#any ways its bruce springsteen monday

[gumgumvibecheck]

the only thing keeping you people from me develuping full blown bruce springsteen diesase is the death grip mountain goats disease has one me. cant do both that much insane middle aged man lyrics would kill me

[cvrsons]

INTRODUCING.

michael evans behling | he/him | cis man | Have you met CARSON WILLIAMS yet ? They’re the TWENTY-SEVEN year old HYDROLOGIST that lives around WEST POINT HOMES. I think they’ve lived in Seattle for FOUR YEARS. From what I’ve heard, they’re LAIDBACK but they can also be ANALYSTICAL if you get on their bad side. When I think of them, I usually think of LONESOME DAY BY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN.

HIGHLIGHTS.

27 years old but already a career switcher : formerly a software engineering major at google turned hydrologist at noaa — yeah the world works in interesting ways ; moved into west point homes TWO years ago ; laidback & easy going, quick to smile and always willing to extend a helping hand ; stress-baker bc stress running is bad for his knees.

THE STORY.

— born in fresno. dad is an OR surgeon, mom is a nurse. they had a busy work schedule but they made it work. when carson was about 5 they moved north to portland following an opportunity that allowed both his parents more flexible hours to spend more time with family, and carson. he spend much of his childhood splashing around in the ocean, hanging out on beaches, barely stepping foot inside, not even when it rained.

— but eventually the good weather waned and it wasn’t because of any emotional abandonment that carson found himself drawn to computers, but the family’s busy lifestyle certainly lend itself to carson entertaining himself when possible. that love for the digital only grew as the internet and digital era began its rise, seemingly right in tandem with carson’s own growth.

— it probably wasn’t surprising that carson ended up perusing a software engineering degree when it came time for college. what was surprising was he chose a school on the east coast. for someone who valued family ( and still deeply does ) and was a bit of a home-body it was a surprise, but carson figured it was time to step out of his comfort zone.

— had the usual college experience, graduated on time in 4 years and was lucky enough to land a position with a large firm right out of college. worked remotely, though said firm was headquartered in nyc.

— work however... was not nearly as full-filling or interesting as he would like it to be, even after landing a coveted position at google. he stuck it out for two years, helped along by a lucrative salary before he decided a change was much needed.

— it was visiting a friend back in seattle, seeing the ocean again, remembering there are much greater forces at work here. after some thought, he ended applying for graduate school, ultimately getting his masters in hydrology & hydrodynamics from the university of washington - seattle.

— graduated two years ago from the program, and started working for noaa in their seattle office not long after that!!

PRESENT DAY.

— carson moved into an apartment in west point homes in july 2020 ( 2 years ago ). before that, while he went to UW, he lived in the swindelbrook st apartments. from then it’s was easy to settle right in. the career change has done wonders for him --- it’s still a lot of computer based worked, but more data and modeling focused which he loves. he still dabbles in web design through his free lancing which is constantly growing --- especially with a surprising request from the kraken, the newest nhl team.

— works primarily at noaa’s office, not too far of a commute from his apartment. even so, he appreciates the quiet times in the morning and evenings. sometimes he employs his electric longboard, but most of the time he takes the bus. though occasionally, he does just work from the apartments where he has a pretty slick set up in his bedroom. he also sets up in various nearby cafes too. there are some perfectly fine mondays and fridays that he just can’t be bothered by the commute either lol. change of scenery is important for carson to work efficiently, otherwise he gets bored.

— stress baking was something that he clung onto early in his high school days and much more so when he moved to college. it reminded him of home and his mother’s baking —often with unique nigerian influences. carson is no chef, not like some of his friends, but he isn’t living on pb&j either. it’s not uncommon for carson to look up where a certain nigerian food truck is and hunt it down either.

— hobbies : baking, indoor rock climbing, various gym workouts, running, a bit of freelance web design, longboarding, people watching, karaoke ( not good but spirited )

— hangouts : various different coffeeshops near his aparment ( or near his office building ), nearby gym, a nearby indoor climbing gym, any park

— carson is generally very pleased with where he’s ended up now. it’s still far from having a life plan but steady income, a nice place to live, and a job he enjoys is definitely a good foundation to build more things on.

PERSONALITY.

— + laidback, adaptable, intelligent, helpful ; - analytical, disorganized, forgetful, hyper-focused or aloof ( rarely in between )

— carson is a friendly person whose presence often puts others at ease. he’s always quick to smile, even at those he doesn’t know. has a tendency to think of everyone as a friend until proven he should think otherwise --- or is biased based on his current friends’ opinions.

— definitely not high strung and likes to think he requires very little to be happy. easy-going, relaxed, even when under pressure. occasionally, his easy-going nature can be misconstrued as not caring but that is certainly not true.

— always meets his deadlines, though more often than not, the bulk of his work is cranked out directly before said deadline. good at multi-tasking but his time management could definitely use a little tlc, even still.

— extremely disorganized. not necessarily in a physical sense. his apartment is neat enough, and he doesn’t like feeling like his space is messy --- definitely not a help to an already disorganized mind. carson is incredible disorganized in his thinking and often in his execution. carson needs many things going at once so he can jump from one to another if he needs to. sometimes he can work for hours on one project, other times, it’s something new every 20 minutes. breaks are crucial for times like the latter.

— a helpful personality. doesn’t turn away from people in need and likes feeling needed : hence his willingness to constantly extend a hand to those who need one. seattle is a busy place and sometimes, people fall down. lots of people might walk by but carson will stop, even if he’s running late.

— likes to make friends, but that being said, when he doesn’t like someone he’s very internal about it. he believes in being polite to save face --- which sometimes is great, other times... not so much.

— a hard working himself, he doesn’t like when people don’t try to do their best ( regardless of the outcome ). he especially doesn’t like if someone says they’ll do something and then proceeds to not do it.

— level-headed to a fault. keeps things bottled up sometimes to “save face.” stress-reliever baking to the rescue ahaha.

APPEARANCE.

— 6′2″,  200 lbs, muscular from the result of a highly active lifestyle outside an “office job”

— hair often buzzed into a fade, stubble/scruff more common than not though he never sports an actual beard.

— 20/20 vision but uses blue light glasses while he works. consider this look.

— style : loves a good pattern and his shirts are often patterned or textured. slim fit pants, but not tight. clothes that are easy to move around in. loves all colors. loves all neutrals. definitely wouldn’t consider himself fashionable, but has decent taste.

— tattoos & scars : no tattoos, a large collection of various scars everywhere from an active childhood and an ability to try anything at least once.

— quirks : always moving in some way ( tapping fingers, a jumping knee, a tapping heel or foot ), has a tendency to look deeply focused, a “friendly” face that fits his helpful demeanor, quick to smile, very good at hiding when he’s displeased

— probably goes without saying but the look in all my graphics w the scruff & rainbow jacket is simply The Vibe. see this gifset.

MISC. HEADCANONS.

— certainly a home baker, nothing special or fancy. various cookies, brownies, various cookie bars, the such. everyone loves his brownies and says they’re the best ( irony is carson doesn’t really like brownies ). doesn’t care so much for presentation. not really one to sell his baked goods, though neighbors always know when they might be saddled with the consequences of carson’s stress baking when the fragrant aromas start creeping down the hall. doesn’t like being told what to bake. he accepts suggestions but they might not come to fruition until weeks later. it’s just a good stress reliever for him that isn’t as hard on his knees as running is. kinda wants to dabble in bread making. kneading sounds like it’d be a great stress reliever too.

— a messy baker though. the kitchen looks like a disaster when he’s through with it, but he’s very good with the clean up. it can be just as satisfying too.

— loves dogs but doesn’t want to commit to getting one. his past apartments didn’t allow pets anyway

— naturally an early riser dating back to college. his work schedule is notably flexible so long as he works his 8 hours a day / finishes his tasks. however, carson likes to keep a schedule and finish his work with plenty of hours left in the day to do other things he finds fun. never one to finally get on by 10 am, it’s not uncommon to see carson set up by 7 am for a finish time around 3 or 4, depending on how many breaks he took.

— has mild adhd. mostly manifests in small quirks and stretches of hyperfocus followed by unfocused periods. struggles to explain things in a logical way, though it is something he’s working on and had to work on for work. commenting out his code has helped him to find logic in his thoughts. doesn’t write things down, and was never the type to keep a planner. tries to keep to-do lists bc crossing things off is satisfying but it hasn’t taken quite yet.

— an analytical mind always likes to try to put things into a logical perspective, cause and effect, things like that. that being said, is in touch with his emotional side and rarely turns away from somewhere in need. it’s lead to a few times of him being taken advantage of but the fact hasn’t tinted carson’s life outlook.

— a very fast typist. in part a remnant of his software engineering degree, also in part due to a lifetime of growing up around computers. he had a typist job in high school too, something he kept up through college until he started landing relevant internships. carson can be very picky with his keyboards though, often opting for specialty ones with that make a nice clicky noise and feel solid to type and code with. had to see multiple laptops before he finally settled on one he liked ( a pc, not a mac ).

— lover of late 90s early 00s rock music. what he grew up listening to. it keeps him going during the work day and for most other things too.

— infinite iced lattes made throughout the day with the espresso machine that’s in his apartment.

— multi-sport athlete growing up : soccer, basketball, lax, football, track, hockey...  didn’t play during college, just on various club or intramural teams. though he took his time playing seriously and loved it, he knew he was never going to be good enough to even consider going pro. religiously follows all the major sports in the seattle area and is always happy to go to a game. loves the atmosphere of sports games.

— still active. loves to surf, at the gym on a regular basis, trying new things ( one of which was indoor climbing which he loves now ), running though not too much bc his knees hate him for it. daily routine includes morning workouts/yoga session and evening walks ( no matter the weather ).

— engages a lot and surfs social media a lot, but rarely posts on platforms himself. more likely to post on his stories than actual posts themselves.

OOC.

hello everyone !! i’m o ( 21+, est, they / them ). just happy to be here and vibe <3. i started a list of flexible plot ideas HERE, so be sure to check those out. discord is my preferred contact method so feel free to reach out there if you have any ideas or are feeling inspired !!

[harley-sunday]

Final Approach [01]

Summary: Something’s different at Sandspit Airport when you return after some much needed time off. 

Pairing: Chris Evans x reader (f)

Warnings: Language

Word count: 3352

AN: This has been sitting in my drafts for a while now and I think I’m finally ok with putting it out there. You can blame my endless love for NGC’s ‘Air Crash Investigation’ (no crash involved here though!) and having worked in aviation for this. That it involves Chris Evans is somehow a given for me because he just seems to ‘fit’ the story.   For the observant reader - yes I already posted this a week ago, but I didn’t like the direction it was taking and so I changed some things around. You might want to reread :) 

Masterlist

You stifle a yawn just as Deb appears at your table with the Cobb salad you ordered a couple of minutes earlier, earning you a kind smile from the older woman before she says something that you don’t quite catch. Like pretty much always, Mike, the bartender, has turned the music up way too loud and so you point to your ear before you shake your head to let Deb know you didn't get any of what she said.

"You work too hard," she says, her voice raised just enough for it to reach you over the outro of Bruce Springsteen's 'Born to Run', the look on her face nothing short of judgmental, her arms now crossed in front of her chest for good measure. When your parents moved back to the mainland a little over ten years ago, Deb promised them to take good care of you and so you’re used to this by now.

There's a lull in the music then, in which you assure her you're fine even though you know she doesn't believe you. You sit upright to appear more awake but the scowl doesn’t disappear and you know there’s nothing you can do to convince her otherwise. She’s right, of course she is, but you can’t let her know that, now can you? “Must be because I just had a couple of weeks off,” you try in a last ditch effort, “too much sleep, I guess.”

The way she nods lets you know she doesn't really believe you but that she'll let it go for now. It's at that moment Mike turns up the volume even more for Chumbawamba's 'Tubthumping' to let everyone know happy hour is about to begin. A loud cheer erupts inside Don Cherry’s Bar and so all you can do is smile in a way that you hope tells her there’s nothing to worry about.

Deb just winks and mouths, "Enjoy your meal!" She never could stay angry for too long.

Like every Friday night the bar is slowly filling up, most if not all of the patrons Prince Rupert locals who have known each other, and thus by default you, since pretty much the day they were born. The high table you're sat at is closest to the door and so all throughout your meal a chorus of, "Hey, how are ya?" and, "Good, how about yourself?" echoes around you as more and more people make their way inside.

There’s chatter all around you but you eat in silence, eager to finish your meal and head home. No happy hour for you tonight, you still need to unpack and get some laundry done before you get back to work on Monday.  

As if on cue Deb brings your bill the moment you push the plate away from you, because that’s how well she knows you. You hand her your card and while you wait for her to return it you grab your jacket off the back of your chair and put it on, pulling the zipper all the way up because you know it’s going to be cold outside. They’ve predicted some snow over the weekend, which is unusual on the island, but there has been a chill in the air that tells you the forecast might be right.

Deb hands you your card and the receipt back with a smile and tells you to enjoy your weekend.

You’re about to tell her you will, but she’s already rushing off to another table and so instead you wave to Mike who winks at you from behind the bar. You greet a few other people on your way out and nod to the guy who’s holding the door open for you, who you recognize as someone you went to Kindergarten with.

