#for the remaining 45 or so minutes that are available to me :p

[orcelito]

Tfw maintenance comes around (unannounced!!!!) and ruins your last hour of sleep (which you really needed, because you were already gonna be short on sleep!!!!) and they're gonna be back again tomorrow (which Sucks bc vet in the morning that I'm Already nervous about!!!!!!)

It was. To fix some of the water damage from the leaks. Which is. A good thing for them to do. But I just wish. They'd given me. Some God Damn Notice first.

[soelstress]

Ambivalent Research

Pairing: Ransom Drysdale x female!reader

Summary: Working with Ransom was never easy, so why did you think a joint research trip would be any different?

Word count: 3.5k

Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI , nsfw , sex/smut, p in v sex , unprotected sex , oral sex (f receiving) , vaginal fingering , some language

A/N 1 - This is my first joint submission for @steviebbboi 200 Followers Celebration Writing Challenge and @yenzys-lucky-charm & @sweater-daddiesdumbdork Horny Hoes Hootenanny. Sorry it's last minute!

A/N 2 - Prompts - - Enemies to lovers - "Slower, baby, I'm not going anywhere" - "We're both adults, we can share a bed for one night" - "Are you fucking kidding me?" - Withholding - getting scared during a horror movie

As a bonus, I asked Yenzy for two spins on the trick-or-treat wheel of potential doom... and for this one I chose the pillow fight!

A/N 3 - Do not Steal, Copy or Plagiarize any part of my work - GIF taken from google but page was listed for @writemarvelousthings

A/N 4 - Please let me know if I've missed a warning, knowing me it's more than likely. Hope you all enjoy ☺️

“Are you fucking kidding me?” The annoyed shout caused silence to fall as you stepped into the rustic lobby of the lodge. Optimistically, you had hoped that this trip would go smoothly… but of course nothing ever went to plan when he was involved, you thought with a disappointed sigh. “You’re fucking with me, right?” As you walked towards the check-in desk, you saw a staff member trying to apologize profusely to the person causing the ruckus. Any other person would probably see an exquisitely dressed, well groomed handsome man. All you saw was your boss Harlan Thrombey’s grandson, your fellow researcher and the biggest pain in your ass. 

Don’t-call-me-Hugh ‘Ransom’ Drysdale. When Harlan had said that Ransom would be working with you to research for Harlan’s next few mystery novels, you were filled with dread. From information you’d gleaned, Ransom was considered to be the black sheep of the family, a trust fund prick as they so lovingly called him. When asked, Harlan admitted that Ransom never had a job, only having worked as his research assistant for a summer. It was agreed between you and Harlan that you would have seniority, something you were grateful for as Ransom had been a reluctant participant to start, doing minimal work except for when he took every opportunity to cause trouble for you. He was an arrogant, self important conceited jerk who you wanted to kill… until things reached a peak one day. When Ransom had complained once again about working, you had lost all patience and your filter. “Fine! If you’re happy to keep sponging off your grandfather’s legacy and just remain a Drysdale in the self imposed so-called shadow of your parents rather than make something of yourself by your own efforts, then stop wasting my time and go!” From that day, Ransom had committed to contributing as much as possible. His work ethic might have improved… but he still annoyed you whenever the chance arose.

You subtly jabbed his side upon reaching the desk which caused his glare to focus on you. “Oops! Excuse me, Mr Drysdale. What seems to be the problem?” You offered your name to the staff member, the name you saw from his tag was Paul, who quickly found yours and Ransom’s booking were for the same company.

Another member of staff appeared behind Paul, radiating authority and a zero tolerance for nonsense attitude. Now this was someone who commanded respect, unlike the entitled idiot next to you whose gaze would have you murdered a million times over if looks could kill. “As my colleague Paul already explained to Mr Drysdale, unfortunately the pipes in his suite have burst, rendering the room unusable. Due to other bookings and events being reserved prior to yours, there are no other rooms available for tonight. We have called other hotels in the area, and found another suite at - “

”At a hotel 45 minutes away” Ransom interrupted. “Look, I need to be here for work. I don’t think you realize how important this could be for you, so why don’t you - “

”Share my suite” Three gazes focused on you though your attention was on the one that could potentially - and almost certainly would - make things more difficult. “We can share a room for a night”. Part of your brain screamed in horror and rebellion at the thought of sharing a room with him, but the other part scrambled to minimize the damage the arrogant asshole could cause with his big mouth and even bigger ego. Ransom opened his mouth to argue but when you jabbed him again and raised a brow, he knew to shut up. Or rather his version of shutting up which was to grumble and whine as he stomped over to the elevators. Rolling your eyes, you offered a small smile to the two staff members. “I’m so sorry about him, he shouldn't have spoken to you that way”.

Paul smiled at you gratefully, the weight of the world seemed to have dropped from his shoulders. “We have been trained to deal with such situations ma’am”.

You shook your head. “Just because a customer is paying for a service doesn’t give them the right to speak to you like that. Again, I’m very sorry and will be mentioning how professionally you handled this to my boss”.

”Thank you ma’am. Of course the suite will be refunded and due to the inconvenience, dinner is complimentary”. You thanked them profusely and headed to the elevator where Ransom fidgeted impatiently.

“So when should I get that refund?” Ransom huffed, pushing the call button.

You eyed him incredulously, somehow still amazed by his ego. ”You realise that Harlan will receive the refund, seeing as he paid?” Before you both stepped into the elevator, you pulled out your phone to call your boss. Upon hearing his greeting, a smile graced your lips. “Hello Harlan”

”Ah good afternoon dear girl”. You could hear the formality being replaced with fondness, a rare occurrence from what you had observed of Harlan. “I trust you and my grandson arrived safely at the lodge?” 

“Yes, though there is a slight change in plans”. Briefly, you informed him about the room being refunded and Ransom sharing a room with you instead of having to leave the area.

“Oh dear. I appreciate you being so accommodating, especially as I had wanted you both to specifically research the lodge and surrounding neighborhood for me. I must apologize in advance for my grandsons behaviour, as I know he seems to enjoy unnecessarily needling you”

”As long as I won’t be held accountable for any retaliation for the duration of this trip, short of bodily harm or murder”. You grinned as Harlan chuckled and Ransom gave you the side eye. You bid Harlan a good evening, ending the call.

”Retaliation huh? Now why would my dear Grandfather agree to that?” Ransom leaned back against the elevator wall. Your irritation flared at his casual arrogance. 

“Because he knows you ‘enjoy unnecessarily needling’ me Drysdale, and yes those were his exact words”. Inhaling deeply, you stood straight and held your ground. “Being a researcher is challenging enough, but to work for one as renowned as Harlan Thrombey is the chance of a lifetime and I’d be a fool to let anything ruin the opportunity. Which is what I told him when I applied for the role. After my interview and a few months of working for him, he said that he appreciated my honesty and work ethic, but also recognised I have no patience for drama or bullshit - a good deal of which is found within his own family, much to his disappointment”. Every word you spoke was true, Harlan had said all of this to you. Though you had overheard the specifics about his family while he was speaking to his caregiver Marta but you had met all of them in the few years you worked for Harlan. 

A dark brown arched. “Oh? And just what drama are you referring to?” With a ding, the elevator doors opened to your floor and Ransom hesitated before gesturing for you to move first. Finding your door a few strides down the corridor, you stopped and pulled the key card from your pocket. Opening the door, you waved for Ransom to precede you. 

”Take your pick, from your parents to your Uncle Walt or Aunt Joni. They all have their own drama. Though I wonder about how Harlan would react to hearing how much damage his eldest grandson could have caused by opening his big mouth without thinking. Newsflash Drysdale - any dramas linked to Harlan Thrombey or Blood Like Wine would be damaging. Those are the two names paying your income… and the only names worth mentioning. I’ve been doing this job for some time, so I’ll make it easy for you - despite what you, your mother or father may say no one has ever heard the name Drysdale with recognition outside of your social circle”.

Ransom's face darkened at the mention of his immediate family. “Hey, don’t compare me to those two. I asked Grandfather to show me the ropes for this business, so I could decide if it was something I wanted to do myself. But if by some small chance Grandfather leaves the company to me and not that idiot Walt, I’ve no intention to say that I’ve done my own work from the ground up. I’d say it’s Grandfathers and I’m just continuing his legacy”. A chuckle from you had him frowning. “What?”

”I think hell just froze over because I agree with you”. And you did. It irritated you that Linda, Ransom’s mother and Harlan’s eldest child, claimed to have built her business from the ground up by herself when in actuality she had used Harlan's money. And her husband wasn’t much better, you saw Richard’s eyes wander when you visited Harlan at his estate. All of the family repulsed you, trying to constantly outdo one another whilst trying to impress Harlan. But hearing Ransom say that he would honour and continue Harlan’s legacy rather than try to claim it for his own softened you slightly. 

Ransom had walked into the main area with a small seating area against the wall but a large king size bed dominated the space, facing beautiful views outside the windows. “You gotta be shitting me” he groaned, almost as if in pain.

When you saw the size of the couch, you knew that neither of you would be sleeping on it. It was soft and squashy looking, but more for sitting on than sleeping. Which really left you with one option. “For Gods’ sake. We’re both adults, we can share a bed for one night”. He glanced at you with an indecipherable look before sighing and stalking off to the bathroom and closing the door. Unsure whether to check on him after the look in his deep blue eyes, you hesitated. Oh yes, along with your annoyance of him came the reality that he really was a handsome bastard. Not that you’d ever tell him that. Dark hair swept off an angular face with soft pink lips and eyes to drown in, he really had won the genetic lottery. But his appearance aside, you had shared a few soft moments with him after the family gatherings he attended. Sometimes you would gently rub his back or pat his shoulder to ease the tension and resentment radiating off him. There were moments that you wanted to verbally comfort or reassure him, but after the brief physical contact he would pull away and annoy you before walking away. Part of you knew it was a defence mechanism, lashing out because it was all he knew. This time you decided to give him space.  

After eating dinner and making a plan to explore the area the next day, you changed into your pajamas - a matching set of cotton shorts and tank top -  and sat to watch a horror movie that you discovered had used the lodge you were currently staying at as a filming location. Harlan knew you were thorough in your research, so encouraged you to investigate any adaptations made to avoid plagiarism. You hated horror movies, much preferring a thriller or a mystery. But this was your job. As you sat watching, you hugged your pillow to your chest. Your heart began to pound watching the lead female edge into the dark room - 

and jumped as something grabbed you. Reacting on instinct, you swung out with your pillow and walloped whatever it was that had grabbed you. Surprised and amused blue eyes met yours. “Seriously? You hit me… with a pillow?”

Embarrassment was chased away by irritation. “Seriously” you mimicked his voice with a scowl. “You decided to scare me while watching a horror movie? Real mature, Drysdale”. 

“Pot, meet kettle” he huffed, grabbing his pillow and whacking you back.

It might have been immature, childish, just downright idiotic… but this man existed just to make your life a living hell. And you’d had reassurances from Harlan that any retribution this weekend would not be held accountable, So you decided the hell with it. And whacked him repeatedly with your pillow. Ransom was caught off guard for a moment before retaliating, making every effort to hit you with his pillow. At one point, you had stolen Ransom's pillow and struggled to keep hold of yours, Ransom in close proximity. Both your eyes locked as you panted, straining to win the pillow. 

The next moment the pillow was thrown aside and you were under Ransom, grabbing desperately at his hair, his sweater - anything to bring him closer. Your mouths clashed in a heated battle for dominance, filled with teeth and tongue. One arm propped his torso up to keep his weight off you while the other slid around your waist and pulled you against him. 

Once again your brain screamed at you - why the hell were you kissing Ransom Drysdale? More importantly, why the hell were you enjoying it so much? But your heart pounded loudly, drowning out your screaming thoughts and focusing on Ransom - how good his lips felt against yours, how smooth his hands felt gliding over your flesh, how he ground against you as desperately as you were to him. “Too many goddamn clothes” he hissed, yanking your top over your head and immediately latched his lips onto a nipple, fingers tweaking the other. Your back arched, pushing yourself closer to him. Desperate to feel his skin on yours you tugged at his sweater before he pulled back with a curse, almost ripping it off and tossing it aside before plunging his mouth to yours. His denim clad crotch ground against you, causing you to moan at the feel of his erection. Ransom pulled your shorts off, exposing you to him. His finger drifted up your thighs and across your folds before slowly sinking into your heat. He groaned against your lips, pushing in a few times before adding a second finger and curling them against your inner wall. 

His fingers worked a steady rhythm inside you as his palm rubbed against your clit. You moaned when a wave of pressure began to slowly build, rising to crest through you… and you whimpered when his hand stopped moving altogether. Desperate for friction you tried to grind your hips against his hand but he pulled it away, raising his head to look at his wet fingers. “Hmm.. I think you could be a little wetter, dear girl” he crooned, lightly mocking Harlan's usual endearment. When a snarl started to leave your throat, his fingers returned to the previous rhythm and any fight left you. His lips glided from one breast to the other, his tongue teasing and tasting your skin in time with his digits. The wave of pleasure built again, threatening to consume you and just as you tasted the first hint of release Ransom stopped again. You heard a soft chuckle which only fueled your frustration at being denied.

”Drysdale. So help me, if you don’t make me cum right now-” a soft brush over your clit briefly interrupted your threat. “I know a half a dozen ways to end you without weapons or toxins” your growl turned into a breathless whimper when he blew softly onto your pulsing heat. Looking down, you could see him watching you inches from where you needed him.

”Is one of those ways smothering me with this wet cunt?” Those blue eyes sparkled with wicked sensuality. “Then end me right now, baby”. Suddenly he licked firmly into your dripping folds, groaning deeply as the first drop hit his tongue which had you squirming from the vibrations. “Goddamn… you taste so fine, kitten”. He lapped away, humming as you began to grind against his face. The tension from your two prior denials built with a vengeance and in your desire, you gripped his hair and pulled him closer. His nose brushed against your clit and you cried out which he answered with a pleased hum as he firmly suckled on your clit.

”Fuck!” Pleasure coursed from head to toe, your mind solely focused on prolonging the feeling as long as possible. Once the tremors had stopped, you laid for a moment to gather your thoughts. Glancing to the side you saw Ransom facing you, laying on his back with his hands behind his head and that goddamn smug-sonofabitch-smirk etched on his face, lips glistening from your juices. 

Suddenly filled with an urge to wipe the smirk off his face you moved to pull his jeans and boxers down, watching as his cock was freed. God, no wonder he walked around with that attitude. He was big, and for a moment you wondered how the hell it was meant to fit in you but you didn’t want to say it aloud and give him yet another ego boost. Scrambling to straddle him, you squirmed as his flesh rubbed between your folds. “Woah… slower, baby, I’m not going anywhere” Ransom chuckled which turned into a gasp when you squeezed him with your hands. Guiding his tip, you both moaned when it rubbed over your clit. Biting your lip you began to sink onto him. “Shit” he hissed, hands moving to grip your hips and control your descent. Moaning from the stretch you wriggled on him, unable to sit comfortably on his thighs. Cursing, he gently pushed you to lean back and you slid flush against him, the movement causing his cock to rub deeply within you. At your whimper, his eyes flashed to you. “You ok?”

Grinding against him, a small keen echoed through the room. “Feels so good… fuck… you’re so big”. 

Hearing your voice crack on the last word, Ransom began to roll his hips watching as you lost yourself to pleasure. Head tipped back, chest heaving and hands grasping for something. Ransom bucked up into you and then groaned when your hands dug into his flesh. ”Oh… my kitten has claws” he whispered, relishing the sight of the red marks. Feeling you clench around him Ransom continued to buck into you, his hands gripping your hips. ”Fuck yes… you want my cum kitten? Gonna cream this sweet little pussy”. You moaned loudly at his words, his hands guiding you through deep strokes as your walls sucked at his throbbing cock insistently. Your body began to tremble with that oh-so-familiar heat and you clenched tightly around Ransom, suddenly terrified he was going to edge you again. “Not gonna stop, baby” he murmured, gasping as your body shook with pleasure. “That’s it kitten, squeeze me. I’m gonna cum so hard for you”. Suddenly he tugged you down to him for a deep kiss, groaning against your lips as he came deep within you.

Panting, you rested against Ransom’s chest and heard the gentle lub-dub of his heart. His fingers brushed cautiously against your cheek, cupping your face when you pushed further into his touch. He tensed and you worried that he was going to revert to his pattern of lashing out. You couldn’t handle that, not after this. You cared about him, somehow falling for him along the way despite the antagonism between you. “Please”. He looked down at you, worry lining his face. “Please don’t pull away, Ransom”. 

