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jeanvaljean24601 · 4 years ago

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How to Watch Mad Men and More Great Shows for Free Right Now

Another day, another brand new streaming platform out there begging you to subscribe to its service so you can ignore your family members and binge-watch a bunch of TV shows and movies in the name of entertainment. This time, it's NBCUniversal's Peacock, which offers a free tier as well as two premium options (one with ads and one without). The service features a number of programs for free, including Friday Night Lights and even Parks and Recreation, but Peacock isn't the only place you can stream great shows without breaking the bank.

Below, we've gathered up a number of shows that don't require you to shell out money for Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Peacock, and/or whatever other streaming service subscriptions are out there. Sometimes you just need a simple freebie. And you know what? You deserve it. So check out the list below and take comfort in knowing it won't cost you a thing.

Watch it on: IMDb TV

Until recently you had to have a Netflix subscription to watch Mad Men, AMC's Emmy-award winning period drama from Matthew Weiner that was dedicated as much to style as it was to substance. The 1960s-set series, which traced the rise and fall of flawed Madison Avenue advertising executive Don Draper (Jon Hamm) through his own complicated relationship with identity, was a pointed commentary on the toxic masculinity, sexism, and racism of the era. It also changed the way we watch and talk about TV. If you haven't seen it yet, now's the perfect time to do so.

The Dick Van Dyke Show

Watch it on: Tubi (complete series), Pluto TV (complete series)

Realizing The Dick Van Dyke Show is streaming for free feels a bit like winning a secret lottery or viewing an exceptional piece of art without paying the museum admission fee. The popular comedy, which ran for five seasons, was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke as the head writer of a TV show, while Mary Tyler Moore portrayed his wife. It's a timeless classic — one that took home 15 Emmys during its run, and if you've yet to experience it, you literally have no excuse at this point.

The Dick Van Dyke Show Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Watch it on: ABC app (complete series)

Felicity is best known as the show in which Keri Russell cut her hair (not to be confused with the show in which Keri Russell wore a lot of great wigs, aka The Americans). Depicting Felicity Porter's (Russell) college years and the struggles that accompany trying to figure out who you're supposed to be, the show is also famous for Scott Speedman's whisper-talking and the ongoing battle of Ben (Speedman) vs. Noel (Scott Foley). Although the WB series was previously streaming on Hulu, you can now watch it for free on the ABC app.

A reimagining of the kitschy original series, Syfy's Battlestar Galacticastarred Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Tricia Helfer, Michael Hogan, James Callis, and Jamie Bamber and explored the aftermath of a nuclear attack by the Cylons, cybernetic creatures invented by man who evolved and rebelled against their creators. The show was critically acclaimed for the way it tackled the subjects of science, religion, and politics, and for the way it explored the deeply complicated notion of what makes us human. Everything from the miniseries to the two BSG films (Razor and The Plan) is currently available to stream for free on Syfy's website, so there's no better time to watch it. So say we all!

Watch it on: IMDb TV (complete series), Tubi (complete series), Pluto TV (first 13 seasons), YouTube (first 13 seasons)

For many millennials, the fourth series in the Degrassi franchise, Degrassi: The Next Generation, is the defining iteration of the long-running Canadian series. The drama series, which was sometimes so overly dramatic it was actually funny, tackled everything from date rape and suicide to sexual orientation and teen pregnancy. The series, which launched the careers of Drake (then known as Aubrey Graham) and Nina Dobrev, is streaming on multiple free platforms.

Watch it on: ABC app (complete series)

Eli Stone really had it all, which is to say it had Victor Garber singing George Michael songs, Loretta Devine singing George Michael songs, and George Michael singing George Michael songs. What else is there? ABC's offbeat two-season comedy-drama starred a pre-Elementary Jonny Lee Miller as Eli Stone, a high-powered San Francisco lawyer whose brain aneurysm gave him prophetic visions — which usually involved his friends, family, and colleagues breaking into song. Aside from a couple of ill-advised plotlines (the pilot, which suggests vaccines cause autism, is best forgotten), the show was a blast: a weird but memorable cocktail that should have stuck around for more seasons because, as I mentioned, Victor Garber sang George Michael songs. Also, Sigourney Weaver played God?! -Kelly Connolly

Watch it on: YouTube (nearly every episode)

A true Canadian treasure, The Red Green Show was a long-running comedy starring Steve Smith as Red Green, a handyman who constantly tried to cut corners using duct tape and who had his own cable TV show. It was a parody of home improvement shows and outdoor programs and featured segments like Handyman Corner, Adventures with Bill, and The Possum Lodge Word Game. The show ran for 15 seasons, airing on PBS in the States.

TV Premiere Date Calendar: Find Out When Your Favorite Shows Are Back

Watch it on: IMDb TV (complete series), ABC app (complete series)

Critically beloved but struck down before its time, My So-Called Life has been praised for its realistic and honest portrayal of teenage life, not just via Angela Chase (Claire Danes), but through the show's young supporting cast as well. Now considered to be one of the best shows of all time, it tackled topics like homophobia, homelessness, drug use, and more without ever feeling preachy or like an after-school special. Also, Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto) could lean.

Watch it on: CW Seed (first five seasons), IMDb TV (first five seasons)

If you don't have Netflix but still want to watch Schitt's Creek, you'll be happy to know you can watch the first five seasons of the heartwarming, Emmy-nominated comedy series, about a wealthy family who loses everything they own except the town of the show's title, for free on CW Seed and IMDb TV.

Dan Levy and Catherine O'Hara, Schitt's Creek Photo: Pop TV

Watch it on: Peacock (complete series); IMDb TV (complete series)

You may never know what it feels like to have Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) be proud of you, but you can pretend by watching all five seasons of Friday Night Lights, a series that was as much about a Texas community as it was about the sport that united it. By the end of the show, you'll be asking yourself "What Would Riggins Do?" and tattooing "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose" on your body, all while chanting "Texas forever!" Trust me, it happens to everybody.

Watch it on: CW Seed (complete series)

It is relatively easy to forget that The CW series The Carrie Diaries was a prequel to Sex and the City, because the charming show, which lasted just two seasons, was able to stand on its own. The coming-of-age series that followed a teenaged Carrie Bradshaw (AnnaSophia Robb) was relatively innocent compared to the original series. The show's 1980s setting made it easier for the writers to focus on more harmless family storylines and teenage heartbreaks, but the show never shied away from the heartstring-tugging drama of young adulthood either. It's a shame the show never got the kind of ratings it deserved and wasn't able to exist beyond Carrie's high school years, but the Season 2 finale works well as a series finale, so viewers won't feel as if the story was left incomplete. android tv box

Watch it on: CW Seed (complete series)

It's a shame Bryan Fuller's saturated dramedy Pushing Daisies, about a pie-maker (Lee Pace) with the ability to bring the dead back to life, couldn't bring itself back to life after becoming a casualty of the 2007-08 writers' strike. A whimsical delight, the show featured the pie-maker teaming up with a local private eye (Chi McBride) to solve murders by reviving the victims for a brief time. Known for its quirky characters, eccentric visual style, and Jim Dale's pitch-perfect narration, it remains must-see TV.

Watch it on: IMDb TV (first seven seasons); Peacock

Columbo kicked off nearly every episode by revealing the crime and its perpetrator to the audience, which means unlike most crime dramas, the show was less about whodunnit and more about Peter Falk's iconic raincoat-wearing homicide detective catching them and getting them to confess. Oh, and just one more thing: it's great.

Watch it on: CW Seed (complete series)

The charming and playful Forever, which starred Ioan Gruffudd as an immortal medical examiner, was the one show that could have saved ABC's Tuesday at 10 p.m. death slot. But the network still canceled the series anyway, enraging the show's fans, who have never let the sting of its death go. Luckily, it now lives on, ahem, forever (aka until the content license expires) on CW Seed.

Watch it on: IMDb TV (complete series)

It sounds odd to say The Middle, which ran for nine seasons on ABC, was unfairly overlooked, but it always felt like the series, which followed the middle class Midwestern Heck family, was a bit of a hidden gem. It wasn't as popular with Emmy voters as, say, Modern Family, and critics also failed to give it its due, but it was a real, heartfelt, reliable family comedy with mass appeal, and you can stream it on IMDb TV for free. h96 tv box

Watch it on: ABC app (complete series)

Trophy Wife's short life — it was canceled after just one season — can probably be chalked up to its unfortunate title, which was meant to be ironic but ultimately kept viewers from tuning in and experiencing the warmth of the show and the relationships at its center. Malin Akerman starred as the young wife of Bradley Whitford's middle-aged lawyer, and the comedy explored the dynamics between the two, his children, and his two ex-wives, who were played by Marcia Gay Harden and Michaela Watkins. h96 max x3

Watch it on: NBC app (complete series)

Loosely based on the Biblical story of King David, Kings was a compelling drama before its time. Rudely cut down after just one season by NBC, the show starred Ian McShane as the king of the fictional kingdom of Gilboa, while Christopher Egan portrayed an idealistic young soldier whose counterpart is David. The show also starred Sebastian Stan, which is reason enough to want to check it out.

Watch it on: ABC app (complete series)

Ray Wise portrays Satan in Reaper, a supernatural dramedy about a slacker (Bret Harrison) who reluctantly becomes a reaper tasked with capturing escaped souls from hell after it's revealed his parents made a deal with the devil many, many years before. The fact the show only lasted two seasons is a crime against humanity. Luckily, you can watch it in its entirety for free on the ABC app. h96 max x3

Watch it on: IMDb TV (complete series)

A team of experts led by a kooky old scientist (John Noble), his son (Joshua Jackson), and an FBI agent (Anna Torv) investigate strange occurrences around the country, X-Files style, in the J.J. Abrams-produced Fringe. The series is one of the best broadcast science-fiction shows of all time, particularly in its first three seasons, and perfected the art of the serialized procedural by weaving the show's deep mythology and excellent character work into weekly standalone stories, making it easy to binge or watch in spurts. And by the time the end of Season 1 starts, you'll have a hard time stopping. -Tim Surette

Watch it on: Tubi (complete series), Vudu (complete series)

Although American TV producers would eventually adapt Being Human, the original British version, which followed three supernatural beings trying to live amongst humans, is far superior. The show, which ran for five seasons, starred Aidan Turner, Russell Tovey, and Lenora Crichlow as a vampire, werewolf, and ghost, respectively. So skip the U.S. version entirely and watch the U.K. series for free.

Watch it on: Pluto TV (complete series), Vudu (complete series), Tubi (complete series)

The Australian young adult-oriented series Dance Academy is not exactly what you'd call "great television," but it is great fun. Brimming with teen angst and melodrama, the series, which ran for three seasons and even had a follow-up movie, followed a handful of dancers at Sydney's National Academy of Dance as they trained in the sport they loved while also falling in and out of love with each other. The acting was sometimes questionable, but the series itself was addictive, not to mention one of the easiest binges you'll ever encounter. h96 max tv box

3rd Rock From the Sun

Watch it on: Tubi (complete series), Pluto TV (complete series), Crackle (all six seasons), Vudu (all six seasons)

You might think a show about a group of socially awkward, 1,000-year-old aliens in human skin suits who are trying (badly) to pose as a human family and blend into an ordinary Midwest town might sound ridiculous, and, well, that's fair. But 3rd Rock From the Sun was still charming in even its most bizarre moments and gave its cast a lot of room to play up their roles and create an ensemble of weirdos that, at some point or another, start to tap into their newfound humanity and relish their new home here on Earth. -Amanda Bell.

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viperthefangirl · 5 years ago

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The Makeup Artist-An Introduction/Preview of my Lotura Alternate Reality FanFic

Pre-notes: This is one of my first fanfictions (this is NOT the completed first chapter), so, I’m sorry if it is awful XD. In this setting, “Lukas” is this alternate reality’s version of Prince Lotor (my all-time favorite cartoon character). If you don’t want any future spoilers, stop reading here and continue to the start of the story, but I’ve put a general backstory here in case you want some context to see what I’m working from. This will all be told eventually if I ever finish this fanfiction. He was held in a cryo-stasis pod at age 5 on Daibazaal for around 10,000 years (as well as Allura, but she was on Altea) and, when he was released, ran away from Emperor Zarkon and Empress Honerva at age 7. He sneaked aboard a cargo ship headed for Earth (which is a major power player in this universe and far more technologically advanced than ours). He then lived on the streets of New York City under the name Lukas Frinell (which he got from a guy he stole a wallet from). He lived in alleys and doorsteps with his friend Nicholas, this reality’s version of Lance McLain (who’s family were intergalactic businessmen that were all killed-including extended family-by space pirates). They were later adopted by Gabriel and Maria Garcia (at age 12 for Lukas and 9 Nicholas. Their tiny age difference is because of how long Lukas was in the cryo-stasis pod) after Lukas and Nicholas hotwired Gabriel’s Lambo and almost got away with the car. Gabriel Garcia, the leader of an organized crime group, had had a similar childhood and didn’t want to see them end up like him. Lukas and Nicholas have a very strong brotherly bond, and Nicholas is always trying to get Lukas a girlfriend.

The Makeup Artist: by Viper

“I think we should send a security detail to prom with Allura…what do you think, Melenor?” Alfor asked as he looked over today’s newspaper.

> he read to himself.

Melenor looked up from her phone. “I mean, whatever you think. She’ll be angry with you for months though…”

“I guess she would be angry…I’d-” Alfor began.

“Hey, Mom,” Allura called from her room upstairs, ”one of my friends is coming over right now to do my hair and makeup before my date gets here, okay? Will you let him in?!”

Alfor rolled his eyes at the interruption.

“All right, Allura! We’ll let her in!” Melenor called back.

“Did she just say ‘him’?” Alfor asked.

“I’m sure you misheard, dear-now, what were you saying?”

“I was just saying that I’d at least have peace of mind if someone trustworthy was-”

A knock at the door cut him off before he could finish.

“With her,” Alfor finished in an exasperated tone as he put down his newspaper, “That was fast…I’ll get the door.”

Melenor got up as well. “I’ll come with you. I hope it’s Raven. She’s such a nice girl.”

Alfor opened the door and froze.

“You’re not Raven,” Melenor said abruptly.

She was right too. The person at the door definitely wasn’t Raven-in fact, it wasn’t even a girl. Standing on the front porch of the royal family’s mansion was a six-foot tall Altean teenage boy.

“I would hope not,” he said with a smirk. “I rather like being a guy. I’m Lukas, by the way. Allura and I go to school together.”

Alfor raised his eyebrows. Lukas did not look like someone that went to the same school as Allura. Her schoolmates were all rich and related to famous families, and the usual thing the male students at Central Altea High School of Technology and the Sciences for the Gifted wore on a daily basis was crème khaki pants and a sweater vest. They all has the same side slicked black or brown hairstyle too. And freckles. Definitley lots of freckles.

This boy, Lukas, had almost shoulder length thick blonde hair, the top layer of which was tied back in a short ponytail, and he had perfect-almost platinum blonde-eyebrows. His skin tone was a dark tan with no blemishes or freckles, and his eyes were a piercing deep blue, the color of the sky on a perfect day. His left ear had a piercing, as well as several cartilage piercings, and a hipster-style pair of plastic, black glasses hung from the neckline of his black hoodie. The hoodie had large, white text printed on it that read “Off The Wall”. Lukas also wore a pair of worn, true black, distressed skinny jeans and black Vans Hi-Tops. A backpack hung from his left shoulder, and he held a beaten-up skateboard in his right arm. A small, silver, Catholic cross hung around his neck as well. When Lukas smirked, Alfor noticed that some of his teeth were sharpened, like Galran fangs, meaning that he must be part Galra. Alfor’s eyes narrowed as he noticed several curse words drawn on the grip tape of his board and heard rap playing through his airpods.

“I can hear your music through your earbuds,” Melenor said flaty.

Lukas squinted his eyes as he looked at her. “Thanks, so can I.”

Alfor looked over his shoulder as he heard footsteps racing down the stairs.

Within seconds, Allura, dressed in a high-low red satin dress, appeared by her parents and pulled Lukas into the house. Thrown off balance, Lukas almost fell over and dropped his skateboard on the porch before he regained his composure and straightened himself.

“Geez, Ali, you trying to kill me?” he asked while raising an eyebrow and taking out his airpods. “Wow…you look amazing!”

His entire face lit up in genuine awe at how beautiful she was, regardless of her hair being a mess, her lack of makeup, or her Hello Kitten slippers.

Allura blushed slightly and looked down.

“Thanks…” she said with a small smile.

“Michael’s lucky you said yes,” the boy laughed. “I’m surprised you said yes, actually. He’s a total douche bag. Rich and popular, but still a douche bag.”

Allura smiled, her eyebrows raising slightly, “He’s my boyfriend. What was I supposed to say?”

Alfor raised one eyebrow at Melenor. She simply shook her head.

Lukas set his skateboard by the door and looked around.

“So, where am I doing your makeup?”

“In my dressing room on the third floor,” Allura answered simply. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

Alfor and Melenor stared at them as Allura began to take the boy upstairs.

“Are we just going to let this boy walk around our house? Who knows who his parents are. Where he’s been? If he’s safe? If he goes to Allura’s school, how come I’ve never heard of him?” Alfor asked quietly.

Allura stopped halfway up the stairs and turned around.

“Mom, Dad, this is my friend Lukas. He does the stage makeup for the theater group at school…I’ve told you about him before…”

Lukas stood slightly behind their daughter, fidgeting with his cross. Their perfect little girl who was never in trouble and had always had the perfect friends that were more interested in the stock market or runway fashion to ever be as dangerous as this boy looked. If Allura hadn’t told them that the boy was her classmate, they would have thought he was a commoner, maybe even a street kid. How come she’d never mentioned this “Lukas” before?

Then the boy shifted his weight, his face darkening as he acknowledged that he was not welcome in the Altea home. Then he smirked.

“You know, I came here to help Ali have a good prom, not to be judged. And who my parents are doesn’t mean shit. It was nice meeting you boomers, but I have to get this over with as fast as possible. I’m going skating with my friends after this.”

Allura’s head swiveled around to look at Lukas. “Are you not going to prom?”

“Hm?” Lukas asked before realizing what she asked. “Oh, no, I didn’t have anyone to go with me. Plus, prom is so overrated.”

Allura looked at him sympathetically. “I can get you a date…my friend Jennifer would love to go with you. She doesn’t have a date yet either.”

Lukas shrugged and shook his head. “No thanks. I’m going to hang out with Raven and Nick and some my old friends from James Madison High in New York.”

Meanwhile, Alfor and Melenor continued to looked at them in confusion.

