#and yet by the second time he sees joe 2.0 he's already helping him

[zhouxiangs]

Joe, this is Sol. You might have already known him. Of course, he's famous.

MY STAND-IN (2024) | Episode 6

[massivewaffle]

One Way to Defeat A Wither (Chapter 1)

Paring: GoodTimesWithScar x Female Reader  Word Count: 4718 Rating: Chapter 1 is PG. Chapter 2 is EXPLICIT Warnings: Nothing for this chapter aside from Minecraft in game death mechanics. Chapter two will have explicit smut, so be advised if you follow the story. 

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/39187023

Summary: When Grian jokingly unleashes the forces of the Scar Wither upon spawn, no one bats an eye. That is until GoodTimesWithScar suddenly becomes a very, very Bad Scar indeed. 

AKA “The one where Scar gets possessed by a Wither and fucks reader”

A/N: This fic will be 2 chapters. This chapter (Chapter 1) is purely flirting and set up. All smut will be contained within Chapter 2, which I hope to have out by the end of the week if everything goes well. 

The beginning of a new Hermitcraft seed is to you what Christmas Day is to others. There are always some residual feelings of melancholy when it comes to leaving the old world behind and, with it, all the beautiful things the Hermits have created. That being said, memories live on, and as you age, you realize how important it is to reset yourself both physically and mentally once in a while. You can only grow if you keep pushing yourself to try new things, and everything you’ve learned in your first season on the server makes you ten times more determined to improve all of your builds for your second. 

The start of a new seed also brings the promise of change, and it is so rare for all the Hermitcraft members to be on equal ground. Elytra's are the first sign of the shift, so these early days of resource gathering feel special and warm in your heart. As usual, Joe is at spawn, collecting materials for Hermits Helping Hermits as the chaos reigns around him. 

You’re not entirely sure where you want to build your starter home yet, content to wander around the general spawn area to gauge what others are doing and whose bases are already growing exponentially. These Hermit’s do not mess around. 

Wandering up to the space Joe has dictated for material collection, you drop off a few stone swords and pickaxes to donate to the cause. You metaphorically struck gold earlier with not one but two iron veins on your first resource run, so you’re already decked out in full iron. Your items barely make it into the shared double chest before Scar barrels up, muttering to himself. While Scar is clumsy and death prone on the best day, today seems to be his absolute nightmare. Everyone’s communicator goes crazy with notifications on day one because of all the advancements, but Scar’s consistent death messages seem to be taking up a distressing amount of space. Respawning hurts. It’s not the worst pain you've ever experienced, but it’s not something you adjust to easily. 

Scar strides up to yourself and Joe, a jovial look on his face despite the pain you know he’s holding back. Though he’s hiding the pain, you can see him wince just a bit as he steps toward you and Joe.

“Hey there, Scar! Take whatever you need!” Joe says. You know Joe well enough to deduce he purposefully doesn’t inquire immediately regarding the mass amount of death messages in the chat.  

“Thank you, Joe! I might sell you out, though; this hasn’t been the best day for me resource-wise.” Scar admits, opening the shared chest and equipping some of the stone tools you had dropped off minutes before. 

“Yeah, so I noticed. You doing okay, buddy? Can I assist with anything?” Joe asks with genuine kindness. 

“Aw shucks, thank you, Joe, but I’m alright. It’s mostly been a combination of my own clumsiness and Mumbo and Grian knocking me into the “Boatem Hole 2.0.” 

You chuckle, catching Scar’s eye in the process. 

You’ve always found yourself inherently drawn to Scar; his personality and sense of humor spills from every pore. You find yourself attracted to his specific brand of genuine kindness and dedication to his craft. Those traits, paired with the glint of mischief behind his eyes, lead you to believe there are so many things about Scar you’ve yet to discover. Scar is attractive, there’s no denying that, and you find something about his smirky, knowing eyes and smile that is undeniably sexy. It’s a pretty open secret that you’re interested in him, you’ve never said anything about it explicitly, but you do see the knowing looks that others give you when you chat with Scar. 

Ever since you first arrived in Hermitcraft, you’ve never heard about Scar openly dating. You’re not even sure what his orientation is, but he flirts back with you often enough to indicate he’s at least a bit interested. That said, you’d never make a move or be too bold with him. Typically, you’re one of the most social server members, but you have to draw a personal boundary somewhere. There’s too much to lose this early in your Hermitcraft career if outing your crush leads to being alienated. If he’s interested, he can reach out; otherwise, you’re satisfied with this current relationship.

“Well, if you’re looking for a bodyguard, I’m available.” You offer. You love Mumbo and Grian dearly, but there’s nothing more fun than a taste of revenge. 

“Why, that would be ah-may-zin! Those two hooligans won’t know what hit them if they come at me again!” Scar exclaims, ending his statement with a wink. 

“I need to scope out base locations anyway, so this works for both of us,” you admit digging through your inventory and equipping your sword to your back. 

Joe hands Scar a few cooked pork chops with a knowing smile. 

“Just in case you need them. Try not to get tossed in any more holes.”

“Believe me; I’m steering clear of holes for a while! Unless, of course, I get lucky.”

Joe chokes on a cough upon Scar’s words, and Scar’s eyes widen as he processes his statement. 

“FOR A BASE. IF I FIND A HOLE FOR MINING!” Scar clarifies, stuttering as he waves his hands back and forth, hoping to magic himself away from his self-caused awkwardness.

Joe’s eyes shift to you, sending you the same look all the Hermits give when you find yourself partnered with Scar. You roll your eyes in response and wave goodbye as you follow a flushed Scar further into the woods behind spawn. 

“Everyone knows how my season has been so far; what’s going on with you?” Scar asks, walking a few steps ahead. Scar remains keenly aware of the world around him despite his devil-may-care nature, navigating over root-filled terrain and holding back branches for you to step around unharmed. 

“Not too bad,” you admit, slowing your steps to allow him to catch up to your pace. “Went out exploring for a bit, got a solid amount of materials, but that’s about it. I scouted around with Peal and Gem for an hour or two, but I’m not really feeling the birch vibe this season, so I’m still looking for a place to call home.”

“Ah yes. The first-day location struggles; I can relate. I’m building near Grian, just behind that little river, but I’m already contemplating my megabase spot.”

“Of course you are.”

“Oh? And what is THAT supposed to mean? Hmm?”

“Sorry, mister ‘non-stop grind,’ I know how you operate! If we’d allow you to pick a location on the first day, you’ll have your megabase half-built within a week.” You retort, smirking. Scar blushes, rolling his eyes as he shifts his gaze from you. 

“...well, that may be true. I don’t have a way to defend myself against that argument!” Scar admits, chuckling to himself. “You know me too well, hotshot; I can’t deny it!”

As you reach a small clearing, you can make out the silhouettes of Mumbo Jumbo and Grian in the distance. Scar goes running to scream at them, as is his way, but you grab at his sleeve, pulling him back to a secluded spot under a large tree. Scar stumbles as you pull him, losing his footing and tripping on an exposed tree root. Careening forward, he puts his hands up to catch himself. While safe and sound, his hands land on the tree behind you, effectively pinning you against it with a hand on either side of your head. Scar surrounds you, so close you can smell the woody scent radiating from his long, shiny elven locks. Scar stares down at you, eyes gleaming with mischief. From those green eyes to his all-knowing smirk, he's so incredibly handsome, his looks only enhanced by the scars littering his face, hinting at his life story. He leans in and you clench, overwhelmed by all of him surrounding you. His face passes, cheekbone grazing yours as his gloriously smooth voice purrs into your ear. 

“Wanna play a prank?”

The nerves surging through you expel with a nervous giggle. Of course pranks would be at the forefront of Scar’s brain. 

“When have I ever turned down the option to prank?” You ask, keenly aware that Scar’s mouth is within inches of your ear, your neck; all the places you’ve dreamed of Scar trailing over with those honeyed lips. 

Scar smiles a wide-tooth grin that occupies half his face as he pulls away, making sure he’s firmly planted on the ground before speaking. 

“See, that’s why I adore you. You always have your priorities straight!” Scar jokes, turning his back to you and squatting down to peer over at your fellow Hermits across the clearing. Your face blushes at his words, but you shake his kindness off as you lower to your knees to crawl next to him. 

“I’m thinking arrows. A surprise attack; Hawkeye style!” You offer, knowing how much Scar loves summoning his inner Hawkeye. 

“I’ll go chat to them, and if they start getting that feral look in their eyes, you pepper them with arrows since you’re the bow god around here. They won’t know what him ‘’em!” 

Scar seems dedicated to keeping the blush on your face, but you can’t give yourself away. 

“Bow God is ready for action!” You proclaim with a wink, digging through your inventory to switch from your sword to bow and arrow. Scar rifles through his own, dropping a few extra arrows for you before army-crawling away to a small path, making it look as though he was following the boys the entire time. 

As Scar steps into the light and heads toward Grian and Mumbo, you shift into position, rolling your shoulders a few times to loosen up before lining yourself up for a shot. Mumbo and Grian seem to be chatting with Scar, who deliberately stands at the edge of a cavern. Scar’s more self-aware than he seems, knowing Grian can never turn down the urge to shove Scar directly into danger. The moment Grian lifts his hand, you know he's planning to slap Scar off the edge. Your first arrow flies straight into his shoulder within the blink of an eye, shocking him but not resulting in death. 

“What the…” Grian yells, jumping back and wincing from the pain. 

“Was that a skeleton?” Mambo asks, hair flopping as he flails side to side, looking for the offender. 

“It’s broad daylight, Mumbo!” Grian fires back with annoyance. 

“Well, I don’t know! What am I supposed to think?!” Mumbo retorts, snapping back at Grian. 

In the time it takes for Mumbo and Grian to snip at one another, you’ve managed to shift from your crouched position and traverse through the woods to shoot at Mumbo from a new angle. In all the confusion, neither Grian nor Mumbo notice Scar step away from the cavern and back into the woods, shooting an arrow past Grian to confuse him. 

At this point, Mumbo and Grian have panicked, running in circles and dodging arrows. You look across the clearing and catch Scar’s gaze, smiling widely and gesturing with your arms to direct his arrows to the cavern opening where he was previously standing. Mumbo and Grian have backtracked to the cavern's edge without realizing it. Two well-shot arrows later spook them enough to trip over one another in their haste, tumbling down the hole. According to your communicator notifications, both die from the fall, which means you and Scar have gotten away scot-free. 

The moment the deaths populate in chat, you dart from your covered nest, sprinting toward the cavern and, more importantly, their dropped inventories. 

“Holy moly, that worked even more perfectly than I planned!” Scar exclaims, gabbing your hand as you descend the stone. “They were so lost it was incredible! Let’s scoop up all the good stuff!” 

Scar releases your hand as he crouches to pick up one of their discarded iron pickaxes and immediately tucks it into his inventory. 

“I’ll take it and drop it off at your base,” you say, bending down to compare the swords the guys have left behind. “They’ll assume you’ll have it all, so I’ll grab the good stuff and stash it in a chest, so it looks like yours.” 

“Keep some for yourself too! And a few things to make them think the rest got destroyed in the fall.”

“Good call!” You reach into your inventory and pull out a bucket of lava you hung onto just in case. Tipping it down the cavern, you watch with a smirk as it burns up a few of the garbage items and flows down one side. 

“Believability.” You say, turning to make your way to climb back up the stone walls. 

“Genius!”

Scar’s lankiness allows him to reach the top before you. He grabs your hand again once he’s safely out, helping to pull you from the hole with one arm, the other typing into his communicator. 

Grian and Mumbo are screaming in the chat, and Scar casually mentions it was indeed a skeleton but don’t worry, Hawkeye took care of the threat. He asks if they would like him to collect what items he can, smiling at his ingenuity. 

Grian mentions he and Mumbo are on their way back, and you wave goodbye to Scar as you duck back into the woods and make your escape. Climbing a few branches up from your original hiding place, you watch with amusement, forcing your hand in front of your mouth to contain your giggles as Mumbo and Grian return in a fury. Scar makes himself out to be the hero of the village, regaling them with the tale of mighty Hawkeye taking down a ferocious beast. As he distributes what little of their items he could salvage, you slide your communicator out and send Scar a private message. 

“Nice acting. I’ll leave everything in a chest under your starter tree, dig down one block, and you’ll find it x”

You wait for a moment, hidden in your tree-dwelling, as you watch Scar receive the message. He fishes his communicator from his pocket, smirking while Grian and Mumbo argue as they head to salvage their remaining items. Your cheeks burn as you see him smile at your message, glancing up to the trees to see if you’re still there. He types something before shoving it back into his pocket and turning to the cavern, yelling as Mumbo inquires if the lava had been there the whole time. Your communicator vibrates in your hand, and you open the message as fast as possible. 

“I’ll expect my Oscar by midnight; I’ll stop by to pick it up.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hours later, your back is sore, fingers lightly blistered, and you can feel the effects of a bit too much sun on your shoulders. The sun is fading fast around the starter village, and most of your fellow Hermits have begun packing up their supplies for the night, content to mill around the spawn area for a chat. Although you have so much more to finish, you decide to join them, tossing your extra items into your starter base's mini-chest monster that has begun to populate the area. You’ve chosen to build further into the woods than most, a quick walk to many of the Hermit’s starter bases but far enough to get peace and quiet when the building inevitably starts with the morning sun. 

Stepping inside your very humble starter abode, it seems fitting to finally discard the clothes you’ve toiled in all day in exchange for some clean ones. Tossing your soiled garments into a chest in the corner, you leave them to be dealt with tomorrow when you have the energy. Quickly you freshen up, wiping the residual sweat and dirt from your face and arms, and toss on a pair of comfortable pants and an old tank top to relax in. Although the sun is receding, it’s still a warm day, and the last thing you want right now is to continue sweating in the same outfit you’ve spent all day wearing while building. 

Content with the new feeling of cleanliness, you head out, following the loud laughter and trails of smoke that lead to where your fellow Hermits have set up for the evening. 

Welcoming cries ring out as you approach, waving excitedly to the rest of the group. 

“There you are! We were wondering if you were going to join us tonight. What’s happenin’, baby?” Ren asks, tossing another log onto the campfire as you find yourself claiming an empty log bench. 

“Not much! I wanted to take a few minutes to get organized before I headed over to mock all your bases.” You joke. 

“Wow. Woooooow. Here we are aiming for friendship, and you have to shame us. And to think I have all these Giga Pies I was going to offer you….” Cub trails off, doing his best to cover the delight in his voice with authenticity. 

“Cub, where’s your house?” You ask, knowing the answer already. 

“...okay, so I technically live in Ren’s basement, but-”

“I REST MY CASE!” You exclaim to a chorus of laughter. 

Cub rolls his eyes but laughs along with the group. “You’re so cruel.” He says, sighing. “But you’re not wrong.”

“Hand over the pies, pretty boy!” You order, reaching forward to take one from his outstretched hands. You must admit, Ren’s grandma’s secret recipe, or whatever story he’s telling, is bang on the money, and the pie is easily the most delicious thing you’ve tasted in ages.

Ren and Cub distribute pies as other Hermits come and go, exhausted from a day of building, planning, and mining. Stress and Iskall join, taking the empty spaces to your left as Ren and Cub occupy the seats across. Impulse, Tango, Gem, and Pearl arrive just as the sun dips to the skyline, casting an orange glow across the faces of your fellow Hermits. 

Discussion flows freely as you regale one another with tales from the day. The series of events expressed by the group that took on the Woodland Mansion sets everyone into a fit of giggles, Gem blushing and smacking Impulse repeatedly after he discusses her lack of spacial awareness. You can already tell this will be a running gag, and poor Gem will be constantly fearful of things behind her for the coming weeks. 

It isn’t long until the group expands once more as the bickering voices of Mumbo, Grian, and Scar begin to fill the air surrounding the camp. 

“...if you had just seen the skeleton and taken it out in the first place, we wouldn’t have had to mine for 3 hours, Grian.” Mambo huffs faintly, voice barely traveling through the trees. 

“Oh sure, Mumbo, it’s all my fault I didn’t see a daylight skeleton take a shot at me before I was SHOT IN THE SHOULDER! My mistake, how silly of me.” Grian fires back, voice rife with sarcasm. Their squabbling reaches a fever pitch as they approach the fire, jostling for the first warm Giga Pie. 

“Oh my word, are you two still arguing over that stupid skeleton? That was hours ago!” Pearl questions. 

“It was hours ago. Imagine the day I’ve had!” Scar says with a huff, lifting the back of his tunic to comfortably flop down next to you as Mumbo and Grian settle into the empty log to your right. 

“No one said you had to stick around, Scar,” Grian interjects, mouth half full of pie. 

“Somebody had to keep you two safe! I’m not sure what was more of a threat to you both; rogue skeletons or one another!”

Grian sticks his tongue out at Scar, blowing a raspberry at him before turning to start a conversation with Ren. 

“I swear those two are turning me grey. Look, look, can you see any? Am I prematurely aging? It’s such a struggle taking care of toddlers all day.” Scar gives you the biggest puppy dog eyes possible as you giggle, looking up at him to spot a stray grey hair. 

Scar’s eyes catch yours as his face visibly softens. Your eyes travel across his face, taking in the specks of gold the glow of the campfire highlights in his green eyes. His hair, usually perfectly styled and cared for, has developed a wave during his day out, cascading down his shoulders and behind his ears. You admit you can’t see a grey hair among the bunch, but you were never really looking, if you're honest. Though lightly chapped from a hot spring day in the sun, his lips remain as enticing as ever, and your eyes feel forced to follow the scar that begins at his bottom lip and curves down, leading to the gloriously tempting expanse of his neck. You thank whatever deity brought about dusk as the dim light conceals the increasing beat of your heart and blushing face as your mind presents you with the visual of what Scar would look like under you, neck and throat arching to give you all the space you need to nip, bite and kiss every inch. 

“Well?”

“Hmm?” You’re aware you’ve made a noise, not entirely aware of what was asked. 

“Do you see anything? Any grey hair I should be worried about?” Scar asks, eyes shifting from earnestness to something you can’t pinpoint, but it’s more mischievous. 

“No.” You quickly respond. “Nothing grey at all. You look…fine. Good. Still…young?” You offer, unable to find a way to talk yourself out of the awkwardness. 

Scar laughs, tossing his head back to tempt you yet again. 

“I think that’s the first time anyone’s ever described me as young, but I’ll take it!” He exclaims. 

You share a warm smile, completely unaware that the Hermits around you are once again sharing that look, which only exists within the context of you and Scar. 

As conversation passes the time, the temperature slowly drops, and you find yourself wishing you had thought ahead to bring a sweater along. Scar notices your light shiver, asking if you’re feeling cold. Scar has nothing to offer you, his elven garb not structured to be shared, but before he can offer to grab you something or warm your arms with his hands, a hoodie is tossed directly into his face. 

“Oh geez. Sorry man didn’t mean to hit you with that. But if you’re cold over there, feel free to use it; I’m running a bit hot myself!” 

Thanking Ren for his kindness, you nab the hoodie from Scar’s lap and tug it over your head. Instantly you feel better, sighing as you shiver in the fabric. Scar tenses next to you, and you allow yourself one minute to daydream that he’s jealous. You seriously doubt the possibility, but for a moment, the thought of Scar being envious that you’re not wearing his sweater warms you up in a way the sweater will never be able to. While you pontificate over Scar’s imagined jealousy, Grian has again gotten up to cause some mischief. While discussing his nether adventures to the others, including a tale about a Wither fight, he retrieves some soul sand from his inventory, setting it up as though he is moments from summoning the deadly creature. 

“Oi, Grian! Not all of us have a death wish, love. Keep your withering to yourself, mate!” Stress cackles, grabbing at Iskall’s shoulders to use him as a human shield. 

“Don’t worry, everyone; I promise I won’t summon a Wither. It’s too early in the season.”

Several sighs of relief pass over the camp, lasting five seconds until Grian speaks again. 

“This is much, much worse.”

Without a second to react, Grian places three heads on top of the formation, and several Hermits, you included, duck down in fear of what hellish idea Grian has unleashed. Scar tucks you under his arm in anticipation, turning to be ready to position himself in front of you if need be. Luckily nothing happens; no fire, no dreaded fear. Looking up, you indeed see three heads on top of the soul sand—three Scar heads, to be exact. 

“TA-DA!” Grian yells, cackling. “The fearsome Scarther!” 

“Hey now!” Scar yells, laughing as he does so. “Is that why you two kept killing me?!”

“Not at all,” Mumbo adds through his own belts of laughter, “but I must say this is a pleasant turn of events.”

“What’s the Scarther’s attack?” Cub asks, leaning back onto the grass behind him. “Will we wake up to a house full of cats in the morning?”

“The dream!” Pearl exclaims with a wistful sigh. 

“No, my friends, it’s far worst than that. When the Scarther reaches its full potential, it will unleash the deadliest and single most annoying attack in history.” Grian pauses for a moment, reveling in the dramatic quiet. “It shows up while you’re asleep, takes all your items, and creates a chest monster, so unruly, so unbearable to conquer; you eventually have to abandon your base and move to escape.”

“Noooooo!” Ren yells.

“Anything but that!” Tango wails, grabbing onto Impulse for support. 

“How dastardly!” Gem adds, hiding her face behind her hand to control the giggles.

“Aw, c’mon guys, it’s not THAT bad! I’ve managed it for years!” 

The group boo’s at Scar before laughter takes complete control. You elbow him in the side as the group pulls themselves back together. It’s ridiculous to imagine Scar, the kindest, most thoughtful person you know, having any commonality with a Wither. 

“Better stay ahead of your chest monsters this season, pretty boy. Otherwise, everyone here will be on the lookout for BadTimesWithScar to make an appearance.”

Scar looks down at you, catching your gaze and holding it. It’s truthfully annoying how much power he wields over you with just a glance, just a quick minute of eye contact. You’re sure he could convince you to do anything, and you wouldn’t bother resisting if he’s looking at you like this. His smirk reaches his eyes, one side of his mouth curling dramatically. You’d think he was a cartoon villain if he wasn’t so damn attractive. 

“Well, we couldn’t have that, could we?” Scar asks rhetorically. You’re not sure if he has purposefully dropped his voice a few octaves or if it’s a side effect of the smokiness surrounding you, but something in the air feels different. Somehow, something feels dangerous. 

Scar brakes his gaze as he notices the others begin to collect their belongings, heading out for the night. You do the same and begin to remove Ren’s sweater before he tells you to keep it for the walk home. He’ll be around anytime you want to exchange the sweater for some Giga Pies. As people peel off into groups to head to their homes, Scar waves for Grian and Mumbo to go ahead. They send him a look, knowing exactly what he’s waiting around for, and he sends one back, communicating silently. 

Turning to head down the path that leads to your humble starter base, you find Scar standing, waiting to escort you home. 

“Scar! You don’t have to wait for me! I can make it back just fine.” You plead, not wanting to feel like a burden to him. 

“Oh, I know you’re more than capable, but any good elf worth their cookies knows there’s safety in numbers!” 

The joyful, honest look on Scar’s face is more than you can bear. You scoff but ultimately sidle up to Scar, slipping your arm through his outstretched one and allowing him to lead you up the path to your home. 

As you and Scar turn down the dirt path, the moon crests over the tallest mountain ridge at spawn. The illumination from the moon rains down upon the area, casting everything in a gorgeous other-worldly glow. Light tendrils of smoke begin to rise as the moonlight touches upon the Scarwither, a low sizzle permeating the air. It’s impossible to tell if it’s the soul sand or the extinguished fire producing the noise, but the Scarwither evaporates into a mist within minutes. As if it was sentient, the mist begins floating through the air as if looking for something. A host. 

[joshslater]

Roomie 2.0 pt. 3

The third and final part of Roomie 2.0. Similar stories and bonus material on my Patreon.

Chapter 3 - Josh

He couldn't stop himself from laughing when Mike pitched the idea to him. To try to find someone who could hypnotize Joe into more of a jock type, like them. Not too much of a change, but enough so he at least would enjoy watching football with them. Maybe join some beach volley or some hoops. He was missing out on so much friendship, activities, and life in general, Mike concluded. They would do him a solid.

If anyone else had asked him, he would have said no straight away. He knew that even small changes tend to amplify over time, like a mental butterfly effect. But Mike wasn't just anyone. Although they had only known each other for two years, once he had moved in as Mikes flat mate they had become like brothers. Mike didn't need the money. He had quite the opposite problem with too many rooms and not enough going on in them. "What good is money if you can't buy yourself friends?" he had joked. Now they didn't just share a flat and a curriculum, they pretty much shared everything.

"What's so funny?" "I've had similar thoughts about Joe, and I know a guy who can help."

