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karajaynetoday · 4 years

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everybody's got their demons, even wide awake or dreaming | part one

Photo credit: Jess Gleeson

Hello friends! Hope you’re having a lovely day wherever you are in the world. Thank you to everyone who voted in my little Google form thing on what they’d like to see me write next. Here’s Part One of my 5SOS x music journalist story. It’s a little angsty, and as the first chapter this is a lot of introduction to the OC and her story, but I hope you like it! It’s the first time I’ve written an OC into a fic, so I’d love to know your thoughts and if you’re interested in reading more about Lizzie and her adventures interviewing 5SOS.

Shout outs to @wheniminouterspace and @calumrose for helping me sense-check this concept, and @spicycal for giving me feedback on it in its draft stages. You’re all gems!

Word count: 5.1k

Warnings: Fem!OC, minor swearing

More writing here | send thoughts/feedback/suggestions here | if you’d like to be on my taglist go here

Lizzie Lawson was having a bit of a day. Her train had been late, she dropped her coffee moments after receiving it from the cute barista downstairs (and broke her favourite keep cup in the process), and her work computer had decided to run updates the moment she sat down at her desk. Maybe she shouldn’t have bothered to get out of bed this morning.

Her colleagues were tapping away at their keyboards, answering phone calls, and discussing upcoming story ideas with each other - the usual tasks, especially for a Monday morning. Lizzie, computerless and caffeine deprived, had to settle for a cup of instant coffee from the kitchenette, and had taken to tidying up her desk while her computer was restarting over and over again but still somehow not ready for use. She was on the floor, sorting through the snacks in her bottom desk drawer (crackers that were two months’ past their expiry date, some gummy worms, and what seemed like hundreds of cans of tuna) when James, the music editor, stuck his head out of his office and called for her.

“Lawson! Where are you?” James sounded confused. He could’ve sworn he’d seen Lizzie at her desk moments ago, and then suddenly she popped her head up like a meerkat.

“Jimbo! Here. What’s crack-a-lackin?” Lizzie responded, standing up and brushing herself off as she headed towards where James was standing in his office doorway.

“Got a pitch for ya. Step into my office, if you’re finished with your spring clean.” James chuckled as he stepped back inside and sat down on the couch opposite his desk.

A number of journalism awards were displayed on the shelf above the couch, and the floor to ceiling window overlooked Sydney’s CBD and its tall, grey buildings, with a glimpse of the harbour ocean in the distance. Lizzie had to admit she’d imagined herself in James’ desk chair more than a few times; the music editor of one of Australia’s leading youth and pop culture publishing companies, regularly travelling the world to interview award-winning artists, and assigning and guiding well-crafted investigative pieces on the entertainment industry and those within in.

But, in reality, Lizzie had only recently worked her way up to being in the music department, after a couple of years on the news desk and a series of casual internships at different publications around the place. But music journalism, and the passion she had for live performances and watching artists grow and develop their sounds and aesthetics over their careers, was where Lizzie had always wanted her career to go. She was grateful to James for having her on the team, but she also knew that he didn’t recruit just anyone - so her writing must’ve been strong enough to get her here. James was a good boss, salt of the earth, always had his team’s back, but he was also a little mysterious, and this morning’s meeting was one of those where his face was giving absolutely nothing away as Lizzie joined him on the couch in the office.

“So, what’s up?” Lizzie said, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice.

“Well, Lawson. You’ve only been on deck for a few months, but turns out my gut instinct about you has paid off. That profile you did on the 1975 last month has gotten some good feedback and traction out and about.” James spoke in a measured tone, pulling his laptop off the coffee table and opening it.

“Oh! Well, that’s… good, right?” Lizzie still couldn’t figure out exactly why she was in James’ office. Or why she was so nervous.

“Correct, it is good. It’s been great to see you come into your own a little bit, and develop your interview style. I also really appreciated you stepping in to cover the Matt Corby interview for Hannah the other day, when she had that stomach bug.” James continued, seemingly searching for an email or something on his laptop as he spoke.

“No worries! Hannah’s notes were really thorough, plus I definitely had a Matt Corby phase when he was on Australian Idol back in 2006! Oof, that fringe, you know?” Lizzie cringed internally when she heard herself starting to babble.

James snorted, before clearing his throat. “I’m sure Matt was glad the 2006 hairstyle didn’t take up too many words in the final profile piece. He was pretty happy with it though, and his management were too, according to the label. So happy, in fact, that they’re requested you to profile another one of their artists.”

James had Lizzie’s full attention now, and she still couldn’t read his expression. “Really? Me? Who’s the artist?” She asked, trying not to get too excited too soon.

“Yes, indeed, you. 5 Seconds of Summer, or 5SOS. They’ve got a new album due out in a month or so, and their publicist is keen to fly you out to LA for a few weeks to follow them around while they wrap things up in the studio, and do a profile piece on their journey to date. Are you familiar with their stuff? They’re offering us an exclusive, something about the album being linked to their homeland or something, so they wanted to go with an Australian media outlet first.” James set his laptop back down on the coffee table and angled it so Lizzie could see an email on the screen that had a few lines of text and a photo of a band onstage.

5SOS. Was Lizzie familiar? Oh yes, she was familiar. Lizzie Lawson hailed from the western suburbs, and 5SOS was the area’s biggest success story. Aussie boys made good, with millions of albums sold, billions of song streams, thousands of concerts played all around the world, that was their career to date. But for Lizzie, 5SOS were always a bit closer to home. She’d attended the same high school as three of the band members, and Michael Clifford was someone she called her best friend, once upon a time. Ashton had also befriended Lizzie’s older brother Lachlan when they’d worked together at KFC. That was years ago now, and they’d all fallen out of touch, because sometimes that’s just the way the universe works. You grow up and you move on and you don’t keep the same friends, because sometimes they move to the other side of the world and get super famous as successful musicians. Or something like that. Even if they know your deepest secrets, or biggest fears, or hopes and dreams, or you trust them more than anything, sometimes they still leave you.

Lizzie’s previous state of intrigue quickly became panic, because what if she wasn’t actually being chosen based on the merit of her work? What if the 5SOS team knew about her connection to the band, and were going to use it to manipulate her writing in some way? What if it was all a ploy to get her and Michael in the same room so he could finally call her out on what had gone down between them all those years ago? What if -

“Lawson! You on planet earth still, or wait?” James snapped his fingers in front of Lizzie’s face to get her attention. She shook her head to clear it, and wrung her hands together in her lap.

“Yep, I’m familiar with their work. A little fuzzy on the most recent work, but I have a bit of knowledge on a lot of their early stuff. And Youngblood, of course. Everyone knows Youngblood. ARIA song of the year, a billion streams, etc etc.” Lizzie spoke, meeting James’ gaze as he cocked his head at her curiously. He knew Lizzie had a tendency to get a little nervous when she was put on the spot, but there was something about her right now that was a little more unsettled than usual that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“Good. Well, if you’re down, the label will cover three weeks accommodation in Los Angeles. Labels don’t usually do that kind of thing, but their manager is super keen for you to get enough quality time with the band to build up a solid profile piece. We’ll cover your daily expenses, I’ll send you instructions for the claiming app, and then we just need your passport to get the flights booked. Sound okay?”

“Y-yep. Yes. Okay. Right. When would I be leaving?” Lizzie pinched her thigh through her jeans to double check that she wasn’t dreaming, and that yes, this was actually happening.

“Friday midday. We’ll put some feelers out in LA, and see if there’s any other interviews you can do while you’re there, but your focus will be on 5SOS because they’re picking up the bill for your stay. But that being said, don’t let that sway what you write. They’ve requested you because they like your deep, detailed, open style of profiling, so don’t be afraid to ask some curly questions to get the answers that will craft the right piece, you know?” James spoke firmly, looking pointedly at Lizzie who quickly nodded in response.

“Right, well, I’ll cc you into this email chain with their publicist and manager, and we’ll go from there. You can hand over your other pieces to Hannah, you’ll need to spend the next few days prepping for LA and doing whatever research you need to feel ready. You’ve got this, Lizzie. I know you can do a great job.” James was trying to be encouraging, as he stood up and opened the door to his office, but Lizzie’s heart was pounding with nerves and she barely hear his words.

She walked back to her desk in a daze, and Hannah had to literally poke Lizzie in her side to get her attention and ask what James had said in the meeting. A few excited squeals and a bear hug later, Hannah was off and running talking about lists of things Lizzie needed to organise before her international adventure was due to begin in a few days’ time. Lizzie, on the other hand, still couldn’t believe it. What the fuck was happening?

The next few days flew by in a haze of emails, life admin, last minute shopping trips and a lot of deep breathing on Lizzie’s part, and before she knew it, she was wrangling her suitcase out of an Uber and into the international terminal at Sydney Airport. Lizzie, as a generally anxious person, had arrived the full three hours early for her flight, but her parents had treated her to a flight lounge guest pass (because they wanted her to know they were proud), so she was able to deal with her nerves by eating far too many complimentary croissants and hash browns.

Soon enough, the time to board the plane arrived, and Lizzie was grateful that she ended up in an empty row of seats, by some miracle. Praise be to the airline gods, or whichever higher power had decided she’d be able to at least try and get some sleep in the next fourteen hours. She’d set her phone and watch forward to Los Angeles time, so she could try and adjust her body clock accordingly, which meant that she’d have to stay up for a few hours at least.

Lizzie tried to be productive, and tapped away at her research notes on her laptop for a little while, before she found herself opening up the band’s instagram page in her browser. The four men staring back at Lizzie through the screen seemed a million miles away from the gangly, excitable teenagers she’d known all those years ago. There was an interesting intensity about them in the photograph, steely gazes and defined bodies under carefully selected clothing, but there was also a peacefulness in their poses beside one another. Like being together, in this moment captured minutes before heading onstage, was the most natural thing in the world. Lizzie found her eyes drawn towards Michael; his dirty blonde hair swept across his forehead (not dissimilar to the style he’d had in their high school days, to be honest), and it was accompanied by some scruffy facial hair and a dangly cross earring in one ear. His grey-green eyes seemed to peer right into her soul, and Lizzie involuntarily shivered at the thought of seeing him again in person in a day or so.

She was still anxious about whether or not this entire thing was a scam, but nonetheless, she was going to try her darndest to be a consummate professional, and write the best profile story of her life. In her research, Lizzie had reviewed some previous 5SOS interviews, and she’d cringed her way through their Rolling Stone interview from many years prior. She remembered reading it at the time it was published, unable to believe some of the words attributed to the boys she’d once called her friends, and the intense aftermath that followed. Understandably, they’d avoided in-depth profile interviews since, so Lizzie was incredibly curious as to why they’d changed their mind. Why now? Why her? She closed her laptop and drifted into sleep, curled up across three airplane seats and tucked under a thin blanket.

Lizzie’s shoulders and neck were stiff when she awoke, an hour or so before her flight was due to land. She used the in-flight wifi to check her emails quickly, and noted a new one from 5SOS’s publicist Danielle, which welcomed Lizzie to Los Angeles and explained that she should catch a taxi to her accommodation at the address listed, and that she should give her a call once she was checked in. Right. That seemed straight forward enough.

LAX customs were intimidating as ever (god, Lizzie was so nervous), but Lizzie made it through without incident and was able to quickly make her way into a cab with a driver who seemed familiar with her accommodation address. They drove her to a boutique-looking hotel, and when Lizzie checked in and made her way up to her room, she was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. A queen-sized bed, a good desk for working at, a nice view from her balcony of the Hollywood Hills, a small kitchenette with a fridge and microwave, and a glorious bathroom that had a very enticing bath tub in it (Lizzie’s shoulders and neck were already thankful for the idea of being able to soak in some nice hot water for a while).

After checking the room for serial killers (better to be safe than sorry, right?) Lizzie had a quick shower and changed out of her travel trackies and oversized hoodie into a pair of jeans, a clean shirt and a blazer, before opening up her phone and scrolling down to Danielle’s contact. A few deep breaths were required before Lizzie built up the courage to press “call”.

“This is Danielle!” A cheery American accent answered on the other end of the line.

“H-hi Danielle, this is Lizzie, from Junkee Australia. You said in my email I should give you a call once I was all checked in, and I am, so…” Lizzie found herself giggling nervously and facepalmed.

“Lizzie, of course! How was your flight? Long and boring?”

“Yep, that about sums it up!” Danielle’s enthusiasm made Lizzie feel like she had to perk herself up a bit in conversation.

“Well, I’m sure you’re gagging for a nap, but we’ve got to get you adjusted to the timezone so we can make the most of your time here. I’m just finishing up something in the office, but I can swing by your hotel in about 45 minutes, and we can go over your story pitch and the band schedule for the next few weeks, and figure out your interview time slots and other things you can go along to observe, if that works for you?” Lizzie could hear Danielle’s keyboard clacking as she spoke.

“Sure, well, you have my number now, so just text me when you get here. I’ll try my best not to nap in the meantime.” Lizzie’s somewhat dry response got a laugh out of Danielle, who agreed and bid her farewell, ending the call.

Placing her phone down on the bedside table, Lizzie looked around the hotel room that was set to be her home away from home for the better part of the next month, and spotted a coffee machine on top of the mini fridge. If she was really going to keep her no-nap promise, caffeine was definitely in order.

True to her word, Danielle arrived at the hotel within the hour, and soon Lizzie found herself sat beside Danielle on a fancy couch tucked in a corner of the hotel lobby. Danielle had opened up her laptop, and also pulled a plastic folder of documents out of her tote bag.

“Okay, so… I’m sure you’ve done your own research, but here’s a few hard copies of the band bio, album press release, and a few other tidbits from the label, along with a hard copy of the band schedule. It’s all confidential and coded, the electronic version I’ve emailed you will have the proper locations for everything, but I thought a print out might be handy anyway. The boys are recording some stuff at the studio Calum has at his house tomorrow, so I figured we could introduce you there and then after that figure out what else you’d like to get done. There’s an industry showcase for some of the new songs at the end of the week, and then they’re doing various promo and album prep things, finalising mixes, photoshoots, etc, so there’s a bit of variety for you. Any initial thoughts on how you want to do the interviews for your profile?” Danielle rattled off, gazing at Lizzie expectantly when she finished speaking.

Lizzie blinked at her a few times before collecting herself. “In my research, I found it really interesting to hear the band and some of the fans talking about how 5SOS has evolved into the collective effort of four individual artists, not just the band as one artistic music entity, so I was hoping, if possible, to interview them individually, as well as observing them as a group. Would.. Would that be okay, do you think?”

Danielle pursed her lips, before breaking out into a smile.

“I think that sounds exactly like something the band would be willing to do. Damn, Matt Emsell was right - you do know your stuff.” She chuckled, handing the folder of documents over to Lizzie and pulling out the schedule that was on top.

“So studio at Calum’s tomorrow from 10am, I’ll swing by and collect you so we can do introductions, I’ll stick around for a bit just to make sure you’re all good but otherwise I’m just going to let you do your thing. The band have been doing this for long enough now, they don’t need their publicist hovering.”

The curiosity was killing Lizzie. She couldn’t not ask.

“Danielle, I’ve got to ask this, sorry. Do the band… know me? Know that I’m the one coming to interview them?” Lizzie managed to get out, avoiding eye contact.

“What do you mean?” Danielle cocked her head to one side, clearly confused at the question. “I sent them the Matt Corby piece you did, and they liked that, so that was one of the reasons we asked you out here. So they’re familiar with your work, if that’s what you’re asking?”

“No, um… oh god, I’ve made this super awkward now.” Lizzie laughed dryly, wringing her hands together. “I mean, I know them. Personally. Or at least I used to. I’m from Sydney, and I went to school with Luke, and Calum, and… Michael. So I was just wondering, um, if they realised that it was me and that was part of why I was asked to come to LA for this…Not really sure why that would make them choose me, but I just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page before tomorrow.” Lizzie finally dared to look up at Danielle, whose expression was unreadable.

“Hmm, well, that is interesting. As far as I know, that wasn’t a factor at all. We all genuinely liked your writing style, so whether or not the boys made the connection, I have no idea. They’re not super keen on any irrelevant personal life stuff making it into this piece though, so if this is going to be a problem for you, we should deal with it now.” Her tone was slightly less warm than before, and Lizzie could sense the protective publicist side of Danielle kicking in.

“Definitely not a problem. I entirely intend to be fully professional, and like you said, my writing will speak for itself. Just wanted to put it all out there. Not a problem for me.” Lizzie spoke up, willing herself to sound more confident than she felt.

“Good. We have no problems here then. I’ve got to run, but text me with any questions, otherwise I’ll see you at 9.30am tomorrow for the drive to Calum’s!” Danielle’s tone was nice and bright again, as she shut her laptop and gathered her belongings, patting Lizzie’s shoulder in what she assumed was some sort of attempt at calming her nerves.

It didn’t work though. Not a problem for Lizzie? Bullshit. Not a problem for 5SOS, and Michael in particular? Seemed unlikely.

