#i feel like i have more than the normal persons insight (besides actual workers there) on the shitshow the higher ups treat the people below

[sketchehm]

Mom still has friends working at united healthcare(nurses) and she was just told that they canceled the Christmas lunch the company provides because of the death and everyone is like....what the fuck why

"They need to save money"

My mom cackled and told them to get out of there stat

[senacal]

hi hi hi i LOOOOOVE your erik stuff and i hope u don’t mind me requesting and requesting because i think you’re an amazing writer! i was hoping to see a erik x female reader fluff:) i’ve always wanted to read a jealous erik fic when he has a crush on the reader ya know! i’ve always pictured her to be a mutant professor at school and all:)

Exceptional

Request:  By malfoys-demigod

Pairing: Erik Lehnsherr x Fem Reader

Prompt: hi hi hi I LOOOOOVE your Erik stuff and I hope u don’t mind me requesting and requesting because I think you’re an amazing writer! I was hoping to see an Erik x female reader fluff:) I’ve always wanted to read a jealous Erik fic when he has a crush on the reader ya know! I’ve always pictured her to be a mutant professor at school and all:)

Warnings: Is jealousy really a warning? IDK but jealousy

Author’s Note: I won’t mind you requesting lol, I love getting requests 😊  Thank you so much for enjoying my writing 💖 Again, I am so sorry for how long this took for me to write 😬 

Erik always prided himself on how well he was able to control his feelings. Sure, he used to let them control him; however, he always hid them well. One look at him, and no one could tell how he was truly feeling. The only people able to read his feelings were empaths, or Charles (but Charles used his telepathy, so that was cheating). 

When Erik had met (Y/N), he wasn’t sure what to expect. At first, he thought of her as any other person, irrelevant. He didn’t know her, so why should he care for her? But then she was always there. He later found out that Charles had employed her at his school for the gifted. It was with a great obligation that made him get to know her. Charles liked to hold dinner parties for the staff and his friends to mingle outside of school hours. Erik would always try to get out of it, but, he always manages to get roped into those engagements no matter what he said or lied about. It was as though Charles would use his powers to get Erik to attend. It tempted him to use his helmet again to block him out, but maybe he’s just overthinking it. 

It was at one of these events that Erik first spoke to (Y/N). She was standing near the refreshments, so really, it wasn’t like it was completely out of his way to talk to her. She had smiled kindly at him, the first person to do so. It was no secret that he had a troubled past and many of the professors employed under Charles never seemed to let him forget. So it was refreshing to know that someone wasn’t holding his faults over him. He was immediately enthralled by her. They spoke nearly the whole night. He found himself enjoying the sound of her laugh and the way her eyes lit up when she spoke about the things she was passionate about. Erik never believed in love at first sight, and really he didn’t think this applied either, but he knew from that moment on, he would make it his duty to keep the smile in her eyes and that laugh in place. 

From then on, Erik didn’t argue with Charles over attending the dinner parties, and he didn’t bother making excuses when (Y/N) needed his help with her class. Whatever she wanted, he made sure she would get without any troubles. They soon became best friends within no time. He was fine with that too because then he knew he would always be in her life. He was the one she went to when she had a problem,  and the one she went to when she had good news. Life was suddenly going his way and he had no fucking clue what to do from there. He supposed he could continue like normal, talk to her, laugh with her, but there was a part of him that wanted more. She was an amazing girl. Who wouldn’t want to be with her?

Which was the problem. He knew there were people interested in her, he wasn’t completely oblivious. He would usually spot them from the distance whenever he wasn’t with her. There would be another professor talking to her, trying to get her to laugh at some stupid joke he made. Erik would clench his jaw, and he swore one of the metal benches was crushed near him. He couldn’t be too sure that was him though. He brushed it off at the time as a fluke. There was no way she’d fall for that cheap trick. So the next day when it happened again, Erik couldn’t help but insert himself between (Y/N) and the other guy. 

(Y/N) instantly lit up in his presence. Erik was a great guy and anyone who didn’t see that was an absolute idiot. Getting to know Erik was her favorite thing to do. Being a part of the school gave her insight into his past, sure, but that didn’t mean she knew who Erik actually was. If growing up in a half mutant, half-human family taught her anything, it was that people can change. She found out that her mother was taught to hate mutants but then she met her father. So no, (Y/N) wasn’t going to let Erik’s past block her judgment. Erik turned out to be the most genuine man she has had the pleasure to meet. Sometimes he would show off his powers to her, so she would talk him into demonstrating for her classes. She always looked forward to the days he would help her with the younger mutants. 

Sometimes she could swear that Erik might like her back, but who was she kidding? She wasn’t anything spectacular. Her powers weren’t anything extraordinary compared to her co-workers, her powers were rather boring. (Y/N) used to enjoy the fact that her powers were quite mundane, she could easily manipulate a person’s choice, but it would only last a moment. Now she wished she had a power that was worthy of Erik. She knew he had a hatred towards humans at one point, so she was nervous that maybe he would be appalled about her half-human family. 

(Y/N)’s thoughts were once again interrupted when she felt someone touching her arm. She looked up to see Professor Cassidy smiling at her. He had a boyish charm to him and she knew that he liked her, but she didn’t feel the same way. She was finding it harder to let him down gently. 

“So? What do you say?” He asked nervously.

“Uh, about?” (Y/N) furrowed her brows. 

“A date? With me?” Sean ran his hand through his hair nervously. This was not turning out how he imagined. For one, Erik wasn’t there glaring at him when he imagined asking (Y/N) on a date. 

“I…” (Y/N) glanced from Erik’s stone expression and back to Sean’s nervous smile, “I uh, I have plans, I’m sorry Sean.” (Y/N) lied, “Erik promised to help me with uh, a thing,” She winced internally at her crappy excuse.

Erik smirked, happy to hear her turn Sean down. Sure, Sean wasn’t a bad guy, but he’d be damned if he started dating (Y/N). She was too good for him, She was too good for anyone.

“Oh, uh, okay, no worries,” Sean looked back at Erik one last time before leaving the two mutants alone.

“So I’m helping you with a thing?” Erik asked smugly.

“Oh shut up, I panicked, okay?” (Y/N) bumped her shoulder against his side, “He’s a nice guy, but I only think of him as a friend.”

“Ouch, even that hurts me,” he laughed despite his words.

“Hmm, so what brings you by?” (Y/N) wondered.

“What do you mean?” Erik avoided her gaze. 

“I think you know,” She raised her brow, she was tempted to ‘persuade’ him to tell her the truth, but Charles made a rule not to use their powers against anyone’s will unless absolutely necessary. 

“Nothing, I just saw you over here and thought I’d say hello,” He shrugged. 

“Okay… now that you’ve said hello, what now?” (Y/N) leaned against the wall beside her.

“Maybe we could do a thing?” Erik smiled.

“Haha, very funny,” (Y/N) rolled her eyes. She may have liked Erik but she didn’t appreciate being teased.

“I’m serious,” Erik lifted her chin so their eyes could meet, “Let’s do something together.”

(Y/N) stared into his eyes, looking for any hints of insincerity, “Like what?”

Erik shrugged, “anything you’d like.”

“As friends?” 

“Well I- I was hoping maybe as more than friends?” Erik cleared his throat. He hasn’t felt this nervous in… ever. He has never felt nervous like this before.

“Okay,” (Y/N) grinned, “But don’t tell Sean just yet.”

Erik’s eyes narrowed, “Why not?”

“I just turned him down, I don’t think he’d be too pleased to hear that I’ve agreed to go out with you,” (Y/N) tucked a strand of her (H/C) behind her ear.

“So?” Erik couldn’t help but scoff.

(Y/N) tilted her head, looking at him quizically. “You were jealous,” She laughed.

“What? No, I wasn’t! I was the opposite of jealous. Why would I be-” Erik looked at the amusement clearly written in her eyes, “Don’t tell anyone.” He begged.

“Only if you don’t say anything to Sean, at least not yet.” (Y/N) bribed.

Erik sighed heavily, “Fine.”

“Awe, such a romantic,” (Y/N) laughed. She kissed Erik’s cheek softly, “Now about that thing we’ll be doing?” 

Erik’s heart fluttered in his chest. This was all new to him, but as long as (Y/N) was by his side, he would do whatever he could to keep her happy. It was also nice knowing no other guy would be able to take her out on a date now that she agreed to be with him.

[glowingbadger]

You may have a little Lorenz Prompt as promised. As a treat. Here goes~

Lorenz taking thorough notes to surprise his s/o (is it the blog owner? the reader? some random character? It doesn't matter~!) with the most lovely, romantic date imaginable based around everything they like. He wouldn't put in this much effort to TRULY impress someone, but you're worth every step and more.

Enjoy where this takes your thoughts~!

(and pls don't eat it, Tumblr)

Y'know what, I've had a shitty day and I just finished writing some darker content- so I am going to ~indulge~. Normally I try to make my Reader character as broadly relatable as possible, but today we're going with MY preferences and interests because I WANT A NICE DATE WITH LORENZ GODDAMNIT

Lorenz (FE3H) x GN Reader - perfect date

Fluff - SFW

Today simply has to be flawless- the Gloucester heir will not accept any less. Not when it comes to you. Of course, Lorenz holds himself to high standards in all things, but the thought of providing anything less than perfection for you is one that pains him to even consider. Especially now that he'd finally gotten the courage- or, rather, found the right and proper time to ask you to spend the day with him.

You approach him at the Monastery gates not long after noon that day, and find your pace slowing as you eye him before he's noticed you. Without his usual elegant set of armor, you can appreciate the way constant marching and training has toned his slender frame- and appreciate it, you most certainly do. Though he soon turns to face you, and your eyes dart back up from a rather ignoble place to meet his instead.

"You're as radiant as ever, I see," he says with a warm smile. He offers you an arm and you take it, replying with a grin,

"You've already got me for the day, Lorenz, there's no need for flattery."

"'Flattery' implies a measure of falsehood," he says with confidence, leading you towards town, "and I could never bring myself to lie to one so lovely."

As your time together proceeds, you can't help but feel that, some way, somehow, Lorenz has some kind of psychic insight into your preferences. Everywhere you turn, whatever your heart could desire is immediately available and set before you with hardly any negotiation at play. At the first flower stall you find, Lorenz takes a moment to exchange words with the owner while you admire the sprawling array of colorful blooms; and by the time he's returned, he's holding a woven crown of delicate little white flowers. With an admiring smile, he carefully places it on your head, a hand trailing down a lock of your hair as he pulls away to observe you.

With a shy grin, you perform an exaggerated curtsy, prompting Lorenz to laugh fondly and take you by the hand. He twirls you slowly under his arm, watching you all the while, then says,

"They suit you every bit as wonderfully as I'd thought."

"They're my favorites," you reply.

"I know- erm, that is- I know of a superb bakery down the block this way," Lorenz seems a bit red in the face, but you chalk that up to nerves.

He's not wrong though- this bakery is something else. The selection and quality of ingredients is on an entirely new level compared to the Monastery's dining hall, and you find yourself overwhelmed even reading down the list of items posted to the wall. By your third pass over the full range of options, the words are starting to dance in your eyes- but a warm touch at your arm shakes your focus. Lorenz leans close to be heard over the rapidly growing crowd at the bakery's counter,

"Might I make a recommendation?" you nod, and he goes on, "I happen to have it on good authority that there's an item not included on this menu that you may like. It incorporates three different treatments of Brigid cocoa, if that is of any interest to you."

Your eyes light up and you can practically feel the rich sweetness across your tongue already.

"That sounds incredible," you reply, enraptured by the very thought. When you start to ask how he'd heard of such a thing, Lorenz has already turned to speak to the worker taking orders, and your words drown among the crowd of customers. The speed at which he acquires this mythical pastry only fills your mind with more questions. How did he manage to purchase an off-menu item so quickly? Wouldn't the cost of something requiring those many luxurious imported ingredients be astronomical?

But then, Lorenz returns to your side and guides you out of the crowded shop, and the sight of the delectable chocolatey treat in his hands dashes all other thoughts from your mind. He hands it to you wrapped in a handkerchief, and you can't help but immediately plunge in for a bite.

"Mmmm-!" you wear an expression of pure bliss as your mouth fills with sweet, savory chocolate, "Oh- Lorenz, it's so good!"

When you glance up at him, he's watching you with a strangely heavy expression. Once more, his fair complexion is painted a light red. You tilt your head curiously, and he seems to resurface from whatever thoughts had taken him for the moment.

"Here- you should try some," you break off a piece and hold it up to him.

"Are- are you certain? I had intended for you to enjoy it to your heart's content," he stammers out, evidently still a bit flushed.

"I want you to get to have some too. Please?" You hate to resort to puppy eyes with him, but it's hard to argue with the results. He leans forward and accepts the piece of pastry from your hand. You don't shy away from him in the slightest, and so a brief brush of his lower lip along the tip of your finger simply can't be avoided. Lorenz does his best to move past this without acknowledgement, and you two enjoy your treat together as you take in the bustle of the town around you.

The day continues in kind, with Lorenz apparently having painstakingly arranged every element of this date from start to finish. At a local seller of antiques and luxury goods, he secures permission to view and explore rare and dazzling paintings from around the world. Here, he's rather uncharacteristically reserved. Wandering the storage area like your own personal art museum, he watches you with evident warmth as you exclaim at the rich and varied pigments, the innovative expressions of human form, and so on.

After this, he brings you to a tavern at the far end of town, where he's reserved the second floor exclusively for you two to enjoy a quiet, intimate meal together. By this point, you've finally gotten around to considering just how much gold must have gone into this singular date.

"Lorenz," you say cautiously, "are you sure it's okay to go through all of this and spend so much just for-"

He raises a hand to cut you off, then replies,

"I assure you that it is," he takes your hand in his, holding it warmly from across your private table, "wealth has no value that we ourselves do not assign to it, and I have chosen to spend it on your pleasure. I can think of no greater use for a bit of coin."

The rest of the early evening is filled with pleasant chat and the occasional subtle sweet-talk. As you discuss everything you've seen and experienced that day, Lorenz engages you with surprisingly astute comments and observations. He's always at his best when he feels permitted to simply talk with you, as one person to another, free of the pressures and expectations of his birthright that he shoulders without a thought.

The sun is steadily lowering behind the hills and walls of the surrounding town by the time you make your way back together. As you walk hand in hand watching the Monastery gates rise ahead of you, Lorenz clears his throat abruptly and says,

"If I may steal you away for just a little while longer, there was... actually someone I thought you'd like to meet."

"Oh? What an honor," you say with a smile, "Do I get any hints?"

Lorenz gives a good-natured chuckle and says,

"Only that I think you'll get along splendidly."

And of all places throughout Garreg Mach's grounds, you begin to recognize that he is leading you towards the stables. You've met Lorenz's horse before- a lovely mare with a calm and agreeable temperment. If not her, then...

"Eloise?" Lorenz calls out in a gentle voice, "Eloise, come say hello- Ellie? Come now, don't tell me you've chosen tonight to become bashful..." at his call, a svelte black cat with delicate little white paws comes trotting out to meet you. Your heart positively aches and melts at the sight of her eagerly approaching Lorenz with clear comfort and familiarity.

"Lorenz, you... have a cat?" You say with obvious disbelief.

"She's one of the Monastery's strays, to be clear," he says, "She helps with the mice in the stables. Evidently, she had become quite fond of my preferred horse- and so eventually became fond of me as well."

Fond seems an understatement- she very clearly adores him. With a chorus of happy little mews, she circles his legs and rubs against him until he crouches down to offer her his hand. As he does, a shred of parchment flutters from his pocket onto the ground. Eloise targets it like a seasoned warrior and pounces at it with gusto. With a laugh, you kneel down to retrieve whatever this paper she's captured might be.

"Now Eloise, none of that- you must behave genteel-like with guests."

As he firmly lectures the cat, you glance at the paper in your hand. Nearly every inch of it is covered in an elegant, curling script that you imagine must belong to Lorenz. It looks like a... list of some kind. As your eyes scan down the page, you begin to recognize a pattern. Your favorite flowers, favorite desserts, favorite types of books and places around town- plus, to the side, the word "cats?" underlined several times. For a moment, you simply cover your mouth to hold in a snort of laughter. Then, you come to kneel beside Lorenz as he's failing to convince his feline friend to stop swatting at his hair.

"So- you've been taking very thorough notes lately." you say, nudging his arm playfully. He turns to face you with an immediate look of panic. Lavender eyes widen and glance down to the parchment in your hand, then back to you. He visibly deflates and says,

"Goddess- you must find me such a fool-"

You press your lips firmly to his before he can say another word. With a soft noise of surprise, his eyes flutter shut and he leans into your kiss. His lips are wonderfully soft, and the subtle scent of his cologne surrounds your senses as you tilt your head to seal your lips to his more firmly. You're not certain how long you remain like this, but only the dull ache of kneeling on the dirt and the incessant sound of Eloise bapping her paw against the paper in your hand bring you back to your surroundings. When you part from him, you brush aside the silky curtain of his hair to run your hand along his face, and say,

"I had a wonderful time today, Lorenz- and it means the world to me that you put so much thought into this. But next time, you don't have to study so hard, okay?"

For a moment, he seems speechless. Then, he gives a shy chuckle.

"You have bested me yet again, it would seem. How can I ever hope to become a man worthy of you when you are ever more lovely with each passing day?"

Eloise gives an insistent chirp and rubs once more against his leg, evidently tired of distractions from the attention she feels she's owed. Your smile widens, and you scratch her ear fondly.

"I think there's at least two of us who like you just as you are, Lorenz."