Joe had moved in much later, only five months ago. They had both agreed that they could use one more person in the flat. They never used the dinky home gym anyway. Since they had time to chose tenant carefully they knew exactly what they wanted and who they ultimately got. Someone a bit more structured and focused on the academic side, to balance them out. It soon became apparent that they had over-corrected.

"I'll text him and see if he is up for BBQ."

Greg was busy that afternoon, but already next evening they sat on his balcony, breaking fire safety codes by grilling USDA Prime beef and corn on flimsy disposable grills. Mike had bought the meat, and Josh had carried beer from their beer fridge.

"I don't wan't him to stop being him. Well, perhaps a little. But I don't want him to become stupid or anything. Just look at us. We go to class, take our exams, work out, play sports, retake exams. I just want him to be a bit more like us." Mike concluded his pitch reprise.

"That's good and all. You can't really affect intelligence with hypnosis anyway, just direct it towards different things." Greg explained. "The big issue though isn't where you want him to be, but how to safely get him there in such a way that he decides to stay there. There needs to be some sort of tangible change. Something to keep him locked on to the suggested path." "Like what? Different clothes?" "That could work. It's best if he selects it himself, so he doesn't question it."

Josh jumped in "What about a new haircut? We could ask him if he would rather have my or Mike’s haircut, if he had to chose. Slip it into conversation somehow, like he is settling a dispute between the two of us." "Oh, that's perfect. Lots of work to make it believable, but if he buys it he's hooked. You can even have him make the decision days before you actually start the process."

"Hey, Greg. Where's the bathroom?" "Just through the living room and left." "Bring some beers from the fridge on the way back."

As soon as Mike went inside, Greg leaned in and asked him in theatrically hushed voice "You haven't told him yet!?" "I'll do it once we are well on our way with Joe." "I fucking told you to tell him." "And I will. I've just been afraid of what that could do to us."

Greg slumped back in his chair, considering Mike's answer for a few seconds, and emptied the last of his beer.

"It's uncanny though." "What is?" "It's not going to end up the same since the starting point is different, but he is doing to Joe, beat for beat, what you did to him."

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

I have a dilemma for you, dear reader. I have a righteous little bulletpoint-sized rant to make about ill-informed media coverage of polling in the recent Australian election. But this column, Silver Bulletpoints, promises to give you three items about the 2020 Democratic primary in 300 words or less. And while I’m sure Pete Buttigieg speaks fluent Guugu Yimithirr or something, the Democratic primary doesn’t really have much to do with Australia. So instead of using up one of this week’s bulletpoints on Australia, we’re including a bonus Australia-related bulletpoint at the end of this week’s column. For now, though, let’s stick with the Democrats …

Bulletpoint No. 1: Actually, maybe the moderate Democrats are more popular with swing voters

Be careful with general election polls for candidates who aren’t well-known.

At Vox this week, Ezra Klein — I’m usually a fan — points out that Bernie Sanders is doing second-best among Democrats in head-to-head polls against President Trump (worse than Joe Biden but better than everyone else). This is true as far it goes, at least if you ignore a couple of outlier-ish polls for Beto O’Rourke.

This challenges the theory, Ezra says, that “Americans are ideological moderates who punish political parties for nominating candidates too far to the left or right.”

The problem is that none of the other Democrats have the near-universal name recognition that Sanders and Biden enjoy. And people are reluctant to say they’ll vote for candidates who they don’t know much about. For instance, Trump gets about 44 percent in polls against both the well-known Sanders and the relatively unknown Buttigieg. Sanders is ahead by a larger margin — but it’s because he gets 49 percent whereas Buttigieg gets 44 percent with a lot more undecideds, probably including a lot of people who would vote for Buttigieg if they knew who he was.

An alternative is to look at candidates’ favorability ratings among the general electorate, which give voters the option of saying they don’t know enough to have an opinion about a candidate. Here’s an average of those polls since Biden entered the race:

Biden, Buttigieg have most positive favorability ratings

Average of favorability ratings in polls conducted wholly or partly since Biden entered the race

Candidate Favorable Unfavorable Net Joe Biden 50.4% 39.8% +10.6 Pete Buttigieg 28.3 24.5 +3.8 Julián Castro 20.7 20.3 +0.3 Bernie Sanders 45.3 45.5 -0.3 Marianne Williamson 11.7 12.3 -0.7 Tim Ryan 15.0 15.8 -0.8 Jay Inslee 13.7 14.7 -1.0 Kamala Harris 34.2 36.2 -2.0 Andrew Yang 14.3 17.0 -2.7 Michael Bennet 12.0 15.0 -3.0 Amy Klobuchar 21.0 24.3 -3.3 Cory Booker 28.0 31.5 -3.5 Steve Bullock 9.5 13.5 -4.0 John Delaney 10.3 14.7 -4.3 John Hickenlooper 13.3 18.3 -5.0 Beto O’Rourke 28.5 33.8 -5.3 Eric Swalwell 12.3 17.5 -5.3 Seth Moulton 7.3 12.8 -5.5 Elizabeth Warren 35.2 40.8 -5.6 Kirsten Gillibrand 21.5 28.5 -7.0 Tulsi Gabbard 13.0 20.7 -7.7 Bill de Blasio 13.5 45.5 -32.0

Polls are included if they were still in the field when Biden entered the race on April 25. If a pollster asked about a candidate multiple times, only the most recent poll was used. Polls included in the average include YouGov (registered voters), CNN/SSRS (registered voters), Gallup (adults), Rasmussen Reports (likely voters), HarrisX / Harris Interactive (registered voters) and Quinnipiac (registered voters). Not all pollsters asked about all of the candidates, but each candidate was included in at least 2 polls.

Source: polls

Sanders’s numbers are decent — but in general moderate candidates have slightly better favorables. Buttigeg’s net-favorable ratings are a little better than Sanders, for instance, and Biden, Buttigieg and Julián Castro are the only Democrats with net-positive ratings. The worst ratings belong to liberal candidates such as Kirsten Gillibrand (who has opposed Trump more often than any other senator) and, especially, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Bulletpoint No. 2: High-information voters love Elizabeth Warren — and not Bernie Sanders

In a previous Silver Bulletpoints, I asked whether candidates who are popular among high-education voters, such as Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren, are also popular among high-information voters. There’s no particular advantage to overperforming with college-educated voters; almost 65 percent of voters in the 2016 Democratic primaries did not have a four-year college degree. But doing well with high-information voters is usually a bullish sign. These voters are more likely to judge the candidates on factors beyond name recognition, and so may be leading indicators for how other voters will view the race once they’ve acquired more information. Moreover, high-information voters are more likely to eventually turn out to vote.

Quinnipiac addressed this in their most recent poll, asking Democrats how much attention they’ve been paying to the campaign and breaking out their topline results on that basis. Among voters paying a lot of attention to the campaign, Warren got 15 percent of the vote, and Sanders got just 8 percent. Among voters who are paying little or no attention, however, Warren got just 5 percent of the vote against Sanders’s 28 percent.

Warren, Biden gain ground among high-information voters

Share of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters who supported each candidate, by how much attention they’ve been paying to the election campaign for president

Attention being paid to election Candidate Overall A lot Some Little / none Biden 35% 42% 33% 23% Warren 13 15 16 5 Harris 8 9 8 5 Buttigieg 5 9 3 1 Sanders 16 8 19 28 O’Rourke 2 3 1 2 Booker 3 2 2 4 de Blasio — 1 1 — Klobuchar 2 1 1 6 Gillibrand — 1 — — Gabbard 1 1 — 2 Yang 1 — 2 1 Hickenlooper — — 1 — Bennett — — 1 — Bullock — — 1 — Castro 1 — 1 1 Inslee — — — — Delaney — — — — Williamson — — — — Messam — — — — Swalwell — — — — Ryan — — — — Moulton — — — —

Poll dates from May 16-20, 2019

Source: Quinnipiac

Some of this is age-related — younger voters aren’t paying as much attention yet — but It’s hard not to see it as a bearish indicator for Sanders. Voters have a lot more alternatives than four years ago, and former Sanders voters who have started their shopping process already have often come home with candidates like Warren or Buttigieg instead. That includes voters in Sanders’s core constituency, very liberal voters, who preferred Warren over Sanders 30-22 in the Quinnipiac poll.

Does something similar hold for Biden? Actually not. To my surprise, Biden did a little better with high-information voters than with the electorate overall in this poll. Maybe it’s Sanders, and not Biden, whose support has been propped up by name recognition.

Bulletpoint No. 3: I’m adding Bill de Blasio to my presidential tiers — he’s in the very bottom tier

It’s not clear that anything major has changed since Biden entered the race a month ago. Biden’s post-announcement polling bounce has probably faded a bit, but polling bounces usually do. Warren has continued to gain ground a point or so at a time, but it’s been a slow burn. Whatever happened over the past few weeks will probably pale in comparison to the polling movement after the debates, which begin next month. So while I’ve been looking for excuses to update my presidential tiers, I can’t really find any.

Three additional candidates — Bill de Blasio, Steve Bullock and Michael Bennet — have entered since Biden, however. Of these, I’d probably consider Bullock the most viable because he can make a fairly strong electability argument, having been elected to two terms as Montana’s governor. But I’m not going to stake much on that until he breaks out of the asterisk range in polls.

Nate’s not-to-be-taken-too-seriously presidential tiers

For the Democratic nomination, as revised on May 23, 2019

Tier Sub-tier Candidates 1 a Biden b [this row intentionally left blank] c Harris, Sanders, Warren, Buttigieg 2 a O’Rourke b Booker, Klobuchar, Abrams* 3 a Yang, Castro, Gillibrand, Inslee b Bullock, Hickenlooper, Ryan, de Blasio ↑, Bennet, Gabbard

* Candidate is not yet officially running but is may still do so.

So the only change I’m making is to add de Blasio to the list, but only in the very bottom tier. (That does put him ahead of the likes of Eric Swalwell, Seth Moulton, Marianne Williamson and John Delaney, who aren’t listed.) As we discussed on this week’s podcast, de Blasio has a fairly interesting resume. Being mayor of New York City is no small thing, and he has some progressive accomplishments and was re-elected by 39 points in 2017. Some job candidates make a bad first impression no matter how good their resumes, however. Judging by those favorability ratings, de Blasio — with no help from the New York-based media, with whom he has an adversarial relationship — is one of them.

Bonus bulletpoint: Something is rotten down under, and it isn’t the polls

So what was that about Australia? Stop me if this one sounds familiar.

Polls showed the conservative-led coalition trailing the Australian Labor Party approximately 51-49 in the two-party preferred vote. Instead, the conservatives won 51-49. That’s a relatively small miss: The conservatives trailed by 2 points in the polls, and instead they won by 2, making for a 4-point error. The miss was right in line with the average error from past Australian elections, which has averaged about 5 points. Given that track record, the conservatives had somewhere around a 1 in 3 chance of winning.

So the Australian media took this in stride, right? Of course not. Instead, the election was characterized as a “massive polling failure” and a “shock result”.

When journalists say stuff like that in an election after polls were so close, they’re telling on themselves. They’re revealing, like their American counterparts after 2016, that they aren’t particularly numerate and didn’t really understand what the polls said in the first place. They may also be signaling, as in the case of Brexit in 2016, their cosmopolitan bias; the Australian election, which emphasized climate change, had a strong urban-rural split.

Dig in deeper, and you can find things to criticize in the polls. In particular, they showed signs of herding: all the polls showed almost exactly the same result in a way that’s statistically implausible. If Labor was ahead by only 2 points, a few polls should have shown conservatives winning just by chance alone because of sampling error.

Still, some of the headlines in the Australian media are idiotic and embarrassing. When polls show a race within a couple of percentage points, nobody — least of all journalists, who are paid to be informed about this stuff — should be shocked when the trailing side wins.

[twdmusicboxmystery]

How Henry Spoilers Define Daryl’s Arc

Okay everyone, let’s talk about Henry spoilers! These were officially leaked about six weeks ago, and I’ve been wanting to post about them since then. I didn’t get around to it before the holidays, and I’m just now getting back into it, as you know.

***So, if you hadn’t figured it out from that first paragraph, I will be discussing spoilers in this post! Don’t read if you don’t want to know. You’ve been warned!!!***

In info from the spoiler site reads thus:

“The information on Henry is evolving. He escapes the Whisperer camp sometime in episode 15 and heads back to the Kingdom. This is when he will encounter Alpha, but it looks like he will not survive and will likely end up on a pike.”

As I told my group when these surfaced, man I hate it when I’m right. At least, when it’s about something depressing.

Here’s the thing: if you look HERE, I predicted that Henry might die by the end of the season. And it was a very casual prediction. I just felt like in episode 6, they were focusing a lot on the Carzekiel family dynamic and how devoted Carol and Ezekiel were to their son. It just felt like a tragedy waiting to happen. And then there was Henry’s promise that he’d be back for the fair. Yeah, probably not gonna happen, y’all.

But then in THIS POST where I talked about predictions and possibilities for Daryl’s arc (because he’s going to be looking for Henry, much like he looked for both Sophia and Beth) I said I no longer believed Henry would die. Sure, it’s a possibility, but I thought it was more likely that Daryl would find he and he’d represent Daryl finally finding someone and getting redemption in that way.

Nope. Nada. Poor Daryl can’t catch a break. Yeah. Totally sucks. For everyone.

So what does this mean? Well, let’s discuss.

First off, you know how I keep saying I don’t think Ezekiel will get his comic book death. Of course we won’t know for sure until the Whisperer arc is over and he hasn’t died (I.e. it could still happen at any future point) but for me, this is pretty much confirmation of that. Zeke isn’t getting his CB death. It’s going to Henry.

Foreshadowing: 

As depressing as this is, TD should also look at it from a foreshadowing fulfillment stand point. Once again, THEY DON’T SAY THINGS LIKE THIS WITHOUT FULFILLING THEM! We really should have guessed this outcome from this line. We’re all just too optimistic and want to think our beloved characters will live. And for the record, most people assumed this pointed to Ezekiel’s comic book death. They threw a twist in by making it Henry’s instead. Yet another thing TD has been correct about.

And what’s the last thing Daryl said to Beth? “Go up the road. I’ll meet you there.” Beth’s last words to Daryl: “I’m not gonna leave you.”

More foreshadowing: 

This already made sense because Carol lost Sophia and Michonne lost Andrei. But once again, CALLBACKS ALWAYS DOUBLE AS FORESHADOWING! The proof is in the pudding, folks.

Not to mention, the kids around Carol pretty much always die. Totally sucks for Carol, and we wanted to believe she would get to keep Henry. And to some extent, she did. She had six good years raising him from a young boy into adulthood, but it still sucks that she’ll be burying yet another child.

(Remember when I said Carol might cut her hair again after a tragedy? Still remains to be seen, but I’d be willing to bet this is the tragedy and the short hair will return after Henry’s death.)

Henry/Beth Parallels:

I know people are going to worry that, what with all the Henry/Beth parallels we’ve already seen this season, this shows that Beth is dead, just as Henry will be. Please don’t let that worry you. Let me show you why, despite the parallels, it’s not the same thing.

In fact, I’ve gotten several comments on my picture posts showing Henry/Beth parallels by people who are obviously NOT TDers, who see the parallels and say things like, “So Henry is going to die, too.” 

And I understand where that comes from because they think Beth is dead so parallels between her and Henry make them think he’ll die too. Now he will, and that’s not the best thing for TD because people will be able to point at that as a way to prove Beth is dead. But, check it out: In my predictions post, I said if Daryl looked for another person who dies, that would be three searches for a rule of threes. But I realized I was actually mistaken about that. If we include Rick, this will be Daryl’s 4th search. 

1) Sophia 

2) Beth 

3) Rick 

4) Henry. 

And that simply means the rule of threes doesn’t really apply here. (I could get into intricate details and MAKE it fit 😉 , but it doesn’t apply in the way I was thinking of when I wrote that post.

But that made me think of another…pattern, I guess, for lack of a better word. One we couldn’t have seen before knowing about Henry’s death. Henry’s arc, at least in how it turns out, will be exactly like Sophia’s. Putting parallels aside, it will turn out MORE like Sophia’s than like Beth’s. The reason being that we will see Henry’s remains, just like we did Sophia’s. So in both cases, while the missing person wasn’t found while they still lived, or in time to save them, they were SORT OF found, but only after death. Sophia came out of the barn. Henry, I’m assuming, will be on a pike. *winces*  Beth and Rick, by contrast, we never saw bodies for. They simply disappeared. And Rick, at least, we can prove is alive. So she’s more like Rick (alive) than Sophia/Henry (dead).

That begs the question: why all the Henry/Beth parallels, then?

Well, as per usual, @thegloriouscollectorlady had some amazing insights about this and how it shapes Daryl’s arc. Hence the title of this post. Let’s start by talking about what the spoilers are saying about the Whisperers:

“This whole Whisperers situation and conflict is going to be more complex than the comics. We think there’s more going on and we may be in for some surprises.”

That just SOUNDS like something that might include Beth, doesn’t it? But more than that, we’re already foreseeing a lot of possible parallels between Grady and the Whisperers. We know Henry goes looking for Lydia, because he likes her. We don’t know much yet about the confrontation between him and Alpha that leads to his death, but if it’s something about him wanting to free Lydia, who’s a prisoner to Alpha, well, doesn’t that sound a whole hell of a lot like Beth trying to free Noah from Dawn, just before being shot?

So we’re thinking we may see some powerful Beth/Henry vs. Dawn/Alpha parallels when all this happens.

Also remember that Whisperers have rape culture, just like Grady did. The leadership dynamic is also strikingly similar (female leader, males are second in command, people not treated well, and leadership held through sheer force and brutality.) So Whisperers = Grady 2.0 and that’s Beth’s story. What better way to reintroduce her than through this similar dynamic? We always said what she learned from Grady would be important moving forward. And the Whisperers, more than any other villainous group we’ve seen since S5, are shaping up to be EXACTLY like Grady.

Not to mention, in the CBs, TF finds Alpha just before finding the heads on pikes and she’s brandishing a bloody machete. So the red machete may reappear thru the Whsiperers, which may be the point of the RED MACHETE miniseries. If Beth is with the Whisperers, Legs may still be her, but the point may have been to show the audience how the red machete went from Rick to the Saviors and eventually to the Whisperers.

And that becomes interesting too (seriously we could spin in a million different directions with this) because Rick got the red machete from a bad group (the Claimers) and now, if it’s in Alpha’s hands, it may eventually pass to Beth, who’s so heavily paralleled with Rick.

So the Whisperers are kind of like the Claimers 2.0. (We also see this because in the trailer for 9b, Lydia tells Daryl he’s more like one of them, the Whisperers, than like one of Michonne’s group. That’s a whole lot like what Joe Claimer’s argument to Daryl was.)

But I digress.

Okay, so what does this mean for Daryl? Why parallel Beth and Henry so closely? First, it’s important to note that ONLY Daryl and the audience is aware of these parallels. Maybe that seems obvious, but Carol secretly watched most of Daryl and Henry’s interactions, right? But she’s not relating it to Beth in the slightest because Daryl and Beth were alone on the road together. So we, the audience, can observe these parallels, but in terms of characters, they ONLY mean anything to Daryl.

That’s important because this is going to reopen a very raw, unhealed wound for him. 

For Daryl, looking for Sophia represented finding a place for himself in the group, and also reliving his childhood because no one looked for him. He was strong and saved himself. In 9x08, Aaron also says fear stops Daryl from letting people get too close to him. Fear of failure. When he loses someone he’s searched for, he blames himself.

Both Beth and Denise recognized this fear in Daryl and called him on it. (Beth in Still bc since Sophia, he never lets anyone get close; Denise because he isn’t handling his shit and it’s stupid.) It’s not Daryl’s job to actually save them, but rather to try and save them. They generally have to save themselves. But Daryl can’t see that. He can’t see beyond his own failures to save people he cares about.

Daryl has to learn that he can’t save people directly. He can give them the skills to save themselves, but they have to choose. And this is what’s always happened. He gave Tina meds to help her survive, but she did something stupid by walking up to two walkers and getting herself bitten. Daryl gave Dwight and Sherry the opportunity to be saved, but they chose to go back to Negan. (This messes with Daryl’s head, by the way, because he can’t understand why someone would choose not to be saved. He simply can’t comprehend that level of stupidity.) He gave Denise the opportunity to go on the outside and learn to protect herself, but she still died. And of course, he gave Beth the skills to survive on her own, but she has to save herself.

Again, this was @thegloriouscollectorlady’s insight into Daryl’s arc, and it’s fantastic! Because he can’t see beyond his own failures, this is not something he ever has or ever will learn. At least, not on his own. When he couldn’t save Rick, he started living on his own in the wild. 

The only way I imagine he’ll learn this is by Beth’s return. Not only will he see that he was never gonna be able to save her—she had to save herself and did—but he’ll see that he gave her the skills to survive, but it was up to her to use them. I think he’ll finally start to comprehend this, and maybe it will even be a matter of her telling him. She pointed out his emotional stumbling blocks to him before in Still, and he realized she was right and then proceeded to move past them. He hasn’t had that kind of break through since he lost her in S5.

So, in short, with spoilers of Henry’s death, we’re starting to understand why the parallels between him and Beth are happening. It’s going to be the final straw for Daryl before Beth finally returns and he learns what he needs to learn in order to be the person—maybe even the leader—he needs to become.

Another interesting parallel:

Apparently, Henry will get so close to the Kingdom before actually being caught and killed that he can see the lights from the fair. This is like Andrea (who got close enough to prison to wave at Rick before being captured, which leads to her death) and Beth (almost got her out of Grady but  got shot at the last possible minute).

I should probably touch on Carol’s arc since Henry is her son. I won’t go into much detail, but let’s just say we’re hoping Carol deals with Henry’s death in a healthier way than she did with Sophia’s. Still mourning, of course, but not devolving into the person that burnt David and Karen alive.

Notice I said, we HOPE that’s what will happen. Honestly, I’m not convinced. We saw her burn the Saviors in 9x01, which was a close parallel to her burning Karen and David in 4a, so that might foreshadow her returning to that mindset. 

She may also end up taking Michonne’s CB arc at some point. If that doesn’t mean much to you, don’t worry about it. If it does happen, it probably won’t be this season, so I can talk about it later.

Finally, I want to mention one more detail. Then I’ll shut up. I promise. I’ve had a lot of people this season asking me what the point of killing Carl was when Henry seems to be taking all his arcs, and is roughly the same age. Well, Henry’s impending death pretty well answers that question.

1. Carl wouldn’t have survived much longer. It’s not like they killed him off and then gave someone else his arc (Henry) and kept him on for multiple seasons. If Carl had kept this arc, he simply would have died this season rather than last season.

2. It has to do with how this affects Carol and Daryl. Obviously this will drive Carol and Ezekiel’s arc in a way Carl’s death never would have. As for Daryl, well, it just wouldn’t have been realistic for it to be Carl. Carl would never have left Alexandria, Michonne, and Judith behind to become a blacksmith’s apprentice at the Hilltop. So then Carol would never have asked Daryl to protect him, and the rest of Daryl’s impending arc would have been kaput. See what I mean? It just wouldn’t have worked if it had been Carl, so they gave it Henry, and it appears it will end relatively quickly.

So yeah, just wanted to point that out for the people who’ve asked. It’s not a hating-on-Carl thing. It really is a serving-the-story thing, which is what Gimple told us back when Carl died.

Thoughts on any of this?

Special thanks to @thegloriouscollectorlady, @wdway, @bethgreeneisqueen, @lilly.loop, and @frangipanilove for contributing their thoughts to this.

[taibu]

Genyatta - KARAOKE MAYHEM 2.0 (Genyatta Week 2018 - Day 1)

Well! Here we are! Let’s hope I’m doing this right haha! Super long and really badly written, sorry. But my arm was literally falling off near the end so I needed to finish it fast! Enjoy!

WARNING: VERY fluffy. Like. Holy fuck. Obviously gay shit. OOC mostly because I'm still new to the franchise haha. Also headcanons. Loooads of them. Mostly for Zenyatta tho.

Other things to note: Most characters not seen in this fic are either working for the Talon or haven't joined Overwatch yet, or in some cases are just away atm. Mostly because I can't be fucked to add them ALL in the fic, there is like, gazillion of them, Jesus. I'm already pulling my hair with the amount I have uuuugh Iris embrace me...

Oh! Here’s also a Youtube-playlist to all the songs used in this fic! Listen to it for effect! 

