#he could be running from tax authorities and id believe it

[eleanorose123]

i still love that Zexal catered to me specifically by giving us a character who is the embodiment of the Shrimps' chaos AND an ally and friend to the protagonist- an unheard of combo

#rose art #zexal #tokunosuke omoteura #flip turner #what's he running from? could literally be anything and everything #he could be running from tax authorities and id believe it

[balmasedas]

desperado / druglord!javier peña au. 

chapter one.

summary: reader is a dea agent. violence has arisen in the streets of colombia and she's determined to bring javier peña to justice. things take an abrupt turn when, instead of her finding him, he finds her and realizes they got much more interest in each other than just drug-related topics. 

warnings: only +18. overall, this is smut so smutty. canon violence. detailed warnings in every chapter. spanish traductions are in the notes, though for the sake of non-spanish speakers, spanish dialogues will be minimal and not relevant to the plot.

word count: 2.5k.

You throw your sweater in the backseat of your car before exiting it. In the morning, you had dug through your boxed-up winter clothes after shivering in your shirt-sleeves as soon as you got out of your department. Now, the temperature has risen to the seventies and you give yourself a clap in the back for deciding to wear something decent underneath. Spring in Colombia is a nightmare.

The crime scene is packed with local police and DEA agents. There are no civilian spectators this time, they know better than sticking their noses in the Medellin's cartel businesses.

Upon your arrival, you don’t need to identify yourself to the uniformed men guarding the perimeter. They know you well by then. You are the only female in the team that has to deal with these kinds of situations —gruesome, gut-churning, dirty shit. Not a very much "lady-like" job, some would express. For that, you have earned yourself the title of a gritty woman. Maybe because you were gritty, maybe because you were a woman.

Sometimes, though, you find yourself wondering why you turned down some run-of-the-mill desk job back in Virginia. It would’ve been a dull routine, for sure — hideous, even; but gossiping about some flash romance between two co-workers is less taxing than having to witness five rotting corpses at first daylight. 

"Jesus Christ," you lift your sunglasses to your head. Your partner, esteemed, weary agent Steve Murphy, turns around at the sound of your voice. 

“You’re up early.” he asserts, with a raised eyebrow. 

You purse your lips. “Had a bad night. Ran out of whisky at one am.” 

Not even Hugo, or Hughie for his gringo friends, could help you. You forgot that his daughter would be celebrating her birthday and his all-night store would be closed until the next morning. Normally, you would own an arsenal of alcohol, but it has been an abnormal week and a hell of a night —starting with the spiral of violence that has arisen in the streets of Medellin.

"Well, look at the bright side: your stomach is empty," Murphy mumbles.

Looking at the bodies in front of you, you can’t agree more: their hands are tied-up to the oxidated wire behind them, hanging by their arms. They are barefoot and scantily clad. There is a visible gunshot wound in all of their front heads, some flies are already hovering around the open flesh. A quick death to eternal torture, you suppose.

"When did you get the call?" you inquire.

He fiddles with his wristwatch. "About two hours ago." you only hum in response, keeping your eyes in front of you and paying no mind to Steve who only grows impatient at your silence. "You think this was Peña's job?" he adds.

You nod in denial. "If it was, it doesn't make sense." Not one bit. "Peña works underground, quiet, like a sneaky rat. I'd even say they're more well-behaved than most cartels. So why do this?"

Why such a declaration of violence? Why draw even more attention from the authorities? 

"Maybe he decided to toughen his punishments?” You scoff at his remark.

“He can do that without half the city knowing it. A ditch is much more subtle than a monument to death blocks from the US embassy.” 

Murphy smirks. “Seems that you have given it a thought before, Sarchie.” you narrow your eyes. He knows you hate that nickname. Your tendencies to boss him around had brought you consequences: the unofficial title of a Sargeant. Sarchie, shortened and friendly.

“Killing someone? Yes, you. Multiple times a day.” you put your sunglasses back on and walk away. The forensic police won’t be there until the next half hour, at least, and you are too disquiet to wait around. Plus, your stomach is growling, but Steve doesn’t need to know that. “We’re gonna need their names, I’ll see what I can find. You have a little chat with the coroner and see if they can speed up the autopsy. The sooner the better, ok?” you spot the smirk on his face. You know what he’s thinking. You shut your car's door and point a finger at him through the window. A clear warning sign in your eyes. “Shut the fuck up and do it.”

(,,,)

Happy hour. You give up on the investigation and stop off at ‘Chiquita’, a popular local bar near your place. The prices are cheap, the drinks aren’t that good but they do the job. The place is crowded — hot couples with wet, glowing skin grinding against each other. Happy or horny or both. You take a mental note to have some fun later. 

As you sip at your bourbon and crack your peanuts, you let yourself dwell on what you found out about your case. You finally got the names of your five guys. For that, much research wasn’t needed: All of them had their IDs in their pockets and they were exactly who you feared they were: no ones. No ties to any big names, no official involvement in any cartel — at the most, a few minor possession charges. As for weeks, your few clues have led to nowhere and the enigma surrounding the Medellin cartel seems to worsen with every minute that passes by.

You hate mysteries. Colombia’s full of them. 

You take your second bourbon in one smooth shot and ask for another. You grab a colombian peso from your wallet and slide it across the wood. Your eyes stop at the picture of your parents that you carry around. It’s tiny and worn, just like your relationship with them. They haven’t heard from you in weeks, a fair deal, if anyone asked. They don’t have to deal with their fucked up daughter and you can focus on your work filled with dead ends and a ghost that haunts you while you’re awake: Javier Peña.

“¹Qué tomas, preciosa?” a velvety voice caresses your ears. A pleasant smile breaks quietly over your lips. Just in time.

You turn your head to the side. The stranger, with chocolate-skin and inviting eyes, is waiting for an answer. You tap your fingers against the glass.

"Bourbon," you say. "²Pero no me vendría mal un trago más." he grins and holds up two fingers to the barman. He sits at the empty seat beside you, he’s exuberating confidence. He’s offered you the bait and you'd taken it.

"³Algo más que se te ofrezca?"

You look him in the eyes. You know how the story goes from there. It isn’t any different than the one from last night, or the night before. As an apex predator, he's out for something to satisfy his hunger. He won't go home without reaching his goal and you're desperate enough to let him.

"⁴Sí. Hay algo más que puedes hacer por mi."

(,,,)

The fucking cat on the window has been staring straight into your eyes for the last fifteen minutes. Matias, the guy you've met hours before, is too focused on you to notice the awkward presence of the animal, so you don't bother shooing it away. 

He's enjoying himself, pounding into you in a symphony of lust bites and moans. But the sound of skin on skin doesn't match the intensity of your passion for this encounter.

It's not that his performance was terrible, it was just... soft. So soft, too soft. From the sweet nothings, he gasps on your ear to the gentleness of his grip on your hip. 

You aren't a sweet girl. If you were sweet, you wouldn't have traveled all the way down to Colombia to participate in the war on drugs. If you were fond of delicateness, you would've stayed inside and touched yourself to a Cristina Peri Rossi novel instead of searching for strangers at bars.

You don't like to believe you are a special case. On the contrary, you assume your attitude is the rule and not the exception. Not a hell of a woman, but a woman made of hell – waking up already worried about the hours ahead of you. How could you not? Your life is as wide and empty as the sky. Unstable, unpredictable. Anything can happen. A good meaningless fuck is the only moment you allow yourself to feel something — someone. By then, the detachment that gets you through the day disappears and raw feral emotion takes its place. 

You are addicted. It's like a drug, but worse. Drugs don't have feelings, people do.

You’d grabbed Matias' hand and wrapped it around your neck a few times but your request had been ignored; you’d even pushed his ass against your body so you could get closer to a feral touch, but he had insisted on something more caring and delicate. 

And delicacy just won't do. 

So, after a few tries, you give up. You lay still, under his heating body, dead eyes directed at your window. No emotion whatsoever, no release. Like a numb, stiff sex doll, rooting for his satisfaction. Forgotten until next time.

“⁵Donde?” he blurts in your ear. You evaluate your options quickly. 

“⁶Adentro.” Any other place would demandsñ more attention. By then, he would be aware of your passivity and asking too many questions. You don't answer questions, you make them.

His body tenses and trembles. You feel heat dripping between your legs but it doesn't come from you. He leaves a few small pecks on your neck — thankfully, the last ones for the night. Matias breathes over you for a few seconds before he gets off. You stare at the roof in silence, and when he asks if you finished, you simply nod.

You can't grasp what he says under his breath after you ask him, as nice as possible, to leave. What he does or doesn't vocalize, it doesn't matter. You won't be repeating with him. You never fucked the same person twice. 

Once you hear the front door shut, still resting on your bare skin, you lit a cigarette. The room is void of artificial light, and the cat is still in the same place, with his silhouette contoured by the gleam of the moon.

"Sneaky bastard." you chuckle, then get up from the bed and slowly approach it.

You stop at the wooded frame of the window, maintaining your distance. Not too close to scare him or him to scare you. He isn't a friendly guy. He isn't even yours — just a grumpy cat that stops by your department too often demanding some food. You tried to get him to come inside before, but all you had won from your offers were a couple of scratches. Nonetheless, the cat has seen more of you than many people have. So, even though you renegade from him, you found yourself inevitably attached. He's the closest thing to a family, after Murphy, of course. But Murphy hasn't seen you on your worst, yet.

"Hope you see the same shit I see." you grimace and shake your head. "Not like that, I mean... I should choose better who to fuck with. And they should choose better too." the cat remains silent –obviously– and you keep talking. "You could make yourself useful and spook them away before I have to." he meows, you roll your eyes and decide to leave him alone. "Then again, I could do it myself if I told them I hold long conversations with the stray cat that lives in my window."

You choose to take a bath and call it a night. You glide through the living room, though before you can reach the bathroom something stops you. There's a noise outside, some glass breaking down on the streets. You can ignore it, conflict isn't a foreign subject in Colombia, especially at late hours. But then it repeats itself a second time, and the third bugs you too much for you not to grab your night robe and take a look at it from your window.

The only light pole is out of order; there's not a soul in sight; music can be heard from afar. You see nothing out of place until you do.

Your car is parked across the street. All four windows have been smashed, the tires are flat. You barely waste time cursing before you flee out of your place. You thought the night couldn’t get worse but the world has a disturbing obsession with testing your patience. 

Once you take a step outside and approach your damaged car, you’re not sure where your chills are coming from. Perhaps, because of the unfriendly weather or maybe because you’re suddenly aware of how idiotic was your decision to go outside. 

Everything inside your vehicle is left untouched. There weren't objects of value anyways. You find no logical reason for someone wanting to wreck a car just because —yours, of them all.

Big red warning signs color your mind. Your eyes scan your surroundings with speed. It's a dark, lonely dessert. You're now sure that what happened isn't some random event. The victim could've been to another person, but you weren't just another person.

"⁷Discúlpeme, señorita." a voice throws yourself far from the source. You reach for your gun just to find nothing there. Damn you. "⁸Está bien?" you look at the man. An old man that, at first glance, doesn't represent a threat. His voice is gentle, his voice is tinted with a caring voice. You lower your defenses, just a bit, not enough to stay around.

"⁹Sí." you mutter.

Slowly, you walk back to your apartment. Old man glues his eyes to your form and you don't take your own off from his'. Before reaching the sidewalk, you trip with something. Your back collides against a car and you're ready to apologize when the owner exits it there’s not a sign of rage in his face. On the contrary, his stare is blank and his mouth doesn’t even twitch.

Bad news.

You intend to run, but another guy blocks your passage and two more appear at each side of you. You turn over to ask the old man for help, but he’s gone along with your last piece of hope. Can’t blame him, you would’ve escaped too if you had the chance. However, you can’t and the smartest thing to do is acknowledge it and work from it. 

You stay still thinking it will persuade them to opt for gentle treatment. 

How naive of you. 

A set of fingers dig into your arms, another one grabs you by the neck and lowers your head as they drag you into their car. Guarded by two of them who sit at your sides, a dark cloth bag is placed over your head and your wrists are restricted with a zip tie. 

All you have left now is your hearing, you pick up a few things: the engine roaring, the tires burning on the asphalt as you speed off, some spanish words thrown in the air. Nothing substantial, nothing of use.

You sit in silence and wait for the worst.

#my work #javier peña #javier pena #narcos #pedro pascal #pedro pascal imagine #javier peña imagine #javier pena imagine #javier peña one shot #javier pena one shot #pedro pascal smut #javier peña smut #javier pena smut #pedro balmaceda pascal

[yobitnet]

Yobit.net Cash Is Dead Yobit Exchange

“Physical money is out,” said B.S. Kohli, an economic advisor to the top of the Indian state of Punjab. Mothanna Gharaibeh, Jordan’s minister of digital economy and entrepreneurship, agreed.

As of this year, Gharaibeh said, Jordanians can not buy government services, from taxes to hospital bills, with cash. they need to use electronic payment systems like bank transfers or mobile wallets.

“It’s getting to be a troublesome transformation,” he said, pertaining to the nation’s poor and unbanked populations. “But refugees can take mobile wallets using their UN Refugee Agency ID cards. … We just got to stop printing [bills] and put it instead on mobile accounts or in bank accounts.”

Unlike many dollar-dominance-skeptics in Davos for the forum, Gharaibeh said pegging Jordanian dinars to the dollar has served the smaller nation well for many years . He doesn’t see needing to reinvent money, just remove the anonymous properties.

“Because we'd like to prevent evasion ,” he said.

Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari – author of the bitcoin community cult classic "Sapiens" – said he’s skeptical of bitcoin.

“Money goes within the direction of more and more trust,” he said. “Bitcoin is predicated on mistrust. It’s basically a return to gold.”

On the opposite hand, Harari predicted the entire elimination of monetary privacy could happen “very quickly,” which he described as a “dangerous” prospect.

Ask almost any economist, banker or yobittex.com politician at the WEF about financial privacy and they’ll scoff. With shockingly few exceptions, most will say more financial data collection and passive surveillance will benefit society. (When pressed, they could emphasize the importance of encryption and regulating access to the info .)

RegTech expert Diana Paredes, an underwriter turned CEO of the compliance startup Suade Labs, agreed the sentiment among her public- and private-sector clients is “cash is dead.” However, she added, it’s the work of policymakers to guard consumer interests.

“What we should always be doing is regulating privacy around [electronic payments],” she said. “I want to have my data. It should belong to me, not the bank.”

Bitcoin in Davos

Fear not, bitcoiners: Not all members of the yobit Davos elite are pushing for e-fiat authoritarianism; some leaders here see a future where bitcoin continues to thrive.

“Bitcoin may be a fantastic idea, as long because it is monitored,” Kohli said, praising the compliance standards already upheld by bitcoin-friendly Swiss banks.

Bruno Le Maire, the French minister of finance , offers a shining example of a bitcoin-friendly politician.

He said decentralized digital assets will have a task to play within the way forward for France, as long as organizations just like the crypto custody startup Ledger and therefore the bitcoin development startup ACINQ still pay taxes and uphold regular compliance standards.

“We don’t want digital companies issuing their own currencies like sovereign states,” he said, making a subtle dig at Facebook’s Libra. “But we believe [bitcoin] can reduce the prices and delays of international payments. … We strongly believe fintech.”

Likewise, Mariam Al Muhairi of the state-backed Dubai Future Foundation says her team will spend 2020 exploring the way to support companies that want to use digital assets.

“It’s to assist regulate that area,” she said, emphasizing the team remains within the research phase. “There are entities that do own and use [cryptocurrency].”

Paredes added the simplest thanks to protect bitcoin’s usability is to teach regulators about specific use cases in order that they can make laws and compliance standards without jeopardizing projects useful .

The divide between cypherpunks and banks grows ever more narrow when experts drill right down to the specifics.

wef-2020-bruno

French minister of finance Bruno Le Maire et al. discuss the way to tax Big Tech. (Credit: Leigh Cuen for CoinDesk)

Common ground

Most crypto veterans at the WEF were even as hooked in to financial institution digital currencies (CBDC) because the bankers themselves.

For example, Elizabeth Rossiello, CEO of Aza Financial (formerly known by the name of its retail product, BitPesa), said she’s “really excited” about the People’s Bank of China issuing a CBDC. She sees this so far another customer onramp that enhances the very fact bitcoin makes up 7 percent of her company’s monthly volume.

MakerDAO Foundation CEO Rune Christensen agrees: “Generally i feel it’s specialized for the trend of digitizing the economy,” he said of the CBDC trend. “It’s just a step toward more blockchain adoption.” His project’s DAI stablecoin, he told CoinDesk, could at some point be the liquidity backbone for the world’s CBDCs.

Meanwhile, Cloudflare CTO John Graham-Cumming said his internet infrastructure company generally takes a proactive approach to promoting censorship-resistance, whilst his team supports clients like banks and similar institutions within the public sector.

“What goes over our network isn’t really our business. and that we don’t think it’s our job to work that out because that might be quite creepy,” he said, adding the corporate runs gateways to both ethereum and therefore the InterPlanetary filing system (IPFS).

From Graham-Cumming’s perspective, bitcoin is a powerful experiment because it actually works and continues to figure , no matter political and technical challenges. Yet, Cloudflare is more focused on ethereum.

“When you check out the smart contract stuff, that’s a programing language . we expect someone goes to create something interesting with ethereum and that we hope they’ll find our services useful,” he said. “As people start to figure with new organizations for financial transactions, they have to ask how that organization is brooding about security. … We’re all resting on top of something else.”

The only thanks to protect privacy during a world of digital cash, he said, is with a mixture of excellent regulatory policies and standard “best practices” that promote security throughout the ecosystem’s architecture.

“The idea of Web3 is that you simply should be resilient,” he concluded.

Zack Seward contributed reporting.

[badbookreviewclub]

Empress Theresa, Chapter 1

(This is a direct transcription of my tweets, so I apologize if it gets choppy at times) DISCLAIMER: Please read the preface before you continue on!  PAGE 1   This is a terrible start to the book. There's nothing here to gain the interest of the reader nor is there anything that could potentially give you a clue to who Theresa is. You get who her parents are, but nothing about her parents (e.g. If they're important people) "I was the Princess in the Sullivan clan of Framingham, Massachusetts because besides being cute I was a whiz in school and had a good disposition." This sentence makes me die inside every time I re-read it. What does it even mean to have a 'good disposition'? This is the first time I've ever read someone describing themselves as having a 'good disposition'. "All the relatives expected great things from me." And then not even a paragraph later it says; "Nobody could have dreamed of what I would do a few years later, and nobody would have believed it if they'd been told." This is a conflicting message here, Theresa. Did they expect great things from you or did nobody expect you to do anything big? "Prime Minister Blair said I'd still be remembered in a million years." Okay, so we know that you're doing something big now, but you just introduced a character who we don't know. At all. What's the context behind all of this? What kind of person is Prime Minister Blair? "Did you catch that?" Yes, I fucking caught that. You literally just said it. "Churchill, Hitler, and Lincoln..." I don't like the way that these are ordered. It's alphabetical, but going in historical context would sound nicer in my opinion. "Lincoln, Hitler, Churchill..." That's not even counting that she just compared herself to being greater than Hitler. There are so many other people who are better that could have been brought up here and not someone who committed mass genocide and traumatized humanity. Directly after that, Charles Martel is brought up in a long paragraph that sounds like someone who just watched a documentary and is eager to share everything they just learned with their friends who could not give less of a shit. It's pointless to have it there and adds nothing. "...but Prime Minister Blair said I'd be remembered for a million years." You said that not even a paragraph ago. I didn't forget, I promise. I may have the attention span of a peanut, but my short-term memory isn't completely dead. Though my last few brain cells may be dead after I finish all 465 pages of this monster. "I was the last person you'd expect to earn this accolade." Contradicting to what you said earlier of all your relatives expecting big things of you. Not to mention, I don't know who you or anyone else is yet Theresa. I can't fucking say if you would be the last person expected "When this story began I was a little girl who didn't have much of a clue about anything." Why not start the story here? It's far better than that big ramble you just had. This is far more interesting than "I'm Theresa, the younger daughter of blah blah blah." "My job as a kid was to figure out what the heck was going on and what to do about it. It's not easy when you're young and everything is brand new." No shit honey. Except the thing is, life is so much easier when you're younger. you don't have to worry about taxes. Or your employer forgetting to mail you your W-2. Or if your employer does mail you your W-2 but your mail-lady delivers it to the wrong house so some random person has your W-2 and social security number now. You don't have to worry about that as a kid. Life as a kid is easy. ide note: The text in this book is fucking huge. Like it was written so children could easily read it. PAGE 2 The way the first paragraph on this page starts out is jarring and throws the reader out of any flow that may have been there before (There wasn't one there before, but I digress). It then is quickly followed by her father making a comment to her about being the captain of her ship, without actually being a quote from him. It would have been more interesting if it was a direct quote from her father rather than just a passive memory with how she phrases it. What is says is, "He said I had to be the captain of my ship, but sometimes the seas would be rough." Which is poor phrasing in my opinion. There are far better ways to phrase this that give some more character and depth to the relationship between Theresa and her father. A better way to phrase it would be; "He said 'You have to be the captain of your own ship. Sometimes the seas will be rough, but you need to keep pushing through it until you find smooth seas again.'" However, it's not phrased like this or anything remotely close to this. It's then followed very quickly by saying "I had to learn all I could about the world." How does this relate to what your father told you in any way shape or form? I am so confused and feel like what your father told you was completely disregarded or misinterpreted. "I wondered why should I be worrying about it in the fourth grade? I'd soon find out." My Grammarly is kicking in and telling me that 'worrying' is used wrong here. This is a direct quote from the book, and I have to agree. Once again, this relates nothing to what was just said. I want to scratch this entire page out so far, but I've refrained from doing so. Then we come to the first paragraph I have completely scribbled out. I hate it so much. It is a shit paragraph in every way humanly possible. It relates nothing to the first sentence and could completely be ignored and taken out of the book without changing anything. “Everybody has pressures. There are two kinds. One is threats to your life and health. I had more than my share of that with a thousand assassins wanting to get me. The other kind is bearing responsibility for other people's lives and welfare. That's really tough if you care...  ...about them. I set new world records in that department. People were sure I'd crack under the pressure, but I didn't. It will take smarter heads than mine to figure out why not." There is so much I want to say about this paragraph that I can't express in words, just guttural, angry screams. I scribbled it out for a reason and that reason still stands true. It is complete and utter shit. Side note: "It will take smarter heads than mine to figure out why not." Thank you for the reassurance that you're a dumb shit, Theresa. I needed it. "I'll be telling my own story which is a good thing because nobody knows it as well as me." We are already all well aware this is an 'autobiography' at this point, Theresa. There's no need for you to tell us that. The fucking point of an autobiography is to tell your own story. More scribbled out sentences about her saying that there's stuff she can't know because she wasn't there. Then she comments on a conversation between Prime Minister Blair (who we still know nothing about) and President Stinson (a new character who we also know nothing about) and how they were talking to each other on the phone. Theresa then assumes that P.M. Blair and President Stinson were talking about how they would stop her if she got out of control. How pig-headed can she get? Not everything is about you. The entire world doesn't revolve around you, bitch. Except, oh wait, in this book, it does! Another scribbled out section I scribbled out so horribly I can barely read it. I will do my best to write it down here so you can suffer with me. "But remember you'll learn things in the same sequence I did. Somebody else telling my story could only say what I did... ... in the world. They couldn't get in my head like you will. You'll see what a horrible, worldwide mess I had to deal with." Ah. I remember why I scribbled it out so badly now. Because it's garbage. Even more so than the first paragraph that I tried to destroy. She's just repeating the fact that this is a fucking autobiography. I've read good autobiographies, where you actually get into the author's mind. So far, this shit isn't it. "My story began quietly with no hint of what was coming." All of that before was pointless. And I will tell you now, most of the details that come after are pointless. This book refuses to be clear and concise, which is a good thing a good majority of the time. The book started terribly and wrote the whole tone for the first few pages, and so far, I'm more upset than when I started. Sidenote #2: After this I'll try to do Chapters in these tweet chains, mentioning (for the most part) the stuff that stands out the most to me. Unless I run into a page that is truly the worst thing ever. The Rest of Chapter 1  Starting on page 3 Starting off strong, I scribbled out the entire first paragraph because it's all terrible. It's Theresa describing her older sister who has absolutely no importance to the story whatsoever and then stroking her own ego by boasting about how... ...she's a whiz in school and her sister isn't. "She's thinking of going to one of the many trade schools in Boston after high school Mom and Dad said I should go to college." These two really don't share any correlation to each other besides being education after highschool. Not to mention, I think Norman, the author, is strongly trying to suggest that trade school isn't nearly as good as university or college when that couldn't be less true. Trade school is just as valid as a university or a college. You gain new skills and can enter a career far... ...quicker than you could at a 4-year university and then some if you're going for a Masters or P.H.d. in your chosen field. Also, I really hate Twitter's character limit. It's fucking stupid and makes these reviews hard as hell to write out. Theresa drags things out more, shares a story that seems currently irrelevant about her mother seeing a fox that came and sat in front of her six months before she was born. (Keep this in mind. Six months before Theresa was born). Theresa even says that this strange... ...event seemed unimportant and that her parents forgot about it for 18 years. Fuck, if something like that happened to me, I'd forget about it too. I certainly wouldn't remember it 18 years later. I can barely remember what I had for breakfast last week. And then more than halfway down the page, Norman finally starts the fucking story. Theresa's doing some summer reading for school when she sees a fox walking along the edge of the woods. The fox ducks into the woods before walking back out, which is completely... ... irrelevant and yet for some reason, Norman felt it was important to include despite the fact it adds nothing and just feels like lazy writing and editing. Speaking of editing, I am dead convinced that Norman didn't have an editor for this book or even look over a chapter... ...after he wrote it. "In an instant, faster than you could blink an eye, a softball sized white light emerged from the fox and went straight into my stomach." Besides being poorly written, keep in mind the fact that she just said it was in the blink of an eye. Theresa goes inside and has a pointless as fuck conversation with her older sister about seeing the fox. Rather than like any rational person who might glance outside to look because apparently seeing "Foxes in the daylight never happens" as Norman puts it, she just says that... ... the fox won't hurt her before going back to the living room never to be mentioned again for another 12 pages or so. Theresa assumes that because she hasn't eaten yet she's hallucinating or having a vivid daydream, so she goes to eat and we get an unnecessary description of... ..what she makes. We also get this gem of a line; "At age ten I was already conscious of my weight and tried to stay skinny." There is so much wrong with this that I can't even put it into words. So. So. So much. Specifically the 'at age ten' part too. More weird phrasing and poor writing later and Theresa determines that yes, it must have been that she hadn't eaten anything because after eating she feels less worried about it. Then there's a HUGE fucking heat spike according to Norman. Enough so that the firemen have to get involved to see what the fuck is up. Theresa somehow has this meta-knowledge that this has to do with the white light that jumped into her stomach. Long story short, someone called the firemen because the heat spiked up so massively and they thought it might be a fire without going outside or looking around to see if it actually was a fire. We get an absurdly long and very dull section about how the firemen started poking around trying to figure out if it was underground or not, which is completely unnecessary and adds nothing to the story in my opinion. I have scribbled it all out because it's all shit. Then we get another fucking gem that Norman uses a total of one time and never brings up ever again. It gave me an idea that would have made this book far more interesting than it ended up being, but it's never mentioned again. Its sole purpose for existing was to give Norman... ... an excuse as to why Theresa didn't talk to anyone. "My Cousin Mary was diagnosed a schizophrenic and the whole Sullivan clan was biting their nails waiting for the gene to show up in some other family member. It wasn't going to be me! I resolved to never tell anybody... ... Not even my parents would know. They'd think I was ill like Cousin Mary. I didn't need it." This alone caused me so much anger I put down the book and didn't pick it up again for a good couple of hours. I honestly don't feel like I need to explain why this is so terrible. But as for the idea it gave me, the book could be far better if it turned out that Theresa was schizophrenic. That this was all a hallucination. It would explain a lot of her actions later on in the book, especially when she experiences extreme paranoia. Well, Norman doesn't call it paranoia. It's just Theresa being 'super smart and know just what's up'. We learn shortly after that there are government officials who turned up to watch 'someone' (spoilers: It's Theresa). Somehow everyone knows they're officials despite... ... never approaching them and instead trusting the word of a neighbor who said the police approached them, were shown badges by these officials, and then the police left them alone afterward. Theresa somehow knows that these people are here to watch her and for some reason... ... she calls the operator to see if they're spying on her or have her phones tapped. I guess this is just supposed to be common knowledge that if you call the operator and ask them for a number and if there's a delay they then you're being spied on? After all, it's not like the operator is human and they take time to look up numbers and whatnot. But this time around there's not a delay so Theresa concludes that they aren't listening to her. Not sure how this makes sense, but okay. Theresa and her mom decide to go shopping and Theresa spends the entire time thinking that men are following her everywhere. Despite the fact that it's a public space and they're different men. The first instance is at the parking garage, where someone parked close to them... ... and then followed them to the surface. Then they go to a very popular and big brand book store, Barnes and Noble, and Theresa sees a different man who she thinks is watching her as well. She goes to the second floor by herself because I guess her mom is okay with that. When I was ten, my mom wouldn't let me wander over to the next aisle to look at stuff no matter how much I insisted. So you know, not judging her mother's parenting skills, but I'm lowkey judging her mother's parenting skills. After that they go to McDonalds and another man gets in line behind them and leaves around the same time they do. Theresa thinks that this man is also following her. And then, a man who was on the corner started walking in their direction. For some reason, Theresa thinks all... ... these people are spying on her. Which is total bullshit in all honesty and is incredibly paranoid behavior. However, Norman doesn't write it that way and instead writes it as Theresa just knowing what the fuck is up. When she gets home, Theresa calls the operator again and this time, instead of taking half a minute to get the number, the operator takes a minute. Please tell me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty certain that doesn't mean that someone has tapped your phone. Aside from that, I've also started to realize just how much Norman really likes to be as precise as he can be with his numbers and it's super fucking annoying to read and I wish that I didn't have to read it. But I am. Blah, Blah, Blah, more boring stuff and then Theresa goes to a movie story with her mom. She gets 2001: A Space Odyssey and apparently that's super, super fucking important because that's how the officials know that Theresa has an alien inside of her. I don't see the... ... correlation but you know what, maybe it's just me who's a dumb shit and Norman was right all along. Besides that, the movie is also super important because Theresa names that white ball of light that flew into her that she dismissed because she thought she was hungry. However, that's just something Norman seems to have conveniently forgotten right now and Theresa has just accepted the fact that it really did happen. "Mom did most of the grocery shopping on Saturday and I usually went with her because Catherine wandered off with her friends." Someone, please tell me how the first part really relates to the second part because I can't make sense of how your sister not going... ... to hang out with her friends would keep you from going with your mom to go grocery shopping. Especially when there's a seven-year difference between you two. One of the gov't officials approaches Theresa when she's alone in the cereal aisle (once again, judging her mother's skills as a parent), and tells her to call her when she's alone. That seems vaguely pedophilic to me, but that might just be me. Either way, Theresa somehow knows that this woman is working for the officials who are watching her. We get another paragraph of a line; "The woman knew that I knew about my watchers. I had often stared at them. So this woman also knew I had to think she was one of them and I... ... had to be curious enough to talk to her." This is so convoluted and overthought. I hate it in every way shape and form. It's so damn repetitive and gets repeated several times throughout the next few paragraphs. But I digress. Theresa goes home and goes to her room and pulls out her cellphone and calls the woman. We found out her name is Jan and we get the most boring conversation in the history of conversations. Yet for some reason, Norman has the audacity to say that... ... it is the most important interview since Moses came down from the mountains. I don't read the Bible, but as far as I'm aware, Moses was never interviewed after he came down with the 10 commandments. Correct me if I'm wrong. Theresa describes the white ball of light in so much detail that you realize, there's no fucking way she could have been able to see all of it if it was "faster the blink of an eye." So I guess Norman conveniently overlooked that part.1 Theresa says she named the white ball of light HAL from the movie. I don't see why, but she did. More boring as fuck conversation giving us the information we already know. We know that the woman's name is Jan now. Jan tells Theresa that they're always watching and listening... ... to her. After reading this I am under the belief that Jan should never ever be allowed to handle any cases dealing with children ever again because she uses so many fear tactics that would absolutely terrify a child. Jan also tells Theresa that she can't talk to anybody or tell anyone about HAL. I don't know about you all, but when I was younger, and someone told me not to tell anybody about something that involved me, I really wanted to tell someone about that thing. More boring as shit exposition that's poorly written and then we jump forward a few days. This is where my suspicions about Norman loving being super precise with numbers were confirmed. He also goes into way too much detail about gardening and weed pulling. Anyways, this is where we learn that Theresa has an aimbot basically. She woke up with a small orange dot in the center of her vision and automatically assumed it had something to with HAL. But she learns it's an aimbot because she can throw rocks and hit a watering can no... ...matter how far away she is from it. She then says it has no use, but I think Norman means that it has no practical use. It has plenty of uses, just not many can be applied to everyday life. Pretty quickly after Theresa finds out she has an aimbot she wants to play baseball with a neighbor boy so she goes to his house and talks to his mom asking to play with him. Except Norman doesn't write 'his mom', no, Norman writes 'The mother.' The Mother. The one true mother of all mothers. The queen of mothers. The mother that all mothers descended from. She is THE Mother. Aside from calling her 'The Mother' over and over again, Theresa tosses the baseball back and forth and doesn't miss no matter what. She comments constantly on how bad Tommy (the neighbor kid) is at this. Eventually Tommy's dad (referred to as 'The dad')... The Dad. The one true dad. The one Dad to rule them all. The Dad that all Dad's descend from. He is the ultimate Dad. He is THE Dad. ... comes out and takes over for Tommy, playing baseball with Theresa. I don't know why, but this came off the wrong way when I was reading it and just didn't seem right. Norman becomes even more repetitive in his writing, "This was August and it was very hot. "Let's call it quits, Theresa" the father said. "It's getting hot."" More shit I scribbled out because it's fucking horrible. Basically so you don't have to live through the same hell I did, I'll summarize even more. Theresa gets super strength because of HAL. She knows this because she broke a steak sauce bottle white trying to open it... ... because she was eating a steak for lunch. Because ten-year-olds can cook steaks for lunch. When I was ten I could barely fucking cook macaroni and cheese for myself. This is all boring as shit but the super-strength makes Theresa want to go and talk to her priest. Father Richard, who is also referred to as Father Donoughty later on (which make me think of the name Father Dick Doughnut ngl). Anyways, Theresa doesn't think her mother could just ask Father Richard about what she didn't want to talk to her about, thinking that priests... ... are bound to secrecy. I don't think they are but I'm not religious so how the fuck would I know. Anyways, Theresa shows she has super strength and blatantly states that the priest probably thought she was possessed by a demon but after going out to talk to Jan he believes... ... otherwise. And with that conversation between Father Dick Doughnut, we get the worst dialogue of all time. So you can suffer with me this time, I'm typing it all out. "These men don't know everything. Only I do. What did Theresa say?" (Jan) "I'm not at liberty to say." (Father Dick) "It's not the usual stuff?" "It isn't." "It's critical you can tell no one. Theresa will be the first to suffer. People will come after her. They'll kidnap her, kill her, or worse." "Who are you?" "I work for the American government" "How many of you are there?" "Hundreds" "That's a lot of people." "Do you understand how important this is?" “I'm beginning to." First of all, boring as fuck. Second, what is worse than being killed? You're fucking dead. I don't think much can actually top that. Third, I don't know if he's asking how many are watching Theresa or how many are working for the gov't. Either way, stupid question. After that absolutely immersive conversation, Father Dick Doughnut says he needs to call the cardinal to have them come watch Theresa. This seems really extreme in my opinion. As far as I was aware, a cardinal has far more to take care of than one little girl... ...at one church in a town that I don't think is that big. Even a bishop probably wouldn't spend their time focusing on that and they're two steps down from a cardinal. But no, Theresa is just too fucking important. Why not just have the Pope get involved now? Or is that... ...too much for you to handle Norman? Ugh. This entire chapter just fucking sucks and it's only the first chapter. Blah, Blah, Blah, Theresa's story about an alien being inside of her is confirmed because Jan said so and she works for the 'government'. Then we get a huge fucking jump over her fifth-grade year where Theresa gets to jump from fifth grade to seventh grade because her hair started to grow in thick thanks to HAL. Apparently, this is a sign of her 'emotional maturity'. I don't see the correlation. At all. At the very end of the chapter Theresa makes the claim that there are "four hundred" people watching her and that's how many people it takes to watch someone 24/7 without being caught. That seems like bullshit to me. In fact, that seems like the fastest way to get caught. It takes maybe 4 to 8 people at most in my opinion to watch someone day and night. But no. Theresa is just too fucking important for only 4-8 people. She needs 400. I forgot to mention earlier, but only the high ranking officials know about why Theresa is being watched. As far as I'm aware, there are only about 20 high ranking officials who know why Theresa is being watched. That leaves 380 people who have no fucking clue just what the hell is going on or why they're watching an 11-year-old girl. That's absolutely absurd. Something I forgot to mention earlier is that Jan claims something came from space 7 years ago and they lost track of it. She assumes that thing is HAL. Keep that in mind 7 years ago. But the fox that Theresa's mother saw was almost 11 years ago. And the fox is what gave... ... Theresa that ball of light. Norman loves to be precise with numbers, but he can't even keep his own fucking storyline straight. This book is hell. But I will keep reading because I apparently love to torture myself.

