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jcmarchi · 7 months

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Aging Brain Initiative symposium showcases “cutting-edge” research across MIT

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Aging Brain Initiative symposium showcases “cutting-edge” research across MIT

Spanning computer science, mechanical engineering, biological engineering, neuroscience, and other disciplines, presenters at MIT’s Aging Brain Initiative Symposium Oct. 23 delivered a rich and diverse sampling of the university’s research to address a major global problem: neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

“We still don’t completely understand the mechanism underlying the process of aging. We do know that aging is associated with many health problems, particularly the chronic and progressive diseases of the brain known as neurodegenerative diseases,” said Picower Professor Li-Huei Tsai, founding director of the Aging Brain Initiative (ABI) and director of The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory. “So at MIT we have sought to encourage new thinking for the aging brain.”

Her remarks introduced the half-day symposium and poster session “Cutting Edge Approaches to Studying the Aging Brain” where hundreds of people gathered at Building 46 and online from 21 countries.

In 2015 Tsai and eight colleagues founded the ABI to engage scientists, engineers, and scholars across MIT to tackle the complex and multifaceted problems arising from age-related neurodegenerative diseases. In 2022 the ABI awarded seed grants to MIT faculty members to help them launch novel projects. Four of those professors provided updates on their work at the symposium, which also featured a keynote from University of Rochester professor Maiken Nedergaard, a pioneering neuroscientist who discovered the brain’s intrinsic “plumbing,” the “glymphatic system.”

Maiken Nedergaard takes questions from the audience moderated by symposium host Li-Huei Tsai.

Photo: David Orenstein/Picower Institute

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The system, which parallels the brain’s vasculature, washes cerebrospinal fluid through brain tissue, delivering nutrients and oxygen that cells need and carrying away waste. Since Nedergaard’s discovery in 2012, her and other labs have shown that the system is deeply relevant to brain health, including age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Glymphatic flow maintains healthy brain functions such as learning, and removes problematic proteins that are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases (e.g. amyloid beta, hyperphosphorylated tau, and alpha synuclein). But the system starts to falter as people get older. Moreover, it is active during sleep, but patients with some neurodegenerative disorders sleep poorly, further reducing protein clearance.

“It’s clear that the brain has a major problem with waste clearance, because the diseases of aging, the neurodegenerative diseases, can all be regarded as diseases of a dirty brain,” Nedergaard said.

Nedergaard’s lab continues to characterize the glymphatic system and its role in brain health, including in how problems with fluid efflux from the system may contribute to brain swelling after traumatic brain injury (TBI). She noted that by old age, about half of people will have experienced at least one TBI.

Projects in progress

The complexity of neurodegenerative diseases, however, stems from myriad, multifaceted breakdowns with often-unknown root causes. Several MIT speakers described new work funded by ABI seed grants to understand the mechanisms that drive the progression of those pathologies.

Biochemist Peter Dedon, the Singapore Professor in the Department of Biological Engineering, offered the hypothesis that the pathology of amyloid plaques and tau protein fibrillary tangles in neurodegenerative diseases involves dysregulation of translating messenger RNA into proteins in neurons. Based on their discoveries in cancer and infectious disease, his research team is investigating how aberrant modifications of transfer RNA (tRNA) and silent mutations of codons, which are critical players in regulating the protein translation process, can cause excessive protein synthesis and protein precipitation. Using a mouse model known to produce unhealthy forms of the tau protein, Dedon’s lab is investigating tRNA reprogramming and codon-biased translation of mRNAs in brain tissue, seeking to determine whether these might explain why tau pathology increases sharply as mouse models reach an age threshold.

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Peter Dedon at the MIT Aging Brain Initiative Symposium Video: Picower Institute

In her ABI-funded project, d’Arbeloff Career Development Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Ritu Raman is investigating mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases that impact mobility, such as ALS. Raman’s lab recently developed a tissue culture platform that simulates the mechanical effects of exercise at the cellular level and is developing co-cultures of muscles and neurons. Raman’s hypothesis is that while traditionally people consider the loss of motor function in ALS to be due to problems originating in the neurons, there may also be a benefit in understanding how communication from muscle affects neural growth, or retraction. In another recent study, for instance, she and colleagues showed that repeatedly inducing contraction in engineered muscle impacted cell signaling pathways related to nerve growth, making them more effective grafts in animal models.

Ritu Raman describes her work modeling the interactions between nerve and muscle tissues.

Photo: David Orenstein/Picower Institute

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Zooming out to the level of brain cells, circuits, and behavior, Institute Professor Ann Graybiel described her lab’s investigation of problems in a brain region called the striatum. She gave an example of work on Huntington’s disease, a neurodegenerative disease of aging. With Picower Institute investigator Myriam Heiman and Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab member Manolis Kellis, Graybiel and research scientist Ayano Matsushima showed how gene vulnerabilities appear to undermine both movement and mood in the condition. In the Graybiel Lab’s new work, they are focusing on what she said is a third “M” that declines with age: motivation, or what we are familiar with as an engaged sense of “get up and go.” Graybiel described how the research is homing in on the brain circuits likely responsible for this disturbing effect of aging, including controllers of the neuromodulator dopamine and non-neuronal companion cells called astrocytes.

Improving care for people with brain aging diseases requires more than just improvements in understanding pathology and physiology. In his ABI-seeded work, electrical engineering and computer science associate professor Thomas Heldt, a member of the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), teamed up with fellow EECS faculty professors Vivienne Sze and Charles Sodini to develop algorithms and software as powerful but unobtrusive ways to monitor patients’ neurocognitive state. Building on studies showing that eye responses exhibit changes in speed and accuracy amid aging and cognitive decline, Heldt’s lab is building a system that enables sophisticated eye tracking measures on common consumer devices such as iPads. These kinds of measures are often taken under carefully controlled lighting and motion conditions in a lab or clinical environment, but that severely limits opportunities for data collection. In their system, volunteers can use an app that asks them to simply glance to one side or another given a cue and measure their reaction time. The software is able to factor out different lighting or motion artifacts that would confound the measurements.

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Thomas Heldt at the MIT Aging Brain Initiative Symposium. Video: Picower Institute

Plethora of posters

After the talks, in-person attendees spilled out of Building 46’s Singleton Auditorium into an atrium with 26 posters representing 15 MIT and affiliated labs. Postdocs and graduate students described research on topics ranging from brain imaging technologies and methods to studies of cell gene expression, epigenomics, proteomics or metabolomics in neurodegenerative diseases to potential therapeutics, such as gene therapies or sensory stimulation of key brain rhythms.

For example, the lab of chemical engineering associate professor Kwanghun Chung of the Picower Institute and IMES displayed three posters describing technologies for processing and imaging whole human brain samples, for instance to analyze Alzheimer’s pathology in postmortem brains. Five members of biological engineering professor Ernest Fraenkel’s lab presented posters describing methods and models for analyzing the “multi-omics” of diseases including ALS, Huntington’s, and Alzheimer’s.

From the podium to the posters, the afternoon served to showcase the wide-ranging interest across MIT in research to better understand and address diseases of the aging brain.

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sifanjewel · 3 years

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My OCs: Zela’s family

Here are some descriptions of my beloved OC Zela’s parents, her brother and sister, and a slightly more detailed summary of Iryn!

I also have stuff written for Iryn’s siblings, as well, but they will have their own post.

I should also note that these are personality/backstory descriptions. I’m still working on the sketches for these characters so there's nothing about their physical descriptions. Yet.

Side note: To have and idea of Zela’s sibling’s ages, she’s 23 at the start of the Resistance

Shal’un

Shal’un is a proud Sifan Gelfling, born and raised in Cera-Na. In his younger trine, he was a hard worker who repaired ships and learned to be a skilled fisherman at a young age. He also, like most Sifan, had many out-at-sea adventures with his Samuadren family, and if he wasn’t out on a ship or repairing one, he was constructing his own windship for the Hooyim Boat Races, which he took part in every single year.

His adventures, however, ended with a horrific storm out at sea that caused his ship to sink. He had been the only survivor. He was rescued, but the memories of that night kept him in Cera-Na. He still gladly repairs damaged ships, but now only fishes in close range of the shore, and his Hooyim racing days are long behind him. It’s not only his traumatic memories that keep him close to land, but the family he now provides for. Though he may no longer participate in the hectic life of the Sifa, he is forever proud of his clanship and teaches that same pride to his children.

Lana

Before joining the Sifa, Lana was a young, fun-loving Stonewood girl with expertise in archery and wilderness survival skills. She lived in a smaller settlement within the Endless Forest, but visited Stone-in-the-Wood on a frequent basis and spent many-a-day and night partying at the brew fountain with her friends. She had been content with her life to remain that way, until one day her friends suggested they all take a trip North, particulalrly to the Port between Ha’rar and Cera-Na. They all wanted to get a taste of the adventerous ways of the Sifa.

Lana gladly went along and ended up enjoying the trip, but not quite how she’d expected to. While at a pub within the Port, she caught the eye of a handsome Sifan fisherman. Shal’un and Lana spent nearly the entire night talking and continued to stay in touch long after Lana and her friends returned to the Endless Forest. Six unum of writing back and forth and two more visits to the docks later, Lana finally accepted her heart’s call to remain by the sea with her lover. The day she moved to Cera-Na Shal’un asked her to marry him and she glaldy accepted. Their union officiated her Sifan clanship and Zela was born shortly after. Since then Lana has fully accepted the Sifan ways of life and takes every aspect of their culture into appreciation, even Far-Dreaming and soothsaying, though she has neither such abilities. She misses the Endless Forest from time-to-time, but she has not once regretted her decision to live the rest of her days on the coast, surrounded by family until the day Thra calls her home.

Mar

Mar is Zela’s younger brother by seven trine. Mar shares the same clan pride as his parents, even as young as he is, though he is less interested in the fishing and ship-repairing business Shal’un urges him into and would rather spend his time dream-etching and story-telling if he’s not messing around on the docks with his friends.

Mar appreciates his Sifan and Stonewood heritage, but if he had a choice to join the Dousan, he would. He’s always intrigued by the Dousan whenever they come into Port to trade with the Sifa. He’s always been captivated by their looks and what little he knows about their culture, even with the supposed “death-worshipping” aspect of it. He hopes to one day visit the Crystal Desert when he’s older and learn more about them. He even half-jokingly mentioned getting Dousan-style tattoos, much to the horror of his parents.