OVERWATCH - KARAOKE MAYHEM 2.0

"Seriously?" Genji asked, lowering the paper Hana had just handed him. "Yup!" Tracer chirped, jumping a bit. "I thought it would be fun to do something for the coming New Year and what better way than to revive the good old Karaoke Mayhem!" Genji let out a groan and threw his head back over-dramatically. Zenyatta, gently floating next to him, chuckled warmly as he took the paper handed to him. It was an invitation to the party Tracer had named Karaoke Mayhem back in the good old days of Overwatch. It had been when Genji was in Blackwatch, still young and hateful towards life, vengeful against his brother, lost and lonely. Back then he had stayed in the party just for the free drinks and snack, but as McCree had started singing Cotton Eye Joe he had locked himself in his room to brood. And McCree had been the THIRD to sing. But now things were different. Genji had found piece, he was full of life, and his relationship with his brother was getting better by the day now that Hanzo too worked to Overwatch. He mostly showed negative emotions for humoristic effect. But part of him still begged him to only go for the free food and NOT to sing anything. "It's a completely free-for-all experience!" Lúcio said. "I know there are some who will refuse to sing at all, but the invitation is always open and we have the whole night to use! So if you change your mind about wanting to participate of the stage, just hit me up and I'll find the songs ya need!" "The earlier you make your choice, the better, but no pressure!" Hana giggled. The tree said hasty byes to the two omnics as they still needed to give the invitations to many other members and to plaster the posters reminding everyone of the party in every free space on the walls. "Last time I wasn't able to enjoy any of it, mostly due my own discomfort with myself..." Genji said as he looked at the invitation, printed on bright pink paper, probably designed by D.Va. "What was the other reason then?" Zenyatta asked, folding his own invitation neatly and putting it in his pocket. "McCree's singing." Genji said with a smirk that was hidden by his mask, but Zenyatta laughed warmly which made Genji's heart flutter. "Well hopefully you'll stay long enough for my performance!" the monk said calmly, with a hint of excitement in his voice. "Whoa! You're going to sing, master?" Genji asked, positively surprised. He had known Zenyatta would participate, mostly to spent time with the team, but to actually go on the stage and sing? That made Genji's mind go all wild. He had never heard Zenyatta sing, and they had been spending a LOT of time together since they first met, and more now that they were with Overwatch. They trained together, their rooms were next to each other, they meditated every day for hours, Zenyatta would join the team in the cafeteria despite not needing to eat himself... yet not once had Genji heard his master more than hum occasionally when tending his plants or when cleaning. The thought of Zenyatta's warm and calm voice bursting into a full on song made Genji's legs shake. "Why yes! I am planning to. Just one song though. I'm quite rusty after not doing it for a while, but it will feel good to use my voice for it's original purpose after such a long time..." Zenyatta said, holding his hands together on his chest, clearly exited, despite his voice being so calm. "It's original purpose?" Genji asked. Zenyatta had mentioned that he was originally made into a worker for a restaurant, thus his calm and collected composure and lean and sleek build. He, and his late brother, had been replaced with the newer models soon tho and were abandoned, thus giving them all their time to experience tranquility. But where would Zenyatta need a good voice for if he was just a waiter? As if he was reading Genji's thoughts, Zenyatta answered: "Serving wasn't the only job I had in the good old joint... I also had to provide our guests with entertainment on occasion." "So you used to sing to them?" Genji asked, sitting in a lotus-position on the ground in front of his master to show that he was interested enough to sit and wait for the omnic to finish the story. Zenyatta floated slowly down until his body touched the ground. "Indeed. There was a stage in the restaurant where me and my brother often gave our best performances to our visitors. Many found it quite enjoyable. I had few admirers too!" Zenyatta let out a chuckle. "A young girl with short blonde hair once even asked for my autograph! I didn't have a name back then, so I just gave her a serial-number." Genji laughed, it seemed he wasn't the only fan his master had. "Did you enjoy it? Performing, that is?" he asked. Zenyatta let out what could have been seen as a happy sigh if he was a human. "Yes. Very much. Part of me misses it..." "Though not everyone found it that amazing. Some just didn't like omnics, but many also said that we were just build to spout songs out of our systems. That is not true though. Just like with humans, you need more than a good voice to sing! You also need to understand rhythm, leveling your voice, pitch... It takes some time to learn. Luckily I had all the time to learn in the kitchen while washing the dishes for the evening. My then boss heard me, and actually complimented me! Next week he pulled me off my own duty to cover for a singer who's voice-box had overheated suddenly. After that, I sang every once in a while to our guests." Zenyatta let out another sigh. "I... kinda miss those days." He lifted his hands in his lap, staring at them. "The late nights of me alone in the kitchen cleaning and singing to myself. My somber and dramatic performances. The "Happy Birthdays" I would sing to the children. The performances I would pull off with my dear Brother to make our guests laugh... I wish you could have heard him, Genji. Mondatta's voice was truly something else. If his speeches gathered crowds, his singing would have brought the world together in an instant!" Genji wanted to take Zenyatta's hand in his own. The omnic very rarely spoke of his late brother, especially like this. Last time the conversation had turned to Zenyatta overheating and hiccuping, only to excuse himself and lock himself in his room. Genji didn't know if Omnics could cry, but he was sure that was what Zenyatta had been doing for the following hours. Loosing Mondatta had been a huge blow to him. And Genji understood him perfectly. When his mother and father had died he had felt the same. Instead Genji decided to hold his hand on his master's shoulder instead. "I'm sure I would have enjoyed his performance greatly." he assured his master. Zenyatta lifted his head a bit, and even if he was physically unable to, Genji was sure the omnic was smiling to him. "What about you, my student? Will I find you on the stage as well?" he asked then, clearly ready to not think about his only family-member he had lost so painfully. Genji was taken back by the question. "Ah, I don't know... I've been in karaokes before, in my youth, but Hanzo said I sound like a dying whale when I sing..." Zenyatta laughed warmly. "That would be spirit-lifting!" "I suppose. And embarrassing." Genji sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "But... If I got few laughs out of people, it would be worth it!" Genji meant to say "few laughs out of YOU" but changed it last second, not wanting to seem too forward to his master. "I'm glad you think of everyone else before yourself, Genji!" Zenyatta chimed. "It only proves your progress. I'm proud of you, Sparrow" Genji felt butterflies in his stomach as he heard those words. Zenyatta had told him he was proud of Genji before, but every time was more magical than the last. Genji was glad he had his visor on, otherwise Zenyatta would have seen the deep red shade his face took on these words. He simply bowed a bit and muttered a hasty "thank you master". --- Rest of the day Genji walked around base and thought about his master. His sensual voice bending into rhythm of the music and finding the perfect pitch for every word. But no matter how hard he tried he could not imagine it. He had to hear it. And he would, in few days. But the wait felt abysmal... "Yo! Genji!" Cyborg turned to see Lúcio skate to him, carrying something that seemed like musical equipment. "Yo!" Genji said waving his hand. They would have done a high-five but Lúcio's hands were too full for that. "You seem busy with the preparations." ninja said as he started walking alongside his friend. "Yup! I've been keeping track of everyone's music-requests, putting up lights, preparing the back-drops... Now I'm little worried we won't get everything done before the big day!" Lúcio huffed. "If there is anything I can do, please ask!" Genji said. He needed something to do anyway, he might as well help his friend in need. Genji found that working with Lúcio, Lena and Hana was more play than work. Everything was a race with Hana, Lúcio would spew out jokes and give them appropriate music to work for and Lena just had that halo of happiness that shone wherever she went. Genji let out a content sigh. He was happy for friends like these. He felt bad for acting the way he did in the past, and would work his way to be better person for everyone! But he would not be this way without his master... At one point Genji saw his master talking with Lúcio. He thought about going and saying hi, but saw that their matter seemed personal, and concerted on his work, or at least tried to. Twenty minutes later Lúcio returned to the others, reading trough the notes he had taken when talking to Zenyatta. "Your master sure knows what he wants from his show!" Lúcio said, flipping the book close and stuffing it in his pocket. "I hope he isn't too demanding?" Genji said, laying down a box filled with old microphones. "Not at all! I actually prefer people who know exactly what they want and need. It helps preparations a big time!" the ebony man said, smiling. The four then started testing the mics. They needed multiple, some for people who wanted to sing together, some in case some would break during the mayhem itself. They got seven working mics and threw the rest in Lúcio's room for spare-parts. "So what about you, ninja-boy?" Lúcio asked once they were walking back to the stage. "Are ya gonna sing?" Genji chuckled. "I've never had such a good voice... Ask Hanzo." "Dude, he's your brother! Of course he would think you sound like a stuffed elephant! Maybe you're just little... rusty." Lúcio snickered, gently elbowing Genji's arm. Genji let out a wholehearted laugh. Just few years before, he would have strangled Lúcio for making fun of his looks, but Genji was okay with his new body now. He knew Lúcio didn't mean to make him feel uncomfortable, and if he ever did, he would be sure to apologize in a heartbeat. Zenyatta had told Genji that in order to learn how to truly laugh, you first needed to learn to laugh at yourself. "Maybe so. Want to help me wash it off?" the cyborg asked. "Sure man! And if you're more comfortable with your local songs, just ask and I'll find them for ya!" "Sounds like a plan!" --- Last few days Genji helped his friends to put up the stage, and they got it done just in time. In between preparations, Lúcio would give Genji some voice-training. He helped Genji to find a good pitch for his voice, follow the rhythm and even some sick dance-moves. Hana and Lena were an excellent audience, giving cheers as he did something right, and laughing wholeheartedly when he missed a mark or made a funny noise, most just to make the girls laugh. Lúcio was a great teacher. Patient and filled with optimism. It filled Genji with a feeling he could only describe as friendship. Genji would think of his old "friends" he had in school. Most were jerks that only wanted to hang out with a rich kid. Rest were ass-kissers and air-headed cheerleaders Genji kept around for looks. He had never had this much fun with other people, not even his own brother when they were kids. And it made him feel safe and content. "You're making good progress, bro!" Lúcio chimed happily. "Tho in my opinion you still need some practice to be perfect. Unfortunately we don't have time to perfect your act before the big moment, but I know you'll do great none the less!" "All thanks to you, man!" Genji said, lifting his hand and Lúcio high-fiving him gladly. He then looked behind Genji and chimed a quick hello to someone, running past the cyborg. Genji turned around to see that Zenyatta had entered the room, carrying a box of some kind. He whispered few words to Lúcio, who smiled and nodded, taking the box. Zenyatta waved a quick goodbye to Genji and the girls and left as swiftly as he had entered. "So when you gonna tell 'im, luv?" Tracer asked suddenly. "Hmh?" Genji hummed, barely turning his head. "You know. That you like him?" D.Va added, smirking. "Who?" Genji asked, confused. "Zenyatta!" both girls and Lúcio who had walked to them shouted. "WHAT!?" Genji felt his voice glitch with surprise. "How do you- I mean when- I mean-" "Genji. Buddy. Everyone knows." Lúcio said, holding the box on one hand and landing other on the cyborg's shoulder. "Everyone expect Zenny apparently." Hana giggled. "How... long have you..?" Genji stuttered. "Ever since you almost took a bullet for 'im on a mission." Lena said. "Ever since you gave him, "The look" to him on the dinner on my first week here." Hana said. "Ever since ya put so much effort into your new move just to make 'im proud." Lúcio said. Genji let out some steam from his seams. "Tho-those could all be seen as platonic things, you know!?" "The fact you said "could" kinda sealed the deal, luv." Tracer said, landing her hand on Genji's arm. Genji groaned and slumped on the near by sofa. Lúcio took the box under his desk and joined him and the girls on the sofa soon after. "So. When?" Hana continued where they started. "Never. He's too good for me." Genji said matter of factually. "What!? Luv! You're perfect for 'im!" Lena gasped. "He is calm, collected, sweet, you're loyal, brave and strong! You complete each other!" "Lena's right, dude. Besides, I'm sure he likes you just as much!" Lúcio said. "Really?" Genji asked, trying to keep another puff of steam in, failing. "Well I mean... I can't really read 'im, no face and all that, but he talks about ya a lot!" he answered. "True! Every time I talk to him he says how proud he is of you!" Hana chimed in. "Yup! Even when the conversation has NOTHIN' to do with you!" Lena laughed. Genji let out another puff of steam to hold himself from overheating. Zenyatta... really liked him back? He could scream. Indeed, he might actually just do that! "Who talks about who?" Hanzo's voice chimed in just when Genji was about to let out a glitched scream of excitement. "Zenny about Genji." Hana answered. "Ah, that. Yeah, he does. A lot." Hanzo sighed, rolling his eyes. Even Hanzo confirmed it! Genji no longer felt like screaming, he felt like crying. With happiness. "What, we talkin' 'bout Zenny and Genji-boy?" McCree asked walking in. Where did all of these people keep coming in!? "Yup." Hanzo simply said. McCree laughed hard. "It is a surprise ya'll aren't all over each other yet! He totally has a thing for you, partner!" Now Genji didn't know what to feel. Happiness, embarrassment, annoyance, glee... It all manifested with a steady stream of steam that finally escaped his vents and a deep sigh. "So... not planning on telling him?" Lúcio asked, landing his hand on the cooling shoulder of the cyborg. "I don't know anymore... I just... want him to be happy. I want to make him laugh. I want to... make sure he lives every day of his life in bliss..." Genji sighed. Thinking about Zenyatta and his warm voice, his cute laugh and sweet embrace made Genji momentary forget where he was, but luckily for him, he was surrounded by friends and family who were happy for him. "By the dragons, you ARE in love!" Hanzo exhaled with clear surprise in his voice, but soon smiled and put his little brother in a arm-lock. "And here I thought I'd never see the day you settle down!" Hanzo laughed, ruffling his brother's hair gently. Genji was surprised of his brother's sudden showing of love, but took it gladly. "I think you should tell 'im, luv. I'm sure he would like it a lot." Tracer giggled, glad to see the two brothers so close all of the sudden. "I know. But... I'm not sure how yet..." Genji said as Hanzo finally let him go. "You could do it in the Karaoke Mayhem! With a help of a song!" Hana nearly squeaked. "Oh God no!" Hanzo yelled, over-dramatically. "Zenyatta's audio receptors will burst!" "Hey man! Genji's gotten better with his voice by the day! He may not be perfect, but at least Zen won't need to be repaired right after!" Lúcio chimed in, putting his hands around Genji's shoulders proud of his work. "Still, I think a song would be bit... over-dramatic..." Hanzo said more seriously. "No it would not! It would be romantic!" Hana giggled, stars in her eyes. "I would love if someone I liked sang to me!" "You're a romantic tho." McCree said. "Zenyatta is more... down to earth. I'm sure just stating yer feelings will be enough to 'im!" "You blokes are boring!" Lena scoffed. "But Genji, it's your call. Sing to him or don't, that's your choice to make, luv." Genji thought about it a long while. Finally he laughed a bit. "I'll tell him of my feelings, but not with a song. I... want to think about this trough with more time. I want it to be perfect. For now, I only want to make him laugh and enjoy himself." cyborg finally said. He looked at Lúcio with a smirk under his visor. "I know what song I'm going to sing at the party. Will you help me with the backdrops?" "Ya don't even need to ask, my dude." Lúcio said, smiling widely. --- The evening begun with a low techno-tones booming from the speakers as people started gathering in one by one. Lúcio visited each, welcoming them and asking one last additions to their performances, possible song-changes etc. Tracer flashed around making sure everyone had enough drinks and snacks, and D.Va paced around both exited and nervous of her performances. She had taken two songs, one at the very beginning, one near the end. Genji's turn was around the middle, just before Hanzo, and the two brothers, sharing table with McCree, tried to guess each other's songs. Genji was glad none of their guesses were right. When it came time to guess McCree's song, both brothers simply looked at each other knowingly. McCree laughed and tried to convince them that Cotton Eye Joe was not his choice for the first song this time, and although Hanzo let out a sigh of relief, Genji knew Jesse better than that. When Zenyatta arrived, Genji waved to him and invited him to sit with them. Zenyatta complied happily floating in the chair next to Genji. "It's good to see you in such good spirits tonight my student." the omnic said happily, talking bit louder than usual to make his voice audible over the rumble of the techno. "I can't help it! We've made such an effort for this to be as perfect as we can, the least we can do is to enjoy it ourselves!" Genji laughed, and was delighted to hear Zenyatta join him. "I suppose you're right. Although I must confess I feel bit jealous of you friends who got to spend so much time with you during these few days." the omnic then said. Genji felt flustered. Zenyatta was... jealous? For him? He then realized that during the last three days he had been spending less and less time with his master, in helping his friends and the singing lessons from Lúcio. He barely had time for their daily meditation. "I'm sorry I've left you alone like that, master. I never realized our time together meant so much to you..." Genji said, leaning closer that Hanzo and McCree, engaged in a heated debate over which was better; sake or beer, would not hear them. "Don't apologize, my sparrow." Omnic said, clearly smiling despite the lack of mouth. "It has been a bliss to watch you interact with your friends. I'm glad that you share your friendship with other people as well and not just you old boring master." Genji blushed. He wanted to tell his master that he would always have time for the omnic, that spending time with him was such a bliss he would never trade it to anything else, that his master was the only one he let see his most hidden things of his personality... but he took a silent breath and simply replied: "You are far from boring, or old, master. You're ten years YOUNGER than me." Zenyatta laughed again, but before he could answer, they were interrupted by Lúcio stepping on the stage with a mic. "Thank you all so much for comin' to the Karaoke Mayhem 2.0!" he chimed, followed by a wave of applause. "The list of the performances is on the wall over there" he pointed at the wall near the tables "so feel free to get yourself ready for your own while you wait. For now, let's stop talking and start singing!" Applause again. Before they died off, Lúcio, deepening his voice a bit, mumbled in the mic: "Ladies and gentlemen... It's Mambo N. 5!" Cheers followed as a familiar song started to play off the speakers. Lúcio sang with his great voice, making dance-moves that would have seen impossible for any other person. As the chorus came, they soon noticed he had changed the lyrics a tad bit... "A little bit of Angela in my life A little bit of Mei by my side A little bit of Lena is all I need A little bit of D.Va is what I see A little bit of Zarya in the sun A little bit of Ana all night long A little bit of Fareeha here I am A little bit of you makes me your man" Everyone cheered and laughed, all the girls in the base having a different reactions to their names coming up in the song. Mercy blushed, Mei even harder, Tracer laughed and gave a thumbs-up, Hana, who was recording the performance with her phone simply smiled, Zarya gave a cheeky smile and took a sip of her drink, Ana gave the man a toast, Pharah covered her face embarrassed. There was a huge roar of cheers and applause as Lúcio finished, bowing. Hana was next. Much more braver than before, she jumped on the stage and a jumpy K-pop-song started booming from the speakers. Hana's high-pitched voice started singing in Korea some song Genji had never heard but enjoyed none the less. Next up was Tracer. She flashed on the stage and laughed. Soon the familiar beat of "Wannabe" started playing and everyone cheered again. Lena would flash back and forth in time, singing the whole song by herself, using different pitches for each spice, sometimes Genji would swear he saw more than one Tracer on the stage at once, but cheered for her like everyone else did. Next up was Fareeha who sang her version of Cher's Believe. Her performance was not as jumpy as the three others, but it was a nice change of pace after so many exiting songs. McCree was next, and Genji was little surprised that he was singing Country Road instead of Cotton Eye Joe. But everyone seemed slightly disappointed when he didn't. Not that they said it out loud. Reinhardt was next and he sang an old German ballad, tearing up at the end so much he could hardly breath anymore. Genji could feel the old-timely nostalgia the crusader must have felt when singing and found himself misty eyed as well. He clapped to Reinhardt louder than the others so far. Winston was next, and sang Man on the Moon. Knowing Winston's past with the said space-rock, it gave his song a nice twist of irony. Tracer had her second turn after that, singing MMMBop, now much more calm performance, jumpy and happy yes, but without flashes between time and space. Genji was little shocked to see his name pop up next on the big screen. He got up, embraced the cheers and applause he received, and jumped on the stage, taking the mic from Tracer who winked at him. She must have heard from Lúcio what he was about to sing. He nodded at the ebony man, who turned his music on, and the lights off. When the ambient chimed in, some "woo"-ed a little, recognizing the classic instantly. It wasn't until the electric voice on the background first sang "Domo arigatou, Mr. Roboto" did Hanzo groan so loud it almost drowned the music. Genji smiled under his mask, and started the song. Thankfully the song didn't require amazing voice or perfect pitch, so he went overboard and acted out and dramatically on the stage, making everyone laugh. Except Hanzo who had hidden his face in his hands in shame for his blood-relative. With those cheers and laughs Genji heard his master's voice. The omnic would have dropped from his chair if he wasn't floating. That made Genji so happy he finished the song with as grace he had left, replacing the ending's "I'm Killroy"s with "I'm Genji!"s. Everyone cheered and clapped, Zenyatta even getting on his feel and standing to applause him. Genji was beaming under his visor. He had made his master laugh. His night could not get any better than this... "That was delightful, Genji!" Zenyatta said as Genji sat back on his spot between him and Hanzo, who still was hiding his face. "I didn't think you'd do it, but darn it boy, you did!" McCree chimed in. "I have no brother." Hanzo muttered getting up and making his way to the stage. Hanzo's song was much more serious than his brothers at least. Genji didn't remember the name of the song, but he recognized it as the same their father had often sang while driving, cooking or having a drink with friends. Tho Hanzo sounded much like their father (let alone LOOKED like him), Hanzo's tone was much more serious, somber, sad almost. Genji didn't even notice the tears that made their way down his face until Hanzo finally finished to the sound of loud applause. "At least one of us has some dignity left." he then said, sitting down on his place and taking his drink. Genji laughed a bit, noticing his voice cracking a bit. Hanzo noticed this and watched as his brother took of his visor to clean off the tears. "It's the song father used to sing, wasn't it?" Genji asked, still cleaning his face, Zenyatta handing him a tissue, wherever he pulled it from. Hanzo hummed and nodded. The elder brother smiled just a bit as he wrapped his arm around his younger brother's shoulder. "Didn't mean to make you cry tho." he said, almost as an apology as Mei began Donna Summer's Power of One with her meek and quiet voice. "You didn't. I got dust in my eyes." Genji lied, knowing he would not be believed. Hanzo laughed just a bit, holding his brother closer. Genji smiled back, his face exposed now and putting his mask on the table. With a content sigh he listened to Mei sing, getting braver by the word, soon going so strong and high that she seemed like a completely different person. If he wasn't so fixated on watching Mei's performance, he would have noticed how Zenyatta was looking at him, head bend slightly to the left, shoulders up, as if he was smiling... Angela and Zarya had almost refused to sing, Mercy due being embarrassed, Zarya because she didn't care, but Ana had been able to coax them into singing "I feel like a woman" with her, and all three seemed to enjoy the experience quite a lot, even having a group hug at the end. Maybe it was just because both Ana and Zarya were bit drunk and Mercy was just happy she had sang after all, or maybe the girls had forged a whole new friendship on the stage, Genji was eager to see. Ana's second turn was right after her first, and she embarassed her daughter by Singing Meredith Brook's "I'm a Bitch". Everyone else found it quite fitting however. Lucio would then sing one of his first singles, getting everyone pumped up again. Barely after Lúcio had finished, a familiar sound of bass started blasting off the speakers. Hana was standing on the stage soon, singing one of the most well known songs of her homeland. Gangnam Style. Most of the watchers got up to dance with her while Hana used her chirpy voice to make even Hanzo smile, despite no-one having any idea what she was saying. The beat and Hana's dancing was enough to get them pumped up. Even Genji got up to dance, and pulled Zenyatta to dance with him. The omnic was bit confused at first, but soon danced in perfect sync with his student. All too soon the song was over. When the party people finally calmed down, Genji saw Zenyatta's name pop up on the screen. His heart missed a beat. He had almost forgotten that his master would be singing too! And he had already thought his night would not get any better... Zenyatta's motor whirred louder than usual, and the omnic slowly got up, checking on his robes to make sure they were straight, and levitating his orbs on the table. "Watch over them while I'm on the stage, Genji." he whispered to him, making his way to to Lúcio who was holding the mic for him while everyone else cheered. Genji watched Lúcio whisper one last thing in Zenyatta's audio receptor, the Omnic nodding and taking the mic, slightly bowing. Ebony man bowed back and made his way back behind his desk. Zenyatta turned to face the crowd, seemingly eager to get to singing again. Genji didn't notice how he was at the edge of his seat, holding his breath. Slowly the lights dimmed to almost none at all, the only thing making light was Zenyatta's forehead-lights with their cold blue gleam. Silently the music started, and Genji recognized it soon as Owl City's Fireflies. Every time a little chime ringed in the song, the backdrop showed a colorful flash, adding more and more, until the room was filled with light. As the song kicked up, Zenyatta brought the mic to his face... and sang. "You would not believe your eyes If ten million fireflies Lit up the world as I fell asleep 'Cause they fill the open air And leave teardrops everywhere You'd think me rude but I would just stand and stare" As the omnic's synthetic voice calmly made out the vocals of the song, Genji felt shivers on his back. Master's voice was... like that feeling you get when you see snow for the first time in your life, or when a bird lands on your hand to feed of the bread-scrums you're giving it, or when the first gleam of sun breaks its way trough the clouds after a rainfall. He watched the slow, subtle movements Zenyatta made while singing. Those small moves that were in perfect synch with the rhythm of the song. "I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep 'Cause everything is never as it seems" The first chorus was sang quietly, almost as a whisper. Whisper Genji wanted to believe was only for him. Just to his ears. "'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs From ten thousand lightning bugs As they tried to teach me how to dance A foxtrot above my head A sock hop beneath my bed A disco ball is just hanging by a thread" The second verse was much more pumping that the first one, Zenyatta moving much more openly, almost like he was dancing to the beat. Genji beamed, watching his master enjoy every step he took, every word he sang, every movement he made in the rhythm of the song... Genji knew that the second chorus was louder, almost booming, knowing it would be the "Wow"-moment of the song. Genji held his breath and waited to see what would happen. He noticed Lúcio bending under the counter and opening the box Zenyatta had given him earlier that day. What came out made more than just Genji gasp in awe. "I'd like to make myself believe That planet Earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep 'Cause everything is never as it seems (when I fall asleep)" From the box, thousands of small balls of light flew out, surrounding Zenyatta like fireflies he was singing of. They circled him like the orbs he had left behind just moments ago. Genji looked up to them fly around the room, and around the audience, gasping with wonder. As one landed on his nose, Genji saw that it indeed WAS a orb, just much, much smaller than the ones resting on the table right now. The light came from the shining symbols carved on them with great care. Genji wondered how long it had taken Zenyatta to make all of them, and where he had gotten the materials. He then noticed Mercy whisper something to Ana. Genji wasn't as good reading lips as Hanzo was, but he thought he saw her say "It took many hours to finish these little buggers. I'm glad they turned out so well!" Genji smiled. Of course. Angela would seem like a person with time, know-how and materials to help Zenyatta make all of these little things. "Leave my door open just a crack (Please take me away from here) 'Cause I feel like such an insomniac (Please take me away from here) Why do I tire of counting sheep? (Please take me away from here) When I'm far too tired to fall asleep (Haha)" The song went back to calm and collected again, Zenyatta now returning back to his more subtle ways of movement, interacting with the "fireflies" around him. All of the echoed lyrics in the background had a woman singing in them, and for a moment Genji though he could recognize the voice... But he brushed it off his mind as Zenyatta turned to face him on the stage. "To ten million fireflies I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes I got misty eyes as they said farewell But I'll know where several are If my dreams get real bizarre 'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar" All throughout the verse, Zenyatta was staring straight at Genji, face expressionless, but voice with a slight hint of thousand feelings all mixed into one. Pride, happiness, sadness, glee... Genji was only half listening to the words themselves and just staring at the Omnic with wide eyes and a gentle smile on his face. Zenyatta was singing JUST FOR HIM right now... those words were just for him to hear. Now the things everyone had told him were confirmed to be true. Zenyatta did have feelings for him. Genji felt his heart burst with joy as Zenyatta turned back to the other audience to finish the last chorus. "I'd like to make myself believe That planet Earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep 'Cause everything is never as it seems (when I fall asleep) I'd like to make myself believe That planet Earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep 'Cause everything is never as it seems (when I fall asleep) I'd like to make myself believe That planet Earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep Because my dreams are bursting at the seams" As the last words disappeared into the night, Genji found himself standing and applauding as hard as he could, alongside everyone else on the base, cheering and whistling to the most amazing performance they had seen in a while. Even Zarya smiled and gave few genuine claps and a toast to the Omnic. Zenyatta simply bowed and thanked everyone on the mic before handing it to Lúcio. "Master... that was... absolutely amazing!" Genji gasped, taking the omnic's hands in his own without even realizing it first. "Thank you Genji. Your words mean a lot to me." Zenyatta said, sounding bit winded. He quietly squeezed Genji's hand, making the other notice he was indeed holding them, and quietly freed his other, waving it few times, gathering all the wandering orbs and retreating them back to their box. After he was done, he took a deep breath and sat down. Controlling all of those small orbs at once must have taken some wind out of him, Genji though, sitting back to his place. Hanzo smiled warmly at his brother, seeing how he was still holding on to his master's hand. But McCree had disappeared. "Thank ya all for coming tonight! You all made this night amazing!" Lúcio spoke to everyone trough the mic, and everyone cheered. "Now feel free to stay behind and enjoy the great company! But before we wrap the karaoke-portion of this night up, there is still one more song we have to hear for this party to truly be seen as a Overwatch's Karaoke Mayhem!" he continued, smirking. Genji put two and two together; McCree was nowhere to be seen, and there was still one more song to. "Nooooo" he groaned. And just few seconds later, Lúcio jumped off the stage and McCree's voice started residing the well known words of Cotton Eye Joe. The crowd either groaning, laughing or cheering with tears in their eyes. Some were happy to hear Jesse's gravely voice sing the old classic, and some could not believe he actually did it. Genji turned to Hanzo just to see him mouth "We're done!" to Jesse. It happened to be a silent moment in to song and McCree mouthed away from the mic "But baby, I love you!" looking heartbroken. Hanzo simply blushed and looked away. Genji felt a wash of realization over him. How Hanzo and McCree spend most of their time together nowadays, how Hanzo interacted with the cowboy much more different than anyone he knew, how they even spend most time in this party! Genji almost threw himself to Hanzo to hug him and tell him how happy he was for his brother, when Zenyatta tugged his arm. "Can I speak with you in private?" He whispered. Genji's heart skipped a beat. "Sure." he muttered, as they left McCree finish the song and Hanzo to blush. --- "I can't believe I didn't notice before!" Genji gasped as they walked outside the base, the faint ending notes of Cotton Eye Joe on the background. "Notice what?" Zenyatta asked. "Hanzo and Jesse! They've been together this whole time! And I didn't notice until now! Haha!" Genji laughed, grabbing Zenyatta from his waist and twirling them around a bit. Zenyatta yelped, but laughed them as Genji let him down embarased. "Sorry. I'm just so happy for them! Jesse was my best friend back in the Blackwatch days and Hanzo... well, is my brother! And I thought he would never find anyone he would be happy with! And they are perfect for each other!" cyborg said, walking around, not able to keep himself still. "Hanzo is serious, loyal and smart, but bit too grumpy at the times. Jesse is funny, laid back and strong willed, but has a bad habit of forgetting to work before play! They are made for each other!" Zenyatta chuckled. "I'm glad to see you so happy for your brother and friend. It really warms my motor to see you so happy for someone else." "Haha, about time I suppose..." Genji laughed, stopping his pacing to face his master. He took a silent breath. This was it. He didn't care anymore! He would tell his master his feelings, here and now! All he needed was an opening... "So. What did you want to talk with me?" Genji asked, taking Zenyatta's hands in his own again. Zenyatta sighed happily, lowering his face a bit, as to smile. But he lifted his head soon and said: "You're ready Genji." "Ready?" Genji asked. "Ready to face the world as who you are. You are happy, you are one with your new body, you have friends and your relationship with your brother can only get better from here. You're ready now." Zenyatta said, happily. But then he lowered his face again. This time he wasn't smiling. "You... don't need my teachings anymore. I... have no more to teach you. You're... ready." Genji felt his heart sink. THIS was what Zenyatta wanted to tell him? That he was no longer the cyborg's master!? Genji felt his breath shorten, and only then remembered that his mask was still on the table alongside Zenyatta's orbs. "Ma... Master?" Genji began, but Zenyatta lifted his hand gently to stop him. "Just Zenyatta will do from now on, Genji." "Z... Zenyatta? Does this mean... you won't be my teacher anymore?" Genji stuttered. "I'm sorry this affect you so badly, Genji. But that is only bigger reason to let go now..." the omnic sighed. "It's... okay..." Genji said, taking a deep breath. Zenyatta had been more like a friend to him for months already! In bigger picture nothing much would change. Plus! Now they would not have an awkward teacher-student-thing to get over once he would tell about his feelings! This was a good thing! "We... we can still have our daily meditation, can't we?" Genji laughed. His remaining skin scrawled when Zenyatta didn't laugh with him. "I'm afraid not, my friend. I'm... leaving the Overwatch tomorrow." Everything went dark in Genji's mind. He could not process the words he had just heard. On the background he could hear a somber love song, as if to mock him. "... no..." was the only thing Genji could say. "No, master... Zenyatta! You can't go! I- We need you here!" "I'm happy you wish for me to stay, but the world needs me out there, not here." Zenyatta said, his voice clearly somber with sorrow. "I'm a monk, Genji, not a fighter. I wish to return to the road, find more people to help, more students to give my time to. I can't do it here..." All of the sudden Genji's mind went back to the night they had just spent together: Zenyatta saying how he felt jealous to his friends, how Genji had ignored Zenyatta during these last few days, the words of the song when Zenyatta was singing only to him: "I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes. I got misty eyes as they said farewell"... Zenyatta had been planning his leaving for a long time already... "No, nonono, Zenyatta, you can't leave now! I... I..." the words got stuck in Genji's throat and were replaced by sobs. Zenyatta seemed like he wanted to take Genji in his arms, but in the last minute backed off. "I'm sorry Genji..." he sighed, walking away slowly. He didn't return to the party, and instead headed for his room, only levitating his orbs back to him. "I'll leave first think tomorrow. I... would like it if you came to say goodbye. But I understand if you feel too angry to." the omnic said, stopping for a second. With a shaky voice he finished: "If I don't see you anymore; I'm proud of you Genji. Goodbye..." Genji fell on his knees as the tears came hard. This was not how this night was supposed to go! He was supposed to make Zenyatta laugh and happy! He was supposed to tell how he loved him! He was supposed to LIKE him! Why was he pulling away!? "Genji?" he heard Lúcio's voice near by and soon felt his arms around him. "Genji! Man, what happened!? Where's Zen?" the ebony man shouted, trying to get Genji to stand up. "You were wrong. All of you were. He doesn't like me... He... He's leaving Overwatch tomorrow!" Genji almost screamed, tears flowing from his eyes. Lúcio let out a gasp, and called Hana and Lena. The two girls, alongside Hanzo, McCree and Angela were soon there. "Brother!" Hanzo shouted, seeing Genji on his knees on the ground. "What happened?" he asked, wrapping his arms around his little brother. Genji sobbed something about Zenyatta leaving, and Hanzo looked up to the others who all turned to each other, not believing their ears. "That... doesn't make sense..." Hana sobbed with tears in her eyes. "Zenny was so happy when talking about Genji! They were supposed to get together and married and---" the rest was choked up by the girl sobbing and crying and muttering something in Korean. Lena hugged her and sobbed herself. "I don't believe any of this!" she sighed sadly. "This is not how it was supposed to go!" "Actually..." Mercy whispered and everyone turned to her. "When Zenyatta and I were working on those orbs, I asked how he felt about you, Genji. He said so many beautiful things about you. In such a voice that could not be mistaken to anything else but undying love!" Angela sighed with tears in her eyes. "But... he also said something that made me worried... He said he was not good enough for you." Genji lifted his head from his brother's shoulder and looked at Mercy with confusion on his face. "He also said he misses the monastery, the road, the buzz of big cities, smiles of the people he has helped... He misses his old life. But he could not see how he could fit his old life and his love into one life. I told him we would find a way together, but he said he already knew the answer... I though when he sang to you and then took you out that he would confess all this to you... I... I'm sorry, I should have talked to him more..." Genji felt like he was more torn between happiness and sadness than ever in his life. More than when he first met his brother after their fateful fight, more than when he first joined Overwatch, more than when he first met Zenyatta... He wanted to go and take Zenyatta in his arms and tell him how much he loved him, leave Overwatch with him and travel back to the monastery... He also wanted to let Zenyatta go, wanted to let him live his own life in piece. He wanted to go to Zenyatta and yell at him for even thinking that he wasn't good enough for him! All of these feelings fought inside him while the others around him sobbed, cried or simply looked sad. Hana was wailing in Lena's arms, Jesse had tipped his hat over his eyes to hide them, Lúcio was pacing back and forth not knowing how to feel, Hanzo was still holding him, eyes hazy with tears, Angela was swallowing back her's. That was when Genji realized that these people cared for him as much as he cared for them, maybe even more! They wished happiness for him, and when it was stolen from him, they cried with him... Genji took a deep breath, wiped his eyes, nodded at his brother, showing he was fine enough to be let go of, got up and looked at his friends. "I know what to do." he said quietly. "But I need your help." "Anything, man!" "Of course luv!" "U-*sniff*-Uh-huh!" "Whatever ya need, partner!" "Tell us what you need Genji!" "Anything, brother." Genji smiled. He spew out simple commands to each. Hana and Mercy to wipe their tears and go get Zenyatta back to the party as soon as they could. Hanzo and McCree to sit him down and make sure he would stay put. Lena and Lúcio to follow him back on the stage and help him out to put up a show just for Zenyatta. --- It was fifteen minutes when Hana and Angela rushed trough the door, dragging confused Zenyatta between them. Hanzo and McCree gave the omnic a cold stare, pushing him down on his seat and sitting on his both sides to make sure he would stay there. Zenyatta looked around confused. Hana and Angela had just broke down his door, Hana, with red eyes and raspy voice, had screamed something in Korea that Zenyatta's translators now processed as "heart-breaker" and "Dumb monk" along many other not so nice words. Angela had just been quiet and asked Zenyatta to come with them once Hana was done screaming at him. Now Hanzo and McCree were giving him cold looks as if he had killed someone. When Zenyatta noticed Genji on the stage, the sorrow he had felt before the girls came bursting in came back to him. Genji was holding the microphone in his hand, and Zenyatta knew what would happen next... part of his was afraid... and part of him wanted to burst into tears with joy. A soft piano started to play on the background when Genji came to the light to everyone to see. Many were surprised and confused to see Genji on the stage. Wasn't the karaoke over already? But when they noticed Zenyatta sitting on the middle of the room, they all gasped softly and nailed their eyes to see what would happen. Even Zarya took a better position to see what these two weird omnics were up to... Genji started to sing, in Japanese, but thanks to his translator Zenyatta understood each word. So far only him and the Shimada-brothers could understand the words sang on to the air, and that was exactly how Genji wanted it to be. "I'll become a happy butterfly, and ride on the glittering wind I'll come to see you soon It's best to forget the unnecessary things There's no more time to be fooling around" Genji had partly chosen this song because it had Butterflies in it, and he knew Zenyatta loved them. "What do you mean, wow wow wow wow wow? I wonder if we'll reach the skies But, wow wow wow wow wow I don't even know what my plans are for tomorrow" On the chorus many recognized the song. "Hey, isn't this from that super old anime?" Hana asked from Lena, whispering over the music. "Yeah, sounds like it. But It's a pretty song, so, I think it'll work!" Tracer answered. "After an endless dream, in this world of nothingness It seems as if our beloved dreams will lose Even with these unreliable wings, covered in images that tend to stay I'm sure we can fly, on my love" The words "on my love" were in english, so everyone could understand exactly what Genji was singing about and a quiet "aaw" washed over the room. Zenyatta was still as a stone, optics watching Genji. "I'll become a merry butterfly, and ride on the earnest wind I'll come to see you where ever you are Ambiguous words are surprisingly handy I'll shout it out, while listening to a hit song What do you mean, wow wow wow wow wow? I wonder if it'll echo through this town But, wow wow wow wow wow There's no use anticipating" The slow tone of the song didn't really give Genji much free will to dance to the beat, not that he wanted to. Most of his concentration was on the words and not to burst into tears in the middle of the song. Not yet. Maybe at the end... "After an endless dream, in this miserable world That's right, maybe not using common sense isn't so bad after all Even with these awkward wings, dyed with images that seem to stay I'm sure we can fly, on my love" Zenyatta was as still as when the song began, but from the slit's of his optics Hanzo and McCree could see something clear, like tears, slowly fall on his face. It was coolant. Many omnics would start "crying" it when their feelings got them overheated. His internal cooling system was swirling hard, and the Omnic seemed to be slightly shaking. "After an endless dream, in this miserable world That's right, maybe not using common sense isn't so bad after all Even with these awkward wings, dyed with images that seem to stay I'm sure we can fly, on my love" Genji let out a gasp as the song was over, dropping the mic down in his hands. He looked at Zenyatta with tears flowing from his eyes. Neither of them moved an inch for what seemed like a minute. Everyone, even Zarya, were on the edge of their seats... Finally, so fast neither Hanzo or Jesse could react, Zenyatta got up and started running. But not away. Towards Genji. The cyborg let out a happy sigh, opened his arms and let the omnic run into them. Everyone started cheering wildly. McCree even took out his gun and shot the cealing few times. Genji held the shaking Omnic in his arms so tightly, as to never let him go. "I'm sorry..." was the only thing coming from Zenyatta's voice-box. Repeating over and over, more sad, more somber than before. "Don't apologize. You're confused. You don't know where you belong, where you should go. Should you stay or leave. You have no reason to apologize..." Genji reassured despite his own voice cracking multiple times. "Genji... I don't deserve you..." "And I don't deserve you." "I don't want to leave... you or any of these amazing people..." "You don't have to..." "But... I miss home... I miss my life..." "We can always visit monastery! And take holidays to travel together!" "You... how can you come up with the answers to all this so easily?" "Because I love you." Genji held Zenyatta's shoulders and his forehead against his own. "I love you Zenyatta. I love your laugh, I love your voice, I love you the way you are. I'll live my life making you happy, protecting you, and if I ever let you go, I would not be able to live!" Zenyatta let out what sounded like a cry. Burrying his face on Genji's shoulder he sobbed. "I'm sorry Genji... I... I thought you didn't... I was so lonely... I'm sorry... I love you. I love you too my Sparrow! I love you so much!" "I'm sorry I left you alone for such a long time. I promise I'll never leave your side again! I promise... I love you..." The two Omnics were the only ones who heard the words they exchanged, only few words slipping trough the team's cheers and roars. Hanzo tried, and failed, to keep tears in, and McCree gave him his hat to hide his eyes with, openly crying himself. Lena, Hana and Angela were hugging, jumping and creaming with joy. Lúcio played some calm love-music on the background, fighting back tears. "Oh my god, just KISS ALREADY!" they heard from the audience. Everyone looked up to Zarya who had shouted it. Zarya looked down on everyone. "What?" she asked, lifting her class. "That's what everyone I waiting for, right?" and took a sip from it. Genji chuckeled, melting when he heard Zenyatta join him. He lifted the Omnic's face straight to his and pressed his lips against the seam on Zenyatta's face. Zenyatta pressed gently against him as the team cheered and clapped for them. Genji swore he could hear his brother wailing with tears of happiness, suddenly muffled by something, most likely Jesse's shoulder. But he didn't turn to look. All he cared for now was Zenyatta. END So yeah. here ya go! Some fluff for you all! God this took whole day to write! And it suuucks and is super cheesy haha! XD If there are typos I don't care lel Before you say that Zenyatta was being mean or out of character, please remember that you only read Genji's point of view here. I didn't do that good of a work to explain how Zen felt about this, but I might write a mini-fic about it if enough people whine about it lol.

