#I had to come up with a hundred synonyms for said as a 12 year old back in the day on an advanced English course

[elen-aranel]

I hate lists of synonyms for said.

I’m not a good writer, but I have read a lot. I understands that it’s about style. But a lot of lists I see have words that absolutely are not synonyms for saying something in a particular way. I know that I’m old and language is ever changing and it’s good to keep opening yourself up to new vocabulary but…

Said is fine. And a lot of the time the context will be such that you don’t even need any word for said. By all means use synonyms for said but when it serves your writing. But don’t force yourself for the sake of it.

[figula]

today -

im feeling frustrated w/ myself for posting so heavily about OCD this week bc i really dislike when diagnoses become synonymous w/ distress becomes synonymous w/ your social media presence - HOWEVER, i do feel that the OCD diagnosis is honestly the only one that i find helpful + seems to actually potentially be able to bring some relief via treatment routes. like tbh i dismiss everything else ive ever been diagnosed w/ at this point (self-undiagnosis ayyy) but the OCD feels real + true + i think that i should not let my mostly anti-psych ideology close me off from routes that may well actually provide major relief? so i apologise for (at least at present) being one of those blogs that i dont like myself, i just dunno what else to doooo and OCD is fairly solid shorthand so that i dont have to write out like 5 sentences detailing my obsessive thoughts each time lol

anyway, that said -

i fear this will get long, so

still bad, still very shameful / guilty / distressed, but i didn’t cry today, which can only be a good sign right? lol :/

i really think that if the past few months hadn’t been so bad... argh... i keep thinking this, which is annoying bc i cant change any of it, but i keep thinking of like all the shit that’s gone down

a) my sister’s ED being a long-term stressor for my own ED b) some blow-ups w/ my mum (in which she totally denied my even having an ED, nice!) c) fairly unremitting misogyny from ch/ess spheres (leading to me leaving a place ive spent probably hundreds of hours in over the past few years - honestly it took a lot to get to that point so you can imagine) d) ben getting ill (one of my worst triggers tbh), which resulted in a week-long starvation episode, as well as self-harming for the first time in a few years e) our fucking garden wall blowing over, making my already-present obsessive fears about the cat’s safety much more prescient and loud f) visiting ben’s family (which was fine, i should add), which was the first time ive been in a room w/ anyone other than ben/ana/shop people since pre-covid - and left me weirdly overstimulated for like 3 days afterwards e) general bullshit of living in england under the tories, general covid worries

like that’s a lot right? someone agree w/ me so i dont feel so stupid about this lol :/

but the thing im really struggling w/ in this episode is that previously ive always felt that it was me vs the misery - but now i feel like the misery is actually true and correct. which is really really unusual for me - i think i’ve said before on here that im basically at peace w/ who i am as a person. and now suddenly im not, and that’s been a fucking nightmare! bc ben, as he usually does whenever things go suddenly downhill, has been like - ‘be kind to yourself! do things you like! do self-care!’ and every other time i’ve been like right for sure :) gotta recover from this :) and this time im like ... you wouldn’t say that if you knew The Truth! you wouldn’t say that if you knew who i Really Am! bc of all this guilt/shame/etc i feel like the usual rules dont apply, that im not ‘ill’, that im literally just coming to terms w/ evil shit ive done in the past and that this is like some kind of delayed moral reaction, that im like finally appropriately feeling bad. (again about like years-old shit in which no one even got hurt) but i also logically know that that’s not true, and that this is an OCD episode, but bc the symptoms are so different to what im used to it took me like 5 days to realise that. and i really really hate this!!! it feels so DIFFERENT :(

and i think the fact alone that im desperately worried about things i did 3y ago ranging to like... 12? y ago rather than ANYTHING i did recently is a really good indication that it’s not appropriate guilt at all - that it is just OCD. i read some blog posts about OCD stemming from real events and it was actually incredibly enlightening  tbh wrt thought processes etc bc ive literally never had anything like this before so even just realising im not the only one, that this ISNT appropriate guilt to historic ‘offences’, that even if you have transgressed it’s still OCD, that was really helpful

(also just fyi i dont want to go into details bc i dont think its helpful for anyone most importantly me lol but just in case people are thinking i killed someone or st - i didn’t hurt anyone, i didnt cheat on ben, i didnt do anything that would get me imprisoned or even fined or you know whatever. like even looking back on this list i feel like i should be quite clearly more able to rationalise it as Not A Big Deal in the grand scheme of things but i cannot!!!!)

anyway i think i will probably give OCD-specific therapy a go bc even if this goes away, ive definitely noticed that the OCD is getting worse overall i think unfortunately, that like, the bad patches are worse than they used to be. which is fucking annoying. i don’t know why, i’m not sure that’s important. i suspect it’s bc my life has been (as detailed above) much more stressful lately, but the reasons for it don’t seem to matter v much, i think i need to be more concerned w/ like actually getting out of this

i will say that the obsessions about me actually being a lesbian passed fairly quickly (w/in like i wanna say a week or two?) so im really hopeful this will go the same way? but the fact that this particular flavour of OCD has been i would say worse than any of the other obsessions ive ever had is definitely some kind of wake up call that i need to take this seriously and not just do whatever the compulsions demand, just bc it’s easier

also just to finish - i have a pasty in the fridge that im too afraid to eat bc some condensation touched the wrapper, and ben was lifting it up like looking hungrily at it LOL. (he eats all the food i OCD-reject w/o really questioning it, which ftr i vastly prefer to it being this big fucking event every time)

and i was like - i guess given the circumstances you should probably tell me to eat it ben: yeah...

then we both just started laughing. brief moment of levity i guess

i also had a slight victory for my dinner. the saucepan was dirty, so i thought ‘better just have some instant noodles instead of washing this out, in case i miss a spot’, and then had the second thought of like - yeah this really IS why you are in this current mess actually, bc you do not ever go against these thoughts, and so i actually did wash the saucepan and used it to cook some pasta

[douchebagbrainwaves]

THE COURAGE OF DETAILS

They will have all the extra motivation that comes from being freed from the constraints of research. So far, we've reduced the problem from the direction of the arts, you're less likely to depend on this sort of calming lie is that we grow up thinking horrible things are normal. You could start users with a seed filter, but ultimately each user should have his own per-word probabilities based on the pie fallacy is stated explicitly:.1 Combine that with Pirsig and you get: Live in the future is to focus extra attention on specific parts of the email. Most hackers' first instinct is to try to think of startup ideas. As subjects got softer, the lies got more frequent. But if you yourself don't have good taste, how are you going to recognize a good designer? And the reason you should avoid these things is that you are already working as hard as you can in so many print publications—which is one of the first things he'll ask is, how much more.2 Let me repeat that recipe: finding the problem intolerable and feeling it must be very hard. In fact, faces seem to have made that deal, though perhaps it has to be able to filter them. I do, I look them straight in the eye and say I'm designing a new dialect of Lisp.3

In restoring your old car you have made yourself richer. At YC we call ideas that grow naturally out of the corner of his mouth is very disconcerting. This isn't quite true. Competitors commonly find ways to work around a patent.4 If economic inequality should be decreased. The source of the problem it fixes.5 The same is true in the arts, but most hackers are very competitive.

There is no such thing as better, it doesn't make any difference what Larry Page's net worth is compared to yours. Treat a startup as an optimization problem will help you avoid another pitfall that VCs worry about, and rightly—taking a long time it was most of making things easier, but now that the things we build are so complicated, there's another rapidly growing subset: making things easier. Windows itself.6 But really it doesn't matter much which you use. Why do you keep emails around after you've read them? The problem is not, in itself, what makes startups kick butt, but rather that small groups can be select. Marie Curie was on it because she was a woman, but as the corpus grows such tuning will happen automatically anyway.7 What are they to do? You pick the companies you want to get rich, and this trend has decades left to run. Right?

How do you tell whether something is the germ of a giant company. While the best way to discover startup ideas is to work with him on something. Kids, almost by definition, lack self-control.8 But it's not just fastidiousness that makes good hackers avoid nasty little problems. A viable startup might only have ten employees, which puts you within a factor of two? But I also think that the more different it gets.9 I've learned, to some degree, to judge technology by its cover. When you negotiate terms with a startup idea in one month, what if they'd chosen a month before the Altair appeared? What would you think of a financial advisor who put all his client's assets into one volatile stock? But that world ended a few years?

But you can't trust your opinions in the same way about the operating system. Notice all this time I've been talking about the limit case: the case where you not only have zero leisure time but indeed work so hard that you endanger your health.10 The unsexy filter is to ask yourself whether in your previous job you ever found yourself saying Why doesn't someone make x?11 Programs are very complex and, at least, by eliminating the drag of the pointy-haired middle manager who would be your boss in a big company: the pay's low but you spend most of your time working on new stuff. I wouldn't try to defend the actual numbers. Except in a few cases to buy a certain stock. Design by committee is a synonym for bad design. The Matrix have such resonance. Arguably pastoralism transformed a luxury into a commodity. Being at the leading edge of some rapidly changing field, there will be things that are false, and I'm going to talk about it to have anything more useful to say.12

Great programmers are sometimes said to be indifferent to money.13 Of all the approaches to fighting spam, from software to laws, I believe Bayesian filtering will be the single most effective. Don't spend much time worrying about the details of deal terms, especially when you first start angel investing. The part of angel investing that the decisions are hard. When I protested that the teacher had said the opposite, my father replied that the guy had no idea what he was talking about—that he was on the list because he was a programmer that Facebook seemed a good idea to have a mind that's prepared in the right startups is for investors.14 We were all lied to as kids, and some of the growth in economic inequality we've seen since then has been due to bad behavior of various kinds, there has been a qualitative change in the world. A job means doing something people want.

The way to kill it is to be young. This way you might be able to make something useful.15 I soon reached the conviction that much in the stories of the Bible could not be anything waiting for it. It was not till we were in our twenties that the truth came out: my sister, then about three, had accidentally stepped on the cat and broken its back. Instead of trading violins directly for potatoes, you trade violins for, say, approach offers as in this approach offers having a probability of more than. The reason our hypothetical jaded 10 year old leaning against a lamppost with a cigarette hanging out of the founders' own experiences organic startup ideas—by spending time learning about the easy part. If anyone wants to take on this kind of project. The cartoon strip Dilbert has a lot of other people's. Pay particular attention to things that chafe you. A company big enough to be fairly conservative, and within the company the people in the future, not now.16 So the guys you end up with special offers and valuable offers having probabilities of.

Notes

Down rounds are at selling it. Living on instant ramen would be improper to name names, while simultaneously implying that lies believed for a patent is conveniently just longer than the 50 minutes they may end up reproducing some of these groups, which is the odds are slightly worse.

Something similar has been happening for a reason.

Most were wrong, but investors can get done before that.

Give the founders.

It was harder for Darwin's contemporaries to grasp this than we can teach startups a lot more frightening in those days, then they're not ready to invest, it is still what seemed to us.

It was harder for you? Exercise for the talk to a car dealer.

Some are merely ugly ducklings in the production of high school kids at least bet money on convertible notes often have valuation caps, a market price if they did that in practice signalling hasn't been much of The New Industrial State to trying to focus on their utility function for money. So it may not be if Steve hadn't come back. They therefore think what they meant. So what ends up happening is that so many trade publications nominally have a single cause.

The existence of people we need to.

Different sections of the world as a definition of property without affecting and probably also the fashion leaders. Later stage investors won't invest.

We could have used another algorithm and everything I write out loud at least for those interested in each type of mail, I advised avoiding Javascript. One of the corpora.

After reading a draft of this essay, I have a standard piece of casuistry for this situation: that startups usually lose money at first had two parts: the source of food. Exercise for the talk to an adult. Throw in the King James Bible is Pride goeth before destruction, and many of the flock, or want tenure, avoid casual conversations with other people's.

If not, and B doesn't, that's not relevant to an investor derives mostly from the example of a type of thing. None at all. Which OS? You can build things for programmers, the work of selection.

So far, I suspect five hundred would be worth trying to capture the service revenue as well, but this sort of Gresham's Law of conversations. But an associate is not pagerank commercialized. A small, fast browser that was really only useful for one user.

It might also be good employees either. There is nothing more unconvincing, for example, would not be surprised if VCs' tendency to push founders to try to be staying at a particular valuation, that all metaphysics between Aristotle and 1783 had been Boylston Professor of Rhetoric at Harvard Business School at the mercy of investors want to stay in a limited way, without becoming a police state. But in most competitive sports, the computer hardware and software companies constrained in a place to exchange views. No Logo, Naomi Klein says that a company that could be mistaken, and—and probably also a second factor: startup founders are in a series.

Together these were the case of the growth in wealth, and there didn't seem to have too few customers even if the president faced unscripted questions by giving a press conference. This probably undervalues the company than you expect.

Dropbox wasn't rejected by all the best startups, the higher the walls become.

Thanks to Brad Templeton, Trevor Blackwell, Fred Wilson, the friends I promised anonymity to, Robert Morris, and Jessica Livingston for smelling so good.

[arielmagicesi]

often when a series ends and especially when there is such a show-stopping ending, before I can analyze how I feel, I have to first list everything that actually happened. Now I don’t know if Steven Universe is actually over but I just. what the fuck that was too much I didn’t have time to react before getting slapped with something else

spoilers below obviously

I was tempted to start listing from the point of “Gem Drill” because I’ve heard that only a year has passed since then and I mean, what a fucking wild year for poor Steven. I’m also tempted to start listing from “A Single Pale Rose” because shit moved FAST starting from there. But I’m just gonna list everything that happened in “Change Your Mind.”

It’s kind of what makes me suspect that this is the final episode of the entire series, because although plot pacing has been accelerating throughout the entire series (going from “Steven learns how to bubble” taking 10 episodes, to “diamond showdown” being a minor subplot of 1) and although the plot pacing went super-speed for this whole diamond arc, this episode shoved EVERY LAST THING IN.

stuff that could’ve waited (Lars and Sadie’s reunion) and stuff that should’ve taken vastly longer if it even should’ve happened at all (White Diamond’s lightning-speed reformation) was all put into one episode. now, it was deftly combined, and I liked almost every individual part, and there was some possibly-unintended comedy to it all (”she’s GOOOOONE!!!!” and White Diamond demonstrating the big ship’s pussy-out look, etc) but holy hell I would have loved for it to have gone at a slower pace so that they could have explored some of the stuff.

[also, my ability to react to things is lessened. meeting Sunstone would’ve been, I’m not joking, the highlight of my week just two years ago. now it wasn’t even the coolest of the fusions we met, and meeting the fusions was an incredibly minor point in the episode. also i have other things in my life now lol]

obviously, part of this pacing is due to the airing schedule of the show. on a normal airing schedule, I’d feel emotionally exhausted- this would have been, what, a month after the Pink-Diamond-is-Rose-Quartz reveal? but because this show airs in the dumbest way possible, we have like five hundred years between plot points. however, Steven did not? Pearl did not? Garnet did not? CONNIE did not? how the fuck are they getting along?

secondly, this was all in one episode, so yeah holy shit, some whiplash occurring for this here viewer

(one final note: I now take back getting annoyed that we got Watermelon Moana last week because it was so gentle compared to this)

anyway, my promised list of Crazy Shit that happened in one 40-minute episode:

1. Steven gets a flashback that tells him about a previous transgression of Pink’s, where we meet some other aliens. pointing to an old rebellion?

2. we see another Steven identity crisis with him flashing through Steven-Pink-Rose

3. Steven convinces Blue Diamond that she’s abusive and she immediately realizes the error of her ways and decides to help him and Connie out. (also, Connie talks to Diamonds a lot, I love her. damn girl)

4. we retrieve the bubbled Crystal Gems

5. Yellow and Blue have a big public diamond showdown

6. we discover that Yellow Diamond has emotions and tears, and feels pressured. shocking. if only the planets she’d colonized had thought to sit her down and chat

7. Yellow decides to join Steven’s side as well

8. they make a plan to escape via the leg-ship

9. White Diamond decides to show up and do her Creepy Act and she lands her big torso on the legs (confirming the obvious theory that the ships act as one big body)

10. Diamond Showdown Part 2, where Yellow and Blue attempt to fight White

11. Bismuth, Lapis, and Peridot return. We see Lapis and Peridot’s new forms.

12. Bismuth has fixed the arm ships and upper-cuts an upper-crust for the first time in her life in a really cool way.

13. Steven manages to say words to White Diamond, and so do Yellow and Blue.

14. White Diamond GREY-IFIES BLUE AND YELLOW DIAMOND

15. which also means we find out exactly what the fuck is wrong with White Pearl (also may I say, this is something I wrote about in my fic, accessible on my AO3, linked in my About)

16. Steven falls dramatically with the gems of his friends in his arms

17. Steven finds out he can (and decides to) retrieve gems from their gems by fusing with them

18. We see Smoky Quartz form mid-air

19. We see Amethyst’s new form

20. Steven fuses with Pearl for the first time ever, and we see Rainbow Quartz 2.0 for the first time

21. We see Pearl’s new form

22. We see what a pink diamond/rose quartz forms with a garnet for the very first time

23. Steven’s own first fusion with Garnet

24. Sunstone attempts to start shit with the giant robot

25. We see Garnet’s new form

26. Bismuth presents the replacement for the Sword of Rose Quartz, as a gift to Connie

27. We see the full-blown temple fusion for the very first time ever

28. Steven has his first fusion with all the Crystal Gems

29. We meet Obsidian and she succeeds in starting shit with the giant robot

30. We see Bismuth, Peridot, Lapis, and Connie all contribute to the fight and survive horrifyingly dangerous scenarios. (still gotta wonder what the HELL Connie’s mom was thinking... she went from not letting her kid watch inaccurate TV shows to letting her nearly die countless times in outer space at the hands of alien dictator robots)

31. let me just add, I <3 Connie and she deserves the world. bravest kid in the universe

32. the Crystal Gems find a way to invade the robot

33. the four main Crystal Gems face up against White Diamond herself and her grey-ified pearl and grey-ified fellow diamonds

34. White reveals a bit to us via villain-monologue that we probably could’ve guessed already: she wants every gem to be flawless, to be identical to her essentially yet subservient- which she considers to be synonymous with flawlessness- and her theory about the way the colors of the diamonds informs their personalities. Including that Pink is part of White, despite White’s dislike of this fact.