#empress theresa #empress theresa review #bad book #bad book reviews #chapter 1

[fresh-outta-jams]

Plastic Heart - Part 16

Namjoon x Reader Author: Mo Summary: When you get the highly-anticipated BTS dolls for Christmas, your life takes a turn in a way you never could have expected. Note: Luna is a real one omg we stan. Warnings: None? Koya cuteness? Word Count: 1.5k

Prologue, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

Luna responded to your SOS text pretty fast. You’d told her it was urgent and you needed her help and she asked how you wanted to hide the body, so it went unsaid that she would be your ride or die no matter what. You told the guys to stay in your room while you talked to her and kind of...warmed her up to the topic. It wouldn’t be easy to introduce someone else to this crazy world you’d found yourself in, but you knew she’d be able to handle it. Or at least, you hoped so.

When she finally got to your place, you opened the door for her. Namjoon was sitting on the couch, wearing a stray mask you found over the bottom half of his face. Baby steps. You had to introduce her to this in baby steps.

“Okay, spill. What’s your deal?” She asked as soon as she’d stepped over the threshold. Luna set her laptop bag on your couch and motioned to Namjoon. “I saw you all over Twitter. Who’s the guy?”

“I don’t want to dump this all on you at once.” You prefaced, sitting down next to him and welcoming her to sit down too. “It’s...a lot, I’m not going to lie.”

“Did you kill someone?”

“No.”

“Are you fleeing the country for tax evasion?”

“No.”

“Okay. So what is it, then?”

“I need a fake ID and a birth certificate.” He told her. “And some other things.”

“Why, are you a drug dealer or something?” Her eyebrows furrowed. For some reason, this guy’s voice was...familiar...

“No! God, no, I just…” Namjoon sighed. He looked at you.

“Promise you won’t scream, okay?” You took Namjoon’s hand and nodded. He reached up with his free hand and pulled down his mask.

Luna raised an eyebrow, studying your boyfriend’s features. “Namjoon?”

“Namjoon, yes. RM, no.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“No, it really doesn’t, does it?” Namjoon thought over how to explain this carefully. “My name is Namjoon and I...look exactly like him and sound exactly like him, but I’m not RM and I’m not in BTS and I’m not a rapper.”

“I don’t get it. How is that even possible?” Luna opened her laptop, opening up her forgery software anyway.

“Well, it’s kind of a long story.” You bit your lip, playing with Namjoon’s large fingers anxiously.

“I’ve got nothing but time.”

“Okay, so um, this is going to be really hard to believe, but...until yesterday…” Namjoon took a breath. Saying it made it real, and for some reason, admitting this to someone other than you made him feel...bad. He didn’t like thinking about his plastic past. “Until yesterday, I was...Koya?”

You sat up straight at the mention of the koala, who was tottling into the room, two of his babysitters, Yoongi and Jimin, namely, running after him. Your would-be son looked very upset. He had the little blankie you’d given him in one little chubby arm, the other down at his side.

Luna watched wide-eyed in silence as the little guy waddled over to Namjoon, who scooped him up in his arms and cooed gently. “Aww, Koya, did you have a nightmare?”

He nodded, curling into Namjoon’s chest. Luna looked from the koala to Namjoon and then to Yoongi and Jimin, who were standing there frozen and looking at the blue-haired girl. They didn’t realize she was here yet. This was not good.

“Um…” Luna stared for a long couple of moments, looking to you for some kind of explanation for the chaos your life had steadily become. “So...They’re just…”

“Toys are alive.” Yoongi explained. The cat was already out of the bag. “Please don’t scream.”

“Like...all toys?”

“Yeah.”

“Ah...alright…” She thought for a long time, quiet. “Okay. That...you know, that kind of makes sense...a little.”

“You’re taking this a lot better than (Y/N) did.” Jimin watched Luna for another development, but she was pretty calm so far. “She screamed and cried and dropped Taehyung.”

“Listen, it was quite the shock.” You defended while Namjoon chuckled. That day felt so far-off now, even though it had been the beginning of all of this. “Jimin, go get the others. That might be the easiest way to explain...this…”

“Smart.” Yoongi nodded while Jimin walked back to the bedroom to summon the rest of his brothers, who followed him out to the living room a minute later. Luna scanned the line of them, counting. That wasn’t right, there were only six. So, she did a quick roll call in her head.

Jin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Jimin, Taehyung, Jungkook, and…

Holy shit.

She looked at Namjoon, who smiled sheepishly. He rubbed the back of his neck with the hand that wasn’t cradling Koya. “Yeah, so uh, I used to be about a foot tall and made of plastic…”

“Well that explains just about everything, doesn’t it…” Luna thought through all of it. “Let’s do it, then. Let’s make you like, legally a person.”

“Thank you so much.”

“Yeah, yeah, thank me later. Right now, I’m gonna need you to bullshit a bunch of stuff so I can put it on your ID.”

And so, bullshit you did. Some of it was a matter of looking at him and writing things down: his eye color, his height. She was able to fudge some numbers, and with some hacking, she could get him into the system and give him a (resolved) parking ticket on his record. Ironic that the once-plastic Namjoon would be getting his driver’s license before the original one.

“Date of birth?” Luna asked. Namjoon’s face went blank. He thought about it for a second.

“Well, technically, it’s like August 7, 2019, but I have a feeling that’s not gonna fly…”

“Right, definitely not.”

“Holy shit, I’m a cradle robber. You’re like five months old.”

“I didn’t even think about that until now.” Namjoon admitted. He’d gotten pretty lucky to turn human when he did. There were probably toys that had been around since the 1980’s, and here he was, human after a handful of months. Unfair? Maybe. Was he glad not to be plastic anymore, though? Hell yeah. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah, let’s just not think about it.” You laughed.

“We can keep August 7th if you want, but if we make your birthday 1994, you’ll be older than RM.”

“1995 or 1996 would be fine.” Namjoon reasoned. “I really don’t want to be older than him. That makes me feel weird.”

“Well which do you want?”

“1996.” He answered.

“We’re going to need to make up names for your parents.” Luna read from her template. “Also, do you want to keep Kim as a surname? It’s pretty common, so you probably wouldn’t be questioned.”

“Yeah, we can keep Kim.” He nodded. “I’ll look up some Korean names for my parents.”

The three of you sat there for a while longer, researching and plugging in facts about someone who didn’t exist in the eyes of the law, and by the time you finished...he did. He held his ID, looking it over. He held it up next to yours and it looked...real. Like, really real. Luna was good.

“Thank you so much, Luna.” You hugged her for a long time once she had her stuff all packed up. “Really, you don’t know how much you just helped us.”

“Anytime. We’re still studying together on Wednesday, right?”

“Of course.”

And just like that, she was gone, her eyes opened to the world around her. You walked back over to Namjoon, who was holding Koya and sitting on the couch, his new documents spread out on the coffee table. You’d need to get him a wallet to keep his ID and his fake student ID in, but that could wait a few more days.

“I’m legally a person now…” He said quietly, staring at all of it. This was a lot to swallow all at once.

“And how do you feel about that?”

“Good. Really good.” His dimple came out of hiding as he slowly smiled. You sat down next to him and curled into his side, a tentative hand turning his face towards yours. “I’m just overwhelmed is all. I feel like everything’s happening so fast…”

“We’re gonna take it slow this week, alright? I’m sure this has all been a lot to deal with.”

“Yeah, a little. Can we just...put in a movie and cuddle?”

“We can do anything you want.” You kissed his nose. Namjoon leaned into your warmth, an arm wrapping around you and pulling you closer. Taking advantage of your new proximity, you tilted your head and kissed him deeply, passionately, in a way that made him elicit a little moan from the back of his throat. “I love you, Namjoon. I know it’s a big scary world out there, but I’m gonna help you get through it. I promise.”

“If you keep kissing me like that, I might not make it through the movie…” He whispered, his voice deep and husky.

You grinned, pecking his plush lips playfully. “Then maybe once we put Koya to bed, I’ll keep kissing you like that…”

Namjoon grinned devilishly. You’d be the death of him, but...he decided maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing...

Tagged: @iie-wakarimasen, @lilgaga98, @catbugsugarpea, @demonic-meatball, @backtonormalthings, @kbowen9, @honig-bienchen, @coolcat494, @ffantasylandd, @feed-my-geek-soul, @ayoo-bangtan, @xxqueenwxtchxx, @cap-lu20, @finninpoposu, @coldbookworm, @sitkafay, @daniawinchesters21, @okaysoplshelpme, @zamirayinyue13, @douseeme16

#armyofwriters #kpopwonderlandtag #btsprotectnet #plastic heart #namjoon #namjoon x reader #namjoon imagine #rm #rm x reader #rm imagine #bts imagine #toy story au #disney au

[darthkieduss]

Reasons I hate Fat Donnie Trump (will update frequently)

#Republican, duh. #Narcissistic Personality Order #He lost the Popular vote. #No previous political experience #Has unrealistic ideas about how to solve America's problems, such as getting Mexico to pay for a wall to keep illegal immigrants out. #Vice President is a crazy fundamentalist Christian homophobic wackjob who thinks electroshock therapy cures homosexuality and can't be alone with a woman without his wife present. #Believes in unscientific ideas such as the idea that vaccines cause autism (I am autistic so this is a bit personal) #Has made comments alluding to sexual harassment. #Can't let any slight go. Even comments made about his sign. Jeez, Obama simply shrugged off the trolls and haters. #Won't stop bitch-tweeting. #Enacted the separation of children from their parents. #Tried to ban trans folks from the military. As long as they serve our country, who cares? #Suspended CNN's press pass after some tough questioning. #Is imposing insanely high tariffs on imported goods, mostly from China. #Supports unconstitutional profiling of Muslims. #Supports killing civilians in war. “We gotta take our their families” WHO THINKS LIKE THIS? #Posted troops on the border just for political advantage in the 2018 mid-terms. #Is a shameless self-promoter. #Can't admit his own faults. #Believes he's qualified for president because he's rich (said this in 2013) #Has passed insane tax cuts for the rich, which only increase America's budget deficit and national debt. TRICKLE-DOWN NEVER WORKS. #Had to be discouraged from invading Venezuela, who hasn't done anything to us and poses no threat to us. #Gets advice from Fox News. #Pulled out the Iran deal which was working. #Thinks that the way to show strength is by being a dick. #Cheated on every one of his wives and lied about it. We impeached Bill Clinton for it. #Has increased the military budget way too much. We spend $664 BILLION on the military. It doesn't need anymore. #Claimed Obama spied on him by wiretapping the Trump towers. Provided no evidence. #When he is criticized for something, he claims “Obama started it...” *facepalm* #LIES ON A CONSTANT BASIS. I think he lies just to see what his fans will believe... #He won't admit he lost the popular vote. He says "If you deduct the illegal voters." Oh please... #Is undoing everything Obama did just because it was Obama that did it. If he could bring back Osama bin Laden, he would. #WORLD LEADERS ARE LAUGHING AT HIM AND US #He has his cabinet kiss his ass on a constant basis. #He committed campaign finance violations during the election. #He fired FBI Director Jimmy the Giant Comey just because he wouldn't swear loyalty to him and was investigating him. That’s Obstruction of Justice. #Attacked former Attorney General Jeff Sessions for not closing the Mueller investigation. #He said he wanted to lower the minimum wage back in 2015. #The infamous "Mexicans are rapists" Comment. #Attacked the late John McCain for being a Prisoner-of-War. #Gave out a Senator's cellphone number out of spite. #Blamed Megyn Kelly's tough questioning on her period. #He said "Bring back torture EVEN IF IT DOESN'T WORK". (2015) ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! #Tried to have his political opponents locked up. #"Jokes" about being president-for-life. If Obama had "joked" about this, the right would've lost their shit. #Threatened martial law in Chicago. #Praised Protestant bigot Norman Peale, who only opposed JFK simply because he was Catholic. #He violated the Presidential Records Act. #One of his tax cuts gave the poor $40, the ultra-rich $940,000 #He appeals to insecure men. #He and Jeff Sessions said it is ok to discriminate against gay people. #Complains about people not respecting the flag, says the guy who molests it. #Wants North Korean-style Military Parades. #Started that Obama birth certificate bullshit... He only said Obama was born in America in 2016...when it was politically-convenient. (*cough* back-pedaling) #He believes women are beneath him. #Doesn't believe in Global Warming. #Wouldn't stop saying interrupting Clinton in the debates. #Has more in common with the criminal Richard Nixon than anyone else. (Edit: He called for an end to investigations like Tricky Dick did in ‘74) #3.2 MILLION Americans lost their health insurance in Trump's first year. #"A terror attack would help me politically bigly." or we could NOT have a terrorist attack, thank you. #Claimed he would've run into a school shooting to confront the shooter without a weapon. BULLSHIT. #His lawyers say "I can't let him testify because he can't stop lying." #His budget obliterated funding for Science, Education, EPA & labor. #He encourages Republicans to break the law. #Tweeted FAKE photos to convince his fans that the border wall is being built. #Has committed obstruction of justice. (Edit: Confirmed by Mueller) #Said he's in favor of bombing civilians. #He had the USAF bomb an antivenom medical facility in Syria. #He said he only received $1 Million from his father. HE GOT $400 Million. ANOTHER LIE. #He makes everything about himself. Even 9/11. Who makes 9/11 about himself? #Claims he's completely immune to lawsuits over constitutional violations. Nixon said that, but it didn't work for him. #He's driving us to another Great Depression. #He threatened to punish the media if they weren't nice to him. #He calls the press "The enemy of the people" when they don't kiss his ass. #He calls Sean Hannity every night. Sean Hannity is a partisan hack who wouldn't turn on a Republican president even if he found out he was using JFK's Eternal Flame to light farts. He’s so far up Trump’s ass he can taste his lunch. #He still uses his private NON-SECURE cell phone, creating HUGE National Security problems. #He admitted his attacks on the media are just to discredit negative stories. #He claims he has the power to pardon himself. NO THE HELL HE DOESN'T. #Giuliani said Trump can't testify because his memory keeps changing. #THE MOST THIN-SKINNED PRESIDENT. #He is against the protections for pre-existing conditions. HE is a pre-existing condition. #When told Kim Jong-Un is a murderer, he responded "He's a tough guy." #He says Americans should obey him like North Koreans are forced at gunpoint to obey Kim Jong-un. #He trusts brutal dictators, but not our closest allies. #He is jealous of Kim Jong-Un's absolute grip on power. #He lied about the German crime rate to justify his immigration policies. #He suggested destroying the Constitution so he can deport immigrants faster. #Authorized USING LETHAL FORCE ON UNARMED MIGRANTS!!! #Lied to the United Nations, saying poverty in America doesn't actually exist. I PERSONALLY know people who are living in poverty. #He issued a gag order to stop government employees from talking to reporters. #He said, on tape, that if Senator Elizabeth Warren proved she was Native American, he would donate $1 million to a charity of her choice. When she did, and someone pointed it out, he said "I didn't say that." Whether or not he’s obligated to pay, he said he would but now he’s saying he didn’t say it. #Says people who criticize him are a threat to America. #His trade wars have cost 100,000+ American jobs. #People who work for him tend to be convicted of crimes... #Makes slanderous lies about us Democrats. #Told German Chancellor she owes him $1 Trillion even though she doesn't him shit. #76% of the claims Trump makes during his rallies are LIES. #He has committed at least NINE impeachable offenses. #He said he believes Russian president Vladimir Putin over OUR OWN intelligence agencies. #He once said in December 2016, "Fuck the law! I don't give a fuck about the law! I want my fucking money!" #Claimed we've won the war on poverty, so let's cut food stamp programs. No we haven't. #He threatened to nuke the economy to spite China. #He said he'd drain the swamp, yet he was 86 lobbyists on his staff. #He thinks everyone else is as stupid as he is. #Corporations are PRAYING that Trump tweets us into a war. #He told a crowd "reality isn't real" so they should ignore it. #Wages have tanked after Trump's wealthy tax cut. #Nixon was guilty as hell and Trump sounds just like him. #He actually claimed you need a Picture ID to buy cereal....CEREAL...WHO IS THIS STUPID?!?! #He claimed people will die if we don't make cars less fuel efficient. #By August 2018 his lie count topped 4,200+. By May 2019, it’s now 10,000+. #His administration is now allowing more toxic asbestos into our daily lives. #His wife plagiarized Michelle Obama in a speech during the election. #He watches tapes of his rallies to marvel at his own "brilliance", if that's what you call it. More like jerking off to himself. #He said military might is more important that jobs. #He said violating ethics rules to meet with Fox news is in "the public's interest" #Discreetly called for Hillary Clinton's assassination by firearm (”Second Amendment people”) if she had won. #Claimed he would ONLY accept the results of the 2016 election IF HE WON. #Said "Let's fucking kill him" of Bashar al-Assad. Yes, Assad is a bad man, but WE DON'T ASSASSINATE PEOPLE. #He said he wants to separate migrants kids from parents INDEFINITELY. #He acted like a total ass on the 2018 9/11 anniversary. #He denies that 3,000+ Puerto Ricans died in Hurricane Maria. #Pentagon officials had to stop Trump from tweeting us into a war. #American taxpayers spent $77 MILLION on Trump's Golf trips. #Criticized Obama for golf trips...has taken more golf trips in 3 years than Obama did in 8. #Said the FBI is a "Cancer to the country". #His administration cut cancer research funding to pay for child prisons. #Puerto Rico won't get statehood simply because they were mean to him. *His administration said Planet is burning down, so let's just ruin it now. *Says he loves North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. “We fell in love”. *Talked about his dick at the debates. *He is being investigated for tax evasion and fraud. *Hates immigrants, married two Eastern European immigrant, son of a Scottish immigrant and grandson of a German immigrant. *Claimed Iraq War was wrong, yet he has increased troop numbers there. *Compared sexual assault victims to arsonists. #He denied Saudi Arabia financial interests...AFTER bragging about them. #He hasn't condemned Saudi Arabia for their murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. #He mocked decorated Navy SEAL, saying they should've gotten Osama bin Laden sooner. WHAT? #He banned 2 Million Federal workers from discussing his impeachment at work. #He demanded that he leave the G20 during the climate change discussion. #He told about skyrocketing national debt: "I won't be here." when it explodes. #Called a US Senator "The Dick". #*His hush money payments were done ILLEGALLY, with campaign cash. #His cult sent bombs to everyone he criticized. Not saying he's directly responsible but that's how cultist his fans are. #He threatened to bring Saturday Night Live to court simply for making fun of him. Awww poor baby, is someone making fun of you? Good. #Never has a president been under so much investigations except Richard Nixon. #He pulled us out of the Paris agreements. #His 2018 government shutdown lasted 35 days and was over a stupid wall. #He only works 40% of the day. He's the laziest POTUS ever. #He pulled us out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. HE STARTED A NEW COLD WAR. #He won’t release his taxes. If he’s got nothing to hide, why HIDE EM? #He threatened us Democrats, saying he has the support of the police, the military and “Bikers for Trump.” Bikers for Trump=BrownShirts. #Claims that windmill causes cancer and kill birds...Are you fucking kidding me? #His son Donny Douchebag got a crowd to chant “AOC sucks” like the douchebag he is. #Claimed his father was born in Germany. Fred Trump was born in NYC, how stupid can you be to not know where your parents were born... #Claims he should get 2 more years added to his term because those 2 years were “stolen” by the Mueller report. *facepalm-cringe* #He told 4 Progressive non-white Congresswomen to “Go back to where you came from”. 3 of 4 were BORN HERE, YOU FUCKING RACIST #One-uped the “go back to your country” but viciously attacking Elijah Cummings and Baltimore in a racist Twitter tirade. #Extorted the Ukrainian President to investigate Joe Biden (finally being impeached) #He's always blaming everybody else, complaining, never taking responsibility. #"I inherited a mess." You inherited millions of dollars, you whiny...little...BITCH!

