#i saved this in early dec 2019 i guess

[beautifulpersonpeach]

Hello, you're someone I've come to respect to give honest and thoughtful answers to questions that may not be 'the general consensus' and I hoped I could get your opinion on the following. I was watching a translated version of an interview JK did during his solo era and I know we need to be cautious about accuracy of tone and meaning. He said he missed being on stage with BTS but instead of it coming across as ‘I love being solo but sometimes miss them' it was more 'thanks for the solo opportunity but I still prefer being with them'. I’m a newer fan – Dec 2019 – so I don’t have years of perspective insight on their personalities like some other fans but I sensed that this moment was at odds to the ‘I want to be the biggest popstar ever’ we got shoved down our throats recently. It niggled at me to the point that this last week I've been looking back on a lot of JK content and I'm a little startled by how much evidence there is that JK hasn't ever wanted to be a soloist. It's nothing major, just lots of little comments and behaviours that paint a big picture if you look for it. I know that confirmation bias happens, that once you have an idea you look for evidence and convince yourself you're right when you find it. But the more I look the more I see JK not being the 'cocky soloist bts sell-out' that many horribly seem to have tagged him with recently but as possibly the biggest OT7 in the group who was forced into a solo project. Looking back through BTS content, I'm actually a little startled how many times he says he prefers being on stage with the others than doing a solo performance. We all know he’s said he wants to be in BTS till they are old men, that he wants RM to always be leader (a little strange for the supposed soloist), he looked almost terrified when he found out that Dreamers was a solo project, he always hovers in the background in BTS content (again strange for THE soloist), and there is an overall impression he hates being on his own and is very much an introvert. He seems happy to show off his voice for solo material providing it’s mainly in a studio or a familiar/homely setting and he can get back to the group activities asap. There are many other things out there but I’m glossing to save word count. Now, looking back at his latest solo venture with an idea that maybe he didn’t even want to do it, the story becomes very different but I’d argue makes as much sense as the (horrible) current rhetoric. For years, the expectation from BigHit/Hybe/Armies is that JK could and should be the new global superstar. And let's be absolutely honest here, JK has the talent to be the biggest artist in the world if he wanted. I'm just wondering if he doesn't actually want it? That he just wants to sing and be the main vocalist for BTS – and while he enjoys being told he has the best voice and ‘could’ be a global superstar – he actually doesn’t want that, for whatever reason. If he didn’t want a big solo career and he put in some resistance to keep his career from going astronomical it explains some of the weirdness around his solo era – and choices. I’ve seen others mention a weird dichotomy with some of the choices made and I wonder, now, if it was down to a push and pull between JK and Hybe. Hybe wanted to rocket launch him into stardom and JK wanted a limit that didn’t put him in jeopardy of losing BTS as his main focus. I have to admit I get a chuckle out of the idea of JK dragging his heels writing an album to the point Hybe are like you will have a global solo project even if I have to get a western producer to write it for you. Then JK coming back with the trump card of, well, you do that and I’ll play along but oops I’ve applied early for the military so *timelimit* but hey I’ll be back in time for the promised BTS comeback! Obviously that’s some serious conjecture and I’m being a little tongue-in-cheek but I guess, what I’m ultimately wondering, is if this kind of conversation has ever hit your radar? Or if it’s something you’ve wondered yourself?

***

"Obviously that’s some serious conjecture and I’m being a little tongue-in-cheek"

I'm grateful for the small show of self-awareness. Really.

Thank you for taking the time to write all that. It helped me better understand your point of view, and while I can see where you're coming from, I disagree with many of the assumptions you've made and what you conclude.

First off, why is it so difficult to imagine Jungkook as a global pop star while active in BTS and fitting seamlessly in a group that keeps reaching new heights? Why must it be a zero sum game of one or the other? Why is it so difficult for people to believe this is a reality Jungkook might envision and work towards?

I've said before that I think Jungkook is a very simple and honest person. When he says something it's usually what he means. If you want to understand Jungkook, the easiest way is to simply listen to him. Anon, you said you don't get the impression that Jungkook wants to be a global pop star, but I think he does. There's an interview from 2020 that I strongly suggest you read in full. It explains so much of the kind of person Jungkook is. It made me fall a little more in love with him. The article is linked here but the excerpt I want to highlight is this:

Jung Kook: I think my heart’s telling me to. BTS was able to climb this high thanks to the group members, the company and our fans. But there’s always the question of whether I could receive that kind of recognition by myself, so I have this feeling of wanting to throw myself at some challenge alone. There’s a lot I want to do, and a lot I want to achieve.

By gradually improving yourself, what kind of person would you ideally want to become? Jung Kook: A person who’s crazy awesome in their field. (laughs) Those kinds of people look cool even when they do something different. I still have a long way to go. I feel like I could be more captivating and draw more out of people by improving any number of things, by trying hard to be confident about my singing, or the way I dance and perform. BTS is way more important and meaningful to me than I am to myself, so I’m not saying I want to do anything alone. But I hope I get to the point where I can perform alone for three or four hours in a venue full of people.

Italicized for emphasis.

Like I said, I honestly think anybody who is shocked by what they're seeing in Chapter 2 for any member, probably just wasn't really paying attention before. That's not a diss it's just what I think.

We agree that Jungkook has more than enough talent to be a global pop star; we agree that at the end of the day, going by his choices to enlist so much earlier than he needed to, among other things, Jungkook indeed prioritizes the group. But it's only in a fandom filled with insecure twats that Jungkook simply saying he wants to be a global pop star is treated like he denied the holocaust. In my opinion. Jungkook could be the biggest pop star and Jimin would be right there with him. On his own merits. Owning the world with him because they are BTS. Solos are obsessed with sorting out the popularity of the members within the group, but they forget that BTS are too ambitious to ever make it easy for the world to care about anything but them. I take issue with the very idea that Jungkook being the biggest pop star is somehow problematic for a group like BTS. Even more so when this is apparently the reality BTS have all agreed to, enough to renew their exclusive contracts early, twice.

I think you have a point about all the times Jungkook appears kinda reluctant to do a solo gig though. I mean, he's said it himself that he's actually kinda shy and feels most comfortable with the guys. They're all like that, you know? That's the thing about BTS that it seems only ARMYs get. BTS actually want to remain together, in a system designed to pull them apart. That's why they're one of the few anomalies in this ecosystem, an anomaly the system keeps trying to both replicate and eliminate.

Jungkook feels most comfortable performing with the guys, but he also has a desire to establish himself as a solo artist. I assume this is something everybody in BTS, Bang PD / HYBE, and Jungkook himself understands. Rather than the company dictating solo goals for Jungkook, I think this is something Jungkook is involved in and partly responsible for. As are the other members.

I'm already rambling but what I mean to say is that I think a lot of the discourse around Jungkook's actions in Chapter 2 have been either ignorant or in bad faith. And I think that's unfair to him given it came from his own fandom.

The only real disappointment I got from Jungkook in Chapter 2 is that his solo album didn't have a song he wrote or produced, especially when I know he'd done both several times before. I understand writing a song in a language he doesn't speak can make a difficult task even more intimidating. But I also think he just kinda choked. He'd been building expectations for his solo debut for three years and had to deliver something epic. But between the Busan concert, World Cup, OSTs, enlistment announcements/planning, etc I wouldn't be surprised if he just got overwhelmed and by the time he got his bearings he felt he didn't have enough time and got stuck. That sounds kinda long-winded but it's something I've seen happen often and a feeling I've experienced myself.

Sometimes people just get stuck. It takes a mini-intervention to get the ball rolling again. In this case, and to use a reference from the article above, Jungkook decided to tackle the idea of introducing himself as a solo artist, a bit at a time. In Golden we're given a selection of his pop tastes, songs that he feels represents him, in his beautiful voice. Bang PD gave him a challenge of an all English album and Jungkook more than delivered. Would I have preferred more direct involvement from him? Of course, and it's what I expect in his next project. But for his first work I'll excuse it given he does such a phenomenal job in his vocal delivery and the songs are bops.

Anyway, I appreciate that you felt there was something off in the bad rep Jungkook has been getting, and actually did the work of going back to watch original content. I just disagree with some assumptions you've made along the way because in my view, it's unneeded. Jungkook is very clear about the kind of person he is and what he wants for himself and BTS.

#jungkook #jikook #bts #bts chapter 2 #bts solo careers #bts solo music #bts solo stans #bts fandom #bts army

[nyctarian]

Now, June sunlight cranks the contrast on the awning’s blue fabric, razzle-dazzles his entire yard, the pastel blooms in the flower bed where a hummingbird flits across the length of it, her long, long beak gleaming like a needle.

It’s Only Vanishing Cream by David Hernandez

#poetry #its only vanishing cream #david hernandez #summer poetry #nature #birds #flowers #i dont remember saving this to my drafts but #it is very much in my drafts and i do like it #hate the way this is formatted tho #in preview it looks fine but in the drafts its all fucky #i saved this in early dec 2019 i guess? #ok wait i searched for the poem and i just recognized #that i think i stumbled on this in my work lib database when i was searching for something else #bc it was coupled w another good poem called #In California You Chew the Juice out of Grapes and obviously a title that distinct is recognizable #lol yeah i just checked and i saved this dec 8 2019 which is a sunday i would have probably been working

[coffeekit]

Doing math to figure out Cherry/Joe/Adam ages bc i wanna answer smn dumb

um um, i just did some math bc i was gonna make a my space joke in the tags of my last post and uh. Going off the assumption that the adults of sk8 are in their mid 20 to late 20s (with shadow being confirmed as 24 and the others being unconfirmed, but implied enough to not yet be in their 30s.) I did some simple math and used common reasoning to try and guess when the Cherry/Joe/Adam High School flashback scene would’ve happened and assuming that Sk8 takes place in the 2019/20 school year (though probably in the 2020 part of that school year if we’re using when the show started). Given the advancements each character has made in their careers, more notable Adam having made vast strides in politics with enough time to work in America, and Joe being a professional chef (making the assumption that he went to a culinary school of sorts and took time to properly save money to open said shop) we can assume they’ve had at least a couple years to gain the experience needed to become professionals in their jobs (Cherry too, I just don’t really know the extent of experience one would need to become a beloved renown professional calligrapher </3). In Joe and Cherry’s cases I would assume at least a minimum of 6 years experience to get them going on the beginning of their solid careers (Joe’s restaurant opening and Cherry’s professional calligraphy start), however Adam’s would be the one that would take far more time, I’m gonna go with something like 10 years, enough to get him experience in American and solidify a career in Japan because getting to the ranks that he’s at is time consuming and him taking more time to work on politics while his once friends are starting out would give them enough time to get them where they are currently from their starting positions. So from that we can assume that this, the current time of events, occurs 10 years AFTER the aforementioned High School flashback  going on the assumption that they’re in their 3rd year when it occurred as evidenced by Adam’s speak of leaving soon. That would make them around 17/18 at that time depending on their birth month. I’m not all to sure about the age to grade cut off in Japan, but in America (or where I’m from) ends at summer birthdays with students with fall birthdays passing onto the latter year despite being in the same birth year (for example the birthdays Aug 2000-Dec 2000 and Jan 2001- July 2001 would count as being sophomores while Aug 2001-Dec 2001 and Jan 2002-July 2002 would count as freshman if that makes sense) since they’re birthdays fall in the second half of school enrollment they’d all be born the same year with Cherry being the oldest and Adam falling in the middle would result in them both Graduating at 18 while with Joe being the youngest he’d graduate at 17. Since the anime takes place during the school year that means that if we’re assuming a 10 year gap in-between the Flash Back and current events currently both Cherry and Adam would be 28 and Joe would be 27 at the moment. 

And while yeah doing math to figure out their ages is fun and all, this isn’t what I needed to do that for.

You see I wanted to see If of all people, be cause god knows he looks like it, Cherry would’ve been an MySpace user. So today using out math deduction skills we can take their ages and subtract them from the year in which Sk8 takes place. So we can Subtract 28 from 2020 taking us back to 1992 being their birth year, adding 18 to that gets you to 2010 being their Graduation Year (mind not Joe being 17, he’s just younger.).

Meaning that... Cherry was too late to be on MySpace’s peak by a few years (though he probably used in in middle school yikes✨), and too early a bit before Tumblr’s boom (though he’d admittedly be on both and use them avidly.) He did however fall into the peak of one particular social media... Thus concluding that Cherry was a punk Facebook bitch.

Anyways, that’s all I wanted to state, do what you will with this information

TDLR;

Doing some math I concluded the following information

Assuming Sk8 takes place in 2020:

Adam would 28, born in 1992.

Cherry would also be 28, and also born in 1992.

And Joe would 27, also born in 1992.

The High School flash back and their graduation year would be 2010.

Cherry lived through all peak emo, scene, and punk phases.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk

#sk8 #sk8 the infinity #cherry blossom sk8 #joe sk8 the infinity #kaoru sakurayashiki #shindo ainosuke #kojiro nanjo #sk8 adam #sk8 the infinity cherry blossom #sk8 the infinity joe #sk8 the infinity adam #somewhat of a shit post #but some people might find this useful

[gumnut-logic]

We’ll Be Home For Christmas 3.3

Title: We’ll be home for Christmas

Day Three - If not for the courage of the fearless crew – Part 3 Prologue | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 3.2

Author: Gumnut

27 - 29 Dec 2019

Fandom: Thunderbirds Are Go 2015/ Thunderbirds TOS

Rating: Teen

Summary: The boys can’t fly home for Christmas, so they have to find another way.

Word count: 4813

Spoilers & warnings: language and so, so much fluff. Science!Gordon. Artist!Virgil, Minor various ships, mostly background.

Timeline: Christmas Season 3, I have also kinda ignored the main storyline of Season 3. The boys needed a break, so I gave them one. Post season 3B, before Season 3C cos we haven’t seen it yet.

Author’s note: For @scattergraph. This is my 2019 TAG Secret Santa fic :D I hope you enjoy it.

Now you’ve caught up. I don’t have the next bit written yet (only bits of it), so I’m winging it from here. Also, it was hard to find a good spot to cut/end this chapter and it is quite long. Hopefully that can tide you over until I can get the next bit out. Also, if I can get to see the new eps, I would really like to write some episode tags, but I’m still tied up in this fic with a trail of WiPs behind me ::wails:: I want to wriiiiiite more than I can ::wails some more:: I guess, I’ll just have to write in my sleep :D

Many thanks to @vegetacide and @scribbles97 for cheering me on and their wonderful support through this craziness. And to @onereyofstarlight for geeking out with me over the setting.

Disclaimer: Mine? You’ve got to be kidding. Money? Don’t have any, don’t bother.

-o-o-o-

 It was mid-afternoon and Gordon was exhausted by the time he made it back to A Little Lightning. The ocean had a decent depth here and it had taken some time to get down, untangle and cut masses of netting from the rocks it was snagged in, stow it safely and then run the decompression ladder up the water column.