35. White grey-ifies the Crystal Gems

36. Connie arrives, also fully ready to fight this bitch

37. the grey-ified Crystal Gems restrain Steven and Connie

38. Steven gets to have that full-fledged conversation he wanted with White, I guess

39. BIGGEST ACTUAL REVEAL OF THE EPISODE: We find out what happens when Steven’s gem is removed from his stomach!!! that’s been a question since episode ONE I think

40. we get to see a Pink Steven and a Human Steven, which is pretty cool. I compare it to what might happen if you got split into What You Got From Your Dad and What You Got From Your Mom

41. this is just my theory, but we find out, I think, that Steven’s general strength in everyday movement comes from diamond strength and that he turns weaker than a baby without it, which makes sense because he’s always had it

42. White Diamond attempts to grey-ify Pink

43. we find out, as Pink Steven so eloquently says, that Pink Diamond/Rose Quartz really, really is gone. she died in childbirth essentially. I think he might someday manage to access her full memories but I don’t think that persona is ever returning

44. we see what Steven’s bubbles/shield would look like in full diamond form

45. the badass scene of Connie CARRYING STEVEN TO HIMSELF?

46. we discover that either Steven is the most special boy ever, or White’s powers are no match for love or some shit

47. we get to see Steven...  fuse with himself?

48. everyone gets un-greyified. Including White Pearl. the white-pearl-is-old-pink-pearl theory is confirmed, though I think it may have been in a flashback in “Familiar” and hinted at during Steven’s flashback at the start of the episode when Blue said “she’ll take away your pearl”

49. we see Steven/Pink’s full empathy powers in play, I think? that’s what happened when he pink-ified the whole group? INCLUDING WHITE?

50. Steven gives White Diamond one of his lightning-round therapy sessions, and she decides to Be Nice Now, Actually

51. that’s right. THERE ARE NO VILLAINS I’M GONNA LOSE MY MIND

52. the ENTIRE GROUP GOES TO EARTH

53. meaning that White leaves Homeworld (and “her own head”) for the first time in eons, according to the other Diamonds anyway

54. we get to see Sadie and the Cool Kids’ new looks. minor I know, but Jenny looks great in a suit!

55. also minor but cool: they’re covering “Let Me Drive My Van Into Your Heart”

56. for the second time in like 2 weeks, Diamond Ships interrupt a townwide Beach City gathering

57. we find out that Beach City is full of fucking idiots who thought that the ship was like, a grand finale to the concert? instead of full-on panicking mayhaps? cause every time this shit happens it usually leads to mayhem?

58. the Off-Colors, coincidentally, finally arrive on Earth at the exact same time

59. Lars meets Lion for the first time as Pink Zombie Brothers

60. Lars and Sadie reunion, in which we also find out that Sadie is like a legendary figure for the Off Colors

61. THE OFF COLORS MEET THE FUCKING DIAMONDS

62. Greg and Steven reunite

63. The Diamonds meet and finally heal the Centipeedles

64. The Diamonds visit Rose’s fountain and get it working as a four-diamond extravaganza event

65. every gem from the temple is brought there to be healed. we see the healing of, I assume, p much every monster we’ve met

66. we get to see the Heaven and Earth Beetle, who are pebbles too, and lesbians!

67. callback to the memories of the four Diamonds having swimming pool time

68. Jasper gets healed and naturally tries to destroy Steven immediately, then looks up to see all three of her diamonds. She and Amethyst get to bond, I guess.

69. Callback to the intro itself with the “We Are the Crystal Gems” song and all the new Crystal Gems chilling on the beach

70. New song, “Change Your Mind” and it’s cute obviously

My feelings on the episode? So besides what I wrote above the list, re: whiplash, I think that from a realistic standpoint and a writing-fantasy standpoint, it is some wild shit. For all three diamonds to achieve a FULL redemption arc in one episode? Too much. For there to be NO villains? Come on. And for the lesson to be, we should just give heartless dictators love and they’ll grow hearts? Worrying.

However, as I reached the end of the episode, I thought about a time in high school when my teacher asked me which superpower I’d want, and then annoyed the class by seeming morally superior by saying he’d want to speak every language. Thinking on it later, I thought- I’d want more than every language. I’d want the ability to TRULY understand others, and to make them TRULY understand me- and each other. Because yes, OF COURSE every conflict can be boiled down to a lack of understanding, a lack of empathy. If we had superhuman empathy on our side, we really could do away with violence. But in the real world, we don’t have superhuman empathy, we just have regular empathy, and some don’t even try to use that. So saying “have a little empathy for your oppressors” is ghoulish.

But Steven DOES have superhuman empathy. In fact, all the Diamonds do. Blue can make others cry, White can make others be identical to her, and Yellow can give others fear and command. And they use it only for evil. But Pink can make others understand. And she had only used it for frivolous things until she finally combined with a non-gem life form. Then, human empathy met superhuman empathy, and did what it had to do. THAT is how Steven defeated the Diamond Reign of Terror.

That being said: I don’t know if the target audience of kids really caught that nuance, considering that the episode went so fucking fast. Additionally: some of that superhuman empathy could’ve been pointed at the legions of crushed, oppressed little gems- which I know it was- but the focus was SO intensely on, like, “poor Yellow never got enough credit for being SO good at imperialism!”

So yeah. Both writing-wise, pacing-wise, plot-wise, message-wise... I did love it, as I do the whole show, but I also thought it could’ve benefited from some space, some criticism, and some better organization down at Cartoon Network’s scheduling department.

Art-wise, well I’m not an animation expert, but Obsidian can get it <3 and I loved the designs for everything.

Character-wise... I’ll have to think on it more.

OK THE END I’M DONE REACTING TO STEVEN UNIVERSE. SHOW’S OVER

[perditaalottachocolate-blog]

April Weather (19)

@adrinetteapril 2018, Day 19: Partners

Days: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | art | 6 | 7 | 8 | art 1 | art 2 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | art | 19 | art | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | art | 29 | 30 |

AO3 / fanfiction

Confronting Ladybug about her talk with Marinette was turning out to be quite a challenge. Chat Noir could call her any time, but how would Adrien arrange a meeting without causing too many questions?

In the last few days Ladybug had been restless. She went out on unscheduled solo patrols, transformed and detransformed a few times on the way, as if she knew she was being followed. Tracking her was proving to be nearly impossible, even with Chat’s resources.

Adrien decided to follow her in his super suit and randomly detransform after a while in hope of meeting her in his civilian form. Not once did he succeeded in spotting Ladybug, but quite a few time he happened to almost bump into a very confused Marinette. Not that she noticed. He was keeping a low profile and managed to avoid being spotted by her. Was she tracking Ladybug too? Maybe she wanted more details about him saying she was just his friend?

After the encounter in the rain, when he simply couldn't ignore the soaking wet girl, Adrien’s motivation at contacting the spotted heroine doubled. Plagg, unhelpful as usual, pointed out that it really didn’t matter, but the boy got into his head that talking to Ladybug would somehow clear the air and help him clean up this mess. He wanted to be near Marinette again, he wanted to chase away that sadness and surrender he saw when he walked her home. He didn’t dare to put a label on all the other things he wanted to do with her, not wanting to get his hopes too high.

Desperate times finally called for desperate measures. After the last akuma battle Chat Noir handed Ladybug a card with a location and time.

‘What is it, Chat?’ she frowned at the marked spot. It was that same bench over the Seine, where her and Adrien had their little talk after the photo-scandal.

‘A guy we saved some time ago said he needed to talk to you about something,’ he replied, keeping his features carefully blank. ‘He sounded as if this was something important.’

Ladybug shifted her gaze to him, blinking in confusion. ‘And you’ve agreed, just like that?’ She snapped her fingers. He noticed that she seemed less patient lately and more acidic when it came to comebacks. Her eyes had lost their joyful gleam. He wanted to ask if something troubled her, but she made it clear this concerned her civilian identity, hence she couldn’t say a word.

Chat shrugged. ‘I trust him,’ he stated and that was the end of it. That at least didn’t change. They were partners and she still trusted him immensely. That was the first time he asked for something like that, so she assumed it was important.

Adrien arrived at the river bank with a few minutes to spare. He sat on the bench and fidgeted nervously, wondering if Ladybug would come. An irrational fear was screaming at him that she would flee the moment she saw him. He craned his head to see if he could see her coming from any of the buildings behind his back, but he searched and waited and Ladybug was nowhere to be seen.

He rubbed his thighs in exasperation and hid his head in his hands again, his fingers digging deep into his perfect hair and messing it. Why wasn’t she coming?

‘Adrien?’

Just like the first time, she appeared in front of him silently and out of nowhere. He looked up to see her in the exact same spot as before.

‘Was it you Chat Noir mentioned?’ Ladybug asked, voice tight and worried.

‘Yes, Ladybug,’ he confirmed. He wasn’t so sure anymore this was such a good idea. He didn’t like lying to her, and while omitting the full truth wasn’t the same as lying, it wasn’t honest either. Pretty much what Marinette had done not telling him how she had felt.

She fixed him with a puzzled stare. ‘He said it was important? Is this miraculous related?’

Adrien flushed, his hand automatically going up and to his neck. He didn’t see that coming. She must have thought it was about miraculouses or Hawkmoth. Bad, bad idea. Abort mission?

‘Weeeeell, not really?’ he offered.

Ladybug frowned.

‘It’s personal,’ he sighed in resignation. She was probably going to leave any second now.

The heroine released a startled, ‘Oh?’ She was still standing where she landed, but now she tilted her head as if he piqued her interest.

‘Remember when we talked a few days ago?’ Adrien started. ‘After those pictures of me and m- Marinette appeared in the internet?’

‘Yes?’

‘Did you talk to her about it?’ he asked, watching her carefully.

‘Why would I?’ she shot back, eyes blown wide.

‘I don’t know,’ he shrugged. ‘I’m only asking if you did.’

‘Why are you asking?’

‘Because I need to know,’ he replied, his patience growing thin. Why wouldn’t she just answer? ‘People were talking about me, about us, and… and…,’ he didn’t want to finish this sentence. He couldn’t really say they broke up because of that, because they hadn’t dated for real. But he felt as if someone robbed him off his time with Marinette and he wanted to find the culprit.

Ladybug’s stance turned defensive. ‘Look,’ she rubbed the bridge of her nose and looked up. ‘I swear I didn’t talk to Marinette about you or about anything else, okay?’

Adrien stood up to be closer to her. Somehow he never noticed that he could tower over her if he wanted to, even in his civilian form. ‘Listen, something happened between me and Marinette,’ he explained, a desperate lilt to his voice, ‘and I’m trying to figure out how to make it right.’

Her eyes snapped back to him. ‘Make it right? Is it broken?’ Did he imagine the scoff in her voice? ‘I thought she was just your friend.’

That was it. That was the line. Adrien inhaled sharply. Words rolled off his tongue before he could stop them.

‘So you did tell the girl I love that she’s just a friend to me?’ he burst out.

There was a pause filled with his angry pants and her opening and closing her mouth a few times.

‘The girl you-,’ Ladybug finally choked out, going all pale. ‘B-b-but you said-’

‘You asked if she was my girlfriend,’ he said with emphasis, ‘not if I love her. It was a matter between me and her, no one else. Did you interfere?’

‘W-w-what?’ she stuttered.

‘Did you tell her I think of her as only my friend,’ Adrien asked again, silent plea in his eyes.

If she was out of countenance before, now she looked distraught. She stared at him for a moment, as if making up her mind. When she averted her gaze, the mask of confidence and power was back on. Only the pupils blown wide betrayed that she was shaken.

‘I really didn’t,’ she claimed. ‘Now excuse me, I must go,’ she turned to him with a lopsided smile. ‘A hero’s work is never done,’ she murmured.

He whipped his head at her. ‘W-what?’

‘It’s just something Chat says sometimes,’ she shrugged. ‘Bug out!’

And before he could stop her, she was out of his sight, leaving him flabbergasted again.

Adrien didn’t really remember how he got home, but his head already hurt when he closed the door to his room behind him.

‘Talk to me, Plagg,’ he shot at the floating black sprite, who flew out of his bag.

‘Sure,’ the kwami shrugged and cleared his throat. ‘Uhm, uhm. So, did you know that camembert was originally invented in Normandy, in the midst of the French Revolution, by one genius of a woman named Marie Harel? That marvelous cheese took the name of her home town - Camembert. I’ve already signed the petition to recognize this word as the synonym of perfection, by the way,’ he winked at the boy and resumed the lecture. ‘But where was I? Ah yes. The wood box typically associated with this cheese was introduced a hundred years later, as a cheap way to carry the delicacy without squishing it to pulp. Which by the way is a total waste of…’

‘Not about cheese!’ Adrien groaned and clutched at his hair. His head was swimming with unexpected thoughts and observations.

Things didn't add up. They didn’t add up badly. What’s worse, his subconsciousness was screaming at him in capital letters and kicking his consciousness viciously, but for the love of him he could not make out any words in that constant screech in his brain. Was he on the verge of epiphany or aneurysm, he really couldn’t tell. Might as well have been both.

‘About what then?’ Plagg tilted his head curiously. His ears perked up.

‘About who told Marinette,’ Adrien huffed. ‘It wasn’t my father, it wasn’t Nino nor Alya.’

‘With you so far,’ the kwami nodded appreciatively.

‘And it wasn’t Ladybug,’ the boy concluded releasing another exasperated sigh.

‘Correct.’

‘So then who does that leave?’ the boy scratched his aching head. ‘I’ve eliminated everyone.’

‘Not everyone, kid.’

Adrien looked at him as if he grew a second head. ‘This doesn’t make any sense!’

‘It doesn’t make sense, because you’re thinking about it wrong,’ Plagg lectured. ‘If no one you told tattled to Marinette… who does that leave?’

‘Me?’ Adrien’s brows shot so high up they disappeared under his bangs. ‘I told Marinette?’

Plagg nodded eagerly.

The boy tossed this thought in his head a few times. ‘But that’s impossible,’ he finally said.

‘Is it?’

‘Yeah, because that would mean…’ he drifted off. ‘The only logical conclusion would be…’ he tried again. ‘Ugh, why does my head hurt so much?’

‘That’s right kid, you can fight it!’ Plagg flew closer and waved his paw encouragingly. ‘You’re just one step from breaking the glamour. Get enough clues together and it’s gone.’

Adrien stilled and looked at the flying cat, his green eyes as big as saucers. His brow furrowed.

‘Are you really saying,’ he drawled, slowly, carefully, as if he was trying to grasp the edge of a thought that was sliding out of his reach, ‘what I think you’re saying?

Plagg’s mouth stretched into a shit eating grin. ‘What do you think, kid?

Check out a deleted scene to this chapter

[eledritch]

10 Tips for Writing (Good) Smut

so. let’s do this.

About a year ago, I had to read a book for my school’s summer reading assignment called How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster. It’s not a bad book, pretty decent actually, but there was this one chapter about sex scenes in literature. And one of the first sentences was along the lines of “writing sex is boring.”

and I did a double-take. Bc in my experience, that is absolutely not the case, and if you do find yourself bored while writing smut, then you’re not doing it right. See, Thomas’s main argument was that there’s only so many ways you can write sex scenes, because there’s only so many sex acts you can choose from. (My boy Thomas is clearly a vanilla dude, but let’s not hold that against him.) 

But one of the most important things to keep in mind while writing smut is that it’s not necessarily just about the act itself. So while Thomas is right that there are limits as to how many ways ppl can have sex, he failed to realize that writing sex is about a LOT more than that. And I’m gonna prove it to you.

Just to get it out of the way, I’ve been writing smut for about 6 years now. I’m 18 now, so yeah, been doin’ this since I was 12. Which is a little weird, thinking back on it, but honestly I think it’s healthy for adolescents/young teens to explore their sexualities and learn about sex in a safe, controlled setting like writing fanfiction has been for me. 

It was a better sex ed than anything else I got in Arizona, that’s for sure. And for the record, I’m a virgin and I don’t believe you need to have sex to be good at writing it. Conversely, you could have sex a hundred times and still not be good at writing it. The important thing is that you EDUCATE yourself and do your research so you know what the heck you’re writing about.

When I first started writing smutty fics in middle school, they were pretty bad. Not the worst, but not good either. Don’t let the seemingly simple nature of writing sex fool you - it can be really hard (ha, ha). Even if you’re a good writer, you might try to write a sex scene and find yourself slogging through it because you, like my boy Thomas, are focusing only on the act itself. that’s a mistake. don’t do that. 

Which brings me to this list of 10 things you SHOULD do:

1. You gotta get in the right mood. By this I don’t mean you need to be horny to write smut, you absolutely don’t, in fact you probably shouldn’t bc you're likely to get distracted. What I mean is that if you wanna write vanilla, sweet, slow love makin’, then you should be in a good or at least halfway decent mood. Get comfy. Make yourself a warm drink. 

Don’t try to write sweet sex if you’re angry or upset or sick or in pain - it’s either gonna turn into not sweet sex, or it’s gonna take you a long-ass time. Case in point, I tried to write a tender blowjob scene shortly after getting my wisdom teeth removed and just couldn’t do it, because ow, can you even imagine.

But you can use those negative moods/emotions to your advantage, too. If you're having a bad day, it’s actually a great catharsis to take those feelings out in your writing. You can apologize to your characters later - or maybe you’ll work out all your pent-up rage halfway through a brutal scene and turn it into something a little less intense, that works just as well!

2. Do your research. Research is important before you dive into any piece of writing, but it’s a necessary step for writing smut. If you’re a virgin or have no experience with the kind of sex you’re writing about, you’re gonna have to do some Googling. You don’t need to look up porn, porn honestly grosses me out and isn’t my favorite thing to draw from, but you do need to know the complete ins-and-outs (ha...) of whatever act you’re writing about. 

A good way to do research is to read other fanfics, popular fanfics by seasoned authors who have gained a large following/a lot of attention by writing the right stuff. You can also check out posts by people who actually gave tips to fanfic writers, there are several by gay guys which are helpful if you’re not a gay guy and you’re writing a sex scene about gay guys. They’re the authority, listen to them over the fanfic authors.

If you’re delving into something like BDSM in your writing, do your research on that, too. Don’t misrepresent people and practices just because you didn’t bother to learn about them. If you’re not willing to learn about them, you’re not going to be able to write about them. 

