#CPS Budget Cut

[lightsaber-dorphin]

Jedi Order Bureaucratic Structure

I’ve been working for a while on worldbuilding the inner workings of the Jedi Order. Below is a flowchart of the administrative bodies, their duties, and any other admin bodies they oversee. More details on each below the cut.

These are different groups involved in running the Jedi Order. For different roles within the Jedi, see my Jedi Order Corps and Subdivisions.

High Council: (Finance, bylaws, PR, major trials)

Determines the budget(s)

Relations with the Senate

Only body that can expel members

Librarian's Assembly: (Ensures knowledge is available to Jedi)

Fund academic researchers (many Jedi researchers work directly for the assembly)

Archives: (Run the Archives & research)

Host academic conferences

Protect important artifacts

Run basically directly by the Librarian's Assembly

Department of Classes: (Adult education)

Organize all classes that aren't geneds

Set criteria for certifications/ degrees

Help members get degrees from external organizations

Council of Reassignment: (Oversees transfers & is Jedi CPS)

New Initiate paperwork

Transfers between corps and/or branches

Helps members leave the Order

Checks the CoFK when necessary

Padawanship paperwork filed here (crèchemasters sign off, padawan signs off, check master for red flags/ not allowed to take apprentice, sometimes mind healer signs off)

Council of Justice: (Attourneys & internal justice system)

Try & punish cases committed by Jedi & internal to the Jedi Order

Mediate interpersonal disputes

Lawyers for the Order

Cannot expel members

Council of Outreach: (Manages outposts & patrols)

Assigns Jedi to satellite locations or watchfolk posts

Hires other outpost staff

Ships supplies to & from outposts

Tracks the locations of missions & sends Vanguards to areas that haven't been visited recently

Council of Temple Maintenance: (Oversees internal services and temple upkeep)

In charge of the cleaning droids

Coordinates trash & recycling with Coruscant government

Has the occasional member who can do specialized maintenance (ex. plumber, electrician)

Volunteers sign up to fix things

Hires outside contractors when there isn't a Jedi with the necessary skills

Assigns Jedi to living quarters

Interior decor

Delegates chores such as taking out the trash, mopping, dusting, etc.

Padawans and initiates are often assigned these chores as punishments

Kitchenmasters: (Mess halls)

Make & serve food in the mess halls

Label the food with which species can eat it

Order food supplies

Supervise initiate clans helping in the kitchens

Quartermasters: (Distribute supplies & manage finances)

Bulk-order supplies for the Order

Provide mission allotments

Desk operators help members pick up supplies

Accounting

Transport Office: (Run the hangar bay & speeder pool)

Responsible for the Order's vehicles

Mechanics

Vehicles are checked in & out like a library for cars & ships

Hire external staff when there aren't enough Jedi

Temple Guard: (Security & emergency response)

Guard against exterior threats to the temple

Security during criminal situations

Really good at sensing danger to temple inhabitants

First responders (fire & police-- MedCorp handles EMS)

Change lightbulbs and smoke detector batteries

Odd jobs on behalf of the CoTM

Uses the lore by Adsecula in "Nameless"

Council of Reconciliation: (Central hub of Jedi outreach & diplomacy)

All aid requests go through them

Sets mission objectives

Approve or deny aid/ mission requests

Reviews behavior of Jedi on missions when there are issues

Mission Consignment: (Assign Jedi to approved missions)

Desk jockeys

Not officially divided by type of mission/ Jedi role needed, but missions will be passed to people who are more familiar with the experts required

Organizes specifics for missions such as transportation and housing

Council of First Knowledge: (Runs Initiate & Padawan dorms, clans, & childhood education)

Initiate clans members live together with their crèchemasters rotating out night shifts

Padawans & Senior Initiates live in individual rooms in designated halls with some crèchemasters living in each hall

Department of Seekers: (Regulates conduct of Seekers)

Create regulates for what Seekers can & cannot do & how they should act

Investigate reported misconduct by Seekers

Crèche: (Organizes care for Initiates)

Sort Initiates into clans

Run events/ field trips/ etc.

Set educational standards

see my post about Living Quarters in the Jedi Temple

Department of Primary Classes: (Classroom education for younglings)

Standard elementary school operation stuff

Provides the general education classes all Jedi take as younglings

Circle of Healers: (Sets certification requirements)

Certified to train medical professionals for a variety of degrees

Determines when Jedi have fulfilled requirements for medical certifications

Sets the qualifications for Force-specific medical degrees

Halls of Healing: (Healthcare within the Order & internal outreach)

Like a local hospital but also has general practitioners

IRB: (Reviews research for ethical concerns)

Institutional Review Board

"Under FDA regulations, an Institutional Review Board is group that has been formally designated to review and monitor biomedical research involving human subjects. In accordance with FDA regulations, an IRB has the authority to approve, require modifications in (to secure approval), or disapprove research. This group review serves an important role in the protection of the rights and welfare of human research subjects."

IRB for the entire Order, not just the MedCorps

[shijiujun]

omg guyssss they kept to the original manhua detail of Lan Jue having a son in the drama in the last episode LMAO and he’s gonna take his son back where he left him in some village to be safe AND HIS WIFE IS DEAD AND THEY GAVE HER A NAME HOW THE HELL DID THIS SHOW EVER ADVERTISE ITSELF AS DANGAI LIKE HAHAHAHAHA the only parts that were on the gay meter would be Wang Duo’s character and Wang Yan with Lan Jue LMAOOO

QING ZHANG AND PEI ZHI ANOTHER OTP LAN JUE SRSLY CREATING CPS WITH EVERY GUY OUT THERE

HAHAHAHA THE BIGGEST CP IS SHU LIN AND LAN JUE THEY WERE ROOMMATES ON THIS GODFORSAKEN MINI ISLAND THAT IS CUT OFF FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD

the ending is kinda cute tho and I have to say every actor and every emotion was well placed legit!!! AHHHHHHH and also abrupt ending JFC????? noodles and that’s it HAHAHAHA

shifu is my 意难平 cries and i would have liked lan jue son + zhang ping interaction???? but that would be another actor’s budget LMAOOO 

[pdxbeerandmystery]

Someone posted something a while back, like, list your top fanfiction pet peeves -and I just gotta get this out:

Your character/s are dirt poor -lost their job, worried about paying rent, etc. And they are watching netflix or ordering takeout or doing some other shit poor people don't do -can't do.

Like, maybe, I should be graceful about this and be happy for this person who is so privileged they never had to live like this snd never went months or years without eating in a restaurant or having takeout cause that right there would cut a week out of your grocery budget and you arent eating a fucking salad, youre eating off brand snouts and ass hot dogs cooked in a can of kidney beans cause that gets your protein up and youre proud you can save your salt for later and you ain't watching netflix cause you pawned the fucking tv if you ever even had one to keep the water on cause cps takes your kids if you dont got water.

And maybe I need to have some grace cause its just fanfiction and not a published work where an editor would call you on that shit but overall it makes me afraid for the death of common sense and grinds in that hopeless pit cause the rich decide policy and these are the people who will forget the 99% exist.

Wow. That escalated quickly.