Tida

Tida is Zela’s younger sister by ten trine, making her the youngest of the three siblings. She is very much her own Gelfling, but looks up to her sister, and is often inspired by her in spite of Zela’s inability to speak. She has some of the same interests, such as making charms, drawing, and going on rock-climbing adventures along the shores. Tida especially loves making jewelery and designing her own Sifan clothing, and dreams to someday be the Maudra’s personal designer and tailor. She also loves styling hair, even when it may not always turn out quite how she imagined it.

Tida takes to the fishing business within Cera-Na a little better than her brother, but doesn’t have much more interest in it, and would more often rather have fun with her firends as any childling should. Even so, she loves helping her family however she can, and enjoys life on the docks as much as the next Sifa.

Iryn

Iryn is Zela’s beloved husband, a Drenchen who turned Sifan even before they were married. Prior to meeting Zela during a chance encounter in Stone-in-the-Wood, Iryn lived his life happily among his fellow Drenchen within Great Smerth. He was a renound hunter and accomplished warrior, well-equipped with a spear and bola at all times. In contrast to his rotund Drenchen appearance in height and muscle, Iryn is soft at heart, gentle and charming with his words even when surrounded by those of his clan who know hard-talk best. When he and Zela met, their connection was almost instant, and he had never felt a greater love for one Gelfling before, regardless of what clan she heeded from.

Iryn ranked high among the many Drenchen who took up hunting, even becoming a leader in one of the clan’s strongest hunting parties and at the peak of his trine within the group found himself in a position that granted him the ability to speak to the Maudra on a frequent basis. This was a position he had practically been trained for, as his parents were also leaders of their respective groups - most notably his father, and his father before him and so on. Iryn’s choice to join the Sifa enraged those within his hunting party, however none were more furious than his sister Navina and brother Bovahl, who expected him to carry on their parents’ legacy when they couldn’t. It broke his heart, but Iryn was forced to sever his ties with the Drenchen due to his siblings’ rejection. He never regretted his choice, however, as he of course found family among the Sifa not only through his future wife, but among those he would grow to call his friends. The Sifan practice of Era-Ianem favored him; whenever he found himself missing Sog and his estranged siblings, he would remind himself that though his sails were woven by Drenchen fabric, it was the Sifan wind that filled them.

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rainbows-and-emeralds · 5 years

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Jean Pierre Polnareff's true purpose

So, let's talk about Jean Pierre Polnareff.

The "silliest" of the Stardust Crusaders, the "clown" of the group, the "immature one".

Except he's really none of those things. He may not be a genius, but he is smart. People really don't give Polnareff the credit he deserves. I personally do believe, that out of all of the Crusaders he is the one with the worst fate.

All of the Crusaders have been through some form of trauma, yes, they all have faced Dio and have lost friends along the way, but Polnareff has had it especially hard, because people just seem to ignore/forget all he's done, and we tend to put him down as that silly, funny guy from Part 3.

It is true, Polnareff is very dorky and jokes around a lot, and just generally seems to be very at ease in an almost naive way. But this has it's reasons, and Polnareff is so much more than just this.

The people who smile the brightest often hide the worst pain in their hearts.

What I'm trying to say is, Jean sort of uses this goofy, happy facade as a coping mechanism for trauma and grief. Only 3 years prior to meeting the other Crusaders he'd lost his younger sister Sherry. And she wasn't just killed by accident, she was murdered. Imagine what that must have done to him. Whatever it was, it was enough for him to seek revenge, not stopping before anything.

Furthermore, he'd just somewhat come to terms with Avdol's supposed death later on in season 1 of Part 3. Maybe Polnareff even blamed himself for dragging Avdol into this. Especially after going off on his own when he'd finally found J. Geil, which I still believe he did, to not endanger his friends unnecessarily.

Avdol was probaply his closest friend of the bunch. I love the bond these two shared. And I believe that Avdol wanted Polnareff to realize that it's better to have friends to rely on, and that it wasn't his fault.

Still, Polnareff likely blamed himself for being responsible for Avdol's death, having seen him die right in front of him, because he was protecting him..

And later it turns out Avdol didn't really die, he was still alive all this time, and all the Crusaders knew about it. All of them, except for Polnareff.

They didn't tell him, because they didn't trust him to keep quiet about it in front of the enemy.

This is the one desicion I disagree on with Kakyoin and the others. How could they. Not only did they basically end up telling Polnareff that they didn't fully trust him, they left him blaming himself, feeling incredibly bad and traumatized for WEEKS.

And then not ONE of them, not even Kakyoin, really apologized to him. It can be argued that what they did was not to hurt Polnareff on purpose, regarding the dangerous situation they're in. And that makes sense. But it did hurt him. And that's sort of unforgivable in my book. Jean puts up this happy act, and no doubt he does have fun with the other Crusaders, it's not bad all the time at all. But when nobody's looking, the sad, pained look on his face is obvious enough.

In the end, Polnareff really loses three of his friends, two of them because they protected him, and gave their lives for that yet again, but this time for real. He's essentially left with what he'd believed to be true before.

He is alone again.

Having only survived because others protected you and died for that, can make you feel so utterly desperate and worthless.

Despite this sorry state he falsely sees himself in, here is where it truly shows, just how noble Jean Pierre Polnareff really is.

Instead of leaving all of this behind when given the chance, to go back home to France, he continues investigating the Stand arrows, and the problems Dio's actions caused, even after he died.

While Jotaro was on it too, Polnareff eventually decides to further investigate alone, probaply because he wanted to avoid losing another friend because he couldn't protect himself alone. It shows that he's grown. And it shows that Polnareff really doesn't hesitate to risk his life for this.

This causes Polnareff to run into none other than Diavolo, who is after the arrows for his own, twisted reasons.

Which in turn, gets him into an even worse situation.

Not only has Polnareff spent his youth, from the age of 19 (when he lost his sister) to age 36, chasing after the Stand arrows and Dio to seek revenge and prevent even worse things from happening, he's also severely injured and left disabled for the rest of his life at only 23 years of age.

On top of all of this he is now the potential target of one of the most dangerous Mafia bosses in the world, forcing him to live in solitude for over 10 years, unable to contact ANY of his remaining friends or family because if he did so he'd risk getting them and himself hunted down and killed. Thus Polnareff is yet again alone.

Just.. take a moment to let all of that sink in. All of what Polnareff has been through.

And DESPITE all of that, he still pulls through, he still keeps going, stays strong and continuously puts his own life on the line to try and stop Diavolo from obtaining the Requiem arrow.

Because he knows that if he fails, everything the Crusaders fought for in 1989 will be to no avail. And even if he can't do much himself, he finds a way to contact Bucciarati's group after what I can only assume are weeks, if not months of research on them.

(It is almost scary to see how much Polnareff has changed, from the mostly happy, outgoing and talkative guy we've known, to this serious, more mature and collected man, operating from within the shadows to reach out to Bruno.)

Now we, as the reader, know all of this about Polnareff, but to Bruno and his gang, he is a stranger, somebody they don't know if they can trust yet. They also only meet Polnareff very briefly before Diavolo finally reveals himself and kills Polnareff for good.

Jean Pierre Polnareff, spent his live almost constantly facing some sort of trauma. I can't begin to imagine what he must have felt like in the end, knowing he's dying, before having finished what he started, what he fought for.

Yet he spends his last living moments thinking of his friends, the things he's been through back in Egypt, and atleast he knows that what he's done is not in vain, because he can safely place this mission he's dedicated the last 10 years of his life to, in the hands of Bucciarati and his gang.

This has an almost poethic value to it.

(It is also interesting to note that the Stand, Judgement, from Part 3 shows up in this panel. Think back, this Stand had the ability to grant "wishes" in form of illusions that turn against you. That was when he wished for his sister Sherry, and Avdol, whom Polnareff still believed to be dead, to come back to life. This always strangely touches me, because it's so naive to believe in such a thing, yet, it shows just HOW much Jean cares for those two, that he still had hope left, and was unable to let go, as of that time. The pain in his eyes as he realized that this last bit of hope he had was foolish, wronged, he had to accept and move on, which he does for the most part, but the fact that Judgement is something that he remembers in his last concious moments before dying shows that what happened on this particular day never really left him..)

Somehow, Polnareff is given a second chance, in form of his soul being kept alive within this bizarre Stand ability of Coco Jumbo. His body is dead, he can never go back, but Polnareff's spirit lives on. Atleast for now.

And Polnareff did so much. He sacrificed everything, not even hesitating to lay down his life.

He deserved so much better. He deserved a happy, long life, a family, love and friends.

While he may not ever get some of these things, he's with Giorno now. He's made it out, somewhat, alive. He can rest easy now and that is what counts for me. His sacrifices have not been for nothing, and thus, his friends dying to protect him back in Cairo also have not died for nothing. Polnareff carried on their legacy, making their deaths count, moving on, but never forgetting.

It is somewhat ironic that the one who carried Polnareff's mission to the end was Giorno, Dio's son, and yet another Joestar. It seems that the fates of Polnareff, Dio, and the Joestar family were destined to cross paths from the beginning.

Again, as the reader, we know the whole picture, but Polnareff doesn't. And he still did what he did, and he deserves credit and gratitude for that.

This is why Jean Pierre Polnareff is one of the most important people in the storyline of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, and a man who has ALL my respect and admiration. I truly think that without him, things wouldn't have turned out as well as they did, and we have him to thank for that.

The last thing spoken in the anime of Vento Aureo is said by none other than Polnareff:

"Let's go,

...to the Colosseum."

~Haru

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alwaysmarilynmonroe · 4 years

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When most people hear the name, “Veronica Lake” usually one of three things comes to mind – that incredible peek-a-boo hair, the Film Noir’s with Alan Ladd or possibly Kim Basigner playing a Miss Lake lookalike in L.A. Confidential (1997) – fun fact, she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for that role. Although, with Veronica’s heyday being well over half a century old, that’s sadly usually as far as it goes.

