#I’ve had this scheduled since August 2023

[not-poignant]

Underline the Black Hiatus May-June 2024

Hi folks,

It’s with a heavy heart that I’m going on a significant hiatus off writing + posting until the beginning of July 2024.

During that time I still plan to deliver all the extras via Patreon and Ream, which means ->

* I will still be posting two chapters of Underline the Gold in May, and Gold or Blue in June.

* I will still be posting one chapter of Constellations.

* I will still post the chapter commentaries.

This will hit Underline the Black, the birthday spotlights and my fanfiction the hardest. Palmarosa may still get updated, energy permitting, but Stain is going on hiatus too.

Ideally if I can get on top of this depressive episode and burnout, I will resume a normal schedule in July. I’m hoping that a drastic step like this will let me actually start to recover. The reality is I’ve been burnt out since 2023, and it’s getting worse, and I’m alarmed at some of the things I’ve been experiencing and thinking. I wouldn’t do this unless I thought I had no other option, because it’s terrifying for me to change the schedule and go on hiatus like this, and I generally try and avoid causing myself more anxiety! But this is one of those ‘I think I have to do it anyway, if I want to get through the next two months intact.’

Happy to answer any questions in the meantime! If I do have energy to spare I plan on writing, ideally I’d like to get myself in a better position for July and August as well. The rest of April’s schedule will continue like normal.

Thanks endlessly for all your support <3

[h3lfaerie]

Hello, beautiful people!

Fae is here once again with a bit of an announcement! While I’m doing my best to finish the new chapter of Path of Alfheim before New Year’s Eve (and that’s still the goal), I have quite a bit left to write still. Unfortunately it doesn’t even include the proofreading and edits I’ll need to tackle once the draft is complete (those are non-negotiables, I'm not giving you a half-assed chapter). So, at this rate there’s a good chance I won’t hit the exact deadline I originally set (I'M REALLY SORRY!!). BUT rest assured— I'm actively working on it. It will be posted as soon as possible.

Aside from that, I would like to address something very important in this particular post.

And that is the lack of consistent updates since July 2024. Originally, my schedule was to release a chapter per month, and I even considered posting twice a month if possible. However, a significant reason for this inconsistency has been starting a new job—one I began in August 2024, and one I’ve now officially quit. (YAY!!🥳)

Though I'm beyond happy to be free of that place, even if I need employment to support myself, let me serve as a cautionary tale to every artist out there: NEVER set foot in a casino, whether to work or to gamble. For the love of whatever higher power you believe in... avoid it at all costs. I have never felt more drained, overworked, and physically crippled by a job than I did working as a croupier (and trust me, I've worked a lot of jobs). These establishments are quite literally designed to drain your energy and spirit. And in my case it absolutely sucked my soul out. I am actually sick as I'm writing this, and I have been sick for the last 2 weeks.

I strongly believe that this job played a major role in affecting my ability to write consistently and passionately, as I originally did when I started this project. Between 48-hour work weeks and predominantly night shifts, my energy and focus were completely drained.

When I began this project in November 2023, I was so inspired that by New Year’s Eve, I had already published five chapters. Chapter 5 in particular might be the most visited part of the story out of everything I've published yet, and I wrote it overnight... Need I say more?

As I’ve mentioned before, I am a performing artist.

Though I've never elaborated before, mainly for the sake of privacy, allow me to do so now: I have a degree in Acting & Performance. I have over 10 years of stage experience across various disciplines, including acting, dancing, singing, and cosplay. I'm a die-hard nerd, an amateur writer, and most of the time, an absolute train wreck but above all I know my purpose on this Earth is to produce as much art as possible. This project is undoubtedly a part of that mission.

While things are still up in the air for me—and I’ll need to find another job soon—this time, it will be in the creative field. My CV is packed with jobs I never wanted but had to take in order to support myself.

I’m determined to change that.

I hope you’ll stick around to see this story progress once more, as it’s meant to. I’m still replenishing my energy and finding my footing, but I’ve removed one massive obstacle from my path. Let’s just say you might want to brace yourselves for the biggest comeback of the year.

Thank you for your continued support, love, and patience. It truly means the world to me, as I've said over a thousand times by now but I'll never stop saying it.

I’ll catch up on any comments left under Path of Alfheim or on this blog during my working-like-a-dog era as soon as possible.

But for now, I’m thrilled to say I got out—and I’m feeling better than ever.

[alfgifu]

Fic analysis 18. Obedient to the touch

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49146799/chapters/124000540

Word count: 14,302 (co-written throughout with toffeecape and iniquiticity)

Chapters: 3

First posted: 6th August 2023

Last chapter up: 8th August 2023

Summary: 

My body ached, just a little, with the aftershock of touch, in the best possible way. I should not have - you should not have let me - it was consistent with your dignity as Emperor to take a consort, but I had never wanted -

You had; I had; we had. Too late, now, for regrets.

How and why this came about

At some point early in August 2023 I barrelled into an 18+ channel on a discord server and commented that it had all been very sweet and gentle there lately, and what about that ‘forced fucking in front of the Ouranatha’ scenario we had all been considering a month or so before?

I had an ulterior motive. I had, since that earlier conversation, been rotating the concept. I had a gdoc started and had sketched out a bit of plot, but I was a bit unsure about it. After all, I had only just written my first smut content (the first ‘eventual smut’ Tenebra chapter) and I knew I had a fair amount to learn. I wanted to write something different, but I felt a bit unsure about it.

I dropped some elements of what I was thinking about into the chat and to my delight it sparked a dramatic flurry of conversation, with many different people pitching in to make the scenario worse or more intense in various ways. I don’t really remember the whole conversation (which went on for days) and I’ve long since left the relevant server, but after a lot of sharing ideas the chat turned into a collaborative livefic.

It was both daunting and thrilling to be passing the conversation back and forth so fluidly with two writers I admired. This part also went on for days with each of us pitching in on our schedule to take the story further. It was a learning experience for me in a whole host of different ways - the technical side of writing sex, language for a whole host of things I’d never really thought about, the dynamics of an intense physical relationship involving an ace (if sex-positive ace) character, and the etiquette of working with others in a public environment.

It was also entirely fun from beginning to end. The great thing about doing this collaboratively and over several days was that we could each contribute as we had time and space and ideas. Once we reached the end of the scenario, I asked my co-authors if they minded if we stitched what we had written together into something that could be shared on AO3. Neither toffeecape nor iniquiticity felt the same drive to publish as I did but they kindly supported the endeavour (my brain finds it difficult to put things down until they’re ‘finished’ and its criteria for ‘finished’ can be squirrelly - with fanfic it almost always means publishing on AO3).

What worked and what didn’t

It was surprisingly easy to turn the free-flowing plotting and porn into coherent, structured plot and porn. The livefic naturally broke into three sections (another friend who collected them assigned headings that we were kindly allowed to borrow as the chapter titles - “The crimes”, “The smut”, “The purest of smut”). 

This was an example of a successful ‘just tidying up the livefic’. Most of the first chapter was sketched out relatively loosely in the chat so I wrote it up, trying to keep to the minimum necessary context. The other parts were almost entirely drafted in the original chat so it was just a matter of stringing them together, adding a few joining sentences here and there, and fixing up typos and grammar and so on. The three of us worked edited it up together in a shared gdoc and made a few tweaks/ironed out details as we went. It was a remarkably pleasant process.

What I learned from writing it

Writing with toffeecape and iniquiticity was a masterclass in itself. They are both so excellent and each have a distinct and compelling writing style, but somehow it gelled really well. The fun physicality and total absorption of toffeecape’s writing flowed naturally into the deep, intense and deeply tender way that iniquiticity writes and vice versa. I can still pick out a few parts and remember who contributed them in the chat, but it’s honestly difficult at this stage. I do know I would never have been able to write something this raw and immediate and immense without them.

The collaborative fic went in a very different direction from the original idea that I’d been thinking through, although quite a lot of the crimes scenarios sketched out in the chat before we started liveficcing did relate to and build from the idea. I revisited it a little while later to write my first solo smut fic (which, surprise surprise, mostly turned out to be politics - though I did get to the smut eventually). I would never have managed that without the lift-off I got from Obedient.