It’s dark outside even though it’s still early, but that’s how it is this time of year. You hurry towards your car, hands deep in your pockets and shoulders up high, trying as much as possible to shield yourself from the cold. It’s not much better inside though and you’re quick to start the car so you can at least get the heater going. It takes you a few tries to get the engine running, but your car is old and always acts up when the temperatures drop below forty degrees and so you are not too worried.

That is until you’re almost halfway home and all of a sudden there’s a weird shudder that runs through your car before the ‘check engine’ light comes on. Before you even have a chance to react everything shuts off and you come to a complete standstill on the middle of the road. 

“Fuck.” 

Sixth Avenue isn’t a particularly busy street, day or night, and there are street lights on either side, but you still turn on your hazard lights, relieved to see they at least still work. With a sigh you get out and kick the front tire for good measure before you realize you’re going to have to push your car off the road until it can get towed. Leaning back in you put it in neutral and grab a hold of the steering wheel before you try to push it to get it moving. 

It won’t budge.

Fine. It’s fine. You’ll just leave it here for now and call Burt to come pick it up. His tow trucking service’s only a few miles away so it shouldn’t take too long. You take your phone out of your back pocket and push the home button only to see the screen light up with a battery warning. Of course. Unlocking your phone proves to be too much and so that dies on you too then. 

It takes everything you have not to scream in frustration and so you aren’t really paying attention to what’s going on around you.

“You ok?” 

The voice comes out of nowhere and scares the shit out of you and so you can’t help but curse, “Jesus!”

“I’m sorry,” he takes a step back, hands up to show you he means no harm, “I’m sorry. I just wanted to see if you were alright and if you need any help.“

“Well, you scared the shit out of me,” you say even though, in all honesty, you’re glad there’s someone kind enough to come up to you. You take him in and realize you don’t know him, which is weird, because over here there really are no strangers. It’s hard to get a good look at his face though, because he’s wearing a baseball cap that’s pulled low over his eyes, the logo on it not one you recognize. It’s then you notice a dog sitting next to him, patiently waiting for whatever comes next. 

You’re about to ask him if he’s new here but then he interrupts your thoughts, “But you’re alright?”

“I’m fine,” you assure him. You motion towards your car then, “This thing though, not so much. And my phone’s dead, so you know, double the fun.”

He chuckles, “What’s wrong with it?”

“I think it’s the battery. I mean, you get an iPhone and you would think that by now they would have figured out how to make the battery last longer than one day, but no-“

“I was talking about the car,” he interrupts you and laughs, “but if you want to talk shit about Apple products for a little longer, please, be my guest.”

You smile and shrug, “It’s an old car, who knows what’s wrong with it? Maybe you could have a look?”

He puts his hands in his pockets and kicks the gravel at his feet, not looking at you now, “I’m not really that great with cars.”

You snort, “So much for helping a lady out.” 

“Hey,” he crosses his arms in a defensive manner, but smiles anyway, “at least I have a cell phone that’s fully charged, thank you very much.”

You throw him a wink, “That’s the one thing you have going for you at this moment.”

“Listen, why don’t I call someone for you and I’ll wait here until they arrive?”

“That’s really not necessary,” you hold up your hands when you see his eyebrows knit together in confusion, “I mean the call, yes, please, but really, you don’t have to wait here with me. I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?” He doesn’t sound convinced. “Let me at least call first to see how long it’ll take.” 

“Fine.” You give him Burt’s number and listen as he tells him where you’re at and what’s going on while you take a step closer to pet his dog, his tail wagging when you scratch him behind his ears. You can’t hear what’s being said on the other end, but he ends the call with a “Thank you,” shortly after.

‘He’ll be here in five,”

“See,” you nod, “I’ll be fine.” 

“Well, if you’re sure,”

“I am.” It’s not that you don’t want him to stay, it’s just that you don’t want to hold him here on a Friday night, you’re sure he’s got other things to do. You smile at him, “Thanks for your help though.”

He lets out a low whistle that has his dog jump to its feet, “No worries.”  

You’re quietly singing along to the song that’s been stuck in your head since the moment you got up this morning when a flicker of light on your left draws your attention. A quick glance over your shoulder and out of the window has you smiling, the reflection of the sun in the water of Mathers Lake bouncing around beautifully, like a welcome back sign from Louise Island. All around the lake there are flecks of orange and yellow, surrounded by fir trees that stay a dark shade of lush green all-year round.

Seeing Mathers Lake lets you know you’re almost at your destination and so you hit the switch to transmit the call to let Joanne know you’re on your way, “Sandspit Tower, this is PASCO seven five, fifteen miles out south, requesting inbound.”

“PASCO seven five, report over channel three for runway one left.”

You’re about to respond, almost absentmindedly, like you’ve done a hundred times before, but then you realize something’s off. It takes you a moment to realize what it is. Because unless Joanne’s voice suddenly dropped a few octaves, there’s someone else in the tower. Panic hits you almost instantly, knowing Joanne would never give up her seat out of free will. Hell, she tends to joke she’ll be at Sandspit until the days she- Oh shit.

“PASCO seven five?” The unfamiliar voice returns. “Report over channel three for runway one left.”

“Who the hell are you and what did you do to Joanne?” It comes out more like an accusation and less like the question you intended it to be, but you’re freaking out just a little bit because why isn’t Jo answering your call? Jesus, you were only gone four weeks.

“PASCO seven five, please confirm.”

There’s a lot more authority in his voice and it sets you on edge almost immediately. This can’t be a good sign. Right? You let out a frustrated sigh with the mic still open before you respond, “Sandspit Tower, PASCO seven five, reporting over channel three for runway one left.” Then, as an afterthought, “You still owe me an explanation though.”

“PASCO seven five,” there’s a hint of irritation seeping through now, “do I need to remind you of protocol?”

You roll your eyes even though he can’t see you, but also because you know he’s right. You’ve broken just about every aviation protocol there is, but things like that never really mattered at Sandspit Airport, not until now anyway. Apparently whoever took over from Joanne is a stickler for the rules. Cursing quietly, you switch to channel three even though he’ll still be the one taking your call because Sandspit Airport isn’t big enough for Tower and Ground to be separate departments. And because you’re still a little upset and want to stick it to him, you put on the voice you only ever use at Bella Coola airport, where the woman working at ATC is an absolute bitch, “Sandspit Ground, PASCO seven five, requesting inbound on runway one left, if it so pleases you.” Then in a sing-song voice, “Thank you.”

The reply comes almost immediately and is as unfazed as it was before, “PASCO seven five, enter right for runway.”

Shaking your head ever so slightly you try to regain your focus - you have an airplane to land, after all. You’ll figure out what happened to Jo once you’re on the ground, you decide, before you sit up in your seat and relay the latest information, “Sandspit Ground, PASCO seven five, entering right for runway. Seven miles out.”

You’ve just started the checklist needed before you can start your descent when his voice returns, a little kinder now, “Joanne retired two weeks ago, by the way.” 

“I’m sorry, what?” Any concern for protocol has disappeared, knowing full well things aren’t as strict once you’re on Ground frequency. At least that doesn’t seem to have changed.

“She didn’t tell you?”

“No,” you shake your head even though no one can see you, “no, she did not.”

“I’m sorry.”

Realizing how defeated you must have sounded, you clear your throat before you continue, “Sandspit Ground, PASCO seven five, four miles out, please stand by.” You end the call and try to clear your head, knowing you need to focus on the task at hand. No matter how small the plane, taking off and landing are where most fatal errors happen and so there’s no room for distraction. But the checklist isn’t long and everything is as it should be and so you call back not much later, “Sandspit Ground, ready for final approach, please advise.”

“PASCO seven five, confirmed on runway one left.”

Even though Joanne won’t be there to greet you, you can’t help but smile when you see the Sandspit Air Traffic Control Tower in front of you, the two runways of the small airport looking as pristine as ever, no doubt thanks to Joe’s commitment to the place and his new sweeper. “Sandspit Ground, PASCO seven five, ready for touchdown on runway one left.”

“PASCO seven five, landing confirmed. Please taxi via Delta over to parking nineteen, one-niner.”

You scoff, pretty sure you heard the hint of a snicker coming through over the radio, “All the way in the back? Really?”

“Protocol, PASCO seven five," he replies almost instantly, but he doesn't sound all that serious.

“Fine,” you mutter before repeating, “Sandspit Ground, PASCO seven five, parking one-niner, taxi via Delta confirmed.” You lean forward in your seat a little as you fly past the tower, trying to catch a glimpse of this mysterious new air traffic controller. No such luck of course, because the mirrored windows only show the reflection of your plane. 

Almost there, you think to yourself then, as you take a deep breath that you hold in until you feel your wheels hit the tarmac and you get to add another successful flight to your record. Superstitious? Maybe. But you’d rather be safe than sorry.

“Nice landing, PASCO seven five,” he compliments once you’ve touched down. “Dave will be your valet for today. Please standby.”

“At least Dave’s still here,” you joke quietly. “PASCO seven five, standing by.”

Your smile only grows wider when you see Dave guiding you onto your parking spot, because like Jo he’s been at Sandspit for as long as you can remember. Once you’re in the right place you kill your engine and wait for the propeller to slow down somewhat before you open your door and jump down onto the tarmac, “Hi Dave!”

“Hey kid, how have you been?” He gently slaps your shoulder, always considering you one of the guys albeit being a little less rough with you. Which you appreciate. “How was your holiday?”

“Good, good,” you reply while you take off your sunglasses and put them in the pocket of your jacket.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, it was nice to be away for a while,” you admit easily.

Dave nods understandingly, “Sort of like a fresh start, eh?”

‘I guess it was,” you agree, although you don’t really want to talk about it. Not now. And so you change the subject rather abruptly, “But what’s this I hear about Jo retiring?”

“Well, you know she was long overdue anyway,” Dave explains as he opens your cargo door, “and then Roger had some troubles with his heart a couple of weeks back, right after you left, and I guess she decided enough was enough, ya know?”

“Hmm,” you respond absentmindedly, trying to figure out if you have time to go see Joanne and Roger soon, a little disappointed when you realize it won’t be for at least another couple of weeks. “Roger’s ok now, though?”

“Sure is,” he says with a wink, “they’re tough, those two.”

“Just like you,” you offer kindly, even though you absolutely mean it. Dave is one of the most dedicated ground crew out there and always ready to give you a hand even though you’ve told him many times already you’re more than capable to handle your own. Something Dave somehow never seems to remember.

“Oh stop it,” he grins, as he reaches into the cargo hold and grabs the first bag of mail, “you’re making me blush.”

“So…” you draw out, “who’s the guy replacing Jo?” You take the bag from him and place it on the back of his truck, “Sucker for protocol or what?”

“He’s not that bad,” Dave offers, “came in right after Jo left, from somewhere on the east coast I think. We still busy teaching him how things work around here.” He laughs then, “Don’t worry, kid, Joe and I will have him whipped into shape for you in no time.”

“Ah, thanks Dave,” you reply as you take another bag from him, “I knew I could count on you.”

“You know I got your back, kid.” He turns to you then and nods to his truck, “Let’s get some coffee before we load you up for your trip back, eh?”

Enjoying a cup of freshly brewed coffee you listen to Dave as he brings you up to date to the latest news and gossip at Sandspit Airport. Turns out none of the crew particularly liked the guy they sent in to replace you while you were on holiday, and once you learn it’s Chad Dave’s talking about you can’t help but agree. The guy’s a dick.  

“Alright, kid,” Dave grunts as he gets up out of his chair after putting his now empty cup down on the table, “let’s get you loaded.”

There’s just one mail bag to take with you this time and some empty crates you know have to go back to Vancouver Airport eventually, and so loading only takes a couple of minutes. Before you know it you’re back in your seat, calling the tower once you’ve filled out the departure forms, “Sandspit Tower, PASCO seven five, at parking nineteen, one-niner, ready for departure.”

There’s no immediate reply but you decide to give him a couple of minutes, after all you’re not really in a rush. Plus, you figure, he might be occupied with some of the sightseeing planes that always circle the island in the afternoon and so you busy yourself with the weather forecast instead.

He comes on not much later, sounding a little out of breath as though he has been running, “PASCO seven five, hold short for runway two right via Charlie.”

You decide to ignore the probability of having caught him on a bathroom break and instead confirm, “Sandspit Tower, PASCO seven five, holding short for runway two right via Charlie.” As you line up at the runway you glance at the tower again, but of course there’s nothing to see from the ground and so you shrug and call him instead, “Sandspit Tower, PASCO seven five, ready for takeoff.”

“PASCO seven five, fly straight out until advised, runway two right, cleared for takeoff.”

“Sandspit Tower, PASCO seven five, taking off, flying straight out.” You open the throttle and build up speed as you move along the runway until finally there’s liftoff and you’re steadily climbing higher and higher. Some people ask if it never gets old, flying from one small airport to the other, the flights only three and a half hours at most, but you always assure them that even after seven years you still get as excited to get airborne as you did the first time.

“PASCO seven five,” he says, his breathing back to normal, “turn at your discretion.”

“Sandspit Tower, PASCO seven five, will turn at my discretion.” Then, because there’s no need to blame him for Jo’s departure and it’s always nice to be on good terms with ATC, “See you on Thursday.”

