#and became the president of yap city

[hiirenvirnas]

Yap city yap yap 🗣

[bountyofbeads]

What Happens When Ordinary People End Up in Trump’s Tweets https://nyti.ms/32bCiou

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What Happens When Ordinary People End Up in Trump’s Tweets

By MATT FLEGENHEIMER | Published Nov. 2, 2019 | New York Times | Posted November 3, 2019 |

McCALLA, Ala. — The evening of April 29 passed like many others for Ben Rawls, a fire lieutenant in Tuscaloosa: settled in the rocking chair on his porch, amid empty beer cans and mosquito-fighting candles, tweeting to an audience of dozens until he got sleepy.

“Granted I am in Alabama,” Mr. Rawls, 45, wrote around 11 p.m., after a major firefighters’ union endorsed Joseph R. Biden Jr. for president, “but most of the firefighters I talk to are voting @realDonaldTrump.”

The morning of May 1, some 36 hours later, was less typical.

Mr. Rawls showered and took his daughters to school. He ignored his phone, until it yapped so insistently that he had to look. An ashbin of Twitter comments greeted him: Racist. Moron. “‘Toothless’ — that was a good one,” he recalled.

The most curious posts disputed Mr. Rawls’s very existence. Strangers accused him of being a bot. He replied to one with a video he recorded in his pickup. “Here I am,” he said to the camera. “No faking here.”

All told, it took about 12 hours for him to solve the mystery. Back in his rocking chair, he stared at a fellow Twitter user’s note of congratulations: Mr. Rawls had been retweeted by the president of the United States.

Along with the Republican allies, Fox News hosts and conspiracy-mongering trolls whose messages President Trump pinballs across the political arena, he has also elevated regular people whose words he finds pleasing. Perhaps no group understands the praise-seeking cyclone that is @realDonaldTrump better than these arbitrary few who have lived inside it, briefly and usually unwittingly.

Their brushes with cybercelebrity are a portal into the Twitter feedback loop powered and experienced by Mr. Trump — dark, caustic, skimpy on nuance — where the ripples of a single presidential tweet can be hard to fathom unless measured against the relative anonymity to which these users were accustomed. Mr. Rawls got 2,700 retweets and 14,000 “likes” with the boost from Mr. Trump. The reach of his tweets before and since, he estimated, was approximately zero.

For many of the retweeted, the temporary platform stands as a testament to a style of politics they have never seen before — one that has bonded the president to his followers, virtual or otherwise.

“No other president has ever done stuff like this,” said Curtis Vincent, a 35-year old in Bowling Green, Ky., who operates one of the more than 215 unverified accounts Mr. Trump has retweeted since taking office. “They’ve been on a higher pedestal.”

Mr. Rawls, Mr. Vincent and several others were retweeted by Mr. Trump on May 1 after responding to a post by a Fox News personality, Dan Bongino, about the fire union’s endorsing Mr. Biden.

Joining them in temporary Twitter fame was Joelle Palombo, 46, a Southern California resident with 11 followers, who had largely used her account to cheer on her daughter’s soccer team. But after Mr. Bongino tweeted that “NONE of the firemen” he knew were with Mr. Biden, she replied with a note of support for Mr. Trump from one “fire family” out West.

The flood of reactions so spooked Ms. Palombo that she enlisted her teenage son to help block anyone she saw in her feed. The purge took three days, she said, and included the president, who she did not realize had retweeted her until a reporter told her months later.

“I went and looked at his account, and I blocked him,” Ms. Palombo said of Mr. Trump. “That’s how scared I was. I’m just one tiny hair on a dog. Are you kidding me?”

Although her affection for the president persists, Ms. Palombo questions the value of his favored medium. “How many hours of the day do people put in to do this?” she said. “I don’t need to have a voice on this. I’ll vote.”

Others have found more purpose in the practice. Mr. Rawls described himself as a reluctant Trump voter in 2016. He preferred Ted Cruz during the Republican primary, and he winces at some of the president’s choices, including insulting John McCain well after the senator’s death.

But as the 2020 election approaches, Mr. Rawls suggests, the president’s Twitter output is a more effective galvanizer than even the slickest campaign ad. “The tweeting doesn’t bother me so much anymore,” he said. “I don’t really feel like I wasted a vote.”

And the validation of the president’s retweet has encouraged his own more quarrelsome instincts. “Before all this happened, I would type something out and say, ‘People will think I’m crazy,’” he recalled, citing prospective tweets that he scrapped.

Since May, these second thoughts have been rarer. He has called Anthony Scaramucci, the former White House communications director, a “bitter jerk.” He has shared a doctored video of Speaker Nancy Pelosi appearing to slur her words. He has weaponized a gif of Judge Judy (“Either you are playing dumb, or it’s not an act”) to mock Representative Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat promoting gun control.

“I’m a little bit less of a wallflower than I used to be,” Mr. Rawls said, crediting Mr. Trump’s retweet. “I guess you could say I was more emboldened.”

CATCHING HIS EYE

Capital letters help. Sentence structure can be disregarded. Mornings, East Coast time, are best.

Grabbing Mr. Trump’s attention on Twitter is more art than science — and, often, more fluke than art. But some who have been retweeted say there are certain flourishes that can improve the odds.

The surest path is echoing Mr. Trump’s voice. The user @fiiibuster, whose profile boasts that he has been retweeted twice by the president, has built a following of more than 38,000 accounts — and won the digital stamp of approval from a man with 66 million — through a steady offering of posts that resemble Mr. Trump’s own. Among the words in @fiiibuster’s retweeted messages: “security,” “prosperity,” “America first,” “Pathetic,” “bad reporter,” “shame!”

In other cases, Mr. Trump has gravitated toward those who share his taste in reading. A few weeks ago, he retweeted Cathy Buffaloe, 70, a retired librarian in Walton County, Ga., after she quoted a Wall Street Journal column criticizing Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

When she told her husband what had happened, he asked if she had simply dreamed it. She took screenshots to show to friends and gained about 200 followers. “It isn’t often that ‘regular’ people have an opportunity to be heard concerning national issues,” Ms. Buffaloe said in an email.

J. T. Lewis, a 19-year-old Republican candidate for the Connecticut State Senate whose brother Jesse was killed in the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, was retweeted last year after writing a flattering message to Mr. Trump. When he traveled to Washington months later to meet with the president as part of a school safety event, Mr. Lewis brought a printout of the tweet.

“He smirked and signed it,” he said. “It’s in my room somewhere.”

Mr. Lewis said he hoped the president’s imprimatur would show that Mr. Trump was not in league with the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who has spread bogus claims about the Sandy Hook shooting, including asserting that the victims’ families were actors and part of a plot to confiscate guns. (In 2015, Mr. Trump appeared on Mr. Jones’s “Infowars” program and praised him.)

But Mr. Lewis is skeptical that getting through to Mr. Trump owes to any elaborate strategy. “I don’t think things are planned out the way we think they are from the outside,” he said. “I think that was literally just: Guy in pajamas, ‘Oh, this is a nice tweet.’”

THE WRONG IVANKA

“The fingers aren’t as good as the brain,” the president once explained, discussing the typos he makes on Twitter.

And those fingers have at times conferred a spotlight on unsuspecting tweeters with low opinions of him.

In a tweet one night in January 2017, just before his inauguration, Mr. Trump shared a message calling his daughter Ivanka “a woman with real character and class” and tagging @ivanka.

That Twitter handle belongs to Ivanka Majic, 45, a technology researcher in Brighton, England, who shares a first name and little else with the president’s daughter. Ms. Majic woke up to media inquiries and a dilemma.

“There’s a decision to be made,” she said in an interview. “If you’re going to say something, what are you going to say?”

Ms. Majic recognized she would probably never be handed a megaphone like this again. “He was a bit unlucky, really, that it was my Twitter account,” she said.

She settled on this: “You’re a man with great responsibilities. May I suggest more care on Twitter and more time learning about #climatechange.”

Instantly, Ms. Majic became something of a local luminary as her progressive city strained to process Mr. Trump’s victory. Days later, at the London chapter of the global Women’s March, one attendee’s sign read, “@Ivanka, loving your work!”

In the years since, Ms. Majic has celebrated an annual “Trumpiversary” to mark the occasion. But one news clipping from the time still grates.

“There was one article that said, ‘Ivanka only has 2,700 followers,’” she remembered. “I was like, ‘That’s quite good for a normal person!’”

_______

Karen Yourish and Larry Buchanan contributed reporting. Kitty Bennett contributed research. Produced by Gray Beltran and Rumsey Taylor.

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[kenzieam]

The Reaper and the Vixen - Chapter One (Eric X Fox)

Rating: M

Genre: Drama, Eventual Angst

Thanks everyone for the re-blogs and support!!! IT IS SO AWESOME!!!

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A huge thank you to my right hand and Jai-sister @iammarylastar ! Quelle equipe!

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A new AU story featuring Biker Eric and Fox, I hope you enjoy!

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Eric cursed loudly as the wrench in his hand slipped and he barked his knuckle hard enough to draw blood.

"Motherfucker!"

He pointedly ignored the snickering coming from behind the Fatboy a few feet away and sucked irritably at the offended knuckle. Grabbing the dropped wrench Eric contemplated throwing it at the happy bastard still laughing at him when he heard his name called.

"Hey, Eric?"

He turned to see a petite blond walking towards them and couldn't stop an answering grin. Tris stopped and leaned against the other bike, smiling down at the happy bastard, her husband Four, when he looked up at her from where he was sitting beside it.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Your dickhead old man keeps laughing at me," Eric grumbled.

Tris rolled her eyes at Four. "Behave Tobias."

Now it was Four's turn to grumble, drawing an smug grin from Eric.

"What do you need?" Eric asked, turning back to his own bike and it’s knuckle-busting engine.

"My cousin's coming down for a few weeks, I was hoping to bring her over."

"Yeah, no problem. She belong to anyone?" There were certain rules to follow when another club's old lady came by, even for a family visit.

"No, she's never really even been around bikes, certainly not any MCs." At Eric's incredulous stare Tris laughed.

"How the hell is she even related to you?"

"You knew my dad had a brother."

"Yeah, Hound had a twin. Identical, right?"

"Yeah. Uncle Tommy took off to university just as daddy started prospecting, became a structural engineer. He's worked all over the world and took his wife and kids with him. Well, now my cousin’s graduated herself and moved to Seattle. She's an architect but isn’t really feeling it in the city."

Eric whistled. "Architect, huh?"

"She did tattooing and body mod on the side for extra scratch during university, and I know Beasley is thinking about retiring; maybe she'll buy the parlour and move down here. She said all she needs for her job is Wifi, so she doesn't need to stay in Seattle."

Eric pondered this quietly. He'd only been the President of The Hessians for a few months, and was still settling into the role. Four was his vice-president and best friend, and Tris' was Four's old lady; even though members of motorcycle clubs were like family, and called each other brother, Eric was especially close to Four and Tris, if anything went awry with her cousin, he'd feel responsible.

"What's her name?"

"Fox. My aunt is kind of a hippy."