[thrillridesz]

Could you ship tbz members with your mutuals? (Seeing this everywhere so I thought why not pass it to you!)

ahh i’ve been seeing this everywhere as well!! i’ve actually done this awhile back but since i’ve gained a lot of new mutuals since then, i’ll just give it a go once more ^^

i may or may not have put too much thought into this oops 🤭

sangyeon +  @moondustaeil @aveluant1a

talking to amber feels like i’m talking to a trusted older sister ngl. she's one of the people i’d turn to for an honest opinion or some much needed advice on stuff and i value her insights very much. she's also very mature in their thinking which is what i think sangyeon would appreciate a lot as the leader of a group of 11 (10) other boys who are always constantly on crack.

as for yu, she gives me very gentle and calm vibes seriously. she’s strikes me off as a hard worker from our conversations and she is very dedicated to her writing which i believe sangyeon would love in a person. i can already imagine him just staring at her work, with a look of affection and admiration in his eyes 😆

jacob + @ihearttbz

riane is an absolute angel to talk to and i love our conversations tgt because it’s always so easy to talk to her and i feel like i can tell her a lot of things i normally wouldn’t tell anyone else. she’d pair very well with jacob and just be that couple that everyone loves and adores, the really sweet couple that people just love to hang around with 💞

younghoon + @chaoticdeobi

um was it really going to be anyone else other than bea? XD younghoon as we know is a pretty shy person and bea to me, seems like the opposite of that. in their case, i think the phrase ‘opposite attracts’ is applicable! bea’s enthusiasm and liveliness is something younghoon would definitely find to be very charming, prompting him to come out of his shell very quickly when he’s around her. i believe whatever he lacks, she makes up for it and vice versa

hyunjae + @bobagyu @kpophours

rose is just so random and funny sometimes which is honestly just like hyunjae to a tee, they’re just so like each other in a way! i get the feeling that rose may be a little unsure of herself sometimes ( which she shouldn’t ) and i think hyunjae would be a great fit because he would definitely be able to help her become more confident while she can probably teach him to be a little less tough and be more vulnerable to his own feelings.

anna is an extremely bright and outgoing person from what i can tell from our conversations. i think that would complement well with hyunjae’s loud and larger than life personality and they would a 100% be that couple that everyone just asks to tone it down but secretly love having them around because they’re just so intriguing and fun to have around 💫

juyeon + @jyeonvoir

elsie has these very calm vibes and i’ve mentioned this before but she gives mad older sister vibes as well. she’s gentle and soft, very much like juyeon and ngl i may be just a little intimidated by her at first but after getting to know her, she’s actually super friendly and nice! she and juyeon would make a lovely couple and i can totally imagining them just chilling on a rainy night, watching Netflix while he wraps his arms around her in a warm embrace.

kevin + @2hyunjae​ @mae-gi-writes​

luna imo is pretty quiet for the most part but once you talk to her, she’s actually pretty fun to talk to! she’s also artistically inclined ( also have you seen her calligraphy skills? they’re insanely good omf ) which i think kevin would appreciate a lot as an artist himself! i feel like he can bring her out of her shell and when he does, he’d just be enchanted by her lovely personality and did i just write a fluffy fic prompt?? o.o

mae is JUST. SO. CUTE. my biggest kevin stan out there, you would be a great match for kevin i just know it. your enthusiasm and your meme vibes would complement kevin perfectly! she’s incredibly supportive and lively which is definitely something i think kevin would look out for in a partner. i can 100% see him with someone who’s just like mae in the future 💓

chanhee + @tidalstorm​

something about ros to me screams vogue and classiness and when i think of her, i feel like she’s super bougie? maybe im wrong but that’s how i feel! i get the same vibe around chanhee as well and her really cute personality i feel will mesh well with chanhee’s seemingly harder personality? they’re just very alike to me in terms of vibes!

changmin + @fluffytbz​ @sankyeom​

having talked to rosie, i can tell you that she’s one of the easiest people i’ve talked to on tumblr so far. she’s also such a sweet person and her vibes are really similar to changmin’s come to think of it? lovable but with a tiny hint of shyness? that’s changmin and rosie! i know we always see changmin smiling since that boy basically exudes happiness but i feel like there’s got to be a special kind of smile, the soft kind that speaks volumes of his feelings that he reserves for those he loves and i feel like that person could be rosie. does that make sense?

talking about belle is like talking about a role model to me >< i still fangirl sometimes but that’s beside the point. belle has such warm vibes that changmin would have loved! i feel like he’s not someone who likes to make his feelings know and he’d rather just be happy in front of the camera all the time but i think with belle, he would definitely be able to let his guard down around her. there’s just something about her that wants to make ppl trust her instantly 😋

haknyeon + @atbzkingdom​

dee is an absolute sweetheart which is just what hak needs. she can be level headed and mature when the situation calls for it but she can also have fun and be wild which i think hak would appreciate a lot in a partner! he’s been through a lot so i feel he may need someone who he can feel comfortable around to tell his secrets to and since dee is trustworthy like that, he’d feel at ease around her 😌 

hyunjoon + @tbzwurld​

ok i’ll be honest. i was kind of intimidated by bee when i first started talking to her. there’s something about her that just makes her whole vibe so powerful and just radiate such dominant energy ( not in that way ) but yes, she just seems so cool to me and the vibes she gives off to me is exactly the vibes hyunjoon gives me as well. once you get to know her though, she’s actually so sweet?? and kind?? and amazing?? idk why but to me, she’s what i think would be hyunjoon’s ideal type ✨

sunwoo + @minfuwa​ @jopping-to-my-kpop​​ @mjlkau​

although i haven’t rly talked much to iris ( but i really want to >< iris can we be friends pls ) iris has this sort of charm that i can’t quite put my finger on. it’s a certain type of charm that i associate with sunwoo? like there’s a certain appeal which they both have in common! from our very little interaction ( hopefully we can change that ), i get that she has a vibrant personality that would make everyone just love to flock to her and befriend her. ngl when i think of sunwoo, i think of her sometimes! maybe this is a signal from the universe idk 👀 

yo ok emma is just like super cool ok? idc what tf you have to say, she’s cooler than you and me and everyone else combined. her swag is just out of this world and i think her effortlessly cool persona is something that sunwoo would just be completely enthralled by. she's also a very reliable friend who i am so glad to have gotten to know bc hell, even i’m attracted to her personality so how can sunwoo not be? actually, sunwoo would love her personality! they both exude such badass but soft vibes it’s almost unreal 💙

anie has a very surprising personality imo! my first impression of her was really cute and sweet so imagine my surprise when she reveals that darker side of her >< i really like the duality though ngl and i think sunwoo would too! he’d just be so fascinated by her and just want to get to know her more and as he learns more about her, he’s just going to end up falling deep in love without realising until one day he’s like “fuck, i’m an idiot in love without even noticing it.”

eric + @heartyyjeno​ @lovely-kpop-writer​​

alesha is just a BIG ball of floof and i love her omg she's such a supportive and caring friend, it’s unreal. her enthusiasm to me, is on par with eric and if he’s the energy boy, she’s the energy girl for sure. they’d be that couple that just goes around hyping everyone up and everyone would just LOVE them! i know i would and if anyone disagrees, i’ll fite you >:(

jasmine my love!!! this girl here is just so incredibly lovely just like her url suggests and honestly, she’s one of the ppl who are most significant in my tumblr journey because her love for people is just so heartwarming? she’s always friendly and kind which is what eric would love in his future partner.  jasmine is just so PRECIOUS istg ❣️

[hopeuranus]

Music Analysis of Chicken Noodle Soup by J-HOPE ft. Becky G

Music transcends geographical boundaries. CNS is the ultimate language.

The original song of Chicken Noodle Soup was released by DJ Webstar and Young B in 2006. J-hope, as a well-rounded K-pop idol who’s known for his extraordinary rapping and dancing skills, demonstrated his ingenuity as a music producer this time with a completely overhauled version of Chicken Noodle Soup, of which the achievements and chart data have claimed his undisputed success around the world. 

From a flat surface to a multi-dimensional work – tribute and enrichment

Let me start by explaining how J-hope turns a flat surface into a multi-dimensional work. For instance, there is a circle on a plane, and it can evolve into a sphere. The sphere retains its circular shape, rather than taking form of other geometrical structures such as a square or a line. In a similar vein, J-hope transforms the original song, a circle, into his new work, a complex and multi-dimensional sphere.

The following paragraphs will illuminate how J-hope has uplifted Chicken Noodle Soup, and I highly recommend you to listen to it while readinig this article so that you can capture these details.

To begin with, you can hear a bass melody accompanying human voices throughout this song after the intro part. This bass melody is in accordance with the beats of electronic drums, and together they consist the loop part of the entire song. This loop keeps going on till the end, except some parts where it is deliberately left out.

There is a descending scale which is made with synthecized brass instruments in the first verse of “Chicken Noodle Soup”. It is, in fact, a tribute to the original song by keeping its whistle sound. The new whistle sound, simulated with brass instruments, imitates the sound effect of an old steam locomotive. It epitomizes J-Hope’s music style, bringing upbeat feelings despite not being as expressive as the original song. In addition, J-Hope applies multiple sets of rhythm composers and electronic synthesizers, exquisitely and specifically tuning to each part of the song. There are about as many as six sets of drums, so that Chicken Noodle Soup gains an eloquent beat from these arrangements.

I have to bring up another interesting instrument which J-hope uses in the joint between the verse and the hook of CNS, and that is bar chimes, or wind chimes as we normally call them. Their crisp and whimsical sound unveils the second half of the song, adding a lively yet mysterious atmosphere to it. After Becky G finishes her vocals and right before the song enters its pre-chorus part, there comes a very short interlude. Within these fleeting seconds, the interlude consists of wind instruments, string instruments as well as percussion instruments. Connecting to the hook part at the very last section of the song, this interlude also serves as a relatively short loop which is combined with the bass and electronic drums J-hope uses at the beginning. However, the song does not end there abruptly. It is well wrapped up with percussion instruments, probably maracas.

Most of the human voice flows by J-hope have at least two soundtracks. One of them is what we can obviously hear in the main track, the other vocal harmonies. Harmonies in this song are in acapella style. In order to add texture as well as dimensions to his voice, J-hope utilizes different vocal placement and melodic phrases in order to record the tracks of harmonies, including Becky G’s vocal part. Moreover, he applies a sound effect called “double”, which means tuning down a track after recording it so as to amplify and enrich its sound. Thus, listeners will gain better auditory experience. J-hope never breaks away from the original “circle”, and yet he makes it into a multi-dimensional “sphere” with his professional and idiosyncratic talents in music production. This is how J-hope, as a music producer, vigorously exhibits his unique style in Chicken Noodle Soup, whilst paying the most proper tribute to its original version.

From surface to insights – cultural compatibility and diversity

Besides the above texts which I have explained in a straightforward and easy-to-understand fashion, there are actually a few more ideas J-hope puts into Chicken Noodle Soup that deserve mentioning and sharing, such as electronic synthesizing, remixing, sampling and orchestrating. Chicken Noodle Soup is more than a simple song, as it encompasses a whole array of memories and meanings. That’s also part of the reasons why it gained a worldwide attention once it was released. For one thing, the original version holds collective memories of an ethnical group as well as a generation of people, so it resonates greatly with everyone. On top of that, it is a trilingual song in Korean, English and Spanish, so it can circulate from one group of listeners to another, from one generation to a few. At the end of the day, a thousand people can appreciate this song from a thousand perspectives. During the ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit in 2019, Foreign Minister of Korea, Kang Kyung-wha, mentioned Chicken Noodle Soup in her keynote speech. She spoke of it as a super-popular song, as well as an exemplary case in which culture, creativity and talents converged and ignited a global trend.

From an idol to a producer – pain and gain

As I gather and read through the materials to promote J-hope, I realize that he keeps an extremely high and strict standard to himself. To be perfectly honest, much of the knowledge involved in his music production has exceeded the scope which an idol could normally know of. But with each of his high-quality works, Jung Hoseok is steadfastly growing from an idol into a professional producer. Allow me to quote a sentence in the dance analysis written by @HopeWorld_Spume (from weibo), “Jung Hoseok is an absolute hard worker who has talents.” The same applies to his music. He did not learn music production until his debut, but now he can deliver a masterpiece like Chicken Noodle Soup. No words can do justice to the labor and pain he puts into his learning process and practices. I cannot hold but exclaim while I read analytical articles written by other fans: What an outstanding person he is! For all the pain he pays, he deserves every nice thing in this world.

Author/Special thanks to @落日与蝶馆长 (weibo) Sources/尼摩船长 泼辣黑 Proofreading/泼辣黑 Translate/高清画质

[shadesofdeviant]

My Body Is A Cage, But My Mind Holds The Key --| Chapter 1.

Pairing: Connor x Markus Rating: Mature

Connor Stern is a technological engineer and lineage acquisition programmer working on perfecting the Animus project for Abstergo Industries, when he is granted first hand experience of its work on "Subject 200" also known as Markus Manfred. But as the pair of them delve into the history of Markus' Brotherhood ancestors, secrets come to light, dangerous discoveries are made and somehow along the way, hearts are exchanged.

Detroit: Become Human AU set in an alternate Assassin's Creed Universe.

Can be read here or over on AO3 or FF.Net whichever you prefer.

The languid legato of a violin concerto echoed around the frosted glass walls of the laboratory, originating from the old-fashioned docking system dwarfed amongst the rest of the machinery where an incredibly scuffed once-blue iPod sat persevering through a now familiar playlist despite the early hour of the morning. The majority of the laboratory was taken over by a large ergonomically shaped examination table, clearly designed for its extended periods of usage; the thick coaxial cables that had originally remained hidden beneath the chassis of the machinery connecting monitors to transmitters were now snaked across the slate tiled flooring, whilst various components, processors and circuitries lay scattered like forgotten Christmas gifts. Yet despite this, Connor had somehow managed to not only find enough space to sit comfortably but to fan out blueprints, data sheets and printouts around him on the floor.

Fingers tapping idly against his kneecap on the beat as the next movement of music began with an up-tempo staccato display of the unknown musician’s dexterity, Connor took a moment to blindly reach for his flask of coffee and swallow a large mouthful before returning to his work. His eyes, narrowed and sharp, scanning rows upon rows of painstakingly typed coding, trying to find something—anything—that could be adjusted without ruining the overall functionality of the systems. He was close to finding it, he knew he was, and he was determined to find it tonight, even as his eyes started to burn from the strain.

Ever since he’d graduated with honours from University, proudly holding a double major in Computer Engineering and Computer Science, Connor had felt like he was starting to climb the walls in boredom from a lack of mental stimulation when he moved from job to job over the years as each one failed to mentally satisfy him. His Mother, sick of coming home to find various appliances, tablets and computer devices in pieces because he’d torn them apart simply to put them back together again, managed to secure him a job at her company researching a way to enhance and perfect their technology. She had originally suggested it simply to placate his need for intellectual activities with the hopes he would get his fill during the day and become less of a nuisance at home; she probably hadn’t quite meant for him to be holed up at 3am running on caffeine, on the verge of pulling his hair out because he just couldn’t see where the issue was.

Connor had always held a fascination for the work of the company his Mother worked for, his extensive intelligence and need for stimuli had led to Connor branching out into various fields throughout his educational years; teaching himself languages and conducting little scientific experiments, learning to play a variety of instruments and delving deep into history. And it had been the last one which had led Connor to an article debating the potential of Abstergo Industries attempts to extract ancestral memories from a subject’s DNA and utilising them to get personal insights of history, the likes of which have never been achieved before. The name of the company had leapt out at him, and it had been with a strangely emotional lump in his throat, that Connor had raced to his Mother’s study and rather unceremoniously stuffed the holopad displaying the article under her nose and asked if it was the company she worked for.

She’d quickly confirmed his queries and had even offered to let him take a look at the coding and blueprints for the machinery they’d been using for years to see what he thought of them, without him needing to ask. Of course, at age 17 Connor hadn’t quite realised it had been a test, even as his Mother placed everything across the table in front of him like an intellectual feast and perched almost regally opposite him. Not even as she’d so readily given up confidential answers to his curious questions, her eyes glinting when Connor had grabbed his holopad and started to make annotations on what he would potentially change to have the programs working more efficiently—and that had been before he’d even started University.

The idea of the “Animus”, as his Mother later informed him of its project name, was absolutely fascinating to him. Memories extracted from a person’s DNA, through their genetics passed down from generation to generation, using that to search back hundreds or potentially thousands of years to find out where they really came from, to experience first-hand what life was like in those ancestral times and to aid in the development of a greater historical understanding of the world. The potential was endless, all those minute details that were lost in history: colloquialisms and stereotypes, personal things that were not deemed important enough to scholars, philosophers or artists of the time and consequentially lost forever, could be re-discovered.

So, when the opportunity to join the company had been presented to him, with the stipulation that his role would solely focus around the Animus project, Connor had almost ripped his Mother’s hand off in his eagerness to agree. All Connor wanted was to help history expand the way technology had, it was 2038 and yet there was still so much that was impossible to work out in history. So many mysteries still remained unsolved: where was Cleopatra buried? Who was Jack the Ripper? Who actually killed JFK? Did Atlantis ever exist? And Connor was determined to solve them all. And now, as his ID badge proudly stated 'Connor Stern: Technological Engineer and Lineage Acquisition Programmer', he could potentially do that. However, he hadn’t been granted access to the previous subjects involved in the project, so whilst he was trying to find what could be altered to ease the acquisition and exploration of the DNA memories, he didn’t truly have any data on what needed altering and that was where his frustration lay.

