#I’m going to the Columbia MD show

[carcinogenetiicist]

Did I just buy boygenius concert tickets? Yes.

Did it have direct correlation with their cowboy photoshoot? Maybe!

[airas-story]

Wrong Number (The Right Person)

“Hello,” Stephen said, half asleep as he answered his phone. He squinted at the clock. 4.19.

Who the hell was calling at four in the morning?

“Bruce. I figured it out,” the words on the other side of the phone were rushed, eager. “The serum is supposed to rebuild on a cellular level. I just—“

“Who the hell is this?” Stephen asked, annoyed. “Because I’m not Bruce.”

The voice cut off. “You’re not—“ A quiet curse and a distant, “JARVIS!” echoed over the line, before a faint click indicated the end of the call.

Stephen blinked tiredly as he tried to figure out what had just happened. He shoved his phone away; he’d deal with that tomorrow. Or later today.

Whatever.

Stephen eyed the number on his cell. He had the vague memory of someone calling and waking him up. Which normally didn’t necessitate anything from Stephen as long as they only did it once. But he had the faintest recollection of the words ‘serum’, ‘rebuild’ and ‘cellular level’ which… all right, Stephen would be lying if he said he wasn’t curious.

He called the number.

It rang for a moment before someone was answering. “Who are you and how did you get this number?”

Stephen arched an eyebrow. “You called me, that’s how I got this number,” he said. “As for who I am, this is Doctor Stephen Strange.”

“I called—” the man on the other side of the phone spluttered. “I did not call—” He cut off. The next words were distant as though someone was covering the speakers. “I did? Really?” A pause. “And you didn’t stop me?” A moment of silence, then the person was back. “So, apparently I called you. It looks like I do not have Bruce’s number memorized the way I thought I did.”

“Clearly,” Stephen said dryly.

“Right, great, so…” the man on the other end of the line paused. “Wait, why are you calling? Did you call to make me apologize? Because that’s a waste of your time. I’ve got to say, apologies aren’t my strong suit.”

Now that the man mentioned it, an apology really would be a good place to start. Stephen hadn’t been planning on asking for one, but he had to admit that, now that he’d been denied one, he was rather peeved with the notion.

“The ability to apologize shows good character,” he said. He took a moment to be grateful that Christine wasn’t around to hear him say those words. She would never let him live it down.

The man scoffed. “What makes you think I care about having ‘good character’? But if that’s why you were calling, I’m going to—”

“Wait,” Stephen interrupted before the man could hang up. “You said something about a serum last night. You also mentioned rebuilding on a cellular level.”

“Okay, hanging up—”

“I work in nerve regeneration,” Stephen interrupted again. “It’s a special focus of mine.”

There was no immediate answer, but the phone wasn’t hung up, either, so Stephen took that as a win. “Whatever you're working on sounds… well, impossible, but like it will change the world of medicine. I want to be involved.”

The silence lingered a moment longer.

“Doctor Stephen Strange, you said?” the man asked.

“Yes.”

“Columbia. Top of your class. Got your MD and your PhD at the same time. Considered one of the top neurosurgeons in the field at the moment despite the fact that you only recently finished your residency.” The man let out a low whistle. “Got to say, you look good on paper.”

Stephen didn’t ask where he’d gotten that information. “That doesn’t come close to what I’m capable of,” Stephen said.

The man hummed. “You know what, why not. I’m going to send over an NDA. If you want in, you sign it.”

“Done,” Stephen said quickly. He’d read it through, of course, but this was rebuilding on the cellular level. That was the sort of research that he wanted to be involved in. 

The man laughed, but he sounded almost confused, as though he wasn’t quite sure how they’d gotten here. “All right. Well then, I’ll get that NDA to you. Once you sign it you can come to my lab and we can talk.”

“Where’s your lab?”

The man paused. “Right, I guess we never covered that part. Stark Tower.”

Stephen had once heard that SI had a tendency to hire the best in their fields. That was a promising sign for his future collaborator. “Do I get a name to go with that?” Stephen asked. “If I’m asking the receptionist—”

He got a second laugh at that. “Tony,” the man said after a moment. “Tony Stark.”

Stephen froze. Wait, what?

The man—Tony Stark—let out another laugh, as though he knew just how Stephen had reacted. “I’ll see you in a few days, Doctor Strange. I look forward to working with you.” The phone clicked with the end of the call. Tony Stark had just hung up on him, but Stephen could only spare that fact the slightest bit of his attention.

Tony Stark.

Well, this was sure to be interesting.

[frederator-studios]

Today is my last day at Frederator. 

It’s a good day. If there’s a cheesier sentiment than “today is the first day of the rest of your life” I’m not sure what it would be. But, I’m a cheesy guy, and it’s how I feel. 

Starting today, I’ve decided to leave Frederator and go back to my roots as an active, excited, indie cartoon producer who’s constantly searching –and finding!– unique talents with original voices. It’s what makes my days joyful and fulfilling. Yes, I know, that’s cheesy.

It’s an amazing, and unique, time for animation of all kinds. The Covid19 era has put a lot of live action on hold, and streaming has made more styles and genres of animation mainstreamed than ever in history. I’ve called “animation’s new golden age” at least twice before during my time, so I guess we’re entering a platinum age! I’m even more thrilled to be in animation now than I have ever been. 

I’m happy to have brought Frederator into the WOW! family where I know it will continue to grow and thrive. I’m thrilled that I’ll be continuing to collaborate with the Frederator/Wow team on Castlevania and Bee and PuppyCat: Lazy in Space and a few new ones; we share the same passion that goes into this great field of animation entertainment. There’s an “official” press release at the bottom of this post that lays everything out.

Something personal to note. Building a venture like Frederator has it’s ups and downs. My great colleagues have ridden through it with great cheer and smarts. But, the most important supporters through it all are my wife and two sons. I’ve pushed them to the limits a number of times, but when I look around, they’re always there, supportive, encouraging, and always with smiles.

And, what’s heartened me everyday are the hundreds –maybe thousands?– of collaborators I’ve been honored to work with at the various Frederator endeavors over the years. I think I expressed it best a couple of years ago with this introduction of our 2018 retrospective book “Frederator Loves You.”

.....

Let me rant for a minute. I think the last twenty years has proved that there’s no other company like Frederator. Really, we’re special. Arrogant? Sure.

Of course, being remarkable is all about you.

"Frederator loves you" has been more than just a slogan around here. It's been a battle cry that expresses exactly why I started the company.

"You." First and foremost it's our audiences, whether they're the kids that watched our stuff on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, or the still-kids who grew up and watch us on Cartoon Hangover, Get in the Robot or Netflix.

"You." All the folks that work in and around Frederator across the globe, making cartoons and videos and channels, figuring out the best way to show them off to people.

And "you." The world class creators –mostly first timers– we've been lucky enough to have in our corner.

I think it's fair to say that without "you" there wouldn't be an "us." From my perspective we're all one big bunch, loving the same things, everyone playing their own roles. I don't think anyone at Frederator would have it any other way.

Twenty years [sic] seems like both a long time and yet, just the beginning. I can't imagine it ending, it’s just too much fun making the world smile.

Frederator loves you all, Fred Seibert

.....

Press Release

WOW! UNLIMITED MEDIA ANNOUNCES CORPORATE LEADERSHIP REORGANIZATION

CEO Michael Hirsh To Take on Leadership of Frederator

Fred Seibert, Frederator Founder and CEO, Returns to Independent Production

TORONTO and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WOW! Unlimited Media, Inc. (“WOW!” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: WOW / OTCQX: WOWMF), a leading animation-focused entertainment company that includes Frederator Networks Inc. (“Frederator”) and Mainframe Studios, today announces a corporate leadership reorganization. 

Fred Seibert has resigned from his position as a Director and the Chief Creative officer of WOW!, as well as CEO of Frederator, effective November 27, 2020. Seibert will continue to work with the Company on current and future projects as an independent producer.

Michael Hirsh, Chief Executive Officer of WOW! will take on the leadership of Frederator, serving as its CEO, and Neil Chakravarti, COO of WOW!, will become COO of Frederator. These changes will take effect immediately.

Fred Seibert, current CEO and Chief Creative Officer, has decided to leave WOW! and the studio he founded to return to independent production. To ensure a successful transition, Seibert will stay involved as an executive producer on current major Frederator projects Castlevania and Bee & PuppyCat and he also intends to partner with the company on other upcoming projects.

Seibert said, “I’m happy to have brought Frederator into the WOW! family where I know it will continue to grow and thrive. I am looking forward to returning to my roots as an independent cartoon producer who’s constantly searching – and finding! – unique talents with original voices. I’ll continue to collaborate with the Frederator/WOW! Team on projects going forward as we both share the same passion that goes into this great field of animation entertainment.”

“As we look to the future, we will continue to provide fans with beloved Frederator franchises, alongside new and exciting content from the over 3,000-strong Channel Frederator Network,” said Hirsh. “We wish Fred the best in his next, independent venture, and look forward to continuing to work with him on projects we know our fans will love as we drive dynamic growth in the business.” 

About WOW!  

WOW! is creating a leading animation-focused entertainment company by producing top-end content and building brands and audiences on engaging media platforms. The Company produces animation in its two established studios: Mainframe Studios in Vancouver and Frederator Studios in Los Angeles. The Company’s media offerings include Channel Frederator Network on YouTube, as well as WOW! branded programming on Crave, Canada’s premier streaming entertainment platform, owned by Bell Media. The common voting shares of the Company and variable voting shares of the Company are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and the OTCQX Best Market.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Further information available at: Website: www.wowunlimited.co

About Frederator

Frederator, a WOW! company, is a pioneer in streaming video and is a leading independent producer of animation content. Over the past 20 years, Frederator Studios has produced 19 series and more than 250 short films for and with partners including Netflix, Amazon, Google, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Sony Pictures Animation, and Cartoon Network. Frederator Digital has built and manages one of the largest animation networks on YouTube.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking information” (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “estimates”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved.

The forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date of this press release only, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements about the leadership reorganization at Frederator, Fred Seibert’s future involvement in Frederator projects, future content at Frederator, growth at Frederator and future projects.

Although the Company believes the forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations and assumptions in such statements will prove to be correct. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the risks described under the heading “Risks and Uncertainties” in the Company’s MD&A for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2020. As a result, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

Contact: For Media: Maryellen Mooney Goodman Media International, Inc. Tel: (212) 576-2700 ext. 7255 Email: mmooney@goodmanmedia.com For Investor Relations: Bill Mitoulas Tel: (416) 479-9547 Email: billm@wowunlimited.co

For Fred Seibert:

Brittany Smith

Email: Brittany_Smith@dkcnews.com

[heymikewaskom]

What's funny to me is I got #sober in the most unlikely place. I was working for the circus, living in hotels, travelling to a new place each week. We were between shows and the company put us up at an extended stay in Columbia, MD, everyone went out to a really cool bar called Pub Dog, I left with a 32oz growler of brown beer,(why idk I don't even like craft beer) took it back to the room and drank it all. Woke up and knew I had to make a change. A day or two later I flew to Kentucky and met @partylikesarah for the first time and a ton of other amazing ppl. Bit of an aside: I loved that neighborhood. Good food, a gym that let me join month to month, a sick Wegmans. I tried a few times before to stop drinking. Tried meetings, tried doing it for other people, and it never stuck. I guess this time I realized what I really wanted was to regain control. I don't know if that's the right reason to stay sober but it works for me. I miss drinking, sure, and it was a huge part of my personality but i can't imagine going back. I'm grateful for my friends, that supported me all this time. I'm grateful for the life I have. Staying sober is my way of saying thankful, remaining present. 🙏 (at Austin, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAk1GimgNLe/?igshid=14tn2m6u7r0gy

[thorne93]

Stan Lee University (Part 19 - FINAL)

Prompt: What would the Avengers be like in college, more importantly, what would they be like if Y/N existed around them?