“How are they friends?” Alfor whispered to Melenor.

“How is he in our home?” Melenor whispered back.

Alfor shrugged.

“Listen, I’m going to take Lukas up to my dressing room to do my makeup…is…is that all right with you?” Allura asked, her eyes begging her parents to be kind to her friend.

Finally Alfor caved.

“Fine. You can go. But, Lukas was it? Don’t try anything. We have guards stationed around the house.”

Lukas made a disgusted face at the king’s implications. “Excuse you, your highness, but I am a person of moral dignity and class. Your suggestions of my behavior disgust me, and I demand at least some sort of ‘benefit of the doubt’, as you have never met me before.”

Allura laughed and took Lukas by the arm, almost dragging him up the stairs. It was hilarious, actually, to see the tall boy tripping on the stairs as Allura continued to drag him upstairs. Alfor would have laughed at the sight himself, but something about Lukas stopped him. His tone of voice had become commanding and almost regal, for a spit second, his eyes cold and dark, and his face as though set in steel. His entire being had become hostile, his Galra fangs making him appear more menacing. But more importantly he saw, mirrored in the boy’s mannerisms, a reflection of something he never believed he would see again.

“Alfor…” Melenor started, “just then…something about that boy reminded me of-”

“I know...” Alfor finished for her.

Melenor looked at her husband, worry seeping into her expression, and nodded.

Upstairs, Alfor heard Allura recalling when she had pretended she was a paladin of Voltron when she was little in that very house. Lukas laughed. But the laugh no longer was mildly annoying, depite how kind he sounded, but instead put Alfor on edge. His laugh was almost identical to Zarkon’s.

P.S. Something about Tumblr wouldn’t let me indent my paragraphs (which mildly infuriated me) so, I’m sorry if it bothered anyone who might be reading this…if anyone would read this…

Please give me some tips or ideas for the fanfic anyone has!

#Lotura #loturafanfiction #Loturaalternatereality

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travelingtheusa · 6 years ago

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NEW YORK

18 Sep 2019 (Wed) – We spent the day getting ready for our move. We went food shopping and stopped in at Bagel Boss for lunch. I don’t know how that place stays in business. They are soooo slow. It must be because they are the only bagel place around. At 3 p.m. I drove over to Travis & Sam’s to watch Lincoln. Sam had work and Travis was taking the boys to karate. We reviewed their finances and discussed options to resolve their issue. In the meantime, Paul was watching Caiden back at the camper because Miranda and Kenny went to Meet the Teacher Night.

It was quite cool this morning. The heater is not working right. It turns on and then shuts off. This is an issue we will have to resolve before the weather gets colder.

17 Sep 2019 (Tue) – It’s been a fairly busy week. I attended a memorial service for a member of the American Legion Post on Thursday. Gus Luhrs, past post and past division commander, passed away at the age of 86. He served 20 years in the Marine Corps and was in the Korea and Vietnam Wars. He was the bartender at the post for many, many years. I will miss him.

We went to a dinner celebrating the 100th birthday of American Legion Post 411 on Friday the 13th. It was held in the Marconi Lodge; not the post. I guess they wanted to give everyone a chance to enjoy the celebration and not worry about set up and break down. I was disappointed that few of the guys wore uniforms. Not too long ago, everyone would have proudly worn their uniform. The times, they are a-changing. There were about 60 people at the event. The food was ok but the company was great. It was fun to see all our friends from the post.

Caiden decided to skip church this Sunday. Afterward, Paul and I went to the Bayside Clam Bar for lunch. The warm days are waning and I want to enjoy as much of the waterfront as possible before it gets too cold.

12 Sep 2019 (Thu) –I had lunch with my sister, Susan, today. We met at the Cheesecake Factory in Bay Shore and both enjoyed salads. Later this evening, I attended a memorial service for an American Legion friend, Gus Luhrs.

11 Sep 2019 (Wed) – Wow. Things have been very, very busy. We have spent time watching Caiden which takes full effort. He likes to play pillow fights and pulls me into these all the time. It’s either here in the camper or on the couch in his house.

I had lunch with my daughter, Gina, today. We met at Cheesecake Factory and caught up on how things have been going since we last saw each other.

Later today at 5:00 p.m., Paul and I went to a 9/11 memorial conducted by the Town of Islip next to Town Hall. There were 15 fire departments represented there. Lots of firemen and a bagpipe and drum band played songs that left you with a lump in your throat.

5 Sep 2019 (Thu) – We celebrated our 48th wedding anniversary yesterday. We had dinner at the Texas Roadhouse. We saw a posted sign that said they give a 20% military discount on Mondays. We now have our new best eatery on Mondays!

We had my brother, Dennis, and his lady, Denise, over for dinner on Tuesday (September 3). I made chicken picata, potatoes, and green beans. Everything came out perfect. They stayed for two hours. It was a very pleasant visit.

Caiden started school yesterday (Noah started the day before on Tuesday and Hudson started on Wednesday). We all walked Caiden down to the bus stop and waited over a half hour. The first days of school always sees the bus come late. It was almost an hour late returning at day’s end; although there was a legitimate excuse – the town was out and picking up debris one block over and on our block. That held up traffic all over the area. Caiden seemed to enjoy himself on his first day. His teacher’s name is Mr. Lolo. Can’t wait to meet him.

1 Sep 2019 (Sun) – We took Caiden with us to church this morning. He was very fidgety and complained that it was boring. Not sure how much longer he will go with us to church before he decides it’s not fun. We spoke with Pastor Doug and scheduled October 20 for Lincoln’s baptism.

After church, I let Caiden do some exploring and playing on the playground behind the building. Then we went to the Clamside Bar & Grill at the East Islip Marina for lunch. We all took a walk around the pier then returned home.

Paul and I spent the afternoon doing yardwork. As Paul cleared out some of the brush, I got a good look at the trees down on that back fence. It looks like a much bigger area was crushed by our neighbor’s tree than it first looked like. And he still hasn’t started clearing anything away. I’m not sure what we are going to do about that.

After naps, we sent out for pizza for dinner. Hmmm Hmmm, good!

30 Aug 2019 (Fri)

– Paul and I took Caiden to my sister Susan’s house today. We spent the day swimming in the pool and visiting with Susan & Bill and Shay & Pat (her daughter and boyfriend). The weather was lovely.

29 Aug 2019 (Thu) – Good news! I had an appointment at Sloan Kettering this morning to find out the results of the PET and CT scans I had on Monday. After only ten days on the chemo, the lymph nodes have already started to shrink. My response to the therapy has been so good that I don’t have to come back for a month. I thought I was going to have to go in every week for 5 or 6 weeks.

After the doctor, Paul and I went to Red Robin for lunch. I had a margarita and cobb salad. Paul had a beer and burger. We were kind of giddy with relief and thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Following lunch, we stopped at Shop Rite and picked up some groceries then returned home to continue the yard cleanup.

28 Aug 2019 (Wed) – It was cool this morning. We had to wear jackets when we walked Bonnie this morning. The summer is coming to a close. There’s a kind of sadness and yet a feeling of excitement as we build up to the holidays.

There is a spider that builds a web outside my bedroom window every night. I first spotted her during that thunderstorm last week. When the lightning flashed, she was illuminated on her web. She seemed to be floating in midair. She comes out every night and stays until early light the next morning. I watched her this morning as the sun came up and she climbed up and away to her den for a well-deserved sleep. She is an orb weaver and measures about an inch and a half in length. What a beautiful specimen of the insect world!

27 Aug 2019 (Tue) – We went to church on Sunday. Caiden decided to take the day off so he did not go with us. Everyone missed him.

On Monday, I went to Sloan Kettering and had both a PET scan and a CT scan. They sure keep those rooms cold. Brrrrr! Since I had some radiation, I couldn’t go near pregnant women or small children for 24 hours. I had to wave across the room to Caiden rather than get my Caiden hug. At 4:30 p.m. today, I was sure to get my big hug. And it came with a great big smile!

This afternoon, we drove to the V.A. in Northport. I wanted to establish myself as a cancer patient and see about getting medicine as we move around the country rather than having it mailed to me every three months. The doctor referred me to hematology. There was no answer at the department so I have to wait for a call back. I got an appointment with Audiology for October. Ugh. I hate the thought of being here that long. But, unfortunately, I think I will be here. The doctor wanted to schedule me for a mammogram but I said I’d go with my regular radiologist. She did schedule me to come back for a pap smear but I think I’ll just see my own gynecologist instead. She seemed to be somewhat flustered by me. She wanted to do all this medical stuff and I kept turning it down. She wasn’t sure what to do. lol

24 Aug 2019 (Sat) – The air is full of the sound of generators, chain saws, and leaf blowers as everyone cleans up after the storm. Seems like there are tree removal and PSEG trucks all over the place. A company has been working on removing the trees from the two neighbors on the south side. We think they took out 11 or 12 trees in total. We finally got power back on around 2:30 p.m.

We met with the counselor this morning. Afterward, we drove to the Clamside Bar at the East Islip Marina and had a late breakfast. It is nice to sit by the water and watch the boats come and go. There weren’t many people out on the water considering that it was a beautiful, clear Saturday and summer is fast coming to an end. You’d think everyone would want to be out getting in their last licks for the season.

When we finished our meal, we went home and took Bonnie for a walk. Then we drove out to Mastic Beach and toured the William Floyd Estate. What history exists in our own backyard! William Floyd was one of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence. Nine generations of the family lived on the estate from 1718 until they gave it to the National Parks Department in 1976. They originally had 4,400 acres. Over the years, family inherited the property and divided it among heirs, with just 673 acres remaining on the estate today. The Floyd family was much involved in politics and several prominent people visited the estate to include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. During the Civil War, the family fled to Connecticut while the British occupied Long Island. The house was pretty much trashed when they returned after the war but the Floyds were able to restore it. The estate began as a two-story, 6 room house. Additions were made over the years until it ended with 25 rooms, 13 outbuildings, and a family cemetery.

23 Aug 2019 (Fri) – Wow! We had a hum dinger of a thunderstorm blow through last night. The phone pinged a warning that a severe storm was going to hit in 15 minutes and everyone should seek shelter on a lower level in the interior of the house. That was different. I’ve gotten many storm warnings but never one that told me to get to the middle of the house. They must have expected tornadoes although the warning did not say that.

At about 9:45 p.m. it began to rain. Shortly after, the wind picked up. Then the skies opened up and the thunder and lightning started. We lost power after about 15 minutes. We sat and watched the transformer on the pole blow. Then another one blew down the block.

Finally, the storm passed and we all walked outside to see what kind of damage had been left behind. Kenny had gotten out of work just after the storm ended. He reported having to take a crazy circuitous route to get home because of downed trees and wires. There were trees down at either end of the block. The next block had a tree land on a car. Over on the main road (Saxon Ave), there were two trees down at opposite ends, thus closing off the road to through traffic. People were trying to go down the block. When they couldn’t get through, they turned and went down our block only to discover they couldn’t get through that way either. Our neighbor in the back on the south side had five trees go down. Two landed on our fence. Another tree came down on our fence in back on the west side. That tree was also from a neighbor’s yard. All our trees stayed put for this storm. lol.

We had gone over Trap’s house earlier to help him with an electrical problem he is having at the house. Paul and he worked for over an hour but couldn’t solve the problem. Sam and I went food shopping with the baby while the two older boys stayed home. We picked up pizza on the way back home and shared a meal with them before going home. Luckily, we got home before the storm hit.

21 Aug 2019 (Wed) – The church had their annual outdoor service on Sunday. We took Caiden with us. I guess the outdoor setting was too much for him. He wanted to go play and squirmed and fidgeted throughout the entire service. Afterward, there were all kinds of foods in a potluck meal. Everything was very good. I really enjoy those potlucks!

I really messed up today. I was scheduled for a PET scan at Sloan Kettering this afternoon. The test requires you to fast for six hours prior. I was watching Caiden and he asked for something to eat. I got him a snack out of the refrigerator and without thinking, popped a piece of cheese in my mouth. Yikes! When I got to the cancer center, it turned out I was supposed to be there at 1:15, not 2:15 p.m. Fortunately, the 2:15 appointment had shown up at 1:15 so they let me take the later appointment. Unfortunately, I had eaten the cheese and couldn’t take the test. I had to reschedule for next Monday.

I started chemotherapy on Monday. I am taking Ibrutinib once a day. So far (knock on wood), I am not having any side effects. Reading all the warnings, I have been fully expecting diarrhea and vomiting. Maybe it will come after the chemical builds up in my body. I have to admit that I am afraid of this drug. It interferes with the production of white blood cells. This lowers my resistance to infection. I have to be careful about keeping my hands clean and avoiding sick people. It is something I have to learn to live with since I now have to take this drug for the rest of my life.

The saga with trying to get Miranda financial help goes on. Social Services turned down her request for financial aid as well as food stamps. The department has a requirement for certain categories of persons to be referred to New York State HQ for examination when applying for Medicaid. We have to wait and see what happens there.

17 Aug 2019 (Sat) – We saw the counselor this morning. She was empathetic to our situation and gave us some suggestions for dealing with our adult children and their issues. Afterward, we drove to Bayside Clam Bar at the East Islip Marina for lunch. It is a great time of year to sit down by the water and just enjoy the season. All too soon, the cold weather will be upon us.

We stopped by the thrift shop at church and helped move tables and chairs from the storage area to the door. Tomorrow will be our annual outdoor service and potluck. We were staging the items by the back door where they would be taken down to the yard. Paul found a pair of super cool looking glasses for Caiden. They look like some kind of futuristic robot apparatus. They have a battery pack and when you turn it on, blue lights come on either side of the glasses. They also have a magnifying glass that folds out in front of the right lens. He loved them!

16 Aug 2019 (Fri) – It’s been a pretty quiet week. I got my hair cut this morning. It was good to see my hairdresser. She moved down to the Carolinas years ago and comes up about every 3 or 4 weeks. She said it was too hard to start a new following down south so she just continues coming back to New York to see her customers. I am glad about that! She is the only one who can get my hair right.

I went to visit my niece, Jennifer, and her new baby, Ava. She delivered about a month ago. My sister, Susan, and her other daughter, Sharon, joined me. The baby is adorable. Susan picked me up in her new red Tesla, of which she is very proud. It rides pretty nice.

Later at 5:30 pm, we went over Travis & Sam’s to watch the boys while they tore up the carpet in the upstairs hallway and put down new flooring. First we played outside. Then we followed Noah and Hudson on their bicycles around the block (they rode; we walked). Then we drove them to a nearby playground and let them play for a while. Interestingly, Noah pulled a book out of the book exchange and sat down on a bench to read while Hudson climbed all over the playset. Two very different boys!

Finally, we capped the night with a trip to Carvel. The ice cream was delicious but needless to say, their parents weren’t too happy about all the energy they came home with after the sweet treats. It is good to be the grandparent! You can spoil the babies and not suffer the aftermath. Sweet!

11 Aug 2019 (Sun) – We went to church this morning. Caiden is spending the weekend with his other grandma so he wasn’t with us. It seemed like everyone missed him. Everybody we spoke with asked about him. He is pretty popular.

After church, Paul and other folks helped to unload furniture for the church’s garage sale in October. I went down to the thrift shop and helped them sort baby clothes. They got a donation with dozens of outfits. We put them in bundles of six and marked them at fifty cents for the bundle. It must have been clothing from a store that closed. There is no way they could have all come from one family. Many outfits were brand new, some with tags still attached.

We went to Sagtikos Manor for a tour of the historical home. The land was purchased from the Secatogue Indians in 1692 and a 4-room house was built in 1697. The home was purchased by a wealthy family and over the years, more rooms were added until it now has 42 rooms. It was fascinating to hear the history of the property. The Gardiner family, one of the wealthiest in the area, owned the home in addition to Gardiner Island. They also had several homes around the Island and in New York City. In 1963, the house was put into a foundation trust. The property was sold to Suffolk County in 2003. What used to be 1,400 acres is now just 10 acres of land. There is a cemetery, a walled garden, a carriage house, and a buttery on the property. British soldiers occupied the manor during the American Revolution. The newly elected president, George Washington, slept in the house during a tour of Long Island in 1790. There were many delightful pictures and prints hanging on the walls. The family kept everything and all the furnishings were from the period. We really enjoyed the tour. Here was something in our own backyard that we never explored.

10 Aug 2019 (Sat) – Caiden keeps us amused. He is a charming, sweet soul. I went over Trap’s house Friday night and got to read the boys bedtime stories. It was fun. We went bowling with them on Wednesday. They are two very ener- getic boys! The night was quite interesting. Hudson and I had the same score for almost the entire game. I pulled it out in the end and broke 100. I think he got eighty something. Pretty good for a 4-year old (or bad for a 67-year old). :-}

We’ve been keeping busy. Paul went down to the church and power washed the fence in back and the front entry way. We will be having an outdoor service next Sunday and Pastor Doug wanted the area to look nice. I helped out in the thrift shop for a couple of hours. There were a couple of boxes with baby clothes in them. I took them for Lincoln.

I went down to Social Services with Miranda. I am trying to get them some financial aid as well as food stamps and Medicaid. It took over an hour just to fill out the application form! We left without seeing anyone after sitting for a couple of hours. An agent called Miranda later and told her she did not qualify for financial aid. Her $160 a week disability check combined with her husband’s $177 weekly unemployment check is considered too much income. WTH??? That comes to $1,348 a month. Who can even find rent at that price? Plus electric, car insurance, phone costs, education loans, etc., etc., etc. The agent is sending forms to Miranda to fill out and submit. DIDN’T WE JUST DO THAT??? Talk about aggravation and frustration!!!

6 Aug 2019 (Tue) – We brought the truck down to Safelite Glass today to have the windshield replaced. We have had a ding in the passenger’s side since 2015 when we were in Alaska. It often interfered with the pictures I tried to take through the front window. This year, we got another ding in the driver’s side of the windshield. It was time to replace it. We dropped the truck off and walked up to Main Street. The café we were looking for was no longer there. We wound up having bagels and coffee at a deli.

At 3 p.m., I went in to relieve Miranda from childcare duties. I took Caiden to the playground at the local elementary school playground. He had a great time! I told him he deserved an Italian custard at Rita’s. When we drove there, we found the shop closed permanently! What a bummer. So we drove a little further down the road and “settled” for Carvel ice cream. Caiden was not disappointed.

We went to Cavanaugh’s Bar & Grill tonight. We met Joan & Peter, Pat & Fred, Ginny & Milton, and Johanna & Thom at the bar. The restaurant had a $14.99 special for a 20 oz. porterhouse steak. It came with onion rings, baked potato, and a vegetable. The food was very good. It was a fun evening.