As the staggered pattern of detaché style notes suddenly cut off mid-bar, Connor’s head snapped up in aggravation, a curse forming across his lips as the instantaneous ringing silence cut off his train of thought just as swiftly, only for it to promptly drop into oblivion at the form stood framed inside the now open doorway. His Mother, stood draped in the long flowing multi-layered satin of her tunics, in shades that complimented the cool almost silver undertones to her rich brown skin; the deep fires in the smoky quartz jewels of her eyes and the meticulously braided charcoal of her hair only adding to the constant regal elegance of her figure as she peered down at him in disapproval.

“Connor, what are you doing?” She questioned, the tone of her voice almost cutting through him like a knife despite the lack of force or volume behind it. He was almost thirty-one years old and yet that lilt to her voice still made him feel like a pre-pubescent being scolded for not doing his homework on time. “It is nearly four in the morning, and you’re broadcasting this cheap imitation of an Antonio Vivaldi masterpiece without any kind of consideration for the rest of the staff still working.”

“Excuse me, Professor Stern. But I made sure to adjust the insulation of the room accordingly before I allowed my music to start playing. The docking system is running at sixty percent of what it normally does during official working hours and the nearest co-worker is two corridors away and often uses sound cancelling headphones to help himself concentrate on his work.” Connor explained as he scrambled to his feet, slightly less smoothly than anticipated as his legs protested from being curled under him for so long, knowing better than to refer to the woman as ‘Mother’ when she was visiting him at work. Even if he was off the clock.

His Mother didn’t speak for a moment, her shoulders rolling back slightly as she drew herself up defensively at the fact he’d had the gall to answer her back without so much as an apology, before Connor watched as her eyes flitted around the frosted walls of the laboratory and round onto the small electronic panel screen beside her at the door informing everyone who looked at it, that the room was now fully sound-proof insulated. A sharp exhale from the strong line of her nose is the only indication she’s accepted his explanation before she was turning her focus solely back onto him once again.

“That still does not tell me what you are doing here at four in the morning when you supposedly finished at 9pm yesterday and aren’t due back in until 9am today.” She repeated, the bite to her words lessening as she allowed her arms to unfold and to gracefully manoeuvre to rest on Connor’s shoulders in a rare sign of concern. “You have been warned before about the dangers of overworking yourself, and if your health takes another setback I will have to discontinue your involvement with this project.”

“What?! No Amanda—You can’t do that! Not when I’m so close to perfecting the program!” Connor’s heart clenched tightly in his throat as he moved to quickly clasp her hands beneath his, taking them from his shoulders to hold them close to his chest as he intertwined their fingers, stepping closer to his Mother, his own Umber brown eyes shining as he pleaded silently with her, not missing the way her gaze lowered to the contrasting hue of his pale ivory fingers curled around her own.

That was another reason Connor hadn’t succeeded in perfecting the software yet; his health. Ever since he’d been a young child he had suffered with his lungs and immune system, having to be home schooled with private tutors for vast amounts of his childhood because he had simply been too ill to risk leaving the house for up to ten hours a day for school. But with the familiarity of his problems, came an almost resigned apathy from his Mother, where she became so accustomed to him rapidly becoming ill that it stopped worrying her and she simply stepped away for a few moments to notify the school and organise his tutors once again, before she was sweeping off to work in a swirl of satin without so much as a backwards glance to his bed-ridden frame.

In fact, the only time he could recall seeing her worried about him had been when the new Sports teacher at School had refused to accept he was too ill to participate, called him a liar trying to get out of class, and promptly forced him to join in with the long run around the School campus. It hadn’t taken long for him to realise Connor was telling the truth once the young boy had promptly collapsed to the floor wheezing, his chest rattling as his lips turned blue from lack of oxygen, and it hadn’t been long before he’d been fired once Amanda came blazing into the nurses room where an Ambulance crew were working on trying to stabilise Connor and verbally ripped the poor man to shreds for his idiocy and demanded he be removed from the School. Yet, once again, when Connor was back home and feeling much better in himself, she simply left him to it and placed the phone within arms reach in case he needed to contact the emergency services should he have a relapse. So, it was strange to see her so concerned in that moment when he was feeling rather well in himself for a change.

Amanda had never been particularly driven by maternal instinct. For the majority of his childhood, Connor could barely recall referring to her by the moniker of Mother, choosing to instead simply called her by her given name and not seeing anything wrong with such an act even as the rest of the students—and some of the teachers and parents—gasped in horror at the idea of a child doing so. She wasn’t his Mother, so he had not seen the need to call her so, and Amanda had not seemed to wish to be referred to by such a title either, even after she made it official and adopted him into her family name.

Connor had come to her before he’d had time to properly settle into his first year of Kindergarten, bruised and shaken, wanting his Mother even though his young intelligent mind had already started to comprehend why she wasn’t here and why he was now with this strange woman. As he’d gotten older, he’d slowly been drip-fed information about his former life; his parents and himself had been driving towards the Canadian border to visit friends for the Christmas holidays when the car behind them had skidded on black ice and slammed into the back of their car, causing his Father to lose control and slip across the frozen road, only to break through the barrier separating road from hillside, the car had tumbled towards the frozen river, smashed through the ice despite how solid it should have been at that time of the year and rapidly started to sink.

Connor didn’t have any recollection of the accident, nothing remained except a lingering dislike of ice cold water, but Amanda had eventually confided in him that the car had been submerged for an incredibly long time, his Father had died on impact crushed beneath the crumpled front of the car where it had concertinaed back in on itself, whilst his Mother and he had been trapped, battered and broken as the water steadily filled the vehicle. The coastguard had been quick to respond, but the time it took for them to get into the necessary hypothermia prevention gear had allowed the car to completely fill with water that at its warmest temperature was just below freezing. Both Connor and his Mother had fallen unconscious by the time the divers reached them, and being a child, his retrieval had been prioritised, which had unfortunately left his Mother to suffer from irreparable damage that had ultimately claimed her life a few days later in Hospital.

Connor had remained unconscious for nearly two weeks, battling pneumonia and sepsis, body damaged from severe hypothermia and broken bones; but his young body was resilient and untainted by toxic substances that adults liked to fill their bodies with, and before long had started to show signs of improvement. But the whole experience had left him without a fully functioning immune system, weak bodied, asthmatic and prone to viruses and infections potentially for the rest of his life. The only reason he’d been given into Amanda’s care was that he had no extended family, and the only other family friends were up in Canada and couldn’t afford another child to care for. She’d clearly not wanted a child, even Connor at the tender age of five had been able to see that, but she’d still taken him in and kept him well fed, warm and safe and let him grow in a secure environment with the proper care in place for whenever he was at his lowest health wise. She might not have ever been overly affectionate towards him, and had only really started to take a proper interest in him when it became apparent that his IQ and general intelligence were far above average for his age, but she had gone out of her way to commission the pharmaceutical branch of Abstergo industries to create medication for him to help with his health issues. And that’s what mattered to Connor in the end.

“You keep saying you are close to perfecting it Connor, and yet I am not seeing any results.” Amanda’s voice turned sharp once again as she detangled her fingers from his own, her eyes narrowing in on the organised chaos of information scattered around them. “I’m starting to think this is too much for you to handle.”

“No! It’s not that. Amanda I—Professor Stern, I’ve requested on numerous occasions to be allowed to observe the Animus in use to see how the program properly worked, but yet you have refused my requests. How am I supposed to adjust it if I cannot see how it needs adjusting?” Connor sighed as he ran his fingers back through his hair, this argument had been going on ever since he joined the company, yet his Mother had remained stubborn in her refusal to let him observe a session. “If I’m not allowed to observe the Animus in work, can I at least test it out myself?”

“Absolutely not!” The venomous reaction to his question had Connor taking a slight step backwards in surprise, having not expected such a response from the usually stoic woman. “You are not healthy enough to use the program, it puts a lot of strain on a subject’s physicality and you would not be able to cope. I will not have a repeat of your childhood Connor!”

“I—My apologies Amanda. I just know that I will be able to adjust the systems and coding and software if I could see how they actually interact and work with each other when a subject is exploring their lineage.” He spoke softly as he shifted to play with the line of his work lanyard tucked beneath the material of his sweater to prevent it from swinging in his face, needing something to occupy his fingers whilst he tried to ignore the thick disappointment settling in his stomach at the idea that he’ll never get to experience the Animus for himself. “Please. I promise I will only need one observation and I’ll be able to use the printouts with much more efficiency and be able to upgrade the software.”

Without another word, Amanda turned and plucked a discarded holopad from the desk beside her, fingers delicately dancing across the screen and letting Connor suffer in silence for a few moments. His curiosity starting to creep out as he watched and waited to see what was going on, hating how his fidgeting only got worse the longer she left his plea hanging in the air between them but not daring to try and break the silence once again without permission.

However, as she handed the holopad to him, the page changing from the security access check screen to a new subject file, his eyes widened in surprise, not quite daring to hope that she was doing what he thought she was doing.

“You have permission to observe the first session with this new subject. He will be coming in tomorrow and is scheduled to be submerged in the Animus at nineteen hundred hours. I am granting you a great lenience here Connor, do not disappoint me because there will not be a second chance for this.” Amanda stated smoothly, before turning on her heel and stepping out of the laboratory, pausing before the door slid shut behind her to glare over her shoulder at him, a glare almost as strong as her parting words. “Now get home and go to sleep.”

“I-I will! I promise!” Connor called out to the room, his words ineffectual due to the sound-proofing preventing the sound from reaching his Mother on the other side of the door, but needing to voice his gratefulness regardless. Glancing down at the holopad, Connor couldn’t help the giddy giggle escaping him as he let his shaking fingers swipe along the screen to read over the information profile of who had been titled ‘Subject 200’, pausing to focus on the headshot at the top of the screen once he’d finished reading.

The male in question was six years older than him, skin a warm tawny golden-brown, hair shaved close to his scalp, combined with a strong jaw lightly dusted with stubble to give him an almost intimidating air, Connor having to take a second glance when he registered that the subject’s left eye was green and the right eye blue. A rarity that somehow seemed to fit into the man’s face and gave him an air of uniqueness and mystery and had Connor curious to see if heterochromia was a trait that was prevalent amongst his ancestors as well.

Gathering his stuff together, Connor almost reverently tucked the holopad into his bag before doing what he promised Amanda and finally heading back home, being careful not to jostle things too much in case he lost the profile access, whilst simultaneously trying to move as fast as he could possibly manage without looking suspicious, especially with how sensitive the information he’d been given was. It wasn’t until he’d finished sliding into the front seat of his car and setting it to auto-drive home before he risked retrieving the tablet once again, unlocking it and sighing in relief as the profile once again flashed onto the screen; setting it aside to retrieve his personal holopad which he always kept on him to make notes on and opening it to a new document with the intention of creating himself a checklist of potential things to watch out for whilst observing. Taking his time to carefully type out the man’s name as a heading, pressing each letter slowly as if expecting everything to be revealed as him waking from a dream with each syllable he completed. Letting out an irrational puff of air that he’d been holding to try and calm his nerves, Connor smiled as he stared down at the man’s name now typed out to completion at the head of his list, knowing tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.

Markus Manfred.

[mechaspirit]

Lost

Author’s Notes: So this is basically the aftermath of what happened after all that crazy shit going down in the final chapter of Endless Summer Book 2. Seriously, that chapter was...painful to watch. I didn’t want to restart it, but I have to just so I can gather all the idols in order to solve the puzzle. Dang, Pixelberry really has outdone themselves in Endless Summer. They know how to break our hearts on this one. Makes me wonder what’s going to happen in book 3.

So onto the actual fanfic here. Everyone in the group, of course, are separated and should still be alive somewhere on the island. Otherwise, the amber idols wouldn’t be activated in that temple. Here, I’m trying to do the possible insights on what actually happened after all that...crazy attempt to escape only to be separated again. And that’s actually worse than in the first book in my opinion. Emotional wise, of course.

Anyway, to those who are really emotional, prepare your tissues. Because...you might need it.

Rated: T

Pairings: MCxJake, DiegoxVaryyn, & CraigxZahra.

Summary: After being separated and going through the terrifying escape attempt, the gangs are left with what’s to come as well as trying to piece through what just happened.

“Diego, just go!”

“No way!”

“He’s trying to stall us! You have to go, now!”

“Hey D. You’re okay? You’re looking really pale right now.”

“Huh?!” Diego sat up straight just to see three of his friends surrounding the campfire, looking at him in concern, “Oh, sorry guys. I’m just...worried about the others. Y’know...”

“Even Yurika?” Raj asked. Seeing his head down and his hair covered his eyes indicated that Raj was correct, “Hey man. It’s okay. We’re all worried for them.”

“I know,” Diego responded as he wrapped his arms around himself, “It’s just that...I have a bad feeling for her. I didn’t want to leave Rika there even after she told us to leave without them. I mean, we did see the top part of the MASADA facility exploded. And now...”

Michelle sighed at the dark haired man’s response, “Look Diego. Yurika’s a tough girl. And she knows what to do with this kind of situation ever since we entered this island. You gotta put more trust in her. Trust me, if it weren’t for her putting others before herself, any of us would’ve been dead by now.”

Both men were surprised to see the pre-med student making an encouraging comment rather than a snarky one. Nevertheless, Raj nodded in agreement.

“Michelle’s right. We just to trust that Yurika and the other’s are fine and that they escaped! Plus, as soon as we find them, we have to save Grace as well. There’s still a lot to do before we leave this island, so don’t fret just yet, D.”

Diego managed to smile a little, seeing encouragement from his two friends. “Thanks, guys. I kinda need to hear it.”

Just then, a cold wind breezed through the campsite and Diego started shivering from the cold. Dammit. Part of him wished that they were at the Elysian Lodge instead, but none of them want to risk staying there in case Rourke and his goons managed to catch up with them and find them there, so they just have to stay at the campsite.

“Diego, you’re cold. Here.”

The Latino man felt a blanket wrapped around him and saw that the blue-skinned, golden-eye elyyshar was the one who gave the warm fabric to him.

“Thanks, Varyyn. But aren’t you cold, too?” Diego said in concern, noting the lack of warm clothing on Varyyn.

“Do not worry. I know how to adapt to the heat,” Varyyn responded, “Besides, you need it more than I do.”

The dark-haired man smiled in a loving gratitude and gently rest his head on the blue man’s shoulder. The latter responded by wrapping his arm lovingly around Diego and holding him close, telling him that he should rest for now since they still have a long journey ahead of them.

After helping Raj putting out the campfire and preparing to sleep for the night, Michelle looked up at the starless sky...and then to the remains facility where they barely managed to escape. The dark blonde hair woman can’t help but wondered what really happened to the rest of the gang. Then, she let out a whispered in prayer.

“Sean...Quinn...Yurika...everyone. Please be alright.”

Cold...Numb...Alone...Freezing...

Those were what Zahra was feeling right now ever since that damn Arachnid commander dragged her down along with him from the helicopter after she manages to electrocute him.

She did vaguely remember seeing Craig reaching out trying to save her, but failed to do so in time. Zahra may not be the most amiable person in the world, but she does care about that dumb jock a lot. No matter how much she tried to push that feeling away. Being on that crazy island made her realized that.

But is Craig still alive along with the others? Did they at least land somewhere safely? If that’s the case, is Craig still worried about her, perhaps maybe even looking for her?

Just then, as if being pulled back to the surface again, the dark hair woman woke up with a jolt, panting really heavily. As soon as Zahra readjusted her senses, and saw that she was in a white room, wearing white pajamas, and lying on a white bed. Zahra could feel white bandages wrapped around her head, and her arm was hooked to an IV as well as a heart monitor.

What the actual hell? Zahra thought, Where am I? This can’t be a hospital.

As far as the hacker genius is concerned, there are no actual hospitals in La Huerta. Hotels? They’ve been to two so far, so yes. Laboratories? No doubt about that. But hospitals? No. Definitely not normals ones unless that scumbag wants his workers to do some experiments or dissections on them. Zahra, who was trying to recover from her fall, still have no idea where the heck is she nor did she knew where Sparky went.

“Well well well. The hacker is finally awake.”

...But Zahra now knows who had found her unconscious. And that voice confirms it. She turned to her captor and glared at him menacingly.

“You...!”

Rourke can only grin in satisfaction as a response.

“Now there’s no need to be hostile like that, Namazi. In fact, I have an interesting proposal for if you’re willing to listen...”

“Ngh...Where am I?”

A young woman, possibly around twenty to twenty-one years old, woke up groggily and found herself on a sandy beach. She could hear the waves flowing and the seagulls chirping. Although the scenery is beautiful, the woman appeared to be more confused than awe with her surrounding. She has no idea why is she lay unconscious on the beach...

...nor she knows she is. Not even her name.

Slowly, the woman approached towards the shore where she can see her reflection above the clear, blue water. She could make out that she had really long, red hair and beautiful, bright blue eyes filled with confusion. Her outfit consisting of a simple white-button up shirt and blue shorts were covered in ashes, which confuses her even more because she couldn’t recall anything that she had done with anything with fire.

Just what the heck happened to her?

Suddenly, a flash appeared before her eyes. The red-headed woman could make out the sound of the alarm ringing, the helicopter flying...and another young woman around her age with long blonde hair and dark green eyes looking back at her in shock and realization.

The ginger can hear her own voice saying, “...I won’t forget you, Yurika.”

“What? Quinn, what are you-”

Then, her visions started to flash in green and that was the last thing that she could remember before everything else ended up in explosions.

Quinn? Is...is that my name? And who is Yurika?

The red hair woman clutched her head. This...this all of a sudden became too much for her to process what’s going on and what really happened to her. Unbeknownst to her, the red-headed woman’s eyes started glowing green again in confusion and remorse...