Shaking his head, Ransom held you close. “I’m sorry baby, for being an asshole and making things difficult for you. Honestly, I just wanted you to notice me. But I’ve wanted more since you basically told me to grow some balls and make something of myself. You’re the first person apart from Grandfather to see something in me”. Ransom sighed heavily. “I’m a mess, kitten. Fuck, you’re more than familiar with the shit show that is my so-called family”. Your heart ached at the bitterness lacing his voice and moved your hand to rest on his chest. “I don’t know how to do this” he gestured between you before capturing your hand with his and pressing his lips to your palm. “But I want to try. For you. With you. I’m probably going to upset you and definitely annoy you… but I want to try and make you happy”.

“Like our research”. He cocked his head at your answer. “Research means that you don’t know, but are willing to find out”. At your soft giggle, his blue eyes sparkled. “Together. We’ll do it together”.

[fridge-reviews]

Void Bastards

Developer: Blue Manchu Publisher: Humble Bundle Rrp: £24.99 (Gog.com, Humble Bundle and Steam) Released: 29th May 2019 Available on: Gog.com, Humble Bundle and Steam Played Using: Mouse and Keyboard Approximate game length: 15 hours

In space no one can hear you panic, or your screams of frustration from having to work with a overly polite yet overbearing AI that keeps sending you on quest after quest after quest... that may have been ever so slightly specific. Well at least you aren't powder now, thank heavens for small mercies.

Void Bastards is a First Person Shooter Roguelite in which you have to gather up scrap and components in order to build the items to survive and eventually escape the nebula that the ship you're on is stuck inside. You play as a client... actually more than likely over the course of the game you'll play as several clients. Of course, when the AI calls you a client what they really mean is convict, one that has been dehydrated to the point of a powder for transport and now rehydrated so that the ship can leave the nebula.

Now a moment ago I said you'd likely play as several clients. This is because permadeath is a thing in this game, however when one client dies another is rehydrated to replace them. All the items and materials that you have crafted and gathered in the previous runs remains so it's not a complete restart. Each client comes with a trait or two which can either help or hinder you. For example; In one of my first runs the client had a trait that would cause them to cough at odd intervals which would alert citizens to your presence. Another I had later made the client half the height which was actually oddly helpful. You can attain more traits by finding gene clinics aboard certain ships or by stumbling into a genetic scrambler in the depths of space. You can only have three traits at a time but they can be immensely useful in the right combination.

All the of the enemies in this game are classed as 'citizens' regardless of how mutated they are... this doesn't mean that they won't attack you though. These citizens have been warped by the energies of the nebula and to be quite honest have lost their grip on reality. Then again I can't imagine its too easy to remain entirely sane when you've been mutated into an ambulatory blob of goo that explodes when hurt or excited.

It's got to be said that this game is very very British and has a dark sardonic humour to go with it. Examples of it are everywhere for those that know much of British culture, like when your character dies a P-45 is filled in. Anyone who has lost a job in the UK would know this as the 'you are now unemployed' form. There are many other examples of it around but I'd rather you find them for yourself, most of the time I was playing this game with a wry smile on my face because of it.

The artstyle is cel shaded and puts me in mind of the game XIII. It even uses some similar conventions that XIII had such as seeing the footfalls (although some citizens hover in which case it says 'hover') of those on the other side of doors giving you some indication of what to expect. I have to say I wish more games would embrace this look.

Between ships you are taken to a crafting screen that is separated into two sections the items screen and the components screen. As you explore the various derelict ships that fill the nebula you'll be searching for the components you need to escape and also improve your equipment. You'll also be wanting to look for food and fuel because each time you travel to a ship you consume one of each. You'll also end up picking up a lot of scrap that can be recycled into components. I quite like this as a mechanic because it means you can occasionally skip a step in looking for a component and instead make it for yourself.

On board these defunct vessels you'll find that you're on a timer as the oxygen you have is limited and once you run out you start to choke which eats away at your health. Thankfully all ships come with an Atmo room so you can refill your tanks but even those have a limited number of uses so you can't spend too long on any given ship. That being said, even the largest of ships should take no more than ten minutes to explore to the point of exhaustion. In honesty the main issue you'll have won't be oxygen, though that will be something to keep an eye on, it'll be the other denizens of the ship. The citizens aboard a ship all have different abilities depending on their type and seniority (a citizen that is classed as senior is basically an elite version). Some can fade away and will reappear behind you, others will simply explode when shot or excited. What makes things a bit more stressful is that you can never fully clear a ship of citizens, as they periodically respawn in 'rifts' that you find. To make matters worse these ships often come with traits of their own and again they can be quite beneficial, hugely detrimental or mildly inconvenient. These traits can range from the mini map no longer working through to an inordinate amount of hazards populating the map.

As is the case with any roguelite sometimes a run can be ruined from the very start and there really very little you can do to change that, some of your equipment later in the game can help to mitigate it a bit but sometimes you just have to know when a ship just isn't worth exploring.

I really enjoyed my time with this game and loved its dark sense of humour. But I must admit that toward the end the main gameplay loop of 'go find the thing' got a bit on the repetitive side. However for those of you who enjoy a challenge you'll be pleased to hear that once you complete the story mode a challenge mode called 'workplace challenges' opens up.

If this appeals to you perhaps try;

Crying Suns XIII Prey

[jinniesxlamp]

Goodbye, Hello - Chapter 8

LIST OF CHAPTERS –> Masterlist

Y/N’s POV

The succeeding days had gone by in a blink of an eye, a few adjustments were made to cater Min Yoongi’s absence due to a conflict of schedule. His agency had formally asked for him to join his members in Japan, which we granted with no hesitation. It was BTS after all. Most days were uneventful, occupied with field work and paper works to say the least. Although things did get better in terms of my interpersonal relations between my colleagues, the staff and my seniors. Tension was less, and the power struggles had slowly diminished between them and I. It was nice to have mutual trust and respect established within my workplace.

Upon Yoongi’s return the subsequent week, he personally apologized, taking advantage of the privacy we had in the elevator on the Monday of that week. I accepted right away. A mutual, though unsaid agreement was made on both ends—that we remain civil and professional towards each other for the remaining days we have left working on this show. That was that. For the both of us.

Lee Jooheon however, had seen me walk towards the bus stop a day after my vehicle was sent to the shop after the hit-and-run, offering to give me a ride home. I did not allow it though, for his own sake. Who knows who and what follows him around. He was an idol after all. Even so, I did not decline him of a meet up. I still owed him an apology for that night. I offered to buy him dinner which he ended up paying for, creating an excuse for a second meeting, then a third. Since then, I had to constantly remind him that our meet-ups were strictly social and non-romantic. He seemed to have accepted my terms, while we continuously, casually saw each other for dinner, if not, a drink or two. Nothing more, nothing less.

Eventually, the show had to end. Today was the last day of taping. I was stuck in my office the entire day, with five piles of contracts, scripts and whatnot to review, it was not even possible for me to peek down the studio for a full five minutes. I did however, make sure to attend the season-end-party later this evening. While I was busy flipping through the pages of terms and conditions, Soojin came in to inform me about a visitor whom I allowed to be brought in.

Jooheon’s POV

“How could you be so cruel?” I snarled at the lady who wasn’t even paying attention to the stranger walking inside her office.

“What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be downstairs?”

Her eyes flickered at the sound of my voice, finally closing the folder she had been reading for who knows how long.

“Aigooo, is that how you greet your guests gwangjangnim?” Again, I teased earning a glare in return. 

There was something about her gusty stare that made me smile beneath my exterior affect. It didn’t intimidate me nor anger me, but it simply drew me to her. It wasn’t intended to scare people off, just to protect herself from anything or anyone that can strip her vulnerability off of her. That’s the last thing this woman wants.

“Anyway, you didn’t answer my question” she snared at me with eyebrows raised.

“We finished earlier than expected, so everyone else went home to freshen up before the party”

“So...why exactly are you here? Shouldn’t you be doing the same?” 

I patiently watched as she began to flip on the folder again, waiting for me to respond.

“I wanted to see you” I said. This time, with a different tone. One which she picked up right away.

“Y-you could’ve waited until the party...pabo” flustered, she managed to execute her sentence, purposely mumbling the last word.

“I’m leaving tonight.”

Y/N’s POV

“Don’t miss me too much” kept repeating itself inside my head as I stared across the studio-turned-dance floor at the ground floor of the building. 

This wasn’t the farewell party I expected since we usually just went out for barbecue and drinks to celebrate. But somehow, Chairman Byeon was generous enough to dispense a more decent amount for this party. Perhaps it was the show rating which gained the highest among all stations that caused this big celebration to take place. Or was it to please the influential personalities involved in this project? Who knows.

Amidst the dinner tables where everyone else socialized, I stayed seated at the minibar on the left corner at the back of the room, barely finishing my first glass of wine. There were times when thoughts of Jooheon flashed through my mind. Scenes of earlier, when he bid goodbye. A few weeks ago he had told me he was leaving for a two-month world tour which I had completely forgotten about. Though our relationship was nowhere romantic, I did enjoy his company. He made me feel comfortable and safe whenever we spent time together. And frankly,  it did make me feel a certain way. I wouldn’t exactly call it love though.

As I was about to grab the second glass of Chardonnay passed by the bartender, another hand managed to sweep it away from my grip.

“Eonnie” 

I cleared my throat, wishing I could hide from Soojin whose arms folded towards me. She sighed, taking the seat right next to me.

“Eonnie” she repeated firmly. 

Of all people, she knew me the most. Happy or sad. Well or ill. Sober or drunk. I knew what she had to say. I wasn’t allowed another glass. 

Since I was under Myunghwa’s care, I had been sober. And because of that, my resistance to alcohol had become very weak to the extent wherein a second glass of lightweight champagne would be too much for me.

“I’m just worried about you....especially knowing that Jooheon isn’t here to take care of you”

“G-gabjagi—“ I felt my face blush at her sudden remark. I composed myself right away

“A-arasso, arasso” surrendering, offering the glass to one of the secretaries who arrived just in time. 

Soojin had left early to rest, meanwhile, the rest of the staff were still all over the place, dancing, drinking, laughing. It was a nice sight to watch, but it wasn’t for me. I stood in the same place, not sure of what to make of the rest of the night. Though I loved the comfort of my home, my energy was not fit for bed, not yet. I remembered the remaining last pile of documents that needed to be done in my office.

8:57 pm

“I might be able to finish around midnight if I leave now”

Yoongi’s POV

To my own surprise, I was fairly enjoying myself at the party, mostly due to Loco and Hwasa who I discussed a potential collaboration with if everything is agreed with all three agencies. Had Suran not called me to work on our current project, I would have stayed. Dragging myself to the parking lot, taking all the time I needed, a familiar figure stood by the lobby, speaking to the receptionist. What could she be discussing at this hour? Not long after, their conversation had ended, allowing an encounter for the both of us.

She greeted me with a bow, which I returned right away. This was probably the last time we’ll be seeing each other for awhile, so I gave myself some time—to remember her face, and to say the things I thought were necessary for a proper farewell.

“You’re great at what you do, Y/N. Keep it up.” I said. Hoping she would acknowledge the sincerity.

“Thank you. I wish the same things for you, Min Yoongi. I’m glad to see you’re living the life you’ve always dreamt of. I mean it.” She said, with the same amount of sincerity behind her weak smile.

“Don’t work to hard” I said, she returned it with a smirk.

“I wish I could say the same, but I know you too well.” 

Maybe she didn’t mean to say that out loud. 

She seemed taken aback by her own words. I allowed silence to dominate for just a few seconds, and then decided—it was time to say good bye. For good, this time.

“Geureom“ I bowed, allowing her to reciprocate before going our separate ways.

“Goodbye, Y/N” I whispered to myself.

Y/N’s POV

“Goodbye, Min Yoongi” I whispered to myself.

I was down to the last contract when I noticed the time. 

12:37 am

“Shit” I cursed to myself, recalling the agreement I had with the security department awhile ago. The building normally closes around midnight on a daily basis, however, the last security patrols at 1:00 am. They agreed to let me stay for an extended amount of time, provided that I leave before the last patrol ends. 

Fortunately, there were a lot of pages which didn’t require reading for this packet, allowing me to finish at exactly 12:45 am. That’s enough time for me to grab my belongings and rush towards the parking lot.

The building seemed a lot more sinister at night, with most of the lights off. Chills started building up my spine as I walked down the narrow hallways, leading to the basement. At first I thought it was just the eerie sight that made me feel uncomfortable. But the further I walked, the more uneasy I felt. As if someone was watching me. I quickened my pace, determined to keep myself calm though failing desperately. My eyes searched for any signs of patrol officers around the premises, but to no avail. I continued to walk across the parking lot, not daring to look back at any cost. However, a faint reflection on one of the parked cars confirmed my suspicion. 

I wasn’t alone. 

I only had one thing in mind.

Run.

Three men were following me from behind, all in black, each with a cap and a face mask to hide their identities. I screamed for help, but no one seemed to hear me. I continued to run, desperate to survive. I managed to buy myself some time, trying to lose the bodies that were tailing me, moving as slow as possible. I didn’t have much time, I pulled out my phone with trembling hands, calling the number security had left me earlier in case anything were to happen. 

Ring. Ring.

“Yeoboseyo?” Just my luck!

“Y-y-yeoboseyo? J-jebal”

“Gwangjangnim? Odi isseoyo?”

“P-parking lot” 

Regardless if I had delivered my message clearly, that was the last thing I could say before I felt a strong pull from behind me. The tight hand sealed above my mouth prevented me from screaming as I was dragged across the parking lot, helplessly.

“Gwangjangnim!”

“Gwangjangnim!”

My eyes widened at the sound of hope, my abductors began to panic hearing the patrol guards. I struggled to squirm out of their grip. 

“Be still if you don’t want us to silence you in any other way” threatened one of the men. I didn’t comply.

“Aish. Ya. This won’t keep still” cursed the other man beneath his breath, trying to keep quiet themselves. 

I noticed one of the men pour a substance of some sort onto a piece of cloth while we hid behind a parked car. Whatever it was, I knew I had to do something if I wanted to get out of this alive. The voices of the patrol officers began fading, I had to do something quick. Upon scanning the scene for anything I could use to my advantage, a different hand appeared in front of my face, attempting to suffocate me with a particular smell, a chemical I could not recognize. Observing as I slowly lost my consciousness, the men became lenient, loosening their hold onto me, leaning me freely on the parked vehicle, expecting me to collapse. I struggled to hold my breath, not wanting to inhale the chemical any further. Then, with all the force I had left, I carried my head swiftly, banging it as hard as I could on the vehicle causing its alarm to go off.

Hearing footsteps running towards me, I let go of my breath, allowing the smell to enter my system. Hearing faint voices as I slowly felt my eyes shut

“Aish! We need to leave now! Leave her!” 

“Micheosseoyo?! We’re good as dead if we leave a mess like this!”

“The boss will take care of it! Aish! We don’t have time for this!”

“Ya! We’ll get caught at this rate! Leave her!”

“Aish!”

“Gwangjangnim!”

“Gwangjangnim!”

Hoseok’s POV

I found it unusual how we came up with a decision to watch a drama series all together in this neglected living room. It wasn’t untidy or un-cared for, just that it’s not used as much as it should be. All I could recall was Namjoon watching the local news, complaining about political issues and debates, Jin-hyung and myself were merely accompanying him in silence, left with nothing to do ourselves. Eventually, Taehyung sat in at around eight thirty to watch a program airing his good friend Park Seo Joon. The two maknaes joined in some time after. In the end, we were basically glued to our spots, engrossed in Jun Ji Hyun’s newly aired drama. 

“Aish, why do they always cut it during the climax!?” Gnawed Jungkook in agony.

“At least it’s just a commercial break. Imagine if we were left with that until next week’s episode” consoled Jimin.

Everyone started fiddling with their phones, waiting for the program to resume.

“Breaking News. Sirens were reported to have awakened the residents of Gangnam as they rushed towards Seowon building around 1:00 am today—“

Seowon...why does that building sound familiar?

My eyes widened, turning to Namjoon who had the same reaction on his face.

“Ya, Jiminah, turn it up” I demanded.

“Seowon...isn’t that.....HYUNG!” It wasn’t long until everyone got the idea.

“—reports gathered information regarding an attack that happened inside the parking lot of the building itself. The victim is said to be a VIP, who is now receiving appropriate medical treatment at Samsung Medical Center. The identity of the victim is kept confidential for the time being.”

“He isn’t picking up” Jin-hyung broke the silence, beads of sweat now visible along his temples. 

“Aish! Answer your phone Yoongiah” he tried again, but to no avail. 

This went on for fifteen minutes, only to be halted with the sound of someone entering the apartment. 

We waited anxiously and hopefully to know who had just walked in.

“Wasseo” finally, a voice we were relieved to hear. Jin-hyung and I both collapsed on the couch as the rest of us sighed in unison.

