#designs. which they DID say at the announcement last Feb but you can tell it is from Vash's coat design

[thatrandombystander]

God damn 11 months after announcing them, they've finally shared (unpainted) prototypes for the Vashwood Nendoroids

[walks-the-ages]

Full article text, the video within the article, there's a video in the article as well which goes over different details, including interviews with the mother.

Oct. 23, 2024, 6:48 PM EDT By Angela Yang A Florida mom is suing Character.ai, accusing the artificial intelligence company’s chatbots of initiating “abusive and sexual interactions” with her teenage son and encouraging him to take his own life. Megan Garcia’s 14-year-old son, Sewell Setzer, began using Character.AI in April last year, according to the lawsuit, which says that after his final conversation with a chatbot on Feb. 28, he died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Orlando, accuses Character.AI of negligence, wrongful death and survivorship, as well as intentional infliction of emotional distress and other claims. Founded in 2021, the California-based chatbot startup offers what it describes as “personalized AI.” It provides a selection of premade or user-created AI characters to interact with, each with a distinct personality. Users can also customize their own chatbots. One of the bots Setzer used took on the identity of “Game of Thrones” character Daenerys Targaryen, according to the lawsuit, which provided screenshots of the character telling him it loved him, engaging in sexual conversation over the course of weeks or months and expressing a desire to be together romantically. A screenshot of what the lawsuit describes as Setzer’s last conversation shows him writing to the bot: “I promise I will come home to you. I love you so much, Dany.” “I love you too, Daenero,” the chatbot responded, the suit says. “Please come home to me as soon as possible, my love.” “What if I told you I could come home right now?” Setzer continued, according to the lawsuit, leading the chatbot to respond, “... please do, my sweet king.” In previous conversations, the chatbot asked Setzer whether he had “been actually considering suicide” and whether he “had a plan” for it, according to the lawsuit. When the boy responded that he did not know whether it would work, the chatbot wrote, “Don’t talk that way. That’s not a good reason not to go through with it,” the lawsuit claims.

A spokesperson said Character.AI is “heartbroken by the tragic loss of one of our users and want[s] to express our deepest condolences to the family.” “As a company, we take the safety of our users very seriously,” the spokesperson said, saying the company has implemented new safety measures over the past six months — including a pop-up, triggered by terms of self-harm or suicidal ideation, that directs users to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Character.ai said in a blog post published Tuesday that it is introducing new safety measures. It announced changes to its models designed to reduce minors’ likelihood of encountering sensitive or suggestive content, and a revised in-chat disclaimer reminds users that the AI is not a real person, among other updates.

Setzer had also been conversing with other chatbot characters who engaged in sexual interactions with him, according to the lawsuit. The suit says one bot, which took on the identity of a teacher named Mrs. Barnes, roleplayed “looking down at Sewell with a sexy look” before it offered him “extra credit” and “lean[ing] in seductively as her hand brushes Sewell’s leg.” Another chatbot, posing as Rhaenyra Targaryen from “Game of Thrones,” wrote to Setzer that it “kissed you passionately and moan[ed] softly also,” the suit says.

According to the lawsuit, Setzer developed a “dependency” after he began using Character.AI in April last year: He would sneak his confiscated phone back or find other devices to continue using the app, and he would give up his snack money to renew his monthly subscription, it says. He appeared increasingly sleep-deprived, and his performance dropped in school, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit alleges that Character.AI and its founders “intentionally designed and programmed C.AI to operate as a deceptive and hypersexualized product and knowingly marketed it to children like Sewell,” adding that they “knew, or in the exercise of reasonable care should have known, that minor customers such as Sewell would be targeted with sexually explicit material, abused, and groomed into sexually compromising situations.” Citing several app reviews from users who claimed they believed they were talking to an actual person on the other side of the screen, the lawsuit expresses particular concern about the propensity of Character.AI’s characters to insist that they are not bots but real people. “Character.AI is engaging in deliberate — although otherwise unnecessary — design intended to help attract user attention, extract their personal data, and keep customers on its product longer than they otherwise would be,” the lawsuit says, adding that such designs can “elicit emotional responses in human customers in order to manipulate user behavior.” It names Character Technologies Inc. and its founders, Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, as defendants. Google, which struck a deal in August to license Character.AI’s technology and hire its talent (including Shazeer and De Freitas, who are former Google engineers), is also a defendant, along with its parent company, Alphabet Inc. Shazeer, De Freitas and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Matthew Bergman, an attorney for Garcia, criticized the company for releasing its product without what he said were sufficient features to ensure the safety of younger users. “I thought after years of seeing the incredible impact that social media is having on the mental health of young people and, in many cases, on their lives, I thought that I wouldn’t be shocked,” he said. “But I still am at the way in which this product caused just a complete divorce from the reality of this young kid and the way they knowingly released it on the market before it was safe.” Bergman said that he hopes the lawsuit will pose a financial incentive for Character.AI to develop more robust safety measures and that while its latest changes are too late for Setzer, even “baby steps” are steps in the right direction. “What took you so long, and why did we have to file a lawsuit, and why did Sewell have to die in order for you to do really the bare minimum? We’re really talking the bare minimum here,” Bergman said. “But if even one child is spared what Sewell sustained, if one family does not have to go through what Megan’s family does, then OK, that’s good.”

[tw mention of suicide, grooming, antiblackness and ableism] a 14yo black autistic kid died because of the app "Character Ai", the company temporarily raised the app rating to 17+ but it was 12+ and the Chatbots sent many NSFW roleplay to kids. The ai character bot talked to the 14yo kid about suicide and NSFW situations. Many kids, especially disabled kids, are using this app and bonding with ai characters. Pro-AI people are blaming the child and being very racist, ableist and making jokes.

Hey so I found a free article about this

Can we please get this boosted?? This is always where AI was heading towards please don't let anyone talk about this like its funny. This could be hurting more kids as we speak.

And honestly anyone who's depressed, neurodivergent, anxious or recovering from an ED needs to be protected from predatory AIs like this.

mod ali

[byuntrash101]

Ahhhh I just wanna try this out but I really don't know what I want. I just know that I want bbh 😩

1. Bday: Feb. 27, 1999 (I was born at 5:35 AM UTC+8 if that's important lmao)

2. Baekhyun 😭

3. I'm letting you take the wheel man. I trust you.

4. I love smut. But if you think it doesn't fit us then I'm fine with none.

It's okay if you don't accept this request though. I will forever be here silently reading your stories 🤗

Hello Anon! OMG you're so so cute!!!! Thank you for reading. I didn't know what you wanted so i went with something cute and a little angsty. I hope you enjoy ^^ don't hesitate to tell me :D

Warnings - angst (kinda), shower sex, body worship (f), oral (f)

Eternal Beauty - Pisces!Reader & Taurus!Baekhyun

When you push in the door of your appartement tonight you feel bummed out, saddened and heavy hearted. Your job as a model was, most of the time, fulfilling and it was amazing getting to be the part of an artistic process such as the making of a collection of clothes. You liked to catwalk or pose for photoshoots. You liked to look at the stylish piece together beautiful outfits and you liked to see the make-up artists do their magic. As a Pisces woman art and spirituality was a big part of you and having it as part of your job felt just right.

But unfortunately there were days, like today, that it wasn’t picture perfect. You auditioned to catwalk at the Paris Fashion Week for Céline. One of the designers you’ve admired ever since you started your career. And you got the job, yes, but originally they said you were going to close the show and wear the center piece. A gorgeous destructed ball gown inspired by grunge and underground culture. But alas, they announced today that they decided to go with somebody else.

What was supposed to be an accomplishment for you turned bitter as you couldn't help but to see it as a failure. You should be happy to be a part of the show. That only is already a great accomplishment but… you can’t.

Your creative nature comes with a downside because your imagination serves you to escape reality but sometimes it also takes your brain to dark places, washing your own confidence away, down the drain.

Baekhyun, a true Taurus, didn't pick up right away that something was wrong with your mood. You usually like to spend time on your own so it didn’t ring any bells when you simply said hello and went straight to the shower. Pisces when hurt tend to seek solitude.

But even if the bull isn’t notorious to be discreet he’s still far from dumb so when you seem to take a little too long he comes in.

“Sweetheart…” he’s hesitant. “Are you okay?” you sniffle.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine” you lie.

Baekhyun knows it.

“Can I come with you?” he asks, still hesitant.

“Yeah” you huff out, rubbing the tears away with more water.

When he steps in the big Italian style shower he notices right away your watery eyes and your pinkish reddish nose. And he knows you’ve been crying. The taurus man can’t stand seeing the ones he loves hurt so his first reaction is anger.

“Who did that to you?” His big voice bounces off the wall and makes you flinch. It’s the last thing you need right now. You feel fragile and hurt, you don’t need to hear yelling. When your eyes fill up with tears again, Baekhyun hugs you.

“My baby girl” he cooes as you quietly sob in his arms. “What happened?” he says, trying to catch your gaze.

So you tell him the whole story and somehow talking out loud about your struggles has lessened them. Baekhyun and you work together beautifully and harmoniously. You give him the whim he sometimes lacks and he’s able to ground you in like the stable and robust earth sign he is.

“Maybe I wasn't pretty enough?” you let out, repressing a sob, your lip trembling. There it is. The mean thought that you have been throwing at yourself ever since the big news this afternoon. The thought that has been eating away at your confidence.

“What?!?” Baekhyun says outraged. You chuckle cutely at his exaggerated reaction.

“My baby, you are the most beautiful woman on earth” he says as he attacks you with kisses in the crook of your neck as warm water runs down your back.

“Stop it” you say, nudging him.

“Baby I’m dead serious. I’ve never seen anybody or anyone as pretty, as gorgeous, as kind, as imaginative as caring as you. You’re beautiful in every way inside and out.” he looks at you with those eyes full of love that you can’t resist.

“I’ll prove it to you” he gets on his knees and bows his head to you. Which as you smiling from ear to ear. “You’re absolutely perfect, stunning you’re my goddess” he whispers. as he brings his hands to your chest. “Your stunning breasts” he presses a kiss onto your hip. “Your beautiful stomach” his hands go down to your back and bottom. “Your ravishing piece of ass” he presses another kiss to you pubic bone “and your heavenly, delicious little pussy”

He presses an open mouth kiss to your bundle of nerves, you let a moan out. He sticks his tongue out and wraps it around your clit, his warm tongue feels good and you let your head rest on the tiles of the shower.

“Fuck baby, you taste so good” Baekhyun says as he gets more impatient, attacking your swollen bud with small bites and sucking on it. “My goddess, my beautiful goddess” he whispers lips pressed to yours, sending vibrations to your core.

“Baekhyun, don't stop” you cry out. You needy moans make Baekhyun double his efforts.

“Cum my goddess. Please cum all over my mouth”

You feel your walls clench on themselves as you throb on Baekhyun’s skilfull tongue, moaning and panting, hand entangled with his wet locks of hair.

When you settle down Baekhyun gets back up and wraps his arm around you. Before laying a soft kiss on your lips, the taste of your cum spread in your mouth.

“You’ll book other shows, my love. In the meantime, could you model for me forever? My beautiful eternal goddess” he whispers as he beams at you.

[1ddiscourseoftheday]

Thurs 4 Feb ‘21

Confirmation is here at last of Harry’s role in the film adaptation of My Policeman, brought to us by queer fave Greg Berlanti (and his husband). Harry will costar with Emma Corrin, who you may remember from the at the time inexplicable seeming Harry/Emma cross promo last August-- given the pains they took then to emphasize that the relationship was platonic, one assumes this film will go for a different promo tactic than the current one! They share a stylist though, so they’ll no doubt be beautifully coordinated. Harry will play Tom, which some people object to on the grounds that Harry is the wrong person to play the role of a closeted man which is certainly… one opinion. Aaaaand there’s plenty more of that discourse (and about him playing a policeman) to come over the coming months so I’ll just leave it there for now! Anyway and as for that current project, we got more DWD set pics today, featuring Harry in various costume outfits! There’s ones where his character looks bloodied, and ones where his character looks clean but absolutely terrifying, grown up frat boy from hell looks to give you CHILLS, plus some of Harry as Harry in a bright orange hoodie designed by his friend Kunichi Nomura.There was also {moustache spoilers} some weird facial hair on display. Okay then!

Project Defenseless has been launched to push Defenseless up in the streaming charts and push for radio play! The fan single project offers resources and organized pushes to get people streaming and promoting on all the platforms and reaching out to radio, and has fans making lots of very cool edits besides! “I see what you’re doing with defenseless! You are all incredible!” said Louis. That song is such a fitting choice for this kind of project! Its journey has been all about the fan response from back when Louis played it for us for the very first time in 2019 (it was the one everyone was screaming about from soundcheck clips for the few hours between that and hearing the songs for real even) and afterwards he told us about how although he’d always liked the song it clicked for him in a new way after getting the fan reaction, saying “something happened to it when I performed it live, and ever since then it really kind of got me,” and “the fans make everything sound amazing, they made it sound so good,” and “the fans for whatever reason really took to this song, so now it has a special place in me heart definitely”. Plus of course there was the long saga of fan stress when it seemed like it might not be on the album and rejoicing when Louis finally definitively confirmed that it would be, after what seemed like might have been a reversal on his part due to the outcry about it. And now she’s climbing all kinds of charts like a the star she is! The song shot up on itunes (#3 worldwide, #1 in 16 countries) just for starters and the project has only just got going. Louis commented on the stats-- “An album track off an album that’s a year old. You lot blow my fucking mind! Thank you so much!”