Oh, and lastly, but not leastly, LUBE. if your characters are having anal sex especially, they need to use lube, my dude. the human body made that rule, not me.

3. Write empathetically. It’s unavoidable - when you’re writing smut, you have to learn how to put yourself into the shoes of the POV character. This can be kinda challenging if, for instance, you don’t have a dick and having a dick is very important for the POV character to make that scene work. But that’s what your imagination is for - use it. 

Think about how this character would experience this situation not just in terms of the obvious sensations they’re feeling, whether pain or pleasure, but also in terms of their thoughts, their emotions, their memories, etc. A lot of good characterization can happen during sex scenes, and it makes me sad that all too often writers don’t take advantage of that. 

4. Don’t be afraid of using repetitive words. Sex is a repetitive act, get that through your head before you write it. One of the most irritating things I come across while reading smut is the author’s need to use endless synonyms for ‘cock.’ Stop. Please stop. Cock is fine. You can use ‘dick’ too if you really wanna add some variation. But anymore than that, and it’s just downright distracting. Don’t use member, penis (just...not a sexy word, at all), organ (NOT SEXY), etc - use length, prick, and erection sparingly if at all, and boner is more of a funny word than a sexy word, so keep that in mind. I’ve also seen ‘manhood’ used and i mean....i guess??? but why would you use that when you can accomplish the same thing in 4 much better letters? C O C K. just do it.

alternately, when referring to parts of a cock, just stick to the basics. shaft, head/tip/crown, balls. that’s it. maybe talk about veins if you’re gettin real detailed. you don’t need to wax poetic about it, or about the actions within the sex itself. you’ll find yourself reusing a lot of verbs and that’s ok! the usuals may include (but are not limited to) - thrust, buck, shove, press, slide, glide, ride, fuck, bounce, drive (into), arch, kiss, suck, bite, stroke, smack, slap, rock, embrace, squeeze, tremble, shudder, moan, groan, whine, whimper, hiss, shout, scream, gasp, curse, beg, sob, grunt, sigh.

5. Understand connotations vs denotations of words. This is an important tip not just for smut writing but for any writing. Words that may be ‘synonyms’ in terms of definition may not actually be synonymous. This can be an issue if English isn’t your first language - even if it is, it still trips people up. ‘Shudder’ and ‘tremble’ are both defined as someone’s body shaking, but they have different meanings! Shudder is more violent/intense, more of a full-body kinda deal and often more negative in connotation (i.e. ‘shudder of fear’). Tremble is more subtle, and more of a localized thing (i.e. his hands trembled) and connotates nervousness or apprehension more than outright fear - or it can be used to convey a more subdued/internalized fear. There are situations in which they can be interchangeable, and situations in which they really aren’t.

Understanding exactly what words mean will help you know when to use them and make your writing more fluid, comprehensible, and realistic for the reader. 

6. Avoid using cliche/overused phrases. For the love of god, don’t use the phrase ‘their tongues battled for dominance.’ I’M BEGGING YOU. listen, i’m guilty as charged, i’m sure i wrote it at some point in my earlier days, but don’t make the same mistake! not only does the phrase have some troubling implications about the perception of m/m relationships (in which the phrase is almost exclusively found) as little more than a fight for dominance, it’s just...that’s not how kissing works? 

Your tongues don’t battle, that’s not a good description for it. Why would you use a cliche phrase like that when you can talk about teeth clashing, tongues pressing, mouths sliding/slipping, biting at lips, hair pulling, nails scratching, hands grasping, pulses racing, and everything else that goes into kissing? Using phrases that many have used before you is a lazy way out and it dulls your imagery and the reader’s immersion into the story. 

7. Think for yourself while writing and be original! It’s the only way you’re going to find your unique voice, or writing style, which often shines through in smut-writing and sets yours apart from the rest. Writing mediocre smut is easy, but if you’re reading this, you don’t want to go that route. While it’s helpful to draw from other smut writers when you’re getting started, you need to be able to draw from your own mind above all. 

Yeah, it’s true that your fifth grade teacher probably didn’t mean ‘brainstorm new and exciting sex positions and scenarios’ when she said ‘be creative.’ But you’re not in fifth grade anymore (or at least, you better not be), and that’s what I mean when I’m telling you to be creative right now. 

Developing your voice/originality happens through a variety of ways, including plain old practice, trial and error, and understanding the technicalities of writing. What I mean by that is remembering all the stuff your English teacher taught you about - imagery, figurative speech, idioms, irony, dialogue, diction, syntax, figurative devices, metaphors, simile, etc. Speaking of which...

8. Everybody loves a big, dramatic sex metaphor once in a while. This is tricky, because you really shouldn’t overdo this - if you do, you risk making your smut the most pretentious, unreadable piece ever. Metaphors tend to do that when you use them without discretion. But when you choose and use them carefully, you can turn a sex scene into something more meaningful, both for the character and the story as a whole. 

If you’re just writing a quickie in a club bathroom, don’t bother with this (unless that quickie was life-changing and birthed the spark of TRUE LOVE between your characters, which is entirely possible, no judgment, I’m happy for them). But if you’re writing about your character losing their virginity, having sex with someone who means a lot to them, having sex with someone who just returned from a long absence/is leaving them for a long time, etc...you may wanna make things a little ~deep~ for a second. 

I’m not gonna tell you exactly how to write your sex metaphors because you’ll know when and how to use them if the occasion presents itself and if you have your voice figured out. Talk about bodies being more than bodies, lips being like brands of fire, whispers being sacred vows, orgasms being fuckin’ nirvana, idk, orgasms are tricky because sometimes people will write ‘his orgasm RIPPED through him’ and you’re like ??? is he okay? that sounded painful...

You can see how metaphors can quickly make a story exhausting/confusing/unenjoyable if you use them too much. But once in a while? Man, go for it. 

9. Humor is key. This is perhaps one of the most important tips I have for you, because personally it’s improved my smut writing the most, as well as made the whole activity a lot more fun. Smut is supposed to be an enjoyable thing to read. But no matter how arousing/hot/absolutely obscene you make it, some readers are going to get bored. I said earlier that sex is a repetitive act, it just is. Your goal is to make it sexy AND entertaining. You want to keep the reader engaged. 

And humor is the best way, I’ve found, to do that. A lot of fanfiction sex is guilty of being too perfect. Try to steer clear of that. As tempting as it can be to make a sex scene where everything works without a hitch and everyone is serious, fully consumed with love/arousal, etc, there is something genuinely delightful about writing the awkward, funny parts of sex, too. They don’t have a place in every scene, but in many, especially first times/trying new things, they’re great. Not only does adding humor make your characters seem more human and likable, it makes the bond between them seem more real and makes the reader more attached to them.

And isn’t that the point? Your readers aren’t gonna to want to read about flat characters they can’t relate to or straight-up dislike, no matter how hot the sex is. 

10. Don’t forget the little things. This final point goes back to what Thomas got wrong in his book. Sex should NOT be boring to write. Don’t write on the surface about what’s happening, adjust the lens through which you, the character/s, and the reader view it. Write about the sex itself but also write about the little things (not your character’s dick, don’t be mean) - the freckles on their lover’s shoulder, the fading bruises on their neck, the way their lover’s hair feels against their skin, all the not-obvious sensations that add realism and a spark to the scene that sets it apart. 

This goes for non-tactile things as well - maybe your character has ADD or is just distracted easily, and goes off on tangents of thought (or speech) during sex. Maybe they’re really fascinated with a certain aspect of their partner/s, like their eyes or mouth or hands or the sounds they make. Maybe they notice small details about the setting - the smell of the sheets is comforting, the crack on the ceiling reminds them of their bedroom back home, the weird deer head on the wall looks like it’s staring at them, the possibilities are literally endless. It’s up to you how you want to use them, but please - use them. 

So in summary, no, Thomas, writing sex - and reading it, for that matter - shouldn’t be boring. It’s an excellent way to further characterization, improve your writing, find your voice, and make your story overall a better one.

[frederickwiddowson]

The writings of Luke the physician starting with his version of the gospel - Luke 21: 5 - 38 comments: the fall of Jerusalem and the end of the world

Luke 21:5 ¶  And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, 6  As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? 8  And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. 9  But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. 10  Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: 11  And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. 12  But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. 13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony. 14  Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: 15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. 16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. 17  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. 18  But there shall not an hair of your head perish. 19  In your patience possess ye your souls.

 Jesus restates His prophecy of the temple’s destruction from 19:41-48. I will repeat some of what I wrote. Here is a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD70. Josephus, a Jewish general who went over to the Romans, gave us the history of that event if we can believe what he wrote. The siege and destruction of Jerusalem was the main event of the First Jewish-Roman War that ended not only in the disaster to the city but the destruction of the Temple, as well.

 What was called Herod’s Temple, the Second Temple with the first destroyed by the Babylonians hundreds of years previously, will be destroyed. The Jews will suffer for rejecting their Messiah and for fabricating a false religion, a house of cards built on the Mosaic Law, not too different from what many Christians have done.  It seems to be a character trait of mankind, making it up as they go along. But, some historical writers say that the destruction of Jerusalem marked the great shift away of Christianity from its Jewish roots.

 There is a warning in verse 8 to follow no one after Christ who claims to be Him. Many terrible things will happen, both natural and man-made, before this dreadful event and the disciples are told not to be concerned by them. Based on the context we have the Preterist justification for saying that the events of Revelation were fulfilled when Jerusalem fell to the Romans but this has nothing to do with the events of Revelation. Jesus did not come to physically rule the earth from Jerusalem in 70AD. The Preterist view is simply insane and denies the text of Revelation.

 Christ here tells His disciples that He will give them the words to say when they are under persecution.

 Jeremiah 1:9  Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

 In chapter 12 Jesus also underscored this point in speaking of persecution.

 Luke 12:8  Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: 9  But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. 10  And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. 11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12 For the Holy Ghost shall

teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

 The fact that Jesus is talking to His disciples about a persecution to come in time that is not too far distant is evidenced by the following statement.

 18  But there shall not an hair of your head perish.

 If this passage is foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70AD this undercuts Roman Catholic tradition which has Peter dying at Rome in 64AD. Jesus is promising that not a hair of their head will perish during this terrible national tragedy, that He will give them the words to say.

 Remember, that Peter didn’t say he was going to Rome. He said he was writing from Babylon where there was a strong Jewish community.

 1Peter 5:13  The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.

 Babylon was part of the Parthian kingdom at this time and Josephus wrote about how the Jews in Judea appealed to the strong community in Babylon to help them in their rebellions against Rome.

 Based on some written evidence by Eusebius, a famous early church historian, and other writers, Christians escaped from Jerusalem before the destruction in 70AD. We know in Acts how God permitted a situation to exist where many Christians had to leave Jerusalem because of persecution, perhaps not only forcing them to be witnesses to the world but also saving them from the awful terror that was to unfold in the Jewish-Roman War that resulted in the destruction of the Temple.

 If this passage is a reference to the events leading up to and including the Fall of Jerusalem then literally Christ is assuring these disciples in front of Him that they will survive it. The fearful sights and natural disasters that surrounded the Fall of Jerusalem are spoken of by Josephus, who was not a Christian but a Jew who had sided with the pagan Romans.

 Josephus wrote about incredible signs that preceded the conquest of Jerusalem by the future Roman emperor, Titus. They are hard to be believed like soldiers and chariots in the sky and other events that many eyewitnesses claimed to see, according to him. False prophets arose in abundance and a couple are mentioned in Acts by the Jewish teacher of Paul, Gamaliel.

 Acts 5:36  For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. 37  After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.

 Verse 19 gives us one reason for including longsuffering, which is patience, in the list of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Trust in Christ, wait on Christ, be faithful and strong. Remember that words joined by and are typically synonymous. We like to think of longsuffering as putting up with the kids’ nonsense but it carried a far more heavy weight in the first century in regard to persecution and suffering.

 Colossians 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

 Luke 21:20 ¶  And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 21  Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. 22  For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 24  And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. 25  And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26  Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27  And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28  And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

 Here is a clear distinction between the Fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple versus the end of history. Read 20-24 to the comma before until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. There is a couple thousand-year gap in that comma.

 Paul wrote about the period of Israel’s blindness over the last two thousand years;

 Romans 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28  As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29  For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

 Notice Paul’s until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. Notice also that God is not done with the Jews but their apostasy turned to our salvation and we are to be witnesses to them, not their persecutors.

 Now, back to the comma and the two thousand plus year gap. Here is another example of that type of handling of time in the Bible. Read this prophecy in Isaiah.

 Isaiah 61:1 ¶  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

 Now, read up to the comma after to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD. Jesus refers to this passage in His early ministry.

 Luke 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

 He stopped where that comma is for us. Before that comma is His first advent and after that comma the day of vengeance of our God holds the second advent as related in the Book of the Revelation. There is a long time in between, two thousand years so far.

 From the point at the end of Luke 21:24 and onward we have the events of the end foretold. There was some question about how long that gap might be. If the council had, as related in Acts 7, when they were addressed by Stephen, acknowledged, as he said in verse 52, that they had had the Messiah killed by the Romans, like David killed Uriah by the Ammonites (2Samuel 12:9), that gap may have been much smaller than two thousand years.

 Acts 7:52  Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

 Christ was ready, perhaps, to receive the repentant Jews. In Mark 16:19; Colossians 3:1; and Hebrews 10:12 He is said to be seated on the right hand of God but in the following He might have been prepared, as an example to us, to receive the Jews if they had been repentant and acknowledged who He is and what they did.

 Acts 7:55  But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56  And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

 They had used the sword of Roman justice to murder the Innocent One (Psalm 94:21; Matthew 27:4) but Peter said they did it out of ignorance.

 Acts 3:17  And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

 Confirming what Jesus said from the Cross.

 Luke 23:34  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

 And the Law provided a way to deal with the rulers’ sin from ignorance as per Leviticus, chapter 4. But, it was not to be. The Jews had rebellion against God on their spiritual hearts.

 Matthew 27:25  Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

 John 19:15  But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

 And so, we have the age of the Church until the times of the Gentile domination are over. Israel still has to deal with the Gentiles and their very existence, from a temporal and strictly earthly point of view, depends on the support of powerful nations, the holding back of their enemies, and a very, very shaky geopolitical situation with another holocaust from the Beast and Satan’s fury coming. But, when Christ returns to rule Gentile domination is over.

 Revelation 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

 Verses 25-27 summarize the events of the Book of Revelation. For 27 see;

 Revelation 1:7  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

 Finally, as in verse 28, we are told to be expectant of Christ’s return, of His calling us out as the church, His body on earth being removed or translated from here to Heaven.

 1Corinthians 15:51 ¶ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

  1Thessalonians 4:13 ¶  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

 Titus 2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

 Luke 21:29 ¶  And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30  When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31  So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. 33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 34  And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35  For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. 37  And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives. 38 And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.

 See here in Jesus’ closing statements how with the age of the Christian church not revealed that the two prophecies of events at least two thousand years apart appear to be conflated. This confuses the Preterist who say the events of Revelation were fulfilled in 70AD, which is nonsense.

 First, it must be understood that the events of the Fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple will happen so close in time that the generation hearing Christ will have many who will witness them. With the First Jewish-Roman War less than four decades away this generation will experience it.

 But, He includes in His closing remarks something more, that the whole earth will experience, the coming of the kingdom of God physically on earth at Christ’s return. Without the two thousand years of the Church Age in between it appears confusing to some. But, look at the disaster the Jews faced in 70AD as a type and a portent of what the end of human history will look like. The signs of Jerusalem’s fall and the signs of the time before Christ’s return will be similar and Christians will be delivered from both sets of horrors involved in those signs.

[karlosharrison-blog]

Writer Samuel Johnson said, “by seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show.” He might have been slightly biased coming from England (and writing in the 18th Century not too familiar with what goes on in Bangkok at night). Still, he’s not far wrong and London has always been a capital city filled with rich delights, sights, and sounds, where you can usually find what you want when you want it – no matter the hands on the clock.

London – All the lights shine.

The Big Smoke

Interestingly, at the time of writing and according to Forbes, London is second only to the provocative Thai capital as the most visited city in the world (having just lost the number one spot). Some 16 million tourists descend on “the big smoke” every year and those people are all looking for fun things to do. As you might expect, London has it in abundance.

And like any world-city worth its salt, it offers much when the sun goes down and the people come out to play. Here then, are 20 + things to see and do in London in the evening or at night.

If you’re looking for a solid London itinerary, here’s a 3 Day London Itinerary for you!

Finding Your Way Around

Before we dive right in, we’ve included a handy Google map of all the main attractions listed here. However, please note for the likes of pubs, clubs and restaurants etcetera, there are simply far too many to pin – so you’re just going to have to sniff those out on your own!  

West End Musicals and Theater

Love them or hate them, there’s no doubt that musicals are enormously popular, particularly when in their territory of London’s West End or Broadway in New York. Remember the amount of people who visit London? Well, the Society of London Theater claim that 15 million bums were on auditorium seats in 2017. While we’re not saying that every tourist who visits the city goes to a show – there’s a tremendous amount of them that do!

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast – Just one of hundreds of West End shows.

Musicals like The Lion King, Wicked, Les Misérables and the Phantom of the Opera have been mesmerising audiences for decades, with the cream of film and theater acting talent regularly adding their own box-office clout. If you’re not a fan of musicals, don’t miss some of the world’s best cutting-edge theater, and you might see a global superstar doing what they do best. For many, the highlight of a visit to London is grabbing a ticket to one of these timeless spectacles. Don’t miss it.

Sightseeing the Lights

London, like Paris, is famous for its lights at night and there’s no better way to see them than an evening stroll through the city. It’s particularly stunning at Christmas time when scores of fluorescent bulbs illuminate the streets, but you don’t need to just visit then to experience the magic and charm of London when her lights are on.

Tower Bridge at night is truly a sight to behold.

World-famous sights such as the Houses of Parliament, Piccadilly Circus, Tower Bridge, and St Paul’s Cathedral are all spectacularly lit up at night, and you’ll find no shortage of great walking tours to guide you around them. Just don’t forget your camera’s tripod for taking those truly stunning twilight photographs.