Two took Four back on board and Gordon was tempted to go with his sister back to the Island. He even suggested it, but Tin simply grabbed him by the shoulders, turned him around and marched him back to the hatch. “I’ve got this, Fish.”

“I need to clean out Four.”

“You’re on vacation. Besides, I need to deliver that net to WASP along with the rescue recordings. I’ll take care of your ‘bird, don’t worry.”

He eyed her. “That is a lot to ask of you. You are already taking care of Virg’s girl.”

Her eyes flickered away a moment and he frowned.

“I will take care of it, Gordon. Now go back to your boat. She needs her captain.” A smirk. “Or do you want to leave her in Scott’s hands?”

“Hell, no.” And before he could second think that thought she had him lowered to the ocean and jumping off Two’s forward hatch.

Alan scooped him out of the water in the inflatable asTwo rose in height and banked around in a curve. A moment and her massive rear thrusters fired, her roar bouncing off the water around him as she tore off into the distance.

A glance at the bow of his yacht.

Virgil was nowhere to be seen.

It took another half hour of getting himself cleaned up and being sideswiped by Scott who made him shove a sandwich down his throat before he could chase up his musical brother.

“He’s resting.”

Gordon stared at Scott sitting across from him at the table. “Voluntarily?”

His big brother sighed. “Yeah, well, I wasn’t going to question him suddenly doing something right, was I?”

“Is he okay?”

Scott shrugged. “He said he was fine.”

“But you don’t believe him.” He could see it in his brother’s eyes.

Quiet. “No...no, I don’t.”

Gordon opened his mouth to comment by was interrupted by John striding into the room. “We got them.”

“What?” He stared up at his space brother.

“Penny traced down the culprits and located the financial source. All roads lead back to a Richard Polominka, a billionaire who owns half the French seaboard. She’s got enough evidence to bring him down.”

Gordon stared at him. He wanted the energy to feel jubilant, but honestly he only felt the bare minimum of relief. It would stop, but how many had died? “Penalty?”

John straightened. “Enough. Penny followed through and she believes she has enough for life imprisonment.”

He looked away. “Good.”

The yacht rocked ever so gently, the lap of water against her hull, the only sound for a long moment.

“Thank you, John.” Scott’s gratitude was obvious, but his eyes were on Gordon.

John’s eyes darted between the two of them, questions in their turquoise that he didn’t ask. “Gordon, when you’re ready, Mel Fisher would like a report.”

“Yeah, thanks, John.”

His space brother dropped a hand onto Gordon’s shoulder and squeezed before heading back up to the bridge.

“Well, that’s it. We freed the calf, WASP is picking up the illegal nets and Penny found the person responsible. I think this mission is complete.”

“I need a drink.”

He felt Scott staring at him as he stood up and strode over to the bar.

“It is the middle of the afternoon.”

“Yeah, well, I had to stare a baby whale in the eye today and then hurt her to save her life, so you’ll excuse me if I would like a drink a little early.”

But Scott was suddenly in front of him, his hand on the bottle in Gordon’s hand. “Go and talk to him.”

Gordon looked up. “Why?”

“Because I think you need to.” A swallow. “And he needs to as well.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but nothing came to mind. He let the bottle go. “Fine.”

Scott placed it back on the shelf. “He’s in his cabin.”

-o-o-o-

The Tracy brothers mental health network was skewed. Gordon had to admit it. If you were a younger brother, you got the better deal. The more older brothers you had the more smothering you received until you were well again. Virgil had long compensated for Scott’s lack of an older smother brother by just smothering up the chain. But that was Virgil.

Of course, all brothers smothered up the age curve to a certain extent, but being younger and trying to look after an older brother who while bleeding to death might be eyeing you up and down and asking you if you were okay and telling you to sit down, it was smothering against the current.

And apparently, the older the Tracy, the more stubborn and less likely he was to take the advice of the younger Tracy.

So in summary, it was usually Scott who fielded any issues with Virgil. Gordon loved the man dearly, but he had no idea how his artistic brain worked, so in turn had no real idea how to fix it, and besides older brothers don’t like opening up to younger brothers. Particularly the eldest two.

But there was something about this incident. Something in the music his brother created, something in the eyes of the mother and her calf, Gordon felt it. He wanted to understand it. It called to him.

He knocked on the cabin door.

And received no answer.

“Virgil?”

Silence.

He waited a moment longer before quietly opening the door and peering in.

His eyes widened.

His brother’s cabin was draped in paper. Sketches and drawings lay all over the bed and the floor. There were humpback whales everywhere.

Virgil lay curled up on the bedcovers, asleep, still fully dressed in his linen shirt and shorts,  fingers still wrapped around his pencil, sketchbook still in hand.

Gordon opened the door enough to let himself slide into the room. He had to reach down and pick up paper from the floor so he didn’t step on it. They were hurried sketches, far from his brother’s finished pieces of the day before. The pencil marks were aggravated, stabbed into the paper, the shading scribbled. On one sheet a net appeared with the whale and there was an actual hole in the page. Some pages were torn and crumpled.

God, Virg.

He closed the door behind him quietly and, picking up paper, made his way to the bed and sat on the end. The pages closer to his brother slipped into abstract shapes, words carved into the paper, none of them nice.

Ironically, looking at the drawings, Gordon could see a reflection of how he felt. There was beauty in those moments with the whales, but they were scarred and tormented by the injustice and the pain inflicted on the pair. Gordon had been there, seen it first-hand.

Virgil hadn’t been beside him, but perhaps he had been there another way.

The sound of his brother’s voice in the water...

“Virg?”

He didn’t expect him to wake easily, Virgil never did. So the brown eyes that flicked open almost immediately, surprised him.

“Gordon.” It was a hoarse rasp.

What to say next? Asking if he was okay would just be stupid.

Virgil was staring at him.

“John got the bastards.”

He got a grunt for that, the brown gaze looking away enough to see the paper all over the cabin. His brother let out a resigned sigh. “Scott send you?”

“No.” But it was an obvious lie.

Virgil threw the sketchbook aside and pushed himself upright, his legs falling off the side of the bed, feet hitting the floor. Gordon resisted the urge to help. It wouldn’t be appreciated.

“Then why are you sitting on the end of my bed?”

“Can’t I check in on you myself?”

Virgil eyed him and Gordon knew he had an inroad. Activate the elder smother brother, get him concerned about a younger brother and he would be less likely to see the concern coming from the opposite direction.

“You okay?” And yes, those eyes were combing him for injury.

“I’m fine.” Okay, so he wasn’t great at lying right at this very moment. But then this was Virgil, he didn’t have a hope at hiding something like this from his brother’s radar on his best days.

Today was far from best.

He held up a page with both mother and daughter drawn onto it. “They are beautiful, aren’t they?”

Virgil blinked, some unidentified emotion flickering across his face. “Yes, they are.”

“It was pretty amazing down there.”

“You did an amazing job, Gordon.”

He looked down at the page. “Heh, you did your own bit of amazing. Mel is going to be fascinated. You spoke to a whale.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“You said enough to get a response.”

“I had no idea what I was doing.”

“You did something and it worked.”

“I-“ Virgil cut himself off and swallowed.

“Perhaps...” Gordon was hesitant. “When you are better, do you think you might like to try again?”

His brother’s eyes widened. “To speak to a whale?”

Gordon shrugged, “Speak? Sing? Communicate on some level?”

“I didn’t speak to her.”

“Virg-“

“She spoke to me.”

-o-o-o-

Virgil stared at his fish brother as his eyes widened. “She spoke to you?”

He sighed, let his shoulders drop and rubbed a hand over his face. How did he explain how the mother’s voice had gotten into his bones, how it had felt? It wasn’t words, it was just...pain. Pain and anguish that he had done his best to answer, to do what he always did, try to help.

He could still feel that vibration, that infrasound. It did something to him. He had spent the hours since trying to express what he felt. It had been such an experience, and in a way, Gordon was right, he had communicated with the whales. But it wasn’t on a conscious level, it was just emotion and he felt inadequate as his response was so strong but so biased human. He had no reference but himself and it was all he could share.

And it wasn’t enough.

Gordon’s hand wrapped around his arm and he jumped. “Hey, it was a rescue. Whale encounters don’t have to be like that. When you’re better, we can go visit some humpback whales. Maybe we can introduce ourselves, get to know a particular family, build a relationship? We have Four and the technology. I can speak to Mel, get a special permit. Just you, me and the sea. What do you say?”

Gordon’s expression was so honest, so raw, so his caring fish brother, how could he deny him? “Okay.”

The grin that spread across Gordon’s face was worth the admission. “Okay. We can do it. Fit it between missions. Take it slowly. Mel’s gonna want to be in on this in some way. Maybe we can use her to help convince Scott. Use the eco-angle.”

And Gordon drifted off into planning, his eager muttering, dragging a small smile from Virgil.

A rush of fondness and he grabbed his little brother in a hug.

“Woah, Virg! I’m breakable!”

That only had him smiling more. A kiss in blond hair as Gordon struggled and he let him go. The eyes looking up at him were a little wild and wary. “Wow. No hugging whales for you, you might break one.”

Virgil just grinned. God, Gordon knew how to brighten the darkest of moments.

“Now, onto more important matters.” Gordon held up a pile of paper. “How many dishes do I need to wash to get to own one of your whale drawings?”

Virgil frowned. “We have a dishwasher, Gordon.”

His little brother grinned. “I know.”

-o-o-o-

Eventually, Gordon dragged Virgil out of his cabin and to lunch. There were concerned expressions from Scott and John, even Alan had a frown on his face. But a pointed glare on Gordon’s part and no-one questioned either of them.

The events of the day had drained them all, so it was decided that they would head for Raoul Island and break their voyage there before tackling the final stretch home the next day.

Gordon was quite happy about this. He had planned to drop in on Mel along the way anyway, but this gave them extra time to visit, maybe stretch their legs a little. Raoul was much larger than Tracy Island and any of the other of the Kermadecs. It was also an active volcano that twitched from time to time, IR having to fish the entire scientific compliment off the island for that exact reason more than once.

Before International Rescue existed, people had died on Raoul due to unexpected eruptions. IR could be there in minutes and it had been before.

So relief was the first emotion felt by Gordon on the bridge of his ship when Raoul appeared on his scanners. When her forested peaks finally crawled over the horizon he was quite surprised at the longing he felt for the Island. Sure, he hadn’t seen Mel for ages, but really?

The emotion was there, however, and as they approached and he piloted around the great volcano to the north shore, memories of visiting with his father all those years ago explained exactly why he was feeling the way he was.

A sigh. It had been a long day. He was obviously tired and a little maudlin.

“Hey, Mel. Ima knockin’ on your front door.”

A snort answered him over comms. “I can see you, Fish. You did go billionaire for this trip, dinya.”

“Only the best for my convalescing brother. Wouldn’t have done him any good to bounce him all the way home with those holes in him, would it?”

“Excuses, excuses, Thunderfish. Don’t you dare think I don’t have access to the specs on that beauty. The speed that girl can attain is definitely Thunderfish territory.”

It was Gordon’s turn to snort. “Like you would turn down an opportunity for a decent boat.”

“I have a decent boat, thank you.”

“Yeah, one I sourced and bought you after I saw that piece of crap the DOC had you relying on.”

“Not all of us are billionaires, Fish.”

“Yeah, well, I am and I choose to exercise it when necessary.” And it came out a little more strident than he had intended.

“Hey, Fish, take a breath. You okay?”

Great. Now he had Mel asking that question and he hadn’t even set foot on the Island yet. “I’m good. Stressful day.”

“Yes, but I am glad you were out there.”

“So am I.” The comms fell quiet a moment. “Meet you on the beach?”

“I’ll be there. Make sure you and your brothers are clean. I want no bugs, no seeds and no life other than Tracys coming in with you. You got that?”

He rolled his eyes. “We know the drill, Mel.”

“Yeah, well, if you had to fend off tourists on a regular basis, you’d be repeating yourself at all times. The last lot tried to bring a pair of cats onto the Island.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. Bloody idiots swore at me when I rejected their request to land. Said their pets deserved some time off the boat. Ended up having to call the local WASP in to escort them out of the Sanctuary.”

“I bet Brandy was happy about that.” Having spoken to the woman earlier in the day and found her as curt as usual, he had no doubt a request like that coming from Raoul would have set her off nicely.

“Oh, she was professional. Coulda cooked my breakfast on the heat coming off her comm signal though. For a bit there I wondered if the tourists were going to survive the encounter. I doubt I will see them again.”

“You can always hope.”

Another snort. “Okay, Thunderfish, secure your vessel, clean your shoes and I’ll see you on the beach. Don’t forget to bring that gorgeous convalescing brother of yours.”

“Be nice.”

Her only answer was a laugh. “Raoul out.”

-o-o-o-

To say Scott was itching to get off the boat would be to grossly understate the state of his mind. Gordon was efficient in securing the yacht. He had no wish to find her run-aground in the morning, and Scott understood that perfectly. But it was frustrating to have to go over every piece of equipment to make sure no bugs had hitched a ride. He knew the reasons and agreed with them, but he just wanted off the boat!

Both Virgil and Gordon were quieter than usual and it worried him. Virgil insisted on packing his overnight bag no matter what Scott did to offer to help. He was moving slowly and Scott ended up leaving him to it before his frustration spilled all over his brother.

His own bag was packed and ready before the Island even appeared on the horizon.

Okay, so boats were not his thing, but it was only three days. Well, four now. He never thought he would be climbing the walls this badly.

The sight of all that land was just...exciting!

Alan thought it was hilarious.

“You might want to calm down there, bro. You’re gonna break something.”

He glared at his littlest brother lounging on the lounge with his gaming console.

Alan snorted and shot him a smart ass grin.

Little shit. “How goes the game?”

“Quite well, thank you. Just beat John to the next solar system and it is one with some serious resources. Now I have all I need for my intergalactic jump. He can eat my space dust.” His words were punctuated with some serious stabbing of the gaming console.

Scott arched an eyebrow. “You might want to keep an eye on him. You know what John is like in these things.”

“No, no, I’ve got him. It is all under control.” Alan was grinning.

The grin vanished a moment later as his console screeched at him. “What the-? A mine? He seeded it with mines?!” The console screeched again. Alan’s expression became tragic. “John, you asshole!”

From the other side of the boat. “Language, Alan!”

“I’ll give you language! That was my solar system!”

“Finders keepers.”

Alan shot to his feet and yelled the length of the boat storming off in the direction of his middle brother. His language went further south the closer he got to John.

Scott rolled his eyes. Alan never did learn. Both brothers were geniuses in their own way, but Alan just wasn’t quite as devious as John. John definitely embodied the theory that it was the quiet ones you had to keep an eye on.