Lizzie was worried she’d have a restless night’s sleep because of her overwhelming anxiety about the next day’s reunion, but the exhaustion from her travelling overtook her and she almost slept through her alarm. A quick shower and a shot of espresso later and Lizzie was downstairs waiting for Danielle to pick her up to head over to meet the band.

“Morning! How’d you sleep?” Danielle chirped as she rolled into the car park, her car window down.

“Very deeply, thank you! The room is really comfortable. Thanks again for organising.” Lizzie mentally urged herself to keep up the small talk as a way of hiding her nerves.

The car ride over was mostly quiet, but when they pulled up outside of what Lizzie assumed was Calum’s house, she definitely felt like she was about to vomit.

“Just so you know, I flagged our conversation last night with the band. About your pitch around the individual interviews, and also about your little… connection to them. Ashton didn’t seem to think it was a problem, so it should all be fine.” Danielle mused, as she opened her car door and hopped out. All Lizzie could do was nod, because her throat was dry and she was starting to panic. She blindly followed Danielle through the front gate and around the side of the house to a building in the backyard, Lizzie strained to hear what sounded like raised, male voices floating towards them as they approached. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but it didn’t entirely sound positive.

Danielle knocked loudly on the door and shot Lizzie a reassuring smile, before the shouting subsided and it swung open. Calum Hood stood in the doorway, and Lizzie sucked in a breath. It’d been eight years, maybe more since she’d last seen Calum, and even then, had they spoken? She couldn’t remember.

Calum smiled at Danielle, and then his eyes flickered over to Lizzie, not quite carrying the same happiness, but not entirely losing it either.

“Morning, ladies. Welcome to casa di Calum, come on in.” He spoke with that scratchy, deep voice of his that Lizzie had reacquainted herself with when watching hours of interviews during her research.

Danielle stepped passed Calum into the room, and she indicated for Lizzie to follow, which she did. Lizzie could feel Calum’s gaze on her as she brushed past him, but the minute she stepped inside, any sense of warmth or welcome she’d felt before vanished.

Luke and Ashton were standing over by the sound recording panel, turning to look at Lizzie and Danielle as they entered. Lizzie thought she saw a hint of a smile on Luke’s face (they had survived Year 8 Maths together, after all… that had to count for something, right?), but Ashton was unreadable.

Entirely obvious, though, was the look of bitter disdain on Michael Clifford’s face when Lizzie finally spotted him hunched over on the couch along the wall. Those grey-green eyes were staring her down with a harsh glare. It had familiarity about it, Lizzie realised, but not in a good way.

Danielle cleared her throat in the silence, and turned to Lizzie.

“Well, I believe introductions might not be required, but in the interest of professionalism and courtesy - “ Lizzie didn’t miss Danielle’s pointed glance towards Michael, who was still scowling silently towards everyone - “Lizzie Lawson from Junkee, I would like you to meet Calum Hood, Ashton Irwin, Luke Hemmings and Michael Clifford, also collectively known as 5 Seconds of Summer or 5SOS.”

Lizzie waved, and then immediately cursed herself for being so goddamn awkward. She received a nod of recognition from Ashton, and small smiles from Luke and Calum. From Michael, more scowling. This was going to be a long three weeks.

“So, Lizzie, why don’t you go through the pitch for the profile that we discussed yesterday? The boys already have a bit of an idea, but I’m sure they’d love to hear it from you.” Danielle was being overly encouraging, but it worked, and Lizzie took a deep breath before speaking.

“Thanks, Danielle. And thank you to you guys, honestly. I know this is a little strange for all of us -”

“Fucking oath it is.” Lizzie heard Michael mutter under his breath, but she continued, undeterred.

“But, I’m really excited to have the opportunity to interview you and pull together this story. Especially on behalf of the Australian music media. I know they haven’t always given you the recognition you deserve, but I think this piece is a chance to overcome that. Anyway, the specific pitch I’d love to go with is reflective of you as individual artists, as well as the collective band group. If it’s suitable, it’d be great to have the chance to speak to each of you one-on-one as well as a group, to give a holistic view of your journeys as people and as musicians and what you’re trying to achieve with this album. So… yeah…” Lizzie trailed off nervously, clenching her hands at her sides.

“I love it. We’re happy you’re here, Lizzie. I really loved the Matt Corby piece Danielle sent us, and like you said, it was really important for us to have the perspective of an Australian journalist for this story and where we’re at right now.” Ashton’s calm voice broke the silence, as he nodded at Lizzie in agreeance. Luke and Calum nodded too, and Lizzie tried not to look towards Michael because no doubt he was still glaring at her.

“Great! Everyone’s on the same page. I have to dash off to a meeting, but Lizzie has my number if she needs it, otherwise all of you please behave and don’t scare her off, nor say anything that means I’ll have to destroy her tape recorder. Sound good? Good!” Danielle rattled off quickly, moving out the door and shutting it behind her.

The tension in the air was thick, and it was all seething from Michael’s direction towards Lizzie. She closed her eyes for a moment, before reaching into her bag and pulling out her phone, notebook and pen. She spotted a chair behind her, and turned back towards Luke and Ashton.

“Well, where do you want to start? A group sit down, some general thoughts on the journey so far and what the album experience has been like?” Lizzie offered, trying to make herself sound enthusiastic, but also in control and like she knew what she was doing.

Luke, Calum and Ashton all murmured in agreeance, and moved themselves over to sit by Michael on the couch, while Lizzie dragged the chair she’d spotted over to sit facing them.

“Right. All good if I audio record this?” She asked, hitting record on her voicenotes app after three heads nodded at her.

“So, the album. Where did it begin? Did anyone or anything influence or kick off the sonic direction or the start of the exploratory process?”

The conversation was flowing quite well, Lizzie though. Ashton dominated most of the responses to her questions, but Luke and Calum chipped in their perspectives throughout. Michael didn’t say a word, even when Calum poked him in the side, and instead of glaring at Lizzie he was now staring blankly at the wall over her shoulder. An improvement, sort of, but still not ideal from a journalist and interviewee perspective, let alone when the interviewee was someone who used to be Lizzie’s best friend.

Before she knew it, an hour had past, and Ashton stood, remembering a meeting they had scheduled with the label and their management team, and bringing the interview to a close.

As Lizzie was packing up her equipment, she cautiously brought up the topic of the one on one interviews.

“So, does anyone in particular have free time in the next few days, so I can start on the individual profiling part of the story?” Lizzie asked, her tone hopeful.

Michael’s response was to push straight past her and walk out of the studio, muttering to himself and slamming the door as he went. The loud noise made Lizzie flinch, and she realised her heart was racing and her hands were a little shaky.

“I’ve got time, LL Cool J. I’ll meet you at Joan’s on Third for lunch, say 1pm?” Lizzie smiled at the pld nickname Calum slipped into his quiet response to her question.

“Works for me, C Dizzle Swizzle. Thanks again for your time today, I really appreciate it. Not to sound like a broken record, but I’m really excited for this piece and the chance to tell your story.” Lizzie found herself grinning like an idiot as she met Calum’s warm gaze, and noted that Ashton and Luke were also smiling at her.

“We’re excited too, Lizzie. Even if… some of us might not quite be as enthusiastic as they should be. But, don’t worry. He’ll come round.” It was Luke that spoke this time, his striking blue eyes somehow staring straight into Lizzie’s soul as he looked at her.

“Here’s hoping.” Lizzie tried not to sound too dull in her response, but it was a challenge.

Because honestly, how the fuck was she going to do a profile on all four members of 5 Seconds of Summer, if one of them could barely stand being in the same room as her?

Time will tell, Lizzie thought to herself as she walked out of the door to Calum’s studio and into the warm California sunlight. Time will tell.

Taglist: @suchalonelysunflower @blackbutterfliescal @redrattlers @loveroflrh @spicycal @notinthesameguey @metalandboybands

More writing here | send thoughts/feedback/suggestions here | if you’d like to be on my taglist go here

#5sos imagine #5sos fanfiction #my writing #ashton irwin imagine #luke hemmings imagine #calum hood imagine #michael clifford imagine #5sos blurb #ashton irwin fanfiction #luke hemmings fanfiction #calum hood fanfiction #michael clifford fanfiction #whew this is the longest thing i've written so far #hope you like it #it's fine if you don't tho #the posting anxiety is REAL omg

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thewildheroine · 6 years

Text

Rain Storms |P.P. One Shot|

Requested: Nope

Warnings: Angst, depression, hopelessness, heavy sobbing, feelings of uselessness

WC: 3.4K

Song: You There by Aquilo

A/N: I had a really tough week so I wrote this to feel a little better. I hope you guys enjoy.

____________

She preaches about motivation and dedication. Of pushing through the hardest obstacles and persevering no matter what, and they believe her. Every time they believe the words that curl past her lips and into classrooms like they’re being read out of some sacred text. That’s what she makes it sound like every time. She’s always so confident when she encourages people. Always so sure. Funny thing is though, she lacks in both of those things.

Before high school, Y/N was resolute in everything she did. She never needed the extra push to get through a day’s homework and when she did procrastinate she still managed to make her assignments the best that they possibly could be. Now, no consequences can push her to do something until the last possible second. Motivation doesn’t come until late at night and even then it is in short spurts of energy. A paragraph here, an equation there. By the time she finishes, the clock may read midnight, and on some occasions, two in the morning.

It’s not that she doesn’t want to be good in school anymore. Anyone who talks to her will no that. She wants to succeed, to keep straight A’s, to do her absolute best.

But the beast that has its hooked claws deep in Y/N’s soul refuses to let go. It sucks away any motivation she has in her. Her dedication dwindles more and more every day. She finds herself tired every moment of every day. The vitamins Y/N’s mother forces her to take every day do nothing. No matter what she’s always tired. Always staring at the blank paper and glowing white document in front of her and wishing for some of her passion back.

The beast won’t give it back though, so she fakes it, sometimes to the extreme. She fights as hard as she can, giving herself small tasks throughout the day and working up to the bigger ones. She tries making a list:

Pick up clothes.

Feed pets

Clean room/desk area

Writing homework (PEAL paragraph)

Spanish workbook

20 Physics problems

She makes reminders on her phone:

English Assignment due tomorrow

Vacuum room

Study for calc test

No matter what she’s always looking at that damned clock though, reading 12:15 or 1:30 or one night even 3:07. Y/N never did bother going to sleep that night.

It’s not that she doesn’t get in assignments when they’re due. She always has her A’s and B’s. The amount of effort to keep it that way is unbelievable though.

That’s not the worst part though. Y/N used to always be so sure of what she wanted to be. When people would ask she’d exclaim, “A zookeeper!”, “An actor!”, “A vet!”, and most recently, “A writer”. She’d always say that with such a wide smile. Most of her aspirations were replaced with another months after having them. Writing was her thing when she was in fourth grade though. She adored writing and when she began sharing it, other’s adored it as well. They complimented it, saying that she would have a future in fiction.

As she entered middle school the people around her began singing a different tune…

“You want to be paid a lot, don’t you.” Y/N said that more money would be nice.

“Are you just gonna become a homebody? Aren’t you afraid you’ll start gaining weight?” Y/N started playing more sports.

“Writing won’t get you anywhere in life.” She explored more careers.

“Get into a medical or technology field! Those won’t be going away anytime soon.” Y/N said she would look into becoming a surgeon.

But just like before, all these aspirations faded, and once she finally accepted that writing was and would always be her heart’s home, that had faded too.

She tries pushing it, giving herself deadlines. Sometimes that will work. She’ll write for hours at a time, inspiration and motivation and dedication flowing through every vein in her body. When her pieces get complimented, she’ll write five thousand words in a day.

Other days, she’ll stare at a blank screen, praying and begging for something to come to her. She’ll grow dispassionate after some time though. Today is one of those days.

Y/N’s eyes burn, her mind tired. She doesn’t know why. She remembers getting nine hours last night. Then she also recalls only getting twenty hours total the past five days. Her mom tries to pick up her spirits as always. She takes Y/N out. Takes her shopping, takes her to go see her brother who buys her a movie that she was raving about days ago. Her heart doesn’t leap out of excitement the entire time though. It remains stagnant in her chest, pulsing at its usual slow, steady pace. Y/N doesn’t expect more.

It’s when her mom is driving the both of them home does her heart do something finally.

The conversation started out on the topic of the upcoming NMSQT. Y/N’s mom said that she should do it to get scholarships. Y/N said that she shouldn’t. She says she should take the ASVAB because she doesn’t know what she’s going to do with her life. She’s prepared to laugh afterward to distract her mom from the truth in her words. The chuckle doesn’t come though.

Y/N doesn’t remember much between this. All she can truly recall is tilting her head away from her mother as tears began streaming down her face because it’s true. She doesn’t know what she wants to do. Years ago she used to be so positive. A writer. She wanted to be a writer. What now though? What would the beast allow her to dream for? Of course Y/N’s seen people push through this illness. They do great things too. For some reason, she can’t see herself where they are anymore. All she can see from where she is standing is a blank slate. An infinite expanse of white deserts. Hot and angry and murderous. With the ASVAB she’d at least know where she should go. A set point.

Like always, Y/N’s mom sees her tears though and the first thing she asks is if she’s been taking her vitamins. Like always, Y/N says, “I’ve been trying”. The tears come faster as her mom tells her that it’s okay that she doesn’t know where she’s going. She’ll figure it out one day and on that day all the pieces will come together. Y/N knows what she wants to be though. A writer. She wants to write. She needs to write. Writing is who she is. She only cries though, the hiccups too frequent for any words to be coherent.

Now, she sits her room, the clock reading nine as she stares at the physics homework she has yet to start. The two windows are the color of pitch and outside she can hear what seems like a thousand crickets chirping in perfect unison. Thunder growls all of the sudden and her mind moves quietly to her friend, who is undoubtedly swinging through Queens right now with his webs, something she helped him upgrade on one of the afternoons where her inspiration was in full swing.

She begins to wonder if she is capable of magic when Peter himself taps on her window. Y/N can make out the dark red outline of his Spider suit. If she tries hard enough, she can also see his bright hazel eyes. The ones that always gleam. He looks tired but happy, like usual.

Peter, however, sees the opposite. He sees that distinct anguish he’s come to know far too well in one of his best friends. The makeup on her face is beginning to slip away, revealing the purpling bags under her y/e/c eyes. Or maybe that’s just mascara. Peter can never tell. Y/N always starts wiping that away when she gets home after school. She smiles though and it is as bright as it can ever get when she seems as upset as she is now.

The young hero watches as the girl strides over to her window, unlatching the locks and peeling the screen up so he can get through.

“Más gracias señorita,” he remarks as he climbs into her room, his gloved hand sticking to the ceiling. She silently remarks to herself how his accent is just slightly off. Somehow, it makes Y/N’s grin grows just a bit wider, something that makes Peter’s heart glow. Suddenly the weight of the marigold in his hand becomes extremely noticeable. When he drops, Peter quickly hides it in one of his pockets, praying that the pedals won’t get ruined.

For weeks he’s been trying to figure out how to ask Y/N to homecoming. Ned and Michelle were forced into helping even though Peter barely allowed their opinions to matter. He knew not to do it during school. Y/N doesn’t like people watching her. Peter’s noticed that throughout the years. When all eyes are on the girl he’s been growing a crush on for the past year she seems to shrink under the weight of them, her eyes searching for his so that she can use them as an anchor.

He thought of a poster with one of his famous jokes but decided that he wanted it original. Y/N deserves original. Peter tried and tried to figure something out. To come up with the perfect way to ask her. With every idea, he came up with he also came up with a problem though. Finally, Peter decided on a marigold, one of the sunset orange marigolds you’ve claimed to love on multiple occasions with a little note connected to the stem by a thin brown string.

“No hay problemo, Peter,” she chuckles back, the first semi-genuine laugh she’s had all day. It makes Peter feel victorious as she turns away from him and walks to her desk, waving her hand lazily the whole time. Then he sees the sheets of homework she hasn’t even started yet. His eyes then find Y/N’s planner, but there are only two things written for Monday, meaning that her motivation to even write the information in her planner went away by third period.

“So,” he drones as he plops into Y/N’s bed, “what’s up.” She shakes your head while self-consciously covering her work… or lack thereof.

“Okay,” she replies with a shrug. “I got a new movie.”

“Cool. That’s cool.” Peter sits up and scoots towards Y/N and her desk. Slyly, he uncovers the unfinished homework.

Y/N’s not embarrassed. This happens every time. Peter always knows no matter how hard she tries to hide it. She should’ve known this time wouldn’t be any different.

“I’m having a hard time getting started,” she whispers lowly, and Peter can hear in her voice just how much she despises the work. Or maybe it’s not the work.

“That’s okay,” he informs quickly, afraid that this plan will go awry before it even begins. “You know, I’ve heard I’m super helpful when it comes to stuff like this and I-I know that it’s not chemistry but I can totally help you with physics it’s not a problem. Really-really.”