Somewhere in an unknown part of the mysterious island, a dismantled, burnt Arachnid helicopter landed in the middle of the tropical forest. Sean, Jake, Estela, and Craig were fortunate enough to survive the crash. However, that crash has cost them some medical attention due to the impact from the landings they have before that helicopter exploded.

Luckily, the survivors were able to snag a medical kit left in the helicopter before the explosions and are in the process of patching each other up. Despite their best effort of doing that, none of them are medical experts like Michelle and they wished that the Vietnamese pre-med was here to patched them up because their injuries hurt as hell.

For a couple of them, however, their physical pain from their injuries felt nothing compared to the pains in their heart.

Craig slumped down next to a palm tree and stared down at the sandy ground, looking remorse. The star quarterback noticed this and sat next to his best friend.

“Hey man. Is something wrong?” Sean asked, concerned.

“It’s...it’s nothing,” Craig muttered.

“...It’s Zahra, isn’t it?” Sean heard his partner whimpered slightly, indicating that he was right.

“I...I let her fall, Sean,” Craig cried, burying his head into his knees, “I’ve could run fast enough and grabbed her to safety, but I was too late. She...She-”

Craig couldn’t finish his words and instead, let more tears fell from his dark brown eyes. Sean gently wrapped his arm around his best friend and let the latter cried onto his shoulder. He knew how important Zahra is to Craig, and he also knew that they were starting to become closer again ever since they entered this island.

“Don’t worry, Craig. We’ll find her,” Sean told him, “We’ll find Zahra and everyone else on this island because we aren’t leaving this place without them.”

As he said this, Sean looked across the sandy path straight of them and a worried look crossed his face as he realized that Craig isn’t the only one dealing with his loss.

Meanwhile, a dead look crossed his face as Jake sat against another palm tree, blankly staring at the dark sky. There were no stars shining this time, which certainly fits the mood here. The pilot really wished that he has a flask on him, filled with whatever alcohol there is it the numb the pain inside him.

First of all, not only did Jake found out that his best friend, Mike, was alive, but he also found out that Mike turned out to be one of Lundgren’s lieutenant, Mouse. To make that situation worse, that fuckin’ commander did something to the poor guy to make him a mindless soldier and work for him. Jake could tell that because of the emotionless look Mike gave him while hanging onto to the mountain cliff of the MASADA facility. Part of Jake wished that Mike remained dead because the latter didn’t deserve to go through all of this and he also wished that he could’ve killed Lundgren sooner while he had the chance. Hell, he wasn’t a hundred percent sure if he could bring Mike back despite Yurika encouraging him that they should at least try.

Yurika...Tears began to fall from his cerulean blue eyes. The thought of his princess caused the pilot to slumped down and buried his head to his knees. Memories from that helicopter crashing were coming back to haunt him. Jake remembered hearing Yurika screaming Quinn’s name in desperation before ended up slipping out of the helicopter and clinging onto the landing ski for her dear life. Jake didn’t hesitate to abandon the control of the copter, despite Estela, Sean, and Craig cussing at him for doing so just so he can grab the young woman to safety. Unfortunately, fate had other ideas. As soon as their hands slightly touched each other, Yurika’s other hand slipped from the ski and she fell and crashed into the ocean, much to the pilot’s despair.

That was the last straw for him. Jake lost another person close to him, yet again. He lost Mike. He was forced to abandon his mother and his sister. Lost his plane. And now, he lost the love of his life. The one who can keep up with his recklessness and sarcastic banter. The one who continues to impress him with her leadership and quick-intelligent skills. The one who chooses to always be by his side to comfort him, despite his attempts to push her away. The one who revealed her love to him at the campsite on the snowy mountains after he did the same to her. And now...she’s gone. Just a slip away from his fingers.

Estela glanced at the pilot and noticed a familiar dead look on his face. It was the same look she bored when she found out that her mother was killed and it took her couple of days before she finally broke into tears after locking herself in her room. Estela knew what it was like to lose someone important to them, and Jake’s situation was no different. She knew how much Yurika meant to him...to everyone...to Estela herself especially since she always admired Yurika’s honesty and the way she handles the dangerous situation despite not being a skilled fighter herself. It was hard for all of them to handle the fact that she was gone.

The skilled assassin walked up to the crestfallen pilot and silently next to him, letting her presence at the very least calmed him down. It was the same method that her uncle used when he found Estela curled up into a ball and crying from her mother’s death. Funny thing is that neither of them is the kind of people who show affections, yet they’re attempting to comfort another people by sitting next to them and remaining silent, which works sometimes. The young brunette wasn’t sure if it’s going to work on the pilot, but at the very least she was attempting to do so.

As she does that, Estela looked up to the sky and noticed a column of smoke rising from the tip of the volcanic island realizing that their time on the island was far from over.

[lovelesswiki]

The dynamic between Natsuo and Youji has always fascinated me. Since their first appearance, they've obviously moved beyond murderous psychopath twins. I enjoy your commentary on Loveless characters so, do you have insight to offer on the Sagan Brothers?

hey! thanks for the question!

i talked a bit about natsuo and youji when i wrote this post, but ill expand on it a bit here. 

let me start by saying that i have a lot of gripes with the way loveless is written, and most of those gripes surround the fact that we’ve dropped every plot line and bit of characterization besides ‘look at this weird thing seimei’s doing!!!!!!! LOOK AT IT!!!!!”

surprisingly, though, natsuo and youji are not part of that. 

in all seriousness, natsuo and youji are the two characters in loveless who i think have been written and have remained to be written really, really well. they’ve developed and changed over the course of the series in a way that’s consistent and believable, while their core values have remained pretty much the same. what i’m trying to say here is that even though this is a manga about catboys and even though i’m talking about two genetically modified kids who can’t feel pain, natsuo and youji are written shockingly realistically. 

i talked a lot in the post i linked above about attachment theory and how it affected the sagan boys (and maybe the girls, too). the basic rundown is that developmental psychologists (developmental clinical psych is actually my specialty hahah so this may get long) have a theory about why kids sometimes act out inappropriately sometimes towards adults. from an early age, kids are supposed to ‘securely attach’ onto an adult, which basically means that kids are supposed to have a parental figure they can trust, and it’s supposed to be someone they can trust to come back and trust to comfort/soothe them in times of need, whether that’s physical needs (food, water, discomfort) or emotional needs (lonliness, pain [emotional or physical], affection, etc). kids who are not securely attached but still have some sort of attachment usually have minor developmental issues, but kids who are unable to form an attachment at all usually suffer greatly from larger emotional, behavioral, and developmental issues. 

i’ve also talked a bit about how i feel nagisa’s relationship with natsuo and youji is very…ignored or passed over. and really, it’s not completely the readership’s fault, because her treatment of them is often played for laughs. but sometimes, it’s not, and it’s in those times that it becomes apparent just how concerning her behavior is towards them, especially since it’s in those times that it’s obvious that the two are looking to her for some sort of real, parental support, and she’s reacting very badly and abusively to it.

this panel is a prime example of this, because at the time youji was expressing concern for nagisa and wanting to help her in a very normal way, and she reacts by hitting him hard while screaming that he’s useless to her. when i bring up this scene, i like to also bring up the fact that until soubi takes them in when they’re twelve (or eleven), the two of them lived with her and just because they can’t feel pain doesn’t mean that she’s allowed to hit or injure them. it doesn’t justify it–in fact, it actually makes things worse, given that any abuser could see this as a justification to do it more. 

what’s more is that after this, youji doesn’t even react. he seems to think it’s completely normal, like he’s grown up with this, and it’s that that makes me doubt, as well as her previous treatment of them, that this is a first-time or even recent thing. every interaction we have between nagisa and natsuo and youji is her being extremely cruel, cold, and overall pretty terrible to them. she never actually treats them well and it’s as if she sees them as toys rather than actual children who simply can’t feel pain.

i’ve said previously that natsuo and youji most definitely did not attach onto nagisa correctly, if at all. theres things that are incredibly off about them and her, including the way they seem to think of their relationship with nagisa as having the potential for a romantic relationship or simply just the way they are at the beginning of the series. at their introduction, the two of them are sadistic monsters who seem to want nothing more than to hurt everyone around them and behave completely outside of the norm. in fact, at their introduction, the two of them fit almost every qualification for both reactive attachment disorder and conduct disorder

(these simplify the symptoms a little bit from how i learned them in clinical classes, but it’s a good simplified rundown)

conduct disorder:

reactive attachment disorder:

it’s notable that conduct disorder is typically estimated to turn into antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) in about ~30% of cases and is sometimes seen as a precursor to ASPD. some clinicians that i’ve met actually believe that CD always turns into ASPD. in my opinion, they are wrong because of nature vs nurture AKA i believe that if it’s caught and intervened with in a healthy, correct manner, the effects of CD and RAD (which are usually co-morbid, for the record) can be reversed. some people don’t agree with that, but that’s my professional fight to fight. anyways, i keep saying at the beginning of the series because… to put it simply, Natsuo and Youji have changed and progressed more than any other character in the series, including ritsuka and soubi. 

obviously, the general treatment for RAD and CD is usually to find out why a child isn’t attaching/why they haven’t attached and change that. the cause for both of them is typically abuse and neglect, two things we’ve seen in natsuo and youji’s case with nagisa. if a clinician/case worker were to asses the situation, it would’ve been bad enough that they would’ve been taken out of the household. which is what happened, accidentally, when natsuo and youji lost the battle against soubi despite driving a nail through his hand. after that, the next step would be to put the child(ren) with someone else, someone who’s fit to be a parent and preferably, someone who will take care of them and give them what they need, and someone who will allow them to progress at their own rate with attaching. that… again, is what accidentally happened. i’m not saying that agatsuma soubi is a perfect parent or even a really good one, but he happened to be what natsuo and youji needed to start becoming normal kids and not sadistic monsters who nearly raped a woman. soubi essentially lets them do what they want with some guidelines and isn��t overbearing but takes care of them and seems to offer them some sort of parental figure to talk to if they want to. he’s not the best at it and obviously has no idea what he’s doing, but purely by coincidence, he’s doing something right. 

right now in the series, natsuo and youji are little goblins who are annoying and irritating and a bit mean to the people around them, but they’re nothing like how they were. the way they are right now is kind of how you’d expect any shitty, stuck-up middle schooler entering puberty to be. maybe they’re a little worse, but they’re absolutely nothing like how they were at some point. they’ve developed relationships with other kids, have succeeded in school, and have somewhat attached onto soubi to the point where they generally seem to do what he says and didn’t want to leave when they were called back to nagisa. in fact, they even state that living with soubi is much more preferable and enjoyable than living with nagisa.

the two of them could still clearly benefit from a lot of therapy but completely by coincidence, soubi was the right thing for them and natsuo and youji have developed to the point where they can be called protagonists who don’t really have any bad intentions anymore.

there’s something else i wanted to touch on that i mentioned above, and that’s the fact that they’ve both made offhanded comments that seem to imply that they view nagisa in a romantic/sexual light. this is something that seems to confuse fans a lot to the point where many just tend to choose to completely ignore it since they don’t want to touch that with a ten foot pole, and i don’t blame them–it’s weird and creepy and so, so out of the norm that people can’t start to comprehend it. after all, most people, to some extent or another seem to realize at least a little even if they look over it, that nagisa did raise these two and is a maternal figure. their remarks about her would make anyone uncomfortable. well, i’m here to make you all more uncomfortable by saying that this is due to abuse and is completely in-character on nagisa’s part.

emotional incest is a term that you don’t tend to hear unless it’s out of a clinical setting or from a community of people who are recovering from/dealing with abuse (justnomil on reddit uses this term rightfully a lot, for example). emotional incest is generally where someone treats their kids as if they’re their romantic/sexual partner emotionally by seeking inappropriate emotional support from their kids when that emotional support should only be sought from an adult involved with them. this is when the parent turns to the child to use them as a confident/emotional support to lean on when the child needs their emotional and physical needs fulfilled. in turn, the children feel emotionally abandoned because their parent is using them for only emotional support as if they’re a romantic partner. it doesn’t imply that there’s physical incest/sexual abuse going on, but the effects can be similar. (this is a helpful link for more info about emotional/covert incest).

in short, this seems to be what’s going on between nagisa and natsuo and youji. she’s shown in the manga dumping all of her problems and emotional problems onto natsuo and youji, who might i remind you are 11-12 years old, and never really talking to another adult about them because natsuo and youji don’t know enough to tell her that she’s doing something wrong/needs to change. when a parent does this and treats their kids this way, it can often leave the kids… feeling very strangely about the adult. oftentimes, like with physical incest, it can initially leave the kids feeling ‘special’, like they’re better than the adults, like they’re mature, and these feelings can lead towards the want to fulfill what they think is the expectation of a romantic partner. or, better said, it’s very common for kids to mistakenly develop what they attribute as romantic feelings for the parent, because they think the parent is treating them so specially and already as a romantic/sexual partner. this seems to be what’s happening with natsuo and youji in this case. i say this because while they make comments about this (’my/our woman’, wanting to be more sexually experienced for her, etc), they don’t seem to hold any actual feelings for her, but more the expectation that because of how she treats them, that this is what they’re supposed to do with her. 

emotional incest is a very hard concept to grasp because not a lot of people know about it and because of that, it’s hard to understand why natsuo and youji act the way they do towards nagisa, but i’m  pretty positive that it’s because of the fact that she treats them like romantic/sexual partners emotionally by dumping all of her emotions and problems on them and trying to have them deal with it and offering them no parental reassurance or support. this is really just another long winded way of talking about another way in which natsuo and youji attached wrongly onto nagisa, which caused the way they are in their introduction to the series.

youji and natsuo’s emotional and development problems might be better understood when looked at from a community psychology viewpoint, as well. community psych isn’t my specialty, but it’s a side passion of mine so i think i know it pretty well. community psychology basically looks at the levels of development and problems that someone has and how they can affect someone at an individual level. if someone has problems at all levels, then they are likely to be developmentally and emotionally affected at an individual level. 

above is the systems usually used in community psych. it helps us understand the connection between problems an individual has and the problems a society has and how they affect each other in this context. i’d wager to say that natsuo and youji are so developmentally and emotionally affected because they have problems at literally every level. starting off from macrosystems, they have an issue with the culture/society they’re in, given that they’re isolated by nagisa and considered outsides due to their physical condition. locally, they have similar issues–they’re completely isolated in one culture in an isolated school in an isolated town in an isolated mountainous area, and even then, they’re a little ostracized in the community because of the fact they can’t feel pain, something that’s very integrated into the culture of the Fighter-Sacrifice world. Organizationally, they’re isolated, as well, because they live with nagisa and don’t go to school in the traditional sense. they also have a ton of problems in their microsystem with their ‘family’, consisting of nagisa, and their lack of friends. overall, all of their problems and isolations in all these contexts comes down to cause problems on the individual, to the point where in the beginning, natsuo and youji do not act like normal kids at all.

it’s only after the two of them are exposed to a normal, usual culture (macrosystem), placed in a non-isolated city (local), going to a regular non-isolated diverse school (organizational), and have a somewhat functioning, healthy family and group of friends do they start to greatly improve, because all those issues have been taken off of the individual, leaving them to start developing correct attachments and overall ‘getting better’.

i know that i’ve rambled a lot about psychology and also about nagisa in this, but both those things are so heavily intertwined with natsuo and youji’s stories that it’s hard to separate them or not talk about them when trying to analyze them.

so, to combat that, let’s talk a little about them as individuals?

natsuo and youji are very interesting characters, both in-series and in meta. they’re treated interestingly in fandom [in meta]. i, like many others, treat and tend to talk about them like they’re one person, rather than two separate people. i do this a lot, and i’ve been doing it in this post, even. honestly, sometimes it’s easier to view them as two people because although they look different and have started having obviously separate personalities, the two of them are a unit and they’re so involved with each other that just like it’s hard to not talk about nagisa when analyzing them, it’s hard not to consider them as one single unit of a person when doing the same. the fact of the matter is, though, that they are two different people, and more obviously so after they’ve started living with soubi. 

originally when they were introduced, natsuo and youji seemed like they had the same personalities. they were both equally violent and malicious, and at the time, neither seemed more subdued that the other. over time, though, as they’ve started adjusting to being more ‘normal’, they’ve developed significantly different personalities. natsuo is the calmer of the two, but seems more generally upset at things happening around him. he’s developed a better mind for empathy and seeing the emotions of others and seems to follow youji usually. the empathy is a double-edged sword, though, since natsuo seems to get more easily depressed/upset at events and happenings. youji, on the other hand, has developed to be much more of a leader in his antics, but he has clear and obvious trouble empathizing with others, something that seems to frustrate him lately. he more clearly shows distress when he is distressed and seems to get much more frustrated with himself. they’ve both lost most of their violent tendencies and have developed into just generally mischievous gremlins children. i jokingly call youji the ‘hell child’ because of his tendency to start erratic misbehavior, but it’s absolutely nothing close to attempting to rape someone or killing animals and (maybe) people. 

meta-wise, this change has started a clear trend of liking natsuo and youji. i’ve discussed this same thing before, but at their introduction, you’re not supposed to like them because they’re introduced as small monsters who kill a dog, might’ve killed Sleepless, and then try to rape hitomi and drive a nail through soubi’s hand. you’re absolutely not supposed to like them and you’re supposed to want to kick soubi’s ass when he takes them in out of what you later realize is pity on his part. as they become more human and normal, though, people fall in love with them, and they eventually clearly turn ‘good’ when they willingly try to fight against seimei and then willingly volunteer to go with soubi and ritsuka for support when kio gets kidnapped, despite the fact that soubi is marked as one of the strongest fighters and is clearly able to take on bloodless on his own. 

on top of that, natsuo and youji have begun to care. this is most clear when they both get upset over ritsuka being upset over the loss of soubi and their immediate insistence that theyll help him. there’s not a whole lot in it for them, since they believe they can take care of themselves (though they can’t, but they don’t know that in canon), so they’re helping ritsuka out of what seems to be concern for someone they view as family/a very good friend. the fact that they care is actually clear before this, though, specifically when nagisa calls them back and they realize that they sort of just want to stay here, with soubi, and then they later realize that they miss him and ritsuka, and then they finally make the conscious decision to leave the woman that they’ve wanted affection from and a connection with their entire lives, and go back to soubi. they care about other people now and both of them have started to experience empathy (though youji doesn’t seem to realize that it’s what he’s feeling) and have started to view their relationship through a light in which they’re beginning to realize that it’s wrong and inappropriate and living with soubi is much better.

soubi also cares about them, even if he has weird ways of showing it. as i said, he’s not the perfect parent or even a really good one and there’s a lot of ways he can improve, but he’s somewhat what they need and part of the reason they’ve become normal children. he actually seems to treat them mostly like an adult should–namely, he doesn’t emotionally treat them like a romantic partner and doesn’t dump everything on them to sort through. he also seems to enjoy taking care of them, as well as ritsuka, and does miss them a lot when they leave. he is happy that they’re back, even though he doesn’t show it immediately, and goes far enough to enroll them in school to get them to be normal kids.

in short, i think natsuo and youji could use some heavy therapy, but they’re actually the two most well-written characters in the series, which is a little impressive given that they’re background characters. they’ve evolved and changed more than any other character in the series, to the point where they’ve become very likable protagonists, a stark difference from how they were when they were first introduced. nagisa is the cause of their developmental issues, as well as them being almost completely isolated, and they’ve changed because of the fact that they’re no longer around her or being isolated.

