Fifteen Minutes of Scrawl

Yes, this show did end over a week ago, but, in my defense, I only watched the finale this past Thursday! Anyways, here are 15 thoughts on this milestone season.  Overall, I had a great time watching I do think my enjoyment was enhanced by having a fantasy team that could earn me points as it got me more invested Also, to be fair, the fact that I won my friend group's fantasy game both in terms of points and in terms of having the winner on my team did amplify this enjoyment I was also more invested faster because the players were all returners, so I knew them from earlier seasons I will say that celebrity twists themselves were fun, but I really didn't need them to be branded or for the celebrities to actually appear (lookin' at you, Zac Brown) I do think that more than 18 players can work for a season, but I think I would've trimmed it a tad to 21 players instead of the 24 we say. The reason for that is while the blood moon twist was a dramatic twist, the subsequent m...

Time for bracket 2, episode 2!  So there aren't any twists with point distribution Vivacious is great TV April, that was rude! Silky is so charming I do find this challenge fun That said, it's pretty funny that everyone chose to do a food lesson Vivacious just said she's part Klingon and now I'll love her forever Ru is poking Ah Salina changed her plan I like this style of seeing glimpses from the queens directing their videos instead of pretty much seeing the whole video before we see the video Okay I had to look up who Gina Gershon is (my bad) and she was in Showgirls  which explains the Showgirls references Ru was making I also love Gina's outfit April looks incredible and all of the details are excellent (but the SMALLEST detail I didn't like was the color of the lace used to lace up the corset Aura is STUNNING Gosh do I love and enjoy Crystal Salina does look good, but it does feel like April had a very similar idea and did it better (looking at them gettin...

For those unfamiliar with Dropout TV , it's a comedy subscription streaming service run by the production company that was formerly CollegeHumor. One of their series is Make Some Noise  (a spinoff of Game Changer ). Most episodes of Make Some Noise  has three comedian players, improvising scenes based on prompts from the host, Sam Reich, that often feature impressions, noise-making abilities, lore building, and teamwork. The show has three rounds, plus a minigame before each round. One of those mingames is "Now That's What I Call X" where the host will provide what X is (e.g. "Now That's What I Call Sprinkles") and then list a series of locations. The players will have to say what X is called in each location (e.g. perhaps on the set of Survivor  sprinkles are called "Reward Dust"). Anyways, here are 15 ideas for the  Make Some Noise minigame "Now That's What I Call X" (that I don't believe have been done before)!  Now That...

Time for part 2 of the tell all! Liz, in all fairness, it didn't seem like you thought Kim already knew Colt, shut it Did Liz really pause that much when asked if she was happy with her choice? Liz, I do want you to go to therapy Yeah, I guess I could see how it'd be weird for Kim that a friend she texts every day slept with her son Wait are Liz and Kim best friends?! Wait...Lexi is still dating her child's father? Kim nailed it--Gino was talking to Lexi prior to dumping Natalie Natalie...why are you friends with Gino? I do like Kim going off on Gino I mean, yeah Ross, why would Gino be happy to see Jasmine? Gino, I do think Jasmine did actually care for you at one point (which is wild, I know) Lexi, I feel bad for you Phil, it's wild to think Cortney is 40 or 50 Wait, Cortney is the sugar mama? Colt, Cortney paid for things Colt, you stink Liz, have some sympathy for Diana Kim saying Cortney should've picked Usman is just an amazing sentence I love that the whole s...

For those unfamiliar with Dropout TV , it's a comedy subscription streaming service run by the production company that was formerly CollegeHumor. One of their series is Game Changer which is described as a game show where the game changes every show. However, sometimes they do something called a Game Samer where they repeat a game from an earlier episode. Here are 15 suggestions for games from Game Changer  that I think would be great for a Game Samer (that I don't believe have been repeated before)! "Lie Detector" (season 1, episode 1): Players will answer intimate questions while a lie detector, secretly controlled by someone they know, verifies their answers. In the original episode, it was their significant others controlling the machine, but maybe this time it is a parent or sibling "Sleeper Agents" (season 2, episode 3): Players will hit the streets to activate secret spies and suspicious civilians "Tell Us About Yourself" (season 3, episode...