She giggles. “Really-really?” Peter rolls his eyes and nods in return, opting to use just that as an answer. “Okay then.” He takes that as his queue to sit next to the girl whose eyes still look hollow in a lonely way. Peter can’t help but stare into them before he starts helping Y/N with the equations.

It doesn’t surprise Peter once she begins easily moving through each problem in less than five minutes each. Usually, it only takes a bit of a push to get her working. A compliment or a tip. Then Y/N speeds through all of her work, not once pausing. She knows that usually, it’s not like that. She’ll work in intervals most of the time. With Peter there though, she finds all the motivation she needs and shoots through her homework. By the time Y/N’s finished, it’s only ten and Peter and her still have time to hang out.

“Thank you,” Y/N tells Peter as she shoves her notebook into her bag. “When do you have to go?” Peter grimaces slightly and messes with one of the books laying on Y/N’s desk. It’s one of the ones she was able to finish in a weekend. A special achievement in her opinion.

“Well actually,” Peter laughs and turns the novel over, reading the back cover silently, “May might not know I’m even gone.”

“Peter,” she reprimands. Without words, Peter adores the way she tilts her head to the side and jokingly glares up at him. But he still sees the way her shoulders tense without reason, the real bags under her eyes that have appeared after Y/N wiped away the rest of her concealer. She has a bit of a cowlick from running her fingers through the y/h/c strands.

“Hey,” Peter lifts up his hands defensively, “duty calls, Y/N. You know that.” The girl sighs and sits further back in her chair. “And- and,” he exclaims, “we can watch that movie together now.”

The hollow look in Y/N’s eyes recedes just a little bit.

____________

Two hours later, the end credits begin rolling down the screen. Peter yawns and turns towards his best friend, expecting her to have passed out already seeing that she seemed so tired. Her eyes are still open though.

She’s lost in thought, the memory of her mother speaking to her in the car running rampant in her mind. Y/N doesn’t even notice that the movie has ended and the credits are rolling. It takes Peter grabbing onto her shoulder to knock her away from her thoughts. The pinprick of tears remains as she turns to the hero, the chestnut hair on his head turning curly.

“Y/N?” he murmurs, his eyes blatantly scanning the look on her face. “You okay?” Y/N smiles as much as she can.

“Yeah sorry,” she shakes her head and blinks hard, hoping that that will dispense the tears.”I just got lost in thought. I’m okay though.” Y/N abruptly stands from her seat and presses her hand into the space bar, pausing the movie. Peter’s hand shoots forward though and he wraps his calloused fingers over hers.

“Are you sure?” he asks.

And with that, she shatters a bit. Y/N wishes her body doesn’t shudder the way it does right then. She wishes that she can’t feel grief literally coursing throughout her entire body like she does right then. Her head drops and she squeezes Peter’s hand. Tears begin falling faster than they can both realize.

“God.” A course, choked laugh runs past her lips as she says that single word. “I’m so sorry Pete, I just- I’m just stressed that’s it.” Peter stands slowly, feeling that if he moves too quick she’ll wrap her emotion up again and store them far inside of herself.

“Hey, hey,” it whispers softly, “it’s okay Y/N. You can tell me.” She shakes her head. This is the first time he’s seen her cry.

“Nonono.” Y/N shakes her head. “It’s nothing, really Peter. Really-really. I’ll be okay tomorrow, I’m just wound up right now.” Peter grabs both of her shoulders, pausing her shuddering if only for a second.

“It’s not nothing.”

“But it is,” she remarks. “I’m just worried about school. There’s no need for you to worry too, I’m just being-” Y/N lifts her hands to her face and covers her eyes. “God,” she repeats, “I’m being so fucking stupid.”

“No, you’re not, Y/N.” Peter pulls her into his arms before she has the chance to step away from him. “Just-just tell me what’s going on so I can help.” Y/N sniffles and shakes her head. Her tangled hair swings from side to side.

“You can’t help me with this, Peter,” she mumbles and falls onto her bed. Although Y/N’s tears have gone away, the hollow look in her eyes returns fully. “I-I don’t know where I’m going. I don’t know what I want to be, and don’t you give me any of that bs on it’ll all click one day because you already have it all figured out Peter.” Peter furrows his brows and steps towards her.

“No I don’t Y/N,” he assures. “I’m still trying to figure myself out too.”

“No-no you’re not,” she hisses. “You’re a hero Peter. A hero and a prodigy who has Stark and Oscorp industries on their hands and knees. Me? I-I thought writing was where I was going but I can barely even write a full paragraph anymore without feeling numb!” Peter studies the way she clenches her jaw out of frustration. Her eyes are rimmed with hot tears that she refuses to let go. All of the sudden, Peter is imagining all the strain on her soul. All the strings tugging her in every direction.

Outside, the storm arrives and the rain starts falling.

“C’mon.” Peter extends a hand towards her. Y/N narrows her eyes and looks up at the young superhero who is still clad in his red and blue suit.

“What?”

“We’re gonna do something.” Hesitantly, Y/N takes his hand and stands. Before she knows what’s happening, Peter’s dragging her out of her room and into the living room. He knows her house like the back of his hand by now and ti only takes him a minute to guide her to her back door. Outside rain pummels the ground. Y/N doesn’t say anything as he slides open the door and pulls her towards the rain.

“What are we doing?” she wonders curiously, her voice still monotone. Peter thinks that maybe she takes the emotions out so no one can hear it. Not even her.

“That’s up to you.”

Y/N relishes the way the water feels against her skin. The cold is one of the worst and best changes she’s experienced this entire week. One arm wraps around her waist to conserve her warmth as she moves further into the storm. Peter keeps and tight hold on her as he has her step onto the grass.

As she stares up the sky, Y/N’s tears begin falling from her eyes again, only this time freely. She finally realizes why Peter had he come outside. Her tears mix with the rain that falls onto her face and that allows them to go unseen by anyone, even Peter who keeps his eyes locked on the weeping girl. She sobs with no restraint. Y/N feels like she’s imploding, but as everything is being destroyed she can feel the cold rain cleansing her. It rinses away as much pain as possible and the hollowness disappears, though it is not replaced by happiness, but sadness. Y/N finds herself thankful for that though. Thankful for the fact she’s finally feeling something more than frustration and weariness.

Peter watches from where he stands. While he can’t make out her tears he can still see the way her shoulders shake wildly and the deep, lamenting frown plastered to her blotchy red face. He remembers all the people who write about falling in love with this vulnerability. Peter doesn’t love this though. In fact, he hates it. He hates that all he can do is watch as the girl who he is falling for breaks apart in her own arms. He hates the vulnerability filling her up now and he hates the people who call it bravery.

This isn’t Y/N being brave. This is her being alive. This is all of the pain and grief and joy finally being let out. Finally breaking past the beast who tries so hard to numb her. This is Y/N in her messiest, truest form. All of her emotions breaking out in one hurricane of disarray. He loves Y/N in everything she is and will always be, but he hates the illness that takes control of her.

His mind goes back to the marigold in his pocket. His proposal. Peter knows he can’t do it now. Not when she’s finally getting a chance to let all of the dangerous emotions free in waves of tears. She deserves to have this moment to think only of herself.

He’ll have plenty of chances to let Y/N know how much he loves her.

She only gets so many rain storms to let go and cry.

____________

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pulitzerpanther · 6 years

Note

Miss Grant...why did you become a reporter?

This question and Cat Grant’s answer were taken from the monthly-quarterly ‘Nine Lives Left’ column featuring CEO Cat Grant and editor of ‘The Trib’ Lucas ‘Snapper’ Carr. The column features questions towards both regarding journalism, ethics in the news industry, and–from Cat–fashion advice for the wilting middle-age ‘walking bearclaw’ editor taking said questions.

While originally edited in format and featured in the article, the below blurb was taken from the podcast posted on CatCo-.Co with the title of the same name.

So, Cat, everyone always wonders–I know, I know, we get asked this often–and I know we’ve discussed it over the years.

“Oh, of course, I love repetitive questions. If I hear it enough, it’s like the dulcet, soothing tones of Donald Trump.”

Why did you become a reporter?

“Hmm, yes, well–I’m sure you expect a wholly different answer, given the fact that I technically started in gossip.

Is there more to Cat Grant than high heels?

“If there wasn’t, you wouldn’t work here. Fine. A similar answer was in my excellently-written memoir, Cat Got Your Tongue released in 2002, but, in order to take you on a journey of me, Snapper, we’d either have to get you a fashion sense, or gussy up a handy little time machine and skip that awful hair-teasing, leopard print phase of the 90′s to go back to the book-worm days of my youth and, namely, the news as an influence–or lack thereof–of my formative years.

Below is the excerpt written by Cat Grant for the ‘editorial’ column, read and featured on both podcast and Trib header.

My father was a particularly knowledgeable man–a great man who had this air of regal mystique about him, or so it might seem to a young girl who had a habit of tiptoeing around the corners of an old, two-bedroom apartment in the bustling playground of Metropolis, before skyscrapers built like towering trees in the ground would become a far more commonplace playroom than my father’s study. But when I was a little girl, I enjoyed that air of ‘fine things’ that he seemed to carry–suits and cigars; mystical brief cases with work-related things in them. It’s all very fantastical to play make-believe with, if you’re ambitious, and while my age is a carefully-kept secret (soon to be given away by this article like an old CIA agent in a bar) there was a time when I did enjoy that long-forgotten art of playing.

As I tell my son, creativity is important–creating a rocket ship out of a box is the fundamental mind-set that will, one day, create a company out of thin air. It should never be repressed in a child, and I often found myself tempted by the utter adulthood of my father’s study like a creativity landmine.

The door was always locked save for Sunday mornings, his coffee creating a fine brown ring along whatever ever-present newspaper had found its way to mahogany that morning–the business and politics sections the first read and neatly folded to the side. Saturday morning cartoons were not something my radical mother appreciated in the mornings, but both of them could be seen feverishly discussing current events over the sounds of a crackling, small television in the corner. Only on Sundays, of course, they were feverishly discussing far less important things every where else at much louder–far more grating–volumes everywhen else.

It wasn’t uncommon to hear the soothing sounds of Walter Cronkite (prior to Dan Rather and Connie Chung’s overruling domain in my mother’s household) in my youth and this particular day, there was one singular, titular program on the television.

Fortunately–as is an American right–the magnitude of war was lost on me at such a young age, and I had the benefit of merely being fascinated by war like it was some distant, fantastical teleproduction. Like H.G Wells was narrating events, materialized with sensationalism and haunting faux-realism–like I was always one step removed from its horror, because I was.I wasn’t aware of this at the time–what little girl would be?–but Nixon and Johnson ordered the bombing of the Eastern Cambodian line in order to usurp the then-communist Vietnamese strongholds. I wasn’t aware of the impact this would have, ultimately, on the American population–peace signs and drugs and love not war notwithstanding–but also on the Cambodian people.

For four years, with as many visits as an estranged aunt appearing solely for family functions that no one particularly wanted to invite her to, but she just obnoxiously showed up anyways–similar to Joan Crawford, the later years, at a party or Joan Rivers at your wedding (three times)–only to make one small, forgettable appearance, I learned of my first taste of media’s role in education the masses–

By learning that media was not educating the masses.

From the time I was nine to the time I was thirteen, the Khmer Rouge regime, under the daunting, fanatical leadership of Pol Kot, committed the systematic genocide and elimination of approximately three million Cambodian people under the name of Democratic enstatement in the country. I heard the word Kampuchea (the government created by this regime after the slaughter) feverishly whispered around my father’s coffee mug like a dirty word–like that salacious affair my mother heard about the neighbor having with his nanny–and never understood the impact of it. It wasn’t discussed in my school and, save for a quickly-buried news report every week or two, it was lost, like some lack-luster movie hitting the box office, watched by a hundred thousand people never to be heard of again.

It was a transient sensationalist story. I didn’t understand the gravity of what occurred until college and the magnitude of such a death toll never truly touched Western newspapers save for blurbs. Not even in 1999, when Nate Thayer and Nic Dunlop interviewed a member of the regime’s command still awaiting trial. The story was picked up, ran once, and everyone’s fickle minds forgot about it come Monday, while the weight of the death toll was still being felt by the country to this day.

It was a systematic oppression of the people–a slaughter of a race and religion–and in my twenties, when someone mentioned it, as historical fact, an event that cost the lives of millions, I furrowed my brows like it was a word I couldn’t quite remember on the tip of my tongue.

Lost.

In the 90′s, I was far more educated and politically forward–I was nicknamed Hanoi Cat by a few particularly close friends (one of whom is on the ballot for president this year and should think wisely about the things that a girl might remember to blackmail her with)–and it wasn’t uncommon for me to be enraged by the cruel, cruel state of the world.

Oh, I taped myself to trees in political outcry, usually hungover and in fabulous heels on a budget, before my palette for social change and fashion had both fully refined. I screamed at rallies and bemoaned the effect of war on the world while sleeping in my thin dormitory mattress that I thought toughed my spine into steel. I was war-torn and affected by the weight of the world’s decisions, unlike my unassuming friends and colleagues.

I’ve since grappled and come to terms with the fact that complacency within a world is a fallacy: ignorance of people assuming the blame doesn’t lie on their shoulders; ignorance of people assuming the blame solely does. Change is not as simple as strapping yourself to a tree and screaming about indignancies.

I’ve also since made it a point to buy better mattresses. A girl needs her beauty sleep to change the world, after all.

The Rwandan massacre was far more documented, at the time, than the Cambodian massacre was in the 70′s. But To some of you, who are about to swiftly make my own point about a disassociation of connection and responsibility for me, you might have furrowed your brows and wrinkled your nose at this very paper.

I’m sure it’s a fabulous look on you.

Perhaps you saw the movie with Don Cheadle in the early thousands–Hotel Rwanda–where the gripping dramaticism of it all might have dampened the weight of the events with Hollywood flare–provided a sense of detachment that comes with all things sensationalized. After all, how do we, as a society, come to terms with the deaths of a million people? Another genocide and, though the emergence of electronic media made it far more televised, this one became just as forgotten.

For a minor history lesson–don’t worry, I’m sure many of you have that hot for teacher fetish–let’s recap the events of the Rwandan conflict in a short, small, haunting blurb that does nothing of justice to the weight or impact of what occurred: in 1994, due to the loss of a political leader, over one hundred days, an approximate million Rwandans were killed by militias and the military under order of the interim Rwandan government.

The coverage of the event was minimal, at best, and the focus of most media outlets–save for a steadfast Perry White who I will credit with having a great focus on human rights, even if the Planet is a subpar paper in every way to ours thanks to one Lois Lane’s lackluster writing–was more on evacuating government officials than on the genocide.

Questionably as appalling as the genocide–in a moral way that, to a journalist, rivals the death of a people–was the treatment of the genocide after the fact. The Rwandan Patriotic Front followed the interahamwe and the Hutu-dominated military into Zaire (what is now called The Democratic Republic of the Congo) and pillaged–that’s slaughtered and raped for those unfamiliar with coy terminology–their way across the eastern part of the Congo. Two years later, Zaire was once again invaded and a puppet government was installed. When that government crumbled, the government once again ransacked the country like some sadistic Santa Claus stumbling in through your fireplace to devour all of your cookies. With a hint of a Krumpus flair.

These actions caused a total death-count of around five-million congolese people.

None of these actions were adequately covered in the news.

So what does all of this have to do with me being a journalist? Oh, I have a point–trust me, I always have a point. Maybe I’m still a writer, through and through and it might be lost in the superfluous overzealousness of my ideas, but there’s always a point.

I became a reporter for one simple reason: to find truth.

Were there news stories surrounding these events? Of course. Coverage might have been ill-focused during the time–far more for the Rwandan genocide than the Cambodian, though that could be attributed to the times and the lack of such a fine political conscience that Americans carry with them, today–but it was covered. But these moments are forgotten.

Lost in history.

A girl with knit eyebrows, forgetting the effect of war and conflict in a country so far away from my own.

Not only were these events transient in the media–not only did I watch them fade underneath the fickle eye of the current press with no lasting coverage or true understanding of the events that took place–I watched the media effectively suppress information.

Stories need to be told and information cannot be suppressed. What do both the Cambodian massacre and the Rwandan genocide have in common? The same thing any government needs in order to systematically commit atrocities against the Geneva Convention–the same thing anyone needs to commit a crime against humanity, big or small: silence.

Cooperated silence.

These governments silenced the media within their countries. They controlled the information flow so tightly that there was only one story that was ever told and a lasting embargo was placed worldwide over these events to not endanger the lives of any officials left in the war zone.

No one was talking about it.

The moment a government starts oppressing speech–the moment the government takes away a people’s voice is the same moment they ultimately take away their humanity.

Their tie to the world is cut.

How would you feel? In the land of the Great, if we were slowly starting to be distorted–cut off from news, from information flow. If stories of truth turned to ‘stories that the government told us’ which, ultimately, lead to global news of stories of what the government said, since there’s no other form of information available…would you feel safe? Would you feel safe being involved in a ‘He Said’ ‘He said’ with Big Brother?

