#family support center of south sound

[lambentplume]

Maui Fires & How to Support Relief Efforts

(Posted on 8/10/23) Hi, I'm Jae and my family is from Lāhainā. I watched my hometown burn down this week. The fires caused immeasurable loss in my community so I'd like to spread awareness of the situation as well as provide links to support local organizations directly assisting survivors. I'm pretty sure most of my following is Not local so I'm writing with intent to inform people outside the situation, but if you're reading this and happen to have family in the affected area that isn't accounted for, message me and I can send you the links to the missing persons tracking docs + more localized info!! If you'd like to skip down to how to help and follow community organizations, scroll to the bottom of the post after the image.

Earlier this week, Hurricane Dora passed south of the Hawaiian Islands, bringing strong wind gusts that caused property damage across the islands. On Tuesday August 8, high winds caused sparks to fly in the middle of Lāhainā town, knocking out power lines and immediately igniting drought-ridden grasses. The fire spread quickly and destroyed the entire center of town, the harbor, and multiple neighborhoods including Hawaiian Homes (housing specifically for Native Hawaiians), parts of Lahainaluna, basically all of Front Street, and low-income housing units. There is only one public road in and out of town, and after a very hectic evacuation period that road has been mostly closed off except to emergency responders, thus it is extremely difficult for anyone to leave town to get help. The nearest hospital is 20 miles away in Wailuku, and most grocery stores in town have burnt down.

As of Thursday, August 10, over 1,000 acres have been burned and 271 structures (including homes, schools, and other community gathering places) have been destroyed. Cell service is still extremely spotty, many of the surrounding neighborhoods deemed safe for evacuees are still without utilities. There are currently confirmed 53 deaths but that number is expected to increase as search-and-rescue efforts continue. Countless families have been displaced and many have lost the homes they lived in for generations. Places of deep historical significance have been reduced to ash, including the gravesites of Hawaiian royalty, the old Lāhainā courthouse where items of cultural significance were stored, and Na ‘Aikane o Maui Cultural Center. To add further context: Lāhainā has a population of about 13,000 residents. EVERYONE I know has been impacted in some way--at best forced to evacuate, at worst their house was burnt to the foundation, they cannot find a loved one, etc. I'm still trying to track down family members and it's been over two days. My neighbors down the street had homes last week and now many don't have ANYTHING. The hotels are taking in residents (tourists are also being STRONGLY urged to leave so that locals can recover). Without open access to the rest of the island, Lāhainā residents are now dependent on whatever people had in their homes already as well as disaster relief efforts coming in, but it's been difficult to organize and mobilize due to the location + conditions. People who have made it out are in shelters where no blankets or medicine were provided. Friends and acquaintances from neighbor islands are preparing aid to send over. Community response has been incredible, but the toll on the town has been immeasurable. My parents were desperately walking through town yesterday, my mom sounded absolutely hollow talking about it on the phone with me. It's horrifying. Below is a satellite map with data from the NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System showing the impacted areas from the past week; all of the red blotches were on fire at some point in the last three days.

Here are ways you can help:

If you have the means to donate:

Here are three donation sites verified by Maui Rapid Response, which also lists FAQs for people who are wondering about next steps.

Hawaiʻi Community Foundation - Maui Strong Fund accepts international credit cards. Maui United Way

Maui Mutual Aid Non-monetary ways to support:

If you know anyone who is planning to travel to ANY Hawaiian island, not just Maui, tell them to cancel their trip. Resources are extremely limited as is. Advocate for climate change mitigation efforts locally, wherever that is for you. The fire was exacerbated by drought conditions that have worsened due to climate change.

Lastly, remember that these are people's HOMES that burned, and Native Hawaiian cultural artifacts that have been lost. Stop thinking of Hawaiʻi (or any "tourist destination" location, really) as an "escape" or a "paradise." If that's the only way you recognized my home... I'm glad I got your attention somehow, but I would ask that you challenge that perspective and prioritize local and native voices. For transparency, I don't currently live in Lāhainā, I've been following efforts from Honolulu. My parents and brother have been updating me and I've been following friends and family who are doing immediate response work. I'm doing my best to find reliable and current sources, but if I need to update something, please let me know. If you're going to try to convince me that tourism is necessary for our recovery, news flash ***IT'S NOT***!

Thanks for reading.

[breelandwalker]

Wolf Moon - January 24-25, 2024

Shake off the cold and sing to the sky, witches - it's time for the Wolf Moon!

Wolf Moon

The Wolf Moon is the name given to the full moon which occurs in the month of January. The name is said to be derived from the sound of wolves howling with hunger while prey is scarce in the midst of winter. Given that we now know that wolves howl mostly for communication, my personal opinion is that people huddled in their homes during a very dark and dangerous time of year probably noticed these sounds a lot more readily with little else to occupy their time as they waited out the winter, and thus were set to worrying about ravenous beasts invading their villages and farmsteads. (It's worth noting that wolves preying on livestock was a very real concern for most people outside major cities for many centuries, so this isn't entirely unfounded.)

The name also calls to mind the howling of the wind during winter storms, or whistling around the eaves during the long cold nights. And for those of us who might not have been careful with our spending over the holidays, I might cite a tongue-in-cheek reference to the wolves being at the door when those credit card bills come due.

[For those not familiar with the phrase, to have "a wolf at the door" is a saying that refers to some imminent hardship or disaster. In modern parlance, this is usually applied to poor finances or looming bankruptcy.]

This month, the moon peaks at 12:54pm EST on January 25th, so the moon will likely appear to be full on the nights of the 24th and 25th, depending on where you are in the world.

Some North American indigenous names for the month of January and its' moon are Cold Moon (Cree), Center Moon (Assiniboine), Severe Moon (Dakota), Ice Moon (Catawba), and Spirit Moon (Ojibwe). Other names include Mantis Moon (South African origins), Quiet Moon (Celtic), and Moon After Yule (Anglo-Saxon).

What Does It Mean For Witches?

As a new year dawns, it's time for rest and reflection before we set out on the next phase of our journey. While the cold weather lingers, take some time to sit by the fire, literally or metaphorically, and take stock of where you stand, what resources are available, and what you plan to do with them.

Check in with your near-and-dear following the mad rush of the holiday season as well. Make sure that friends, family, and community members around you are doing all right. Offer support and kindness where you can, but don't overextend yourself. It's your time to recuperate too, and it is good and healthy to set boundaries which allow time and space for yourself.

What Witchy Things Can We Do?

Winter is a prime time for storytelling. Back in the days before internet or television or radio, people would often read to each other or tell tales to pass the time. Consider re-reading a favorite book that inspires you or exploring some region of folklore or mythology you've been meaning to look into. If you have children who are of an age to enjoy stories, read them some of your favorites or introduce them to something new. Share stories and discussions with your witchy circle too!

While you're at it, take a moment to examine the role that folklore and stories play in your practice. If you subscribe to a particular mythos, be it through deities or just general belief, consider which parts of it resonate the most with you and why.

Consider also the lessons of the winter season - the necessity of rest between periods of growth and activity, and the role of death, cold, and darkness in the natural cycles of life. What do these things mean to you and your practice? Are they a source of fear or fascination? Do you come alive in the winter or bundle up and wait for spring? How can you best remind yourself to pause for breath as the year goes on?

And of course, the beginning of a new year is an excellent time for goal-setting and divination. You're making resolutions for your mundane life, so make a few for your craft while you're at it, and pull out your cards or runes or pendulum for a New Year forecast on how things might go.

Happy Wolf Moon, witches! 🐺🌕

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

Bree's Lunar Calendar Series

Bree's Secular Celebrations Series

Wolf Moon: Full Moon in January, The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Full Moon January 2024: Discover the Wolf's Thrilling Spiritual Meaning, The Peculiar Brunette.

Moon Info - Full Moon Dates for 2024

Calendar-12 - 2024 Moon Phases

Image Source: What Is A Wolf Moon?, The Fact Site.

[mohamed3reham]

I am Reham from Gaza, and my husbant Mohammed ,a mother of two children, Walid and Maryam. Walid is 4 years old and Maryam is 3 years old. We were displaced from Gaza to the south. We live a difficult life, where there is no food, no water, no shelter, and no treatment. With every sound of an explosion, my children go through a very difficult psychological state. I cannot control it.  On them, my child Walid dreams of returning to the kindergarten to complete his studies, and my child Maryam dreams of returning to her room to embrace her favorite doll, but unfortunately there is neither a kindergarten nor a room left. They have been completely destroyed. I dream for my children to live in peace and security like the rest of the children of the world, not just my children, but the matter.  It concerns every Palestinian child. We dream of peace and security prevailing, where there is no fear, starvation, or destruction. The occupation has destroyed homes, schools, universities, kindergartens, recreational centers, and hospitals. Children have been deprived of their most basic rights.

I hope you will donate for my family in the Gofundme account or publish the link in my account bio . Thank you for your support🙏https://gofund.me/cea2b45b

[beardeddetectivepaper]

$20,296/$40K ‼️‼️‼️

I am Engineer Alaa El-Din Zaqout, I have a Master's degree in . I lost my home, my car, my engineering office, and all my various sources of income. My wife is also an architect , We established an engineering office, My ambition was to establish a construction contracting company, but the war destroyed what existed. My father suffers from chronic hypertension and also kidney leaks, and now there is no treatment for kidney or blood pressure in Gaza, and now he also suffers from hearing problems due to the loud sound of the bombing. My father is also a civil engineer and was the director of engineering in the North Gaza Municipality. I built a beautiful house after long suffering and patience, and then I bought a car that did not complete a year and was destroyed. I saw my twin daughters Alma and Lama after many years of suffering and fatigue. I have attached pictures of Alma and Lama arriving in full, and I will attach pictures and a video of my entire story. My dream was to complete my doctorate studies in engineering, but the war came to destroy all my dreams that I was aiming for.