“Oh, you’re all awake” said Yoongi, surprised.

“Ya! Micheosseoyo?! What use is that phone of yours when you can’t be reached at all?” The intensity in Jin-hyungs voice was very well justified with the protrusion of his jugular vein on his neck.

“Hyung, you scared us” sighed Jungkook, rubbing his chest to calm himself down.

“What’s going on?” Asked Yoongi more confused than ever.

“There was news of someone being attacked at Seowon building a few minutes ago.”

“That’s ridiculous. Who on earth would be there at this ho—“ 

Now, it was our turn to get confused, watching his whole body freeze and pupils dilate to its max.

“Ya, kwenchana?” I asked, attempting to redirect his attention. Although, it wasn’t necessary as his phone rang from his pocket.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

“Yeoboseyo?”

[papermoonloveslucy]

THREE FOR TWO

December 3, 1975

Directed by Charles Walters ~ Written by James Eppy

Synopsis

Lucille Ball and Jackie Gleason play three married couples in three stories about married life. 

Cast

Lucille Ball (Sally / Rita / Pauline) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Jackie Gleason (Herb / Fred / Mike) was born in 1916. He became one of America’s most recognized all-around entertainers but is perhaps best remembered for his iconic character of bus driver Ralph Kramden on “The Honeymooners” which was seen on CBS just like “I Love Lucy.”  On “The Lucy Show” Lucy Carmichael frequently referred to Gleason even borrowing his “Away we go” exit in a couple of episodes. In 1968 he did a wordless cameo on “Lucy Visits Jack Benny” (HL S1;E2) as bus driver Ralph Kramden. He died in 1987.

Gino Conforti (Waiter in “Herb & Sally”) began his TV acting career in 1968 and has been continually working since, although mostly as one-off characters. He had a recurring role as Felipe on “Three’s Company” from 1980 to 1982, a series Lucille Ball admired. He played the burglar in “Lucy Plays Cops and Robbers” (HL S6;E14) in 1974. He was also seen in “Lucy Gets Lucky” earlier in 1975.  

Vanda Barra (Hostess in “Fred & Rita”) made over two dozen appearances on “Here’s Lucy” as well as appearing in "Lucy Gets Lucky” (with Dean Martin) earlier in 1975 . She was seen in half a dozen episodes of “The Lucy Show.” Barra was Lucille Ball’s cousin-in-law by marriage to Sid Gould. 

Irene Sale (Woman #1 in “Fred & Rita”) was a stunt double and played Louise (uncredited) on Desilu's original “Star Trek” in 1966. This is her penultimate screen credit. 

Eddie Garrett (Man #1 in “Fred & Rita”) did two episodes of “Here's Lucy” and also played a party guest in Mame (1974). He retired in 1986 and died in 2010.

Mel Pape (Man at Table in “Fred & Rita”) was Jackie Gleason's long-time personal assistant. As such he played small roles in such Gleason projects as Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Nothing in Common (1986), and The Sting II (1983). He died in 1995.  

Due to the darkness of the nightclub only Lucille Ball and Jackie Gleason's faces are actually visible on screen. Barra, Sale, Garrett and Pape remain in shadows.  

Tammi Bula (Maureen in “Mike & Pauline”) played the recurring role of Marcia Woolery on “The Waltons.” One of her six episodes aired a month before this special.

Maureen is Mike and Pauline's daughter. She is engaged to marry her boyfriend Steven.

Paul Linke (Alfred in “Mike & Pauline”) also appeared on “The Waltons” in an episode that aired the day after this special was first broadcast. He spoke at the memorial service for his good friend John Ritter, who had appeared on “Life With Lucy” in 1986.  

Alfred is Mike and Pauline's son. He recently broke up with his girlfriend Betty Dorsey.

Director Charles Walters was an uncredited director on Ziegfeld Follies (1945) which starred Lucille Ball, although not in the segment he staged. He also directed two episodes of “Here's Lucy” and will also direct “What Now Catherine Curtis?” in 1976.

This special is billed as “Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna's 'Three for Two'” which may indicate that the material was originally written for the married comedy team (who often performed together) instead of Lucy and Gleason. This is James Eppy's only screen credit which may indicate that this was merely a pseudonym for Taylor and Bologna as writers. Screen writer Joseph Bologna will act in Lucille Ball's next special “What Now Catherine Curtis?”

This was Lucille Ball's third prime time special after the end of “Here's Lucy” in 1974. The first two were “Happy Anniversary and Goodbye” and “Lucy Gets Lucky” nine months earlier.  

This special is available on DVD from MPI video or can be streamed online. It was originally aired on CBS in the USA and ITV in the UK.

There is no studio audience or laugh track.  

Although he made a wordless walk-on cameo as bus driver Ralph Kramden in the second-aired “Here's Lucy”, this is the first time Lucille Ball and Jackie Gleason have acted together on screen.  This continues Ball's employment of “Honeymooners” alumni:

Art Carney (Ed Norton) in “Happy Anniversary and Goodbye” and “What Now Catherine Curtis?”

Audrey Meadows (Alice Kramden) in “Life With Lucy” (1986)

Jane Kean (Trixie Norton from 1966 on) in “The Lucy Show” (1966)

In form and content, this material resembles Neil Simon's 1968 play and 1971 film Plaza Suite, which is also divided into three stories with actors playing multiple roles. The fact that the first story of the special takes place in a hotel suite strengthens the comparison. The year after this special aired, Simon wrote a similar play titled California Suite which was filmed in 1978.

Like the two previous Lucille Ball Specials, the show reunites many “Here's Lucy” production staff, including hairstylist Irma Kusely, prop master Kenneth Westcott, costumer Renita Reachi, and script supervisor Dorothy Aldworth.

This special was berated by the critics and the ratings were not as large as Lucille Ball's previous specials. CBS worried that it would lose its number one place after more than twenty seasons at the top. This pretty much spells the end of CBS's confidence in television shows featuring Lucille Ball.

“Herb & Sally” (20 minutes) ~ Lucy and Jackie Gleason play Herb and Sally Wolbert, a middle-aged couple from Cleveland with grown children who are on a month-long vacation in Italy after 24 years of marriage. After Rome they are traveling on to Venice, Capri, and the ruins of Pompeii.  

As Sally, Lucille Ball has on a black wig with silver highlights. She wears a peach chiffon nightgown (which she also owns in blue and black).

The story opens with Sally singing a carefree verse of “Volare,” a song that Dean Martin sung on the previous Lucille Ball special “Lucy Gets Lucky.”  

Oops! When the waiter hands Herb the room service menu, it opens far enough to see that Jackie Gleason has his lines written on the inside. Gleason was not a big fan of rehearsing, while Lucille Ball was a stickler for it.  

SALLY: “I gave up a successful career to marry you!” HERB: “You were a screw counter in a hardware store.” SALLY: “I was learning the business.”

Lucy Barker will be co-owner of a hardware store in Lucille Ball's last television series “Life With Lucy” (1986). Herb reminds her that his own career as a bamboo furniture salesman is no fun. Herb demeans himself by entertaining buyers in nightclubs and doing his Peter Lorre impersonation.  

HERB: “Do you mean you don't like my impersonation of Peter Lorre?” SALLY: “It stinks, Herb.” HERB: “Then our whole marriage is based on a lie.”

To prove his Peter Lorre impersonation is good, he does it for the waiter: “Did you get the information, Mr. Miller?  You didn't get the information, Mr. Miller? You were supposed to get the information, Mr. Miller.” Gleason is paraphrasing Lorre's dialogue from All Through the Night (1942) in which Gleason himself co-starred with Lorre, Humphrey Bogart and Ludwig Stössel as Mr. Miller. The waiter incorrectly guesses he is imitating Gina Lollobrigida!  

HERB: (to Sally) “I'm fat!  I'm fat!  And every pound I've put on you've put there!”

Sally says there are three men in Cleveland that keep her sane: Lou Fergazi, her butcher; Andre Molan, her decorator; and Stu Bridgeman, her family doctor.

SALLY: (yelling to the street from the balcony) “I'm a pleasure object!” HERB: “She's 45 and in two months she'll be a grandmother!  You hear that?  A grandmother!”

Lucy Ricardo visited Rome in one of the most memorable episodes of “I Love Lucy,” “Lucy's Italian Movie” (ILL S5;E23), where she soaks up local color for a movie role by stomping grapes with her feet.

“Fred & Rita” (5:30 minutes) ~ Lucy and Gleason play banker Fred N. Schneider and homemaker Rita Fledgeman, a couple carrying on a discrete affair and trying to decide whether they should tell their spouses. They meet at Cookie's Tip-Toe Inn, a dimly lit hideaway nightclub.

RITA: “I Love the touch of your aftershave. The sound of your hair when it moves.” FRED: “And I love the smell of your boa.”

Lucille Ball wears an upswept blonde wig and a feather boa. At first, both Fred and Rita wear sunglasses, despite the darkness of the club.  

RITA: “I'm only alive when I'm with you. I'm dead at the supermarket.  I'm dead at the PTA. I'm dead at the beauty parlor.” FRED: “You think you're dead? I'm dead at the bank. I'm dead at the little league games.” RITA: “Are you dead with Myrna?” FRED: “Of course I'm dead with Myrna. Why?  Aren't you dead with Harry?” RITA: “You know I'm dead with Harry.  I live only for you!”

Fred is married to Rita's best friend Myrna. Rita is married to Harry, Fred's second cousin. They've been married twenty years.

RITA: (about a possible time to meet again) “The only possible day is Veteran's Day.” FRED: “I'd love to, but I'm marching.” RITA: “You'd rather march than go away with me?” FRED: “I can cheat on my wife, but not the National Guard.”

“Mike & Pauline” ~ Lucy and Gleason play domineering parents involved in a New Year's Eve family crisis as they are forced to recognize their college-aged children's declaration of independence.

As Pauline, Lucille Ball wears a honey-brown wig, topped with a paper crown (because it is New Year's Eve).  

Mike lists his best friends as Johnny Bridges, Georgie Shry, Tommy Ritzo, Eddie Kunz, and Lefty Bryan.  

MIKE: (about his best friends) “I always listened to their viewpoints and made sure that I had all the facts – before I punched each one of them out. It happens to be the code I live by: logic – and then violence.”

Mike mentions the family's New Year's Eve traditions of watching the ball drop in Times Square, listening to Guy Lombardo, and the kids watching Mike and Pauline dance to “Apple Blossom Time.”  "(I'll Be With You) In Apple Blossom Time" was written by Albert Von Tilzer and Neville Fleeson in 1920. It was introduced on big screen by the Andrews Sisters in their 1941 film Buck Privates. In “Lucy and the Andrews Sisters” (HL S2;E6, above), Lucille Ball, Lucie Arnaz, and Patty Andrews sing it as part of a medley of the Andrews Sisters' greatest hits. Guy Lombardo was mentioned on “Lucy and the Drum Contest” (HL S3;E4) when Harry calls him his favorite musician.  

MIKE: (to his grown children, angry) “Nobody's going anywhere. No how, no way, no chance!  The case is dismissed! Through!  Finished!  Done!” PAULINE: (calmly) “Now that's fair.  Your father's very fair.”

Only one episode of a Lucille Ball sitcom was ever set on New Year's Eve: “Chris's New Year's Eve Party” (TLS S1;E14), originally aired on December 31, 1962.

Alfred wants to quit college and become a nightclub comic. Mike tries in vain to give his son some pointers about the timing of his jokes. Before being signed to a film contract, Jackie Gleason worked as a nightclub comic at New York's Club 18.  

In the end, the children go out to be with their dates and Mike and Pauline watch the ball drop on TV to the strains of “Auld Lang Syne.” As they dance in the living room to “Apple Blossom Time” Mike and Pauline become Lucy and Jackie dancing together as the credits roll.  

This Date in Lucy History - December 3rd

“Men Are Messy” (ILL S1;E8) ~ December 3, 1951 

“The Ricardos Visit Cuba” (ILL S6;E9) ~ December 3,1956

“The Celebrity Next Door” (LDCH S1;E2) ~ December 3, 1957

"Vivian Sues Lucy" (TLS S1;E10) ~ December 3, 1962

“Harry Catches Gold Fever” (HL S6;E12) ~ December 3, 1973

The writing here (whoever is responsible) is what makes the difference.  The first segment is familiar territory and feels expected. The shortest segment is the best written and most interesting.  The final scene is a family dramedy with some unfunny inferences to spouse abuse and violence.  Ball and Gleason are not Meryl Streep and Laurence Olivier, but they do well enough to make it a mostly entertaining hour. 

[siva3155]

300+ TOP DENTAL HYGIENIST Interview Questions and Answers

DENTAL HYGIENIST Interview Questions for freshers experienced :-

1. Explain average day as a hygienist? Describe the routine job of a hygienist's functions, such as removing and cleaning dental deposits, examination of teeth and gums for signs of disease, sealant and fluoride application, partial periodontal therapy, x-rays, diagnostic tests, and assisting the dentist during treatments or examinations of patients. 2. Do you have any experience in performing tasks outside of your role? Occasionally, dental hygienists are allowed to remove sutures, administer anesthetics, apply fillings and dressings, work with metal restorations, take radio-graphs and impressions, and even administer minor treatment under the dentist's supervision. If you have ever performed any of these, mentioning them will be a plus. 3. How to prevent with tooth decay? Decay can be prevented in any of the following ways familiar to dental hygienists: gum margin maintenance, teeth whitening and bleaching, timely detection and/or prevention of gum disease or oral cancer, dental care facilities, etc. 4. How you communicate with clients? Talk about your experience of working with clients, including interactions such as instructing patients on dental care and creating awareness of hygiene; proper brushing methods, diet, and timely checkups. 5. Have you ever worked with children as dental hygienist? If you have, you may tell about your experience in dental services and instructing on health education, working with schoolchildren, etc. 6. List A few clues of teeth grinding? Unexplained headaches, especially early morning or late in the day Achy or tired facial muscles when you wake Trouble sleeping Extreme cold sensitivity throughout your mouth A clicking or popping jaw Front teeth seem sharper and chip easily, or have become uneven 7. What are toothpicks? Avoid them. They can traumatize gums. Use floss to remove food from between teeth. 8. What are interdental brushes? These small pipe-cleaner-looking brushes are bent at a right angle so they move between teeth above the gum. They're ideal for people with areas too difficult to clean with a regular toothbrush and floss, such as bridges. 9. What is tongue scrapers? These remove bacteria from the tongue, but a toothbrush does the job just as well. Make sure to scrape daily for best results. 10. What is gum massagers? These tools are available on their own, and you can find them at the end of some toothbrushes. They stimulate gums to toughen up tissue so they won't bleed as easily. Massage gums once a day.

