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notforgottcn · 5 years ago

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⧼ sophia bush, cis female, she/her / when the bell tolls by anthony ramos + taking a leap even though you don’t know how far the fall is, hot coffee and ballet shoes, filling out late night paperwork because you don’t want to go home yet ⧽ ━━ let me tell you a thing or two about ADELLA ROBBINS. the THIRTY SIX year old daughter of BRUCE WAYNE is a POLICE OFFICER in town, and has sometimes been referred to as THE PHOENIX. they’ve always seemed very DRIVEN & PHILANTHROPIC, though i’ve heard that they can be pretty ALOOF & UNFORGIVING, too. it’s common knowledge that they have NO ABILITY ; guess we shouldn’t get on their bad side, huh?

tw: death,

BIOGRAPHY ::

you’re more alike to your birthmother than you will ever know, you have her smile, her walk. that’s what bruce would tell you if you were to ever ask him. you don’t. you feel enough of her ghost on your shoulders without having more information about her. you know a name that is all you want from the woman who left you first.

you are left on the steps to wayne manor. sometimes when you’re sad you like to picture what alfred’s face looked like when he found you out there in january cold. you stay with there for two months. there are photos of you with your siblings. dick kept one for years it would seem. still even here where you’re supposed to be safe, you only last for so long before you’re sent away again.

mr and mrs robbins gave you the best childhood that they could, and for awhile the pain of your origins are tucked away neatly in a draw that you don’t open very much. instead you excel at your education, throwing yourself into dance lessons enjoying the moments you could snag with your parents (they were busy people, you learnt very quickly not to hold it against them).

still things become harder as you get older, you’re the odd one out at that fancy school you attend. thought you’re not sure how they first found out. here is the first appearance of the fighter inside of you. it will be harder for you to ignore things now. your parents are called several times because you had lashed out at the people who had refused to leave you alone. you are told that were it not for your parents standing in the school community you would have likely been expelled. you are still incredibly proud of that black eye.

you take up martial arts as a compromise, with the understanding that you will behave in a manner more befitting your station in public. the fighting doesn’t really stop you just learn to mask your behaviour. a real sign that you are your fathers daughter.

at sixteen you’re sneaking into clubs making a name for yourself in the new york club scene. you only learn later that photos of you drunk and throwing up into a gutter are only going to undermine you later.

your parents passing in a mutant rights demonstration changes everything, throwing you into a world you’re not ready for. people want you to be an adult, but your nothing more than a child in your mother’s shoes. trying so hard but failing so fast. you easily see the bad sad of humanity, despite the fact that you come out relatively unscathed. it changes you, your angry and most importantly lonely. feelings that really wouldn’t go away.

the loneliness of being alone opens up things you had tidied away years ago. who were your birth parents? why did they give you up ? stupidly it would seem in hindsight you were trying to fill the space left by your parents with people you didn’t even know.

when the name on the test reads bruce wayne it stops everything. the first emotion you really remember is confusion. it was supposed to be someone you didn’t know, someone you could put behind you rather than someone who had been in the background for your entire life.

the first time you go to the mansion after the reveal you yell and scream as loud as your lungs could manage. how could he do this to you?? give you up to people who would manage to rip you apart. he hadn’t known, he couldn’t have, but you blame him for it anyway. him and them, the mutants that cause the accident, they’re the only ones you could, even as your brain tells you it’s stupid.

you remember telling him that you want nothing to do with him but even that doesn’t last too long. you move into the manor eventually, after digging your heels in and demanding to know everything. you find out about batman around the same time. the truth about your father, and as much as he knew about your mother.

that first year is hard, you are ripped from your life in new york and placed in a home that isn’t yours. the people in it are aching doing their best to heal from things that don’t involve you, and yet again you are unwanted by the majority a complication they don’t need.

still not everything in your life is bad, you are alive and for what it’s worth you have more family then you’ve ever had before. jason is the first to really make you feel at home. alfred assures you that the others will come around in time, you aren’t so sure.

taking up the cowl was technically dick’s idea, though you couldn’t become batgirl without permission from babs. just like everyone else in your family the bat becomes an outlet for your anger, a way to enact change and for a year you love it. you make the mantel your own and in some ways you’ve never felt more alive then you do in gotham at night.

just like everything else in life however it is possible to outgrow the hero antics and at nineteen you are more than ready to be something more than just batman’s sidekick. so you follow your heart and you leave. the next few years are a bit of lost time. you travel a lot (you parent’s money lets you) never really staying in one place for too long. still that doesn’t mean you don’t try for some form of stability. england is your favorite, grey skies and cups of tea, but somehow you always end up back in the states. especially after things there end badly. you get your heart broke and you can’t see the direction your pointing in anymore.

how predictable that you’d end up in new york again, some days feeling like you’d never even really left at all. still this time your not some wealthy girl. you’re enrolled in the police academy, you work your ass off and you’re on the streets by the time your twenty seven. it’s the perfect balance for you between the rush you used to get as batgirl but also working within the law. you can’t help but enjoy the fact you don’t need to cover your face.

still you’ve picked up a habit of moving on: new york, star city, gotham you’ve worked in each of them. paragon was an odder choice, after so long running from your family, your birth father’s legacy, but at the same time it feels like a good way of touching base for a while. besides, with everything that goes on in town, it’s probably a good idea to have a cop on hand who actually knows how the hero gig works.

FACTS ::

addy still dances but it’s more as a stress relief than anything close to professional.

her entire life goal (when it comes to the batkids) is to be considered the cool aunt though the extent to which that actually is questionable.

she has two cats toodles (x) and watson (x) and they’re her favorite thing in her whole world.

she functions entirely on caffeine, yes she knows it’s bad but it’s not a habit that she can see herself breaking.

a massive disney nerd!! she’s not sorry for it.

RELATIONSHIPS ::

family ;;

bruce wayne - father/ sperm donor. she doesn’t want this thanks.

alfred pennyworth - grandfather figure / secret keeper. they’re very close.

dick grayson - adopted brother / mentor. brings out the best in her.

jason todd - adopted brother / best friend. jason understands more than most.

tim drake - adopted brother / confidant. they go for coffee it’s cute.

cassandra cain - adopted sister / favorite batman. strong girls supporting strong girls

damian wayne - brother / terror. their dynamic is interesting at the best of times.

important ;;

adrian trevor - lost love / once in a lifetime. think luke and lorelai with extra angst.

friends ;;

andrea hill - close friend / ride or die. the person addy would call with a body.

ziva mizrahi - work friends / . someone addy trusts to have her back.

wanted connections ;;

travel buddies!! - anyone that she could have traveled with or met when travelling.

all the brotps: honestly give her friends.

anyone she could have interacted with as a cop good or bad.

league kids she’s keeping an eye on.

league kids her own age she likes to get a drink with.

any other kid she might feel protective of because lbr that’s all of them.

#sidekick.intro

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mydarlingklaus · 6 years ago

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Black Roses: Chapter 1

Hey guys!! So I’m back with a new story, didn’t take too long haha. I’m pretty excited for what this one has in store because it’s kinda different than my others stories but what I have planned already has me antsy to write the whole thing! This chapter is over 3000 words so it’s under the cut. The link to my ff account will be at the bottom so please, please leave a review! Reviews motivates writers to continue their craft and it’s really important. Thanks (:

"Okay, so I think I finally have the theme for the Homecoming dance, you're going to love it!" April Young clapped her hands together excitedly drawing attention to her poster board. "How about, A Night in Paris? It's simple, classy-"

"And incredibly overdone and basic." Caroline interrupted the girl's pitch with an annoyed huff.

In about a month the Whitmore Academy for the Supernaturally Gifted were putting on their annual homecoming dance.

The boarding school housed a variety of species of young supernatural students such as: vampires, witches, werewolves, sirens and banshees. Every year a different faction organized and hosted the dance, and the witches were in charge for this year. Caroline had been looking forward to planning this event since her first year. As not only the top student in her division but also most ambitious, naturally did she take the reigns as head of the committee. Everything had to be perfect, but she was still contemplating on the theme and her team was no help when they only had a month left.

April fidgeted with her fingers and gulped at Caroline's disapproval. "Umm, right. Uhh how about masquerade?"

"Pass." She quickly dismissed.

The other girl's mouth opened and closed, scared to say anything else that might cause her to be kicked off the committee or simply upset Caroline.

April gulped. "How about-"

"How about, we take a break and reconvene later?" Bonnie suggested much to both April and Caroline's relief.

Quickly nodding, April grabbed her purse off the table and rushed out the classroom without giving the flustered blonde another glance.

"You didn't have to be mean, Care. That girl literally worships the ground you walk on." Bonnie laughed turning towards her friend.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "She does not, and it wasn't intentional. All her ideas were just terrible."

"Then why did you ask for her input?"

She scoffed. "Because I thought I owed it to the rest of you to at least hear your suggestions considering how mad you were last time I planned something without you."

"Knowing you'd make the final decision anyways no matter what we say. Very considerate." Bonnie sarcastically said.

Touché.

Caroline never denied she was a control freak; a firm believer in doing things on her own if she wanted it to be perfect.

