#but I’d rather be broke than a sellout

[wish-i-was-lived-in-80s]

I also literally do not give a flying crap if that makes the book more marketable. Write something new instead of rewriting something 20 years later (and only changing the references to technology; totally revamping a problematic story is a different thing)

[myhockeyworld87]

Not So Dangerous Liaison - Sidney Crosby - Part 24

Word Count: 3,486

POV:  Reader 

Warngings: Language, NSFW, Smut

Notes: Sorry this is later than when I thought I’d get it out, but here it is anyhow. These two are finally back on track, but what will happen now that the season starts? As always love your feedback and Happy Reading! Let me know what you guys think.

Not So Dangerous Liaison Masterlist

Time flew in the twelve short days that you were away from Sid, though if someone had asked him, he would’ve told them differently. He facetimed you at least four times a day, along with numerous calls back and forth and more text messages than you knew what to do with. If you were being honest with yourself, you had to admit that you missed having him around all the time. You’d grown so used to be spending time together over the summer that even these few short days were rather hard.

 Most of your time was spent, packing up things to move into Sidney’s house. It was mostly clothes and personal items, as his place was completely furnished, though it did feel weird leaving behind things. You debated about taking different knick-knacks that you had throughout your place, not knowing where to put them in Sid’s. He told you that it was your place now as well and to bring whatever you wanted, but you were still unsure. There was just this pit in your stomach that the two of you would be spending too much time together and you didn’t want to be moving all your furniture back in a month or so. You tried to tamper down that nagging feeling, as you finished hanging up the last of your clothes into your now shared bedroom closet. You had yet to spent the night at the house alone, even though you’d transferred almost all of your things. It just didn’t seem right without Sid there.

 His plane was due in a couple hours, and you were frantically trying to finish up unpacking. He told you that he’d just take a car from the airport so that you wouldn’t have to be bothered picking him up, but there was no way you were going to let that happen. With fifteen minutes to spare, you headed off to the airport to await your boyfriend. The luxuries of flying first class allowed you to meet him at the private entrance instead of having to traipse through an endless number of people waiting at the terminal. By the time he touched down, you were leaning casually against the car just waiting for him.

 The right side of his lips picked up into that smile you loved so much as he took his first step off the jet. “What are you doing here?” He was down the steps and halfway to you before you could answer.

 “You didn’t think I would let some driver pick up my boyfriend, did you?”

 Before he even thought about answering you, his lips found yours; crushing them to his as he kissed you as if you were his very life’s breath. “I should’ve known that you wouldn’t.” Another kissed followed. “God, I missed you.”

 You were pretty sure the two of you would’ve gone on kissing for quite some time if it hadn’t been for the flight crew interrupting and asking where Sid wanted his luggage. As soon as it was stowed away in the back of the SUV, the two of you took off heading for home. “Did you get everything moved in?” Sid asked, lacing your fingers together as he drove down the highway.

 “Surprisingly, yes. I thought I was going to be late picking you up but got all my clothes put away in record time.”

 “Excellent, I can’t wait to see what you’ve done with the place.”

 Sid was grinning from ear to ear, and you really didn’t have to heart to tell him that you’d moved nothing in but your clothes, so instead you changed the subject making small talk about the almost two weeks that you hadn’t been in Nova Scotia. There was no avoiding the subject once you were home though. “Where’s all your stuff?”

 “In the closet.”

 “No like furniture and pictures; that god awful lamp that looks like a thousand mirrors were shattered to make it.” You knew he hated that lamp, probably because he thought you broke the mirror and were headed towards an indefinite number of years of bad luck.

 “Still at home.”

 “But this is your home.” There was a seriousness to his voice that had been absent these last few days as well as on the ride home.

 “Yes, but we agreed that I was keeping my place just in case.” Sid closed his eyes but it didn’t stop you from seeing him roll them.

 “Yeah, I know, but babe this is OUR home now.” He emphasized the word our as if it was a new concept to you. “I want you to have your things here as well. I told you we could move out anything to make room.”

 “I know you did. It’s just…” you trailed off not knowing exactly how to put things.

 “What? Do you think this isn’t going to work? Because I can tell you it will, but if you’re having second thoughts…”

 “No, it’s not second thoughts.”

 When you didn’t add anything more, you could see his mind going into overdrive. “I get it.” He finally said, as if he knew what was in your head when even you didn’t. “We need a new place, one that’s ours and not something that was mine. I’ll call the realtor and we can start looking, or do you want to build.” Sid’s mind was in warp speed now and you were wondering if this is how he processed things on the ice this fast. “I mean you did just finish that house. There’s some really good land over by the practice rink. We could build there, pick a design we both like….”

 “Woah,” you told him, taking your hand and bringing it to his lips, hoping to stop the incessant flow of thoughts that seemed to be spewing out of him. “I don’t want to move. You just bought this house, less than a year ago. It’s gorgeous, Sid, and I love the neighborhood. The house isn’t it at all.”

 He kissed your fingers before taking them from his lips and cupping them in his hands. You could feel the clamminess there and knew that he was worried about what you were going to say. “Then what is it?”

