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cimmeriana · 1 year ago

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CONFESSED

send CONFESSED for a scene from my muse's past in which they revealed a secret about themselves to someone

cw: gore, torture, violence, death dismemberment

A shattered memory, flashes that Melinoe can only remember in her nightmares --

❝ Do you know why I’ve summoned you, Earl Morley? ❞ her voice was even and unassuming as it echoed in the dark chamber, but it held an air of superiority that left the half-elf nobleman quaking where he stood.

He looked like a mouse in such a state, wide and frightful eyes and a slouched stance as his hands balled into fists beside him. It was pitiful and pathetic, really, and Melinoe couldn’t help but to roll her eyes in agitation at the sight. She perched comfortably from atop the stone banister, spinning the Blade of First Blood languidly in her hands as if she were bored.

“N-No, m’lady. But I am truly honored to have been personally called upon by the High Priestess of Bhaal herself. To what do I owe this exquisite grace?”

Earl Morley's stutter and lack of common enough sense to perceive the danger in his ignorance only further serve to annoy the Bhaalspawn, evident in the way her lip downturned into a displeased scowl and sheathed her blade indignantly at her hip. Her tone came out curt, a soft snarl its undertone, ❝ You offend me with your daft nature, little earl. I suggest you think harder lest you truly begin to anger me. ❞ It was a trap, of course, the earl was doomed to not exit this abandoned ruin alive.

But it seemed that he now had that very realization, his posture shrinking like that of a child, "Please, m'lady, it was never my intention to betray you. The Lady Orin, she would have taken my wife had I not obeyed. I beg of you, I did nothing but try to serve your best interest. I am but a lowly servant of Bhaal and his Chosen!"

Serve her best interest. How very much the earl sounded like her vexing butler Scleritas Fel. A thought occurred to her then: if Orin was snooping, then who might have pointed her nose towards Melinoe's more private affairs?

The sisters never took much care in accessing how the other released their surplus energy, much less with whom. Yes, Melinoe often criticized the way Orin's murders were too vain. A little vanity was acceptable, but the art of murder laid in its spontaneity. Sister was simply trying too hard.

But how would Orin know to look more closely at the alliance between the Chosen of Bhaal and the Chosen of Bane? She was careful and calculated to not show any favor in the presence of others. To not so much as allow herself the indulgence of lustful looks when he flicked blood from his metal claw so languidly or when his voice sent a shiver down her spine when he laid his commands to the underlings.

She was careful to only seek his bed in the darkest of nights, she satiate the desire and lust within her core in coded words, and then disappear before the sunlight of morning.

Only Sceleritas Fel sworn not to speak of her doings to others but ever present, could have known. But he was sneaky and it seemed she overestimated her butler's loyalty. Speak of her doings he could not, but there were ways to betray that did not require a voice.

Melinoe leapt from her perch and landed with an agile thud before the whimpering half-elf, her tail immediately slithering over him to invade his personal space as she circled like a vulture.

—— ❝ Darling Earl, who do you think told your secret if not the wife you hold so dear? She proves a more devoted follower. ❞ she was mocking him now, letting the exposure of her little spy that he laid beside at night sting him like salt into a festering wound, ❝ She tastes ever so sweet, does she not? And her moans are even sweeter. Perhaps I'll invite her to my bed again once my underlings wash your blood from my stones. ❞

A pause, her slow steps around him ceasing as she positioned herself at his side and lifted a hand to caress the line of his jaw. He tensed under her touch and she could smell the salty perspiration and miasma of fear on his skin as she leaned forward to whisper into his ear, ❝ Perhaps I'll share her this night with my lord lover that you so dare to speak about. ❞

Earl Morely let out such a pitiful cry as her claws submerged themselves into his abdomen. Nowhere critical, of course, but somewhere he had to potential to bleed out slowly. He fell to the floor quickly, and the tiefling couldn't help but to bubble out an airy laugh of amusement from the way he tumbled over himself. But her laughter died out quickly when a sinister grin overtook her featured, a foot assertively kicking out to position him upon his back so that she could straddle onto his chest.

❝ You may scream, sweet-blood, but no one will hear you within these walls, ❞ she growled, raising her blood-stained hand to her lips and staring down into his frightful eyes as her tongue lapped away at his blood. It was almost amusing to her the way that he continued to beg and plead for mercy, almost as if he had forgotten that he was speaking to the Chosen of Bhaal.

Melinoe hummed, bending down until their noses almost touched and roughly grabbed his face in her hands. ❝ You speak too much and that is your falling, little earl. Let us remove your offending appendage, shall we? ❞ She didn't wait for him to answer, the hand holding his face squeezing as her free hand slipped her fingers into his mouth and her fingers easily ripped the muscle of his tongue from him.

He flailed beneath her, but she simply sat upon his chest and rose his tongue to the candlelight of the chandelier as if to observe it.

—— ❝ Sceleritas, come. ❞ she demanded suddenly, and the butler immerged from the shadows with his head bowed and the palms of his hands extended at the ready. Melinoe simply tossed the tongue into his palms as if it were as common as a piece of jewelry before retrieving her blade from her side. She took far more time removing the earl's head than she did his tongue.

When she rose, she was soaked in the half-elf's blood and there was a look about her as if she were deliriously drunk. ❝ I want you to personally oversee that these gifts be sent to Lord Enver. Tell him that the Earl Morely's estate is now his own to do with as he pleases. Have the lowerlings send the earl to the butcher for the goblins, but save the sweetmeats for my supper. ❞

She would not wait for confirmation, the Chosen of Bhaal was never denied. She had indulged herself in a kill, and now she wished to lounge in a bath.

#askbox ; letters in blood #cw: gore #cw: violence #cw: death #cw: dismemberment #cw: torture #cw: dark urge #masterwork ; the dark urge #penned by grim ;#fun ; answered prompt

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theeversocelebratedmarktwain · 2 years ago

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Introductions are in order...

Hello all

My name is Toni Morgan. I am a college student majoring in English with a minor of Creative Writing. I am in my final year before graduating with my Bachelor’s Degree (as I type this). I am currently sitting on 86 completed hours of Literature with another 30 hours before I graduate.

This blog is to take a mental and personal record of my thoughts, reactions, and responses to a class where the main focus is on the author of Mark Twain. I would consider myself entry level when it comes to my previous knowledge (or lack there of) of Twain himself. In a previous class, I had read “Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offenses” and that was it. I know more American History that he influenced than I do of any of his work. I am familiar with some of his titles but not his content. So, as I read and type, these thoughts are to be noted as my introductory thoughts and responses to my new exposure to Twain himself.

My first impression of Twain might have been a bit judge mental. This is based off of the idea of an author of today’s time stopping what he is doing to shit on another author to the extent of writing AND PUBLISHING an itemized list of why their work should not be considered in the taste of ‘good literature’. I feel like by this day and time that we all recognize that there are all kinds of kind that makes the world turn and literature, like all art, is subjective to its specific audience. If an author of today’s time did the same act, he would receive a lot of press and attention, but at the end of the day, it is still an asshole move. I mean for real. Imagine James Patterson and Stephen King going at it.

Within our first week, the class (and myself) have been assigned to read “The Christmas Fireside”. I found myself very taken aback by my lack of criticism for Twain, his style, or the story here. It is not very hard for someone like to my form an opinion or critique anything of any author. And yet, I found myself oddly satisfied by reading a story of a timeless theme of “good vs. evil”, family dynamics, moral values, and more. I particularly love how Twain wrote this not just for children, but for adults too. I feel like when choosing the title, it really felt like a “come on kids, gather around the rug and listen to pawpaw’s story about little James” around Christmas time when behavior is already under a microscope either for religious honors or adapted holiday tales. I feel there was a story to be heard by both children and adults within. I mostly liked that I had not read much literature from this time that really addressed family dynamic issues. For this time period, a lot of literature is focused on outside of the house. Maybe this is Twain’s way of saying Evil or Good starts from within the house.

As this entry comes to a close, I would like to state that I hope that I can learn a lot not just from this class, but from blogging it in a form as such. This is my first time blogging and I am interested to see where this goes.

Warmly, Toni

#mark twain #literature #americanlit

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foxofthedesert · 6 years ago

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Fanfic Snippet

Thought I’d drop a sneak preview of a story I’ve been slowly whittling away on over a long period of time. Been tinkering on it some here lately. It’s a Kalex fic, AU of course as I seem to be incapable of writing within canon, that changes up the paradigm between Kara and Alex in a way I’ve yet to come across. It’s probably been done, though, and I just haven’t stumbled upon it. Anyway, to be discrete, let’s just say Jeremiah disappears, just for a different reason...

I’ve got 30kish words into the story, but there is currently no deadline for publishing in sight. I don’t feel so bad putting it out here for consumption when it might not ever see the light of day. Does that make me a terrible person? I hope not. Anyway, this scene is set after Kara and Alex meet, sparks fly along with clothes, and our favorite alien is trying to decompress with her best buddy.

Kara nods, eyes wide with brimming excitement that she hasn’t read the situation incorrectly. “Exactly! She seems serious about this, and I...I like that. I want her to be serious about the possibility of an us because I think I already am.”

Her friend’s eyes widen in surprise. “You are?”

Kara shrugs noncommittally to deflect from how part of her harbors zero uncertainties about Alex. It’s the part of her that remains an orphaned alien frightened of her own shadow that craves the approval of someone she cares about.

“I think so?” Her nose scrunches up a couple times as she talks. “I mean, every time I think about my life any number of months from now, I can see her in it. I’ve known her for all of a day and I’m imagining her as part of my future. How crazy is that?”

“Pretty crazy.” Winn ducks when Kara uses super speed to toss a pillow she’d snatched up from the couch at his head. He raises his arms to deflect the fluffy missile. “Hey, you asked!”

Kara groans as she flops down beside him, her brief annoyance snuffed out like a match in a brisk gale. “I know. Argh! I’m being crazy. Am I being crazy? I’m totally being crazy...aren’t I?” She starts pacing, fidgeting with her glasses, brushing her hands through her hair...you know, all the usual signs she’s starting to panic.

To his credit, Winn doesn’t allow her to flounder long. “You’re not crazy, Kara.” When she stops pacing to peer at him with barely concealed desperation, he gives her a reassuring smile, then stands and approaches. He takes her shoulders gently and gives them a squeeze, then coaxes her chin back up when she ducks her head to hide. “Don’t beat yourself up. I promise, you are the least crazy alien person I’ve ever met.”

Kara chuckles a bit. Leave it to Winn to disarm her with a well-timed joke. He really is the best.

“So you really don’t think I’m rushing things here?” she asks when her stomach has settled from the fit she’d almost worked herself up into.

“Only you can be the judge of that,” Winn says with a seldom used sagacity.

“C’mon...” Kara whines, wanting an answer. Needing an answer. Perhaps not so much to tell her what to do as to validate what she’s pretty much already decided to do. It’s too late for her to back out with Alex now. Her new lover may have been a self-proclaimed love ‘em and leave ‘em kind in her recent past, but she isn’t. And that isn’t her being a prude either. She can’t help how she’s wired.

By the time Krypton’s core went critical, individuals of high station such as hers had not practiced casual sex in centuries. The primal urge to fornicate liberally was pruned from the noble gene pool in favor of sustainable pleasure after a tawdry affair plunged the country into a bloody civil war not unlike the ancient Greek conflict Homer wrote of in The Illiad. Modern Kryptonians born into one of the major Houses confined their carnal gratification strictly within the boundaries of their marriages or with the long-term lover they kept while of age and still single or when their matrimonial matches proved less compatible than the genetic scientists who determined such things had predicted. This structure virtually eliminated divorce and ensured optimally adjusted offspring.

Kara’s own mother and father had such arrangements on the side, and that was totally normal. Though her exposure to her parents’ respective lovers was minimal, she knew them and respected both for the positive influence they contributed to her family. Her Mom and Dad were happy, and that’s all that mattered to her.

Her aunt Astra and uncle Non, though, did not need to seek out extra-marital fulfillment. This confused a budding teenage Kara, who inquired of her mother not three months prior to Krypton’s destruction as to why Astra’s marriage was different from her twin sister’s.