Oh, I can hear the rackling shackles of Republicans even while I’m writing this, but it’s not political–it’s human.

What would have happened if one voice in a sea of millions fought for their right to be heard–fought for their right to exist? Is it likely that millions of people might be alive, due to one voice? Oftentimes, political stressors are overwhelming–we’re led to believe that we’re cogs in a system, barreling out of control.

No. Oh, no–no. Fake. News.

I’m one woman and I have, a will continue to make a difference, and so can you.

That is why it is so important that we have not only a global conscience–but a global presence in the world–humanity is not just a contained problem that happens on the other side of the globe. It is not just a number on a scale of millions dead. It is a problem that could someday affect us and already should simply from the ethical position of allowing it to happen, in the first place.

I don’t say all of this to endlessly guilt you. I believe there’s nothing wrong with taking joy in the finer things in life–in indulging in the good things, instead of just entrenching yourself in the bad–and, like I’d earlier informed you, I do have a nice mattress. I’m not a pauper constantly toiling away underneath the stress of the hedonism of humanity.

But I do stay informed–I think it is my duty to stay informed, just as I think it’s yours–and, furthermore, it’s my duty to inform you. To tell you the truth with integrity and steadfast objectivity.

It is my job to ensure that you cannot be blinded by the ‘fake news’ of the world.

Perhaps I don’t tie myself to trees anymore, and my heels are far more upclass, but there’s still a fire of injustice within me. I think there is for anyone who’s masochistic enough to persue the truth of the world because, oh, it can be cruel. And it can be abhorrent. And human nature can be so bone-crushingly haunting that it aches–it leaves a hole within you where humanity used to be–but there’s a brightness to it, as well.

There will always be people who fight, if you give them a cause–there will always be hope to survive; to push past; to assist those who have been faced with atrocities–and that’s why I became a journalist. To give them a voice. To give them a light.

To give them a choice to fight.

I became a reporter to give a voice to places that no longer have a voice–to make these stories have a lasting impact of relevance and to question not only my own complacency with silence, but to challenge the world’s. It is far easier to ignore the atrocities of the world. It’s far easier to pretend that war is non-existent and that we hold no part in it, if it’s not on our soil we don’t have to handle the short and long-term effects as someone in the country might.

But humans haven’t survived because we’ve had it easy–we’ve survived by building communities. Fostering innovation and pushing together, ultimately, as a society.

Any cruelty the world faces, I will do my best to ensure that people don’t furrow their brows in forget a few years later–instead, we can all rise up against them, history that steel in our spine molded by information, not a rusty old college dormitory bed, and proudly proclaim:

Not again.

This article was published and hosted by CatCo Worldwide Media; edit et al: Lucas Carr; feat: Cat Grant; CatCo WW M - 2015.

#about cat #questions #tw: long post #tw: genocide #tw: news #tw: fake news #//I have a lot of feelings about burgeoning 80's 90's cat grant the reporter #//the woman who went to Kahndaq and helped found a media empire in order to showcase the global atrocities and goodness of the world #//thank you so much for this question I'm so sorry it took me so long to answer

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cutsliceddiced · 4 years

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New top story from Time: How Florence Nightingale Paved the Way for the Heroic Work of Nurses Today

When Greta Westwood was 4 years old, she read a children’s book about Victorian nurse Florence Nightingale. Decades later, she still remembers being transfixed by the enduring image of the “Lady with the Lamp.” Westwood herself would go on to a distinguished nursing career of her own, starting out as a student orthopedic nurse in 1978. “From day one of putting the uniform on, I’ve never looked back,” she recalls.

Although she left Britain’s National Health Service in 2017 after nearly 40 years, Westwood has recently returned to her local hospital in Portsmouth, in the south of England, to help with the U.K.’s public health efforts in the coronavirus crisis. Westwood, who spoke to TIME on a busy Monday morning from the hospital, has been running psychological support sessions for nurses and midwives assisting patients with COVID-19 for the past six weeks.

That early image of Florence Nightingale, tending to wounded soldiers in the darkness with her lamp, has endured for so many nurses, for so many years, and takes on renewed significance as May 12 marks the 200th anniversary of Nightingale’s birth. It also marks International Nurses’ Day, commemorated in Nightingale’s honor. With nurses around the world on the front lines of a global pandemic, it’s a poignant time to reflect on how Nightingale’s legacy laid the groundwork for their heroic work in hospitals today. “It’s the trailblazing element I like about her,” says Westwood, who is also the CEO of the Florence Nightingale Foundation. “She never took no for an answer—anything was possible.”

Nightingale was born on May 12, 1820, to a wealthy aristocratic family in Italy, and grew up in England. As a teenager, she believed that she had heard a call from God encouraging her to help the sick and poor and felt a strong desire to become a nurse—although the profession was not seen as a respectable job at the time. Victorian social conventions also meant that women were generally expected to stay at home and run household affairs, not pursue careers; Nightingale turned down multiple marriage proposals because she felt it would interfere with her duty of caring for others. Her ambitions were particularly controversial given her upper-class background. But despite her family’s disapproval, she educated herself in arts and science and eventually gained some nursing experience at a Lutheran-run institution for the poor in Germany.

In March 1854, Britain entered the Crimean War, fighting in an alliance against Russia. Newspaper reports detailed the devastating state of hospitals that cared for the wounded, and, in the face of public outcry at home, War Minister Sidney Herbert appointed Nightingale to lead a contingent of 38 volunteer nurses to a military hospital in Scutari, in modern-day Turkey, in the November of that year, to help wounded soldiers returning from the front lines.

Nightingale’s team was immediately confronted by nightmarish conditions. More soldiers were dying of diseases such as typhus, typhoid, cholera and dysentery than from battle wounds, and the hospital wards were overcrowded with rat and lice infestations.

“What greeted her there must have been horrendous in terms of the squalor,” says David Green, director of the Florence Nightingale Museum in London. “But she stayed until the end, and made sure she looked after the common soldier, not just the officer.”

Nightingale’s compassion set her apart from others, says Green, and she gained her famous moniker for checking in on her patients by lamplight, often writing letters to loved ones at home on their behalf. At that time, the army didn’t always inform families when soldiers were killed, but Nightingale felt a duty to do so. That sense of duty to patient and family has been on full display during the COVID-19 crisis, as nurses champion the need to be with patients until the very end, and have campaigned for iPads so relatives can communicate with loved ones. “That is so Nightingale, and that compassion really carries home,” says Green.

Photo by VCG Wilson—Corbis via Getty ImagesPrint published 1891. From the painting by Henrietta Rae (Mrs. Normand).

Nightingale’s time at Scutari prompted several innovations that she would develop in the later years of her life. Although the male doctors at the institution saw Nightingale’s suggestions as criticisms, she remained steadfast, taking several measures to improve sanitation and hygiene at the hospital, including washing the linens and towels, purchasing necessary kitchen supplies, and emphasizing hand-washing with soap and water, which was not widely practiced at the time. However, through 1855, the mortality rate at the hospital continued to rise, as Nightingale mistakenly believed that nutrition and supply problems were the main cause of the issue, rather than the sanitation problem. A Sanitary Commission found that the hospital was built on a sewer, meaning that the water supply was contaminated and helping to increase the spread of disease.

Nightingale returned to Britain in 1856 having learned from the experience. In the years that followed, she championed sanitary health—and cemented her status as a national hero.

For the next 50 years of her life, she prioritized the establishment of nursing as a respected profession. Her 1859 book Notes on Nursing is still regarded today as a pioneering text, was written in simple language intended for women nursing in the home to understand. One of her first tasks after returning from the war was to set up a training school for nurses in 1860, the first to exist in the world, which still runs today. “If you speak to any nurse about nursing, everybody comes to work to do their best for their patient. Through all those years even when she came back from Crimea, that was her purpose in life,” says Westwood.

Despite battling depression and being intermittently bedridden from 1857, Nightingale wrote thousands of letters campaigning for public health and workhouse reform, and used her influence to network with Queen Victoria and prominent politicians. It was also from her experience in Crimea that she learned about efficient hospital planning and design. In correspondence with other hospitals around the world, from Sydney to New York City, she shared her knowledge and the resources of the “Nightingale Nurses” that had been trained through her school.

Significantly, Nightingale backed up her campaigns with evidence, statistics and data visualizations that were easy to understand, using diagrams to show the effects of infection and mortality rates in the Crimean War. “She was the pioneer of the first pie chart,” says Westwood, comparing the public’s need for data during Nightingale’s time and our own. “When the Prime Minister or Chief Medical Officer do their briefings on the coronavirus today, we now see that data published as infographics. Nightingale got it that people wouldn’t understand the data unless she made it explicit and unquestionable.”

Tolga Akmen—AFP via Getty ImagesMedical staff and workers take part in a national “clap for carers” to show thanks for the work of Britain’s NHS (National Health Service) workers and other frontline medical staff around the country as they battle with the novel coronavirus pandemic, outside of the ExCeL London exhibition centre, which has been transformed into the “NHS Nightingale” field hospital in London on April 30, 2020.

While her legacy has endured two centuries later, Nightingale’s bicentennial comes at a crucial time for nurses on the front lines, and a moment of financial challenge for the museum dedicated to her memory, due to its current closure. “It’s ironic that many of the field hospitals [in the U.K.] have taken her name,” says Green of the Florence Nightingale Museum, which houses almost 3,000 artifacts dedicated to her legacy, “but the thing that is always around to remind everyone of her might not be.”

For the Florence Nightingale Foundation, which was set up in 1934 to remember her legacy and actively supports nurses and midwifes through scholarship programs, their usual commemoration of Nightingale’s birthday is adapting to the current lockdown situation. Supported by The Crown actor Helena Bonham Carter, whose great-great-grandmother Joanna was Nightingale’s aunt, the Foundation is launching the Florence Nightingale White Rose Appeal, through which people worldwide can buy an e-white rose to help support nurses currently working on the front lines. Each rose bought will form part of an actual floral display at London’s Westminster Abbey once lockdown ends, to celebrate the contribution of nurses and midwives everywhere.

It’s quite a different bicentenary compared to what Westwood had envisaged, but the woman at its heart would not have shied away from the difficulty.

“Celebrations is a weird word at this time, because it is tinged with sadness—so many nurses have died, and we mustn’t forget that,” Westwood says. “But Florence would be so proud of what nurses have managed to achieve during this pandemic.”

via https://cutslicedanddiced.wordpress.com/2018/01/24/how-to-prevent-food-from-going-to-waste

#Time #top stories #IFTTT #news

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theonyxpath · 7 years

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How Intriguing!

I know, bad joke. (More on that later). But excellent Intrigue cards from the Prince’s Gambit social-deduction card game, pictured above. Our Kickstarter is just finishing up its first two weeks and we’re already 400% funded and have reached over 1000 backers!

That last factoid is actually really significant, as it’s a milestone I love to see with our KSs. I think in comic book publishing that’s called the Golden Thousand, and applies to a creator who can rely on that many fans, at least, picking up and talking about their latest work. Get that amount, they say, and you have enough voices out there to spread the word about every project you publish.

And in general, it is just fantastic that 1000 people are excited about our little card game!

Illustration by Pat McEvoy for V20 Dark Ages Companion

Thanks to all of you that joined us for our AMA last week on Reddit. Mostly about Prince’s Gambit, the questions were fired at us fast and furiously and were all over the place. It was great- thanks to all of you and all of the various Onyx Path creators who dropped in from that afternoon all into the night and even the next morning!

Now what was I going to say about bad jokes?

Oh yes, I remember. One person’s bad joke is another’s laugh-riot. Humor just works like that. It, like all art, is subjective.

In fact, I’d say that humor is even more subjective than horror, and that much harder to successfully use well in roleplaying games. So generally, I tell our developers to try and avoid writing the Funny. Let the situation and characters dictate whether a situation might have humor in it, but let the players decide just where in that subjective humor zone they want to land.

Eddy and I had a similar conversation about the humor in Pugmire, and we decided to dial it up just a notch, but not to undermine the fantasy adventure basis of the world, nor the essentially pathos of dogs awaiting their masters’ return. But ultimately, we know we’re not stopping the sniffing each other’s butts jokes that are almost always part of the first reaction to the game.

Fortune Markers for Pugmire by Jeff Laubenstein

Which brings us to our April Fool’s joke project this year.

Every year, we try and come up with something amusing. Just that, just amusing. Not big laugh, not change your life. And absolutely not something that freaks anybody out as sometimes happened back in olden White Wolf days. We get enough in the freak out department with just everyday business as usual. (More on that later).

So this year, it’s an homage to Chuck Tingle and his projects. (Google him).

And no, the humor is not for everyone. It was not designed to be. Nor is the over-the-top nature of the humor a threat to anything you hold dear. It’s not for sale, so if you get it and don’t get the joke, then you’ve lost nothing. It didn’t come out of our regular production efforts, so no projects were delayed for it. It is only official Scion lore if you want it to be.

It’s a joke, which I don’t say as a put-down to anyone who didn’t get it, or as an excuse. It’s a joke because jokes are subjective. Jokes are the things that look at life at an angle, that at their best can contain unpleasant truths that can’t be told any other way. For the record, I’m pretty sure our little effort this 4/1 is not the best that jokes can be, but it made us and a bunch of other people laugh.

Which is a win any day of the week.

For anybody that didn’t get the joke, got it but didn’t think it was funny, or was offended: No worries, we’ll be doing another something next year, and we’ll try and get you laughing with that one.

V20 Beckett’s Jyhad Diary illustration by Sam Araya

One more thing this week: I’ve been talking a bit about how we’ve been working on “shoring up our infrastructure”. I’m sure it is obvious by now that that also meant that we are getting some projects and entire lines moving forward as we need them to. There are a lot of approaches that we are using, and sometimes after using a bunch of them, we see no choice but to change the team.

Some of you have expressed concern for your favorite project, or line, or developer(s) after we’ve made these changes, and I understand that. Change is scary. We invest a lot of ourselves in our favorite creators of our favorite games (and media in general), and it sometimes feels like we’ve lost out on something if they move on. Please rest assured that we at Onyx have been there, and know how you feel, and are doing everything we can to make the changes needed as non-disruptive as possible.

I will say that we don’t make these sorts of changes casually. We don’t make changes to projects merely for the sake of doing so, particularly if the project or line has already been shown, even a bit, to our community. We take that very seriously. We always pay for publishable work that is handed in to us when we require it. And unless a creator’s actions are actively harming Onyx Path, we generally would like them to continue doing something with us, just not the thing that wasn’t working out.

It is my preference that Onyx Path‘s representatives don’t go into the details of how and why we’ve made those changes, but on the ultimate result by announcing to you all how a project or line will be moving forward and with whom. There are many, many, reasons why these sorts of things turn out like they do, and rarely are there villains of the piece. Like I’ve said before, more often, due to where we are with what we need and where a creator is in their lives, there’s no longer a good fit.

Again, I’m keeping this all kind of general and broad-sweeping rather than getting into examples, and while I know that’s not as entertaining, in this case I’m erring on the side of treating people like I’d like to be treated.

And there I go from jokes to some pretty serious stuff, hope none of you got whip-lash.

BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER!

The Prince’s Gambit casual vampire card game Kickstarter continues to roll with over 1000 backers! We’ve been passing alternating Stretch Goals for adding the Independent Clans and new art at a rapid clip since then, with more cool rewards yet to come. So please check it out: http://ift.tt/2nj37GG !

Designed by long-time Vampire: the Masquerade tabletop RPG developer Justin Achilli, Prince’s Gambit is a fast-paced social deduction game set within the world of Vampire, but which requires no special knowledge to play. Players must cooperate to gain the favor of the Prince while deducing who among them are secretly the traitorous Sabbat infiltrators.

Next, the Monarchies of Mau KS is scheduled come after Gambit.

ON SALE!

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Here’s the link to the press release we put out about how Onyx Path is now selling through Indie Press Revolution: http://ift.tt/1ZlTT6z

You can now order wave 2 of our Deluxe and Prestige print overrun books, including Deluxe Mage 20th Anniversary, and Deluxe V20 Dark Ages!

The splendor and horror of Rio is unwrapped this Wednesday! Cursed Necropolis: Rio for Mummy: the Curse goes on sale in PDF and PoD versions.

Beneath the splendor of Rio de Janeiro seethes a hotbed of occult activity. Over a score of mummies keep their tombs in Rio, their presence seeping into the soil and stones and souls of the city. Over all this reigns the infamous Teshra-Gemet, the pretender Pharaoh.

The city of Rio births marvels both bright and dark… and you never know which kind you have until it’s too late.

Cursed Necropolis: Rio contains:

The secrets and schemes of Rio’s Arisen.

New Utterances, from the perception usurping Horse and Rider to the cleansing fire of Baal’s Due.

“The Serpent’s Tooth,” an all-new adventure to introduce players to the conflicts and power plays of Rio de Janeiro.

