#and not even an hour later news were talking how theres been issued an official invitation for trumpet to visit by FUCKING PRESIDENT

[u5an5]

It's so weird living in Poland rn cause literally yesterday there was 80th anniversary of demobilization of Auschwitz Concentration Camp all over the news while also the majority of public is being heavily pro-Trump, like

Are we stupid?

[dolce-fritz]

So being the new evil girlfriend is fun

So recently my Partner has had some majorly stupid ass drama with their ex. Like this girl, she’s loopier then the Olympic oval, Like normally I’m nice and don’t slander people but like. She’s just, hoo boy. A mess.

And yeah this is from a completely biased stand point. And I’m about to tell you why that I feel the way that I do about this girl from my own experiences. This is going to be long winded, so I’m putting it under a read more. 

So I moved from the lovely state of Utah this year, my homelifes never been 100% great. I love my mom but our issues clash and we do better separate. Not to mention I really wanted to try it out in another state again and this time the right way and not just a spur of the moment decision while i visited like what happened with Florida.

Well, planned my vacation to See my at the time friend to see if I really liked it there.  I knew about their recent split with their Ex, and the two seemed pretty amicable about it. The other roommate was.... hoo, a mess to say the least. and My friend didn't want to be alone with her because they actually had been wanting to tell her to leave because of the issues that she'd brought into the home. anyways that in itself was a bit of drama.

So I was like OK. I'll come check it out and if I like it I'll be your new room mate.

Well. I plan my trip about four weeks out. and end up pretty excited about it. Come to find out with no real surprise that My friends Ex is going to move out before Octobers over.

My friend starts panicking. again doesn't wanna be alone with the other roommate that they're having hardships with. So I say ok... I'm going to do this vacation, then im just going to move on the 20th so I can get my stuff packed.

Shits already starting to go down hill.

I get there. everything seems fine. The ex seems nice, things seem ok. the other roommates.... already trying to cause shit with me and im not even physically in the house. I'm sleeping on a mattress on the floor in an old office space. bought a bunch of furniture because at this point. I know I'm moving here. Its going to happen. This is where I'm going to live might as well help my friend end up getting it taken care of.

Well. Day three of my vacation hits. The ex drops that her dad wants her to move out that day. completely screws the pooch for my friend and the other roommate. And basically bails on them and leaves the house just with the things she wants and then just leaves all the rest of her junk here like its her own storage unit. claims she’ll be back for the rest [ Spoilers never happened]  so that... right there puts this sour taste in my mouth. Cause yeah, me and her ex at that point are sharing a bed. Because like theres only three beds in the house until she ends up leaving and so my friends like ill just sleep with you. me i’m very fine sharing my sleeping space with my friends. i’ve done it literally all my life. hell a its not a goodnight sleep unless your on your best friends bed snuggling the shit out of her kaneki ken body pillow listening to true crime documentaries on the TV but like seriously it was no big deal to me. which im begining to wonder if it was a big deal to her. Either way apparently instead of waiting till i officially moved. she bailed and forced my hand. So I had to stay, I couldn’t properly say goodbye to my mom. couldn’t properly get my shit packed. all cause I really didn’t want to leave my friend alone till I could officially move in. So already, I started getting a slight distaste in my mouth for her. but I let it slide. I know how overbearing parents are sometimes.  well, so i cancelled my flights. money spent that i was never going to end up getting back that I could’ve later used towards something for the house.  The girl left. and I was left, Cleaning up the mess that she walked out of and left behind.  Turns out my friend was the only one that was cleaning up around the house. and working a part time job, while trying to side hustle some art for extra money.  They were the one that was handling all the utilities, while their ex was buying everyone food. Separate it would’ve been an easier task if it was just the two of them. but you add in the extra roommate that was only paying her share of rent and none of the food and utilities and shit starts piling up. Well.  sat down and looked at all the finances. found out that while yeah the Ex was making the most money. She didn’t bother to help out with any of the chores. I mean, they split the dish duty. And i’m sitting here wondering how long this pan of fish oils been on the stove for. had to buy new pans cause they were growing cultures.  Hell half her chores and the other roomates were doing the cat boxes. dude it was shit mountain in there. it was so bad the cats were going in the corner. Yet it was like my friend was expected to pick up after them and pick up their slack because they didn’t work as many hours as the other two. Which I’m sorry. if you can’t balance cleaning up after yourself. and working how the hell are you going to live on your own.  Well in comes me, the living off disability. [ which is not a glorious life] I have a lot of time on my hands. so first few days we douche out the house. things start looking good.  in comes the ex to get something and brings this utter douchebag of a man that boasts about him being the whole reason that they broke up. Which like when we were moving out the ex. the ex’s dads...girlfriend??? was like dont let them take advantage of you. which like made me pull up a shit ton of questionmarks. cause yeah i wasn’t going to let the other roommate do that cause i was kinda aware what her game was and it wasn’t playable with me.  everyone had their part to play in this household, and I wasn’t going to play mother for anyone. Well in comes this guy. boast about how he wont let anyone take advantage of her again and im like sure w/e dude. but like i started like... questioning wtf she was actually telling people that my friend actually did to her.  see, what i was told was that it was an intimacy issue. my friends pretty Asexual so like there wasn’t alot of physical involvement. and that things just weren’t going the way that their ex wanted them to. Turns out it was SOOOO much more then that. so curious me, got digging about this girl cause shit just wasnt really adding up.  and I started finding out things. At this time, friend started turning to partner. and eventually we started dating which made shit a lot more uncomfortable with me and this girl. cause yanno, new girlfriend. ex girlfriend. two things dont usually mesh well in situations like this.  Well so, started finding out that while in a relationship she was leading on a bunch of other guys, and at work would like do this whole “im bi” thing if the guy was cute. like she was very male centered for a “lesbian”  She was super horny on main during DND which made EVERYONE uncomfortable. to top it all off she was a narcissist, that had a victim that she could toy with.  She tried to convince my partners parents while they were still together, to talk to their child when there were behaviours that she didnt like. She tried to have an intervention with their friends to force them into transitioning FtM when they were happy just being nonbinary.  they would gaslight them, manipulate them, and  abuse them. I watched this girl in the span of three weeks tear my partner down with her words in front of me. and be nothing but venomous to them. for no other reason then they were actually happy.   While spining all these stories of how she was the one that was wronged.  Well, I started having enough of her coming around just so she could be mean to my partner. She’d come over. immediately go to our fridge to drink some of the booze she left and then pick at my partner for small insignificant things only because she wanted to fight. When i had enough of that. I told my partner, we’re going to DnD early. she can find her own ride.  She came to a family party, invited unknowingly by my partners brother that’s been over seas and in the military. She thought she was going to get a hookup complained she wasn’t having fun because he wasn’t paying attention to her. Snapped at my partners nephews because they wanted to play and made one of them cry. and was just toxic to be around.  That was strike two.  Strike three was watching how she conducted herself around our dnD group. she’d had this guy, mister “ i saved you from your bad relationship” on speed dial, and would tell him things. and then sit and shit talk him when she was bored with him to everyone. We were all sick of it.  The ending straw with me, was when we finally wanted to be done with this drama. told her three months before hand to get off the car insurance. and it wasn’t done. ended up causing a big thing.  She started saying that she’d leave the DND group to make things easier. because Thats what my partner would want. At this point i couldnt stand it any longer. Three months talking to everyone that physically knows her. and see’s what she’s becoming lead everyone to say the same thing about her She was turning into her mother.  No i know fuck all about that. i dont know her mother, i dont know anything about her. I know she’s on a shot that fucks with your brain and ends up messing with your body. I also was on the DEPO shot for three years of my life and its caused so many problems after i was off it.  and thats what i tried to impart to her my wisdom on.  therapy, and a depo shot.  now how we got there is really long winded, and highly dramatic.  id admitted to her our dnd group wanted to chat. she was pushy, respected no ones boundaries, and left our friends house a complete mess. just like she left ours... and god, she ended up pissing me off cause the girl left slippers caked in cat puke in my tub after staining my bathroom doing her hair dye. she disrespected my home, she disrespected out friends, and our friends home. and she was needlessly mean and cruel to everyone around her that didnt serve some purpose to her.  So yeah she had to go.  Here i am thinking that this is the end of it. but i get updates about how I’m apparently the worst abuser in the world just cause I told some spoiled brat of a woman to get off a shot that messes with the brain, and to seek therapy cause this girl needs help. Funny thing is im not the only one that said it. apprently just the loudest voice to have said it.  and this bitch still thinks i dont like her cause she’s not ‘ providing for us financially” We may not have a high roller life. but damn we’re doing just fucking fine. 

[96xie]

2019

a whole summary of this difficult year

2019 was full of unexpected good and bad surprises along with lessons and experiences.

january

spent good time with mocha, wayo and brian

had such a good time with guildies from our game

met up with some other ppl from the same game and didnt feel too good bc i was never good with crowds and/or groups that were already well established

tried tinder for the first time because i thought it would be nice to put myself out there for once

feburary

continued my tinder journey and actually had fun with it. it was pretty scary at the same time because it was such a new experience talking to other people and to have them notice you? because i always knew and felt that i wasnt really the desirable one.

actually hooked up with a guy from last months meetup and hung out twice. thought it was going somewhere because he, too, showed signs to progress further ((was wrong because he lied and showed red flags later))

one major red sign to me: no response after genuinely saying thank you for rides and dinner. im the type of person who always says thank you because im honestly grateful for the little and big things. he basically shrugged it off.

also, a huge liar. yah, big no

i brought him to my friends birthday bc they and himself wanted to meet each other, it was fun while it lasted but stuff happened

towards the end of the month, i cut my ties off with him for being awfully mean to me and also cut ties with my “friends” for having really bad assumptions of me.

i was frustrated with myself at that time bc his cats gave me a bad breakout and i felt super ugly. also i wasnt sad over him, but over the fact that i let myself be treated like a second option. eventually i learned that it was good that i didnt let things go further and that i only deserve the very best.

even though i was hurt, i thought it was a good experience, esp since i havent really been in the “dating game” for years. like it was a just a small step to putting myself out there once again

a week later after that a classmate asked me out and got tons of compliments from him and wondered “the universe really works in crazy ways”

march

met some cool people through the same mobile game on a discord server and they were much better than the first group.

also met this really funny dude in the same group. like he was so fun to talk to and he understood my dumb lingo

remember when my classmate asked me out on a date? it turned out a bit weird. but considering this was my first date in YEARS i thought it was a cool experience. got some carne asada fries outta him

i had the dude i was talking to call me so i could leave the date tho LOL ((he helped me lots, esp how to deal with awkward situations with my classmate. also at this point, i really liked talking to him but i wasnt rly sure if i wanted to date other guys bc i had been hurt previously)

this month was pretty much dedicating most of my time talking to him and i enjoyed it alot

also went to pubs for the first time to hangout with my coworkers. such an interesting place

april

tried rollerskating for the first time ever, ended up with a bunch of bruises but it was cool!

also tried 7leaves for the first time and instantly fell in love with mungbean

also went clubbing in sf with my friends and it was such a fun time like i had SO much fun

i got auctioned off of SAD! that phase was just a crazy ride. while there was many that dm’d me, there was only one special person that i only replied to and continued to talk to him on a daily basis

((honestly, i was scared that i was taking things a bit further with him because a part of me was like “are you ready for this?” and “have you really recovered from that guy?” or “can you give this guy your all?” just alot of overthinking))

spent 4/20 at sf with my friends, and overall had a GREAT time. took too many hits and drank so ya gorl was crossfaded. not sure if i wanna do tht again tho

unfortunately woke up with a swollen face and it lasted for a LONG time.

may

so my face is still swollen, still bad, red as a tomato and at this point i was really hesitant to meet up with the guy ive been talking to. i mean!! my skin was SO bad. i felt like i was gonna make a fool out of myself by scaring him away

but,,,, he was still willing to see me despite my appearance and : ( he was so accepting and typing this makes my heart ache bc he is SUCH a good man : (

i met up with the guy towards the end of the month in sj and first thing he does when i walk up to him is give me this great warm hug and so many smooches !!!!!!! like my heart is melting

eventually we became official !!! he got us an airbnb for the night and we jus spent time cuddling on the bed and honestly i : ( i like him so much

june

my birthday wasnt rly that like “wow” it was actually kinda annoying

my bf flew up to sf where we met up, explored the city and slept the night in at an airbnb. next day went to oakland where i introduced my friends to him!

went to my first festival with several with my friends, including ppl from our same guild from our game and it was SO fun

rolled for the first time and it was SUCH an experience. redosed like twice and ended up hallucinating which is something ill def not do again

also i really wished my bf was with me at that time : ( while i had an extremely fun time, i wish i shared that moment with him : (

july

went to vegas for my cousins 22nd bday. shit was wild

also rolled there.

also threw up for the very first time

a fight broke out at the club and that shit was fuckgin CRAZY and it was RIGHT next to our table

also used alot of my money for the whole trip in which nobody really told me about so …. i was like ok.. fuck …

also my skin was still bad during these past months so it was pretty hard masking it

like really hard. with someone with terrible eczema, its just extremely hard to hide it

august

bf flew to sac!!! he met my mom for the first time and we explored the city and stuff

and went on an ikea date! and! honestly i just really loved spending time with him :c

we also spent time with my friends! they came over also! and ate some fuckgin bomb ass waffles

and then took bus down to la to meetup with some friends from our guild towards the end of the month!

it was pretty nice to be able to stay with my bf in his apartment !!!!!

also some scalding tea but thats rly for another time

to make it super short tho: our friend that we’ve known much longer than the girl he met (less than 3 months) dropped our friendship SO quick lol

september

cousin bonding @ beach, too cold for tht doe

towards the end of the month, my bf flew me down!!! so i spent the weekend with him and like always, only had a good time with him!

AND ALWAYS EATING GOOD FOOD!

october

during this fall semester, i took online classes and one of them was a 8week class. there was a topic about mental health and how we can take care of ourselves better and i just thought it was such an important thing to cover. i feel like its not talked about enough

november

spent thanksgiving with my family down in morgan hill and ate good food! honey ham has a special place in my heart.

went black friday shopping first at walmart, lowkey disappointed in myself because i was bummed out the apple watches were sold out. the materialistic part of me jumped out oof

slept at my cousins then went to the mall! didnt get anything besides really good bulgogi fries. i hated going into stores tho cuz everything was literally crowded. hated it !!!!!!!

went to a small festival in sacramento with my friends at the end of the month and this time is 7 of us (than the usual 5)! it was sososo fun.

also took my coworker with me, it was actually amusing to see bc our group were all asian and he’s the only tall white guy

made hotpot at home and we also went out for milktea and waffles again! sooo good.

december

flew down to see my bf again and only had a good time! went to this garden with beautiful lights and ! ugh! SO pretty!

cried in his bed before my flight back, cried on the plane, cried at home and cried before i slept. i miss him

also racked up alot of hours so i could pay for my tuition and my family’s bills. kinda sucks bc im pretty tired but i gotta do what do i gotta do.

christmas was a bit lonely bc my mom went to the philippines and i dont rly talk to my brother but my kuya came the next day and we ate n watched stuff

overall, it was a whacky year. but im so glad to have met ed. he means SO much to me. a part of me was so hesitant to date him because i mean, he’s man with his life set. i dont have a car, im still in school, i have this part time job where im giving my mom all my paychecks and which the only money im keeping is just my tips (not much), i still have issues with myself and other conflicts and honestly theres much to do, learn and grow from. but he’s so supportive, understanding and loving and i love and appreciate him from the bottom of my heart. most of the time i wonder if im doing and if im being enough for him. i worry about that alot but he’s so patient with me. i laugh alot when im with him and i feel so happy.

did i mention that we are long distance? him being in la and me in sacramento. so the only thing thats connecting us is facetime. maybe once every two months will i see him in person but yep. when i had my first panic attack, i really wanted him right next to me. at that moment i felt even more sad because of course you’re gonna want you’re significant other during a moment like that. but anyways, i always miss him and i always want him next to me and i always love him. i want to hurry up and get my education done with so i can be with him. not to sound like omg im so madly infatuated with him type of thing tho. he’s someone who understands me and knows how to love me.

i hope 2020 treats me well despite all the challenges ahead of me.