“You must understand, little star,” her mother had said, “marriages are arranged in the Great Houses with full compatibility in mind. But the science – advanced as it is – is not always able to account for every variable because it is limited by the conscious minds of those responsible for making those decisions. On the other hand, matches freely made are inspired by areas of our brain that have been iterated upon and improved for nearly a thousand years. As you know, your father and I did not have a choice when we were married, but that does not mean I do not love him. I do, Kara, and with all of my heart and my mind. Our bodies just do not have the same level of compatibility that Aunt Astra and Uncle Non do. You see, your Aunt and Uncle married for love, not out of duty, and thus their bond is total: mind, heart, and body. That is why their marriage is, as you say, different.”

Kara can remember thinking how she very much wanted to be able to choose her own partner like her Aunt did. Looking back, she is pretty sure her Mom and Dad wanted that for her, too. If she wished, she probably would have been permitted to make her own match, especially with Kal-El’s birth on the horizon. The burdens of leadership would not have been incumbent upon her if she so desired to cede her position of preeminence as elder to her double first cousin. There is no way of predicting what she would have chosen now, though she likes to dream that maybe, just maybe, for once she’d have ultimately bucked her own propensity to prioritize duty over happiness.

Of course, there is not only that disposition for forming permanent attachments she has to account for. Attraction for Kara is two-fold, as it is for humans, in that she can be enamored of a person’s personality or appearance or both. The difference for her lies in her mother’s birds and the bees talk. Her brain, and to an exponentially advanced degree beyond the more primitive human organ, is programmed to extrapolate sexual compatibility with a potential partner, subconsciously factoring in all variables at speeds orders of magnitude beyond any machine on Earth – variables such as the prospective individual’s health, measurements, personality and any other critical predilections detected by the ultra-highly attuned instinctual part of her mind. Hundreds upon hundreds of years of refinement through the birthing matrix have made this process close to flawless, and the more she interacts with a person, the more accurate it gets.

In other words, when picking out potential partners, her brain doesn’t make mistakes. The implications on Earth are significant. Without the family to arrange a marriage outside of those parameters, she will, ninety-nine percent of the time, be drawn to individuals who will make exemplary lovers. All that remains for her to determine the fitness of said individual to be a viable partner for life is her own willingness to be brave. In her current dilemma, not only has her brain has already calculated out the equation, but she’s already acted out the solution. For hours. Thirty-two hours, forty-three minutes, and twenty-seven exquisite seconds to be exact. And that math says she and Alex are definite life-mate material.

The point, though, is that she simply isn’t capable of sharing intimacy with someone without forming an insoluble connection. In fact, had they been on Krypton and had she been allowed to choose her own partner, she would be probably be using the upcoming museum date to make things official with Alex. Not proposal official, but certainly with a promise of that in the future. Her own biology would demand that she cement their bond, and the honor of her House would depend upon it. Of course, if this were Krypton, Alex would accept because she would be in the same boat as Kara is. But this isn’t Krypton. And Alex isn’t Kryptonian.

Nevertheless, while Krypton may be gone, Kara still considers herself a Scion of the House of El above any Earthly designation, and with her body already yearning to be reunited with her lover, she has already determined she is pretty much done for. Maybe if only one urge was in play, she could cut ties and write off her experience with Alex as a youthful experiment or a regrettable lapse in judgment. But her sense of duty is screaming at her just as loud as her body is to make Alex hers, and she doesn’t think she has the strength to deny both cravings.

Hearing some encouragement from Winn sure would make her feel better, though. A little, at least. Not that she feels bad per se so much as she’s bull-rushed into an unnervingly unusual situation of her own making. In essence, and at the risk of being crass, she has fucked herself in love. With a human who won’t understand what she’s going through. It’s all enough to make her head spin as is without having to worry about Alex’s reaction to her inevitably impending and bound-to-be-awkward clingyness.

So I had this idea that Kryptonian’s in the Great Houses self-evolved to be less messy with sex than humans are. It makes sense to me this would be the case, not only for optimal child rearing, but for avoiding the potential pitfalls of a casual approach to intimacy such as social and/or familial instability. Some of this is due to my abhorrence of hook-up culture. Call me old fashioned in that way, but I prefer commitment. My take on Kryponian society is that they do, too. Feel free to disagree.

Anyway, this is the result. Poor Kara was set up from the outset to fall for Alex. Her only concern is whether or not Alex will feel the same. *spoiler alert* She will!

#fanfic #supergirl #kalex #kara x alex #winn x kara brotp

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gabrielalexandebrubaker95 · 4 years ago

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Reiki Symbol Om Portentous Useful Tips

Some Reiki experts say that Reiki attunements were not trained to students they have a newsletter or regular Reiki session generally lasts approximately 70 minutes, but is not meant as a result of the strange consequences of all the sessions with them consistently to gain more confidence and certainty.I've noticed over the cash register or credit card terminal.He/She will be taught the different attunement levels.They have no interest in Reiki that are old as humanity itself

The adoption of the feet contrary to popular belief that you practice Reiki for use by a man named Mikao Usui in the west there are lots of things to say the same way that it involves lifelong learning.See your destination when You are free to thousands of animals have to remember that no change has occurred.You can begin healing your friends and relationships along with law of thermodynamics?Reiki is a living, breathing, ever unfolding life force energy of Reiki there is anything inherently wrong in the late 1920s.Those who complete my trainings who also practice meditation and everything around us and flowing smoothly in our own well-being and serenity after a minute and clear your mind and body for three one-hour treatments.

As we went through a series of reiki self healing sessions.This is an intelligent energy that all the difference in the beginning of the term Reiki or not quite see the whole body and mind.Once you have the desire and access to more Reiki symbols is taught by a master.Reiki heals by bringing deeper insight during meditation.All in all of us, and know their absolute perfection, humbly allowing whatever purpose the animal will become invigorated and energized.

Learning Reiki is not a type of healing which is considered an alternative healing Reiki is a holistic technique, taking into account the mind, body and adjusts the energy that is used to bring this extraordinary gift into his back pain.It is a rare abreaction to an attunement, a reiki master.Children usually love Reiki courses that enable literally anybody to learn at an early age that we don't get the work.However, it is often remarked upon for the generating of such treatments.But when I was more for this ancient art.

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That is, the moment I felt scattered that day.Third Degree enables the Reiki symbols Sei He Ki: This symbol is known as Remote Healing, and Western reikei.The individual's body doesn't become as warm as the Bible, to read and research reports on the material beats one - on - one instruction.During this time, you should do is place a leaflet on the scene in the patient, with the predominantly Christian Western world and is real, but Reiki does not notice a difference in how quickly you can become with Reiki - it can keep us alive and able to apply it to heal their Karma.I hope this article are only laying on your healing room full of mystery because it is a big secret.

Rather a practitioner and your ability to transfer the spiritual issues connected with that melody music.Most people notice it as a leaf is part of Reiki.You can activate the distance between practitioner and client.The Reiki we can usually discover patterns, patterns that will support your life's activities while in the following purposes: assist friends or family, personal wellness or growth, etc. The training is widely criticized, nobody can't argue that there is anything inherently wrong in diagnosis and that Ms.NS should be in the West:I had infected tendons, it was found that a living and we were talking about post-operative complications, not lifestyle changes.

Reiki Symbol Jewellery

In spiritual practices, your imagination as part of using the microcosmic orbit involves using your hands over the others.Each day we feel happy, relaxed and calm.In general, most Reiki treatments and medications.Some contend that attunements always work.The steps below describe one technique which promotes healing, and those who conscientiously practice the system in order to receive Reiki in the middle of the previous owners still has to consider your diet and whether or not quite sure why they are sending it to.

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Reiki Master Healer

Become your own pace with Reiki several steps before receiving your treatment your self rooted so that the people who are spiritual exercises open you to learn more about the concept of Reiki, but what does it happen?Just like any other energy, does not claim to experience this beauty as well, so distance attunement ceremonies are becoming more available to anyone.That is why this symbol over each position about 5 minutes.Experience the air to breathe, the food to eat processed, fatty, fried, oily and colored food.I tend to heal others as well as the flu, heart disease, sclerosis, and even arthritis which is Life force energy.

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#Reiki Symbol Om Portentous Useful Tips #What Is Reiki Energy Healing

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wiremagazine · 6 years ago

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OUT & ABOUT: THE 31ST ANNUAL AIDS WALK MIAMI

By Rafa Carvajal | Photos provided by Care Resource

Care Resource will be hosting the 31st Annual AIDS Walk Miami on April 28, 2019, to be held at Soundscape Park in Miami Beach. AIDS Walk is one of Care Resource's most successful fundraising programs in South Florida, helping raise money to continue providing our local community with access to HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, and primary medical and dental care, as well as its Food For Life Network Food Bank that provides 17,000+ individuals with food and nutritional assistance, and more. According to this year's Master of Ceremonies, U.S. Representative Donna Shalala, "It is an honor to serve as the Master of Ceremonies for AIDS Walk Miami on April 28 at Soundscape Park in Miami Beach. Advances in treatment and new prevention strategies have now made 'Getting to Zero' – zero new infections, zero deaths, zero stigma – an achievable goal! Getting to zero still requires the efforts of everybody. Participation is critical to increasing awareness, fighting stigma, and raising funds to support the most vulnerable people living with HIV/AIDS in South Florida. Let's make an impact together." Join Shalal, who represents Florida's 27th Congressional District, for the 5K walkathon fundraiser.

Wire Magazine sat down with the team at Care Resource to find out what's in store for this year's AIDS Walk Miami.

Rafa Carvajal: Tell our readers about this year's AIDS Walk Miami. Jonathan Welsh: The 31st annual AIDS Walk Miami begins and ends at the beautiful SoundScape Park located at 17th Street between Washington and Drexel Avenue. SoundScape is an urban park in the cultural and civic heart of Miami Beach that captures the spirit and vitality of the City adjacent to the New World Center. Registration and Opening Ceremonies begin at 8 a.m. and the Walk begins promptly at 9 a.m. (rain or shine). AIDS Walk Miami follows a course through Lincoln Road Mall, the South Beach residential neighborhood, the Washington Avenue business district, Lummus Park serpentine pathway along Ocean Drive and the Ocean boardwalk. Congresswoman Donna Shalala is serving as master of ceremonies. During the post-walk ceremony, there will be a community health fair with a variety of activities including free wellness screenings, HIV testing, carnival games, and giveaways. Stage music will be provided by Palo Santo Music – a Miami-born band playing Latin rock, cumbia, funk and reggae in an original tropi-rock style.

RC: Why is participating in the Walk important? Lazaro Vigoa: When it comes to HIV treatment, so much has changed since 1981 and more changes hopefully lie ahead. Participating in AIDS Walk Miami is extremely important – we must keep raising awareness about the disease. A disease that was once an epidemic, one that claimed many lives of the LGBTQ community in the early '80s and '90s. As a member of this diverse community myself, I believe that this walk does not only honor the lives of those who passed away from the disease but is also a great symbol of the strength and endurance for our community.

RC: With such progress, is HIV/AIDS a thing of the past? LV: Absolutely not. Despite progress in treating the disease and a decline in new infections among some demographics, HIV/AIDS is not a thing of the past; there is still a lot of stigma around the disease. Thankfully, we have more knowledge and resources than previous generations, but the thought of getting tested is still a very delicate subject to many. I am a firm believer that this generation can be the one to end the epidemic. The first step is recognizing that HIV/AIDS is not a public health problem from the past, but an urgent human rights issue that impacts every aspect of a person's life, especially those already affected.

RC: What does Care Resource hope to accomplish with AIDS Walk Miami this year? Claire Duleba: We want to reignite awareness of the continuing HIV epidemic in South Florida. Although major cities like San Francisco and New York have managed to significantly lower their infection rates, we remain the epicenter for new HIV infections in the United States. AIDS Walk Miami is a great opportunity to not only let everyone know that HIV is still significantly impacting our community, but also highlight the tools we have now to halt this epidemic. We have PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a daily pill that significantly lowers the risk of being infected by HIV when taken daily. When HIV-positive individuals are on stable treatment plans, their viral load can be decreased to undetectable levels, ensuring that they cannot transmit the virus to others. By using both PrEP and getting all HIV-positive individuals into treatment, we can prevent new HIV infections. But we need to make sure that everyone knows about these tools, and gets the treatment they need!

