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lovepersevering13 · 5 months

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elaborate on tori springs autism

Ok I’m gonna start this by saying that the topic I’m most passionate about in the entire universe is Tori Spring (As well as Michael, Charlie and Oliver) being a very autistic coded character and so this post is a very long info dump about it because it consumes almost all of my waking thoughts.

Anyway, quick summary, I believe that Tori Spring has autism because of her social struggles, mannerisms and general outlook on life. Like how she always talks about not fitting in, she gets really obsessed with specific things (Star Wars and Solitaire) and she struggles to express her emotions, often leading up to an intense emotional outburst (Autistic meltdown).

Forewarning - I am obviously not a licensed psychiatrist (I’m literally just a mentally ill teenage girl) and so I don’t actually have the capability to diagnose anyone, I just have a lot of time to waste studying the DSM-5-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision) and analysing Tori Spring. Also, Autism is different for everyone and this is just one perspective of it based on research and the DSM-5 which obviously doesn’t cover every autistic persons experience. OH, Also, I tried really hard to focus on using ‘person-first’ language when I was writing it but I may have messed up a few times so let me know if I did! Also let me know if there is anything else incorrect here so I can fix it :)

Ok now that’s out of the way I will start with what we know is true: Tori Spring likely struggles with Depression. It’s a generally accepted fact amoungst the fandom due to Tori’s negative outlook on life and suicidal ideation (at the end of Solitiare). Now, why is this relevant? Well Autism and Depression are often comorbid diagnosis, people with Autism being 4 times more likely than Neurotypical’s to experience a diagnosis of Depression.

So she’s already got that going for her, let’s take a look at Solitaire and some excerpts from that which highlight different aspects of the Autism diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5. This is based of what I annotated the first time I read Solitaire about a year ago there may be more that I missed.

A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction

Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect; to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.

- “No- Tori just held a conversation by herself” - Becky Allen, Solitaire, Page 28

- “I think you’re breaking down.” I cough loudly. “I’m not a car.” Solitaire, page 311.

In this quote Tori is taking things wayyy too literally which is common amoungst many people with Autism due to the way they process information.

- “I think… it’s unlikely that anyone would want to catch a grenade for anyone else. Or jump I doesn’t of a train for anyone else. That’s very counterproductive.” Solitaire, Page 45

Again the literal thinking (I also have this exact thought every time I hear this song).

- “I drift away and picture myself….” Solitaire, Page 33

Ok so I didn’t want to include this entire quote because it’s really long but essentially she’s thinking about what it would be like to be, for lack of better word, neurotypical. To be confident in social interactions and always say the right thing, say things that people are interested in and to not be awkward or shy.

- “I quite like cats, and I saw it for the first time at lunch in the cafeteria. I almost felt like I’d made a new friend,” Solitaire, Page 68

Often people with Autism prefer interaction with animals, this is theorised to be because social interaction with animals can compensate for a lack of social interaction with peers. Oh also a lot of people say that cats are kinda autistic coded animals because of their similar mannerisms to people with autism.

- “Emotions are humanities fatal disease.” Solitaire, Page 346

2. Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging, for example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures; to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.

- “I think it’s important to make the effort. Social conventions and all,” Solitaire, page 43

- “I need to control my staring” Solitaire, page 45

3. Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships, ranging, for example, from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts; to difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends; to absence of interest in peers.

- “Then again, I don’t feel very similar to anyone at all” Solitaire, Page 20

Many people who have Autism (Especially Women) often report that they don’t “fit in” with their peers, there are a variety of reasons for this but it is often related to masking and just generally struggling to socialise the same way their Neurotypical peers do.

- “There’s a time and a place for being normal. For most people, normal is their default setting. But for some, like you and me, normal is something we have to bring out, like putting on a suit for a posh dinner.” - Michael Holden, Solitaire, Page 61

This quote from Michael is one of my favourites in Solitaire and I feel heavily related to the autistic experience. It pretty much perfectly describes the experience of autistic masking.

- “I thought it’d be nice to try and rekindle this friendship. But it’s too hard. I don’t want to talk to anyone.” Solitaire, Page 99

- “I’m no expert on social etiquette.” Solitaire, Page 140

B. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive; see text):

1. Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech (e.g., simple motor stereotypes, lining up toys or flipping objects, echolalia, idiosyncratic phrases).

- “I kick the floor and spin. The world hurricanes around me. I don’t know how long I do this,” Solitaire, Page 84

This quote is just Tori stimming, she stims quite a bit in the book but this was just one example I picked.

- “I watch that scene three times and then turn it off,” Solitaire, Page 102

- “Playing ‘Fix You’ by Coldplay over and over on repeat” Solitaire, (I forgot the page)

These are another two examples of stimming that I wanted to include because it shows different forms of stimming (repeatedly watching or listening to something) that aren’t talked about as much.

2. Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior (e.g., extreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid thinking patterns, greeting rituals, need to take same route or eat same food every day).

- “It’s not a very funny programs but I still seem to watch at least on episode every single day.” Solitaire, Page 100

While this could just be because it’s on tv I figured if she really didn’t enjoy the show she could definitely watch something else. This is probably an example of “preservation” which is a coping mechanism that helps people with autism to find comfort in predictability and routine.

3. Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (e.g., strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests).

- “The matter of the fact is that Star Wars was actually a major obsession of mine when I was a kid” Solitaire, Page 24

Apparently most children don’t have extreme, obsessions that consume all of their waking thoughts (I cannot attest to this, I’ve been hyper fixating on random stuff since I was like 2). Anyway, hyper fixation is a sign of Autism which is often overlooked in girls because it’s usually something related to pop culture and is ignored as just being “fangirling”.

- “I have already stuck all of Solitaires previous posts. My wall is completely covered.” Solitaire, Page 297

This is only one example but if you’ve read solitaire you’ll know that Tori gets very obsessed with solitaire and especially toward the end of the book I’d argue that it does start to become quite a hyper fixation.

4. Hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g. apparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement).

- “I started to feel all this hair on my forehead and my cheeks and how it plastered my shoulders and back and I felt it creeping around me like worms, choking me to death.” Solitaire, Page 15

So this is an example of sensory overload, while this can affect anyone, it is very common in people with Autism as they often have a hyper awareness of sensory stimuli, causing it to become very overwhelming. So this can happen with things like sound as well and I didn’t put it in here but there is another quote when she’s at Becky’s party talking about how loud it is.

- “At some point I fall asleep but I can here all these creaky noises coming from outside” Solitaire, page 65

So this quote isn’t exactly that special but it’s the way she brings it up every time she sleeps, like she’s so hyper aware of the sounds outside that it begins to prevent her from sleeping.

Here are some other miscellaneous quotes that I wanted to throw in because I think they are relevant:

- “Who would I be,” I ask at one point, “if I were any of the Big Bang theory characters?”