I stumbled somewhat clumsily into the mechanics of working together online. It took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure out how to set up a group chat in discord (or even that such a thing was possible) so I did a lot of scurrying back and forth between chats with my fellow authors repeating their words to one another. I have no idea what they made of this XD.

This was also when I set up a dedicated google account for fanfic, since my personal account mixed my online name with my offline name a little too freely. It’s come in handy since then to have a separate space where I keep my writing, both for sharing and for keeping things in boxes (I do find it satisfying to have things in their boxes).

Writing Obedient unlocked a great deal for me, both in terms of technical skill and in terms of confidence. After this I definitely felt ready to explore more nsfw territory. Achievement: degenerate pornographer

[coolstarorg]

Leaving the jailbreak community

Around this time last year (in March 2022) I had updated my main iPhone to iOS 15.1, hoping to make a jailbreak for it. I fully expected to be gone from the scene after iOS 15.1, but knew full well that with all the mitigations of iOS 15.0 - 15.1 alone, it may already have been out of my means to make a jailbreak, so there was a risk.

By that time, I had already cut down the tweaks I used to just 2 -- iPad dock for iPhone, and enabling battery percentage for notched iPhones.

Fast forward to June, and iOS 16 had natively introduced battery percentage for iPhones that have the notch -- cutting down the number of tweaks I’d want (compared to stock) from 2 to 1. But no matter, I was still on iOS 15.1, and still hoping to make a jailbreak, since I had a working terminal at that point.

However, the months progressed -- June became July, and iOS 16 betas were coming. Thanks to a donation from someone, I got an M1 Macbook Air to accelerate jailbreak development, and had gotten libhooker with tweaks running a couple weeks later, including on A12 and A13. The jailbreak at this point was in an extremely buggy, albeit functional state and hope was up.

Then the jailbreak community happened -- without a PAC / PPL bypass at the time, libhooker would be forced to sign code pages -- which was only really doable with the libhooker API (unless a ton of effort was spent on potential workarounds). But tweak developers largely refused to consider using the libhooker API for batching hooks, and I was quickly getting frustrated. And a lot of others from the community weren’t helping either -- I had gotten harassed by many jailbreak users on twitter and reddit over this, especially since it had recently come to light that Cheyote was broken on A15. And of course, with it being August 2022, it was unlikely any donations at this point would even get an A15 device on early iOS 15.

At the same time, I had other interests popping up with porting Windows to various chromebooks -- my port to AMD Ryzen was going well enough to be a daily driver, and I had just gotten audio working on the Pixel 2 chromebook (which I previously abandoned in 2017 but then picked up in 2022 with my new experience).

So I snapped -- I realized how much better the community is on the chromebook side and that I simply didn’t need to put up with the jailbreak community. And I put Cheyote on the backburner to focus on developing Windows drivers for chromebooks.

Then August became September, November, December. Progress was being made on the chromebook scene, but every time I considered returning to doing iOS jailbreaking, I shuddered from remembering the harassment.

In December 2022, I returned the money donated towards the macbook to the person who donated it. Since I realized Cheyote was well beyond schedule, even if it ever came to happen. Meanwhile in the chromebook scene, I was getting Intel 12th gen audio working.

Then the months passed, and in March 2023 I realized it had been a full year. And I was still on iOS 15.1 for seemingly no reason other than to tease myself and miss out on the battery percentage and widgets -- so I updated my main iPhone to iOS 16.3.1 (and now iOS 16.4), knowing that there was no turning back and that I would no longer be jailbroken on my main device for a long time, if ever.

That brings us to today. Even though I’ve been in denial about it for several months now, it clearly has made me feel a lot better to stay away from the jailbreak community, and I have found new interests that make me happier. So it’s time to say farewell. It’s been a good run overall since I started developing tweaks for iOS 5 (in 2012) and jailbreaks since iOS 11 (in 2017) -- a 10 year run isn’t too bad after all. 

===========================================================

For those who are still waiting on Cheyote, unfortunately I wouldn’t hold my breath anymore. I’ve clearly moved on months ago, even though it’s taken me until now to fully realize it. I appreciate those who have supported me in the past and thank you for your support on my tweaks, Electra, Chimera, Odyssey and Taurine. If you’re still running one of the jailbreaks I’ve made -- you’re a real one. libhooker and my repos will still be up and running for those on iOS 11 to iOS 14, and Sileo has been maintained by Amy for over a year now. I expect Odyssey and Taurine won’t need any more updates considering they’ve been running stable for a long time, and libhooker 1.6.9 will continue to be hosted on my repo since it is the last version to be fully validated up to iOS 14.8.1 (on checkm8) and up to iOS 14.3 (on Chimera -> Taurine).

If you were interested in what I’m up to these days, feel free to grab almost any Intel chromebook (or one of the 3 supported Ryzen 3000 chromebooks) from the last decade and put Windows on it! (Except the original Pixel 1 [no trackpad / touch screen] or Samsung Chromebook 3 -- that one is garbage, sorry if you have it)

[ijafterhours]

A NEW CHAPTER.

This is a deviation of my usual posting schedule, and is something i've been mulling over today. Today is quite important in After Hours' development! Hi there! This 2nd of August, 2023, at around 7pm on the dot, I reached the end of writing Season 2 of Inside Job; After Hours. This marks the end of the plot that I've been developing since late November 2022, after seeing the second part of Season 1 of Inside Job air on Netflix. 

I have miscellaneous plots for After Hours that I may want to bring forward from here, such as a Ron-centric movie falling in between seasons, and a plot focusing on a certain shenanigan Lara’s future son Charlie gets into in his adulthood- but I have no plans to start on any of it any time soon. 

What I want to wax poetic about, however, is how After Hours has been changing and improving my life since I started dedicating my time to it. I’m going into my second year of College (British school system, so for Americans, I'm between Grade 11 and 12, and preparing for University!) And I go to a film school that has no exams, and is purely coursework assessed, and for my final for year one, I decided to develop the canon designs for Lara, Logan and Toby for the start of Season 2. If I had not chosen to work on my story the way I had, when it came time to submit our project briefs in late March, I never would’ve passed Year 1 as I did now. I owe passing one of my college years, and in the grander scheme of things, moving up in the animation industry, to After Hours for simply giving me the source materials I needed to impress my examiners. I’ve yet to receive my official grade, but according to a teacher’s verbal slip-up, I'm excited to say I'm getting a very high mark….

I’ve also used After Hours as a coping mechanism, and this last year has been a blur and a struggle, and I could always turn to After Hours in order to release some tension and fuel my creativity. I had no bounds when it came to AH. 

I even procrastinated writing the finale because of my emotional attachment to it- I started Episode 11 in April, and only now have I finished it. 

Lara, Logan, Toby- and even the rest of the crew have my life experiences gently and lovingly sewed into them, and displayed against a background of tumultuous experiences and events that test the true fabric of family and love. 

I’m incredibly moved whenever someone decides to delve into their world and honour me by accepting this offshoot of a story we all know and love.

It’s really hard for me to let go of this project, because it means closing a chapter on what has been the scariest, most productive, most tumultuous and most memorable year of my life. I’ve made so many new and incredible friends, both online and offline, whom I cherish dearly. I’ve started new chapters in love, and also in self discovery. After Hours has accompanied me through that this academic year. 

After the release of the end of Season 1 this weekend, i’ll be taking some time off in beautiful Italy, and i’ll be back with Season 2 in the new academic year come September. 

Thank you so, so much to everyone who's witnessed the development of my ideas come to life these past few weeks, and it only gets more interesting from here!

And a separate thank you to Lara Higgins. She won’t ever know me, but she’s helped me through more than you’d know. 

Stay tuned! Love ya! Thank you for sticking around!