The blonde sighed standing from her chair. "I'm sorry Bonnie. I just have a lot to get done and one less thing on my to-do list would be great."

Her friend sighed sympathetically and reached out to bring Caroline in for a hug. A much needed one.

"You're gonna get it all done. If anyone is capable of having a whole plate of tasks and ridding all of them in a blink, it's Caroline Forbes." Bonnie praised with a comforting smile as she pulled away.

Caroline struggled to return the expression.

Maybe she was a bit over ambitious this school year. She had tons of extracurricular activities as well as a heavy class schedule with even more difficult spells to learn. But Caroline was determined to make her last year the best, even if that meant she stressed herself out till the end.

Weakly smiling back at her friend, Caroline swung her bag over her shoulder. "Bonnie Bennett, my favorite motivator. I wish there was a spell that could get all my tasks completed for me."

"Don't we all." She smirked.

"Let's go the cafeteria before the lunch hour is over. I'm in need of a brownie fix before practice." Caroline practically begged heating her stomach grumble in hunger.

"Hey heads up!"

Caroline turned hearing Tyler's voice and her face nearly colliding with the football he threw across the room. Muttering a deflation spell under her breath caused the ball and Tyler's smile to fall.

It landed flatly in front of the table she occupied.

"Seriously!" Caroline snapped.

Tyler laughed. "Sorry. I swear I was aiming towards Jeremy." He guiltily claimed nodding towards his friend.

"How about you not throw a football in a cafeteria at all, ever think about that?" She hissed, turning back into her seat and ignoring the eyes focused on the scene she created.

The raven haired boy raised a brow sitting beside her on the lunch bench and scooted closer so his lips hovered her ear.

"I'm sorry babe, okay?" He muttered into her ear and leaving a swift kiss on her cheek that effectively changed her mood.

Lunch hour was always the most chaotic time of the day but oddly organized.

Each clique of supernatural creatures sat with their own, very rarely interacting with the other species. Though all the students took a few general courses together and extracurricular activities, one would think they were all complete strangers. It was common knowledge to sit with your own, no one ever questioned it.

Caroline however made exceptions. Given that she was dating Tyler Lockwood, the alpha of a wolf pack, so maybe she wasn't completely prejudice.

There was only one group that she had zero tolerance for and despised from the rest; vampires.

Since childhood Caroline was taught that vampires were the root of evil, especially towards witches. They not only made it a sport to kill her kind but also manipulated and stole from them for centuries. Witches were seen as disposable to them. They were too trusting in the past, not realizing the demons that lured them into their demise. Every witch was raised the same and followed the same beliefs.

Vampires were hated by most of the factions, but the main war was between the them and witches. It irked Caroline that she had to share a space of education with them. Forced to attend classes together and other school events. She never interacted much with the group, just knew of a few by reputation alone. Most notoriously the Mikaelson family; specifically Klaus Mikaelson who was her same grade level. Leader of the vampire faction and Caroline's enemy since freshman year, who she currently caught glaring intensely at her from across the cafeteria.

Klaus Mikaelson.

His name alone said it all. The Mikaelson Family held a legacy at Whitmore academy, all the children attended the school except the youngest son. No one denied how incredibly gorgeous and wealthy the entire family was, but they also possessed a sinister reputation. Currently two out of Klaus's seven siblings also attended the school but in different grade levels.

- As if this place needs more than one Mikaelson.

Klaus's parents were one of the school's biggest donors. They funded the brand new track/football field as well as the library. But not all their generous donations came from the warmness of their hearts. Mainly to keep Klaus from being kicked out of school due to his weekly visits to the headmistress' office for, sneaking off campus, feeding on other students and god knows why else.

Caroline had known him since she was 15, he was already a vampire by then. She never asked when he turned or how old he was, didn't see the point and they already hated each other from that first orientation. They not only ran with different crowds but Klaus was simply bad news, and most importantly a vampire. Causing havoc and mischief throughout the school, probably killing in his free time and purposely trying to get a rise out of her whenever he could. Caroline wanted no part in it.

Swirling a pencil between his finger and thumb, his vibrant blue eyes never left the back of her head. Caroline quickly looked away, Tyler was talking but she barely payed attention. Heart racing and head clouded in confusion. She tried to act like she didn't sense his heavy stare but it was like a magnetic pull calling for her to look over at him again.

She did.

Caroline slightly turned her head and was hit with the familiar heat.

The moment their blue eyes met fire ignited. From the tips of her toes to fingers Caroline felt the fiery intensity from his stare wash over her violently. His glare never faltered even as the redhead girl beside him scooted closer till underneath his arm.

Klaus's fingers lazily drummed up and down the her bare arm as she whispered in his ear but he never faced her, still keeping his focus on the blonde witch across the way. His squint deepened and head tilted, like he was studying her.

Caroline swallowed.

An uneasy vibe filled rushed over, chill raced up her spine at his intense gaze.

It felt like they were the only two in the room.

Caroline gulped pressing her lips into a line and brushing him off. She turned to Tyler with a grin.

"It's okay. Sorry, you're not doing anything wrong. I've just been really stressed lately, I'm taking it out on everyone." She pouted.

"You okay?" He asked.

She nodded with a smile. "There's just a lot to do in so little time but I'll get it done, I always do."

Tyler pecked her on the lips. "That's my girl. Come on, I'll walk you to practice."

"Such a gentleman, as if we both don't have practice at the same time in the same location." Caroline pointed out jokingly swinging her legs over the bench to stand up.

"Don't ruin it. I'm trying to be romantic." Tyler claimed with a wink.

Caroline giggled as he helped her out her seat and grabbed her books.

Waving goodbye to Bonnie and the rest of her coven, she interlocked fingers with Tyler's as she followed him towards the exit. For some reason she felt like all eyes were on her, failing to brush off the shivers from earlier.

Against her better judgment, Caroline couldn't resist sneaking a glance at the vampire's table and bewildered when Klaus Mikaelson was no longer in sight.

"5, 6, 7, 8...and 1!" Caroline snapped her fingers to each dance count her fellow cheerleaders were performing in front of her.

On top of all her other responsibilities Caroline also lead the school's cheer team for the past two years. She never had much of a chance to rest, constantly keeping herself busy. The first football game of the semester was approaching and she was determined to get her girls in good shape before then.

A bigger challenge than it should be.

She frustratedly groaned watching a few of the girls miss several counts in the routine. Rubbing her forehead as if conforming the migraine she was sure to feel soon. Not being able to handle it anymore she abruptly ordered them all to stop.

"Just stop!" Caroline let out a heavy sigh and clasping her hands together.

All the girls haulted, half out of breath and exhausted.

"Elena, sweetie can you move to the back." She instructed.

The brunette witch scoffed. "Really Care?"

"It's nothing personal but you're literally missing every count, a lot of you are!" She glared as she paced. "Our first game is in a week, a week! and we're nowhere near prepared."

"Well maybe some would be more focused if Dana wasn't ogling the enemy." Bonnie commented, raising an eyebrow towards the bleachers.

Caroline creased her forehead in confusion until she looked for herself; her blood immediately coming to a boil when she saw him.

Damn you Mikaelson.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning back towards her squad and flashing her signature smile.

"I'll be right back. Go over the routine again until you get it right, oh and Dana," Calling out the distracted girl. "Interrupt our practice with your googly eyes again, and consider your spot on the team revoked." Her smile as fake as her calmness.

Dana gulped and nodded in response before Caroline walked across the field towards the bleachers, towards him.

Her long legs illustrating determined strides and fueled by annoyance. For some reason she caught herself indirectly interacting with him more than usual. They rarely spoke to each other for the past four years and now she was seeing him more than once a day outside of classes.

It was ticking her off.

Finally landing at the bottom of the bleachers with hands on her hips and a crooked brow, Caroline tapped her foot on the turf impatiently.

Offended was an understatement as Klaus was still focused on whatever he was drawing in his sketchbook, not acknowledging the blonde's presence in front of him.

There was no way he didn't sense her standing there. Getting under her skin was his sport.

She dramatically coughed. "Excuse you?"

Caroline stood her ground as Klaus's head shot up and eyes finally met hers. He looked at her blankly and the corners of his mouth twitched as if he wanted to smile.

A familiar chill crept upon her as their mutual gaze held strong even when Klaus shifted in his seat. She ignored the way he slowly eyed her from her tank top down to her practice shorts and bare legs, then back up to her face. Caroline felt violated but said nothing. She refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

He was obviously challenging her, he tend to do that a lot during their rare moments. His baby blues appeared innocent but reeked of sin. Piercing into hers effortlessly, pulling her in like a trance. Caroline would never admit how much it intimidated her.

After what felt like an eternity, Klaus spoke. "Sorry love, I didn't see you."

She huffed. "Yeah sure. I know your eyes work since they were practically burning a hole through my head earlier."

"So you did notice?" He teased raising a brow.

Caroline rolled her eyes.

His smallest remarks made her want to gauge his eyes out.

God she hated him.

Caroline groaned. "What are you doing here?"

He forehead creased in confusion. "Not sure what you mean, love."