“Sheldon,” - Charlie Spring, Solitaire, Page 100

This quote is nothing really I just thought it was interesting that Charlie related Tori to Sheldon as he’s generally seen as another autistic coded character (No matter how problematic that may be, I haven’t actually seen the show I just know a lot of people with Autism think it’s poor representation)

- “I don’t want people to try and understand why I am the way I am, because I should be the first person to understand that and I don’t understand yet.” Solitaire, (I lost the page)

- “I’ve got to do something,” I keep saying,” Solitaire, Page 272

Ok so throughout Solitaire (and ‘This Winter’ and the ‘Heartstopper’ graphic novels) Tori displays a very high sense of empathy. Main examples of this are with her brother Charlie and in that scene where Ben Hope gets beat up at the Solitaire meet up. Stereotypically people with autism have a low sense of empathy but actually it’s a spectrum and many people with autism (more often girls) experience a heightened sense of empathy.

- “Before boys, before sex, before alcohol, before she started to move on while I stayed exactly where I was.” Solitaire, Page 353

In girls signs of Autism generally begin to manifest more during their tween/teenage years. Girls who appeared to be progressing at a similar rate to their peers may begin to fall behind due to the increased social and academic pressure. This quote could however be more related to Tori being asexual, which we will get into now.

Asexuality and Autism

As confirmed in volume 5 of Heartstopper, Tori Spring is asexual. People with Autism are 2-3 times more likely to identify as a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Especially, the aroace community. The studies I looked at said around 30% of people with Autism also identified as aro/ace, this is also more common in women with Autism than men.

Autistic Meltdowns

So in addition to those direct quotes a repeated occurrence throughout Solitaire is Tori’s emotions bubbling up and eventually bursting out… and what could these outburst actually be? Autistic Meltdown.

The main examples that come to mind for Tori are the fight with Michael, that scene where Charlie asks if she’s ok and she starts crying and the scene where she’s talking to Lucas about Charlie at the concert.

Safe Foods

Ok Tori’s obsession with diet lemonade is kind of iconic. People with Autism often tend to have ‘safe foods’ that don’t trigger sensory issues, usually these are specific things with consistent, safe, tastes. For Tori, this is diet lemonade. Another thing to point out about this is the fact that she always uses straws which is possibly either a sensory thing or a routine :)

Ok, that’s about it… I don’t believe anyone would actually read all that but if you did… damn, thanks :))

Some of the resources I used:

https://www.allohealth.care/healthfeed/sexuality/asexuality-and-autism

https://neurodivergentinsights.com/autism-infographics/autism-and-sexual-diversity?format=amp

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/08/the-bond-between-animals-and-the-autistic/623372/

https://socialcaretalk.org/experiences/life-autism-spectrum/autism-feeling-different-wanting-to-fit-in/

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/hcp-dsm.html

https://jackiesilvernutrition.com/articles/autism-safe-food/

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misfithive · 1 year

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OKAY i may be projecting but tori spring x Michael holden give major autism x adhd vibes. Perfect balance and pairing. Deep understanding of one another while being opposites in a lot of ways. This is a niche thought but i hope someone understands

Also Michael seems to have undiagnosed adhd- extremely smart but bad at test taking, people saying he’s not trying when he is actually trying his best. I should not have to explain how Tori is autistically coded! But anyway yeah, i love them and as an autistic (depressed) ace in a partnership with a good hearted adhder i felt so seen with this book!

#solitaire #actually autistic #heartstopper #asexual #ace #asexuality #tori spring #michael holden #tori spring and michael holden #yes my partner and i are tori and micheal so this feels personal #adhd #osemanverse #alice oseman

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willows-woes · 2 years

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HOW COME I DIDN'T NOTICE TORI WAS AUTISTIC CODED UNTIL I REALISED AUTISTIC TORI WAS A COMMON/POPULAR OSEMANVERSE HEADCANON

anyways, here are my silly little reasons why I personally think Tori Spring may be autistic. maybe this is stupid/offensive/flat out incorrect, and i'm genuinely sorry if it is. this specifically uses information from Tori's point of view in Solitaire/This Winter, and might have spoilers.

Again, I'm extremely sorry if this is offensive to autistics. Please tell me if it is, specifically what you found offensive and how I can improve in the future /gen.

Reminder that autism is a spectrum, and can present differently in everyone. Not all autistics have the same symptoms.

Monotone voice.

Cares deeply for the people she loves, but doesn't know how to express it and comes off as apathetic because of this.

Socializing doesn't come naturally to her, she doesn't always instinctively know how to act around other people/in a conversation [Becky said she's "as sociable as a cardboard box" around people other than herself].

She's mentioned to feel like she has to consciously change her behaviour around other people to appear "normal". This is called masking, for those who don't know.

Has trouble turning thoughts into words.

Quite blunt, and doesn't understand when that can be rude [not intended as an insult].

I might add onto this later, because for now that's all I can think of.

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godza · 10 months

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omg ppl are online at this hour. heres my thoughts. tenma knows a great bit of the es cast since theyre famous. it is extremely funny to me if he knows wataru, but hates him. wait hold on i found a tierlist someone made and have Opinions

get mayoi out of summer!! shu should be in winter, what is wrong with you? its so funny to me that all of ryst is in summer except for chiaki, he wouldnt last a day in aki. i feel like the twins might do better in natsu but harus ok. rinne in spring is fucking hilarious. mitsuru in autumn im tentative on that like he could do it but idk if hed vibe there. midori in natsu is ok hes the lone tsukomi. adonis has tsukomi vibes but you have to get mean to be a tsukomi i dont think he cpuld do it. koga in natsu is hilarious get him out of there but its ok hell pull a kumon. hiyori is summer coded but hed act better in spring. jun would prefer autumn but summers perfect for him.leo can be in spring like sure whatever. nagisa shld be in winter wtf. aira in autumn hed die youd kill him put him in spring. izumi in autumn is no good get him to winter. tori is meh in winter hed thrive in spring more. i should just make my own tierlist if i hate this so much damn. well thats a task for tomorrow. maybe on the plane. if i didnt mention a character assume im fine with their placement. man listening to mahiru no zanzou while typing this rlly killed the vibes

