#finally a learning experience that's positive and gained without loss. W.

[fairymint]

the really weird and fucked sense of empathy that I've gained for those who are transfemme due to possessing some form of both cock and boobs at the same time, IRL.

still don't plan on portraying Felix-muse ever having had to wait for surgery. Just, as an androgynous leaning mixed-passing experiencer, i Get it more than I ever would've. I'll be glad to have this 'over with' as i pass more and more this year, but I'm glad for the journey, shitty parts and all. i learned.

[elmidol]

Astra Inclinant (NSFW)

Three Blind Tooke Part Three Death is an Art Read on Ao3

Three Blind Tooke 

 Part Three: Death is an Art

 Chapter Sixty-Seven: Astra Inclinant

 I knew the many forms of peace,

I knew at long last how to be me.

 Between life and death, you were in the embrace of stars while Kylo held your hand in his. You scanned each planet that slowly emerged from the surrounding shadows. It was not too late to choose the peace offered by death; though Kylo would temporarily ache from your loss, he would not suffer endlessly. Even still, that pain was nothing you wished for him to endure. On top of that there was a fear that you knew even in the numbness of death--the numbness that wavered, threatening to give way to aches proving you were reconnecting with your physical body. 

 This fear was simple; that someone would take your story, manipulate it to fit their narrative, and discard you. For them to deny that they did so, that you were nothing more than some stepping stone for them to receive fleeting fame. Returning to life was not a foolproof method of preventing this. On the contrary, such individuals could later treat you as a charity case and thus curry favor from the greater public. To speak out against them would only harm you; you would be deemed ungrateful and emotional and toxic.

 The urge to inhale a lungful of air nagged at you. That could be the breaking point, the tipping point. It would return you to life. You looked to Kylo, whose eyes had not left you for even a moment. It mattered not that war played on.

 In the land of the living there remained much to accomplish after the Supreme Leader Armitage Hux of the First Order fell. Skirmishes played out to their completion; the dead were tallied and, where possible, collected. More joined their number before night came to the planet. The count increased still by dawn as mortal injuries claimed their victims. Likewise, the battles that had taken place in other parts of the galaxy came to their own conclusions. Where the First Order had gained victories, reinforcements arrived to defeat those battered vessels and soldiers. Countless beings peered down into the pools of water as they gathered around those bodies in the land between life and death. They observed those alive preparing to enter the new chapter of life’s story.

 Vicrul, struck by a mortal wound that had severed his right arm from his body, had been among the first to join you at the edge of such pools of water. He had been the one to slide your hand into his, to give it a squeeze. By the end of the battle, however, he no longer resided in the land between life and death, nor did he transcend into an existence beyond death. Order of Ren soldiers that had trained in the art of Force healing had worked exhaustively to revive him. They did so at a great cost--several of them traded their lives for his. Others remained alive due to the foresight of utilizing Vicrul’s scythe, which had previously torn the souls from foes. The weapon relinquished its hold on those souls, allowing Vicrul’s body to absorb them. 

 You felt him brush along you, a ghost slipping back into the realm of the living. He had thrashed in pain, swearing and cursing, wrenched from the peace that he had known and thrust into the agony of life. This discomfort and pain lessened as more healing abilities were poured into him. The bleeding stopped, though his arm remained absent.

 Kylo’s spirit remained at your side though he himself, his physical body, did not cease in its movements. The two of you were one, ever connected. Another urge to breathe at this thought alone struck you. And yet… Sometimes there was too much life in living--though you did not wish to escape, not always, it overwhelmed you. To have empathy and face possible betrayal. After you had known such peace, that was an agony that burdened you so that your knees gave out and you crumpled.

 If you breathed, would you collapse?

 You squeezed Kylo Ren’s hand just as Vicrul had done the same with you at the water’s edge. All the while you observed via reflections in starlight the world of the living continue on both with and without you.

 Time crawled. The ever-constant fighting left, which thrust many into a state of confusion, of acknowledged weariness. There were planets that had been molested less than others by the chaos of war; of those, only a number extended offers of assistance without any sort of prompting. Another portion followed suit or else agreed when there were direct requests. Few protested when the final portion rejected taking any action. They turned their eyes to Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of the Order of Ren, leader of the final battle. What they had expected from him, one could not say with a certainty although there were obvious guesses to be made. Violence. Manipulation via the Force. Instead Kylo did not force them. He allowed them to take these actions, aware that the galaxy was observing with curiosity, with a memory that would last through the ages.

 Where were you when--? What did you do after--? They were the ones that would deal with the consequences of their negligence.

 Kylo Ren issued other orders to set up a body of galactic law enforcement similar to what the New Republic had utilized and at which Poe Dameron had worked prior to joining the Resistance. Its focus was on the sorts of scum and scavengers that threatened to take advantage of the war-ravaged galaxy. Included in this were First Order officers and other personnel that had managed escape along with its silent partners. Pirates and crime syndicates likewise desired to tackle easy prey. Poe was given a lead position on the force, and there were volunteers from the former Resistance along with Order of Ren pilots that were not ready to settle down.

 Rey and Rose each went to the planets of their birth. Hays Minor required much cleaning due to the pollution caused by the First Order. Many people that had fought alongside her accompanied Rose. There were some that had known her sister, Paige, and so journeyed to Hays Minor in her honor. As for Rey, her journey was of a more personal nature thus her company was more limited. Finn naturally volunteered the moment that he learned of her intentions. She did not reject him, her expression soft and one of relief. She was not alone--after so many years on Jakku alone, she now had a family and friends that would not abandon her.

 For Force sensitive beings, Kylo Ren’s vision of normalizing their capabilities by simultaneously rejecting and embracing Sith and Jedi ideology--taking the inclusive teachings while tossing aside those that created biases--there were changes being made. One of those changes was the elimination of any programs that grabbed children from their parents such as the stormtrooper program that Brendol Hux had created and that Armitage had furthered. It had been a practice of the Jedi as well, had perhaps what allowed Han and Leia to feel content with sending Kylo to Luke when they had failed to understand or accept him as a child.

 The next step was to--Finn’s idea, which had its importance emphasized by Rey’s personal mission--reunite the stormtroopers with their families. Lando was swift to volunteer to assist. He had the means and willingness to travel for an extended period. Lando was not fully familiar working with children, however young adults were another story. He connected with them, listened to them. He had enough real world experience outside of war that there were minimal protests. Most that did exist came from Order of Ren officers that had conflicted feelings regarding the new changes arising now that the First Order was defeated. They were not fond of the former Rebellion heroes.

 Many of those former heroes resided in the land of the dead. Chewbacca was not among that number. He returned to Kashyyk to his family, albeit not until after he had a proper reunion with Kylo Ren. They had sat together, shared a meal. Chewbacca stood at Kylo’s side when the dead were announced. Joined him in medbay where the injured were being tended to. It was here that Kylo first beheld the state in which Vicrul had been left. Within two weeks of the final battle, though, Chewbacca said his temporary farewell to the man that was the equivalent of his nephew.

 Ushar, who had been left behind on the Star Destroyer and given instructions via commlink, had survived the final battle with no further injury other than a blow to his pride. He sat with Vicrul, who barely spoke, in medbay prior to locating Trudgen, who had been placed into a medically induced coma due to the extent of his injuries. Trudgen’s bed sat near the bacta tank in which Cardo had been placed to heal the wounds that threatened to cause nerve damage and deep scars.

 Vicrul, still silent, was nevertheless more interactive with Millicent when Ap’lek brought the feline to medbay for a visit. Kuruk alternated between secluding himself from the world to spending time with his fellow Knights of Ren. Each of them broken yet unbent. Within two weeks of the war’s end, Kuruk managed to convince Vicrul to move forward with his prosthetic arm. The pair tended to the plants from Naboo, which had grown in number as other planets and pilots of ships contributed to the collection for breeding purposes.

 In these small ways, the land of the living moved forward--and these small things, each of them, had been the motivation for you taking that breath.

 There are times that you forget you are in the land of the living, and it is during such occurrences that you realize you know peace--have known peace--between periods of strife. Now there was a simultaneous acceptance of and aversion towards death. You were not afraid to be welcomed into its embrace, however you wanted to live. The chaos of the galaxy did threaten to overwhelm you, prompting you to retreat into solitude that only he could intrude upon. His footsteps, growing in volume, signified that he meant to do just that. You opened your eyes, focus wavering between the tingling running along the back of your neck and the awareness that there were blankets draped across your lap.

 The previous threats to your body--him--and to your mind--you--no longer burned you. This absence of suspense and ulterior motivations instilled a sense of awe that had not yet failed to emerge by way of a smile when he entered your line of vision.

 A single large window claimed two-thirds the expanse of the wall directly across from the room’s entrance. Stars shone through it, illuminating the sky along with the moon that peered down upon the trees that stretched towards the heavens. Shades of blues and greens were dotted with deep purples and dark pinks. There might never be an equivalent, however this was the closest you had come to feeling as though you were on Naboo. Your mother had secured the arrangements for you to rest on the planet while she and Kylo Ren delved into politics. 

 This system was war weary, quite ready to welcome a sovereign that permitted its local governments to remain in place with minor adjustments. This willingness did not, you suspected, equate to complacency nor a lack of ambition in terms of setting up proper trade routes. Kylo Ren’s fatigue showed on his face; shadows darkened the flesh under his eyes, and his brows were creases despite the absence of a scowl. His expression brightened as yours did when his gaze met yours.

 “I thought about the offer,” you said in a hushed voice, aware that he might have a headache after the day’s business had concluded. Kylo shook his head. You knew that he was holding himself back from chastising you; the proposal that you had received in regards to a career--one of many, in fact--had been one that he had hoped you would store away for a different time. Each person that you had met, every individual that knew you well, were in agreement that you required time for rest. To truly rest. “I haven’t made a decision.”

 That elicited a hum of curiosity from his chest, a sort of rumble that you felt roll throughout your body in turn. The muscles in your abdomen tightened. Breath hitching, you shuddered and drew your legs towards one another. Kylo’s hum turned into a single quiet purr of pleasure. He stalked towards the bed. Used two fingers, twitching them, to close the door. The existence of the large window and its current absence of a shade or curtain meant that any passersby--of which there were presently none--could see the activities within the room. This fact did not cause Kylo pause, nor did it dissuade you from tilting back your head to expose your throat to him. Starlight streaming through the transparisteel created streaks of light upon your flesh and his.

 The mattress dipped underneath his weight. You rocked backwards, let yourself roll and collapse upon the pillow, and stared up at him as he crawled over you. Your eyes were wide, your heart racing. You were not afraid. It had simply hit you again--this was real. You were alive, your body could be touched, you could experience pain and pleasure. Tears brimmed in the corners of your eyes. They spilled along with the first sob. You threw yourself at him, thrusting your body upwards and practically catapulting off the bed so that your chest slammed into his. Your arms wound around his neck. Your legs crossed, trapping one of his between them. He had pulled you out of death’s embrace when you had decided that you wanted to live. Kylo was your anchor and your sails, he was everything you needed whether you required a moment to remain still or else were ready to sail forward.

 Hands cupped either side of your face and tilted back your head until it met the pillow. You arched your body in response to prevent contact from being broken. Kylo drew his limbs down along the materials of your clothing. He worked to eliminate all barriers. First yours. His touch a phantom, skimming along surfaces without making full contact. The gloves that he wore did not diminish the intimacy with which he handled you. His eyes, ever expressive, were all that you stared at. All that you needed to peer into. Their bottomless depths, so filled with emotions and secrets.

 There was a dampness to them, unformed tears creating a new layer to the pool in which you were willingly drowning. You knew this expression, the look. It was painted across your own face, albeit with the inclusive of tears. It was how you had stared down at him when he had died in your arms--don’t leave, don’t leave me alone--and you knew that a single word could make him crumple. It would shatter him like glass. Your mouth dropped open once more, a new, strangled sound erupting.