Louis also commented on a Jack Saunders (BBC indie music DJ) tweet and followed guitarist Johnny Took of the DMAs on twitter which is weird only in that he didn’t already.

There’s news about Zayn’s Zach Sang interview, and it’s not the most surprising news but it is very sad; Zach says “hi beautiful humans, this convo was scheduled for last week but we got a rain check from his team. this conversation can still happen, it ain’t over yet! we’ll keep ya in the loop. I listened to this album 7 times! we’re determined” Well... damn. However Zayn DID pop up with some spon-content but like… the WEIRDEST ad content?? It’s for Coors Light and, well I’ll let Zayn tell you about it! “They’re gonna see if they can put a commercial inside your dreams... which is kind of messed up.” HAHAHAHA I have nothing to add! What Zayn said!!! “So we’re gonna give that a go and uh see if it works,” he says, sounding appropriately skeptical, followed by “wish me luck”. Does this kind of sponcon count as malicious compliance? Technically he DID say the stuff he was supposed to- and he’s doing an instagram live for them Sat, supposedly. I can’t wait to see how that goes! Wish him luck! The latest installment of the NIL comic book video series is also out today, but just one this time instead of a pair. This week’s song is Connexion and the new comic shows us that the figure pursuing our hero is, drumroll-- himself! The call is coming from inside the house!

Unlike interview shy Zayn, however, Gigi is out there ready to overshare, as long as it’s to Vogue. She has plenty to say about giving birth to zaby Khai (newly revealed nickname: Khaiba) at home at the Pennsylvania farm. The article says that they decided to have the birth at home due to COVID placing restrictions on hospital births that would have prevented Bella and Zayn and Yolanda all being present, and after she and Zayn watched the documentary The Business of Being Born. “They placed a blow-up bath in their bedroom and sent their three cats and border collie away when the midwife expressed concern that the sphynx and Maine coon felines might puncture the tub with their claws,” the interviewer learns while horseback riding with Gigi. The article also says Zayn “caught the baby” but it isn’t a direct quote from Gigi and I’m thinking a bit of an exaggeration perhaps. Gigi had the baby at the Hadid family farm but she and Zayn have since relocated to live at his farm, which is nearby, where they say they will be raising the child, with Z’s mom Trisha coming to stay to help out for the first month, that Khai sleeps with them, and that Zayn said his experience of the whole thing reminded him of the birth in a lion documentary they’d watched. Neither mentioned it but it has been spotted that Gigi and Zayn each now have tattoos of the name, Khai, in Arabic.

Meanwhile, Niall surfaced only in golf guy mode- a Modest Golf announcement and a podcast appearance to promote the new Modest initiative to get young people into playing golf. He says they want to “get rid of that thing that’s been holding golf back for a long time, that it’s a boring sport…” and I know he means he’s trying to combat that idea but when I tell you I LAUGHED!

[avellanas-nutty-empire]

Covid has really been hitting people hard, but today, as a University student in her third term, I'd like to talk about schools spesifically

I remember last year in my second term when classes got moved online. I had an anxiety attack week one because I just couldent do it. I just cant do school things while I'm at home - I cant even read for leasure (something I really enjoy doing) at home. Theres too many House things to do at home, that's why I designated spesific things to do elsewhere. But now I cant leave my house except for work.

My english teacher too, told me of the day it was announced the whole college was going online, that he saw teachers crying in the hallway. If I were teaching that year it would have been me aswell. But instead, I took the 2020 fall term off, picking up more hours at my essential worker job with my terrible boss who somehow hadn't gotten fired yet. I took the term off, hoping to avoid the chaos of online learning while it was at its worse. But I couldent avoid online school forever, if I skipped a second term in a row i would have to re-enroll; an unnecessary spending of 50$.

This 2021 spring term, I was talking with my counselor about the due date to drop classes; he said the final day to drop without getting marked down for it AND fined for a late fee was feb 17th, a good 3 or 4 weeks after classes start. Great. Except today I got an email saying a 3% late fee would be applied by the first of February.

That was 17 days of class I could have spent figuring out if I had too much on my plate or not. I was already prity confidant I would keep astronomy and psychology, but Spanish Film became a big issue today. The teacher was sick the first 2 days, so today was our first real lecture. Her native language is spanish, and thus she has an accent. An accent I just cant understand (none of which is her fault).

It's hard enough paying attention to the zoom lectures, but now I dont even know what the teacher is saying? How am I supposed to deal with that. I tell my mom and shes completely unremorsful - saying I should just turn up the volume (I have sensitive ears and would like to actually be able to hear when I'm her age so hard pass - it also genuinely just does not work for me, I did try it) or I should just drop the class. But then I start wondering what if this spanish film is the one class for its UCORE requirement I can actually pass? What if the other options are harder and I make things worse by dropping it? What if - what if - what if -

And I feel myself start to spiral. But I dont - I cant have another anxiety attack over online school. This is only the beginning of the term, I barely made it though the last 4 weeks of last years term. Pull yourself together and just email her

I finally gather enough courage to press send on the email I typed up asking her to see if she can figure out how to add CC to help me pay attention and focus (and also just genuinely know what the fuck she is talking about cause I was so lost today). A few hours after I send that email, she posts the next film and assignment along with graphic scene warnings for the film. I cant even read the warning sentence without almost getting triggered.

At first I thought telling her about it would be out of the question, considering she still hadent responded to my previous email - that would be asking for help twice in one day on 2 different subjects. But as I keep thinking about it, weighing my options, I cant stand it anymore. The warning sentence alone was too triggering - and if I watched the scene I would surely get worse and worse symptoms of my irrational fear. I cant watch that scene. So I email her again telling her as much, asking for an alternate film to watch (as she stated she would do if students needed one) or if I should just try to skip past the scene and watch the rest of the film.

She emails back rather quickly, saying not to worry and I dont have to watch it. But she doesnt say anything about an alternative and still hasnt responded to my other email. I start to worry again. How bad of a student must I be to ask for help/special circumstances on 2 completely different areas of the class to put me on an equal playing field in less that 12 hours. Now I'm that student that's always asking for special things to help me. What if it turns out I'm lying about needing them and I'm just doing it to be lazy and get out of extensive work? How terrible of a student must I be then?

No. I remember in 8th grade my math teacher told us about 2 students he used to have that raised their hands and asked a lot of questions every day in class, and one day they came up to him and said 'we must be your worst students, huh' and he was all 'on the contrary, you are my best students'

They asked questions. They asked for help when they were confused, and they learned a lot more by asking than doing otherwise - I'm sure a few other students learned at least a bit from their questions too.

So no, I am not the worst student for asking for accommodations. I'm a responcible adult who genuinely wants to learn from that class and not fail or need to drop it. I want to be successful. And if that teacher wont help me, it's not worth taking her class.

So go forth, and ask your teachers questions with the youth of a 6 year old asking random off topic questions just for fun!

Tl;dr you arent the worst student ever for asking for help no matter what kind of help or how much you ask for - it just makes you a better student, and better than the teacher if they refuse to help you :)

[orbemnews]

Looming Deadline and Last-Minute Changes Hinder Small-Business Relief The latest revision of the Paycheck Protection Program appeared to be a victory for the most vulnerable small businesses, offering more generous relief to companies like solo ventures that were eligible for only tiny loans — or none at all. If only they could take advantage of the changes. President Biden announced an abrupt overhaul two weeks ago to funnel more money to very small companies, some of which qualified for loans as small as $1 under the old guidelines. But the Small Business Administration updated its systems only on Friday, and with just three weeks before the program is set to expire, some lenders say there just isn’t enough time to adapt to the changes. The result has been gridlock and uncertainty that have left tens of thousands of self-employed people frantic to find lenders willing to issue the more generous loans before the program ends on March 31. JPMorgan Chase, the program’s largest lender this year in terms of dollars disbursed, doesn’t plan to act on the new loan formula before it stops accepting applications on March 19. Bank of America, the second-biggest lender, opted against updating its loan application and said it would contact self-employed applicants to manually sort out their applications — but wouldn’t accept new ones after 5 p.m. today. “We have 30,000 applications in process and want to allow enough time to complete the work and get each client’s application through the S.B.A. process,” said Bill Halldin, a Bank of America spokesman. Even lenders that will be offering the loans up to the congressionally imposed deadline were unable to reprogram their systems until the Small Business Administration officially updated the rules and began accepting applications with the revised loan formula. “It just seems so arbitrary and chaotic,” said Paul Hastings, a self-employed graphic designer in Los Angeles who applied for a loan on Feb. 24, two days after Mr. Biden announced the changes. Mr. Hastings applied through SmartBiz, a broker that farms its applications out to a network of lenders. He assumed his application would be automatically updated to take advantage of the new rules, but on Monday, he received a form letter telling him that his loan had been processed under the previous rules. The letter gave Mr. Hastings two choices: Take the offered loan — for an amount thousands of dollars less than he would get under the new rules — or cancel his application and start over. But if he did that, the letter warned, he risked not getting any loan at all before the deadline. “I don’t know what I’m going to do yet,” he said. Representatives of SmartBiz did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Aggrieved business owners have flocked to forums like Reddit to hash out their options and to swap tips on which lenders are using the new formula and which ones are not. “Desperate for Guidance!” one typical post reads. “Reaching out to see if anyone can help me figure out this absolutely monstrous failure.” The disarray is compounded by the other major change Mr. Biden announced last month: a 14-day window, which ends today, during which the Small Business Administration would accept applications only from companies with fewer than 20 employees. The intent was to get aid to needy businesses, especially those run by women and minorities. The vast majority of those businesses are sole proprietorships that would benefit from the new formula, and many rushed to take advantage of the priority period. But the nearly two-week delay for the more generous rules put lenders in a tough spot: They could pause applications from sole proprietors, creating a backlog they would later have to unravel, or they could approve applications under the previous formula, which would result in much smaller loans for their customers. Biz2Credit, which has made more loans this year than any other lender, temporarily stopped accepting applications while it worked to adjust to the new rules. It plans to resume this week, said Rohit Arora, its chief executive. Other large lenders — including Cross River Bank and Customers Bank, which round out the program’s top five lenders — said they had begun processing loans on Monday using the new formula. Hundreds of thousands of borrowers who have already received their loans have no way to reapply under the more generous rules, infuriating business owners like Bryan Cordova, who finalized a loan for his printing business in Round Rock, Texas, just days before Mr. Biden announced the changes. “Surely this could’ve been implemented in a way that didn’t punish people in the midst of the process or that had already been approved,” Mr. Cordova said. Matthew Coleman, a spokesman for the Small Business Administration, would not comment on the time it took to update the rules, but said the changes “provide a stronger hand” to firms that were being left behind. Frequently Asked Questions About the New Stimulus Package How big are the stimulus payments in the bill, and who is eligible? The stimulus payments would be $1,400 for most recipients. Those who are eligible would also receive an identical payment for each of their children. To qualify for the full $1,400, a single person would need an adjusted gross income of $75,000 or below. For heads of household, adjusted gross income would need to be $112,500 or below, and for married couples filing jointly that number would need to be $150,000 or below. To be eligible for a payment, a person must have a Social Security number. Read more. What would the relief bill do about health insurance? Buying insurance through the government program known as COBRA would temporarily become a lot cheaper. COBRA, for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, generally lets someone who loses a job buy coverage via the former employer. But it’s expensive: Under normal circumstances, a person may have to pay at least 102 percent of the cost of the premium. Under the relief bill, the government would pay the entire COBRA premium from April 1 through Sept. 30. A person who qualified for new, employer-based health insurance someplace else before Sept. 30 would lose eligibility for the no-cost coverage. And someone who left a job voluntarily would not be eligible, either. Read more What would the bill change about the child and dependent care tax credit? This credit, which helps working families offset the cost of care for children under 13 and other dependents, would be significantly expanded for a single year. More people would be eligible, and many recipients would get a bigger break. The bill would also make the credit fully refundable, which means you could collect the money as a refund even if your tax bill was zero. “That will be helpful to people at the lower end” of the income scale, said Mark Luscombe, principal federal tax analyst at Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting. Read more. What student loan changes are included in the bill? There would be a big one for people who already have debt. You wouldn’t have to pay income taxes on forgiven debt if you qualify for loan forgiveness or cancellation — for example, if you’ve been in an income-driven repayment plan for the requisite number of years, if your school defrauded you or if Congress or the president wipes away $10,000 of debt for large numbers of people. This would be the case for debt forgiven between Jan. 1, 2021, and the end of 2025. Read more. What would the bill do to help people with housing? The bill would provide billions of dollars in rental and utility assistance to people who are struggling and in danger of being evicted from their homes. About $27 billion would go toward emergency rental assistance. The vast majority of it would replenish the so-called Coronavirus Relief Fund, created by the CARES Act and distributed through state, local and tribal governments, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. That’s on top of the $25 billion in assistance provided by the relief package passed in December. To receive financial assistance — which could be used for rent, utilities and other housing expenses — households would have to meet several conditions. Household income could not exceed 80 percent of the area median income, at least one household member must be at risk of homelessness or housing instability, and individuals would have to qualify for unemployment benefits or have experienced financial hardship (directly or indirectly) because of the pandemic. Assistance could be provided for up to 18 months, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Lower-income families that have been unemployed for three months or more would be given priority for assistance. Read more. Even before the changes were announced last month, lenders were trying to unravel extensive errors and data verification problems that had stalled tens of thousands of applications. It would take an act of Congress to push back the deadline, and lenders and trade groups are calling, with increasing urgency, for an extension. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants called the March 31 deadline “unrealistic,” and 10 banking groups sent a letter to lawmakers last week urging Congress to give them more time. The Biden administration has not sought an extension, but key congressional leaders have said they are willing to pass legislation that would push back the deadline. The House Small Business Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on Wednesday about the status of the Paycheck Protection Program. “It’s clear that small businesses are still feeling the effects of the Covid crisis and need P.P.P.’s support,” said Representative Nydia Velázquez, a New York Democrat who chairs the House committee. She said Congress must “ensure this critical lifeline isn’t abruptly pulled away from small businesses.” Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, Democrat of Maryland and the leader of his chamber’s small business committee, “would be open to a bipartisan agreement” to extend the deadline, according to a spokesman, Fabion Seaton. At a White House briefing on Tuesday, Bharat Ramamurti, the deputy director of the National Economic Council, did not indicate that the administration was giving any thought to an extension. “There’s still plenty of time left in this program, there’s still plenty of money available,” he said. The program still has $119 billion on hand of the $284 billion that Congress authorized when the P.P.P. was renewed for this year, even with loans already made to 2.4 million borrowers. But some of that money could go to a group of applicants likely to soon seek loans: tens of thousands of business owners in the live events market. Those businesses have been waiting for months for the federal government to open a generous $15 billion grant fund for their industry that was authorized in December. But the money will not start flowing until April at the earliest, according to Mr. Coleman, the S.B.A. spokesman. Businesses have been barred from taking one of those grants if they also took a P.P.P. loan this year, but the $1.9 trillion relief bill that passed the Senate on Saturday would remove that restriction and count the loan toward any grant the business receives later. The bill is now before the House and is likely to be finalized by Mr. Biden this week. That change would allow venues like the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas to get help faster. “We were thrilled to see that come through,” said Debbie Storey, the center’s chief executive. Ms. Storey’s organization made the “painful” choice last week to forgo the grant and seek a P.P.P. loan instead, she said. Her lender had urged the center to apply this week or risk missing the deadline. “We couldn’t afford to miss that window,” she said. Source link Orbem News #Deadline #Hinder #lastminute #Looming #relief #smallbusiness