Word Count: 3850

Warnings: language and “adult themes”

Notes: This is based on a HC from @carryonmyswansong. They helped brainstorm and write part of this series. In this AU, no one will have powers, everyone is a normal human. Beta’d by @carryonmyswansong. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just before spring break, Wanda had approached you after work and sat you down. 

“Hey, I want to apologize for what I did. About this whole job and internship nonsense. I was a real bitch, and I shouldn’t have been.”

All you did was slowly nod as you listened.

“Look, I only did it because I really needed it and I figured you’d find another internship easy, but this was looking like my only option.” 

You didn’t say anything and she started to get desperate.

“You’re some tough competition, alright? I only did it because I’m threatened by you, doesn’t that make you happy in some way?”

You shook your head. “Wanda, I didn’t want some stupid internship to come between us. So no, I’m not happy you felt like you had to dick me over to get an internship. If you’d just come to me and said you wanted it, I would’ve backed off.”

She bobbed her head, biting her lip as she played with her fingers. “So, still mad?”

“I was never mad. I was hurt. That our friendship meant less than an internship.”

“Well, to be fair, I only said that you were busy, not that you weren’t qualified, if that helps,” she offered, a smile slowly growing on her face. 

You couldn’t resist smiling back at her. 

“I suppose that’s true, and I do work there now, so… I forgive you.”

“Oh, thank you so much. I’m so sorry,” she cried as she hugged you tight. “It’ll never happen again.” 

“As long as we’re friends again,” you said, happy to hug her back.

“Absolutely.” 

------------------------------

Following that spring semester, you and Stephen spent all of your time together. If you weren’t at his house, he was at yours, or you were out doing something together. His whole family went on a vacation to the Bahamas and took you with them, then when you all got back from that, your family went to Hawaii, and he came along. 

The sex, after your first time together in the lab, only grew better, somehow. You weren’t entirely sure how it could get hotter or better but it did. There was a deep connection every time, and there was always something new, something fresh, something exciting. He wasn’t a selfish lover by any means, and you had no problem repaying that feeling. In some ways, if you weren’t being affectionate, it was hard to keep your hands off each other. Whenever he was overtly kind to your loved ones, whenever he impressed you with science, whenever he did something completely responsible, you were rearing to go. Because like your friends had said long ago -- you have a type -- the successful type. That’s what Stephen was. Mature, well-adjusted, goal oriented, intelligent, funny, and sweet. He filled all the roles you wanted in a partner and more, and how could that not turn you on?

Since senior year was approaching, so were MCATs and med-school applications, so you two discussed your options. Stephen had his sights set on Columbia, whereas you were gunning for Johns Hopkins. Of course, you both applied to every medical college east of the Mississippi. 

At first, you agreed that you should go where your careers would take you, that you shouldn’t sacrifice for the other. It felt right to both of you that if you were going to dedicate yourself to this line of work, it needed to be at the place that fit you best, not a place to compromise on. 

But when the acceptance letters started coming in, decisions had to be made. 

Stephen brought over all of his letters to your house and you were in the dining room, trying to discuss where to go. 

“Well if I went to IU, and you went to Columbia--”

“Y/N,” he started, staring at you. You were pacing, talking to yourself, while he sat at the dining room table.

“But then I think it’d be closer if I went to--”

“Y/N,” he said again. 

“But then we need to consider.”

“Y/N, I got accepted to Johns Hopkins and I’m going,” he finally said, hoping you heard him. 

Still rambling and rattling, his words finally registered with you and you stopped, turning only your head to him. “I’m sorry, what?” 

“I got accepted to your school and I’m going to go with you.”

“What? No, no that’s not what we agreed on. We agreed we shouldn’t sacrifice our careers for each other, we’d never do that.” 

He stood from the table and put his hands on your biceps. “I’m not. We sacrificed time with each other so I could study abroad. You did that for me, so I could have opportunities like this. I’m repaying you. Johns Hopkins is where you want to go, and I want to be with you. I can’t stand the idea of us living states apart for four years, and that’s not including residency.” 

“But what about Columbia? What about neurosurgery?” 

“Is all at Johns Hopkins. I can do that anywhere. What matters to me is that you’re happy. It’s not like Hopkins is exactly a downgrade.”

You half smiled. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to wait and look down the road ten years and resent me for this.”

“I’m making this choice, not you. I’m not going to resent you. I’m still getting my degree, it’s no big deal.” 

You nodded. “Okay, only if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure about us, about you, the rest is just details.” 

He kissed your forehead, then rested his against yours. 

“So we’re really doing this? Med school? Together? For four years?”

“Hopefully it’s longer than that.” 

------------------------

Four years later….

You had just graduated medical school, about to go into your residency. The graduation ceremony had just ended and your parents and sister found you, along with Stephen’s parents and his brother.  

“Oh, get together you two for a picture!” your mom gushed, trying to not cry any more. You two held up your diplomas, smiling proudly with your caps and gowns on. 

It was a long, grueling road, but you made it. Both of you made it out with MD-PhDs, somehow, by some crazy miracle. He was guaranteed a fantastic residency, as were you. 

“Oh, we’re so proud of you,” Beverly said, coming over and hugging you two at the same time. 

“Thank you,” you gushed. 

“Oh, wait, shit,” Stephen suddenly said, checking his pockets. “I think I dropped my class ring. It was in my pockets. Hang on,” he said and you started to look around on the ground. He got down on his hands and knees and started to look around, patting the ground.

You turned around to talk to your family for a second, giving him time to look. Then suddenly, he said, “Ah, here it is.” 

“Oh, did you find it--” you started to ask, whirling back to face him, only to be stunned when he was on one knee, a ring box opened. 

You gasped, throwing your hand over your mouth, you nearly dropped your diploma. Your eyes flashed to the Strange’s who were merely grinning, they must’ve known this was coming, but your family seemed just as shocked as you. 

“Y/N, I could list all the ways I love you. From your amazing laugh, to your intelligence that at times, can put mine to shame, putting my ego back in its place. But know that it’s your kind heart, your driven mind, your stunning humor, and overwhelming love that made this decision easy for me. So, Y/N, you started out as my lab partner, how do you feel about being my life partner? What do you say? Will you marry me?” he asked with a giant grin.

“Yes!” you all but screamed, and he laughed, standing so you could hug him quickly before giving him a huge kiss. He slid the ring on your finger and you kissed him again. Then hugs and kisses from both sides of the families went all around. Congratulations were in order and everyone went out for dinner to celebrate a day of fond endings and bright beginnings. 

--------------------------

Three years later....

You and Stephen weren’t thrilled at the idea of waiting to actually get married, but you agreed you wanted to have your careers before having a marriage. You waited until you completed your residency and gained licensure and then you’d get married.

Which is where you were today.

The ceremony had already happened, with Stephen in a sharp tux, Victor as his best man, Clint as your Man of Honor. You found a stunning wedding dress that was adorned in every clear crystal on earth. 

You wore your mom’s veil, and borrowed Beverly’s bracelet. You got married under an oak tree older than even your grandparents. A garden as your backdrop, with a beautiful crystal ballroom and garden area for the reception. 

You had a smaller-ish wedding with only about 65 in attendance, but this felt better to you. Of course, most of your families were there, along with several people from med-school, as well as colleagues at the residencies. 

The vows were all said, the vendors were all paid, the dancing was all done. 

The sun was just now setting, letting the air cool slightly, but not enough to give a chill at all. Stephen and you were sitting on a little bench that swung, a nice cushion on it, your hand laced with his, your wedding bands shiny and new. 

All around you, filling out a little concrete slab under another oak tree, and the end of a small path through the back garden, were your friends. 

Tony and Pepper were sitting together, an engagement ring on Pepper’s finger. Clint and Nat together, wedding bands on their hands, and Nat’s baby bump starting to show. T’Challa and his younger sister Shuri were there. Steve and Sharon, a girl he met at his new job. Bucky, Scott, and Sam were all there. Wanda and Pietro were there. Wanda had brought a date, a guy named Paul who had blonde hair who was inside currently. And of course, Peter was there. 

Stephen and you had found a moment alone, and stole it, but then Tony found you, and soon after that, everyone else did. 

Fourteen people, all but two you’d shared most of your life with. Up until medical school, these people were your family, by every sense of the word. Sure there were bumps, bruises, fights, but after everyone had grown up, you all stayed in contact. 

Tony already amassed an empire, leading in engineering. Bruce was working independently on biomolecular research, but every once in a while, he teamed up with Tony to pioneer some project. Bucky and Peter were on his design team, with Scott heading up the mechanics and running a few independent projects. Pepper was Tony’s right hand and they did a wonderful job together. Clint and Nat opened up a training ground for agents for the government -- if they were CIA, FBI, or otherwise, they went to their camp. Steve was head of operations for a finance firm but got in some art in his free time, even selling some of his work. Wanda worked as a psychologist out of Manhattan. Pietro went on to be an Olympic athlete, winning four gold medals for four different categories of running. Sam got work with the Air Force, helping to design and implement their aircrafts. T’Challa went on to be elected as mayor for his hometown. He was the youngest in history, but his ratings were also the highest. 

And now, they were all here, to support you two. 

For the past hour, you’d been explaining how you and Stephen met, what all had gone down that year, and how everything had transpired to bring you two here.

“Wait, so that’s how you two met?” Sharon suddenly asked. 

“Yeah. Kind of dorky, isn’t it?”

“I think it’s cute,” she noted.

“Wait, Tony, you knew Y/N and Stephen were having sex in the lab?” Bruce suddenly demanded, making nearly everyone laugh. “And you just sat there with music playing?!” he questioned, clearly horrified.

Tony grinned. “Hey, what do you want me to say? I wanted to see how far these two love birds would take it with me in the room.”

You two just shrugged, smiling. 

“How often did this happen?!” he questioned. 

“Well to be fair,” Stephen suddenly said, his cheeks a little pink as you peered up at him lovingly, “that was our first time together.” You scooted a little farther into his open arm, happily remembering the first moments together.

“And you decided to desecrate my lab in doing so,” Tony scoffed.

“Oh, don’t even pretend like you never did that in your lab, Stark,” Sam shot, a shit eating grin on his face. 

“That’s besides the point. It’s my lab.”

“Actually, it was the school’s lab, and it was just once,” you assured, laughing. 

“Ugh, now I’m going to have nightmares,” Bruce said, shuddering, sitting back in his lawn chair. 

“I still can’t believe Loki did that shit to you,” Steve noted, looking down at his beer bottle. 

You shrugged. “Hey, the way I see it now, I was a challenge.” 

“Still shitty,” Scott noted. “You deserved better.”

“Hey, Debbie Downers, look around, she got ‘better’,” Nat defended and you smiled at her. She winked back at you. 

“And clearly you two did too,” you noted. Clint and Nat did get married right after senior year but this was their first baby, and all of you were so thrilled for them. 

“Yeah, little guy here is going to make things interesting, right, Daddy?” Nat asked, signing the question to him. 

Clint nodded and signed back, “Absolutely, I’m so excited.” 

“Shit, I forgot I dated that chick, Molly,” Sam suddenly said, his mind drifting back a few years. 

“Yeah? How’d that turn out?” Steve wondered.

“Clearly not well. She ain't here,” he said with a serious face. “Nah, I think she was a little too spacey. Nice girl though.”

“Aren’t they all?” Bucky asked with a teasing tone before Sam slightly shoved him. 

“What a wild ride,” Sam noted, thinking. “It seems like forever ago that we were in sociology together,” he noted.

“I know,” you agreed. 

“I can’t believe I was such a bitch to you,” Wanda commented. “I don’t what was wrong with me,” she said with a sour face. 

“Small town, lots of competition,” Bucky reminded. “Besides, clearly it worked out anyway, if Y/N got to be your boss.”

“Oh yeah, those first few months were just fantastic. Don’t let Y/N fool you, she totally threw her weight around for the grief I gave her,” Wanda informed to the group, pointing at you.

You nodded humbly. “Hey, can you blame me?”

A resounding “No,” hit your ears and everyone laughed. 