[marlikesthings]

This time I decided to make a post about the Tanizaki’s siblings. I put them both together since they are strongly linked one another. You can’t talk about one without mentioning the other. Anyway, like for my previous posts, I will write here why I love them and why they should be more appreciated.

First, I will talk about Tanizaki Junichiro. The first time we met Junichiro is during Atsushi’s entrance exam. He appears as a criminal tired of life, who wants to talk to the president. I feel the need, before continuing, to point out what an amazing actor Junichiro is. He had Atsushi and the readers totally fooled. Actually, had the agency not know that this was all an act, I wonder if they would have noticed he was pretending to be someone else. Dazai might have noticed though, because well, he is Dazai.

Tanizaki is a character that has a lot of potential, and I am glad the last manga chapter gave us more insight on his character. But, before talking about that, I want to talk about his partnership with Atsushi. Both of them are comically referred to as a group of wimps. Because they always worry too much, and they seem at first glance to be kind of cowards. That is obviously far from the truth. While both of them are indeed level headed, and the most “normal” ones at the agency, if you mess with their loved ones they will respond. And it won’t be beautiful to see. Especially Junichiro (since this appreciation post is dedicated, in part, to him, I will only talk about his case).

He seems to be shy, kind of awkward, level headed, but do not let this deceive you. Do not mess with Naomi or he will destroy you. The reason why I really liked chapter 48, was because, through the words of Hirotsu, we learn that Junichiro’s abilities are suited for being an assassin. Even without his words we get to see a different Tanizaki (similar to the one we saw during his fight with Steinbeck). This Tanizaki was ready to kill. He managed to fool the black lizard, an assassination squad of port mafia. I mean, if this isn’t amazing I don’t know what it is. He could have killed Gin right there if he wanted to. And what to say about his exchange with Tachihara. They all seemed afraid of Tanizaki, and at that time, he hadn’t done anything yet. Just his look was enough to send them chills in their backs. And once again I feel the need to mention, this is the mafia who we are talking about, they have probably faced so many strong adversaries, yet this guy, who for all they knew was one of the weakest among the agency members was defying them. No, he was ready to kill them without a second thought. I hope the black lizard will think twice before threatening to hurt Naomi in front of Junichiro. Also, interesting fact, they wanted to use him as a spy for port mafia. The reason why they probably thought he will be good for the job, was most likely because no one would suspect him. I mean Tanizaki doesn’t really stand out among the members, which is a skill needed for any good spy.

I like Junichiro, because there is so much more to him, than what it seems. He is an agency member, and as such he had to pass his own exam entrance to prove he was worthy of being an agency member. Aren’t agency members supposed to value life and not kill? (Unless the situation really requires so. The interesting fact about the agency is that while they are supposed to be the good guys, they aren’t really. Everyone there, except Atsushi for obvious reason (this guy is too pure and he probably believes everyone can be saved), Ranpo (because he couldn’t kill anyone even if he wanted to. He is smart, but he is also weak, and besides, that would probably be too troublesome for him. Unless, you touch the president. Then he won’t be playing anymore) and Kenji (although his case is particular, since he doesn’t seem to care, it’s like nothing surprises him. I want to see him getting mad). I do picture the others as being able to kill. Yosano abilities are made to save people, but she is strong and won’t doubt to stand up for people she cares. And, if there were to be a situation in which killing the enemy was the only solution, I think, she would do it. Same with Kunikida, the guy is an idealist, but he knows fully well he is not a hero. He did plan on leaving Kyouka behind during Atsushi’s rescue mission. Though this is due to a trauma and he is one of the kindest characters, but still). I’ve always thought that more than being the good guys they were more in the middle, in a grey zone. They aren’t bad guys (except for Dazai), but they do the jobs they are assigned to do and then leave. They know they can’t help everyone, so they don’t even try. That doesn’t make them bad persons, but it makes one wonder). Junichiro is a good example of a grey character. He is nice yes, but the fact that as soon as his sister is in danger, or even at the possibility of his sister being in danger he is willing to forget about morals, makes you wonder why was he even accepted at the agency. I say this because his values, everything he believes crumbles way to easily (he is different from Kunikida who tries so strongly to protect his ideals). But I like that about him. He feels like a character people could identify with (of course, not the killing part), but the part about him that wants to protect its loved ones is so real. He loves Naomi and therefore won’t forgive anyone hurting her. And that’s fine. Either way, in order to survive in the agency, especially now that they are at war with the mafias, they have to be more careful than ever. Junichiro must have his own reasons to join the agency and so does Naomi (although in her case, it was most likely to be with her brother), but losing Naomi is the one thing Junichiro wouldn’t forgive. Everyone at the agency must have their own reason why they joined, but I do believe the agency has become a place they could call home. Losing a member would be losing, not just a comrade, but a family member. And in Junichiro’s and Naomi’s case, it wouldn’t be just losing someone who is like a family member, but it would be losing someone with whom they share a lot of memories, their own blood, someone who can’t simply be replaced. That’s why I think Junichiro is so protective of Naomi. She doesn’t have any abilities, but she is so cheerful, full of live, and she is also younger than him. His life wouldn’t be the same without her, and he knows it. While their relationship is hard to describe, with Naomi always seducing him, it has become a part of their routine they don’t want to lose.

Second, I will be talking about Naomi. Her part will be shorter because we don't really know much about her. Well, I already mentioned her before, while talking about Junichiro, but this girl is cheerful, nice, friendly, she is such an outgoing person, hard to not love. She has a strong personality, and loves her brother a lot. Maybe too much. She is always trying to seduce her brother, and from what she says, it makes one wonder what happens when the two of them are alone in their apartment. But, while she is often used as comic relief (for example, immediately after Atsushi's exam entrance, (where she acted like a prisoner in the hands of a crazy person) she went straight to her brother, trying to seduce him. This allowed the tension that Atsushi was feeling to calm down a little bit. Though he still didn't understand what was happening), and she is not an active member of the agency (but a clerk) since she has no abilities, she shouldn't be underestimated. This girl is intelligent, and has she had an ability, I have no doubt she would be at least at Yosano's level. Which means, she would have been a strong ability user. We can see this in chapter 23, where her and Haruno tried to escape from the grasp of Steinbeck and lovecraft.

She listened to Dazai's advice and used it accordingly to the situation. They didn't manage to run away, but you have to give her credit for maintaining her calm in this situation. Especially since unlike her brother she isn't used to being chased by the mafia. Her job is to take care of the paperwork not this. Also, when Junichiro and Atsushi were tricked by Higuchi, and their lives were put in danger, Naomi used her own body to protect her brother from the impact of the bullets. And I will once again repeat, she is supposed to be a normal worker. She is so brave, so strong, and so courageous that is hard to not admire her. Also, we saw how scared she was when Atsushi attacked her in chapter 25, and why wouldn't she? She almost died at the hands of someone she probably considers a friend. Someone who also happens to be really strong. Though, it wasn't Atsushi's fault since he was being controlled by Q, but still. Yet, chapters later, when Atsushi went to excuse himself, she (and Haruno) had already forgotten what happened, they didn't hate him for what he did. They understood. She is so precious and I love her. Admire her beauty:

[johnmuffus]

7 Figure Skills Review

7 Figure Skills: A Dropshipping (High Ticket) Course Review (AJ Jomah Course)

A course focused mainly on high ticket dropshipping isn’t a common sight by any means. However, is it really worth its $1,297-5,997 packages? Is it just another dropshipping basics course? Is it good?

We’ll review today a course made by AJ Jomah on that subject. It offers 3 packages for $1,297, $2,497 and $5,997 depending on how much guidance you need, from the standard course to a “done for you” offer at the highest price.

AJ mostly dedicates to launch products, and he’s released a huge variety of courses. They span from Amazon FBA all the way to print on demand, and he’s recently focused on high ticket sales through Google ads.

He says selling high ticket products changed his life and that Google Ads is one of the best sources for finding interested buyers ready to spend money on what you’re selling.

However, you must keep in mind that high-ticket products are harder for selling, and newcomers should always start with less expensive items as you build experience.

The issue with high ticket

A lot of people forget that you take payment from your customer. Any issues and warranties must be sorted out by yourself, including refunds and replacements. The problem arises when the supplier fails to respond to your inquiries.

Imagine your customer starts a dispute with you and wins; the following step would be to initiate a dispute with your supplier. Now, what if you lose against your supplier? You’d lose both a client and a supplier.

That’s not all; you also lose the price on your item.

Dropshipping products like toys, phone accessories, or similar items would have you losing around $10-30. However, high ticket items translate into losses that could reach the $10,000 mark.

If you’re starting with a small capital (like a lot of dropshippers do), going with high ticket products could end your business with a single dispute.

Who’s the author?

Taylor owns the website remotelikeme.com, a travel blog she uses to record her experiences as well as offering worksheets, eBooks, and courses among other tools useful for digital nomads.

She started travelling in 2014 to Guatemala as a volunteer worker, and that hooked her into travelling. She’s visited almost all places in Europe and Latin America, and she started working with email marketing.

She has a Facebook group as well, and she says she’s helped many to start their remote careers. She then dedicated her time to creating courses, groups, and eBooks about getting remote work.

It’s easy to see she knows what’s she’s talking about as well.

Reviewing 7 Figure Skills

The course teaches you the basics of dropshipping high ticket stuff, and it also provides the standard dropshipping content regarding getting conversions, finding products, sales funnels, and making large profits.

Since I already know about the topic, I don’t really mind the guidance or having someone make the store for me, so I got the standard subscription for $1,297.

The other two plans include coaching for a month for $2,497 and a store done for you for the $5,997 plan.

Module 1

Here, you’re taught how to find a product or niche for your store. You get all the methods used by AJ for that goal, explained with steps. While some of the videos are mostly basic stuff, there’s also good insight, and I even managed to pick up a few tips I hadn’t considered.

You have some information on common myths and issues and how you can beat them. There’s another video on brainstorming, and all modules have downloadable plans, guides, and even worksheets.

However, it would’ve been nice to see a bit more content inside this module.

Module 2

Here, you’ll develop the ideas exposed in the previous module, with a real-life study on the possibility of generating more than $100,000 each month with a single product. Keep in mind this is for high-ticket; a $1,000 will get there much faster than a $10 or $20 one.

AJ also offers you a trademarked tool by himself to help your brainstorming, so that’s a nice addition.

You finally get a report with 214 product ideas, both high and low ticket, but they’re probably all taken now by members with the same knowledge. There’s also a worksheet for picking products.

Module 3

The third module goes into Google Ads and ways to find out the ideal price for each product. There’s also content on finding the best niches, coupled with another invitation to use his online tool.

He offers a directory with 4,000 suppliers that’s strikingly looks like Salehoo. There’s also one video with an actually neat trick for finding what your competitors are using for success, and it closes with more downloadable content like the action plan and some worksheets.

Module 4

Here’s the first time you’ll learn something you’re going to replicate. You learn how to create your store, and it includes how to set it up, which templates are good, how to expose it, developing your brand, and which plugins are the best for automating it.

Of course, there’s the mandatory downloadable plans and worksheets as always.

This module is mandatory, of course, but it’s the same content you can find on most courses available. You can even find free videos on how to use Shopify, so it’s still little to make up for the price we’re paying for the course.

Module 5

This section focuses mainly on suppliers. You’ll learn how to find and contact your suppliers, and it includes methods both for inside and outside the US, so it’s a nice addition. Besides the tips, AJ also gives you some templates and scripts.

Besides, you have a step-by-step process you can use to deal with your suppliers, and he closes the package with some reselling agreements.

A problem here is that AJ doesn’t tell you that US-based suppliers are unlikely to partner with you if you’re not a citizen in the US or own a company (offshore) in either Delaware or Wyoming.

You need a reseller ID or at least a social security number, and all of this is knowledge that AJ simply skips for some unknown reason. That’s also why so many dropshippers go to AliExpress.

Module 6

The 6th module is all about optimizing your store to get more conversion. Besides the knowledge, AJ includes some templates you can use for several pages, including your Contact and About sections.

While it’s a good intention, you should just use them as inspiration. The reason is that all other students will likely be using the same templates, so you’ll just repeat other people’s content, and Google doesn’t like that at all.

Always make sure to use content of your own, but the templates are a good reference nonetheless. You also get templates for following up emails and some final tips for conversions.

Module 7

There’s really not much to say about the 7th module on automating emails. It’s mostly just some videos explaining how to do it.

I guess his advice is OK, and you can certainly use the knowledge here and automate your emails, but he really didn’t add anything here that would set this $1,297 course from cheaper ones or even YouTube videos you can watch for free.

Module 8

The 8th module the goes into traffic and how you can use Google Ads and Shopping in your favor regarding this issue.

AJ will teach you about how you can set up your first campaign in the right way using the two platforms, and you can then build on the knowledge here for further campaigns. You also get some “hacks” you can use on Google for netting some extra traffic easily.

Besides that, he also teaches you how you should manage your marketing budget efficiently regarding the two platforms covered.

The last feature is a coaching call for free directly with either AJ or one of his associates to discuss and help with Google Shopping.

Given how AJ seems to be always busy, it seems you can only reach out to his associates, so that’s quite a boomer and makes me wonder whether or not you can actually talk to AJ.

However, the content on using Google platforms is quite good, and there’s definitely a lot of stuff you can apply there. The only issue I had (personally) was that it focuses too much on the “for dummies” approach, and there’s little to expand if you already know how to run basic campaigns or want to work on better and more advanced campaigns further down the line.

Module 9

The last module also goes into advertising, but this time it’s Facebook. Admittedly, it does feel a bit rushed and just done “for the sake of it” since high ticket dropshipping doesn’t really benefit a lot from traffic generated through Facebook.

Think about it: most people use social media to kill some time, know what’s going on with their friends and people they like, and of course, looking at memes. It’s a bit naïve to think that someone who’s focused on that is prone to spend over $1,000 on some furniture just because it showed up on their feed.

However, there’s always a few things to pick up from AJ, it seems, so this knowledge actually works for people looking to retarget their ads.

Facebook group & refunds

Finally, you have the standard eCommerce private Facebook group, yet AJ claims that accessing this community would normally be worth nearly $2,000. That claim is really hard to believe, seeing how having a private group is the norm with these types of courses.

This one in particular is pretty inactive as well.

Finally, you can get your money back via Stripe if you don’t feel satisfied by the course within the first month. The refund says to be given without asking any questions, and I certainly didn’t find any terms stating you have to prove completion of the necessary steps for a refund.

Final Verdict

Overall, the course doesn’t quite match my requirements for it to be worth its asking prices. The standard plan’s price tag is already really expensive, and I seriously doubt that the coaching can make up for the additional cost on the 2nd plan.

Finally, the third one does offer you an entire business set up with all pages and traffic strategies. However, it also offers you an entire year of coaching and accounting calling plus whatever the annual beach retreat is.

It all sounds too good, and it’ll probably be.

As is, I wouldn’t recommend it. There’s some quality insight and knowledge spread throughout, but it’s just not enough for its asking price.

What you should get instead

I’d recommend you get eCom Elites for either $197 or $297. It offers more content, more depth and a larger community.

Besides, you’ll also save over $1,000 which can go right into your marketing campaigns and business or learning more about all the other tools available!

I hope you found this review useful and if you have any questions, please comment down below. I’ll be more than happy to assist you.

Once again, thanks for reading my 7 Figure Skills Review and I wish you the best of luck.