 “It’s hard to explain, but I just didn’t feel comfortable making those changes without you here. It doesn’t have to be done in just a few days; we have time. I just need to get adjusted to being here and then see what I want to bring. I guess you could call it baby steps.”

 Sid exhaled his breath, a movement you could visibly see and feel. He didn’t need to tell you that he was relieved you were staying, for that simple act did it just the same. “Ok, baby steps it is, as long as you’re not going anywhere.”

 “Well, I was thinking about taking you upstairs into OUR bed.” You gave him a little wink, then pulled him close to your body.

 “Mmmm, well, in that case, lead the way.” The two of you spent the next several hours making up for lost time together. In fact, that was how most of the weekend went until Monday rolled around and training camp started. You and Sid adjusted to life together over the next couple of weeks, and despite all your earlier misgivings, being together as much as you were actually strengthened your relationship. You ended up spending more time than you thought at the arena helping with preparations for the home opener where the Stanley Cup banner would be raised in front of a sellout crowd. Which definitely helped give the two of you some space. It wasn’t until the first away game that things got messy.

 Sid still sat with Flower on the plane, per your insistence. You were not going to take that ritual away from them. Which let you sit back and chat with some of the other guys, during the flight. You didn’t really see each other until you went to hand out the room keys. Sid took his with a little wink and then made his way to the elevator. It was about twenty minutes later that your phone beeped.

 Where are you?

 You shot off a quick, in my room, back.

 You no sooner sent it than you saw those three little dots pop up, then disappear. They reappeared once more only to go away again. You finally set the phone down then went back to hanging your clothes up so they wouldn’t wrinkle. You’d just finished when you heard the knock at the door.

 “Why do you have your own room?”

 There was no point in him standing in the hall, so you opened the door to allow him to come in. “Did we not talk about this?”

 “No,” and you supposed he was right and you hadn’t actually.

 “Sid, this is a work a thing. I’m doing a job and so are you. When we’re on the clock, it’s strictly business.”

 He seemed to think this over and that’s when you started to worry. “Ok, remind me what your job is again.”

 You rolled your eyes at him but humored him anyhow by answering. “I’m here to act as a liaison, between the players and their families, as well as try to make things a little easier and more comfortable…” you stopped midsentence realizing your mistake.

 “Ah, see you said it. I would be more comfortable if you were to sleep in the same bed with me.” He grabbed your waist pulling you close to him, and though you made an attempt, you still went willing into his arms. “I hate sleeping without you.” A cute little pout formed on his pillowy lips and suddenly you were mush in his arms.

 “I hate sleeping alone too, but…”

 “No buts. I’m either staying here or you’re coming to my room. Everyone knows we’re together. They won’t think anything of it.” His hands were gathering the material of your shirt, then sliding underneath it to caress your bare skin. You hated how he knew all your weaknesses and was currently using them against you. The gentle caress of his fingertips on your skin sent a tingling sensation all through your body. “So, which will it be baby, your room, or mine?”

 “Sid,” you protested, albeit weakly. “We really shouldn’t.”

 This time his lips went to the crook of your neck, where he dropped one kiss after another making you weak in the knees. “We should.” Another kiss. “We can.” He lightly nipped at the skin there. “We are.” You didn’t realize he’d backed you up to the bed until you felt your body lowering down onto it.

 Sid hovered over you, his hips pressing into your intimately. “Wait,” you stopped him and you could see the frown already forming on his face. “We’re still keeping both rooms, and you’re napping alone.”

 He sighed, a bit frustrated you could tell, but he nodded his agreement. “Though sometimes you could nap with me.”

 “You’re very persistent.”

 “You’re just noticing this now.” All you could do was shake your head and laugh at his comment. Of course, you knew he was stubborn on the ice; so why would this be any different. “I guess we’re staying here then,” he added with a wiggle of his brows before he kissed you long and hard. Sid’s hands were all over you, as he removed your shirt then your bra so that he could lavish attention to your breasts. A breathy sigh left your lips as he captured one nipple, his tongue swirling around it and making it taut before gently nibbling on the peak causing you to moan out.

 His fingers stole down to your leggings, sneaking inside the waistband and cupping your sex. “So wet,” he hissed out loving the feel of your slickness on his digits. “I knew you wanted me to stay,” he added giving you that signature smirk of him. The retort you had died on your lips, as he rubbed slow circles around your clit. Around and around, they went, setting your body on fire, until your hips were lifting up into this hand.

 “Stop teasing,” you breathed out, practically panting with need, as he continued to play with your pussy.

 “Oh baby, I haven’t begun to tease you.” There was a wicked glint in his eyes and you knew you were in trouble. He removed his fingers from your body then, only long enough so that he could strip you from the rest of your clothes. He pulled you to the edge of the mattress, then started to trail kisses along your inner calf, all the way up to your thigh.

 “Sid,” you whined, but he just smiled as he neared your core.

 Instead of placing those luscious lips on your center, he kissed your stomach while his hands stole up and down your inner thighs. He made his way down until he finally reached your core, kissing all around your pussy lips and driving you wild until your hips bucked up. He backed off then. “Mmm, not yet baby. I’m not done teasing you.”

