift his t-shirt to show off his abs, I have him turn different ways, have him put on one of his football jerseys, this goes on for about 15 minutes. He's starting to relax and get into it. I zoom in to get some shots of just his abs, have him do some classic bodybuilding poses and suggest he change into something else. Luckily he brought the jersey shorts and leather shoes. I point to a folding screen and tell him he can change there. I always make a point of being very professional. I've heard too many stories from models of creepy photographers and can't afford a bad reputation. Anyway, I'm more interested in making some beautiful photos than having sex with him. If he likes the photos and has fun, he'll probably send some friends from the wrestling team so I'll get more models. He goes behind the screen and comes out looking like I saw him yesterday. My mind is racing with ideas. I ask him to do some push-ups to pump up his arms and chest then spray him with some water so he looks sweaty. He's starting to get into it, I tell him to just keep moving, that I'll just keep shooting and we'll sort them out at the end. I spray him with more water, the shorts are clinging to him like a second skin, I tell him to hook his thumbs into the waistband on each side and drop them so there's just a hint of pubes showing. He does it with a huge smile on his face, so innocent and sexy. We work with that outfit for a while, trying different lighting arrangements, etc. I hand him a towel to dry off and ask him to put on his wrestling singlet. He goes behind the screen and comes out with a bright red singlet on, and the ear guards wrestlers wear. I hadn't seen them in his pile of stuff but I love them. I spray him with more water, have him put a little gel in his hair so it looks messy, like he's been wrestling. I'm shooting away telling him how amazing he looks and what great shots I'm getting and notice he's getting a hard-on. I'm afraid he'll be embarrassed so I have him turn his back to me and twist around to look at me. I see him adjust himself and turn back around to face me. I'm relieved to seen the erection's gone down. He's still got an impressive package, but nothing he might consider "porn". I have him pull down the arms of the singlet so it's hanging around his waist to show off that great body. It's been a couple hours so I tell him it's a wrap and he can get dressed while I download the pics to my computer and see what we've got. He comes back with just his sweatpants on, holding his t-shirt and pulls a chair up next to me. He oohs and aaahs at the pics, saying he had no idea he was so hot. He lets me know which ones he likes. I edit about a dozen for him, cropping, doing minor adjustments on the contrast, and email them. He moves his chair in closer to see the monitor better and has his leg pressed against mine. Is he flirting? I can't tell, but I don't move my leg. "These are amazing!" I say ,"The camera really loves you! How about another shoot?". "Sure, that was a blast! How about next Tuesday at 2:00 again?". "Sure!".
All week I keep thinking about him, different ways to style and shoot him, and wondering if he's just really friendly or coming on to me. I go to a couple of thrift stores and find some old sports gear and a bright blue bathrobe then stop at Macy's and buy a few boxes of briefs that might look good on him. He texts me Tuesday morning that he can't make it till 3, wrestling practice is going to run later than usual. I tell him no problem. He comes straight from practice, still wearing his singlet under his shorts and t-shirt. "I didn't shower because I didn't want to be late". I tell him the lights are all set up and to just stand on the X on the floor and to slowly take off his shirt and shorts. I love shooting models, doing something, not posing. I have him put them on again and take them off, the whole time documenting him undressing with the camera. I tell him to lower the singlet, he does, I stop and look right at him and ask if he's comfortable taking it off. He thinks a few seconds and says okay. He drops the singlet and is standing there completely naked. I keep telling him how beautiful he looks and what an amazing body he has while I'm shooting. He smiles, and seems to have lost any self-consciousness he might still have had. "Do you want to take a shower now, before you put on any of the other outfits?". "Okay". "Do you mind if I shoot you while you're showering?" "No, that's cool". The shower is in my living quarters, separated by a door and small hallway from the studio. I usually don't bring models in there, but he does need to shower, and occasionally I do use it for shoots.