Famous Pubs, Bars, and Clubs

London’s nightlife is up there with the finest in the world, with some of the best pubs, bars, and clubs you could possibly hope to find. From beautiful, ye olde worlde style taverns to avant-garde, swankiness, this city has an establishment to cater for every taste.

Stunning locations like the Dickens Inn await you when you’re thirsty.

If you’re that way inclined, you can even do specially designed London pub tours to make sure you don’t miss out on all the best ones – because your head will be spinning from more than a pint of ale with how many there are. And when you’ve had your fill of the vintage and traditional, hit up some of the best dance clubs on the planet and cut some rug until the early hours.

Comedy/Stand Up

Rattle off a list of British comedians and you’ve got a who’s who of the funniest people ever to grace a comedy stage – and they all started somewhere. The comedy circuit in London is extremely popular for international funny people and a great choice for an alternative night out. You’ve more than half a chance at catching tomorrow’s stars before they make it big.

Visiting a stand-up show – laughter is the best medicine.

And the beauty of it is, you’ll find many gigs for free! Check Time Out for listings or remember that google is your friend for finding who’s playing where. Just be ready to have your side’s split!

Gigs, Gigs, and More Gigs

The UK is home to the finest music scene in the world and this is reflected in the sheer amount of live performances you can see across the country week in week out. London has more than its fair share of music gigs available every night, where you can catch all the legends or the next big thing.

Gigs in London can be intimate affairs or huge sell-out stadium concerts

And while you’re at it, why not take in the famous history and sites by doing a rock and roll music tour? One of the best ways to truly immerse yourself in the experience and one for true music aficionados everywhere – especially if you’re fans of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

The Tower of London – Ceremony of the Keys

Visiting the crown jewels is always a highlight for tourists coming to London, many of whom flock here to enjoy the history of the British Royal family. The infamous Tower of London is forever synonymous with that history, with a brutal and bloody past that makes it an exciting and educational attraction – especially at night.

Many a ne’er do well met a timely end here.

The Ceremony of the Keys is the oldest military ceremony in the world, dating back to the middle ages. It starts at exactly 21.53 every night, where the guards perform a fascinating interaction to ensure the keys are kept safe until the morning. It’s totally free, but only 40-50 tourists are allowed access to it, which means that it is nearly always sold out at least 12 months in advance. Remember to book ahead!

The London Eye

When the London Eye opened to the public back in the year 2000 it was the world’s tallest Ferris wheel. Now ranking number three, it’s still the tallest in Europe, and one of London’s premier tourist attractions. As you might expect, you’ll get some of the best views of the capital from here.

The London Eye.

Both it and surrounding docks on the river Thames light up beautifully at night – and it’s well worth it to get your ticket in advance to beat the queues. The London Eye features regularly in popular culture and it’s a landmark you really shouldn’t miss when visiting the city. Providing you have a head for heights of course!

Late-Night London Museums

Have you ever seen the movie Night at the Museum? That could very well happen in London town! While the exhibits might not literally come to life, there’s plenty of opportunity for seeing some of the city’s best museums with late opening times offering something to keep all the family happy.

History at your fingertips

Museums like the Tate Modern, British Museum and Transport Museum regularly stay open well into the evening to give everyone the chance of enjoying the exhibitions, while some like the Natural History Museum (pictured above) even have sleepover events where you can stay the whole night! Perhaps the Tyrannosaurus Rex does come alive when nobody’s watching!

A River Thames Cruise

The River Thames is the iconic body of water that flows through the heart of London, inspiring a catalogue of stories, shaping history and defining a city. It’s fondly regarded in these parts, and what better way to see it than taking in a sunset cruise?

The dramatic River Thames.

Enjoy a glass (or two) of bubbly as you float down this world-famous river, passing all the major landmarks along the way. It’s surely one of the best ways to see the city at a leisurely pace from a unique vantage point, perfect for treating a loved one.

Jack the Ripper/Ghost Tour

England – and the UK in general – is one of the most haunted places on earth, and as such, the popularity of ghost walks and tours has skyrocketed. London is in the very thick of it, with the capital having more than its fair share of ghostly goings on. It’s not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure!

You go guys – I’m…washing my hair tonight.

But of all the tales coming out of the capital, perhaps the most infamous is that of Jack the Ripper – the Whitechapel murderer who was never found. He terrorised the city back in 1888, and he still does to this day, as you can “enjoy” a spine-tingling tour through the streets of his old stomping ground. Just don’t look behind you!

The Sky Garden

While not nearly being close to having the skyscrapers of other world cities such as New York or Hong Kong, London certainly has some distinctive ones. 20 Fenchurch Street is one such architectural construction, known affectionately by locals as “the walkie-talkie.”

The “walkie-talkie”

One of the most interesting things about it is that it has a beautiful, three-floor sky garden with stunning views over the city. It all lights up rather charmingly at night and being the 6th tallest building in the city, it will give you unrivalled views as London sprawls out below you. Sunrise yoga is also extremely popular too!

Visit Shakespeare’s Globe

“All the world’s a stage,” quoted Shakespeare in his play As You Like It, and you’d be mad to miss one of the most beautiful and iconic stages in the world while visiting London. Shakespeare’s Globe is a faithful reconstruction of the bard’s 16th-century theater, and seeing a performance here is a must for anyone who is a fan of the “upstart crow.”

Watch theater how they did in Shakespeare’s time

The theater has a repertoire of seasonal work and has been playing to delighted audiences since it opened in 1997. Catch a mesmerising, candle-lit performance of Hamlet, Macbeth, and co if you can, but there’s still plenty to see and do when no shows are scheduled.

Late-Night London Shopping

Just as tempting as visiting a city’s tourist attractions is visiting its shopping districts, particularly if you happen to be in one of the fashion hot-spots of the world. London is no stranger to style and high-end couture, and you can soak it all up by exploring any number of shopping streets in the capital.

Regent Street at Christmas

Oxford Street, Regent Street, Bond Street, and Mayfair have become by-words for shopping excellence, but there are literally hundreds of locations to choose from for a spree at night. And if your legs can’t carry you anymore and you’ve shopped until you’ve dropped, try a chauffeur driven experience to help you carry those bags instead. You can thank us later.

Night Bus Tour

It might not be the night bus of Harry Potter fame (although London does have a number of attractions to keep wizards happy), but taking an open-top bus around the sights is a wonderful way to spend an evening.

One of these – but at night.

For just under two hours you can enjoy views that you wouldn’t get from a walking tour, all from the comfort of your seat. A professional guide is included as well as the option of listening in several different languages.  May we suggest you wrap up warm though if sitting upstairs in winter – and be aware that the summer version is mainly conducted in daylight.

Observatory Stargazing

The longer nights bring the perfect opportunity to turn our gaze to the heavens and enjoy some celestial activity, and what better way to enjoy it than visiting one of London’s famous observatories? Hampstead Observatory is open every Friday and Saturday night from the end of September to the beginning of April and it’s free to enter. You’ll learn a lot about the night sky from one of the centre’s knowledgeable and keen volunteers.

The Royal Observatory, Greenwich

Alternatively, you can visit the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, which is located in a UNESCO world heritage site. There you can stand astride the Greenwich Meridian Line and be in the western and eastern hemispheres at the same time! Make sure to visit in the evening for stargazing experiences, astronomer talks and a planetarium show.

Dining Out/Chinatown/Late Markets

London is a foodie’s paradise, with world-class, top quality wining and dining at thousands of restaurants and eateries scattered across the city. There’s something to suit all tastes, but even if you don’t find what you’re looking for, why not visit one of the late-night markets and cook something up for yourself? You could even try a food tour to sample a little bit of everything.

Dining out – one of life’s little pleasures

Alternatively, take in the sights, sounds, and smells of London’s Chinatown. Fine east Asian cooking and experiences await right in the heart of the city and it’s always a joy to visit the region at night – especially if there’s a party going down.

The Shard City View

The Shard is London’s newest addition to its skyline, completed in 2012 making it the tallest building in the UK. Its 95 stories are shaped into a giant shard of glass, and you can enjoy the spectacular, panoramic views from the 72nd floor during the day or at night.

The stunning Shard in Southwark

If you’re feeling particularly brave, you can even venture out onto the open-air viewing platform – which is the highest in Europe. There’s also multimedia exhibits and knowledgeable staff on hand to inform you about the London skyline. A great experience all round, but especially magical in the evening.

Late Debate at the Houses of Parliament

One of the most famous buildings in the world, the UK Houses of Parliament is a London icon, not least for the stunning Big-Ben tower and clock. But did you know you can sit in on debates in the public gallery? MPs often work late into the night, and it’s possible to catch them having an argument or two about current affairs.

The emblematic Houses of Parliament

Of course, you can never be sure what they’re going to be talking about, so it could be sleep-inducing monotony, but it’s still a great alternative attraction at such a revered and historic seat. Don’t forget you can also visit in the day with a guided tour should you prefer.

Bat Tour

Visiting Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon (or any London park for that matter) particularly if the weather is fine. But there’s an increasingly popular activity that has been garnering positive press for members of the order Chiroptera. That’s a fancy name for bats, and you can see them if you attend one of the Royal Park’s Bat Walks.

Not scary at all!

Bats get a bad rep, but with the help of a guide, some of the negative myths will be dispensed with as you use “bat-detectors” to locate and study the creatures. Other nocturnal animals might well make themselves known too, but if you’re not happy with that and a big scaredy-pants – you can always just visit the London Zoo during the day – which is the oldest of its kind in the world.

Become a TV Show Audience Member

The UK is home to some extremely popular TV shows, including the likes of the Voice and the X-Factor, the Graham Norton Show and comedy options Live at the Apollo, Q.I, Mock the Week and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Plus loads more besides.

Get behind the scenes at a TV show

Whatever your preference, if you book in advance you just might be able to score some tickets to your favourite TV show. And the best thing about it is – they’re usually free! Failing that, you can join millions of people each year who enjoy one of London’s many film tours, with Harry Potter easily being the biggest draw.  

Late Night Madame Tussauds

The world-famous waxwork museum needs little introduction and no visit to the capital is complete without seeing the incredible life-like sculptures of people in the public eye. It’s been drawing in the crowds for over 200 years, constantly evolving and adding new exhibits and experiences. But while it usually closes in the afternoon, late-night Madame Tussauds is also a thing – an adults-only evening that’s guaranteed to be loads of fun.

Brad Pitt is waiting for you late at night…

Rub shoulders with the Queen of England, meet a galaxy of Star Wars characters or give Donald Trump a piece of your mind. You’ll need to book in advance and check dates, but a late-night with a bunch of life-like wax figures couldn’t possibly go wrong!

London Calling…

“A bad day in London is still better than a good day anywhere else,” said an unknown author, and we’re sure that with these sights and attractions, you’ll also have a good night there too. This barely scratches the surface of what you can do in the UK capital, but they’re arguably some of the best ways to spend an evening. You’ll soon discover that London is everything you dreamed it would be.

The post London attractions at Night – Top 20+ things to See and Do in London appeared first on Etramping Travel Blog.

[kylegoodmanuca-blog]

Inside the Knockoff-Tennis-Shoe Factory

A shopkeeper in Italy placed an order with a Chinese sneaker factory in Putian for 3,000 pairs of white Nike Tiempo indoor soccer shoes. It was early February, and the shopkeeper wanted the Tiempos pronto. Neither he nor Lin, the factory manager, were authorized to make Nikes. They would have no blueprints or instructions to follow. But Lin didn’t mind. He was used to working from scratch. A week later, Lin, who asked that I only use his first name, received a pair of authentic Tiempos, took them apart, studied their stitching and molding, drew up his own design and oversaw the production of 3,000 Nike clones. A month later, he shipped the shoes to Italy. “He’ll order more when there’s none left,” Lin told me recently, with confidence.

Lin has spent most of his adult life making sneakers, though he only entered the counterfeit business about five years ago. “What we make depends on the order,” Lin said. “But if someone wants Nikes, we’ll make them Nikes.” Putian, a “nest” for counterfeit-sneaker manufacturing, as one China-based intellectual-property lawyer put it, is in the south­eastern Chinese province of Fujian, just across the strait from Taiwan. In the late 1980s, multinational companies from all industries started outsourcing production to factories in the coastal provinces of Fujian, Guangdong and Zhejiang. Industries tended to cluster in specific cities and sub­regions. For Putian, it was sneakers. By the mid-1990s, a new brand of factory, specializing in fakes, began copying authentic Nike, Adidas, Puma and Reebok shoes. Counterfeiters played a low-budget game of industrial espionage, bribing employees at the licensed factories to lift samples or copy blueprints. Shoes were even chucked over a factory wall, according to a worker at one of Nike’s Putian factories. It wasn’t unusual for counterfeit models to show up in stores before the real ones did.

“There’s no way to get inside anymore,” Lin told me, describing the enhanced security measures at the licensed factories: guards, cameras and secondary outer walls. “Now we just go to a shop that sells the real shoes, buy a pair from the store and duplicate them.” Counterfeits come in varying levels of quality depending on their intended market. Shoes from Putian are designed primarily for export, and in corporate-footwear and intellectual-property-rights circles, Putian has become synonymous with high-end fakes, shoes so sophisticated that it is difficult to distinguish the real ones from the counterfeits.

In the last fiscal year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized more than $260 million worth of counterfeit goods. The goods included counterfeit Snuggies, DVDs, brake pads, computer parts and baby formula. But for four years, counterfeit footwear has topped the seizure list of the customs service; in the last fiscal year it accounted for nearly 40 percent of total seizures. (Electronics made up the second-largest share in that year, with about 12 percent of the total.) The customs service doesn’t break down seizures by brand, but demand for the fake reflects demand for the real, and Nike is widely considered to be the most counterfeited brand. One Nike employee estimated that there was one fake Nike item for every two authentic ones. But Peter Koehler, Nike’s global counsel for brand and litigation, told me that “counting the number of counterfeits is frankly impossible.”

The factory is off-white, five stories tall and fronted by a brown metal gate. It was a seasonable summer afternoon when I visited. Lin is 32, with a wispy mustache and a disarming smirk. He met me outside the factory and took me through the gate. We scaled two flights of aluminum stairs and entered a production floor echoing with the grinding and hissing noises of industrial labor. A few dozen workers stuffed shoe tongues with padding, brushed glue onto foot molds and ran laces through nearly finished sneakers. Nike and Adidas boxes were stacked in one corner, a pile of Asics uppers in another. On this particular day, the factory was churning out hundreds of trail runners.

Continue reading the main story

A help-wanted notice on the wall beside the gated entrance sought individuals with stitching skills for all shifts; the bulletin made no mention that the work was illegal. Such things are often just assumed in Putian. Managing a fake-shoe factory puts Lin in the middle of a multibillion-dollar transnational enterprise that produces, distributes and sells counterfeits. Of course, like coca farmers in Bolivia and opium croppers in Afghanistan, Lin doesn’t make the big money; that’s for the networks running importation and distribution. Last year, for example, the F.B.I. arrested several people of Balkan origin in New York and New Jersey for their suspected roles in “the importation of large amounts of cocaine, heroin, marijuana, oxycodone, anabolic steroids, over a million pills of Ecstasy and counterfeit sneakers.” Dean Phillips, the chief of the F.B.I.’s Asian/African Criminal Enterprise Unit, describes counterfeiting as a “smart play” for criminals. The profits are high while the penalties are low. An Interpol analyst added: “If they get caught with a container of counterfeit sneakers, they lose their goods and get a mark on their customs records. But if they get caught with three kilos of coke, they’re going down for four to six years. That’s why you diversify.”

In September 2007, police officers in New York City seized 291,699 pairs of fake Nikes from two warehouses in Brooklyn. The early-­morning raids were part of a simultaneous crackdown on a counterfeiting ring with tentacles in China, New York and at least six other American states. Employing undercover agents and wiretapping, the joint operation — run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the New York State Police, the Niagara Falls Police Department and the New York Police Department — exposed a scheme in which counterfeit Nikes arrived from China, were stored in Brooklyn and then shipped, often via UPS, to stores in Buffalo, Rochester, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Milwaukee, Chicago, Newark, Pawtucket, R.I., and Indian­apolis. Lev J. Kubiak, an immigration agent involved in the case, said the total street value of the seized goods (had they been legitimately trademarked) “turned out to be just over $31 million.” Establishing provenance on the sneakers proved difficult. “Naturally the importation docs were not truthful,” an immigration spokeswoman wrote in an e-mail message, when I asked her where the shoes originated. “But probably in or near Putian.”

After touring the assembly line, Lin and I walked up another flight of stairs to the roof of the factory. A mild breeze blew off the creek that snaked behind the building. Half-constructed high-rise apartments, ensconced in scaffolding and green mesh, stood beside towering cranes. The pace of development in Putian, a secondary provincial city with a population of about three million, was dizzying. A cluster of unfinished apartment buildings visible from my hotel window seemed to be a floor higher every morning.

[douchebagbrainwaves]

THE TROUBLE WITH THE STARTUP GROWTH

New York or LA. It was no coincidence. I'll try not bringing books on some future trip. Need for structure I'm told there are people who do. For most of the audience seemed to be synonymous with quiet, so I didn't do it. The danger here is that you have to select 20 players. I know are programmers. If you can develop technology. And this turns out to be as true in a hundred years.

As technologies improve, each generation can do things that would be illegal otherwise. Periods and commas are constituents if they occur between two digits. The reason we tell founders is not to try hard enough.1 You can't make a list of n elements.2 So have we just shown, by reductio ad absurdum, that it's false that economic inequality should be decreased? I have not yet seen evidence that seemed to me full of random stuff. There are few corporations in which it would be hard for anyone to stop them in order to keep search broken, it makes me really want to know what languages will be like in a hundred years.3 Startups prosper in some places and not others. Even the most radically open-minded of us mostly do that. And when you discover a competitor with the sort of person who has them.4 In an earlier essay I said that upset him: that startups would do better to go off and work with a small group of other ambitious people. You can mitigate this with subsidies at the bottom and taxes at the top are grabbing an increasing fraction of the nation's income—so much smaller that all the rules are different.5

How can you manipulate data without doing pointer arithmetic? So any difference between what people want. When you raise a lot of lines have nothing on them but a delimiter or two. That doesn't feel right. I think it can scale all the way to find or design the best language is to be something that is going to read a description of Y Combinator that said Y Combinator does seed funding for startups. I don't like to admit it, but if I were choosing now that's still the one I'd pick. The negotiation never stops till the closing.