Beasts are added to Hunter: the Vigil with Hunter: Tooth and Nail, coming atcha in PDF and physical book Pod versions on DriveThruRPG.com! http://ift.tt/2nwetoP

Tooth and Nail is a bonus chapter/companion book to the previous released Hunter: Mortal Remains that explores antagonists inspired by the Beast: the Primordial RPG.

Hunter: Tooth and Nail includes:

Fiction and story hooks to bring these beasts of legend to your Hunter: The Vigil chronicle.

New bestial Dread Powers.

New Compacts and Conspiracies which hunt the monsters, but also sometimes hunt the zealous heroes that hunt as well.

The Secrets of the Covenants for Vampire: the Requiem 2nd REVEALED this Wednesday on DTRPG! Physical copy PoD version coming to DTRPG: http://ift.tt/2gbQjus

Vampires gather under many banners. But five have endured the tumult of Western history better than any other. The Carthian Movement. The Circle of the Crone. The Invictus. The Lancea et Sanctum. The Ordo Dracul. Each has its fierce devotees, its jealous rivals, and its relentless enemies. Now,for the first time, the covenants speak for themselves.

This book includes:

A variety of stories from each of the covenants, all told in their own words.

Never-before revealed secrets, like the fate of the Prince of New Orleans.

New blood sorcery, oaths, and other hidden powers of the covenants.

From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Fallen Blossoms (Hunter 1640-1660 Japan). Japan is moving into the Edo Period. New laws and new ways of thinking wash over the land, and with a new order come new threats to humanity. Take a look at the Vigil in a time where samurai transition from warlords to bureaucrats, Japan massively and lethally rejects outside influence, and when Edo rapidly grows into a world power.

Continuing our individual Dark Eras chapters, we offer you Dark Eras: Fallen Blossoms on in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2mfc1F1

From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Doubting Souls (Hunter 1690-1695 Salem). Immigrants and tribes struggled to co-exist on the Eastern Seaboard in the ever-expanding Colonies. Violent clashes, supernatural beliefs, and demonic influences spelled disaster for Salem Village and its surrounding towns, while others fought werewolves and vampires on the frontier. With so much at risk, only god-fearing men and women were deemed innocent — and those were few indeed.

Available in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG: http://ift.tt/2kKOrfm

From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: The Bowery Dogs (Werewolf 1969-1979 NYC). New York City in the 1970s. Crime. Drugs. Gang violence. Vast economic disparity. And werewolves. It’s a lean, ugly time to be alive, and the lone wolf doesn’t stand a chance out there. In the end, all you really have is family.

Available in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG: http://ift.tt/2lM0Tzv

The Locker is open; the Chronicles of Darkness: Hurt Locker, that is! PDF and physical copy PoDs are now available on DTRPG! http://ift.tt/2gbM9me

Hurt Locker features:

Treatment of violence in the Chronicles of Darkness. Lasting trauma, scene framing, and other tools for making your stories hurt.

Many new player options, including Merits, supernatural knacks, and even new character types like psychic vampires and sleeper cell soldiers.

Expanded equipment and equipment rules.

Hurt Locker requires the Chronicles of Darkness Rulebook or any other standalone Chronicles of Darkness rulebook such as Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken, or Beast: The Primordial to use.

From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Ruins of Empire (Mummy 1893-1924). Perhaps the quintessential era of the mummy in the minds of Westerners, this period saw the decline of the two greatest empires of the age: British and Ottoman. Walk with the Arisen as they bear witness to the death of the Victorian age, to pivotal mortal discoveries in Egypt, and to the horrors of the Great War.

Available in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG. http://ift.tt/2k0XDhX

From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: The Sundered World (Werewolf and Mage 5500-5000 BCE). At the birth of civilization, in the shadow of the Fall, the Awakened stand as champions and protectors of the agricultural villages spread across the Balkans. In a world without a Gauntlet, where Shadow and flesh mingle, the steady taming of the world by humanity conflicts with the half-spirit children of Father Wolf.

Available in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG. http://ift.tt/2k16mRj

Night Horrors: Conquering Heroes for Beast: the Primordial is available now as an Advance PDF: http://ift.tt/2j7p7lO

This book includes:

An in-depth look at how Heroes hunt and what makes a Hero, with eleven new Heroes to drop into any chronicle.

A brief look at why Beasts may antagonize one another, with seven new Beasts to drop into any chronicle.

Rules for Insatiables, ancient creatures born of the Primordial Dream intent on hunting down Beasts to fill a hunger without end, featuring six examples ready to use in any chronicle.

Open the V20 Dark Ages: Tome of Secrets now on DTRPG! Both PDF and physical book PoD versions are now available! http://ift.tt/2i1XOXd

The Tome of Secrets is a treatment of numerous topics about Cainites and stranger things in the Dark Medieval World. It’s about peeling back the curtain, and digging a little deeper. Inside, you’ll find:

• Expanded treatment of Assamite Sorcery, Koldunic Sorcery, Necromancy, and Setite Sorcery

• A look at Cainite knightly orders, faith movements, and even human witchcraft

• Letters and diaries from all over the Dark Medieval World

CONVENTIONS!

Discussing GenCon plans. August 17th – 20th, Indianapolis. Every chance the booth will actually be 20? x 30? this year that we’ll be sharing with friends. We’re looking at new displays this year, like a back drop and magazine racks for the brochure(s).

In November, we’ll be at Game Hole Con in Madison, WI. More news as we have it, and here’s their website: http://ift.tt/RIm6qP

And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM ROLLICKING ROSE (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Trinity Continuum: Aeon Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

M20 Gods and Monsters (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Monarchies of Mau Early Access (Pugmire)

Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)

DtD Night Horrors: Enemy Action (Demon: the Descent)

The Realm (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Dragon-Blooded (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Arms of the Chosen (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Redlines

Kithbook Boggans (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Second Draft

V20 Dark Ages Jumpstart (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)

GtS Geist 2e core (Geist: the Sin-Eaters Second Edition)

CtD C20 Jumpstart (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Pugmire Pan’s Guide for New Pioneers (Pugmire)

VtR Half-Damned (Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)

Scion: Origins (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion: Hero (Scion 2nd Edition)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Development

W20 Changing Ways (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)

Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

SL Ring of Spiragos (Pathfinder – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Ring of Spiragos (5e – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

SL Dagger of Spiragos (Pathfinder – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Dagger of Spiragos (5e– Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)

Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition, featuring the Huntsmen Chronicle (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)

Book of Freeholds (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

BtP Beast Player’s Guide (Beast: the Primordial)

M20 Cookbook (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Editing:

Wraith: the Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition

BtP Building a Legend (Beast: the Primordial)

Post-Editing Development:

CtL fiction anthology (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)

Indexing:

ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

Beckett’s Jyhad Diary – Got almost all the artwork in.

W20 Pentex Employee Indoctrination Handbook – Ellis is on it.

Dagger of Spiragos – Leblanc’s art is in, waiting on maps.

VTR: Thousand Years of Night – Contracted

Cavaliers of Mars – AD’d(ish)

Monarchies of Mau Early Access – Contracted

BtP Building a Legend – Contracted

Wraith 20 – Sending out notes to some of the old guard artists… then figuring out who from the new roster to get.

W20 Changing Ways – Getting that contracted this week. Got a couple of artists lined up… just need to line up a couple more.

Marketing Stuff

In Layout

Prince’s Gambit

M20 Book of Secrets – Layout in progress.

Pugmire Screen – Got specs…working on it once I have the book ready to go to press

Pugmire Cards – Working on these. Just have the shepherd set and another tiny set.

Pugmire – Prepping files for press.

M20 Art Book

C20 Anthology – Try and carve out some time to knock this together.

Proofing

C20 – Aileen inputting notes from 1st proof

V20 Dark Ages Companion – Second proof.

At Press

Ex 3 Screen – Shipping almost completed.

Ex 3 core book – Shipping almost completed along with map and bookmarks.

W20 Shattered Dreams – Shipping almost completed.

Shattered Dreams Screen – Shipping almost completed.

Beckett Screen – Shipped to shipper.

Beast Conquering Heroes – PoD proof on the way.

Dark Eras: Beneath the Skin – PoD proof being reviewed.

Dark Eras: Out of the Cold – PoD proof being reviewed.

Necropolis Rio – On sale in PDF and PoD versions this week.

V20 Lore of the Bloodlines – PDF out to backers, gathering errata

Dark Eras Companion – PDF out to backers, gathering errata.

W20 Song of Unmaking – PDF out to backers, gathering errata.

EX3 Tomb of Dreams Jumpstart – PDF going out to backers this week.

TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: April Fool’s was a couple of days ago, and now we can believe everything everybody tells us!

#Onyx Path Publishing

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weekendwarriorblog · 4 years

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30 Minute Experiment: Money #30ME

Okay, let’s do this... I just want to make sure that no one thinks I’m just grabbing Pink Floyd titles for topics for this experiment, although I did recently watch Pink Floyd’s “Pulse” movie now on YouTube where the post-Waters Floyd performs “Dark Side of the Moon” in its entirety. Bummed I missed that tour when it hit Yankee Stadium. (No idea what I was doing but I was pretty busy in the ‘90s.) Anyway, this is a topic that is likely going to be a little touchy and maybe get a little personal, so strap yourself in!

Yeah, money is a touchy topic because like many people across the country right now, I don’t have a lot of it. In fact, not for the first time in the past two years, I have practically none of it, as I wait for one of three possible checks to show up.

I’ve never been good with money and even when I was making a fairly decent living with a full-time job which was probably during my ten years at ComingSoon.net, which is the longest I’ve ever been at a single job either before or after. But I was never good with money when I had it which just makes it even harder to make due with very little money when those cases arise, which has been a lot since leaving CS four years ago.

Don’t get me wrong. I have no desire or goals of being rich beyond my dreams, as frequently or infrequently I might throw away a few bucks on a Powerball ticket, but not being able to manage money has been an ongoing problem with me to the point where last year I ended up selling the comic collection that I literally wasted THOUSANDS of dollars both collecting and keeping in storage for way less than the collection was worth more because I could no longer afford the storage spaces than actually needing the money.

I’m gonna throw out that chestnut of a cliché that “money can’t buy happiness.” I’m not sure who came up with it and if I didn’t want to spend a solid 30 minutes of straight writing, I’d go look it up. But it’s also bullshit.

Anyone who has ever gotten to the point where they have to go on welfare, which I’ve now had to do twice in my lifetime -- oddly the first time RIGHT before I was hired full time at CS. Not sure if it was my pathetic phone call to tell my boss that I couldn’t get to the Fantastic Four junket because ... get this... I couldn’t afford the subway fare (absolute truth), and this was in 2005 when subway fare was closer to $2.00, I’d imagine.

But yeah in the last two years where I haven’t had a full-time job, it’s been an ongoing struggle and it didn’t take long before I realized I’d need to turn to the city for food stamps (now called SNAP) for the first time since 2005. This happened because I filed for unemployment (as I just did again) and then had to wait THREE MONTHS to see any money. I was let go at a time when I was already living paycheck to paycheck and basically given a half week’s payment since they weren’t obligated to give me severance. (This is one of the ongoing issues with having full-time employees who work as independent contractors, especially working in another city than the main company.)

Anyway, that left me with barely enough money to survive until I found a job, and I didn’t find another job or even any work for almost eight months! The unemployment money did eventually show up and it helped but not before I had to go to the city for “Cash Assistance” which is exactly what it sounds. It was something I did in 2005, too, and back then, it became a problem cause I was trying to cover movies/junkets for CS and I constantly had to make excuses to get out of the MANDATORY job work program you have to take when you ask the city for financial help.

This time around, I was pretty much swindled because the person I saw at the city’s HRA center didn’t tell me ANYTHING about the mandatory appointments I’d have to keep... like the ones at 9AM up on 125th Street (I live near Canal) that I’d have to attend five days a week for job search training and that I couldn’t miss a day if I wanted to get financial assistance. I was up there every morning on time at 9AM (and they gave me a MetroCard at least) but by the time I was done with the first part of this program, the Unemployment showed up. The amount I got from the city? About $170 towards one month’s rent. Great.

By now, if you’ve gotten this far, you’re probably wondering, “Why is Ed even talking about his money problems? We’re ALL having money problems right now! Get over yourself!” Well, I go back to that idea of “money buying happiness” and I know that while I was never great with money or how I spent it or even paying taxes on time (that’s a story for another day), but I was watching a concert from Sao Paulo, Brazil last night, a massive concert in a stadium filled with what must have been 80,000 people minimum and thought, “Man, I’d love to go to one of those giant concerts someday.” I made this wish knowing that I’ve barely been able to save enough money to do any sort of traveling over the years outside of work-related trips where I was reimbursed or covered by either job or studio, but also knowing that even if I did suddenly get the money or find a job where I can save up enough to make this trip and be in one of most crowded stadiums with absolutely social distancing (man, I’ll be happy to never hear that word again past year), I’m just not sure it’s any sort of reality.

Don’t get me wrong. I have had a lot of wonderful friends who have had helped me out with open-ended loans and even those who just gave me money saying “Don’t worry about paying it back.” And not just my closest personal friends but even just acquaintances who I’ve met over the years during my “journeys” or time spent online. I mean, wonderful people who have reached out to me and helped me out of the kindness in their hearts because they had some available cash that they could use to help me rather than ... well doing anything else that’s far more important for their own happiness. I’ve also gotten help from my brother and mother to the point where they could help. Heck, my brother has saved my ass more times than I care to mention. I probably him a kidney at this point and I couldn’t even give it to him if he needed it because... remember that stem cell transplant I’ve mentioned a few times during these experiments? Makes me ineligible as any kind of blood or donor. Waugh waugh... Sorry, Rob!

So I’ve had help and I’ve had friends who were kind enough to give me jobs outright, although as of now, I haven’t had any job opportunity last longer than a year since leaving CS.

That puts me back in the place now where I’m still living “check to check” with less knowledge about when checks might come and knowing that almost every cent I earn or bring in from now until forever I’ll probably owe to someone, whether it’s the landlord or any number of creditors or monthly bills. (I’m just glad I only have one cheaper storage space now because trying to pay $900 a month for storage on top of rent was insane especially without a regular job! Hence the unfortunate sale of my comic book collection. Still such a bummer...)

So yeah, I hadn’t intended to mope or try to gain sympathy with today’s #30ME but I certainly have found a LOT more empathy with homeless people and those struggling to feed their families, and I’m so thankful that I do have so many good friends and that I do have a roof over my head and I don’t have a family I need to support... just my own sorry-ass. But it does suck that no matter how hard I try my best not to let the current situation get me down, just the thought of not having money to ... I dunno.... order a pizza (or even get a couple slices if my local pizza place was actually open right now)... it just makes it harder to stay in good spirits through this rough period of time.

Oh, going back to those friends who lent or gave me money, I can never forget when a couple of friends, learning that I had been diagnosed with cancer with NO HEALTH INSURANCE (Yeah, I was never good with doctors, hospitals or insurance a bunch of years back, too)... they got together to do a GoFundMe (completely without my knowledge) and raised a shit-ton of money to help with my medical bills. I don’t forget shit like that, and I’m thankful for everyone who donated including many who barely knew me or only knew me from my writing.

So that’s a few (but not even remotely all) of my current thoughts on money and how bad I feel for others who may have to go through what I’ve been dealing with the last two to four years. Not knowing how you’re gonna have money for food in one or two week’s time is not fun. (Don’t worry... I HAVE FOOD. I stocked up on a lot of dry food using my SNAP and I have enough to do another market run Monday to get things like milk.) I totally feel for those who are suddenly thrust into this situation after years of having a stable job and suddenly not realizing how they’re gonna earn a living or feed their family, which is way worse than any situation I might put myself in. As always, I’ll figure these things out and hopefully figure out some way to get some paying work... but yeah, that government check would be really nice right now, even if I’d have to give most of it directly to my very patient landlord.

And with that, I’m out of time for today. No #30ME tomorrow cause it’s Sunday but I may already have a topic for Monday... so Yay?

#30MinuteExperiment #30ME #Money

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andrewdburton · 4 years

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How will the coronavirus affect your personal finances?

How quickly things change.

Last week, the coronavirus (or Covid-19, if you prefer) was a distant problem. It was something other people in other places had to wrestle with. Sure, there was a looming sense that maybe this runaway train was steaming our way, but it still seemed distant enough that maybe it'd stop before it reached us.

Not anymore. Now it's clear that the coronavirus isn't just headed to the U.S., it's already here in our communities.

I'm fascinated by the financial implications of the coronavirus. They're going to be huge — they're already huge — but I don't know who is going to bear the burden or how we, as a society, are going to make sense of this in the long run.

The stock market is tanking, obviously, and will likely continue to tank for some time. But I expect (hope?) that when the dust has settled, things there will largely return to normal.

