#it was such a great opportunity to show a reality of mexico and that women arent just weak oppressed beings

[lightleckrereins]

No one had netflix releases a good adaptation of a Latin American literature classic that was considered impossible to adapt to screen on the bingo card.

Even less after the netflix releases a decent but nothing more adaptation of another latam classic also considered impossible to adapt. And the HBO butchers a third one that should be easy to adapt and perfectly setup for a tv show incidents in the past few months.

[nyxtheshipper]

I just came out of a five year relationship. Yes, five years. Five and a half almost six. The first five years we worked fine, then great, sometimes okay, but always good. We met in a private high school that was very prestigious. He didn't have a scholarship, I did, so imagine the disparity between his life and mine.

In the beginning it wasn't so obvious, he lived with his mom in a decent house, not too ostentatious, so our daily lives were kind of the same. He did his chores, helped his mom cook, cleaned the house or sometimes had someone to help them clean - something surprisingly common here in Mexico. My family also sometimes had someone to help us clean, but most of the time we cleaned our house ourselves. The point is, even if he clearly had money, he didn't flaunt it.

But you know what happened? Slowly, during college, during the pandemic, and when we moved cities to go to college after the pandemic, it started to show. The funny thing about school is that it's still a controlled environment, doesn't matter whether you're in college or already working while in college. We had it relatively easy. We knew our lives were here, right now, gearing towards graduation - towards the void that was being filled up by maybe an assured position thanks to the fact that the colleges were also private.

You can plan an entire life in school, dream about it, even play house. But the reality is harsh, and once you lose the structure, it's not playing anymore. The bubble pops.

That's when things get real. For a long time, my ex and I lived in that bubble. I was working and studying, trying to pay my bills while also keeping afloat my grades and a relationship. I kind of managed, but believed that it was gonna pay off once we finished and my ex and I were finally going to live together and actually start our own lives. That's how you manage to stay sane with a lot of pressure on top of you.

It also helps to see that your ex is more down to Earth than you expect, having been born and raised in a life of privilege. He's also living alone, paying bills, but his family is the one that gives him the money, and it shows. It shows in your meals, in the dates he takes you to that you can't afford. And, honestly, you start sympathizing with those Hallmark/Kdrama girls that get everything from their rich love interest. It sucks.

And before you come for me about privilege, etc. I. Know. But also, what they don't show you and what I had to learn the hard way is the rules. Once that bubble pops, and you're presented with your partner's reality, you see the incredible amount of strings that that money has attached. And it fucking sucks! For a long time, being in college, away from our families, we were able to be ourselves, and in a traditional household, that is gold!

Mexican families are still so misogynistic with many many things. And I had the privilege to have a mom that doesn't take shit from the patriarchy, especially when my dad tries to enforce it, but my ex? The moment he stepped out of that bubble, he had to go back to the traditions. It didn't matter whether I had shown him that women are equals, that he didn't have to be the sole provider, or that I was teaching him that he's allowed to cry, to feel, to get angry, to just be!

The moment he stepped out of his bubble, he fell apart. Since I had moved to the same city as him during college, he was never truly alone. But now, having left the country for a semester, on the brink of graduating, he was truly for the first time ever alone. And he couldn't cope. He asked a lot from me, making me his whole world and expecting me to be there 24/7, and I didn't react kindly to that. We discussed - not fought, discussed - and we tried to reach agreements. For me, he was being too clingy, and I had my own problems and my own life to look after. I also saw the opportunity he was in as something amazing and to be taken advantage of, and that he needed to make friends desperately.

For him, it was the worst time of his life.

Did I know he was having SUCH a bad time? No. Why? Because, as is tradition in his particular socioeconomic circle, men are not allowed to show emotion. He could only be calm. Even when he told me he was tired, it was the same as a robot telling you they're tired.

He could not show anger, he could not show he was sad, hell, whenever we "fought" it was more like a business meeting of what steps we were going to take to not let the discussion happen again. Everything I had tried to show him, that he could express his feelings, of me asking him to show me he was angry instead of just telling me, all gone.

And today, we broke up. He broke up with me, more like, and he did it amicably. Without showing emotion, just telling me what he feels. As usual.

And that's not okay. Can you imagine someone breaking up with you as if you were business partners only? When I asked him one last time to be angry, to show emotion, he said it wasn't appropriate nor polite. And as much as it pisses me off, I can't blame him entirely.

He's 2 meters tall in a country where you are considered tall at 1.80. Of course many people have told him he's scary, especially when he gets mad, even his ex told him that.

There are many things wrong with today's culture here in Mexico, don't even get me started on the way his family started trying to put me into the stereotypical housewife box. But today, I saw something that hurt me more: a man who couldn't express his feelings, not even while breaking up a five year relationship, simply because it was deemed impolite and even scary if he expressed himself.

[gra-sonas]

For two seasons, The CW's Roswell, New Mexico followed the struggles and triumphs that came with Liz Ortecho returning to her hometown. Along with dealing with acts of racism within her community, Liz's life is further sent into chaos after discovering her childhood best friend and his family are actually aliens. As the series progresses, the brilliant scientist not only catches an alien serial killer, but she also helps her resurrected sister, Rosa (Amber Midthunder), adjust to the future and saves the city of Roswell from a bomb threat.

There is no stopping Liz, especially with Roswell, New Mexico Season 3 kicking off July 26. In anticipation of the show's newest season, Liz's actor Jeanine Mason sat with CBR to talk about what's in store this year for her character, including how the show tackles social issues, the importance of Liz's role as a scientist, and how Season 3 isn't afraid to go big or go home.

CBR: Since Season 1, Roswell has tackled a lot of real world social and political issues. For you, why do you think this show is able to address such important topics, alongside the more sci-fi oriented plot points?

Jeanine Mason: First of all, that is the history of sci-fi, and that is why we love sci-fi, to actually be living metaphors for cultural issues, and that was the thing that made me most excited about getting to work in sci-fi with this show. Particularly because it's a show led by a Latin woman, and in 2020, which is when Season 3 happens -- but even in 2018 when we started, the idea to exist as a Latina you can choose to not be political is a farce. Your existence is political. Our existence as women is political. I assume that you identify as a woman?

I do identify as a woman.

Jeanine Mason: So there you go. Our existence is political because our body is on the ballot. So by the nature of this show, being led by a Latin woman, it is a show that is always going to be centered on social issues. Every year, it's fun to see what our writers, what their hearts are yearning to discuss, and what messaging activists they're connected to or that I'm connected to are urging us to put at the forefront of our dialogue in the year. People can definitely expect more of that in Season 3, and even more in Season 4.

That's very exciting, and talking a little bit about Season 3 without getting into spoilers... Since this takes place in 2020 and in past seasons we've seen [Roswell] directly address the past presidency and stuff like that -- what social themes can we expect in Season 3?

Jeanine Mason: A big part of our show always is LGBTQ+ social issues, and we had trans woman in Season 2. Is that Season 2?

Yeah.

Jeanine Mason: What I love about our show is it's in everything. Sometimes it's something where someone's just existing. By nature of that not being the reality as often as it should be on television, it is a protest. And then sometimes we're more explicit, and we find other things to nail some messaging with, and then other things we present questions and present both sides. That's the best kind of TV. I think we do a great job of that, especially with our LGBTQ+ characters. I love Alex the most, so I was thrilled to see what Alex is navigating, particularly in his journey as a war veteran.

I think this year for Liz it relates to work, which I thought was super fun. She's working for a giant corporation, and she is brilliant, and her contributions to this corporation are significant. She is doing them on the promise that this corporation's morality lines up with her own, and that all of her contributions and brilliance will then be brought directly to her community and affect positive change in her community. Oftentimes, we are finding that people of color, marginalized people who're thriving at their jobs, in journalism, and in everything, that when they get to a point where they're like, I'm getting to actually speak with a real platform or develop a drug that is going to save lives, but I don't work for a company that cares to do that first, that cares to put what they report to be a priority actually as their number one priority.

