#ira steward

[eelhound]

"'Republican' theorists — as in ancient Greek and Roman republics — emphasized freedom from domination, and argued that this was a more fundamental kind of freedom than freedom from interference.

Think about the most extreme form of nonfreedom, slavery. A slave who’s whipped every day is certainly less lucky than one whose master hardly ever strikes him. His body is interfered with less. But is he more free? Proponents of republicanism would say no, because in each case the slave is at the mercy of the master and the same underlying relationship of domination persists.

Of course, ancient republican philosophers had no objection to slavery. They just wanted a class of citizens to be free from the whims of any emperor or oligarch. But in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, abolitionists, labor organizers, and socialists advocated a society in which everyone would be robustly free from domination. Even the elimination of extreme unfreedom through the Union’s victory in the Civil War wasn’t enough to satisfy these radicals, who saw disturbing patterns of domination in Northern industrial capitalism:

Emancipation may have eliminated chattel slavery, but, as eight-hour campaigner Ira Steward once put it, the creation of this new form of economic dependence meant 'something of slavery still remains . . . something of freedom is yet to come.'

Under capitalism, the vast majority of people who are directly involved in the economy don’t own what Marxists call 'the means of production.' They don’t own factories, for example, or book-packaging warehouses or grocery stores, and they can’t afford to buy any of these things. So they have no realistic option except to rent themselves out for eight hours a day — and it’s only eight hours due to the efforts of people like Steward — to people who do own them.

There’s a profound power imbalance in this relationship. Many workplaces are run as petty dictatorships where the boss can tell workers when they have to smile, when they are or aren’t allowed to talk to each other, and when they can and can’t go to the bathroom. In the vast majority of cases — exceptions include workers with rare and highly valued skills, and periods of especially low unemployment — it’s much easier for a company to replace a worker than for the worker to replace her livelihood. She has to fret about her boss’s opinion of her in a way that he doesn’t. Even if he is a benevolent boss, she is still subject to his whims."

- Ben Burgis, from "Socialism Is All About Expanding Freedom." Jacobin, 10 March 2023.

[ennovance]

Happy #MemorialDay weekend!

Let’s reflect with gratitude 🙏 on those who gave their lives in service to our country 🇺🇸 and for our freedom.

Let’s also strive to be stewards of the environment to prevent invisible killers. Achieving energy efficiency or giving tax credit without increasing indoor air pollution would save many lives.

#airquality now @EPA

🇺🇸Bad #airquality alerts

#aiq #philadelphia #philly #health #HVAC #ESG #CRE #HeartNews #IRA #ESG @PHLPublicHealth #productivity #AIQ

Is American accounting for #airpollution related death (specifically indoor AIQ), excess healthcare cost, and related economic losses accurately?

https://x.com/mohossain/status/1667905633583022080?s=46&t=GtuOmoaTjOwevz2JidiiDQ

[linneajospeh]

Decoding The Role Of Wealth Management Companies In Financial Planning

In the labyrinth of personal finance, where every decision holds weight and every investment has implications, navigating the terrain alone can feel overwhelming. This is where wealth management companies emerge as the guiding beacon, illuminating the path toward financial security and prosperity. But what exactly is their role in the intricate dance of financial planning? Let's unravel the mystery and discover why wealth management companies are indispensable partners in your journey to financial well-being.

​At their core, wealth management companies are architects of financial futures, orchestrating personalized strategies to help individuals and families achieve their monetary goals. Whether it's building wealth, preserving assets, or planning for retirement, these companies serve as trusted advisors, offering expert guidance tailored to each client's unique needs and aspirations.

Asset allocation is another critical aspect of financial planning handled by wealth management companies. By strategically diversifying investments across various asset classes, such as stocks, bonds, real estate, and alternative investments, they aim to optimize returns while mitigating risk. This disciplined approach to asset allocation is designed to withstand market volatility and deliver consistent growth over time.

Risk management is a cornerstone of financial planning, and wealth management companies excel in this arena. By conducting thorough risk assessments and implementing appropriate risk mitigation strategies, they help shield clients from potential pitfalls and safeguard their financial futures. Whether it's market risk, inflation risk, or longevity risk, wealth managers are adept at navigating the complexities of risk management to ensure clients remain on course toward their goals.

Tax planning is another integral component of financial planning addressed by wealth management companies. By leveraging tax-efficient investment strategies, retirement accounts, and estate planning techniques, they aim to minimize tax liabilities and maximize after-tax returns for their clients. This proactive approach to tax planning can result in significant savings over the long term, allowing clients to retain more of their hard-earned wealth.

Estate planning is a critical aspect of financial planning that wealth management companies specialize in. By helping clients structure their estates, draft wills, establish trusts, and designate beneficiaries, they ensure that assets are transferred smoothly and efficiently to future generations. This not only preserves family legacies but also minimizes estate taxes and legal complications.

Retirement planning is a key focus area for wealth management companies, as they help clients prepare for life after work. By analyzing retirement goals, estimating future expenses, and projecting retirement income sources, they develop customized retirement plans that provide financial security and peace of mind. Whether it's saving in employer-sponsored retirement accounts, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), or other investment vehicles, wealth managers guide clients toward a comfortable and fulfilling retirement lifestyle.

Ultimately, the role of wealth management companies in financial planning is multifaceted and dynamic. They serve as trusted advisors, strategic planners, and diligent stewards of their clients' financial well-being. By offering personalized guidance, disciplined investment strategies, and comprehensive wealth management services, these companies empower individuals and families to achieve their financial goals and build a brighter future for themselves and generations to come.

​

In conclusion, wealth management companies in Fort Worth TX play a pivotal role in financial planning, offering personalized guidance and comprehensive services to help clients achieve their monetary objectives. From asset allocation and risk management to tax planning and retirement preparation, these companies serve as trusted advisors, guiding clients toward financial security and prosperity. With their expertise and dedication, wealth management companies are indispensable partners in the journey toward financial well-being.

[shammah8]

"Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring."

2 Thessalonians 1:4

BE A GOOD STEWARD OF YOUR TRIALS

The Apostle Paul praises the Church in Thessalonica for their faith and love in the face of persecutions and trials. In essence he is telling them that they are good stewards of their trials, not letting them impact their faith negatively.

 

I recently heard gospel singer Lynda Randall express this same thought of “being a good steward of the trials I face,” as she introduced her next solo “It is Well With My Soul.”

 

The lyrics of this hymn were written by Horatio Spafford, a lawyer of some prominence in Chicago. He and his wife Anna had one son and four daughters, and were good friends of D.L. Moody and Ira Sankey for many years. Mr. Spafford’s children had come to Christ through the influence of Ira Sankey’s music. When the Spafford’s son died, the family went into deep mourning.

 

After two years of ministering to the homeless and needy people of Chicago, Mr. Spafford thought his family needed a vacation. D. L. Moody and Ira Sankey were in England holding evangelistic so Mr. Spafford decided to take his family to England, where they could vacation and also be a help to his friends Moody and Sankey.

 

He booked passage for his family on the ship SS Ville de Havre, but at the last minute was unable to go with his family due to business. He promised to follow them within a few weeks and they would all be reunited in England.

 

As the ship sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, it collided with the English ship Lochearn, and sank within 12 minutes. 226 lives were lost, including the four Spafford daughters. Mrs. Spafford was rescued from a floating piece of debris. When she arrived in Wales 10 days later she cabled a message to her husband, “Saved Alone...”

 

Mr. Spafford booked passage on the next ship heading to England. As the ship crossed the area where the SS Ville de Havre sank, taking his daughters to the ocean’s depths, Mr. Spafford felt the Holy Spirit fill him with a comforting peace. Leaving the ship’s railing he went into his cabin where he penned the hymn that has  soothed so many souls who have been broken hearted...and one which I often hear sung in the meetings of the persecuted Church:

 

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot,

Thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Response

Today I will be a good steward of the trials I face…with faith, love and perseverance.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for Your faithfulness in all the trials I face. Help me not waste them.

© 2013 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

[lboogie1906]

Captain Hugh Nathaniel Mulzac (March 26, 1886 – January 30, 1971) was a member of the US Merchant Marine. He earned a Master rating in 1918 which should have qualified him to command a ship, but this did not happen until September 29, 1942, because of racial discrimination.

His life at sea started after high school when he served on British schooners. He was sent to Swansea Nautical College in Wales to train for his shipmasters license. He emigrated to the US. He had earned his shipping master’s certificate, the first-ever issued to an African American. He joined Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association and served as a Captain on the SS Yarmouth of the Black Star Line. Disagreements with the UNIA lead to his resignation in 1921.

The only shipboard work he could get was in the steward’s departments on several shipping lines.

He was offered command of the SS Booker T. Washington, the first Liberty ship to be named after an African-American. He refused at first because the crew was to be all African American. He insisted on an integrated crew, stating, “Under no circumstances will I command a Jim Crow”, and the authorities relented. He became famous for being the first-ever African American captain, the first African American man to obtain a ship master’s license, and the first African American man ever to command a fully integrated vessel. Under his command, over 18,000 troops were transported around the world, and additionally “carrying vital war supplies such as tanks, aircraft, and ammunition to the European front.”

He married Miriam Aris (1920) and they had four children. Their daughter, Una Mulzac, was the founder of a prominent Harlem-based political and Black power-oriented bookstore, Liberation Bookstore. Hugh’s nephew, John Ira Mulzac Sr., was a pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[millingroundireland]

The death of John R. Mills and RBM I's early life

As I noted in an earlier post on here, reprinting Goss's biography of RBM I, he writes that RBM I was "a native of New York state, born at Lake George, on the 20th of April, 1864 [1862], a son of John R. and Margaret (Bibby) Mills. The father was a miller by trade and engaged in his business for a number of years at Minerva, New York. He died in 1874 [1876], when his son Robert was ten [14] years old."  Even the death at 10 years old must have been a tragedy (and dilemma) for RBM I. This is especially the case since, according to Goss's biography,

In the public schools of his native state Robert B. Mills secured his preliminary education. He passed his boyhood and youth upon a farm and as he approached maturity applied himself to the butcher's trade, in which he became proficient. When he was about twenty-one years of age [1883] he secured employment at Hotel Bennett, Binghamton, New York, as steward, a position which he held for ten years [1893].

Perhaps RBM I got by with his farm skills and as a butcher. He first appears in the 1865 census, showing his father John R. Mills as the head of household, living in Chester, Warren County, New York, with his mother Margaret, and 9 other siblings: Hattie B., Dora A., Margaret E., Mary J., Thomas, Joseph T., John C., Edward, and William. RBM I's age of 2 1/2 is relatively accurate in that he was born in 1862.

This post was originally published on WordPress in August 2018.

1865 census printout via the Warren County clerk

In 1870, Robert is still residing with the family, with his father John still a farmer, his brother Edward a farm laborer, his sister Dora a teacher, his mother Margaret at home, along with four of his other siblings: Willie, Maggie, John C., and Mary. There are also three borders: Hannibal Hammond (age 31, a carpenter), Hattie Hammond (age 25, Keep house), and Phebe Bibby (10 months, at home). Hannibal was the husband of Hetabella Mills, who is the same as Hattie Hammond. Phebe Bibby would be, by extension, an adopted child since it has a different last name. It says Robert is age 5, but he was born in 1862, so he is actually 8. The census is shown below:

"United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch, John Mills, New York, United States; citing p. 49, family 426, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,608.