However, with the Classic Hollywood Era being hugely timeless and forever coming back into fashion, the genre is becoming less of a niché subject and more Stars are on the public radar. If you’re a long time Vintage Lover like myself, you’ll be aware that unfortunately, a lot of our favourites don’t have many books written about them, or if they do, they’ve been out of print for a number of years and can be hard to find, or very expensive. Therefore, when I came across the news that Dean Street Press were publishing a reprint of Veronica’s Autobiography, which was first released in 1969, I was absolutely ecstatic! As most who know me are probably aware of my love for Blonde Bombshells, it may not be as well known that Veronica is my other favourite, after Marilyn.

There have only been two books published on Veronica, which I must add, astounds me – and one of them is this one which was co-written by ghost writer Donald Bain, who sadly passed away in October of 2017. The other is by Jeff Lenburg and I am fortunate enough to have both. However, Lenburg’s book is fairly controversial as he takes a lot of his information from Veronica’s mother, who claims a lot of detrimental things about her daughter – yet was estranged from her for many, many years. I think it’s actually being reprinted this summer and I will read it again, but would definitely advise new fans to stick to Veronica’s own words.

The republished version of Veronica’s Autobiography features a new cover with a stunning publicity photo of her in Ramrod (1947) which was directed by her then Husband, André de Toth. The book is a shiny paperback, with a non crease format, so even when you’ve finished reading, it will be in great condition and can take pride of place on your bookshelf! At 215 pages and 27 chapters, it’s not a huge length, but definitely a substantial read and full of personal anecdotes from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Broadcaster and writer, Eddie Muller adds a new Introduction and his following words really stuck with me, their relevancy still to this day does not go unnoticed,

“I’ll point out instead that while the public has granted Sterling Hayden, a legendary boozer and hash-head, a legacy as a heroic, larger-than-life iconoclast, it has branded Lake’s life after Hollywood a steady downward spiral of abasement, worthy of only pity. Blame a cultural double standard that applauds reckless rebellion in men but shames it in women.”

As the chapters do not have titles, I’ve decided to write down a snippet of information which sums up the pivotal points and various timelines in each section.

______________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 1:

– Starts in 1938 and traces Veronica’s move to Hollywood with her mother, step-father and cousin on the 4th of July. Veronica enrolls in the Bliss Hayden School of Acting and has her first role in a movie as an extra in RKO’s Sorority House (1939).

Chapter 2:

– Veronica’s signature peek-a-boo hairstyle is unintentionally created on the set of Forty Little Mothers (1940) by Director, Busby Berkeley who stated, “I still say let it fall. It distinguishes her from the rest”.

Chapter 3:

– Director, Freddie Wilcox sets up Veronica’s first Screen Test, whilst at home her step-father suffers a collapsed lung.

Chapter 4:

– Veronica joins the iconic William Morris Agency and recounts her knowledge of the infamous Hollywood Casting Couch and how she turned away from the many advances.

Chapter 5:

– Veronica meets her first husband, John Detlie and has her named changed by Producer, Arthur Hornblow Jr., who, after a second Screen Test, decides to cast her as Sally Vaughn in her breakout movie, I Wanted Wings (1941).

Chapter 6:

– Focuses on the location filming of I Wanted Wings (1941) from August 26th 1940 in San Antonio, Texas.

Chapter 7:

– Continues filming in Hollywood for I Wanted Wings (1941) and elopes to marry her first husband, John Detlie.

Chapter 8:

– Veronica discusses the first 8 years of her childhood and her move to Florida in her teen years and the two schools she attended in Montreal and Miami.

Chapter 9:

– Recounts various appearances in Miami Beauty Pageants as a teenager.

Chapter 10:

– Returns to 1941 with the release of I Wanted Wings (1941) and focuses on the worldwide phenomenon of the famous hair. Also finishes with Director Preston Sturges hiring Veronica for the role of The Girl in Sullivan’s Travels (1941).

Chapter 11:

Veronica shares the news of her first pregnancy with her mother and how her third trimester would coincide with the physical demands of filming Sullivan’s Travels (1941).

Chapter 12:

– Covers the filming of Sullivan’s Travels (1941) from May 12th 1941 and the revelation of Veronica’s pregnancy. It’s simply incredible when watching the film all these years later to come to the realization that she was between six to eight months pregnant!

Chapter 13: – The filming of This Gun For Hire (1942) and The Glass Key (1942).

Chapter 14:

– The filming of I Married A Witch (1942), So Proudly We Hail! (1943) and The Hour Before The Dawn (1944). Veronica also discusses the deterioration of her marriage and the tragic loss of her second baby, Anthony, who died a week after being born two months prematurely.

Chapter 15:

– Veronica divorces John and retells various anecdotes of the Hollywood Lifestyle in it’s heyday in the 1940s.

Chapter 16:

– Veronica discusses the filming of Star Spangled Rhythm (1942) and also her dating history during this period. She shares some fascinating stories of various celebrity anecdotes which include such Stars as, Errol Flynn, Katharine Hepburn, Howard Hughes and Gary Cooper.

Chapter 17:

– The filming of Bring On The Girls (1945), Duffy’s Tavern (1946) and Hold That Blonde! (1945). Veronica recalls marrying her second husband, Andre de Toth and shares a moving story from her visit to The White House in January 1945.

Chapter 18:

– The filming of Miss Susie Slagles (1946), Out Of This World (1945), Ramrod (1946), The Blue Dahlia (1946), Saigon (1947) and The Sainted Sisters (1948). Veronica and Andre expand their family as she has her third baby, a boy named Michael. She also talks about her and Andre obtaining their Pilot Licenses and how the death of her step-dad deeply affected her.

Chapter 19:

– Features a highly entertaining story of Veronica flying her plane, whilst carrying her forth child, in her fifth month of pregnancy. With her on board is her secretary Marge, who up until then had never flown before.

Chapter 20:

– Veronica gives birth to her forth baby, a girl named Diana and talks about the turmoil of her relationship with her mother, who decided to sue her for, “lack of filial love and responsibility” and over $17,000.

Chapter 21:

– The filming of Slattery’s Hurricane (1949) and Stronghold (1951). Veronica discusses her frustration with Andre’s prolific spending, which results in them filing for bankruptcy and ultimately, the deterioration of their marriage.

Chapter 22:

– Veronica moves to New York in 1951 and continues her acting career through various television appearances and the stage. She enters her third marriage to husband, Joe McCarthy, which she admits was volatile from the start and they divorce after just four years, in September 1959.

Chapter 23:

– Covers the years 1959 through to 1961. Veronica discusses her time taking a job as a cocktail waitress – which contrary to popular belief, she actually quite enjoyed. She also talks about the traumatic accident which resulted in a severely broken ankle, which caused her inability to act for two years.

Chapter 24:

– Delves into her relationship with Andy Elickson, a Merchant Seaman, who she met during her time working in the Martha Washington Hotel and focuses on the period between 1961 and 1966. She also writes about a high note in her stage career; appearing in Best Foot Forward in 1963.

Chapter 25:

– Veronica discusses her move to Miami from New York in 1966.

Chapter 26:

– The filming of Footsteps In The Snow (1966) and Flesh Feast (1970) which was then known as Time Is Terror and was originally shot in 1967.

Chapter 27:

– Ends in October 1967 with Veronica discussing her reading performance of The World of Carl Sandburg, which she describes as one of the, “finest moments” of her life.

______________________________________________________________________________

Veronica’s words are full of honesty, she does not sugar-coat her flaws and her anecdotes convey a great sense of humbleness towards her career and lots of self criticism to her talent, the latter which saddens me. I’ve noticed many of the great Stars rarely seem to have any belief in themselves. If only they could see how loved and appreciated they truly are. However, her loyalty and generosity towards her close friends and even acquaintances does not go unnoticed. It’s refreshing to see her be able to share her own story, without various opinions and conspiracies that have grown over the years being included.

Overall, there’s only two downsides that springs to mind. Firstly, as the book was originally published in 1969 and finishes at the end of 1967, we’re missing the six final years of her fascinating life and tragically nothing can be done to change this. Of course no one is at fault, it’s just a shame that those last years will remain mostly a mystery to us. It would have been wonderful to read about her time in England. Lastly, in the original edition, a number of pages featured very rare photos of Veronica throughout her years, including her own comments. Sadly, only a small version of the cover photo reappears at the end of the newly republished book. I’m assuming this is down to cost and or copyright, but it would be nice to see these rare treasures reappear in the latest edition for fans that are not fortunate enough to also own an original copy.

Ultimately, Veronica always maintains her true self and comes across as not a Screen Icon, but just like one of us – albeit with some extraordinary Hollywood stories. She’s simply, and I mean this in the most complimentary way – a human being. It’s been almost a decade since I discovered Veronica, eight years in fact and I for one have not only became even more endeared to Miss Lake, but, I have also developed a warm space in my heart for my fellow 5’2″ little lady, Miss Connie/Ronni Keane.

Lastly, a huge thank you to Dean Street Press for believing in the popularity of Veronica and so wonderfully reprinting hers and Donald Bain’s special words for us all to enjoy.

For anyone who wants to see more of Veronica, I’ve amassed a fairly large archive of photos over the years which can be viewed on my blog devoted entirely to her; missveronicalakes.

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Veronica: The Autobiography of Veronica Lake; Book Review. When most people hear the name, "Veronica Lake" usually one of three things comes to mind - …

#1940s #1950s #1960s #autobiography #blonde bombshell #book review #classic hollywood #constance keane #donald bain #femme fatale #icon #legend #old hollywood #peek-a-boo blonde #veronica lake #vintage

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scarletwelly-boots · 3 years

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Books Read 2020

I started off really good this year, what with quarantine and all. And then I got sidetracked by reading one hundred and forty-nine fanfics (and counting) (mostly Destiel; CW can kiss my ass).

I read 30 books this year, which I thought was bad, but apparently I only read 24 last year, so not awful. I did the Popsugar reading challenge for the fifth year. There were 50 categories this year, so 60% isn’t too bad. So without further ado, let’s get started under the cut.

1. The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea, Maggie Tokuda-Hall (a book that’s published in 2020). This book, y’all. My god. It has it all: pirates, queer relationships, genderfluid characters, an intense plot. This book was so good. I definitely recommend this book. Pirates!!! And gay!