-o-o-o-

Scott finally got off the boat half an hour later. All five brothers climbed into the inflatable with all their luggage. It was a squeeze and since Alan was still shooting daggers at John with his eyes, at times it was an uncomfortable ride.

“C’mon, Alan, it’s just a game.” Virgil’s calming baritone was tired. “Not worth the effort.”

“Just because its reality is virtual doesn’t make it any less important. Anyone with an AI daughter should know that.”

John groaned. “It was all in fun. Who thought you would be such a sore loser.”

“Loser?! I haven’t lost yet. Don’t count your space chickens before they’re hatched, Johnny.”

His astronaut brother only rolled his eyes.

Scott turned to Alan. “Space chickens? Really?”

“Well, he needed something to count other than mines.” And the glare was back.

“If you two don’t stop arguing I will join that game and obliterate both of you.” That got Virgil a pair of astronauts staring at him. Scott was staring himself.

It was almost a stunned silence only punctuated by the inflatable engine and the water it was pushing through.

“You?” How Alan got enough scoff into that one word was a feat in itself.

Virgil straightened where he sat, arm wrapped around his middle. “Yeah, me. What? You don’t think I could kick your butt in a video game?”

John’s voice was calm as always. “You haven’t played a video game in years, Virgil. Things have changed since we were kids.”

“Yeah, Pong is long gone.” Alan was grinning.

“Ha, ha. This morning you were both arguing over who I should help.”

“Yes, but that wouldn’t have been actual play. I was asking you to help me design engines. That is your wheelhouse, isn’t it?”

Scott couldn’t believe he was hearing this. “Hey, guys. I wouldn’t underestimate him.” In the field, Scott was the Commander of International Rescue, but he would be the first to admit that Virgil was essential to that command. The fact both his space brothers obviously weren’t considering that at all was concerning.

“Well, he’s obviously underestimating us. Go ahead, Virgil, it will be fun.”

“Yes, fun to watch Alan get beaten by both of us.” John’s grin was pure evil.

While Alan spluttered, Virgil smirked and Scott found a smile on his own face at the sight of his brother’s spirits lifting just a little.

“Okay, World of Warcraft, put your swords down, we’re about to dock.” Gordon throttled down the boat’s engine.

The word ‘dock’ may as well have been replaced with the word ‘rock’ because this landing was no easier than the one on Macauley. It did, however, have the advantage of Melissa Fisher standing on those rocks.

Slim, blonde and no nonsense, she caught the rope Scott threw her and tied it securely.

“Kia ora, Thunderfish.”

Gordon was off the boat and hugging the woman. “God, Mel, it is great to see you.”

“And you brought your brothers.” She said it as if it was a surprise, which they all knew it wasn’t. “Alan, I haven’t seen you since you were this high.” She held a hand to her waist.

Gordon snorted. “So last week, huh?”

Alan glared at his brother as he climbed out of the boat. “Hey, Mel. Yeah, it’s been a while.” He held out his hand and she took it in both of hers.

“Well, it is great to see you now.” She turned back to the remaining three brothers still in the boat bouncing on the waves. “Commander.” She nodded at Scott. “Hey, Spaceman.” John grinned at her. “I hear you took ill, Virgil. Sorry to hear that.”

Virgil lifted up a hand and waved briefly. “I’m good.”

Regardless, it took both John and Scott to get their brother off the boat and onto the rock and there wasn’t a shortage of winces in the process either.

Melissa stood in front of Virgil once he got his feet under him, a brother still either side, and looked him up and down. “You’re taking the skyrail up to the lodge. No way in hell are you climbing the hill in that condition.”

Scott rolled his eyes as his brother tried to protest. A gentle clap up the back of the head brought his denial to a sudden halt. “Hey!”

An arched eyebrow was enough to fend off his glare.

Alan and Gordon hauled their luggage out of the boat. The moment the boat was empty, they lugged the boat out of the water and trundled it across the rocks to a spot far above the high tide mark and secured it. Scott and John helped Virgil across the rocks towards the conveyor system that enabled luggage to be transported up the hill.

“You want me to ride a flying fox?” Virgil was staring at it in horror.

“It’s not a flying fox. Dad designed and built it to carry people when necessary. It is more a skyrail. Related to your chute, actually.” Though admittedly it didn’t look it.

“My chute?”

“Uh-huh. Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“They must have taken it out with my appendix.”

“Well, you’re not climbing that hill. So Raoul Skyrail it is.”

Scott had to admit the expression on his brother’s face as they secured him in what amounted to a laidback zipline harness was quite amusing. There were some alterations made to avoid his brother’s incisions and Scott refused to let him go until he was sure he was comfortable and nothing was pulling on stitches, but it was definitely smile worthy to set him on his way.

Gordon took video.

The skyrail trundled Virgil up the hill at a gentle pace while the rest of them had to climb the hill themselves.

Didn’t stop Virgil glaring at them through gaps in the trees as he passed them.

“It is good to see you here, Commander.” Melissa showed no sign of exertion as they climbed the hill. “It gives me a chance to thank you in person for all the resources and assistance both International Rescue and Tracy Industries have supplied us with over the years. Not to mention the loan of your brothers from time to time.”

Scott smiled. “It’s our pleasure. You’re doing good here. It is our honour to be a part of it.”

She barely came up to his shoulder, so she had to look up at him. “Well, thank you anyway. Our job would be so much harder if it wasn’t for you. Hell, some of us would likely be dead. I just wanted you to know that it is very appreciated, Commander.”

His smiled widened. “It’s Scott, and you are most welcome.”

-o-o-o-

Virgil felt like an idiot.

Sure, it was a harness, big deal. But it was a harness that had him dangling several feet off the ground with no way to get down.

He was stuck.

And looked stupid.

It took ages for his brothers to catch up and the laughter on the part of the two youngest deserved some serious retaliation. “Just get me down from here.”

Even Scott had a smirk on his face. Melissa was all apologies. There were only three other people on the island at the moment and two of them were on the far side of it. And, okay, she had forgotten to ask Sam to come help.

“Sam’s here?” Gordon was all excitement like some damn puppy.

“Yes, Gordon. Sam is here, but you need to behave.”

“Hey, that joke was a once off. I just want to talk cetaceans with him.”

“And he definitely wants to talk to you about today. He nearly set off the volcano with his ranting earlier.”

“That is no surprise. Wouldn’t mind setting off a couple myself.”

“Guys? Please?” He was still dangling and this was ridiculous.

“Ooh, sorry, Virg.” The smirks on all his brothers’ faces as they helped him down were annoying. Even more so when both Scott and John walked into the compound either side of him, ready to shoot out a hand if he stumbled.

“For goodness sake, I’m fine.”

They ignored him.

Sam turned out to be a mirror image of Gordon except for the red hair, extensive freckling and a missing right foot. Dressed in a Hawaiian shirt loud enough to put Gordon’s colour scheme to shame, the man was wearing hot pink board shorts which left the mechanical portion of his lower right limb very obvious.

“Bitten off by a shark.”

“Excuse me?” Scott was frowning.

“That was the answer to the question on your face.” He frowned. “Gordo?”

Gordon grinned and stepping forward pulled the man into a hug. “Hey, Sam.” There was some mutual back slapping and they separated, holding each other at arm’s length.

“How are you? Have you gotten shorter?” Sam’s grin was infectious.

“No, but you’ve just lied to the Commander of International Rescue and the Chairman of Tracy Industries.”

The surfer’s eyes widened. “I wha-?”

Gordon stepped back and waved a hand in Scott’s direction. “May I introduce my eldest brother, Scott Tracy.”

Sam’s eyes nearly fell out of his head. “Oh my god. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. It was a motorcycle accident. It’s just that it sounds so much cooler when a shark is involved considering my occupation and it’s a habit and I’m sorry, please don’t fire me!”

“Gordon, what the hell?” Exasperation was the only word for Scott’s tone.

It took another ten minutes to get Sam to stop apologising. Gordon got clapped up the back of his head for his trouble and the rest of them were eventually introduced. Sam’s eyes stayed wide for the entire time. “Gordo, I knew you were a Tracy, but this is amazing. This is International Rescue.”

“Uh, Sam, I am International Rescue.”

“Yeah, but you’re just you. This is THEM.”

Virgil had to grin at the outrage on Gordon’s face. Served him right.

-o-o-o-

End Day Three, Part Three

Day Three, Part Four

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderbirds fanfiction #Virgil Tracy #Gordon Tracy #Scott Tracy #John Tracy #Alan Tracy

[1358456]

Review Response, Dec 29 2019 - Jan 4 2020

A lot of stuff here. ... Yay!!

Legacy #009

1) Omg the confession chapter! Loved this chapter to bits! Also happy 2020!

Yes! The confession has finally happened! Hell, it’s about time. Happy 2020, the year of the rat 庚子年!

2) Lol sun being A scared shit and A sweet confession. Looking forward to the next chapter

Sun being terrified... heh. It’s what Black would be in that situation. Sun? ... Who knows. The next chapter might happen soon, depends on how this chapter went!

3) Hehe, it really did work out for the best for Blue. Makes perfect sense to give Platinum the LuckyShipping confession MVP award now. Her little chat with Red was probably the best scene in this chapter for me.

Nice to see a fluffy chapter before the action kicks in again. Poor Yellow, though - she's going to be suffering for a bit...though it would be nice to see if/how Yellow gets over it. And I wonder what the "calling" thing is about. I suspect her target is a Mimikyu, but is this more Moon's instinct saying that a potential new team member is nearby or maybe there's some psychic stuff going on here?

Anyway, it's nice to see this story finally getting so many reviews! Happy New Year! As always, can't wait for the next chapter!

Hehe. Platinum the MVP, even though she really didn’t want to interfere in the matter. ... And no one’s going to be giving thanks to White or Y. Hahaha.

Poor Yellow? Not yet. It’s too soon. And no, the target is not a Mimikyu. Sun already has one. And you know from the overhaul post that Moon does not get a Mimikyu. Moon gets a Banette. And in the Thrifty Megamart, there are wild Shuppets. Fun fact: I do research to see what Pokemon are in what area so the Dex Holders will run into a Pokemon that makes sense in that area. Psychic stuff? Nah. Ghost stuff.

And Happy New Year to you too!

4) AAAAAAH THEY DID IT OH MY GOD THE FLUFF IS REAL

The fluff is real and it’s going to get fluffier. It’s going to be so fluffy that Yellow suffocates and Red and Blue get a bad case of static shock. ... Wait, what?

5) They’ve finally done it and platinum once again proving to be of help to both red and blue in getting the together. Your slowly making platinum one of my personal new favourites from these and I fine with that. It’s a really sweet chapter. Anyways Happy new years!

Platinum’s so nice. Hehehe... She’s a wonderful character! ... Yeah, yeah. Bias. Happy New Year!

6) I love the interactions between White and Y - they honestly seem really close and it’s really nice to see! I love the chapter I hope you had a good New Year’s Eve and Christmas and thank you for the new chapter!

I like the interactions between White and Y too, which is why I put in a lot of them. And they’re not exactly a senior/junior type, but rather, good friend type. Hence Y’s line of “oh eat my ass” in the last chapter.

7) Loved iT! Looking forward to the next chapter

Thank you. More to come soon...ish?

8) So excited to see if moon hits the Pokemon. Loved this chapter and white with the rapidash was great

Hehe. Of course Moon would hit it. White failing miserably in riding Rapidash, just like in that one SC chapter (SC #007: Memory Lane).

9) I'm glad Blue managed to confess her feelings for Red after struggling so hard with them. Crushes are really stressful, and in her case in particular, with her fear of getting close to and hurting others- just ah. The secret's out, and Red reciprocates. Now at least they'll have this moment of happiness! ...Though poor Yellow has rather unfortunate timing.

Is Moon being called to by a Mimikyu, I wonder? That'd be a strong and cool addition to her party!

Only happiness awaits for Red and Blue! ... Until the plot hits them, as foretold. Yellow’s purpose in the story is now halfway over.

And no, Moon is not being called by a Mimikyu.

10) Awwwww that was really cute! Hope we get more fluff next chapter!

Oh, there will. Flufftacular chapters are inbound.

11) Looking forward to the next chapter!

Thank you.

12) Hey again, hope your New Years went well! Glad to see an update to this story. Regarding the latest chapter, I'm pretty mixed - but not in a bad way.

The first half was pretty enjoyable to read. Honestly, Red does seem like he's become the person to think things over a bit before diving in from what I saw in FRLG and him asking Platinum what was up with Blue was enjoyable. Red also deciding to take the leap and press the issue to not prolong Blue's suffering was pretty fun to read too. I half expected Blue to go on a rant about why she likes Red to him, she seems like the kind of person to justify everything (since you've shown her thoughts and rationale about why she "musn't" let Red she likes him in earlier chapters) but I guess it wasn't needed or maybe she'll do it when she's a bit calmer. I'd like to see Red react to him unknowingly saving her back in Chapter 1. Also, I've said it before - I used to like Red and Yellow, but this kinda does cement why I like Red and Blue - I kinda got a kick out of Yellow spying on the two of them, felt somewhat ironic.

I might be the only one but I kinda just gloss over the Sun and Moon parts of the story. I still read them, but I just feel more invested in the older Dex Holders' adventures since they're more emotional and I'm way more attached to those guys.

Regardless of my personal bias, great chapter. Looking forward to more as always.

Red is reckless when it comes to like... battling and combat. But outside of that, he’s not stupidly reckless. And hopefully, given how old he is in Legacy, he would’ve mellowed even more. And so he is now considerate. Huzzah! Blue will go on a ramble and talk about her fears later on once things have settled. Right now, she would be quite exhausted, actually. And then she and Red can have that discussion that was in Destiny, but in Legacy with updated interactions and no doomsday on the horizon. Getting a kick out of Yellow getting heartbroken, huh? Hahaha. ... More to come later.

Eh, it’s not that surprising. After all, statistically, the newest Dex Holders are generally ignored by the readers. Black and White in SA, X and Y in early Destiny, and now Sun and Moon in early (still) Legacy. Now, Sun and Moon aren’t that new anymore, so they’re not being as ignored, but they’re still the newest (since we don’t know sh*t about Sword and Shield yet), so... yeah.

13) Loved this blue being shy is so unexpected aswell!

Timid Blue is unexpectedly cute, eh? Hehehe...

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Surprised that no one talked about the title. I guess f*ck Heart, right? Heh.

So, good news is... the newest chapter is above 10. So... update will happen in this month. “Bad” news is... the update fails to reach the average. But given how the average was raised, the updated chapter is still above most of the others, and it’s been less than a week, so... update will still happen this month, just not this week or the next. Give me some time off, eh?

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DE #003

1) These two cinnamon rolls are so cute!