However, by 1875, Robert, who would have been 13 at the time, was not in the household of John R. Mills (last household on the page), which was in Chester. This was after Margaret had died the previous year, hence why she is not in the census:

1875 census printout via Warren County clerk

Perhaps RBM I did go to "public schools" but it isn't indicated as such on the census. It is also probable that he "passed his boyhood and youth upon a farm." The same is the case about claim that he "applied himself to the butcher's trade." Looking through the census documents, one finds a Robert Mills, age 13, as the brother of the head of the household, living in Schroon, Essex, New York, which is about 12 miles northeast of Chester:

"New York State Census, 1875," database with images, FamilySearch, Robert Mills, Schroon, Essex, New York, United States; citing p. 7, line 4, State Library, Albany; FHL microfilm 866,322.

I am going to call it and say this is RBM I because in 1870, Edward E. Mills was age 21, and here in 1875 he is age 27. While the ages don't completely line up, I know for certain that Edna married Edward. It is not known why RBM I was not with his father and the rest of his cousins there. Anyway, he is listed here as single.

This means that the Robert Mills whom is a pauper in Bath, Steuben, New York is not him.

With this, it means that the Robert Mills in Schroon, Essex, New York in 1880, whom is a laborer, is RBM I. He is 17, single, and in the household of 75-year-old Ira Whitney. It is not known how he is related (if at all) to this individual.

"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch, Robert Mills in household of Ira Whitney, Schroon, Essex, New York, United States; citing enumeration district ED 60, sheet 281C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0833; FHL microfilm 1,254,833.

We do know, if Goss is right, that from 1883 to 1893 he worked at the Hotel Bennett in Binghamton, New York, about 162 miles (northeast) of Schroon, as a steward. We also know that he was listed as a steward, living in Binghamton, in 1892, as discussed in an earlier post (The story of Hattie Ellen Sterling). That may be just about the time that Hattie Ellen Stanley met RBM I. After all, they married on November 20, 1894, likely in New York.

© 2018-2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[electronicrebeleagle]

HOLLYWOOD MINOR ACTOR PROTECTION EXECUTIVE ORDER

EXECUTIVE ORDER

REFORMATION OF DEPARTMENT OF LABOR/JUSTICE/HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (DEPT OF CHILDREN SERVICES):

                                WHEREAS, THE UNITED STATES AMERICANS, THEY BEING  GOVERNMENT SUPERIORS ;

          WHEREAS; THE UNITED STATES PARENTAL CITIZENS MUST BE GIVEN THE OPPURTUNITY AS ALL  UNITED STATES CITIZENS’ TO BE IN SELF-RESPECT FREE OF ANY AND ALL WRONG OR MANIPULATION;

          WHEREAS; THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND UNITED STATES ARE IN NEED OF AND SHOULD SHOW THEMSELVES TO BE A BETTER QUALITY ASSURANCE AND JUST STEWARDS OF AMERICA’S DEMOCRACY AND LIBERTY, ALONG WITH TAXPAYERS’ FINANCES,  WITHIN THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT MAKING IMPROVEMENT IN HEALTHIER, SAFER AND JUSTIFIABLE USE OF EMPLOYING/INDEPENDENT CONTRACTING U.S. MINORS IN THE UNITED STATES;

THEREFORE;

          I , STEPHEN C. MAXWELL, BY AUTHORITY UNDER ARTICLE 2   OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AS PRESDIENT OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, DO HEREBY ORDER;

ORDERED AND AUTHORIZED THAT THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE/LABOR AND HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IN THEIR SUBDIVISION OF DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN’S SERVICES AND BUREAUCRACY UNDER  34 USC CH 209  ARE AND WILL BE  AND IS HEREBY ENFORCED AND CEASE AND DESIST IGNORING PARENTAL RIGHTS AND/OR PARENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL UPON THE FBI AND U.S. MARSHALLS TO ENFORCE THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER FOR THE PROTECTION OF THEIR CHILDREN AND HAVE A SAY WHEN AND HOW AND WHERE THEIR MINOR CHILD UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE SHALL WITHIN THE CONTRACT WORK AND NOT WORK ALL NIGHT PAST 10PM OR BEFORE 7AM. THE NEA AND ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY FUND ARE CEASE AND DESIST FROM ALL FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR THOSE WHO REFUSE  TO FOLLOW THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER UPON MY ADMINISTRATION TILL JANUARY 20TH, 2033 AS OF TODAY THE 20TH OF JANUARY, 2029.

ORDERED AND AUTHORIZED THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND BUREAUCRACY INVESTIGATE WITH MIRANDA READ AND LAWYERS APPOINTED AT THAT TIME, WITHOUT THE FEDERAL AGENTS PAYING SUCH OFF,  RE-DO, RE-EDUCATE FILM MAKERS/ PRODUCERS/ EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS/FILMOGRAPHERS, ETC., EMPLOYEES/CONTRACTORS ON WHAT PROFESSIONALISM IS EXPECTED OF THEM TO  ANY AND ALL MINOR ACTORS/ACTRESSESS UNDER TWENTY-ONE YEARS OF AGE  ON “NO SEXUAL CONTACT OR LEFT ALONE WITH MINOR UNDER TWENTY ONE WITHOUT PARENT OR GUARDIAN” AND  FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS ARE CEASE AND DESITS TO THE FIFTY STATES OF THE UNION FOR DISALLOWING THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER ARE HEREBY CEASE AND DESIST, AND FEDERAL/NEA/ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY FUND EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE DONE SUCH, AFTER THIS ORDER, SHALL BE CONSIDERED FEDERAL FUGITIVES TO THIS NATION  FOR THE NEXT (4) YEARS, UNTIL STOPPED.

ORDERED AND AUTHORIZED, WHEN THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER SHALL NOT BE FOLLOWED, THAT ALL HOLLYWOOD FILM OR PRODUCERS OR HOLLYWOOD LOT EMPLOYERS/EMPLOYEES NOT TO EXCLUDE WARNER BROS. AND  FEDERAL WORKERS PAYMENT SYSTEMS APPROPRIATIONS, NOT TO EXCLUDE THEIR HOUSE/HOME EQUITY; VEHICLE EQUITY; ON OR OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS NOT TO EXCLUDE 401K’S ; IRA’S; MEDICAL ACCOUNTS OR ANY OTHER U.S. TREASURY NOTES ACCOUNTS, BE  FROZEN AND RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES TREASURY DEPARTMENT INCLUDING THOSE FINANANCIAL INSTITUTIONS WHERE THE SSA/VA EMPLOYEES BANK WITHIN 24 HOURS UNTIL THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION OF  JANUARY 20TH, 2033.

ANY U.S. CITIZEN, KNOWN, WITHIN THE UNITED STATES, THAT ARE NOT COMPLIANT WITH THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER IN THE UNITED STATES CANNOT HAVE A DRIVERS’ LICENSE/CANNOT HAVE A BUSINESS LICENSE, CANNOT OWN LAND, CANNOT SIT ON A JURY, CANNOT CARRY CONCEALED WEAPONS, CANNOT MARRY WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. NO CITIZEN IS RECOGNIZED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ALSO, ALL THOSE THAT BLOCK THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER AND VIOLATE U.S. LAWS AS A UNITED STATES CITIZEN, ONCE ARRESTED AND TRIED IN A COURT OF LAW, AND ARE FOUND GUILTY OF SUCH HEINOUS CRIMES ARE NO LONGER U.S. CITIZENS AND AT ANY POINT, MAY BE SHOT DEAD FOR BREAKING U.S. FEDERAL LAWS, WITHOUT WARNING.

ORDERED AND AUTHORIZED ANY AND ALL FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS/PAYROLL APPROPRIATIONS FOR/FROM CONGRESS SHALL BE BE HALTED AND RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES TREASURY DEPARTMENT FOR FURTHER USAGE AND BUILDING OF A BIGGER, BETTER, FASTER  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WHEN THE AFORESAID FIFTY U.S. STATES AND CONGRESS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, DO(ES) NOT RECOGNIZE THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER OR REFUTES SUCH.

ORDERED AND AUTHORIZED THAT THE GOVERNOR’S AND THEIR STAFF AND LINE OF SUCCESSION ARE NOT ALLOWED WITHIN THE WHITE HOUSE AND DENIED VISITATION PERMANENTLY THAT REPRESENT THE  SOVERIEGN STATES OF THE UNITED STATES, THIS INCLUDES THE U.S. CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATION AND SENATE ALSO, WHOM FAIL TO RECOGNIZE THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER.

THE SECERETARY OF LABOR IS ORDERED AND AUTHORIZED TO PLACE THIS ORDER IN THE FEDERAL REGISTRY.

STEPHEN C. MAXWELL

JANUARY 20TH, 2029

THE WHITE HOUSE

INFLATION EXPLANATION

          HONORABLE CONGRESS,

                   THE FILM MAKERS/PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS/FILM OR LOT OWNERS/ FEDERALLY ELECTED/APPOINTED/HIRED/CONTRACTED LOSE THEIR FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE WHILE ALSO LOSING  FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE WITH HEALTH AND WEALTH BENEFITS, SO NOT  NEEDED, AS CRIMINALS, ALL FIFTY SOVERIEGN STATES LOSE THEIR FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS WHEN THE FIFTY SOVERIEGN STATES DECIDE NOT TO ABIDE BY THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER, WHILE ALSO REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS OF THE U.S. CONGRESS, LOSE THEIR U.S. TREASURY PAY FOR NOT ABIDING BY THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER AND RETURNED TO THE U.S. CITIZENS’ VIA STIMULUS PAYMENTS.

STEPHEN C. MAXWELL, POTUS

THE WHITE HOUSE

01/20/2029

[freeworldallahmbaclass]

I'm the greatest comeback ever

I got hotels for the homeless in New York City 2021

I got Amazon workers their union contract

I got Starbucks workers their union contract

I got the minimum wage increased from $ 11 dollars an hour to $ 15 dollars to $ 17 dollars an hour

I got the fair chance to compete for a job act of 2019 in New York City and California hopefully other cities and countries are going to follow suit

I legalized marijuana in New York City

I cleaned up fox square in Brooklyn , NY

Free college education in New York City

Free gym membership for people on Medicare

Citi bikes for New Yorkers

Benefit monetary assistance increase for snap and cash assistance recipients

Rikers Island tablet program podcasts and video games for inmates in jail to help stop crime violent crime in prison and to help rehabilitate the guy or woman and stop the back and forth of them going to jail . The tablet have podcasts and programs for Job Search legal research and books to read to help them become better citizens in the free society .

Laws I'm proposing

Job Safety and secure act - 2022

Fair banking act - 2022

Retirement investment plan for employees IRA act - 2022

Ready , willing and able Expansive territory act - 2023

Riverside drive Expansion project act - 2023

The new ferry from New Jersey to New York City - 2023

School sports culture expansion Act Copperas Cove , Texas

Rikers Island schooling expansion act Added on Basic education classes on Rikers Island on the tablet , college programs on the program , online school on the Tablet . -2023

NYCHA ( New York City Housing projects ) plans and ideas for improvement

The New Trench town rock - 2021 , 2022 , 2023

And many other pitches and proposals rebuilding the workforce , wages and structure of New York city and cities like New York .