Additionally, we are facing acute financial strain due to the loss of income for over nine months as a result of the conflict. This has left us grappling with the stark realities of destitution, struggling to meet even the most basic needs for survival. The arrival of twins Alma and Lama into our lives after a long and tiring journey The arrival of Alma and Lama came after years of marriage and after long suffering that God gave us. One of the goals of this campaign is to protect my beautiful twins, whom I struggled to conceive and before becoming pregnant with them. I had several abortions before becoming pregnant with them, until I became pregnant with them, and that was like pregnancy. Very difficult. My doctor recommended that I take subcutaneous injections of Clexane daily until delivery, in addition to stabilizers and vitamins. I was unable to do anything due to pregnancy fatigue and its symptoms, constant vomiting and dizziness, until I had to stay in the hospital for several days and take nutritional fluids intravenously due to dehydration and high levels of creatinine in the blood, so that, God willing, the pregnancy would continue. The surprise was that they were twins. I endured the fatigue and inability. I had to eat and drink due to high fever, and unlike all pregnant women, my weight began to decrease instead of increasing as usual, when I went to the hospital to schedule my delivery, so the doctors had to transfer me to the operating room and perform a cesarean section on me after the doctor was surprised that the umbilical cord was wrapped around It almost harmed the fetuses, so they were able to save them quickly, and thank God they were saved and I became a mother for the first time. I have beautiful twin girls and I am afraid of any harm that might happen to them. Medical reports from doctors in Gaza and Hala Fertility Center

The 2023 war on Gaza and the beginning of unbearable suffering. Here is our story: 1_ The Displacement The first suffering began after the army ordered the evacuation of the northern Gaza area. We were forced to leave our homes and head south to Rafah after we were asked to evacuate. We lived in northern Gaza, specifically in the Jabalia camp, which was destroyed and its surroundings. 2- The second disaster was the bombing and destruction of my house, my car, my workplace, and everything I owned After many years of fatigue and hard work, like any ambitious person, who aspires to settle in a beautiful, safe house, a car to help me work and move, and an engineering office in which I used to work, suddenly the disaster destroyed everything I owned, and I and my beautiful twin daughters, Alma and Lama, were left without any shelter to shelter us. Of the dangers of time, as there will never come a more difficult time and time than this time and the catastrophe that we are experiencing, and we have no ability to do so and no guilt. We evacuated our home with only a small bag of clothes before it got bombed and totally burned. So technically, YES, we lost EVERYTHING, from the biggest to the smallest little detail. My family, home , My car

3-Escaping death twice And Financial Struggles in Rafah After being displaced to Rafah, we faced high expenses due to the blockade imposed on Gaza. Prices soared, and I lost a significant amount of money. We experienced terrible situations that I never thought I would go through with my kids. We lost our home and our parents' homes. We escaped death many times, experienced hunger, and lacked medicine. I lost my job and the income that my children and I depended on. We were absolutely terrorized, feeling abandoned and hopeless at all times. The price of a bag of Pampers for my children is $70, and all the prices are double, as I spent the remaining money I had on very expensive household expenses, and at the same time my heart and soul were there in my destroyed house, my destroyed car, and my destroyed workplace. What will I do in all these losses and how will I build my life from new !!!! 4-My Education , My life's dream and the goal I always dreamed of. I studied a master's degree in civil engineering, specializing in engineering project management, to develop myself and my work in tenders and contracting. I deposited approximately $7,000, with each hour of study at the Islamic University of Gaza costing $100. I completed my studies, received my master's degree, and paid all the required fees just three days before October 7th. I was aspiring to obtain a doctorate in engineering after obtaining a master’s degree, and this is my life’s dream, but my ambition suddenly disappeared after the destruction of everything I owned, and I did not have any money left to provide for my twin children with their daily needs. So how will I obtain my life’s dream, which is a doctorate in engineering? I also work in the field of freelance design. I have been diligent in working in many fields, but now I have no source of income, and I am struggling to get any source of income currently, due to the loss of my laptop and everything I own in my apartment. I have attached a video, unfortunately.

5-Alaa worked in the engineering office and a small company that distributed meals to cancer patients and psychiatric patients (a new disaster) I owned a small contracting company where I distributed meals and necessary nutrition to cancer patients in the Turkish Friendship Hospital and to psychiatric patients. The kitchen or distribution headquarters was inside Al-Shifa Hospital. With the storming of the hospital, my goods were destroyed, and the equipment and machines for preparing food were ruined. he lost food equipment and goods equivalent to $10,000. My car was also destroyed, as shown in the pictures. I employed several people in my company and was responsible for their families. Therefore, we seek support to help these families who lost their jobs due to the war and the destruction of Al-Shifa Hospital. The heavy losses of war We lost something that money will never replace. We lost our memories, our dignity, and our decent life, as we began to seek only water and food for our children, without any source of income. The losses of the Alaa family were as follows. I will start with the thing that oppressed us and mentioned the life within us, which is the house, the house of the twins Alma and Lama, which is equivalent to 40 thousand dollars. $10,000 in kitchen equipment and goods that I owned From my workplace. $12,000 My private car was destroyed 3 thousand dollars, my engineering office. There are high costs of war due to these obscene prices that cannot be estimated. That is, approximately 65 thousand dollars, but I did not lose hope because there are many people in the world who love life and the humanity that unites us and brings us together. If I wanted to talk about my loss in detail and precisely, I would reach numbers that I cannot count now, and it would reach $200,000 because there are checks that have not been paid due to the war and other losses in my food business.

Can you fathom the pain of losing your home, your livelihood, and the fruits of a lifetime's labor in the blink of an eye? It is a crushing blow that defies comprehension, a wound that cuts to the core of our existence. Yet, in the midst of this darkness, a glimmer of light shines through - your unwavering support. With your generosity, we can embark on a new chapter in Alaa & Dana journey towards healing and restoration. Together, we will rebuild not only his life but the lives of his cherished family. Through your support and kindness, we can offer Alma and Lama a future free from the shadows of their past, a chance at a life filled with dignity and hope. Our fundraising efforts are aimed at achieving these main objectives: * Providing essential food and drink items to sustain the family's basic needs, as they are currently unable to work due to the challenging economic situation exacerbated by the blockade and conflict in Gaza. Compensating for the countless large material losses due to the war, whether it be my home, my car, my engineering office, my private company, and my kitchen for supplying meals evacuation from Gaza To save my twins Alma and Lama, my sick father, my mother and the rest of my family

The cost of traveling eight members of one family through the Rafah crossing to Egypt safely, in coordination with the Egyptian Hala Company, and the cost of travel and evacuation for each member is 5,000 US dollars urgently, with a total of 40,000 US dollars for all eight family members (family members I am Alaa, my mother, my father, my sister, my brother, my wife, my twins ALMA and Lama). My friends apologized for the amount of photos and videos I attached, but I do not think that anyone in the GFM campaign attached, like me, proof of my university major, master’s and bachelor’s, my car license, my house in detail before and after, my children Lama and Lama, the various places of displacement, and my workplace in the kitchen that serves... Meals for the sick, and medical reports on the onset of my pain and Lama after many years. I will attach my WhatsApp number for you to contact me if you want more and more pictures and videos of my suffering. Thank you (+972 59-814-1400) Please, I trust your humanity. What I lost was 8 years of continuous work, and 8 years of not sleeping in order to achieve what I have reached. I lost everything in a moment. This is a feeling that I do not wish anyone to feel. Dearest regards, The family of engineers Alaa and Dana.

[sweatygardengoatee]

On the first day of the war, my family was forced to evacuate our home and head to shelter centers in northern Gaza. My family fled from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza after our five-story home was destroyed under relentless bombing. The displacement to the north was not the end; the war was fierce and relentless, and after days of terror and destruction, my family was threatened once more, forcing them to move south after it was declared a “safe area.”

The journey south felt like crossing through the gates of hell. Bombing surrounded them from all sides, chasing them at every step, with the sounds of explosions deafening. On the way, the family saw a bus filled with a family fleeing death, only to fall victim to merciless missiles, scattering body parts into the air. They moved through the devastation, and every few steps, they came across completely burned-out cars, with lost dreams trapped inside the charred remains.

Finally, they reached Khan Younis, where they sought refuge at the Khan Younis Training College for Industry run by UNRWA, where their suffering deepened. They spent over 90 days in that place, constantly fearing the bombing that relentlessly pursued them. During those painful days, with the shelling at its peak, my father rushed to help the wounded, driven by his humanitarian duty and bravery. As he moved amid the destruction, a “quadcopter” drone approached and targeted him with merciless fire, taking him as a martyr to God and leaving an indescribable pain and memory in our hearts.

After my father’s loss, the situation only grew harsher. Israeli forces stormed the college, surrounding the place with tanks. Soldiers stood at the doors, cursing and yelling, demanding everyone leave without allowing them to take any of their belongings. In front of my family’s eyes, they burned the tents one by one, adding another layer of grief and pain.

They finally settled in Rafah, but even here they found no peace. The army controlled every side, and the border crossing was completely closed, forcing them to flee again, this time to Al-Mawasi in Khan Younis, where they set up a small temporary tent on a rented plot barely enough for them. But this stop didn’t last long; they recently received a notice from the landowner to vacate, with no idea where to go next.

Today, my family lives on the brink of despair, surrounded on all sides, moving from one tent to another, as if death is chasing them at every turn but deliberately leaving them to suffer endlessly. Under constant siege and daily bombing, they endure with a faint hope, as life stands before them as a wall of pain and challenges.

[tacticalhimbo]

Hello there, please advise if you have any chance to support my family in their fundraising campaign

hello! unfortunately i do not have the means at this time, but i will share your campaigns for my followers in hopes that someone can help! this fundraiser and account have been verified by palestinian bloggers such as nabulsi / nairuz (post 1 ; post 2)

from the gfm [link].

Help Nahla and Amal Family to Rebuild their life.

We launched this fundraising campaign for two families in Gaza-Palestine.

