#and had i reversed those two i could have done even better in both brackets

[the-physicality]

how it feels to go 2/2 on my work march madness brackets

[hasspartacusdoneanythingwrong]

The Flame-Soaked City, Part 5

With CasCu joining them, the master triad and co. head deeper into the heart of the Fuyuki singularity. What will they uncover as they approach the source of the altered history? (I mean if you play FGO you probably know this already, but hush. We’re hyping up the mystery here!)

TW: implied body horror, villain that would hurt a child, Lev Lainur

If it’s between <triangle brackets>, that’s a mental note between masters, and if it’s between {whatever these are} it’s the viewpoint character.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

{Jeanne}

With the arrival of the new caster, we not only gained a powerful ally, but knowledge about this singularity. What started as a Holy Grail War quickly became a fight for survival as the Saber converted the other servants to her side somehow.

Spartacus was very happy to find out there was a "tyrant" taking control of the situation. If it means he will actually help us from here on out we won't fight it. The best news however is that our caster friend knows healing magic! We're so close to being able to see again!

Kat: <Hey Jeanne, why are you saying all that stuff that just happened?>

Jeanne: <Because Cris never pays attention, and we don't need them getting lost next time they front.>

Cris: <Oh come on, I'm not that bad!>

Jeanne: <Really? What is Caster's name?>

Cris: <So you were saying about our eyes getting healed?>

Cu: Alright, we're all set little lady! Let's see what we can do about those eyes of yours.

Romani: Your vitals are good on our end, Hannah. We'll probably have to do this again when you get back, but the less time spent wandering in the dark the better.

Cu: I don't need you to tell me my magic works, mage.

Marie: Go ahead with the procedure, Caster.

The runes surrounding us lit up, infusing with mana as.... nothing happened.

Cris: Oh, you have got to be shitting me.

Cu: It's quite alright, you're not the first maiden to be taken aback by my-

Cris: No jackass, I still can't see anything!

Mash: But the spell worked, senpai! Your eyes look perfectly healthy!

Cu: You wouldn't happen to be cursed, would you?

Romani: It's more likely one of two things. Either we need to heal Hannah in the present, or the problem is psychosomatic. Either way, it's not a problem we can solve now.

Jeanne: That's unfortunate, but at least we're not any worse off for trying. It gave us plenty of time for a break, at least. We should get moving towards- As we stood up to move, our foot caught a rock in the worst way, and we took a spill.

--- {Cris}

Cris: Agh, motherfuck... er...

Holy shit, I can see again! God, blasted hellscape never looked so good. Wow Mash does not look comfortable in that armor. And that old guy in blue must be caster.

Cris: Wait, were you flirting with me? You're like 40, what the hell?

Mash: This is wonderful! Thank goodness!

Marie: We might just have a chance now.

Jeanne: <Maybe switching reset something?>

Kat: <That doesn't make any sense.>

Jeanne: <I know, I am just spitballing here.>

Cu: It's a step in the right direction, but her eyesight is clearly off. I'm still plenty young.

Cris: We can argue on the way. <Jeanne, you remember which way we need to go, right?>

Jeanne: <Leave it to me. We should travel much faster now.>

---- {Jeanne}

And with that switch, we are back in darkness.

Jeanne: That is less than ideal.

Marie: What happened now?

Jeanne: Hold on, I need to test something. <Kat, do you mind?>

--- {Kat}

We can see! Everybody's starting to look a little freaked out.

Kat: <Wow, those hassans really aren't wearing much, huh? They're pretty!>

Cris: <That's enough ogling, I'm turning this body around.>

--- {Cris}

Jesus, why the hell was Spartacus standing right behind us?

Cris: <Jeanne, why are you blushing? ...God, I can't take you two anywhere.> I pull us away from the big lug and back towards the sane part of the party.

Cris: Okay, tests done. The good news is I can see. Mostly. The bad news is that while we mostly have control over when it occurs, we might go blind at random, or if I get like, surprised or highly emotional.

Marie: And how, exactly, did you figure all that out by gawking at your servants?

Kat: Intuition.

Romani: You'll have to deal with it for now. After we get you back here we can work on a more permanent solution.

After we got on the road things went pretty smooth. The skeletons were pretty much a joke now that we could see them coming, and Caster even found time to teach Mash some new tricks. We barely managed to keep Spartacus from picking a fight with that berserker that's running around. Kat chatted with Saber and the assassins (I kinda zoned out for that tbh) and eventually we reached our destination. We hadn't even entered the cave yet, and already we could feel the raw energy pouring out of the thing.

Mash: Senpai, look out!

Mash threw herself in front of us as a sword, twisted, almost to the point of being unrecognizable, embedded itself in Mash's shield.

???: Sorry, but that's as close as you'll be getting to Excalibur.

Cris: What the hell?

Cu: I was wondering when you'd show up, Archer. I see you're still Saber's faithful knight, as always.