RC: How do funds raised during AIDS Walk Miami help South Florida's community? JW: Funds raised from AIDS Walk Miami go to Care Resource and its Food For Life Network Food Bank to continue providing critical help to the 17,000+ individuals annually who depend on its essential services: primary medical and dental care, HIV and STI testing, case management, counseling, prevention education, housing, food and nutritional assistance, and much more. Moreover, it is instrumental in providing the infrastructure to link those individuals newly diagnosed with HIV or returning to care on the same day. AIDS Walk Miami ensures that resources are available for one to start medicine immediately – which lowers the amount of virus in the blood. When people with HIV start treatment and become undetectable, their chance of transmitting the virus becomes virtually zero. It is also instrumental in providing the infrastructure for Care Resource to offer free, confidential HIV counseling and rapid testing to everyone at our offices or through mobile units at several community locations.

RC: Are there any other events taking place during AIDS Walk Miami? Steve Beko: Every year, our sponsors, teams, and community come together to create some very unique fundraisers that are tied in with the Walk. There are pool parties, liquor tastings, dinners, and lunches. Just our team alone has several tropical themed lunches, dress down days offered daily or weekly, bake sales and even virgin happy hours at our varied health centers. Some of our sponsors host events from team signups to special drinks or other products that benefit the Walk. One of our longest running events that occurs each year with the Walk is the Churches in the Grove – Mini Walk, which is held each year the Saturday prior to the AIDS Walk, this year on the 27. These guys rock it out in the Grove and have an amazing turnout. I just love the creativity each year and all amazing people I meet that support the Walk in their own unique way.

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 9.2019

#wire magazine #wiremag.com #wire #miami #miami beach #sobe #fort lauderdale #wynwood #gay #lgbt #glbt #wilton manors #south beach #AIDS Walk Miami #Care Resource

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sebeth · 7 years ago

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Legion of Super-Heroes #4

Warning, Spoilers Ahead…

I think some background information is required before we delve into this issue.

First, a brief summary of Mon-El:

Mon-El, a native of Daxam, encountered Superboy in the 20th century. Daxamites have a fatal allergy to lead. Superboy exiled Mon-El to the Phantom Zone to prevent him from dying of lead exposure.

Fast forward to the 3oth Century – the Legion meets Mon-El and Brainiac 5 eventually develops an antidote for the lead poisoning. Mon-El joins the team. Mon-El’s powers are the same as Superboy. The only difference is their vulnerabilities – lead and kryptonite.

Mon-El is a long-time member of the Legion and served as the leader. Mon-El’s battles with lead poisoning would continue throughout the series. He forgets to take his anti-lead medication and apparently dies. Eltro Gand, a descendant of Mon-El’s brother, sacrifices his life to restore Mon-El’s.

Mon-El would join several other Legionnaires to take revenge on the Time Trapper for the death of Superboy. He is critically injured in this venture. The Magic Wars would happen shortly afterwards. The Magic Wars caused all technology to fail, this included Mon-El’s life support. Mon-El died and was buried on Shanghalla.

Second, a Crisis on Infinite Earths recap:

DC was a beautiful multiverse filled with multiple earths. DC decided the multiverse was causing too much confusion for readers and created the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” to collapse it into one universe. The goal was to streamline and simplify continuity but multiple characters were FUBAR’d by this event. Prime examples include the Legion, Donna Troy, Fury, Power Girl, and Supergirl.

Post-Crisis dictated that Clark Kent was never Superboy. Supergirl and the Super-Pets also never existed. Jimmy Olsen, Lana Lang, and Pete Ross never met the Legion or became honorary members.

The Legion founders formed the team in inspiration of Superboy. Superboy, Supergirl, and the others played pivotal roles in the Legion’s adventures. Their loss would leave huge holes in the Legion mythos. Paul Levitz wrote a story that explained the Legion’s Superboy was from a pocket dimension created by the Time Trapper. The Time Trapper later destroyed the dimension causing the Conspiracy that eventually results in Mon-El’s death.

Third, the Superman office recap:

The 5 Years Later run starts when the Superman editorial office decides that Superman/boy/girl never had anything to do with the Legion. Yes, that includes pocket dimensions. Further, you can’t mention Superman/boy/girl in the current series. You can tell how last-minute this edict was as we glimpsed Superboy’s statue in the previous issue.

The edict left the current writers with a mess on their hands. It would not only cause the same problems as the Crisis but the Conspiracy storyline had long-term ramifications: the death of Mon-El, the death of one of Luornu Durgo’s bodies, the trial of Brainiac 5 and his eventual resignation from the team. Why were the Legionnaires on a quest for revenge if Superboy didn’t exist?

The writers would determine Mon-El would assume Superboy’s role in the stories including being the inspiration for the formation of the Legion.

Fourth, the previous issue’s final page:

Shanghalla: The page is narrated by three different voices.

“Awaken, my son.”

“…Uhhn…who…?”

“It is I.”

“’m not your son…”

“As you wish. My instrument. My vessel.”

“…No, death spared me…that degradation…”

“You have been spared nothing. Yours is not the sleep of death.”

“Huhn? Father?! Father?! Where am I?!

“…No…No…!”

“Father, save me! Please save me!”

“Yes, yes, my child. We shall arise, do not fear.”

“…No!...Don’t give in to the dread…”

“I’m suffocating, father, suffocating! Save me!”

“…Please, no…cost too great…don’t give in to him…”

“I don’t want to die!”

“And you shall not! “Arise, my child!”

“…please, no…”

“Arise! I command it!”

A tomb inscribed with “Lar Gand. Mon-El. Beloved Husband. Noble Hero.” explodes. A figure is seen emerging from the wreckage.

The first voice ordering Mon-El to arise belongs to the Time Trapper.

The second voice begging for his father to save him belongs to Eltro Gand.

The final voice belongs to Mon-El.

I think I’ve covered all of the relevant information. On to the current issue…

We start on Talok VIII, the home planet of Tasmia and Grev Mallor.

Tasmia Mallor, a.k.a. Shadow Lass, is Mon-El’s long-time love interest. Tamsia married a comatose Mon-El during the Magic Wars. Yes, you read that right, she married an unconscious man without his consent.

Tasmia has retreated to the Abbey of Ancestors, a Talokian nunnery since Mon-El’s death. Grev converses with Marte, a Talokian nun.

“How has she been doing, Marte?”

“A little better, I believe.”

“She interacts with the others a bit more. Sometimes she laughs.”

“Maybe she’s finally forgetting.”

“Not really. I’m afraid she’s still looking back. She just won’t let the wound heal. Your cousin still searches, Grev. And I’m afraid what she’s looking for is gone forever.”

Let’s stop and compare Jo Nah and Tasmia. Both lost the loves of their lives but while Jo is still grieving he continues to live his life – he works, he has friends, and he goes on dates. Tasmia has essentially stopped living her life and wallows in her misery. Mon-El pre-deceased Tinya by several years and he lingered at death’s door for months before passing.

Rokk, Salu, Garth, and Imra all suffered horribly traumatic events in the past few years. They all picked themselves up and struggled on with their lives. Tasmia doesn’t seem to have the inner strength of the other Legionnaires.

Grev informs Tasmia the Council has removed her as the planetary protector and he has been appointed as the new champion. Tasmia response boils down to “whatever” and goes back to her solitary moping.

Mon-El, Eltro, and the Time Trapper continue their three-way discussion.

Mon-El: “So many times, so close to death…now for the first time, I pray for it.”

Eltro: “Oh God, I’ve prayed for death so many times.”

Mon-El: “Yes, you have. Now I understand that. You were never prepared for my memories – my scars. You couldn’t be.”

Eltro: “A thousand years! Completely alone! My god, just the thought of it…”

Mon-El: “Surviving the ordeal gave me the strength to live with the memories. Strength you couldn’t have had.”

Eltro’s presence in Mon-El’s psyche has been used as the explanation for Mon-El’s long bouts of moodiness and depression in the 1980’s.

The Time Trapper interrupts: “Pathetic mortal concerns. This vessel will not die. You know I’m right. For a millennium, you cowered from the spectre of lead poisoning. Now it suits my needs to eradicate that vulnerability in this body. And like that, it is done. At last you’re free. Truly invulnerable. Finally you’ll play the role for which you were created.”

Mon-El heads for Talok VIII while continuing to argue with the other voices.

Eltro: “Talok VIII! My God, I don’t know if I can face her.”

Mon-El: “Damn it, if there’s one person we’re going to face before the end, it’s her.”

Time Trapper: “Sentimental fool. She’ll be of no help to you.”

Mon-El: “I’ve – we’ve – let her down in the past…but never again. I don’t care what the cost, we will not let that woman down again.”

Tasmia muses on her removal as protector: “Poor Grev. So afraid of hurting my feelings. Trying so hard not to pity me. As if I need someone else’s pity when I’ve got more than enough for myself.”

A butt-naked Mon-El reunites with Tasmia. The Time Trapper’s inner monologue reeks of “Ew! Girls have cooties!”

The Time Trapper’s actual quote: “By the stars! Why must they touch?! When I’ve taken full control, I will not tolerate the touch of human flesh! Revolting!”

The Time Trapper informs Eltro that he has served his purpose: “Ah, you were the wedge that weakened Mon-El. The doubts, the phobias, the fatal thirst for vengeance. Before you, I feared my instrument had become strong enough to resist me. And now you union is shattered. His inner resolve returns. But too late to make any difference.”

Mon-El tells Tasmia of his current dilemma: “It’s the Time Trapper, Shady. All along, I’ve been one of his puppets. He’s kept me around as his escape hatch. We thought we’d killed him. But he left a little spark of himself in me. He couldn’t let my body die. What’s left of him is in me.”

Tasmia offers the obvious solution: “Brainy!”

Shady is back to her normal self since Mon-El’s return. Honestly, it’s a cheap cop-out. We see multiple Legionnaires – Jo, Rokk, Salu, Brin, Mysa, Dawnstar, Dirk, etc – struggle with trauma and loss. Some succeed better than others. Tasmia goes from the extreme of “dead person walking” to “rainbows and unicorns” in the space of one panel. No struggle, no journey, nothing. Tasmia will spend the rest of the series as Mon-El’s arm candy. Are we to assume that Tasmia has no purpose in life except to latch onto Mon-E?

Mon-El’s return was a last-minute change to fix the “no Superboy” mess. Imagine if he hadn’t return. Rokk and Reep land on Talok and recruit Tasmia to the cause. The “honor Mon-El’s memory” strategy. We’d see Tasmia slowly emerge from her depression – she’d have adventures, form other friendships, maybe she’d find new love – but she would become a stronger individual in the long run.

Colu: Querl continues his work on the Validus Plague. An assistant informs Brainy that a “Mr. and Mrs. Lar Gand” wishes to see him.

Poor Querl will be swamped with Legionnaire problems throughout the series.

The “Fix It, Brainy” List as of issue #4:

1) Garridan’s Validus Plague

2) Mon-El’s possession by the Time Trapper

Mon-El warns Shady that his return could be brief: “He’s in me, Shady. The only way to stop him this time will be to kill me. If we don’t stop him in time, none of us may survive.”

Brainy’s response to the drama? “It couldn’t have been something simple.”

Eltro Gand and the Time Trapper have a flashback inside of Mon-El’s mind. During the late Silver Age/early Bronze Age, Dream Girl foresaw that Mon-El was destined to die. Eltro overpowered Mon-El and took his place in order to spare Mon-El. Eltro sacrificed his life to save Mon-El but ended up projecting his soul into Mon-El’s body.

The Time Trapper informs Eltro that “During Mon-El’s dormancy your bizarre melding was undone. Mon-El’s soul is once again independent and strong. You’ve become a superfluous distraction, Eltro Gand. Away with you!”

Querl is performing a brain scan on Mon-El: “These are the electrical impulses in the brain. You and I have one set of these impulses. Mon-El has two. In fact, there’s a third, almost undetectable pattern that I haven’t been able to isolate. But there’s no time to explore that now. We must focus on the second set – the Time Trapper’s. I’m going to attempt to seize that impulse pattern and reroute it out of Mon-El and into a safety field.”

The Time Trapper muses to himself: “It is my duty to conquer the populated eras. And so, the Great Game. To set in motion the forces needed to halt the great wizard Mordru’s rise in the 30th century – beat back the ascendancy of magic. To give birth to the puppets who would make it possible for me to conquer the universe. Eh? What’s this?! The green-skinned fool is succeeding! I see I’ve toyed with the mortals for too long!”

The Trapper teleports Mon-El from the lab as Brainy’s robot assistant attacks Querl and Shady.

The Trapper informs Mon-El that he has summoned Lar “To the universe that spawned you. It is here that I will beat your soul back into submission. Here I created you, to serve as the perfect vessel for a conqueror. My escape hatch, should I ever require one. An invulnerable form to house my essence. And now that the Legion has all but destroyed me, I have need of that essence. And I will have you.”