4 Aug 2019 (Sun) – We gathered up Caiden and headed off to church this morning. Paul’s sister and husband, Joan & Peter, showed up at church, too. After service, we went to the Bayside Clam Bar at the East Islip Marina with cousins Lee & Donna and friends Fred & Pat. It was a beautiful day on the bay. I took Caiden down by the docks where we watched folks putting in and taking out boats and jet skis. He was very impressed with the jet skis.

After we dropped Caiden off back home, Paul & I drove to Willie’s Appliances, a scratch-and-dent retailer. We bought a washing machine for the house. The one in there now has gotten out of balance and dances all over the room during the spin cycle. When we got home, Paul switched out the two washers.

3 Aug 2019 (Sat) – Yesterday, we took the three grandsons to my sister’s house to swim in the pool and lunch. It was like trying to keep ferrets in an open-top box. It couldn’t be done. They were all over the place and not as obedient as we would have liked. Having additional adults to help out wasn’t enough. At any rate, I believe the boys enjoyed the swim time and my sister really went out of her way to provide a varied menu for everyone.

Today, we enjoyed an unplanned adventure. While scanning Facebook, I came across a posting of a friend who plays in a band. He advertised that they would be down at the East Islip Marina playing at the Bayside Clam Bar and Grill from 10 to 1. We went there for lunch. I had lobster roll and Paul had fried shrimp. The music was delightful, the bay breeze was balmy, and the sky was blue. It was so nice to sit and listen to the 3-piece band play while watching watercraft (boats and ski jets) come and go.

31 July 2019 (Wed) – I almost wound up in the hospital today. I took a new supplement – a proteolytic enzyme. Then I took the dog for a walk. About ten minutes into the walk, the palms of my hands started itching. At first, I thought it was one of those lucky itches. You know, the kind where your palm itches and you’re going to come into money (or pay money)? But then it got intense, almost burning. My stomach started in next. Although I got the heaves, nothing was coming up. I barely made it back to the camper. Then the vomiting and diarrhea started. I was so weak, I could barely stand. I lay there wishing Paul would come into the trailer so I could have him call an ambulance. The vomiting finally subsided and I lay on the bed trying to recover. Next, the bottom of my feet began to itch, then my whole body. As I sat there trying to scratch everything at once, red blotches started breaking out on my legs. At that point, Paul came into the trailer and realized I was having a severe allergic reaction. He ran down to the drug store and picked up some benedryl. That stuff is great! It worked almost instantly. For the rest of the night, I sat in the lounge chair nodding in and out. It was one scary experience!

We have been busy working around the house. The men’s softball league at church had the last two games of the season on Monday and Tuesday. We went down to watch. Our team lost.

Both Paul and I went for an annual physical. My appointment was on Monday. It turned out to be a Medicare Wellness Check. I spent an hour and a half answering questions from a nurse who input everything into the computer. I could have stayed home and put the information in the computer myself! What a waste. The nurse was very apologetic and said that Medicare does not allow for an annual physical exam. If you want to see the doctor, it has to be scheduled as a follow up to a condition or an illness. We went to the desk and changed Paul’s status for his checkup the next day. I made an appointment to come back for an EKG. I won’t get any bloodwork but Paul did. What a screwed up system! I was very happy with my health insurance before they forced us to go on Medicare. I can’t imagine what will happen if everyone gets put on Medicare like the current presidential candidates are touting!

28 July 2019 (Sun) – We took Caiden to church with us this morning. Afterward, we stopped at McDonald’s for breakfast. We couldn’t get any fries (they don’t cook them until noon), so we cut up a pancake and fed it to the gulls. There has been a significant change in the kind of gulls prevalent on Long Island. There used to be black backed gulls all over the place. Now we don’t see any. There are laughing gulls flying around. I wonder what happened to the gull population.

When we returned home, we worked around the property. Paul cleaned out the gutters on the house and garage. I bundled up branches from the trees Paul trimmed or cut down. It was so hot. We were both drenched in sweat.

26 July 2019 (Fri) – We had dinner with my brother, Dennis, and his lady, Denise, at Chili’s Grill tonight. Dennis is working as an usher at Island 16 and gave us two free tickets. We can’t use them on a Friday or Saturday and are restricted from going to a Disney movie during the first two weeks of a new release. Otherwise, we can enjoy the movies for free. That was a very nice gift.

My sister’s daughter, Jennifer, delivered a baby girl on July 24. Ava Shea checked in at 8.9 lbs. I just love that name!

25 July 2019 (Thu) – We drove to Port Jefferson Station and had lunch with Travis and his family. He gets an hour for lunch and works close enough that he can go home for his noon meal. We shared McDonald’s while the boys showed off their pool and playing skills.

At 6:00 p.m. a French bulldog came running into the yard barking and barking. It wouldn’t let us touch it but it wouldn’t leave either. The dog honed in on Kenny and when we all stepped away, it walked with Kenny into the backyard where he secured it. Paul walked up and down the block looking for its owners (it had no collar), but couldn’t find any. At 6:45 p.m., Miranda and I drove to Bohemia to Maguire’s Comedy Club to watch a comedy laugh-off. My brother, Dennis, was performing and we went to support him. We had dinner and drinks. The food was excellent. The comedy was hit or miss. Apparently, comedy is not easy to do. We left before the show was over at 9:45 p.m.

When we got home, Paul told me that the woman across the street claimed the dog. It is not chipped and they take the collar off when they put the dog in its crate. It somehow got out and they didn’t miss it for several hours. Oh, well. It’s a happy ending any way.

24 July 2019 (Wed) – It was a busy day today. First destination was the TSA Pre-Check booth located in a Staples store. I brought my birth certificate, marriage certificate, and driver’s license. The clerk took my picture and fingerprints. The charge was $85 but is good for five years. What the pre-check does is to allow me to go through the security screening line at the airport without having to take my shoes and belt off, and to leave a laptop in its computer case. Next, we’ll have to get Paul the pre-check.

We then drove back to the camper to get Bonnie. We took her to the vet to see if we could find something that can be done about her chronic diarrhea. She has also been showing signs of arthritis in her paws. The vet prescribed Tylan for the diarrhea and gabapentin for pain. We’ll see if that helps.

After dropping Bonnie off at the RV, we went to the dentist where I got my teeth cleaned. Paul had been there on Monday. He has a small cavity that will need filling. My checkup was perfect!

23 July 2019 (Tue) - Well, the parents are back. Whew! What a week. There is a reason children are best raised by the young folks. Our 5-year old grandson sure had us running around from dawn to dusk. Caiden slept in the camper every other night, alternating with his bed in the house. We went through an incredible heat wave and, at one point, we just stayed in the trailer all day and night. Poor Bonnie had to be put out every time Caiden came in. She does not like him and for some reason, she tries to go after him. That breaks my heart because if she ever does bite him, we’ll have to put her down.

Ok. Some of the things we did over this past week. I saw a doctor at Sloan Kettering in Manhattan. The doctor said the disease is well advanced and I should have started two years ago when it was first discovered. She described the same options that Dr. Ahmed in Texas offered – a pill for the rest of my life, an intravenous protocol as a temporary stopgap and going on the pill after a time, and a new treatment whose performance is not yet known. I asked to have my case transferred to the satellite clinic on Long Island. If I had to go into NYC, it would drive me crazy! I had to take a train and two subways to get to Dr. Noy’s office. I don’t know how people can live like that – like cattle being pushed along by all the other bodies traveling underground.

We took Caiden to the library where he had a great time playing with the toys. We also went to playgrounds and chased each other around as his imagination conjured up monsters, pirates, and Darth Vadar from Star Wars. We drove to Port Jefferson Station and picked up our other two grandsons and took all three boys to the movies to see Toy Story 4. Poor Paul. Each boy had to go to the bathroom twice. Paul would take one while I watched the other two, then he would drop that one off and take the next one. They all had to go in the middle of the movie, too. While we enjoyed our time with the boys, we certainly won’t try doing that again unless there is at least one adult for each child and an extra grown up for back up. The energy level is incredible. It was like trying to keep ferrets in a box. Can’t be done. We took Caiden to visit my sister, Susan, in Hampton Bays. He loved swimming in the pool.

We were able to go to church last Sunday and this past Sunday. It was so good to see all our friends. The pastor announced our presence and the congregation clapped their greeting. We enjoyed catching up with everyone.

20 July 2019 - Haven’t forgotten you! Just been super busy watching our grandchild while his parents are gone. My blog will be back in a few days. Thanks for your patience!

12 July 2019 (Fri) – We got a call from our son at 1:30 p.m. that he had been scalded and needed to be picked up. Apparently, he had tried to open the radiator cap while the car was still hot. Our truck was in the shop to have the real pinion seal repaired so we borrowed Miranda’s car and drove to Commack to get him. He had been drinking and refused to go to the clinic with us. The car was towed away and Travis just walked away. We left and drove to the shop to pick up our truck. I cooked dinner tonight.

11 July 2019 (Thu) – We left West Point at 9:55 a.m. Although the distance to Bay Shore was only 102 miles, it took us three hours with all the traffic on the road. We pulled in around 1 p.m. After set up, we visited with Miranda, Kenny, and Caiden. Kenny drove Caiden and me to Lake Grove where we got their cell phone problems fixed. We had pizza for dinner.

10 July 2019 (Wed) – It was a lot of driving around today with very little results. First was the KOA in Plattekill. We were looking for another campground besides the one we are at that is near West Point. It was a very nice campground. The manager said he could also coordinate bus tours into New York City as well as the surrounding area. That peaked our interest! We wanted to bring the group to the city but didn’t want the hassle of trying to shepherd 44 people around all the people and traffic.

We then drove to the U.S. Military Academy. First stop was at Thayer Hotel Restaurant. We went in and had lunch, then stopped by the check-in desk to ask for the group sales manager. The coordinator came down to see us. Although she wasn’t the one to coordinate our kind of group (she’s does weddings, birthdays, and celebrations), she gave us contact information for the other coordinator.

We then drove off the base to the Visitor’s Center. Although there was a tour desk in the center, they told us to go across the street to the Bus Tours Office. We went over there and were given a website to check out. It has the various tour options listed. Then we drove back on base to the West Point Club. The woman we spoke with was on the verge of going to a meeting but gave us a website to check out for menus and various meal options. We looked at some of the rooms available in the club.

After wandering around the grounds for a bit and trying to look in some of the buildings (they were almost all locked), we headed back to the campground. So when we get internet again (the cell phone and wifi signal in this campground is almost nonexistent), I’ll have to investigate the options for touring the U.S. Military Academy.

9 July 2019 (Tue) – We left Watkins Glen at 8:55 a.m. and drove to West Point, stopping for a quick bite to eat at Wendy’s. We pulled into Round Pond Recreation Area at 2 p.m. It is a military campground associated with West Point Military Academy. We had thought it would be good to have the caravan stay here but this campground would not be good for our group. It is a little too rustic for some folks, the sites are close in some quarters, and the campsites are spread out around a large pond. In addition, the water and electric hookups are on the wrong side of our RV. I’m not sure all campsites have that issue, but ours does. There are no sewers but they do have a dump station.

Once we were set up, we grabbed the laundry and threw it in the washers in the laundry room. There were three machines in the room; one had a sticky note on it that said “Ate $2 July 9.” I surmised that person lost $2 in the machine today. So we didn’t use it.

After we put the laundry away, we took a walk with Bonnie around the lake. It is very pretty here. I love all the greenery. We have been on the west coast for over a year and around desert and cacti. I didn’t realize how much I missed the trees. It’s lovely.

8 July 2019 (Mon) – We drove to Corning Glass Museum this morning. They have really expanded the museum since we were here 48 years ago on our honeymoon. We spoke with the group sales coordinator and got the information for the museum, a tour, a glass making experience, and a catered meal. We then drove down the street to the Rockwell Museum. Their tour takes 45 minutes to one hour. We may leave this museum for folks to go to on their own. We’ll see.

We drove by a couple of campgrounds and gathered information on availability for group camping. The town of Watkins Glen campground – Clute Memorial Park & Campground – looked very promising. They are located across from the beach on Lake Seneca.

We had lunch at Sorges Restaurant in Corning. I had a cheeseburger wrap. It was ok but nothing I would buy again. We then drove around Lake Seneca, stopping at a couple of vineyards for tastings. When we got back to the KOA, we went in and got contact information for the owner. We also picked up a few souvenirs for the grandkids. It was a fruitful day.

7 July 2019 (Sun) – We packed up and left Bath at 10:15 and drove to the Watkins Glen KOA, which was only 40 miles away. When we pulled in, we recognized that we had been here back in 2007 when we drove up to pick up our first fifth wheel RV. The part they put us in at that time was brand new. They have added some other buildings and cabins since then. They wouldn’t let us into the campground until 12 noon. We had to keep ourselves busy for five minutes then passed through. The wifi in this park is non-existent. In addition, the cell phone does not work well either. We must be a valley or something.

After set up, we drove into the town of Watkins Glen. It is very touristy. Watkins Glen State Park was packed with people. We stopped at CPT Bill’s Seneca Lake Cruises to get information. There was a restaurant next door that is also owned by CPT Bill’s. We stopped in there as well to find out about group meal options and costs. After walking along the boardwalk of Seneca Lake, we drove up into the state park to look at the campground. It was too tight with narrow turns and lots of trees. It would not work for our group.

We stopped for lunch at Nickel’s pit BBQ. I got ribs and Paul got wings. We didn’t care for either for the food. It was overdusted with dry rub and actually seemed to be gritty. After lunch, we drove to Watkins Glen International. It is a NASCAR race track. In town, they painted the crosswalks in a checker flag pattern. The street signs have race cars on them. We had trouble finding an entrance into the park. After driving around the place, we finally discovered an open gate. The office was closed. There were cars racing on the track – we could hear them. There is a campground at the track and we wanted to find out about it. Finally, we discovered an employee who answered our questions. He said they only allow camping during special events. Guess that won’t work for our group either.

6 July 2019 (Sat) – We went into the campground office first thing this morning to get information about group reservations for the caravan. Then we drove to Letchworth State Park. Letchworth is called the Grand Canyon of the East. It was over an hour away. Although we thought it was such a great place when we came here 30 years ago, it didn’t look so great today. You couldn’t really see the gorge or canyons or river because of all the trees. I guess having just come back from seeing the national parks out west made us a little jaded.

We then stopped at a campground near Letchworth to check out the place for the caravan. They didn’t have everything we wanted for the group so we won’t be camping there. We had lunch at the Iris Glen Inn. It was the house of Mr. Letchworth converted to a restaurant. The upper falls were visible outside the window. The food was good. The drive back was under rainy skies.

5 July 2019 (Fri) – We packed up and left Lockport at 9:15 a.m. We drove 12 miles to a nearby campground to dump the tanks. The Elks Lodge recommended dumping at the nearby waste treatment plant but when we went to look at the site, it turned out you would just open the spigot over a grate that covers a collection tank. The cover had bits of toilet paper and other debris on it. Ugh!

It was an easy drive to the KOA in Bath. We stopped at a Pilot station and got lunch at Subway. The campground is a little tight. It is pretty big with over 200 campsites. We are parked on the grass in a pull through. A couple used to be managers at the Watkins Glen KOA and bought this KOA in Hammondsport/Bath in February. They were selling pulled pork sliders for dinner. The baked beans were too sweet, the cole slaw was bitter, and the pulled pork was very dry.

After we got set up, we drove to the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum to gather information for the caravan. We then drove down the road to Bully Hill Vineyards and enjoyed a small snack in the restaurant. We sat out on the deck and watched a thunderstorm grumble and growl its way across the sky. Down the road was the Finger Lakes Boating Museum. Their complex used to belong to Taylor wines. We were there about 8 years ago and had a wine tasting. Since then, Coca-Cola had sold the wine division. Sales decreased and Taylor wines were sold to a couple of different owners until, today, only their dessert wines are being sold (Taylor Flagate and Port). The Taylor Wines complex is now mostly closed with parts of it being sold off. The boating museum owns one of the buildings and is in the process of buying another two of them. It will be a pretty big museum in two years.

We returned to the campground just before the skies opened up and the rains poured down. Sheba spent several hours hiding in the closet.

4 July 2019 (Thu-Independence Day) – It was a quiet day for us. We went over Kevin & Joy’s daughter’s home for a barbecue. Their son-in-law, Justin, made a variety of delicious appetizers to nosh on before grilling hot dogs, hamburgers, and coonies. Coonies are a popular barbecue food for the upstate folks. It is a kind of mild flavored sausage. That led to all of us talking about different foods peculiar to areas around the country. It was a funny discussion.

3 July 2019 (Wed) – We went to two wineries this morning. I found wines I liked (the Niagara wine has a wonderfully distinctive taste) but Paul did not find a good one. We went to Tom’s Diner for lunch. It was small but the service was good. We both had salads that were huge! At 4 p.m. we drove to Buffalo to visit a campground there. With all the information we are collecting, we are starting to form an idea of how we want the caravan to run in the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area. Since we are thinking about using a tour bus, we want to keep the cost of the campground down. There are not many nice campgrounds in this area. Just the two resorts on Grand Island with sites over $100 each.

We met Kevin and Joy at Texas Roadhouse for dinner. The food, as always, was great. We enjoyed their company very much. They invited us to join them at their daughter’s house tomorrow for a BBQ.

2 July 2019 (Tue) – We drove into Niagara Falls today. The intent was to find a nice restaurant in which to have a dinner for the caravan. It was incredibly crowded and there was construction that made navigation around the area difficult. We got frustrated and finally gave up. We drove into town and had lunch at the Pearl Street Grille & Brewery. It was rated #1 of 234 restaurants in Niagara Falls by Trip Advisor. I don’t know what criteria they used to rate these restaurants, but this was certainly NOT a #1. There were six booths, two tables, and six chairs at a counter. They served pub food. I got Beef on a Weck. We’ve seen that on several menus now and I decided to try it. It turned out to be a roast beef sandwich where they dipped the roast beef in au jus then put it on the roll. It only made the bread soggy (and I HATE wet bread). The meat also had some grizzle in it. Paul got a tuna melt and it came without any cheese. We really didn’t feel the place deserved to be rated #1.

After lunch, we stopped at the Underground Railroad Heritage Center. They mentioned Harriet Tubman frequently but had very little about her in the center. It was very small and basically boasted of how the folks in Niagara Falls helped escaped slaves cross over into Canada.