[mirceakitsune]

My apology, for how I am and what I do

Over the past years and especially the last months, I've been saying and doing things I am not proud nor happy of. I never have been but now I'm becoming increasingly concerned, I feel sorry for it and it's starting to affect me more and more, I increasingly hate even myself. My journal from last night was yet another explosion of this; It was followed by a situation on another website (no point in naming it here) which I don't know if I will be able to repair with its admin after what happened. Combined with my existing self awareness and concerns, I realize it's something I need to start thinking about. The path this world is on is not an okay one, but neither is the one I'm on.

I have become ruled by a fear and determination which I now have a difficult time controlling. A fear of rules and authority, that festered since my days as a teen, has put me at war with pretty much most of the world which I convinced myself I must defeat. I'm attacking even causes I normally agree with sometimes, such as fighting against racism, out of fear that too much care and involvement into social issues is going to turn everyone into a tyrannical monster who will enslave me out of thinking they're doing a kind act. I'm now disgusted at the very concept of people having sensitivities, ridiculing those who allow themselves to care and have their feelings hurt by anything, hailing rebellion and carelessness and ignorance as my savior. For without ignorance and as long as people care, the fear that's driving some to hate others would be programmed against me next, because people are too stupid to tell right from wrong and so easy to radicalize... thus I must destroy even the good in human nature so me and others like me can continue to exist safely.

This is what I've told myself for longer than I can remember. It's at least part true, as in the past false fears and assumptions were used to abuse me for who I was, and sadly it's even worse now than back in my day... please understand I refuse to dive into details as it involves multiple things the majority cannot understand, including my different nature as a being. I subconsciously created my own golden book on the matter: If someone claims there's a danger you can't see with your own eyes, then uses that claim to force you to do something, there must be vile ulterior motives behind it, no matter what that pretext is. I feel sick whenever I even hear the phrase "experts say so" as I see it as a catchphrase of this tactic: To me the word expert equals charlatan, a nice label so some can make their opinions more important than those of others for their control. I've reached the stage where I'm no longer willing to listen to anyone else because I don't trust their judgment, I refuse to believe anyone can know better than me and what I feel... I don't even care what is true or not any more, to hell with reality itself for making my life this miserable! And yet, I know this isn't right in every sense and I'm doing something wrong... but if I were to stop, they'd take me for a fool again and expand their restrictions on me and make me do their bidding to punish me for being different and convert me to one of them! I can't surrender and accept having my life ruled by strangers and their visions again, but what I'm doing is wrong too... what the hell do I then do?

COVID is just one example, if it was anything else that resulted in restrictions I'd have reacted the same way. For whatever reason it truly happened and whether intentional or not, it matched this exact pattern perfectly, hence why anything related to it puts me down the same spiral. Why should I believe in a danger I can't see for myself... because the majority says it's there, knowing how said majority reacts in the face of fear? Why wouldn't they be doing this just to fool me into submission once more? But even if the danger was real, any sort of new obligation would still need to be rejected; Were COVID 10 times more deadly, or the apocalypse itself to occur... this part of me would still want everyone to simply ignore it and go on about their lives as usual, just to prove we won't accept being obligated to do anything new by those other people! The moment they started making the police fine or arrest us to wear masks, any hope of reasoning with me on the matter was lost: All I can see is war against the enemy, how I must defeat the fanatics trying to tie me up and cover my face with a rag, how hard I must show everyone that I don't care about their cause and no amount of harassment will make me stop disobeying! Why couldn't they be reasonable and just leave it up to everyone's choice? If they used some common sense... maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't be so hostile about it now and could be willing to listen and believe something goes on. Again they fucked me over by being the way humans always are... with their hate and tyranny and labeling everyone an enemy for not listening, when I never truly wanted to be anyone's enemy in the first place!

On the political side I wish to make myself clear once again: I never was a real Trump supporter nor could see myself being one! I can see why some people love him, but to me he doesn't represent the future. I simply sided with him toward the end... out of concern that if Biden and the Democrats take control of everything, they'll start locking people up and forcing them to wear masks and the whole world will become like China while America is going to start wars all over the world again (eg: for oil). When Trump won in 2016 I fell in a depression, fearing he's going to bring an army of intolerant fanatics to take away our rights... now in a twist of irony it was the opposite, I felt that if Trump doesn't win an army of fanatics would come throwing restrictions and censorship left and right.

With this out of the way I'll be very direct on another thing that went on last night: I was following the Qanon plan, which I still look at but more skeptically now. Their plan stated that during his alleged inauguration, Joe Biden was instead going to confess to the crimes of the deep state live for the world to see, after which the army was going to take over and hold new elections. I was surprised and felt betrayed when the army stood and watched while he was sworn in, feeling they got away again and the system won once more. And considering what happened at the Capitol, one of my first reactions was "now social media is going to start purging everyone who disagrees with the left under the pretext of fighting hate, Leninism 2.0 is coming".

Biden has already started doing good things: I'm not going to shy away from admitting this, and seeing it makes me regret that I had to do all this and take it so far as I did. He not only put a transgender person in a position of leadership, but also ended the disgusting and intrusive practice of immigration officials requesting people's social media accounts before letting them come to the US! Maybe he'll tare down that stupid wall of hate around Mexico next? Of course he also began a masking persecution as predicted, trying to force states to harass their citizens to wear that crap on their face. That's the thing: The left defends some freedoms and good ideas, the right defends others... I wanted to somehow take the best from both, hoping we'd have my ideal anarchy where everyone can do and say whatever they want.