[fulltimespacecadet]

Can you explain what you meant by "sabotage" under the last post? I'm not attacking you, just didn't notice anything! Thank you in advance ^-^

Aah it’s okk. I’ll try my best to explain :D. It might just be my Orbit paranoia but so many things have gone wrong with Loona’s comeback that I’m kind of convinced theres a conspiracy. I’m not a pro at charting, distributing and all this but here’s what I understand. This might be a little long so buckle up. TL;DR AT THE BOTTOM

For some background: as you might know, Loona changed their publisher to Kakao M for this new repackage. It’s a pretty big deal and Orbits were Really excited about this development since Kakao M is a rather large label. They’ve been around for a long time - since 1978. They handle big artists like IU and they’ve been the distributer of some albums you might know, for example CLC’s No.1 EP and Seventeen’s Mini Album, You Made My Dawn’. I’m choosing these examples because they will come into play later on. Another thing that might be related (this is all just conspiracies) but a certain group that is promoting at the same time as Loona is under a certain label that Kakao M owns…

1. So we will start here: Kakao M’s handing of the physicals. [X X]’s physical album releases were delayed, with the Normal A vers. being delayed to 21st so today and Normal B and BOTH of the Limited vers. being delayed till the 26th. This happened because Kakao M either underestimated the demand or basically the number of pre-orders were so absurd that they couldn’t have possibly predicted it (I’m leaning more towards the former). This is a problem, 1, because well, it’s delayed and 2, because affects the sales charts for the first week of sales which do have an impact on qualifications for music shows and we really want our girls to get the awards they deserve - it already has affected international charting and Hanteo/Gaon charts as well. The fact that a company that’s been around since 1978 made a mistake like this seems pretty unlikely. Call me biased but well! (also if you’re a conspiracy theorist, the release of the two limiteds and vers. B of [X X] aren’t released until the comeback of a certain group thats Pretty Big on a label that Kakao M owns…)

2. iTunes was the next problem. After reaching #1 on the album charts, suddenly, people weren’t able to buy [X X] anymore. ??? So Nai_Orbit on twitter reached out to iTunes who informed us that Kakao M had decided to take the option of labelling [X X] as an album away, instead, forcing people to buy songs individually instead. Now, you could argue, well isn’t [X X] an EP, it’s not really an album anyways but! CLC’s No.1 was an EP which was released, hit #1 on the album charts and is still sold on iTunes as an album. I’m not attacking CLC in anyway, I’m just stating that this doesn’t happen to other artists normally. In the end, they’ve fixed this and now you can buy the EP as an album but this affected out chartings. The hours Orbits could’ve used to stream was lost and hours might not seem like a lot but consider the fact that the Butterfly MV reached 100K views in half an hour.

3. Ah. More streaming issues, when will this end. The next problem comes Spotify. To hurt Loona’s charting performance even more comes Spotify, who did add [X X] but… under the wrong artist…? Turns out, theres another Loona out there. A Loona, not a  LOOΠΔ who also coincidentally has a song named Colors which I found pretty funny but I digress. Now you see, [X X] wasn’t with the rest of their discography so people couldn’t find it at the start which definitely affects streaming because how do you stream when you can’t even find the album. In addition to this MNET COMES BACK AGAIN. Spotify can’t change the metadata of artist names etc. until the distributer gives them a greenlight so it wasn’t really even Spotify’s fault. Both the problems here with Spotify along with iTunes affects the charting on Billboard for Loona.

4. mnet skipped posting loona’s performance on mcountdown even though they posted all of the perfomance videos in succession on their youtube channel. like they just skipped.. literally. A fancam was posted before the official channel. Some korbits have given them the benefit of the doubt by saying there was a mistake with the captions, delaying upload by hours but in the end, the mistake wasn’t even fixed. I don’t think this has happened before with other groups (but again, I’m not an expert on this). Expectations for the comeback stage led to Loona trending #1 in Korea but even then, mnet did not upload the video until around 3 hours later when most of the hype had already died down and most people had viewed it through the fancam. The fancam got 60k views in an hour. M Countdown charts are calculated by digital sales, album sales, social media points aka. youtube views, voting and “mnet broadcast points”. So I think it’s safe to say this was affected. Another thing which vexed Orbits is that the Mwave youtube channel decided to comment ‘Just watching this again and again…’ on the fancam instead of you know? Doing their job and uploading the video on their own damn channel??? It’s on there now but again, that was hours of streaming we missed.

These are some of the big issues that we’ve faced 1-2 DAYS within the release of [X X]. That’s a huge amount of problems, many of which stem from mnet. IF this was truly intentional then they’re really threatened by us. In addition to this there were small other problems as well, including big accounts like Entertainment Tonight with 1M followers randomly deleting their tweet promoting Butterfly out of nowhere, Youtube views being frozen (but that’s normal for all videos so we won’t talk about that much), SMAs suddenly deciding for the first time since Forever™ to limit ROTY to only 2 artists, eliminating Loona from the competition even though we won fanvoting in the app. The MAMA fiasco where votes were deleted and where their performance was cut off. Yeojin and Yves getting injured which wasn’t their fault but added to the ‘cursed’ nature of this comeback.

I guess all of this culminated in this

TL;DR    Kakao M delayed distribution of [X X] BOTH in physicals and the digital versions, affecting their ability to chart and the chances of them winning awards. But we Orbits will prevail. Just keep on streaming and supporting Loona so they get their first win and all the wins after that. Stan Loona!

Citations because I am a student. Information I got from wikipedia, twitter (INTL_LOONA, Nai_Orbit, caskerbox, loonastats, orrery_nim, vivithegoddess)

[thetravelerwrites]

Commitments: Part 1 (Gargoyles Fanfic)

Rating: Teen Fandom: Disney’s Gargoyles Relationships: Goliath x Elisa Maza Additional Tags: Marriage, Proposal, Engagement Trigger Warnings: Light Language, Sex Mention Words: 3996

Takes place in the years 1998-2000, and pertains to the Commitment Ceremony that had been planned for future comics between Elisa and Goliath. There will also be Brooklyn/Katana and Broadway/Angela moments thrown in. Please leave feedback!

It wasn’t going to be a wedding, not exactly. Gargoyles had no need to marry; once they gave their heart to someone, they were bound to that person until death or until they decided they were no longer compatible, which frankly was an uncommon occurrence among Goliath’s people. The severance of his union with Demona was, although perfectly understandable under the circumstances, exceedingly rare.

Gargoyles trusted their feelings far more than humans did theirs. On the whole, they didn’t often succumb to insecurity about their own love for their mates or the love of their mates for them. Perhaps that was why humans needed the security of marriage, the notion that they controlled their own emotions and not the other way around, to give them a sense of certainty about their feelings. Tokens, legal documents, and ceremonies were all trappings of humanity’s desire to make something as simple as loving another person complicated and tedious, and to Gargoyles, unnecessary.

The ceremony had been Goliath’s idea, though. After the Masquerade two years ago at the Xanatos Building in which Thailog had nearly killed Goliath, Elisa had sat down with him sometime later, nearly a month, and they discussed their relationship at length over coffee, laying out what being together meant for the both of them and if they felt it was still worth pursuing. They both agreed that it was.

Elisa told him that she had come to terms with the things about their lives together that would always be out of their reach and seemed content to lay them aside, having made the personal discovery that being with Goliath was worth far more to her than a normal human life. Goliath wasn’t sure he completely believed her but decided not to push the matter. He was simply happy to have her back.

After they had talked, Goliath had flown back to the tower with his thoughts in a roil. Being with him shouldn’t rob her of everything she had wanted in a mate. Surely some middle ground was to be reached in this situation. He had taken seriously the things Elisa had said during the brief period when they had separated. There were things he knew he’d never be able to give her: the house in the suburbs with the white picket fence she had spoken of. Gargoyles didn’t believe in money, and they had little to no interest in physical property, so buying a house was out of the question. Goliath suspected, however, that this specific desire was an optional one.

It was children that would be the biggest issue for Elisa and Goliath was keenly aware of it, even if she said it didn’t matter to her anymore. It wasn’t the same for him; Gargoyles did not have daughters or sons, nor fathers and mothers. The children of the clan belonged to the whole clan. That was simply the Gargoyle way.

Though he had to admit, this was no longer true, at least for the Manhattan Clan. Brooklyn was deeply devoted to his and Katana’s hatchlings. Goliath knew Angela and Broadway had been privately discussing laying their own egg. Goliath himself had come to love his only biological daughter as any father should, and while Elisa loved Angela very much and treasured their friendship, he doubted Elisa would ever consider her a daughter. They were too close in equivalent age for that. A child was one thing Elisa would never have with Goliath, and though it was a matter they both regretted deeply, nothing could be done to change it.

It wasn’t until he was back at the tower and overheard Owen talking about plans for Xanato’s anniversary that it clicked. There was one thing he could do for her. He could, officially and in public, surrounded by friends, family, and clan, declare his love for her. Become not only her mate, but her husband, and she his wife. Human terms though they were, Goliath didn’t mind them so much if it would make her happy, and he dearly wanted her to be happy.

Goliath was unfamiliar with the specifics of the ritual and resorted to asking Elisa’s brother, Talon, for help in planning it. One aspect was talking to the parents and, in some cases, asking the father for permission. Talon laughed at this, amused at the thought of the progressive, independent Elisa furious at both Goliath and her father for discussing her like she was a commodity for which they could barter.

Goliath did think that talking to Elisa’s parents about his intentions was appropriate. He wanted them to be there for the ceremony, as they would become part of his clan. Diane accepted it immediately, though Peter had needed a bit of convincing. Diane had given Goliath a ring that had belonged to her grandmother; a silver band with five inlaid sapphires. In return, Goliath asked Diane to officiate the ceremony. Diane cried, accepted, and hugged Goliath around the middle, an embrace Goliath awkwardly returned.

Another aspect of the ritual was, as Talon had put it, to “pop the question.” And one couldn’t just come out and ask, either, it had to be done in a special way with forethought and meaning. Talon had told Goliath about New Hope in Pennsylvania, which was an hour and forty-five minutes by bus, but much faster by air, which he knew from taking Maggie there a fair few times. There was a wildflower reserve there that Elisa had visited often as a child, but she hadn’t been back since she had entered the academy. Goliath thought it sounded perfect.

He kept his intentions quiet from everyone else, waiting for the right moment to ask Elisa and get her answer before mentioning it to anyone besides her family. It had taken time, more than a year, for him to work up the nerve. One thing or another always seemed to get in the way; her work, their missions, villains, new threats, all seemed to pop up just as Goliath was attempting to pull her away and ask.

One night in July of 1999, he finally had the chance he was waiting for. Elisa had three nights off in a row, the city was relatively quiet, there were no pressing matters to attend to at the castle, and despite the summer heat, the nights were pleasantly cool. Thinking this could be his only chance to do things properly, he made his plan to take her out to the reserve swiftly, before something could stop him. Goliath had only told her they were going somewhere special and left it at that.

That night, he reached her apartment and let himself in through the open window. He found her in the kitchen packing a picnic basket with various things, looking up at him with a beaming smile as he came closer. She was draped in a lovely pale blue dress, knee-length and flared at the hip, as practical as it was pretty.

She abandoned her task long enough to jump into his embrace, her feet dangling from the floor, and plant a kiss on his lips, which he returned with a gentle smile.

“It’s good to see you, too,” He said.

She laughed. “So where are we going?” She asked, still clutching his neck and running a finger up and down the place where his back curved into his neck, feeling the strange, minuscules scales that made up his skin, so fine and small that you had to be looking very close to see them at all. Rough when caressed one way, smooth if rubbed the other.

“It’s a surprise,” Goliath said as he released her. Her hands slid down his chest as she was set back on her feet and moved away to finish packing. “But we must go soon. It is quite far.”

She smiled and nodded, picking up the basket and a blanket that had been thrown over a nearby chair, and allowing herself to be lifted up and cradled in Goliath’s arms. Then they were off.

The trip took the better part of forty minutes, and they whiled away the time by talking about one thing or another. It was so much better now that it was all out in the open and they didn’t have to dance around each other as they had done in the first two years of their acquaintance when they couldn’t admit their feelings. Now things between them were easier, effortless, like talking with your best friend. Because Goliath was her best friend; the best she had ever had.

Elisa had been talking about plans for her sister’s graduation next year when she looked down and stopped mid-sentence.

“Wait!” She said, shifting a little to get a better look. “I know where we are! The wildflower reserve! Goliath, how did you find out about this place?”

“Your brother mentioned it to me,” Goliath said smugly. “He said this place was special to you.”

“Aw,” Elisa tutted. “I should visit him and Maggie soon.”

“I have no doubt you two will have much to discuss,” He said.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Nothing. There’s a deck there where we can land. Hold on.” He dove downward quickly, flattening his wings against his back as the ground rose swiftly to meet them. He unfurled his wings with enough time to slow them without scrambling their insides before landing gently on the wooden patio sitting in the middle of the field, surrounded by the colorful, fragrant plants as far as the eye could see. Talon had been right. This was the perfect place.

Elisa handed him the quilt, which he shook out and laid down over the wood. Elisa knelt and went about setting the things she had packed out onto the fabric. Goliath sat down cross-legged and assisted.

The basket had contained sandwiches, cheeses, and fruit, as well as water, wine, and if Elisa was feeling particularly festive, a bottle of whiskey.

“You didn’t have to go to all this trouble, Elisa,” Goliath said, looking over the spread she had packed.

“It wasn’t any trouble. I just threw some stuff in a basket. You’re the one who lugged us here in forty minutes with no break.” She handed him a glass of wine and a small plate with food, which he accepted with a smile. “I’m glad you suggested we do this. I love New York, but it’s nice to get away from the city for a while and spend some time with you alone.”

“I agree,” He replied. “This has been long overdue.”

She poured herself a glass of wine and settled next to him, leaning into him and sighing contently. He enjoyed the weight and warmth of her body against his. They ate and drank in relative silence, but not an uncomfortable one. They were not the type of couple that felt the need to fill the void with inane chatter. Simply being alone with each other with no sense urgency or distress was reward enough.

After a while, when they had eaten their fill and drank enough wine to make them feel very at ease, Goliath sat up straight and reached behind him.

“I have something for you,” He said, pulling out a thin, long blue box in roughly she shape of a book, complete with a bow. “A gift.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Where were you hiding that?”

He smiled a wide, toothy smile that was most unlike him, and presented the box to her. She took it with a furtive glance at him.

“You’ve never given me a gift before,” She said, intrigued.

“No,” Goliath admitted. “Gift-giving is not a typical Gargoyle practice. Tonight is special, however.”

“Special, how?”

“You shall see.”

Quirking an eyebrow at him, she untied the bow and lifted the lid. It was, in fact, a book: a photo album. The covers, back and front, were plain and bound in a midnight blue canvas. She opened the cover and gasped. The very first picture was of every person she loved standing together; her parents, Derek and Maggie, all of the Manhattan Clan, including Brooklyn and Katana’s hatchlings, tall Nashville and tiny Matsuko, and the newest edition, Broadway and Angela’s egg, which they proudly held between them. Lexington had little Alexander on his shoulders, now three years old but looking much older. Even Beth was there, smiling and standing with her arm around Derek’s waist. Goliath was also there, standing head and shoulders above the rest, square in the middle with his hand on Angela’s shoulder, a crooked smile on his normally grim features.

“Oh, my God,” Elisa breathed, flipping through the pages only to find more photos of her family and the clan interacting. There was a picture of Alexander playing with Matsuko, with Bronx laying belly up next to them. There was one of Derek, Maggie, Beth, Diane, Peter, and Matt Bluestone all playing cards together. There were tastefully shot photographs of the Gargoyles as stone in the sunlight, both in greyscale and in full color. There was even a sneakily obtained shot of Elisa sitting with all of them last year when she had managed to get them together for Christmas dinner, taken without her knowledge. She marveled at each page, a wondering smile lighting her face.

“How?” She asked. “How did you do this?”

“Your sister, Beth, helped me put it together. I wanted to do something special for you. She gave us all disposable cameras and asked us to take pictures, and she developed the film herself.” He was delighted by the pure joy in her expression. “You like it?”

“Goliath, I love this. I love it so much. It’s beautiful.” She kept turning the pages, stopping at each one to admire and smile at the candid shots of her family, of Angela sitting quietly and cradling her egg with Broadway hovering protectively nearby, of Katana and Beth laughing over tea with Matsuko in Beth’s lap, laughing along with them. Of her father and Hudson reclining in easy-chairs, talking somberly over a glass of bourbon. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever been given.

“Thank you, Goliath,” She said, holding the book to her chest. “I love it so much.”

“Keep going,” He said with a smile. “I saved the best for last.”

She grinned at him and kept turning pages until she reached the back cover, where rested a small, plain, white envelope.

“What’s this?” She asked, holding it up.

“Open it,” He replied. His smile was gone and he seemed to tense suddenly, though she was unsure why. Puzzled, she slit open the top of the envelope with her fingernail and peered inside.

“What is that?” She asked quietly, as if to herself. She tipped the envelope over and the silver ring tumbled into her hand. At first, she didn’t react, trying to comprehend what she was seeing. She looked up at him, a stunned expression on her face. He was looking at her very seriously, all trace of playfulness gone.

“Goliath,” Elisa said slowly, turning the band slowly in her fingers, examining it as if it were a riddle to be solved. “This is a ring.”

Yes,” Goliath answered simply, watching her face with rising apprehension.

She looked up at him, her chest tight. “For humans, when a man gives a woman a ring, it means something.”

“Yes, I am aware of this,” Goliath replied, his eyes still locked on hers. “I’ve spoken to your family. Your mother gave me this ring. To give to you.”

Elisa was finding it hard to breathe. Surely he didn’t mean… he wasn’t… “Are… are you…. Goliath, what does this mean?”

Goliath reached out his hand, and Elisa laid the ring into his open palm.

“Elisa,” he began. “When a Gargoyle chooses a mate, they pledge themselves to each other, much the same as humans do. But for our kind, it is a private matter that takes place between the two souls in love, away from prying eyes. After the pledge is made, it is acknowledged within the clan that the lovers are no longer two separate souls, but one soul that resides in two bodies, living for and within each other.

