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tinyboxxtink · 3 years

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Build Me Up Buttercup *Part 5*

WARNING: This chapter contains mention of sexual assault, please read at your own discretion. Also, I’m sorry these last two chapters have been kind of dark but next chapter will be super fluff I promise!

If you need to catch up:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 6

Tag List: @wanniiieeee

....And you just ran out?”

Your roommate’s judgement came through loud and clear, even through the phone.

“Yes! What the hell was I supposed to do?!” You tried defending your actions. You called them to feel better, not worse.

“Well, first of all you shouldn’t have LIED,” They kept their snarky tone.

“I didn’t LIE….per say,” You paced back and forth, twirling your hair in your fingers nervously. The silence after your statement was like you could SEE their faces just giving you “that” look.

“Oh okay what was I supposed to say? ‘Oh hey yeah you’re right Fin, I was an absolute party wreck until I couldn’t be anymore’?”

“I mean I don’t--” You heard footsteps coming up behind you, so you swung your phone to your side, cutting off their sentence.

You turned to see Rafael standing there, that permanent concerned look for you pasted on his face.

“Hey...are you ok?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. I just needed some air,” You tried your best to stay calm and nonchalant.

“Are you sure? Because you--” He started to say something but you quickly interjected.

“Actually you know what Barba I’m kind of on the phone right now, can I meet you back inside?” You motioned with your phone, kicking yourself for being cold to him right now but you couldn’t deal with anything else at the moment.

“I...uh...yeah, sure,” He shook his head with an awkward smile, and walked back inside. Relieved, you put the phone back up to your ear.

“Aww, how cute. Barba cares!” your BFF’s voice cooed through the speaker.

“Yeah, in like a ‘dad caring’ kind of way,” you rolled your eyes.

“Oooof, I wouldn’t start throwing that term around, we might have to start talking about ‘daddy issues’, Y/N,” they giggled.

“SERIOUSLY?” You practically screeched into the phone, thanking every god you could think of that Rafael had gone inside before that comment.

“I’m just sayin! I’m ALSO saying that you need to go back in there and tell your squad the truth,” they returned to a very serious tone.

“Yeah I guess…” You sighed, knowing they were right.

“And I’m sorry I can’t be there with you holding your hand while you do it babe. But…”

“But what?”

“But maybe Rafael can?”

“Jesus, can you please be serious right now?”

“I am being serious! You just told me he helped you calm down earlier, and that wasn’t even half traumatic as this is gonna be,” They insisted.

“I don’t….how…?” Your face scrunched up trying to think of NON creepy ways you'd ask for someone's hand.

“Whatever, do what you want; But I do suggest telling them. Clearly you're not going to be able to keep this under wraps, and I doubt you want to keep freaking out on your co-workers. Trust them, trust RAFAEL,”

You sighed again, you knew they were right. Olivia said it herself, it was important to have a squad you trusted.

“Alright I’ll call you later,”

“You better!”

You took a deep breath and walked back into the bar, your hands shaking as you reached your booth. The group all started to speak, but you put your hand up.

“No just-- Let me talk. Fin, I am so sorry,” You addressed Fin, who shook his head in a “don't worry about it” manner.

“No, I really am. I’m sorry I freaked out on you and I’m sorry...I lied. Kind of,” the squad again looked at you in total confusion.

“God….okay, how do I….? Um….”

You started trying to form sentences in your head, words jumbled around in your brain. You started to panic again, when you felt a hand grip yours under the table. You snapped your eyes open and looked next to you where Rafael had taken your hand. He gave a small, supportive smile making you suddenly feel at ease.

“Okay. So, like I said I was pretty much a ‘caged’ child. I was homeschooled, I didn’t have any friends, just academics. Being born a ‘prodigy’ sounds good on paper, but I just always felt like a show pony. Or an alien experiment. People were always coming by to check out the ‘genius 5 year old’ play Mozart, or ‘the brilliant 10 year old finish calculus problems in under 30 seconds’.”

You took a deep breath, watching their listening faces. Too much detail hon, get there faster.

“Um, anyway. I graduated ‘high school’ at fifteen years old. I had barely made it through puberty, and I was already done with my academic childhood. Obviously, I wanted to immediately enroll in college, if for no other reason than to get away from my insanely controlling parents. But big surprise, they had a problem with it. It took me a minute to convince them that it was the right next step, full ride scholarships to literally any school in the country helped. And I mean, ANY school. All the Ivy leagues sent out their top recruiters to speak with my parents about having the ‘prodigy’ attending their establishment.

So with that, I was able to convince my parents that I knew what was best for me. I told them I was smarter than them, so clearly I could parent myself better. And God help them, they believed me,” You had to pause again, tears catching your throat. Rafael gently started rubbing the back of your hand with his thumb.

“So, I started at NYU that fall, just after my sixteenth birthday. Sixteen years old, the only child in a university full of adults,”

“I don’t like where this is going,” Sonny whispered to Amanda who nodded in agreement.

“So I got paired with this room mate Layla, who was the polar opposite of myself. She was gorgeous, totally socially gifted, but dumb as a rock. Her daddy had paid her way into the school,” you rolled your eyes just thinking about her.

“And truth be told I loved her at first, because she was the sweetest girl. My first ever real friend. She took me under her wing and gave me a complete makeover; socially and physically. I had NEVER had guys look at me the way they did after she helped me. It was....intoxicating.” You paused in shame, picking at your jacket.

“So, naturally, I wanted to hang out with my friend. My ONLY friend. And hanging out with her meant going to all the coolest parties, frats and sororities. I was SIXTEEN, I didn’t….I didn’t think,” You bit your lip and stared at the floor for a moment before continuing.

“I lost my virginity at those parties,” you muttered quietly, and to your surprise the team started reacting.

“Wha-- Wait wait wait, guys that’s….that’s not even the bad part yet,” you gulped. Jesus the judgement was quickly getting real.

“Anyway I...was pretty much a huge party girl slut,” you shrugged. “I’d go and party, and hook up with random guys, and never thought twice about it because I thought ‘that’s what college girls do’,” You scoffed at your younger self for even having that notion. How could you be that smart and that stupid at the same time? It was baffling.

“And one night, it bit me in the ass,” You sighed, here comes the hard part.

“I don’t...I usually got so wasted that I didn’t CARE who I was having sex with and most of the time never remembered WHO it was anyway but-- but I’m pretty sure that night I didn’t want to,” You breathed out and looked up, willing the tears on the rims of your eyes to go back in where they came from. Rafael’s hand gripped yours tighter, making you feel safe.

“But it is what it is, this guy did what he did and left me on the floor in a frat house,” You scoffed again, this time tears dripping down your face. You couldn’t believe there was a time that you had been that pathetic, to just be left laying on the floor like a blow up doll.

“I guess Layla found me and took me home, because I woke up in my own bed. But I had bruises and hickeys ALL over my body, and just….brutal stuff,” You trailed off while you picked at your food, not wanting to go into any more detail.

Suddenly, as if turning on a light switch, your entire demeanor snapped back into ‘normal mode’, you wiped the stray tears away and cleared your throat. You were

“AHEM So...anyway, after….that, I told Layla that I couldn’t hang out with her anymore if that’s all we were going to do, and she understood. She didn’t like it, but she understood. The next semester I got a new roommate who was pretty much like myself, boring and socially inept, so I went back to the thing I knew best-- academics. I changed my major from biochemical engineering to law, because I didn’t want anyone else to go through what I went through without a voice. And after that, and a WHOLE lotta therapy, I just pushed that whole semester I lost deep, DEEP down, you know like a totally healthy person,” You tried playing it off with a laugh, but they weren’t amused.

“But...just thinking about Mary Fahey,” you sighed. “That girl had everything going for her, she was probably really smart and had a whole life ahead of her. She made the bad decision ONCE, to go to a frat party and she’s DEAD. Meanwhile, I was a stupid slut for a whole semester and the worst I got was bruised up and a pregnancy scare.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re saying what I think you’re saying,” Amanda gave you a look.

“What? That I should have been killed? Well why not? Why HER?” You protested, sipping your hurricane. It was unsettling to the squad how little you seemed to care about yourself.

“....I knew there was more to it in the bathroom,” you heard Rafael’s soft voice beside you.

“I’m sorry...I didn’t know how to tell you,” You looked at him with apologetic eyes. “I didn’t want you to think I was...trashy,”

“Ok now hold up” Fin interrupted.

“First of all, you need to stop throwing words like ‘slut’ and ‘trash’ around, especially about yourself, Y/N,” he took your hand.

“You said it yourself, people make mistakes. Hell if I worried about the amount of dumb shit I did when I was a kid I wouldn’t get out of bed in the morning,”

You had to break into a small sad smile after he said that, nodding your head in an understanding manner.

“And whether or not it was a one time thing or a ‘phase’, no one ever deserves to be assaulted for overdoing it at a party, or anywhere else,” Olivia chimed in. “EVER.”

“Exactly what the Sarge said. Assault is NEVER ok, in ANY circumstance. Even when you think you were ‘slutty’ by sleeping around, those guys are accountable too.” Sonny added. “Taking advantage of an inebriated woman is not okay,”

“AND it was statutory!” Rafael finally spoke up, his fists clenched. It was as if it had taken this entire time for him to fully process your story, and now that he did he was PISSED.

“Okay, Rafa, calm down,” Olivia placed a hand over his.

“No Liv, these guys should all be in prison for having sex with an incapacitated SIXTEEN YEAR OLD”

“Will you knock it off, counselor?” You hit his arm. “I didn’t tell you that story so you would go after a bunch of random idiots for something that happened over 10 years ago!”

“Well they should pay!” Rafael yelled again, but after you softly stroked his shoulder, he seemed to calm down.

“I appreciate the sentiment, Rafa,” you warily threw out the pet name, happy when he responded with a small smile. “But I’m over it. Mostly. On days that aren’t like this,” you added with a joking laugh, trying to ease the tension.

“Well, I really appreciate you telling us the truth, N/A,” Olivia nodded at you, the others followed suit.

You gave the first genuine smile since you came back in, looking at Rafael. He took your hand once again under the table, giving it three small squeezes. Before you knew what you were doing, your head was dropping onto his shoulder and you were scooting closer into him.

“Get a squad you can trust, right?”

#rafael barba #rafael barba x you #rafael barba x reader #rafael barba imagine #law and order special victims unit #law and order svu #build me up buttercup

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strawberry-lemonade · 4 years

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Depression

guys depression is fucking serious and no, you’re not being dramatic.