Eric nodded. "I'll spread the word, she'll be under my protection when she's here, Four's too. No one will hassle her."

Tris grinned, "she can handle herself, don't worry." Four mumbled something and Tris glanced down at him and nodded.

"I'm sure she'll want some privacy when she's here, would she be able to rent that last unit for a month or so?"

The Hessians owned and ran a number of local businesses for revenue, and one was an apartment complex on the edge of town.

"Pretty sure, just double check with Shaggy that he doesn't have anyone else lined up first."

Tris nodded, pushing gently off the bike she was leaning on and stepped over to Eric. Reaching down she pressed a quick kiss to the top of his head. "Thanks, Eric."

"No problem Cricket, when she getting in?"

"I'll call her and tell her everything's a go. She's driving down, so sometime in the next few days."

Eric chewed his lip and nodded. They were in Northern California, so it wouldn't take long for Fox to drive once she started out.

After Tris left Four poked his head out from behind his bike, his deep-set brown eyes twinkling with merriment. “You’ll have to behave yourself, Reaper.”

"What?" Eric replied, distracted; this motherfucking bolt just wouldn't let go.

"Good genes man. Tris is smokin’ and so’s her cousin. Fox.... is a fox.”

“Uh-huh.”

“You’re not even listening, okay; but just wait until you see her. And you need to settle down, you’re President now, need an old lady.”

Eric snorted, there was no law that the President needed to be committed to one woman, and he’d never felt the impulse or desire to attach himself to any girl in particular. He had a few preferred house mouses, but none he felt strongly enough about to put his patch on. Four had been on his back to settle down ever since he’d married Tris and Eric didn’t even bother to pay attention anymore. A wrench thumped against his shoulder and Eric snapped his head to glare at Four, knowing instantly that he was responsible. A maniacal grin was his only answer and Eric rolled his eyes with a grunt, turning back to his bike.

***************************************************************************************************************************************************** The clubhouse was noisy, but that was nothing new. Eric was seated at a wooden booth, going over his agenda for tomorrow’s Church. Brothers and their old ladies drifted in and out constantly, and club bunnies moved from lap to lap; the roar and growl of Harley’s outside was a constant, soothing white noise. Doc and Denver were playing some loud car racing game on the Xbox and had attracted a few enthusiastic spectators, while Panhead, Dropkick, Skrill and Busted were around one of the massive flat screens, watching what looked like ’Bridge Over the River Kwai’. Sky was busy behind the bar, popping tops and pouring doubles almost without pause and Eric signalled her for another beer when she had a spare second.

It had been a few days since Tris had spoken to Eric about her cousin, and Eric would have completely forgotten that she was coming if not for Four’s constant yapping. He reminded Eric right now of a Chihuahua darting around and nipping at ankles. His VP had it in his pointed head that Eric and Fox were perfect for each other, but Eric wasn’t convinced. She’d never been around a Motorcycle Club before, and the lifestyle definitely wasn’t for everybody. Fox had travelled the world almost from birth, and according to Tris she spoke like six languages or something; Eric and his modest aspirations weren’t going to impress her any, and to be honest, she sounded a little high maintenance to him anyway. He’d refused to look at any pictures Four tried to show him and rejected any attempts to describe her appearance to him, half to piss Four off and half because he didn’t want to get his hopes up, Four had said that Fox was a fox, but his type was petite blondes and Eric’s jeans didn’t tighten for that, more than likely Fox was going to be a doll-like waif like Tris. In other words, not Eric’s flavour.  

Eric’s thoughts had almost completely returned to the agenda in front of him when he heard the clubhouse door open and Four call his name. There was a singsong quality to the peckerwood’s voice and that could only mean that Tris’ cousin was finally here. Better to get this over with, introduce himself and welcome her politely then go back to his business before Four could orchestrate any matchmaking shit.

Dropping his pen Eric pushed off the table to stand, bending backwards for a moment to the chorus of his spine popping satisfactorily; shit, he needed to drop this paperwork and go for a long ride to loosen up. Taking a deep breath he turned and froze. Standing beside Tris, looking around the clubhouse with curious eyes was an angel, and Eric felt like he’d suddenly been kicked in the guts.

Eric was so immediately taken with Fox that he didn’t even react to Four’s smug ‘I told you so’ expression. His heart hammered painfully in his chest and he went instantly, almost painfully hard in his jeans. Thank god there was enough going on around the clubhouse that probably no one would look down and notice his raging hard-on. Eric was mesmerized by Fox, the attraction only growing as she and Tris moved closer; it seemed others had noticed the stunning visitor as well and Eric felt a sudden violent possessiveness, a flare of jealousy that others were eyeing Fox up like starving men at a banquet. He wanted to whirl towards his brothers and snarl like a wolf, staking his claim.

Her hair was a vibrant auburn, cascading in a long, wavy mane down her back and her cat-like eyes reminded him of kaleidoscopes, a captivating mix of brown and amber, framed by lush lashes. His fingers itched to cup her heart-shaped face, to reach out and trace along her curves. Dressed in a simple pair of skinny jeans and tank top, Eric could see that she was absolutely his type, curvy and tall; a modern Marilyn Monroe, generous ass and breasts to fill his hands and he felt a visceral shiver down his spine. Jesus Christ. Four bobbed into his line of sight behind them, grinning like the cat that got the canary.

What really got Eric though, what really hooked him was the flash of fire in her gaze. He saw intelligence and spirit in her mysterious eyes, the beginnings of an excited grin on her luscious lips as she took in all the activity around her. Her eyes lingered especially long on the bookshelves in the reading corner; a space admittedly used more for fooling around on the armchairs than actual reading. Her eyes met Eric’s finally and widened, surprise flickering through them. She glanced at Tris and said something, making Tris grin in return, nodding her head. Eric wondered briefly if Fox had been hearing the same about him from Tris, the same matchmaking rubbish he’d been getting from Four.  

His palms were sweating and Eric couldn’t remember ever feeling this nervous around a girl before, even when he’d been a boasting, posturing man-child trying to charm his way into his first pair of jeans he’d never been this affected; what the fuck?

Tris quirked her mouth as she watched him, knowing him well enough to see these emotions on his face, while to those that didn’t know Eric he looked expressionless and almost impassive, Eric knew by the flicker in Tris’ eyes that she could see exactly how he was currently being affected by her cousin. Her doofus husband, currently appearing and reappearing behind her and Fox like a Whack-A-Mole could see it too. Eric needed to get himself under control before any of his brothers could look too closely at him either. He drew in a deep breath as the women reached him.

“Eric, this is my cousin, Fox. Fox, this is our friend and the club president, Eric Coulter.” Amusement sparkled in her eyes and she bit her bottom lip in anticipation.

Fox glanced at her cousin then looked back at Eric. She was even more breathtaking up close, her eyes like gemstones, smouldering with trapped fire. Eric saw a tiny nose stud winking in her right nostril, and a small labret was just visible beneath her full bottom lip; he’d always had a thing for piercings.

Realizing he’d yet to say anything, that he probably looked like installation art standing here Eric jolted slightly, clearing his throat and extended his hand. “Uh, hi.” Smooth, Reaper, smooth.

Fox’s hand was warm and strong, her touch igniting a thrill of heat in Eric’s muscles; she bit her bottom lip somewhat nervously and Eric had to fight the sudden impulse to bite it for her.

“Hello. Thank you for letting me come by.”

“No problem.”

Fox glanced around; the boys had mostly gone back to their activities but the air was charged with male energy; Eric definitely wasn’t the only one in the clubhouse who’d noticed Fox and Eric could see her slight trepidation.

“You’re safe,” he hurried to calm her. “You’re under mine and Four’s protection when you’re here, no one will bother you.”

“Four?”

“Me, dahling,” Four chirped, moving to Tris’ side.

Fox looked back to Eric and asked, “why do you call him Four?”

“It’s this handsome idiot’s road name,” Tris explained, jerking a thumb at her husband. “Here in the club we usually go by our road names. I’m Cricket, Tobias is Four and Eric is Reaper.”

“Why Four though?”

Eric couldn’t stop a smirk. “Because Toby here thought he was so tough when we were prospecting, he picked a fight with Jellyroll, one of our more uh..... rotund brothers and got four teeth knocked out for his trouble.”

Fox looked startled, turning back towards Four with a raised eyebrow. Tris, although she knew the story already, grinned and matched her, rounded on him too, both women eyeballing Four now.

Four had the grace to blush. “Yeah,” his hand came up and rubbed his jaw reflectively. “Thank Christ ol’ Doc Stevin’s was still around then, grabbed my chin and stabbed all four back up into my gums, told me down a glass of whiskey and quit picking fights like a jackass. Saved all four of them.” He flashed a dazzling grin at the women, earning an dual eye roll.

Eric cleared his throat, reluctantly drawing his eyes away from Fox’s face. “So, you get settled in the apartment yet?”

Fox shook her head. “No, Tris and uh... Four brought me straight here.”

“Why don’t you take Fox over and show her the apartment?” Four grinned.

A sudden flash of heat shot through Eric, he’d like nothing better right now, but the faint flicker of fear in Fox’s eyes gave him pause, hurt him far worse than it should have. She was afraid? What... of him?

Tris elbowed Four irritably and wrapped her arm around Fox’s waist. “I’ll take you over, honey. Four the asshat can stay here and calm the hell down.” She glared daggers at her husband and he raised his hands in surrender.

“Sorry Foxy,” he grinned, trying to charm his way back in. “Didn’t mean to scare you. Tris’ll take you over, then you’re invited over for supper at our place; I’m thinking barbeque.” His dancing brown eyes swiveled to Eric. “You’re invited too.”

Another pang shot through Eric. “Only if that’s okay with Fox.”

Fear flickered in her eyes again, but Eric was comforted to see relief as well. “Sure uh, I mean, if you want to.... you probably have something planned here,” her eyes flickered over the circling club bunnies, one was currently being welcomed to sit on Panhead’s lap and Eric felt a jerk of near panic, she didn’t think that was all he did, right? She didn’t think he just sat around letting loose women grind on him? In truth, he’d had his fair share of the bunnies but it had never meant anything before, to him or the bunnies; he was a brother and they made the rounds, that was just how MCs worked.

The Hessians weren’t a club that abused or exploited their women though, not like some clubs out there, the bunnies were free to mingle and draw their own lines and any brother that crossed that line was dealt with harshly; respect for women and children was paramount here, many of the brothers had old ladies and kids and in many ways, the clubhouse itself was like Vegas, what happened there never went out the doors. Inside it was only consenting adults and no-strings-attached fun. A sudden bolt of realization hit Eric, he would cheerfully never touch another bunny again, or even look their way if Fox stayed, if she stopped glancing at him with fear in her eyes and looked at him with attraction instead. The insight made something akin to butterflies dance in his stomach.

He shook his head, managed an easy grin, belying the anxiety glowing in his chest. “Nothing here, I’d love to.”

***************************************************************************************************************************************************** Eric rolled over the next morning with a groan.