Time to meet a new couple! GAH! SO SCARY, MALLORIE! Hrmmm I don't think Rasit is going to like the US for a LOT of reasons "No comment" is a BOLD response, Mido Uh, Debby, it does sound like Mido did NOT get on that plane I love Little Bit Hi, Paula! Okay, Paula is definitely quirky both because the favorite item in her miniature collection is a toilet with poop in it, but because she believes these miniatures manifest good things Huh so Paula and Tom met when Paula was on vacation in the US (a rarity for the  90 Day  franchise) Have Tom and Paula talked about how to combine their lives and styles? Cause they seem pretty different Tom, telling Paula to take only one bag is silly Oof seems like Marissa's family might be difficult Mallorie does get some points for learning at least a touch of Turkish YIKES! I'M SO SORRY, RASIT! Rasit, here's a wild idea: talk to Mallorie about financial expectations before you move to the US? Shea, rice can be bland just like po...

Time for bracket 2, episode 1! Crystal Methyd looks incredible Salina EsTitties's dress is pretty, but her makeup is PERFECTION Vivacious's look is fun, playful, but also stunning April Carrión's outfit is not my favorite, but her hair and makeup is gorgeous (okay, I think I was just not paying attention--I'm seeing it in the Werk Room and it is quite intricate) Aura Mayari looks great, but it's not the most memorable to me I am so excited to see Silky Nutmeg Ganache and I love that her look is a reference, but also just amazing "Are we alliance-ing right now?" is a great quote, Salina Wait, Aura, the way you said that made it seem like Salina is the only other queen you talk to from your season...did you mean that? I do love the alliance talk happening right away But lol, Crystal does not want to align herself with anyone Aw I'm enjoying the bond between Silky and Vivacious Silky with the puppet is pretty funny I love Ru's look "I only know t...

For those unfamiliar with Dropout TV , it's a comedy subscription streaming service run by the production company that was formerly CollegeHumor. One of their series is Game Changer which is described as a game show where the game changes every show. However, sometimes they do something called a Game Samer where they repeat a game from an earlier episode. One of these Game Samers is "Sam Says," which is like "Simon Says," but usually more confusing and ridiculous. Anyways, here are 15 ideas for that Game Samer (that I don't believe have been done before)! Sam says give me a pitch for a "Sam Says" rule Sam says when speaking from now on, do so in the accent of one of your ancestors Sam says memorize then do this DDR routine Sam says make a three person human pyramid Sam says find a volunteer on the street to be your playing partner Sam says form a human knot and untangle it without talking and before time runs out (60 seconds?) Sam says draft a pos...

Time for part 1 of the tell all!  Colt, this is your 8th tell all?! Examine your life Tbh this like pre-tell all stuff is pretty boring I love Liz and Vanja coming to Cortney's side Colt, screw you Colt, you're not a big dog...you're just an asshole Sophie...Pedro is allowed to bail. He wanted a relationship, you didn't, so you should part ways Let's see how Ross Matthews does I don't think it's that weird that Pedro didn't want to hang out with Sophie backstage Colt, are you trying to suggest that Cortney didn't care for you? SHE DID ALL THE THINGS! Aw I'm glad we get to see Julia Pedro, you're in trouble when Colt and Gino are defending you Also, Kim is right that Sophie was clear Also, also, Sophie can say no to whomever she pleases Ah, Nicole, our old friend Pedro...did you really never tell Chantel she was the love of your life? Also, whenever I hear Valentina I just think of the drag queen Valentina is very pretty, but she reminds me so...

While I have had my maid of honor picked out since 8th grade, I saw a silly post recently that suggested every bridesmaid have a title. Here are 15 serious and/or heartfelt ones I could bestow upon other potential bridesmaids (if you'd prefer lighthearted ones, please read "15 lighthearted bridal maid titles other than maid of honor" ). Maid of My Aesthetics Maid of Adventure Maid of Childhood Maid of Not for the Bride Maid of Mental Health Maid of Remember the Moment Maid of Tradition Maid of Affirmations Maid of Maid-Caring Maid of Back Up Off the Bride Maid of Getaway Planning (if Needed) Maid of Gentle Stories Maid of Grief Maid of Vow Crafting Maid of Complicated Families (Prompt by Lucy Wright) Photo by Taylor Gray on Unsplash

Not sure what's happening this episode cause last episode only gave us a season preview.  Wait, Shea, are you sure Anabelle isn't allergic to dogs? Uh, I would define kissing someone else as cheating Did Josh just describe Catie as a Tasmanian devil? Catie, I would encourage you to go to therapy if you only feel loved when you're having sex I'm in love with Debby's dog Is Mido actually a "movie star"? Huh...Mido hasn't shown Debby his work? Wait Mido was a tour guide but is a famous actor? Debby, how do you know that Mido is talented if you haven't seen his work? Aw Debby does really seem to love her kids Editors, you don't have to be mean about Marissa's kid's sports ability I appreciate that Marissa is talking openly with her kids And I'm glad that Edward has met Marissa's kids I don't need to watch Catie and Josh make out every time their title card comes up Uh, so what's wrong with this goat? Ashia...has God never te...