I was officially diagnosed with depression when i moved to VA and could actually talk to a real therapist.

i’m pretty sure it started about 5-6 years ago when i moved to Anna. and i’ve always thought something was wrong with me. but anytime i tried to say something about how i felt, i would be reminded of the starving kids in Africa. i would be called a spoiled brat, idiotic, a faker, and attention seeker. no one ever paid attention to me and i started isolating myself, i was also just starting second grade.

in third grade, it got worse, and i started bottling everything up until a time came when i couldn’t take anymore hits and lashed out. everyday. for two months. i tried not to hit anyone, i tried not to get mad at anyone, and at school, i shut everything off, and pretended i was completely fine. i hardly ever left my room and in the middle of the 3rd grade school year, i tried to commit suicide. a third grader. and no one gave a fuck. but then it happened again. and again. and again. and finally i got tired of trying.

in fifth grade, i begged to be homeschooled. because, yeah, my home life was shit and i hated being there, but i also had horrible friends, who were exactly like my family. and i couldn’t be around that 24/7.

during that time, i also lost three pets, Nightcrawler, Bucky, and Coffee. i watched my duckling get brutally ripped apart by chickens, and my siblings absolutely love reminding me of it, along with saying my cat is gonna get ripped to shreds by my dog. i broke my foot and had to wear a boot and walk with crutches for a month. my siblings thought i was faking and took great joy in trying to prove it.

still trying to get homeschooled, i asked again. my parents, of course, refused, said i had to at least be in 7th grade before they even considered pulling me out of public school. so i sucked it up and acted like a “big girl” because, you know, i was a whiny brat.

then we moved to VA, i got to go to an actual therapist, and oh yeah! four deaths in the family. so she diagnosed me with depression around, 5-6 days after we started talking.

i completely ignored everything though. all the signs, all the feelings, i completely bottled up all my emotions, and success! now i hardly feel anything. except for physical pains, they’re pretty common right now and somedays i can hardly move.

but after i bottled everything up, the one time i burst, i tore up every thing i ever made. i ripped up sketches, designs, paintings, stories, poems, and now i have a binder full of broken dreams. i haven’t broken down since.

but you know what happened?

i went to the hospital in august 4 fucking days after my birthday.

i have been in intensive therapy for 4 months.

i cant even go back to normal school.

i get huge panic attacks when i have to leave the house.

and guess how old i am?

not even 16.

i’ve had so many fucking suicidal thoughts but haven’t acted on them since i got back from the hospital.

i still berate myself anytime i’m feeling anything but absolute gratitude for everything i have.

i hurt myself when i do anything wrong.

i keep saying everything is fine, but it’s fucking not.

i tell myself that i have the perfect life and i’m a bitch for feeling emotions.

i tell myself that my family is amazing and perfect and i’m just a piece of shit.

but you know what?

i get terrified when anyone says my name because it means i’m going to get yelled at or hit.

i’m seeing three therapists and i’ve never told them any of this because i feel like i’m faking it all for attention.

and you know, the people at the hospital fueled these beliefs.

any time i tried to say how i felt or what was happening, they brushed me of with a “it’s just how family is! it’s normal!”

but you know, now, i don’t think it is.

it’s not normal for family to send you to the hospital.

it’s not normal for your family to cause 87% of your serious injuries.

it’s not normal for family to make you feel worthless constantly.

it’s not normal for family to convince you that you aren’t worth anything more than a speck of dust.

it’s not normal.

you know why i’m finally saying this?

no one in my family, none of my therapists know that i’m posting this.

i can’t get hit or yelled at or beaten for something they don’t know about.

and i am taking a huge chance here by writing this and posting it.

but I want everyone to know that you are not fucking alone and I will always be here to help.

i will always be here for anyone who needs it.

i’m not a licensed therapist, so i’m not gonna act like one.

but i’m here to listen.

i’m here.

#tw #tw suicide mention #depression

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armazeilor · 5 years

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Muse Interview

TAGGED BY: @xxslavextoxcuriosityxx ( and also @illdivine, many, many, many months ago. thank you both, dearies ! ♡ ) TAGGING: @souleclipsed & whoever else wants to do this !

1. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

“Horia Furtună.”

2. WHAT IS YOUR REAL NAME?

Again he raised that brow of his like he so often would, somewhat ticked to find his word was already being doubted. “What, wasn’t I convincing enough the first time I told you?”

3. DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU’RE CALLED THAT?

A mere shrug. “You’d think the furtună part would be a nickname, but no, it’s for real. Turns out there are no coincidences.”

4. ARE YOU SINGLE OR TAKEN?

“Look...a monk does as a monk should...”

5. WHAT ARE YOUR POWERS AND ABILITIES?

And at last the smirk returns, so faint you almost can’t see its arrogance. “You sure you wanna see? It’s a secret, you know.” ( Weather control, magic in the general sense, spells and charms and curses—all that good stuff. And did I mention taming balauri? But he hasn’t truly mastered that yet. )

6. WHAT COLOUR ARE YOUR EYES?

“Oh, just green, but a whole bunch of wizards have different coloured eyes—outs them as sorcerers even quicker than the hair.”

7. HAVE YOU EVER DYED YOUR HAIR?

“People do that?”

8. DO YOU HAVE ANY FAMILY MEMBERS?

It takes a second for him to answer, for the first to run through his mind is his teacher; that can’t possibly count as family, can it? It’s been so long since he’d been taken. “—I guess so.”

9. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?

“No, not really.”

10. TELL ME ABOUT SOMETHING YOU DON’T LIKE.

“Well. Let’s just say I’m not awfully fond of those who try to taunt me. Just recently some moron thinking himself a holy warrior came hacking at spells I’d carved into my trees, replaced the lot of them with crosses; if I find the guy then someone’s barn is gonna burn.”

11. DO YOU HAVE ANY HOBBIES OR ACTIVITIES YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?

An indifferent shrug, chin resting too casually into his palm. “I like to cook. Does that count as a hobby?” ( He likes making up spells, too, travelling to random villages, and meets up pretty frequently with his old master or other wizards, not just for religious rituals! Find them out in the wilderness throwing elven-style parties with lots of drink and food! )

12. HAVE YOU EVER HURT ANYONE BEFORE?

“Possibly.”

13. HAVE YOU EVER…KILLED ANYONE?

There’s no answer this time around, instead only his stare sinking cold and inexpressive, down to the necklace at his neck. ( LISTEN...it gets pretty brutal here, and he’s most likely lost count of the, uh—victims. )

14. WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL ARE YOU?

“Huh—weird question. I don’t know, what do you think?”

15. NAME YOUR WORST HABITS.

“Oh, pfff. Not sure. I’ve been told many times I bite off more than I can chew. Or that I’m too stubborn. I’m sure there’s more, though.”

16. DO YOU LOOK UP TO ANYONE?

He does, for sure, so much so that his gaze lights up in a telltale sign of fondness. “I think you’d really enjoy meeting my master.”

17. GAY, STRAIGHT, OR BISEXUAL?

Somehow he fails to hold his chuckle, amusement already audible in the wizard’s voice: “You know, just saying—I’m not exactly the person you want to be asking this.”

18. DO YOU / DID YOU GO TO SCHOOL?

“Not in the traditional sense, no. It was a bit like homeschooling if you think about it.” ( Raised and taught at the same time by the old wizard master he loves so. )

19. DO YOU EVER WANT TO MARRY AND HAVE KIDS SOMEDAY?

"Take a wild guess.” By now it’s becoming a joke—have a shot every time Horia has to remind the interviewer he’s a monk.

20. DO YOU HAVE ANY FANS?

“Considering all the things Christians say about my kind? I’d be surprised.”

21. WHAT ARE YOU MOST AFRAID OF?

“Wouldn’t you want to know?” ( Losing his power. He is deathly afraid of falling for anyone and losing his power. )

22. WHAT DO YOU USUALLY WEAR?

“Just—this,” and he gestures to his outfit, regular peasant’s attire topped off with a cloak. ( The truth is I like to imagine his clothing as a little special, meaning not quite like any regular working peasant’s, but more similar to what you’d wear to a horă, if that makes sense? Hence the opinci with laces tied up his calves, the ornate chimir at his waist, the pretty ie embroidered and airy. He’s very well-dressed for a half-feral recluse! )

23. DO YOU LOVE SOMEONE?

The slightest twitch of his brow betrays hesitation: “In what sense?”

24. WHAT CLASS ARE YOU?

“Sorry, I don’t exactly partake in society.”

25. HOW MANY FRIENDS DO YOU HAVE?

“A few. There are more wizards around than you’d think! Plus I can always count on Mircea to make a day less boring.” ( Shoutout! Check out @romanianwarrior, Frances and her Mircea are awesome! )

26. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON PIE?

“Sour cherry pie. It’s great.”

27. FAVOURITE DRINK?

“Boy, that’s a tough choice. Are we talking alcoholic or not?” ( He likes teas a lot, but honestly? Good homemade wine is better than anything, and a pretty rare treat since he lives in the mountains. )

29. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE?

“Sometimes it’s nice to take naps in meadows, where the grass is soft; just laying in an oak tree’s shadow.”

30. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SOMEONE?

“That’d be breaking the rules, you know.” ( Sure, he’s acting coy, but why would he be avoiding the question? )

31. WOULD YOU RATHER SWIM IN THE LAKE OR THE OCEAN?

“I’ll go with lake.” ( Fun fact: he’s never seen the ocean, or the sea! )

32. WHAT’S YOUR ‘TYPE’?

“And you want to know because—?” Oh, but ticked as the question may sound his brow quirks once again, an inkling of playfulness in his smile so subtle you might as well have imagined it.

33. ANY FETISHES?

A far too innocent blink of green eyes, real confusion written across his features. “Any what?” ( Fghkjf, omg. He hasn’t discovered any of that, and doesn’t have particular preferences in the modern verse, either. Rolls with most things, to an extent. )

34. TOP OR BOTTOM? DOMINANT OR SUBMISSIVE?

“I really don’t want to sound repetitive...” ( Most definitely a submissive in this verse, fault of his absolutely nonexistent experience. Likes to switch it up in the modern verse, however. )

35. CAMPING, OR INDOORS?

“Camping’s awesome.”

36. ARE YOU WAITING FOR THIS INTERVIEW TO BE OVER?

“Yeah—it’s getting late, huh?”

#;;dash games #[ omg finally I finish this!!!!!!!!! whoa #long post #this was a lot of fun though ]

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lalka-laski · 4 years

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If money was no object, would you change your wardrobe? No doubt about it. I actually have a keen eye for style & can coordinate outfits really well. I used to do it for houuuurs on Polyvore (is that still a site?). But alas, I don’t have the money to dress to my heart’s desire.

How do you/did you get to school? From elementary school through high school, I rode the bus, Then in college, I walked.

Have you ever been in trouble for something you honestly didn’t do? I’m sure at some point. I grew up with two sisters so that’s bound to happen.

Is the idea of having a secret admirer creepy or romantic? I’m more inclined to say it’s creepy however, Glenn actually was admiring me for years before I even knew who he was. But he never acted on that attraction so does that count as a secret admirer?

What was the last song you sung out loud? One’s not coming to mind

Have you ever had to have a pet put down? UGH WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME THINK ABOUT THIS

Were you excited to learn to drive, or scared? I still haven’t learned because I’m too scared.

What was the last book you read? I’m in the middle of Daisy Jones & The Six right now and I’m completely hooked! Tons of people have recommended it to me & I’m beating myself up that it took me this long.

Did you enjoy it, or were you glad to be finished? Oh I’m loving every minute of it. I even brought it with me to work today hoping I could sneak a few pages, maybe a few chapters in.

Do you ever wonder what other people are thinking when they stare at you? Those are the thoughts that constantly torture me.

Have you ever gone out of your way to get someone’s attention? I was a teenage girl at one point. Let’s be real.

When was the last time you felt incredibly tired? Yesterday was BRUTAL. I only got 3-4 hours sleep tops and I am absolutely not the type of person who can function without rest. Last night I got a little more sleep but I’m hyped on caffeine so I hardly notice.

What candy cane flavor is your favorite? I’ve never put much thought into it. The fruity ones like Starburst & Jolly Rancher are really good, I gotta admit.

In your opinion, who doesn’t deserve to be famous? A huge majority of Hollywood. Too many to list.

Do you get angry when fast food restaurants mess up your order? I get a little bummed but ONLY because it seems like *I* am the only person whose order gets messed up or forgotten. Even my sister has noticed that it seems to always happen to me. And I don’t have complicated orders by any means! So it bums me out but it doesn’t actually make me angry. And I would NEVER stage a complaint. I’d go hungry before I go Karen.