Archer: I don't know anything about that. All I'm sure of is there's an old pain showing up again.

Cu: You lot run on ahead. I've got some personal business to take care of.

Spartacus: Let him deal with the gatekeeper, we must strike at the heart of this tyranny!

Cris: Wait wha-

Spartacus grabbed us like a sack of potatos and ran into the cave. As we were getting dragged along, the opening salvos of their duel lit up the entrance behind us.

Jeanne: Assassin! Keep a couple personas near the entrance, and let us know if we'll have to deal with Archer.

Most of the remaining Hassans peeled off from the main group. Mash and the other servants were able to easily keep up with us, though Marie had to be carried on one of the larger hassan's shoulders.

Finally our bumpy ride ended in the opening of a large room. In its center stood a crater, with a massive beam of coalescing energy running from the floor to the ceiling.

Marie: The greater grail... what's that doing in Japan?

Spartacus: Face your end, oppressor! We have come to finish your reign of-

Before he could finish his sentence, a beam of energy burst forth from near the crater. It sucked the light out of whatever it touched, and when the dust settled, less than half of Spartacus' torso fell to the ground. I took a step closer to Mash.

Saber Alter: I have no patience for fools.

A servant clad in black platemail calmly strode forth, her sword still crackling with energy. With the veins on her armor pulsating, the entire thing almost seemed alive.

Saber Alter: You there, girls. You both have an interesting noble phantasm. I would like to test them.

With no other fanfare, she rocketed forwards, and her sword met Mash's shield. Mash and Saber Lily settled into their routine again, but Mash's training was already paying off. The older saber clearly wasn't used to fights against someone who could block her sword, and Mash took advantage of that to force openings for Lily to strike.

Alter was clearly going to lose, so she disengaged and fired off another beam from her noble phantasm. Mash responded in kind, and the black energy dissipated against the shield of light.

However, Alter expected this. and was simply using the beam as cover to get in closer again. Mash never saw the kick to her side coming, and she was easily sent flying, leaving Saber Lily alone with the experienced swordswoman.

It should have been a bloodbath. It was definitely one-sided, but for some reason Alter was holding back. Lily was mercilessly beaten down to the ground, but there was the slightest bit of hesitation that grew with each attack.

Kat: <Hey Jeanne? Do the scanny thing. Trust me.>

--- {Jeanne}

Jeanne: <Okay? I don't know what you- oh.>

We could no longer see the action, but we could still feel their spirit origins. Alter's was twisted by several things, much like the shadow servants we faced up to this point, but at her core, one thing was obvious. The saber lying on the ground and the saber standing over her were the same person.

Kat: <You guys seriously didn't notice they have the same face?>

Alter: It is useless, child. I am inevitable. I am what it means to be king.

Lily: Even if that's true... even if I'll be like you one day... I'm not you now, and I won't stop fighting you here!

Lily struggled to her feet, and focused all she had left into one final attack.

Lily: Sword of Selection, grant me your power!

Alter: Vortigern, Hammer of the Vile King reverse the rising sun.

Lily: Cleave the wicked! Caliburn!

Alter: Swallow the light, Excalibur Morgan!

The energy of their swords clashed, light and dark twisting around each other before it was all unleashed in an explosion that shook the cave.

--- {Cris}

Both sabers landed heavily. Alter lands in a heap near Spartacus' body, armor cracked from the impact. On the opposite side, Lily lays still, her spirit origin already starting to come apart. Alter pulls herself to her feet.

Alter: I will make this quick.

Before she can take a step, however, a large hand grabs her foot. Spartacus' body hasn't reformed enough to move yet, but he's alive, and that's enough.

Spartacus: HAHAHAHA! Come oppressor! Break your sword against my love!

Cris: Fuck yeah! I totally knew he was okay.

Jeanne: <Are any of us good at lying?>

To her credit, she damn near tried to do exactly what he said. Saber Alter launched blow after blow into the arm hold her in place. Each swing of her sword pulling energy from the greater grail and forcing it directly into Spartacus. We took this chance to run over to Lily. Mash had finally pulled herself from the wall she got launched into and was already there.

Mash: Senpai, your orders!

Cris: Just get your shield up and be ready!

Finally, Spartacus' body had enough. The energy stored within it writhed and began to break through, covering the cave in a bright purple light. Spartacus himself never stopped laughing the entire time.

Alter, and everything else that wasn't behind Mash's shield, was devastated by the explosion. When the dust settled, Spartacus was alone, collapsed on the ground, still smiling. ---- {Kat}

Kat: Lily? Lily it's over, you did it!

Lily barely stirred, her spirit origin was falling apart.

Lily: You were right, Master... Our journey was a lot shorter than I thought.

Kat: No! No, no, just hang in there. We can go get Cu, and he can... do something, I don't know!

Lily: I know this wasn't the best place to meet, but it was fun, right?

And then she turned to dust in our hands.

----- {Cris}

Kat was completely inconsolable, so I had to take over to keep things stable.