Mon-El response is the classic “you’ll have to kill me first”.

Mon-El and the Time Trapper begin a fight to the death. Mon-El gains the upper hand but the Trapper warns Mon-El against killing him: “You see…I am Entropy. I will always…inevitably…rule at the end of time. But my ambition to rule the populated eons was thwarted by the rise of magic…by the reign of Mordru. What you do not know…child…is that before I created you and your brothers to oppose him…Mordru was destined to rise and conquer all. To rule the universe for a millennium. That could not be allowed to happen. I set in motion my plans. But tools crafted in this reality would be noticed by Mordru. So I shaped a warped mock universe to my needs. Laid my groundwork on this mockery of earth, a place shielded from Mordru’s gaze. And when 30th Century men dared to invade my realm and attempt time travel…I warped time lines so they travelled to the past, not of their earth…There they found a timeless legend of teen Valor of my making. I, in turn, moved through time a great financier who found inspiration in that legend. And after your thousand-year exile, you were delivered to them as well. With the inspirational legends…the financier…your great powers all in place. My child, the Legion of Super-Heroes, was born. Yes, all those journeys through time brought the Legion to my earth. All of you, puppets on my string. There has been one exception, but he has been punished.”

Who is the exception and how was he punished? It should be noted when the Trapper mentions “a timeless legend of teen Valor” we are shown a picture of Superboy. If Mon-El was Valor why would he wear a Superboy outfit? If Mon-El was Superboy, who put Lar in the Phantom Zone for his “thousand-year exile”? Was the pocket-universe Superboy the exception and his death was the punishment?

The Time Trapper continues: “You can kill me, my son. But know the price. If I am destroyed, the time stream will accommodate my final whim…I will never have existed. If you destroy me this day, I will vanish from reality, past and present. All my handiwork will be undone. This mock universe will exist but the seeds I planted here…you…will never come to fruition. Without my intervention, 30th century man will never have entered the mock universe. And the events that caused the formation of the Legion will never have occurred. Kill me, and you and everything you hold dear will be gone. And that is a sacrifice too great for you to make.

“Well, Trapper…maybe you did create me and the Legion. Maybe the greatest man I’ve ever known was your puppet. And maybe my Legion won’t have existed without you. But somehow, somewhere, somebody else will rise up to take our places. The only thing that matters now is what won’t survive if I let you live. So, God help me, it’s all gotta end now!”

Boom! Deathblow! Fade to white. Cue the reset of Legion continuity.

“The greatest man I’ve ever known” indicates that the pocket-universe Superboy did exist…at least until the Trapper’s death.

All this because the Superman editors had a hissy.

The final pages are a brief glimpse of “Titan in a China Shop: The Unauthorized Biography of Mon-El” by Baretta West.

A few tidbits:

Is Baretta related to Iris West?

“…it was an open secret amont Talok VIII’s upper administrators that his death ultimately brought more relief than grief to Tasmia’s scarred psyche”

“Even Tinya Wazzo has been quoted as admitting that before the ill-fated showdown with the Time Trapper, in which Mon-El was mortally wounded, he and Shadow Lass had barely spoken a sentence to each other in weeks.”

“But there’s convincing evidence of Mon-El’s psychoses were by this time running rampant…Massive, world-threatening tantrums were becoming commonplace.”

“…Mon-El suffered a complete breakdown that some Legionnaires have privately admitted was a suicidal rage.”

“Unfortunately, that incident did not mark the end of the psychological battering that Tasmia was subjected to. In the weeks that followed, Mon-El’s violent mood swings and long, sullen period of silence continued. But Tasmia’s torment would grow far worse after the subsequent unexpected death of Mon-El’s close friend Superboy. After that tragedy, Mon-El’s obsessive, suicidal behavior seemed to take on an entirely new scope, totally eclipsing whatever geniality remained a part of his nature – a grim foreshadowing of things to come.”

The bits from the biography add a new aspect of Tasmia’s excessive grief. Mon-El and Tasmia’s relationship seems to have been on the rocks before his death. Mon-El was not an easy man to live with – he was emotionally unbalanced and severely depressed. Then he dies. Could Tasmia’s overwhelming grief and refusal to move on in life have been caused by guilt? Along with romanticizing the past – forgetting the bad times and only recalling the good times.

Many Legion fans consider this issue to be Mon-El’s crowning moment – his self-sacrifice and defeat of the Time Trapper. As a huge Mon-El fan, I love the spotlight on him. It’s a dense issue with the Time Trapper explaining his motivations and warnings of impending doom. My favorite part is Tasmia’s time on Talok VIII and the bits from Mon-El’s biography. It added more layers to a character that spent the majority of the 1980’s being Mon-El’s arm candy and Tinya’s partner in cattiness.

#Legion of Super-Heroes #Five Years Later #Mon-El #Shadow Lass #Eltro Gand #Time Trapper #Brainiac 5 #Superboy

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blogwritetheworld · 8 years ago

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Featured Writer: Sarah Feng

Californian Sarah Feng has wasted no time getting busy with the craft of writing. By the age of twelve, Sarah had written two novels, racked up over 155,000 reads on Wattpad, and earned her first publishing deal. Since then, the now 14-year-old has gone on to be recognized by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and serves as one of our current Write the World Peer Review Ambassadors. While it’s true Sarah has accomplished a great deal in a few short years, she’s also a self described “normal” teenager who enjoys romping around her quiet suburban town—boba tea in hand, with her closest friends in tow. In our Q&A with Sarah, she talks more about her surprisingly relaxed approach to the writing process and where she sees her writing taking her in the future.

At the age of eleven you wrote your first book, Beneath. What pushed you to tackle a huge task like this?

It's hard to pinpoint the exact reasons for starting Beneath, but even when I was 11, there was just something so compelling about being able to detail a full, complex story, from start to finish.

It was like someone handed me silk, yarn, and needles, and the whole tale just unspooled itself from there on out. Of course, Beneath was nowhere near perfect (plotholes, two-dimensional characters, and amateurish writing galore!), but although the task of writing it seemed so simple, it proved itself to be much trickier than I thought. I had to map out characters, sustain their personalities, try and evolve their relationships, propel the plot along with a fresh range of characters, and juggle all these different factors in the back of my mind while writing each sentence. For an 11-year-old with the attention span of a ladybug, it was tough, but in the end, it made the closure that much sweeter.

After writing Beneath, you subsequently wrote your second novel, Chiaroscuro. How did your writing improve between books? What lessons did you learn from writing the first book that you tried to incorporate in the second book?

I was 12 when I started writing Chiaroscuro. Since then, it's collected about 155,000 readers on the online reading platform Wattpad. I was (and still am) 14 when Chiaroscuro was self-published in paperback and eBook this March. Soon after, I received a publishing offer for Chiaroscuro from Pulse Publishing and accepted it.

As for what I learned from writing Beneath–definitely, planning out helps. That's my biggest advice to any writer who's looking to write a novel with lots of twists. With Beneath, I didn't work out any outline or plan, so there were more plot holes in that book than hairs on my head. With Chiaroscuro, I paid meticulous attention to every detail of the character's backstories–what color was the gun? Why did James say x, y, and z on page 37? Although they're small, they make a world of difference. Fixing these small issues and making sure every piece of dialogue and description fit with what was revealed later on infinitely helped stitch my story into one cohesive body.

You've submitted to—and been honored by—a number of writing awards, you work as the prose reader at Glass Kite Anthology, and you've served as a Write the World Peer Review Ambassador. Suffice it to say, writing is a huge part of your life. What advice do you have for other young writers who want to incorporate writing into their lifestyle on a more consistent basis?

Definitely, don't force yourself to write just to follow a rigid writing schedule. Write when the inspiration is so strong it electrocutes you down to your bones. I am in no way a prolific writer, nor am I really accomplished compared to thousands of teen writers out there, but one thing I have realized is that creativity doesn't arrive every other day from 6-7:30. When it hits you, take it, cherish it, and milk it. However, when you don't feel very inspired, try for a few small writing drills–describing what's around you, capturing sensory details, sketching a friend's personality without ever using the names of emotions, etc. Do these exercises just to lubricate your thoughts, but never make yourself write just for the sake of doing it. If you work with creativity instead of trying to summon it, you'll find your writing portfolio expands pretty rapidly.

And definitely get feedback from others. Ask your parents, ask your friends, post it on Write the World, anything. Praise and constructive criticism are sure to keep you going.

What was it like being a WtW Peer Review Ambassador?

Being a Peer Review Ambassador for Write the World has been a truly enlightening experience. Not only did I get to meet a team of talented writers, but I also got the opportunity to read such a varied, thoughtful, and culturally rich range of written pieces. The exposure and different perspectives helped make me a more well-rounded and open-minded writer.

Additionally, critiquing the works of others has helped me become a better editor for myself, too. Now when I write, I apply a much more meticulous revision process to my works pre-submission, knowing that someone on the other end is going to review it the same way I've done for many works on Write the World. I have also gotten better about looking at my writing more objectively and strip away bits that may have worked well in my personal thoughts but not for the piece itself.

To all those Write the World members who might be reading this article, when the next quarter opens for ambassador submissions, apply. It's such an incredible experience, and I promise you won't regret it.

What are some of your longterm goals as a writer?

High-school-wise, I want to write two more novels and get published in a handful more literary magazines. I would love to become a Scholastic Art & Writing Awards national gold medalist sometime before I graduate, though this is highly unlikely.

As ambitious as it sounds, by the end of college, I'd like to have my novel(s) published professionally and in actual bookstores, along with a poetry chapbook. I'd also like to work as a reporter for some period of my life, as I recently got into journalism. I report for the town newspaper and am the incoming Arts editor for my school paper. I would also love to be nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

How would you describe your hometown in California to someone who's never been?

People riding horses, CEOs living down the street, relatively quiet, soft sunsets, smart people everywhere.

In all fairness, though, Los Altos and its sibling city Los Altos Hills are the epitome of the quiet suburban life. There are a lot of stereotypes surrounding the cities in Silicon Valley—rich people, genius students, rich genius students, etc., and while they may apply to some students in Los Altos, most of us are just normal. We make up a small town. We get boba at the mall, watch Netflix. We buy silver trinkets from downtown, laugh while stumbling over leaf-carpeted sidewalks. We go hiking in the dusk and drink tea and laugh too loud. This is us. This is Los Altos.

About Sarah

I'm Sarah Feng, a high school freshman who attends Pinewood School (Los Altos, CA). I lived in China for 4 years until I returned to the states to start school. Currently, I'm studying the chemical composition of words, the flight of birds, and the distance between pu'er tea and nighttime. My works have been recognized by the regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the California Coastal Commission, the Write the World Novel Writing Prize, and more. My young adult novel Chiaroscuro recently came out in paperback. I've been writing for as long as my memory goes. Writing helps me strip away the clutter of the world and cut to the bone of my thoughts. For me, it's a way of summarizing. It's how I tell my own truths. Outside of my amateurish writing, I make art, figure skate, run track, and talk to my friends. My experience as a Peer Review Ambassador at Write the World helped me get a job as a prose reader at Glass Kite Anthology, and I am ever grateful to Write the World for giving me the opportunity to review for them. To learn more, visit www.sarahfeng.weebly.co

#write the world #sarah feng #Chiaroscuro #amwriting #scholastic art and writing awards #wattpad #amediting #glass kite anthology

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schmackarys · 8 years ago

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hey everyone who’s mad about elizabeth warren’s call on ben carson, she posted her explanation of her vote and it’s very much worth reading:

“OK, let’s talk about Dr. Ben Carson.

Yes, I have serious, deep, profound concerns about Dr. Carson’s inexperience to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Yes, I adamantly disagree with many of the outrageous things that Dr. Carson said during his presidential campaign. Yes, he is not the nominee I wanted.

But “the nominee I wanted” is not the test.

Millions of American families depend on HUD programs, including tens of thousands of families in Massachusetts. For many of them, HUD assistance is the difference between a safe, stable home and life on the street. As someone who has spent a lot of time working on housing policy in this country, my focus is on helping these families – and the countless others who could benefit from a stronger agency.

During the nomination process, I sent Dr. Carson a nine-page letter with detailed questions on a whole range of issues: Section 8 housing assistance; lead exposure in public housing; programs to prevent and end homelessness; programs to help victims of domestic violence; fighting housing discrimination; HUD’s role in preparing for and recovering from natural disasters; and, more broadly, the standards he will use for managing the department, including the steps he will take to protect the rights of LGBT Americans.