#Trump #Donald Trump #Fat Donnie #I hate Trump #Why I hate Trump #Bernie 2020 #Why I'm not a Republican #Impeach the MF #Impeach the MFer #Impeach the Motherfucker #I love Bernie

[ecofinisher]

Wedding in Japan - Chap. 6

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18972931/chapters/45483997

https://www.wattpad.com/742461982-wedding-in-japan-chapter-6

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13295790/6/Wedding-in-Japan

Chapter 6

(Author fangirling moment: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Kagami is the new dragon miraculous holder!!!!!)

The next day the two friends Adrien and Kagami sat in the cafeteria eating semolina porridge for breakfast with a cup of tea and coffee along with other travelers in the same wagon. Adrien took from the cruet the cinnamon can to spread a big amount of powder over the porridge.

„That‘s a lot of cinnamon you‘re putting over your breakfast,“ Kagami said taking a spoon full of semolina into her mouth.

„The porridge tastes fantastic, if you put enough of it, “ Adrien said mixing it with the cinnamon and take a full spoon from the plate and introduced it in his mouth.

„Does it bother you, if I call my mother?“ Questioned Kagami. „I haven‘t informed her yet about, how we‘re going to Tokyo“

„Sure no problem…..oh and by the way, Nino kept our baggage with him and told me, if you wanted he could bring it to your mother“

„That great, I‘ll tell it my mother and she sees, what she‘s going to do“ The blue-haired woman responded picking up her smartphone to search the contact of her mother to call her.

Adrien continued to eat his breakfast then felt his phone vibrate in the pocket of his pants, afterward, he took it out and saw a message of Nino.

„You won‘t believe it, who I saw this morning. Alya Césaire“

Adrien chuckled and replied to Nino‘s message.

„Awesome, what is she doing there in Japan?“ Adrien typed to his friend, then send it and placed his phone on the table. He watched Kagami speak in Japanese to her mother while he kept eating his porridge. A few minutes later Kagami was done with her talk with her mother, then she took a spoon full with the semolina and took it into her mouth.

„And did your mother say something special?“ The blonde questioned the friend.

„Just wanted to know exactly, when we would arrive in Tokyo. If I was going alone, who was accompanying me if I could warn her if something changes about our route“

„Okay….did she say anything about, that it was me?“

„No, just feels secure to know, I‘m not doing this alone“

„Oh, “ Adrien said gladly. „Well I think it‘s better if we two are together in this and not alone, “ The Frenchman said earning a nod from the friend.

„Yeah you‘re right“ The woman agreed making his friend smile. Adrien finished the bowl, then took his cup of coffee to take a sip, while Kagami ate the rest of her porridge.

Behind Kagami a young man got up from another table, approaching her slowly and from the backpack, she had placed next to her chair with the zipper open, he introduced his hand carefully in to take out a dark red wallet.

Adrien looked at Kagami again as she was nearly finished with her breakfast, then he got shocked as he saw the man poking around in his crush‘s bag.

„Hey, you‘re being robbed!“ Yelled Adrien shrieking Kagami, who looked behind her the man got up from the ground with her wallet and ran across the wagon.

„Get back here!“ Ordered Kagami getting up from the chair along with Adrien to pursue the thief.

The man entered the next cabin and ran down into the first level of the cabin, then Kagami kept following the man along with Adrien. The thief pulled out from the train‘s overhead bin the nearest suitcases down towards Kagami to slow her down.

„Hey!“ The Japanese woman yelled as she tripped over a suitcase, that had fallen on the ground.

„You‘re alright?“ Questioned Adrien getting down to her.

„Adrien, he‘s fleeing!“ The blue-haired woman warned making Adrien frown and nod at his friend before he kept pursuing the man.

Kagami stood up by herself and followed her blonde friend, then as she saw Adrien follow the thief into the next wagon, she crossed the train gate too, then went up the second floor instead, while Adrien pursued the thief in the first floor. Kagami passed by the sitting passengers, which glanced up at her in confusion, by seeing her speeding her way up to the other side of the wagon.

Under the second floor, Adrien tripped over the handbag of a passenger, losing more distance from the other man, then Adrien got up from the floor to keep following the man, which threw the wallet towards a woman, that sat in the train reading a magazine and shrieked as she got hit by it. Adrien grabbed the wallet, which belonged to Kagami, then got the stairs up and was blocked by a crowd of people, that were waiting for the train to open the door, so they could leave. Adrien looked around the train, then caught Kagami reaching the stairs, then held up the wallet in the air.

„I‘ve got it!“ Adrien announced with a euphoric smile, then Kagami walked halfway of the stairs down to pick it up.

„Did he manage to steal anything from it?“ Questioned Kagami watching Adrien‘s smile disappear as he didn‘t check it out.

„Uh I don‘t know, “ Adrien said observing Kagami open her wallet to only see her ID, her passport and three other cards in it.

„That jerk took my money,“ Kagami told the blonde feeling irritated about the situation, then Adrien looked at the outside, where the thief held up in the air a couple of cash bills in the hand, while the door of the train closed.

„No, you won‘t get away just like that!“ Kagami cried running at the door pressing non-stop on the button to open the train door, but the doors had already been locked and the vehicle started to tax slowly to leave the station, where the thief stood waving at the two passengers.

Kagami groaned as she didn‘t manage to leave the train to catch the man, then Adrien approached the blue-haired girl from behind placing his hand on her shoulder.

„Was this the only money you had to sustain yourself for the rest of the week?“ Questioned Adrien earning a nod from Kagami.

„My credit card I left it in my house in Japan since I wouldn‘t need it in France and that rest I had in case of an emergency like this and to eventually buy something else“

„I‘ll sustain you until we‘re in Tokyo, is that okay?“ The Frenchman offered the woman, who shook her head disagreeing with the blonde‘s idea.

„No Adrien, I can‘t accept that. I don‘t want you to play the double as you already are, just because of me“

„It‘s no problem for me Kagami, really.“ Adrien assured the friend it was good for him. „It‘s just 300 euros for the rest of the week….or I don‘t know how much rouble“

„There around 20‘000 or 30‘000 rouble, if calculated similarly to the Yen currency“

„Kagami I really don‘t mind to sustain you, until the end of our ride. You‘re my best friend, I don‘t want you to spend the rest of the ride without eating anything, just because you don‘t have the money here“ Adrien said making Kagami sigh.

„Okay I accept your offer and in the end, I will pay you every cent back I owe you. Is that alright?“

„You don‘t need to Kagami“

„I know, but I want to, “ The Japanese woman said earning a nod from the Frenchman.

„Alright I accept that, “ Adrien said earning a nod from the woman. „Should we head back to the cafeteria?“ Adrien questioned his friend.

„Sure, I haven‘t finished my tea yet“

„Good“ Adrien responded walking the stairs down along with Kagami to walk back to the other wagon, they were eating breakfast.

Nino stood at the entrance of a hotel near the Yoyogi park in Shibuya with a dark red suitcase waiting with a white a4 sheet on his hands saying Tomoe Tsurugi. Nino yawned while he held the sheet, then shook his head to try to stay awake.

„Damn it, the time zone change is worse, than when I go to Morroco“ The tan-skinned man complained watching people walk by and a few cars on the road. A black van stopped to drop out a couple of Asian women, who made their way to the hotel and Nino noted, two of them gazing at Nino.

„Tomoe Tsurugi?“ Questioned Nino holding the sheet up to the women, which shook their head and continued to walk into the hotel, making the guy sigh. Another red sedan appeared stopping in front of the hotel, then the door got open by itself and an adult woman dressed in a white blouse and dark red pants, then took out a bokken from the car, making Nino wide his eyes in confusion as he had seen the weapon. „What is she doing with that?“ Asked Nino himself observing the woman, who then placed the end of the bokken on the floor and used it as a blind stick to move further. „Oh she‘s blind, “ Nino said to himself, then walked the stairs down to the woman.

„Good day, would you like me to help you up the stairs?“ Questioned the Moroccan man looking at the woman with the dark sunglasses.

„I‘m fine, I‘m just looking for a certain Mr. Nino Lahiffe. He wants to meet me here at the hotel for me to pick up my daughter‘s baggage“

„Oh, you‘re Mrs. Tsurugi then?“ Questioned Nino looking at the woman giving the boy a slow movement from her head, confirming it. „Oh I didn‘t know this before, my friend Adrien, who is also with Kagami stuck in Russia didn‘t mention me about your….. trouble with seeing“

„It‘s alright, it doesn‘t matter,“

„Here is Kagami‘s suitcase, if you want I can put it in the trunk of the car“ Offered Nino earning a nod from the woman, then Nino pulled the suitcase behind him and placed his hand over the license plate on the small gap over it pressing a button to open the door of the trunk and Nino placed it inside the trunk and closed the door manually.

„Thank you, also for the next time, you didn‘t need to use your hand, you can also pass your foot under the bumper like this“ Tomoe said instructing the young man while she passed her leg under the bumper making it open the trunk door up.

„Cool, “ Nino said watching Mrs. Tsurugi doing it again to close the door.

„Thank you for giving me back my daughter‘s case“

„No problem, I thought it was better since I had to keep Adrien‘s too, to take hers too“

„It‘s a pity for us, that Kagami had bad luck on this trip and is coming a little late than usual back“

„I know, same for my dude“ Nino replied to the older woman. „But Adrien is a great guy, he will make sure, she gets here safe and sound“

„I know I trust him.“

„Same“

„He was Kagami‘s first friend in France and her only best friend. She used to talk a lot about him. I even believe that she was in love with him“

„Oh really?“ Nino asked a little sarcastic, then he slapped himself at his words and repeated it normally. „Oh uh really? I didn‘t know“

„The way she spoke about him, was different. It was more….I don‘t know how to explain, she felt more content than usually“

„That‘s funny, cause my dude...I mean Adrien felt the same about her“

„Oh what a silly surprise“

„I know, right?“ Nino agreed with the woman.

„Look I would love to stay longer, but I got a lot of work to do because of the wedding“

„It‘s okay, maybe we get the chance to see us later at her wedding, “ Nino said earning a nod from the woman, who walked to the side of the car, then entered into the vehicle, which drove away leaving Nino back.

„I wonder what type of guy Kagami is going to marry“ Nino questioned himself thinking about it, then as he wanted to make his way back to the hotel he crashed against someone. „Whoa!“ Nino said as he walked towards someone. „I‘m sorry“ Nino apologized adjusting his cap, then he wide his eyes as he saw the person he walked in.

„Nino?“ Asked the woman with the wavy hair.

„Hey Alya, nice to see you again“

„Yeah and I‘m sorry I didn‘t talk to you yesterday at the capsule hotel, I was on the phone with Marinette“

„No problem, I didn‘t also want to interfere with you“

„What brings you here?“ Questioned the Martinic descendant woman. „Are you doing a world trip or something?“

„I was accompanying Adrien to Japan, but when he was going by bus to the airport, the tire of the bus had cracked and they tried to go by train to the airport, but I told them the airport was striking and they decided to look for another airport and find another flight, but most of the airports had already sold out their tickets to Tokyo. I didn‘t know, the flight would go on after three hours, if I knew, they would have managed to board“

„At least you know, he‘s alright and coming to Tokyo….and who‘s with Adrien?“

„Kagami“ Responded Nino. „We had met her at the airport when we were heading to the plane“

„Ah, but what are you two still doing here in Japan?“ Questioned Alya. „Did you want to visit her?“

„Adrien and I received an invitation to Kagami‘s wedding and Adrien felt sad about this, then Nathaniel who lives in the commune with us gave me and Adrien the idea, in making Kagami fall in love again with Adrien and that‘s sort of what we were supposed to do“

„Okay?“ Alya responded a little bewildered.

„It sounds weird, but I think since the two are alone traveling across Russia for the next couple of days, they‘re most likely to fall in love again“

„The idea is still weird, but if you two think this works out. I have nothing to say“

„We still got those days in front of us, we‘ll figure it out then, “ Nino said earning a nod from the woman. „Are you staying at this hotel too?“ Questioned the Moroccan earning a nod from the woman. „Hey if you want, we could both have a dinner tonight at the hotel and maybe chat about how our lives have changed since we left school?“

„That‘s a great idea Nino, but I have to work on an article this evening. Maybe tomorrow or another day?“

„It‘s alright, I think it‘s also better for me, I need to take care of my jet lag, “ Nino said making Alya laugh.

„Poor you“

„I will manage it, don‘t worry, “ Nino said walking the stairs up along with Alya to their hotel.

#adrimi #adrami #adrigami #updated #update #fanfic #fanfiction #wattpad #ao3 #kagadrien #Kagami Tsurugi #adrien agreste #Nino lahiffe #alya cesaire #DJWIFI #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #au #alternate universe

[ard1choke]

The past month has seen one blockbuster revelation after another about how our mobile phone and broadband providers have been leaking highly sensitive customer information, including real-time location data and customer account details. In the wake of these consumer privacy debacles, many are left wondering who’s responsible for policing these industries? How exactly did we get to this point? What prospects are there for changes to address this national privacy crisis at the legislative and regulatory levels? These are some of the questions we’ll explore in this article.

In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission under the Obama Administration reclassified broadband Internet companies as telecommunications providers, which gave the agency authority to regulate broadband providers the same way as telephone companies.

The FCC also came up with so-called “net neutrality” rules designed to prohibit Internet providers from blocking or slowing down traffic, or from offering “fast lane” access to companies willing to pay extra for certain content or for higher quality service.

In mid-2016, the FCC adopted new privacy rules for all Internet providers that would have required providers to seek opt-in permission from customers before collecting, storing, sharing and selling anything that might be considered sensitive — including Web browsing, application usage and location information, as well as financial and health data.

But the Obama administration’s new FCC privacy rules didn’t become final until December 2016, a month after then President-elect Trump was welcomed into office by a Republican controlled House and Senate.

Congress still had 90 legislative days (when lawmakers are physically in session) to pass a resolution killing the privacy regulations, and on March 23, 2017 the Senate voted 50-48 to repeal them. Approval of the repeal in the House passed quickly thereafter, and President Trump officially signed it on April 3, 2017.

In an op-ed published in The Washington Post, Ajit Pai — a former Verizon lawyer and President Trump’s pick to lead the FCC — said “despite hyperventilating headlines, Internet service providers have never planned to sell your individual browsing history to third parties.”

FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai.

“That’s simply not how online advertising works,” Pai wrote. “And doing so would violate ISPs’ privacy promises. Second, Congress’s decision last week didn’t remove existing privacy protections; it simply cleared the way for us to work together to reinstate a rational and effective system for protecting consumer privacy.”

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) came to a different conclusion, predicting that the repeal of the FCC privacy rules would allow broadband providers to collect and sell a “gold mine of data” about customers.

“Your mobile broadband provider knows how you move about your day through information about your geolocation and internet activity through your mobile device,” Nelson said. The Senate resolution “will take consumers out of this driver’s seat and place the collection and use of their information behind a veil of secrecy.”

Meanwhile, pressure was building on the now Republican-controlled FCC to repeal the previous administration’s net neutrality rules. The major ISPs and mobile providers claimed the new regulations put them at a disadvantage relative to competitors that were not regulated by the FCC, such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google.

On Dec. 14, 2017, FCC Chairman Pai joined two other Republic FCC commissioners in a 3-2 vote to dismantle the net neutrality regulations.

As The New York Times observed after the net neutrality repeal, “the commission’s chairman, Ajit Pai, vigorously defended the repeal before the vote. He said the rollback of the rules would eventually benefit consumers because broadband providers like AT&T and Comcast could offer them a wider variety of service options.”

“We are helping consumers and promoting competition,” Mr. Pai said. “Broadband providers will have more incentive to build networks, especially to underserved areas.”

MORE OR LESS CHOICE?

Some might argue we’ve seen reduced competition and more industry consolidation since the FCC repealed the rules. Major broadband and mobile provider AT&T and cable/entertainment giant Time Warner are now fighting the Justice Department in a bid to merge. Two of the four-largest mobile telecom and broadband providers — T-Mobile and Sprint — have announced plans for a $26 billion merger.

The FCC privacy rules from 2016 that were overturned by Congress sought to give consumers more choice about how their data was to be used, stored and shared. But consumers now have less “choice” than ever about how their mobile provider shares their data and with whom. Worse, the mobile and broadband providers themselves are failing to secure their own customers’ data.

This month, it emerged that the major mobile providers have been giving commercial third-parties the ability to instantly look up the precise location of any mobile subscriber in real time. KrebsOnSecurity broke the news that one of these third parties — LocationSmart — leaked this ability for years to anyone via a buggy component on its Web site.

LocationSmart’s demo page featured a buggy component which allowed anyone to look up anyone else’s mobile device location, in real time, and without consent.

We also learned that another California company — Securus Technologies — was selling real-time location lookups to a number of state and local law enforcement agencies, and that accounts for dozens of those law enforcement officers were obtained by hackers.  Securus, it turned out, was ultimately getting its data from LocationSmart.

This week, researchers discovered that a bug in T-Mobile’s Web site let anyone access the personal account details of any customer with just their cell phone number, including full name, address, account number and some cases tax ID numbers.

Not to be outdone, Comcast was revealed to have exposed sensitive information on customers through a buggy component of its Web site that could be tricked into displaying the home address where the company’s wireless router is located, as well as the router’s Wi-Fi name and password.

It’s not clear how FCC Chairman Pai intends to “reinstate a rational and effective system for protecting consumer privacy,” as he pledged after voting last year to overturn the 2015 privacy rules. The FCC reportedly has taken at least tentative steps to open an inquiry into the LocationSmart debacle, although Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has called on Chairman Pai to recuse himself on the inquiry because Pai once represented Securus as an attorney. (Wyden also had some choice words for the wireless companies).

The major wireless carriers all say they do not share customer location data without customer consent or in response to a court order or subpoena. Consent. All of these carriers pointed me to their privacy policies. It could be the carriers believe these policies clearly explain that simply by using their wireless device customers have opted-in to having their real-time location data sold or given to third-party companies.

Michelle De Mooy, director of the privacy and data project at the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), said if the mobile giants are burying that disclosure in privacy policy legalese, that’s just not good enough.

“Even if they say, ‘Our privacy policy says we can do this,’ it violates peoples’ reasonable expectations of when and why their location data is being collected and how that’s going to be used. It’s not okay to simply point to your privacy policies and expect that to be enough.”

CHECKING THE FTC’S RECORD

When the FCC’s repeal of the net neutrality rules takes effect on June 11, 2018, broadband providers will once again be regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). That power was briefly shared with FCC when the agency under the Obama administration passed its net neutrality rules with the assumption that it could regulate broadband providers like telecommunications companies.

When it comes to investigating companies for privacy and security violations, the FTC’s primary weapon is The FTC Act, which “prohibits unfair and deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce.” According to the FTC Act, a “misrepresentation or omission is deceptive if it is material and is likely to mislead consumers acting reasonably under the circumstances.” It also finds that an act or practice “is unfair if it causes, or is likely to cause, substantial injury that is not reasonably avoidable by consumers, and not outweighed by countervailing benefits to consumers or competition.”

It’s difficult to think of a bigger violation of those principles than the current practice by the major mobile providers of sharing real-time location data on customers with third parties, without any opportunity for customers to opt-in or opt-out of such sharing.

But it’s unclear whether the FTC would take take any action against such activity, or indeed if it has any precedent to do so. The agency had the ability to go after mobile broadband providers for privacy and security violations between 2002 and 2015, and so KrebsOnSecurity asked the commission to share how many times during that period that it took enforcement actions against broadband providers.

The list I got back from them wasn’t exactly privacy or security focused. The FTC cited a case in 2003 in which it sued AOL and CompuServe over unfair billing practices. In 2009, it helped to take down 3FN, a small, shady ISP that was based in the United States but run by Russians and hosting a stupendous amount of malware, scams and illegal content (i.e. child pornography).

In 2014, the FTC alleged that AT&T Mobility deceptively advertised “unlimited” data while throttling mobile customers who used certain amounts of data (this case is still pending but a recent appeals court decision cleared the way for the FTC to continue its lawsuit).

In 2015, TracFone, the largest prepaid mobile provider in the United States, agreed to pay $40 million to the FTC for consumer refunds to settle charges that it deceived millions of consumers with regard to its “unlimited” data service.

The FTC also cited a scolding letter (PDF) that it sent to Verizon over issues related to the security of its customer routers. No action was taken by the FTC in that case.

How eager the FTC will be to police privacy practices of broadband providers may come down to the priorities of the agency’s new leaders. The Trump administration just tapped Andrew Smith as head of the FTC’s consumer protection office. Smith is a lawyer who used to represent many of the companies that the agency is already investigating.

Smith will need to recuse himself from multiple ongoing investigations his office would normally lead, including data breaches at Equifax and Facebook, thanks to his previous work on behalf of the companies. According to The Hill, Smith testified in October before the Senate Banking Committee on behalf of the credit reporting industry as the panel investigated an Equifax data breach that compromised more than 145 million people.

Gigi Sohn, a fellow at the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law and Policy and a former senior adviser to former FCC Chair Tom Wheeler in 2015, said the FTC doesn’t have a strong record on broadband privacy enforcement.

Sohn said the FTC’s legal framework does not require affirmative opt-in consent for browsing history and app usage, and that a provider would only have to let you opt-out — something that consumers rarely do and which companies routinely make it hard to do. More importantly, she said, while the FCC’s rules would have protected consumers before they were harmed, the FTC can only act after harm has already occurred.

“We passed privacy rules for broadband and mobile providers that would have required them to seek customer opt-in for anything that was considered sensitive,” Sohn said of her work at the FCC under the Obama administration. “The carrier had to give you clear and consistent opportunities to opt out. It was very broad, but the definition we set for personal information was far broader than what even the FTC considered sensitive.”

REPEALING THE REPEAL OF NET NEUTRALITY

So the carriers are already reneging on their promise to customers that they won’t share location data without customer consent or a court order. But where does that leave us on net neutrality? The answer is that the major wireless carriers are already doing what was expressly prohibited under the FCC’s net neutrality rules: Favoring their own content over competitors, and letting companies gain more favorable access by paying more.

Around the time of the FCC’s repeal of the net neutrality rules last year, The Wall Street Journal prognosticated about what might happen with the regulations out of the way. To do this, it looked at some of the offerings the mobile carriers pitched before the rules were drawn up.

“One example of how things could work is the mobile wireless market, where some providers already have used pricing tactics to favor certain websites and services over others,” wrote John D. McKinnon and Ryan Knutson for The Journal:

The 2015 Obama-era rules didn’t explicitly prohibit these tactics, which generally allow customers to access certain websites without having it count against their monthly data cap. Wireless carriers, which often subject their users to strict data limits, were aggressive in experimenting with such plans, also known as “zero rating.”

Deals began emerging several years ago for inexpensive plans that offer unlimited high-speed access to popular services such as Facebook or Twitter, but limited or even restricted access to the rest of the internet.

T-Mobile US Inc. in late 2013 announced that its GoSmart Mobile brand had “become the first wireless provider…to offer free access to Facebook and Facebook Messenger for all of its wireless customers, even those without monthly data service.” The GoSmart Mobile plans started at $25 a month for “unlimited talk” with no other data service. T-Mobile has since transferred the GoSmart brand to another wireless firm.

In 2014, Virgin Mobile USA, a unit of Sprint Corp. , offered a wireless plan that cost $12, but users were only allowed to access one website: either Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. If they wanted all four, it was $10 more a month. Another $5 and they could access any online music streaming service.

Big internet providers also used zero-rating plans to favor their own content. AT&T Inc. gave paying customers unlimited usage of its own online video service DirecTV Now, while other video sites counted against monthly data caps. Verizon Communications Inc. did the same for its mobile video app, called go90.”

AT&T Mobility offers a zero-rating plan called “Sponsored Data” that allows content providers to pay up front to have streaming of that content allowed without counting against the provider’s monthly data caps.

Sohn said the FCC under the Obama administration initiated an investigation into AT&T’s Sponsored Data plan and Verizon for its go90 service, but that the inquiry was abandoned by the current FCC leadership.

There are some prospects for a Congressional repeal of this administration’s gutting of the FCC’s net neutrality rules. On May 16, the Senate approved a resolution nullifying the FCC’s rollback of the net neutrality rules. But the measure faces an uphill battle in the House.

“Right now we’re probably 30 to 40 members short of being able to bring a vote in the House,” Sohn said. “About 20 Democrats haven’t gotten on board, and we have no Republicans so far. But I think that’s going to change. If Congress repeals the net neutrality repeal, the next step would be to craft stronger rules [either at the FCC or Congress]. We have until the end of this Congress to get it done.”

The CDT’s De Mooy gives the effort to repeal the repeal of net neutrality rules slim chances of passage this year. But she said the prospects for revisiting net neutrality and consumer privacy in the next Congress look good, particularly if Democrats pick up additional seats in the House.

“It seems to be something the Democrats are taking up more now,” Demooy said. “So much depends on what happens in November. But that’s true of so many tech policy issues.”

SHOCK AND YAWN

When I first saw a Carnegie Mellon University researcher show me last week that he could look up the near-exact location of any mobile number in the United States, I sincerely believed the public would be amazed and horrified at the idea that mobile providers are sharing this real-time data with third party companies, and at the fact that those third parties in turn weren’t doing anything to prevent the abuse of their own systems.

Instead, after a brief round of coverage in several publications, the story fell out of the news cycle. A story this week in Slate.com lamented how little coverage the mainstream press has given to the LocationSmart scandal, and marvels at how much more shocked people were over the Cambridge Analytic scandal with Facebook.

“Privacy abuses and slip-ups by major tech companies have become so numerous, and the prospect of containing them seems so hopeless, that the public and much of the media have become nearly numb to them,” writes Will Oremus for Slate. “My data was hacked? So it goes. It may have been used in unauthorized ways by unspecified parties? C’est la vie.”

Oremus argues that what the LocationSmart scandal lacks is not import, nor the potential for serious harm, “but a link to some divisive political issue or societal outrage sufficient enough to generate visceral anger from people who aren’t privacy wonks.”

If you’ve read this far (bless you), don’t let breach fatigue and incessant media exposure of how little privacy we have harden into resignation. Yes, the prospects of any public debate about consumer privacy protections in the United States at the legislative level seem dim in a high-stakes mid-term election year. But supporters of net neutrality ideals can start getting involved by tweeting, calling and emailing the House lawmakers listed in red at BattleForTheNet.com.

While you’re at it, tell your lawmakers what you think about mobile providers giving or selling third-parties real-time access to customer location information, and let them know that this is no longer okay.

This is the second article in a two-part series. The first is here: Mobile Giants, Please Don’t Share the Where.