Have you ever had a ridiculous hair cut? Yeah. After my last breakup I cut my hair collarbone length hoping I’d give off some Jennifer Lawrence vibes. I was not Jennifer Lawrence. I was fucking Lord Farquaad.

What was your favorite elective class in high school? High school was too long ago for me to remember but my guess is it was some type of creative writing.

Did you ever wish you could be homeschooled? Uh, no. Was it hard for you to get up this morning? I moaned & groaned like usual but it surprisingly wasn’t as hard as most mornings.

Have you ever had a dream so realistic you could’ve sworn it happened? Those terrify me. It’s extra unnerving because I have a hard time distinguishing between real and imagined memories as it is.

When was the last time you colored with crayons or colored pencils? I did a lot of coloring at the beginning of quarantine. None since though.

Can you remember the first survey you filled out? Oh God, no clue. It was back in the Myspace days, I know that much...

Do you have any mental disorders? WHERE. DO. I. BEGIN.

Do you feel comfortable talking about these disorders, if you have them? Well anyone who’s spent 15 seconds with me knows I have anxiety, so I can’t even hide that if I tried. And I’m pretty open about my other diagnoses if/when they come up in conversation.

Where did you go on your last field trip? I guess Senior Trip my senior year of high school? I don’t recall taking any field trips in college.

Are you able to agree to disagree? Or do you have to have the last word? I don’t like confrontation so I try to shut things down as quickly as possible. I’m ok with someone having the last word. But that likely stems from my lack of confidence. I tend to second-guess myself in arguments, even if I’m well-versed on the topic at hand.

Do you think you make a good first impression? I make great first, even second, impressions. I think it’s when people start to truly know me that things unravel.

Do other people’s first impressions stick with you? OH YES. I should be more understanding and forgiving but if someone rubs me the wrong way right off the bat, I can’t shake it. Bad energy is bad energy!

Are your friends who you thought they were when you first met? Not all of them. Some for the better, some for worse.

How have you changed in the past year? If we examine where I was this day last year, I’ve made considerable progress with my mental and physical health. But that progress took a nosedive during quarantine. Ok, maybe not a nosedive. I’m still an improved version of myself from last year and I should celebrate that.

How about in the past five years? 2020 Elizabeth is living 2015 Elizabeth’s wildest dreams!!!! I am leagues ahead of where I was then.

What do you do when you feel like giving up on something? I hate to say it but I usually just give up. I’m not much of a fighter.

Have you ever had to give up on someone? Many a time.

Would you rather break up with someone, or them break up with you? Um well, my self-esteem is easily shattered enough as it is so I do NOT handle breakups well. But breaking someone’s heart is an equally awful feeling so

Is there a cover song you like better than the original version? Blackbird by David Gray.

Do you think it’s okay to like a cover more than an original? Of course it is. It’s a commonly accepted opinion that Johnny Cash’s cover of “Hurt” is better than the original. There are plenty other examples I’m sure but that came to mind first.

Do you still watch any cartoons? You mean from childhood? I honestly don’t but I should. That could be really soothing.

Are you just too lazy to recycle? Guilty as charged

Think of the last person you talked to–do you love him/her? In person? No. Via text? Yes.

Do you fit your zodiac sign? I’m a Cancer to a fault.

What is one of your weak points? Hyper-sensitivity (see above^)

What is one of your strong points? Empathy

Are you calm in emergency situations? FAR FAR FROM IT.

When was the last time you cursed at someone? As far as cursing directly AT somebody out of anger or something, I don’t remember.

Are you afraid of losing someone you love? That’s my biggest fear

Who are you most attached to? Glenn

What do you depend on other people for? Providing a rational response to my irrational emotions, calming me down, soothing my anxiety.

Are you good at reading other people’s body language? I don’t know actually?

Do you like facial hair? How about chest hair? I love both. Glenn doesn’t believe that I’m attracted to his chest hair (actually, all his body hair) but I find it incredibly sexy.

If you have a favorite number, how did you choose it? I don’t really have one. I guess either 7 or 13 because those are my birthdate numbers?

What goes through your mind when someone breaks up with you? Well I have an inferiority complex so breakups just confirm all the pre-existing thoughts I have about myself.

What goes through your mind when someone asks you out? This is gonna sound funny considering my previous response but my usual reaction to getting asked out is fear. Ever since the first time a boy asked me out, I found it more scary and nerve-wracking than flattering.

Do you match your shoes with your outfit? Sort of?

Do you style your hair daily? Hell nope

Who was the last person to compliment your appearance? What’d they say? Glenn called me pretty last night but I’m not sure that really counts because he’s my boyfriend and isn’t that his job? Is there any movie you just can’t stand to watch? Most movies. They’re just not my thing.

What do you think of pornography? Most porn I watch isn’t actual intercourse. But I love bondage so I like roleplay vids and stuff like that.

What hair products do you use regularly? Daily I just use shampoo and conditioner, and then purple toning shampoo once-twice a week and hairspray on days I curl my hair. Lately I’ve been trying out a texturizing/volumizing spray but most of the time I forget ‘till it’s too late.

Does it bother you when people use extremely bad grammar? Nah. Language skills vary wildly and are often informed by a person’s culture, family, or socioeconomic background. It’s classist & racist to judge a person’s intelligence or abilities on his/her grammar. Do you have a hard time talking about sex with the opposite gender? Not at all. I might even be TOO comfortable with it.

Do you feel more comfortable with a male or female doctor/nurse? Female, for sure. My pediatrician was a male & he was wonderful but I prefer only females for any type of medical situation now. Oh, except for my dentist. But that’s only because I think he’s hot :P

Have you ever had major surgery? Not really. I had my tonsils out when I was a kid but that’s pretty run-of-the-mill I think?

Could you go a month without speaking? Uh maybe?

Is there any food you don’t like that a lot of others do? Well I don’t eat any type of meat or fish so, I guess that.

Have you ever followed a trend? If so, what was it? Lots of them as a tween/teen. It’s par for the course at that age.

Have you ever started a trend, even a small one? Likely not. I hold no sway anywhere lol

What was the last thing you bragged about? I’m not much of a bragger. At least I don’t think?

0 notes

josephlrushing · 4 years

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Sheltering in Place During a Pandemic – How We’ve Made It Work

Due to the global pandemic, those of us who have been unexpectedly thrust into working from home have had to figure out how to get our work done while sheltering in place. We wanted to share some of the things that have helped us stay productive and more-or-less content since we began physically distancing ourselves from our loved ones and friends who live outside of our homes.

This post is long, so grab a snack and let’s dive in.

Greg

Satechi Desk Mat

Now that I must sit at my kitchen Island to get work done (since I no longer have a desk), my setup for actual work needed to be as clean as possible, and the $34.99 Satechi Desk Mat has been a delight to use. Made of leather, it doubles as a wrist rest and a mouse pad for me, and it works perfectly with the next product on my list.

Satechi Type C Multi-Port Adapter 4k

The $89.99 Satechi USB-C Hub is another saving grace for me. I have a 15-Inch MacBook, but even with its large screen, its not enough for the various windows that I must have open in order to initiate cases at work. The Satechi hub not only gives me the USB ports that my MacBook Pro lacks, but there’s a nifty HDMI port that allows me to connect to an external monitor (provided by my office), so I can use as a secondary window. This is a NEXT-LEVEL hub that doesn’t need to sit flush with your MacBook which is a huge deal, especially if you have a case on your MacBook for protection.

Logitech MX Master 3

I’ll be brutally honest here, I’ve taken Logitech for granted for far too long. I’ve reviewed their products over the years, and there’s no more fitting time to use their products than when you’re working from home. I’m a fan of the $99.99 MX Master Mouse; it has a variety of different customizable buttons that are great for doing things like typing this article or quickly switching through windows, tables, and tabs in Excel for my full-time job. What’s more, it works on virtually any surface and has an incredible battery life so that even when I forget to charge it (which I have for a few weeks now), it manages to keep on ticking.

Drinkmate

Quite possibly the biggest most important thing on my list is the $99.95 Drinkmate. Allowing me to keep hydrated all while offering a change from traditional water, the Drinkmate has the ability to carbonate virtually anything from tap water to soda, from bourbon (trust me, I’ve tried) to wine. Like many people, I’ve grown fond of seltzer waters; with the shelves being bare in the stores this is a great soda water replacement both cost-wise and for the environment.

NVIDIA Shield TV

Yes, I know I should be working while working from home, but there are plenty of shows that I’ve been binging in the midst of getting work done including Tiger King along with everyone else. With thousands of apps on the $149.99 NVIDIA Shield TV, thanks to its Android integration, you can connect to Youtube, Netflix, Hulu … you name it and watch your favorite things on your “lunch breaks”.

Zoom

Zoom is the one brand that I wish I’d bought stocks in two years ago when I had the opportunity. For the past two years, my podcast friends and I have used Zoom to record all of our “remote” episodes, and now its outpaced Skype and FaceTime as the best way of communicating for me with my friends and co-workers. Virtual Happy hour anyone? Zoom’s free accounts only provide you with 40 minutes of time to use in groups larger than 10, but with the $14.99 per month account you can get unlimited time, and it’s a great way to stay connected with co-workers, boost morale, and make you feel like you’re still in the workplace (or social hour) from home. Zoom is free to join; benefits to the free and paid accounts can be compared here

PILLR by UpperCase

This is the laptop stand to best all laptop stands; the $69.99 PILLR is a product I started out using to get my podcast setup situated, and has now become the main player in my working-from-home setup. The PILLR allows you to adjust your viewing angle on your coffee table, desk, or kitchen island; with it, I can type at a reasonable angle and not worry about it moving thanks to the built-in grips on the base of the stand.

Anker’s EuFy Security Doorbell Camera

Social distancing doesn’t stop with just your friends and family, but with the packages that get delivered to you as well. With the $159.99 Eufy Security Doorbell, regardless if you live in a home, apartment, or have proper wiring for either, the Doorbell cam can notify you when that Amazon package gets delivered so you never have to actually interest with the person dropping it off.

Tidal

Tidal is a great way to stream your music and I’ve been a longtime fan of theirs. With Hi-Fi audio content, you and your family can listen to music from your favorite artists. If you have children, TIDAL has made kid-friendly playlists that will help keep them engaged, thanks to the playlists like Disney Hits, Kidz Bop Essentials, and even Reggae for Kids. What’s more, until April 15th you can get FOUR months of Tidal for only $4 using this link. Tidal is free to use, but the ad-free experience starts at $9.99.

Pocket Casts

When I’m not jamming to some tunes, I’m listening to just about any and every podcast that you could imagine (including my own, which you can check out here. Pocket Casts gives you suggestions on shows to listen to, and they even have playlists that you can follow from popular people who use the app. From True Crime to Sports to News, Entertainment, and even COVID-19 updates, Pocket Casts is a great way of hearing your favorite personalities. Pocket Casts is free, paying for a subscription brings perks.

Dark Noise

For those times when you don’t want to be bothered or distracted by loud music or talking voices, Dark Noise ($3.99) is a fantastic way to create “white noise” in the background while working. Even if you’re not at the beach, there’s a sound for that. There are soundscapes consisting of thunderstorms, rain, cars going by, hairdryers, a desk fan, and even of a cat purring — if you enjoy cats but don’t have one of your own.