"Don't call me that." She spat causing him to stop drawing. "I mean what are you doing here, on the bleachers? This is a closed practice."

Klaus cocked his head to the side. "Yet you're outside, on a public field..."

"We reserve this area for the same two hours, three times a week. Nothing's changed. That's been the schedule for the past four years."

"Oh I'm sorry. I never cared enough to memorize your schedule, princess." He placed his hand over his heart in fake sympathy. "Contrary to your belief the world doesn't revolve around Caroline Forbes and this field doesn't belong to you either."

"Listen-"

She stopped herself mid sentence, stepping to the side when a few of the werewolf track stars made their rounds on the field passing them by. Flashing them an awkward smile Caroline stared into the distance, away from him tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She pretended to stretch by lifting one leg onto the railing and gracefully bowing her head till her forehead touched the knee. Quirking her head to the side, she lifted her upper body and the leg stretched atop the railing fell with ease when the runners were finally gone and she faced the vampire again.

Last thing Caroline wanted were rumors to circulate about her being associated with Klaus Mikaelson in any way.

Klaus observed the awkward moment and her foot reading the ground again, shaking his head with a soft laugh.

"You're quite flexible." He commented.

An unwanted blush roused her cheeks briefly. "Shut up." Caroline barked.

"What's the matter? Scared people might see you fraternizing with the big bad vampire?" Klaus accused.

Caroline scoffed. "Please, we are not fraternizing. I'm telling you to leave because this already stressful practice would be a lot more tolerable without you present."

He grinned. "Not that I owe you an explanation but I'm just here waiting for my sister Rebekah, who for some reason takes pride in being part of a team that doesn't trust or like her." He added.

Caroline recalled when the younger Mikaelson auditioned for the team over the Summer, and given the school's rules of no discrimination amongst species, she had no choice but to accept her.

A rule she wasn't ecstatic about.

"Trust me, if it were up to me vampires wouldn't be allowed on the cheer team at all." Caroline countered.

"And you're supposed to be the good guy in every scenario, right?" Klaus muttered looking back down at his sketchbook.

Caroline was taken aback, and even second guessed her comment.

- No, no he will not turn this on me!

Closing her eyes and taking a slow deep breath, she responded. "Look, I'm kindly asking you to please leave. I don't need you distracting my girls more than you already have."

Klaus stared up at the off beat squad who were more focused on the two conversing than perfecting their routine.

They all fell back into formation when Caroline whipped her head to the side to see what Klaus was laughing about.

She winced watching them dance.

Embarrassment wasn't a strong enough word.

His soft laughter ceased but smirk remained. "As much as I'd love to take the credit, I don't think your girls' lack of rhythm has anything to do with me. But I'm nonetheless flattered." He smiled. "They take after their captain, I presume."

"Klaus go, or I'll make you go." She threatened.

The amused vampire squinted and closed his sketchbook but stayed seated. His stare puzzled and expression curious. Klaus wasn't fearful of her threat but more intrigued, she always intrigued him.

Placing the book to the side and leaning forward, Klaus interlocked his fingers and challenged her once again to a staring competition.

Caroline gasped when Klaus was suddenly in her face, their noses almost touching. The only thing separating them was the metal railing she didn't realize she was gripping onto. She fought off the urge to thoroughly observe his full raspberry colored lips, dark blonde curls resting on his neck, multiple necklaces dangling on his chest and the scruff occupying his facial hair area. Dressed in a grey Henley, black jeans and black boots. Simple yet effective.

His usual baby blues now a wild gold that sunk her in his pool of temptation.

The black veins underneath his eyes spiraled near his cheekbones beautifully. His fangs hung outside his lips and tip of his tongue teased the sharp edge when he faintly smiled.

- Okay, I never said he was hideous.

She hated falling into his games but it was hard to resist. There was an undeniable allure that he naturally possessed, that caught systems off guard, including Caroline's. All vampires were gifted with the spell, if you could even call it a gift. She would never give him the satisfaction that he was in anyway superior to her, even if that meant petty disputes.

Klaus tilted his head. "Is that so, love?" He provoked softly.

Caroline's mouth agape as his glare hardened, she couldn't predict what his next move would be. Blinking out of the haze, she took a step back from the railing. Intensely keeping her focus on the vampire, she muttered a spell under her breath instantly bringing Klaus to his knees. The veins on his temples now visible.

His vampire features retracted as he winced in agony, eyes shut tight and pressing his hands against both sides of his head to suppress the pain. The closer Caroline got the more pain she inflicted. She inflicted the pain with her mind alone.

It was a little trick witches had been using on vampires for centuries. Equivalent to a human's aneurysm but twice as painful. Both felt a bit nostalgic considering this exact scenario playing out during their first meeting freshman year.

A football coach blowing his whistle snapped Caroline out of her fun and relieving Klaus of his torment.

She ignored the questioning expression Tyler showed from across the field.

"Well, nice to know you still like playing dirty." Klaus breathlessly laughed standing up my straight.

A cheeky asshole till the end. Fighting the urge to entertain him with a reply was more difficult than she thought.

"Leave." Caroline demanded pointing her finger towards the exit gate.

His chuckle came out more breathless than intended, almost in hysteria. She didn't realize how much her wannabe alpha female tactics amused him, especially when she thought she was winning.

Putting his hands up in surrender his laughing ceased.

"All right. I could easily retaliate and rip out your throat with my teeth but I'm a man who chooses his battles wisely so I'll go, this time." Klaus conceded, bending over to grab his book and bag.

"Good." Caroline quickly replied brushing off the threat.

She slightly stiffened when Klaus exited the bleachers. He towered over her, throwing his backpack over his shoulder without breaking eye contact.

- What is up with him and staring?

Despite her irritation Caroline entertained each of his stare downs willingly. Hands still on her hips as he stood directly in front of her.

Klaus took note of her chest rising and falling, hearing the hitch in her breath she tried to disguise as a cough. He followed her bottom lip twisting between her teeth, her blonde tresses knotted in a ponytail. Looking up to her eyes again, Klaus's lips twisted into a smirk.

"I guess I'll be seeing you, love." He declared then began walking away.

Caroline pressed her lips together watching him exit the field. She didn't want to look away until she knew he was gone for good. He was taking his precious time, small graceful steps like he knew she was watching. The other cheerleaders observed her observing him but Caroline didn't even notice.

What was it about him that gave her the shivers and irritated her soul? No one and that affect on her besides the arrogant vampire who snuck under her skin. Even when she swore to never fall into his traps she did, every time.

Staring away for one second and in a blink, Klaus was gone.

The witch was perplexed.

- How did he always manage to do that?

She released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Ultimately she chose to ignore her curiosity, and refuse to ponder any further thoughts about Klaus Mikaelson. There was so much on her to-do list and no room for distractions.

Bonnie yelling her name brought Caroline back to reality. The blonde swiftly looking behind her at her team who were still was struggling with a simple dance routine.

This was going to be a long day.

PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! Link to my account is here! It’s much appreciated! Hope you enjoyed Chapter 1 (:

#klaroline #klaroline fanfiction #klaroline shippers club #klaroline drabbles #my writing #klaroline smut

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samuelfields · 6 years ago

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Democratic Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Gives Rich Private School Graduates Hope

One of my biggest worries as a parent is whether I’ll mess up my son’s life by sending him to private school instead of public school. I’m fortunate enough to have a choice. But sometimes, more choices mean more headaches and possible wrong decisions.

I went to an international private middle school when my parents were stationed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as US foreign service officers. The cultural experience was amazing.

But I was also surrounded by a lot of extremely wealthy kids who had drivers and mansions in the hills. There was a innate aura of privilege that I was apart of which made me lazy.

My friends had parents who either owned successful businesses or held high paying jobs. Many of my friends didn’t study very hard because they knew that through their parents’ connections, they would get choice jobs after graduation. That, or they’d simply get a job at their parents’ company and eventually take over the business.

After four years in Malaysia, I came to the US for high school and attended a public school. Public school is where I learned to become more independent and how to deal with many of life’s realities.

In the US, some of my high school friends lived in government housing. I had to fight back against bullies and find ways out of hairy situations more times than I can count.

In high school, I got suspended a couple times for fighting back. Some of the kids I hung out with smoked, drank, and shoplifted. I sometimes did the same.

The cast of characters was much more diverse in public school than in private school. But they were a closer reflection of society once I graduated.

I’d like to think that attending public school is what made me into a gritty person who never backs down from conflict. I want to believe coming from an underdog status helped me fight harder to achieve financial independence.

After college, I always used to carry a chip on my shoulder that motivated me to work harder in banking because I had attended a public university instead of an elite target private institution like many of my colleagues.

Without a financial safety net, for me, it was either drown or swim across the ocean to the promised land.

Democratic Socialist AOC Gives Private School Alumni Hope

After seeing some amazing private grade schools in Honolulu and in the SF Bay Area, I want to send my boy to one of these schools if he feels comfortable. All these schools have wonderful teachers, reputations, and campuses.

Further, these schools have a zero tolerance for bullying. Gosh I can’t stand bullies and the parents who allow their children to bully.

