Volume 3 is our most chaotic issue yet. Keep reading if you’re in the mood for eight minutes of chaotic good.
Stream HMC: Volume 2
The official Spotify playlist for Happy Medium Club: Volume 2.
5 Breathing Techniques
By Dom Johnson
Breathing well is good for your brain. Pretty much everybody agrees on this (psychologists, yogis, babies, God, Taylor Swift, Colbie Caillat).
I collected some breathing tips from smart people in my life (my therapist and my sister). These tips have helped me a lot—during stressful times and regular degular times.
If you need some help calming your anxiety or just want to be more intentional about your breath, check out the techniques below.
Count On Your Fingers
As you inhale, count 1…2…3…4…5 on your fingers.
As you exhale, count 1…2…3…4…5 on your fingers.
Bonus: If you need help focusing or calming your nerves, consider listing five things on each count. List anything that works for you. Songs. Friends. Celebrities. Family. Characteristics of God. Drag queens. Hookups. Colors. Or you can just focus on counting.
Box Breathing
Breathe in for four seconds.
Hold your breath for four seconds.
Breathe out for four seconds.
Hold your breath for four seconds.
Do it again. :)
Belly Breathing
Place your hand on your belly.
Breathe in through your nose, expanding your belly (feel your hands rise as your belly expands).
Breathe out through our mouth, making a wooshing sound (feel your hands rise as your belly expands).
You can do it lying on your back or sitting/standing up straight.
Seven Seconds
Inhale for seven seconds.
Exhale for seven seconds.
Don’t rush it. Seven seconds is a long time to inhale/exhale, and it probably won’t feel natural. That’s the point, boss!
Stop hating on anime
By Joel Moisa
Anime is way more popular than my title makes it seem, but this is for those of you who think anime is weird.
At first, this was supposed to be a list of my top ten anime battles — but I imagined some of you skipping my blurb because you're afraid of anime.
In this essay, I will discuss why anime is not weird by exploring the following ideas: Anime is an adaptation of comics. Comics are just as weird, and anime is more than just people fighting to be the best in their world.
Recently, we all spent money to watch a movie about a cosmic wizard who helps a high schooler (with spider-like superpowers) by casting a spell to make everyone forget that he is a masked vigilante so he can get into his dream college. That is a very wordy plot summary of the most recent Spider-Man which I loved by the way, but you have to admit is a little weird. But the film is definitely inspired by one of the hundreds of Spide-Man comics. I’m not trying to discredit Marvel or DC, instead, I am trying to open your eyes to the idea that anime is just comics coming to life like most of your favorite summer blockbusters. Batman cartoons are not different from Naruto.
For every “weird” anime moment I bet there is something in American comics that mirrors it. Much of my Youtube algorithm is littered with videos titled “10 Weirdest Things to Happen in Marvel Comics,” and yes, they’re always weird. I’ve also seen several videos highlighting inappropriate jokes in cartoons I watched growing up. Don’t be afraid of trying out anime out.
Lastly, anime isn’t all about fighting and good vs evil. I couldn't tell you too much about non-shonen animes, but they are out there. You should ask Dana Johnson, she reads/watches all kinds of anime and manga.
Also, HBO Max, Hulu, and Netflix all have huge varieties of shows for you to watch and try out. So don’t be a prude and give it a shot.
Need some anime recommendations? Have some anime recommendations to share?
Click the cute little blue button below.
The Three-Wide-Receiver Draft
By Joel Moisa
I’m pretty sad about it, but I only had one chance to deploy my “three wide receivers” draft idea because I wasn't able to log on to my other drafts. This is a 10-team league, and it is a standard PPR, and I landed the 8th pick for no reason other than the computer hates me.
Round 1 - Pick 8
When it was finally my turn, the best available WR was Stefon Diggs. If Josh Allen has his third break-out season, Stefon Diggs is going to get a TON of touches as he proved that he can be a top-10 receiver in the league.
I wasn't super excited about drafting him, but he was the clear-cut decision. I was hoping he could be my WR2 if I got lucky enough to pick sooner. Also as a Viking fan, I love having him on my team.
Round 2 - Pick 8
With my second pick, I drafted Davante Adams who I LOVE. I think people are expecting him to drop off this season with the quarterback change, but David Carr has done more with less since winning the starting position in Las Vegas. People are also expecting age to catch up with Davante, but he proved last year that if you throw it in his direction, he will catch it. David Carr is lucky to have one of the best WRs in the league.
Round 3 - Pick 8
At this point, most people start looking for WRs to draft, so my options started to drop off a little for a clear-cut WR3. When my time started, I toggled to the WRs where I found go-to pass catcher Keenan Allen and high-flying extraordinaire Michael Pittman Jr as the top options. With only a few seconds left panic flooded my brain but I followed my heart and picked Michael Pittman Jr.