 Kylo lifted one hand from you in order to begin removing the layers of his own clothing. Those leather gloves released noises that caused you to swallow repeatedly. Gulping down air and saliva in alteration. Starlight amplified by the window dotted his flesh, reminding you of the cloak he had worn. Glancing down at long last, you noticed similar creations on your own skin, no different than the gown that had once adorned your body. Kylo lifted his arms, rose up to a greater height above you as he knelt on the bed. The mattress shifted under each movement. Leather slipped away to reveal those hands you so loved, the ones that aided in molding you.

 They met your shoulders and you realized that you were more than a damaged body, more than a vessel for death. Your abdominal muscles tensed, pulled towards your spine as you sucked in air then temporarily refused to breathe. You were not Death; your barren body was not an instrument of destruction. You were more than that. A creator, an artist, one who used the available tools to design on canvases woven with hope.

 You traced the contours of his countenance with the very tips of your fingers. Every smooth surface, every scar, each mole. You knew it as well as you knew your own features. It mattered not if you were dead or alive, if you were in the dark or the light. This was your soul, your being, you. You were complete in yourself, content with yourself. He was a part of that.

 “I’m alive,” you said in what could barely pass as a whisper. Your voice caught in your throat, cracking. Kylo pressed his forehead to yours. Strands of his hair tickled your cheeks. He moved between your legs without attempting to enter you. The pair of you were breathing one another in. Grounded, anchored, together.

 Kylo was the first to shift. His nose ran along yours, caressed your lips, ghosted down your throat--you tilted back your head and stared with wide eyes at the ceiling--moved from your breasts all the way to directly below your navel. He parted your folds with his nose then his tongue, which flicked back and forth, side to side, spreading you. You shuddered. Wetness flowed from you, your slick gathering on the tongue that prodded, that traced lazy designs upon your sensitive flesh. You entangled your fingers in his hair, massaging his scalp without pushing him against you. He was taking lead in this dance, in this union.

 He slipped one finger into you along with his tongue, moving limb and organ in opposite directions. Even as your eyelids fluttered closed, you could see the stars. The planets, sun and moon. Warmth enveloped you, wrapping around you as his tongue curled, as his mouth sealed around your cunt in a wet kiss. He moaned into the kiss. The vibrations made you throb, caused you to clench around his finger and tongue. Kylo inserted a second digit, scissoring you and rolling his tongue between the two fingers so that he could toy with a sensitive bundle of nerves situated near your entrance. You clenched again, stomach fluttering.

 More tears spilled from your eyes, these ones for a different reason. You were alive and you were happy with that. There was peace here with him, within yourself. You cupped your breasts. This body that had been injured in the war, that had taken months to heal--that would take more time to fully heal--it was beautiful to you. It was yours. You were comfortable within your own skin, and Kylo made you feel worthy of affection, of adoration, of the attention he was paying you. I am complete within myself. His nose nudged your clit, sending a new spark of pleasure coursing through your veins.

 Three sides--you, him, the whole self. To reject one was to blind them all.

 “Little tooke,” Kylo purred. For the first time, you repeated those words back to him. He paused, having been shifting to resume touching you, to fuck you with his tongue. “Not a rancor?”

 You watched him draw back, Kylo shifting up onto his knees and you moving along with him so that you were able to straddle him. He held onto your hips, his eyes locked with yours. That same expression--he could break if you said something hurtful. If you rejected him, which you would never do. “I think we can be both. But… I used to be afraid to be vulnerable.” You reached down, stroked his cock, which twitched in your hand. Stroking the underside, you traced the prominent vein. “I could reveal parts of myself and not break. I can use the parts I am proud of without fear. There were the other parts I tried to hide away.” You lined him up with you, sank down onto him. You took a shuddered breath, eyelids fluttering, and you were temporarily unable to speak.

 Kylo released a grunt. He helped to guide you down, holding back from thrusting into you with abandon. You licked your lips. “There are tooke trap plants...they eat tooke. A natural order. Death is part of the cycle, but--people view rancors as monsters. So, with that in mind,” you lifted yourself, sank down again. Moaned. Felt his length spearing you open. “I… I’m toxic to monsters. They may try to destroy me, and if they do...they’ll fall as well. But I’m not inherently toxic. I’m not worthless. Whether I’m scared or small or large or brave, I’m not a monster that doesn’t belong in the world. When I’m a rancor, at my ugliest, I belong. And you as well. You know, I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for you.

 “At one point I lived to kill you--anything could have destroyed me along the way. I was on a path of self-destruction. Only by colliding with you did I come alive again. I was so lost. Just some lost girl running away from myself, from life. Avoiding the darkness but also straying away from the light.” You kissed him. Kylo cupped your neck in one hand, a breast in another. He squeezed, massaging, with both. You tightened yourself around him with each undulation of his hands.

 “I am one when I’m with you. I am not hatred any longer.” Another kiss. “And I am not afraid. I am love. A small creature in this large galaxy. A little tooke for you, with you. You’re my tooke as well.” You released a heavy breath, lifted your body. Felt his cock starting to slip from you--slammed yourself back down and discovered that he had been thinking the same thing, that he needed to be within you. His body collided with yours. “If I consume you, I’ll die as well. So I am the rancor to your tooke, you are the rancor to mine.”

 You were unsure if you were making any sense, however Kylo nodded. He knew you. Knew what you meant--you were the same as one another, the entire cycle of life and death, of soul, of being. In public he would not allow himself to be a tooke, to be vulnerable. Yet there he was in your arms, buried in you, and you knew it to be true. You wound your arms around his neck.

 “My tooke.” He crossed his arms behind your back, holding onto your shoulders as though you were life itself. You would not crush him.

 The calloused pads of his fingertips traced down the length of your torso. You shuddered at his touch, gasped and gulped in air. As he touched you, you regained each piece of yourself that had begun to shatter while you had slept; while you had dreamed of losing all that you had left, of lost love and of betrayal, and of isolation rather than solace. Kylo cupped your breasts with his hands, sealed his mouth over your nipple and rolled the bud with his tongue, causing it to harden and perk up. Your body tightened around his cock. He shoved you onto your back, his hips rocking with more force as he began to fuck you in earnest. There was no absence of affection despite the seemingly harsher movements. It was a mutual need, a shared desire.

 “Oh,” you gasped out, tears springing into the corners of your eyes as warmth began to build inside of you. A dam of pleasure, hot and pulsing, a thrumming that made your jaw drop as an explosion rippled throughout your body.

 Wrapped up in his body, there were no lingering questions of what next now that the war had ended. There was a present. Only the now, which was an embrace that you clung to and never wished to be released from. Your orgasm shattered you without breaking you. You screamed Kylo’s name, heard him grunt in reply. Felt his body pistoning into yours, his cock stretching your pulsing walls. He plunged into your cunt after drawing almost completely out of your body. Kylo groaned your name as he came inside of you, his cum filling you, leaking from you when he pulled away.

 You set the heels of your hands against your eyes, worked to regulate your breathing. Teeth nipped upwards from your inner thigh to your cunt to your breast, where Kylo paused to leave marks. His fingers plunged back into you, fucking you. You swallowed down saliva before letting yourself simply drool as he turned you into an incoherent mess. The mattress squeaked obnoxiously. Your cunt released lewd, wet noises as your cum and his mingled, his fingers driving in and out, thumb swirling on your clit until you were cumming again. This time your screams had no volume; they were too loud, a mixture of pleasure and pain--ecstasy--as he bit down on your breast, bruising you.

 I’m alive, you thought for what seemed like the millionth time. Tears rolled down from the corners of your eyes onto the blankets underneath your head. Kylo climbed up, his mouth hungrily claiming yours. You returned the kiss, your tongue joining his in a dance that he had taught you. His body enveloped yours, completed yours. You felt safe.

 “Will you see them?” His question broke through. You winced, sucked your lips into your mouth. Why were you so afraid of seeing the others? The Knights of Ren. Rey. Finn. These people who had known you before death, before you had become complete. These people who loved you even when you felt unlovable. When you lashed out in anger because it was easier to be angry than it was to be hurt. Because he understood this, Kylo would not push beyond asking that question.

 You breathed again. It was such a foreign feeling when you were conscious of the act. The heavy weight on your chest. The burning sensation if you held in the breath or did not drag enough air inside.

 Lifting your hands, you entangled your fingers in his hair and traced each of his features with your eyes. Whether you left this room to visit the others, life went on the same as it would have had you chosen death. But I did not choose death, I chose life. Your eyes widened. Life came in far too many forms to count. To number them was to number the stars; the endless possibilities and choices available altered the paths one took, the sights they saw. That was strange to you in some ways, realizing that you had a choice. Where before you had been a captive of circumstance, now you actively chose.

 I can choose to move forward now, or I can stay here for a little while longer. You licked your lips. “Kylo.” Your first choice. You had, as you had told him, thought about the offer that had been extended to you regarding your future. To answer it in either the positive or the negative, first you would need to see the others. Am I ready? “Kylo.” His name was a prayer, a mantra, a comfort. He said yours in return, and you felt your soul thrum with joy.

[avannak]

Hey AvannaK! I'm genuinely curious what you would've liked to see in a canon-consistent bridge series between HTTYD/GOTNF and HTTYD2? Do you have specific "should haves" and "would have been nice if..."? Sorry if you've answered this before. 😕 I'm not around as much. Take care!

Heya!!!

This is a really fun ask and it led me on a journey through a lot (a lot) of old posts. Some I’ve quoted, some I’ve linked to, but hopefully I’m managed to peace together a readable summation of things/events I like to imagine happened in between HTTYD/GotNF –> HTTYD2. Thank you!

Hiccup’s awakened to a whole new world; in the span of a month or so his entire life has been flipped and he’s got no choice but to hit the ground and run with it because, as of now, he’s at the forefront of Peace. The village is not only paying him positive attention (for being him) but also looking to him for direction. He’s lost a leg. He seems to have gained everything else.

In the following months, years even, his father does a lot of directing within the village, as Hiccup learns to lay out a plan. It’s not long after Hiccup awakens that Stoick sits his son down and says “Tell me everything”. Stoick wants to know Hiccup’s history with Toothless, his desires, his personal thoughts on where Berk is and move on from here and, to Hiccup, its a moment he’s been waiting for his entire life. His father has always loved him, but its felt like years since he’s openly valued his opinion. Stoick wants to be a team with Hiccup, because Hiccup is Berk’s first and only step into this new territory, but Stoick has the pull.

Stoick is openly impressed with his son after hearing the full tale; he says as much. About how brave Hiccup was, to make himself vulnerable like that, purposefully, and to come out victorious. The sort of bravery few vikings show anymore. The sort of bravery his mother had.

Hiccup and Stoick’s relationship had started to take a dive as Hiccup grew out of childhood and into a disappointing vision for a viking. It’s being restored, heftily, as they walk an entirely new path together (though, not at all without disagreement; both will continue to claim the other “doesn’t listen” until the very day they part ways).

Right from the get-go, Hiccup struggles with his leg or lack there of. There’s heavy frustration with limb loss and the adjustments Hiccup has to make around it leads to flares of temper – moments where he snaps at his father in misplaced anger, or Toothless, before he’s struck by reality and apologizes. Sometimes he pushes himself too far, insistent on maintaining independence, and Astrid, or Toothless, need to help him back, and he’s left sweaty, and angry, and embarrassed. Hiccup would have periods where he felt so helpless and it killed him because losing his independence for a time makes him feel like he’s Hiccup the Useless all over again. Phantom pains and feverish nightmares plague him often at first; times when he grows testy and stressed as this burning sensation runs up his leg like its still on fire, and Gobber has to sit him down and help him work through it. These episodes manage to crop up again and again in the following years no matter how comfortable he’s become on his feet.