Marie: That was unorthodox, but well done. I guess even a third-rate mage can produce first rate work when pushed. Several points are still unclear, but we can call this mission a success.

Marie: If it is any consolation, now that Saber Lily has been recorded by Chaldeas, you should have an easier time resummoning her. She won't have any memory of this place, but that'll be true of any servant you summon in Chaldea.

???: Well, well, well. I did not expect you to get this far, Master of Chaldea. You've performed well beyond our expectations. And survived beyond the limits of my patience.

The voice came from everywhere at once, a cacophony that could barely be called speaking.

Cris: <Jeanne?>

Jeanne: <I'm on it!>

--- {Jeanne}

Suddenly, it appeared, standing over the remnants Alter left behind.

Jeanne: <what is that. what is that. what is that what is that>

Kat: <Jeanne?>

Jeanne: <what is that what the fuck is that What The Fuck Is That What. Is. That.>

---- {Kat}

It was Lev. We couldn't hear what he was saying over Jeanne's... whatever was happening to her. Mash put herself between us. Marie ran straight for him. Then hellfire opened beneath her feet. Olga's voice cut through.

Marie: No! Stop! I haven't even accomplished anything yet! From the moment I was born, I've never been accepted by anyone!

And she was gone. Jeanne finally calmed down.

Lev: You fool, Romani! You haven't figured it out yet? The future isn't "missing". It's been incinerated. It, and everything else outside of Chaldeas' protection. You lost the grace of our king, and this is the natural result.

The ground beneath us began to rumble.

Lev: Ah, the singularity is collapsing already. Farewell, Romani, Mash, Candidate #48. I have many places to be.

He was gone.

Mash: Doctor, perform an emergency rayshift, now!

Romani: This will be close, I might only be able to pull one of you out.

Mash: Senpai!

Jeanne: Mash!

Romani: You're not helping!

Mash and I joined hands. The world fell apart, and everything went black.

{Cris} We came to with a start, on the floor of the command center. Already some of the hassans were leading a cleanup effort to make the place more presentable. Mash is still alive, thank God, and Romani's also here.

Romani: Good, you're awake. I'm sorry to dump so much on you already, but time is of the essence. Are you alright with a briefing right now?

Cris: I mean it's not like I'm going to feel better any time soon, let's rip the bandaid off.

Romani: The main topic: Lev was right. Human history has been incinerated. Almost no space nor time on earth has been spared, culminating in the end of time at the end of 2018. The few points that still exist are these:

With that, Chaldeas lit up with seven bright points, each one with data pouring out of it.

Romani: These seven singularities are turning points in history that have been altered to change humanity's present. Chaldea is protected from this effect for now, but that protection won't last forever. Here's what we need to do: We need to fix these singularities if we're to have any hope of saving humanity. You are our only master, and the servants you've summoned are our best bet. I know you don't have much of a choice here, but I have to ask: are you willing to do this?

Cris: Of course.

Kat: <We will.>

Jeanne: <For Marie.>

Romani: Excellent. Well then! Our object is to protect and recover human history. Our opponent is history itself. To challenge our fate is an act of blasphemy against the past itself, but this is our only chance of survival. This is now the highest and only priority of humanity: a Grand Order.

Cris: Well, Spartacus? How's that sound? A rebellion against fate itself? Spartacus simply grinned, but for the first time it seemed almost genuine.

[mdwatchestv]

Everything I’m Going to Watch in April (April Premieres Bring May...Other Premieres)

God I can't believe it's April, our lives are just draining away down the slop sink of 2018. I did a medium okay job of watching things in March, and really that's all we can ask for in this life.

Atlanta - I was extremely dragged by the acoustic Paper Boi cover, and rightly so.

Academy Awards - I would have done better in my bracket (and in life) had I not made some choices out of spite.

Hard Sun - Not a bad series per say, but on a whole couldn't deliver on the promise of the first episode. If you want to watch a truly whacked-out, hyper-violent show about the end of the world, may I once again recommend Utopia.

Jessica Jones - Even though my love for the character of Jessica Jones is undying, pure, and forever, this season was admittedly a disappointment. Without the direction and focus given by Kilgrave, the plot suffered from the meandering that plagues the rest of the Marvel Netflix Universe.

Collateral - Haven't gotten to it yet, which is shameful because it's only four episodes.

Drag Race - After a somewhat unfulfilling All Stars season, this new group of queens is extremely promising in both talent and dramz.

Requiem - Also not yet!

Santa Clarita Diet - Oh f, I forgot this premiered, I still intend to watch it.

Silicon Valley - Zach Woods is honestly the most underrated person on television, god bless and keep his precious spirit.

Barry - I have not watched this yet, nor have I heard any rumblings about it....suspicious.

Call the Midwife- New midwife alert!!!!

Trust - A bit odd and meandering, but electric in the way that all of Danny Boyle's projects are. I love Anna Chancellor.

The Terror - Have not watched but I WILL FRIENDS, I WILL.