But I’m conflicted because I fear that by going to private school, he’ll come to believe the private school environment is a true reflection of the real world. With its massive skew towards wealthy families, clearly, the private school demographic is not.

Further, there seems to be a growing distaste for rich and powerful people in America. Hence, the importance of practicing Stealth Wealth.

Is it appropriate for a parent to take away the development of grit and hunger? Providing a completely sheltered environment feels wrong.

The conflict within me became almost unbearable until I witnessed the rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist Congresswoman of New York’s 14th District.

Say what you will about AOC’s policies, she is an incredible success story as the youngest person to win a congressional seat. I know some 28-29 year olds still living at home with the parents trying to figure life out.

As I learned more about her, I discovered that she attended one of the most expensive private universities in America: Boston University. Check out the latest tuition below.

Boston University costs roughly $70,000 a year to attend + other related expenses equaling another $7,000. One must make roughly $100,000 in gross income a year just to pay for one year at Boston University.

For comparison, Harvard University tuition is approximately $45,000 a year, or $7,800 cheaper than Boston University’s tuition.

Very few can comfortably afford such tuition. Even if you have loans and grants, deciding to attend Boston University over higher-ranked Harvard, MIT, or Boston College must mean something.

Most people would rather attend Harvard University for $7,800 less than Boston University. But of course, only students of legacy donors have a 70%+ chance of getting into Harvard. Students with no wealth or connections only have roughly a 5.9% chance of getting in.

So I got to thinking, despite going to one of the most expensive universities in the country that’s ranked #42 in US News & World Report, AOC has been able to position herself as a woman of the people.

Not only have the working-class people of New York’s 14th district embraced AOC, so has the social media world. AOC is the #2 most popular politician on Twitter after Donald Trump.

Therefore, AOC’s example proves that just because you went to an expensive private university, it doesn’t mean you are destined to become the stereotypical spoiled rich kid. Nor does it doom you to end up lazy and unmotivated.

Reputation Management Strategies For Private School Alum

If you are going to spend a fortune on sending your kid to private grade school and/or university or if you are a private school alumni, here are some strategies that may allow you or your kid to thrive like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Embrace your privilege. The best way to defuse other people’s bitterness towards you is to come straight out and recognize your privilege. Acknowledge full-on that you were smart and/or wealthy enough to attend private school. As soon as you point out all your advantages, you’ve taken away their thunder.

Every time someone attributes any success I have to luck rather than hard work or risk-taking, I agree with them that most of my success is luck. I then take it a step further and describe how fortunate I am to live in America as an Asian person. After all, the overrepresentation of Asians at America’s top universities must mean that Asians must be extremely lucky in academics.

Because I’m Asian, I’m blessed with nonstop creativity. Further, being Asian gives me incredible endurance. If I wasn’t Asian, I’m not sure I’d be able to publish 3X a week for 10 years on Financial Samurai.

Given only 5.6% of the American population gets to be Asian, I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of this select group.

Take on student loans and work a minimum wage job. Whether you need to take on student loans or not, it’s best to take on some student loans so you can blend in with the millions of graduates who do have student loans.

Student loans are a big problem in America. The $1 trillion+ amount in student loans has now surpassed the amount of revolving credit card debt, the most insidious debt of them all. Even filing for bankruptcy does not absolve you from repaying your student loan.

Student loans have delayed millions of young adults from launching. They’re forced to live at home with their parents, take suboptimal jobs, delay buying a house, and delay starting a family.

The median age for starting a family has gotten older, but biology has not adjusted. As a result, many more couples are finding themselves seeing infertility doctors, trying IUI and expensive IVF treatments, and going through countless cycles of hope and heartache.

Meanwhile, it’s imperative you spend a respectable amount of time working a minimum wage or close to minimum wage service job. By working as a barista, burger flipper, dish washer, driver, bartender, waiter, furniture assembler, gardener etc, you adhere yourself to the common person.

Nobody will be able to say you don’t know what it’s like to get yelled at while making next to nothing. Instead, you will feel the pride of busting your butt for a living. You will learn humility and never take any progress for granted.

Make no mistake about it. The skyrocketing cost of higher education is hurting the American dream. If you are privileged enough to attend and afford a private school education, it is imperative you do not stick out and blend in.

Do something more for society. One of the saddest things about being rich and smart is that so many rich and smart people end up working at jobs purely for the high pay and prestige. Then they end up depressed and miserable.

Going to work at a tech company to optimize ad tracking seems like such a waste. Creating pitch books at an investment bank to win teenager-targeted tobacco alternative maker Juul’s business can’t feel very good.

Of course, if you don’t come from a wealthy family, by all means, get the highest paying job you can find to get your financials in order. But if you’re already rich, then come on now.

Imagine a world where all rich and smart private school kids became teachers, social workers, scientists, doctors or politicians like AOC who wants to help the people who’ve been left behind in this competitive world? That would be pretty amazing.

We don’t need more billionaires who hoard more than they could ever spend in a lifetime while residents in their city are starving.

Here in San Francisco, we’ve got 74 billionaires, yet we still have a tremendous homeless problem. What is going on?

Private School Kids Will Be Fine

If you went to private school or plan to send your kids to private school, I wouldn’t worry too much about future backlash as AOC’s case demonstrates.

All of our major politicians went to private school, yet millions of working-class people still voted them into office and adore them.

If you can afford to pay private school tuition for your child, go for it. I don’t think you’ll ever regret spending money on trying to help your child’s future.

I want to thank AOC and the American people for shedding light on a very big blind spot of mine.

No longer do I feel guilty about sending my son to private school. The world is full of love for all people, no matter their socioeconomic background.

The Evolution Of AOC’s Net Worth

Would You Accept $1,000,000 To Go To Public School Over Private School?

Readers, are you impressed with AOC’s ability to position herself as a Democratic Socialist after attending Boston University? If you went to an expensive private school or come from a wealthy family, what are some strategies for making yourself be a man or woman of the people? Did you also just realize that nobody really cares if you went to an expensive private school?

The post Democratic Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Gives Rich Private School Graduates Hope appeared first on Financial Samurai.

from Finance https://www.financialsamurai.com/democratic-socialist-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-gives-rich-private-school-graduates-hope-and-pride/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

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ronaldmrashid · 6 years ago

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Democratic Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Gives Rich Private School Graduates Hope

I went to an international private middle school when my parents were stationed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as US foreign service officers. The cultural experience was amazing.

But I was also surrounded by a lot of extremely wealthy kids who had drivers and mansions in the hills. There was a innate aura of privilege that I was apart of which made me lazy.

In the US, some of my high school friends lived in government housing. I had to fight back against bullies and find ways out of hairy situations more times than I can count.

In high school, I got suspended a couple times for fighting back. Some of the kids I hung out with smoked, drank, and shoplifted. I sometimes did the same.

The cast of characters was much more diverse in public school than in private school. But they were a closer reflection of society once I graduated.

Without a financial safety net, for me, it was either drown or swim across the ocean to the promised land.

Democratic Socialist AOC Gives Private School Alumni Hope

Further, these schools have a zero tolerance for bullying. Gosh I can’t stand bullies and the parents who allow their children to bully.

Further, there seems to be a growing distaste for rich and powerful people in America. Hence, the importance of practicing Stealth Wealth.

Is it appropriate for a parent to take away the development of grit and hunger? Providing a completely sheltered environment feels wrong.

The conflict within me became almost unbearable until I witnessed the rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist Congresswoman of New York’s 14th District.

As I learned more about her, I discovered that she attended one of the most expensive private universities in America: Boston University. Check out the latest tuition below.

For comparison, Harvard University tuition is approximately $45,000 a year, or $7,800 cheaper than Boston University’s tuition.

Very few can comfortably afford such tuition. Even if you have loans and grants, deciding to attend Boston University over higher-ranked Harvard, MIT, or Boston College must mean something.

Not only have the working-class people of New York’s 14th district embraced AOC, so has the social media world. AOC is the #2 most popular politician on Twitter after Donald Trump.

Reputation Management Strategies For Private School Alum

Given only 5.6% of the American population gets to be Asian, I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of this select group.

Student loans have delayed millions of young adults from launching. They’re forced to live at home with their parents, take suboptimal jobs, delay buying a house, and delay starting a family.

Of course, if you don’t come from a wealthy family, by all means, get the highest paying job you can find to get your financials in order. But if you’re already rich, then come on now.

We don’t need more billionaires who hoard more than they could ever spend in a lifetime while residents in their city are starving.

Here in San Francisco, we’ve got 74 billionaires, yet we still have a tremendous homeless problem. What is going on?

Private School Kids Will Be Fine

If you went to private school or plan to send your kids to private school, I wouldn’t worry too much about future backlash as AOC’s case demonstrates.

All of our major politicians went to private school, yet millions of working-class people still voted them into office and adore them.

If you can afford to pay private school tuition for your child, go for it. I don’t think you’ll ever regret spending money on trying to help your child’s future.

I want to thank AOC and the American people for shedding light on a very big blind spot of mine.