#IFTTT #Published articles #rss

[travelingtheusa]

NEW YORK

8 Sep 2020 (Tue) – We spent yesterday getting ready to move.  We drove to the lawyer’s office in Port Jefferson to sign a temporary Power of Attorney for Travis.  Since we won’t be here for the closing on his house, we are giving him authority to sign for us.  That was debacle!  First, the secretary asked for ID with a picture and our address on it.  We gave her our New York driver licenses.  They have our Texas mailing address on them.  She said that was no good.  She then instructed us to send her copies of our passports.  When we got back home, I did that.  She said Paul’s passport said New York but mine said New Jersey.  I had to explain that there is no residential address on a passport; that the states are where we were born.  She then asked for a Costco card or some other ID that had a picture and New York address on it.  When we couldn’t provide any, she mumbled something about having to do a tax form for Texas.  We are certainly hopeful that Travis & Sam don’t have to pay taxes to Texas!

     After the lawyer’s office, we drove into Port Jefferson and had lunch at one of the many restaurants in this charming port town.  The waiter gave us the menus, stated that he was the only one working today, and he would come when called.  The tables were set up outside on the parking lot.  There were about 6 tables he had to serve.  The service was very slow but the meal was good.

     We invited Caiden to come over for dinner. He enjoyed it.  Unfortunately, we got a message saying my nephew’s funeral will be on Saturday.  We were expecting it to take place next Saturday.  We were going to camp in PA for a week, then drive to Rhode Island/Massachusetts.   Now, we had to call campgrounds and move things around.  Fortunately, we were able to get 5 days at a Navy campground in Newport, RI, as well as move the days we were going to PA.  Whew.  Otherwise, we would have lost our deposit at the PA campground.

6 Sep 2020 (Sun) – It’s been a busy week.  Kenny went to the clinic and had his arm looked at.  The doctor said he has a second degree burn but didn’t do anything with the injury.  Just told him to keep it clean and dry.

     I started physical therapy on my Achilles tendon.  I went for therapy on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.  They start with heat and stimulation, then I do some exercises, and it ends with ice and stimulation.  They also do some ultrasound.  The place is big and it kind of feels like an assembly line operation. Oh, well.  I won’t be there for long.

     Miranda’s car had the thermostat and rheostat replaced as well as three coils in the engine.  It cost $900. Our next door neighbor, Dave, owns an auto body shop and did the work for us.  We brought the car back to Miranda and Kenny and told them that’s it. No more money will be spent on that car. Dave suggested we put it in a lot, douse it in gasoline, and set it on fire.  It’s basically shot.

     We took Caiden and went over Susan & Bill’s house on Saturday.  It was our last swim for the summer.  He had a great time.  We are all a little sad to see the season end.  Earlier in the week, Susan and I went to West Hampton for lunch. They recently renovated the town and she wanted to look it over.  It was very new looking.  

     After church today, we went over Travis & Sam’s.  Today is Travis’ 39th birthday.  We enjoyed a barbecue and ice cream cake.  We gave him a storage device with all our photo albums scanned on it. Hope he likes it.

 30 Aug 2020 (Sun) – We went to church this morning.  Attendance is still sparse but the way the pews are chained off, it’s probably for the best.  After church, we stopped at Bagel Boss for bagels.  The deli counter had 6 people on line and the bagel line only had 1 person so I opted for the bagel line.  What. A.  Mistake.  The girl who waited on me was so new that she had to ask another worker what a rye and garlic bagel looked like.  She was sooooooo slow that everyone in the deli line not only went through but several people after where I would have been had I gotten on that line.  Serves me right for being in a hurry.

     After church, we drove to Travis & Sam’s, stopping at a couple of furniture stores on the way to look for new recliners.  We are limited by the size of the space that the recliners would fit into. The kids are growing fast.  The baby is such a happy little guy.  Big smiles and laughs all the time.  Paul and I picked up KFC chicken for dinner.  It was a nice visit.

     Miranda borrowed the truck at 7:30 to go pick Kenny up at work.  Their car is not working right now.  There is some kind of blockage in the cooling system.  Caiden and I played a few games.  When Kenny got home, Miranda changed the dressing on his arm from the scalding he took yesterday.  He has a very large blister and a lot of redness on his arm.  Miranda and I convinced him to go to the clinic tomorrow.  He probably should have the blister drained and get put on an antibiotic.  

 29 Aug 2020 (Sat) – We went to church today to attend a memorial service for June Wertz, a friend of ours.  Her husband, Bob, invited us to join their travel club some years ago.  One of the members of their club had passed away just before the small group was going to camp out at Wildwood State Park.  They invited us to take his camping spot. During the 8-10 years we camped with them, it was always on Long Island.  The members were all up in years and didn’t go off-Island to camp.  It was a fun group and I wish we could have known them in their younger, traveling days.  At any rate, we certainly enjoyed the time we spent with Bob & June and the rest of them.

     Miranda and Kenny had a serious incident yesterday.  They were at KFC when they noticed smoke coming from the engine. They popped the hood, looked around, and opened the radiator cap.  Both of them were scalded, Kenny pretty badly.  They are monitoring his condition to determine whether his burns are bad enough to seek medical help.

 28 Aug 2020 (Fri) – I drove to Ronkonkoma to visit with my cousin, Claude, today.  He has been experiencing medical issues for a while now.  He has gone from 220 lbs. to 175 lbs.  He is looking old and sick.  I fear for his well-being.  I visited for about an hour then the nurse came in to see him so I left.

     Paul spent the day repairing the steps to the back deck.  He poured some concrete at the base a few days ago and had Caiden put his name, date, and footprint in it.  

 27 Aug 2020 (Thu) – I drove out to Southampton today.  It was almost an hour and a half drive.  When I arrived for my 10:30 a.m. appointment, the receptionist told me I was scheduled for 11:30 a.m.  The dentist didn’t get me in until almost 12 noon.  I was seeing him for a consultation.  He is an endodontist who specializes in root canals and oral surgery. He didn’t see anything that needs immediate attention.  Furthermore, he said that he conforms to the recommendations of the American Dental Association and doesn’t believe that metal in the mouth or root canals are inherently bad.  He suggested that I leave everything as it is unless I am in pain.  It was a disappointing consult.

      I stopped at CVS to pick up my prescriptions from the dermatologist, the neurologist to get copies of the test results for my records, and at Shop Rite for some groceries.  I got home in time to put everything away and turn around to make my 4:00 p.m. appointment for physical therapy.  That was also a somewhat disappointing experience.  I was brought in, asked a bunch of questions by someone who said she was a physical therapist, and advised that I would get some exercises to do. Today’s appointment was just heat and stimulation.  An aide put the electrodes on my foot and wrapped it in a hot towel.  She said the therapist would be in to turn on the stim. After 15 minutes, I flagged down a passing therapist to see if she could find the gal that was supposed to turn my stim on.  After 5 minutes, she came in and said she thought the aide would turn it on.  They seemed very disorganized and uncommunicative.   I am scheduled for physical therapy 3 days next week.  We’ll see how that goes.

     When I came out of the office, I crossed the street to pick up a few things at Best Market that I didn’t get at ShopRite.  It was a full day of running around.  Whew!

 26 Aug 2020 (Wed) – I went to the dermatologist this morning.  The oncologist told me that the chemo can cause skin cancer and to get a skin exam once a year.  So, here I am at my one-year check.  The exam went well and I was given a clean bill of health.

     At 1:50 p.m. I went to see the orthopedist that I was referred to by the podiatrist.  I have an interstitial tear in the Achilles heel fiber, not the tendon.  There are three ways to handle it – by physical therapy, by surgery, or by an experimental program that takes your blood, mixes platelets with it then injects it in the injury site.  Insurance will not cover the cost.  I opted for physical therapy.  He gave me a script and I made an appointment with a nearby therapist.

     We went out for dinner to Texas Roadhouse.  The food was good.  We forgot our leftovers.  That must happen at least half the time we plan to take leftovers home. Aaaarrgh!  

 25 Aug 2020 (Tue) – No doctors today!   I ordered dulse flakes from Amazon.  Travis called to ask for help.  He was turned down for a rental because a credit report stated they had been late on their last 8 mortgage payments.  This is incorrect.  I went on the webpage and saw that their payments were on time.  Samantha called Equifax to correct the report but was told they only reported what the mortgage company gave them.  She called the mortgage company and was told Equifax had to correct the record.  A big, fat bureaucratic run around!

    I spent a good part of the day on the phone with the mortgage company trying to get a letter that simply stated that their payments have been on time all year.  The last agent I spoke with told me they are restricted in free-form correspondence because of a contract they have with USAA.  They can only send certain forms.  He did offer to send a transaction record that showed all payments were made.  Unfortunately, it does not say the payments were on time.  

    In the meantime, I was trying to get an appointment with the dentist and getting a refill for Paul for a medication.  I finally landed an appointment with the dentist for Monday and the doctor’s office placed the refill order directly with CVS.  I did get to finish burning one box of records. Only 5 more to go!

     Travis called later and told me he offered to pay one year’s rent up front and was waiting for the rental agent’s reply.  He’s got a job offer and the new boss said he would look into putting the money up until Travis sold the house.  If he does that, Travis better give this guy 110%.  He doesn’t know Travis from a stranger on the street and is willing to put up $23,000?  We will see.

     Miranda and Kenny went out tonight.  I offered to watch Caiden so they could have a date night out somewhere. It isn't much but I’m sure they haven’t had a chance for private time since this whole COVID-thing started. Kenny’s mother and grandmother are keeping their distance and they have no other childcare set up.  

 24 Aug 2020 (Mon) – We went food shopping this morning.  I did laundry in the house.  At 1:45 p.m., I left for an appointment with the biological dentist in Manhasset.  On the way there, the office called to say the dentist was running late and to come in at 4 p.m.  So I detoured and stopped at Sherry’s Market in Babylon.  I wanted to pick up some barley grass juice powder and dulse flakes. They did not have the dulse.  The clerk said I might find it in Wild by Nature down the road in West Islip.  So I drove down John Street and into the strip mall.  They had dulse granules but no flakes.  Not sure if that was OK, I didn’t buy it.

     Finally, it was time to stop dawdling and drive to the dentist.  I got there at 3:50 p.m. and called the office to let them know I was there.  They told me to come right up.  I didn’t wait 10 minutes (BIG difference from last visit) and was shown into the exam room. The first dentist, Dr. Golden, popped in while Dr. Blum was reviewing my 3D scan.  They discussed my case and what they recommended I do.  Then they sent the money gal in.  She described the procedure they would use – do a root canal on two teeth and put in ceramic posts with a bridge.  Giving me a discount on the bridge, it would only cost $12,000. I could buy a frickin’ car for that much money!!!  I told her I would think about it and left.

     I called my sister to see if I could get in to see her biological dentist.  She gave me his number but the office was closed. I’ll have to call them tomorrow.

 23 Aug 2020 (Sun) – We went to church this morning.  Everyone is still wearing masks and the pews are roped off to keep people distanced from one another.  After church, we gathered up most of the stuff we have been collecting for the yard sale and brought it back to the church.  They are trying to have an outdoor thrift shop sale on the front lawn. We don’t know how that’s going to work. It was all clothes they had outside and anyone shopping would lift the clothes to look at them.  Now they’ve been touched.  What next?

     At 3 p.m. we drove to our friend’s house, Bob.  He used to be my brother’s father-in-law (before they got divorced). Bob managed an A&P store in the day and he catered many parties.  Any time he’s making a meal, it’s worth going.  He’s a great cook.  He made ribs, roast potatoes, and corn on the cob.  We had a very nice visit.

 22 Aug 2020 (Sat) – We gathered up Caiden and drove to my sister’s house. Susan is celebrating her 65th birthday today.  As expected, Caiden never wanted to get out of the pool.  Our brothers, Dennis and Chris, also came to the party.  We gave Denis some old baseball cards we found in the back room during our clearing out maneuvers.  He seemed to be pleased with the gift (his birthday is next week).  It was a fun day.

 21 Aug 2020 (Fri) – We went to the Oconee Diner for lunch then took a ride to Target to get a few things.  We picked up some clothes for Caiden and ourselves.  After we returned home, we spent the rest of the day cleaning out the back room.  I burned more military records.   Thirty-one years of military history – GONE!  Up in smoke!  I was surprised to see that I had every pay record I ever got during my service.  

 20 Aug 2020 (Thu) – It was a confusing day at the cardiologist. First, Paul went to the office for a 9 a.m. appointment only to be turned away.  They said he had an appointment at 3:45 and I had one at 2:30 p.m. When he got home and told me, I stated that the office had called yesterday and confirmed the 9 a.m. time. I also had my appointment time entered in my calendar as 2:15 p.m.  Just as we were perplexing over these times, the doctor’s office called to say he was called to the hospital and they had to reschedule our appointments.  We managed to get us in at 11:30 and 11:45 respectively. That ensured we got in together.

     The doctor was prompt and entertaining.  He checked us both over.  Reviewed our bloodwork and tests and declared us in good health.  My cholesterol is a little elevated so he wants to see me back in 3 months.  If the numbers are still up, he will put me on a drug (he thinks).

     We drove over to Travis & Sam’s tonight for dinner.  Turned out we had to buy the dinner (surprise!).  We stopped at Chili’s and picked up 6 meals then drove to Trap’s where we enjoyed our dinner together.  Travis got a job offer at a construction company in North Carolina. They will also help them to get into a rental home.  It sounds very good.

 19 Aug 2020 (Wed) – I went to a biological dentist today to get an assessment of all the dental work in my mouth.  I have been reading several books about alternative medicine.  One book by Dr. Simon Yu states that disease is the result of 4 causes.  The three top causes are dental problems, heavy metals, and parasites.  It was 2 hours before the dentist came in to see me and we spent an hour talking about the research and alternatives.  She sent me to get a 3D x-ray to see if there are any infections in my mouth.  Although there was no “pathology,” she did identify 4 incomplete root canals.  She recommended I see the surgeon in the office. I made an appointment for Monday.

     On the way home, I stopped by Sherry’s Market, a health food store in Babylon. It was expensive!

 18 Aug 2020 (Tue) – I went to the neurologist this morning to get all the electrodes disconnected.  I tried to schedule a follow up visit with the doctor but his earliest appointment is October.  How do you discuss what they found with all these tests?  

     I drove to East Islip to the podiatrist’s office to pick up a copy of the MRI report stating I have an interstitial tear in my right foot.  The receptionist offered to call the radiology office to see if I could get a copy of the MRI pictures.  Then I walked over to their office and got the disk.

     Paul spent the day working around the yard.  I spent the day burning files.  I have so many military files to burn.  How in the world did I get so many in my possession???

 17 Aug 2020 (Mon) – I went to the neurologist this morning and was wired up for a 24-hour EEG.  They attached 23 electrodes to my head and 3 to my chest.  I have to wear a machine to register brain activity for 24 hours. All this just to reassure Paul that I am OK and can go hiking in the woods again.

     When I got home, Paul went food shopping.  I was NOT going out with all the wires hanging off my head.  When he got back, we had lunch, then went to work on getting rid of old files and boxes.  I have tons of old military books and material that has to be burned.  It can’t just be thrown in the garbage.  I sat in front of the fire pit for 2 hours and only got through 1 box.  I have 5 more to go.  

     Ford called to say they replaced the fuel pump on the truck and everything seems to be alright.  I took the rental car, drove Paul to Sayville Ford to drop him off, drove to Islip Airport to drop off the rental car where Paul picked me up and we drove back home.

 16 Aug 2020 (Sun) – We borrowed Kenny’s truck and drove to church this morning. It rained all day.  We spent most of the day inside watching TV or working on the computer.

 15 Aug 2020 (Sat) – Spent the day working around the property.  Kenny went to work at 4 and I went into the house to watch Caiden.  He came out to the camper and had dinner with us, then we went back inside and I gave him a bath.  We had a pillow fight and played with his transformers.  He finally went to bed at 9 p.m.  I think that is too late for a 6 year old but his parents are night owls and I guess he’s becoming one also.

 14 Aug 2020 (Fri) – The tech from Sayville Ford called and said the diagnostics was telling him the truck needs a fuel pump.  No amount of arguing that the last service station messed something up. We finally authorized the part. Maybe they can get to it on Monday. Ugh.  

     Miranda’s truck was finished at 4 p.m.  Turned out to be the alternator.  I was going to take the rental car since we have no vehicle but I let her take the truck to Philly given the cruddy condition of her truck. We weren’t sure it would make it there and back.  It really is on its last legs.

     We were supposed to ride out to Indian Island to join the Long Islanders for camping this weekend.  Since we don’t have the truck to pull the camper, we will miss the campout.  This was very disappointing.

 13 Aug 2020 (Thu) – Miranda’s car suddenly gave up the ghost today.  It was clicking, wouldn’t start, and all kind of diagnostic warnings were flashing on her dashboard.  She was able to drop it off at the service station.  This is really bad timing because she is preparing to go to Philly this weekend to coordinate a concert for her camp.   We looked around and was able to reserve a rental car just in case the car isn’t back tomorrow.

     Paul and I rode our bicycles to Best Buy this afternoon.  It’s been giving me trouble and there’s some kind of program on there that we didn’t load in but keeps trying to update drivers.  I had them take it off.  They were very understaffed and the tech wasn’t really interested in working with me on anything else.  I had wanted help in getting videos off the computer.  I’ll have to wait until things get back to normal.

     Paul took an Uber to the cardiologist this afternoon for a stress test.  They injected him with something and then put him in an MRI machine.  He said it was quick and easy.

 12 Aug 2020 (Wed) – It was a quiet day all around.  Paul picked up the truck.  Not only was it making the humming noise, but the dashboard was lighting up like a Christmas tree!  Low fuel pressure!  Low engine pressure!  The service station told us they couldn’t find anything wrong and the noise was gone. Boy, were they wrong.  Paul called Sayville Ford and we were able to get it into the service bay today.  Hope they didn’t break the engine.  L

 11 Aug 2020 (Tue) – I went to the radiologist today for an MRI of my right foot. We worked around the property, cleaning out old files and boxes.  Sent out for pizza for dinner.

 10 Aug 2020 (Mon) – Paul brought the truck back to the service station this morning. They kept the truck and dropped him off back at home.  At 1 p.m. I went to the doctor for an echo cardiogram.  I had to borrow Miranda’s car to get there and back.

     We called the service station at 3:30 p.m.  The tech told us that they had to call a friend at Ford to ask about the fuel pump.  The guy told them they had to replace the entire assembly, not just the fuel pump. Paul was annoyed!  I think we will have to make sure in the future that (1) only Ford does the work and, (2) that the mechanic is a certified diesel mechanic. Hopefully, we will get the truck back tomorrow.  They were going to send out for the item, which will cost us over $400.  This is after already being charged $170 to put the fuel pump on before they broke it.

 9 Aug 2020 (Sun) – We went to church this morning.  I think it was the most people we’ve seen there since we came back.  Everyone is still wearing masks and there are seats roped off.  Hand sanitizer stations have been set up around the building.   They announce that the thrift shop will open for 2 hours on Sunday afternoon in an outdoor setting.  That means folks attending the service will be asked to help bring things outside and set up, then take it back downstairs when done.  I hope it works.  The thrift shop is a major revenue source for the church and it has really been hurt with the closure.

     After church, we went to the Clamside Bar & Grill at the East Islip Marina. The waitress was soooooo slow. Paul ordered Belgian waffles and they came out cold.  My food was lukewarm.  He sent his waffles back.  The next service was also cool.  Paul wound up not eating his meal.  It was a disappointing experience and we probably won’t go back there for a while.

 8 Aug 2020 (Sat) – We gathered up Caiden and drove to Sue & Bill’s for the day.  The day started out overcast but the clouds soon cleared away and we had a delightful day in the pool.

 7 Aug 2020 (Fri) – I went to the neurologist this morning.  The first test was a Neurotrax.  It was a cognitive test to see if I’ve had any brain damage from the TGA back in March.  Following that, I had an EEG.  A technician glues 23 nodes to your head and then has you sit in a chair with your eyes closed most of the time.  He flashes a light on your closed eyes, then says “Open Your Eyes” for like 30 seconds then close them again.  Weird.

     Paul has been working hard in the yard, cleaning up after the storm.   The oblivious neighbor did a stupid thing.  A tree in his yard came down into our yard. It was straddling the fence with the root ball in the neighbor’s yard and the tree branches supporting the tree in our yard.  The neighbor brought his chain saw out and cut the tree.  No longer balanced between the tree branches and the root ball, the tree crushed our fence.  

     I went to the podiatrist today to check out the painful lump on my Achilles tendon. The doctor took an x-ray and said I have a bone spur that could be causing the problem.  She also criticized my flip flops, saying I needed more support for my feet.  She gave me some heel inserts to wear in a closed shoe.  She also sent me to the radiologist to get an MRI.  I made an appointment for Tuesday.  

6 Aug 2020 (Thu) – Paul brought the truck to the service station to get it inspected.  When he got back, he complained that he could hear a humming from the fuel pump.  That happened to us once before.  A non-qualified mechanic had tried to mount the fuel pump on the rail and broke it.  Apparently, a certified diesel mechanic needs to do the job.  Paul called and was told to bring the truck back in on Monday.

     We brought Bonnie to the vet at 2 p.m.  The ultrasound shows she has some abnormal liver issues.  The vet wants to do a biopsy but Bonnie has to get a blood test first to see if she has a clotting factor.  If so, then she can have the biopsy.  If not, then we can’t do it.

 5 Aug 2020 (Wed) – I had a check with the nurse at the cardiologist’s office today.  They wanted to check and make sure there were no problems with the loop recorder.  She said I had a bit of a reaction to the medical tape but everything looked OK.  I should just let the tape fall off when it wants.

     After the doctor, I brought some containers to Travis.  He is now in contract on his house and beginning to pack things up.  I brought him 9 containers.  Then I drove to Sayville and met my sister, Susan, and her daughter, Shay, for lunch at Cornucopia.  It is a kind of health food supermarket with a great deli counter where we all ordered lunch.  We then sat outside to enjoy our meal.  Following that, we took a walk along Main Street, looking in the shop windows. When we came upon an India shop, we went in.  Susan & Bill follow the religion of Ashananda and the shop owner had been to one of their meetings out in the Hamptons.  She spoke for a while with the clerks (the shop owner wasn’t there).

     We went over Trap’s tonight to sign the contract for the sale of their house. Since we are listed as co-owners on the house, we have to sign the contract as well.  While there, Trap dug out the chain saw for Paul.

 4 August 2020 (Tue) – Things have been so busy and technology has been so challenging that I have not been able to keep up with the blog.  I have an appointment with Best Buy on the 13th. Hopefully, that will get things back on the road.

    Let’s see. I have been to the cardiologist and had an internal cardiac monitor (ICM) installed in my chest.  It is a device that tracks heart activity and at night, when I am sleeping, it uploads the day’s activities to the doctor’s office. It’s been 5 days and the site still itches like crazy.  Ugh.

    I had to go to the lab and get a COVID test before getting the ICM installed. The nurse stuck a Cutip so far up my nose that my eyes teared.  And I had an earache for the rest of the day.  That dam thing was painful!  I will not do that again.

     We took Caiden to Sue & Bill’s last Wednesday.  Their daughter, Shay, and her boyfriend, Pat, are up from South Carolina. We all swam and munched on delicious vegan foods.  It was fun.

     I went to the doctor’s office to see what is wrong with my heel.  The PA saw me (the doctor was busy).  He thinks I have a cyst on my Achilles tendon and referred me to a podiatrist.

      Miranda was back in Pennsylvania this weekend so we watched Caiden a good part of the time when Kenny wasn’t working.

     We got to visit with Travis & Sam yesterday.  The baby is walking pretty good now.  He’s always so happy.  He immediately lights up when he sees you and waves his little hand hello.  Trap got an offer on the house and we signed the contract with the realtor.  He’s a little freaked out.  They have now signed a contract to sell their house.  They have to be out in a month.  They want to move to South Carolina but neither of them has a job or a place to stay.  In addition, they’re not going to be able to keep as much of the money from the sale of the house that they had counted on.  The realtor gets $16,400 alone!  Wow!

     Today, Paul had an appointment with the dentist.  This was a follow up to checkups we had two weeks ago where the dentist found a cavity.  He went in to day to get it filled.  Afterward, we went to WalMart to pick up a few items.  Later in the day, Tropical Storm Isaias blew through.  Another tree from the neighbor’s yard came down across our fence.  Also, one of our trees came down and landed on the deck.  It just missed the roof and back doors.  This was dejavu!  Same thing happened last year when we were here.  Paul will have to dig out the chain saw.  The entire neighborhood is digging out.  Two trees went down on Saxon Avenue, the next block over, and the road was closed.  Thousands of people were without power.  We lost power on and off all day long but not for very long.  Our neighbor a few doors down had a tree go down and take all his electrical lines with it.  The fire department came and cut up the tree and pulled it out into the road.

 25 July 2020 (Sat) – We went to Nicky’s on the Bay for lunch.  The tables were spaced apart.  Lots of them were out on the deck.  All the wait staff was wearing face masks.  Our waitress was very slow and unsure about herself.  She might have been new.  While we were eating, a waitress came running through the restaurant asking if there was a doctor, an EMT, or a nurse in the place. Apparently, something happened at the marine fuel site out on the deck.  We couldn’t see what happened but an ambulance did roll up.

     The cost of the meal was very high.  It don’t know if it is because Nicky’s is a seasonal place and is trying to make its money during the summer or if they jacked the prices up because they can’t have as many people in the place. Either way, it was over $60 for a wrap and a sandwich.  Ouch!

 24 July 2020 (Fri) – Finally!  A day with no doctors.  Whew!  Paul got up early and took the truck to WalMart to get an oil change.  He said it looks like WalMart is going out of business.  The shelves are all half stocked.  If you stop to think about it, they get most of their products from China. The pandemic has affected shipments worldwide.  In addition, the U.S. is angry with China for keeping the Coronavirus a secret and has instituted sanctions against them.  WalMart must really be hurting.

     After Paul got home, we went to Home Depot to get a container.  One of our two batteries went bad and Paul bought two new ones.  Now he wants a container to put them in to keep the area more organized.  Home Depot didn’t have much of a selection at all. On the way out, we stopped by the tile area and picked out a tile to do a backsplash in the bathroom.  We couldn’t decide, so we picked up three samples to see which we would like best.

     When I was entering the costs into the budget, Paul discovered that WalMart charged him for the oil that he actually provided.  So he got in the truck and drove back to WalMart to get his $12.47 refunded.

     Miranda is teaching in Pennsylvania again this weekend.  They took Caiden into Queens to stay with his grandmother. Kenny borrows his mother’s car so Miranda can take their car.  I will miss Caiden.

 23 July 2020 (Thu) – Today was my visit with the oncologist.  It was so disheartening!  My appointment was at 4:15 p.m.  I checked in then after a brief wait, a tech brought me into an exam room and took my vitals.  Thank goodness; no blood draw.  Then I went upstairs and checked in with the receptionist.  I waited about a half hour before the doctor’s admin assistant came and led me to the exam room. I sat there for another half hour before the nurse came in and went over my case.  He spent a lot of time complaining about patients calling and asking for visits or pain medication when they should be going to their primary care physicians.  Then he asked me who my PCP was.  I felt like it was some kind of criticism.  Was I supposed to be going to a different doctor?

     The nurse left and it was another 20 minutes before the doctor came in wearing a face mask and a full face shield.  He seemed detached and didn’t really hear my complaints.  He said the medication sometimes causes blisters on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.  Was I having any of those?  He also said the medication can cause AFIB and that the cardiologist should check me for that.  It seems like every visit to the oncologist results in him telling me something else that can happen with this chemo therapy.  He seemed preoccupied and in a hurry to get out.  I felt like I got the bum’s rush.  I came home and started crying.  Which is kind of stupid because the CT scan shows that I am responding to the medication very well.  All the lymph nodes are continuing to shrink.  So what’s my problem?

