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red-writing-on-asylum-walls · 4 years ago

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FebuWhump Day 9: Truth Serum

In which I finally angst Daniel Fuller.

Warnings: vomiting, blood, forced confessions (not of the love variety), spoilers for Micoverse if you squint reaaaallllyyyyy hard

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Milo tips the vial of pale liquid into Dan’s coffee, wraps the empty container in a paper towel, and throws it in the trash before hurrying back to his seat at the table. He shovels a forkful of pancakes into his mouth, heart racing as he listens to Dan’s footsteps coming back down the hall.

Dan sits down opposite Milo and takes a drink of a his coffee without a second thought, picking up the newspaper again. Milo watches him for several quiet minutes, waiting. He’s not sure what he’s waiting for, the one-eyed lady at the shop hadn’t told him how to know the serum had taken affect. After a while, Dan must feel his stare because he looks up from his paper with a smile,

“What’s up, little shark? Somethin’ on your mind?”

“Well, um,” Milo squirms in his seat, gaze darting around the room before he glances at Dan again, “Where—I was wondering where Jake is. Do you know where he is?”

“He’s at a doctor’s appointment, getting his heart checked up on,” Dan says easily. Then he blinks, frowning in confusion, “Wait…I…that’s not what I…”

Milo brightens instantly. The serum works! He can finally get the truth about everything! He sets his fork down and shoves the half eaten plate of food away, eyes bright and excited as he pulls out his phone and sets it to record. Dan is still frowning, trying to process what he’s said, taking idle sips of his coffee as he mutters to himself.

“Hey Dad!”

“Mm?” Dan glances up, still clearly distracted.

“Are you and Jake lying about what happened to my real dad?”

“Yes.” Dan says and pales dramatically. He drops his coffee mug, lets it bounce off the table and clatter to the floor, spilling his remaining drink that spreads a brown stain across the tile, “I—n-no, I didn’t—Milo!”

The elation Milo had felt at the serum’s success deflates, the smile slipping off his face, “You…you were lying…? This whole time? Why? Why were you lying to me!? Why didn’t you tell me the truth!?”

“Because we didn’t think you could handle the truth! We didn’t want to hurt you! We didn’t mean for things to go on like this, we thought we could change things before it got too far. But we didn’t know how and now we’re here and it—nhgk—d-doesn’t—hn—no! I’m not—M-Milo, what’ve you—“ Dan slaps his hands over his mouth, pressing his jaw shut, struggling to swallow down the words that want to spill out. His breathing is rapid, panic in his eyes as he stares at Milo from across the table.

But Milo is angry now. Bitter and emboldened and determined to finally, finally, get the truth.

“What did you do to my dad?” He growls. Dan shakes his head, tears springing into his eyes as he fights the serum pumping through his system. Milo slams his hands on the table, rocking to his feet and knocking his chair over with a bang, “What did you and Jake do to my dad!? WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!? TELL ME WHAT YOU DID TO MILO SUMENY!”

Dan gags and blood sprays out from between his fingers. Some part of Milo buried under all his hurt and rage is horrified, wants to stop, wants to take it all back and pretend it never happened so they can be happy again.

“TELL ME!” Milo screams, pounding his fists into the tabletop, his own angry tears streaking his face, “TELL ME THE TRUTH! TELL ME WHAT YOU DID TO HIM! WHERE’S MY DAD!? WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!?”

Dan opens his mouth behind his hands to gasp for air, blood dripping off his tongue and smearing down his chin. But the serum betrays him, forcing the words out of his strangled throat,

“It was an a-accident, we didn’t know—Milo s-stop this!—what it—Milo please!—would do to him. It—no! No! I won’t!” Dan clenches his teeth, again, squeezing his eyes shut, tears running through the blood on his face. His chest is heaving, his body shivering with pain as he struggles to keep his mouth shut against the tidal wave of truths pounding in his lungs.

“TELL ME!” Milo’s voice cracks, voice ringing in a scream that is hurt and bitter and angry and scared and so many other things all tangled together, “TELL ME TELL ME TELL ME TELL ME TELL ME!”

He wants this to stop. He’d never wanted to hurt Dan. But he’s too far along now, too close to finally learning the truth he’s been so desperately searching for.

Dan convulses and vomits up a mixture of blood and coffee across the tabletop, “M-Milo, please…dh-don’t do th-this…We didn’t mean for this to happen. We should have t-tried h-h-harder…” He coughs, slumping in his seat, his breaths wheezing in his throat, his body shuddering, “What happened to you wasn’t fair and I’m sorry, Milo, I’m s-so sorry. But when—“ Dan grits his teeth again, biting off the words, arching his back against the agony radiating from inside him. Milo can see the tendons standing out in his neck, the rapid throbbing of the veins beneath his skin, the sheen of sweat soaking into the front of Dan’s shirt.

And suddenly Milo is afraid.

It strikes him that he has never, not once, seen Daniel Fuller cry.

But here he is, crying, suffering and crying, right in front of him.

And it’s all Milo’s fault.

Milo made Dan cry.

“Daddy…?” He says in a hoarse voice, words choked on emotions and tears. Dan looks down at him, unfocused, wheezing, blood still oozing from between his gritted teeth,

“Do…do you and Jake…love me?”

Dan lets out a noise that might have been a gasping sob if it wasn’t so shaky and weak, “Baby shark…Milo, sweetie…Milo, my sunshine, of course we do.”

“How…” Milo stares at the tabletop, at the red smears across of it, pointing accusingly in his direction, his clenched fists trembling at his sides, lower lip trembling as he tries not to cry, “How much…how m-much do you love me…?”

“Oh Milo,” Dan sighs and when Milo looks up, Dan is smiling at him, through tears and blood and pain, Dan is smiling at him and it’s warm and honest and no truth serum in the world is needed for Milo to know that Dan means it with all his heart,

“We love you more than anything. We would do anything for you. Jake and I both. We love you.”

Milo breaks.

He lets out a choked sob and throws himself around the table and into Dan’s arms, heedless of the blood and sweat and tears staining his hoodie. He is only desperate to hold his dad, to hold onto him until his fingers ache because he loves him, he loves Dan and he loves Jake and he wouldn’t trade them for all the secrets in all the worlds. He sobs into Dan’s shift, apologies and pleas for forgiveness and promises to be good all spilling out and tangling into a stream of breathless surrender.

And Dan just holds him.

Dan picks Milo up in his big, strong, warm arms and gently holds him, hushes him, tells him it’s okay, it’s okay, he understands and he’s sorry. He’s so, so sorry. His fingers card gently through Milo’s red hair, he presses tender kisses to Milo’s forehead, and promises that no matter what happens, he will always love and protect Milo.

“You’re our little shark,” He murmurs against Milo’s temple as the teen hiccups tears into the crook of Dan’s neck,

“You’re our sunshine, Milo. And we can’t live without the sun.”

#febuwhump #febuwhump2021 #febuwhumpday9 #micoverse #my bloody art

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artielu · 4 years ago

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"September 9, 2020 (Wednesday)

Back in April, when America had reached the unthinkable level of 50,000 dead from Covid-19, news broke that Trump had been briefed way back in January on how deadly the coronavirus was but had not acted on that information. Trump defended his lack of action by saying he had been misled by the CIA briefer, who had, he tweeted, “only spoke of the Virus in a very non-threatening, or matter of fact, manner….”

Trump lied. He knew.

On January 28, at a top secret intelligence briefing, National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien told Trump that the coronavirus would be the “biggest national security threat” of his presidency. It registered. Trump’s head popped up as O’Brien’s deputy, Matt Pottinger, told Trump it could be as bad as the 1918 pandemic, and that it was spread fast by people who showed no symptoms.

On February 7, just two days after his acquittal in the Senate on the charges of impeachment, Trump picked up the phone and called journalist Bob Woodward, who was surprised to hear the president talk not about the acquittal, but about the new virus. Trump told Woodward: “This is deadly stuff.” He explained that the virus is transmitted by air, and that it was five times more dangerous than “even your strenuous flus.”

And yet, on February 2, Trump had said in a Fox News Channel interview before the Super Bowl that “we pretty much shut it down coming in from China.” Trump continued to hold large indoor rallies where he insisted the coronavirus was similar to the flu and that it would soon disappear. Twenty days after his call to Woodward, he was still telling Americans not to worry and he refused to prepare for the coming crisis. Trump told Woodward that he was not telling Americans the truth because he didn’t want “to create a panic.”

By March 19, Trump told Woodward that Covid-19 was killing young people as well as older folks, although throughout the summer he continued to insist that children should go back to school because they were “almost immune” from the virus. On April 3, Trump said at a briefing: “I said it was going away and it is going away.” On April 5, he told Woodward “It’s a horrible thing. It’s unbelievable.” On April 13, as he dismissed the need for masks, the president told Woodward “It’s so easily transmissible, you wouldn’t even believe it.”

Over the course of 18 interviews, Trump spoke for nine hours to journalist Bob Woodward. He had apparently been angry at his aides for shielding him from Woodward before the journalist published his book Fury in 2018, thinking he could charm Woodward into presenting him in a better light, as he had shaped coverage of himself in the tabloids in New York City in the 1980s and 1990s. Trump also urged senior staff and officials to talk to Woodward, who ended up getting interviews with senior adviser Jared Kushner, national security adviser Robert O’Brien, deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger, and former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, among others.

Apparently, White House aides warned Trump against talking to Woodward, but not only did he do so, he permitted Woodward to record the conversations. So when White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany today tried to say that Trump had never tried to downplay the virus, a reporter retorted: “It’s on tape, Kayleigh.”

When this story broke, Trump immediately tried to reassure his base by releasing yet more names of people he would consider for any new Supreme Court seats (the list is now more than 40 people long), and told reporters that perhaps he had misled Americans because he is “a cheerleader for this country.” Trump defenders were left trying to find someone to blame for the recorded interviews. Apparently, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham helped to persuade Trump to talk to the famous journalist and tonight, Fox News Channel personality Tucker Carlson blamed Graham for the debacle, implying he had deliberately undercut the president.