Next order of business : My Plans for infrastructure in a utopian society hotels jobs pay raise on citizens paycheck from 15 $ - 17 $ dollars minimum wage pay to 19$ dollars to 20$ dollars an hour to better provide for all costs emergencies uncovered insurance payments due to partial health care coverage and full union membership granted to employees of any company free education grants and school loans payment plans

Pay raise for school teachers in every city at junior high school , high school and elementary school level since they are stewards of our children's future .

Pay raise for civil service workers and Civil service exams made and updated daily to the public , school crossing guards , correction officers , supervisors , probation officers , construction site supervisors .

Pay raise for day care workers

Free day care services for temporarily unemployed mothers and fathers

Pay raise for city fire fighters and police officers .

Job contractors fulfilling contracts with back to work public assistance programs that train and employ job candidates without their high school diploma or GED and granting them full employment with full medical and medicare coverage union membership and back to school Acces Vocational rehabilitation counseling and restoration of financial aid assistance for non violent crimes like drug sellers and abusers to stop recidivism to prison and to cure an addiction to a habit of committing perpetual crimes thus creating repeat offenders .

Jobs moving back to inner cities through the effort of study and research groups from urban planning courses from their neighboring colleges .

Tax abatement and financial incentives and business incentives and tax breaks .

Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris should include this law into all of their plan for cleaning up America I'm glad to see it go beyond New York City and other counties in New York I want to share this honor with author Michelle Alexander who I did my research from her book about mass incarceration of the black and Latino community and the political office and my friends that help put this law in place I reached out to hopefully stop the recidivism to prison and hopefully to help some of my friends and people that go back and forth to jail because they couldn't get a job due to the felonies on their record I recommend a certificate of relief of disabilities to all people returning to society if they haven't given you one go get it from your county's or borough courthouse it works wonders .

Next order of business : Tax cuts to help the everyday person keep more of their check in their pockets cut the tax rates in New York City by 4 percent I see it as New York State taxes % 8.82 to % 4 percent and business tax cuts to create more jobs Proposal For a Wage increase of $ 22 dollars an hour Including : Fire safety directors Security guards Librarians Fed Ex workers UPS workers Ready Willing and able with free vocational grants from access vr programs they should hire vocational rehabilitation counselors and job developers finding permanent housing and permanent job placement after the clients training Stock Clerks and cashier's at major stores like Gristedes , C Town , met foods , Burlington coat factory wage increase for all warehousing and factory workers jack pallet and forklift training for people with no experience and a starting salary at $ 17 - 19 $ dollars an hour and it increase with more time on the job how about the first year at that base salary of $ 17 - 19 $ dollars and on the even of that year the employee gets an raise of $ 2 dollars more on their check and other financial incentives as cash allocation from their check for newly place employee mutual fund packages besides with other benefits that said company is offering this helps to place that company on the stock market because of the huge huge employee buy in it is like employers investing in their employees their stores and company .

Educational requirements for jobs posted is less than a high school diploma but the job candidate has to be in a vocational program or GED preparation course half or full time hours .

Civil service jobs and exams posted weekly .

Sales professional salary plus commission on sales and stock options for mutual funds packages as bonuses with an wage increase to $ 19 dollars to $ 21 dollars an hour .

Newly added benefits to a job description benefits an employer on jobs posted give to their employees an employer get to hold back cash or take money out of an employees check to put towards a mutual funds stock fund option to help that client make more money as a second job the municipals funds and stock and funds and stock and then you gotta get hedge funds option packaged in to help the employees money make more money for them talk about overtime whew and at the same time that local market and store owner can put his company on the stock market and give out public shares thus in the end making it a good investment a regular place of shopping in a family like environment it is like getting to know your deli clerk , butcher , bakery attendant again only this time you are making money with the people you are spending money with Think about it that in turns build better communities better stores customer relationships safer neighborhoods and the beautifying of economically depressed environments more money for your kids college tuition school supplies newer roads being built leading to and from better neighborhoods and businesses and this is a future that we all as fellow New Yorkers can build together .

The story is that 50 Cent kind of dropped a hint to me on wanting to help cure the Aids epidemic in Africa and I heard it and I proposed it to send the cure for aids in Africa to the people in Africa infected with HIV Aids and this is the news headlines in March 2023 of it going through another accomplishment on my list of accomplishment thank you so much and they should be continuing sending it to Africa daily every day week month and years for generations and generations from now on a continuous basis that would be the right thing to do true humanity

Check the news on CNN The US helped prevent AIDS from being a death sentence in Africa . The us is me and 50 Cent the rapper from his hit show power .

We did it congratulations on the cure for Aids in Africa .

The US helped prevent AIDS from being a death Sentence in Africa

Check the news on CNN on ending HIV Aids in Africa with the cure and new medicine Cabenuva HIV medicine that cures HIV Aids like the common cold and any other kind of communicable diseases

We did it congratulations on the cure for Aids in Africa .

The US helped prevent AIDS from being a death Sentence in Africa .

Cabenuva the new HIV Medicine is the cure for HIV Aids it knocks out HIV Aids like the common cold please send it to Africa to help heal the people .

[thepolyamorouspolymath]

Biden has added the most jobs of any President in recent history, adding jobs every quarter consistently. That's not a bad economy, that's a good one. Inflation cannot be controlled by a President, but we have the lowest in tye Western world due to the Inflation Reduction Act. Crumbling infrastructure is finally being funded and rebuilt 40 years after Reagan decided to just not despite it being due in a 20 year cycle, homelessness is governed by local or state laws not federal ones so again the President has no control over it. Biden did not order shit all done to protesters because he CAN'T. The President may not order state or local police or the military in action during peacetime on US soil except in DC. Unless you see Marines (the Navy is the exception to posse comititus, which bans active military operations on US soil during peace time... the National Guard is deployed by governors in their home state, they are only commanded by the President if they are sent overseas or into DC) then it WASN'T the President, any President, who did it. He also does not control the budget such as aid funding as the Constitution reserves that for Congress as well as treaty powers one of which we have with Israel which is largely binding unless Congress is willing to break it, leaving the President's --any President -- somewhat hamstrung in the situation.

The President is not a king and lots of things are out of his control.

Biden ended for profit prisons on a federal level -- bc he can't stop states using them. He gave full clemency to everyone discharged from the military for being queer so they could get their status changed to honorably discharged and get their vets benefits. He is currently working on a deal to massively expand housing by opening up environmental insignificant public land to developing affordable housing and eliminating tax credits for any landlords who raise rent more than 5% unless it's for renovations. He has partnered Land Management with Native tribes to better steward the land and from day one refused any new drilling permits, as there were plenty already issued and unused if needed. The IRA includes significant incentives for green tech to combat climate change. He has hired more women and POC than any President in history. He fulfilled his campaign promise of a stimulus check within 60 days. He oversaw the most effective vaccine rollout in history where no one who needs and wants one has to pay for it or has a hard time getting it. He made sure every household could get free COVID testing to help control the spread. He has forgin 168.5B worth if student loans, as of August 1st 2024, provided SCOTUS does not interfere. He pardon most federal and DC marijuana possession, expunging their records as well. It also has provided $648M and over 1M tons in humanitarian aid to Palestine, the largest donor of aid that is helping keep people alive while pursuing a cease fire. Biden broke ONE strike out of thousands and it was the rail workers because it was vital to the nation that the shipping continue, but unlike every other strike break in history, he did so with a provision that the DoT intervene to continue union negotiations and get a fair deal for works -- which they did, getting the workers a deal providing their major demands that the union was very happy with and thanked the administration for its help.

No he has not been a perfect President. But his list of accomplishments is long and the fact he didn't get everything you wanted because it was impossible to pass or because it's not within the scope of his office does not negate those accomplishments.

I think history will remember him well. Which is not necessarily accurate, it holds up Kennedy as a civil rights champion when LBJ was the one who passed the legislation while Kennedy had civil rights leaders wiretapping and credited with the moon landing bc he issued the moon shot but 2/3 of the work was done under LBJ and Nixon, not him.

If you want to critique things he actually has power over, that's fair.

You see, liberals defend complicity in genocide…

[bearterritory]

Cal Men’s Rowing Wins National Championship

Bears Varsity Eight Caps Undefeated Season With 18th IRA Title

WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – The varsity eight entered Sunday's Grand Final with an undefeated record this spring, and with 1,000 meters to go at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championship, the Cal men's rowing team's hard work was showing signs of a hard-fought victory. With the win, the Bears secured the program's 18th national championship and 100th national title overall for Cal Athletics. The Varsity Challenge Cup was not the only hardware Cal took home. The Bears' second varsity eight won silver in the Kennedy Cup in a thrilling comeback.  "Really proud of how the guys raced today," said head coach Scott Frandsen. "A full team effort leading to the varsity being able to really have their best race of the year and represent the team and win. They executed their race perfectly, really happy for those nine guys and the full 60 guys on the team. This has been the goal all year and the guys did it." Like it did all season, the V8+ got off to a fast start. The top four boats of Cal, Yale, Washington, and Brown separated themselves from the remainder of the field in the first 100 meters. By the 500-meter mark, the Bears had a two-seat advantage on the Bulldogs. By the 1,000-meter mark, the Bears and Bulldogs pulled away from the rest of the field, with Cal extending its lead over Yale. The Bears' championship boat, led by Pac-12 Male Athlete of the Year Ollie Maclean, Newcomer of the Year Gennaro di Mauro as well as all-conference honorees Elliott Kemp, Angus Dawson, and Campbell Crouch, defeated a Yale boat that featured three Olympians by over two seconds, finishing with a time of 5:44.239. Cal took home their 18th Varsity Challenge Cup in a long and storied history stretching back nearly a century. The Golden Bears also won national championships in 1928, '32, '34, '35, '39, '49, '60, '61, '64, '76, '99, '00, '01, '02, '06,'10 and ‘16.  It is also believed to be the first undefeated season for the V8+ since 2001 when Frandsen was in the boat for the Bears. In the battle for the Stewards Cup, Yale, Harvard, and Washington took the early lead. The Bears began their move over the final 1,000 meters to try to chase down Dartmouth and Washington for a place on the podium but ran out of race track to take fifth with a time of 6:11.513. In the final for the Kennedy Cup, the 2V8+ was tremendous. The Bears opened the race in the lead pack but sat in fifth behind leaders Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, and Washington. At the 1,000-meter mark, Cal began its charge, moving into third and closing fast. Over the final 100 meters, the Bears took control of second and held off Dartmouth, capturing silver by over three seconds with a time of 5:54.052.