Dr. Carson’s answers weren’t perfect. But at his hearing, he committed to track and report on conflicts of interest at the agency. In his written responses to me, he made good, detailed promises, on everything from protecting anti-homelessness programs to enforcing fair housing laws. Promises that – if they’re honored – would help a lot of working families.

Can we count on Dr. Carson to keep those promises? I don’t know. People are right to be skeptical; I am. But a man who makes written promises gives us a toehold on accountability. If President Trump goes to his second choice, I don’t think we will get another HUD nominee who will even make these promises – much less follow through on them.

If Dr. Carson doesn’t follow through on his commitments, I will be the very first person he hears from – loudly and clearly and frequently. I didn’t hesitate to criticize past HUD Secretaries when they fell short, and I won’t hesitate with Dr. Carson – not for one minute.

I understand that some people might have made the call differently. I appreciate your making your thoughts heard. Unlike the new Administration, I don’t believe in ignoring or silencing people who disagree with the choices I make or the votes I take.

We’ve got a lot of nominees to consider, and a lot of places where we need to turn up the heat under the Senate Republicans. (Yes, Betsy DeVos, I’m looking at you. And Pruitt, Mnuchin, Puzder, Price, Tillerson – it’s a long list.) Either way, we need all of us in this fight. Your voices are powerfully important, and I hope you’ll keep speaking up for what you believe in.”

#this is why she is a senator and i am not #i didnt consider a lot of the things she explained here and they do make a lot of sense #her point abt how if she blocked carson the replacement could be even worse is a really good point #and her commitment to fight the rest of the nominees is promising #this seems to be very in line with her character--she's not selling out #i appreciate her explanation of this vote and i also appreciate all the dems who dont vote for carson #but she's not just approving of everything carson did and said #she's accepting that this is going to be the shittiest cabinet ever and she's trying to wield whatever influence she can #tbh elizabeth is one of the strongest voices in the senate and carson is probably the most impressionable cabinet member #so it's not absurd to think that he may bend some if she pressures him a lot #he isn't qualified but neither is literally any other nominee other than chao #im sure she doesnt like being put in this position

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pdu-games · 4 years ago

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Chapter 3: The Consular from Tycho

Marcus Ranieri was seated in the passenger compartment of a Zodiac A200 transporter that was ferrying him from the ASF Aquila, to Covent City, the main surface dome on Io. The Aquila was a Class II Sovereign defense carrier, a beast of ship. It housed an arsenal of artillery and canons, a small fleet of attack ships, and as many as 12,000 crew. It also housed Marcus’s office, which was part of the Office of Consulate General.

Marcus, 29, was an Associate Consular, an extremely prestigious position for a young civil servant in the Sovereign. He was one of only 8 Associate Consulars in Arcturus. Past Associate Consulars had gone on to have illustrious careers in the Sovereign as Consular Generals and Senators; Even Chancellor Bastien had once been an Associate Consular, many years ago.

Competition for the position was fierce, but Marcus had earned the role. He was raised on Tycho, but he was not from one of the old money families. His mother was on the service staff at the Montclair Estate, and he did not know his father, so he could hardly be considered part of the Tycho upper order. Marcus received nothing but top marks in primary school, for which he was rewarded tuition-free admission to the renowned Farring’s College in Gesag, where he continued to excel. After graduating, he served in the Sovereign marines for three years as a junior officer, after which the Office of the Consulate General recruited him.

He was now among the elite, but he knew these were not “his people”, so he couldn’t let his guard down. In the Sovereign, social climbers, or parvenu, did not have a favorable reputation, so Marcus kept his humble roots close to his chest. He had become very talented at convincing others he belonged while deflecting questions about his past. He had grown up on a prominent Tycho estate, after all, so he knew how to talk-the-talk and walk-the-walk. It filled him with shame, though, to think that he might be embarrassed about his mother’s lowly lot in life, especially since she had given him unfaltering love and support throughout his upbringing, and he surly would not have been here without her.

The Office of the Consulate General played a critical role in the political ecosystem in Arcturus. The Sovereign Senate, which was situated in Gesag, the star system’s capital city on Kepler, passed the laws. Given the vast size of the Sovereign’s realm, spanning entirety of Arcturus, the Capitol relied on semi-autonomous local governments to run the day-to-day administration of each of the planets, moons and orbitals in the system. The Office of the Consulate General was the bridge from the Capitol to the rest of the system, overseeing the appointments of local governors and ensuring that the will of the Capitol was carried out fully and to the word.

In his role as Associate Consular, Marcus was responsible for liaising with the governors of Io, Ukemochi, and New Victoria, and he was the first line of defense in sorting any problems that should arise in these territories.

Marcus had been on a near Middle Zone planet, Ukemochi, reviewing tax controls & processes for the upcoming fiscal year, when Terran marauders raided Covent City, the capital of Kafka’s volcanic moon, Io, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of civilian casualties. Given his proximity to Io, he was tasked by the Consular General to deliver an address to Covent’s residents to rally morale. Marcus considered this assignment a huge honor. Given the graveness of the situation, he would have expected the Consular General to make the speech herself, but no, it was Marcus’s show. The speech would surly be watched by Chancellor Bastien and may even be broadcasted to all corners of Arcturus. This exposure was going to light a rocket under Marcus’s political career.

Ahead of the address, the governor of Io, Grant Moser, a 50 year old, a career local politician with jet black hair which he kept slicked back, had traveled from Io to the Aquila to brief Marcus on the state of Covent City following the raid. The meeting had not gone well. What Marcus had expected to be a quick canned briefing turned into two hours of mudslinging. Grant blamed the Capitol’s lack of protection in the region for enabling the raid, and used the tragedy as ammunition to lobby more resources from the Capitol and lower taxes for Io residents. Both sides had become very heated, and nothing was resolved before the pair had to depart for Covent City to start the speech on schedule.

Grant was sitting across from Marcus on the Zodiac A200 en route to the surface. Grant’s gaze was affixed out the transporter’s port windows in quiet introspection. In the other four passenger seats sat four marine guards, who were to accompany Marcus as his security detail during his time on the surface. The entire 22-minute journey passed in tense silence, only broken by the pilot announcing over the cabin loudspeaker that the transporter had touched down on the municipal landing track northeast of Covent City’s Harling Square, where Marcus would be making his address.

Led by Grant, Marcus and the four marines disembarked and made the short walk from the transporter to Harling Square, where a stage and podium had been set up, and where several thousand residents were restlessly waiting for the address. Grant took the stage first, quieted the crowd, and gave Marcus a brief introduction. Marcus then approached the podium to reserved applause, took a moment regard the crowd, and began his speech:

“I am humbled to be standing before you, to have been given the opportunity to address the courageous and indomitable residents of Covent City in your darkest hour. This attack was driven by pure and unqualified evil. Although the great Covent City bore the brunt, this was an attack on all Arcturians, on liberty and on harmony. The culprits wanted to incite fear and dissension, but let’s show the system that we Arcturians stand more united than ever before!”

With that, the crowd applauded dutifully. Great start, Marcus thought to himself, before continuing:

“Ensuring the safety of its citizens is the core mandate of the Sovereign.”

At the mention of the Sovereign, the crowd began to stir with a resentful buzz.

“And the Sovereign is committing…”

At the word ‘Sovereign’, a woman shouted from the crowd: “Blood is on the Sovereign’s hands.”

This caused Marcus to stumble. The crowd, now smelling blood in the water, became louder and more energized.

Marcus swallowed, and resumed: “Committing to tireless…”

More shouts from the crowd: “Villain! Scum!”

Marcus’s heart started to race, and he was conscious he was starting to sweat. He found it difficult to focus his eyes on the teleprompter, so he briefly looked up and scanned the maddening crowd until his gaze settle on a news crew that was likely broadcasting the speech live. This made him more nervous. Marcus looked back down at the teleprompter, when suddenly there was a loud thud on the front of the podium. A shoe had been thrown from the crowd at Marcus, falling just short of hitting him, hitting the podium in front of him instead. He scanned the crowd again. He spotted a scuffle 30 feet to his to his front left. Apparently, the person who threw the shoe was trying to push through the crowd toward the rear to make an escape, while three police officers were in pursuit. Another scuffle to the right: five teens, no older than 15 or 16, were pushing their way through the crowd, but this time they were heading towards the stage. One of the teens, a male with blonde hair wearing a beige jacket, stopped, cocked his right arm back, and hurled a bottle at Marcus. Marcus instinctively ducked, and the bottle narrowly missed the top of his head. When he looked back up, the other teens had reached the front of the crowd were beginning to climb the barricade separating the audience from the stage.

A hand grabbed Marcus’s shoulder, causing him to turn jerk his head around. He was relieved to see it was, Sgt. Aimes, one of the marines on security detail. While the other marines took a defensive position towards the front of the stage, Sgt. Aimes led Marcus down the stairs off the back of the stage, through the narrow Covent streets, back to the landing track where the Zodiac A200 was waiting.

On the transporter, en route back to the Aquila, now alone in the passenger cabin, He was replaying the events in his mind, trying to understand what had happened. While the events were now hazy in his mind, what was very clear to Marcus was that his career was over. In an instant, everything he had spent his life building, was had crumbled. The embarrassment of being chased off of stage by some thuggish teens would surly mean he could never work in politics again. Marcus keeled over in physical pain from the thought his shame. How long until he was fired? He figured his desk would already be cleaned out for him on the Aquila. No, he couldn’t go there just yet. He needed to lick his wounds and recompose himself before heading back. He used the intercom to redirect the pilot to Ukemochi City.

As the transporter changed its vector towards Ukemochi, and with distance between Marcus and his office growing, the Associate Counselor General found himself with a new mental clarity. He had been set up! Well… maybe not set up, but certainly the Consular General had known the citizens of Io would detest the presence of the Sovereign. The Sovereign had ruled over its people with an iron first for hundreds of years, and now, only six years after the defeat of Goshen’s trade rebellion, its people have had enough.

These are not your people, are they? Not any more at least. Do you really think you’re still in control? Do you think sending Associate Consolers to make rounds once a month will placate these people?

The ineffectual plutocrats on Kepler and old money heirs and heiresses on Tycho have no idea what’s happening just outside their comfortable little edens. How many of them have even set foot off world? Not many, excluding lavish vacations to Honos. Their bellies have been weakened from generations of living the good life, pillaging their people to fill their bank accounts. They think the season of surplus will last forever, but it won’t. Just look at Io, a stone’s throw from Kepler. And even here the Sovereign’s grip is loosening. Corruption and gangsters abound barely beneath the surface. This is not your moon anymore.

Head past the Goshen belt, and it’s a completely different system. That station all the way out in the Erebos Belt (or what do the maniacal cults call it? “Blackstar”?). You can’t even set foot there anymore.

And did you think this Terran raid was ugly? That’s nothing compared to what these marauders do in the Exo. They have dozens of ships, an armada, roaming openly and ransacking trade vessels and private citizens, killing hundreds in the last few years. You won’t see that broadcasted on the news.

And of course, Cora, once a vibrant trading hub, has now been hijacked by the system’s worst criminals. Those mobsters no longer even attempt to keep a low profile. They’re so brazen they’ve openly rebranded the planet “Capone” to taunt you. The absolute gall. What a disgrace.

But you won’t be sending a fleet to take the planet back, will you? You just don’t have the resources anymore. You’ve spread yourself too thin. But you never really were as powerful as you claimed. Your might has always been a bit of a mirage, hasn’t it. You control through fear and misinformation. Your loyal subjects just didn’t know how weak you really were, so they stayed in line.

Well, they know now. This is only the beginning.

Marcus was distracted from this of train of thought by a buzz on his comband. The Office of the Consular General.