In his final interview with Woodward on July 21, Trump told him, “The virus has nothing to do with me…. It's not my fault. It's — China let the damn virus out."

The book has other stunning information as well. Among other things:

Trump’s former top national security officials do not support him. Former Defense Secretary James Mattis told Woodward that Trump is “dangerous” and “unfit” to be commander in chief. Trump’s former Director of National Intelligence, former Indiana Senator Dan Coates, who is a conservative Republican, told Woodward that he suspected Putin had something on Trump. According to Woodward, Coats “continued to harbor the secret belief, one that had grown rather than lessened, although unsupported by intelligence proof, that Putin had something on Trump.” Woodward wrote: “How else to explain the president’s behavior? Coats could see no other explanation.”

Trump allegedly said “my f***ing generals are a bunch of p*****s” because they prioritized alliances over trade deals.

Trump dropped the information that his administration has developed a “nuclear… weapons system that nobody’s ever had in this country before. We have stuff that you haven’t even seen or heard about. We have stuff that Putin and Xi have never heard about before. There’s nobody—what we have is incredible.” Other sources confirmed to Woodward that the American military has developed a new weapons system. They would not talk about it, and were surprised that Trump had told Woodward about it.

On CNN, Carl Bernstein said that Woodward’s Trump tapes were worse than the Nixon tapes. The last line of Woodward's book reads: “Trump is the wrong man for the job.”

Stunningly, there was a second story today at least as big as the information in the Woodward book. Trump told Woodward that he was not telling Americans the truth because he didn’t want “to create a panic.” But he has, of course, spent the last several months explicitly trying to do just that: create a panic by claiming that dangerous anarchists are attacking our cities. It turns out he and his staff are trying to manipulate our national intelligence assessments to justify his argument.

Representative Adam Schiff, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, today released a whistleblower complaint alleging that senior Trump officials politicized, manipulated, and censored intelligence to benefit Trump. Brian Murphy was the Acting Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis in the Department of Homeland Security. He claims that between March 2018 and August 2020, he repeatedly complained that security leaders were undercutting intelligence that showed Russia was working to undermine the United States.

That attempt to hide Russian attacks on America escalated this May. At the time, Chad Wolf was serving as the acting Secretary of Homeland Security, although the Government Accountability Office, Congress’s nonpartisan watchdog, says he was appointed to that office illegally. The complaint says that Wolf “instructed Mr. Murphy to cease providing intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference in the United States, and instead start reporting on interference activities by China and Iran. Mr. Wolf stated that these instructions specifically originated from White House National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien. Mr. Murphy informed Mr. Wolf he would not comply with these instructions, as doing so would put the country in substantial and specific danger.”

The complaint also concerns the DHS Threat Assessment leaked yesterday to Politico. Wolf and his deputy Ken Cuccinelli—also appointed illegally, according to the GAO—prohibited the release of the threat assessment because it discussed both the threat of white supremacists and of Russian influence in the United States. This, they said, would reflect badly on the president. “Mr. Cuccinelli stated that Mr. Murphy needed to specifically modify the section on White Supremacy in a manner that made the threat appear less severe, as well as include information on the prominence of violent ‘left-wing’ groups.” Wolf wanted to add information about the ongoing unrest in Portland, Oregon.

Murphy refused to sign off on their alteration of the intelligence report, warning that it was “an abuse of authority and improper administration of an intelligence program. Wolf ordered it revised anyway. Murphy warned that the final version of the threat assessment would “more closely resemble a policy document with references to ANTIFA and ‘anarchist’ groups than an intelligence document.” This is the document leaked in draft form to Politico yesterday.

That document was representative of a systemic effort to change intelligence reports, swinging them away from information on white supremacists and toward the language of the president. Murphy claims that Wolf and Cuccinelli repeatedly told him “to modify intelligence assessments to ensure they matched up with the public comments by President Trump on the subject of ANTIFA and ‘anarchist’ groups.”

Murphy also charges that administration officials, including then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, lied to Congress, when she knowingly provided “inaccurate and highly inflated claims of known or suspected terrorists entering the United States through the southwest border.”

Schiff has asked Murphy to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Monday, September 21, at 10:00 am.

Former Director of National Security Daniel Coats, who continues to insist that Russia is attacking the 2020 election process, also spoke up today to demand that the intelligence community resume its in-person briefings to Congress about election security. “[Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin ought to be very happy with the way this is turning out,” Coats said. “He can only view his efforts as successful.”

There is a third major story today. Wildfires driven by winds are burning across California, Oregon, and Washington. California alone has lost more than 2.5 million acres this year, and Washington has lost almost a half a million this week alone. Oregon has lost 300,000. At least 7 people have died. The region is blanketed with smoke and an eerie orange haze, and in places, ash falls like rain."

#read the whole thing #fuck trump #covid 19 #it's on tape ffs #vote blue

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foreverlogical · 4 years ago

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He’s the latest Cabinet official to step down in the wake of last week’s insurrection at the Capitol.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf announced his resignation Monday, joining a long line of Trump administration officials who have stepped down since the president’s supporters stormed the US Capitol building last week.

Wolf — who has served in the position since November 2019 and become the public face of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies — had been planning to remain in his post until President-elect Joe Biden was inaugurated on January 20. He had been overseeing security measures for the inauguration, and announced Monday that he was extending the “national special security event” period, a designation that facilitates cooperation among federal law enforcement agencies to respond to terrorist or other criminal threats.

But he reportedly told agency staff later on Monday that ongoing legal challenges to his appointment to the position had precluded him from staying on.

Pete Gaynor, the current Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator, will succeed Wolf.

“Unfortunately, this action is warranted by recent events, including the ongoing and meritless court rulings regarding the validity of my authority as Acting Secretary,” he told agency staff, according to the New York Times. “These events and concerns increasingly serve to divert attention and resources away from the important work of the Department in this critical time of a transition of power.”

Other Trump administration officials who recently stepped down from their posts since last week’s insurrection at the Capitol include Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger, Trump’s special envoy to Northern Ireland Mick Mulvaney, and chief of staff to the first lady Stephanie Grisham.

Though Wolf has frequently gone to bat for the president in the media, reportedly becoming his favorite homeland security secretary, Wolf had publicly urged Trump to strongly condemn last week’s violence.

“This is unacceptable. These violent actions are unconscionable, and I implore the President and all elected officials to strongly condemn the violence,” he said in a statement on Thursday. “Any appearance of inciting violence by an elected official goes against who we are as Americans. Every American is guaranteed the right to peacefully protest, but once those protests become violent, we should enforce our laws and bring those responsible to justice — regardless of political motivations.”

But his resignation did not appear to be directly tied to last week’s events. Rather, he cited several court rulings that he was unlawfully appointed to his position. Judges found that Trump had sidestepped the Senate confirmation process to install him, running afoul of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. Trump had attempted to rectify the issues with Wolf’s appointment by formally nominating him for the position but abruptly withdrew the nomination from the Senate last Thursday.

With Wolf continuing to serve in his position without legal authority, his legacy has come into question. One court already invalidated his memo halting new applications to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program on the basis of his illegitimate appointment.

There is no telling whether further legal challenges could invalidate other DHS policies promulgated under Wolf’s watch — or even whether the incoming Biden administration could argue that Wolf’s appointment was unlawful in order to refrain from enforcing agency policies that it opposes.

Wolf became Trump’s mouthpiece on the border

Wolf and his deputy Ken Cuccinelli were at the forefront of Trump’s “law and order” messaging over the summer and have been staunch defenders of the president’s restrictionist immigration policies.

Wolf led the crackdown against Black Lives Matter protests in Portland, Oregon, sending federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection there on the premise of protecting federal buildings that had been vandalized. The agents later drew criticism for escalating tensions by using tear gas on crowds and detaining protesters in unmarked vehicles.

And in the final weeks before the presidential election, he and Cuccinelli went on a tour of several battleground states — Pennsylvania, Arizona, Minnesota, and Texas — holding at least five press conferences to showcase Trump’s immigration policies. Some of the press conferences concerned routine enforcement actions that would typically be publicized with a simple press release.

Wolf made the border wall a prop in the agency’s public messaging. After racing to finish the border wall in the months leading up to the election, he has been eager to claim that Trump made good on his campaign vow. (Some 500 miles of wall have been completed, but Mexico never paid for it — rather, that $15 billion burden fell on taxpayers and largely was transferred from the Pentagon’s budget.)

Wolf traveled to the border on October 29 to tout the progress on construction, making abundantly clear what he thought was at stake in the presidential election. He said that Biden’s policies would create a surge of migration at the border and pose a threat to national security.

“Let me be clear, each of those policies would endanger the lives of the border patrol and Americans across the country,” he said.

He also tweeted out a video jabbing at journalists who cast doubt on whether Trump would complete the border wall and whether it would even serve its intended purpose of “securing the border.” It’s not clear whether the video was produced by the Department of Homeland Security, but it might as well have been a campaign ad:

David Lapan, a former spokesperson for DHS, called it a “misuse of [government] resources” and “clear electioneering.”

The announcement of Wolf’s resignation comes just before Trump’s planned trip to the US-Mexico border on Tuesday, where he is expected to again tout his legacy on immigration.

VISIT WEBSITE

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continuations · 4 years ago

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The Threat of a Trump Dictatorship

I wrote a post last week that incensed some people who took issue both with my use of the term fascism and with the apparent focus on the deployment of DHS agents in Portland. Based on the comments here is a new post.

I believe there is a clear and present danger of Trump attempting to become a dictator this fall. I am putting this at less than 10% probability but significantly above 0%. Enough so that I believe now is the time to push back hard against this possibility and not after it has happened.