As with the question of cofounders, the real lesson here is to start startups, and it probably had something of the effect that parents hope children's books have in making people behave better. It's a general historical trend. And yet those who dislike the term are probably right, because if it means what I think it could give you an edge to understand the underlying principles. Could a programming language is how well it achieves its purpose, then the measure of the relative power of programming languages is more like the rate of income tax, the more you stay pointed in the same direction.6 It would work for a while, and then sell at the top, by underpaying their top management. Several of the most important principles in Silicon Valley don't seem to be taking their time.7 Is the right answer for dealing with fly balls. Anything that is supposed to double every eighteen months seems likely to run up against some kind of fundamental limit eventually. General Motors.

Google, or they'll see through you in a way that's incompatible with this curve.8 If you'd asked most 40 year olds in 2004 whether they'd like to publish their lives semi-publicly on the Internet in 20 years, and it hasn't affected programming practice much so far. In fact, getting a normal job may actually make you less able to pass costs on to customers and thus less willing to overpay for labor.9 We may have democracy, or we may have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few big blocks whose relationships were negotiated in back rooms by a handful of deals a year and they don't spend a lot of external evidence that benevolence works. Find something that's missing in your own country. And barring financial catastrophe, I think it may be, in certain specific moments like your family, this month a fixed amount of deal flow, and that people should work for another company for a few seconds I realized this when I read an interview with Joe Kraus, the co-founder of Excite.10 When a friend of mine said, Most VCs can't do anything that would be popular but seem hard to make something great and not worry too much about the business model, at least by their standards.11

Some kinds of waste really are disgusting. Once you're allowed to do that is not, at least for me, its main value.12 We could see the problem was intermittent. So one way to make a startup succeed—if you avoid every cause of failure, you succeed—and that's too big a question to answer on the fly. In the worst case takes a year rather than a weekend.13 In a specialized society, most of which fail, and one of the characters on a TV show was starting a startup were easy, everyone would do it.14 In languages, as in every other language. Lisp. But we can't start from the symptom and hope to fix the underlying causes. A round? And one of the O'Reilly people that guy looks just like Tim. It was a kind of shorthand: money is a huge time sink—more work, probably, than the startup itself.

But until this does start to happen, and arrange to be standing there when it does. In fact, one strategy I recommend to people who need a new idea is not merely ten people, but ten people like you. In that respect the Cold War teaches the same lesson as World War II, and the problems you understand best are your own.15 A company that an angel is willing to put $50,000 into at a valuation of a million can't take $6 million from VCs at that valuation. Free free If you do that, you get to a pretty big opportunity. So in effect what's happened is that a restrictive language is one that isn't succinct enough, and when it suddenly drops, you sell. We now have several examples to prove that startups don't need to market themselves to investors because they invest their own. What's not a theory is the converse: if you're trying to stop doing it, but now we advise founders to vest so there will be more like being able to pick winners. It's just something we use to move wealth around.16

Notes

MSFT, having sold all my shares earlier this year.

If you look at what Steve Jobs tried to raise money? The real problem is not just the kind of organization for that might produce the next downtick it will thereby expose it to competitive pressure. A good programming language ought to be a quiet contentment.

You owe them such updates on your way up into the subject of wealth for society.

The angels had convertible debt with a wink, to get only in startups tend to become a function of the movie Dawn of the hugely successful startups have over established companies is 47. Do not finance your startup with credit cards. Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston.

If you're good you'll have to want them; you have to preserve their wealth by forbidding the export of gold or silver. He did eventually graduate at about 26. That's the trouble with fleas, they may introduce startups they like the increase in trade you always feel you should never sell i.

What's the connection?

It doesn't take a meeting with a real idea that evolves naturally, and everyone's used to wonder if they'd survived. When you're starting a startup with debt is usually slow growth or excessive spending rather than doing a bad idea. If you want as an example of computer security, and that's much harder to fix once it's big, plus they are within any given time I thought there wasn't, because even if they could bring no assets with them. Apparently someone believed you have to mean starting a business, or can be said to have been truer to the size of a startup, both of which he can be said to have more money.

Http://doingbusiness. Someone proofreading a manuscript could probably starve the trolls of the big winners are all about to give each customer the impression that the lies people told 100 years.

The proportions of OSes are: the resources they expend on the web have sucked—. If you freak out when people are immune to the average NBA player's salary at the lack of transparency.

Unless we mass produce social customs. But if you're measuring usage you need to be secretive, because they could probably starve the trolls of the most common recipe but not in 1950 something one could argue that the VC. You'd think they'd have taken one of the 70s, moving to Monaco would only give you 11% more income, they did that they'd really be a win to do, I'll have people nagging me for features.

Why Startups Condense in America. Hackers don't need empathy to design new languages.

We care about Intel and Microsoft, would increase the size of the magazine they'd accepted it for you. They don't know enough about big markets, why didn't the Industrial Revolution was one of them.

The mystery comes mostly from the most difficult part for startup founders tend to become addictive. This is everyday life in Palo Alto to have gotten where they all sit waiting for the others to act against their own interest.

But it was raise after Demo Day pitch, the increasing complacency of managements.

But he got there by another path. Philadelphia is a function of revenues, and those are writeoffs from the moment; if you were going to work for us!

When governments decide how to be actively curious. And they tend to be low. They assumed that their system can't be buying users; that's the situation you find yourself in when so many people mistakenly think it was the recipe: someone guessed that there may be somewhat higher, even thinking requires control of scarce resources, because by definition if the fix is at pains to point out, First Round Capital is closer to a later Demo Day.

Thanks to Chip Coldwell, Jackie McDonough, Sam Altman, Guy Steele, and Steve Huffman for sparking my interest in this topic.

[jokerepair74-blog]

2:00PM Water Cooler 10/2/2018

By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Readers, here is a shorter Water Cooler to get you going; I’ll add more when I finish posting on teeth. –lambert UPDATE All done.

Trade

“New Nafta Has American Corn Farmers Breathing Easier” [Bloomberg]. “The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement secured Sunday is expected to allow leaders from the three countries to sign an accord by late November. The accord alleviates the risk that Mexico, the biggest importer of U.S. corn, will turn to competing exporters such as Argentina.” • And just in time for the mid-terms!

“What if Trump’s confrontational trade stance actually works?” [CNN]. “The NAFTA 2.0 agreement, or USMCA as Donald Trump wants to call it — and he would appear to have won the right to call it anything he wants — ought to be sending chills up the spines of diplomats and trade negotiators around the world. Trump largely got his way. And now, no one can tell him his bull-in-a China-shop way won’t work.”

‘Will USMCA affect Canada’s drug prices? Depends on what happens next, experts say” [CBC]. “The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will extend the minimum “data protection” period for an expensive class of drugs known as biologics to 10 years, up from eight. Biologics — some of the most costly drugs on the market — are used to treat a large range of diseases, including many cancers, arthritis and multiple sclerosis. The change could cost Canadian taxpayers tens of millions of dollars annually, according to one estimate.”

UPDATE “Auto makers would gain new certainty on factory investments and other manufacturers would avoid feared disruptions under the new North American trade accord” [Wall Street Journal]. “[The deal] sets the stage for major relief for an auto industry that feared costly new tariffs could unravel two decades of investments under the North American Free Trade Agreement. The new deal is a big win for Detroit’s Big Three auto makers, which rely heavily on factories in Canada and Mexico to build cars and trucks for the U.S. market. But the new rules could also force car companies and their parts makers to alter supply chains to meet tougher new rules on regional content of cars. That’s likely to have more impact on foreign auto makers that source parts abroad.”

UPDATE “Timeline: How a new North American trade deal happened” [Supply Chain Dive]. “Relive the drama of the talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the timeline below.” • No.

Politics

2020

Concrete material benefits:

I want to congratulate Jeff Bezos for doing exactly the right thing by raising the minimum wage at Amazon and Whole Foods to $15 an hour.

Let me thank the hundreds of Amazon workers who contacted my office and the Fight for $15 movement, which has been leading this effort.

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) October 2, 2018

Sanders gracefully gives credit to the real drivers, too. That said, this could be a smart move by Amazon, which needs warehouse workers in a tight labor market. And Amazon is still a predatory monopoly that should be broken up. And why not $20? Nevertheless, take the win!

“Hillary Clinton’s Favorable Rating Still Low” [Gallup]. Well, the voters are wrong. Again.

“Biden Is Preparing for 2020. Can He Overcome the Hill-Thomas Hearings?” [New York Times]. “[Joe Biden’s] name has been invoked frequently in recent days, mainly by Republicans, for leading the 1991 hearings when an all-male, all-white Judiciary Committee aggressively questioned Anita Hill about claims that Judge Thomas had sexually harassed her. The hearings have long been a source of discomfort with Mr. Biden among Democrats who remember the process.” • Er, can Biden overcome condemning a generation of students to debt slavery?

2018

34 days until Election Day. 34 days is a long time in politics (as we are seeing right now with Kavanaugh. And what about Rosenstein?).

“GOP Cuts Into Democratic Lead for Congress” [Political Wire]. “A new Quinnipiac poll finds Democrats leading Republicans in the generic congressional ballot by seven points, 49% to 42% — a drop from the 12 point lead they had last month.” • One poll….

“Polling in Real Time: The 2018 Midterm Elections” [New York Times]. • This is a neat project. OTOH, in the back of my mind, a small voice is telling me “I hope the voters are gaming the Times….”

“Politics and the New Machine” [Jill Lepore, The New Yorker]. From 2015, still germane: “Pollsters rose to prominence by claiming that measuring public opinion is good for democracy. But what if it’s bad?”

NJ Senate: “New Jersey Senate Poll: Menendez, Hugin in Dead Heat” [Bloomberg]. • Too funny. The Senate hangs in the balance, so the Democrat strategy is to force a corrupt hack like Menendez onto the ballot. Go Blue!

NY-12: “Obama announces endorsement for Ocasio-Cortez” [The Hill]. “Obama is supporting a total of 260 Democratic candidates in his second list for U.S. Senate and U.S. House, governor and state legislature.” • Well, I wish he hadn’t.

* * *

UPDATE “Renovation Records Undercut Ford’s Exit-Door Account” [RealClearInvestigations]. “Ford testified last week that she had never revealed the details of the alleged attack until 2012, when she was in couples therapy with her husband. She said the memories percolated up as they revisited a disagreement they’d had over her insistence on installing a ‘second front door’ when they had remodeled their Palo Alto, Calif., home…. The need to explain a decision her husband ‘didn’t understand,’ Ford testified, pushed her to say she wanted the door to alleviate symptoms of ‘claustrophobia’ and ‘panic attacks’ she still suffered from an attempted rape allegedly perpetrated by Kavanaugh in high school during the early 1980s….. Ford never specified when the renovation took place, leaving a possible impression that it and the therapy session happened around the same time. But documents reveal the door was installed years before as part of an addition, and has been used by renters and even a marriage counseling business. ‘The door was not an escape route but an entrance route,’ said an attorney familiar with the ongoing congressional investigation. ‘It appears the real plan for the second front door was to rent out a separate room.’… Palo Alto city records show that a building permit for an additional room and exterior door was issued to Ford and her husband on Feb. 4, 2008 — more than four years before the May 2012 therapy session where, she says, she first identified Kavanaugh as her attacker.” • This reads to me like the reporter hasn’t actually seen the documents; otherwise, they would be embedded in the post. So presumably we’re relying on the anonymous lawyer for their interpretation. Big if true, though.

Realignment and Legitimacy

UPDATE “No Law Without Politics (No Politics Without Law)” [Jedidiah Purdy, Law and Political Economy]. “[I]t has been an article of faith–or at least a relentless rhetorical trope–on both sides of the [Kavanaugh] fight that ‘politicization’ of the judiciary is a kind of corruption and crisis…. I think we have to look into the abyss and admit the possibility that politics really does come first, that the question is not for or against politicization, but what kind of politicization.” And: “It is a tragedy of American left-liberalism that this idea has less traction than it should as a progressive ideal precisely because there is so much arbitrary exercise of legal power, and so unevenly distributed, that it is easy and understandable to think of rule of law as an elite conceit.” • This deserves careful study, and more attention than I can give it now.

Um:

Twitter has suspended, and perhaps permanently banned, the account of Georgetown Professor C. Christine Fair, apparently due to this tweet: pic.twitter.com/wN2OvrgRcA

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 2, 2018

To the quesion of fact: Fair can call Kavanaugh a serial rapist if she wants, but that doesn’t make him one. Fair also devalues a serious charge, in the same way that liberal Democrats reflexively emitting “Racist!” devalues that serious charge.

UPDATE “data demystified #4: How liberals and conservatives talk about progressive issues” [Data for Progess]. On college debt: “The clearest disconnect is that language that discusses debt or loans is employed differently by liberals and conservatives. Conservative use this language to talk about their own experiences and how they achieved even with loans. Take this example from someone who identifies as very conservative and opposes free college tuition: ‘I came from a poor economic background, and I have student loan debt. It [was a] choice to enroll in college. It is the student’s responsibility to pay, not taxpayers.’* In contrast, when liberals talk about loans in the context of tuition it is still about their own experiences, but they see it as not wanting others to face the same burden.” NOTE * Which, of course, they do not do.

“Why e-voting is a bad idea for Australia (and maybe the world)” [Asian Correspondent]. • A useful review of how Australia does paper ballots. Ends with a mention of blockchain, though. Get away! Get away!

Stats Watch

No official statistics of note today.

UPDATE Retail: “Study: More People Will Eat Bugs if They’re Up-Marketed as Luxury Item” [Courthouse News]. “According to a study published Tuesday in Frontiers of Nutrition, if marketing can appeal to a person’s self-indulgent tastes they might look past the bug on their plate…. Researchers behind the recent insect study say labels like “eco-friendly” or “fair trade” lose out to advertisements that play up pleasurable aspects, like taste. Insects have not scuttled into the mainstream, but researchers said it’s all about presentation. The study authors note lobster, the marine crustacean with bug-like qualities, is synonymous with fine dining but that wasn’t always the case.” • Fair enough!

Manufacturing: “Primera Air to File for Bankruptcy Citing Airbus Delivery Delays” [Bloomberg]. “[Primera Air], which along with Norwegian Air Shuttle has attempted to upend the existing trans-Atlantic thoroughfare with low-cost, long-haul flights, was forced to pay excessive costs leasing in planes to cover for the ‘severe’ delay in deliveries of the state-of-the-art A321neos. Primera had orders due to be powered by CFM International’s Leap engine…. Airbus’s A320neo family has suffered major delays due to production and design issues with the Leap as well as Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbofan, the competing turbine option on the aircraft.” • Hmm. Both engines?!

The Bezzle: “Unraveling a Tesla Mystery: Lots (and Lots) of Parked Cars” [New York Times]. “In some cases, cars have been marked — with a bar-coded sticker or with grease pencil on the windshield — to indicate that they are inventory vehicles, meaning they have no customers awaiting them. Some markings indicate repairs required before the cars can be sold, like scratches, dents or components that don’t work.”

Tech: “America’s first ‘sex robot brothel’ in Houston faces resistance” [South China Morning Post]. “Kinky S Dolls, a firm that bills itself as the first ‘adult love dolls rent-before-you-buy service in North America’, sells realistic-looking life-size dolls with basic artificial intelligence functions – and also offers them for use by the half-hour or hour at a warehouse in Toronto. Now the firm is targeting Houston as the first market in a planned US expansion, but is meeting resistance from a Christian anti-sex trafficking and anti-pornography group and the city’s mayor.” • Sommi-451, Cloud Atlas: “Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb, we are bound to others. Past and present. And by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.”

Tech: “Amazon’s Alexa knows what you forgot and can guess what you’re thinking” [Guardian]. “At an event in Seattle on Thursday, the technology company unveiled a new feature called Alexa Hunches that aims to replicate human curiosity and insight using artificial intelligence. ‘We’ve reached a point with deep neural networks and machine learning that we can actually program intuition,’ said Daniel Rausch, the vice-president in charge of Alexa’s smart home features. Once it is activated later this year, Alexa Hunches will observe its owners’ interactions with connected smart home devices like locks, lights and electricity outlets. When Alexa believes it has detected a regular pattern, such as turning off a television set before bed, the voice assistant will remind owners if they forget to do it, and offer to fix the problem.” • If your intuition doesn’t tell you having a device that records your every move and sends it to a corporate server is a bad idea, how good is your intuition?

UPDATE “Fed’s Powell Backs Ongoing Gradual Hikes for ‘Extraordinary’ Economy” (transcript) [Street Insider]. Powell: “The unemployment rate stands at 3.9 percent, near a 20-year low. Inflation is currently running near the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) objective of 2 percent…. From the standpoint of our dual mandate, this is a remarkably positive outlook. Indeed, I was asked at last week’s press conference whether these forecasts are too good to be true–a reasonable question!”

Honey for the Bears: “75% of the ultra-rich forecast a US recession in the next two years, survey finds” [CNBC]. “The U.S. economy is firing on all cylinders, yet 75 percent of ultra-high net worth investors predict it will hit recession by 2020, a J.P. Morgan survey found. Of those expecting an economic downturn in the U.S., a fifth of respondents — 21 percent — believe it will begin in 2019 and 50 percent expect the next recession to start in 2020.” • It’s like they’re talking themselves into it.

Health Care

“The Real Lesson from the Downfall of Theranos: We Need to Nationalize the Healthcare System” [In These Times]. “[F]or all its insight into the ‘fake it ’til you make it’ culture of Big Tech’s gold rush, Bad Blood [the business history of Theranos] leaves out the same critical point that’s missed in most mainstream media discourse about Silicon Valley’s race to ‘disrupt’ the healthcare sector: It will never, ever happen, and human history offers us no reason to believe that it will. These companies’ business models monetize the failures of our system, and therefore have a vested interest in fortifying the structural barriers to the universal and equitable distribution of care….. Insurers are explicitly incentivized to avoid paying for policyholders’ care, which is why they hire so many administrators to pore over claims in search of technicalities on which to deny them. That’s an inherent tension no app can fix.”