Supper last night had been exquisite torture. One thing Four could do extremely well was barbeque, so the food was awesome but Eric had been a bundle of nerves all night. Fox was clearly fighting some sort of battle about him, but Eric had no idea if it was attraction as strong as his or not. She’d been reserved and hesitant all evening, answering his questions easily enough but not relaxing fully either.

Eric had stayed a gentleman all night, clamping down hard on his desires, his want, shit, his need to feel if Fox’s skin was as soft as it looked, if her lips were as luscious tasting as they appeared. His body ached to pull her against him, feel her pressed to him and bury his head in her throat, nip along her pulse point and see if that freed the animal he sensed lurked beneath. He’d never wanted someone so badly before and it had taken all his strength not to make a move last night, to try and nudge Fox into something more, but he’d held off, not wanting to screw this up before it had a chance to grow.

It had taken an endless cold shower when he’d gotten home to calm his throbbing cock, his thoughts clouded with Fox writhing beneath him, riding him rough as he’d stroked himself to the most powerful orgasm he’d ever had, his seed spilling over his hand and onto the shower floor in strong pulses. It hadn’t worked, hadn’t bled off his want, if anything, Eric wanted Fox even more now, just knowing she’d be even hotter in bed than his fantasies.

He was in trouble.

***************************************************************************************************************************************************** The next few weeks were like death of a thousand cuts. Fox didn’t come by the clubhouse very often, and only with Tris in tow. She spent a lot of time down at Beasley’s tattoo parlour, doing the occasional body mod and tattoo. It sounded like she was seriously considering buying the business and Eric’s heart hammered with the thought that she might be moving down here permanently. But she stayed distant with him, eyeing him quietly with that same glimmer of fear and Eric made himself stay away from her. Four and Tris were equally puzzled, both by Fox’s apparent fear and Eric’s restraint.

“Why is she afraid of me?” Eric finally asked one afternoon down at the clubhouse. He’d pulled an Adirondack chair into the shade of one of the larger trees and was trying to relax, sipping a beer and letting the cheerful noise of the club surround him. Many of the families were over today, and children squealed and laughed with delight as they raced around, as their leather-clad fathers and uncles chased them teasingly, men with tattooed knuckles and knives in their boots, who turned to mush around children, who were members of the local Boys and Girls club, guiding the newest generation when they had no one else to look up to. First Hammer and now Eric had worked hard to preserve the club’s reputation in the town. If you were family, you were safe; if you tried to harm said family, you got hurt. A spontaneous family picnic had sprung up today and it looked like Tris and a few other old ladies were gathering a lunch together.

Four shrugged from his own chair, a bottle of beer held loosely in his hand; he and Tris’ own four-year old son Evan was racing around with his buddies, stopping by sporadically to dive bomb either his father or uncle Eric before dashing off again with a squeal.

“I don’t know. Tris has asked her outright, and she won’t say why; just gets red-faced and changes the subject.”

“Someone treat her wrong?” Eric’s blood boiled at the very thought.

Another shrug. “I don’t know, it was hard to keep up with that family, they were forever moving from country to country, from new project to new project, I mean her dad’s like one of the top engineers in the world and always getting called to consult on or build something, and then Fox was so busy once she hit university Tris barely heard from her at all. How the hell they’ve managed to stay so close is a goddamn woman’s mystery to me.” He stared contemplatively at his beer for a beat. “You got it bad for her?” It wasn’t really a question.

Eric exhaled hard. “Yeah, and it’s tearing me the fuck apart. It’s like she’s afraid I’m going to go all caveman on her and start knocking her around. I’ve tried to talk to her, but I don’t want to push too much and make it worse.... maybe it’s just not meant to be.”

Four sighed, “I’m sorry man, I got your hopes up with her. I really thought you’d hit it off; I mean, she’s always been so fun and carefree until now.... come to think about though, I’ve never really heard of her with anyone, maybe she is gun-shy because of something.” He picked idly at his beer label. “If Tris can’t even get it out of her though, I don’t think you ever will.”

Eric nodded heavily, swallowing a mouthful of beer. Nothing would soothe the current ache in his heart and he wondered, not for the first time, why he cared so goddamn much. He’d never lack for bed-mates, not being president and possessing a body that the bunnies couldn’t seem to stop drooling over, but he didn’t want that anymore. He wanted Fox and the sudden clarification of his desire stole his breath. It was like his life had a line of demarcation now, Before Fox and After Fox.

Four watched him, reading Eric’s thoughts clearly and looked back down at his hands.

“Uncle Eric!” Evan shrieked, leaping in the air towards his hulking uncle. Although not blood related, Evan had always called Eric uncle; and with ease born of practise, Eric stood up rapidly and caught the little munchkin mid-leap, spinning them in a circle and roaring like a lion, making the boy squirm in his grip and howl with laughter. Coming to a stop Eric gently crushed Evan to his chest, forever mindful of his strength, and ruffled the boy’s hair.

“Uncle, stop!” Evan yelled, small grubby hands clawing at Eric’s.

“Hey,” Eric chuckled. “You attacked me, remember.” He set the struggling boy down and grinned, resting his fists on his hips.

The boy mirrored him, scowling. “No!”

“No what?” Eric laughed, seeing Four chuckling behind his pint-sized son.

“No messin’ hairs!”

“No messin’ hairs?”

“No!”

“Okay.”

Jerking his chin up Evan nodded. “Okay.”

Eric held his serious expression for as long as he could, about 1.4 seconds, then dropped into a crouch and started laughing, pulling Evan into his arms again. Evan never could resist Eric’s laugh and he started giggling too. Eric stood again, resting Evan on his hip and grinned at him.

“You having fun?”

“Yeah! Stormy and Jason and Mackenzie and I are playing!”

Eric set him down again gently and gave him a soft push towards the other children. “Well, go play then!”

With a whoop Evan took off and Eric collapsed back in the chair with a groan.

“You’re good with him.” Four remarked. “You always have been.”

“You’re surprised?”

Four shook his head. “Not at all, I just hope you get some of your own soon, they’ll be lucky kids.”

Rarely was Four this serious or introspective and it struck Eric right in the feels. To cover up his brother’s sudden kindness he nodded to him and raised his beer, hoping Four would stop with this sudden meditation before he made him fuckin’ cry.

[phgq]

MisOcc solon welcomes probe to clear name in DPWH mess

#PHnews: MisOcc solon welcomes probe to clear name in DPWH mess

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Misamis Occidental 2nd District Rep. Henry S. Oaminal welcomed on Tuesday any investigation on his alleged involvement in corruption within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). In a statement posted on his Facebook account, Oaminal said he was saddened that his name was included in the list prepared by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) and made public by President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday. Despite this, he said he continues to support the President's anti-graft campaign. "As the President mentioned, there is no hard evidence on the PACC report, and a reading of the same is 'not a condemnation or indictment.' He said that it should also not be taken as gospel truth that any of those mentioned are involved in any corrupt activities. I can categorically say that I am not involved in any anomalies or corrupt activities," Oaminal said. Aside from Oaminal, the list included Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Ramirez-Sato, Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas, Isabela Rep. Alyssa Sheena Tan, Northern Samar Rep. Paul Daza, Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Eric Yap, Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman, and former Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. The other lawmakers that Duterte named have also issued statements denying the allegation. Meanwhile, Oaminal clarified the President's statement that he owned the HSO Construction Corp., which allegedly has several construction projects in Misamis Occidental. "HSO Construction was founded in 1988, long before I entered public service in 2007. When I became a congressman, I sold all my shares in accordance with the law. Upon verification, HSO Construction Corp. does not have any construction projects in all government agencies in Misamis Occidental, including DPWH," he said. Despite the allegation, Oaminal assured he would remain supportive of Duterte’s war against illegal drugs and organized crime groups in his province. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "MisOcc solon welcomes probe to clear name in DPWH mess ." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1125892 (accessed December 30, 2020 at 02:53AM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "MisOcc solon welcomes probe to clear name in DPWH mess ." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1125892 (archived).

[alspinc-blog]

1st ASEAN Legal Camp in Singapore

Cultural, Historical, & City tour

The city tour became the main activity of our 4th day in order for us to appreciate the rich history and culture of Singapore. By understanding the nation’s history and culture, we will be able to have a perspective how it reached its status and became the country it is today. Their success story can also be our success story here in the Philippines.

Seventeen participating schools, five days of productive legal exposure trip, and one great experience – We are not only driven to learn, but also hungry to share our knowledge from this event in the nation’s  campuses.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Legal Camp 2018 is the first ever legal camp project spearheaded by the Association of Law Students of the Philippines, Inc. (ALSP) which happened last June 22 to 26, 2018. The objective of this study trip is to expose the delegates to the legal system and education in Singapore, to learn about the ASEAN integration in line with the legal profession, and to interact with fellow law students in that country. The following are the day-to-day highlights of the five-day study trip in Singapore:

Legal Education Board in University of the Philippines-Diliman

Rafael Ricalde, ALSP 2017-2018 National President and now member of Board of Trustees, with the ALSP National Board 2017-2018 welcomed the delegates and thereafter conducted an orientation to what the students will expect in the next few days. Also, Atty. Emerson Aquende, Chairperson of the Legal Education Board of the Philippines, reminded and encouraged us, student leaders, to play a big role in ensuring that our respective law schools continuously excel in the legal education.

Philippine Embassy in Singapore

Philippine Ambassador to Singapore, Joseph Del Mar Yap, and the Philippine Consulate team welcomed the delegates, and lectured about the ASEAN Integration and the opportunities it brings for the legal profession. Lecturers were able to give us a glimpse of the future of legal profession and how we are to prepare for it so that the objectives of such integration will be fully realized. Indeed, the future looks bright for ASEAN!

Supreme Court of Singapore

Observing and being able to attend a court hearing gave us a perspective how litigation is being done in Singapore.  There are a lot of similarities how we do things here in the Philippines. The technological advances is evident as a tour was conducted inside the premises of the Supreme Court of Singapore. It may be regarded as one of the best in Asia because of their state-of-the-art system, structure, and facilities.

Introductory Dinner

To foster camaraderie among the delegates and several law students in Singapore, a solidarity dinner was done to cap off our first day in that beautiful country.  Strengthening the connections among law students will ultimately lead to greater partnerships in the activities that will be planned and executed. This will in turn benefit the ASEAN law students in the future.

Cultural, Historical, & City tour ASEAN Legal Camp introductory dinner for the delegates at Cali @ Changi with Asian Law Students’ Association (ALSA) – Singapore President, Siew Jowen.

The city tour became the main activity of our 4th day in order for us to appreciate the rich history and culture of Singapore. By understanding the nation’s history and culture, we will be able to have a perspective how it reached its status and became the country it is today. Their success story can also be our success story here in the Philippines.

NUS Law Campus Tour, LLM introduction, and ALSA Talk

National University of Singapore Law (NUS Law), considered as the #1 Law School in Asia, gave the delegates an opportunity to tour their beautiful campus. The innovative curriculum, globally-competitive graduates, and state-of-the-art facilities of NUS Law makes it the number one (#1) law school in Asia. A short talk was also presented to those intending to take up LLM in NUS Law in the future. We also witnessed a forging of partnership between ALSA and ALSP. Exciting times are ahead because more international opportunities await law students here in the Philippines as more activities will be opened for them by ALSA.