In fact, late winter of that year, not long before Hiccup’s 16th birthday, when he’s just begun to feel physically normal, a common sickness is taken to an extreme for him. He can’t shake it, he loses weight, his leg pains him constantly. It has his father besides himself and Toothless acting out and Astrid furious with the gods.

And then there’s the growth spurts. He’s just sixteen when he gets a new leg fitted by Gobber. And then sixteen and a half when he adjusts that same wooden leg. Twice more before his seventeenth birthday he makes even more adjustments and it’s when he’s 17 and four months, after a fortnight of an aching back and pinched calf that Hiccup fashions himself a full new prosthetic of his own design. He happily braces it to his stump, sighs in contentment, and stands to look directly over his girlfriend’s head… who had merely come to accompany him to the Mead Hall and not be ridiculed for height disparities.

Gobber’s relationship almost immediately starts to transition from Uncle-figure/Blacksmith-master to confidant and therapy guide. Every other viking on Berk seems to have lost a limb, but Hiccup feels safest around Gobber to be open and vulnerable and actively seek help. Gobber teaches him the tricks to fastening a prosthetic, the mental and physical exercises to better deal with limbloss, holding his hand through the hardest of times and listening to his rants patiently. Limbloss is a way of viking life, but that doesn’t make it any easier watching a familial child go through it. At the same time Hiccup’s being pulled out of the forge more and more, and Gobber, like a distant, proud father, will both needle him about it and be supportive all the same. Gobber takes on another apprentices from time to time — capable young’ns, a few old hands with good experience — but he’ll miss the back and forth banter, and the exasperating ingenuity, of his honorary nephew.

Toothless takes it upon himself to get Hiccup into shape on his leg. He pushes the boy to exercise, to be physically stronger, just as Hiccup pushes him to tolerate silly human manners (like to not nest on Stoick’s bed or help himself to any fish netting in sight). Hiccup and Toothless have, by far, the best human-dragon relationship yet to be seen on Berk, often and unwittingly acting as ambassadors to their respective species with the goal of making cohabitation as seamless as possible. They also are still learning about each other, and the differences in their behaviors as humans and dragons; where they’ll compromise and where they simply won’t. The subject of Toothless’s tail come up between them. Hiccup has it confirmed that Toothless knows… he knows it was him. Just as Toothless understands, as well as any dragon could, that Hiccup’s learned and accepted that he too took his foot. It’s not instant forgiveness. Not when Toothless still bears the scars of the bola canon, and not when Hiccup is still freshly relearning how to walk, dealing with a new upheaval of emotion and pain, but both find the results well, well worth their suffering, and finding each other even more so. They forgive each other. They communicate through touch and two different, one-way, verbal speech habits until they’re able to make “we got even” jokes about it five years later to some rando, feral dragon lady.

Hiccup’s relationship with his peers is another thing that takes an immediate 180. Much like the village in its entirety, Hiccup finds himself saddled with their positive attention and respect. It carries a past of longing, heartache, and anger. Hiccup can’t find it in him to hold onto his resentment; not when they’re so willing to learn, so sets aside his unease and pushes them. He pushes them to fly, and to bond, and to listen to their dragons. He’s barely aware of a protective element building between the teens and himself; a rapport born from fighting a battle unlike any other. He doesn’t stop to question if its out of guilt for their recent past, or if they’re that singularly minded. Whenever he stops to think about it he starts to get overwhelmed by the reality that this is all happening, he’s “one of them” (or they’re one of him?), so he tries not to. …Even though they sit with Hiccup in the Mead Hall, and hang out with him beyond dragon training, and pull him into battle spars when just months earlier they would have shoved him down a knoll first. The twins show up at the forge from time to time, seemingly just to mess with him. Fishlegs will spend hours with him pouring over text discussing dragons, gushing about possible revisions to the Book of Dragons. For once, Snotlout gets to laugh along with Hiccup’s biting, witty retorts as they’re finally directed towards others: stubborn, withered old vikings set in their ways and still battling dragon integration.

Ruffnut quickly figures that her attention to Hiccup is hitting a stone wall, and her interest that came so fast and hard is easy to shrug off almost as quickly (though losing to Astrid, even in a one-sided, unacknowledged battle, still smarts). Instead she keeps up with the uncomfortable attention a while longer simply for her own amusement. Snotlout too learns to let go of Astrid. She so easily rolled into this new life (not that he’s fighting it), and, perhaps, she was never the ideal woman for him in particular. Still admittedly hot, though.

And then there’s nights in the Mead Hall. They grow older, stay out later, test the limits of Mead and foreign ales. Engage in drinking games they’ve only seen older warriors participate in. There’s a streaking incident. Brawls. Hiccup finds himself pushing to ban drinking and flying (because if vikings want to be idiots, then fine, but don’t endanger the dragons). Stoick enforces it (someone needs to look out for his idiot vikings). A more sober variation comes of it over time: Dragon Racing.

Debates within the tribe about spreading peace break out almost immediately. For the first year of peace, well into late summer, the tribe was nearly unanimous about focusing on integrating dragons: learning to fly, acclimating to the benefits (and drawbacks) of sharing space with dragons, and loose plans on altering the village to fit their new needs. As they grew comfortable Hiccup, and a few others, started to push towards communicating with their distant neighbors about bringing on this way of life. Frienemy tribes (the Meatheads, the Bogs, etc) were opening communications once more, and all Hiccup sees is an opportunity. Hiccup’s on a high over many platforms; he wants to expand peace, knowledge, and understanding between dragons and humans. People are listening to him and he’s good, really good, at what’s passing for impressive these days. He’s ready for more. But this is one area where the older generations has more experience, more assurance. It is almost unanimously agreed to keep the pro-dragon lifestyle secret, and it’s not to punish Hiccup, or dragons around the world that still battle humans, but to protect their own, very new way of life. Especially as it develops, and they’re left vulnerable, off-footed, all the while very much aware of how tribes once were long before violent dragons had forced humans to keep a united front.

It’s confirmed in HTTYD2 that Berk keeps their dragon lifestyle a secret from other tribes. Berk manages to shirk hosting an annual Thing year after year, claiming repairs for being the most devastated by the dragon war, that they’ve had to travel for timber and food given the ruin dragons laid upon them before the war mysteriously ended. Instead they travel, by boat, to meet old allies, testing the waters of old friendships, waiting for a time when an opening will come forth to bring dragons into their lives as well…

Hiccup must go to these Things, and does so without his dragon, often wary at familiar faces, nervously making up stories about his leg, wishing he had Toothless with him. Snotlout goes as well, meeting up with old playmates, but shocking them with a more protective attitude towards Hiccup. Astrid starts to accompany him when he’s seventeen; both having decided their relationship is concrete enough to make known outside Hooligan territory.

Following the events of HTTYD, Astrid (and the others’) focus is on learning to fly dragons ahead of the curve so that they can continue to master and teach. Beyond number one priority, and beyond keeping up with traditional physical tasks (as she’s still Very Viking, thank you very much), and a bit beyond helping out her village adapt to dragons, is Astrid’s interest in Hiccup. Yes, a lot of it has to do with him being the best and first dragon rider. He’s actually impressive. He’s impressed her. He has a future as a chief, and not just any chief, but the chief. The one that changed everything. And, it turns out, he’s pretty funny (and frustrating) and incredibly ingenious (but impractical at times) and he genuinely cares about her (but he’s probably being as impressed and disillusioned by her as she is him). She’s learning a lot about Berk’s heir, and she intends to continue to do so.

Astrid starts out by planting a kiss on Hiccup’s cheek from time to time. Sometimes in front of others as she tries to subtly secure a claim she’d thrown down in a moment of rapture. Sometimes in private, where she actually feels embarrassed, and vulnerable, because its more intimate than some public decision.

They get into arguments. Their priorities don’t always align. Astrid challenges Hiccup on his dragon knowledge (but it’s not just knowledge like Fishlegs has, where it can be categorized from books, but a silent empathy that can’t be taught. It takes her years to truly figure that out). Hiccup gets irritated when Astrid chooses Vikings over Dragons (as he often views it, but it’s not so black and white). There’s miscommunication. And Guilt.

Astrid goes through her own self reflection, and acknowledges that the man Hiccup’s becoming is worth her respect, just as she reaffirms that the boy Hiccup was, or who she knew him as, was not. She can forgive herself. Same as Hiccup gets to really know Astrid, beyond the shallow crush he had on her (which had been all but driven from him in the throes of discovering a life’s purpose).

They’re juggling a relationship (that didn’t have the most wholesome start) in the background of readjusting their worlds and taking on tasks and roles most adults wouldn’t be asked to. But they’re giving it a try, and it’s harsh at times, and sweet at others, and they “take breaks”, sometimes unhappily, and they meet other people (not court, or ‘date’, but there are other heirs who look at Hiccup as potential alliance material, and other Vikings, many other vikings, who are impressed by Astrid).

But through it all, as they learn about each other as people (and not crushes, or heir figures) they discover that they are a team. They were a team the moment they were forced to work together, and they remain a team throughout the rest of their lives.

Hiccup’s at the cusp of 16 and Astrid well already when Hiccup initiates a kiss with her. Kissing becomes more casual, but still soft, and sweet, from there on out. He fumblingly asks her on a “date” of sorts shortly after (having to insist that, no, this doesn’t involve the rest of the gang. Just her. She has an ‘oh!’ moment).

Hiccup’s 16 and a half, it’s the anniversary of the Death’s demise, when he allows Astrid to see his stump for the first time. She’d helped him through leg pain in the past–supporting his limps, staying by his bedside through fever–but this time he willingly removes his prosthetic and bares a scarred and ugly part of himself to someone who’s opinion matters. Astrid reacts to the breathtaking moment of trust and exposure with tender hands and speechless assurances, and Hiccup relaxes in her presence. I imagine it wasn’t sexual or humorous, but a terrifyingly intimate and vulnerable experience that launched them into a deeper level of their relationship. He allows her to touch the hard tissue, and to ask questions he hadn’t felt comfortable answering before. 

A couple months later Astrid learns of the scars on his back, the ones she’s never considered before, from when he fell backwards into the explosion.

Not long after that Hiccup’s allowed to see her hair down, and to touch it. They grow more interested in each other as budding adults, and make more time for each other. Kissing intensifies. Groping and exploring follows. Sometimes they take things a little too far and it ends in giggles or, on occasion, an older viking yelling at them.

Astrid takes to grooming Hiccup. She braids his hair. Comments on his scruff. Gets involved with his wardrobe.

The flight suit is in development and Astrid finds it ridiculous; both a point of hilarity and something that scares her (though she’d never admit it outright) and Hiccup learns to hide it in one of the few white lies they’ve picked up in regards to one another.

They’re 18 the first time they exchange “I love yous” and the intimacy of their relationship continues to rise from there.

At just shy of twenty, and after much needling from his father and not-so subtle hints from Astrid’s family, Hiccup proposes.

The entire village is on a high in the following weeks. Heartened, Stoicks makes a weighty decision.

[lazilyfreshtheorist]

Don't Be Afraid Improve With The Other Strength Training Beginners Guide For Your Body From The First Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-EpfBhO9jE Strength training beginners guide has a new, modified concept. If you do a sport every day or every other day, it can become monotonous at some point. Then there is the willingness to change something and try something new. What is it like when you try strength training? It may be an unfamiliar terrain, but if you start with our sophisticated program, you'll understand the basics very quickly. Time will help you to feel safe and master your weight training basics. Strength training beginners guide defines the term strength training. Strength training or resistance training; both are the common name of the exercises performed for enhancing body strength. So when I say strength training, do not get confused because we are talking about strength-building practices only. As a beginner, you will surely hear a lot of what is right and wrong. Do I start with strength or resistance training? Or what if you bring barbells to high-altitude? To answer these questions, we wrote this beginners guide to strength training.