“Safe travels,” he responds and you swear you hear a hint of a smile.

“Sandspit Tower,” you scold, already starting to laugh at your own joke, “do I need to remind you of protocol?”

[brucespringsteen]

awhile ago @punkslap tagged me 💛 this is cute

Rules: Answer 10 questions, tag 10 people and make another 10 questions.

1. do you actually take the road less traveled or do you want and desire to be adventurous so bad you’ve subconsciously convinced yourself you actually are? this is an interesting question n i think about all the time how normalcy and unconventionality are defined. i also think thinking too hard about this is avoiding the question entirely.. i like what frank sinatra said in my way

2. ideal color on a leaf? bright red

3. real or fake fur? why? i have a thrifted real fur coat. i dont think we need real furs anymore tho

4. if you had the ability to change appearance at will would you use it for good or bad? would you act out of self interest or become a vigilante of sorts? i would use it for good and just be the lead of 10 different spot-on cover bands. on mondays i am bruce springsteen etc

5. if you were to bottle up your hopes and dreams what color would it be and what smell could one faintly detect coming off said bottle? it would be a shiny gold! and it would smell like something earthy like sandalwood 

6. what’s the ultimate power ballad? don’t stop believing. im not even ashamed to admit that its a great song and i think the lyrics will stand the test of time

7. if you could be fluent in any dead language which would you choose? man i dont even know any.. 

9. you bolt upright in bed in the middle of the night - why? a weird dream. a loud noise. or something happened to someone i know. or someone is sending me a message in my brain 

8. how important are first impressions and are second chances earned or a given? i dont think first impressions are that deep and usually im right just by sensing someones vibe they dont even have to say or do anything. in that case second chances confirm or deny what i originally thought. as for myself i dont care about first impressions because im still me even when im in a bad or unsocial mood 

10. if you’re being completely honest with yourself - do you regret it? i dont regret anything ive done because im burdened by too many other things i have no control over

----

1. name one song that you feel embodies where you live... 

2. this is corny but im curious: whats a stereotypical thing about your star sign that you’re guilty of?

3. name the artists, musicians, writers, speakers, friends, people who’ve shaped your philosophy?

4. recall the last idea that interested you...

5. if you became an urban legend in your town, what event, action, etc. started the myth?

6. your favorite springsteen lyrics? 

7. do you have any mantras or rituals you’ve created to help you through your day?

8. what’s one book you think everyone should read? why?

9. share a meme u have saved on your phone

10. what’s an aspiration you have that might sound silly but is important to you? 

i’ll tag @j-erseyboy @ratcity @theweakerthans @smithsselftitled @gunfucked @roguesavior @maiden-song @libertydevitto @condoravenue @nervefood

[ts1989fanatic]

When pop megastar Taylor Swift praised two Democratic candidates in her home state of Tennessee, she broke a years-long policy of keeping her politics to herself.

Taylor Swift breaks political silence to endorse Democrats in US midterms

Her endorsements drew much praise but also a fierce backlash. Some white supremacists who have formed an odd cult following around the singer cried betrayal, while some more mainstream fans said she should have stuck to her music.

On Monday, Donald Trump joined in, saying he now liked Swift’s music “about 25% less”.

Criticism is nothing new for Swift, whose political silence has drawn just as much vitriol as her decision to speak out.

In an Instagram post on Sunday night, Swift threw her support behind Phil Bredesen, candidate for Senate, and Jim Cooper for the US

She wrote: “In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions. I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG.

“I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent.”

Swift, 28, has previously stayed scrupulously neutral, frustrating many liberals. She has said that as a young woman whose expertise is in music, she does not feel right influencing her fans’ politics.

“I don’t talk about politics because it might influence other people,” she told Time magazine six years ago. “And I don’t think that I know enough yet in life to be telling people who to vote for.”

On the day of the 2016 election, she urged fans to vote but did not reveal how she would cast her own ballot. “Who is Taylor Swift voting for?” was a top search on Google.

She inched closer to revealing a liberal orientation when she tweeted support for last year’s Women’s March, saying: “So much love, pride, and respect for those who marched. I’m proud to be a woman today, and every day.”

That wasn’t enough for critics, who questioned why she didn’t attend. One writer called her comments a “craven” way of “reducing the political protest to a girl power party”.

Swift’s public neutrality allowed fans to project views on to her. She developed a following among white supremacists, who held her up as the ideal of white femininity. The singer’s lawyers went after one blogger. Critics wondered why she wouldn’t publicly denounce neo-Nazi fans.

Swift even sparked controversy with a short Instagram post marking her birthday at the end of 2017, where she said she “couldn’t have asked for a better year”. Those who saw little to celebrate in the first year of the Trump presidency begged to differ.

So it was no surprise that Swift’s decision to finally wade into politics sparked backlash of its own. Those rightwing fans, for one, were incensed.

“Oh yay! Another literally retarded celebrity the left can fawn over while we make fun of her and them for being retarded,” wrote one poster on the often-controversial online message board 4chan.

“Taylor swift just ended her entire career lmao,” [sic] another poster wrote. A third chimed in: “Guys I think those fucking cultists who tortment [sic] us killed Taylor Swift and replaced her with a brain dead [non-playable character]. Those fuckers have gone too far this time. I will defend the honor of my lady Taylor Swift and find a way to return her to normal.”

Mainstream Republicans were also displeased, posting a response promising she would not be able to, in the words of one of her hits, “shake it off”.

So it was no surprise that Swift’s decision to finally wade into politics sparked backlash of its own. Those rightwing fans, for one, were incensed.

“Oh yay! Another literally retarded celebrity the left can fawn over while we make fun of her and them for being retarded,” wrote one poster on the often-controversial online message board 4chan.

“Taylor swift just ended her entire career lmao,” [sic] another poster wrote. A third chimed in: “Guys I think those fucking cultists who tortment [sic] us killed Taylor Swift and replaced her with a brain dead [non-playable character]. Those fuckers have gone too far this time. I will defend the honor of my lady Taylor Swift and find a way to return her to normal.”

Mainstream Republicans were also displeased, posting a response promising she would not be able to, in the words of one of her hits, “shake it off”.

Bredesen thanked the pop star, tweeting: “I’m honored to have your support and that of so many Tennesseans who are ready to put aside the partisan shouting and get things done. We’re ready for it.”

The Democrat also taunted his opponent with lyrics from Look What You Made Me Do, a hit on Swift’s last album, Reputation.

“@VoteMarsha, look what you made her do,” Bredesen tweeted at Blackburn. “@taylorswift13 doesn’t like your little games and she wants Tennesseans to know that you’ve been in the swamp long enough. It’s time for some fresh air up in Washington.”

Swift’s history with rapper Kanye West – who memorably interrupted her speech at an awards show and has become a prominent Trump supporter – also provided plenty of grist for delighted Democrats.

Scott Dworkin, co-founder of the anti-Trump Democratic Coalition, wrote: “Taylor Swift just took the mic from Kanye.”

Celebrity endorsements, however, do not always guarantee an edge. In 2016, Hillary Clinton was supported by Jay-Z and Beyoncé in Ohio, Bruce Springsteen in Pennsylvania and Jennifer Lopez in Florida. All three states went for Trump.

ts1989fanatic oh look another Taylor Swift is over party proclamation or in this case her career is over party.

Well we have seen this before and as Taylor herself says.

Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time

I've got a list of names and yours is in red, underlined

I check it once, then I check it twice, oh

Marsha Blackburn is on that list as is Jody Ball

[heckin-harrington]

Cut Loose, Harrington / harringrove (pt. 1)

i was just bored aND YA KNOW WHAT?? FOOTLOOSE! HARRINGROVE WAS BORN

Request?: Nah, just me being a bean Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove Warnings: Bc people get butthurt over this Harringrove i guess? Slight swearing and slight abuse Words: 2085

Steve’s life was practically hell, ironically, considering his father is the reverend of the local church in his hometown of Bomont. Steve was the perfect little preacher’s son. Always a straight-A student, never in trouble, kept out of it and was pure as can be. At least that’s what his father believed.

When Steve started dating bad girl Charlie Cranston, he slowly started to fall off of the good boy charts. Skipping dinner to go out drinking with Charlie and her group, ditching classes, and his father’s worst nightmare-- dancing.

Steve loved to dance. It gave him this sense of freedom he never had when he was with his family. He felt shackled to his father’s religious tendencies and stern demeanor. But when he was out with Charlie in that empty car lot, the stereo blasting Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen, Steve felt like his own person and not just a shadow of his controlling dad.

However, Charlie wasn’t always the happiness Steve needed from her. Sometimes, she was just as controlling if not more so. “Harrington,” The petite girl started leaning against the outside wall of the church, the white paint chipping with age. “We’re goin’ out tonight. Pretty sure your old man won’t mind, yeah?” Charlie stepped forward, her hands gently resting on Steve’s waist.

Steve shrugged, kicking at the dirt beneath his boots. “I don’t think I can tonight, Char. I have a test on Monday that I gotta study for and Pop wants me to help him rehearse his sermon for tomorrow.” He sighed out, walking past Charlie who scoffed as Steve took her spot again the small building.

“Pretty sure I didn’t stutter, Steve.” She looked over her shoulder as Steve shoved his hands into his blue jean pockets. “I said,” Charlie yanked his hands from his pockets, gripping his wrists with such force Steve knew that the would have nail marks embedded in the skin until next Sunday.

Steve winced at the sharp pain. “We’re goin’ out. Understand, Harrington?” Charlie stepped closer her breath hot against Steve’s parted lips. The boy nodded as Charlie let go, Steve’s hands immediately rubbing the skin. “I’ll pick ya up at eight, okay?”

Steve nodded once more. “Okay.” Charlie smiled small before standing on her toes, placing a kiss on Steve’s temple and walking off to her cherry red ‘67 Chevy pickup and speeding off. Steve unrolled the sleeves of his button up and buttoned them at the cuff, covering the marks left behind.

“Steven, help me go through the ceremony, would you?” His father asked, opening the front doors. Steve looked back at his dad and sighed.

“Sure, dad, Be right in.”

“Bomont? Where the hell is that?” Billy exclaimed to his mother who grabbed items of clothing from her son’s dresser and stuffing them in a suitcase. “Why am I going off to some small middle of nowhere town to live with Aunt Ethel and Uncle Ed? This is stupid, mom.”

The blonde woman sighed, running a hand through her hair and placing her free hand on Billy’s shoulder. “Because, William,” Billy cringed at the use of his full name. “I’m getting sicker, baby and you’re dad won’t do jack shit for you. Ethel and Ed have a home with space that they’re willing to share. Besides,” She pulled away going back to packing the bag.

“I’m not letting you live in Chicago by yourself.” Billy sighed, rubbing his face and sitting on the edge of his bed. “Mom,” he started. “If it’s spreading, I wanna be here for you. I don’t want to leave if it’s only getting worse.”

Billy’s mother smiled kindly resting her hand on his cheek before placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. “I love you so much, you know that?” Billy smiled small in return. “Yeah, yeah. I love you too, momma.”

“William!” Ethel cheered, standing outside of the airport as Billy walked out, duffle bag in hand. “My my my how you’ve grown! Look Ed, William’s so grown up now.” She sniffled making Billy chuckle and hug the woman.

“It’s Billy now, Aunt Ethel.” He shared, pulling away from the embrace and shaking his uncle’s hand. “Billy, o-okay.” She nodded, mentally jotting the name change down. “Are you hungry? There’s this diner down more into town on the way back to the house if you’d like to stop.” She offered to wich Billy just shook his head, his sand-colored curls bouncing.

“I’m good, thanks.” He adjusted his grip on his bag. “Oh Ed, dear, help Wil--Billy,” Ethel winked. “With his bag.” Ed nodded taking the bag from Billy who thanked him quietly. His uncle was a rather quiet man. He kept to himself while his aunt did all the talking and such.

Billy’s eyes traced the details of the small town as his aunt blabbered on about something, his uncle driving along. It was typical small-town Texas, minus cowboys and Indians. However, Billy noticed the plethora of cowboy boots and hats being worn. It was definitely a change in style compared to his denim jacket, skinny blue jeans, mostly unbuttoned formal shirt and biker boots. His hair was shoulder length in a mullet type fashion, wild with curls, while everyone in Bomont seemed to be clean cut and slicked back.

Billy scoffed internally.

“We have church service later tonight, Billy. Would you be interested in joining us?” Ethel spoke up, Billy breaking away from his daze. “Um, sure. Yeah, why not.”

“If our Lord wasn't testing us, how would you account for the proliferation, these days, of this obscene rock and roll music, with its gospel of easy sexuality and relaxed morality?” Reverend Harrington spoke, his wife sitting in a chair next to his podium, Steve next to her.

Billy nearly choked on air at the preacher’s words. The hell was he babbling on about? ‘Parently this guy just had a shit taste in music or something against Billy’s favorite genre.

As the service continued on, Reverend went on an on even more about how much he hated the rock scene and randomly, dancing. Billy didn’t see the big deal. He loved to dance. Late nights in his friend’s basements with Scorpions blaring from a radio, wine coolers in hand, dancing around in circles to songs like Rock You Like A Hurricane made some of the best memories of Chicago for Billy.