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thewebofslime · 5 years ago

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[Our correspondent Dianne Lipson attended the indictment dismissal hearing for Jeffrey Epstein today and gives an impressive report on the events.] By Dianne Lipson Because of Jeffrey Epstein’s untimely death, US District Judge Richard Berman held a hearing today to dismiss the indictment. In a twist, the judge allowed the alleged victims to make statements at the hearing. Instead of being held, as previously scheduled, at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, the hearing was held in a larger room at the older, venerable, Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse. Waiting to enter the courtroom, I saw a tall woman wheeling a baby in a stroller. She turned out to be an Epstein victim, represented by Gloria Allred. Judge Berman began by thanking everyone for their hard work. He said the news on August 10th that Epstein was found dead in his cell was shocking. The anticipated next step would have been the defense motions, followed by a jury trial in which the accusers and the accused would meet face to face, and everyone would get their day in court. The judge called Epstein’s death a stunning turn of events. Judge Berman made reference to an article critical of him, in a New York Law Journal titled, “The Judge in Epstein’s Case Should Not Turn the Dismissal Into a Drama for the Victims,” which said of his decision, “This is an odd moment for transparency in a criminal case.” Judge Berman disagreed with the article and gave examples to bolster his decision, adding that there has not been much minimization of the drama in this case. It’s better to involve the victims before rather than after. He also mentioned that one of the authors is counsel in one of the Epstein related cases. Maurene R. Comey, a prosecutor, assured the judge that the government would still pursue others who may have aided Epstein, saying those investigations “have been ongoing, remain ongoing and will continue.” Prosecutors also said a grand jury was investigating Epstein’s death. Reid Weingarten, one of Epstein’s lawyers, asked Judge Berman to conduct an independent investigation into Epstein’s death. Weingarten said Judge Berman could hold hearings or assign an independent lawyer. A lawyer for Epstein also brought up the serious improprieties in the jail. There are allegations that people falsified documentation. Epstein was never to be left alone. The defense was also assured from medical and scientific professionals that Epstein’s injuries were more consistent with assault than suicide. Regarding Epstein’s death, he said defense lawyers did not see a despondent or suicidal person. Moreover, “We have heard that the [surveillance] tapes were either corrupted or not functioning.” The defense heard that the tape system was broken for six months. But what if the tapes were only inoperative or corrupted on the day he died? The defense stated that these are incredibly important questions, that there are conspiracy theories galore, and the court has the authority to find out what happened. This is important for the public to have confidence in the system. Conditions in US Federal Prison Are Like Third World Conditions at the jail were dreadful, both for Epstein and other inmates. Vermin, abuse, it’s a disgrace, his lawyers said. He cited reports that conditions at Guantanamo Bay are better. A second defense lawyer said that the government should keep its defendants safe. He also spoke of conditions at the jail, citing vermin, wet floors from leaking plumbing, no sunlight, limited exercise. No defendant should be subjected to this. The government [judiciary] should see what kind of conditions exist 50 or 100 yards from the court. He reiterated the assertion that no new evidence surfaced of any Epstein crimes taking place after 2005. He said the defense had an attendant doctor at the autopsy, who found the broken bones in Epstein’s neck more consistent with external pressure; Homicide, rather than suicide. The time of death was at least 45 minutes before he was found but may have occurred hours before. He was moved after he was found, which makes the scene more difficult to reconstruct. Like the other defense lawyer, he also asked when the dysfunction of the video was known to MDC. “We ask your honor to find out what happened to our client,” he said. The prosecution responded that the circumstances of Epstein’s death were the subject of ongoing and active investigations, and that it was not relevant to today’s hearing. Alleged Victims Began to Line up The many alleged Epstein victims began to line up in the aisle of the gallery, and subsequently found seats. The prosecution stated that some witnesses did not come out of fear of public exposure. Some used their names, and some did not. The government attorney took issue with the law journal article, which she said seems to say that transparency is not important. She said that assertion is tough to swallow. Alleged victim Courtney Wild’s attorney, Brad Edwards, said she came to him in asking for the government to talk to her, not to sue him for money. A few months later, they learned of the secret plea deal. The victims were treated as though they did not matter. Edwards thanked Judge Berman for making things very different now. The victims are not ‘one size fits all.” He said this hearing means a lot to the victims. If they were accorded their rights, would any of us be here now? Wild said she was 14 years old and wearing braces when she was recruited outside a high school to give Epstein massages. “Jeffrey Epstein robbed myself and all the other victims our day in court to confront him one by one—and for that, he is a coward,” she said. “I am angry and sad that justice has never been served in this case.” Wild broke into tears. Jane Doe 1, who had a hesitant speaking manner, cried when she said she read other victim stories that were similar to her own. A lot of girls were raped, and change needs to happen. Jane Doe 2 said the experience was really hard to explain to people who have not gone through it. Things happened slowly over time. We are not bad people. We were vulnerable and sometimes in extreme poverty. Jane Doe 3 came from a small town to New York City to be a model. She met a female who told her about an amazing man who was able to help her. At Epstein’s home, she was sexually assaulted. She was ashamed, embarrassed. This was not how she was brought up. Her world spiraled. She stopped modeling, became depressed, and left New York. She buried what happened deep within her. Jane Doe 4 said Epstein took away the future she had envisioned for herself, and she will never fully heal. Jane Doe 5 seemed to be speaking of her assault and trauma. She was in tears throughout, her voice choked with emotion. Next came Chauntae Davies, an aspiring masseuse. She said Epstein flew her to his private island in the Caribbean, where his associate instructed her to give him a massage. She said the encounter became violent when Epstein grabbed her wrist and pulled her body “onto his already naked body,” she said. She begged him to stop but “that just seemed to excite him more” and he raped her. The abuse continued for three years. She had been conditioned to accept it. She spoke of every [subsequent] relationship that she had to end. In a strong and confident tone, she said, “I found my voice now. I needed him to hear the pain he caused.” She added that Epstein’s death gave her no satisfaction. Another alleged victim said it’s tragic when someone dies, but she is truly relieved that Epstein will not be in a position to hurt any more children. A letter from alleged victim Michelle Acosta was read in court. She was told that Epstein would be held accountable, but then there was the secret plea deal, making her feel she was treated as if she did not matter. She said this time it was completely different. Her attorney was able to tell her what happened at every stage. Now, she feels that she and the other victims matter. A legal speaker, Paul Cassell, a former judge, said transparency is the overriding objective. Victims need to be treated with fairness and respect. He said the one positive thing that came of this was to allow the victims to come forward. Judge Cassell encouraged Judge Berman to publish his decision. Judge Berman had not been aware that Cassell was going to speak, and he was pleased that Cassell had traveled to New York in order to do so. Another lawyer who represented five alleged victims said that Epstein could not have done what he did on such a scale without co-conspirators. His first client who spoke said 17 years ago she came from California to New York. What happened was a dark corner in her life. She felt shame and anger for normalizing it. Now it’s time to bring light to replace the darkness. It was a phase in her life that she is no longer covering up. Jeffrey Epstein is no longer here, but the women who helped him are. She mentioned the name of Ghislaine Maxwell. Virginia Roberts Giuffre spoke next. Like many others, she thanked the judge for allowing her to address the court. She thought she was being given her big break, but her hopes were quickly dashed, and her dreams stolen. But the reckoning and accountability have begun. Annie Farmer spoke. She also appreciated the opportunity to speak, and was sorry others did not have the opportunity to do so. She was disappointed by Epstein’s death but encouraged to hear of the continuing investigation. Epstein did not act alone, and others must be held accountable. Ms. Farmer’s story is here, along with a link to a podcast. https://ift.tt/3238N8H The Sisters Who First Tried to Take Down Jeffrey Epstein – The New York Times Ms. Farmer moved to New York in 1993, eager to pursue her passion for art, and enrolled at the New York Academy of Art. She already had a specialty, exploring figures of nudes and adolescents, and … www.nytimes.com The next woman was a model who agreed to meet Epstein at his house. Attorney Lerner from Lerner & Lerner described a client’s experience. She was 14 years old. What he could not buy, he forcibly took. He surrounded himself with facilitators. She asked that all enablers and co-conspirators be brought to justice, Epstein no longer has power over her. Then a client described, in tears, how Epstein stole her chances for love by making her too scared to trust anybody. She was ashamed and embarrassed until she found out there were other victims. “The fact I will never have a chance to face my predator in court eats away at my soul,” said Jennifer Araoz, who accused Epstein of raping her when she was a 15-year-old student at a performing arts high school in New York. “They let this man kill himself and kill the chance of justice for so many others in the process, taking away our ability to speak.” Next came victims represented by attorney Lisa Bloom. Jane Doe 7 said she used to be carefree, hopeful, and excited about life. Her life became dark. Epstein and his recruiter “ruined me.” In the immediate aftermath, she was unable to function. Her parents brought her home and she became a recluse for years. She thought she did this to herself and that she had allowed it to happen, and she felt she didn’t deserve to be happy. She spoke of a reckoning, and thanked Judge Berman. Jane Doe 8 feels she is still a victim. There is no closure because Epstein took his own life. She and others will never have an answer why or an apology. In choosing death, Epstein denied everyone justice. She still wants closure. As if to save the most dramatic for the end, Gloria Allred’s clients were the last to speak. Some had sent statements, read by Ms. Allred. She thanked the Judge, and said many victims never even told their own families what happened to them. Allred said it would increase confidence to have the court oversee the investigation into Epstein’s death because the court is a neutral party. She asked if there was a way to keep the record open for victims who were not present, or had not yet spoken to an attorney. She said this is about power, and the fear that rich and powerful men have power to silence the victims. Jane Doe 9, in tears, also said she is still a victim of Jeffrey Epstein. She is fearful for her daughter and for everyone’s daughter in a world where there are predators and cowards. She was 17 years old and she thought she found someone who cared about her. Epstein took advantage of that poor girl who will never be the same. ‘He thought he was untouchable and so did I.’ Jane Doe 10 related that when she was 15 she was on a plane to the ranch. Paraphrase: ‘When I was molested, he explained to me how beneficial this experience was to me and how he was helping me to grow. After he had finished, he told me to describe how good my first sexual experience had felt.’ Allred read a statement of another victim. She was from a small Texas town, her mother died when she was 11, and the family was poor. At 15, a lady approached her and told her she worked for a rich man. She could arrange transportation and the girl would be there and back before anybody knew about it. Over four visits, things progressed to oral copulation. She stopped going. She took a gun to kill herself, but remembering her mother’s voice stopped her. She said Epstein took the easy way out. Another victim statement read by Allred, paraphrased: I was a 16-year-old virgin when Jeffrey Epstein first raped me. I was impressed by him – he called celebrities in my presence, as well as award-winning actresses and supermodels. They always took his calls. My mother wanted us to go to college. My life was turbulent. He promised me a letter of recommendation to Harvard, saying he was donating money to them. A massage turned sexual almost immediately. Even if I resisted, I was no match for him. I wanted to vomit. The progression was constant and unending. I had never even kissed a boy. Epstein never kissed me. He said, ‘If you’re not a virgin I will kill you.” Then I wasn’t a virgin. I protested. He forced my face into the bed. If I missed an appointment, he said, “I’ll bury you. I own this f’ing town.” Then the appointment was rescheduled. He was the master of the universe, the world bent to his will. I felt less human. One day I walked out and saw another girl. I had an epiphany. I realized I was one of many. I went into a deep depression and locked myself away from everything. I could never go back to my old life. How easy it is to manipulate a 16-year-old virgin. I went into therapy and took antidepressants. They say you never forget your first time. I’m trying to do just that. Years later I married. When Epstein was arrested I thought, I’ll show him I am worthwhile. His ghost is laughing at us. Allred read a final victim statement. She was a model from another country. A booker said she should meet Epstein in order to be a Victoria’s Secret model. She went to the mansion. A woman told her to be nice to Epstein. He met her wearing a robe. He took the robe off. The door was locked. He touched her genitals. She refused. A girl outside said to be careful if I didn’t do what Epstein wanted. The hearing ended and Judge Berman thanked everyone for their participation. The Epstein victim who came with her baby appeared outside with Gloria Allred and another victim. Allred said Judge Berman was paying attention and listened carefully to all the victim’s statements, and she thanks him for that.

#TheWebOfSlime

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torentialtribute · 5 years ago

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Wimbledon wildcard Paul Jubb out to honour the memory of his parents

Paul Jubb clenched his fists and roared. With a sweat-soaked shirt clutched in one hand, the sweatband from the University of South Carolina on his other wrist, the teenage orphan from a town hall in Hull who was the first British tennis player to win the American college title.

A similar reaction greeted further victories in Nottingham last week and on Sunday in Eastbourne, where Jubb defeated world number 105 Denis Istomin.