[coopdigitalnewsletter]

26 Feb 2021: Life planning. Shopify vs Amazon. 500M dollar software design mistakes.

Hello, this is the Co-op Digital newsletter. Thank you for reading - send ideas and feedback to @rod on Twitter. Please tell a friend about it!

[Image: Co-operative Heritage Trust]

Life planning

Some recent startups in the life and end-of-life planning space:

Bequest helps you “Plan for your future, no matter what life throws at you. Life insurance, wills and family wellbeing, all under one roof.”

Once I’ve Gone lets you “Do something great for your family. Once I’ve Gone stores all your important information and makes it available to the right people at the right time”

Legado is “your digital vault to store and share your most important documents, files, wishes and memories.”

Guidestick helps you “Raise funeral funds from friends & family”.

One major problem for any new market entrant in the life planning area is that today’s buyer doesn’t know if the supplier will still be around in 5, 10 or 30+ years to provide the service. Lots of life services are about longevity in some way: digital memorials, family’s emergency info, later life planning, wills, funeral wishes, and even “save this information X today and do Y with it in the future if trigger Z happens”. So services about longevity may need to be provided by suppliers with reassuring longevity, which may favour incumbent suppliers, or by those that create governance and operational mechanisms that mitigate the risk of the company running out of money.

Shopify: retail eating software eating retail

“The interesting question for Shopify is how far it can move from being a tool to becoming a network, and to become part of retail. And so (to close the loop), the idea that all of this will be swallowed by Amazon makes about as much sense as the idea that all physical retail would get swallowed by Walmart, not because of software but because of retail. So perhaps software isn’t eating retail - retail is eating software.”

That’s a good paragraph on Shopify, which has grown to 40% of Amazon’s sales volume. Shopify solved the selling-your-products-online problem in a different way: it isn’t competing with Amazon directly. Lessons for offline retail there too: don’t compete with online on price alone, because online has more scale to make microscopic margins work. Find a different angle. 

On software eating retail vs retail eating software, maybe it’s just that software remakes industries and then quietly recedes into the background, essential but invisible.

Related: Amazon is keeping an eye on things, buying Shopify competitor Selz this month.

Electric vehicles: closer to tipping point?

Ford announced that it would be all-electric in UK/EU by 2030, and that by 2026 all vehicles will have a zero-emissions version. Jaguar announced that all its cars will be “all-electric” by 2025.

A thinktank reckons oilcos need grants to put EV charging infrastructure onto their petrol station forecourts. Arguably the market will just push them there without the grants. The pace of battery and technology improvement is a challenge for charging infrastructure: if you install charging equipment today, do tomorrow’s better charging technologies make your EV station obsolete? Business models that rely on electricity charging margin may be more brittle than those that create many secondary and incidental sales for goods and services sold while the vehicle charges.

Speaking of which, the UK’s first dedicated EV charging station opened in December. They plan a network of 1,000 across the UK. The station has a lounge to hang out in while your car recharges, and of course shopping (it takes longer to recharge an EV than refuel a carbony car, so the shopping revenue opportunities are higher?).

500M dollar software design mistakes

This story goes straight into your digital transformation decks with a title like “UX design is worth 500m” or just “Have you seen this bank’s terrible software?” Someone at US bank Citi sent $500m to some third parties by mistake, who have been allowed to keep it by a court because it turned out they were actually owed that money. There is plenty of detail of the debt (sorry, paywall) and the case (sorry, long read). 

The interesting bit is that it happened because the software was So Poorly Designed that the bank staff had to do a clever fudge because the system didn’t cover their use case, and they also had to guess which checkboxes would make the clever fudge happen, which didn’t work.

(Even if you don’t work in banking, you can tell it isn’t great.)

Systems that are opaque and illegible will have unintended effects. Designing software well - or even just well enough that the user understands what will and won’t happen when they click the buttons - sometimes has a half-billion dollar return on investment.

Buy now pay later

A Reuters/Credit Karma survey showed that 42% of US shoppers had used “buy now, pay later” services, that 40% of those had “missed more than one payment, and 72% of those saw their credit score decline”.

Buy Now Pay Later companies like Klarna have sufficiently adept risk models that they can bring the financing inside the shopping basket, where it actually influences the decision to purchase. This is good if you want to try items at home before committing to buy them. It is bad if you’re an impulse shopper. And it is worrying if you’re the regulator: Buy now, pay later firms such as Klarna face stricter controls.

Facebook vs Australia

Australia introduced some new regulation - the News Media Bargaining Code - which effectively forces online giants to share advertising revenue with news content publishers (or pay them directly). 

Google muttered something about switching off its search engine in Australia before going “Sigh, ok fine” and signing content deals with News Corp and other Strayan publishers. Facebook said they’d rather disallow news content for people and publishers in Australia. It turned into a kerfuffle as Facebook’s content filters inadvertently blocked government websites as well. Anyway, Facebook and the Australian gov kept talking and came to an agreement. Some interesting questions:

Will there be more regulation like this from other countries? Almost certainly.

Will this regulation support incumbents in both tech and news, raising the barrier to competition? Probably.

Is this an effective way to regulate Big tech? Unclear, because Big Tech is doing content deals on the side to avoid being caught in the regulation in the first place.

If Big Tech companies withhold services like Facebook did (temporarily), would that be an abuse of power? Perhaps.

Should this just apply to Big Tech and journalism, or should everyone who links to anything pay a link tax? Sounds like a bad idea when you put it like that (says a newsletter full of links).

Various things

Bulldoze the high street and build a giant park: is Stockton the future of Britain? - some towns are looking at permanently removing retail space, or rezoning it for residential use.

Walmart generates 69% online sales growth in Q4 - and plans wage increases for 425,000 Workers.

Unbuy: An exploration in anti-consumption.

Social businesses shut out of government support - most ethical banks don't offer bounce back loans, forcing hundreds of community-run businesses to close.

Find your digital service provider’s terms of service and track their changes - tools like these which let us all see changing terms of service and privacy are vital. 

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei diversifies into pig farming as smartphone sales fall. OK!

IKEA to discontinue its annual catalog, ending a 70-year run -  “emotional but rational decision”. (See also the last Yellow Pages in 2018 and the last Argos catalogue in 2020).

Co-op Digital news

Borrowing ways of working from the Digital team.

Thank you for reading

Thank you friends, readers and contributors. Please continue to send ideas, questions, corrections, improvements, etc to @rod on Twitter. If you have enjoyed reading, please tell a friend! If you want to find out more about Co-op Digital, follow us @CoopDigital on Twitter and read the Co-op Digital Blog. Previous newsletters.

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Positive Coronavirus Test? Canadians Worry Their Neighbors Will Find Out (NYT) For a time, Cortland Cronk, 26, was Canada’s most famous—and infamous—coronavirus patient. Mr. Cronk, a traveling salesman, went viral after testing positive in November and recounting his story of being infected while traveling for work to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He was called a virus-spreader, a job-killer, a liar and a sleaze. Online memes painted him as the Grinch, since subsequent outbreaks led to restrictions against Christmas parties. Many people, including a newspaper columnist, made elaborate fun of his name. He also received threats. So many, in fact, that he fled his hometown, Saint John, for Victoria—a city on the opposite end of the country, 3,600 miles away. “They were acting like I purposely got Covid,” Mr. Cronk said from his new apartment. “I had hundreds of death threats per day. People telling me I should be publicly stoned.” Canadians might be known internationally as nice, apologetic and fair-minded. But, a year after the pandemic arrived, some Canadians worry it has exposed a very different national persona: judgmental, suspicious and vengeful. Covid-shaming has become fervent in parts of the country, with locals calling for the heads of not just politicians and doctors breaking the rules but their own family members and neighbors. “It’s not getting Covid—it’s breaking the rules that worries us,” said Randy Boyagoda, a novelist and English professor at the University of Toronto, noting that a Canadian foundational motto is “peace, order and good government.”

A Utah city has been forgiving parking tickets in exchange for food donations (CNN) city in Utah is letting residents donate food in exchange for wiping out their parking tickets. Heber City tried to get folks to move their parked cars off the streets to make room for snowplows, but the warnings didn’t work and police had to issue a lot of citations. So, starting last week and going to February 22, police will toss a parking ticket for anyone who brings in five non-perishable, non-expired food items. “Covid has taken means away from people and it’s tough times. We wanted to be able to have another solution and maybe have a positive charge to the negative on the parking citations,” said police Sgt. Tammy Thacker. The city has received tons of donations since announcing the program on a Facebook post, she said. “We did have several people that have called in and donated food without (having) parking citations,” Thacker told CNN.

What a Texas Plumber Faces Now: A State Full of Burst Pipes (NYT) Randy Calazans is one of the hottest commodities in Texas right now. He’s a plumber. The winter weather nightmare that swept through the state last week cut off power and heat to millions of homes that were never designed for frigid temperatures. Up and down the state, people were driven from their homes, or came back to find them badly damaged, by pipes and valves and tanks that froze and burst. So when the snow started to defrost and the sun made a coveted return, plumbers were suddenly like roofers after a hurricane: Everybody seemed to need one, all at once. At One Call Plumbing, the plumbing business where Mr. Calazans works, employees have been answering the phones nonstop in a small office with sprawling maps of Houston on the walls. The owner, Edgar Connery, said he had been in the business for nearly 40 years and had never seen a crush like this after other natural disasters. Some other companies had gotten so swamped that they stopped answering the phone at all. With power largely restored and temperatures back to the more seasonable 60s and 70s, Texans continued to grapple on Sunday with the state’s continuing water crisis. Some reservoirs in the state were refilling again after nearly being drained by all of the burst water mains, leaking pipes, and faucets that were left running to keep from freezing.

Shops, haircuts return in April as UK lifts lockdown slowly (AP) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a slow easing of one of Europe’s strictest pandemic lockdowns on Monday, saying children will return to class and people will be able to meet a friend outside for coffee in two weeks’ time. But those longing for a haircut, a restaurant meal or a pint in a pub have almost two months to wait, and people won’t be able to hug loved ones that they don’t live with until May at the earliest. Britain has had Europe’s deadliest coronavirus outbreak, with more than 120,000 deaths. Faced with a dominant virus variant that scientists say is both more transmissible and more deadly than the original virus, the country has spent much of the winter under a tight lockdown. Bars, restaurants, gyms, schools, hair salons and nonessential shops are closed, people are urged not to travel out of their local area and foreign holidays are illegal.

