#and he shares the memories he has with the team with linda and also creates new ones with her and the jl

[byfulcrums]

As a multi shipper, but also someone who understands a little bit too much of comic Wally’s history, I think no one like plays enough with like the idea that Wally getting with Linda in the JLU universe despite his heartbreaks is like…sorta the point. Like in canon, Linda wasn’t like designed to be the end of all romance of Wally’s life but it just kind of happened.

Like the first time the two seriously met, Wally was a porcupine monster and they’re love was extremely gradual and like, both were kind of messes and they’re relationship kind of like gave the other insight that helped them expand their horizons, and such. Especially if like in this scenario they still have the longest Slow burn of all time.

And all I’m saying is like, I think Linda deserves to take her place as the best example of the “last girl wins” trope in fiction history. Like, the universe never designed them to be soulmates, but in so many of them they ended up soulmates through sheer spite and the age old verbiage that petty bitches fly together.

Sorry I just love wallylinda with my whole damn heart and JLU is our only canon with her and Wally together and she’s my girl, my mother, my specialist soldier.

Every time I hear about Wally and Linda's first meeting I laugh. Most of the ships I have met each other in a somewhat normal way. But then there's wallinda

And yeah. He should get together with Linda. Like Artemis, he deserves to move on

I don't think he'll ever get over Arty and the rest of the team, but I do think that, someday, he'll be able to move on like the team did with him (except for Dick. That guy was so in love with Wally it's painful)

[lovehaswonangelnumbers]

New Post has been published on https://lovehaswonangelnumbers.org/archangel-michael-the-corona-virus/

Archangel Michael ~ The Corona Virus

Archangel Michael ~ The Corona Virus

By Steve Beckow

What is the truth about the coronavirus? Archangel Michael answers….

Archangel Michael in a personal reading with Steve Beckow through Linda Dillon, Feb. 20, 2020. Thanks to Dana for our transcript.

Steve: What is the true story of the breakout of the coronavirus?

Archangel Michael: It is not simply one story and this is part of the difficulty that those who are engaged – and there are several, shall we say, interested parties – who like to offer rather simplistic explanations around this or any other, what you can think of, as a virus.

First of all, it is important to realize, whether it is natural occurring (which is a curious remark, is it not?) or shall we say, laboratory created, that any virus that in fact becomes alive (because there are many that are simply dormant) is related to the infection or the poison of emotions and belief systems. That is what infects people and that is what kills people.

Now, the human race is not prepared obviously, especially in their panic, to be able to comprehend this because they look to their science for all answers rather than looking for the root cause and addressing it from that.

So the true story: The coronavirus was created in a laboratory. It was a weaponized virus and it has been let loose by those who have been (not intentionally, by the way, let loose) but by irresponsible handling of the toxin.

Steve: … In Wuhan China?

AAM: Correct

Steve: Did they steal that from a Canadian lab?

AAM: No.

Steve: Did the United States play role?

AAM: No, it is not about the United States although they will be adversely affected as well because as you well know, there are many belief systems in this side of the globe that also need clarification.

Steve: Is Bill Gates implicated in any way?

AAM: He has nothing to do with this.

Steve: Because he has a patent on the coronavirus.

AAM: He has nothing to do with they irresponsible release of the coronavirus.

Steve: Yes, but he does have a vaccine…

AAM: It is not a vaccine that is fully effective or ready.

Steve: There was an exercise having to do with the coronavirus outbreak weeks before it happened. That’s very suspicious.

AAM: Do not look for back stories that may or may not be accurate, Sweet One.

Steve: OK. Will this have a tremendously adverse effect on China?

AAM: No. In fact, in the long run, it will not. Now, is it creating a difficult situation? Most certainly. But what it is also doing, it is actually doing two things in the bigger sense of outcome.

One, it is demonstrating the dictatorial nature of their culture, of their ability to restrain, contain, etc. And, so, it is bringing to the forefront again, collective and lineage memories of autocracy. So that is the first thing.

But the second thing is it is also creating and reinforcing within the collective, their own ability to rise to the situation that is extraordinarily dangerous and difficult.