It's devastating because then you get people having to make the decision and not have all the resources they could benefit from with these big corporations, and that's absolutely something that Liz is navigating off the top of the season for sure, and Genoryx does become a big presence in Season 3. I thought it was a brilliant way to, first of all, honor her Latina, but also honor that she's a scientist, and especially after a pandemic, where we got to honor that she's a scientist, and what's something that a Latina scientist actually faces in her workplace, and this is maybe not the first thing people would guess, but we found it's very pressing.

Speaking about Liz and her role as a Latina scientist, there was one line that really stood out to me in Season 2, which was, "This isn't what the world teaches girls like me to dream." I wanted to know, for you, what makes Liz such an important character, and what's it like playing such a badass protagonist?

Jeanine Mason: I love it! Thank you! I think, to be honest, the amazing thing about Liz is that this book series that this is all based on, Roswell High, her name is Liz Ortecho; she's Latina. Not long ago, the original [television] series aired, and the decision was made to make that character white, and listen, Shiri Appleby, I'm her biggest fan. It is not a reflection on the actors at all. It's just a reflection on what we prioritize in our culture as the things we were going to consume, and we can love that series, and we can acknowledge the brilliant work that so many people... like a cult following my god! Brilliant! But we could also go, "That wasn't that long ago." And now you're getting to do this show, and we're going to honor what was originally the intention with this character.

Sometimes I forget because we're all making such a conscious effort to talk about our representation and do better, but the problem with that is it becomes commonplace for some people, and then I have moments where I have to remember it's been such a short amount of time. I've been acting now for 10 years, as a professional, and when I think about what my pilot seasons looked like, those first five years, and the kind of roles I was going up for, I never, ever would have thought this job would be coming when it's coming. The jump was fast, but the awareness was fast.

But that doesn't mean that as much as we are trying to normalize it, absolutely stoked to celebrate it, because it's huge milestones. So I'm trying to really be bold in what I advocate for, being included in this woman's journey on this show, and being honored and respected and fully fleshed out. So the next time it happens, it's like, "Oh, right! We have heard Jeanine talk about how her room should be a reflection of a young, Mexican woman, so it's not weird that we're setting aside extra funds to get the real products from Cuba for this Cuban character to have in her room." Whatever it is, little things like that.

What are you most excited for audiences to see in Season 3?

Jeanine Mason: Oh, man! I think it's like a real dynamic season. I think the beauty of a Season 3 is you're getting to get away with murder because season threes don't get handed out all that often anymore. We really took it as an opportunity to totally escalate their growth. All of the characters. To go, "Okay, let's confront some stuff that's been holding us back, that they themselves have not even been aware of." So it's a real big metaphor for marrying themselves.

The Jones and Max (Nathan Parsons) of it all is an actual sci-fi literal metaphor that all of the characters are going through, of them shedding what they have not acknowledged that's not servicing them for a long time. The characters end in a very different place and in a place that allows them to expand into stuff for some characters like Kyle (Michael Trevino) for example is more playful and romantic by the end of the season, which I loved for him.

And the other thing is, partially as a result of the COVID protocol, we just went full out with the alien explosions and gags and tricks and effects and stunts. Our stunt team, god bless them, they were just on overtime. The last episode of the season's insane. I think a majority of the cast had body doubles there, and even with the most incredible, competent stunt doubles, I still manage every year for the finale to have my knees all cut up. I just can't help but be, "Let me do a couple of takes." And I am no hero. Leave it to the professionals. Let them do their thing. But we really upped the ante on all that stuff this year, so it's really dynamic. You're gonna love that.

[iwannaseeyainakia]

The Moonlight Circus

This was a story I was commissioned to write by an anonymous tumblr user. Thought it would be good to show my writing and see how it changes over time!

trigger warning: gore, smoking, religious and supernatural themes, death, minor profanity

The heel of Morgan’s boots clicked against the checkered flooring of the circus. She made her way to the center of the stage, her stride casual. She readjusted her gray beanie as she climbed up the steps. The plastic name tag below her collarbone wobbled with each step. The words “Moonlight Circus” in Courier New font rested above her first name.  The floor of the stage was filthy; ash and soot smeared into the once pristine black and white pattern. Her pale green eyes followed a line of ash leading to a rusted cast-iron cannon. The smell of burnt flesh lingered in the air.  

She exhaled softly, reached into the pocket of her ‘Metallica’ pullover, and pulled out a lavender lighter and a worn pack of Newport cigarettes. She yanked one out of the box and shoved it in her hoodie again. Her black bitten nails struggled to start a flame before she victoriously held it to her cigarette, finally lighting it. A pewter gray smog released from the very tip, emitting a bitter comforting scent. She lifted her hand to her face, the cig clenched between her middle and pointer finger. As the paper touched her pale lips, the once vermillion embers shifted to a startling violet and the musty gray smoke suddenly turned a mauve tone. Morgan took a long drag of the strange purple cigarette while taking in her surroundings.  

The massive tent surrounding her was a striped pattern of burgundy and eggshell white.  The fabric was contrastingly cleaner than the stage of the ‘Moonlight Circus.’ The seating for guests was discolored bleachers; the aluminum being stained and scratched away by years of usage and lack of cleanliness. Many hot dogs drenched in mustard and bags of popcorn must have been dropped on it. There were multiple stacked on either side of the tent. The elevated stage had an outer ring surrounded by dark crimson foam. A round indoor pool was 15 feet away from her, the bottom of the pool a dirty yellow tint. Scales and confetti floated at the surface of the tainted water. 

 Large LED stage lights were set up at the ceiling of the canvass. Each was about the size of a child and contained a lens of different hues. They dimly lit the stage white. The tent was held up by dozens of rods with a singular large black pole at the center. The fabric bunched together and pulled up; it looked almost as if the very top of the tent was a tunnel that led nowhere, the stripes creating a dizzying optical illusion.  

The circus itself was located in a cheap amusement park; the locals treasured this place. It was affordable and held plenty of memories dear to their hearts. The Moonlight Circus was the main event, the park's pièce de résistance if you will.  

They had crowds of people flood the show every day. Bright smiles beamed on the faces of children and content parents awaited a trip down memory lane, nostalgia a pleasant high. After all, who wouldn’t be entranced by real-life monsters? 

Morgan released a puff of amethyst smoke, gently laying the cigarette between her lips again and keeping it there. She proceeded to stuff her hands in her pockets before an elegant voice called out to her, disrupting her daze.  

“Are you ready for the next show Morgana?” The feminine voice was gentle and motherly. She spoke each word with a grace that held centuries of wisdom. Her thick French accent was gorgeous; her voice matched exactly how she appeared. Morgan casually turned around and sent the woman a closed smile. Guinevere was a being of beauty, a true spectacle to behold. She was a small woman, approximately 5’2, petite but with a stance that conveyed raw strength. Her billowing pitch-black gown strewn behind her as she sashayed her direction. Her arms gently swung at her hips, an opera-length cigarette holder between the dainty fingers of her left hand. The skin of said hand was a pale blue-gray. The center of the long pipe was a silver fading into an intense black; a cigarette burning blood red at the end of it. Morgan glanced at her long dark hair. It was bone straight and swung behind her waist. The fringe of her locks covered her right eye, but Morgan could still make out a piercing iris a startling shade of red.  

“Hey, Gwen. Yeah, pretty much. Is everyone in the dressing room right now?” She inquired as the monster woman stood in front of her. Gwen gripped the edge of her large ebony sunhat, cigarette holder still between her fingers. The brim of the apparel was big enough to cover most of her hauntingly beautiful face. Lace hung half an inch off the seams and thin royal purple sticks of dynamite adorned the outer ring. While the entire hat was an eye-catcher; a nod to her part in the circus, the true emphasis of the hat was the large skull littered with cracks and yellow stains from tobacco. 

“Yes, and they’re taking damn long if I do say so myself.” The skull quipped judgmentally. Morgan chuckled. Gwen was not so amused by her husband’s comment. 

“Hush Pierre. No need to be snippy.” Guinevere jutted her hip out and placed her right hand on it to convey her sass. The skull instead, haughtily laughed at his wife. She rolled her eyes but could not contain the fond smile that grew on her lips, exposing her sharp fangs.  Despite all the time that’s passed, she still couldn’t fight how easily Pierre made her grin ear to ear. “Don’t mind him, Morgana, we’d best be on our way to prepare.” Gwen gripped Morgan’s wrist and tugged her along in the direction of the dressing room. 