1st Family -Khalil and Amal Family

We, Amal and Khalil a Palestinian family, having 4 children, lived a peaceful life filled with hard work and security. Together, we tirelessly worked for many years to raise our children and ensure a happy life for them. We didn't ask for much, just a little stability and safety. My spouse and I spent twenty years in the field of education, teaching science. Our goal was to provide a safe shelter for our family and meet the needs of our children, along with maintaining a simple household life. Our son Mohammed 10 Years [...] Our Daughter Sara 16 Years old, Ibrahim 14 years old and Karim 12 years old. But one day, on October 7th, our lives changed dramatically when the sounds of war echoed in our horizon. We didn't go to school, and neither did our children. Hours later, our home began to tremble as shells shook its walls, and our children cried and screamed. Our days became filled with horrifying events of displacement, moving from one place to another, each new place worse than the last. our beloved house was destroyed completely. Our first displacement occurred on the third day of the war, forcing us to seek refuge at Jerusalem Hospital. There, we witnessed the martyrs and the wounded, hearing the cries of children for their fathers, and the shouts of paramedics and volunteers for their colleagues. After six days, the process of displacement began, and we moved to a shelter center in the Nusseirat camp, where we suffered for eighty-five days from food shortages and the spread of diseases. The illnesses began to affect the children with gastrointestinal infections, hepatitis, and continuous flu. At the beginning of January, the threat to the Nusseirat camp increased, and the ground invasion began. We were forced to flee to the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, living in a state of displacement, anxiously awaiting our fate after the invasion that affected the eastern part of the city. That is our story, the story of a Palestinian family suffering from the horrors of war and displacement. Yet, we still hold hope for a better tomorrow. We continue to fight for the safety and security of our family and to ensure a future of peace for our children With your help, you can save our family and help us start a new life. We ask for your assistance and support. Rebuild my House: $30000 initial estimate. For Necessary Furniture : $10000.

2nd Family -Abdelsalam and Nahla Family

We are Abdelsalam & Nahla having a four beautiful children, the youngest is five-year-old girl and the eldest a fourteen-year-old boy. We used to live in our own house in Gaza City, fully equipped with all living necessities, enjoying a more than wonderful life. We had a monthly income sufficient to provide for all our life necessities, including food, clothing, housing, and healthcare. Kinzy 12 Years old, Abdullah 14 Years old, Hazem 10 Years old, Karma 5 Years Old With the onset of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023, our suffering began. The Israeli occupation forces requested on October 13, 2023, that we evacuate our home in northern Gaza and head south to the Gaza Valley. Since then, we have become displaced, moving from place to place. Today, we live in a small tent, lacking the necessities of life. Our children, who suffer from neglect and poverty, have lost their basic rights as children, including their rights to education and healthcare. As a result of the war, our home was burned and destroyed along with all its contents, and we lost our jobs, thus losing our monthly income that supported the treatment of our sick children. My four children need monthly medical treatment due to illnesses: Abdullah suffers from as growth hormone deficiency, and vitiligo, and my youngest son Hazim has previously undergone open-heart surgery. you can imagine how our pain for losing our beloved house that has been burnt totally and it is required to rebuild again. With your help, you can save our family and help us start a new life. We ask for your assistance and support. For Children Treatments: €5000 Rebuild my House: €25000 initial estimates For Necessary Furniture : €10000

may these families find the funds, safety, and support they need <3

as part of the ficsforgaza initiative, if you donate to this campaign and send me proof of this, i will write you a custom fanfiction! make sure to check out my rules for submissions via my pinned blog post, or via this rebloggable version

[spaceasianmillennial]

A few weeks ago, Kat Wehunt held a training for new volunteers at the Formation Project, a nonprofit that provides specialized services for people in Charleston, South Carolina, who have experienced human trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation. Each new group of volunteers need training so that Wehunt can get them up to speed on best practices, and it’s usually a fairly routine process.

This time, though, something different happened: Wehunt found herself in the midst of an unusual argument with a potential volunteer. 

The training typically starts with a discussion of the industry’s “myths and misconceptions and what trafficking actually looks like in our neighborhood in Charleston,” said Wehunt, who founded the nonprofit in 2019 and serves as its executive director. But some of the latest crop of potential volunteers had recently signed up after seeing Sound of Freedom,��the surprise blockbuster film based on the purported work of Tim Ballard, the founder of the anti-trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad. 

One potential volunteer simply didn’t buy Wehunt’s matter-of-fact descriptions of how sex trafficking often occurs, and the two started to argue, according to Wehunt, with the volunteer insisting that people were frequently trafficked after being kidnapped, which, in reality, is an exceedingly rare occurrence, according to the available global data.

“Those things I’m sure do happen,” Wehunt told Motherboard. “But it’s not representative of the majority, especially in our neighborhoods.” 

As a survivor of familial sex trafficking herself, Wehunt would know. But like other trafficking survivors who now work in anti-trafficking spaces, she’s seeing a direct impact on her work as a result of Sound of Freedom, which – in lurid detail –  depicts children who are kidnapped by strangers and sold into commercial sexual exploitation. (The film ends with the Ballard character canoeing into the jungle alone to rescue a little girl, fighting her trafficker in hand-to-hand combat and ultimately killing him. As Vice News has outlined in a series of stories, Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad, or OUR, have frequently misrepresented their work; former “operators” who accompanied OUR on international missions describe some of them as bumbling and amateurish.)

The film has awakened the passions of a broad swath of the right-wing and conspiratorial world. Religious influencers, QAnon fans, and a huge group of people who defy easy categorization have all thrown their support behind the movie. And while fans of the film have insisted that it’s “raising awareness” of a global problem, experts in trafficking, including people who have experienced it themselves, are finding that it’s contributing to serious and harmful misinformation about what trafficking looks like and what survivors need to recover. Since its release, survivors who have criticized the film have been frequently accused of being “pedophiles” or “groomers” – the kinds of people by whom they themselves were once victimized. (Sean Wolfington, a producer for the film who contacted Motherboard to object to our coverage of the film, did not respond to two requests for comment for this story.)  

Piraino-Guzman, himself a survivor of childhood sex trafficking, has been critical of OUR’s work in the past, and the film, he said, furthers the same issues he’s called out before. 

“We have been here in this very spot in the anti-trafficking movement for over 20 years,” he told Motherboard. “We’ve been fighting for 20 years for the appropriate ways to talk about trafficking, the ways we should be centering survivors, in order for us to be moving forward in a way that’s evidence based, not assumptions based.” 

Alfaro, the trafficking survivor and consultant, has spoken frequently about how he was trafficked by a man who took him in after his family kicked him out as a teenager for being gay.  “He came across the right person at the right time and that was me,” he said. (Alfaro’s abuser is now serving 30 years in prison for trafficking at least four teenage boys through a “massage” business he ran out of his home.) 

The backlash he’s received for criticizing the film is an extension of what he’s already experienced, Alfaro said; men and LGBTQ trafficking survivors often face skepticism when speaking about the abuse they endured, and a particularly brutal variety of victim-blaming and homophobia. 

FULL READ

[newstfionline]

Monday, July 1, 2024

Despair in the air: For many voters, the Biden-Trump debate means a tough choice just got tougher (AP) The sound you might have heard after the presidential debate this past week was of voters falling between a rock and a hard place. Apart from the sizable and pumped-up universe of Donald Trump’s supporters, the debate suddenly crystalized the worries of many Americans, a portion of President Joe Biden’s supporters among them, that neither man is fit to lead the nation. Heading into the first debate of the general election campaign, voters had faced a choice between two strikingly unpopular candidates. They then watched as Trump told a stream of falsehoods with sharpness, vigor and conviction, while Biden struggled mightily to land debating points and even to get through many sentences. It added to doubts about the 81-year-old Democratic president’s fitness to be in office for four more years. Now, the options are even more dispiriting for many Democrats, undecided voters and anti-Trump Republicans. More than a few people came away from watching the debate very conflicted.

“Rural Studies” (NYT) Kristin Lunz Trujillo grew up proud of her family’s way of life. She spent summers getting ready to show cattle at the county fair. During the school year, she rushed home after class to feed the chickens on her family’s corn and soybean farm. Neither of her parents went to college, but they encouraged their daughter when she decided to go to Carleton, a liberal arts school a two-hour drive from their farm in Minnesota. Despite being physically close to home, Ms. Lunz Trujillo was surprised by how foreign her upbringing seemed at the college. She was dismayed when she checked out the farm club and learned that its members wanted to brew kombucha, not milk cows. When an art history teacher asked students which famous paintings they’d seen in person, Ms. Lunz Trujillo stayed quiet, because she had never been to an art museum. This sense of cultural alienation molded her research when she became a political scientist: What is rural identity? How does it shape a person’s politics? This year, Ms. Lunz Trujillo, now an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina, was reading a new, best-selling book that cited her research to explore those same questions. But “it seemed to be more of a hit piece on rural America,” she said. “White Rural Rage,” by the journalist Paul Waldman and the political scientist Tom Schaller, is an unsparing assessment of small-town America. Rural residents, the authors argued, are more likely than city dwellers to excuse political violence, and they pose a threat to American democracy. Ms. Lunz Trujillo excoriated the book in an opinion piece for Newsweek as “a prime example of how intellectuals sow distrust by villainizing” people unlike them.

Beryl strengthens into hurricane in Atlantic, forecast to grow into major storm entering Caribbean (AP) Beryl grew into a hurricane Saturday as it churned toward the southeastern Caribbean, with forecasters warning it was expected to strengthen into a dangerous major storm before reaching Barbados late Sunday or early Monday. A major hurricane is considered Category 3 or higher, with winds of at least 111 mph (178 kph). A hurricane warning was issued for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A tropical storm warning was posted for Martinique and Tobago and a tropical storm watch for Dominica.

CDC warns of increased risk of dengue fever infections (Yahoo) Federal health officials are warning that dengue fever risks are elevated in the United States as cases in the Americas for the first half of 2024 are already more than double last year's rates. This year has also set a record for global cases of the potentially fatal mosquito-borne illness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a June 25 advisory. Rising global temperatures are fueling a similar boom of dengue-infected mosquitoes, the CDC said. That's particularly concerning during the summer when Americans are more likely to travel to territories and countries with high rates of the virus, including to Puerto Rico, which has declared a public health emergency due to its nearly 1,500 cases of the illness, the agency said.