Strength training beginners guide:

The strength training beginner guide is a guide to weight training. As a freshman, keep these things in mind before 1st training: Begin beginner training with a simple cardio program and full-body strength training. Noteworthy points for your practice from the strength training beginners guide: • It may be necessary to take extra rest days after the first few days of training. Maybe you need more time to rest and heal muscle injuries. But if you have sore muscles the next day, you have exaggerated it. Then you have to train another muscle group at the next workout to protect the injured tissue. • The content of a beginner program in one week consists of two or three days of cardio and a maximum of two days of strength training. • When I speak of intensity in beginner training, this means choosing a middle level. For example, you start with 3kg and realize that it is too easy. Then you take 5kg and notice the dumbbell I get up, then that's the weight with which you should start. Strength training beginners guide stands for a cautious start. For example, you can do the so-called talk test during cardio training. You talk while you train. With someone and something out of breath, we speak of moderate intensity. What is strength training in the definition of strength training beginners guide? Strength training beginners guide shows the different meanings of the word strength training. Strength training connects many people with the lifting of weights. If you want your muscles growing, you have to challenge your muscles, let them work. You can do this faster if you need to lift something or push it away. So you use resistance. What is the opposite? Strength is a counterforce that a muscle has to overcome. The question, what can anything serve as resistance? There are a few possibilities: The easiest is your bodyweight, then you can use so-called free weights such as dumbbells and weight cuffs. In the fitness area, the elastic bands are trendy. After all, what you know from fitness studios are the specialized machines. For all this, a beginner needs weight training for beginners guide. No matter what you want to use for a counterweight, your muscles are built up. Your muscles have its beginnings on two joints. The exercises can strengthen your bones as well. Strength training beginners guide health obstacles Weak muscles can make even minor exertion — such as walking a few blocks, climbing stairs, or only getting out of bed-difficult. Equally important, weak muscles compromise balance. With health restrictions such as the Atheros or arthritis, you must, of course, adjust your workout accordingly. Through regular training, these so-called limitations become less with time. You turn this process around. With the muscle building, you increase your range of motion. Take as an example the Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is bone loss where the bone becomes brittle and unstable over time. Muscles then help to balance this deficit. A hint of strength training beginners guide: These notes and designs do not replace a medical diagnosis or a visit to a doctor !! The first program in strength training beginners guide: As a beginner, you first have many questions: • With what weight do I start? • How many times should I lift the weight? For these questions you need beginners guide to exercise. If you're newbie, it's essential, as we've suggested to you in an earlier article, to trust an experienced trainer. He can show you the gym basics for beginners and also your strength training goals. What you learn first and your instructions are expert, that is an excellent basis. That will make the difference between wasted training time and steady progress. There is a need for foundation and structure in the beginning. Strength training beginners guide wants to make your training more accessible. It starts by learning the feel and getting comfortable with the movements. Aim for precision as much as possible, but understand that in these primordial stages, your form will most likely be imperfect.

Best workouts for strength training:

Strength training beginners guide - Running Treadmill - Do 1 set, 5-10 minutes. • When entering the warm-up treadmill, select your program from the menu. Set it either manually or take a programmed schedule. • While running, it is essential to pay attention to correct posture and appropriate pace. Use the retaining bars only when needed.

Strength training beginners guide - Leg Press Exercise 2 - 1 set with 8-12 reps. • Sit in the machine and put your feet in a shoulder-width foot position on the press surface with the trudged legs. • Now push the platform up and release it. Now you start training by bending your legs up to 90 ° again. • You start inhaling and push the platform away from you. The legs are long but not stretched (margin in the knee joint). • Tip: Press mainly with your heels and the quadriceps. Return to the starting position when exhaling.

Triceps Pushdown 3 - Rope Attachment - Do two sets, 8-12 reps. • Stand straight with your upper body slightly bent. • The upper arms are on the outside of the body and face down. Your forearms are pointing up, as the rope with your palms facing each other. That's the starting position. • Now you pull the string with the triceps down, so you inhale. The arms are far stretched and at the side of the upper body. • Keep this rope position for a second. Then you bring the forearms back to the high place, and you exhale. Single-Leg Deadlift – Do three sets of 6 reps per side, rest 1-2 min. • With the long arm, you hold a kettlebell in one hand. • Your body weight is now on the leg on its side, which is a kettlebell. The knee is slightly bent. Now you perform a deadlift, you lean slightly forward, and the other leg back stretches (hold balance). • Bend so far that your upper body is parallel to the ground. Then raise yourself again.

Strength training beginners guide - Ab Crunch Machine – Do one set, 8-12 reps. • You choose a resistance that you can handle easily. Sit in the stomach machine and put your feet under the foot padding. The hands include the upper handle pads. • Your arms are 90 ° angled, and the upper arm backs are on. That's the starting position. • Now move your legs and upper body together with your abs at the same time. You are crunching while sitting. In doing so, you breathe in. • The movements should be slow and controlled. • Finally, you return slowly to the starting position and exhale.

Strength training beginners guide final words Strength training beginners guide follows a different approach. This workout is for newcomers to the gym who want to get better health and fitness. Most beginner exercises you do best with or on equipment. Why this? A beginner without experience and stamina has less body stability in the center of his body. His joints are not used to stronger forces acting on the body. When training with so-called free weights such as dumbbells or stones, you can hurt yourself because they have no guide rails. If you lose your balance during an exercise, the pressure will pull you down, or it will fall on you. Train at least twice a week then you can already get excellent strength gains. The above workouts are just examples of the strength training beginners guide. You can do exercises that your trainer will show you. Read the full article

[2019neworleansteentour]

Day Three, The Return...

Perspectives from First Experience, June 28-30th…

On the last day and trip home, the group stopped at a few important historical sites for African Americans. These sites are landmarks in both the south and history because they serve as reminders of both where we came from and how far we’ve come. Along with a short visit to Tuskegee university, which represents what we as a people are capable of achieving on our own despite the situations we are facing against. -Daryl C.

Today finalized the WeCCAAN 2019 New Orleans Tour on Culture and Service Learning. This was an awesome experience for me not only because I got to give back to others without receiving anything for my service, BUT because I was humbled in so many different ways. This wasn’t just a service learning trip but also a vacation for me since I’ve never been to New Orleans. I learned so much about my African American culture in just a short period of time, like how the Congo Square was where we got to show off all of our talents in the music world. Going to the different colleges seeing all the African Americans who have, and some who are currently making improvements on the school. It made me realize how once we were at the bottom of the food chain, but slowly African Americans are headed to the top. Then, the talk with Mr. Green really touched my heart, hearing the story how he lost his mother and granddaughter. How he tried every option there was to save himself and his family, but he just couldn’t. How even though he was going thru his own trials he was still there being a helping hand to others around him. Driving down the streets of New Orleans seeing all the vacant lots where there were once homes, but Katrina had destroyed them, and families still 14 years later still haven’t rebuilt their homes. Walking down the streets seeing all the homeless people seeing them sleep on cardboard boxes, their shoes, or just the hard concrete. This just really humbled me and made me be even more appreciative of every single thing that I have. Also, this trip allowed me to meet new people, try new delicious foods, and see another culture. I am so grateful to be able to be apart of this trip, because if not I wouldn’t have been able to have these experiences. -Kylah F.

The trip to New Orleans was amazing with all these new people I got to learn a lot about them. After hearing all the amazing stories about hurricane Katrina and how it affected people’s lives they still kept fighting to make things right again. I also found out about Tuskegee university, which was established by Booker T. Washington, I knew nothing about the school but today that changed I learned that it wasn’t an experiment it was a study and it’s a historical black university and each building that was built on the campus was named after someone that helped build it. They also had a museum on their campus but we couldn’t go in it because it was closed. We also seen Troy university and across the street was where Rosa Parks got arrested for the bus situation in Alabama. My name is Elijah and this is my first trip outside of my normal time zone and to Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi and I would love to go on another one because it was the best trip I ever took. -Elijah H. W.

This trip to New Orleans was an overall great experience for me and fulfilled all my expectations and then some. While I went into it expecting to gain more knowledge, it was way more than that. It brought culture of places I had never been and information that has opened new doors. Hearing the stories of loss ones to those tragic events of Katrina was very heartbreaking and was felt enormously. Helping out by doing whatever I can always warms me, and being able to help that lady with her garden was a wonderful task. She was very appreciative and welcomed us from the second we arrived. Not only was New Orleans great itself but the people gone with made the experience ten times better. This trip has not only made me want to keep coming on these tours, but to also visit New Orleans in the near future. All that has happened will be remembered, and I am great full to have had the opportunity. -Bobby H.

Today was bittersweet as we not only said goodbye to the Big Easy but also said goodbye to everyone on the tour. It's something incredible about the bond forged in the tireless pursuit of service to others. So many great connections made this weekend. The good thing is that we will continue to support each other and our communities from what we learned while on the WECCAAN Tour. I'm already looking forward to next year for another impactful tour. A huge amount of gratitude to all the teens who gave of their summer to help and learn from others, all the incredible chaperones who made it their mission to support this endeavor and especially Dr Mike Weaver, who makes these tours possible every year. -Giovan B.

This weekend exceeded my expectations. I came here to learn about new things and to be grateful for the life I live now and I am. This weekend taught me to be proud, but not satisfied. I was given the opportunity to talk with some amazing people who showed me that I can make the future brighter and better with my willpower and determination. This weekend made me feel honored to be in so many historical places where amazing people have walked the Earth. I am extremely glad that I was given this opportunity and that I was surrounded by a great group of people. -Ayshia B.

This Whole Trip Taught Me About Life And Things I Want To Do As In Career Although I Want To Be A Nurse I Seen A Few Nursin Colleges . This Will Change On How I Act With People And Interfere With Things . Today I Visited Montgomery And Tuskegee Alabama And Learned So Much About The Tuskegee Airmen And About Tuskegee University. I Liked This Trip Had Fun And I Wish To Have Many More With You All. -Shakemia J.

2012 was the first time I came to New Orleans with my oldest son Javon. Now to come with my youngest son... is a gift I can never repay.  Reflecting on both experiences, the similarities and differences, one thing is constant. The fact that these trips offer an incomparable experience.  Each year has a new journey and new lesson.  Reconnecting with friends that have become family makes this trip even more amazing. I have been telling Dr Mike for years that I need to keep coming. First I came with Javon from 2012-2017, Jordan from 2017-2018 and now with Jamil. These trips teach them valuable lessons of giving back, meeting new people and learning how to travel. I am forever grateful. -TeShania B.

I really enjoyed this trip, it opened my mind to new perspectives and deepened my insights into older ones. On the trip I was able to get firsthand experience with New Orleans and get a feel and sense of what some of the residents’ lives are like. I enjoyed the community service projects and getting to know the people that I care with and I intend on coming to another one later. -Daryl C.

The Last Day is usually the saddest. While on our journey to home we were able to visit one of my favorite HBCUs, Tuskegee University. While at Tuskegee i was able to learn about why Booker T Washington founded Tuskegee and the Tuskegee Study that happened at the University. I was amazed to learn that while doing to the Tuskegee Study that the men who were at art of it were promised something, received it. Before we went to Tuskegee we took a stop at the Rosa Park Library. Although we weren’t able to go in I do feel like i learned a lot that’ll impact my future in a positive way when reading the land markers. Overall, I was greatly satisfied with this whole experience and truly thank Dr. Weaver for all that he does to keep these service trips alive and going. -Roderick T.

I felt inspired when I saw the Tuskegee university and the statue of George Washington Carver. I like to learn about Martin Luther King jr and see statues. I feel  super inspired. -Jamil B.