Yes, I know it's impossible to make predictions about the market's direction. But I believe the current movement is largely due to the coronavirus and its immediate implications. When this event has receded into the past — in a few months, say — I expect stocks to regain most of what they lost. Not all, but most. (And again: I could be full of shit. Don't make any market moves based on what I personally believe will happen. I'm just a random guy behind a keyboard.)

But outside the stock market, there are a whole host of financial implications. We're entering uncharted territory. I don't know what to expect, and I don't think anyone else does either.

Here are some of my questions.

What Happens When Events Are Cancelled?

Many places — including here in Oregon — are banning large gatherings.

What happens to gatherings that have already been scheduled? I expect some events (such as the Portland Timbers match on March 28th) will be postponed. This should have a minimal financial impact on all parties. It simply shifts all of the money-related stuff to a later date.

This has been one of the toughest articles I've ever written. As I'm sitting at my desk composing it, new updates to the situation are occurring. Just now, for instance, Major League Soccer announced that it's suspending the season for thirty days. Rather than re-write as news hits, I'm going to leave the article as it was in the moment I wrote it.

Other events, though, will have to be cancelled. What happens then?

For instance, Kim and I have tickets to see an April performance of The Illusionists at Portland's Keller Auditorium. This event falls inside the 28-day ban on large gatherings in this state. I highly doubt this event well be re-scheduled. I expect it to be cancelled.

So, what happens when this event is cancelled?

Under normal circumstances — if the event were cancelled for any other reason — I'd expect to receive a refund for the ticket price. But what about now? Will ticket holders still receive refunds? Or will the production company say, “Sorry. This is beyond our control. You're out of luck.” I can see that happening. And I'm not sure I'd complain.

What about St. Patrick's Day? I consider this kind of a silly holiday, but it's a Big Deal to a lot of people.

Perhaps because it occurs in early spring, St. Patrick's Day fosters events with large crowds. Here in Portland, that means the Shamrock Run, in which 30,000+ people gather in the cold and the rain to run through downtown. That's been postponed. And Savannah, Georgia, home to the second-largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the country, just cancelled the event.

When I posted about this on Facebook, one of my friends noted that formal disaster declarations allow insurance claims to be filed. This sounds great, in theory. Disaster declared, so both the production company (or event producer) and potential attendees all get their costs refunded. Yay!

Or is it “yay”?

Doesn't this simply shift the financial burden to another party? If, as appears increasingly likely, we experience large-scale cancellations, won't this effectively gut the insurance industry? Do they have enough financial reserves to cover something of this magnitude? I find that unlikely. So, what happens then?

Here's another real-life dilemma.

The first-ever Financial Freedom Summit is scheduled for May 1st in St. Louis, Missouri. I'm supposed to speak. I haven't booked my flight yet, and at this point I don't know whether I should. While St. Louis hasn't been hit as hard as the West Coast, it's beginning to feel the effects, and events are being postponed or cancelled.

Will the city (or state) eventually issue a ban on large gatherings? How long will this ban last? I believe we're at the front-end of the coronavirus vector curve here in the U.S., but how long will it be a concern? Will we still be talking about this in late April and early May? Or will we be done with it in a couple of weeks?

If I had to guess, I'd say things are going to peak by the end of March, and that by the end of April, we'll mostly be back to normal. But what do I know? Again, I'm just a random guy behind a keyboard.

If I did book my flight and the event were cancelled, would I be able to get my money back? Airlines seem to be making some accommodations, but for how long? For now, I'm holding off on any decisions. (Worth noting: Not everyone has been able to get ticket refunds from airlines. Some are simply out of luck.)

Over at I Will Teach You to Be Rich this morning, Ramit Sethi published an excellent piece on the coronavirus: Panic is bad, but overreaction is good.

What's Going to Happen to Small Business?

In reality, I'm less concerned about how Big Business is going to weather this storm and more worried about how small businesses are going to hold things together.

Take restaurants, for instance. It's been a couple of weeks since I dined out — hey, I'm following through with my resolution to spend less on food in 2020! — but I can only imagine that things are slow slow slow. (In hard-hit Seattle, layoffs have already begun.)

To check my hunch, I messaged my friend Kyra Bussanich. Kyra's the only four-time winner of Cupcake Wars and owns a local gluten-free bake shop. “Have sales slowed at all?” I asked.

“Oh gosh yes,” Kyra answered. “And if things continue, I don't know if there'll be a bake shop when this blows over.”

Things are so bad, in fact, that she's taken a part-time job to make ends meet — and is even considering applying for a full-time job. All this while trying to run her business, a business that's struggling because of the coronavirus.

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At the end of our conversation, Kyra gave me some words of advice for how to help. “If there are artists or small businesses you love,” she said, “I urge you to go buy gift cards to them and when this all blows over, redeem those gift cards.”

GRS reader Christine runs a small business that gives food tours in Nashville. She says that new bookings have stalled. Plus, folks are cancelling travel plans, which means she's refunding tour tickets. “I had a plan for a recession,” she says. “This is like somebody turned the faucet off.”

So, as bad as things seem for big companies like Apple and United Airlines, they're even worse for small businesses.

I should note that not all small businesses are being affected. As you know, my family owns a small firm that manufactures corrugated packaging. Custom Box Service is humming right along. In fact, things are busy right now, which is a good sign.

How Will the Coronavirus Affect Personal Finances?

As a personal finance writer, though, my biggest concern during this crisis is the impact it's going to have on individuals.

I know I just updated my article about what to do when the stock market crashes on Monday — and I stand by my advice there — but there's more to personal finance than stock-market investing, right?

How is all of this going to affect workers? If Kyra's Bake Shop has to shut down — even temporarily — she loses income as an entrepreneur, but suddenly her employees are out of work. If my girlfriend's dental office decides it can't (or won't) see patients, she'll have to go without an income for a while.

Fortunately, Kim has savings. So do I. We can weather the storm. Not everybody can. In fact, most Americans have little (if anything) saved.

If you're thirty-something with a family, a mortgage, a car payment, and credit card debt, then what happens when you lose your job (or experience a layoff) because people stop coming to where you work?

In a normal economy, this happens constantly on a very small scale. People no longer use typewriters, so a typewriter firm goes out of business and its employees no longer have jobs. But that's a tiny handful of businesses. Now, today, this is problem is wide-spread and happening all at once.

This isn't me making stuff up. This is happening to our family and friends right now in the real world.

What happens when many people experience this at the same time? What then?

The Independent, a British publication, recently opined that the coronavirus will bankrupt more people than it kills. I suspect this is true. From the article: “We may look back on coronavirus as the moment when the threads that hold the global economy together came unstuck.” I hope not.

The financial effects won't simply come from lost wages. Many folks who succumb to the coronavirus in the U.S. — and I truly hope this will number in the tens of thousands, not the hundreds of thousands — could face high medical bills.

For 81% percent of people who contract it, the coronavirus is mild, which means it feels like the flu. For 14% of people, however, it's severe enough to require hospitalization. Another 5% of those infected suffer symptoms so severe that they need intensive career. (Generally speaking, they need artificial respiration.) And roughly 3% of people die from infection.

While I keep GRS largely politics-free, health care is one rare exception. Our current system is ridiculous: expensive and outmoded. This coronavirus may finally serve as a catalyst for change. Maybe.

What Happens in the Long Run?

I have other questions about what will happen in the long run.

Can the national (and global) economy simply take a two- or three-month break, then resume as normal as if nothing happened? What happens in the meantime? How do we care for our at-risk populations and for those who already struggle to make ends meet?

How do we improve our ability to handle black swan events like this in the future?

Will this crisis change anything about how we live and relate to each other? Is it possible that this could perhaps alleviate some of the partisan bickering we've been experiencing in recent years?

It's my deepest hope that this unprecedented event will draw people together in a way that we haven't seen in this country for some time. I hope that the spirit of cooperation blossoms and that people and and government and business find solutions to make sure everyone comes happy and healthy and financially secure.

Unfortunately, I don't think that's likely to happen.

I don't have any answers here, obviously. All I have is a lot of questions. I suspect that's true for everyone. For once, this really does seem like a case of “this time is different”.

Moreso than usual, there'll be a zero-tolerance policy regarding politics in the discussion for this article. Some things transcend politics. This is one of those things.

from Finance https://www.getrichslowly.org/coronavirus/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

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airoasis · 5 years

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The 1 Bitcoin Show- Get used to Facebook coin & Coinbase! Cryptopia returns, Good Square news

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/the-1-bitcoin-show-get-used-to-facebook-coin-coinbase-cryptopia-returns-good-square-news/

The 1 Bitcoin Show- Get used to Facebook coin & Coinbase! Cryptopia returns, Good Square news