A Series of Unfortunate Events - In my defense this only went up on Friday and I was extremely dedicated to spending my entire three day weekend lying down in a dark room.

I actually did much better with my tv watching then I thought, things only took a poor turn near the end of the month as fatigue set in. Thankfully, there is a ton of new stuff to pile on the tire fire of my tv watching schedule.

Tuesday April 3rd

Legion Season 2 (10pm on FX)

Legion season two!!! I loved the first season of this show SO MUCH I wrote a little essay about it, which you can read here. Legion is the superhero content that feels the most 'free' in it's delivery. Out of the box is an understatement. With exquisite aesthetic, high stakes mutant action sequences, and intermittent dance breaks, Legion is easily my most anticipated show of April.

The Last OG (10:30pm on TBS)

While TNT's recent dramas have been a hot underdeveloped mess, the TBS comedy slate has been filled with stand outs. That's why, despite the extreme delays in release, I am cautiously optimistic about Tracy Morgan's return to television. Also it co-stars Tiffany Haddish!!! The only way I could love her more is if she would just tell us who bit Beyonce, or at least confirm it was Sanaa Lathan (Editor’s note: It has been confirmed).

Sunday April 8th

Killing Eve (8pm on BBC America)

Okay, Legion is still my number one most excited show, but Killing Eve is a close second. "What's this Martha, I've seen very little marketing for it," you (the reader) fairly question. IT IS THE NEW SHOW FROM PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE BOW DOWN AND RECEIVE IT AND BE GRATEFUL. If you don't know who Ms. Waller-Bridge is (and if you don't never tell me), she was the creator of Fleabag, Crashing (UK one, NOT Apatow one), and is the light of my life. The fact that show is about a lady psychopath and the lady FBI agent that hunts her is mere icing on the cake. Honestly this show could be about anything, Phoebe wrote and thusly I have arrived for it.

Howard's End (8pm on Starz)

This adaptation of the scandalous EM Forster novel already aired on the BBC, but Starz is giving us scrub Americans the chance to watch it too. Brace yourself for suppression, drama, and Haley Atwell in period dress.

Friday April 13th- Rellik (10pm on Cinemax)

This could either be brilliant in a Memento sort of way, or horrible in a hot mess sort of way. Yet another serial killer drama, but the hook is the story is told in reverse (the title is 'killer' backwards. Do you get? Do you?) A strike against it for me is that I don't like knowing who the killer is up front (hence my inability to watch The Fall), but I also appreciate shows that take risks in storytelling so who knows! Maybe they'll kill it (get it?)

Sunday April 22nd - Westworld (9pm on HBO)

Wow this show totally snuck up on me, I know it's been a long time since season 1, but at the same time I don't feel ready for season 2. The first outing of this show had some highs (Jimmi Simpson forever) and some lows (weird convoluted mysteries that weren't as clever as they thought they were). But I'm optimistic that enough time has passed for HBO to iron out the kinks, and there was enough interest in season 1 for me to come back for more. Also the promise of Samurai World.

Wednesday April 25th -The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)

I am not one of those people who's a stickler for book adaptations to be unyieldingly loyal to the source material. In fact, I prefer an adaptation that is able to run with the theme a bit, or explore the original work in a way only achievable via visual medium. That being said since season one of this show ran out of book to cover, I can't help feeling a bit tentative about season two. Don't get me wrong there was a lot I LOVED about the first season, Reed Morano's first three episodes were beautifully executed, and Elisabeth Moss turned in one of the best performances I have ever seen on television. But there were a few missteps that deviated from the intention of the book that had me a bit worried, and coupled with a very troubling q and a I attended with the white male show runner... I just don't want to get my hopes up too too high. Hopefully though, this will be just as amazing as I want it to be!

And that's it! Not as jam-packed as March, but there is a LOT of high quality programming here. I will admit usually these lists are more aspirational for me than strictly achievable, but I can assure you I absolutely WILL be tuning into ever show here (except if Rellik turns out to be as dumb as it's name). I know it seems like I should be able to get through a lot more TV every month, but what you don't see listed here is that I'm still loyally watching Riverdale and America's Next Top Model and also taking a lot of in between naps.

April Forever,

MD

[hockeyknowitall]

Could you explain how the playoffs and the conference/divisions system works? As in how do teams get through to the playoffs after the 82 game regular season (is it even 82 I'm not sure ?? #help) How many rounds are there in playoffs and how do teams qualify for the next round/level? And is there a wildcard system of sorts for teams that get eliminated?

I feel like i’ve answered these questions separately but not all together so i’ll do that for you here. Sorry if it ends up long!

Conferences and Divisions

The NHL is split into two categories of teams, that encompass each other:

The first is the conference, there two conferences the eastern conference and the western conference. There are 16 teams in the eastern conference and there are 15 teams in the western conference. There used to be 14 in the western conference but vegas was just added this season. Each team plays the teams in their conference more than they play teams in the other conference. Each team does play each other though, and eastern teams usually play western teams just twice all season, each team getting a home game.