Freeletics

With gyms everywhere closed, I still have to find a way to get a workout in even though summer body 2020 isn’t in full effect right now. Freeletics is a great pocket trainer app that walks you through the paces of staying healthy, getting healthy, or maintaining your health even when you’re stuck indoors. I’ve been using it for the past two weeks to direct me through bodyweight workouts such as pushups, sit-ups, and various other exercises that won’t bother the neighbors below. Freeletics is free to use, but if you opt for the in-app purchase of the premium tier, you can even get a nutrition trainer that will tell you what and what not to eat.

Carly

Not all of us are as fancy as Greg! For example, my “laptop stand” is two books stacked together — I’ve finally found a use for the 4-Hour Body and The Joy of Running! But honestly, no one’s office is throwing its doors open tomorrow. People at my workplace have been told repeatedly not to expect any communication on when the office will reopen before Memorial Day and even then, it’s going to be a gradual staggered reopening with a lot of flexibility for people in risky groups and people with kids. It’s also very likely this is going to happen in short bursts over and over until a vaccine is found; basically, we’re going to all have to live with the idea that school might abruptly close for a month, or offices might go to work from home for 6 weeks. So what started as a “let’s see how the next 2 weeks go,” has turned into an ongoing issue. Many of us will need to upgrade our home offices to deal with this new reality, and while we might not have wanted to invest money in our ‘work from home’ setup that 3 weeks ago, we’re are realizing more and more that we will need to for the future.

OWC Travel USB-C Dock

I’m using this $54.99 OWC Travel USB-C Dock, it’s been an absolute lifesaver for me.

Logitech K400 Plus Wireless Touch TV Keyboard

I’m using the USB port on the OWC Travel USB-Dock to power a Logitech external keyboard I found in the closet. I’ve never been so excited to see a Logitech logo in my life, as a full-size keyboard makes work much easier. You can find these on Amazon for under $27.

Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse

I’m also using this $15 Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse — it’s a simple little guy but it does the job well, and it works without a mousepad. This isn’t the exact mouse I have, but the similar version I’m using was on clearance at Best Buy so…

TCL True Wireless In-Ear Headphones and V-Moda Crossfade Wireless Headphones

I spend most of my workday on the phone, and since I didn’t work from home much before this I never bought a dedicated Bluetooth headset. However, I’ve been jumping between these $79.99 TCL True Wireless In-Ear Headphones I picked up at CES …

… and a pair of V-Moda Crossfades to make being on the phone far easier.

Samsung Chromebook 3 & Chrome OS

I also have to give a shoutout to Chrome OS, as I doubt I’d make it through homeschooling with my sanity intact if my child didn’t have a Chromebook to use. I’d also like to thank Verizon FiOS for their free Samsung Chromebook 3 promotion two years ago, as past-me was utterly brilliant for hanging on to the free Chromebook, “just in case”. You can pick up a similar one for around $225.

Nintendo Switch

From a parent standpoint, the $299 Nintendo Switch is the greatest invention in the world. It’s got plenty of kid-friendly games for my elementary school-age son, and the games are familiar enough that I can help easily (and also maybe play when he’s asleep-hey, links awakening is fun for adults too!)

You Are Your Own Gym, Jungle Gym XT Straps, and an Everlast Punching Bag

Finally, since working out is the only way to stay sane, I’ve been following methods listed In the ~$15 book, You Are Your Own Gym as well as making good use of my Jungle Gym XT straps and a very hefty Everlast Punching Bag for days when I’m sick of staring at the walls. The $99 Jungle Gym XT Straps appear to be sold out right now, and an Everlast punching bag like mine is around $170.

Tejas

Excellent choices by Carly and Greg, but personally, during this time I’ve appreciated more than ever the little things on the periphery that have made this experience manageable.

Jabra Elite 75t Earphones

First of all, for my job, I do a lot of phone conferences and video calls using WebEx as an example. Being in a household with little kids and my wife who also works this is definitely not something I can use speakers and a mic for. Instead, I’ve relied heavily on the excellent $179.99 Jabra Elite 75t earphones. They’re comfortable enough to wear for hours, sound great and their mics are excellent at picking up my voice in meetings. Most importantly there’s plenty of juice on tap and dropping them in the case between meetings, a natural thing, means almost endless longevity. I would be a wreck without them.

Google Stadia

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To keep your sanity, you need to entertain yourself and make sure you have some downtime. “All work and no play…” as the saying goes. I’ve grown especially in love with Google Stadia during this time for some very simple reasons. Most importantly that I can play it on basically any device in the house from any of the TVs (they each have Chromecast Ultras) to my desktop, my laptop, or even my phone. When you are all crammed into the house for weeks it is increasingly difficult to not end up conflicting on device usage. This gives me the freedom of being able to play whenever I want no matter where other people are. Secondly, the fact it’s instant and again available on any device means you can have quick gaming sessions during lunch or waiting for a meeting to start (theoretically of course). You can try Google Stadia for free; after that, it’s $9.99/month.

Google Pixel 4XL

Finally, I would say my most important device throughout this and even well before has been my phone, the excellent Google Pixel 4XL. In the recent group review on this site, there were different opinions and that’s totally fine, no device should ever be all things to everyone as that would be a boring place to live. But my Pixel 4 XL has been rock solid throughout, and I’ve been getting easily 24hrs+ of battery life (probably because I’m on wifi the whole time in the house). It’s handled work duties perfectly and I’ve used the WebEx client on it many times to attend a meeting while also multitasking on other work items directly on the device. I’ve never had a crash, reboot, or a single second of instability and that means a lot in this already unstable situation we are all dealing with. It just does its job day in and day out. I’m not saying a modern iPhone or Galaxy device can’t do the same, they totally can, but for me, the Pixel 4XL has really stepped it up and I couldn’t be happier that it’s my phone during this time. Also if you do decide to jump on the train the Pixel 4 phones can be had for all-time low prices right now — starting at just $499 for the Pixel 4 and $599 for the Pixel 4 XL!

Judie

I don’t think it even matters if you’re used to working from home or not; I’ve found that trying to get anything done right now — much less staying focused on a single task— has been a huge challenge. When I’m in my office, which for reference, is detached from the main part of our house and connected to the back porch, I usually work on a 27″ iMac. But through a series of unfortunate events that ended up being a gift in their own way, for the first month that we were in self-isolation, Kev and I had our two youngest granddaughters (6 & 7) staying with us. Very quickly, Kev and I had to figure out a new system so that I would be in the main part of the house with the grands while getting my work done; Kev would split the new homeschooling duties with me before leaving for work at his studio.

I thought that once the girls were able to go home with their parents, things would simplify and I’d be able to catch up on all I had fallen behind on, but I’ve found that it’s been a real struggle to stay focused and present. I suspect that a lot of people are dealing with that right now. So if that’s you as well, you’re not alone! <3

Lenovo Yoga C940 Laptop

Rather than moving my iMac to our dining room table, where I would wind up working most days, I used the Lenovo Yoga C940. This 14″ laptop had proven itself time and time again over the past four months to be excellent for travel, but I also found it did very well as my main computer. The model I have is equipped with an Intel i7 1.3GHz processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. I can also use the C940 as a tablet, and when needed, it was great for the grands’ regular Zoom calls with their teachers and classmates. I can’t say enough good about this laptop. Prices for the Yoga C940 start at $1439.99

Withings Thermo

In early March, our part of Texas was at the tail-end of a really bad flu season — one that had already shut a neighboring town’s schools down for a week in mid-February. We were also in the midst of early spring allergies, so every sniffle, sore throat, or body ache was suspect as we better understood the severity of the pandemic. A few days into our granddaughters’ stay with us, right about the time that I found out that I might have been exposed on the trip to NYC I had just returned from days earlier, the girls started running low-grade fevers. Using the $99.95 Withings Thermo, I was able to quickly check the girl’s foreheads at different points of the day to check their temperatures. It may seem like a little thing, but the Thermo and the Withings Health Mate app gave me peace of mind in the early days of our self-isolation.

Sparkel Carbonator

A few days into self-quarantine, I realized how grateful I was for the $99 Sparkel water carbonation system that I’d reviewed late last year. Kev and I had already replaced buying store-bought carbonated water with the Sparkel system, and a refill box of 90 carbonation sachets had arrived just before we started isolating, so we were set. It’s the little things, but having a ready source of cold carbonated water has helped keep me in good spirits. We ordered two extra Sparkel bottles so we could keep cold water bottles in the refrigerator ready for carbonation or flavoring at a moment’s notice; the system is working out well, and we are staying hydrated with our favorite fizzy waters. As we enter our 8th week of sheltering at home, I’ve just ordered another box of 90 carbonation sachets so we don’t take a chance of running out. Getting our carbonated water this was is much easier to deal with than trying to buy unwieldy carbonated waters by the case during our weekly curbside grocery pick-up.

Air Speaker by Quirky

The $249 Air Speaker by Quirky is a clever portable system that can be configured as a single more powerful 24-watt stereo speaker, or it can be pulled apart into five smaller speakers that stay perfectly in sync. I set an Air Speaker up in the girls’ bedroom so that they could listen to music at night as they fell asleep. The speakers have a wireless range of up to 75′, so you can string them out around your home and back patio to create a synchronized multi-speaker system, or you can set them up in a single room to create a surround sound effect; you can also keep them together as a single stereo unit, which is what I wound up doing for the girls. Music played on the speaker soothed them to sleep, which in turn meant that Kev and I could sleep without too many disturbances in the middle of the night.

QWIN Plus Kit

I don’t know about you, but my stress levels have been through the roof since we’ve been in lockdown. Drinking a bottle of wine each night to knock myself out and (hopefully) stop my mind from racing long enough to sleep simply isn’t a viable or desirable option. Enter the $89.99 QWIN Plus Kit which arrived a few weeks ago; it has been a lifesaver. The pod flavors are delicious, and there is something very calming about the act of taking a puff from this vaporizer. The Plus Kit includes the QWIN Module, four 100mg flavored CBDi Capsules (shortcake, island, brisk, and arabica), and one 200mg CBDRx Supergreen capsule as well as a microUSB wireless charger; you supply the microUSB charging cable. The capsules are designed so that you can puff from them multiple times a day without ill effect, and I’m not even going to pretend to understand why doing so relaxes me and calms my mind, but it does. Worth it. I’ll be ordering refills when these are out.

Sirius XM App on Android and iOs

Not leaving the house but once a week means not being in the car much, and that means I haven’t been listening to my favorite Sirius stations as often. With the app, I can keep up with the news on MSNBC, CNN, BBC, and others, listen to my favorite music stations, and yes, listen to Howard Stern as well as access his past interviews and musical guests’ performances — including video. I didn’t use this streaming app option that much before the pandemic (in fact, I had forgotten to download the app to my current Android phone), but now it’s a daily go-to.

AUKEY USB Outlet with Night Light Plug

I quickly realized that the girls would sleep better with a nightlight, and I just happened to have recently received the $19.99 AUKEY USB Outlet with Night Light Plug before we went into lockdown. The Aukey Night Light covers both sockets of a conventional double outlet, drawing power from one of them; in return, you get 300 Joules of surge-protection in four AC sockets and two Type-A USB outlets. The top of the night light also serves as a handy phone holder. This worked out very well in the girls’ bedroom because it also gave them a place to charge the devices they were using to complete their schoolwork each day.

Austere VII Series 8-Port Power Strip

Right now is not the time to stress about whether a storm might take out my television or computer, and that’s why I am thankful for the Austere VII Series 8-Port Power Strip; Dan reviewed the 6-port power strip recently, and you can read that review here. I didn’t realize until a meeting with Austere at CES this year that the word ‘Joules’ doesn’t just refer to how powerful or protective a surge protector might be, Joules also refers to a finite protective layer of energy that gets tapped every time there are shocks or surges in your electrical system. In other words, it had somehow never sunk in for me that the three APC backup batteries with 1000 Joule surge protectors that Kev and I had purchased to protect various sets of home electronics over 10 years ago (!!) were all well past their prime. Derp.