Guinevere was the owner of the Moonlight Circus. A wonderful boss indeed, she felt more like a friend she’d known all her life than her superior. She also was a woman with a dream: to unite humans and monsters through entertainment. Humans used to fear the supernatural, loath it with their very being, but in this day and age, they take great pleasure in the abnormalities of the differing species. Harmony is built in this circus; humans come for entertainment and to admire the beautiful, violent specters, and the monster women give it to them. Gwen, a vampire, found joy in making others happy with her performance and her performers. 

 She often sat with Morgan under the night sky, gazing at the stars with a fond expression, spilling her life story to her. 

As a young girl, Guinevere was dazzled by monster kind. Born human, she felt there was so much to be discovered in magic and mythology. She felt it a shame that humanity was so quick to turn a blind eye to something so beautiful due to its differences in appearance. Her inclination in performing arts made her dream of a world where she could use performance to change a deep-seeded ideal within the societal structure. She’d sit next to her window sill, eyes twinkling with delight, wishing upon stars that someday her dream would become reality.  

For a woman such as herself, an objective of that nature was unheard of; impossible even. Nonetheless, she persevered. She wanted to tell the world that as a woman she would create art like no other and she would make a change for the supernatural of all origins. With a cigar between her lips, she rolled up the sleeves of her dress and got to work. She specifically sought out other women of mythological backgrounds for her acts. By 1890, she’d created the “Moonlight Circus” with the help of supernatural people she’d met along the way. In a small corner of Paris, France, it stayed. Given that monsters were still looked down upon by mankind, they’d been spit on, leered at, and dismissed by the public. As decades passed without much luck, her hope slowly began to dwindle. 

Gwen spent many restless nights wandering the streets of Paris, desperately trying to spread word of the big top containing wonderous spectacles to no avail. Just as she was close to giving up an aspiration she’d clutched tight since childhood, an American traveling carnival approached her. The owner, a large man who was only ever seen adorning a velvet suit, believed there was promise in her bazaar. He saw something no one else but Guinevere considered possible: an opportunity for change. In a society where her family within the tent were nothing but social rejects, outcasts; they along with everyone like them could be so much more. The man, kinder than Gwen could have ever hoped, opened up about his beliefs and desire to have her circus as an attraction in his fair. And she accepted with insurmountable glee.  

So, a new chapter for the big top began. With this foreign carnival, she traveled and built up her crew from nothing but sheer will. She continued her exploration and found many monstrous beings with the same ideology to join as performers. Word soon got out of the fantastical bazaar that made its way around the world. As opinions of the inhuman began to evolve with new generations, so too did their desire to know more. And eventually, they had a crowd; an adoring audience astounded by the display of otherworldly figures. Now, the carnival has made its permanent home in New Mexico, USA, and the circus by extension.  

“Think it’ll be packed tonight, Gwen?” Morgan already knew the answer, but figured it would be polite to make small talk.  

“Yes, absolutely my dear.” Guinevere continued to drag her to a slit in the circus tent. She placed her cigarette holder between her lips and used her palm to gently spread the opening, revealing a backstage area. It was renovated to be a dressing room; gothic aesthetic to match the theme, for all the performers pre-show. It was a much smaller canopy structure installed into the side of the main show tent. Despite the ground being grassy terrain, the room itself was well done. Dark oak vanities covered the walls, steampunk and alternative costumes littered any free space, and makeup laid atop every flat surface.  The spherical bulbs lining the mirror of the vanities were all lit a dim white light, illuminating the room enough so it was not pitch black.  

Light chatter and giggles filled the room as everyone who performed in the circus continued to get ready. 

The first person to notice Morgan’s sudden appearance was Gwen’s daughter, Victoria. Her eyes instantly brightened and a large Cheshire grin grew to meet her eyes. Vicky’s poofy raven black dress bounced as she sprinted towards her. The ivory petticoat underneath made the lace skirt fuller and frilly. The undead theme seemed to run in the family; Vicky being the zombie to her mother's bloodsucker and her father's skeletal remains. Her skin and teeth were rotten and oozing. Her hair was almost floor-length, and unbelievably matted. The knots at the base of her skull were so large you could have mistaken them for golf balls wrapped inside her tresses. A pair of filthy copper goggles rested on her forehead, the lenses murky and caked in blood. Between her toothy smile was a large cigar. There was no way to pinpoint the brand, as it was only labeled with a strange rune Morgan had never seen before.  Apparently, she had been taking a drag from the cigar, because smoke began to leak out of the holes in her skin.

Vicky launched her small form into Morgan’s arms. Morgan struggled to grip her as the foul stench her rotten flesh emanated was near unbearable. Swallowing down an audible gag, she smiled at the little girl before placing her gently back onto the grass.  

“Morgan! You’re going to love my act tonight.” Victoria loudly claimed, holding her fists to her chest with a grin still plastered upon her lips. Morgan couldn’t help but return the expression. Vicky was a sweet girl. A demented undead one, but sweet nonetheless. “I’m sure I will, Vicky. You’ll kill it tonight.” She seemed to have chosen the right words, because Vicky’s grin only got wider as she bounced up and down, skirt floating with her movement. She made gestures referencing explosions and tried to explain how her act tonight would go, but her words were so jumbled they were not understandable in the slightest. Her enthusiasm continued to increase alongside her violent movements before her mother placed a hand on her small shoulder.  

“Now, now Victoria, you’re talking so fast no one can understand you, dear. She’ll get to see your performance soon anyway, so let's keep it a surprise.” Gwen chided her daughter sweetly. “Ok, mommy.” Vicky heeded her mother's words and scurried to the side to search for her favorite lighter, cigar bouncing between her decayed teeth.  Cigar smoke trailed behind her figure. Gwen shook her head at her daughter’s antics, gripping the cig holder between her lips to take in a puff of nicotine. 

Victoria was the product of forbidden love between Guinevere and Pierre, a formerly vampiric man she’d encountered while searching for spectacles to join her circus. The traveling carnival had traversed Europe and decided to take camp for a while in the French countryside. Gwen had been overjoyed to be in her mother country again. She languished in the smell of the air and the sounds of nature like music to her ears. On a particularly stormy night, a vampire man with hair as light as wheat and skin as pale as snow knocked at the door of her bedroom within a quaint little inn. She opened the door to see him drenched in rain. The revenant, Pierre, gave her a goofy smile and asked for a part in her monstrous sideshow. 

While puzzled, she wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity. Pierre and Guinevere grew close the more they worked at the fair together. They both had a passion for performing and magic. Romance blossomed; eventually, they eloped and she became pregnant. It was uncommon for vampires to conceive children, let alone with one of mankind. Guinevere was a woman of adventure and risk, so she took this new development in stride. In the excitement of her family growing larger, she decided to have Pierre turn her. Neither realized the possible problems that would arise from changing her into a vampire while bearing a child.  

And so, when Victoria was born, she was sickly and frail in every sense. Her genetics were corrupted by the change her mother took on while carrying her. Her personality, though, could be described as nothing but robust. Vicky as a toddler would often act as if she were not terminally ill; watching the acts in her mother’s circus with enraptured eyes, even participating in the choreography herself from time to time. 

Guinevere often spoke of a time in which Vicky had climbed into the cannon without anyone noticing and failed in trying to light it with one of her old cigars. She had rushed over in a panic, tearing her from the barrel before the flame grew closer. She checked over her body and, once assured she was not injured, inquired what she had been thinking. Victoria, the overzealous little girl she was, could only laugh with a large smile plastered on her face. “I wanted to fly mommy!”  

As she grew older, her body deteriorated. By age five she could barely walk. By six she couldn’t at all. At seven, she no longer had the energy to speak. At the young age of eight, she could only watch the performing women with a blank smile before she passed. For days they grieved over her. They left her cadaver laying on her satin bed sheets as she was before her death, in anguished hopes they could find a way to bring her back to them. After tirelessly searching for any form of necromancy that could revive her, Guinevere entered Victoria’s bedroom to adjust her as she did every day. Only to be startled by her daughter sitting upright and speaking to her.  