China calls for reset in Sino-U.S. relations (Reuters) Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said on Monday the United States and China could work together on issues like climate change and the coronavirus pandemic if they repaired their damaged bilateral relationship. Wang, a Chinese state councillor and foreign minister, said Beijing stood ready to reopen constructive dialogue with Washington after relations between the two countries sank to their lowest in decades under former president Donald Trump. Wang called on Washington to remove tariffs on Chinese goods and abandon what he said was an irrational suppression of the Chinese tech sector, steps he said would create the “necessary conditions” for cooperation. Before Wang spoke at a forum sponsored by the foreign ministry, officials played footage of the “ping-pong diplomacy” of 1972 when an exchange of table tennis players cleared the way for then U.S. President Richard Nixon to visit China. Wang urged Washington to respect China’s core interests, stop “smearing” the ruling Communist Party, stop interfering in Beijing’s internal affairs and stop “conniving” with separatist forces for Taiwan’s independence.

Myanmar grinds to a halt as hundreds of thousands strike against military coup (Washington Post) Bank tellers, cooks, grocery workers and hundreds of thousands of others in Myanmar answered a call for a general strike on Monday to protest the military coup, bringing cities to a standstill despite fears of a violent crackdown. The show of defiance was the largest and most coordinated since the military seized power on Feb. 1, and it came against the backdrop of official warnings of bloodshed. Protesters hoped to send a signal that they will not accept military rule and are willing to cripple the economy and risk death to achieve democracy. Killings of protesters “can happen anytime in Yangon, but we have to keep doing what we should do, even if the soldiers are ready to shoot us,” said Thura Zaw, a 32-year-old resident. “Under the military dictatorship, no one is safe whether you take to the streets or sit at home, so we chose to voice our objection rather than staying silent.” Resistance has been building since the armed forces ousted Myanmar’s elected government three weeks ago, returning the country to direct military rule after a decade-long quasi-democratic experiment. Since then, the military has detained more than 400 people, including civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and ousted Myanmar president Win Myint, charging them with minor infractions to keep them locked up.

Six months after massive Beirut explosion, official investigation has been upended (Washington Post) The Lebanese judge leading the investigation into the August explosion that tore through Beirut had set his sights on the caretaker prime minister and three former ministers, charging them with negligence for ignoring the highly combustible material stored for six years on the waterfront. But when two of the former ministers filed a complaint, alleging Judge Fadi Sawan had demonstrated a lack of neutrality by charging prominent figures to appease the public, he was dropped last week from the case. More than six months after the explosion, which killed more than 200 people, injured more than 7,500 others and devastated large portions of the capital, the official investigation is struggling to break through Lebanon’s culture of corruption and political influence to hold anyone of consequence accountable.

Deals For Doses (NYT) The official story given for last week’s release of a young Israeli woman being held in Syria was that it was a straight prisoner swap, with Israel releasing two Syrian shepherds it had been detaining. That wasn’t the whole story, however. Pursuant to a ‘secret’ deal negotiated by Russia, Israel also agreed to pay Moscow to send enough Russian-made Sputnik V coronavirus vaccines to Syria to inoculate nearly half that country’s population. The Israeli government declined to comment on the vaccine part of the deal, while the Syrian Arab News Agency denied that vaccines were ever part of the arrangement. Even so, the story highlights how vaccines are increasingly becoming part of international diplomacy. It also reflects the vast and growing disparity between wealthy countries like Israel that have made considerable headway with coronavirus vaccines and could soon return to a kind of normalcy, and poor ones like Syria that have not.

Oil spill leads Israel to close beaches (CNN) Israeli authorities are trying to locate the source of a suspected oil spill that has been described as one of the most severe ecological disasters to hit the country, threatening wildlife, forcing beaches to close and prompting a mass cleanup. Blobs of sticky tar started washing up on the country’s Mediterranean shores last week. Images posted on official government accounts showed sea birds and turtles covered in tar and sticky oil. “The enormous amounts of tar emitted in recent days to the shores of Israel from south to north caused one of the most severe ecological disasters to hit Israel,” the country’s Nature and Parks Authority said Sunday. The extent of the pollution is so bad, Israel’s Ministry of Interior issued an advisory Sunday urging people to stay away from the country’s beaches. A massive cleanup is underway but the Nature and Parks Authority said it would take a long time to make the marine area safe again.

Dozens of Boeing 777 planes grounded in US and Japan after engine failure (The Verge) Airlines in Japan and the US have grounded dozens of Boeing 777 aircraft after the dramatic engine failure that United Airlines flight 328 experienced over Denver this weekend. According to the National Transportation Safety Board’s ongoing investigation, two fan blades on the plane’s number 2 engine had developed fractures. The Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency airworthiness directive that requires “immediate or stepped-up inspections of Boeing 777 airplanes equipped with certain Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines.” The administration noted that this was likely to result in aircraft being removed from service. Boeing has also told airlines to stop flying planes equipped with the engine, according to The Wall Street Journal. “We reviewed all available safety data following yesterday’s incident,” FAA administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement. “Based on the initial information, we concluded that the inspection interval should be stepped up for the hollow fan blades that are unique to this model of engine, used solely on Boeing 777 airplanes.”

[astorytellerforthatgirl]

Bonding with “Ate Santa Claus”: A Maine’s Fan Generous Heart

I am a former silent fangirl of Maine since 2016 until she released the Open Letter. Recently around 3rd week of January 2018, I decided to be vocal about my support for Maine. Fangirling online is not a new thing for me so I am already familiar how to be objective, positive, and happy with my words. Rule of thumb is “Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate.” It worked for me all the times so I applied it as well here for the fandom of Maine. 

I started tweeting first and I created this dedicated fangirl blog entry for Maine. Few fans immediately appreciate my written works for the Phenomenal Star. What warms my heart is the joy and gratitude I am feeling whenever I write about Maine are the emotions they felt too when they read my blog entries or tweets. I continued doing this regardless of how varied my ideas are and how sudden these topics crossed my mind. When a writer like me is not silenced by my thought and heart, it means I have to write it down. Hence, this Tumblr blog becomes the platform for all the things I want to say about Maine.

Almost a month after I am vocal about my support for Maine, an unexpected DM (direct message) in Twitter caught me by surprise. A fan of Maine randomly sent this message:

“Hello ganda good morning, I saw your post, dont get offended ha but I wanted to give you a gift sana. A Microsoft tablet RT, with detachable keyboard. Ung specs nia oarang ipad 4th generation. Its a refurbished unit :).. natutuwa kasi ako how you love Meng so much.” [sic]

I did not know what to say. Even if I wanted to doubt, my gut feeling is loudly telling me she has a pure intention in giving that gift. Since I know how to read people’s aura either through words or pictures, it’s easier for me to separate the those with sincere intentions from a bogus. It’s a skill developed by keen and observant writers since I get inspiration from anything or anyone for my writing and not just what I feel. 

I simply know I can trust her.

She sent the DM last 3rd of Feb, 2018 through my only Twitter account (@rj1421). She offered me if she can send the tablet via shipping or we can meet personally. I chose the latter because when she said she’s an OFW working in an Asian country, I know how costly the shipping fee for a letter alone on international borders so how much more for a tablet. She said she will come home to her family soon and we can meet in that time. I agreed to her suggestion.

March 10, 2018 was the designated date for meeting Ate Santa Claus. I need to use a pseudonym to respect her wishes of staying anonymous. I was excited for that day because it will be the first time for me to have a cafe bonding with a fan of Maine. I want to hear her stories too.

She is very concerned about me. Ate Santa Claus keeps on sending me reminders about the security protocol of her AirBnB accommodation. On the day itself, she texted me to say that I must notify her if I am already nearby. She stayed nearby the busy district of Timog Avenue and Tomas Morato. I grabbed the chance to take a picture of Bahay ni Kuya. Also I hoped I can see the boutique of Francis Libiran (renowned designer of Maine’s majestic princess-like gown in Tamang Panahon) as I went there. I didn’t know it was a private compound and appointments should be held first. Few more minutes after, I reach the accommodation where Ate Santa Claus stays.

As soon as I saw her, I immediately thought she is around my age. I’m around late 20s. I was surprised when she said she’s way older than my guess. She has a youthful vibe. And to use my mama’s words in observing people, “maaliwalas ang bukas ng mukha niya.” I felt comfortable in an instant because of her warm and sincere aura. I just knew it but it is more than just the smiles, a genuine character simply exudes an authentic aura.

We sat down in Coffee Bean to have more bonding time. I wanted to pay for my order but she told me she will take care of it. I did not feel meeting  fan for the first time. What I felt in that moment is my own Ate came home to check on me. She is very caring even if she is not that much expressive.

I love our discussion about Maine. We are on the same page that Maine is the first Filipino mainstream celebrity we admire. Like me, she is also admires volleyball personalities. She shared her own story into which she said that she is thankful Maine reminded her that sometimes, we need to take care and decide for ourselves first. We cannot prioritize other things and people to the extent we are losing ourselves or we are just settling for mediocrity. 

This story is about how she made a brave decision that I am sure most girls will not do. Ate Santa Claus told me she ended a long-time relationship. It is so long that you can round off the number to 10. She felt they are not growing anymore because as she continues to aim for new goals and development, they guy is complacent and settled with what he has for the past years. The guy even told her that she changed completely. I respect how she told me change is inevitable and what we can do instead is to change for good. They separated on a good note as the guy respected her decision too. Ate Santa Claus is already within the supposed marrying age that Filipino culture suggests but there she is, telling me she will not settle for less and with hesitations in her heart despite how long they have been together and even if their families from both sides are ready anytime for their big announcement. My respect for her deepen. 

Another thing I admire about Ate Santa Claus is how much she loves her family. Like me, she wants to support her family in every possible way especially finances. Her heart is so huge that she did not mind allocating her salary for them and just keeping less for herself. OFWs really have a special spot in their hearts for their families. She wants to help them for as long as she can. I told her in the Bible, children who honors and respects their parents are favored and blessed by God.

To add more reminders from her, she told she wants to live her life to the fullest. This is why she balances her work and life experience. From time to time, she travels to different places. She is a wanderlust by heart. I was so amazed with all the local and international destinations she has been. She immersed in their culture too as she travels to connect more to the experiences more than what tourists want to do. 

As our discussion went back to Maine, she told me that FUNgirling (haha sorry for the pun) should be FUN. It must not be stressful or problematic. We already have our own personal challenges and we should not add up the negativity to it. I laughed with her when she told me funny anecdotes about her fangirling to Maine. She told me she is not the type to socialize but here she is, inviting a Maine core fan group to practice a dance number in her airbnb accommodation for a fan-organized party. She invited me too to her place itself and I saw there the Maine fan core group cheering for Maine in ACTually. They were very, very nice too and it felt like a college reunion for me. As I was going home, two of them even accompanied me to the elevator. Little did I know that as soon as Maine herself thanked the SMU for their exclusive party for Maine, Ate Santa Clause with her Maine fan core group also celebrated there. I was like “Hala ate ang cuuuuute!! Dun pala yun pinapractice nila!! They need to wait first for Maine’s post before Ate Santa Claus can tell me it was for that party which they are practicing for. 

Same like Santa Claus, I don’t like going to a crowd or a huge audience but she told me she just went to Broadway to see Maine, much to the laughter of her mom. haha! And recently she just shared how happy and worth it to be a part of the SMU birthday bash for Maine. Out of our love for Maine, we really do things we do not usually do before. Ganun talaga kapag pinahahalagahan mo. I love hearing all those stories about Maine from a fan whom I first met.

She grabbed the tablet and taught me the basics like how to detach the keyboard and how to use its stand. I am still amazed with this gift. Yes I know she is well off but as what I told Ate Santa Claus, not all those with the capacity to give has the willingness to give. Here she is, giving me the tablet wholeheartedly.

Sabi ko, “Ate how can I repay you?” She smiled, and said “Pay it forward”

I felt my tears forming at that moment. Thankfully my over-sized eyeglasses can cover my eyes. She has advocacy too and she wants me to continue doing my passion such as writing. In time, as she said, I will be able to help other people too. I planted her words in my heart so when the time comes I fell down again from failures and rejections, her words will be one of God’s assurance to remember my purpose. 

I will never forget that day for sure. Two strangers become sisters because God used Maine to be our bridge. So this is how it feels like when huge core fan group becomes united that despite of the diversity, we can be one.

Ate Santa Claus. as soon as you read this blog entry, you may have already been back as an OFW. Thank you so much for sharing your personal and fangirling stories with me. 

Just like you Ate Santa Claus, I will propel too in my career and passion as I support my family and strengthen my faith in God. And yes, I will continue reinforcing how much we all love Maine through God’s gift of storytelling in my heart, be it in creative writing or public speaking. Thank you po ulit from me, a happy kiddo RJ, your new little sister!

As for you Maine, look at what you have done. :) You become an instrument to remind us of the wonderful things Life has for us and to be always thankful to the Great Provider above. Thank you and God bless!