“God, you guys,” Pepper suddenly said, “where has the time gone? It’s like just yesterday we were all juniors, just 21--”

“Or 19,” you corrected with a mischievous grin.

“Or 19, and now we’re approaching our 30’s. We’ve got careers. We’re getting married…” she stated, looking around and everyone slowly nodded. 

“We graduated together almost a decade ago,” T’Challa remarked, his eyes going wide. “So much has happened. So much time has passed.” 

“Where are we going to be in another ten years?” Steve asked as his eyes settled on everyone in the circle, but obviously no one had an answer.

Finally, you spoke up, “Exactly where we want to be.” 

“Let’s hope so,” Bucky said. 

“Let’s make a pact,” Tony suddenly said, standing up, raising his champagne flute. Everyone else stood as well. “We meet in ten years. No matter where we are, what we’re doing. Life gets busy, and I’m sure we can’t always meet every year, we can agree that on Y/N and Strange’s tenth anniversary, we can get together, just like this.” He paused a second, looking around. “While some of you are brand new to the group, and others have a few more miles than the others, and some of us have been around since the beginning, I think it’s important we keep this group together. Yeah?” 

Everyone agreed and raised their glasses.

The rest of the evening, you spent reminiscing, talking about your time back in college, your time growing up in that town, and everyone’s lives since they left. It was the happiest you’d been since Stephen proposed. Your family was back together again. 

------------------------------------------

The old gang did get back together ten years later at your anniversary party at your mansion. 

Not much had changed for anyone. Tony and Pepper still ruled a technological empire, whom you often worked with to get top of the line medical gear and equipment. Bucky, Scott, and Peter all still working for Stark Industries. T’Challa had moved on to Governor and was talking about running for President, which you fully supported. Clint and Nat left their training program in capable hands and actually joined a private sector for work. Steve and Sharon had married and had children, in fact, so did Tony and Pepper. Peter met a girl named MJ at the company, and they were engaged now. Wanda and her boyfriend, Paul, from the party got married about four years back, and their first baby was on the way. Pietro had retired from Olympics but now he taught and trained other athletes and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Stephen had turned into the nation’s highest paid and sought after neurosurgeon. He was on the front of every discovery, every progressive and innovative surgery, every life saving method. 

You were the nation’s highest paid and sought after psychiatrist. You were the pioneer for a deeper look into the human mind and psyche. 

Both of you were invited to speak at symposiums, lecture halls, Ted talks, and conferences. You’d both been approached at different points to write books and while Stephen declined, you accepted the offer. 

You had three kids, and they were just as bright as you and their father, maybe even more so. Curiosity burned in their veins and solutions lied on their tongues. Two boys, and one girl -- Donna.

After your careers got up and going, you offered to move your families out near you so that you could keep going with your work but not be far from family. Stephen’s parents said they’d move closer but refused financial help. Your parents accepted a small gift to help on a down payment but that was all they’d take. 

Claire and Victor actually worked in the area as well, so they lived nearby, so you had everything you’d ever wanted.

Life couldn’t get any better. Every day with Stephen was full of love, adventure, family, and work. Your careers were never a competition, and no matter where the roads took you, you supported each other without ultimatums, expectations, or conditions. Each day was a blessing and more. You’d each given the other a life you’d always dreamed of, and that’s all you could ask for in a life partner. 

Now, you stood in your living room with everyone, the kids in the parlor being entertained with the grandparents. 

“Well, we made it another ten years,” Tony remarked. “Any regrets, anyone?”

Everyone shook their head as they looked around the room. 

“So, everyone’s good? All the kids, all the gray hairs, all the stress?” he pressed. 

“Yeah, man, no complaints from me,” Sam remarked. 

“Same here,” Scott agreed.

“Wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Peter concurred.

“I’m living the life,” Wanda said happily as she put her head on her husband’s shoulder. 

“So that’s it, huh? We all made it?” Tony asked. “Impressive. I was sure that it was touch and go there for a while with Scott and his run ins with the law. And let’s not forget Nat and Clint going total CIA.”

Everyone chuckled. 

“No, I think everyone is exactly where they want to be,” you noted, holding Stephen’s hand and looking up at him lovingly. “I know I am.”

He smiled down at you before kissing you quickly. 

“Me too,” he agreed.

“Oh, get a room, lovebirds,” Tony joked.

“You mean like your lab?” Stephen shot back before Tony shook his head.

“That’s never going to leave my mind…” 

Just then, your mom said it was time to cut the anniversary cake. Everyone nodded and began to leave the living room before Stephen tugged your hand.

“Hey, hold on one second. I want to give you your gift now, in private,” he said.

“Oh?” you said, intrigued. 

He nodded and walked over to a box that you hadn’t noticed before. It wasn’t wrapped at all, it was natural, dark wood. 

“What is it?”

“Open it up and see, genius,” he quipped with an eye roll. “Honestly, two doctorates and I still have to instruct you on how to open a gift.”

“I’m about to open a can of whoopass on you so hard that not even you will be able to stitch it back up, doctor,” you shot, working on unclasping the box. 

As soon as the lid was up, you recognized the contents, well, they were familiar at least. You reached in and pulled out a bundle of letters. 

“Letters? Are these the letters from your time abroad?” you asked, leafing through them. 

“Actually… these are new. A letter for every year. One on our wedding anniversary, one the day I proposed, one on the day we graduated SLU together, one on the day I got back from abroad, and every other year was one letter on your birthday.”

“You didn’t,” you said, happy tears immediately rolling down your cheek.

“I did,” he said with a cocky grin, reaching up to thumb away the tears. “And I’ll keep doing it.” 

“I love you more than anything in the world,” you said in a hushed tone as you stared at him with admiration. 

“I love you more than myself, and that’s saying something,” he said with a chuckle. You laughed too before leaning in to wrap your arms around him. 

“Where’s my gift?” he asked. 

“Oh, it’s right here.” You went to the coffee table and pulled out a loosely wrapped bundle. “Careful, it’s not in a box.”

“I gathered that much,” he shot back. 

“Wasn’t sure you could deduce that, Sherlock,” you said, rolling your eyes.

He just smiled as he tore open the bag. “What is this?” he asked, pulling it out. 

“Well, you once asked me if I wore a cape, being a superhero. I only thought it was right, then to give you this. You save lives every day, you deserve a cape. But most importantly, all those years ago, in my dorm, you saved mine.” 

“This is cheesy,” he remarked before leaning down to kiss you. “But perfect. I love it, and I love you. Happy Anniversary, sweetheart.”

“Happy anniversary, darling,” you cooed back. 

The two of you leaned forward, your lips brushing together for a kiss to signify ages of love past, and to come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[saleintothe90s]

392. Phyllis George hosting the CBS Morning News

So you know the morning show on CBS is mostly drama free, save for when Charlie Rose was fired for being a perv a while back. It’s been pretty consistent with (aunt) Gayle King hosting. This is the first time in 30+ years that the show has been consistent. 

Way back in the early 1980s, the morning show as hosted by Diane Sawyer and Bill Kurtis. (clip from 1981/1982-ish -- I’m living for that intro) Bill Kurtis is the guy who did the voiceovers for those crime shows that A&E used to show at nauseam in the mornings back in the late 2000s. What was the show, American Justice? If you’re into crime programming, you know him from that. If you live in Chicago, you know him as the long time newscaster for the CBS station there. In 1984, Diane grew tired of the morning beat and moved to 60 Minutes. Bill stayed, thinking that Meredith Viera or Jane Wallace was going to be the next host. 

Nop. Former Miss America, former first lady of Kentucky, and former NFL Today co host, Phyllis George. She was chosen by CBS Executives with a leader who was in the advertising business, and not in the journalism business. 1 Drama instantly began. Richard Salant, former President of CBS News said upon her hiring, “I am heartbroken. [...] put the show in the Entertainment Division, or the Record or the Toy Division, but get it out of news.” 2 He had a point, the lady had no journalism experience. 

(this is a clip from October of 1984--when CBS was trying out several women to to see who would replace Diane Sawyer, as you can see, Phyllis was one of the women who auditioned. This was in the old ‘newsy” format.) 

The new show began in January of 1985, during the soft chit-chat at the beginning of the show, Phyllis asked Bill if he wanted to hear about her troubles moving to New York. He said no. Dang. 3

Things didn’t improve. One time Phyllis wanted John Candy on the show: 

3

Welp, it all came crashing down come May. In Illinois, Gary Dotson had been released from prison, after being there for eight years for a rape he did not commit. The accuser, Cathleen Mae Webb had become a born again Christian and had recanted her accusation from 1977.  The press had a field day with this and the big three networks were all trying to chase the two down in New York City for an interview during their morning shows. 4 On May 15, 1985 the two sat down to all three shows i one morning, Today first, second rated Good Morning America second and scrappy ass CBS Morning News was third. Seriously, Cathleen and Gary’s interview was around the final 10.15 minutes of the show. So, they’re siting down with Phyllis, the interview starts:

...a track meet? 

I don’t have a transcript, the interview is not online anywhere, but I’ve read in articles that she also said this:

"I read this morning that you've had 41 television offers to put this into a movie. Is that right? Do you feel like a celebrity?" [She had a big grin on her face through all of this.] When Dotson said he'd had "offers" of jobs, now that he is out of prison, George jovially asked, "Starring in your own movie?", apparently thinking he meant that kind of offer. Said Dotson, "No." 5

  ....HOWBOUTTAHUG?!

The switchboards lit up with complaints. I know it was a stupid choice of words, but I can’t believe that people called in, but 20 people in the Washington D.C. area did. 5 I don’t see anywhere where she apologized on the show the next day.

By June 7th, Bill Kurtis had left the show, to return to Chicago. Bob Schieffer was recruited in to help the show. At first, he didn’t want to do it. He thought, “Oh shit, not the morning news again.”  He only took the job because his pay doubled, and he was just going to be the temporary guy. Bob mentioned in his book This Just in: what I couldn’t tell you on TV  that Phyllis seemed to make less mistakes through the Summer. Bob also mentions that since he didn’t want the job, he would waltz into work calm around 6am. 6 My boy Bob didn’t give a...

However, on her days off, Maria Shriver filled in. That was probably the next to last nail in the coffin for her days at CBS. Maria was so much better. Here’s a clip of Bob and Maria when Bob spills coffee on her foot. See, I told you he didn’t care. 

The ultimate nail, however was the realization that celebrities wouldn’t come on the show because they didn’t want Phyllis interviewing them. 3 On the Friday before labor day, calls were made, deals were made and Phyllis was off the air. Of course, the press release said that she decided to leave the show because she was tired and wanted to return to Kentucky. 7 Upon learning of her departure, someone who worked on the show ceremoniously threw away a set of tapes of “famous couples” interviews that Phyllis had done that had not aired yet, and said, “they’ll never run.” 3

---

Related Links: 

@BillKurtis : Grim and tragic quotes from A&E television host Bill Kurtis. (not Bill’s real twitter, twitter has’t been updated in nearly 10 years). I believe Bill’s real twitter is @BillKurtis1. 

@bobschieffer hasn’t updated his twitter since 2017 when his newest book came out. John McCain was his last retweet :/. 

Bob Schieffer retires Sunday after 46 years at CBS News

Bob Schieffer signs off

There’s an episode of American Justice about Dotson -- guess who narrates it. Yup, Bill Kurtis. Phyllis was actually mentioned in the pilot episode of Growing Pains. 

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1. Wittebols, James H., The Soap Opera Paradigm (Landham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2004), 71. 