 “Please, Sid.” You were outright begging now, needing him as much as you needed the air around you to breathe.

 “See, this is why we need to share a room.” You should’ve known he’d work your body up to a frenzy only to point out that he was right all along. You wanted to argue but then he sucked on your clit and your mind hazed over in a cloud of bliss. His tongue worried the little nub, sending shockwaves of pleasure coursing through your body and when he slipped two fingers inside you, you thought you saw stars. “Is this what you want baby?”

 Oh, how you did. You were so close to cumming and you knew he knew that. “Yes!” That one simple word echoed off the walls of the hotel room, and it was then you realized that you weren’t back in Pittsburgh in your own home and that quite possibly one of the guys could hear you. Instinctively, you clapped your hand over your mouth, as Sid started to pump his fingers in and out of you. When his lips found your clit again, you lost it; falling off the edge into the sea of pleasure.

 Sid worked you through your orgasm, then quickly undid his pants pushing them down to the floor before kicking them aside. Cock in hand, he entered you in one swift motion and you couldn’t contain the moan that had been threatening to escape its confines of your fingers. Sid’s fingers dug into your hips as his cock thrust in and out of you; his groans now joining yours and you were sure that anyone passing by would be able to hear what was going on. “Fuck you feel so good,” he hissed out, thankfully in more of a whispered tone. His teeth were clenched as he fought the urge to cum inside you too quickly, wanting you to find that wave of pleasure once again before fulfilling his own needs.

 Sid slowed his thrusts to stave off his orgasm, then brought your right leg up to rest against his chest. The angle of his cock hitting you just right, as he moved in and out of you. He heard the hitch in your voice, as he hit your g-spot and knew that you were close. “Cum for me baby.” The words fueled you as his cock pistoned your pussy. Your legs trembled as the second orgasm hit, your cunt squeezing Sid’s dick and sending him spiraling down with you.

 A satisfied grin crossed Sid’s face as he lay down beside you on the bed, still with his shirt on. “Aren’t you glad I’m persistent?”

 Your laughter filled the room, and while you were definitely grateful for that little escapade; you also knew he had a game tomorrow. “Get under the covers before I kick you back to your own room.” It was Sid’s turn to laugh, yet he followed your orders, stripping his shirt off before following you into bed.

 Every away game from there on after, you ended up sharing room. Often getting teased by some of the guys when the two of you had been particularly loud, though Sid didn’t seem to care. In fact, you swore at times he was trying to make you scream on purpose.

 Life with Sid was practically perfect. Neither of you seemed to get on the other's nerve, even with spending so much time with one another, which surprised you. If you were being honest, being together only made you love him more. The two of you were so comfortable in your routine you never saw things coming on January sixteenth.

 It was the same as any other home game. You and Sidney rode together to the rink before the game with the Capitals, as you always did. Pulling into the parking lot, you gave Sid a long kiss before both going your separate ways. Sid took the same route to the locker room every time, even though it took twice as long to get there and while you adored him and all his little idiosyncrasies; you tried your hardest not to be a part of them, especially after the one time.

 It was early in the season and you came across Sid in the kitchen, making his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. “That looks good,” you told him offhandedly and he offered you a bite. You took it not thinking much of it, then went on about your day. When they won that night, again the sandwich never crossed your mind. That was until Sid made sure that the next game you were there to take a bite of the sticky sandwich at the exact same time as you had the previous game. Thus, it continued for the next seven home games until they lost and you finally put your foot down not wanting another peanut butter and jelly sandwich for quite some time. Since, then you stayed clear of your boyfriend during his pregame rituals, as much as you could.

 So today, like every other day, you were at the locker room well ahead of Sid. “Hi Dana, need anything?” You always checked in with the long-standing equipment manager before all the excitement got underway.

 “I’m good but you have a visitor in your office.” You gave him a questioning look, which had Dana adding, “It’s the Caps GM.” A sympathetic look crossed his face before you moved on, wondering the whole time what the rival team’s general manager could want with you.

 The door to your office was open, and you saw Brian MacLellan looking at the pictures hanging on your wall. “Mr. MacLellan, it’s good to see you.”

 “Hello, Ms. (Y/LN). It’s nice to see you as well.”

 “Please have a seat,” you said taking yours behind the desk, trying to hide the nervous tremble that had entered your voice. Your mind scrambled back to your last game in DC, just five short days ago, wondering what had happened to have the GM in your office at the moment. Once he was comfortably seated you probed for a reason as to why he was there. “Is there something I can help you with Mr. MacLellan?”

 Elbows resting on the armchair, he steepled his fingers together in thought, and your stomach lurched wondering what either you or one of the guys did that warranted this conversation. “Actually, there is. I’ve talked to quite a few people about your Ms. (Y/N).” Oh god, the timbre of his voice had an ominous quality to it causing you to sit a little straighter than you already were. MacLellan took note. “All good things, I assure you.”

 “Well, that’s good to know.” Now if he would only tell you why he was asking about you.

 The air in the room grew thick, as the GM leaned back in his chair relaxing a bit. “I suppose you’re wondering why I’ve been asking about you.” You nodded, not feeling the need to confirm what you both already knew to be true. “You see Ms. (Y/LN), the hockey community is smaller than one would think and it seems your name keeps popping up.”