So, on the one hand, it is showing them that they are in a political regime that is perhaps too controlling but on the other hand it is also raising what you can think of the sense of collective and individual sufficiency and ability to act in a very positive way.

~~~~~~~~~

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[noahs-letters]

Allie, Well for the past week I’ve been back home in order to offer my final goodbyes to my grandmother. She has been on hospice for several weeks and is unresponsive. In fact she hasn’t muttered even a single utterance since I’ve been here. Its a somber reminder of the many memories of the past and the people that once surrounded me. You of course are part of those memories. No doubt you remember that thanksgiving. I recall you sharing your gratitude for having me back in your life and finally knowing why i was there to begin with. I too was equally thankful. I am sleeping in the same bed that i lied in when i messaged you those nights and feeling the same as i did then. There are few places here that don’t remind me of you and i knew when i arrived this time that i would be thinking of you often. True to my belief, I have. I realized that i don’t even know where you are anymore or what your life looks like. It seems like a thousand years and as much as has happened in my life, I can’t imagine what all has likely happened in yours. Also, i realized Its been years since i heard your voice though i remember it perfectly. I do wonder many nights as i drift off to sleep if you think of me at the same time.  I still watch and wait for you my dearest Allie. No-one has taken my heart from you. I do pray i will one day speak to you again, and that our circumstances will be as we dreamed. I still believe in us, and as promised will step into that role in your life. In the mean time, i continue to grow as a man and through submission to God, have learned more about myself than i believed possible.  Ive been involved in ministry opportunities, playing concerts in other states, and have learned a tremendous amount about life and this world that God created for us. I hope one day to share these things with you in person, as written word simply cannot contain the excitement I feel about my life.  And certainly, with no reservation, the written word cannot encapsulate the love i feel for you and my heart awaits the day I can share it with you once again. In the last few years, I’ve had the opportunity to make some great friends and fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We have struggled through building a music ministry together and we continue to grow through the challenges that such an endeavor entails. Theres Phillip. A fellow guitar player, He and i have been able to support each other. He has faced joblessness, health problems, and frustrating circumstances in supporting his family. Ive been able to pray for him and be a support. Then theres linda, our piano player. She like myself has a degree in classical music and is an outstanding pianist. She is truly a graceful woman and loves her grandchildren dearly. She reminds me so much of you and how i envisioned you as we gain years. She is the support of our team and helps keep the peace when theres disagreements. Thus, we’ve nicknamed her “Mama Bear”. Our worship leader James is a fledgling leader. Those of us who have been there for a while have had frustrations but he’s been good to receive them and work with us. We are short a female vocalist and weekly i think how amazing it would be to have you in that spot, and us making music together again like we were supposed to. Until then, think of me with every harmony you sing and as always, you will be a part of every note i play. Its late and i am off to bed. I love you Allie. I hope you understand truly how much. You are the love of my life. I miss you terribly, but i remain committed to Gods plan. I believe with every fiber in my being that one day we will embrace once again. Every time i seek God, He also validates this belief through his reassuring word and comforting patience. I do not know what that will look like, and i won’t try to force it but i smile knowing that one day i will hold you again. I love you dearest Allie and i do hope you sleep well and wake up refreshed and fully immersed in the Grace of our Heavenly Father. Amen. I love you. Noah

[morningstarassistedliving-blog]

While MorningStar at Jordan Creek was specifically designed to accommodate the needs of its residents, the heart of our community is our caring staff.   Right from the leadership down, our team is comprised of people who feel honored to be able to serve seniors and to help make their lives more comfortable and enjoyable. 

As MorningStar at Jordan Creek’s Executive Director, Quinn Adair puts it, “It is incredibly rewarding to serve seniors who have been such phenomenal contributors to our society in so many different ways.” Quinn finds great fulfillment in a career that allows him to positively impact another person’s life each day and is grateful to be able to build relationships with individuals who have so much to give and share. Before coming to Jordan Creek, Quinn was the Administrator at the Perry Lutheran Home in Perry, Iowa.  He received his Long-Term Care Administration, Health/Care Administration/Management Certification from Des Moines Area Community College.   

The Jordan Creek commuity is also pleased to have the steady and loving leadership of our Director of Community Relations, Linda Darling. Growing up in Iowa, Linda learned early on about generaltional wisdom and laughter from her grandparents, and as a part of a farming family, she learned about serving others.  She describes how her dad frequently helped other farmers in the area especially during harvest time.  In addition Linda is inspired by stories of patriotism from her WWII vet friends.   

With the MorningStar at Jordan Creek’s opening day just a few weeks away, our caring team has been hired and trained and is just waiting to welcome our first residents to their new home.  Please contact us to learn more about best assisted living and memory care in the area.   

MorningStar at Jordan Creek proudly provides the very best in senior living with our unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.”  With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve, we create a true home for residents amid a beautiful setting.  Please schedule a tour to discover the newest community in the West Des Moines area.

[go-redgirl]

Patriot Award Recipient/Former Presidental canidate Herman Cain attends the 2015 Helping A Hero Gala on Nov. 22, 2015 in Houston, Texas. (Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Helping A Hero)By Linda J. Hansen    |   Monday, 03 August 2020 10:33 AM

Hansen: Honoring Herman Cain

Herman Cain was one of the finest men I have ever known. If anyone has ever wondered what Herman Cain was like, I could sum it up in three words: the real deal. He was honest, authentic, and loyal. He was deeply committed to Jesus Christ, his family, and his country— in that order, and everything he did revolved around those priorities.

Our shared faith and love of country brought an instant bond, and from our first meeting I knew this man was going to have an incredible impact on my life, and I would potentially have an impact on his, although I had no idea at that time just how true those words would become.

I met him a few years before he ran for president through my involvement in grassroots politics. We spoke at various political events together and he became an adviser and contributing author to a program I developed called Prosperity 101™, which I created to help employers educate employees about the public policy issues that affect their jobs.

He believed in my vision and supported my efforts wholeheartedly.

We did workshops and speaking engagements together and it was during those times of meeting with people around the country that I could see our nation was crying out for the leadership of Herman Cain.

Our mutual friend and colleague, Mark Block, had also worked with Mr. Cain over several years and he believed, as I did, that America wanted a business leader in the White House. Block and I put together a strategy and took it to Cain, encouraging him to run for president and assuring him that we could take him to number one in the polls.

Of course, he said we were "crazy," but he had that signature twinkle in his eyes and that enormous grin, and I knew he was intrigued.

I told him that 'Yes," we were "crazy," but I promised we could take him to number one!

To this day, I feel so blessed to be one of two people who recruited him to run for president and then to serve as the executive vice president and deputy chief of staff for his presidential campaign, a role that not many women in America had done at that time.

He did not care that I was a woman. He trusted my work.

Herman Cain was a man who sought results, and to work so closely with him taught me more than I could have ever learned in a classroom or from any other candidate.

We strategized together, laughed together, and prayed together. Some of my favorite memories involved flying with just him and Block during the campaign.

We had great strategy sessions at 35,000 feet!

His presidential campaign announcement rally, held on May 21, 2011, was at that time, the largest political rally in the history of our country. Much of the media ignored it, yet as over 15,000 people traveled from all over our country to support this non-politician businessman who was running for president, we knew we were experiencing history in the making.

The atmosphere was electric. I still get chills when I think of it.

While establishment politicians and many media pundits ridiculed us, we diligently kept building a grassroots army that became a movement. Many people had no idea how organized we were at the grassroots level, despite no paid advertising and a limited budget.

Our signature "9-9-9" tax plan became wildly popular, and a greeting to supporters from Chief of Staff Block, that included the famous puff on a cigarette, became a viral sensation. Poll numbers soared.

As he rose in the polls, the unfounded, vicious attacks began.

While there was no proof, it damaged the campaign.

As a businessman, he knew the odds were not in our favor. He wanted to make sure everyone on the team could be paid through the end of year, so he made a business decision to end the campaign while there was still money to do so.

Additionally, he wanted to protect his precious wife, Gloria, and their family from additional stress. Being part of the conversations that led to that decision and seeing the love and tender relationship that he and Gloria exhibited during the crisis only caused my respect for him to grow.

We have worked together on many things since then. In fact, I am blessed to have interviewed him for my "Prosperity 101™" podcast just days before he became ill.

The episode was published the day he went into the hospital. I hope he was able to hear it.

Mr. Cain (as I have always affectionately called him) was a voice for all that is good and right, and his voice will be missed but never forgotten. I am in shock and fighting tears at the loss of my dear, dear friend and mentor.

My heart aches with his family and I ask everyone to keep them in their prayers as they grieve. I thank God for Herman Cain and am thankful for the times we worked together to promote freedom and liberty in our great country.

If you want to honor his memory, please get in the fight for our country. He would want us all to turn to God for wisdom and to do all we can to keep our country free.

We must let his life be an example and be as fearless as he was. May we honor his legacy.

Linda J. Hansen is the Former Deputy Chief of Staff to Herman Cain, Political Strategist, Podcast Host and Founder & President of Prosperity 101, LLC

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

OPINION:  Well, President Trump has a good supporter in ‘Heaven’ now still fighting the fight for the President and probably speaking to Almighty God now.  

Sometime, those that leave up goes to early goes to a place that they can make an even better difference on earth and that’s HEVEN!

Keep up the good fight Mr. Herman Cain, we know that you are in Gods  hands and will make even a much better difference for many of us on earth.  🙏

[aspiestvmusings]

Scorpion 4x05 Thoughts:

My episode review post for Scorpion S4 ep 4x05: 

LONG POST, CONTAINING  SPOILERS...UNDER THE CUT: 

Moments:

Happy/Cabe scene (father/grandpa-daughter scene). I love this scene mainly for the following four reasons: 1) Happy, the mechanic, fixing Cabe’s new old car, 2) Dad/Grandpa-Daughter/Kid scene -  them talking about recent events, 3) Happys’ got babies & diapers on her mind! - her word choice is again very revealing, and 4) a mention of Happy’s idol, Elon Musk.

STORK! Yet another acronym. The new Quintis plan! I’m quite certain that STORK’s fate is the same as PANNS/SCABOBI’s... they’ll drop it..soon! But I still love that they talked about wanting a baby, and came up with a plan (between lst  this ep... so during the past 2 days in their universe)...even if it is STORK. But these DORKS with their STORK & acronyms. It’s so “their thing”. Just like the costumes, the “date night at home” installing security systems...etc... 

Oh, Toby... you really know how to share TMI. Toby “I'm glad you asked, so let me tell you a bout our private lives..in detail...” Curtis, when he’s told not to share his story.

Little Tobina. You’re funny, Toby, but so wrong, when you think you’ll be naming the Quintis baby Tobina..or something similar. Though Tobina (a “version”of his own name, Toby) sounds like a girl’s name, so it’s a girl, right?

Sly is taking the bar exam! (but just like the prisons in this shows universe let visitors waltz into the prison cell of a dangerous criminal with cellphones & forearms in their packets - see 401, they allow cellphones into exam room... and none of it is any problem/issue LOL)

Walt still feel an “outsider” even among a family of geniuses surrounding him. His “no home” comment kinda reminds you of what he told to Linda at the end of 2x15, right? He feels “strange” even among “people like himself”. This has been a theme in the past, and now mentioned again...

It’s RAY-STARSWIPE! Oh, Ray.. and his marketing video! Its so embarrassing that its funny! Makes you wonder what else Ray did during his recent short stay at the Garage (just before Quintis wedding)

Toby & Happy are running late, because they’ve got some personal planning to do..again (in 3x13 it was the wedding planning, in 4x05 it’s the STORK project)

“What is it with Quintis & acronyms?“ ;) - Like father, like son. AKA that moment, when Cabe & Walter say/ask the same question (in 4x03 they both said “That’s an interesting development!” about Ralph’s interest in Patty! And they’ve done it before, too, like in 3x20, when they both commented that “Quintis [bicker] sound like they’ve been married forever/for years” ) Also: exactly what I asked when I read it. 