Rafael Ricalde with Ms. Tan Swee Liang, the Associate Director of the NUS LLM Program.

Rafael Ricalde with Siew Joen, ALSA – Singapore President.

Law firm visit at Sidley Austin LLP

To cap off our study trip is our visit in Sidley Austin LLP law firm Singapore Office, where we met Atty. Gmeleen Tomboc, the lone Filipina lawyer in Sidley Austin Singapore. A consultation and encouraging talk was given by the managing partners & lawyers of Sidley, considered as the 6th largest US-based corporate law firm that offers services in Corporate Law, Intellectual Property, and International Arbitration and Litigation. One of the notable things we learned from Sidley is how they involve themselves and put premium in their Pro Bono and internship projects. It is wonderful to know that there is a great opportunity out there for Filipino law interns and lawyers to practice law even on an international level.

The ASEAN Legal Camp 2018 in Singapore has opened possibilities for greater partnerships among law students in the ASEAN region. It also created a vision that will continually inspire the student delegates in choosing the path that they would like to pursue in the future. The experience left an indelible impact on the lives of the representives of the seventeen (17) law schools in the Philippines.

Follow ALSP’s official social media accounts for updates regarding programs and projects like this.

#ALSPTo30

WRITTEN BY: JUMEL CAPURCOS, SHANTEE LASALA, DENZ CHRISTIAN RESENTES AND JUNSAN SORRA | EDITED BY: ARCH JOHN CAMPS AND KARIZZA KAMILLE CRUZ

[componentplanet]

Postponed Detroit Auto Show Now Canceled, With Future in Doubt

It’s been a tough week for Detroit, with the president yapping at US automakers to produce ventilators, shields, and masks faster. Now the date-shifted North American International Auto Show is kaput for 2020. Last held in January 2019 and slated this year for June 2020, the show organizers called it off when it became likely the downtown convention center, TCF Arena, would be requisitioned for use as a FEMA field hospital to support hospitals overtaxed treating coronavirus patients over the summer.

The show has now been reset for June 2021 as a convention-center auto show, plus rites-of-spring outdoor events along the Detroit River.

Detroit’s convention center, Cobo Hall, in 2018, now called TCF Center, after the frozen yogurt company. Sorry, we meant bank. TCF has 300 branches, about 10 times as many as TCBY has flavors.

Auto Shows in Free-Fall Before the Pandemic

It has been a tough year and a half for auto shows. How tough?

Detroit, the North American International Auto Show, was most recently held in January 2018. Where it’s cold and snows. A couple of times in the past two decades, auto execs and press people were stranded in Detroit because Detroit Metro Airport was snowed in. Journos had nothing to do … except write snarky articles. The show was reset for June 2020, a 17-month gap, and now it’s off until 2021.

It is obvious so let’s say it explicitly: The #IAA2019 is a huge fail. It’s just a sad shadow of what it used to be. There will not be an #IAA2021. End of story. KTN

— Karl-Thomas Neumann (@KT_Neumann) September 11, 2019

The world’s most important show, Frankfurt (IAA), saw attendance fall at the odd-years-only  September 2019 show from 931,700 in 2015 to 810,000 in 2017 to just 561,000. Opel board member Karl-Thomas Neumann called it a “huge fail.” (Isn’t it nice when businessmen speak their minds, even if it annoys the Frankfurt Convention Bureau?) Sponsors put the 2021 show’s location out for bid. The commercial vehicles show continues in Hannover in September 2020. For the auto show, Munich won over Berlin, Hamburg, and three others for the next show in the fall of 2021.

The Los Angeles Auto Show went off in November 2019 and generally did well, in part because of its heavy emphasis on alternative-energy vehicles. Also, LA is a nice place for auto execs and the media to be heading into winter. LA is the de facto auto capital of the Americas because of design and tech centers in SoCal and Silicon Valley, plus the number of international automakers with US headquarters there. Unlike in Detroit, there’s no hometown bias in the media coverage. LA took on a life of its own when it gave up its early January date in 2006 for November/December. For now, the 2020 show is still on, Nov. 18-29. LA’s biggest problem is the convention center is small and cut into two halls that are a five-minute walk apart.

The Chicago Auto Show, the fourth of the three major US auto shows, went off Feb. 13-21, 2020 and was the last major or mid-major auto show to be held. For impact, Chicago ranks just behind the three international US shows – Detroit, New York, LA – but is the envy of the others for the best show facility, McCormick Place. It’s the one US site that can handle a million visitors. Should that many people show up for an auto exposition in the near future.

The Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) was slated for March 2-15, just as the expanse of the coronavirus epidemic in China became evident. Automakers had been pulling their top execs back from the show, and days before the Swiss government banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people, which ended the show. Geneva is considered one of the Big Five auto shows of the world �� Frankfurt, Geneva, Detroit, Paris, Tokyo – but its attendance slipped in previous years. Non-participants included Cadillac, Ford, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Citroen, Opel, Vauxhall, Subaru, Tata, Tesla, and Volvo. But the show went on, online: Virtually every automaker with a major introduction live-streamed the rollout from headquarters.

The New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), scheduled every year starting the Wednesday before Easter (April 8) and running a week and a half, postponed the show to one of the least desirable times of the year, the week and a half leading up to Labor Day weekend. Press days are Aug. 26-27, with public days through Sept. 6. Greater New York is one of three sales hotspots for luxury cars along with SoCal and Miami, but Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz said they’ll skip the show.

The Paris Motor Show, Oct. 1-11, just announced the main part of the show has been canceled. For now, off-site events are planned: Movin’On and Smart City.

The Tokyo Motor Show, Oct. 22-Nov. 2, has made no announcement of plans for this year.

Happier days: Steve McQueen’s exuberant granddaughter Molly McQueen, in 2018 at the rollout of the new Ford Bullitt Mustang, done in the same Dark Highland Green as in the 1968 movie.

Detroit’s Tough-Luck Story Gets Tougher

Detroit 2018 press days: Selfies against the Detroit River next to Cobo Hall with (we’re not sure) clouds reflected in the water. Or ice floes.

It has been a difficult week for the auto show, Michigan-based automakers, and the state’s economy. Detroit will now be going almost two and a half years between shows. More than any other city and show, the automakers and auto dealers have used NAIAS to remind themselves of past glory: when US automakers sold half the cars in the US and when GM alone sold half the cars (1962).

Even as market share shifted away from the Big Three – GM, Ford, and the Chrysler-Ram-Dodge part of FCA – Michigan remains the auto engineering capital of the Americas. When the automakers shed employees in the past 20 years, many of them went to work for big US suppliers such as Magna or Lear, or international suppliers with big presences: Bosch, Denso, Continental, ZF, Aisin, Hyundai and the like. At the same time, the era of Rust Belt assembly line jobs paying $30 an hour is gone and will never come back. Manufacturing growth, with factory workers making $15-$20 an hour to start, is in the new south: the Carolinas, Georgia Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas. Plus Tesla in California using a former Toyota/GM plant to build a small-scale EV company in one with the largest market value outside Toyota.

A GM technician setting up and testing machinery to produce Level 1 face masks in Warren, Michigan. GM will ramp to 50,000 masks per day within two weeks, and later to 100,000 if there’s need. (Probably will be.)

Meanwhile, POTUS Blasts GM

This should have been a good-news story week about automakers pitching in to help fight coronavirus (as have many industries). Ford, GM, and Chrysler (FCA) are recalling employees to build masks, face shields, and even respirators. At the same time, the White House has been praising and then criticizing the automakers for not being in production already.

Friday President Trump castigated GM and CEO Mary Barra for slow-walking production plans to build ventilators. This was the event where the president said both “General Motors” and “General Electric” in the same extended sentence and described the federal relief package as “$2.2 billion …. $2.2 trillion.” GE does make ventilators through its healthcare unit. GM is partnering with Ventec Life Systems. Insiders at GM and Ventec said the past week was not GM stalling, but cutting red tape and expediting parts ordering, finding the best-skilled workers, and getting plants ready. According to a story in Tuesday’s New York Times:

President Trump on Friday accused G.M. and its chief executive, Mary T. Barra, of dragging their feet on the project and directed his administration to force the company to make ventilators under a 1950s law. But accounts from five people with knowledge of the automaker’s plans depict an attempt by G.M. and its partner, Ventec Life Systems, a small maker of ventilators, to accelerate production of the devices.

With deaths surging as cases snowball, the two companies have moved urgently to find parts, place orders and deploy workers, the people said. Tasks that normally would take weeks or months have been completed in days. The companies expect production to begin in three weeks and the first ventilators to ship before the end of April.

Why automakers? They have big assembly lines that are the opposite of clean rooms. But they also have smaller, cleaner prototype rooms and rapid-development assembly areas that can, and will be, repurposed. One of the things automakers do well is source parts from third parties.

In the making of a car, we’re almost a century removed from the Ford River Rouge plant, where freighters docked at the 900-acre factory with iron ore and a finished Model A came out the other end. Instead, an automaker may produce the highest-value items itself, typically engines, and outsource tires, wheels, transmissions, infotainment, and driver-assist electronics, sometimes even body panels.

I always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously, and have done a very good job from the beginning, including my very early decision to close the “borders” from China – against the wishes of almost all. Many lives were saved. The Fake News new narrative is disgraceful & false!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2020

Some outside the administration allege that the executive branch is pressing GM, and many others, to light a fire now in order to make up for lost time responding in January. Multiple reports say the CDC and national security advisors in January described the coronavirus as out of control and on the way to being a pandemic – an epidemic that reaches much of the world.

Regardless, protective equipment and ventilators will begin flowing soon from automaker factories and other sources. At the same time, doctors, nurses, and hospital staff are stuck reusing old masks or creating makeshift protection until the so-called “arsenal of health” starts flowing. And with no end in sight for people suffering from Covid-19, there won’t be many auto shows, large or small, in the near future.

Now read:

Covid-19 ‘Arsenal of Health’: Automakers Are Building Ventilators, Masks

Top Cars of the 2020 Geneva Motor Show That Never Was 

5 Lessons From the Death of Frankfurt Motor Show 

from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/308522-postponed-detroit-auto-show-now-canceled-with-future-in-doubt from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/03/postponed-detroit-auto-show-now.html

[sophisticatedcelestinewings]

              The War-torn City, let us bring back its glory!

                                  Marawi sabay-sabay nating ibabangon                                   Buong pagmamahal tayo ay aahon                                   Marawi darating din ang isang dapit-hapon                                   Sisikat ang araw sa isang bagong ngayon”

 This is the chorus of the song  “Awit sa Marawi” composed by Vehnee A. Saturno. The lyrics and the song itself was touching and at the same time heartbreaking. 