Laika. (@fiuworks)

[nancypullen]

Some Things Never Change

Here we are, on the home stretch of July.  The sun will set on my fifties in  sixty-some days.  I live in a new state, my life has changed drastically, but some things remain the same.  I’ve hit my peak tolerance for hot weather right on schedule and find myself longing for the comfort of socks and sweatshirts.  I keep my eyes peeled to see who will be first to advertise fall decor and fragrances (I see you and appreciate you, Bath & Body Works).  I watch the mail for the Halloween catalog from Grandin Road, too pricey but so much fun to thumb through.  I get excited when I see a yellow leaf on a tree, completely ignoring the fact that it probably turned yellow from the 97 degree heat and it is not, as hoped, a harbinger of autumn.  We’ve got a long way to go before we’re delighted by colorful leaves and pumpkins.  Ten days of July and all of August  stretch ahead of us in a steamy string of days. These dog days of summer are no joke. I try to keep cool in the summer by wearing a lot of dresses. This year I hit a great deal at Belk (online) and bought some super cute dresses by Crown & Ivy. I love the ruffles and bright patterns. These two are my favorites.

They’re light and cool and I look exactly like that in them, not at all like a tea cozy or a Rose Bowl float.  Anyway, they’re comfy and I love ‘em.  I have plenty of other summer dresses, and I wear them around the house and in the yard.  So much cooler than anything else in my closet.

A couple of days ago I had on a sleeveless, cotton dress, several years old, and I was doing a few chores. I was in the yard pulling a few weeds and deadheading some flowers (the zinnias are finally showing off!), then went inside for a cold drink and a potty break.  Outside again, I tidied up around the mailbox, checked birdfeeders, pulled a few more weeds, filled the hummingbird feeder, etc.  Just busy work.  I realized it was nearly time to start dinner, so I headed back into the house, washed my hands, and started prepping.  I was busy chopping away at some veggies when the mister came in.  He walked up behind me and tugged at my dress and said “You’re all tucked in here...”  You guys, I had tucked my dress into my panties after my potty break AND GONE BACK OUTSIDE.  I don’t know which is worse, that the whole street saw my backside and bright pink undies, or that I’ve apparently lost all sensation in my butt cheeks.  How could I not feel that??  Since I didn’t see myself from behind I’m hoping that it was just a small corner of the dress, but I’ll never know.  My only consolation is that I wasn’t playing music while I worked, so at least I wasn’t dancing. Like I said, some things never change. On another, less embarrassing, note - I’m itching to show a before and after photos of the master bath but we’re still waiting for an installation date for the flooring.  I received this email: “ The estimated date of arrival for your product is 07/24/2023. it can take up to 7 additional days for all product to to be received. We will contact you within 2 business days after your product is received to schedule your installation. If there are any delays, we will notify you.” So the flooring, which we were assured was in stock, is not?  Are they talking about some other product, like quarter round or something I’m not familiar with? Is it weird that they wouldn’t have installation stuff in stock?  Why the heck isn’t anything ever just straight forward and easy?  I remind myself daily that I’m very fortunate that this is the minor irritant in my life.  I know that it could be much worse, but it’s still frustrating. We had to rattle their cage just to get that email telling us everything is delayed. I’m old school.  I’m from the days when customer service was exceptional and patronage was valued.  And yes, I realize that makes me sound 150 years old, I don’t care. When you hand over a wad of money it would be nice to receive even mediocre service.  Alright, enough whining.  I suppose I should so something productive, toss in some laundry or wipe down some surfaces.  This house gets dusty so much faster than the Mt. Juliet house.  I don’t know why, but you can bet if I ever figure it out I’ll put a stop to it. I hate dusting, but I hate seeing dust even more.  I’m terrible, I’ll just make a quick swipe and not move objects on a shelf.  I do better with our nightstands, but they’re easy. I have found that these makeup remover cloths (love them for my face) are fabulous at picking up dust, especially on baseboards. Makes the job much easier.

There are a million different brands, these are just the ones I ordered.  They’re great - toss them in the wash and they keep their shape and fluffiness. I use them over and over and over.  They take makeup off with one swipe, and dust off a baseboard like magic. $8.99 on Amazon!  Once again my blog post has bounced all over the place (See? Some things never change!) but hopefully it provided a break in your day and maybe a smile or two.  I was recently asked why I started signing off each blog post. I spent years sharing here and never did the whole “stay safe” and “love ya’” sort of thing.  It’s because a very, very sweet person, a stranger to me, during peak pandemic days sent me an email.  This kind person said that they’d stumbled across my blog, feeling very isolated and lonely, and it was like reading a letter from a friend.  I’ve never flattered myself that this blog meant anything to anyone other than me, it’s just been a way to track our days. But since that email I’ve thought that if anyone comes across my ramblings I want them to feel like we’ve just had a chat, or they’ve gotten a newsy letter.  I’m sort of your weirdo penpal who walks around with her dress tucked into her panties but sure does hope that your day is splendid.   That’s why you’ll probably always see me end these silly posts like this. Wishing you the very best this day has to offer.  Stay safe, stay well. XOXO, Nancy

[bvannn]

Weekly Update August 11, 2023

Not doing the best physically but I’m still doing what I can. A certain medical condition is flaring up pretty bad this week, but I’m trying to stay positive because I should hopefully be getting a surgery to eliminate the worst of it in December. It is scheduled, and assuming I have the money it should be fine. I think I should be okay, since I am an avid cheapskate and am currently working, although I’ll still try to push commissions again soon for peace of mind. That’ll be a good goal for next week.

This week: the main work I have been able to do has been on TRGA. I am now hopefully done with tests, at least for a while. I would like to learn a motion blur effect for the future but I won’t need it for the current animation so I will put it off. I have been chugging along well by doing one keyframe or batch of tweens a day, and am now almost done with Jon’s animation for the first shot. Sounds great, but I also need to animate Tim and Emile, in addition to several more shots. Like, over ten at least. Kinda looking forward to animating the others for a while since between this week and the test animation, I’m starting to get sick of looking at Jon.

Also tried screwing with music hardware stuff, had to buy a new midi to usb converter, and the new one has the input and output labels switched for some reason but it works. I wonder why they sold it like that, since the Amazon listing pointed it out, so they obviously knew it was wrong? Whatever. After writing this update I’ll try to take another crack at recording. Might be tonight might be tomorrow who knows. Inspiration for original music has hit as well but I’ll just write down ideas and get to it later, I do have bigger fish to fry.

I promised I’d draw this week and I have finished up some design WIPs of characters that should be new to you guys. I’ll try to work with them more in the future. I also gave Thomas a slight redesign, which I’ll try to finish and post soon as well.

I’m still trying to do things, I guess I’ve just been focused on work and the big TRGA project and haven’t been able to get much done outside of that. I’ll try to eat better this week so I have more energy to do more drawings and hopefully get some music done enough to post.

[time4hemp]

Rescheduling vs Descheduling

The Great Cannabis Debate And Why It Matters

Written by Casper Leitch

I was recently asked: What are the top 3 reasons blocking cannabis from being descheduled?

To be honest, I had to ponder that question for a little while. I've been active in the struggle to end cannabis prohibition since 1989 when Jack Herer hired me to run his office and to focus on making his organization, Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP), grow and become an effective tool in educating the world about this amazing plant and all the things that can be produced from it.

Ending federal cannabis prohibition isn’t just about waving a magic wand. There are three main reasons why cannabis hasn’t been descheduled (removed from the Controlled Substances Act entirely).

Blocking cannabis descheduling often stems from concerns related to public health, law enforcement, and social implications. Here are what I believe are the three top reasons.

Public Health Concerns

Critics argue that cannabis has a high potential for abuse, especially with the rise of unregulated products like Delta-8 THC, which have led to increases in poison control calls. Many worry that descheduling cannabis could lead to a spike in underage use and related health issues.

Law Enforcement Challenges

Opponents believe descheduling could complicate law enforcement’s ability to regulate cannabis production and prevent black-market activity. They argue that keeping cannabis as a controlled substance helps maintain order in its distribution.