I love Cabe in the “sleep capsule”...singing “Gloria” to himself... PS. At first I was kind of sad that they didn’t use (probably for legal reason...cause they didn’t get the right to use the song originally written as the one playing on the stuck cassette) the original song planned to be stuck in that cassette player, but now I kinda like that it was a different song. “Gloria” worked wonderfully during the Cabe/car etc scenes! PS. For anyone not familiar with 1980s music or how to google things, the song is "Gloria” by Laura Branigan (1982 hit) WATCH ON YT!

It’s Doggett vs Fox...but not Fox Mulder. And that’s actually Cabe Gallo, not Doggett. #yesIjustdidanXFilesreference The bad guys are wearing masks..animal masks, and have “animal” code-names. But seriously... what’s with the Spanish? How & Why is that relevant? (or is this supposed to be a reference to 305 & those Spanish bad guys?)

Interesting... this “case” seems more & more like the one in 3x05. Foreign bad guys (Spanish), a heist story,...with a twist (the bad guys are not after what the Team originally thinks they’re after!) Plus...part of the team kidnapped/held hostage/inside the building with the bad guys & part of the team outside... working on ways to communicate with the ones inside. (the last part also makes me see parallels between 405 & 313) 

“It’s me, stupid! Happy’s MORSE-code message. The surest way to make sure others know it’s her is to say something very Happy-like. 

I love the Quintis  Teamwork! Those two are so in sync and work so well as a team! I love the eps, where Toby & Happy get to work as one of the teams, but though I kind of wish there were more eps like that, I actually like that this isn’t the case in every episode, because this way it feels even  better! We get them work with others in some eps, and them together again after every few eps! (next up 4x08, 4x10)

OOPS! Sir Richard was promoting a product that wasn’t ready. Not good. His reasons for doing so might’ve been “good”, but it’s still so not good! 

Elia’s PW: KING RICHARD (for my reaction see Walt’s reaction)

I know that Toby thinks of Sly instead of Ralph...first, when thinking of a very fast coder/hacker simply because this episode doesn’t have Riley B. Smith in it, but honestly... Ralph would do this faster than them all...even Sly! But yeah, Toby doesn’t call Ralph, cause the kids at school, so it’s Sly who’ll create the fake site.

Sly rocks! Sylvester, "I’m an attorney at law” Dodd, ladies & gents! PS. He’s not even completed the bar exam, but he follows Toby’s old saying "youre a lawyer if you believe you’re one” ;) (the original line was actually a bit different in S1, but... yeah) This is so his bar exam...and he will pass the exam & get extra points, because he doesn’t just answer the test questions correctly, he is able to use the knowledge he has in a practical situation... this is a “live” test/exam, where he gets to actually put his new skillset to use. 

Meet "Barnaby, the Banking Butler”!  PS. Here’s an idea though... since Team Scorpion is in need  of finances, and Cabe did such a great job as Barnaby, the Banking Butler (despite the accent), how about Elia paying Cabe for using him as the “model” for Barnaby so the agent can that way pay back his bail money to the Team, and hence not owe anyone anything & so freeing the Team from their extra debt?

LOL ... Classic Toby! “Good luck, baby! I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed for you”  - he wants Happy to do the job alone, cause handing a note to someone is totally a 1-person-job! He’s always trying to “stay behind”. PS. Originally the plan was to have a scene inside the bank, but for reasons this scene was changed, and we see Quintis only outside the bank (before & after...no interaction with the teller, etc. I kinda liked the final version that aired though I originally though the 1st draft version was great)

...and Happy’s “wife” stare! as a response. Those dorks are so married!

Quintis just robbed a bank! Technically they only stole a password, though, not money. And now they’re fleeing from the scene! Car-chase! And of course Happy’s driving! 

APB on Quintis (description) - Toby: caucasian male in his 30s, wearing a hat  & Happy: petite asian female

Oh, no! Not good! Happy, as a “skilled” driver turns the car too fast & all the (still hot!? How? Ride from coffee shop to conference center, the assessment of situation + discussions with the cops/detective... did all that take only 3 minutes or d they go to a magic coffee shop that has magic coffee that remains hot for an hour...) hot organic coffee spills on Toby’s gooty! Well...nothing else to do than remove his pants! To reveal: NO BOXERS! Tighty whities! #violationofSTORK

sidenote: Toby Curtis & Happy Quinn masters of removing their pants without taking off their shoes since 205/405! And while Toby’s pants in this ep weren’t as “skinny jeans” as Happy wore in 205 dangling upside down...), I’m still questioning the speed & ease of him removing the pants...over the sneakers. This couple’s got skillz ;) *sarcasm*

Oh, a little Toby’s childhood memory/story! About his first day of middle school...and what he wore that day. 

“Bet you wish you wore boxers now.” Oh, Happy! Bet he does. 

Cabe &  “Gloria” vs 2 bad guys on motorcycles - pursuit! Of course Barnaby “wins” the chase! 

There are not many “people”, who can get away with insulting an officer in broad daylight, in the middle of the street, while being half naked/wearing just tighty whities. 

I do not know if that was EKT or a (photo) double in the S3 bloopers reel for the S3 finale island scene with Paige/Toby and the loincloth talk scene, when Kat goes “he’s got nice legs”, but I’d say it applies here. Toby’s got nice legs. 

I knew it! Quintis is forgetting S.T.O.R.K. And focusing on fun instead. Or rather... on F.U.N. Sorry, pops... it’s another acronym. FUN = Freewheeling. Unencumbered. Newlyweds. 

DONUTS! Team/Family  moment!

A mention of Happy’s online gearhead friends! I hope these are her MechanChicks friends... mostly. Reference to 318. But could be other mechanic friends, too. 

Oh, poor Cabe... first clearer signs of what “losing his identity” (as we  learned in 317..his biggest fear is to seem weak & not be able to be the protector & “tough guy”) is doing to him...are showing. The car choice, the singing to himself in sleeping pods, the mixing up boxes... I sure hope he gets his real badge back soon...and give back the temporary intern badge... because he feels purposeless if he is not the agent. As explained in 317..and now explored in season 4A...

LOL at these geniuses! I guess Happy’s truck & Paige’s and Walter’s cars are not a the garage...orherwise... why not use of of their cars to move Cabe’s "Gloria”. But no... we would not have that fun team moment..if that were the case! If these geniuses remembered they could move his car using their car/truck... we would not get such a funny team bonding moment.... 

 The little things/Details to notice:

Happy using the word “diaper”, when using an analogy to Cabe’s new car’s technical condition. (”Leaks like a full diaper”) #HappysGotBabiesOnHerMind

Happy & Toby: white vs black theme! Happy wearing black tee & black pants/jeans, Toby wearing a white tee & (as revealed later...) white undies. A fun contrast/detail I noticed.

Welcome back Cabe’s “LA KINGS” (opening scene) & Toby’s “I’D RATHER BE WEIGHT-LIFTING" coffee mugs! (end scene) 

Happy’s outfit: yet another “mechanic” outfit with her usual boots, and dark jeans. Plus a loose top/tee with a LS plaid shirt on top. 

Also... Toby’s outfit ... it’s so S1-ish! The “lighter-coloured” pants, and that jacket...

And It’s been ages since we’ve seen Toby run..cause someone’s chasing him (cause he’s taken someone’s “money”) It happened quite often during early S1 days... but is not a theme anymore. 

6PCI245  - Happy’s car licence plate number in S4. Actually since 3x18! Originally it was 8Q49992 in 1x11, then 8Q49929 from 1x21 to 3x12; 6PCI245 from 3x18-3x20-to 4x05...; with the 3x22 PartyBus getting her old licence plate 8Q49929) ;) 

Paige lifting Toby’s legs off table (during the donuts scene)

So...Quintis S4 acronyms...so far: we went from PANNS to FUN. What’s next?  PANNS  +  SCABOBI  -> STORK -> FUN --> ?

hmm... Happy really wants for someone else (Paige) to PUSH...right now? Is this what’s to come in about 40 weeks? In that case... this coming from the woman, who as a mechanic claimed that the female body is a mechanical marvel...but will she be wishing someone else was “in pain” when it’s her time? We’ll see...

Favourite Lines/Quotes:

Too many to list. But some I’ve mentined in the comments above. 

I find that hard to believe! - “Continuity errors” & other questionable things:

How are “students” allowed to take their cellphones to the exam room? And leave the exam room... to “go to the bathroom” ...just like that? 

How is that coffee STILL hot? Did everything from them leaving from the coffee shop to robbing the bank happen in a 5-minute timespan (instead of closer to an hour or so..) or do they know a magic coffeeshop that sells magic coffee in magic cups that keep the coffee hot for hours? 

How did Toby get those pants off so easily...over his sneakers? Sure..his pants are wider than Happy’s skinnyjeans  in 205 were... but these two are still very masterful at removing their jeans without removing their footwear. 

How come they didn’t think of using one of their cars to move Cabe’s non-moving vehicle? 

 NOTES: 

On that note... Team Quintis & Team Scorpion’s financial situation is gonna be a topic...during this season, right? In S3 it was how to arrange a wedding on budget. In S4 its gonna be how to prepare for a baby...while on budget? But how are they gonna save or get better at being financially responsible if they keep buying organic coffee to go, and other such “luxuries”, when in other eps its made to sound like they can’t even afford a cheap deep-fried treat (churros)...though that’s Paige, not Quintis...who planned to get Kovelsky’s that night. It allows for several options - show how they get creative with baby stuff. And shows how their & their company’s financial situation affects them all... and it also gives perfect opportunity for a Toby/gambling debt/Bruno plot to surface...etc. 

Solution: Quintis can afford a baby just like Paige could afford to get a new car (a few weeks after getting the new job) & upgrade to a nice apartment + get Ralph to a good school (mere months later) + pay for the babysitter etc... because they’re not really broke (they already got 20.000 back from Cabe)... their definition of it just “exaggerated”. But also because they’re geniuses & gonna be very creative about the “baby costs” - building furniture themselves, having “free” access to medical stuff and treatments... and also... either they’re gonna do “baby on budget” and that’s the plot, or Cabe gets his job back soon, and the team starts getting big paydays... to fix their financial situation. Because this show has not been realistic about financial issues from the very beginning. It’d be great if that’d improve, but Quintis has made it clear they’re not good with saving etc. 

 posted: Oct 28th, 2017

[pachathegreat]

Day 18: Hollow Man

What’s up guys, let’s get into it, we’re looking at the 2000 horror film Hollow Man starring Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth Shue, and Josh Brolin. The movie is directed by Paul Verhoeven (RoboCop, Starship Troopers) known for his highly visualized and violently charged films that contain political undertones. 

This movie is highly visualized, and can be violently graphic, but there’s none of the political undertones usually seen within his movies. If anything this is more of a look at our main character, and I think it has the audience question whether his actions are a result of the serum or himself given the power to do as he wants. 

So I choose this films because it’s one of the few that follows the story of The Invisible Man which I covered last week. I would argue in some cases, that this is closer to the original tone of H.G. Wells’ book in terms of our main character. Let me preface this by saying that in Wells’ original novel, the Invisible Man, Griffin, began as an amoral and merely took advantage of his situation. In the 1933 adaptation, Griffin is a good man who is driven to insanity and violence due to his serum.

SPOILERS

This film follows a small group of scientist led by Sebastian (Bacon) who have already made the invisibility serum, but are trying to figure out how to reverse the process. Sebastian is crass and ambitious, but his team trusts him, especially former lover Linda (Shue), and her new man, Matt (Brolin). So when they create the reversal serum and present it to the government, Sebastian lies that the experiments are finished and that further work needs to be done and he convinces Linda and Matt to go along with it. Sebastian has done this to avoid government interference and that the credit of his work is rightfully his. He also wants to be the first human to become invisible. The previous subjects have been lab animals. So if you don’t like seeing animals caged up, maybe avoid this film. Cause honestly, it gets worse as the movie goes on.

At about the halfway point Sebastian undergoes the procedure and becomes invisible. The effects in the film are pretty impressive for 2002 and still stand out now. Part of the film feels like studios are pushing effects further and further. Take a look at the scene. 

To see the amount on detail that went into that transformation is impressive, even more so when we think back on 2000. A year later, and we had this

Some effects in this film haven’t aged well, but the work put into this isn’t to be ignored. They really went all out on this movie in terms of effects.

Getting back to the story, the serum they used on a gorilla successfully doesn’t work on Sebastian, his body can’t handle it. So he stays invisible longer than anticipated. Usually the time is about 3 days, but at one point in the film he’s been invisible for 10 days, that was before the third act so I’m sure a little more time passed in between that. 

The movie suggest to the audience that the serum makes the subject agitated and affects mental health, now I could see that in some aspects, but going into the character of Sebastian, I would say not. 

See Sebastian starts off as well, how should I say this? He’s a cunt.

Throughout the film, Sebastian has an arrogance to him. It’s in everything he does. There’s no moment where you empathize with him. You can understand his frustration, but he takes it out on his team instead of helping. A fact that Linda brings up in their argument after he has a shitfit. The driving plot of the film is done so out of arrogance. He wants to get the credit, he doesn’t want the government to take over his work, he wants to be the first invisible person. He’s also needlessly cruel. 