Sunday's Results V8+ Results 1. California - 5:44.239 2. Yale - 5:46.339 3. Brown - 5:49.133 4. Washington - 5:52.365 5. Syracuse - 5:53.007 6. Harvard - 5:56.147 JV8+ Results 1. Yale - 5:51.958 2. California - 5:54.052 3. Dartmouth - 5:57.286 4. Washington - 5:58.264 5. Brown - 6:01.430 6. Princeton - 6:04.758 Sunday's Lineups Varsity 8+ Luca Vieira (cox) Iwan Hadfield (stroke) Elliott Kemp Tim Roth Ollie Maclean Gennaro di Mauro Angus Dawson Frederik Breuer Campbell Crouch (bow) JV8+ James French (cox) Tommy Barrell (stroke) Fred Roper Olav Molenaar Christoph Seifriedsberger Balthasar Issa Daton Wolfaardt Michael Chandler Wilson Morton (bow)

[ultrainfinitepit]

Day Five: The Heather House

The Heathers are an old family of renowned exorcists. Theirs is the largest estate in Puddle. It has fallen somewhat into disrepair. Only Lady Heather and her faithful steward Ira remain to maintain it.

[chickensarentcheap]

Sanctuary -Chapter 49

Warnings: none

Tagging: @c-a-v-a-l-r-y​, @alievans007​, @thunderintheshadows​, @innerpaperexpertcloud​, @valkyrie-of-the-light​

Nik has arranged a private flight; her list of wealthy and well established connections is long and prosperous, with more names being added as the days go by. Most are former satisfied clients offering services in exchange of hefty payments, others are associates of big name and influential marks. Word travels fast in the dark underbelly of the soldier for hire world, and once you've established a reputation, it follows you; your client listing growing larger, the money offered much more substantial, the jobs more dangerous and life threatening.  

She'd reluctantly given him the departure time; slightly remorseful for causing an even bigger issue than she'd intended, and eager to keep the peace between Tyler and her herself. It would never be the same. They both know that. The last thread that had been keeping their friendship intact has finally been severed, relegating them to nothing more than colleagues. There's been too much damage done; the years of pursuing him and attempting to convince him to commit adultery, the trust issues that have been plaguing them since he refused to dump Ovi in the street in Dhaka (going against her direct orders), and now going behind his back and almost single handily ruining his marriage.   The latter is partly his fault as well; he shoulders his blame and has had a little more than twelve hours to torture himself over the decisions he'd made. With more meds in his system; he's finally starting to think straight again; the confusion beginning to lift,  the doom and gloom dissipating, the harsh reality of what he'd done sinking in. He's disgusted with himself; for resorting to the means he'd had, for allowing himself to spiral so far out of control that he hadn't even realized he was making a mess out of himself and his life,  for keeping such a horrendous and vile secret from his wife and for not letting her help him sooner.  And for reacting the way he'd had during their fight; for that brief moment when he'd come so close to not being able to control his temper and had thought about grabbing her or hitting her.

It makes him feel sick even now. When he thinks about getting to that point. That he'd allowed his brain to get so fucked up that hurting her had even become an option.  Under normal circumstances, the thought would never have even crossed his mind, not even in the midst of their nastiest and most intense of fights.  And the fact that it had had been enough to make him realize just how much things needed to change. How much he needed to change.  So instead of going on a bender and drinking away his misery, he'd proceeded to raid the mini bar in favour of dumping every bottle of booze down the drain to avoid temptation, and instead of going into an uncontrollable rage and trashing and destroying the hotel room, he'd sat down and had an emotional breakdown instead. Allowing the tears to fall and the sobs to wrack his body; feeling emotionally and physically spent afterwards, but determined to make his life better. He wasn't going to lose his wife and his kids. And he was going to make whatever changes he needed to make to ensure that didn't happen.

His hands are shoved in the pockets of his flack jacket as he crossed the tarmac; Nik and Esme are at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the floor of the jet, quietly conversing as one of the stewards finishes loading the bags. Nik sees him first, attempting a small smile that he doesn't return, and her lips set themselves into a grin -almost remorseful- line before she whispers something to Esme, gives her upper arm a tight squeeze and then climbs the stairs to the jet without a glance back.

“Hey,” he simply greets, and attempts a smile. He's been miserable since she walked out the night before; heartbroken and desolate instead of angry and destructive. But he'd kept his promise; staying away from her, not even calling or texting, no matter how desperate he was to talk to her.  It's the first time in almost the entire five and a half years they've been together that they've gone that long without talking; always finding ways to communicate even when he was halfway around the world.  And he didn't realize that he'd miss her that damn much in such a short period of time.

Hey,” she sounds tired, sad. And he hates that he's done that to her. But her smile is genuine; it makes her smile sparkle and the bridge of her nose to crinkle. She's still the most beautiful thing he's ever seen; no make up gracing her still youthful features, clad in a pair of jeans and one of his hoodies.

“I was looking for that,” he teases, and nods at the sweater.

“You know it's my favourite one. I wasn't going home without it. And it still smells like you, so...” her voice trails off. “...what are....?”

“I know...”  he begins at the same time, then gives a small laugh. “Go ahead. Ladies first.”

“Age before beauty,” she playfully retorts, and even this small return to their often playful banter gives him hope.

“I know I said I'd stay away from you, when you called me to let me know you were leaving, but Nik told me what time the flight was at.  And before you get mad at her, I kind of put a huge guilt trip on her and forced her to tell me.”

“What are you doing here? I thought we both agreed we wouldn't see each other until you came home.”

“I'm not here to try and convince you to stay. I want to. But I won't.” He wonders if she wants him to; if she wants him to grovel and beg. Because if if that's what it will take to change her mind, he's more than willing to do it. He's far beyond worrying about his pride.

“You need to concentrate on the job,” she says. “And you can't do that if I'm here. You'll spend too much time worrying about me and the baby. And that's dangerous. If your head isn't one hundred percent in things.”

He nods in agreement. “I got a hold of Ovi. He's going to give it a couple of days and then they're going to make their way back to Colorado. I told him not to go to the house and to go to your mom's instead. It's going to be crowded as all hell there. Especially with Nik staying with you.”

“I told her she didn't need to, but she says it's for the best. She feels better if she can keep an eye on all of us. She said it would probably be okay if we went back to the house, but I don't want to be there without you. I'd feel better if you were there with us.”

“And I'd feel better if you stayed away from the house,” he says. “Until I got back. Just in case.”

“Are you okay?” she asks, and takes a step towards him.. “And don't say you're fine. Because I know you're not.”

“I'm not okay, but I will be.”

“You're taking your meds?”

He nods.

“Are you sober?”

“Yeah. I am. And I'm going to stay that way.”

Her smile is a little bigger this time, and she moves even closer to him.

“Have you been back there?”  she inquires. “The storage place?”

“No. Not since yesterday. Not since we...well...you know...”

“And are you going to? Go back?”

He shakes his head. “I told Mark to handle everything. That I wanted nothing more to do with it.  That I never should have done it in the first goddamn place. And I'm sorry. That I ever did do it. And that I never told you how fucked up my head actually is. As soon as I did it, I should have told you.”

“You thought you had a valid reason,” she says. “That's what your brain was telling you.  And I get that. That it was you but it wasn't you all at the same time. Promise me this won't ever happen again. That that's a direction you won't go in again. Because that isn't who you are. No matter what your brain tells you.”

“I promise. It won't ever happen again. That's not who I am; you're right. And it fucking makes me sick that I even thought about it.”

“Don't do that to yourself, Tyler. The guilt. Don't dwell on that. It happened. You can't go back and change it. For what's it worth, it wasn't all your fault. You had people enabling you. Making you think you were doing the right thing. And that's not who you are either. You don't normally give a shit what anyone says.”

“Guess I'm even more fucked up than I realize.”

“You're sick, not fucked up. And when you get home we'll deal with it. Together. Not on your own. You're not in this alone.  And the sooner you realize that, things will get better. You have to let me help you, Tyler. I know that's hard for you. You think I've already done so much. After Dhaka.  But I'd do it all again. I'd make the same decisions. In a heartbeat.”

“I didn't mean what I said. About wishing you'd let me die. I was just pissed off and on the defensive and...”

“I know...” she lays her hands on his hips.  “...I know you didn't mean it. And maybe things would have been easier. If I had have. But I wasn't letting you go. Not that easily anyway.”

He smiles at that.  

“I'm going to call the doctor when I get to my mom's. I should probably get into see her as soon as possible. I think I'm further along than I either of us think. Probably close to three months. If not a bit past it.”

“When I came back from El Salvador,” he easily recalls, and she nods. “Yeah, that was a wild eighteen hours. When I first got back. You were kinda...noisy...that night”

She blushes. “Yeah, well you have that effect on me. I just can't let it out when there's kids in the house. And if that's the case, that that's when it happened, I  need to get in to the doctor sooner rather than later. Just to make sure things are okay.  But I'll call you and let you know what she says. She'll probably want to do an ultrasound. To check on everything. I can send you copies of the pictures if you want.”

“Yeah, I'd like that. Then I go around showing them to complete strangers, bragging about my super sperm.”

She laughs, and shakes her head. “You're never going to let that go, are you.”

“Probably not.  Billy Flynn called. The IRA agreed. They'll take him off our hands. For everything we asked for. I'll let him know where you and the kids are. So he can have his people go there. So once I hand McMann over, that part of the job will be done. And no, I won't be doing it alone. I'll have someone there with me. So I don't flip my shit and fuck him up even more than I already have.”

“He'll get what's coming him to Tyler. Even if it's not you that does it. And I don't want you to be the one that does it.”

“I won't be,” he assures her, and reaches out to take her face in his hands, thumbs gliding across the tops of her cheeks. “I leave for New Zealand, In two days.”

“You found them? The kids? He told you where they are?”

“He just said they're in New Zealand. It's up to me to find out exactly where. But I'm thinking you were probably right about the grandmother's old store. That it's somewhere I should check out.”

“Don't go alone, okay? Because McMann may be out of the picture, but the Buckmans are still in it. And those are people you do not want to cross by yourself.”

“Mark and one of his guys are going to come along. Just in case.  As much as I can't fucking stand Mark...”

“He'll have your back. Mostly because he knows I'll kill him if he lets something happen to you. Please be careful, Tyler.”

“I will.”

“Because I kind of want you to come home,” she says, and fights back tears. “I really, really want you to come home.”

“I'm coming home, baby. I promise.”

She nods, and then drops her forehead onto his chest, arms wrapping around his waist. And he can feel her body trembling against him as she cries.

“It's going to be okay,” he drops a kiss on the top of her head, then places one hand on the nape of her neck, the other on the small of her back. “Everything is going to be okay.”

“I'm sorry. For some of the things I said. I know how bad they must have hurt you and...”

“Don't be sorry. They were true. I needed to hear them.”

“I would never, ever, take your kids from you. And I never should have said that. That was a horrible thing to say you but I was just so shocked over the whole thing and I was so angry with you and I was so hurt when you said you wished I'd let you die that I just snapped and....”

“Esme, it's okay,” he presses a kiss to her temple. “What I did was fucked up. And I'm sorry I did it. That I lied to you. That I disappointed you.”

“You're a great dad, Tyler. And when I said that you should try being a dad for once...”

'Baby, stop. Just stop.  It's okay. And it's true, I've been away more than I've been home. I've missed a lot. But I always tried to make for it. With them. But I never tried hard enough to make up for it with you. And I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry.”

“There's things we both need to work on,” she says, and he nods.

“Me more than you though. I've got a lot more shit to work out.”

“We'll do that together, right?” she sounds worried, and she looks up at him, her top teeth digging into her bottom lip. “This isn't something you want to alone or...”

“I'm coming home, baby. I already said that. Neither of us are going to do this alone.”

She smiles at that. “How long do you think? That you'll be in New Zealand?”