“Mommy, can I go play at the circus now?” Victoria bounced off the bed with newfound strength in her rotten limbs. Gwen could only rush to hug her baby who was with her once more. Undead, but with her despite everything. From that day on she allowed Victoria to become a full-time member of the bazaar. The human (zombie) cannonball. With a body that could be put back together, no working pain receptors, and a passion for explosives and theatrics, she fits the part flawlessly.  

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The smaller tent was filled with a variety of supernatural women, the circus only having female staff. While most continued with their activities, some turned her direction and welcomed her. The parts in the circus were relatively small compared to most other acts, but the integration of monsters and mankind made up for it.  

Every single person handpicked by Guinevere herself, the cosmetologists, background musicians, and stage crew were all fairies. They each had varying sizes and shades of iridescent butterfly wings, and tight thigh-length dresses made from leaves and spider silk. While not as small as fae are typically depicted in human literature, they reached only about 3 feet and hovered above ground with a light flap of their appendages; they had the grace of hummingbirds. Faes are known for their artistic and musical capabilities. There were twenty-three pixies on set, all of them being gentle girls with a heart of gold. Their love of all life made them a wonderful asset to this circus promoting coexistence. Currently, they fluttered around tidying the room and freshening up the faces of the main performers.  

The ‘clowns’ of the act were all young shapeshifters. All fifteen of the women were from different cultures, shapeshifters being in a large majority of mythology; making them unique despite the similarities in capacities. Their abilities were used to shift them from playful clowns to dangerous animals to be used in other’s acts. While their personalities were all very different, each of them loved performing at the Moonlight Circus. Some spoke amongst themselves, shimmying into tight leotards and fixing their updos. A few of them, though, struggled to keep Victoria from swallowing handfuls of gunpowder. Especially with a lit cigar in her mouth.

“VICKY NO-” A wet splat hit the wall and a giggling head rolled at their feet. The shifters looked in disgust at their blood-stained clothes and scolded the decapitated head of the little girl. The others just laughed at the normally terrifying sight. 

 Morgana turned her eyes away, cringing internally, but knowing full well she’d be back on her feet in a few minutes. 

The main acts were very typical of a circus; the women enacting them were anything but. The designated tight rope walker was an Arachne woman named Magnolia. Her form was that of a tall human, her body could only be described as pear-shaped. Despite her form being humanoid, she had skin that was a smooth charcoal black and a spider abdomen attached to her lower back. The abdomen was a sunshine yellow covered in symmetrical white spots on either side. The pedicel connecting it to her body was the same tone as her skin. She also had eight spindly appendages protruding from the middle of her spine, each striped black and yellow. Magnolia had shoulder-length wavy hair a banana color with frayed strands of spider webs tangled within. Despite the frightening six extra eyes lining her temples, she was a kind eccentric woman. As the aerialist, the tightrope she walked during each performance was a magnificent braided rope made of her webbing. Magnolia was sitting on a cushioned stool, twisting her thread into a complicated bracelet, only glancing up to grace Morgan with a polite smile and greeting.  

Delane and Clio, however, wasted no time in rushing to make conversation with her. 

“Yo, Morgan! We’ve been looking for ya. Can you help me into this wetsuit?” Clio loudly proclaimed, simultaneously carrying her lover, Delane, in her arms bridal style. The duo is the aquatic performers of the show. Clio is a water nymph with connections to the Greek god Poseidon. She willingly took on a human female’s appearance, but that could not hide the divine aura that radiated off her very being. She had a lean build but still held all the strength a creature with holy connections such as herself should have. Her head was bare of hair and her ears pointed in an elf-like fashion. She stumbled around in a limp bedazzled wetsuit pulled up her hips halfway, the skin of her upper half an olive tan.  

“Seriously dude, I’m struggling here.” 

Delane was a mermaid, a perfect match to Clio’s Nereid. Her Prussian blue scaled tail hung limply over her girlfriend’s arm. The trawl half of her body closely resembled a koi fish. The caudal fin was long and thin, like fine silk flowing with the movements of Clio’s jerks. A dorsal fin ran down the back of it, getting smaller as it reached the end of her tail. She also had multiple pelvic fins running down the sides; the fins at the top were much larger than the ones at the end. They were all light cyan. The scales from her tail ran up her stomach, becoming much more scattered as they reached the dark skin of her breasts. Her hair was a short black pixie cut with a shaggy top, ending at the gills just below her chin.  

“Yeah, uh, maybe hurry before she drops me, please.” Delane nervously spoke. She wore a necklace composed of seashells and stones from the shore of her home, matching Clio’s own as a symbol of devotion between them. Together, they enacted a beautiful water-based act that captivated every audience we had.  

Morgan laughed at Clio’s predicament before moving to help her into the suit. Just as she got a grip on the neoprene material a strong voice halted them.  

“You could’ve just asked me, Clio. Here I got you.” Large calloused hands assisted her in her efforts. Morgan turned her head to Anastalia. Anastalia was the strong woman act of the circus. Like many of those hired here, a part of her resembled that of mankind, but she was very obviously not human. Her upper half was the build of a shredded woman: pulsing muscles, large bulging breasts, defined abs, intimidating biceps. She looked as if she was carved by the gods themselves. Her bottom half, while just as muscular, was that of a black stallion. Her four large hooves clapped against the ground in a deafening display and her dark tail broke the sound barrier like a whip. The hair atop her head was a dark brown with a sheen that made it glint in the light. Her long straight locks cascaded down the flesh of her shoulders a similar shade, reaching the small of her back.  

Anastalia peers up from the suit to bicker teasingly with Clio. She galloped gracefully in circles around them, admiring her handy work. “Eh, to be honest, I think it needs to be a bit bluer at the hips.” She quipped thoughtfully. Clio and Delane exchanged a glance and giggled in unison. Clio responded, “You’re one for detail, but let me tell ya, you don’t look it.” She lets out a boisterous laugh, keeling over slightly, causing Delane to screech in fear of being dropped and grip her shoulders tighter. Anastalia only rolled her eyes.  

“Har har, laugh it up, I’m not just a brute. I’m also an artist.” She struck a pose that had Clio cackling harder and Delane protesting louder. Morgan shared a laugh with them, her sides aching. Loud footsteps behind her turned her attention away for a moment. “C’mon Lanira, hurry!” Vicky, seemingly back to normal after spontaneously combusting, ran and jumped in a very abstract dance with her friend. Lanira, an incorporeal little girl resembling that of a cartoon witch floated around her at a much slower pace. “I’m going as fast as I can Vicky.” Lanira’s tone was much less enthusiastic. She had a slight cockney accent. 

Her dark flowing gown had no shape to it, more like a sack made of cotton. Her sleeves puffed out and tightened below her palms that gripped onto a translucent 19th-century broomstick underneath her. She twirled around with Victoria, who was still jumping around and flailing in her interpretative art form. Her wide-brimmed hat had a large peak at the top that dipped down at the very point. It was navy blue and held a wide variety of jewelry and trinkets that dangled down. Bits of cloth hung off the edge with pearls woven into it.  

Lanira had become a ghost after a ‘mishap’ with one of her spells backfiring. As the magician of the big top, she experimented with plenty of dangerous enchantments. One moment she was but a mangled corpse of a girl with crippling insomnia, and the next she was a spirit with large eyebags, continuing with her act as if death had not just occurred before everyone’s eyes. As the specter of a young talented sorceress, she must have expected this possible outcome and kept a few “tricks” up her sleeve. She kept with her act even after her untimely demise, even increasing the intensity now that death was no longer a possibility.  

Morgan took a long drag of her cigarette and continued to gaze in amusement. Lanira half-heartedly attempted to keep up with Victoria, the zombie child still lost in her own little world.  

“Alright, everyone! It’s time to get this show on the road once more, as they say.” Gwen chuckled at herself lightly. The room erupted in conversation and scrambling to get in costume in time. The pale woman approached her once more. “Will you please start allowing entry, dear?” She nodded at her, cig between her lips bobbing. “Of course.” She smiled and made her way out of the dressing room.  