#t #ensties

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adamgant · 14 days

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2024 Mothers Day Gift Guide

2024 Mother’s Day Gift Guide https://ift.tt/HpRDExC Sharing some gift ideas for all of the ladies in your life! Moms, grandmas, nanas, friends, mom figures, new moms, whoever you want to shower with something special this Mother’s Day. I also wanted to recognize here that I know Mother’s Day can be hard and sad for various reasons; please know I’m holding you in my heart. Hi friends! How was the weekend? I hope you had a wonderful one. Liv had a dance competition, so we enjoyed a trip to Phoenix with swimming and dinners out in between all of the dancing. The Pilot stayed here with P to take her to practice and basketball game. We’re officially at the “divide and conquer” stage of parenting. For today’s post, I wanted to share some Mother’s Day gift ideas. I’m not requesting a lot gift-wise this year – my ideal gift looks like tickets for a show or a vacation! – but am absolutely looking forward to celebrating all of the women in our family we love so much. I thought I’d share some ideas if you’re shopping, and I’d love to hear your gift guide picks, too! Flowers and plants: Venus et fluer flowers. I get ad-targeted for these on Facebook ALL THE TIME and they’re SO GORGEOUS. The roses last an entire year! Heart shaped succulent planter. Love succulents, and since they’re so hardy, it doesn’t matter so much if you have a black thumb. These pop-up cards are so pretty and unique! This customizable concrete planter with a little air plant. I got these for my mom and nana last year and love the way they turned out. The quality is incredible, too! Personalized + jewelry: Handwriting bracelet. This one is designed based on your own handwriting. Hand painted earrings. These Maya Brenner necklaces are SO gorgeous. (Ok, I do want this.) Stackable name rings. I have some initial rings for Liv and P, and they’re my favorite jewelry. It’s such a dainty and sweet gift idea. Baby bird necklace. Initial pendant necklace. “Mama” script ring. This gorgeous mothers and daughters print. A stretch bracelet with a boost of motivation. Clothes + beauty: The best “everything” dress. Dress it up or down; it’s perfection. Classic Tory Burch tote. The color is a surprising neutral. This is another great tote that can double as a diaper bag or beach bag. These pajamas or these pajamas. My two faves ever. Mama bracelet. Fruit babies bestsellers. Low-top classic white sneakers. Classic Birks. These pearl hoops. I have a similar pair and they give a little big of a statement while remaining classic. A gorgeous CZ tennis bracelet. ANYTHING from Vuori! I’m obsessed with their performance joggers and jumpsuits. They have a full Mother’s Day gift guide here if you need more ideas! A comfy and luxe robe. I have a very similar one and it’s a lighter fabric for spring/summer. Pure silk pillowcase. Miller sandals with a little extra support. Love it! The best sleep mask. This is a staple in my life (I even travel with it), and I sleep better and more soundly when I use it. A Drybar blow-dryer brush. Ergonomic eye mask. Home + entertaining: A round marble cheese board. The CUTEST Le Creuset dish. A gorgeous floral pitcher. The best humidifier for dry summer months. (use code FITNESSISTA) A gift box from my fave spot for local goodies: Creative Kind! They make the most beautiful custom boxes. The softest and coziest blanket. These cozy Mama Bear slippers. A self-heating mug. Under $30: A peony candle! A cheeky dishtowel. “I like big bundts” is my #1. Motherhood is a walk in the park. Jurassic Park. A customized dog oven mitt. For the fitness-loving mamas: A new yoga mat (

#The Fitnessista

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hotarutranslations · 4 years

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Conan And Code Geass and Homare!

Evening

Its Ishida Ayumi

MV Viewing Meet has been uploaded--!

everyone met up to watch the, LOVEpedia MV but,

↑ in this way, it was exciting!

Man, at a glance, its obvious that we watching on the day of the Christmas event! lol Everyones reactions are fresh themselves so, please enjoy the feeling of us watchin the MV together

Together with the points the fans are excited about,

or perhaps they're different,

wondering where the members will be the most excited,

thats something to look forward to

Todays topics will be flying around a bit←

Follow me...

ok!?

I was surprised but,

My phone will naturally give me news about Morning and Haropro but, when I saw this mornings net news,

"Matsuzaka Tori"-san "HaroPro"

I saw those 2 words lined up, I thought what happened......lol

Involved with Hello! Project,

"At that time. A Man's Kashimashi Monogatari"

thats the work, this topic is being made into a movie!!

Somehow,

lots of people,

have gratitude towards "HaroPro Love" <3

Those who lend their power to HaroPro, there really are a lot like that...!!! I've thought again recently, really, do your best! do your best!

Of courrrrsseeeee, Thats the presence of all of the fans

Our new songs release is the day after tomorrow right

Thank you for waiting

Interjecting some announcements,

For the new songs commemorative release events, 1/21 MyNavi BLITZ Akasaka 1/22 Shinjuku ReNY (day of release) 1/23 Ario Hashimoto (Nonaka Yokoyama Kitagawa Okamura Yamazaki) 1/24 Ikebukuro Sunshine City

This week we'll be able to meet a lot so definitely!

In particular the viewing is free on the 24th, Definitely come to the meeting place if you have time~~~~~! Of course I'll be waiting at the handshakes~!

On the 25th (Sat) and 26th (Sun), at the Hello! Project Official Shop (Akihabara, Nagoya, Osaka) or going to the Orix theater venue for "Hello! Project 2020 Winter HELLO! PROJECT IS " " ~side A~ ~side B~" those that purchased the product "KOKORO&KARADA/LOVEpedia/Ningen Kankei No way way" NEW single,

get a signed poster as a present!

since this is here definitely do it

I'm also looking towards the completed movie! When it comes out I'll go and see ittt!

I'm saying this as its passed but,

Until today the Friday Road Show planned,

and have going on a, "Detective Conan Movie Popularity Vote"

Of course I also voted

I thought it would be breaking the rules if I said it during the voting period, but now that its over maybe its ok!?

What I voted for,

here,

"Captured In Her Eyes"

Its that! Yes! I want to see it! Really! I want to see it!

The movie came out in 2000, its my favorite movie... <3

I realized that,

in 2000,

the 3 of the girls in 15th generation hadn't been born yet eh, its quite the shock lol

Makino Maria-chan, Yokoyama Reina-chan, and Haga Akane-chan weren't born yet either, those girls were born in 2001 and 2002, eh, a shock lol

That is I too, was only 3 years old in 2000,

I don't really remember when I saw this movie and how I liked it,

Ran and Shinichi's relationship, Conan's feelings of "I'll do anything if its for Ran" is really exciting, um, will they save her at the last minute or not!? the work has that kind of nervous feeling, in a hopeless situation where Ran has amnesia is too sad, do your best, Conan,,,its worth seeing

I was at a loss with Countdown to Heaven! And with The Phantom of Baker Street! And Private Eyes Requiem! Darkest Nightmare is a recent work that I like but I didn't think about it this time!

I look forward to seeing what work will be #1... <3

I'm still continuing, are you following!? lol

"Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion"

Include R2, its 50 episodes in total, I properly watched it all

I had a big cry in the last episode...... it had been a while since I was sobbing

When I first stated watching this anime, because it was recommended to me,

the first episode is a but uh? difficult? hm?

I was worried about it,

Ah, its a robot anime!? (I apologize for my real state of ignorance)

there was a wall to get into it...

...I had thought

Before I knew it was absorbed into it

Lelouch's side Suzaku's side

Which side!? I think you'll be asked that, somehow its, which one doesn't matter, because they want to protect things that are important to them...Good is evil, evil is good, why do they end up suffering so...Its the kind of thing where you want to look back on the beginning when you get to the end, it became as I thought it would in the last episode

From here I want to see the movies,

perhaps it would be good to stay a bit longer in its afterglow,

If you've seen it you understand

I'm sorry for that kind of writing If you're interested please check it out

I'm still really detailed! Since I'm not that person, I think there are still some places that aren't enough but, please talk to me about Geass at the handshakes...