We then drove to Youngstown to Old Fort Niagara. The group tours manager was not in and the clerk gave us her contact information. We have to call her tomorrow. When we stepped out, we saw the Buffalo trolley shuttle. It provides a shuttle from Niagara Falls to Buffalo with 14 stops along the way. We asked about a tour and the bus driver gave us contact information. We’ll have to contact that lady tomorrow, too.

1 July 2019 (Mon) – We brought the truck to Ford to get it inspected this morning. Kevin & Joy met us for breakfast at Bob Evans. After breakfast, we went back to the campground where they are parked. After a brief visit, we returned to Ford to get the truck. There were (supposedly) several lights out that they had to replace. We paid $139.12 and went on our way. We drove into Buffalo to the Buffalo Naval and Military Park on the Eric Canal. They had three ships there: The USS Croaker (a submarine), the USS Sullivans (a destroyer), and the USS Little Rock (a missile cruiser). There was also a small museum on the second floor of the visitor’s center and gift shop. We spent three hours climbing up and down stairs as we explored the three ships. It was fun.

We drove to the Pearl Street Grill & Brewery for a late lunch. The food was excellent. On the way back to the Elks lodge, we stopped at Lockport Locks & Eric Canal Cruises. They have a very nice program for lunch followed by a two-hour ride on the canal. It will be a definite venue if we do the New York caravan in 2021.

30 June 2019 (Sun) – We drove to several campgrounds today to check space availability and options. Of the four we stopped at, two are possibilities. One charges $102 per night and the other charges $113. Yeow! That’s a lot of money. There’s a possibility we can negotiate prices at one of them because we have to call back to speak with the owner.

We also stopped at the Niagara Power Plant to see about a tour. The manager was out and will be in tomorrow afternoon. We’ll have to call back.

We stopped at a restaurant on Lake Ontario for lunch. We sat up on the second floor out on the deck. It was too windy to put the umbrella up but there was a brisk wind blowing that kept the sun from feeling too hot. As we were eating, there was a sudden CRACK and a tree across the street split. A large trunk with wide spread branches came crashing down. How it avoided hitting the power line next to it or the cars parked in front of it, is beyond me. There was a guy walking his dog in front of that tree not two minutes before. The angels were watching over everybody.

29 June 2019 (Sat) – We left Youngstown at 8:45 a.m. Although the sky got cloudy, the rain held off. The drive took us through Pennsylvania into New York. We stopped at a travel center when we crossed into New York. It was crazy! The place was so crowded. There was only one facility on the west side of the thruway. Those on the eastbound side had to cross an overhead bridge. We each got a slice of pizza.

We arrived in Lockport at 1:30 p.m. We are staying in an Elks Lodge in the back parking lot. After set up, we went in and paid for our site. At 3:30 p.m., Kevin & Joy, a couple who was on our Utah caravan, met us and we all went to an early dinner. The food and company was good. After we returned to the lodge, Paul and I went food shopping to pick up groceries and to Pet Smart for Bonnie’s food. When we got back, we looked through brochures for activities in the area.

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littleredroseonthevalley · 7 years ago

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Confrontation - Kaitlyn

Summary: After much thinking, Emily decides that it is time to face the past. She will meet ten people who were and are a part of her life. Is she going to find what she is looking for? Or all she will achieve is more heartbreak?

Rating: M - Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16 with non-explicit suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, or coarse language.

Notes: Hello, everybody! Thanks for joining me for yet another chapter of Confrontation. We’re nearing the end, having only three more chapters ahead of us. Without further delay, here it is!

After a good night sleep, she left Illinois, heading south, to Texas. Emily was very much surprised Kaitlyn would go back home after her music career was finished, especially because her home was Dallas of all places, but there she was, and there Emily would go.

She always thought Dallas was the place lesbian punk rockers fled from, not retired at.

Her conversation with Zack made her rethink this whole exercise. After Texas, she had only one more stop in her cross-country trip, and then she would return to Northbridge, free of the heavy weight of her past.

But would she? “I don’t know what you told James, but it really did a turn on his head” was a phrase that circled Emily’s mind for good part of the last twenty-four hours. When she convinced herself into doing this tour, she told herself she wasn’t doing it only for her sake, but also of her former friends. She didn’t want to be forgiven, necessarily, she wanted to be forgotten, in a sense. To be a memory from a distant past.

With Chris and Becca, she achieved her goal, and she was still on the fence about Zack, but James seemed to be a resounding failure.

True, her approach had to be distinct from what she had used with Becca, Chris and Zack, and she felt that James had committed a much graver crime than any of the other three, but making the man fear his own shadow was also far from her initial goal.

What made matters worse is that, if James has done a grander offence, Kaitlyn took the cake. If Emily’s life was a tragic opera, James is the playwright and Kaitlyn is both the composer and the villain.

After a shameful defeat for Natasha’s Loose Pins at the Battle of Bands on their Sophomore year, Kaitlyn’s band fell apart. Partially because Amara moved to Great Britain, but also because the Asian girl was able to alienate her other bandmates with her single-minded determination to destroy Natasha and Emily herself.

With the defeat and the abandonment, Kaitlyn decided that if she couldn’t beat Natasha, she would join her, and entered Loose Pins as a songwriter and frontwoman. As a supreme marriage of their combined hatred for Emily, their first single was unsurprisingly a vilipend song, unapologetically called “Treacherous Cunt”.

Despite its unsavory title, and perhaps because of it, the song was a hit thorough America and overseas. The Loose Pins arose to immediate fame and fortune, and like it was usual on those occasions, its members decayed in debauchery. There wasn’t a single day on her senior year Emily wouldn’t hear or read about something either Kaitlyn or Natasha had done which was illegal or otherwise immoral.

And they kept at it, even after the debacle they had operated on Emily on her graduation night. They kept at it until, two years ago, disaster struck.

Rachel, who had followed Kaitlyn into the Loose Pins, died of overdose. No-one knew what kind of drug it was, but Emily had a hunch it was something heavy and virtually unknown.

After what happened, the Loose Pins broke apart. While Natasha kept touring as a solo performer, the other musicians at the band, Kaitlyn included, retired into a quiet life, away from the spotlights.

A quiet life indeed. In fact, Kaitlyn was the hardest amongst their former roommates to find. Emily had to enlist Sebastian’s help to have any leads, and it took him over three months to be able to coax out of Madison and Becca anything useful.

As the pilot’s voice announces they would be landing in Dallas within minutes, Emily decided it was best not to dwell much on what-could-be’s. Her flight to California was six hours away, it would be best if she went to hear what Kaitlyn had to say and be done with it.

Reclaiming her small-sized baggage, she rushed her way through the Arrivals lobby and jumped into a cab. Emily was anxious, and the best way to deal with that emotion was to just jump into it and leave little time for thinking.

The address provided was of a coffee shop in downtown Fort Worth, by the Water Garden. She paid the cabby and walked over to the door.

The place was rather small, but cozy. The decoration was done in a light brown, the color of café au lait. The barista stood at the far back of the place, while the rest of the salon was dotted with wooden tables and mismatched armchairs and sofas.

It is after ten o’clock, the morning rush was gone, and it was yet too soon for lunch. The shop was empty, save for a rustling under the barista counter. Emily approached it, but the person made no movement as in to acknowledge her presence.

There is a bell by the register, which Emily supposed it was for that exact same purpose, so she rung it.

The person who rose to her feet was exactly who Emily was expecting, but, judging from her face, the feeling was not mutual.

“You!” She said, terrified. “What are you doing here?!”

“Hello, Kaitlyn.” She responded. “I supposed I couldn’t expect a warm welcoming, since last time we’ve met you ripped my hair with your bare hands, but that’s really pushing it.”

The Asian woman, however, seemed not to be listening a single word she said. Her breath has shallow, and she seemed to be hyperventilating. “This isn’t happening! It cannot be!”

Zack hadn’t prepared her to the possibility Kaitlyn would become a nutcase. The ruckus seemed to startle some employees back at the kitchen, as soon enough someone emerged from there to attend to the ailing woman.

“Kaitlyn! Are you alright?” She said, frantic, kneeling over to the crying Asian on the floor.

“Annisa!” Emily recognized the other employee. “What are you doing here?”

“Emily!” She seemed stupefied to see her. “Oh my God. Wait here, please. I’ll take Kaitlyn inside for a minute.”

About half an hour later, Emily sat on a chair by the front window of the coffeeshop. The blinds were folded, as the store had to be closed. Annisa emerged from the kitchen with a tray and two cups.

She offered her a cup. “She’ll be out in a second.”

Emily took one. “Thanks.” She breathed out and took a sip. “What… What happened here?”

“Kaitlyn’s been troubled since Rachel’s death.” Annisa said, softly. “About everything that happened, since you and then Natasha’s craziness, it all worked a number in her head. She improved a lot since then, but I guess seeing you in person is still a trigger.”

“That’s concerning to hear…” Emily mumbled, thoughtful.

“Excuse me for asking, but why are you here?” The brunette asks, in a low, apologetic tone. “I know you aren’t hellbent on revenge or something like that, but why? And why now?”

The redhead really didn’t want to answer this question, but she supposed that it was better to tell Annisa rather than to tell Kaitlyn in her fraught state of mind.

She slipped a pink envelope through the table. “I addressed it to Kaitlyn, but I suppose she wouldn’t be able to take the news. You can have it, and you can tell her whenever you feel she’s ready.”

Annisa looked warily at Emily and at the rosy paper on the table. “Okay… I’ll see to it.”

She, then, picked up her purse. “I better leave. I won’t be getting what I want from Kaitlyn, and I suppose that I already done what I came here for.”

“Are you sure, Emily?” The young woman asked, with pleading shiny eyes.

The redhead smiled sweetly at her. “I am, Annisa. Thank you for having me, I’m sorry for disturbing your work day.” She breathed out. “Thank you for taking care of her. You’re a loyal friend.”

“Good-bye, Emily.” She responded, with a brilliant smile of her own. “Don’t be a stranger.”

Said woman then left the store and hailed a cab back to the airport. When she was far away enough, that she was reassure anyone but the taciturn driver could either see or hear her, Emily cried.

She cried for Kaitlyn, who was impaired. She cried for her former friends, all with their own personal tragedies. She cried because she didn’t know whether she was opening old wounds or healing them. But, most of all, she cried for herself.

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Confrontation - Masterlist

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patriotsnet · 3 years ago

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Why Is There Republicans And Democrats

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/why-is-there-republicans-and-democrats/

Why Is There Republicans And Democrats

How Things Got This Bad

Why Democrats and Republicans have different priorities on COVID relief

6) The Republican turn against democracy begins with race

Support for authoritarian ideas in America is closely tied to the countrys long-running racial conflicts.

This chart, from a September 2020 paper by Vanderbilt professor Larry Bartels, shows a statistical analysis of a survey of Republican voters, analyzing the link between respondents score on a measure of ethnic antagonism and their support for four anti-democratic statements .

The graphic shows a clear finding: The higher a voter scores on the ethnic antagonism scale, the more likely they are tosupport anti-democratic ideas. This held true even when Bartels used regression analyses to compare racial attitudes to other predictors, like support for Trump. The strongest predictor by far of these antidemocratic attitudes is ethnic antagonism, he writes.

For students of American history, this shouldnt be a surprise.

The 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act cemented Democrats as the party of racial equality, causing racially resentful Democrats in the South and elsewhere to defect to the Republican Party. This sorting process, which took place over the next few decades, is .

7) Partisanship causes Republicans to justify anti-democratic behavior

This chart is a little hard to parse, but it illustrates a crucial finding from one of the best recent papers on anti-democratic sentiment in America: how decades of rising partisanship made an anti-democratic GOP possible.

Taking The Perspective Of Others Proved To Be Really Hard

The divide in the United States is wide, and one indication of that is how difficult our question proved for many thoughtful citizens. A 77-year-old Republican woman from Pennsylvania was typical of the voters who struggled with this question, telling us, This is really hard for me to even try to think like a devilcrat!, I am sorry but I in all honesty cannot answer this question. I cannot even wrap my mind around any reason they would be good for this country.

Similarly, a 53-year-old Republican from Virginia said, I honestly cannot even pretend to be a Democrat and try to come up with anything positive at all, but, I guess they would vote Democrat because they are illegal immigrants and they are promised many benefits to voting for that party. Also, just to follow what others are doing. And third would be just because they hate Trump so much. The picture she paints of the typical Democratic voter being an immigrant, who goes along with their party or simply hates Trump will seem like a strange caricature to most Democratic voters. But her answer seems to lack the animus of many.

Democrats struggled just as much as Republicans. A 33-year-old woman from California told said, i really am going to have a hard time doing this but then offered that Republicans are morally right as in values, going to protect us from terrorest and immigrants, going to create jobs.

Reality Check 3: The Democrats Legislative Fix Will Never Happenand Doesnt Even Touch The Real Threats

Its understandable why Democrats have ascribed a life-or-death quality to S. 1, the For the People bill that would impose a wide range of requirements on state voting procedures. The dozensor hundredsof provisions enacted by Republican state legislatures and governors represent a determination to ensure that the GOP thumb will be on the scale at every step of the voting process. The proposed law would roll that back on a national level by imposing a raft of requirements on statesno excuse absentee voting, more days and hours to votebut would also include public financing of campaigns, independent redistricting commissions and compulsory release of presidential candidates’ tax returns.

There are all sorts of Constitutional questions posed by these ideas. But theres a more fundamental issue here: The Constitutional clause on which the Democrats are relyingArticle I, Section 4, Clause 1gives Congress significant power over Congressional elections, but none over elections for state offices or the choosing of Presidential electors.

Vaccine Advocacy From Hannity And Mcconnell Gets The Media Off Republicans’ Backs But Won’t Shift Public Sentiment

Sean Hannity, Mitch McConnell and Tucker Carlson

Amid a rising media furor over the steady stream of vaccine disparagement from GOP politicians and Fox News talking heads, a number of prominent Republicans spoke up in favor of vaccines early this week.

On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters, “shots need to get in everybody’s arm as rapidly as possible” and asked that people “ignore all of these other voices that are giving demonstrably bad advice.” House Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, got the vaccine after months of delay and then publicly said, “there shouldn’t be any hesitancy over whether or not it’s safe and effective.” And Fox News host Sean Hannity, in a widely shared video, declared, it “absolutely makes sense for many Americans to get vaccinated.” This was treated in the press as an unequivocal endorsement, even though the use of the word “many” was clearly meant to let the Fox News viewers feel like he’s talking about other people getting vaccinated.

Is this an exciting pivot among the GOP elites? Are they abandoning the sociopathic strategy of sabotaging President Joe Biden’s anti-pandemic plan by encouraging their own followers to get sick? Are the millions of Republicans who keep telling pollsters they will never get that Democrat shot going to change their minds now?

Ha ha ha, no.

Want more Amanda Marcotte on politics? Subscribe to her newsletter Standing Room Only.

Matthew Gertz July 20, 2021

Jefferson And Jeffersonian Principles

Jeffersonian democracy was not a one-man operation. It was a large political party with many local and state leaders and various factions, and they did not always agree with Jefferson or with each other.

Jefferson was accused of inconsistencies by his opponents. The “Old Republicans” said that he abandoned the Principles of 1798. He believed the national security concerns were so urgent that it was necessary to purchase Louisiana without waiting for a Constitutional amendment. He enlarged federal power through the intrusively-enforced . He idealized the “yeoman farmer” despite being himself a gentleman plantation owner. The disparities between Jefferson’s philosophy and practice have been noted by numerous historians. Staaloff proposed that it was due to his being a proto-; claimed that it was a manifestation of pure hypocrisy, or “pliability of principle”; and Bailyn asserts it simply represented a contradiction with Jefferson, that he was “simultaneously a radical utopian idealist and a hardheaded, adroit, at times cunning politician”. However, Jenkinson argued that Jefferson’s personal failings ought not to influence present day thinkers to disregard Jeffersonian ideals.

, a European nobleman who opposed democracy, argues that “Jeffersonian democracy” is a misnomer because Jefferson was not a democrat, but in fact believed in rule by an elite: “Jefferson actually was an Agrarian Romantic who dreamt of a republic governed by an elite of character and intellect”.

Reality Check #4: The Electoral College And The Senate Are Profoundly Undemocraticand Were Stuck With Them

Because the Constitution set up a state-by-state system for picking presidents, the massive Democratic majorities we now see in California and New York often mislead us about the partys national electoral prospects. In 2016, Hillary Clintons 3-million-vote plurality came entirely from California. In 2020, Bidens 7-million-vote edge came entirely from California and New York. These are largely what election experts call wasted votesDemocratic votes that dont, ultimately, help the Democrat to win. That imbalance explains why Trump won the Electoral College in 2016 and came within a handful of votes in three states from doing the same last November, despite his decisive popular-vote losses.

The response from aggrieved Democrats? Abolish the Electoral College! In practice, theyd need to get two-thirds of the House and Senate, and three-fourths of the state legislatures, to ditch the process that gives Republicans their only plausible chance these days to win the White House. Shortly after the 2016 election, Gallup found that Republican support for abolishing the electoral college had dropped to 19 percent. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, a state-by-state scheme to effectively abolish the Electoral College without changing the Constitution, hasnt seen support from a single red or purple state.

History Of The Democratic And Republican Parties

The Democratic Party traces its origins to the anti-federalist factions around the time of Americas independence from British rule. These factions were organized into the Democrat Republican party by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and other influential opponents of the Federalists in 1792.

The Republican party is the younger of the two parties. Founded in 1854 by anti-slavery expansion activists and modernizers, the Republican Party rose to prominence with the election of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president. The party presided over the American Civil War and Reconstruction and was harried by internal factions and scandals towards the end of the 19th century.

Since the division of the Republican Party in the election of 1912, the Democratic party has consistently positioned itself to the left of the Republican Party in economic as well as social matters. The economically left-leaning activist philosophy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, which has strongly influenced American liberalism, has shaped much of the party’s economic agenda since 1932. Roosevelt’s New Deal coalition usually controlled the national government until 1964.

The Republican Party today supports a pro-business platform, with foundations in economic libertarianism, and fiscal and social conservatism.

Adams And The Revolution Of 1800

Shortly after Adams took office, he dispatched a group of envoys to seek peaceful relations with France, which had begun attacking American shipping after the ratification of the Jay Treaty. The failure of talks, and the French demand for bribes in what became known as the XYZ Affair, outraged the American public and led to the Quasi-War, an undeclared naval war between France and the United States. The Federalist-controlled Congress passed measures to expand the army and navy and also pushed through the Alien and Sedition Acts. The Alien and Sedition Acts restricted speech that was critical of the government, while also implementing stricter naturalization requirements. Numerous journalists and other individuals aligned with the Democratic-Republicans were prosecuted under the Sedition Act, sparking a backlash against the Federalists. Meanwhile, Jefferson and Madison drafted the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which held that state legislatures could determine the constitutionality of federal laws.