2. Issacs, Norman E., Untended Gates: the mismanaged press (New York: Columbia University Press, 1986), 197. 

3. McCabe, Peter, Bad News at Black Rock: the sell-out of CBS News (New York: Arbor House), 191, 102, 123, 186, 193. 

4. McDowell, Edwin, “KEY FIGURES IN ILLINOIS RAPE CASE APPEAR ON TV,” New York Times, May 16, 1985. 

5. Shales, Tom, “Invitation to a Hug Phyllis George's Gaffe With Dotson & - The Washington Post,” Washington Post, May 16, 1985. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1985/05/16/invitation-to-a-hug-phyllis-georges-gaffe-with-dotson-38/abd90ef2-c53a-4785-947a-56709e47d0b5/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.acc74e109e91

6. Schieffer, Bob, This just In: what I couldn’t tell you on TV (New York: Berkley), 302-305.

7. Smith, Sally Bedell, “PHYLLIS GEORGE QUITS 'CBS MORNING NEWS',” New York Times, August 31, 1985. https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/31/arts/phyllis-george-quits-cbs-morning-news.html

[archimage-writings]

Lucky Friday the 13th

This past Friday was the 13th and, at least for me, was very lucky, magical, mystical, and dare I say alchemical? Ok, I’m overdoing it. I get it. But, the weekend was transformative. Creatures, Crime, and Creativity (C3) is a yearly fan and writer’s conference held in Columbia, MD and hosted by Austin and Desinse Camacho of Intrigue Publishing. I had gone last year, and had learned a lot and had a good time, so I registered for this year’s event. Now, I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember (and that’s a long time), I’ve self-published a bunch of books (think of them as a bunch of carrots tied together and thrown into the bottom drawer of the refrigerator), and they are out there, but I don’t promote, push, market, or talk about them to people I meet. I’m not that good. (self-criticism is the sincerest kind, and I’m me.) I’m a writer because I write. Be that as it may, I registered and took a chance and this year I registered as an author. The only real requirement was having published. As I registered, I had thoughts of imposter syndrome. What if they found out I was no one famous (or even important)?  I didn’t want to get kicked out. I wanted to go. Time passed. Then I got an email from Cynthia Lauth, an organizer, telling me she was having a hard time finding my books on Amazon. Ruh, roh!  Panic.  I took a deep breath and relaxed. I have publisher links. I have real books. I just don’t sell them. I passed the links back. Time passed. I get another email from Cynthia. I’m on two panels and I’m moderating two others. Wha–?! I check the schedule.  I’m on: “Humor in Writing” with Jeff Markowitz, Allan Ansange, and Susan McBride (moderating).  Ok, I sort of get it. I write humor. I think I have a sense of humor, but just a sense. People I know, don’t like my sense of humor, but I get why I’m on this panel. I can pull this off. But with Jeff and Allan? I’m familiar with both of them and I was witness to Jeff’s wit at last year’s conference. I’m done for (dangling preposition notwithstanding). I’d have to prepare… Next up was, “The Battle of the Sexes–What Makes Hero and Heroine Conflict Such a Prevalent Concept in Romance Novels?”  I was moderating. I read the title again… Ok, I could talk about “The Battle of the Sexes” and, I didn’t even see “Romance Novels”.  This panel comprised Rebecca York, Jenna Harte, and Becky Muth. An all-female panel. I was toast. Sweating, I scanned for the next appearance of my name on the schedule.  Saturday, I was on one of the first panels. “Ripped from the Headlines: Writing Stories from 'Fake News’”. I’ve never done that. The closest I’d ever come was commenting on tweets I saw. I’m not a news “junkie”. I know better than to troll or be trolled. I sat and thought about the topic. I wasn’t even sure I knew what “fake news” was… apart from what some important people believed it was. I could probably fake my way through this panel.  D.W. Maroney, Adam Meyer, Karl Brungart, were the other panelists, and Susan McBride was moderating again. Scan… scan… scan… change… change… change… King of Fools… I was moderating one of the last panels on Saturday. I relaxed and remembered to breathe. “Writing for TV/Film.” I’d written several structurally, and story-wise god-awful scripts/screenplays to learn how to write them. I had questions. I’d be good. I gulped when I saw the panelists.  John Gilstrap, David Mack, and Adam Meyer.  Again, people I was familiar with, read, or followed. These three were the power team. I was in over my head. Maybe I could call in sick. They would be able to find someone to cover for me, couldn’t they?  Maybe Austin and gang were desperate, and I was the fill-in….  I couldn’t let them down. The imposter syndrome flashed through my brain caught up and ran over me like a train full of experts. Well, I was commited. I’d go through with it. If only to tell myself that I had done my best. I spent a day or so thinking about how to handle each panel and sent out emails to the panelists both to introduce myself (who has ever heard of me?) and to throw out some sample questions. I got some nice responses from everyone. Time passes and the weekend of the conference rolls around. It’s Friday the 13th weekend, 2019. A full moon.  I lug a copy of some of my books in case they ask me for my ID before they let me on the panels. Too cut to the chase, I did OK on the humor panel, and got a few laughs, and when things got deep and serious, some nods of agreement from a lot of the audience (including Austin). My copanelists were awesome and made me look good.  The “Battle of the Sexes” panel, I stumbled through. Remember I mentioned I didn’t even notice the phrase “Romance Novel”? I asked very amateurish and obvious questions (because I have never read a romance novel).  I learned a lot and the authors were kind enough not walk out on me. The Film/TV panel went ok. I asked the questions I wanted answered; again some were basic ones. The panel went well and I was surprised I could supress my awe at the panelists while asking. The “Fake News” panel, I felt I held my own.  Afterward, I was physically and emotionally wiped. I will admit, I’m an introvert. I don’t do well with people I don’t know despite having given presentations and taught in front of hundreds. It’s still not a pleasant experience. It’s not about me, however. –––– I should get to the point of this post. The panelists all were stellar and the discussions were wonderful. I am honered to have been included and given the chance to take part. Everyone at C3 was welcoming, friendly, curious, and helpful. I met many people, reconnected with those I met last year, and for the first time ever felt I was an author, and not just someone who wrote books. People wanted to know where to get my books.  No, not because I felt like a celebrity, I didn’t and hope I never do. Because everyone at C3 treated me (and everyone else) as an equal.  I was part of the community. I felt my efforts as a writer were validated.  My life has changed, from my perspective. I want to mention a few people. (If I were to mention everyone I interacted with, I’d be writing my next book.) Austin and Denise Camacho, and Cynthia Lauth. They put this conference on, are friendly, good folk. They work hard. Support them and C3. They make it what it is. David Mack, one keynoter. This man is an expert. He is a technician of the first order. I really wish I had a chance to spend some time chatting with him, but he was always busy.  His keynote was bitter-sweet about the up and down cycles of his carreer and the industry. It was inspiring and motivating. He is a fairly quiet guy (I got the sense he was uncomfortable being in the spotlight), but he became more relaxed and seemed to be enjoying himself as the coference went on. His wit is dry, sardonic, and ascerbic.  I get it. I like it. Cool dude. Also, his wife Kara is a great person. Julie Hyzy and husband Curt. Great people, both. Julie was the other keynoter. Her talk was the most heartfelt and personal one I’ve ever heard. It was full of anecdotes, touching moments, humor and inspiration. For someone who claims to not enjoy speaking in public, she’s an expert. She also talks a mile a minute on panels when she is excited and/or interested. The fact she likes puns and time-travel doesn’t colour (British spelling) my opinon–well not much.  I awkwardly handed her my books (to show my appreciation for her keynote) and later she asked me to sign them. My first real autographs! Curt is a very cool guy in a laid-back sort of way. I had a nice chat about sports with him. S.A. Cosby was a highlight of the conference.  “Noir at the Bar” is a mini-event within C3 where authors read one of their shorter works over drinks. Mr. Cosby read a story that was immediate, powerful, visceral, and imaginative. His reading was more acting than reading.  I’d buy any audiobook read by him. I was lucky enough to win one of his books and get it signed. Debbie Mack. I met her at last year’s C3, but this year was the first time I got a chance to chat with her. Not only is she an author, but she also blogs, and produces videos that remind me of MST3K. She’s currently subtitling the old Buck Rogers serial. She’s also a fan of old movies, Doctor Who, and The Prisoner. What can be wrong with that? Cool person. There are too many others to mention.  Thank you all for allowing me into the fold. If you are a fan of writing, a writer, or an author you owe it to yourself to check out C3 http://creaturescrimesandcreativity.com If you want to follow people on Twitter: @Ascamacho - Austin Camacho @JulieHyzy - Julie Hyzy @DavidAlanMack - David Mack @Blacklionking73 - Shawn A Cosby @DebbieMack - Debbie Mack @JohnGilstrap - John Gilstrap @FJTalleyAuthor - FJ Talley @EButlerBooks - Ellen Butler @AlanOrloff - Alan Orloff @AuthorBeckyMuth - Becky Muth @Jenna_Harte - Jenna Harte

@RebeccaYork43 - Rebecca York

…and many others… …oh, and me, @Archimage Time to get back to editing two novels, a book of short stories, and finishing my current work in progress, a satire.

Thank you all! Write on!

[mfaunlv]

Meet the New Class!

It is our pleasure to announce the 17 writers who will join our UNLV community this coming Fall 2019 semester! Congratulations to everyone, and welcome to Vegas!

PHD/BLACK MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE FELLOWS

Robert Ren is a writer and teacher in New York. He has a BA from the University of Chicago and an MFA from Columbia University. Having escaped a corporate career, he currently tutors kids in standardized test prep. He managed to avoid the whole college admissions scandal, but that's only because his photoshop skills are terrible.

Dorothy Solomon (not pictured)

MFA Fiction

Bronwyn Scott-McCharen was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi and graduated from Hendrix College in 2014 with a degree in Sociology and Anthropology. She then lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina for three years, where she immersed herself in the country's vibrant political culture under the guise of academic research. Her interests outside of writing fiction include travel, photography, international politics and history (especially Cold War history). She is currently hard at work on two novels in distinct stages of development--one completed manuscript in need of polish and another in the earliest phase of drafting and intensive research. She speaks Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese and hopes to soon add Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian to her budding repertoire of languages.

Mir Arif developed the idea of storytelling at an early age from strangers—astrologers, street magicians, herbal medicine sellers and other con-artists—frequenting the quiet alleys of his childhood neighborhood in Comilla, a small town in southern Bangladesh. He graduated from University of Dhaka with a degree in International Relations and worked as a staff writer for Arts & Letters. His short stories have appeared in various magazines and e-zines in the US, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. One of his short stories was longlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2019. He likes to hike and spend time with parakeets.

Karen Gu's fiction has appeared in Paper Darts and The Margins and is forthcoming in McSweeney's Quarterly. She has been awarded fellowships from Kundiman, the Jack Jones Literary Arts Retreat, and the Loft Literary Center. After five years in Chicago and four years in Minneapolis, she is looking forward to the desert.

Mohammed Jahama often introduces himself as Mo. He likes to write about those kinds of borderland identities and to talk about words. And is excited and grateful for the opportunity to do such things at UNLV.

Sylvia Fox has too many interests and a wandering soul, which is why she writes fiction. Most recently, she spent the last two years in Baltimore, MD, surrounded and inspired by artists. So many aspects of her identity have led her to believe in the subversive power of showing up, taking up space, and creating space for others. She looks forward to continuing to explore this in writing and in community with others.

MFA Poetry

Nick Barnette, an Alabama native, attended Texas Christian University where he received a BA in English and BS in Film-Television-and-Digital Media. Upon graduation, Nick received a Fulbright Fellowship to Greece where he taught ESL in an elementary school in Athens.

Sarah Spaulding is a Tennessee native and a lover of the mountains that raised her. She graduated summa cum laude with her BA in psychology and English with an emphasis in creative writing from Carson-Newman University. There she discovered her penchant for digging around in people’s heads. She often writes poems to dig herself out of her own head. Her work appears in Tennessee’s Best Emerging Poets, Aletheia, Ampersand, The Sigma Tau Delta Rectangle, and soon-to-be a guide to Southwestern Iceland. When she’s not busy exploring the mire of humanity, Sarah enjoys dancing in the sunshine, petting other people’s dogs, and helping her father type his memoir.