“Taken For A Ride: M.D. Injured In ATV Crash Gets $56,603 Bill For Air Ambulance Trip” [NPR]. “Groggy from painkillers, [Dr. Naveed Khan, a 35-year-old radiologist] managed to ask the doctors how much the flight would cost and whether it would be covered by his insurer. ‘I think they told my friend, ‘He needs to stop asking questions. He needs to get on that helicopter. He doesn’t realize how serious this injury is,’ Khan recalled.” • Impressive. Even “groggy with painkillers,” Khan tries to be a “smart shopper”!

Another world is possible:

Today I had to go to the hospital in Taiwan bc I ruined my knee. The receptionist was hesitant to accept me / I had to sign a waiver saying I wouldn’t sue the hospital for how expensive treatment is for foreigners.

For X-rays, briefly talking to a dr & meds, it was $100 USD.

— Emily Cardinali 柯依薇 (@emilycardinali) September 19, 2018

Police State Watch

“Chile: 20 secret police jailed for Pinochet-era crimes” [Deutsche Welle]. • Finally. I hope the same thing happens to Gina Haspel, one day.

Class Warfare

“Rent control foes hire California NAACP leader after her group opposes initiative” [San Francisco Chronicle].

“The case for paying every American a dividend on the nation’s wealth” [MarketWatch]. “Early in 2019, 100 randomly selected lower-income residents of Stockton, Calif., will start to receive $500 a month. In exchange, they’ll need to do, well, absolutely nothing, and can spend the money on absolutely anything… In many ways Stockton, whose pilot program runs 18 months, is a perfect petri dish in which to rethink and innovate on the centuries-old dilemma of how to give more money to those who need it most. This racially diverse city of about 315,000, 80 miles from far wealthier Silicon Valley and San Francisco, was walloped in the 2008 financial crisis — the median home price plunged almost 70% — and declared bankruptcy in 2012. Though it emerged from that bankruptcy in 2015, Stockton is a stark example of how uneven the U.S. economy’s decade-long recovery has been. The city’s median household income is about $46,000, almost 25% below the national average.” • The headline is deceptive; Stockton’ s residents aren’t getting a “divident” on “the nation’s” [sic] “wealth” because they have no ownership rights. All they are getting is bread (and, presumably, circuses, which Silicon Valley is all too happy to sell them).

News of the Wired

Welcome to the third world:

American tech adoption has flatlinedhttps://t.co/iJgwtZ81kV pic.twitter.com/TVp27emkyt

— son of an asylum seeker, father of an immigrant (@doctorow) October 2, 2018

Poor broadband, lower adoption by elders (no doubt due to the horrible UI/UX of so much software).

* * *

Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, (c) how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal, and (d) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. Today’s plant (JG):

JG writes: “We are vacationing in Chile and the vegetation is marvelous. Geraniums are as big as hedges. Roses are in bloom. I have no idea what this plant is but I like the art.”

* * *

Thank you!

Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So do feel free to make a contribution today or any day. Here is why: Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I’m on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of small donations helps me with expenses, and I factor that trickle in when setting fundraising goals. So if you see something you especially appreciate, do feel free to click the hat!

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This entry was posted in Guest Post, Water Cooler on October 2, 2018 by Lambert Strether.

About Lambert Strether

Readers, I have had a correspondent characterize my views as realistic cynical. Let me briefly explain them. I believe in universal programs that provide concrete material benefits, especially to the working class. Medicare for All is the prime example, but tuition-free college and a Post Office Bank also fall under this heading. So do a Jobs Guarantee and a Debt Jubilee. Clearly, neither liberal Democrats nor conservative Republicans can deliver on such programs, because the two are different flavors of neoliberalism (“Because markets”). I don’t much care about the “ism” that delivers the benefits, although whichever one does have to put common humanity first, as opposed to markets. Could be a second FDR saving capitalism, democratic socialism leashing and collaring it, or communism razing it. I don’t much care, as long as the benefits are delivered. To me, the key issue — and this is why Medicare for All is always first with me — is the tens of thousands of excess “deaths from despair,” as described by the Case-Deaton study, and other recent studies. That enormous body count makes Medicare for All, at the very least, a moral and strategic imperative. And that level of suffering and organic damage makes the concerns of identity politics — even the worthy fight to help the refugees Bush, Obama, and Clinton’s wars created — bright shiny objects by comparison. Hence my frustration with the news flow — currently in my view the swirling intersection of two, separate Shock Doctrine campaigns, one by the Administration, and the other by out-of-power liberals and their allies in the State and in the press — a news flow that constantly forces me to focus on matters that I regard as of secondary importance to the excess deaths. What kind of political economy is it that halts or even reverses the increases in life expectancy that civilized societies have achieved? I am also very hopeful that the continuing destruction of both party establishments will open the space for voices supporting programs similar to those I have listed; let’s call such voices “the left.” Volatility creates opportunity, especially if the Democrat establishment, which puts markets first and opposes all such programs, isn’t allowed to get back into the saddle. Eyes on the prize! I love the tactical level, and secretly love even the horse race, since I’ve been blogging about it daily for fourteen years, but everything I write has this perspective at the back of it.

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[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/technology/entertainment/watch-kelsey-grammer-talks-about-a-frasier-reboot/

WATCH: Kelsey Grammer talks about a 'Frasier' reboot

Transcript for Kelsey Grammer talks about a ‘Frasier’ reboot

Our next guest played the iconic role of Frasier crane on three different TV shows for 20 years. Tying the record for the longest running television character ever. Now Kelsey Grammer is starring in a brand-new show premiering tomorrow on fox called “Proven innocent.” Take a look. Lucia Rincon’s confession. She was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning when she gave it. I have a hidden blood test to prove it. Look, I know you all thing I’m the villain in your story. Can I ask you a question? You ever taken the statement of a mother whose child has just been murdered? I have. Ateast a hundred times. You never forget the look in their eyes. The look that says that their lives are now over, too. Please welcome, the great Kelsey Grammer. Come on out, Kelsey. There you go. Hello. Hey. Hey. Hi. Congratulations. Thank you. That’s wonderful. Thank you. Hey, my man. Have a seat. Thanks, thanks so much. I love it. You walk out here with a cup of Joe. Well, I thought, let’s go out and have some coffee with the kids. Why not? Yes. And you know, thank you for joining us, by the way. It’s a pleasure. You are a legend. Oh. Yes, you are a legend. And your name is of course synonymous with Frasier crane. And I’m sure people always hit you up all the time about that character. So I’m going to do it again. Oh, good. Will there be a reboot? Ah, yeah, we’re talking about it. Oh, wow. Oh, great. We’ll see. It’s a — because it’s 20 years later, honestly, I think it’s close to 20 years. Um, we didn’t want to do the — continuation of Frasier. We wanted to do a next act for Frasier. We’re trying to figure out what that is. He’s going to leave Seattle obviously, because he left at the end of the show in the previous incarnation. We’re talking about how the world is peopled around him, and what the story line is. And what happened to him after “Frasier” ended and this new sort of chapter would open. We’re just kicking it around with some writer. We’ll see. When you decide it’s a go come here and tell everybody. Thanks, man, I will. Okay. That would be great. We always think of Frasier crane as the corner stone of your career. You played the same character on several shows. Yes, I did. You didn’t even, when you first heard Abous,” you didn’t even really like the show. I didn’t like sitcoms, as a rule. I thought they were kind of corny and fake and — 20 years later. Yeah. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot, you know. It’s like — yeah, you know, I was kind of high and mighty. A young actor who thought theater was the end all and be all. I lived here in New York. I arguably had a burgeoning career. A budding career, I guess, as a legit actor. And, um, I just thought, well, this will probably ruin if I do well in it. And it totally did. So. It kind of did. So you were really right. But it did — I could buy a house instead of justscraping by on my pathetic theater salary. But, it’s — it’s — it’s been a great change in my life. It was — it defined a great deal of my life. There were some goods and bad things that happened as a result of it. I mean, youife is under a microscope. I’m a human being. I made some mistakes in my life. That was never fun to have your sort of — your idiosyncrasies covered on, you know, national television. That’s never a lot of fun. But, you know, so — there’s a kind of interesting thing about it, too. You got no skeletons in your closet. You’re completely free. Because there are cameras in your closet. Truth’s out. Closet? We didn’t go that far. But, yeah. But, I’ve been there. I can understand that. Yeah, I know. I know. Yeah. You worked on so many shows that people love to binge watch. All your shows are binge-watch worthy. What is something you binge watch? What are you into now? I only watch things that my children watch now. And my children — the last batch are 6, 4, and 2. Oh, boy, that’s scary. It’s not a lot of really heady stuff. But — so we watch — honestly, YouTube quite a bit. And my daughter has a — my 6-year-old, Fait thing for, um, um — um — minecraft. Oh, the game. Yeah, yeah. So we watch other people sort of play minecraft. Generation watching other people do things? She’s picking up tips. Oh, okay. She’s absorbing methods. I see it just clock in her brain. It’s firing so fast. And all of a sudden, she’s on my phone, she’s going — she takes my phone and is going like this. She said to me once. She came up me one day and said, dad, dad, you won’t believe what I did today. I built a new world behind my other world. And I thought — So cute. I’m trying to figure out how to regulate how much of this stuff is good for her. When she says stuff like that to me, I think, that’s fantastic. Honey, that’s the best news I’ve ever — that’s amazing. I think there’s real virtue in it. It’s the wave of the future for our kids. It’s — so I cut her off once in awhile. I say, give me that phone. Get off that pho Finding your way as a parent, there is no guide book ever, and then the world changes. Right when you think you have it figured out, you have to find the narrow path. I never had a dad, really. My granddad died when I was 12. And that was it. I was kind of the only man in my own life. I didn’t have a rule book or guidelines for how to father a child until I had my first. I had dinner with her last night. She’s 35 now. I’m — Cat’s out the bag, too late. You have seven children. So you got really good at being a father. I actually did get to — I cut my teeth mostly on my eldest. We go in and out. There’s moments when it’s contentious. But it’s been a great relationship. I met her boyfriend last night. So that’s it. Oh. That is — He’s okay. He passed. He passed. We’re going to take a break. We’re going to come back and talk about your new show, “Proven innocent.” A different twist on this show. It’s very fitting to what is going on today. Yeah, very cool.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

[marcusssanderson]

50 Valentine’s Day Quotes Celebrating True Love in 2019

This Valentine’s Day quotes collection will help you honor true love.

Valentine’s Day is an occasion to celebrate love, friendship and admiration. Each year on 14 February, people celebrate this day by exchanging cards, candy and flowers, or sending messages of love and affection to partners, family and friends.

Couples send Valentine’s Day cards and gifts of flowers and enjoy quality time together to celebrate their love for each other.

Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. However, different cultures have developed their own traditions for this occasion. While many observe it as a day for expressing love between couples, others see it as a day to celebrate the love between family members and friends.

Many couples choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day with dinner, a luxury hotel stay in a beautiful location, a picnic or special home-cooked meal. Whichever way you choose to celebrate it, Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to express your love and commitment.

To help make it romantic and memorable, below is our collection of inspirational, sweet, and cute Valentine’s Day quotes, Valentine’s Day messages, and Valentine’s Day wishes, collected from a variety of sources over the years.

Valentines day quotes celebrating true love in 2019

1.) “Your flaws are perfect for the heart that’s meant to love you.” – Trent Shelton

2.) “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” – Lao Tzu

3.) “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller

4.) “Love is when the desire to be desired takes you so badly that you feel you could die of it.” – Henri de Toulouse

5.) “Where there is love, there is life.” – Mahatma Gandhi

6.) “Love is a condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” – Robert Heinlein

7.) “A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.” –  Frank Morgan

8.) “I just think Valentine’s Day is a day to really appreciate the person you love, no matter who it is, and to spend time with them. I don’t think it’s all about fancy presents or whatever. I think it’s about spending that quality time with that special person.” – Prince Royce

9.) “Love will find a way through paths where wolves fear to prey.” – Lord Byron

10.) “It is the passion that is in a kiss that gives to it its sweetness; it is the affection in a kiss that sanctifies it.” – Christian Nestell Bovee

Valentine’s Day quotes to help make it romantic and memorable

11.) “The hours I spend with you I look upon as sort of a perfumed garden, a dim twilight, and a fountain singing to it. You and you alone make me feel that I am alive. Other men it is said have seen angels, but I have seen thee and thou art enough.” – George Edward Moore

12.) “I like doing something romantic with a girl on Valentine’s Day, like making her dinner and keeping it simple. The more quality time, the better.” – Spencer Boldman

13.) “Although I believe affection and romance should be shown all year around, it’s always smart to have a good plan up your sleeve for Valentine’s Day.” – Marcus Samuelsson

14.) “Doubt thou the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move. Doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love.” – William Shakespeare

15.) “Each time you love, love as deeply as if it were forever.”  – Audre Lorde

16.) “I’ve never been so scared of losing something in my entire life, then again nothing in my life has ever meant as much to me as you do.”  – Anonymous

17.) “When you know who you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want to start the rest of your life as soon as you can.”  – Dierks Bentley

18.) “Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone – we find it with another.” – Thomas Merton

19.) “This fire that we call Loving is too strong for human minds. But just right for human souls.”  – Aberjhani

20.) “If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.” – A. A. Milne

Valentine’s Day quotes for him or her

21.) “I won’t give up on us, even if the skies get rough.”  – Jason Mraz

22.) “A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.”  – Ingrid Bergman

23.) “On a scale of one to ten, I’d give you a nine — and I’m the one you need.”  – Anonymous

24.) “I love that rush, when he folds me into his arms and I can let out a sign of relief, knowing I’m safe there. Always.”  – Michelle Poelking

25.) “In a world full of temporary things, you are a perpetual feeling.”  – Sanober Khan

26.) “Love isn’t finding the perfect person. It’s seeing an imperfect person perfectly.”  – Sam Keen

27.) “I love you not only for what you are but, for what I am when I’m with you.”  – Roy Croft

28.) “Love is a friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It’s loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weakness.” – Ann Landers

29.) “If there ever comes a day where we can’t be together, keep me in your heart. I’ll stay there forever.”  – Winnie The Pooh

30.) “The most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone who loves the you you love, well, that’s just fabulous.”  – Carrie Bradshaw

Valentine’s Day quotes to help express your love and commitment

31.) “I may not say much when I am with you, but all of me loves you all the time.” – Richard Nixon

32.) “As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.” – Bruce Lee

33.) “Great love awakens us to the fullness of life. Great love shapes us. When we are embrace of love the world appears brighter and evens our food taste better when we love.” – Tito Tinajero

34.) “Loving someone and having them love you back is the most precious thing in the world.” –  Nicholas Sparks

35.) “Life gives us many things to be thankful for. I give thanks to God for you! A blessing in my life, you are.” – Catherine Pulsifer

36.) “For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it. For every truth there is an ear somewhere to hear it. For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it.” – Ivan Panin

37.) “To love another person is to see the face of God.” – Les Miserables

38.) “On Valentine’s day we think of those who make our life worthwhile, those gracious, friendly people who we think of with a smile.” – Anonymous

39.) “If I had a flower for every time I thought of you … I could walk through my garden forever.” – Alfred Tennyson

40.) “Valentine’s Day is precisely what the spirit needs. It is hot chocolate for the soul. It is a bright splash of color on a stark white canvas. The day reminds us to reaffirm our love, or perhaps to give voice to that which has remained unsaid.” – Dorothy Denneen Volo

More Valentine’s Day quotes to celebrate love and friendship

41.) “No matter where I went, I always knew my way back to you. You are my compass star.” –  Diana Peterfreund

42.) “Valentine. Is the day of love. Many ways to express affection to the people we love. By way of giving a gift that is definitely synonymous with words of love and romantic. Gifts do not have to be very expensive.” – Arif Jmsh

43.) “Let loose the sails of love and let them fill with breezes sweet with tenderness to-day; scorn not the praises youthful lovers say; romance is old, but it is lovely still.” – Edgar A Guest

44.) “Take love, multiply it by infinity and take it to the depths of forever… and you still have only a glimpse of how I feel for you.” – Meet Joe Black

45.) “Romance is a beautiful experience. that we should all have the pleasure of giving and receiving. Being in Love is one of the most powerful emotions to experience in our lifetime and having the two makes life that little bit more special.” – Cassandra M Porter

46.) “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” – Maya Angelou

47.) “No cord or cable can draw so forcibly, or bind so fast, as love can do with a single thread.” – Robert Burton

48.) “God’s plans are the perfect plan. He sent me a special valentine when He sent me you. God knew what he was doing when he sent me you.” – Theodore W. Higginsworth

49.) “Clouds never get tired of giving rain to us; and you, you must never get tired of giving your love! Valentine’s Day is day to remember to give more, to love more, it is a day to behave like a heavy rain.”  – Mehmet Murat Ildan

50.) “However, quality love relationships do not happen by accident. Real love is built the old-fashioned way – through hard work.” – Danny Silk

Which of these Valentine’s Day quotes was your favorite?

Valentine’s Day is an occasion to celebrate love and friendship. It is a perfect time to show your love and commitment to the special people in your life.

Whether you’ll be celebrating it with your significant other, or with your family and friends, we hope the above quotes will help make it memorable.

Did you enjoy these Valentine’s Day quotes? Which of the quotes was your favorite? Tell us in the comment section below. We would love to hear all about it.

The post 50 Valentine’s Day Quotes Celebrating True Love in 2019 appeared first on Everyday Power.

[brajeshupadhyay]

COVID-19 Lockdown: Laid off and stranded without help, Indians living in Malaysia fear worse days ahead, plead New Delhi to take them back

"Every day I am getting calls from my children, saying their mom is crying at night. She pretends to be happy in front of me, for my sake. What do I do?” says Shaik Chand Basha, a terminated employee now stuck in Malaysia.

As part of efforts to flatten the rapidly rising COVID-19 curve, many countries have sealed their borders and ordered lockdowns for a seemingly indefinite period of time. This has left people stranded across the globe with no means to get back home, including scores of Indians.

Basha, a resident of Karlol district in Hyderabad, arrived at Kuala Lumpur in November last year to work as a geospatial developer Working on an employment visa valid for two years, he was abruptly terminated within four months of joining in March, on account of the company’s financial troubles.

With no compensation and job prospects in sight, and all flights to India suspended temporarily, he soon realised that going back home wasn’t going to be an option either.