2. Somebody Told Me, by Mia Siegert (a book by a trans or nonbinary author). I don’t know how Siegert identifies, but I know they use they/them pronouns. This book was... okay but frustrating. A bigender teen, Aleks/Alexis, has a traumatic experience and moves in with their aunt and uncle, who is a newly converted Catholic priest. I liked the queer rep, but sometimes it felt like the author had these assumptions or prejudices about the Catholic church. Some of them were right, granted, and I’m not a practicing Catholic anymore so I don’t know why it pissed me off, but it bugged me anyway. So I guess if you don’t mind it seeming like the author did little to no research on Catholicism, then it’s a good book.

3. All the King’s Men, by Nora Sakavic (a bildungsroman). Who, me? Rereading my gay comfort trilogies during quarantine? It’s more likely than you think. Love the All for the Game trilogy. This is the third book in the series. It’s the best book in the trilogy. It is a series about a college sports team who play a made up sport called Exy, which is basically a more violent version of lacrosse. I’m not a huge sports fan, but the way she writes Exy matches had me on the edge of my seat. The team is made up of all “at-risk” students, the main character being a kid on the run from his mob boss dad. Trigger warning for the series for violence, sexual assault/rape, abuse, drug use, I may be missing some things. It was so good though.

4. Captive Prince, by C.S.Pacat (a book with a map). Back again with the gay comfort trilogies. This is the first book in the Captive Prince trilogy, and whoops, did I say love All For the Game? Love this series more. It’s awesome. It’s fantasy and gay and romantic. But the romance isn’t even the central part. Laurent is my favorite asshole. Damen is so sweet and sassy as fuck. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Seriously. I can’t do this series justice.

5. The Foxhole Court, by Nora Sakavic (a book recommended by your favorite blog, vlog, podcast, or online book club). First book in the All for the Game series. What are you still doing here? Go start this trilogy!

6. Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine (a book that passes the bechdel test). This is such a good book. It was one of my favorite books when I was a kid. It’s basically a retelling of Cinderella, and if you’ve seen the movie version with Anne Hathaway, the book is way, way better.

7. Loki: The God Who Fell to Earth, by Oscar Basaldua (a book with the same title as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it). God, I cannot WAIT for the Loki show. Anyway, this is a new comic about Loki (obviously). I love anything with my disaster wife in it, so 100% I recommend it.

8. As Drowning Men Clutch at Straws, by EA Roisin (a book by an author with flora or fauna in their name). Okay, so. Roisin is an Irish name that means rose, and EA Roisin is my (unpublished) pen name. In my defense, the manuscript is 186 pages long and it felt like an accomplishment when I finally finished rereading it for the first time since I finished it in 2015. Do I recommend it? I’ll let you know if it ever gets published.

9. Red White and Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston (a book that won an award in 2019). I’m still rereading this book. I got interrupted because my sister wanted to read it and then I got a new book for my birthday. But this is, far and away, my FAVORITE BOOK. It’s so beautiful. It was very romantic (once they stopped “hating” each other), and gay. The premise sounds far-fetched: First Son of the United States falls for the Crown Prince of England. But, guys, it’s soooo gooooood. Highly, highly, highly recommend.

10. A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, by Hank Green (a book with only words on the cover, no images or graphics). This is the sequel to An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. This was just as great as the first, but I spent a good chunk of the book vibrating with anxiety. The stakes were way higher, and I don’t think I’ve been scared while reading a book since reading Jade Green (Phyllis Reynolds Naylor) in junior high (which was fucking terrifying, btw). But I definitely recommend it!

11. Crush, by Richard Siken (a book with a pun in the title). Guys. I read this book almost every year, because it’s quick and gorgeous and the title is accurate because it absolutely crushes me. This is a collection of LGBT (more specifically, gay) poetry, and OH MY GOD. This is in my top five favorite books. I read it all the time. This is the book that made me fall in love with poetry, back in high school.

12. The Raven King, by Nora Sakavic (a book with a bird on the cover). The second book in the All for the Game series. Trigger warnings for All the King’s Men apply to this one, too.

13. 1014: Brian Boru, by Morgan Llewelyn (a fiction or nonfiction book about a world leader). If you know me, you know I’m a complete Irish history nerd. This book is about a very important battle that took place in Ireland, and the last great High King of Ireland, Brian Boru. High Kings are mostly just an elected title, who get paid via taxes from provincial kings and chieftains, but Brian was the only one who saw as close to a united, free Ireland as it got until 1921 (although since the island is split between the North and the Republic, it’s still not totally unified). I recommend if you like history.

14. The Magnolia Sword, by Sherry Thomas (a book by a WOC). Oh. My. God. So this is a retelling of the ballad of Mulan. Mulan is a very important story to me anyway (tomboy as a child, genderfluid, bisexual as fuck), and this retelling was so good and interesting. It also features one of my favorite tropes, Surprise Gays. I highly, highly recommend.

15. My Own Ways Through This Life, by Chris Viau (a book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads). Okay, so it miiiight have a four-star rating because of me and my camp family all rating it, but it counts. This is a mixed media autobiography by one of my camp friends. He has written at least three books, and all are available on Amazon. This is the only one I’ve read so far, and it was really interesting. I definitely recommend it.

16. Insomniac City, by Bill Hayes (a book you meant to read in 2019). This book was beautiful and heartbreaking. It was a Christmas gift from my brother. It’s a memoir about Bill’s time in a relationship with Oliver Sacks, a famous neurologist. It’s sweet and melancholic and funny. Huge recommendation.

17. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens’ Agenda, by Becky Albertalli (a book about or involving social media). Still such a wonderful book. Better than the movie, I’m telling you. It was really good, and I definitely cried. If you liked the movie, read the book. It’s different in several ways. I think if you’re thinking in terms of trueness to the book, the movie was maybe not as good, but they’re both good as their own standalone things. But I highly recommend both.

18. Loki: Agent of Asgard, by Jason Ewing (a book that has a book on the cover). This is such a good series. It’s a great characterization of my disaster wife. I love this graphic novel series. I love how they depict Loki, how he finally gets a goddamn redemption arc. It’s a really fun read. Check it out.

19. Kings Rising, by CS Pacat (a book with a made up language). This is pushing it, since they never actually speak in the made up languages on paper. But UGH. Third book in the Captive Prince trilogy, and hands down the best. Laurent and Damen finally let go of the goddamn longing and actually do something about it.

20. The Deep, by Rivers Solomon (a book set in a country beginning with C). This is pushing it, because it’s about mermaids (basically), but I think they’re in the Caribbean. I loved this book. It was so interesting. It’s based on a song by clipping., Daveed Diggs’s group. The premise is the wajinru (the mermaid people) originated as the infants from pregnant Africans that died and were thrown overboard during the slave trade. So like, it’s a pretty heavy book. But it’s heartfelt and sweet, too. Also more Surprise Gays, which came at an excellent time (November, post-Supernatual finale) for me. I highly recommend.

21. Written in the Stars, by Alexandria Bellefleur (a book you picked because the title caught your attention). I just finished this book tonight and it was so. good. It’s basically a modern, lesbian, fake dating rendering of Pride and Prejudice. And let me tell you, if there’s one thing I love more than Pride and Prejudice, it’s lesbians. It’s really really great. I highly, highly recommend.

22. Running with Lions, by Julian Winters (a book with a three-word title). Thanks to All for the Game and movies like Handsome Devil and Boys, I have discovered that I have a huge thing for queer sport stories. So this book was really, really good. It’s got friends to enemies to friends to lovers, which is great. It’s got soccer, which is way more homoerotic now. And it’s got gays, which is really why I picked this book up. But it’s well written and the story is interesting, too. I definitely recommend.

23. The Prince and the Dressmaker, by Jen Wang (a book with a pink cover). Oh my god. AHHHHH!!! This book is amazing. It’s a graphic novel, so it’s a quick read. It’s fantasy and feels a little Cinderella-y, but that’s not the best part. The queer relationship is amazing, but that’s not the best part. The prince is genderfluid! Like me! And his mask name is Sebastian! Like me! (Okay, so my name is Bastien, but close enough) This was so so so good. I got it at a convention in February, and I was practically vibrating with excitement as I read it. I highly highly highly recommend.

24. Girl Crushed, by Katie Heaney (a book by or about a journalist). I think I’d have liked this book better if it wasn’t so...similar to my life. The main premise is the main character is getting over a sudden and painful break up, after being dumped by her long-term (maybe first? I can’t remember) girlfriend. The ex has the same initials as my ex and acted very similarly, so maybe I ended up picturing her when the character came up in the book. The ending pissed me off. It was very gay and that wasn’t the entirety of the book, so maybe you’ll like it more than me. It was just too true to life for me and opened up some old wounds I didn’t want to open up. The author is an editor at Buzzfeed, so that’s how it fits into this category.

25. Date Me, Bryson Keller, by Kevin van Whye (your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge--a book published this year). This might be my second or third favorite book, goddamn it’s that good. It’s queer, obviously, and sort of fake dating? Bryson is dared to date someone new each week. He’s assumed to be straight, so all the people he dates are girls until Kai asks him. It’s really sweet, and there’s some issues with coming out to your family that don’t always sit well with me, but overall it was really good and it ends well. I definitely recommend.

26. Loki: Where Mischief Lies, by Mackenzi Lee (a book written by an author in their 20s). AAAHHHH!!!! Fuckin.... Okay, y’all know I have feelings about Loki. He’s my spouse and I love him to death. This book was so, so good. Loki gets sent to Victorian London to solve a mystery and meets a group of humans who know about Asgard and basically keep Midgard in order for Odin. Loki is canonically pan and genderfluid (as he should be), and Theo is a sweetheart. I wrote a 10k fic coming out of reading this book (Phantom Limb by Irishavalon on AO3, check it out.). I seriously recommend!

27. Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo (a book by an author who has written more than 20 books). I read this with my third graders at the beginning of this year. Such a good book. I read it as a kid too. The movie is great but as always, book is better. Recommend.

28. Adventures of Charls, the Veretian Cloth Merchant, by CS Pacat (a book with more than 20 letters in its title). This was a reread of a short story that comes after the Captive Prince trilogy. Charls, the cloth merchant, was such a great side character in the CP trilogy, and telling the story from his perspective was great. It doesn’t have to be read after the other CP short stories, but at least the trilogy should be read first.

29. Fence vol.1, by CS Pacat (a book from a series with more than 20 books). I’m pushing it with this category. I read the first volume, but this is a comic book series, so the 20 books is more issues. This is very good too. It’s another gay sports story, and is probably going to be enemies to lovers, but they’re still enemies by the end of volume 1. Still recommend.