Jo O’Lone-Hahn is from rural Pennsylvania, and is now on her way to Las Vegas, continuing on her lifelong mission to see the world. She has a B.A. in poetry, studio art, and religious studies from Hampshire College. She writes poems that focus on misunderstood people, naiveté, and the imagination inherent in remembering. Jo has held jobs such as: social worker, tattoo-shop-front-desk-chick, archivist, and tarot-reader-on-the-streets. She is also a member of the Departure Collective, a literary group which conducts workshops, organizes poetry readings, and creates chapbooks. When she’s not writing, she makes mixed-media artworks, wanders around, and befriends grumpy old men.

Nicholas Gruber is a native of Wisconsin, where he earned a BA in Economics from UW-Milwaukee. He is an emerging poet, and--hand to God--a human.

Kathryn McKenzie is a Las Vegas native with a BA in English. She drinks enough tea to match the annual consumption of the entire country of Ireland, and prefers snuggling up in her reading chair with a book, toast, and tea to almost anything in the world. Beyond her deep love of poetry and literature, her passions include: asking to pet every dog she sees, cracking her back after standing up in the movie theater, planning Halloween costumes years in advance, and talking about all the parties she is going to throw, but never actually throwing them. Her poetry has appeared in Neon Dreams and Unincorporated, and her interest in publishing has led her to work with Interim, Witness, and Helen: a literary magazine.

MFA Nonfiction

Christina Berke is a Libra and a teacher from Los Angeles.

Jordon Smith, raised among the Tetons in Wyoming, is a nonfiction writer who enjoys the pleasures and curiosities of the natural world. She completed her undergraduate degree at Utah State University where she met her husband. After graduating, she and her husband moved to Oklahoma where they welcomed a baby boy. Jordon discovered a love of distance running during her time in Oklahoma and is currently training for a marathon in July. When she is not running, she is working in the public library, taking long car rides, or watching children's television shows.

At first look, Soni Brown's life is a series of parodies. She is an immigrant who planned and spent her first vacation in Dubuque, Iowa in January; a former flight attendant afraid of heights and a classically trained chef who prefers Stouffer's frozen meals. As a nonfiction writer, Soni uses her journalism training to write about women, immigrants, and the vagaries of life. A wife and mom since 2016, she is constantly trying to have it all especially a partner who picks up after himself. At the end of the world, you will find Soni nursing a tumbler of herby gin while recounting the year she spent in Brooklyn with Jay-Z. So what if he doesn't know her.

Alyse Burnside: I am a writer and educator currently living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I received by B.A in English and Gender Studies from the University of Iowa. While I consider myself primarily an essayist, I am interested in working between the confines of genre, combining poetry, narrative, and speculative nonfiction. I am currently working on a collage project of interviews with spiritualists, metaphysical myth, and the neuroscience behind how one creates their own reality. When I’m not writing or working, I am reading, traveling, or watching reality T.V. I am thrilled to be attending UNLV in the fall and am excited to meet the desert for the very first time.

[anayahinckley]

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homeowner insurance binder

homeowner insurance binder policy (but not the same as an endorsement) for the policyholder, with benefits based on the individual needs and goals of the policy given the value of the dwelling and the cost to replace the existing dwellings. Also, the policyholder may be covered for non-collision damage to a motor structure by a non-collision and fire policy, but may only be covered for losses resulting from an accident. With many types of rental or condo insurance, when a landlord’s policies are used, the policyholder typically pays a fee. The cost of insurance, for the coverage in case of losses, is also determined by the location of the dwellings, the number of bedrooms, the length of time that the dwellings have been built, the type of the apartment building, and whether the cost to build up an insurance policy for that particular dwelling, a single. However, we do not have any specific quote on that and will update as we continue to obtain the most accurate quote or refer readers to. homeowner insurance binder) as well as a letter with the address of the insurance company. If the homeowner is unsure of what the home was insured for, contact a broker. An independent agent will take your coverage needs out of the insurance company and can also provide additional information to your home insurance policy. For all of its different options in terms of coverage, most homeowners should consider this insurance company as it has the widest coverage range for the prices in the market. The A+ rating is the highest score the company gets in customer service. This company can keep the customer in mind well as keep the home insurance business in good shape. According to its site, A+ can help with financial counseling, education, insurance coverage, and other insurance related expenses. Many customers prefer A- rating with more robust coverage and a variety of add-on options with A- rating is also something the A- rating takes into consideration. We would guess now that A+ rating is the highest score the company gets. A common question many. homeowner insurance binder survey. We’ve collected some of the cheapest car insurance rates you could still find in your area. » MORE: . Auto insurance policies don’t always come with any guarantees. The cheapest insurance policies you can find won’t necessarily have the cheapest prices. The same may seem like a good reason why you want cheap car insurance at the least, but knowing how much your insurance would pay can have some benefits. To help you get an idea of what car insurance might cost you, NerdWallet looked at averages for 30 states and the District of Columbia. State Minimum Car Insurance Average Car Insurance Car Insurance Car Costs D.C. Minimum Car Insurance NY Car Insurance PremiumsGrd FL DED CostDef CT Car Insurance Premiums Average Car Insurance Cost D.C. DED CostDef CT DED CostDef UT Car.

Requesting Massachusetts Homeowners Insurance Binders

Requesting Massachusetts Homeowners Insurance Binders*  **Select All*  *Get Insured  **Order a Quote  *Online Order by 7PM  5PM  5PM  6PM    4PM Online  -10PM, 8PM, 9PM, 2PM, and 3PM Online  You can call or email them and the company will be very quick to find the best insurance company for your needs. HomeownersInsurance.com offers a wide array of insurance policies, to save your money on your monthly payments and overall cost. Compare all our insurance providers below. The following states are not insurance hamlets.  A, BC, DE, HI, IL, IN, KS, MD, MT, NJ, NM, NY, PA, NJ, PA, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, WV, WY.  All states require the coverage to be fully in effect..

Information Included in Insurance Binders

Information Included in Insurance Binders, LLC’s Insurance Binders™ are not an offer to buy or sell securities. Binders, LLC manages the insurance brokerage markets for these securities, brokerage companies or corporations. We do not endorse or represent financial product, investment or other investment products on the basis of any rating criteria. A bond is the primary form of financial protection for the financial assets of an individual. Bond bonds have the ability to insure the security of a bond holder and the security of the bond holder’s investment portfolio. Bond bonds provide financial flexibility in the event that the financial obligations of a bond are to be satisfied. Bond-like bonds are typically designed to avoid bond holding individuals by utilizing a fixed account that provides a fixed premium of the principal amount paid by the bond. The fixed account provides a fixed premium and does not provide a guaranteed distribution. Bond-like bond bonds may be structured in a similar way as the other stock/stock mutual fund investments. Because of the fixed account, mutual funds, and.

Definition of an insurance binder

Definition of an insurance binder as a formality is to allow you to show both the actual policy and the policy owner s signature, in most states. When you get hit by someone insured by that person’s policy you can give that person the insurance policy information which you share (that is why you would want that information) and have them make sure you are providing to you. If they ask for your permission or do what’s legal then you can give them the insurance policy information, and, if you don t then you can give them a similar advice. It helps you then decide which type of coverage is appropriate for you and your family. You might also look at how much money that it makes to you for the insurer and how much it makes to you. The older you are when you pay your premiums and get your car registered and insured by the insurer, the more money it makes to you. You don t necessarily want to go by your parents and be in the same situation to see a specialist.

What information is included in an insurance binder?

What information is included in an insurance binder?” Insurance company BMO Insurance is an auto insurance company and has been servicing the New England area since 1990. The company was founded in 1982 and is licensed in New England and Massachusetts only. They offer a range of auto, home and life products to the individuals that are between the ages of 18 and 50. With over 12 companies and brands in operation there is no one to beat it. A great service for the insurance policy. You have an insurance agent on your team. They offer a range of insurance products for you. The company is really good, and you can do the whole thing online, but I’m not very familiar with the process. It can be time consuming and frustrating dealing with the company on a monthly basis for the same information for all kinds of insurance. I was in an accident, but we were happy with the insurance. We were lucky enough to do not have an accident and get our life.

Types of Homeowners Insurance Policies

Types of Homeowners Insurance Policies are different, as each policy is essentially similar. Homeowners insurance can protect your investment, and what makes homeowners insurance proceed as a homeowner is the cost associated with securing insurance. With its high homeowners insurance options, Florida home owners can insure the structure of the home, walls, floors, appliances and other structures that are insured. It is important to note that a flood insurance will not cover the damage due to hurricanes and other factors, including a high-cost to rebuild from a high value such as a single-family home. It is also essential for Florida homeowners to consider additional forms of protection such as comprehensive, personal liability, personal effects coverage and other types, depending on the structure of the project. The insurance market in Florida is largely based on local homeowners insurance premiums, which is important to the local economy and the state as a whole. Homeowners have made it through many of these claims but they remain stuck under insurance. Many Florida homeowners may not be able to afford homeowners.

Inclusions In Your Insurance Binder

Inclusions In Your Insurance Binder All insurance products and programs contain exclusions and limitations. For availability, costs and complete details of coverage, contact a licensed agent or Cigna sales representative. This website is not intended for residents of New Mexico. Here is a brief overview of the elements of a basic life insurance policy that we’ve covered. This is also a brief overview of the elements of the insurance coverage you will want to consider before considering a policy. If you just graduated from college, you may be wondering whether or not a life insurance policy would be right for you. You need to consider what kind of life insurance coverage is needed. If you recently experienced a medical diagnosis, and you have a few years of medical history remaining, or if you have any health or financial needs, you will need to decide if a basic life insurance policy would fit your specific situation. If you think it might be possible to add a permanent life insurance policy, we always recommend considering an expanded permanent life insurance policy in the future.

How to get an insurance binder

How to get an insurance binder: If you need this kind of insurance, compare insurance company prices online, or call your insurer Get the insurance binder online You can also call and email the insurer to get payment for the insurance binder You can also send to: There are many ways the insurance binder itself works - and each insurer might offer policies to people who need it. But the bottom line is that people who need to carry insurance are more than likely to need the insurance binder on a regular basis. If you have insurance and you need to cancel your insurance you will be charged a cancellation fee, and any insurance company that offers it is charged a fee. The cancellation fee is called “cancelling fee” or “non paying for insurance binder.” The cost of the insurance binder varies depending on a number of factors. If you cancel your insurance in one at-fault accident..

Manage your insurance binders

Manage your insurance binders from the start. Whether you manage your insurance account to $100,000 to $20 million in value or want $15 million and need 2,000, you can manage your coverage from the start. You can manage your coverage and get a discount on your annual premium. Get coverage that doesn’t cost much on your car insurance premium for multiple years, so you’re confident you’re still going to get the best rate. If you choose the first, you’ll save money in the long run. Don’t worry: you won’t need to switch your coverage. Compare.com makes it easy. To the best of our estimator s knowledge, only the best American auto insurance companies have an average rating in the Southeast region of the country. Our picks take only 5 minutes to get in touch with local, trustworthy car insurance providers in the Southeast. Start your search with these insurers and find cheap car insurance quotes in the Southwest. It s.

What is an insurance binder?

What is an insurance binder? Insurance binder is a package or attachment that is designed to document all of the details of the insurance policy provided in the policy, together with information specific to the policy as a whole. This information is important information regarding specific insurance policy features. Most insurance binder are simple forms and provide no information needed for the record to be released at the time of purchase. If you re in need to learn what the insurance binder and insurance coverages look like, check out Ryan and Ryan P. I have never written an insurance binder before because it is my first, and I only read the insurance Binder page on the home page. What does Coverages include? If you have home insurance, you are required to have , you must always remember, and always remember your insurance binder is important to understand when you apply for coverage to determine what is and is not covered on your . I m interested in purchasing a home insurance policy. I don t need the insurance binder, but I want.

When you need an insurance binder

When you need an insurance binder or policy, but you have a car or truck, you can ask the agent for a non-standard insurance policy, so you’re covered. If your insurance agent says you need “non-standard insurance,” here’s what he or she says. You don’t have to have car insurance unless you make a . All other provisions require a lot of and insurance is mandatory. Many people don’t think about car insurance until they’re in the middle of buying a car. Then they’re on their way and miss the next premium payment. That means they have to pay a lot of money for their car insurance. It’s much more expensive than not having car insurance when you’re driving a new car or buying a new car. I always ask, “Do I need ?” because it saves insurance company so much money. I never ask people to think about car insurance until they’ve.