“Ceremonies and celebrations are not the Gargoyle way,” He continued. “We find gladness in the union of our friends and rejoice in their happiness, but there are no festivities to mark the occasion. That is a human custom.” Goliath looked long at the ring sitting cold and smooth in his hand. “But if I am to take a human woman as my mate, as I intend to do, I must come to accept her people’s customs and adapt to them. For her people will become my people, as mine have already become hers.”

Elisa sat staring wide-eyed at Goliath, her mouth open in shock.

“Therefore,” Goliath continued, taking a breath and reaching for Elisa’s left hand, which she offered. “I, Goliath, willingly offer to pledge my life and love to you, and ask you, Elisa Maza, if you would willingly pledge your life and love to me. Do you accept this offer?”

She seemed too stunned for speech. Her breathing was shallow and uneven. A tear spilled over her eye and down her cheek.

“Elisa?” Goliath asked in concern, brushing the tear away. “Are you alright?”

She nodded, another tear falling. She held his hand to her face and managed to find her voice, though it came out rather strangled. “I accept.”

A smile started to spread across his face. “Yes?”

“Yes,” She said, wiping her cheeks and laughing. “I accept. Nothing else on earth would make me happier.”

She took the ring from his palm and put it on her left ring finger, then pushed herself up to her knees to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him. His arms encircled her waist and squeezed gently.

The kiss deepened became more urgent. Elisa fell back, pulling him with her so that he lay next to her on the blanket. Their arms wrapped tightly around each other as they explored each other’s kiss. She boldly flicked her tongue into his mouth and over his teeth, sharp enough to bite through steel, with no fear or apprehension. He responded in kind.

He gently caressed her face with one hand and the fingers of his other hand traced the skin up and down her spine. She had always marveled at the level of control it took for a person who could literally tear a car apart with his bare hands to touch her so tenderly. His claws were made for penetrating stone and metal, to climb and carry the immense weight of his body, yet in all the times he had touched her, he had never once left a mark.

Taking his hand from her face, she moved it downward to touch her breast. Goliath stiffened and pulled away.

“Elisa,” He started with a sigh. “We have discussed this.”

“Goliath,” She replied in a slightly exasperated voice. She sat up. “Every time I try to initiate intimacy with you, you push me away. Ever since that night we decided to stay together, you’ve brushed me off. I always figured it’s because you’re just old-fashioned, but I really think we are past the point of propriety here, don’t you?”

“It is not about that,” He said, pushing himself up into a sitting position as well. “When you first attempted to engage with me, we had just repaired our relationship. It was new and fragile, and I felt it was far too soon to be intimate with you.”

“I can understand that, Goliath, but we’ve been together for over two years now. Our relationship is more solid than it’s ever been. Besides, we are both adults, and we’ve done this before. Not with each other, obviously, but we have both had sexual partners in the past. Neither of us are exactly virgins.”

“That is not the point,” Goliath said. “Humans treat this subject with far too much indifference. There is no such thing as a casual encounter among Gargoyles.”

“Do you really think that’s what I’m trying to do?” Elisa said, mildly annoyed. “We literally just got… I don’t know… engaged? Betrothed? This isn’t exactly ‘casual’ for me.”

She folded her arms, looking away into the distance and growing quiet, as though she had suddenly realized something deeply unpleasant.

“What is it?” He asked, watching her expression shift.

“Nothing, it’s not worth mentioning,” She said dismissively, though she wouldn’t look at him.

“Tell me.”

She sighed, tilting her head in a begrudging way and refused to meet his eye, looking out over the field of flowers.

“Well,” She started slowly. “I had thought… I mean, I know Gargoyles don’t exactly find humans physically attractive. I thought, maybe… you didn’t think of me… in that…” She trailed off, visibly embarrassed.

It took a moment for Goliath to comprehend what she was saying. “Oh! No, Elisa, it isn’t like that at all. I have wanted to…” He struggled for wording that wouldn’t be vulgar. “To be with you in that way many times while we have been together.”

“Then why haven’t you?” She asked, looking at him. She was definitely upset.

“You must understand, to my kind, the act of making love is a promise in and of itself. To do so before now would not have been… appropriate.”

“So why not now?” Elisa asked him, her arms still folded. The ring he had given her noticeably glinting against the dark skin of her hand, drawing his eye.

He took her hand and held it in his, bending down to kiss her fingers. “Elisa, I love you,” He said gently. “To me, this is as miraculous a thing as seeing the sunrise with my own two eyes. After what Demona had done, after all the betrayals my clan had suffered by not only humans, but from my own kind, I had sworn that I would never trust or love again. You were the one to change that. The fact that you are human makes no difference; I desire to…” If a Gargoyle could blush, Elisa believed he might be. “To touch your body and lie with you and show you the depths of my longing.

“I wish to give you all that you desire and more, but I wish to do so the proper way. Though our methods may be different, both humans and Gargoyles set aside a time in which they make their pledge, after which they consummate the union. For my people, it is a private matter, but humans have a ceremony in which all the people they love gather to be a part of the celebration. As I understand it, the consummation takes place after the festivities have ended. ‘The wedding night,’ I believe it’s called. I want for you as normal a life as I am capable of providing. It is important to me that we observe the human ritual of marriage as well as we can, including the consummation ritual.”

Elisa had to laugh at that. “Honestly, Goliath, I hadn’t pegged you for the ‘saving myself for marriage’ type. But that part of the marriage is usually for people who are religious, and you and I both know neither of us are what you might call devout. In this day and age, it’s at most an optional aspect of the wedding.”

“Even so,” Goliath said, smiling. “I believe it is the right thing to do.”

Elisa sighed. She stood briefly and then settled in his lap, her arms around his neck. “You’re really going make me wait, aren’t you?”

Goliath returned her embrace. “I’m afraid so. But I promise you, it will be worth the wait.”

“It had better be,” She said dangerously, tracing his lips with her finger. He caught her hand and then kissed her again. She grumbled around the kiss but relented. He definitely wasn’t making it easy on her.

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My Masterlist

The Exophilia Creator’s Masterlist

[alliebruns-blog]

Races, Recces and Adventures for 2019

First off SORRY FOR NOT DOING BLOGS (to the 3 people that read them)

2019 has already been quite the year. Let’s get the excuses in, shall we? I have finally moved out of London to lovely sleepy Somerset – home of the Mendips, hills and lots of cows. The running here is ace and I feel like I have finally shaken off the horror of 23 years in London. But it’s a big change – the first month I felt like I was on a different planet – then I had to find work (you know that thing that actually pays you?) So I took a step back from internets for a bit. 

Another reason for lack of bloggage. It seems I have been writing them for everyone else but me this year. For some reason my inbox went a bit mad and I’ve been asked to write pieces, blogs and interviews for a Bulgarian Travel and Adventure Magazine (apparently I am going to be on the cover?!), Run Deep, Precision Hydration, Lessons in Badassery, Dure, Red Bull and Trail Running Magazine. Plus, I have to do my day job. And look after 4 dogs. And a 9 year-old (not mine but sort of is mine now….) and a man human. Jokes. He’s looking after me. 

 So what’s been going on? EVERYTHING HAS. 2019 started with BBR trotting over the The National Running Show in Birmingham where we had a stand and I gave a couple of talks. I was I the throws of a horrendous depressive episode and had to attempt to put a face on. I still wasn’t over Panama really. I think it took me about 3 months to get over it in the end. I had to do a talk on a panel about mental health and running (oh the irony) and then my own talk about running across deserts, jungles and that.

It was very difficult attempting to inspire people when I actually felt like a piece of shit. The show itself was ace and weirdly we have been asked to come back – but more on that a bit later.

I got out in January and February to do a couple of reccees for White Star Running. The weather was JOKES bad. 60mph winds and rain made for a very interesting trot along the coast.

We were checking the route for Septembers Run Jurassic races which are going to be amazing. Have a look at what’s on offer here - and rest assured that it shouldn’t be weather like this on the day…..

Then came the first race of the year - Larmer Tree Marathon in Dorset. Lest gusty with 40-50 mph winds making for another interesting run, and it was also Pickle the ultra dogs first official marathon – she loved it. Look at her little face! 

Then it was off to Bulgaria to do some talking about running. Myself and David from the Bad Boy Running Podcast were asked to go and do a talk at a running expo they had there and it was MEGA fun – defo returning nest year to do the 100KM ultra they are organising – it’s BEAUTIFUL in Sofia.

Back home and it was off to Rat Race’s Ultra Tour of Arran for the second year. 62 miles over 2 days with “some” elevation (A LOT) and some demons to slay. As you know I did NOT enjoy this last year - my fear of heights and ledges almost got the better of me, but this year was different. We had about 10 Do-Badders with us and some of them were first time ultra runners, so I felt a bit like I had a duty of care to them.

As part of my role with Rat Race, I did a little talk to people about the Bucket List which was great and I managed to get round the course with the whole squad without crying. Only issue was I ended up with an eye infection that meant I couldn’t wear my contacts. This is not recommended on mountainous trails. I fell over 3 times - my knee looked like someone had gone at it with a rifle. It really knocked my confidence for trails and I have been super careful ever since. I really hate falling over.  

Arran was beautiful and epic as always. I cannot recommend this race enough. Its otherworldly out there. Here are some pictures – the weather was so kind to us. If you get booking it now it’s pretty cheap – or even better register for a rat race season ticket and it sort of pays for itself! 

Next up was London marathon. It was my sixth year and I wasn’t looking forward to it having only just really moved away. I used to love this race, but I had done so little in the form of road running I was dreading it a bit. So I decided to spice it up by running it in reverse to the start and then running it the right way round.I need some night running experience for later I the year so why not?  I also wanted to raise money for my old friend Scott who we lost to suicide last year. If you want to give a few quid, the charity has been set up now and you can find it here.

We got up at 12am after 3 hours sleep and got our stuff together – we were running with a couple of friends starting at Birdcage walk. We decided on a 5-6 hour time as I had the real thing later on, and this was a training run ultimately. That didn’t go to plan and we ended up smashing out 20 miles in about 3 hours – meaning as we came into Greenwich everything was shut. ARGH! I need coffee! I’ve never waited for a Macdonalds to open, but that day I did! We decided to march out the last 6 miles as we had the time and my legs were already staging a protest about the relentless road pounding they were getting. Once we reached the start we headed over to a hotel on Blackheath where my amazing friend and Head of Crew™ was staying.

We had the BEST BREAKFAST EVER and got I got changed into fresh kit and then it was time to do it all over again. I forgot how much waiting about there was at London. I think I stood in the pen for about an hour, little legs seizing up, feeling cold for once. London is usually boiling. I took a minute to look around at the people running. Lots of them were doing their first and only marathon. Some of them made me want to cry. I saw a guy dressed in a bin bag looking nervous, fiddling with his headphones. He has  a message scrawled on his arm in sharpie – obviously written buy one of his kids. It said “I love you daddy and I am proud of you”. He kept looking at it. It made me want to cry. Sometimes humans can be wonderful. I bumped into the legend that is Anna Mcnuff in my start pen. She wasn’t wearing any shoes. Brilliant. She’s running the length of Britain barefoot so was a training run. I had SO MANY QUESTIONS but she seemed very cool about the whole thing. She really is relentlessly cheerful, that woman. 

 Then we were off. I felt pretty good considering the fact I had already done it once that day. As always there were huge crowds and bottlenecks and I was running a lot faster than I had done in a while. You can’t help it at London. You kind of get swept along. I was very wary of eating and drinking – I hadn’t eaten much during the night run and I am used to picnics on ultras now. I tried to take it easy but it felt easier to run at pace so I did what felt good. For once I wasn’t wearing a pack and it’s amazing how much that frees you to go a bit faster. I was relying on the water stops for all my hydration and that worked. 

One of the things I really noticed about the marathon this year is the aggro. I am so used to the chilled nature of trail runners that I totally forgot about what happened in New York. Road runners can be total arseholes. There were points when I ran over to the water station, signalling I was doing so, only to be physically bashed on the shoulder by other runners and told to “move out of the fucking way”. When I take water I tend to slow down, walk at pace, finish the water and then run on. It’s pretty obvious. I walk close to the edge so people can pass me. I’m sorry but people need to have a bit more patience. Fucking idiots. ANYWAY I managed to finish in a pretty OK 4 hours 10 mins. Getting out of the mental finish area was awful as always, and I had to meet up with a couple of people because my personal hell wasn’t ending there. I had signed up to help out on a Rat Race private event for the next two days and needed to get to Richmond to drive up to Cirencester. No boozy celebrations for me! So off I went to work with 300 bankers who were out on a jolly for 3 days running, cycling and kayaking 165 miles along the Thames. Wednesday came and I had never been happier to see my bed! 

Turns out road running smashed your body up a lot – especially 53 odd miles of it. My back was killing me, my legs hurt. So I did something I am not very good at – I had a bit or a rest. A few days off, runs at the weekend, went to physio. And then, two weeks later, it was time for The Ox Epic.

This is one of my favourite races of the year. Set on the Rushmore Estate in Wiltshire, its a whole weekend of camping and running courtesy of White Star Running. You can choose what race you do. Theres a 10km in the dark, a 10km in the morning, a half marathon and a 50 miler. So what did I choose? I CHOSE THEM ALL. Last year I managed to accidentally win the Epic - this year was a different story. This was a training run for something much bigger.

Once again White Star pulled it out the bag - a beautiful weekend and everything went like clockwork for me and him indoors, despite the fact we had all four dogs on site plus a 9 year old to look after. I managed to keep the same pace for all the races and not feel broken, plus I had a really nice weekend! We ran some laps with the dogs, some without, took out time at the aid stations, walked the hills and ran the flats. All in, we managed to get 76 miles in the bag over the weekend and finished knowing that we could do more. It was a chance to practice fuelling and hydration and catch up with old and new pals. Highly recommended and I will definitely be back next year - perhaps with my eyes on the prize again.

Pretty much everything that I have done in the first part of this year has been pointing towards my one A game race of the year which is happening this weekend (18-19 May). The Climb South West Devon Coast to Coast Ultra. I signed up last year on a whim. It’s 117 miles from the south coast to the north coast of Devon non-stop. This is the furthest I have run without a break, so it really is a huge deal to me to get through it. We’ve been out and about doing a couple of back to back weekend recees to see what the route is like. It’s self nav and we will run a lot of it in the dark. It runs along the Two Moors Way, across Dartmoor and Exmoor, through some horrendous terrain. There are a lot of muddy bridleways, fields and hardly any markings.

Elevation is mental – it literally feels like your going up hill all the time. It’s a really important race for me because it’s one I am not sure I can do. I have a plan A. B. C and D in place but I can’t see myself finishing in under 39 hours. Will I finish at all? Dunno. Stay tuned I guess….

So yeah, a lot has gone on so far this year, and there are some awesome plans in the pipeline for the rest of the year. 

Adventure time! AGAIN! 

I am resurrecting my position as Rat Race Test Pilot for 2019-2020 and doing 4 big recees this year, as well as pretty much all the events.  

June sees me travel to Spain for the Sea to Summit test pilot outing. The highest mountain in mainland Spain is 80km from the coast. Our route connects a start line on a beautiful beach on the Costa Tropical to the summit of Mulhacen (3482m) via a tough 2 day running route, giving 2 marathons back to back and nearly 4000m vertical height gain. No biggie. Plus it’s going to be BOILING and we start at 2am to try and avoid the sun. This is Ben Nevis twice in a day. Fun. 

August sees me trotting off to Malta for The Maltese Falcom. There are 3 islands that make up Malta. This ia a full traverse of the island chain. 3 disciplines. Run across Gozo. Kayak to Comino. Swim from Comino to Malta. Run across Malta. Hot. Historic. Warm sea. An island totally geared up for Endurance sport.  And all in one day. Another world first. 

In September I am off to Scotland to do something I have always dreamt off. A full coast to coast traverse of Scotland on foot. This is a west-coast-to-east-coast outing, n foot, over 6 days. The difference here is that Rat Race have devised a route that encompasses crossings of water and the use of some rivers and lochs, for which we will carry and use pack-rafts. This very unique route means we will hike or run, get to a body of water, use the raft to cross it or traverse it and then carry on by foot. An insane format in a simply stunning setting and incredibly remote area. The route goes from a starting location at Mallaig to finish just north of Inverness. This is the wildest country in the British Isles. We will be vehicle supported for some of the outing; and then self-contained (pack on back) for a significant portion of the rest. Almost 100% off-road. And in September. Be kind, weather! 

October I will return to Scotland for a multi day traverse of the Outer Hebrides. Another dream event. It is around 150 miles from the bottom to top of this rugged island archipelago off the West Coast of Scotland. We will attempt this journey over 6 days. We’ve not quite worked out the logistics on this (have I not learnt anything from Panama??) But I am SO EXCITED TO DO IT! 

In November I am travelling back to Namibia to crew for the Race to the Wreck event. That means I get to see the beauty of the desrt from the crew vehicle with a bit of running, but most importantly, it means I get to encourage, help and inspire people to complete the crossing. I would like to thank Rat Race for constantly believing me and allowing me to do these awesome things. I am one lucky piglet.  

Also here’s a thing – if you fancy joining me on any of these funtime recees then you can – just drop me an email here for more details. 

I am also doing a few other things in between mega adventures to keep up the training and fly the flag for Rat Race and White Star. There’s the Dorset Invader Marathon, the Man Vs Series, the Run Jurassic Series, Ultra Tour of Edinburgh, not to mention my first Threshold event at Race To the King. Basically it’s BUSY. But I am happy. And that’s the most important thing. 