For reference, I had a hard time in 2016 convincing people -- including people I knew on the Hilary Clinton campaign -- that Trump had a good chance of winning. It is exactly because people simply couldn’t imagine it happening that they made a lot of bad choices, such as not campaigning in some states. Similarly, if you cannot imagine the possibility of a Trump dictatorship you will not take steps to prevent it.

Let me start by saying that I deem it unlikely that Trump has a masterplan for becoming a dictator. Then again he probably didn’t have a masterplan for becoming president but he pulled it off nonetheless and being a reality show host worked well in that regard (whether planned or not), as did his embrace of Twitter and his ability to inoculate himself against rational criticism. Time and again Trump has shown the ability to seize opportunities that present themselves and part of the opportunity has always been that opponents underestimate what he is capable of.

So what about dictatorship? Well for starters it is clear that Trump publicly admires dictators and that he revels in power. This is obviously not new but something he has announced for a long time in many different forms, including the design of his homes in dictator style.

What has Trump done in office that substantiates any risk? Here are some of the actions that I am aware of that are part of an overall pattern that demonstrates the potential of a flip to dictatorship. These are all actions that have historic precedent as part of dictatorial power grabs:

Trump has declared the press an “enemy of the people” and a source of “fake news”

Trump has held continued rallies throughout his presidency

Trump has agencies run by “actings” who serve at his digression and have not gone through a congressional vetting process which gives him direct power

Trump has undermined the independence and effectiveness of the judiciary through his appointments of unqualified judges, verbal attacks on judges that have ruled against him, and by commuting the sentence of someone convicted of obstructing Congress

Trump is tweeting frequently about how the election is being rigged as a way of putting the legitimacy of the results in question

Trump has been torpedoing the United States Postal Service as a way of interfering with mail-in ballots

Trump is moving federal agents into predominantly Democratic cities, nominally under a “law and order” agenda

Trump has pardoned soldiers implicated in war crimes and has publicly belittle military leadership. [*]

Trump has interfered with the functioning of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) by not nominating commissioners depriving the FEC repeatedly of a quorum. [*]

I am sure there are other actions that fit the pattern that I am missing and I would love for people to contribute more examples (update: the ones marked with * above are additions based on comments).

My longstanding opposition to Trump, going back to his 2016 campaign, rests on my view that he represents a meaningful threat to the workings of democracy and the principles of critical inquiry and science, which together have accounted for much of the progress that we have achieved.

To be clear, as this was also brought up in comments, I do believe that we require dramatic changes and that recent Presidents, including Obama, were incrementalists which has been completely inadequate fo the challenges we are facing (this is the subject of my book World After Capital). And yes Hilary Clinton would have been an incrementalist as well.

Finally, let me also add, lest someone bring it up as a distraction from the risk discussed here, that I am against violence, including damage to buildings — both because I believe it to be wrong, but also because I think it is ineffective and worse than that plays into the hands of someone who is a potential dictator as it provides an excuse.

PS For one commenter in particular, I will write a post about Marxism also. I do believe its resurgence is deeply problematic but doesn’t pose the same kind of clear and present danger (I will explain both of these in the post).

#democracy #trump #dictatorship

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 4 years ago

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* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

Trump lied. He knew.

In his final interview with Woodward on July 21, Trump told him, “The virus has nothing to do with me…. It's not my fault. It's — China let the damn virus out."

The book has other stunning information as well. Among other things:

Trump allegedly said “my f***ing generals are a bunch of p*****s” because they prioritized alliances over trade deals.

On CNN, Carl Bernstein said that Woodward’s Trump tapes were worse than the Nixon tapes. The last line of Woodward's book reads: “Trump is the wrong man for the job.”

Schiff has asked Murphy to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Monday, September 21, at 10:00 am.

—-

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

Heather Cox Richardson

#politics #political #Heather Cox Richardson #Letters From An American #Woodward #criminal GOP #corrupt GOP #corrupt republicans

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ladybugsfanfics · 5 years ago

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Shut Up And Kiss Me [8/?] | Tom Hiddleston x reader

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x reader

Style: part 8 of ??

WC: 1.5k (i know it’s short but, yeah well)

Warnings: pining, idk bad writing, unedited

Summary: You and Professor Hiddleston have been colleagues for many years now, and through those years the hatred for each other has only grown. Now, as a new school year starts, you’re being told that you have to share a classroom or a class. Neither are happy about the outcome, but knowing you’ll never come to an agreement, you let the class choose for you. Team-teaching is rare in 2019, but it is a lot harder to do when you can’t stand the person you’re doing it with.

A/N: this is kind of short, but it suddenly got like midnight here, and I’m stupid and I also had little motivation and it isn’t the best part but I hope it satisfies and promise to deliver smth better next week -_- hope you enjoy ^_^

send an ASK to be added to the taglist ^_^

Previous | Series Masterlist | Part Nine

“Hey, good job, take five, okay?”

Tom nods and moves to get a water bottle. Y/N does the same, almost emptying hers in a matter of seconds. He shakes his head and goes back to drinking from his own bottle.

The drama teacher (who is less annoyed now that she was appointed director of the play) has them work together every day. It’s been a little over a week since the play was announced and the drama teacher, set on having this be the best production set up by the faculty, is working them to the brim. He has less time to grade papers, come up with new and exciting tasks for his students, and actually work on what he’s supposed to.

The only upside to the play? He gets to spend time with Y/N. Weirdly enough, that has become an upside. He doesn’t know when the change came, or how exactly it happened, but it did and he isn’t complaining.

Tom sets down his water bottle as the drama teacher comes up to him. She has this smile on her face Tom doesn’t enjoy, but he returns her smile with a polite one.

“Hi, Tom,” she says, her voice overly sweet, “you’re doing a great job. Mind making Y/N do the same? She doesn’t seem to be too into this.”

He glances over at Y/N, who stand with the script in hand, reading through the scene they’re working on. Not every line sits, but most of Tom’s does. Y/N hasn’t had the easiest route there. “I think she’s doing the best she can,” he replies, “don’t worry, the play will come out great.”

The drama teacher doesn’t seem happy with his answer, but she doesn’t comment on it and goes back to her seat. In a rather annoyed tone, she yells “okay, let’s take it from the top of the scene. Again.”

---

He leans down, eyes locked with Y/N’s. His heart beats faster, and faster. Heat traces his back. They’re so close, he can feel her closeness. And then―

“Cut!”

Y/N scrambles out of his grip, a polite smile plastered on her face but a thankful glimt in her eyes. Tom returns it, though his heart sinks to the bottom of his gut. It’s not that he’s so eager to kiss her, it’s more that he doesn’t understand what’s so bad about kissing him.

They probably weren’t going to actually kiss until the play was acted. There was no way that would happen.

---

She moves across the stage in hurried steps. Anger seeps out of her eyes, smoke out of her ears and fire out of her nostrils. “You… Asshole.”

Tom moves back. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” she asks, voice incredulous. “That’s all you have to say in your defense. A tiny little sorry.”

He stays quiet. The silence stretches out.

“Incredible.” She shakes her head, walks past him and sighs. With a last look behind her at him, she walks off the stage.

---

The sound of keyboards being used, of voices whispering to each other and of continuous sighs fills the open room of the lecture hall. Tom watches as the students type away, notes how some make grimaces as the write, some mouth the words, and some uses a notebook to help them.

To his right stands Y/N, eyes traveling over the students looking for the same as him; a hand risen, needing help. He doesn’t find anyone, and neither does his coworker. “I think they got the hang of it,” he tells her.

She nods. “Yeah, I’m just scared of what they’re writing. Kind of sick of all those couple stories of us.”

Tom presses his lips together and nods in agreement. “Those aren’t very appropriate, are they?” he asks.

Y/N shakes her head. “Not really.” She shrugs. “I don’t know, Tom. This play is draining my energy.”

“Yes, mine, too.” He sighs. “It’s taking time away from what I would like to do, which is my work.”

Y/N nods. “Exactly.”

---

Usually, Tom goes straight from his office and to the classroom, but today he needs a big cup of coffee, and with some extra minutes to spare, he makes his way to the teacher’s lounge.

The room is empty save for one woman standing by the coffee machine. He recognizes the back of her head, and isn’t surprised when Y/N turns around and sits down in the first chair she finds.

Tom goes to the coffee machine and pours himself a cup. He relishes in the fresh smell; knowing it’s fresh and newly made makes it even better. With the cup firmly placed in his hands, heating them up a little, he sits down across from Y/N who looks half-asleep with her cup lifted up to her face.

Neither of them say anything. Neither of them have to, as the silence is more than enough.

It takes a few minutes before Y/N puts down her mug. She frowns at Tom, her brows drawn together and a squinting look on her face. She tilts her head, presses her lips together and leans forward. “I think I’m wrong, but there’s something on your mug.”

Tom frowns, removing the mug from his face and giving it a check. “I can’t see something.”

“Oh, it’s gone now.” She shrugs.

He takes a sip, and sees a smile form on Y/N’s face. “It’s back now.”

Tom rolls his eyes. “Ha, ha, very funny,” he replies.

She nods. “Yeah, I know. Too tired to really make an effort, I guess.”

“I suppose that isn’t so weird.”

---

It’s the end of the week. Finally, Friday, and all Tom can think about is getting a break. Said break will mostly include grading papers and working, but a break nonetheless.

However, before he gets there, he has two hours confined to the space that is the university's auditorium. They’ve been practicing for two weeks, and they have two more, but the drama teacher insists to go on stage and have the spotlight directed at the two of them.

Y/N stands centerstage, squinting out to the audience with a scrunched up nose and downturned mouth. A picture of the feeling Tom has in his gut. There are some people in the audience (Benedict said ‘wouldn’t miss it for the world’ and dragged Eddie with him, and if Tom isn’t wrong, sent a text to your friend about the little ‘show’ as he’d put it), and despite the bright light in his eyes, he can see their outlines. Benedict, Eddie and Y/BFF/N all sit in the front row with excited grins on their faces.