Yep. Black and White are stupidly cute together, whether they’re surrounded by fluff or blood.

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DE #013

1) Cute Ruby and White.

Surprisingly cute, huh? Same goes for Sapphire & Black!

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DE #020

1) Red and Blue (female) are so cute!

Yep! That they are! Hehehe.

2) So cute

Yes indeed.

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DE #021

1) Just give her a ring and kiss her already. Geez these two are so cute.

Hehe. Short Story - The Question. Pop the ring!

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DE #028

1) Cute,l!

Well, I guess this chapter was cute. Its prequel, however... hehe...

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DE #031

1) Good stuff. Will take a long while for Sun and Moon to even be this intimate tho. What with all the fighting.

I don’t think Sun and Moon can ever actually be that intimate. For one, Moon will have to surgically remove that coin lodged in his brain, and someone will have to shove a classy romance novel into his face over and over until he learns the concept of flirting and proper responses.

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There’s no need to see the DE chart, so...

SC #015

1) Coming back to this chapter after knowing what Red's up to makes their job occupations work very, very well together. Blue provides the advanced technology, Red carries out the "fieldwork". Both manage to work unique occupations during the day and still spend a wholesome time together when they're back home. Loving their dynamic!

Oddly, the Covert Ops series, whose idea I scrapped, has come back in a very weird fashion. Instead of Blue doing the fieldwork (or Rakutsu), she’s just providing the tech to Red. Interesting.

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SC #017

1) *Mission Impossible theme plays with the sound of jingle bells and terrified shrieks of thugs in the background*

Merry (late!) Christmas to the unfortunate baddies of the world who Dex Holders deliver justice to. Can't say I ever expected Red to become a hitman, let alone dress up as Santa Claus and deal out punishment to evildoers. Sure was a hilarious read, however!

“Santa Claus is gunning you down~” Ahem.

Red the mercenary. And coincidentally, the chapter is based on a Hitman Santa rampage that I used to do back in the days. “Santa’s coming to town!”

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I appreciate what you did, but... +1/+1 doesn’t actually do much. Like, SC #015 is now no longer the least reviewed chapter, but instead, TIED at the least reviewed chapter, along with the Wings update from many months ago. The two chapters you put the pity reviews for, are still not even at half of the story’s average. +4/+4 from now, and then maybe we’ll see.

#qna

[reefertilizer-blog]

Much has happened since we finished the upgrades to the bucket while the Green Crack from Crop King Seeds was still in veg. I decided to go on a long needed vacation and left town for a month. With a bit a trepidation I left the plant and bucket in the care of a good friend. When I returned, the plant was ready to harvest!

This particular plant had a few rough patches but she came through rather well.

There was a little overfertilizing during flower because of a badly measured dose. This caused the tips of the leaves to burn and turn grey. We had to flush the plant for a week to remove excess nutrients. You can learn how easy it to fix overfertilized cannabis on this post.

At one point the plant needed to be moved to a friends house. Unfortunately, it was moved in the middle of a Canadian winter. The outside temperature was below 20 and the plant was stressed during the move. This caused many leaves to turn purple and never revert back to green. ?

Despite these fallbacks that would definitely lower the total possible yield, the plant kept chugging along. Cannabis is so resilient, that’s one thing I love about growing it.

The green crack seed started germinating on Dec 11th, 2018 and we harvested on April 7th, 2019. That’s 117 days or almost 4 months. This length of time isn’t bad for a photoperiod plant like this one. Green crack is known to have a flowering period between 6-9 weeks. This plant was in flower for 9.

Did you miss the post where we built the SpaceBucket? You can find it right here.

When to Harvest

Figuring out the right time to harvest can be a little tricky by eye. The best indicator of bud maturity is the colour of the trichomes. These stalks have a ball on top that will change from clear to cloudy, and then to amber. Clear trichomes mean the plant is immature and low potency. Cloudy means the bud has reached full potency. Once the trichomes turn amber, it means they are overripe and start losing potency.

When to harvest exactly is up to a growers taste and the speed the plant is maturing. In most cases, you’ll want to harvest when the majority of the plant has cloudy trichomes or when 80% of the hairs (pistils) have changed to a darker colour.

Flushing

Typically you want to flush a week or two before harvest when growing in soil. Sometimes it can be tricky figuring out exactly when this will be. As stated before you want the trichomes to be cloudy when you cut down the plant. You will need to make an educated guess on when to start flushing based on how fast the plant is maturing.

What flushing does is remove any excess nutrients and salts from the soil. This gives the plant time to metabolize nutrients while stopping it from absorbing any more.

If you flush too long the plant will start showing signs of nutrient deficiencies, and your buds will begin to yellow.

There’s a lot of debate about when to flush and for how long. Growers agree that flushing improves the smoothness of the smoke.

Clip & Trim

This plant was was very easy to harvest because of the low-stress training and pruning that was done during veg and flower. There were 9 main colas, there would have been 10, but I accidentally snapped a branch early on.

To harvest your buds, cut the stem a few inches from the bottom of the bud. At this point, you can choose to hang them to dry or give them a trim.

By using a small sharp pair of clippers you will remove anything that isn’t bud. You’ll want to wear some nitrile gloves or something because these fresh buds will make your hands really sticky. Remove as many leaves as possible. Leaves have little THC and are full of chlorophyll which is very harsh to smoke. You can save these clipping to make hash if you want.

When you trim your cannabis your final product will look beautiful and well manicured. Trimming is for the sake of vanity really, trimmed buds simply look impressive when stored in a stash jar.

If you plan on pressing your buds or turning them into an oil or some other infusion, trimming might not be necessary.

These pruning scissors are the best for trimming. Order yours here.

Hang to Dry

Once your trim is done, you must find a safe place to hang them to dry. With this small harvest, we used a closet and tied up a few lines of string. We have a cannabis drying rack available through our store which can be quite handy for larger harvests.

Space your buds out evenly on the strings. Leave them for about a week until they have dried sufficiently. Slow and low is the key to drying cannabis properly.

Don’t try and rush the drying process by increasing the heat or using a dehumidifier. Doing so will greatly reduce the quality of your buds when it comes to flavor and harshness. Terpenes are the essential oils that give cannabis buds their flavour profile. These terpenes are volatile and will evaporate or be damaged when the temperature gets higher than 25 degrees Celcius. The drying process also gives the buds time to breakdown carbohydrates and chlorophyll. If the bud is dried too quickly, these compounds will remain and make for a harsher smoke.

Your drying room should have a relative humidity of 50% and a temperature around 20 degrees Celcius. The drying area should also be completely dark to avoid light damage.

Buds have completed the drying process when the stems have become just brittle enough that they snap when you try to bend them.

These dry buds should then be kept in an airtight container like a mason jar to begin the curing process.

Thoughts on this grow

When the bucket was running everything at once (lights, fans, and humidifier), it was drawing just over 600watts on average. I think half of that came from the humidifier.

I really liked this spacebucket setup! It was easy to move around and transport. It seems like an easy way to grow one plant in a very small amount of space. This particular bucket didn’t have a lot of vertical space, so training the plant was necessary. If you wanted to increase the vertical height of the spacebucket you can simply use another bucket as a spacer.

The yield ended up being about 190g wet weight. Drying should reduce the weight by around 50% and I should be left with close to 3 and a half ounces. Not that bad considering the size of the plant.

Once I added the humidifier, carbon filter, and controller the total cost was around $400. It would cost almost the same as a small tent set up with the same capabilities. So I guess if you have the room a tent might be a better option. On the other hand, if you have little extra space and need to transport your plant, the bucket is an awesome solution.

  It was a fun experiment and next time I’d like to try it with and autoflower plant.

Thanks again for following along with this grow, there will be more in the future so make sure you’re following Reefertilizer on social media. If you liked this article and found it helpful, please share it with anyone who might find it useful.

  Cheers,

Mike Drouin

The post Space Bucket Update – Cannabis Harvest Time appeared first on Reefertilizer.

#cannabis #grow weed #cannabis nutrients #grow good weed

[lornehanks]

My podcasts of 2020

I listen to a lot of podcasts, so here are some of my favourites of the last year. WTF with Marc Maron I'm a long-time listener, but this has been a hell of year with Marc. At first the pandemic seemed like a challenge for someone who's focussed on long format face-to-face interviews in his garage. But he quickly embraced videoconferencing and it unlocked a whole new level of interviews for him. And then of course his partner, filmmaker Lynn Shelton, passed away in May, and the podcast became part of a fairly open grieving process. One thing about Maron is he has never missed a show. The Monday after Lynn died, I would absolutely have understood if he did not put up an episode, or at least did a re-run. But there he was, and it was very raw and there was a real sense that his one-way relationship with his listeners matters to him. Saved episodes: Barry Sonnenfeld (April 23rd) and Barry Levinson (Sept. 24th). Thew two Barrys kind of cover most of the important films of the last 30 years between them, and their talks with Marc are just the best. You Must Remember This In May, Karina Longworth's well-produced long-running deep dive into Hollywood history received the back-handed compliment of inclusion on 10 Podcasts to Help You Fall Asleep . And I'd be lying if I said I'd never drifted off to the sound of Ms. Longworth's soothing voice telling me about hottible things Louis B. Mayer used to do. But it's still one of the best. Saved Episodes: "Polly Platt: The Forgotten Woman" (May 25th to July 27th). Do not sleep through this 10-part mini-series on an under-appreciated film-maker who never got a director's credit and often didn't get her due. From her early days as wife and collaborator of Peter Bogdanovich to later work with James L. Brooks, Cameron Crowe and Wes Anderson, it's an incredible saga with a lot to say about Hollywood and sexism. Suffice to say she may have started "The Simpsons", but somehow did not die a billionaire. Team Deakins When we look back on The Year of Our Pandemic, one of the best things about it might be the fact that one of the greatest living cinematographers was stuck at home with a lot of time on his hands so he started a podcast. Coen Brothers collaborator Roger Deakins opened up his rolodex and, with his wife and production parther James Deakins, put on one hell of a podcast which may prove to be the first film school for the next generation of film-makers. You will probably learn a lot more than you want or need to about making movies. I haven't kept up with them as they've made more than 75 episodes since April, but they are always great taolks with people who are very passionate about movies. Saved episodes: Joel Coen (August 2, 2020). This is the episode where I came in because THIS NEVER HAPPENS. The Coens don't really talk to anyone about their work, but here it is. Also Sam Mendes (June 14th) and Denis Villeneuve (July 8th). Oh, Hello: the P'dcast For 8 crazy weeks this spring, Nick Kroll and John Mulaney revisited their gormless and barely loveable elderly alter-egos from their Broadway show and Netflix special. Only it's a podcast, about them clumsily trying to find some connection to the death of Princess Diana. Saved episodes: None. You have to hear this once, but these are intentionally abrasive characters. You are not going to want to revisit them. The Marx Brothers Council Podcast I might be all alone on this one. This is a podcast that grew out of a Facebook Group for fans of The Marx Brothers. I like The Marx Brothers, but honestly I can't say I'm a fan. Their movies have not aged as well as you might hope. And the Facebook Group, which I joined, contains a lot of people who REALLY love the Marx Brothers, and few really cranky people who do not appreciate things that are not the Marx Brothers (or more precisely, the particular Marx Brothers movies that they like). I haven't checked today, but I think I may have been banned from the group for saying I liked Mank. Anyway, what I do like is this podcast. It's hosted by British film historian Matthew Coniam, New York actor and Groucho re-enactor Noah Diamond, and non-author/actor Bob Gassel of Chicago. It's just a great hang-out podcast because they love the subject matter so much they can sometimes get to hate it a bit. Saved Episodes: "You'll Duck Soup the Rest of Your Life" (March 28th) and "Send Out the Clowns" (June 24th). I guess nothing can capture my affection for this podcast more than listening to 3 smart and funny people share widely diverging opinions about two films that are generally considered to be either either the best or the worst of the ouevre. The Watch I've been watching a lot of TV and movies this year, but it's been hard to talk to anybody about a lot of it. So I really look forward to Mondays and Thursdays when Chris Ryan of The Ringer and writer/producer Andy Greenwald show up to dish about what they've been watching. There's a little inside-baseball entertainment industry gossip and a lot of talk about shows they really enjoy. I don't agree with them about everything, but they have put me onto some of the best TV I've seen this year, like Normal People and I May Destroy You. Saved Episode: "The Rise of Skywalker - A Shocking Disappointment" (Dec. 23, 2019). While technically not a 2020 podcast, you really need to hear this. Chris and Andy attended the red carpet premiere of the last Star Wars movie (and hated it), but they sat next to Kevin Smith (who loved it). Their talk about what went wrong with this movie is better than the movie. Star Wars Nerds Speaking of Star Wars, here's the only Winnipeg podcast on my list, which I almost exclusively listen to in the car with my 12-year-old son in the Wal-Mart parking lot while my wife is shopping. RRC Cre-Comm instructors Dan Vadeboncoeur and Kenton Larson don't put out the most consistent podcast, and they devote a bit too much running time to trying to remember things or looking things up on their phones. But my son is a big fan, though he thinks they swear too much. I guess if you have as many million listeners as the Star Wars Nerds, you don't need to worry about whether kids will want to listen to your podcast about kids' movies and TV shows. Saved Episode: "Tauntauns Are Real" (June 1st). I think this is one where they mention me by name because of something I tweeted at them. This was the only time my son was impressed with me last year. Honourable Mentions: -Blank Check -Dan Carlin's Hardcore History -How Did This Get Made -Reply All -Slate Spoiler Specials -Smartless -Someone Else's Movie -The Greatest Discovery -Travolta/Cage -Witchpolice Radio

#podcasts

[fumbliesthots]

2019 - Year in Review

Hello, tumblr journal, long time no see. While you were away I was having rendezvous with 2 other journals - Notion (for work thoughts) and my exercise book (for personal mundane reflections). But you probably already guessed it.

But you see, I always will come back to you because we made a pact to see each other at least twice a year, isn’t it? On June 19 and Dec 31.

So you would like to interview me about what I’ve been up to this year? Oh how kind! There are quite few people in this world is interested in little old me, hee.

1. What are your favourite memories this year?

Tele and phone calls from Jappu. Janchan and I have grown in our friendship this year surprisingly despite her being away for such a long time. I have learnt that long distance friendship is kinda fun (in fact when she was coming back home I was even a bit upset)!

Travelling with Jessi laoniang is always a treat. She is entertaining in her unassuming and authentic ways and I enjoy her cheerful company.

The monthly Kampung Sketching sessions. It’s really cool to see Lingsan overcome her fear of hosting events and now she is a pro. And to see people coming to the kampung for the first time and drawings of the kampung in so many different interesting angles.