DENTAL HYGIENIST Interview Questions 11. Tell me are other dental hygiene products necessary? If you're taking care of the basics, everything else is just extra, but it still helps. 12. Should patient use mouthwash? It's not necessary if you're brushing and flossing several times a day, unless you have tooth decay, in which case your dentist may prescribe a fluoride rinse. But there's no harm in using a mouthwash for fresher breath. Swish it around after flossing and brushing to remove plaque and kill remaining bacteria. 13) How to brighten the teeth? A yellowed smile doesn't necessarily mean poor dental health. Tooth color is hereditary and affected by what we eat - everything from coffee and soda to berries and wine can stain it. 14. How to floss effectively? Break off about 18 inches of floss, wind it around your fingers, then guide it gently between teeth. When it reaches the gum line, curve it into a C-shape against one tooth and gently rub it up and down. (Never snap the floss in and out of gums.) Repeat this on every tooth, including the back of the ones in the back of your mouth. 15. What happened if someone don't floss? If you don't floss, you risk cavities, tooth decay and inflammation, the last of which can put you at risk for heart attack and stroke. 16. Tell me do I really have to floss? Absolutely. Once a day. It may feel like a chore, but it's essential for removing food particles and bacteria trapped between teeth that your toothbrush can't reach. 17. Why is there bad breath especially in the morning? During the day, we swallow about 2,000 times, which flushes out some bacteria. But at night we only swallow about 200 times, which leaves bad bacteria lingering in the mouth. 18. How to get rid of bad breath? To stay minty-fresh, you must brush, floss and brush your tongue to get rid of those bacteria - especially in the morning. 19. What is bad breath? Bad breath is often a sign of bacteria in your mouth. Odor-causing bacteria can hide in gum tissue, tongue crevices and between teeth. 20. What is sensitive tooth paste? If you experience irritation or shooting pains when eating or brushing teeth, try a desensitizing toothpaste. 21. What is the mean of whitening in toothpaste? These brighten teeth but won't bleach them shades lighter. For that, you need whitening strips, trays with bleaching gel, or in-office treatments, such as Zoom 3 and Bright smile. Ask your dentist which is right for you. 22. What is tartar control? If your teeth build up tartar quickly between dentist visits, this is a good option. But some tartar-control formulas can be too abrasive for teeth. If a toothpaste feels gritty when you rub it between your fingers, stay away. 23. What is the right technique to brush? Position your brush at a 45-degree angle to your gums. Move it back and forth across one quadrant in gentle, tooth-wide strokes. Brush the outside, inside and chewing surfaces of each tooth, focusing on one quadrant at a time. 24. Can patient use an electric toothbrush? Probably not. That basic, soft-bristled toothbrush will work just as well - if you use the right technique. 25. When one should brush? Ideally, you should brush after each meal or snack to quickly remove decay-causing, odor-emitting particles (like food) and bacteria from the tooth's surface. If that seems impossible, aim for at least twice a day. Not brushing increases risk of cavities, bad breath, tooth decay and bone loss. 26. What is the best way to brush? Just because your teeth are made of hard enamel, it doesn't mean you should scrub them like you would a dirty pot. Scrubbing that's too aggressive or a toothbrush that's too hard can harm gums and tooth enamel. Brush for two minutes every time (half a minute for each quadrant of teeth), and use a soft-bristled toothbrush. 27. Share your memorable experiences? Completing my class IV patient. It was very rewarding. Wow every experience was one to remember. 28. What do you wish someone would have told you before you started school? Patient management would be a huge aspect of the daily workday. It takes all kinds to make the world go around and many of them will sit in you dental chair. To clean every corner of my house and train my boys better because there was no looking back. 29. What things surprised you once you were enrolled in the dental hygienist program? The link between systemic health and oral condition. The depth of study and many other subjects to be mastered in DH was amazing. 30. What did you think dental hygiene was all about when you started school? Cleaning teeth. I thought it was all about teeth and gums! 31. Why did you choose hygiene as a profession? I knew health care was one of the fastest growing career areas, good pay, flexible hours. I didn't expect to love the work as much as I do. I wanted to be in a profession that I could apply my communication skills to teach people of all ages how to be healthier. Hygiene chose me! 32. What gave you a tough time that you wish you would have received more help with? More time with the ultrasonic would have been helpful.After four years of work I finally feel pretty effective with the ultrasonic. Also, sharpening the instrument was a challenge.I have worked very diligently to become proficient at this skill. The two biggies for me are coding and scheduling as I had no prior dental experience. 33. What was your favorite and most difficult class? My favorite and most difficult classes were Histology/Embryology and oral pathology we had fun memorizing, questioning and doing a few projects. The most difficult thing for me was to work on group projects. And yes I survived group projects (not a fan of these). I can now admit that these were very beneficial when working with a small group or staff every day! 34. What was the most difficult course or project for you? Periodontics was the most difficult, due to the big picture aspect to the disease. I didn't really understand how it all came together until I got into the work force.Through experience I began to see patients who had health issues that affected their perio status. Working with full blown perio cases brought it all together for me. 35. What courses taken prior to enrolling in the dental hygiene program supported you in the program? Anatomy and physiology (hands down) The Science courses including A & P, Chemistry, Microbiology as well as Psychology, Speech and Communications were all very helpful and necessary. DENTAL HYGIENIST Questions and Answers pdf Download Read the full article

[musemash]

Photo gallery, from top: 1 Vertigo (1958) 2 Spellbound (1945) 3 Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961) 4 The Stranger (1946) 5 Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom (1984) 6 High Noon (1952) 7 The Thirty Nine Steps (1978) 8 V For Vendetta (2005) 9 The Shining (1980) 10 Safety Last (1923)

BLESSED ARE THE CLOCK WATCHERS

(for they shall verily always be on time)

– by David D. Fowler / revised December 14

THE CLOCK is the magnum opus of Swiss-American videographer, composer, and performance artist CHRISTIAN MARCLAY. Created in 2010, it is a breathtaking 24-hour film that uses thousands of movie clips to create an epic collage – blending a multiplicity of experiences together, into a disjointed hymn to the complexity of human existence. It also functions as a literal timepiece, with virtually every minute of an entire day either displayed visually or mentioned in dialogue.

CINEFACETS presents a tribute to this stunning work, as well as an exploration of Marclay's other audio and visual creations. The photo gallery above features images from 10 of the films used to create The Clock. The first video is Telephones, the artist's 1995 precursor to his masterpiece. The remaining four videos, taken together, offer some 45 minutes worth of The Clock. The first set of links below provide plenty of perspectives on this work; and the second section offers videos of Marclay's audio experiments and performances.

The Clock was playing recently at The Polygon art gallery in Metro Vancouver. Since the artist has decreed that it must always run synchronized to local time, the gallery could usually only show the portion that coincided with its business hours, from 10 am till 5 pm. However, a few times a month, they also ran the complete film in an all-night marathon; so I got the crazy notion to attend one of these showings, determined to view the whole enchilada. For what it's worth, here's the account of my valiant but failed attempt to ... wait for it ... "beat The Clock."

I planned everything as meticulously as a military campaign – taking a knapsack containing high-energy food; a thermos of coffee; and a book, in case I had to wait in line. Since I knew it would be popular, with limited seating, I also packed a cushion for sitting on the floor. However, as I was about to enter, I was told my backpack was verboten in the theatre. I had to stash it in a locker, which meant I'd have to leave the movie whenever I got hungry.

I was happily blessed with excellent seats. I started watching around 11:30 am, and lasted until well after midnight. For the most part, I found the whole experience captivating. But there were a few drawbacks: the many clips from foreign films had no subtitles; my neck gradually got mighty sore over that 12+ hours; and anytime I took a bathroom break, I ran the risk of losing my seat.

Despite these misgivings, I was still seriously contemplating staying all night; but then I saw that the standing-room-only folks were now sprawled out on the floor. My cushion was stuck in the locker downstairs; and I was not encouraged by the thought of taking a pee break in the middle of the night – only to be forced to sit on the floor for who knew how long, while I waited in discomfort for the buses to start running again.

Aside from that, the guy sitting right next to me was a distraction. He spent half his time watching the movie, and the other half looking down and scribbling into his notepad; it was annoying, considering that we were sitting on the front row centre sofa – and he was occupying one of the best seats in the house, while depriving someone else who would likely have given the film his/her full attention.

Luckily, since The Clock was synchronized to the local time zone, I was constantly aware of the exact time; and I recalled that the last ferry to the Vancouver Skytrain would be leaving soon. So I reluctantly hoofed it out of there; I got the boat, then the train, and finally caught the 2nd last available bus home around 2 am. I breathed a sigh of relief, unpacked my knapsack, and finally got to have my coffee.

Don't get me wrong, though. All told, despite my occasional minor discomforts, I was simply knocked out by this iconic production. The Clock is a truly monumental creative achievement, and Marclay has done us all a great service by making it available to a number of art galleries worldwide. I am hoping it will return some day, to another local gallery, so I can plan my trip more wisely, and see the portions that I missed.

Since Marclay designed The Clock to coincide with the actual time that its audience members are experiencing, he would obviously be reluctant to present it any other way – and I respect that. But I also suggest that such a brilliant feat of editing and audio mixing deserves a wider audience. The way it is currently exhibited means that most people will never see more than seven or eight hours of the complete work. It strikes me as strange that Marclay went to so much trouble, creating it so painstakingly, but then chose a mode of presentation that drastically limits people's access to it.

One solution would be to split The Clock into four six-hour parts, and show them on consecutive weekdays during business hours; and then have the full marathon on the weekend, for those who want to experience it as a timepiece. Another solution would be to make the whole thing available as a box set on Blu-Ray and DVD – remastered, complete with stereo sound, and subtitles. It would be delightful to watch it at our leisure in hour-long segments, over a period of several days.

Nevertheless, The Clock was a wonderful experience. I was greatly privileged to see it, and I am most certainly grateful to have viewed so much of it. My only cinematic disappointment was that it didn't include one of my very favorite time-related film clips, from The Big Sleep. Bogart, awakened by a phone call from a cop, growls into the receiver: "Don't you know any better than to wake a man up at 2:30 in the afternoon?"

ON THE CLOCK Clock Overviews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB3CgEnxnYY https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/england/london/articles/make-time-for-christian-marclays-the-clock-at-tate-modern/ Creating The Clock http://mikehoolboom.com/?p=8770 Can't Believe She Watched The Whole Thing! https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/arts/design/the-clock-christian-marclay-tate-modern.html Talking About Time https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/marclay-the-clock-t14038/where-does-time-go Marclay Interviews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ_wKD6XQTM https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/sep/10/christian-marclay-the-clock-tate-modern-london https://frieze.com/article/about-time-christian-marclays-clock-receives-its-tate-modern-premiere https://www.designboom.com/art/conversation-christian-marclay-the-clock-tate-modern-11-23-2018/ The Clock & Copyright https://ial.uk.com/marclay-clock/ Cinematic Influences https://www.acmi.net.au/ideas/read/experimenting-cinematic-temporality-clock/ Clock Reviews https://www.stageandcinema.com/2015/08/18/the-clock-lacma/ https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/sep/11/the-clock-review-christian-marclay-tate-modern-london https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/clocks-for-seeing-christian-marclays-the-clock/ http://www.recentfuturearchive.com/2013/01/christian-marclays-clock-words-by-max.html https://www.memoreview.net/blog/christian-marclay-the-clock-at-australian-centre-for-the-moving-image-by-rex-butler https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2011/apr/07/christian-marclay-the-clock https://femmeartreview.com/2019/07/29/early-riser-a-perspective-of-marclays-the-clock/ Stray Clock Moments https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKHmj83VC78 List Of Film Sources https://letterboxd.com/thisisdrew/list/the-clock/ Further Adventures In Time https://www.acmi.net.au/ideas/read/what-watch-if-you-loved-clock/ Clock Tower Stunts https://adelaidescreenwriter.blogspot.com/2013/01/clock-tower-stunts.html Time’s Slave https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V5GbJwQ9rg

OFF THE CLOCK Marclay Profile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yqM3dAqTzs Marclay Quotes https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/christian-marclay-quotes Telephones https://publicdelivery.org/christian-marclay-telephones/ White Cube 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y1phQ9BKkQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5EoAJVkIk4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x1T6smY7vA Sound Stories https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVx0i5tEukg Night Music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIFH4XHU228 Kozgaz Jazz Club https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7FQ-WXjfKg Spheres https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj_Ns9NlHww Grooves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40wIshGUIq8 Pandora's Box https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veTtkMju-aA Meta-Concert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_sfAkwbZ5A Minton & Marclay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCS4vUym0_8 Found Objects https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTp8PsLTNsU Record Without A Cover https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QArTJnze6c 48 War Movies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyHgpdi7KWw Marclay Interviews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riIyiPMGu0U http://www.furious.com/perfect/christianmarclay.html https://bombmagazine.org/articles/christian-marclay/ Marclay Projects https://www.whitney.org/Exhibitions/ChristianMarclay https://hammer.ucla.edu/exhibitions/2003/christian-marclay/#gallery_0252fc63b82b768cc8161cf6a22b3716a004e067 https://www.paulacoopergallery.com/exhibitions/christian-marclay-2019-09-12/press-release http://www.artnews.com/2019/07/19/christian-marclay-snapchat-lacma/ https://www.theartnewspaper.com/review/in-a-panoply-of-sounds-and-images-at-lacma-christian-marclay-communes-with-snapchat https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/christian-marclays-new-exhibition-compositions-will-make-you-a-better-listener/ https://www.paulacoopergallery.com/exhibitions/christian-marclay-phones/press-release http://www.graphicstudio.usf.edu/GS/artists/marclay_christian/marclay.html https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/celine-christian-marclay-2019 https://www.montreuxjazzfestival.com/en/content/christian-marclay-designs-poster-2018 The Art Of Disruption https://frieze.com/article/john-armleder-and-christian-marclay-art-disruption Artist Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U-waMJ64rg Record Player: Christian Marclay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62EbjlGU5Os

[itinerantscribe-blog]

Day 4 of 56

I had white bread for breakfast today. I don’t even care. I fancied a German breakfast. I call it a German breakfast but I have no idea if this is typical or specific to a German diet. I’ve just always called it such since the days of my footloose and fancy free travelling. I was young then, earning well, spending more than I was earning mind you, no rules, no sense of responsible living. Ha! Responsible living? Whatever that is. I met a whole bunch of German folk, my age, when I was living in Rome. Even started an affair with one of them. I say affair, it was just sex on the hoof. But after I left Roman climes for English shores, I maintained contact with these beer swilling, fun loving individuals hailing from Dusseldorf. They used to invite me to their Saturday night parties which I would invariably attend, heading off to the airport Friday night, indifferent to the dimensions of the airport terminal, no difficulty with the landscape that has come to sabotage so many similar efforts these days. Off I’d go, drinking in anticipation, making them all laugh, having a weekend carved from the monument to pure hedonism, back in Blighty by Sunday evening ready for Monday morning travail. Then, a midweek call informing me it was happening all over again the coming weekend, that I was welcome once more, and true to my devil may care attitude and my lack of ties elsewhere, true to my indifference to an ever inflating Amex bill that should really have counselled otherwise, off I’d trot again to my newly discovered Dusseldorf drinking haunts. And to my Doris. Not Doris as in old English vernacular, but Doris as in appellation, Doris as in her name! Well, my meine liebe Doris would now and then prepare a breakfast composed of rolls divided into 3 parts of which one part would be layered with cheese, one with jam and the other plain for the purposes of the boiled egg which sat enthroned at the centre of  the courtiers encircling its regal presence. I was a right gadabout was I. Not a seeming care in the world, untroubled by family ties, there were none, untroubled by responsibility, untroubled by anything. I remember an aunt once asking me a question in this period, to which I reacted with some typically frivolous response. ‘Do you just laugh at everything?’ she replied, her manner anything but jocular. ‘Don’t you ever take anything seriously?’ I laughed. I wasn’t taking anything seriously. The laughter would never stop, would it? No, of course not!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdXAUKcjejI

Well, the laughter may not have stopped, but the cavalier spontaneity certainly left me for some greener pastures. An example of crossing the road was a modest example of difficulty, but I see no reason not to introduce areas of greater, almost impossible variety, current and real, requiring all manner of preparation just to enable an attempt whilst promising no surety of successful outcome. You listen and you be the judge of the correlation with the alcohol that inevitably snakes its way into the following story, this one story from a catalogue of multiple examples but the one most recent that makes me consider the futility of further resistance despite my gung ho message of defiance not more than 24 hours ago.It begins some months prior to the event itself, an event I have desired to witness in person for many years, the need to compete for tickets for PMQs always in heavy demand the reason for an early bird approach. Successfully booked, I awaited the day with increasing trepidation until my mounting disquiet penned an email on my behalf. 'Sorry for short notice, unexpected developments dictate the need for a cancellation, preferably a postponement if this email alienates not its recipient with its last minute composition.' The email was more expansive than this, I piled it on, obsequious too flaccid a word for my written prostrate supplication,  desperate to receive a second chance, desperate to ensure only a battle it was I had lost, not the war. The response to some measure mollified my worried soul, it was indeed, only a battle, and as if some unseen, silent force had allied itself to my cause, the revised date coincided with what would be Mrs May's last ever PMQs, a splendid event I have witnessed on TV oft times previously with other prime ministers, more than worthy of a real life visit when the house would be full and the jousting less toxic albeit robust and boisterous nonetheless. This time I would be ready.