Finally – big announcement – Bad Boy Running are thrilled to have been asked to curate a new section at The National Running Show 2020. We have been given the honour of curating the Ultra Zone – a brand new zone that focuses completely on Ultras. We have our own stage, our own guests and our own talks and panels, We are in charge. We will be announcing out line up in the next month or so but if I were you I would get your tickets NOW because you DO NOT want to miss this. You can get your free ones here using my code AMB18. We have some of the biggest names in Ultra running confirmed and it’s going to be mega. You can register for your free ticket here. Massive thank to Mike for believing in us (and trusting us – he may regret this….)

I’m also going to try and bet better at this blogging thing – I have a lot to write about so not short on material – it’s just the time. Having said that I am happy to write for anyone else that fancies it. Just drop me a line and I will take a look at it. So yeah. That’s it. Whirlwind update done. See you next week. If I survive.

[ikkanrana]

So I'm confused, I thought you adopted the cat who hid under your bed a lot, or were you just fostering him for a while?

we were set on adopting him and took him in as planned.

everything was shady from the start as they more or less just dumped the poor cat here and left didnt even come up to the apartment they literally waited by the car and just asked us to return the travel cage before they left… and i was like im not gonna pull him out of there never in my life (my thought was that theyd borrow us the cage to begin with and that we would return it next time we saw the contact person like some vet clinic lets you do but noooppee they wanted it back before they left and it wasnt even the contact person who left him :)) )

so no one did any background check on us or checked out how we lived or nothing i mean we could have been living in a landfill as far as they know but they just dumped him on us and we never got any veterinary journals or ID documents from the shelter who literally ignored our calls for a month begging to get his papers so we could see what his health problems were and what kind of vaccines he’s gotten etc etc

like i was scared of feeding him the acana dry food at first because the add stated that he had bad teeth that were still under treatment (which we kept asking about and CLEARLY stating that we can not sign an insurance with any company yet since dental issues arent covered by all and is EXPENSIVE as shit so we need to know exactly what is up with him to be able to sign anything obviously… but they literally ignored us for a month even tho theyve said that ~if theres everything dont hesitate to call whenever we’re here for u~ like lmao professional etc etc and it went so far i contacted them on the official site and asked for the contact person and the cats papers because we were worried obviously that he was in any sort of pain because of the “oh he’s still under treatment” they left us with

so we were scared to death because obviously we need to know so we dont make anything worse for the cat??? because he’s the one paying for it the the end and we were apparently his second home because the other family couldnt keep him either and i dont trust anything the shelter has told us about the previous fam tbh i think they did the same thing there and just dumped him on them

anyhow as time went by more and more strange things regarding his health popped up while the contact person avoided talking to us and only sent us a passive aggressive text when we asked if he even was castrated and why he was tattooed in the ear and not chipped (which is standard nowadays) and also that he had begin to scratch himself A LOT and pee indoors and that we STILL DIDNT KNOW what was going on with his teeth which is… you know…. sorta super important (i fed him ground beef now and then both for his stomach and for his mouths sake but he did eat the dry feed normally without any spills or half chewed pieces so he didnt seem to be unable to eat but thats just MY observations still have no vet documents or nothing)

and she just texted that she hadnt got the papers from the previous home yet and blah blah blah and he was indeed castrated and vaccinated and blah blah blah she basically got angry cause we doubted her (mind you this is over a month after he arrived and they havent checked up on him or even attempted to contact us back)then she told us some of his teeth had been pulled because he had been ran over (which were news to us) and that the treatment he had been under was for a potential skin disease and we were like??????????????????????? what the fuck do you mean skin disease he’s been here for a month and since day one i was worried because he was scratching himself a lot and very intensely and was losing a lotof fur and now you might have dropped a mange ridden cat on us without saying anything and then she stopped answering for another two weeks and the itching stopped as he got to clean himself more and he looked a lot healthier after starting on the good feed we got him but he was still peeing A LOT and he kept peeing everywhere in the apartment…. we kept asking for papers but nothing showed up still and i was worried something was off with his kidneys or urinary track but we got no answers so here we were with a potentially mange carrying cat with five teeth peeing indoors.

when they finally texted us back (because she told us that she ���couldnt answer and prefered texts” because she had been “sick” etc etc and she literally told marina she wouldnt answer if i called cause i had been pestering her for a month asking questions she didnt wanna answer so she was like ~uhm sweaty i wont answer if its a number i dont have in my contacts~) it turned out that it wasnt the cat but the son in the previous family who got some sort of skin disease that was potentially able to spread to cats (???????) and the only two i could find was mange and ringworm which is like????????? what the fuck you just DUMPED him here and didnt say a word and also it turned out he had been peeing everywhere in the last home too and thats one of the reasons they couldnt keep him because they had kids and apparently he was stress-peeing everywhere

so basically nothing in the add or what the contact person had told us beforehand was true and they more or less just abandoned him here without any form of vet documentations or ID and without any research on us or our situation and whent afk and ignored us for almost two months just basically hoping we’d stop calling them and just let them leave the cat here without any repercussions

last week i got home and there was blood everywhere and he had been pooping nothing but water more or less and i immediately called marina who contacted this lina girl from the shelter… long (very long passive aggressive) story short she basically told me i was rude for saying that i didnt feel alright at all sitting at home without any means to travel with a sick cat peeing pools of blood and without anything to do to help him because she insisted he would come back after the vet check-up (which had to wait until HOURS later even tho i explained that he was literally peeing fucking clean blood and he needed immediate help) and that they then would start looking for a new place for him because they didnt have any places over or anyone standing in line to take him in and we were sooo rudeee for assuming and, quote: “no one is really standing in line for a sick cat that pees indoors” and i went NO, WE DIDNT DO THAT EITHER BUT HERE WE ARE and she just switched subject and told me i’d get this “emergency number” to call during the night if something were to happen and someone would come pick him up and i was like lmAoooo as if as fucking if no one will do that shes just trying to make her part of this easier again

and i was like i dont think he even should come back anyhow i think he should stay under vet care at least over night if not more because this is really serious and also if this is stress related we would do him no favour at all coming BACK here then getting put in a car AGAIN and travel back and forth and back and forth but she didnt seem to care tbh she just called us inconsiderate basically and that we couldnt just dump him on them like this in an hour and just expect them to deal with housing him etc…. so basically we were heartless abusers with no consideration for the animals wellbeing 👌👌👌

she didnt even believe that he was peeing blood she was like “oh well as i said you’ll get an emergency number to call if theres anything… which you use if hes SICK and not just, you know, peeing on the floor.” and it just made me angry and i told her that yeah no i think i get that without and explanation thank you im the one cleaning up the blood and she just laughed nervously and told me when they would come get him (which then turned out to be an hour later anyhow :))) )

and he was beyond scared when they arrived to pick him up and for the first time i saw this lina girl in person and she was just…. weird…. i ended up aiding a terrified cat in to the travel cage myself because all they did was scare him to a point where he completely soiled himself all over and peed more blood because they couldnt seem to bribe him in to the cage. and afterwards she just laughed and was like “well that was fast! last time it took 45 mins!!”……. im like????………. whats wrong with you.

and she promised to call me the next day since i was the one at home and my roomie was away at the moment but of course she didnt and LUCKILY for the poor cat the vet hadnt wanted him to go either and kept him over night. and the next day i told my roomie that we just can not take him back again we just cant it would do the cat a disservice and it would start all over again and they would block us or something and just leave him to his destiny here it wouldnt be good for anyone involved except lina who didnt wanna do her part of the work… she tried to guilt trip my roomie in to taking him back in so i took over and just straight up told her that no, we can not so it and it wouldnt serve the cat in a positive way at all to be tossed back and forth over and over ESPECIALLY not since he was diagnosed with stress related FIC and this happened despite living in a calm silent apartment where he got so comfortable he could sleep and relax on the kitchen chair and eat veterinary recommended food and live in a clean nice environment as an only cat…. like he had a really good life here the months he stayed.. and she kept insisting that it was OUR FAULT that he had gotten these symptoms and yet she just wanted him to go back here because she didnt know where else to put him sorta…..

i would never in my fucking life let an animal back in to a home i suspect would abuse or treat it bad like…?????? but yeah she then tried to pitch me and marina against each other (like we didnt talk to each other??? what the fuck did she think) and tried to guilt us in to taking him and despite me seeing screenshots of what marina had written she tried to lie about what had been said and what not so i just told her nope we’re not at home we can not agree to take him back again mostly for the cats best interest it wont do him any good the end and then she started threatening us sorta and i didnt answer anymore and now theyve shared his post four times on fb and still no one wants to take him in (despite them lying and embellishing in the add :)))))) )

So Super Long Story Short kattjouren can suck my ass and being a no-kill shelter doesnt mean you can keep the animals alive at all cost, if you have an old street cat with two teeth left and stress and anxiety related FIC that pees blood and scratches himself raw maybe its not a worthy life for him and maybe its better to let him move on.

but apparently we have no consideration for the animals health and wellbeing and are just terrible animal abusers who asks her to do her job 👌

[deadmantalking117]

ONE OF "THOSE" PEOPLE

I'm on Social Security Disability. S.S.I. Medicare. Have been a long time. I'm putting that right out front because what I've learned in the past 35 years is this... Most of Americans haven't got the first clue what that means or what's involved. The staggering amount of misinformation going around out there is truly impressive. So today my diseased maniacs we're going to cover some of that misinformation. Maybe clear up a couple things. This is going to a longer one. Everyone stay frosty! PEOPLE ON DISABILITY ARE SCAMMERS WHO ONLY WANT A FREE RIDE FROM US REAL TAXPAYERS! I've refered to the disability system as ThunderDome. There is nothing easy about it. It's an ordeal like no other. No job I've ever heard of can match the unbridled carnage of working through the disability system! To begin with... you don't just decide.. "I don't feel like working anymore!" Only a doctor can decide that.. several of them actually. Plus a bunch of government types. People hear about disability scammers and think that some lazy dude is sitting around.. drinking beer.. collecting his checks. The real scammers are anything but lazy.. they are usually doctors actually.. and they work their asses off! The people they use are usually ignorant dupes. Getting on disability is so daunting it discourages lazy people from getting it. Even when they really need it. I've known several people who were genuinely sick or injured. But they just gave up because it was too overwhelming. There was a really popular article going around facebook about these people who got disability so they could get free money from some other agency which got them more money from this place..which got them even more money from that place. It was like 10 different money grabs and they were living in a mansion raking in over a quarter million a year. Plus food stamps. These things dont exsist. While some of the programs might exsist. Having one cancels the possibility of getting some others.. there are different agencies that have their own programs.. but unless they were using multiple IDs.. I highly doubt it. And after i show you next, the ordeal to just get started.. you should doubt it too. But if they were able to pull this off.. they worked their butts off for it! I'm not saying it right.. but it's impressive. Years ago I worked for an electronics store. We had VCRs hooked together to copy tapes. A guy came in a couple times to make a copy of surveillance tapes he'd made. He was an investigator for the government.. he followed people who'd been "injured" and tape them. I personally watched 12 different cases of fraud. My favorite was the really hot girl he videoed hobbling out of the court house on crutches. With a neck brace. Cut to the very next day.. in a bikini.. doing actual cartwheels on the beach. He had a dozen more. My point is. Of course there are always going to be lazy people who want to take advantage. But its really not that simple. And not as many people get away with it as you might think. YOU'RE THINKING.. HEY, DISABILITY STILL SOUNDS LIKE THE BEST DEAL EVER! WHERE DO I SIGN UP? You get sick or injured You have to be permanently sick or injured.. Meaning you're never going to get better. If there's any chance you'll get better.. You're out Next you're doctor has to decide that you're not ever going to recover..that usually takes a few years.. hundreds of tests.. thousands of dollars. If he doesn't think you're disabled.. You're out Now the fun part. You apply for disability . Send off for your forms and applications. With your doctor's blessing you gather up all your medical records from all of your doctors. And oh yeah.. if you only need 1 or 2 doctors.. You're probably out. When I started applying.. I had 3 file boxes with records.. just the past 2 or 3 years. I imagine that's a bit different today.. computer records weren't around then. But if you do apply.. You'll still need lots of your medical information at your fingertips. You get your first official government envelopes. Actually big stuffed things with information pamphlets and more forms than you've ever seen. Massive amounts of new information that you have to learn. More about forms later... Be sure to read and fill out EVERY line.. every space. Write neatly. Spell check. If theres any confusion on any questions... Or any missing info. They can't read or understand what you're writting..You're out. Start over again. Somehow you've done it.. all your forms are filled out neatly and correctly.. you've provided tons of proof about your illness.. you've provided them with every single scrap of financial information about you since you were born. You have your doctors blessing.. all 3 of them in fact! They now know everything there is to know about you.. seriously.. EVERYTHING . Those forms are extremely comprehensive. No one disputes your claim.. everyone agrees.. you are disabled. You get your reply after maybe 90 days DISABILITY DECLINED Because of course! Everyone gets turned down the first time.. or two. It's kinda built into the system.. by turning down everyone at first.. it weeds out the scammers! Remember that lazy beer drinking scammer.. he's done with this shit. He just spent the past couple months working his butt off for NOTHING! But not you.. You're not faking it.. you are seriously sick. You can barely get out of bed some days. And you have a family to take care of. So.. You file an appeal.. and you have 90 days to start that.. so get to it! You send in your appeal application and sometime in the next 90 days or so. More giant envelopes arrive with more forms. And more information to absorb. But whats funny? A lot of these forms have the exact same information as the forms you've already filled out! They already have all this information.. remember that after the first round.. they know everything there is to know about you.. but ok fine.. we'll tell the tale again. And you submit your appeal.. this time it's a bit easier.. but still time consuming.. and don't forget how sick you still are. This is it! You get your official government envelope. APPEAL DENIED You look at your 3 boxes of files. Your two file folders for your copies of the applications and the appeal.. plus the separate file for all your current financial info. All your financial info has to be current. Every utility bill.. bank statements.. credit cards.. receipts.. you have to prove where every dime goes and it must be up to the minute. You just wanna go have a beer with lazy scammer guy now. But cant do that! You got a family to take care of.. and you've barely been able to work at all the past couple years. Besides.. now you're kinda pissed. No one disputes that you should be on disability.. except apparently uncle Sam. Time to get a T.V. lawyer! Disability lawyers serve a useful function to the system. Their job is to review all of your information and get it up to government specs. When you hire a disability lawyer they don't charge you to take your case. They'll only take you if they're sure you're actually disabled. That's because they only get paid if you win your new appeal. The good part about applying for disability is that everything starts from the date of your first application. Meaning, once you do get approved.. you usually have a couple years of back pay coming. The lawyers get a quarter or third of that first check. You get say ten thousand dollars.. they get three of that. It's actually a good deal for both of you. The lawyer doesn't have to do much. You've already done every bit of the work for them. They review it all. Make sure you dotted your T's and crossed your I's. Then pretty it up and file for round 3. It's a good deal for you.. because if a lawyer does take your case on contingency.. You're probably going to get approved (eventually) The hearing before a disability judge. You meet your lawyer again at whatever government building your hearing is being held in. And she leads you into a conference room. You chat for about a half hour or so before the hearing starts so she can review your testimony. You're going to have to to convince a judge that you're sick.. not just with your boxes of files.. show him what that means for you. My lawyer told me.. if you feel like you have to have a bowel movement. Or you get nauseous during the hearing.. be sure to ask the judge for a break. These hearings are stressful on people. Especially people with Crohns. So dont hesitate to ask for a break. ( ok.. I thought.. thats aweful considerate.. but I'm fine right now) The she took my hand and looked me in the eyes. Speaking very slowly and deliberately she says again...You need to be sure to ask for a break if you feel any need to go to the bathroom at all. Understand? ( aaahhh.. ok got it ! Wink,wink, nudge, nudge, say no more!) The hearing last less than an hour or so. The lawyer and the judge review some legalese. Most of what they're talking about is gibberish to me. After a half hour.. I asked to be excused to go to the bathroom. I actually did have pee a little. But afterwards while we're walking out she smiles at me and says.. that went well. Finally after almost 2 years I got approved! But thats only the start of the real work. Now I'm officially one of "those" people. A drain on society.. a sponge.. a parasite. At least now I can be sure that I have a few hundred bucks coming in each month. I still work part time.. You're allowed to make less than a thousand dollars per month in income when you go on disability.. so the very most I can bring in between my S.S.I. and whatever I can still earn is maybe 20,000 dollars per year. This is what they mean by living in a fixed income. We're livin large now baby! But the more important issue is.. I have some kind of insurance finally! But theres so much more in store for you. YOU'VE DONE IT.. YOU'RE ON DISABILITY. THE CASH IS ROLLING IN AND THE DOCTORS ARE GETTING PAID. IT'S MILLER TIME! RIGHT? Not quite. Over and over you'll get envelopes from good ole Baltimore Maryland. Home of the social security administration. They need this.. or they don't have their copy of that. Random letters with some new form. The thing about government forms is.. their meaning isnt always clear. They seem a little convoluted sometimes. "Add the total of lines 17b to lines 17c and 17h. But only if it is in direct opposition to the tertiary algorithm from form 3768-d. You may need to reference your proprietary issuance schedule to access the proper formula to make this claim. (U.S. Government Form 6009)." I don't know how they could make that any clearer.. I'm just saying.. I'm not really that smart. Which one was line 17b again? Regular updates on your income from the local offices. Gotta bring copies of all your newest bills.. and oh yeah.. that 3000 in stocks you saved from your last job? That's gotta go!. You can generate income from stock ownership.. You're not allowed too much income remember? And we need to double check every bank accout you have.. verify that you dont have a dime. The guy who checks under your mattresses will be out sometime on Tuesday. Then of course the reviews. Occasionally they'll want to have you checked out by their people to make sure you didn't accidentally get better. Now, because my disease has been well documented for 35 years and it's incurable. I've only had 2 reviews. The first one after a couple years. He just reviewed my charts. And signed off. No exam .. no tests. Barely said a word. My last one was about 3 years ago. He was awesome. We went into his office and just made fun of the system. He couldn't believe I was there. He gets paid by the government to check the patients the computer sends to him. He said.. "I get a few people in per week that have incurable diseases.. what do they think is going to happen? I'm going to say wow! His intestines grew back.. he's all better now!" He said he did get some questionable patients. They get completely retested for whatever they supposedly had. But the vast majority were legit. We had to spend a half hour together for the interview and records review.. we talked about movies for 25 of those minutes. One more thing. Never change your job. It confuses everything. "You mean.. You're working less hours at a more convenient job. And you still aren't making over $1000 .. right? We'll need to see all your financial info since 1954. " But I wasnt even born til 59! "Oh.. in that case.. we'll need your 6472-g25 Waiver issuance request. For amortization of residual issuances notwithstanding any prior findings of such issuances. (U.S. Government form 77684)" OOPS ! I DID IT AGAIN - I THINK I MIGHT HAVE SCREWED SOMETHING UP. usually with all the forms flying back and forth. The government is actually quite reasonable about you handing in your homework. On most forms and information requests. You get like 30 days for this or 90 days to reply to that. But always more than enough time. If you do screw up something, you get a warning shot.. but honestly I wouldn't push it.. Keep up with your paperwork.. be timely. Once there's a problem. It takes time to iron it out. You may not be getting paid while you do. Years ago.. we had moved to a new place in the same town. My checks have always been direct deposit. So I never thought to file with social security.. stuff got forwarded automatically anyway. But one month. My account is empty. And I call to ask why. They've temporarily suspended my check until they could investigate potential fraud. Right after we moved. The very next month actually. The street we used to live on got it's name changed! We had lived at 133 main st.. but now there was no such place. I could prove that I was in fact living now at 768 elm st. But the previous 5 years? How could you have been living at 133 main when there's no such place? So I had to go down to the local office and explain that 133 main st. Is still there... it's just called 133 terrace ave now. I offered to drive the guy over and show him the house. But he was familiar with the situation already and was actually able to get into the system and fix it. Next month I got 2 checks. A DEAD MAN'S REVIEW OF THE SYSTEM The Social Security system is actually as far as I've seen and in my vast experience . Not all that bad. It's kind of an unwieldy beast. And I'm sure there are many areas that could be improved upon.. but there's a lot to say good about it. After a couple years of grinding persistence. I got in. No one ever for a second denied that I was disabled.. like I said. It's just how it works. Once you're in.. there's still work to be done.. lots of it. But you can deal with that. For doing your homework on time. You get a check on the third of every month. Without fail. I have direct deposit. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Your check goes in promptly on the 3rd. And in months where the 3rd is a weekend or holiday, you get it earlier. In the bank. No waiting for the mailman. Medicare takes care of your doctors. So you don't have to stress over all that. They keep all your records. I just go to my appointments. Or the ER. Or hospital. The doctors know what Medicare covers. Medicare takes care of the bills. Better than any insurance.. I don't have to stay in network. No pre approvals. No deductibles. Usually no copays. Insurance companies are a horror to deal with. And they can say no anytime they want.. it's their job to deny coverage. I've never been denied treatment, ever. When I had heart issues out of the blue last year. I got wheeled through a battery of tests. Never saw a bill. I get statements from Baltimore that say on the envelopes NOT A BILL. I'm sure there are many things that require some discussion. But all the regular stuff is covered. Prescriptions are usually a dollar or two. Government employees.. contrary to popular belief.. are usually efficient and helpful. The vast majority of people that work for the administration are quite good at their jobs. There are people who suck at their jobs.. in every job. Even doctors! ( Dr Pencil Mustache) but the main issue with employees at social security offices is. There are so many claimants and so many rules.. and so much paperwork. Bring a book! Usually they're quick getting you in and out. Say.. better than the DMV. Not as quick as the post office. But then the post office doesnt have to deal with "form HG563-d/5 special dispensation for administrative assessment facilitates as they pertain to cost distribution for the amortizing schedules for the year 2018. (Reorder form 7887)" so they got it pretty easy over there. Being one of "THOSE" people used to bother me a lot. Being a welfare parasite, feeding off the teats of good hardworking folks... It's embarrassing for people to know. And the reaction from some people is scary. Most people understand that - I didn't do anything wrong. They're glad we live in a country where we try to look out for each other. And everyone agrees that things could certainly be improved upon. But some people are cruel. It would be better if I just threw myself onto a funeral pyre and saved the taxpayers some money. But the thing is.. I'm a taxpayer too.. for over 40 years.. and I really enjoy irritating assholes. So.... Dead Man Talking!