I shoot him covered in lather, rinsing it off, shampooing his hair. He turns away from me and bends over to soap up his butt crack. I keep shooting. Surely he's flirting now.... I hand him a towel to dry off, he wraps it around his waist and we head back to the studio. I ask him to keep toweling off, I want more pics like that. I keep pulling my t-shirt down to hide the wet spot that getting bigger on the front of my shorts. I remember some boxing gloves and shorts I got at the thrift store. I ask him to put them on. He no longer changes behind the screen. "Wait, I forgot this" and hand him an athletic cup to wear under the shorts. He looks at it and says "We're supposed to wear this for wrestling but no one does, I don't think they make them big enough" and he smiles at me. I spray his chest and arms with some Pam spray and rub it in to make his skin shiny and hold the sweat. I ask if he wants to apply the oil, he says no, I can. I usually don't because I don't want to get the oil all over my hands, and then the camera, but I had to admit I looked forward to greasing him up. After I did his chest and back and arms, he held each leg up for me to do. His quads were amazing, I let my hands go just a little bit higher than necessary. "Just start swinging at the camera like it's your opponent". I shoot some action shots like that for a while, then have him strip down to just the cup. I've got the backdrop lights on bright so his pale skin is the darkest thing in the photo. The clean white light accentuates his muscles. He takes off the cup and stands there just holding it at his side. I've got a full on erection now, and tell him "That's it, let's see what we've got".
I sit at the monitor and load the photos. He comes up behind me and rests his dick on my shoulder. I pat it gently and tell him to sit down. I don't want to embarrass him by rejecting him, but I'm still a little hesitant because of his age. He's perfectly comfortable sitting next to me naked, leans over and rest his arm on my shoulder, and comments on how much he loves the photos and working with me. I suggest we do it again, I've got lots of ideas and he's a great model. "Sure,next Tuesday, same time".
On Tuesday he shows up a little early. I go over some ideas and show him some more clothes I've picked up. He finds a black and white striped speedo. It's old and the elastic waist is stretched out. He puts them on, they hang suggestively off his hips, sagging in the front showing some tufts of light brown pubes. As I start shooting his dick keeps getting bigger till it's popping out the top. "I'm sorry, I just get so horny when you take photos of me. I need to jerk off". I point to the bathroom. "No. Right here. I want to suck you while I'm jerking off". He reaches over and starts rubbing my crotch. He undoes my belt and unbuttons my shorts and slips his hand in, grabbing my now hard dick. "So much pre-cum!". I tell him he can suck it for a little while, but I don't want to cum, I need to be horny to shoot. He sits down and I stand next to him. He takes my dick in his mouth and starts jerking off. I'm about to cum and I pull out. I grab my camera and tell him I'm going to shoot close-ups of his face while he's cumming. "Hurry up, I'm close". I get a number of pics just as he's cumming. I call them "grimaces of ecstasy". He shoots all over his chest, I give him a towel to wipe off. "Thanks, I feel much better now. Let's shoot". I continue with the speedos, and tell him let's go in the living area. "What should I wear?". "Grab those cargo shorts and that white t-shirt". He sits on the sofa, he puts on a baseball cap I had left there, and undoes the fly on the shorts and starts stroking himself again. I forgot what it's like to be 18 and get an erection 10 minutes after an orgasm. I walk around shooting him from every angle. I think he knows how much he's driving me crazy. I motion him to the bedroom, which has until now been off limits for models. I have him undress and get under the sheets. I take off my sneakers and stand on the bed so I can shoot him from above. I tell him to pull down the sheet, and grab his legs with his arms so he's folded in half. He pulls his feet behind his head, exposing that beautiful rosebud, surrounded by short light hairs. "Jeez, you're flexible!". "We do a lot of stretching for wrestling". I'm cropping him at the waist so it looks like he's being fucked, you just can't see by who. He's into it and making faces, throwing his head back and biting his lip. He looks at me and grabs my crotch again. He sits