“Few days. A week at the most. It'll take us a couple days once we get there to track down a location. Unless the IRA can get more info out of McMann before they kill him. And I asked for proof. That he's dead. So we know for sure. So we don't have to worry about showing up on our doorstep a year from now.”

“I'll definitely be able to sleep better at night if I know for sure he's gone. And when you're home and I don't have to sleep in that big old bed by myself.”

“Yeah, that'll be nice. I know I know I'll sleep like shit until I get home.”

“You sleep like shit anyway,” she sniffles.

“Well I'll sleep like bigger shit until I get home,” he chuckles.  “You should go...” he rubs his palms up and down her back. “...Nik's probably starting to get antsy. Your mom picking you up at the airport?”

“Kyle said he would do it.”  The youngest Drummond boy. The only 'non cop'. A firefighter in Denver. For the most part he's neutral when it comes to his opinions on his sister's choice in men and her hasty marriage and pregnancy. But when his mother gets out of hand and he can't handle anymore, he becomes what they call 'Pro Tyler'.  It's mostly to piss her off, but they appreciate the support. And he's a good uncle; taking the time out of his schedule to spend time with his nieces and nephews, unlike the others who have a hard time even remembering birthdays.

“You'll call me?” he asks. “When you get there? So I now you're safe and sound?”

She nods.  “Don't go to New Zealand without letting me know about it, okay? I'm thousands of miles away, but I still like to know where you are and if you're alright.”

“I'll call you,” he promises. “Give the kids hugs and kisses from daddy. Tell them I miss them. That I'll see them soon.”

“I will,” the tears are threatening again. “Be home soon, okay? I'll miss you.”

“I'll miss you too,” he takes her face in his hands and kisses; tender, sweet, long. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Tyler. Please stay safe.”

“Always,” he says, and places a kiss to her forehead before taking a step backwards and watching her as she climbs the stairs to the jet. Smiling when she pauses in the doorway to give him a small wave before disappearing inside.

****

Kyle is already waiting at the edge of the tarmac when they arrive; leaning against the passenger's side door of his pick up truck, hands stuffed in the pockets of his navy blue Denver Fire Department jacket. The third youngest, he's the tallest and biggest of the three boys; just hitting six feet, with broad shoulders and chest and strong, powerful arms. He's the spitting image of their late father; brilliant blue eyes, the same easy smile and witty and sarcastic nature,  the graying hair clipped short to his head in a brush cut. He gives his sister a bright, cheerful smile as she raises her hand in greeting as she descends the jet steps, then hangs back as she and Nik exchange a brief conversation and a quick hug before Nik departs to meet with the waiting 'security experts' she'd assigned to the family.

“Who's that?” he asks, as he quickly strides towards his sister, relieving her of her carry on bag and suitcase. Watching as Nik...in her well tailored charcoal grey pant suit and pink blouse...climbs into the back of a Lincoln Navigator.  

“That's Nik. She's going to be staying at mom's too.”

“Friend of yours?”

Esme nods. “She's also Tyler's boss. Sort of. She's the one that calls him when she has work she needs done.”

“What kind of work?”

“We've talked about this. A million times. Private security.”

“Private security, huh?” he slings the strap of the carry on over his shoulder. “Why do I get the feeling that's code language for something else entirely?”

“It's been five and a half years, K. Let it go.”

“Yeah? Well It's been five and a half years of thinking you're full of shit. Hold up...” he places a protective arm across her stomach when the Navigator comes within feet of them on it's way off the tarmac.  And he notices how Nik is watching them; oversized sunglasses covering her eyes, a slow smile spreading across her face.  “She's cute,” he says.  “Your friend.”

“She's with Mark.”

He frowns. “Mark as in...”

“As in my ex Mark. The Mark who you dragged out of a bed at a hotel in Aspen and beat the shit out of in front of a prostitute. That Mark.”

“He's lucky all I did was beat the shit out of him. I should have killed him. I could have, you know. With my bare hands. I could have honestly killed him. Why would someone like her want to be a dick like him?”

“Maybe she didn't realize that you're single and 'looking to mingle',” Esme playfully digs her elbow into his side. “I mean, what's not to like about you? You're buff, crazy handsome, a firefighter. Chicks dig men in uniform. Even someone like Nik, I bet.”

Kyle chuckles. “Easy now. All I said was that she was cute. I'm not looking for you to hook me up.  Besides, I don't know if I could get with someone that's been with that prick. Not after all the stuff he's done to my little sister.”

“Typical, K. Always the protective older brother.”

“Always,” he declares. “How you doing, kid?” He wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her tight into his side, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Not sure about the red. Never thought I'd see you with that colour. What's that all about?”

“It is a long story that I do not have the energy to tell. But I'm dying it back as soon as I can get to a store and get a box of hair dye. I want this part of my life to be over. It's been a nightmare and I need every memory of it gone.”

“It's hair.”

“And I want it gone. It needs to be gone.”

“We can stop at a store before we get to mom's, if you're that hell bent on changing things. What did Tyler say about? Did he like it?”

“He was okay with it, I guess. He never complained about it. But I just want it gone. I don't like what it represents. I don't want to hang onto those memories. I need this part to be over.”

“This part as in Tyler or...”

“What?” she gives a short laugh. “No. Not as in Tyler. Tyler and I are fine. Sort of.”

Kyle arches an eyebrow.

“We aren't splitting up, so don't get hopeful.”

“Why would I be hopeful? I actually like the guy. I'm the only one who does. Everyone else has their heads so far up mom's ass they just go along with whatever she says. But I think he's  a good shit. It's kind of cool having an Australian as a brother in law. And he's good for you. Good to you. Worships the ground you walk on. And he's a great dad.”

She nods. “He is.”

“But? Why do I feel like there's a but coming on?”

“But, we're having some issues,” she admits.  “Not bad enough for us to call things quits. But bad enough that I had to come home. He's got a lot on his plate. With work. The thing he is working on is stressful and it's taking a lot out of him and he's not doing well. Mentally. I was only in his way in Ireland. He couldn't concentrate on doing his job when he was too busy worrying about me all the time.”

“This all sounds a little ominous,” he loads her things into the back seat of the truck, then opens her door for her, a hand on her elbow as he helps her climb into the seat. “All the more reason I think this private security business goes way deeper than you're letting on. What would he be doing in Ireland that would require private security?”

“Nik has a lot of international clients,” Esme explains, as she buckles her seat belt. “Tyler goes where she needs him.”

“For private security.”

Esme nods.

Kyle shakes his head. “You're full of shit,sis,” he says, and slams her door closed.

****

Their on the highway for several minutes before either of them speak again. Kyle turning down the volume on the radio and then taking a sip of coffee from the take out cup sitting in the holder between the seats.

“You want to talk about it?” he asks. “Whatever is going on? Whatever is happening between you and Tyler?”

She gives a small, almost apologetic smile. “Not really.”

“How bad is it?”

“I already told you. Not bad enough to split us up. There's no reason to hire a lawyer and get divorce papers drawn up.”

“What if I told you that mom's already been on google looking up good lawyers and taking their numbers down?”

Sighing, she shakes her head in disbelief.

“I know,” Kyle snorts. “What a bitch, right? Considering her marriage is a huge dumpster fire. She should be the last person judging anyone for their choices. You know she's convinced that he has women all over the globe? That he's hooking up with different people every place he goes?”

“She's a piece of work. I can't believe I'm willingly going there.”

“Does he? Have different women everywhere?”

She laughs. “No. He doesn't.”

“Is he cheating on you? Is that what the issue is? You found out about it and you're pissed and...”

“Tyler is not cheating on me. Tyler would never cheat on me. In the same way I'd never cheat on him. Why the hell is everyone so against us being together? It's been five and a half years. We have four children together. We are people still so bent out of shape about this?”

“Well you did run off to Australia, meet some random guy, hook up with him, and never come home. First time we're hearing about him is when he's in the hospital near death? In some messed up work related incident? What? What is a work related incident when you're in private security.”

“It's like being a cop. In a way. It's dangerous. Maybe even more dangerous than being a cop.”

“So he's packing heat, then.”

She nods. “And being shot at by other people packing heat. Among other things.”

“And he almost died?”

“Yes. On the job. He was shot...in the neck...and almost died.”

“Almost bled out. In your arms.”

She sighs. “Yes.”

“How the hell would that even happen? Why would you even be there? Where he's working? While he's working?”

“Because I was working too. With him. On the same thing.”

“Wait? What?” Kyle laughs. “I thought you were in Australia on a business trip.”

“I didn't meet him in Australia, Kyle. I mean, I did. In a way. I went to his place in Australia to meet him because we were going to be working together and Nik thought we should meet each other first.”

He frowns. “Nik? His boss? She's also your boss? What? How? I thought you were in business. Why would you and Tyler be working for the same person if he's in private security and you were in business?”

“This is a very long story. And it's weird and it's twisted and it's complicated and...”

“And we've got a two hour drive so start talking,”  he interjects. “What the hell is going on, Esme? Because there is something that you're not telling me. There's a lot you're not telling me. So talk. Now.”

She sighs heavily, chewing nervously on her bottom lip.  “I wasn't in business. I was in intel. I was hired by people like Nik to go places and get information. Valuable information. That no one else was able to get. On people that are suspected of doing some horrible things.”

“Like a spy?”

“Sort of, I guess. I don't know. I would just go where I was sent and weasel my way into peoples' lives and I'd get the information they'd need and then they'd go in and take care of things.”

“They? Who are they?”

“Mercenaries.”

Kyle's eyes narrow.  “Excuse me, what? Did you just say mercenaries?”

Esme nods.

“As in soldiers for hire?”

Another nod.

“You're kidding, right?” he gives a short laugh.  “You've got to be kidding. So what does this have to do with Tyler?”

“Tyler isn't in private security, K. He's a mercenary.”

“What?” he chuckles. “You're really expecting me to believe that? This is all a joke right? Some big joke that the two of you have cooked up to play on mom. Get her riled up. Give her some more gray hair and maybe some heart issues. There's no way you're being serious. Tyler? A mercenary?”

“It's how we met. Nik recruited him for a job that she needed me to take. We were sent to Dhaka.”

“Isn't that the capital of Bangladesh?”

“A drug lord kidnapped another drug lord's son. But Nik couldn't figure out where they were keeping the kid other than somewhere in the market area. So she went me in to poke around and make nice with the locals and see what I could dig up. And she sent Tyler with me to protect me. And to eventually get the kid away from bad guys and home safe to his family.”

“I am having a really hard time wrapping my head around all of this,” Kyle admits, confusing on his face, brow deeply furrowed.

“Tyler and I were pretending to be newlyweds there for humanitarian work. That's how we ended up...well...you know...”

“Fucking,” her brother finishes for her.

“And it went really well until it didn't. Things fell apart on the way to the extraction point. Tyler wasn't able to get there safely because the kid's father sent someone to try and steal the kid off of Tyler and....”

“What the fuck? What are you talking about right now?”

“I'm explaining it to you!” she snaps. “They didn't want to pay Tyler his money so they tried to steal the  kid back and all hell broke loose and we were the only two people from the team that didn't die and I had to hide out in the forest until the coast was clear and then walk back into town to meet you with Tyler and Ovi and...”