The second is the Division. There are four divisions per conference. The eastern conference has the Atlantic Division and Metro Division which both have 8 teams. The Western conference has the Central Division which has 7 teams and the Pacific division which has 8 teams. Again you play teams in your division more than you play teams in any other conference, but you play teams in the other division in your conference more than the divisions in other conferences. 

In the past this was a little more even but because Vegas was added there are no specific numbers. but For instance we’ll say an atlantic division team will play another atlantic division team 5 times, a metro team 3 times and a western team twice. Those aren’t going to be the exact numbers this year because teams will be playing some teams in their division between 6 and 4 times, teams in the other division in their conference between 5 and 3 times, and the other conference teams only twice. And yes there are 82 games 

How to make the playoffs

So to make the playoffs we need to talk about points. You make the playoffs by gaining points. These can be confused with another idea of points in hockey which are based around individual players scoring goals and assists. A player will get a point for an assist and a goal. However these are not the points that get you into the playoffs, the points i’m talking about in this context are team points. A team gets 2 points for a win in any fashion, 1 point for an overtime or a shootout loss, and no points for a loss in regular time. 

But making the playoffs is not just about winning the most points there’s a more complicated system in place. To ensure a spot in the playoffs you want to finish in the top three in your division. This spot is only reliant on the other teams in your division. This is also where the wild card comes into play, a wild card is two extra spots for the playoffs that are reliant on conference not division. This means every team not in the top three of their division are trying to beat each other for the two wild card spots regardless of division but still not affected by the teams in the other conference. This is probably the most complicated part so to better explain i like to use last years standings:

As you can see here. In the atlantic division: Montreal, Ottawa, and Boston all made the playoffs by being the top three in their division. The Toronto maple leafs are also an atlantic division team but were the fourth best team in that division and ended up in the second wild card spot. Now the more curious number here is the New York Rangers who have 102 points but are technically behind Boston and Ottawa which are two teams with less points than the Rangers. This is because the Rangers are in the Metro division and to get out of the wildcard spot they’d have to beat Washington, Pittsburgh and Columbus which all have more points than them. If Montreal was in the metro division they would be in a wild card spot, however because of the wild card system, Montreal, Ottawa and Boston are unaffected by New York while the leafs, because they are in the wild card spot, are affected by New York. 

There are no set amount of point a team has to have to make the playoffs, it’s all about where you stand at the end of the season compared to the rest of your division or conference. Generally to make the playoffs you need around 100 points 

Playoff Match-ups

Once you make the playoffs you need to figure out who you’re going to be playing. When the playoffs are set to start, each team is given a number based on their position. If you win your division you get a 1, if you’re second in your division you get a 2, if you’re third in your division you get a 3. Wild card teams get either a W1 or a W2 and this is of course based on whether or not you’re first or second wild card. Now you then use these numbers to create the match ups. To start simply, each divisions 2 and 3 match up together. Then the wild card teams match up to each division leader. W2 will be playing the number 1 with the most points and W1 will be playing with the number 1 with less points. For instance the match up using the image above is New York (W1) against Montreal (1) and Toronto (W2) against Washington (1) because Montreal has less points than Washington. 

Because the playoffs are in bracket style, the playoffs are split up by conference and division as well. You have to play out of your division before moving onto playing a team in the other division and then you have to win your conference before you play a team in the other conference. However, the wild card teams don’t necessarily start the playoffs in their division although they could, it’s based off of who they end up playing in the first round. For instance the Maple Leafs started against the Capitals and lost but if they won they would have gone on to play the Penguins even though the capitals, penguins and blue jackets are in another division. The Rangers did the same but in the atlantic division. 

The final series is played between the team that wins the west and the team that wins the east. There is no situation in which an eastern team would play in the western side of the bracket or vice versa so this series is the only series in which an eastern and western conference team would play each other. Here’s another visual for that because i love my visuals

Playoff format

I already explain the format a little bit by explaining the bracket style, but to go further each match up is played in a series style. A series could go anywhere from 4 to 7 games based on how quickly it takes a team to get 4 wins. You only need 4 wins to move onto the next match up. If you win 4 that’s called a sweep, if you lose the first 3 and win the next 4 that’s called a reverse sweep. Those are more colloquial terms but if those things happen in the playoffs those are the terms you will hear. 

Each match up will have a name. There’s the first round, this is where all 16 teams that made the playoffs will be playing. It’s usually pretty hectic because of that. The second round is win the winners from the first round play each other. and then you have the conference finals, either abbreviated to ECF or WCF depending on which conference it is. Then there are the Stanley Cup Finals usually abbreviated to SCF, and this is the first match up between a western conference team and an eastern conference team. They are also the only two teams still playing at this time. No one else plays. Once you miss the playoffs or get knocked out of them that’s it, there’s no more hockey, your season is done. You don’t play again until the next year. 