Also,

I've decided, I'm going to watch

Demon Slayer

lol

Homa-chan <3

Today, I went and talked with the 15th generation, Homa-chan was reading a scary story out loud,

we listened to it together,

but the reader was too cute so it wasn't scary at all

Again!

Tomorrow is the Akasaka mini live & handshake meet! I'll be waiting!

The magazine "non-no" was published today

Spring tour ticket blog advanced reception Its until the 23rd! Definitely!

Alright, its over!!!

see you ayumin <3

https://ameblo.jp/morningmusume-10ki/entry-12568519156.html

#Ishida Ayumi #Morning Musume '20 #Morning Musume #Okamura Homare #Hello! Project #Translation #Blog

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memoriesthatkeepyounear · 5 years

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150 Random Questions

1.) What’s better, having high expectations or having low expectations?

Low lmao

2.) Would you rather go without junk food for a year or go without TV for a year?

junk food

3.) Describe your perfect man/woman.

Tall, funny, weird, silly,serious,optimistic,driven,adventuous, list goes on

4.) Thoughts on school dress codes?

they’re honestly stupid and degrading but some are necessary

5.)Any strange phobias?

Not that i can think of

6.) At what job do you see Donald Trump best fit?

6 feet underground

7.) Who was your first crush?

NIck Jonas lmao

8.) Who was your first best friend?

Girl named Morgan don’t remember her last name.

9.)What is one weird thing about you?

I hate when I have an uneven amount of tattoos.

10.) Top 5 TV shows you like to watch?

11.) What are your favorite boys names? Degrassi, Greys Anatomy,TVD,Black Mirror

12.) What are your favorite girls names? Marley,Tasha idk i dont really have any lol

13.) Do you have any tattoos? If so, what are they? Yes, there’s too many to name each one lmao

14.) Do you plan on getting (more) tattoos? If so, what do you want to get as of the moment? yes many mor, next one is an alien head with a space ship and UFO.

15.) Do you have any piercings? Do you plan on getting more? i mean just my ears and eh maybe

16.) Do you like hugging people?

eh i could live without hugs tbh lol

17.) Think of ANY person on earth right now. Who did you think of? you don’t want to know (CB)

18.) Do you have an iPhone? yes iphone 8 plus

19.) What is the worst thing that could happen in your life right now? losing one of my jobs lmao

20.) Do you watch anime? no

21.) What brings true happiness? music,traveling,friends,concerts.

22.) What is the most expensive thing you’ve ever paid for? honestly, i dont know i dont remember

23.) If you could have any job in the world and get paid millions of dollars a year for it, what would you be and why? tour manager or selling merch for a band

24.) Do you want children? If so, how many? honestly no but if i had to have children probably 1 or 2

25.) Name and describe someone who you feel most comfortable around. I’ll just name them, Pape, Chase, Michele, Destany,Chris, Zion, Mary,Tori, Alyssa

26.)If you could invent a holiday, what would it be? Corbyn Besson Day just because LMAO

27.)Would you rather have summer weather or winter weather all year round? This isn’t a choice but spring weather

28.) If you could make an alien race, describe what they would look like. they would look like an alien racing, obviously.

29.) What was the first thing you learned to cook? Grilled Cheese

30.) Describe your sense of humor. I’m funny as fuuuuck. I’ll send memes, stupid random shit i can think if, anything.

31.) What is the key to happiness? Surrounding yourself with positivity, and trying to find the positive out of anything negative that happens. Not worrying what other people think of you except yourself. Surrounding yourself with good people

32.) How many phone numbers do you have committed to memory? Whose numbers are they? One of my sisters, both my parents, thats about it lmao

33.) Name three songs that make you want to dance. Dazed adn Confused-Jake Miller, Mojo-Round2Crew,something different-wdw

34.) What job did you want to have as a child? Vet Technician

35.) Do you have any talents or skills? My talent is getting all the rings in the ring game on toontown

36.) What was the worst punishment you’ve ever had? I got grounded for a month-dont remember what i did tho

37.) Did you ever do anything weird as a child? Oh im sure i did.

38.) What is your dream car? a car that doesn’t break down

39.) Describe something that made you laugh this week. probably something corbyn did or sue or my friends

40.) Did you have a dream last night? If so, describe it. Yes and i”d rather not lmao

41.) Do you ever have repetitive dreams? Describe it/them. oh yes and u don’t want to hear that either

42.) Describe the worst/ scariest dream you’ve ever had. I’ll always remember this--I was younger maybe like 11 and it was that my dad went psychotic and my sisters and her friends snuck outside and tried to get away but he found us, threw us in his car and had my neighbors at the time help him kill us idk bro it was wild. thats the short version.

43.) Describe the best dream you’ve ever had. there’s so many and no thank you

44.) If God himself gave you a choice of either having unlimited money for the rest of your life or finding your one true love starting tomorrow, which one would you choose (keep in mind, you are still able to make a ton of money if you choose love, and you are still able to meet your soul mate if you choose money)? probably finding my one true love-thats worth more than any amount of money

45.) If you could do anything (and I mean ANYTHING) right now without consequences, what would you do and why? honestly i dont know

46.) Do you have any recipes that you know off the top of your head? What is it/ what are they? yes, how to make whipped cream lmao

47.) Do you have your license? If so, do you have a car? no

48.) Have you ever had a near death experience? yes

49.) Do you personally know anyone that has been to prison? yes

50.) Have you ever been in a physical fight?

yes.

51.) When you get out of the shower, do you towel dry, blow dry, or air dry your hair? depends, if im not leaving the house i towel dry and then air dry but if i have to look good i blow dry.

52.) When you go to the movies, what snacks and drinks do you take with you? candy, popcorn, soda or an icee

53.) Do you like going to the beach? If so, do you like to stay dry or go in the water? If not, why? i like goigng to the beach adn going in the water, i hate sand

54.) Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

sometimes.

55.) If you could have a superpower ASIDE from being invisible or being able to fly, what would you have? reading minds.