The post 7 Figure Skills Review appeared first on Only Genuine Reviews.

source https://www.onlygenuinereviews.com/7-figure-skills-review/ source https://onlygenuinereviews.tumblr.com/post/190170369042

[fragile-pleasehandlewithcare]

i can't believe im making a tumblr post

well currently i have been having insomnia. and my therapist says ~~writing my feelings~~ will hell so here's a shot.

everything in my life is fine. i literally could not be happier in my job. i never imagined i could be so loved in a place of work. my co workers are some of the kindest and most amazing people i could meet in a fast food job, my bosses love me, and im actually really fucking good at being a manager.

school is equally fine. i still make great grades of course, but now i actually feel as if i am working towards something. something greater than myself. even if im not quite sure what. and most importantly, i get to graduate soon.

my life is probably the most ~~adventurous it ever has been. i went to fucking italia. and i managed to do so with no expectations of what would happen. i paid for my trip and had a life altering experience as typical as it sounds. i found meaning. and italy gave me two damn good friends. and made me realize for once, i was the most emotionally stable one of the group. shocking. italy showed me what true happiness feels life. and made me more content with my daily life.

my mental health is stable. so ironic right? i still go to therapy and i finally cut out all the people that i always complained about. life feels better when you're able to distance yourself. and the weirdest part of it all is i fucking love being alone. i can't wait to get home and literally just be with my own thoughts. i ditch plans to hang out with myself. and i learned how to say no to just about everything besides work occasionally.

i began to love a normal girl. she's 24 and was my fucking manager (insert hypocritical eyeroll) but she has amazing dogs that love me surprisingly and even come over to my house. and my mom likes her and doesn't mind her over ever even if she's coming over drunk at 3am. and for the first time, i understand boundaries with people i care about. i still don't know if i want to be with her, but im watching her do her own thing and get better (hopefully) but i finally learned i can't control people. and i really don't care what goes on between us, as long as i don't start to deeply care or get attached.

i started to like a guy. REALLY insane huh. he's everything i have ever wanted in a person. he's passionate and funny and serious and takes ME seriously. and adds new value and insight into my life and also really thinks im an amazing person. i think because of what he could be i stay away. what if i really am just a lesbian? what if i can only have casual sex with men and DONT enjoy it on a regular basis? i don't really know what's going on there, but it's interesting for sure.

ive become content with not knowing. i really don't think i ever know what's going on ever. but i do understand how to live now, and that's what matters. i think about a lot of things, and i can't lie and say i never think myself to death over you. if you ever wondered what was going on. here's a really simple version bc we all know im fucking dramatic. but i hope you're well. and i guess this is a thank you for everything. the pain, the hurt, the love, the fun. i can honestly say i spent the first twenty years of life hating myself and now, i am my own best friend. everything we got through pushed me to become this way. and even with the commitment issues and distrust and anxiety that i now harbour, you were so worth becoming who i am today.

[nancygduarteus]

How Buddhism Became Therapy

Dressed in flowing gold robes, the bald female meditation teacher told us to do nothing. We were to sit silently in our plastic chairs, close our eyes, and focus on our breath. I had never meditated, but I’d gone to church, so I instinctively bowed my head. Then I realized that, since this would last for 15 minutes, I should probably find a more comfortable long-term neck position.

This was the first of two meditation sessions of the Kadampa Buddhism class I attended this week near my house in Northern Virginia, and I did not reach nirvana. Since we were in a major city, occasional sirens outside blasted through the quiet, and since this was a church basement, people were laughing and talking in the hallways. One guy wandered in to ask if this was an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. The more we focused on our breath, the teacher assured us, the more these distractions would fade away.

After we had meditated for 15 minutes, the teacher shifted focus to the topic of the class: Letting go of resentments. This was the real reason I had come to this meditation class, rather than simply meditating on my own at home with an app. I wanted to learn more about Buddhism and how its teachings might be able to improve my mental health—and that of the myriads of other Americans who have flocked to some form of the religion in recent years. These newcomers aren’t necessarily seeking spiritual enlightenment or a faith community, but rather a quick boost of cognitive healing.

The people I spoke with were young and old, but rarely Buddhist by birth. Perhaps some have just run out of options: Mental-health disorders are up in Western societies, and the answer doesn’t seem to be church attendance, which is down. There’s always therapy, but it’s so expensive. My meditation class was $12.

As she opened a book on Buddhist teachings, the teacher told the class it’s harmful to hold grudges. Resentment feels like holding on to a burning stick and complaining that it’s burning us. And yet, being harmed by someone also hurts. So, the teacher said, the question was this: “What do I do with my mind if I feel like I’ve been harmed by someone?”

Americans everywhere seem to be asking themselves variations on this very question: What do we do with our minds?

The forty-something dad in Los Angeles was plateauing. He had achieved most of his career goals, rising to the level of senior manager at a large company. But the competitive nature of the work had taken its toll on his marriage, and he was in the process of getting a divorce. He rarely saw his grown children. “In short, I am going through a midlife crisis,” the dad told me via email, a few days before I attended the meditation class. (He asked to remain anonymous because his divorce and other struggles aren’t public.)

Last year, this dad turned to traditional psychotherapy for a few months, but he didn’t see as much of a benefit from it as he had hoped. He felt like he was mostly being taught to justify destructive emotions and behaviors. His therapist did, however, recommend two books that were helpful: How to Be an Adult in Relationships, by David Richo, and The Wise Heart by Jack Kornfield. Both authors work in Buddhist themes and ideas, and earlier this year they introduced him to the practice of meditation.

Hungry for more, the dad recently attended a Buddhist meditation class in Hollywood, where he learned ways to deepen his own meditation practice and to change his approach to relationships. Now, he feels more open and is willing to be more vulnerable around his family and friends. “As a Catholic, I struggle with some of the religious concepts,” he says, “But it doesn’t prevent me from adopting the Buddhist techniques and philosophies.” Besides, he told me, it really does seem like the universe is putting Buddhism in front of him now.

Though precise numbers on its popularity are hard to come by, Buddhism does seem to be emerging in the Western, type-A universe. The journalist Robert Wright’s Why Buddhism is True became a bestseller in 2017. Buddhist meditation centers have recently popped up in places like Knoxville, Tennessee, and Lakewood, Ohio. There are now dozens of Buddhist podcasts, which doesn’t include all the apps and playlists that are geared specifically toward personal, non-Buddhist meditation. Four in 10 American adults now say they meditate at least weekly.

Hugh Byrne, the director of the Center for Mindful Living meditation center in Washington, D.C., says the local meditation community has “blossomed in the past few years.” As I stress-Ubered from meeting to meeting in D.C. recently, I noticed a few “meditation spaces” have opened up where far more consumerist establishments used to be. Academic research on mindfulness meditation has also exploded, making what in the West was once an esoteric practice for hippies more akin to a life-hack for all.

Buddhism has been popular in various forms among certain celebrities and tech elites, but the religion’s primary draw for many Americans now appears to be mental health. The ancient religion, some find, helps them manage the slings and arrows and subtweets of modern life. Many people are stressed out by the constant drama of the current administration, and work hours have overwhelmed the day. There’s something newly appealing about a practice that instructs you to just sit, be aware, and realize nothing lasts forever. Perhaps it’s simply comforting to know that the problems that bedevil humans have been around since long before Gmail.

A few themes and ideas seem to unite the disparate experiences of the people I interviewed. The Buddha’s first “Noble Truth” is that “life is suffering,” and many of Buddhism’s newly minted Western practitioners have interpreted this to mean that accepting emotional pain might be preferable to trying to alleviate it. “Buddhism admits that suffering is inevitable,�� says Daniel Sanchez, a 24-year-old in New Jersey. “I shouldn’t focus on avoiding suffering, but learn how to deal with suffering.”

In addition to meditating every morning and night, Sanchez reads the Diamond Sutra and Heart Sutra, texts from the early Middle Ages, and listens to zen talks. The sutras are quite a departure from the normal content of psychotherapy, in which one might ponder what truly makes one happy. Buddhist thought suggests that one should not compulsively crave comfort and avoid discomfort, which some see as permission to hop off the hedonic treadmill.

A Colorado life coach named Galen Bernard told me that Comfortable with Uncertainty, by the Buddhist nun Pema Chodron, has influenced his well-being more than anything, except perhaps his very first experience on Prozac. He says the book and its teachings have helped him avoid labeling certain experiences as negative by default. For example, transitioning to a friendship with an ex-girlfriend after a breakup was painful for him at first, but Chodron’s and others’ writings helped him see that “it might seem like too much pain,” he says, “but actually it’s just an experience I’m having that … can actually be a portal to joy on the other side.”

For decades, people have been attempting self-improvement through classes and seminars, many of which incorporated elements of Eastern religions. The Human Potential Movement of the 1960s influenced the work of the foundational psychologist Abraham Maslow and, perhaps less positively, the Rajneesh movement documented in the Netflix show Wild Wild Country. In the 1970s, the organization Erhard Seminars Training, or EST, offered courses on how to “take responsibility for your life” and “get it.”

What’s different—and perhaps comforting—about Buddhism is that it’s an existing religion practiced by half a billion people. Because relatively few caucasian Americans grew up Buddhist, they generally don’t associate any familial baggage with it like some do with, say, the Christianity or Judaism of their childhoods. While liberating, this also means that the practice of secular Buddhism often differs dramatically from the religion itself. All of the secular practitioners I spoke with for this piece are reading different books, listening to different podcasts, and following different teachers and traditions. Their interpretations of Buddhist teachings aren’t necessarily consistent with one another or with traditional texts.

I ran some of their insights by an expert in Buddhism, David McMahan at Franklin and Marshall College, who said some of these Western interpretations are slightly morphed from Buddhism’s original cultures and contexts. Buddhism carries with it a set of values and morals that white Americans don’t always live by. Much like “Cafeteria Catholics” ignore parts of the religion that don’t resonate with them, some Westerners focus on only certain elements of Buddhist philosophy and don’t endorse, say, Buddhism’s view of reincarnation or worship of the Buddha. Call them Buffet Buddhists.

Taken out of their Buddhist context, practices like meditation “become like a dry sponge,” McMahan said, “soaking up whatever values are around.” Traditional monks don’t “meditate for business.”

This so-called “secular Buddhism,” says Autry Johnson, a Colorado bartender and tourism worker who meditates regularly, “is a little more accessible to people that wouldn’t primarily identify as Buddhists, or already identify with another religion or philosophy but want to adopt aspects of Buddhist practice to supplement their current worldview.” (Indeed, many meditation centers emphasize that you don’t have to be Buddhist to attend sessions.)

Buffet Buddhism may not be traditional, but its flexibility does allow its adherents to more easily employ the philosophy for an anti-depressive jolt. Some people practice Buddhism and meditation as an alternative to psychotherapy or psychiatric medication, given mental health care’s cost and scarcity: Sixty percent of counties in the U.S. don’t have a single psychiatrist. “I have pretty good health insurance,” Bernard says, “but if I want support, it’s a month and a half to see someone new. Having a resource that I can pop open is invaluable.”

Some people turn to both Buddhism and psychotherapy. “There’s an overlap between the reason people will come to therapy and the reason they come to meditation,” says Byrne, the director of the Center for Mindful Living. Some therapists are even starting to incorporate Buddhist concepts into their practices. Tara Brach, a psychologist and the founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C., offers meditations and talks with titles like “From Human Doing to Human Being” on her website. In Texas, the psychologist Molly Layton encourages clients to mindfully “sit with their thoughts,” rather than to “jump into the cycle of their thinking.”

Mary Liz Austin, who practices psychotherapy at the Center for Mindful Living, similarly helps clients see that “it’s the attachment to the outcome that really causes suffering.” Another favorite teaching of hers is Chodron’s aphorism that “everything is workable.” This means, essentially, that something good might come out of even the worst moments. “I’m having an experience right now with my father in law. He’s dying of cancer. It’s a shitty situation,” Austin says. “But what I’m seeing is that the fruits of this cancer diagnosis is everyone is by his bedside, everyone is showing amazing love to him, and that allows the people in your life to show up in a way that you see so much what matters.”

At times, it’s the meditation teachers who sound more like psychotherapists, offering practical tips for dealing with existential quandaries. Byrne, a meditation teacher, wrote a book about the power of mindfulness for habit change. He uses mindfulness meditation to help people understand impermanence, another Buddhist teaching. The idea is to see your emotions and experiences—including anxiety or pain—as constantly changing, “like a weather system coming through,” Byrne says. Everything, eventually, ends.

Cecilia Saad found this to be an especially attractive element of Buddhism. A close friend of hers was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, and Saad was impressed by how calm she remained throughout her diagnosis and treatment. “We’ve talked a lot about her outlook, and she always goes back to her Buddhism,” she says. Now, when Saad is stressed about something, the concept of impermanence helps her to imagine that she’s already survived the event she’s dreading.

At my meditation class, the teacher read from her book in her even, perfectly unaccented voice. The book told us to consider that there are two reasons someone might cause us harm: It’s their nature to be harmful, or a temporary circumstance caused them to act in a harmful way. Either way, the teacher said, it doesn’t make sense to be angry at the person. The nature of water is wet, so you wouldn’t rage at the rain for getting you wet. And you wouldn’t curse the clouds for temporarily having a weather system that causes a downpour.

“When are we compelled to hurt people?” she asked, rhetorically. “When we’re in pain. It’s easy, if you see the fear, to have some compassion.”

She asked us to close our eyes and meditate again, this time while thinking about letting go of resentment toward someone who had harmed us.​ I shifted awkwardly and wondered how the burly guy sitting in front of me wearing a “Lift Life” t-shirt felt. I was having trouble focusing on resentment, and my eyes flickered open involuntarily. It was 30 degrees outside, yet most of the seats were taken. The fullness was uplifting. Still,  it was remarkable that so many of us were willing to stumble through the freezing dark just to take in some basic wisdom about how to be less sad.

In Sunday school, when you opened your eyes during prayer, other kids would tell on you, thereby implicating themselves as having opened their eyes, too. That’s how people are sometimes, I thought: They’ll burn themselves for the chance to harm someone else. I took a deep breath and tried to have compassion for them anyway.

from Health News And Updates https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/03/buddhism-meditation-anxiety-therapy/584308/?utm_source=feed

[ionecoffman]

How Buddhism Became Therapy

Dressed in flowing gold robes, the bald female meditation teacher told us to do nothing. We were to sit silently in our plastic chairs, close our eyes, and focus on our breath. I had never meditated, but I’d gone to church, so I instinctively bowed my head. Then I realized that, since this would last for 15 minutes, I should probably find a more comfortable long-term neck position.

This was the first of two meditation sessions of the Kadampa Buddhism class I attended this week near my house in Northern Virginia, and I did not reach nirvana. Since we were in a major city, occasional sirens outside blasted through the quiet, and since this was a church basement, people were laughing and talking in the hallways. One guy wandered in to ask if this was an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. The more we focused on our breath, the teacher assured us, the more these distractions would fade away.

After we had meditated for 15 minutes, the teacher shifted focus to the topic of the class: Letting go of resentments. This was the real reason I had come to this meditation class, rather than simply meditating on my own at home with an app. I wanted to learn more about Buddhism and how its teachings might be able to improve my mental health—and that of the myriads of other Americans who have flocked to some form of the religion in recent years. These newcomers aren’t necessarily seeking spiritual enlightenment or a faith community, but rather a quick boost of cognitive healing.

The people I spoke with were young and old, but rarely Buddhist by birth. Perhaps some have just run out of options: Mental-health disorders are up in Western societies, and the answer doesn’t seem to be church attendance, which is down. There’s always therapy, but it’s so expensive. My meditation class was $12.

As she opened a book on Buddhist teachings, the teacher told the class it’s harmful to hold grudges. Resentment feels like holding on to a burning stick and complaining that it’s burning us. And yet, being harmed by someone also hurts. So, the teacher said, the question was this: “What do I do with my mind if I feel like I’ve been harmed by someone?”

Americans everywhere seem to be asking themselves variations on this very question: What do we do with our minds?

The forty-something dad in Los Angeles was plateauing. He had achieved most of his career goals, rising to the level of senior manager at a large company. But the competitive nature of the work had taken its toll on his marriage, and he was in the process of getting a divorce. He rarely saw his grown children. “In short, I am going through a midlife crisis,” the dad told me via email, a few days before I attended the meditation class. (He asked to remain anonymous because his divorce and other struggles aren’t public.)

Last year, this dad turned to traditional psychotherapy for a few months, but he didn’t see as much of a benefit from it as he had hoped. He felt like he was mostly being taught to justify destructive emotions and behaviors. His therapist did, however, recommend two books that were helpful: How to Be an Adult in Relationships, by David Richo, and The Wise Heart by Jack Kornfield. Both authors work in Buddhist themes and ideas, and earlier this year they introduced him to the practice of meditation.

Hungry for more, the dad recently attended a Buddhist meditation class in Hollywood, where he learned ways to deepen his own meditation practice and to change his approach to relationships. Now, he feels more open and is willing to be more vulnerable around his family and friends. “As a Catholic, I struggle with some of the religious concepts,” he says, “But it doesn’t prevent me from adopting the Buddhist techniques and philosophies.” Besides, he told me, it really does seem like the universe is putting Buddhism in front of him now.

Though precise numbers on its popularity are hard to come by, Buddhism does seem to be emerging in the Western, type-A universe. The journalist Robert Wright’s Why Buddhism is True became a bestseller in 2017. Buddhist meditation centers have recently popped up in places like Knoxville, Tennessee, and Lakewood, Ohio. There are now dozens of Buddhist podcasts, which doesn’t include all the apps and playlists that are geared specifically toward personal, non-Buddhist meditation. Four in 10 American adults now say they meditate at least weekly.