With my experiment underway, I had to find and build a decent team around them in hopes of winning the league.
Rest of the team:
QB: Mahomes
RB1: Elijah Mitchell since he is kinda a ppr god (is also now on the IR)
RB2: Tony Pollard
TE: Went Kittle
K: Matt Prater
DEF: Cowboys
Bench:
J.K. Dobbins
J.D. McKissic
Adam Thielen
Jaylen Waddle
Pat Freirmuth
Opening Up: 10 Prompts to Cultivate a Great Conversation on Dating Apps
By [Redacted]
Looking to try out online dating but don’t know where to start? Look no further.
Throughout my years, I’ve experienced the highs and lows of online dating.
Whether you’re on Hinge, Bumble, or Tinder, it all comes down to one thing: the opening line.
If you need some support, here are a few opening lines that have worked for me.
“You look like a menacing Sprouse twin.”
“Is your beard velcro? Let’s find out.”
“It’s crazy to me that you’re telling people you’re a [Insert Zodiac Sign] with no shame.”
“Hey, did you know I was an extra on Kyle XY?”
“You remind me of my dad if he had a Pinterest board.”
“I hope the water runs clear quickly when you wash your rice.”
“FMK: me and the last two people you matched.”
“Hey! I would love to talk, but first, you need to sign an NDA.” When they agree to sign it, reply with: “Sorry, I can’t move forward. I just feel like you were too willing to sign an NDA. And that’s a red flag.”
“What lie would you put on your resume if you were using the skills you learned from stan twitter/fantasy football? (idk)”
“Why are you the way you are?”
I hope this helps you throughout your romantic endeavors! Let me know how it goes. You can send me a DM at [redacted]. 🥰
Cool Girls: Volume 01 (a playlist)
By Dom Johnson
Stream a playlist inspired by the cool girls we know and the cool girls we wish we knew. No offense but girls rule and boys drool (no offense).
Here’s what the cool girls of Cool Girls: Volume 01 are saying:
“I had a marvelous time ruining everything.”
In the last great american dynasty, Taylor Swift tells the story of Rebekah Harkness, a new-money socialite who moved to a mansion in Rhode Island and proceeded to cause the town to erupt into chaos. Years later, Taylor Swift now lives in the same mansion where she continues to cause chaos. It is the best song of all time.
“Girl let me call you back I have to lay down my edges.”
In Wash & Set, leikeli47 washes and sets her hair, artfully. It is the best song of all time.
“It's about to get ugly, flow so mean, I just can't be polite.”
In Pretty Ugly, Tierra Whack tells us how cool she is. All songs on her album, Whack World, cut off at the 1-minute mark, often mid-sentence. It is the best song of all time.
“I just wanna wake up on CP time.”
In Binz, Solange… I actually have no idea what this song is about. But I, too, want to wake on CP1 time. It is the best song of all time.
“You used to be so sweet. Now you're a firecracker on a crowded street.”
In Hot & Heavy, Lucy Daucus explores the bittersweet nostalgia that happens when small things and quiet people transform into giant things and powerful people. It is the best song of all time.
“I'm so in love with myself, it's so romantic.”
In Feel the Way I Want, Caroline Rose talks about how she is so in her with herself, and it is so romantic. It is the best song of all time.
“Life's so fun, life's so fun. Got my mini skirt and my rollerblades on.”
In Silk Chiffon, MUNA and Phoebe Bridgers are happy, queer, in love, nice, and cool. The music video pays homage to the generation-defining film: But I’m a Cheerleader. It is the best song and music video and movie of all time.
“Heartbeat, heartbeat. 조금씩 더 커져가네.”
In Heartbeat, SURAN reminds us how sweet it is to fall in love. It is the best song of all time.
“I'm just tryna turn up in the country. I ain't in the city 'cause they ain't got lawns.”
In MOOOOO!, Doja Cat imagines life from the perspective of a cow. It is the best song of all time.
Happy Bits 😁
(Curated by Sam)
If you’re looking for a new vase or gorgeous ceramics, look no further! Raddish Ceramics makes awesome limited small-batch ceramics. Follow so you can buy something next time he has items for sale!
By now, we thought AI would've overthrown the human race, but it really just "wants" to paint.
GOLF WANG is designing fits for NASA's Artemis astronauts. Cool huh? Sorry, they're not for sale!
Don't worry, darling - we will absolutely still be seeing the movie that caused all the Olivia-Harry-Flo drama, despite it having a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Use this viral post generator if you need help making your LinkedIn posts cringier than they already are. 🙂
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“Colored People”