 This had to be because you were dating Sidney. Even though Mario had made no qualms about the two of you dating maybe the NHL did. Sid was practically the face of the league and they probably didn’t want it known that he was dating an employee. You felt yourself shrink back, not that you were ashamed of your relationship with Sidney, quite the opposite. It was more from that you just didn’t know what you were going to say if he told you, you needed to choose between Sidney and your job.

.

[ill-be-istj-if-no-one-else-is]

Hey Em can you type me? My parents fully support the idea of me going to college to study something like literature or go to art school because that seems to be something I am able to study without much effort (given that I do it in my free time and I’m not too bad at it). I love making short films but going to college to pursue something artistic seems like a chore, like it will take what I love and turn it into an assignment or job which sucks the fun and creativity out of the process + I (1)

don’t want to be a starving artist. Statistically speaking I am aware of science and business professions being more lucrative and I’d rather be on a decent salary than broke doing what I love. Rather than going into a creative field like everyone wants me to, I’ve decided to major in business and eventually become a strategy consultant. Despite not having the right background, I’ve been taking classes and qualifications to further my credibility. I want to be out in the world solving (2)            

real world problems. While I am still studying now I can’t bare the thought of doing postgrad because I need to be let loose on the real world so I can start fixing things, I feel like no one sees the world like I do and I can help improve it so much if I’m able to work up to a position where I have the resources to do so. I would only pursue further study if it promised a title such as an MBA or a doctorate. I’m not a total sellout though, I’ve looked into the consulting field and found a (3)            

           role which suits my abilities and is something I would very much like to get into - weirdly enough I have found my passion in an industry where I thought I was only doing it for the money. I want to do something that will make my family proud, something that will take care of any financial issues and give them a great life and much more - I am able to disregard my needs if it promises that they will be taken care of (and my career change from arts to business is indicative of doing exactly (4)            

that). I’ve been focused on this since I was about 12 years old (I’m 20 now) and this is all I have been working towards. I want to make an impact, I want people to be blown away by my work and tell me how much my solutions have changed their lives because that’s what want - I want to be respected in my field and will work tirelessly until this is true. I would love hearing how I’ve helped people by thinking creatively and although I haven’t pursued a creative field, I would love to be known (5)            

           in my field as a visionary, someone who thinks outside the box, someone who’s done something no one’s done before, taking my artsy skills and applying them to real world problems - because everywhere I look, I can always see potential improvements in everything; that’s why I want to pursue a career that will help me with my vision. (6)             

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

Hi anon,

I’m fairly confident your enneatype is 3w4 from this but I’m not positive about your MBTI type. I suspect it is either ESFJ or ESTJ: this question centers almost entirely on your long-term planning and your desire to work in the real world points to high sensing, so together high Si seems likely. However, I can’t tell if your desire to support your parents comes from Te competence motivations or Fe motivations or just the enneagram 3; similarly I don’t know if your beliefs about your perspective come from the Te-Fi axis, the Fe-Ti axis, or just are part of who you are in general. I lean a little more towards ESTJ because you mention you are specifically going against the wishes of many people to pursue what you are pursuing, but it’s not definitive.

[tslyricx]

11. HOLY GROUND

“Holy Ground” is the 11th track on Taylor Swift’s 4th studio album, Red. It’s the first of two of her songs that Jeff Bhasker has produced. Bhasker also produced The Lucky One. When she started writing the song, she knew she wanted Bhasker to produce the track. Taylor contacted him and he agreed to produce the song. As a result, “Holy Ground” sounds different from any of Taylor’s previous work.

In the song, Taylor is looking back at a whirl wind relationship from her past. She’s realizing just because the relationship didn’t work out, doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good memory or that it was wasted time. The memories are still safe and sacred. Just because Taylor and the guy weren’t meant to be, doesn’t mean she can’t look back fondly at the time they spent together. Every mistake is a lesson learned.

Within the first verse, Taylor starts telling us the story of how the memory started: “I was reminiscing just the other day While having coffee all alone, and Lord, it took me away” Taylor is drinking a coffee by herself, and thinks back to the times where she had someone to drink it with. She gets lost in her memories and realizes how much things have changed since they broke up. The end of their relationship may have been sad and tragic, but the relationship itself was beautiful. 