up, undoes my shorts and pulls them down. I step out of them. "Are you sure you want to do this?". "Since I first met you in the park". He's holding onto his ankles again, I spit on his butthole and rub it in with my finger. I spit some more, till it runs down the crack and pools on the bed. I start slipping my middle finger in, he stiffens, and says "No fingers, just your dick". I spit again and press it till the head goes in. "Take some deep breaths and relax your butt". "I'm trying". I haven't gone too deep, but slowly start fucking him, each thrust going a little deeper. It takes a couple minutes to get it down to the base, then I slowly start really fucking him. He's meeting my thrusts with his own. He's moaning and whimpering a little. I can feel the pressure building. "Should I pull out?". "No, I want you to cum in me". So I do. "Don't pull out". He grabs his dick and pumps it till he shoots all over his chest. I'm still inside him, balancing on one hand, and take the other and wipe the cum all over his hairless chest, over the nipples, across his abs, till it's all absorbed by that beautiful skin. His cheeks are flushed. I get up and grab a tissue off the bedside table and wipe off my dick. Tim's still lying there. I tell him to lift his legs. I grab another tissue and wipe the cum dripping out of his butt. I tell him to push, he squeezes more out. I pull on my shorts and tell him to follow me to shower. "I don't want to shower just yet, I like how the cum tightens my skin when it dries, and I want to feel yours in my butt for a while longer. I'll shower when I get home later tonight. I have to get to work now, I'm scheduled to close." He grabs his clothes and leaves, his skin covered in cum.
I'm not sure what just happened. Did I go too far? Does he regret it? I try not to think about it and make supper, edit the pics, they get me horny again so I jerk off, then watch a movie. The next morning I text him: "We good?". "Definitely! See you next Tuesday!".

Never thought I would revisit you so soon, eh Purdue? You pathetic underachievers continue to give me excuses to mock you every March. Every time when it seems like you're about to end your agonizingly long Final Four drought, you punch your fans in the dick repeatedly by choking during the second weekend, or shitting your pants against a double digit seed in the first. It's like watching the Endless Eight episode saga of Haruhi Suzumiya...on repeat for DECADES.
Don't believe me? Take a look at this long laundry list of failure...
1969 NCAA Final Four - Thanks to head coach George King, and an all star roster led by Rick Mount, Herm Gilliam, and Bill Keller, you made the National Championship game your first year in the NCAA tournament. Though this may be a sign that you've peaked too early, as well as this being a sign that you're about to get destroyed, it's still admirable. Maybe you can shock the world...
1969 National Championship Game - Unfortunately, reality sets in and you get an H-bomb dropped on you by UCLA. Better luck next year I guess...
1970 - Or...just completely fall apart and miss the tournament.
1971 - Though you post another winning season, it's not good enough to get you into the tournament. Here's an NIT bid as a consolation prize.
1972 - Settle back into mediocrity with a .500 record as George King decides to fuck off and never return!
1973 - Your new head coach is Fred Schaus. You are still incredibly mediocre.
1974 - Holy cow, a 21-win season! Unfortunately, you don't come close to making the big dance. Have this NIT title as a consolation.
mid-1970s - And you are once again mediocre. Why am I not surprised.
1977 - Ah, you finally returned to the big dance once again. But then you lose a nailbiter to North Carolina.
1978 - And you once again fall back into mediocrity. Don't worry, the tournament will eventually expand and you'll be able to appear more frequently. Just give it a few more years.
1980 - Alright, you're finally a reasonable contender again with a 23-10 record. And that was thanks to head coach Lee Rose, as well as new star recruits like Joe Barry Carroll, Kevin Stallings, Keith Edmonson, Roosevelt Barnes, and Arnette Hallman. You're the 6th seed in the Mideast region, so go make some noise.
1980 NCAA Tournament - Now we're talking! After taking out huge foes like your in-state rival Indiana in the Sweet 16, and Duke in the Elite Eight, you return to the Final Four yet again. This may be the best shot you have so don't mess this up. Bring that National Championship trophy back home to Lafayette!