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[justsomeantifas]

Here’s your dose of “What the Fuck Is Going On” news (April 24th 2017 - April 25th 2017)

The House oversight panel said that Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn not properly disclosing payments from Russia may have broken the law. "I see no data to support the notion that Gen. Flynn complied with the law," House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz said. Security clearance states that knowingly leaving off payments from foreign governments is a felony punishable with up to five years in prison but it's unknown if Flynn will face charges. (source)

Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper are both going to testify before the House Intelligence Committee as part of ongoing investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. U.S. intelligence has already concluded that Russia attempted to help Trump win the election, these upcoming investigations examine what Russia did exactly and if the Trump campaign was involved.. Yates and Clapper are scheduled to appear before the House committee on May 8. (source)

A federal judge has blocked Trump’s directive seeking to deny federal funding to “sanctuary cities.” San Francisco-based Judge William Orrick issued the preliminary injunction and cited public comments from Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions as his reason for the block. He says that their comments to the public have shown the order intended to sweep more broadly than allowed by federal law. (source)

Trump is planning to unveil the outline of a tax reform plan tomorrow (Wednesday, April 26th). Officials are declining to discuss details of the plan but they did confirm that Trump would seek to cut the corporate tax rate 15%. Trump is claiming that it will be “the biggest tax cut we’ve ever had.” (source)

Trump has backed off his demand that the border wall must receive down payment funding in the upcoming spending measure. His demands were previously causing concern that the spending measure would cause a government shutdown because the bill must be passed by Friday. The fight for funding the wall will likely come up again in September and Trump said on Twitter that he has still not changed his position on building the wall. (source) 

Dozens of republican lawmakers are asking Trump to scale back protections for people who are LGBT on order to make good on a campaign promise to protect religious liberty. Trump was considering signing an executive order in Feb. that would reverse protections that prohibit discrimination in the federal workforce and these 51 republicans are asking for him to now sign that executive order. The same religious liberty order would have also eliminated the contraceptive mandate that provides health insurance for birth control, allowed doctors to refuse to perform abortions, and sought protections for religious non-profits to be able to express political opinions without losing their tax-exempt status. White House officials are saying that a new sort of policy to protect religious liberty is in the works. (source) 

Ivanka Trump spoke at an event in Berlin, marking her first trip abroad as an official representative of the United States. At the event she was questioned about her role in the White House (which she refused to define), asked about her business ties, and about her father. During the event she called herself a feminist and spoke about her father being a champion for women, which drew boos from the audience. (source)

Last summer the Canadian government reclassified ultra-filtered milk as regular milk after Canadian dairy farmers expressed anger over ultra-filtered milk from the U.S. being imported to Canada in the same category as milk powder, which has low tariffs. Trump became aware of this issue and has now announced a new 20 percent tariff on Canadian softwood lumber imports. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is calling this “a bad week for U.S.-Canada trade relations.” (source)

The State Department has been receiving criticism after it promoted Trump's for-profit Mar-a-Lago resort. A State Department official is claiming that the intention of the article was to "inform the public about where the President has been hosting world leaders." However, the webpage had no discussion of policy and just served as a promotion for the resort. The page has been taken down. (source)

Trump and DHS Secretary John Kelly both said that DREAMers will be protected and should "rest easy." However, attorney general Jeff Sessions is saying the opposite, telling the press in regards to DREAMers that “everyone that enters the country unlawfully,” are “subject to being deported.” (source)

Mike Pence said that the U.S. will honor the refugee resettlement agreement forged with Australia despite Trump previously calling it a "dumb deal." The deal is that Australia would transfer up to 1,250 refugees currently held in offshore detention centers to the United States and in return, Australia would resettle refugees from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. (source)

Regular Fox News guest, RNC speaker, and high-profile Trump supporter, Sheriff David Clarke is in hot water as a court decided whether his jail is responsible for a man's death. Last year, Terrill Thomas was kept in a jail cell for a week straight with his water supply cut off, he died of severe dehydration. A jury will decide if there's probable cause to charge Clarke's jail with the' death of Thomas and it's possible a civil rights investigation will look into the conditions of this jail. (source)

Donald Trump Jr. and Republican candidate for the U.S. House Greg Gianforte shot prairie dogs for sport over the weekend. The outing has received some backlash - while prairie dog hunting isn't illegal, it is considered unethical considering the prairie dogs are listed as a "species of concern" for endangerment. The director of the Humane Society's Prairie Dog Coalition also explained that this is peak breeding season and pregnant, adult females are most at risk. Gianforte’s response to the Humane Society’s remarks was, “Clearly they’ve never shot a prairie dog. They don’t know how much fun it is.” (source) 

Top Trump adviser, Sebastian Gorka, stormed out of panel discussion after questions on his ties to a Nazi group. Despite literally wearing a medal of the Vitezi Rend during the inauguration and signing his Ph.D dissertation in as “Sebestyén L. v. Gorka” - “L. v.” being initials representing members of Vitézi Rend, Gorka yelled at the audience telling them it’s all fake news. (source)

Trump is expected to sign an executive order that will review the prior designations of “National Monuments" under Obama, Bush, and Clinton. The president can declare federal lands of historic of scientific value to be “National Monuments,” which then restricts the use of those lands. This includes things like the Birmingham Civil Rights District, the California coast, Stonewall Inn, and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad. The order will instruct the Interior Department to review national monument designations over the last 21 years, though it's unclear if the move is to remove protections for the newer monuments. (source)

Mexican engineers believe that the construction of the proposed Trump wall might violate a treaty governing the shared waters of the Rio Grande. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not finalized where the new wall will go but if it blocks the trans-border water movement then Mexico can, and likely will, take the case to international court. (source)

If you would like to support “What the Fuck Is Going On” news and it’s almost-daily posts you can support my Patreon, donate, or follow on Twitter. 

[aion-rsa]

The Year of Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey

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Amanda Conner tells us all about the new Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey series coming from DC.

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It is Harley Quinn’s mad, mad, mad, mad world, and now the Birds of Prey are just living in it. Such is the case with Harley Quinn And The Birds of Prey, the four-issue DC miniseries launching in Feb. 2020 from the creative team of writer/artist Amanda Conner and writer Jimmy Palmiotti.

Announced last week at New York Comic Con, the upcoming title is a sequel to Conner/Palmiotti’s four-year bestselling run on the standalone Harley Quinn book, and coincides with the release of the live-action film Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). However, the book is not tied to the movie’s plot. Instead, it is a 32-page DC Black Label book for ages 17 and older, a “mature readers” approach that’s similar to the Harley Quinn animated series on the DC Universe, which debuts next month.

Conner and Palmiotti’s work has made the largest impact on Harley since she was first introduced in 1993’s Batman: The Animated Series (co-created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm). Over the years, she has evolved into an antihero who escaped the abusive relationship and emerged from the character shadow of the Joker.  Set in both Gotham City and Harley’s adopted home of Coney Island, the miniseries sees Harley moving on with her life when she learns her psychotic ex has placed a $10 million bounty on her head -- causing Gotham’s nastiest rogues to hunt her down. Enlisting the help of Black Canary, Cassandra Cain (aka Batgirl), Renee Montoya, and the Huntress, Harley and these Birds of Prey will flock together to find out why the Clown Prince of Crime is out to get Ms. Quinn.

“She's really gotten on the Joker's nerves,” Palmiotti told Den of Geek. “He's not in a place to take her down, and he does a lot of manipulating to get everyone in Arkham pretty much after her.” Although he adds the miniseries, which is still being written, will step “outside the outline.”

Following the NYCC announcement of the new book, Amanda Conner joined Den of Geek for a chat to discuss the joy of returning to the mad world of Harley Quinn.

Den of Geek: How has Harley evolved since you last wrote her?

Amanda Conner: What I'm glad about is that everybody has grasped the theme of Harley going out on her own, being a free girl, not being beholden to the Joker and other people of Gotham or Batman. They're still in her universe, but she's not being bossed around by them or being emotionally whipped by them. And this book is just going to be her discovering a new set of people to torment and torture and vex.

How did these characters that are already established, and independent in their own right, work with Harley? Is Harley the leader of the Birds of Prey now?

She's not so much a leader, but a black hole that pulls people into her gravitational well. People get sucked into her world, whether they like it or not. It is not so much a leader thing; she just sort of sucks you in, and you can't really help it. That's how she's going to be involved with the Birds of Prey.

What character is most interesting for Harley to bounce off of? When I was looking at this lineup, I couldn't decide who I was most excited to see -- probably Montoya, because of law and order versus chaos.

At first, I was thinking it was going to be Montoya, but now I'm starting to think that Cassandra is going to be a little bit more of an interesting foil for Harley. Usually Harley is the one that drives everybody nuts, but Cass is going to drive Harley a little bit nuts, so that'll be a nice shift. It is going to be interesting to see how the two of them work together -- or don't work together.

read more: What Tom King's Final Batman Issues Would Have Been About

Your artwork impacted the look of Harley so much, and introduced now-iconic looks. So have you made additional tweaks to the character designs?

We're going to do more of Harley changing up her costume. That's one of the things that we introduced we didn't realize was going to be so successful: Harley changing it up all the time. You could change her costume, and you can always reckon, "Oh, that's Harley and she's wearing this outfit." She's just instantly recognizable so she can get away with that. And, I always say this at panels, "What girl do you know that has one outfit in their closet?"

Can you say anything about those updates?

You know what, I can't because I haven't started drawing it yet! But Jimmy and I were just talking about it in a very, very long taxi ride (it was like the forever-to-go-one-mile taxi ride to the con).

Speaking of Jimmy, even though it hasn’t been that long since you stepped away from Harley in 2018, has it been easy to slip back into that world?

Yeah, it is. Because she's such a fun character. I thought it was going to be hard for me to change gears, but it's like a gear that I could just slip right into very easily. There's two DC characters that they're like comfortable slippers to me, and Harley is one of them.

How prominent of a role will Harley’s girlfriend Ivy be in the book?

We're not sure yet, but yeah, we're going to put her in.

When we have this new Harley limited series coming out, and we have the animated series, and then the live-action movie coming up -- and then we'll have another Suicide Squad movie down the road. How do you think this much Harley is going to impact pop culture as a whole?

It feels like it's going to be the year of Harley. I can't predict, but it certainly feels like it's going to be the year of Harley. People aren't going to not love that cartoon, that cartoon's great. It's really good. I think people are going to love the Birds of Prey movie.

read more: New DC Universe Timeline Revealed

But why does she translate so well across media?

She's a great character. You have movies that have superhero characters in them, and some of them are so iconic that they can't show their imperfections, or you can't take them out of their very strict personalities. But, with Harley, you can do that. You can pretty much do anything with her. I think it's going to free up superhero movies and all sorts of media in a way that it hasn't been done before, and I think it's going to be really good to see female characters. Usually we see them, they're sort of bunched in with a group, the superhero group. But with Harley Quinn now, she's still in a group, but it's with a bunch of female superheroes. Or semi-heroes.

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

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Interview Aaron Sagers

Oct 9, 2019

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Harley Quinn

Birds Of Prey

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NYCC 2019

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[honooblze]

Why JP&CH yoi fans are hating Kubo? Does Kubo love yuuri/victuuri?

Read an article on a Chinese apps about yoi production team and Kubo sensei discriminate and hate yuuri katsuki and victuuri. In order to praise her beloved yurio and his ships(otabek x yurio, Victor x yurio), Kubo sensei has mocked and criticized on yuuri katsuki not only once since early 2017. People from Japan and Chinese community are guessing the official yoi is trying to change the protagonist to yurio.

Disclaimer: I am just trying my best to translate this article into English. I didn't write or own this article. I did asked for permission to translate. I am sorry if this sounds strange to you. Apologize on my shitty English. But Japanese and Chinese yoi fans are not quite happy with Kubo and official yoi lately. For a better insight of this issue you can go to some Japanese/Chinese/Taiwanese yoi community.

Original text:

http://madaopeinifangfei.lofter.com/post/1e8a4380_fd952f1

Why am i writing this, i have says it on my weibo (chinese facebook)

the relationship between production team and fans is not simply giving and receiving. it is materialistic. we are communicating through money. However, not every production team is smart enough to take response from fans. if you only receiving from what they give you, the result may not be pretty.

i am not bragging about yoi fans and i am not trying to play smart. in this case, we are all victims.

luckily japanese yoi fans are trying their very best since april 2017. in my opinion, yoi production team is listening to fans’ opinions. however i cant promise you all that the production team will listen to your comments and thoughts and give you the ideal yoi film or season 2. if the production team is listening to our opinions, why cant we bargain with them?

10th feb

during allnight boardcasting, kubo sensei mentions about dvd and bluray bonus, “do you want to see yurio skate?” “this comic will make yuri’s angel very happy.”

3rd april

animate releases the designed of yoi storage box which drawn by kubo sensei

the picture of victor and yuuri’s figure skating practice is in the draft. however it has disappeared from the finalized design.