Why Democrats and Republicans Are Claiming A Midterm Win

Voxs German Lopez is here to guide you through the Biden administrations burst of policymaking. Sign up to receive our newsletter each Friday.

They go further than merely believing the 2020 election was stolen, a nearly unanimous view among the bunch. Over 90 percent oppose making it easier for people to vote; roughly 70 percent would support a hypothetical third term for Trump .

The MAGA movement, Blum and Parker write, is a clear and present danger to American democracy.

2) Republicans are embracing violence

The ultimate expression of anti-democratic politics is resorting to violence. More than twice as many Republicans as Democrats nearly two in five Republicans said in a January poll that force could be justified against their opponents.

It would be easy to dismiss this kind of finding as meaningless were it not for the January 6 attack on Capitol Hill and the survey was conducted about three weeks after the attack. Republicans recently saw what political violence in the United States looked like, and a large fraction of the party faithful seemed comfortable with more of it.

These attitudes are linked to the party elites rhetoric: The more party leaders like Trump attack the democratic political system as rigged against them, the more Republicans will believe it and conclude that extreme measures are justifiable. A separate study found that Republicans who believe Democrats cheated in the election were far likelier to endorse post-election violence.

Early Life And Career

John Quincy Adams entered the world at the same time that his maternal great-grandfather, John Quincy, for many years a prominent member of the Massachusettslegislature, was leaving ithence his name. He grew up as a child of the American Revolution. He watched the Battle of Bunker Hill from Penns Hill and heard the cannons roar across the Back Bay in Boston. His patriot father, John Adams, at that time a delegate to the Continental Congress, and his patriot mother, Abigail Smith Adams, had a strong molding influence on his education after the war had deprived Braintree of its only schoolmaster. In 1778 and again in 1780 the boy accompanied his father to Europe. He studied at a private school in Paris in 177879 and at the University of Leiden, Netherlands, in 1780. Thus, at an early age he acquired an excellent knowledge of the French language and a smattering of Dutch. In 1780, also, he began to keep regularly the diary that forms so conspicuous a record of his doings and those of his contemporaries through the next 60 years of American history. Self-appreciative, like most of the Adams clan, he once declared that, if his diary had been even richer, it might have become “next to the Holy Scriptures, the most precious and valuable book ever written by human hands.”

Democratic View On Healthcare

Democrats have always been in favor of governmental involvement in the wellbeing of Americans, especially the most vulnerable among us. Healthcare reform has been a primary focus for the party since the middle of the Twentieth Century. Medicare, Medicaid, Childrens Health Insurance Program , and the ACA are all major reforms the Democrats fought for and got passed into law. During this election season, healthcare is arguably the hottest topic of debate, and Democrats are pushing for further expansion across the board. The key phrase to remember is quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

Obama And Trump Healthcare Policies Compared

There could not be a more radical divide between administrations than there is between these two. The Obama administration worked against almost insurmountable opposition from the GOP in order to pass the ACA. The Trump Administrations quest is to dismantle everything the Obama Administration has done. They even have court cases pending in order to do so.

When Was The Republican And Democratic Parties Formed

The Democratic Party was founded by Andrew Jackson Martin Van Buren on January 8, 1828, in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He was the United States seventh president but the first democratic President.

The Democratic Partys shocking emergence can be linked to the countrys anti-federalist factions. It was during that time the United States of America gained independence from British colonial masters.

The anti-federalist factions, which democrats originated from, were also grouped into the Democrat-Republican party. This was done in 1792 by James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and other federalists influential opponents.

On the other hand, the Republican Party is pretty much younger than the Democratic Party. It was formed in 1854 by anti-slavery modernizers and activists.

The republicans were against the expansion of slavery in Western territories. They fought hard to protect African Americans rights after the civil war.

The Republican Party is often known as GOP. The meaning is Grand Old Party. The first Republican President was Abraham Lincoln. From Lincolns emergence, Republican Party started gaining ground in America.

The Legal Fight Over Voting Rights During The Pandemic Is Getting Hotter

Or as former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, told NPR, there are no “fair” maps in the discussion about how to draw voting districts because what Democrats call “fair” maps are those, he believes, that favor them.

No, say voting rights groups and many Democrats the only “fair” way to conduct an election is to admit as many voters as possible. Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams, who has charged authorities in her home state with suppressing turnout, named her public interest group Fair Fight Action.

Access vs. security

The pandemic has added another layer of complexity with the new emphasis it has put on voting by mail. President Trump says he opposes expanding voting by mail, and his allies, including White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, call the process rife with opportunities for fraud.

Even so, Trump and McEnany both voted by mail this year in Florida, and Republican officials across the country have encouraged voting by mail.

Democrats, who have made election security and voting access a big part of their political brand for several years, argue that the pandemic might discourage people from going to old-fashioned polling sites.

Democrats Or Republicans: Who Has The Higher Income

In the end, many people assume Republicans are richer based on these figures. Although, this is only a look at the richest families and politicians in America though. In everyday American households, it seems that Democrats have a higher mean salary. Its true that many of the wealthiest families in the country are contributing to Republican campaigns. On the contrary, families registered as , statistically speaking.

These findings still have some loopholes in them, of course. For instance, the data was collected over the last 40 years or so. Moreover, it is only based on the most recently collected information. As you know, demographics are constantly changing. These figures may have been affected as well. There is also a margin of error with every type of data collection like this. So, what do you think? Who is richer? Democrats or Republicans?

Where Do Trump And Biden Stand On Key Issues

Reuters: Brian Snyder/AP: Julio Cortez

The key issues grappling the country can be broken down into five main categories: coronavirus, health care, foreign policy, immigration and criminal justice.

This year, a big focus of the election has been the coronavirus pandemic, which could be a deciding factor in how people vote, as the country’s contentious healthcare system struggles to cope.

The average healthcare costs for COVID-19 treatment is up to $US30,000 , an Americas Health Insurance Plans 2020 study has found.

Presidential Election Of 1808

This mayor joining the GOP says theres no Democratic Party anymore’

Speculation regarding Madison’s potential succession of Jefferson commenced early in Jefferson’s first term. Madison’s status in the party was damaged by his association with the embargo, which was unpopular throughout the country and especially in the Northeast. With the Federalists collapsing as a national party after 1800, the chief opposition to Madison’s candidacy came from other members of the Democratic-Republican Party. Madison became the target of attacks from Congressman , a leader of a faction of the party known as the . Randolph recruited James Monroe, who had felt betrayed by the administration’s rejection of the proposed with Britain, to challenge Madison for leadership of the party. Many Northerners, meanwhile, hoped that Vice President could unseat Madison as Jefferson’s successor. Despite this opposition, Madison won his party’s presidential nomination at the January 1808 . The Federalist Party mustered little strength outside New England, and Madison easily defeated Federalist candidate . At a height of only five feet, four inches , and never weighing more than 100 pounds , Madison became the most diminutive president.

What Is Thomas Jefferson Remembered For

Thomas Jefferson is remembered for being the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the United States. The fact that he owned over 600 enslaved people during his life while forcefully advocating for human freedom and equality made Jefferson one of Americas most problematic and paradoxical heroes.

Thomas Jefferson, , draftsman of the Declaration of Independence of the United States and the nations first secretary of state and second vice president and, as the third president , the statesman responsible for the Louisiana Purchase. An early advocate of total separation of church and state, he also was the founder and architect of the University of Virginia and the most eloquent American proponent of individual freedom as the core meaning of the American Revolution.

What Republican And Democrats Believe

Lets start with this example. There are one or more reasons why you chose that person to be your friend. It could be because of how he or she talks, sense of humor, intelligence, educational background, ideology, or other factors.

The bottom line is you made the individual your friend because of one or more factors you discovered in that person that pleases you. This explains why most people would prefer joining republicans than Democrats and vice versa.

Republicans and Democrats have diverse ideologies and beliefs. These beliefs or ideology is part of what draws people to join either political party.

Lets start with Republicans. What do Republicans believe in?

Republicans boast libertarian and centrist factions. But they primarily believe in social conservative policies. They abide by laws that help conserve their traditional values. These include opposition to abortion, marijuana use, and same-sex marriage.

So the Republican Partys platform is generally centered on American conservatism. It comprises establishment conservatives, Freedom Caucus, or Tea Party members, described as right-wing, populist, and far-right.

The Republican Partys position has changed over time. They now transcend beyond traditional values, which often includes Christian background. The Republicans evolved position now includes fiscal conservatism and foreign policy.

Heres a quick summary of what the Republican Party believes in:

Heres a quick look at what Democrats believe in:

Was The Donkey Originally A Jackass

Thomas Nast was an American cartoonist who joined the staff of Harpers Weekly in 1862. Nasts cartoons were very popular and his depiction of Santa Claus is still the most widely used version of the holiday icon we see today. During his career, Nast also drew many political cartoons that harshly criticized the policies of both parties.

Nast first used a donkey to represent the Democratic party as a whole in the 1870 cartoon A Live Jack-Ass Kicking a Lion in which Nast criticized the dominantly Democratic Southern newspaper industry as the Copperhead Press. While he did popularize the donkey, Nast wasnt the first person to use it in reference to the Democrats.

Over 40 years earlier during the presidential campaign of 1828, opponents of Democrat Andrew Jackson referred to him as a jackass. Jackson actually embraced the insult and used donkeys on several campaign posters. Nevertheless, cartoonist Anthony Imbert would use a Jackson-headed donkey to mock Jackson an 1833 political cartoon.

However, the donkey never really caught on after the end of Jacksons presidency, and Thomas Nast apparently had no knowledge that it ever was used to represent the Democrats.

Election Of 1796 And Vice Presidency

In the presidential campaign of 1796, Jefferson lost the electoral college vote to Federalist John Adams by 7168 and was thus elected vice president. As presiding officer of the Senate, he assumed a more passive role than his predecessor John Adams. He allowed the Senate to freely conduct debates and confined his participation to procedural issues, which he called an “honorable and easy” role. Jefferson had previously studied parliamentary law and procedure for 40 years, making him unusually well qualified to serve as presiding officer. In 1800, he published his assembled notes on Senate procedure as . Jefferson would cast only three in the Senate.

During the Adams presidency, the Federalists rebuilt the military, levied new taxes, and enacted the . Jefferson believed that these laws were intended to suppress Democratic-Republicans, rather than prosecute enemy aliens, and considered them unconstitutional. To rally opposition, he and James Madison anonymously wrote the , declaring that the federal government had no right to exercise powers not specifically delegated to it by the states. The resolutions followed the “” approach of Madison, in which states may shield their citizens from federal laws that they deem unconstitutional. Jefferson advocated , allowing states to invalidate federal laws altogether. Jefferson warned that, “unless arrested at the threshold”, the Alien and Sedition Acts would “necessarily drive these states into revolution and blood”.

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chillininmonticello · 7 years ago

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Surprise!

Word Count: 1,464

AUs: Modern, College, Soulmate

Genre: Fluuuuuff

Pairing: Thomas x Reader

Warnings: Some swearing, mention of alcohol

A/N: Hello everyone! This is my first Hamilton imagine, I hope you all enjoy. I'm quite nervous, feedback is very welcome. Please send in requests for characters and cast alike. Thank you!

Life as a college student was kicking your ass, for lack of better phrasing. Exams were excruciating. You were sure that your body composition was at least thirty percent coffee at this point, on account of several sleepless nights dedicated to writing and studying. But now, that chapter has passed. It was as if the campus breathed a sigh of relief all at once. Currently, you sat across a couple of close friends, namely Aaron Burr and James Madison, in a quaint cafe you discovered during one of your several all nighters. The Schuyler sisters tagged along as well, Eliza sat at your right with her soulmate, Alexander, practically attached to her hip.

“Alright Madison, what’s this bright idea you just had to drag us all out for?” Angelica quipped from your left, picking at the sandwich in front of her. James sat up a little straighter after being addressed, clearing his throat. “Right! As you all know, our friend Thomas has been away, studying abroad in Paris, for ages,” He began. Alex made a noise of discontent, earning a nudge from Eliza.

“What? He’s not my friend,” He returned, “don’t roll your eyes at me, Burr.” Everyone chuckled lightly as Eliza simply patted Alex’s shoulder, shutting him up momentarily. Soulmates had that effect on each other. You felt your chest tighten at the idea, shooting a quick glance to your wrist. The words imprinted there brought a wave of comfort over your being.

“What the fuck?” was elegantly scrawled across the flesh on your inner wrist– the first words you would hear your soulmate speak. It always made you laugh, daydreaming of the scenarios that could play out to elicit such words from the mouth of the one who was made for you. Your eyes returned forward, James opening his mouth to continue his prior thought.

“As I was saying,” James cut his eyes to Alexander, who remained silent, “Thomas is coming home in a week. I know we don’t all get along, but I figured it would be a good excuse to throw a party. Surprise Thomas, blow off steam after midterms, and get drunk.” He proposed, eyes dancing over the group. “Can I bring my boys?” Alex questioned, referring to Lafayette, Herc, and John Laurens, whom he was constantly with. You couldn’t blame him, they were good company to keep, and you often ended up around them when going out with the girls (as Alex could never let Eliza go alone). Burr nodded, “Bring whoever you want, we’re trying to make this as big as possible. You know how Thomas is.”

“So I finally get to meet this infamous Thomas?” You inquired. James smiled brightly. “I’m sure you’ll love him, he’s been my best friend for years.” As if his silence had a time limit, Alex piped up again, once again sharing his dislike for the man in question.

“Or maybe you won’t like him, (y/n), I mean I wouldn’t be able to blame you.” He shrugged, and you shook your head with a knowing smirk on your lips. “We’ll see Hamilton, we’ll see.”

A few days later, dress shopping was in order. Eliza and Angelica were tucked off in dressing rooms while Peggy roamed the store with you. The both of you shuffled through racks, making small talk as you went.

“So, what’s this Thomas like?” You questioned, shifting your gaze from clothing to your friend. She thought for a moment, fingers brushing over a dress made of crushed velvet. “He’s charming, but not the most agreeable guy around. Girls flock to him though, a real ladies’ man.” You laughed at her description, questioning how he kept guys like Aaron and James as friends. Perhaps there was one in every friend group, a helpless flirt. John Laurens certainly matched that description, as you recalled many harmless passes he made at you, it seemed Thomas was that way as well.

“Oh, (y/n), you have to try this on!” Peggy pulled you from your thoughts, shoving a little black dress in to your arms and herding you to a dressing room. It fit perfectly, hugging to your sides like a second skin. It exposed your shoulders, forming a straight line across your chest, the long sleeves flaring at your wrists. It made you feel confident and striking, and the light in Peggy’s eyes seemed to agree. “Perfect! Just like I thought. No need to thank me.” She winked and you smiled at your reflection, eager for the weekend.

Saturday arrived with little to no excitement along the way. You were clad in the dress Peggy blessed you with. With sharp wings lining your eyes and your lips adorned with the color the color of wine, you felt dangerous, alluring. John, without missing a beat, whistled and handed you a cup of booze. “Damn, (y/n), I bet Thomas is going to fall right on his ass when he sees you. Givin’ all those French girls a run for their money, huh?” You giggle, taking a sip of what he handed you–coke and rum.

“Tsk, tsk, Laurens, what would your soulmate think.” You teased causing him to roll his eyes. “You know it’s all talk. Gotta practice for the big day.” He reasoned, flashing his wrist with a large smile. The words “you charmer” etched into his skin, the penmanship loopy and frilly. “Keep on practicing, you charmer.” You joked, lifting your cup slightly as you dipped and headed towards Angelica. Several minutes passed and James’ voice eventually rose above everyone’s conversations.

“Thomas is just a few minutes away! The party will resume at full volume after his arrival, so please, stay quiet and get in your places. Don’t forget to yell a big surprise!” James was giddy, you could tell. Happy his best friend was finally coming home, you couldn’t blame him. You stood beside him and Aaron, talking in hushed voices about the location of the soon-to-arrive Thomas Jefferson.

A hush fell over the room as the door knob jiggled. Excitement buzzed in the atmosphere and you couldn’t resist the lively smile that played on your lips. The few seconds that passed seemed like hours as they stretched on, everyone jittering and waiting for someone to come through the door. Then he did.

He, Thomas, stepped over the threshold, a barrage of “surprise!” (including the shout that spilled from your lips) assaulted his ears. He was obviously spooked, eyes wide and darting from face to face. “What the fuck?” He awkwardly chuckled, cocking his eyebrows once his eyes settled on James, who left your side to greet his friend.

A tingling on your wrist stole your attention from the scene of reunion to the patch of flesh that was now alight with feeling. Your chest swelled. Eyes flickering back up, it was obvious Thomas was feeling it too, his gaze directed at his wrist; undoubtedly sharing the same feeling. You drank in his appearance. His curls were gorgeous, perfectly wild, framing his face like a work of art. His facial hair accented his features divinely and his height would be intimidating if you weren't already so infatuated.

Thomas’ eyes snapped to yours and you felt something within you click. Those beautiful, warm eyes bore into yours. A blush rose to your cheek as he strode towards you, a devilish grin on his face. All eyes were on the both of you as he reached his hand towards you. You obliged, letting your hand be consumed in his warmth, his lips dancing lightly on your skin for a brief moment.

“It's a pleasure to finally meet you, darlin’. What's your name?” Thomas inquires, southern accent evident in his speech. It made your heart flutter. You could see what Peggy meant by charming.

“I'm (y/n).” You responded, voice failing you in all the excitement. He grinned, squeezing your hand gently. All you wanted was to get away from the party, to get to know him in peace and quiet. But the chatter that surrounded you was a reminder that you indeed weren't alone, and this was his welcome home celebration.

“I knew you would like him, (y/n)!” James laughed, clapping Thomas on the back. Several of your friends congratulated you, giving you a brief hug, aside from Alex who was completely bewildered. “Of course you're Thomas’ soulmate, you poor girl! It's so ironic I should have seen it coming!” Alex shook his head.

“Oh hush Hamilton, this is my moment.” You pointed and you heard Thomas laugh heartily beside you. It was like music to your ears, you could listen to it all day.

“Well sugar, if there was any doubt that you were my soulmate, that settles it. Look out, Hamilton, I've got back up now.”