1980 NCAA Final Four - Unfortunately, they are then death starred by the UCLA empire. And not just ANY UCLA team - this was Larry Brown's UCLA team. You know, the one that committed 9 NCAA rules violations and were forced to vacate their appearance in the tournament. Fucking pathetic. I don't care if you won a 3rd place game, you're still dead to me. Well, hopefully this won't be your last Final Four appearance for a while...
1980 offseason - You make an excellent hire in Gene Keady as your head coach! Hopefully you can win a national title for him.
1983 - Coach Keady leads you back to the tournament once again, but unfortunately you get run over by Arkansas in the second round.
1984 - Lose in the second round again. This time to fucking Memphis.
1985 - Get ousted as the #6 seed in the big dance to fucking Auburn.
1986 - Lose as the #6 seed YET AGAIN in the first round. To fucking 11th-seeded LSU in double overtime.
1986 NCAA Final Four - That LSU team goes on to become the first double digit seed to make the Final Four. You get a trophy of herpes.
1987 - You're the #3 seed in the East region and you put up 104 points against Northeastern of all teams. Only to get blown the fuck out by Florida. Ya know, I'd like to see some actual deep runs for once...
1988 - Now we're talking! You're finally a national title contender again! You won the Big Ten with a 27-3 regular season record and you're the #2 team in the country! You're the #1 seed in the Midwest region, so go big or go home!
1988 NCAA Tournament - Unfortunately your deep run is to the Sweet 16, where you lose by three to Kansas State. The best season since you're 1969 Cinderella year...and you get turned into a laughingstock once again. Fucking hell, this is brutal. Who pays to watch this shit?!
1989 - The Boilers fall apart and miss the tournament once again but who gives a shit anymore?
1990 - Thanks to new stars like Matt Painter, Jimmy Oliver, and Steve Scheffler, you're the goddamn #2 seed in the Midwest region and are a favorite to make the Final Four. This HAS to be the year...you lost to 10th-seeded Texas in the SECOND ROUND?!! hits wall FUCKING GOD.
1991 - And then you decide to choke against fucking Temple in the first round.
1993 - Lose in the first round again. This time to goddamn Rhode Island.
1994 - You're finally a national title contender again with a dominant 26-4 regular season record thanks to new stars like Glenn Robinson and Cuonzo Martin. You won the Big Ten yet again and you're the #1 seed in the Southeast region. You even reach the Elite Eight too and have a good shot to make the Final Four! There appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel...
1994 NCAA Tournament, Elite Eight - Turns out that light was just a mirage and you get your Final Four dreams beaten to oblivion by Duke. Why does this shit always happen to you guys? I know it's the Empire, but fuck!
1995 - Get bested by fucking Memphis again in the second round as the #3 seed in the Midwest region!
1996 - You won the goddamn Big Ten again with a 25-5 regular season record and you're the #1 seed in the West region. Will this finally be the year?
1996 NCAA Tournament - YOU LOSE IN THE SECOND ROUND TO FUCKING GEORGIA? The hell is the matter with you?!
1997 - After getting revenge on Rhode Island in the first round, you get absolutely rekt by a Paul Pierce-led Kansas squad in the next. Eh, it happens to all of us sometimes, shut up and deal with it.
1998 - You're the #2 seed in the Midwest region yet again and you've returned the Sweet 16...only to lose to goddamn Stanford - a team that hadn't made it to the Elite Eight in over 45 years. Pathetic. Get lost.
1998 offseason - And now the NCAA has caught you cheating red-handed. You get put on two years probation for recruiting, ethics and benefits violations. Plus, team assistant Frank Kendrick decided to be a fucking idiot who illegally bribed star player Luther Clay and is fired from the team. Fucking idiots...
1999 - Your probation hasn't kicked in yet! Quick, go make another run to the Big Dance!