The flap quietly closed behind her form as she made her way to her ticket booth. She could still hear the loud conversations and shuffling from inside the room. Her steps echoed throughout the stage. The entrance to the inside of the show floor was a large rectangular cut-out with a flap hanging to the side that could be zipped up. The outside of the tent was the same striped colors as the inside, illuminated by the setting sun. The tent performed almost all day, but their largest and most spectacular show was always right after the sunset. It was also the most packed of all their performances.  

The ticket booth was a wooden structure painted red and white. A gigantic sign in the shape of a ticket was placed on the roof displaying the name of the circus. It sat in front of a zig-zagging gate that led to the entrance. She opened the door and stepped inside, admiring the long line that had already formed. The crowd was a diverse amount of people. Some were singular people showing up alone for the show. Some were human couples on a date or parents with their ecstatic children bouncing with joy. There were even some couples that were interspecies; a human and a not-so-human person lovingly interlocked their hands.  

She opened the window of the booth and started accepting tickets from each person. One by one they approached the stall, handing in their crisp voucher, and making their way through the gates to pick up snack food and be seated. The sound of kids giggling and adults speaking with a grin in their voice was heartwarming. Memories were being made here time and time again; the atmosphere never changed. She never got tired of seeing happy faces coming to experience the wonders of the Moonlight Circus. A small crescent moon adorned each ticket that she received and stashed away in a box beside her.  

It took a good long while before each person who had previously bought a ticket was granted entry. She let out a sigh and sucked in some more smoke. She released a lilac cloud into the evening air. The sky was a dusty orange making way for the black of night. She continued to smoke while idly wondering if a storm was brewing. It seemed as if their best shows were when it was pouring rain and thunder broke through the cheers. The sound of Guinevere’s muffled voice over a speaker broke through the silence she’d been basking in.  

“Ladies and gentlemen! I thank you for coming to see our fantastical performers tonight! We hope to amaze you just as every crowd before.” Her words were a cue for Morgana. She laid the cigarette between her lips once more and strode her way into the tent. The tips of her fingers graced over the edge of the tent fabric for a split second. The control panels for the lighting were tucked into another miniature tent attached to the side of the main structure. She could see the sprites flying above and moving the large spotlight from the cameras beside the panels to follow Gwen’s moving figure. The stark white luminescence made her look more ethereal than before.  She continued on, cigarette holder still wedged between her thin lips. 

“We have an awe-inspiring act for you all!”  

“This beautiful lady here did most of the work.”  

Her husband quickly added to her dialogue. “Hush my love.” The crowd quietly chuckled.  

“It’s true.”  

“Pierre!” 

“Sorry, sorry!”  

The audience roared with more laughter.  

Under the dim lighting of the rest of the stage, she could make out the two fluffy skirts of the little girls waiting for their first part in the choreography. One was fidgeting and prancing around in the dark, not only disguised by the lack of light but the cloud from her cigar. The other floated just above the ground, flying around the other body in circles. Morgan placed her fingertips on the switches and pushed them up very slightly. The area brightened enough for the stage to be somewhat visible but kept the two hidden from their awaiting audience.  

“Each of our performers is a woman with grace, power, and most of all, a love for their part here.”  

Recovering from her husband's unethical interruption, she made her way up to the round platform on the stage. The spotlight followed in sync. She turned suddenly to face the stands, her skirt twirling above her feet.  

“We give you our best and only our best!” Gwen spoke into the microphone with glee, her visible scarlet eye piercing the crowd. “The Moonlight Circus has been our pride and joy for many decades. Tonight, we strive to show you exactly why!” She gave them a beautiful motherly smile.  

“Now please.” 

“Stay seated and enjoy the show!” She and the skull of her husband atop her head spoke in unison. She extended one arm behind her, bent the other in front of her middle and bowed.  

“Hey, hey! Careful please!” Pierre screamed as he slipped down slightly. The audience responded with laughter as before. The spotlight shut off and the stage was dim once again, other than the shine of Guinevere’s red cigarette. The crowd went silent. Her footsteps echoed on a different part of the stage. She could very faintly make out dainty shoes running up the steps and hopping into the cannon. One of the two figures was missing from their spot to the side. 

Morgan’s fingers danced on the panel, letting excitement coarse through her. She couldn’t fight the adrenaline rush before each performance commenced. She hadn’t been working there for more than two years, but this circus had become her family. Her home. Each person here has proven to her that the impossible is only so if you believe it is. And each show was a testament to how far they’d come. This circus act alone has been a large part of the progression that’s been made between the supernatural world and human society. They’re more than just a tent of sideshow freaks; they’re artists embracing their bodies and talents to better their lives, and many others.  

She grips the lever with resolve. She knows that to an outsider they may be passing entertainment. But that was progress by itself. This place is a part of her now. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Morgana pushed the handle forward. It clicked in place. The stage lights flicked on in a magnificent spectrum of colors. Gwen’s right hand is extended to the wick of the cannon, holder lighting the end. Her daughter’s tangled mane of hair is just barely visible from the lip. A deafening boom shatters the atmosphere and the show begins.  

[matthenslee]

The Harvest is Plentiful...

32 pastorless churches in New Mexico

1:6,278 current church:population ratio

90-93% lostness among 2,096,829 people

...but the workers are few.

Recently, Dr. Ronnie Floyd, President of the Southern Baptist Convention, issued a bold call he named “Vision 2025.” It is built on the five “strategic actions” that follow:

Strategic Action 1: Increase our total number of full-time, fully-funded missionaries by a net gain of 500, giving us 4,200 full-time, fully-funded missionaries through the International Mission Board.

Strategic Action 2: Add 6,000 new churches to our Southern Baptist family, giving us more than 50,000 churches.

Strategic Action 3: Increase our total number of workers in the field through a new emphasis on “calling out the called,” and then preparing those who are called out by the Lord.

Strategic Action 4: Turn around our ongoing decline in reaching, baptizing, and discipling 12- to 17-year-olds in the prime of their teenage years.

Strategic Action 5: Increase our annual giving in successive years to reach and surpass $500 million given through the Cooperative Program to achieve these Great Commission goals.

What is so great about it is how every Southern Baptist, every church, every association, every state convention, and every entity can have a part to play. For example, Dr. Chitwood, President of the International Mission Board, can encourage pastors to “call out the called,” and then the IMB will then equip those called to missions. Dr. Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, and his team will continue to partner with pastors, churches, and state conventions to assess and resource church plants, replants, and so forth. Also, seminary presidents like Dr. Adam W. Greenway, President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, will work to equip men and women from countless contexts who are called to countless opportunities to advance the Kingdom.

And it starts with me. 

When it comes to me, I can challenge my church to do our part in raising up and sending out church planters, we can continue to give generously through the Cooperative Program, and we can continue to invest in the lives of 12- to 17-year-olds as we work to reach their friends in schools and out in the community. I can preach, as Dr. Chitwood often says, to call out the called from the pulpit. And much more.

As a New Mexican pastor, I can work closely with our association and my fellow pastors in the Baptist Convention of New Mexico to see how we can chart a course forward––together––for greater Kingdom advancement. New Mexico is not only tough terrain literally, but also spiritually. It is a dark place in need of many, many Gospel lights.

That is where you come in.

Below, I am going to share some numbers from the ACP reports shared in 2010 and 2019 to show the reality we are facing as Southern Baptists in New Mexico. I desperately want it to break your heart. I desperately want it to move you to action. I desperately want it to, perhaps, call out the called. Those willing to come to a state in desperate need of Jesus to do a mighty work...and He will. I believe it––HE WILL! 