Hugh Byrne, the director of the Center for Mindful Living meditation center in Washington, D.C., says the local meditation community has “blossomed in the past few years.” As I stress-Ubered from meeting to meeting in D.C. recently, I noticed a few “meditation spaces” have opened up where far more consumerist establishments used to be. Academic research on mindfulness meditation has also exploded, making what in the West was once an esoteric practice for hippies more akin to a life-hack for all.

Buddhism has been popular in various forms among certain celebrities and tech elites, but the religion’s primary draw for many Americans now appears to be mental health. The ancient religion, some find, helps them manage the slings and arrows and subtweets of modern life. Many people are stressed out by the constant drama of the current administration, and work hours have overwhelmed the day. There’s something newly appealing about a practice that instructs you to just sit, be aware, and realize nothing lasts forever. Perhaps it’s simply comforting to know that the problems that bedevil humans have been around since long before Gmail.

A few themes and ideas seem to unite the disparate experiences of the people I interviewed. The Buddha’s first “Noble Truth” is that “life is suffering,” and many of Buddhism’s newly minted Western practitioners have interpreted this to mean that accepting emotional pain might be preferable to trying to alleviate it. “Buddhism admits that suffering is inevitable,” says Daniel Sanchez, a 24-year-old in New Jersey. “I shouldn’t focus on avoiding suffering, but learn how to deal with suffering.”

In addition to meditating every morning and night, Sanchez reads the Diamond Sutra and Heart Sutra, texts from the early Middle Ages, and listens to zen talks. The sutras are quite a departure from the normal content of psychotherapy, in which one might ponder what truly makes one happy. Buddhist thought suggests that one should not compulsively crave comfort and avoid discomfort, which some see as permission to hop off the hedonic treadmill.

A Colorado life coach named Galen Bernard told me that Comfortable with Uncertainty, by the Buddhist nun Pema Chodron, has influenced his well-being more than anything, except perhaps his very first experience on Prozac. He says the book and its teachings have helped him avoid labeling certain experiences as negative by default. For example, transitioning to a friendship with an ex-girlfriend after a breakup was painful for him at first, but Chodron’s and others’ writings helped him see that “it might seem like too much pain,” he says, “but actually it’s just an experience I’m having that … can actually be a portal to joy on the other side.”

For decades, people have been attempting self-improvement through classes and seminars, many of which incorporated elements of Eastern religions. The Human Potential Movement of the 1960s influenced the work of the foundational psychologist Abraham Maslow and, perhaps less positively, the Rajneesh movement documented in the Netflix show Wild Wild Country. In the 1970s, the organization Erhard Seminars Training, or EST, offered courses on how to “take responsibility for your life” and “get it.”

What’s different—and perhaps comforting—about Buddhism is that it’s an existing religion practiced by half a billion people. Because relatively few caucasian Americans grew up Buddhist, they generally don’t associate any familial baggage with it like some do with, say, the Christianity or Judaism of their childhoods. While liberating, this also means that the practice of secular Buddhism often differs dramatically from the religion itself. All of the secular practitioners I spoke with for this piece are reading different books, listening to different podcasts, and following different teachers and traditions. Their interpretations of Buddhist teachings aren’t necessarily consistent with one another or with traditional texts.

I ran some of their insights by an expert in Buddhism, David McMahan at Franklin and Marshall College, who said some of these Western interpretations are slightly morphed from Buddhism’s original cultures and contexts. Buddhism carries with it a set of values and morals that white Americans don’t always live by. Much like “Cafeteria Catholics” ignore parts of the religion that don’t resonate with them, some Westerners focus on only certain elements of Buddhist philosophy and don’t endorse, say, Buddhism’s view of reincarnation or worship of the Buddha. Call them Buffet Buddhists.

Taken out of their Buddhist context, practices like meditation “become like a dry sponge,” McMahan said, “soaking up whatever values are around.” Traditional monks don’t “meditate for business.”

This so-called “secular Buddhism,” says Autry Johnson, a Colorado bartender and tourism worker who meditates regularly, “is a little more accessible to people that wouldn’t primarily identify as Buddhists, or already identify with another religion or philosophy but want to adopt aspects of Buddhist practice to supplement their current worldview.” (Indeed, many meditation centers emphasize that you don’t have to be Buddhist to attend sessions.)

Buffet Buddhism may not be traditional, but its flexibility does allow its adherents to more easily employ the philosophy for an anti-depressive jolt. Some people practice Buddhism and meditation as an alternative to psychotherapy or psychiatric medication, given mental health care’s cost and scarcity: Sixty percent of counties in the U.S. don’t have a single psychiatrist. “I have pretty good health insurance,” Bernard says, “but if I want support, it’s a month and a half to see someone new. Having a resource that I can pop open is invaluable.”

Some people turn to both Buddhism and psychotherapy. “There’s an overlap between the reason people will come to therapy and the reason they come to meditation,” says Byrne, the director of the Center for Mindful Living. Some therapists are even starting to incorporate Buddhist concepts into their practices. Tara Brach, a psychologist and the founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, D.C., offers meditations and talks with titles like “From Human Doing to Human Being” on her website. In Texas, the psychologist Molly Layton encourages clients to mindfully “sit with their thoughts,” rather than to “jump into the cycle of their thinking.”

Mary Liz Austin, who practices psychotherapy at the Center for Mindful Living, similarly helps clients see that “it’s the attachment to the outcome that really causes suffering.” Another favorite teaching of hers is Chodron’s aphorism that “everything is workable.” This means, essentially, that something good might come out of even the worst moments. “I’m having an experience right now with my father in law. He’s dying of cancer. It’s a shitty situation,” Austin says. “But what I’m seeing is that the fruits of this cancer diagnosis is everyone is by his bedside, everyone is showing amazing love to him, and that allows the people in your life to show up in a way that you see so much what matters.”

At times, it’s the meditation teachers who sound more like psychotherapists, offering practical tips for dealing with existential quandaries. Byrne, a meditation teacher, wrote a book about the power of mindfulness for habit change. He uses mindfulness meditation to help people understand impermanence, another Buddhist teaching. The idea is to see your emotions and experiences—including anxiety or pain—as constantly changing, “like a weather system coming through,” Byrne says. Everything, eventually, ends.

Cecilia Saad found this to be an especially attractive element of Buddhism. A close friend of hers was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, and Saad was impressed by how calm she remained throughout her diagnosis and treatment. “We’ve talked a lot about her outlook, and she always goes back to her Buddhism,” she says. Now, when Saad is stressed about something, the concept of impermanence helps her to imagine that she’s already survived the event she’s dreading.

At my meditation class, the teacher read from her book in her even, perfectly unaccented voice. The book told us to consider that there are two reasons someone might cause us harm: It’s their nature to be harmful, or a temporary circumstance caused them to act in a harmful way. Either way, the teacher said, it doesn’t make sense to be angry at the person. The nature of water is wet, so you wouldn’t rage at the rain for getting you wet. And you wouldn’t curse the clouds for temporarily having a weather system that causes a downpour.

“When are we compelled to hurt people?” she asked, rhetorically. “When we’re in pain. It’s easy, if you see the fear, to have some compassion.”

She asked us to close our eyes and meditate again, this time while thinking about letting go of resentment toward someone who had harmed us.​ I shifted awkwardly and wondered how the burly guy sitting in front of me wearing a “Lift Life” t-shirt felt. I was having trouble focusing on resentment, and my eyes flickered open involuntarily. It was 30 degrees outside, yet most of the seats were taken. The fullness was uplifting. Still,  it was remarkable that so many of us were willing to stumble through the freezing dark just to take in some basic wisdom about how to be less sad.

In Sunday school, when you opened your eyes during prayer, other kids would tell on you, thereby implicating themselves as having opened their eyes, too. That’s how people are sometimes, I thought: They’ll burn themselves for the chance to harm someone else. I took a deep breath and tried to have compassion for them anyway.

Article source here:The Atlantic

[streetsmartbusinessschool-blog]

Step by step instructions to get "Within Dirt" From Prospective Employers Right before Your Interview

Let's be honest. Its basic information that on the off chance that you spoil your initial introduction before the meeting, be a daunting task for you in shutting any position. That is the reason numerous purported "talk with specialists" hammer in the significance of putting your best foot forward and establishing a fabulous first connection. Well as I would like to think, besides getting dressed and looking all extravagant for your meetings, the hands down most ideal approach to establish an exceptional first connection is find out about the organization and its VALUES than your opposition does. Learning is control all things considered.

So what's the most ideal approach to build your insight about the organization you're going to go on a meeting with? Why not get it straight from the source? by calling the workers of the organization and ASKING.

"Be that as it may, imagine a scenario in which I mess up?" "Consider the possibility that I establish a terrible first connection?" "I don’t need to RISK botching my odds with them.

These are on the whole substantial inquiries and stresses that most undergrads have. Which is even more motivation behind why you'll have the capacity to emerge... since you'll know something that they don't. Most understudies don't get the succulent data that they have to succeed on the grounds that most of the populace likes to pursue the equivalent out of date techniques that our folks utilized when they were our age. Consider it, in the event that you utilize indistinguishable procedures from every other person? How is it conceivable to try and get an opportunity at emerging and landing the position that you need? I state we need an alternate methodology. One that has never been utilize  by anybody before and fit for the levels of popularity of the present high paced society.

On the off chance that you pursue my "Mystery", Jedi Mind Trick method I can guarantee you that you will feel like you're in more control amid your meetings rather than the other route around when you're asked an extreme inquiry. Rather than tongue-tied or lamenting that you should've invested more energy inquiring about the organization, you'll be certain, gathered, and responsible for your contemplations and feelings.

You'll have the capacity to leave the meeting realizing that you gave a standout amongst the best reactions out of the entirety of your opposition as a result of the data you gathered and sorted out from this system. In any case, on the off chance that you overlook this strategy and neglect to actualize it, you'll lose your one shot at establishing a decent connection.

So how would we get around looking dumb?

Great inquiry

I'd like to acquaint you with an idea I like to call Suicide Calling. Suicide Calling is the place you accomplice up with one of your companions, ideally somebody you know and trust who is known for being beguiling via telephone, and you have them 3-path call (with you on the other line) one of your imminent managers as a potential applicant communicating enthusiasm for the position that you're applying for.

Give your companion a rundown of inquiries to test for in which you can use for your meeting (organization wellbeing in current economy, names of procuring directors, dept. heads, affiliations or philanthropies that the organization underpins, and so forth.). There should be some readiness and planning done toward the front before deciding, and you achievement will be specifically associated with the nature of your inquiries.

What I adore about this system is that your companion (the suicide guest) does not need to lie about his name or where he goes to class or any of his experience. As it were, he doesn't need to get into "character" or be deluding or any of that garbage. Your companion can absolutely be the alluring individual he/she normally is (which is the thing that you need them to be on the grounds that the strategy works better that way).

The greatest advantage to this procedure is that your companion truly has the permit to bite the dust and everything would be cool since it’s not you that is deciding. No hazard. A lot of remuneration.

In many cases I'll experience a companion who is wary and reluctant about volunteering their administrations for this strategy. What I prescribe you do is be the suicide guest for them FIRST and let them see with their own eyes how the procedure functions. Now and again individuals simply need to comprehend the procedure before they'll need to focus on it... also, that is O.K. When you've prevailing with regards to discovering some important data for your companion to use in their pursuit of employment, you'll be amazed at how eager they'll be in giving back where it’s due to you.

When you can recover the delicious data that you need, you'll have the capacity to associate with your questioners at a totally new dimension. You'll begin seeing everybody from over the table out of the blue clinging to your each word. The employing administrators will be anxious to contract you since you'll have the capacity to show that you definitely find out about their organization than some other hopeful who’s sat opposite them, which implies less preparing time in getting you acquainted with the organization and additional time and cash spared. Then again on the off chance that you don’t get within data you need, your questioners will be exhausted with you since you won't be any not the same as any of your rivals. They will end the meeting prior and send you out the door so they can return to talking REAL prospects, and quit squandering their time with you.

It’s critical to recollect that not all suicide guests will be as beguiling as you'd like them to be and not all "guards" will spoon feed you significant data. Diligence is critical. On the off chance that you can get only one gold chunk of a snippet of data to use in your resume or meeting, it'll be definitely justified even despite the exertion.

[blog-optimisticcoffeestuden-blog]

Washington Navy Yard District of Columbia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 20391

"Washington Navy Yard District of Columbia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 20391

Washington Navy Yard District of Columbia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 20391

BEST ANSWER:  Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://howmuchisinsurance.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr 

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Washington Navy Yard District of Columbia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 20391

Washington Navy Yard District of Columbia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 20391

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Where have you gotten your cheapest car insurance from? Who has the best rates?!?

Washington Navy Yard District of Columbia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 20391

Washington Navy Yard District of Columbia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 20391

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Wats the cheapest car insurance company for young drivers?

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How much is car insurance in schaumburg illinois?

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There was mature man who was very successful in business. I think he was 35 or 40. He finally got his new drivers license and decided to buy a $90,000 car. He bought it for cash, to save on interest on the loan. When he tried to get insurance it was $10,000 a year for liability and collision insurance. He asked if he could return the car, but since it was no longer 'brand new' he would loose $10,000. If he kept it the insurance would be $30,000 for the first 3 years! He kept it.... too bad he didn't know anything about insurance before he bought it! He should have had a cheap car in his name with just liability insurance, for 3 years before he went out and bought his dream car. This would have created insurance history . That together with his over 25 years old status would have cut insurance expenses way way, down.""

Metlife Autoinsurance claim. Will rate increase?

I am under my parents metlife auto insurance.. recently my 03 DTS was hit in a hit and run while parked in the parking lot and my right bumper is cracked and tailight is slightly damaged.. I took it to local body shop and got an estimate of $932.00 for repair. Insurance deductible is $250 There are no claims on my familys auto-insurance, My parents are to worried that it may increase their insurance rate if a claim is filed... When I called Metlife to ask them would there be an increase if claim was filed they gave a B.S. answer saying that they dont know until after everything is done and then they decide.... So from your guys experience do you think rate will increase?........ If I cant proove that it woulnt increase its looking like Im gonna have to pull $932 out of my pockets""

What is a good affordable maternity health insurance in Kansas?

My husband just switched jobs and the health ins. provider is too expensive for us to carry. I plan on getting my children on healthwave but I need something for myself. I'm not currently pregnant but am wanting to start trying. I figure I should check into ins. before I make that commitment.

Is it a legal requirement in Texas to have health insurance?

after i graduate high school and when i turn 18 and move out i will not be a full time student there for not covered under my parents insurances in any way... so is it a legal requirement in Texas for me to have health insurance like it is for car insurance? thanks in advance

Is there any way of avoiding finance charges on monthly motor insurance ?

Like everyone, I'm strapped for cash and the other half's credit cards are maxxed out. In fact I'm so considered so bad for credit now even a loan shark wouldn't touch me with a bargepole despite having a job and being a discharged bankrupt - however my car insurance is due. Is there any way around the extra charges ? My renewal quote was 258 if payed in one lump, yet searching for monthly payments my cheapest payback is 366 over 12 months. Not that I'd ever accuse the banks of ripping us off. Any idea's ??""

How much does having a reliable car and insurance effect child visitation through the courts?

Here in California

How much would it cost for monthly insurance on a Dodge Viper 2009?

Im doing a math project at school and we have to buy a car. What would the approximate cost be to insure it monthly?

Where Can I Get Cheap Car Insurance?

I drive a Jeep Cherokee 2004. I am looking to purchase car insurance and have been uninsured for about 6 months. I am 22 years old, will be in college starting August. I have had about 4 tickets in my life, have never had an accident, and my license have been revoked only because I failed to pay the tickets. They are now valid. I live in Florida, where it is sooooo difficult to get insurance. You are not allowed to be insured and then get insurance.... You have to have insurance from day 1, which I had, but mom dropped me from the plan as they live in GA! I make about $800 every 2 weeks, and I do have other bills. I am looking for some car insurance that I can afford and get coverage! All Florida residents, please help me out. Thanks :)""

Teen car insurance (I NEED HELP KNOW!!!)?

I'm 16 year old and i want to get an car insurance for on my own policy separate from my parent how much would it cost if my car was a 2005 Ford Mustand Gt and i was leasing it out.

Does anyone know of a good health insurance?

I broke my wrist 2 years ago and ive been meaning to have it fixed. It healed cruked and the pain bothers me from time to time. Does anyone know of a good health insurance that would imedietaly cover this injury. I have no insurance and want one but dont know which one will help me the most.

Car insurance costs help?

I'm getting a car. Is there some website that will tell me or help me figure out how much my car insurance will be every month?

How can I get a license if I don't have a car to insure with SR 22 insurance?

I am not capable of driving. My husbands license was revoked between 2005 and 2006 in Illinois.To have it reinstated, he says he was told he had to have SR 22 insurance in that state. We now live in Reno, Nevada. Does that demand still apply, or is it even true? I certainly hope not because that leaves us in a very sticky situations, as we do not -own- a car to insure. As I understand it, he would need a license, so he could buy a car, so he could insure it. Essentially if he were to need SR 22 insurance to get a driverse license, he would need to follow quite a circular demand, being that to get a car, he needs a lisense, but to get a license, he needs SS 22 insurance, but to get insurance, he needs a car. So you see his predicament if that is what we need to do. If this is the case, it's impossible for him to get either a license or a car. Is there non-owner insurance? We are rather young and do not have any relatives in this state to help answer these tough questions or help us out financially.""

Recommendation for Mexican auto insurance (going to Ensenada).?

We are traveling to Ensenada this weekend and I want to purchase insurance online before we go. Does anyone have a carrier they recommend?

Is the amount you paid for your car covered by full insurance if an uninsured motorist hits you?