30. Prince’s Gambit, by CS Pacat (a book with a main character in their 20s). Book 2 of the Captive Prince trilogy. Very very good.

#books #Book Recommendations #book recs

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scheelelillies · 7 years

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“Steal the Spotlight” by Honeylass ( @honeylass ) [Mature] [CH 1 – 23] [word count: 52,604] ★

Features: detective!Deku, quirkless!Deku, angst, childhood trauma

Featured Characters: Midoriya Izuku, Naomasa Tsukauchi, Yagi Toshinori, Midoriya Inko

Plot Summary: Izuku is a quiet, withdrawn and somber nineteen-year-old detective, who is subconsciously annoyed whenever someone brings up that he is “young and quirkless”. He is unwillingly roped into a police / hero initiative to improve occupational public relations. He moves with his mother to the new district to begrudgingly begin the new initiative, hoping more or less to get it “over with” than to actually improve relations.

Izuku shows a lot of signs of childhood trauma: claustrophobia, lack of spirit and hope in his fieldwork, distaste for heroes and for being treated like a child. He heavily relies on his mother for emotional and personal support, meeting up with her, talking with her, and allowing her to be the one person in the world who is allowed to see him in the midst of a mental breakdown / when childhood trauma returns to haunt him. It’s clear she’s been acting as his therapist (though through maternal and not professional means) for a very long time, preventing him from breaking more than he is already broken. Though the police / hero work bothers him, he has some resolve to not run away from his problems anymore – even though they are clearly tearing open old wounds.

Criticism: The introduction of Izuku as a detective does not drag: it’s explored very well situationally rather than descriptively, allowing the narrative to fully flesh out Izuku’s muted personality. His aged!up character is believable. There’s a wonderful balance between police and hero work, in which Izuku and the hero he is paired-up-with-at-the-time have immensely different reactions to the cases they are working on. For example, Izuku will focus on cracking a phone’s passcode, while Toshinori signs an autograph for someone they are trying to get information from. They approach the cases from different perspectives, and these are conveyed amazingly well both in the situation at hand and in conversations between the characters about proper methods. Mental health issues and the childhood trauma are dealt with realistically and exceptionally well, delving into coping mechanisms (said mechanisms not always working, too).

The story flows well and the original arcs are captivating, alternating well between narrative and dialogue. It is not difficult to visualize, but the way the arcs are written leaves the reader continually guessing – and, all-in-all, it is very well-paced. There are a few occasional grammatical and structural flukes, but nowhere near large enough in quantity to derail interest in the story. The writing itself has been improving throughout the chapters, too, and it’s pleasant to see a work used as a learning experience! Looking forward to reading more!

Case Notes are spoiler-heavy, so they are included below this cut.

Case Notes

Case # 01: To his dismay he learns he is to work with his ex-childhood Hero All Might – who calls him “Shounen Detective / Midoriya Shounen” -- on a missing persons case, Tachibana Kana. Izuku sees the joint police / hero work as an irritation because the heroes usually get in the way of his work without meaning to. They track Kana’s last whereabouts to a nightclub called ‘Widow’ (temporarily working with Midnight after the USJ incident). They learn Kana was in love with a club owner, and that another female-only club called the ‘Honey Bee’ was involved. Kana shows up unannounced at the station, but appears to have been coached. Izuku cross-dresses to scope out the Honey Bee, eventually learning that the owner, Juliet Queen, was likely involved in Kana’s kidnapping. He ends up drugged by Juliet’s pheromones, but Toshinori steps in in-time. Izuku has a panic attack and convulses in the car after the arrest, waking up in the hospital from the drug overdose.

Case # 02: Investigation of a suspicious suicide, Ai Mino, and working in a partnership with Kamui Woods. They find a suicide note addressed to her newborn child, citing an abusive quirk marriage as a major reason why she 1) killed her husband Mao, and 2) committed suicide, but Izuku knows that Mino died before Mao was killed. He speaks with the nanny, Amare Grant. A thorough investigation reveals body-swapping / possession quirks, once again resulting in Izuku being attacked. Meanwhile, a suspicious psychologist named “Anna Kane” is nosing about Izuku’s past.

Case # 03: Inko relays the sports festival via a phone to her son, who is still in the hospital. Izuku notices a member of an anti-quirk gang at the festival. Inko tells off the man, but she, Izuku, and several heroes are left to diffuse the bomb. Anna Kane is offered a temporary job at U.A. to give lessons on villain psychology, working hand-in-hand with the Police Liaison.

Case # 04: Izuku is asked to explain the police department to future heroes at U.A. Tsukauchi learns a psychiatrist was found dead along with Izuku’s medical files stolen. Izuku teaches self-defense to students of 1-A, but the school goes into a lock-down, and Izuku uncovers a plot to render students temporarily quirkless. He finds Katsuki allegedly stabbed by a student, and the attacker knows something about Izuku’s past. Izuku wakes tied up in front of Toshinori and Shouta after Shouta intervened in Izuku’s attack on the student. Izuku is fully hearing voices at this point, but the captured student is revealed to be a spy. The student commits suicide to show that he is a “good boy”, while Izuku implied not to be. Izuku asks Inko to come to the school, shaken by what is going on.Izuku meets with the students of U.A. from time-to-time, including to interview damage left from the USJ incident (he is older than his canon!counterparts in this fanfiction, and he does not have a childhood history with Bakugou Katsuki). Toshinori has realized that Izuku appears “broken” and attempts to investigate it for himself by speaking with Inko – thinking he has probably met the woman before, only to get side-stepped answers and more questions. Toshinori also learns that Tsukauchi chose Izuku for the initiative, as he is young enough to help with trafficking cases and has worked ninety-eight operations before, most of them undercover.

Hints to keep in mind for the future reveal include:

Izuku’s remembrance of his younger self screaming in the dark: “P-please let me out. Please … please! Please don’t leave me here! I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to die here.” à indicative of captivity and his current claustrophobia; vague mentions of a “box” / dark punishment room as well

the trauma likely occurred between six and eleven years old; Inko hinted he’s needed her presence for eight years, and that his room hasn’t looked like a child’s room since he was six. Hints of Izuku staying in a ward for some time, visiting a psychiatrist between the ages of nine and ten, and that his medical files are sealed. All Might is likely indirectly involved, as he remembers Inko from somewhere and she blames “All Might” for not reaching out to him

he sometimes hallucinates others saying words, as well as blood on his hands

internalized harassment: Izuku talks about his quirk as though it’s a “defect”, and about himself “as a monster”

Izuku has an alternative coping mechanism: a teddy bear

Ame from Case # 02 possesses Izuku, but has a mental breakdown from feeling the trauma inside

other children, including the attacker in Case # 04, have gone through what traumatized Izuku

Izuku falls on the precipice of a breakdown when his emotions slip from his control and when too much attention is focused on him. He tends to find somewhere private to go, and calls his mother for grounding support

#fics recs #bnha fic recs #midoriya izuku #yagi toshinori #midoriya inko

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cummunication · 6 years

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Depression isn’t sexy

If there’s one thing I can always count on its depression (depressed person joke). Depression is like a stalker, it won’t leave you alone at times and at others it disappears; either way it’s always lurking around the corner. Now that I’ve lost about half of you, let’s talk more about this happy subject, shall we? When I was 15, I went to my first nurse practitioner only to be told I was depressed and had social phobia. I started on Lexapro and the rest is history. Actually, it wasn’t until this year I discovered I have bipolar disorder, not depression. Being bipolar isn’t what people think… “omg Becky, you are so bipolar! Make up your mind already.” That’s just being annoying and indecisive. Yes, it is something I deal with on a daily basis but it is not me. Some days I become bitter at the thought of being on medication until the day I die. It sucks when you’re 23 and take more pills than your 89 year old grandma. Catch me in my spare time and what am I doing? Attending appointments, therapy, medication management, support groups, acupuncture, anything involving doctors or discussing my feelings. Quite frankly, it’s exhausting and for anybody who’s been there, I understand the time and effort it takes committing to recovery. Looking at me, you’d never guess I have an eating disorder because, well, sadly people only connect eating disorders with emaciation. Bulimics and binge eaters typically hold a normal weight or are overweight/obese. My eating disorder [the pal that she is] goes hand in hand with my depression. When my depression is bad, my eating disorder symptoms increase and vice versa. I have also at one point or another, been told I have PTSD, anxiety, body dysmorphia, trichotillomania and OCD. People underestimate the ability mental issues have to hinder a person’s life. Not just mentally, but physically and socially too. I’ve lost countless friends throughout the years. Not to say they were the greatest, but hey, it takes two to tango. I take full responsibility for the way I acted (and probably still do at times) and do not use my diagnosis as an excuse, HOWEVER, if someone had heart disease or stroke, would their friends show them sympathy? Most likely. Having sex/dating with mental illness is no walk in the park either. The last thing I want when I’m in the depths of my depression is someone calling saying they” wanna give me the D”. There are numerous barriers when it comes to having mental illness and sustaining a relationship. Barriers like, when is it appropriate to disclose? Do you tell your new bae you take antipsychotics on date 4 or date 43? Anytime I start dating someone new and become serious with them, I always hate the feeling of needing to “warn them” about my circumstances. Like “oh hey bob, I know we’ve been sexting for like 7 weeks now, but I just thought you should know I was in the psych ward 8 weeks ago, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.” There’s so much stigma attached to psychiatric disorders and a lack of proper education. As if because I used to cut myself I’m gonna cut you in your sleep. Granted, mental illness varies in severity meaning your cousin could have seasonal depression while your sister is schizophrenic, totally different disorders. Yet I bet most of us have dated someone with mental illness only we didn’t know it. For example, that guy you dated in 12th grade that seemed really angry all the time? He might’ve been struggling with depression but never sought help and so you assumed he just needed anger management. I don’t discriminate and won’t write someone off based on their past or diagnoses. That goes without saying, if they have an addiction or personality disorder, I’m out. This may seem hypocritical, but I have dated my fair share of addicts, narcissists and sociopaths and personally, I’m not a fan. Not to say I don’t like people who are addicts [I myself have dealt with addiction] but when it comes to going out with somebody, I have my own recovery to deal with and codependency is detrimental. Besides, 95% of the time for whatever reason, blame it on stress or poor timing, relationships tend to worsen my mental condition. Probably due to the fact most of them have been unhealthy so it’s understandable. Nevertheless, it causes me to avoid dating because of the fear associated with romantic entanglements and deterioration. Socializing is beneficial and helpful for those of us who experience mental illness since we tend to isolate ourselves. It’s imperative if you are dealing with symptoms or relapse of mental illness, you find an outlet in which you can express yourself. Dating is tricky business at best, but even more complicated if you have a history of mental illness. If I have a boyfriend and I’m feeling depressed, I’m less likely to want to go out or talk to him about my day. I will most likely grow cold, making excuses not to see him as much, and forget about my sex drive. This also applies if I’m actively engaged in my eating disorder, which considerably heightens insecurities and causes me to shut down. Even in the beginning of a budding romance, the pressure of not knowing how to reveal your mental health status can be extremely anxiety provoking. I’ve had some pretty traumatizing reactions and still, I’d say it’s best to just be honest. You don’t need to tell them you’ve taken 26 different medications and attempted suicide 7 times, but I would disclose how it’s impacted you in the past and how it may affect your relationship. You might offer some advice as to how your bf/gf can best react or not react; if they notice you display certain behaviors. Some people are going to be unwilling or unable to deal with it, but this doesn’t mean you are a burden or too much work, it just means they were not a good fit and better to know now than in 4 years. Having a mental health diagnosis does not define who you are, and neither does having a boyfriend/girlfriend. Ultimately, relationships enhance your life, improving your overall health and the right person will be by your side through thick and thin.