But what I see is similar to what He saw in Matthew 9:27-38:

“The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

BCNM Statistics (from ACP data)

Number of Churches 2010 - 333 2019 - 334 (33 have been planted since 2010)

Church:Population Ratio 2010 - 1:6,108 2019 - 1:6,278

Population Engagement in SBC Church 2010 - 1.7% (1.4% w/o Sagebrush) 2019 - 1.8% (1.2% w/o Sagebrush)

Average Weekly Attendance 2010 - 35,134 (28,987 w/o Sagebrush)             87 people per church (w/o Sagebrush) 2019 - 37,479 (24,729 w/o Sagebrush)             74 people per church (w/o Sagebrush) 6.7% Increase (14.7% decrease w/o Sagebrush)

Baptisms 2010 - 2,710 (2,062 w/o Sagebrush) 2019 - 2,474 (1,347 w/o Sagebrush) 8.7% decrease (34.5% decrease w/o Sagebrush) 2010-2019

Average Weekly Attendance 100 churches grew (31.4%) 218 churches plateaued or declined (68.6%)

Baptisms 79 churches increased (24.8%) 239 churches baptized the same or less (75.2%)

Current Reality in 2019 118 churches had zero baptisms (37%) 96 churches average 25 or less (30.1%) 1 church over 1,000 people (Sagebrush - 12,750) 62 churches average over 100 (19.4%), 26 are in the Albuquerque Metro Area

Will you pray? Will you come?

Look at those numbers and tell me the harvest is not abundant! The fields are white, brothers and sisters, and we need you. We have 32 pastorless churches spread across the state. In a decade, while we have planted 33 churches, we have only increased by one. With nearly three-quarter of our churches plateauing or declining, I fear that number may increase. 

That is why I am praying. I am praying to the Lord of the harvest for a harvest and that He will graciously send us some laborers for this harvest. We need Him, and we need you. Therefore, I am asking you to join me––at the very least in praying with me, but even more so that you will ask if our gracious Lord is calling you to the Land of Enchantment to be on the literal front line trenches work of the advancing the Kingdom.

Here’s How...

Pray. And pray right now. Click here to #prayforplanters in NM.

Click here for contact information on the pastorless churches in NM.

Reach out to Dennis Garcia or Chad Spriggs, NAMB catalysts in NM.

Check out SEND New Mexico on Twitter and on their site. 

[runnowrelay]

Fit Body Boot Camp Is Considered The Recommended Franchise to Own 2020

Entrepreneur Franchise 500 Ranking: 20 Preliminary financial investment: $107,524 to $722,796 Preliminary franchise fee: $21,000 to $42,500 New units in 2018: 426 devices (+11.7 percent) Whenever Fitness is a worldwide company that had 2,398 U.S. and also 1,645 global franchise business at the beginning of 2018, together with 38 company-owned areas. In 2007, the overall number of places was just 455.

( An overall investment in Anytime Fitness Express might run you anywhere from $107,273 to $512,194 how to start a personal training business, and an Anytime Physical fitness Criterion might cost you between $130,753 as well as $722,546.) You can see discover a map of offered areas on the firm web site. Related: Our Leading 5 Franchises You Can Run From Your Own House .

A growing number of individuals wish to remain healthy and fit. Considered that greater than two-thirds of American grownups are struggling with obesity and weight concerns health and fitness franchise opportunities, this fad is long past due. What’s even more, this provides a big franchising opportunity for entrepreneurs that are aiming to

As health and fitness has become more of a way of life than a trend and also individuals are aware concerning obtaining fit, business owners are capitalizing on this by buying fitness center and health and fitness franchises. Luckily, there are different fitness franchises to pick from, with a typical expense of around $319,688. We obtained information on the 10 best-performing fitness center franchise business for you to think about.

The market for health and fitness and weight loss services is only enlarging as it aims to help Americans get smaller sized. 1. Almost 70% of Americans are considered overweight, according to data from the Centers for Illness Control as well as Prevention. Of this population, regarding 36% of U.S. adults and roughly 17% of youngsters and adolescents (2-19 years old) are obese.

2. The majority of the franchises that provide to this market are either fitness centers, often with an unique specific niche, or diet regimen facilities that offer dietary therapy along with meals and also other items. There are likewise fitness or sport-related franchises that support the business of remaining in shape and those who join sports activities.

The USA still places as the biggest fitness market worldwide. It’s house to about 19% of the fitness clubs worldwide alone, as well as brings in regarding 1/3 of complete yearly earnings for all the health and wellness clubs in the globe. Fitness franchise brands are anticipated to grow exponentially as this market obtains stronger.

The 50 largest health and fitness centers make up about 30% of income, and also just a few lots companies operate even more than 10 centers. Along with gym as well as business gym, the market additionally includes: non-profits, such as the YMCA or college centers, business clubs, aerobics studios, resort/spas, resort and also country clubs.

Women make the bulk of industrial club subscription, so it is not unusual that a number of fitness franchise business provide specifically to women. Children’s physical fitness franchises are likewise increasing in number because of lowerings in athletics programs in schools as well as boosting initiatives to suppress childhood obesity. 6. IBISWorld reports that the health and fitness sector will grow at 1.5% via 2022.

Target 24 is our solution to today’s requirement for benefit as well as time efficiency coupled with a medically tried and tested strategy. Led by a fitness instructor, these courses are done in 24 minutes as well as you are trained to remain in the proper heart price zones to optimize your metabolic output. A significant benefit of this program is that any kind of degree of fitness rates as well as most of us celebrate our wins in the long run!! This resembles other store clubs but is consisted of with you membership!Available at choose locations.

Retro Health and fitness health clubs supply an one-of-a-kind mix of a budget-friendly, $19.99 each month subscription with cutting edge health and fitness centers that feature 35-65 pieces of cardio equipment with individual LCD television screens, three various types of circuit training tools, Retro Blends Smoothie mix Bar, kid resting, sun tanning, hydromassage healing lounges as well as pro store.

Snap Fitness is headquartered in Minneapolis and is the biggest chain in physical fitness industry. Break Physical fitness has actually turned into one of the fastest growing gym – its existence is spread across 26 nations including US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, England, Egypt as well as India with greater than 2,500 clubs authorized and 1,450 places opened.

Since 2015 Break has actually effectively released 60+ clubs in India covering the major cities of Bangalore, Delhi-NCR, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Lucknow, Vadodara, Guwahati and also smaller cities like Mysore, Tumkur, Davangere. Break Physical Fitness India has a durable franchise business version with high returns, low capital investment & functional costs compared to other international brand names.

Have tiny enterprise capacities, although quickly to be franchisees frequently wind up-they have plenty cash, do not intend to work for an additional

The Fit Body Boot Camp Gym Franchise believes that you need to maintain more of the money which you make by yourself personal training firm. This variation was developed and made to be the most effective service version in the physical fitness sector. Our creator, Bedros Keuilian developed the Fit Body Bootcamp model in mind for this to be very easy and also improved in design.

And to be a successful and very rewarding company for you, our franchise proprietors. Team physical fitness franchise business will be the new shop business design with each other with the very best return on investment. It is the very best fitness franchise franchise. In this film Bedros Julian, Chief Executive Officer as well as Creator of Fit Body Boot Camp, discusses what to browse for when picking the most effective fitness franchise opportunity to possess in 2019.

We’ll show you how to use your firm Facebook, bring in new customers often as well as Instagram, Yelp, and Twitter accounts to obtain the word out. Fit Body Boot Camp University is a in-person training as well as alignment for Fit Body Bootcamp physical conditioning franchise owners. The College starts with a trip to the Fit Body Bootcamp head office where you are mosting likely to satisfy with the leadership team, your devoted company fitness instructor, and everybody in the numerous departments that permit you to run and expand your own FBBC each action of the means.

One of the advantages of buying a workout franchise using Fit Body Bootcamp is given that we don’t penalize our owners for being 38, that we’ll never demand a percentage of your incomes. You will be provided with everything required that you put your franchise. You could need to have a look in a few things by yourself while establishing which franchise is perfect for you! When you acquire a franchise, you could need to add to a marketing fund and are most likely to be asked to provide a percentage of your incomes as nobilities.

A medical care franchise might simply allow the liberty and versatility which you’ve been looking for in your employment opportunities. Healthcare franchise business are climbing. If you’re preparing to obtain a franchise, or start your very own company you need to rely on a thing it will certainly most absolutely COST a lot more which it will certainly take LONGER to reach your targets.