2. What trips have you made this year and what were some highlights?

i) Prague work trip with Lulu and Claire - Snow sledding in the mountains, and going to a Czech police station to report a scam, hanging out with chor and gary after work.

ii) New Zealand with the family - Breathtaking mountain views, hiking in the rain in full gear, and skydiving over the glaciers.

iii) Beijing IXDC trip with Jess - The making of our fried chicken MV was so much fun! And eating 小龙虾，鸭脖 and beer at midnight at the hostel corridor.

iv) Boxmeer/Prague/Bruges - Business trip by myself for the first time was kinda liberating, and also getting to visit Eos in Brugge again.

v) BKK UX Savvy trip with the team - boring conference but awesome company. 5am clubbu gymmy and brekki with meowchan.

vi) JB with Lulu and Jan - making up silly animal stories, shiok Thai massage, being tickled at their new hair transformations, and interesting Grab/JB customs adventure to end it off.

3. What is the biggest change you noticed about yourself this year?

I noticed ever since taking on this role in Design Operations, I started to come out of my shell a bit more, wanting to take care of my colleagues and doing things to make sure they are happy at work. Despite being an introvert, I realised I enjoy socialising with people and making people feel comfortable. And i have also become a bit more assertive and confident in things that I believe are right to do.

4. What was the biggest challenge you had to face this year?

Politics at work busted my idealistic bubble. I was a bit upset when I heard stories of people fighting and competing with each other... just for promotion, raises and recognition. Isn’t it ridiculous? But perhaps to survive in the corporate world I have to just do my best and accept that this is normal but try not to get sucked into all the negativity.

Just stay on course, remember what you are here for - to help people solve their problems, and give it your all! Ego is the enemy.

I also learnt that sometimes my happy-go-lucky attitude doesn’t work well on everyone, and might even offend people who takes things very seriously. I need to be careful about that. But it is a tough habit to kick, because sometimes I can get slightly antsy when someone around me is in a bad mood and I don’t know why, and I would want to do something to neutralise that mood.

5. Read any good books?

Ever since I got Libby, I have been devouring new books every month, and I am learning so much! The most impactful to me this year is probably The Power Of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath. And the second one is also by the same author, Switch. These 2 books made me understand more about human psychology and how to motivate people to do things.

Other special mentions are Radical Candor (about how being brutally honest and caring personally is important) and Never Split The Difference (a book on negotiation). I learnt so much from these books that I even made nerdy ppt slides to share them with my friends, forcing them to sit through my presentations, heh. Poor things.

6. Any people you’d like to thank this year?

I can never thank my parents enough for all the things they provide me, so this top spot will always be saved for them. Although they always nag at me, and never emotionally expressive, the things they do for my siblings and I is really unconditional love.

As usual, my UX family whom I spend perhaps even more time than my actual family. This has been a year of experiments and emotional up and downs. But I feel we have learnt and grown a lot together as a team.

And all my friends. Who taught me so many things through their life stories and inspiring me to be better. Thanks to them, just a text, a call, or a meetup away, I am never lonely. (I sometimes do really wonder how that feels like!)

Ajahn Brahm. Hehe, this is a great monk that I have learnt a lot from and he probably has changed my life already. To be kindful, to be gentle, to be peaceful is to be happy.

7. What were some new things you tried this year?

5am club. Exercise regime. Brewing my own filter coffee. Getting more regular in short 15min sittings. Starting a work journal to reflect about things and people at work.

8. Name some of your favourite things of 2019

Ajahn Brahm’s dhamma talks - I always thought that I was a glass-half-full kind of girl but recently after getting hooked onto Ajahn Brahm’s stories on youtube, I became even more so. I also enjoyed repeating those stories to my friends, especially when I thought they could use some positivity to help them see their life difficulties from a different perspective. So much so that even my boss used one of the stories I told to tease me every time i made a very “evon” mistake. (Mmm... honey...)

Sodastream - I bought this for the family so that my brothers would stop buying unhealthy soft drinks. It worked! Mmm.. soda water.

Janchan’s morning challenges - thats how i started waking up early and getting productive in the mornings. But that girl does not follow through to her own challenges, tsk tsk.

Audrey’s life hack for bubble tea cup - use a silicone bag! I have amused many woobbee and each-a-cup aunties when i bring it to dabao my bubble tea.

9. What were your new year resolutions last year and how did you do?

Well well well. Let’s see.

1- Figure out how to be a leader: I am learning a lot just by observing the way boss does things. I hope he can be our leader in many years to come so I will always have the privilege to learn from him.

2 - Being more articulate and assertive: In some ways I realised I have subconsciously learned to do that in situations that requires me to do so. And the trick is just to do it with humble confidence.

3 - Plan more and be less slipshod about things: Hmm... as an operations lead I suppose I should feel guilty about not working on this more. But as I have learnt from a very wise monk, too much planning is futile sometimes, and may cause unnecessary stress on yourself and others, hehe. I kid. I will carry this rezzo forward to next year.

4 - Being more caring with my parents: Still working on it. And sometimes I will tend to fall into my old habits of silent avoidance, especially when they start nagging. But I think this year I have tried being more attentive to their needs, and talking more.

5 - Continue staying healthy: I think I’m doing pretty well in this, especially since starting to wake up super early. I have more time to workout physically with my simple exercise regime, as well as mentally through short meditation sittings and journal writing.

10. Rezzos for 2020 to start the year off of?

1 - Continue working on trying to care more for my parents, and take on more responsibilities regarding household stuff. Make them less worried that their kids can’t be independent without them.

2 - I want to try writing, and develop my own voice. As I learn more about leadership and being human, I thought should document this journey in someway so that perhaps it could help someone else one day on a similar path too.

3 - I’m surprised I didn’t mention anything about money in last year’s post. That is something I’ve always be clueless about. And today I made a ditch attempt to be more “adult” by getting a credit card, so that I can get more interests out of my bank... or something. Yeah, ok I will try to learn more about this finance thing in 2020!

4 - Find a new personal project that can give me a belly burning feeling, that is not work related. Ok la, maybe no need belly burn, just a mild tingle also can. Something that I would be excited to work on for at least a couple of months.

5 - What’s that thing about being less slipshod again? 🤔

[travelingtheusa]

SOUTH CAROLINA

9 Dec 2019 (Mon) – We spent the morning doing chores – laundry, etc. At lunchtime, we went out to get a bite to eat at the Waffle House.  It was a disappointing experience.  My waffle was mushy and the bacon was too chewy (I asked for crispy).  Then we drove to North Charleston to the Fire Museum. It was a very interesting exhibit. All the fire vehicles on display were produced by LaFrance.  They built vehicles (mostly fire engines) from the late 1800s until they closed their doors four years ago.  Now they have a museum that was built and supported by a company that no longer exists. Interesting.  There were lots of interactive displays and we learned everything there was to learn about fire – how it starts, how it burns, how it is fought, and the different jobs of the firefighters.  There was even a simulation showing what happens when you call 911 and the contacts that take place between the time you call and the time emergency personnel show up at your house.

 8 Dec 2019 (Sun) – We had a fun day today.  We drove to the H. L. Hunley site in the Clemson University Research Institute.  We got there at 11:30 but the place didn’t open until noon so we went in search of lunch. We wound up at Sesame Burgers.  It was a pub with loads of beers and burgers. Paul got a soup with grill cheese and I had a burger with soup.  It was good but service was very slow.

     When done, we returned to the Clemson research site just in time to catch the one o’clock tour.  This was such an interesting story.  The H. L. Hunley was the third submarine built by a lawyer and his two friends. The first two subs sunk.  Their third sub, the H. L. Hunley, while moored at the dock, also sunk.  It was raised and put back in service only to sink a second time during a demonstration in front of an admiring crowd.  Undaunted, the Confederacy insisted on raising the sub again and pressing it into service.  The H. L. Hunley, with a crew of eight, managed to blow up an English battleship that was blockading the Charleston harbor.  The H.L. Hunley sent a message to shore that it accomplished its mission then disappeared.  No one knows why it never returned to shore.  It was discovered sitting in the harbor in about 27 feet of water in 1998. It was raised and they found the crew sitting quietly at their stations.  This meant they were not attacked.  One theory is that they submerged after sinking the battleship to wait for the tide to change and bring them back to shore and were overcome by carbon dioxide. There was no ventilation in the submarine and they probably sat on the bottom of the bay too long and didn’t recover. Whatever happened, the crew was interred at a nearby cemetery and the submarine has been undergoing restoration at Clemson since 2005.  It looked pretty good.  The H. L. Hunley went down in history as the first successful attack submarine.  

     After the center, we drove through the city of Charleston.  We drove past Rainbow Row – a group of sixteen homes painted pastel colors.  The roads were all very narrow but the buildings were all lovely antebellum homes. Many had large columns on spacious porches with lots of windows.  There was a lot of decorative ironwork around the porches, steps, and windows which reminded me of the French Quarter in New Orleans.

     On the way back to the campground, we stopped at WalMart to finish our Christmas shopping.

 7 Dec 2019 (Sat) – We drove to Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant to attend a memorial ceremony in honor of the 78 anniversary of the Pearl Harbor bombing.  It was a very pleasant and well run event.  The VFW and American Legion were the hosts.  There was an 80 year old Major General who gave a moving speech. He said that when you added up all the years America was at war in his lifetime, it came to forty years.  Half of his lifetime.  Following his speech, there was a reading of the roll of 25 North Carolinians who died at Pearl Harbor, a 21 gun salute, and playing of TAPS. Afterward, we went up on the deck to look at the planes.  There was a beautiful bridge across the harbor that spanned the river between Charleston and Mount Pleasant.

     Lunch was at Page’s Okra Grill.  It was some real hometown cooking.  We tried fried okra (which wasn’t bad).  Paul had biscuits and sausage gravy (his favorite dish, I think) and I had shrimp and grits.  It was a very good lunch.

     On the way back to the campground, we stopped at the Navy Exchange (NEX) to do some Christmas shopping.  Although we found some items, the store was small and we’ll have to shop somewhere else.  Probably WalMart.

 6 Dec 2019 (Fri) – We left Fort Fisher in Kure Beach on Pleasure Island in North Carolina at 9:20 a.m.  We took the ferry across the bay.  It saved us 40 miles of driving.  The total time to get to our next destination was about the same as if we had driven but we got to ride for 25 minutes of it.  We got into Foster Creek Recreation Area at Joint Base Charleston at 2:20 p.m. The campground is in an open area. There was no gate to go through; no guards to check you in.  The commissary and NEX are also open on the main road.  When we went in, we had to show ID to prove we were military.  I guess when the Navy Base and the Air Force Base were combined, they moved the fencing around and decided to leave much of the amenities off the main base but still subject to military requirements.

     We were pretty starved by the time we had everything set up (we had not stopped for lunch).  We drove to Cracker Barrel and had a late lunch/early dinner.  The food was good.  Afterward, we went to the commissary to pick up some groceries then to the NEX package store for wine.

     The drive here was quite interesting.  Once we got to North Myrtle Beach, we found many miniature golf places along the highway.  I have never seen so many mini golf course in one place.  And each one was trying to outdo the other.  There were waterfalls, dinosaurs, aliens, volcanos, etc.  It was all very Vegas like.

[megacircuit9universe]

Cannon Ball

TUE DEC 10 2019

Okay, so less than a week after Speaker Pelosi officially directed the House Judiciary Committee to draft articles of impeachment, early today those drafted articles were announced.

They decided to go simply with two; Abuse of Power, and Obstruction of Congress.

And just like five days ago, everybody was taken by surprise (including me)... not only that this came so quickly, but that it was just two articles, and not three, or five, or whatever.

But I suppose this is perfectly in keeping with the way the whole Inquiry has been conducted since it was first announced on September 24th... fast moving and clearly focused... like a cannon ball.

Now, political pundits in the news have been leaning more heavily into a defeatist narrative as this thing has gone along, and it’s gonna keep getting more defeatist through December... I guess, because nobody wants to be blamed for creating false confidence again, like we had before the 2016 election, when everybody was positive there was no way Trump could possibly win.

But, again... we are not talking about a snowball that the House is about to launch over to the Senate. This pair of charges have the full weight of the constitution behind them. 

They are not going to hit with a powdery puff and a muffled poof.

They’re gonna punch through a couple walls, topple a few bookcases, drop a few chandeliers, and knock a bunch of Republicans off their feet.  Whoever is dumb enough to hold up a shield in the hopes of deflecting this incoming projectile... is gonna take some serious political damage in one form or another.

These articles have the full weight of the Constitution behind them... meaning they are clear and undisputed violations of it, on the highest order.  Which means that to try and dismiss them, adjourn on them, or vote against them, is to defy the Constitution itself.

And yes, maybe, if you fool and confuse enough idiots out there in the voting public, who are either too ignorant of their Constitution, or too blinded by tribalism to care, you can hang on to their votes and pray that enough of them go to the polls in 2020 to save your seat and keep the President you know should be removed... to whom you’ve already sworn a blood oath of loyalty... in power for another four years.

Maybe!  But that’s the best possible outcome.

Some might imagine the best outcome would be for Trump to become dictator for life in his second term, but that would actually be a bad outcome, even for his loyal sycophants, because... well, he’s the kind of guy who always repays loyalty with expulsion at some point.

Barring that, the best possible outcome for all involved, is surviving reelection in one year... and that’s all.  But even that is a huge gamble. 

There is no guarantee that these brain dead voters to whom GOP congressmen are CLEARLY tailoring their arguments and public statements... hyper-tribalistic morons who can't tell the difference between a well articulated argument, and a meaningless word salad of bullshit with some dog whistle buzzwords thrown in... are actually going to go to the polls and vote in the places where their votes matter enough to make a difference.

On the other hand, it’s a foregone conclusion that the, “blue wave” which gave the House it’s current majority in 2018... and which is responsible for the Impeachment which is happening right now... will only surge stronger in 2020, if Trump does not get removed for such clear violations of, and contempt for, the Constitution.

The 2018 blue wave knew they were fighting an uphill battle even then, and so that midterm should rightly be seen as a test-battle for 2020... in terms of fighting voter suppression, as well as foreign interference, and all the other dirty tricks.

To gamble that scraping an army of mentally and morally bankrupt buffoons out of the bottom of the voting barrel is going to make up for all the straight laced Republican voters who’ll be alienated in that process, and then go on to win the day over a Democratic voter base more mobilized than they’ve been since Nixon... well, it’s what they call... a long shot.

The seated GOP congressmen all know this, but they also calculate that to convict Trump is also a guarantee that their careers are over, so... why not take the long shot?

Why not?  Well, because you took a goddam oath to defend the Constitution

That oath itself... is part of the Constitution, which is why it does not say, “Do you swear to defend and uphold the Constitution... unless it’s you know... getting in the way of your plans?”

And herein lies the the true self-inflicted damage for anybody who tries to defend Trump against these damning charges... the long term damage to their names.