There’s also the idea of home ice advantage and who gets it. Home ice advantage is based on your positioning not necessarily your points. Because series might go to 7 games, this basically decides which team gets to play 4 home games as opposed to 3 if it makes it that far. So When Montreal played New York in the first round, they only played 6 games but if they had played 7, they would have played in Montreal 4 times and New York 3 times. Home ice advantage has a few things to it that make it an advantage but is not necessarily a deciding factor the way it may be in other sports. it’s more about team revenue and who gets the money from the ticket sales. 

I hope that answers all your questions! I feel like i’m forgetting a point i wanted to make but i can’t think of it right now.

[vox]

I voted for Donald Trump, and I already regret it

I remember the precise moment that I realized I regretted voting for Donald Trump.

It was during his 60 Minutes interview after the election. I was, like everyone else, shocked that he had won. It seemed so unlikely based on the polls and the confidence the media had that he would lose. It was a pleasant surprise, and I went to bed on election night thrilled that he would be our president.

But sitting on my couch, sipping coffee as I watched the interview, I saw with my own eyes who Trump really was as a person. He backtracked on one of his signature campaign promises: pursuing an investigation into the Clinton email scandal. It’s not that I want Clinton to be crucified or “locked up” — it’s the nonchalance with which he went back on his word after hammering it repeatedly during the campaign. The ease and quickness with which he reversed his position shook me to my core. I realized in that moment that I had voted for a demagogue. And it was sickening.

I didn’t want to vote for Trump or Clinton — but I had to make a choice

I’m a former law enforcement officer in my 50s, originally from Texas but currently living in a small Midwestern town. I’m a real political junkie, spending much of my day reading news and watching C-SPAN, and issues like immigration enforcement, pro-life laws, and health care are important to me. Though I tend to fall on the conservative end of the political spectrum, it’s important to me to remain open-minded, and I’ve cast my vote for Democratic candidates like Al Gore in the past.

Last year was a particularly tough choice. I hated both candidates, wishing every day that Washington had offered up different options. I would have voted for Marco Rubio or Bernie Sanders any day over those two. I swore I would sit out on this election, unable to vote for either Trump or Clinton in good conscience.

Most of my decision came down to my poor experience with Obamacare. In the ’90s, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic illness that causes fatigue, memory loss, physical aches, and soreness. I found myself increasingly unable to perform my duties in law enforcement due to these symptoms, and eventually had to leave the job completely. After a stint working part-time for the government, helping to distribute food stamps and other services, I eventually was unable to work at all. I lost employer-based health insurance when I left the workforce and had to pay my health care costs out of pocket.

When Obamacare first came into effect, I was excited to get what I thought would be financial help with my costly medicine and treatments. But when I signed up, my premium came back at an astronomical price, more than my monthly mortgage payment. This happened because I had to declare my husband’s salary as part of our household income, which put me in an earning bracket too high to qualify for any financial assistance. My husband works for a small business, and while he gets paid fairly, his company does not offer spousal insurance. I’m left with a premium of $893, so high that I can no longer afford the cost of my medicines and treatments on top of the monthly premiums. I wish I could opt out completely, but the penalty for not signing up is much too great.

In the end, I voted for Trump because he promised to repeal and replace Obamacare, and that was the most important issue to my own life. Looking back, I realize what a mistake it was. I ignored the pundits who repeated over and over again that he would not follow through on his promises, thinking they were spewing hysterics for better ratings. Sitting on my couch, my mouth agape at the words coming out his mouth on the TV before me, I realized just how wrong I was.

Trump isn’t even president yet, and already he’s not keeping his promises

Since that 60 Minutes interview when Trump went back on his promise to investigate Clinton, I haven’t been able to look at him the same way. Witnessing his open admittance that he made promises simply because they “played well” during the campaign was disturbing. He has shown himself to be guilty of all of the same things he accused Hillary of — lying to the public, refusing to do press conferences, putting himself and his business interests above the American people.

Since the election, Trump has repeatedly spat in the faces of those that cast their ballots for him. I did not cast my vote for his Cabinet members, many of them rich millionaires and billionaires, despite Trump’s lambasting of Hillary Clinton on her association with Wall Street. I did not cast my vote for his sons who sat next to him during his meeting with tech titans, potentially representing the vast business interests of the Trump company that they now run. I did not cast my vote for Ivanka, whose clothing brand was working out an ongoing deal with a Japanese clothing company when she sat in on a meeting with her father and the Japanese prime minister. I did not cast my vote to enrich the very swamp that Trump promised he would drain.

News that the Republicans in Congress are prioritizing the repeal of Obamacare is a step in the right direction. But Trump’s lack of clear plan to replace the system is troubling. He doesn’t seem to be showing any interest in the mechanics of a new policy — he’s just out there making promises to the public with nothing to back it up. It doesn’t do much to offer me faith that he really wants to fix the problem.