He smiled fondly at the thought before looking up from his hands his eyes meeting Steve’s on accident. Steve smiled small as a makeshift hello before turning back to his father’s words. Billy flushed pink at the boy’s small yet kind gesture.

He bit his bottom lip, scraping his teeth against the chapped skin. Billy didn’t know what he was, bi, gay, or just whatever but he knew regardless the situation, he'd make an exception for the boy in the pale blue button up with the fluffy brown hair.

After the final prayer, Ethel and Ed stood from their seats, Billy following suit. “Here sweetheart, let’s introduce you to the reverend. He’ll be pleased to see a new face in Bomont.” Ethel smiled sweetly, taking Billy’s hand in her much smaller one and leading him to the man.

“Excuse me, reverend. Hope I’m not interrupting anything.” She started to which the older man shook his head grinning. “This is my nephew, Billy. He’s moving in with Ed and me for a while.” Ethel shared, Billy holding out his hand.

“Pleasure to meet you, son. Welcome to Bomont. Where’re you comin’ from?” The Reverend asked shaking Billy’s hand. “Chicago, sir.” He responded. The older man nodded slowly, rubbing his hand on his coat front after Billy pulled his hand back. Billy furrowed his eyebrows.

“Hmm. Chicago, interesting. Things are run a bit differently here, Billy was it?” Billy nodded. “Understand that?” “Yes, sir?”

“Dad, stop you’re gonna scare him off before he even gets used to the place.” Steve chuckled, pushing past his dad and standing between him and Billy. “You must be the new boy,” Steve smiled small. “I’m Steve.”

Billy caught his lip in between his teeth. “Billy.” He was even more beautiful close-up, Billy thought. His eyes a warm chocolate color, small moles peppered near the corner of his mouth and on his jaw, and his hair whisped back out of his face.

“You’re going to Bomont High right?” Steve asked blushing when he noticed Billy’s stare. The shorter boy nodded, moving his stray curls from his eyes. “Yeah, Junior year.” He stated, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Kinda moved right in the nick of time too! I mean, prom season is the best time of the school year.” Billy grinned, spinning on his feet and rocking back n’ forth on his heels. “I love a good school dance.”

Steve frowned. “Yeah about that--” “Excuse me, Mister Hargrove, what in God’s name do you think you’re doing?!” Reverend Harrington exclaimed making Steve flinch at the rise in his voice.

“Um... dancing?” He furrowed his eyebrows, his lips pursed into a line. “That is against the law, Hargrove. You think you can just come into our town and--”

“Wait? You’re joking, right? Dancing is against the law?” Billy snorted but his smile faltered when he saw the look of shock on the older man’s face and the look of sadness on Steve’s. “Wait, for real?”

“Yes, Mister Hargrove. I will not tolerate any form of loud rock ruckus or foolish dancing in my town.” Steve brought his hand to his father’s arm. “Dad, he didn’t know. It’s okay.” Reverend Harrington jerked his arm away. “Well, let’s hope that now he’s learned his lesson. Let’s go, Steven.”

Ethel shook her head and sighed. “C’mon, Billy. You’re uncle’s waiting in the car.” Billy looked back at Steve who just sighed and forced a smile and waved before walking out a back door.

“I think I’ll walk home, Aunt Ethel. I need some air.” Billy stated, turning to the woman who frowned. “You sure, sweetheart?” Billy nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, I got a key so I’ll be okay.”

Ethel nodded, kissed Billy’s forehead and walked to Ed’s car before they drove off. Billy stood there in front of the small chapel and looked down at his dust-covered biker boots.

“You’re not too bad of a dancer, Billy.” Steve spoke up from the front doors of the church building. “I miss it ya know? Dancing being legal n’ all. I love it.” He smiled before walking down the steps and over to Billy.

“Why’s it illegal? That’s kinda a stupid law, don't you think?” Billy furrowed his eyebrows. “I mean, I don’t mean to disrespect your town and it’s rules but-”

“It’s okay, Billy. I think it’s dumb too. But there’s no use in fighting against it.” Steve sighed, running a hand throw his gelled back hair making a strand fall on his face.

“Why not? It’s worth a shot right?” Billy asked, turning to the taller boy who messed with his hair and pulled on a pair of red cowboy boots placing his dress shoes in a backpack.

Steve shook his head, his hair flopping about. “Not really. My dad would never agree to pass it.”

Billy frowned and let out an audible sigh. “Nice boots.” He stated looking down at Steve’s new change in outfit. Steve chuckled and smiled small. “Thanks. They’re my dancin’ boots.”

Billy cocked an eyebrow. “Thought dancing was illegal, pretty boy?” Steve blushed madly at the pet name which made Billy smirk proudly. “My girlfriend knows this spot where my dad never finds us.”

Billy broke at the word. Girlfriend. So Steve obviously was into girls... maybe guys too? Shit, Billy didn’t know. All he knew was that Steve was unavailable and that kinda hurt like hell. He was the first good thing to come out of his move.

“Oh,” Steve spoke up as he saw Charlie roll up in her truck. “I thought your prom idea was a great one. I’d be willing to help pitch that to my Pop.”

Billy grinned and scratched the back of his neck. “Thanks, Steve.”

Steve blushed, biting his bottom lip. “Of course, Chicago. See ya around.” He winked and ran tot he pickup, getting the passenger seat and closing the door. Steve stared out the window at Billy and smiled small.

Billy sighed out and smiled before heading towards his aunt’s. “Goddamnit, Harrington. You got me feelin’ some kinda way.”

hey darlings! EARLY POSTING BC I GOT HELLA EXCITED FOR THIS ONE

this will probably be a multi-part series but I don’t know quite yet... give me your feedback!! it’ll be much appreciated and will help me know if y’all want more!!

<3 love y’all

MASTERLIST

[5-star-songs]

Weekend Rant: My FIOO X5II

I post a blurb a day here, Monday through Friday, but from time to time I might post something music-related but not song-specific on a Saturday or Sunday. The occasion for this one: my love for my new mp3 player.

Maybe it’s odd that a guy who spent ten years helping build and evolve Rhapsody, and then the next four doing the same for Google Play, even has an mp3 player. My Android + the music streaming subscription service of my choice should serve all my needs, especially since Google Play lets me store 50,000 of my own songs on their servers, and mix and match them with everything else in their catalog.

But my phone’s battery is a precious resource I must conserve, and I spend too much time flying or driving long distances with no internet connection. And I prefer having access to my entire music collection at those times, rather than whatever subset of it I remembered to save for offline listening before the trip began.

For years, that meant carrying a 160GB iPod classic with me wherever I went. But Apple discontinued that a while back, and even before they did my collection had exceeded its capacity (roughly 31,000 songs), which meant that every new record I added to it required deleting an old one. And that caused me physical and emotional distress, every time.

So when my iPod started showing signs it was on the verge of failing for good, I began hunting around for a replacement. Which led me to my new favorite possession, the Fiio X5 2nd gen pictured above.

Fiio’s a Chinese company that makes, among other things, surprisingly affordable, audiophile-quality digital audio players. That means all the elements inside the player have been selected and engineered to appeal to people with picky tastes and expensive headphones and lossless audio files who like to fiddle endlessly with EQ settings.

While I own and appreciate well-designed amplifiers and speakers, I’m not really an audiophile. I can reliably tell the difference between a WAV file and a 192kbps mp3 of the same song, but bump that mp3 up to 320kbps and I can’t tell you which one’s which anymore. I believe there are people who can notice the difference (Neil Young is most definitely one of them), but I’m also pretty sure they’re less than 5% of the population, and I am not among them.

So the X5ii’s real appeal to me is its storage capacity: rather than the outdated hard drive of my old iPod, this Fiio holds two micro sd cards of whatever capacity you choose -- both of mine are 200GB at the moment, meaning this thing already holds more than twice what that iPod did, but as technology advances and 512GB cards become more affordable, I can expand it further, if and when I need to. So, while I don’t personally need my entire collection in any of the lossless formats Fiio supports, I do plan on upgrading all of those 120 and 192kbps mp3s I ripped or acquired in the aughts.

The X5ii has a similar form factor to an iPod, including a scroll wheel, but because Fiio is a small company the bulk of their resources are apparently focused on the hardware, not the software, leaving a few trade-offs for iPod users to get accustomed to. Most significantly, since the X5ii doesn’t come with any media management software, you have to update the device manually -- that means dragging and dropping any new songs directly onto the device via your computer, and that means taking some time, if you haven’t already, to organize your collection in a logical folder structure so what’s on your device can be compared at a glance to what’s on your computer, and swapped back and forth most easily.

Once you’ve got the music you want on the device, you’ll find that navigating within your collection takes longer compared to an iPod, and the UI feels like it was designed by nerds for other nerds, rather than by nerds for their parents. If, like me, you have thousands of artists in your collection, and feel like playing a specific album by someone in the middle of the alphabet (as pictured above), it’s going to take you a minute or more of spinning that wheel before the music’s playing. I do the bulk of my listening by putting my entire collection, or some large subset of it, on shuffle play, so I don’t really mind the lag.

(Addendum, 3/12/17: I started minding the lag, a lot. My breaking point came last month, on a flight, while trying to write up “Waterloo Sunset.” It took me so goddamn long to navigate to the track I wound up timing it: one minute and thirty-four seconds. That felt unacceptable, so I came up with a better solution: I re-arranged my filing system so that there’s a separate folder for each letter of the alphabet on simcard #1, and artists are filed in the appropriate folder like they might be in a record store (except, since it’s a digital age, Bruce Springsteen goes in B, not S, etc.). This change improved the navigation experience dramatically: I can now have “Waterloo Sunset” playing twenty-three seconds after wishing it, or more than four times faster than before.)

There’s only one thing I consider a serious degradation of my old iPod experience: my X5ii hates external playlists. Just getting one onto the device is probably too daunting for the average consumer: you have to export the playlist from your media manager, open it in Notepad, and do a universal find-and-replace operation so that all the paths to your tracks on your computer (ie: C:/Users/Tim/Music/Magnetic Fields/Love at the Bottom of the Sea) get switched over to the paths on your device (ie: TF1:/Magnetic Fields/Love at the Bottom of the Sea). (Or, as of 3/21: TF1:/M/Magnetic Fields/Love at the Bottom of the Sea.)

That I could handle easily enough. Unfortunately, it turns out that even though the X5ii can hold tens of thousands of songs, it can’t handle a playlist with more than ~3,000 tracks at a time. Attempting to play one uses up too much RAM, and the device freezes. That was a major bummer, since the playlists I rely on most are anywhere from ~5,000 songs (“4 and 5 Star Soul”) to ~24,000 songs (“4 and 5 Star Everything”).

I tried to deal with this by splitting up my massive playlists into smaller ones, and rotating through them. But that was unsatisfying, because it meant one of the eight “4 and 5 Star Everything” playlists was all songs that started with H, so I wound up hearing a bunch of songs about hearts in a row. Note to all musicians (including myself): you can stop writing songs about hearts, and how they break, and how to heal them. It’s been done.

There was one other solution, which I was hesitant to try, and even more hesitant to admit to actually going through with, because it’s kind of insane. But it’s also why I’m posting about this on 5 Star Songs, as will become clear in a moment.

For reasons I don’t quite understand, my X5ii can easily handle a playlist with tens of thousands of tracks if it’s made directly on the device. So, I could replicate my “4 and 5 Star Everything” playlist by clicking the device’s “favorite” icon 24,760 times (doing so actually required 74,280 clicks, because you have to click once to reveal the icon, click a second time to select it, and then click a third time to move on to the next song you want to flag).

This seemed nuts. But, if it’s not already obvious, I really like my music, and I’m really particular about how I listen to it. And I loved everything else about my X5ii. If I could just favorite those 24,760 songs I already knew I liked best, keeping that Favorites playlist updated as I added new music would be much simpler than constantly exporting, editing and saving Notepad files.

So, um, I did it. Took me a week -- turns out it’s something you can do each evening while binge watching Horace and Pete. And though I’m a little embarrassed about it (and my wife is completely bewildered by my compulsion), I’m quite glad I did. For one thing, I now have the perfect portable device, capable of powering the highest quality headphones while carrying the sum total of all music I’ve collected over the past forty-odd years.

For another, it made me commune with that collection in a manner that turns out to be much more immersive and satisfying than scanning the spines of LPs or CDs stored on shelves. Over the course of a week, I stared at every album cover briefly, and made note of each song title, learning things I’d never realized along the way (for instance: Mavis Staples covered one of my favorite George Soule songs; also: the list of things bands have written odes to waiting for or on (A Friend, The Guns, Superman) is pretty funny when considered in a row).

So, that’s why the header at the top of this Tumblr recently switched from saying, “My iPod has 31,302 songs…” to “My mp3 player has 36,374 songs...” The number, which had stalled for years as I had to banish songs that had commited no crime beyond earning a mere 3 stars, can now start growing again. And that makes me so happy, I don’t mind it took me clicking buttons almost 75,000 times. I will always be an obsessive idiot when it comes to music.

There are far worse ways to muddle through life.