“Hold up...just hold up...Ovi? As in Ovi who lives with you?”

“There were cops everywhere,” she continues. “And the cops were in on it. And this drug lord Asif had these street hooligans chasing after us and it was still a big mess, so we had to hide in a sewer and Tyler's friend had to come and rescue us and he took us back to his house and then he back stabbed Tyler and Ovi had to kill him and...”

“Jesus Christ, are you honestly serious about all of this? What the hell, Esme? What in the ever loving hell?”

“...and we had to try and get across the Sultana Kamal Bridge but we needed help so Tyler got the guy that originally tried to steal Ovi back in the first place. And we had to split up and I went with them and Tyler stayed behind and...”  her hands begin to tremble, tears brimming in her eyes. “...and Ovi and I got across okay but Tyler had a harder time and a sniper shot him and get back up and then this kid...this fucking kid shot him in the neck...”  she wipes at the tears that manage to escape. “...and he was bleeding out and I was holding him and I was telling him not to give up...that he'd promised me we'd do all these things together and get to know one another better. And I had to put my hand over his  neck and there was so much blood. There was so much of it and there was nothing I could but watch him die.”

“Okay...okay...calm down..” Kyle drops one hand from the wheel and rubs at the back of her neck.  “Do you want me to pull over? I can pull over. Want me to?”

She shakes her head.  “That's how it happened How it really happened.  That's how Tyler nearly died. When he was stable, they transferred him to Australia and I went with him and I decided to stay with him. I didn't want to leave him there alone. I didn't want him to wake up and not have anyone there for him. So I stayed. And then I realized it was because I was in love with him and I wanted to be with him. And then I found out I was pregnant with Millie. So when he was well enough to be released, we moved in together and he asked me to marry him. That's how I ended up in Australia. With Tyler.”

Silence descends on the truck. Nothing but her soft sniffling and the windshield wipers back and forth as they clear away the light rain that's begun to fall. Out of the corner of her eye, Esme can see her older brother watching her; mouth slightly again, rendered speechless by her incessant rambling. And the hard truths it brought forth. His eyes rapidly -and repeatedly-  flicking between her and the road. Eventually, he pops open the compartment between their seats, pulling out a bottle of water and a handful of fast food napkins, gently drop the bounty in her lap.

“Thank you,” she manages through the remainder of the sobs wracking her body, and when she has a hard time opening the bottle because of the tremors in her hands, he does it for her.  Rubbing her knee softly when she gives him an appreciative smile.

“It's okay, kid,” he says. “Just try and stay calm. Everything's okay.”

“It's not. It's really not K. It's fucked up and it's a mess and I wish we'd never had to keep it a secret. But we didn't have a choice. It was to protect you guys. Just in case someone ever wanted revenge on Tyler. Just in case they didn't go right after him and went after family first.  We didn't want anything happening to any of you.”

“I get that. I do. I understand why you couldn't say anything. But...Esme...what the fuck right from the beginning? Why would you even get involved in all of this? Why would you even get involved with him?”

“It just happened. We didn't go into it wanting it to happen. Or expecting it to happen, It just did. And then it kept happening. For the entire five days we were there. We couldn't stop. And then when the job was done...my job was done...we realized that we wanted to keep seeing each other. We were going to take some of the money we were paid and travel. Spend time getting to know each other. To see if we could have something. Something real.”

“But why?  Why would you want that for yourself? Someone like him? That does that for a living? Something that's dangerous and scary and...”

“Being a firefighter is scary and dangerous,” she interjects.

“Being a firefighter and being a trained killer are two totally different things.”

“He isn't a trained killer. I mean, he is. If he has to be. He kills because he has to. He doesn't do many jobs where he has to kill people intentionally. Like assassinations or hits.”

“Oh my God,” Kyle groans. “This just goes from bad to worse.”

“He mostly does extractions. Like he did for Ovi. He gets hired to save people. And sometimes he kills other people to save them. To save himself.”

“Are you listening to yourself right now? Are you? Your husband kills people. And he gets paid for it. Does that sound at all normal to you?”

“I just told you! He doesn't just kill people. He helps people. Sometimes he has to kill. Especially if it's to save for himself.”

“Jesus...fucking...Christ...” Kyle mutters. “And you're okay with this? That he has to sometimes kill people?'

“It is what it is. It's the job. The people he kills deserve to be killed. He's not killing innocent people.”

“How do you know that? How do you know someone doesn't hire to take out someone that is innocent?”

“Because I know Tyler. And Tyler would not do that.  Every job he takes, he's very thorough and very detailed and he leaves no stone unturned. And he has great instincts and they never let him down.”

“I can't believe you're trying to rationalize this. How long has he been doing this?”

“Since he left the army. So about fifteen years, almost sixteen years, I guess.”

“And he's still doing it ? Even though you guys are married and have kids.”

She nods. “This is his last job. He has two kids he has to be find. They're being held somewhere in New Zealand.”

“And you came home because...”

“Because I knew he wouldn't be able to focus if I was there. That he'd be too worried about me and his head wouldn't be right into the job and those kids need him to be totally on his game. He wouldn't have been if I'd stayed.”

“Why? You're a big girl. You can take care of yourself. What would he be worried about?”

“I'm pregnant,” she reveals.  “He didn't want anything happening to the baby.”

“Esme are you serious? You're pregnant? You're having a baby?”

She nods.

“Holy fuck...” he runs a hand over his hair and down onto his face. “....what the hell have you gotten yourself into? Are you sure? That you are?”

“I'm one hundred percent sure. We've been trying. To have a baby. It's just happened sooner than we thought it would.”

“You're willingly bringing a baby into this goddamn mess?”

“I already have four. Tyler's been a mercenary longer than any of them have been alive.”

“Is that why you sent them away? With Ovi? Because of this mercenary shit?”

“Someone was after Tyler. They threatened to grab the kids and hurt them. So Tyler told Ovi to take the kids and run. To protect them.”

“This is insane,” Kyle breathes. “This is fucking insane.  My brother law kills people for a living.”

“Stop it!” she orders. “That's not all he does. He helps people.”

“I'm going to break his fucking neck. I'm going to hunt him down and I am going to beat the ever loving shit out of him.”

“For what? What has he done? Other than provide for his family?”

“What has he done?” He's gotten you...my sister...mixed up in this bullshit. In this life!”

“He didn't get me mixed up in anything. He didn't force me to stay with him. To fall in love with him. I did all of that willingly. It's not like he held a gun to my head and forced me to have sex with him or to marry him. You can't blame this entirely on him.”

“Like hell I can't! He got mixed up with you knowing what kind of life it would bring you. He could have just walked away and left you alone. And that's what he should have done. Even if you guys just fucked each other and then went your separate ways! But to get you tied up in more than that? Let you get mixed up in that life? He should have just fucked you and left you alone.”

She smirks. “I honestly never thought I'd hear you say that. That a guy should have just fucked your sister and took off.”

“I never thought I'd have to say it. But this isn't a normal guy. He's a fucking mercenary! He kills people!”

“And saves people,” she reminds her brother.

“I don't give a shit. Killing people sort of takes the shine away from saving them, don't you think? He had this life all along and he never should have let you get mixed up in it. If you loved you the way he says he does, he would have cut you loose. He wouldn't have wanted you to live this life. Why would you want this for someone you love?”

“Kyle, I got into this life knowing what he did and knowing what he's capable of. He didn't force me into anything, okay? You can't hold Tyler totally responsible for this. Because he's a good man and he's a good husband and he's a great father. And you can't deny him any of those things.”

“I didn't say he wasn't any of those things. But just because he's those things, doesn't mean he's not a goddamn hired killer.”

“For the last time!” she shouts. “That's not all he does! He helps people! Innocent people like Ovi! And if wasn't for Tyler, I never would have gotten out of Dhaka alive. So you need to shut the fuck about him being 'hired killer' and show him some respect. Because he's so much more than his job. So much more! And if you'd all give him a goddamn chance,  you'd realize that and stop shitting all over him all the time!”

“Whoa...whoa...settle down.  I'm not mom. I don't hate the guy. You know that.”

“He's my husband. He's the father of my children. And I am fucking sick of how she treats him all the time. Because he doesn't deserve that. He's not the horrible person she thinks he is. That she tells everyone he is.”

“I know that.  And I've never thought that about him. Ever. Like I said, he's a good shit. And he treats you well and he treats my niece and my nephews even better. And you know much I adore those kids. Like they're my own. I would do anything for those kids. And they wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him kicking in some DNA.”

“I'm just so tired of her shit and I know she's going to get on a tirade about him and I'm not in the fucking mood to deal with that. I'm worried about him and I miss him and I'm sick all the time and I'm so goddamn hormonal because of this baby!”

“Alright...easy...easy...” Kyle chuckles, and rubs the back of her neck soothingly.  “Just calm down.”

“I don't know what is wrong with me. It is so bad this time around. My hormones are out of control! They've never been this bad before.”

“”You're kidding right? They have been this bad before.”

“When?”

“When you were pregnant with the twins. You were off the charts insane when you were having them. Don't you remember? You were either crying or you were raging. No in between. Who was the one that was there? When Tyler was away? Who came to spend time with you and help out with Millie? I did. I was the one who had to bear the brunt of your hormones. I remember it very well.”

“Maybe I was a little...off.”

“A little off the reservation, maybe,” Kyle laughs and she glares at him.

“You're going be okay, kid,” he assures her. “You and that baby are going to be just fine. And I promise I won't kill Tyler when he gets home.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that. Because I kind of  like him and I like having him around.”

“I may break some of his bones or mess up that face of his.”

“Yeah, not the face, okay? He's kind of nice to look at it and I'd like to keep him that way.  Just don't go off on him. He's having a hard time and he doesn't need that shit. He's trying so hard. To keep his shit together. To keep us together. He's not a bad person, K.”

“I know he's not. And I know he's wildly and crazily in love with you. I've never doubted that for a second. I just worry about you, Esme. This is a hell of a life to be caught up in.”

“He's keep me and the kids safe for five and a half years. I trust him. With my life. With their lives. I'm safe with him. We're safe with him.”

Kyle nods slowly, considering her words.

“I just want this to be over with,” she laments.  “I just want him to come home. And stay home. Is that too much to ask?”

“You'd have to ask him that. Does he want to give it up?”

“This is his last job. He's done after this. And it's time. Because it's starting to break him down. I hate what it's doing to him. What it's doing to us.  I just want him home.”

“Soon,” Kyle says. “I'm sure whatever he's up to, it'll be over soon and he'll be back. He'll come home, kid. You know he will.”

She nods in confirmation, then leans the side of her head against the cool glass of the window. Seeking some relief for the overwhelming fear and loneliness threatening to swallow her whole.

[theliterateape]

What Your Preferred Presidential Candidate Says About You

by Peter Kremidas

Hi. Well are horoscopes bullshit or what?

You know what isn’t? This 100 percent accurate assessment of your personality based on what presidential candidate you prefer. No I did not include all of them, I’m not a psychopath.

What Your Preferred Presidential Candidate Says About You

Joe Biden - You are incapable of seeing that the film “The Boy In The Striped Pajamas” is just a cynical setup for a meaningless grand tragic moment that uses the holocaust as a prop. When you imagine a Nazi holding hands with “a black” (your words), it makes you cry. Or you’re Jim Carey in awe of what this man can do with his face. If none of this describes you, then you are a moth drawn in by his teeth.