Franchising has come rather a methods and also was originally presented to aid producers along with the supply of their product. Regardless of your factor, there is an exercise franchises a considerable organisation. The structure of the company cycle is the time to start a business, equally as points begin to remove.

You may begin a new trend. The development in health care expenditures and the constraints of healthcare insurance coverage plan protection is making it viable for business owner to build companies that might use direct to the client care as well as solutions that are clinical. For the franchise organisations, it supplies an efficient strategy to expand the business.

Franchise businesses are firms which sell their company versions. A great deal of the franchise services offer you help in searching funding. Furthermore, a franchise firm might likewise aid with the fundamentals of locating an area for a firm property. Some find a service offering a chance to earn money is the very best way for them to go.

Regardless of the reality that you have actually listed your financial commitments beforehand, the period between opening day as well as your buying will certainly be the period when you will be spending a fortune. There are. It doesn’t come without threat though, it’s often a wonderful opportunity. It might be that you’re looking for online.

Originally posted on https://adamgarcia0.blogspot.com/2020/01/fit-body-boot-camp-is-considered.html

syndicated from Fit Body Boot Camp Is Considered The Recommended Franchise to Own 2020

[donnnoir]

Austin, Texas                                                                         June 15, 2019

Well on to the crux of the argument; at least by installments….

Or so it seems, now if I can spew this out on a more regular basis we will be getting somewhere.  Now as previous noted I suspect rather than a purely chronological order that I will be bouncing around quite a bit.  Because no matter how I would try I would no doubt have to constantly go back and amend any attempt at some birth to present presentation.  Besides I am not sure I could make such an endeavor worthy of you the reader’s time.  Overall I consider the majority of Life to be boring to mundane at best; into which are punctuated moments and or events that go far beyond the pale of what could possibly be part of the norm of a conservative Life.  Understanding your time is immensely valuable let us begin….

Over the years whenever I have attempted to share some of the uniqueness of the events and the accompanying knowledge associated there to. Since for a long time within Popular Culture we enjoyed and endured the TV series “The X-files”.  Seeking context and relevance to our social experience, I have asked many a person if they were familiar with the series and if so.  I am sure you have noticed the poster above Mulder’s desk in the basement of the FBI’s headquarters.  The poster with a flying saucer between some trees. The caption on the poster reads “I want to Believe”.  Because of the popularity of the series this poster and that statement have become almost Iconic.  Well as a matter of fact a good friend of mine took that photograph.  His name was Paul Villa.  I meet and knew him while he lived in New Mexico, in a little town south of Albuquerque. He was a very genuine sort of individual, the kind of man that the statement “salt of the Earth” could be sincerely applied.  Her earn his daily bread as a fabricator or if you prefer as a wielder. Back in those days, this was in the ‘70’s, within the supposed community of the UFO Phenomena were individuals who were known as contactees.  Unlike the group commonly referred to as abductees, these persons via one means or another were contacted, approached and either as part of a short period of association or as part of an ongoing relationship would be involved in a dialogue or variety of ongoing communications with beings not associated with the human population on the surface of the Earth.  Paul was one such individual.  During those years I was fortunate enough to have met several such persons.  Most were if nothing else true believers; a few struck me as being at best misguided to being charlatans.  But of all these individuals Paul was the most genuine and sincere, a man of character.  He never tried to make a profit from his experiences nor did he ever feel comfortable being the center of attention.  The particular photograph used in the poster is actually one of a group or series of photographs taken at that location and time frame.  As memory severs me it is one of the group of like a dozen to twenty pictures of that particular flying saucer at that time and location. Paul never copyrighted any of his pictures, or anything else in association with this association with these visitors.  As a consequence many of his pictures have been used in movies and books by others.  Paul, himself would have condoned and appreciated the dissemination of these.  If you had ever run into him as he was picking up his photographs from the developer; and had asked for a copy of the pictures.  He would gladly do so for the price that the developer charged him for copies.  He often said that this “friends”, those that visited him in their flying saucers wanted him to more openly show the pictures and discuss the elements of what he and them discussed.  

Recently I YouTubed Paul’s name and lo and behold if there weren’t more than a couple video spots giving a brief discussion about my friend. In all honesty I only viewed two of these, an although they do a fairly good job of offering to the public a view of Paul that is objective and honest.  I do take exception to the volume of material they cite him as having had.  I recall on my visits that he had substantially more than the narrators of either video gave him credit.  As to photo-albums containing pictures of various flying saucers, space ships, observation vehicles, sampling drones, alien landscapes, phenomena, living dinosaurs and much much more these numbered in the hundreds of albums packed full of various pictures devoted to this hobby, shall we say.  Now in immediate approximate association to these were voluminous numbers of spiral notebooks.   Hahahah….. why spiral notebooks?  Well it should be quite obvious actually, in his dialogues with the different and varying persons from elsewhere.  How does one accomplish such a feat.  The new age crowd would have us all believe that some light or telepathic communication from the “superior” being would provide the solution.  According to Paul the affair was much more mundane than all that hype.  Yes, some could simply talk in a language he understood.  However, since among themselves speech is unnecessary, their mouths are used for other things.  The process of speaking was difficult for the vast majority.  Yet wishing to dialogue; the concept of writing is not limited to the constraints of physical aptitude of the one.  It is easy enough to learn the symbols or if you prefer pictography necessary to carry on a intelligent conversation, or as intelligent as could be presumed.  Now, I meet Paul in 1973, I was thirteen years old.  Yes I was a precocious young man, however.  My introduction to Paul was facilitated by Bill Miller my friend and employer under whom I was apprenticing as a silversmith.  Bill had for some time been Paul’s friend.  So I enjoyed the benefits of their association.  It also afforded me the opportunity to peruse the large library of spiral notebooks and a few of the other artifacts Paul had on open display in his living room. I should also note here that I was acquainted with the fact that Paul would limit access to his hobby depending on who was his guest.  I also was made aware that certain photographs and or artifacts would only be shown to persons he was instructed to do so with by his “friends”.  Thus I was aware I did not have full unlimited access to what was in Paul’s possession.   This may sound odd or suspicious to some; sounds rather sensible and practical to me.  

I read many kinds of documents in my visits to Paul’s home.  Some were written to JPL or some similar quasi governmental agency or contractors.  Usually concerning developments or design flaws within any given space program or vehicle.  An as always there were the spiral notebooks, to occupy my attention.  As a general rule from what was described to me, Paul would have this overwhelming sense he needed to drive somewhere.  He would just drive out beyond the urban sprawl ultimately he would end up in a remote location where he would have an encounter of one kind or another.  He was encouraged to bring his camera and take photographs.  As these encounters came with some degree of regularity and so would the conversations; he soon learned to keep a notebook to write down questions of one kind or another in anticipation of these.  From what I could tell he usually had a dozen to a couple dozen questions ready and waiting between encounters. Sometimes a line of questioning would continue on into a at large discussion, though usually not.  Much of the material I read comes and goes in my memory of events, there are a couple of notable exceptions….

The most notable exception concerned the Flood, as in the Biblical Flood of Noah.  Among a variety of questions Paul had written down the question; where did the water for Noah’s Flood come from?  The written response was simple and succinct; Mars.  Now you the reader if perhaps you are unaware, but at the time the accepted scientific stated fact was that there was NO water on Mars.  That the observable polar caps were actually frozen CO2, common dry ice.  This was taught at all levels of academia (though there was a very small group that knew otherwise; a story for another installment in my narrations if you will) from elementary schools to universities.  I thought it intriguing and filed it away mentally.  At this point may I say that though I have always wondered of the short falls, mistakes and disinformation contained within what is presented as our collective histories and of scientific note.  I like most everyone generally accepted what I was taught in our institutions of education, all be it with more then a grain of salt.  As I discovered more and more of the Truth of the matter, I abandoned these illusions and lies only keeping current so as to maintain relevance in society and even simple conversations.  Presently as the consequence of these divergent realities presses down upon all of us, I as of late no longer share my understanding from the perspective of mere food for thought, or an alternative belief system; all the while being politely accommodating of the false or failed paradigms other hold. It is a disservice to my fellow men and women to feign such a posture for the sensibilities of those who refuse to question what is before them.  Thus upon meeting I fully acknowledge and realize that my “crazy coefficient” is ostensibly high. Any one who takes a moment to share what Life has given us, usually gives me the benefit of the doubt.  An as has been the case for the majority of my Life others shall always call me “crazy”.  Which isn’t purely a bad thing!  