The Austere VII Series power strips have 4,000 Joules, and Austere offers a Component Guarantee which promises that “if a VII Series Austere Power Strip is responsible for any damage to a plugged-in device, Austere will replace that device regardless of its value for 7-years.” Blue LEDs on the power strip let you know exactly when the Joules have been depleted; the blue protection shield on the power strip will simply stop glowing. At $179.99 for the 6-port power strip and $199.99 for the 8-port power strip, both power strips also include a 45W USB-C PD port, two USB Type-C ports, and Two-USB-A ports. While the Austere VII Series is likely more expensive than any non-backup-battery-containing surge protector you’ve ever purchased, it makes a case for that purchase with its better than average look, solid build, the Component Guarantee, the 4,000 long-lasting Joules, and the power strip’s advanced EMI/RFI filtration which “cleans noise and artifacts that can travel through power lines and keeps them from impacting your devices.” It’s a worthy update for your home entertainment system at the very least, especially if you can’t remember when the last time you replaced that particular surge protector was.

LG V60 ThinQ with Dual Screen Case

While I liked the idea behind LG’s use of Dual Screen cases on their V50 ThinQ and the LG G8X ThinQ models, it wasn’t until the 5G LG V50ThinQ that I really fell in love with the phone that went into that Dual Screen case. On its own, the LG V60 ThinQ is a gorgeous navy and gold Android device that features a 6.8″ OLED FHD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Octa-core processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB user memory, a long-lasting 5,000mAh battery, triple rear cameras (including ultra-wide-angle), and many of the other bells and whistles you’d expect in a 2020 flagship with the exception of a faster refresh rate — the V60 ThinQ is 60Hz only rather than a smoother 90 or 120Hz. Will you even notice it? Maybe, maybe not. The one thing that sets it apart from the other 2020 flagships isn’t just the Dual Screen case, it’s the actual size of the phone — it’s huge. While a phone this big (and thick, with the Dual Screen case involved) might get on my nerves if I were traveling or out and about, I have largely been stuck at home, so the size of the phone has not been an issue. When I put the V60 ThinQ into the Dual Screen case, I get two brilliant 6.8″ OLED FHD displays that play well together while I obsessively consume pandemic news, try to relax while playing word games, or while I am being productive. You can get the LG V60ThinQ and the Dual Screen Case for about $900; the phone alone is about $100 less.

DdroppStudio Cloth Masks

Since I haven’t sewn in years and I don’t own a sewing machine (something I would like to rectify), it was important to me to find someone who was making and delivering cloth masks for when Kev and I had to go out in public to pick up groceries or hit the post office. While researching what makes cloth masks most effective, I came across a link mentioning ddroppStudio on Etsy. Each ddroppStudio cloth mask is made with three protective layers that offer around 90% filtration; they come in medium and large sizes, and they have an adjustable aluminum nose wire for a snug but comfortable fit. The masks are not hard to breathe through, and they stay on with loops that go around your ears rather than the back of your head and neck; their fabrics are fashionable for both men and women. DdroppStudio masks start at $38. Cleaning these reusable masks is a simple matter of handwashing and air-drying; since you should do that every time you wear it in public, it’s a good idea to get a couple of these when you order. I have a feeling that conscientious people will be wearing cloth masks at least until the end of this year if not longer, whether or not local orders tell us to do so. It makes sense to find some masks that look good, wear well and will do a good job of protecting us as we start to integrate back into social situations. I am sure that there are other excellent cloth masks available from Etsy makers, but I can personally vouch for the quality and decent shipping times at ddroppStudio.

Dan

My situation is a bit different. Synagogues and churches are built around communal connection, and the rapid move to take our entire congregation’s operations online was no small feat. My leadership and I kept the synagogue open as long as we could but, even before our Governor issued his “stay at home” decree, we knew we would eventually have to make this change. By the time I did ask for a vote to shut down the building, we had some of the infrastructure built. We moved all leadership communication to Slack and upgraded our Zoom account so it could handle the expected increase in traffic once we went online. That expectation has been proven correct and, in any given thirty day period since this began, our community has spent well over 250,000 minutes together via Zoom.

Getting myself, not to mention my key staff members, up to speed with regard to hardware was the next challenge. Thankfully, my years with Gear Diary left me in good stead. In fact, most of my staff members are currently using one or more Gear Diary review items that I pulled out of the closet. Over the weeks I have found certain devices to be particularly useful to me. Here are just a few examples.

BenQ 27” QHD Designer Monitor

I usually have a 27” iMac at my office and a 13” MacBook Pro connected to an external monitor in my home office. The day I left my office, I brought the iMac home. It is connected to the $499 BenQ PD2710QC 27” QHD Designer Monitor I reviewed in 2017. The combination of the two gives me a huge amount of screen-estate and had made trying to do ten things at once a bit easier. This also leaves my laptop free to use if it is a nice day and I want some fresh air. They sit atop my Varidesk ProDesk 60 Electric sit-stand desk. Considering how much time I am spending at my desk, having the ability to do some work standing had been a huge help.

Pursuit Ergonomic Chair by UPLIFT Desk

And considering that I am at my desk for hours on end, I’m grateful to have the $329 Pursuit Ergonomic Chair by UPLIFT Desk. It is comfortable, adjustable and supportive. And when I don’t want to sit but am too tired to stand, the $149 UPLIFT Motion Stool is a great in-between choice.

Logi StreamCam

Having a decent quality video is important when you are trying to teach or lead services via Zoom. The new $169.99 Logi StreamCam has been great. It offers high resolution and has countless settings that can be customized to your liking.

I’m also using the $499 Logitech ConferenceCam. It is not only a great camera and speaker for streaming but, thanks to its built-in Bluetooth, as the weather improves I’ll be able to take it outside and, once connected to my iPad or iPhone, hold meetings outdoors.

MXL APS Podcasting Bundle

I had the good fortune to be able to choose from a number of microphones I had reviewed over the years. Some went to my colleagues, but I kept the $295 MXL APS Podcasting Bundle, which has been my go-to most of the time. It includes MXL’S BCD-1 Live Broadcast Microphone, MXL’S USB Mic Mate Pro microphone adapter, and an MXL’S BCD Stand which is a convenient way to position my microphone in an optimal manner.

When using my laptop I’ve found the Blue Yeti X Professional USB Microphone to be the best choice. Both microphones work amazingly well and have allowed me to get good audio regardless of whether I am speaking, reading, or singing.

PromptSmart App for iPhone and iPad

I’ve started videotaping my weekly Shabbat Message. At first, I would use the StreamCam or ConferenceCam to record but, inevitably, it would capture me looking at the text of my message rather than the camera. My solution was to purchase the $19.99 PromptSmart app for iPhone and iPad. It is not only a voice-activated teleprompter that “understands” my text and advances the text as I speak. In addition, it places the text at the upper half of the iPad so I can read the text while looking at and recording from the device’s selfie camera. It works well and, each week, I’m getting better at using it. That said… I have a long way to go and have a renewed sense of respect for broadcasters.

Audioengine Wireless Speakers

I also rely on music to keep me calm. My Audioengine speakers do the trick. I have their $269 A2+ Wireless Speakers on my desk and their $499 A5+ speakers on stands on the other side of the room. Both are connected to Apple AirPort Expresses so I can have all four speakers playing music via AirPlay. In the den, where I also work sometimes, I have the Audioengine HD6. The powerful powered bookshelf speakers are able to fill the house with sound and come in handy when I’m on the treadmill.

Headphones

On the headphone front, I’m finding that different devices serve me best at different times. When I’m out for a socially distanced walk with my dog, the Jabra 75t True Wireless Earbuds seem to work best. They are also so small that they don’t get in the way of my face masks. When I’m home and just want to escape for a bit, the Master & Dynamic MW07 PLUS headphones do the trick. Thanks to their onboard active noise cancellation, these earphones let me get lost in the music. And when I’m on the computer but want headphones for music and calls, the Plantronics Voyager 8200 UC and Master & Dynamic MW65 Over-the-Ear headphones do the trick. Both have excellent ANC and both sound fantastic. For the most part, I use the 8200 UC for work and the MW65 for relaxation but both do a great job in almost and situation.

Google Nest WiFi

With both Raina and me working from home, it is more important than ever that we have solid WiFi and the ability to keep all our devices charged. The WiFi issue is nicely addressed by the Google Nest WiFi I reviewed last fall. It is an amazing mesh wireless system that has the benefit of bringing Google Assistant to whichever room becomes the home of the Nest WiFi Point. Yup, in addition to increasing the coverage of the Nest WiFi from Google, the second wireless point is also a speaker with Google Assistant. Another great option would be Eero. That’s the system I had until I received the nest WiFi and its also terrific. Judie bought her eero system and swears by it; Perry thinks it’s great, too; you can read his review here.

Charging Stations

Finally, Raina and I are both relying more heavily than ever on our phones, tablets, and headphones. Each device needs to be kept charged lest it become a paperweight and our productivity plummet. We can’t afford for that to happen. Thankfully there are a growing number of sophisticated device chargers that not only top off our phones wirelessly but also charge other devices simultaneously. Mophie offers a few interesting ones. There’s the Dual Wireless Charging Pad, and there is the mophie 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Base.

As good as those are, however, it is the updated Nomad Base Station that sits by my bed. It wirelessly charges my phone, my Apple Watch, and it has two additional charging ports- one USB-C and the other USB-A for additional charging options. It can also wirelessly charge AirPods with a wireless charging case but I don’t have one of those. I shared details of the charging base some weeks ago and will be finishing up a full review soon.

In the living room, we have the amazing Air Omni 6-in-1 Charging Solution from Pitaka. This charging base will wirelessly charge your phone and AirPods with a wireless charging case and an Apple Watch. In addition, the back section of the Air Omni has a charging area that can charge a device with either a USB-C or a Lightning connector. And as if that weren’t enough, the Air Omni also has a USB-C port and a USB-A port so you can charge two MORE devices. Finally, it has a small, lighted drawer so you can stow a few small items. There’s so much tech packed into this amazing charging base; you can back it on Kickstarter.

Each piece of kit makes working remotely a bit easier. And while I’m looking forward to eventually being back in the office and able to see people face-to-face, for now this is the best that it gets. And I am so grateful to Judie, Gear Diary, and all of the amazing companies we work with for making it possible for me to take a congregation of 800 families online and, in the process, offer even more programming than ever despite the challenges of our times.

Travis

Even though I have been teaching from home, my gear has stayed very simple. I have a Dell laptop that I run most of my assignments and work meetings over Google Meet.

My oldest son bought his own HP Chromebook almost two years ago but rarely used it. It has now become his lifeline to his school work. My youngest works at the desktop with two monitors. My wife uses a work-issued laptop also. There are often mornings where we are all sitting silently in the den on our devices trying to get everything finished. I am fully ready to go back to teaching everyone else’s kids and not just my two!

Xbox One

The other saving device in our house is the Xbox One. While it is usually the cause of arguments, it is also a portal for both of my sons to get to talk (yell) and communicate with some of their friends.