[sebastianinalaska]

Week 1, part 1

So I’ve been in Alaska a week now and already have some pretty interesting stories about this place and the people I’ve met. I’m gonna need to post more often during the week because I’ve already forgotten a lot of the details, and I’m actually upset at myself for that. Anyway, here goes. So as you know I work in guest services and I hear that last year there were a lot of young people in that section. This year..not so much. I was a little bummed about that, I obviously came here to make new friends and new connections and didn’t think I’d get that from a group made up of mostly people in their 50’s and 60’s, fortunately I was wrong! I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people. The First Lady I really talked to was from my home state of Georgia. Her name is Susan and you can follow her Tumblr at susanworkinginalaska.tumblr.com notice the similarities between the name of our blogs? Susan is an adorable older lady who isn’t as tech savvy as the millennials, so she found out I had a blog so she had to make one, and then found out my name and one upped me lol. She’s great though, I’ve already had deep conversations about back home and even teared up at times. I think Susan is great because she is, but also because she thinks I’m great. My confidence has grown here because the people here are constantly complimenting me. To them I’m handsome, easy to talk to, smooth, respectful, and fun. I wish younger people saw me the way these older folks do. I like to mess with the older people, another good older friend I’ve met is the guy Marcus. Marcus thinks I’m pretty cool which is great because I literally think he has the coolest life. He has this amazing Mercedes van that he customized and made into a little small traveling apartment and is just enjoying the fruits of his labor. He’s a project guy, owned start up hotels back in the day, built them up and sold them and now he’s working small jobs like these just to have something to do. Rumor has it he’s about to purchase another hotel and there’s lots of opportunity there, he takes care of his employees, so between me and you, I hope I get to work for Marcus once this is all said and done. I’ve become his little wingman and have been trying to hook him up with some laaaaaadieeees (shoutout to bill burr) and I’m doing an alright job with that too. Marcus has lived an amazingly cool life, dated billionaires and high ranking government officials, one day he gave me a ride home and we talked for about two hours just about his experiences in life and he actually tried hooking me up with his daughter! Then I had to drop the bomb on him, “sorry man I’m taken”. “Oh so you have a girlfriend?”. “No, I’m actually Gay.” 😳was close to the face he made lol. He was cool and all, later that night at dinner he and Susan told me that I was “too pretty to be gay” still confused by that, and not sure if it was a compliment lol. Right after dinner I went for a hike with my friend Callie, the one Louis knew from last year. We were hiking and there were these dudes smoking cigars in their car. I hadn’t had a cigar in a while so I asked them to share and they did. Boy, people in Alaska suuure are friendly. (Hey Arnold reference). Anyway the hike was amazing, we went to this river bed where the river is actually glacier fed, which I hear is rare. I asked Callie if she thought it was okay to drink, and she said it was and the best way to do it is to use your tongue like a dog to avoid drinking the silt. I passed because it was too cold to be sticking my head in glacier water but I'll definitely be taking a sip later this summer.It was snowing on one of the mountains, we couldn’t see the snow falling but could see the snow gradually getting thicker and thicker. When it snows on a mountain clouds do the craziest thing, they like get sucked into the mountain, so I’m standing there, next to the gently flowing river, in the dry parts of the river bed, at sunset, watching clouds race to the top of the mountain. I had to cry, I stood there and got a little choked up. At that moment you just realize all the little stupid shit you stress about doesn’t matter, the earth has so much beauty and I think it’s complete perfection. I was standing there playing a game with myself like “okay Sebastian let’s see if you can find something to be upset about” I sat there and I thought hard and nothing I could come up with could ruin that moment. Debt, family issues, dying friendships, the government and all its affairs, none of it mattered. We kept hiking and I realized I wasn’t taking it all in, Callie walks kinda fast, but eventually I just stopped and looked down and noticed all these amazing rocks, like ones you’d buy in a store. I’m just wandering around and theres this turquoise and red boulder just sitting there shining in the sunlight. The river was making sounds that you would buy to help you sleep. Also for the first time I could really see as far as my eye could see, no matter where you go back home there’s always something in the way. This was just clear and spacious I felt like I was the only person in the world, well me and Callie. And of course, in a situation like that you get introspective and start sharing life views. Callie shared an interesting one..she doesn’t believe humans should live past the age of 40, and that the human race is a waste of the Earths resources. And the 40 rule applies to herself as well, she has a plan to commit suicide at the age of 36. Just a short 9 years away. She isn’t depressed, or upset with life, she’s actually a very happy, perky girl who’s easy to get along with. She’s been through a lot growing up, being abused by her father and by a couple of relationships, but none of that is a factor as to why she wants to die. She says pretty much everyone she meets knows about the plan, her friends have accepted it, and she isn’t scared. It’s a sure thing. I personally think she’ll chicken out, but she really doesn’t see that happening…see, I told you she was interesting. There are so many different people out there with so many different ideas and views on life, it’s arrogant and idiotic for any one person who thinks they know all the answers, as far as religion, and life in general. I really think people who think their way is the only way are the same people who haven’t had a chance to experience other lifestyles, other cultures and never been exposed to other ideas. Tragic when you think about it. Because what I think life is all about and if not at least what I want my Life to be about.That’s why I came here, to learn about people, to learn about myself, and to learn about the world we live in. And I’ve been here 8 days and I think I’m ten times better for it. The more I learn the more I realize how much I don’t know. Which is exciting because I have a huge desire to learn it all. There’s still a long way to go on this journey and I can’t wait to see the rest of it unfold. "There's more to see, that can ever be seen. More to do, that can ever be done."

[omgmicheal01me]

Trump tells Trudeau he will press China to release detained Canadians

WASHINGTONU.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he would press Chinas president Xi Jinping to release two detained Canadians when he meets with him next week at the G20 summit, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sat listening. Trudeau was respectful, but eyed his host warily as Trump responded to reporters questions in the Oval Office during a photo opportunity about the fallout from Canadas arrest of Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis chief financial officer. Trudeaus third official meeting in Washington with the unpredictable president went as well as any Canadian official had expected, and the main takeaway was the apparent restoration of normal relations between Trudeau and Trump after last years disastrous G7 meeting in Charlevoix. As if to confirm the Canadian teams view expressed privately to reporters, Trump tweeted afterward it was his great honor to host the Canadian prime minister. Trumps tone stood in stark contrast to his insulting tweets last year that Trudeau was meek, mild, weak and dishonest. Trump said he will meet with Xi in Osaka next week and would make a request that China release the detained Canadians if asked, or at Justins request. I will represent him well. We have a meeting set up with President Xi and its obviously on the big transaction that were talking about and negotiatin but anything that I can do to help Canada, I will be doing, said Trump. At his own news conference later in the day, Trudeau said he went on to have an extended conversation with Trump and senior Administration officials about the plight of Canadians Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor and other challenges that China is presenting, not just to Canada, but to different sectors of the global economy, and we certainly agree to continue to work together as friends and allies to resolve these and other issues. Pressed about whether Trump committed to any concrete action on Canadas behalf, Trudeau was cautious. We absolutely expect the subject of the two Canadians who are detained in an arbitrary and unfair manner in China will be on the agenda, Trudeau said in French. We expect that all our allies and thats what theyve done by the way across the world not just the Americans but many of our allies have raised with the Chinese authorities and leadership it is unacceptable that they have detained two Canadians in an unfair and arbitrary manner. Trudeau declined to say whether he asked Trump to drop the extradition request or charges against Meng, who is daughter of the founder of Huawei, the jewel in Chinas corporate crown, saying only that Canada adheres to the rule of law. We respect our partnerships and our agreements, including on extradition, with the United States. Former Canadian ambassador to China, David Mulroney, said it was not bad as an outcome for Trudeau, but its the second best outcome. We need to keep working on the Americans until they see it as within their own interest to do the right thing and press for the release of the two Canadians as an American objective, not simply a favour to Canada. The U.S. has a big stake in combating Chinese pressure against Americas own western allies. Three senior Canadian officials separately said that the conversation on China with Trump went well. One referred to the circumstances as very delicate. Trump welcomed Trudeau to the Oval Office, calling him a friend and saying they would have a positive day. In a photo opportunity, Trump took several questions, some on the prospects for ratification of the new NAFTA, which Trump calls by its American acronym USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement). Trump, who has criticized Chrystia Freelands frequent meetings on Capitol Hill during the NAFTA negotiations, said Trudeaus plan to speak to members of Congress about ratifying the new NAFTA is a terrific thing. I have to get the Democrats to approve it, so I like your positive thinking. But if and the if is really subject to the Democrats, lets see what happens but I really believe that Nancy Pelosi and the House will approve it, I think the senate will approve it rapidly. Its going to be very bipartisan. Trump did not rule out any further tariffs against Canada and Mexico, saying they have to do what they have to do. He said if there are any tremendous shipments of certain products into U.S. markets, he might revive them, appearing to refer to cheap foreign imports, such as steel that other countries, such as China, might try to divert into the U.S. via Canada. Trump said, there wont be, hopefully, transshipping. If theres transshipping, Ill call Justin and Im sure hell take care of it. And if he doesnt take Ill probably call him a second time. And if he doesnt, then well have to talk, right? Trudeau gestured with his palms down as if to tamp down any worries: Were going to be fine. Trudeau later acknowledged there are trade irritants and worries, including duties on Canadian softwood lumber exports and the possibility Trump will impose tariffs on Canadian uranium exports. Trudeau was vague about how he would deal with the possibility of any changes that Democrats might negotiate with the Administration to the NAFTA deal, stressing only that he does not want to see a good deal reopened. We are concerned that any reopening of NAFTA could lead to not just lengthy further negotiation we all were quite pleased were behind us, but also might lead to worse outcomes for Canadians and for Canada. The possibility remains that Parliament could be recalled in late July or early August to deal with the ratification. Legislation in Canada has merely passed its early stages, and has been sent for study by committee. Still the Liberals were feeling confident about how Trudeau handled the meetings with Trump. A fourth senior official told the Star that overall, it was a good day for Trudeau, as Parliament recesses, ahead of a fall election. If the ballot question was who do you trust to stand up to the U.S. president, Im good with that, he said. Conservative foreign affairs critic Erin OToole said he was glad the president will engage directly on the China crisis. After six months, it is clear Trudeau cannot get China engaged without the help of the U.S. But OToole sounded a note of caution. The President speculated about tariffs again, which is unsettling. The fact that the Liberals put C-100 (the new NAFTA bill) on hold shows they are uncertain on the status of the USMCA. Trudeau saying he had good meetings with leadership from both sides of the House of Representatives, including with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat majority leader. But he refused to be drawn into specifics about the Democrats demands for changes to environmental and labour enforcement or longer drug patent protections in the new trade deal. We had a very frank and positive conversation about the path forward to creating better opportunities for citizens, for workers on both sides of our border. I fully respect the conversations and discussions going on in their ratification process and offered to be helpful in responding or allaying certain fears. But Canada is not going to get involved in the ratification process that the American congress needs to go through, he said. Many of the questions thrown at Trump involved the downing by Iran of an unmanned U.S. drone, which Trump claimed was over international waters. The president suggested there would be retaliation, but he refused to specify what measures hed take, calling it a very bad mistake that was made by a very stupid person. Trudeau said we are very concerned about the escalation by Iran, pointing to Canadians in the anti-Daesh mission in Iraq. Replying to a question by the Toronto Star, Trump said he may invite the Toronto Raptors to visit the White House. They played phenomenal basketball. I watched a little bit of it. They were really terrific. Congratulations, by the way! So that was a great job by a great team, so well think about that. If theyd like to do it, well think about that. The two leaders appeared relaxed as they sat together. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, national security advisor John Bolton and Trumps press secretary Sarah Sanders looked on. That the meeting was held was a signal that the diplomatic chill has thawed. The two leaders met at noon in the Oval Office for their first one-on-one sit-down since last Junes summit notoriously imploded over then-stalled NAFTA talks and Trumps steel-and-aluminum tariffs. Last spring, Trumps tariffs, which were lifted last month, overshadowed the deal reached by Canada, U.S. and Mexico to modernize free trade rules and soured Trudeau and Trumps G7 summit talks. While Trump and Trudeau disagree strongly on major international issues such as climate change, a senior U.S. official said they can work well together on many others, amid rising tensions with Russia, China and Iran. We need Canada, said the American official, pointing to defence co-operation between the two countries on a range of issues. Trump adviser Kelly Anne Conway; Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin; a number of U.S. senators and members of Congress, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Democrats leader in the House of Representatives; IMF head Christine Lagarde; industry representatives, and Mexicos ambassador in Washington attended a small reception the Canadian embassy hosted Wednesday evening that was closed to media. A Canadian official said 50 to 100 people attended the event which lasted a little more than an hour. With the new NAFTA deal now ratified by Mexico, Trump and Trudeau want to see it sealed and delivered in their own countries before it can take effect. So trade and global tensions will be on the menu when the two leaders extend their talks immediately after their face-to-face meeting in the Oval Office and are joined by their respective senior officials for a luncheon meeting at the White House cabinet room. Tonda MacCharles is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics. Follow her on Twitter: @tondamacc https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2019/06/20/prime-minister-justin-trudeau-us-president-donald-trump-talk-china-trade-in-washington-thursday.html

[monstersmonthly]

Choose Wisely when Heading to an Arena Monster Truck Show

This time of year, monster truck fans are always looking for that show that is worth the trip.  Factor in how far the show is from home, the amount for tickets, gas to get there, and even a hotel as needed.