Since they’re working with lab animals, a veterinarian is part of the team to monitor and check on the animals. I don’t know about you guys, but the vets I know care about animals and their well-being, as does this one. So when a gorilla is saved from near death due to the results of the serum that turns the invisible visible, Sebastian immediately orders a vivisection on the ape. The vet isn’t too pleased with that.

When Sebastian’s now invisible he tends to fuck with his coworkers, which is kinda understandable. You blow in the ear, move shit around, tap on the shoulder, common invisible person stuff. Then he takes it a step too far.

I had a hard time writing about that, and ended up not putting it in this review, so please be advised when watching this movie.

I’d like to make the comparison between Sebastian and Griffin from the 1933 film. While the Invisible Man is villainous in that Saturday morning cartoon way, he’s not a monster. He’s as much a victim of his own actions. A good man driven insane by his own creation. Sebastian is a bad person, not necessarily evil at first. But given the ability to do whatever he wanted without consequence, he choose to abuse that power. He choose to act on deep inhibitions and exaggerating his more negative characteristics that may have been kept at bay due to societal reasons. For this reason, I think Sebastian may be the most truly evil villain we’ve had on the series yet. One line I find interesting is during a fight between Matt and Sebastian where Matt says  “Was it the serum or the power?”. Not that I think it was the serum, I think Matt is aware of the type of person Sebastian is and what he would do, or has done with those abilities. 

I think both films do share the commonality of showcasing the SFX of their time to great effect. That stuff isn’t easy to pull off, folks. 

The real horror aspect of the film doesn’t start till the third act. A lot of it was playing with the effects, and idea of the invisible man in the modern world. Several plot points have made Sebastian turn murderous and confines the team in their lab. The lines have been cut, their security codes are gone, and the only other person who knows Sebastian is invisible besides the team is dead. No help is coming. These last two acts have felt like set up for this final one, this is what everyone has been waiting for. And it delivers. If there’s one thing Paul Verhoeven is good at, it’s violence. And man, does the third act deliver on that front. There’s an early taste (pardon the pun) when an ape bites a mouse in half, blood spewing everywhere. The majority of the film however is seemingly dedicated to the effects put into the film. 

In terms of camera work, they take advantage of using Sebastian’s POV for the audience while he’s invisible, you follow Sebastian along in his understanding what he can do with this new ability. Whether you like what he does with it is another matter all together however.

***** I am putting this in as warning to more sensitive readers. TRIGGER WARNING. If you plan on viewing the film, please be advised there are scenes depicting molestation and rape. *****

I don’t want to say the film is good. I enjoyed a lot of the film. What the effects of the time were able to do is nothing short of hard work, but at no time did I feel a connection for the characters in the film. The performances are okay, not bad and not good, just done well enough. Bacon stands out as a truly villainous being in this though. I I feel maybe the sexual scenes could’ve been toned down.

I have memories of those scenes being selling points of the film when I was a kid, and looking back at that, I don’t understand how those scenes are the selling points. I was kinda with this movie up until those scenes happen. 

Lighting wise, the movie felt a little flat. It’s well lit, but nothing that kinda captures your attention. Could be because of effects? Anyone have any input on that?

Also Kevin Bacon’s character listens to shit music the whole time, like cringy NU Metal, it’s kinda funny how seriously he’s into it when the music’s on.

Okay, I’m done with this movie. 

Tomorrow’s entry is THE WOLFMAN (2010)

[biofunmy]

Would 1980s murder case be treated differently now?

CLOSE

Jennifer Levin (Photo: SundanceTV)

It’s not easy watching “The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park” – a documentary about the 1986 slaying of Jennifer Levin in New York City and the trial of Robert Chambers, her assailant – more than 30 years later.

The five part series, airing over three consecutive nights, kicked off Wednesday and continues Thursday and Friday (9 p.m. EST,  AMC and Sundance TV). In looking at the crime, the Chambers team’s defense and the trial, it brings to light (or back to memory) the tactic of victim blaming and highlights controversial aspects of the trial – including the decision to disallow DNA evidence, as it wasn’t seen as credible. 

At the time of her death, Levin was 18 and Chambers was 19. They were friends and had a sexual relationship prior to her early-morning death on Aug. 26. Chambers told police Levin died accidentally when he threw her off of him while trying to defend himself from her sexual advances.

The documentary features interviews with friends of Levin, as well as her mother, Ellen; sister, Danielle; and an ex-girlfriend of Chambers, Alex Kapp. Prosecutor Linda Fairstein, Detective Mike Sheehan, who died in June, and a member of Chambers’ defense, attorney Roger Stavis, are also interviewed. Chambers did not agree to participate in the series, and his defense attorney Jack Litman died in 2010.  

Though Fairstein received backlash following her portrayal in May’s “When They See Us” about her prosecution of the five young men wrongfully accused of raping and assaulting a woman in Central Park, in “The Preppy Murder,” we see her devotion to bringing justice for the Levins.

An impassioned Jessica Doyle says she wanted to be a voice in the documentary to correct the narrative about Levin, her “best friend.” Thanks to Litman, tabloid newspapers seemed to question what role she played in her own demise. 

“Central Park suspect’s lawyer claims ‘Jenny killed in wild sex,'” one New York Post headline read. The headline “Girl’s slaying suspect: Sex play ‘got rough’ ” was splashed across the New York Daily News.

Robert Chambers, left, exits a New York court with his defense attorney Jack Litman on Oct. 21, 1987. (Photo: DAVID BOOKSTAVER/Associated Press)

Ricki Stern, who co-directed the series with and Annie Sundberg, says the post-#MeToo climate is one of the reasons she wanted to revisit the case, citing Litman’s attempt to vilify Levin because she wanted sex.

“A friend of Miss Levin testified the slain teen had said her previous encounters with Chambers had been ‘the best sex’ she ever had,” the Associated Press reported in 1988, about the closing arguments of the trial.  ″’That’s why she pursued him, and that’s why – unfortunately – this wound up the way it has,’ Litman said.”

“In that day, there wasn’t a public outcry that might happen today when the media – led by a defense attorney – looks at a young woman and says, ‘Oh, you asked for this. You wanted rough sex,’ or whatever the narrative was that they created and essentially pinned this woman’s death on her own actions,” Stern says. “And that’s important to reexamine in today’s day.”

But she is less certain whether the current climate would influence the case. 

“It’s an interesting thing to consider. I don’t honestly know,” she says. “I think there are so many cases of criminal injustice that continue on. You can look at the Steubenville case, you can look at the Stanford University case, where… the sympathy is still toward these boys. ‘Boys will be boys.’ ‘They were drunk.’ ‘They shouldn’t be asked to take full responsibility for their actions.’ ‘They’re actually good boys, but they just did one bad thing.'” 

Sundberg believes the power of social media would’ve fostered “more debate, and hopefully more support” from the start for Levin.

 “We’re seeing it now, in what’s been playing out with several of the survivors who filed charges against Epstein and Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, that there is an openness to explore what would’ve previously been a marginalized narrative,” she adds. “I would hope that women … would feel that they have more support in terms of coming forward against a media that might paint them in certain ways.”

Sundberg also brings up the DNA evidencefrom the crime scene, which State Supreme Court Justice Howard Bell ruled was not credible at a preliminary hearing, and prevented the prosecution from placing a denim jacket that Levin had worn that evening into evidence as a murder weapon. 

“”And I think if this were happening today, DNA would’ve made this less controversial; the method of murder would’ve been clearer to prove,” she says.

After more than a week offruitless jury deliberations, the prosecution and defense agreed to a deal – Chambers pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and went on to serve 15 years, partly due to bad behavior in prison. 

Chambers was released in 2003 but re-arrested for selling drugs four years later, and sentenced to 19 years in prison. Today, he is serving his sentence at New York’s Sullivan Correctional Facility.

One way the case may play out differently today, is thanks to the rape shield bill – which Levin’s mom Ellen advocated for  – the sexual past of a crime victim (alive or dead) is no longer permissible in court.

‘Law & Order: SVU’ turns 21: Mariska Hargitay, Dick Wolf reflect on TV milestone 

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Education

Many San Diego Unified Schools Are Nowhere Near Full

School is back in session, and San Diego Unified School District anticipates educating about 1,200 fewer K-12 students than last year.

Student enrollment has declined steadily at the region’s largest public school district in recent years. The district taught less than 103,000 students last year – 7,700 fewer than just five years ago and 14,700 fewer than 10 years ago, according to district records.

And there is no sign the slide will slow anytime soon.

Budget documents show San Diego Unified officials anticipate a loss of about 1,500 more students next year, and again the year after, when enrollment may dip below 99,000 students.

That’s bad news for district leaders who are routinely left searching for millions of dollars in spending cuts. Since the state funds public schools on a per pupil basis, lost students means lost money – about $13,000 per student annually for San Diego Unified, according to state data.

That means this year’s anticipated enrollment drop alone could end up costing the district $15.6 million.

San Diego Unified’s latest $1.4 billion operating budget counts on $58.3 million in ongoing cuts in 2020-21 and another $24.5 million the following year. It is still unclear where that money will come from.

“Any talk about budget revisions is premature at this point,” Greg Ottinger, the district’s chief financial officer, said in an email. Ottinger said this year is funded and possible solutions for next year will come in December. State funding may also change before next year, he said.

“Cutting classroom spending today to reduce a projected shortfall in the future would mean depriving our students of every available dollar,” Ottinger said.

San Diego Unified’s school board president, Sharon Whitehurst-Payne, referred inquiries to district staff.

“We staff to specific class sizes, and if there are fewer students we hire fewer new teachers as others retire,” the school board’s vice president, John Lee Evans, said in an email. “The budget partially re-balances by losing revenue for students and not hiring teachers for the students who are not there.”

If there are 1,200 fewer students to educate this year, a proportional reduction would mean losing roughly 60 teachers, since the district’s average pupil to teacher ratio is 20-to-1.

Rookie teachers get paid $46,000 at San Diego Unified, so 60 less would amount to $2.76 million in salary savings. That would still leave a nearly $13 million deficit that would need to be cut from somewhere else.

But staffing hasn’t always dropped proportionally with enrollment, district data has shown.

Just a couple years ago, while facing a $124 million shortfall, San Diego Unified officials issued wide-sweeping layoff notices, and later retirement incentives, to “right-size” the district’s workforce, which had actually increased amid enrollment declines.

The district is also moving ahead with plans for a new school in Mission Valley, despite a lack of students there.

“The district believes strongly in creating livable, walkable communities with quality neighborhood schools in the center of local life,” wrote Maureen Magee, a district spokeswoman, in an email. “The new school Civita school will be exactly this type of community foundation.”

Magee said there are 230 students who currently live in the area and have to travel away from Mission Valley to attend school. And that number may double in time as more residential development occurs.

♦                    ♦                    ♦

The district’s steady enrollment decline is a far cry from the student boom seen in the 1990s, although even growth during that decade came up short of projections.

Demographers hired by San Diego Unified in the 1980s expected student enrollment to reach 156,000 students by 2000, according to a Los Angeles Times article from 1986.

Instead, district enrollment peaked at less than 135,000 in traditional district schools in 2000, and totaled less than 142,000 counting charter schools, which manage their own operations and finances, district records show.

Certain parts of town are being hit by enrollment losses harder than others.

Voice of San Diego requested school capacity data from the district and compared it to school enrollment numbers reported to the state for 2017-18.

The result: 94 schools reported enrollment below 80 percent capacity, and a dozen schools were at 50 percent capacity or less. Three of the most severely under-enrolled schools were in Clairemont Mesa, and three were in the Skyline-Paradise Hills area.

●    The most severely under-enrolled school was the K-12 Whittier School, which serves 53 students with special needs in Clairemont and was at 27 percent capacity. In 1999, the school had 969 students, state data shows.

●    The most under-enrolled traditional school was Alcott Elementary, occupying just 34 percent of its Clairemont Mesa campus with a mere 195 students. Back in 1997, the school had 575 students, state data shows.