1999 NCAA Tournament - Even though you're the #10 seed in the East region due to losing the Big Ten tournament title to Michigan, you manage to pull off a minor string of first and second round upsets against Texas and Miami before being absolutely mauled by Temple again in the Sweet 16. Sucks, but it was a valiant effort. There's always next year...
2000 - You're in the big dance yet again just in time for the new millennium! As the #6 seed in the West region, you make another big run to the Elite Eight after ending Gonzaga’s foolish ambitions! And you're facing a fellow Big Ten foe in Wisconsin. This may be the last shot you have with this current core, so go take down those arrogant Badgers!
2000 NCAA Tournament, Elite Eight - Unfortunately, Wisconsin has the last laugh as they edge you out by 4 points and make their first Final Four in almost 60 years. Woof. At least things can't get any worse...right?
2001-02 - It does. You miss the tournament the next two years in the meantime, as your probation has finally kicked in. Eh, you were garbage, you weren't going to make the Big Dance anyway.
2003 - Probation is finally over and you make the tournament once again. As the #9 seed in the South region, you get revenge on LSU by blowing them the fuck out in the first round. Only a brick wall can stop you: it's name is Texas.
2005 - Gene Keady decides to hang it up after an abysmal 7-21 record. Too bad he couldn't get a ring, he was one helluva great coach.
2005 offseason - We need a new head coach to bring us back to relevance. This Matt Painter guy will do.
2007 - Coach Painter leads you back to the tournament, just so you can get stomped on by defending national champion Florida in the second round.
2008 - Lose in the second round again. We're losing to fucking Xavier now? Goddamn...
2009 - After winning the Big Ten Tournament, the Boilers finish the regular season with a 25-9 record, which is good enough for the #5 seed in West region. You make it all the way to the Sweet 16 before being put down by UConn. Could be worse I guess...
2010 - You win your first Big Ten regular season title in 14 years, and you're the #4 seed in the South region this year and you once again make it to the Sweet 16. But the Evil Empire known as Duke then slaughters you like pork. Old habits die hard, eh?
2011 - You managed to secure the #3 seed in the Southwest region with a 25-7 record, and you're favorites to make the Final Four. Now are you going to do something?
2011 - Nope, you lose to an 11th-seeded VCU team...who then go on to make the Final Four. Deja vu, ain't it?
2012 - Lose to Kansas in the Second Round yet again. Seriously, what is with all these Second Round losses?!
2013-14 - Miss the tournament the next two years in the meantime.
2015 - You're back in the tournament again as the 9th seed in the Midwest region. And you lose painfully to Cincinnati in the first round. In OT.
2016 - Issac Haas begins to come into his own as he leads the Boilers to the #5 seed in the Midwest region with a 26-8 record. But then...oh no...
2016 - You LOST TO FUCKING #12 LITTLE ROCK?!! IN DOUBLE OVERTIME?!! WHAT THE FUCK!! Can you NOT continue to waste talent, Boilers?
2017 - You once again win the Big Ten and grab the #4 seed in the Midwest region. You go back the Sweet 16 before you are put down by fucking Kansas again. The Jayhawks are still getting the best of you after all these years, eh?
2018- This time you're the #2 seed in the East region with a solid 28-6 regular season record. You once AGAIN make it to the Sweet 16, but then you lose to another Big 12 team called Texas Tech - a team that hadn't made it past the Sweet 16 in their existence. Fucking really? Eh, you've got promise though. Next year should be the year...hopefully.
2019 - Well, you managed to win a share of the Big Ten title. And even though you lost early in the Big Ten tournament, you clinched the #3 seed in the South region with a 23-9 record. Now don't disappoint me again.
2019 NCAA Tournament, Sweet 16 - Ugh, you're blowing a 17-point lead to Tennessee in the 2nd half? Just get it over with so I can get the liquor... ... wait...the Boilers...didn't...choke? They're playing in the Elite Eight against Virginia of all teams? My god, someone is shedding their choker label this year!