Stadium shows at the larger venues are always the hot ticket, but the reality is that there are more places that host a hockey game or basketball in the country instead of an NFL team.  This means most shows are held in a small arena, but no two shows are the same, and no two setups are the same either.

Over the years, arena shows have drastically changed.  No longer is a show headlined by tractor pulls with a car crush exhibition, nor does it strictly involve side-by-side racing in such a small space.  Instead, many different monster aspects are showcased, but again, no two shows are the same.  No two shows have the same lineup, and there’s certainly no two shows that are run with the same concept.  Only common theme among all the promoters, and even the drivers, is simple…win, but put on a show.

For me, the opportunity to see someone else put on such a show aside from who I have seen in the past, is not very often.  But, a trip to Youngstown, Ohio, allowed me to get a chance to see a promoter I haven’t seen live.  But, thanks to video and photos of prior shows, the Toughest Monster Truck Tour seemed to be the right fit to start my season, and also see some new trucks.

What I also got to see was a conventional show, but without the drama of feeling the need to run equipment to the brink of failure in order to please the fans.

Immediately the show was getting high marks because of the caliber of trucks.  Sure, when Bigfoot is in attendance, the show already is getting high marks, especially when the truck there is their newest and best piece.  Add in a talented driver, even if that driver is doing a fill-in role, as Josh Gibson was doing.

But it wasn’t he that really upped the show value.  The team from Indiana of Dirt Crew and Quad Chaos ultimately gave the show some of the best credibility it could have.

One thing when I look at indoor shows, especially those with dirt being brought in, is the track layout.  After the last several years of seeing the “pod” as it has been called, it was a welcome relief to see something different.  The setup was old-school to an extent.  The racing lanes were made of dirt rather than just a dirt ramp with cars.  The racing lanes had dirt plateaus, with the end of the dirt being stuffed with a pair of loader tires.  Those tires gave the trucks a bit of a “pop” during the wheelie competition, something that some tours aren’t doing as much.  They go with a skills challenge, seeing how one can handle a truck on two wheels, whether it be the two front, two back, or side to side.

There’s nothing wrong with a classic wheelstand, because it still excites a crowd, so that definitely is one thing that caught me right away.

The biggest thing that made me enjoy the overall weekend was the fact yes, these trucks are putting on a show, but they are not going completely over the top in order to put on that show, especially when the equipment is owned by the drivers themselves, and not some corporation.  When parts break, it’s them that eventually must foot the bill for replacement and/or repairs.

Case in point:  Kreg Christensen and Aaron Cain.

Christensen destroyed the third member in the rear end of his Dragon Slayer, which is attached to the axle in order to turn the planetary gears in the hub.  That was an all-day job, but he and team got everything ready to go for the second show.

The first night, Kreg Christensen had to repair only one main part. After night two, he needed to make a lot more.

Cain had a lot more help, but a bigger issue.  After losing gearing in the transmission, he had to take the broken one out, and put a new one in.  Problem was, no one was available to rebuild the broken one on Saturday, so plan B needed to be implemented.  One call to the team shop meant a long ride on Saturday morning to get a transmission to the venue to be put in.  Sure, it was the backup and it wasn’t the normal one used in the truck, but it would be enough to get through the show, before going home and doing the real repairs.

Everyone pitched in to get all these trucks ready to go both nights, even if it meant just cleaning the bodies so they looked good for the start.  But by the end of the weekend, a couple of the trucks not only needed a lot of repairs, they needed to be repaired enough just to get them in the hauler.

Christensen caught the side of the center double stack, and it kicked him sideways so hard it planted the front end in the ground, tearing a four-link bar and suspension caving under the chassis.  It became a long night for the team from Utah, but then it was after the show that made a major impact on how I viewed the tour.

No matter the team nor what the end result was, when it came time to leave, everyone pitched in to get the teams ready for their ride home.

It certainly made it easier when the equipment used to build the track also was equipped to haul our some of the parts to make these trucks run.  Teams were taking off the big tires as quick as they could, then putting on the transport tires to fit them in the hauler.  But, when one team was already done, they then hopped into the bobcat and then began hauling out other teams’ tires to their haulers so they can get loaded up.  Within maybe an hour and 15 minutes, every team minus the Christensen camp was already “tired down” and loaded up.  Sure, many decided to hang out a little bit longer to say their goodbyes, but it was one of the easier load ups that I have seen.

When I began leaving the show with my friend Kevin, who was one of the crew guys for the Quad Chaos and Dirt Crew duo, we both were talking about how good the show was.  He had been there the last few years, but this was my first experience.

We both left satisfied, and actually left in surprisingly good moods, even though we left a bit later than we expected based on our time of staying behind.

After dropping him off and heading home, I realized this was the first show where I knew a majority of the backstage crew rather than just the drivers.  I got to see the duo behind the Monster Blog, who actually are hired on as lead photographer and videographer for the tour, and even got to witness something I’ve not seen since I was a young child.

Seeing this happen at this show made me go from being age 33…to being only six years old.

It was in November when I officially met Gary Bauer, the owner of the Lon Ranger and now the one who owns the clone Ranger that was debuted in Auburn, Indiana, at the Hall of Fame.  This time, however, he got to drive it into the arena for the crowd to see, and then do something that honestly only the parents in the stands can recall.

Sure, it may not be big air, or a crazy move, but back in the day, a car crush was something that drew a crowd like nothing else.

So seeing the Lon Ranger hit just two cars, and getting the front tires off the ground, for even the oldest of fans was exciting.  It also provided a moment that I have not seen from any other promoter in recent years.  With all these old trucks being restored or cloned, it’s not often that these trucks get to be shown in front of a modern audience.  The worst, or maybe disappointing, part of this aspect is that modern day fans, especially the kids, don’t have as much understanding of where this industry began.  It wasn’t all about getting big air, or skying a truck to the roof of a building.  It was hitting a set of cars and either landing on the crushed metal and driving off, and then doing it again.

Seeing Bauer wear his original driving jacket, then put on a helmet, and hit the cars so hard that the nose of the truck would wheelstand before crushing down on the roofs of the cars under him…it just was delightful.

There’s very few promoters that are bringing in the classic trucks, and letting them do their classic show.  In many ways, it’s education for the younger generation, before there was all these precision tools to ensure every piece of the truck is where it needs to be.  These classic trucks were images in one’s mind, as fellow Hall of Fame driver/owner Marty Garza once said.  But it was an opportunity to show that a monster truck wasn’t always a technological piece that was built in bulk as some cases may be, but instead was one truck, in one shop, and it was usually the only one a driver owned.

That moment on both nights of the show, made it.  Hands down, it made it.

Sure, other tours may or may not bring in a classic truck, probably because of show format and such, but when a classic truck is involved, that makes the show that much better.

In the end, the grade the Toughest Monster Truck Tour is getting from me is an A.  They had a good flow, they kept the crowd involved, and they didn’t need a whole lot of “fluff” to keep the show entertaining.  It was trucks, freestyle bicycles, trucks, a classic car crush, and finally the trucks.  In between, there were t-shirt giveaways, a free pizza for a fan, and both a wave to the crowd from all the drivers and track crew after the show.

It was a show where there wasn’t a need for crazy bodies, or music, and that was perfectly fine.  Honestly, outside of my home town shows, it was one of the better arena events I have been to.  And you can bet I will be back.

The Toughest Monster Truck Tour will have All About Horsepower back.  When…well time will tell.  But, it will happen.

[jamesgeiiger]

AP FACT CHECK: Trump claims innocence in probe; wall myths

WASHINGTON — Feeling the pressure of investigations and a partial government shutdown, President Donald Trump is playing loose with the facts regarding hush payments made by his former attorney Michael Cohen to two women and is changing his story on his promise to build a concrete border wall paid for by Mexico.

In comments over the weekend, Trump said he did not commit any campaign violation and suggests anything improper would be minor compared with infractions of Democrats such as former President Barack Obama. The reality is not so cut and dried. Federal prosecutors in New York have implicated Trump in a crime, linking him to the hush-money scheme. The Obama campaign’s infractions were civil, not criminal.

On the border wall, Trump insists he never promised a concrete barrier — even though he did — and asserts that much of it has been built. It hasn’t.

The dubious statements capped an expansive week of assertions by the president. On top of the usual Twitter flow, Trump opened a Cabinet meeting with 90 minutes of opining to the press, touching on immigration, drug prices, the Soviet history in Afghanistan, his approval ratings, Syria, oil prices, the attractiveness of his generals (“better looking than Tom Cruise”), and much more. A few days later he spoke for an hour at a Rose Garden news conference.

A sampling of his claims:

TRUMP INVESTIGATIONS

TRUMP: “Many people currently a part of my opposition, including President Obama & the Dems, have had campaign violations, in some cases for very large sums of money. These are civil cases. They paid a fine & settled. While no big deal, I did not commit a campaign violation!” — tweet Saturday.

THE FACTS: Trump has been tied to — but not charged with — a crime. At issue is not a routine campaign violation.

Prosecutors’ court filings last month said Trump directed Cohen to make payments to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal during the 2016 presidential campaign. Both women alleged they had extramarital affairs with Trump, which the White House denies.

Cohen, who pleaded guilty in August to campaign finance crimes in connection with those payments, had previously implicated Trump. Now the Justice Department is backing up Cohen’s claims.

In particular, the Justice Department says the hush money payments were unreported campaign contributions meant to influence the outcome of the election. That assertion makes the payments subject to campaign finance laws, which restrict how much people can donate to a campaign and bar corporations from making direct contributions.

It’s unclear whether Trump will actually be charged with illegal activity, because Justice Department legal memos from 1973 and 2000 have suggested that a sitting president is immune from indictment. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told NBC this past week that Trump isn’t necessarily immune, calling an indictment of a sitting president “an open discussion in terms of the law.”

There’s a big difference between Obama’s campaign violation and Cohen’s case.

A Federal Election Commission audit found that the 2008 Obama campaign failed to file 48-hour contribution reports in a timely manner for more than 1,200 donations totalling $1.9 million. The commission also found the campaign was late refunding some contributions that exceeded legal limits, and discovered some other reporting errors regarding contribution dates.

The commission fined the Obama campaign $375,000 for the violations. The campaign was not found to have wilfully violated the law, making it a civil infraction.

In Cohen’s case, he admitted he knew he was breaking the law by making the payments. Cohen told ABC last month that “of course” Trump knew it was wrong to make the hush-money payments, though he did not provide any specific evidence in the interview. Unlike the Obama case, where the issue was timely reporting, the hush money payments were never disclosed at all on Trump’s campaign filings.

Andrew Herman, a lawyer specializing in campaign finance at law firm Miller & Chevalier, said the two cases are “completely different species.”

“One is a paperwork error,” he said. “And the other is a conscious attempt to obscure payments made to affect an election.”

——

THE WALL

TRUMP: “As far as concrete, I said I was going to build a wall. I never said, ‘I’m going to build a concrete.’ I said I’m going to build a wall.” — Rose Garden news conference Friday.

THE FACTS: Actually, he did say he would build a concrete wall. Trump even repeated that promise last week, rejecting the claim of his departing White House chief of staff John Kelly that Trump had abandoned the notion of “a solid concrete wall early on in the administration.”

“An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED,” Trump tweeted on Dec. 31. “Some areas will be all concrete but the experts at Border Patrol prefer a Wall that is see through.”

During the 2016 campaign, Trump pledged to build a “big, beautiful wall” made of concrete, rebar and steel across the length of the southern border with Mexico. Back then, he lashed out at the suggestion that what he was proposing had anything in common with mere fencing.

“Jeb Bush just talked about my border proposal to build a ‘fence,’ he tweeted in 2015. “It’s not a fence, Jeb, it’s a WALL, and there’s a BIG difference!”

He now often refers to the wall as “steel slats.”

“Steel is stronger than concrete,” he said Friday. “If I build a steel wall rather than a concrete wall, it will actually be stronger than a concrete” wall.

——

TRUMP: “When they say ‘build the wall,’ I don’t say that any more. I say ‘finish the wall.”‘ — remarks to reporters Sunday.

TRUMP: “We’ve already built a lot of the wall.” — Rose Garden news conference Friday.

THE FACTS: He hasn’t built much of the wall at all.

Trump’s claim is only supported when counting work done under past presidents and ignoring the fact that fences from prior administrations are not the towering walls he promised. The 2006 Secure Fence Act has resulted in about 650 miles (1,050 kilometres) of border barrier. Money approved by Congress in March 2018 is to pay for 84 miles (135 km), but that work is not done. Trump has achieved some renovation of existing barrier.

——

TRUMP: “The drugs are pouring into this country. They don’t go through the ports of entry. When they do, they sometimes get caught.” — Rose Garden news conference.

THE FACTS: He’s wrong in saying drug smugglers don’t or only rarely use official border crossings for their trafficking. Land ports of entry are their primary means for getting drugs into the country, not stretches of the border without barriers, says the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The agency said in a November report that the most common trafficking technique by transnational criminal organizations is to hide drugs in passenger vehicles or tractor-trailers as they drive into the U.S. though entry ports, where they are stopped and subject to inspection. They also employ buses, cargo trains and tunnels, the report says, citing smuggling methods that would not be choked off by a border wall.

——

TRUMP: “The new trade deal we have with Mexico and Canada — what we save on that, just with Mexico, will pay for the wall many times over, just in a period of a year, two years or three years. So I view that as absolutely Mexico is paying for the wall.” — Rose Garden news conference.

THE FACTS: Mexico is not paying for the wall and nothing in the trade agreement would cover or refund the construction cost.

Trump is assuming a wide variety of economic benefits will come from the agreement, but they can’t be quantified or counted on. For example, he said the deal will dissuade some U.S. companies from moving operations to Mexico and he credits that possibility as a payment by Mexico for his wall.

The deal updates the North American Free Trade Agreement, in the main preserving NAFTA’s liberalized environment of low or no tariffs among the U.S., Mexico and Canada, while making certain improvements for each country. Trump stated inaccurately that it’s “brand new. It’s totally different.”

Moreover, it’s not in effect. The deal has yet to be ratified in any member country and its chances of winning legislative approval are not assured.

Trump has argued repeatedly that Mexico is footing the bill even while insisting on $5.6 billion from the U.S. treasury to go toward wall construction. His demand and the refusal of Democrats to satisfy it are behind the budget standoff that has closed parts of the government.

——

SYRIA

TRUMP: “We are pulling back in Syria. We’re going to be removing our troops. I never said we’re doing it that quickly.” — remarks to reporters Sunday.

TRUMP: “We’re bringing the troops back home over a period of time. I never said so quickly, but over a period of time.” — Cabinet meeting Wednesday.

THE FACTS: He’s wrong about his past statements regarding the pace of withdrawal. In a video posted to his Twitter account on Dec. 19, for instance, Trump said of the roughly 2,000 troops in Syria: “They’re all coming back, and they’re coming back now.”

——

TRUMP: “I read, when we pull out, ‘Oh, Russia is thrilled.’ Russia is not happy. You know why they’re not happy? Because they like it when we’re killing ISIS, because we’re killing them for them, and we’re killing them for Assad, and we’re killing ISIS also for Iran.” — Cabinet meeting.

THE FACTS: Russia says it’s happy. A U.S. withdrawal opens opportunities for Moscow and Tehran to increase their influence and may help the Syrian government survive as a Kurdish-led opposition force loses its military ally on the ground.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says the U.S. “has done the right thing” in planning to pull out.

——

AFGHANISTAN

TRUMP: “The reason Russia was in Afghanistan was because terrorists were going into Russia. They (the Soviets) were right to be there.” — Cabinet meeting.

THE FACTS: His assertion that the Soviet Union was experiencing a terrorist influx from Afghanistan when it invaded in 1979 is out of step with history. And his belief that the Soviets were right to invade is a stark departure from U.S. and world opinion.