[locitarose]

So for this fic I'm doing, it started with me looking for companies in Central City and turned in to me going back to trying to solve the mystery of where Star City actually is. Because Arrowverse is shit at saying where it’s at and sticking to it. They've solidly established Central City in Missouri. When Barry runs to Star City, Oliver or someone mentions that he had to run about 600 miles to get there. Except that Arrow has had Star City located in at least 3 different states. First in Washington - specifically the Seattle area. Then in Wisconsin. Then in CA by San Francisco. Seattle is 1725 miles from Missouri so that can't be it. Wisconsin is 528 miles from MO. San Francisco is 1746 miles from MO so that's a no go as well. Closest we can go by where the show has had it is Wisconsin which means we're throwing comics canon out the window because Star City replaced Seattle in the comics. If we want to stick to 600 or close to it, then Star City could be in South Carolina since Columbia, SC is 602 miles but the accents don't work. The next one in the 600s are the Dakotas followed by North Carolina which are about 660-670 miles away. Hell Houston is about 680 miles away and Richmond VA is 699. And if you push and go further north instead, Harrisburg PA is 720 miles and Baltimore MD is 733. Literally the only place that fits Arrow's math is South Carolina. But if you want to stick with places the show has had it, the closest is Wisconsin. Or you just disregard and say Oliver and company (ha!) suck at math.

This is why it takes forever for me to finish a fic. I spend a ton of time trying to answer random questions that enter my mind and then I fall down research rabbit holes trying to find said answers.

Welcome to my mind, folks!

[northeastbaltimore]

Hey, friends!! 😃 I’m passing the mic 🎙 again this week! This time, it’s going to Brittany!! Follow along as she shows you how #lifeissweetinthenortheast tomorrow and Thursday! 🐾 ⠀ ⠀ #northeastbaltimorecommunityrelay⠀ ⠀ “Hi there NE Bmore. We are a family of 5️⃣ that moved here 🏡 almost a year ago from Columbia, MD. Besides me Brittany (@briterfly) and my husband Lamont, we have two sons and one daughter; ages 19 (usually away at college), 16, and 14. We love this darling neighborhood 💕 and our neighbors. It is so much more than we could have hoped for. We love walking to @zekescoffeebmore, @donutalliance, @redcanoe4337, @maggiesfarm_md, @farmtofacebaltimore, and so many other businesses in the area. Covid 😷 has curtailed some of our adventures of discovering our neighborhood. But we cannot wait to get back out and explore 👏 NE Bmore and beyond. We go for daily walks around with our fur baby Sudi. 🐶 We love seeing our neighborhood, neighbors and the neighborhood pets.”⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ✨There’s magic here ✨⠀ ⠀ ⠀ xoxo⠀ ⠀ #northeastbaltimore #mybmore #mybaltimore #baltimore #iheartcitylife #visitbaltimore #thebmorecreatives #baltimorecity #baltimoremd #bmorelocal #igbaltimore #charmcity #maryland #mdinfocus #bmoresecretspots #igbmore #explorebaltimore #bmorelove #discovercharmcity #walkwithlocals #ilovebaltimore #visitmaryland #bmorelife #bmorecity #bmoreadventurous #bmoredaily #baltimorelove (at Beverly Hills) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBzFgR-Km0g/?igshid=10lp33gbu180x

[izzycunneen]

Hurricane Maria

Puerto Ricans are reeling from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria. The storm has destroyed the island’s health infrastructure, caused the longest blackout in U.S. history, and killed at least 51 people (though there is speculation that the number of deaths may actually be higher).

The immediate links between these three historic disasters and climate change are evident, as are the impacts they have on lives and communities. But what is less discussed are the devastating health impacts connected to these events, some of which will linger for years to come. As with the natural disasters themselves, the impacts are greatest among those who are most vulnerable.

“The recent hurricanes and California’s tragic fires are another demonstration of the fact that climate change is already threatening our health and safety,” says Linda Rudolph, MD, MPH, director of the Public Health Institute’s Center for Climate Change and Health in Oakland, CA. “And these incidents are only going to get worse if we don’t act now.”

To a certain extent, disasters like firestorms and hurricanes are an unavoidable part of life on Earth—scientists do not believe they are a direct result of climate change. But a warming planet does create the conditions that make these extreme weather events more likely, and more severe.

But even as a warming climate might decrease the overall number of storms that form, it could increase the number of intense storms. As temperatures continue to rise, more and more water vapor could evaporate into the atmosphere, and water vapor is the fuel for storms. “If we are creating an atmosphere more loaded with humidity, any storm that does develop has greater potential to develop into an intense storm,” says Tselioudis, a research scientist at NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) and Columbia University.


The damaging effects of the hurricane — the worst storm to strike the island in over 80 years — will haunt residents for many years to come. Around 130,000 Puerto Ricans, who are U.S. citizens, have left home since July 2017 — many as a direct result of Maria’s devastation. And the government of Puerto Rico reported it expects the storm’s damage to drive an additional 8 percent drop in the population by 2024.The worst rain fell in the mountainous central part of Puerto Rico, from the northwest to the southeast. That part of the island is rainy under normal conditions. In an average year, it gets more than 150 inches of rain. 

When Maria hit in 2017, it dropped nearly a quarter of that annual rainfall in just one day.


The rain was extremely destructive. It caused widespread flooding, destroyed crucial dams and helped knock out drinking water to nearly the entire island.


Killed about 3000 people


This latest paper on Hurricane Maria makes a similar connection. The authors found that a storm of Maria's rain magnitude is nearly five times more likely to occur today, with warmer air and ocean water, than it would have in the 1950s, when global warming's effects were in their infancy.

I’m interest in looking at the Hurricane because although they are an occurrence that has happened in Puerto Rico in the past, due to the effects of climate change they are getting worse and worse, and creating an unprecedented amount of damage for nature, animals and humans. Similar is the melting ice caps, and fires in other places such as the Amazon rainforest and California. How can I show this change and disruption through design?

https://www.phi.org/news-events/1339/climate-change-is-making-natural-disasters-worse-and-more-likely-how-do-we-protect-the-most-vulnerable

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/RisingCost/rising_cost5.php

https://www.npr.org/2019/04/17/714098828/climate-change-was-the-engine-that-powered-hurricane-marias-devastating-rains?t=1584962715083

[bradlaplante]

Warped Tour will hit the road for one final run in 2018: read Kevin Lyman’s full statement

Music’s last remaining traveling music festival is now coming to an end. 2018 will be the last cross-country run of Vans Warped Tour. Dates for the tour were just announced, fans can view those below.

“Before Warped I was on three years of Lollapalooza, so [it’s been] 26 straight summers out on the road,” Lyman tells Billboard. “Not that I’m completely going anywhere, but traveling around the country with a tour this size in the landscape that we’re in is… to be honest, I’m just tired.”

Read the full statement after the jump.

“I have been a very lucky person to have traveled across the country and sometimes around the world as one of the founders and producers of the Vans Warped Tour. Today, with many mixed feelings, I am here to announce that next year will be the final, full cross-country run of the Vans Warped Tour. I sit here reflecting on the tour’s incredible history, what the final run means for our community, and look forward to what’s to come as we commemorate the tour’s historic 25th anniversary in 2019.

In 1995, I had already worked many years in the music business, including spending four summers on the Lollapalooza tour, and I thought, ‘for one summer I would like go out and put on my own show’ mixing music and action sports. With the support of so many people, I have now spent the last 23 summers bringing that show to a city near you. We have brought that show to over 11 million people around the world and watched that same world change while doing so.

I have been proud to work with so many artists who have grown to be some of the largest stars in the world. Countless bands have played in hot parking lots and through summer storms for you at some point.

Bands like Quicksand, Sublime, L7, No Use for A Name and No Doubt jumped on in the very first year.

Touring many summers with my friends and peers like – Pennywise, Social Distortion, NOFX, Bad Religion, The Descendents, Less Than Jake, Dropkick Murphy’s, The Bouncing Souls, Rancid, Flogging Molly, Anti-Flag and The Offspring are just some of my fondest memories. More include, having Blink-182 travel on my bus in 1997 when the world opened up to them and made them the superstars they are today.

The Vans Warped Tour was the platform to witness the rise of pop punk with Sum 41, Simple Plan, MXPX, New Found Glory and Good Charlotte.

The birth of Emo – with bands like Thrice, Thursday, The Used, Taking Back Sunday, The Starting Line, Motion City Soundtrack and Jimmy Eat World.

Fast-forward to the summer in 2005 when TRL and Warped Tour helped launch the careers of Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance and Avenged Sevenfold.

I witnessed Warped alumni like The Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, No Doubt and even Kid Rock play the Super Bowl. I’ve even had the pleasure of seeing Green Day play the Rose Bowl.

More recently, I’ve watched bands start out on a small stage and work their way up to the main stages by meeting as many fans as possible and continuing to hone their craft while on the tour. Bands like Paramore, A Day To Remember, Sleeping With Sirens, Pierce The Veil, Echosmith, Motionless in White, Black Veil Brides, Every Time I Die, Neck Deep, Beartooth and so many more.

What has always made me proud was when I read that Warped was the most diverse show of the summer where you could find Eminem and Ice-T on the same stages as Sevendust, Pennywise, and 7 Seconds.

I am so grateful to have worked with more than 1,700 bands over the last 23 summers. I wish I could thank every band that has played the tour.

The Vans Warped Tour has become the community I had always hoped for. We have worked with over 90 non-profits each summer shining a light on new and growing groups giving our community the resources they need to connect with people who can help them, but also encourages our community to help each other. To Write Love on Her Arms, Music Saves Lives, Feed The Children Now, Keep a Breast, Hope For The Day, Canvas Foundation, Living The Dream and A Voice for the Innocent have built their organizations from the Warped Tour parking lots across the country. This even inspired me to start my own foundation Unite the United.

The work we do each summer on “give back days” has become part of our DNA. My brain is etched with the image of the church ladies after Katrina serving beans and rice to The Casualties with their upright mohawks, finding a common ground where no one was judging anyone. Then finding out the only working business in the county seemed to be the moonshine still and the locals showing up with a crate to share with the crew later that evening.

The long hot days that ended around a BBQ with food, drink and more music are some of the best times. Enjoying the days off, taking people jet boating, house boating, river rafting and sometimes even skydiving. I witnessed lifelong friendships being made, sparks of romance that led to ‘Warped weddings,’ and unfortunately now, more notices of passings where a proper good bye was not able to be said.

I want to thank my supportive family who has been through the highs and lows, Darryl Eaton at CAA, Steve Van Doren and Vans, Kate, Julie, Allison and Steph. My hard ass working crew who puts that show up and down each day, the sponsors which without them this tour would not happen, the bands and their crews, the promoters who took a risk on us at the beginning and continue to be supportive.

It will be bittersweet each morning when I see the sun rise and then watch it set knowing that this will be the last time I get to witness it from that exact spot.

Though the tour and the world have changed since ’95, the same feeling of having the ‘best summer ever’ will live on through the bands, the production teams, and the fans that come through at every stop.

The enduring spirit of the Vans Warped Tour remains as bright as ever, continuing to inspire creativity and ambition in new and exciting ways as we prepare for a 25th anniversary celebration in 2019.