As we travel back to Atlanta, from a very educational weekend and stay in New Orleans, I can say my ride was very inspiring. From the historical facts behind Hurricane Katrina and the impact it left amongst the communities, I humble myself in deep respect for those who experienced this devastation. Visiting Alabama gave value to my culture being. Knowing that people very similar to me, were the start of what is now a wonderful place of study for our future leaders also inspired me. It makes me wish that I had instead ventured off to prestigious institutions to expand my education. Overall, this weekend has given me lots of perspectives relating to history and education - a very great push to continue pushing myself as well as my children and the children of our communities. -Tia J.

Today’s activities have been a reminder of things that I learned about during childhood, but don’t think about often, such as Rosa Parks’s role in black history, and the impact of George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington, the importance of Tuskegee university and Tuskegee Airmen.  Seeing it through the teenagers’ view reinforced to me that we, as parents and as a race, have to keep our history alive and relevant for the future generations. As I reflect on this weekend, the learning, the friendships made, and the activities, I am a little sad to see it come to a close. This weekend exceeded my expectations. I feel a sense of pride as I look at the pictures of Mrs. Gloria’s garden and the Magellan gardens. I feel a sense of peace to know that Katrina survivors are continuing to rebuild their lives despite governmental barriers. I feel more pride seeing Tuskegee, and remembering what it stood for when it started and for this present time. I am excited to become a part of the volunteer activities over the next year that will lead to the next see and serve opportunity. -Miriam C.

Perspectives from Second Experience, July 26-28th…

Today I appreciated our experience in Tuskegee. Not only did we get to see the campus of an HBCU that I wasn’t aware Booker T. Washington was responsible for building, but I was also not aware those bricks that have been standing for so many years were locally manufactured, which represents the power in Tuskegee at the time. That same power laid in Moton Field where we were able to see where the Tuskegee airmen were trained. I was also grateful for the clarification we received from Dr. Mike for the difference between the Tuskegee experiment and the Tuskegee study, which I hear get confused even in my adulthood. What today and this weekend in it’s entirety did for me is serve as inspiration. It reinvigorated me in my want to learn my own cultural history, to participate in service on a regular basis that affects my community and our youth, and to stand in my own power as my ancestors so valiantly have and do whatever work I am led to do to the best of my ability and knowing that I will accomplish leaps and bounds with that will, as well as with the support of my community as they’ve supported us this weekend to experience what we’ve been blessed to experience. I was disappointed I wasn’t able to attend the past few years of service trips with Dr. Mike and the group but in the following years I will absolutely be making it a point to go out of my way and be apart. This work is more than important and I want to remain involved. Thank you to Dr. Mike, Mark and all our benefactors for making this happen for us and our youth, I couldn’t be more grateful! -Caris A.

This weekend was the greatest I've had in a long time. I met new people and got to visit a new city. Seeing New Orleans was like a dream come true and being able to see the French Quarter and lower ninth was really cool. I spent way too much money but the food was good so it wasn't a total loss. Getting to try New Orleans food was exciting and I'm going to try to recreate some things at home. I've never done anything like this trip before and it's given me a new kind of clarity for my future. I want to be able to take trips like this all the time whenever I want with whoever I want which means that I'll have to work for that so I can. I'm crazy tired now at the end but I feel great. -Essence H.

This weekend in New Orleans was fun. I got to see how the people are in the day and in the night also how they celebrate everything you could possibly think of. One thing about the New Orleans people is that they have pride of their parish and have pride in themselves. They truly love where they are and wouldn’t leave for anything and if they did leave they are most likely going to come back. During the time that I was there was a different atmosphere, other than the humidity there was a loving feel and nobody cared about what you did as long as you were happy. I learned a lot of stuff that I didn’t know and it’s good to learn. One thing that I noticed about New Orleans is that it’s a combination of a city and an industrial place. Wherever you go there is a bridge even in the city part and I’ve never seen anything like it. -Jordan B.

I had a great time this weekend. This weekend been a long learning journey and I learned from the culture and the background of New Orleans and hurricane Katrina. Then the tours of the colleges and museums was also a good learning experience. And bonding with the new and old students on this weekend. -Iterrius J.

In these 72 hours, I learned a lot and experienced more than I can imagine. New Orleans showed strength, culture, and unity which I think touched us all. I’m so glad Dr. Weaver decided to do another tour to NOLA this year. I’m honored to once again volunteer and give my efforts to Magellan Gardens. 

I realize how important it is for myself & others to travel the world learn our history ourselves. And to have an open mind through it all. I plan to return to New Orleans to explore more hidden gems the city has to offer. I’m humbled by this opportunity and can’t wait to share my experience with family, friends, and colleagues. -Shauna J.

This weekend was something special. I got to connect with people that I would not have met under normal circumstances and I got to see things that I would not see on a normal trip to any of the cities we visited this weekend.

New Orleans was a great experience. To see a city that was totally destroyed as evidenced by a Six Flags that still hasn’t been rebuilt and how far it has come. A city that had so much loss as evidenced by Mr. Green who lost his mother and granddaughter still have so much pride. I feel hard pressed to think of any other city that I have been to like that. New Orleans is somewhere that I definitely want to return to. Maybe not Burboun street (too much for my blood) but most definitely I want to return to the garden where we volunteered to see what it produces during other times of the year.

Tuskegee was a humbling experience. I never went to an HBCU and to be honest I had no clue that it was built by a black man. I’ve heard of Booker T Washington but before today I couldn’t have told you what he did or who he was. Seeing the actual airfield of the Tuskegee airman was cool. After seeing the movie Red Tails it was nice to be able to see the actual field and make the movie feel a little more real. 

I’ve been to Atlanta more times than I can count and have never been to Morehouse. It was today that made me realize that most HBCUs are not open campuses like the PWI that I attended. I knew there were differences in the schools but I’m not sure how that difference makes me feel. On one hand I feel like the school cares enough to protect their students and if we’re being honest it’s very rare that we hear of a shooting on a predominantly black campus. On the other hand it makes me wonder if it has more to do with the fences around the campus to keep people in.

All in all I enjoyed this trip and hope to be invited on another trip in the years to come. -Aleeka M.

This expedition to New Orleans was very eye opening. I honestly wish I had made this trip sooner. I loved the scenery in New Orleans, especially the natural spaces. The wetlands were beautiful despite all that has been stripped of their natural scenery, what is left is still a site to see. I really really loved seeing the dragonflies this weekend. I believe all living beings serve a purpose. All organisms have a spirit and if we look close enough at them and deep enough into ourselves we can feel that spirit within us. I recently found that dragonflies were one of my spirit animals. In New Orleans, I was able to be surrounded by dragonflies and their beautiful energy. Dragonflies represent change, transformation, adaptability, and self realization.

For quite a while, I was so afraid of change  especially in my youth. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered that change is inevitable. The best thing i can do for myself is be accepting of life and all the changes that come with it. New Orleans is a great testimony to adapting to change and undergoing transformation. Amongst the dragonflies and the spirit of New Orleans i has many self realizations and even realizations about the world. One of those realizations being that just like the people of New Orleans I can get through anything. Even if I lose every material thing I have as long as I have breath in my body and will in my heart I can pick myself up and rebuild or earn it all back. Change will happen regardless of whether I want it to or not, and when I resist these changes I make life harder on myself. I always try to remind myself to let go of all that does not serve me. However, that’s so much easier said than done. This trip has really shown me that it is actually quite easy to do when you have no choice. Choice is also a hot topic for me, I feel as though we all have choices about everything. We all have free will, we create our down destinies. You can manifest anything you want but you can also manifest the things you fear it’s about what you focus on.

After Katrina, the people of New Orleans had a choice to flee and never look back or face their losses head on. Of course they wept, that’s a necessary stage of the grieving process. They experienced anger and denial and regret and everything else. However, when the rain and the tears dried up they got up and handled their business. Even long before Katrina, during slavery times the black people in Nola chose to focus on the positive and build as much as they could for themselves and their community. This trip has inspired me to do the same. Dr. Weaver helped to confirm what I already knew, which was my worth and existence as a divine being. I already know my purpose and my power, I speak on it quite often. However, Dr. Weaver also helped me to realize it goes far beyond knowing or talking the talk. I have to walk in my purpose I have to act as the goddess I claim to be. I can no longer settle for the bare minimum. I can no longer know my power and not exercise it. How dare I be mediocre when royalty and divinity are right here in my DNA flowing through my veins? How dare I let my ancestors blood, sweat, and tears be in vain as I live a meager existence? How dare I not live up to my potential? When it’s all said and done I don’t want to look back on my life and wished I had done more, seen more, lived more, and been greater. This trip has inspired me to see all that I can while I can, go everywhere I can while I can, talk to connect with everyone I can while I can, and just really enjoy life and live intentionally.

Another eye opening aspect of this trip were the college tours. I attended Howard University and I wasn’t very fond of my experience there. I never felt at peace there, quite frankly there was always too much commotion going on for me to even listen to my intuition. I went there without touring there or any other colleges other than those in the AUC. I knew I wanted the HBCU experience and to be surrounded by fellow black excellence. However, I didn’t put a whole bunch of consideration into how different the experience could be depending on what institution I attended. I chose Howard because it was known to be the #1 HBCU in the country and I went in studying Political Science which was one of their strongest areas. Unfortunately, upon my arrival I found that Howard wasn’t the place for me. I really wish I had toured other HBCUs before I blindly decided on Howard. I love nature and I do my best to stay connected to the Earth around me. Howard lacked the nature aspect I loved so much being in such a busy and bustling city like Washington, D.C. If I would’ve explored my options before I decided to go to Howard my life path would’ve turned out very differently. I don’t regret any of my decisions but I can acknowledge that there were other options that held great potential had I ever considered them. That was a lesson to me to never rush such big decisions or pick based on popular opinion. I really loved the Tuskegee campus, I felt at peace there. I would’ve loved to have a college experience in such a beautiful and calming place. Nonetheless, I am grateful to have seen Tuskegee when I did and of course it’s never too late to further my education at a more fitting university for me.

In conclusion, this voyage to New Orleans has taught me so much about myself, my history, my options for education, and the world around me. I am so thankful to have had this opportunity and I will continue to reflect on all that I learned in the days to come. All that I learned on this adventure will remain with me forever. I have gained so much more knowledge since this journey began on Thursday night and I feel quite powerful. I would like to end this by saying a big thank you to Dr. Weaver and all the donors who helped make this possible. What you all are doing for the youth (black youth specifically) is such a blessing whether we realize it at the moment or not. Not many people care enough about us to present such opportunities of great and affordable travel to us. Also, a lot of people don’t realize how important it is to instill service and humane acts into young people. Volunteer experience goes a long way not just on applications and resumes but in character building and helping us to be more loving and culture. So once again, thank you so much to Dr. Mike Weaver, Mark Gibson, Meeka, and everyone else who made this possible. -Jzada J.

[o-behave]

IT’S ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA: A BEHAVIOURAL ANALYSIS OF THE 2018 U.S. MIDTERM ADVERTS

By Will Fernandez, WPP Fellow & Behavioural Strategist @ Ogilvy Consulting’s Behavioural Science Practice

Tomorrow, millions of Americans will cast their ballots for midterm election candidates. Fueled by either animosity of or excitement for President Donald Trump and his political ideology, early signs predict historic turnout levels across the country. In the case of races in the U.S. Senate, where the current political divide in Congress sits on a razor-thin margin of a single-seat majority for the Republican Party, the stakes could seemingly not be any higher.

With every election cycle comes a flurry of spending on political advertising and this year is no exception. According to data from Kantar Media’s Campaign Media Analysis Group (CMAG) and compiled by Ad Age, TV and radio advertising alone have surpassed $498.4 million since April 2017. That's across only the 13 most competitive Senate races, with candidates competing in what's already become the most expensive midterm Senate TV-radio advertising battle in American history.