No longer do I feel guilty about sending my son to private school. The world is full of love for all people, no matter their socioeconomic background.

The Evolution Of AOC’s Net Worth

Would You Accept $1,000,000 To Go To Public School Over Private School?

The post Democratic Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Gives Rich Private School Graduates Hope appeared first on Financial Samurai.

from https://www.financialsamurai.com/democratic-socialist-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-gives-rich-private-school-graduates-hope-and-pride/

#Financial Samurai

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deniscollins · 6 years ago

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Harvard’s Admissions Process, Once Secret, Is Unveiled in Affirmative Action Trial

Harvard University is among the most selective colleges in the world, with nearly 43,000 applicants applying to be in the Class of 2022 and just 2,024 were accepted. Harvard uses a scale of 1 (top of the heap) to 6 (no chance) to measure the many aspects of a student’s profile. If you were Director of Admissions, what factors would you consider in determining which 2,024 students you would select out of the 43,000 applicants? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

The deliberations that take place inside 86 Brattle Street, a red brick building where Harvard University’s admissions committee convenes, have very much stayed inside 86 Brattle Street.

Until now.

A federal trial that began this week accusing Harvard of stacking the deck against Asian-American applicants is providing a rare glimpse into the secretive selection process at one of the country’s most elite universities. It is as if those sitting on the wood benches before Judge Allison D. Burroughs of Federal District Court in Boston have been invited inside the inner sanctum of the Harvard Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.

There is the longtime dean of admissions, William Fitzsimmons (Harvard Class of 1967), on the stand, grilled on whether rural students receive a leg up over urban students. They do.

There on a big screen are his emails with the university’s fund-raisers, suggesting special consideration for the offspring of big donors, those who have “already committed to a building” or have “an art collection which could conceivably come our way.”

Grades, test scores, intended major, personality ratings, ethnicity — all the various factors that can help turn an anonymous high school student into a Harvard man or Harvard woman are being dissected for all to see.

Actual student files have been introduced into evidence, with Thang Q. Diep’s family history being pored over alongside Sally Chen’s test scores.

Court documents and trial testimony have introduced Harvard admissions jargon: “tips” are bumps given to applicants, the “dean’s interest list” is a compendium of applicants with clout, and the “Z-list” is a sort of back door into the college for students who are borderline academically. For everyone, the odds are long, as nearly 43,000 applicants sought spots in the Class of 2022 and just 2,024 received letters prompting high-fives and teary phone calls.

Although many selective colleges are known to engage in the same admissions tactics, Harvard’s lawyers lamented in pretrial papers that being forced to produce application materials would be like divulging trade secrets, and would allow students and college counselors to game the process, which is in full swing right now. The judge even likened Harvard’s formula to the recipe for Coke.

In the end, however, Harvard’s lead counsel, Bill Lee (Harvard Class of 1972), said this week that it had been necessary to spill some secrets.

“I’ve definitely not revealed the secret of Coke,” said Mr. Lee, who represented Apple in a patent suit against Samsung — another trial that exposed closely guarded secrets. But, he acknowledged, “you’re learning a lot about the admissions process that never would have been public otherwise. We want you to know. Once you understand it, you can understand how decisions are made.”

Some, but not all, of the secrets have buttressed Harvard’s elite reputation.

It casts a wide net for students, aggressively recruiting those in “sparse country,” predominantly rural areas that yield few applications. It considers a dizzying array of factors, from SAT scores (the higher the better) to athletic ability (recruited athletes receive a big advantage) to interviews (be “effervescent,” “fun,” but “mature”) and more. A lack of deep pockets won’t hinder a hopeful and might even help one’s chances, testimony showed.

But there were other disclosures suggesting that admissions decisions are somewhat arbitrary.

There is the special list for those whom the admissions dean has taken an interest in, some of whom are the relatives of wealthy donors. There is the vague “personal” rating, which can lift or hurt an applicant’s chances based on an assessment of character traits and background, from “outstanding” to “bland or somewhat negative or immature” to “questionable personal qualities.” And the trial this week has raised questions about whether unconscious bias affects the process, either on the part of admissions officials or the teachers and counselors who write letters on applicants’ behalf.

More important than numerical ratings — Harvard uses a scale of 1 (top of the heap) to 6 (no chance) to measure the many aspects of a student’s profile — is “the description and the complexity of the description” provided by those assessing the applicant, Mr. Fitzsimmons said this week in testimony.

A rare look inside a student’s admissions file this week has shined a light on what that means. Harvard referred the court to Thang Q. Diep (Harvard Class of 2019), who had only middling test scores but was admitted to the college by showing a strong work ethic and “infectiously happy personality,” as his admissions file says. Mr. Diep, who was born in Vietnam, submitted part of his file in court to help Harvard fight charges of discrimination.

“Here’s a person who until the fourth grade was in another country and English was not his first language,” Mr. Fitzsimmons said.

Mr. Fitzsimmons quoted an admissions interviewer as saying that what was most striking about Mr. Diep was “his fun, casual nature, but impressive, understated maturity.”

Mr. Diep’s admissions file noted he would be a likely candidate for the Harvard Financial Aid Initiative, which offers full rides to low-income families. In summing up Mr. Diep’s personal essay, one reviewer highlighted his “immigrant Vietnamese identity” and that Mr. Diep was “grappling with sexual identity.” The reviewer mentioned a “filmmaking summit” as an extracurricular activity of note.

Other admissions files have offered insights into how reviewers distill personal traits from the accomplishments and activities listed. Erica Bever, an admissions officer, testified Friday morning about a student whose application she had reviewed, Sally Chen. She went to a highly competitive high school, but her scores were “a little bit lower than many of her peers,” Ms. Bever said.

Her father was a chef, her mother a homemaker, which Ms. Bever said made her consider whether this applicant had had the same opportunities as some others. She played first violin in an orchestra and was student association president, both characteristics that Ms. Bever said showed leadership. She was doing research, mentoring and web design.

But what particularly moved Ms. Bever were the teacher and guidance counselor ratings, she said, one of which said that Ms. Chen was “a well spoken, ambitious and humorous person.”

Ms. Chen was admitted to the Class of 2019, and is now on the witness list for this trial.

“We have to reject students who are exceptional,” Ms. Bever testified. “But we make choices.”

The group suing Harvard, Students for Fair Admissions, has also used application files as evidence, but points to what it says are patterns of stereotypical descriptions for Asian-Americans that bring down their personal ratings.

Harvard also looks at factors like parental occupation, which Mr. Fitzsimmons said offer clues about financial hardship, and intended major, to avoid having too many students with the same educational interests.

For instance, he said this week, there had been huge increases in would-be engineers and computer scientists, but Harvard had to be wary of admitting too many, because “a whole bunch” of them “will end up happily ever after at M.I.T. or Caltech.”

“One thing we always want is humanists,” Mr. Fitzsimmons said, adding that there were “fewer and fewer” of them.

An applicant might also be given credit for babysitting siblings, he added, “which I did myself.”

College-prep professionals and guidance counselors around the world are following the case, a veritable gold mine of insider information.

Belinda Wilkerson is a private admissions counselor in Fayetteville, N.C. She said that when working with Asian clients, she discusses with them a “perception” that there are too many qualified, and similar, Asian applicants — an issue at the core of the Harvard case. She encourages students to cast a wide net to avoid “getting so focused on a select few schools,” she said.

Harvard has testified that race, when considered in admissions, can only help, not hurt, a student’s chances of getting in.

Mr. Fitzsimmons said this week that one factor that could explain why Asian-American applicants get lower personal ratings may be the content of teacher and guidance counselor recommendations.

Mark Sklarow, the chief executive of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, which represents private admissions counselors, said many guidance counselors are simply unable to get to know students in depth, and could very well introduce stereotypes. Indeed, one industry report found that in 2015, the typical counselor advised nearly 500 students.

“If a school counselor is spending eight minutes per year with a student, it’s so much easier for those biases to play in, because you don’t know that individual very well,” Mr. Sklarow said.

Mr. Fitzsimmons and other admissions officers testified that reviewers receive extensive training when they begin working for Harvard. But under questioning by the plaintiffs, they said that they did not receive written instructions on how to consider race.

Judge Burroughs seemed to be looking for evidence of unconscious bias. “Are there times when you don’t realize that you’re tipping for something,” she asked Ms. Bever on Friday, “and you go to the data and you realize that there really is a tip that you didn’t intend or know about?”

“No, never,” Ms. Bever said.

Mr. Fitzsimmons emphasized that any advantage given to a candidate for their background would not outweigh all other application factors. “The committee never gives enough of a tip to admit an average candidate at the expense of a first-rate one,” he said.

One important aspect of a diverse class, he said, is that students learn from one another.

That is especially important today, he said, “in a country that is so segregated economically and, in some ways, with our social classes coming further apart.”

#Harvard University #Affirmative Action

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apsbicepstraining · 7 years ago

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8 Famed Parties That History Got Almost Exactly Wrong

Look, it’s not our operation here to prove that record is bullshit. It’s precisely that what the hell are you memorize in institution tends to be boiled down to a few highlights that can be plowed through in one period, and what you read in movies is the product of some screenwriter pounding it out over a coke-fueled weekend. We change real human being into heroes, rogues, and crude stereotypes.