The tickets came in pairs and whilst I was quite content to make my personal pilgrimage a solo affair, I considered the merits of inviting a guest, part altruistic my consideration, part self interest not entirely absent from my deliberations. I began in earnest my preparations 2 weeks in advance, enjoying my last real ale until the completion of my endeavour. Gradually my research intensified, entrenched habits, virtually and remotely examining the lay out of the building that was the equivalent of my Everest, availing myself of the official website which offered the facility of virtual on line tours, many of which to my undiluted interest and surprise, was aimed specifically at those individuals who are placed within the autistic spectrum and whose symptoms and difficulties clearly coincide with my own. Hmmm. That notwithstanding, it became clear from my forensic scrutiny that this was going to be no slice of sponge, so many elements conflating to produce a moving sequence of a slide show of horror. Tall buildings, long open halls, heavily armed police, security more intensive than airport terminals, an entire panoply of Danny's worst vignettes beautifully crafted together in loving preparation for his bestest possible experience. What was not to like? Yumbloodyyum! Westminster Hall held particular beauty and promise for me. I felt my hands moisten in the tranquil security of my small abode as I watched from a screen the reality beyond my door and beyond. By the time I had finished my laborious but distant familiarisation process, I knew the co-ordinates and dimensions and the procedure like the proverbial back of my hand, although I suspect I knew them better. The back of my hand instils in me not one iota of fear, Westminster Hall is already instilling me with terror...

https://www.parliament.uk/about/podcasts/video-tours/westminster-hall/

So, emboldened by a good period of abstinence, the morning of departure I was quietly confident. I felt healthy, I had subjected myself to a hard bout of high intensity exercise (always a wonderful antidote to all things malign, alas, normally after the event, not before), eaten an athlete's breakfast and was prepared for the inevitable escalating surge of adrenaline the nearer the time for immersion into the event arrived, an habitual surge that is as permanent a feature on my existence as the nose on my face. I had with me my emergency measures compendium, lavender for my wrists, a paper bag if my breathing needed assistance, Valium, that loathsome, odious Valium which I so detest, chewing gum and the omnipresent sunglasses, grateful that their prescription based origin would allow their use contrary to stated parameters for their non prescribed equivalent. It did cross my mind to pick up a cheap miniature whisky en route for last resort circumstance but it almost certainly be held at security and so of little productive benefit. I was as ready as I was going to be. 

https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/3733/famous-grouse-miniature

Arriving in London, my home town, with buckets of time to spare, I tested my status, defiantly surveying the tall buildings at Fenchurch Street to their very apex, excellent litmus paper for my state of mind to judge the levels of my anxiety. I was able to maintain my gaze for a not unreasonable length of time. Not bad I thought, not bad at all. I know London well, born and bred I am conversant to an intimate degree with its geographical nature. The Houses of Parliament, well, what London visitor cannot at once visualise that corpulent and imposing vista, let alone an indigenous fellow? I had established that on PMQs day, the queue for security can take 45 minutes, not my best but I was still fine. Ha! Silly me! There was no need to worry! That benevolent unseen, unspeaking force was still with me! There was no queue at all!! This was going to be fine! I breathed a sigh of relief. I could now walk the route blind, so familiar had I made myself with the logistics, but Westminster Hall still played on my mind and I knew this was coming up fast. The coffee shop was exactly where it should be, and I suggested to my companion that since we had more than an hour to spare, perhaps a brief pause might be in order. I of course, would not dare risk coffee, the additional  caffeine in moments of potential crisis a guaranteed source of heightened woe and chaos, adding as it would to the adrenaline that would certainly flood my interior should things even yet take a turn for the worse. 

My companion. It is apposite to say a thing or two about my companion. I chose carefully, bearing in mind that my choice was limited in any event, these long years of a condition that ensured I remained fairly isolated and on the perifery of the social fabric having effectively rendered me largely Billy no mates. I don't mind being no mates Billy, I quite like my isolation and own company, but there are one or two drawbacks. And certainly, other than the period of stewardship of my son ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B013CEN8S6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) when he would be my best ever company in our various trips about the world, I have often undertaken these things I do alone, not hampered by the need to explain if I suddenly have to break into a sprint, not judged if I have to dart quickly into a pub to drink a pint of courage to move to the next stage of whatever event I am undertaking. I'm a scathing enough judge of myself, I need neither validation nor confirmation from anyone else about my periodic aberrant behaviour and I certainly won't apologise for it. I am best alone. That day I was not alone. The companion was female, an individual who whilst not knowing me well nor for any sustained period of long standing acquaintance, had witnessed by accident a mini 'event' I had undergone once before. I recognised at once her lack of judgement, her lack of condemnation, ridicule or endorsement. She was easy to read, one of those who will do anything for anyone, I suspect even provide a lift to a stranger if asked. Furthermore, her role within a medical environment suggested to me some exposure to the various and copious issues that roam the world and select their victims almost randomly. And finally, her innocence, her lack of experience of the world, extraordinarily devoid of virtually any real exploration beyond her parochial (in a totally non pejorative manner I employ that adjective, it is all literal in its inclusion) existence, geographical and otherwise. This last facet meant that the event that day would provide her with something so outside her normal frame of reference that no matter what happened to me, she would have something memorable to take from the experience. I had briefed her on the train, I had tried to explain and condense the last 40 years of my life in the 45 minutes the journey took, to prepare her in advance for what might happen and how she must no matter what proceed alone and witness a fairly unique experience. I could tell she could not quite grasp the concept, why would she? I mean, let's face it, it is a little weird…

 'I am off to have a quick look round,' I say.

 'Ok,' she says, soaking up the adventure, enjoying the coffee before her, not the only entity she was imbibing as she drank in the atmosphere, the majesty of the place, its unmissable historical aura. Off I go, venturing through a door on the right, marking the terrain, a soldier mapping out the landscape, scouting the territory. I happen upon the small souvenir shop, I have a quick glance round, they sell alcohol!! Expensive alcohol. Port and stuff, wine, oh, and miniature bottles of whisky. Six quid each!!! I could have bought three of these en route, but no matter, these aren't for consumption on the premises and besides, I am not going to need them today. There is a toilet up ahead, I have a look. Oooohhh! Dead plush! Modern interior contrasting unpleasantly with the antiquated exterior that leads to it I am thinking. Back out I come. There is another door, open, I know where it leads, I know, I just don't want to look. I am going to have to look. Tentatively I pop my head through the gap. Tortoise neck. Peering in. Westminster Hall. 72 metres? This is never 72 metres! It is much shorter. They got it wrong!! I smile, I rejoice, this will be easy. I do what I have been avoiding. I look up. Ok, not too bad, it's a buttressed type of ceiling, they at least got this right. It curves, it's only high dead centre. Just don't look. Damn, shouldn't have looked, what's been seen cannot be unseen. I look over at the small desk where stand the various attendants. I have my security badge on, dangling from its lanyard, I have been checked, no need to worry. Nothing to see here. Strange I think, not many people, especially not for PMQs.

'Hi,' I say as I regain the table. 'Nice little shop round there.' I am pointing. 'I think we should walk to the chamber, just see what it's like, collect our tickets and then come back and you have a look round the shop. We still have over an hour.'

'Ok,' she says. I am right about her character, entirely relaxed and easy going, no demands at all. We walk outside and I talk to one of the attendants.

'Very quiet today, isn't it? Especially for PMQs.' I am friendly, keen to elicit as much info as I can, I think I am a bit wobbly inside. I touch my pockets, verify the location of my emergency measures.

'Yes, it is,' he says, old boy, friendly and jaunty. 'Theresa isn't here of course today. Down at Portsmouth with Donald. June the fifth.’

 'Oh yeah, course!' I say, knowingly, having thought that she would be here first before helicoptering down there second. My heart sinks a bit, if she's not here, Corbyn will be absent too. At least Emily Thornberry will be there in his stead, she is better than him at the dispatch box, funny too. There is that. I quickly glance at my companion, to see if she shares my disappointment, that would make me sad for her, for anyone, I'd built it up so much. She reveals nothing, I am definitely right about her, she just doesn't mind. 

We enter the hall. It suddenly seems a lot longer than 72 metres, more like half a mile. I quickly absorb the scene at the end, where the stairs replace the flat floor. There are a pair of armed policemen on either flank. My heart is beginning to flutter, the attendants at the desk are looking at me, what can they see? Can they see through my flimsy veneer, are my forced efforts at relaxation personified that transparent. I smile, it's an effort. It's beginning.

'Do you mind if I grab your hand for a minute?' I whisper, the smile still etched on my face. 'Please don't misinterpret.' 

I had briefed her on the train, she is remembering, Her answer confirms she was the perfect person to ask. 

 'No problem,' she whispers back, her smile all real, no masquerade.

'Oh, and I'll need to walk on the left, by the wall, sorry.' I thought I didn't apologise.

She moves effortlessly into position and greedily I grab her hand as we begin our march to whatever is lurking down the road. The sweat has begun its passage, in no time I feel my armpits sodden, oh my god, we have barely walked 2 feet. 

 'Owww,' she whispers. 'Let me take my rings off.' 

It takes her forever, I seize her hand as soon as it becomes available once more. The steps are getting closer, beyond that St Stephen's Hall, I will be ok with Stephen's Hall. If only I could run, I could cover this ground in seconds, my age would be no match for the fuel of my panic, I know this so well. But I can't. I have to maintain a projection of relaxed calm, the police are well trained, I know this too. They are taught to spot the signs that deviate from the norm. I am standing out like something standing out. I smile at them as we approach wishing I could pass between them and the narrow gap to the wall. I will have to ascend the middle, leaving my precious wall, out in the deep end. I pretend to move slowly up the stairs but this theatre works, I am going up 4 at a time. My companion is having to jog slightly, she cannot make 4 at a time, she is not driven by the petrol of fear. My breathing returns to normal, I release my companion's hand. But now the anxiety is being spurred on, encouraged by its own momentum.

We are in the next hall, St Stephen’s. it is thin, just as I'd researched. Ok, Danny, ok, calm down now, we are fine. I am urging myself, trying to talk myself down. This hall is much shorter, pleasant almost. And then we are there, Central Lobby, gateway to both the Lords and Commons, where the throng assembles, where members of the public can come meet a member from either house, Central Lobby,  the final staging post before entering the House of Commons Chamber, our objective, Central Lobby which I had completely underestimated and to which I had not allocated enough preparation time. The ceiling!! Its height! Oh no! The perspiration takes no time to wreak its second round of mischief, my heart, how does my heart always survive these poundings? Will it always? I sit down, eyes glued to the floor, not daring to look up again. I tell my companion where the tickets need to be collected. She has no idea of the process, I educate her quickly. Whilst she is gone I am considering my options. I am paralysed. I cannot move forward, I cannot go back. What the fuck am I going to do? I am screaming inside. I am aware from my periferal vision of the seriously strong armed police presence in this confined space. I am aware I am courting attention. I embolden myself and sit upright, staring at any official with a weapon staring at me, smiling as broadly as I can as I make childish gestures of enormous excitement. My companion comes back, tickets in hand.

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/jan/16/the-scream-edvard-munch-ultimate-image-political-age-british-museum

'We have to go back!' I whisper loudly, desperately. She doesn't hesitate, no matter what happens here, I will buy her an expensive lunch. She in indescribably tolerant and understanding. I am making a fool of myself and her by association. I stand up, I never knew standing could be so physically demanding, I take her hand without asking and pretend to saunter back whence we came, pointing out frescoes I am not really looking at as we go. Westminster Hall is no easier on the return leg than the original, but we make it, back to the coffee shop, still 45 minutes to go. She is looking at me without speaking, I am looking at nothing, too busy on my inner dialogue. I suggest she takes a tour of the shop, a suggestion she gladly embraces. I am thinking hard, tears not distant as the effort takes its inevitable emotional toll. I have dark glasses on, no-one sees. 

'I am not going back in,' I declare upon her return.

'Really?' she says, this time her disappointment apparent, though I suspect more for me than for her.

 'I can't,' I say, 'but you can, and you must. I will wait for you in a pub I know nearby. I can't go through that again.' I am on the verge of running away, out of that place, back to safety, away from high interiors and wide spaces and everything that hasn’t been sanitised. If only life could be sanitised. 

We sit silent. The cafe is busy, excited tourists chattering, sharing each others joy, the novelty of it all. Ten minutes pass.

'Right,' I say. 'I have three choices. I can leave, I can take a Valium or I can buy a whisky and drink it in the loo.'

She is listening, she listens well, she would make an excellent counsellor I think, reflecting back what she hears without making a definitive statement. 

‘If I take a Valium it will have to be 10mg, there will be no time for a smaller dose, my normal dose. I've never taken 10mg in one day before. But if I do that, I will have a window of opportunity for about an hour, and then I will need a beer as the anxiety will explode after its enforced suppression.’ I know the story, I know what happens, it’s become ritual. I have to get the timing dead right, it has to be impeccable.

‘Or I could drink  whisky,’ I think out loud. ‘Ok, go buy a whisky if you would, here's the money.' I don’t care about the preposterous price. I am buying calm.

She goes. I look at the time. The whisky won't work. Not one. I am not going to leave without seeing PMQs. I take a Valium.

 'I've got it,' she says.

'Thanks. I won't need it now. I've taken Valium.'  Don’t worry, I am thinking, it won’t go to waste.

We sit there for 20 minutes, I am waiting for the little pill to work its false magic. We go back in, I am calm. We get into the chamber. Thornberry is there but she isn't standing in for Corbyn, I am not surprised, she overshadows him. He won’t let her put him in her shadow. We stay for half hour, the pill is already beginning to wear off. That’s fast, and very strange. But I know my companion has had enough anyway, the main thrust, the primary fun of PMQs is the half hour between midday and half past. Besides, it's quite boring today. All the principal protagonists are absent. My principal protagonist isn’t absent unfortunately. Mr Anxiety is preparing his second, more deadly wave of attack.

 'Ready?' She nods. We leave. Westminster Hall again. Bastard. I take her to the pub I know on the bridge. She has tonic water, I have a pint and a large whisky. I have never tasted beer so good. That's a lie. All the other times relief has replaced terror the beer has tasted just as good.

 'I will buy you a fabulous lunch,' I say, and I mean it. She deserves it. 

This effort will drain me for at least 5 days, it always does. Is the effort worth the aftermath? Was what happened an excuse or a reason to have that drink that continued for the rest of the day? Wouldn’t it just be easier not to try anymore? You decide. I’m too drained….

[bokaishu]

Practice 2: Welwyn Garden City - festival of light event (History research)

When thinking about the festival, I have a general idea of the three projects. I hope that they are a big combination. Although their positions are relatively independent, I think that extending from a historical perspective will give me a clearer idea. So I investigated the history of Welwyn Garden City. And made a timeline to make my ideas as clear as possible.

I found a book and a few pages about the history of Welwyn Garden City, which helped me a lot.

Welwyn Garden City is the 2nd Garden city in the world, with Letchworth Garden City the first , only 20 minutes drive away. The town was designed and built on open fields in the 1920's and 1930's. Incorporating many tracks and farm roads in place and naming areas of the town after local farms covered over in the building process. Handside Farm, Peartree Farm and Hatfield Hyde to name a few.  With wide open spaces and gardens and green land built into the designs the town became popular and continued to grow.

There’s very little-to-none evidence that can shed some light on the history of Welwyn Garden City during centuries after the Domesday Book of 1086-87. Welwyn Garden City’s history started in 1920 when Sir Ebenezer Howard laid the foundation of a new city and filled it with nature. Welwyn Garden City was said to be a perfect place to live with scenic greenery, stable political system and amenities to provide a good living for everyone.

One of the key themes of the garden city ideal was self-containment: providing jobs, services, leisure facilities and housing all within one town in a high quality, green and open setting.  This has some parallels with modern ideas about sustainable development in the sense that providing a mixture of land uses in close proximity reduces the need to travel.

The town’s historic significance in the field of town and social planning is global, attracting study and visits from tourists and representatives of civic organisations from abroad to visit.  Its success led directly to the creation of other new towns such as Harlow, Stevenage and Milton Keynes in the UK.  It is often held up as the best example of civilised, sustainable new settlements and a model for others to follow.

By choosing the young architect de Soissons, Howard and his fellow directors had ensured the success of the town’s development.  Louis de Soissons was barely thirty when appointed as architect and town planner in April 1920.  He submitted his masterplan for Welwyn Garden City less than two months later,  and it is this plan (available by clicking here) that over the years has been modified here and there, but has remained the essential backbone for its future development.  It remains one of only two garden cities in the UK.

Louis de Soissons chose a red brick Neo-Georgian style for his building design and was keen to conserve as many hedgerows and trees as possible, exploiting the landscape to its fullest extent.  But he truly excelled as a street designer and there is no doubt that his finished plan is a masterpiece of town planning.  It is still regarded so some ninety years later.  In planning terms its significance is global.  It is featured in most – probably all – university architectural and urban design courses around the world.

Welwyn Garden City was designated as a New Town shortly after the end of World War II and the fact that its original designer, Louis de Soissons, was in charge of its development from its inception until his death in 1962, was able to maintain its unique status.

However, the ability to maintain its unique status has become more difficult over the years.  It remains one of a number of Section 19 towns.  This includes Letchworth Garden City, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Bourneville, Port Sunlight and Poundbury but Welwyn Garden City remains unique in being the only Section 19 town not to be controlled by an independent trust.

The fact that a trust was not set up at the dissolution of the Commission for the New Towns was probably a grave mistake.  The role of a trust for Welwyn Garden City is essentially born by the local authority planning department which it administers through an Estate Management Scheme – an almost impossible task due to its own conflicting interest as a planning authority.

The uniqueness of the town within the borough has been somewhat compromised over the last few decades but it is hoped that this issue has been recently addressed by the Council re-launching the Estate Management Scheme.