I feel I'm stuck between the hammer and the anvil: If I don't fight against this weird and strict society it will force me to be like them again... if I fight too hard then I will cause harm and I don't know how justified it is any more. I truly wish I could just leave this world... alas I cannot attempt a second suicide for multiple reasons. I just don't know what to do any more... I'm sick of what I did in the past but don't know what I could accept doing differently. I swear I wish none of this had to happen.

Whatever the case, I am considering to what extent I'm going to keep talking about those things in the future. I'm tempted to stop diving into anything political on those sites any longer. I partly did it because seeing responses, both positive and even negative ones, made me feel better and helped me feel like I was understanding other people somewhat... it's how I remind myself not everyone is truly fanatical and out to get me like I fear. Yet there are people who watch me for other reasons, such as what I create... is it okay for them to have to keep seeing those unrelated posts? I'll be seeing what I will do in regard to this.

[cle-guy]

I Pity Progressive Social Discourse

OK, I had the misfortune of reading an article posted by a friend which is basically a lengthy diatribe about the numerous evils of the DNC (and the Democratic Party in general). If you feel like torturing yourself (which I suppose I do), feel free to read the article here.  In short, it’s a poor excuse for political analysis which takes a conclusion: that the DNC screwed Bernie out of the nomination which was rightfully his (and hates him), and then tries to find evidence to support it.  In short, it’s the exact opposite of what progressives outside the Democratic Party should be doing right now.  

However, out of amusement, I decided to take a look at some of the claims in this article (which are common in some Bernie circles) and critique them.  

Argument 1: The DNC Forced the Primaries to Continue During a Dangerous Pandemic

The article begins with a disappointing rant about how the primaries continued despite Covid-19.  

Forcing the March 17 primaries in Florida, Arizona and Illinois to go forward, despite reports of exceedingly low turnout throughout the day (which miraculously and quite expectedly turned into higher turnouts than 2016 in both Florida and Arizona by the time the final reporting came in), was the last straw. This farce occurred despite the Ohio governor postponing their primary on the same day. This slap in the face of voters was then compounded by the even worse parody of the April 7 Wisconsin primary being allowed to go ahead at the peak of the pandemic, with polling stations vastly reduced (from 180 to just 5 in Milwaukee alone) and absentee ballots often not received or recorded, while maintaining the pretense that somehow all of this constituted a legitimate election.

Where to begin?  First: the primaries in Florida, Arizona and Illinois are ran by the states themselves.  Florida & Arizona are ran by Republicans, Illinois by Democrats.  The DNC had no influence over whether two out of the three states were going to hold those primaries.  Ignoring, of course, that the Ohio delay was challenged in court and questionable at best.  The Wisconsin primary was held both because Tony Evers couldn’t stop the GOP legislature from holding the primary, and the Supreme Court stepped in to ensure it occurred.  The DNC, in short, had nothing to do with the delay of these primaries.

Finally, Illinois had local elections it had to hold, which was why their primaries were scheduled to go on time.  

The author goes on to say the DNC threatened states who attempted to delay their primaries:

Furthermore, the DNC threatened the remaining primary states against postponing their elections for health reasons, preempting moves similar to those made by Louisiana, Georgia and others 

Which goes to my second point: the rules for the primaries were set long before Covid-19, and the DNC was reminding the states of said rules.  The deadline of June 9th exists to ensure delegates can be chosen prior to the convention.  The DNC was not attempting to force states into holding votes.  This is a falsehood.  

Finally, the author argues that the DNC was hellbent on speeding up the primaries to kill off Bernie’s movement:

In the middle of the pandemic, with the entire nation considering a de facto lockdown and many communities already there, the DNC was hell-bent on driving the final nail in the coffin of the youth movement, even though the Sanders campaign had suspended GOTV efforts, for obvious reasons, and even if Biden never really had a presence in any of the latest round of states.

Thirdly, this is ridiculous.  First the authors of the article the author sites are former governors Terry McAullife (VA) and Tom Ridge (PA...Ridge is a Republican).  Neither have any ties to the DNC.  Secondarily, neither are calling to speed up the primaries to stop Sanders, but to ensure the integrity of our elections.  Furthermore, the main point of the article was to use this crisis as an opportunity to upgrade how we conduct our elections in the first place.

Overall, the main first claim of the author is a conspiracy, with zero evidence, based on complaints which belong in the court of the state governments (which involved heavy Republican influence).  The DNC had nothing to do with why the primaries were delayed.

Argument 2: the DNC Knows a Non-Progressive Candidate Will Lose and Wants This Result

Sigh.  This argument is a doozy, and ridiculous on its face.  Does anyone really believe Nancy Pelosi (who served as Speaker of the House during Obama’s presidency and was instrumental in passing numerous progressive bills) REALLY wants to serve under Donald Trump?  Does anyone truly fathom that Chuck Schumer enjoys wielding little power in the Senate under Mitch McConnel?  I guess some do, here’s the author again:

When they stopped counting the vote in Iowa, depriving the leading candidate of essential momentum, it was a clear indication that once again the party establishment would do everything to manipulate results in favor of yet another neoliberal avatar bound to lose to Trump in an ignominious landslide—which is actually what the Democratic party establishment wants, four more years of their demonized opponent rather than the tiniest return toward social decency. Nothing about the coronavirus changes this essential dynamic.

Emphasis mine.  First, the author cites facts not in evidence.  Second: if the DNC wanted to stop a progressive candidate from running and tilt the results in favor of a “neoliberal avatar” why did they let Bernie run in the first place?  Bernie is not a member of the Democratic Party, he is owed nothing by the DNC.  Furthermore: Bernie Sanders is a smart man.  If he felt the DNC wanted Trump to win, I do not believe he would be running to take over the party.  I don’t agree with Bernie much, but I respect the man enough to know he isn’t stupid.  I find this argument so absurd on its face.

Argument 3: Joe Biden does not represent Progressive values and will not compromise at all

Recent events cast this position into doubt immediately.  But, before we get to that the relevant argument:

Biden has already made it clear that he’s not the least bit interested in making any real overtures toward bereft progressives, just as Hillary wasn’t after her forceful seizure of the nomination in 2016.

As I show with the links above: this is bullshit.  On its face.  Biden moved to the left before the campaign began, and has now adopted policies from both Elizabeth Warren & Bernie Sanders.  He has, in fact, endorsed more plans from Bernie & Elizabeth before they endorsed him than he did for Mayor Pete or Amy Klobuchar after they endorsed him.  It is absurd to make this claim on its face (unless you’re not arguing in good faith that is, in which case everything goes I suppose).  

Furthermore, the Democratic Party has moved to the left and embraced ideas from its Progressive Wing in recent years.  From a $15/HR minimum wage, to basically decriminalizing the border: Progressives successfully moved the Democratic Party leftward since 2016.   

I have sympathy for the opinion (which the author does not discuss here) that Biden is an imperfect vehicle for progressive goals.  Biden likes to stick his finger in the wind and see where it blows before taking a position.  This is not popular with a constituency which supports an astonishingly consistent politician in Bernie Sanders.  On the flip side of the coin consider Elizabeth Warren’s words on Biden: he listens.  Its why he was a bipartisan deal-maker for four decades in the Senate.  As I have already shown: he’s done some listening already.

Argument 4: the DNC rigged the vote for Biden to stop Bernie

This is another doozy, but some relevant text:

To recap some of what we have seen from the great minds trying to herd us all into submission toward Hillary 2.0, the dementia version:

Herd 29 Trojan horses into the race, all pretending to be some version of or alternative to the clear ideological victor from 2016, and all of them unmasking themselves at appropriate stages of the race (three of them at the last moment before South Carolina) in order to maximize damage to one candidate alone.

The reason why 29 “Trojan horses” ran is because Biden was a weak front runner who frequently made verbal gaffes.  The campaigns of both Kamala Harris & Cory Booker were predicated on when Biden faltered.  Contrary to the author’s argument: the big field indicates that the DNC did little to stop Bernie.  Bernie’s strategy was based on winning in a wide field.  

To ask a question: if the DNC wanted to stop Bernie Sanders, why would they throw dozens of candidates against him?  This divided the field in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada and handed Bernie first narrow wins, and then a big one.  It was only when Biden consolidated the field after winning in South Carolina that the moderates consolidated (besides Michael Bloomberg).  Furthermore: if the plan was to get to Biden all along, why have Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and others attack Biden all of 2019 ahead of the 2020 primaries?  How does that help their end game?  This argument is evidence that the DNC allowed the primary to work itself, not pull the lever against Bernie.

Insist on a series of parodic debates orchestrating various degrees of hostility toward the lone populist, and focusing outlandish attention on marginal candidates rather than giving the front-runner his due.

The debates were one of the big things going for Bernie Sanders.  They also showed off one of Biden’s biggest weaknesses.  This argument is stupid, on its face.

Engineer the Iowa vote-counting catastrophe without anyone taking responsibility, and DNC chair Tom Perez not only not resigning but feeling empowered to engender further chaos. Repeat all the instances of voter suppression in close simulation of all the 2016 states, as if to thumb their noses at any semblance of voting integrity.

Where is the evidence that the DNC deliberately manipulated the vote, and suppressed the vote, to elect Biden?  I see no evidence here, just meaningless speculation.  

Be part of closely coordinated media campaigns harping on electability, centrism and moderation, to the point where the liberal media (the Times, CNN, MSNBC) become indistinguishable from campaign opponents and the party apparatus. For the first three months of the year, the New York Times turned into a chorus of single-minded “Never Bernie” propaganda, exceeding even their “Never Trump” loathing of four years ago.

A few things here: 1) David Brooks is a conservative and not a member of the DNC, nor is he connected.  2) was the media obsessed with electability or was the electorate obsessed and the media reported on it?  Both are quite plausible explanations.  Furthermore: those anti-Bernie media outlets were quite happy to post stories about Biden’s past comments when it suited them.  The New York Times endorsed Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar and called Biden too old.  I do not doubt much of the mainstream media was less than excited about Bernie: but they did not tip the scales.

Recruit Barack Obama to save Biden’s hide when he remained the last one standing, with the same ominous figures from 2016 (Jim “there will be no free education” Clyburn, Harry “get the culinary workers to caucus for Hillary” Reid, and others) reprising to the finest detail the same walk-on bits they played last time.

The fact Joe Biden got people to endorse him is not evidence of DNC collusion.  Were AOC, and the rest of “The Squad” part of a conspiracy to elect Bernie Sanders?  No: this is how politics works.  The fact Biden got Clyburn to endorse him shows how Biden operates as a politician by building coalitions.  Bernie had four years in Congress to convince Clyburn to support him (or at least not support Biden) he chose not to do it.  

Additionally: Barack Obama and Harry Reid did not endorse Biden before the primaries.  Obama did not coerce anyone to endorse Biden.  Biden was much closer to Mayor Pete and Amy Klobuchar, and worked himself to get them to endorse him, which is why it occurred.  I will add: Elizabeth Warren did not endorse Bernie.  This indicates to me that Bernie struggles to play this game.  

Keep changing debate rules, by permitting entry to a last-minute white knight in the form of Michael Bloomberg, and the more recent rule change to prevent Tulsi Gabbard the opportunity of taking down Biden.

Bloomberg got on stage because he spent a billion dollars and out polled most people in the debate.  The DNC changed the rules to winnow the field.  Considering Tulsi Gabbard couldn’t take down Mayor Pete: I struggle to see how she’d do against Biden.  This is a stupid argument.

Is this enough manipulation for you?

Yes, I like no manipulation.

Conclusion

The author rambles on for several paragraphs.  I wont bother repeating his same arguments anymore.  Overall, he presents conclusions as if they’re facts, and refuses to accept anything other than his opinion as the truth.  The reality is: Bernie lost because voters voted against his message and his candidacy.  There is no shame in that, and if I were the left I would be asking why Bernie was rejected.  If a majority exists for Bernie’s policies (as the author claims) then why did the pick a candidate who did not run on that platform?  Or, maybe that majority does not exist?  If so, how can the left create a consensus to make that happen?  Those would be worthwhile discussions.  I am sympathetic to some of the progressive platform, and I wish they were better at pushing it; it would make defeating Trump easier. 

[preciousmetals0]

Powell Stimulates Nonstop; When Voltron Meets Hoth

Powell Stimulates Nonstop; When Voltron Meets Hoth:

The Most Stimulating Man in the World

You want stimulus?

You can’t handle all the stimulus the Federal Reserve is pumping out right now.

In a move that almost lifted the markets into positive territory this morning, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell announced unlimited stimulus — yes, unlimited.

“Aggressive effort must be taken across the public and private sectors to limit the losses to jobs and income and to promote a swift recovery once the disruptions abate,” the Fed said in a statement.

I think it’s safe to say that Jerome Powell is the most stimulating man in the world right now. I’m glad at least someone in Washington is taking COVID-19 seriously. But what are the details?

As part of its effort to save the U.S. economy, the Fed will purchase an unlimited amount of mortgage-backed securities and Treasurys, offer $300 billion in new lending programs and set up three new emergency lending programs:

The Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility will issue new bonds and loans.

The Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility will keep liquidity in corporate bonds.

The Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility will allow securities backed by auto loans, credit card loans, student loans and Small Business Administration loans.

The Fed even announced that it would expand its Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility to aid local governments and municipalities.

That’s a lot to take in, so here’s the short story: Debt and credit, for both the government and businesses, is all a-fluster … and the Fed set up a few groups to handle the $*%# show.

The Takeaway:

It certainly seems like the Federal Reserve covered all its bases. This level of action is unprecedented — even in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis. I mean, unlimited stimulus? It’s unheard of.

So why, then, did stocks go from green to red once the market officially opened?

Because, while the Fed clearly has its head in the game and understands the severity of the problem, lawmakers do not.

The thing is, you can throw money at Wall Street all day long, but that only treats the problem’s symptoms. And investors know one crucial thing that Washington has yet to grasp: Viruses don’t care about money.

Yes, shoring up businesses is important. However, if consumers can’t leave their homes, go to work or take care of themselves in the midst of this crisis … what good is that money?

Perhaps a better way to put it is this: If the stimulus is to help cover missed rents, late mortgage payments, late bills, et cetera, for how long is this money good?

Easing up on the stay-at-home advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention won’t fix this problem. In fact, it may make things much worse.

We need a solid plan to test, quarantine and treat COVID-19 sufferers. We need solid support for regular Americans … the average Joe, if you will … the people who make the U.S. economy turn.

When Washington finally pulls its head out of the partisan sand pit…

When it finally passes legislation that treats the COVID-19 problem and not the symptoms…

When it reassures people that it has their best interests at heart, and not corporate bailouts…

Only then will the markets finally begin to find a bottom. Until that day, we must take matters into our own hands.

Remember this: It’s you, me and the average Joe next to you keeping America ticking forward to a better future.

If Washington won’t look out for the guy on the street, you can bet that Great Stuff does. We won’t leave you out on your own.

As we speak, the groundwork for America’s future is being laid — petty partisan politics aside. In fact, Banyan Hill expert Paul Mampilly has been screaming about a “rebuilt America” for weeks now, even in the midst of this volatility.

Paul believes America will emerge from the coronavirus stronger than ever … no matter how long it takes. And the mega trends that he follows (such as 5G and precision medicine) won’t die to market panic.

Click here to learn about Paul Mampilly’s vision for a new, rebuilt United States — America 2.0.

The Good: Testing … 1, 2, 3?

In order to treat COVID-19, you have to know who has it. And that means testing. Lots and lots of testing. But tests can take hours or even days at overworked labs, exacerbating the problem.

Over the weekend, we heard that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a 45-minute test for the coronavirus. But Aytu BioScience Inc. (Nasdaq: AYTU) has a test that’s even faster.

The biotechnology company announced this morning that the FDA approved its COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test. How rapid is this rapid test? Professional care providers can get results in between two and 10 minutes!

That’s faster than the drive-thru at McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD)!

Aytu said that it expects to deliver its first 100,000-test shipment this week. With the demand for COVID-19 testing skyrocketing as the U.S. deals with continued virus spread, Aytu could be sitting on a gold mine.

The Bad: As Cold as Ice

When I ran across news about Hoth Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: HOTH) and its deal with Voltron Therapeutics Inc., my ’80s pop culture meter went through the roof. I mean, we’re leveraging Star Wars and Voltron here … what ’80s pop geek wouldn’t love this combo?

After reading through the news, however, I’m considerably less jazzed. Hoth entered a joint deal with Voltron to develop a self-assembling vaccine (SAV) to prevent COVID-19. That sounds impressive … most impressive. SAVs sound just as futuristic as Hoth and Voltron.

But … SAV technology is still in the “proof of concept data” phase, according to the report. In other words, if this technology proves viable, it’ll be great … someday. But not today.

As I’ve warned before, it’s all too easy to fool investors with vaccine promises these days. Despite the companies’ longer-term outlook, HOTH shares surged on the news today.

Don’t buy into this hype. Your portfolio will freeze before you reach the first profit.

The Ugly: Unlimited iPhones?

Last week, Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) announced that it would limit the number of iPhones consumers could purchase via its online stores. The company was concerned it wouldn’t be able to meet demand due to a slow ramp-up at its Chinese production facilities.

However, those concerns appear to have fallen by the wayside. Today, Apple dropped the two-device limit across the board on iPhones. (Some devices remain limited, however, such as certain MacBook models and iPads.)

The question is this: Are Apple’s Chinese supply lines really near full strength? Or did demand fall off a cliff to where limits don’t matter anymore?

As in all things, its probably a combination of both factors. Supply probably ramped up enough to cover the weak demand that Apple sees for iPhones right now.

Apple has yet to comment on the lifted limit. But let’s be real here: U.S. consumers are far more worried about finding toilet paper and hand sanitizer right now than buying iPhones.

I can’t jump in front of the microphone and push him down. OK, he said it. Let’s try and get it corrected for the next time.

— Dr. Anthony Fauci

If you’re not familiar with Dr. Fauci yet … what rock have you been living under?

(Seriously, what rock? Because that sounds like a really safe place to ride out the coronavirus … I’ll bring the drinks if you have toilet paper.)

For those who haven’t come out of their safe place, Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He’s also a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

Fauci recently interviewed with Science Magazine, where he addressed questions ranging from “How are you managing to not get fired?” to “We’ve had all this pandemic preparedness. Why did this fail? What went wrong?”

If you’d like a better insight into the COVID-19 situation and President Trump’s reaction — as told by the No. 1 virus expert in the country right now — this interview is an excellent read.

Great Stuff: Catchin’ up With Y’all

Last week, I asked you your thoughts on bailouts, buybacks and stimulus — oh my!

I’ll say this: If the Feds can’t deliver in this trying time, you sure do, dear reader. With how many emails flooded the Great Stuff inbox over the weekend, you’d think millions of Americans were stuck at home looking at their screens or something. Wait…

(I know, I know … not all of our readers are stateside — I see you writing in from the great white North, Ashley H.!)

I just wanted to take a second today to thank all of you for writing in to share your thoughts on the U.S. viral reaction. Keep writing in! Great Stuff appreciates every email we read … and yes, we do read every last one of them. That said, our overflowing inbox is sure to make for rip-roaring Reader Feedback later this week. Just you wait!

In the meantime, write in to GreatStuffToday@BanyanHill.com if you haven’t already. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the market volatility, the Fed fun house and the quarantine in your neck of the woods.

And if you need some reassurance or an extra bit of positive oomph, remember to check out Paul Mampilly’s vision for a new, rebuilt America 2.0 — viral markets be damned! (Click here.)

Otherwise, you can always check Great Stuff out on social media: Facebook and Twitter.

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff

[goldira01]

The Most Stimulating Man in the World

You want stimulus?

You can’t handle all the stimulus the Federal Reserve is pumping out right now.

In a move that almost lifted the markets into positive territory this morning, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell announced unlimited stimulus — yes, unlimited.

“Aggressive effort must be taken across the public and private sectors to limit the losses to jobs and income and to promote a swift recovery once the disruptions abate,” the Fed said in a statement.

I think it’s safe to say that Jerome Powell is the most stimulating man in the world right now. I’m glad at least someone in Washington is taking COVID-19 seriously. But what are the details?

As part of its effort to save the U.S. economy, the Fed will purchase an unlimited amount of mortgage-backed securities and Treasurys, offer $300 billion in new lending programs and set up three new emergency lending programs:

The Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility will issue new bonds and loans.

The Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility will keep liquidity in corporate bonds.

The Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility will allow securities backed by auto loans, credit card loans, student loans and Small Business Administration loans.

The Fed even announced that it would expand its Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility to aid local governments and municipalities.

That’s a lot to take in, so here’s the short story: Debt and credit, for both the government and businesses, is all a-fluster … and the Fed set up a few groups to handle the $*%# show.

The Takeaway:

It certainly seems like the Federal Reserve covered all its bases. This level of action is unprecedented — even in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis. I mean, unlimited stimulus? It’s unheard of.

So why, then, did stocks go from green to red once the market officially opened?

Because, while the Fed clearly has its head in the game and understands the severity of the problem, lawmakers do not.

The thing is, you can throw money at Wall Street all day long, but that only treats the problem’s symptoms. And investors know one crucial thing that Washington has yet to grasp: Viruses don’t care about money.

Yes, shoring up businesses is important. However, if consumers can’t leave their homes, go to work or take care of themselves in the midst of this crisis … what good is that money?

Perhaps a better way to put it is this: If the stimulus is to help cover missed rents, late mortgage payments, late bills, et cetera, for how long is this money good?

Easing up on the stay-at-home advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention won’t fix this problem. In fact, it may make things much worse.

We need a solid plan to test, quarantine and treat COVID-19 sufferers. We need solid support for regular Americans … the average Joe, if you will … the people who make the U.S. economy turn.

When Washington finally pulls its head out of the partisan sand pit…

When it finally passes legislation that treats the COVID-19 problem and not the symptoms…

When it reassures people that it has their best interests at heart, and not corporate bailouts…

Only then will the markets finally begin to find a bottom. Until that day, we must take matters into our own hands.

Remember this: It’s you, me and the average Joe next to you keeping America ticking forward to a better future.

If Washington won’t look out for the guy on the street, you can bet that Great Stuff does. We won’t leave you out on your own.

As we speak, the groundwork for America’s future is being laid — petty partisan politics aside. In fact, Banyan Hill expert Paul Mampilly has been screaming about a “rebuilt America” for weeks now, even in the midst of this volatility.

Paul believes America will emerge from the coronavirus stronger than ever … no matter how long it takes. And the mega trends that he follows (such as 5G and precision medicine) won’t die to market panic.

Click here to learn about Paul Mampilly’s vision for a new, rebuilt United States — America 2.0.

The Good: Testing … 1, 2, 3?

In order to treat COVID-19, you have to know who has it. And that means testing. Lots and lots of testing. But tests can take hours or even days at overworked labs, exacerbating the problem.

Over the weekend, we heard that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a 45-minute test for the coronavirus. But Aytu BioScience Inc. (Nasdaq: AYTU) has a test that’s even faster.

The biotechnology company announced this morning that the FDA approved its COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test. How rapid is this rapid test? Professional care providers can get results in between two and 10 minutes!

That’s faster than the drive-thru at McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD)!

Aytu said that it expects to deliver its first 100,000-test shipment this week. With the demand for COVID-19 testing skyrocketing as the U.S. deals with continued virus spread, Aytu could be sitting on a gold mine.

The Bad: As Cold as Ice

When I ran across news about Hoth Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: HOTH) and its deal with Voltron Therapeutics Inc., my ’80s pop culture meter went through the roof. I mean, we’re leveraging Star Wars and Voltron here … what ’80s pop geek wouldn’t love this combo?

After reading through the news, however, I’m considerably less jazzed. Hoth entered a joint deal with Voltron to develop a self-assembling vaccine (SAV) to prevent COVID-19. That sounds impressive … most impressive. SAVs sound just as futuristic as Hoth and Voltron.

But … SAV technology is still in the “proof of concept data” phase, according to the report. In other words, if this technology proves viable, it’ll be great … someday. But not today.

As I’ve warned before, it’s all too easy to fool investors with vaccine promises these days. Despite the companies’ longer-term outlook, HOTH shares surged on the news today.

Don’t buy into this hype. Your portfolio will freeze before you reach the first profit.

The Ugly: Unlimited iPhones?

Last week, Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) announced that it would limit the number of iPhones consumers could purchase via its online stores. The company was concerned it wouldn’t be able to meet demand due to a slow ramp-up at its Chinese production facilities.

However, those concerns appear to have fallen by the wayside. Today, Apple dropped the two-device limit across the board on iPhones. (Some devices remain limited, however, such as certain MacBook models and iPads.)

The question is this: Are Apple’s Chinese supply lines really near full strength? Or did demand fall off a cliff to where limits don’t matter anymore?

As in all things, its probably a combination of both factors. Supply probably ramped up enough to cover the weak demand that Apple sees for iPhones right now.