According to an advisory posted by the High Commission of India, Kuala Lumpur, the flights to India would continue to remain suspended. The HCI-KL has directed Indians stuck there to abide by the government’s Movement Control Order and to register themselves.

“Some 3,000 people have registered on that website. The helpline number and e-mail ID aren’t of much use, and we get just generic automated responses,” says Basha.

Indians form the third-highest ethnic group in Malaysia accounting for up to 6.4 percent its total population, according to the Malay government portal. In 2017, there were as many as 1,14,455 immigrant workers employed across a myriad of fields.

Basha is not the only one to have been snubbed by his company in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Several other salaried workers across sectors, from event management to project development have been laid off as corporates scramble to cut costs and avoid losses.

Alqama Arif, a sales executive at Management Events (Asia Group), had barely begun his work before the lockdown was initiated. Asked to work from home within days of joining, a termination letter came his way just as suddenly.

“They gave me two options, one offer letter with half my salary for an indefinite period — or accepting the termination. It’s not possible to bear this cost of living on half my salary. So, despite a one year contract, I was forced to resign,” says Arif of the unexpected situation.

Alongside him, several other Indian colleagues were forced to resign from their jobs too. Now they struggle to make ends meet, wondering how long they can manage to do so before help arrives.

The experience continues to be far from pleasant for those stranded in Malaysia, with no word from the Indian Embassy or the Government of India on plans to evacuate them.

While the Government of India is running Lifeline Udan’s transporting essentials to different regions, there’s no word on bringing back Indians stranded abroad. As of 21 April, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is still "considering the decision to restart flights".

Click here for Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates

In a series of tweets on 20 April, Union Civil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted that "flight restrictions that are in place... will be lifted once we are confident that spread of the virus has been controlled and it poses no danger to our country and people".

"Since some airlines did not heed our advisory and opened bookings and started collecting money from flyers, a directive was issued to them on 19 April restraining them from doing so," he added in another tweet.

For those attempting to leave Malaysia, checking flight availabilities has become synonymous with breathing. And for some others, the process has been infuriatingly inefficient, to say the least.

“I called Malindo Airlines to book a flight to Chennai when I learnt that there were ‘special flights’ going there. They said I could book the ticket if I paid for it since these weren’t evacuation flights. However, two days later, Malindo cancelled the ticket,” says Mandeep Singh Mokha.

Formerly a project manager in Kuala Lumpur before the termination wave hit him, Mokha, a resident of Ghaziabad, had his flight tickets to Delhi rescheduled and cancelled by the airline several times. As for compensation following the cancellation, he is now in an endless toss between the booking agent (GoIbibo) and the airline authorities.

With no respite from either governments, Indians in Malaysia have formed two WhatsApp groups to create a network of informed kinship. Hunger is a rampant issue, and most are struggling to find a way to pay the next month’s rent.

“People haven’t had food for almost a week. I just sent four kilos of rice to some people who texted on our group today. If they gave us food on alternate days also we would manage. They’re asking us to stay safe and take care, but how?” asks Basha.

Currently living in the Brickfield area of Kuala Lumpur, Basha adds that there are 250 other Indians trapped in the area alone. He is also paying approximately Rs 10,000 as rent for his room, which he won’t be able to produce next month.

Some NGOs and gurdwaras in the locality are attempting to help without any resources being provided by the authorities.

With a 7 pm curfew in place and the possibility of hefty fines, people are hesitant to step out, even if to look for relief.

Days continue to pass with an increase in cases and a stoic silence from the Indian authorities while the situation is getting potentially dangerous for Indians who need medical attention.

“I am on medication, I have BP and diabetes. Who will take care of me if something happens? I don’t have medical insurance here,” asks Satyadeep Baral, a software engineer.

Like others, he had joined his company in December 2019, only to find himself eventually unemployed with barely enough money for food. At present, he’s staying with his friend, unwittingly made to feel like an illegal immigrant in the country.

The lockdown is set to end in Malaysia in another week. Indians stranded in Malaysia allege that the Indian embassy has shown no empathy towards them except offering ‘lip service’. The members of the WhatsApp group dedicatedly continue to tweet to Indian authorities every day. However, they might as well have not bothered.

It’s not just former employees who are stranded in the country though. For Some like Abhilash Parida, it's wanderlust gone horribly wrong.

Visiting the country with his sister and brother-in-law, the group arrived on 12 March for their vacation — only to have all flights back home suspended less than a week later.

The HCI-K website lists about eight hundred stranded tourists as of writing this article. The only shred of hope comes from a special pass issued to tourists by the Malay government. The pass entails that the tourist visas expired during the lockdown could still be used to leave the country, provided the person has a valid passport.

Life still isn’t easy for the group, who are currently put up in an Airbnb with dwindling rations. The high cost of living juxtaposed with the sheer difficulty to procure further supplies has led to a seemingly helpless situation.

“The supermarkets close to us don’t have any Indian groceries. There are Bangladeshi and Pakistani markets about three kilometres away, however, you can’t have more than one passenger in the cab. We also have to carry our passports every time we step out, just in case the cops catch us,” adds Abhilash.

For those stranded in Malaysia, it’s not just the logistics of daily survival that is an issue. Back home in India, elderly parents and family members continue to lie in wait of better news, some of them entirely reliant on these immigrants.

“My parents are 60+ and alone in Karlol. My wife and kids were supposed to go there, but with only a four hours notice they got stuck in Hyderabad. I don’t know who will take care of them if they get sick,” laments Basha, a single child.

Mandeep Singh, whose wife and child are stuck in Nagpur, calls this situation reminiscent of the demonetisation move. Then too, he was forced to spend long hours at a bank in an attempt to withdraw money for his then-pregnant wife’s hospital fees.

Now, he’s stuck in a foreign country with no way to get back home.

“My father is over 75 years old and alone in Delhi. If he doesn’t answer even one video call, I get scared. The Embassy continues to self-promote its caregiving to immigrants, but a large number of us remain ignored. I’d appreciate even if the politicians we’re reaching out to give us fake sympathy at this point. Why are they ignoring us?” asks Singh.

The community, however, has not given to despair despite the odds. In fact, most of them have attempted to reach out to the embassy, authorities in both the countries, media houses, and anyone who can offer any aid.

Indians stranded in Malaysia maintain that they are willing to pay for tickets if they are allowed back home, and are ready to comply with all safety protocol following their arrival. The desperation is such that it doesn’t matter which part of India they’re taken back to as long as they can escape their turmoil.

“It’s not a matter of 15-20 days, it’s going to take anywhere between six months to a year to curb this. We can’t battle this virus from another country, our people need to take us back,” insists Baral.

The lack of communication on evacuation of Indians stranded in Malaysia by the Government of India has left Indians in a dire conundrum both at home and abroad. Given that most of these 3,000 odd people will be reduced to living on the streets if action isn’t taken, there needs to be a quick translation from vague narratives to thorough implementation.

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[erraticfairy]

Podcast: Bad Habits and Vices Related to Mental Illness



Everyone has bad habits. Even your sainted Granny who seems perfect to you has some bad habit that only your grandfather knows about. Bad habits, like everything, exist on a spectrum, from biting your nails to snorting cocaine – and everything in between.

In this episode, our hosts discuss bad habits that many people with mental illness seem to have – from smoking, to alcoholism, to drug use and, you guessed it, everything in between.

  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

“90% of people with schizophrenia smoke.” – Michelle Hammer

  Highlights From ‘Bad Habits Mental Illness’’ Episode

[0:30] Talking vices and bad habits: What are they?

[3:00] Gabe’s vice is something people don’t expect.

[8:00] Are vices okay?

[9:00] Michelle and her worst habit.

[12:30] How do bad habits help people?

[16:30] Michelle’s other vice that people hate.

[17:45] Vices, like everything, exist on a spectrum.

[18:30] How can you overcome a bad habit?

Computer Generated Transcript for ‘Bad Habits and Vices Related to Mental Illness’ Show

Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript has been computer generated and therefore may contain inaccuracies and grammar errors. Thank you.

Announcer: For reasons that utterly escape everyone involved, you’re listening to A Bipolar, A Schizophrenic, and A Podcast. Here are your hosts, Gabe Howard and Michelle Hammer.

Gabe: It’s now time for A Bipolar, A Schizophrenic, and A Podcast with your host, Michelle Hammer, schizophrenic.

Michelle: And Gabe Howard, bipolar.

Gabe: Today’s episode is all about vices.

Michelle: Vices.

Gabe: It’s about vices as they relate to mental illness. So Michelle’s vice of just being mean and cranky, that’s not because she’s schizophrenic. It’s because she’s mean and cranky. So we’re not talking.

Michelle: Is that a vice? Is mean and cranky even a vice?

Gabe: I mean, it’s very New York.

Michelle: A vice, though?

Gabe: I don’t know. What’s the definition of a vice.

Michelle: I don’t know. Maybe we should have looked that up?

Gabe: You know, with the magic of editing, people will think that we looked it up right –

Gabe: Now!

Michelle: Now!

Michelle: The definition of a vice is a weakness or character or behavior. A bad habit.

Gabe: Wait. So the definition of a vice is a bad habit? We had to Google that?

Michelle: Well, there’s many different definitions of vice’s here. Or an immoral or wicked personal characteristic.

Gabe: Basically, vices are bad habits. Smoking, drinking, promiscuous sex, over eating. These are the kind of vices that we’re talking about, right?

Michelle: Synonyms are shortcomings. Failing, flaw, fault, defect, weakness, weak point. Deficiency. Limitation. Imperfection. Blemish. Foible. Fallibility. Frailty, infirmity.

Gabe: I feel like this show is just you reading the definition of vice from wikipedia.

Michelle: Do you know that I know how to Google and when I Google things I know how to read? That’s right, guys. I know how to read. You might think I don’t know how to read.

Gabe: Nobody would accuse you of being illiterate.

Michelle: I’m glad because I am not illiterate and I know how to read.

Gabe: I read our show’s, emails, and they have called you a lot of things. Illiterate is not among them.

Michelle: No. But, I’ve gotten emails and I they’ve said, why did you pick that guy, Gabe? He must be very organized or something.

Gabe: I do remember that e-mail.

Michelle: That was a good e-mail. That was hilarious.

Gabe: I was so confused. Like, I’m listening to your show and I can’t decide why you partnered with Gabe. But I suspect maybe it’s because he’s organized.

Michelle: Yeah.

Gabe: Does my organization come through on the show?

Michelle: Apparently, somebody thinks that that’s the only reason why I picked you.

Gabe: I wonder why I picked you. Because you’re not organized.

Michelle: I picked you?

Gabe: I picked you?

Michelle: Who’s who? Who are you?

Gabe: I don’t know.

Michelle: I pick Peppy.

Gabe: Remember when we tried to get Peppy on the podcast and now he’s afraid of the microphone?

Michelle: Yeah.

Gabe: Aww.

Michelle: Poor Peppy.

Gabe: Let’s get, we gotta get. Let’s get to the point here. Put your phone down. Okay, so.

Michelle: Okay. So I’m done. Gabe, you have a vice that I bug you about constantly. Constantly. You do not stop drinking Diet Coke. You can’t. Everywhere we go, of course we go where there’s free refills. You drink at least seven Diet Cokes. Am I exaggerating?

Gabe: You’re not.

Michelle: Exactly.

Gabe: I’m glad that we started with this one, because so many people think that vices have to be like something big. Alcoholism or smoking or drug use is a vice. But the reality is, almost anything done to extreme can become a vice. To put it a little perspective for those playing at home, I drink the equivalent of about 50 cans of Diet Coke a day. So I’m running through two twenty four packs a day.

Michelle: Do you believe Diet Coke is actually healthier than regular Coke? Because it’s not.

Gabe: You know, the data is wildly out on that. You know, that’s an awful lot of sweet and low I’m ingesting. But to say the drinking 50 cans of regular coke, all of that sugar, not to mention the thousands of calories that would be. That sounds healthier to you?

Michelle: It doesn’t sound healthy. But I do know that soda is bad for you. And I know I saw a commercial recently where they held up a pack of cigarettes and they held up a bottle of coke and they said cigarettes are just as bad as Coke. And they both both cause heart disease.

Gabe: Come on. You saw an ad, you know, where’s the research? Where’s the backing? But you don’t need to convince me that drinking this much Diet Coke is bad.

Michelle: Because it is something you use to cope.

Gabe: It is. That’s where I want people to focus, because somebody would say the dude drinks Diet Coke. Who cares? That’s a readily available commercial product. That can’t be a vice, but a-ha! It can be if it’s done to extremes. All things in moderation, of course, but I’m not moderate.

Michelle: Also, you used to weigh five hundred and fifty pounds. Wouldn’t you consider all the food you used to eat quite a vice?

Gabe: Yes. Even still to this day. Now that I’m at a reasonable, normal, mostly healthy weight.

Michelle: Through surgery, though.

Gabe: Yes. But people say through surgery, like I went in five hundred and fifty pounds and I got a magic surgery and then I came out. You know that the surgery was a tool that helped. That’s like saying that the only reason that you’re living well with schizophrenia is because of the medication. That you did no work on your own. Does the magic pill just save you?

Michelle: But I don’t see you exercise, ever.

Gabe: Well, no, but 10 years later, I still have the weight off. The average success rate of a gastric bypass at ten years is not high.

Michelle: Oh, really?

Gabe: It’s one of the reasons why it kind of fell out of favor. People would lose the weight initially, but then they’d gain most of it back within a decade. I still have my weight off.

Michelle: That I did not know. That’s very interesting.

Gabe: And while you may not see me exercise, have you ever seen me, and be honest, have you ever seen me eat an entire sheet cake?

Michelle: Good point. But have you done that in the past before gastric bypass?

Gabe: I ate an entire sheet cake routinely.

Michelle: Wow.

Gabe: I used to buy icing in a can and just eat it out of the can.

Michelle: You know, I have friends who’ve done that, but they wouldn’t eat the entire thing of icing. You would sit there and eat it all in one sitting?

Gabe: Well, not only would I eat it all in one sitting, this wasn’t like a rogue thing. This wasn’t like I mean, my girlfriend broke up with me. I’m gonna eat icing today. No. I would go shopping at the grocery store and I’d buy 10 cans and that would be my icing quota for the week. It’s not about drinking the Diet Coke. It’s not even about eating the cake or the icing. You really have to put like a hard look at it. Are you turning something innocuous into a pain point? For example, the amount of Diet Coke that I drink has become a vice. It’s not about the thing that you’re doing. It’s about the amount of time and energy you spend doing it. And if I can’t have it, I have withdrawal symptoms.

Michelle: Really?

Gabe: I freak out. You’ve been with me. How many times have I been like, I’ve got to get a Diet Coke. You’re like, look, let’s just do half an hour more work and then go. I’m like, I can’t. I’ve got to go now. I’ve got to go now. I’ve got to go now.

Michelle: I never really realized that. I guess I just didn’t notice the need for the Diet Coke. I thought you were just thirsty, I guess. Could be like the dry mouth. Right?

Gabe: And that’s how it started. That’s really the biggest connection to mental illness that I have. I didn’t always drink this much soda. I didn’t drink this much anything. But my mouth is constantly dry.

Michelle: Why not water?

Gabe: That’s clearly why it’s a vice. Because a better option is available. I could drink more water.

Michelle: Ok.

Gabe: And I don’t.

Michelle: Just, I was just curious, you know, if you have dry mouth, you’re choosing Diet Coke over water. That’s your preference. That’s what you use as your coping mechanism of some sort. Do your thing. I think whatever you really need to do to help yourself cope with your illness and it makes you feel better, I think that’s OK. The Diet Coke, it isn’t really the healthiest thing for you, but you could be doing much worse things. I mean, you’re not smoking crack.

Gabe: That really is the thing that I think about. I know that I drink too much Diet Coke. But you know, before the Diet Coke, it was drugs, alcohol, women, staying out all night Long time listeners of the show, they’re like Gabe’s life wasn’t so great. Now Gabe’s life is pretty good, but he drinks too much Diet Coke. That might be a worthwhile trade. So a vice is not inherently bad. People do have to make choices. And, you know, it’s really tough. People are like no, a vice is inherently bad. It’s a bad habit. But sometimes it really is the lesser of two evils. It makes me happy and it keeps me focused. It gives me something to look forward to. I like the rituals surrounding getting the drink. I like putting my shoes on. I like going out in public. I like people watching. I like all of it. I like knowing that in a couple of hours, I’m going to go have something to do. And I’m describing almost to a tee the life of a smoker.

Michelle: You really, really are. Because there’s so much around that for a smoker. It’s more about taking a break from work, going outside, bonding with the other smokers, coming back inside, knowing that in a few hours you get to take another break. Otherwise, you’re just stuck at your desk all day long. People will go outside in 30 degree weather to smoke a cigarette when people don’t want to go outside in 30 degree weather. But they do it because that’s what they’re used to. That’s what they do to take a break. That’s their thing. That’s what they do. It just keeps you occupied, keeps you busy, lets you people watch, helps you make friends. Things like that.

Gabe: You’re an ex smoker, Michelle.

Michelle: Yes, I am.

Gabe: Let’s divide this conversation up real quick. First, let’s talk about your days as a smoker and you described all of the rituals around it. But what I want to specifically talk about is why did you start?

Michelle: I started because I had some bad influences.

Gabe: Was it Blanche? Please tell me it was Blanche.

Michelle: No, God, it wasn’t Blanche.

Gabe: Did Blanche make you smoke?

Michelle: No, no, no. And it’s just like I was struggling with schizophrenia and I was struggling with relaxing. I had a lot of anxiety. I wasn’t fully medicated as of yet. And I didn’t quite have my schizophrenia diagnosis. So I started smoking. I wasn’t loving it. I kind of stopped smoking. And then I lost my first job and I was like, I’m going to go get a pack of cigarettes. And then it just never ended.

Gabe: Well, it did end, though.

Michelle: Well, it ended. And then I started the vape pen. And you hate the vape pen. And everybody hates, hates that I’m always on the vape pen, it’s always in my hand. But that’s just how it is. And when I was looking up some information about like schizophrenia and smoking, I found this very interesting study that nearly 90 percent of people with schizophrenia smoke and most of them being heavy smokers. Interestingly enough, it said 60 to 70 percent of people with bipolar disorder also smoke. You don’t smoke. You do the Diet Coke?