Lack of Comprehensive Research

Despite growing evidence of the medical benefits of cannabis, critics say we still don’t know enough about its long-term effects. Federal restrictions have historically made it nearly impossible to study cannabis thoroughly, leaving skeptics hesitant to change the laws.

Rescheduling vs. Descheduling: What’s the Difference?

Currently, cannabis is a Schedule I drug - the strictest classification - meaning it’s considered to have no medical use and a high potential for abuse. This puts it in the same category as heroin. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently recommended moving cannabis to Schedule III, which would acknowledge its medical value and lower its regulatory burden. However, this is not the same as full legalization.

Rescheduling to Schedule III would mean:

Cannabis could be prescribed by doctors nationwide, much like ketamine or testosterone.

Businesses would gain access to banking services and tax deductions that are currently denied under federal law.

More opportunities for scientific research.

Descheduling, on the other hand, would:

Completely remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, making it federally legal.

Allow states to regulate cannabis much like alcohol.

Enable interstate commerce and create uniform regulations across the United States.

For many advocates, descheduling is the ultimate goal because it treats cannabis as a normal commodity, not a controlled substance.

The timeline of HHS’s recommendation, and the DEA’s current review.

In late 2022, President Joe Biden issued an executive order directing HHS to review marijuana’s status as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, while giving a recommendation on whether it should be rescheduled. After a roughly year-long review, HHS sent a letter to the DEA in August requesting that they move marijuana to Schedule III.

On September 13, 2023 - a report released by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) stated that was likely the DEA would reschedule marijuana to reschedule III, giving broad implications for federal policy.

On October 27, 2023 - a bipartisan group of 31 congress-members sent a letter to the DEA urging them to consider fully descheduling marijuana, rather than simply reschedule. Descheduling marijuana would decriminalize the plant nationwide.

On November 17, 2023 - Senator Gillibrand sent a letter to the DEA requesting marijuana be rescheduled, while also declaring that she believes marijuana should be fully descheduled. Senator Gillibrand was Chair of the Subcommittee on Livestock, Marketing and Agriculture Security as well as Chair of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.

In early December 2023 - HHS released an over 250 page document explaining their rationale for wanting the DEA to reschedule marijuana, with some of the information redacted. The following month the department released the fully unredacted document.

Over 150 of HHS’s 250 page report were spent discussing marijuana’s potential medical value. The department argued that since marijuana does have known medical value, it should not be classified as a Schedule I drug.

On December 19, 2023 - the DEA sent a letter to congressional lawmakers confirming that their review of marijuana as a Schedule I drug is currently underway, while noting that the agency has the final authority when it comes to any rescheduling effort.

On January 12, 2024 - Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser led a group of 12 state attorney generals on a letter encouraging the DEA to reschedule cannabis in the interest of public health and safety.

On January 15, 2024 - the secretary of HHS confirmed, for the first time, that their agency has recommended to the DEA that marijuana be rescheduled to Schedule III, while confirming they are in continuing talks on the issue.

On January 29, 2024 - US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congress-member Jerrold Nadler joined numerous New York lawmakers and marijuana reform activists to call on the Attorney General and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to deschedule marijuana.

On February 8, 2024 - Congress-member Earl Bluemauer (D-OR), co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, sent a letter to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram requesting answers to several poignant questions regarding the agency’s review of marijuana as a Schedule I drug.

On February 19, 2024 - a report released by the FDA stated that when they were conducting their review of marijuana as a schedule I drug, the agency not only examined a plethora of scientific research, they had a team of researchers who spent months analyzing thousands of posts on various social media platforms, many of which were marijuana consumers putting forth anecdotal evidence of its therapeutic and medical benefits.

On February 26, 2024 - Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) sent a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) urging them to reject any argument in support of maintaining marijuana in Schedule I or Schedule II based on U.S. Treaty obligations.

On March 7, 2024 - President Biden became the first president in US history to promote marijuana law reform during a State of the Union Address. In the address, Biden stated; “I’m directing my Cabinet to review the federal classification of marijuana, and expunging thousands of convictions for mere possession, because no one should be jailed for using or possessing marijuana.”

On March 15, 2024 - Vice President Kamala Harris said the federal government should reschedule marijuana “as quickly as possible”.

On March 27, 2024 - a group of Republican senators, led by Senator Mitt Romney, urged the DEA to reject requests to reschedule marijuana.

Also in March, an official with the DEA said that when it comes to marijuana’s scheduling status, the agency is “in the process” of writing a recommendation, clarifying that Administrator Anne Milgram “will make a decision on where to place it – whether to change it or whether to remove it”.

On April 11, 2024 - during a committee hearing in the United States House of Representatives, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf said “there’s no reason for the DEA to delay” a decision regarding marijuana’s scheduling status.

On April 15, 2024 - White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) recommendation to the DEA to reschedule marijuana was “guided by the evidence”, while clarifying that the Justice Department now has the final say on the matter.

On April 25, 2024 - a bicameral coalition of lawmakers sent a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) urging them to “promptly remove marijuana from Schedule I”.

On January 15, 2025 - a Drug Enforcement Administration judge cancelled a hearing to consider the Biden administration’s proposal to reclassify marijuana under federal drug laws amid allegations that officials at the agency have conferred with witnesses opposed to the plan. Administrative Law Judge John Mulrooney canceled the hearing that was set for January 21, extending the process to ease restrictions on cannabis for at least three months.

The DEA hearing was scheduled to evaluate a proposal from the Department of Health and Human Services to change the classification of marijuana under the Community Supported Agriculture from Schedule I, the strictest category, to Schedule III. Such a move would be significant for the state-legal cannabis industry, which would no longer be denied standard business tax deductions and gain access to banking services.

Mulrooney ruled on a motion from cannabis policy reform advocates who were scheduled to testify as witnesses at the now-canceled hearing. In the motion, the witnesses alleged that the DEA had made improper communications with groups opposed to proposed rule change to reschedule cannabis and that DEA Administrator Anne Milgram had improperly selected witnesses for the hearing. Although he denied a request to remove the agency from the proceedings, Mulrooney granted a request for leave to file an interlocutory appeal, canceling next week’s hearing and staying the process for at least three months.

In his ruling, Mulrooney noted a “disturbing and embarrassing revelation” about claims of communications between DEA officials and groups opposed to marijuana policy reform. However, he said that even if the allegations are true, they do not amount to an “irrevocable taint” that would affect the outcome of the rescheduling process. As a result, the administrative law judge ruled that he did not have the authority to remove the DEA from the hearings as a proponent of the proposed rule change.

“I can no more remove or re-designate the Administrator than I can hold parties in contempt and fine them,” Mulrooney said. “The strangeness of this unsupported approach is amplified by the fact that the appointment of a new DEA Administrator by a different political party is imminent.”

Mulrooney also criticized the DEA for its actions, writing that “the specter of officials at the highest level of Agency management selectively assisting and granting access to individuals and groups standing in opposition to the Notice of Proposed Rule-making (NPRM) it purportedly supports as the proponent, carries no small measure of discomfiture,” he said. “If true, viewed in the best light, these allegations demonstrate a puzzling and grotesque lack of understanding and poor judgment from high-level officials at a major federal agency with a wealth of prior experience with the Administrative Procedures Act.”

Mulrooney ordered the DEA or the movants to submit an update on the interlocutory appeal in 90 days. He also ordered more updates on the appeal process be submitted every 90 days until the appeal is settled.

Prior to cancelling the hearing, Mulrooney admonished the DEA for its “unprecedented and astonishing” failure to follow his instructions on submitting evidence for the proceedings. On several occasions, he had informed both the agency and potential witnesses that they should submit hard copies of all evidence they wanted considered in the hearing. He also rejected a DEA request for an exception to the rule.

Despite the judge’s directions, the DEA moved to submit thousands of public comments on the proposal to reschedule marijuana digitally via compact discs. Mulrooney rejected the motion in a ruling, citing his “clear and repeated directives.”