 22 July 2020 (Wed) – I went to the Good Sam Sleep Center this morning.  I had to sit in the parking lot and call the office to tell them I was waiting.  They called me when the previous patient was done.  When I walked into the doctor’s office after checking in, he excused himself and began to dictate the results of his visit with the previous patient. He stated the patient’s name, the issue, and his diagnosis, all in front of me.  Hasn’t he been briefed on this whole patient privacy thing?  I thought that I should probably step out of the room but with the whole COVID thing, they don’t want people wandering around unsupervised.  When he was done, I told him that I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in 15 years. The cardiologist recommended I do a sleep study because poor sleep can affect heart function and weight.  The doctor said we probably wouldn’t find anything but said he would do the study anyway.  How encouraging is that???

 21 July 2020 (Tue) – I went to the eye doctor today.  I arrived at 9:30 a.m.  When I checked in, I found my appointment was for 10:45 a.m.  It looks like I made the appointment while we were in Alabama and my calendar recorded the appointment as central time, not eastern time.  So the clerk sent me to sit out in my car till it was my turn or the doctor became available sooner.  They called me at 9:50 to come in and brought me right to a test station where they blew air into my eye.  Then she took me to an exam room where I sat for over a half hour.  The doctor came in, put drops in my eyes, and said I am developing glaucoma.  Come back in six months.  Then he was gone.  No discussion, no explanation, no anything.  I complained about some eye discharge and irritation so he prescribed an ointment to put in my eye at bedtime but, again, no explanation or discussion of what the problem is.  It was a very annoying visit.  The doctor was very dismissive.

     Paul put together a 3-minute video of upstate New York.  I posted it on You Tube then contacted SMART with the link. They posted it on the website next to the description of our New York caravan.  

     I went in at 4 p.m. to keep an eye on Caiden while Miranda went to the store. Paul is still grousing about yesterday’s argument.  I have to find a way to get him to lighten up.  Ugh.

 20 July 2020 (Mon) – I had a CT Scan with contrast today.  I dropped off a urine sample for Sheba at the vet, then drove to Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.  I checked in at the front desk and asked if my doctor or his nurse was available to see me.  The receptionist said she would contact Dr. Rodriguez and see what he said.  I then went into the imaging area and had the CT scan. That’s such a weird test.  They inject an iodine based solution and it gives a flushed, very warm feeling in the back of the throat and in the crotch. It feels like I wet myself.  The test isn’t very long and I was out of the machine within 10 minutes.

     I returned to the front desk to see about the doctor.  The receptionist said Dr. Rodriguez would change my telehealth appointment for Thursday to an in-person appointment or I could see someone in triage today.  I said I would meet with the doctor on Thursday.

     I got home to find Paul working around the RV.  He was installing a switch for the water pump in the bathroom.  The switch on the main panel stopped working some time ago and Paul installed a switch down in the basement.  That has turned out to be somewhat inconvenient so he moved the switch up into the bathroom.  That should work better for when we have to use the onboard tank for fresh water.

     While we were outside, Paul and Miranda got into a nasty fight.  That was very upsetting for me.  Then we left and went over Travis’ house to help him with some projects.  He has finally gotten an offer for his house and the inspector will be over on Thursday. He wants to clear up a few little things before the inspector arrives.  Paul and Travis worked on repairing a leak in the kitchen sink and on the thermostat for his burner.  I played with the boys then we all enjoyed a meal that Sam prepared.  It was a pleasant evening.

 19 July 2020 (Sun) – We didn’t think Caiden would be able to sit for an hour in church with a mask on so we didn’t go.  At 11:30 a.m. we drove to the Bayside Clam Bar for brunch.  Afterward, we walked along the boardwalk and looked at all the boats in the marina.  There was a dog at one end that the owner let go down on a little spit of sand.  Caiden climbed down and followed the dog around. We took his shoes off so he could step in the water.  The dog was an older black lab and very friendly.  Her name was Sandy.

      After our meal and walk, we returned to the house and I watched Caiden while Paul worked around the house and yard.  Kenny got home at 7:30 p.m.

 18 July 2020 (Sat) – We got Caiden at 10:30 a.m. and then drove to Sue & Bill’s house in the Hamptons for a day of swimming in the pool and barbecuing. Despite the fact that I put sunscreen on Caiden twice, he still burned.  So did I. His mother will never let me take him to the beach again.  Aaarrgghh!

     After we got back, I stayed with Caiden until his father came home at 10:30 p.m.

 17 July 2020 (Fri) – We both went to the dentist today.  The chairs in the office were taped off to ensure adequate spacing between patients.  It only left 4 chairs to use.  The secretary took our temperature and went through a checklist (like the tech did yesterday).  Then we had our teeth cleaned and xrays taken.  I got an excellent rating; Paul has a cavity and has to come back to get it filled.

     We went over Trap’s to visit.  We picked up dinner at Chili’s and brought it to the house.  Travis was working on painting the counter top in the upstairs bathroom.  They are trying everything they can think of to sell their house.  They’ve had lots of lookers but no buyers.  The real estate market is so hot today, I can’t figure out why the house hasn’t gone.  His in-laws put their house on the market and the first visitor bought the house for $5,000 more than they were asking.  The only stipulation was that they had to be out in 30 days.

     Miranda’s cat was showing some kind of neurological issue today.  It was walking against the side of cabinets like its left side was weak and it couldn’t stand by itself.  Miranda contacted us while at Trap’s and asked about bringing her cat, Liath, to the vet.  We hurried home to help but the vet said it was not life threatening and to wait until Monday to bring her in.  Miranda was concerned because she is leaving tonight for Pennsylvania and will not be back until late Sunday.  I promised to keep an eye on the cat.

 16 July 2020 (Thu) – We both went to the cardiologist today.  I was doing a follow-up to my “incident” in March. Paul went because he has hypertension and should be seen by a cardiologist.

     When we arrived, we were met at the door by a tech who asked us a bunch of questions about where we’ve been and who we’ve been near.  He took our temperature and then let us pass.  We walked in and was processed by a clerk.  Then we were brought back to the exam room.  The PA came in, went over our medical histories, took our blood pressure, and did EKGs on both of us.

     Then the doctor came in.  I liked him instantly.  He is young – in his late 20s/early 30s.  He was upbeat and very friendly, touching elbows as a form of hello.  He thinks I had a TIA and felt the neurologist was wrong to think I had a TGA.  He recommended I get an EEG, an ambulatory EEG, and have a loop recorder inserted in my chest.  He feels it is possible that I have atrial fibrillation (AFib) and the recorder will measure my heartbeat and send messages to the office.  I would wear it for 3 or 4 years!  I said I had to check that one with my oncologist.

      Then it was Paul’s turn.  The doctor referred him for a nuclear stress test.  He also recommended that Paul resume taking the baby aspirin every day (he stopped a year ago because of a medical report that said baby aspirin didn’t help to prevent strokes.  

 15 July 2020 (Wed) – We worked around the RV until 11:30 a.m. then we took Sheba to the vet.  It was over an hour in which the vet’s office displayed confusion and chaos.  First, I called to say we were outside for our appointment.  About 20 minutes later, one of the vets came out to gather information then went inside. Ten minutes later he came out to get Sheba.  Again, the office was not able to get through to my phone and the vet came out to tell me to call them.  I called and spoke with Dr. Thode.  She took blood and gave Sheba shots.  Dr. Thode also said the blood results were back for Bonnie.  She has round worm and a low liver value.  She prescribed medicine for the worms and recommended an ultrasound for the liver.  After waiting 10 minutes, I called the office to see what was happening.  They were just finishing up and would send Sheba out. The vet brought Sheba out, went over the highlights of her exam, and said the office would call to get payment. After another 15 or 20 minutes, I called to make the payment.  The clerk took my card number three times because the machine wasn’t working properly. Then the vet tech came out with the paperwork.  Paul asked about the medicine for Bonnie.  They forgot it so she went back in to get it.  She brought it out but stated they had forgotten to charge us for the medicine so I had to call again to give the credit card number.  They brought the receipt out along with the stuff to get a urine sample from Sheba.  We left but I got a phone call about 10 minutes later saying they forgot to charge us for the bloodwork they did on Sheba so I had to call back again and give the card number again.  What a debacle!

     Late this afternoon, Caiden came knocking on the door.  He came in and played for a while then I made dinner for the three of us. He ate a small part of his meal but seemed to enjoy it.  I brought the left overs into the house for Miranda and Kenny, or to keep and reheat for Caiden tomorrow.

 14 July 2020 (Tue) – I had an appointment with the neurologist this morning. This was the same doctor that found the tumor in my mother’s brain 36 years ago.  He has gotten very personable over the years.  I liked him very much.  He said the incident I experienced in March was most likely Transient Global Amnesia (TGA).  Just to be careful, he recommended three different tests but stated that he doesn’t expect to find anything.  Apparently, a TGA can happen at any time and never happen again.  Or, it can happen again once or multiple times.  If it happens many times then you would have to get checked for seizure activity in the brain.  Luckily, I have not had any problems since that one time.

     I played with Caiden a little tonight.  We didn’t get much time together but it was still fun.  He loves battle sequences.

 13 July 2020 (Mon) – We took Bonnie to the vet this morning.  She needed a refill on her flea and tick medicine. She got a checkup and a couple of shots. It was so weird.  When we arrived, we called the office and were instructed to stay in the truck.  After about 20 minutes, a vet tech came out.  He took down Bonnie’s information and reason for her visit then went back inside. He came back about 10 minutes later and took her inside.  We sat in the car until the doctor called.  We discussed our concerns and what the doctor found and recommended. Five minutes later, the clerk called to get our credit card number for the bill.  A whopping $950!!!  After about another 15 minutes, Bonnie was brought back out to us.  Then we waited ANOTHER 15 minutes for the clerk to bring out medicine and the bill.  What a pain in the butt.  And we will have to do it again with Sheba.

     Kenny was off of work today, so Caiden stayed in the house nursing his sunburn and playing with his parents.  Paul worked around the yard and I did paperwork.

 12 July 2020 (Sun) – We went to church this morning.  They just reopened after holding services digitally on You Tube and FaceBook for months.  There were about 30 people in church.  We had to wear our masks the entire time and still try to maintain 6’ distance from each other.  They didn’t pass the collection plate.  Instead, it sat in the back of the church and the minister asked everyone to drop their donation in the plate when they left.

     After church, Paul and I drove to the Clamside Bar & Grill at the East Islip Marina. We both enjoyed a salad.  The day was lovely – sunny, but not too hot, with a soft, balmy breeze blowing in off the water.  The sun glittering on the bay was beautiful.

       When we came home, I gathered up Caiden and he and I went to Heckscher State Park. I figured the beach would be closed but we could walk along the shore, throw stones in the water, build sand castles, and wiggle our toes in the water.  Boy, was I surprised to find the beach open, complete with lifeguards. There were many people on the beach and in the water but they still were all keeping a decent distance between each other.  The water was so warm; like a bathtub.  There was lots of wave action and a delightful breeze kept the heat away.  I did not have a bathing suit so I stood on the shore with my feet in the water, getting splashed well up the legs. Caiden went in and had a great time. Unfortunately, I forgot to put sunscreen on him and he got burned.  His mother yelled at me.  

     When we left the beach, I stopped at Carvel and got Caiden some ice cream.  The perfect end to a perfect day.

 11 July 2020 (Sat) – Paul worked in the yard most of the day.  I entertained Caiden a good part of the day.  At 4:30 pm, we went over Travis’ house.  We shared a salad and pizza then spent two hours playing with Noah and Hudson.  The baby is on the verge of walking.  He has very good balance.

 10 July 2020 (Fri) – It was an overcast day with rain on and off. Tropical Storm Fay was pummeling the Jersey coast today but we didn’t get it too badly.  Paul and I went shopping at PetCo for pet food and ShopRite for some groceries.  Boy. Was the grocery store crowded! And we forgot to bring our own bags so the cashier charged us for 3 bags.  Glad we didn’t buy a lot.

     Caiden wanted to come into the trailer so badly today but the weather was lousy and I wasn’t going to put Bonnie out.  Caiden came out and we stood outside in the drizzle talking for about an hour.  Later, I went into the house and we played for about 2 hours.

 9 July 2020 (Thu) – We packed up and left Newburgh at 10:45 am.  It took almost 4 hours to drive down to Long Island. We were surprised with all the traffic on the road.  We came through the boroughs and had traffic and construction that caused us to creep along through congested spots.    

      Caiden was so happy to see us!  He ran out and gave me a hug, then ran back to the porch to watch us park the rig in the driveway.  When Paul had the RV positioned well, I had Caiden help finish the set up by pushing buttons to open the slides.  After we were set up, we visited for a bit and watched him swimming in his little pool. After dinner, I took Caiden to Carvel and picked up ice cream for him and Miranda (Kenny was working and Paul and I are on a diet).  We brought it back home and they enjoyed the treat out on the back deck.

 8 July 2020 (Wed) – Just hung around the campground most of the day.  We did run out to fuel the truck and get ready for tomorrow’s move.

 7 July 2020 (Tue) – We visited with the sales manager here at the campground. We had interviewed him last year and reconfirmed the amenities and costs.  The nightly fee actually went down.  He also promised to coordinate a bus tour into New York City for us.  He offered to pick up our order for bagels and juice and even stated he could arrange a catered meal right here in the campground.

     We came back and did laundry then just hung out for the day.

 6 July 2020 (Mon) – We started out for West Point but would up sidetracked to the Historic Huguenot District.  It was two blocks of old stone houses built in the late 1600s/early 1700s by early French settlers.  The visitor’s center was closed and none of the buildings were open.  We walked up and down the street, admiring the architecture from the street.

     We then continued on to the West Point Military Academy.  The visitor’s center was closed, as well as the tour operations office.  There was no one to ask anything of.  The day was a loss in that regard.    

 5 July 2020 (Sun) – We drove over to the Mohonk Mountain House today.  Thought we’d check them out for the farewell dinner and then take a hike around the area.  Unfortunately, they now have a gatehouse to control access to the place.  They have us a brochure to look at and a telephone number to call but wouldn’t let us go in.  

     Then we drove by another restaurant but they were closed.  No signs on the door.  We couldn’t tell if they were just closed or if they had gone out of business. Cross them off the list.

     We made a quick stop at the grocery store so Paul could pick up milk for his coffee then returned to the campground.  We got to enjoy another campfire tonight.  Two in a row. Wow.!

     We drove into Newburgh and took a stroll on the Walkway Over the Hudson.  It was an old railroad trestle over the Hudson River built back in the late 1800s.  It was repurposed into a level concrete walkway that stretched for more than a mile and a third.  We walked out to the middle, took a selfie, and walked back.  The day was lovely.  There were lots of people on the bridge – strolling, biking, walking the dog. Almost everyone obeyed the signs and wore a mask.  Some people didn’t.  It was very warm and my mask was wet from sweat by the time we finished our walk. It was a good time.

     We drove to the FDR National Historic Site to look over the presidential library and home.  The visitor’s center was closed.

 4 July 2020 (Sat) – We were going to drive to the Mohonk Mountain House today but stayed in the campground instead.  We had a small BBQ and sat before a delightful campfire.  The campground is pretty full with lots of kids. Bonnie is barking at bicycles, skaters, and walkers.  The staff came by yesterday passing out flyers about the pool.  It was going to be open today from 10 to 4.  They were having people sign up for a one-hour block of time.  The pool is limited to 25 people but they were thinking they wouldn’t be able to do that and still have people maintain their distance.  We didn’t sign up.  It seemed better to leave the time slots to the kids.  Normally, they would spend the whole day in the pool.  This is like a tease.  But I suppose it’s better than nothing.

 3 July 2020 (Fri) – Things have been quiet.  We have been running around trying to line up restaurants for the caravan next year.  We are now at the KOA in Newburgh for a week.  

 30 Jun 2020 (Tue) – We pulled stakes at 9:25 am.  It was a white knuckle exercise in getting out of our site. Paul had to ask the guy behind us to move then he backed up the RV to get out.  Trees and other RVs and yard “stuff” in the area made it impossible to pull out from our pull-through site.  Paul did it perfectly!  He is so good in moving our big monster.  It’s almost like it’s an extension of his physical being.  Just imagine maneuvering 54’ of truck and trailer.  I can’t do it!

     We arrived at Shadowbrook RV Resort at a little past 11:30 am (it was a very short drive).  This campground only has 18 campsites for transients.  Again, we’ve been undone by the seasonal campers.  After set up, we drove to four separate campgrounds and all gave the same answer – no room at the inn!  The last campground we stopped at recommended the KOA up on Route 20. We’ll try them tomorrow.

     We drove by the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  They are on a limited opening.  I left a business card and someone will call me back.  I also sent emails to the tour director for the NY Capitol in Albany and the USS Slater.  Communications continue with other venues as well.

 29 Jun 2020 (Mon) – We drove to another campground this morning to check it out.  It turned out to only have 4 available campsites for transients.  The rest are filled with seasonals.  Too bad.  It was a really nice campground right on Saratoga Lake.

     On the way back to the campground, we refueled for tomorrow’s trip and picked up chicken and water.  Bonnie has diarrhea again.  It just seems to be something that she’s going to go through on a regular basis no matter what we give her.

 28 Jun 2020 (Sun) – We left Ticonderoga at 9:20 a.m.  It rained a little in the three hours it took us to arrive at Adventure Bound RV Resorts & Campground.  The campsite we got was very tight while Paul had to maneuver around a parked van, trees, and lawn decorations.  This campground, although very large (over 300 campsites), would not suit our group and many campers are seasonal.  The RV next to us hasn’t been moved in years.

     As soon as we were set up, we headed out.  First stop was at Chili’s for lunch.  We both had a grilled chicken salad.  Tummies full, we drove to four different campgrounds.  Two wouldn’t fit the group, one had no one in the office, and the other took our phone number to give to the owner.  It was not a very productive day.  Hope things get better tomorrow.

     On the way back to the campground, we stopped at Hannaford to pick up groceries. It was a nice supermarket.  Why can’t we get any of these grocery stores on Long Island?

 27 Jun 2020 (Sat) – It was a light day.  We just hung out around the campground today.  I made some calls and updated the files on what we’ve collected so far.  The poor wifi service here is maddening!  Even the cell service is poor.  I’m glad we won’t be staying here as a group but I worry the other campground might be just as bad.  After all, we are now in the mountains.

 26 Jun 2020 (Fri) – We drove into Lake Placid today.  It is a small town.  The Olympics Museum was closed.  We decided to have the group explore the museum then go out about the town on their own.  There is a lot to see in this little tourist town.  

     We then drove to Whiteface Mountain.  We wanted to drive up the Veterans Memorial Highway to the peak.  Unfortunately, it was $25 per car to drive up.  I thought that was too much money to go up there and find everything closed (not that there is that much up there to see other than the view).  We turned around and left.  

     Right next to the entrance for Whiteface Mountain is Santa’s North Pole Workshop. We came up here twice with the kids when they were little.  The workshop is still there with the post office that will send off a letter or postcard with the North Pole return address.  The park was also closed.

     We drove to Ausable Chasm, the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks.  It was beautiful.  We spoke with the sales manager and got information on a walking tour, float trip, and lunch at the center.  It will be a nice touch for the group.  Up the hill right next to the chasm center is the Underground RR Museum.  It is in a beautiful old stone building.  It was closed but a woman stepped out of the building to speak with us.  The cost to explore the museum is free and the place is very small.  Guess we’ll have the group break up into smaller groups to tour the museum.

     We also checked out two other campgrounds.  The KOA seems like the best option at this point.  It would have been nice to stay at the North Pole Hundred Acre Woods Campground but they don’t take groups of more than six rigs.  Oh, pooh!

     After we got back to the campground, we did the laundry.  

 25 Jun 2020 (Thu) – Well, we learned today why a scouting trip is so important. We left 1000 Islands CG and headed out to Ticonderoga, 170 miles away.  The GPS in the truck tried to route us though Canada.  It would have added 100 miles to our trip!  Instead, we followed the route on my phone.  The trip went through Adirondack Park.  We saw mountains but the elevation never got much over 2,000’.  The roads were narrow and winding and the driving was slow but we got here safe and sound.  The scenery is beautiful with occasional glimpses of the lakes and rivers beside the road.

     It turns out that this campground does not have enough campsites for our group – they are mostly for seasonal campers.  Paul went through a list and found an alternative campground.  In fact, he changed two campgrounds for one and we now have another stop on our itinerary.

    After set up, we drove to Brookwood RV Resort and interviewed the owner for a possible stay there.  They are a very popular campground and she suggested we get our reservations in ASAP. The only thing we don’t like is that we wouldn’t all be together.  Everyone would be spread around the campground.

     We drove down the road to another campground owned by the U.S. Forest Service but it was closed.  We then drove into the town of Ticonderoga.  The Star Trek Museum and Fort Ticonderoga were both closed due to the pandemic.  We walked into a luncheonette across the street from the Star Trek Museum to see about a lunch for the group.  Our group could go to the museum at 10, go to lunch at 11 (it’s a little early but that’s what they want), then take a tour of the fort. The other option is to wait on lunch until 2 pm, which is kind of late.  I don’t like either option.

     As we were driving around, we spotted an old stone chapel in a graveyard.  We parked and went in to explore it.  It reminded me of the Viking church on display in DisneyWorld.

 24 Jun 2020 (Wed) – We drove over to Alexandria Bay this morning.  We stopped at U.S. Boat Tours which I had emailed to ask about a tour of the Singer and Boldt Castles.  We checked at the window to find out what time the shuttles and tours ran.  After getting the times, we decided to have the group go to the Boldt Castle at 10 a.m., come back to town, wander the shops, and have lunch.  At 2 p.m., we’ll have everyone come back and take the tour to the Singer Castle.

     Afterward, we drove around the area, checking out different places.  We also drove over to Wellesly Island and looked at the state parks and golf courses there.  We also stopped by the ice cream shoppe in front of the campground to find out about an ice cream social.  They sell 3-gallon containers of ice cream for $45.  The lady suggested butter pecan as an older person’s favorite flavor.

 23 Jun 2020 (Tue) – We packed up and left Stow at 9:15 a.m.  The drive was easy but took almost 4 hours.  When we arrived, the office was closed (we had checked in online), and a note on the door told campers to proceed to their assigned site.  After set up, we left a message for the campground manager asking for a meeting.

     We drove to Clayton where Main Street was under construction and closed to traffic. We had seen a delightful hotel with a restaurant years ago that boasted the original Thousand Islands dressing had been invented there.  Unfortunately, the restaurant went out of business.  We spoke with a manager at Bella’s.  The restaurant was pleasant but she said they did not want to have a large group in to dine during their peak season.  She preferred to cater a meal of assorted wraps, salads and desert and suggested we eat at the Antique Boating Museum.

     We drove past both the Thousand Islands Museum and the Antique Boating Museum. They were both closed.  I sent emails asking about admission and meals. This is becoming very frustrating. Many of the businesses that I have sent emails to have not answered.

     When we got back to the campground, we met with the campground camp host.  Whe was very chatty and gave us lots of information about the area.  I have to follow up with an email so she can share it with the owner.

 22 Jun 2020 (Mon) – We drove to Seneca Falls today, noting the mileage to various areas along the way.  Everything we wanted to see was closed.  The National Women’s Hall of Fame, although the name was displayed on the front of the building on Main Street, is no longer there.  A woman in the visitor center told us it was relocated to a mill across the bridge but the coronavirus had stopped the set-up and opening of the center in its new location.  We drove over and saw that it will be 3 stories high and promises to be a good stop. There is also a National Women’s Rights Museum on Main Street and a couple of houses around Seneca Falls that people could tour if they wanted.

     Waterloo, birthplace of Memorial Day, is next to Seneca Falls.  There is an American Civil War Museum and memorial graveyard in town.  I think it would be appropriate to include it in our itinerary but Paul thinks it is too much.  If so, we will certainly have to suggest it as a stop on their own.

     We stopped at Ventosa Vineyards to see about a group lunch after the Seneca Falls tour.  There is a lovely deck area outside overlooking the lake.  The woman we spoke with suggested we send an email to the catering manager.

     We then stopped at Belhurst Castle.  They have a very attractive stone room with an intimate setting for lunch that also looks out at the lake.  The man we spoke with gave us a menu and suggested we coordinate with the catering manager.  I sent emails out to both managers.

 21 Jun 2020 (Sun) – We packed up and left Bath at 9:50 a.m.  It was only 95 miles to Red’s Twilight on the Erie RV Resort in Macedon, near Rochester.  We arrived about noon.  The office was closed.  Our registration packet was sitting on a table.  As we were preparing to drive to our campsite, the owner pulled up and led us to our place.  She was very friendly and gladly agreed to meet with us later.

     After set up, we cased the campground while walking the dog (it was too hot to let Sheba out – 90 degrees!) then went to the office and sat down with Barb. She said they would give us 10 percent off for military discount.  We were all sitting around the table with our masks on and it got very hot.  I was sweating like crazy.  I sure was glad when the meeting was over.

    We drove into Rochester to the George Eastman Museum.  It was closed.  We then drove to The Strong Museum of Play.  That was also closed.  It is a very large museum and looks like it will be fun.  We then drove to a restaurant recommended by Barb.  It was too far from The Strong to have people walk to it so we will have lunch in the museum then explore the museum.  There is a restaurant inside.

     On the way back to the campground, we stopped at Wegmans Supermarket.  What a huge store!  It had to be the largest supermarket we’ve ever been in.  And it was neat and clean and attractive. Everyone in the store was wearing a mask and the staff was actively wiping things down and making sure everything was sanitized.  

 20 Jun 2020 (Sat) – We drove to the Finger Lakes Boating Museum to meet the Administration Assistant and see the wine cellar where they host catered meals.  It is a lovely room and we are sure the group would like it.  We would probably have the tour of the museum first (there are 3 floors in the museum) then go to the bottom floor for a lunch.  

     After meeting with Nancy Wightman, we drove back to the KOA to meet with the Office Manager.  We sat outside at a picnic table, all in our masks, and discussed what they could offer the caravan next year.  Elaine is pregnant and will be out on maternity leave for a while.  This could cause a problem with coordination but we will see how it shakes out.

     While driving out and about, we stopped at a nearby fish hatchery.  It was closed but they had an observation pool with three kinds of trout in it – brown trout, brook trout, and rainbow trout.  What is weird is that the brook trout is the only native species to the area, yet the hatchery doesn’t raise them – only the other two species.

     We drove around to check out some other places.  There is a VA Center and National Cemetery a couple of miles down the road.  We rode around the cemetery looking at the gravestones.  We also gathered information about other services in the area – RV dealers, hospital, clinic, vets, foodstore, etc.

     We had a campfire tonight.  There is nothing more intoxicating that the smell of a campfire.

 19 Jun 2020 (Fri) – We packed up and left Chautauqua at 9:30.  The weather was good and the drive was pleasant.  We arrived at the Bath-Hammondsport KOA around noon.  They had sent an email asking us to pre-register/check-in.  I did that.  When we arrived, Paul stayed in the truck while I went in.  The clerk confirmed our information and gave us our map and paperwork. This is a lovely campground.  We have been here before and am sure the caravan will enjoy the place.

     We drove around town, trying to find a restaurant to have a welcome dinner in. The three restaurants we chose were all too small and two of them were still closed.  The thirde, the Stone Timber Inn, does catering.  We took the chef’s card and left.  On the way back to the campground, we stopped at an American Legion post and took a look at their hall.  We asked about renting the hall and the bartender gave us the rental agent’s phone number along with the commander’s number.  

     The campground is working hard to ensure people are having a good time, despite the spacing restriction from the coronavirus.  They delivered a packet to make s’mores with.  Folks were invited to make s’mores and post pictures on the facebook page. They also gave us free firewood. It made a delightful fire.  They also had a cornhole contest where people who had the game in their rig wee encouraged to play and report their results.

 18 Jun 2020 (Thu) – We went to the office at 9:30 a.m. to speak with the campground owner.  The doors were locked.  Some guy came out in to the hall, looked at us at the door then went back into his office. How rude!  I then called the office and the owner answered.  We sat at the table outside on the deck and interviewed the guy about the facilities and what he would do for the group. Satisfied, we told him we would send a check and wanted to leave him a book.  He said he was in his office.  When we told him the door was locked, he laughed and said he forgot to open it then stepped out and took the book.