TBH, I just needed an easy post, so I did a dive into the "May 20" Wiki page  and then did some creative Google searches. These are in chronological order because of who I am as a person. On May 20, 1506, Christopher Columbus died On May 20, 1570, cartographer Abraham Ortelius issued Theatrum Orbis Terrarum  (the first modern atlas) On May 20, 1609, Shakespeare's sonnets were published for the first time in London On May 20, 1734,  Anton Janša, the pioneer of beekeeping, was baptized (now, May 20 is celebrated as Bee Day in honor of this) On May 20, 1865, the Emancipation Proclamation was read for the first time in Florida, marking the freeing of all enslaved in Florida (May 20 is now celebrated as Emancipation Day in Florida) On May 20, 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis received a US patent for blue jeans with copper rivets On May 20, 1875, the Metre Convention was signed by 17 nations which led to the establishment of the International Sys...

Time for progress (of one kind or another).  Sophie, it's pretty clear that Pedro is done Hey, Sophie, don't say that everyone looks like Pedro from the back OMG Colt is getting his mail to Philip's? Just noticed Philip's grandpa shirt Colt, MOVE OUT! It's wild that you were here in the first place COLT! THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP IS BEING ON YOUR OWN! JFC! Tony, you could've prepped your parents like JUST A BIT I do agree with Tony that this went about as well as it could have I did guess that Tony was giving Vanja a key, but wow I thought it was like a spare key not having Vanja move in Lol it'll be funny if one of Wayne's daughters end up dating Jamal So, Wayne, some of it is skill because you have to hit the pins in a certain order Um so why does this lawyer have an office behind a spiritual shop? I'm gonna be real, I'm scared of this lawyer To be fair, Gino, the first lawyer you met with TRIED SO HARD to tell you the risks Well, TECHNICALLY, Jasm...

While I have had my maid of honor picked out since 8th grade, I saw a silly post recently that suggested every bridesmaid have a title. Here are 15 lighthearted ones I could bestow upon other potential bridesmaids. Maid of BTS Photos Maid of Games Maid of Reassuring Me I'm Medically Fine Maid of Meme Finding Maid of Reminding Me My Wedding isn't Reality TV and Will Be Fine Maid of Child Wrangling Maid of Burying A Body (if Needed) Maid of Sparkles Maid of Any Needed Task Maid of Making Sure No One Calls Me Mrs. Husband Full Name Maid of It's for the Bride Maid of Braids Maid of Event Tweaking and Fixing Maid of Dog Wrangling Maid of Pumping Up the Dance Floor (Prompt by Lucy Wright) Photo by Taylor Gray on Unsplash

Time for bracket 1, episode 3!  Wow Morgan and Mystique are actually giving their points according to merit Wait, why are purses here? Mystique is stirring up the drama OMG! I DID NOT SEE THE PAIRING UP PART OF THIS CHALLENGE COMING! Lucky...you should say your vampire is thirsty (instead of frisky) I do think that Lucky and Mystique could pitch that their products utilize the whole corpse Moan Collins is a solid joke, Morgan Mystique is great TV I wish Dawn and Morphine had punnier names Dawn's werewolf look is amazing The gag of shaving some of Morphine's zombie scalp off was solid What I want to know is if the queens came up with their product names (cause Hello Flesh is awesome) Okay eating the jelly brain is actually grossing me out Wait, who is the caller? Did we know this bit was happening? Dawn and Morphine's sketch feels so long and while it was definitely an execution of the premise, it wasn't that funny to me TBH LUCKY'S VAMPIRE LOOK IS EVERYTHING I reall...

Back in August of 2019, I wrote "15 themes for a murder mystery party," but recently a friend challenged me to brainstorm settings for a murder mystery--so here I go (I am determined not to repeat any settings listed in the aforementioned post)! Renaissance Faire. Perhaps a joust over the hand of a fair maiden turns a tad too real? But who could've swapped the show weapon for a deadly one? Silent Zen Retreat. The peaceful silence is broken by a scream. But who decides to keep their vow of silence, treasuring it above even solving a murder? Drag Pageant. The competition was supposed to cutthroat--but not literally. Was it a jealous queen in search of the ultimate crown or was it a drag mother paving a bloody way for her drag daughter? The Senate Floor. Just before a crucial vote, the power goes out. When senators and aides fumble their phone flashlights on, they see one of their own dead on the floor, bleeding over the latest controversial bill. Tell me, is Capitol Hill w...