56.) If you were able to live for however long you wanted to (i’m talking thousands of years without aging), when would you choose to die? in this moment tomorrow lmao

57.) What do you think happens after you die? the light you go into is really the light when ur leaving the womb and your soul goes into a baby just beig born

58.) Do you believe in aliens? yes

59.) Do you believe in ghosts? yes

60.) Do you believe in spiritual things like ouija boards, tarot cards, and crystals? Do you believe they are portals for evil entities to enter the mortal world? yes

61.) If you could make one mythical being real, who/what would you make?

i dont know

62.) Do you get tan, or do you burn? the first time i tan, i burn the rest of the time i tan

63.) Describe your shower routine. I get in, shampoo, shave, rinse, conditioner, exfoliate sometimes, and body wash then rise hair and get out

64.) Do you enjoy school? Why or why not? Im not in school

65.) In your opinion, what is the worst way to die? struggling

66.) Do you get carsick, sea sick, or airplane sickness? no

67.) What’s one memory that you wish you could live again and again? probs seeing one direction lmao i miss them

68.) What were some of your stuffed animal’s names from when you were a kid? scraper-he was a dog i still have him

69.)Do you have any pets? no

70.) Describe your daily wardrobe. homeless

71.) Describe what your daily wardrobe would be if you were rich. beautiful,with the trends

72.) Create a character right now. Give them a name, age, and character description. Jessica Arkansas from Ohio, 22, makes youtube videos, fun when drunk,funny,works alot, drinks alot, smokes weed sometimes, love making people happy.

73.)What was the last thing you bought? Aromatherapy sleep lotion and shower gel from bath and body works.

74.) Have you ever bought a CD? What band was it for? uh yes I have many CDs, jonas brothers

75.) Describe your perfect ice cream sundae. the traditional one

76.) If you could make ANYTHING happen right now with no cost, trouble, or obstacles, what would you do? make corbyn besson fall in love with me

77.) What are some of your favorite physical activities to do? hiking, walking, going ton the gym

78.) What were some of your favorite shows as a child? Dragon tales, The Amanda show, hannah montana, thats so raven, wizards of waverly place, jonas,little bear, oswald. theres much more

79.) Describe how you would survive the zombie apocalypse. I wouldn’t

80.)What are some things you shouldn’t say at work? anything unprofessional

81.) If you were told that if you killed someone, you would save 100 people, would you do it? depends who the person im killig is (if its ****** or ********* then absolutely)

82.) How’s the weather right now? cold

83.) What is the background on your cell phone right now? its flowers that gnash tweeted one time when he released the broken hearts club

84.)Is it better to work at a job that you love or a job that pays well? a job you love.

85.) What do you have within arms reach of your bed? my stuffed giraffes.

86.) Have you ever been fired from a job? If so, why? no

87.) Have you ever won a trophy, prize, or medal? If so, for what? yes many, for soccer

88.) Do you have any posters, pictures, or art hanging on your walls in your room? If so, what are they? I have 1 poster and its corbyn and then i gave 2 2019 calendars one is jake millers and the other is a friends tv show one and i have hats on tacs hanging, poloroid pictures and a giant s for my name

89.) Are you afraid of the dark? If so, why? yes, because the dark is mf scary

90.)What is something that you’ve never done but would like to try? sky diving or parasailing

91.) If you could choose three famous people or characters to be friends with, who would you choose and why? wdw bc why not and they cool, the cast of friends because they are me and i love them, niall horan bc hes the loml

92.) Do you smile at strangers when you pass by them on the street? sometimes

93.) Do you have a favorite TV commercial? If so, what is it? no

94.) Do you like your handwriting? no

95.) Cable TV or Netflix? netflix

96.) What are your favorite smells? beautiful day from bbw

97.) Do you consider yourself physically strong? no im a weak ass bitch

98.) Describe a time where you said something really rude or mean, whether intentional or not.

oh there are mnay times im a bitch

99.) Do you ask strangers to pet their dogs? yes

100.)What is your most embarrassing moment?

wasn’t even my fault but when a group of drunk girls mauled me down a flight of stairs in front of people and DIDN’T EVEN NOTICE LMAO also whe I tripped at my high school graduaton going to get my diploma.

101.) Has anyone really close to you ever died? If so, who was it and how did you handle it?

yes, my uncle and i did not handle it well.

102.) Describe your plan of action if you were home alone and you heard someone break into your house.

Lock myself in a room and call 911 or fight them lmao

103.) If you were to be born again, would you want to be born male or female?

probs male

104.) What shampoo do you use?

the cheapest one i can find

105.) Guess the meaning of this word: ulotrichous.

I dont even know where to start lmao definitely a phobia for something maybe

106.) Do you let messages (phone, email, text, social media, etc…) build up, or do you have to look at them right away?

texts i let build but everythig else i dont

107.) Where is the nearest McDonalds to your house?

on the other side of town like 5 mins away

108.) If you had $1 billion and you had to spend it in exactly one week, what would you spend it on?

makeup, concerts tickets, plane tickets, clothes, alcohol,food.

109.) What is the best thing you’ve ever eaten?

pasta for sure

110.) If you could go on a trip around the world with up to three people, who would you bring (they can be people you know personally or famous people).

Michele, Zion, thats about it lmao

111.) What expletive/ explicit phrase do you say most often?

fuck off i guess

112.) What is your personal definition of success?

happy with yourself, your job, your life as a whole

113.) How was your day today?

it was good, tiring.

114.) What is the closest Big City you live by?

hartford or probably new york

115.) Have you ever been in a car accident?

116.) Do you hide anything from your parents?

yes

117.) If you could possess one talent, what would you be able to do?

sing or dance.

118.) Ugly and smart or beautiful and stupid?

ufgly and smart

119.) What is the worst thing you’ve ever seen in real life?

i dont know

120.) Use only 3 words to describe how you want your future to go.

happy, imperfectly perfect and promising.

121.) QUICK! give me a few things a brick could be useful for

hitting myself in the head

122.) If you could make a dream society, describe it in great detail where it would be, who would be in it, and what rules there would be?

somewhere warm, my friends/favorite artists, no negativity, everything is free, the artists who live there HAVE to perform every other weekend.

123.) If you could make any animal miniature, what would you make and why?

giraffes so in can have one as a pet,

124.) What are your favorite candle scents?

salted caramel, flannel, vanilla bean noel, champagne toast, hot cocoa and cream,endless weekend

125.) If you HAD to have one plastic surgery, what would you get and why?

something to make me skinnier

126.) Do you prefer to hang out with the same sex or the opposite sex?

opposite--less drama.

127.) If you could make a charity, what would the profits go towards? How would you raise money for it?

animals,homeless people, children

128.) Describe the body you wish you had.

just a flatter stomach and thinner thighs

129.) If you were a famous director, what would your next movie be about? Describe the plot, characters, and possible title.

probs a romcom or a romance movie--to tired to make a plot

130.) If only women were to rule the world, how different would the world be by 2050?

very probably better tho

131.) What is your favorite alcoholic drink?

jack and coke.

132.) Do you have a problematic friend?

doesn;t everyone?

133.) Are you more spontaneous or more of a planner?

spontaneous

134.) If you could change your full name, what would your name be?

idk

135.) What is one song that describes your life?

probably wait for you by jake miller or invisible by anna clendending

136.) What is one show you’ve been meaning to watch but can never find the time for?

all of the ones in my list

137.) Do you find it easy to drop toxic people from your life that you’ve known for a long time?

yes

138.) Do you like children? Why or why not?

yes bc they’re cute af and funny and honest

139.) What is your zodiac sign?

pisces

140.) Do you like to dance? Do you dance often? In front of other people?

when im drunk

141.) Name some of your favorite colors.

blue

142.) Have you ever shoplifted? If so, what was it?

yes random stuff from walmart lmao

143.) If you could speak three additional languages, what would they be?

spanish, italian and french

144.) Have you ever been in legal trouble?