●    The third-most under-enrolled San Diego Unified school overall was Memorial Preparatory for Scholars and Athletes, a Logan Heights middle school serving just 416 students on a campus with capacity for 1,146. Memorial had almost 1,900 students in 2003, according to state numbers. The school has long struggled to attract and retain students, and has been rebranded and re-envisioned more than once over the years, even converting to a charter school and back again. The campus is now in the midst of a rebuild to convert it to a K-12 campus, pushing out a separate charter school that had been sharing the space. (State law requires school districts to share unused space with charter schools.)

●    Four other district schools operated at less than 44 percent capacity: Kimbrough Elementary in Grant Hill, Lafayette Elementary in Clairemont, Montgomery Middle School in Linda Vista and Wilson Middle School in City Heights.

Wilson’s principal, Dave Downey, said gentrification is having an impact.

“Many of our families are simply being priced out of the newer neighborhoods within the Mid-City corridor,” Downey wrote in an email to VOSD. Still, the middle school has made gains in recent years – rising from less than 600 students in 2011 to 709 students today. “Over the last nine years we have made a concerted effort to market and bring additional students to the Wilson/Hoover STEAM Pathway,” Downey wrote.

That has included annual visits to nearby fifth grade classrooms, and a partnership with Price Philanthropy, which helps fund student programs at the Birch Aquarium, Ocean Discovery Institute, SALK Institute, the College Avenue Compact, School in the Park, as well as a social worker and liaisons who reach out to students in need at home, he said.

Spare campus buildings at Wilson are being used to partially house districtwide programs, like the TRACE alternative school for young adults with special needs, as well as a small population of medically and physically challenged students who receive sensory education spread across four classrooms, Downey said.

The extra campus space also allows each of Wilson’s three counselors and two home liaisons to have their own classrooms, Downey said. Two other classrooms are currently being used by the district’s construction team working on a rebuild that will reduce Wilson’s capacity to less than 900 students.

The new school buildings should open sometime this school year, Downey said.

The extra space on the Alcott campus is being used for early education. Principal Michelle Riley said in an email about 263 preschool and pre-K children are attending programs at Alcott this year.

Find Crawford High’s capacity numbers here:

* Students enrolled in special school programs at San Diego High and Kearny High are included in both campus-wide enrollment numbers and individual program enrollment numbers.

Source: San Diego Unified School District, California Department of Education

♦                   ♦                  ♦

San Diego Unified isn’t the only district grappling with declining student populations. Statewide K-12 enrollment is also expected to decline in the coming years.

State Department of Finance officials project California will lose roughly 250,000 students between 2019 and 2028, according to state data released in January.

For San Diego County, state officials expect K-12 enrollment to increase over the next couple years, peaking at 511,631 in 2021, before declining for several years, the state data shows.

It isn’t just one factor that’s causing local students to disappear, according to regional school officials.

“San Diego’s declining enrollment has been due to a combination of factors such as a decrease in the number of births, decreasing immigration rates, migration out of San Diego and high housing prices,” a 2011 report by the San Diego County Office of Education said. “The areas hardest hit by declining enrollment have been in the central, east and north inland regions.”

The state’s fiscal crisis management team recently recommended both Oceanside Unified and Vista Unified in North County consider consolidating schools due to declining enrollment, saying they are “incurring costs to maintain more facilities and school sites than needed to adequately serve its students.”

In Vista, three schools reported enrollment below 50 percent capacity, and 21 out of 26 schools reported enrollments less than 80 percent capacity.

“Consider closing or consolidating one or more schools or sharing administrative staff between school sites,” advised the FCMAT team in a July 22 report to Vista.

As for Oceanside, the state fiscal team found 15 out of 24 campuses had enrollment below 80 percent capacity, and three had less than 50 percent capacity, according to a May 17 report.

“Due to the declining enrollment, the district has a surplus of facilities,” the crisis team wrote.

Representatives for both districts said they are reviewing the recommendations, and each recently closed a school: Olive Elementary in Vista, and Ocean Shores continuation high school in Oceanside. Oceanside is now exploring a sale, lease or joint use for the former Ocean Shores property, Oceanside spokesman Matthew Jennings said.

In San Diego Unified, there is little talk of closing any K-12 schools, which has never been a popular choice.

No K-12 schools have been closed under the current superintendent, and no closures are planned, said Magee, the district spokeswoman.

“Schools are important community centers for many neighborhoods,” Magee wrote, adding that keeping under-enrolled schools open furthers the district’s “commitment to protect the planet.”

“The district estimates trips to school account for 451 Metric tons of carbon in the environment … Walkable, livable communities are important to protect both the quality of life for San Diego residents and as a crucial strategy to reduce pollution.”

The district has also achieved enrollment turnarounds before.

In 2008, Crown Point Elementary had just 150 students, who occupied just 38 percent of the Pacific Beach campus, and was targeted for closure.

But that same year, the school began focusing on music and enrollment surged to 400 by 2016. Last school year, enrollment totaled 313 students, reaching 82 percent capacity.

Evans, the school board vice president, said small school closures were previously considered when the district budget was in crisis, but the potential savings was too little to make it worth it.

“The small schools had very limited support staff. The teachers would typically move where the students move, so no savings there. There could be savings for the elimination of the principal, but even that limited savings might be slightly offset by an increase in the salary of a receiving principal with a larger student body,” Evans wrote in an email.

But Evans said school consolidation is on the table “if it resulted in a better academic program for all of the students,” after looking at all factors, including safety for students that may have to cross busy streets to attend a school further away.

Evans said the district is also working to determine the optimal size of different types of schools to meet academic needs.

“Overall, it is a very complex issue and is not as simple as opening and closing Starbucks based on the customer flow,” he said. *Reposted article from VOSD by Ashly McGlone of September 9, 2019

[anguianoj-blog]

Final Thoughts

          My worldly identity at this time is best described as leader. As a father, husband and manager within my organization I have a great number of people constantly looking to me for direction.  In my personal life I am responsible for providing for my family and influencing the mind of my three boys. I play many roles in my children’s lives by acting as a coach and mentor.  I also serve as a motivator and supporter for my wife in our daily lives.  At work I am much of the same but in a different capacity. I lead a successful sales team on a daily basis so I am responsible for the teaching and coaching that comes along with an ever-changing industry.  I not only act as a decision maker for my team but also as a safety net to ensure they’re successful.  I understand that I am always on stage in the sense that I am always looked at as a role model for my colleagues and will always be my children’s first super hero. I aspire to be a successful leader and role model not only in industry but also to my family, especially my children. I have a goal of finishing my degree which will allow me the opportunity to continue my leadership journey in my career.  My ultimate objective in life is to raise three God fearing, loving young men who serve a greater purpose for this world. The challenges I face, like most, revolve around the day to day tasks that are expected by the roles we fill.  With the numerous hats I wear in my life, the biggest battle I face is time; time to make a meaningful impact on those that rely on me, time to make memories with my family and, time for self-reflection on who I am and how I continue to grow in my journey.

           In Chapter 31 (XXXI) of the Rule of St. Benedict, it states, “Above all things, let him be humble; and if he hath not the things to give, let him answer with a kind word, because it is written: "A good word is above the best gift" (Sir 18:17). (Verheyen, 1949)  I find myself entrusted with the development of others in both my personal and professional life.  It is something that I do not take lightly and wear a great badge of honor in this responsibility.  I continue to remind myself that it is not always about me but for the betterment of those around me.  I can use this Rule of St. Benedict by always remaining humble and seeking the kind words with those I am teaching.  This chapter also states. “Let him provide for the sick, the children, the guests, and the poor, with all care, knowing that, without doubt, he will have to give an account of all these things on judgment day.” (Verheyen, 1949)  This particular passage hits home with me because I have found in my life that I find gratefulness in helping those in need. It is important to note that The Rule of St. Benedict does not serve as a path to getting to Heaven but as a “guide to living a life in balance, a life of virtue and true happiness” and this is something that I am in constant pursuit of. (Verheyen, 1949)        

           In the TED Talks “Want to be Happy? Be Grateful” by Benedictine Monk David Steindl-Rast, he reiterates that it is not happiness that makes people grateful but it is gratefulness that makes people happy. As Steindl-Rast goes onto explain how we can find gratefulness in our daily lives, he relates it to something that we learn as a child when crossing the street when he says we simply have to “Stop. Look. Go.” (Steindl-Rast, 2013)  This very simple process reminds me of the Benedictine Hallmark of Prayer where we simply stop to reflect on the blessings we have and find gratefulness in what He has provided us with.  In Rabbi Sharon Braus’ TED Talks “It’s Time to Reclaim Religion” she speaks of differing theologies and although independent, they often share common core beliefs.  One that she speaks of is interconnectedness and she goes on to tell a story about a soccer ball that washes up on shore in Alaska from a tsunami that occurred in Japan and how that ball made it back to its owner through a post on social media. (Braus, 2016)  Braus writes, “How small our world has become.  It's so hard for us to remember how interconnected we all are as human beings.” (Braus, 2016)  This is a prime example of the Benedictine Hallmark of love of Christ and neighbor by using the universal language of love through faith.  We are all interconnected through faith and the love of Christ.

          In considering Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory and how it applies to my life, it is clear in identifying my microsystem that supports my development.  My microsystem is comprised of various people or groups that I hold dear to me and look to them for guidance as I continue to grow as a person.  The first and most important people to me are my wife, Linda, and my three boys, Dominic, Elias and Roman.  In acting as their provider, they have the greatest impact on the decisions I make and what I make important on a daily basis.  Next, I would have to identify my parents as they are the ones who raised me with the morals that I carry with me to this day.  My father was in the Marine Corps for twenty-five years so naturally, the values of loyalty, honor, and respect are important to me as I raise my own children.  My colleagues also hold great value to me at this point in my life.  I lean on my direct leader for guidance and feedback on my performance and that has created a special relationship for me built and trust and personal growth.  Lastly, my friends' group gives me an outlet to escape the day to day responsibilities that come with the many focuses I have.  All of these groups make up my mesosystem in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory because, at times, these groups all interact with one another.  The best example that I can give is the connection between my friends and family. Over time, my friends' circle has diminished as we all focus on our own personal microsystems.  But, I do have many friends that I have known since my childhood that play an important role for my family.  My best friend Ryan and I met when we were just twelve years old and have followed each other across the country and back over the course of the last twenty years.  He is like a brother to me and is known as Uncle Ryan to my children.  Another example of my microsystems interacting to make up my mesosystem is the relationships that I have created through work that has turned into friendship outside of work.  Many of my colleagues have similarly aged children so it is easy to find something in common and thus, personal relationships are born between our families.  Overall, one correlation that I made in learning about Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory is that sometimes people can fit into two separate microsystems depending on the setting in which the interaction is occurring.