A friend was stopped at a light when some idiot hit her car and totalled it! Although, she has full coverage on the car(she just recently finished paying off), the idiot who hit her did not have any insurance! The total she paid on her car was $13K. The insurance company only wants to give her the blue book value of $3000! The situation is even worse because the offending party have no insurance! Is the insurance company trying to rip her off?! What should she do to get back at least close to the total amount she paid for her car?""

Car Insurance for a 40 year old..eek?

I have just passed my test but I am going on 40 (I know, im a bit late). However the insurance is about 1800 per year. Although I have just passed I thought I would be a bit cheaper than a 18 year old. Am i looking in the wrong place? At this rate I will never be on the road.""

Washington Navy Yard District of Columbia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 20391

Washington Navy Yard District of Columbia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 20391

Has anyone heard of transamerica health insurance and if so is it worth it??

Thinking about getting insurance and would like some input on the Co.

If I get into an accident (salvage / rebuilt title) how much of my cars worth will the insurance company pay?

I have a 99 GST Turbo Convertible Eclipse Spyder that I bought a few years ago with a Rebuilt Salvage title. You would not even be able to tell that it was in an accident. It looks great. I have been putting a lot of money in the car fixing it up (making it look nice and faster) and one of my friends told me the other day that if something happened to my car I would get practically nothing since it has a Rebuilt Salvage title. Is this True? I have only had liability since I bought it and this has never came up before. So assuming that I get hit tomorrow by a car that is insured and it totals out my car, how much of my car's worth would I get? What about all the money in parts and accessories that I put into it?""

Cost of insurance for 2nd gen Toyota Mr2?

Would you pay a higher insurance on this car than a normal car? what about a turbo? I got an online insurance quote and it was about $600/year for liability and $1000/year for collision coverage, does this seem like a fair price? I'm almost 19 years old and have a clean drivers record.""

State auto insurance vs. state of registration?

I am currently working a temporary job away from home in another state not my permanent residence (I am living there for the term of the employment). While there I bought another vehicle and registered it in that state and when insuring it moved my other car to the policy not realizing this could cause a problem. Now on my first vehicle, which was registered in my home state, the home state has refused to renew the registration because it carries out of state insurance. However, I also don't own the first vehicle, it is owned by my parents who are a resident of my home state, I just use it and pay the insurance. So unless I am missing anything, It looks like I am basically going to be forced to register that vehicle in a state where I do not have residence or cancel my insurance policy and get insurance for only that vehicle through a provider in my home state. Is this it or are there other options? I'm confused because they let me renew last year even though I had the out of state insurance, but I had switched during that year so maybe they considered me part-time or something. I would like to avoid changing any state registrations for the time being, because this process is expensive and complicated between the two states in question. Someone told me the cheapest option might be to get a minimum liability policy on the car in my home state so they will give me registration, but I have never heard of that and I'm not sure if that is ok (having two insurance policies on the same vehicle)? I am not trying to play tricks or loophole anything here, I just want to figure out my options and get this done without costing me a lot of money or time.""

About how much would the insurance cost on a 2010 Mercedes Benz C300?

BTW I'M 16 YEARS OLD. Big factor, I know. I know I don't deserv it, I'm too young, yeah, I know. But I don't want any of those answers. Just please answer my question with no complaining about how you didn't get a nice car when you were 16. I just want an estimate. Thanks!""

Car Insurance and Driving Restrictions?

Hey! I pay car insurance under both of my parents vehicles but don't actually own one myself. The cars are not registered in my name or anything, I just want to specify that I AM on the insurance and that I PAY for it (I literally use my own money) myself. My question is: If I pay to be on the insurance, am I legally allowed to drive the vehicle without permission from the owner, since I pay for the insurance. Any response will be much appreciated. Thanks!""

How much would car insurance be im 17?

Hello im a male and im 17 my car is a 1996 honda del sol And does insurance also depend on age,car, and area u live?""

Motorcycle Insurance Fee?

Hi, My name is Johnny. I'm 19 years old and live in Santa Monica, CA. I currently have DL and I know I need to get Motorcycle License to drive Motorcycle. I've been driving for 9 months and had no accident at all. Although, I sometimes drive my parents' cars and have no insurance. I heard that driving motorcycle will cost me less on payment and insurance. I want to buy like, Harley Davidson model from 2006-2008. How much will it cost me for my insurance?""

""What would make the american health care system more affordable, more cost effective , more accessible?

and more equitable for all stake holders?

Car insurance for test drive?

Planning on buying a car soon and was thinking of buying a second hand one from a dealer rather than privately from a person. I read that when you buy a car from a dealer you are usually automatically insured to take the car for a test drive, however I was wondering does this just apply to brand new cars from car shops or do most second hand car dealers offer insurance for test drive as well?""

What's affordable about obamacare?

or the Affordable Care Act that so many want us to call it so that Obama hopefully isn't yoked with this monstrous failed program for the rest of time.

Need help with car & insurance (Just starting out)?

So I am 18 and want to move out of my mother's house because of reasons I shouldn't mention. Not because I am some spoiled teen looking to do what ever I want. But are you willing to help me? My question is: How do I get my liecense with out limited insurance or a car? How do I get insurance without a liecense or a car? How do I get a car without a liecense or insurance? This is the vicous cicle D: How can a new adult jump out into the world when my mother isn't willing to help me? I have a stable income. I just need some advice.

Cheap insurance?

my 20yo son has 6 points and no ncb its his 1st car can anyone tell me a insurance company who not charge him a fortune please...........

Teenager car insurance help?

Okay! I am a 17 year old male who has been driving in total for 2 years and I have unfortunately had 2 accidents. The first occurred in May of last year. I pulled out of a gas station trying to turn left so I had to cross two lanes of oncoming traffic ( I was in an unfamiliar vehicle) I could not see the lane closest to the middle and I went out further then I thought and the oncoming car took off the front bumper. The second accident occurred 04/14 I was driving to school and there was a man ahead of me who had his signal light on for the past 4 miles it was pouring down rain so I looked over to change lanes and when maybe I looked for to long I'm not sure but wheeI turned back the man had come to a complete stop in preparation to turn from a highway onto a dirt road. I slammed on my brakes they locked up I couldn't steer away and I hit him in the rear. My question is. Is this going to keep happening to me? Am I really that bad of a driver? and what insurance company is best for my situation as my parents are removing me from their policy. Any help would be appreciated!

Pregnant with No Health Insurance?

I've just discovered I'm pregnant and I have no health insurance. Are there any recommendations on what to do?

Do you think its fair to tax smokers to pay for children's health insurance?

Do you think its fair to tax smokers to pay for children's health insurance?

Drive without car insurance?

i can't afford car insurance right now... i just have too many other obligations. does anyone else care to comment on what its like to drive without insurance? what happens if you get caught?

Will the insurance company cancel my car insurance after a DUI in VA?

i got a dui in VA, is offence, .08 bac, well i got convicted of yesterday. i have to do a DWI Education classes and have a restricted licence to drive to work. my insurancce is still valid for a good 6 months. do i have to inform the insurance company, will i lose my insurance, do i need a sr22 or not. please advice..""

How do you get car insurance for your car when you never had insurance?

I'm looking to put a down payment on a used car but I need to know how does putting insurance on it work? I never had my own insurance this will be my first car I get on my own, I will not be under my parents insurance or anything like that it will be completely brand new.""

Car insurance for a Ford Mustang GT?

I am saving up to buy a 2004 Ford Mustang GT for my 19th birthday. I have no wrecks or tickets on my record and have been to driving classes. How much would insurance be if 1) I had the car put under my parents name or 2) I had it put under my name only

Thinking of switching to Progressive Insurance?

Would like to know if anyone has Progressive Insurance for auto insurance. Would like to switch to them from Farmers because I can double my coverage for the same price as Farmers. Has anyone had problems with Progressive such as filing a claim? or rate increases for no reason. I have not had an accident in over 14 years, knock on wood. Just afraid if I switch my rates will go up for no reason. I know there is good and bad about Progressive. Any input would help. I live in California""

How much would insurance cost?

How much would insurance be if I bought a Mustang GT or GT Premium coupe with a 4.6L V8 and 260hp? I'm 15 and in driver's ed, one of the best in class, I make all A's in school, if that matters, and I'd prefer an estimate for liability and full coverage. By the way, I'm a good driver, I'm more concerned with driving smooth than driving fast. I want a Mustang GT because my friend has one and I love it. It would be a 2000-2004 model and I live in Alabama""

Can someone explain this driver's insurance deal to me?

I don't have a license yet because I need to have proof of insurance to drive the car at the DMV. However, if my parents' cars are already registered to insurance, then I don't need to join their insurance or something and i can just drive their car right? My dad said if i join our family's insurance, the rates will get higher. But i don't get this. I thought it was just the car that mattered for insurance.""

Where to get kids checkups when you don't have insurance?

My twins are 2.5 years old, and because of changes in our employments, currently do not have health insurance. When we did it didn't cover much, but it did cover yearly checkups. ...show more""

Insurance Help for a Teen?

I'm about to get a used 2004 Lexus Sc430 hardtop convertible. It's a V8 with 288 horsepower. My friend has a 400 Horsepower Trans Am but he put his name under his dad's truck as the primary driver so they wouldn't get killed with insurance rates. If I put my name under my dad's tahoe as the primary driver and under the lexus just listed under the car as not the primary driver. Can I get in trouble for this?

Washington Navy Yard District of Columbia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 20391

Washington Navy Yard District of Columbia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 20391

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gmac-auto-insurance-brandon-carter/"

[ajaklaaaaaaaa]

Who is Nick Weaver coming all the way from Seattle over L.A. to Germany wearing an Eintracht Frankfurt Jersey in his Tour promo video? He is an artist, he is a performer, he is a producer and a guy like you and me. Check out our interview for information about his HipHop approach, his self-perception and the tour dates in Bad Nauheim on the 10th and 11th of November 2017. In 2016, 330724 Spotify listeners streamed 9.8 years of his music. The first release that I found online was „Forever Automatic„ in 2012, followed by his debut „Day One, None“ in 2013, by “Yardwork” 2015, „Prowler“ in 2016 and „Photographs Of Other People“ 2017. Besides that you can find side projects and freestyles on his Youtube account. You’ll find the tour date infos at the end of the article. NICK WEAVER Website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – Spotify – Soundcloud – Youtube – auf RUN FFM When asked about the style of his music he says it has a Kendrick Lamar, James Blake and Jamie XX touch and is for any fans of Hip-Hop, R&B and even Electronic Music. The list of artists he likes and is inspired by is long and diverse: From Depeche Mode, Mozart, N.W.A., The National, LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip, Mogwai, Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Jay-Z, Nas, Biggie, Mobb Deep, to Eminem.* Let’s jump in with the interview. Can you tell me something about your family- and your educational-background? I grew up outside of the city of Seattle in the United States. I have two older brothers, a mother, and a father – they all live in Seattle area. My father was a scientist for the United States Geological Survey and my mother was a writer/technical editor. I studied marketing at a college in Seattle, which lead me to a business career before I got super serious about music when I moved to L.A. It seems like you had a productivity boost since 2016 judging from you youtube output. What happened? I became much more self-sustained as an artist. I taught myself how to produce instrumentals, so I could pretty much do it all. That process was (and still is) so inspiring and motivating to me. It re-ignited my creativity; the desire to try new stuff. What do you think people feel when they listen to your music? I hope they hear someone who puts a lot of themselves out there. Music is such an incredible thing to be able to do, so you really gotta go all in. I hope people hear someone who really loves the process of making music, and someone who is constantly working at creating their own style of sound. You seem to be a dedicated person thinking about you inspirational and motivational talks on Youtube. Why did you decide to share those thoughts with your audience? I love talking about the process of being creative. I love sitting down with fellow artists, business owners, even friends who have big dreams in other fields. It’s motivating, and it keeps me driven. I created the #WorkFlow series as a way to let people see that side, and to show them that “Nick Weaver” the artist is also very human. In Yardwork BTS: Ep 4 – The Show you say the following: “Everyday shit that I know a lot of people relate to. It’s just real life shit. Keeping that theme, maturation, coming of age, figuring out what is important in life and sort of casting away the rest of the bullshit.” Would you say that you are a normal guy? I would like to think so, yes. Everybody has their own quirks and eccentric parts to them, I have no shortage of my own. I like that about people though. It’s not hard to figure out that you are a sports fan. On your IG are a lot of pictures showing you in jerseys of many different teams. Are you also practicing sports? I used to play a lot of sports – soccer (properly called football in your country), and basketball. I am short, so I always play sports with a big chip on my shoulder! There is one thing that we are especially interested in: Where did you got this awesome Eintracht Frankfurt jersey from? Good choice! Haha, I knew RUNFFM would like that! So in the States you can actually order the Bundesliga kits without sponsor logos on them. Eintracht Frankfurt is my team for life! When I toured Germany in 2016 I promised myself that if I got to see a Bundesliga team play at home, that team was going to be my squad – and it just so happened to be Eintracht that I got to see. The fans were so amazing, it was like a spiritual sporting experience for me. Frankfurt has been my team ever since. I even got to see them do a friendly match in my hometown against the Seattle Sounders. How did some of your videos end up at the german entertainment and gamer channel RELOADIAK? Christian (RELOADIAK) is a homie. He has been such a great support to me. He initially found my music when it was featured in a Super Street Magazine car video a few years back. He really liked it and contacted me about asking to use it. He had so many amazing fans there that really liked my music, so we built a relationship where he was cool with posting some of my content on his channel. Which kind of relationship do you have with Germany? What made you tour here and not in another European country? The fans I have in Germany are so supportive. They show me so much love on Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, FB, everywhere. I love them for that. They created the opportunity for me to go somewhere else in the world and play music. I can’t even describe how grateful I am for the fans! The tour had to be in Germany! It seems like you’re doing more than just rapping. You contacted me, I saw storyboards on your IG, you are playing instruments and you are producing? Is it a necessary evil or do you need to be in control of all the work? I think independent artists should be in control of as much as they think they can still be happy with. I certainly think there are things like videos and photography that you need to leave to the pros. But there are so many tools these days to help you create your content. It’s all one YouTube tutorial away. Even if your doing a lot on your own you probably have a team or people that you trust and work with. Who are these people and how do they help you? My manager Austin Hurwitz is a lifesaver, extremely professional, and an incredibly hard worker. He keeps me honest about my process too. My good friend Ryan Skut shoots a ton of my stuff. He shot all the artwork for the Photographs Of Other People project. I still have a core group of my best childhood friends and my family who come to all of my shows in my hometown in the states, that support after all these years means so much. Do you still have your full time job and what is it about? I have been lucky enough to do music mostly full time at this point in my career. Every once in a while I do contract work on the side for corporate event planning. The first video on your Youtube channel supports a foundation called “Growing Veterans”, you released an EP dedicated to the movie “The Rock” and you can be seen shooting a rifle on your IG. What do you think about the army and weapons in general? You really did your homework on me! Growing Veterans is a great organization in the States started by my childhood friend Christopher –  a US Marine veteran who wanted to help other military veterans back home. The USA still does not give our military veterans the resources they need after service. They struggle with mental health, finding work, and many other problems when they come home. Chris created Growing Veterans to find work for former military folks in agricultural and farming industries. Our military has endured a lot on behalf of our country’s decisions, it’s important for me to support groups like Growing Veterans. Despite that IG photo, I am very anti-guns. Somehow, someway, the United States is going to have to figure out how to decrease gun violence. Literally as I write this answer, I am seeing a news update about another public shooting in a church. Gun violence is the saddest most senseless shit, and the United States needs real leadership to change this issue. NICK WEAVER GERMANY TOUR „HipHop Jam VII“ Freitag, 10.11.2017, Einlass: 19:30 Uhr Jugendhaus Alte Feuerwache, Johannisstrasse 5, 61231 Bad Nauheim Facebook-Event „Fashion by relict with Nick Weaver DJ Set“ Samstag, 10.11.2017, Einlass: 21:00 Uhr Fashion Caffe Bar, Reinhardstraße 10, 61231 Bad Nauheim Facebook-Event To get an even more tangible picture of your persona I would like you to share something about you that you do not highlight on social media. Guilty pleasures, secrets, things that you want to improve? I love old video games. I just bought a Super Nintendo yesterday, because I still have all my old SNES games from growing up. And I’m not talking about that little “Super Nintendo Classic” that comes pre-loaded with 20 games. I went and bought the OG system on eBay. I still miss my Honda Civic, which is immortalized in my Prowler, Yardwork, and Day, One None albums. I owned that car for 10 years, a whole decade! I am going to get a tattoo of it. I just recently watched the entire Friday Night Lights TV series for the first time. It’s the closest thing to a soap opera that I vibe with. Thank you for your time and the intresting insights! Thank you so much for this opportunity, I know it is in on short notice as well so I really appreciate you doing this! *If you would like to know even more about Nick Weaver you can check out his interviews with respectmyregion, distinctionmgmt, illuminati2g and therealhip-hop. Thanks to my awesome and beautiful Italian co-author Laura for cross-reading! I hope you enjoyed the article For more global HipHop related articles chek my previous posts. Feel free to send me suggestions or feedback to „yoscha at runffm.com“. Find me on Facebook/Instagram/YouTube/SoundCloud/tumblr. Cya! Um mit weiteren Events und Konzerten in und um Frankfurt auf dem Laufenden zu bleiben, empfehlen wir euch unsere Gruppe mit Veranstaltungshinweisen auf Facebook. Der Beitrag Have you met?! with Nick Weaver erschien zuerst auf RUNFFM.

http://runffm.com/2017/11/have-you-met-with-nick-weaver/