Wayne

Google Nest Hub Max

I have the $229 Google Nest Hub Max sitting on my desk next to my computer. During the day, I watch TV with my YouTube TV subscription ($49/yr) which I control with my voice (“Hey Google, play xxx on YouTube TV”). In the last few weeks, I’ve used it to keep up-to-date with the stock market. When I have a conference call, I mute the audio and continue watching the video. I also play music from my YouTube music stations. The sound isn’t super high quality, but it’s good enough to help me pass the time in the office. On occasion, I’ll also use Chromecast to send movies to the screen. The volume is easy to quickly mute since Google added the ability to use quick gestures with the Nest Hub Max.

Dropbox

Technically I don’t think this qualifies as gear. However, Dropbox is essential to my workflow throughout the day. I’ve created a folder solely to sync common files between my three home office computers. Typically I use this to synchronize images or screenshots of things that I’m working on – either for reports or social media posts. But I also use it to sync files between my various computers. This is a very handy tool and allows me to not worry about where I left a particular file since everything is accessible across all my computers. Dropbox business plans start at $15/month with discounted prices for yearly plans. Google Drive or Microsoft One Drive would likely work just as well if you have access to them.

Anker Wireless PowerWave Charger

I use this $18 Anker Wireless PowerWave Charger to keep my iPhone 11 Pro Max charged up. I find it tough sometimes to find the “sweet spot” with Qi chargers, but this upright charger makes it so that I get a positive charging connection nearly every time.

Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max Smart Battery Case

I live in a rural area, and I find it helpful to relax mid-day with a walk. On occasion, my walks extend to 5+ miles, which makes it handy to use the $129 Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max Smart Battery Case so I can continue taking calls while out exercising. What I like the most is how easy it is to insert (and remove ) the phone. Simply pull the top portion back and your phone can be easily removed.

The case supports wireless charging, but I generally charge via cable overnight and leave it on my shelf until I’m ready to walk. The grippy case helps prevent drops which is another thing I like. It’s not the cheapest battery case you’ll find, but it’s well built and does the job.

Perry

While I have some additional time at home, besides spending more time with my wife and two kids and teaching my 5-year-old daughter how to ride a 2 wheel bike (proud dad moment!), I’ve taken up a few hobbies.

Fender Malibu Player Guitar

I’ve always wanted to play the guitar, and our friends at Fender hooked me up with a Fender Malibu Player Guitar to try out, as well as their brand new Fullerton Strat Ukulele. The $429 Malibu Player is a gorgeous small-bodied guitar with a built-in electronic Fishman pre-amp and tuner. It’s a great guitar for beginners such as myself and I’ve been enjoying learning on it.

Fender Fullerton Strat Ukelele

The Fullerton Strat Ukulele is a $199 ukulele that’s designed to look like the classic Fender Stratocaster electric guitar. The Fullerton also has built-in electronics and tuner as well.

I’ve also spent a few weeks learning to play with the Fender Play app, and I’ve seen a lot of growth in such a short amount of time. I went from not knowing anything about playing to playing simple riffs, strumming chords, and switching between chords, albeit slowly. Fender has even put together a New Player Guide that helps budding guitarists navigate their new hobby with everything from gear buying guides to tips and tricks.

Challenger Bread Pan

If you’re like me and the thousands of other people turning to bread baking with your extra time, there’s no better way to bake your homemade loaves than the $299 Challenger Bread Pan. It was designed by home bakers, for home bakers to be the first highly designed home bread baking pan on the market.

The cast-iron enclosure traps steam, which helps the crust of your bread retain moisture and not cook too quickly, allowing your bread to expand more. The shallow base makes it easy to load your bread into the pan and the handles were ergonomically designed to help you remove the lid easily mid-bake.

HTC Vive Cosmos Elite VR Headset

If you’re looking to escape your quarantine environment but don’t want to risk infection, check out the $899 HTC Vive Cosmos Elite VR Headset. The Vive Cosmos Elite provides a fully immersive experience thanks to the high-quality headset and accurate tracking of your head and the controllers in your hands.

I’ve had a blast playing first-person shooter games like Half-Life: Alyx as well as action/sports games that get your body moving and your blood pumping. Even my 5-year-old daughter loves slashing at fruit in the classic Fruit Ninja VR.

Kingston Nucleum USB-C Hub

If we’re talking about actual work (boring), our friends at Kingston hooked me up with some great home office upgrades that have helped make my WFH experience better. The $49.99 Kingston Nucleum USB-C Hub allows me to connect an external monitor, keyboard, and wireless mouse to my laptop with the use of just one port, the USB-C. It’s a great way to reduce clutter and make transitioning between travel and desk work simple.

HyperX Alloy Origins Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

The HyperX Alloy Origins mechanical gaming keyboard is a joy to type on. It has RGB LED lights that are gorgeous to look at, while the typing experience feels accurate and high end.

HyperX Pulsefire Dart Wireless Gaming Mouse

The HyperX Pulsefire Dart wireless gaming mouse has three different DPI settings, comfortable leather-like grips, LED-lit accents, and is compatible with wireless Qi charging. Installation of both keyboard and mouse was seamless and I was up and running in minutes.

Joel

These are the things that I use every day when I work from home. Much of it changes depending on what’s going on, but this is what I have had since the start of the ‘work from home’ phase of the virus. I always work from home, so my life hasn’t changed much except for not being able to go to the gym and church like I usually do.

My Work-Supplied Gear Includes:

Dell Precision 7250 Laptop

The Dell Precision 7520 is big, thick, and heavy without being too heavy; it works well enough to get my job done.

Dell 3GMVT TB16 Thunderbolt 3 Dock with 240W Adapter

It’s not fancy but it gets the job done. If you have a Thunderbolt capable Dell, get the ~$200 Dell 3GMVT TB16 Thunderbolt 3 Dock with 240W Adapter; you won’t regret it.

HP 27″ FreeSync Monitor

Being in System Administration requires you to have many windows open at once, and the monitor on my work laptop just isn’t enough to handle my day-to-day so I picked up the HP 27″ FreeSync Monitor. It’s 1080p and has enough real estate to take care of things like Slack, Service Now, and other websites I need to have open to get the job done.

iPhone 11

The iPhone 11 is my work-provided cellphone. On it, I run Slack, Pager Duty, e-mail, and everything I need when I am out and about or at home for work.

My Personal Gear Includes

Microsoft Surface Pro 6

One thing I like to do when I am not in a call is have something playing in the background or some other computer besides my work laptop beside me so I can look up things and take care of non-work related things when I take breaks from my normal systems work. My Surface Pro 6 is my favorite device for this. It’s pretty much beside me always when I am working.

Not on the list, but something I always use with my Surface, is the keyboard … which should COME with the Surface Pro! Are you listening Microsoft?

Microsoft Surface Pen

If I need to sketch something or take notes in a call that I don’t care about where they are stored then the $100 Surface Pen comes out. I think it’s essential if you buy a Surface Pro, and the pen is a big pro for buying a Surface Pro in the first place.

Microsoft Surface Mouse

The $79.99 Microsoft Surface Arc mouse is nice, but I prefer just the plain old $36 Surface Mouse. It’s small enough that it travels nicely, and I always use it over the trackpad on the keyboard.

Avantree AH6B Bluetooth Headphones

A few weeks ago, my normal Logitech H600 headset died. I needed something in a pinch, so I ordered the $89.99 Avantree AH6B Bluetooth Headphones quickly as I spend a lot of time in Zoom calls. This headset works great for that, and it sounds good too!

Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920

I always hate using the built-in camera on any laptop. It just makes for horrible viewing angles and is just not as good as an external cam like the $79.99 Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920. I love that it has a cover that I usually keep down if I don’t feel like being on cam.

Kaweco Sport Classic Fountain Pen

I got the $34 Kaweco Sport Classic Fountain Pen in a Bespoke box, and I love writing with it! When I want something to write with to record things I don’t want on the web, this is what I use.

Moleskine Notebook

I’ve been a long time lover of Moleskine notebooks; I always have 2-3 of these hanging around my desk.

Galanz Mini Fridge

On a long call? Getting drowsy? This is why I have the $169 Galenz Mini Fridge. I keep mine fully stocked with cold beverages and the occasional snack.

IKEA Bekant Sit/Stand Desk

The $499 IKEA Bekant Sit/Stand Desk is my main desk, and while I rarely use the stand functionality, I do like to be able to work while standing from time to time.

IKEA Galant Black Storage Cabinet

Every office needs storage, and the $199 IKEA Galant Black Storage Cabinet is mine. I keep my camera gear and extra 3D printing supplies in here.

IKEA Linnmon/Alex Desk

I use the $119.99 IKEA Linnmon/Alex Desk as a side desk told hole extra computers and other junk (I really need to rearrange things in here!)

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ with 5G

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is my personal phone, and I love using it; it’s pretty much always with me.

LG TONE Style Bluetooth Wireless Stereo Headset

The $99.99 LG TONE Style Bluetooth Wireless Stereo Headset is perfect for podcasts, YouTube, and movies. These are what I usually use these for especially if I don’t want the whole house to ALSO listen! Works ok for calls but don’t usually get too many of those.

Logitech M557 Bluetooth Mouse

I’m a trackpad hater so my work laptop always has to have a mouse. I say go Bluetooth so you can avoid having to keep track of dongles since all of my computers have Bluetooth …you can’t go wrong with this mouse. It’s travel-sized which is what I prefer anyway.

Michael

Both my wife and I work in essential businesses, so we have had to adapt to strategies that enable us to work from home when possible but also be on-site each day. In order to be ready for any potential self-quarantine, my approach has been to have everything with me at all times when I leave the facility.

Above is a pile of my ‘essential stuff’

Mask – we get a new one every morning. Masks had become part of standard PPE throughout the facility even prior to the state order.

Safety Glasses and Fog-Be-Gone – the first thing everyone does wearing a mask with glasses is to fog them up!

Earbuds with 3.5mm jack – these are the AKG earbuds that came with my Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (the 10+ comes with USB-C earbuds). I am on conference calls frequently and have found that having something that plugs directly into my laptop works best – and these have great sound and microphone clarity.

HP Elitebook 840 – this is my work laptop, fully loaded up but still fairly portable. Drives my dual monitor setup at my desk, but the screen is good enough to use anywhere in the facility or at home.

iPad Pro 10.5

I have been using this iPad since release in 2017, to the point where I just had to replace the Smart Keyboard cover. It is my personal workhorse that I carry everywhere – email, social media, and web browsing, working on shared documents, keeping notes that bridge between work and home, and so much more. And when I get home it is great for music and games!

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+

For nearly nine months the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ has been my primary work phone. It does everything for me, but the S-Pen is the big differentiator, as I can be anywhere and quickly take notes, annotate pictures, and so on. The battery life is incredible, which is invaluable when you need to be in a part of the facility with poor signal without access to a charger for hours on end. This is an incredibly expensive flagship phone, but I have never had a regret.

Samsung Galaxy Buds

The $149 Samsung Galaxy Buds pair easily with either iOS or Android devices, but with a Samsung phone, you get more features – none of which I really care about. These are more comfortable than typical earbuds, and allow me to just keep them in my ears during the day so I can talk to people working from home about data, measurements or experiments while involved with other activities. My usage of these has jumped incredibly over the pandemic, as they allow me to be much more flexible and responsive.

Other critical items

Logitech M570 Trackball Mouse

Great for every surface at home or work, the $49.99 Logitech M570 Trackball Mouse is easy on the wrist once you get used to using the trackball. I am not a fan of laptop trackpads other than Apple, so when I can use this highly capable mouse I am much happier and more productive.

Osprey Axis Backpack

I bought the Osprey Axis Backpack for hiking in the Grand Canyon, and it quickly became my everyday bag. It’s light, tough, and spacious; everything fits and is easily accessible.