    We drove 20 minutes to the Grape Discovery Center to see what it looked like.  It was closed.  We parked and walked around, peeking in the windows.  It looks like it would be a nice experience for our group next year, so we will include it in the itinerary.

     We found a laundromat in a house (ah, country life).  We put the clothes in the washer then drove to a Mazza’s Winery and had a flight of wines.  Then we returned to the laundromat house and put the clothes in the dryer.  We walked around the town of Mayville while our clothes tumbled.

     After we collected the clothes, we drove to Jamestown to check out the Lucy-Desi Museum and the National Comedy Center.  Unfortunately, they, too, were both closed because of the pandemic. This situation is going to make it hard to develop a budget for the caravan.

     Paul located a WalMart and we did some food shopping.  We are starting a diet and needed to pick up all the right kinds of foods.  I just planned 4 days and the frig is chocked full.  I will not be able to shop a week at a time, that’s for sure.

     The check-in time for this campground is 6 p.m. (check-out is 5 p.m.).  We’ve never seen such a late time for check-in. We asked if the owner would put that aside for us when our group comes next year.  

 17 Jun 2020 (Wed) – We left Marblehead, Ohio, at 8:20 a.m.  It was a long drive today so we left early.  The drive was over 4 hours and took us along the lakeshore of Lake Erie, through Pennsylvania and into New York.  The campground looks like it was a KOA at one time. Our campsite is a pull through with a concrete surface.  The campground is on Chautauqua Lake.  The pool, the store, and all group centered places are closed due to the pandemic. You have to wear a mask in the office.

     After set up, we drove into Mayville to meet with the operations manager of the Chautauqua Belle paddlewheeler.  He was a young man who seemed to be coordinating a group tour for the first time. We went over is suggested schedule and agreed on an itinerary.  He will draw up a contract and send it to us.

     Then we drove down the road to the Chautauqua Institution.  It is one of the stops on the itinerary Mike put together and we wanted to look at it.  It’s not very clear why we should take a tour of the place.  It seems like a private community with very lovely homes on the lake. The roads are very narrow and seem to wind aimlessly around the neighborhood.  There is a beautiful old hotel where he suggested we have lunch. We wanted to get some information about the place but the visitor’s center was closed.  I’ll have to send an email.

     We drove to Jamestown and picked up food at Pet Smart.  Then Paul drove up the other side of the lake to the center where the interstate crossed the lake.  We got back to the campground at 5 p.m.

[seriousbusinessforhumans]

(Update: CHAZ is now CHOP. Capitol Hill Occupied Protest)

(Selected segments of the article)

Jun 11

Since a lot of the narratives swirling around about Seattle right now are less-than-insightful, I’m sharing a few points to help contextualize the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in the bigger picture of the dizzying terrain that is Seattle history.

1. Seattle = American settler capitalism on steroids

Since its 19th century gold rush beginnings, Seattle has attracted prospectors of all sorts. Their economic prosperity has always come at a price for somone else: on February 7, 1865, the Seattle Board of Trustees passed an ordinance that banned “indians” from living within city limits, with the exception of those who were employed and housed by white settlers. To this day, the Duwamish—the original inhabitants of what is now Seattle — do not have federal recognition from the US government. Meanwhile, the city of Seattle is named for a Duwamish Chief, whose face is also used as a city logo.

Subsequent boom-and-bust periods followed, largely driven by rapid growth in high-tech industries. Within a year of the founding of the Boeing company in 1916, the US had entered World War I, and Boeing was fulfilling military contracts. The company’s founder, William Boeing, saw to it that his personal racism would have a lasting impact on the city’s widening economic inequality by authoring bylaws that restricted the sale of real estate in his neighborhood to anyone who wasn’t white. The legacy of racially-restrictive housing covenants in Seattle is a staggering wealth gap: In 2019, the median net worth of a white household in the region was $456,000. For Black households, it was $23,000.

Seattle’s most recent growth cycle, of course, is dominated by Amazon, which surpassed Microsoft in 2019 as the region’s #1 employer, with more than 53,500 local employees, most of which were added over the last decade. While Seattle became the hottest housing market in the country, many African American households were displaced from the Central District, the only neighborhood where they were allowed to own homes for decades. (Read what groups like Africatown and Wa Na Wari are doing to respond to gentrification here and here.)

Meanwhile, Seattle’s homeless rate grew to the third in the nation................

2. Durkan is a pro-corporate, anti-activist mayor

Amazon’s influence over local politics cannot be overstated. In 2019, Amazon poured millions of dollars into “Seattle’s Most Expensive Election Ever” in an attempt to buy candidates who will not try to tax them. In 2017, they gave $350,000 —their largest-ever political contribution at the time—to a group supporting Jenny Durkan for mayor.

If I had to describe Seattle’s mayor in one sentence, it would be this: Before Durkan was mayor, she was a US Attorney who conspired with the SPD and FBI to pay a convicted child molester $90,000 to infiltrate activist circles. In 2013, she explained her rationale: “It’s not the saints who can bring us the sinners.”.....

3. Seattle’s distrust of the police runs deep

Since 2012, the Seattle Department has been under a federal consent decree for excessive use of force. Here’s how King5 described the circumstances leading up to that ruling:

The Department of Justice began investigating SPD in 2011 after community leaders said police were using excessive force particularly on minorities.

One of those instances cited in the decree was the death of John T. Williams, when an officer was caught shouting they would “beat the f — — — — Mexican piss” out of a Latino man in custody. Another was an incident where a Seattle police officer punched a 17-year-old black girl in the face.

As US attorney, Jenny Durkan personally investigated the SPD’s uses of force that led to the consent decree, and for this reason, having the consent decree perceived as successful has been one of the cornerstones of her tenure as mayor. Back in May, the city asked a federal judge to terminate the consent decree—a motion that has been withdrawn in light of recent events. Durkan’s recent behavior, however, seems to suggest that she believes the consent decree was successful—at a press conference on June 7, she responded to a question about rebuilding the SPD by claiming that a restructuring had already taken place under the consent decree.

And yet, even under the consent decree, the violent and biased behavior has continued. In 2016, Seattle police shot and killed Che Taylor. The officers responsible got off without charges, and later sued Kshama Sawant for describing the killing as “murder.” (Taylor’s brother, Andrè Taylor, was recently interviewed about current events in the New Yorker.) In 2017, Seattle police shot and killed a pregnant mother of four named Charleena Lyles in her home, in front of her children. This incident sparked a new wave of protests and pushback, bringing new attention and energy to defunding and abolitionist movements that were already going on. (During a march for justice for Charleena Lyles, I personally witnessed Seattle Police shooting tear gas and blastballs into a crowd that included babies and elders.)..........................

4. Distrust of police has recently intensified

Just a sampling of the events that have weakened trust in the past two weeks:

Continuing to use tear gas — a dangerous and potentially deadly chemical weapon banned in international warfare — days after falsely promising that tear gas would no longer be used.

The arrest of Evan Hreha, who had posted a viral video days earlier of a young child who had just been pepper sprayed by Seattle police.

The excessively violent arrest (livestreamed by many residents at the time) of another protester, who was accused of allegedly tapping a police officer with her bicycle.

The situation involving Nikolas Fernandez, who barreled down the street in a car on a collision course with protesters, shot a protester, and ran to the police. (It was later revealed that his brother worked at the East Precinct.) Fernandez’s last Instagram post before the incident was a meme minimizing the value of race-based civil rights struggles; while he was in police custody, his Instagram was scrubbed clean.

Multiple falsehoods that have been asserted by the Seattle police have been credulously and unquestioningly amplified by local networks (such as the Sinclair-owned KOMO). This includes the accusation of protesters throwing “improvised explosives”—(the image they shared was clearly of a broken prayer candle).

More recently, the accusation was made during a press conference that “armed guards are requiring IDs for people to walk through the area of the East Precinct and requiring business owners in the area to pay a “fee” to enter”—a false claim that has been debunked by area businesses. The Seattle Times later traced the claim to a comment on a post made by instigators on a right-wing blog. Meanwhile, FOX News and other national outlets have continued to push this blatant falsehood.

On the night of June 8, after the police retreated from the East Precinct, police could be heard over their scanner warning about “20 to 30 Proud Boys” making their way to the area, perhaps in an attempt to scare away protesters. It is doubtful whether these Proud Boys existed. (A widely circulated image of a protester with a gun was taken that night, when protesters had reason to believe that they needed to protect themselves from roving street gangs.)

SPD Chief Carmen Best called the department’s retreat from the intersection an exercise in “trust and de-escalation.” But the erosion of the city’s trust in its police have only been exacerbated by the department’s handling of recent events. As Lola E. Peters wrote,

Had [Mayor Durkan] and Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best taken early, decisive steps — including immediately announcing the name of the officer who, on May 30, allegedly pepper sprayed a child and firing him or her on the spot — without using the amoral language of politispeak to shield themselves, they would have gained a measure of respect. Instead we hear about the importance of protecting those who are fully armored from those wearing T-shirts and sneakers.

5. Nikkita Oliver is the true mayor of our hearts

In 2017, attorney, poet, and activist Nikkita Oliver launched a bid to become mayor of Seattle. While her campaign, running on an anti-gentrification and social justice platform, was ultimately defeated in a crowded primary, her People’s Party captured national attention and helped set the tone of an agenda that continues to shine through in the best aspirations of the events of the past weeks. Oliver is a good person to follow for information about current events. (Another Seattleite to follow is Omari Salisbury, a citizen journalist whose coverage over the past two weeks has been nothing short of heroic.).................An excellent interview with Nikkita Oliver about current events was just published by Vanity Fair.

6. The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone is, by and large, a supremely peaceful endeavor

I do not say this to delegitimize more confrontational tactics — Martin Luther King, Jr. called riots the “language of the unheard.” But the organizers who have the most at stake have made clear that they wanted to handle the retreat of the police from the area peacefully, and protesters have overwhelmingly respected their wishes. In his interview with the New Yorker, Andrè Taylor, whose brother was killed by Seattle police in 2016, said that despite the photogenic images that came out of the first night of rioting, he wanted to keep the focus on the unidirectionality of the violence inflicted on private citizens by the heavily armed, heavily funded police department.

A shrine honoring George Floyd and other victims of police violence has been constructed on the site. A makeshift outdoor theater, screening documentaries like Ava DuVernay’s 13th, now occupies the corner that was a battlefield for a week. Local activists are sharing food, playing music, and talking about ways to construct a more equitable future. The only thing to fear here is the threat posed by the people coming together for a common cause.

One valid question I have seen come up has to do with the extent to which the CHAZ experiment will center BIPOC voices. Unfortunately it is not uncommon for white activists to co-opt movements started by Black and brown organizers, and the avoidance of this dynamic will no doubt pose a continuous challenge. As of this moment, none of the demands of organizers have been met by the city, though the move to defund the police is now on the table in a way that would not have been possible without these protests.

“It’s one thing to take a space, it’s another thing to turn a space into something functional that actually serves the community,” Nikkita Oliver told Vanity Fair. “You know, Seattle is the second city to have a Black Panther Party, and one of the hallmarks of the Black Panther Party was that they met the needs of the community.”

Whatever happens in the coming days, It is my sincere hope that the guiding principle will be the one that brought Seattle to this inflection point:

BLACK LIVES MATTER 🖤

#Seattle #CHOP #CHAZ #seattle 2020 #2020 #radical seattle #Che Taylor #Andre Taylor #Cherleena Lyles #Jenny Durkan

[connecticutprelawland-blog]

The Will And Testament Of Michael Jackson

By Maya Colon, University of Hartford, Class of 2023

May 28, 2020

Michael Joseph Jackson was one of the most famous musicians of the 20th century.  He died on June 25th, 2009 at 50 years old from cardiac arrest caused by a mixture of sedatives given to him by his personal doctor. Jackson’s will, last updated in 2002, is known as a pour-over will, where the document ensures that the deceased persons assets will be transferred to their established trust. Michael Jackson’s trust is known as the Michael Jackson Family Trust,in which he has ensured that his money goes to his mother, his three children, and some of his nephews. 

In the first line of his will, Jackson identifies where he lives, and that all formal documents that he made prior to this will in 2002 regarding his death and estate were invalidated when the will was signed and formalized.  By declaring what state he is a resident of, Jackson is acknowledging that any laws that applies to wills and probate courts must abide by the laws of California.

Section One of Jacksons will states that he is not married and had divorced his last wife, Deborah Jean Rowe Jackson, who he divorced in 1999. This section also states that Jackson has three children, who are Prince Michael Jackson Junior, Paris Michael Kathrine Jackson, and Prince Michael Joseph Jackson II.  

This Second portion of the will explains that Jackson and his estate does not claim any property given to him in a will.  Jackson also stops exercising any power of appointments he may have had at the time of his death, which would have given him the power to give away property of a deceased person, if he was named to do so in their will.

Section three specifies that Michael Jackson’s estate to specific trustees, as executed in a previous Declaration of Trust on March 22 of 2002.  The trust that Michael Jackson created for this purpose is called the MICHAEL JACKSON FAMILY TRUST.  It also makes sure than any specifications within the trust that are enacted on the event of Jackson’s death are set into motion.  All assets in the trust will be used according to the terms set in the trust, and not anywhere else.  Next, Jackson’s will dictates that if the trust somehow fails or has been revoked, that Michael Jackson’s estate goes to the trustees named in the Michael Jackson Family Trust, and they carry out their duties as trustees as if the rules and regulations of the trust still existed.  To ‘serve without bond’ means that the trustees are not required to purchase a bond to ensure that they handle the trust honestly and legally.

Section Four dictates that any death taxes, which are taxes placed upon a deceased persons estate, that deal with property in the Michael Jackson Family Trust, will be paid by a trustee of the trust.  Any death taxes that deal with property outside of the trust will be payed by the person who gets that property.

Section five is where Jackson has appointed the executors of his will, who are John Branca, John McClain and Barry Siegel.  They serve as replacements for one another, but still have the ability to name their own replacements if they wish.Barry Siegel stepped down as executor in 2003. By being executors, they represent the estate, and they would also serve without bond, just as the trustees of the Michael Jackson Family Trust do. The executors of Jackson’s estate have the authority to sell, lease, mortgage, and deal with the property that makes up Jackson’s estate.  They are also expected to continue any business enterprises, and to continue the running of the estate, including all insurance policies, mortgages, and contracts. The executors were also given the power in this will to use the estates funds for various types of investments, which include property, stocks, investment companies and investment trusts.

Section Six is where Jackson states that outside of the Michael Jackson Family Trust and in this will, he has intentionally not given any money to his children.  He is also intentionally not giving any money to his former wife.  While this statement makes it seem like Jackson is not leaving anything to his children, he is, but instead of writing it into his will, he created the Michael Jackson Family Trust for this purpose.

Section Seven gives the power of being an ancillary executor to a domiciliary executor.  Domiciliary executor means an executor who lives in the state where the deceased lived, and an ancillary executor means an executor who lived in a state where the deceased owned property. Here Jackson gives the executors of his will the ability to execute his will in all fifty states, and not just California.  Jackson does this so his entire estate can be regarded as a unit by his executors.

Section Eight is the final section of Michael Jackson’s will. Here, he given guardianship of his children and their own personal estates to his mother, Katherine Jackson.  If Kathrine Jackson had died before Michael Jackson or was unable or unwilling to act as a guardian, the guardianship of the children would be given to Diana Ross, the famous singer.  Michael Jackson then formally signs the will, and three people also sign the document as witnesses.

After Michael Jackson died, his executors, John Branca and John McClain filed a petition to be officially acknowledged as the executors of his estate, and to validate Michael Jackson’s 2002 will. After 120 days, the will becomes valid beyond challenge.  This has caused a lot of issues between the estate and Michael Jackson’s siblings, who believe there was another will, but they waited too long to make these accusations, and do not have a copy of a later will, which they claim was made in 2006.  Jackson’s siblings were very upset about the fact that he had left them out of his will, and have caused a lot of ruckus for John Branca and John McClain, who have made Michael Jackson’s estate very profitable.

________________________________________________________________

1 Archibold, Randal C., and Jonathan Glater. “Jackson's Will Could Set Off Legal Struggle.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 July 2009, www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/us/02jackson.html.

2 “Estate Bonds: Definition, Cost, Free Quote & Application.” Ox Bonding, www.oxbonding.com/commercial-bonds/bond-types/estate-bond/.

3 Farnham, Alan. “Michael Jackson Family Feud: Lessons for Wills and Trusts.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 27 July 2012, abcnews.go.com/Business/michael-jackson-family-lessons-inheriting-leaving-money/story?id=16871392.

4 Kagan, Julia. “Death Taxes.” Investopedia, Investopedia, 10 Apr. 2020, www.investopedia.com/terms/d/death-taxes.asp.

5 Kagan, Julia. “Pour-Over Will.” Investopedia, Investopedia, 29 Jan. 2020, www.investopedia.com/terms/p/pour-overwill.asp.

6 “Michael Jackson.” Discogs, www.discogs.com/artist/15885-Michael-Jackson.

Photo Credit: Zoran Veselinovic

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

In the nearly seven months since Robert Mueller was appointed to investigate possible collusion between the Donald Trump campaign and Russia, he has already obtained two indictments and two guilty pleas. Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, the indictees, are back in court Monday, when their trial date could be set, and more charges could well be coming for other people in Trump’s orbit. But even as the investigation gathers steam — or perhaps because of it — there are increasing concerns about just how long Mueller will be able to keep his job.

The prosecutor serves under the authority of the deputy attorney general and could be asked to leave at any time.1 And external opposition could help grease the wheels for his departure. A growing drumbeat to this effect seems to be building on the right. Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board wrote for the second time that Mueller is too “conflicted” to run the investigation and called on him to step down in favor of someone more “credible.” Fox News host Sean Hannity recently condemned Mueller’s investigators as “an extremely biased team of liberal crusaders,” and Newt Gingrich, who called Mueller a “superb choice” to run the investigation when he was appointed in May, is now attacking him as “corrupt.”

Then there’s the possibility that the president could simply lose patience with Mueller and order Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to fire him. Mueller reportedly subpoenaed information this fall on accounts held by the Trump family at Deutsche Bank — after Trump implied earlier this year that investigating his finances could spur him to consider dismissing Mueller.2

Democrats, for their part, have been arguing for months that Congress needs to act to pass additional protections for Mueller. But our review of the history of special prosecutor investigations suggests that Mueller’s investigation is more secure than it might seem — and that more protections don’t necessarily produce more effective prosecutions.

Robert Mueller in 2013 while serving as director of the FBI. Mueller was appointed special prosecutor in May.

Alex Wong / Getty Images

Since the late 19th century, when a special prosecutor was used for the first time, public pressure alone has been sufficient to keep an investigation going, even when the president tried to intervene. Our analysis of the 30 investigations since 1875 shows that at first, special prosecutors were relatively rare and appointed only in response to very serious scandals. They were called on to examine diverse allegations involving government officials, all spurred by the perception that a conflict of interest would have kept ordinary prosecutors from conducting a fair investigation or might have driven someone powerful to intervene. In cases where the White House interfered anyway, public outcry saved the investigation.

It was only in the late 20th century that Congress decided that special prosecutors needed more protections from the executive branch and created the position of an independent counsel, which reported to a three-judge panel rather than the president or the attorney general. But the results of these enhanced protections for independence were so mixed that these legal safeguards were allowed to lapse after only 20 years.

“The system we have actually seems to work pretty well,” Josh Chafetz, a professor of law at Cornell Law School, said of the return to special prosecutors appointed by the attorney general. “In the few cases where a prosecutor has been fired, the blowback was so intense that a new one was appointed very quickly.”

The first special prosecutor, John B. Henderson, was asked by Ulysses S. Grant to investigate the Whiskey Ring scandal.

In fact, the very first use of a special prosecutor demonstrates the limits of a president trying to stop an investigation. Ulysses S. Grant appointed John B. Henderson in 1875, just five years after the Department of Justice was founded, to look into what became known as the Whiskey Ring. This group of whiskey distillers, employees of the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service, and Grant’s friends and cronies were defrauding the government of millions of dollars in liquor tax revenues.

Embarrassed by negative press coverage of the scandal, Grant tapped Henderson to lead an investigation into the ring with the hope of deflecting criticism. But he ended up firing Henderson after Grant’s personal secretary was indicted and — even worse — Henderson raised questions about Grant’s own connection to the scandal. But the move was quickly condemned — one treasury official called it “a fatal blow” to the investigation — and the attorney general replaced Henderson with another prosecutor. Eventually, more than 100 people were convicted of tax fraud (although not Grant’s secretary, who was acquitted after Grant took the unusual step of serving as a defense witness on his behalf).

Over the next half-century, a handful of presidents appointed special prosecutors to deal with a select number of high-profile scandals. As with Grant, most were responding to public pressure. “It was a way to ease the heat coming usually from the media or from Congress,” said Katy Harriger, a professor of political science at Wake Forest University who authored a book on special prosecutors.

Francis J. Heney was appointed special prosecutor in 1903 by Theodore Roosevelt’s attorney general.

And those investigations were effective in taking down congressmen and Cabinet secretaries. For example, in 1903, Theodore Roosevelt’s attorney general named a special prosecutor who ended up convicting two members of Congress for helping timber investors illegally obtain government land in Oregon. (The Supreme Court eventually overturned one of the convictions.) In the 1920s Teapot Dome scandal, Warren Harding’s secretary of the interior became the first official convicted of a crime while serving in the Cabinet after special prosecutors discovered that he had been bribed to lease public land to oil companies.

With the exception of Henderson, none of the special prosecutors through the mid-20th century was dismissed by a president,3 but during that time, the special prosecutor was always theoretically vulnerable to the whims of the president.

This danger was cast into sharp relief in 1973, when Archibald Cox was appointed to be the special prosecutor in the Watergate investigation. Richard Nixon then ordered the attorney general to fire Cox after Cox tried to force Nixon to turn over secret recordings of Oval Office conversations. In that case, too, Nixon was forced to replace Cox with a new special prosecutor within a matter of weeks — and the firing did not slow the Watergate investigation’s progress.

Special Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox on Oct. 19, 1973 — one day before he was dismissed.

AP PHOTO

But the upheaval was deeply disturbing to legislators. Four years after Nixon resigned, Congress passed a law that created the office of the independent counsel, which reported to a panel of judges and required the attorney general to recommend the appointment of an independent counsel whenever there were “reasonable grounds to believe that further investigation is warranted” on misconduct charges against government officials.

The result was that the number of special prosecutors ballooned in the 1980s and 1990s. From 1875 through 1978, there were seven special prosecutor investigations; under the independent counsel law, which lapsed in 1999, there were 20.

John Q. Barrett, a St. John’s University law professor who worked on the Iran-Contra investigation in the 1980s, said that many of these inquiries didn’t merit an independent prosecutor — for example, an investigation into allegations that two of Jimmy Carter’s White House aides had snorted cocaine at a New York club. In that case, in which no charges were brought, there was no reason to think the president would intervene. “They could have put four New York City cops on the case,” Barrett said.

“This big, noble statute turned into an overbuilt machine for investigating allegations that were pretty small fry,” he said.

During the next two decades, 12 of the 20 investigations under the independent counsel law did not result in any criminal charges — a sharp contrast with the earlier special prosecutor probes, which all resulted in indictments or large-scale resignations.

There were, of course, major political scandals investigated by independent counsels, but even these high-level inquiries were often criticized for their length and expense. Most special prosecutor investigations ended up costing taxpayers millions of dollars, often without appearing to justify their rapidly mounting price tag.4

Special prosecutor investigation costs and results

From January 1979 through Sept. 30, 2017

PRESIDENCY INVESTIGATION COST INDIVIDUALS CHARGED PLEAS AND CONVICTIONS PARDONS Trump Russia collusion (ongoing) $3.2m 4 2 0 W. Bush Valerie Plame leaks 2.6 1 1 0 Clinton Waco raid 15.5 0 0 0 Alexis Herman, influence-peddling 6.0 1 0 0 Bruce Babbitt, casino application 7.2 0 0 0 Eli Segal, conflict of interest 0.6 0 0 0 Ron Brown, selling plane seats 3.9 0 0 0 Henry Cisneros, perjury 24.4 6 4 2 Mike Espy, accepting gifts 25.2 13 8 7 Whitewater, Vince Foster, Monica Lewinsky 79.7 20 14 4 Search of Bill Clinton’s passport files 3.1 0 0 0 H.W. Bush Sealed < 0.1 0 0 0 Samuel Pierce, influence-peddling 29.4 18 16 1 Sealed 0.0 0 0 0 Reagan Lyn Nofziger, improper lobbying 2.8 2 1 0 Iran-Contra 47.9 14 11 6 Sealed 0.1 0 0 0 Michael Deaver, perjury 1.6 1 1 0 Ted Olson, obstruction of justice 2.1 0 0 0 Edwin Meese, financial improprieties 0.3 0 0 0 Raymond Donovan, mob ties 0.3 0 0 0 Carter Tim Kraft, cocaine use < 0.1 0 0 0 Hamilton Jordan, cocaine use 0.2 0 0 0

Showing presidencies during which the investigations began. Some defendants were indicted and later pleaded guilty, and some defendants were initially charged with one set of crimes and then indicted again on other charges. In both cases, only the first set of indictments and charges are included. Indictments of businesses are excluded.

Two figures in the Iran-Contra scandal — Oliver North and John Poindexter — saw their convictions overturned on appeal. Lyn Nofziger’s conviction was also reversed on appeal, as was the conviction of Lance Wilson, who was part of the influence-peddling scandal under Samuel Pierce.

I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s prison sentence was commuted by George W. Bush, although he still had to pay a $250,000 fine.

Sources: Congressional Research Service, various news sources

Special counsel Kenneth Starr’s investigation of Bill and Hillary Clinton’s investment in a real estate entity called the Whitewater Development Company fell squarely into this category. The investigation officially launched in August 1994 to look at Bill Clinton’s dealings while he was a state official, and it resulted in charges for a wide range of Clinton associates, including the sitting governor of Arkansas. But Starr then expanded his inquiry to include a probe of White House aide Vince Foster’s death (after three years, Starr reaffirmed the conclusion that Foster had committed suicide), claims that the Clintons had fired aides in the presidential travel office to give jobs to their friends (no intentional wrongdoing was found), and an investigation of allegations that Clinton had encouraged Monica Lewinsky to lie about their affair under oath, which ultimately led to Clinton’s impeachment.

“It was becoming clear that when you freed the independent counsel from all checks — political and budgetary — they could keep expanding their purview kind of indefinitely,” Chafetz said. “There was a real sense that he (Starr) had lost perspective of what this investigation was supposed to be for and was pursuing Clinton personally.”

With the office of the independent counsel under fire — even Starr eventually turned on it, calling it “constitutionally dubious” — Congress chose not to renew it in 1999. The Department of Justice issued regulations instead providing for the appointment of a special prosecutor by the attorney general — a functional return to the pre-1978 status quo.

Independent counsel Kenneth Starr is sworn in on Nov. 19, 1998, prior to testifying before the House Judiciary Committee during a hearing on the impeachment of President Clinton.

Doug Mills / AP PHOTO

Since then, the regulations have been invoked only three times: in 1999, to investigate the FBI’s actions in the 1993 raid on the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas (the special prosecutor criticized the way the raid was handled, but no charges were brought); in 2003, to investigate the leak of undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame’s name by the George W. Bush administration (Bush aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, was convicted); and the Russia investigation this year.5

Despite Democrats’ anxiety, Barrett said he’s confident that even if Trump did direct the deputy attorney general to fire Mueller — an order that Justice Department officials might be unwilling to carry out — the special prosecutor position wouldn’t stay vacant for long.

“Robert Mueller is widely perceived as a competent and credible law enforcement official,” Barrett said. “As long as he doesn’t do something to jeopardize that, Trump would have no justification for dismissing him. And if he did, he’d have to appoint an equally credible replacement, or there would be really catastrophic political consequences.”