[judefan817-blog]

echoes the sad incompletion of the Bernhard own fictional life

David Preece tells a great story about Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Preece was the Aberdeen goalie when they played a pre season tournament game against an Ajax team that had the young cheap jerseys Swede at centre forward. The match was barely started when a ball was slid through between the centre halves and Ibrahimovic was through one on one.

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[bountyofbeads]

Trump, Flanked by Tanks, Calls for Unity at Fourth of July Event https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/04/us/politics/trump-4th-july.html

With Flyovers and Flags, Trump Plays M.C. for the Fourth

By Michael D. Shear | Published July 4, 2019 | New York Times | Posted July 4, 2019 |

WASHINGTON — In a made-for-television Independence Day production starring America’s military weaponry, President Trump on Thursday used the Lincoln Memorial as the backdrop for a homage to the country’s armed forces and a call for unity that has been largely absent during his divisive presidency.

Flanked by Bradley armored vehicles and M1A2 tanks in front of the statue of Abraham Lincoln, Mr. Trump paid tribute to the five branches of the military as a chorus sang each service hymn and he cued the arrival of fighter jets and other military aircraft roaring by in the skies overhead.

Speaking to a rain-soaked audience filled with troops decked out in “Make America Great Again” and “Trump 2020” paraphernalia, the president finally presided over the grand military display that he has wanted since witnessing the Bastille Day parade in Paris two years ago.

In a 45-minute speech delivered behind rain-streaked bulletproof glass, the president singled out a long list of Americans or their contributions to science, medicine, politics and the arts. But he spent most of his time recounting the history of the armed forces, ending his remarks as the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” blared through huge speakers and the Blue Angels soared overhead.

As long as we stay true to our cause — as long as we remember our great history — as long as we never, ever stop fighting for a better future — then there will be nothing that America cannot do,” Mr. Trump declared to chants of “U.S.A., U.S.A.” “God bless you, god bless the military, and God bless America. Happy Fourth of July.”

Even before he spoke, the president’s appearance on the National Mall drew fierce criticism from Democrats and some members of the military, who accused the president of using the military troops and equipment as little more than political props for his own benefit.

“Tanks aren’t props. They are weapons of war,” said Senator Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat and West Point graduate who served in the 82nd Airborne Division. Senator Kamala Harris of California, a Democratic candidate for president, said of Mr. Trump: “I don’t think he understands, this is America’s birthday, not his birthday.”

But two weeks after formally announcing his re-election bid in Orlando, Fla., with a dark message of grievance and attacks on his enemies, the president on Thursday offered a different, more optimistic tone. He added himself to Washington’s annual Independence Day celebration in what he called a “Salute to America” that avoided any of his usual attacks on the media, Democrats or his intelligence agencies.

“We all share a truly extraordinary heritage. Together, we are part of one of the greatest stories ever told — the story of America,” he told a large crowd of people, many wearing the president’s red, trademark “Make America Great Again” baseball caps. “To this day, that spirit runs through the veins of every American patriot.”

Previous presidents have commandeered the Lincoln Memorial, but none had ever done it the way Mr. Trump did on Thursday, packing the audience with supporters and assuming the role of Master of Ceremonies that centered mostly around the troops at his command.

In 2009, former President Barack Obama held a star-studded inauguration party at the Lincoln Memorial two days before his swearing-in at the Capitol. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the mall to hear a concert that included performances by Bruce Springsteen, U2, Beyoncé, Garth Brooks and more.

Eight years later, Mr. Trump also visited the Lincoln Memorial the night before his inauguration, delivering brief remarks and leading supporters lining the Reflecting Pool in chants of make America great again.

On Thursday, the president spoke not far from where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I have a dream” speech to nearly a quarter-million people in 1963, hailing Lincoln’s decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation as a “great beacon light of hope” to millions of people.

Thousands of people braved scorching, humid weather — and later heavy downpours — as they poured into Washington D.C. for the Fourth of July festivities on Thursday.

One woman wore a “I’m a Trump Deplorable” T-shirt, followed not far behind by a man in a “Veterans for Trump” shirt. A man wearing a shirt that said “Vote Democrat: Make America a Third World Country” walked through the crowd yelling about the end of the democracy. A lone Trump opponent walked quietly with a sign that said “Dump Trump.”

Outside of the secure area, on the other end of the National Mall, where PBS will be holding its annual Fourth of July concert — a completely separate event from the president’s rally — there appeared to be far fewer Trump supporters. The president’s red “MAGA” hats were hard to find, and Trump 2020 T-shirts were nowhere to be found.

Ahead of Mr. Trump’s arrival, supporters of the president huddled in the VIP section under trees to escape a long downpour of rain while the Marine Corps Band played a medley of patriotic songs, including God Bless America. Brief cheers of “U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!” came from the military crowd pressed along the fence line.

Daniel P. Cortez, age 68, of Stafford, Va., who was wounded in Vietnam as a Marine infantryman, sat in the VIP section waiting for the president. The director of the National Veterans Court Alliance, Mr. Cortez said he received an invitation from the White House on Monday.

“I’m not a Republican. I’m an independent,” said Mr. Cortez, the recipient of the Navy Commendation Medal for valor, a Purple Heart and the Navy-Marine Corps Medal. “But when the White House calls, I’m not going to pass up a seat at an event like this. Patriots should go to any White House. I’m honored to go.”

Jason Cullins, a truck driver from Lafayette, La., didn’t plan to come to the Trump event Thursday. He was on his way to drop off a load in New Jersey and decided to stop in Washington because he can’t deliver on the Fourth of July.

“There’s always a show in Washington, D.C., so I had to make a stop,” he said as he held flags that said “Trump 2020” and “Make America Great Again.” “You have everybody here. You have anti-Trump people, which I don’t agree with, but by God that’s what makes America great. We have freedom of speech. I have no problem with them.”

Supporters of Mr. Trump were greeted by the large Trump baby balloon not far from the World War II memorial. Code Pink, a liberal, antiwar group, organized the balloon as a way to mock the president. “It’s disgusting that Trump has hijacked our national holiday and turned it into a celebration of him,” said Medea Benjamin, a co-Director of code Pink.

Ms. Benjamin said that most supporters of Mr. Trump have mostly been respectful, though one man threatened to attack the balloon, something that has happened in other cities where activists have flown it.

Stan Sinberg on Thursday sold anti-Trump buttons and pins, including ones that said “Border Personality Disorder”’ with a picture of Trump next to it. He brought his wagon of pins to Washington from New York because the Fourth of July “is supposed to be a nonpartisan event but Trump has politicized it.”

During the event, a man told Sinberg he had to leave, others shouted “Trump 2020” and “Pence 2024” at him. One man asked why he hated America. “Trump is not synonymous with America,” Sinberg replied.

Mr. Trump has wanted to host the country’s military since he declared the Paris parade to be the best one he had ever seen. The president initially pushed for a similar military parade in Washington for Veterans Day in 2018, but fierce local opposition and a $90 million price tag for the event forced him to back down.

The president announced months ago his intention to speak on Fourth of July. But it was just in recent weeks that he demanded a robust military presence, including tanks and fighter jet flyovers.

That led to a mad scramble in the Defense Department to gather the military leaders who would attend. The Pentagon was given only a few days notice that Trump wanted his defense secretary, all the Joint Chiefs and all the service secretaries by his side during his remarks.

Most of the Joint Chiefs were on leave or on travel. Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel of the Air Force, the head of the National Guard Bureau had a long-scheduled trip to the Middle East that was on, then off, then on again as of Wednesday. Another National Guard general was tapped to attend.

Of the other chiefs, only Adm. Karl Schultz, the Coast Guard commandant, joined Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with the president. The others were on travel or on leave, and sent their deputies in their stead.

Some Pentagon officials sought on Wednesday and Thursday to make a virtue out of a necessity, saying it will be a chance for the substitutes — generally rising stars in their services — to get some valuable face time with the commander in chief.

[americanahighways]

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This story is about the night Pearl Jam’s lead singer went Americana, singing a cover of a Jason Isbell song. And how, despite the odds, my wife and I were there to see it.

On Sunday, closing out the Innings Festival in Tempe, Arizona, Eddie Vedder broke into “Maybe It’s Time,” the song Isbell wrote for Bradley Cooper’s character to sing in “A Star is Born.”

I was heading back to the spot Jill had saved for us while I shot the first three songs of Vedder’s set. After we purchased VIP tickets to see the festival’s second day, I sought a photo pass to shoot and write about it. My pitch, which the festival’s PR team graciously accepted, was an essay on how seeing Eddie Vedder live was a bucket list item for my wife of almost 23 years.

We traveled from our home just outside Washington, D.C., to Tempe to attend the festival, now in its second year. Our purpose was to hear someone whose voice and songwriting my wife appreciates as much as Isbell, a performer we saw live in several venues last year.

Little did we know what was about to happen.

******

Released in late 1994, Pearl Jam’s “Vitalogy” was a multiplatinum behemoth that completed a trilogy that started with “Ten” and continued with “Vs.”

The album included several hit singles. But no song was bigger or has had a more lasting impact than “Better Man,” an album-only track never released as a 45.

The story of a woman trying to get out of an abusive (physical, emotional or both is not specified) relationship, the song’s protagonist fears she’ll never be able to leave her partner. Vedder wrote the song in high school and later pitched it to the other Pearl Jam members, but the band initially refused to record it, feeling that it was too accessible for the style of music they were making.

Shortly after Jill and I met, “Better Man” started receiving airplay on the stations we listened to from nearby Greensboro and Raleigh. Trapped at the time in a cyclical relationship with no end in sight, “Better Man” particularly resonated with her during what is described most succinctly as a difficult time.

Fortunately, unlike the song’s protagonist, Jill finally got the courage to terminate the relationship. It wasn’t too long after that we married and had three children within the span of a year.

Flash forward a decade. Vedder has written the songs for 2007’s “Into the Wild,” a soundtrack that is an unlikely — though deserved — hit. Although our fandom doesn’t come close to matching that of Pearl Jam’s most ardent admirers, my wife always has had great admiration for Vedder’s playing and voice, especially solo. “Into the Wild” sealed it for her, and for me too.

Then, in 2009, Pearl Jam released “Just Breathe,” one of the three most beautiful love songs we know. (The other two are Isbell’s “Cover Me Up” and “If We Were Vampires, further completing the circle.) After hearing “Just Breathe,” Jill tells me Vedder is someone she’s like to see live.

Trouble is, between kids and busy work schedules, plus scant availability for any Pearl Jam show that plays within reasonable distance, we couldn’t seem to make it work.

Enter the Innings Festival.

******

In 2018, organizers took advantage of Arizona’s springtime climate — or what we call May in the rest of the world — and the start of baseball’s spring training to throw a music festival at a park overlooking Tempe Town Lake.

When I saw Vedder would headline the second day of the festival this year, I moved quickly (for once) to snap up tickets. With the kids grown and out of the house, we have downsized and are working to check items off the bucket list when time and opportunities allow.

Like other events of this nature, the Innings Festival draws a diverse range of acts as well as a few baseball legends. Last year, for example, the Avett Brothers and Chris Stapleton were headliners along with Queens of the Stone Age, Phosphorescent and The Decemberists.

This year’s lineup included Sheryl Crow, Cake and Incubus on Saturday. Sunday’s lineup was an eclectic mix as well, with performances by The Record Company (a helluva opener), G. Love and Special Sauce, Jimmy Eat World, Shakey Graves, Liz Phair (strong), St. Paul & the Broken Bones (good in spots but not on their A game), Mat Kearney and Band of Horses (our favorites other than Vedder).

When we arrived Sunday so I could pick up the photo pass, Vedder’s soundcheck was coming through the PA. Although he was not singing, he was playing “Better Man.” Jill squeezed my hand. She had been waiting to hear this song live for almost 25 years, a sort of closure for something that dominated her life almost half a lifetime ago.

******

What I like about Vedder’s solo shows, based on bootlegs and videos from his sporadic acoustic tours over the past decade, are the variety of covers he chooses to play.

His loose, free flowing Innings Festival set featured, in addition to various Pearl Jam and solo pieces, covers of songs by Warren Zevon, U2, Tom Petty, and The Beatles. He shredded the ukulele on a cover of The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” followed by Bruce Springsteen’s “Open All Night.”

Nothing, not even the appearance by Chicago Cubs manager Joe Madden (one of Vedder’s closest friends) and several Cubs players “singing” back up on the “Hard Sun” closer, prepared us for “Maybe It’s Time.”

Vedder’s sublime rendering of Isbell’s song, a huge headline in music circles on Monday, makes sense. Cooper mannered parts of his “A Star is Born” role, who was from Arizona, on Vedder and met with the singer while developing the character.

But, as Isbell tweeted later, “Holy shit.”

Having shot the start of the set, I was making my way back to Jill when the song started and pushed my way through the massive crowd to reach her for the last two-thirds.

There we stood, amid thousands of Vedder and Pearl Jam fans, lost in our thoughts and alone together.

That moment eased the sting a bit when Vedder, for whatever reason, ended his set without playing “Better Man.” As I mentioned to my wife, his cover of a song by a writer we so appreciate may be the gateway to the next chapter, allowing us to put those long-ago memories behind us.