As we all know, New York is close to Taylor’s heart, as her fans sold out the famous Madison Square Garden in 60 seconds, which was the fastest sellout in history. On her next album, she also further expresses her affection towards New York in the famous track, Welcome to New York: “Back to a first-glance feeling on New York time Back when you fit my poems like a perfect rhyme”

Taylor Swift had also been known to write great poems, starting with her award-winning poem, “A Monster in My Closet”. Her poem-writing skills have contributed to her great songwriting skills as she grew older and become a more successful artist. This is however, likely not literal, but rather a metaphor for how he fit into her life perfectly or maybe an allusion to the songs she wrote about him. Swift is also known to write many songs for her boyfriends and ex’s, thus this line can be a reference to her habit of making songs about her relationships. The first six lines of this verse end in perfect rhymes, giving the impression that the relationship was perfect at the start. However, the rhyme scheme then breaks down to imperfect rhymes for the rest of the song which could reflect the breakdown of their relationship. It could also suggest how quickly their relationship ended while also hinting that it may have never been as perfect as it seemed. Like the fast song, the relationship started fast: “Took off faster than a green light, go Hey, you skip the conversation when you already know I left a note on the door with a joke we'd made And that was the first day”

In the chorus, we realise that the relationship was nice. Neither of them looked back at any other relationship when they were together, despite the pain and heartbreak. They focused on what they had, and that made it magical: “And darling, it was good Never looking down And right there where we stood Was holy ground” “Holy ground” is a religious term that appears in the Bible, where God appeared to Moses and referred to the location as “holy ground” due to the presence of God in the area. The term is also used to refer to any location or area which is considered sacred or for worship of godly beings. Taylor uses this analogy to demonstrate the nature of the relationship. The relationship was pure and beautiful, so much so that Taylor likens it to a divine and holy nature.The etymology of the word “holy” is interestingly fitting. It stems from the 11th century Old English word hālig, which was derived from the adjective “hāl” which means “whole” and is used to mean “uninjured, sound, healthy, entire, complete”. These are characteristics Taylor believed their relationship to have and she appreciates the purity of it in hindsight.

What’s more, the idiom, head is spinning, means to be confused or to have your mind boggled. Taylor’s usage of spinning leads one to believe that although she was extremely happy about the relationship. Swift compares it to the excitement of getting a new dress and watching the skirt fly while you twirl around and around: “Spinning like a girl in a brand new dress” The story of Taylor’s relationship with her boyfriend crumbled as most romances do, but she still thinks about it often: “And I guess we fell apart in the usual way And the story's got dust on every page But sometimes, I wonder how you think about it now And I see your face in every crowd”

Also, in sharp contrast to the rest of the album, rather than lamenting a breakup, this song sees Taylor celebrating the relationship for what it was: “Tonight, I'm gonna dance For all that we've been through But I don't wanna dance If I'm not dancing with you Tonight, I'm gonna dance Like you were in this room But I don't wanna dance If I'm not dancing with you”

What have Taylor said about the song?

She explained the song’s meaning in an interview: “The song ‘Holy Ground’ was a, a song that I wrote about the feeling I got after years had gone by and I finally appreciated a past relationship for what it was, rather than being bitter about what it didn’t end up being. And I was sitting there thinking about it after I’d just seen him and I just, I was just like, “You know what, that was good.” It was, it was good, having that in my life, and I wrote the song and I immediately heard Jeff Bhasker’s production. I hadn’t ever worked with Jeff, but he has done some amazing work. I, I love what he’s done on Fun’s record, and I love his diversity. He’s just so talented, and so I called him and I said “I wrote this song. I really want you to work on it with me.” And I played it for him and he was like, “Let’s go! This is great!” And, and he did such an amazing job on it.”

 Favorite lyrics: “ Back to a first-glance feeling on New York time/Back when you fit my poems like a perfect rhyme /  We blocked the noise with the sound of, "I need you"/And for the first time, I had something to lose”.

Album: Red released on October 22, 2012.

Witten by: Taylor Swift.

Hidden message: When you came to the show in SD.

Picture: Photo from the Red booklet.

Source: https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-holy-ground-lyrics.

[whiskeyshotsintheparkinglot]

Hotel Books - Celebration

She likes to rock and roll And be broken famous With the broke and nameless And the take all their time

She likes her rock and roll to be loud and honest Proud and androgynous Not searching for context She likes her rock and roll to teach her about herself And how to reign you're not depleting your mental health She rock and rolled her way out of Poughkeepsie She left her family so she could be right next to me Well, do what you gotta do, but I will tell the truth and I didn't ask you to You might be something I cannot lose

We sound nothing like we did at the start We made some rock and gave up on art I hope you're happy, Mom I wrote a happy song Now let's hope that the world holds their remarks I wanna buy a house without feeling doubt I wanna change the world, but also change myself I hope you're happy, Mom I wrote a happy song Here's the voice of an aspiring sellout

Darling, you got your first taste of fame I hope it tastes as good as you thought 'Cause once you play the game, nothing's the same And that fame might be all that she got 'Cause I'd rather live with a broken heart than no heart at all Left with questions and remarks that narrate the fall We'll paint a picture and cover it in gray And peel away an inch every time we feel our love stray So by the end we could look at the beautiful art That you and I made, if we don't already fade

We sound nothing like we did at the start We made some rock and gave up on art I hope you're happy, Mom I wrote a happy song Now let's hope that the world holds their remarks I wanna buy a house without feeling doubt I wanna change the world, but also change myself I hope you're happy, Mom I wrote a happy song Here's the voice of an aspiring sellout

Yet it's someday you don't still love me Just know that I will miss you If it's not too much to ask Maybe someday you'll sit back And you'll find some time you miss me, too 'Cause I can get it wrong Sometimes I know I'm right I don't wanna sing another sad song Just wanna celebrate life

We sound nothing like we did at the start We made some rock and gave up on art I hope you're happy, Mom I wrote a happy song Now let's hope that the world holds their remarks I hope you're happy, Mom I wrote a happy song Here's your voice of end, that's why we sell out

[goldeagleprice]

Letters to the Editor (October 2, 2018)

Palladium Eagle Sellout and dealer offer upsetting

I’d like to let you know, which I couldn’t at the time of my previous email last week, but the good folks at a dealer that starts with an A and ends with an X notified me today that I could acquire one of the new 2018 palladium proof coins for a price of $3,300 to $3,400!