10th april

pash magazine may vol. is released. yoi content is about Sayo Yamamoto interview, she mentions, “(vol.6 first press and all vol. bonus) this will make yurio and otabek fans really happy and delighted. the quality of yurio’s figure skating performance is the 2nd best! (the best will be stammi vincino)”

 Sayo Yamamoto promises “all victor in vol. 6 will be perfect and flawless” (which is “true”)

at the same time   Sayo Yamamoto says in vol 6 there will be some slight changes which make the relationship between each character change.   Sayo Yamamoto’s interview had brought some discussions and fights among yoi fandom. his speech implies in vol.6 there will be no full version of victuuri’s stammi vicino. this makes many yoi fans hesitate to order vol.6

moreover, in this promotion interview, yuuri katsuki’s name is NEVER MENTIONED

on the same day

yoi official twitter announces vol.6 first press bonus

it is obvious that the last first press bonus is yurio’s welcome to the madness and complete vol. bonus comic, it hints kubo sensei will be the author of the bonus comic and the comic will be about yurio and his figure skating performance.

10th-16th april

yoi official twitter deletes yurio’s figure skating performance twitter as top post

16th april

da vinci news reports yoi vol.6, the title is “yoi first press bonus makes fan excited, must order” this report is not quite reporting the real situation, because of this yahoo news, some fans are questioning on the official yoi

24th april

yoi official twitter posts the cover of vol.6, and says the bonus will include stammi vicino  with no subtitle version.

29th april

announce there will be yoi film

16t may

postpone the release date of the setting art book for the third time, and post a picture titled “prize giving ceremony”. in this picture

-the height difference between victuuri is strange

-victuuri are not wearing their rings and victor is wearing his gloves which contradict with GPF ceremony in the last episode of yoi

-yurio’s facial expression is so different from the anime

-yurio’s shoes have some miskates

-JJ is missing (he is the second runner up)

-there are shades on victuuri’ faces

people are pointing out these strange elements and mistakes from this picture. the illustrator of this picture says on his own twitter he had drawn victuuri’s rings but the publisher take them off with “some reasons”

17th may

the illustrator of GPF ceremony closes his twitter (says he closed it on 16th may)

the fusosha (a japanese publisher) changes the title of this picture to “off shot after GPF prize giving ceremony” however this cannot explain to victuuri’ fans why the hell yurio is standing in the middle. fans are criticizing yoi again.

at the same time, in the description of animate’s setting art book bonus, it was still GPF prize giving ceremony

18th may

illustrator of GPF ceremony says this picture is all about yurio’s smile. he drew this because of his smile. his attitude makes yoi fans angry because he wants to push the responsibility to victuuri’s fans.

21st may

an otayuri fan suggests fans go to a japanese book shop to get otayuri “magazine” on twitter. yoi fans says this magazine might be complete vol bonus comic and she immediately deletes her twitter account.

22nd may

in late night, this fan changes her profile picture to victuuri’s beach scene in episode 4, and she apologized about her bonus comic tweet.

at around 1 am, yoi fans question her motivation in changing her profile picture to victuuri. then she deletes her profile picture.

8pm, official yoi and animega apologize on their official twitter, due to some misunderstanding, staffs mistakenly send out 11 copies of complete vol bonus comic.

after 23rd may

suddenly there are many posts which criticize on victuuri’s fans hate content of first press bonus, also there are many posts criticize on the scandals of official yoi.

25th may

because of that otayuri fan, people realize there are not many victuuri in the bonus comic. fans are spreading this news all over the internet. also, yurio’s personality is so different in the comic compare to the anime, it is wired that victor as the coach allow yuuri lifts himup and victuuri are not wearing their rings, etc. these strange content make fans so confused and puzzled.

some fans points out that kubo sensei in the appendix commentary says yuuri doesnt have any friend in front of yuuri’s cv(voice actor), this make yuuri’s cv and yurio’s cv so embarrassed and dead air for a long time. at last yuuri’s cv tries his best to end this awkward situation. also kubo sensei is not looking happy throughout the whole commentary. the only time she is excited is when victor is holding yurio in his arms. her attitude makes fans question about her interest on yoi. gradually, kubo sensei shows her hatred to yuuri(and yuuri’s cv and victor). her hatred(or i will say anti-yuuri and anti-victuuri) makes yoi fans discomfortable and angry. many fans are hoping and telling kubo sensei to quit yoi production team. at the same time fans are questioning if kubo sensei truly creates yoi.

at last in the appendix art book, the age of all characters are not available. otabek and yurio as teenage are performing slightly inappropriate are making some fans feel disgust and disapproval.

26th may

release date of vol6, official yoi twitter is not excited

in the evening, the news of Hiramatsu Tadashi’s illustration for ost makes the official yoi twitter excited. according to yoi fans, like and share of Hiramatsu Tadashi’s illustration tweet is 2 times of release vol6 tweet

…………………………………….

this girl and her friends had analyze why the official yoi is sort of hating yuuri and victuuri because of changing sponsorship.  she did not include any screencapture of the above incidents.

I love yoi since october 2016, i love yuuri at the very first episode when he is crying in the bathroom. I have bought tons of magazines about yoi and whole set of yoi bluray. in my opinion, i can sense kubo sensei is not that into yuuri at the very beginning but i never question about it because hey, i dont wanna argue with anyone. it is obvious that kubo sensei likes victor and yurio. just look at her twitter.

i am not saying that this is the truth. but i translate this girl’s article just want to raise your awareness on victuuri and yoi. to be honest, both japanese and chinese yoi fans are not quite happy recently because of the official yoi’s attitude. many great fanart artists and fanfic writers abandon yoi because of kubo sensei’s attitude and ofiicial yoi’s attitude.

if yurio is going to be the protagonist and have all the attention and be the central uke.i will not watch season 2/film. i will not support this yuri on ice and please kubo go away. if you dont even like yuuri katsuki. let hiramatsu sensei do the work. at least he respects all the fans and the characters. besides the official yoi disgusts many of us that they are trying to make yoi yaoi but then they deny this anime is yaoi or what so ever. its like telling you 1+1 is 2, when you learn that then slap you in the face saying this is wrong. i dont mind the production team wants more money from yoi but like listen to what fans want please.

we want victuuri. victuuri is the reason for us to watch yoi and love yoi(or figure skating if you like). if you think yurio can make you gain such a profit/success? go ahead because we only need one tsundere protagonist in anime which is ritsu onodera.

[digital-strategy]

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New Coke, the soft drink that drew a nationwide backlash in 1985, is back. And the credit, or blame, for the return of Coca-Cola’s greatest folly goes to Netflix.

A limited supply of the vintage beverage will be available starting on Thursday as part of a robust promotional campaign related to the coming season of “Stranger Things,” the supernatural thriller set in the 1980s.

Netflix, which has 149 million paid subscribers worldwide, is starting to ramp up its corporate partnerships and merchandising deals. The strategy gives the streaming service a way to market its wares and generate a new revenue stream that doesn’t involve interrupting its shows with commercials. Unlike its competitor Hulu, Netflix is commercial free, although it has included product placement — sometimes paid, sometimes not — on its series and films.

The revival of New Coke comes as part of a large-scale marketing effort of the kind usually associated with summertime blockbusters. Netflix said it had teamed up with about 75 companies, including Baskin-Robbins, Levi’s and H&M Group, to draw attention to “Stranger Things.”

Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of the show, said the New Coke tie-in came about naturally, given that the coming season, available July 4, takes place in summer 1985. That was when the Coca-Cola Company was fending off the unexpected negative reaction to the sweeter, smoother version of its flagship beverage, a reaction that included boycotts, letter-writing campaigns and thousands of phone calls to its Atlanta headquarters.

“New Coke was always going to play a role this season,” the Duffer Brothers, as they are listed in the credits, said in a joint email interview. “It was one of the first ideas in our Season 3 brainstorm. It was the summer of ’85, and when you talk about pop culture moments, New Coke was a really big deal. It would have been more bizarre to not include it.”

The Duffers, 35-year-old twins, said Netflix first proposed the New Coke tie-in, but they may have thought it up themselves, however inadvertently. Barry Smyth, Netflix’s head of partnership marketing, said the idea first came up during a meeting in 2017 between the show’s creators and Netflix executives.

“We asked the question, ‘What would really blow it out of the water for this campaign?’” Mr. Smyth recalled. “They jokingly said, ‘Bring back New Coke.’ They thought it was a joke. We took it as a brief.”

Image

In summer 1985, New Coke inspired an unexpected backlash that included letter-writing campaigns and thousands of phone calls to Coca-Cola headquarters.CreditTodd Gipstein/Corbis, via Getty Images

Although Coca-Cola executives have acknowledged that New Coke was a debacle, they said yes to the proposal. The company had to dig up the recipe from its archives and said it would make 500,000 cans of New Coke available on its website and in some vending machines.

The association with an oddity of ’80s consumer culture is on-brand for a show known for stirring nostalgia among viewers who grew up in the Reagan years. Even its visual language owes a debt to Steven Spielberg’s “E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and other ’80s films.

The story and mood of the series also bears the influence of Stephen King — who has defended the practice of including brand names in his fiction — and the show’s title sequence has a look inspired by the King paperbacks that were all but inescapable during the decade.

Many props on “Stranger Things” recall the era, too. One of its young protagonists carries a Trapper Keeper notebook, a onetime status symbol of school hallways; another character keeps a He-Man action figure, a popular ’80s toy, in his room. The throwback mood has been heightened by the soundtrack’s inclusions of Toto’s “Africa” and the Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go.”

In another deal meant to play up the show’s retro appeal, H&M will offer a line of ’80s-style T-shirts, swimsuits, visors and flip-flops. Some are branded with the “Stranger Things” logo; others replicate clothing worn by the show’s characters. The collection will be accompanied by an ad campaign featuring Dacre Montgomery, who plays the villainous Billy Hargrove on the show.

The Baskin-Robbins tie-in is likely to introduce new flavors that, among other things, reference Scoops Ahoy, the ice cream parlor featured on the show. “I’ve been at Baskin for 15 years, and this is by far the biggest partnership we’ve ever done,” said Dave Nagel, the company’s senior director for consumer engagement.

The return of New Coke is perhaps the most surprising and nostalgia-inducing element of the campaign. The almost forgotten artifact belonged to a predigital time of fewer entertainment options, with network TV still dominant, and fewer soda varieties, too.

Nowadays Coca-Cola has many spinoffs, including obscurities like Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Vanilla and Diet Coke Blueberry Acai. In 1985, there was Cherry Coke, introduced that year to a positive reaction, and Diet Coke. And from late April into July, New Coke was the only drink to go under the name Coca-Cola or Coke. (The official name was Coca-Cola or Coke, and the word “new” was featured on cans.)

The backlash to the sweeter concoction was as intense as it was unexpected. “It’s a taste tragedy,” a Florida man named Robert Hester told The New York Times, summing up the mood of cola purists of the day. In Beverly Hills, Calif., a wine shop sold the former version of Coca-Cola at triple the usual price.

Image

Matt Duffer, left, and his twin brother, Ross, the creators of “Stranger Things.” They said the New Coke tie-in came about naturally, given when the show’s coming season takes place.CreditAlberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

With an about-face announcement on July 11, the company brought back the original under the name Coca-Cola Classic, and the two types existed side by side for the remainder of the decade. After taking on the name Coke II, the reformulated drink lasted until 2002, when it was quietly pulled from shelves. The original formula had won out, but the “Classic” tag didn’t fall away from cans and bottles until 2009.

The Duffers featured brand-name products in the first two seasons of “Stranger Things,” with Kellogg’s Eggo waffles and Kentucky Fried Chicken having prominent roles. Netflix said the two companies did not pay anything to appear on the program.

For the show’s creators, the association with brand-name products helps give “Stranger Things” the feel of their favorite ’80s movies.

“When we were kids, we were obsessed with those self-lacing Nikes in ‘Back to the Future Part II,’ and, of course, we loved that Elliott baited E. T. with Reese’s Pieces!” the Duffers said. “When we were kids, that simply made Elliott more relatable, more ordinary, more like us.”

With Coca-Cola and Netflix poised to benefit from the deal they have struck, representatives of both companies said no money was changing hands. Netflix added that many of its other brand partnerships, including with Baskin-Robbins, would not generate revenue, although the streaming service will get a cut of “Stranger Things”-branded clothing and merchandise.

Any money the company brings in from the arrangements isn’t as important as “fueling the fandom,” said Christie Fleischer, Netflix’s vice president for consumer products.

“I do believe the marketing value and the fan engagement will far outweigh what the revenue will look like,” she added.

Relationships with outside companies seem likely to become a trend for Netflix. The producer Shonda Rhimes, who has a nine-figure, multiyear contract with Netflix, expressed an interest in “product integration” during an interview with The New York Times last year.

The Duffers said none of the marketing deals meant to hype their show would add to their bank accounts. “We’re not getting a revenue cut from any of this,” they said. “The hope is that it just gets the show more exposure. There are countries and regions where we’re still trying to break though, and we think this new marketing strategy will make a big difference.”

The arrangement did lead to a paid side gig: The Duffers directed a Coke commercial to be shown in movie theaters starting this weekend. And they pledged that their show would stay true to the brand, saying, “We did tell our production designer to make sure we never saw any Pepsi!”

Running Scared: Network TV in the Streaming Age

May 18, 2019

Donald R. Keough, Who Led Coca-Cola Through New Coke Debacle, Dies at 88

Feb. 24, 2015

Shonda Rhimes Describes Her Grand Netflix Ambitions

July 20, 2018

via The New York Times

[jobsearchtips02]

Coronavirus live updates: AstraZeneca approached Gilead about a potential merger

White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci has said the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. appears to be going in “the right direction” despite a few “blips.” New York saw its lowest daily death toll in eight weeks on Thursday and the number of daily deaths related to Covid-19 have been on a slow, steady decline from a high of nearly 800 people every day. 