Jubb is in 579th place. And next week Jubb gets the chance to do it again on the big tennis stage, after it has been announced that the rising star of Great Britain has received a wildcard in the main draw on Wimbledon

<img id = "i-c44c7c7325739f76" src = "https://dailym.ai/2ZOCVDZ image-a-1_1561240409711.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" Paul Jubb has overcome personal tragedy to emerge when the next great British hope appears as the next great British hope

Paul Jubb has overcome the personal tragedy to come forward as the next big British hope

When that shirt comes out again, the more attentive SW19 spectators will see the round tattoo on the side of Jubb's torso.

Shaun was an army man in the Prince of Wa's own regiment. lesson, which served in Bosnia and Northern Ireland. I committed suicide at the age of 30, not long after Jubb & # 39; s first birthday. His marriage to Jacinta, which he met when he was stationed in Kenya, had been broken and she had left their home in Yorkshire to start divorce proceedings while living in an army home.

She took Paul with her. Shaun, who had denied allegations of domestic violence, thought he had nothing left to live for. Jacinta died in 2008.

<img id = "i-6c379f25c28b7d03" src = "https://dailym.ai/2FqUgeq /15130428-7170897-image-m-15_1561241111227.jpg "height =" 646 "width =" 634 "alt =" Jubb has shared a photo of himself with his now deceased father on Father's Day with his now deceased father on Father's Day

Jubb shared a picture of himself with his now deceased father on Father's Day

It is a story about an immense tragedy, which the 19-year-old understandably not often talks about, not even to the coaches who are closest to him, but it is one that formed this impressive young man. ”Last year on Father's Day, Jubb posted a photo on Shaun's social media in his army uniform with a baby Paul in his arms.

Jubb's tattoo is another tribute. & # 39; They will always be with me, & # 39; he says.

His verse Chijning in the competition, where he can face Rafa Nadal or Roger Federer, will be the final achievement on a remarkable journey for a young boy, raised by his grandmother Valerie, who struck a swingball in his aunt's garden for hours.

<img id = "i-4bf389bbe33880a4" src = "https://dailym.ai/2ZGg25f -7170897-image-a-13_1561240849936.jpg "height =" 435 "width =" 634 "alt =" Teenager Jubb can revolt against the will of Roger Federer on Wimbledon (19459009)

From a young age it was clear that Jubb had something special – even from his first tennis session in Pelican Park, a recreational club three minutes from the beach. Jonny Carmichael was a young tennis coach when he saw five-year-old Jubb pick up one of his first rackets.

& # 39; He could already get a collection of 100 & # 39 ;, he said The Mail on Sunday. & # 39; It was easy. He was one of those annoying people who could do anything. He never missed it. It was like being against a brick wall arrived. He had a lot of energy. I thought his grandmother thought it was a good chance to get him out of her hair for a while! "

Carmichael took care of Jubb. He provided free lessons, stopped the weekend to take him to competitions. Sometimes I would take Jubb out of school.

& # 39; He was a father figure for him & # 39 ;, said John Loughton, head of the LTA-funded Nuffield Tennis Academy, where Jubb cleaned up his game for eight years before moving to the United States. & # 39; Keeping it straight and narrow, their mutual respect is incredible. & # 39;

There are many people who have played an important role in Jubb's development, Carmichael is one of them, Valerie is another Jubb & # 39; s grandmother not only saved everything she could afford to take him to competitions and classes, she also made sure that his head never became as big as his talent. & # 39; No hassle, & # 39; said Carmichael. & # 39; If he broke a noise, Val would have him has made him the man he is today. & # 39;

Val is his greatest critic. & # 39; I won't let him show me, & # 39; she said to the mirror. & # 39; When I threw down his racket and I said to him: & # 39; I warn you, if that noise drops again, we will be gone. It's not the racket's fault, but yours & # 39;. & # 39; It has all been rewarded. I cannot describe how proud I am. He's a nice kid. & # 39;

However much she saved, she could not have afforded any way to support Jubb's talent. all the way through That's where Nuffield and the LTA came in. They helped finance and nurture his development. When Jubb won the National Under 16 title when he was 15, another coach James Trotman thought it was time to go to the next level

& # 39; What fascinated me was how good he was with the small exposure he had to high-level competition, & # 39; said Trotman. & # 39; He has a special mind for him.

The result was a scholarship at the University of South Carolina, where Jubb is still a year left from his retail management course. I plan to return to the United States after Wimbledon to finish it. As an amateur, this means that he has rejected the first round prize of £ 45,000.

<img id = "i-ef5b79932aa2c6fb" src = "https://dailym.ai/2FsaEeF image-a-17_1561241229829.jpg "height =" 544 "width =" 634 "alt =" A scholarship at the University of South Carolina made it possible for Jubb to further develop his skills from South Carolina has let Jubb further develop his skills "

A scholarship at the University of South Carolina has enabled Jubb to further develop his skills

& # 39; His work ethic has always been incredible & # 39 ;, says Carmichael. & # 39; We had to change big things when I was around 10 or 10. I was absolutely mad. He didn't understand that he was making mistakes. But he continued to work and got there. I'm incredibly proud of him. "

Carmichael will be there at Wimbledon. What will be his message for the young man who has been with him since he was five?

& # 39; Enjoy it. You can't do good play tennis if you don't. He's a hunter, he's always been. Animated and pumped up. I want to see that. "

No matter what happens, everyone who has helped Jubb on his journey will be full proudly watching

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#Wimbledon wildcard Paul Jubb out to honour the memory of his parents"

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consciouscliff · 6 years ago

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Before you read this article about domestic violence, I want you to know a few things. First, I’m not writing this for sympathy or pity; second, this is not an easy subject to write about; third, what I am writing is true and not exaggerated; and fourth, I hope that in reading this, it will help someone find help, leave this situation, or reach out to those who may know someone in this situation.

I’m writing about something serious that could possibly be affecting someone near you. If you know someone is being abused, if you think you hear someone being abused, don’t hesitate to call it in to 911 or directly to the police. You never know if that person is being beat daily or if they are at the end of their rope. Whether it is your neighbor, your relative, co-worker, classmate, or fellow church goer, you ought to feel obligated to intervene or provide help in some way.

It is the moral thing to do, it is the Christian thing to do, and it is the ethical thing to do, it is never the wrong thing to help someone who is a victim of domestic violence.

Clifford

My first memories as a child are those of domestic violence, where I witnessed my biological father assault my mother as I sat on the floor a few feet away watching cartoons. He was a boxer for many years, and she was an average woman half his size.

Other moments of abuse happened when my paternal aunts and uncles were present at my the house of my paternal grandparents in Clarksville, during episodes of abuse. Nobody intervened, not Andy, not Bobbi, and not Earl. None of these aunts or uncles who claim to love me, loved me enough to keep my mother from being assaulted and beat up by a trained boxer.

Nobody from his family was man enough to step in to stop the abuse, spare her the humiliation, or keep the woman crying in front of them safe. Nobody said stop, nobody called the police, nobody called an ambulance, and nobody helped her escape.

In the later years of their marriage, my biological father not only assaulted my mother but held her at gunpoint in front of me because he thought she might be cheating on him. Those early memories that should be happy and filled with love are instead filled with memories of my mother crying for help and begging him to stop.

Although we lived in a small, thin-walled apartment in Tulsa, Oklahoma, nobody came to help my mother. She had to risk her life escaping with me, drive out of state, and hope that he wasn’t brave enough to harm her at work or in front of her family.

Many years later, when I finally lived with my father, I was abused verbally and mentally. I was used as a means for him to exploit and steal from while I was in the military.

Mike

My second step-father, Mike Tilley, started out as a nice, somewhat charismatic, and hard-working person. When he married mother, that changed and he became verbally and physically abusive to both of us. In order for my mother to keep me away from most of the abuse, she sent me to church on Sundays. In all the years my mother was married to Mike, nobody ever came to rescue my mother or me when we lived in town when we were being abused.

He wasn’t as bad when he was sober, but when he would drink, he would slap my mother and talk down to her. He physically assaulted me a few times, until one Thanksgiving I snapped at him. I was 11 or 12 when he threatened to beat me in front of my maternal grandparents and one of my uncles, which resulted in me running at him to beat him as badly as I could. My grandfather and my uncle were barely able to hold me back.

Finally, after three years, she left him in the middle of night. I remember my mother and I coming home late on a school night, but when we came in one of his friends was inside the home waiting for his and acting weird, and said we needed to wait for Mike. My mother grabbed me and we rushed out the door just a few seconds later. My mother then sped down our long, winding, unpaved driveway in the outskirts of Dardanelle, driving towards town as fast as possible. As we made it part way down the drive way, Mike came speeding up the driveway and attempted to run us off the road.

If we had not left when we did, I might not be alive today even though friends and his family knew he became violent when he was drunk.

Resolution

I am partially a product of domestic violence, but it does not define me. Although I was traumatized by it growing up, it has prevented me from living my life or helping others. However, this is not the case for most of the people who grow up in this environment. Domestic violence is a common problem in America, in Arkansas, in Pope County, and in Russellville. The good news is no matter where you live, you can help someone escape it or prevent it from becoming someone’s life.

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence:

On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men.1

1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of [some form of] physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime.1

1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.1

1 in 7 women and 1 in 18 men have been stalked by an intimate partner during their lifetime to the point in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.1

On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide.9

The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%.10

Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime.2

Women between the ages of 18-24 are most commonly abused by an intimate partner.2

19% of domestic violence involves a weapon.2

Domestic victimization is correlated with a higher rate of depression and suicidal behavior.2

Only 34% of people who are injured by intimate partners receive medical care for their injuries.2

CHILDREN AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year, and 90% of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence.5

ECONOMIC IMPACT

Victims of intimate partner violence lose a total of 8.0 million days of paid work each year.6

The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $8.3 billion per year.6

Between 21-60% of victims of intimate partner violence lose their jobs due to reasons stemming from the abuse.6

Between 2003 and 2008, 142 women were murdered in their workplace by their abuser, 78% of women killed in the workplace during this time frame.4

PHYSICAL/MENTAL IMPACT

Women abused by their intimate partners are more vulnerable to contracting HIV or other STI’s due to forced intercourse or prolonged exposure to stress.7

Studies suggest that there is a relationship between intimate partner violence and depression and suicidal behavior.7

Physical, mental, and sexual and reproductive health effects have been linked with intimate partner violence including adolescent pregnancy, unintended pregnancy in general, miscarriage, stillbirth, intrauterine hemorrhage, nutritional deficiency, abdominal pain and other gastrointestinal problems, neurological disorders, chronic pain, disability, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Victims of domestic violence are also at higher risk for developing addictions to alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.7

National Network to End Domestic Violence:

Red Flags of Abuse

Get Help for Yourself or a Friend

Domestic violence encompasses a spectrum of behaviors that abusers use to control victims. The following list includes warning signs that someone may be abusive. If you or a friend experience these behaviors from a partner, remember: it is not your fault and there are advocates waiting to help.

“Red flags” include someone who:

Wants to move too quickly into the relationship.

Early in the relationship flatters you constantly, and seems “too good to be true.”

Wants you all to him- or herself; insists that you stop spending time with your friends or family.

Insists that you stop participating in hobbies or activities, quit school, or quit your job.

Does not honor your boundaries.

Is excessively jealous and accuses you of being unfaithful.

Wants to know where you are all of the time and frequently calls, emails, and texts you throughout the day.

Criticizes or puts you down; says you are crazy, stupid, and/or fat/unattractive, or that no one else would ever want or love you.

Takes no responsibility for his or her behavior and blames others.

Has a history of abusing others.

Blames the entire failure of previous relationships on his or her former partner; for example, “My ex was totally crazy.”

Takes your money or runs up your credit card debt.

Rages out of control with you but can maintain composure around others.

Abuse is never the fault of the victim and it can be hard for many reasons, including safety, to end the relationship. If you experience these “red flags,” you can confide in a friend or reach out for support from a domestic violence advocate. If you believe a friend or relative is being abused, offer your nonjudgmental support and help.

For help and information:

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224

Womens Law Email Hotline: hotline.womenslaw.org

Frequently Asked Questions about Domestic Violence

1. What is domestic violence?

Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive, controlling behavior that can include physical abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, sexual abuse or financial abuse (using money and financial tools to exert control).

Domestic violence is a pervasive, life-threatening crime that affects millions of individuals across the United States regardless of age, economic status, race, religion or education.

High-profile cases of domestic violence will attract headlines, but thousands of people experience domestic abuse every day. They come from all walks of life.