And by long term, we’re not talking ten or twenty years.  We’re talking centuries. We’re talking perpetuity. 

People from every generation thus far have laid down their lives to defend the Constitution. Presidents have been assassinated defending it.  The Constitution is not some fashionable fad, here today and gone tomorrow.  The repercussions of treating it as such will be severe and long lasting... and very rightly so. 

For this reason, yes, that damage to name and reputation will start immediately, and be experienced in real time for these guys over the next several decades before they are laid to rest.  But  their grave markers will then go on to be reviled by all generations to come, as all of their descendants do their best to distance themselves from this crazy ancestor who was ride or die for the man all history books will refer to as, “the guy the founding father’s had in mind when they included impeachment in the Constitution.”

This time around, the case to impeach Trump is so damning, that win lose or draw, it will forever clarify what impeachment is supposed to be for. 

Win lose or draw, this impeachment has already rehabilitated Clinton’s legacy, because so many of the exact same GOP senators will have presided over both... and totally reversed their stance on every point against the first guy, in order to defend a far more guilty second guy who happened to be from their party.

These GOP turncoats will go down as not only having flipped on their views about what is impeachable... but on Russia... on the FBI... on everything they ever claimed to stand for and hold dear... like the most cowardly hypocrites American history has ever known.

Again, people have died for all this shit.

This impeachment has already even made Nixon look not all that bad at all, by comparison.

Today, with these articles... Trump did not simply join an elite club... he became the all time poster boy for impeachment.  Whether he beats it or not, he’s gonna be the only one we point to when we talk about it... and it’s gonna be the only thing anybody remembers him for... for the next five hundred years.

All of this said, let’s take a moment to reflect on the fact that Trump’s opponent in 2016, Hillary Clinton... may very well have lost her bid for the Presidency because of the impeachment stain she acquired from her husband... a guy who was acquitted in the Senate, in his second term.

This is not some fluffy snowball, or forgettable censure.

This is one of the all time biggest moments in American history, even if most people are too close to it, and too freaked out by the past three years to truly appreciate what it all looks like in the grand perspective.

That’s my take for tonight, and now it’s time for bed.

[ms-m-astrologer]

Uranus semi-square Neptune

Excerpted from “The Astrological Road Ahead” by Bill Herbst (link) - I strongly recommend reading the whole thing.

Uranus semisquare Neptune effective period: June 2016–April 2021 five exact passes: 11 Aug 2017, 7 Oct 2017, 16 June 2018, 15 Dec 2018, 2 May 2019 entering the Crescent Phase

This is the “magical technology” cycle. The question is: Can the roughly 200-year drunken party of the Industrial Age, with its constant theme of technological innovation, continue via further discovery and synthesis of new, “cleaner,” and more sustainable technologies, or will the end of cheap, easily accessible fossil fuels (i.e., coal, oil, and natural gas) and the cumulative environmental damage they produced signal the demise of civilization as we have come to know it? The current Uranus-Neptune cycle began at the end of the 1980s, and the New Phase of that cycle has seen the development and implementation (at a dizzying pace) of the Internet, smart cell phones, and flat-screen displays for everything from televisions and computers to automobiles and sports stadiums.

This astonishing transformation has occurred with remarkable speed. We now regard the accelerating pace of technological innovation as “normal,” as if it were a given and a simple fact of life. It is not, however. No one is alive today who remembers from personal experience what life was like for most human beings as recently as the early- 19th century, a mere two centuries ago, which was largely the same as life had been throughout the entire span of recorded history:

• travel was limited to the speed of a horse or sailing ship 

• the majority of people lived their entire lives without venturing more than 50 miles from home, which was probably where they were born, and where they died 

• night was truly dark, illuminated only by candles or oil lamps 

• personal communication was by letters only, and a single letter could take months or even years to be delivered 

• the majority of jobs, and especially farming, were accomplished primarily by manual labor 

All that changed dramatically, and for many reasons, but the primary agent responsible for the transformation was our discovery of cheap, plentiful, and easily accessible fossil fuels. Basically, the bonanza of oil allowed us to become who and what we are today. 

As long as human beings have been around, we have dreamed of escape from the backbreaking labors of life. Like all fantasies, however, the reality may not live up to the dream. Oscar Wilde stated the problem plainly: "There are only two tragedies in life: One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it." For the past two centuries, we have been getting what we wanted, and though it has been both wonderful and terrible, we aren’t likely to give it up willingly. 

Uranus and Neptune have a cycle whose average length is 172 years. The previous cycle that began from 1816–1827 corresponded to the Industrial Revolution. The current cycle that began from 1988–1999 is about the Technological Revolution. We are just now finishing up the first of the eight 45° phases of that cycle, the New Phase. Next year we will begin to enter the second phase, called Crescent. 

The New Phase of every astrological cycle is a time of birthing something new and is characterized by passion, compulsivity, and the urgent drive to manifest whatever the cycle is about in any form that can be manifested. The Crescent Phase is the inevitable reaction, where everything we have ignored in our headlong rush to create something new rises up to slow us down and make us think about the wisdom of maintaining such exhilarating but unconscious momentum. Consequences and repercussions make their first appearance as critical factors to consider. 

With the entry into the Crescent Phase, the Uranus-Neptune cycle indicates that, where technology is concerned, we will confront doubts and inner demons. The 2020s will likely be a difficult time for the techno-dreamers. Can the ironies and paradoxes of technology’s double-edged swords be sufficiently vanquished to keep alive the whole panoply of human techno-fantasies that have recently enjoyed free and unfettered reign? 

For instance, can the power unleashed by technology be used wisely by a species still groping through its emotional and spiritual adolescence? Or will that power destroy us? Can technology save us from our own worst impulses? Should we even want it to? Or will the 21st century witness a “course correction” in the evolution of civilization through the failure of technology due to economic collapse, followed by the terrible die-off of a large percentage of the human population, with the survivors picking up the pieces by returning to pre-industrial/pre-technological lifestyles? 

A particularly worrisome example of technological concern is the proliferation of weaponry, particularly the stocks of existing nuclear warheads in the world. While we have managed to avoid disaster for the past 70 years by keeping that terrible genie in the bottle, will our luck hold out over the rest of the century? And beyond nuclear weapons, what about other incidents such as the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear power plant after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami? The Crescent Phase of the Uranus-Neptune cycle could be a time where we are sorely tested about the wisdom of what we’ve already created. 

Each subsequent phase of the cycle, from the Crescent starting in 2016, through the First-Quarter beginning in 2033, to the Full Phase that kicks off in 2073, will provide pieces of the ultimate answer. Considered from the standpoint of astrology, the jury leaves the courtroom in 2016 and begins deliberations that will take the remainder of the century before a dependable judgment can be rendered. 

Although the transit itself is minor, I regard the phase change of the Uranus-Neptune cycle in the final years of this decade as very significant. This is the only cycle that challenges the primacy of the Uranus-Pluto transits in considering the future of civilization over the 21st century. 

I don’t expect the bulk of correspondences from this transit to manifest strongly over the next 2-3 years. My best guess is that the issues that will arise during the Crescent Phase are probably not particularly relevant to the 2010s and are likely to emerge more fully in the 2020s. We are, however, moving toward the beginning of a thousand important questions that have, until now, been mostly hyp 

#Astrology #Bill Herbst #Uranus semi-square Neptune

[mysideblogofsurveys]

Survey 9.

What would you call your body type? Petite

Are you a morning person? Definitely.  I love getting up early! Although I am not a “morning people person”.  I get up early to get stuff done but I don’t really wanna talk to anyone

Have you ever been to Target? Who hasn’t? Although I haven’t been to one in a while

Do you like iced tea? Only unsweetened

When is the next time you’ll be at work? Tomorrow

Do you have a savings account? Yes I do

Has anyone ever hacked your accounts before? As far as I know, no

What color bedsheets are currently on your bed? We are not color coordinated at ALL so we have black, blue, purple, white, green..we have a bunch of different blankets lol

Have you ever been to Disney World? If so, how many times have you been? Even though I live in FL, I’ve only been to Disney World once (when I was 12)

Does grammar and capitalization mean anything to you? Yes, I’m very picky about it ><

Are you good at wrapping gifts for others? No, but I wrap them anyway :)

Do you have a dirty clothes hamper in your room? Yes, I definitely use one.  My husband on the other hand, prefers to use the floor.

What would you say is your favorite television show? I don’t have one in particular but I like a lot of different ones

Do you enjoy big holiday dinners? We used to when I was younger.  Everyone is all spread out now so its hard to get everyone together but yeah I did

Is your vision good? No, I have contacts and glasses and I’m very blind without them ><

Is there any piece of jewelry you’re constantly wearing? Aside from my engagement and wedding ring, I wear most of the piercings I have (ears, belly button, nose and eyebrow every day.  Although I do take out my nose and eyebrow rings for work)

What is one thing you desire as of now? To move back to the other side of the state

What kind of phone do you have? Samsung S9.

If you could move anywhere, where would you choose? I want to move back to the Gulf side of Florida so bad.  We will probably be doing that at some point, but I wish we could just leave now.

Do you blog a lot, if at all? Ahh..yes and no.  I do a lot of reblogging on my main blog but I don’t post a lot of things.

Is your present hair color, natural? For the most part.  I have light brown hair but got blonde highlights for my wedding in Feb.

What makes you the most angry when it comes to people? When people won’t listen or refuse to see another perspective.

Describe your current outfit? Stranger Things PJ shirt, sports bra and seafoam green pj pants from my homestate and black socks with yellow lightening bolts.  I don’t match at all lol

What was the last thing you ordered online? Digimon virtual pet because I’m a nerd and loved virtual pets as a kid lol

Have you ever felt as though you were drifting apart from a best friend? Oh yeah, we drifted apart so much that we lost touch a few years ago :/

What color are your eyes? Brown.

Have you ever worn color contacts? Nope.

What’s the best thing about a hug? When they’re genuine, it makes you feel secure

Biggest fear? Failure

If you have a significant other, how long have you been together? We’ve been together for 10 years, married for 4 months

Do you know any genuinely friendly people? Yeah, I know a lot of them

Do you buy your friends gifts? No, I’m a horrible gift giver :/

What was the last thing you plugged in? My phone this morning

How old are you? 32

What color headphones do you own? I’m using a gray pair right now

Have you ever shopped at Urban Outfitters? Yeah but they never had anything that fit me

Where do you buy the majority of your clothing? Online.  They don’t sell any cool clothes for women in regular stores (I wear a lot of video game or anime shirts..which probably doesn’t help me look my age lol)

Would you rather wear necklaces or earrings? Ah, I’m not sure.  I only wear 1 necklace that my husband bought me but I wouldn’t wear any others.  Same with earrings, I don’t wear a lot aside from the ones that I’m currently wearing.

Do you consider yourself fortunate? Yes, I do. 

Do you enjoy watching fights? ONLY boxing, MMA/UFC, and that type of thing.  I do not like watching any other fights or arguments.

Have you ever been in a physical fight? No

Do you tend to talk badly about people? Only when they’re being mean to me.

Where are your parents as of now? I dont know, probably at home

Does your computer cooperate most of the time? Generally, yes

Does your family have any cheesy traditions? Not really but I definitely want to create some when I have kids.

When did you last go to a book store? I specifically remember going to Barnes and Noble sometime in November (2019) because I bought books 10 and 11 of Wheel of Time AND we found an Advent Calendar (I was really excited about it because we wanted one the year before but they were all sold out on Dec 1st. like, I remember that specifically lol.

What’s the closest book store where you live? Super close, like 10 min away

How much money do you have on you right now? I’m not sure, like $20?

Favorite physical feature? My eyes I guess

Are you wearing make up at the moment? Whatever is leftover after washing my face when I got home from work (I only wear eyeliner and mascara anyway)

Favorite television channel? I don’t have regular TV or cable.  I use either Netflix or Hulu (or Funimation for anime). 

Describe any piercings or tattoos you might have? I have 4 tattoos (a heart on each ankle and a nautical star on each hip).  Currently, I only have my bellybutton, nose, eyebrow pierced as well as my ears (conch, rook, industrial, and tragus).  I had my lobes pierced (4 holes up, 8 holes total) but those are pretty much closed.

Have you ever been fired from a job? No, I’ve always quit

Are you currently losing a best friend? I lost mine a long time ago (I mean, I have my husband but that isn’t the same as having a female best friend)

Describe the worst day of your life: I’m thankful I haven’t had anything extremely bad.  I’ve had a lot of bad days but nothing that has been the worst.

Do you play any video games? Oh yes, we play a lot of video games.

Would you say you hate anyone? No

Do you think freckles are cute? Yeah

Last time you went to the mall? Couple months ago

Name something that’s your favorite color: Ahh...the galaxy.  I love the blues, greens, purples of the galaxy

Have you been to Red Lobster before? Yes, but it has been a very long time!

Do you judge by appearances? I try not to.  You can never fully judge someone just on looks.

Do you follow a certain religion? No, I’m kind of agnostic I guess.

Who is your role model, if you had to choose? I don’t really have one

Would you rather have nice hair or lips? Hair

What are you most self conscious about? My teeth.  They’re not bad but I just don’t like them.

Do you have any family members who live out of town? All of them.  We’re the only ones that live here (my in-laws live on the other side of the state but they’re snowbirds - here for 6 months then back in our homestate for 6 months)

Do you consider yourself short? Yes, I’m about 5 ft.

What room are you in? The living area.

Hoodies or jackets? Don’t really have a use for them in FL but hoodies I guess.

Are you outside a lot? Not really, its Summer and getting hot. 

Have you ever been dumped via text message? UGH yes, on AIM/AOL Online TWICE! It sucked but I was only dating those two guys for a month so it wasn’t that big of deal.  Plus this was like 15 years ago lol

Do you like dreamcatchers? Eh

What is your favorite letter of the alphabet? I don’t like any one letter over another

Do you hate repetitive people and things? It depends

Do you think autocorrect is a blessing or curse? Ah, it depends on my mood lol sometimes its funny but when I’m mad, I don’t want to say “ducking”

Do you believe in any particular curses? No.

Ever play a Ouija board? No

What movie scares you the most? Any horror movies, I don’t like them

What was your bedtime as a child? I’m not sure, it obviously changed as I got older

Reason why your favorite holiday is your favorite: I like New Years, I just like the feeling of starting a new year (or even the start of the month for that matter.)

Do you work with any close friends? No. Everyone I work with are nice but I don’t have anything in common with them.

Do you consider yourself spoiled? Maybe a little but I spoil myself.

Do you listen to any country music? Not at all

Favorite high school teacher: I liked Mr. Peterson, I honestly forgot what he taught but he was hilarious

Do you ever get drunk? Not as much anymore (I don’t handle hangovers as well anymore as I did when I was younger lol) but I still have a drink occasionally

Have you ever had highlights before? Yes, I have them now.  Although they’re growing out

Favorite number: 4.