Apple has yet to comment on the lifted limit. But let’s be real here: U.S. consumers are far more worried about finding toilet paper and hand sanitizer right now than buying iPhones.

I can’t jump in front of the microphone and push him down. OK, he said it. Let’s try and get it corrected for the next time.

— Dr. Anthony Fauci

If you’re not familiar with Dr. Fauci yet … what rock have you been living under?

(Seriously, what rock? Because that sounds like a really safe place to ride out the coronavirus … I’ll bring the drinks if you have toilet paper.)

For those who haven’t come out of their safe place, Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He’s also a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

Fauci recently interviewed with Science Magazine, where he addressed questions ranging from “How are you managing to not get fired?” to “We’ve had all this pandemic preparedness. Why did this fail? What went wrong?”

If you’d like a better insight into the COVID-19 situation and President Trump’s reaction — as told by the No. 1 virus expert in the country right now — this interview is an excellent read.

Great Stuff: Catchin’ up With Y’all

Last week, I asked you your thoughts on bailouts, buybacks and stimulus — oh my!

I’ll say this: If the Feds can’t deliver in this trying time, you sure do, dear reader. With how many emails flooded the Great Stuff inbox over the weekend, you’d think millions of Americans were stuck at home looking at their screens or something. Wait…

(I know, I know … not all of our readers are stateside — I see you writing in from the great white North, Ashley H.!)

I just wanted to take a second today to thank all of you for writing in to share your thoughts on the U.S. viral reaction. Keep writing in! Great Stuff appreciates every email we read … and yes, we do read every last one of them. That said, our overflowing inbox is sure to make for rip-roaring Reader Feedback later this week. Just you wait!

In the meantime, write in to GreatStuffToday@BanyanHill.com if you haven’t already. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the market volatility, the Fed fun house and the quarantine in your neck of the woods.

And if you need some reassurance or an extra bit of positive oomph, remember to check out Paul Mampilly’s vision for a new, rebuilt America 2.0 — viral markets be damned! (Click here.)

Otherwise, you can always check Great Stuff out on social media: Facebook and Twitter.

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff

[axsomreport]

John McCain’s family gets hefty taxpayer-funded ‘death gratuity’ after week-long funeral extravaganza

Chuck Todd, others ‘stunned’ at Don Jr. going on tv and standing up to Mueller: ‘They have a game plan here’

NEWSFLASH: Trump is 100% right about Puerto Rico’s local government and these new photos prove it

Chris Cuomo admits to disrespecting first responders in heated exchange with ex-Trump adviser

WaPo reports Manafort is talking to Mueller about reaching plea deal in second trial

Uh Oh. Salsa Dancing Cynthia Nixon Has Lost The All-Important Amy Schumer Vote.

California man attacks GOP congressional candidate with knife at a fair after hurling partisan insults

Son of 9/11 victim rips Cory Booker, Nancy Pelosi: ‘Stop using bones of our loved ones as props …’

Susan Collins tells Left-wing activists to stop bribing her over Kavanaugh vote as Crowdfunding hits $1 mil

Eddie Edwards Will Face Off Against Democrat Chris Pappas In New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District

REPORT: Manafort Is Talking To Mueller About Reaching Plea Deal In Second Trial

Cardinal Wuerl To Meet With The Pope About RESIGNATION

Police Investigating Anonymous Threat Made At Trump Hotel Before MAGA Event

Molly Kelly Wins New Hampshire Democratic Primary, Faces Incumbent Sununu In November

Bernie Sanders’s Son Loses Longshot New Hampshire Congressional Bid

Democrat Chris Pappas Could Be New Hampshire’s First Openly Gay Congressman After State’s Primary Win

Man Threatens Mass Shooting To Collect ‘Bloodstained MAGA Hats’ – Police On The Scene

Convenience Store Clerk Collapses In Medical Emergency – Teens Do The Unthinkable

‘I am coming with a gun’: Twitter rando threatens to collect ‘bloodstained MAGA hats’ at Trump hotel meet-up

Bernie Sanders Calls To Fight Corruption Despite Wife’s Corruption Case

‘Incredible gesture’! Here’s what Jake Tapper is doing with his advance for the film version of his book

Center for Immigration Studies says Twitter is tagging the phrase ‘illegal alien’ as ‘hateful content’

Socialist Nutjob Caught In YET ANOTHER LIE

Man arrested for attempting to stab Republican congressional candidate; made ‘disparaging remarks’ about GOP

‘You BLEW it’! It doesn’t take long for Tomi Lahren’s hot 9/11 take to fizzle

California Man Arrested After Trying To Stab GOP Candidate, Police Say

Rapper T.I. doesn’t know who righteous decent white person Cynthia Nixon is, but she’s got his vote

‘Wait, WHAT?’ Eric Garland just took 9/11 Trutherism to a whole new level

Oh really: ThinkProgress journo says secret Omarosa recording catches Trump laughing over dead US soldiers

US-Backed Forces Launch Assault Against Final ISIS Stronghold In Eastern Syria

SERIOUSLY? NBC News journo actually thinks this Donald Trump ‘campaign catchphrase’ is ‘controversial’

Don Jr. Says His Father Only Has A ‘Small’ Group Of People Within The White House He Can Trust

Is This The New Ebola? SECOND Case Of “Monkeypox” Recorded In England

Michael Avenatti Says He’ll Make A 2020 Decision By April

Former Disney Channel Star Arrested After Unintentionally Bringing A Loaded Gun To An Airport

Brandon Straka, Founder of the #Walkaway Movement, Was On Our Show Today And It Was Everything.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Latest Question Is BEGGING For Mockery

Elizabeth Smart Responds To Absolutely Horrifying News About Her Kidnapper

Aaaand Crack Pipe Vending Machines Are A Thing Now

GOP Rep. Scott Taylor explains how reenlisting after 9/11 changed his life forever

Chelsea Handler Is #Triggered After Bring Called Out For Encouraging Political Bribery

Crack pipe vending machines disguised as pen dispensers pop up in Long Island as school begins

Elizabeth Smart’s Abductor To Be Released

Bernie Sanders Adds ‘Free’ Childcare To His List

Georgia school reignites debate over corporal punishment after reinstating paddling as punishment

Chris Evans Tries To Lecture Everyone On The Power Of ‘Diversity,’ Gets His A$$ Handed To Him Instead

President Trump honors 9/11 with a speech so powerful it leaves moved CNN hosts stunned

Mike Rowe Opens Up About The Nike FIASCO – And It Turns Into A PERFECT 9/11 Tribute

Carter Page: FBI probe not about me, it’s about tearing down Trump and all the good he’s doing

White House lawyers actively reviewing FBI, DOJ docs for declassification

Joe Scarborough Sort Of Kind Of (Not Really) Walks Back His HEINOUS 9/11 Article

‘MERICA! ‘Cajun Navy’ Already Ready To Help In The Carolinas Ahead Of Hurricane Florence

‘There are bad cartoons, and then there’s this’: Cartoonist ripped for exploiting 9/11 for partisan politics

“Sacrifice Everything?” Kaepernick Peddles His OWN, Non-Nike T-Shirts

Michelle Obama urges non-white women to vote. Why does she assume they’ll go Dem?

Secret Service Investigating Remarks Made By Broadway Star Carole Cook

Secret Service wants to have a chat with legendary actress that suggested assassinating Trump

DIRTY MIND ALERT: I Never Thought I’d See Anyone So ‘Excited’ About A Hurricane

Steve Bannon floats unique theory on ‘coup’ behind NY Times op-ed: Much broader than people think

Transgender Inmate Moved To Men’s Jail After Sexually Assaulting Female Inmates

‘The Onion’s’ 9/11 Tweet Isn’t Funny… It’s Just Gross

‘All work will be voluntary’? Delusional Socialist Party takes on Dan Bongino – BAD idea

Trump Delivers Remarks At The Flight 93 National Memorial

Dan Bongino FLATTENS Jim Carrey And The Socialist Party, And It Is GLORIOUS

James Woods Reminds Everyone Of This Hillary Clinton Tweet On The Anniversary Of 9/11

John Bolton issues take-no-prisoners response to International Court’s war crimes probe of U.S.

Never Forget.

Bob Woodward has a serious trail of accuracy issues that nobody is talking about

Joe Scarborough Writes SHAMEFUL Piece On The Anniversary Of 9/11

Sen. Dick Durbin Blames GOP For Chicago’s Gun Violence – James Woods SHREDS HIM

Kimberly Guilfoyle Refers To Don Jr. As ‘Big Daddy’ At A Fundraising Event

Leftist NY AG Candidate Accidentally Admits The Unborn Are PEOPLE And That There Are TWO Genders

Twitter Is Overwhelmed By Powerful 9/11 Tributes

James Woods shares crushing Hillary Clinton tweet to commemorate 9/11

Sheriff calls out own county lawmakers’ vote to put citizens in jeopardy to protest Trump’s immigration

New memoir tells how close Hillary came to being charged with perjury. Where’s the salivating press?

Dubbed ‘Department of Swagger’: Why everyone’s talking about Mike Pompeo’s email sign off

Scarborough celebrates somber day by fear-mongering, says Trump is ‘far graver threat’ to America than 9/11

Kaepernick launches his own shirts, without Nike, with a seriously hefty price-tag

Nike ad backlash gains steam. One state is already reviewing contracts, considering legislation

Mike Rowe’s tribute to 9/11 hero comes with advice: ‘Nike’s free to celebrate whomever they wish, but …’

Media whip up ‘gotcha’ frenzy over two Trump tweets. Easy fix makes heads spin.

PolitiFact nails Kamala Harris for blatantly lying about Kavanaugh’s birth control ‘dog whistle’

These Belly Pics Of A Woman Expecting Triplets Are Completely Freaking Me Out.

THIS Magic Wand! Trump Epically Trolls Obama With His OWN Words

Maxine Doubles Down On Calls To Violence

Just-Released Email Reportedly PROVES Google’s Anti-Trump Bias In 2016 Election

The Female Monday Night Football Announcer Is Driving Everyone Nuts

Peter Strzok And Lisa Page Just Went From Bad To Way, WAY Worse.

House Republicans Introduce Tax Reform 2.0

Olivia Newton-John Shares Heartbreaking News

California Gov. Jerry Brown Signs Bill That Will Make The State Even MORE Unaffordable

Judge Jeanine THANKS Barack Obama

Food Truck Owner In Detroit Proudly Refuses To Serve Police Officers

Broadway Star Publicly Wishes For Trump’s Assassination

Remember When They Told Us “Body Positivity” Wasn’t About Normalizing Unhealthy Lifestyles?

Do You Really Know What Net Neutrality Is?

Kamala Harris Touts Another WHOPPER On Brett Kavanaugh

DeSantis Resigns

Michelle Malkin Hands Jim Carrey His Butt On A Silver Platter

Accuracy in Media

Politifact Labels Harris Tweet on Kavanaugh’s Abortion Position ‘False’ - 9/11/2018

Yahoo: Trump Doesn’t Even Know Which Land to Lease - 9/11/2018

Mainstream Media Finds No Sources in Favor of Trump PLO Announcement - 9/11/2018

CJR Writer Tries to Understand Tucker Carlson Without Introspection - 9/11/2018

MSNBC Gives Glowing Coverage to Obama for Criticizing Trump - 9/10/2018

Allen West The Old School Patriot

Leftists Overtaking My Hometown of Atlanta - 9/11/2018

Islamic Terrorists Want Dems to Win in November - 9/11/2018

The Traitorous Revision of History in the US - 9/10/2018

The Very Definition of Terrorism on Display - 9/8/2018

Alinsky, Trump, and an Anonymous Coup - 9/7/2018

Big League Politics

BREAKING: DOJ Set To Investigate Anti-Conservative Bias Among Social Media Giants - 9/11/2018

Twitter User Threatens Mass Murder of Trump Supporters, Account Still Active - 9/11/2018

Muslim Organization Tries To Bully Franklin Graham From Speaking In U.K. - 9/11/2018

Rabid Anti-Trump Leftist Attempts to Stab GOP Congressional Candidate - 9/11/2018

Leftist U.S. Senator Compares Russian Conspiracy Theory To 9/11 - 9/11/2018

Bizpac Review

GOP Rep. Scott Taylor explains how reenlisting after 9/11 changed his life forever - 9/11/2018

Crack pipe vending machines disguised as pen dispensers pop up in Long Island as school begins - 9/11/2018

Georgia school reignites debate over corporal punishment after reinstating paddling as punishment - 9/11/2018

President Trump honors 9/11 with a speech so powerful it leaves moved CNN hosts stunned - 9/11/2018

Carter Page: FBI probe not about me, it’s about tearing down Trump and all the good he’s doing - 9/11/2018

Breitbart News

Nancy Pelosi, Confident: 'I Will Be the Speaker of the House' - 9/12/2018

Pelosi: Dems Will Win House Because Some Republicans Aren’t ‘Going to Fight Us’ - 9/11/2018

Exclusive — ‘Possession of Drug Paraphernalia’ and Dozens of Other Charges: Ad Exposes Minnesota Democrat’s Brushes with Law - 9/12/2018

Support for Mayor Khan Crashes After Summer of Violence - 9/12/2018

UK Police Force Doubles Down on 'Non-Crime Hate Incidents' After Social Media Backlash - 9/12/2018

Chicks On The Right

Uh Oh. Salsa Dancing Cynthia Nixon Has Lost The All-Important Amy Schumer Vote. - 9/12/2018

Man Threatens Mass Shooting To Collect ‘Bloodstained MAGA Hats’ – Police On The Scene - 9/11/2018

Convenience Store Clerk Collapses In Medical Emergency – Teens Do The Unthinkable - 9/11/2018

Socialist Nutjob Caught In YET ANOTHER LIE - 9/11/2018

Don Jr. Says His Father Only Has A ‘Small’ Group Of People Within The White House He Can Trust - 9/11/2018

Consortiumnews

On the Brink with Russia in Syria Again, 5 Years Later - 9/12/2018

Beyond Bolton: The Path to a Progressive Foreign Policy - 9/11/2018

Letter from Britain: The Real Reason for the ‘Anti-Semite’ Campaign Against Jeremy Corbyn - 9/10/2018

Support Our Commitment to Independent Journalism - 9/10/2018

Moscow Has Upped the Ante in Syria - 9/9/2018

CNS

Trump Would Shut Down Government Over A Border Wall; Some Say He Should - 9/12/2018

Kenneth Starr Still Getting Hardballs - 9/12/2018

If Americans Can't Drive in Afghanistan, Can We Remake Syria? - 9/12/2018

UN Human Rights Council Gives Platform to Venezuelan Minister, Who Slams The US - 9/12/2018

The Purge - USA Network - 9/11/2018

Daily Caller News Foundation

Eddie Edwards Will Face Off Against Democrat Chris Pappas In New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District - 9/11/2018

REPORT: Manafort Is Talking To Mueller About Reaching Plea Deal In Second Trial - 9/11/2018

Cardinal Wuerl To Meet With The Pope About RESIGNATION - 9/11/2018

Police Investigating Anonymous Threat Made At Trump Hotel Before MAGA Event - 9/11/2018

Molly Kelly Wins New Hampshire Democratic Primary, Faces Incumbent Sununu In November - 9/11/2018

Daily Wire

NBC News White House Correspondent Mocks Trump Saying 'Radical Islamic Terrorism' On 9/11 - 9/12/2018

WATCH: Son Of Woman Killed On 9/11 Seemingly Slams Pelosi And Booker For Using Victims as 'Props' - 9/12/2018

Bernie Sanders' Son Doesn't Do So Great In His Congressional Primary - 9/11/2018

Democratic Socialist Threatens To Shoot Up MAGA Event At Trump Hotel, Report Says - 9/11/2018

Pastor Gets Standing Ovation For Blunt Message To Nike - 9/11/2018

Dan Bongino

September 11, 2018: Ep. 804 New Texts Expose More Corruption - 9/11/2018

Do Illegal Aliens Really Commit Fewer Crimes? - 9/10/2018

September 10, 2018: Ep. 803 Is This Major Player in the Scandal Still Alive? - 9/10/2018

SPYGATE: The Characters You Need to Know - 9/9/2018

September 7, 2018: Ep. 802 Is Justice Coming? - 9/7/2018

Drudge Report Feed

Fearing destructive quake, California considers list of buildings likely to collapse... - 9/12/2018

Priest charged with sexually assaulting young girl... - 9/12/2018

Calls prevention summit... - 9/12/2018

Rat in Broth Wipes $190 Million Off Restaurant Chain's Value... - 9/12/2018

Jimmy Carter: Don't scare off moderates... - 9/12/2018

Eagle Rising

President Trump Remembers The Flight 93 Heroes - 9/11/2018

Georgia School Brings Back Paddling To Punish Students - 9/11/2018

Bolton Announces The Trump Admin Will Stop US Cooperation With The ICC - 9/11/2018

Wisconsin College Frowns On 9/11 Memorial Project Over Fears It Could Offend Muslims - 9/11/2018

TRUMP BOOM: Most Summer Travel, Higher Small Business Optimism Since Reagan, Lowest Unemployment Ever, MORE - 9/11/2018

FOX Business

Extradition case of Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya in UK court - 9/12/2018

A Decade Later: 5 Lingering Effects of the Financial Crisis - 9/12/2018

4 Retirement Planning Mistakes You Probably Don't Even Realize You're Making - 9/12/2018

Farmer Brothers (FARM) Q4 2018 Earnings Conference Call Transcript - 9/12/2018

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished for Social-Media Giants - 9/12/2018

FOX News

Florida woman doused husband's eyes with hot sauce during argument, police say - 9/12/2018

Hurricane Florence could bring catastrophic storm surges: What are they, and how can you prepare? - 9/12/2018

Hurricane Florence apps to use during the storm - 9/12/2018

Hurricane Florence churns in the Atlantic: How do these powerful tropical storms take shape? - 9/12/2018

Libyan officials say unknown missiles hit Tripoli airport - 9/12/2018

Gatestone Institute :: Articles

China's 'Digital' Totalitarian Experiment - 9/12/2018

Turkey's Latest Power Grab a Naval Base in Cyprus? - 9/12/2018

Pakistan: New Government Fails to Support Minorities - 9/11/2018

Are We Remembering 9/11 or Forgetting It? - 9/11/2018

Turkey: Torture, Sexual Abuse Rampant in Prisons - 9/10/2018

Geller Report

WATCH Moment ‘teenage’ migrants chase after UK-bound vans in broad daylight in sleepy French village - 9/11/2018

Terror-tied Muslims ‘proselytizing’ at U.S. school assemblies - 9/11/2018

‘Silent Donation’: Corporate Emails Reveal Google Executives Tried to Turn Out Latino Voters Who They Thought Would Vote For Clinton - 9/11/2018

WATCH: Ground Zero Mosque: Second Wave of the 9/11 Attacks - 9/11/2018

NYC: Racist, far-left principal trying to rid school of Jewish teachers: lawsuit - 9/11/2018

Hot Air

Report: Tennis umpires might boycott Serena Williams’s matches over “sexism” claim during U.S. Open fiasco - 9/11/2018

The Botham Jean killing: Should the cop be charged with manslaughter or murder? - 9/11/2018

Nikki Haley warns of ‘dire’ consequences if Russia and Iran continue attacks on Idlib, Syria - 9/11/2018

Pope Francis: The Great Accuser is hunting bishops these days; Update: Wuerl to discuss resigning with pope - 9/11/2018

“Unsung success”: Trump says handling of the Puerto Rico hurricane was some of the best disaster management ever - 9/11/2018

InfoWars

Emergency Report: Trump Must Take Action Now To Stop False Flags - 9/11/2018

Tech Gods Wipe Truth From Public View - 9/11/2018

Video: Amazon is Now Banning ‘Offensive’ Books - 9/11/2018

Spirit of America Captured: Bald Eagle Graces 9/11 Memorial - 9/11/2018

Report: Pyongyang Aims to Connect Railways of North, South Korea - 9/11/2018

Jihad Watch

9/11: Seventeen years have passed, and no end is in sight - 9/11/2018

Australia: Muslim preacher says its a “major sin” for wife to refuse husband’s demands for sex - 9/11/2018

Dartmouth prof: It’s good that 17 years after 9/11, people are finally forgetting about terrorism - 9/11/2018

France: Muslim who drove car onto airport runway said “I have been sent by Allah,” has “psychiatric fragility” - 9/11/2018

Muslim former Chicago resident indicted on charges he tried to join the Islamic State - 9/11/2018

Katrina Pierson

Peek: Above All, Obama Angry Trump has systematically chipped away at his legacy - 9/12/2018

Trump Reminds America “Radical Islamic Terrorists” Attacked Us on September 11th - 9/12/2018

Dershowitz: Strzok’s Claim About ‘Leak Strategy’ Doesn’t ‘Pass the Giggle Test’ - 9/12/2018

New Strzok-Page Texts Show Coordinated Media Leaks - 9/12/2018

The Drive-Bys Can’t Change Public Opinion on Trump and It’s Driving Them Crazy - 9/11/2018

LifeNews.com

Bioethicist Says Allowing Infanticide Does Not Violate a Baby’s Right to Life - 9/11/2018

Remember When California Spent $3 Billion for Embryonic Stem Cell Research. It Hasn’t Cured Any Patients - 9/11/2018

Thousands of Pro-Lifers March in Dominican Republic Against Legalizing Abortion - 9/11/2018

Actress Sally Field Reveals She Secretly Aborted Her Baby at 17 - 9/11/2018

Professors Argue Its OK to Euthanize Patients to Harvest Their Organs - 9/11/2018

LifeZette

Identity Politics ‘Invades Science’ on Campus: Here’s the Proof and the Pushback - 9/12/2018

Six Facts Say Papadopoulos Is Right to Think Downer, FBI Set Him Up - 9/12/2018

‘Careful What You Ask for’ Ahead of Midterms, Starr Warns Dems - 9/11/2018

Look Who Supported Roseanne Barr After She Was Fired - 9/11/2018

Happening Now: Mass Shooting Threat at Trump Hotel MAGA Event - 9/11/2018

Newsmax - America

GOP Sen. Collins Gets 'Vulgar' Calls Protesting Kavanaugh - 9/11/2018

Puerto Rico Gov. Rebukes Trump: 'Not a Successful Relationship' - 9/11/2018

Google Brings Back AI Expert With Military, Defense Ties - 9/11/2018

Florence Could Rival North Carolina's 1954 'Benchmark Storm' - 9/11/2018

WashPost: Archbishop Wuerl to Talk Resignation With Pope - 9/11/2018

Newsmax - Newsfront

Education Dept. Reopens Rutgers Case Alleging Anti-Semitism - 9/11/2018

Google Brings Back AI Expert With Military, Defense Ties - 9/11/2018

Hurricane Florence Has Ingredients That Make Experts Worry - 9/11/2018

Study: Obesity Makes You Stupid - 9/11/2018

Study: Obesity Makes You Stupid - 9/11/2018

Newsmax - Politics

GOP Sen. Collins Gets 'Vulgar' Calls Protesting Kavanaugh - 9/11/2018

Puerto Rico Gov. Rebukes Trump: 'Not a Successful Relationship' - 9/11/2018

Sessions Open to Probe of Social Media Giants - 9/11/2018

Report: Bush 43 to Help Fundraise for Select GOP Candidates - 9/11/2018

Chuck Schumer Slams Trump on 'Hurtful' Puerto Rico Comments - 9/11/2018

Newsmax - TheWire

Whale Sanctuary Blocked, Japan Pushes to End Commercial Hunting Ban - 9/11/2018

El Nino Event Is 70% Likely This Year, UN Says - 9/11/2018

Alex Trebek's Beard on 'Jeopardy!' Causes a Stir - 9/11/2018

Mac Miller Autopsy Performed, More Tests Needed in Rapper's Death - 9/11/2018

Lifelike Pediatric Robot Creeps Out Docs in Training - 9/11/2018

OAN Newsroom – One America News Network

Hurricane Florence prompts mass evacuations - 9/11/2018

WATCH: Potential False-Flag Attack in Syria Could Trigger U.S. Military Strike - 9/11/2018

FAA: Pilots advised to exercise great caution while in Iranian airspace - 9/11/2018

3 Chicago teens shot near high school - 9/11/2018

WATCH: Remembering 9/11 - 9/11/2018

Politichicks.com

Michelle Owens of the Center for Prosecutor Integrity Discusses DOJ and Corruption in DC - 9/12/2018

Anni Cyrus: Nike’s Kaepernick ‘Just Do It’ Jihad - 9/12/2018

Reminder: Benghazi “Whistleblowers” Confirm Lies, Deceit, Cover-ups - 9/11/2018

When is Enough? When All Firearms Are Taken Away! - 9/11/2018

Six Years of Benghazi: The Comfort of Friends - 9/11/2018

Populist.TV

How did the #CIA React to the Events of September 11, 2001? | Guest: @JohnKiriakou - 9/11/2018