One gun, 34 dead: Inside Ecuador’s war on black-market weapons (Reuters) The gun—a 9-millimeter pistol—blazed a violent trail even by the standards of one of Ecuador’s most dangerous neighborhoods, the Nueva Prosperina precinct of Guayaquil. Shell casings from bullets fired by the weapon, recovered at the scenes of 27 separate violent incidents, were linked to 34 deaths, according to a police forensic unit. And a police forensic official told Reuters the authorities believe the pistol remains on the streets. The havoc attributed to a single firearm exemplifies the challenges for President Daniel Noboa’s crackdown on an explosion of violent crime and homicides since 2020, fueled by a sharp increase in smuggled weapons during the same time, many of them from the United States. Ecuador recorded 7,994 murders last year, a nearly six-fold increase since 2020.

Britain’s Young Voters Are Frustrated (NYT) As the flag of a British workers union flapped behind him on a blustery June morning, Liam Kehoe was on strike with colleagues outside Royal Liverpool University Hospital, demanding better pay for porters, cleaners and catering staff. Their wages have failed to keep up with the surge in the cost of living, and many said they were living paycheck to paycheck. Mr. Kehoe, 26, serves food in the hospital. Thinking of the life that his parents built on salaries earned as a nurse and a truck driver, Mr. Kehoe says that young people have been left with far worse prospects after 14 years of a Conservative-led government. “If you go back 30 years ago, houses were a bit more affordable, life was a little bit easier,” he said. “Nowadays, it’s like you can’t afford anything.” Polls suggest more than half of voters under 35 plan to vote for Labour on Thursday, compared with 27 percent of voters over 65. While the gap between young and old in politics is not new, the extent of the split in Britain in recent years is exceptional.

France’s exceptionally high-stakes election has begun (AP) Voters across mainland France began casting ballots Sunday in the first round of an exceptional parliamentary election that could put France’s government in the hands of nationalist, far-right parties for the first time since the Nazi era. The outcome of the two-round election, which will wrap up July 7, could impact European financial markets, Western support for Ukraine, and how France’s nuclear arsenal and global military force are managed. Many French voters are frustrated about inflation and economic concerns, as well as President Emmanuel Macron’s leadership, which they see as arrogant and out-of-touch with their lives. Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration National Rally party has tapped and fueled that discontent, notably via online platforms like TikTok, and dominated all preelection opinion polls. A new coalition on the left, the New Popular Front, is also posing a challenge to the pro-business Macron and his centrist alliance Together for the Republic.

7 killed and dozens wounded after missiles slammed into a town in southern Ukraine, officials say (AP) Russian missiles slammed into a town in southern Ukraine, killing seven civilians, including children, and wounding dozens more, local authorities reported. Ukrainian officials published photos of bodies stretched out under picnic blankets in a park in Vilniansk, and deep craters in the blackened earth next to the charred, twisted remains of a building. Thirty-six people were wounded in Saturday evening’s attack, authorities said, and declared a day of mourning Sunday. Vilniansk is in Zaporizhzhia region, less than 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the local capital and north of the front lines, as Russian forces continue to occupy part of the province.

For India’s garbage pickers, a miserable and dangerous job made worse by extreme heat (AP) The putrid smell of burning garbage wafts for miles from the landfill on the outskirts of Jammu in a potentially toxic miasma fed by the plastics, industrial, medical and other waste generated by a city of some 740,000 people. But a handful of waste pickers ignore both the fumes and suffocating heat to sort through the rubbish, seeking anything they can sell to earn at best the equivalent of $4 a day. “If we don’t do this, we don’t get any food to eat,” said 65-year-old Usmaan Shekh. “We try to take a break for a few minutes when it gets too hot, but mostly we just continue till we can’t.” Shekh and his family are among the estimated 1.5 to 4 million people who scratch out a living searching through India’s waste—and climate change is making a hazardous job more dangerous than ever. In Jammu, a northern Indian city in the Himalayan foothills, temperatures this summer have regularly topped 43 degrees Celsius (about 110 Fahrenheit).

US, Europe warn Hezbollah to ease strikes on Israel and back off from wider Mideast war (Politico) U.S., European and Arab mediators are pressing to keep stepped-up cross-border attacks between Israel and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militants from spiraling into a wider Middle East war that the world has feared for months. Iran and Israel traded threats Saturday of what Iran said would be an “obliterating” war over Hezbollah. Hopes are lagging for a cease-fire in Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza that would calm attacks by Hezbollah and other Iranian-allied militias. With the stalled talks in mind, American and European diplomats and other officials are delivering warnings to Hezbollah—which is far stronger than Hamas but seen as overconfident—about taking on the military might of Israel, current and former diplomats say. The Americans and Europeans are warning the group it should not count on the United States or anyone else being able to hold off Israeli leaders if they decide to execute battle-ready plans for an offensive into Lebanon.

Gaza’s remaining hospitals will stop working in two days, health officials warn (Washington Post) Gaza’s remaining hospitals, health centers and oxygen stations will stop working within 48 hours as the fuel needed to operate generators runs out, Gaza’s Health Ministry said in a statement shared to Telegram noon local time Sunday. Israel’s closure of the vital Rafah border crossing last month severed key supply lines, limiting access to food, fuel and medical supplies inside the enclave, aid groups say. A United Nations report released earlier this month said that more than 1 million people in Gaza are expected to “face death and starvation” by mid-July. Many of Gaza’s medical facilities have already been damaged, raided or evacuated since Oct. 7. Israel has made hospitals a key target of its military campaign, alleging Hamas uses them for militant activity. In other instances, fighting between Israeli forces and militants has struck hospitals and clinics.

Kenya’s urban population is growing. The need for affordable housing is, too (AP) In the heart of the crowded Kibera neighborhood in Kenya’s capital, Jacinter Awino shares a small tin house with her husband and four children. She envies those who have escaped such makeshift homes to more permanent dwellings under the government’s affordable housing plan. The 33-year-old housewife and her mason husband are unable to raise the $3,800 purchase price for a one-room government house. Their tin one was constructed for $380 and lacks a toilet and running water. “Those government houses are like a dream for us, but our incomes simply don’t allow it,” Awino said. Kenya’s urban areas are home to a third of the country’s total population of more than 50 million. Of those in urban areas, 70% live in informal settlements marked by a lack of basic infrastructure, according to UN-Habitat.

[bonewaryreblogs]

These Trolls be Trollin' Me

I have many thoughts about Trolls.

The canon backstory is pretty dark, though the movies themselves cover it up with so much rainbows and glitter that you don't really notice it at first and the dark parts are played for laughs. It's prime real-estate for trauma and drama, though, and the fandom has capitalized on this in a way the movies don't dare touch on. I tend to gravitate to traumatized characters anyways, especially if there are cute aesthetics involved!

So.

Before I can go about rewriting the movies (because of course that's what I'm gonna do lol) I need a solid understanding of the backstory and how the characters got to where they are. And that's what this post is all about! Not sure if any of it counts as spoilers but here's your warning anyways lol...

"Hair we go!"

Before time began, there were… 6 Musical Strings! We know not where they came from, only that they have the power to create worlds, and fill them with life. That is how the race of magical beings known as trolls was born. Like all great power, some wanted it for good, others for evil, and so began the String War; a war that divided the trolls’ music into genres and ever more niche subgenres, but never again allowed to mix and mashup their flavors of music. Pop trolls, the most likely to shamelessly utilize sounds from other genres, were blamed for the war and the resulting division, eventually being ejected from the greater Troll Kingdom; however, some small, niche subgenres remained, such as Kpop. The remaining troll tribes adopted an “I ignore you, you ignore me” kind of truce, leaving them isolated from each other.

Forced to flee, the pop trolls traveled south, through the Never Glades, and eventually settled in a tropical-type jungle, centered around an ancient, hollow but living, tree they called the Troll Tree; this became their capitol, where the royals resided. They thrived in the thick jungles, innumerable smaller communities developing and working with nature to be able to support their quickly growing numbers, spreading far and wide. Over time, pop trolls thought they were the only trolls there were, forgetting about the other troll tribes in anything but legend; to everyone but the royals, anyways, who handed down the “true” history of the pop trolls.

This was the status quo until the bergens from the west, traveling in tribal groups with nothing to unite them, discovered they could “feel true happiness” by eating a troll. United by their growing appetite for troll, the bergens led a swift campaign to track down the troll capitol and surround it; first with temporary structures but soon with more permanent buildings, including a castle for the newly dubbed “Bergen King” who led the campaign. Trolls were hunted all year, stored at the now caged in Troll Tree, until Trollstice; a yearly feast set up so as to not decimate the troll population.

The troll royals had initially fled the Troll Tree, hoping to come back and free the others later, but King Peppy was eventually captured while holding Poppy’s egg in his hair, separated from his (mortally wounded) queen and eldest daughter, Viva. As he was at the troll tree, Peppy refused to give up and, shortly after Poppy hatched, led those trapped out of the tree via tunnels. Realizing the tree was no longer secure, the Bergen King Gristle Sr. cast out his head chef, who was charged with keeping the trolls in their enclosure, and Trollstice was abandoned only a few years (decades?) after it had become tradition. Long enough that it felt like it was always a part of their culture. Being only recently united, the bergens didn’t have any other set holidays that everyone agreed on either.

BroZone was working on the Perfect Family Harmony, as were many other family bands of the time, hoping to be able to use it to free troll-kind from the Bergen menace. With initially four members, their parents were captured shortly after Branche’s egg was produced and left to oldest brother John Dory and grandma Rosiepuff to raise. Inducted into the band almost immediately (trolls hatch already at the toddler stage), Branch had a few smaller performances with his brothers before they attempted the Harmony again, on the biggest stage they’d seen. When they failed, the older four brothers left Branch with grandma that night and the pair were captured by bergens early the next morning, along with many of the concert goers, having been drawn by the lively concert.

Grandma Rosiepuff was taken by Chef early, along with a few others, leaving Branch newly grey and blaming himself as he runs away on the day of Trollstice. Since there were constantly new trolls at the Troll Tree, those that escaped weren’t all as traumatized by losing family members to Trollstice as they could have been and those that were tended to put on a happy face and “not think about it” but Branch was unable to do that, having sever survivor’s guilt on top of abandonment issues.