Mulrooney further stated; “The Government has not supplied the tribunal with a hard copy of the lengthy proposed exhibit which it represents as containing the Comments. In view of the fact that Government’s request for leave for an exception to the rules applicable to the rest of the Designated Participants was specifically denied, this action is clearly not a mistake borne of misunderstanding or inadvertence, but an action taken in deliberate defiance of specific direction. Even among the numerous extraordinary and puzzling actions taken thus far by the Government during the course of this litigation, this disobedience of an unequivocal directive from the tribunal is unprecedented and astonishing.”

The Legal Distinctions Between Descheduling and Rescheduling

The consequences between descheduling marijuana and rescheduling are enormous, both legally and practically. The rescheduling process is an inter-agency governmental process that normally takes years and is rife with all of the bureaucracy and inter-agency infighting and inter-agency turf battles often associated with the federal government.

In the case of rescheduling a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act, HHS was tasked with overseeing a medical and scientific analysis of marijuana. The department coordinated this review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which considered eight factors before making a control status recommendation.

Rescheduling cannabis would bring significant changes to industries, patients, and the economy.

Medical Cannabis Accessibility: Patients who rely on cannabis for pain management or chronic illnesses could access it more easily and affordably. Federal recognition of its medical benefits would reduce stigma and encourage broader acceptance.

Tax Relief for Cannabis Businesses: Current federal law (Section 280E) denies cannabis businesses tax deductions, resulting in effective tax rates of over 60%. Rescheduling would allow these businesses to operate like any other, fostering industry growth.

Banking and Investment Opportunities: Rescheduling could open the doors for cannabis companies to access traditional banking and attract investors, strengthening the legal market and reducing reliance on cash transactions.

More Research: Rescheduling would lower barriers for scientific research, enabling studies on cannabis’ medical benefits and long-term effects. This could pave the way for new treatments and better public health guidelines.

While rescheduling has its benefits, it’s not without challenges.

FDA Oversight: Stricter federal regulations could make it harder for smaller cannabis businesses to compete, potentially giving Big Pharma a dominant role in the industry.

State Law Conflicts: Many state-level cannabis programs don’t align with the stricter rules of Schedule III, leading to legal gray areas.

Limited Adult-Use Legalization: Rescheduling would primarily benefit medical cannabis users, leaving adult-use cannabis in legal limbo.

The Global Impacts Of Descheduling

Descheduling cannabis would have far-reaching implications beyond U.S. borders. Countries like Canada and Uruguay have already federally legalized cannabis without facing sanctions under international drug treaties. If the U.S. fully descheduled, it could set a global precedent, encouraging other nations to rethink their own cannabis policies.

Additionally, descheduling would:

Align federal and state laws, creating a cohesive regulatory framework.

Allow for the development of a robust interstate cannabis market.

Reduce criminal justice disparities caused by cannabis prohibition.

The Practical Distinctions Between Descheduling and Rescheduling

Most current marijuana operators would strongly prefer that cannabis be descheduled as opposed to rescheduled. If cannabis was descheduled, those operators likely would be allowed to operate largely as they currently operate and in a scheme resembling that of alcohol regulation. The rules would be primarily a function of existing state laws, and presumably interstate commerce in marijuana would be legal for the first time in half a century. Also, the federal oversight that would likely exist in a new descheduled cannabis industry could bring a welcomed dose of uniformity and certainty across the country for things like advertising limits, labeling, testing requirements, and how food-related products are regulated.

The Impact On Big Pharma

As noted above, if cannabis is rescheduled such that it remains a controlled substance, cannabis companies may have to comply with much more stringent FDA rules, and physicians may still face the question of whether they are permitted to prescribe medical cannabis or certify patients as being eligible to use cannabis in a medical program. Given the cost of FDA compliance and the attendant costs for research, development, and testing, existing marijuana operators may find themselves priced out of the market. If marijuana was listed as a Schedule III substance, it may be that cannabis will be brought to consumers courtesy of Big Pharma.

Big Pharma’s influence over the cannabis industry, depending on who you ask, would have its pros and cons. On the upside, large pharmaceutical companies have the resources to conduct sophisticated clinical trials and develop products that are required to be safe and effective for consumers. On the other hand – and this is the bad news for existing cannabis operators – placing the cannabis industry in the hands of pharmaceutical companies runs counter to how the industry developed and would pose a serious threat to the survival of many existing marijuana operators.

The Relationship Of Cannabis To Alcohol

Big Pharma won’t be the only major player in a descheduled or rescheduled cannabis industry. Recently, the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) released a public statement proclaiming that “the time has come for Congress to comprehensively legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis at the federal level.” In its memo, the WSWA makes the case for federal legalization and regulation by discussing what it dubs as the “Four Principles of Safe and Responsible Adult-use Cannabis Regulation.” Those four principles are:

1. The permitting of marijuana producers, importers, testing facilities, and distributors;

2. The approval and regulation of marijuana products;

3. The efficient and effective collection of federal excise tax; and

4. Effective measures to ensure public safety.

While the WSWA’s paper references a “shared state-federal regulatory structure,” its proposed model places much more of the regulatory oversight of a federally legal marijuana industry in the hands of the federal government over individual states.

Will The FDA Ever Relax Their Control On Cannabis

Others have expressed concern that a relaxation of marijuana’s controlled status could actually inadvertently upend the cannabis industry by potentially incentivizing and emboldening FDA to assume a more hands-on role with respect to marijuana, despite its largely laissez faire approach to hemp products.

If, for example, FDA is required to begin exercising the type of oversight over cannabis that it performs over existing manufacturers of controlled substances, marijuana operators are likely to face far closer scrutiny than they faced under any state regulation and be subject to far more significant operating costs than they already experience.

Advertising Cannabis Products

A less obvious result of rescheduling is that advertisements in newspapers, magazines and other media could also more easily travel across state lines. While not common, USPS has in the past issued warnings about marijuana mailings, noting in a 2015 letter to Congress that the CSA prohibits placing in “any newspaper, magazine, handbill, or other publications, any written advertisement knowing that it has the purpose of seeking or offering illegally to receive, buy, or distribute a Schedule I controlled substance” as well as using U.S. mail to facilitate “the commission of any act or acts constituting a felony.” At least one newspaper subsequently pulled marijuana ads in response to a warning it received.

If marijuana were moved into Schedule III, the obstacle to mailing marijuana advertisements would disappear. (Sending actual marijuana through the mail, of course, would still be subject to tight Schedule III restrictions.)

Others have noted the impact of rescheduling on federal employees and contractors, and the distinction may prove a difference:

The use of Schedule I and Schedule II drugs by federal government workers is prohibited under a 1986 executive order from then-President Ronald Reagan that established the Federal Drug-Free Workplace program. While individual agencies have adopted their own policies regarding drug use, many are rooted in the Reagan order. Because that order defines “illegal drugs” as only those in Schedules I and II, some attorneys believe rescheduling to Schedule III could lift marijuana restrictions that currently apply to all federal workers.

Other legal experts weren’t so sure. Shane Pennington, a partner at the law firm Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, cautioned that “various agencies have their own internal policies that would not necessarily change automatically as the result of cannabis being transferred to Schedule III.”

People who work as third-party federal contractors or grantees, however, would likely not see a policy shift as the result of rescheduling. Under federal law governing public contracts, contractors may not possess or use a “controlled substance,” defined as any drug “in schedules I through V” of the CSA.

The Impact On Cannabis Research

Rescheduling would also mean sweeping changes for cannabis research, removing many of the barriers to obtaining and using cannabis for scientific investigation. A key Senate committee recently noted that the drug’s Schedule I designation means scientists face “limited access to sources” of marijuana, further hobbling research. Of course, the 2022 Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act has its own provisions and requirements specific to marijuana research that must be complied with – separate and apart from other federal statutes applicable to federal marijuana research.

Schedule III rules would also still stand in the way of researchers trying to study the marijuana available on licensed, adult-use retail markets in legal states.

Existing State Cannabis Laws

DEA putting marijuana into Schedule III of the federal CSA could nevertheless trigger changes in some state laws. That’s because, in some cases, state laws themselves follow the federal CSA.