How did the #CIA React to the Events of September 11, 2001? | Guest: @JohnKiriakou` - 9/11/2018

Remembering September 11, 2001 & What it Means to be a Patriot | Guest: @skepticalvet - 9/11/2018

Headlines + What’s Your Best Trick for Separating Truth from Fiction??? Call-In NOW @ 202-521-1320!! - 9/11/2018

What is the Current Situation in #Syria? - 9/11/2018

Sara A. Carter

McConnell Suggests ‘Ethics Inquiry’ over Cory’s ‘Unusual Behavior’ - 9/7/2018

Trump Calls on Sessions to Investigate Anonymous NYT Op-Ed Author - 9/7/2018

Corey Booker’s Grandstanding Stunt Backfires - 9/6/2018

Lawmakers Call on Trump to Declassify Carter Page FISA - 9/6/2018

Meadows: Demands AG Sessions Investigate Bruce Ohr’s Role with FBI - 9/5/2018

The American Conservative

U.S. Again Cries ‘Chemical Warfare’ in Syria - 9/11/2018

Congress’ Deadline for Yemen Certification Has Arrived - 9/11/2018

The Communalist Mormons Mitt Romney Would Have Hated - 9/11/2018

Is ‘Universal Authorship’ Such a Good Thing? - 9/11/2018

Sweden: The Latest Nationalist Domino - 9/11/2018

The Black Sphere

Chuck Schumer Comes Unplugged and Unhinged - 9/9/2018

‘Bleeding Blue’ Film Examines the Dangers and Politics of Policing in America (VIDEO) - 9/6/2018

‘Bleeding Blue’ Film Examines the Dangers and Politics of Policing in America (VIDEO) - 9/6/2018

Nike’s Bad Publicity * VIDEO * - 9/5/2018

Tiger Woods Defends Trump, Blasted by ESPN ***VIDEO*** - 9/1/2018

The Daily Signal

The Daily Signal Podcast: ‘Gosnell’ Filmmaker Shares Why This Story Had to Be Told - Invalid Date

Brett Kavanaugh’s Opponents Aren’t Really Against Him. They’re Against the Constitution. - Invalid Date

Newly Disclosed Strzok-Page Texts Shed New Light on ‘Media Leak Strategy’ at FBI, Justice - Invalid Date

America Has Strayed From Founders’ Vision for Economic Freedom and Limited Government, Walter Williams Says - Invalid Date

Government for Hire? Emails Show ‘Climate Industry’ Funds Jobs in Offices of Governors, Attorneys General - Invalid Date

The Epoch Times

Hurricane Florence Approaches Carolinas as Wind Speeds Reach 150 MPH - 9/12/2018

East Coast Military Bases Brace for Hurricane Florence - 9/12/2018

New York Beats London to Top Financial Center Spot Amid Brexit Fears - 9/12/2018

Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra Receives Rousing Welcome at Taiwan Airport - 9/12/2018

UK Prime Minister Theresa May Could Face Leadership Challenge - 9/12/2018

The Federalist

Podcast: Democrats Push Single Payer, Republicans Push Paid Family Leave - 9/11/2018

We Should Remember 9/11 Through The Lens Of Good Friday - 9/11/2018

Jim Carrey Urges Democrats To Embrace The Socialist Label - 9/11/2018

Read A Pile Of Top Nazis Talking About How They Love Leftist Marxism - 9/11/2018

U.K. Police Urge Citizens To Report Neighbors For ‘Offensive Or Insulting’ Speech - 9/11/2018

The Gateway Pundit

Obama-Hillary Fired Benghazi Heroes When they Got to Germany – Made Them Find Their Own Way Back to US (VIDEO) - 9/11/2018

Judicial Watch Sues Justice Department to Retrieve Emails Found on Weiner Laptop - 9/11/2018

Brit Hume Proves Once Again that GOP Elites Can Never Be Trusted to Lead Ever Again (VIDEO) - 9/11/2018

Breaking: More Strzok-Page Text Messages Show Coordination of FBI-DOJ to Destroy Trump with Planted Media Leaks - 9/11/2018

Stabbing Suspect Farzad Fazeli Facebook Rant About GOP, Trump: ‘Street Gangs Have a Code to Clean House’ - 9/11/2018

The Western Journal

Adrian Rogers: The Poison of Pornography - 9/11/2018

Man Appears To Take Shot at Kaepernick from 9/11 Memorial Stage - 9/11/2018

Watch: Nancy Pelosi and Cory Booker Get Scolded at 9/11 Memorial by Victim’s Family - 9/11/2018

5 Prayers for Those Who Are Stuck Waiting - 9/11/2018

Serena Williams, One of the Best Tennis Players Ever, Embraces the Left’s Victim Mentality - 9/11/2018

TownHall

School Disciplinary Policies Must Be Local - 9/11/2018

If Americans Can't Drive in Afghanistan, Can We Remake Syria? - 9/11/2018

Scooters Outrun Law - 9/11/2018

The Case Against Krissy Noble and How Drug and Gun Laws Deprive Us of Fundamental Rights - 9/11/2018

The Medicare-for-All Hoax - 9/11/2018

TownHall News

Merkel: "No excuse" for far-right violence in demonstrations - 9/12/2018

World stocks mixed as China hits at looming US tariffs - 9/12/2018

The Latest: Florence steadily making way to US East Coast - 9/12/2018

Algerian generals, others fired without explanation - 9/12/2018

EU eyes beefed-up coast guard to protect outside borders - 9/11/2018

twitchy.com

‘I am coming with a gun’: Twitter rando threatens to collect ‘bloodstained MAGA hats’ at Trump hotel meet-up - 9/11/2018

‘Incredible gesture’! Here’s what Jake Tapper is doing with his advance for the film version of his book - 9/11/2018

Center for Immigration Studies says Twitter is tagging the phrase ‘illegal alien’ as ‘hateful content’ - 9/11/2018

Man arrested for attempting to stab Republican congressional candidate; made ‘disparaging remarks’ about GOP - 9/11/2018

‘You BLEW it’! It doesn’t take long for Tomi Lahren’s hot 9/11 take to fizzle - 9/11/2018

Washington Examiner Politics

Washington Post scoop on GOP gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis landed with a thud - 9/11/2018

Jon Tester, Congress' second-biggest recipient of lobbyist cash, rails against money in politics - 9/11/2018

17 years after 9/11, a warning from Abraham Lincoln - 9/10/2018

Swedish populists gain ground; Europe's leaders can only stop such movements with policy changes - 9/10/2018

Voters still care a lot about regulating Wall Street - 9/9/2018

Washington Times: Faith & Family

Donald Wuerl to talk resignation with Pope Francis in Vatican - 9/11/2018

Vatican official: Sex abuse scandal is church's 'own 9/11' - 9/11/2018

Doug Lamborn demands DOJ probe Colorado for 'harassment' of Christian baker Jack Phillips - 9/10/2018

Vatican promises 'clarifications' to pope cover-up claims - 9/10/2018

Donald Trump, Melania Trump send Rosh Hashanah message - 9/9/2018

Washington Times: Inside the Beltway

Inside the Beltway: News media fixates on 'Trump's Katrina' and Hurricane Maria - 9/11/2018

Inside the Beltway: America remains steadfast on 9/11 anniversary - 9/10/2018

Inside the Beltway: Media attacks on Trump run like clockwork - 9/9/2018

Inside the Beltway: Trump resistance now 'an emergency,' say organizers - 9/6/2018

Inside the Beltway: Democrats faulted for joining Kavanaugh chaos - 9/5/2018

Washington Times: Inside Politics

Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski hit by anti-Kavanaugh ad blitz - 9/11/2018

Ann Coulter stands up for Jeff Sessions - 9/11/2018

John Brennan endorsed anti-Trump Steele dossier: Bob Woodward - 9/11/2018

Newt Gingrich, Republicans float new Contract with America - 9/11/2018

Bernie Sanders' son in crowded New Hampshire primary field - 9/11/2018

Washington Times: National

Belgrade airport closed after tires burst on plane - 9/12/2018

Merkel: "No excuse" for far-right violence in demonstrations - 9/12/2018

India nabs man suspected of killing dozens of truck drivers - 9/12/2018

Putin says Russia identified suspects in Novichok poisoning - 9/12/2018

Ryanair pilots, flight attendants go on strike in Germany - 9/12/2018

Washington Times: Politics

Plea to be heard for benefits of worker illegally in country - 9/12/2018

AP FACT CHECK: Obama doesn't always tell the straight story - 9/11/2018

Jimmy Carter cautions Democrats not to scare off moderates - 9/11/2018

Months of deadly unrest devastate Nicaragua's economy - 9/11/2018

Eddie Edwards, Trump-backed candidate, wins New Hampshire Republican U.S. House primary - 9/11/2018

WayneDupree.com

Ex-NIKE Exec Who Embezzled $77K Will Spend 13 Months In Jail - 9/12/2018

George W. Bush To Help Campaign And Raise Money For GOP Candidates - 9/11/2018

Defeated Schumer! Love For Senate To Turn Blue But Geography Is Against Us - 9/11/2018

WayneDupree.Com Named To Top 100 Conservative Websites — No. 50 - 9/11/2018

Nike Gains Back 3.3 Billion Stock Loss - 9/11/2018

[zeroviraluniverse-blog]

NFL quarterback dominoes: Teams that still need to draft (or buy) - NFL Nation

Visit Now - http://zeroviral.com/nfl-quarterback-dominoes-teams-that-still-need-to-draft-or-buy-nfl-nation/

NFL quarterback dominoes: Teams that still need to draft (or buy) - NFL Nation

The problem with the quarterback position in the NFL is that 32 teams are looking for franchise quarterbacks and there simply aren’t 32 franchise quarterbacks walking the earth. So when this game of offseason musical chairs happens, some teams are bound to be left with imperfect solutions, solutions-in-progress or wing-and-a-prayer situations that may or may not turn out to be disasters.

That doesn’t sound overly hopeful, but facts are facts, and even after all of the big offseason quarterback dominoes (and a few of the medium-sized ones) have fallen, there are plenty of teams left with questionable quarterback situations.

Kirk Cousins. Jimmy Graham. Andrew Norwell. This class is already wild. Here’s everything to know.

• Latest notable signings, trades » • Barnwell’s free agency & trade grades » • Adam Schefter’s news and notes » • Signings, analysis for all 32 teams » •Ranking top 100 NFL free agents » • Are Vikings NFC fav with Cousins? » • Fantasy impact of key deals, moves »

The pool of possible solutions is drying up, and it’s loaded with guys you’d prefer to take in some sort of combination with each other. AJ McCarron thinks he can be a starter, but so far no team has offered him that chance. Colin Kaepernick has proved he can be a starter, but after so many teams shunned him last year, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll ever get another chance. Guys such as Tom Savage, Drew Stanton and Brock Osweiler have starting experience, but it’s the buckle-your-seatbelt kind.

The Eagles aren’t trading Nick Foles unless a team coughs up at least a first-round pick. The Giants are riding it out with Eli Manning to the end. Jay Cutler cost the Dolphins $10 million last year and maybe should have stayed with his original plan to transition to broadcasting.

Point is, if you’re still looking for a quarterback at this point, your options aren’t great, and you may be thinking about moving up in the draft to take one of the unproven but well-regarded kids coming out of college.

With that in mind, here’s a look at five NFL quarterback situations that still appear the most questionable, and which teams might be looking to take a quarterback early in next month’s draft.

Teams still looking for answers at QB

The coaching staff likes Nathan Peterman, in spite of his inauspicious and unfortunate NFL debut last season. But it’s tough to imagine the Bills just handing him the starting job with no competition at this point. Tyrod Taylor is headed to Cleveland, leaving Peterman alone on the depth chart. McCarron and this one empty chair seem to be eyeing each other, but he has yet to sit in it. And whether he ultimately does or not, Buffalo looks like a team eyeing a move up into the top five of the draft to find its long-term solution at the position. Their pending trade with the Bengals moved them up from No. 21 to No. 12 in the first round, but they also hold the No. 22 pick and three more between 53 and 65. They will be able to trade up if they want to.

They’re set to add Sam Bradford, which could work out great if his knee holds up. But that’s a big “if,” which is why they also appear set to add Mike Glennon once the Bears cut him. Glennon is an insurance policy for Bradford, but both players come with question marks and are, for various reasons, difficult players on whom to rely. Arizona is picking 15th overall but could clearly be a team that moves up to take a quarterback if there’s one near the top it likes. They picked up an extra third-round compensatory pick that could help.

Nathan Peterman completed only 49 percent of his passes in 2017 while filling in for Tyrod Taylor, but he’s the Bills’ starter — for now. Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

The Jets love Josh McCown and what he brought them last year, so after missing out on Kirk Cousins they brought him back and also will be bringing in former Vikings prospect Teddy Bridgewater. The Jets pick sixth in the draft and could add a rookie as well. (They hold an extra second-round pick from the Sheldon Richardson trade and could move up if need be.) It’s a scattershot approach designed to maximize their chances of success. McCown, they know, can play at an acceptable level while they figure out what else they have behind him, whether Bridgewater can be a starter after two years off because of injury, and how long it might take for their rookie to get ready.

The Dolphins appear set to roll with Ryan Tannehill after he missed last year with an ACL tear, but backup Matt Moore is a free agent and they have no real contractual commitment to Tannehill beyond 2018. This is the kind of spot where McCarron might want to go if he can’t find an obvious starting opportunity, as one could come open here at some point soon. The Dolphins hold the 11th pick in the draft but don’t have the extra picks in the later rounds that some of these other teams have to help them move up.

Taylor is certainly an upgrade over what the Browns had in 2017, and it would be shocking if the Browns didn’t also take a quarterback with the first pick in the draft. (If they don’t, they’ll surely take one at No. 4, a pick they added when the Texans traded up for Deshaun Watson last year.) Cleveland has been active in free agency putting pieces around Taylor, and the stronger the group around him, the better chance he has to succeed. He was always better in Buffalo when Sammy Watkins and LeSean McCoy were healthy and on the field together.

Other teams that could take QBs in Round 1

Pick: No. 2

The Giants are in position to draft Eli Manning’s successor if they fall in love with one. At this point, the tea leaves seem to indicate they’ll go in a different direction, though.

Pick: No. 5

Yes, they just got Case Keenum, but with Paxton Lynch still a major question mark, is it nuts to imagine the Broncos covering their bases with a prospect they like?

When: April 26-28 Where: Arlington, Texas NFL draft coverage » | Full order: 1-256 »

•10 risers after combine workouts » •Mel Kiper’s Mock Draft 2.0 » •Todd McShay’s Mock Draft 2.0 » • Kiper’s Big Board » | McShay’s Top 32 » • 2018 draft QB class primer »

Pick: No. 13

Again, they’re bringing in Alex Smith, who’ll start for the foreseeable future. But if there’s a long-term successor about whom they feel good, why not?

Pick: No. 16

They’re tied to Joe Flacco for one more year and maybe two, but Ryan Mallett hasn’t proved to be a reliable backup and it might be time to think about the future.

Pick: No. 17

The Chargers have a fairly loaded roster, and Philip Rivers is 36.

Pick: No. 27

Like the Chargers, the Saints have a fairly loaded roster, and Drew Brees is 39.

Pick: No. 28

Ben Roethlisberger is now saying he wants to play three more years, but that could change at any time. It would be a mild surprise to see the Steelers spend this pick on a quarterback, but it’s not ridiculous.

Pick: No. 29

Kind of a broken record down here, except for Jacksonville the issue with their starter isn’t age, it’s consistency. Blake Bortles just re-upped, but the Jags can get out of the deal after one year with minimal pain or two with none.

Pick: No. 31

Hey, did ya hear? Tom Brady will be 41 when the season starts. And they shipped out potential successor Jimmy Garoppolo in October. Free agency has left the Pats with more needs than usual, so maybe a tackle or a receiver makes more sense on Day 1. But you never know.

[mariahnatalia-blog]

draft #2

February 6, 2018

Literary Narrative 

    Now this is a story, all about how my life got flipped-turned upside down and I’d like to take a minute just sit right there i’ll tell you how I transformed into the person I am today. (WS gif) There is this saying,”work hard party harder,” and it was my motto freshman year of college. Being exposed to the new college life was a thrilling experience for me. I was amused with the raging frat parties and new experiences the dorm life brought I got through fall and winter quarter successfully,but by spring I was exhausted. I would go back home to southern California to visit my sick dad who had poor heart health. I became extremely homesick and just wanted to be in southern California. Partying became a huge distraction for me. Gradually, I found myself neglecting my school work, and not caring about why I decided to move 400+ miles away from home, for my EDUCATION. My priorities were lost in all of the hype and stress of college life and I failed to realized at the time I was using the party scene as a coping method for my hectic life. This carefree mindset lead me down a destructive path. Losing focus of my goals and not caring brought a lot of problems in the end. I ended up being dismissed from my dream school, after putting in tons of  hard work and dedication to get there. It was disgruntled by the upsetting event, but knew I’d have to persevere.  Through this intense learning process, I found that being goal oriented with a positive and determined mindset about life, you can do vanquish anything. You must push yourself to your limits and pursue to overcome all obstacles, to be gifted with a brighter future. As I headed back to Oxnard, CA for summer after freshman year, I left school and all of my stress in Davis. I embraced the stress-free feeling, and saw it became the most destructive summer yet. I will be honest, summer 2017 exaggerated the toxic behavior I had already accumulated from being away at college. I constantly partied  and was being mischievous. I remember receiving a call from a lady named Maisha,  warning me that I would be on Academic Probation for the upcoming fall quarter due to my poor performance during spring. I was extremely worried after hanging up and was eager to change my career goal. I can’t lie, my interest in food science was never a passion. It sounded cool at first and I took a food chemistry class in highschool that sparked my enthusiasm initially. I didn’t know what I really wanted from this career, but went with it anyway. Reflecting on my freshman year experiences, I realized I was not good at hard sciences. They were extremely difficult in college compared to high school, and knew if I wanted to stay at UCD I would need to make changes.  I knew I’ve always wanted to help others, growing up. As I searched for a new major, I was certain I would stay in the Agriculture industry, giving my previous background. I’ve loved the kitchen since i was a young child, baking and watching my father cook on occasions sparked my earliest interests in food. Moving into high school, I joined the Culinary Arts Academy, where I evolved my basic knowledge to professional skills. I was even able to win a baking competition and was on the front page of the local newspaper. I brainstormed ideas of what could be a new possibility and stumbled upon International Agricultural Development (IAD). I fell in love with the core concepts of the major and was eager to explore more, once I returned in the fall. I moved into my first apartment at the end of summer and also started a new job at the beginning of fall quarter at the Student Community Center as an Event Staff. This was the first time I was expected to pay rent and other bills on my own. It was a huge adjustment from having a job in highschool than in college. I had to manage a full course load plus work under the pressures of my fall quarter contract. I was stressed out, but I had faithfully left the destructive party scene after returning fall quarter. My mind and focus was on working, then school. I needed to get hours in order to stay in my apartment. Money was scarce and my family is not in the position to help me financially. They help when they can, but I can’t rely on them for much. I was drained from school and working constantly. I had started working out as a new stress reliever, replacing  my ridiculous partying habits. I found to love the gym and the feeling it gave me. I have always been overweight since I was a child, so working out helped me gain confidence in myself. As my self esteem rose, I found myself becoming more motivated and feeling better mentally. My new regimen of working out and eating better was working! I started losing weight and could see the beginning of a new me. I was doing my best in school, but was still struggling with coursework. It felt like I had a huge weight on my shoulder, and didn’t have time to breathe. It came to end of fall quarter and I knew at the end I had lost all momentum. I gave my “best” work, though now I believe I could have done better. I received my grades one by one over winter break and was disappointed. I had missed my contract agreement of a 2.0 GPA by -.03, and received a 1.97.I was uncertain about my future at Davis at that point, but tried to stay optimistic going into winter quarter. I was anxious once I received an email saying I needed to meet with a dean about my contract. I was terrified at that point, but knew I couldn’t avoid the situation. I set up my appointment and hoped for the best. I went into Mrak Hall hopeful, but prepared for the worst. I didn’t know being dismissed would feel much worse than what I had initially prepared myself for. Hearing I was dismissed from dean Joe Lee, was a heart aching experience I’ll never forget. That exact moment broke me, but also gave me the opportunity to build a new sense of self. I was more than devastated after the meeting. I could barely talk without bursting into tears, my head was spinning and I felt like my life was over. I was mad at the world, and was certain I’d be heading home. At the time, I was full of rage and said I would never return to Davis. I called my best friend since 6th grade to confide in her. She brought me comfort and said she would support any decision I made. I appreciated her words, but still felt lost. I then called my dad. I struggled to even get the words out of my mouth, I did not want to disappoint him. He could hardly understand me, but knew something was wrong. I was able to get the words out after crying for a few minutes on the phone to him. He ensured me that I would be okay, and wasn’t upset at me. He did not agree with my desire to go home after being dismissed. He suggested that I stay in Davis, and do what I had to in order to eventually graduate from UCD. He always pushed me to do better than yesterday and made me feel confident in my abilities.  I didn’t agree with him at the time, but kept it in mind. The next day or two I was severely depressed. I couldn’t bare to get out of bed or even talk to others. I felt extremely disappointed in myself and didn’t have a plan B. I knew being moppy and depressed would only escalate my current situation, so I found the strength within to make a plan for myself. Talking with Joe, he mentioned steps I would need to take to return, so I followed up with these plans. I went to meet with the IAD adviser, and set up arrangements to attend Woodland Community College (WCC). I enrolled at WCC for the spring semester to fulfill my requirements of my contract to return to UCD. I was still very upset about the ordeal but knew I had to push myself to get through this rough time. I adapted new study habits at WCC and grew to enjoy school again. I adopted the library as a new second home. I spent times between and before classes there, studying or doing homework. I also became more organized by setting self deadlines, utilizing a planner religiously and extracting all distractions (ie: my phone) during classes. These strategies helped me become more focused and through with my studies. My confidence in the classroom grew as I soared through class work and was at the top of the majority of my classes. It was rewarding and pleasing to see myself accel again. I knew I could use my new study skills at UCD to ensure I’d never be in the same situation again. At the end of Spring semester I received a 3.8 GPA. I was ecstatic and proud of my accomplishments! I was eager to return to Davis and practice all of my new skills and lifestyle choices. During the summer, I found out due to my financial state, I would not be starting in the fall. I decided to take on an additional job to save for my debt. I worked from June-December constantly. I hardly took breaks from my jobs and stayed in Davis, even though it was summer time. I felt good at this point in time. I had overcome one of the hardest struggles I’ve ever had to face, hours away from those who comforted me the most. I did exceptionally well during my academic leave from Davis at WCC, and was confident I’d return with vengeance. Physically, I had never felt better about myself. I had lost about 50 lbs and saw a new and improved self. My physical transformation correlated with my mental progression. I have become stronger, empowered and diligent, not only academically but also with myself. As I thought I’d been clear from another tragedy in 2017,  I was wrong. I found out after working all day, on November 17, that my dad had passed away from heart failure. I was in disbelief and a wreck after hearing the news. Like mentioned earlier, I had been dealing with my dads poor health for some years by now and it was unclear how long he had. Some days he would be feeling like a new man, and others he’d wind up in the hospital for days. It was a bumpy road, and my dad knew this. He had “the talk” with me a few months prior to his death. It wasn’t about the birds and the bee’s, but what I should expect when he’s gone. It was a difficult conversation to have with someone I wanted to stay around forever. His supportive words then, help me to this day to cope with my loss of him. He stated he wanted me to get back into UCD and graduate. He encouraged me that I could get through anything if I set my mind to it. Hes reassured my strength and admirable leadership skills that can take me as far as I allow. At the time, I didn’t take these words to heart, but now everyday they recollect in my mind. I miss him like crazy and only want to make him proud. I was never able to tell him I was starting school at UCD again, but hope he’s watching me from above. (This is a working analysis, due to it only being 2 months but I plan to work incorporate any progression that occurs from now- final) As I anticipated the start of Winter quarter, I was still trying to cope with my dad’s death and embrace for my even more hectic life. I currently am taking 16 units, with 3 part time jobs. I still work at the SCC on campus. I have stayed persistent and was promoted to Student Manager recently, deliver pizza for Cenario’s and began my newest job at KFC as a crew member in January. My life right now is intense, I hardly sleep and am always busy with work or school. Though my life is hectic, I have been utilizing my adopted skill sets. They’ve improved my time management skills, study skills and have helped me cope with my dad’s death. Staying active at the gym has relieved a lot of stress I’ve been feeling. I continue to stay on top of my schedule and priorities to keep a peace of mind and not get behind, which adds more stress and anxiety on me. Working three jobs and taking 16 units on the quarter system is a lot on my plate, but i’m managing well. Comparing myself from then to now, I would have never been able to feel this confident with this busy of a schedule. I commend myself for my strength and diligence in 2018. I know if I continue on this new and improved pathway of life, I will succeed. Analyzing a year ago to now, I am a new and improved woman. My newest motto to live by is “hard work pays off,” I can say that 2017 was a year that completely broke me down. In the midst of my breakdown, I found it in me to recover in the process. Being in a financial hole, kicked out of school and having the death of my dad throughout a span of a year was crazy, and I am still dealing with the after effects. I felt like the bad news would never end, but kept a positive outlook and continued to stay focused on my goals. Staying organized while utilizing positive coping methods have changed my life for the better. I push myself everyday to be a better me today, than yesterday. I can not control what life hits me with, but I can control how I handle the situation. I have made tremendous progress in the past year, and am confident in my future endeavors.