•••••

You’ve seen the gear that’s helping us stay productive and sane while we hunker down for the pandemic; what is working for you?

from Joseph Rushing https://geardiary.com/2020/05/03/sheltering-in-place-during-a-pandemic-how-weve-made-it-work/

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cover2covermom · 4 years

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Hello bookworms!

Today I am back with another batch of mini reviews! Today the focus will be on middle grade graphic novels…

*Books included in this batch of mini book reviews: The Stonekeeper (Amulet #1) by Kazu Kibuishi, Nightlights(Nightlights #1) by Lorena Alvarez Gomez, Jane, the Fox, and Me by Fanny Britt, Mighty Jack (Mighty Jack #1) by Ben Hatke, Pashimina by Nidhi Chanani, Brave by Svetlana Chmakova, and All’s Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson

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» The Stonekeeper (Amulet #1) by Kazu Kibuishi

After a tragedy strikes, Emily and her family move into an old home owned by a reclusive great-Grandfather. While the family works to breathe life back into the old home, strange things begin to happen. When a noise causes Emily to investigate the basement, it leads to more trouble then she ever imagined…

I would consider The Stonekeeper to be on the younger side of the middle grade audience. I would place it on a 5th-6th grade appeal level, but could definitely be enjoyed by younger or older readers too.

With a fast-paced and action-packed plot, The Stonekeeper, is a quick read. This graphic novel has a bit of everything: sibling relationships, action, robots, monsters, adventure… I think it will appeal to boys and girls alike.

I feel like this graphic novel would translate well to film. It actually reminded me a bit of the film The Spiderwick Chronicles.

› If you liked this book, try ⇒ The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi

» Nightlights(Nightlights #1) by Lorena Alvarez Gomez

*3 Stars for the story, and 5 stars for the illustrations = 4 Stars overall*

I wouldn’t really consider Nightlights a graphic novel, but rather a “middle grade picture book.” I would say this graphic novel will appeal more to children in 3rd – 5th grade range.

Nightlights centers around a little girl that creates beautiful drawings inspired by her dreams. The central theme in this graphic novel centers around imagination & creativity.

The story wasn’t anything special, but the illustrations were absolutely stunning! The illustrations were reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. I would recommend everyone pick this graphic novel up for the illustrations alone.

› Recommended to ⇒ budding artists; lovers of beautiful illustrations

› If you liked this book, try ⇒ Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

» Jane, the Fox, and Me by Fanny Britt

Jane, the Fox, & Me is a short graphic novel about bullying & body image. Jane is ostracized by her peers, so spends most of her time reading her favorite book, Jane Eyre.

Another book I would consider a “middle grade picture” book since it is so short. The illustrations are pencil drawings that are understated, which suited the tone of the story well. If you are looking for vivid & colorful illustrations, you won’t find those here.

Themes present in Jane, the Fox, and Me include bullying, body image, friendship, and self-esteem. The message of this story is perfect for the middle grade audience: being comfortable in your own skin. I really loved the progression & growth of Jane’s character in this graphic novel.

I am a huge Jane Eyre fan, so it really shouldn’t be a surprise that I loved this book. Do I think the target audience will appreciate it as much as I did? Probably not…

› Recommended to ⇒ bookworms; fans of Jane Eyre

› If you liked this book, try ⇒ Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

» Mighty Jack (Mighty Jack #1) by Ben Hatke

When Jack & his sister plant mysterious seeds in their yard neither could anticipate the mystical garden that would materialize in their backyard…

I really enjoyed this Jack and the Beanstalk retelling! I think the author did a great job taking a classic fairytale and creating a more modern & unique twist on a traditional story.

One of my favorite aspects of this graphic novel was the focus on sibling relationships. Jack’s mother is a single mom that is struggling to make ends meet. Since their mom puts in many hours of work, it is Jack’s responsibility to watch over his little sister Maddy. Since Maddy is autistic & nonverbal, this adds extra challenges.

I loved the inclusion of an autistic main character, Jack’s sister Maddy. I thought the representation was well done and handled with care.

› Recommended to ⇒ fans of magical creatures; fans of mythical settings

› If you liked this book, try ⇒ The Stonekeeper (Amulet #1) by Kazu Kibuishi

» Pashimina by Nidhi Chanani

A lovely story about an Indian-American girl that is struggling with her identity. Pri’s mother will not answer her questions about her mother’s homeland or the identity of her father, so Pri is in the dark about her heritage and parentage. When Pri stumbles upon a magical shawl that transports her to India when she wraps herself in it. Pri is able to experience the India of her dreams, but is it reality?

The majority of the illustrations included in Pashmina are done in black & white, but as Pri travels to India under the magic shawl, the illustrations are transformed into vivid color. It reminded me a bit of how The Wizard of Oz starts off in black & white, but turns into color as Dorothy travels to Oz.

Themes included in Pashmina include identity, culture, immigration, absent parents, single parents, expectation vs. reality, etc. While there are definitely some heavier topics addressed in this graphic novel, the tone at the end is very uplifting & inspirational.

› Recommended to ⇒ fans of identity; fans of cultural diverse main characters

» Brave by Svetlana Chmakova

Jensen is struggling with the realities of middle school. Between various commitments, frenemies, math class, and navigating the social hierarchy, Jensen is just trying to survive middle school.

I LOVED this graphic novel from the illustrations to the story. I would say this is definitely one of my favorite middle school graphic novels to date.

Brave is a wonderful depiction of the struggles of middle school… probably one of the most relatable middle school book settings that I’ve read.

Bullying in the central theme in Brave, which is such an important topic for the middle grade audience. Kids today can be BRUTAL to one another. I also appreciated the inclusion of “friends” bullying friends, to showcase that the line between teasing and bullying is gray.

The way Brave ends is very uplifting and inspiring. The idea that the middle school culture needs to change.

› If you liked this book, try ⇒ All’s Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson

» All’s Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson

Homeschooled Imogene is about to embark on her biggest adventure yet, middle school!

Another great MG book about the struggles of middle school. I enjoyed the extra challenges that Imogene faced being from a family that works at a Renaissance Faire & being homeschooled for the majority of her life.

All’s Faire in Middle School covers topics like family relationships, alternate lifestyles, socioeconomic status, identity, fitting in vs. individuality, friendship, etc.

I really enjoyed that the main character’s family were all actors in the local Renaissance Festival. I thought this was a unique twist on a traditional “struggles of middle school” story.

› If you liked this book, try ⇒ Brave by Svetlana Chmakova

Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think?

Comment below & let me know 🙂

Mini Book Reviews: January 2020 - Part 3 #BookBlogger #Books #Reading #BookReview #GraphicNovels #MiddleGrade #Fantasy Hello bookworms! Today I am back with another batch of mini reviews! Today the focus will be on middle grade graphic novels...

#Bibliophile #Book Nerd #Book Review #Book Talk #Book Worm #Bookish #Books #Bookworm #Graphic Novels #Middle Grade #Reading #Review

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lopezdorothy70-blog · 6 years

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State-funded Foster Care and The Church: Part of the Problem, NOT Part of the Solution

Comments by Brian Shilhavy Editor, Health Impact News

Lisa Wheeler of the National Review, a “magazine of conservative opinion” founded in 1955 by William F. Buckley Jr., has just published a commentary entitled “Pro-Life Should Include Foster Care, Too,” criticizing American churches for not participating more in state-sponsored foster care programs.

We beg to differ.

In our years of covering state-sponsored child kidnappings and trafficking through foster care, the modern day American corporate church is part of the problem, not the solution. In fact, much of the philosophy behind modern child welfare social services can be traced back to Christian Church-based social services.

All of the atrocities that we have documented and are happening in foster care today, from child kidnapping, to emotional and physical abuse, to using children for drug trials, to child sex trafficking – are also happening in Christian Church-sponsored foster care institutions.

The rationale we have heard far too often is that it is precisely because the system is so corrupt and harming so many children that “good” Christian parents need to become foster parents to advocate for the children.

But is this even possible? The government funds foster care, and entering into the system requires abiding by government standards in order to be a foster parent. Wherever there is government funding, there are most certainly strings attached.

What about the biblical admonition to not participate in such evil alliances?

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.

For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?

For we are the temple of the living God.

As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

“Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

Lisa Wheeler, herself a foster parent, states her own selfish bias right at the beginning of her commentary:

I didn't get into foster parenting because I wanted it to be my life's work; I got into it for more-selfish reasons. I wanted to be a mother. After 15 years of infertility, foster parenting was likely my only hope because of my age…

I wanted to be a mother, now. My biological clock was done ticking.

Well, taking other parents' children is not the answer to infertility.

As I wrote last month (April, 2018) in the article The Corrupt Foster Care and Adoption System: Why Aren't More Foster and Adoptive Parents Speaking Out?, supplying a steady supply of foster parents and foster homes to allow such an evil system to continue operating is a big part of the problem:

One thing the system absolutely depends upon to keep federal and state government funds flowing is foster parents. And one of the places many foster parents are currently recruited from are American Christian churches.

If “good” foster and adoptive parents took a stand against corruption in child welfare, it could put a big dent in the system, if not take it down altogether.

Health Impact News reporter, Terri LaPoint, provides a rebuttal to the National Review's call for churches to become more involved in foster care as part of the “pro-life movement,” explaining clearly why this is misguided advice and certainly not in the best interest of families and children.

Should the Church Be Encouraging its Members to Become Foster Parents?

Commentary by Terri LaPoint Health Impact News

A recent series of articles by the National Review has focused on the topic of foster care, especially in regards to the role of the church. One article in the series is entitled, “Pro-Life Should Include Foster Care, Too,” by Lisa Wheeler.

There are issues raised by Wheeler and by others in the series that many would agree must be addressed, such as the large number of children who are, as she states, “orphaned” by the foster care system, as well as the fact that the children suffer a great deal of trauma.

However, much of the public, including the church, largely has no idea about the things that we see every day at Health Impact News/Medical Kidnap. The article reflects this fundamental naivety and crucial misunderstanding of what is really happening with the foster care and adoption industry, things that many of our readers and families in our articles have learned the hard way.

As good and noble as the solutions proposed by Wheeler and others may sound on the surface, we must look deeper. We must recognize that the proposed solutions will not only not solve the problem but will, in fact, only serve to enable a system that ultimately destroys families and devours children.

This is something that has weighed very heavily on my heart, since I began this research several years ago.

I have always known good and wonderful people who want to follow Jesus and love the orphans by taking in children through foster care and adoption. Their motives are pure, and their intentions are good.

On the other hand, there have always been some elements in the church who prey on children and are involved in pedophilia and sex trafficking of children through foster care, adoption, and group homes. We are seeing more and more reports of this in our research and in other media. It is obvious that this is much more widespread than any of us knew.

What I have come to recognize is that the good, well-meaning people in churches and in society have become pawns in a huge, wicked, corrupt system that profits by stealing children and trafficking them through the Child Welfare system.

The church ENABLES the destruction of children and families, as they believe the lies told by the propaganda of the Child Protective Services, foster care, and adoption industry.

Lisa Wheeler begins her article by stating:

Babies saved before they are born need care afterwards. Our churches can help.

It wasn't until I became a foster parent that I realized how little my pro-life church, and perhaps every church, was contributing to curbing the modern orphan crisis of our time.

The church has a role to play, certainly, but it must stop following the Pied Piper that is leading them off a cliff to destruction. The church must dig deeper into what God's heart is for the family and work to redeem families, not tear them apart.

The Modern “Orphan Crisis” is NOT About Orphans

This Christian Conference on Foster Care and Adoption in 2014 featured Elizabeth Bartholet, Professor of Family Law at Harvard Law School, as a guest speaker, who's “ideas are so extreme that they include requiring every family with a young child to open itself to mandatory government surveillance.” Article here.