#hamilton #hamilton imagine #thomas jefferson #thomas x reader #hamilton fluff #tjeff x reader #thomas jefferson x reader

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maxattack-powell · 7 years ago

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The Freshman 1-5

Book 1 - 5 Chapter 5: Game Day

Masterlist - go here for other chapters and related original fics

Disclaimer: The following are fics (adaptations from actual game chapters AND original works) to Choices: The Freshman and The Sophomore stories. It is a fictional adaptation. I do not work for Pixelberry Studios, the game developer or own the rights to the characters Chris Powell, Nicole or any other IN GAME character. All of the ORIGINAL characters, storylines and events were developed for my adaptation of The Freshman story.

Comments: I enjoyed playing Choices The Freshman… and then I found this awesome group of people and their works - I’ve loved it all, very much so. Deciding that I wanted more interaction than the options allowed, I’ve gone through the first book, chapter by chapter (omg painfully slow) to follow the story (95-99% I’d say) and add to it as I felt would benefit.

Basically, I wanted to include certain things that weren’t really full fic size worthy, adding to the story. However, I did add some full size fic moments also… some are included in cannon chapters, some are their own full chapters in between. I wanted to see MC and Chris through their freshman year… with more angst, fluff, sweetness, real life and overall detail. So, if you like that pairing then you’ll be satisfied, otherwise sorry James & Kaitlyn fans lol. I even added some parts from Chris’s POV, so that we have a chance to see what he’s thinking, knowing what she experienced.

There will be ADULT and/or NSFW moments in certain chapters - this is a warning lol. I will try my best to make it obvious as it occurs…

Paring: MC x Chris

POV: ~MC~ or ~Chris~

~MC~

A few days later... As MC, Tyler and Zack stand up, Professor Atiyah raises her voice over the increasing noise created by students beginning to leave the lecture class. "...I'll expect those problem sets completed and emailed to me by Friday." Zack frowns and gags towards the others. "Ugh. Who knew college was going to be so much work." Tyler stares at Zack like he's crazy, giving him a euphoric look. "Are you kidding me? I can't wait to get started!" MC shakes her head at them both. "Maybe we could form a little study group. That would make the work more fun." She wiggles her eyebrows at Zack, trying to reassure him. Tyler let's out a small gasp before forming two excited fists. "Stuuuuudy buuuuudiiies!" He barely finishes before turning somewhat somber, his expression dropping into a frown. "I wish I hadn't just said that so enthusiastically." "Have I ever told you his adoringly nerdy you are?" Zack grabs Tyler's face with both hands. "Study buddies it is."

As they exit the lecture hall they run across Abbie, who was also walking back to the suite after her class. Tyler instantly looks distracted. "I'm uh... gonna go catch up to her. Talk to you guys later, okay?" He doesn't even wait for a response before taking off, leaving MC and Zack alone together. Zack smiles wistfully at the friends ahead of them. "Aww. He's like a puppy in love with another puppy. Speaking of which, how are things with you and Chris?" He raises an eyebrow knowingly. "I... I don't know what you're talking about." MC stammers. "Oh really..." He deadpans. "Zack... ugh, okay. So we... we kinda kissed. And, there's been some other stuff..." She sees his eyes widen with shock, and realizing what he was thinking she quickly corrects herself. “Wait, no! Not like that… I mean…” She huffs, blowing her hair out of her eyes. "Wow. You work fast. I figured it would take you two at least a week before hooking up." He laughs. "Zack! I said it was just a kiss!" She thumps him on the arm and he dramatically overacts as if it was permanently damaged. "The worst part is, I have to talk to Chris for Professor Vazquez's assignment… he wants to know more about college football life.” She sighs, “It's going to be so awkward." She groans as she runs her hand through her bangs. Zack waves her off with a snort. "Oh, don't be such a baby. I'm sure he'll be eager to see you. Very eager." "Zack..." Her lips draw into a very thin line. "Fine. I'll stop teasing you." MC let's outs huge breath as he relents. "For now." He grins at her, earning a scowl in return. "But just be honest with me for a second. How do you feel about Chris?" "Chris?" Looking at Zack to gauge how serious he being, and seeing that he's actually concerned about her, she sighs in defeat. "I have feelings for him. I suppose." She gives him a mixed grimace-smile. "I knew it! In that case, you should be happy to have an excuse to talk to him in detail..." He looks at her pointedly. "I guess you have a point..." Her face warms at the thought of extended private time with Chris. "Of course I do. It's best to learn this about me now: I'm always right." He grabs her hand and suddenly changes their path, dragging her in the complete opposite direction of their dorm.

"Now come on! Chris should be in the middle of practice. You can watch him in action and then ask him a few questions about life as a football player. And in the meantime I can make sure you don't embarrass yourself." He winks at her. "How thoughtful of you..." She sticks her tongue out at him. After a few minutes walking across campus, they arrive at the stadium and find the team on the field, running drills. "Oh wow... Look at Captain America over there by the sideline." Zack gushes. MC follows his line of sight to see a tall handsome upperclassman, his hands on his hips, barking out instructions to the players on the field. "Wait... I recognize that face. It's Darren Taylor! He's our school's starting quarterback!" Confused, MC searches the field, looking for Chris. "I thought Chris was our quarterback." "Is that what he told you?" Zack tilts his head at her. "Well, no. Not exactly. He didn't specify, actually." She continues looking for Chris among all the practice jerseys. Zack nods. "Chris is only a freshman. He's our backup..." MC frowns, partially at his statement and partially because she still hasn't found the player in question. "I don't see Chris around... maybe I should ask Darren a few questions about football life."

Zack just shrugs, either agreeing or completely indifferent. MC takes one last glance around for Chris before she walks up to Darren, finding him chatting with a pair of all too familiar girls. Becca turns to glare at MC as she approaches the small group. "What are you doing here?" She almost spits out. "Breathing? Existing?" MC gives her an overly sweet smile laced with sarcasm, standing her ground. Becca rolls her eyes and scoffs. "Well, go exist somewhere else. Madison and I are having a deep conversation with Darren." She punctuates her statement with a click of her tongue. Madison, in her typical friendly fashion, chimes in. "He was just telling us about how to handle getting tackled..." She turns back to Darren. "Maybe you could show me your technique later, Darren. I'm super curious."

If it was anyone other than Madison, MC would swear she was flirting, hard. But seeing how it was Madison, chances were she actually was curious, innocently so. Darren, oblivious if it was flirtatious, grins and nods. "It's all about squaring your hips and getting low to the ground." He begins to motion with his hands and somewhat with his body, partially demonstrating for them. "Sounds like fun!" Madison clasps her hands together and jumps a little with excitement. MC takes the opportunity to interrupt. "Actually... I was sort of hoping I could ask Darren a few questions. For a project, you know?" He stands up straight and turns, giving her a big smile as he waves her over to join in. "Go right ahead, new girl. Don't be shy."

MC can instantly tell he's a genuinely nice guy, unlike a few football players she had know at her high school. Not all were rude, by any means. One if her best friends had dated one for a short period of time, but a few had reputations that made her avoid them. Now at Hartfeld, she could honestly say she knew of at least two that were very sweet. The thought made her look around again briefly for Chris, who she unfortunately still couldn't locate.

Turning back to Darren she gives a small smile. "I want to ask… is it hard to balance football and school?" He laughs loudly, almost catching the girls off guard. "It's not easy! I always try to take a lighter load during the fall quarter since I'm so busy playing ball." His face changes from a smile to a smirk. "And I’m not going to lie. Football life has its... perks. I know this life won't last forever, I want to enjoy myself while I can." He grins brightly. MC can't help but smile back. "How's the team's chemistry?" Darren turns his eyes to the field, slowly taking it all in. "I love these guys. They are like my brothers. There's a good energy this year... everyone just seems... happy." Zack chimes in with a somewhat sad voice while looking down the field. "Not everyone on the team seems so happy-go-lucky..."

He gestures towards a bench at the far end of the field, where Chris is sitting by himself, his head hanging low. MC takes note of his overall demeanor, his slumped shoulders, defeated expression across his face. He really does look absolutely unhappy. "I'll go talk to him... see how he's doing." As she turns from the group to walk towards Chris, Becca snorts. "Good luck. He's super moody. He wouldn't even talk to me... and I'm me!" She throws both her hands on her hips with an obvious attitude.

MC struggles not to roll her eyes or make a face, instead ignoring the comment and quickly making her way to Chris. Chris shifts while still looking down at his feet, his expression lightening slightly as he realizes that someone is approaching.

MC takes a seat next to him on the bench. "Hey there... you doing okay?" She says softly. He looks up at her, a little startled, clearly expecting someone else - maybe a teammate, or possibly even Becca again. "Oh, MC!" His body relaxes a little. "I'm solid, just a little winded from all the drills." He motions towards the activity on the field, forcing a weak smile. "Really? It doesn't have anything to do with your current bench warmer status?" She gives him a friendly smile, trying to lighten his mood while letting him know she was there if he wanted to talk about it. He lets out a small rough laugh and shakes his head, turning his gaze to hold hers. "You can see right through me." He reaches over and covers her hand with his own as it lays on her knee.

She smiles at the warm contact, happy to see him connecting with her after his dismissive expression moments before.

He breaks his eyes away again, ruffling up his hair before throwing his hand back down between his legs in frustration. "It's just... I knew I'd be on the bench behind Darren, but I wasn't really prepared for the reality of it." He balls both hands into fists, clenching them tight.

"I can't stand the idea of not being able to help my teammates get a win, you know?" He sighs as the tension finally leaves his body. "All through high school, I lived for Friday nights. That rush of adrenaline as our team sprinted out onto the field... nothing even comes close." A huge smile crosses his face as he reminisces. MC doesn't say a word, she just watches him as he takes a trip down memory lane. She knows he needs support right now and was pleased she could be there for him. "I just feel like... if I'm not on the field, then who am I?" He gets quiet as he asks the theoretical question. The broken expression on his face makes her chest tighten. She places her hand on his uniformed knee, causing him to tear his eyes from the field to focus on her touch. His gaze lingers there for a moment, staring at her hand, before looking back up to her face as she gives his knee a small squeeze. "You're Chris!" MC exclaims with unblinking enthusiasm. Chris holds her eyes for a moment before he matches her smile, his eyes crinkling at her words. "I guess I am." He reaches out and takes her hand, squeezing it gently while staring deep into her eyes. "You know... I think I'm starting to feel a little better." Still looking at her with intensity, he takes a deep breath and opens his mouth to say something more but is suddenly interrupted. Logan’s deep voice booms from halfway down the field. "Chris! Coach is asking for you, ready to get in some reps?" Chris throws his other hand up, signaling to Logan that he received the message. He turns back to MC, his smile now authentic and solid. "Looks like I'm up. See you later, MC." He squeezes her hand before letting it slip out of his as he stands up. She stands up as well, giving him a little wave. "Sure thing. Good luck out there!" He flashes her a toothy grin as he takes off at a sprint. Zack walks up to her with his arms folded across his chest. "So how's our golden boy?" "Feeling less than golden, I think." She frowns slightly, looking down to where Chris is now talking with the coach. "Sounds like it's up to us to cheer him up. Don't worry. We'll think of something." Zack pats her on the back as he sits down next to her. She leans her head on his shoulder as they hang out for a time, watching the team practice for a bit. After a while, they quietly slip off the field and head back to the dorm, ready to meet back up with Tyler.

Slow Hands (original that fits in this timeline)

Later that week, the night before the big game, MC, Tyler and Zack are sitting at the table in the kitchen, studying. Tyler groans in frustration. "This problem set is actually harder than I thought!" Zack takes the opportunity to enthusiastically respond. "That's why you need... Stuuuuudy Buuuuuddies!" Tyler frowns at Zack. "You're never going to let me forget saying that, are you…”

Zack laughs and shakes his head, receiving a snort from Tyler.

As the three of them study, Abbie walks past, heading for the living room. "I'll be sitting in front of my laptop waiting for the new episode of 'The Crown and the Flame' if anyone needs me." She flashes them an excited smile. Tyler's mouth drops open in shock. Zack lightly elbows him, trying to jar him back to the present. "So, Tyler. What are you waiting for?" "What are you talking about?" He tries to brush it off, failing. Zack rolls his eyes and lowers his voice to Tyler. "You and Abbie! When are you going to ask her out?" Tylers face pales. "Ask her out?! No way. I'd just embarrass myself. Right, MC?" He turns to her, a desperate look on his face. Zack shakes his head, feeling he's losing the battle with Tyler's stubbornness, this time leaning in to whisper into MC’s ear. "Maybe you should go talk to her, MC. You've got the female connection... Spend some time with Abbie, talk to her about your, and I know you can help get them together!" MC nods."Tyler... let me talk to Abbie...maybe I can feel her out." Zack smiles. "Girl recon. I love it!" Tyler lets out a huge breath of air. "I owe you one, MC." After finishing another problem few minutes later. MC gets up and heads over to Abbie. "Hey Abbie! I'm coming down with a serious case of cabin fever. Want to head out and get some air?" Abbie looks at her laptop briefly. "Eh, sure. 'The Crown and the Flame' isn't on for another half hour... I've got some time to kill." She gets up from the couch and joins MC. "Great. Let's go for a walk through the quad." As they both head out the door, Tyler and Zack each give MC a smile and thumbs up. She gives them a small smile, playful eye roll and head shake in response.

When she and Abbie get down to the ground floor and make their way onto the main pathway, MC begins to probe. "So... I didn't know you were that into that much fantasy stuff." "I guess I have pretty eclectic tastes... I try not to judge things by standards or cool or nerdy, just... do I like it, you know?" Abbie shrugs. Worried she came across offensive while just trying to make conversation, MC startles. "Oh! Of course! Speaking of, uh, stuff you like... what do you think of nerdy guys?" "I don't know... I'm not exactly sure what kind of guys I like." She makes a face and shrugs again, this time more hesitant. "Oh! So... you're more into girls?" Now MC was confused. She could swear Abbie and Tyler had been giving each other long looks and stealing glances. Abbie laughs, realizing she wasn't being clear. "No... I mean... I'm pretty sure I'm not into girls either. I guess... I'm just a little confused about what I want." She sighs and pulls at one of her curls.

"Huh, do you have like, a celebrity crush?" MC flashes her a cheesey smile. Abbie thinks for a moment before responding. "Not really... honestly, I think if I ever fall for someone, it'll be because of his personality." She suddenly looks down at her feet as she walks, mild embarrassment crossing her face. "The thing is... I've never fallen in love. So... I don't know what it'll take to make that happen." "Maybe you just haven't met the right guy yet. Ooooor, maybe you have." MC pauses her walk. Abbie suddenly looks up to MC and stops in her tracks. "What's that supposed to mean?" "I'm talking about Tyler." She raises her eyebrow, expecting Abbie to catch on. "Tyler huh? I hadn't even considered dating him." She tilts her head and looks thoughtful. MC's face falls. "Really? Harsh." Abbie covers her mouth with her hand, back-peddling quickly. "I didn't mean it like that, it's just... he's barely said two words to me. Is almost like he's scared to talk to me." She frowns. "So... what do you think you'd do if he did ask you out?" MC prods.

"Honestly?" Abbie rubs her temple. "I have no idea." "Well... just think about it, I guess. You never know what might happen." MC purses her lips into a thin line, hiding her smile as she begins walking again.

The corner of Abbie's lips curl slightly before vanishing quickly. "I'll think about it... I guess... I barely know who I am. Much less who I want to date." "Sometimes... I think life has a way of forcing us to decide who we are. Like... we only find out who we are when a crucial moment arrives." MC nods to herself.

"In that case... I guess I'm just waiting for my moment." Abbie takes a deep breath. They continue to chat for a while as they work their way around the central part of campus. Eventually they make their way back to the suite to find Tyler and Zack still studying. Abbie waves at them as she walks past. "See you guys later. I'll be in my room." She swings by the living room table and grabs her laptop. As soon as she's gone, MC turns towards the guys. "Okay... so, Abbie and I just had an interesting conversation." She gushes, eager to enlighten Tyler.

Zack leans up on the table, interest piqued. "Tell. Us. Everything." MC quietly begins covering her conversation with Abbie. Ten minutes later... Tyler, his face still holding a mild trace of shock, finally shakes his head to come out of it. "Wow... that's a lot to process. But at least it sounds like I might have a shot! Thanks, MC." Zack nudges Tyler. "So... when are you going to ask her out?" "Tell you what. I promise I'll make a move... by the end of the quarter." Tyler holds out his hand, delivering his offer.

"Interesting. How's this for a deal... you ask out Abbie... and I'll promise to ask out Brandon too." Zack holds out his hand for Tyler to shake. Tyler looks at Zack's hand then, his face. "I'm pretty sure you were going to do that anyway." Zack pulls his hand back and throws them both in the air. "Guilty as charged!" He laughs and cheers for himself. "See? Flirty is easy for you." Tyler snorts at Zack. "Flirting is never easy..." Zack rolls his eyes. "Tell you what. Well make a pact, by the end of the quarter, we'll both make a move." Tyler nods towards Zack, extending his hand first this time.

Zack agrees and shakes his hand, before turning to MC. "What about you, MC? Want in on the deal?" "Guys... I promise to ask out... someone." She wasn't ready to tell them more details about her current feelings. Besides, it seemed like things were getting more complicated every day. There was no need to start rumors in case things didn't work out like she thought they might. Zack raised his eyebrow at her, tilting his chin up and studying her. "Keeping your options open... I like it." Tyler grins. "It's a pact!"

Coffee Break

(original that fits into this timeline)

The next day, Chris' first game of his freshman year.

MC enters the suite as Chris is about to leave, causing them to almost run into each other, similar to their first meeting. "Oh, hey MC." He gives her a brief faint smile.

She smiles at him as she shifts out of his way. "Ready for the big game?"

His shoulders drop slightly. "Yeah... ready to keep the bench nice and warm." He forces a smile as he adjusts his bag high on his shoulder, moving past her, out the door. He doesn't say anything else, just keeps going, his head hanging slightly lower than normal.

MC frowns and sighs. She was hoping that their pep talk earlier in the week would last longer than it apparently had. She really wanted to think of something to cheer him up.