“Maybe it’s time to let the old ways die…”

Eddie Vedder’s setlist:

Keep Me in Your Heart (Warren Zevon) Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town (Pearl Jam) In Gods Country (U2) I Am Mine (Pearl Jam) Wildflowers (Tom Petty) Wishlist (Pearl Jam) Maybe It’s Time (Jason Isbell) Far Behind Something (The Beatles) Soon Forget (Pearl Jam) Rise Just Breathe (Pearl Jam) Guitar instrumental You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away (The Beatles) Unthought Known (Pearl Jam) Immortality (Pearl Jam) Lukin (Pearl Jam) Porch (Pearl Jam) Isn’t It a Pity (George Harrison) Last Kiss (Wayne Cochran) Should I Stay or Should I Go (The Clash) Open All Night (Bruce Springsteen) Improv Hard Sun

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  Show Review: INNINGS FESTIVAL's New Beginnings and Closures @inningsfest @JasonIsbell @EddieVedder @shakeygraves @phizlair @ourrealityshow @sherylcrow @bandofhorses This story is about the night Pearl Jam's lead singer went Americana, singing a cover of a Jason Isbell song.

[meditationsinausterity]

September Reading Roundup

Will Self, The Book of Dave.

So after my August of almost exclusively lady books, I've kicked off with a Geezer. Not just a male writer, an actual fucking Geezer. I love Will Self, and would highly recommend The Quantum Theory of Insanity, and The Butt, works of his I've previously enjoyed. I'd have picked this up from the free books box outside of Stella's Voice in North end based on my previous enjoyment alone, but a friend of mine, Tim who was one of my favourite regulars in The Whippet, the first pub I helped manage and therefore always my first love, once recommended it to me on a snowy Sunday, when he and I were the only people in the bar and I was line-cleaning and chomping at the bit for handover so he and I could go drinking.

 I had several friendships in that pub where I'd give out, and receive books in that pub (blame it on the Bloomsbury postcode I guess), and take and give recommendations. Tim, on this Sunday, was waxing absolutely lyrical about this one, and the concept, the idea of a future society finding a book written by a London cab driver and forming a religion and a society surrounding it, really appealed to me.

I wasn't disappointed, but the novel was definitely different to my expectations, as is often the case when you come to a book with preconceptions (I see you Wuthering Heights, I fucking see you). It's part Ridley Walker, part an 'It's all a load of Fackin' Bollocks MAAAATE' yowl into the abyss. It hops between a post-disaster pastoral society with a rigid hierarchy and cockney-rooted chaucerian dialect, and a despicably unlikeable but sympathetic North London pleb of a taxi driver experiencing an inarticulate masculine fury at his distinctly class struggle related breakdown, which he channels through the only set of rules that make sense to him; The Knowledge (for the uninitiated, The Knowledge is the test London cab drivers undergo in order to qualify).

I'm still a sucker for a London novel of any description, but I fall very much in love with those that described the tired, angry thoughts of its underclasses, because reader, I was one. Despite my education and self awareness, I've felt that snarling, visceral 'FFFFUUUUUCK YOUUUU' that can only rise in your gut in a city that thanklessly grinds you down and through it for the benefit of others until you're basically used up. I'm not as exciting a prospect to read as Dave Rudman because university and therapy have made me too irritatingly self-aware, and too keyed into the emotional jargon of our times. I'm dull because I can talk about hierarchies of needs and hegemonic struggle and how they impact my mental health as a member of the working class. I can voice discontent in safe terms that you already know. The beauty of Dave Rudman is he knows his life is bullshit, and he's surrounded by cunts, but he struggles with the articulation of why and how this is unfair. As his psychiatrist puts it:

'For, while many of the patients who shuffled into his consulting room were emotional malingerers - unwilling to turn up for any of life's feelings - this big, raw boned fellow was reeling. He doesn't have either the wit or the imagination to know what's happening.'

There's a beautiful symmetry in the novel. Dave's 'we're fucked and if everyone would just listen to me i'd sort it ahhhht' working class masculinity (my late stepdad was a real one for that, I'm so familiar with it I could cry), contrasted with the society that takes his unlistened-to working class voice as gospel but ultimately is just as unfair, taking his disenfranchisement-born misogyny to drastic conclusions, is powerful, and grabs your gut. We feel bad when nobody is listening to our Dave, but we're simultaneously confronted with the horrific reality of what happens when his rage at women, born of what contemporary life is doing to his masculinity and sense of self, is taken seriously.

It's not a happy book, staring directly into the face of the impossibility of self expression, or at least the lack of access to it that the majority of society has. it directly looks to the ways in which we fuck up and get angry at the wrong things when our core identity is assaulted on every side, and how unfair and misguided that really is if you logically played out the redressings of those imagined balances. The modern world is presented as fragmented and irredeemable, the future a feudal dystopia of racial divide, illiteracy, and poverty.

There's no shred of hope in this book, even in Dave's regret-fuelled about face, and the insurrection it could cause in the future were it listened to. But it definitely has laughs, as all darkness does. And much like the kind of much-maligned working class character Self breathes life beyond trope-dom into, it tells it like it is. This bleak realtalks made me oddly nostalgic; for the peculiarly London form of contempt you can only feel when you've racked up a sixteen hour day for little-to-no-money, and have to look at all the moneyed visitors and suburb-dwellers pumping their cash into tourist bottlenecks. It's a weird sense of superiority and knowledge you cling to to stop yourself feeling like as much of a mug as the people at the other end of the economic scale. In reality, you're all equally mugs, because the city always wins; but you feel like you really belong there and they're just visiting. Likewise, in reality, as we see in Dave's inability to transcend any of his social constraints in anyway, there's no joy in this small victory you give yourself, because if you do really belong there, there's nowhere else to go.

 Shirley Jackson, Dark Tales.

A present from my friend Zachery, on a visit to Portsmouth on a sunny Monday that feels like forever ago now. Don't you just love it when someone slings you a book to read? Tells you not just about them, but about what they know of, or think of, you, too. I'm totally including this in September's books, as I did start it then, despite finishing it in October. It's been a slow month for reading while I try and figure out a work-life balance, so I'm being kind to myself. It was passed my way because, in an accurate educated guess, it was determined to be my kind of thing.

Oh BOY is it. I love anything creepy and dark, to the point where when people get to know me better, the witch jokes come thick and fast. I'm particularly obsessed with women who are obsessed with death (Lana del Rey, Florence Welch, Sylvia Plath, American Horror Story Coven, I'm looking at you here), and Shirley Jackson is one dark motherfucker. I particularly love a good slab of American gothic, and having read all these stories I'd undoubtedly say that these are Jackson's strength. There were stories in there about getting lost in the woods, and ghosts and so on, but I could decidedly have taken or left them, particularly as I find ghost stories inevitably have the same quasi-Victorian conclusions.

Her strongest efforts, if you ask me, are the ones about malcontent simmering under the surface of classically American tropes, small-town life, country summer idylls, young marrieds in the big city, that kind of thing. The lapsed literature student in me wants to point out that these stories could be used as fantastic allegorical examples of the rotten core lurking within the American dream, which let's face it, is a fair shout, but more simply put, that workaday surface is a fundamental part of what makes the stories so deeply disconcerting. In the same way that the workaday rhythms and relatability of a Bruce Springsteen song or a Raymond Carver short are so emotionally powerful because their narratives could be and are, playing themselves out time after time in towns across America, so Jackson's are terrifying because we, the readers think to ourselves, probably so are hers.

We tell ourselves 'it's just a story', but it's harder to do when the characters are so intricately and cleverly made real by their intentional stock quality. And we're so fascinated with her characters for the same reason we're still fascinated with Ted Bundy; because he was innocuous and unnoticeable enough to have gotten away with it for so long. It's far less scary to have our demons look like demons that to imagine them buying milk from the same grocers as us.

I usually treat short stories as small dose thought-provokers to read over a morning coffee, consuming them in tandem with whatever else I have on the go, but a combination of me having less attention to pay, and these commanding it so strongly meant that wasn't really the case this time, and I'd highly recommend getting these under your belt. I wouldn't say I could think of another writer who has made me feel genuinely disconcerted in a long time, and given that horror is a genre in which most of the tropes have been played out in every which way they figuratively can, Jackson still manages to generate a sense of the unexpected in her tales that I haven't encountered elsewhere in a long time.

[bennettbaer92-blog]

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[dellajacobson8-blog]

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[footyplusau]

‘Hard times come, hard times go’: Clarkson

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson

A PROVOCATIVE article from former Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams suggesting Alastair Clarkson leave Hawthorn was brushed aside by the Hawks mastermind at Waverley on Sunday.

Williams wrote a column in News Corporation newspapers last Thursday advising Clarkson to move from Hawthorn before the club moved on from him.

His reign is into its 13th season and with four flags, Clarkson has numerous credits in the bank, however his decisions are being queried in the media as the club sits at the foot of the ladder, just months after premiership stars Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis were traded for lowly draft selections.

Clarkson said any commentary was a result of the 0-3 record, and he drew a parallel with a song from a superstar American musician.

“I haven’t read the article, but a friend of mine relayed the content of it. Whenever your side is going through a tough patch, there’s going to be external noise and opinion. That’s the game that we’re in,” Clarkson said.

“All we need to do is bunker down with a collective effort at our footy club. It’s not about any one person. We’ve worked our way through tough positions before.

“Bruce Springsteen’s got a great song (with the lyrics) ‘hard times come, hard times go’. We’re going through a hard time at the minute, but we’re really, really strong in our resolve to pull ourselves out of this pickle that we’re in and get ourselves back on the winning list.”

Hawthorn suffered an 86-point drubbing against Gold Coast last Sunday and Clarkson pointed to the Suns as an example of a team being able to change its fortunes.

Rodney Eade’s side itself came off a 102-point loss to Greater Western Sydney before it demolished the Hawks.

“As we’ve seen, it’s clearly been demonstrated by a couple of sides in the last couple of weeks in Gold Coast and Fremantle, who have turned their seasons around very, very quickly,” Clarkson said.

“It can happen, as long as we continue to have faith in the processes we’ve got in place here and the people that we’ve got in place here.

“That has been the case for a long period of time and I don’t expect anything to be any different in our approach over the next few weeks.”

Hawthorn will be without midfielder Jaeger O’Meara after the club said he copped a knock to the right knee that gave him trouble in his time at the Suns.

Teia Miles and Brendan Whitecross were dropped while Billy Hartung, Tim O’Brien and Blake Hardwick were recalled to the side that will face Geelong at the MCG on Easter Monday.

The post ‘Hard times come, hard times go’: Clarkson appeared first on Footy Plus.

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[oselatra]

The 91st Arkansas General Assembly: It's going to be a beast

Some legislation to look for, and how to speak your mind.

The 91st General Assembly convened on Monday, and the next two months will bring all sorts of new laws to Arkansas. With a supermajority in both houses, the Republican agenda will prevail. What we describe here are bills already introduced or likely to find their way into the hopper.

Perhaps you would like to add your voice to the decision-making at the state Capitol. State Rep. Greg Leding (D-Fayetteville) has published on his Facebook page the "2017 Determined Constituent Guide to the Arkansas State Capitol," which provides phone numbers to reach legislators (682-2902 for the Senate, 682-6211 for the House) and the governor (682-2345), names of the leadership in both houses, when the houses convene (1:30 p.m.), how to communicate with your legislator, and where Capitol offices are located and where committees meet.

House committee meetings are live-streamed, and you can send a note asking to meet with a legislator via Red Coat assistants.

Find the schedule of committee meetings at arkleg.state.ar.us.

The upcoming legislation we address here includes bills to prohibit transgender people from using the bathroom of the gender they identify with; cut taxes; make it harder for women to get abortions; allow guns on college campuses; make it harder for people without specific forms of photo identification to vote; punish "sanctuary" cities and campuses that adopt policies of tolerance toward undocumented immigrants; and make it easier to fire teachers. What the legislature will do about Medicaid expansion remains to be seen. Bathroom bill

In a state with a long history of legislative train wrecks, it's hard to imagine one more easily avoidable than the prospect that the legislature may pass an anti-LGBT "bathroom bill" that forces a transgender person to use the public restroom that corresponds to the sex on his or her birth certificate.

The potential economic hit the state could take over such legislation is already writ large in North Carolina. North Carolina House Bill 2, passed in March 2016 and signed into law by now-former Gov. Pat McCrory, led to boycotts and scaling back of hundreds of millions of dollars in business investment in the state, along with public condemnation by inclusive, 21st century employers like PayPal, Apple and Yelp. That's in addition to the $100 million impact estimated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority when the National Basketball Association decided to pull the 2017 NBA All-Star Game out of North Carolina in reaction to HB 2. And the September announcement that the NCAA would yank seven NCAA tournament games from Greensboro (an estimated $51 million impact). And rock legend Bruce Springsteen's April 2016 decision to cancel a Greensboro show (to the tune of another estimated $700,000 impact). All told, Forbes estimates the economic impact of HB 2 to the Tar Heel State at somewhere in the neighborhood of $600 million so far. It's a number that seems destined to keep climbing as obstinate legislators there continue to resist and foot-drag on efforts at repeal, even in the wake of the ouster of McCrory in November.