Do you still sleep with any stuffed animals? No

What is your biggest regret in life? Not knowing what I wanted to do when I was younger.  I have a career but I’m iffy about it.  I wish I had a passion or something I really wanted to do for a living.

Would you say you think you have a mental disorder of some kind? I have some stupid sort of social anxiety.  I never used to be like this so I don’t know how it developed.  I just get nervous talking with people.

Are you normally an independent person? Yes I am

Do you have any paintings? No, our walls are bare because I don’t want to put holes in an apartment wall.  When we get a house, I will definitely be putting up something.

What is one clothing fad you wish never existed? Ah, I’m not sure. Maybe shirts with ridiculous shoulder pads from the 80s? lol

Do you like to be organized? Oh yeah, I like my things in a specific order

Have you ever failed a class before? No.

Ever been judged because of your weight? Not really

What is your favorite breakfast cereal? I haven’t had cereal in a long time...I want to maybe say Count Chocula! Do they even make that anymore?

Ever had a wish come true? Yeah.

Do you regret meeting any of your exes? No, before my husband I my relationships only lasted like a month so meh

Do you own any coloring books? No

What’s the meanest thing someone’s called you? Just stupid things like “shorty” or “shrimp”.  But I’ve also been called a bitch in an argument

Have you ever bullied someone? No.

Do you ever watch Lifetime? No

Ever tried to intentionally sabotage someone’s grade? No.

Do you own any brown clothing? I’m sure I do

What color are your walls painted? They’re like a cream color

Last thing you drank: Water at work

Have you ever seen a tornado in person? No, that would be terrifying!

Do you have an in-ground pool at your house? I do at the apartment I live in (but we dont’ use it).  We also had one growing up

What is the first digit of your phone number? 6

What’s the prettiest town you’ve been to? UGH, the city I lived in a year ago :/

Do you tend to sleep a lot? Not really. I actually get about 6 to 7 hours and I function just fine

Silver or gold jewelry? White gold I guess?

Do you sometimes celebrate holidays early? We did sometimes when I was younger.  Like spend Thanksgiving a week early with my Mom’s side of the family then actually on Thanksgiving with my Dads or vice versa

Have you ever been in love? Yeah :)

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? I’m not sure

When was the last time you showered? This morning

Would you consider yourself attractive? I’m okay, not too bad

Has anyone made you mad today? Not really mad, but I got annoyed with one of my co-workers earlier.

Favorite smell: Rain, coffee

Are you afraid of insects? Ah, I find them fascinating, actually.  But doesn’t mean I want to be next to them!

Do you have any children? No :/

If so, what are their names? Would ever consider having children in the future? Absolutely!  I was actually hoping to have them by now but we’re still trying to find somewhere to settle down.  I want to be sure we have a stable home (we’ve moved around a lot) and financially stable before we have them.

Have you ever lived on a farm? No but I LOVE farming games lol (like Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley)

Ever played any sports? I played baseball and soccer in middle school and I was in Track in high school

Do both of your parents have jobs? Yes

Where is the last place you’ve been on vacation? We went on a cruise to Nassau and Bahamas immediately after getting married in Feb.

Are you afraid people won’t accept you? Um, not really that they won’t accept me but I’m worried I’ll get bored with someone and push them away.

Are you, for the most part, an honest person? Yes, I am

Did you make prank phone calls as a child? No, some friends of mine did as a kid though and I hated when they did it :/

Do you like to make donations? It depends.  As long as whatever I’m donating is actually going to the person/organization/charity, then yes.

What is your current ringtone? It is a cover of “However/Glay” by Jinho from Pentagon (a kpop group).  I LOVE this song and can’t get enough of it.  I also love Jinho’s voice.

Meet anyone from your past lately? No, it would be very weird to run into anyone I previously knew from my hometown in my current city.

Have you ever called a teen suicide line? No.

Have you ever caught something on fire? LOL wellllllll not on fire BUT I accidentally singe’d/scorched my brother’s stuffed animal by leaving it sitting on the bedside lamp when I was maybe like 7?  OH man, my Mom yelled at me and I’m extremely thankful I didn’t set the house on fire!!! It had scorched marks on it ><

Ever been obsessed with a show? OH yeah, I binged My Hero Academia recently and 90 Day Fiance...I typically binge shows lol

What type of perfume or cologne do you use? I dont’ wear any

What’s the last book you read? I’m currently reading “Legends of the Älfar” by Markus Heitz.  They’re basically the evil version of Elves.  I’m not sure if I’d recommend it because its kinda...well..they’re not good creatures lol BUT I would 100% recommend “The Dwarves” also written by Markus Heitz.  Its SO GOOD!

Dream career: I honestly have no idea.  I wish I knew.

Have you ever climbed a mountain before? Yes!  We used to live in Washington (state), so we’d go hike around Mt. Rainer occasionally.  It was beautiful there (so green!) and I do miss living there sometimes.

At what age do you plan to get married? We got married 4 months ago.

Ever been in a car accident? Yeah but only fender-benders.

#survey #surveys #questionnaire #about me

[heyomag]

Swedish Acne Influencer Showing Self Love Through Imperfect Selfies

Your voice cracks in the middle of a big presentation. Your body starts producing hair and odors from previously smooth regions. And the night of the big the dance you notice that annoying red spot right in the middle of your forehead… Puberty sucks.

And the worst part of it all? Acne. Whiteheads. Red dots. One or a hundred. In whatever form it took for you, we’ve all suffered from that acne affliction at some point.

Now, in my 30s, I count myself among the lucky ones that have the good fortune of only suffering minor breakouts from time to time.

But it wasn’t always clear skin and rainbows.

I graduated high school with an almost blemish-free record and it seemed I had finished that transition from boy to man we call puberty. Kids in high school could be so cruel, especially to the kid with zits…I counted my blessings that I wasn’t that kid. I thought I made it out free and clear…

I was wrong.

I was lucky enough to get hit by late teen/ early adult acne….and it sucked. For my 19th birthday, the only present I got was f’cking acne. I can’t necessarily remember graduation (I was high), or the finer details of losing my virginity….but I can remember this experience so clearly. Maybe that’s due to my extreme vanity, or the lasting years of trauma that resulted, but the memory – unlike my skin at the time – is clear as day.

I woke up with a zit. OK, I thought…I could get through this. So, like any 19-year old guy naïve to serious skin issues I popped that sucker using my dirty, grimy teenage thumb and index fingers as medical instruments and went along my merry day.

Little did I know then that this experience would prove to be just the beginning of my battle with acne. And I’m not talking about a pimple here and there…I’m talking about real acne.  Sit in your room and cry because you’re too embarrassed to be seen in public acne.

In what seemed like the span of a week, that one zit became many zits and they didn’t go away for over 1.5 years. So, what changed besides skin tone, texture, confidence, and diminished self-worth? I managed to pull myself up from the floor, go outside and visit yet another dermatologist that actually listened to me and subsequently prescribed benzoyl peroxide. This changed everything.

Fortunately, I discovered ‘Acne Free’ – a more economical and stronger version of the $300 cream the Doc prescribed very soon after, which resulted in clearer skin and $1,000’s in savings. That’s the short version of my story, which has omitted anecdotal stories chronicling what would sometimes be weeks of my life spent living in acne treatment masks and dark rooms alone, refusing to go outside or look in the mirror. Then deciding to look in the mirror for hours upon hours, criticizing each and every inch of my skin. I was so unkind to myself and going crazy.

(For transparency, I’d like to make it very clear that this was not just a one and done appointment that lead to clear skin. I saw several dermatologists, tried laser treatments, detoxes, Cetaphil, Accutane, etc.)

The most damaging thing I can recall was the long days and nights I spent hiding out in my room, face inches away from the desktop computer screen, carefully looking over celebrity skin, male and female actors and models, etc.  I would question how they had such flawless skin with microscopic pores. I didn’t know how it was possible.

In hindsight, I don’t know what I would do if I was this same 19-year-old today. I scroll through my social media accounts and see nothing but perfect skin and bright white teeth. With social media of today, we put so much more of ourselves out in public – and be honest – we’re all judging every. Single. Image. We see. I may not be a model, but you better believe I have one or two tricks up my sleeve to make my skin appear a bit smoother on my Instagram account than it is in real life, a trick to hide that stray hair…we all do, and you’re either lying or in the minority if you don’t.

We’ve become so scared as to how people view us, that it has become so rare to see people celebrate themselves for who they are, as they are.

That’s why I love Sofia Grahn. Once I discovered Sofia’s Insta account, my 19-year-old-self jumped for joy (but, in truth, only after a moment of silence in recognition of the years of pain I endured suffering in silence in my room and head).

When I saw Sofia’s blemished skin, unedited, free from layers of makeup and multiple filters, it was a breath of fresh air. Rarely have I actually found someone online that I identified with and admired. It’s hard these days to find someone that really puts it all out there in this authentic fashion, showing all faces to life, not just the pixel-perfect version of ourselves.

And bravo to her. We’re the social media generation that put our lives out there for strangers to view, comment, judge….

Life is not perfect. And neither is your skin. So, when you need to find strength, bravery, and beauty look no further than Sofia.

With Instagram’s latest move to censor and limit the viability of photoshopped images, we hope to see many more REAL influencers like Sofia on The Gram.. and other platforms.

 View this post on Instagram

 Feeling that POWER of letting go of perfection and defying societal skin expectations🦹⚡️ . #skinpositivity #acnepositivity #acne #makeup #makeuplook #skinneutrality #effyourbeautystandards

A post shared by SOFIA GRAHN⚡️ (@isotretinoinwiths) on Jan 23, 2020 at 9:12am PST

 View this post on Instagram

 Me N my strawberry cheeks🍓 . I’m clearly delusional wearing sneakers and a dress in the midst of January. I’m archiving this look for spring though🍒Hope you all had a lovely start to your week. I’ve really been trying to get my inspiration, motivation and drive to be creative recently and today I finally felt like I took a step out of that pit of feeling “meh” about everything. I really really want to branch out, so I guess this is it! . And another question for you if you made it this far: What other platform(s) would you like to see me on?📱I really want to expand my presence on the World Wide Web, so please let me know🤍 . #skinpositivity #acnepositivity #acnepositive #skinpositive #skinneutrality #acne #ootd #fashion #makeuplook

A post shared by SOFIA GRAHN⚡️ (@isotretinoinwiths) on Jan 14, 2020 at 8:44am PST

 View this post on Instagram

 ✨In this fun festive lookbook I’m wearing three differents looks that may be suitable for any festive occasion. Of course I’m flaunting my skin, solely focusing on a good eye look or a bright lip as far as makeup goes. In this entire video I’m wearing a @zitsticka patch💕 Really hope you enjoy this video and that this brings you some inspiration. I hope that you have FUN if you have any upcoming celebrations🖤 #zittycommittee #zitsticka

A post shared by SOFIA GRAHN⚡️ (@isotretinoinwiths) on Dec 28, 2019 at 9:38am PST

 View this post on Instagram

 Christmas time. My skin and I, one year apart🎁 . These throwbacks always makes me feel some type of way. Christmas time is wonderful, but it can also be difficult for a lot of reasons. It can be a harsh reminder of loneliness. It can be something that makes you compare your position in life with people from your that you’re suddenly making small talk with. For someone with acne you might have a lump in your chest knowing that you’ll meet people that you haven’t met since your skin flared up again. You might be going over worst case scenarios of having to have conversations surrounding your skin. . Unsolicited advise . Hearing about that diet your relatives daughter tried that you simply just “have to try yourself” because “sugar and dairy really is the devil” . You might be dreading to simply leave your comfort zone of your home . You might wonder if this full coverage foundation will ensure not having your skin being a topic of conversation . Christmas time is wonderful, but it can also be a struggle to get through when you’re coping with hardship, whether that hardship actually manifests itself on your skin or simply something that’s going on within. . Whatever you feel serves you best this holiday, do it. There’s a time to push, and there’s a time to rest. Does it feel better to nod and try to change the conversation? I say do it. Does it feel better to put on that makeup? I say do it. Do you have the power to speak up? I say do it. . Last Christmas I put on a full face of makeup, this Christmas I might just not cover my acne at all. Simple because I’ve found so much empowerment in flaunting my skin – acne and all. But that does NOT mean that I’m any better this year around, it just means that I’m doing whatever feels best in the moment. And as for how to handle those conversations surrounding my skin, I really haven’t found one singular way to respond. But I wish for you to have some peace of mind this Christmas, not having to deal with those kinds of situations. And if not, just know that this holiday will pass, too❤️ . #skinpositivity #acnepositivity #acne #acnescars #skinpositive #acnepositive #normalizeskintexture #normalizeacne #acneawareness

A post shared by SOFIA GRAHN⚡️ (@isotretinoinwiths) on Dec 21, 2019 at 10:02am PST

 View this post on Instagram

 #AD🖤 I decorate my face with red dots and @zitsticka killa patches nowadays💥 You already know that these patches are my favorite for treating those pesky underground zits. By applying a @zitsticka in those early stages I find that I can combat the redness and the size of my zit. If you’re intrigued to try them out then you can use my code SOFIA20 for 20% off on @zitsticka⚡️ #zitsticka #zittycommittee

A post shared by SOFIA GRAHN⚡️ (@isotretinoinwiths) on Dec 3, 2019 at 6:20am PST

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 🦋Dear body, thank your for letting me stretch and bend when I needed more space🦋 . Bodies change and sometimes the costume that encapsulates our being can’t quite keep up with the changes, like seams loosening, revealing what’s underneath. It is a necessity for living that our bodies are able to shift and stretch through our lives. Though we are taught through society that our body should be something that is stagnant, forever young, forever free of any signs of living. For reasons that I’m not yet ready to share as of yet, I have fluctuated a lot in weight throughout my teenage and early adult years. My physical body have seen varieties of shapes and sizes and my skin stretched when it needed to, as simple as that. . A lot of the time I fall back on the thought that my body took the shape that it needed to when what I dealt with internally was larger than myself. They have a history, the marks that run up and down my thighs, they mark what I trudged myself through. I have stretch marks on my legs, calves, my hips, my inner thighs, my bum and my breasts. The marks on my legs decorate my muscles, the physical and mental strength that carried me up and down the hills of my life. Through these marks I know that what I am now does not have to be forever. So, all in all what does a few marks and scuffs matter when it means that I am able to stretch both physically and mentally? I am determined to live in my body, so if it looks well used after my time here, that’s more than okay with me🌍 . #stretchmarks #bodyneutrality #bodyneutral #effyourbeautystandards

A post shared by SOFIA GRAHN⚡️ (@isotretinoinwiths) on Oct 9, 2019 at 1:31pm PDT

The post Swedish Acne Influencer Showing Self Love Through Imperfect Selfies appeared first on HEYO Mag.

from HEYO Mag https://heyomag.com/swedish-acne-influencer-showing-self-love-through-imperfect-selfies/

[elizabethcariasa]

Congress extends some extenders, makes other tax changes in last-minute holiday funding spree

Congress just came up with more tax breaks to wind down 2019 than the number of ornaments we have on our upstairs' mini Christmas tree! (Photo by Kay Bell)

Congress finally decorated its Christmas tree early this morning. The ornaments were myriad tax breaks. Or, in some cases, elimination of taxes.