Architecturally, although much of Welwyn Garden City is Neo-Georgian, it is a very simple, pared down Neo-Georgian version, free of too many features and, therefore, eminently suitable for the twentieth century.  Although Neo-Georgian revival architecture was not uncommon elsewhere during the 1920s and 30s, the planned, singularly controlled concentration here is unique.  On the whole, individual buildings of all styles, public and private, form a collection of the finest domestic architecture of the early twentieth century that is of the highest significance, defining the character of the garden city and vital to its integrity.

Ebenezer Howard’s vision of a Garden City was one that would combine the benefits of living in a town with those of living in the country.  It would be a place in which people would both live and work in beautiful surroundings; in a city that would be not only a “city in a garden”, but also a “city of gardens”: an example of good civic design and architectural harmony.

During the war years 1939-45 many local industries were involved in the war effort, Murphy Radio ,building radios and landing beacons for D-Day, and De Havillands (in nearby Hatfield) building aeroplanes and parts. Nabisco have had a factory in Welwyn Garden since the town was built and have been making Shredded Wheat there since they started. 

In 1948 The Times newspaper said: "Welwyn Garden City made The New Towns Act possible". The Cambridge professor of architecture Andrew Saint said: "Welwyn Garden City is one of modern Europe's greatest success stories in town-making". The problems of metropolitan and Regional development and urban sprawl, and the need for harmony and ecology are prompting a current resurgance of interest in the 'Garden City ethos' and the kinds of neighbourhoods and communities Howard advocated.

Amalgamation of City and Countryside:

A New Town of Hertfordshire:

In 1948, Welwyn Garden City was given the status of an ‘a new town’ under the New Towns Act 1946. The Welwyn Garden Company (responsible for planning a city in 1919), handed over the ownership, assets, and rights to the Welwyn Garden City Development Corporation. Several stores and markets were opened in 1984 onwards (including Howard Centre, a shopping centre in Welwyn Garden City) after receiving a green signal from Welwyn Hatfield District Council for green spaces, neighbourhood shopping and housing stock.

Historical photos displayed at Welwyn Garden City (photo by zeyu)

Reference:

Filler, R. 1986, A history of Welwyn Garden City, Phillimore, Chichester.

Tripadvisor.co.uk. (2019). Welwyn Garden City: Background - TripAdvisor. [online] Available at: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g190740-s2/Welwyn-Garden-City:United-Kingdom:Background.html [Accessed 27 Feb. 2019].

Harpendentaxis.net. (2018). Welwyn Garden City: History, Facts, and Interesting Information. [online] Available at: https://www.harpendentaxis.net/blog/?p=443 [Accessed 27 Feb. 2019]. 

Welwyn Garden City Heritage Trust - History. [online] Welwyngarden-heritage.org. Available at: http://www.welwyngarden-heritage.org/history/item/123-history [Accessed 27 Feb. 2019]. 

Welwyn Garden City History (2009). [online] Available at: http://welwynhatfield.co.uk/wgc_society/?page_id=33 [Accessed 27 Feb. 2019].

WELWYN GARDEN CITY'S BEGININGS.(2009). [online] Available at: http://welwynhatfield.co.uk/wgc_society/?page_id=33 [Accessed 27 Feb. 2019].

[shandragdotson]

Contingency Plans For A Digital Bank Run

When the S&P 500 futures were pointing to another -5% opening on February 6, 2018 I got excited. After all, the S&P 500 closed down 4.5% on February 5. I get aggressive whenever the stock market corrects by 10% or more because history has shown positive returns in subsequent days and months.

The initial down 5% move was blamed on the 10-year bond yield jumping to 2.85%. But since the 10-year bond yield declined from 2.85% to 2.75% after the 5% stock market drop, and futures were signaling another 5% drop in the stock market, I figured it was time to deploy some significant cash. Fundamentally, corporate earnings growth and economic indicators were still sound.

Armed with $200,000, my plan was to use $100,000 to buy the morning gap down and deploy the remaining $100,000 throughout the day just in case the stock market panicked even further (you just never know). I set my alarm clock for 6:15am just in case, brushed my teeth, sat on the toilet, and fired up my Fidelity account to put in my $100,000 buy order.

Preventing A Digital Bank Run

Tried to log on between 6:25am – 7:30am and couldn’t

Of course, when I tried to log onto Fidelity, I couldn’t! I remember this happening to me several times in the past. So, I just kept on trying, all to no avail. While all the previous times, failure to be able to log on immediately was simply annoying, this time it was important because I had some serious cash to put to work compared to my usual $5,000 – $20,000 buy orders.

As you probably already know, the market went from down ~4% at the opening to finish up ~2% that day. We’re talking a 1,000+ point swing on the Dow. My inability to place timely buy orders caused me to lose out on potential gains of up to $16,000. Once I finally got online, I ended up investing only about $20,000, or 10% of my original plan for that day as prices were not as attractive.

I wondered whether other people had the same issue of not being able to log onto their online brokerage account. From the feedback I got over social media, it looks like Fidelity, Merrill Lynch, TD Ameritrade, and some robo-advisors went down as well.

Could it be that financial institutions are purposefully shutting their digital doors to prevent a bank run? I run a website and have had many talks with my system administrator on how to keep Financial Samurai up 99.9% of the time. You would think with multi-million dollar technology budgets, online brokerage firms wouldn’t have frequent outages anymore.

The only time Financial Samurai was down for more than several hours was when a construction worker accidentally sliced a main internet cable underground. Whenever there is a traffic surge or anticipated traffic surge on Financial Samurai, we have proper caching in place. I could tap some keys to shut down my site as well, but I won’t.

If the online brokerage firms are not purposefully shutting their digital doors, then there is some serious incompetence going on because people’s livelihoods are being affected.

If you are an investor, you’ve got to ask yourself this question: during a large and sustained market correction, will you be able to place trades or access your capital?

Based on the historical track record of online brokerage accounts, it’s hard to say yes with full confidence. Therefore, it’s important to develop a contingency plan in anticipation of the next bank run.

Please note I’m not a trader. I’m a long term investor who is trying to build a risk-appropriate portfolio to provide a financial tailwind for my family. Given I have dependents, I need assurances my money will be there if truly needed. If you are a trader, having a contingency plan is important as well because you could miss out on big gains or get wiped out if you cannot exit.

Contingency Plans When Market Freaks Out

1) Have two or more investment accounts. During the Fidelity outage fiasco, I kept trying to log on to their site for 45 minutes until I gave up and decided to do something else. I could have bought stock in my Citibank wealth management account, which was accessible, but by the time I remembered to do so, the stock market was already in the green and I didn’t want to chase. Therefore, the next time there is some huge market move, have all your investment accounts ready to go at once. Unless there is some type of online brokerage conspiracy, hopefully at least one of your accounts will work.

2) Create staggered limit orders before the market is open. I could have potentially bought the gap down on February 6, 2018 if I had put in staggered limit orders the night before or way early in the morning. For example, if the futures were portending to a 5% gap down, I could simply put a limit order on a S&P 500 index fund 5%, 4%, and 3% lower. The same goes for buying individual securities, but their opening prices will be harder to gauge. I just don’t like putting in large limit orders because things change so quickly.

3) Make a phone call. It never occurred to me in this digital age that I could just call Fidelity to place a trade. Perhaps they would have jammed me with a 10 minute hold period, but I don’t know for sure. Again, everything was moving so fast that by the time I could have gotten hold of a live person, the markets would have moved. Therefore, the strategy is to call before the market opens to deliver the trading instruction before things get too hectic. It’s just hard to know exactly what the market will do because the futures market isn’t a 100% reflection of normal market trading.

Feb 6, 2018 DJIA intrada day chart. Tried to buy the open but couldn’t, then the Stocks app on my iPhone froze, hence the straight line.

If There Truly Is A Bank Run

So far, we’ve just discussed three no-brainer things we can do if we wanted to make a trade, add, or withdraw capital. You’re never going to get your timing right, even if you are a full-time trader, so don’t beat yourself up too badly if you miss things. But if you can envision things getting really bad, then it’s probably a good idea to spread around your capital across various banks, and limit each account to $250,000 per person.

The standard FDIC deposit insurance coverage limit is $250,000 per depositor, per FDIC-insured bank, per ownership category. Deposits held in different ownership categories are separately insured, up to at least $250,000, even if held at the same bank.

For example, a revocable trust account (including living trusts and informal revocable trusts commonly referred to as payable on death (POD) accounts) with one owner naming three unique beneficiaries can be insured up to $750,000. This is straight from the fdic.gov website.

If you shorted volatility, you got taken out on a stretcher

During times of uncertainty, everybody needs to do a thorough rundown of their cash holdings. It’s cash that allows you to survive a prolonged downturn without having to sell anything at fire sale prices. It’s cash that allows you to take advantage of panic selling. And it’s cash that allows you to sleep better at night so you can be energized to take care of your family every day.

As for the future of the stock market, I’m still relatively bullish if the 10-year bond yield doesn’t breach 3%. I don’t want to see another 5%+ gap down again, but if there is, I’ll be ready to buy.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Related: Things To Do Before Making Any Investment If You Don’t Want To Lose All Your Money

Readers, have you ever been blocked from accessing your online investment account? Do you think these financial institutions purposefully deny access to stem any large transactions? How do you protect yourself from a digital bank run? Is this the beginning of the end of the bull run?

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[liberalcom-blog]

The Blue Angel Oracle

https://liber-al.com/?p=43243&wpwautoposter=1568488983 Be guided by the Blue Angel, Archangel Michael, to a sacred space filled with eternal wisdom. On this journey of light, he will offer protection, help you overcome fear, and lead you toward the profound beauty, truth, and beauty. You will discover that every question has an answer, and the answer is always within you. Editorial Reviews Summary The Blue Angel Oracle blends science and spirituality, angels and fantasy. The deck of 45 cards presents a diverse and complex world, a fitting tool for exploring the depths of our own truths and the twists and turns of our lives. The text provides concise illumination to light your way as you search for meaning and five spreads to help reveal that meaning. In-Depth Review TheBlue Angel Oracle is so named because the Archangel Michael is associated with blue light and Michael is Toni Carmine Salerno’s main spiritual inspiration, although judging from this deck, it is not his only one. Toni is tapped into and familiar with many angels and higher level beings. Consequently, his vision is broad and complex and not one that most people recognize. Or perhaps you would. For me, this deck was a heady trip with interesting connections between science and spirituality, between biblical angels and world mythology. The idea that “all is one” is popular and Toni brings that concept to life in this deck. This is truly a deck for the open minded, for those who are not bound by what some would call rational structures. Look for order in this deck and you will be disappointed. There is no unifying mythology, no does Toni try to pretend there is. There is simply truth and truth has many faces. Even the art pays tribute to the wide variety of ways to depict the truth. Some of the art is incredibly potent in its raw, primal expressions (we assume this is Toni’s art, although we are not told). Some of the art is elegant and abstract, bringing to mind science and the Mandelbrot set (we assume these are Walter’s, although, again, we are not told this). Some cards have quotes, some have phrases, some have affirmations. Some of the cards are vertical. Some are horizontal. Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds and this deck is not for small minds. This lack of rhyme or reason could be seen as a hot mess of a deck, but it actually is a case of letting the medium reflect the message. A wide range of truth, a wide variety of ways that truth can be expressed or experienced. The complex dance that is life. The cards have names and key words on them but no numbers, nor are they listed in alphabetical order in the guidebook. Be prepared to search for meaning. Again, fitting…the method is the message. Perhaps it is best to let the text speak for itself. Here are a few examples of the card interpretations: 41. Pendragon Sword This consecrated sword represents balance, power, and wisdom. Qualities bestowed only to those who have earned them. This is a coming of age for you. Much can be accomplished now with relative ease provided you remain balanced and grounded. You are bestowed the power of the Dragon, Ruler, King, Magician. This is a great honor and privilege but a great responsibility as well. You can hold this power indefinitely provided you honor it, respect it, and use it wisely. Every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.Walt Whitman 42. Deva Magic Minute particles called nanoparticles exist in strange invisible realms. We cannot see them because they are incredibly small. And yet these invisible particles hold immense power that influences and shapes our world. There is a visible reality and an invisible one, yet both are equally real. Within the strange world of nanoparticles there are worlds within flower cups, cities in buds, universes within dewdrops. This card is asking you to look again. Something you’ve discounted or consider to be irrelevant may hold great potential and power. Side by side, we have myth and science, which Toni deftly juggles, inviting us to shuffle the cards and see what we discover for ourselves. Deck Attributes Name of deck:The Blue Angel Oracle Publisher:Lo Scarabeo ISBN:9780738738987 Creator’s name: Toni Carmine Salerno Brief biography of creator:Toni is a self-taught artist and author from Australia and works with Blue Angel Publishing. Artists’ names:Walter Bruneel and Toni Carmine Salerno Brief biography of artist:Walter is an emerging young artist from Belguim. Through his work he translates the energies of archangels and other higher-dimensional beings into a graphic visual form. His work is primarily digitial. Name of accompanying booklet:Blue Angel Oracle Guidebook Number of pages of booklet:76 Author of booklet:Toni Carmine Salerno Available in a boxed kit?:No. Magical Uses:None Reading Uses:General Tarot, Divination Deck, Other:Oracle deck Does it follow Rider-Waite-Smith Standard?:No – From the Publisher

[torentialtribute]

MARTIN SAMUEL: Confounding and thrilling… why a Test on the final day has no equal

So what's your favorite sport? In this position you lose the number of times you are asked that question. And most people who broach the subject probably feel the answer. You are going to say soccer. And I love soccer.

Always different, always the same, as John Peel said about The Fall. But I also like rugby and hockey and baseball and a good fight. I love everything well done. I was even dragged by the weightlifting at the Olympic Games.

Still nothing matches Test cricket – or let me reformulate it. None of this is Test cricket on the last day, perhaps the last session, when the best part of your week is invested in the competition. Nothing is Headingley 2019 or Adelaide 2010 or Edgbaston 2005. Or even Karachi in 2000.

England duo Nasser Hussain (right) and Graham Thorpe (left) celebrate their victory over Pakistan

Let me tell you about Karachi, because it explains a lot. I was the lead sports writer of the Daily Express, not long-termed, and flew away hoping to get an interview with the English captain, Nasser Hussain. He wouldn't do it. He was a miserable beggar then, much nicer now.

The series was also right after two draws, so it was all on the last. Pakistan kneaded a first inning of 405 in total and on the second day, England came in and Mike Atherton started to hit. And bat And bat He was not close, with Hussain, who played a little slower than milking.

Michael Henderson, a brilliant cricket correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, among others, knew Atherton well enough for a rather surprising intervention. He drafted a letter that he poked under Atherton & # 39; s door in the hotel of England.

It was announced that Saturday was Henderson's day off and planned to visit Karachi & # 39; s market that morning looking for carpets.

However, he would sit in the press box after lunch and if Atherton was still beating and batting the way he made his night, he would stand and loudly boo him from the front of the stand all afternoon.

There were not many in the National Stadium that week. Any expression of dissatisfaction would certainly be heard.

The response to this ultimatum was a call from bluff. Not only did Atherton not change pace, Hussain became slower. Atherton & # 39; s 50 lasted three hours and two minutes, Hussain & # 39; s four hours and 17 minutes.

Close by, England had made 198 more runs. No one even wanted to go boo. This would complete the boring draws.

One family correspondent had to fly home prematurely for family reasons and no substitute was sent in his place. The guy from a Sunday newspaper packed himself to return home for Christmas at the office. At the end of a stunning day four, I had no idea what to write.

The cricket correspondent would record the match as it was. My task was to find a theme, a problem, a point of discussion. There were none. There was an available flight mid-morning on the last day.

I took a quick vox doll from colleagues & # 39; s. Is there a chance of a result? Is there a chance of a change? For a man, the best observers of the game advised me to save myself. Nothing would happen in Karachi on day 5.

I stayed because you never know. And at lunch, when the game got closer, there was a lot of fun at my expense. I could have broken out. I could have been on my way. Instead, I was watching here – wait a minute, what am I watching?

For those last hours, the most amazing thing happened. The game has shifted from this swamp of everyday life. There was a small chance that England would win. Ashley Giles and Darren Gough skimmed Pakistan, and England were set at 176 at a speed of four per lake, given the time remaining.

Pakistan then went on a go-slow match throttling. Saqlain Mushtaq took eight minutes to throw one, Waqar Younis took four minutes to settle the field. The hero of the hour was referee Ranjan Madugalle, who used the tea break to emphatically inform Pakistani captain Moin Khan that these overs would be completed, whatever.

Towards the end, Pakistani field players complained that they turned down the winning points in almost darkness when Graham Thorpe. It was the kind of light that you only played as a child in the backyard. Five more minutes and they should interrupt the game.