145.) Have you ever had surgery?

yes twice.

146.) If you could change 2 things about yourself, what would you change and why?

my body and my face bc uglyand fat

147.) What do you want done with your body after you die?

cremated

148.) What three physical features do people compliment you most on? What do they say about them?

my hair, eyes and outfit sometimes.

149.) If you could have your own business, what would you do?

something that requires me to travel

150.) What current friend do you have that you’ve known the longest?

Angelica--known her before we were born

#questions #aboutme #gettoknowme #followme #follow #150questions #questions tag

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jonasmaurer · 3 years

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2021 Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Sharing some gift ideas for all of the ladies in your life! Moms, grandmas, nanas, friends, mom figures, new moms, whoever you want to shower with something special this Mother’s Day. I also wanted to recognize here that I know Mother’s Day can be hard and sad for various reasons; please know I’m holding you in my heart.

Hi friends! How was the weekend? Ours was a good one! It was pretty low-key with lots of family time, a special date with P while Liv was at a friend’s house, a beautiful spring run to cap off this week’s barre bootcamp workouts, and a giant cheese board. All the good stuff.. except I ended up fracturing my pinky on Sunday. I’ve got a splint and am crossing my fingers it heals quickly!

For today’s post, I wanted to share some Mother’s Day gift ideas. I’m thinking/hoping this year will be much better than last year! 2020 Mother’s Day, we were completely isolated and I had a mysterious full-body rash. I’m not requesting a lot gift-wise this year, but am absolutely looking forward to celebrating all of the women in our family we love so much. I thought I’d share some ideas if you’re shopping, and I’d love to hear your gift guide picks, too!

Flowers and plants:

Venus et fluer flowers. I get ad-targeted for these on Facebook ALL THE TIME and they’re SO GORGEOUS. The roses last an entire year!

Heart shaped succulent planter. Love succulents, and since they’re so hardy, it doesn’t matter so much if you have a black thumb.

This customizable concrete planter with a little air plant.

A houseplant from the Sill. They have so many different options!

Personalized + jewelry:

Handwriting bracelet. This one is designed based on your own handwriting.

Stackable name rings. I have some initial rings for Liv and P, and they’re my favorite jewelry. It’s such a dainty and sweet gift idea.

Baby bird necklace.

A Mantraband cuff. This is a perfect way to spread some words of encouragement to a mama you love.

Initial pendant necklace.

“Mama” script ring.

This gorgeous mothers and daughters print.

A stretch bracelet with a boost of motivation.

Clothes + beauty:

Classic Tory Burch tote. This carryall can double as a diaper bag or beach bag, too.

These pajamas or these pajamas! My two faves ever.

Sugar hydrating lip kit.

A comfy and luxe robe. I have a very similar one and it’s a lighter fabric for spring/summer.

Pure silk pillowcase.

Miller sandals with a little extra support. Love it!

The best sleep mask. This is a staple in my life (I even travel with it), and I sleep better and more soundly when I use it.

Our All Bright C serum or Overnight Resurfacing Peel (15-20% off sitewide right now!)

Home + entertaining:

Gorgeous ceramic bowl set.

A round marble cheese board.

The CUTEST Le Creuset dish.

A gift box from my fave spot for local goodies: Creative Kind! They make the most beautiful custom boxes.

The softest and coziest blanket.

Under $30:

A funny candle.

A cheeky dishtowel. “I like big bundts” is my #1.

You can add a note to this soy candle.

Motherhood is a walk in the park. Jurassic Park.

For the fitness-loving mamas:

Bala bangles! These are weighted bracelets that look gorgeous and amp up walking, hiking, barre, and yoga workouts.

A new yoga mat (<— I’ve had this one for 10+ years and it still looks and works great) or mat towel.

The best leggings or some bike shorts.

Equilibria bath bombs and bath soak! (Use the code FITNESSISTA for 15% off and you can stack this with their current 30% off promo) These can help with sore muscles and relaxation; I always sleep so well after I use the bath bombs or bath soak.

Everyday sneakers in a fun new color.

The new Fitbit! I can’t even handle the link bracelet band.

Experience gifts:

A spa day, massage, facial, or pedicure.

Plan a movie and dinner night with just the two of you.

Offer to wrangle her kiddos for a few hours while she does whatever she’d like. She can use the time to workout, meet up with a friend, walk around Target alone, or stare at the wall in silence. 😉

Host a wine-tasting picnic. Invite her on an afternoon picnic with an awesome cheese board + some of your favorite wines.

And at the end of the day, I nice card really makes all the difference in the world. A little “I see you, and you’re crushing it” can go such a long way. <3

So, tell me friends: any gift ideas on your personal list or that you’ve found this year? Please shout it out in the comments! Fellow mama friends, what do you want for Mother’s Day this year? If a get a homemade card from the girls and a nap, I’ll be stoked.

Gina

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normalpeoplethiings · 7 months

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i genuinely never know how to feel about lucas ryan. i mean he isn’t a great guy because of what he did in solitaire however he really does regret what he did as shown in a cameo of him in radio silence. but he also shouldn’t fully be forgiven for what he did during solitaire. people could’ve died. i kind of just feel meh about him but be confused me so much and i never know how to feel about him.

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adventures-in-transmania · 5 years

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Storytime - Mental health over the years

Sleep deprivation is a funny thing. I’ve gotten a few hours sleep since getting home after a fucking long week so that’s good. Up until about a year ago, I wasn’t in a good place emotionally. It was rather dark, some days were worse than others. The thoughts were the worst part. They came on so slowly that I didn’t notice, but at the same time realized things had gotten bad. In high school, I couldn’t really do much about it. When I tried to talk to the guidance counselor, it was clear that wouldn’t help. I expressed interest in talking to someone to my parent, considering I grew up with them in therapy, I didn’t have the negative ideology that therapy is useless/unnecessary and I was well aware of the impact of mental health. Considering I used to get stomachaches nearly every day during elementary and middle school if I even thought I forgot something as silly as a pen, there was something off. I swear, it got so bad that I spent almost every day nauseous, to the point that my nausea has to get very bad before I even realize it’s there now.

Turns out talking to someone wasn’t exactly a priority for me during my time in high school. At 16 or 17, or even 18, I didn’t exactly know where I could go, let alone have a license or car to get there. Seeing as the closest place was probably 15 miles away and not what I needed, I guess it was for the best?