[aclmarts998]

Spruce Up Your Space: Top Bath Fitting & Sanitaryware Manufacturers in Delhi

The bathroom is a haven for relaxation and personal care. But a dull and outdated bathroom can quickly dampen the mood. If you're planning a bathroom renovation or building a new one, selecting the right bath fittings and sanitaryware is crucial. Delhi, a hub for construction and design, boasts a plethora of manufacturers offering a diverse range of products. Here's a curated list of some of the best bath fitting and sanitaryware manufacturers in Delhi to help you navigate your options and create a bathroom that reflects your style and functionality needs.

1. Renowned Names for Premium Quality

Jaquar: A household name in India, Jaquar is synonymous with luxury and innovation. Their products combine cutting-edge technology with sleek design aesthetics. Jaquar offers a comprehensive range of bath fittings and sanitaryware, from faucets and showers to basins and toilets.

Coats Bath Fittings and Accessories: Renowned for their commitment to high-quality brass and chrome finishes, Coats offers a wide variety of bath fittings and accessories. Their products cater to diverse budgets and design preferences, making them a popular choice for homeowners and builders alike.

2. Striking a Balance Between Style and Value

Mapson Bath Fitting: This Delhi-based manufacturer has gained a reputation for its stylish and durable bath fittings. They offer a good balance between quality and affordability, making them a great choice for those seeking value for money. Mapson's product range includes faucets, showers, and bathroom accessories.

Supra Ceramics & Bath Fittings: Specializing in both ceramic sanitaryware and bath fittings, Supra offers a complete bathroom solution. Their sanitaryware is known for its smooth finish and elegant designs. Supra's bath fittings are crafted from high-grade materials, ensuring long-lasting performance.

3. Hidden Gems for Unique Design Elements

Tisha Sanitation: This manufacturer focuses on creating innovative bath fittings with a touch of modern flair. They offer a variety of colors and finishes to add a personal touch to your bathroom. Tisha Sanitation is a great choice for those seeking a unique and contemporary aesthetic.

Indian Cp Bath Collection: Located in the heart of Delhi's Chawri Bazar market, this manufacturer specializes in handcrafted bath fittings. Their products showcase intricate designs and traditional craftsmanship, perfect for adding a touch of heritage charm to your bathroom.

4. Factors to Consider When Choosing a Manufacturer

With so many manufacturers to choose from, selecting the right one can seem overwhelming. Here are some key factors to consider:

Brand reputation and product quality: Look for manufacturers with a proven track record of providing high-quality products.

Product range and design aesthetics: Ensure they offer a selection that complements your desired bathroom style.

Durability and warranty: Choose products made from durable materials and backed by a reliable warranty.

Customer service: Opt for manufacturers known for their responsive and helpful customer service.

5. Beyond the Manufacturer: Additional Tips for Success

While choosing the right manufacturer is crucial, remember that creating a great bathroom involves more than just fixtures.

Budgeting: Determine your budget upfront and choose products that align with it.

Professional guidance: Consider consulting an interior designer or architect for expert advice on layout, trends, and product recommendations.

After-sales service: Ensure the manufacturer or retailer offers reliable after-sales service for installation and warranty claims.

By following these tips and exploring the wide range of options available from Delhi's bath fitting and sanitaryware manufacturers, you can transform your bathroom into a serene and luxurious space that reflects your personality.

To know more about the "Best 9 Bath Fitting & Sanitary wares Manufacturer In Delhi", "Best Bath Fitting & Sanitary wares Manufacturer In Delhi", "Best 9 Ceiling & Wallpaper Traders In Delhi", "Best Ceiling & Wallpaper Traders In Delhi", "Best 9 Ceiling & Wallpaper Manufacturer In Delhi". We recommend you to visit the ACL Marts. To see the Industries best rated and top businesses in the Delhi, Faridabad, Noida, Gurugram.

[index-tap-updates]

Rustomjee La Vie in Majiwade, Thane: Cost, Layout, Features by Index Tap

Concerning Rustomjee La Vie

With both commercial and residential properties offering luxurious lifestyles to satisfy buyers' particular tastes, Thane's real estate market is booming. It has developed into the perfect haven for those seeking an opulent lifestyle without going over budget. Purchasing real estate in Thane is the same as getting a pass to luxurious but sensible living. Magnificent residential projects in Thane, like Rustomjee La Vie, are strategically close to Mumbai and offer easy access to major business hubs thanks to their excellent infrastructure and seamless connectivity.

That being said, if you're searching for a 2 BHK Flat for Sale in Thane, Rustomjee Uptown Urbania La Vie is the perfect place to be. Comprising spacious balconies, gardens, swimming pools, gathering places, recreational zones, and an abundance of open spaces, this elegant Thane estate is intended to create enduring memories and enhance interpersonal bonds. You can be certain that residing here will provide you with unparalleled opulence, ease, and convenience.

Take pleasure in some outdoor activities and a little peace and quiet at Rustomjee La Vie.

Rustomjee La Vie is the ideal location to stay if you're looking for unmatched luxury and first-rate amenities. Imagine having an extravagant lifestyle while living in a peaceful setting away from the bustle of the city. Rustomjee Thane La Vie offers all of that and more. Bringing resort living directly to your doorstep, the gated community is a world unto itself thanks to its unique design and meticulous construction. The Rustomjee La Vie 2 bhk in Thane offers a place worth living, but its central park offers an experience you won't get tired of. Additionally, taking in breathtaking sunset views from your spacious balconies will become a daily ritual. Is there anything more you could ask for?

Rustomjee La Vie in Uptown Urbania offers amenities for people of all ages. At Rustomjee La Vie, there's always something to do, whether you want to lounge in the Jacuzzi pods, play box cricket, or play football with your friends. Let the kids spend time at the nature playground or race in the Olympic-sized pool to let them experience life to the fullest. You could walk or jog to stay in shape, or you could just take your significant other for a stroll and conversation about life.

Rustomjee Uptown Urbania La Vie Configurations

Under construction now, Rustomjee La Vie will offer spacious 2 BHK apartments in Thane West with lavish balconies overlooking Thane Creek and the lush central park. The vitrified tiles in every room provide a plethora of design options, making it easier than ever to create contemporary, cutting-edge home interiors! The superior CP fittings in the bathrooms will elevate your personal space with a dash of style and practicality.

Rustomjee Uptown Urbania La Vie's amenities

Rustomjee La Vie is known for its top-notch amenities and unmatched resort-like atmosphere, especially in a city like Thane. A business center, a gym, a toddler playground, an elders' alcove, a yoga deck, jacuzzi pods, and work-from-home pods are just a few of the amenities available.

[nature-played-a-trick-on-me]

Love having firsthand experience of how the system fails young people and being unable to do anything about it 😘

[elfsone]

Final thoughts on KP

Just want to preface this by saying that I am not one of those people who had waited for 2 years for this and had to go through all the drama of them getting shelved etc. Hence I have absolutely no emotional attachment to this show. But if you are one of those people who have waited and this is the most perfect little thing for you, you do you! God knows I have my own favorites and comfort pieces of media/music, which may not be ‘objectively’ great, but I would fight till my last breath for. 