“Which scene are we taking?” asks Y/N, holding her arm up over her eyes to not go blind.

A small chant of ‘kiss scene’ sounds from the first row and Tom suppresses a smile when Y/N directs a glare in a certain trio’s direction.

“I thought we could do the kiss scene, and maybe you actually kiss today,” replies the drama teacher, “you need to do it once before the actual show. The more, the better.” A whistle and a yell of ‘woohoo’ follows.

Tom shakes his head, but nods. “From the top, or?”

“Do the scene before and then the kiss scene, and we’ll take it from there.”

Tom nods again and retreats behind the curtain. He watches in his peripheral vision as Y/N does the same, only to drag a chair out on stage and sit down. Script in hand and eyes closed, she leans back. The light from the spotlight cascades over her, showing off her features and a thought runs at the back of Tom’s mind. A thought he chooses to ignore.

“Action,” says a disinterested voice from the audience.

Tom’s eyes follows as Y/N stretches in the chair. She fakes a yawn and presses her lips together. The silence stretches on as Y/N moves about on stage. To not wanting to do this in the first place, and not thinking herself a good actor, she knows how to captivate the stage without saying a single thing.

His heart beats faster, knowing what’s about to happen. There aren’t many characters in the play, as it focuses mainly on the two leads, but there are a few scenes with one of the leads and someone of a lesser role.

A doorbell noise rings across the speakers. Y/N moves about to the edge of the stage, and walks back with professor Bettany. There aren’t any lines in the scene, only silence and the act of things. The way Bettany moves his mouth, a whisper across the stage, and the reaction on Y/N’s face. If Tom isn’t wrong, an actual tear rolls down your cheek.

There’s a gasp from the audience, and Tom diverts his view to see Y/N’s best friend leaning forward to watch with intense interest. And the lights go.

Tom walks to his position on the stage. He can see Y/N take her place at the other end. And despite the little want in his beating heart and his clammy hands, the kiss scene doesn’t end in a kiss.

Both to his, the trio in the front row and the director’s dismay. Exactly what Y/N thinks, Tom isn’t sure because all he ever sees is your relieved face when your lips don’t touch, making him ache in every way.

permanent tags: @devilbat @adefectivedetective @gamillian

tom tags: @inlovewith3 @bookgirlunicorn @mindlesschicca @justawriterinprogress @wolfsmom1 @loser-alert @satanskatze

tags: @plooffairy @just-the-hiddles @jennytwoshoes @lokissidehoe @fruitfly123 @princetale @scorpionchild81 @noplacelikehome77 @winterisakiller @lostsoldieronahill @nonsensicalobsessions @cherrygeek86 @louhpstuff @olyamoriarty @sunshinein17 @kthemarsian @kumikowi @secretcupcakekitty @buckygrantbarnes @josis-teacup @runawaygiirl @januarycalendargirl @funny-fangirl @kinghiddlestonanddixon @scorpiomindfuck @dr-kayleigh-dh @inmyworstlies @twhgirl @maah-chan @florencia93c @i-am-a-mes @o-deya @eyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy @cantaloupewatch @carpediem-spero @createdbyanintensenerd @beananacake @lysawayne @nightrose64

bold in the taglist are people tumblr won’t let me mention

#tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston x reader #tom hiddleston fanfic #tom hiddleston imagine #tom hiddleston fanfiction #twh #thomas william hiddleston #fanfic #fanfiction #marvel #reader insert #college professors au #professors au #professor hiddleston #tom hiddleston professor #slowburn #enemies to lovers #tom hiddleston slowburn #loki

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keenbeliever · 4 years ago

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Traveling To America? New ESTA Registration Mandated?

What Countries Are in the Visa Waiver Program?

Andorra, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Travel Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

A website, operated by the American government, is where you register for ESTA: esta.cbp.dhs.gov. The ESTA information you submit via the computer is compared with certain American law enforcement databases and then either approved or denied. Foreign travelers will not be able to submit ESTA applications at American airports after arriving or at a U.S. Embassy in their country.

What if I Don't Have Plans to Travel to the U.S. Yet?

VWP travelers are not required to have specific plans to travel to the United States before they apply for an ESTA Travel Authorization. As soon as VWP travelers begin to plan a trip to visit the U.S., they are encouraged to apply for travel authorization through the ESTA website. Applicants are not required to update their destination addresses or itineraries if they change after their ESTA Travel Authorization has been granted.

An ESTA Travel Authorization only authorizes a traveler to board an airline or ship for travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program. After they arrive, travelers who obtained an ESTA Travel Authorization may still be denied entry (also called "admission") at a U.S. port of entry, such as an American airport. An approved ESTA is not a guarantee of admissibility at an American airport. In all cases, the American airport officers make the final determination whether a foreign traveler can enter the U.S. or not. You still have to establish to the satisfaction of the inspecting officer that you are entitled to be admitted to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program.

Can I Change My Travel Itinerary?

It is possible to change an itinerary on an existing ESTA Travel Authorization; ESTA is designed so that you can update parts of it at any time. Travelers who did not get an ESTA approval may be denied boarding by the airlines, experience delayed processing, or be denied admission to the U.S. at the American airport.

What If I Already Have a Valid B1/B2 Visitor Visa?

While the ESTA Travel Authorization is completed online with no interview, there are Visas that require a U.S. Embassy interview. The Visa process has separate procedures, which generally require an appointment, travel to a U.S. Embassy, an interview with a Consular Officer, processing time, and the payment of an application fee. If a foreign national already went to the U.S. Embassy and has a valid B1/B2 Visitor Visa pasted in their passport it is not necessary to get an ESTA Travel Authorization because the traveler will be entering with a B1/B2 Visitor Visa and not through the Visa Waiver Program. Keep in mind that an approved ESTA Travel Authorization is not a Visa.

Can I Re-Apply for an ESTA Travel Authorization if Denied?

Yes, but you must wait at least 10 days to reapply and your circumstances must have changed. Unless there is a change in a substantive fact, re-application will not change the result. Keep in mind that applying for an ESTA Travel Authorization with false information can cause a foreign national to be permanently barred from ever entering America. The ESTA system is designed to try to prevent individuals from changing and manipulating an ESTA entry until they receive an approval.

What If I am Denied an ESTA Travel Authorization and Have No Changed Circumstances?

There are three types of responses to an ESTA application; approved, pending or travel not authorized (denied). Applicants who receive a "pending" response are advised to check the website 72 hours later. Applicants who are denied will be required to go to a U.S. Embassy to apply for a formal nonimmigrant visa, such as a B1/B2 Visa, which may take months.

Can a Traveler Find Out the Reason Why an ESTA Application was Denied?

The U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security has stated that travelers may contact the DHS Travel Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP at dhs.gov) but there are no guarantees that information about a denial will be divulged. U.S. Embassies and Consulates are not required to provide details about an ESTA denial nor resolve the issue that caused the ESTA denial.

What If I Have a Criminal Record?

Only those qualified to travel under the VWP are eligible to pre-register through ESTA. Persons who have been arrested and/or convicted are generally not eligible for VWP and probably require a formal Visa, such as a B1/B2 Visa, to travel to America. If a foreign national has received tickets for speeding (which don't usually result in an arrest or conviction) they are probably still eligible for the VWP and ESTA. If a foreign traveler has been denied entry into or deported from the U.S., they require a formal Visa.

Do Any Other Countries Have a Similar Program?

Australia has a program called the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) that mandates travelers to submit an ETA application electronically through a website requesting permission to travel to Australia. Airlines may refuse to accept passengers who do not have either an approved ETA or Visa to enter Australia.

How Long Will the ESTA Application Data be Stored? Who Can Access It?

The ESTA Travel Authorization is valid for two years or until the traveler's passport expires, whichever comes first. The American government will maintain the information for at least 15 years to allow retrieval of the information for law enforcement, national security, or investigatory purposes. Information submitted through ESTA can also be shared with any U.S. government organization.

What Information Does the Airlines Get?

Airlines will receive confirmation of a passenger's ESTA status visa the "Advance Passenger Information System" (APIS) which shows whether the ESTA authorization has been granted for a Visa Waiver Program traveler. It is recommended that the traveler print out the ESTA application approval in order to maintain a record of their ESTA application number and to have confirmation of their ESTA status.

What About Children?

Accompanied and unaccompanied children, regardless of age, are required to obtain an independent ESTA Travel Authorization.

What if a Mistake was Made on the ESTA Application?

The ESTA website will ask applicants to review their application before submitting it. Also, there is an update function for certain information such as email address, telephone number, or flight information. If an applicant makes a mistake that cannot be "updated," he will need to submit a new ESTA application.

What if I Only Have a Connecting Flight Through the U.S.?

Visa Waiver Program visitors who have a connecting flight in the U.S. are required to either have ESTA Travel Authorization or a Visa from a U.S. Embassy in their passport to travel through the U.S. even for a one hour stop. If a traveler is only planning to stop in the U.S. en route to another country, the traveler should enter the words "In Transit" and his final destination in the address lines under the heading "Address While In The United States" on the ESTA application.

What Are the Questions on the ESTA Travel Authorization Application?

The traveler must provide (in English) biographical data including name, birth date, country of citizenship, country of residence, email address, sex, telephone number, passport information, destination address in the U.S., travel information (round trip airline ticket, flight number and city where you are boarding) as well as questions regarding communicable diseases (chancroid, gonorrhea, granuloma inquinale, HIV, leprosy, lymphogranuloma venereum, syphilis [active], tuberculosis [active], and others), physical or mental disorders, drug addiction problems, arrests, convictions, past history of visa cancellation or denial, and prior deportations from the U.S. The traveler will also be asked whether they are seeking work in the U.S., have ever been deported or tried to get a visa by fraud or misrepresentation. The traveler will be asked if they have ever detained a child of a U.S. Citizen granted custody of the child, and whether they have ever asserted immunity from prosecution.