And against this bleak pressure, England won their first series in Pakistan for 39 years. Of course Atherton & # 39; s 125 in nine hours and 39 minutes earned him the man of the match. It was completely compelling, completely exciting. It was one of the biggest things I saw on a sports field.

However, in the near darkness England changed the game and won in the most compelling fashion

Why? Because so much was invested in it at the time. Just as much was invested in Headingley in 2019 or 1981, or when a test competition reached an insane conclusion.

There are so many moments when a game is ebbing and flowing in one of three directions, so many nuances, passages of complete boredom, followed by sparks of a wonderful life.

You would think a certain session contains the key to the whole game, only to discover a red herring. For example, who would have thought that Friday morning and England & # 39; s 67 all-in this week would not be the most important phase of the game?

Who would have thought that Jofra Archer & # 39; s six for 45 would not be the highlight of England's performance?

For five days, Test cricket has many more options for confusing, wrong footing and surprising. It is a sports team that exerts great pressure on individuals.

Football analysts talk about players hiding & # 39; hiding & # 39 ;. There is nowhere to hide in cricket. Nowhere to hide, even to the greatest test batsman in the world, Steve Smith, nowhere to hide when he threw the ball at Ben Stokes.

Cricket rewards the strictest technology, but also the most casual flair. It has elements of grace and beauty, but also shocking, visceral danger. It rejoices in softness and deception, but also in energy and brute force. And those who play it also love it.

Even in a numb defeat on Sunday, there was a feeling that the Australian players knew they were 50 percent of one of the biggest matches the sport had witnessed. That bowling from England for 67 was an achievement, and one that increased Stokes' performance, and therefore the story.

Players who also invest in the test arena. The white ball game, the Cricket World Cup, can be great, but it can never match the required concentration as the long form unfolds.

Perhaps, with football, familiarity disregards. There is so much of it, and at elite level, so much that it is good that we are almost full.

Ben Stokes again the star of the show in another stunning win for England this summer

Tottenham defeated Ajax in the final minute of a Champions League semi-final and it was the biggest comeback since – well, the night before when Liverpool faced withdrew a deficit of 3-0 against Barcelona, ​​with 4-0.

Then there are deadlines from a personal perspective. Most of the best memories – the 2003 Rugby World Cup final, Andy Murray & # 39; s first Wimbledon victory, Stokes at Headingley, the squares without squares that protrude Canada eight hundredths of a second in Athens – have time by their side .

Football has Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and Leicester and the Nou Camp in 1999, but it is also loaded with late kick-offs and hectic rewrites. Too busy to report it to view it is no joke.

I was present for the Miracle of Medina in the Ryder Cup, which took place after midnight British time. One day it would be nice to find out what the hell happened there.

Cricket test is different. It can be inhaled, luxuriously consumed during the best part of a week.

So when after all this time it comes down to one session, or one over, or one wicket or like on Sunday – one man, makes the difficult progress on that point all the more exciting.

So, as an answer to the question, my favorite sport is Test cricket. Some people find it boring. And sometimes it is. But that is also a bit of the point.

Poch refuses to face facts

Mauricio Pochettino is an intelligent man. So it always seems bizarre that he is neat when he is examined for team selection in the aftermath of the defeat.

& # 39; If the score was 3-0, you wouldn't ask me, & # 39; he said Sunday, he asked why Christian Eriksen did not start. And yes, when a manager wins 3-0, every call is justified.

But the score was not 3-0.

It was 1-0 for Newcastle and Tottenham had no creativity. So, does Pochettino no longer judge Eriksen? Does he want to sell Eriksen? Is he trying to make the player unhappy so that he makes a bid for the European transfer window deadline?

And what advantage would that be for Pochettino, given that he cannot recruit a replacement with the money? It makes no sense – although it does not fail to equate results and talks.

Christian Eriksen shows his frustration during Tottenham & # 39 ; s shock 1-0 defeat by Newcastle

Game passes through Wilshere with

It is no pleasure to report that West Ham will not play for the second consecutive season. competition match won until Jack Wilshere was absent from the starting line-

Both times, the club won its first appearance without Wilshere scoring three goals. Manuel Pellegrini has faith, but Premier League football is steadily passing Wilshere.

It seems that he needs months more than weeks to make a match and no club can afford to wait that long.

] Aluko story has yet to be fully told

Eni Aluko says that many of his English teammates have never apologized for not supporting his claim of racism against Mark Sampson and his treatment by the football association.

She has written an autobiography and says it was low to see her former colleagues race to celebrate a goal with Sampson when the accusations were at their peak.

There is never a convincing explanation for that given public support. Why were the players still behind their manager? And why, even now, don't they support Aluko?

Perhaps more than one book on this subject is needed to make both sides of that story come true.

Eni Aluko & # 39; s autobiography includes his claim to racism against former coach Mark Sampson

Maxine Blythin, the transgender cricket player with ambitions to represent the women of England, also plays at club level for a local men's team.

For Chesham second XI she has an average of 15. For her ladies team, St. Lawrence and Highland Court, her average is 129.

On the weekend, Blythin did not make 145 against Ansty, who all 155 were out. Her figures in the 2nd XI cricket for men suggest a clear average talent. Transported to the Women & # 39; s Southern League Premiership, however, she becomes a star and a county player for Kent.

Blythin identifies a woman, which is her right. However, only those in complete denial would refuse to grant these serious problems around the future of women's sport.

Right to Separate Serena and Ramos

It is very understandable that Referee Carlos Ramos and Serena Williams were held apart this year during the US Open.

It was Ramos who provoked Williams there spectacular loss of control there last season when he dared to treat her like any other player. "You will never, never be to another court of mine, as long as you live," Williams raged.

And not Ramos. Some think the United States Tennis Association has been swept away, but a Williams game with Ramos in charge would have become a circus. To be honest about her, the referee and the opponent, it was best to lie.

As long as it is remembered who was responsible for this unfortunate state of affairs.

was not a Ramos.

Serena Williams (right) argued infamous with referee at Carlos Open

Are EFL after an expert in failure?

The favorite for the football league's chief executive is Jez Moxey, now CEO of Burton Albion, but best remembered for his time in a similar role with wolves.

As such, he helped bring the club to League One with a £ 25m payroll bill because it was not expected that players' contracts would have to be cut in the event of relegation.

It was also Moxey who spoke about establishing Wolves in the Premier League as a priority, in the same season that they fell out.

Yet at least he appointed the man who started to change the club, Kenny Jackett – even though he was Wolves' fifth manager in 16 months at that time. These are difficult times for the Football League and understanding why some clubs turn into absolute disaster areas would come in handy.

Maybe this is what makes Moxey the front runner, it is a subject that he is certainly well versed in.

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[made-from-galaxies]

I made a pact with mum friend involving much pain and sacrifice. Heres why it was worth it

Posted August 11, 2019 06:00:19

Photo: Kylie Mitchell and Freya Petersen completed a half marathon on the Sunshine Coast. (Supplied)

There’s plenty about the start of a big race that resembles a cattle saleyard. Hundreds of warm bodies shuffling about in close quarters, feet stamping, jets of nervous breath visible in the frosty pre-dawn air.

The energy of a crowd of thousands of runners is palpable and, despite the multitude of shapes, sizes, ages and abilities, so is the sense of common purpose.

After months of training, abstinence and rabbiting on about it to partners, colleagues and friends, they’re all here to prove that running 10, or 21, or 42 kilometres before breakfast is doable, perhaps even enjoyable, if not a life goal.

My running partner and I are as keen as anyone to get going on this early-August day in the “Sunny Coast half”. Both full-time working mothers and both in our 40s — ish — we have been “training” for this run for months, but neither of us is entirely thrilled about the 21.09km slog ahead.

Me less so than her. And I’ve run a half-marathon — once, a decade ago in another country, which may as well be another lifetime, as it was before children, ailing parents and mid-career challenges began daily siphoning off any reserves of time, energy and self-focus. It was bloody hard enough then.

Training for the 2009 Rhode Island half-marathon consisted of maybe doing a second lap of my Boston neighbourhood after work and staying off hard spirits for a month.

Training for a run in 2019 meant sneaking 45 minutes here or there to lap the park after work while the kids were at swim training. Or early — so very early — on a Sunday morning.

A well-worn path

Three illnesses in a six-week period in the lead-up to the race tempted thoughts of pulling out. But the idea of dishonouring a pact made with my running buddy Kylie, an equally busy mum friend staring down the challenges of her 50th year on earth, silenced the sook within.

Which brings us to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast last Sunday.

At the starting line, I see a two- to three-hour grind that may leave me feeling, yet again, like I long ago hit my peak and it’s all downhill from here.

Shuffling along for those first few kilometres as the sun rises over the oceanfront course, Kylie remarks on the number of young people running alongside us and we agree that we really should have done more of this when we were like them. Young, and fit, and free.

Good-natured, all-night revellers yell encouragement from a high-rise, and we joke that back then, we were probably more like them. Back then, we could barely start to imagine — not that we’d even try — how life changes for women who take this well-worn path into motherhood and middle age.

And yet each generation seems destined to live out the same fate as ours, rejecting the very notion that the more things appear to change the more they stay the same.

“I feel sometimes that my life and the way I lead it is just so different from what was available to my mum,” said a young friend recently, as we discussed her thoughts about career and family.

I said I’d recently realised how little had changed since I started out in the workforce, a devil-may-care risk-taker to whom no one person or circumstance posed an insurmountable obstacle to achieving my dreams.

But now, the sad fact is the world middle-aged working mums inhabit is defined by its insurmountable obstacles:

Children are your absolute priority

Despite your experience, your workplace seems less interested in what you have to offer

Whether working or not, you are statistically very likely to be shouldering the burden of home admin and housework

You are far more likely to be tapped for unpaid volunteering duties at your school/sporting club

Your good health is no longer a given, as the robo-letters encouraging breast screens and colonoscopies might attest

Photo: Conquering a marathon —even a half — is months of hard work. (Pexels)

The invisibility of middle age

The recently released Australia’s Household, Income and Labour Dynamics Survey (HILDA) would appear to support the argument that women aren’t living their best lives now any more than their mothers did then, or perhaps even their grandmothers before them.

At least when over-the-counter access to the Pill was introduced in 1961 they began to have a choice about whether they even became mothers, which no doubt felt like progress.

Still now, more than half a century later, HILDA data shows women are earning less than men in the workplace — to the tune of $34,000 on average — and doing more than them at home. And confirming what many moneypants mums already knew, female breadwinners in households with children still do the most unpaid weekly work — 43.4 hours to the male counterpart’s 26.

Worse than all of this, said another middle-aged friend, society does not suddenly begin showing you the respect and common courtesies you once might have expected to be offered by now. The invisibility of middle-aged women is, for us, an observable thing.

The feeling that society values you only insofar as you are fit for purpose — ie do the grunt work of raising kids and life admin — is strong. Yet even this quiet usefulness can seem largely unacknowledged.

The very antithesis of extraordinary

The hints about what to expect if you are headed towards middle-aged mumdom, and perhaps a few tips and guidelines, can be found on the pages of Facebook. A little post here saying “I ran a half marathon, yay me”, one there saying “the kids did great today at soccer, yay them”, or “our P&C got the grant for the new sprinkler system, yay us”.

It’s an insight into a demographic that might seem the very antithesis of extraordinary —just busy mums, doing their bit, like they should. Yay them.

And so it was with me, when I let anybody who’d care to know via Facebook that I’d not only run my race but improved my time over 21km by a whopping 15 minutes — 10 years on and several major obstacles in my way.

Amid the virtual pats on the back, a young mum friend said:

“I think you should write about this. About the power of commitment and achievement when you’re suffering through the daily grind and trying to be everything for everyone else. Represent all of us disenchanted women who wonder if we can make ourselves proud after babies and wrinkles and wobbly butts.”

And I had the strange flash, in which I visualised myself not as a middle-aged mum limping around because my body wasn’t ever going to be ready for last weekend’s flogging, but as Pheidippides, the messenger dispatched from the battlefield to deliver the news of a victory.

For a morning, my mum friend and I put aside the doubts, time pressures and troubles of our alternative existences and mowed down 21km of bitumen together. We’ve had harder mornings. Much harder.

To those who suggested a full marathon might now be on the cards, we say no. We are strong, and determined, and resilient and resourceful. But we do actually love our families, sometimes our jobs, occasionally even our unpaid labour, and definitely what remains of our bone density.

We are Supermums, but we are not Captain bloody Marvel.

Topics:

womens-health,

community-and-society,

women,

alexandra-headland-4572,

qld

Source: https://opengeekhouse.com.br/2019/08/10/i-made-a-pact-with-mum-friend-involving-much-pain-and-sacrifice-heres-why-it-was-worth-it/

[theliterateape]

Happy National Active Shooter Drill Day!

By Stephanie McCullough

“TRIGGER” WARNING LOL

Reminder to our Employees…

This coming Tuesday is our National Active Shooter Drill Holiday! 

We’ve got SO many fun and informative activities planned for this year’s ASD Day!  

Here’s just a few reminders about your participation:

Wear your most awkward shoes, No cheating!  As you practice urgently but orderly running from the sound of rapid gunfire, practice in those high heels you might be wearing the day it happens. Or better yet, prepare to feel what it’s like to run barefoot through our office hallways and our dirty fire exits.  

Bathrooms will be used for drill-purposes only; no private use.  If you need to go to the bathroom during National ASD Day, just remember there will be groups of people rotating in protective huddles through our bathroom stalls and there will be no privacy.   

Extra layers of clothes will not be permitted! We learned last year of some ingenious employees who wore several extra layers of clothes on ASD day. You may be trying to avoid the pain and bruising from the pellet-gun assasination-simulation part of the day, but you’re doing yourself more harm by not giving yourself the full experience.  Unless you plan on wearing four layers of shirts to work all year round, it’s counterproductive to our Nation’s focus for preparing you on this day.

Now for the fun stuff!  

We’ve based our company’s ASD day activities after the Government’s national guidelines & requirements, but with a fun added twist of our own!

8:30am - Caffeine* Boost Breakfast!**  

Sarah will be bringing her dark-caffeinated muffins again this year (yum!) and Jerry will be ordering those donuts from Stans w/ the extra mocha-caffeine Icing.  Our regular coffee options will also be available.

*The Government guidelines state that everyone must drink or ingest a minimum of 1000 mg of Caffeine on this day to best simulate the physiology of heart-racing as we tackle today’s Active Shooter Drill activities.  No skimping on those muffins! 

**Waivers releasing our company from any lawsuit against potential harm from today’s activities will be signed & collected**

9am - 10am Session:  Getting your legal stuff in order!

Jenkins from IT will again be walking everyone through how to set-up, compose, and digitally sign an official last-will & testament through your phone!  In less than 4 minutes your online last-will doc will be legal and validated by the courts, taking one less worry off your family & loved ones.  If you haven’t already, you can download the rocket-lawyer app on your phone before the session.  But leave the “last will” section blank, Jenkins will walk us through how to complete it on your phone while your hands are shaking frantically.

10:15am - 11:30am: Smoke & Bullets Immersion Session

Stan and his team have gone the extra mile this year and rented a deluxe stereo sound system & smoke machine!   This year we will get to have our ears ringing and a near-deafness-experience from a larger variety of assault rifle-type machines and their gun-fire sounds.  I’ve reserved conference room #3 this time for its better echo & louder acoustics.  

Please don’t touch the stereo equipment unless you are authorized.  It is not a toy.

Reminder *no earplugs permitted* & people with glasses will be asked to remove them to best simulate confusion.

11:30-12:30 Hardy ASD Day Lunch & Treats 

Mr & Mrs Mitchell have promised to bring back their super taste target-practice cupcakes!  Please also send an email to HR if you require gluten-free, nut-free and vegetarian options.

12:30-2:30:  RUN. HIDE. FIGHT.

We will practice evacuating at the nearest exit without trampling on anyone & how to leave all your belongings behind.   There will be check-points set up along the route to see if anyone cheated and went back for their personal belongings.

For the HIDING Portion, this year, we are adding a team competition & speed race for silencing phones, locking doors & barricading entries.  The team with the fastest, most barricaded room will win dinner gift certificates to Chilis! (Thank you Sarahs’ Aunt Teresa!)

This year we are not permitting people to opt-out of the FIGHT portion regardless of their physical conditions.  The chair, table, & printer-throwing activities is something everyone is now required to participate in.

2:45-3:30pm Bullet Impact Simulation

Reminder again, people will not be permitted to hide protective clothing for this session.  We will lined people up in random groupings, so no coupling up with a preferred work partner.   

Surprise! The rubber bullets have arrived early and Connor was able to get our company insignia imprinted on them!  You can take as many company rubber bullets home for keepsake after today.