Secondly, I am relatively new to the world of BLs. Started watching during the pandemic, probably have only watched 6-7 shows in all. So I am watching it just like any other show. I don’t have many points of references to talk about how groundbreaking this is or how they have improved upon the shortcomings or problems associated with this genre. (What I can say is that it is way better than 2gether😜)  

Phew okay! I believe that the show was carried by the great acting. Usually the side characters can break the experience but everyone in this show was a very good actor. (My personal favorite has to be build playing pete. More on that maybe sometime later). Also the cinematography, sets, lighting etc etc were really good! The show had a big budget and it showed. Most of the shots were artistic and beautiful. But I have to say the writing on the show was weak. Now that may be the problem of the source material as I have seen multiple posts saying that novel was trash and boc has done a great job in interpreting it. I have personally not read the novel (I have only read the vegaspete side stories), so I can’t comment on that. While the story can’t be changed a lot, what could be improved upon was the pacing. The pacing in the show was really off. A lot of the times things felt unnecessarily stretched out and you are left wondering what actually happened in this ep. I caught myself getting distracted one too many times especially during the later eps. This is not an american tv show with multiple seasons. They did not have the luxury of time. This is the reason, some characters or arcs could not be fleshed out very well which dampened the experience. Some eps could have done with tighter editing and better writing. Like I honestly could care less about what happened to porsche’s mom as we were not invested in that person at all. While I understand that according to the novel timeline, this arc had to come after everything happens but how am I supposed to feel sympathy for a character I met 10 mins ago! Porsche has also never really talked about his parents, so him seeing his mother alive after all this time did not hit emotionally at all. Kim crying over chay’s polaroids... when did he fall that hard? Should we cry with him? Torture scenes interspersed with people partying in a club had me reeling.

I also could not wrap my head around the extreme tonal shifts that happened out of the blue. Some comedy scenes were really good, one that comes to mind is introduction of tankhun. Khun in his pink bath robe holding his dead fish. Amazing. But most of the time comedy scenes felt contrived and jarring mostly because they occurred when you least expected them too and they really took you out of the moment. For eg, recently in ep 14, when vegas is about to shoot porsche calling him kinn’s heart, a well done emotional scene is cut by a toy car with pink balloon?! (Please tell me this does not happen in the novel! I’ll bang my head against the damn wall!). I entered this show with no background and randomly coming across the trailer made me think it was going to be a dark gritty show set in the underworld which it is absolutely not. I imagined kinn’s character living the life of kim(living a double life) or vegas (traumatised by this life). But that’s on me. Future viewers should note that this is first and foremost a sweet love story. The main hero happens to be in the mafia. 

The final point is that the main cp did not hit it off with me. A big problem for me was that they reduced these two rich characters- a mafia heir battling his demons and trying to please his father and an orphan boy working hard to survive in this world and provide for his brother- to just two boys in love. Kinn and porsche lost all personality and character except being boyfriends. Before y’all come at me for being a cynic who hates romance, I just wanna put out that cherry magic is one of my favorite shows of all time. Ok now cue the boos. For me the problem with kinnporsche is not their lovey-doveyness but their absolute lack of communication and trust. Call me a prude but problems are not solved by having sex. Kinn called porsche a slut, did not tell his plans about tawan to porsche and put him in jail, porsche spied on kinn’s meeting and did not apologize, porsche ran away with kinn’s enemy etc etc. Most of these conflicts culminated in them having sex. While those scenes were beautiful cinematographically, I couldn’t get into them as that was not the resolution I wanted. But ALL the praise to mile and apo (esp apo, his experience shines through). I firmly believe that this ship is so popular because of their great acting and phenomenal chemistry. They really looked like two men in love.

I really enjoyed the vegaspete cp. I was initially drawn to vegas’ charcater, he seemed to be a layered and complex villain. That’s why I read the vp side story after ep 6 or 7. Then pete came out to be an even more interesting and complex character and I really fell in love both of the charcaters individually before I loved them together as a couple. As I have read their story, I would say that the relationship did seem rushed. I wish we could get some of their sweet moments from the novel (I know they are just the side couple but just an extra 15-20 mins spread out over 3 eps would have done the job). Just so we could understand the depths of their love. We needed to see what pete was missing when he left and not just kinky sex. (Someday when my tears have dried up and I am tired of rewatching their scenes, I will do a bigger post on vegaspete)

Kim and chay were interesting. Whatever scenes they had they were really good. You could feel chay’s teenage love and kim’s inhibitions. I needed some more time (time again huh? one thing we didn’t have :P) to be really invested in their relationship. I really liked kim as a character. What or why was he investigating, I still have no clue.

But all in all, it was good show (I know, after all that!?). It provided good entertainment, great to binge watch. Personally not very high rewatch value for me.

Fave eps- Ep3, Ep7

Fave Character- Vegas, Tankhun

Fave Actor- Build, Apo

[mariacallous]

Foreign Policy Situation Report: U.S. gears up hypersonic tests

By Robbie Gramer and Jack Detsch

Welcome back to Foreign Policy’s SitRep! We’re back with another rundown of this week’s top national security news.

P.S. In case you missed it, the “cyberspooks” over at the National Security Agency are getting into the meme game—or at least trying to.

Alright, here’s what’s on tap for the day: The Pentagon tries to cut into China’s edge on hypersonic weapons, the Biden administration (finally) releases its National Defense Strategy, and Russia tries to recruit U.S.-trained Afghan commandos for Ukraine.

Hypersonic Sigh of Relief

About this time last year, Washington’s national security world had a collective “oh crap” moment as news emerged that China conducted hypersonic weapons tests with technology the United States didn’t appear to have—and of the type that could render current U.S. missile defense systems obsolete.

It was a rude awakening for the Defense Department and Intelligence Community, something that Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said was “very close” to a “Sputnik moment” for a new era of the global arms race. The United States has scrambled to catch up ever since.

Testing, testing. Now U.S. defense officials are breathing a slightly less anxious and temporary sigh of relief. The Pentagon said it conducted a successful test launch of a rocket on Wednesday, which tested about a dozen hypersonic weapons experiments, and has another test launch scheduled for Thursday. The tests are an important stepping stone for the U.S. military to develop its own hypersonics weapons programs to try to catch up to China.

The U.S. Army and Navy are both working to develop hypersonic weapons programs through the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) and Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) programs.

A new headache in the deterrence game. Unlike your old-time run-of-the-mill missile, hypersonic weapons can travel at speeds of up to Mach 5 (nearly 4,000 miles per hour) and maneuver in midair. The technology for hypersonic weapons has been around since the 1960s.

But what makes China’s hypersonic missile tests last year so worrying for Washington was the combination of a few different technologies: launching a missile into low orbit to go around the world and, from there, having that missile drop a hypersonic glide vehicle that can zig and zag at super high speeds around any possible missile defense countermeasures to drop its (possibly nuclear) payloads. So in short, all bad news for the enemy on the receiving end of that hypersonic glide vehicle.

Let’s throw some money at the bad news. The Pentagon made developing new hypersonic missile technology a top priority after China’s tests and after Russia used hypersonic missiles in its invasion of Ukraine.