Hello every body this is adam meister the bitcoinmeister the disrupt meister welcome to the one bitcoin show in these days is the final day of february already Wow February to 28th 2019 were you aware that adam meister has a relative that’s born on February twenty ninth what occurred to that birthday where’s that date i don’t recognize what’s going on strong hand like the shirt says buy and hold long-time period pondering um confiscate a ball i am not going wherever individual duties new counterculture conviction no fancy sets or pics just hardcore information baby okay day after today is the this week in Bitcoin exhibit at eight:40 a.M.In the morning in big apple that’s 1:forty p.M. In London Caitlin Vaughn shall be on the exhibit if all goes well and it’s her 2d appearance of the exhibit it is simply gonna be her one on one with Adam Meister it can be gonna be a blast i’m certain she’ll speak about Wyoming and financialization and simply she’s a fine guest examine out the archives at disrupt meister calm or tech calm to see the exhibit she used to be on again in September Andy Hoffman was once also unless show and farzam was once on that show was it it used to be a excellent one it was it was again round Rosh Hashanah I don’t forget earlier than or yeah I circular it was in September anyway comply with me on Twitter at Tech ball te CH B alt ok so i’m a little backer at bitcoinmeister as you all comprehend that is linked to beneath and someone despatched me some send me some Bitcoin there thanks a lot and he wanted me to read what he needed to say and i imply should you guys once we ought to learn what you must say you are able to do the identical factor or you are able to do an ideal chat um and this word he needed to say AOC plus i do know AOC times mm T equals a billion dollars per BTC let you know he’s talking about uh AOC is the politician woman who’s 29 that’s about all she is mmt is brand new fiscal uh theory which is simply the U.S. Preserve on spending and printing and printing yeah and that that comes out to be a thousand million greenbacks per BTC that’s a just right one there dude combining plenty of matters that we pointed out simplest Saturday beyond Bitcoin show determine that out and thank you for everybody just a little backer who supports me or helps me in anyway you already know social media support is best too retweeting this pounding that like button and you are spreading it on some thing crazy facebook social media thingy you’re part of and we’re gonna talk about facebook in a 2d 2d let’s begin off with this tweet through Chris Byrne iski the lesson I’ve discovered in my profession is to invest into submit crap into the publish crash cycle whilst you do that and do it intelligently you might be rewarded broadly hmm you know but there’s few humans that have the cojones to spend money on a put up crash cycle they make up extremes gonna go reduce however they realize it they are going to invest when matters are going by means of the roof and stuff sure in it the crypto house in phrases of Fiat maybe crashed so invest intelligently only one approach to invest intelligently for those who got Fiat you turning the Bitcoin all correct here’s rundown crypto Pia replace we’re aiming to have the crypto Pia website online reopened as learn-only by means of Monday whoa now they’re occupied with this stuff they’re coming back it appears like this should be wild and wacky stuff will people withdrawal all their cryptos from crypto Pia not really considering that so many men and women acquired the eighty% mentality and like like different individuals controlling their confidential keys and have no thought learn how to retailer their fifth tier all cash anyway so yeah they will maintain these Krypto Pia intelligent persons be withdrawing as quickly as they’re gonna they’re gonna get through this 30th through this when you consider that of night the naivete of the men and women within the crypto house but bet what that’s lifestyles eighty% is are going to do what eighty percenters are going to do they are able to come to the crypto area and play with the huge boys play and end up in crypto Pia hacks that’s simply the best way existence is and 80% is gonna do what they may be gonna do and they’re gonna make the 20% or strong hand 20 percenters wealthier due to the fact we’re lengthy-time period thinkers we we do not panic we don’t do insane matters we received our Bitcoin on at hotels all proper however information right here good some say it is excellent information I say it is good information i’m gonna read this out as i did not I wrote my notes that I simply went on air so I mean studies have these things all proper the block crypto has a piece of writing facebook has reportedly taken speakme to crypto exchanges about list its coin facebook has held talks with exchanges about record its cryptocurrency the brand new York times studies and the title of recent York occasions article whole fraud bundling fb and its link desk everything’s linked to below I pointed out facebook the Reploids are telling these exchanges that they plan to get a working product out in the first 1/2 of 2019 this LinkedIn subsequent four months well you know in crypto time that could be a long time but hello fb is looking at pegging the value of its coin to a basket of distinct foreign currencies rather than simply the buck so they want to do a steady factor ok facebook is I mean they are speaking to exchanges already this if that is genuine if this entire story is right it’s very good news for a Bitcoin it’s excellent news for humans due to the fact that undoubtedly facebook’s the biggest social media platform on the planet they will they are going to nonetheless pump up their coin they’ll say then probably they’ll give some of it away and they’re going to the folks so that it will get it they’ll be initially there’ll be some Bitcoin fanatics they do not get it and facebook coin will already be on exchanges you’ll already be easily be equipped to transform your facebook coin within the coin that’s nice considering the fact that various people are gonna be they may be gonna be quite a lot of Facebookers be like oh that is the satisfactory this the exceptional thing it’s better than Bitcoin however sure enough at the least 20% pal that liking button will figure out due to the fact they’re 20 percenters will figure out that wait a 2nd then I got this fb thing I received to transform the true thing i can just go to the coin base alternate or whoever’s alternate they usually’re if fb units this up correctly and and earlier than they debut their coin all these exchanges are inclined to accept facebook coin well that that is that is great it’s only a bizarre on-ramp for on the Bitcoin so allow them to do what they’re gonna do and what I would like you recognize considering that uh Mark Zuckerberg is a competitor with the wincle buys the Winklevoss brothers he I want him what i’m hoping facebook opens their own alternate do that that will be high-quality if fb opened its possess crypto trade lets occur they provide all people facebook coin and then they turn it into Bitcoin and individuals can buy Bitcoin but anyway that’s i’m taking a step too far there however they they they do like to compete with the wincle buys Winklevoss brothers so i am once more individuals vilify the so-referred to as II leak like being like Winklevoss brothers like Zuckerberg and also you gotta take a step again for a 2d 2nd when you’re blaming them for the whole lot these enormously wealthy guys are taking steps to get individuals and so they might no longer even mean it exceptionally Zuckerberg they are getting folks in the Bitcoin if he debuts his facebook coin and it can be already on exchanges it already could the exchanges are in a position to exchange facebook coin for something then they’ve carried out that Mark Zuckerberg has accomplished a high-quality thing for Bitcoin and for the world to get to to give every body every person might supply every body the possibility on facebook to to get this what whack steady coin and switch it within the Bitcoin that is simply exceptional that that will be exceptional for Bitcoin it will be exceptional for us so once more that you may still say oh he is elite Tisa he does not deserve what he obtained and this than the other he’ll be doing a brick I don’t know what you are complaining about you realize if you are a holder of Bitcoin you can be darn blissful when all the Facebookers started trading of their facebook coin for Bitcoin that a good way to be a exceptional factor could it happen soon may it occur the 2019 so excellent luck to facebook i hope you get your once more an I have no idea why anybody would want to hold the fb steady coin what occurred again 80% are gonna do with 80% are going to do ok if I imply once more i’m on facebook if all of a sudden it pops up 50 fb cash turn up in my something and again they’re doing this over cellular over Instagram with whatever else that they owned and i’m now not even in whatever but when I consume some intent however they gave me some fb coin heck yeah i might be like go over to anyplace and switch it right into a Bitcoin and anywhere perhaps that perhaps that could be coinbase considering coinbase is not owned via the Winklevoss owned by way of rivals to the Winklevoss oh possibly he’ll heal probably the most exchanges they’re achieving out to you already is coinbase and what every body’s already vilifying coinbase a lot so let’s let’s speak about that now let’s talk about that now and this is more onto the field the broader subject of eighty percenters are going to do what 80% are going to do and the way in which that coinbase is doing business there are a variety of people that numerous Bitcoin maximalist varieties a number of folks who really recognize cryptocurrency are fully hostile the way that the Bitcoin is that problems in the coin base goes about business proper now k however factor base they that they see this route as being very lucrative clearly they’ve long gone all in right here ok so Bricker magazine breaker magazine has an editorial crimp that why crypto twitter is on hearth with delete coinbase it is driven by using a growing sense that the biggest crypto trade in the USA has lost its extra its ethical compass and KMP proxied to be a dependable steward of customer cash information if you wish to aid okay so I say if you wish to aid movies and all these you already know do not do not stress like stop coinbase coinbase is evil or you recognize that’s no longer quite teaching individuals a lesson there are three things that have looked as if it would anger humans and these are the three matters you must tell learners and oldies k that coinbase has carried out that has angered you and how you must avoid doing these matters hanging cheese in the cloud so men and women don’t love that corn-based put folks’s keys within the cloud yeah that was once dangerous however you can that you can scream about it or which you can make sure you control your possess confidential keys considering the fact that if you’re announcing oh coinbase is horrible but you’re retaining your Bitcoin and different cryptocurrencies at other exchanges then you are simply doing what they’re doing you are pronouncing they are horrible but you’re doing the designated same thing number two people did not like them enlisting the XRP navy okay persons failed to like that they listed XRP that they listed Ripple okay in view that k you don’t like a list of Ripple do you possess any Ripple do you do you maintain other ugh other exchanges that list Ripple you most often do however this is what you instruct humans you say guys ripple is a centralized cryptocurrency don’t get Ripple get the actual thing Bitcoin the rock or you can say give up coinbase I mean quit coinbase is discreet ok however persons are not even gonna don’t even recognize why they’re quitting coinbase you explain why provide an explanation for and so people can apply these principles to their total crypto technique their total colossal chrome technique quantity three welcoming hacking workforce to the family ok so coinbase hired or purchased a company that tracks men and women and has gotten journalists in the significant trouble and have gotten persons in penal complex proposal just a complete tracking agency so this must remind all people don’t provide your personal map know-how out to any trade okay if they could hire hacking men and women then why can not all of the other exchanges rent a an identical corporations why are not the other exchanges doing equivalent matters to this whilst you signed up for coinbase I imply you knew that they have been going to inform the IRS that you simply signed up and that you just purchased so once more for those who don’t love that they’ve obtained specialists they are that contract your butt now good then you definately count on to pay taxes expect do not feel that you’re gonna get like oh i am gonna buy and sell buy and promote buy and sell on coinbase after which not pay any taxes oh no do not try don’t try to every little rule in each little nation they’re gonna be competent to use to you now so once more you variety of will have to have identified that getting in they already you already knew they had the benefits of the are at IRS and everything but once more to use this to actual life to apply this the true existence just uh you understand watch out with the understanding that you just go you then then you definitely get out do not you try to hold your Bitcoin in your treads or do not hold it at coinbase don’t do not keep it at any 1/3 party now again boycotts are first-class if you want to put and again these are all reputable causes to boycott wannabes i am no longer in opposition to that i’m no longer in opposition to it at all however you know seem on the finer points educate individuals with a finer what why you are boycotting in order that yeah they are going to boycott Kobe’s but then they is not going to do the same unique factor however Gemini or anything I consider it can be it’s ridiculous your boycott coin B’s and then you go to Gemini and Gemini finally ends up doing very identical things I imply they they’re they are reporting the whole thing to the IRS to they may be monitoring you to and this is the opposite factor here is the other factor for those who feel well I get boycotts are pleasant but whatever that is guess that beats boycotts is growing new products and new paradigms that that’s even better so you could i would not spend too much time focusing it you best acquired a constrained quantity of social media time you realize stressing boycotts of coinbase you realize might be focal point on like competitors or Furka so non bisque that is a decentralized exchange it evidently is not giving out personal understanding that clearly is not involved with any of the opposite however once more they could let they might list an altcoin that you do not like but I say center of attention on the confident concerned about the productive and and be in motion all proper so when we’ve got acquired a super chat here guy Bennett any on-ramp within the cryptocurrencies to be it from coinbase at Jack or facebook simplest serves to bring curiosity to the community I agree so no so such factor as dangerous news on that entrance yeah when any individual and thank you guy Bennett for the $5 yeah good when when there may be a when there may be new onboarding when there’s possibilities to get new humans in even through convoluted ways it is good it can be a it is a confident and once more you are not able to everyone here i’m doing my fine spreading the word pronouncing that Bitcoin is the real thing but once more it’s private accountability is a new counterculture anyone desires to maintain their fb coin and so I need to preserve needs to maintain their stuff a coin base subsequently it can be it is their selection it’s their selection and coinbase all those matters i just said about coinbase there may be three problems with coinbase they don’t seem to be doing that considering that they do not like you they’re doing that when you consider that they believe they’re going to make some huge cash ok and people that they’re good-funded with venture capital money and their venture capitalists that fund them mostly agree they see the eighty% or wave on the horizon okay 80% i do not care about any of these three matters Oh tremendous was ripple I failed to i don’t like them oh there may be any individual spying on me k again Oh eighty percenters are totally high-quality with everybody spying on them they got cameras far and wide their houses you recognize when they’re with their wife it can be being recorded and anyone at Google is over it ok I mean it is it and so they don’t care they don’t care anymore every person’s taking videos when they’re in the center of personal pursuits with the men and women of the reverse gender and that i imply no person cares anymore I imply the persons is in order that once more coin however this is once more 24 centers or like invariably i don’t my privacy you realize i don’t want to be spied on I i don’t need to take care of all cash i do not need to what are the other dumb issues men and women or had something all these prawns they don’t need to take care of it considering the fact that yeah they are lengthy-term thinkers but any percenters are and 80 percentage of the bulk and coinbase wishes to appeal to them they usually’re mainly gonna make some huge cash off of them so that is existence take care of it that is where the enormous boys play and a lot again it if if you’re definite about what you are doing then you are additionally sure that there may be a lot of men and women are going to get bashed up because they played the coin base so let men and women play the coin headquartered recreation let him purchase ripple let him let him be spied on and everything um however yeah eighty% of our gonna do what any presenters are going to do there have been anything else I wanted to claim oh you placing Cleese bad striking keys in the cloud pudding or simply letting other persons might turn your private keys you eighty percenters do not care about that 20 man or woman 20 percenters darn should should you imply if you’re a long run finger you higher you higher care and you are in the credit automobile so that you better care where your your keys are that they’re now not being shared with any individual however you very well breaker magazine speak covers the Constantinople the expenses Anthon Opel difficult for work of etherium certainly simply occurred like 5 minutes in the past it occurred nothing colossal Newton up then you can click on the breaker journal article that you may pound that like button okay relocating on Maddog all says and this is this is very good news rectangular the repayments unicorn led by using a Bitcoin believer Jack Dorsey reported gains for fourth quarter Wednesday evening in total of the corporation’s sold over one hundred sixty six million bucks worth of Bitcoin in 2018 and fifty two point five million greenbacks this quarter which is last quarter I suppose which is last quarter so then hello these are spectacular numbers only a little bit of humans shopping Bitcoin by way of swears and that is some huge cash there that’s lots may just allow them to ramp it up let him wrap it up they’ve received a triumphant mannequin going on folks are shopping from them go ahead and go ahead and do it persons buy that get buy anyway you is not going to get Bitcoin you turn your Fiat in the Bitcoin in order that was a that is positive and once more Jack Dorsey this corporation is doing good I imply take the next step child take your next step put that thing on Twitter and preserve on selling it Jack Dorsey due to the fact that once more Bitcoin would not have a advertising staff it’s as much as contributors and subsequently the end of the day jacked or she isn’t individual he can do what he wishes to do he ban who he wishes the ban it sounds as if due however hey that’s yet another story isn’t it Jeff garsik actually had a tweet that says the block and breaker magazine are starting to face out as better than our typical beneath average cryptocurrency journalism I gotta say Judy I used to of their articles simply assist you to beneath the block and breaker magazine they are standing out above higher than our average below average for the reason that but yet most crypto journalism is under average and once more the block and breaker magazine are usually not ultimate they are naturally higher than the opposite the others they are they are standing out on this a just right factor there all proper all right that is the end of the news and i just want to remind the whole lot that uh once I’m after I’m speaking about all cash and what what i am speakme about crypto dividends and the individuals why are you talking about all cash once more the whole thing that I talk about here is all headquartered around Bitcoin i need crimp of dividends advantage Bitcoin holders so if you want to relaunch your all coin or something relaunch it via giving it to Bitcoin holders ok so i’m not promoting that all coin some thing that Alcala might be i’m just saying hey you employ the Bitcoin platform this is the rock you supply us a greater cause to hold show your self to the apex predator and upholders so at some point men and women say good why are you talking about all mountain climbing once more everything the whole lot I speak about this on the exhibit you know and that i I speak about different features of all coins too and it can be i’m seeing however Bitcoin can study from them you realize and again I’ve obvious the advertising and marketing that these all cash had been in a position to do and that i think Bitcoin fans can study from that and Kenny core seeing that again it looks as if marketing is a soiled world phrase within the Bitcoin within the Bitcoin land and it isn’t it just isn’t we must all be marketers a Bitcoin on on a specific stage if we will and and the in the complete cryptocurrency house there may be there is definitely a need for clearer explanations and and advertising and marketing for the reason that peep there may be various intimidating language within the cryptocurrency area then that is generally retaining quite a few people away it can be slowing down adoption of a Bitcoin and purchasing a Bitcoin so again that’s if you’re not a fan of advertising you think of it that manner that it’s it is if do your little bit of a Bitcoin advertising it would get some it’s going to get some rookies in there now there may be a man who was uh in movement Marber Marbury’s is a fan he is in the chat regularly he is within the comment part he advised me to determine out his movies so I checked out his videos it is linked to beneath it can be political stuff so I mean it’s it’s stuff I must be speakme about on the Saturday show but I just desired i’m gonna bring it up and he also stated create more pies and i love that announcing he used to be speakme about how individuals complain about they may be no longer getting their piece of the pie that there may be just a constrained and pie out there in terms of success be aware of you create your possess projects create in any subject might be it the Bitcoin be it uh be mindful it you know real existence lifestyles past Bitcoin it can be it was once a tremendous coin is real lifestyles create your own pie create your own suggestions be your own boss this is they’re not limits available in the market so create your possess pie Marber thank you and also you guys can blink to him beneath and yeah he places his face in the market just right for him good for him I comprehend it’s not for everyone and every person that you could put their face in the market venture make tiles in the chat proper now he’s a shout out to him he puts his face out there pound that like button prevention large tally and Marber all correct so uh subsequently I imply there’s a couple of it i guess i have different subjects right here it can be a trendy-day Gold Rush it is a latest-day Gold Rush humans don’t let people hold you again claim your stake k like I mean can you suppose back in 18-forty nine and there have been all these tumors for your town and uh in in in Maryland say go i don’t go out to California yoga is nothing available in the market it is it can be just a it is a conspiracy by using the Native americans there may be now not particularly they may be portray rocks yellow do not don’t go available in the market ok no this is this is your shot man the gold rush handiest comes round uh you realize as soon as in uh once again as soon as in a lifetime what is the new release anything once an extraordinarily depends once more we had that it seems like things are speeding up now we had a gold rush with the internet back in the day but anybody had been too younger for that back then or quite a few us had been and now could be our danger this is the average is a ultra-modern-day Gold Rush so uh do not let men and women hold you again stake your claim and still it’s still very early here within the land of Bitcoin and what was this thing more I desired to say oh yeah ultimately on the place the big boys play persons are pronouncing well the ripple paid did ripple pay to be on coinbase who cares I imply relatively who cares if far off for paid to be on coinbase we dare our company it just suggests if their company that is what you acquired guess what you received to take from something like that ripple has the ability to pay its alterations to list them you might have the ability to disregard them to not purchase them and to buy the real factor Bitcoin Bitcoin are not able to pay a alterations to past them past adequate it’s it can be no longer a organization you see it can be it can be one of a kind from before and that is the way you should you should give an explanation for it to humans ok we received a centralized group that may pay after which we now have something like Bitcoin as a way to take volunteers to stop their helpful Bitcoin to inform persons to undertake it k or individuals talking as much as market Bitcoin like Bitcoin are not able to pay folks to advertise like like ripple can so again these are the rules of the sport in case you are a company and you have a coin like facebook you would pay exchanges sure get used to it it is proper it’s gonna hold happening folks it will preserve going down and all cash will to find methods to do it too okay with pre mines and all that stuff don’t don’t fear about it bitcoin is bitcoin bitcoin is the next bitcoin if you are worrying about it you’re type of doubting bitcoin considering the fact that it it it’s going to succeed it has prevailed it’s the person who all people’s engaged on k the other they may be all cash and the whole lot they’re gonna have their gimmicks and with a bit of luck they they may supply them away totally free on Bitcoin too massive once more ripple right here you hear about Ripple bribing people are birds all over the place something you wish to have to say it but paying to be on exchanges create your possess fork off ripple and airdrop into Bitcoin holders how about that and notice which one does better do this alternatively of complaining about ripoff right here if you’re ripple to make your own ripple and give it to decide upon point holders in the land let’s see which one does higher it’s the Bitcoin parallel universe of all coins do better than the opposite universe of all cash i would love to see this this is this can be a being in movement rather of you realize complaining and and i’d if I obtained air dropped a bunch of free brittle let’s name it ripple IB that is pleasant i am turning the Bitcoin thanks for your free brittle time to show it and good good fortune the ripple may have beat ripple and could all of the Bitcoin I made the Bitcoin proof no dividend altcoin replacement universe do well better than the actual coin universe so all all coins at some point will need to be forced to relaunch to Bitcoin holders and so all bitcoin holders are rewarded with forms of all all all cash that ever existed to be able to simply promote them for extra Bitcoin do not be an exciting parallel universe we shall see if it occurs it’s nonetheless very early in this story if you’re observing this in 2026 you are mostly laughing your butt off correct now pound that like button 2026 or i am adam meister the bitcoinmeister the disrupt meister bear in mind to subscribe this channel like this video share this video click on on that’s those squares bang that bell button and investigate out day after today’s exhibit at 8:forty within the morning that’s 1:forty p.M.In London and 8:forty in the big apple katelyn lengthy we’ll be on the exhibit i will say hiya to you within the chat proper now thanks loads keep cool keep up the vigour dude the conviction you child .

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batterymonster2021 · 5 years

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The 1 Bitcoin Show- Get used to Facebook coin & Coinbase! Cryptopia returns, Good Square news

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/the-1-bitcoin-show-get-used-to-facebook-coin-coinbase-cryptopia-returns-good-square-news/

The 1 Bitcoin Show- Get used to Facebook coin & Coinbase! Cryptopia returns, Good Square news

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melbynews-blog · 6 years

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Flemish Priest Father Daniël Maes Living In Syria Exposes The Truth The Western Press Ignores -- Society's Child -- Sott.net

Neuer Beitrag veröffentlicht bei https://melby.de/flemish-priest-father-daniel-maes-living-in-syria-exposes-the-truth-the-western-press-ignores-societys-child-sott-net/

Flemish Priest Father Daniël Maes Living In Syria Exposes The Truth The Western Press Ignores -- Society's Child -- Sott.net

Father Daniël Maes

Living in Syria in the sixth-century-old Mar Yakub monastery in the city of Qara, 90 kilometers north of the capital Damascus, Flemish Father Daniël Maes has been a witness to the invasion of western-backed terrorists since the very beginning. To this day, he and his friends continue to help the Syrian people by not only helping them directly, but also by spreading the truth about what is truly going on in the country.

Each week, a newsletter written by Father Daniël is published, in which he describes his experiences and thoughts on the situation in Syria. After the liberation of East Ghouta, with the help of much needed donations and NGOs such as Hand in Hand voor Syrië who have provided containers full of relief goods – Father Daniël and others have been lending a great helping hand to the people liberated from the area.

In his newsletter published on April 6th, he writes:

Regardless of everything, the Easter 2018 festivities were greatly celebrated. People dance and sing, because Eastern Ghouta has finally (almost completely) been liberated by the Syrian army and its allies. The true horror is now coming to the surface: Thousands of men had to dig tunnels of tens of kilometers long, like slaves, until they got tired, and then killed. See what the Syrian army has found: Prisons and torture rooms, great supplies of food and medical supplies belonging to the international humanitarian help, all kept by the terrorists, a fully equipped hospital, a significant amount of weapons, ammunition and even factories, also for chemical weapons, sophisticated communication…

The great news reporters of the ‚moderate rebels‘ (the ‚White Helmets‘ and the ‚Syrian Observatory for Human Rights‘) ignore all of this, and thus the western media does too. In their blindness, they still believe that the ‚horrible Syrian dictator‘ is the cause of all this misery and that he has to be stopped using military violence. They find it so bothersome that the Syrian army has put a stop to the ‚liberating work‘ of these ‚moderate rebels‘. And thus, our VRT [a Flemish broadcaster], like the others, continue to encourage a dirty war for seven years now, to make the suffering of the Syrian people even more intolerable.

That is sadly the truth. Mainstream media in Western countries have not published a word about the murderous actions of these so-called ‚moderate rebels‘, or about how President Assad is loved – and not hated – by a great majority of the Syrian people, or about the actions of the Syrian army and allies that have saved so many lives. All we hear are hysterical accusations, with no evidence provided.