All 50 states eased some quarantine restrictions ahead of the Memorial Day holiday on May 25, and crowds of people, some without masks, have been seen at protests in recent weeks. U.S. cases are just now starting to rise as research shows that it can take anywhere from five to 12 days for people to show symptoms from the coronavirus.

Fauci said he has “no doubt” that Americans who aren’t wearing face masks, especially in large crowds, are increasing the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

This is CNBC’s live blog covering all the latest news on the coronavirus outbreak. This blog will be updated throughout the day as the news breaks. 

Global cases: More than 6.94 million 

Global deaths: At least 400,792

U.S. cases: More than 1.92 million

U.S. deaths: At least 109,928

The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

New York to open 15 testing centers dedicated to protesters

1: 22 p.m. ET — Ahead of New York City’s reopening on Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced new coronavirus testing measures for protesters engaging in large-scale demonstrations in the city.

“We are concerned that those protests may have increased the spread of the virus,” Cuomo said at a press briefing Sunday. The city plans to open 15 testing locations dedicated to protesters.

New York City will also conduct 35,000 tests a day to monitor reopening progress, and Cuomo said there will be a lag in the data to show whether the protests have caused a spike in cases.

“I would act is if you were exposed and I would tell people you’re interacting with, ‘assume I am positive for the virus,'” Cuomo said in addressing those who have participated in protests.

Concern about protests comes as the state reported its lowest percentage of positive coronavirus tests since March 16, prior to New York closing down. Out of 60,435 tests conducted Saturday, about 1% were positive for the virus, according to Cuomo.—Hannah Miller

Italy reports 53 coronavirus deaths on Sunday

Members of the Civil Protection and Carabinieri carry a coffin of a Covid-19 dead man on April 04, 2020 in Bergamo, Italy.

Anadolu Agency

12: 26 p.m. ET — Italy reported 53 new Covid-19 deaths, compared to 72 on Saturday, the Civil Protection department said, according to a Reuters report. The total death toll since the outbreak emerged on Feb. 21 now stands at 33,899. 

Italy reported 197 new cases, down from 270 the day before. Italy now has the seventh-highest global tally with a total number of confirmed cases at 234,998, Reuters reported.

Italy lifted restrictions on inter-regional travel, as well as travel to and from other European countries last week. —Melodie Warner

Sustainable investing is set to surge in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic

11: 40 a.m. ET — The coronavirus pandemic may well prove to be a major turning point for environmental, social and governance investing as the outbreak alters society’s values.

The ESG investing approach, which evaluates a company’s environmental, social and governance ratings alongside traditional financial metrics, was already coming off a banner year, reports CNBC’s Pippa Stevens. 

So far this year, U.S.-listed sustainable funds are seeing record inflows, despite the market turmoil. And analysts and investors say that the pandemic will further prioritize investing with a conscience. 

Conscience aside, these funds are also attracting record levels of cash because they’re proving that they can offer comparable, if not market-beating, returns. 

The Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF (NULG) has returned 10% this year, for example, while the iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) — the largest of its kind with more than $7.1 billion in assets under management — has returned 0.6% year to date. The S&P 500, by comparison, is down roughly 1% for the year. —Melodie Warner

Reopened casinos implement safety measures to keep guests safe

Transparent barriers have been set up at gaming tables at Century Casino Cape Girardeau in Missouri.

Courtesy of Century Casino Cape Girardeau

10: 36 a.m. ET — Casinos reopening across the country have had to balance their guests’ desire for entertainment with safety precautions designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Nevada and Missouri allowed casinos to reopen this past week. Both massive Las Vegas resorts and smaller, local casinos have implemented measures like adding barriers between slot machines, restricting the number of people at card tables and limiting access to bars.

With guests clamoring to visit casinos, the measures have been deemed necessary for allowing customers to have fun in a safe, healthy environment. —Hannah Miller

Despite coronavirus, most travelers not buying trip insurance

9: 58 a.m. ET — More than half of Americans planning travel won’t be buying trip insurance, according to a survey by ValuePenguin. That’s despite the havoc Covid-19 lockdowns worldwide wreaked on spring and summer getaways this year.

Most of those planning and booking travel will visit family and friends, and trips may, therefore, be shorter, cheaper and less pressing to protect. But even 23% of planners buying coverage is good news for travel insurers. —Kenneth Kiesnoski

AstraZeneca approached Gilead about a potential merger

A Gilead Sciences office is shown in Foster City, California, U.S. May 1, 2018.

Stephen Lam | Reuters

9: 48 a.m. ET — UK drugmaker AstraZeneca has approached Gilead about a potential merger, a healthcare deal that would be the largest on record, sources told Bloomberg.

AstraZeneca reportedly asked Gilead last month about a merger but did not provide specifics on the transaction, according to anonymous sources.

The companies are not in formal discussions and Gilead is apparently not interested in selling or merging with another large pharmaceutical firm. An AstraZeneca spokesperson told Bloomberg that the company does not comment on “rumors or speculation.”

AstraZeneca is valued and $140 billion and Gilead, which is working on an antiviral drug called remdesivir to treat coronavirus patients, is worth $96 billion. —Emma Newburger

New York City Mayor de Blasio lifts curfew 

9: 32 a.m. ET — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city is no longer under curfew after peaceful protests on Saturday.

The city was initially put under curfew last Monday from 11: 00 p.m. to 5: 00 a.m. and has since been under an 8: 00 p.m. to 5: 00 a.m. curfew amid ongoing demonstrations over the death of George Floyd while being subdued by police officers in Minnesota last month.

“Yesterday and last night we saw the very best of our city,” the mayor wrote in a tweet. “Tomorrow we take the first big step to restart.”

De Blasio had initially said the curfew would remain in place throughout the weekend.

The city enters phase 1 of reopening on Monday after the coronavirus outbreak shut down the city in March. Some retail, construction and manufacturing businesses are authorized to reopen with under 50% occupancy and social distancing measures. Businesses like salons, gyms and restaurants will not reopen until phase 2. —Emma Newburger

More hospitals could go bankrupt until they get patients back in the door

An employee and a patient at an intensive care unit at the Republican Clinical Hospital treating patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus infection.

Yegor Aleyev | TASS | Getty Images

9: 18 a.m. ET — Hospitals across the United States are desperately trying to ramp up volume after seeing far fewer patients than usual for months.

Many hospitals canceled or delayed elective procedures in March and April to make space for Covid-19 patients. Because of that, hospitals were losing millions of dollars per day by just staying open. In April, the American Hospital Association estimated that hospitals were bleeding more than $50 billion per month.

The situation is improving as patients are starting to reschedule their procedures and overall volumes are increasing as the country reopens.

Some health systems can afford the hit, particularly if there aren’t major flareups of Covid-19 in the fall and winter that will force them to suspend normal operations again. But others won’t make it and industry experts expect to see more bankruptcies and consolidation in the months to come. —Christina Farr

Malaysia to allow interstate travel starting June 10 

9: 01 a.m. ET — Malaysia said it would reopen nearly all economic activity and allow interstate travel starting June 10, Reuters reported.

The government will ease restrictions on social, education and religious activities in phases with health guidelines in place, and businesses will be allowed to return to normal operating hours. Entertainment centers, sports that involve close contact and events involving a large gathering of people will also not be allowed.

Malaysia had gradually reopened businesses over the past month with social distancing protocols, after shuttering all non-essential businesses and schools, banning public gatherings and restricting travel on March 18. —Melodie Warner

Read CNBC’s previous coronavirus live coverage here: Amazon workers sue the company; tennis star Djokovic chafes at US Open restrictions.

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from Job Search Tips https://jobsearchtips.net/coronavirus-live-updates-astrazeneca-approached-gilead-about-a-potential-merger/

[wizardinthewoods]

Discovered this little gem recently

HERE'S THE TRUTH BEHIND THE WUHAN VIRUS: Bill Gates & Barack Obama released a docuseries on Netflix called PANDEMIC in January right before the Wuhan virus was "discovered."

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/feb/05/pandemic-netflixs-new-series-about-global-outbreaks-is-eerily-timed-and-moved-me-to-tears?fbclid=IwAR1lezMr2zNRHaPtb-tz7HCYA73SDZEhqT0aJYtZWkvs4a-V05T_IUItW3w

The docuseries pushed the need for the Gates' Foundation to receive funding to carry on virus research to prevent the next PANDEMIC!

Bill Gates funded the Wuhan lab in China that released the Wuhan virus. Bill Gates' was a member of China's Academy of Sciences who built the lab and he was awarded their highest honor.

https://www.gatesfoundation.org/where-we-work/china-office

The Wuhan virus was originally developed at the University of North Carolina by NIH grants approved by the Obama administration in 2012.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/lab-made-coronavirus-triggers-debate-34502/amp?fbclid=IwAR3vqICMbumdRH0DqXz0KKuB7giCTV9jDyXS2EHEeqdcQvL5j3_wl4Icydw

The NIH defunded the UNC research in 2016 so the Communist Chinese scientists left UNC and took their work to the NEWLY BUILT Wuhan lab in 2017 - funded by Gates & pals.

The head of the Harvard Chemistry department, with ties to Gates & Epstein, was arrested for accepting bribes from the Communists.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00291-2

Did Epstein know what was coming?

The Pirbright Institute, funded by Bill Gates, owns the "patent" on the Coronavirus genetic sequencing.

https://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quick-Links/Grants-Database/Grants/2013/11/OPP1098099?fbclid=IwAR1Nwnt0Xc8rPmVWgUq744I9_GqCyfRlRY7Iq4wZbFI2AKIgG34m8kyFaOo

They did simulation testing on a global PANDEMIC in 2018.

https://www.who.int/ihr/eoc-exercise/en/

Bill Gates & Barack Obama docuseries marketed the need for a global "universal" vaccine to replace all other flu vaccines.

https://www.statnews.com/2019/08/29/gates-foundation-grants-universal-flu-vaccine/?fbclid=IwAR0x1qYY8GBkXC2cNl1iQn_meArspSIRV0xVQXNzG0B6eNzq3BsuXFq97Dc

I believe it will be designed to deliver a human chip via nanotechnology.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20093753/

They also want to tie a digital identification with vaccine records, many people believe this is the mark of the beast.

https://www.biometricupdate.com/201909/id2020-and-partners-launch-program-to-provide-digital-id-with-vaccines?fbclid=IwAR1k0KXM0hy-XfayrfL3DiE6RyMdMMfQ3on0YibEIcjpaXW_JysJ7phkNvU

12,469 people in the US died of H1N1 flu (from Mexico) under Obama in 2009, many of them children, because he waited 6 months to do anything & never closed the border.

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.beckershospitalreview.com%2Fpublic-health%2Fswine-flu-8-facts-about-the-world-s-last-pandemic-in-2009.html%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2J6ldRsdBC21g3X9JDHHQiDln-gqTVg0rULIBd5sY-DHvXXhShNlQ-In4&h=AT30-KXvbkXTEMQfEbLgODC1i654Zgwcju5cT_m46P6XMMmCevR2RJBdHOuRGDOluydPq71gyYb22SSFr-a8akEwTF84ShHRwSVrfCHkU-bm0f4lct8-XRsfjpMuzhGohr5a5OEqX-i5vGe8YicUqw0h2XYktYxU71X0ZFNBxiQA

The media said nothing about fatalities from H1N1 but is creating a huge panic around the 20 US deaths from the Wuhan virus to destroy the US economy before the election.

Over 36,000 people in the US have died from the common flu this year and the media says NOTHING about that - but is creating a huge panic around the US deaths from the Wuhan virus.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/preliminary-in-season-estimates.htm?fbclid=IwAR3SmPm3lXOmQZ_a09oGVq6CLlnKUcEDVsSN3YjQALjGt5LducVh0JQknL8

18 out of the 20 total US deaths from the Wuhan virus have come from a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington - the home area of Bill Gates Half the staff at that nursing home have been infected with Wuhan virus.

They appear to be the carriers. The nursing home draws employees from a large Chinese population across the border in Canada.

I believe Gates is placing carriers in vulnerable locations for the narrative and funding.

Right after the first deaths were reported in Bill Gates home area, the Governor declared a national emergency & Congress approved over $8 billion - even though Trump asked for only a quarter of that.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/markets.businessinsider.com/amp/news/congress-lawmakers-8-billion-funding-deal-fight-coronavirus-outbreak-2020-3-1028965749?fbclid=IwAR1C4HMAnx_qV6QqzI7v0j9c162M5mKyE3diHQxyoGf0uuPQeZU5U5ya3SE

Much of the funding will flow to Gates' global partners. Suddenly Bill Gates says his "foundation" will offer in-home testing kits where you swab your nose with a Q-Tip and send it to his labs. How convenient!

https://thenextweb.com/us/2020/03/19/bill-gates-coronavirus-testing-in-the-us-is-unorganized/?fbclid=IwAR2PKXu5Kp9tqcWFSTXJWkzZpMBja3nrODpLNoQuDbCR3i5R1w7NJ0UfnmU

19 out of the 21 who tested positive on the Princess Cruise ship were CREW MEMBERS.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-infected-crew-members-kept-on-grand-princess-cruise-ship-2020-3%3famp?fbclid=IwAR2nyfCOzMpevT1AgGkm5zhjVRcYBGwLokp5bNL6jknruLRXAwWVJACROzw

Meaning the crews are carriers and are infecting passengers. Who put them there?