The Pentagon’s fiscal year 2023 budget request asks for $4.7 billion for research on hypersonic weapons, a boost from $3.8 billion in fiscal year 2022. At this point, the Pentagon is still in a “let’s test stuff and see what happens” mode, and it hasn’t yet formally made a decision to acquire hypersonic weapons, as a newly updated Congressional Research Service report notes.

Let’s Get Personnel

Jeremy Konyndyk has been tapped as the president of Refugees International. He previously served as executive director of the COVID-19 Task Force at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

On the Button 

What should be high on your radar, if it isn’t already.

Time for some strategery. The question of when the U.S. National Defense Strategy would drop has become kind of a running joke among defense reporters for months now. But nearly two years into his administration, U.S. President Joe Biden’s opportunity to fix the Pentagon’s North Star is here, and he’s using it to focus on, you guessed it, China.

Turning from former U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2018 strategy, China is now the primary threat to U.S. national interests instead of a dual focus on China and Russia. But the release of the 80-page public strategy is still bound to create some headaches: The Biden administration already briefed Congress on the classified version in February.

Putin goes commando. Russian President Vladimir Putin has started recruiting former U.S.-trained Afghan commandos that were abandoned by the United States and its allies during the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan last year.

FP columnist Lynne O’Donnell reports that some former light infantry troops—who have faced retribution from the Taliban and have fled to Iran—have been receiving messages from Russian recruiters desperate to bring more manpower to bear in Ukraine, and sources believe that the infamous Russian paramilitary Wagner Group is behind the effort.

No Belgian waffling. Chinese diplomats were incensed by an interview the Belgian foreign minister, Hadja Lahbib, gave to a newspaper about security risks from China’s involvement in Europe’s port and infrastructures. So, in a clumsy and heavy-handed “wolf warrior” misstep, a Chinese diplomat privately demanded that she “retract” the interview and added a thinly veiled threat about Beijing carrying out economic reprisals against Belgium, according to a leaked diplomatic cable obtained by Politico.

She didn’t waffle on the interview, however, despite the rebuke and veiled threat. But the whole incident provides a glimpse into how Chinese diplomats may be inadvertently doing their darndest to alienate Europe.

Put On Your Radar

Sunday, Oct. 30: Brazil holds a presidential runoff election.

Tuesday, Nov. 1: Israel holds parliamentary elections.

Quote of the Week

“Maybe nuclear blackmail wasn’t as loud in the past as it is now, but it has always belonged to the Russian political arsenal.”

—Latvian President Egils Levits told Foreign Policy when asked about Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling over Ukraine

FP’s Most Read This Week

• What the Hell Just Happened to Hu Jintao? by James Palmer

• Iran Is Now at War With Ukraine by John Hardie and Behnam Ben Taleblu

• As War Hits the Homefront, Russia’s Defeat Inches Closer by Alexey Kovalev

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Watch out, Geneva. Phoenix is coming for ya. Arizona Republican Rep. Paul Gosar sent a letter to Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, inviting them to Phoenix for peace talks. “If there is not one leader in our politics or our military who will attempt to end this war without unthinkable global death and destruction, then I must,” Gosar said in a post on the Trump-linked Truth Social media site.

That’s it for this week.

For more from Foreign Policy, subscribe here or sign up for our other newsletters. You can find older editions of Situation Report here.

[theji]

do you think we'll ever get any yizhan interactions again?

Hello @faded-dragon-flys! Thanks for your ask. I believe we will see GGDD interact again, though not anytime soon and probably not on the same scale as CQL bts and promos. Unless of cos maybe they are cast as leads in the same drama, although me thinks the likelihood of it happening in the next few years is pretty low for several reasons. Obvious reason being that it's gonna take a lot of budget to hire 2 top-tier artistes to be in the same drama.

The interactions and intersections will come, slowly but surely, maybe subtly. Given their current status, we will see them share the same stage again, being at the same event or even in the same frame. Probably as early as this year during the awards season. In fact they are already slowly inching back into each other's orbit, their names appearing together in the same space, whether by design or coincidence. Eg. Their Olympics ambassadorship, GG joining Han Hong's charity this year (DD was alr part of it), both contributing well wishes on Tao's birthday. Maybe they will be part of the same charity event next time, or be guests on the same programme but different episodes, or endorsing same brand etc. I think this format will be more likely, at least in the next few years.

Over time, as they establish and strengthen their other identities more - as actors/dancer etc, their former identify as one-half of a CP pairing will diminish further, which might then open up more doors for collabs or at least take some of the attention away. I believe they are working towards this goal, for both professional and personal reasons. With their rising power, they will also have more say in their projects. I'm particularly looking forward to see what happens when GG finally manage to cut ties with WJJW when his contract ends. I imagine he might move partially into behind-the-scenes/creative work, which would then take some of the limelight off him.

Anyway, my point is, we will see them together again in a professional setting. Have faith. Personal setting, well I guess that depends on what they are willing to share with fans. We might never ever see anything private eg. Birthday greeting or photos, which is understandable since they don't have to prove anything to the public. It's their personal life after all. We can only hope but we have no right to expect any proof or answers.

[shelvedsaints]

ABOUT BOWIE || I’m asking you God how come. 

CHARACTER BASICS

NAME: Jeb “Bowie” Bediah Boregard

AGE: Twenty-Four

GENDER & PRONOUNS: Cismale, He/Him

FACE CLAIM: Tom Holland

EYE COLOR: Brown

HAIR COLOR: Brown

HEIGHT: 5′8″

DATE OF BIRTH: April 10th, 1997

ZODIAC SIGN: Aries

LEVEL OF EDUCATION: GED

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: N/A

OCCUPATION: Waiter and Sailing Instructor at Key West Yacht Club, Janitor at Whiskey Lullaby

HOMETOWN: Key West, FL

NEIGHBORHOOD: Newtown

CHARACTER HISTORY [TW: CHILD NEGLECT]

Jeb Boregard may have never met his father, but the man’s reputation set a path that would make it difficult for him to stray from. With his father in prison indefinitely following a failed attempt at a robbery, stealing and conning would be the only way the Boregards would stay afloat for years to come. His mother had learned how to pout her lip as a single teen mother after having her son at fifteen and it was an act perfected by the time it was all she could do to provide for herself and her son. 

Jeb had been named after the man, a sad syllable that went like Jed, but his mother regretted it after a month. She would tie bows in his hair as a child and send him along for a second time in lines where they were given free things, pretending that it was her second child that needed a serving, a sample, a free thing. Eventually, the Boregards would be recognized and Jeb was dubbed Bowie for his mother’s attempts against the system. 

Bowie has lived in the Key his whole life, and the mobile home and its residents had seen him grow up to be the man he is today. From sticking his head in windows to scope out what he didn’t have in comparison to the other trailers in the park and hiding from CPS when they came around because of his absences from school, Bowie was the child without any parental figures that Bahama Village wanted anything but the responsibility to raise. 

At sixteen, Bowie’s mother left the Key after running off with a man who won the Florida lottery. His mother paid off their trailer and rent for nearly four years with the intention of coming back, but she never did. Postcards stopped coming just as quickly as they started, and Bowie was left to his own devices early on. 