The truth is more complex, as proven by the fact that …

# 8. Mother Teresa Accepted Money From Criminals And Deliberately Neglected Patients

Is there anyone whose honour is more bulletproof than Mother Teresa? The Catholic nun dedicated their own lives to helping the impoverished in India, and her run not only prevailed her the Nobel Peace Prize but made her the fast track to legitimate sainthood. But some people have come out of the woodwork to question Teresa’s integrity, including atheist pot-stirrer Christopher Hitchens, who released a documentary about her provocatively entitled Hell’s Angel .

For those not very well known Hitchens, he’s that person you always find vaguely like an asshole for come to terms with .

Among the charges against Mother Teresa are that the conditions in her hospital were actually downright appalling, with some medical professionals likening it to a concentration camp. Since then former members of the religious order she founded have come forward to reveal that the money donated didn’t inevitably go toward the poor, and the people lives in horrifying provisions where nurses organized drug with their bare mitts and reused weaken needles, because apparently you can pray away cross-contamination.

Apparently, Mother Teresa wasn’t too concerned about the poor conditions in her infirmary because, according to her, suffering brought people closer to Jesus, and she avoided from expending anesthesia because alleviating people’s hurting was less important than proselytizing them to Christianity. Apparently that didn’t apply to Teresa, because when she fell ill herself, she tried care in a modern American hospital. But, hell, she already knew about Jesus.

“So how’s about we get a little less prophetic and a bit more anesthetic.”

But pundits also point out that Teresa wasn’t too concerned about who she took gifts from, and so she became a lightning rod for offenders and tyrants who wanted to represent themselves look better by being able to say that they donated to Mother Teresa. Among her top donors were Jean-Claude Duvalier, harsh dictator of Haiti, and banker Charles Keating, who was convicted in the 1990 s for cases of fraud and racketeering. On crown of everything else, in 1991 it was revealed that simply a small amount of the money donated to Mother Teresa’s organisation could be accounted for. The remain likely moved immediately into the Vatican’s bank vault, because if there’s anyone who needs money more than the poor people of India, it’s the pope.

# 7. Leonardo Da Vinci Was A Muscular Male Model

If Hollywood made a movie about Leonardo Da Vinci and cast, respond, The Rock in the lead role, you’d likely believe that this is amusing. After all, when you imagine Leonardo Da Vinci, you’re most likely picturing a wizened old bearded guy. While this is the epitome that has existed through the centuries, the truth is that, in his time, Da Vinci was in fact known for being less Dumbledore and more Dwayne Johnson.

And sometimes wore his dres backwards, apparently .

Multiple accountings from Leonardo’s time had people mentioning how taken aback they were by his good looks, with some describing him as “a man of great beauty.” In knowledge, it’s thought that his first teacher, Verrocchio, probably initially hired him as a simulation rather than a student.

But Da Vinci didn’t precisely have incredible cheekbones. His particular obsession with learning the male physique came in part from his own absurd level of fitness. Gentleman in those daylights had a hard time constructing large-scale gizmoes by hand without the help of machinery, and Da Vinci’s reputation for being a master make starts with the fact that he himself was improved like a brick shithouse. It’s said that he was able to impress people at parties by stooping horseshoes with one hand.

A stunt this sauntering gym membership ad of a gentleman requirement both hands and a fair chip of grunting to pull off .

All this time, we’ve been doing Leonardo’s memory a disservice by envisioning him as an eccentric age-old tinkerer, when in reality he was like someone made the brain of Bruce Banner in their own bodies of The Hulk.

# 6. Punk Star Johnny Ramone Was A Staunch Conservative

Johnny Ramone was the guitarist for The Ramones, one of the most influential bandings in its own history of punk. Punk, of course, has been the category of alternative for left-wing revolutionaries for decades, so it ruffled a few feathers when The Ramones were inaugurated into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2002, and Johnny took to the podium to answer, “God bless President Bush, and god bless America.” You could just about hear the record scratch resemble through the hall.

Not that there’s anything unseemly about has become a Republican, necessarily — it’s only that you don’t learn a lot of spiked collars and mohawks at a Ted Cruz rally. There’s not much overlap on that particular Venn diagram. Still, it genuinely shouldn’t have been too stunning for devotees who had followed their profession, because although his bandmates leaned to the left politically, Johnny had always been staunchly republican, a Republican voter, and an NRA member.

Despite looking like someone they are able to hunt for sport when big game got too suffering .

According to band members Joey and Marky Ramone( the surname is phony; none of the musicians were actually referred ), Johnny had considered that Ronald Reagan was the greatest president in American record and was even right-wing enough that he was one of the dozen or so beings in the two countries who guessed Richard Nixon got a raw deal.

Johnny died from cancer shortly after his Dormitory Of Fame appearance, but it had the effect of inspiring other republican punk love to come out to the world. Because, really, what could be more rebellious than standing in that crowd, raising a fist in the air, and screaming for lower capital increases taxes?

“HEY! HO! LET’S GO-P! ”

Meanwhile …

# 5. Karl Marx Mooched Off His Wealthy Friends

Karl Marx is perhaps the most influential political philosopher of all time, if you consider communism to be a big deal. For someone with such a famed enmity against capitalism, you’d likely premise he had some ghastly boss in his time, sufficient to build Dilbert and Office Space mixed look like a revelry of the free market. In actuality, Marx never held down a chore. But that didn’t signify he lived the humble, impoverished life of the proletariat, either — he actually experienced an extravagant lifestyle, mooching off his aristocratic partner, whose upper-class background he often boasted about, and sending his their children to expensive private schools.

Maintenance on that beard alone cost more than most working proles acquired in a month .

But his wife’s old money wasn’t his biggest source of income. A full-time life-style of philosophizing about financial was expensive to conserve, along with the vintage wines and bathtubs full of cocaine it probably involved, so its tremendous welfare checks were cut by his significantly richer friend, Friedrich Engels, who you might recognize as the lesser co-author of The Communist Manifesto , even though he did most of the work.

Marx did eventually get a job as a reporter for the New York Daily Tribune, but he couldn’t actually speak much English, which was OK because he never actually intended to write for them — what happened was Engels wrote essays for the working paper under Marx’s name, with the checks going to Marx. It was a win-win plan, because Marx get pay money doing good-for-nothing, while Engels … got to practice his English grammar, we suspect?

“I can’t facilitate but appear I’ve recognized a mistake in your beliefs, Karl.”

That wasn’t the only scam that Marx and Engels ran together with 100 percent of potential benefits going to Marx. Engels also embezzled money from his father’s company to give to Marx, at great risk to his own career and family. Maybe Engels’ biggest one-sided advantage was after Marx knocked up his housemaid and Engels claimed himself the parent to shunned his friend standing embarrassment. All thoughts considered, Engels was probably the world’s best friend that the world’s worst sidekick was possible to have.

# 4. Charles Dickens Was Kind Of A Dick

For a scribe who is best known for romances about assholes reading the error of their roads and becoming “peoples lives” around to act the best interests of humanity, follower was Charles Dickens himself a bigger shit than any attribute he was never wrote.

According to one biography, Dickens liked to entertain himself by bothering the inferno out of parties, like your worst acquaintance in college. He would walk up to beings in wall street and irk them with absurdity pranks, and would obnoxiously hit on women in ways that would have gotten him pepper-sprayed nowadays. On one reason, he picked a woman up without her permission and carried her down the beach, insinuating that he was going to kill her. This was all great recreation for Dickens, but less recreation for his wife.

The wife who accepted she was about to be abducted and murdered likely wasn’t tittering either .

Oh yes, he was married at the time. And his wife suffered from his assholery more than anyone. From referring to her as a “donkey, ” to smacking on teenage daughters in plain sight, he was emotionally abusive enough that he’d be right at home in a Charles Dickens fiction. But, like “theyre saying”, the best writers write what they know.

Probably this symbolize he made her sweep chimneys and live on exclusively portioned gruel .

The worst chapter in their nightmare wedding was when Dickens, aged 45 and with nine teenagers, started having an occasion with 18 -year-old actress Ellen Ternan. Dickens deterred the occasion secret for fear that it would destroy his reputation. This became more difficult as time went on, due to complications such as them designing a child together.

Eventually, the deceit became too spending for him, but rather than purpose the circumstance, he divorced his wife, leaving her with a generous alimony but forbidding her access to their nine offsprings. He then spent the rest of his life talking to anyone who would listen about what a crappy mom she had been and how she was perhaps lunatic, just so he could keep the truth about his infidelity under wraps. All that is something that takes the punch out of the moral to A Christmas Carol .

# 3. Queen Victoria Was Just A Gigantic Person

It’s no secret that Queen Victoria was a little on the chubby side. But while nothing was ever for the purposes of the illusion that she could be mistaken for an Olsen twin, facts have recently come to light about just how big she was. Those facts involve the 2014 auction of her 52 -inch-waist underwear, who was allegedly can fit three parties comfortably.