At some point, I just got used to it. When I got to college, most of my friend group was also depressed, anxious, and just generally mentally unhealthy. We all made stereotypical self-deprecation, suicidal jokes that ‘millennials’ are known for. We all knew it was a coping mechanism and didn’t usually address it. It was an environment that one could say “hahah, today was terrible, guess I’ll just die?” and we’d all laugh because we got it. But we never really talked about it in any other way that may have been productive (not saying that coping mechanisms aren’t productive, but it would have been nice to have an actual conversation about things). I remember having to code-switch when I went to work because if I said something like that in front of many of the older workers (and some of the younger ones that didn’t seem to get it).

This went on for two years in college. I was managing on my own. I had no intentions of seeking any sort of help, despite knowing a couple of my friends were having some success in counseling through the university I went to. Most of my friends went to one counselor in particular, loved her. I saw her all of twice during my counselor career (which I’ll get to later, part of the reason I’m not in counseling now) and I didn’t go in with an open mind because I knew I was graduating and I had just lost ‘my’ counselor, the one I had been with for over a year, the one I kept going back to, the one that had seen me cry on so many occasions and was so supportive and just generally seemed to ‘get’ or at least sympathize with the whole trans thing and how it affected my life.

Two years into my college time, during the spring semester, the semester I met Tori (significant context), a couple of my friends went into crisis. What I mean by this is I spent several days down in counseling services, missing classes to be supportive to friends who expressed suicidal tendencies (something that I was very familiar with at that point). As someone who had no intention of making it past 18 and was now 20 in an environment that was not at all what I expected, I didn’t know where to go from there.

At some point, a friend of mine was going to an appointment and I took the opportunity to walk down with them to get myself set up with a counselor. I figured it was time and him walking down there gave me the support I needed. You see, counseling services was in a dorm building, a building that I wasn’t familiar with and in the last year I was there, you needed a special pass to get downstairs in the building. If that was the case when I was a sophomore, I would never have gone myself, too anxiety-inducing, too new.

The first semester I met Tori, she had just come back to university from taking some time off. She’d come out as trans and that was putting a strain on her relationship with her girlfriend, someone I’d been friends with since my freshmen year (the one I met in a nursing class that I accidentally mistook for one of my courses). At the moment, I don’t remember why I was the one with her in counseling services, why she even let me go in the room with her, why it wasn’t her girlfriend, but I walked her down after what I will call a bad day. I sat by her while she told her counselor about it. It wasn’t my place to be there, but I gave Tori the option and did as she wanted. I stayed with her while they called the director of counseling services (who was my counselor, someone I’d seen probably two or three times by that point) and crisis services. I stayed with her for some time after, if I remember correctly.

She was the second person that semester, that month, to spend a day in counseling services on a call to crisis services within my friend group. I don’t know why that semester seemed to have so many break-downs, but it was as though everyone had reached a breaking point and then passed it. Mine didn’t come until next year, but again, I digress.

So, I discovered counseling through a religious institution (my university). Even being a bio student, where the professors outwardly express their atheism and aren’t punished for it, I didn’t expect counseling services to be so open minded. I thought I’d be talking to someone like a Father who would have no idea about being LGBT+, who wouldn’t be able to help. Now, I’ve met some of the Fathers, and that previous comment was both wrong and closed-minded of me at the time. For a Vincentian University, they are very progressive and open-minded.

I was given an option to request M, the counselor that all of my other friends saw. I’m pretty sure I said I didn’t have a preference, but she could have been unavailable. Either way, I was paired with the new director of counseling services. It took a while for me to open up to her completely, for various reasons. I’d never actually been in counseling before, I didn’t know what to do, what to expect, what to ask for. I didn’t know why I was there, is what it boiled down to. I realized I needed help, but I wasn’t sure what kind of help to ask for or how to get what I needed out of the sessions. So, she let me talk, about anything and everything. Some things were mundane, some were not. I very quickly told her about my family situation and the whole trans thing because that was causing me the most grief. The only place I was actually taken seriously was in my friend group, of course it was hurting. She helped a lot in that respect, given that every time she referred to me, it was with the right pronouns or she would correct herself with barely an apology (my ideal way of correction). She drew parallels of her experiences and mine and gave great advice. I was with her the longest and she was by far the most helpful.

I started during the spring semester of my sophomore year, I do believe. That meant when summer came, I could either continue to drive up to my university to continue to see her, on a more flexible basis, or I could get set up with another place that catered to non-students. I was in a bad place, so I went with setting up somewhere else. I also had insurance at the time which allowed me to do so. I began seeing a second counselor. That lasted for about a month and a half, maybe, then she resigned so I had to see someone else. I went once or twice before deciding it was too much effort to start all over again, for the third time. When school started back up, I went back to counseling services through university, started with a fourth counselor, the first male counselor. I wasn’t sure about it initially, I’ve had bad experiences with men being difficult especially about the trans thing, which I wasn’t secure in at the time. That didn’t last long. Just after I thought it’d be a good fit, he left the department, so I went back to the director, my first counselor. That lasted until the end of my senior year, or a few months before. She also resigned at the beginning of my spring semester and I wound up seeing the counselor my friends had.

However, at this point, I had maybe a month left of school, I’d seen four other counselors in the last two years, all of which had left, I really didn’t have the energy to get totally invested in it again, not in the time frame I had. So I went a couple times and it wasn’t helpful, but that was my own fault.

#Storytime #Mental health #tw:suicidal ideation #tw:suicidal thoughts

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deniscollins · 5 years

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They Were Promised Coding Jobs in Appalachia. Now They Say It Was a Fraud.

The model for Mined Minds was a free 16-week coding boot camp, followed by paid “apprenticeships” with the program’s for-profit arm, a software consultancy, which would lead to salaried jobs at the Mined Minds company, or to a big tech firm such as Oracle. What would you do if you were a Mined Minds graduate and realized that the course was not for free, few students obtained jobs in this area, and corporate headquarters wasted a great deal of money: (1) continue working for Mind Minds and make the best out of it, or (2) inform local authorities that you suspect the company is a fraud? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

On a spring day in 2017, Stephanie Frame sat down in her hilltop home deep in the mountain hollows to record a video.

She began with the litany of local decline: the vanishing jobs in the coal mines, the shuttering stores, the school that closed down. During one stretch of unemployment for her coal miner husband, the two had resorted to selling ramps, ginseng and yellowroot that they had dug up in the forest.

But this video, aimed at her neighbors, was an announcement: Redemption was here. A nonprofit called Mined Minds, promising to teach West Virginians how to write computer code and then get them good-paying jobs, was looking for recruits.

“I wholeheartedly believe, and will always believe,” Ms. Frame said to the camera, “that God has sent Mined Minds to us to save us from what could have been a very bleak future.”

She had every reason to believe. Joe Manchin III, her Democratic senator, had invited the group to come into the state. The National Guard hired it to teach at its military-style academy. County commissioners arranged space rent free. National news outlets gave glowing coverage.

Many West Virginians like Ms. Frame signed up for Mined Minds, quitting their jobs or dropping out of school for the prized prospect of a stable and lucrative career. But the revival never came.