2019 NCAA Tournament, Elite Eight - Oh my god, you're doing it! You took the lead with less than 4 minutes left to play!
Here's Edwards for the lead...OH HE HIT THE WINDOW! On that glass!
Score: 69-67 Purdue, 1 minute remaining
Oh my god, this can't be real...hold me...
Score: 70-68 Purdue, 5 seconds remaining:
Okay, now you need one stop on defense, if he misses this shot you'll make the Final Four...
"Into the hands of Clark...got a chance to win here...up to front, it's Diakete, for the win-IT GOES!!!!! For the tie!! Diakete squares it at 70!!"
WHAT?! WHAT?!!! No...no no no no no...don't tell me this is happening again...can you at least stop them in OT?!
"Edwards...bad pass! And it's turned over with 1.8 seconds remaining..."
OH MY MERCIFUL GOD!!!
"OH GOD NO!!! PLEASE GOD NO!! NO!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
I have no words. The worst part is that it wasn't entirely their fault either. This is just...painful. Absolutely painful...I don't even want to think about next season at this point...
2020 - And COVID arrives to cancel out everyone's season. Eh you were garbage anyway this year, so it doesn't matter.
2021 - Now you're back as the #4 seed in the South region. Maybe this'll be the year...or they can get upset by North Texas in the first round...a team that hadn't won a tournament game in their history...Excuse me while I drink this bottle of Jack...
2022 - Things are once again looking good for the Boilers. They earn their first #1 ranking in the AP poll in school history, and while they don't keep it, they still manage to secure the 3rd seed in the South region with a 27-7 record, thanks to a new core led by Caleb Furst, Zach Edey, Jaden Ivey, Sasha Stefanovic, and Trevion Williams. You're heavy favorites to make the Final Four once again! But we've heard that line a million times...
2022 NCAA Tournament - Well, things seem to be going alright. The Boilers take out the Ivy League elitist scum from Yale in the opening round, and they get revenge on Texas in the second round with a solid 10-point win. So who are they playing next? giggles the 15-seeded SAINT PETER'S PEACOCKS?! Come on, they're not going to lose to a MAAC school, this should be a piece of cake!
...right?
2022 NCAA Tournament - Holy shit, they're losing to a MAAC school. But there's still a chance you say?
*"65-61...12 seconds left...Ivey has to hurry. Jumpshot...GOES!! And a 3!! 1-point game with 8 seconds to go!"
Okay, there's still a chance. If you play your cards right you get to return to the Elite Eight. Don't fuck this up...
"67-64, 4 seconds left. Ivy...for the tie-OFF THE RIM AND IT'S OVER!!! This miracle run continues for Saint Peter's!! The Peacocks make history!! The first 15 seed to the Elite Eight in NCAA Tournament lore!"
They lost...to a MAAC school. They lost to a MAAC school. A MAAC school.
screams into a pillow: A MAAC SCHOOL?!!! ARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
YOU BLEW IT!!
2023 - sigh Glad I got that out of my system. For this season you add Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith to your roster! They help you cruise through the regular season and you win both the Big Ten regular season and tournament championships with a 29-5 record! You even secure the top seed in the East region, the first time in decades that you've accomplished such a feat! And you're favorites to win it all and have been picked by virtually everyone to make the Final Four! But we're heard that a million times, haven't we? Now don't fuck this up. You're playing some nobody called Fairleigh Dickinson from the NEC in the opening round. This should be a cakewalk for you.
Literally a cakewalk.
2023 NCAA Tournament, First Round - Uh...what the fuck is going on? Why are you trailing?! What business do you have trailing?! No, seriously. Why are you losing to a 16 SEED?! Whatever, you're down 3 and should have a shot to win this anyway and move on. Get to work.
*"Looking for Edey, of course...knocked away! Great defense by Moore! He gets it back, Moore flies in, AND SCORES!! 5-point game!"
What? WHAT?!!! HOW ARE YOU TAKING THE PISS THIS BADLY?!!!