After getting his GED and working at the key West Yacht Club as a waiter, he met the woman who would soon be the bane of his existence. Ainsley flirted with him the moment they met and a soft familiarity with the other during high school became infatuation and trust that was driven by the approval of her family, the taste of the Kook life, and someone who wanted to teach Bowie rather than scold him. This didn’t last very long, though. Ainsley wanted an escape and Bowie’s independence offered her that, and she would swallow it whole and make it her own soon enough. 

Her family assisted him in his endeavors after they started dating in hopes of making him worthy of their daughter after they accepted that they couldn’t shake him off. This didn’t last very long. Eventually Ainsley became erratic and her hunger for her own desires drove a wedge between her and her family, the trouble she sought making her difficult to handle. She went to Bowie for comfort and eventually, she never left his side. Her parents cut her off for the treachery she imposed and she went to Bowie for help. They moved in together at nineteen into the trailer he grew up in and they’ve been there ever since. The strength of their relationship, however, did not settle. 

Bowie took upon a series of jobs to help keep the both of them afloat while Ainsley attempted to go to school, but she dropped out after a semester of college. She struggled to fend for herself after being so used to having things handed to her and it caused a lot of strife between them. She constantly threatened to leave him, but Bowie knew that even if he was tired of her, he needed the little inheritance she did have in order to provide for himself in the midst of the chaos her indulgent lifetsyle imposed upon him and the way he budgeted. If he was poor before, he was even poorer now. He simply had to convince himself that with her, their twisted lie of love was also enough.

PRESENT DAY [TW: DOMESTIC ABUSE]

Ainsley blamed Bowie for her downfall, and arguments like these always left them at odds. Throughout the eight years they’d been together, their outbursts only got worse. The concerned calls to the Grotto Mobile Home came with a weariness where the station often waited for two calls of concern about lot 207 rather than coming immediately. However, the situation was always harder for than to assess than they thought the first few times and it was Ainsley that they were concerned over much more than Bowie on those calls. If only they knew it was Ainsley who had thrown the first place, the first vase, who broke the TV, and had left every cry and shout on his skin in fading yellow and blue swirls of color on his skin. 

Bowie and Ainsley have been on and off as a couple for the years they’d been together. He often tried to spark a different concern, but it always ended up the same. Instead, the nights he ended up with someone else on those breaks were dedicated to pretending it was Ainsley’s touch that was that gentle. 

Despite the bad blood between him and his girlfriend’s family, it never affected his position at the yacht club. In fact, they kept him in good review since their only faith in the young couple was keeping as many obstacles away from how they could provide for themselves. The lessons they gave Bowie in sailing shined light on a natural skill where he became the instructor, and his position on the wait staff nearly permanent.

However, Bowie’s integrity has never changed and his desperation to find himself something to call his own fed a childhood habit of taking what wasn’t his. The yacht club isn’t any different. Taking the yachts out in the middle of the night and selling moonlight tours to tourists, he’s a con man in the making with a streak for stealing that nearly everyone on the Key has been marked by. From stealing a table from the Lucky Icarus to chastising even military personnel when given the invitation (or not) to come into their home, Bowie Boregard defied all superstitions that he would amount to nothing, but having sticky fingers can’t be much better. 

WANTED CONNECTIONS

Co-workers at Key West Yacht Club

Family of girlfriend

Neighbors at Grotto Mobile Home

People he’s stolen from

Partners in crime

Hook-ups

Enemies

Family members twice removed

Friends of father

[missroserose]

Tumblr, I need advice.

As some of you know, for about a year I’ve been president of the condo board for our building. I picked up the job when the old president moved out, largely because I had the time and the ability and nobody else wanted it—it's entirely volunteer and more than a bit stressful/time consuming, a lot of communication and administration and tracking budgets and repairs and whatnot.  It’s a small building, only ten units, and everyone more or less knows each other at least a bit, so (interpersonally at least) it’s usually a low-drama job.

tl;dr the neighbors have a deeply dysfunctional relationship that appears to be escalating into emotional and possible physical violence, I’m not sure what to do.  Advice and reblogs appreciated, especially if you have experience/know anybody in the social services field.

More details under the cut.

{content warnings: dysfunction, possible domestic violence}

The couple who moved in to the former president’s unit have been low-key disasters since they showed up.  Initially it was in the relatively forgivable “they’re young” kind of way, like reminding them to take out their recycling and not let it pile up in the back stairwell, or asking them to keep the noise down in the hallway when their friends were drunk and leaving at 2 AM.  It was also clear that their relationship was less than happy—the building’s brick, so the units are relatively soundproof, but you could absolutely hear them yelling from the hallway—but that was pretty firmly in the “not my business” category.  L, my downstairs neighbor, mentioned that she heard them fighting at night occasionally—her bedroom is right next to their main living area, and she goes to bed fairly early—but other than suggesting we keep an eye on things, I didn’t really have any suggestions.

Quarantine has rather exacerbated things, and though they’re cyclical (as tends to be the case in these situations), it’s clear they’re a heavily dysfunctional pair. The only sign of physical abuse I’ve observed was the wife showing up with her arm in a sling this past fall, presumably a sprain and plausibly an accident (she’s a very active person)—though when I expressed concern and asked what happened, she gave me a non-answer.  I’ve gotten to know her a little since then, through condo board business, and I swear to God every interaction we have is classic “are the straights okay?” stuff.  She seems weirded out when I don’t take the opportunity to trash talk my husband.

Anyway, this morning they had a screaming match loud enough to spill over into the hallway and other units even between the doors—but honestly, what worried me most about it is that the husband’s yelling didn’t just sound angry, it sounded panicked.  I didn’t overhear any sounds of a physical struggle, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything—and regardless, Something is Clearly Very Wrong.

I’m having a hard time figuring out where the boundaries lie here, both in my role as president and as a human being with a functioning empathy gland.  In the former role, I can address the noise issue, but in the latter...is there anyone I can call?  Having the police show up seems unlikely to help, and may make things worse.  There’s no kids involved (thankfully), so CPS is out, and with quarantine and everything I don’t know if there are any social services that can make house calls.  (Even if they were likely to talk to someone who showed up on their doorstep, which I doubt.)  I know from bits I’ve overheard that the two of them are in therapy, but it doesn’t seem to be helping.  I really, really don’t want to get involved in this—I have to live in the same building as these people—but I also don’t want one of them leaving in a body bag.

Does anybody out there have experience with this kind of issue?  Are there resources I’m unaware of?  Legal pitfalls to avoid?  Any advice would be appreciated, either here or via DM.

[hogtown-socialist-alternative]

Chicago Teachers’ Heroic Struggle For “The Schools Our Children Deserve”

By Steve Edwards -November 6, 2019

Contract Comes Up Short

The longest Chicago school strike since 1987 was suspended November 1 after 11 days in which the Chicago Teachers’ Union (CTU) with 26,000 members, along with the 7,500 mostly low-paid school workers in SEIU Local 73 stood united, together with hundreds of community supporters in the fight for better schools.

Socialist Alternative offers its congratulations to the thousands of SEIU and CTU members who went on strike for the schools our kids deserve. This is not an easy fight, waged against a powerful corporate establishment and their representatives in the Democratic Party. The union members deserve credit for the bold demands they put forward and their willingness to struggle.