#IFTTT #Politics – FiveThirtyEight #politics #538 #Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux

[nancydhooper]

“They Don’t Care if You Die”: Immigrants in ICE Detention Fear the Spread of COVID-19

Mario Rodas, Sr. first found out there was a deadly virus spreading through the country while he was watching television at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts. In early March, Rodas had been pulled over and arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents while driving to the supermarket with his wife, a legal resident and the mother of his three U.S. citizen children. Since then, he’d been in the custody of ICE, mostly at Plymouth.

The more Rodas heard about the disease, the more fearful the 59-year-old became.

“I was scared for my health,” he told the ACLU. “I was worried because I have diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. It was stressful, you know?”

Just days later, word spread through the prison — a staff member had tested positive for Covid-19. When they heard the news, Rodas’s son — also named Mario — and the rest of his family were terrified.

“Just do whatever you can to stay alive and hopeful,” he said he told his father over the phone. “We are doing everything we can to get you out of there.”

Mario Rodas, Sr. in family photos with his wife and children.

Across the country, there are nearly 36,000 people in the custody of ICE on an average day. Some are in county jails and state prisons, others are in facilities run by private contractors like the GEO Group. Many are asylum seekers who have asked the U.S. to protect them from persecution abroad. Others — like Rodas — are undocumented workers who lived in the U.S. for years before being swept up by ICE.

Now, public health officials say that overcrowding and poor access to sanitation inside ICE detention facilities is a crisis in the making, with two doctors contracted by the Department of Homeland Security calling them a “tinderbox” for infections in a letter to Congress on March 19.

“As local hospital systems become overwhelmed by the patient flow from detention center outbreaks, precious health resources will be less available for people in the community,” they wrote.

Across the country, tensions are rising inside of ICE facilities, with detained immigrants and their families fearing that cramped conditions and an indifferent bureaucracy are a deadly threat to their safety — and to the wider public’s health. So far, at least 20 detainees and dozens of staff at facilities housing them are confirmed to have contracted COVID-19. Many others are under quarantine, raising fears that the virus is spreading undetected and potentially infecting guards who shuttle in and out for their shifts before returning home.

These numbers are likely a significant underestimate due to shortages of COVID-19 tests. In a hearing last week on an ACLU lawsuit, an attorney working for the government admitted that there were no tests available at two Maryland facilities, while simultaneously arguing that detainees there were not at risk due to the lack of confirmed cases. ICE has said they aren’t required to disclose information about staff at privately-run detention facilities who have tested positive.

“The nature of these facilities is such that it’s really impossible to engage in the social distancing that we’re all practicing right now,” former director of ICE John Sandweg told Democracy Now.

After the staffer at Plymouth fell ill, Rodas said that guards started bringing him and the others in his cell block to meals in shifts. But each group was still as large as 80 people at a time, and none were given masks or gloves to wear.

“The government is asking everyone to stay home and not have physical contact with other individuals. But meanwhile, my dad was out there amongst 80 to 150 other individuals, and you don’t know if they could potentially have something and be contagious,” said Rodas’s son.

Realizing the danger he was in, Rodas’s lawyer, Kerry Doyle, reached out to friends at the ACLU of Massachusetts. On March 25, the ACLU filed a petition asking a judge to order ICE to release Rodas along with another detained immigrant on the grounds that their medical conditions placed them at high risk for COVID-19 complications, in violation of their constitutional rights.

Two days later, the judge issued a ruling. Rodas would be able to go home.

“They released him on pretty strict conditions,” said Doyle. “He has a GPS bracelet.”

Rodas’s son rushed to Plymouth to pick him up. “I was so happy, I couldn’t believe it,” he told the ACLU. Now, Rodas is quarantining in a room in the house until 14 days have passed since his release.

“I think that the whole thing highlights how easy it is for immigration [authorities] to release detainees that have cases that are low priority and allow them to go back home during these very uncertain times,” said his son.

Mario Rodas, Sr. being released from Plymouth County Correctional Facility on March 27th.

Mario Rodas, Jr.

The suit that led to his father’s release was one of a series that have been filed across the country in recent weeks seeking similar orders. Fifteen were filed by the ACLU and its affiliates, with over thirty people released from detention as a result of those suits so far.

Alfredo Garza was one of those lucky few. He was released on March 26 from the Tacoma Northwest Detention Center, a private facility run by the GEO Group in Washington, following a suit filed by the ACLU and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. Garza suffered a heart attack while detained this past January and says he was chained to a bed in the hospital while receiving treatment.

“Doctor care is terrible there,” he said. “The worst there is.”

In 2018, an investigation by Seattle Weekly revealed that the Tacoma facility had been providing substandard medical care to immigrants housed there.

Washington was the first state in the country to experience a substantial outbreak of COVID-19, and in early March Garza says that he and others in the facility became afraid when another detainee fell ill with what they assumed was COVID-19.

“They took him out in a suit, like one of the people who catch bees,” he said.

Geo Group and ICE have not confirmed any cases of COVID-19 in Tacoma Northwest Detention Center, but Garza says that his unit was placed under quarantine and kept away from contact with others anyway:

“We said, ‘Hey we need sanitizer or chlorine.’ But they said, ‘No, we don’t have any.’”

After the ACLU’s suit was filed, Garza was released along with another detainee who suffers from high blood pressure. Since then, 80 people housed in the facility have gone on hunger strike to raise attention to the danger they say they face from the pandemic.

“I have a friend who has diabetes and he was worried when he found out that there were people with coronavirus inside,” Garza said. “They didn’t even tell him, ‘Hey, we are going to put you somewhere else’ or ‘We’re going to do something.’ They don’t care if you die.”

Despite widespread calls from public health experts that the detained population must be drastically reduced in order to prevent COVID-19 from spreading unchecked and taxing the healthcare system, so far ICE has largely refused pressure to release people in its custody.

On Tuesday, the agency indicated it had identified 600 detainees deemed “vulnerable” to COVID-19, and released 160 of them. But that same day, lawyers for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asked a judge to stay a ruling that would have released 22 detainees with medical conditions from two county jails in Pennsylvania.

“Families were getting ready to pick up their loved ones when the stay came down,” said Michael Tan, Deputy Director of the Immigrants’ Rights Project at the ACLU. “ICE is playing an unacceptable game of Russian Roulette with people’s lives.”

Karlyn Kurichety is a supervising attorney with Al Otro Lado, a California-based organization that provides legal services to asylum seekers and other immigrants. She says that her clients in the Adelanto ICE Processing center — another Geo Group-run facility — are scared.

“It’s just cruel and really disturbing, there’s basically no precautions being taken,” she said. “The detainees are not given any information about COVID-19. There are no signs, no talks, no advisories, nothing of that nature.”

Adelanto has put strict measures in place requiring visiting attorneys to wear N95 masks — despite the fact that even health care workers in the state aren’t able to find them. Since then, Kurichety says she hasn’t been able to visit her clients —most of whom are asylum seekers — or arrange a non-recorded phone call to discuss their case.

Recently, she says she spoke with one client who told her that two people in his dorm collapsed with symptoms that sounded like those of COVID-19. The dorm was subsequently placed under quarantine. Another said that he’d been cleaning his cell with body wash.

“It’s like if you wanted to design a situation where a virus would spread, this is what you’d do,” she said.

On March 30, the ACLU filed suit on behalf of six detainees in Adelanto with serious medical conditions, arguing that “without a rigorous testing regime, it is impossible to conclude that COVID-19 has not already entered Adelanto.”

Two days later, a federal judge ordered all six released.

But Kurichety says that those who remain are fraying emotionally.

“They’re really scared. I would say it’s almost like panic,” she said. “Their families, too, because we’ve been talking to their sponsors and sometimes they break down in tears. They’re really frightened for their loved ones.”

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8247012 https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/they-dont-care-if-you-die-immigrants-in-ice-detention-fear-the-spread-of-covid-19 via http://www.rssmix.com/

[batterymonster2021]

News Now Stream 4/24/19 (FNN)

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/news-now-stream-4-24-19-fnn-5/

News Now Stream 4/24/19 (FNN)