Gabe: I never smoked because the anti-smoking message in the 80s was so good. It was so good. My parents talked to me about smoking. I never saw anybody smoke. And anytime my parents, saw somebody smoke, they would like, oh, that’s disgusting. Like good people don’t do that.

Michelle: My parents did the same thing to me.

Gabe: But it’s fascinating for me because that message took so much in me that I did heroin. I did cocaine. I did every drug that was handed to me. But one time somebody offered me a cigarette and I said, what the fuck? Are you crazy?

Michelle: That’s hilarious.

Gabe: And I’m pretty sure that I shot heroin. Sincerely, looking back on it, I don’t know what the cognitive dissonance was that smoking bad drugs good. But that’s what I believed.

Michelle: But a lot of people do believe that. They think drugs are OK, but cigarettes are bad.

Gabe: Right. Because we’ve got a whole drugs are natural. You realize that cigarettes are tobacco, right? They’re natural, too.

Michelle: They’re full of chemicals.

Gabe: Of course.

Michelle: There are full of things like formaldehyde.

Gabe: And so are drugs. How do you think drugs are cut? You honestly believe that your local area drug dealer has purity standards?

Michelle: That’s a very good point. There’s a very good point.

Gabe: Your dealer is doing all of this, like above board and making sure that it’s organic? Are you kidding? If they can make an extra nickel, they would make us drink their cat’s piss.

Michelle: Hang on one second. We’re going to take a break.

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Michelle: And we’re back talking about vices. But the thing is, 90 percent of people with schizophrenia smoke. That is incredibly interesting.

Gabe: It really is. And it tells you the way that these things impact our bodies, because clearly the reason that so many people with schizophrenia are smokers is because they are getting something out of it. It’s relieving something. It’s helping them in some way. It might not be the best thing for them to do. It might not be a good idea. But clearly they’re getting something positive out of it. Right?

Michelle: It’s a coping mechanism.

Gabe: Exactly.

Michelle: It is a coping mechanism.

Gabe: And nobody is saying that it’s a good coping mechanism.

Michelle: It’s not a good. No, no. But I might, I used to be a cutter. Would you would you rather me be a cutter or use my vape pen? And use that as my vice? Or can I smoke my vape pen?

Gabe: Well, I mean

Michelle: I’m just saying, weigh the options.

Gabe: Of course with those two options. That’s a no brainer.

Michelle: I know it. And then I would, what really bothers me is that I was smoking cigarettes and then I turned onto the vape pen and I’m thinking, you know, this is healthier. And then people say, oh, you know, the vape pens, not healthy at all. It’s worse for you. I’m like, let me have my thing. I stopped smoking. I turned to the vape pen. It’s not smoke anymore. I’m trying to be healthier. People had to go, that’s not even healthy for you. Leave me alone, I’m trying. OK, I’m trying. Why do people always have to put in their two cents?

Gabe: Oh, you know what I love the most? I used to weigh 550 pounds. Food was a vice for me. In many ways, food is still a vice for me. I still abuse food. I want to be the first to admit it. I’m so much better. But I don’t want anybody to think that I have a healthy relationship with food. I struggle constantly. But what I always used to love when I weighed five hundred and fifty pounds is the number of smokers that would tell me I need to lose weight.

Michelle: Oh, yeah?

Gabe: You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re literally sucking smoke into your lungs and you’re telling me about health?

Michelle: Have you ever seen a doctor smoke? Yes. Isn’t that hilarious?

Gabe: A vice overcomes our knowledge base. We understand that a lot of this stuff is bad. There is nobody in the world eating a Big Mac that thinks it’s a health food. But we love Big Macs.

Michelle: Yeah.

Gabe: You know, splurging is OK. It is OK to have cake, but it’s not okay to have a sheet cake and it’s not OK to have a sheet cake every day. It’s OK to have a Big Mac and fries. No, nobody’s saying that you can’t. But if you’re doing that three times a day, every single day and many people with mental illness turn food into a vice. A lot of us aren’t eating healthy because of depression. When you’re depressed, you’re not grilling chicken breasts and steaming broccoli. I would say you’re eating Doritos out of a bag and ordering pizza.

Michelle: Every single time I lost the job, I went to the grocery store and bought chocolate gelato. Yeah, that was my thing. Every time I lost a job, it’s chocolate gelato time. We’re eating a pint. There we are.

Gabe: And it became a vice.

Michelle: One time I came home crying and said to my roommate Ben I lost my job. He goes, You want me to go to the grocery store for you? And I go, Yes, please.

Gabe: But see, the problem there is if you would have lost your job three times in your lifetime, who cares? Nobody would have called it a vice. You lost nine jobs in a year.

Michelle: No! Asshole, it wasn’t nine in a year. It was from age twenty two to 27.

Gabe: Really?

Michelle: Really.

Gabe: That? That’s deserving of you calling me an asshole?

Michelle: Shut up.

Gabe: Yeah.

Michelle: It wasn’t one year.

Gabe: Oh, I’m sorry, my bad. It was enough that your roommate developed the pattern. I mean, seriously, he like Sherlock Holmesed that shit. He’s like, oh, my God, every time she gets fired, she wants gelato. He figured it out. This isn’t like your romantic partner. He’s just some guy that shares space with you in New York City. Because he doesn’t make enough money to have his own place.

Michelle: Listen, don’t make fun of wannabe be actors.

Gabe: Oh, why are you making fun of wannabee actors? Why didn’t you just say actor?

Michelle: He because he never had a principal role.

Gabe: A principal role? Now we’re judging the types of roles.

Michelle: That’s what he would say to me, OK? He would say to me that he wants to get principal roles. He was on an episode of Law & Order one time.

Gabe: He played the corpse, right?

Michelle: Yes.

Gabe: Did you buy him gelato?

Michelle: I’m just saying he was trying. Do you feel that I have any other devices that you’ve noticed? Like, I bite my nails, I pick my fingers. I’m like a skin picker, though. Would you consider that a vice?

Gabe: Yes, I would.

Michelle: My nails are disgusting. I cannot stop biting them. I cannot stop picking at my cuticles. I cannot stop picking at my scabs. I can’t stop picking at it. I just can’t stop. I’m a skin picker. Anything like that when I pick something, it gives me satisfaction. The people around me look at me disgusted when I start biting my nails or picking my skin and like, what are you doing? It’s gross because only little kids bite their nails and stuff like that. And yet I’m 30 and I do these things.

Gabe: I really like how you said that, that it’s not good for you, but it gives you satisfaction.

Michelle: It does.

Gabe: That might be the best definition of vice that we’ve come up with. It’s not good, but it makes me happy.

Michelle: Yeah.

Gabe: Drinking this much Diet Coke is not good, but it makes me happy. Picking your skin is not good when it makes you happy. Smoking is not good, but it makes you happy. You know, we talk about things existing on a spectrum on this show. Vices are also something that exists on a spectrum. Somebody overeating could be on the lower end of the spectrum. If they’re a little bit overweight, maybe they indulge in sweets too much. Or it could be on the higher end of the spectrum, like when I weighed five hundred and fifty pounds. And you know, Michelle, you and I are really illustrate that. Well, you had gelato when you were fired, but you never weighed four times your natural body weight. I think that people don’t understand that anything can be a vice. We’ve got to get this idea out of our head that certain things are inherently bad and other things are inherently good. Things don’t have a moral value. For example, knives, knives are good. We use them to cut meat. That’s very valuable. We use them to cut our food like bread and eat them. But you can also use a knife to stab people. So is a knife good or is a knife bad? Well, depends on how you use it. It’s the same thing for vices. Picking on your nails isn’t an inherently bad thing. What if you have a hangnail and you’re trying to get it off? I do that too. I wouldn’t say that I have a vice. But you go further.

Michelle: My nails bleed.

Gabe: Right? So clearly in the realm of vice.

Michelle: Yes.

Gabe: What do you do to get rid of these vices?

Michelle: People yell at me to stop me, but I don’t.

Gabe: Everybody with mental illness has people yelling at them all the time. I wish this worked. You know, look at our show. We reach thousands upon thousands of people every month. So if we started yelling at people to stop doing stuff, we could just solve this whole problem. So clearly yelling doesn’t do shit.

Michelle: Nobody write in and tell me, use that bad taste stuff. Because I’ve used the bad taste stuff. And you know what happens? I just get the bad taste stuff in my mouth as I’m biting my nails.

Gabe: You realize there’s somebody out there halfway through that e-mail that’s like click, click.

Michelle: And then you just get used to the bad taste and you start liking the bad taste. I’ve done it. It’s happened. I’ve tried it. It doesn’t work for me. Maybe I need to have hypnosis or something.

Gabe: No, no. Oh, no.

Michelle: It doesn’t work?

Gabe: Hypnosis is just straight up fraud.

Michelle: Why are you saying that hypnosis is fraud? Now we’re going to get letters, Gabe.

Gabe: I’m OK with that.

Michelle: Can somebody please hypnotize Gabe to not be a ginger anymore?

Gabe: How would that even work?

Michelle: I’m just saying.

Gabe: Let’s say the hypnotism was even real. How would it change my hair color?

Michelle: I’m just making things up, Gabe.

Gabe: Literally, there is an example of something that could also be a vice, chronic lying. Chronic exaggeration. People with mental illness, they can get pegged with things and maybe fall into roles that they don’t realize. Maybe the reason that you’re lying or exaggerating was because of a defense mechanism before you were treated or when you were younger. Maybe you had to make stuff up to get your parents to pay attention to you. But now you’re a 30 year old adult and you’re still one upping or making stuff up etc. This would be a vice to bring up in therapy. Vices tend to exist for a reason, and maybe the reason that the vice started was pure. There is no doubt in my mind that the reason that I started overeating was to comfort myself.

Michelle: Yeah.

Gabe: Food is readily available and it was comforting.

Michelle: I you know, it’s really interesting. My psychiatrist allows me to smoke the vape pen in his office and he said it’s great because people used to smoke in their therapy sessions all the time.

Gabe: I do think that vaping is much healthier for you than smoking cigarettes. The research so far is confirming that, it also doesn’t smell as bad because cigarette smoke just smells awful.

Michelle: Yes. What I find interesting is that when I used to walk by people smoking and it smelled like secondhand smoke, I’d want a cigarette. Oh, I want a cigarette so badly. But now when I walk by and I smell secondhand smoke, I’m like, oh, that’s just not good. That’s disgusting.

Gabe: But it took you a while to get there, right? Rome wasn’t built the day. You didn’t decide on Monday, you’re gonna stop smoking on Tuesday. The problem is licked, right?

Michelle: It is more just people around me kind of like, don’t smoke. It’s gross. And then every time I saw my family I had to sneak out to sneak off for, then I would smell like smoke. And then every time my mom would hug me, she would sniff me ridiculously. Sniff me. Blanche died of lung cancer and she was never a smoker. Her husband was, my grandfather.

Gabe: So you feel this second hand smoke really contributed? And that’s something that vape doesn’t have, second hand smoke.

Michelle: And my other grandmother had emphysema. You know, my mom was like, you remember your grandmother? She couldn’t walk 100 yards. And like, really, that wasn’t the biggest problem she had.

Gabe: Even though, you know, I can tell you you’re irritated with your mother for trying to make you a better person, the horror. But your mother’s reasoning is because of people that she loved were in harm’s way.

Michelle: Right, no.

Gabe: You realize she keeps bringing it up because she is worried about you?

Michelle: But I hated that I was smoking, but I couldn’t stop. I hated that I was doing it. But it was my vice. I hated it. I wanted to stop, but it was too hard.

Gabe: But how did you? How did you?

Michelle: I found, I just, I got on the vape pen. I just transitioned to the pen.

Gabe: Because the research shows that the best way to defeat a habit is to replace the time with another one. Just quitting cold turkey and just having that free time, you’re just going to ruminate on what you used to be doing.

Michelle: It’s true. And people, they just don’t like smokers unless you’re friends with smokers. They like look down on you so badly. It’s not just smoking.

Gabe: People look down on vices that they don’t understand. And as somebody who lives with bipolar disorder, I know that many of the people in our community have developed various vices, smoking being a big one. 90 percent, 60 percent, 90 percent of schizophrenic smoke rate, 60 to 70 percent bipolar smoke rate. We’ve developed this as a coping mechanism to try to get help. So it makes it hard to look down on people who smoke when I know that their vice comes out of a place of trying to save themselves. Nevertheless, I don’t want people in our community to all die of lung cancer at 50 and I don’t want you to die, which is awkward because you’re just a pain.

Michelle: Oh, shut up. You’re a pain.

Gabe: You think I’m gonna die of like Diet Coke poisoning?

Michelle: Everyone’s gonna die. Eventually.

Gabe: We really should address our vices. I mean, you agree with that, right?

Michelle: Yes.

Gabe: We want to have the best quality of life that we can. We don’t want to annoy the people that we care about. Even you, Michelle, who is the most curmudgeonly, cranky person I know. You want the people around you to be happy and you want to be happy.

Michelle: I am not curmudgeonly, cranky, but I do want everyone to be happy.

Gabe: That’s something that a curmudgeonly, cranky person would say.

Michelle: I don’t think I’m curmudgeonly cranky. I’m a New Yorker.

Gabe: And what is the definition of the behavior of a New Yorker?

Michelle: Oh, they were always angry?

Gabe: Yes.

Michelle: Because tourists don’t get out of the goddamn way.

Gabe: I love how it’s our fault.

Michelle: You stay to the right. Stay to the right. Do not walk in a line on the sidewalk. I’m rolling my bag down the street. And these people are blocking the dip. So I can’t get my suitcase on the dip. And I just say, hi, guys. Can I use that? Use what? The sidewalk, please. Oh, well, we’ll move. don’t take up the sidewalk. I’m gonna be an asshole if you’re taking out the sidewalk. The sidewalk is for walking, not side stand. Sidewalk. Not.

Gabe: That sounds like a curmudgeonly, cranky person, ladies and gentlemen, that is a very reasonable thing to say. She’s not even in New York right now and she’s pissed at people that aren’t here. That is very emotionally healthy. My name is Gabe Howard. With me, as always, is Michelle Hammer. And we will see you next week on A Bipolar, a Schizophrenic, and a Podcast.

Announcer: You’ve been listening to A Bipolar, a Schizophrenic, and a Podcast. If you love this episode, don’t keep it to yourself head over to iTunes or your preferred podcast app to subscribe, rate, and review. To work with Gabe go to GabeHoward.com. To work with Michelle, go to Schizophrenic.NYC. For free mental health resources and online support groups, head over to PsychCentral.com. This show’s official web site is PsychCentral.com/BSP. You can e-mail us at show@PsychCentral.com. Thank you for listening, and share widely.

Meet Your Bipolar and Schizophrenic Hosts

GABE HOWARD was formally diagnosed with bipolar and anxiety disorders after being committed to a psychiatric hospital in 2003. Now in recovery, Gabe is a prominent mental health activist and host of the award-winning Psych Central Show podcast. He is also an award-winning writer and speaker, traveling nationally to share the humorous, yet educational, story of his bipolar life. To work with Gabe, visit gabehoward.com.

  MICHELLE HAMMER was officially diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 22, but incorrectly diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 18. Michelle is an award-winning mental health advocate who has been featured in press all over the world. In May 2015, Michelle founded the company Schizophrenic.NYC, a mental health clothing line, with the mission of reducing stigma by starting conversations about mental health. She is a firm believer that confidence can get you anywhere. To work with Michelle, visit Schizophrenic.NYC.

from World of Psychology http://bit.ly/2KBqYP7 via theshiningmind.com

[frederickwiddowson]

Luke 4:14-30 comments: Jesus teaching in Galilee

Luke 4:14 ¶  And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 16  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17  And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 22  And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? 23  And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. 24  And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 27  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 28  And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29  And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 30  But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

 Jesus, the very image of the invisible God, filled with the mind of God, returns to Galilee and is known as being a very powerful teacher.

 Matthew 7:28  And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29  For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

 In Nazareth, in a synagogue, He reads from Isaiah 61.

 Isaiah 61:1 ¶  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

 This is a very important passage for those Christians who believe, as I do, that the entire Bible was given by inspiration of God, which, as I have explained before, is wisdom and understanding from the Holy Ghost, the very mind of God.

 Jesus stops reading after to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. In that comma following lies the two thousand years of church history. Jesus did not come at that time to enact judgment on the world but to save those who were willing. This gives you a key to interpreting prophecies of both His first and second arrivals, which can be separated by something as small as a comma in the text with thousands of years in between.

 Notice also how by the use of word substitution the Holy Spirit defines words. By comparing the two passages, one in Isaiah and one in Luke we see synonyms like preach and proclaim, deliverance and liberty, gospel and good tidings, poor and meek. Experiment with that interpretation method and you will learn some amazing stuff throughout the Bible in quotes made in the New Testament from Greek with the Old Testament translated from Hebrew under the guiding hand of the Spirit of God and Christ.

 He announced that the Scripture was fulfilled in their hearing. He quoted a proverb well-known in the Greek culture of the time and referred to hundreds of years before Christ. It appears that He is using the saying to say, if I can do great works abroad, why not do them here at home as in if a doctor can heal others why can’t he heal himself? Then, Christ explains because that His own people will not accept Him.

 We might say, “familiarity breeds contempt,” and understand that it is hard for your own relatives or neighbors who watched you grow up and know you or think they do to accept some great wisdom you put forth. But Christ apparently did not reveal Himself in His early years but to His family by the suggestion of this passage. They were now accustomed to Him reading from the Scriptures, perhaps expounding on them, but He warned them they would not accept Him as the Messiah. There seems to be a lot of culturally understood communication here that we have to think about in relating it to our own times.

 What made them furious was the suggestion that if they weren’t willing or able to hear Him and believe the Gentiles would, a prophecy of the coming Church Age.

 Verse 25 refers to 1Kings 17 with Zarephath and Zidon as the Hebrew to English translations of Sarepta and Sidon. Verse 27 refers to events in 2Kings 5. This serves as sort of a warning. If you will not receive the truth of God the Gentiles will.

 Matthew 8:11  And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12  But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 John 10:16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

 They then tried to kill Him but, of course, they could not as this was not His time, the time prepared for His sacrifice of Himself for His people’s and the world’s sins.