Trump’s retaliatory and impulsive behavior, which I think I assumed was a campaign tactic, have carried over into his actions as president-elect. He now has the power to reward companies or countries that flatter him and destroy those that don’t with a simple tweet — just look at how he praises L.L. Bean and criticizes Boeing, causing their stock values to swing like yo-yos. His tweets about foreign powers lack restraint, and his treatment of the press whenever they say something he doesn’t like shows his vengefulness. He promised that he would be a president to all Americans, but all he has done is divide us.

As I witnessed the first rally of the post-election Thank You Tour, watching him soak up the praise and applause from the live feed on my computer, I felt my heart fall into my stomach. These supporters, many of whom populate my small town and my Facebook feed, have invested so much hope in him. They believe he has their back and will put them first. But all he cares about is himself. And he will betray them, as he has already done.

I know I’ll be ridiculed for voicing my regret

It’s not easy for me to come forward and say all of this. I feel humiliated already, and I know that going public with my story will open me to ridicule. But I don’t know what else to do to try to oppose him and his actions. I’m too sick to participate in peaceful protest. All I can do is try to spread the word, publishing editorials, signing petitions, and posting on Facebook, trying to do what I can to change the minds of my friends and families who continue to support him.

I hope that by coming forward, I can encourage other Trump voters who feel the same regret to speak out as well. Together we can send a message to Washington: All of you Republicans in Congress, I know that you are excited to pass your legislation, but you need to reign in this dangerous cult of personality or I will begin advocating against your party. I’m ready to switch sides to stop him.

My peers who voted for Trump still don’t get it. They tell me to give the man a chance, that it’s still too early to tell and that I shouldn’t listen to the media. They aren’t willing to let go the hope they have that he will keep their best interest in mind. They tell me, what were they going to do, vote for Hillary, of all people?

I wish I had. I wish I had done anything else but vote for him. I know my one small vote doesn’t make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things, but this one feels so personal. The decision haunts me every day. And I’ll do whatever I can to help reverse it.

—as told to Karen Turner

Sherri Underwood lives in the Midwest with her husband, three cats, and one dog. She began her career in law enforcement shortly after high school, working her up from a dispatcher to county jailer and then peace officer before changing her career to social services as a disabled adult jobs counselor, state JOBS program case worker, and eligibility specialist, assisting clients in applying for public assistance programs. Sherri is a self-described “news junkie” and an avid reader. When her illness allows, she pursues her hobbies of painting, writing poetry, and crocheting and treasures time with family. She encourages other regretful Trump voters to visit the Facebook group I Regret Voting For Trump in 2016 and tell their story.

[cameronsaunders95]

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[itsworn]

Installing Strut Rods on 1963-’82 Corvettes

The fastest wearing rear suspension part on 1963-’82 Corvettes is the strut rod bushing. The rubber A-arm bushings in the front suspension last longer because they only deal with rotation about their axis. In comparison, the small rubber bushing in the strut rod deals with both rotation and twisting as the suspension moves up and down. Wear in these inexpensive bushings is not much of a safety issue but it does change the rear wheel alignment, which could cause excessive wear on those very expensive tires.

The strut rods and the halfshafts are the two rear suspension members that determine how the tires contact the road. As the bushings wear, the bottom of the tire extends farther out with respect to the top of the tire. This negative camber causes premature wear on the tires’ inner tread.

Although this article focuses on how to replace strut rods on C2s and C3s, the procedure is similar for most other generation Corvettes. The parts options are also similar and include rubber or polyurethane bushings and adjustable strut rods. Zip Products joined with us on this article as they offer a full range of stock and performance parts for all generations of Corvettes.

Strut rod replacement is relatively easy to do. No expensive special tools are needed. This repair requires only the removal of three nuts per side (or one more nut if the spring is disconnected). And it can be done without a lift. Just be sure that the car is securely supported by jack stands when it’s raised because a degree of pushing, prying and hammering may be required, particularly on the shock mount. Follow along as we get down and slightly dirty repairing one of the prime trouble spots in Corvette’s independent rear suspension. Vette

  Zip Products offers two types of replacement bushings for 1963-’82 Corvette strut rods: rubber and polyurethane. Note that the replacement rubber bushings (bottom left) have a steel sleeve around them to enable installation in original rods and therefore the rubber is thinner than found in the original bushings.

Zip also offers new strut rods with bushings already installed. Adjustable struts rods with polyurethane bushings are shown here along with reproduction strut rods that have rubber bushings. Note that the adjustable struts rods can be set to a shorter length, which may be necessary to correct the rear-wheel alignment due to wear in other rear suspension components.

The spare tire assembly was removed to make photographing easier. While not necessary for strut rod replacement, it comes out after the removal of only two bolts. Removal allows you to clean out the dirt and debris that has accumulated over the years and to check the condition of the spare tire.

Remove the cotter pins from the spring bolt and shock mount on each side. Tip: wire cutters work best at bending and prying out rusted cotter pins. Four new 1/8-inch cotter pins, 1-inch or longer are needed during reassembly.