         May 23, 2017 was the start of a deadly and brutal attack in the city of Marawi. It was between Philippine government security forces and militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), including the Maute and Abu Sayyaf Salafi jihadist groups.  It was a five-month-long armed conflict which ended on October 17, 2017 wherein President Duturte declared that Marawi was “liberated from terrorist influence” but was officially over on October 23, 2017 as announced by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana .

        A  contingent of roughly 500 members of the ISIS-inspired Maute terrorist group attacked the city, resulting in over 500 deaths, displacement of more than 200,000 people, and billions worth of damage to property. This siege became the longest urban battle in the modern history of the Philippines.

        This poignant and mournful catastrophe has been flooding the news for several months and now it’s finally over, how can we bring back the glory of the war-torn city?

          We can never really bring back the lives of the fearless soldiers,  the innocent citizens and all the brave souls who died because they defended that city against terrorism. But, as Filipinos what we can do is sustain and help the affected citizens who lived through that tragedy to move on and continue with their lives.

                                     PH Army ready for battle

                                Evacuated citizens or “bakwit”

          Duterte's declaration was meant to "pave the way for the start of a full blown recovery, rehabilitation and rebuilding effort," said Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Major General Restituto Padilla. The national government targets to earmark at least Php10B initially for the Marawi rehabilitation and recovery. This may be destruction but it is actually rebirth. Rebirth that takes time and cooperation from each and every one.

          The government’s plans are:

           First, clear buildings of bombs and other "booby traps" installed by terrorists.

           After the buildings are cleared, the government wants to facilitate the return of evacuees to their  homes, if still intact.

           The Marawi City government is working with the military in identifying areas where residents can safely return to their homes. The government is also preparing temporary shelters for residents whose homes were destroyed or heavily damaged by the conflict.

           This rehab engagement, Adam Marlatt the senior technical advisor for Yolanda said, must involve an intensive coordination among all Philippine agencies, private sector actors, non-government organizations international NGOs, and international governments’ stakeholders. 

          Immediate actions must also be taken and [psychosocial] projects should be implemented to change the culture of Marawi City and its reintegrated residents. 

         “We need to look at the issues in the Marawi crisis from various perspectives. … This is a combination of various factors in the past and present. The innocent civilians are the ones caught in the conflict,” Marlatt said. 

        The children of Marawi is part of the population that is greatly affected with this catastrophe. As one of the many solutions, Xavier Ateneo president Fr Roberto C Yap SJ said that their university is willing to provide venues and technical assistance for the discourse on the rehabilitation of Marawi City.

       “Whenever we coordinate, we should put in our minds and hearts the children of Marawi. If we fail the children, we fail the future,” Yap said, expressing the university’s commitment as a convergence point of ideas and discussions for the rehabilitation efforts.

“No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted”

--Aesop

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Marawi

https://www.rappler.com/nation/185580-marawi-rehabilitation-plan-liberation

http://pia.gov.ph/featured/stories/261

[intelligentautisticmedia-blog]

Richard Hood 12-25-14

           My perfect holiday occurred on December 25th, 2014. It was spent crisscrossing the North American continent visiting different railroading- and sports-related destinations. I chose to spend my holiday that way rather than doing “normal” holiday things, visiting with relatives, opening presents, etc. for several reasons. For one, I have been a huge train buff for as long as I can remember. I have also been a passionate sports enthusiast for several years, a passion that was helped along by my dad’s love for auto racing. However, that passion doesn’t carry over to the holidays, as I have had a great dislike for them since I was 11. That dislike has also been growing with each successive year. A combination of all of those factors led me to carefully plan my dream holiday around my interests, and that dream came into fruition on Thursday, December 25th, 2014.

           My interest in trains goes back as far as I can remember. It started when I was approximately 3 years old and I started reading/watching Thomas the Tank Engine, and also attending the Strasburg Rail Road’s “Day Out with Thomas” events. I then became interested in model trains, and my passion for trains and railroading has grown and matured steadily since then. That interest spawned interests in history, geography and numbers/statistics, which are all things that show up frequently in my myriad railroad books. That interest in geography, history, and stats led me to read many statistics-laden books, including Sports Illustrated’s Year in Sports 2006, which in turn got me interested in sports. That interest was helped by my dad’s passion for auto racing, and, indeed, some of the best memories my dad and I ever shared were at auto races and other sporting events. Unfortunately, those memories weren’t the order of the day for my dad and me, and, sometimes, especially around the holidays, I would call on my imagination and my railroading and sports passions to help me forget about the ordeal of visiting my dad.

           My dislike of the holidays started, I’m pretty sure, because of my Autism. The disease caused me to have a hard time interacting with people, especially when those people are making advances and trying to talk directly to me. Autism has also made it hard for me to handle chaotic situations, such as the craziness associated with holiday parties and the like, and also to deal with getting out of a routine. As that pertains to the holidays, I have to deal with being off of school for anywhere from 1 ½ to 2 weeks for something that I don’t really observe, namely the religious holiday of Christmas, and that lack of a routine leads to depression and withdrawal. My issues with transition and desire to work during winter break sometimes leads to people thinking I am weird, but I have persevered through those criticisms this year and am writing this essay anyway. In addition to my Autism, another cause of my feelings toward the holidays was my dad’s alcoholism and his subsequently poor treatment of me. Around Christmas, that meant he would exploit my Autism and harass me about my dislike of the holidays. He would also badger me to receive presents and in other ways be involved in holiday-related festivities. The final straw came when my grandfather passed away in 2009, and my dad and his mother and sister were hell-bent on spending the money they got from my grandfather’s will on holiday gifts for me. This meant that I would always be pressured whenever I visited my dad, and, after enduring that treatment for the Christmases of 2009 and 2010, I never again saw my dad at the holidays. He then passed away in 2013, but I fear that my aunt didn’t learn her lesson, and may still try to pressure me into getting presents and being involved in all the festive baloney of the holidays. In addition to everything that occurred with my dad, I had a major surgery this year, which caused a lot of anxiety and depression, and that depression and anxiety has been magnified during the holiday season.

           The 2014 holiday season arrived, and with it came much dread, gloom, and anxiety for me. To improve my depression, I began planning for my dream holiday. Then, begrudgingly, I woke up at 2; 22 AM on Christmas Day knowing that this holiday would be lacking one thing: snow. So I looked at the clock, said “Bah, humbug”, in an angry, growling voice, and then decided to get up and go to the bathroom, before going back to sleep for the rest of the day. I then went back to sleep with visions of trains, snow, and baseball games circulating in my head. Suddenly, I felt my body slipping away, and then I heard a loud and shrill whaa-whaa-wha-whaa sound that I recognized immediately as a train whistle.

           When I opened up my eyes, what a beautiful sight I saw! A large railroad yard covered by a heavy, wet blanket of snow. However, I didn’t know where I was until I saw a sign on the station that read “Brockville, Ontario”. When I walked into the depot, I spied a pair of overalls and put them on. Then, instead of seeing a railroad official as I had wanted, I saw the living legend, Casey Jones, in the station. He was running the eastbound International Limited and he asked if I wanted to ride in the cab with him. Without hesitation, I said an emphatic “Yes!” before asking how long our train would be and what engine we would be using. Casey said that the train would be 15 cars long, and our engine would be No. 6027, which weighs in at over half a million pounds. I asked Casey if he had experience running such a large engine at such high speeds, and he looked at me and he said “you’re in good hands”.

           15 minutes later, the International Limited was ready to roll, and the great Casey Jones slowly climbed into the engine’s cab. After giving a loud blast on the whistle, he slowly ushered the heavy train out of the station. Soon, the train began to pick up speed, as we followed the Canadian National’s water-level line. I spent most of the journey with my head out of the window, taking in the smell of the crisp air, punctuated only by the occasional face-full of soot and other railroad crud. “This is paradise”, I exclaimed, as the train sped along the CN’s well-engineered mainline.

           All too soon, though, the journey ended, as Casey Jones brought the International Limited into its destination station, Montreal, Quebec’s Central Station. I thanked Casey for my awesome trip, and stepped from the engine. I was very tired and smelled like coal, oil, and all matter of other railroad dirt, but I was still very pleased with myself. After hitting the sack at the depot, I felt myself slipping away again, only to find myself in the heart of Brooklyn, New York, on April 29th, 2012.

           I arrived in Brooklyn just in time to see the start of a vintage baseball game between the Flemington Neshanock club and the New York Gothams. I would later find out that the Neshanocks had earlier in the day defeated the Columbus Capitols by a score of 9-8. This game would see Flemington defeat the Gothams by a 19-4 margin. It was a style of baseball I had never seen before, and I enjoyed it very much. After the game ended, I found my way toward Atlantic Avenue, a major thoroughfare in Brooklyn, and saw someone climbing through a manhole cover. When I asked him who he was and what he was doing, he said that he was a historian named Bob Diamond, and he was exploring a tunnel under Atlantic Ave. that may conceal an abandoned train station and steam locomotive which may hold clues into the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

           After receiving a safety briefing, Bob Diamond and I climbed down into the bowels of Brooklyn. “Gosh, this would be a good place to put some annoying kids”, I thought to myself, as I trudged through the tunnel. After a few minutes, we came to a wall in the tunnel, and behind the wall, Bob believes, is where the abandoned locomotive and station platform are. Sure enough, after waiting an hour for the wall to be chiseled out, I saw a tall object that I recognized as a steam locomotive’s smokestack, and, looking down, I saw an engine with the word Hicksville engraved on its side. The name comes from a town served by the Long Island Rail Road, the engine’s original owner. After looking the engine over, Bob and I deemed it and the old platform to be important historical artifacts, because of the connection to Abraham Lincoln, and we deemed them also to be in good condition. I left New York after discovering these artifacts, but not before making a call to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, who agreed to purchase and attempt to restore the engine buried in the tunnel.

           When I returned home, the first thing I heard my mom say was “Where were you all day?” I then looked at the clock and saw that it was 5; 30 PM, and, when I asked my mom what day it was, she said it was Thursday, December 25th, 2014. I was tired, sweaty, and dirty, and, in response to my mom’s question of where I was, I said “I’ll give you 3 guesses and your first 2 don’t count”. My mom’s first 2 guesses, in order, were “a railroad yard” and “some sporting event”. “That’s right”, I said, in response to her guesses. I then elaborated by saying “time flew by so fast that I got to ride in the cab with Casey Jones on the Canadian National, see a vintage baseball game, and save some important historical artifacts that had been abandoned in New York City for over 150 years. Meanwhile, what’d you guys do. Oh, that’s it”, I exclaimed, clapping myself on the forehead, “you wasted  a perfectly good day by yapping, opening gifts, and partying. And, man, you would have loved my train adventure, because I got to be in Canada in the snow, and it was the best holiday ever!”.

[nancygduarteus]

The Truth Teller

If you run into a left-leaning “consultant” these days, there’s a fairly good chance they used to work for the Obama administration. Scores of federal officials and bureaucrats have resigned or been fired since President Trump’s inauguration, some after realizing their goals were not in line with the new president’s.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, wasn’t one of them. In fact, he seemed surprised at the suggestion that he might do something other than what he’s been doing since he began leading the institute in 1984—trying to protect people from diseases like Ebola, Zika, and HIV.