Do I Select "Business" or "Pleasure (Tourist) at the Airport Port of Entry?

After the ESTA Travel Authorization is granted, the foreign traveler will be interviewed by government officers at the first American airport they land. The officer will ask what the foreign traveler will be doing in America and the questioning can take up to four hours in a detained setting called "secondary inspection." The officer may ask the traveler "what else are you doing in America?" repeatedly to try to get "the real" answer. If the traveler is only going to be a tourist, they are not allowed to do any business, including meeting with any attorneys, applying for a bank account, meeting with real estate agents, or other business consulting activities. Even though the traveler is going to conduct just one business meeting while in America, they are required to report it and enter as a business visitor. The business visitor is allowed to participate in tourist activities, but the tourist visitor is not allowed to participate in any business activities. Therefore, if any business might be conducted while in America, it is best to tell the government officers about it at the airport to avoid being accused of lying, put immediately on a plane back to your home country, and barred from America for life.

Can I Be Searched in the American Airport? Am I Entitled to Legal Representation?

While being interviewed at the American airport, all luggage (even locked bags) can be searched, as well as the traveler's body and his/her cell phone (including text messages and phone numbers) and laptop (including hard drive). The officers may "google" a traveler's name and check out their myspace, Facebook or hyves pages. The traveler is not allowed to be represented by an attorney or even call their attorney while in "secondary inspection." Bathroom visits, water and food may be limited, so it is best to prepare for such an occasion while still on the plane before landing.

Do I Still Have to Go Through the "US-VISIT" Program at the American AirportForeign travelers arriving at American airports and seaports must still be photographed and fingerprinted every time they enter the U.S Who Should I Ask For Help to Fill Out the ESTA Application?

The information a traveler provides on the ESTA application can remain in their file with U.S. authorities for a minimum of 15 years - probably longer. If a foreign traveler has some questions about how to answer the questions so as not to be permanently barred from America, it would be prudent to them to pay for a legal consultation with an American Immigration Attorney who is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). Beware of unauthorized private websites that offer ESTA application assistance for $49.99 - they are usually not authorized to practice immigration law and are asking travelers to pay for a copy of the application questions, which are free on the dhs.gov website.If I Am Denied the ESTA Travel Authorization Will it Effect My Ability to Obtain a Visa at the U.S. Embassy?

When the ESTA Travel Authorization is denied, the foreign traveler must make an appointment at a U.S. Embassy in their country to apply for a formal Visa. The U.S. Embassy is operated by the U.S. Department of State and there are no expedited procedures for those who have been denied ESTA Travel Authorization. Because the ESTA program is so new, it is impossible to predict how badly a denial of the ESTA Travel Authorization will impact a traveler's application for a Visa at a U.S. Embassy or impact their future travel to America in general. American Immigration Attorneys are in close contact with their foreign clients and will share the denial information with each other starting in January 2009. Currently there are no government policies regulating this area of the law, or opportunities to appeal a denial.

When Is the a "New" ESTA Travel Authorization Required?

A new ESTA Travel Authorization is required during the two years if (1) the traveler is issued a new passport (2) the traveler changes his name (3) the traveler changes his or her gender (4) the traveler's country of citizenship changes or (5) the circumstances underlying the traveler's previous responses to any of the ESTA application questions requiring a "yes" or "no" response have changed (such as a new arrest).Can an American Immigration Attorney, Travel Agent or Employer Fill Out the ESTA Application?

A third party, such as a relative, travel agent or American Immigration Attorney, is permitted to submit an ESTA application on behalf of a VWP traveler. Be aware that the traveler is still responsible under the law for the answers submitted on his or her behalf by a third party.

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theworldoffostering · 9 months ago

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Raising kids is not for the weak.

The good:

DS took his road test and passed it! It felt so nice to do a normal kid/parent thing and see him be successful.

The anniversary of his adoption day was this month. It’s been 15 years.

Ms. 6 was accepted into a university.

Ms. 6 is going to graduate high school next month!

We are progressing in attachment therapy with Baby.

School is almost done for the year.

The mediocre:

DD broke up with her fiancé and is already seeing someone else. I did not care for her fiancé, but already seeing someone else is a red flag.

I talked with the students with disabilities center on Ms. 6’s campus this week to try to get her some services. In turn, I had to request her IEP. Her IEP from fall was a train wreck so I reconvened the team this week and told them to rewrite it appropriately. Apparently the guidance counselor quit in the fall and no one has taken his place. For real, without a parent, most kids are completely lost.

I signed Ms. 6 up for college registration and orientation. Students have to bring a parent. I offered but she wants her mom to go which is fine. However, we don’t know if her mom will go. She was too hungover to take Ms. 6 to the hospital when she had knee surgery scheduled a couple of months back. Last week she didn’t get out of bed to take Ms. 6 to a somewhat major dental appointment. I told her I would go, but her mom insisted that she was going so I could not attend. I stood down and then she didn’t show up. Same thing happened with the knee surgery.

The challenging:

So much drama with Ms. 6’s family of origin. Ms. 6 lives over three hours away from us but is enrolled in a high school near us and her graduation will be where we live. I offered to throw her a graduation party and invite her mom. Ms. 6 was thrilled. Her mom told her to cut DH and I off and that she could no longer talk to us or receive mail from us. Now her mom is threatening to take away Ms. 6 attending her own graduation altogether.

Ms. 6 insisted she completed her FASFA. She did, but it was for the 23-24 year, not the 24-25 year. I straightened it out two weeks ago and filled it out for her (she’s an independent so parent income doesn’t count). Financial aid packagers don’t go out until next month so I’m hoping she will still get enough to be able to go to school.

Ms. 6 told me this week that she never obtained a new birth certificate or social security card despite me directing her in how to do both things multiple times in the fall after she left here unexpectedly. I finally just ordered (and paid) for a new birth certificate for her this week.

I feel incredibly burned out. Like maybe I need meds? My endocrin called and told me I need to start doing B12 injections because after taking oral supplements for three months, my b12 levels actually went down. I don’t know if it’s that, or wading through all of the drama, or both. Some days, I don’t feel like I can even put one foot in front of the other. It’s too much. How do you ever get a break from everything?

Tomorrow we are meeting with DD to try to work out getting her a $4k car from a friend of mine. It’s a 2006 Odyssey with almost 200k miles on it. The insurance (collision only) would be $2k for the year. She’s bouncing from one hourly job to another and not saving anything. She desperately needs a vehicle to get to and from work. Currently she’s relying on her fiancé and her vehicle, but now that they’re no longer together, it seems more important that she have her own. She has zero money saved, but I have a college fund set aside for her with about $10k in it. Clearly she’s not going to college right now so I think we are going to pivot with that money and pay for the car and the insurance for a year.

I was planning to drive 6.5 hours this weekend to meet up with Ms. 6 and her BF who she met online. Ms. 6 has really been pushing for this. I asked for his address so I could locate a nearby hotel. She said he didn’t want me to have it. Then I asked for his name. He apparently did not want to disclose that to me either. I did tell her that was super sketch, and now I do think he’s like a really scary person who no one has vetted. Ms. 6 has already stayed with him several times so maybe not a serial killer, but anything else is possible in my brain. He’s definitely older because he has his own apartment.

It’s so much, you guys.

#parenting teens #parenting is hard #adoption #parenting adult children

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bakermommy2 · 6 years ago

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Normalcy

Well today has been pretty great! I am starting to feel like myself again. Every time they up my Celexa I feel like I cant get anything accomplished for like a week or so. It has been a little over a week now. I finally am getting my laundry done since it is Saturday. And I will clean up the living room and kitchen the best I can since my kids are home. I might just wait til they go to bed or something.

Well I blew a tire Thursday on my way to my doctor appointment for my lab work. Thankfully I pulled over on my mechanics road so he helped me change it to the doughnut tire. This was after calling att to see if I could get a tow which they said after my benefit it would cost me out of pocket $28.00 to bring me 1.5 miles up the road! Which I did not have. So then I called AAA because my mil had us an account that apparently expired so that was also a bust. Then my dh called my fil and he was in town with his dad and said it was going to be a few mins. So about 1 hr and a half my mechanic came down his drive and asked if I had someone coming and I say yes. He told me that if I was still there when he got back he would do it for me. Well he came back and I was still there total of 2 hrs now. Called my fil and he was still stuck in town so I just asked my mechanic to do it and he did. Now mind you I couldve done it if I had a jack and tools but I didnt. Also I had to cut my zip ties off my trunk to get the doughnut tire so now my trunk is all exposed and destroyed. I just need it to last til income tax. So now I am just going to search for a used tire for now and hope it makes it til then.

It has been a rough week for me but thankfully it seems to be over. Start of a new week and I have some goals I would love to hit. One being I would love to be 295 lbs this week at my appointment. Then I have another appointment in like 3 weeks I think and I want to be 190 lbs so we will see. Im just so glad to finally be out of the 300 lbs. I just cant believe I let myself get this big. Crazy how fast it could happen. I am just rambling now, writing things I think I havent talked about. I want to try and write just about everyday. I will be going to see a therapist soon hopefully and I know one of the main things they want you to do is keep a journal. So we will see. This post some days wont be so interesting but some might be. My days vary. Esp with a son with bipolar, adhd, and anxiety and a daughter with Autism and SPD. I get exhausted but I will get through this.

#feeling normal #hope #autism #adhd #anxiety #bipolar #depression #spd #weightloss #saturday #doctor appointment #labwork #aaa #att #flattire #cleaning #laundry #kids #car problems

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socialjusticeartshare · 4 years ago

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More than 600 immigrant kids are still separated from their families thanks to Trump

Trump is no longer in office, but fallout from his cruelest policies remain.