With Dec. 25 bearing down and special interest groups sending more requests to Capitol Hill than kiddos' letters to Santa, the House and Senate negotiators finally agreed on, among other things, what to do about those expired tax provisions popularly known as extenders.

They OK'ed a handful of them and plan to tack them onto government fiscal year funding legislation that must become law by Friday, Dec. 20, to avert shutdown of federal offices.

Extended tax gifts for individuals: Yep, Representatives and Senators operate most Decembers just like you and me doing our holiday shopping.

We have the wish lists from all our loved ones — in Congress' case, they're "I want" requests from constituents and lobbyists — but we don't pick up the present — or enact the law authorizing the tax breaks — until the last minute.

Among the gifts to individual taxpayers is renewal of a handful of popular tax breaks that technically had expired.

Around two dozen of these tax breaks ended with the 2017 tax year. A few were renewed retroactively just for the 2018 tax year and then evaporated again.

Now they have another new life, retroactively for the 2019 tax year and through the 2020 tax year.

The resurrected, at least temporarily, Internal Revenue Code provisions include:

The ability to exclude from gross income the amount of discharged debt in connection with the reworking of a mortgage on your principal residence.

The option to count private mortgage insurance (PMI) premiums as qualified residence interest and deduct it as an itemized expense.

The continuation of the 7.5 percent deduction floor for itemized medical expenses;

The renewal of the educational above-the-line deduction for tuition and qualified fees.

That certainty is welcome by those who can benefit from these tax breaks, both from filing and planning perspectives.

If any of these provisions apply, you can file your 2019 return on time next year. There's now no need to extend filing in the hopes the provisions will be renewed.

As for planning, with the extension through the coming New Tax Year, you also can evaluate your 2020 tax moves with more confidence.

Retirement changes included: The massive spending measure — both in size (1,773 pages without the add-on tax provisions) and cost ($1.4 trillion over 10 years) — also makes substantive changes to retirement provisions, many of which will affect our taxes.

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019, or SECURE Act, was rolled into the funding bill. The House handily approved the retirement bill 417-3 in May, but had stalled (like most other measures sent over by Representatives) in the Senate.

Here are some key provisions that could affect you and me as we save for our post-work years.

Part-time workers would be allowed to participate in 401(k) plans.

The age at which required minimum distributions (RMDs) must be made would go from 70½ to 72.

Contributions could be made to traditional IRA contributions by those older than 70½.

New parents, including adoptive moms and dads, could make penalty-free retirement plan withdrawals from qualified retirement plans.

Inherited IRAs, instead of being stretched out tax-deferred over beneficiaries' lifetimes, now must be drawn down completely within 10 years.

Obviously, these provisions will variously and simultaneously delight and enrage affected individuals.

Also obviously, each of these provisions is worthy of a blog post on its own. Until I get around to unwrapping at least some them here on the ol' blog in the coming weeks, I suggest you check out a couple of Forbes' articles with more on the SECURE Act from staff writer Ashlea Ebeling and contributor Jamie Hopkins.

Toasting the bill: In addition to the individual extenders, the tax proposal also renews breaks for several industries.

Among those literally toasting the late-night tax work are specialty brewers and distillers.

"We are thrilled that lawmakers included a one-year extension of the federal excise tax reduction for distillers in the year-end legislative package," Distilled Spirits Council President and CEO Chris Swonger said in a statement.

The Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act's provisions were rolled into the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) back in December 2017. That reduced federal excise taxes for a range of producers, including brewers, winemakers, distillers and even importers.

But unlike other parts of TCJA that are permanent for big business, this potent potables tax break was temporary. Without the extension that is set to be part of the federal government measure, craft distillers and brewers across the country could have faced a tax increase up to 400 percent on Jan. 1, 2020.

Presents for other businesses, too: Other industries also thrilled with the Congressional tax gifts are

A cause near and dear to extender supporting Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (D-Iowa) and his corn-growing constituents made it into the measure — the $1 per gallon biodiesel blender's tax credit. It will be extended through 2022 and retroactively to when it expired beginning in 2018, a move welcomed by an industry that has seen 10 plants shut since the credit lapsed.

The credit began in 2005 as a way to help farmers and reduce petroleum imports by supporting biofuels, particularly biodiesel, a fuel made from cooking oil, soybean oil and animal fats. It costs nearly $2 billion per year, making it among the most expensive U.S. energy subsidy programs.

Added tax horsepower also is gifted to owners of racehorses and motorsports complexes.

The healthcare industry also was rewarded rewarded with the elimination of three Affordable Care Act, still popularly known as Obamacare, taxes that had been disliked by both Republicans and Democrats. The so-called Cadillac tax on health insurance benefits, an excise tax on medical devices and the Health Insurance Tax, an excise tax paid by, you guessed it, health insurance companies are axed under the measure.

And a TCJA provision that was bipartisanly disliked also is gone. The 21 percent unrelated business income tax (UBIT) on certain benefits churches and other nonprofits offer to their employees, such as parking benefits, will be repealed.

Congressional coal for others: In both personal and Congressional gift-giving situations, some folks don't get what they wanted.

That's true with this Congressional package. Although it's huge, lawmakers couldn't find a way to include provisions that both Democrats and Republicans were hoping would be in the year-end legislation.

Democrats had wanted tax extenders to be paired with the expansion of tax credits benefiting low- and middle-income families. The also wanted expansion of several renewable energy tax credits.

Republicans had wanted to use the end-of-year effort to fix some errors in the hastily written 2017 tax reform law.

Both sides were disappointed.

And advocacy groups across the ideological and political spectrum who wanted Congress to let the expired extenders stay that way were upset. Their main complaint is with the cost of the bill and tax amendments.

"This budget deal just keeps getting worse," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. "After massively increasing spending caps earlier this year and agreeing to eliminate important revenue sources designed to fund the Affordable Care Act and slow health care cost growth, policymakers now want to charge more to the national credit card by reviving zombie tax extenders. When will the madness stop?"

Holiday legislative tree trimming: Such end-of-year legislation gets lots of attention because of its timing and also because, in large part, the bills usually are, well, large.

But the tactic is not new. The latest-until-now example is the previously-mentioned TCJA, which didn't become law until Dec. 17, 2017.

I lived in the D.C.-area for almost two decades, spending my working hours first in House and Senate offices, then as part of a government relations — OK, lobbyist — office in the National Capital. I saw and participated in this procrastination firsthand.

Since becoming a [semi]normal U.S. resident, I've blogged over the years about the tedious Congressional tradition of "decorating" an annual legislative Christmas tree.

This metaphorical holiday fir even has made it into official legislative glossaries.

Lexis Nexis says Christmas tree legislation is "Any bill 'adorned' like a Christmas tree with unrelated amendments. Generally occurs when the Senate takes up a relatively minor House-passed bill and 'trims' it with any number of non-germane amendments. Frequently occurs at the end of a Congress, but recently supplanted by omnibus reconciliation legislation."

The Senate glossary is more succinct, avoiding sugarcoating of who, per its definition's last sentence, tends to get the best gifts:

Christmas tree bill — Informal nomenclature for a bill on the Senate floor that attracts many, often unrelated, floor amendments. The amendments which adorn the bill may provide special benefits to various groups or interests.

Even in the few years when there is no last-minute, just-before-holiday-recess scramble, I still think about the process, thanks to the Congressional ornaments — those are pictures of some of them scattered throughout this post — that are on our own Christmas tree.

When we take down the holiday paraphernalia in early (maybe) January, I and other taxpayers still will have this year's Congressional trimmings to provide tax cheer through 2020.

You also might find these items of interest:

Tax extenders 2015 winners and losers

Extenders one of top tax issues for 2019

3 fiscal & tax matters facing Congress as 2019 winds down

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[newsbiteswithjennysok]

Nov 12, 2019

1. Disney+ has been plagued by technical issues in the first several hours after it went live as more than 7,300 customers reported problems with logging in and streaming.  Nearly two million subscribers signed up for the $7-per-month streaming service ahead of its long-awaited launch at 3am EST Tuesday, eager to dive into its catalog of 500 movies and 7,500 TV shows - a mix of Marvel and Star Wars movies and shows, classic animated films and new series. However, many customers found themselves 'unable to connect' to the service in its early hours.  Outage-mapping website Down Detector reported more than 7,300 problems with the service as of 9am EST. Of those problems, 27 per cent were regarding log-in and 70 per cent were struggles with streaming. Disney+ addressed the issues on Twitter, writing: 'The consumer demand for Disney+ has exceeded our high expectations. We are working to quickly resolve the current user issue. We appreciate your patience.' 

2. Alex Trebek teared up during the final round of Jeopardy! on Monday night after a contestant used his answer to honor the beloved game show host. The 79-year-old host, who is battling pancreatic cancer, got emotional during the Final Jeopardy round when contestant Dhruv Gaur conveyed his heartfelt message.Instead of writing in his question, the Tournament of Champions contestant wrote: 'We love you, Alex!' Gaur had bet $1,995 of his $2,000 on the answer - meaning he threw away his shot at a win in favor of honoring Trebek.

The host was clearly caught off guard when he saw the message.

'Oh, that's very kind of you,' Trebek said as he choked up. 'Thank you.

'(That) cost you $1,995, you're left with $5.'

The contestant later took to Twitter to say he had no regrets and was just saying what everyone else was thinking.

'Sorry for west coast spoilers, but I'm really glad I got the opportunity to say to Alex what everybody at the tournament was thinking,' said Gaur, who is studying at Brown University.

'For context, Alex had just shared with us that he was reentering treatment for pancreatic cancer. We were all hurting for him so badly.

'When Final Jeopardy came up, I could've tried to puzzle it together, but really, just kept thinking about Alex, and thought he should know.

'I'm just very grateful I got the opportunity to say what I know everyone was thinking. Sending all the love. #weloveyoualex'.

He told Good Morning America that after a short period of optimism when he stopped chemotherapy, his 'numbers shot up' and doctors ordered him back on the treatment.

Trebek said his goals for the summer were to get his strength and hair back but his progress on both fronts was dismal.

He said he didn't feel terrible, although he had fatigue and occasional pain in his back.

'There are moments when, for no reason at all, I feel this surge of sadness, depression,' he said.

'It doesn't last for very long, but it takes over your whole being for a period of time.'

While he's concerned about what his passing would mean for his loved ones, Trebek said he's not afraid of what lies ahead.

'I'm 79 years old,' he said. 'I've had one hell of a good life.'

3. She's won multiple Grammy, Latin Grammy and American Music Awards and has sold 75m records worldwide. But Shakira, 42, has admitted that in late 2017, she suffered a haemorrhage to her vocal cords and feared losing her voice for good.  She told The Guardian: ' I never thought that my voice would leave me, because it’s so inherent to my nature. It was my identity. So when I couldn’t sing, that was unbearable. There were times I couldn’t even get out of bed – I was so depressed.'

Colombian singer Shakira is married to Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué, 32, and they have two children together, Milan, six and Sasha, four.

And she says she has never fallen out with her partner as much as when she stopped talking, in order to save her voice.

She said: 'He felt like one of those ex-convicts who are given their freedom and don’t know what to do with it. I was not positive. I was so pessimistic. I was a bitter person to be around. Gerard saw the worst of me.'

While doctors said she needed surgery, she wasn't sure it would work, so the site reports she tried hypnosis and meditation and went to Lourdes to get holy water.

Shakira's voice returned without an operation and she said: 'Either I needed surgery or divine intervention... it felt like I was having some kind of religious experience.'

She is set to star with Jennifer Lopez in the Super Bowl LIV halftime show in Miami on February 2.

4. This definitely has Drake in his feelings. The 33-year-old Canadian rapper was booed off the stage Sunday after appearing as a surprise guest at fellow rapper Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Tyler hadn’t announced the headliner ahead of time, but fans had guessed the final act would be Frank Ocean. When Drake appeared instead, the audience was quite vocal about their displeasure.

“We want Frank!” they screamed amid boos, as Drake said, “You know, I’ma tell you, like I said, I’m here for you tonight. If you wanna keep going, I will keep going — what song?”

“It’s been love. I go by the name of Drake. Thank y’all for having me,” he said before exiting the stage. He reportedly performed nine songs — including Meek Mill’s “Going Bad” — before taking off 20 minutes early. The crowd appeared further disappointed when they realized Drake was the last act of the night.

Many took to social media to express their anger, both at Drake not being Frank and at the haters who made him end his performance early. “Nooo,” shrieked one fan when he realized Drake, not Frank, was performing the final set.

“F – – K YOU to all the fans that booed Drake off,” wrote one annoyed Drake lover.  “Bunch of ungrateful f – – ks ruined it not only for myself, but I’m sure for Drake and Tyler.”

On Monday afternoon, Tyler, the Creator sounded off on Twitter — in all capital letters — saying that “MOSTLY EVERYONE WAS HAVING A GREAT TIME” and calling haters “SH-TS” and saying they were “BEING MAD RUDE.” He went on to say the ingrates “REPRESENTED ME AND FLOG TO MY GUEST AND MADE US LOOK SOOO ENTITLED AND TRASH.”

5. It’s the Queen of Pop vs. the king of wet blankets. A Florida man is suing Madonna, saying her 10:30 p.m. concert starting time is too late for his early bird schedule, according to a report.

In his class action lawsuit, Nate Hollander claims he bought three tickets to see the star’s Dec. 17 show at the Fillmore Miami Beach, which was first scheduled to begin 8:30 p.m., NBC.com reports. But the Material Girl pushed back the time two hours, and he no longer wants to go, according the the outlet, which cited a lawsuit filed Nov. 4 in federal court in Miami-Dade County.

“Ticketholders [have] to work and go to school the next day, which prevent[s] them from attending a concert that would end at around 1:00 a.m.,” the suit states, according to the outlet. Hollander, who spent a total of $1,024.95, says it’s a breach of contract, and that the value of the tickets plunged due to the night-owlish time change, according to the report. He says the new time makes re-selling them “impossible.”

Hollander also accuses the 61-year-old pop legend of repeatedly arriving to her “Madame X Tour” shows tardy, saying she has a “long history of arriving and starting her concerts late.” Hollander is also suing Live Nation, the events firm that’s putting on the concert. A rep for Madonna didn’t respond to a request for comment.