As he gets further away, Kaitlyn walks up to MC. "Looks like someone's got his shoulder pads in a twist. What's up with him?" They both watch him as he turns the corner and disappears. "I think he just needs a boost... he's not used to playing backup." MC tugs on a strand of hair. "Then let's remind him how awesome he is!" Kaitlyn's excitement is contagious, making MC wonder what she has in mind. "Assemble the housemates! It's time to launch Operation Fanclub! We're going to need five poster boards, a ten-pack of colored markers, and some body paint!" At the phrase ‘body paint’ MC's eyes go wide. "What are you planning?" "You'll see!" Kaitlyn takes off into the suite. A few hours later at the game... MC screams loudly. "Go CHRIS!" She holds up a sign reading 'Chris is Number One!' Tyler looks appalled. "I can't believe you convinced me to paint an 'R' on my stomach." He lifts the hem of his shirt, scratching around the edge of the dried paint. Abbie closes her eyes and sighs as she shakes her head in agreement. "I hear you. I want it noted that I'm only doing this for Chris's sake." As the team runs out onto the field, MC spots Chris near the front, making her instantly smile.

Kaitlyn also notices his jersey and grabs everyone's attention. "Here he comes! Shirts off, everyone!" MC lightly blushes and takes a deep breath, pushing her anxiety aside. They were here for Chris, and he needed to know it. She takes off her shirt to reveal a big red 'C' on her stomach. Kaitlyn follows with her 'H', Tyler has his 'R' and Abbie and Zack follow with their respective 'I' and 'S' letters. The whole group brilliantly spells out 'C-H-R-I-S' in red paint across everyone's stomachs. Embracing the energy around her, MC cheers loudly, hoping that Chris will hear them. "Woo hoo! Go Chris!" She sticks her fingers in her mouth and whistles loudly. Hearing his name and MC’s cattle calling whistle, Chris begins to look around, confused. His eyes finally find the source of his fan club and his mouth falls open. As he looks across them all, he laughs. His eyes moves back towards MC and stay there.

"Oh... wow." He rubs his cheek and smiles hard. "Thanks guys." He yells up to them in the stands. They all witness his joy and high five their accomplishment. The game is about to begin, so Chris waves to everyone and takes a seat on the bench. Not too far from their group, MC notices Becca and Madison cheering. Becca seems perky, staring at Chris as she cheers. "Looking good, Knights!" Madison bounces up and down next to her. "We love you Darren!"

Darren runs out on the field, taking his place at the center of their huddle. Kaitlyn whoops and hollers next to MC. "Go Knights!" After the kickoff, the offense takes the field. Darren barks out orders to the team. "Omaha! Fifty-two black!" In the first quarter, the Knights dominate. Logan’s voice booms as he makes a touchdown. "Check out my endzone dance!" Unfortunately, they seem to lose focus in the second quarter. Logan frowns and huffs as he yells. "Another fumble... seriously?" He sounds beyond frustrated, throwing his hands up in the air. Kaitlyn's shoulders slump next to MC, her earlier enthusiasm long gone. "Come on, Knights..." Zack cups his hands around his mouth and yells. "Do the thing with the ball!" Halftime finds the score tied at 21-21.

"Who knew sports would be so stressful?" Abbie pouts, wringing her hands together, intently watching the field. As the game winds to a close, Hartfeld is down 24-21 with only a minute left to play. Darren rallies the team, trying to pump them up. "Let's do this, Knights! We can still wing this thing!" He drops back, looking for an opening. Tyler gasps. "Holy crap! They're blitzing!" The opposing team rushes Darren in a sudden charge, taking him down in a vicious sack. "My ankle!" Darren yells out, rolling on his back and clutching at his right ankle. Abbie cringes. "I definitely heard something snap... I think I'm going to be sick." She covers her eyes and shakes her head feveriously. Tyler fumes. "How is that even legal?!" Everyone watches in stunned silence as Darren is carted off the field. MC covers her mouth with both hands. "Oh no..." Zack shakes his head, his shoulders slumping. "Poor Darren... I hope he gets better soon." Kaitlyn sighs. "In the meantime, we've got a few seconds left to play." MC nods as realization hits her. "It's next man up... and that man is Chris!" He runs onto the field, taking Darren's place and MC turns towards her friends. "Come on guys! Let's get the crowd fired up! Go Knights!!" Kaitlyn jumps up and yells. "Yeeeeeah!" "Go Chris!" MC shouts Chris's name, and the crowd joins in. His face is serious, all business as he takes control. "Okay... let's do this. For Darren!"

The next play starts. Chris drops back, looking for an opening... Logan beats on his chest pads. "Hey, rookie! I'm open!" Chris purses his lips at the nickname and hesitates briefly before throwing the ball to Logan. Logan easily snatches it out of the air, Chris’s aim perfect. He runs the remaining few yards and crosses into the end zone. "Touchdown baby!" Tyler's mouth drops open. "What a throw!" Kaitlyn claps and jumps next to MC, grabbing onto her shoulders. "That's our boy!"

MC can't help but smile at everyone's excitement, but she doesn't take her eyes off of Chris. Hes beaming as his teammates all run to him and praise him for his last minute clutch throw. He’s laughing and smiling, making MC proud. He suddenly turns towards the stands, searching for his friends. When his eyes land on MC he flashes her a huge smile. Her grin grows and she claps for him as she nods.

The crowd eventually starts to die down, the players already inside the locker room to change and clean up from the game. After the big win celebration in the stadium, MC and the others head outside the gates to wait for Chris. Zack suddenly perks up, pointing towards the locker room exit. "There he is!" Kaitlyn starts cheering for him. "Woo hoo! That's our superstar!" She high fives Chris as he joins their circle. Chris is still pumped from the night's events. "Hey, guys! Thanks so much for being there for me today." He lets out a light, happy laugh.

"Of course! You're..." MC takes a deep breath as his eyes lock on hers. "...our friend."

Chris sucks in a breath and steps towards her. "MC, I..." He’s is suddenly interrupted as Becca and Madison approach him. Madison is gushing. "Wow. That home run on sixth and long? Completely amazing." Chris frowns. "I can't even begin to tell you how wrong that sentence was..." Becca rolls her eyes at her friend. "The point Madison is trying to make is, you need to come celebrate your victory with us." Logan walks up just then, patting Chris on the back. "You should listen to them, bro. Kappa Phi Sigma house parties are epic. The whole team is going! And that definitely has to include our new quarterback!" Chris is glowing at the attention and energy from the win. He turns and looks at MC, a smile spreading across his face as he answers them. "Sure... I'd love to come. As long as my friends are invited too." Becca clicks her tongue. "You mean that bunch of..." She begins, her face twisted in an ugly manner, but she checks herself, not waiting to cause an issue with Chris. "Uh, I mean... of course they're invited." She plasters on a huge fake smile. Chris doesn't seem to notice her shift in mood and nods at them. "Sounds like fun. I'll see you there." He begins to turn towards MC, almost as if he's about to grab her hand, causing her pulse to quicken.

However, Becca doesn't let him move too far, grabbing onto his arm, basically tugging him back towards her. "No way. I'm not letting you out of my sight. You're coming with me." Chris is somewhat stunned by her forcefulness, but not wanting to alienate anyone he lets her tug at him until she feels confident with the distance she's created. "Uh... I guess I'll see you there, guys!" He turns to his friends and gives an apologetic smile, waving at the group. Becca then takes him by the hand and begins leading him toward the Kappa house across the quad on sorority row. Kaitlyn's face finds the familiar expression it tends to have when Becca is around. "Aggressive much? Sheesh." She snorts. Zack sighs. "I hate to say it, but I think our boy needs to be rescued, those girls looked like trouble." Kaitlyn perks up, her recent crazy demeanor returning. "So... now it's time for Operation Rescue Chris from the Evil Sorority Girl?" Tyler looks at Chris’s retreating form, surrounded with new friends and nice looking girls. "Maybe he doesn't want to be rescued?" Abbie makes a face at Tyler. "Trust me. He does." Everyone turns to look at MC, who's face makes her opinion clear. "We need to rescue him... Chris deserves better than that." She sighs, no longer able to ride the fence or pretend around all of her friends. "I'm not sure what's going on... but I definitely can't sit back and watch a good friend end up under the spell of a girl like that." Her nose scrunches in disgust. Kaitlyn fist pumps. "Game on! Kappa party, here we come!"

#chris x mc #Chris Powell #Christopher Powell #The Freshman #the sophomore #thefreshman #thesophomore #choices fanfiction #playchoices #choicestoriesyouplay #chris powell x mc #TheFreshmanChronicles #choices the freshman #choices the sophomore #choices the junior #choices the senior #tf/ts/tj

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here-a-lee-there-a-lee · 2 years ago

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#james madison #i just wanted an excuse to include james madison #john payne todd #madison #shitpost #founding fathers as memes #founding fathers #colonial america #wow is that thomas jefferson #thomas jefferson

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womenofcolor15 · 5 years ago

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Call 'Em Out, Get 'Em Out! How Folks Are Taking Action To Hurt The Pockets Of Racist Business Owners & Individuals

Not only are people protesting in the streets, folks are taking action online to hurt the pockets of racist individuals and big businesses. And THIS is a form of protest too! More inside…

Trump has his racist groupies feeling real bold these days, but it’s costing a few of them. As it should. Sinc ethey want to claim All Lives Matter, people have been showing them exactly what that means. It means black voices SHOULD carry the same weight as white ones. They know our black voices traditionally do not, but folks are seeing the shift now.

A man named Craig Gore found out the hard way. He’s a writer who has penned scripts for shows like “S.W.A.T.” and “Chicago P.D.” He recently landed a writing job for an upcoming “Law & Order” spin-off series.

However, his script for the show will never see the light of day. The reason? Well, he was FIRED for a controversial Facebook post.

In the FB post, Craig shared a picture of himself holding an assault rifle on his porch with the caption, “Curfew…” According to Variety, Craig threatened to “light motherf—ers up who are trying to f— with my property,” in reference to protests that took place in Los Angeles on Monday. Los Angeles has been put on curfew over the raging George Floyd protests.

Now, he’s out of a job.

“I will not tolerate this conduct, especially during our hour of national grief. I am terminating Craig Gore immediately,” Dick Wolf said in a statement to Variety.

Drew Janda, who worked on the OWN’s “Greenleaf” and HBO shows “Big Little Lies” and “Barry,” brought attention to Gore’s remarks:

Sorry - co-executive producer

— drew janda (@drewjanda) June 2, 2020

THIS is how you be an ally.

Craig was represented by Paradigm, but not anymore! They cut ties with the writer/producer.

“Craig Gore is no longer a Paradigm client. We condemn his post in the strongest possible terms,” said a spokesperson for the agency.

Womp.

@WolfEnt one of your writers a convicted felon is allowed to own an Ar-15 and post threatening messages on Twitter. For real? Not a good look. Definitely will not watch your shows after that if that is who you employ

— Daniela_Brooklyn (@DanielaBrookly1) June 2, 2020

Oh and get this…

Would also love to know how a convicted felon got ahold of that gun pic.twitter.com/tvOcvUWvjP

— Joey DaSilva (@joey_lumps) June 2, 2020

Turns out, Craig is a convicted felon, so people are wondering how was he even able to get his hands on a gun like that when legally he shouldn’t be in possession of one. We all know why though. Peep the thread below.

Then, there's this:

Hey!!!! How are you? Thought you forgot about me. Haven't heard from you in years. ALL LIVES MATTER...EVERY SINGLE ONE!!! https://t.co/DfzKl3w0jm

— Grant Napear (@GrantNapearshow) June 1, 2020

Sacramento Kings announcer and KHTK Radio host Grant Napear tweeted out "All Lives Matter" amid the protests demanding justice for George Floyd. Now, he's out of a job. He resigned after receiving backlash.

"Grant Napear has resigned from the Sacramento Kings," the team said, per Jason Jones of The Athletic. "We thank him for his contributions to the team and wish him all the best."

NBA free agent DeMarcus Cousins tweeted Grant asking him what was his take on Black Lives Matter and he tweeted:

"Hey!!!! How are you? Thought you forgot about me. Haven't heard from you in years. ALL LIVES MATTER...EVERY SINGLE ONE!!!"

From the Sacramento Kings: “Grant Napear has resigned from the Sacramento Kings. We thank him for his contributions to the team and wish him all the best.”

— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) June 2, 2020

Bonneville Sacramento, which operates KHTK Radio, also released a statement to announce that they have parted ways with Grant:

Bonneville Sacramento has parted ways with Grant Napear. pic.twitter.com/n2T7CFOItP

— Sports 1140 KHTK (@Sports1140KHTK) June 2, 2020

Welp.

Folks are raising hell on Facebook over a post that was put up on Instagram by Northwest Dermatology Group, a skincare specialists group.

"We get it. We Understand you people. Can we move on, please? This is draining," the words in the post read. Excuse us? Police killing unarmed black people is DRAINING.

The caption reads, "All lives matter!"

Per usual, they deleted the post and claims a former employee hacked their page.

Michigan, do your THING!

Also...

I’m glad people are calling out all the companies that have donated to trumps campaign. I hope we all listen and stop supporting them until they make a change adding on to the #WendysIsOverParty pic.twitter.com/IrFiXGY8o5

— BBY TOXICO (@bvbyboy98) June 2, 2020

Twitter is canceling Wendy's with the #WendysIsOverParty hashtag. The reason? People are pissed the company is a large donor to Trump.

After Trump declared war on the American people with his "glorified violence" tweets, it stirred up more outrage and violence across the nation. In a recently released report, the names of several companies who heavily support Trump were released and now folks are calling for boycotts.

MUY Company CEO James Bodenstedt is one. His company operates several Wendys, Taco Bells, and Pizza Huts across the US. Bodenstedt has reportedly donated over $440,000 to Trump, including $200,000 to the Trump Victory PAC on March 12th, just days before states began shutting down in-person dining, claims a Business Insider report in May.

so you’re telling me wendy’s donated 400k to a billionaire... #WendysIsOverParty pic.twitter.com/0ItlJcB1WB

— papi_sam (@papisam13) June 2, 2020

It's valid for people to be upset at Wendy's, but Twitter should also be calling out all of his other companies as well.

A list of Trump's top campaign donors have been released (some are incorrect as it's the franchise owners who have donated and not the company itself, but still):

Keep in mind, some of the companies are known to donate to both parties in multiple offices to hedge their bets, so they have pull with someone regardless of who gets placed into office.

Also...

MISSISSIPPI I SEE YOU. TWITTER MAKE IT HURT. PAMELA HANCOCK STATING SHE HOPES A DEADLY STRAIN OF CORONA SPREADS TO RIOTERS. https://t.co/TOBXvd16A3 pic.twitter.com/GVvl1SaoS5

— (@GoodGuyKharn) June 2, 2020

Mississippi prosecutor Pamela "Pammi" Hancock needs to be stripped of her job. In a now deleted Facebook comment, she wrote that she can only "hope the deadly strain of COVID-19 spreads in riots."

The Madison County prosecutor was commenting on a Facebook post that reads, "Does Covid spread during massive street riots or just in bars and restaurants? Asking for a friend.”

Now, she claims she was "joking."

“My job is to prosecute all crimes, including civil disobedience,” Pamela told Mississippi Today. “I’m against any breach of peace or criminal activity, and I would prosecute it. I have nothing against people peacefully protesting, but breaking into businesses and stealing things is a crime.”

She continued, “I was really just making light of it.”

Making light of a global pandemic? Oh. She said the initial post “was kind of a joke” and though she was “attempting to joke back,” she “did it very poorly.”

She added that she “was not serious about wanting anyone to die. That’s not who I am.”

Do your thing, Twitter!

Have you personally interacted with racist trolls online? Speak on it in the comments!

Photo: AP Photo/Rafael Yaghobzadeh

[Read More ...] source http://theybf.com/2020/06/03/call-them-out-get-them-out-how-folks-are-taking-action-to-hurt-the-pockets-of-racist-busi

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surferboypizzas · 4 years ago

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Hi everyone! I wrote this a while ago, but I wanted to get it out of my drafts. It's not really done completely? But I can't think too hard about this stuff on a regular basis or my head will explode. I'm just posting it as is, I don't want this to rot in my drafts, even though I only wrote one and a half of the six planned sections.

Ok, here is my rant. I started writing it about two hours ago while so frustrated about this show I may or may not have been... crying... and then I deleted it on accident. I am now calmed down, have noted my main points on a separate piece of paper, am watching boy meets world, and ready to write. Warning: below the cut, there will be some discussion of r*pe and s*xual ab*se (including the emotional effect of the experience), and the words will not be censored. There will also be some discussion of murder.

This rant will be divided into sections, and please forgive me for any grammatical errors, for I am a simple himbo.

Part One: The trouble with American Horror Story's use of rape as shock value.

The best way I can describe how I'm feeling is that I'm disappointed.

To the show's credit, in the first two seasons rape is treated with slightly more sensitivity. They are not downplayed or overlooked. Both Vivian's and Lana's experiences are treated with weight and have permanent and intense effects on the characters.

But season three and on, rape is used for shock value.

In season three, Coven, Madison Montgomery is drugged and gang-raped in a disorienting and upsetting scene and it has no lasting effect on her character. We see it mention a few times in the following episode or two, and we see her weeping in the shower. But beyond that? It is only used as an excuse to kill Kyle so he can become Franken!Kyle.

In season four, Freak Show, Penny is drugged and gang-raped, while being filmed, then Elsa Mars blackmails her with the footage. Elsa claimed that Penny "liked it".

In season five, Hotel, we see James Patrick March brutally raping a woman while cutting her up for a few moments. It is never mentioned again. Note: I just now watched this scene for the first time so I could speak my full opinion. I usually skip these kinds of scenes. I now remember why I usually skip these kinds of scenes.

The problem with perpetuating rape for shock value is that rape and sexual abuse are very real things that hundreds of thousands of people experience every year. And now, this traumatizing and life-changing event is being used for horror in the same way that vampires and ghosts are.

Part Two: All your faves are rapists. In which I list all of your possible faves, that should be in jail, and how many times we see them rape on screen. I will also elaborate on some events if i think they need elaboration.

Tate Langdon

(twice, [S1:E1] and [S1:E4], I'm not including the rubber man incident in Apocalypse because I assume that was not Tate.)

Devil Possessed!Sister Mary Unice

(once, [S2:E10])

Zoe Benson

(twice, [S3:E1] and [S3;E7], when it comes to the threesome, I give most of why I considered this nonconsensual in the Madison section, but also I would like to add that Zoe kind of had a position of power over Kyle? Even if you don't consider the threesome nonconsensual on Kyle's part she's still a rapist. Fuck Ryan Murphy.)

Madison Montgomery

(twice, both in [S3:E7], in the first episode we consider Madison unable to give consent because while you are incapacitated by substances you can not fully understand what's happening around you and you can not give voluntary and verbal consent to participate in a particular activity. Kyle clearly could not do that. Why did Ryan have her do this? Fuck you, Ryan. You ALSO had her, a victim of rape, redeem a rapist in apocalypse???)