As Donald Trump leaves the White House, hundreds of immigrant children who were separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border have still not been reunited.

Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the Immigrants' Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, who has led legal challenges to the Trump administration's family separation policies, confirmed in an email on Wednesday that the parents of 611 children had not yet been found, since the practice was implemented in the summer of 2017.

Border separations ramped up in 2018, the Trump administration finally confirmed in June that year.

"The Trump administration's family separation practice will go down as one of the most inhumane immigration practices in this country's history," Gelernt said.

He added that the incoming Biden administration "must do everything it can to help the families that were separated."

Trump officials only halted the practice on paper after a federal judge appointed by former President George W. Bush forced them to in June 2018. By that time, thousands of families had been forcibly ripped apart at the border, with children as young as a few months old being held in "tender age" detention facilities, separate from their parents.

However, separations did not stop, as multiple reports in the ensuing days showed. In November 2018, ProPublica reported that more than a dozen separations had taken place since the judge's order earlier in the year. And in February 2019, the Texas Civil Rights Project reported multiple children had been taken from relatives other than their parents in the preceding months and thrown into detention.

During that time, thousands of complaints were filed with the U.S. government alleging abuse in the facilities where many children were being held, according to the New York Times.

The botched family separation policy was intended to deter migrants from coming to the border, as Trump officials, including former Homeland Security secretary and White House chief of staff John Kelly, admitted.

For months, those same officials denied this was the case, with then-DHS secretary Kirstjen Nielsen insisting on multiple occasions that "there was no policy to separate families."

And once the process began, it was difficult to stop. In addition to continuing separations past the judge's order, the Trump administration had no process for reuniting families, according to emails obtained by NBC News in 2019.

"We have a list of parent alien numbers but no way to link them to children," an official with the Health and Human Services Department said on June 23, 2018, in a message to a top Immigration and Customs Enforcement official.

Meanwhile, immigrant families languished in detention facilities that were dirty and often accused of neglect and mismanagment. In 2019, the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General released a "management alert" showing images of detained migrants in crowded conditions and pleading for help.

"We are concerned that overcrowding and prolonged detention represent an immediate risk to the health and safety of DHS agents and officers, and to those detained," the OIG report read.

Minors were especially vulnerable to abuse. In audio obtained by ProPublica in June 2018, children can be heard wailing inside a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility, screaming for their parents. One 6-year-old girl, who has memorized a family member's phone number, begs workers for a phone call. "My mommy says that I’ll go with my aunt, and that she’ll come to pick me up there as quickly as possible," she says.

Many children were severely traumatized by their time in detention, which experts warned could be permanent.

"This is government-run child abuse, and the damage can be long-lasting," Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) told the American Independent Foundation in September 2019. "I have seen these facilities and, as a psychologist, I know the harm they can cause children in particular."

Advocacy groups like the ACLU have made aggressive efforts to reunite the families since 2017.

And President Joe Biden, who was sworn in on Wednesday morning, has also vowed to reform the nation's immigration policies.

"[President] Biden will sign an Executive Order revoking a Trump Executive Order that directed harsh and extreme immigration enforcement," a transition fact-sheet outlining Biden's Day One actions stated. "This revocation will allow the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to set civil immigration enforcement policies that best protect the American people and are in line with our values and priorities."

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#trump #separated children #immigrant kids #separated families

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theliterateape · 7 years ago

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A Story About a Mom

By J. L. Thurston

[Editor's Note: Yes, Mother's Day is a few days away but some of you have forgotten it. Here is reminder. –DH]

Some girls dream of being an ice skater, some dream of starring in movies, and the wildest dreams involve princesses and ballerinas. As they get older they imagine becoming teachers, or nurses or travelers of the world.

There once was a young woman who dreamed of the day she could become a mother. Holly was beautiful, full of life and laughter and of an easy temperament. In the late 1970s, she was like dandelion seeds blowing everywhere in the wind. Whimsical and free.

There was an older man who filled her eyes with stars and her head with the buzzing excitement of bees. He gave her three children in the span of six years. She thought she was getting everything she ever wanted, but instead she received heartache.

He abused her. Stole from her. Ignored their children. He ran off with other women for months at a time, returning for food and shelter. He was an addict. He broke her nose. His own mother told Holly to leave him. It seemed endless and hopeless. It wasn’t until she lost her mother to cancer that she found it within herself to move on.

She scooped up her babies and traveled three days in a train to a small town south of Chicago. There she was, a young mother with a brood of crazy toddlers, completely alone with nothing but her wits to survive.

Did she cry? Probably, but she never showed it. She rolled up her sleeves and got to work on rebuilding her life. She focused only on paying bills and keeping her children healthy and happy. She got her kids into school and church, they ate three meals a day, and there was never a shortage of laughter under their roof. They all thought that nothing could possibly be missing from their lives.

Until she met this one guy. John worked with her in a kitchen. He’d blow straw wrappers at her and she would laugh, making the sun shine with her smile. He had a sharp wit and was just the right amount of carefree. He loved rock ballads. They went to KISS concerts, wearing leather jackets and hair-spray. They rode around in his green Chevy Nova, blasting cherry bombs and speeding through country roads. He made her laugh, she made him want to make her laugh.

And though she refused him many times, he finally convinced her to go out on a date with him. How had he finally broken through the impenetrable fortress she had built around her heart? Was it possible she could actually trust a man again? She found herself willing to try.

Their first official date was in winter, and the snow was coming down like a white curtain. That’s the story they tell these days, anyway. They claim the roads were terrible when their date ended. He just had to stay over. And he never left.

He was there for every meal, every church and school play, every game, and every bedtime. He didn’t have it easy. Raising someone else’s kids is one of life’s most difficult challenges.

The eldest child refused to acknowledge him. The son was grateful for a male figure to wash away the sea of estrogen in the house, but they had very little in common and rarely bonded. He had his hands full with the mouthy, drama-queen youngest daughter (that’s me, by the way). I was constantly testing him, but I was quick to call him Dad, and sit on his lap for cartoons, and make him tie my shoelaces.

After abuse, abandonment and starting a new life, my mother finally had the one thing she had dreamed of. A family. Happy and whole. It wasn’t perfect, but that added flavor.

We all argued with each other and tested boundaries. We butted heads, we disagreed. But underneath it all was love. And it was all so blissfully normal.

My mom’s maternal spirit was not exclusive to her offspring. Many times, she took in the abandoned kids in their small town. Surprisingly, this kind of thing happens a lot. Sometimes cousins were taken under her wing, sometimes it was kids from school who had nowhere to go. It wasn’t just her own brood who called her Mom. And for many years I had to endure being called “Holly’s daughter,” in my own hometown.

My mother became a grandmother in one giant swoop. I was the first to be pregnant, and five months into it, my brother turned up with a pre-started family and his own baby on the way. My mom went from mother-of-three to grandmother-of-six in one year. It was a beautiful year.

It was no surprise that my brother became such a dedicated and happy step-father, being raised by an amazing one himself. If anyone brings it up, I will proudly say that my step-father was the best gift my mother had ever given us. My brother would easily agree, but only say so in his mind or maybe after a beer. As for the eldest kid, my big sister, well, she’s kind of a black sheep now. Eh, can’t win them all.

To this day, my parents are still in love. Older, going to doctor’s appointments and laughing as they both fall apart. My mom’s a little blind, my dad’s a little deaf, they struggle with cholesterol and blood pressure and blood sugar and sleep disorders. The jokes never end at the dinner table. They bicker, they squabble, they get angry for no reason, and they never leave each other’s side.

Mother’s Day is all about how amazing our moms are. They kick ass for their children, they fight battles for us without seeking credit or attention. My mother is a queen among women because she gave us a father who not only loves us unconditionally but loves her just as much, too. So, in a way, I can never feel solely grateful to one parent or the other, because they are a single unit. They are the foundation of our family, so only thanking one instead of both would be like thanking a single rope for holding up a bridge.

Thank you, Mom and Dad. Your children and your grandchildren love you.

#Mother's Day #Single Moms #Step-dad #Family #Non-fiction #J. L. Thurston

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snakecolumn95 · 6 years ago

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October 2018 Daily Weigh In Thread - Everyone Welcome!

Made it to Onederland on August 29, 2010

MONTHLY PROGRESS SINCE JOINING 3FC'S! Nov. 9, 2009 Joined 3FC Weight 261 Dec. 9, 2009 Weight 255.5 Jan. 9, 2010 Weight 249.8 Feb. 9, 2010 Weight 243.2 March 9, 2010 Weight 238.8 April 9, 2010 Weight 233.2

May 01, 2010 Weigh in: 229.0 May 31, 2010 Weigh in: 222.8 Total loss for the month of May, 2010: 6.2 pounds

June 01, 2010 Weigh In: 222.6 June 30, 2010 Weigh In: 214.8 Total Loss for June, 2010: 7.8 pounds

July 01, 2010 Weigh In: 214.8 Started Turbo Fire on July 1 July 31, 2010 Weigh In: 208.0 Total Loss For July, 2010: 6.8 Pounds

August 01, 2010 Weigh In: 208.0 August 31, 2010 Weigh In: 199.6 Total Loss For August, 2010: 8.4 pounds

September 01, 2010 Weigh In: 201.2 September 31, 2010 Weigh In: 193.2 Total Loss For September, 2010: 8.0 pounds

October 01, 2010 Weigh In: 192.4 October 31, 2010 Weigh In: 188.2 Total Loss For October, 2010: 4.2 pounds

November 01, 2010 Weigh In: 188.2 November 30, 2010 Weigh In: 177.4 Total Loss For November, 2010: 10.8 pounds

December 01, 2010: Weigh In: 178.6 December 31, 2010: Weigh In: 170.0 Total Loss for December, 2010: 8.6 pounds

January 01, 2011: Weigh In: 169.6 January 31, 2011: Weigh In: 161.2 Total Loss For January, 2011: 8.4 pounds

February 01, 2011: Weigh In: 160.8 February 28, 2011: Weigh In: 155.4 Total Loss For February, 2011: 5.4 pounds

March 01, 2011: Weigh In: 156.0 March 31, 2011: Weigh In: 152.4 Total Loss For March, 2011: 3.6 pounds

April 01, 2011: Weigh In: 152.4 April 30, 2011: Weigh In: 147.6 Total Loss For April, 2011: 4.8 pounds

May 4, 2011 At my Endo appointment, the Dr. tells me to work on maintenance. My maintenance range is 145-150.