           In considering Daniel Goleman’s five components of emotional intelligence, I can narrow my personal emotional intelligence down to two areas of focus.  The first area is one that I am very confident in and I do not have to focus on as it comes naturally to me. The element of internal motivation as defined by Goleman is, “A passion to work for internal reasons that go beyond money and status” (Goleman, 1995).  I have found that I find joy in helping other people succeed and with that, this area of my emotional intelligence really helps with the relationships that I form. This component specifically helps me with maintaining the relationships in my micro and mesosystem because the people around me can see the internal motivation I have and it helps build a greater trust in the relationship.  When people can see your true self and the genuine pride you take in what you do, it allows for deeper roots to grow within that personal relationship.  The other area of focus is something that I have worked immensely on over my life and continue to be cognizant of within my microsystem relationships.  As summarized by Peter Salovey and John Mayer in the psychological theory of emotional intelligence, “…to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth." (Mayer & Salovey, 1997) Self-regulation is an area that I have strived to improve upon in my emotional intelligence journey.  I tend to be very impulsive with my decision making and it has proven to significantly impact my microsystem relationships at times. In learning more about my own personal emotional intelligence over time, I have identified this as an area of opportunity for myself and have grown in this component.  Understanding one's emotions and what our tendencies are can greatly benefit the micro and mesosystem relationships that surround you.  I strongly believe that my emotional intelligence will never be perfect but my hope is, as Goleman states, “As people become more effective, they pick up strengths in areas that they need.” (Goleman, 2012)

           In “Chapter IV” of The Rule of St. Benedict, Benedict of Nursia uses scripture to create a list of responsibilities for every Christian.  I can tie many of these duties to the way that I strive to live within my own micro and mesosystem.  (18) To help in trouble, (28) to speak the truth with heart and tongue and (18) to put one’s trust in God, greatly represent the virtues that I strive to practice every day.  By focusing on these values, it ensures that the people in my microsystem see my transparent self.  Transparency is critical in relationships as it serves as the foundation for trust to be built.  In considering the Benedictine Hallmarks of Stability and Conversatio and how it impacts the relationships in my own ecological environment, they can be tied together in several ways.  The Hallmark of Stability can be represented in my life by the way that I embrace and navigate change.  As Dr. Elizabeth Kubek states in the Benedictine University Hallmarks video on Conversatio, “There is room for stability within change.”  I believe that my microsystem acts as my stability throughout the changes that I go through in my life.  Every day I reflect on what I have accomplished and one thing that I ask myself is, have I impacted someone’s life in a positive way.  To me, that is not only living in a way as laid out in The Rule of St. Benedict but also I am aiding in the stability of someone within my microsystem.  Within my own ecological system, I am surrounded by some intelligent and diverse people that have lots of value to add to my personal development.  By being open to others way of thinking and understanding their perspective helps define the Benedictine Hallmark of Conversatio.  I believe that this is not only important for me personally but others could benefit from allowing people to share ideas without fear of rebuke.  

          In considering the elements of positive psychology and appreciative inquiry, I can identify several key areas that fascinate me. First, in looking at positive psychology, I am intrigued by Martin Seligman’s explanation of the three happy lives in the TED talks, The New Era of Positive Psychology.  Seligman explains the three lives as the pleasant life, the good life, and the meaningful life.  In specifically examining the research done on the psychological good life, we have learned that “Happiness is a cause of good things in life and not simply along for the happy ride. People who are satisfied with life eventually have even more reason to be satisfied, because happiness leads to desirable outcomes at school and work, to fulfilling social relationships, and even to good health and long life” (Peterson, 2008). This leads us to understand that the good life can provide self-sufficient happiness, in that, having genuine happiness; you can guide yourself in a direction that will provide a gratifying outcome in your life.  Also, both Seligman and Peterson reiterate, we can teach these three different happy lives through positive interventions.  Understanding where your strengths are can greatly enhance your happiness with your life, which can have a significant outcome on your optimism in life.   Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a philosophy that focuses on the individual’s strength rather than a problem-based approach.  AI ignites engagement through sharing ones positive experiences to raise participation in making positive change commence.  In my leadership journey, I have learned that focusing on the individual strengths within my team can have a greater impact on the overall performance of the team.  In my workplace, we use a mixture of problem-based and strength-based approaches when dealing with initiatives and change.  There is a lot of power in best practices or storytelling but just because it was successful for one person or team, does not mean that it is the only way to accomplish said goal.  My mentality has been creating an environment for people to feel respected, connected, and protected while they develop professionally and personally.  Allowing one to be autonomous in their role helps build a culture of passion and trust and ultimately helps one in their pursuit of a happy life.

In watching “Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis, I was reminded of something that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said in his Letter from Birmingham Jail. Dr. King writes, “In a real sense all life is interrelated. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be…this is the interrelated structure of reality” (King Jr., 1963). Pope Francis does a great job at reminding us that we all need each other and although we are all separate, “we can only build the future by standing together, including everyone” (Francis, 2017). In considering these two great leaders’ words, I can relate these thoughts into the way that I interact with those I meet on a daily basis.  There are great insights and commonalities that we all share and the only way to really see that is if we are open to engaging in dialogue with those we meet. I interact with individuals of various backgrounds on a regular basis and I have found we all have one thing in common, we all want to be appreciated for the talents we have.  Taking time to understand someone’s background and what they hold important to them goes far beyond their socioeconomic status.  I believe that diversity is a gift and we all have the opportunity to go beyond our bubble to learn about others and in turn, we end up learning more about ourselves.

          Being open-minded to new ideas and worldly views can expand the way you see the world and the ability you see in others.  This relates directly to the Benedictine Hallmark of Humility and is best summed up in the statement, “It is our intent that individuals discover what they are good at doing and what they need others' help to achieve. Rather than fostering competition for status and eminence, we strive to engage the insights and expertise of a wide variety of persons in our collective purpose” (Benedictine, 2019). When you put these words into practice, you open yourself up to growth and a greater vision of the world. Everyone has unique talents and we cannot learn everything on our own.  It is up to us to discover what we need help with and seek others’ guidance in learning.  Although it is not always easy to do, this is how we create a common purpose in this world. In others seeking the wisdoms of our strengths, we allow ourselves to be hospitable to those in need of our assistance. The Hallmark of Hospitality serves as the platform to accept one another with open arms and demonstrate humbleness while doing it.  In reflecting on these learnings, I believe that we can all create joy for those around us; we just have to be willing to do so.  As Pope Francis states, “Allow me to say it loud and clear: the more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on the people, the more responsible you are to act humbly” (Francis, 2017). We all hold power to the individuals we surround ourselves with and it is our responsibility to build each other up.

           In understanding the concerns that impact the environment in which we live, I have a duty to teach my children the importance of the decisions we make that impact our world.  There are several environmental issues that warrant our attention such as, climate change, sustainable energy, and ocean pollution. The concept of Community that is described in Benedictine Hallmarks can help with this teaching by “focusing on the nature of responsible living” (Benedictine, 2019).  The Hallmark of Stewardship serves as the “awareness that we are part of a larger ecology and that the environment- human as well as non-human - has been given by God for the sake of all” (Benedictine, 2019).  In living a responsible life and focusing on what we have been provided with, we can help raise understanding in our local communities on how we are impacting the environment.  These two focuses remind us that we all have a part in the greater impact on the macro system phenomena that impact us today. After all, “it is our collective and individual responsibility to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live” (Lama XIV).  

           The environmental focus that is most important to me is goal 14, ocean conservation.  “Oceans contribute to poverty eradication by creating sustainable livelihoods and decent work. Over three billion people depend on marine and coastal resources for their livelihoods. In addition, oceans are crucial for global food security and human health. They are also the primary regulator of the global climate, an important sink for greenhouse gases and they provide us with water and the oxygen we breathe. Finally, oceans host huge reservoirs of biodiversity” (Nations, 2017).  As you can see, there is a lot at risk if we do not protect our oceans.  In 1989, there was a massive oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska that killed hundreds of thousands of animals that inhabit those waters.  This was not the only impact that this caused, several companies that rely on the marine population in that area also suffered economic loss.  Not only does the ocean provide all above mentioned but it also makes up 97% of the earths water.  With the amount of waste that ends up in the ocean and risk of accidental pollution, it is important that we make an effort to protect it for the longevity of all that depends on a clean, sustainable ecosystem.  

                       I feel as though Appreciative Inquiry has already begun in the community around me.  Living in Madison, WI, we are a very green community and the environment is an important topic just about anywhere you go.  The University of Wisconsin has an Office of Sustainability that “strives to be a living model for sustainability by exemplifying values and actions that demonstrate our commitment to stewardship of resources, respect for place, and the health and well-being of the broader community, now and for the future.” (Wisconsin, 2017)  I can further integrate Appreciative Inquiry into my life by being more involved in the programs that my community already offers.  In turn, I will set a positive example for my kids, so they understand the importance of community development and will become good stewards for our environment.        

           Although these causes are important to me, they are not my primary focus.  The causes that I am passionate about and would identify myself with revolve around teaching and development.  Specifically, by inspiring our youth into becoming leaders within their communities, we can reach towards a more sustainable world.  We, as society, have done a great job at teaching our children the knowledge they need to be functional members of society but we lack in the ability to teach leadership skills.  In being a parent and coach, I have seen this knowledge gap first hand and have harnessed my attention in a very different way.  Giving children the autonomy to make decisions and learn from the consequences of their actions will go far beyond anything they will read in a book or online.  I am all for love and support of young minds, but I believe tough love is something that a lot of people shy away from.  In helping children with decision making skills, we are enabling our children to use their creative minds to change the world, one young leader at a time.    

           Through the reflections I have learned in this course, there are two Benedictine Hallmarks that really hit home for me.  The first one that I will expand upon is the Hallmark of Stability. Stability is currently the most important in my life because it is the one that I constantly need to practice and be mindful of.  As mentioned before in my writing, I believe that Dr. Elizabeth Kubek sums it up quite beautifully by saying, “There is room for stability within change” (Benedictine, 2019). This defines my life at this current time in the many things that I have going on during any given day.  I work in an ever-changing environment, have three growing boys, am currently going back to school, and have a wife who needs time with me as well.  Some people call it stability but I refer to it as organized chaos.  Due to my career, my family has relocated three times in the last six years with the most recent moves only being two years apart.  It is clear to see how all of this constant change could impact ones pursuit of stability but, I thrive in this type environment.  It has brought my family closer together because we depend on each other more, it has made me appreciate my wife more because of all of the slack she picks up for me at home, and it makes the time I spend with my children more meaningful. I believe my family is my stability and they serve as my reminder that our lives will not always be chaotic, but through balance, it will always be meaningful.

           The second Benedictine Hallmark that has always been an important part of my life is the value of discipline.  I truly believe that, “Discipline is a way of focusing energy and attention on what matters” (Benedictine, 2019).  People often ask me how I balance all of the things that I have going on in my life and my answer simply put is discipline. Being able to “sacrifice short-term benefits for long-term goals” is important to me (Benedictine, 2019).  If I could go back in time and finish school before entering the workforce, I probably would have taken things a lot more serious.  I would probably have more time to spend with my family and maybe even more money to create experiences for us.  I think it is easy for us to think of the what-ifs but for right now, I just enjoy being grateful for what I have been blessed with.  I hope that someday, when my children are older, they can look back at how hard I have worked and the sacrifices I have made and be proud of what I have done.  At times when I think, “I should just take the easy way out” I remember who is looking up at me as an example and that is where my discipline kicks in.  Holding myself accountable and reminding myself that this is a temporary sacrifice for a long term gain, that is discipline to me.