While David Ogilvy famously quipped that political advertising “ought to be stopped” for its “dishonest” appeal to voters, we at Ogilvy Consulting’s Behavioural Science Practice are cognizant of the increasing relevance these communications have in shaping not only the future of politics, but also the future of culture. Therefore, we wanted to turn our lens this week to the behavioural principles that are underpinning this season’s political ads as they attempt to convince undecided voters and inspire the party-faithful.

We Can’t Go Back: Trump-eting Loss Aversion

Starting our discussion is a sixty-second spot from President Trump’s political action committee (PAC) fund entitled “We Can’t Go Back”. The narrative of the ad is simple – a young mother reflects on the state of the economy, comparing the current strength of the American market to the slow growth witnessed during the Obama years. Without ever referencing President Trump directly, the PAC’s message is loud and clear – that although things are going well, they could easily slip back to the ways of the past. In behavioural science, we would call this a classic example of loss aversion - a phenomenon encapsulated by psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky’s expression that “losses loom larger than gains” when it comes to human decisionmaking (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979).

By crafting a narrative that a vote for the Democrats is a vote for a diminished economic outlook, the ad plays towards our deeply ingrained resistance for loss. This tactic is also reminiscent of Ronald Reagan’s iconic 1984 re-election spot “Morning in America”, where the narrator paints a picturesque scene of economic growth and vitality in the country and asks why the viewer would ever vote to go back to the uncertainty of the Jimmy Carter-led Democratic Party.

What’s Best for Michigan: Uncommon Messengers

Moving from the national narrative to one of the most competitive races in the American Heartland, this next spot entitled “What’s Best for Michigan” comes from Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow as she attempts to out-maneuver Army combat-veteran-turned-Michigan-businessman John James. To counteract the belief that she is out of touch with rural Michigan voters, Stabenow has given the focus of this spot over to rural conservative farmworkers who view her as “a different kind” of politician. By using conservative advocates to reach her target audience, Stabenow’s team is utilizing the messenger effect – we are heavily influenced by who communicates information (Schjoedt et al., 2010). 

This tactic has been adopted previously in two separate spots both known as “Confessions of a Republican” – first crafted in the 1964 presidential race between Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson and Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, and second during the most recent presidential race between President Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Tough As Texas: Association Effects Are Bigger in Texas

Going from the Far North to the Deep South, the next spot comes from Texas Republican Senator and 2016 Republican nominee contender Ted Cruz. In “Tough As Texas”, Cruz attempts to expand and connect the Texas brand to his own personal mission of public service. By trying to connect the values and characteristics of the state of Texas to his own personal brand, Cruz, in turn, has dialled into what are known as association effects – we can elicit automatic behavioural effects when exposed to new brands when those brands are associated with tried and true brands, such as Texas exceptionalism (Dimofte & Yalch, 2011). By embodying the Texas brand, Cruz hopes to ride the associated goodwill to success on Election Day.

Many politicians have attempted to embody the ethos and associative effects of their state. None, however, have done it quite to the extent as former President Barack Obama – who found a way to interweave his personal narrative into a broader story of the American experience through multiple ads in his 2008 Presidential campaign, including the sixty-second “This Country I Love” spot. By connecting a personal brand to a beloved legacy brand, one has the opportunity to imbue many of the associative effects.

Dead Wrong: Nostalgia in Old West Virginia

Finally, we head to the old Mountain State of West Virginia where incumbent Democratic Senator Joe Manchin attempts to continue his service in the Senate for a fourth term in a state that voted overwhelmingly for President Trump in 2016. While Manchin has long been considered a historic “Blue-Dog” centrist Democrat, his most recent spot “Dead Wrong” extenuates that connection through a call to action that shows the senior Senator literally willing to bear arms for what he believes in. While certainly over-the-top theatrically, Manchin’s message draws heavily on humanity’s unique affinity for nostalgia – we are far more likely to agree with the information or decision presented to us when primed with a sense of longing for what used to be (Muehling & Sprott, 2004).

Previous iterations of brilliant executions of nostalgia-laden political ads include California Governor Jerry Brown’s 2010 attack ad “Why I Came to California” used against the Republican nominee and former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Meg Whitman. By reminding the viewers of the nostalgic positives of the past, the advert’s message becomes more persuasive in getting viewers to believe in the benefits of the future.

Learnings from the Campaign Trail

While many of us in the advertising industry can hold disdain for the cheesy, dishonest, and downright embarrassing tenor of some political ads, we would be remiss if we did not take them as a serious barometer for our own work. If we are to break through the clutter and overcome the growing sense of compassion fatigue that dominates our culture, then we would be wise to better understand the behavioural levers that successful politicians have adeptly managed throughout history. Without greater understanding, we are doomed to continue making ads like��this one.

Sources:

1. Kahneman, D., & Tversky, A. (1979). Prospect theory: An analysis of decision under risk. Econometrica, 47, 263-291.

2. Schjoedt, U., Stødkilde-Jørgensen, H., Geertz, A. W., Lund, T. E., & Roepstorff, A. (2010). The power of charisma—perceived charisma inhibits the frontal executive network of believers in intercessory prayer.Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 6(1), 119-127. 

3. Dimofte, C. V. & Yalch, R. F. (2011). The Mere Association Effect and Brand Evaluations. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 21, 24–37.

4. Muehling, D. & Sprott, D. E. (2004). The Power of Reflection: An Empirical Examination of Nostalgia Advertising Effects. Journal of Advertising, 33(3), 25-35.

Note: The opinions expressed represent the viewpoint of the author alone and in no way represent those of Ogilvy or Ogilvy Consulting.

[scozziesquash]

S2riking Gold at UVA!

S2ozzies travelled in abundance down to Charlottesville, VA for the second Gold of the 2019 Summer Series. The McArthur Centre is situated at UVA and is one of the finest squash facilities in the world. Two all glass courts, 14 in total, there is no better layout for an event and as expected, everyone came to play. We argued that the Westchester Gold two weeks ago, could have been the strongest Gold in US Junior Squash history, but this past weekend might even have topped it. The level of squash showcased throughout was incredible, with every round posting seeding upsets. By conclusion of play on Sunday afternoon, we felt like we’d been at Six Flags for 72 hours. The rollercoaster journey brought 8 S2ozzie quarter finalists, but could any of them go on to win the coveted UVA Gold title?!

8 Quarters become 2 Finalists… Becomes ? Winners?! Christian Shah has been a S2ozzie for 8 years, since he was 9 old and has found a second home at the McArthur Centre. The journey began 12 months prior, went he went on a unprecedented run through the BU17 division at the 2018 UVA Gold, winning the title without dropping a game. That title sparked a summer to remember, where he went on to win Cincinnati two weeks later and collected the perfect 2x 2000 point bonus to bolster his ranking and rating before the 2018/19 season. His rise from a top 32 player in summer continued to increase at a unseen level and by March 2019, he arrives back in UVA at Gold Nationals as a top 5 player in the country. But even that wasn’t enough and the fairytale continued at the McArthur Centre, as he went on another heroic run through Gold Nationals to reach the final (only dropping 1 set) and a chance to complete the dream and win a National Championship. His unbeaten run at UVA finally came to an end in a high caliber final, as he settled for 2nd in the country. But the fairytale season started and ended at UVA and that journey will be a fond S2ozzie memory forever.

This season, his senior year, he ages up to U19’s in one of the strongest recruiting classes ever. He came into his first U19 tournament as the #8 seed and was desperate to pick up from where he’d left off. Boy, he did exactly that this weekend! In R2, he steamrolled the 5.5 rated #9 seed 3/0. In the quarters, he came from 1-0 down to beat the #1 seed 3/1 and then in the semis, matched that score line to defeat the #4 seed. There’s something about this guy being seeded 5-8 at UVA and then upsetting the odds to reach 3 consecutive finals here from that position! His finals record stood at 1-1, could he achieve the unthinkable and repeat?! Two UVA Gold titles in 2 years, surely not?! Well yes, he sure could and he did it in the most scintillating of style. Up against the highly rated #2 seed, Christian was inch perfect from the first point until the last. It was a 30 minute masterclass and he only dropped a total of 14 points. Glass Court 1 truly brings the best out of Christian and everyone in attendance applauded the level he displayed. Unbelievable achievement Christian, we’re very proud of ya!

Our other finalist was the man of the moment, Blake L! After winning the Cynwyd Gold over Memorial Day weekend, he finished top 4 at Westchester and then returned to the finals here at UVA. His playing style is a joy to watch. His deft touch and array of angles make him so difficult to anticipate against and many U13 player has had nightmares about the strategies he implements and so perfectly executes. In the finals, he met his match, as the opponent masterminded a performance to remember. 2nd place was still a huge achievement and joined Christian aboard the podium!

Super Six The other six quarter finalists all had their own success story to share. Matt W had a phenomenal weekend, which was so close to bringing him his first ever Gold title. After a thrilling 3/0 quarter final win, he heroically fought back from 2/0 down against the #2 seed in the semis. The match was officially recorded at 75 minutes and it involved some of the most brutal squash seen all weekend. The breaks in game 5 didn’t quite go his way, but it was a top candidate for ‘match of the tournament’ and both players exited to a standing ovation from the 50+ spectators. The scheduling meant he had less than 2 hours to recover before the 3/4 play off, but the opportunity at a rematch against the opponent who beat him in 5 at Westchester provided the sufficient stimulation to supersede the lack of recovery time! High on adrenaline, Matt showed unbelievable mental and physical toughness.

Tom has had an incredible summer already, winning Cynwyd Gold and rising into the top 40 of the BU19s for the first time. Coming in as the 6th seed here, he had a big 3/0 victory in R2 over a 5.31 and then faced the 5.62 3rd seed in the quarters, coincidently also a Haverford rival! Tom executed the perfect game plan to go 2-1 up and held several match balls. However in heartbreaking fashion, his opponents resilience wouldn’t break and he somehow fought back to defeat Tom in 5. It was a physical war and Tom left absolutely everything out there. His efforts were incredible and somehow, he still managed to recover to win the Classic Plate rematch of his Cynwyd Gold final. In the 5th place playoff, he once again brought his A game and capped another great weekend finishing higher than his original seeding. He also hit two of the best shots all weekend, a cross court backhand followed immediately by a cork screw wall roller!! Huge things ahead for this young man this season, that heartbreaking loss will 100% transpire into even bigger achievement in next seasons JCT’s.

Mitav autocorrects on the iPhone to Miracle. Normally I’d have to correct it, but for this weekend, there was not a more appropriate word! The young man is finally back to full health after a frustrating 2018/19 season hindered with injuries and it’s a joy to watch his creative playing style thriving on the big stage. After beating the #7th seed in R2, he couldn’t quite upset #2 seed in the quarters, but did recover to beat #6 seed in the Classic Plate to have two top 8 wins for the weekend after arriving unseeded. It also guaranteed a top 6 finish, but he wanted 5th and was desperate to join Tom at that finishing position. Unfortunately the top seed had been upset in the quarters and was now standing between Mitav and the Classic Plate Championship. The miracle man was so close to a huge upset, as he fought from 2-0 down, winning game 3 and then coming sooo close in game 4. He couldn’t quite convert game ball and unfortunately lost it 16/14. 6th Place was still a great achievement and unquestionably, bigger things ahead for this season from Mitav.

Lindsay Lee had a memorable weekend, coming in as an unseeded underdog, going on to have two upset victories on route to a 6th place finish. This girl never gives up and time and time again, she battled back to victory; R1 from 2-1 down, R2 1-0 down and in the Classic Plate she trailed in scoreline at 1-1. The huge highlights to savior were victories over top 50 players and the reigning Silver National Champion. A big stepping stone to even bigger things ahead, an exciting season coming up for Lindsay!

Colten and Rehgan both finished 6th and 7th in the U13’s. Colten is still in his down year and Rehgan played up despite only being 9 years of age! A big learning experience for both, who have extremely bright futures ahead and are ones to watch!