NORMAL BMI = 155 POUNDS

May 2011: Stayed in or a little below my maintenance range June 2011: Stayed in or a little below my maintenance range July 2011: Stayed in or a little below my maintenance range August 2011: Stayed in or a little below my maintenance range September 2011: Stayed in or a little below my maintenance range. October 2011: Stayed in or a little below my maintenance range. November 2011: Stayed in or a little below my maintenance range. December 2011: Went on Vacation. Went 5 pounds above my maintenance range during vacation. January 2012: Still had to deal with gain from Christmas vacation and allergic reaction. By the middle of the month, things were getting under control. Went 3.6 pounds above my maintenance range. February 2012: Stayed within my maintenance range. Did not go above. Still dealing with an allergic reaction. March 2012: Stayed within my maintenance range. April 2012: Stayed within my maintenance range. May 2012: Stayed within my maintenance range. June 2012: Stayed within my maintenance range. July 2012: 4th of July/Birthday - Went a little above my maintenance range. August 2012: Angio Edema diagnosis/shingles - went above my maintenance range September 2012: Still struggled with the Angio Edema and medicine for it. Above my maintenance range. October 2012: Got into my maintenance range. Weight went back up at the end of the month due to the fair and DH's Birthday November 2012: Above my maintenance range, but still working on things. December 2012: Above my maintenance range. Went on a cruise. January 2013: January 1 weight: 164 January 31 weight: 158.6 Above my maintenance range. Thyroid meds still off. Have been since the Summer, but getting better, as per Endo. Lowest weight in January 157.8. February 2013: February 1 weight: 159.2 February 28 weight: 159.6 I was above my maintenance range throughout the month. Still working on things with the angio edema. I'm still having flare ups but I "feel" like things are getting better. March 2013: I started March 1 at 160 on March 31 I weighed in at 159.4. I basically maintained for the month. I am not happy about that but it is better than a gain. Lowest weight in March was 157.2. Still working toward 150. April 2013: I started April 1 at 161 on April 31 I weighed in at 158.2. I had a loss of 2.8 pounds. I feel that I have continued to maintain since my weight has been up and down all month and I have not gotten down to this year's low of 157.2 in March. Still working toward 150. I started taking the antihistamine twice a day this month. I had a 2+ pound gain overnight at the beginning of the month and woke to my left eye being almost swollen shut. I feel better since starting back to taking the antihistamine twice a day. May 2013: I started May 1 at 158.2, on May 31 I weighed 159.8. The 3rd week of the month I changed my antihistamine. I changed to 1 Allegra AM and 2 Benadryl in the PM. June 2013: Dr. increased my Synthroid meds again. She also advised me to start doing some yoga since I am still dealing with stress and it has continued to have a negative affect on my thyroid. I started June 1 at 159.8 and June 30 weighed 158.8. I had another month of maintaining, although, my goal is to start losing again. July 2013: I started July 1 at 160, on July 31 I weighed 159. I maintained for another month, although my goal is to start losing again. August 2013: I started August 1 at 159.6, on August 30 I weighed 159.4. I maintained for the month. On August 2 the Endo said that my thyroid meds were correct. She also said that it still might take a while for things to regulate. September 2013: I started September 1 at 159.6, on September 30 I weighed 160.2. I am up on the scale a little, not what my goal is. The end of the month I had a significant angioedema flare up. I gained a few pounds from that and was trying to recover from it. October 2013: I started October 1 at 159.6, on October 31 I weighed 159.2. I maintained my weight for another month. I had an abscessed tooth and needed a root canal done during the month. I took 1 round of antibiotics and it really bothered my stomach. I needed another round of antibiotics. This one started at the end of Oct. and will carry over into Nov. I don't seem to have the stomach issues with the new antibiotic. November 2013: My goal was to maintain within a range since I had so many events during the month. I kept my calories consistently a little lower on nonevent days. I have also changed over to eating seafood at dinner rather than other protein sources. December 2013: I tried to maintain my weight for December but I was not very successful. I also found out my thyroid meds are back out of range. The Dr. upped my Synthroid again. December 1, I weighed 165.6 and I weighed 170.4 on January 1. January 2014: January 1, I weighed 170.4. January 31, I weighed 165.6. I lost some of my weight gain from the holidays. February 2014: February 1, I weighed 164. February 28, I weighed 165.6. Not happy where this is going. Not sure about my thyroid. I had to cancel my Endo appointment due to insurance change. Rescheduled for June. Still working on things and doing my best. March 2014: On March 1, I weighed 165.2. On March 31, I weighed 164.8. Down is down, right, LOL. Still trying. April 2014: On April 1, I weighed 165. On April 30, I weighed 164.2. I am down .8. That's 1 pound in 2 months. Down is down, right? I also made an adjustment to my antihistamine/angioedema regimen half way through the month. May 2014: On May 1, I weighed 164.4 on May 31 I weighed 167.4. I gained 3 pounds. Not a good month. Still working and trying to figure out what's going on. In June I will go back to the Endo to see about my thyroid meds. Still counting calories and working out daily. June 2014: On June 1, I weighed 167, on June 30 I weighed 166.6. I had labs done. My thyroid meds are still too low and my Vitamin D levels are too low. Dr. increased my thyroid meds to 250 mcg per day and Vitamin D to 4000 IU. July 2014: On July 1, I weighed 166.2, on July 31 I weighed 169.4. August 2014: On August 1, I weighed 169.4. On August 30 I weighed 166.8. We went to an AYCE crableg dinner on August 30, so I am using August 30 as my final weigh in for the month. Also, on August 6 I stopped eating cruciferous vegetables. I want to see if that helps with thyroid issues since I eat a lot of them. This is the first time in a while that I saw weight loss. Not sure if that's from the added thyroid meds or from eliminating the cruciferous vegetables. Thyroid re-check will be in September. September 2014: My weight stayed about the same for this month. My thyroid labs have improved some, but they are still not right. The Dr. did not want to change them since there is improvement. I am continuing to stay away from cruciferous vegetables and everything that is problematic to a thyroid patient. October 2014: October 1, I weighed 167.2, October 31 I weighed 165.2. I started seeing some progress this month. I was actually a little lower but showed a gain from DH's birthday. Maybe things are started to regulate with my thyroid. November 2014: November 1, I weighted 165.2, November 30 I weighed 168.8. The gain at the end of the month was due to Thanksgiving. My low for the month was 164.2. I did not bounce back into the 170's. Improvement? December 2014: I started December 1 at 168.8. I went on a 10 day vacation starting at the end of the month. I didn't make any weight loss progress for the month. My goal was to try to maintain.

January 2015: First weigh in for January was 172.6, January 31, I weighed in at 171.4

February 2015: February 1 I weighed 171.2, February 28, I weighed 172.8. I had a gain for the month, but I'm still trying.

March 1, 2015 weigh in: 174.6 March 31 weigh in: 173.2

April 1, 2015 weigh in: 173.6 April 30 weigh in: 174.2

May 1, 2015 weigh in: 174 May 31 weigh in 174.4. TTOM was going on at the end of the month.

June, 1, 2015 weigh in: 173.4, June 30 weigh in: 173.6 My TTOM started toward the end of the month, so I had extra weight from that. I basically maintained for the month.

July 1, 2015 weigh in: 173.2, July 31 weigh in 172. I had a small loss for the month. I tweaked a couple things toward the end of the month. TTOM started at the end of the month, so I haven't been able to see much in regard to the tweaking that I made.

August 1, 2015 weigh in: 171.6, August 31 weigh in: 167. I HAVE FINALLY MADE SOME PROGRESS! I lost 4.6 pounds for the month! I tweaked things a little, not much. I'm not sure which tweak made the difference. I increased my workout time a little (15 minutes). I switched my coffee from sugar to sugar/stevia combo. I also switched from my morning juice to coconut water. The calories are the same in the juice/coconut water. The coconut water has a lot more potassium. Not sure which tweak helped maybe it was all of them together. Continuing with the same for September and see where it takes me.

September 1, 2015 I weighed 167, September 30, I weighed 164.8. I had a 2.2 pound loss for the month. My thyroid labs were off. Some numbers were hypo and others hyper. The Dr. lowered the Synthroid a bit but added in generic Cytomel. I'm not converting the Synthroid properly. We'll see how that goes. My female hormones were also in the range of a postmenopausal female and the Dr. was surprised that I was still having a regular TTOM. My last TTOM was mid August and I did not have one in September. I am obviously going through the change.

October 1, 2015 I weighed 164.8. On October 31, I weighed 165.8. My low for the month was 161.2. I had a gain at the end of the month due to celebrating DH's Birthday and going to the fair. I had thyroid labs done and my numbers are starting to improve.

November 1, 2015 I weighed 168.8 (weight was higher due to the fair and DH's birthday) On November 30 I weighed 165. We just celebrated our anniversary and had Thanksgiving, so my weight was up. My low for November was 161. I am happy that I got through 4 big events in October/November without bouncing back into the 170's.

December 1, 2015 I weighed 164.6. On December 31 I weighed 168.8. I had a low of 157.4 the day we left for vacation. I was thrilled to be in the 150's, now I need to work to get back to it since I know I can do it.