           Being raised in a Christian household, I have carried over some spiritual practices as I have creating my own home.  The one that stands out to me is the practice of prayer.  My family prays at meal time, times of thanks and need, and I pray with my kids in the morning before we all leave for the day. I feel as though this brings us close together and closer to God.  One spiritual practice that I have recently starting using more is the practice of reflection or meditation.  I believe it is important to “stop, look, go” throughout the day to be reminded of all the things that I have to be grateful for as Benedictine Monk David Steindl-Rast reminded us in his TED Talks “Want to be Happy? Be Grateful” (Steindl-Rast, 2013). Through starting this practice, it has done two things for me. The first is giving me a small break in between completing tasks throughout my day. Normally, I would complete one task and immediately move to the next without a second to think.  In practicing this method of reflection, even though brief, it has helped me recollect my thoughts before moving to my next task and in turn has actually made me more productive because I am resetting before I move on. The second benefit is the ability to find something to be thankful for, no matter how small or sometimes obsolete. Looking down and being thankful for the ability to walk, closing my eyes and being thankful for the ability to see, or even stepping outside for a second just to be happy that it is finally sunny have all been realizations that I have had during my reflection time. I found it hard to believe at first but if you want to truly be happy, find a reason to be grateful.

           I can group the people in my micro system into two categories at this time in my life and they each serve a very important role in my success. The first and more important is my immediate family. My wife, children, and parents are an unbelievable important support system for me as they act as my stability. They encourage me when I need it the most, love me unconditionally, and pick me up when I am down and for that, I am grateful.  The second group are those who are not related to me but choose to be an active part of my life and those people are my friends or as I call them, my brothers. I have a few friends that I know if I just need someone to call and vent to, they will always answer.  They check in on me if they have not heard from me in a few days and always know how to make me laugh or see the silver lining in tough situations.  Whenever we spend time together, it is like nothing has ever changed and we pick up right where we left off last time.

           When I pass on from this world, I would like to think that these people will continue to celebrate the love and loyalty that I have shown to them as well. I want my legacy to be built on memories that I have made and not necessarily the things that I have provided. I want people to use words like loyal, fun-loving, caring, compassionate, leader, and always willing to help when they speak my name.  I want to leave a piece of me with my children when I my time comes in the sense that I want them to carry on those same characteristics that I have shown them in my time with them.  More than anything, I wish that when I pass it is a joyous celebration rather than a day of sadness. Anyone who knows me understands that I enjoy laughter and joy and do not like to see people sad or down for any reason, especially if I am the cause.  My biggest fear in death is to not having anything to show for the life on this earth and I don’t mean that in a monetary sense but as a term of the love that I have spread.  I have always been told to leave a place better than you found it and my goal is to do that with those people who I have been lucky enough to call them my family.

           At work, I have strived hard to get to the position that I am currently in. I lead a fairly large sales team that has had some consistent success and have really made a name for myself as a respected leader in a great organization.  I am quite content with the identity that I have formed for myself at my organization but I always know there is room for growth.  If I could change anything about the way that I am perceived, it would be that it has not always been easy for me.  I have worked hard to get where I am at and have never had anything handed to me.  I believe that people see or meet me and because of my performance they may think that I have it easy and that is the farthest from the truth.  One characteristic of a great leader is the ability to go through tribulations and not have it affect the performance of those they lead.  That is a learned skill that is only mastered through experience and failures.  This is a big part of my emotional intelligence that I have worked on towards the better part of a decade and have often had to learn the hard way.  I always tell people that it is ok to make a mistake because at least you made a decision and when you stop making decisions, you stop growing.  I have had the fortune to work for great leaders who allowed me the autonomy to make my own mistakes and were there for me if I needed to be picked back up.  I have chosen to be the same way with those that I lead because I believe it is the only true way for people to learn through experience.

           The one true social cause that I am passionate about is helping children learn values such as work ethic, respect, and discipline.  As a society we have allowed media to raise our children and I have yet to see my kids learn old fashioned values from a YouTube channel. I firmly believe that there is a necessity for technology in our society but I don’t agree that we should use it as a babysitter when we don’t want to deal with our children.  Walk into any restaurant or grocery store and count how many children are sitting there glued with mom or dad’s phone to their face. Having grown up playing sports, these values were reiterated to me on the field as they were at home.  With my experience as a football and baseball coach, I have learned that for some kids out there, this is the first time that they are learning about these values.  If I can help a child be more successful at athletics and in turn, they learn more about work ethic and respect, then I consider that a win in my book.  

           My personal mission statement can be summed up into the values that my father taught me as a child and has almost become a family trademark.  My father spent twenty five years in the United States Marine Corps and retired as a Maser Gunnery Sergeant which is the highest enlisted rank that someone can get.  I know these values come from his time in the Corps but he used them as a man who came from nothing, to raise three very self-sufficient and successful children.  The values that he taught, which is also my mission statement revolve around loyalty, honor, and respect.

           Loyalty is important because it involves trust and constant support to one another.  It is hard to find true loyalty in people and I am blessed to have several devoted people in my life.  Being loyal to God is something that I often heard growing up that really resonates with me to this day.  Having unwavering faithfulness to another human being is the ultimate sign of love and isn’t freely given.

           Honor, by definition is “adherence to what is right or to a conventional standard of conduct” (Google, 2019). This would holds synonyms like integrity, righteousness, and principle. Finding honor is who you are and what you stand for is something that I hold near.  Standing up for what is right and just, no matter how you appear to others, shows your true character.  If I can lead a life of honor and people see that as an impact, then maybe more people will too stand up for a just cause.

           Respect is by far the most important of these values to me because I believe this is the greatest thing lacking in today’s world. The idea of living a respectful life is mimicked in the video “Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis when he speaks of how our interconnectedness is more important than ever.  If there is one thing that I would like to remind everyone of that we learn as a child, it is the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have others do to you.”  

        Blog: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/anguianoj

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[jessicakehoe]

12 Movies and TV Shows We’re Excited to Stream in May 2020

We’ve got a lot of time on our hands right now. Here are all the movies and television shows we can’t wait to stream in May 2020.

Netflix Canada

Hollywood This limited series from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers as they try to make it in post-World War II Hollywood, no matter the cost. Each character offers a peek behind the gilded curtain, spotlighting the unfair systems and racial, gender and sexuality biases of the film industry. The series stars Darren Criss, Laura Harrier, Dylan McDermott, Holland Taylor, Patti LuPone, Jim Parsons, Jeremy Pope and David Corenswet. Available May 1

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Becoming This documentary offers a rare and up-close look at Michelle Obama’s life, taking viewers behind the scenes of her 34-city book tour for her bestselling 2018 memoir Becoming. “Those months I spent traveling — meeting and connecting with people in cities across the globe — drove home the idea that what we share in common is deep and real and can’t be messed with,” said Obama in a statement. “I treasure the memories and that sense of connection now more than ever, as we struggle together to weather this pandemic, as we care for our loved ones, tend to our communities, and try to keep up with work and school while coping with huge amounts of loss, confusion, and uncertainty.” Available May 6

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Dead to Me: Season 2 Season 1 of this dramedy starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini closed with a dramatic cliffhanger, and the new season picks up in the aftermath of those shocking moments. The show’s leads start to unravel with the stress of having to keep their deadly secret, which becomes increasingly difficult with a detective hot on their heels. Available May 8

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Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which ran for four seasons on Netflix and ended in January 2019, is back for a special interactive episode. Kimmy’s getting married but she has to figure out how to foil the Reverend’s evil plot before her wedding, with viewers getting to determine the outcome in this choose-your-own-adventure episode. Series stars Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Jane Krakow­ski, Carol Kane, and Jon Hamm reprise their roles, in addition to a guest appearance by Daniel Radcliffe. Available May 12

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The Lovebirds Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae play a couple that accidentally gets caught up in a murder. In an effort to clear their names, they take off on a wild quest to find the killer before the police tracks them down. Over the course of one disastrous night, the pair end up in one bizarre, hilarious situation after another. Available May 22

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Space Force From the creators of The Office, this comedy series follows Steve Carell, who plays a four-star general in the US military, as he begrudgingly teams up with an eccentric scientist to get the armed forces’ new division, Space Force, off the ground. The goal of the new branch is to “defend satellites from attack” and “perform other space-related tasks.” The series also stars John Malkovich, Lisa Kudrow, Jimmy O Yang, Noah Emmerich and Fred Willard. Available May 29

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Crave

Betty This new HBO series is a spin-off of Skate Kitchen, a 2018 film about a group of female skateboarders in New York City. The story is inspired by a real-life group of teenage skaters, some of whom starred in both the film and the upcoming series. Focusing on the group’s efforts to stand out in New York’s predominantly male world of skateboarding, the series stars Dede Lovelace, Kabrina “Moonbear” Adams, Nina Moran, Ajani Russell and Rachelle Vinberg. Available May 1

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Parasite This South Korean film swept up at the Oscars earlier this year, taking home four Academy Awards, including one for Best Picture, a first for a non-English language film. The masterpiece by director Bong Joon Ho is a tale of class discrimination and disparity, told through the experience of a poor family that cons its way into the home of a wealthy family. Available May 29

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Ramy: Season 2 Created by and starring comedian Ramy Youssef, who won a Golden Globe for his performance earlier this year, the show about an Egyptian-American family in New Jersey returns for its second season. The series follows Ramy Hassan, played by Youssef, as he “delves further into his spiritual journey, finding a new Muslim community and embracing deeper commitment to his faith.” Two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali also joins the cast this season, playing Sheikh Ali, a mentor to Ramy. Available May 29

See the first look at Mahershala Ali in Ramy season 2 https://t.co/rn0xOvxD3B

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) April 28, 2020

Amazon Prime Video

Hustlers “The game is rigged and it does not reward people who play by the rules,” says Jennifer Lopez’s character Ramona in this film about a group of strippers in New York who con wealthy stock traders and finance CEOs out of thousands of dollars. Based on a true story, Hustlers is adapted from a New York magazine article from 2015. In addition to Lopez, the film stars Constance Wu, Lili Reinhart, Keke Palmer and Julia Stiles, as well as Cardi B and Lizzo in cameo roles. Available May 1

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The Great This satirical drama follows the rise of Catherine the Great from outsider to the longest reigning female ruler in Russia’s history. Elle Fanning plays the lead role, with Nicholas Hoult, Phoebe Fox, Gwilym Lee and Sebastian de Souza as co-stars. “Sort of” based on historical facts, according to the trailer, the series is written by Tony McNamara, who was nominated for a screenwriting Oscar for The Favourite at the 2019 Academy Awards. Available May 16