Almost none of those who signed up for Mined Minds are working in programming now. They described Mined Minds as an erratic operation, where guarantees suddenly evaporated and firings seemed inevitable, leaving people to start over again at the bottom rungs of the wage jobs they had left behind.

Over two dozen former students in West Virginia are pursuing a lawsuit, arguing that Mined Minds was a fraud. Out of the 10 or so people who made it to the final weeks of Ms. Frame’s class in Beckley, only one formally graduated. He is now delivering takeout.

“It was a too-good-to-be-true kind of deal,” said Billyjack Buzzard, 33, who attended another class and was the only former West Virginia coal miner to finish classes and get a job with the program. He was fired after 14 months and went back underground. “Just false hope.”

Mined Minds came into Appalachia espousing a certain dogma, fostered in the world of start-ups and TED Talks, and carried with missionary zeal into places in dire need of economic salvation. The group was premised on the notion, as one grant proposal read, that “anyone can have a successful career in the technology industry,” and that if enough people did, the whole area would be transformed.

Amanda Laucher, one of the founders of Mined Minds, spoke at a tech conference in 2017 of the group’s ambitions, which were swiftly expanding. “Yeah, we helped a town, we actually made some small impact,” she said of Mined Minds’ early efforts. “But can we scale it and actually diversify the economy of an entire region?”

This would be an audacious goal even in the best of circumstances. But Mined Minds was operating with a limited amount of personal cash and public funding, and was mostly staffed by people who had spent little time in tech.

Ms. Laucher now acknowledges that while she is still committed to the group’s mission, the work has not been easy. “Progress is difficult,” she said in an email, “with the current atmosphere in Appalachia which is deeply interested in maintaining a ‘culture.’”

She blamed the opioid epidemic and “the poverty culture” of the region, mentioning “Hillbilly Elegy,” the best-selling memoir by J.D. Vance, who, like Ms. Laucher, went from working-class Rust Belt roots to success in the tech sector.

She added: “There are generations of hard work ahead. We’ll be only a tiny force working toward change in the area I grew up.”

None of this — neither the experience itself nor Ms. Laucher’s thoughts about its difficulties — strikes some former students as surprising. This is, they say, how things tend to go in Appalachia.

“I get angry at people who go to other places and say, ‘My culture is better than theirs and I am going to change it,’” said Katie Bolyard, 25, a college graduate who skipped her honeymoon to take a class.

She doesn’t know the motives of the people at Mined Minds, she said, whether they had bad intentions or were just “incredibly sloppy” with good ones. But intentions only matter so much. “It’s not your life you’re messing with.”

‘They All Find a Job’

Before the founding of Mined Minds, Ms. Laucher and her husband, Jonathan Graham, were living in Chicago working as successful tech consultants. But in 2015, she learned that her younger brother, Marvin, had been laid off from a mine back in the coalfields of southwest Pennsylvania where she grew up.

He was stuck in the Appalachian dilemma: technologically savvy, as modern miners have to be, but stuck with few options. So Mr. Graham and Ms. Laucher quit their jobs and moved to Pennsylvania.

The model for Mined Minds, at least initially, was this: a free 16-week coding boot camp, followed by paid “apprenticeships” with the program’s for-profit arm, a software consultancy. Apprentices worked full-time on projects for company clients, but were also called upon to teach in the classes they had graduated from months earlier. After working for a few months, apprentices would either go on to salaried jobs at the Mined Minds company, or to a big tech firm such as Oracle.

“Every single one of them” finds work, Ms. Laucher said of the boot camp graduates, in a 2017 interview. “They all find a job.”

A guarantee like that was barely short of miraculous. Within two years, Mined Minds was one of the primary beneficiaries of a $1.5 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission. In August 2016, Mr. Manchin, who encouraged the couple to expand from Pennsylvania, said that Mr. Graham and Ms. Laucher “embody the spirit of West Virginia.”

In the spring of 2017, Tori Frame, Stephanie Frame’s daughter, was making $10 an hour as an assistant manager at a Family Dollar store when she learned about Mined Minds.

“I didn’t want to be stuck in Gauley Bridge, W.Va., my whole life working at Family Dollar,” said Tori, 23. “I wanted something different.”

Others viewed Mined Minds the same way. Andrew Farley figured he could quickly make the pay scale in coding that he made working for the railroad, but without having to leave his hometown; Chris Phelps, who washed dishes at a Cracker Barrel, thought a tech career was a way to get out of town.

Ty Cook, 29, a bank teller, saw something more, “something that would make me a worthwhile member of society.”

And there was an irresistible promise: They would be paid to take the class. Some were told this in an email by a state jobs counselor, others said they were told by Ms. Laucher. The counselor said in an email they would receive $10 an hour, with the potential for more as apprentices or when they were hired. A number of people, including Tori, quit their jobs. (Ms. Laucher has denied making any such promise.)

In late June 2017, a big crowd gathered in a classroom at a small college campus in Beckley. They met Marvin Laucher, Ms. Laucher’s brother, the former coal miner, now their main instructor. They also learned that they were not going to be paid. Some dropped out the first week.

But Tori and her mother, Stephanie, 45, stayed. Every weekday morning, Tori would wake up early, her mother would feed the chickens and together they would head down the serpentine mountain road to Beckley. Nights and weekends they spent in the glow of their laptops — bought from a website on credit — learning the rudiments of Ruby, the programming language.

There was never much of a syllabus; students would be given an assignment and spend the next few days trying to figure it out, mostly by themselves. The usual answer to questions, multiple students said, was “Google it.” A few quietly wondered how much their teachers really knew.

Unease began to settle in among some of the students. They began to learn from their teaching assistants, graduates of a recent Mined Minds class, that the good stable jobs promised by the group were not nearly as stable as they appeared.

Firings and resignations were routine among the staff. One of the Beckley teaching assistants, a 33-year-old named Maxx Turner, had already been fired, then rehired after several fruitless months of searching for programming work, he said. Some began to suspect that the program couldn’t afford the job guarantee it was advertising.

Money woes did not make sense, given what they saw of the founders’ lifestyle: the travels worldwide, the views from an office in Chicago’s Trump Tower, the ever-replenishing tequila bottles at the West Virginia headquarters, the boozy house parties in Pennsylvania.

Several former Mined Minds staff members described company gatherings the same way: Their bosses ordering seemingly endless shots, hectoring the more timid drinkers. “I thought by going out drinking with them I’d put myself in a better position,” said Michael Moore, 35, the other teaching assistant in Beckley, who dropped out of community college to take the program.

The promised 16-week class went on 17 weeks. Then 18, then 19. As the class continued, many students began to run out of money. Out of the more than two dozen students who began, about 10 were left by late October, some playing computer games in class to pass the time, just waiting for the final project before graduation.

A Fateful Trip

Early on, Ms. Laucher had suggested the project would be something for the community, maybe a gaming app addressing the opioid epidemic. Then the project was finally announced: the design of a website for a pet bed-and-breakfast that Ms. Laucher’s mother was opening in Pennsylvania.

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