Imagine that.

I’ve heard of dealers needing to make a profit, but really, this?

This is why the Mint needs to do something to stop all the nonsense for the true collectors and customers we are, and have been. Time and again this continues to happen. To say I’m disgusted is the polite way; you couldn’t print what I really feel.

Name withheld

  Coin suggestions raise questions in reader’s mind

In response to a letter from Bill Tuttle, “Three cent piece confusing,” in the Sept. 4 issue, concerning my idea for a three- cent coin, I’d like him to know I found a cool coin from the Philippines that has a hole in it.

The 5 sentimos is about 16.5 mm, perfect for a three-cent coin, so no confusion. It has a line on the edge similar to the euro two-cent coin as well. As for his comments concerning a $2.50 coin over a $2 coin, and a $10 coin with 40 percent silver, I wouldn’t squabble over the $2.50 denomination or the $10, but I want to ask Mr. Tuttle an honest question about each. I work at Wal-mart, and on my break, I sit and watch people checking out thinking about different denominations and how they would be accepted.

Coins and paper money serve two purposes… spending and being given back in change. The first is no issue. The second is a little more sticky. Half dollars don’t get used much. I wouldn’t spend one because you never get them back in change, even though I would gladly accept one. Clerks either buy them for themselves or simply leave them in the drawer and turn them in at the end of their shift.

So my first question concerning the $2.50 denomination: I can easily see them being spent, but how do you envision them being given back in change? I would accept them, but people are very stubborn and afraid of change.

My second question concerning the $10 denomination with 40 percent silver is, don’t you think people would hoard them rather than spend them due to the silver content regardless of how little it may actually be? And if they spent them, would clerks offer to give them back as change? If I see an unusual denomination sitting in the register drawer, I will ask for it in change. Gold dollars, half dollars, even the occasional Ike. I’d be interested in how you see this.

P.S. I finally found a Mnuchin dollar.

Wayne Pearson Union City, Ind.

  Fake Morgan dollar weighs much less than genuine

A person I know gave me a coin to look at. It is, or looks like, an 1879 (P) Morgan dollar. It would fetch a grade of about MS62. However, something about it just didn’t look right. The first thing I did was weigh it, and it is well over 5 grams underweight. The second suspicious feature was the lettering, especially on the reverse; the letters are heavier and thicker when compared to an 1880-O Morgan that I have.

The third suspicious item was the surface. Even though the detail was crisp and sharp, the whole coin had a dull look to it, no mint luster as would usually be seen on an MS grade coin, and the entire surface had a grainy appearance when viewed through my loupe.

I am convinced this is a copy of some sort, but it makes me wonder. 1879 is one of the most common dates – why would someone go to such lengths to fake a common date? Or perhaps it was made as a token for a business?

I was curious if you had any information or knew of other examples of this “coin.”

Daryl Conley New Mexico

Editor’s Note: “Chinese counterfeiters are making coins like this 1879 and other common dates because they are probably using a base metal to start with and the profit comes in selling it as silver. It is a good thing you have sharp eyes. Thanks for letting me know.” This is the text of an email response to the Morgan inquiry. Below is another email from several days later.

  I took it to a coin and jewelry dealer today, and they determined it was made of nickel, zinc, copper and iron.

Daryl Conley

  Design changes will keep rolling along in future

I got to thinking the other day about what our coins will look like in 10 years or in 20 years, and I came up with some predictions. As we all know, Lincoln replaced the Indian Head on the penny in 1909 with the Wheat-ears reverse. That design lasted 50 years, until 1959, when it was replaced with the Lincoln Memorial design, which also lasted 50 years until the Shield design took over in 2010, with the 2009 commemoratives in between.

The point is, my guess is that the Shield design will probably stick around for 50 years as well, until 2059 (if there even is still a penny then). With the dime, I’m sure there will be a design change soon, considering, they’ve stuck with the same design for 72 years now. I’m guessing they’ll keep Roosevelt, but I foresee a change in at least the reverse.

The quarter, on the other hand, we know will have a big change coming up. We know that the America the Beautiful quarter series will be over in 2021; therefore, we know that there will either be a new series or a completely new design for the quarter in 2022.

If they do launch another state quarter series, which I’m sure they will, I propose an Important People series commemorating different important people from each state, such as the Wright Brothers for North Carolina, or Martin Luther King Jr. for D.C. Or perhaps an architectural series, to honor important architecture in each state. For example, the Golden Gate Bridge for California, or the Liberty Bell for Pennsylvania. Another idea for the quarter, the half dollar, or the dollar coin (or possibly all three), would be to do a bimetallic design like the euro. I believe it would attract a lot of new young numismatists, or even adult numismatists, to the hobby who find one in change and think it’s interesting.