I truly look forward to seeing as many of you as possible during this final cross country run, and getting to thank you for your support on this wild adventure. Until then, take care and be safe.”   – Kevin Lyman (Founder of the Vans Warped Tour)

Tour Dates:

June 21 - Pomona, Calif. June 22 - San Diego, Calif. June 23 - Mountain View, Calif. June 24 - Ventura, Calif. June 26 - Phoneix, Ariz. June 29 - Las Vegas, Nev. June 30 - Salt Lake City, Utah July 1 - Denver, Colo. July 3 - St. Louis, Mo. July 5 - Bonner Springs, Kan. July 6 – Dallas, Texas July 7 – San Antonio, Texas July 8 – Houston, Texas July 10 – Nashville, Tenn. July 12 – Virginia Beach, Va. July 13 – Camden, N.J. July 14 – Holmdel, N.J. July 15 – Hartford, Ct. July 16 – Pittsburgh, Pa. July 17 – Toronto, Ontario July 18 – Cincinnati, Ohio July 19 – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio July 20 – Detroit, Mich. July 21 – Chicago, Ill. July 22 – Minneapolis, Minn. July 23 – Milwaukee, Wis. July 24 – Indianapolis, Ind. July 25 – Darien Center, N.Y. July 26 – Scranton, Pa. July 27 – Mansfield, Mass. July 28 – Wantagh, N.Y. July 29 – Columbia, Md. July 31 – Charlotte, N.C. Aug. 1 – Atlanta, Ga. Aug. 3 – Orlando, Fla. Aug. 4 – Tampa, Fla. Aug. 5 – West Palm Beach, Fla.

[carasreputation]

Hi, I’m Cara!

Hi! I’m new here and not really sure how to start making friends on Tumblr.. or even how to use Tumblr TBH...

I live in Atlanta (so if you’re an Atlantan, hit me up!). I’m 25, have been following Taylor for a loooong time. I love telling this story:

When I was 14, I was watching tv before the bus arrived to take me to school. Every morning I watched Megan Mulally’s talk show (she had a talk show for one season). This particular morning, October 24, 2006 (YES - the day of her debut album release), I saw a young girl with beautiful curly blonde hair. She immediately caught my attention. She was cute, down to earth and just seemed very talented. The time came for me to catch the bus, but I remember thinking “I need to listen to this girl’s album when I get home.”

When I got home, I listened to “Taylor Swift” and every song spoke to me. I talked to all my friends about her, we listened to that album ON. REPEAT. Like, wore it out (although, you really can’t). We made our own music videos to it, we blasted it by the pool, it was my favorite album ever released because it spoke to me as a 14-year-old girl going through difficult relationships and navigating high school. When I think Tim McGraw, I truly think of her.

On her first Fearless tour, my parents got me tickets! I had not been so excited since they surprised me with Jonas Brothers tickets...(let’s just say I’m not still playing Jonas Brothers on repeat... although Nick is fire). I finally got to see my idol live. We were waaaaay back in the lawn at Meriweather Post in Columbia, MD BUT at a certain point in the show, she comes back to the lawn to sing a few songs. I went running to get a closer look. Y’all, Taylor looked me dead in the eye and it was never the same. I was hooked. I felt like she was my best friend.

I’ve seen her three times since and each time I’ve been blessed to get better and better seats. I did unfortunately have to miss the 1989 tour because I got a job and had to move and sell my tickets. This time, I’m going all in. 

Taylor has got me through the TOUGHEST times in my life. A horrible, mentally abusive relationship, a terrible relationship with my mother, my parents dramatic divorce, high school, college, friendships starting, friendships ending. You name it, there’s a Taylor Swift song that has helped me through that time.

I work in TV/Media Entertainment and my ultimate goal is to work for Big Machine marketing. I ultimately would love to meet Taylor, but obviously the dream would be to work with/for her.

That’s my story! Please feel free to ask questions... are you ready for it?

[samuelfields]

The Best Life Hack For Americans: Taking Advantage Of Canada

I’m always looking for arbitrage opportunities to help readers make more money and live better lives.

My favorite arbitrage opportunity for the next couple of decades is investing in non-coastal city real estate due to lower valuations and higher net rental yields. Technology is accelerating the flow of capital towards attractive real estate opportunities, and I want to get in front of that wave.

Recently, I found another multi-decade opportunity by looking north towards our friends in Canada. Despite the frigid weather for four months a year, Canadians have a lot going for them.

Their GDP per capita is a respectable $45,000. Few people go through medical bankruptcies because healthcare is heavily subsidized. Meanwhile, the average annual tuition for Canadian universities was only $6,571 for the 2018/2019 academic year.

Let me share how one Canadian friend is taking advantage of America and how we, in turn, can take advantage of Canada.

How Canadians Take Advantage Of America

A 25-year-old friend in my SF softball league is from Vancouver, Canada. He went to the University of British Columbia, a top five university where annual tuition is only $5,399 in the computer science department.

When he graduated, he decided not to find a job in Canada, but come down to San Francisco where the computer engineering jobs pay much more. He works for online real estate company.

“Sam, I make twice as much in San Francisco as I would if I got a similar job in Vancouver,” my softball friend told me.

“But don’t you want to give back to your country? I thought brain drain is a big thing in Canada?” I responded.

“Yes, but let me make my money first. After five years in San Francisco making double the money, I’ll then move to Seattle with my girlfriend where my firm is headquartered. Seattle pay is similar to San Francisco pay, despite the cost of living being 30% cheaper. Further, Vancouver is only a 3.1- hour drive away.“

“Sounds like a good plan!” I responded.

“Once I’m in my 30s and ready to start a family, then I’ll move back to Canada and live a less hectic lifestyle. With a stronger government safety net, I feel more comfortable raising a family back home,” he explained.

Although I feel a little bad for Canada for not getting the benefit of his productivity after providing him with 22 years of education, I can’t fault his logic.

If Canadians wish to participate legally in our labor market and also buy and sell U.S. stocks and property, why not take advantage of the opportunity? After all, America is the greatest country in the world.

How Americans Can Take Advantage Of Canada

Following my softball friend’s logic, Americans should take advantage of Canada’s government safety net and immigrate to Canada after we’ve amassed our fortunes as well.

One of the biggest problems we face in America is the runaway cost of healthcare. Medial-related expenses is our nation’s #1 cause for bankruptcy. It would, therefore, seem logical that those who decide to retire early and are ineligible for Medicare should migrate to Canada and get their healthcare paid for.

For example, my family pays about $21,000 a year for healthcare premiums plus co-pays and co-insurance. Does this sound reasonable to you for a healthy family who never sees the physician? To generate $21,000 in retirement income at a 4% rate of return requires me to first amass $525,000 in capital.

If we moved to Canada, we’d be eliminating most of our present healthcare costs and could use the savings towards living a better lifestyle. We wouldn’t have to purposefully reduce our income to get healthcare subsidies either. What a shame to stop writing on Financial Samurai, something I love to do, just for the sake of affordable healthcare.

Further, given the average college tuition is only $6,571 a year, we would no longer have to contribute $30,000 a year in our son’s 529 college savings plan. We could easily afford to pay the $26,284 for four years in Canadian university tuition from the money sitting in our online savings account.

It is truly mind boggling that four years of Canadian university tuition costs $9,000 less than one year of private kindergarten in San Francisco!

Saving $51,000 a year in healthcare and college expenses just by moving to Canada sounds like a home run. That’s $1,275,000 less in capital I need to amass at a 4% rate of return.

Even though the average home price in Vancouver is an absurdly high $1.4 million, it’s still about $200,000 less than the median home price in San Francisco.

Moving to Vancouver, Canada might just be the best geoarbitrage move for us. For Americans living in lower cost of living areas, there are plenty of lower cost of living areas in Canada as well.

Our Children Can Take Advantage Of Canada Too

In addition to recommending all FIRE Americans not yet eligible for Medicare consider immigrating to Canada to take advantage of subsidized healthcare and other government benefits, there’s also a way for our children to take advantage of Canada too.

One of the reasons why I’m a high school tennis coach is because I want to learn how to interact with teenage boys before my own boy becomes a teenager in 2031. It may sound crazy to prepare so far in advance to be a better father, but I figure why not try?

During practice one day, I had a nice conversation with one of my favorite players, a senior who will be attending Occidental University in Southern California.

He mentioned a classmate was attending McGill University in Canada and I was immediately impressed because I remember having a financial analyst classmate at Goldman Sachs who had also attended McGill University.

She was extremely kind and smart and was the only one in my 1999 financial analyst class who survived the post dotbomb layoffs and made Managing Director 10 years later.

“McGill is the Harvard of Canada!” I exalted in a somewhat joking way. “I wonder what their acceptance rate is?” I asked.

My student responded, “Really? The Harvard of Canada? How can that be if their acceptance rate is 50%?“

“There’s no way Mcgill has a 50% acceptance rate! I’ll happily bet you 20 pushups that it’s 45% or less! You’ve got to accept the bet since I’m giving you a 5% buffer.” I retorted.

Secretly, I was thinking McGill’s acceptance rate was closer to 20% given the best universities in America have single digit acceptance rates.

“You’re on!” My student immediately looked up McGill’s acceptance rate on Google and started to dance.

He showed me his phone and Google had the acceptance rate at 46.3%. “Time to do some push-ups coach!“

Never one to surrender so easily, I looked at the data closely and the 46.3% acceptance rate was from 2016. As someone who is proficient with SEO, I knew Google often had old data in its featured snippets.

Once I clicked on McGill’s website, it showed they made 15,986 offers to 38,320 applications for a 41.7% acceptance rate for the 2018 school year.

“Bahaha, never challenge the coach! 20 pushups right now!” I boomed.

A 41.7% acceptance rate for arguably the best university in Canada is comical by US standards for the top school. Does everybody get a participation trophy in Canada too? The high acceptance rate shows that Canadians really are much more accepting of everybody than we in America.

Let’s say you disagree that McGill is the best university in Canada. Here are the acceptance rates for the other top universities in Canada.

University of British Columbia: 52.4% acceptance rate

Queen’s University: 42% acceptance rate

McMaster University: 58.7% acceptance rate

University of Waterloo: 52% acceptance rate

University of Montreal: 57% acceptance rate

University of Toronto: 40% acceptance rate

In other words, the best universities in Canada have an acceptance rate of 40% – 58.7%!

Now let’s take a look at the acceptance rates of some of the top US colleges.

Good luck getting into a top 10 school in America unless you’re a really rich legacy student or cured malaria while fighting against gun violence.

Remember, even some rich celebrity kids couldn’t get in on their own merit. If you don’t have $500,000 in bribe money lying around, then forget about it.

What is the point of trying to grind so hard in middle school and high school to try and get into a top American university with a 10% or lower acceptance rate when you can be an average student and still get into a top five Canadian university?

The reputations of the top Canadian universities are higher than their respective acceptance rates indicate.

Over the past three years, I’ve seen and overheard my students talk incessantly about their studies and how they needed to go to expensive SAT tutoring after practice, take more practice AP exams, and so forth.

Several even showed up late to important matches because they required extra time on their exams and then wanted to talk to their teachers after. I could feel the pressure they were under to try and do it all.

Maybe the pressure cooker environment has always been there in high school. But is it really a necessary rite of passage given college is becoming less necessary thanks to the free internet?

Instead of spending $48,000 in annual tuition going to Harvard only to end up with the same type of job as everyone else, why not spend $5,399 in annual tuition at University of British Columbia and work at a US-based firm for more money instead? You might have to live in Canada for a year or two to be able to pay Canadian tuition, but it’ll be worth it!

Not only might you land a $120,000 computer engineering job at Zillow, but you might also even make more than $1,000,000 a year as an MD at Goldman Sachs by your early 30s!

Time To Move To Canada

I encourage all our high school students to apply to Canadian universities to get a great education and save on cost. Then once you’ve accumulated enough capital in America to leave work for good, you can then return to Canada to live off the government’s good graces.

Having a Canadian university education should make it easier to be accepted by the Canadians. You don’t even need a job thanks to Canada’s Express Entry program. All that’s required is at least one year of work experience, proficiency in English or French, and $1,500 – $2,000.

If you intend to be self-employed when you move to Canada, you’ll need to show you have at least two years’ relevant experience in the field in which you intend to self-employ.

But once you get to Canada, there’s no law that states you need to start a successful business. You can just be a hobbyist to keep yourself engaged.