Nonetheless, the economic hurt laid on North Carolina since the coming of HB 2 appears to be an object lesson that's going unheeded across the nation. So far, legislators in Alabama, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington have introduced similar bills. Next door in Texas, legislators introduced a bill similar to North Carolina's HB 2 soon after the new year, even though the Texas Association of Business issued a warning last year that the passage of a "bathroom bill" could create a backlash that costs the Texas economy up to $8.5 billion and 185,000 jobs.

With far-right legislators in Arkansas undoubtedly considering playing a round of Raleigh Roulette by filing an HB 2-style bill of their own, one of those who appears to be heeding the lessons of North Carolina is Governor Hutchinson. At a Jan. 4 press conference to discuss his legislative agenda in the coming session, Hutchinson said that he believes the issue of transgender people using the restroom of their choice is not "a problem" in Arkansas, and made it clear that a bathroom bill is not something he would support. While Hutchinson didn't say he'd veto such a bill, he did say he had been in touch with "legislators of interest" who might file legislation on the issue.

"I would choose to judge the issue on its merits and what's needed in the state," Hutchinson said. "I think the compelling arguments are: One, we don't have a problem. Secondly, we're awaiting more information from the courts and the Trump administration, and I do not believe that we ought to be engaged in legislation when there's not a problem."

House Speaker Jeremy Gillam (R-Judsonia), who appeared with Hutchinson and Senate Majority Leader Jim Hendren (R-Gravette) at the press conference, said that he'd want to see "quantifiable data," before he could reach a conclusion on whether a bathroom bill was needed. Hendren added that if people do something obscene in a public restroom, they deserve to be harshly punished, especially if children are involved, but said of a bathroom bill: "Now if we need a bathroom bill to prevent something like that from occurring, I don't know. ... If it's punitive, if it's something completely unreasonable, then probably not."

Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Randy Zook agrees with the governor that an anti-trans bathroom bill is unneeded in the state. "There doesn't appear to be a problem," Zook said on the first day of the 2017 legislative session. "If one materializes, then we'd probably want to try to deal with it." Asked if his agreement with the governor on the issue is based on the economic fallout seen in North Carolina, Zook said the potential for a similar scenario in Arkansas certainly exists.

"We would like to try to avoid any unfavorable publicity for the state," Zook said. "Lots of economic activity could be negatively affected with unnecessary or unwarranted legislation. Again, until there's a problem, we just think there's no problem."

—David Koon Education policy When Governor Hutchinson laid out his agenda for the 2017 session, education was one of three categories he prioritized (the others being "economic development" and a grab bag of reforms dubbed "efficiencies"). Yet most of the initiatives the governor listed were modest, wonky and uncontroversial: invest $5 million more in computer science, improve phonics instruction for teachers, rework scholarships targeted toward community college students, and deliver a welcome $3 million boost in pre-K funding to improve teacher quality. He made no mention of hot-button items like charter schools or vouchers. This is notable both because education is the largest item in the state budget — K-12 and higher ed together comprise almost two-thirds of general revenue spending — and is the subject of intense policy debates. Expect more substantial (and contentious) proposals to emerge from the General Assembly in the coming weeks. The most significant school-related legislation filed so far concerns the labor law that establishes due process for firing certain school employees, the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act. Reps. Bruce Cozart (R-Hot Springs) and Mark Lowery (R-Maumelle) filed a pair of bills in early December that would chip away at the law. Cozart's House Bill 1017 would allow the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act to be waived in a public school or school district that has been taken over by the state Education Department; the Little Rock School District is the most prominent example of such a district. House Bill 1029, authored by Lowery, would exclude principals, assistant principals and central office staff with multi-year contracts from protection under the law. In December, Cozart, who chairs the House Education Committee, told the Times his bill was necessary to help the state improve academic outcomes at troubled schools. "It doesn't have to be used, but it would give [the State Board of Education, which authorizes state takeovers] an opportunity to use that tool," Cozart said. "I'm not against teachers, don't get me wrong ... but sometimes when a state takes over a school, there are issues with teachers." He said the bill was not targeting the LRSD in particular. Brenda Robinson, president of the Arkansas Education Association, said, "the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act simply outlines the process by which a school may remove a teacher from employment for a valid reason. ... This bill ignores that fact and chooses to blame and shame teachers." Robinson said legislators "need to focus on what helps students the most: recruiting the right people into teaching, providing ongoing training, compensating teachers appropriately, developing reliable ways to measure teacher effectiveness and giving teachers the resources to help every child succeed." Cozart introduced a similar proposal in 2015 as part of a larger bill to establish "achievement districts" in Arkansas, which would allow the state to privatize districts or schools under state takeover by assigning their operations to nonprofit charter management organizations. He pulled the legislation after opposition emerged from groups like the Arkansas School Boards Association and the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators, which represents school superintendents. Many education advocates are anticipating the return of an "achievement district" bill this session. Mike Mertens, assistant executive director at the AAEA, said his organization "would have concerns" if such legislation reemerged, though he cautioned that "we would have to see exactly what was in the bill." Mertens said the AAEA opposed Cozart's 2015 legislation because it "took away local control" and included no appeal process for a local school board. Should a privatization measure be filed, the AAEA and the teachers union (the AEA) will likely be critical in opposing it, as will grassroots opposition organized by the Arkansas Citizens First Congress. As for the governor's initiatives, there is one in particular that bears a closer look. Hutchinson is pushing a new "outcomes-based funding formula" for higher education, which will tie college and university funding to graduation rates and other metrics. Rather than simply subsidizing institutions based on student enrollment, the state would (theoretically) hold them more accountable for delivering measurable results. There are reasons to be skeptical of such a plan — it potentially creates an incentive to inflate grades and a disincentive to enroll more academically disadvantaged students — but the state's colleges and universities are solidly lined up in support of the proposal, in part because Hutchinson has pledged a $10 million increase to higher ed funding if his model is adopted. —Benjamin Hardy Tax cuts

Since Republicans gained majorities in the state House of Representatives and Senate in 2012, they've made slashing taxes on the rich a priority. In the last two general legislative sessions, GOP legislators pushed through a massive cut on taxes on capital gains, a benefit overwhelmingly enjoyed by the wealthiest Arkansans, and they reduced the income tax burden on all but the working poor. To his credit, Governor Hutchinson wants a $50 million tax cut, as part of his proposed $5.5 billion budget, directed at the people who were left out of previous cuts — those with taxable income of less than $21,000. That's laudable in spirit. Arkansas has one of the more regressive tax environments in the country. Households making more than $330,000 (i.e. the 1 percent) pay less than 6 percent of their income in local and state taxes, while those making less than $16,000 pay 12 percent of theirs in local and state taxes, according to Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. Much of that disparity is the result of the state's relatively high sales tax. Low-income workers do pay income tax — in 2013, some 540,000 Arkansas families with net income of less than $21,000 paid $115 million in state income tax — but they pay a greater share of their income in sales taxes. Low-income workers would be helped more by a state Earned Income Tax Credit, tied to the federal EITC, which takes into account workers' income and number of dependents. It should have bipartisan appeal. It rewards work. It's a proven ladder out of poverty. And, because most low and middle-income taxpayers spend their tax refunds, it's money that's quickly cycled back into the state economy.

If only that was the limit of the coming debate.

Instead, a number of legislators want to see a significantly larger tax cut. Sen. Bart Hester (R-Cave Springs) has proposed a $105 million tax cut. It would eliminate income taxes for people making less than $21,000 and adjust the tax tables to benefit middle and upper income families. There's been additional talk of $200 million and $300 million tax cuts. Rep. Charlie Collins (R-Fayetteville) has floated the idea of repealing a law passed in 2013 that reduces the sales tax on groceries from 1.5 percent to 0.125 percent once the state is no longer obligated to make $65 million annual desegregation payments to Pulaski County schools. That's scheduled to happen after the end of fiscal year 2018. Collins wants instead to use that money to further cut taxes on those making more than $75,000 per year. The governor has said (rightly, again) that such a repeal would be viewed as a tax increase. UPDATE: After this article was filed, Hester and Collins said Hutchinson's proposal to establish a commission to develop a longterm strategy to reduce taxes had persuaded them to wait to pursue larger cuts.

There are two problems to consider simultaneously when it comes these sorts of tax cut proposals, said Bill Kopsky, executive director of the Arkansas Public Policy Panel. There's ensuring that an already regressive tax system doesn't become more so, and then there's working to prevent further cuts to state services and infrastructure.

"We've really slashed revenue in the last several sessions," Kopsky said. "That's left a lot of priority needs for the state's future underfunded — whether you look at [K-12 education], higher ed, the legitimate needs of the highway system, increased funding for pre-K, or after-school programs proven to help all kids. ... We're not investing in the types of things that make families stronger and makes kids succeed and would make Arkansas attractive to economic development."

In a state where the constitution requires a balanced budget and that K-12 education be "adequately" funded, there isn't much wiggle room in the budget. Education, health and human services and prisons account for more than 90 percent of general revenue expenditures. After $242 million in tax cuts in recent years and with revenue collections in fiscal year 2017 currently down $8 million and the future of Medicaid expansion in doubt, legislators may begin to eye things like pre-K funding, parks and tourism, natural and cultural heritage programs and rural economic development for cuts, Kopsky said.

The nonpartisan nonprofit he leads, the Arkansas Public Policy Panel (arpanel.org), is focused on health care, civil rights, economic and social justice and the environment. Staffers read every bill, flag those that are problematic and send an email update to members every Monday with action plans for combatting troublesome bills. Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (aradvocates.org) does similar policy analysis on legislation that impacts Arkansas families.

—Lindsey Millar Abortion

Legislation sponsored by State Rep. Andy Mayberry (R-Hensley), whose 2013 bill made it illegal for women 20 weeks or more pregnant to have an abortion, would reduce that limit to 13 or 14 weeks with a bill that apparently bans the safest procedure for abortion at that gestational stage.

House Bill 1032, modeled after National Right to Life Committee legislation and the first in the hopper for the General Assembly, would outlaw what it calls "dismemberment abortions." The bill would make it illegal to cause an abortion by the "use of clamps, grasping forceps, tongs, scissors, or similar instruments that, through the convergence of two rigid levers, slice, crush or grasp a portion of the body of the unborn child to cut out or tear off a portion of the body of the unborn child."

"Dismemberment" is not a medical term, and medical professionals say it does not accurately represent the procedure it is apparently targeting, dilation and evacuation, and would be difficult to enforce.

The bill does not make exceptions for pregnancies that are the result of incest or rape.

The legal community says such a law would be unconstitutional in that it would create an intrusion on best medical practices, cause an undue burden on the doctor and patient seeking a legal procedure and ignore the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on viability. Six states have introduced "dismemberment legislation," but it has been enjoined from taking effect by the courts in three of those states — Alabama, Kansas and Oklahoma — and is not being enforced during a legal challenge in Louisiana. There were no challenges to the law in Mississippi and West Virginia; those laws take effect this year.

If the bill passes and survives a court challenge, it could mean women in Arkansas who are past the nine-week medical abortion window and whose doctors believe that the safest way for them to exercise their legal right to abortion would be dilation and evacuation would be forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term. Giving birth is risker than abortion, so not only would the bill take away a legal right, it would involve health risks for women.

Dilation and evacuation, a procedure used after 14 weeks until viability (after 21 weeks), involves using a seaweed extract to soften the cervix and a cannula to suction the fetal tissue from the womb. To guard against infection, doctors use instruments to make sure there is no fetal tissue remaining in the womb. The World Health Organization and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend the procedure as the safest for women more than 12 or 13 weeks pregnant. (Another procedure, dilation and suction curettage, is commonly used earlier in pregnancy, or to treat the patient after a miscarriage or a uterine disease.)

Mayberry believes abortion is an "immoral" act based on his interpretation of the Bible, he said during hearings in 2013 on his earlier abortion bill. In an email, the Times asked Mayberry, among other questions, if he would personally block the door of an abortion clinic to a woman desiring an abortion by explaining that he, as her legislator, could not permit her to enter. He did not respond, but in a phone interview, co-sponsor Sen. David Sanders (R-Little Rock), said he wouldn't.

However, Sanders said he would tell a woman who was feeling "hopeless or alone" that she did not have to feel that way. He also said he did not believe the bill would be considered unconstitutional, despite the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that states can't ban abortion until a fetus is viable, somewhere at the beginning of the third trimester, or 12 or 14 weeks later than the period this bill targets, because he believes there are alternatives, including the injection of a substance into the uterus that would terminate the pregnancy.

"On the technical aspects, the bill would not prevent an abortion where there was an injection that terminated the life, the pregnancy," Sanders said. But this reporter's research could find no evidence of such a procedure and a medical professional would only exclaim disbelief at the suggestion.

Sanders also said that rape victims usually seek abortion at an earlier stage, but medical statistics show that nearly a third of pregnancies resulting from rape are not discovered until the second trimester.

In answer to a press conference question about whether anti-abortion bills of questionable constitutionality should go forward given the possibility of a pro-life Supreme Court under President Trump, Governor Hutchinson said last week that pro-life legislation presented an opportunity "to move the court, to move the debate and to move another case to the Supreme Court." The bill was referred to the Committee on Public Health, Welfare and Labor on Monday. The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas will no doubt lobby against the law.