#depression #depressed #depressing #bipolar #bipolardisorder #mental health #mental disorder #mentally ill #mentalhealth #mentalillness #recovery #relationships #dating #blogger #blog

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lievbios · 5 years

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Angel || Fred Burkle

Name: Fred Burkle

Age: 23

Relationship: Single [Verse depending]

Sexuality: Pansexual

Job:

Faceclaims: Amy Acker

Winifred “Fred” Burkle is a physics student and member of Angel Investigations, and later the head of Wolfram & Hart’s Science Division.

Born in Texas, Fred moved to Los Angeles to attend graduate school at UCLA until one fateful day when her jealous physics professor, Oliver Seidel, used dark magic to banish her to the demon dimension Pylea, where she spent five years as a human slave; the time there took a serious toll on Fred’s sanity. In 2001, Fred was finally saved and returned to Earth when the vampire Angel and his friends arrived in Pylea and liberated them from the control of the Covenant of Trombli.

Upon recovering from her mental trauma, Fred joined Angel Investigations, adding her smarts and scientific knowledge to the team. Unfortunately, when Angel Investigations took over Wolfram & Hart in late 2003/early 2004, Fred met her end when one of her coworkers, Knox, brought in an ancient sarcophagus which infected her with the essence of the Old One Illyria, and despite her friends’ best efforts, Fred perished and her body was taken over by Illyria itself; though her soul was apparently completely destroyed in the process, Illyria retained Fred’s memories and some of her emotions and personality traits.

However, after Illyria’s death and the reversal of the end of magic, Fred was resurrected in London, actually Fred and IIlyria share the same body.

Fred was born in Dallas, Texas to Roger and Trish Burkle. When she finished San Antone High School,[1] she moved to Los Angeles for graduate school at UCLA. Originally majoring in history, Fred took a physics class with Professor Seidel which inspired her to take another path. Around this time, she began working at Stewart Brunell Public Library. On May 7, 1996, while shelving a demon language book, a curious Fred recited the cryptic text out loud and was accidentally sucked into a dimensional portal to Pylea. Her future friend, Lorne, was sucked into the same portal on his side and ended up in Los Angeles. The portal was actually opened by Fred’s jealous college professor, Professor Seidel, who had sent every promising student to it, essentially sending them to their death. Fred was the only one of at least six to return.[2] While still in school, Fred was a marijuana user and was something of a conspiracy theorist.[1]

For five years, Fred spent an arduous life as a “cow,” the Pylean equivalent of a slave. The harsh life of solitude and serfdom took a serious toll on her social skills, as well as her mental health. When Angel met Fred, she was curled up in a cave, scribbling on the already-covered walls, having seemingly convinced herself that her previous life in Los Angeles had not been real. Fred had once been forced to wear an explosive shock collar. However, Fred’s salvation came when Angel and his crew arrived in Pylea to find Cordelia Chase, who had become trapped there. When Angel’s demon came fully to the fore, it attacked just about everyone but Fred, including Charles Gunn and Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. Despite this shocking display of violence, Angel never seemed to scare Fred and even at his most demonic, he never attacked her. In fact, she seemed to have a calming effect on him.

After Pylea was liberated, Fred accompanied Angel and the rest of the gang back to Los Angeles and stayed in the Hyperion Hotel to re-adjust to life on Earth and regain her mental stability. Despite several traumatic instances, such as being held hostage by Gunn’s old vampire-hunting crew, she adjusted quite well to “normal” life. Her knowledge of physics and mathematics made her an excellent asset when researching and developing strategies. Fred’s ingenuity and resourcefulness also allowed her to create several constructs and contraptions that helped her adapt to stronger and more powerful enemies. After some time, Fred’s parents came to Los Angeles looking for her, but Fred avoided them and appeared afraid of them, briefly leading the rest of Angel Investigations to believe that the Burkles were abusive. However, Fred’s reluctance to see them was a result of her trauma from Pylea and the Burkles were in fact loving and supportive. Though she initially decided to return home to Texas with her parents, Fred ultimately decided that her place was in Los Angeles with Angel Investigations, a decision which her parents respectfully accepted.

Everything changed for Fred when she and the rest of Angel’s crew joined Wolfram & Hart. A spell removed all of her memories of Angel’s son, Connor. Fred received her own laboratory and became the head of Wolfram & Hart’s Science Division. She was a major asset to the team. Angel consistently relied on her department to quickly and efficiently solve problems. At this time, Fred was concentred to help to materialize the new member, a ghostly Spike. During a mission paired with Wesley, she was almost killed by Emil’s henchmen. Angel blame Wesley for it. After going on a few dates with co-worker Knox, Fred began to have feelings for Wesley again. The two paired up for about a week, but the couple’s happiness was not to last.

As she lay dying, Fred’s mind began to give way. Nearing the end, she panicked, stating that Feigenbaum, a stuffed rabbit named for mathematical physicist Mitchell Feigenbaum who studied chaos theory, should be there. When Wesley asked her who Feigenbaum was, Fred replied that she did not know. Cradling her in his arms, Wesley stayed with Fred until the moment she died, after which her body was taken over by Illyria.

Shortly after these events, Angel used Fred’s death to his advantage in order to infiltrate and ultimately destroy the Circle of the Black Thorn, the Senior Partners’ primary source of power on Earth, by making it appear that he himself was the one who arranged for Illyria’s sarcophagus to be transported to Wolfram & Hart.[3]

Some time after Illyria’s death, Angel encountered what appeared to be Fred walking along a street in Magic Town, London.[6] Talking with Fred as she is assessed by Nadira, Angel determines that Fred was apparently restored by the restoration of magic causing most of the old rules to be ‘reset’ as things that were lost were brought back. Fred explains that she remembers Illyria’s time in her body, such as her attempt to awaken her armies, but is still aware of Illyria within her, granting her access to Illyria’s older memories and occasionally allowing Illyria to take over when she is exhausted or stressed (Although they both sleep when Fred sleeps). Thanks to these flashes, Fred is able to reveal to Angel that Eldre Koh’s tribe were killed by Illyria centuries ago to frame him so that the cult he belonged to would be disbanded.

Fred was a normal human woman with no supernatural abilities. However, her brilliant mathematical mind, immense knowledge of quantum physics and science, and a natural ability in designing inventions made her an important asset of Angel’s team.

During this time, Fred also acquired some moderate fighting skills, mainly using a crossbow as a weapon, but even sword and gun. Later, when Jasmine took over Los Angeles, she was forced to face down all of Los Angeles on her own and was also able to hold her own unarmed, taking out a few armed Jasminites, including one armed SWAT member.

Following her resurrection, Fred has acquired a 'Jekyll-and-Hyde’-esque dynamic with Illyria, with Illyria able to manifest from Fred with her full powers and abilities while Fred only has the potential of those powers rather than being able to use them herself.

Fred was a fairly kindhearted and sweet individual, perfectly willing to help others. The most notable example was perhaps her interactions with Spike. When he confided in her that he was being slowly dragged into Hell, Fred worked tirelessly to build a machine that would restore his corporeal body. She was the first to believe that Spike was “worth saving” and though her efforts ultimately failed, she nonetheless earned Spike’s perpetual gratitude. Her personality was, in a sense, similar to that of Willow Rosenberg.

Just as Fred was willing to help others, she was also fairly vengeful against those who threatened her or her friends. When she and Gunn realized that Connor was responsible for Angel’s three month disappearance, Fred berated him while repeatedly hitting him with a stun gun. Another example was when Fred pursued revenge against Professor Seidel, an act which nearly came to fruition, if not for Gunn’s intervention.

Fred was also an innocent, unassuming young woman which often led people to underestimate her. On many occasions, she used this to her advantage, such as shocking Connor with a stun gun and knocking out a suspicious lab assistant at Wolfram & Hart. Also, she showed signs of great inner strength and an innate ability to survive on her own despite overwhelming circumstances. This was shown as she attempted to flee from Jasmine’s followers and earlier with her experiences in Pylea. In fact, while conversing with Illyria, Spike had said that Fred was one of the strongest people he ever met, solely based on the fact that she could still be able to love as after everything she had gone through in her life.[7]

Due to her traumatic experiences in Pylea, Fred briefly suffered from an undiagnosed mental disorder, although she fully recuperated. Although that it return brievly when she was attacked by an intedimensional tentacle demon, invocated by Seidel.

VERSES

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districofcolumbiaprelawland-blog · 5 years

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Cyntoia Brown Is Granted Clemency by Tennessee Governor After Serving 15 years in Prison for Murder

By Nana Evison, George Washington University Class of 2021

February 14, 2019

Cyntoia Brown, an sex traffic victim who was sentenced to life in prison when she was 16 years old, has recently been granted clemency by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. He commuted her prison sentence for killing a man who had picked her up for sex. Haslam announced that Brown will be released to supervised parole on August. 7 after she has served 15 years in prison [1].