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Homecoming: Season 2 The first season of this critically-acclaimed psychological thriller was adapted from a hit podcast, and featured Stephan James, Julia Roberts, Hong Chau and Bobby Canavale. The show returns for its second season with a new mystery revolving around veterans at the secretive Homecoming facility, and features James and Chau from the first season along with new stars Janelle Monáe, Joan Cusack and Chris Cooper. Available May 22

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Here's outgoing Windows chief Terry Myerson's email to the troops

Microsoft is splitting up its Windows and Devices Group as part of a company-wide reorganization. As a result, 21-year Microsoft veteran and executive vice president Terry Myerson is leaving the company. Must read: Here's how (and why) Microsoft is splitting up Windows in its latest reorg | Windows chief Myerson out in Microsoft reorganization Myerson became head of the Windows and Devices Group in 2013. Since then, he has been overseeing 17,000 engineers. Microsoft is approaching 700 million active Windows 10 users now. In his email to the company's employees, Myerson said he had been discussing his departure with CEO Satya Nadella "for some time." He said his next priorities are to train for a half Ironman, learn to play piano or guitar, and learn more about genomics and robotics, plus spend more time with his family. Here's Myerson's March 29 mail to Microsoft employees (which Microsoft also posted to LinkedIn):

Thank you for 21 years, and onto the next chapter... It is an emotional day for me as I look toward starting my next chapter outside of Microsoft in a few months. Satya and I have been discussing this for some time, but today it becomes real. Actually sharing the news with the team, customers, and partners has been an incredibly intense experience. Microsoft has been my work, my team, and my purpose for 21 years.

The decision comes with a lot of reflection and special memories of the past two decades. With a blog like this, hopefully I can share a few lessons learned, and my ongoing enthusiasm for Microsoft. It's surreal to look back on how it all started. I recall meeting Bill Gates in 1996 as Microsoft was evaluating buying Intersé, one of the earliest Internet companies, which I founded with Midori Chan and Ed Hott way back in 1994. During our meeting, I remember being at the whiteboard explaining how we could infer a user's path through a web site based upon referring URL's in the website traffic logs (ok, this probably sounds very basic now, but it was advanced in those days!). I remember discussing with Bill how caching impacted the logs. I remember us both drinking "free" Diet Coke. I loved the discussion. I couldn't believe the CEO would dig into details at this level. Our discussion left me really wanting to join the team, and it was the beginning of my love for designing great software with the people at Microsoft. It's incredible to think that of the ~20 people who joined Microsoft in March 1997 from Intersé, five are still here (including both Midori and Ed, and Harvinder Bhela who helps lead Windows today, and Rajesh Potti, a developer on Office 365). 1997-2000 It's hard to believe that on my first day at Microsoft I met Satya, as we worked together on Site Server. I vividly recall attending a Seattle Mariners game with him in the late 90's when he first shared with me about his son and his medical challenges. I grew up a little that day. It's amazing what he has done as CEO. I believe in the strategy and vision the company is pursuing, and the leadership team here to make it happen. Joining a large company after being CEO of a startup is certainly an adjustment. I moved from Silicon Valley to Seattle. My title changed from "CEO" to "Product Unit Manager". I had a boss. But wow, Microsoft opened the world to me. I left the country for the first time in my life, talking to customers in Europe, Australia, Africa, and Asia about our work. My development team grew to over 100 people. I didn't have to worry about real estate or health care. A team of people was there to help with recruiting. Microsoft provided an environment and the resources to dream big, like I had never experienced before. I was hooked. A short time after joining, while at a volunteer event for Seattle Works, I met Katie. She was teaching 1st grade to English as a 2nd language students. She was so honest, smart, beautiful, and fun. Luckily for me, she eventually agreed to be my wife. 2001-2008 After Site Server, Perry Clarke convinced me to join him on the Exchange team. For the following 8 years, Exchange became my purpose. I learned so much about being a leader and running a large-scale software business during this time. It's crazy to look back at the Exchange team I joined, with a tightly coupled on-premise server design, low share vs Lotus Notes, and under $500M in revenue. Over the following 8 years we built the beginnings of today's cloud scale Office 365, became the leader in enterprise communications, and grew the business to over $2B. Katie and I had all 3 of our kids while I worked on Exchange. I will always love the Exchange team, customers, and partners. Some of the many great people I got to work with in these years were Dave Thompson, Jason Mayans, Vivek Sharma, Karim Batthish, Vanessa Feliberti, Mike Swafford, Naresh Sundaram, Jim Kleewein, David Lemson, Russ Simpson, Jim Van Eaton, Jon Avner, and Ian Jose. Exchange 2003 was codenamed Titanium (aka Ti), and in my office today, my wall has a picture of the Exchange team on the fields in front of our building. Looking back at my biggest learnings from Exchange, the biggest lessons centered around how to get a big engineering team to work well together- leveraging customer feedback loops to create intensity and energy, getting the team aligned around a shared schedule to create well integrated work, and the importance of consistently communicating to a large group of people to keep everyone in sync. 2008-2013

Then came October 2008. Over a year earlier, just prior to the iPhone launch, I was personally involved in negotiating the Exchange ActiveSync license with Apple. I was carrying a 2007 v1 iPhone (which I still have in my office today). I was an outspoken lover of smartphones and knew how important they would be. Enabling mobile connectivity was a key focus of Exchange. Android launched that September. But what I remember most vividly, was the Friday when Andy Lees and Robbie Bach asked me to lead Windows Mobile. I knew we had so much work to do on our non-touch no-app-store Windows Mobile effort. I was honored, and more than a little terrified. 10 days later my office moved across campus. The Windows Phone experience was incredibly challenging, and much has been written about it - but looking back, I am so proud to have been part of the team. It was during this time that I started working closely with current Windows leaders Henry Sanders, Joe Belfiore, Darren Laybourn, Bill Duff, Carlos Picoto, Chuck Friedman, Linda Norman, Chadd Knowlton, Richard Ward, KC Lemson, Erin Kolb, and Albert Shum. We innovated in phone user experience. We had innovative plans for the business model that never came to light. We worked hard. Really hard. But the industry moved forward faster than we could catch up. When the #1 seeded UVA basketball team got knocked out of the tournament a few weeks ago in the first round, my Intersé colleague and UVA alum Ed Hott posted a famous Teddy Roosevelt quote to his Facebook feed. Today, reflecting on the experience of everyone in the Windows Phone team, this quote resonates.

Looking back at this phase of my career, my biggest learnings were that success requires a special composition of business model, user experience, and technology. We had a differentiated experience, but it's so clear in hindsight that the disruption in business model which Android represented was enormous, and that building our early versions of Windows Phone on an incomplete Windows CE platform, designed for small embedded systems, left us too hobbled to ever catch up.

see all of ed bott's Windows 10 Tips

2013-now Then came spring 2013. At this time, despite the competitive challenges in the phone market, Windows Phone was doing relatively ok (which lead us to Nokia...) Ironically at that time, our biggest challenges were on the storied franchises of Windows (Windows 8) and Xbox. While meeting with Steve Ballmer on a Saturday in his office, he asked me to lead Xbox, Windows, and Windows Phone - and an incredible incubation now known as HoloLens. I was honored, and humbled to now be leading over 17,000 engineers and accountable for over $40B in revenue and $5B in operating income--but we had some real challenges.  Over the coming months, we made some hard prioritization calls and made a multiyear commitment to get after it. Watching a team of Microsoft engineers reorient, get focused, and drive on a multiyear journey of deep technical innovation is a sight to behold. It is one of the purest expressions of Microsoft's capability to create. Today, I have a deep sense of pride in the great brands that are Windows 10, Xbox One, and the Surface family of devices we created together. Panos Panay, Phil Spencer, Alex Kipman, Roanne Sones, Dave Treadwell, Mike Fortin, Eric Lockard, Kudo Tsunoda, Nick Parker, Brad Anderson, Don Box, Gabe Aul, Kevin Dallas, Stevie Bathiche, Brett Ostrum, Yusuf Mehdi, Ilan Spillinger, Linda Averett, Mike Zintel, Mike Ybarra, David Hufford, Kareem Choudhry, Chuck Chan, Bonnie Ross, Matt Booty, Lydia Winters, and so many other leaders stand out for me during this phase of my journey. On my wall next to the Exchange team, will always be a picture of our Windows and Devices team. Again, out on the field (a much bigger field than we used for Exchange!) in configuration of the 12th man, to support the Seattle Seahawks as they headed to the Superbowl in 2014. A few weeks after we took this photo, Satya became CEO.

One of my favorite things about leading Windows has been the Windows fans. Throughgh good times and bad, I've loved your feedback. I've loved your passion for our work. I've loved your applause when we've done great work and I've loved the push to do better. One of my deeply held lessons from my Exchange days was the importance of that feedback loop with customers and fans, and that's why we created the Windows Insider Program so we could build Windows 10 led by your feedback. Now with 15 million members, you continue to make our product and our team better each and every day. Thank you. Today, we are now approaching 700 million active Windows 10 users, commercial usage is growing 84% year over year, Xbox One is running a Windows 10 core, Surface is leading PC innovation, HoloLens is bringing breakthroughs to computer vision, our universal Microsoft store enables Xbox GamePass, Azure reserved instances, and Office distribution, and the OEM ecosystem is revitalized with profitable growth. Last year, we finished the year with over $8B in operating income from our segment. My lessons from having the honor to lead Windows are many, but three really shine through to me today: Technology really can empower people to do great things. While that may just sound like a soundbite, the last few years I have felt it in new and meaningful ways, making me a real optimist about our future. Amongst so many other things, Windows has been a platform to consider basic human creativity, how students will learn in the future, how surgeons can will operate in the future, and how people who are blind can use their device without a display. Broadly define who is on your team. The passion, commitment, and sheer brilliance of the people across Microsoft has kept me inspired for 21 years. I am so proud of the teams I have had the honor to lead. Windows has taught me to appreciate that some of my best teammates are at other companies like Intel, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, AMD, Qualcomm, Samsung, Best Buy, Adobe, Autodesk, Activision, Electronic Arts, and so many others. We have worked together to move the industry forward, creating opportunity for so many along the way. Have fun with it. My Microsoft journey has included some challenging days, but I barely remember them. Looking at a photo collection today, I see so many self-deprecating moments where our leaders have had some real fun. I have dressed up as Big Bird, a clown (a few times), Captain Kirk (twice), and Santa. I've been thrown in a lake (a few times). I have dressed as Braveheart's William Wallace and ridden a live horse into a team meeting (once). I have laughed so hard I've cried (many times). I will cherish these memories of sheer fun with the team as much as anything else I take away from my 21 years at Microsoft. So after working fulltime pretty much nonstop since I was 18, missing many a kids birthday while traveling for work, I'm ready for a break. I will now take some time to train for a half Ironman, learn to play the piano or guitar (my daughter is voting guitar, but having listened to Joe Belfiore and Chuck Friedman play piano on so many late nights, I'm leaning that way), learning more about genomics and robotics which fascinate me, and spending some overdue quality time with Katie and our kids. I couldn't be more appreciative of the support which Katie has shown me while I've been giving my all to Microsoft, and now I am excited to spend some unrushed time together. As I look back, I remember one particular afternoon a few years ago when I went for a walk around campus with the young founders of Beam who we had recently acquired (to help create Xbox Mixer!). That afternoon, I felt like I was going for a walk with my younger self, joining Microsoft with limitless enthusiasm, and eager to do great things. It was inspiring to welcome these incredible people, a new generation at Microsoft. I see this same energy and enthusiasm across Microsoft right now - a sure sign of even greater and more amazing things to come for this company. Leaving fills me with many emotions. But I'm mostly filled with gratitude and optimism - gratitude for the experiences I have had and optimism for the future ahead - both for Microsoft and myself.

-Terry @tmyerson ps. I'm editing this post today, the day before I will publish. I am sitting next to Bill Gates, we're both drinking a Microsoft provided "free" Diet Coke. This is my last scheduled meeting as leader of Windows and Devices at Microsoft. My team is debating with him the future of Project Rome and Windows Timeline. A great bookend to 21 amazing years with Microsoft.

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