Opponents of the bill may wish to participate in the seventh Rally for Reproductive Justice at 1 p.m. Jan. 28 on the state Capitol steps. The Women's March for Arkansas, while not specifically a pro-choice rally, was organized in response to the misogyny demonstrated in the 2016 elections; it will start at 11 a.m. Jan. 21 at the corner of Pulaski Street and Capitol Avenue.

—Leslie Newell Peacock Campus carry

Though Governor Hutchinson has said he does not see a need for it, Rep. Charlie Collins (R-Fayetteville) says he will introduce a bill to require college and university campuses to allow faculty and employees with concealed carry permits to bring their guns to campus. That would amend state law, which now allows campuses to opt out of a provision in a law Collins introduced in 2013 to allow what's called campus carry. All Arkansas colleges and universities have repeatedly voted to opt out. Collins tried in 2015 to amend the law to remove the opt-out provision, but the Senate referred the bill to committee, where it died.

The governor said at a December press conference that the opt-out provision was "very workable" for campuses. Collins said he has a "good working relationship" with Hutchinson and is "obviously open to the governor's opinion."

Collins believes that allowing campus faculty and employees to carry guns would deter what he calls "rampage killers." Should such killers discover that faculty members were armed, they would think twice before attacking, Collins said. "They're going to avoid where they're going to be interdicted."

In 2015, Collins told the Times that "mass murderers in gun-free zones like college campuses are a real problem that's not going away on its own."

There has never been a mass shooting on a college campus in Arkansas. The last shooting with multiple fatalities in the United States was at Umpqua Community College in Oregon in 2015; 10 died, including the shooter. However, under Oregon law, persons with concealed carry permits may carry on campus. The college's rule that no guns were allowed on campus was in conflict with state law.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, in the wake of the 2007 Virginia Tech University shooting, in which 32 people were killed, legislation has been introduced in several states to allow some form of concealed carry on campus. Eight states now allow or have laws coming into effect that require colleges to allow permit holders to carry concealed weapons on campuses.

Campus carry has been something of a crusade for Collins. He introduced his first campus carry bill in 2011; it was defeated then.

Austin Bailey, of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, said guns on campus are a threat to safety, not a deterrent, and the dollars that will be needed to train personnel in case of a campus shooting should be invested in campus police, not professors.

"If the House has brand-new metal detectors and beefed up security to keep guns out, can they really force guns on to Arkansas campuses?" Bailey asked. 

Arkansans Against Guns on Campus, which is not a formal organization but has a Facebook page, has opposed campus carry since 2013. Steve Boss, a member of the group, called the issue an "obsession" with Collins. "Nobody asked for this bill," he said. "The police don't want it, the campus officials don't want it and have expressed their desire not to have it."

The head of campus police at the University of Arkansas declined to express an opinion on campus carry, referring a reporter to the administration. Calls to the University of Arkansas for comment had not been returned by press time Tuesday.

Boss said guns on campus would be vulnerable to theft. He said the prospect that professors could be carrying guns might discourage applications to the UA and that some students might be wary of talking to a professor about school issues if they thought he or she might have a gun on them.

Boss also noted instances of accidental shootings on campuses, including a professor at Idaho State University who accidentally shot himself in the foot during class.

Nevertheless, Boss said "the odds are stacked" against defeating the bill, given the Republican supermajorities in both houses.

Collins said he may tweak the bill from the version introduced in 2015, HB 1077.

Collins said he does not think students should be allowed to carry weapons on campus. "The idea of drunk 18-year-olds in a dorm room ... ." He did not need to finish the sentence.

Leading the fight against the campus carry bill will be Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, whose members have scheduled a lobby event at the legislature from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Feb. 1. The lobby day is not just for mothers, but all who want to hinder gun violence. The group is also making phone calls, emailing, tweeting and using social media to get the word out about gun legislation. The group's Facebook page, Moms Demand Action - AR, provides ideas on how to let your legislator know your stand on the bill, including a sample letter, and links to news on Collins' bill. The group will also have a table set up at the Women's March on Jan. 21 to provide information on the legislation. Fayetteville-based Arkansans Against Guns on Campus, which describes itself on its Facebook page as a "coalition of students, faculty, alumni, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers," also provides links to articles about the gun lobby and campus safety.

—Leslie Newell Peacock Voter ID

As of Election Day 2016, 31 states require some form of government-issued identification in order to vote. Ostensibly about preventing the scourge of in-person voter fraud — a crime so rare outside the hellscape of Donald Trump's head that a 2014 study by Loyola (Los Angeles) Law School Professor Justin Levitt found just 241 possible incidents of in-person voter fraud in over 1 billion U.S. votes cast — the real value of voter ID laws to Republicans is that they tend to disenfranchise those groups that often vote Democratic, including the young, the disabled, the poor and minority groups. Voter ID laws surely paid dividends for the GOP in Election 2016. In Wisconsin, for example, where Trump won the presidential election by fewer than 23,000 votes, The Nation reported that with the election looming, an estimated 300,000 registered voters were without a form of ID required by the state's strict 2014 voter ID law.

Understandably, Arkansas Republicans have been bully on the boogeyman of "voter fraud" for years (for example, a 15-page "Arkansas Voter Fraud Prevention Handbook" available from the secretary of state's website features a discussion of what to do if you notice a neighbor's cat is listed on the rolls as a registered voter). The legislature passed a voter ID bill in 2013, then overrode a veto by Gov. Mike Beebe to make it law. The law was subsequently struck down by the Arkansas Supreme Court in October 2014, with an opinion by the late Justice Donald Corbin saying the law would disenfranchise voters and was in violation of the state Constitution because it created new requirements for voting.

Like an undead horror, however, voter ID has shambled back from the grave for the 2017 legislative session, with State Rep. Mark Lowery (R-Maumelle) filing House Bill 1047 in December. The bill, which would amend the state Constitution's Amendment 51, would require voters to present a document that shows the voter's name, or a government issued ID or photo ID when they come to vote. If the voter is unable to show one of those forms of ID at the time of voting, poll workers will be required to list that the person didn't show the ID before allowing the voter to cast a provisional ballot.

Asked about voter ID laws just before the start of the legislative session, Governor Hutchinson said he has historically supported voter ID laws, and doesn't see them as a burden on citizens. "I do believe you have to look at the specific language of any voter ID law to make sure that it doesn't place a burden on the citizens and access to the ballot box," Hutchinson said. "So while I've generally supported a voter ID initiative, I want to look at the specific language of any bill to make sure it doesn't unduly burden our citizens ... because there is a segment of the population that does give up their own driver's license, but they still want to vote. We want to make sure they have that access."

Tom Masseau, executive director of Disability Rights Arkansas, said his group is monitoring Lowery's bill closely, and will be opposing it and other bills this session that might present an impediment to voting. "We feel that IDs are still very hard to come by for people," he said. "Yes, an individual can vote through a provisional ballot, but you and I both know: Will it ever get counted?"

Masseau said voter ID laws disproportionately disenfranchise the disabled because of the physical barriers they face getting to and from a place that issues ID, along with difficulties in obtaining the necessary documents. As an example, Masseau said that a person who may have spent years in a state institution might have a hard time securing their birth certificate and other documents proving citizenship and residency required to receive a state ID.

Asked how Arkansans can help the group push back against HB1047, Masseau invited people with disabilities or other impairments to share their stories of problems while voting in the last election — including polling places that weren't accessible to the handicapped — on the group's Facebook page, http://ift.tt/2jatzR1, or by calling its toll free number at 1-800-482-1174.

—David Koon Undocumented immigrants

Since those on the right are traditionally suspicious of overreach from Washington, it may sound odd that staunchly conservative legislators would seek to punish local governments and institutions for insufficient compliance with federal law enforcement. But that's just what two bills from Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R-Branch) and Rep. Brandt Smith (R-Jonesboro) seek to do.

Stubblefield's Senate Bill 14 would strip state funds from Arkansas cities if they enact "sanctuary policies," meaning ordinances or law enforcement policies that demonstrate tolerance toward individuals who immigrated to the country illegally — for example, a policy preventing local police officers from interrogating people about their citizenship/immigration status. Smith's House Bill 1042, which contains substantially the same language as Stubblefield's, would do the same for public colleges or universities. Both define a "sanctuary policy" to include informal practices that (in the words of Smith's bill) "grant to illegal immigrants the right to lawful presence or status on the campus of the state-supported institution of higher education in violation of federal law."

Smith told the Arkansas Times in December that he filed the legislation in response to a group of faculty and students at Arkansas State University that were petitioning ASU to declare itself a "sanctuary campus." He said he'd been later assured by an ASU system representative that "that's not going to happen at ASU" but said his bill was still needed "in the event that these petitions get traction." Similar petition efforts sprang up at colleges across the country in the wake of a presidential election in which the winning candidate campaigned on inflammatory anti-immigrant rhetoric and promised to establish a "deportation force" and build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Stubblefield said he was unaware of any municipalities in Arkansas that fit his definition of "sanctuary cities," and added "this is more of a preemptive bill, to prevent that from happening." Smith indicated he was mostly concerned about the idea of Arkansas campuses harboring criminals who were in the country illegally. But although both sponsors said their legislation was preemptive, the bills are so broadly worded they could conceivably impact existing policies and resident families. For example, the student bodies of universities in Arkansas include some students who were brought across the border as children, grew up in the state and graduated from Arkansas high schools, yet do not have legal status. Should those young people be turned over to federal authorities for deportation?

Smith said that issue was "really challenging and really difficult ... . We don't want to be heartless about this, but there is a process. Some of these children had no choice. They were brought along with their families. But they need to make a very quick move to get legal before someone or some law forces them out." (However, there is no way for such students to "get legal," since there exists no pathway to legal status for immigrants who are here illegally.)

Neither bill may gain any traction, since immigration sharply divides two key constituencies within the GOP — business interests and nativists — and the governor has expressed skepticism toward the measures. When asked about sanctuary legislation recently, Hutchinson said, "I believe in the fundamental principle of allowing local governments to work, and so I have a resistance to those types of mandates," although he said he had not read the specific bills.

Should the sanctuary bills gain ground, expect loud opposition to come from the Arkansas United Community Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates for immigrants. Mireya Reith, the AUCC's executive director, said the organization was "taking nothing for granted" and was watching the bills closely. (She also expressed concern about Smith's House Bill 1041, which could prevent the state from recognizing identification issued by foreign governments, such as the IDs provided by some consulates to their nationals.) "We think one of the strengths of Arkansas has always been for local communities and colleges to come to decisions that make sense for them," Reith said. "This would negate the ability of every community to consider all the options in terms of its relationship with newcomers to our state."

—Benjamin Hardy Health care

The fight over Medicaid expansion — a.k.a., the private option or Arkansas Works — has dominated the ledge since 2013, when Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe and a group of moderate Republicans created the program. Because the appropriation for the program must be re-authorized every year, the health spending showdown between the GOP's pragmatists (including Governor Hutchinson) and its hardline conservatives has become a perennial feature of every legislative session. This time around, though, the Obamacare appropriation debate may be circumscribed by drama in D.C.

Conventional wisdom says congressional Republicans and President-elect Trump are leaning toward a "repeal and delay" strategy to undo Obamacare: Defund it now and replace it later. This would mean the program as we know it would remain in place for at least another year or two. Meanwhile, Republicans will likely try to shift federal spending on traditional, pre-ACA Medicaid to block grants, meaning states will have greater freedom to spend health care money how they see fit (and will have less of it over time). All of that spells huge changes to health policy in Arkansas — at some point. Right now, all is uncertain, and Congress probably won't deliver clarity in time for the Arkansas legislature to act before the session's end.

House Speaker Jeremy Gillam (R-Judsonia) told reporters recently that it would be "prudent right now to have a little patience to see what's going to come out of Washington." Senate Majority Leader Jim Hendren (R-Gravette) predicted that "there will be perhaps some legislation" to make the existing Arkansas Works program more conservative, such as work requirements and an effort to lower the income cap for eligibility. As for long-term, systemic changes, though, "I think it's very likely that will be done at some future point in a special session," Hendren said.

The 300,000-plus Arkansans who now have insurance thanks to the Medicaid expansion — about a tenth of the state's population — probably won't lose their coverage right away. But if Republicans make good on the campaign promises of the past six years, they will in the future.

—Benjamin Hardy Food stamps and junk food

Conservatives typically oppose the nanny state, but some seem invested in creating additional layers of bureaucracy in the lives of poor people. Take Rep. Mary Bentley (R-Perryville). She's filed a bill to restrict Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to buy candy and soft drinks and other items deemed insufficiently nutritious. The state's Department of Human Services would be charged with determining what products qualify as having sufficient nutritional value based upon the standards for another food aid program, the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC). SNAP can be currently be used to buy any food item, with exceptions for alcohol and hot food or food that would be eaten in-store.  The state would have to acquire a waiver from the federal government to enact the strict limitations it envisions. Republicans in the West Virginia legislature unsuccessfully tried to pass a similar bill last year. 

Among other problems, strict limitations would be devastating to Arkansans living in so-called "food deserts." The bill would create a massive access problem in rural areas and low-income neighborhoods in Arkansas, where some food stamp beneficiaries might find themselves unable to use food stamps because of a lack of retailers offering eligible items.

—David Ramsey

The 91st Arkansas General Assembly: It's going to be a beast