We don’t just knowing that kind of parties were willing to shell out cold, hard cash — over $4,000, in fact — for Queen Victoria’s underthings. The purchasers opted to remain anonymous, but let’s just say that they’re now in control of a very large conversation piece or a cozy silk bed sheet.

Nothing like compensating the cost of a put-upon vehicle for captured farts from the 1860 s .

The auctioneer finely has pointed out that, by this object in her life, the queen “had eaten a lot more than most people could render to.” Apparently, the underwear was donated to her servants in her will, which is the least she could do to thank the team of people who likely had to help her into them every morning. Now your boss’ crappy Christmas cards don’t search so bad. Or they examine worse; we’re not sure.

And while we’re grossly body-shaming the monstrous of biography …

# 2. Napoleon Was A Normal-Sized Person, But He Had A Tiny Penis

We’ve already exposed that the idea of French despot Napoleon being really short is a demonstrably untrue superstition. He was actually somewhat above median in meridian and exactly took a cluster of photos alongside freakishly towering sentries that gave rise to the illusion. However, there may be another reason why Napoleon could have had a so-called “Napoleon complex.”

The artifact finely identified “Napoleon’s Item” was removed during his autopsy back in 1821 and hindered preserved by a clergyman until “its been” placed on display by the Museum Of French Art in 1927. In instance you don’t know what we’re speak about, it’s his dick. This enter is about Napoleon’s dick.

“My forwards artillery is none of your business.”

His minuscule dick, as it turns out. The British Tv line Dead Famous DNA started in search of the cherished artifact in 2014 and obtained it in New Jersey of all places, in the home of a private collector who is apparently unwilling to show it to exactly anyone, for reasonableness most people can probably understand.

Analysis of the item reveals that it is just under two inches in section. The owner admits that it is “very small” but also says that it is “perfect structurally, ” as if that’s any relief. The takeaway is that the dude was just jam-pack plural inches. No amazement he was angry all the time.

Who would’ve suspected he was trying to compensate for something .

To be fair to Mr. Bonaparte, most dicks get reasonably underwhelming on a cold day, so we can only imagine what happens after you lop them off and store them in a cup for nearly two centuries.

# 1. King Tut Was Highly Deformed Due To Inbreeding

Tutankhamun, affectionately nicknamed King Tut, is possibly the only Egyptian pharaoh other than Cleopatra that it is able to refer on a pop quiz. Even so, you probably only think of him as a person with a serpent on his hat who did The Bangles’ Egyptian tread. Tut wasn’t actually that important a figure in ancient Egyptian biography, and there are really simply two things we know about his life — he died young, likely a teenager, and he was incredibly deformed. These two facts are likely related.

Upon the uncovering of Tutankhamun’s tomb and mummy in 1922, it was noticed that all the decorates of the pharaoh pictured him carrying a stick. Although some represented him expending it as a weapon, so it was theorized at the time that he just liked making people with remains. Maybe he was just a dick that way.

Seems to fit with our experiences with busters who wander around uncovering their abs all day .

But further analysis of his body showed that he probably necessary a walking stick to get around at all, because he stood just about every physical deformity you can imagine.

Still doing better than ol’ Bonaparte, at the least .

See, the Egyptian royal family had kind of a predilection toward marrying their own siblings in order to keep the bloodline pure. This attire have all contributed to genetic deformities, and in Tutankhamun’s regrettable lawsuit, he fell out of the incest tree and slam every diverge on the way down. Studies present that he had: an extreme overbite, a club paw, a skeletal deformity announced Kohler disease, and exceptionally wide-eyed hips. On surface of that, he suffered a separated leg at some extent and contracted malaria.

No wonder his tomb contained an unusual number of statues intended as servants to help the pharaoh in the afterlife. He probably needed a dozen beings to help him get out of berth in the morning, and that was when his legs were still alive.

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96thdayofrage · 8 years ago

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How Democrats Paved The Way For Trump-Era School Privatization

Before Trump nominated Betsy DeVos as Sec'y of Education, Democrats savaged public schools with Obama's Race To The Top program.

JAISAL NOOR:Welcome to The Real News Network. I'm Jaisal Noor in Baltimore.

Public refusals on Wednesday by two U.S. Senate Republicans to support Betsy DeVos, the billionaire school choice crusader and Republican donor that President Donald Trump picked to be Education Secretary, raised the possibility of a rare Congressional rejection of a Cabinet nominee. In an ominous sign for Trump, Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski said they would not vote for DeVos, an heiress who has poured millions into promoting so-called school choice and vouchers but has no practical experience working with or managing public schools.

SUSAN COLLINS:In keeping with my past practice, I will vote today to proceed to debate on Mrs. DeVos's nomination. But Madam President, I will not, I cannot, vote to confirm her as our nation's next Secretary of Education.

LISA MURKOWSKI:I do not intend to vote on final passage to support Mrs. DeVos to be Secretary of Education.

JAISAL NOOR:They would be the first Republicans to break party ranks and vote against one of Trump's Cabinet selections.

Well, now joining us to discuss this is Diane Ravitch. She's the former Undersecretary of Education to George H.W. Bush. More recently, she's turned into an influential whistle-blower against the school privatization movement. Her recent best sellers, including "The Death and Life of the Great American School System" and most recently, "Reign of Error" are considered necessary reading for those wanting to understand the grave threats facing our public education system today and what we can do about it. Thank you so much for joining us.

DIANE RAVITCH:Glad to be with you.

JAISAL NOOR:So, there's pretty big news coming out of the education world from Capitol Hill because Betsy DeVos is one vote shy of becoming blocked from becoming Education Secretary. You have come out strongly against her. You've called her an education extremist, Said she would gut public education. What is your message to those remaining Republican Senators that might be on the fence right now? Why is she such a bad pick to be Education Secretary?

DIANE RAVITCH:Well, she does not understand anything about education except for escaping from public schools. She's never taught. She's never supervised. She's never attended public schools. Her children did not attend public schools. She thinks that public schools everywhere are just awful and she has spent millions... She's a billionaire and she has spent many millions of dollars advocating for vouchers and choice and charters and home schooling and cyber charters for every other alternative but not for public education. She's spent millions on political campaigns to advocate for choice and also to fund the campaigns of very extremist right-wing Republicans who are opposed to public education.

So, when she went before the Senate to be interviewed before the Senate Committee, she showed absolute ignorance of federal law and federal policy and federal programs. She was asked about the law that protects the rights of children with disabilities and she said, "Well that would be up to the States." And one of the Democratic Senators pointed out that it's not up to States to decide whether to obey a Federal law. She had no idea that IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, is a Federal law. It's not something that States can choose to abide by. So, she knows nothing, other than to be a lobbyist for choice. And, being a billionaire, she's lived in a bubble all her life and knows nothing about public education. Does not understand the history of it, the importance of public education in a democracy, and she plays fast and loose with the truth and the facts.

JAISAL NOOR:And she's been accused of lying and misleading the Senate panel where she testified on for several different issues.

But I wanted to raise another point, you know, some would argue that it was the often failed bipartisan policies under previous administrations, including Democrats, that created the conditions for the likes of DeVos to be put forth. I mean, the public faith in public education seems to be low and there are a lot children in struggling schools around the country, and DeVos is, I guess, to her supporters, is seen as someone that, you know, will provide an alternative and will give people that choice, give parents that choice. How do you respond to that? Do Democrats also share some of the responsibility here?

DIANE RAVITCH:Well, definitely Democrats do share some of that responsibility for misleading the public and also for stabbing public education in the back, if public education in fact has a back. They have followed along with the narrative that public education is failing and that narrative itself is a lie.

Public education is not failing. Our society is failing. Our society is failing to fairly fund its public schools. Our society is failing to address the root cause of school failure, which is poverty and racial segregation. And because our society is failing, it's very easy and cheap to blame it on the schools.

But the schools are often the most stable institution in the lives of very hard-pressed communities. And this effort to deflect blame onto the schools, and onto teachers, is really shameful. And DeVos is part of it but so was Arne Duncan, so was President Obama. He also bought the myth that charter schools were the answer. Charter schools are not the answer and the best way to respond to this claim of choice advocates is simply say, let's look at the evidence.

We've now had 25 years of charter schools. We've now had 25 years of vouchers, and there's not a single district that you can turn to and say there is a district where all children are getting a great education and there's a district where charter schools are truly out-performing public schools. The ones that have high test scores -- which may or may not be good indicators of performance -- but the ones that have had test scores are those that push out the kids with disabilities; those who exclude the kids who are English language learners.

If we look at the cities that have vouchers, and Milwaukee has had vouchers and charters now for 25 years. Detroit has charters. The only reason it doesn't have vouchers is because it says in the Michigan State Constitution that public funds can't go to religious schools. And Betsy DeVos and her husband in the year 2000 launched a State referendum to remove that from the Constitution of Michigan and it was turned down by 69 to 31.

So, the public, wherever vouchers have been put to a vote, the public has said overwhelmingly, "No." But let's look at the results.