"..into the corner it goes, Loyer wide open-NAILS IT!!"
Score: 58-56
Good, now work your magic and move past this already. This has gone on long enough as is.
"Moore, straight away three...IT'S GOOOOOOOD!!!"
Score: 61-56
Oh my fucking god, WHY MUST YOU DO THIS TO ME?!!!!
"Loyer has scored the last 7 points for the Boilermakers. Gets it done at the line with 58 seconds left. Down 3."
Score: 61-58
I swear, if you morons blow this thing...
"Loyer puts up a 3...no good! Rebound to Roberts! And he's fouled!!"
.................................................I have nothing to say to you. You were favored by 23.5 to win. The biggest upset in terms of point spread in tournament history. Do you realize what you've just done? This is quite possibly the GREATEST FAILURE IN THE HISTORY OF COLLEGE SPORTS!!!
"...and that will do it! 'buzzer sounds' FDU BELIEVE IT?!! For just the second time ever, A 16 BEATS A 1!!!"
YOU BLEW IT!! YOU BLEW IT!!! YOU BLEW IT!!! YOU BLEW IT!!! YOU BLEW IT!!! YOU BLEW IT!!! YOU BLEW IT!!! YOU BLEW IT!!!! YOU BLEW IT!!! (x100)
BOOM
cue Mortal Kombat music
"MUWHAHAHAHAH!!! THAT WAS PATHETIC!!"
CONGLATURATION!!
PURDUE'S HOPE IS NO MORE!!!
THE LEGACY OF FAILURE IS FINALLY FORGED!!!
Is Pecca Rinne still too good right now after 6 years?
After falling to the 68th and last ranked team overall in the NCAA tournament in the opening round, the Boilermakers slowly came to grips that total failure in big games was simply a part of their history, for both the team and Purdue sports.
This realization came too late to alter this event, however. This loss is now mocked and scorned by the College Basketball world.
Have a nice day.

Stand Name: 「Harp Day's Night」
Namesake: "A Hard Day's Night", a song/album by The Beatles
Localized Name: 「Wheel Tough Time」
Stand User: Martin Mahgner
Name ref: George Martin a producer of The Beatles and Mitchell Manger co-creator of wheelharp.
User Appearance: Martin is a young man (26) of average height (6') and build. He has blue-green eyes and short, slightly-messy, ash-brown hair. Martin typically wears a striped, button up with 3/4 sleeves and black jeans. He wears a tie with multiple beetle-like designs. He has a brown leather belt with a metallic scarab-shaped buckle. Finally, he wears a pair of dark-blue vans.
---
Martin had always been a hard worker. He worked himself to the bone to provide for his family. He had regrets sure, who didn't. He wished he could continue his dream of becoming a musician, but it wasn't in the cards for him. He needed money to care for his sick wife, more money than being an orchestral musician could provide. So he worked to the bone as a consultant for a large firm. He didn't know his boss and his boss hardly knew him. Sure he's seen the guy, the gaudy suit is hard to miss, but he doesn't know him. Most of his coworkers worked like drones, seemingly doing what they had to do to get by. But to him, it was worth it to pay for his wife's treatment.
One day, after work, he was unlucky enough to cross the path of his boss, who didn't seem to notice him at first. He was focused on something else. A small bit curious, Martin peeked down the alleyway as he passed, but what he saw made him sick to his stomach. His boss was harassing an older woman. He could also see his boss wearing a mask, but that didn't hide the gaudy suit. The street was fairly empty, and Martin considered calling the police on the man. But something bugged him. "This was the man he was working for? Some sleazebag who sees fit to harass those less able than him?" Martin knew he needed the job, but knew he couldn't look his wife in the face if that was the kind of person he worked for.
So he approached the man who used to be his boss. "What do you think you're doing?"
The man just turned and stared vacantly at him. "Who are you?
"It doesn't matter who I am," Martin shouted as he pushed past the man to get to the elderly woman to help her up. When he felt the man's knee ram into his chest.