Sarah didn't like the look of the distant fins in the water. Sure, she was on a boat--and a very nice boat--but there was something ominous about sharks circling her. And there wasn't just her on the boat. There was her...boyfriend? Sugar daddy? Gentleman caller? Whatever his title should be, his name was Franklin and he had paid for this romantic vacation. What Franklin hadn't told her was that there would be a bunch of his other rich friends and their...girlfriends? Sugar babies? Lady callers? Was lady caller even a phrase? Sarah didn't like to think about what title Franklin described her as to his friends, so she quickly ditched this line of thinking. The champagne was real champagne--from the region of Champagne in France (Franklin's friend Pierre had reassured anyone whom he could trap into a conversation that it was, indeed, not just sparkling wine)--and it was cold. Sarah took another sip and hoped that soon she'd get enough of a buzz to carry her though...

TBH, I just needed an easy post, so I did a dive into the "May 14" Wiki page  and then did some creative Google searches. These are in chronological order because of who I am as a person. On May 14, 1796, Edward Jenner administered the first smallpox inoculation On May 14, 1804, the Lewis and Clark Expedition officially began On May 14, 1811, Paraguay overthrew the local Spanish administration (thus, May 14th is Paraguay's Day of Independence) On May 14, 1878, the last witchcraft trial held in the US began in Salem, MA (of course), after Lucretia Brown accused Daniel Spofford of attempting to harm her through his mental powers On May 14, 1915, the May 14 Revolt erupted in Lisbon, Portugal, and, ultimately led to the forced resignation of Manuel de Arriaga On May 14, 1935, the Constitution of the Philippines was ratified On May 14, 1944, George Lucas was born On May 14, 1953, the 1953 Milwaukee brewery strike began On May 14, 1955, eight Communist bloc count...

Season premiere! OMG I forgot that Marissa was going to give us a Say Yes to the Dress  crossover! Ah Marissa and Edward are a classic vacation fling turned into an engagement (although it does seem like, later, they did put in the time) Hey, Marissa, when you say Edward worked "entertainment" at the hotel...what does that mean? Hey, Marissa, did your kids ever meet Edward (even over video)? So, hey, Edward is allowed to do what he wants with his body...but it's odd that Marissa doesn't seem to know or have even asked why he wanted a circumcision Why if Mallorie doesn't like talking about herself is she on this show? Ah Mallorie has gone to Rasit to bring him to the US (always a nice thing IMO) Oof, I looked it up and Athens, AL is not on the coast which I think will be a bummer for Rasit Also, Marmaris, Turkey looks GORGEOUS Okay, sorry, but the video of Rasit proposing was a bit weird to me in the angle, lighting, and location Aw Mallorie and Rasit greeted each ...

In 2023, I wrote  "15 topics I could make a podcast about"  by my friend suggested recently I do a post on topics I'd discuss on a podcast. I took that to mean topics that could be good to interview me about.  Being a child of an alcoholic Growing up with divorced parents Struggling with body image Living abroad for grad school Doing communications for higher ed Working well with editorial associates and editors in publishing Brainstorming creative ideas for indie bookstores Improving from absolute beginner DM to somewhat comfortable DM Getting the most out of a D&D campaign either as a player or as a DM Recognizing when you do not just experience anxiety at times, but need to seek help for your anxiety Identifying when you are not just sad, you are depressed Encouraging folks to seek therapy as well as meds as a possible addition to therapy Finding ways to get back into reading Uncovering inspiration in unexpected places Developing a habit of writing daily (Prompt by...

Time for bracket 1, episode 2! Oh wow, I forgot this had been Dawn's first time in the top I love Mystique giving a pep talk to Lucky I am glad Mystique is getting a point, but like I said before, queens should give Morphine their points A'Keria is correct that Morphine deserves lots of points Okay so everyone has at least one point Glad that A'Keria clocked what Morphine said about her point Wait, I need to see more of Ru's shoes cause right now the tiny bit we do see is reminding me of Darlene's shoes that Michelle hated I disagree with Morgan, I feel like having a big butt makes it more difficult to get the underwear on Lol that Ru just called the challenge a tie so everyone could move on with their day Oop Dawn snatched the piano bar right from Morphine A "hairless duck" with "no feathers" is a hilarious sound bite I love that Lucky demands a dictionary Dawn, you are rubbing it in Morphine's face I'm a Mystique fan Did Ru get that fly...