The Soviets were trying to bolster communists in Afghanistan and possibly expand their influence against the United States and the West.

World condemnation was swift: The U.N. General Assembly voted 104-18 to deplore the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan. The U.S. supported the anti-communist rebels, giving them shoulder-fired rockets to down Soviet aircraft. The Soviets withdrew in 1989.

——

TRUMP: “Russia used to be the Soviet Union. Afghanistan made it Russia, because they went bankrupt fighting in Afghanistan.” — Cabinet meeting.

THE FACTS: Afghanistan was far from the sole reason for the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. The dissolution occurred in a time of ethnic and political troubles, economic woes and a series of revolutions that led Soviet republics to seek their independence. The Soviet demise was accelerated by the heavy cost of competing with the West to wield influence around the world, including in Afghanistan.

——

OIL PRICES

TRUMP: “Do you think it’s just luck that gas prices are so low, and falling? Low gas prices are like another Tax Cut!” — tweet Tuesday.

TRUMP: “It’s not luck. It’s not luck. I called up certain people, and I said, ‘Let that damn oil and gasoline — you let it flow — the oil.’ It was going up to $125. If that would’ve happened, then you would’ve had a recession, depression.” — Cabinet meeting Wednesday.

THE FACTS: It’s not all about him, or even mostly about him.

While Americans may end up paying somewhat less for gasoline this year, Trump’s suggestion that he deserves all the credit and averted a U.S. economic depression is an exaggeration. Oil prices, which peaked Oct. 3, have been generally falling on the realization that U.S. sanctions against Iran would not create a shortage and on fear that a global oversupply of oil will spill into 2019 if slower international economic growth depresses energy demand.

The president’s supposed “let it flow” edict did not stop OPEC and its Russia-led allies from agreeing last month to cut oil production. That initially failed to stop oil prices from sliding further; they have since rebounded a few dollars in the past week. Continued OPEC production cuts would push prices higher.

Trump has pointed to his positive relations with Saudi Arabia, which remains the biggest oil exporter. As a so-called swing producer with the ability to adjust production up or down relatively quickly, it can indeed influence the price of crude. But the market is complex: Canada, for example, is actually the top source of U.S. oil imports, with Saudi Arabia second.

——

TARIFFS

TRUMP: “The United States Treasury has taken in MANY billions of dollars from the Tariffs we are charging China and other countries that have not treated us fairly. In the meantime we are doing well in various Trade Negotiations currently going on.” — tweet Thursday.

THE FACTS: Trump is off on two major issues. First, tariffs are taxes paid largely by U.S. business and consumers, not foreign countries. And while Trump’s “MANY billions” might sound like a lot, it’s doing little to nothing to improve the federal balance sheet. The U.S. government spent $4.1 trillion last fiscal year and the budget deficit shot up, according to Trump’s own Treasury Department.

Customs and duties generated $41.3 billion in revenues last year, up from $34.6 billion in 2017.

That $6.7 billion increase occurred in part because of the president’s tariffs. But it amounted to just 0.16 per cent of federal spending.

——

MATTIS

TRUMP, on Jim Mattis: “I wish him well. I hope he does well. But, as you know, President (Barack) Obama fired him and essentially so did I. I want results.” — Cabinet meeting Wednesday.

THE FACTS: Actually, Mattis resigned as defence secretary in protest over Trump’s decision to pull U.S. troops from Syria.

The retired Marine general announced on Dec. 20 in a resignation letter that he was stepping down after Trump’s decision to withdraw 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria. Mattis said he would stay on the job until the end of February. Three days later, Trump said he was replacing Mattis with the second-ranking defence official, Pat Shanahan, on Jan. 1.

As to the tenure under Obama, Mattis served as commander of the military’s Central Command. He departed a few months earlier than expected in 2013, in part because of disagreements over Iran.

——

DRUG PRICES

TRUMP: “I think you’re going to see a tremendous reduction in drug prices.” — Cabinet meeting Wednesday.

THE FACTS: Prices continue to rise. Administration policies announced last year and currently being completed don’t seem to have shifted that trend.

Figures on U.S. prescription drug price changes compiled by health data company Elsevier show that from Dec. 20 through Jan. 2, there were 1,179 product price changes. Of those, 30 were price cuts and the remaining 1,149 were price increases, with 328 of them between 9 per cent and 10 per cent. All but one of the rest were by lower percentages. Elsevier spokesman Chris Capot said more companies will be announcing price increases this month.

Separately, a data firm whose software can help patients find the most cost-effective medications says its information shows price increases on many commonly used drugs for conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

“In the first two days of January, prices have increased on more than 250 different products,” said Michael Rea, CEO of Rx Savings Solutions. The average increase is about 6 per cent, he added.

——

IMMIGRATION

TRUMP, on the number of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally: “I used to hear 11 million all the time. It would always stay right at 11. I said, ‘Does it ever increase or go down?’ ‘No, it’s 11.’ Nobody knows. It’s probably 30, 35 million people. They would flow in, mostly from the southern border, they’d come in and nobody would talk about it, nobody would do anything about it.” — Cabinet meeting Wednesday.

THE FACTS: It’s nowhere close to 30 million to 35 million, according to his own Homeland Security secretary as well as independent estimates.

The nonpartisan Pew Research Center estimates there were 10.7 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally in 2016, the most recent data available. Advocacy groups on both sides of the immigration issue have similar estimates.

At a House hearing last month, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen acknowledged the number was “somewhere” between 11 million and 22 million, significantly lower than Trump’s claim of 35 million.

According to Pew, the number of immigrants in the U.S. illegally had reached a height of 12.2 million in 2007, representing about 4 per cent of the U.S. population, before declining in part because of a weakening U.S. economy.

——

TRUMP: “The coyotes are using children to gain access into this country. They’re using these children. They’re not with families. They’re using the children. They’re taking the children. And then they dispose of the children after they’re done. This has been going on for years. This isn’t unique to us. But we want to stop it.” — Cabinet meeting Wednesday.

THE FACTS: This does happen, though it’s not as common as Trump suggests by talking about it so often.

He is referring to adults who come with children they falsely claim to be theirs, so that they won’t be detained under a no-child-separation policy.

But such cases of fraud are rare. According to the Homeland Security Department, about 500 immigrants were found to be not a “legitimate family unit” and thus separated upon detention from April 19 to Sept. 30 of last year. That’s a small fraction of the 107,000 families apprehended in the last budget year, which ended Sept. 30.

——

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Chad Day, Josh Boak, Michael Balsamo, Colleen Long, Jill Colvin, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Robert Burns and Deb Riechmann in Washington, David Koenig in Dallas, Kathy Gannon in Islamabad and AP Medical Writer Linda A. Johnson in Trenton, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

——

Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd

Follow https://twitter.com/APFactCheck

EDITOR’S NOTE — A look at the veracity of claims by political figures

AP FACT CHECK: Trump claims innocence in probe; wall myths published first on https://worldwideinvestforum.tumblr.com/

[thegreenhorseman]

In the past 365 days a lot of blood sweat and tears have been shed.  We have officially been in our home for a year.  Since moving in you have come along with me on my journey to bring Blade home.  The work began in January; a warm spell allowed Zac and I to go outside and work in the yard.  Trees were prunes, the stream was raked, and we got to know our property.  This helped up lay our the ideas and plans for the busy year to come.  Zac and I spent time walking the property to get a solid plan.

  February blew in more winter.  The 2018 winter in New York was a snowy one.  We spent a lot of time snow-blowing, shoveling and roof raking.  In February I focused on projects in the house and learned to make my own hay nets.  March really was no better.  As the days became longer and warmer we began to emerge from the house and went back to exploring the backyard.  In March I set a goal to have Blade home by May and I simultaneously made plans with my trainer to bring Happy with him.  This helped motivate me to get things done.

  Morning Leaving Work and Heading to the Farm

Spring began at the end of March when the snows melted and left us with a shockingly we backyard.  We were so saturated you could hear the water trickling.  Equipment was rented and materials were purchased.  In the four weeks of April we cleared land (by hand), installed 300 feet of french drains, and set up one full paddock complete with the electric fencing setup.  I had also set up my new round-pen and corral shelter.  In these four busy weeks Zac and I got to know our neighbors much better.  They saw how hard we were working and we grew close.  We learned quickly that we have the best neighbors anyone could ever hope to have.

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May was the month Blade and Happy came home and we officially became a horse property.  We also adopted Bardi, our fluffy Icelandic Sheepdog who has proven to be THE MOST AMAZING DOG EVER (seriously, even non-dog people want to take him home). I continued to work hard and added the second paddock.  I also had the confidence to go try something new all on my own: mounted archery. This led to the discovery of a whole new fire within me.

  The heat of June combined with dietary changes and major life changes threw Blade for a whirlwind.  He suffered mild colic a few times which led me to suspect he was experiencing gastric issues yet again.  I spent a lot of time monitoring Blade, attending mounted archery practice, and preparing the site of our new run-in shed.

  July came and we began the big build.  My incredible friends and family teamed up to make my dreams and Zac’s carefully thought out plans a reality.  The days were long and the sun was hot.  We enjoyed the pool often.  At the end of the month two of my girlfriends made some bucket-list dreams comes true.  Borrowing a friend’s horse I went along with them to Lake Luzerne and camped.  We trail rode and even took the horses swimming.  I couldn’t stop smiling even if I wanted to.

  Facebook is a wonderful thing and in August I found an ad for some old polytape fencing.  It wasn’t in the best condition but two strands easily covered four acres.  The gentleman advertising it gave me all plus some hardware for only $25.  I put it up two weeks later; it’s not charged and runs in and around trees but the horses have a fantastic turnout pasture at the top of our hill.  This has been tremendous in keeping them out of the mud during wet weather.  I also explored another new-to-me activity, cattle sorting!

  Time got away from me in the later summer months.  Taking advantage of the weather was of the upmost importance.  I am only realizing now that I never posted about several events including our housewarming party!  We hosted nearly 60 people at our home for a wonderful barbecue.  Blade gave pony rides to my cousins and hugged my grandma.  Blade has improved so significantly that I began to desensitize him and train him for mounted archery.  Surprisingly enough he took to it quickly.  In our second session we were trotting around shooting the target on our own.  We also purchased our new ATV which has made life so much easier.  At the end of September I had to sadly say goodbye to Happy as she left my home, returning to riding at my trainer’s farm.  Before she left I made a wonderful connection with Susan Kayne, founder of Unbridled Thoroughbred Foundation.  I began fostering Zeno Bay and Vai Via a week before Happy went home allowing for Blade to become acquainted with the boys before losing his girlfriend.

  October rolled in and brought with it some cooler weather.  The boys got to know each-other and I was collecting donated blankets from some amazing supporters.  November was a great month for indoor activities.  Cornell hosted a seminar where we learned to run our own fecal floats to look for parasites.  I attended Equine Affaire again and I spent most of October and November getting to know Vai Via and Zeno Bay.  The personalities have made them both shine.  The months have been wet, however, so it’s been very inconvenient for riding and making much progress on that end.  Due to financial reasons I stopped taking lessons.  Now, at the end of December I am very much missing them especially when I want to ride and it’s either dark, too frozen, or too muddy.

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I don’t know what the coming year has in store for me.  I sense more big changes on the horizon.  Depending on how these changes play out the year can unfold into several different directions.  Right this moment I can say I would love to earn enough money to get back to taking lessons.  I hope to finally find a routine that works to help me lose weight and stay active with the balancing of horses and working out.  Unfortunately my mounted archery club is on shaky ground but I hope to practice at home.  I also hope to become a stronger more active voice for thoroughbreds by making a place for myself within the Unbridled Thoroughbred Foundation.

Also, something very important to me, is The Green Horseman.  I want to know how you think I can improve.  This year I posted 81 articles.  What did you like?  What didn’t you like?  Most of my articles are posted Thursday mornings.

Do you want to see more educational posts?

Do you prefer my journey?

…or do you like the mix?

I would like to become a more structured blogger and revamp my website to be more user friendly.

Do you want to see product reviews?

You voice is what matters most!

Below is a COMPLETE listing of 2018’s articles by month.  I thank you for being with me on this journey and hope you will continue to support me in the new year.

  [contact-form]

January (6 Posts)

01/03 – RESOLUTION TIME

01/08 – Equine 101: POP QUIZ (#2)!

01/22 – Heart to Horse Box – January 2018

01/23 – Weekly Photo Challenge: Silence

01/24 – Every Barn Needs…

01/28 – Weekend Projects

February (5 Posts)

02/01 – Will Delta Dental Cover My Horse?

02/08 – The 5Ws of an Equine Dental Float

02/10 – Playing on a Friday Afternoon

02/15 – The Power Argument in Dentistry

02/17 – When You Fall Off a Horse…

March (9 Posts)

03/01 – Protecting Our Four Hooved Friends

03/04 – Afternoon Naps

03/13 – Blame It On Heartland

03/15 – Progress

03/18 – Weekly Photo Challenge

03/19 – Poison Prevention Week: Mind Your Feed

03/22 – Don’t Judge!

03/29 – Night and Day, There’s a Difference

03/31 – I’m Drowning

April (12 Posts)

04/02 – It’s Someone’s Birthday

04/03 – Barn Cat Arnie Again

04/05 – Update on the Homemade Hay Net

04/07 – Farm Updates: French Drains

04/08 – Who Said Having Fun Can’t Be Productive?

04/09 – Busy Brain = Lack of Sleep

04/12 – Fencing Update

04/18 – Absorbine Liniment For My Shoulders, Please

04/19 – Did You Catch Me?

04/23 – What’s That Burning Smell?

04/26 – Backyard Critters

04/30 – Weekend Update 

May (7 Posts)

05/02 – T Minus 24 Hours

05/03 – We Have Arrived! 

05/08 – Farm Update

05/10 – When the Going Gets Tough

05/17 – New Experiences

05/24 – Shout-Out For the Trainers

05/31 – Overdue Update Part 1

June (11 Posts)

06/01 – Overdue Update: Part 2

06/02 – Overdue Update Part 3

06/03 – Overdue Update Part 4

06/04 – Overdue Update Part 5

06/05 – Overdue Update Part 6

06/08 – Equine 101: Horse Vitals

06/09 – Putting the Vitals to Use

06/11 – The Aftermath of Last Week

06/14 – Recovering From The Stress Dump

06/21 – On to the Next One

06/22 – Quick Fun Update 

July (1 Post)

07/31 – Summertime Slump

August (2 Posts)

08/02 – Bucket List!

08/09 – Cross Training On The Weekend

September (8 Posts)

09/13 – Horses Update

09/15 – Barn Progress

09/16 – Bad News and Good News Squared

09/19 – Mounted Archery Update

09/21 – Day 1 for Two…

09/22 – Mounted Archery at Home

09/23 – New Toys, New Tools, New Fun

09/27 – The Ups and Downs of the Weekend

October (6 Posts)

10/11 – I’m Cold Therefore My Horse is Cold

10/18 – A Needed Night Away

10/22 – Celebrate the Wins

10/23 – Everyone’s Talking About It

10/25 – Happy Birthday and Thank You

10/26 – Spending Money Like Ouch

November (9 Posts)

11/01 – A Joyful Noise

11/07 – Poop, Yes I Said It. POOP

11/14 – The Green Horseman at the Affaire

11/15 – Clinicians of Equine Affaire 2018

11/16 – The Green Horseman at Fantasia

11/22 – Happy Thanksgiving

11/26 – Blade’s Resolutions

11/27 – Tis The Season to Be Giving

11/29 – The Green Horseman’s Recommended Gifts Under $50

December (5 Posts including today) 

12/06 – Update On The Three Amigos

12/13 – The Green Horseman on Another Project: Winter Prep

12/20 – Hay, Hay You! What’s New?

12/27 –Christmas Festivities

  2018 Recap In the past 365 days a lot of blood sweat and tears have been shed.  We have officially been in our home for a year. 

[alamante]

SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Two special envoys sent by Pope Francis to investigate a child sex abuse scandal in Chile were meeting priests and Church workers at a university in the Chilean capital last month when aides rushed into the room with an alarming development: police and prosecutors were about to start raiding Church offices.

Archbishop of Santiago, Ricardo Ezzati attends his religious service at the Santiago cathedral, in Santiago, Chile, July 25, 2018. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

The envoys were 90 minutes into a seminar on how to investigate allegations of sex abuse committed by fellow clergy following revelations that hundreds of children might have been molested. For decades, the Roman Catholic Church in Chile quietly investigated such allegations without alerting police, but it now stands accused, even by Pope Francis himself, of a cover-up that allowed abusers to operate with impunity.

One of the clergymen listening to the envoys was Jaime Ortiz de Lazcano, the legal adviser to Santiago’s archbishop. The aides rushed to his side and told him, “‘Father, go to the (Church offices) because there’s going to be a raid’,” Ortiz later recounted.

Police and prosecutors were staging simultaneous raids on Church offices less than a mile away from the university and outside the capital, looking for evidence of sex crimes the Church had not reported to police.

The surprise sweeps, ordered by Emiliano Arias, a provincial prosecutor, marked the start of what experts who track sex crimes in the Roman Catholic Church say is one of the most aggressive investigations ever undertaken by a judicial authority anywhere in the world.