January 1, 2016 I weighed 169.2. On January 31 I weighed 168.4. I wasn't able to lose much of the vacation/Christmas gain. I had 2 TTOM's this month. I was on plan but the whole month was a struggle. Still working, though.

February 1, 2016 I weighed 167.2. On February 29 I weighed 167.4. That's a gain of .2, so basically I maintained. No progress on the Christmas vacation gain but I'm continuing to work on it.

March 1, 2016 I weighed 167.2. On March 31 I weighed 170.4. I had a gain at the end of the month from Easter. I didn't show much of a loss during the month, but mostly maintained.

April 1, 2016 I weighed 169.6. On April 30 I weighed 169.2. I basically maintained for the month. Still trying for the 150's.

May 1, 2016 I weighed 169.6. I didn't weigh in on May 31 due to being on a short Memorial weekend vacation. I did have a significant gain on this vacation.

June 1, 2016 I weighed 179.4. On June 30 I weighed 168.0. I had a significant gain from our Memorial weekend mini vacation. So, I spent the month getting rid of that gain and the gain from Father's day. In July I have a wedding, 4th of July weekend, and my birthday. I will try to enjoy these events in moderation (except for my birthday ) in order to keep my gain as small as possible.

July 1, 2016 I weighed 168.2. On July 31 I weighed 171.2. I had a wedding to attend, the 4th of July celebration, and my birthday. Too many events, but still working on things, not giving up.

August 1, 2016 I weighed 171.2. On August 31 I weighed 173.4. I showed a gain, but I am still working on things. Not giving up or giving in. Not an option.

September 1, 2016 I weighed 172.8. On September 30 I weighed 172.4. I basically maintained for the month.

October 1, 2016 I weighed 171.6. On October 31 I weighed 175. We went out to celebrate Teddy's birthday on the 30th and my TTOM started. Oh, joy! LOL

November 1, 2016 I weighed 175, on November 30 I weighed 174.6. I haven't made any progress, but at least I maintained through our Wedding Anniversary and Thanksgiving.

December 1, 2016 I weighed 174.6. I didn't weigh on December 31 due to being on vacation for 10 days. On January 1, 2017 I weighed 179.6. I had a 5 pound gain for the month.

January 1, 2017 I weighed 179.6, January 31, 2017 I weighed 175. I lost 4.6 pounds for the month.

February 1, 2017 I weighed 175, February 28, 2017 I weighed 175.8. I had 2 events this month and one of them was on the 25th. I had a .8 gain for the month. Still working on things.

March 1, 2017 I weighed 175.4, March 31 I weighed 177.2. I am not going in the right direction. I need to get things under control.

April 1, 2017 I weighed 176.6, on April 30 I weighed 178.8. Still going in the wrong direction.

May 1, 2017 I weighed 178.4. May 31 I weighed 184.6. Stress and poor choices getting to me. Still working on things, though.

June 1, 2017 I weighed 183.6. June 30, I weighed 179.2. I had a loss of 4.4 pounds. I'm going in the right direction, again.

July 1, 2017 I weighed 179.2. On July 31 I weighed 183. Going in the wrong direction, but still trying.

August 1, 2107 I weighed 183. On August 31 I weighed 181.

September 1, 2017 I weighed 180.6. September 30, I weighed 181.

October 1, 2017 I weighed 180.8. I ended October at 184.8.

November 2017: My last weigh in was at the end of October and was 184.8. I ended November at 187. I had 4 major events within 30 days. I also started back with an Endo for my thyroid. She took me off the generic Cytomel and I'm only on Synthroid. She wanted things to regulate before she tests and that will be in December.

December 2017: December 1, I weighted 186.6. I was on vacation from December 25 until December 31. January 1 weighed 193. I found out on December 21 that I was not taking enough Synthroid and the Endo upped my meds.

January 2018 This year I will keep my focus on: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. Philippians 4:13 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

January 1, 2018 I weighed 193. January 31, I weighed 186. February 1, 2018 I weighed 186.6 on February 28, 2018 I weighed 190.2 March 1, 2018 I weighed: 190.2 On March 31 I weighed 190.0 April 1, 2018 I weighed: 192.4. On April 30 I weighed 188.2. I lost 4.2 pounds. May 1, 2018 I weighed: 188 I went on vacation, the last time I weighed in was May 25 and I weighed 188. June, 2018 I had appointments and labs with the Allergist for angioedema. I was previously diagnosed with angioedema twice. Now I test negative for it. The Dr. wants me to continue with the antihistamines because I have something we just don't know what it is. July, 2018 I did food/allergy testing this month and everything was negative. The allergist wants me to start on 3 meds to help with the hives and reactions but I have chosen not to, partly because I have been on allergy meds for 10 years. July 1, 2018 weigh in 189.4, July 31, 2018 I weighed 192.2. August, 2018: August 1 weigh in was 192.2. I didn't weigh in at the end of the month because I had a period of poor choices. September 1 weigh in: 188.2. I am still struggling with everything but I am still here and trying.

All Calories For The Day Are + Approx 200 For Morning Coffee, Cream, & Sugar 01: 02: 03: 04: 05: 06: 07: 08: 09: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31:

Source: https://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/100-lb-club/316021-october-2018-daily-weigh-thread-everyone-welcome.html

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childsound56-blog · 6 years ago

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Philadelphia councilwoman delayed major city land deal to help a developer

The city’s stalled redevelopment of 4601 Market Street finally advanced on Thursday after West Philadelphia Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell reversed her opposition.

A document obtained by PlanPhilly indicates Blackwell’s reservations stemmed from the concerns of a single real estate developer: Michael Karp, leader of two large West Philadelphia organizations, University City Housing and the Belmont Charter Network.

The saga began last December, when Blackwell froze a bill to move forward the sale of the former Provident Mutual Life Insurance building, despite the objections of Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration. The city sunk $52 million into the palatial structure with the intent of turning it into a new police headquarters, but later put it up for public bid after the department instead announced a plan to move to 400 North Broad Street.

On Thursday, Blackwell told her colleagues that she would continue holding the bill. Just days earlier she had said — at a public meeting — that she supported the project because of its broad community backing.

“We had one more little community glitch,” Blackwell said on Thursday. “We work that out, and we’ll see.”

But two hours later, Blackwell abruptly brought the bill to a floor vote.

“I got a letter from the mayor stating that he would work with us to make sure that all the issues that needed to be resolved will be resolved,” Blackwell said when asked the reason for her sudden change of heart.

Blackwell declined to offer any more details on the substance of her concerns or the mayor’s assurances.

The letter from Kenney indicates that the councilwoman’s concern revolved around Karp’s interests.

“I am aware of the issues that you brought to my attention regarding Michael Karp, and I look forward to continuing to work with you to resolve them,” Kenney wrote in the signed letter dated Feb. 7, 2019.

Karp was a partner in one of three finalist bids for the 13-acre former Provident Mutual Life Insurance building. The proposal he helped put forward would have offered educational services and social supports. But that bid ultimately lost to the proposal for a health campus spearheaded by Iron Stone Real Estate Partners.

Karp’s ties to Blackwell’s district run deep. He was one of the first developers to begin renovating University City’s elegant townhouses for student living and an early advocate of charter schools, founding Belmont in the late 1990s.

He sits on the board of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, a fiscal oversight board which must approve Philadelphia City’s budgets. In the 1990s, he sat on the Philadelphia Board of Education.

Karp said in an interview on Friday that he knew nothing about correspondence on his behalf between the mayor and Blackwell.

“I have not seen the letter, I was not involved in her discussions with the mayor around that letter,” said Karp, when told that Blackwell only lifted the hold when she received assurances about mayoral attention to his specific “issues.”

Those issues, he said, include a desire to expand the services that his Belmont Charter Network schools offer. He wants a contract from Philadelphia’s Department of Human Services that would allow for the provision of social assistance programs to students and their families. There is a theoretical connection to 4601 Market: the contract would enable him to provide the services he wanted to bring to the vacant city-owned building.

He also wants to purchase the original Belmont school building, on 4030 Brown Street, which the School District owns. He believes the mayor can help him do that.

“The mayor controls the School District,” said Karp. “Here’s local control, here’s the fact he appointed all the School Board members to do the right thing. But nothing happened!”

The Mayor’s Office does not completely control either of the issues that Karp wants addressed. The DHS contract would have to be agreed to by both city and state authorities. Selling the school building would require a vote from the School Board, but the Mayor is not directly involved in their deliberations.

Karp said both he and Blackwell are frustrated that his plans for the school building haven’t advanced.

“To be candid with you…[this is about her] frustration that things [we are trying to do] for the community are not moving forward and she's very disappointed.”

Blackwell’s actions on 4601 Market inspired several unusually critical statements from Kenney.

“I could never figure out what the issues were,” Kenney said on Thursday immediately after the vote. “It mystifies me.”

Asked about the contents of the letter, the mayor replied: “I said we would continue to work with her and listen to her concerns, which we would do anyway.”

The administration declined any further comment.

Most of the interest groups in her district opposed Blackwell’s hold on the land deal. These included neighborhood organizations that won community benefits agreements from Iron Stone, as well as the only majority-black union in Philadelphia, the Laborers. The union was excited by Iron Stone’s commitment to minority contracting.

“I’ve never seen such unanimity of support for [a project] and I think people were getting a little aggravated at the length of time it was taking to bring her to a vote,” Kenney said.

Blackwell has held her West Philadelphia Council seat for decades, but this year she faces a primary challenge from Jamie Gauthier, former head of the Fairmount Park Conservancy. Blackwell had the least cash on hand of any incumbent councilmember at the end of 2018.

Karp has made campaign contributions to Blackwell in the past, but did not do so last year, according to campaign finance reports.

Source: http://planphilly.com/articles/2019/02/08/philadelphia-councilwoman-delayed-major-city-land-deal-to-help-a-developer

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partydesire3-blog · 6 years ago