In case you missed it, "[f]or the first time in more than 100 years, a bald eagle has been born inside the city’s limits" ! Accordingly, there is a naming competition for the eaglet and folks "are invited to submit three name options [in this form] by May 15" ! So, I'm going to brainstorm 15 and (hopefully) narrow to my top 3 to submit! Da Bird The Beak by Anest Kaprey IL Flag Justification Opesprey O'Beakma Operah Wingfrey Jane Talons Gwendolyn Beaks Daniel Birdham Roger Eaglet Eyrie Gygax Birds Terkel Stephen Colbird Tina Prey Birdie Mac (Prompt by me) "Party of four" by Lesley~B . Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic . NB: These are not the bald eagles in Chicago. If you'd like to see a photo of the ones in Chicago, check out "It’s an Eaglet, Or 2! Chicago Celebrates First Bald Eagles Born in City in More Than 100 Years" by Patty Wetli .

Season premiere/bracket 1, episode 1!  The patches on Ru and Michelle's jumpsuits are fun Morphine Love Dion as a ladybug is so beautiful I'm so glad Lucky Starzzz is back because we did not get enough of her on her season (and her look is just ART) I almost didn't recognize Mystique Summers, but wow glad to have her back (and looking great)! I was expecting Morgan McMichaels's look to have a Ruveal I remember really enjoying Dawn on her original season and this look is pretty fun A'Keria C. Davenport's look is ethereal and immaculate Aha so only 2 queens from each bracket will move forward Lucky is a bit intense I mean, I'd be nervous if I was Mystique or Morgan cause I'd feel like the producers put us int he same bracket together cause they wanted to get our story done without having to advance us I do agree with Mystique that you need charisma for every challenge, but this challenge seems to require some dancing (and other specific) skills So glad Mor...

Can you believe this is post 2801?  Wow, it's been over 7 years! I like my current balance of listicle and longer form post I do have a goal to continue my cryptid novel and to make more time for that I also want to dedicate more time to my podcast idea ( Don't Name Your Kid After Me ) I'm always in want of prompts, so please send me some (especially listicles!) I know I can see how many people read each post, but I rarely think to do it so I actually often forget that people actually read my posts That's not to say I don't appreciate you for reading--I really do appreciate you! It just means I am sometimes surprised when folks comment on a post because with the volume of posts I do, I genuinely forget that folks engage with any I want to try some more creative prompts (are there any new kinds of challenges I can take on?) At times I've considered doing posts less frequently, but I think if I don't aim for posting every day, it becomes too easy to put it off...

Okay, I've finally started writing the novel that I did some stream of consciousness posts about ( "Stream of consciousness about a novel idea I have, part 1" ,  "Stream of consciousness about a novel idea I have, part 2" , and  "Stream of consciousness about a novel idea I have, part 3" ). Now, I want to keep it unpublished, but I also want credit for working on it (lol). So, with that in mind, I'll do a post like this when I've worked on it for a bit, and you can shoot me a message if you'd like access to the Google doc.  NB: While there will be multiple posts in this vein, I will not link them to each other because the text will remain the same, so linking to part 1 from part 2 (etc.) won't yield any new information. Photo by  Bernd 📷 Dittrich  on  Unsplash

If I was hosting a lovely/semi-fancy picnic and had a reasonable budget, here's what I'd bring: Pretty disposable napkins Hard plastic cups and cutlery Sparkling water in a nice bottle Croissants Berries Variety of cheeses Several kinds of water cracker Beef prosciutto Sliced baguettes and bagels Smoked turkey Pre-cut cucumber Smoked salmon Rings of onion Capers Cream cheese (Prompt by Eleanor Pratt) Photo by Svitlana on Unsplash

Time for some kissing and talking about kissing. Uh, so Philip seems like a nice enough guy, but this living situation is bizarre Okay, be real, does Wayne work for like a UK tourism board or something? His dates are AWESOME So, Jamal, I see your point, but if someone asks how it was growing up as a single child...you did grow up as a single child... Ugh I still don't like Tony Vanja is hotter than you, Tony, you are correct Hey, Cortney, you didn't have to be transporting Colt ANYWHERE So, Villa, I get that you fell for Liz, but Liz was not exclusive with the guy back home and you two had not had a talk about intentions or plans, so I don't see her as having done anything wrong Pedro, just like give up on Sophie...she is NOT ready for a relationship Wayne seems like a good guy Uh, Tony, you could've prepped Vanja JUST A TAD earlier Gosh, Vanja, I just want you to be happy Tony's mom is very pretty So, Vanja, I'm like you in that I'm not religious. But, if I...