Turned tragic proper now our sister station fox thirty two in Chicago reporting that a body has been observed. Close this wooded discipline in Woodstock Illinois this is very close. To within the area of the place this missing boy he is welcome here to news now we expect. A an FBI investigation as quickly replace on that as good. Well as we obtained these reside photos into the newsroom — a bit previous this morning it began off as Ariel’s putting and no longer distinctive in any respect. To peer – you already know with the stories of a lacking child — that you would have images coming in of a of an subject being searched. You consider the story. Of a young girl who went out for a jog this used to be last year. There within the Midwest in Iowa in a small city in Iowa and grew to become up lacking in they had a couple of syringes for her. Out within the farm lands out corn fields — simply hoping — To you recognize be able — To either to find her or get better bodies.And so it was once now not. T unusu owing t high ierest in th case and the tusands of rertedlyipshat ha bn see see pturesike tthoned in fo t the teportitarted Mike witn th- one in every of t first rorts fm e of o fox thiy two Had bnoundn thisrea. An thiss juso upda erybodhis ia litt fiv Andot gd conct wh the Poli had bn tthis coupls dwelling my. Andt streh morthan sixtye pas lengthy. In feet I had chanco plean somefhe nil but the ther me in to rea toouch in of bod but it sr how factor areaid It tme itounded le he ws mostorder on the mobilephone name and n we d have at let sten to th rightow. Nce the cent gage You canisten nghborhdeah ree e tele o staon down right here wers taketo buyreek So — Tn tre is is nwas a velopmen thi i– Forrom e Chicoribune rorting. At thisery rnin. Policepoke with e mogain And aer that the oicer return to. . Agaiith the ibune efrom portin. Weere athe pole stion by means of It w a coue of hrs lat And e nexthing wknew a legislation forcemt newconferceas beg set r latein theay d then whave t pictus from t sce.F g u n rselves — Th thi ecificlys t through of a lile misng A t lite Boy you g awher inhisveearld bo. Is outind oin theuburbsyesrhon e ah yea so th is t fairly.Burbs andust ver erybyn th enrcemen w for six days nowas ll i have been ying ttrack do that lt. So a l of bl ribbo in the market olle . Sign at a hom- simply wn the stet fro the place. This familiva And it jusit doe’t loogood concsions werin staby mod for ths confence thas anoerind interting aect tit all. Is theact tt the FBI isn morehan just police matter thicr all correct so we will have tha fut sttbin iwasupposedo At ts hrut now it’been nce ph again up just aittl bit sog y want to talk about can have it.For you correct right here. Information now that isne of thbig orie her of theay viously all right yet another — keeping trackf justoments ago president trump in the First girl walking down the steps of Air force One in Atlanta. Where they’re going to be soon talking about the drug drawback in Americ- specially opioids — The president actually on the south lawn of the White house or a bit elier this morning with anothe onef the impromptu information conferences and he failed to off. Via talking abo how theirst woman e . A faiamount otime worng on a reality Malani in to ke se he was once getting the fts.Ght and said tt I lieve we’re. Areelling folkshat ere’ bee abo a 17% reduion. A reporte usef opioids thinhisast yeaand she stated she sok her head to t affia. An so- Forhe fst cple whicou d’tm e evy bits mh as is.Rng o And nowhis jor speh. Atlta wch i wbelie — righ therend hers a liv okt the pium proper there youan see as t crowd he is waing. For threside a the Fst La a when at hpens of coursee’llu heren information now s Alread rig ohe sta now we have various mong parts already and it tbrintia and that i as we it forheseig. Monts to occur yh an is most like anymore my he eve with a wita littlender ten minute. Impromptu othe uth lawn it is like. Ght there are such a large amount of ou of what he d to say in these days heb speaking about. Really he said in summaryhat wts to e thount as Spificly knohow vonrom high wi thery tsubpoenaskw yo correct and yowonder Wh doe the presidentiste to it appears he is a very good relationshipith s ne cef of staff? US- Somebodyay b aisin the president on type of you kn wha tone he should be takingow we don’t entirely is is possess man he is gog to tweet whatever he desires to tweet and say atev he ntso sa — but ithisartilar instance — He what he did do the payment and i’ve been wondering when at was going to return — Becausehe wle his argument against Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats is that they are gng to show themselves to the part of investigate investigate .And now not without a doubt get quite a lot of things executed. So t they’rell kds ople — And adlis Nancy Pelosioday pronouncing with the president is stonalling the United Stes Congso see is xes hs no gng t it is going to be a authorized fht goes downm. Up allhe w in e Suemetelnd courtroom — you recognize so that is relatives of brewingut tre in terms of the relationship between the two but if the president’s gonna make the argumt. On the Democrats are the party of investigate — investigate collusion investigate obstruction of in my tax vested in my household then he needs to get off that subject. Right so he he was once on a for a little while today and you are going to play some of that i’m certain Yoll hear he used to be definitely on that subject for somewhat even as speakme aut Moeer and how he made the belief. The molars television might have financ and appeared it is taxes don knoif tt’s e ca or now not — Bh e vot. And he mentioned it’s time for . To figure out how we can start to work on some of tse b issu the h in order that’ll binteresting simply see himake that move it as he df cou keeup on at.Ah and rig n imply as soon as spng breakheirxtendedor tir spring bak right now so I nogetting the understanding one ey’re no longer even there to obtain the hiya man could be satisfactory Mike to have a have a job where you could set yrwn cash and also you’r On vation -So Thf vacations I mea On the u to ke ae different sidofhe cn whh of path were proficient to do — If u we aongressm oa nato fro s Newersey. Or Delare. Omewre nearly DCt’s allyot tt b a dl b the theongred mennd the senators from Washington and Ogon and kn youave two full days ofirniau avel ery sgle wee bathom s. Monday is a trav dayo get ther –n ce you are questioning why are there not various headline o of Congress on a Monday or Friday. That’s why. Tuesday Wednesday Thursday these of the three working days so and Monday purported to be the day th fly i. Ide is ppos to be at present the fly and so that’s kindf the best way itorks. Michael it’ this sort of day we will have to add up the wle number vacate days..I believe it’l a really really as I heardou sa a ltle bit oDelawa and their spkingn Delare I about. Bing oka the colossal dayor overbi inl intesting isn it.Nuth Becae the headlin the day gone by was at a NeHampshe and it’s impornt state. Buit cou potenally ba that Bere Sands is pretttleit st ll identified aretty willighten n that — part of Ne door in rmont — ts in Moouth ces o with is a country wide. Pollhat sa holdn a mine w e . O and oted Jdish. Most cching by using. In that her pu that w Hashireollere’s eir snapsh. Of whe stands nationally witby 27% sick wel aheadfernie Saers at 20%. An to dge aittle extra hind welsubstaially fuher bind. Th set theres a fairly intestingtory- This moing ou therey that — Thes somof these candites de dot knowho particularly Weeally d’t and but that some of ese ndidat are.Or rame-p wi dirn ved genne rht So name the D. O. . All on who to detention center. And that i mean he he’s starseen singo quick. To Joe by using hring h numbe ve beestrongndor the st parof stad stro we asmehereas hwas somef thosstorie — That we so netiveowardoe Biden or thls whene wasn his decion king pcess critically i youe anotr ndidatend you feel youe goome magi iormaon peop who a willi to co ahead to share that unsafe.Inrmatn whyot put it available in the market when the fellow still attempting whether he will run or not so whonows I certainly believe like in the entrance of the interest of frt trsparency. And anyone from The N Yor Time n in Keokuk Iowa when they record a sty. That. Clearlys bad at a particular candidate I suppose like they must have the state. Who gave them that information? That is it’s called off fl research it happs at all times – but I feel like they must say ay soul somepposition study used to be offered to us by way of.Decide upon your candidate toll so ye. She appears to nice. Ah however Ieant do hapn al pa oft is everybo fascinating as kinof cerom zero tobling up e hero. Litelly inside about oneonh Annie Elizabeth Warren have to be thinkinghat I need to do. We s wor anoer pgrama malove polits yomay be aware she li. Bu she is she is severely placing the suggestions in the market and then what happens is. Other candidates tral to always resnd ther d her ide m e mo rect one was once cngen the x sucta businesses like Amananno be in a sittion whe the make as a lot moneys they do. And Jeff basins pen’s riche he does on businesses on all these kinds of thinnd a we l recognize we said to the Amaz web page zero on federal That’snbelievable so you know loophole I determine you are actually consider for the 12 months conservative or liberal you appear at that and also you say welow c that. Stated I goa pn for tha. Thrigh.Ng on bothhe lt and No I that is a road to enty entynd is ju htingp erybody but now let exhibit you litt bitn president trump’s remark oside othe White residence.As with lani- As wel. The variety of distinct they’re thmari one sure they areff touring together on this one is intriguing. Stay silent although okay there we go — extra news now coming. The inventory market. Three from an financial standpoint is doing the first-class quite often it’s ever done. Waiting ales ain. Clos to or over a hundred instances is an president. The time of the election. Fine they’ve ever been through a long way.We have now nearly 100 to sixteen men and women working in these days of the united states that is more th. Three earlier than. We’re doingell and we’re doing matters are goi goo I bring in the Firstady correct now she’s labored very tough on the prices. Have been down about 17%. From last yr whichs lovely strong what down. 17% for the opioids issues a bi probl is a. We’re ndli. The medical professionals areorki with us. They’re working with further work s woing th us. Is amounof progrs Jo AnI ha beethe st And esidt a admn y a ways. We just went by means of theall whi. The place you ad? Real ehteeangrDemos at eight psident drop the eight AM with ad. They we contriy cases Alary but eher th a passion. I have no idea. And eyame witno llusn a absolutely alame Atrneyener situated on the he all over the situation.S They verify my finciand th cheed my taxes I asme. Washe mt. U shouldrobay. Suppose I read whereheyotry I I say is enghe hundred ople.Get back to infrtr. The chopping tas get bac to loweringrug ices thas wh. Particularly that’s what we must do The survey i These armpartial pee . Twty tnty t goain with e peoplehat see And ey’rnot ing n ains me the onlyay ty ca may just lo. D Ion’suppose tt’s nna opsite tt’s at a l ofe opleayin. The ly w the getockeout r me. Nonnseut ty suld quite foced o n ivehis a ligatedust you understan alstince obtained intoffior the lasta now. Youant litate. Afr the DNC. Lary The rty jobll othese matters thas what to be litigated. Considering the fact that that was a rigged syem. Breaking down i’m breaking down the swap in the event you look at what’s going down. They getting. Fi what’ gng to ppen from w on b I ope. I en is vetrong. But ifou can di. Alrit people and sy rig he with us were folwing a two bit ftou’re tang aive appear Illins wre pole andBI agtsre at a sce in odstoc Illinshere ty recoved a b.Learngn simply littl bit i at is. Unfortately indd the misng t gone week and then to e rightou e awting psident trump remar dhe Fir Lademarks abus he on this untry we’ ve itll f youight he on newnow hk g righ now in theed buttill. Keeping an awfully strongoday I everybody perhaps certain welcome bo the d we are going to he psideeref trpike I sdt simply ase alws have it for u he in i entetyhat’ wre we wish to e neonferences. T a slice of a you don get everytng o rig rig he on news n f . Let’s get me da to business briefs correct now from Tracy Carr. By way of Amazon ia strategy to make receivingour ckages mor handy andafe whe you arawayrom hom. Enables for delivery individuals to position packages within your residence or car to make certain they is not going to get stolen beforeou g hom and now Amazon has expanded t servicewo gages you can nd eligible discipline and have a my queue related garage door. Opener if you happen to alrdy own a m queur enerll youaveo do i nnected with the E. Key by way of Amon as. Disneyould en as mh as % zero% of al ticket income in North the us this summer that’s consistent with a rert within the rap biest dralong with seval polar filmranchises T ory for The Lion King a Aladnre all set to debut within the coming months.For reog on to fox industry dot com in Ne. Thing there so much Tra you for that updat wel thisext orye first bught it tyou stery as itas hpeni On t lucest twey fourearbut nown freakingay that wasanuel Frco’s rction when he realiz he was holding. Sevehundreand sty eigket worth llion dlars in m coronary heart began rt for out five or t minutes anco w the oy perso to match al Fivnumbers. At the same time onarch twey seventh making him the seconigge a loery htorye says he had od fling abo snding t On his manner hom from rkast moh. I truthfully felt soucky thatI di lookt at e cama a I rather wante to n bought it becausIy feeling Franco says he kept his mouth shut aboutis b win Evenallo e after knewhat I’of wor I I work aa stop houseent in mu that — i am re to evyone awork nice but and Ieally desired say sething that I kn that i was once unhealthy decion and that i pe for wk aga.As for wt’s nextor Frao he ys that he wan to be careful about how he spends his profitable. T desired to trel theorld I pl to li my liormal as as muc ase osehe lum sum ch optn for hi wina after taxes he’salkingway withhry six llion dolrs. Lauren Bncha fox ns tha u Laen tre whiife wellut I sorhere.Chaing as jother immiate aft Winng the jkpe dn’tant opleo fi out That’sow peo fi outf the. En y’re ite rht aer dide simply w the lotte Iyeoplgone woerf the waa lo of chicken thoffiayin.Uorke — Isotere oious someing’ goi onnteg hofullhe spends it had inveed- Sma allightext doorhat r ye we e awting pside trum to lk d cris Inhis cntry and abrdo a dera procuto nowakin onharmaceucal companie announced the firstver dru traffiing crges once more a armaceical cpany a two distriting prescriion medicinal drugs helped fuel the opioid epidemic Lawrce dol the thirdheging former CEu cooperative for our DC with algedly tfficking tens o llions of drugs to armacies.Known tillegay doling out naotics the iictment also claiming our DC and its executives made the deliberate resolution to no longer invesgate or alert federal rulators about phmacyustome ty kne extra disnsino pele for nonedicalses om twenttwelveo twty sixteen thef l skyrketed durghe perd RDC genered one pnt tallege in . Billion dlars of sales fro e sale of managed supplies. The station used to be tied to that earnings.The seventy five year historical former CEO surnderin to thorities on Tuesday he’s chard wit consring to distribute oxy code . And coniring to defraud the Drug Enforcement Administration which carry a minimum ten 12 months prison sentence bucks attorneys announcing he’s being framed. Mr down will not. Function their scapegoat. Thoroughly intends to battle that is In N Yor Jry bb gaen. Ne Theror tt uate a new gain knowledge of right now sws that teens relatively suppose. They feel — ordinarilly everything is safe take a appear at this. One it can be become this new matters like I don’t know myophomo ar in high college to house right here began vaping to support her quit cigarettes but i don’t believe it can be doing much. To dwelling understands and understood each hit a digital ges a a higy coentrated. Nicotine in new studyut of of teegers sdyouaid th four dates n nicotine pducts test pitive foricotinathen resechs proven of cocaine.As a whole. As heroin addiction psychologist surgeon Harris straighter issues this abilities lack of knowledge amongst younger individuals about what they’re feeding could depart them settl wh the nancia burden and expertise wellbeing influences of nicote liveio forhe res of eir n me you. Cry even grter stilating feelin in line with thU. S. Cents for disse ctrol and prevention estimatour int eight . Incrse fm the yea befor% everybode a lotf thes. Inhe batoom in the liary the peop in oseooms w flaved.G up withhese ping pducts absutely no that they appea to yoger audiense t the flavorsffery sobody’s nicotine baiting products. It imy favore the bacof the roomn citadel otheartf thei nufacters tappeal to younger individuals. Lots of which the Sny Brook institution be taught finds perhaps failed to fully grasp what they’re placing into their our bodies if we are able to attract you with berries. After which it did she with nicotine that may be a long term earnings stream it can be tremendous so that you see it in every single place in the East Village I Max king.Field five news. And persons we are simply now moments far from an FBI replace in Illinois on the the missing the boys search we’ll bring it to your proper right here. On news now you are taking a are living seem at Woodstock Illinois that is the place police and FBI dealers were calming this wooded discipline. And our sister station fox thirty two in Chicago reporting that a physique. Has been discovered on this area and now we are ready for that update might it be the lacking a fiveear olboy. Be me newsow by way of xtwhat tragi and ce bko ne noy doppreateouoining u Ne Jery rig nowhere thereay wreo was hugehild predator skig the bd sieen ople were aeste incding g s lksncluding aolicfficer Of making an attempt tsolit sex from a minor take a seem at this everybody administrative center. In help partial agent in argeicha Reinhd Ofomelan. Shiff.Lke al have our And om Bern couy localaw enforce. I’dike toecogze and Rdy St Bri g. An uer sdle rir percent eutena. Da allowg committed. We’re additionally grateful to operatn unites president and CEO hello Nancy ailes thanks. Thanks additionally to an tremendous. Serv in a nner works d and nit No matte what i would like at ast they may be all cl amid the strangest hrs he is continuously therworking Secretary Alex Cesary first-rate Alex used to be dng. Robertedfield who’selping us a radids V as by means of twenty thirty and the place there was going to be able to do this. Men and women are shot please get up bought. Forecely in a speeche will a renegad is through twenty thirty internet ogress and so they failed to understand speakme about they could not speech healthcare professional they mentioned you mean that that is righte’reoing to ha it round a gated.By twey thirty thank y very so much general practitioner very imptant. Also with us i. Th lieenant goverr of this greatd Brn.N whoseork difficult with The mixture of Jeff Dunn and Bryan has bn. Commonly ueatae doing a fabuus job Jeff thanks very so much Jeff where are y Jeff. Jeff thank you. Jeff. Pleasant jobeall greohn Mrs And the Geoia Aorneyeneral Chris auto. Chris thanks. He is within the figI ow that. As well as contributors of ngress Rick Allen. Drew Ferguson bBarry hell out of milk. Have a that’s a prettyall we we now have been doing ok togher Avue. We now have been doing god’s to the entire oplen this room to serve ery day. The frontiers and entrance lines I haa drawback it is you ever in theratitude. Of our allntoouration you can also now not even understand it. Butur natn loves you and so they love what you are doing thanyou very so much. The first responders who bring patients again to life. Yo a theaw enfcement Drug traffickers to justic. You are the doctorsurse and coung force tbuild.E and solace and A brighter and brighter ture.Of american citizens overcome addiction For a brand new lifetime of freedom. My ainistrations depying each resource atur disposal to empower you. Help you. Ane g Weill no longer sol this epidem ernight. But wilstop. There is just nothing that’s — Plaster matter how you cutt i know probably the most people on this room nothi stoou. Except our j is done.N telyou. Andhenaybe o findomething new and that i hop tt’s going to be quickly b we willucceede have resule mbers that I heard two weeks in the past. That was once greatly surprised to hear. Whenakin large development each year extra tn seventy thound pcious American lives are lost?O the opioids and drug . And inmy opinion t number is much greater than that. To preserve all americans my administration declared the opioidpidec nation vast A tremendous step.Mgency.Sincehen we have now secured a report six billion dlars. Opid crisi.G to combat the And that’s the most ever. And we’r going for even higher numbers ts ye. Th yr we providedinety sutance abuse.Eventse The help for patients and communities ahe lgestver leslative effor to combat a nation’s hisry.Sis in r it’s the larst ever. Following the w Ofy health care provider geners and lots of hers ltear th distribution. Ofhe ordos revsing dgs naudible Naloxone. Accelerated by way of over. 1,000,000.Items prey aming stuff. Expa aesso therapy restoration a different central activities and serces. L tought ouration we offers to statesotaling a record two billion dolla. Areow permitting stateso use Medicaid cash to pay for residential treatmen facilities a ty’re beinbuilt everywhere the country. In my first yearn ofce the quantity of paentseceiving. Medication aisted tatment at neighborhood wellness centers ineased through sixty four% know what the esident did the nor the present. We don’t have any choice we haven’t any option We handed t cre bac.To develop cure for motrs and phical stylish oopios.N For our. ‘remprovi affliction management fewer veterans or ooids due to the fact Jak you at. Zero-002-30. With the aid of t manner f thehis. Forty toet it.Good day’ve been attempting Asou be aware of. Just rectly I signed n oice. Veteran cano and if the wet is going to be. Ys or weeks or months which is prate health care provider. Exit and spot a Take on the spot care. We pay for to take care of the it’s been an excellent it is it can be new and it’s been. Incredib theifference it can be bad. And simply monthsgo I sigd bipaisan crook justice amongst other critica chang the firs step again supplies addiction tatment to americans in jail.That in jus four months. More than sixen thousand intes are participating a new medicines trit. Criminalustieform I have to say — Peoe getting out of pron. And due to the fact our founding theyere havingn impossible time tting a job. Bu becau o financial system is doing wel. Rhaps the excellent it’s er bn numbers in history.Mpyment great the whole thing considering the fact that of th Becae of thi prisone getting ou. S employers becse I spe to quite a bit oar overjoyed. Th hado proposal. I am so happy with thatohe quality economic climate has me it.Muchasier they get out and th they have to prov themselvesndever obtained they pve theelves. W job not alof them. Extraordinary there is nothing falabouany us. T they a doing apectacular b. So Iant tthank all of you d Iant to thank cgresan wish to ank you f serving to me with that case must be have been very instrumental thank you very a lot exndingederal efforts tobor i support. Recoveri american citizens fd a gre. In our retailer into trying to me.Thus of our historical monetary growth ao. Including up all americans from all walks existence. Incling folks that havbeen in the course of theain of addicti. Getting a 2d a thi and in see and they’re mang it. Theye makg it and ty reallyave sothinto le. R some of th say w love gettin ue r jo. D in the event that they d’t just like the job when you consider that of what is happene it’s a micle a over the wld that talking abo wt’s happed. Ifhey don’t like the job the have alternative also like the vets ey he option the alternative o going out and finding a Thathey ke bter. Massive impa final year a recor 73% of the new jobs went to persons who are Coming again to work for thee no. First time in ny yrs. These new eloyed citizen are becoming a member of fivpoint fe Fod jobs nce the electn. Drivin l employment rat. To its lowest lel in fiy one years. Ands you realize while you’ve hed me sayt. Lost. Amerin uneloyment Inhe histo of our untry. Asian Amerin unemploent lowest io cotry.Lowest within the history of our. Persons the graduate witut a lowest in the hisry o o country. Ladies Sorry. Lowest in sixty e years. However will quickly have the file. Will soon have the report. We’re ing have that record. To we’re all Amecans we are all . We a the strongest when n one My administration is dedicated to ensuring that each citizen n liveith digty and motive and proudly purehe Ameri. Adnistration’s strong aid. For faith founded Initiatives. Americas a nation that belies in the werf pray. An we lieve in the grace of Ouof here with us tay is door Montyurke’s.Nineteen years ago Monty tned his existence Fr his homeland church helped him to get. No Mon works for Tennessee is. What a satisfactory state. Thats director of their faith o. Founded covery. And tell us a little bit about yourork incredible. My administration can be barkedn a urecedent crinal networks crackdonne legal internatial spments. The deadl flo of medications in our cotry. The earlier two yea ctoms math a cocaine and heroiand Fent all. At the southn border. Are up forty five% and gng up much high l Problyo thnumbersoday. Deining cturing call it extra pplehanver befe a few of thot ople wwant in oucouny An i will s borr patrol has been incdible the’s on no account been a. That border. The ke theres tay up thugho Mexic Mexicwas starng. To detain and bring again to thei.When they got here from? Bua lof iis drugsnd medicines are Being Gotteny us we’re spping the dr flows so much as we can quickly. ‘re gonna have wall this could bery powerfulalls it is beneath conruction. The mediag about it. The media doesn’like. To considered one of many matters were doing however en that wall is conclude you intendo have. It can be fouhundred milesf wall developed. By using the tip of nt year were probly forward of schedu a bit of .’ll have a trendous impac on druy an we haany different tngs includg te Than you c b hundrs of miions o bucks of e bes. Ug dection eipment you could have. D I aays say ts becse as od as at equipment is ingeniou. The greatest equipmente world is a dog. Dogs. A ctain style oGerman shepherd ipartular. To a better job thanour hundred million llars worth of are you able to bs would realise tha. He said to the boer patrol the otr day they had been giving me. Just a little little bit of a run down on ths hundreds with almost five hundred llion bucks worth of equipmt at t porf entry. I mentioned how does this examine. To those quality to althis I noticed. He.Saronestly the dogs about I sa you bought to be kding it incredie they usually showe mend it can be absolutely superb within the high-quality dogs and we chish them. Ale kills. Tee hundr ericans a wee.90% of which entersur nation via our southern border. We’re doing the whole lot. To empow ourselv s that we can keephis poison out of our co. And away from our youngsters you’ll find some very very tremendous differences within the coming month. Ere have been taking pictures people tt you would not feel? Announced that famous run when I got here down and i’m definite nobody saw this when I got here down the escalator with. Malani a our waitresI do not think any individual noticed that. However I made an awfully powerful announcement abo the border. It can be not that dangerous will restricted. Thattatent was peanuts. Compared to truth peanutst reity.All time compared to however we are confronti. Ality and cfronting the grave secury and you manage during crisis on our southern boer. And at’s why Ie declared a country wide emergency which is exactly what it is.Now we have secured historical funding to strengtn border safety. Incling the equipment. Throughout the wall. The more border patrol retailers. Is that youon’tven need to understand aboo knowbout. Congress mus also acte f nevertheless. Obsolete Uhhuh. Thanks Mr pside firly speak. Time and possibility to Borofessnally and peonal. Fami’s lif.Ed mlife a my Wo forhe sta pole in Virgin for thirty e year. Enter . Drnforcentection for enty tee of thirty one ars.On the equal conferces in the past even as Ias right here fr yearsgo my s J. Ttli druaddictn. The stor is o to . Andas medated at younger e. Eighens . E hao transfer out othe hoe beuse tha is the andance a % officer. Yocan that home used to be ghteen birthy. On theay you n Eiteen Ioved o of r home. He wlde wot decions armade in s life. We did so. About a ye or twlater. . For severe 4 fiers. Fromis ha. S Our round to in myife. You case The arsted a cple occasions. Foposseson a distribion beforehristm. Welve ys cemb trteeh twent seventeen elver Of a hern and t in all over the place th peopltalk aut Yourerror medicines ere is stigma and thetigma needs stop. You wanto thk aut stmahink abo a famy that’obvious tot . And that’s oy one fily of sevey t seventeethe lel. Onbecausopioidnd heroin e stigm needso discontinue y ed to are your sry. Ou t bracetsveryy sinc my son’s dth l right wrists a rple braceletTo honor individuals who have e s in t morni datof start. Date oh On my left ist i’ve.To forhin bl line. Ever ordose someone’srd to sim. Baby Educion that’s wt we’ here d tt’s whyou’re her he ok the fir editi of ybe ifou her forhe fir time. E colborative brastorm to sttegize. To figurout th oblem colltively. Wi the message I wanto carry toi Dot judge. There seventyhousandit Twenty senteenign. Hiname used to be. Matthew J.Simmer For thanks . I consider can sayith safety that. Ur bitter boy is looking down rhtow when you and very pud of hi father. Ve very oud of we’re making grer tern. As aesult of my negotiionses with. President xi. Of China. Doing an extraordinarily big exchange deal. They’ve announced that nt week. To prevent chinese language spent in any respect which is most of it. Close to all frontt all comes from China. From being shipp to e united states An the more I admire his from president xi they’ve agre that. They’re going to make it ar crime. It’s no longer a crime now sits down as an industrial drug. Antheye gonna make it a crime and so they’re going t charge folks with the perfect level of crime In Ch. Like in our couny. The best degree of crime is very very excessive it’she perfect you paid the best pric. So I appreciate that very a lot. Nce I sigdhe stop act int legislation our mighty customs and border protectionffics of stopped.Over six timesore packages from accomplishing Amerin drste g deal. And border prection officers. At the seaport in Savannah. Lately discovere an estimated nineteen million bucks valued at In shipment of Coloian Polls. In these days we’re proud to be joined by two officers who helped in finding James longnd Erica nles. Andhank y bot f your courageous work. The where are you humans were I you come on come on up here Thank t ofll. And agn than you f all you ppor it’een aong rd d wre glaand e priden Gl to ve y all bind ubehind us. As y all o our bigge hel close to day. A hstack day in your activity thanks. Thanks both very so much fine job. So many incredle humans tha I met doingxactly wt you are doing.To allf the customsnd border safety offers t agents and state and neighborhood legislation forcement. The he tod we An we’re with you all the way. We had billions of dolrs of mitary equipmenthichhe previo ade to provide u. To regulation enforcent and that i u very much. Many drug companies are giving Euroan international locations a better deal. They offer their o nation and that has to stop wvelrea Mang se that ourreat seors Medare. Will share in the reductions given to different nations. You recognize what that mns. The sophisticates in the market that do ts for a residing you understand exactly it’s a b deal unds like. The deal nevertheless it really is a g deal. At lengthy last we’re stopping the drug businesses in foreig nations fromeading. The method i know all abo the region the procedure due to the fact that I had the procedure riggeon me. I suppose you know what i am unluckily so that it will be your sound chunk tonightut ts system was once rigged if. The rig in the method agast our pleasant senior. D to he docrs and scientists devi anguish klers.For opioids.E have neay doled f. And discomfort research thank you very ch dtor co on and. It was a w extra money than any human bein thank you. Such an importan we can to find that answer is goingo be a tremendous. Many of the hindrance i think how shut are we he’s announcing k. You get it. Get a one 12 months ago we pledge to reduce nationwide opioid prcriptions. With the aid of one third. In a position for the period of my time ioffi we now have diminished the complete amount of opioids.Prcribed by means of 34% that’s a beautiful robust number. Gl to document at present the drug overdose doe or down within the various states that we hd in chk. Thones hardestity the opioid situation. Ne Hampsre. West Virginia IowPennlvania And y steeply dn within the of those instances. An amazing fulfillment. After I campaigned ithos states tt factor? That nobody would suppose it. Until you relatively worried Over the last two years our country wide prescription drug. Take back days. Of collected practically three factor seven million poundsf prescription medicinal drugs. At seven tim. Of Air drive One an extraordinarily great planehat’s parked about ten minutes away. Ry very b large heavy plan feel of that seven instances. Anthe next drug take again day is. Mostmportantteps to endinge th ts is to pvent young people. Om ever utilizing medicines within the fit position. Public awaness camignbout the horrificufferinghat medications inh % of young american citizens the place’s Kelly and Kelly a stand up kellyanne nway andhe’s.Advert becse you realize.The place these in case you do itropey we had somerea. Ung peoe watching at these is that they won’t sta I consider in lots of approaches. You do not see the outcome for four or five years but i am many methods because. Some of the most important things we cane doing so we’re doi that and used to be spending a lot of money on that I consider it very imrtant. When they seem AT andomebody cos to them and wts t sell them drugs and they famous person excited about what they jt saw on televisi or at any place they? It’s going to be slightly more difficult for them to ke tt sale and that is okay with me. So we were on a’m very prompted that in. The rst yeare naonal surve on druse and altheported tha 100 ousand fer teetarted abusin prescription discomfort ller. One hundred thousand with.Wit us at present is Ax gos And hisom distinctive mom. Shelly. As a younger grownup Alex overcame addiction and is now. Th his mother they established an group to helpfamilies i c. Plse come up and share your retailer thank you Afternoon. Ay that’ my identify Alexs we can ag Manyf youlready kw tt bu perps wt you dn’t kn is thathis imy mother and we’re a loved ones in long term healing.I coultellou a aut how addicon used to be grounogay in hell ld overgain be’ve hrd enghf deatndestrtion for a w yea. L l Anmy frienAmandaallo been . Ing theork thoicesf ho to he peoe irecove ay in covery. AnI’dikeo us this tim to y a bighank y to ery whorksirelesslvery day tompro t livesf pple Becae Mar saidt nice wdo Sohankou a for beiogethe. Voices of hope . Thank you each. Ex and Shelley reminders o greatest resource in the combat in opposition to drugs. Is the heart and the mind and we will prevailecau of theeoe. Courage dedication and Li allf you in thisoom you might be the us’s true supply of . So let us resolve the collectively we can support Cherishing ceor o felw everchalngeroughvery steand On their street to rec. We will rea o to any person who isurti olost retailer considering eve American serves to grasp e gly ofope. The joof belongi And thelessings. Of heali. We will stand proudly behind our deted doctors and nurse and medical experts who wk so hard. And so they do so much. We wlonor andelebrate the amazing guys and females of legislation . Love our laenfoement. You are aware of it’s but over the final two and a half of yea.La enfcement. Has becomeot. You have got a bit oblem rig. T t sizzling. Peoplelevethat legislation enrcemen me than er fore becau we respt you. Youtheighe levs we admire e job y do is first-rate and unsafe. But isncredie. We can strive to offer each youngster a loving home. Every dwelling a thriving future we will renew the bonds of faly and fait that the hyperlink us together as citizens. As patriots and as american citizens. Give in not let up wwill no longer and can in no way ever ve up d saving Your les. We can finish this rrible menace. F addictione will make our citiesag and our future brighter than eve. Asne United nations we can work Weillor a ande will battle for the d when eveamily across ourand. Andive. A dg fre Ameri thanks god bless you and god bless. The united states of the usa thank you. President trump speaking for virtually forty five minutes in Atlanta — count tking abo. The da whole on this nation who’re relatively speakme about the opioid obstacle and even citing.Some former addictsnd folks in healing at this moment — Shared the stage with — to tell ofr hope to so many millionsan of usa citizens. More news now it is developing subsequent Illinois wer wtingor the physique full an. On ns now butbviously an awfully a td this very moment it wa expecd too ti he in izona thawe bought shed bk ahour.O elev a obvuslyow it’s sti — have been wtingor tha som irty mutes aer ttush again so wlla lo at thhoteally it can be g story notnlynllinoi however no is .Story as wexpected proper her on t on that one right here for you i am My ces you are aware of it’been a nothat thes wjust had.S reward tn o goackut to w Jsey I plea forou -e ginng othatews conferce. Inewerse wre the w a youngster pretod sixteen men and women arreste incling ac yingo ha s wit t underneath age. Rsonhat s obousl a tr thereut wilontie nowo ge tm t coeren T.Orsmatt ns Duri opetion hom ae n chatith the chaeefendas over vario socl med plformseading u to e made.Tupshen threstere Ar und cov artmentas in rgen cnty a it wastaffe withozens of ficersnd evidenceha. T d ? D r Ne Jerse. Fourf thes defenntsphia travel thiy o g These pdato travedearles. An a ways eac hopgo in finding thr victs vulrable eac ping tfind tm alon. But rather a t s chd on whh they cld press. Thesew e rested. Thirtn ofhe defendants cg eratn residence ane wer restedhenhey aivet are an additional alledlylanned to mallnd wasrrestethere. The two rs . Chars of condegree Lorg d or seconegree atmpted seal aault. Botcng t moralof a cld.Trd dree Ondefendt chang Kair ceshird degree arges of atmpted divinghe mors o a ild a posseion ofhild -*-*.Kaer used to be alrea awaing ntenngn a responsible ea in a the Bgen coty procutor’ fice. Two n aegedly sen exicit phos of tmselveo base thi degre chaes ofthe dercd marial wh thchild the geral mentiede additionally restedfficereteropic — To gd junr of e rge wod % dartmen for legedly arrging sith who o helievewas a fteen ye historical gl. As fs theenalti for seco dege chaes carryey ntence ofive toen yearsn prison Thd dege crges lift a nten of threto fivyears prison. St oe tseefendas weidot arrest.Folloe and tectiv word seaessly NEsigit devicncludi thdefendt’s ce phos. Labotory on the Bgen untyeon deo osecor’s offic wherehey wi underull forensic aminatns. These aminatnsill detern evence of a princouers constutedditional ces ofth unday Loring. Sealssault f youngster enngerme. Firs apprancesere helnd two me wd detained penng tri. Thotherefendas at a mimum were ordedo repo relarly tpre tri svices- To thatd th are phibite fro making use of the inrnetxcept forork o havingnt f e y condtg i oer pretorym eratioome alo invves s ch incdible tea wor. Fr therain invesgators recruidyhe sta p.C. And CAC taskw . Analtsnd oth sta fromys assied ievery aspt of ts tremdousfforts thankou notvesta. A me eveone however Io wanto cogne simply few. Fr the divionf cminal juste’d liz y an duty Attney Geralie st o Blu. Bureauhief — Glianpervionf dept rpenr beau ief Jia glass ofheinar cres burea all und the leadship of dust deputy rectorhristi Hfman. I so wt to ank ecutive asstanFran invts selr prise a a of theeputy a attorney normal and Dsy J. Tectiv w aressigd to is iestition commder lutent Jn — ste p.C. Identification Zero sgean i youn detecti Btt Mch and alerget Pauscore no oergnt Cistd e I Cnit whinhe ste can’ deny tt assted whicend allI this orat.Y inkenio aistant prosutor bras ind Berg count prosetor’sf the Who sisted in is opetion? I’alsoike tohank Bgen saddiver pole chie Cureton asingonscris uples upperaddle rer RamsolicchieBria Gree. Dastl I wouldike tthank our feraU S.Omelan investigaons uer SC Banicha a athe F Grory. . Acss theerse wordfics tiless to instigat and precut viontrimils a ose who el t deaypioid epidic b tir widpread and rvasiv dru dtribion acvities nessari a prrity. Forur Attorne Generain fe f ourtateaseen a will ntin to a prime priory. Wl remai steadstn our puuit of t egrious offeers whoeek to viimiz our chd. I w tu this ove to at in. Director.Pole. Ofhe New I’ justake momt to everody’s remks — To th attoey n yo have arly thiy la enforcent at tother a collarate. Fr federal sta cnty loc Pennsylvania as ll asne ivels -n the Bre r the spe of it’s ge and so the fact thawe he a tkt reaye rce likthis the toes tt we chilen uni. Cmes agnst A dediced to is selyn th stateolicepeak to th gnitudfhis iss — I thko th gener’soints about wn we thinkack to e lowerit h cay.Its a tolly differe ballga this e th the appearance othe intert and wii soasy for tse — Pretors to to es vulnable so think wn subcts thaere those tt are at me thiingrestede go o thaf they thi yearld gir or bo ope ther tkingn ck othei intellect thethink at. They’r talkio a NeJersey ste troer tdeteive in a osecutor offic bausef an ift stom beg vicmized -ith everybyn th roo s h or hife. Theest of his coseling wheth that’aof mentalllnen results in mecation sfne the taskorcenitiates likctim isf wish to ploit chiren wn they logy ink of uomebod in Freh ue wita goltripe down their g ono at comter — To ma se i’d ke to troducnow th fedel bure of instigatn ank y — As you jt hear of theyba . H s todahese predars are the llaborive eort is iat e stat ofew Jery the neighborhood thetaw ? Y e persons.Ds we sg in a we sd earlier than we wi thr in ainute. We wilnd mas somee wi arres tm in oer to ke our cldren safnd different rest of this in e cyr worl Thk you. Evators my hometown security counterpart. Morng my ne is ch Rnhold sistanpecial in arge homela secus Brinjustic to sexulyo those who y e onof eacof sizhighes ioriti. A while Ipecial agent he the t legalovemen of pele gds acss U. Borrs d becse the intnets borderss theo ntrand onle ian internional ime. Of sually abung an nocent feelg of rief.Ary and i say tporarye fortunely tre soany predats outho r commities eratio he alon ia grea exampl ofa cal rources comning f the st righteous fee. Thank u. With thawe’ll takeour questis aui me aloinaudie] David Genel Th operati. It t theame — Typef operatn youe m l forcemt ancies we section Crim agast chiren tk forceere hit Coulbe anydy.Pfilehat.]o Stl theris notng in th ofile that dicatethat t youngster. Could be terest in canine. He– Yeah yea worI mean. Prioinvestations there and With t photo with e thet arof. Na of thchild hi and is made care priler the ats tt the invidual that e defeant is His betweenhirteeand fifen yearss nernitiat the cversation about a- It alway a defennt tha arts a conveation and thas how w.A ery. Chd Thwater — Whout getti to thepecifi detaif of For e endnd somofhel say chats eart oc belie his socia media profi- Inct Morecaredhat t childes. Wrap iup. All rit tha you vermuch foyour aenti and thanks for developing thanks a differt. Thank u iormati tha ultl is t recovy.At weelieve in ahallowrave wrappned plasti in odstocIllino e tremendous Mnery depend corer’s ofce is on scene wit the F evidew . The cse of deh i unknot th tim a wle turne determed aa ly e McEny couy coroner’ andvidenc each joinfortion beincharge wh t deathr disappran. T with five unts ofirstegree aggrated btery. Two unts of aravate domesti btery. Anne couf failur to rert a msing or little one dying. An you fend senioas bee arged witfive cnts of match degr murde. Twcounts ofggravad batty. Coun of gravat domesc batter. Two unts o And o depend of failu t. Port msing year childeath poli deparent I wld lik thankhe FBI. The McCainecounttas atrney’sffice and other loca sta and countlaw forcemt a fire dartmen entiesgin managent eir asstanceas instruntal ibringe tohis instigatn [iudible achersamily is mhope tha youayave so solacn knowg that AJ kills haveeen brght tos juice.I uld al like to ank t assiance ding th diffilt time [al JJ. We kno you’re a section enjoying it happelaygrod and are hay you longehave t ffer. The ouomef thisase ia relt of thxtraornary efforts of s dictly invold on this se. Beuse t charg rulting fr thisnvestitionur bas largel or recored. Weillot b provingny fuheretails in effoo protecthe is Go afteron- Tnk youthank you. Chf black AJ’samilyf t commuty. To condences on ‘s Los need to ta abouthen come bere you. Buit ishe unftunateesult I spt the las twoours her with ta conducng thiinvestatio. I would like tw a meer othe laenforcement commity. – rtnernd frid stenino themotion. Folk as crew have exhitedommitmr over tg actual rlly bris lot o otion make difficult.The iestigati- f .

[coin-river-blog]

February 19, 2019 11:14 PM

Two types of CBDCs are in view, but only one is a wild card.

On February 19, the Bank of Japan published a working paper outlining the benefits and consequences of issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) and how one would function in Japan's current financial system.

The authors of the study split CBDCs into two different categories: (1) CBDCs used by the general public for daily transactions instead of banknotes; and (2) CBDCs for large-value settlements, which are based on central bank deposits and use distributed ledger technologies.

The researchers posit that the latter group can be considered the next step in the evolution of existing central bank deposits, which have long been digitized. In this regard, the authors of the study believe these kinds of CBDCs will not present many new issues, although they are concerned about the anonymity of transactions.

Although anonymity is a concern, CBDCs could be an improvement on banknotes in this regard. As the authors argue, the anonymity provided by paper banknotes means cash can aid in money laundering, tax avoidance, and other criminal activity. While a CBDC used by the general public for large transactions could help curb this kind of activity, the bank says the level of anonymity would have to be "lower than that of banknotes." The authors use the example of the People's Bank of China, which wants to issue a CBDC to help catch tax evaders.

When it comes to CBDCs used by the general public for daily transactions, the paper makes an interesting argument in favor of issuing a CBDC, saying it has the potential to enhance the financial stability of a country by eliminating "destabilizing factors stemming from banks' maturity transformation."

The authors explain that in the current banking systems "commercial banks issue demand deposits and make loans and investments through 'maturity transformation.'" This system runs the risk of banks failing to meet "depositors' demands" in the event of a "bank run," during which customers panic and withdraw their money from the bank in mass. The authors argue that issuing a CBDC could help banks remain liquid in times of trouble and, therefore, help to stabilize the entire economy.

It's not all good news, however. The paper claims that if too many people switch their accounts to the newly issued CBDC, it could very well cause a "digital bank run," which would also leave the bank unable to fulfill the demands of depositors and issue loans.

The authors argue that if interest-bearing CBDCs were to replace both banknotes and bank deposits, the interest rate on bank deposits may drop, which would cause banks to be unable to issue loans to those in need and "could distort efficient resource allocation in the economy."

Moreover, the paper suggests that a poorly designed CBDC could eliminate privately owned payment methods and discourage technological innovation. The researchers also expressed concerns over the effects an interest-bearing CBDC could have on existing monetary policy.

On a practical level, the authors map out several possible ways CBDCs can be developed and regulated as well as explore how to provide them to the general public and other financial institutions.

The Bank of Japan is not alone in exploring the idea of issuing a CBDC. In May 2018, the Bank of England published a working paper outlining three different models for a CBDC and how they would function in the existing financial system. In October 2018, Sweden's Riksbank published a report discussing the possibility of issuing a CBDC because of the declining use of cash in the country. And earlier this month, the Bank of Korea issued a paper discussing the benefits and consequences of a CBDC.

Nathan Graham is a full-time staff writer for ETHNews. He lives in Sparks, Nevada, with his wife, Beth, and dog, Kyia. Nathan has a passion for new technology, grant writing, and short stories. He spends his time rafting the American River, playing video games, and writing.

ETHNews is committed to its Editorial Policy

Like what you read? Follow us on Twitter @ETHNews_ to receive the latest Bank of Japan, Central Bank Digital Currency or other Ethereum world news.

window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init({ appId : '1761887554082917', xfbml : true, version : 'v2.7' }); }; (function(d, s, id){ var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));

[diannewootton-blog]

Ramsey Hockey Situation Simply Inappropriate.

There are commonly 2 universities from believed on whether or not little ones should get an allotment. They perform discriminate however the manner from bias is actually regularly pure merit which's what any sort of school or for that concern, any type of organization ought to practice. Due to the fact that of the traditional different colors and also the convenience makes that quite easy on the eyes, I definitely like this style. I did nothing incorrect, however decide to remain with a monster, my ex-boyfriend boyfriend, (one little one is actually ours). Any individual along with World wide web accessibility may do a 2 minute hunt - and find MANY posts about this college. I am actually virtually prepared to take the plunge to file suit cps and also i will never ever surrender. they messed with the wrong individual. Local governments after that oblige moms and dads to spend college income taxes for these learning jails. If you are actually truly therefore anxious that a young boy in this particular college are going to receive distracted by my higher back as well as shoulders after that he must be sent home and technique self management.

When you experience like you are actually regularly on the outside appearing in, the university http://kauf-wert.de/chocolate-slim-erfahrungen-forum-test-bewertung-preis/ sponsor game is actually not a fun video game to be in. If you discover your own self within this circumstance, just decide to have accountability for your very own employment and also you are going to ensure college trainers know your title. They began at age 5 in elementary, headed to middle school, secondary school, university, after that at age 22 pointered right back in to the university as an educator. There is no Grade Point Average criteria and aim at candidate's are senior high school pupils college and also grown-up trainees. A child along with a handicap, which could possess electric motor command problems, is heading to find research extra tough than it should be actually. Our school composition authors have also been drawn from various academic background producing our company capable of rendering services to all secondary school students despite their industry study.

Regardless of whether you possess a lower than eager shopper, it's a back-to-school practice that needs to become part of any type of school scrapbook. It aims, as an example, to a high school in Montgomery County, Maryland, that serves a greatly black as well as Hispanic population - and also registers those students in physics at an outstanding rate. The firm that ran the closed secondary school still had a reduced college, yet they always kept providing me the run around. University id memory cards for pupils are likewise valuable to all of them given that if delivers them with possibilities. This is actually ideal and also your youngster could certainly not regularly make the correct option, however your continual enthusiasm might at some point influence his opinion favorably. Somehow, regardless of who you are actually as well as exactly what you give the table, intermediate school is unkind to each person that passes through this. My daddy always pointed out, If our company really intended to gain a war, our experts will release an airplane packed with 12-year-old females. Some senior high schools call for trainees to pay for their own senior high school AP schoolbooks as well as various other called for supplies. The major reason that so many pupils don't really feel interested in what they are doing at university is actually the incomprehension of their studying regular.

Maybe you possess 67 accreditations and also possibly you talk about where you went to school. Yet you are convinced that college is actually the best road for your kid as well as you are meeting resistance, attempting making use of the complying with techniques to persuade your children of the market value from an university education and learning.