Amy Klobachar - You ask kids what they want to be when they grow up and then roll your eyes at their answers.

Bernie Sanders - That one part in Return of The King when Aragorn, the first king of men in ages after the long reign of Denethor The Steward of Gondor, says, “My friends, (Pause, “huh? what?” say the faces of Merriodoc, Pippen, Samwise, and Frodo) you bow to noone,” and then they all bow to the hobbits? It breaks you every time. You’ve got a good heart and also you think that inspiring young voters while scaring the ever loving shit out of old voters is a sound political strategy. You shop ethically.

Michael Bennet - When you first saw the character Mr. Makey on South Park and heard him say “M,kay?”, you thought to yourself, “I would follow that man into hell.”

Elizabeth Warren - You were basically Hermione when you were a kid. Fuck you. Also, so we’ve all had the experience of knowing that somebody didn’t understand what we just said because, upon finishing, there’s just a stare, a pause, and then they start nodding before saying “Yeah!” followed by something not related to what was just said but totally related to what they had previously said. You know that thing? It happens to you often. But to be fair you talk like Ira Glass and they were trying to mentally place where they’ve heard that voice before and that’s probably why they couldn’t focus on your words. Fuck you.

Andrew Yang - You have a real dope idea for an app, bro.

Pete Buttigieg - You just can’t fucking wait to talk about Shakespeare, can you? You can’t sleep without an NPR podcast playing in the background. You have a cabinet full of United States Vice President Bobbleheads. You’re especially proud of your rare mint condition Spiro Agnew because it actually reminds you of something something progressivism something accountability something Trump sigh. You want to see Donald Trump lose a debate. Badly.

Kamala Harris - There was this one time where you said, “Come on, guys. Not all cops are bad.” And then there was this weird pause and one of your friends said “Well, sure, Dayna, but I’m talking about systems, not individuals.” And then someone said, “Yeah, Dayna.” And then you got this look on your face and you said, “Oh.” And you looked like such an idiot and you really drank too much that night. Stuff like this actually happens to you often. But other than that you’re real chill. You want to see Donald Trump lose a debate so bad that he cries, shits his pants, and then starts a physical fight which he also loses.

John Hickenlooper - You’re a republican who accidentally read a real news.

Corey Booker - You consider yourself the office rebel because when they started charging for coffee you started bringing in starbucks every morning for everyone. Eventually the office stopped offering any coffee at all and now it’s all on you to pay for all the coffee everyday, soldier. You did it. People have been asking you to stop. You did it. Despite all the crazy predicaments you constantly get yourself into, you always have good advice and book recommendations.

Beto O’Rourke - When some starts speaking Spanish to you, you smile and nod your head and actually get this look on your face like you’re actually listening. You let them get through the whole fucking thing, smiling and nodding the whole time and then when they’re done you hold your palms to the sky like a balanced scale to heaven and say “Hey, sorry, compadre! No Hablo Spanish!” And then you smile like you’re such a cool person for knowing “hablo” you fucking phony. You don’t know a good senator when you see one. You want to see Donald Trump win a debate, apparently.

Marianne Williamson - You really hated The Hobbit prequels and you need your message to go to the very top. Your dildo is made of crystal. You also have a crystal made of dildo. Because, when you think about it, isn’t everything made of dildo, as it is of this Earth?

Bill DeBlasio - You’re the rare New Yorker who both hates Amazon and doesn’t smoke weed.

Julian Castro - You’re the first among your friends to discover new good music. You have good taste in it, too. And movies too, where do you hear about this stuff? I cannot overstress your eye for good media content. You should really be a writer. Have you ever thought about that? You’re a C-Span junkie who has been saying “I fucking told you so” for the past week and a half and seriously people get it, calm down. And/or you’re his parents.

*Eric Swallwell - Your children’s hands are permanently disfigured from playing catch with lit torches.

Kirsten Gillibrand - You’ve asked to speak to the manager when we go out to restaurants and stuff a lot since we’ve met and for real I’m starting to think it’s you. You think Reece Witherspoon is the hero in “Election”. At one point in your life you let it be known to an authority figure that you have something to say, and you thought they were being, honestly, like really super unfair at the time. But whatever. If they wanted to be immature, that was their prerogative, and no you were not done speaking, and you do not give neither a care nor a fuck on Earth.

Jay Inslee - Yes, it’s organic.

Tulsi Gabbard - “No kidding?” you said, “I love Hawaii. And yeah, to your point, I definitely don’t love war, if you get what I’m saying...which is, um...yes, that. That is what I’m saying...I mean, yeah.” You gulped down a slug of cold brew, anxious to get out of this conversation with your boss. “Fuck it, yeah, I support Tulsi Gabbard.” You concluded, “Why the fuck not, right?”

Trump - Your motto, “Hey, if you want to make an omelette, you gotta pay off a hooker, encourage a dictator to cheat for you, and torture a few kids.”

*I don’t know how to put this into the context of this bit, I just have to tell this story. In a post-debate interview on msnbc, he once again appealed to giving the reigns to power to a younger generation, and not people like Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, who have been in power for, and this is really what he said, “dozens of decades”. Plural. Like, more than a mere one dozen decades.

[shakespearenews]

To cover the costs of his travel, Aldridge worked as a steward aboard the ship that took him to Britain, but during the journey he made the acquaintance of British actor and producer James Wallack. The pair had met months earlier in New York, and when they happened to meet again en route to Europe, Wallack offered Aldridge the opportunity to become his personal attendant. On their arrival in Liverpool, Aldridge quit his stewardship, entered into Wallack’s employ, and through him began to cultivate numerous useful contacts in the world of theater. In May 1825 Aldridge made his London debut, becoming the first black actor in Britain ever to play Othello

[lboogie1906]

Hugh Nathaniel Mulzac (March 26, 1886 – January 30, 1971) was an African-American member of the US Merchant Marine. He earned a Master rating in 1918 which should have qualified him to command a ship, but this did not happen until September 29, 1942, because of racial discrimination. His life at sea started after high school when he served on British schooners. He was sent to Swansea Nautical College in Wales to train for his shipmasters license. He emigrated to the US. He had earned his shipping master's certificate, the first-ever issued to an African American. He joined Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association and served as a Captain on the SS Yarmouth of the Black Star Line. Disagreements with the UNIA lead to his resignation in 1921. The only shipboard work he could get was in the steward's departments on several shipping lines. He was offered command of the SS Booker T. Washington, the first Liberty ship to be named after an African-American. He refused at first because the crew was to be all African American. He insisted on an integrated crew, stating, "Under no circumstances will I command a Jim Crow", and the authorities relented. He became famous for being the first-ever African American captain, the first African American man to obtain a ship master’s license, and the first African American man ever to command a fully integrated vessel. Under his command, over 18,000 troops were transported around the world, and additionally "carrying vital war supplies such as tanks, aircraft, and ammunition to the European front." He married Miriam Aris (1920), and they would have four children. Their daughter, Una Mulzac, was the founder of a prominent Harlem-based political and Black power-oriented bookstore, Liberation Bookstore. Hugh's nephew, John Ira Mulzac Sr., was a pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/CqQK2VmLsiS/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[bountyofbeads]

Trump pressured his alcoholic brother about his career. Now he has regrets.   

https://wapo.st/2yGJVqT

This is a fascinating read 📖 looking at the dynamics within the immediate family members of Trump. You see the lack of empathy on Donald's and Fred's part throughout the article.

Trump pressured his alcoholic brother about his career. Now he has regrets.

By Michael KRANISH | Published August 08 at 6:00 AM ET | Washington Post | Posted August 8, 2019 10:02 AM ET

President Trump remembers coming home in the mid-1960s to read reports on the cost of mops and paint as he prepared to work in the family real estate business. He was astonished to find his older brother, Fred Jr., reading aviation books in hopes of fulfilling his dream of being a TWA pilot.  

“Come on, Freddy, what are you doing?” Trump has recalled saying to his brother. “You’re wasting your time.” Their father berated Fred Jr., saying he wanted to be nothing more than “a chauffeur in the sky,” a friend said, instead of running the Trump company. 

Fred Jr. was wounded. “It was a lot of pressure,” said David Miller, a Lehigh University fraternity brother of Fred Jr.’s who became his lawyer. “He did what he could to run away from it.”

Fred Trump Jr.’s dream of flying for TWA ended. He descended into alcoholism and died at 42 years old in 1981.

Now, as President Trump speaks about how he will fight the opioid crisis, he has seized on the story of his brother as evidence of his empathy for addicts, saying that he can apply the lessons of that experience to dealing with the calamity of narcotics abuse.

In an extensive interview with The Washington Post, Trump provided what appears to be the fullest accounting he has ever given of his brother’s life and death, and he went further than he has before in acknowledging mistakes.  

“I do regret having put pressure on him,” Trump said. Running the family business “was just something he was never going to want” to do. “It was just not his thing. . . . I think the mistake that we made was we assumed that everybody would like it. That would be the biggest mistake. . . . There was sort of a double pressure put on him” by his brother and his father. 

It is rare for Trump to express regret or admit mistakes. But he said his brother’s short, tragic life scarred him like no other event, and he said he remains haunted by watching Fred Jr.’s handsome features fade. 

A number of Fred Jr.’s friends, who provided The Post with many new details about his life, said the president has too often told the story in a way that put Fred Jr. in the harshest light while painting himself as the virtuous brother who avoided alcohol. The president was asked to respond to their comments and recently did so.

Jack O’Donnell, a former Trump casino executive who later ran an Arizona addiction treatment center, said the president still has not come to terms with his brother’s life and death. 

“It always felt like it was a dark family secret, and a subject [about] which he did not want to talk,” O’Donnell said. “There is generally a lot of shame around addiction, which is sad. I think the entire Trump family suffers a great deal of shame and unresolved trauma over Fred’s Jr. death.” 

TALL AND HANDSOME

Freddy, as everyone called him, was the firstborn son, so he was given the name of his father. His friends said in interviews that he was the opposite of Donald Trump — soft-spoken, playful, and often joking.

The Trump children grew up in Queens, eventually moving to a two-story, columned house in Jamaica Estates that looked as if it belonged on a Southern plantation. Freddy took the subway to St. Paul’s, an Episcopal high school in Garden City, N.Y., and his father hoped he would be accepted into the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School. But Fred Jr. didn’t get in, and he went instead to Lehigh University in 1956, leaving behind his then-10-year-old brother Donald.

Fred Jr. quickly became one of the most sought-after students at Lehigh, and many fraternities courted him. Despite being raised Presbyterian, he joined a fraternity that historically had been Jewish but was open to people of other faiths. One of the brothers said Fred Jr.’s joining that fraternity, Sigma Alpha Mu, was a declaration of his independence from his father. 

The fraternity brothers said they never saw Fred Jr. drink excessively, and they recalled giving him the responsibility of house steward, which involved overseeing the kitchen and some finances. Tall, blond and movie-star handsome, he was considered the campus jokester, arranging stunts and carrying himself as happy-go-lucky and wealthy. They recalled him offering them rides in a sports car, boat and an airplane, which he rented at a local airport.  

“Every year he would come to college with a brand-new Corvette,” said fraternity brother Ira Jay Kirschner. “He was a fun-loving person who enjoyed life.” 