8 in top 8 and still more Finalists!!! I’m not sure we fully explained just how deep this tournament was! The level of play on Sunday was so impressive and we managed to have Jacqui, Shivani, Sean and Margo all go undefeated on Saturday to reach their respective Plate finals. Jacqui was first up in her first ever U17 event and her first singles tournament in over 6 months! She took a game in R1 from a player 0.3 higher rated and then played outstandingly to win 3/0 in the Plate semis and finals to lift the trophy! Shivani and Margo then joined Jacqui as the Triple Champions, both winning 3/1 in the final. Sean unfortunately lost out to a tough opponent, but 3 wins outta 4 was still an incredible stat!

Consolation Killers With all the main draw and Plate successes, our Consolation Killers didn’t nearly get the airplay they deserve. Aru had a PB finish coming 11th in a deep U13 draw, Anika heroically battled injury all weekend and still managed to match Aru’s finishing position. Nikhil and Neil had two of the matches of the weekend late on Saturday evening. Both lost 3/2 barnburners to higher ranked players, but put on a spectacle showcasing all their skills to the appreciative audience! Neil in particular played the match of his life and was only a couple points away from defeating a player 0.4 above him, in what would have been a career result for him. Ethan L celebrated his 14th birthday on Thursday and then immediately delivered his first top 16 finish in the division! Great job birthday boy!

What a weekend it was in the sunshine of Virginia. Some incredible individuals performances and results, and so many learning experiences gained. Back to the drawing board at camp next week to make the necessary adaptions and game tune ups, and we have a great training block ahead to make sure we’re ready to rock the 2019/20 season once it rolls around in 9 weeks time!

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[hollywoodjuliorivas]

JOURNAL REPORTS: RETIREMENT Why You Should Write a Memoir—Even if Nobody Will Read It Among the psychological benefits: It helps people make sense of their lives When a person sits down to write the story of his or her life, there can be unexpected benefits. Pencie Huneke, above, refers to writing her memoir as “an exercise of self-affirmation.” PHOTO: ZACK WITTMAN FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL By Lisa Ward Nov. 10, 2017 10:08 a.m. ET 4 COMMENTS Is it worth writing a memoir if no one will ever read it? Millions dream about spinning their life story into a best-seller. Most never get past the dreaming part, much less the first chapter. But there are potential rewards other than riches and fame for those who try. According to psychologists and researchers, writing a memoir—even just for personal consumption—can help the author review and make sense of his or her life, come to terms with traumatic events and foster personal growth. In fact, some of the therapeutic benefits may be lost if the writer thinks about too large an audience—or even a readership greater than one. The story can become less authentic. And there are other potential pitfalls to writing your life story. Writers can be thrown into despair if they have trouble reconciling past failures or placing traumatic events into a larger context. “It really depends on the type of stories people tell to make sense of their lives,” says Dan McAdams, a psychology professor at Northwestern University. People who can construct cohesive life narratives—where there are common threads and one event leads to the next—are likely to benefit from writing a memoir, he says, while those who view their lives as a series of random, unrelated events are not. His research has found that life narratives are especially beneficial if they focus on redemption and overcoming adversity. The Mental Mistakes We Make With Retirement Spending The mind-set and habits that work so well when people are building their nest egg can damage their quality of life—and investments—in retirement. CLICK TO READ STORY Love at First Sight: Retiring in Italy The bureaucracy and four-hour lunch break can be maddening. But the kindnesses, beauty, food—and price—can’t be beat. CLICK TO READ STORY When ‘Enough’ Doesn’t Have to Mean ‘More’ Essayist Robbie Shell writes about giving up the relentless pursuit for more and finding contentment in retirement. CLICK TO READ STORY New Procedure Looks Promising for Men With Enlarged Prostates The minimally invasive treatment uses steam to kill cells and shrink the prostate. CLICK TO READ STORY Is There Really a Retirement-Savings Crisis? Two experts look at the same data—and come to very different conclusions. CLICK TO READ STORY Recommended New Books for Those Who Are Grieving Sheryl Sandberg and other authors offer strategies on how to move forward after suffering a loss. CLICK TO READ STORY MORE IN ENCORE Positive light In a memoir by Pencie Huneke, two key themes are resilience and gratitude. Now 84 years old and living on a barrier island near Venice, Fla., Ms. Huneke raised her five daughters alone after her husband left. Her memoir describes the “blur of misery” she felt in the early days of their rupture. But her story, Ms. Huneke now says, ultimately puts the experience in a positive light: She made close friends, enrolled in a financial-management course and met the “love of her life.” She also forgave her ex. “He and I have actually become friends. How lucky for all of us,” she wrote, in one of the few extracts she shared with a reporter. The act of writing about traumatic or difficult events can reduce stress, lessen depression and improve cognitive functioning, according to researchers. Several studies have even shown such writing to improve the function of the immune system. Psychologists believe that by converting emotions and images into words, the author starts to organize and structure memories, particularly memories that may be difficult to comprehend and accept. “You can’t simply dump an entire experience on a piece of paper,” says Joshua Smyth, distinguished professor of biobehavioral health and medicine at Pennsylvania State University. Through writing, he says, the memory of the experience can be broken down into small parts, allowing the event to be more easily processed and then laid to rest. A hidden death Susan Mayall, now 84 and living in Livermore, Calif., says she tried for years to write about her childhood in Britain during World War II, years that included frequent German bombing raids on her neighborhood. Much of her struggle, she says, involved coming to terms with her mother’s behavior. Early in the war, in 1941, Ms. Mayall’s father, an interpreter in the Royal Navy, died at sea, but her mother never spoke of his death to the children or otherwise acknowledged it until the war ended. Ms. Mayall shared early drafts of her memoir with her brothers, who objected to her harsh evaluation of her mother. “I struggled all my life to understand my mother’s reactions,” Ms. Mayall says. What finally put things in perspective, she says, was writing about a particular memory: the moment her mother read the letter from the Royal Navy about her husband’s death. Ms. Mayall in her memoir describes seeing the letter, without explicitly knowing at the time what it said, and witnessing her mother’s reaction: “She tears [the letter] open, and starts to read. Then she leans forwards and her hands go up over her face. She’s shaking—I can feel her.” Ms. Mayall says she developed more empathy for her mother as she continued to work on the memoir over the years. In the final version, she acknowledges her mother’s bravery and describes in detail what it was like to raise four children on a meager income in wartime conditions. When writing about past traumas, the people who gain the most from the experience are those who tend to acknowledge their own problems but can also see other people’s points of view. Over the course of writing, their general perspectives about their topics evolve, says James W. Pennebaker, a psychology professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Making new connections between events in the writer’s life is key, he says. There are risks. Writing to uncover a deeper meaning in one’s life often requires brutal honesty or authenticity, a sort of self-disclosure that could either be hurtful to other people or cast the author in a negative light. If a writer starts repeating the same topic incessantly or becomes increasingly angry and bitter, it is best to stop, Dr. Pennebaker says. Some such feelings can’t be helped. “Writing about upsetting experiences can provoke negative emotions,” says Dr. Pennebaker. “It’s much like going to a sad movie. Most people report getting back to normal in an hour or so. If a person is living with a negative experience, they are probably feeling bad much of the time. The writing helps to get them out of that cycle.” Writing a memoir can also help authors re-evaluate how they want to live for their remaining years, says Susan Krauss Whitbourne, professor emerita of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The exercise will sometimes reveal to the writer patterns of behavior that were—or are—harmful. Past battles When Paul Wortman, professor emeritus of psychology at Stony Brook University in New York, started analyzing and writing about his life and career, he says he discovered that he had a problem with authority figures. His short temper and past battles with department chairs, he says, were the product of his relationship with his father. Dr. Wortman swore to change his ways. He ended up revising his memoir at his wife’s request, after she read it and became uncomfortable with his idea of sharing it with an extended group of friends. Through careful editing, Dr. Wortman says, the message stayed the same, but some of the details were left out. Making changes based on who will read the finished product reveals another truth about memoirs: There is a huge difference between writing a memoir for yourself and writing it for an audience. By writing for others, the author may be tempted to omit details or even change the story, compromising the process for the final product. Also, it may be disappointing if very few people take the time to read the memoir. Still, sharing a memoir in limited circles can be therapeutic, especially if there is a receptive audience. Sharing can strengthen social ties and help friends and family members understand who the writer is and how he or she came to be that way. The process can also help validate the writer’s experiences and even break ageist stereotypes, says Susan Bluck, a psychology professor at the University of Florida. A child or grandchildren may be surprised to learn their grandparent hitchhiked across the country, Dr. Bluck says, adding, “It feels good when someone is excited about your story.” Ms. Huneke, in the introduction to her memoir, discusses why she chose to leave a written legacy for her immediate family. Her memoir, beyond a few excerpts, hasn’t been shared with anyone else: “Perhaps this is an exercise of self-affirmation, that one’s existence has been worthwhile and possibly even memorable,” she wrote. “Or does it have a higher purpose, to fill in gaps for future generations who, one hopes, might care and even enjoy it? Then again, maybe it is only a desire to explain to one’s children just why one is the way one is. It might even be interesting for them to identify characteristics in themselves they may have inherited!” Ms. Ward is a writer in Mendham, N.J. She can be reached at reports@wsj.co

[jamieclawhorn]

Three AIM survival rules that could make you a millionaire

The AIM market has a split personality. On the one hand, the market contains some incredible British success stories. Take ASOS and Boohoo.Com, two wonderful growth companies that have seen their share prices rise 1,540% and 200% respectively since listing – and that’s just in one sector.

Yet AIM also destroys more than its fair share of value due to its more relaxed regulatory structure. This makes it easier for smaller companies to gain funding, but also attracts shady characters from around the world. Take Globo plc , an out-and-out fraud that exploded spectacularly back in 2015 after admitting to  the “falsification of data and the misrepresentation of the company’s financial situation.” If that isn’t a shareholder’s worst nightmare, I’m not sure what is. 

Many investors give this ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ market a wide berth, a stance I can empathise with. That said, investors could quickly sidestep the majority of duds by learning a few simple rules of thumb. 

You don’t need to pass on opportunities like ASOS to keep your capital safe. Today I’ll outline three guidelines I believe are paramount to avoiding calamity in the AIM market. 

Remain sceptical of foreign companies

Investing in foreign companies is often a great idea due to the diversity it grants us, but the lax regulatory structure of AIM makes it a prime target for overseas fraudsters. Take, for example, recent accusations levelled at the now ex-CEO Oozi Cats of Israeli company Telit Communications (LSE: TCM). Apparently, he fled the US back in the early 90s after being caught committing wire fraud. The shares have dived 36% since the news broke earlier this month.   

Sometimes a foreign company has a decent reason to list on AIM, but if management isn’t forthcoming with a reason, I’d advise you to remain sceptical.

Avoid cash-consuming start-ups

If a company can’t turn a cash profit, I steer clear regardless of how incredible the business model or its supposed competitive advantages might be. Trust me, more often than not you absolutely can wait for a business to turn cash flow positive without missing out on incredible returns. If a business is truly a long-term champion, hanging on a year or two won’t destroy your savings. Cash-guzzlers will separate you from your money on a regular basis in my experience, completely outweighing the few successes you get into early. The income statement can be influenced by all sorts of accounting wizardry, but cash is harder to fake. 

Avoid IPOs, especially those paying chunky dividends. 

When a company first lists on AIM, its founders and management often dispose of huge chunks of the business. Investors must ask: “If the outlook is so wonderful, why are insiders selling?”

Furthermore, new floats have a limited financial history making it harder to gain a full understanding of operations.

Finally, a large dividend is often included to entice investors, but before you reach for that yield consider this: “Why is a growth company with supposedly wonderful reinvestment opportunities pumping cash back to shareholders?” 