“Cyntoia Brown committed by her own admission, a horrific crime at the age of 16. Yet, imposing a life sentence on a juvenile that would require her to serve at 51 years before even being eligible for parole consideration is too harsh, especially in light of the extraordinary steps Ms. Brown has taken to rebuild her life,” stated Haslam [1].

On August 7, 2004 Nashville Police responded to a 911 call and found Johnny Allen, a real estate agent, dead. Allen was nude, lying face down in his bed in a pool of his own blood. He was shot in the back of the head. A day later, police found his white pick-up truck in a Walmart parking lot and arrested 16-year-old Brown in connection to the murder of Allen. She had been staying with her pimp, “Cut Throat”, in a nearby hotel. She had taken several firearms and a wallet from Allen [2].

She waived her Miranda Rights and told investigators that Allen had solicited her for sex on August 6and drove her to his home. Then, he showed her guns and became violent. Fearing for her life, she shot Allen with a .40-caliber handgun she had in her purse, killing him in self-defense [2].

On the contrary, prosecutors argued that Brown killed Allen to steal from him since she had taken Allen’s firearms and wallet. Her drug abuse and juvenile criminal record was also used to prove that she had a history of being felonious [3]. Despite her age, she was tried as an adult and charged with first-degree felony murder and aggravated murder. Soon after, she was sentenced to serve two concurrent life sentences [2].

At her first trial, she wasn’t permitted to testify on her behalf and her attorney didn’t provide details of Brown’s traumatic childhood history and severe neurodevelopmental disorder, which could’ve helped her case [2]. According to years of local media reports, a 2011 documentary regarding her case, and court documents detailing Brown’s own testimony and that of a juvenile psychiatrist, Brown suffered from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome [4]. Her mother testified that she drank a fifth of whiskey every day while pregnant with Brown. In turn, she showed signs of being subjected to this syndrome. Some of the devastating consequences of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome include slower brain development, reduced reasoning skils, and an inability to control impulses [5]. At eight-months-old, she entered into the foster care system. In her early teens, she became a runaway and during this time she experienced several rapes and assaults [2].

In 2004, she began residing in a series of hotels with “Cut Throat”. Her relationship with Cut Throat was sexually, physically, and emotionally abusive. He pulled a gun out on her on multiple occasions and once choked until she passed out [2].

At the time of the murder, he had already forced her into prostitution and was sexually abusing her on a consistent basis, according to claims in a 2014 court petition for her appeal [6].

Brown testified, “He would explain to me that some people were born whores, and that I was one, and I was a slut, and nobody’d want me but him, and the best thing I could do was just learn to be a good whore.”

On the night of August 6, he had ordered her to go out and “get money.” Brown met Allen later in the evening in the parking lot of a Sonic franchise. He agreed to pay $150 for sex and drove them back to his home where she later shot him [2].

Brown’s attorneys argued that her mother’s alcohol drinking while pregnant left the teen with a neurodevelopmental disorder, which is what could’ve caused her behavior that day. Her disorder has been characterized as a “severe mental disease and defect” and has lowered her IQ. However, this evidence was not mentioned or shown during her first trial, according to the Associated Press [3].

In 2011, “Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story”, debuted on PBS. The documentary detailed the many complicated angles of the case including juvenile justice reform, Brown’s flawed first trial and the ways in which it was prejudiced by the fact that she was a woman of color engaging in sex work, and the lack of a social safety net available to young at-risk women such as Brown who are at a high risk for sex trafficking [2].

The film assisted in changing the law in Tennessee. Now children under the age of 18 cannot be tried as an adult for prostitution. If she were arrested today, she would be tried as a human trafficking victim [2].

In 2017, Brown’s case came back into the spotlight when Rihanna shared Brown’s story in the following Instagram post:

Since Rihanna’s original post, several celebrities including Kim Kardashian West, Cara Delevingne, Lebron James, and Snoop Dogg have brought attention to the case, calling for justice and for her release. Despite this public call, in early December of 2018 the Tennessean Supreme Court ruled that Brown’s sentence was not unconstitutional since she was sentenced to 51 years, which is less than the 60 years that legally qualifies as a life sentence [7].The court wrote “under state law, a life sentence is a determinate sentence of 60 years. However, the sixty-year sentence can be reduced by up to 15 percent, or by 9 years, by earning various sentence credits [2].” However, Brown has earned some of these credits with her model behavior; she has received her associate degree, is working on her bachelor’s, and consults on an unpaid basis for the juvenile justice system. Despite this, the court still claims that her sentence isn’t unconstitutional since she will have the possibility of parole when she serves at least 51 years [8]. Consequently, Brown appealed that decision which then pended before the 6th U.S. Circuit Appeals [9].

In light of years of national attention from criminal justice advocates, celebrities, and politicians calling for mercy – and just days before he is to leave office - Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam granted clemency to the now 30-year-old Brown. She will remain on parole supervision for 10 years on the condition that she doesn’t violate any state or federal laws, holds a job, and participates in regular counseling sessions. To date, Haslam has granted five commutations, 15 pardons, and one exoneration. He continues to review and consider additional clemency requests [10].

_______________________________________________________________

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/07/us/cyntoia-brown-clemency-granted.html

[2] https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/12/219015/cyntoia-brown-case-facts-real-story

[3] https://www.newsweek.com/cyntoia-brown-heres-why-teen-was-sentenced-life-after-claiming-she-was-sex-718766

[4] https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/23/us/cyntoia-brown-social-media-murder-case-trnd/index.html

[5] https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/12/19/cyntoia-brown-case-facts-story-clemency-haslam/2362755002/

[6] https://www.insideedition.com/cyntoia-brown-case-will-she-be-granted-clemency-49363

[7]https://bust.com/feminism/195477-clemency-cyntoia-brown.html

[8] https://www.teenvogue.com/story/cyntoia-brown-facing-51-years-prison-tennessee-governor-bill-haslam-clemency

[9] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cyntoia-brown-life-sentence-supreme-court_us_5c0c7f30e4b0ab8cf693f5c5

[10] http://time.com/5495871/tennessee-governor-clemency-cyntoia-brown/

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sarahsfeministthoughts · 4 years

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Week 7: Documentary City: AMY

The documentary I chose to watch was Amy. Amy Winehouse is my favorite female voice that has ever been… so watching this film was very emotional for me. I truly love her music so much and it deeply saddens me to see how much pain it cost her to be the public figure that we so adored.

Here is the trailer to the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJKIwNtLgwk

Amy was extremely young when she entered the limelight. Her piercing, shiver inducing soulful voice skyrocketed her into the world of fame, glam and cameras. Her music would convey such pure emotion that it moved people. Guy Moot, the UK president of Sony who signed her stated: “When you looked at her lyrical capability and her melodic capability, she was a very old soul in a very young body.”

Not only was her voice unique and unparalleled, she was also an extremely gifted poet… which she managed to transform into fantasmic authentic songs. She expressed: “I wouldn’t write anything unless it was directly personal to me because I wouldn’t have been able to tell the story right as I wouldn’t have done it.”

With so much talent, she was signed as a child and immediately granted access to great wealth. She immediately escaped to her own flat, where she became able to practice substance abuse without judgement or critique from her mother. By the age of 13, she was already on antidepressants and struggling with alcoholism and bulimia. Picking up her guitar and belting out her music was therapeutic for her in battling her depression… but it was not enough.

Upon meeting the love of her life, Blake Fielder, and two troubled youths united and ignited each others disastrous flames. Fielder comments: “We were like twins. I liked to sabotage myself and Amy liked to sabotage herself. I used to ask her why was she promiscuous and why she more like a man with sex. It’s indicative of someone who’s had a traumatic event, maybe sexual themselves. So it sort of made sense to me from the way she was. “

Amy herself pondered: “I fell in love with someone I would’ve died for. That’s like a real drug isn’t it…” Her love was fully consuming and became another addiction to battle with to add to her list.

They ended up marrying and Blake introduced her to cocaine and heroin. They both became extremely addicted and it got a grip of them both entirely.

Her management tried to get her into rehab but she wouldn’t commit.

Amy then created hit song Rehab in which she sings:

This hit propelled her into an intense stardom - a commercial stardom, winning her awards and seating her next to A-Listers, which put a new level of pressure on the struggling young adult.

Amy’s wrecklessness hit new levels. A scene that really stood out to me was her leaving her studio session to go to the bathroom, in which she vomited everywhere and used her vomit to decorate the walls, ceiling, everywhere.

Within their home, it was gory and often covered in blood as their anger issues would cause them to punch the walls until they bled and they both seeked satisfaction in cutting themselves.

Amy became totally incompetentent on stage. She was obviously sick looking, skin and bones like a walking skeleton, shaking and shivering, and staggering.

Amy overdosed. She really struggled in trying to keep up with the levels that her husband Blake was consuming and her petite body could not handle it. Doctors explained: “With the ammount of cocaine, alcohol, heroin and crack cocaine in her blood system we’re amazed she’s not in a coma.. But she’s a petite young girl her body can’t keep up with this”

Her record company disguised her struggles as “severe exhaustion”

Her and her husband temporarily finally checked into a rehab but relapsed majorly as soon as they returned home.

Her deep internal struggle between loving Blake so much and keeping up with his detrimental drug intake is painfully expressed within her song Love is A Losing Game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A235fV-CKEY

Amy Winehouse’s last performance was her being booed off the stage in Serbia. This was supposed to be her comeback moment but she would not sing.

It is so sad to see how at the end she really didn’t care anymore… to the extent that she was willing to sabotage not just her career but also her friendships and musical relationships.

Her last performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxcxEOy6uHI

Amy died on July 23, 2011. Amy’s blood alcohol level was 4-5 times higher than drunk level limits. It is understood that the combination of her eating disorder and alcohol level made her heart stop.

This is an extremely important story that tackles many issues that must be brought to light including substance abuse, alcoholism and toxic relationships.

This film shows that no matter how much success you may achieve or how much money you may make, you can still internally struggle. This also really shows how important it is to check in on those that we love and care about… and make sure they know that they are not ALONE.