This is despite the fact that some of Trump’s policy proposals seem to directly contradict his efforts. Trump has proposed cutting funding for a program that provides HIV drugs to people in poor countries by 17 percent. Not long after, six members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS resigned, citing "a president who simply does not care.”

Repealing the Affordable Care Act—a move Trump has supported—would cut a key infectious disease fund in half. And Trump’s decision to reinstate a law that withholds global-health funding from organizations abroad that “perform or actively promote abortion” could hamper AIDS-relief efforts, as my colleague Joseph Frankel reported. As if that weren’t enough, Trump has also aired anti-vaccine views.

I asked Fauci if he was daunted by all these developments, and if not, how he planned to do his work in spite of them. An edited version of our conversation, which took place at the Aspen Ideas Festival, follows:

Olga Khazan: I know you've worked for every administration — you've worked for Bush, you worked for Reagan, Obama …

Anthony Fauci: Clinton.

Khazan: Clinton, he was in there too. [Given that many civil servants have resigned from the Trump administration] … when Trump was elected, did you ever think, “I can't do this one, I'm going to have to sit this one out?”

Fauci: No, not at all. I am embraced by every administration from Reagan [onward] because they realize that I speak truth to them even when they don't like it. Even if ideologically they’re very different. When I'm with Reagan, I told Reagan some of the things that I felt he should do with HIV/AIDS. He didn't listen to everything. He was a good guy but he was afraid to go public and make the bully pulpit and say, “hey everybody this is a problem, we gotta address it.” However, when I got to George H.W. Bush I became very good friends with him.

When he was vice president, he knew that you had to address the AIDS issue. I was very well-known as the AIDS person of the government because very few people were working on AIDS. And he said, “I want you to teach me about HIV. Show me, show me patients.” He wanted to learn. So it's my old adage, be nice to everybody in Washington, because one of these days they're going to be really powerful. So I was nice to the vice president and very soon thereafter he was president, so then I had a friend in the White House. I gained a reputation that I would tell you the truth, even if it was something that you didn’t like.

So the word got out that you call on this guy [Fauci], he is completely apolitical, and he'll give you the advice that you need. So I did it with George H.W. Bush, I did it with Clinton, I did it with George W. Bush and I did it with Obama. I developed the [President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief] program with Bush. I mean for him to give me the opportunity to go to Africa and put together a $15 billion dollar program, that was really nice. With Obama, I was in the situation room like every week, with Ebola and then Zika and H7N9, potentially pandemic flu.

So when the next president came I'd be more than happy to advise, I'm not gonna say, “no I'm not gonna do that.”

Khazan: How do you stay motivated, since this administration has pretty openly wanted to cut a lot of global-health funding, foreign aid, AIDS research? A lot of the things that you would probably work on.

Fauci: It doesn't interfere with my motivation. I'm driven by the problems that I have to solve. Sometimes you do it with a lot of resources and sometimes you do it with less resources. I don't say, “well I'm gonna get out because we have less resources.” And as a matter of fact, we don't know what the resources are gonna be because we don't have a budget yet.

Khazan: When you look at things like Zika coming to the U.S., do you consider that to be caused more by climate change and related issues or more by human travel?

Fauci: It's much, much more human travel. I mean you may increase the range of mosquitoes during a period of time, like at the end of June they may go up to Florida. But the major determinant of Zika in the continental United States is travel-related, people who are infected in South America and Puerto Rico who travel to the United States, and that's exactly what happened. We had about five to six thousand travel-related cases of Zika that came from South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, and so far we've had a total of about 220 [locally] transmitted cases, meaning people that never left Florida.

Khazan: Is a Zika vaccine ready and deployable right now? Or are we still working on it?

Fauci: We have a DNA vaccine for Zika and it's of interest. [The new vaccine uses] platform technology. The idea of growing a virus and having to kill it and then injecting it, that's so passe, as my daughter says, “so 20th century dad.” You don't want to do that. What it is right now is that we take platforms like DNA, MRNA, virus vectors, and all you need is to insert the gene of whatever protein you want expressed. In Zika it's the PREM protein which is the protein in the outer part of the virus. We have done that, done preclinical and animal, gone into phase one and we're now in phase two in Puerto Rico and in Texas and we're going into phase 2B in countries in South America depending upon what the burden of Zika is. Going from the time we sequence the Zika virus to the time it went into humans in a phase one study was 3.6 months, which is the fastest in the history of vaccinology. Which tells us we could really cut down that time from when you recognize a new infection to the time you get a vaccine at least ready for trial.

Khazan: What do you anticipate being the next thing like Zika? Or is it impossible to predict?

Fauci: The answer is we don't know, but there are certain things you need to keep your eye on. For example, will Zika come back in some South American countries where it didn't hit hard last time? Next December will be the third [hot] season in Brazil. I wouldn't be surprised if we see more. I wouldn't be surprised if we see more cases in Puerto Rico as we get into this July and August when it's moist, humid, and a lot of mosquitoes. So I'm keeping my eye on Mexico and the border between Mexico and Texas, particularly around the Brownsville area, where you always see that jumping over the border of emerging infections. And it could be in Puerto Rico. So I'm not through with Zika.

Then the other thing is what about Yellow Fever in Brazil? If it goes into the aedes aegypti mosquito, will that then become ... there are two phases of yellow fever. One is called the sylvatic phase which means that woodsmen go into the woods chop down trees for the lumber, they get bit by a mosquito that bit a monkey, the monkey's the reservoir, they get yellow fever, they get sick. They either die or they get better. Sometimes those people move into the city, and if they get bit by an aedes aegypti, which really likes to bite humans, and you get yellow fever established in a really populous area, then you have a problem. We could get a lot of yellow fever in South America, travel to the United States, and then you wind up getting that.

So I keep my eye on that. The other thing is flu pandemic. This H7N9 bird flu in China? It jumps from a chicken to a human but it doesn't efficiently spread at all from human to human. If that starts to evolve, that could be something. So there are always these things that you keep your eye on, but the likelihood is that it’s gonna be something that you and I are not talking about right now.

Khazan: Really?

Fauci: Of course. Whoever would have thought there would have been Zika? Zika was on nobody's radar screen.

Khazan: I would think, well, you would have …

Fauci: I was thinking about Zika, but we did not know that it caused congenital abnormalities, but it was big. So there was an outbreak of Zika in the Yap islands in 2007. There was another outbreak in French Polynesia 2013. So you could have said, “Tony why didn't you start making a vaccine in 2013?” Because I didn't think it was a particularly important disease. It was trivial. Eighty percent of the people didn't get symptoms, the 20 percent that did get symptoms got mild symptoms. They got conjunctivitis, rash, fever, myalgia, it went away in five to seven days, and they were done. Then, when you go to a big country like Brazil, where you have hundreds of thousands of cases, then you start to see something that's really worrisome, namely pregnant women get infected and they have a 10 percent chance of having microcephalic baby. So that's when we realized we're dealing with a very serious disease.

Khazan: What was the $1.9 billion dollars that President Obama had asked Congress for Zika for, since there's no cure and it’s spread primarily by people traveling from other countries. What is that money primarily used for?

Fauci: We feel that if we don't stop it in South America, it inevitably is going to come to our territories, including Puerto Rico and even to the southeastern part of the United States. So a considerable amount of money will go to the CDC to do mosquito control. To do surveillance, to do testing. To determine the natural history. That takes hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars. So the CDC got a lot of money. USAID got money, NIH got money, FDA got money. We got relatively little. I mean of the Zika amount, we asked for $197 million and we got $152. And we're working on a vaccine, on drugs and stuff, but a lot of it was public-health provisions. Mosquito control became very, very important. We were doing a lot of spraying in Puerto Rico, we were doing a lot of mosquito control, [such as] genetically modified mosquitoes, all that costs money.

Khazan: Do you work on the anti-vaccine movement at all?

Fauci: We don't work on it but we try and do public relations discussions. I do TV, I do radio, I do interviews like this, to make it clear that I can understand how people are concerned, but the facts, the science, countless amounts of data from independent, non-biased people indicate that A) vaccines are safe, B) they do not cause autism, and C) they don't cause those other things that people think they do.

Khazan: Have you found any messages that resonate with people, that actually change people's minds about not vaccinating?

Fauci: Yes. There is a core of people who no matter what you say, they will not believe you. They are convinced that vaccines are dangerous or they feel they don't want to take the risk of their child, even though there's two reasons to give vaccine: one is to protect your child, the other is a duty that you have to society to keep society protected.

Yet there is also a pretty good corps of people who if you explain it to them in a non-pejorative way … one of the things that I've learned works is that you don't criticize people. That's not the way to their hearts. And you've gotta approach it in saying that you could understand their concern, but these are the reasons. In the realm of science, you have to rely on the evidence base. You can't guess, you can't do spurious things.

Khazan: You said you are known for telling people hard truths. What's a hard truth that you have had to tell this administration, or might have to tell them?

Fauci: I'm all ready doing it. There is a concern that, are the data regarding safety of vaccines really strong data? And I'm not talking about the president himself, I'm talking about the people around him. And I've already met with a couple of people who were sent to me by the administration to try and convince them or to at least talk to them about what's the situation, because they believe that vaccines are dangerous. Vaccines do not cause autism, period. And that's it. Now if members of whatever administration — this administration, the last administration, or the next administration — I'll have to just tell them what I know based on evidence. Whether they believe it or not, it's up to them.

from Health News And Updates https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/06/the-truth-teller/531561/?utm_source=feed

[ionecoffman]

The Truth Teller

If you run into a left-leaning “consultant” these days, there’s a fairly good chance they used to work for the Obama administration. Scores of federal officials and bureaucrats have resigned or been fired since President Trump’s inauguration, some after realizing their goals were not in line with the new president’s.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, wasn’t one of them. In fact, he seemed surprised at the suggestion that he might do something other than what he’s been doing since he began leading the institute in 1984—trying to protect people from diseases like Ebola, Zika, and HIV.

This is despite the fact that some of Trump’s policy proposals seem to directly contradict his efforts. Trump has proposed cutting funding for a program that provides HIV drugs to people in poor countries by 17 percent. Not long after, six members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS resigned, citing "a president who simply does not care.”

Repealing the Affordable Care Act—a move Trump has supported—would cut a key infectious disease fund in half. And Trump’s decision to reinstate a law that withholds global-health funding from organizations abroad that “perform or actively promote abortion” could hamper AIDS-relief efforts, as my colleague Joseph Frankel reported. As if that weren’t enough, Trump has also aired anti-vaccine views.

I asked Fauci if he was daunted by all these developments, and if not, how he planned to do his work in spite of them. An edited version of our conversation, which took place at the Aspen Ideas Festival, follows:

Olga Khazan: I know you've worked for every administration — you've worked for Bush, you worked for Reagan, Obama …

Anthony Fauci: Clinton.

Khazan: Clinton, he was in there too. [Given that many civil servants have resigned from the Trump administration] … when Trump was elected, did you ever think, “I can't do this one, I'm going to have to sit this one out?”