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: 25 Stats to Contemplate This Christmas (Dec 26)

  Merry Christmas everyone! With no games to run down, my gift to you is 25 stats to consider in your fantasy league:

  1. 4:14 – That’s the number of power play minutes Mikko Rantanen has averaged per game, leading the entire league. Somehow, the sophomore is only at 50% ownership on Yahoo despite this tremendous opportunity that includes exposure to Nathan MacKinnon at even strength and on the PP. It isn’t as though Rantanen has failed to produce either, as he has 31 points in 35 games including 14 power-play points. The former lottery pick is legit and should be at or near universal ownership. The top line with Rantanen, MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog has been one of the league’s best since being put together, don’t sleep on them.

  2. 19 – Josh Bailey’s league-leading total of secondary assists, helping him to a tie with Jakub Voracek for the lead in totals assists with 36. Voracek has only seen 13 of his 36 as the secondary type, demonstrating a greater involvement in driving offense. We shouldn’t diminish what Bailey has done too much, but there is little question that he has overachieved skating alongside John Tavares and Anders Lee. There is no questioning the skill and chemistry on this line, but Bailey has typically scored on 60-65% of the goals with him on the ice. This season, his IPP is at 79%. With his usual luck in terms of secondary assists Bailey would have closer to 37 points than his 46 thus far. Those points are banked, but don’t be shocked if the bubble bursts here in the second half.

It’s no leap to suggest that you should sell high on Bailey, but that’s always relative to what you can net in return. Be prepared to simply ride it out with Bailey even if you should only expect ~35 points the rest of the way. For those who aren’t doing the math that would still leave Bailey with ~81 points thanks to the points already banked. That would be a wildly successful season.

  3. 38.1% – Mike Green’s primary point percentage, the lowest in the league among players with at least 20 points (Green has 21). This isn’t necessarily an indictment of Green as we expect defensemen to pile up secondary assists. However, since Green is teetering on the edge of fantasy relevance this isn’t necessarily a good omen, especially as the Red Wings’ offense has taken a step backward.

  4. 42.3% – Right behind Green on the primary point percentage list is Henrik Sedin, which is much more alarming. The Sedins have seen a resurgence thanks to the emergence of Brock Boeser, and an increase in power play usage. Henrik has always been a particularly assist-heavy player, but relying on secondary assists for over half of his points is not a sustainable strategy. Even if Brock Boeser continues to score at an elite rate the Sedins aren’t always skating with the rookie at even strength to bank on a continuous flood of goals. The puck will be spread out enough on the power play that Sedin won’t continue to be so fortunate.

Another forward with over half of his points coming from secondary assists: Mitch Marner. Not great!

  5. 96.0% – James van Riemsdyk’s league-leading primary point percentage (among players with 20 points or more). Just one of his 25 points has been a secondary assist. This makes sense as he is primarily a net-front option, but this is an extreme rate. Last season, a quarter of his 62 points were secondary assists. It is true that the line with Marner, van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak has taken a big step back, but even with that considered van Riemsdyk is leaving some meat on the bone.

Other forwards with at least 90% of their scoring coming from primary points: Brian Gibbons, Derick Brassard, Tyler Seguin, Michael Grabner, Brendan Gallagher, Bo Horvat.

  6. 22:31 – Aleksander Barkov’s average time on ice, tops among forwards. This is both promising and terrifying. I cannot imagine a player as injury prone as Barkov racking up this many miles and coming out unscathed.

  7. 101 – Nikita Kucherov’s league-leading point total in the 2017 calendar year, comprising 78 games. Connor McDavid sits just behind at 100 points.

  8. 64 – The number of power-play goals scored by the Lightning in the 2017 calendar year, tops in the league. Pittsburgh (63), Toronto (60), Washington (60), Boston (59), Winnipeg (59), Nashville (58) are the only other teams with more than 50 PPGs this year. No surprise that these have been some of the best teams for fantasy value.

  9. 27 – Columbus’ league low for power-play goals in 2017. Technically, this title goes to Vegas (23), but considering the expansion team is half a season behind we’ll give them a pass. How sad is it that Columbus has a 50-game head start and only a four-goal lead?

Other teams with less than 40 PPGs this year: Anaheim (35), Chicago (38), Carolina (39). Columbus deservedly takes a lot of shit for their miserable power play, but how is it that a team with Patrick Kane has been so inept while up a man?

  10. 0.812 – Scott Darling’s save percentage while shorthanded this season. His PK save percentage had floated around .900 in his previous two seasons, but has tanked with the normally stout penalty-killing Hurricanes. The only starters who have been worse than Darling are Jacob Markstrom and Cam Talbot. I’m buying low on two of these goalies.

  11. 57 – The number of points Justin Williams has scored in the 2017 calendar year, as many as Alexander Radulov, Sasha Barkov, Kyle Turris, Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone. It is really hard to find under-the-radar talent any more, but he’s a great example.

  12. 56 – Joe Pavelski’s point total in 78 games this year? He has been hurt and has picked up his scoring of late, but still represents the worst kind of under-performer: the kind you cannot drop. Kudos to those who have hung on and stayed in the running, Pavelski should be better in 2018.

  13. 47 – Seth Jones’ point total in the 2017 calendar year. This eclipses Zach Werenski’s mark of 41. Both are studs and there is room for both to be relevant, but Jones is inching ahead as the top dog in Columbus. As teams trend towards the 4F-1D look there is often room for only one defenseman of significance. Jones has gained an upper-hand, which may come as a surprise.

  14. 62 – Erik Karlsson’s point total this year, fourth among defensemen. An ankle injury notably cost him some games, but Karlsson has not had the outsized production that has pushed him far above his peers. Brent Burns (65), Victor Hedman (64), John Klingberg (62) and Nick Leddy (57) have all offered similar value at the shallowest skater position.

  15. 335 – SOG for Evander Kane this calendar year, second only to Alexander Ovechkin (338). Better yet, Kane has scored on over 10% of those shots. No longer the king of the empty-calorie shot, Kane has been good in every format imaginable. The only question is if Kane can carry this over to his new team, assuming he is traded before the deadline.

  16. 5.2% – The shooting percentage over the past year for the new king of the empty-calorie shot: Patrick Sharp.

Other contenders for the crown: Daniel Sedin, Derek Stepan, Boone Jenner, Derick Brassard, Patrice Bergeron. Father Time remains undefeated, but also, what is Jenner doing in here?

  17. 6:23 – Tyler Johnson’s PP time in his last game. Johnson has already been on a tear since being bumped into the top six with points in nine straight games, but this becomes more sustainable if he can stick on the Lightning’s top PP unit. Johnson displaced Alex Killorn who has hardly taken advantage of his top unit usage with just seven PPP so far.

  18. 16.3% – The highest jump in shooting percentage from last season to this season goes to William Karlsson whose breakout season didn’t come out of left field, it came out of parking lot four zip codes over. His 22.5% shooting is 10th among players with at least 20 games played. There’s little doubt that Karlsson has benefitted from an increase in ice time, and improved linemates, but players don’t typically improve their efficiency in greater minutes. Karlsson’s 16 goals, nearly match his total from the previous three seasons (18) in a third of the games. His shot rate has climbed from just over 1.0 per game to 2.0 per game.

Is it possible that with so few shots we didn’t see enough of a sample to determine Karlsson’s true shooting value during his time in Columbus and Anaheim?

  19. 0.930 – John Gibson’s save percentage in the 2017 calendar year, tops among starting goaltenders. With the Ducks getting healthy, watch out for him in 2018. Rounding out the top five: Sergei Bobrovsky (0.926), Jonathan Quick (0.924), Andrei Vasilevskiy (0.924), Pekka Rinne (0.922).

  20. 67 – The number of starts made by Frederik Andersen in 2017. No other starter made more appearances (not including playoffs). Not bad for a goalie who has struggled with injuries at times. Rounding out the top five: Cam Talbot (65), Mike Smith (64), Braden Holtby (64), Sergei Bobrovsky (62).

I cannot help but notice that the only overlap between the last two groups is Bobrovsky, the best goalie in fantasy hockey.

  21. 59.4% – Pierre-Luc Dubois’ league-leading Corsi-For%, besting even noted stalwarts like Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Columbus has stumbled onto something great with Dubois, Artemi Panarin and Josh Anderson, as they boast the ability to tilt the ice at elite levels. Their goal-scoring still leaves something to be desired, but this trio is developing into a legitimate top line. I see plenty of potential for Dubois in the second half. Since getting jumped up the lineup he has 16 points in 25 games, a 53-point pace. Not bad for a rookie.

  22. 22 – The number of penalties that Matthew Tkachuk has drawn this season, tops in the league. Other leaders in this stat: Mathew Barzal (20), Brad Marchand (20), Bryan Rust (19), Nico Hischier (18), Nikita Kucherov (18), Nazem Kadri (18), Johnny Gaudreau (17), Nikolaj Ehlers (17), David Pastrnak (17), Kevin Fiala (17).

I continue to believe that penalties drawn, or penalty differential, should be a fantasy stat. It’s trackable and unlike PIM, is actually a positive action. We want to reflect who the best players are, and penalties drawn is another means of doing so.

The best argument I’ve heard against this stat is that it favours the best players too heavily and that categories like hits, PIM and blocked shots are a better way to diversify the player pool. Penalty differential would be particularly taxing to the defenseman position that already struggles for relevance. However, defensemen who avoid taking penalties like Oscar Klefbom could gain value, which would be a net positive.

I also think that sometimes peripheral categories can skew things too far in the wrong direction. Play in a league with PIM and SOG and assist-heavy guys like Alexander Wennberg can be questionable options even when producing at a high rate. Add in FOW and centermen become overvalued. Add in blocked shots and defensemen have too much pull.

My longest-running league is in it’s 11th season. We started with Goals, Assists, PPP, Plus/Minus, PIM, and GWG as categories, but have since evolved to score Goals, Assists, Points, PPP, Plus/Minus, PIM, and SOG.

Game-Winners was an easy category to punt and Shots an easy category to add. We felt the need to bring on Points In lieu of Shutouts (as a fourth goalie category alongside Wins, Save% and GAA) because there was too much of a skew towards goalies. In this setup replacing PIM with penalty differential might be going too far, but I’d argue for simply dropping the points category and going to nine scoring categories. I also think that the category system pales in comparison to a points-based system, but that’s another can of worms.

  23. 35 – Jack Roslovic’s AHL leading point total this season accrued in just 31 games. The 20-year-old has crushed the AHL with 83 points 96 games over the past two seasons. It’s only a matter of time before his next cup of coffee with the Jets, although it may require an injury.

Bryan Little has been locked in to a six-year contract extension with all-kinds of trade protection, which doesn’t click in until next season. A ruthless team would consider moving Little now while he has only a modified no-trade clause to escape an extension that won’t look great as the 30-year-old declines. They already have Roslovic on the cusp of filling that #2C spot. Of course, at $5.3M annually, Little’s deal won’t be too harmful if he can at least be a reasonable #3C for the next few years.

Don’t be shocked if Roslovic takes longer to arrive because of Little, but also don’t be shocked if Roslovic reduces Little’s fantasy relevance once he finally arrives. The Jets have ANOTHER good one.

  24. 24 -The number of players with at least 10 games played who are averaging a point-per-game pace or better. Last year, there were only seven players sustaining that pace, with nine eventually managing the feat. I’m sure we’ll see a good deal of attrition as the season wears on, but it’s very impressive how many have held out this long.

  25. 19.8 – The number of shot attempts per 60 minutes Jesse Puljujarvi has averaged this season, seventh in the league. The rest of the top-10:

Vladimir Tarasenko (24.1)

Brent Burns (23.5)

Jeff Skinner (22.8)

Brendan Gallagher (21.6)

Patrice Bergeron (20.8)

Viktor Arvidsson (20.2)

Max Pacioretty (19.6)

Yohann Auvitu (19.5)

Josh Anderson (19.4)

That’s some elite company. Puljujarvi hasn’t been particularly productive thanks to skating just 13:34 per game with minimal PP time, but the exposure he is getting to Connor McDavid is encouraging. I suspect Puljujarvi’s shot rate will continue to soar if he sticks on McDavid’s wing, as it’s the most lucrative spot in pro hockey. Eventually, Puljujarvi will displace Mark Letestu in the Ovechkin spot on the Oilers’ top PP unit, which will turn him into a 30-goal threat at the very least.

One quibble with Puljujarvi, he’ll have to battle with Kailer Yamamoto for this role. Yamamoto put up similarly gaudy shot rates (19.4 shot attempts per 60) during his nine-game trial. Puljujarvi needs to take advantage of his opportunity to gain a foothold before Yamamoto arrives. Ultimately, Puljujarvi could develop relevance even without exposure to McDavid and makes an excellent bet long-term.

  Boxing Day Bonus! 26 – The point total for the league’s leading scorer among players skating fewer than 15 minutes per game. That belongs to Kevin Fiala who has averaged 14:31 per game. His ice time has spiked since Kyle Turris arrived and Nashville’s elite second line was formed. Fiala has 19 points in 20 games since the acquisition of Turris in 15:08 per game.

*

Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Twitter @SteveLaidlaw.

from All About Sports http://www.dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-25-stats-to-contemplate-this-christmas-dec-26/

[jersey319-blog]

Bill O’Brien: Often Overlooked As A Huge Part Of The Puzzle

Sometimes, players get too much of the credit. Coaches are often not credited with the success of their teams when things go right, though often, they should be. Head coach Bill O’Brien seems to be overlooked as a huge reason the Houston Texans did so well this past season.

As we head into the offseason, and yet another year with the Patriots being defending champions, it’s easy to see that New England Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick has been one of the greatest coaches of NFL history. Belichick is a coach who does get a lot of great credit for what he does, but some other coaches, including Bill O’Brien don’t get enough credit.

Even in his days cheap nfl jerseys in Penn State, his success was overshadowed by the reign of former head coach Joe Paterno that had preceded him.

“HE GOT EVERYONE ON BOARD AND BUYING INTO THINGS THAT HE WANTS FROM A FOOTBALL TEAM.” – JONATHAN JOSEPH This year, O’Brien led the Texans to a 9-7 season, which, according to the Houston Texans website, is the best first season for a coach in the franchise. This is seven more wins compared to the year before O’Brien took over.

This wasn’t the first great coaching experience O’Brien has had either. He has a long list of credentials: wholesale jerseys

Brown University – tight end, linebacker coach Georgia Tech University – RB, QB coach/offensive coordinator Maryland University – running backs coach Duke University – quarterback coach/offensive coordinator New England Patriots – WR, QB, Asst. coach/offensive coordinator Penn cheap jerseys from china State University – head coach It may just be taking some a while for O’Brien to grow on them. His credibility has been shown in the NFL – he finished at second in the coach of the year voting – but some may be waiting to see consistency from him as a head coach, with a few decent seasons in a row.

So, why is he so successful? I believe it all comes down to the respect O’Brien receives from everyone he works with, as well as the work ethic O’Brien carries with him.

O’Brien is constantly praised by his players. They respect him, and time and time again, are saying great things about playing for him.

Cornerback Jonathan Joseph said that, “He got everyone on board and buying into things that he wants from a football team.” Other players often praise O’Brien as well, but almost all of them also give credit to the entire coaching staff.

While I do think it’s fair to say all of the coaches do a great job, and certainly contributed to the Texans decent season, I think the mastermind would have to be O’Brien. The way he runs things clearly works, and anyone around him respects him. From players, to fellow coaches, everyone who works with O’Brien respects him, and the way he does things.

I truly believe that this respect towards O’Brien is a huge part of why the team is doing so well. When coaches respect him, they do their best to hold up high standards to themselves, which O’Brien expects of them. This then trickles cheap jerseys china down to the players, who, in turn, also hold themselves to high standards, which leads to winning.

O’Brien has done this on all levels. Former Penn State players who played for O’Brien claimed that he, “brought an NFL mindset” (Adrian Amos). Mike Hull praised him, saying O’Brien was the best coach he ever had, and that he has, “so much respect for him.” Keep in mind, Hull was also coached by the winningest NCAA coach in Division 1 history, but still ranked O’Brien higher than Paterno.

O’Brien obviously has incredible work ethic, as he’s been able to work his way from low college assistant jobs to assisting in the NFL, and finally, coaching in the NFL. He has been involved with coaching since 1993 and has obviously picked up some skills along the way which he has already implemented in Houston, and cheap jerseys will continue to do so.

To be fair, O’Brien has been given a decent group of guys to work with. I’m not saying that players must be perfect off the field in order to win, but the Texans have had zero arrests since 2010, the best in the league. Keeping distractions like this to a minimum certainly helps, and it’s clear that the mission in the locker room is on the field, and not off of the field.

While offseason moves can be made to get big players, and the draft can be looked at as an opportunity to get new talent, that can mean absolutely nothing without a good coach. The Texans went into this offseason knowing that O’Brien can coach, and do a great job of it.

Ultimately, this puts the Texans at an advantage against other teams on the bubble of making it into the playoffs. Some other teams will be looking for a coach and other players to fill voids, but the Texans already have a huge part of the puzzle – a fantastic coach.

NEXT: Todd McShay's Mock Draft 2.0: The wholesale jerseys china Texans Take...

[junker-town]

NHL Mid-Season Status Report: The road ahead for Western Conference playoff hopefuls

The playoffs are still in sight for struggling contenders.

The feeling of dread and doom that many fallen Western Conference contenders must feel at the NHL All-Star break doesn’t really line up with reality!

So that’s good news! Smile, Kings and Stars fans!

The truth is that an unusually weak Western Conference is leaving the race for the Wild Card berths as wide open as ever, even if the names involved are unusual. While the Eastern Conference race tightened up a bit before the break, four teams are within three points of Calgary for the last Stanley Cup Playoffs berth.

And here’s how each of the hunters can begin their final push, and how the two non-contenders will approach the final few months of misery.

Hunters

Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Kings (24-21-4, 52 pts)

Status: Ninth in the Western Conference. Fifth in the Pacific. One point back in the Wild Card race.

Outlook: Daryl Sutter and his players should be lauded for ending up this deep in the race despite early setbacks. Peter Budaj came out of nowhere to provide above-average net-minding in Jonathan Quick’s injury absence. Jeff Carter is (almost) single-handedly carrying the team’s offense. They’re skimming by right now.

Second-half goal: Get Anze Kopitar going, Jonathan Quick healthy and an extra scorer at the deadline. Kopitar’s 11 points in January were more than his totals in the last two months combined, which is an excellent sign and should take the load off Carter if it continues. Quick isn’t expected back for another month or two, but they’ll need him if they’re still in the hunt. They’re getting better at the right time.

Trade Deadline plans: Add a scoring forward for the stretch run. Whether that’s a vet like Thomas Vanek or a longer-term player like Ryan Spooner, there are options out there who could aid the Kings.

Vancouver Canucks (23-21-6, 52 pts)

Status: Tenth in the Western Conference. Sixth in the Pacific. 1-8-1 in their last 10 games. One point back in the Wild Card race.

Outlook: Against all odds (or, at least, widespread doubts outside the franchise), the Canucks find themselves in the heart of the playoff race thanks to a weak conference. Since Christmas, Vancouver has gone 9-3-3 and picked up 21 points while the other hunters scuffled. Why? Defense and goaltending: the Canucks are averaging 2.0 goals against per game in that stretch to go with a 80 percent penalty kill rate.

Second-half goal: Keep it up without a big move. Because they can’t (and shouldn’t) make one. Vancouver shouldn’t mistake this mini-run for a sign that they’re still contenders; they have a lot of work to do and are benefiting from a weaker playoff race than in previous years. The renaissance of the Sedins and Ryan Miller combined with the emergence of Bo Horvat can help carry them, but if their immediate competitors round into form I doubt they can hang on.

Trade Deadline plans: [whispers into Jim Benning’s ear]

t r a d e t h e S e d i n s w h i l e t h e i r v a l u e i s s t i l l k i n d o f h i g h

Dallas Stars (20-20-10, 50 pts)

Status: Eleventh in the Western Conference. Fifth in the Central. Three points back in the Wild Card race.

Outlook: A mix of injured, improving, plummeting and “who the hell knows, man.” Their G/60 has risen from 2.52 by December to 2.68. But their power play hasn’t improved, and neither has their league-worst penalty kill.

Second-half goal: Fix. The. Penalty. Kill. Dallas goaltending is actually pretty good at even-strength: only five NHL teams have given up less than the Stars’ 80 goals against at 5-on-5. But the Stars simply roll over when short-handed, especially on the road (68 percent). The path to the playoffs is right there, and fixing that one area of their play could make all the difference. Especially as they get healthy and impact players like Mattias Janmark return.

Trade Deadline plans: Trade expiring contracts. If Dallas keeps falling, expect Jiri Hudler, Lauri Korpikoski, Patrick Sharp, and Johnny Oduya to hit the market to clear up space and make room for a youth movement.

Winnipeg Jets (23-25-4, 50 pts)

Status: Twelfth in the Western Conference. Sixth in the Central. Three points back in the Wild Card race.

Outlook: A weak Western Conference means the Winnipeg Jets have a real shot at sneaking into the playoffs if they make some improvements.

Second-half goal: Make some saves. Connor Hellebuyck (.900 SV% and 3.17 GAA) and Michael Hutchinson’s (.893 SV% and 3.21 GAA) play regressed heavily over the last two months. In desperation, the Jets have brought back exiled goalie Ondrej Pavelec. Whether he can stop the leaking has Jets fans fighting amongst themselves, with good reason.

Trade Deadline plans: Sell carefully. Jarome Iginla is all but gone already, but word is Sakic is demanding a high price for parting with either Matt Duchene or Gabriel Landeskog. As he should; those are impact players with long-term contracts. That makes it difficult, but not impossible, to trade both before the offseason.

Tankers

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

These are the Western Conference teams already well aware that the playoffs are out of reach this season, even with three months left to go. In fact, they’re probably the only two teams across the NHL that far out of it right now.

Arizona Coyotes (16-26-6, 38 pts)

Status: Thirteenth in the Western Conference. Seventh in the Pacific. Fifteen points back in the Wild Card race.

Outlook: The rebuild continues in Arizona, even though many expected the Coyotes to make a playoff run this year.

Second-half goal: Play the kids. Lawson Crouse, Jakob Chychrun, and Brendan Perlini have already made big impacts this season out of Arizona’s league-best prospect pool. They’ll let guys like Christian Dvorak and (possibly) Dylan Strome play as well as they continue their youthful transition.

Trade Deadline plans: Offload veterans if a deal makes sense. Shane Doan says he’s open to a trade if it works for his family and if it’s to a contender. Radim Vrbata could be another fit, but he seems to like playing in Arizona and they like him.

Colorado Avalanche (13-31-2, 28 pts)

Status: Fourteenth in the Western Conference. Seventh in the Central. They’ve gone 1-8-1 in their last 10 games. Twenty-five points back in the Wild Card race.

Outlook: The season is lost, finally proving that the problems in Denver were farther-reaching than just ex-coach Patrick Roy. Whether general manager Joe Sakic survives until the summer is a good question, but in the meantime coach Jared Bednar will try to find some sort of consistency and momentum in the second half.

Second-half goal: System assessment. Goalie Semyon Varlamov is shut down for the year, so the Avs will get to see whether Spencer Martin or Calvin Pickard are ready for NHL action yet. Expect prospects like A.J. Greer, J.T. Compher, and Duncan Siemens to get long looks in the coming months, especially once older players are traded.

Trade Deadline plans: Sell carefully. Jarome Iginla is all but gone already, but word is Sakic is demanding a high price for parting with either Matt Duchene or Gabriel Landeskog. As he should; those are impact players with long-term contracts. That makes it difficult, but not impossible, to trade both before the offseason.