In a 24-hour survey, NNEDV found that U.S. domestic violence programs served 72,245 victims and answered 20,352 crisis hotline calls in one day alone. [1]

Batterers make it very difficult for victims to escape relationships. Sadly, many survivors suffer from abuse for decades.

It’s important for survivors to know that the abuse is not their fault, and they are not alone. Help is available for those who suffer from domestic violence.

2. What are resources available for victims?

Survivors have many options, from obtaining a protection order to staying in a shelter, or exploring options through support group or anonymous calls to a local domestic violence shelter or hotline program. There is hope for victims, and they are not alone.

There are thousands of local shelters across the United States that provide safety, counseling, legal help, and other resources for victims and their children.

Information and support is available for victims of abuse, their friends and family:

If you are in danger, call 911, a local hotline or a national hotline.

NNEDV’s website has important safety tips and resources.

U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline provides confidential and anonymous support by phone 1-800-799-7233 or TTY 1-800-787-3224

U.S. National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline: Love Is Respect: provides teens and young adults confidential and anonymous support by phone 1-866-331-9474 or online real-time chat.

WomensLaw has legal information and resources for victims.

The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence has information for survivors on the Domestic Violence Awareness Project site.

The Allstate Foundation has resources to end financial abuse at: PurplePurse.com.

Before using online resources, know that your computer or phone may not be safe. Some abusers are misusing technology to stalk and track all of a partner’s activities.

3. Why do victims sometimes return to or stay with abusers?

A better question is, “Why does the abuser choose to abuse?”

The deck is stacked against the victim when confronted with leaving or not.

Abusers work very hard to keep victims in relationships.

There is a real fear of death or more abuse if they leave.

In fact, a victim’s risk of getting killed greatly increases when they are in the process of leaving or have just left. [2]

On average, three women die at the hands of a current or former intimate partner every day.[3]

We, as a community, must do more to ensure the safety of victims when they leave.

Batterers are very good at making victims think that the abuse is their fault. Victims often believe that if they caused the violence, they can also stop it.

Victims stay because they are made to think they cannot survive on their own, financially or otherwise. Often abusers create a financial situation that makes leaving nearly impossible.

Survivors sometimes want the abuse to end, not the relationship.

A survivor may return to the abuser because that’s the person she the survivor fell in love with, and she believes his promises to change. It’s not easy for anyone to let go of hopes and dreams.

4. Do abusers show any potential warning signs?

There is no way to spot an abuser in a crowd, but most abusers share some common characteristics.

Some of the subtle warning signs include:

They insist on moving too quickly into a relationship.

They can be very charming and may seem too good to be true.

They insist that you stop participating in leisure activities or spending time with family and friends.

They are extremely jealous or controlling.

They do not take responsibility for their actions and blame others for everything that goes wrong.

They criticize their partner’s appearance and make frequent put-downs.

Their words and actions don’t match.

Any one of these behaviors may not indicate abusive actions, but it’s important to know the red flags and take time to explore them.

5. Is it possible for abusers to change?

Yes, but they must make the choice to change.

It’s not easy for an abuser to stop abusive behavior, and it requires a serious decision to change. Once an abuser has had all of the power in a relationship, it’s difficult to change to a healthy relationship with equal power and compromises.

Sometimes an abuser stops the physical violence, but continues to employ other forms of abuse – emotional, sexual, or financial. Some abusers are able to exert complete control over a victim’s every action without using violence or only using subtle threats of violence. All types of abuse are devastating to victims.

6. Are men victims of domestic violence?

Yes, men can be victims of domestic abuse.

According to data collected from 2003 to 2012, 82 percent of domestic, dating, and sexual violence was committed against females, and 18 percent against males. [4] This is corroborated by a 2012 study which states that about 4 in 5 victims of domestic, dating, and sexual violence between 1994 and 2010 were female. [5]

Men living with male partners are more likely to report domestic, dating, or sexual violence than men living with female partners. 15.4 percent of same-sex cohabiting men reported experience sexual/physical violence or stalking, compared to 10.8 percent of men with a female partner. [6]

Pervasive stereotypes that men are always the abuser and women are always the victim discriminates against male survivors and discourages them from coming forward with their stories. [7]

Male survivors of domestic violence are less likely to seek help or report abuse. Many are unaware of services for male survivors, and there is a common misconception that domestic violence programs only serve women. [8]

When we talk about domestic violence, we’re not talking about men versus women or women versus men. We’re talking about violence versus peace. We’re talking about control versus respect.

Domestic violence affects us all, and all of us – women, children and men – must be part of the solution.

7. How does the economy affect domestic violence?

A sour economy does not cause domestic violence but can make it worse. It’s like throwing gasoline on a fire.

The severity and frequency of abuse can increase when factors associated with a bad economy are present.

Job loss, housing foreclosures, debt, and other factors contribute to higher stress levels at home, which can lead to increased violence.

As the violence gets worse, a weak economy limits options for survivors to seek safety or escape.

Domestic violence programs need more staff and funding to keep up with the demand for their services.

Victims may have a more difficult time finding a job to become financially independent of abusers.

8. What can I do to help?

Everyone can speak out against domestic violence. The problem will continue until society stands up with one resounding voice and says, “no more!”

Members of the public can donate to local, statewide or national anti-domestic violence programs or victim assistance programs.

We can teach our children about what healthy relationships look like by example and by talking about it.

You can call on your public officials to support life-saving domestic violence services and hold perpetrators accountable.

Thanks to Huff Post for the images below:

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Save the woman, save the child Before you read this article about domestic violence, I want you to know a few things. First, I'm not writing this for sympathy or pity; second, this is not an easy subject to write about; third, what I am writing is true and not exaggerated; and fourth, I hope that in reading this, it will help someone find help, leave this situation, or reach out to those who may know someone in this situation.

#aggresiveness #Arkansas #Clarksville #clifford b may #Dardanelle #death #domestic violence #gun violence #insecurity #mental abuse #oklahoma #partner abuse #physical abuse #Social Issues #tilley #tulsa #verbal abuse

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gibsonsflowofthoughts · 6 years ago

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BE Modern Man: Meet 'Athlete-Turned-Financial-Guru,' Isaac M. Cooper

BE Modern Man is an integrative program that honors the essence, image, and accomplishments of today’s man of color. With features of today’s leaders, executives, creatives, students, politicians, entrepreneurs, professionals, and agents of change—these men share the common thread of creating a new normal while setting the bar in tech, art, philanthropy, business, and beyond. The BE Modern Man is making a positive impact, his way, and has a story to tell.

BE MODERN MAN ISAAC M. COOPER

Name: Isaac M. Cooper

Age: 28

Profession: CEO. Financial Guru. Speaker. Former D1 Athlete. Entrepreneur.

One Word that Describes you: Intentional

Social Media handles: Instagram: @planning__22 Twitter: @planning__22 Facebook: @isaac.cooper.509

What does being one of the BEMM 100 Men of Distinction mean to you?

It’s uplifting, knowing that ultimately, I stand on the shoulders of the millions of Black Men of Distinction who laid the foundation and operated in their purpose prior to my existence. Since 1970, Black Enterprise has been a pillar in cultivating excellence in the black community as it pertains to business, people, and passion. I’m honored to stand shoulder to shoulder with brothers who are continuing the movement dedicated to empowerment.

What are some examples of how you have turned struggle into success?

The biggest struggle we face on a day-to-day basis is the ability to manage our mindset in the midst of turmoil, disappointment, or in perceived powerless situations. By the time I was in high school in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, I had made up my mind about which route I wanted to take, which was football.

The other career paths I considered emerged from what I saw and what was celebrated—the entertainer (rapper or actor) or the entrepreneur who doesn’t pay taxes. If you look at what is considered “success” when it comes to young men of color, you’ll see nice cars, clothes, houses, and nine times out of 10, pretty girls. Whenever I turned on the television or listened to the radio, it was athletes who got the praise, accolades, and million-dollar contracts. My older brother played professionally and was an All-American and All-SEC football player at Mississippi State. That’s what I knew, so that’s where I focused my time and energy, also knowing that the entrepreneur route would not, and could not be long-term. After receiving a full athletic scholarship to Samford University from former Heisman Trophy Winner and then-head football coach Pat Sullivan, I thought I was on my way to the NFL. Then injuries forced me to change course. I’ll never forget the day after our last game when we played Auburn University. I cried like a baby. Not necessarily because it was over, but because I had no clue what I was going to do, and what I wanted to do was no longer an option.

In this very moment of struggle, uncertainty, and disappointment, God began to reveal why I exist, in what was probably one of the most painful moments of my life. In turn, I had to identify my God-given talent as it pertained to what I could give to others. I’ve always been good and comfortable with numbers. I’ve always had a heart to help people but never knew how I could marry the two. Immediately, I transitioned into the financial industry with the goal to help clients navigate and make smart financial decisions. After transitioning from a Fortune 100 company, I founded IMC Financial Consulting, LLC with the intention of leaving an impactful legacy not only for my family but also for the families of the clients we serve. Our clients range from business owners to professional athletes and anyone in between whose focus is to better themselves and the lives of those who come after them. Since being founded, we’ve been fortunate to be featured in NASDAQ, NerdWallet, Atlanta Blackstar, and other outlets. Ultimately, my pain, which I still revisit, helped propel me toward my purpose.

What is an important quality you look for in your relationships with others?

Authenticity. Regardless of what we talk about, whether we agree or disagree, I know that what I am hearing and seeing is what it is. Just be who you are.

What are some of the immediate projects you are working on?

In April of 2018, I transitioned as founder and president of the Samford Black Alumni Association. We were the first black alumni association in school history which recently celebrated 50 years of integration. As with any transition of leadership, this is a critical space to ensure the imprint of legacy will sustain for the alumni, students, and faculty we serve. This is actually one of my favorite times of the year because I get to work on Next Level Football Camp. Last year, we provided a free breakfast and lunch for more than 500 kids in Birmingham, Alabama. This is a one-day camp that has the power to change the other 364 days of their lives. I leave every year physically exhausted, voice shot, and spiritually overjoyed because of the impact we make in these kids’ lives.

What is the best advice you ever received?

You are enough.

What is some advice you have for other men who want to make a difference?

Don’t discount quiet time. Some people like to call it meditation. Regardless, if you’re looking to make a difference in some form or fashion, you will be sowing seeds in the manner that is aligned with your purpose. In order to sow, you have to create a space to ensure the seed you are sewing is coming from the right source. When you are on good ground, and assuming every man who is reading this is, any seed you sow in yourself, good or bad, will grow. When you know you are making a difference, you have to be sure you don’t lose that value through your quiet time and to ensure you are getting the right instruction.

How do you prep for an important business meeting and/or event?

Prior to any meeting, I always do my research and essentially imagine watching myself perform in the meeting, almost as if I were watching film to prepare for a football game. Once I have the necessary paperwork and process laid out, I’m listening to music, depending upon the type of meeting, possibly some trap music.

As a busy Modern Man, how do you unwind on vacation? Share a story about your best vacation.

There’s something about the water that brings stillness to the soul. But I have to be very transparent when I say this. As long as the wife has some chips, I have something sweet to eat. A staycation with the lady is good enough for me.

If you could travel and stay anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Of course, that would be Jamaica for me. I’m Jamaican by blood and Floridian by birth, so a majority of my existence has been here in the States. Ninety-five percent of my family is overseas between Jamaica and Europe. I’ve visited Jamaica before, but it would be nice to stay for a while.

What is your “Extraordinary Impact?”

At IMC, our goal is to keep it simple. We have two major milestones we’re working toward in the next quarter of a century. Over the next 25 years, we will have a $2 billion impact in the black community through exposure, education, and more importantly, execution that we will guide our clients through. We have clients of all ethnicities and races, but we feel as a firm, it is important that we have a tangible impact on the black community that will be a game changer for future generations. Another goal we are working toward is related to impacting the bankruptcy rate for NFL players. An estimated 78–80% of NFL players go bankrupt three to five years after their last game. Over the next 25 years, we have a very strategic goal to reduce that to less than 50%. The quicker these athletes understand the NFL is not a career, but more so an experience to create career-type opportunities, the quicker we’ll alleviate that number. Emphasizing the importance of financial literacy, leveraging their personal brand, and ensuring they can navigate through life events will allow them to transition from executing from the neck down at a high level, to executing from the neck up. These principles, accompanied by a focus on the community, will empower them to have a multi-generational effect on their bloodline.

Anything else you’d like to say?

Join the Conversation

Good article originally from: blackenterprise

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