While there certainly is a crisis, the nature of the crisis has been misrepresented in almost every place where it is discussed. Wheeler described her introduction to the crisis when she got into foster parenting, hoping to adopt a child:

Required training hours forced us to hear the horrific reality that over 400,000 children are “orphaned” via the foster-care system throughout the United States; over 100,000 of them are legally free for adoption.

The word “orphan” has been brutally misused by the foster care and adoption industry as well as by the church. Merriam-Webster defines “orphan” as:

a child deprived by death of one or usually both parents

However, only a very tiny fraction of the children in the system are truly orphans. Most have been taken away from their real parents.

They still have parents. Even if the parental rights are terminated by the family court system, the parents still exist. They still hold their children in their hearts, and their DNA is written in every cell of their child's body.

Wheeler cites James 1:27, a verse that is commonly quoted in regards to foster care and adoption:

Scripture is quite clear on our obligation to help the orphans (James 1:27) and that He's given us different varieties of gifts and talents with which to serve (1 Corinthians 12:4–6).

When the Bible talked about the church's responsibility to care for widows and orphans, it was never intended that they would actually cause someone to become a widow or orphan in order to care for them.

Yet, that is exactly what is happening with the foster care system.

Wheeler correctly identifies that reality. The children are not true orphans, but the system is depriving the children of their parents, not physically through death, but legally, emotionally, and geographically.

James 1:27 says:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (NIV)

The question arises: How can we justify participating in the system that creates orphans in the name of caring for the orphan?

Can any family that “completes their family” by enabling children to be stolen from another family truly be doing the will of God?

Kidnapping Children to Into the Foster Care Pipeline – the Numbers

The Rembis Family in Texas had their 11 homeschooled children seized and put into foster care. A judge was upset that they had 11 children in their home. Story here.

We have covered hundreds of stories of families whose children were taken from them for medical kinds of reasons, like asking for a second opinion or looking for a less invasive means of treatment.

We have seen cases where children were taken because one was “too short” (see story here), one or both parents had a learning disability (see stories here and here), or the kids were playing in their own yard (see story here).

The excuses used to take children run the gamut from utterly ridiculous to outright lies, with a small minority taken for actual allegations of abuse.

In fact, only 16% of all the children removed from their homes by Child Protective Services were removed for reasons of abuse – physical abuse (12%) and sexual abuse (4%) according to the 2017 AFCARS report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (Source.)

A similar percentage of the allegations against parents are “substantiated” or “founded” – only 17% according to the 2016 Child Maltreatment Report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (Source.)

See:

Almost 40% of American Families at Risk to Have Their Children Kidnapped by the State – Over 50% if You Are Black

When National Review and hundreds of other sources allude to the more than 400,000 children in foster care needing homes, they miss the crucial fact that most of the children should never have been taken in the first place and already have homes.

This figure also does not reflect the reality that most of the children in the system have family and loved ones who would happily take them in, but social workers routinely lie to the courts, telling judges that there are no suitable family members.

We have covered several stories where the “unsuitable” family members are actually foster parents or adopters already approved by the system to take care of other children in the system, just not their own family members.

This is due to ASFA (Adoption and Safe Families Act) provisions that have provided much more federal funding to states to finance placement with strangers rather than placement with family members.

Are Churches Who are Taking in More Children for State-sponsored Foster Care being More “Pro-life”?

A shrine erected near the mass graves of up to 800 children allegedly buried at the site of a former Irish Catholic home for unwed mothers. Image courtesy of The Guardian.

Wheeler poses the question commonly asked as the obvious solution to the foster care crisis:

As people of faith, we are called to be more pro-life, not less. And so I wondered why we had this crisis in America with foster children.

I mean, if there are nearly 20,000 Catholic parishes and over 380,000 evangelical churches, how could it be so hard to make sure that 100,000 children had a forever home and that 400,000 children had a support system around them to give them everything they needed, until they didn't?

Think about it. Among 400,000 churches, Catholic and Protestant combined, 400,000 children should be served. That's one child per church.

Kathryn Jean Lopez is an editor-at-large at National Review who recently hosted a foster care forum in Washington, D.C. This proposed solution is apparently the consensus of many of her colleagues.

In an article entitled, “Taking Foster Care Seriously,” she wrote:

If every church in America found one family willing to be a foster family, we would not have the crisis we have today. Children would have homes. This was one of the takeaways from our forum. That's something for people of faith to take as an examination of conscience, and an action item.

This was the consensus of a leading conservative think-tank group that influences policy in the United States.

See “What Must We Do About Foster Care?” by the National Review Symposium.

However, it misses the mark entirely.

Most of the children in these figures are currently in some kind of foster home or group home. Even so, that proposed solution will never solve the crisis.

On the contrary, it will extend and perpetuate it, with no end in sight.

It is simple 8th grade social studies – the law of supply and demand, with children as the commodity. The more demand that there is for children to be adopted or fostered, the more Child Protective Services will happily steal more children, even from innocent parents, in order to supply the demand.

It is not unlike Planned Parenthood, the abortion provider giant who has been exposed as selling body parts and organs to medical and cosmetic researchers and companies. Because there is a demand for fetal body parts, Planned Parenthood seems only too happy to meet that demand and profit handsomely in the process.

This is something that National Review has reported on extensively. A search on their website shows almost 3,000 articles addressing Planned Parenthood.

The connection that we must not miss is that Planned Parenthood and Child Protective Services are the same story, different chapter – the commoditization of children.

Because there are billions of federal dollars at stake in the form of Title IV-d and IV-e funding, the states will continue to take advantage of the system to bring those virtually unlimited federal dollars into their state by taking children from their parents and bringing them into the foster care system.

The mere existence of children in the system provides a demented, twisted economic benefit to the community, providing jobs for lawyers, transporters, social workers, supervisors, Guardian ad litems, psychologists, office staff, group home staff, foster parents, and more.

If the state stopped taking children from innocent parents, whole streams of funding would disappear, and tens of thousands of jobs would be lost.

But if we truly care about what is best for children, then we have to stop using them as commodities to be traded and sold. We must understand that children need their parents. This is a basic law of the universe, put in place by the Creator.

Many “Good” Foster Parents Leave the Corrupt System

National Review cites a figure by Jedd Medefind, president of the Christian Alliance for Orphans. He says that:

Nearly 50 percent of foster parents drop out in their first year. (Source).

Arizona family activist, Merissa Hamilton, told Health Impact News that Arizona, the state that takes more children by percentage than any other state, is constantly recruiting more foster parents. It is a refrain that we hear from all over the country.

Hamilton said that the problem is not that there aren't enough people willing to help; it is that many of the former foster parents that she has spoken with chose to leave the system because they were disgusted with the injustice that they saw. Many of them realized that the children they were trying to help had, in fact, been kidnapped from parents who had not actually harmed their children.

We have had former foster parents tell us the same thing. As they realized what the system was doing to the children, they recognized that they could not in good conscience stay a part of it any longer.

Back in 2015, Washington State faced a shortage of foster care parents when the state required not only foster children in their care to be vaccinated with annual flu vaccine, but their biological children were also required to be vaccinated, or face losing their foster child. Many chose to leave the foster care system rather than comply with forced vaccinations of their own biological children.

Washington: Vaccinate All Your Children with Flu Shot or We Will Take Your 2-Week Old Baby

At Health Impact News, we have noted a similar pattern among social workers who ended up quitting their jobs because they could not tolerate working in such an evil, unjust system any longer.

In interviewing families, an estimated 75% of the parents have told us about one or more social workers involved with their case who quit their job and left the field entirely because of their case, after seeing the deception within the Child Protective Services system and the injustice, cruelty, and human rights violations inflicted on the children they got involved with social work to help.

Their eyes were opened to see the corruption and devastation to innocent families, and in good conscience, they couldn't stay a part of that system. See:

Former LA County Social Worker Reveals Corruption in Child “Protection” Services

LA County DCFS Whistleblower Reveals how Parents are Losing Their Children to a Corrupt System

Whistleblower in LA County DCFS Reveals Corruption in Child Kidnapping

A Better Idea: Help Families in Crisis Instead of Kidnapping Their Children

Eric and Amy of Bend, Oregon, had their newborn child removed because CPS deemed that their IQ was too low, and that they were incapable of caring for their child. Story here.

The Bible in James 1:27 directs the church to care for the widows and orphans IN their distress or affliction. How much more Christ-like would it be if the church were to take that part seriously and care for families, helping to redeem and reunite them, instead of stealing the children and trafficking them in the name of foster care and adoption?

Much of what is termed “neglect” by Child Protective Services is actually poverty. Families with limited resources have their children taken away from them, eventually adopted out to strangers, because they lack the financial means to fight the system and get their children back.

Many of them have said that if even a fraction of the government resources given to foster families were directed toward biological families, their children would never have been taken. If churches were to provide more resources for struggling biological families, there would be less children going into foster care.

Most children in foster care should not be there in the first place. The reality is that foster care fails about 80% of the children in the system. (Source.)

Instead of tearing families apart, solutions should be geared toward keeping families together whenever possible. This is an area where those who truly love Jesus should be able to shine. The message at the heart of the Gospel is redemption through Jesus Christ. He didn't come to condemn the world but to save it.

I remember a situation years ago where a family headed by a single mom was in crisis and at risk of having CPS step in. A wise lady from my church, Renee' Yates, said:

If we can fix the mama, the child will turn out fine.

She was one of many who poured out love to the mother and child, helping in practical ways. The mom worked on her issues, and her child did indeed “turn out fine.” He will be getting married at the end of the month.

I often think of this family as an example of how it can and should work. There were real issues, but the church and the family stepped in, and things improved.

Isn't is time that the church and the pro-life movement emphasize restoration of families over adoption and foster care?

Concluding Thoughts by Brian Shilhavy:

Caring For Troubled Children Without Government Funding – Is the American Church Ready to Face Persecution if They Provide a Better, Competing System?

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In the video above, Nehemiah Flynt explains how he was a state-approved foster parent for seven years. However, he left the system after seeing how corrupt it was:

I became a foster parent with the intentions of putting a roof over the heads of orphaned children. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

By the time I completed the training process, I understood that the majority of the children that would be entering my home were not orphans. I was brainwashed into believing the children had come from abusive and neglectful homes. I was told the state had rescued them from horrible living environments and that I was somewhat of a hero for taking them in.

They were all lies. It took several years for me to truly see what I had become a part of.

Child Protective Services was stealing children from loving biological families.

See:

Former Foster Parent Exposes How CPS Kidnaps Kids Away from Good Homes – Puts them on Drugs

Nehemiah decided to start working directly with troubled youth, getting them off of drugs, enforcing biblical standards for discipline, and helping them to find jobs.

It worked. There was just one problem: Child Protective Services saw him as a threat and came after him, forcing him to shut down his self-funded, church-backed program:

A few years later, however, Child Protective Services got wind of our program. They didn't like the fact that we were teaching our youth Biblical standards, a work ethic, that they were not victims of society but were responsible for the choices they were making, and that medication was not the answer to all of life's problems. They placed a target on our heads and did everything in their power to override our constitutional rights and to stop the work we were doing.

They have an agenda to medicate as many children as they can, to label them with mental health disorders, and to stop anyone who stands in their way – at any cost.

When Nehemiah contacted me in 2015, he was in hiding and not using his real name. He took a stand against the evil foster care system and a stand FOR America's troubled youth and family, and he suffered as a result.