In Detroit, in the State of Michigan, it's overrun with charters and there are more bad charters than there are bad public schools. Charters haven't lifted Detroit at all. Detroit continues to be the lowest performing school district in the nation. And Michigan, under DeVos's choice policies, has been sliding steadily among the States. It went from the middle of the pack to the very bottom. It's now, in fourth-grade reading and math, listed in the low 40s among the 50 that take the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

So, we don't have a single story about vouchers where researchers or anyone else can say, "Here's the miracle they perform." They perform no miracles. They failed everywhere.

JAISAL NOOR:And so, I wanted to ask you about Eli Broad from the Broad Foundation -- he's another school privatization advocate, a wealthy philanthropist, and even he has come out against Betsy DeVos. What do you make of that?

DIANE RAVITCH:Well, I make of it that he is trying to separate his brand and his claims from that of Trump. Trump is terribly unpopular in California. The State voted overwhelmingly against Trump and Eli Broad is trying to spread charters across Los Angeles. So, it's very important for him to separate his brand of charter from Betsy DeVos and Trump.

And as the saying goes, it's a day late and a dollar short. If he really was opposed to her, he could have said so two months ago when she was first nominated. He could have weighed in then and... Not that he would have had any influence in terms of California, because both the Senators there are Democrats and will vote against her anyway. But he might have used some of his immense -- being a billionaire, he too makes a lot of campaign contributions -- he could have weighed in and cancelled out a few of her Republican votes.

But, at the moment, every single Republican seems to be set to vote for her, for Murkowski and Collins, both of whom voted to approve her in the Committee. Either one of them could have stopped her in the Senate Committee because she was approved by a vote of 12 to 11. It would have been a disapproval of 12 to 11 if one of them had stood up and said, "She's not qualified."

They know she's not qualified and they voted to approve her in Committee. And now that the vote is going to the Senate floor, where Republicans hold the majority of 52 to 48, the two of them bring it to a tie. And, if not a single other Republican breaks ranks, Mike Pence will cast the deciding vote. And Betsy DeVos will become one of the first Cabinet members in history to be approved by a tie-breaking vote by the Vice President. That's how intense the opposition to her is amongst the teachers and parents and people of this country who love their public schools.

JAISAL NOOR:So, if DeVos is confirmed or if not -- we've been getting questions from viewers, many of them who are teachers, or professors of education -- they want to know your advice on fighting back against these policies, whether it's DeVos or someone else. Here in Baltimore, one of my close friends is a public school teacher, some of my family members are school teachers, in fact. And, you know, here we're facing... People aren't even worrying about DeVos right now because we're facing $130 million budget school deficit, 1,000 teachers and staff are being laid off this year. Can you talk about that? What is the route forward?

DIANE RAVITCH:Sure. What Baltimore is experiencing is what Philadelphia, for example, has experienced now for years, what Detroit has experienced for years -- which is the deliberate defunding of urban schools in order to create a demand for school choice. The Republican leadership in Pennsylvania did this and starved the Philadelphia school district to the point where they didn't even have the bare essentials. And charter operators moved in very quickly to scoop up their schools and bring in lots of private funding so that the charters could be more attractive, have smaller class sizes, have the arts, have everything the public schools can't offer. This is... what's happening to Baltimore, what has happened in Philadelphia, what's happened in Detroit and what is happening in more and more urban districts, is part of this effort to privatize public education. And the only way to stop it literally is by protesting, by demonstrating, by going to the people in power.

I mean, I think that Maryland has a particular problem because it elected a Republican governor and he has appointed a Republican State Board of Education. So, the centers of power are perfectly willing to starve the City of Baltimore public schools because it will advance the Republican goal of destroying public education. It's really terrible because public education is an essential foundation of our democracy. And we know from what's happened over the last 25 years, vouchers and charters are highly segregated. They increase segregation in society as well as in the schools, and they don't produce better results.

So, we will be offered substitutes for public education that literally destroy communities and they will claim that they empower parents, but the great secret behind privatization is the schools that choose the students, the students do not choose the schools. You may apply to a voucher school. You may apply to a charter school and the school will decide whether they want your child or not. That's not school choice as it is being sold. It's being sold as propaganda.

It's a deception and the only countries that have tried this route, this kind of free market route that Betsy DeVos espouses and that so many of the Republican Party have fallen for, are Sweden and Chile. And Chile did it under the leadership of the dictator Pinochet, and it has seen disastrous results. And Sweden did it and they're now trying to backtrack because they have seen their test scores on the international tests plummet since the privatization of so many of their schools.

JAISAL NOOR:All right, Diane Ravitch, thank you so much for joining us. And, again, I strongly recommend reading Diane Ravitch's books. They are really important for anyone trying to understand and grasp the crisis in public education and how we can fight back. Thank you so much for joining us.

DIANE RAVITCH:Thank you.

JAISAL NOOR:And thank you for joining us at The Real News Network.

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apsbicepstraining · 7 years ago

Text

8 Famed Parties That History Got Almost Exactly Wrong

The truth is more complex, as proven by the fact that …

# 8. Mother Teresa Accepted Money From Criminals And Deliberately Neglected Patients

For those not very well known Hitchens, he’s that person you always find vaguely like an asshole for come to terms with .

“So how’s about we get a little less prophetic and a bit more anesthetic.”

# 7. Leonardo Da Vinci Was A Muscular Male Model

And sometimes wore his dres backwards, apparently .

A stunt this sauntering gym membership ad of a gentleman requirement both hands and a fair chip of grunting to pull off .

# 6. Punk Star Johnny Ramone Was A Staunch Conservative

Despite looking like someone they are able to hunt for sport when big game got too suffering .

“HEY! HO! LET’S GO-P! ”

Meanwhile …

# 5. Karl Marx Mooched Off His Wealthy Friends

Maintenance on that beard alone cost more than most working proles acquired in a month .

“I can’t facilitate but appear I’ve recognized a mistake in your beliefs, Karl.”

# 4. Charles Dickens Was Kind Of A Dick

The wife who accepted she was about to be abducted and murdered likely wasn’t tittering either .

Probably this symbolize he made her sweep chimneys and live on exclusively portioned gruel .

# 3. Queen Victoria Was Just A Gigantic Person

Nothing like compensating the cost of a put-upon vehicle for captured farts from the 1860 s .

And while we’re grossly body-shaming the monstrous of biography …

# 2. Napoleon Was A Normal-Sized Person, But He Had A Tiny Penis

“My forwards artillery is none of your business.”

Who would’ve suspected he was trying to compensate for something .

To be fair to Mr. Bonaparte, most dicks get reasonably underwhelming on a cold day, so we can only imagine what happens after you lop them off and store them in a cup for nearly two centuries.

# 1. King Tut Was Highly Deformed Due To Inbreeding

Seems to fit with our experiences with busters who wander around uncovering their abs all day .

But further analysis of his body showed that he probably necessary a walking stick to get around at all, because he stood just about every physical deformity you can imagine.

Still doing better than ol’ Bonaparte, at the least .

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apsbicepstraining · 7 years ago

Text

8 Famed Parties That History Got Almost Exactly Wrong

The truth is more complex, as proven by the fact that …

# 8. Mother Teresa Accepted Money From Criminals And Deliberately Neglected Patients

For those not very well known Hitchens, he’s that person you always find vaguely like an asshole for come to terms with .

“So how’s about we get a little less prophetic and a bit more anesthetic.”

# 7. Leonardo Da Vinci Was A Muscular Male Model

And sometimes wore his dres backwards, apparently .

A stunt this sauntering gym membership ad of a gentleman requirement both hands and a fair chip of grunting to pull off .

# 6. Punk Star Johnny Ramone Was A Staunch Conservative

Despite looking like someone they are able to hunt for sport when big game got too suffering .

“HEY! HO! LET’S GO-P! ”

Meanwhile …

# 5. Karl Marx Mooched Off His Wealthy Friends

Maintenance on that beard alone cost more than most working proles acquired in a month .

“I can’t facilitate but appear I’ve recognized a mistake in your beliefs, Karl.”

# 4. Charles Dickens Was Kind Of A Dick

The wife who accepted she was about to be abducted and murdered likely wasn’t tittering either .

Probably this symbolize he made her sweep chimneys and live on exclusively portioned gruel .

# 3. Queen Victoria Was Just A Gigantic Person

Nothing like compensating the cost of a put-upon vehicle for captured farts from the 1860 s .

And while we’re grossly body-shaming the monstrous of biography …

# 2. Napoleon Was A Normal-Sized Person, But He Had A Tiny Penis

“My forwards artillery is none of your business.”

Who would’ve suspected he was trying to compensate for something .

To be fair to Mr. Bonaparte, most dicks get reasonably underwhelming on a cold day, so we can only imagine what happens after you lop them off and store them in a cup for nearly two centuries.

# 1. King Tut Was Highly Deformed Due To Inbreeding

Seems to fit with our experiences with busters who wander around uncovering their abs all day .

But further analysis of his body showed that he probably necessary a walking stick to get around at all, because he stood just about every physical deformity you can imagine.

Still doing better than ol’ Bonaparte, at the least .

The post 8 Famed Parties That History Got Almost Exactly Wrong appeared first on apsbicepstraining.com.

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