Essentially, some states have triggering laws that make the state’s scheduling correspond with a schedule change automatically, and then others don’t. Thus, it requires a 50-state analysis of which states do it automatically and then making sure that’s implemented. And then for states that don’t, that legislative and administrative process usually has to happen. In other words, federal rescheduling would likely spark a cascade of changes at the state level, most related to medical marijuana.

The Political Implications of Rescheduling vs. Descheduling

Aside from the array of formal changes that rescheduling would bring about, it could also embolden lawmakers at the state and federal levels to push for further cannabis reforms. With the federal government formally acknowledging that marijuana has medical benefits and is no longer among the class of the most dangerous drugs, the move could lessen stigma toward cannabis use, especially for medical purposes.

The HHS rescheduling memo is momentous largely because, as Hauser pointed out, it represents the U.S. government recognizing that marijuana, contrary to the definition of a Schedule I substance, has “currently accepted medical use.” Though the acknowledgment comes decades after many patients, voters and even elected officials arrived at the same conclusion, it’s nevertheless a historic milestone. But it’s also worth keeping in perspective: The HHS recommendation on its face says essentially that marijuana ought to be classified alongside substances like ketamine and testosterone.

Cannabis Stocks Are Growing Like A Weed

Perhaps to the surprise of no one, cannabis stocks skyrocketed on the news of the potential rescheduling. These stocks, which have suffered vast declines of between 30% to 80% in the past few years, are slowly climbing higher on the expectation that DEA will follow the lead of HHS. The influx of money into cannabis companies offers huge potential for growth in the industry.

Whether you’re passionate about sustainability, social justice, or public health, the fight to end cannabis prohibition impacts us all. Industrial hemp could revolutionize industries like textiles, construction, and energy, while medical cannabis offers life-changing relief to millions of patients. Legalizing recreational cannabis would generate billions in tax revenue and create thousands of jobs.

So, what’s holding us back? Outdated laws, stigma, and misinformation. By sharing knowledge and advocating for change, we can push the conversation forward and build a future where cannabis is treated as the powerful, versatile resource it truly is.

Cannabis legalization isn’t just about lighting up; it’s about lighting the way to a healthier, more equitable, and sustainable future. Share this article, talk to your friends, and stay informed. Together, we can end prohibition and unlock the full potential of this incredible plant.

Visit Deschedule.Earth to keep up to date on this topic.

Below is a FREE TO DOWNLOAD marijuana music MP3 by The Echo Movement.

Ganja

[brigittas-writing-nook]

Brie's Update: Reflections in the time of Covid

I know, it has been a while since I've given you a Brie's update. I thought I posted an one in August. Apparently not. At any rate, let's dive in.

Covid finally caught me

It took four and a half years, but Covid finally caught up to me. I'm not thrilled about this, in case you're wondering. Not only does it make breathing difficult, it has put a very not-needed stopper into my schedule. I don't know which is worse, the stuffed up nose, the angry lungs, or the nasty metallic aftertaste the medicine (which I'm thankful exists) leaves in your mouth! Covid is no fun, and I don't recommend it. What I do recommend is this: get vaccinated if you haven't! If you have, make sure you stay up on your boosters. Please. I want to see your lovely faces sticking around for a while, because...

A new idea has formed

I've been thinking about creating a poetry chapbook for a while now. Trouble is, I've been struggling with what to put in it. Did I want it to have a theme? Did I want to focus on a specific subject or two? I wasn't sure, and I was trying to figure it out all summer, but then...

A year has passed

For those who don't know, my mother, Marlene Davis, died August 30, 2023. It was one of the hardest days of my life, and the decision to take her off life support was both painful and merciful. I hated that my sister and I had to do it, but I wouldn't have made any other choice. Mom is at peace (and happily sitting on my bookshelf, since I got custody of the urn), and that is what matters. I learned some things from that. Having the awkward and uncomfortable conversations beforehand surrounding living wills, wills, and funeral arrangements cuts down on so much uncertainty and confusion in a time of profound grief. Mom's end-of-life preferences made our decision easier to make. In the end, the right thing to do was respect her wishes. Having a will is crucial to making your beneficiaries' lives easier in this process. Mom didn't have one, but, thanks to living in an apartment, she didn't have a large estate, so it was significantly less of a hassle. Having funeral arrangements done (and paid for) ahead of time would have made our lives easier. By needing to save money, though, we did have to not honor one wish: we ended up not interring her ashes in a cemetery plot (I'm happier about this, because I kind of like having Mom hanging out on a shelf).

More than a day

When mourning someone as close to me as Mom was, I realized, during August, that mourning this anniversary involved more than the day she died. Mom had a rough go for about two and a half months. She had three surgeries, two strokes, and a bout of pneumonia during that time. Her poor body just couldn't keep up. And my sister, my mother's best friend, and I spent practically every day with her when she was in the hospital. It was a painful time, and it lasted for more than one day. It's a time period I've had to mourn, as well.

Reflections on death

I have done a lot of reflecting on death in the past month. Not just on Mom's passing, but on the concept itself, particularly the anthropomorphic ideal of death. And this reflection has created quite a bit of poetry Yes, you guessed it. I figured out what subjects I want to cover in the chapbook. And, yes, I realize how morbid that sounds, but the mind processes how the mind processes. And, apparently, mine has been doing so through poetry. So look forward to a new chapbook from me soon. I would love to publish it on her birthday, November 14, but that might be a lofty goal. Maybe in time for her favorite holiday? That gives me another four weeks. Here is one of the poems I wrote during this time of reflection. Nearly a Year It has been nearly a year Since your new journey began In a place I couldn’t go to – That beautiful, distant land. The world is a little empty Since you went away. And life has taken weird turns – I wonder what you’d say. Would you tell me I was crazy To take such an uncertain path? Or would you tell me how proud you are To see me make dreams come to pass? Sometimes a year passes quickly, But this year has dragged on. And I desperately miss you Now that you are gone. I hope you realize, Wherever you have flown – You were the first person I met, And the greatest I’ve ever known. Copyright 2024 Brigitta Shannon Rose if you want to support me, visit my Patreon or Buy me a Coffee. I like coffee; it keeps me going. Patreon That's all for now. Stay fabulous, y'all! Read the full article

[the-garbage-will-do-1138]

Another year gone

Tomorrow is a new year and I guess it’s my duty to give a life update so, here it goes.

January: I realized that the company I was working for was not one I wanted to stick with once I found out they had lied about the benefits package.

February: Taylor and I saw Footloose: The Musical at Beef & Boards

March: I celebrated my 30th birthday and it was a lot less terrifying than I thought it was gonna be.

April: Taylor and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary by driving to Cincinnati to see Lewis Capaldi in concert. It was such a good show and we were lucky to see him when we did. This turned out to be one of his last shows because of his medical issues making it more difficult for him to continue touring.

May: We celebrated Taylor’s 27th birthday

June: We just worked a lot.

July: We saw Taylor Swift in Cincinnati with some friends. It was an incredible experience that I’ll never forget.

Taylor’s dad passed away mid-July

The Barbie movie came out and is now one of my favorite movies I’ve ever seen

I was cast in and started rehearsal for my first Shakespeare play, Love’s Labour’s Lost, as Boyet.

August: We saw five different bands play in August. Amon Amarth, a Viking metal band opened for Ghost at the TCU Amphitheater and we were able to get barrier in the pit. Insane show where Taylor and I both got really sunburnt and heat sick but it was worth it. Two days later we drove back to Indy to the Ruoff Music Center and saw three bands I’ve loved since I was a teenager, Simple Plan, Sum 41, and The Offspring. Yet another incredible show. To finish out the month, Taylor and I were both cast in Creative Arts Councils production of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” It was Taylor’s first time ever acting in a play and I was really proud of her for stepping out of her comfort zone.

September: I performed in “Love’s Labour’s Lost” with Parlor City Shakespeare Company. We had three different performances and they all had a really good turnout. Right after finishing Shakespeare, rehearsals for Sleepy Hollow started.