[everygame]

Battle City (NES)

Developed/Published by: Namco Released: 9/9/1985 Completed: 20/11/2022 Completion: Beat all 35 unique levels. Version Played: Switch Online Trophies / Achievements: n/a

[Apologies for interrupting, but before we get to the article I’d like to mention that you can pre-order a copy of exp. 2600, my brand new zine, right now and get more of–and help support–writing like what you’re about to read.]

There are iconic NES games–Super Mario Bros. and that. And then there are iconic NES pirate cart games. Battle City is the latter. 

I have a funny history with NES piracy, actually. As most people know, the NES wasn’t really a thing in the UK for most people (I certainly didn’t know anyone with one as a child) and by the time I reached the age where my family were spending more time in Malaysia, I was already an avowed PC gamer. So even though I have so many memories of department stores with rows of pirate carts and knock off Famicoms… I wasn’t interested at all, and instead filled my boots with copied floppies (seeking out the stalls with the best reproductions of manuals and that sort of thing.)

In some respects, I regret this–so much of the video game culture of South East Asia in the 90s seems to be lost forever (see tweets) and now all I really have is snatches of memories–usually a gaggle of kids crowded round a pirate cart version of Street Fighter II in a Jaya Jusco–but I also know that games like Battle City squandered the chance to get me lugging a Malaysian famiclone home with a couple of 150-in-1 carts.

Let’s remember here I’m not yet a teenager and I’ve just discovered the glory of things like Wolfenstein 3D’s vibrant ultraviolence and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis’ cinematic narrative. And while in Malaysia I’m putting the exchange-rate equivalent of pennies into big fancy sit down/ride cabinets of the likes of Suzuka 8 Hours or Rad Mobile. So when an uncle digs out a faimclone and a pirate cart and you boot it up to find you can play 30 versions of the dustiest-ass tank game for babies you’d ever seen…

(And what was the deal with every single pirate cart massively over-inflating the number of games anyway? Was anyone fooled when they selected “Fancy Excitebike” in the list and just got Excitebike again??? I have one of those snatches of memory of standing in a wee store with my dad, him saying “you can get another game for the house!” and me, unable to tell which cart offered any value at all–after all, 80 of the games would probably be the same ones on the cart we already had–going home empty handed! Empty handed! When do kids ever do that???)

Anyway. When I think of pirate carts, I think of Battle City. Maybe it isn’t iconic to everyone, maybe it’s only iconic to me because it was on the cart I had for one summer at least… but it’s such a pirate cart game that it almost feels weird to play it in an “official” way.

And I suppose, this many years later, it’s kind of weird that I put a bunch of time into it?

I’ll say this. It’s not surprising that at the time I gave it short shrift. It’s got horrible sound (a constant buzzing of engines) and feels extremely simplistic and limiting as you awkwardly move your tank around sans diagonals. It was, after all, based on a game from 1980 with a bit of a graphical touch-up–contemporary with the timeless Pac-Man, sure, but this ain’t Pac-Man. I’ll admit the tank movement feels better than I remember it (smooth, and perfect speed) but the game sort of doesn’t really feel like anything.

Look at it this way. The game has you as a tank trying to defend one poorly walled-in base, always at the bottom center of the screen, from being shot by enemy tanks. There’s some terrain, but it’s mostly brick walls that can be shot through. Enemies spawn from the same three spawn points at the top of the level, and there’s some variation between them (some fast tanks, some tanks that take a bunch of hits). None of the enemies have any real AI–they don’t seek you, or really seek the base, either. Sometimes there are power-ups; you can improve your gun to destroy steel walls; there’s an occasional smart bomb or time-stop which are must-grabs. Shoot 20 tanks to get to the next level.

It’s, you know… fine. It’s an alright game design. But when you actually sit down and play it, the game very quickly devolves into getting your tank as far up the screen as you can manage where you are able to shoot clearly to both the left and right boundaries without being shot from a tank spawning above, and then just… firing constantly left or right based on which side tanks are traveling down from most urgently.

There are a few levels where this is not simple to do (a total bastard of a level mostly with tree coverage, making tanks near-impossible to see) and you can’t consider this tactic a total slam dunk because if a tank does slip past, they’ll often destroy your base before you can get to them, leading to an instant game over (no matter how many lives you have!) which can be infuriating. But it’s not like there’s better tactics; on a level by level basis you’ll do your best to shoot your enemies straight paths to your base, so you kind of just have to accept the variance.

In the cold light of 2022, Battle City is… a half-hour or so of near-mindless blasting that you wish had any sort of twist, or spark, or even particularly interesting level design, to make it a charming bit of classic arcade action worth score attacking.

In the early 90s it’s a dusty-ass tank game for babies that is indirectly responsible for the total lack of preservation of south-east Asian game culture history. Probably.

Will I ever play it again? Nope but I’ve got 1991’s Tank Force waiting to be played which is a baffling (and obscure) sequel that’s maybe brilliant. I mean who knows.

Final Thought: One of the most annoying things about Battle City of course is when you’re shot from the side by a tank that’s turned on a dime before you could notice, and I have to admit I’d be interested to play this exact game but with real, slow-ass tank turning. Would it be better? Would it actually be even more annoying? I’m kind of imagining these situations where you watch your tank turn, watching another tank turn, thinking “oh god, I hope I get this shot off” like you’re actually in the tank, feeling it slowly spin around… [“That’s why tanks have turrets though. So they can shoot in different directions more quickly”--Ed.] Shut up!

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[jackiebarnard11]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 6, 2023

Contact: Chris Boneau/ Amy Kass / Michelle Farabaugh / Kenya Williams

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Download Press Materials Here

Manhattan Theatre Club

Announces Full Casting for the

New York Premiere of

Poor Yella Rednecks

By Qui Nguyen

Directed by May Adrales

Previews begin Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Opening on Wednesday, November 1, 2023

At MTC at New York City Center – Stage I

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director) and Chris Jennings (Executive Director) are pleased to announce the full cast for the New York Premiere of Poor Yella Rednecks, written by Qui Nguyen (Vietgone) and directed by May Adrales (Vietgone, Golden Shield). Poor Yella Rednecks will begin previews on Tuesday, October 10 and open on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 at New York City Center – Stage I (131 West 55th Street).

The cast of Poor Yella Rednecks will feature Jon Hoche (Vietgone, Life of Pi), Ben Levin (Vietgone, “Kung Fu”), Samantha Quan (Vietgone), Jon Norman Schneider (The Coast Starlight), Maureen Sebastian (The Best We Could: A Family Tragedy), and Paco Tolson (Vietgone).

The creative team for Poor Yella Rednecks includes Tim Mackabee (Scenic Design), Valérie Thérèse Bart (Costume Design), Lap Chi Chu (Lighting Design), Shane Rettig (Original Music & Sound Design), Jared Mezzocchi (Projection Design), David Valentine (Puppet Design), Kenny Seymour (Arrangements), and Alyssa K. Howard (Production Stage Manager).

Qui Nguyen, the wildly inventive playwright (and screenwriter for Marvel and Disney) known for his use of pop culture, pop music and puppetry, reunites with his frequent director, May Adrales, for this funny, sexy and brash new play. A young Vietnamese family attempts to put down roots in Arkansas, a place as different from home as it gets. A mom and dad balance big hopes and low-wage jobs, as old flings threaten to pull them apart. It all makes for a bumpy road to the American dream. From the world of Nguyen’s Vietgone, with its comic book and action movie influences, comes a play that melds a deeply personal story with the playwright’s trademark, killer humor. The New York Times hails the writer’s work as “culturally savvy comedy,” and this production shows you why.

Poor Yella Rednecks is co-commissioned by South Coast Repertory and Manhattan Theatre Club. Support for MTC’s production of Poor Yella Rednecks is provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation and Laurents/Hatcher Foundation. Developed in part in Center Theatre Group’s Writers’ Workshop.

The 2022-23 season marked Lynne Meadow’s 50th Anniversary as Artistic Director of MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB. Meadow was recently joined at the helm of MTC by Executive Director Chris Jennings, who succeeded Executive Producer Barry Grove. MTC’s mission, which Meadow created in 1972 and has implemented since, is to develop and present new work in a dynamic, supportive environment; to identify and collaborate with the most exciting new as well as accomplished artists; and to produce a diverse repertoire of innovative, entertaining, and thought-provoking plays and musicals by American and international playwrights. Since 1989, MTC Education, which uses the power of live theatre and playwriting to awaken minds, ignite imaginations, open hearts, and change lives, has also been an important part of our work.

Over five decades, MTC has grown from a small off-off-Broadway showcase into one of the country’s most prestigious and award-winning theatre companies, creating approximately 600 world, American, New York and Broadway premieres. Our productions have earned 7 Pulitzer Prizes, 28 Tony Awards, 50 Drama Desk Awards and 49 Obie Awards amongst many other honors. Our Broadway home is the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street) and Off-Broadway at New York City Center (131 West 55th Street). MTC is an anti-racist organization that respects and honors all voices, and upholds the values of community and equity, For more information, please visit www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com. 

TICKETING INFORMATION

Joining MTC’s season of plays is easy! Just call the MTC Clubline at 212-399-3050 or go to www.manhattantheatreclub.com. Group Sales available now, contact Joanna Lee at Jlee@mtc-nyc.org. Single Tickets on Sale September 5.