There can be good answers to all of the questions posed above, but in my experience remaining sceptical of foreign AIM-listed companies, cash-hungry blue-sky concepts and fresh IPOs is a high-percentage approach to avoiding disasters. And in the game we stock-pickers play, avoiding huge losses is half the battle. 

Could this AIM company help you become a millionaire? 

In a future article perhaps I'll outline what it takes to find AIM winners, but for now I'm out of wordcount. To conclude, I'd like to introduce you to an AIM stock that passes my guidelines with flying colours. Discovered by one of my colleagues, this little-known small-cap trades on a bargainous P/E of 7 and offers a 3% yield to boot. 

This isn't some stagnant ex-growth share either, but a company that grew operating profit just shy of 20% last year. To discover this potential diamond in the rough, click here. 

More reading

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Zach Coffell owns shares of Boohoo.Com. The Motley Fool UK owns shares of and has recommended ASOS. The Motley Fool UK has recommended boohoo.com. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes

[scozziesquash]

Scozzie Gold Reportage – LP lights it up for us!

2019 kicked off in style, as Scozzie played host to the first US Squash event of the New Year. The Gold event was perfectly placed in the middle of the 2018/19 season and a large proportion of the US perceived an opportunity for a ranking boost before the West Coast JCT #4 in 2 weeks. We had over 250 entries before the ball dropped on NYE and as Fairmount prepared to host 250 of the Nations rising stars, 26 Scozzie’s were working their socks off over Winter Camp attempting to make their own headlines. By Sunday afternoon at 4:00pm, over 500 matches had been completed and many of our 10 divisional finals will headline memories for the Scozzie history book, which has just entered its 9 year after the program was founded in 2011.

CHECK OUT THE AWESOME INSTA STORY RIGHT HERE!

College Bound Two Scozzie favorites – Teddy and Alexis entered 2019 knowing this was their last push in junior squash. Before both begin their journey into college squash, they were desperate to finish with a bang. Alexis has cemented herself as a top 16 junior and has had a tremendous season pushing the countries best at the first 3 JCT’s. She was in scintillating form throughout the weekend and looked unstoppable as she steamrolled into the final, her 3/2 semi final victory her first major obstacle. In the final she faced a Californian underdog, who had upset three seeds in succession to reach her first ever Gold final.

Teddy similarly just had some massive recruiting news ending 2018 and he brought that energy into this event looking like a man mission. Like Alexis, he steamrolled through rounds 1,2 and 3 to enter the semi finals without dropping a set. The trends continued, as Teddy fought through a nail biting semi final 3/2 to reach his home U19 final to create the perfect scenario! Two senior finalists, could we be the king and queen 2018?!

Alexis up first… and she lost game one 12-10. A big uphill fight from there, but one we were prepared for! She fought back to 2-2 and then come out guns blazing in Game 5! This determination and grind is the reason our Scozzies are the hottest recruiting attraction in the NCAA and Cornell have found a gem for their 2019/20 season. Well done on 1st place Alexis, so proud! An inspired Teddy then came on immediately after and stormed into a 2-0 lead. As the nerves crept in game 3, Teddy found himself having to adjust game plan to regain control over the match after dropping the third. His adjustment strategy was locked in for game 4, but he couldn’t quite convert the crucial opportunities from 9-9. So we found ourselves in a shootout 5th game and unfortunately it wasn’t to be for Teddy this time around. Disappointment for the Shipley senior, but it’s been one heck of a journey through this event and the past 8 years. A home Gold final is a tremendous achievement to kick off 2019 and as a program, there’s no better achievement than to have the finalists in BU19 and GU19, from two players who have been with us for a combined 14 years! Very proud Coaches all round.

Lefty’s are the Besties

An unusual topic was raised during our ‘end of year’ program evaluations. Does Scozzie have the most left handed squash players in the world of squash programs? Obviously an impossible question to answer, but we seem to attract an extremely high level of lefties and miraculously, they always turn out to become our favorite players. Joining Alexis on the lefty march through each division we had Kristen and Rehgan in the GU17 and GU11. Kristen has been working extremely hard preparing for 2019 and she is ready and raring for her most successful year yet. She looked great as she rolled into the GU17 final and made it 3-3 for our semi finalists. Reghan finalized our perfect 100% semi final success rate by upsetting the odds in the GU11’s, to reach her first ever Gold finale. Could we have 3 female champions from 5 divisions and all of them be left handers?! Well Krsiten and Rehgan came oh so close to joining Alexis and making it the tremendous 3, both going down in 5 games despite an unbelievable effort. Rehgan should take tremendous positives from her 3-0 victory over the top seed in the semi finals and Kristen’s semi final should also be a huge confidence boost before they enter the pivotal January-February stretch leading to Gold Nationals

More than a Consolation

The first gold of the year always attracts the strongest field and the 2019 Scozzie Open was no different. In arguably the strongest Gold event of the season so far, all Consolation events were stacked with talent. To survive 6 matches in the Consol draw, means you have to be fitter and stronger than the competition…aka ‘The Scozzie Trademark’! We properly  embraced our philosophy as we saw 4 Scozzies storm to Consolation Finals and 6 separate Plate Finals, giving Scozzie a total of 14 Finalists on Super Sunday!! Well done Brandon and Bella who both received finals in their first ever Gold event. Well done to Dhivya and Arjun who like the Bin siblings, but this time, both won their respective finals. Both players saved their best performance until the final with huge learnings experiences and confidence gained from their performances Sunday afternoon! Matt W and Jacqui both got 6th, Colten claimed 10th in his first Consolation final at U13 and Lauren sealed Super Sunday with an excellent display in her GU17 Consolation Final.

Finally, we want to say huge thank you to everyone who assisted in making the weekend a roaring success. We had close to 1000 people under the FAC lights at midday on Saturday and everyone agreed that there was not a better tournament throughout the whole season. To have 14 courts jam packed for 48 hours of non stop action, with enough space to spread out and enjoy yourself… everyone was in agreement that we need a Scozzie Gold every year!  US Squash have already commended our timeliness and management of the 250 entrants, finishing early every day and never running more than 30 minutes behind at any stage. The parents cheered enthusiastically and supported wins and losses and the kids left absolutely everything out there. What a weekend it was, we loved every minute! Well done to all our silverware winners and any disappointment will be overcome when we get back on court to start our official 2019 training block in style! Let’s ggooooooo Birds tonight #repeat!

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[scozziesquash]

Week 9 of Scozzie’s 7th Season 

  PSC Silver, Greenwich Gold and CSA KickOff…. Plus Eagles 8-1!!!!

November is arguably one of the busiest months of the squash season. From the beginning of the College Squash season, to School squash commencing, to consecutive PA Silvers followed by the middle JCT… All of which arrive before Thanksgiving! It’s a whirlwind 3 weeks and Scozzies past and present started the process in style this past weekend. 15 Scozzie’s competed at the PSC Silver, 7 were at Greenwich Gold and 15+ were active in CSA’s first weekend of action including past Scozzie’s representing All 8 Ivies at the Ivy Scrimmage weekend at Yale.

The PSC Silver saw Scozzie strive on Super Saturday, with 10 semi finalists by mid afternoon and finished the day with 4 finalists from the 7 age groups. The incredible feat was made more impressive as each finalist was split between all divisions – U13, U15, U17 and U19. Our U13 finalist – Ethan Lee was in unstoppable form on route to the final. Unfortunately he faced another Ethan L in the final and came off second best in a well contested match up. Wynne C was next up and looked desperate to lift Scozzie’s first trophy of the weekend. Desperate facing an opponent 2 years her senior and with a 0.3 rating advantage,  Wynne staged a huge comeback in Game 3 to claw one game back and keep the dream alive. She couldn’t have given any more effort and by the end of game 4, the energy reserves were slowly running down. It may have been a 3/1 defeat, but Wynne did herself proud and gained some tremendous experience from her first U15 finals.

The buck was then passed to U17 finalist, Nikhil, who just like Ethan and Wynne earlier came up against the number 1 seed. Surely it was going to be 3rd time lucky?! Unfortunately not. Nikhil had sensational structure throughout, but as the match progressed, he occasionally missed the finishing touch. 3 games went to extras and the match was 75minutes long. Desperate a 1/0 lead and game ball opportunities in games 2 and 4, it wasn’t to be for the young EA Sophomore. A tough loss, but unquestionably, Nikhil will bounce back stronger and continue his impressive improvement. Finally, our U19 representative – Nick P! After 3 heartbreaking final losses, all the pressure was presented to Nick who carried Scozzie hopes and dreams on his shoulders. The young man came through a tricky division in devastating fashion and had a signature weekend making a huge statement to his rivals and peers. Seeded 2, he upset the odds and won the division without dropping a set. The 16 year old sensation looked in top form throughout the weekend and is peaking at just the right moment with the hectic tournament schedule ahead. Finally the coaches could rejoice… a weekend of hard work and a champion to show! To add to his achievement, Nick is also our Scozzie of the Week for going 4-4 as a U19 and is still undefeated in the division!  

As well as our 4 finalists, we had an additional 6 players competing in 3/4 play offs on Sunday. A huge congratulations to our podium placing 3rd Place players; Lindsay, Corey and Jeff who had impressive victories in the bronze medal match ups. 4th place finishes and some hard earned US Squash ranking points were awarded to Bella, Nayan and Michelle. Trophies were also collected by Aru and Sean who won the U13 and U15 Consolation divisions. Match of the tournament went to an All Scozzie match up of Aru vs Jake, who played out an epic 5 gamer at 9am on Sunday and both Scozzie’s represented themselves very well and competed like true sportsman. The Scozzie coaches were very proud of everyone throughout the weekend, lots of learning experiences to take and move forward with before next weekends AIS Silver. 

Although the PSC Silver went roughly to seeding, elsewhere in US Squash, upsets became the norm (did we mention the Eagles scoring 50+ on Denver D yet?!)! Matt W had not 1, not 2, but 3 upset victories on route to a career highest 5th place finish at the Greenwich Gold. Seeded below, rated below and having lost to all 3 players in their previous 2017 encounter… revenge as truly sweet for the young Haverford freshman. At the same event, Gwen had her first top 8 finish at U19 Gold event with a 7th place finish and Kristen made the U17 Consolation Final despite only recently aging up. Finally in CT – Gio took game 1 off the number 2 seed before succumbing in 4 fiercely contested games and Charlotte stormed to a U13 Consolation semi final.

Scozzie’s personal highlight from the weekend was receiving all the pictures from Scozzie graduates across the country, catching up and competing against one another in the opening weekend of CSA match ups. All results can be found on the CSA website (http://ift.tt/z7gsth). Ivy Scrimmages didn’t count as officially fixtures, but our personal favorite was Sean vs Max and Harvard vs Brown, as two of our all time favs battled at the number 2 position. Sean came out victorious this time 11-8,11-7 in the best of 3 and Harvard ended up sweeping Brown in Max’s freshman season.

Other congratulations go to Mike, who is playing number 1 at Navy and almost had a huge win over top 10 ranked Ontario, as he went down in 5 games and Navy, along with fellow Scozzie Owen, went down 7/2. Vince was the hero for Dickinson as they had their biggest win in history, with a massive 7/2 win over the highly anticipated UVA team. Impressively, UVA and Justin Shah bounced back to defeat F&M the following day. Everyone needs to come along for Thanksgiving morning on November 23rd, where our annual Scozzie Turkey Bowl will be contested between the Alum vs All-Stars. We have a record turnout from our college Alum and it is definitely a day not to miss!

Final thing. Carson Wentz and the Birds. 8-1 heading into a bye week! Although the Eagles potential Super Bowl isn’t until February, Scozzie has next weekends AIS Silver to immediately prepare for! A big week ahead, stay tuned for all the latest news and updates! 

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