James Patrick March (once) (i cant search for the episodes rn anymore I'm gonna start crying lol but if you want me to find the ep just shoot me an ask or comment)

Jimmy Darling (once, heavily implied)

All of the Freak Show (once, heavily implied) (all of them, besides Ma Petite and those who join the act in/after episode one, were at LEAST complicit)

Unhonorable Mentions (these people were complicit)

Hypodermic Sally

(once, [S5, E1])

I don't want to finish this list because I'm sad now.

no but i hate american horror story created by brian murphi and rad phalnut but i think that in my brain specifically found family coven story directed by me is really good

no bc this is reminding me how ANNOYING coven is by the WASTE of such a good concept. hot witches!!! stevie nicks!!! fuck if that season had an actual plot, it wouldve been great!!!!!!!!!!!! prolly not but at least not one of my least fav seasons!

#tw rape #ahs #idk #tw swearing #tw murder #himbo.speaks

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imagine--buddies · 8 years ago

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imagine--buddies masterlist

Fandoms Included: Hamilton, Marvel, HP/FB, In The Heights, DC Comics

warning: you might have to scroll a bit to find the fandom. I will put Hamilton at the end since it is our biggest.

HP/FB:

Newt Scamander:

Magizoologist 101- You go through the ten steps to learn how to be a Magizoolist with Newt.

MARVEL

Avengers:

I Bet My Life- You confront your mother on your Avengers membership.

Bucky Barnes:

Something Else- Bucky uses your god headphones to kill a guy, and you get kinda mad.

Clint Barton:

Little Bird- Clint surprises you by coming home early.

Sam Wilson:

Sky- Sam takes you up in a plane for your first sky diving lesson as apart of your training.

Wanda Maximoff:

Goodnight- You want to stay up to finish your work. Wanda wants you to sleep. Guess who wins.

IN THE HEIGHTS

Usnavi de la Vega:

De Todas Las Cosas Buenas- You wake up to find yourself in a bed. But it is not your own.

Benny:

Stay Here With Me- Benny has a bad day at the dispatch. This results in cuddling.

Series:

Consecuencias- Sonny de la Vega X Reader (Ongoing)

Ch. 1

DC COMICS

Song Fics:

Hurricane- You make a choice for the better of the team.

HAMILTON

Aaron Burr:

That’s All I Want- You come up with an excuse to get Aaron all to yourself on the car ride home. Modern + Christmas AU.

Nursery- Not what you think. There is angst. Modern AU.

The Snake And The Badger- You make an Amortentia, a potion that’s supposed to let you smell the scent of your soulmate. Now the question is... who exactly is your soulmate? Hogwarts + Soulmate (kinda) AU.

Alexander Hamilton:

Vs. 1: Swings- Alex needs a hug. At two in the morning. Modern AU.

Vs. 2: Lies- You find out about the affair of your adulterous husband.

It’s For The Best- You find out that you’re pregnant by your best friend Alexander, but he doesn’t know that. Modern AU.

George Fredrick (KG3):

Félicitations- You have something important to tell your husband, George. But he’s in France, and you’re in England. So you get creative. Modern AU.

George Washington:

I Always Do- You go through your life with George.

Hercules Mulligan:

I Fell For You- Hercules gets really flustered around you. Modern +Bar AU

I Broke My Arm- Mariah drags you to go skating. Ice skating. She as never had a worse idea. Or was it? Modern AU.

A Great Week- Your adventure to Comic Con with Hercules as Frozone and Honey. Modern + Nerd AU.

Walk Away- If your husband is dead, then why are you seeing him around town? Modern + Spy AU.

James Madison:

Wink- You’ve had a bad day. All you want is a hot shower, and a nap, but when you get into the shower. It’s cold. You take your anger out on your husband. Modern AU

I Believe You- James proposes, but you’re not ready for it. Modern AU.

Silly Rabbit- You dress up in a bunny costume to surprise the children at the hospital. Modern AU.

John Laurens:

Snap!- John takes you on a date for your anniversary and a surprise ensues. Modern AU.

Fireworks- You have a sleepover with the sisters and Mariah. After watching a scary movie, John asks you to meet him under a bridge. In the dark. At two AM. To say you’re reluctant is an understatement. Modern + College AU.

Drunken Minds- You get drunk with John and the Hamilsquad. Modern AU.

Homecoming- John has something important to ask you. You have something important to tell him. Modern AU.

How I Met Your Mother- You and John have this thing. I guess you could say it was a game. Will you let him win? Hell no. Modern + Bar AU.

Favorite Place- You’re pissed because of none other than Thomas-freaking-Jefferson. John takes you to your favorite place to put your mind at ease. Modern + College AU.

Marquis de Lafayette:

Je Te Pardonne- You get jealous. To say the least. In your defense, YOU DONT JUST CANCEL ON GAME NIGHT LAFAYETTE. Modern AU.

Mon Bibliothécaire- You meet Lafayette while taking care of a book store for a friend. Book Store AU.

Take A Break- You go through surgery and Lafayette takes care of you. Modern AU.

Philiip Hamilton:

Reckless- You make an irrational decision. Alt. ending

Valentine’s Special: Happy Valentine’s Day- In our 2017 Valentine’s day special and Phillip stay in and have a special date. Modern AU.

Thomas Jefferson:

Win Some Or Lose Some- You go to Cabinet Battle #2 and you have some things to tell Alexander. TAG TEAM!!

Another One Bites The Dust- Thomas sabotages your dates. Modern AU.

Safe Driving- You go to a Halloween Party with Thomas. He gets a little jealous. You get a little drunk. Modern + College AU.

Coffee Cup- Thomas flirts with you, and your brother, Alex, finds out. Modern + Coffee Shop AU.

Cast:

Daveed Diggs:

Vacation- Daveed needs a vacation, so do you.

A Birthday In Color- It’s your birthday! Maybe this year you find your soulmate? Nahhhhhhh ;). Soulmate AU.

Leslie Odom Jr.:

Here For You- You’re pregnant, and craving. Leslie tends to your every need, but you’re scared that you’re holding him back.

Duets- Leslie and Lin go to a jazz club because Lin wants Leslie to hear you sing.

Okieriete Onaodowan:

I Didn’t Mean To Ignore You- You don’t do your homework and you end up accidentally ignore the new kid for two weeks. Oops? High School Au.

The Good Days- You and Oak meet up again after years of seeing each other. Even after years of no communication it still felt like the good old days.

Thayne Jasperson:

Donut For Donut- You’re new to the Hamilcast, and you know what they say. Best way to the heart is through the stomach.

Number 6- You go bowling with Thayne and meet the cast.

Chocolate Chip, Pancakes, and Dancing- You spend a lazy day with Thayne and your baby.

Series:

What Comes Next?- King George X Fem! Reader: Soulmate AU (Postponed)

Countdown- Switched- Awake

A Million Words- Thomas Jeffereson X Reader: Modern AU (Completed)

Camping- The Big Day

I Owe You- Hercules Mulligan X Reader: Modern AU (Postponed)

Ch. 1

Court & Courter- Hercules Mulligan X Spy! Fem! Reader TURN AU (Postponed)

Ch. 1

Unfaithful- Thomas Jefferson X Reader X Lafyette Modern AU (Completed)

Ch. 1- Ch. 2

All Is Fair- Lafayette X Fem! Reader in war (Completed)

All Is Fair- Love and War

It’s Only A Matter Of Time- Hamilsquad X Reader Time Travel AU (Postponed)

Ch. 1

Race Against Time- Alexander Hamilton X Fem! Reader (Ongoing)

Ch. 1- Ch. 2- Ch. 3

Tears Over Beers- James Madison X Reader High School AU (Ongoing)

Ch. 1- Ch. 2- Ch. 3- Ch. 4- Ch. 5- Ch. 6

More To Come

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bakurapika · 8 years ago

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ok, real talk, with the prefacing disclaimer that i love hamilton down to my very soul

when i first listened to it, i came away thinking ‘wow, that was awesome, life changing, etc... too bad about the women’

i was surprised to learn that lin is a feminist and deliberately tried to include women as much as possible, and i think i finally figured out why it rubbed me wrong

debatably......... (mostly determined by how you interpret ‘the schuyler sisters’)....... hamilton fails the bechdel test.

hear me out! a series of essays--

the only songs that a female character sings in a non-supporting role (i’m not counting non-named ensemble women! sorry, they add a lot to the musical but they’re not “characters”) are explicitly about their relation to a man. the only ones i can conceive an argument against are the schuyler sisters and maybe the ending song. let’s go song by song:

alexander hamilton:

female lines are only ‘i loved him’

aaron burr sir - my shot - the story of tonight

no female lines

the schuyler sisters

first of all, let’s start off by saying that story-wise, the song only exists in order to establish hamilton’s future love interests and peggy

first lines are all about daddy schuyler. that part of the convo fails the bechdel test

maybe you could argue that the lines ‘But—look around, look around, the Revolution’s happening in New York’ are character-defining enough to separate from the daddy convo but i think that’s a stretch for a sentence fragment

the chorus about ‘looking for a mind at work’ is prefaced by the men in the ensemble shouting ‘she’s looking for me!’, necessarily creating a sexual/romantic undercurrent to the chorus whether that’s technically what angelica meant or not. the rest of the interactions in the song reinforce this concept

the rest of the song, feminist revolutionary anthem though it may be, is angelica rebuffing burr’s romantic advances (while talking about men, including a man she’d later to have an affair with....................... but that line about getting busy with jefferson in france was deleted from the musical so i suppose for this conversation it’s non-canon)

the only potentially defensible non-man-related lines would be how angelica goes on to sing about manhattan being awesome and revolutionary, but I’d still argue that it’s in the context of her burr conversation and therefore not eligible to make the musical pass the bechdel test.

farmer refuted - you’ll be back - right hand man - a winter’s ball

no female lines

a winter’s ball mentions a woman by name (martha washington) in the context of hamilton’s reputation with the lay-deez

helpless - satisfied

these are romance songs. like that’s not bad but for the purposes of arguing that the women are characters outside of love interests......... nah

though angelica talks to herself enough to almost make it count lmao except it’s still about her male love interest

the story of tonight - wait for it

no female lines

wait for it mentions a woman by name (theodosia bartow prevost) in the context of being burr’s love interest

stay alive

eliza and angelica get some chorus lines about wanting their love interest to survive

ten duel commandments - meet me inside

no female lines

eliza is mentioned but not by name, just as “wife”

that would be enough

eliza’s “i’m pregnant by hamilton” song. again, not unimportant, but not relevant for the bechdel test and further cementing her role as hamilton’s wife and not much else

guns and ships - history has its eyes on you - yorktown - what comes next - dear theodosia

no female lines

dear theodosia mentions a woman by name (theodosia burr) but she gets no lines. this is probably excusable due to her being a newborn at the time

theodosia bartow prevost isn’t exactly mentioned by name but is mentioned as having died offstage at this point

nonstop

no female lines until significantly through the song

angelica’s lines are about hamilton being her love interest despite her marriage

eliza’s lines are about hamilton and being his wife

angelica and eliza sing toward the end about hamilton. again not bechdel-defying

though eliza and angelica’s lines often intertwine and chorus together, and though they supposedly have a very close sibling bond, so far we haven’t seen angelica and eliza interact (via letter or in person) since the wedding

what’d i miss - cabinet battle 1

no female lines

what’d i miss mentions a woman by name (sally hemings) but only in the context of her being a slave

this is more of a wink-nod to jefferson’s hypocrisy which is underscored by other parts of the song (singing about how ‘we are free’ as the stairs he’s on are being carried across the stage by a parade of slaves, for example. if yall don’t know about the historical sally hemings, check her out.

she was mostly white, for one thing. but historically white americans have viewed blacks in the context of the ‘one-drop’ rule--that is, if any ancestor of yours is black, no matter how far back, you’re black too. absurd from any standpoint except an absurd racial purity one. this wasn’t just a bunch of racists acting racist, btw, it was a legal argument that became law in the south at some points in american history.

i’m not pointing out her being white as like ‘aw but she was a white, so sad :((((’. it means that her family tree was mostly made up of masters having relations with their slaves that would be, at the very least, an extreme power imbalance and, most probably, rape.

like i’m sorry to use that word but that’s what it was, pure and simple.

oh and the white masters would get to keep their own kids as slaves

this was pretty frowned upon in polite society from my understanding, but it still happened all the time, and jefferson was one of the guys who did it

she was sent to france to take care of jefferson’s daughter during a (years-long) visit. sally was 14, jefferson was 44. she became pregnant on that visit at age 16.

technically she was considered free while in france, but she followed jefferson back to america. he promised he’d let their kids go free at age 21. (he almost definitely wound up fathering 6 of her children.) jefferson did free her male kids... in his will. and he freed two of sally’s male relatives after they bought their freedom. whadda guy

sally herself was finally “informally” freed by jefferson’s daughter

sadly sally was potentially illiterate and didn’t leave us anything in her own words

ok i’m sorry that was a tangent but i think it’s an important one so i’m not deleting it. i’m not an expert, that was a wiki summary, so please correct me if anything’s misinformation (tho i know i glossed over some details.) anyway back to hamilton

take a break

hoo boy. ok. so the female lines in this song can be basically classified this way:

i’m mommy to hamilton’s son (and i can beatbox about it like a mofo)

i’m in love with hamilton

i want to spend time with hamilton and my father

we do finally get angelica and eliza interacting with each other again! they say each other’s names. then we’re back to talking about hamilton

again, not a bad song! but disappointing from the standpoint of waiting for female characters to interact without it being about hamilton

to be fair! this entire musical is a love song to hamilton. i think i could find a few male-male conversations that aren’t about my dearest alexander. but not many. everyone wants a piece of alexander

probably most of the non-alex-worshiping lines would be king george

say no to this

a new female gets lines! she talks about her husband and then seduces alexander. that’s it tho

the room where it happens

no female lines

schuyler defeated

eliza gets a few lines! it’s all about her father and husband to her son

to be fair, eliza seems really bored with all this. philip’s the one who’s bringing all the men up.

still, her only role in this scene is to give context for a burr-hamilton confrontation, and she does it by talking about a bunch of men. no bechdel-passing here.

cabinet battle 2 - washington on your side - i know him - the adams administration - we know - hurricane

no female lines

“cabinet battle 2″ at one point contained a reference to jefferson and angelica’s affair, but this was cut to “tee up the next song”

again, angelica being mentioned solely as a love interest. still such good lines argh

“we know” mentions maria, but not by name, just as “wife”

and weirdly, she’s barely mentioned at all! the focus of the song is more on her husband james reynolds and his extortion

“hurricane” mentions eliza as well as hamilton’s mother, briefly

the reynolds pamphlet

angelica gets some bamf lines! and the idea of picking her love for her sister over her love for hamilton is more of the feminist anthem we like to hear.

but in terms of her role in the song, she’s there to romantically reject hamilton

she doesn’t talk with eliza directly, so still not enough to pass the bechdel test

eliza is mentioned as “mrs. hamilton” but has no lines

burn

another song that seems to be written from a feminist perspective! a woman reclaiming her voice in the annals of history

buuuuut............... it’s also primarily a song about eliza’s relationship with hamilton

we do finally get to hear more eliza/angelica direct correspondence! “Be careful with that one, love, he will do what it takes to survive” and “You have married an Icarus, he has flown too close to the sun.” beautiful lines, and pretty historically accurate too! but not enough to pass the bechdel test, since they’re about hamilton

blow us all away

a few new women gets lines! it’s about how wet their panties are for philip

the women have names btw, which you wouldn’t know just by listening to the soundtrack: martha and dolly, in reference to thomas jefferson and james madison’s respective wives. insert cuck jokes here

stay alive reprise

i don’t even wanna dissect this, it’s too heartwrenching. but all of eliza’s lines are with and about other men, including her son. her part in this song’s mostly about her role as the mother of hamilton’s child, not about her, specifically

it’s quiet uptown

surprisingly, angelica gets some lines at the beginning that aren’t specifically about a man! she’s referencing hamilton’s grief over his son, but also eliza’s grief. she doesn’t specify at any point that she’s focusing on alexander, and she goes for relatable generalizations instead. (until she becomes part of the chorus commenting on alex’s grieving process)

since angelica’s not talking with another woman, this still isn’t enough to pass the bechdel test. but it’s a start!

eliza gets very few lines here. i’m not necessarily saying that to be critical, though. i think her understatement is almost more powerful than hamilton’s tearful singing, and i think that’s what lin was trying to do with her character.

that said, again, her role in the song is hamilton-centered. no matter how many or how few lines she’s singing, they’d be about her husband and son

the election of 1800

no female character lines

we do get a few unnamed female lines, about a man yeah, but surprisingly as “voters” despite suffrage not yet happening!

this might be a case of historically inaccurate actor casting the same way that white guys aren’t playing all the pasty presidents

or, it could be a nod to women’s active role in historical elections! also acknowledged in the line “ladies, tell your husbands, vote for burr”

either way, not enough to pass the bechdel test, but still a nice touch that lin went out of his way for

your obedient servant

no female lines

best of wives and best of women

eliza’s so sleep-deprived here i s2g. there’s not much to analyze in lines that are basically ‘alex oh my god it’s four am, please just come back to bed for three goddamn hours, why are you like this, i’m going to sleep”

again tho, it’s eliza-hamilton interaction, no other women, so no bechdel passing

the world was wide enough

technically angelica sings three words in the chorus here (“angelica and eliza”) so i can’t say no female lines. but it’s close

women are mentioned but only in terms of their relationship to hamilton (his mom, angelica, eliza)

who lives who dies who tells your story

of course, eliza’s lines are mostly about hamilton again.... be weird if they weren’t at this point. she talks about her life but always brings it back to the context of hamilton and his passing

eliza and angelica sing a couple lines about hamilton together, but angelica dies offstage during the song

so............ last song and we still haven’t passed the test

i’m not writing this huge tirade for any, uh, real reason. i don’t want anyone to boycott the musical or even go so far as to call it anti- or un-feminist. but ✊😭 if there’s one thing alexander hamilton’s taught me, it’s “write thousands of inflammatory and highly politicized words for no reason, every day, just because you feel like it, even if it demonizes your allies, and if no one reads it, yell a lot and write some more”

i’m honoring your legacy, alex

(and bc i really do think it’s important to critically examine the things you love from time to time, and that doesn’t mean you love them any less)

#long post #alexander hamilton #hamilton musical #bechdel test

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