The sources used by the pusillanimous Western press are the ‚Syrian Observatory for Human Rights‘ (SOHR), a shady UK-based ‚information office‘ which has been spreading non-factual information about Syria, and the ‚White Helmets‘; terrorists wearing white helmets pretending to save people, and who share pictures and videos on social media trying to show how helpful they are, and how evil the ‚Assad regime‘ is. Their ‚evidence‘ has been exposed as false numerous times. Yet, the ‚White Helmets‘ continue to receive large amounts of cash. As of October 2016, this fake ‚humanitarian‘ outfit has received $123 million, and an additional £32 million from the UK Foreign Office. It is depressing to realize that our tax money is being spent on supporting terrorists and on the deliberate spreading of disinformation.

Meanwhile, it is the Syrian people who are directly affected by both the financial and Western media support for terrorists in Syria. Father Daniël shared one particular sad story of a Christian family whose sons were kidnapped by terrorists. There is still no news of the fate of the eldest son, but sad news broke recently about the younger son. In his newsletter, Father Daniël writes:

„A Christian family, who are close with our community consists of three sons, two of whom are soldiers.The eldest was kidnapped as a soldier years ago, and there has been no news about him. The other soldier, Samer, was allowed to be off duty for Easter 2016. Together with his twin brother, he was responsible for the group of children, the altar servers, in the sacristy. After Easter, Samer returned to his unit in Aleppo and was also kidnapped by terrorists.

His parents are very brave and especially the mother continues to help with a smile on her face. Together with another Christian woman, she comes pretty much every day to our kitchen to help us, and she likes it when we enjoy their food.

On the second day of Easter, we heard from the colonel, who is responsible for this area, that this second brother, Samer, had been found dead in a pit. He was found on Friday evening, but they waited before breaking the news. Furthermore, the body was barely recognizable due to it being there for at least a year and a half. The colonel asked us if we could tell the parents.

Two years ago, on the second day of Easter, the parents received the news that Samer had been kidnapped. On the exact same day this year (March 29th), they received the news that he had been killed. In the morning we went with other community members to the parents, and we were welcomed by the mother, as always, with great joviality and happiness.

When the news about her son was told to her, she started crying. During the early afternoon, people came by and most of the women were crying loudly. Both parents come from a very large family, and brothers, sisters and cousins live nearby. They themselves live in a large house with a rectangular atrium covered by one great grape vine. Slowly the group became divided in two.

Inside, the women were sitting and prayed the Rosary, and outside were the men. That changed here and there when men came in to first give their condolences to the mother. Meanwhile, two hours have passed and the mother didn’t want anyone to leave without having eaten. There was indeed an afternoon meal that was prepared. When someone asked me if I didn’t want to rest, she called her son who brought me to the room where Samer’s bed still stands. On his bed, I rested a little. While feeling broken herself, the mother still worries about the well-being of others.

At five o’clock we all went to the formal service of the second day of Easter. During this service, a prayer was said especially for Samer. At the end of this Eucharist, as usual, the gospel of Jesus‘ apparition was read in all kinds of languages … After that we walked back to the house of Samer’s parents to say goodbye.

The next day was a very interesting funeral service (no Eucharist). There were probably as many people outside the church, as inside: Many soldiers, many Muslims. The vicar-general together with the parish priest were leading the service. The Orthodox priest Paisios was also present. The coffin was covered with the Syrian flag. After the service, the coffin was carried by soldiers towards the cemetery and at each intersection, the coffin was held high and rotated several times. Only men went to the cemetery. There was a cross, the Syrian flag, and a beautiful large picture of Samer.

First he was hailed in a grand speech, where it was mentioned how he had served to liberate areas of the country. During the deafening applause that followed, you could feel the pain and the pride of a people for their martyrs, who gave their lives for their people. […]

Meanwhile, with the liberation of Eastern Ghouta, many civilians were in need of help, which Father Daniël and others have been providing. Their community is taking care of 25,000 people. He writes that they have three ambulances and two mobile hospitals, which are available 24/7 and where 7 doctors or specialists are working. There are rows of people standing in front of the ambulances, as many have wounds that need to be treated. Food is being given to about 10,000 people on a daily basis, and they hope to extend this to 25,000. In Northern Ghouta, six help centres have been established.

He adds that in the centre of Ghouta, there are still people being held hostage. „Mother Agnes and Zaki have been exploring the area. It’s an area where snipers are still killing people. Everyone is hoping for a complete liberation soon,“ Father Daniël writes.

He continues in his letter with a mention of a mother and her daughter being brought to the shelter:

„On a Monday evening, a mother and her daughter were brought from Damascus to be taken care of. Both were very thin. The girl is seven years old, but so tiny that she looks younger. The children immediately took her under their wing. She’s never been to school. They were the only Christian family amidst Muslims, who have been terrorized for seven years by the West’s jihadis. This Christian family suffered the most.

Women and children are now liberated. The men will be checked, because there are many terrorists wishing to escape this way. The father is wounded due to terrorist bombings and will hopefully soon be free so that he can reunite with his family. The mother would like to baptize her child. When a Syrian sister asked the little girl whether or not she was afraid of those bombardments, the girl answered spontaneously: „God protects me.“

These stories will never reach the Western media because they deliberately ignore them because they do not fit with the bogus narrative spread by Western governments about Syria. The mainstream media will only tell its readers about the suffering of the Syrian people when it suits their agenda – and when they do, they falsely put the blame on the ‚Assad regime‘.

Thankfully, the Syrian Army and allies have managed to liberate Eastern Ghouta completely, and with the direct help of people on the ground, such as Father Daniël, hope continues to grow for the Syrian people.

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apkilby · 6 years

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Monday mornings are no exception to the rule. I guess like most I’m up early; around 5 AM, to let the hurricanes out for their morning tinkle before their breakfast. This usually constitutes a “One Eye Open Policy” due to the light as it burns through my retinas as I open the door.

My home for the most part during the night hours, is protected by blackout curtains/blinds, to filter out the light pollution that surrounds most urban lived areas these days. I’m both gifted and cursed as I see better in the dark and in the light, as most do who are Photophobic.

Anyway I’m digressing.

After closing the door on a yet to be woken world, all five of my hurricanes sit looking at me “Waiting!”

As soon as I pick up their bowls to weight out their food, the sitting stops and the parade of excitement ensues until the bowls are placed in front of them.

Giving me their paws in eager anticipation, their feeding frenzy begins.

After my quick morning yawn as I commit to the day, my morning ritual begins; You know the usual things that happened during mornings…

On goes the kettle out comes the cup, okay so I’m not sure but I think, most people here would be making coffee (usually with a fanged-dangled machine, from the likes of Nespresso, oh don’t get me wrong I have one of those, but I’m not a fan of coffee at all!)

So instead I grab a teapot and my jar of loose tea from the cupboard and well, I’m pretty sure you know the methodology after that for making tea.

Moving on after clearing the pots is a shower; it wakes up all the sleepy senses and prepares my body for the onslaught of the coming day.

By now a couple of hours have passed and I’m dressed and about to continue with my ritual morning routine.

My first tasks of the day are to check emails, social media and catch up with the world. (Although if I am to be totally honest here I get a little frustrated with the news and social media) I generally spend about two hours of the morning reading and replying to emails. I much prefer however the opening of letters especially the handwritten types, and as long as my regular post-persons are doing their rounds, my post usually arrives as I just finish up with my digital mail.

The patience of Tempy, Kodi, Izzy, Lexi and River is now wearing a little thin and the excitement starts to build as they pace around knowing it’s ‘Walkies’ time.

Having five dogs is no easy task especially when they’re all tentative and running about the place, but honestly I couldn’t ask for more well-behaved companions.

Apart from writing which is a true passion and an absolute favourite pastime of mine, not to mention a compulsive part of my hypergraphia, my absolute most favourite thing in the world to do is to take the hurricanes for their walks, in fact spending any time with them is my favourite thing to do.

Again I’m starting to digress, sorry.

So…

The doggies have been for their walk and are now settled, at least for a few hours.

It’s now time to start my working day, if of course you can call it that. It all starts with a box folder, I have many box folders filed all over the place.

(I have two different types of box folder, one is black the other is a natural cardboard colour, this for me is a kind of code system, it tells me the type of work it is)

I also have many current projects on the go, so after choosing which current project I want to work on at this time, I read my catch up notes. I then open the notebook enclosed in the folder to find the last page I was working on.

I should have really mentioned before, but in between all this I set up my desk for the day, this in itself is a multi-integral manoeuvre of a task consisting of quantum space mechanics.

No seriously.

I use a multitude of tools to write, most of which are usually in the background doing something mundane while I scribbled in an open notebook.

My working day has finally begun.

This is just a typical Monday morning for me, I do try to not plan much for Monday’s, for most people it’s a very stressful return to work after the weekend, and to be honest it carries an infectious toxic attitude when people have a negative thought towards Monday and the beginnings of the week. Plus I feel if I can accomplish a lot on Mondays I can do it all through the rest of the week.

A few hours have passed, several thousand words have been scribbled and typed and the doggies have woken from their slumber.

Play time…

I cherish this above just about everything else, with the exception of cuddle time. I get such an overwhelming joyous feeling when they’re all getting excited their tails wagging and toys in mouth. It’s then they begin their harmonious playful chaos.

I’m sure most including myself see this as procrastination, but it is something I promised myself when they’re little paws first crossed the threshold of my heart.

“There is nothing more important than spending time in braced in love and family and they are my family, most of all they fill me with love and almost certainly one of the main reasons I live my life. No matter the circumstance, time or feeling all they have a show is love and loyalty; so they deserve every minute of my time and my unconditional love and attention.”

That being said because of this, they are the only thing that can snap me out of a hypergraphic rage.

The day has now started to slip by and it is now well into the afternoon, it is at this point I start to question if I’m hungry or not either way it’s time for a cuppa.

Brief intermission… (Consisting of a cup of tea and biscuits, to which the hurricanes will have too)

Several minutes later..

Okay so where was I?

Oh yes cuppa.

Tea is a must, as mentioned I’m not a coffee drinker, I have tried but it must be an acquired taste because it’s just not for me. It is around this time while drinking my tea that I usually check my emails again, more than likely there is a few that need a response and I’ve put them on a checklist to do later. As you can imagine after checking emails the dogs have once again settled and entered the Sandman’s realm.

It is at this point I usually change to a different box and a different notebook. Then my writing continues throughout the afternoon and into the early evening.

Being hypergraphic this means that my writing continues without interruption. (As long as the dog sleep of course.)

I won’t bore you with the details of me sat in front of a computer or a notebook scribbling away or typing away so I’ll just fast forward a few hours.

I’ve fed the Hurricanes their dinner and I’ve had an hour watching YouTuber’s. (I’ll explain the YouTuber’s thing later, as I’m going to do a separate blog thingy on its own about my down time).

It’s approaching nighttime, it’s already dark due to Spring (and the changing to BST). Spring starts here in the UK on 21 March (and just for reference purposes Summer starts on the 21 June, Autumn 21 September, and winter doesn’t actually start until 21 December.)

This is when I actually come into my element, ‘Night Time!’

This is normally when I plan excursions with the dogs such as midnight trips to the beach, walks along the cliffs, rambles down to the valleys and anywhere else we can explore, to be honest it gets me away from my home and desk for just a short period of time. This also gives me time as a writer to rejuvenate myself, give me new ideas, new concepts, it also give me an opportunity to write in a completely different location and surroundings; while enjoying the little things and the playful attributes of my three hurricanes.

I know it sounds silly doing fun playful things during the night, but this truly is the best time, hardly anyone is around, and the doggies get to enjoy a lot more freedoms they wouldn’t get during the day.

Once back home, around quarter-to-one, I get in the shower (yes another shower) before jumping into bed.

Now truth be told bed doesn’t mean sleep for me it’s just another location to write. However while writing in bed, I’m usually joined by orchestral snoring from the rest of the household. By the time I put my pen and paper down it may be around 3:30 AM this is about the time I may just put my head down to go to sleep, but to be honest my brain rarely switches off and so some nights I don’t even put my head down at all, I just spend the night writing, ah the joys of hypergraphia and the midnight disease.

However during the period of the 4 AM miracle this is when I get to write whatever my torrid imagination wishes and that’s it my typical Monday early to rise and like to bed and I’m pretty sure everyone’s got a similar story right?

Early to rise, late to bed. Monday mornings are no exception to the rule. I guess like most I'm up early; around 5 AM, to let the hurricanes out for their morning tinkle before their breakfast.

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jenniferramona1 · 6 years

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Why Draining Your Retirement To Save a Doomed House from Foreclosure Before Filing Bankruptcy is a Mistake

Should I use retirement to pay a mortgage?

Twice in the last two days I have had the same discussion with two prospective clients. Each client owned a house that at the height of the market was worth over two million dollars. In each case, the client had encumbered the house with a loan for about a million dollars a few years back. Each client had suffered significant financial set backs related to the current economic recession. Both clients had been paying mortgage payments close to $10,000.00 per month from their retirement accounts for the past year, and both clients were now at the end of their rope, with their retirement accounts dwindled to a mere pittance.

Monday morning quarter backing on the eve of filing bankruptcy does not bring back a depleted 401K or IRA. But there is a lesson for others in these two cases. Before tapping out your 401K or IRA to continue paying a mortgage on a house that is doomed to end up in foreclosure, know your bankruptcy options.

Retirement accounts are often exempt in bankruptcy

Nearly all retirement accounts that are governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA, as it is called), including pensions and 401Ks, are not assets of a bankruptcy estate because they almost all universally contain an anti-alienation clause that protects them from the reach of creditors. Due to recent amendments to Section 522(n) of the Bankruptcy Code, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), and other similar retirement savings vehicles, while assets of the estate, enjoy special protection capped at $1 million.

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What does all this mean? It means in most cases, all the money drained from retirement accounts to keep a doomed mortgage out of foreclosure for an extra year, could have survived a bankruptcy. Retirement accounts exist to help you survive in your twilight years. It does you no good to waste these assets to delay an otherwise inevitable foreclosure. If you find yourself in this situation, before draining your 401K or IRA, talk with a bankruptcy lawyer with experience in foreclosure defense about your bankruptcy options and foreclosure defense options.

How Can I Repair My Credit?

Whether you filed Bankruptcy or have faced foreclosure, repossession or a delinquency on a loan, it is a fact of life that your credit score can fluctuate. Access to credit is important when applying for a car or home loan or when starting a new business, the lower your credit score, the higher your interest rate will likely be.

Improving credit after bankruptcy or foreclosure

FICO scores range from 300 to 850; the median score is 723. To get the best rates, you’ll usually have to have a score of at least low- to mid-700s, so how can you repair your credit score after it has been damaged?

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Credit Repair Steps to take

Unfortunately, it is far easier to bring your credit score down than it is to make improve it. Nevertheless there are steps you can take.

Step #1: visit annualcreditreport.com

Start by visiting www.AnnualCreditReport.com, a website set up under federal law to give consumers access to their credit reports. Be on the lookout for impostors, AnnualCreditReport.com is free, there will be no need to supply your credit card or make any payment. There are three different consumer credit agencies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) that compile information that factors into your credit score. Not surprisingly, the three agencies don’t always agree. It is important that you go through each report and identify any errors. Did you recently pay off a debt that is listed as delinquent?

Step #2: Write to the credit agencies

It is important to write to the credit reporting agencies both to correct errors as well as to explain any delinquencies. It is perfectly reasonable to write a letter to the credit reporting agencies explaining why you have been late on a mortgage or were forced to file for bankruptcy. Lenders view your credit score in its proper context. Perhaps you have been a victim of mortgage fraud and were forced to file bankruptcy to protect your assets from an aggressive lender. Maybe the economic downturn has caused a salary decrease that made it hard to stay current on car payments. Whatever the Cause of your credit taking a hit, it is crucial that you weigh in on the problem and voice your perspective. It can help.

Step #3: pay your bills on time

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I advise my clients who have filed for bankruptcy to be meticulous in paying every bill on time after filing. The same principle applies to anyone trying to repair their credit as payment history is one of the biggest factors in determining your credit score. It may be a good idea to open a single credit card, use it only for groceries and then pay the balance in full each month.

Step #4: debt to income ratio

Filing bankruptcy can actually improve your credit score. Why? Because another factor lenders use in their underwriting process is how much of a debt load is the potential borrower carrying? Are they swamped in debt? If the answer is yes, they will be less likely to be able to service more. When large chunks of credit card debt are discharged in bankruptcy it can often have a positive impact on credit just a few months after filing.

Step #5: be patient

Your credit history factors into your score as well. The longer you’ve been borrowing and paying on time the better. In some ways this is the lender’s way of developing a friendship with you. When you meet someone for the first time, you might like them but can only develop a friendship or romance over time. If you have been paying your bills for a long time, lenders are more likely to court you.

Be of good cheer, with a little patience and responsible use of credit, your score will improve.

Free Consultation with Bankruptcy Lawyer

If you have a bankruptcy question, or need to file a bankruptcy case, call Ascent Law now at (801) 676-5506. Attorneys in our office have filed over a thousand cases. We can help you now. Come in or call in for your free initial consultation.

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

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