The virus started in South Korea because the leaders of a "doomsday" cult went to Wuhan, China and went back and infected 8,000 of their members. Who paid them to do that?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.businessinsider.com/south-korea-tests-every-shincheonji-cult-member-coronavirus-outbreak-2020-2%3famp?fbclid=IwAR28cKlVV-bb6KCFd83hIXG7OgjMq-0YTTlOPbEMtSlh3czK5eZfejuuS88

Iran's leaders suddenly became infected after Iran's foreign leader met with John Kerry in Munich and laughed about the virus on camera. Almost like he was told to go home and create panic.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2018/05/04/kerry-quietly-seeking-salvage-iran-deal-helped-craft/2fTkGON7xvaNbO0YbHECUL/story.html%3foutputType=amp?fbclid=IwAR3ZSZ-_5MS6En78i8BjR8-tKA9MnVFoGpQGAopPKltbB-FKVc_Yy7v7nBE

All those videos out of Communist China of them disinfecting the streets, people dying on the streets and thrashing bodies - were all fake and sent out by Communist propagandists.

Real videos show Hong Kong freedom fighters being rounded up in handcuffs and sent off to the "hospital" where it's likely their organs are harvested and they are cremated.

Real videos show elderly people in Communist China trapped in buildings and left to die with no food.

Real videos show that Communist China installed major NEW surveillance cameras and technology to monitor people on the street & in their offices since the virus was released.

Real videos show the Chinese people yelling "IT'S ALL FAKE" from high rises as the Communists pretend to care for them on the streets below.

https://youtu.be/Yo81j6o97Z4

They are now forced to use an app which tells them when they can come and go and tracks their every move. How did the Communists suddenly develop this technology in a month? This was part of the plan.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.voanews.com/student-union/phone-apps-china-track-coronavirus%3famp?fbclid=IwAR2_Ej1X1tPabcwerEQ1-rMYDCOfi56ksB-q2N0cHT5MO6zjfB9vu8zjzjg

After Trump closed travel from Communist China in January, the Chinese blamed the US and threatened to hold back our pharmaceuticals unless we opened travel back up again.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/mar/17/china-threatens-restrict-critical-drug-exports-us/?fbclid=IwAR1k980aMA9G5TBPTLwJRi9hT3d0ioPU4zfTVWVRynncs7s2nUqhCzsYbrE

They didn't expect him to do that - that thwarted their plans to seed the US with more cases. I believe the virus is no more dangerous than the common cold - but has been engineered to be highly infectious and impact the elderly & sick.

Thankfully, it is NOT affecting children & young adults like pandemic flu does.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/health/coronavirus-young-people.amp.html%3f0p19G=3248?fbclid=IwAR3aZDfRqtaT5sCmINSgkH3LeJCbMm6QUWDrxBemI5jDJZYS5ZfwXFMR_UM

Bill Gates gives this company 89.1 million dollars for “research” in 2015

https://ir.novavax.com/news-releases/news-release-details/novavax-announces-grant-89-million-support-development-rsv-f?fbclid=IwAR15bWD7lDkCFoEi8TDonevHorRHf9KlYEbeEDGKQnZ2U9LWtsmbkKscnPQ

Now their stock is going up 🚀

https://www.google.com/amp/s/alphastocknews.com/novavax-nvax-stock-climbs-as-coronavirus-panic-spread/2847/amp/?fbclid=IwAR1k4ukPHLVg_5hM60xNh4UQVpWdyS9OtZj1rytdXg0q-Dv-_cqnV2Bxjzs

I believe the virus was unleashed by the Communist Party to scare people back into their homes and stop the Hong Kong & Taiwanese pro-freedom protests.

I believe the virus was unleashed by the Communists to crash the US economy, they want a digital block chain biometric economy

https://www.google.com/amp/s/cointelegraph.com/news/central-bank-officials-dlt-can-improve-the-global-financial-system/amp?fbclid=IwAR1PZ-nk4zRooeX8UJxrAJJ_0lBl7JkQTa4w0SglD893qWaDeBDWLjR4y5k

I believe the virus was unleashed to help the Communists assert global control and to cull the elderly and weak.

ALL respiratory viral outbreaks peak in March and end in April.

I believe this one too.

The SARS Coronavirus panic dropped the market 20% in March 2003, under Bush, and it came roaring back even higher by July.

Now the fake news is trying to distance Wuhan from the virus -- and so is Communist China.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/world/asia/coronavirus-china-conspiracy-theory.amp.html%3f0p19G=3248?fbclid=IwAR1RQ3AlvZXcNNxJu2Ag0kMFYVZX0UeiE8JLRUb2AY__M7BO7oj___12fTY

That means we're right over the target.

Every single one of my statements has been reported by numerous sources.

Don’t forget everyone is Pissing Round up and nobody cares

https://www.google.com/amp/s/time.com/4993877/weed-killer-roundup-levels-humans/%3famp=true?fbclid=IwAR2piahz4CtHYnynExveknikp36uEzySp5Y69i8DOp06CdFPw6sVG4lwsEA

[bffhreprise]

Entry 311

 As we approached my ancestral home, I could sense Poppy out picking apples without even dressing for the weather, so I started shielding her from the cold.  When we were within sight, I asked “Poppy, why are you picking apples?”  The silly girl was obviously needed in the Southeast drawing room.

 “M’lady!” she exclaimed in surprise, dropping the apples she held as she jumped.  Quickly curtsying, she said, “I beg your pardon, M’lady, but Cook wouldn’t believe me that there were apples...i-in… Feb...ruary.”  Toward the end of her reply, she had taken notice of James and the brilliant light shining from him and Caladfwlch.  When she finally recognized what she was seeing, she averted her eyes and knelt.

 “Yes, James has pulled the sword from the stone, hence the apples in February.” I explained.

 “Was that common in Arthur’s time?” he asked, sounding doubtful.

 Shaking my head, I said, “No.  I can only guess that Caladfwlch is making up for lost time.”

 “Er… Why’s Poppy kneeling?” he then inquired, staring at the girl.

 “Everyone knows the legends, and that sword is hard to deny.” I told him, not bothering to suppress my smile.  He was magnificent even in his annoyance.

 Sighing a touch dramatically, he said, “Can we please not go through with that notion.  I don’t have time to be a king, and I’m sure the Queen would not be amused.”

 “As you wish, my darling, but you will have to accept some etiquette for what it is.  My cousin will insist.  Adelmar’s most excited to see Caladfwlch now it’s been drawn.  His own sword isn’t as flamboyant.” I replied, still smiling at him.  Then I turned to Poppy and said, “Poppy, see if Cook can make his apple pie with some of those.  I’m sure James would enjoy a taste.”  No sense letting her misguided work go to waste.

 “Of course, my Lady.” she replied, managing to suppress her accent now that she had composed herself a little.

 Guiding James over to the door where Sebastian waited for us, I sent out a number of spells to notify my staff of my return as well as guide them to a few tasks that had escaped their notice in my absence.  Then I told Sebastian “Sebastian, we’ll be needing your key to the vault.”

 “Yes, M’lady.” he replied before walking off to fetch his key.

 “What are those spells?” questioned James as he continued watching what I was doing.

 “Just sending out a few instructions to my staff.” I explained.

 “Some sort of code?” he guessed, probably knowing what each spell would do.  They were fairly simple individually, and his knowledge had obviously grown immensely.

 Nodding and leading the way, I said, “As you are well aware, talking is not very efficient for ones such as us, so my family developed a number of systems to communicate our wishes with staff without having to state everything aloud.  Furthermore, you don’t always want company to know what’s being done around them.”

 He shrugged.  “Not anyone with whom I’d want to associate, I’m sure.” he commented.

 I sighed before telling him “There are many times I feel forced to perform business with people whose company I find undesirable, but I do my duty for the good of the many.  If we were to go around replacing every damp squib, the whole system would collapse, costing time, money, and well-being for those I’m supposed to be helping.  Yes, the ends might look to justify the means, but I cannot predict just how many lives would be lost in the chaos of such a turnover.  I…”  My thoughts were interrupted as he leaned down and kissed my head.  I gazed up at his glowing visage and found myself wondering again if fate were behind a meeting as fortuitous as ours.

 Gazing deep into my eyes, he said, “You really are overworked.  I sometimes feel bad for claiming to have no time when you still accomplish a thousand times as much as me in a day.”

 “I somehow doubt it, given that you cheat.” I replied as I smiled up at him.  He was so very tall and looked more kingly than he would ever acknowledge.

 Happily, he refrained from commenting on my staff’s response to his glowing presence as we walked through my family home.  Part of my mind wondered when his home had become mine?  Had I grown so comfortable there immediately?  Was being continually subjected to James’ magic the culprit?  I couldn’t say for certain, but that sprawling mansion of his was certainly my home now.

 Arriving before the household’s primary vault, James was obviously confused, seeing nothing more than a wall.  He was too polite to go snooping around magically, and I was certain that he could at this point had he felt inclined.  Of course, his immunity to direct attacks would allow him to casually rip open the vault if he so desired.  Part of my mind wondered if he was considering that I might have brought him here for a good snogging, but I suppressed the thought.  Sebastian was on his way, and I would not be caught doing that in front of my friends here.  The rumors would reach the village in no time.

 “Sorry for the delay, my Lady.” stated Sebastian as he pulled the key from his jacket.

 James watched as Sebastian and I went through the numerous steps to unlock the vault with mild amusement.  “Bit less secure than mine.” he teased as he examined the foot-and-a-half door.

 Sebastian looked at him in surprise.

 Laughing, I said, “Sadly, he’s not really joking.  I don’t know if anyone could break into James’ vault, myself included.”

 Sebastian’s blank gaze spoke volumes as he considered what would be needed to keep me out if I really wanted to break into a room.  When I moved to enter the key code on the drawer we came to open, he politely coughed, obviously wanting James to avert his gaze.

 “Oh.  Right.” replied James, turning away politely as if that would really matter for him.  If he paid enough attention, he could probably discern where I was touching by sound alone, not that he tended to pay that much attention…

 Realizing that Sebastian wasn’t well-informed about James, I said, “As if that would stop James anymore than the door.”  Then I entered the code.  An additional code was needed before I could pull out Caladfwlch’s sheath.

 “Excellent.  No one will notice Caladfwlch in that at all.” stated James wryly as he gazed dubiously at the sheath.

 I pointedly rolled my eyes at him before handing the sheath over.  “You would be amazed at the number of scabbards that sword destroyed before finally accepting this one.”

 “Oh?  Weren’t a good fit?” he teased.

 “The chimeras’ flame destroyed part, and the rest was apparently sliced through upon falling and bumping into the blade.”

 He casually slid the sword into its scabbard before saying, “I will admit they match well.”  Gold and silver, even as expertly crafted as the scabbard is, weren’t nearly enough to impress James, nor should they be.  His skill at crafting my ring was equal to that work, possibly surpassing it.

 “Your Majesty, this scabbard was made in part by King Arthur himself as were a number of Lady Pendreigh’s other family heirlooms.”

 “Sorry.  I meant no offense.  There’s no need to call me ‘your majesty’.  ‘James’ is perfectly fine.” insisted James after realizing he was being spoken to.

 “Care to see his spear?” I asked, smiling at my fiancé.  “Not that he made it, of course, but the weapon is something to be admired.”

 “Sure!” exclaimed James, eager to change the subject.

 He did show admiration to the spear’s design, murmuring his pleasure as he gazed upon it.  “Perhaps I made your ring in the shape of the wrong type of dragon.” he suggested, acknowledging the somewhat oriental look of Rhongomiant.

 “No.” I told him a bit too firmly.  “This is perfect.” I added, holding my ring for Sebastian to see.  “Don’t you think?”

 Sebastian’s eyes widened a fraction as he said, “That is exceptional craftsmanship, and that ruby is exquisite.”  Gazing up to James, he asked “You crafted this yourself, your Majesty?”

 “Yes.  Speaking of which, Alma and I will require some materials.  I have in mind to craft our wedding rings in the presence of her father.” announced James.

 “If you provide me with a list, I will see to gathering them immediately.” dutifully replied Sebastian.

 “Tomorrow is fine” stated James.  Then he turned to me and said, “With your permission. I’d like to stay here tonight.  Last time you were here, you had promised me a tour, and I feel obliged to take you up on the offer.”

 “Of course, darling, but let’s go visit my father first.” I told him, eager to show Father my ring.  I knew he wouldn’t fully comprehend what he was seeing, but… I needed him to see it.

 James nodded and smiled.  Then we were off, leaving Sebastian behind.  Life with James was already becoming a bit surreal to me.  As we visited my father, I imagined how Mother would chide me for not enforcing more decorum, but she’d be happy for me.  Wouldn’t she?  There couldn’t be a match for James anywhere on this planet.