Although not essential, it’s easier if you disconnect the spring ends. An 11/16-inch open end wrench holds the top of the spring bolt. If a sway bar bracket is attached, a thin wrench will be needed to get in on the bolt head.

Loosen the spring bolt nut while the jack is out of the way but leave it attached by at least several threads. Note that the large thick washer has the rounded edge next to the cushion. While this orientation is not critical, that’s the way it came from the factory. Also note the polyurethane cushion. The stock rubber cushion compresses and deteriorates over time but this cushion is still like new even after over 10 years of service.

Use a 15/16-inch socket with a breaker bar to loosen the castellated nut on the shock mount. Then use a 3/4-inch socket to remove the nut at the bottom of the shock absorber. Tip: it’s easier to remove these before disconnecting the spring.

Tip: place a clamp on the inboard side of the spring to prevent the jack from slipping off as the spring is lowered. Some springs, especially those with lower spring rates, are steeply arched and when they are released they can kick the jack out.

  Remove the nut, lock washer and beveled washer from the shock mount. Removal of the beveled washer may require turning or prying because it often gets jammed. Make sure to remove both washers to ease removal of the shock absorber from the mount.

  Try using a pickle fork to tap the shock mount out from the bearing support. Removing the shock mount is the step in strut rod replacement that can give you the hardest time if it’s rust-seized to the bushing’s inner sleeve.

Alternately, reinstall the castellated nut backward and flush with the end of the threads and then tap cautiously on the nut to break the shock mount free. The reason for reversing the nut is because of the castellated holes; that end is easily mushroomed. Before designing a removal tool for this, I used to weld a plate on the end of a nut to do the job without damaging the shock mount.

Option three to remove the shock mount involves the use of an air hammer, if you have access to one. Zip offers a tool to help break loose rust-seized shock mounts without harming the part. Screw the tool onto the end of the shock mount, lock the shaft into the air hammer and knock the shock mount out. After removing the shock mount, pry the outer end of the strut rod from the bearing support.

Remove the nut and washers from the inner end of the strut rod and then tap the camber adjusting bolt out. Two reducing washers should fall out when the strut rod is removed. All too often they are lost or forgotten during reassembly.

The reducing washers are necessary because the diameter of the camber adjusting bolt is smaller than the shock mount bolt and both go through bushings of the same size. Zip offers new reducing washer replacements and a camber adjusting kit. Note that the 1975-’82 washers have a larger OD to match the larger, later bushings.

This rubber bushing is completely worn out between its inner sleeve and the outer end of the strut rod. This is the normal mode of failure, and all four bushings looked like this. This wear increases the effective length of the rod, which is then often more than the camber adjusting bolt can compensate for.

It was necessary to grind a little off the inner sleeve and to trim the poly bushing to fit into the bearing support. This might not be necessary on 1975-and-up C3 bearing supports, which were designed for larger strut rod bushings.

Install the shock mount through the strut rod and reattach the shock absorber. Tip: raise the wheel or trailing arm to make installation of the inner end of the strut rod easier. Note that rubber bushing strut rods should be raised to normal ride height before the shock mount nut and camber adjustment nut are tightened.

The adjustable strut rods from Zip come with a parts kit that replaces the stock camber adjustment parts and includes the reducing washers. One side of each plate had to be ground slightly to fit into this strut rod bracket. Better snug than loose here.

Tip: after installing the inner end of the strut rod, check the tightness of the strut rod bracket bolts while you are there. These bolts loosen so frequently that I make sure to check them with every C2 and C3 suspension inspection. I strongly recommend applying a threadlocker to these four bolts in addition to using their stock lock washers.

Recheck the tightness of the four nuts on each side and install cotter pins in the spring bolt and shock mount. Replacement of the strut rod is now complete and the new polyurethane bushings are certain to last a long time.

Turn the center sleeve on the adjustable strut rods to set the camber angle. To make adjustment easy to remember, the rods were installed so that pulling the 7/8-inch wrench back pushes the bottom of the wheel out.

Camber is easily measured using a level held against the wheel. Factory specs call for a small degree of negative camber; that’s when the wheel is tilted in on top. Adding even more negative camber improves cornering. (You’ll see wheels titled in considerably on cars set up for racing.) However, we set it to zero for optimum tire life, and because the camber will go negative as the new bushings wear in. This wear happens quicker with rubber bushings.

A half turn of the sleeve on Zip’s adjustable strut rod changes the camber about 1/2 degree, which is nearly 1/8-inch measured at the wheel. Tip: mark each side of the sleeve to help count the turns. Use a large, adjustable or 1 1/8-inch wrench to tighten the lock nuts after adjustment.

A complete polyurethane suspension bushing kit is available from Energy Suspension for 1963-’82 Corvettes and later models. The bushings are offered in red or black.

    The post Installing Strut Rods on 1963-’82 Corvettes appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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