While I don’t know much at all about bullion, after reading the article about Goloid in the latest issue of Numismatic News, I couldn’t help but think that the Mint should consider a Goloid or Electrum bullion, just a thought. At this point, there’s no way to know the future of our coin designs, but it’s always fun to think about it.

Ari Kaufman Address withheld

  Shrink half dollar by half to match smaller dollar coins

Currently the mint(s) have been producing Kennedy half dollars only for collectors and selling mainly rolls and bags at a premium.

Even though a few do manage to get out in circulation, there have been very few available for those who do not have the finances to afford a roll or bag for their collections.

This writer thinks there is a reason why the JFKs haven’t circulated as part of our coin and currency system. They are too big!

When the government reduced the size of the dollar coin, they didn’t do the same for the half dollar. Therefore, the half dollar was bigger than the coin twice its value.

Also, the vending industry made no exceptions for depositing a whole 50-cent piece for whatever a machine is vending. Some vending machine companies modified, or made new, machines to accept the smaller dollar.

And the quarter coin became the “workhorse” coin of vendors. The half dollar coin fell into dislike for circulation and became a no-longer-wanted coin, except for collectors.

So, why didn’t the government reduce the size of the half dollar coin when it shrank the dollar? Nobody really knows.

Traditionally, the half dollar has been half the size of the dollar, which was patterned after the Spanish “Dollar” (8 reales).

Certainly the (then) new small dollar broke that “tradition,” and so why couldn’t the government break the “tradition” of producing a smaller half dollar coin, in perhaps a different composition than the copper-nickel “sandwich?”

The modern-day tradition seems to follow the euro, as many countries reform their coins to euro standards, and half a circulating “50-whatever” piece. Why can’t we do the same?

Or, better yet: collectors, release your duplicate Kennedys to circulation. I do when I have some.

It’s fun having to explain to a clerk who has never experienced a half dollar coin before.

Bill Tuttle, Cleveland, Ohio

  Address letters to Editor, Numismatic News, 5225 Joerns Drive, Suite 2, Stevens Point, WI 54481. All letters must be signed and include a return address. Numismatic News reserves the right to edit all letters. E-mail should be sent to david.harper@fwmedia.com. Include your city and state in your email.

  This article was originally printed in Numismatic News. >> Subscribe today.

  More Collecting Resources

• Are you a U.S. coin collector? Check out the 2019 U.S. Coin Digest for the most recent coin prices.

• The Standard Catalog of United States Paper Money is the only annual guide that provides complete coverage of U.S. currency with today’s market prices.

The post Letters to the Editor (October 2, 2018) appeared first on Numismatic News.

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A Philly Mag Columnist Took the Eagles’ Win and Used It for Race Bait

Philly Mag published a story on Monday titled “The Eagles Won Big Sunday Night, and So Did White Privilege.”

Some people dismissed it as clickbait, and maybe it is, but I was told that only shitty blogs did that, and not traditional and respected media outlets.

Hmm..

Anyhow, I’m stunned that Philly Mag would poo-poo a big sporting event. Stunned! This is the same outlet that crapped all over the NFL Draft being in town, referring to NFL players as “future rapists” in a piece eloquently titled “Dear NFL: Take Your Stupid NFL Draft and Shove It.”

This is the same outlet that hosted the excellent “Birds 24/7” blog, then decided to get rid of it. This is the outlet that decided to part with one of the city’s best Sixers writers for no apparent reason.

So I’m not surprised that they would take a unifying sporting event and use it as an opportunity to publish something totally divisive instead.

The author, Ernest Owens, is a mini-Shaun King who boycotts the NFL over the Colin Kaepernick issue. He wrote an entire story explaining how Malcolm Jenkins is a sellout (aka Uncle Tom) for “exploiting” Kaepernick, with hardly a mention of Jenkins’ award-winning charitable work for communities of color. Other recent offerings for Philly Mag include a story about how white organizers were influencing the Philly Women’s March and how gay male business owners are trying to take advantage of white privilege.

He also wrote a story for the Metro two years ago titled “Please don’t let this Villanova Parade be another display of white privilege,” so it’s almost like he has an agenda he wants to push.

You understand what beat he’s on.

This latest column begins with him again calling Malcolm Jenkins a sellout before writing this:

When so many are chanting “Fly Eagles Fly,” I am reminded of the double standards around these celebrations. Crowds of white people, in all of their unapologetic privilege, got publicly drunk, set fires, scaled traffic poles, and disrespected city monuments on Sunday night — and everyone cheered them on. “It’s a Philly thing,” I heard down my newsfeed as people relished in the team’s victory. There had been reports of violence before the game even started, and based on press conferences last week, the police weren’t planning to stop the antics, but merely manage them.

Ignore the fact that he links to a Philly Mag article that begins with video of a shirtless black man, who appears to be having no trouble celebrating, wearing an Eagle head.

You know, this guy:

As for the “crowds of white people,” here’s one cheering on a black guy who is banging a drum in the middle of Broad Street:

How dare all of these people… enjoy themselves?