The previous strike, in 2012, helped inspire the RedForEd movement that started in West Virginia in 2018 and significantly demanded adequate funding for schools, not just wages or benefits. Therefore, the 2019 strike in Chicago was watched carefully by teachers and working people all over the country.

Both unions approached the strike with similar goals – to reverse the underfunding of Chicago schools while raising their lowest paid members out of poverty. But the CTU’s initial demands were even more transformative, seeking to create “The Schools Our Children Deserve.” While there were victories in this contract, it largely did not live up to the demands from the start of the strike and leaves much still to be fought for.

Sorry State of Underfunded Chicago Schools

In 1995 a state law banned Chicago teachers from striking over class sizes. Next year another law set up privately run charter schools, to be paid for out of the public schools’ budget. Today overcrowded public schools compete with charters for the children of a shrinking working class population, stressed out by the high cost of living and Chicago’s massive social problems. Each year brings more teacher layoffs creating a vicious cycle of further cuts. 17,000 of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students are homeless and schools are desperately under-resourced.

The union’s 2019 contract demands challenged the 1995 law by calling for the hiring of 2,000 teachers to bring class sizes down to a reasonable standard: 20 students in kindergarten, 24 in first through fifth grade, and 28 above that. The union also demanded that the district hire 3,000 non-teaching staff: social workers, nurses, counselors, special education assistants, and librarians, costing $880 million over a three year contract.  

Newly elected Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s counter-proposal offered raises of less than 3% a year stretched out over five years, with no staff increases, for a total of only $300 million.

After the State’s fact-finder sided with Lightfoot, the unions prepared to strike together on October 17. Both unions’ members were ready for action, approving the strike by margins of over 95%.  

But as the date approached, the teachers’ union missed a golden opportunity to build community support by publicizing its demand for the creation of 5,000 jobs. Instead, the leadership chose to emphasize candidate Lightfoot’s campaign promises to fix Chicago’s schools, using the slogan “Mayor Lightfoot, keep your promises! Put it in writing!” – meaning, in a contract which the Union could legally enforce.

But Lightfoot’s promises never amounted to more than a continuation of the status quo. She never called for hiring additional teachers, and she had talked of only 250 nurses and 200 counselors. The slogan “Put it in writing,” was catchy and taken up by the rank and file on demonstrations as a demand for Lightfoot to bargain in good faith. Thus, while the demonstrations showed the commitment of the teachers to fight, the CTU leadership was using the same language to signal their willingness to come to an agreement.

The union’s slogan “for a nurse and a librarian in every school” was inspiring, as were the revelations that school clerks become de facto counselors on homelessness, and pointed to huge problems that many Chicagoans may not have been aware of. But the crucial issue of class size was framed legalistically, as one of enforceable contract language, while the demand for 5,000 jobs was never raised in public. Further, instead of clearly campaigning for new taxes on the rich and corporations as it has done in the past, the union’s public messaging, repeated in nightly press conferences, was that “the city has the money.” This was aimed at the Mayor but missed the billionaire bosses that stand behind her.

The Strike Rocks Chicago

The strikers were heroic, with picket lines at every one of Chicago’s 517 public schools from 6:30 to 10:30am daily and downtown demonstrations of which the first two were estimated at over 20,000. A downtown rally on the fifth working day of the strike, planned with community groups to coincide with the Mayor’s first annual budget speech, was massive with over 30,000 marching in the morning rush-hour.

But other things were less well organized. For example, the daily demonstrations were announced to members on the morning picket lines, with little time to plan ahead. Neither union had a strike fund, and members had not been told to expect a long strike. With the city establishment behind her, Lightfoot refused to budge beyond relatively minor concessions, insisting “There is no money, period.”

After seven working days, CTU leadership signalled they were ready to settle, announcing that only $38 million – less than half of one percent of the CPS budget – separated the two sides. The next day, they told a members’ conference call that they had given up on the main demand for smaller class sizes, and would agree to a five year contract “if the terms were right.” The same weekend, SEIU Local 73 settled, winning up to 40 percent wage increases over five years for some positions, but with an agreement allowing them to respect the teachers’ picket lines.

Strikers still kept up the pressure, despite bleak and wintry weather and the concessionary talk of the leadership. Many still hoped to win on the issue of prep time for elementary school teachers. But on October 28, the Union’s House of Delegates (HoD) was called to vote on a Tentative Agreement (TA) following a divided vote of 70-30 on the bargaining team. The HoD voted by 364-242 to suspend the strike if the Mayor agreed to make-up days later in the year, and after one more day and and one more demonstration, school resumed on November 1.

The Tentative Agreement (TA)

The TA contains some concrete victories. These include a groundbreaking commitment to hire specialized staff to help students experiencing homelessness, in addition to 209 additional social workers, 250 nurses, and 280 Special Ed case managers, phased in over five years.

On class sizes, the union won $35 million a year to provide some relief to teachers and students dealing with already overcrowded classrooms. But the Board’s class size standard remains unchanged at an unmanageable 28 students in K-3 and 31 students in most 4-12 classrooms, and the money is to be controlled by a labor-management committee that seems mainly focused on adding teaching assistants.

Meantime, teachers and staff will be legally barred from striking again until 2024, after the next Chicago mayoral election. Lori Lightfoot and CPS, backed by the billionaire education “reformers” whose goal is to wreck, not fix, public education, will take these five years to regroup and find a thousand ways to chip away any gains that were made – much in the same way Rahm Emmanuel destroyed victories of the 2012 strike. For all of these reasons, and based on many discussions at the picket lines, and on demonstrations, Socialist Alternative called for a “No” vote on this tentative agreement.

This contract does not come close to meeting the demands of the thousands of teachers who went out on strike and the community that supported them – a transformation to create the schools our children deserve. Thousands of new hires are needed and require funding in the hundreds of millions, which would mean new taxes on big business. The hard-fought strike proves that workers are willing to fight, but as the five years drag out and more promises are broken, bolder demands and more militant tactics will be needed.

[stevemaclellan]

The CP story identified several specific monitoring programs that have been cut completely, including monitoring on the main branch of the Athabasca River downstream from the tar sands/oil sands, field studies on wetlands, fish, and insects, a pilot project to assess the risks posed by tar sands/oil sands tailings ponds, and water quality assessments in Wood Buffalo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“Now, Cheezie said his members find deformed fish with soft, oily skin in their waters—a direct result of oilsands pollution.”

“We rely on [wildlife] for food, for medicines, for spiritual sustenance,” he said. “Slowly but surely, the oilsands pollution is killing our people.”

[nature-played-a-trick-on-me]

I'm not even exagerrating maybe I will just go full on rant

Budget cuts and reorganisation lead to CPS failing to protect children. Reports are coming out about CPS failing to stop domestic violence.

Youth mental health professionals are overworked and undereducated. Waiting lists are too long and combined with non functioning professionals, kids and teens' mental and behavioural problems get worse and worse over time.

Mentioning behavioral problems separately because, yes, they are mental health problems. But behavioral problems will make it even more difficult to be able to find suitable treatment and to be treated with respect.