We had another concert scheduled for the 22nd but Taylor wasn’t feeling well so we sold the tickets and stayed home. Then, September 26th happened. The most important day of my life was just a normal Tuesday for everybody else. While at work, Taylor still wasn’t feeling well and decided to take a pregnancy test during our lunch break. The results were literally instant and something we had tried for 5+ years and actually given up on had happened. Taylor was pregnant! (We didn’t go back to work that day)

October: My employer informed me that the company doesn’t give out raises so I tripled my efforts to find a new job.

We went to our first ultrasound and the baby looked like a seahorse. The pregnancy was confirmed by several doctors and it became very real.

We went to Beef & Boards again, this time joined by Bart, and saw “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” I’ve seen dozens of shows by them and this was one of the best.

The last weekend of the month we had four performances of Sleepy Hollow and Taylor became a thespian

We officially announced the pregnancy to the world.

I took my one week of vacation and started a new job with actual benefits and a $3 pay raise. I never came back from my vacation. I texted my resignation to my boss because that was the level of respect they had earned from me and his response was “Good deal.” Good riddance.

November: November was spent with me getting the hang of my new job. I also cooked a 22lb Turkey for thanksgiving and it only took 6 hours and two mental break downs but it sure tasted good.

December: Had a work Christmas party and actually got enough (paid) time off to make this holiday season memorable. Our last Christmas as a family of two was one of our best.

All in all, 2023 has been one of the best years of my life. I’m still broke but it’s slowly getting better. I love my new job because I’m respected and I actually matter. I love my wife and family and am so excited to welcome our baby in May of 2024. If this is what life in your 30s is like, I’m glad to be out of my 20s. It gets better and I’m glad I’m here to experience it!

[afr0-thunder]

[Poor Chronicles Pt. 10]

I just found out clownfish release something called “anemone” and it is poison. Mostly for predators, but I can’t risk cleaning their tank if that is a risk I may encounter. Browsing new fish.

I was denied a shift at work…at 6am. I know why, NOW, but that will not stop me from no longer picking up shifts for the foreseeable future if it’s not necessary. I believe it’s the only thing I don’t have training in and being trained in that is not only stressful, but I believe it would require me a management offer (again), which I am no longer interested in. Stress someone else out. I believe I’ll have 50 new coworkers after this scheduling hiatus. They scheduled me 5 hours one week the last time I did this. Shit was hilarious. I was just considering getting new work pants so I could show up more often. I’ll still get them, but back to barely showing up. The shift’s requirements should’ve been specified and I don’t like the unnecessary hostility that I pretend doesn’t exist. Maybe having more money isn’t something I should care about. I couldn’t care less as to why I’m placed on this undesirable path. Embracing the poor is dire.

I don’t see how people making $30K to $40K struggle and it’s not enough (Others). You’re a literal crackhead or a drunken slob if you read this and thought I’m in that range. That’s not poor. You decided the car payments were in range. How much is your fucking living situation, which is totally on you for how expensive it is depending on your standards? That’s your fault if you want an apartment complex with a gym, marble floors, the latest kitchen appliances, etc… Between living situations and food, your biggest issues seem to be car payments, gas, car insurance, phone bill (landlines still exist). The rest is just additional “guilty pleasures”. I understand if you don’t make enough for furniture and other things, but who do you need to impress (trick into believing you’re wealthier) with purchases. You can always slowly work your way up to it, so long as you NEED it.

I don’t use most of the things listed above because I will never need most of those “issues”, as I’ve come to a decision to never use them again in life due to necessity and strict lifestyle. My only guilty pleasures are cooking food and weed, but I don’t necessarily need to cook those types of foods and I had to prove to the CRA(L)COHOLICS that weed is not “addictive” by taking July off. Resumed for one purchase in the beginning of August, and now am nearing a 2nd month sober since then. I can fit it into my funds, I just prefer to not and spend it on other necessities. It’s strictly just poking fun at those who live for liver/kidney failure at this point.

I don’t even need the extra money. I’m at a great stock for most things that I will need, so I won’t complain about income. It certainly will lift a weight, but I think my story will be funnier surviving through a situation most would budget horribly in. Will I tell it publicly, probably not. It just shines the light on why most people’s peak will be $30-$80K (MAYBE $100K). The reason is, they only know success, never struggle. You are only placed high, so when others pass you there is no excuse. When I reach my high, I won’t be passed because in Chicago, (I) am UNDEFEATED!

EDIT: Using this as advice to save money will only result in a later downfall. You might think, “How could I suffer from a downfall? This just saved my life! I see the fault in my ways.”. You are the type to think karma is not a sequence of events for a downfall, but rather an “imaginary” dark energy. That’s why everyone laughs when it occurs. Suit yourself. It hurts worse when you drag it on.

- MH (2023)

[clovercoin]

CloverCoin August 2023 Art Pack and Updates

[ ORIGINAL PATREON POST + ART PACK ] HEY PEEPERS! It was a very exhausting break, but I think we're getting all caught up. House is 60% cleaner, we only have 2 rooms left to majorly declutter and clean up. This be slowly happen over the next month or so. Already making us feel so much better in our home! I got my root canal completed and finally installed my permeant crown on my problem tooth! But we have about 5 more problem fillings that need to be replaced ASAP or else those teeth will fracture and need the whole root canal + crown treatments like my first two. Shivers... absolutely NO THANK YOU. I've already scheduled the next dentist appointment to get started on that.  Our health insurance is giving us a lot of run around about which providers we can visit and at the end of nearly 50  or more calls we think we can actually continue to see my current doctor. So we'll have to make more appointments with them to get medication renewed and adjusted since I'm still 100% off everything at the moment and it is stressfulllllllllllllllll. Speaking of stressful, we also had a couple of health scares with our oldest dog Ollie (Apollo), turns out he does have a heart condition that was causing some severe coughing fits. He has been tested and the we have a treatment plan to follow up on. At this time we think he has a the potential to make a full recovery! So fingers crossed our old boy continues to recover. His energy is back 100% so he must be feeling better already. ;v; (I swear this part took up most of the month.) After doing so much offline... I can safely say now I want a break from all of that. Let me just live as an online digital person for a week or two, haha.

(PATREON STICKER AND MERCH REWARDS)

The only item on our to do list that wasn't happened was mailing out July reward packages. These mail out rewards will be bundled into your September rewards so when you get your package early this month you should have rewards from both months! Just happy to finally feel like I'm no longer miles and miles behind on everything I needed to do. I have a couple of owed art commissions left from my pile and then I might consider opening for more! For now let's just enjoy the doodle ride~ Thank you everyone for all of your patience while we get our lives a little more organized. I really appreciate all the support and cheering on you all had to offer. Thank you SO much!! AJD . ART

[fivestarrunningramblings]

Labor Day

September 2023

Five Star’s Labor Day 5k/10/15k is coming up on September 4th and I am really looking forward to it. It has been so hot & humid here in Georgia this summer that my 5k schedule has reduced tremendously. In August, I only completed one race, the Mustard Seed 5k on August 6. It was a fun race on a familiar course at the Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academy in Suwanee. It’s mostly flat but has a couple of kick-butt hills. I managed to squeak out a bronze medal age group award. It was also fun catching up with my racing buddies, a definite perk of racing!

Since I haven’t been going to my local park to run this summer, I had to get creative with my fitness. During the week, I participate in a morning Hard QiGong & Stretching class. I’ve been doing this class for several years and really love it. We’ve also been heading to the Georgia & NC mountains quite a bit for hiking. It’s still hot up there, but morning hikes have been bearable. I am really looking forward to the lower temps that should be coming this way soon so I can get back on the track.

The Labor Day holiday brings lots of running opportunities over the course of the 3-day weekend. There are several big races in the metro Atlanta/north Georgia area. Five Star’s Labor Day races are an annual event held in Kennesaw. It brings out lots of people with a choice of 3 races. The event is free to all first responders (police, firefighters, EMT). They offer great shirts or you can save a few bucks and option not to receive a shirt. My favorite swag, of course, is the Finisher’s Medal, which is the 3rd of their Patriotic Series medals. I hope to see you there! I’ll also be at Express Your Super Power 5k on September 30 at Etowah River Park in Canton GA. 