And how about this white privilege right here:

Let’s go to Frankford and Cottman, where the white privilege was on full display in this very diverse crowd:

I don’t know. Looks like a crowd of Eagle fans just having some fun. The irony here is that Mayfair is starting to see an influx of immigrants and people of color, which should help prop up a struggling neighborhood. We had a white guy write about that this week.

Let’s go now to the television to see if they got the hooliganism on camera:

Nope, just three black women and a little girl dancing with a mohawked white guy.

So that part of the story doesn’t hold up. It certainly wasn’t just crowds of white people out on Sunday night. Turns out everybody likes the Eagles.

Let’s see what else Ernest has for us:

So thousands of mostly white people got to roam the streets freely without heavy police intervention and basically got to do whatever they wanted all because our city won a game? There’s a long history of this local tolerance of bad behavior from Eagles fans. But honestly, this level of accepted misconduct isn’t a unique “Eagles fan” phenomenon — it’s an acceptance of white privilege.

Well, according to police reports, there wasn’t much misconduct. There was a whopping total of six arrests on Sunday night.

Our African-American Police Commissioner, Richard Ross, spoke about that:

“When you get upwards of tens of thousands of people in different locations you’re gonna get some fights. Mostly minor in nature,” said Ross.

And police say there were six Eagles related arrests.

In one instance, police say a man named Andrew Tornetta punched a Pennsylvania State Police Corporal and his horse. It happened in Lot M about three hours before the Eagles game started. Tornetta now faces assault charges. There were also two disorderly conduct arrests and three for counterfeit tickets.

Still, because of the hard work of the cops and all the fans who celebrated without causing trouble, Ross says Sunday was a win.

“I think in the grand scheme of things it went very well,” said Ross.

The white idiot kid broke the law and was arrested. The rest “went very well,” according to the commissioner.

Does that make Ross a sellout, too?

More:

It’s baffling how public marches and protests that uplift people of color and women can be heavily monitored by police, but widespread mayhem perpetrated by white men isn’t. I have witnessed a small handful of Black and brown activists being followed by multiple police cars and officers on bikes as if they were a large army. And yet I don’t see such zeal in policing when majority white Mummers take over the streets. I also don’t hear much concern over public safety when large crowds of white people partake in multiple days of St. Patrick’s Day drunkenness.

But people of color are never given the same benefit of a doubt, and that matters.

Probably the only part of the column that makes any kind of sense. I’d agree that the Mummer’s Parade has a history of uncouth behavior, some of which is just idiots being idiots (on 2nd street), and some of which is Caitlyn Jenner signs and blackface, and whatever assorted bullshit people come up with. There are plenty of white people out there who have yet to join the rest of us in the 21st Century.

As for the police stuff, it really gets into the weeds with logistics and numbers. Events are different, yeah? Things like the Mummer’s Parade and Odunde Festival are easy to police and protect because they take place in defined geographic areas. I’ve been to both and I think the law enforcement deployment is very similar. Drunk idiots walk around in various spots during St. Patrick’s Day, so that’s harder to game plan for. And small protests, like the one involving Woody’s and ICandy, you’re going to see the obvious disparity between crowd size and police presence, which I’d think is more about protecting a tiny and mobile group rather than straight-up profiling. In the case of Sunday night, you just try to contain revelers and then disburse the crowd peacefully, which I think the police department did a good job of:

Police are now trying to end the #Eagles celebration here at Frankford and Cottman @KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/d3mQhD4wfK

— Andrew Kramer (@Philly_Kramer) January 22, 2018

And finally:

Ask yourself whether the city would have embraced a crowd of Black men the same way if the Sixers had made it to the NBA finals? If your answer is no, then ask yourself what exactly are we celebrating for.

Saying that football fans are predominantly white and that basketball fans are predominantly black is a stereotype. I see a lot of scrawny white hipsters at Sixer games. It’s probably the most diverse crowd in town, and to answer your question, yes, it absolutely would have embraced it the same exact way.

Look, I’m a white kid from a white town on the Berks County border. I went to college in a white state, then moved to Georgia to live in a city that was 60% black. I consider myself fortunate to see how people live in different areas of the country, to experience the new south vs. the old south and immerse myself in ideas and cultures that were new and unfamiliar to me. I worked the 2008 election in the Bible Belt. I’ve seen a lot of shit in 33 years and I’m thankful for it.

I’ll tell you that I feel like white privilege DOES exist. I think a lot people like myself are smart enough to acknowledge that, yes, we probably had an easier path to get to where we are today. We don’t take that for granted. I think we understand that we had a bit of a head start, but the only thing you can really do is work hard to try to build from that. I’m not going to walk around feeling “white guilt” for something that I can’t control. I came out of the womb half Italian and half Anglo mutt, so it is what it is. My parents taught me to treat other people the way I wanted to be treated, and hopefully I can play a role in leveling the playing field for everybody else.

The problem here is that you’re taking an event that unifies an incredibly diverse city and making it divisive instead. I didn’t see black and white on Sunday night, I just saw Eagle fans.

Ernest saw colors, white and black, and does himself disservice by viewing it through that lens.

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