Fauci: No, not at all. I am embraced by every administration from Reagan [onward] because they realize that I speak truth to them even when they don't like it. Even if ideologically they’re very different. When I'm with Reagan, I told Reagan some of the things that I felt he should do with HIV/AIDS. He didn't listen to everything. He was a good guy but he was afraid to go public and make the bully pulpit and say, “hey everybody this is a problem, we gotta address it.” However, when I got to George H.W. Bush I became very good friends with him.

When he was vice president, he knew that you had to address the AIDS issue. I was very well-known as the AIDS person of the government because very few people were working on AIDS. And he said, “I want you to teach me about HIV. Show me, show me patients.” He wanted to learn. So it's my old adage, be nice to everybody in Washington, because one of these days they're going to be really powerful. So I was nice to the vice president and very soon thereafter he was president, so then I had a friend in the White House. I gained a reputation that I would tell you the truth, even if it was something that you didn’t like.

So the word got out that you call on this guy [Fauci], he is completely apolitical, and he'll give you the advice that you need. So I did it with George H.W. Bush, I did it with Clinton, I did it with George W. Bush and I did it with Obama. I developed the [President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief] program with Bush. I mean for him to give me the opportunity to go to Africa and put together a $15 billion dollar program, that was really nice. With Obama, I was in the situation room like every week, with Ebola and then Zika and H7N9, potentially pandemic flu.

So when the next president came I'd be more than happy to advise, I'm not gonna say, “no I'm not gonna do that.”

Khazan: How do you stay motivated, since this administration has pretty openly wanted to cut a lot of global-health funding, foreign aid, AIDS research? A lot of the things that you would probably work on.

Fauci: It doesn't interfere with my motivation. I'm driven by the problems that I have to solve. Sometimes you do it with a lot of resources and sometimes you do it with less resources. I don't say, “well I'm gonna get out because we have less resources.” And as a matter of fact, we don't know what the resources are gonna be because we don't have a budget yet.

Khazan: When you look at things like Zika coming to the U.S., do you consider that to be caused more by climate change and related issues or more by human travel?

Fauci: It's much, much more human travel. I mean you may increase the range of mosquitoes during a period of time, like at the end of June they may go up to Florida. But the major determinant of Zika in the continental United States is travel-related, people who are infected in South America and Puerto Rico who travel to the United States, and that's exactly what happened. We had about five to six thousand travel-related cases of Zika that came from South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, and so far we've had a total of about 220 [locally] transmitted cases, meaning people that never left Florida.

Khazan: Is a Zika vaccine ready and deployable right now? Or are we still working on it?

Fauci: We have a DNA vaccine for Zika and it's of interest. [The new vaccine uses] platform technology. The idea of growing a virus and having to kill it and then injecting it, that's so passe, as my daughter says, “so 20th century dad.” You don't want to do that. What it is right now is that we take platforms like DNA, MRNA, virus vectors, and all you need is to insert the gene of whatever protein you want expressed. In Zika it's the PREM protein which is the protein in the outer part of the virus. We have done that, done preclinical and animal, gone into phase one and we're now in phase two in Puerto Rico and in Texas and we're going into phase 2B in countries in South America depending upon what the burden of Zika is. Going from the time we sequence the Zika virus to the time it went into humans in a phase one study was 3.6 months, which is the fastest in the history of vaccinology. Which tells us we could really cut down that time from when you recognize a new infection to the time you get a vaccine at least ready for trial.

Khazan: What do you anticipate being the next thing like Zika? Or is it impossible to predict?

Fauci: The answer is we don't know, but there are certain things you need to keep your eye on. For example, will Zika come back in some South American countries where it didn't hit hard last time? Next December will be the third [hot] season in Brazil. I wouldn't be surprised if we see more. I wouldn't be surprised if we see more cases in Puerto Rico as we get into this July and August when it's moist, humid, and a lot of mosquitoes. So I'm keeping my eye on Mexico and the border between Mexico and Texas, particularly around the Brownsville area, where you always see that jumping over the border of emerging infections. And it could be in Puerto Rico. So I'm not through with Zika.

Then the other thing is what about Yellow Fever in Brazil? If it goes into the aedes aegypti mosquito, will that then become ... there are two phases of yellow fever. One is called the sylvatic phase which means that woodsmen go into the woods chop down trees for the lumber, they get bit by a mosquito that bit a monkey, the monkey's the reservoir, they get yellow fever, they get sick. They either die or they get better. Sometimes those people move into the city, and if they get bit by an aedes aegypti, which really likes to bite humans, and you get yellow fever established in a really populous area, then you have a problem. We could get a lot of yellow fever in South America, travel to the United States, and then you wind up getting that.

So I keep my eye on that. The other thing is flu pandemic. This H7N9 bird flu in China? It jumps from a chicken to a human but it doesn't efficiently spread at all from human to human. If that starts to evolve, that could be something. So there are always these things that you keep your eye on, but the likelihood is that it’s gonna be something that you and I are not talking about right now.

Khazan: Really?

Fauci: Of course. Whoever would have thought there would have been Zika? Zika was on nobody's radar screen.

Khazan: I would think, well, you would have …

Fauci: I was thinking about Zika, but we did not know that it caused congenital abnormalities, but it was big. So there was an outbreak of Zika in the Yap islands in 2007. There was another outbreak in French Polynesia 2013. So you could have said, “Tony why didn't you start making a vaccine in 2013?” Because I didn't think it was a particularly important disease. It was trivial. Eighty percent of the people didn't get symptoms, the 20 percent that did get symptoms got mild symptoms. They got conjunctivitis, rash, fever, myalgia, it went away in five to seven days, and they were done. Then, when you go to a big country like Brazil, where you have hundreds of thousands of cases, then you start to see something that's really worrisome, namely pregnant women get infected and they have a 10 percent chance of having microcephalic baby. So that's when we realized we're dealing with a very serious disease.

Khazan: What was the $1.9 billion dollars that President Obama had asked Congress for Zika for, since there's no cure and it’s spread primarily by people traveling from other countries. What is that money primarily used for?

Fauci: We feel that if we don't stop it in South America, it inevitably is going to come to our territories, including Puerto Rico and even to the southeastern part of the United States. So a considerable amount of money will go to the CDC to do mosquito control. To do surveillance, to do testing. To determine the natural history. That takes hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars. So the CDC got a lot of money. USAID got money, NIH got money, FDA got money. We got relatively little. I mean of the Zika amount, we asked for $197 million and we got $152. And we're working on a vaccine, on drugs and stuff, but a lot of it was public-health provisions. Mosquito control became very, very important. We were doing a lot of spraying in Puerto Rico, we were doing a lot of mosquito control, [such as] genetically modified mosquitoes, all that costs money.

Khazan: Do you work on the anti-vaccine movement at all?

Fauci: We don't work on it but we try and do public relations discussions. I do TV, I do radio, I do interviews like this, to make it clear that I can understand how people are concerned, but the facts, the science, countless amounts of data from independent, non-biased people indicate that A) vaccines are safe, B) they do not cause autism, and C) they don't cause those other things that people think they do.

Khazan: Have you found any messages that resonate with people, that actually change people's minds about not vaccinating?

Fauci: Yes. There is a core of people who no matter what you say, they will not believe you. They are convinced that vaccines are dangerous or they feel they don't want to take the risk of their child, even though there's two reasons to give vaccine: one is to protect your child, the other is a duty that you have to society to keep society protected.

Yet there is also a pretty good corps of people who if you explain it to them in a non-pejorative way … one of the things that I've learned works is that you don't criticize people. That's not the way to their hearts. And you've gotta approach it in saying that you could understand their concern, but these are the reasons. In the realm of science, you have to rely on the evidence base. You can't guess, you can't do spurious things.

Khazan: You said you are known for telling people hard truths. What's a hard truth that you have had to tell this administration, or might have to tell them?

Fauci: I'm all ready doing it. There is a concern that, are the data regarding safety of vaccines really strong data? And I'm not talking about the president himself, I'm talking about the people around him. And I've already met with a couple of people who were sent to me by the administration to try and convince them or to at least talk to them about what's the situation, because they believe that vaccines are dangerous. Vaccines do not cause autism, period. And that's it. Now if members of whatever administration — this administration, the last administration, or the next administration — I'll have to just tell them what I know based on evidence. Whether they believe it or not, it's up to them.

Article source here:The Atlantic

[phgq]

Baciwa inks 25-year joint venture deal with PrimeWater

#PHnews: Baciwa inks 25-year joint venture deal with PrimeWater

BACOLOD CITY – The Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) has entered into a 25-year joint venture agreement with the Villar-owned PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp.

Chairman of Baciwa’s Board of Directors, lawyer Lorendo Dilag, and PrimeWater vice president Romeo Sabater announced the signing of the deal in a press conference held at the O Hotel here Friday afternoon.

“I just would like to inform the people of Bacolod that the Board of Directors signed this morning the contract with Prime Water. We worked for three years for its approval. The primary reason why we worked for it is because the Board of Directors sincerely believes in the project. We were one in this,” Dilag said.

The partnership, which will bring in PHP6.3 billion in total investments from the Manila-based utility firm in the next 25 years, is expected to formally start on November 1, following a three-month transition period.

He said signing an agreement with PrimeWater is “practical, necessary, and beneficial” for Bacolod because Baciwa has no financial capacity to fund an expansion project that would answer the need for more water supply.

“On that score, we feel that we need a partner. We did not choose PrimeWater. (It) was able to qualify itself after two other stakeholders were disqualified. PrimeWater became the winner in its own right and in its own strength,” Dilag said.

He noted that in the first five years, PrimeWater would pour in PHP1.6 billion for pipe laying and after that, it would invest PHP2 billion more for the installation of wells, delivery of more water supply, and employees’ compensation.

After 25 years, the assets put in place during the partnership will be turned over to Baciwa free of charge, Dilag added.

Sabater, who came with corporate counsel Gilbert Galvez, said once PrimeWater receives the notice to proceed, the project would begin on November 1, wherein they would already be in charge of the daily operation of Baciwa’s water supply system.

This means the water source, operation, maintenance, distribution, customer service, payment, and collection will be handled by PrimeWater, he added.

“What we can do from today to November first is to make sure that all plans we have identified together with the Baciwa representatives would be validated and confirmed. The moment that the team will start the day-to-day operations in Baciwa, we have definite programs to address the current water situation in the city,” Sabater said.

Responding to questions on water tariff rates, he said they would be “candid about it.”

“There will be tariff increases over the term of the joint venture. Not on November 1, but definitely there will be an increase along the way,” Sabater said.

Engineer Jenelyn Yap-Gemora, assistant general manager for operations, said Baciwa caters to only 48 percent of the total population of Bacolod.

“The ultimate goal of the joint venture is to provide 24/7 water services, if not to 100 percent, but at least 90 percent of the population,” Gemora added. (PNA)

  ***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "Baciwa inks 25-year joint venture deal with PrimeWater ." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1109341 (accessed July 18, 2020 at 05:04PM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "Baciwa inks 25-year joint venture deal with PrimeWater ." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1109341 (archived).