Everyone is released after 3:30pm!  We will be handing out the “I Practiced Getting Shot” buttons and wrist bands at 3:30 for you to wear home.  Remember to keep yours for at least 3 weeks as the record of your participation gets processed with the government’s NRA division.  There is a $300 fine and a required weekend active shooter & hostage class if you don’t complete this day.

Get ready for a fun, bonding and informative time together!  

Remember our National ASD Text Guidelines:

911 - always call this number first!

PFM - “Pray For Me”  - A good one to use for your Church group text chains.

TMILH - “Tell mom I love her”  You can also replace M with “D” for Dad

KMD4M - “Kiss my dog for me” You can also replace “C” for Cat or the generic “P” for pet.

ITYTGWC {Employee Name} - “I told you this guy was crazy” followed by the name of the employee who is carrying out the mass murders.  This can be a helpful text for our law enforcement in their investigations afterwards.

IARTM3IP - “I am ready to meet my maker in peace” for those who wish to assure their loved ones of spiritual faith that their death was not in vain.

RIASINBAIFBNFAIBID - “Religion is a sham, I never believed and I feel better now finally admitting it before I die” for those who wish to release themselves of this final burden before their demise.

IAAHWASM - “I am alone here will anyone save me” use this text when you think none of your co-workers have survived and the murderer remains in the building.

[businessguide12-blog]

Real Time Economics: The Fed Isn’t Sure What to Do About Its Dots

New Post has been published on https://businessguideto.com/awesome/real-time-economics-the-fed-isnt-sure-what-to-do-about-its-dots/

Real Time Economics: The Fed Isn’t Sure What to Do About Its Dots

This is the web version of the WSJ’s newsletter on the economy. You can sign up for daily delivery here.

The Federal Reserve’s policy statement and press conference Wednesday are the week’s highlightings. We’ll also get a big dose of housing data and more details on White House spending plans. Good morning. Jeff Sparshott here to take you through key developments in the global economy. Send us your questions, comments and suggestions by replying to this email.

HOLD ME NOW

Federal Reserve officials are likely to end their session this week signaling little if any appetite to create interest rates this year, one of the purposes of a strategy designed to reduce threats to a sharp slowdown in global growth. The Fed boosted its short-term benchmark rate four times last year and as recently as December indicated as many as three more in 2019. New forecasts to be released Wednesday are likely to show officials now expect to raise rates just once, or not at all, Nick Timiraos reports.

DIPPIN’ DOT

The Fed will communicate rate expectations with its so-called dot plot. Every quarter, the central bank makes a chart of 19 officials’ individual projections for the benchmark rate, with a dot representing each person’s forecast. But the dots have caused investor embarrassment when the economy is at an intonation point. That’s because the rate forecast reflects a baseline outlook–the rate track if the economy behaves according to each individual’s expectations. It doesn’t show how officials gauge hazards, Nick Timiraos writes.

Top Fed leaders pivoted in January to signal that rate rises are on hold while they assess the risks to economy. The dot plot to be released Wednesday would muddy this message if it indicated several officials still expect to raise rates this year. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell in a recent speech downplayed the projections: “If you are too focused on a few dots, you may miss the larger picture, ” he said.

WHAT TO WATCH TODAY

The National Association of Home Builders housing market index for March is expected to tick up to 63 from 62 a month earlier.( 10 a.m. ET)

The White House will release its full set of budget documents. The Trump administration last week proposed a $4.7 trillion spending plan. Today’s publications will offer more details and context.

TOP STORIE

FOUR TRILLION HERE, FOUR TRILLION THERE

China’s spending spree during the global financial crisis helped pull the world economy out of recession. Beijing’s latest stimulus might not pack the same punch. The government has announced tax-cut and spending measures that add up to 4.6 trillion yuan ($ 685 billion ), outstripping the 4-trillion-yuan pro-growth package from late 2008. However, China’s economy has become bigger since then, so a similar quantity of stimulus doesn’t go as far as it used to go. The 4-trillion-yuan package represented 13% of China’s GDP in 2008 and less than 5% now, Lingling Wei reports.

It’s not clear how much more stimulus China can afford. By 2018, total indebtednes outstanding of companies, central and local governments, and households hit nearly 250% of gdp, up from less than 150% a decade earlier. Debt growth like that is dangerous, the International Monetary Fund has warned repeatedly.

NOW THAT’S A MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE

Here’s an economic experiment: What happened when you create minimum wage–a lot–when unemployment is high? Greece and Spain aim to find out. Spain, for example, has raised its EUR7 36 -a-month minimum wage by 22%, to EUR9 00 ($ 1,017 ). Critics say a higher minimum wage is the last thing these economies require, when millions are still struggling to find work. The unemployment rate is 14.1% in Spain and 18.5% in Greece, Nektaria Stamouli reports.

Counterpoint: “Higher wages fuel greater spending, which can have a positive impact in the economy and lead to more undertakings, ” said Raymond Torres, an economist at Madrid think tank Funcas.

NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT

The strong U.S. economy has created millions of jobs and pushed up wages for many Americans. It also helped many big-company CEOs secure another create and total compensation worth$ 1 million a month. Median compensation for 132 chief executive of S& P 500 companies reached $12.4 million in 2018, up from $11.7 million for the same group in 2017, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. The gains were conducted in accordance with robust corporate profits and strong stock exchange returns for much of the year, Theo Francis reports.

FACTORY FLOOR

U.S. manufacturing output declined for the second largest consecutive month in February, a fresh sign that a long-predicted slowdown is making the U.S. economy. The question now is how sharp and long-lasting the slowdown will be. Many economists ensure U.S. growth picking up afterward this year, but not to the rates experienced last year in the immediate aftermath of federal taxation cuts and spending increases, Sarah Chaney and Austen Hufford report.

GRAND OPENING

The number of available employment opportunities in the U.S. rose in January to a near-record level, indicating employers have a strong demand for workers. There were 7.58 million unfilled tasks on the last business day of January, just below a record 7.63 million set in November. Separate Labor Department data released last week depicted payrolls rose by 20,000 in February, the smallest gain in more than a year. But with demand for employees high, February’s hiring slowdown could prove to be a blip, Eric Morath reports.

ROYAL OIL

OPEC and a group of 10 oil-producing nations led by Russia are deepening their petroleum production cuts, but remain split on whether the curbs should remain in place through the end of the year. Saudi Arabia met with Russia and a few other countries in Azerbaijan to review how the 24 -nation coalition is complying with a December agreement to withhold 1.2 million barrels a day from global markets. The output cuts have led to a more than 25% rise in cost of Brent oil since the year began, Summer Said and Benoit Faucon report.

SIGN UP FOR OUR CALENDAR

Real Time Economics has launched a downloadable Google calendar with concise previews, forecasts and analysis of major U.S. data releases.

To add to your Google Calendar on desktop, click here. To add to your Google calendar app on mobile, click here. If you prefer to opinion the calendar use a web browser, with the capabilities of adding select Real Time Economics entries to your calendar, click here. And here’s our how-to.

Let us know what you think. This is a pilot project, so we’d appreciate your feedback.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

I’m not a fan of MMT–not at all. — Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, speaking about Modern Monetary Theory( via Bloomberg)

TWEET OF THE DAY

[wsj-responsive-sandbox id= “0”]

WHAT ELSE WE’RE READING

Free college voices nifty, but a four-year degree isn’t for everyone. “The solution, according to a growing number of governors and mayors, Republican and Democratic, is to reboot the antiquated system of technical education. Loosely speaking, America’s 1,332 community colleges are the equivalent of Germany’s vocational institute. The biggest difference is that in Germany a trade is still highly valued. In America, the community college suffers from the’ soft bigotry of low expectations, ’ ” Edward Luce writes in the Financial Times.

The college-cheating scandal has focused attention on standardized testing–and the lengths students and mothers will go to get a good score on SATs and ACTs. The student paper for New Trier( Ill .) High School was on the lawsuit a year ago. “A number of kids feeling the academic pressure at New Trier try an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder( ADHD) diagnosis to give them an advantage on the ACT when private tutoring isn’t enough. Contrary to less affluent areas, parents are very well informed accommodation opportunities and the school is well equipped at get them for their children after a diagnosis, ” Ezra Wallach reported in the New Trier News.

UP NEXT: TUESDAY

U.S. factory orders for January are expected to rise 0.4% from the prior month.( 10 a.m. ET)

President Trump holds a joint press conference with Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro at 1:45 p.m. ET.

The Federal Reserve begins a two-day policy meeting.

The Bank of Japan releases minutes from its Jan. 22 -2 3 session at 6:50 p.m. ET.

Read more: blogs.wsj.com

[shrinenose50-blog]

Dior Ultra Trouble, Ultra Spice, Ultra Fire Ultra Rouge Lipsticks Reviews & Swatches

Reviews Sep 08, 2018September 08, 2018

Dior Ultra Trouble (436) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Trouble (436) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Trouble (436) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Trouble (436) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Trouble (436) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Trouble (436) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Trouble (436) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Ultra Trouble (436)

Dior Ultra Trouble (436) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick ($37.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a medium copper with strong, warm orange undertones and a cream finish. The pigmentation was fantastic with rich, color coverage delivered in a single, fluid stroke. It had a lightly creamy consistency that felt more like a lightweight balm going on my lips as there was no tugging or dragging, but there was still richness in hue. It felt a touch “clingy” after a minute of wear, as the formula’s texture seemed to shift ever-so-slightly as it “set” in place. While that had initially given me home that it’d make it to 12-hour wear (as promised), it only lasted for five and a half hours, though it was nicely hydrating.

Bite Beauty Maple (P, $26.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (95% similar).

Guerlain #42 (P, $32.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).

Bite Beauty Aries (LE, $26.00) is warmer (90% similar).

Bite Beauty Pare (P, $24.00) is lighter (90% similar).

MAC Chili (P, $18.50) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).

NARS Marlene (P, $34.00) is darker (90% similar).

Tom Ford Beauty Wild Ginger (P, $54.00) is lighter (90% similar).

Bite Beauty Hot Harissa (LE, $26.00) is darker (90% similar).

Colour Pop Get a Room (P, $7.00) is lighter (90% similar).

Chanel Rouge Feu (57) (P, $37.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).

More dupes -- click to see the full list!

Formula Overview

$37.00/0.11 oz. - $336.36 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to be "incredibly long-wearing" with "12 hour" wear paired with an "ultra-comfortable" feel and "high-pigmentation." First and foremost, no, it doesn't last 12 hours, and most shades don't come close--they last between four and six hours typically. There were a few, like deeper reds, that still had some product remaining after eight hours, but the lighter shades never made it through the meal. They have a very creamy consistency, balm-like, and within 30 to 45 seconds, they develop a slight cling, almost like a film, but it wasn't actually clingy or uncomfortable--I could just tell that there was a texture change as it "set." However, the "setting" of this formula just has that feeling, but the product would still transfer onto a glass or disappear during a meal.

Most of the shades were semi-opaque to opaque and applied evenly and smoothly across my lips without tugging or dragging. Some shades were more smoothing than others, but most shades looked flattering over my natural lip texture. The formula was lightweight, comfortable, and lightly to moderately hydrating over time. They had a heavy, powdery, floral scent that was noticeable for the first half hour of wear, though I didn't notice any taste.

Browse all of our Dior Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick swatches.

Dior Ultra Spice (641) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Spice (641) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Spice (641) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Spice (641) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Spice (641) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Spice (641) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Spice (641) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Ultra Spice (641)

Dior Ultra Spice (641) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick ($37.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a medium-dark, coppery-red with warm undertones and a satin finish. The color payoff was very nearly opaque in a single layer, while the lipstick had a smooth, creamy consistency that didn’t feel overly slippery or emollient, so it adhered evenly and stayed put. The texture was lightweight and comfortable as the lipstick never dragged or tugged on my lips when applied directly from the tube. It wore well for five and a half hours and kept my lips hydrated while worn.

NARS Marlene (P, $34.00) is warmer (90% similar).

Estee Lauder Uninhibited (P, $32.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).

Bite Beauty Mimosa (DC, $24.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).

Guerlain #42 (P, $32.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).

NYX Pure Red (P, $6.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).

Tom Ford Beauty Foxfire (P, $54.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).

Guerlain #214 (P, $32.00) is darker (90% similar).

Chanel Vibrante (182) (P, $37.00) is more shimmery, more muted (90% similar).

MAC Habanero (P, $21.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).

Guerlain #28 (P, $32.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).

More dupes -- click to see the full list!

Formula Overview

$37.00/0.11 oz. - $336.36 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to be "incredibly long-wearing" with "12 hour" wear paired with an "ultra-comfortable" feel and "high-pigmentation." First and foremost, no, it doesn't last 12 hours, and most shades don't come close--they last between four and six hours typically. There were a few, like deeper reds, that still had some product remaining after eight hours, but the lighter shades never made it through the meal. They have a very creamy consistency, balm-like, and within 30 to 45 seconds, they develop a slight cling, almost like a film, but it wasn't actually clingy or uncomfortable--I could just tell that there was a texture change as it "set." However, the "setting" of this formula just has that feeling, but the product would still transfer onto a glass or disappear during a meal.

Most of the shades were semi-opaque to opaque and applied evenly and smoothly across my lips without tugging or dragging. Some shades were more smoothing than others, but most shades looked flattering over my natural lip texture. The formula was lightweight, comfortable, and lightly to moderately hydrating over time. They had a heavy, powdery, floral scent that was noticeable for the first half hour of wear, though I didn't notice any taste.

Browse all of our Dior Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick swatches.

Dior Ultra Fire (651) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Fire (651) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Fire (651) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Fire (651) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Fire (651) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Fire (651) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Dior Ultra Fire (651) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick

Ultra Fire (651)

Dior Ultra Fire (651) Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick ($37.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a deep, coral-red with warm undertones and a natural sheen. It had semi-opaque pigmentation that applied somewhat evenly but had a tendency to get into my lip lines and emphasized my natural lip texture. The texture was thin, balmy, and glided easily across my lips without tugging. It lasted for five hours and was lightly moisturizing while worn.

Chanel Rouge Corail (P, $37.00) is cooler, glossier (95% similar).

Colour Pop Fortune Favors (P, $6.50) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).

Tom Ford Beauty True Coral (P, $54.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).

Colour Pop Reverie (LE, $7.00) is lighter (85% similar).

MAC Vermillion Vee (LE, $18.50) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar).

Tom Ford Beauty Tantalize (Right) (LE, ) is lighter, brighter, warmer (85% similar).

Bobbi Brown Pink Guava (P, $37.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (85% similar).

Tom Ford Beauty Federico (P, $36.00) is lighter (85% similar).

Urban Decay Tilt (P, $18.00) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar).

Colour Pop Cozy (P, $6.50) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (85% similar).

More dupes -- click to see the full list!

Formula Overview

$37.00/0.11 oz. - $336.36 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to be "incredibly long-wearing" with "12 hour" wear paired with an "ultra-comfortable" feel and "high-pigmentation." First and foremost, no, it doesn't last 12 hours, and most shades don't come close--they last between four and six hours typically. There were a few, like deeper reds, that still had some product remaining after eight hours, but the lighter shades never made it through the meal. They have a very creamy consistency, balm-like, and within 30 to 45 seconds, they develop a slight cling, almost like a film, but it wasn't actually clingy or uncomfortable--I could just tell that there was a texture change as it "set." However, the "setting" of this formula just has that feeling, but the product would still transfer onto a glass or disappear during a meal.

Most of the shades were semi-opaque to opaque and applied evenly and smoothly across my lips without tugging or dragging. Some shades were more smoothing than others, but most shades looked flattering over my natural lip texture. The formula was lightweight, comfortable, and lightly to moderately hydrating over time. They had a heavy, powdery, floral scent that was noticeable for the first half hour of wear, though I didn't notice any taste.

Browse all of our Dior Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick swatches.

We hope you'll consider supporting Temptalia by shopping through our links below. Thanks!

Product Availability

Dior Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick $37.00/0.11 OZ.

When you purchase through our links above, you help support Temptalia. Thank You!

About the Reviewer

Christine has normal-to-dry skin with areas of dryness (cheeks, nose, and under the eyes). She has a light-medium skintone with subtle, warmer yellow undertones. Her best foundation matches include: Tarte Rainforest of the Sea in Light-Medium Neutral (best match), Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup in Desert Beige 2N1, Giorgio Armani Maestro Glow in 4.0, Hourglass Warm Ivory Vanish Seamless Finish, Laura Mercier Candleglow Soft Luminous in Dusk, MAC NC20/NC25, Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Liquid in Y305 (140). (For more information, please check the FAQ.)

We hope you'll consider supporting Temptalia by shopping through our links below. Thanks!

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Source: https://www.temptalia.com/dior-ultra-trouble-ultra-spice-ultra-fire-ultra-rouge-lipsticks-reviews-swatches/