Regular schools are inadequately integrating special education students, teachers do not have the means nor the education. Students burn out and their mental health gets worse, behavioral problems, you know the drill: student can't get help and gets stuck in their own problems; problems they didn't ask for and did not cause.

Budget cuts were made to youth disability benefits. These benefits are now practically impossible to get into and to be frank, if you meet requirements you are unlikely to actually need the benefits: you are likely to be in care and receiving the benefits you get when living in an institution.

So now you have a generation of traumatised teens and young adults, who cannot work nor go to school (many not finishing school or secondary education) nor are they deemed disabled enough to receive adequate financial support.

Now these people are dependent on their primary caregivers, who frequently abused them in often more and more aggressive and inappropriate ways, because no one stopped them. You're stuck, because under 21, you cannot get benefits.

You are now free to enjoy a lifelong gift of disabling mental health problems!

These people are my housemates and my friends and my acquaintances.

I just think the reasoning is so bizarre. By budget cuts you won't reduce the number of children that are abused, you're taking away their opportunities in life.

Even if you "believe" in budget cuts and in not spending millions on care, you can't possibly think that creating a generation that can't take care of itself is a good way to save money?

Mental health care and good, functioning CPS is an investment in the next generation.

If you want a healthy country you should make sure that children can grow up into healthy adults who can work and pay their taxes, and let those taxes help take care of people who need support.

Taxes, the money we need and that we're trying to spend wisely, right?

And sure, not being being tax paradise would help

[nomadicsurvivor]

The Meaning of a Date

Day 3 - Dates Just Limit Your Options

I never got the hype of a birthday – what is a date anyway?  It’s a man-made concept of time placed into a man-made structure of months, weeks, days, years.  The construct is to help humans notate the passing of important moments.  The day we were found on the side of the road was named as our “birth date”.  Not that it held much meaning to me.  Even after I returned to Roswell and was reunited with Max and Isobel, our birthday didn’t really hold any special meaning to me.  The three of us would do something together on that day, acknowledge it, but all three of us knew it wasn’t something significant the way it was to other kids, to human kids.  And while the Evans would throw Max and Izzy a party, no one really ever acknowledged mine – I never got a party or a card or anything.  It wasn’t even until I got back to Roswell that I found out that I was missing out on something.

But my 18th birthday, that changed.  Alex had packed a picnic and got me to drive him way out into the desert. It had been a couple months since that day – the tool shed, his dad, Rosa…  We had seen very little of each other since then.  He had seen me protecting a broken hand at school as we entered finals season.  I had seen him protecting his ribs – I could only imagine what colors were under his clothing.  We avoided each other for the most part, but would occasionally run into each other at classroom doors, in the hallways, going in or out of Crashdown.  So imagine my surprise when, those couple months later, he somehow found where my truck was parked behind the grocery store and dropped a backpack and basket in the back of the truck, climbed into the passenger side, and told me to drive – no hello, nothing – just invited himself into my truck and said “drive.”  Which of course I did.

I took up into the back part of the Foster Ranch, occasionally brave enough to glance over at him to watch him look out the passenger window, a small grin on his face as he felt the wind through his hair from the open window.  I’d always keep looking at him when he’d glance back, catching his eyes for that split second before I’d force myself to slowly, casually, look back to the space in front of the truck.  His make-up was gone, as were the piercings.  But he was still exactly how I remembered seeing him over the years, and especially those times recently as we grew closer.  I felt a calm come over me when I was with him – something I can’t say I felt too often growing up around humans.

I drove us to where the rocky outcrops come up out of the ground, and stopped the truck in a small patch of shade.  As the engine ticked down as it cooled, we both just sat in silence for a couple minutes.

“How have you been?  How is your hand?”

“It is what it is I guess.”

He glanced at it, a deep crease of concern across his forehead before looking back out the window.

“Did you go to the doctor?  It doesn’t look good.”

I scoffed. “Alex, I am a runaway from CPS.  Aside from not having insurance or money, I can’t exactly walk into a hospital and not get reported.”

He looked hurt by that, although I don’t know if it was the slightly patronizing tone I took, or the grim reality of my life and what that meant to something like my hand.

“Where have you been staying?  I know you haven’t been back to the tool shed, not that I can blame you.  I don’t honestly know what would happ…….”

I took a deep breath.  “I’ve been staying around.  Crashed a couple nights with Max, otherwise wherever I can park my truck and not be bothered.  Out here quite a bit actually.  It’s warm at night now that it’s summer.”

He nodded.

“But you’re free now, right?”

I looked over at him confused, “What?”

He smirked and instead of answering, opened the door and climbed out of the truck. He grabbed his stuff from the back of the truck and headed towards the rocks, farther into the shade.  I opened my door but didn’t get out of my truck, waiting to see what he was up to.

Alex pulled a blanket out of his backpack and spread it out on the ground, then set the basket down, opened it up and pulled out a bag with the Crashdown logo on it. He then reached back in and pulled out two milkshakes that looked more melted shake than frozen.  Then out came a bag of doritos, followed by a bag of peanut butter M&Ms.  I chuckled and climbed out, sitting down next to him, looking at him questioningly.

Alex looked a bit embarrassed and chuckled, “OK I had to improvise, and had whatever the 7-11 had to select from with a limited budget.”

I laughed, “Alex, I will NOT be complaining about your food selection.”  I didn’t want to admit that I hadn’t really had much more to eat than a snickers in the last day or so. “I guess I’m more confused as to what all this is actually about.  But again, not complaining!”

Alex pulled cheeseburgers and fries from the Crashdown bag.  He pushed one of the burgers towards me.

“When you ran away from home, how long did you have til you turned 18?”

I wasn’t sure where that question was going, and didn’t want to correct him as I so automatically did with Max and Izzy when they’d call a foster placement my home, or say my dad when I’d cut them off with ‘foster father’ or something. Instead, I answered without even thinking about it.

“One year, seven months, sixteen days.  Why?”

Alex’s eyes got big as he quickly did math and realised how long I had been living in my truck before he found me behind the bleachers at school that fateful day.

“Wait, you’ve lived out of your truck for over a year and a half?!”

I shrugged, not sure what to say to that.  He seemed to collect himself quickly, like he was determined to get himself back on whatever track he had been on before my answer threw him off.

“So now you’re free, right?”  He asked this as he pulled a small, thin candle out of the front of the backpack and pushed it into the hamburger bun sitting in front of me.  He then pulled out a lighter and lit the candle.

“Happy 18th Michael.  Make a wish.”

I immediately felt that sting in my eyes and tickle in my nose, but pushed it down, refusing to even let a tear start to form in the corner of an eye.  Leave it to Alex Manes to know what this day was to me. It was the first birthday to me that held any significance to me, yet like all the others, went ignored by the rest of the world.  Max and Isobel had wished me a happy birthday that morning, but they didn’t say anything about what this day meant to my life.  Age eighteen.  No longer a ward of the state.  CPS no longer had to keep tabs on me, wouldn’t put me in another shit placement where I could be abused, neglected, anything.  Completely on my own.  Alone.

Leave it to Alex to instead see it as my liberation, my independence day.

I watched the flame for a moment.

“I think, sitting here, I already got my wish.  I am getting a meal, and I have you.  What else could I ask for?”