Happy Labor Day and Happy Running!

Kerry

Dan & I with running & cyclist-extraordinaire, Clem Bell, at the Mustard Seed 5k in August.

Looking forward to adding the Labor Day Finisher's Medal to my 2023 Patriotic Race collection.

[lilacmingi]

☆ ABOUT ME

Lila • she/her • 98 liner • armystaytiny • multi • christian

I write imagines on Wattpad and have been writing on the app since I was 14. I wanted to expand my audience and write for other groups (besides BTS and ATEEZ), so I created an account here to do just that. I’ve had a personal account since 2013, however, this is my first writing blog and I’m excited to share my works with a new audience! ♡

If anyone is interested, you can find my stan list here!

☆ GUIDELINES + BLOG INFO

This blog is 14+ ONLY please DO NOT interact with me or my works if you’re under 14. While I don’t write smut, my works often contain spicy make out scenes and I’m NOT comfortable with kids reading or interacting with them

If you have an empty/default layout blog I will block you. If your age isn’t on your account and I think you’re under 14 I will block you. If you’re uncomfortable disclosing your age publicly but you’re worried about getting blocked you’re more than welcome to DM me privately and let me know. I go through my block list on occasion and unblock those who’ve added their age to their account, so if you want to be unblocked please add your age to your account

I IMMEDIATELY BLOCK ACCOUNTS LIKE THESE

This blog is just for funsies, so I don’t have an update schedule and will not be taking requests so please don’t ask.

Please DO NOT spam-like my works. Reading an imagine, liking it, and moving on to read the next one is okay! But if you’re going through and liking multiple imagines one after another consecutively without reading them, I might end up blocking you. Spam-liking can get me shadowbanned and I don’t want that! If you want to like multiple imagines to read later, like my masterlist instead. All of my works are there!

I DO NOT accept criticism. I’m sensitive and personally can’t handle it. However, if you approach me kindly and ask first, I’d most likely be willing to listen! Always make sure the writer is okay with criticism before you give it please! Some people can handle it while others cannot.

All imagines are fem reader, as that’s what I’m most comfortable writing, but all are welcome here! <3

Reader is always intended to be an adult, unless the imagine takes place in high school.

Most works are one part unless it’s a series. If the imagine originally came from Wattpad, it will NOT have a second part. My extra parts are planned so if there’s another part, I’ll say so in my author’s note :) if an imagine says no part 2 there will not be another part so please don’t ask.

TAGS — #chats with lila (asks) • #lila’s rambles (random posts/reblogs) • #feedback 🖤💜 (feedback from you guys!) • #lila gets delusional (fic reblogs) • #living with 8 vampires (everything related to my Ateez LW8V series)

☆ SOCIALS

Wattpad: lilacmingi

I won’t be sharing ALL imagines here, so if you would like to read more of my stuff, Wattpad is where you’ll find it!

Instagram: lilacmingi

Spoilers for future Ateez imagines are posted here. I’m very active on my IG story and mostly use it to fangirl about idols and comebacks. I sometimes post writing updates and the occasional sneak peek of my drafts

Account created: August 23, 2023

DO NOT steal, plagiarize, copy, repost, alter, or translate my works in any way

[fringing-with-mr-dennis]

Catching up with awesome friends and relatives

Day 25

Thursday, August 25, 2023

Today was the final performance of bag— here at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe!  We had a good house and good show.

Now is not the time to perform a “post-mortem” on the show—it’s too fresh—but I’m going to need to reexamine lots of details with this particular show if I intend to ever perform it again!

But, it was a wonderful day to connect with friends—as well as make new friends!  This is just that kind of place!!!

Unfortunately, my sisters, Renee and Carla, were flying from Kansas City to get here in time to see the show today, but there flight was delayed leaving the States and they missed every connection thereafter and only just got to Edinburgh about 30 minutes ago – a full 10 hours after they were scheduled to arrive.

Hopefully, they’ll get their bags and reached their hotel room by soon!!! I'm sure they're exhausted!!!

But, one of my most special moments of this entire trip has been reconnecting with my cousin, Gina Young Hinson, from Beaumont, Texas – who I don’t think I’ve seen since we were kids. 

And I’ve had the best time spending time with her and her friends!

Tonight, Gina made reservations at the Johnny Walker Rooftop Bar on Princess Street—the flagship Johnny Walker boutique!  It’s amazing!!!

And so is the rooftop bar!

Plus, you get a great view to watch the castle fireworks as part of the nightly Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo!

Next time you’re in town, be sure to make reservations!

The sisters have just sent a text confirming they've arrived at their hotel.

I told them to sleep as late as they can and I'll catch up with them tomorrow.

[thetoxicgamer]

Borderlands meets Dead Cells as 9/10 roguelite sets Steam release date

As RyseUp Studios' roguelite first-person shooter Roboquest—now published by Payday creator Starbreeze Entertainment—gets ready for its full 1.0 debut on Steam, it will exit early access in the autumn. With Dead Cells-style fast-paced action, loot fit for Borderlands, and that genuine "one more run" compulsion, Roboquest is definitely one of the most alluring roguelites I've played in a while. Its complete release is scheduled to appear in the coming months. For those of you not acquainted with Roboquest, it’s a slick, fast-paced shooter with a Borderlands-like cartoon aesthetic that loads you up with randomized guns and loot that would feel quite at home in the Gearbox series. It draws from the best roguelikes to create a structure that gives you plenty of potential to customize and refine your builds over the course of each run, along with the option for two-player co-op. With super smooth, fast-paced movement and shooting at its disposal, Roboquest has felt great to play since it first launched via early access in August 2020. If you’re familiar with Dead Cells, you’ll quickly pick up on Roboquest’s stat system – each stat buffs certain aspects of your character, and weapons will specialize in one particular stat or, in some cases, your character’s highest value stat from a choice of two. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQP7jxoeaq8 I tried Roboquest out on a whim when it first arrived on Microsoft’s Game Pass service and was instantly hooked, finding myself losing hours to that ‘one more run’ sensation thanks to just how good it feels. The gameplay and its challenging boss fights kept me coming back for more, but even at those early stages of development I felt like I had a lot of potential to create some wildly different builds and still make them effective. There’s a ton of variety to the weapons, from assault rifles to bows, grenade launchers, laser cannons dual machine pistols, and beyond, and they’re all incredibly fulfilling to blast down the various robot hordes with. This means your approach to a run can feel very different – choose a ranged precision tool and hang back, or rush in guns blazing amidst the chaos. It’s all up to you. As you progress through the levels, you’ll have to be versatile by changing your weapons to match the increased enemy difficulty – but thankfully with plenty of loot drops and chests that give you options, I’ve rarely felt stumped for choice. The whole thing is scored by a thumping, driving soundtrack from synthwave expert Noisecream, and it’s so good you’ll want to keep listening to it even when you put the game down for the night. Roboquest release date - gameplay screenshot of a boss fight. The player shoots at a large robot in the middle of an arena, as the enemy deploys cones of dangerous fire on the floor.The full Roboquest release date will see the game’s final level (and its corresponding boss) introduced to the game, along with five alternative levels to explore and fight your way through. Another class has been added, and a blend of new and reworked perks should offer even greater run customization than before. There’s four new weapon types, over 15 additional enemies, and plenty of quests and secrets to uncover. Roboquest releases on Steam and the Xbox app in Fall 2023. You can add it to your Steam wishlist, or buy it now for $19.99 / £16.75 to get right in and start playing the early access version. It’s also available as part of Microsoft’s PC Game Pass library, so if you’re a subscriber you can check it out at no additional cost. Alternatively, we’ve got more of the best co-op games to keep you and your friends having plenty of fun. Alternatively, browse the best free PC games and you’ll be surprised by just how much high-quality gaming can be yours for absolutely nothing. Read the full article