"Who are you to stand in the way of my fun?" his attacker asked.
Music began to play before the man seemed to slump even more. The lull was interrupted by Martin punching the man in his gut. "I'm just a man, tired of seeing people like you beat down the weak and poor. I deal with your kind enough at work, 「Harp Day's Night」 show this busybody what its like to work like a dog," then a louder burst of sound came and the aggressor collapsed in a heap of sudden exhaustion. He then heard the police sirens, "Strange, I hadn't called them yet,". "I don't really have time to deal with that... Hey lady," he called to the older woman, "are you alright?"
"... yes," she said after hesitating slightly "thank you for your help,"
"No trouble, sorry I have to run. get home alright, ya hear!" he said before walking behind a wall and having 「Harp Day's Night」 teleport him home.
"What a nice young man. Too bad he already has a stand, else I'd need to track him down to gift him one," the woman said before disappearing.
-Next Week-
Martin groaned once he returned to work a week after handing in his two weeks notice. He told his wife what happened, since he randomly appeared next to her. She agreed with his decision, even saying she'd punch the man himself if she saw the man. She spend the day doing her best to help him in his job search, but these things took time. Or he thought. An orange envelope had found itself in his mail, on a Sunday. The only identifying marks were three letters "SWF".
---
Stand Type: Long Range Artificial Non-humanoid
Stand Appearance: 「Harp Day's Night」 appears to be a wheelharp with a dog-like form. For instance its legs are jointed like a dogs, allowing them to act like actual legs. The stand where the pedals would be is instead a curved, wooden, beetle-like horn. Below this horn are a set of dog like eyes and mouth. This mouth can open and 「Harp Days Night」 can consume food, but its a mystery as to where it all goes. It should be noted, it is noticeably smaller than the wheelharp, only being the size of a border collie. As for colors it is mainly made of a stone-like dark grey material, with dogwood parts where its joints should be. Growing upwards out of these joints are white and black leaves. There are additional medal accents and wires that are silver in color. Its eyes and the inside of its mouth are a dark blue, while its tongue is orange.
Stand Ability: 「Harp Day's Night」 has two abilities.
Workin' Like a Dog: The wheel inside 「Harp Day's Night」 is able to spin faster the more exhausted Martin gets, this allows 「Harp Day's Night」 to generate soundwaves it can "fire" out of its horn. It can also store this energy to release in bursts or shoot a constant stream of it. While these soundwaves aren't able to do much damage, they can disorient (it makes them feel like their world is spinning) and furthermore-
--Sleepin' Like a Dog: Anything that hears the sound 「Harp Day's Night」 emits will grow more and more exhausted, as their energy is drained by the sound and sucked into its center. Things don't have to be alive to become "exhausted" as anything power source the sound waves hit will also be drained of energy. Martin can then depress the keys where 「Harp Day's Night's」 neck is to gain the energy drained. 「Harp Day's Night」 seems to greatly enjoy getting pet like this.
Get Home Alright: When something falls unconscious within 「Harp Day's Night」 it has the ability to send them home. Home is wherever the being feels home to be. If the being does not feel like they have a home they are transported to where they last slept. Alternatively, Martin can have this activate on him at any time.
Stats:
Power: E (The stand has very little physical power)
Speed: A
Range: B (50 meters)
Persistence: A
Precision: E
Development Potential: D
If I win, I'll keep my current flair but ask for the next contest to be stands based on puns.

1. Transit - Best band on the list, RIP Tim.
2. Modern Baseball - I know a lot of ppl would say slaughter beach dog is better or argue but I also miss Brendan
3. Man Overboard
4. The Downtown Fiction - leaving without notice, still no updates
5. The Gospel Youth - I heard that they're back but haven't release new music in a while. So many issues with their previous vocalist, kinda sucks I love his voice though.
6. Withcon - quit too soon
7. Roam - same as withcon

Damn, I miss those bands