“He was as far from Donald’s personality as you can get,” said fraternity brother Mel Bergstein.

After graduating from Lehigh in 1960, Trump met a flight attendant named Linda Lee Clapp, and they married in 1962.  

The couple lived in New York, where Fred Jr. relented to pressure to go into the family real estate business. It was Fred Jr., one friend said, who came up with the idea of naming a set of high-rise apartments near Coney Island as Trump Village, the first time the family name appeared on a development. But he soon got into fights with his father over seemingly mundane decisions, such as how much to spend on windows.

Donald, who had been sent to military school to have discipline instilled in him, was about to attend Fordham University. It was in this period that Fred Trump Sr. and Donald Trump chastised Fred Trump Jr. for not wanting to be involved in the family business.

Fred Jr. saw flying as an honorable profession, his friends said. He applied to be trained as a pilot for TWA and passed a rigorous set of requirements to enroll in a 1964 class of about a dozen students. He flew for a number of months as a secondary pilot. 

“What he loved doing was flying airplanes,” Donald Trump said. “I remember being at the house and other pilots from TWA would come to the house and they’d come to work with Fred because he was a very natural talent.” 

Three pilots who trained with Fred Jr. said in interviews that they saw signs of his alcoholism emerging. The pilots said they didn’t know anything about the pressure Trump was under from his family to join the business, but they said he clearly was under stress that he could not handle. 

Bob Dedman, who said he sat next to Fred Jr. at the TWA flight school, said he was “always nattily dressed, polite, educated and well-mannered. A nicer gentleman you will never meet. His problem was he had a major drinking problem. . . . He would go to a restaurant and have a couple of martinis. He would fall asleep and I said, ‘Hey, Fred, wake up!’ ”

By some accounts, Fred Jr. was fired from TWA after a year-long probation for new hires. He was “terminated because he had a drinking problem,” said Bob Kavula, vice president of the TWA Retired Pilots Association. “His drinking got in the way of his flying, and they couldn’t afford that.”

But one of Fred Jr.’s friends, Annamaria Forcier, who as a teenager in 1958 moved to the Queens neighborhood where the Trump family lived, thought Fred Jr. left TWA because of the pressure from the family. 

“My impression of it was that he was basically forced to go work for the family firm,” she said. “There was a lot of tension between not only the old man but also between him and Donald. There was a lot of tension because they didn’t want him to be an airline pilot.” 

Forcier saw the brothers together on several occasions, including a dinner at her home where she said Donald Trump yelled at his brother. 

“I’m five-foot-eight and I’m standing between them,” Forcier said. “[Donald] was yelling at him. He was a finger pointer, and he put his finger in his brother’s face.” Finally, Donald Trump stormed out, slamming the door behind him, she said. 

Trump said, “I actually don’t know if I ever argued with [Fred Jr.], other than to sort of tell him, ‘Gee, you should love this, this business; we can do something great here.’ ” 

Still, Trump has said for years that watching his brother’s downfall was instructive, particularly his backing down in the face of their father’s scolding. Donald Trump shaped himself in a way that is now familiar: pushing back against anyone who questions him and becoming the kind of “killer” his father wanted to run the family business. 

“I stood up to him,” Trump wrote in his autobiography, “and he respected that.” 

DRINKING WORSENS

For a while, Fred Jr. tried to build his own business, establishing an employment agency, but the effort foundered. By 1966, he had rejoined the family company, where he was identified in newspapers as vice president, and became the spokesman for the family’s effort to redevelop Steeplechase Park on Coney Island into a zoo-like attraction. 

Donald Trump, meanwhile, was increasingly seen by their father as the heir apparent. Donald had completed two years at Fordham University and was under pressure from his father to transfer to Penn’s business school, which Fred Jr. had failed to get into a decade earlier. 

As it happened, one of Fred Jr.’s closest friends, a high school classmate named James Nolan, had become an admissions officer at Wharton. As recently reported by The Post, Fred Jr. asked Nolan to interview Donald as a candidate for admission.

Nolan said in an interview that he agreed and gave Donald a rating that qualified him for admission. Donald was granted entrance as a transfer student, enabling him to achieve what his brother had not and establishing him in their father’s eyes as more successful. 

A few years later, when the New York Times ran a feature about the family business, it showed Fred Trump Sr. surveying company property alongside Donald Trump. Fred Trump Jr.’s name no longer appeared in stories about the family business, and his drinking became worse. 

“I tried many times to tell him to get help, to try to get him to stop,” Miller, the fraternity brother and lawyer, said in an interview at his New York City apartment. “If I had known of the existence of Alcoholics Anonymous, I would have dragged him by the throat to it.” 

Finally, Miller persuaded Fred Jr. to see a psychiatrist. Miller described the meeting as follows: 

“I don’t want to stop drinking,” Fred Jr. said.

“I can’t help someone who doesn’t want to stop,” the psychiatrist replied.

Miller concluded that his friend simply “liked to drink” and “became addicted to alcohol.”

Around this time, Linda decided to seek a divorce because of Fred’s drinking, Miller said. They divorced in 1970. Fred Jr. worked at some modest jobs for the family company as his health worsened. 

By the late 1970s, Donald Trump’s life was being chronicled in the press like that of a celebrity. He partied at Manhattan’s Studio 54, married his first wife, Ivana, and began developing property in Manhattan with the financial support of his father. 

Fred Jr., meanwhile, was gaunt, ill and hospitalized.

Nolan, the former high school classmate, visited Fred Jr. in the hospital during this period, and part of his stomach had been removed, apparently because of damage from drinking. 

“He was melancholy, understandably,” Nolan said. Yet somehow the old jokester had kept his sense of humor. 

“He said, ‘You know, I should have become a comedian,’ ” Nolan said.

Donald Trump said that he, too, visited his brother at the hospital. He asked his brother what attracted him to alcohol. 

“I used to ask, ‘Is it the taste, or what is it?’ ” Trump said in the interview. “He didn’t know what to say about it because, frankly, it was just something that he liked.”

In these last years of his life, Fred Jr. lived once again at the Jamaica Estates home. Donald Trump has long said that his brother helped him by warning him against alcohol, but he had not said what, if anything, he did to help his brother. Asked in the interview whether he did anything to help his brother fight the disease, Trump said he often traveled from his Manhattan home to visit.

“I dealt with it,” Trump said. “We went out to dinner a lot. I’d sometimes come home and go to lunch with him.” 

Asked whether his brother was ever sent to a rehabilitation program, Trump responded: “He did. A number of times.” Asked if he visited his brother, Trump said, “I don’t think it was necessarily a stay-over rehab because he lived in the house. I don’t remember it as being a stay-over. But I spent a lot of times with Fred.”

Trump said that “I don’t think there was much we could do at the time . . . . Things have been studied and learned right now that are much different.” 

During this period, Trump said, he was shocked by his brother’s physical decline but also by his determination to survive. 

“He was so handsome, and I saw what alcohol did to him even physically . . . and that had an impact on me, too,” Trump said. In the end, “he actually lived a long time longer than you would expect.”

On Sept. 26, 1981, Fred Trump Jr. was at Queens Hospital Center when he died of a heart attack, which the family has said stemmed from alcoholism. 

News of the death was received bitterly by Fred Jr.’s friends. Forcier expressed concern that the family had not provided him with the type of support that might have helped him. 

Donald Trump feared addiction to alcohol was a disease that ran in his family and that he would follow his brother if he had a single drink. 

“Let’s say I started drinking, it’s very possible I wouldn’t be talking to you right now,” Trump said in the interview. “There is something about the genetic effect.” (Trump noted that his fear of alcohol did not prevent him from buying in 2011 what became known as Trump Winery in Virginia, now operated by his son Eric.) 

With Fred Jr.’s death, the family’s focus turned even more to Donald Trump, whose fortunes were ascendant as he developed Trump Tower in Manhattan. 

ESTATE FIGHT

Fred Trump Sr. died 18 years after his namesake son. The family of Fred Trump Jr. had hoped to receive a share of the estate similar to what would have gone to him if he had lived.

The issue was important to them because Fred Jr.’s son, Fred Trump III, had a son, William, with cerebral palsy. The boy’s care had been covered by a Trump company, but it was costly, with expenses that would last a lifetime. 

After the patriarch’s death, however, the descendants of Fred Jr. learned that they would receive only a portion of the amount they had expected. They took the extraordinary step of suing several  other members of the Trump family in March 2000, alleging that Donald Trump and his siblings had persuaded Fred Sr. to change the will. Donald Trump responded by cutting off the family company’s payments for the care of Fred Trump III’s child with cerebral palsy.

“When [Fred Trump III] sued us, we said, ‘Why should we give him medical coverage?’ ” Donald Trump told the New York Daily News at the time. 

Fred Trump III, referring to Donald Trump and two of his siblings, who were executors of the estate, said in a Nassau County court case that “my aunt and uncles thought nothing about taking away my critically ill son’s coverage in an attempt to browbeat me in to abandoning my claim in the probate contest.” 

In response, Robert Trump, speaking for himself as well as brother Donald and two sisters, said in an affidavit that the health care provided by the family had been given “out of the goodness of our hearts” and was not a contractual obligation. Moreover, Robert Trump said, Fred Trump III received $200,000 annually in gifts and payments from the Trump family “without lifting a finger.” 

The estate case was settled confidentially in 2000.

President Trump, asked about the dispute by The Post, cited the settlement and said, “One child was having a difficult time. It was an unfortunate thing. It worked out well, and we all get along.”

Linda Trump and her two children, Fred III and Mary, declined interview requests. Robert Trump and his sister, retired U.S. appeals court judge Maryann Trump Barry, could not be reached for comment. Elizabeth Trump Grau, the president’s other sister, declined an interview request.   

‘MUCH NICER GUY ’

Over the years, Donald Trump has refined the narrative of the impact of his brother’s death. 

Trump told Playboy magazine in 1990 that his brother’s death had shaped his life. 

“His death affected everything that has come after it,” Trump said. “I think constantly that I never really gave him thanks for it. He was the first Trump boy out there, and I subconsciously watched his moves. I saw people really taking advantage of Fred and the lesson I learned was always to keep up my guard one hundred percent, whereas he didn’t. He didn’t feel that there was really reason for that, which is a fatal mistake in life.”

Speaking that same year in a CBS interview, Trump again came close to putting some of the blame on himself, while still hedging. “Perhaps it was my fault and perhaps my father’s fault for egging him on to business because he wasn’t good at it, because he didn’t like the business,” Trump said. He said his brother “totally gave of himself and he gave himself to other people” and was open. “I tend to be just the opposite.” He told CNN that his brother was “a much nicer guy than me, to be totally honest with you.”

Now, nearly 38 years after Fred Jr.’s death, Donald Trump said that he understands the circumstances of what happened to his brother “much, much better” and that his presidency has given it new meaning. Trump said he would apply the lessons to the fight against addictions, including alcohol and opioids. 

“I guess you could say now I’m the chief of trying to solve it,” Trump said. “I don’t know that I’d be working, devoting the kind of time and energy and even the money we are allocating to it. . . . I don’t know that I’d be doing that had I not had the experience with Fred.”

Alice Crites, Julie Tate and Magda Jean-Louis contributed to this report.