Taking advantage of Canada truly is the best life hack for Americans. Who’s with me? Go Canada!

Related: In Search Of FIRE: The Never Ending Retirement Grind

Any Canadian readers who want to recommend some of the best neighborhoods in the best cities to migrate to? Given PM Trudeau is very welcoming of immigrants, surely he’s very accepting of us Americans too? Any American readers who went to Canada for university? I’d love to hear from anybody who has executed this plan and share some of the downsides. 

The post The Best Life Hack For Americans: Taking Advantage Of Canada appeared first on Financial Samurai.

from Finance https://www.financialsamurai.com/the-best-life-hack-for-americans-taking-advantage-of-canada/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[caveartfair]

This New York Art Dealer Is Taking a Gamble on a Move to Washington, D.C.

Tabor Robak and Todd von Ammon. Photo by Zach Bowman.

Exterior of Von Ammon Co. in Washington D.C. Courtesy of Von Ammon Co.

Georgetown is a tiny Washington, D.C., neighborhood that sits next to the Potomac River. It is home to the namesake university, some of the city’s nicest townhouses, and see-and-be-seen spots popular with the current White House administration. The boîte Cafe Milano is familiar to Politico Playbook subscribers, as the newsletter often includes gossip tidbits regaling readers about how, say, Ivanka Trump blocked Nobel Peace Prize nominee José Andrés from entering a party at Cafe Milano because the beloved restaurateur criticized her father for calling Mexicans rapists. Sometimes, the newsletter notes that a senator from oil-rich Texas just happened to be there at the same time as the ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. Often, the Politico Playbook mention is as simple as “SPOTTED: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin at Cafe Milano last night.”

Also in Georgetown, there’s a tiny slip of a street called Cady’s Alley, which in the first days of April welcomed a completely different kind of local establishment: Von Ammon Co, a contemporary art space started by Todd von Ammon, a former director at the influential New York outfit Team Gallery in SoHo.

The neighborhood’s newest business is a surprise, to say the least.

“It’s a gamble, especially in a city known for being culturally conservative,” wrote a reporter for the Washington Post. The developer behind much of Cady’s Alley told local blog DCist that Von Ammon needed to “choose an artist who wasn’t so edgy or expensive that it missed the mark for his debut showing.”

And yet, to hear Von Ammon, who is 32, talk about this city, his enthusiasm is contagious, in a way that made me, a D.C. native, cast off my decades-old notions about this government town: that it could have national institutions but not nationally important galleries; that it could have museums to house works by American artists but not the market apparatus to build American artists up.

Going all in on D.C.

Installation view of Tabor Robak, “Mental,” at Von Ammon Co., Washington D.C., 2019. Photo by Johnny Fogg. Courtesy of Von Ammon Co.

I was speaking with Von Ammon last Saturday, just two weeks after the opening of the space, at a makeshift front desk in the space. The sun was streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and curious passersby occasionally peered in. Von Ammon and I had first chatted about his decision to open in D.C. a month earlier, and I shared my reservations then. He admitted at the time that he, too, had some concerns. But now that he’s taken the plunge, he’s confident it will work—the District of Columbia, he said, just needed someone to come and take it seriously as a city of potential collectors.

“It’s another one of those self-fulfilling prophecies,” he said on Saturday. “You know: ‘They don’t care about us, so we don’t collect.’ Why would anybody collect here, you know?”

Just then, a young couple carrying bags from Dean & Deluca (another wonderful SoHo-to-D.C. transplant) walked in, glanced around, and asked, “Is this an art gallery?” They seemed to be taken aback by the mic drop of a first show, “MENTAL,” a bombastic selection of new work by Tabor Robak. The 32-year-old artist makes gleeful and potentially seizure-inducing multimedia installations that wow on first glance (and, yes, on Instagram) but then dig deep into your membrane. They address heavy subjects like late capitalism, but abound with ads, gifs, memes, jokes, billboards, anime, animations, and screaming neon, pulsating like living electronic organisms. Robak’s work has unimpeachable bonafides that make Von Ammon Co, upon inception, the most immediately vital commercial gallery space in the nation’s capital. A work of Robak’s is up now at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), in the instantly canonical show “New Order: Art and Technology in the 21st Century,” which the New Yorker proclaimed “plants a flag for the future.”

The attention-grabbing debut, Von Ammon said, was very much deliberate.

“This is all in, and D.C. needs somebody to go all in,” Von Ammon said. “And that’s my plan.”

The art world on the Acela corridor

Tabor Robak, Brain Freeze, 2019. Photo by Johnny Fogg. Courtesy of Von Ammon Co.

It should be stated that, despite the scarcity of art dealers, D.C. has long been a world-class city for arts institutions, starting with the founding of the Corcoran as one of the country’s first fine art museums. In the 1920s, the collector Duncan Phillips invited Washingtonians in to see his adventurous collection of art, primarily from Europe, thereby opening the country’s first modern art museum. In the 1960s, President Lyndon Johnson convinced Joseph Hirshhorn to donate his collection of post-war art and works by living artists to the Smithsonian—there, on the National Mall, would be a contemporary art museum to complement MoMA in New York.

As it stands, though, there’s no local gallery scene featuring primary market output of artists who show in major galleries globally and are chosen for important biennales. Perhaps the only D.C. gallery with a consistent presence on the international fair circuit is Connersmith, which is located near Logan Circle in Shaw, a neighborhood in the city’s Northeast quadrant. But Von Ammon found that, during trips down to see his parents, who moved to Washington six years ago, the lack of a circuit could be something of a blessing, as he was becoming a little disenchanted with the U.S. market’s biggest arena.

“I think a lot of people do think that being in New York is important, but I found the competition to be a little suffocating,” he said. “The art world shouldn’t be a zero-sum game, and at times it feels that way in New York. That’s what I found exhausting. It did feel like a zero-sum game. Like: ‘I’m the one who got Chrissie Iles to the show—and that means you didn’t.’ Or: ‘I got the Roberta Smith review—And you didn't.’”

He also saw how D.C.’s institutions have begun to embrace the art market power structures in New York and abroad, making a cutting-edge gallery’s presence in the city more viable. It began when the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden hired Melissa Chiu, a New Yorker who had been running Asia Society, and she brought on Gianni Jetzer, the curator of the Unlimited sector at Art Basel in Basel, as her curator-at-large—a bridge to the market right there. Jetzer would be based in New York, a quick shot up the Acela corridor. The museum even had its 40th anniversary gala in New York, at the World Trade Center, and who was the person listed as the gala’s lead supporter? Larry Gagosian, who has four galleries and a bookstore in Manhattan.

Glenstone Museum in Potomac, MD, 2018. Photo by Goran Kosanovic/ For The Washington Post via Getty Images.

Some locals didn’t like the push toward New York and its power structures. “It is a snub, and a distressing indication that she doesn’t understand the purpose, the history, or the identity of the museum she now leads,” wrote Philip Kennicott, the long-serving Washington Post art critic. But the moves injected much-needed juice into the Hirshhorn’s programming and made it possible for young dealers to have an audience with curators who could place their artists in the only contemporary art museum on the National Mall. Jetzer told me that he got dinner with Von Ammon soon after he moved down, and is very excited about what the young dealer is planning.

And in 2018, the D.C. area got its Marfa-level art mecca when the Glenstone museum in Potomac, Maryland, opened its expanded and built-out $200-million compound, allowing the public to see works from the collection of billionaire mega-collectors Emily and Mitchell Rales, who have significant holdings of work by Cy Twombly, Charles Ray, and Ellsworth Kelly, as well as major large-scale works by Robert Gober, Jeff Koons, and Michael Heizer.

“With the expansion of Glenstone, it started to make D.C. seem like a real destination again,” Von Ammon said. He realized something was happening in D.C., but the scene was still small enough that he could, as he put it, “take more risks.”

He added: “For my purposes, I had absolutely no competition whatsoever. There was no one else vying for my territory at all. And that’s what I wanted—pure curatorial freedom.”

First-time gallery-goers

Tabor Robak, Piggy, 2019. Photo by Johnny Fogg. Courtesy of Von Ammon Co.

He found the space on Cady’s Alley and snapped it up quickly, realizing it was bigger than what he was working with at Team, and much bigger than his New York project space—also called Von Ammon Co, it was just a section of his former high-rise apartment in the swirly Frank Gehry skyscraper in downtown Manhattan. (Von Ammon Co also specializes in private art consultancy, per its website.) In fact, the big Cady’s Alley gallery was the perfect kind of space for a Robak show, as his large installations incorporate monitors and LED screens and flashing lights to achieve a J.G. Ballard-meets-iPhone-addiction frenzy. An art show about late capitalism is no doubt poignant in Georgetown, a 10-minute Uber ride away from the Federal Reserve. But it also makes sense to show such work near a museum like the Hirshhorn, which is acquiring similarly time-based works by artists such as Ed Atkins, Arthur Jafa, and Jesper Just.

“I’ve worked with Tabor since he started showing in galleries,” Von Ammon said. “I thought it made sense to show somebody who was young, who was engaging, and whose work I can safely say I’m an expert with.”

It’s the start of a programming schedule that will have room for four shows a year, usually solo or two-person exhibitions—the relatively slow pace accounts for those who only make the three-hour Acela ride down from New York a few times a year. (Holidays, Von Ammon noted, make for busy weekends, and several Big Apple–based dealers stopped by last weekend during Easter and Passover.)

Von Ammon is greatly admired for his curatorial eye: He’s organized shows at Team but also at Dublin’s Ellis King and San Francisco’s Berggruen Gallery. East Hampton’s Halsey McKay has a show up through April 30th that Von Ammon organized, with work by Robak as well as Ajay Kurian, Megan Marrin, Ashley Bickerton, and others. Next week, a show he organized opens at Marlborough Contemporary’s Manhattan project space.

He noted that, so far, he’s been making sales to clients in New York, as he’s able to convey the power of Robak’s work through images and videos—the collectors don’t need to be present to close the deal, he said. Asked how sales are going, he said, drily, “so far it’s been just as difficult here as it would be in New York”—but added that he was pleasantly surprised the business had been about the same since his move to D.C.

His goal is to also sell to local collectors, some of whom may have never bought art before. He wants to get Washingtonians unfamiliar with the artists he’s showing in the door, regardless of whether or not they understand the art historical context inherent in the work.

“You definitely get the feeling that you’re giving some people their first visit to an art gallery, which is kind of an amazing feeling,” he said.

A capital city. . .of art?

Tabor Robak, MiniJumbo, 2019. Photo by Johnny Fogg. Courtesy of Von Ammon Co.

It remains to be seen whether other dealers will escape from New York’s small spaces with big rents and head down I-95 to a city that’s still just dipping its toe into the international art market. But from talking to Von Ammon, and to other art world figures with ties to the Beltway, the move has certainly raised eyebrows.

“I got a bunch of emails from gallerists who said ‘I’ve been thinking about doing this forever,’” Von Ammon said. “And this is definitely a vote in favor of me at least trying something out.”

For what it’s worth, I told him that after seeing the response to his gallery, and experiencing the impact of the Hirshhorn and Glenstone, it was the first time that I could actually imagine a circuit of galleries in D.C. selling new work by artists who show at the world’s prestigious biennales. Perhaps it wasn’t just Von Ammon’s enthusiasm, but also the realization that Washington, D.C., has 2,735 ultra-high-net-worth individuals—people who are defined as having assets in excess of $30 million—placing it fifth in the nation as of 2018, behind New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. All of those cities have gallery communities and annual art fairs—so why not Washington? I could see there being a great art fair in D.C.—perhaps near Eastern Market, the hip food hall located in a series of warehouses. Despite the city’s cultural conservatism and current lack of a gallery scene, it will always be deeply international. And with the constant change in political administrations, many families often find themselves moving into homes with bare walls. It just takes dealers to come and sell them the things to install there.

“I’m literally begging my friends to just give it a shot because the growth will be exponential,” he said. “If just one other person who is doing what I do opened up in D.C., it would change things immediately.”

from Artsy News