Alex blushed and looked down.  “Guerin, you’re not supposed to say what your wish is out loud. Now blow the candle out before it ruins your bun and you can’t eat around the wax.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d eat the wax and all if it meant food.  I just blew it out.  He then reached for a fry and threw it at me.  I tried to catch it in my mouth but it bounced off my nose and landed in the sand next to the blanket.  I grabbed it, blew the sand off, and tossed it into my mouth.

“Michael that still had sand on it!”

“Hey, waste not, want not.”

He shook his head and passed me a melted milkshake.  I paced myself as I ate the burger and fries, trying to play it cool and not give away how hungry I was.  In that year and a half, and long before to be honest, I had learned to pace eating. Make it look like you’re not hungry, that it doesn’t matter.  It kept adults from looking at you with pity, or with anger.  It kept Max and Iz from looking at me like a charity case.  But I could see in Alex’s eyes – he saw through it all.  He knew. It’s probably why he got all the other snacks.

We ate in silence, both afraid to say something to mess the moment up.  Once the slurping sound of straws sucking empty milkshake cups filled the space, we both laughed and stood up.  Alex slowly approached me, looking hesitantly at me before raising his arms to take me into an embrace.  I returned the gesture quickly, pulling him for a hug, taking comfort in the feeling of him around me again, the smell of his hair, his body wash.  I didn’t want to think about what he was smelling from me.  But he didn’t seem to care.

Alex looked into my eyes and went in for a kiss, gentle and a bit tentative.  The last time we did this, it did not end well for either of us.  But we were in my desert, not his tool shed, and his dad was nowhere to be found, so I pushed into his mouth, deepening the kiss.  We stumbled back and fell onto the blanket, laughing as we pushed the empty food wrappers out of the way.  Hands fumbling, groping, running up and down bodies.  Mouths on each other, on necks.  Hands in hair, grabbing the back of necks.  After a few frantic minutes of us reuniting with the electric emotions of two who had been apart too long, we settled into a more caring pace, frantic touches becoming more caressing, more reverent with each other.

Eventually we pulled apart, both panting, trying to catch our breaths.

Alex looked around, “It’s starting to get dark.  We should move to the back of your truck and off the ground.”

I nodded, “Yeah, I don’t think I need to have any scorpions or other critters join us.”

I grabbed the blanket while Alex grabbed the backpack and basket, putting the rest of the snacks back inside.  He tossed them into the cab of the truck while I spread my sleeping bag and blanket out, adding his to the back of the truck.  He came around to the tail gate where I was sitting, my legs swinging back and forth off the back end.  He stilled the movement of my legs and slid between them, leaning forward to capture me in another kiss.

I broke the kiss and started to slide back into the truck, laying down on the blankets, Alex climbing into the truck and following.  Lazy kisses turned into a passionate make out session.  At some point, shirts came off, as did jeans.  In the growing darkness, we jerked each other off, coming together and locking together in a tight embrace.  After several minutes of catching our breaths and slowing our heart rates, we cleaned up and put our jeans back on, leaned back against the cab of the truck, Alex leaning against my chest.  We sat there for who knows how long, fingers touching each other across our chests, up and down his back or my arms.  The stars came out in full force, and soon the glow of the cloud that makes up the Milky Way stood out above us.  Who knows how long we sat there.

Maybe some dates mean something more than others.  Up to today, they limited my options, kept me at the mercy of whatever control CPS put around my life.  But today, this day?

Alex looked up at me before tucking his head back under my chin, leaning against my chest.

“Happy 18th Michael.”

[thesedays-posts-blog]

Chicago Teacher's Union Threatens Chicago Public Schools with Possible May 1 Strike

Always teetering on shaky grounds, CPS now faces the possibility of a teacher strike if it does not grant concessions to the Chicago Teachers Union.

On Wednesday, the union began talking about a potential walkout on May 1 to address CPS’ issues that might result in officials ending the school year 13 days early.

Karen Lewis, the president of CTU, addressed reporters at the union’s headquarters in West Town. She said that if the board cancels these school days, teachers would see this as a “massive violation” of their contract (The Chicago Tribune). CPS is considering shortening the school year because of the ongoing CPS budget crisis, exacerbated by Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of $215 million in funds in December.

The union's House of Delegates approved a discussion period before they vote on April 5 for or against the May Day strike (The Chicago Tribune).

CTU’s opposition is in response to unpaid furlough days and frozen school budgets, along with the threat of an early ending to the school year and the termination of summer school.

“…If we don't fight back, if we stay at home and they threaten us with furloughs and school closures, if we cower under the covers, then we are never going to stop these fights,” Lewis said at the news conference on Wednesday, according to The Chicago Tribune.

If Springfield does not offer assistance, Lewis is pushing Mayor Rahm Emanuel to use tax-increment financing funds to help resolve the budget gap.

Another avenue for influencing school budgets is the courtroom. The Chicago Board of Education recently accused Rauner and the Illinois State Board of Education of discriminating against minority children in Chicago, and not providing them with proper funding relative to school districts in other parts of the state. The city’s school board hopes the judge will expedite this lawsuit, so that a decision and funds might arrive sooner. You can read more about the case here: These Days.

This situation probably sounds familiar, as it is definitely not the first time the CTU has threatened CPS with a strike. The union had a one-day work stoppage last April because of stalemated contract talks and the budget impasse. CPS’ financial burden, at that point, had similarly led to furlough days and teacher layoffs. CTU members protested Springfield’s refusal to provide adequate funding to the district and Rauner’s anti-union stance.

CPS CEO Forrest Claypool condemned the strike on April 1 as illegal, and he filed a complaint with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, which agreed to ask a judge to grant preliminary injunction relief to prevent future strikes (abc7). Lewis said the union would not partake in another strike unless it aligned with state law (The Chicago Tribune). If the strike on International Workers’ Day occurs, it will lead to new arguments about whether the CTU can strike outside of state law.

Lewis referenced the strike in April on Wednesday, as she said it brought new money to the school district and helped CTU negotiate a contract later that year. In October, amidst threats of another strike, CTU and CPS officials reached a deal. Now, CPS is dishonoring that contract by threatening to end the school year early, which would further cut teachers’ pay, Lewis said (The Chicago Tribune).

A spokesperson for CPS, Emily Bittner, laid the blame for CPS’ actions at Rauner’s feet and encouraged the union to stand with the district in the fight against the governor. “…We should all work to avoid students losing days of instruction and teachers losing days of pay,” she said on Wednesday, according to The Chicago Tribune. Bittner added that teachers who participate in the strike will not be paid that day.

Lewis requested that CPS officials reconsider the next planned furlough day, on April 7, to prove they are serious about working with the union.  The district, however, encouraged the union to hold their potential walkout on that day (The Chicago Tribune).

Many union members feel their pleas have remained unanswered and they are running out of options. Members also distrust CPS and Emanuel’s board of education; Lewis has long questioned CPS officials’ intentions. At the end of the day, though, the union does hold Rauner and the local government accountable for the massive budget hole.

“The political leaders of this state made a promise to fund public education and keep school doors open. This is an act of desperation for us,” said the vice president of the CTU, Jesse Sharkey, according to ABC7.