What this movie makes us consider inevitably is how we need to fight for the people we love, no matter how strong their demons may be, we need to relentlessly try to be stronger in our intervening and try to really properly offer support and guidance. It breaks my heart Amy was unable to be saved and I can’t help but think this could have been different if she had gotten the help she so needed.

The devastating reality is that so many people in the media would mock Amy Winehouse and make jokes about her unkept appearance and sloppiness. This was extremely cruel and only made it harder for her to keep her head up. You never know what demons someone is battling and bullying is never acceptable. Many labelled Amy Winehouse a “trainwreck”. I hope after watching this documentary, people can see how truly talented she was and how much of a loss our world has had in losing her.

We MISS you Amy. You WERE and will always be LOVED.

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myeclecticcollectorblazeus · 5 years

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Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Photos GettyIt’s been more than two months since Jeffrey Epstein killed himself, but the investigation into possible accomplices is still very much alive. In recent days, federal prosecutors probing the financier’s sex-trafficking ring have been asking Epstein victims if they could serve as witnesses in the criminal case they are building.Representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York traveled to Florida for an Oct. 15 meeting with several of Epstein’s victims and their counsel. The staffers, who worked in the victim services unit, held a similar meeting in New York on Oct. 23, lawyers for the women and a law enforcement source told The Daily Beast.Two people familiar with the investigation said that prosecutors have heard from “dozens” of witnesses or victims since Epstein’s arrest in July.Following Epstein’s death in August, which was ruled a suicide by hanging, the Department of Justice said that it would continue to investigate anyone who helped Epstein procure underage girls or helped him to cover up crimes. A spokesman for the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment on where the probe stands, only saying that the “investigation is continuing.”The Biggest Bombshells in Newly Unsealed Epstein DocumentsSpencer Kuvin, a Palm Beach attorney who represents two women who were abused by Epstein, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York offered counseling services to the group of victims who gathered in Miramar, Florida.The representatives also worked to debunk conspiracy theories, which the victims have encountered online, related to Epstein’s jailhouse suicide. According to Kuvin, prosecutors continue to battle wild speculation on how the 66-year-old money-manager died, along with rumors that he isn’t dead at all.“The U.S. Attorney’s Office wanted to put to rest some of those conspiracy theories—that he was killed, that he’s still alive. There are people still talking about that,” Kuvin told The Daily Beast. “There are still people that think this was an absolute ruse and he’s sitting pretty in another part of the world.” Kuvin said investigators assured the women that their probe into Epstein’s alleged co-conspirators was ongoing. The lawyer declined to comment on the identities of those suspected accomplices.“They wanted to meet with some of the victims to discuss whether or not they could be potential witnesses in that ongoing investigation,” Kuvin said. “One of my clients is going to meet with them privately about that issue.”Epstein Victim: Ghislaine Maxwell Made Me Recruit ‘Youngest-Looking’ Girls for EpsteinDuring the Florida meeting, coordinators for federal prosecutors answered questions from the women, some of whom felt burned over their treatment 12 years ago, when the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami secretly negotiated a cushy plea deal for Epstein. Back then, the feds promised the women they’d prosecute the creepy multimillionaire; instead, they collaborated with his legal team to downgrade the charges.“The focus really is: What are you doing now and are you honestly going to pursue the co-conspirators or are those just words?” Kuvin said.“They’ve been wronged by the system numerous times,” Kuvin added of his clients and other victims of Epstein, “from the late 2000s all the way up to him killing himself. Every time an official comes forward and says, ‘Don’t worry. We’re going to do the right thing,’ they shake their heads and say, ‘We’ll see.’”In New York last week, prosecutors met with victims at a federal building downtown where local FBI headquarters is housed to inform the women of their rights and offer counseling services.Duncan Levin, a former assistant U.S. Attorney and chief of asset forfeiture at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, said Epstein’s inner circle shouldn’t rest easy. “There is at least some evidence that other people facilitated his crimes, and there’s obviously enough public interest in the case that [prosecutors] aren’t going to drop it just because he’s dead,” said Levin, managing partner at Tucker Levin, PLLC.Levin said prosecutors are likely to thoroughly investigate Epstein’s alleged enablers and seek forfeiture of Epstein’s properties that were used to facilitate the sex crimes. Jeffrey Epstein Reveals His Fortune Includes $56 Million in CashA bare-bones rundown of Epstein’s assets submitted by his lawyers following his arrest, and bank records obtained by prosecutors, provided a glimpse into Epstein’s net worth which is estimated at more than $550 million, but it may not be a complete accounting. The listed assets included $56 million in cash and another $500 million in properties and investments.The properties include $85 million worth of real estate in the U.S. Virgin Islands—including his own private island—an $8.6 million Paris apartment, a $12 million Palm Beach estate, a $17 million New Mexico ranch, and his Manhattan mansion—which Epstein claimed is worth $55 million but prosecutors have said is worth $77 million.“Justice is a slow-moving train,” Levin said. “This is par for the course. Investigations are measured in months and years not days and weeks.”“I would be very nervous if I were somebody who helped Jeffrey Epstein at this point and would be seeking legal counsel,” Levin added.Epstein was arrested on July 6 and charged with sex-trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex-trafficking. The indictment referred to three victims and three unnamed employees of Epstein who allegedly assisted in the sex pyramid scheme.According to the complaint, Epstein created a “network of minor victims in multiple states to sexually abuse and exploit” and “worked and conspired with others, including employees and associates who facilitated his conduct by, among other things, contacting victims and scheduling their sexual encounters with Epstein.”From 2002 to 2005, the indictment states, Epstein “enticed and recruited” minor girls as young as 14 to visit his mansions and engage in sex acts with him, after which he or his assistants gave the victims hundreds of dollars in cash.It’s unclear which alleged co-conspirators prosecutors are targeting.In one July court filing, prosecutors requested a protective order, indicating they planned to produce certain documents and materials that “would impede, if prematurely disclosed, the Government’s ongoing investigation of uncharged individuals.”In 2008, when Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges, his non-prosecution agreement with the feds granted immunity to his alleged accomplices, “including but not limited to Sarah Kellen, Adriana Ross, Lesley Groff, or Nadia Marcinkova.”Where Are Jeffrey Epstein’s Alleged Accomplices Now?Groff’s lawyer, Michael Bachner, previously told The Daily Beast: “At no time during Lesley’s employment with Epstein did she ever engage in any misconduct.”Attorneys for Marcinkova told CNN last month that she was a victim herself and “is and has been severely traumatized.” They added: “She needs time to process and make sense of what she has been through before she is able to speak out.”According to the report, Kellen’s spokeswoman had a similar explanation. “Very soon after Sarah was brought into Epstein's world, he began to sexually abuse her, and this abuse went on for years. Sarah continues to struggle with the trauma of her experiences and has chosen not to speak publicly at this time.”Ross hasn’t spoken publicly on the allegations.One lawsuit, filed by a Jane Doe in September against Epstein’s estate, describes Kellen and Groff as a pair of adult employees who “specifically facilitated his abuse.” The women scheduled the girl’s visits to Epstein’s Manhattan mansion and “often asked Doe to bring other girls with her,” paying her every time she did so.Meanwhile, Groff, a former assistant to Epstein, is facing a lawsuit from Jennifer Araoz, who says she was in high school when Epstein raped and abused her. A second assistant, Cimberly Espinosa, is also listed as a defendant in the case.Araoz’s complaint also targets Epstein’s alleged madam, Ghislaine Maxwell—who’s kept a low profile since the hedge-funder’s arrest and has long faced accusations of recruiting underage girls and taking part in sexual abuse herself.Ghislaine Maxwell.Mark Mainz/GettyAnother lawsuit, recently filed by Priscilla Doe, alleges that “in addition to providing sexual instruction, Ghislaine Maxwell further made sure that Plaintiff and the other young females were constantly on call to sexually service Jeffrey Epstein.”Maxwell isn’t the only Epstein friend under scrutiny in the press. Authorities in France are looking into sexual misconduct claims against talent scout Jean-Luc Brunel, accused in civil court filings of procuring young models for Epstein to exploit.“Jeffrey Epstein has told me that he has slept with over 1,000 of Brunel’s girls, and everything that I have seen confirms this claim,” said accuser Virginia Giuffre in a 2015 affidavit. Giuffre says she was 16 when Maxwell recruited her into Epstein’s trafficking ring.In response, Brunel issued a statement denying Giuffre’s claims, saying he never participated “directly nor indirectly, in the actions Mr. Jeffrey Epstein is being accused of.”Models Say Jeffrey Epstein’s Closest Pal Drugged, Raped ThemLast year, Epstein may have attempted to buy the silence of alleged co-conspirators just as his name re-emerged in the press.Prosecutors say Epstein wired payments to two unnamed women—one received $250,000 while the other got $100,000—shortly after the Miami Herald’s exposé on Epstein’s 2007 sweetheart deal. Those individuals were listed as possible co-conspirators in Epstein’s non-prosecution agreement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in July.At a bail hearing that month, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Rossmiller told the court that “after seven days of this case being public following months of a covert investigation, the evidence is already significantly stronger and getting stronger every single day.“Many individuals identifying themselves as victims and witnesses have contacted the government,” Rossmiller continued, “and we are in the process of receiving and corroborating this additional evidence.”Brad Edwards, an attorney who sued the government on behalf of victims over Epstein’s lenient plea deal, said, “I assume that if there are others that should be held accountable for crimes that can still be prosecuted, then they will.”Edwards said he trusts that New York prosecutors “are trying to leave no stone unturned.”Last month, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra refused to scrap the non-prosecution agreement that shielded Epstein and his alleged co-conspirators from facing serious charges—despite Marra’s ruling that the agreement was illegal. Marra also denied the victims’ requests for other relief: attorneys’ fees, a hearing where victims could speak, and the release of documents including grand jury materials. The decision was part of a 2008 lawsuit Jane Does 1 and 2 filed against the United States, alleging the feds violated the Crime Victims’ Right Act. Courtney Wild, who has come forward as Jane Doe 1, has appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. Oral arguments are scheduled for January.“A ruling rescinding the immunity provisions would have permitted the victims to confer with government prosecutors about the possibility of obtaining prosecution of Epstein’s co-conspirators in the Southern District of Florida — i.e., would have afforded them their rights under the CVRA,” Wild’s appeal states.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.