Since that cold June afternoon there have been five more raids on Church offices to seize documents, phones, tablets and computers, leaving the Vatican scrambling to respond to a rapidly unfolding scandal that is the worst image crisis of Francis’ papacy, now in its sixth year.

Leading the charge against the Church is Arias, 45, who is experienced in fighting organized crime and has a showman’s fondness for taking television news crews on the raids.

Arias told Reuters in an exclusive interview that documents seized by his team contained 30 cases of alleged abuse dating back to 2007 that the Church had not reported to the police. While Reuters was allowed to film his investigators poring through seized documents, he declined to give details from the files because he said they named victims of abuse.

He also alleged that some local Church officials had tried to destroy documents but that his team – made up of two prosecutors, three lawyers and a unit of specialist sex crime police – had salvaged them. He declined to say who had tried to destroy them or how they had tried to get rid of them.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm those assertions.

Víctor Villa Castro, head of communications for the Santiago archbishopric, said he could not comment on any cases under investigation by Arias.

“We would however say that we have no knowledge of the destruction of documents, nor the covering-up of crimes,” he said. “The victims are the first, and most important, in this and we will cooperate with the civil authorities in any way that can help to get to the truth of these matters.”

Arias says he wants to arrest both those who perpetrated the abuse and those who he says helped to cover it up. He arrested Oscar Munoz, a top aide to Santiago’s archbishop, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, after seizing church documents in which Munoz confessed to sex crimes. Munoz’s lawyer has acknowledged that some of the accusations in the documents are true but says he will challenge some others.

Chilean prosecutor Emiliano Arias, who is leading an investigation against alleged sex abuse crimes by Roman Catholic priests, gestures during an interview with Reuters in Rancagua, Chile, July 18, 2018. Picture taken July 18, 2018. REUTERS/Esteban Medel

Arias last week named Ezzati, the most senior Roman Catholic in Chile, as a suspect, accusing him of covering up his aide’s alleged abuses. Ezzati has denied any wrongdoing and promised to cooperate. [L1N1UL01I]

Arias said he launched the raids after Church officials in Rancagua, the capital of O’Higgins region, told him he would have to make a formal petition to the Vatican to obtain information he was seeking because it was protected by ‘pontifical secret.’

A spokesman for the Rancagua archbishop’s office said they were told to do this by the Vatican. Vatican spokesman Greg Burke declined to comment.

The Roman Catholic Church says the ‘pontifical secret’ provision in canon law is intended to protect the privacy of all involved in sex abuse claims. Critics say bishops have historically used it as a shield to block inquiries from civil authorities.

“We are not talking about a fraud, or a theft, we are talking about crimes against children,” Arias said in an interview in his office in Rancagua, explaining his decision not to submit the request to the Vatican and instead get a judge to approve the raids.

‘GRAVE NEGLIGENCE’

Allegations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy are not new, but under Chilean law governing the separation of church and state, the Catholic Church, a powerful and politically influential institution in this conservative Andean nation, has no legal obligation to report the allegations to police.

The sex abuse scandal came to a head after Pope Francis visited in January and was initially dismissive of claims by survivors of a cover-up by top Church officials there. A backlash among advocates for abuse survivors prompted him to dispatch an investigator, Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta, who produced a confidential 2,300-page report on the allegations.

After receiving the report Pope Francis wrote an open letter to Chile’s faithful in May in which he decried “the culture of abuse and the system of cover up” by the Church in Chile.

He summoned all 34 of Chile’s bishops to Rome in May where they offered to resign en masse. He has so far accepted five resignations and is expected to accept more.

Arias speaks mostly without emotion during the hour-long interview until he talks about how, according to their accusers, priests convinced their victims that they were doing nothing wrong. Then he displays flashes of anger, sometimes so impassioned that he trips over his words.

“I have seen some tough cases but what shocks me about all this is the abuse of conscience – how an accused (Church worker) has entered into the soul of another person and is capable of convincing him that satisfying his desires is not even a sin,” said Arias, who describes his family as “very Catholic” but says he is lapsed.

Arias said he can prosecute senior Church officials for covering up the abuses if he can prove they knew about systematic abuse and failed to do anything to stop it, or hid evidence to prevent civil authorities from getting involved.

But first he must prosecute the abusers, said Maria Ines Horvitz, a senior lawyer at the State Defense Council of Chile, a public agency that provides legal advice to the Chilean state. And to do that he must find cases within the 10-year statute of limitations – a potential problem that has bedeviled prosecutors in other countries – or turn to the one court in Chile that still handles cases from before roughly 2000, which is backlogged.

Slideshow (5 Images)

PROSECUTORIAL ZEAL

The national public prosecutor instructed all provincial prosecutors last month to pursue sex abuse allegations more vigorously.

But Arias has gone much further than his colleagues in his zeal to bring prosecutions. He has repeatedly widened his remit, from a handful of cases to dozens, from his provincial base to the capital, and from investigating claims of abuse by 14 priests in Rancagua to the alleged complicity of Ezzati, Santiago’s archbishop, himself.

As a result of his uncovering new cases in Church documents, the national prosecutor last week authorized him to expand his investigation into other regions.

BishopAccountability.Org, which tracks allegations of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests, says the only comparable investigation into sex abuse in the Church was in Belgium in 2010 when police launched coordinated raids on Church offices and the home of a cardinal. That investigation did not lead to any prosecutions because of the statute of limitations.

Arias is carrying out his investigation in the absence of any public backing from the center-right Sebastian Pinera government. Shortly before becoming president in March, Pinera criticized the Church for its “defensive” attitude to the scandal and “insufficient” investigations but has remained silent on the issue since.

A government spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

WHY NOW?

For decades allegations of sexual abuse by priests swirled through Chilean society, but little was done to address them. The Church was largely left to police itself.

But this year that suddenly changed.

Church watchers say several factors contributed to this watershed moment – the international attention received by several victims who went public; the pope’s initial poor handling of the claims; and the ripple effect of the global #MeToo movement.

The Church’s grip on Chile is also weakening, public opinion polling shows, even though the formerly predominately Catholic nation remains largely conservative on social issues.

The waning support for the Church was evident when the pope visited Chile in January – there were many empty seats at his public masses. This was “a turning point for Francis’ papacy” a Vatican official said. “It is when he realized that he was listening to the wrong people about the real situation in Chile.”

For Arias, the pope’s subsequent mea culpa that the Church had covered up abuses gave him the impetus he needed to act. “His description of what was happening in Chile was powerful and should concern us all,” he said.

Reporting by Aislinn Lange and Cassandra Garrison in Santiago; Additional reporting by Philip Pullella in Rome; Editing by Ross Colvin and Paul Thomasch

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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   The post ‘There’s going to be a raid’: A Chilean prosecutor forces Catholic Church to give up secrets appeared first on MySourceSpot.

[viralhottopics]

Why is your iPhone battery meter lying to you?

Image: Vicky Leta/Mashable

I understand alternate facts. Sometimes my iPhones battery meter delivers them.

Fact: I have a 18-month-old Apple iPhone 6. I keep it in god shape, never dropping it, subjecting it to extreme temperatures, or dunking it in bodies of water. I charge it regularly.

Fact: On a recent weekday afternoon, I picked up my iPhone, which had been sitting on my desk untouched for hours, and noticed it was reporting just 18% battery life. It was officially in the red. I quickly plugged it into a charger and, a moment later, the rating was 43%.

SEE ALSO: LG’s going above and beyond to make sure its next phone doesn’t explode

18% to 43% in seconds.

I think that initial battery meter reading may have been an alternate fact and this iPhone battery problem is more widespread than I realized or Apple is willing to admit.

For months, Id been hearing bizarre iPhone battery tales from friends, co-workers and family members. Last year, Apple beat back reports in China and the U.S. before finally admitting that some iPhone 6S device batteries were faulty.

This iPhone battery problem is more widespread than I realized or Apple is willing to admit.

The problem is that these bizarre battery issues extend back to the still-in-use iPhone 5S and through to the iPhone 6S (but not, as far as I can tell, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, at least not yet). They include battery-percentage free falls, where you can watch your battery life drain from, say, 30% to zero in the space of a few minutes or suddenly shut down with 20-30% battery life remaining. There’s also the perplexing sudden supercharge, like I described at the outset: The battery demands to be charged only to show hearty available battery life as soon as you plug it in.

Even though many people complained to me about bizarre battery hiccups, I was unconvinced until I experienced virtually every one of them myself.

Apple has a lot of advice for managing iPhone battery life and I followed as much of it as possible:

I made sure my iOS was up-to-date.

I took a good look at which background apps were eating battery life, especially those with a lot of background refresh activity, and tried, where possible, to curb their use (Mail and Instagram were often near the top of the list for me).

I used Low Power Mode.

I even followed the advice I found on other sites and recalibrated the battery, letting it run down to zero to and then did a reboot holding the home and power button.

None of these actions, however, prevented the battery life miscalculations from happening again.

And theyre not helping others who have experienced the same bizarre battery life percentage issues.

On the ground

I already knew my own wife had watched her iPhone 5S shut down at 20% and 30%. I started asking friends and co-workers about their experiences. Pretty much anyone I mentioned iPhone battery issues knew what I was talking about or had an experience to share.

While taking an Uber with two co-workers a few weeks ago, I quizzed them about their iPhone batteries (on their iPhone 6 and 6S devices). Both reported unexpected shutdowns at 20%. Then our driver piped up and said hed has similar issues to the ones I described, even though he only had his phone for a year.

Apple Support forums are full of similar complaints. Going back to the iPhone 5S and iOS 7.1, users recounted rapid battery drains. Those complaints persisted through the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, with some users also complaining that the phone got very hot.

Apple wont comment about whats going on with the iPhone’s rechargeable lithium-ion batteries or the iOS software that manages them, and it hasn’t acknowledged any issue beyond unexpected shutdowns on some iPhones.

2 screenshots were taken minutes apart. Top 1 after I barely used my iPhone6, bottom a min after plugging into a charger. Wassup Apple? http://pic.twitter.com/0nScZmkqyT

Lance Ulanoff (@LanceUlanoff) January 24, 2017

However, late last year Apple did reveal that a small number of iPhone 6S devices manufactured between September and October 2015 had a battery issue and were eligible for free battery replacement. Then in December, and only on the Chinese version of its support site, Apple announced that there were some phones outside the affected range of phones that they knew had a battery defect that were also shutting down. This prompted the company to integrate new battery diagnostic software in an iOS update for all users. That software is out in the field now, gathering data for Apple. Early this year, a report surfaced claiming that Apple might extend the battery-replacement program to iPhone 6 devices.

As I write this, though, Apple has yet to reveal what, if anything, its learned about the erratic behavior of some of its iPhone batteries or the software that manages them.

Considering how intermittent and inconsistent these issues are, thats not that surprising. Plus, theres the complexity of lithium-ion technology itself.

Inside your phone

Lithium-ion is, essentially, live chemistry inside your phone. Every lithium-ion battery is made of sheets of positive (lithium cobalt oxide) and negative electrodes (carbon), with perforated separators between them, wound in tight, overlapping spirals. During charge, the ions move in the direction of the negative electrode and during discharge, they move in the direction of the positive electrode.

Lithium-ion batteries are lighter and offer far more energy density that their predecessors, nickel-cadmium batteries. They lose roughly 5% of their charging capacity every month, which is a considerable improvement over nickel-cadmium batteries, which could lose 20%. They can also be volatile if not handled and manufactured correctly.

Lithium-ion batteries will last longer if they’re never fully charged or recharged.

A typical iPhone lithium-ion battery should last for approximately 500 cycles. A cycle is a full recharge, which could span over a number of days: You might use 25% of the battery’s power on day one and then 75% the next day. Apple told me last year that it even applies artificial intelligence to improve battery management, so those cycles presumably stretch out even more.

How you drain and recharge the battery also impacts battery life. Lithium-ion batteries will last longer if they’re never fully charged or recharged (this is why, when you buy a battery-powered gadget like a smartphone, it typically ships with about 50% charge, plus or minus 20%). Side reactions in the chemistry increase when you drain the battery to 0% and constantly recharge to 100%.

No matter what, though, the charging capacity of lithium-ion batteries will change over time.

Like a new car that starts depreciating the moment you drive it off the lot, lithium-ion batteries are continuously losing their charging capacity. This can be confusing since, for the life of your phone, the meter is always showing you something between 0% and 100%. This is not a lie 100% of 10 hours is 10 hours, just at 100% of the 3 hours you might get four years into the life of your phone is still 3 hours. That percentage is relative.

This commonly accepted wisdom about rechargeable batteries still doesnt explain sudden shutdowns, rapid drains and inaccurate battery life meter reports.

Fuzzy science

Experts, though, told me that battery life and maintenance is an inexact science. Different lithium-ion batteries, for instance, use different chemistries, which can impact recharge cycles. Professor Donald Sadoway, who studies material sciences at MIT, said most lithium-ion batteries are engineered to go thousands of cycles and still retain 80% of their capacity.

Even the way you measure battery life differs from between phones and manufacturers, since there isn’t a way to measure the remaining charge directly. So the readout at the top of your phone could be based on voltage, by identifying what the voltage is on a battery, you can get a sense of the state of a charge, said Sadoway.

Others uses whats known as a voltage plateau, and some rely on the more difficult-to-integrate measure of the amount of current flowing: If you know the amount of electrical current served over time, you can calculate how much energy has been used, and this, how much is (probably) left. Professor Sadoway has no idea what chemistry or methodology Apple is using.

The percentage of battery life we see is an estimate.

Other experts I spoke to agreed that the percentage of battery life we see is an estimate. The only information a phone or laptop can use is the voltage of the battery, but there isn’t necessarily a 1-to-1 correspondence between the cell voltage and the amount of energy remaining inside, wrote Stanford University PhD chemistry student William Gent to me in an email.

Temperature, battery degradation and the amount of power being drawn from the battery can all affect that estimate.

Some more advanced systems may be able to use additional information like this to get a better estimate, but it is always an estimate, wrote Gent, who owns an iPhone 5S and has experienced rapid discharge, inexplicable battery-meter jumps and sudden shut downs.

Also, wrote Gent, you can’t just measure the amount of energy taken out and put in each time, since there is a some hard-to-calculate amount of the total energy that you put in that goes into waste heat (due to inefficiencies in the cell itself) and side reactions. Any error in calculating this non-useful energy put into the battery will add up and result in large errors in SOC [state of charge] determination after repeated cycles, wrote Gent.

Professor Sadoway agrees that there are many reasons why a battery charge meter in the iPhone might be wrong.

Suppose the phone is actually measuring correctly, but the conversion to the display is flawed. It could be something silly like that, added Professor Sadoway.

Testing

During my research, I came across this post, The Ultimate Guide to Solving iPhone Drain, by Scotty Loveless. It offers a nice, step-by-step approach to better, daily iPhone battery performance. I was most intrigued, though, by Lovelesss background. Hes worked as an Apple Store Genius for two years (mostly working on the iPhone 3GS iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and the first wave of iPhone 5 devices). He writes, The most difficult issue to solve was short iPhone battery life. It was extremely difficult to pinpoint the exact reason why someone had iPhone battery drain.

I wondered if Loveless, who currently works as an Apple consultant at Appinstructor, could offer some insight and maybe help me troubleshoot my own iPhone battery issues.

Loveless told me he never saw issues like mine while working at the the Genius Bar unless the battery was failing.

Results of my iPhone 6 diagnostic tests. No obvious issues.

Image: Apple Software

Battery life does go pretty fast throughout the day.

Image: Apple Software

He still has access to his old iPhone diagnostic tools and showed me how he could run them remotely on my iPhone (side note: I had no idea anyone could do this). I did have to share some details from my phone, including the IMEI number. After a few steps and screens on my phone, Loveless was in and he started running a full set of diagnostic tests.

We ran the tests with my Apple Smart Case on the iPhone 6 and then again with it off. In both instances, the results showed my battery is not failing and has 423 charge cycles remaining out of, according to Loveless, as many as 1,000.

This result is far from conclusive, but it might support the notion that these issues are not related to dying batteries or end-of-life devices.

Recharge

Stanfords Gent reminded me, though, that as lithium-ion batteries degrade, Determination gets less accurate, particularly when you get close to 0% SOC. So your phone or laptop may think, based on the voltage of the battery, that it has 30% left, but then the voltage unexpectedly starts dropping rapidly (because the cell is old and somewhat degraded) and the computer realizes that actually the SOC is lower than originally thought.

This supports my theory that there is actual confusion among the real state of the battery, the hardwares ability to deliver that information to the operating system and the systems ability to accurately interpret it.

Research teams around the world are working on next-generation lithium battery technologies including lithium air (which has extremely high-energy density) and lithium sulfur (far cheaper than lithium ion), but like lithium ion, these technologies will also degrade over time, which means measurement challenges will remain. Gent thinks that the work to improve battery measurement may, in the long run, pay bigger dividends. My guess is that the biggest improvement will come from the battery management side rather than the battery tech.

The good news, for what it’s worth, is that you’re not crazy. Everyone I spoke to, consumers and experts, acknowledge that there is an issue with iPhone battery readings.

MITs Sadoway told me an iPhone charge physically cannot be both 10% and 40% within the space of a few seconds or minutes. It wasnt both. Theres a broken link in that chain somewhere.

BONUS: Taking underwater photos with your iPhone just got way easier

Read more: http://on.mash.to/2jUAr18

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