BIOGRAPHIES

JON HOCHE returns to MTC after performing in the Off-Broadway Premiere of Vietgone and has collaborated with playwright Qui Nguyen for over a decade. Other credits include - Broadway: Life of Pi (Richard Parker Puppeteer, Associate Puppetry and Movement Director), King Kong: Alive on Broadway (Voice of King Kong/Puppeteer). Off-Broadway: Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey 2 puppeteer); Soft Power (The Public Theater - Grammy Nominated); Vietgone (Manhattan Theatre Club); Soul Samurai, The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G (Ma-Yi Theater/Vampire Cowboys Theater); Hello, From the Children of Planet Earth (Playwright’s Realm). National Tour: Warhorse (Puppeteer/Puppet Captain). Regional: Revenge Song (Geffen Playhouse). TV: “Hello Tomorrow!” (Apple TV+) - @JonHoche

BEN LEVIN’s MTC debut. Ben just wrapped a season-long arc on the CW series “Kung Fu”. Prior to that, he starred in the series Legacies for four seasons. Selected TV credits include “Arrested Development”, “Love”, and a recurring role on ABC’s “Time After Time”. He appeared in a supporting role in the critically acclaimed Independent Spirit Award nominated feature Test Pattern. Ben can also be seen in the Freeform/Hulu feature Turkey Drop. Other features include Allegiant, Admission, and Mike Birbiglia’s indie comedy Sleepwalk with Me. He's thrilled to be reprising the role of Quang in Qui Nguyen’s Vietgone, after starring in the 2018 production at the San Diego Repertory. Ben is New York City born and raised and is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Shout out to TADA Youth Theatre. In addition to acting, Ben makes music under the moniker Grasshapa, available wherever music is found. 

SAMANTHA QUAN’s theatre credits include Poor Yella Rednecks (South Coast Rep); Vietgone (South Coast Rep, MTC); B.F.E. (Just Add Water Festival); Masha No Home (Ensemble Studio Theatre); An Infinite Ache (The Globe Theaters), workshops of To Red Tendons, Peerless, Hannah and the Dread Gazebo, Red Flamboyant, American Hwangap (Ojai Playwrights Conference); Monument: Or Four Sisters (A Sloth Play) (Boston Court New Works Festival).  Television credits include “Home Before Dark”, “Elementary”, “NCIS”, “The Mentalist”, “Blue”, “Suburgatory”, “Castle”. Film credits include 4 Wedding Planners, Sake Bomb, Good Grief and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

JON NORMAN SCHNEIDER most recently appeared onstage in Keith Bunin's The Coast Starlight at Lincoln Center Theater. Select New York credits include Catch As Catch Can (Playwrights Horizons), The Chinese Lady (The Public), Henry VI Parts 1-3 (NAATCO), Awake and Sing! (NAATCO/The Public), The Oldest Boy (Lincoln Center Theater), Lunch Bunch (Clubbed Thumb), A Map of Virtue (13P), among others. Regionally, he has worked at Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Alley, Alliance, Barrington Stage, Dorset Theatre Festival, The Goodman, Huntington, The Kennedy Center, Long Wharf, Magic, McCarter, Milwaukee Rep, Mosaic, Northern Stage, The Old Globe, and South Coast Rep. His film and TV credits include Bitter Melon, Manila Is Full of Men Named Boy, The Normals, HBO's Angel Rodriguez, “The Endgame”, "Jessica Jones", "Veep", "30 Rock" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent".

MAUREEN SEBASTIAN’s theatrical credits include, most recently, MTC’s The Best We Could: A Family Tragedy for which she received a Lucille Lortel nomination for Best Featured Performer in a Play; Vietgone (South Coast Repertory) ; Arabian Nights (Berkeley Repertory/Arena Stage); Thunder Above, Deeps Below (Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center/Second Generation); Now Circa Then (Ars Nova); Lonely, I’m Not and Year Zero (Second Stage); and Soul Samurai (Vampire Cowboys/Ma-Yi). Television credits include “Love Life” (HBO), “American Gothic” (CBS), and “Revolution” (NBC). She produced and starred in the web series “Pretty Precious Unicorns” and the short film “Second Province”. She co-created the podcasts “Gulp” and “A Guide to Freedom” with The North Star Fund. She is a member of May-Yi’s Writer’s Lab and The Gotham Film & Media Institute.

PACO TOLSON is thrilled to return to Manhattan Theatre Club where he received a Lortel nomination for his work in Qui Nguyen’s Vietgone. Paco and Qui have enjoyed an artistic collaboration of over 18 years, and Poor Yella Rednecks will mark their ninth full production together. Select Off-Broadway Credits: Fiasco Theater’s productions of Knight of the Burning Pestle (Red Bull), Twelfth Night and Pericles (Classic Stage Company); The Unwritten Song (EST); Slavey (Clubbed Thumb); The Children of Vonderly (MaYi Theater); Soul Samurai (Ma-Yi/Vampire Cowboys). Regional: to the yellow house (La Jolla Playhouse); Fiasco’s Measure for Measure (Actors Theatre of Louisville); The Winter’s Tale and Vietgone (OSF); Peter and the Starcatcher, Vietgone, and Poor Yella Rednecks (South Coast Rep). Audio: (There’s) No Time for Comedy (Playwrights Horizons), The Memory Motel (Two River Theater), Witness (Paramount/Gideon Media), Play On Shakespeare’s Henry V, The Tempest, and Measure for Measure (Next Chapter Podcasts). Film and TV credits include “Billions”, “Law & Order: Organized Crime”, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”, “Prodigal Son”, “Search Party”, “The Good Fight”, “Madam Secretary”, “Happy!”, “The Code”, and 7 DAY GIG.

QUI NGUYEN (Playwright) is a playwright, screenwriter, and co-founder of the pioneering geek theatre company, Vampire Cowboys. His plays include Vietgone, Poor Yella Rednecks, Bike Wreck, and the critically acclaimed Vampire Cowboys shows Revenge Song, She Kills Monsters, Soul Samurai, The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G, Alice in Slasherland, Fight Girl Battle World, Men of Steel, and Living Dead in Denmark. For TV/film, he’s written for Marvel Studios, Netflix, AMC, SYFY, and PBS. He most recently wrote Disney’s Raya and The Last Dragon (nominated for a 2022 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature), and he co-directed and wrote Disney's Strange World in 2022.

MAY ADRALES (Director) is a director, artistic leader, teacher and mother; she has directed over 25 world premieres nationally. Her work has been seen most recently at Second Stage (Rajiv Joseph’s Letters of Suresh), Manhattan Theatre Club (Anchuli Felicia King’s Golden Shield, Qui Nguyen’s Vietgone). Awards include: Ammerman Award at Arena Stage; TCG’s Alan Schneider award for freelance directors; Denham fellowship; New Generations Grantee. She is a Drama League Directing Fellow, Van Lier Fellow, WP Lab Director, SoHo Rep Writers/Directors Lab and New York Theater Workshop directing fellow.  She served as an Associate Artistic Director at Milwaukee Rep; Artistic Associate at The Playwrights Center; Artistic Associate at The Public Theater; and Director of Artistic Programs and Artistic Director at The Lark. She serves on the board of Theater Communications Group.  She is currently the Director of the Theatre Program and Assistant Professor at Fordham University.  MFA, Yale School of Drama. (www.mayadrales.net)

# # # #

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Exciting update! Ben will be making his Off-Broadway debut this Fall! Here is Manhattan Theatre Club's announcement on Instagram and the theatre's press agent BBB's press release that was sent to our magazine.

Poor Yella Rednecks website link:

[namjhyun]

DRAMA REVIEW | Not Others (2023)

This drama was a pleasant surprise. It's not that common to see a kdrama that has as leads a single mother and her grown daughter, mostly because of the stigma this kind of family stills carries in South Korea.

Thankfully, Not Others manages to not make it all about the stigma of teen pregnancy or single motherhood, it finds a good balance between every day life events, criminal investigation and rom-com. Particularly because Mom and Daughter are so unbothered by it that they carry on with a "it sounds like a you problem" when someone points out they are, within their society, wildly unconventional.

At the heart of it, there's a story of two women making their way in the world through hardships, love and growing pains. About how it's possible to choose your family and make that unit be whatever you want, not what it's expected.

My favourite part of this drama was the performances. Jeon Hye Jin and Soo-young shine as the outspoken Mother-Daughter duo. Their characters are kind, smart and brave about their life choices. They have great chemistry with each other and make you feel everything.

The rest of the cast delivers solid support. Kim Hye Eun plays the rich, cool aunt and she's a hoot in every scene she's in. Park Sung-hoon in a great counterpart for Soo-young and Ahn Jae Wook delivers as the lovable fool supporting whatever his ladies wish for.

There's also a murder mystery surrounding the central story that manages to keep it all very centered and makes all the characters interact with each other making their world better developed.

Don't miss out on this found family! Their affection it's the real deal.

[rosearchitectss]

Expert Construction Solutions from South Florida Shell Contractors

What is a Shell Contractor?

A shell contractor is responsible for laying the structural foundation of a building, covering aspects like the frame, walls, roof, and sometimes windows. Essentially, they provide the framework that all other construction elements will build upon. Working with a South Florida Shell Contractor ensures that the core structure is built with precision, enabling the rest of the construction phases to proceed efficiently and without major issues. Their expertise is invaluable for completing the initial phases of any project, setting the stage for the final results.

The Importance of Shell Contractors in Fort Lauderdale Construction

Fort Lauderdale is a hub of growth and development, with numerous new construction projects ranging from homes and offices to retail spaces. Construction services in Fort Lauderdale often face unique challenges, including weather conditions like hurricanes, which require durable and resilient construction methods. A shell contractor ensures that the building’s frame is solid and can withstand the harsh climate of South Florida.

This region’s subtropical environment necessitates advanced knowledge of materials and methods that provide long-term protection against extreme heat, humidity, and high winds. Shell contractors in Fort Lauderdale, therefore, must be well-versed in local construction codes and regulations, making them a crucial component of the construction process.

Comprehensive Construction Services in Fort Lauderdale

As development continues to surge in Fort Lauderdale, construction services are in high demand, with a particular focus on quality, sustainability, and durability. Construction services in Fort Lauderdale are not just about raising structures—they involve a broad spectrum of tasks including project planning, permitting, material selection, and overall management.

Shell contractors contribute significantly to this ecosystem by ensuring that all projects have a stable and secure foundation. They work closely with architects, engineers, and general contractors to create structurally sound buildings. For clients, this means peace of mind knowing that their projects are in capable hands. The expertise of shell contractors extends beyond just erecting a frame—they use cutting-edge technology and construction methods to ensure that every project meets the latest industry standards and complies with local building codes.