[phgq]

DOJ 10 opens Justice Action Center for free legal assistance

#PHinfo: DOJ 10 opens Justice Action Center for free legal assistance

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, March 12 - The people of Northern Mindanao especially those belonging to the marginalized sector will soon have access to free legal assistance from the Department of Justice (DOJ).   The DOJ and the city government of Cagayan de Oro in partnership with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) – Misamis Oriental Chapter and Liceo de Cagayan University – College of Law signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the relaunch of Justice Action Center – DOJAC Region 10 last March 6.

Undersecretary Juliana Gaviola Sunga representing Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra for the DOJ, City Mayor Oscar S. Moreno for the local government of CDO, President Atty. Carlo B. Almirante for the IBP Misamis Oriental, and Liceo College of Law Dean Atty. Manuel I. Cabrera for the Liceo Legal Aid Center. The ceremony was witnessed by Assistant Secretary Sergio E. Yap II, Assistant Secretary in-charge of the DOJ Action Center (DOJAC), Atty. Jo-Ann R. Alcid, DOJAC Program Director, and Pros. Merlynn B. Uy, Acting Regional Prosecutor of Region 10. (DOJ 10)

Under the MOA, the JAC – DOJAC Region 10 will be set up at the Ground Floor, Fabe Building, Pueblo de Oro Township, Upper Carmen this city.   The agreement was signed by Undersecretary Juliana Gaviola Sunga representing Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra for the DOJ, City Mayor Oscar S. Moreno for the local government of CDO, President Atty. Carlo B. Almirante for the IBP Misamis Oriental, and Liceo College of Law Dean Atty. Manuel I. Cabrera for the Liceo Legal Aid Center. The ceremony was witnessed by Assistant Secretary Sergio E. Yap II, Assistant Secretary in-charge of the DOJ Action Center (DOJAC), Atty. Jo-Ann R. Alcid, DOJAC Program Director, and Pros. Merlynn B. Uy, Acting Regional Prosecutor of Region 10.   DOJ Action Center extends free legal service and assistance to the public. Free legal assistance includes the giving of legal advice and referrals, and the taking of oaths which are not connected with a complaint or a pending case. Free legal service consists of the giving of legal representations to courts (with the help of PAO Lawyer) the drafting of pleadings, mediation and conciliation. In 2019, DOJAC served a total of 11,699 clients.   It was established on Feb. 28, 1985 as a “Public Assistance Center,” then later renamed the “Public Assistance and Complaints Unit” on 03 May 1989. It became DOJAC pursuant to Department Order No. 204 issued on 22 June 1995, aimed at providing assistance to the people especially the marginalized sector, in the speedy solution or actions to their problem within the bureaus and agencies under the DOJ and other government agencies.   Consistent with the government’s thrust to bring the department closer to the people, DOJAC moved for its regionalization, with the aim of relaunching a Justice Action Center in every region nationwide.

The JAC – DOJAC Region 10 is the first regional action center in the country. Region X is composed of the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte and Camiguin. (DOJ10)

***

References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "DOJ 10 opens Justice Action Center for free legal assistance." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1036115 (accessed March 12, 2020 at 03:05PM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "DOJ 10 opens Justice Action Center for free legal assistance." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1036115 (archived).

[phgq]

Plight of persons with myasthenia gravis

#PHnews: Plight of persons with myasthenia gravis

MANILA -- Weakness of the whole body and drooping eyes prodded Marivic Joy Franco eight years ago to consult a health expert at the Philippine General Hospital.

“Dati nakakapanahi pa ako ng mga costumes at madali ako makatapos pero nakaramdam ako ng panghihina lalo na kapag mainit kaya naisip ko magpatingin at nalaman ko na may myasthenia gravis (MG) ako (I use to easily sew costumes but one time felt weakness particularly when the weather is hot, so I decided to have a check-up and found out that I have myasthenia gravis) ,” Franco told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview.

According to the United States National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, MG is a chronic autoimmune neuromascular disease that causes weakness in the skeletal muscles.

Its symptoms include difficulty in breathing, swallowing, talking, climbing, jumping, and lifting things. It also results in having hoarse voice, drooping eyelids, double vision, fatigue, and facial paralysis.

The disease affects both men and women, but more on women under 40 years old worldwide.

“Sabi sa amin ng doctor, mga neurologists, stress talaga ang trigger ng sakit namin. May kwento na ang unang nagkaroon ng MG ay mga (The doctors told us, the neurologists, that stress triggers the disease. There’s even a story that the first people who acquired MG are the) OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) probably because of stress, and MG is non-curable until now according to research,” added Maria Victoria Yap, another person with MG.

Apart from MG, Yap suffers from hypothyroidism. She finds it difficult to breathe and speak clearly after talking or chatting continuously for about an hour.

“Napapagod din kami kapag salita nang salita. May mga iba sa amin na pumapayat din dahil hindi nahihirapan makalunok, makakain ganun (We easily get tired talking. Some of us lose weight due to difficulty in swallowing. Eating becomes a challenge),” she added.

Relation with other auto-immune diseases

Maribeth Portes, a single mother with MG, said they get easily infected and are prone to having another immune disease.

“Lagi po kami nagsusuot ng mask kasi madali kami mahawaan ng ubo, sipon. Mayroon din po akong antiphospholipid syndrome [APAS], madali po lumapot ang dugo ko kaya umiiwas ako sa green leafy vegetables. (We always wear masks because we easily get coughs, colds. I also have antiphospholipid syndrome, my blood gets thick so I avoid eating green leafy vegetables),” Portes said.

“Ang tinitira po sa amin ng MG ay ang diaphragm namin kaya mahalaga na madala kami sa ospital na may intensive care unit (ICU) para maisaayos ang aming paghinga kung hindi madali kami mamatay (MG attacks our diaphragm so it is important for us to be immediately brought to hospitals with intensive care unit so that we will not die from difficulty in breathing),” she added.

Treatment, medicines

Portes shared that Mestinon (pyridostigmine) is the main medication for persons with myasthenia gravis (PMGs).

“We take it five to six times in a day pero may isang member kami na sobrang mahina kaya 20 tablets a day. Lumalakas kami kapag nakakainom ng gamot, then, we're able to move and walk with ease (We take our medicine five to six times a day. But we have one member who takes 20 tablets a day because he’s so weak. We get stronger when we take the medicine then we're able to move and walk with ease),” she said.

However, the medicine gives them strength for four to six hours only.

“Para po kaming cellphone na madaling ma-low battery, at ilang beses dapat uminom ng gamot, kaya nasasabi namin minsan na ang sakit namin ay sakit ng mayaman (We’re like cellular phones with batteries that get drained easily, and we need to take medicines several times, that’s why we sometimes say that this disease is for the rich),“ Teresita Alcantara, another PMG, said.

Alcantara added that they are also given steroids to help them relax and have appetite to eat.

“In moderation po ang steroids kasi pwede kami naman magkaroon pa ng isa pang sakit gaya ng diabetes (We take steroids in moderation because we can acquire another disease like diabetes),” she said.

The United States National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke reported that removal of the thymus gland or thymectomy, an important part of the immune system in infancy and early childhood, is deemed the most effective treatment for MG since the 1940’s.

“Thymectomy with most patients, has produced improvement after 6 months to one year following surgery,” the institute said.

In her desire to overcome MG, Maria Fe Mabini underwent thymectomy on October 30, 2018.

“Sa Lung Center kay Doktora Galvez ako nagpagawa kasi gusto kong lumakas. Laser lang kaya wala akong naramdaman at lumakas naman ako pero hindi po nagbago ang mga mata ko, still drooping (I had surgery at the Lung Center under Doctor Galvez because I want to regain my strength. It was laser surgery so I didn’t feel any pain and I became stronger, but my drooping eyes didn’t change),” Mabini said.

Meanwhile, Yap shared that most neurologists advise them to keep healthy and avoid stress at all costs.

“Mayroon kami isang member na nagta-trabaho sa call center na bumalik sa paninigarilyo at ibang bisyo pagkatapos ng surgery kaya nanghina rin siya (We have one member who works in a call center, who became weak after surgery because he went back to smoking and other vices),” she said.

Duterte bares having MG

Last October 5, President Rodrigo Duterte revealed that he has MG during a speaking engagement in front of a Filipino community in Moscow, Russia.

"It’s a nerve malfunction. I got it from my grandfather. He also had that. So, I believe really in genetics. What he had, I got,” Duterte said.

Portes, who has lived in Davao for a long time, feels pity over Duterte’s revelation.

“Mahirap talaga magkaroon ng MG, kung puwede nga lang akuin ang sakit niya, kasi mas marami siyang kinakaharap na stress bilang presidente natin. Nalungkot talaga kami kasi bilang may MG nauunawaan namin ang kalagayan niya (It’s really difficult to have MG, if I can only get the disease from him, because he encounters a lot of stress as our president. We were really saddened by the news since we have MG, we understand his situation),” she said.

On her part, Alcantara appealed to President Duterte not to pay attention to haters to avoid stress and get appropriate treatment despite his busy schedule.

“Kapit lang po kayo, President. Nandito kami na mga ka-MG ninyo na nagdadasal para sa inyo (You can do it, President. We’re here, your fellow PMGs who are praying for you),” she said.

In a media forum on October 9, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that Duterte is "quite fit" for the job despite having MG, adding that he is able to handle well the "most difficult job on earth" at 74 years old.

"He is okay. He is able to do many things that media practitioners are not able to follow. He is going to visit wakes, visit soldiers and policemen in hospitals in different parts of the country,” Duque said.

Myasthenia Gravis Samahang Pilipino

The Myasthenia Gravis Samahang Pilipino (MGSP) is a non-profit and non-government organization established to reach out and help all PMGs in the country. It also aims to spread awareness about this rare auto-immune disease which potentially disables its victims

"Through advocacy, early detection and appropriate intervention, medical research, sustainable livelihood programs and other services we want to improve the lives of our fellow PMGs. To create a compassionate community, para malaman nilang hindi sila nag-iisa (So they will know that they are not alone) so they will feel empowered to live life to the fullest," Portes said.

"To date, we have estimated 500 PMGs nationwide according to our engagements in social media and to the number of people who contact our group from all parts of the country. Around 275 are listed and only 80 are active group members," she added.

Citing that studies on MG and its treatment are scarce in the country, Yap pleaded to the government officials to look into the situation of PMGs and help them acquire better health services.

"Sana magkaroon ng awareness, hindi biro ang may MG para malaman ng mga tao na kung may symptoms sila kailangan nila ng blood test, MRI, citi scan, antibodies test na magastos (We hope there will be an awareness, it's difficult to have MG. So if people have the symptoms they need blood test, MRI, CT scan, antibodies test which are expensive)," she said. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "Plight of persons with myasthenia gravis." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1083498 (accessed October 18, 2019 at 09:51PM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "Plight of persons with myasthenia gravis." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1083498 (archived).