The Role of South Florida Shell Contractors in Residential Projects

In the residential construction sector, shell contractors are instrumental in building homes that are safe, comfortable, and sustainable. From single-family homes to large-scale residential complexes, a South Florida Shell Contractor ensures that the foundational work is of the highest quality. For homeowners, this means a solid and dependable structure that will last for years to come.

With the unpredictable weather in South Florida, a strong shell is essential. Shell contractors are trained to select the right materials and use specific construction techniques that can resist hurricane-force winds and torrential rains, making sure that homes remain safe during storms. Additionally, they also ensure that homes are energy-efficient, providing insulation and structural support that contribute to better energy conservation.

Commercial Construction and Shell Contractors

Commercial buildings in Fort Lauderdale are a testament to the vibrant business landscape in the city. From office spaces to shopping centers, these structures demand a high level of precision and expertise to meet the demands of businesses and consumers. Shell contractors play an integral part in this process by providing the necessary framework for these large-scale constructions.

For businesses looking to develop commercial spaces, partnering with a reputable South Florida Shell Contractor is essential for success. Shell contractors ensure that buildings are not only sturdy but also functional, meeting the unique needs of commercial operations. With a robust shell in place, businesses can proceed with interior and exterior finishing, knowing that their building's foundation is reliable and built to last.

Sustainable Construction Practices by Shell Contractors

In today’s world, sustainability is at the forefront of construction practices. Fort Lauderdale’s construction industry is no exception, with an increasing emphasis on eco-friendly methods and materials. Construction services in Fort Lauderdale are increasingly integrating green building techniques that reduce environmental impact and enhance energy efficiency.

Shell contractors are key players in this trend, offering solutions that minimize waste, reduce carbon footprints, and enhance the overall sustainability of the building. This includes using sustainable materials like recycled concrete and steel, as well as designing buildings that maximize natural light and ventilation. By incorporating these practices from the beginning, shell contractors help ensure that Fort Lauderdale's buildings meet environmental standards and offer long-term savings on energy costs.

Choosing the Right Shell Contractor for Your Project

Selecting the right South Florida Shell Contractor is critical for the success of any construction project. Look for a contractor with a proven track record, strong references, and a deep understanding of local building codes and conditions. Experienced shell contractors not only guarantee the structural integrity of your project but also provide guidance and advice throughout the construction process.

With their expert knowledge and hands-on experience, shell contractors ensure that each project, whether residential or commercial, is completed efficiently, safely, and in accordance with all legal regulations. This leads to a smoother construction process, with fewer delays and unexpected costs.

[vnatureresorts]

Discover V Nature Resorts in Kanakapura: A Gateway to Serenity and Adventure 

Introduction:  

Resorts in Kanakapura if you're trying to find an ideal escape from the hustle and flurry of city life, V Nature Resorts in Kanakapura is your perfect goal. Settled during lavish greenery and a peaceful environment, this resort offers a mix of extravagance, experience, and nature that guarantees to restore your body and soul. Here’s why a stay at V Nature Resorts ought to be on your travel list. 

A Serene Withdraw Near to Nature 

Found within the pleasant town of Kanakapura, just an hour’s drive from Bangalore, V Nature Resorts is encompassed by rolling slopes, thick timberlands, and flawless lakes. The resort's plan grasps the characteristic excellence of the zone, with cottages and rooms that give dazzling views of the encompassing scene. Here, you'll loosen up to the sounds of chirping winged creatures, stirring takes off, and the alleviating breeze—all whereas getting a charge out of the consolation of a sumptuous remain. 

Comfortable and Smart Convenience 

V Nature Resorts offers a run of convenience alternatives to suit distinctive inclinations and gathering sizes. Whether you’re traveling solo, as some, or with family, you'll discover rooms and cabins that cater to your needs. The open, well-appointed cabins come with private overhangs where you can enjoy the beautiful views, taste a glass of coffee, or essentially unwind with a great book. The stylistic layout is keenly outlined to mix advanced consolation with a rural charm, making an environment of peace and unwinding. 

A Center for Experience Significant others 

For those who pine for enterprise, V Nature Resorts in Kanakapura does not disillusion. The resort offers an assortment of open-air exercises that let you investigate the common magnificence of Kanakapura. Here are a few exciting encounters you'll be able appreciate: 

Trekking: Set out on guided treks through the adjacent timberlands and slopes, where you'll experience breathtaking views and assorted greenery and fauna. 

Unwind and Revive with Wellness Exercises 

If unwinding is what you look for, V Nature Resorts in Kanakapura has you covered with its wellness offerings. You'll be able enjoy in yoga sessions during nature or select from an assortment of Ayurvedic kneads to de-stress and detoxify. The wellness centre at the resort guarantees that you simply take off feeling revitalized and revived. 

Delightful Eating Encounter 

No get-away is total without extraordinary nourishment, and V Nature Resorts exceeds expectations in advertising a delightful culinary involvement. The in-house eatery serves an assortment of dishes, from nearby South Indian Flavors to worldwide cooking, all arranged utilizing new and locally sourced fixings. Appreciate your dinners with a view of the verdant scene, making each eating involvement vital. 

Culminate for Family Getaways and Corporate Withdraws 

Whether you're arranging a family get-away, a romantic getaway, or a corporate excursion, V Nature Resorts in Kanakapura is prepared to cater to diverse events. The resort offers customized bundles for team-building exercises, family-friendly experiences, and indeed sentimental encounters for couples. With plentiful indoor and open-air spaces, it’s an extraordinary choice for occasions, gatherings, or celebrations. 

Supportability and Eco-Friendly houses 

V Nature Resorts in Kanakapura is committed to advancing economical tourism. The resort consolidates eco-friendly hones such as rainwater harvesting, solar vitality, and squander reusing to play down its natural impression. By choosing to remain here, you're supporting dependable tourism that points to protecting the normal excellence of Kanakapura for future eras. 

Conclusion 

V Nature Resorts in Kanakapura is more than just an occasion goal; it’s a safe house for those seeking a blend of unwinding, experience, and nature. Whether you would like to journey through the slopes, unwind by a quiet lake, or essentially appreciate a tranquil stay during nature, this resort offers it all. The idealized adjustment of extravagance and eco-friendliness guarantees that your getaway is as improving for you because it is for the environment. 

So, pack your bags, leave the city behind, and let V Nature Resorts Kanakapura be your door to an extraordinary elude. 

[treasurypreserve]

Bank Atlantic Center- Exploring The Hub Of Entertainment

The Bank Atlantic Center, situated in the core of Dawn, Florida, is one of the chief scenes for sports and amusement in the locale. Known for facilitating different occasions, from invigorating hockey games to charging shows, this field has turned into a foundation of the South Florida diversion scene. In this article, we will investigate the set of experiences, elements, occasions, and guest data for the bank featuring why it ought to be on your radar for diversion choices.

A Concise History of the Bank Atlantic Center

Opened in 1998, the Atlantic Center was at first named the Public Vehicle Rental Center. It immediately turned into the home of the NHL's Florida Jaguars, who have made this scene their home since its commencement. Throughout the long term, the field has gone through a few name changes, mirroring its organization with different backers, yet its importance locally has stayed consistent.

The middle has facilitated various critical occasions, including the 2001 NHL Elite Player Game, significant shows highlighting craftsmen like Elton John and Beyoncé, and even family-accommodating shows like Disney on Ice. This different scope of occasions has set standing as a flexible scene that takes special care of a wide range of crowds.

Highlights of the Bank Atlantic Center

Different elements that improve the guest experience:

Seating Limit

The field can oblige up to 19,600 visitors for shows and 18,250 for hockey games, making it perhaps of the biggest scene in South Florida. This enormous limit takes into consideration an energetic environment, whether you're there for a game or a show.

Cutting edge Offices

Outfitted with present-day conveniences, it offers top-quality video sheets, predominant sound frameworks, and brilliant acoustics. These offices guarantee that each occasion is a critical encounter for participants.

Feasting and Concessions

The field offers an assortment of feasting choices, from customary game passage to connoisseur decisions. With numerous snack bars and eating regions, visitors can appreciate everything from wieners and nachos to sushi and veggie lover choices. This assortment guarantees that there's something for everybody.

Availability

The Atlantic Center is planned in view of openness. It highlights wheelchair-available seating and administration, guaranteeing that everybody can partake in the occasions.

Area

Arranged advantageously close to significant parkways, the field is effectively open for both nearby inhabitants and guests. Adequate stopping is accessible, alongside choices for public transportation.

Occasions at the Atlantic Center

Games

It is fundamentally known as the home of the Florida Jaguars. The NHL group has developed an enthusiastic fan base, and going to a game is a zapping experience. The energy of the group, the excitement of the game, and the gifted exhibitions make for a memorable night.

Notwithstanding hockey, the field has facilitated different games, including school ball games, wrestling matches, and, surprisingly, the World Cup of Tumbling. This flexibility guarantees that avid supporters of different types track down something to appreciate.

Shows and Exhibitions

The Atlantic Center is likewise a significant stop for visiting specialists. From rock to pop, country to hip-bounce, the scene has invited plenty of worldwide stars. A few eminent exhibitions include:

Elton John - A music legend whose shows reliably sell out.

Beyoncé - The multi-skilled craftsman has graced the stage, conveying extraordinary exhibitions.

The Birds - Their exemplary stone sound reverberates with crowds, everything being equal.

Notwithstanding melodic exhibitions, the field has facilitated grant shows, satire specials, and dramatic creations, setting aside it a flexible room for different diversion structures.

Family Occasions

Families can likewise track down an abundance of diversion choices at the Atlantic Center. Famous occasions like Disney on Ice and Cirque du Soleil give pleasure to crowds, everything being equal. These family-accommodating shows make enduring recollections and are much of the time a feature of the year for some families in South Florida.

Arranging Your Visit

Tickets

Tickets for occasions at the Atlantic Center can be bought web-based through the authority site or in the cinematic world. It's prudent to purchase tickets early, particularly for famous occasions, to get the best seats.

Arriving

The field is strategically placed close to significant interstates, making it effectively open via vehicle. For those utilizing public transportation, a few transport courses serve the region, giving a peaceful method for showing up.

Stopping

The Atlantic Center offers more than adequate parking spots, however, it can top off rapidly during significant occasions. Consider showing up sooner than expected to get a spot or check for off-site stopping choices.

Setting Arrangements

Prior to going to an occasion, it's vital to survey the scene's strategies with respect to packs, cameras, and restricted things. The Bank Atlantic Center focuses on the security and solace of its visitors, and understanding these principles will guarantee a smooth passage.

The Monetary EffectS

The Bank Atlantic Center fundamentally adds to the neighborhood economy. By drawing in guests for different occasions, the field upholds neighborhood organizations, including lodgings, eateries, and retail shops. Occasions in the middle create millions in income, assisting with supporting positions and encouraging development in the encompassing local area.

Why You Ought to Visit the Bank Atlantic Center

Various Occasions

Whether you're a games devotee, a music darling, or searching for family-accommodating diversion, the Bank Atlantic Center offers something for everybody. With a stuffed timetable of occasions consistently, there's continuously something occurring at the field.

Noteworthy Encounters

Going to an occasion at the Bank Atlantic Center isn't just about the presentation or game; it's about the experience. The fervor of the group, the energy of the scene, and the nature of the occasions make remarkable recollections.

Local area Commitment

The Bank Atlantic Center is something other than a setting; it's a local area center point. It has occasions that connect with nearby occupants, from noble cause occasions to local area days, making it a fundamental piece of the texture of Dawn, Florida.

CONCLUSION

The Bank Atlantic Center stands as a reference point of diversion in South Florida, drawing guests from all over. Its different scope of occasions, current conveniences, and obligation to local area commitment make it a must-visit objective. Whether you're getting a Florida Jaguars game, partaking in a show, or taking the family to a show, the Bank Atlantic Center commitments an encounter you will not neglect. Try not to pass up on your opportunity to be important for the activity - actually take a look at the timetable and plan your visit today!

[priteva-blog]

Investing in Deception: How Friendship, Love, and Ambition Fueled a $150,000 Scam

This is a story I find deeply triggering, one that I’ve struggled to tell. But in reliving it, there are lessons to be learned about the perils of misplaced trust and the high cost of blind loyalty. It’s a story of deception, ambition, and heartbreak — a cautionary tale about the dark side of supporting friends in their entrepreneurial dreams. For the sake of privacy, names have been changed to protect the innocent.

It was the spring of 2019 when my long-time friend, *Lauryn, came to me with a business opportunity. Lauryn and I had been close for over 15 years, our bond forged in the trenches of grad school and solidified by shared life experiences. When she pitched her idea to me, I didn’t hesitate to listen. She was more than a friend — she was my sister, and I was eager to see her succeed.

Lauryn had been through a lot. Two years earlier, she lost her husband, becoming a single mother to two young children at just 39. As a widow, she faced challenges that would have broken many, but Lauryn was resilient. She was rebuilding her life, and I was invested in her success. That’s why, when she approached me about reviving her wellness business, I was all in.

Lauryn was no novice in the health and wellness industry. She had owned a natural body care line, taught fitness classes, and dreamed of opening her own wellness center. She was knowledgeable, passionate, and ready to take her business to the next level. So, when she met Zacharia Ali — a financier, businessman, and investor — at our local LA Fitness, she believed it was a divine connection.

All Smoke and Mirrors

Zac was everything Lauryn needed at that moment — a businessman with a wealth of experience, or so it seemed. He offered her intimacy, mentorship, and guidance. Lauryn fell for him, both as a romantic partner and mentor. Zac carried himself with an air of authority, his words laced with the promise of success and prosperity. He spoke of his business accolades and widespread connections. He informed her that he was divorced, had sadly lost a child in a car accident, and had moved to the area for a fresh start. He was a practicing Muslim from a prominent family in Philadelphia. He was well-connected and had successfully launched many companies, and now he wanted to do the same for Lauryn.

The First Red Flag: Trust, but Verify

When Lauryn introduced me to Zac, I was initially impressed. He spoke with authority about entrepreneurship, investing, and the importance of ownership in the Black community. He even attended my birthday party, where we discussed his ventures in South America, the Middle East, and the African diaspora. Over time, Zac and I exchanged messages about business opportunities, and he seemed genuinely invested in our shared goals.

Zac became more than just Lauryn’s romantic partner and mentor; he became a central figure in our budding business venture. He offered to use his extensive network to help Lauryn relaunch her brand, promising to turn it into an international success. The plan was ambitious but enticing: we would create a line of CBD-infused skincare products, tapping into the booming wellness market. I was hesitant but hopeful. Lauryn’s trust in him reassured me. In hindsight, I should have let Lauryn and Zac work together without getting involved.

Despite my initial reservations, I convinced myself that Zac’s impressive background and Lauryn’s enthusiasm were enough to move forward. I researched Zac’s company, Zar Capital, and found nothing alarming — just websites and social media endorsements that aligned with his stories. But I ignored the small voice inside that urged caution.

The Second Red Flag: If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is

Despite my initial excitement, a nagging voice in the back of my mind urged caution. I researched Zac and his company, Zar Capital. His online presence seemed legitimate — impressive even. His website detailed his supposed business ventures in South America, the Middle East, and across the African diaspora. But beyond the polished surface, something felt off.

Still, Lauryn was convinced. Zac had become her rock, helping her navigate the complexities of business and life after loss. She believed in him, and because I believed in her, I put my doubts aside. Under Zac’s guidance, we formed a business partnership: Lauryn would hold 50% of the company, Zac 30%, and I would take a 20% stake. It seemed like a fair arrangement, and over the next few months, Lauryn and I made substantial investments via wire transfer, totaling $110,000. We were instructed to send the money to a Navy Federal account for GC Worldwide under the umbrella of Zac’s businesses, CBD Switch Holding Corp and Zar Capital.

Another Red Flag: All New Opportunities Are Not Good Opportunities — The Moringa Mirage

As if the CBD venture wasn’t enough, Zac presented me with another investment opportunity: a business centered around the Moringa plant in Ethiopia. He pitched it as low-risk, with the potential for high returns and the added appeal of supporting Black businesses in Africa. He presented me with diagrams, mocks, financials, a business plan, and extensive research. I invested $40,000, and we formed a company called the Moringa Cartel. Through documented email presentations, Zac promised to establish operations in Ghana, help with the business plan, and set up the website. I was excited about the prospects, but the excitement was short-lived.

Trust Your Gut

Once the money was sent and the paperwork signed, unease set in. I noticed discrepancies, like the fact that our business was registered in Nevada, even though we were all based in the Mid-Atlantic region. I decided to dig deeper, using the state of Nevada’s business portal, Silver Flume. What I found left me reeling: only the company formed between Lauryn, Zac, and me existed as a domestic corporation. My name wasn’t listed anywhere, and neither was Zac’s. Lauryn was the sole officer of the company. As for the Moringa Cartel, it was nothing more than a name reservation that had expired three months after its formation. On paper, my $100,000 investment had vanished into thin air.

“All Skinfolk Ain’t Kinfolk”

The pandemic hit, bringing unforeseen challenges. Despite this, I consistently reached out to Zac for updates. I pleaded with Lauryn to help, assuming her closer relationship with Zac might yield answers. But her relationship with Zac had soured, and she informed me that her new venture with a national television show prevented her from pursuing any legal action for at least a year. I was on my own.

I demanded that Zac dissolve my participation in the business and return my funds. His response was vague, promising to return the money once his partner returned from overseas. But days turned into weeks, and I received nothing but silence. Then, instead of the money, I received a cease-and-desist letter — a blatant attempt to intimidate me. My attorney dismissed it as legally invalid, but the damage was done. I realized too late that I should have involved legal counsel from the start.

Desperate, I contacted the Prince George’s County Financial Crimes Division and met with a detective. Lauryn accompanied me, providing proof of her own financial losses. The detective initially suspected she and Zac were working together to scam me, but her evidence showed otherwise. Still, the State’s Attorney’s office couldn’t help; our losses, though significant to us, didn’t meet the threshold for prosecution.

The Aftermath

The full scope of Zac’s betrayal came to light when I discovered another woman who had fallen victim to his schemes. Through social media, I connected with a young lady on Facebook who had also been scammed by Zac. Her story mirrored Lauryn’s — she, too, had trusted him, invested in his ventures, and been left with nothing but broken promises. She had been physically and romantically involved. The end result was a broken heart and $60,000 poorer. Her story was both devastating and validating. We were not alone, but that did little to ease the pain.

In total, I had invested $100,000 — $60,000 in the CBD skincare line and $40,000 in the Moringa Cartel. But the financial loss was just one part of the devastation. The betrayal cut deeper. Lauryn, the sister I had trusted implicitly, had unknowingly led me into the arms of a predator. Zac had exploited her vulnerability, using our friendship as a tool to manipulate and deceive.

I was left with nothing — no money, no business, and no means of contacting Zac. Emails bounced back, texts went unread, and calls went straight to voicemail. I had been swindled out of $100,000, and there was no way to recover it. Heartbroken, Lauryn had lost $50,000 and wanted nothing more to do with the situation.

Lessons Learned

Looking back, the signs were there. But I ignored them, blinded by the desire to support a friend in need and the allure of a promising business opportunity. I’ve since learned the hard way that when something seems too good to be true, it usually is. In the end, I had to come to terms with the trauma of losing everything because I let my desire to help a friend cloud my judgment. I was emotionally invested in Lauryn’s well-being, but I failed to do my due diligence on Zac. I trusted blindly and paid a heavy price.

Conclusion

In the end, the story isn’t just about a lost investment or a failed business venture. It’s about the importance of critical thinking, the danger of blind loyalty, and the painful reality that not everyone who enters your life has good intentions. I was betrayed by a man I barely knew, but also by my own willingness to believe in the impossible.

Let this be a reminder: Protect your dreams but protect your heart and your wallet even more. This experience has left me scarred, but it has also made me wiser. I share this story not to shame myself or Lauryn, but to warn others. In the world of business, and in life, there are those who will prey on your goodwill and ambition. The best defense is vigilance — ask questions, trust your instincts, and never let excitement cloud your judgment.