As we fast forward to the present; we now know that Mars once was a great water planet.  In fact it seems it had vast oceans and water in larger proportions than does our Earth.  Which bates the question of where did it all go?  Before science made these “discoveries”; I have long believed such.  Including that the water for Noah’s Flood did in fact come from Mars.  I shall leave you with that Fact to ponder.  Because believe it or not we shall be revisiting this subject and many others, so we shall have a rich WTF content….

[bryanharryrombough]

By now you have probably seen the disturbing viral video of the January 18 confrontation in which students from a Catholic high school—many wearing “Make American Great Again” hats—can be seen mocking a Native American elder, Nathan Phillips, as he performs a prayer chant on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. But you may have missed this outtake from the infamous video, in which an unnamed student from Covington Catholic can be heard saying, “Land gets stolen, that’s how it works. It’s the way of the world":

From the mouths of babes comes truth.  

The young man’s cavalier statement about genocide and dispossession is the voice of privilege in this country, speaking in unadulterated tones, unleashed by the self-described “winner,” Donald Trump. This is what the intersection of the fragmented realities of the American experience has wrought: young privileged white men, behaving like latter-day Brett Kavanaughs; black men who have devised a response to overwhelming oppression in a society that values whiteness above all; and rarely seen Native Americans, entering the national dispute only to be rudely dismissed.  

The video reveals the triumvirate of experiences that largely define American history: Red, Black, and White. The question posed by the unspeakable truths uttered in the video is the question that will make or break America: Can we find a way to hear each other? 

Since the incident occurred last Friday, a swirl of competing interpretations have emerged about what, exactly, happened at the Lincoln Memorial, and along with it a maelstrom of arguments for what it all means. Here’s what we know about the conflict: 

Some videos show that the confrontation began when a group of Hebrew Israelites started shouting at the high school students, who had traveled to Washington, DC to attend a “Pro-Life” march. But the confrontation was first sparked when the Hebrew Israelites started to sermonize to the Indigenous marchers, telling them that, “You are not savages, you are children of Israel. Stop worshiping totem poles and worship God.”  

The speaker goes on to state that the reason Native nations lost their lands is because they stopped worshipping the Creator and worshipped creation instead. A young Native man carrying a staff approaches them and asks them to leave. After being yelled at further, he gives up and walks away. 

The Hebrew Israelites (a group of African Americans who believe they are descendants of ancient Israelites) were then confronted by Native women marchers, who explained that they are there for the Indigenous Peoples March to honor missing and murdered Native American women. When one of the women asked the Hebrew Israelite who they are, the African American man responded that his people are the “real Natives” and that the women are not Indians because an Indian is “a savage.” 

What becomes apparent from the video uploaded to Youtube by a member of the Hebrew Israelites is that they are equal opportunity offenders. (To learn more about the group, see this 2011 Village Voice article by Steven Thrasher, which describes their insult-ladden proselytizing in Times Square to tourists and native New Yorkers of every color, ethnicity, and political stripe.) When asked by the Native women why are they mad, one of the Hebrew Israelites men quotes a bible verse at them: Ecclesiastes 7:7-17, “The Lord says surely your oppression makes a wise man mad.” 

After the videos blew up on social media, the March for Life organizers issued a condemnation of the students' behavior—then deleted that statement from their website. The Catholic Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, issued an apology for the boys’ taunting of a Native American elder on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. But then a parent who chaperoned the school trip posted on social media that his students were surrounded and that they, in fact, were the victims—a narrative that the right-wing media quickly adopted. 

For many Native Americans, the incident has served to confirm the white supremacy that has been part of the United States’ DNA since its founding. Nick Estes, a Kul Wicasa (Lower Brule Lakota) author, tweeted, “However profane the Catholic school boys may seem, they speak a truth. The US is not a nation founded by immigrants. It’s a nation founded by colonizers & a white supremacist ideology. That’s what you celebrate when you say ‘Make America Great Again.’ They’re not confused.” When the young man says, “Land gets stolen, that’s how it works,” he is, of course, referring to the United States’ taking of land from Native nations.

Those nations include the Omaha, whose former homelands now largely comprise the state of Nebraska and to which the elder Nathan Phillips belongs. Though some right-wing messaging has tried to vilify Phillips, his response to the incident shows a middle road for how to navigate the storm of controversy. In an interview with CNN, Phillips offers his account of the incident: “They said, ‘Let's go hit the drum, let's go sing, let's reclaim our space here.’ Because this was the Indigenous Peoples March rally, and when these two groups came together and started that and I was witnessing as it escalated from just two small groups, then the other one just went back and got more people, went back and got more people, went back and got more people until there were over 100 people, maybe 200 young men there facing down what? Four individuals? Why did they need 200 people there other than it's hate and racism?”  

Phillips then asks the question that is on many people’s minds, “Where were the chaperones?”

Indeed, the focus needs to be on the white adults’ role in all of this. Why didn’t they separate the students from the verbal assaults of the Hebrew Israelites? Why didn’t they tell their students to move aside to let an elder seeking to de-escalate the situation continue up the memorial stairs? Why didn’t the teachers move the boys from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial off to the side, where their buses would be?

Nick Sandmann, the Covington Catholic High School student wearing the "Make America Great Again" cap whose standoff with Phillips went viral, claimed in a written statement that he and the other students received permission to counter the diatribe directed at them with a school cheer. Video of the cheer shows students doing the Maori haka, a kind of war dance, and sumo-wrestling-type moves. By their very nature, these are aggressive displays associated with war and fighting. That seems an odd move to de-escalate the situation.  

And it raises other questions. For example, why didn’t the teachers understand how inflammatory it would be to wear “Make America Great Again” hats and sweatshirts at the Lincoln Memorial, a monument to a president who led the United States through the Civil War, the emancipation of the slaves, and paid with his own life? I question the pedagogy of a school that does not teach its students to examine and contextualize their actions.  

The whole incident reveals that privileged young white men confronted by an Omaha elder with a drum could only comprehend his presence and his song as a threat—or a joke. One defender of the boys’ actions, writing in the comments section of the news site Cincinnati.com (the Facebook page hosting the comments has since been closed), suggested that perhaps Sandmann and his friends mistakenly thought the Native American man was there to add his culture to their school cheer because the drum was beating in time to their chant. Maybe. If so, then it would suggest that the strange conflation of stereotypes fed by mascotry and Hollywood films was all these boys had to work with to navigate the tense situation.  

Given that the boys performing a “tomahawk chop” in Nathan Phillips’ face are still boys, the narrowness of their understanding of Native Americans is a fault that lies with the adults in their lives. And presumably some of those adults have been emboldened by the present occupant of the White House to allow these young men to proclaim their allegiance to an America marked by racism and inequality—an America great for a few, but oppressive to the many.

When a privileged white boy says, “Land gets stolen, that’s how it works”—or when a far less privileged black man says to an Indigenous woman, “The Lord says surely your oppression makes a wise man mad”—these are truths derived from a problematic past.

Forgotten in this whole sorry episode—as Native Americans are so often forgotten by the dominant culture—is the very reason why the Indigenous marchers were there in the first place. They were there to honor the Native women who have been killed or disappeared. They were there to celebrate the historic election of two Native women to Congress—Representatives Deb Haaland of New Mexico and Sharice Davids of Kansas. They were there to call for the passage of the Savanna’s Act, which is meant to help missing and murdered Indigenous women and which a single white man, Republican Representative Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, is determined to block.

Some people have criticized Nathan Phillips for being too bold with his walking prayer up the steps of Lincoln Memorial. But boldness is how change happens. For the boys from Covington Catholic, that boldness could have and should have been a lesson. Yet the boys’ teachers and chaperones failed to provide them with the proper training to see that example of courage as anything more than a punchline.  

That may be the saddest part of this whole story: Those boys didn’t take even a moment to really listen, and so they failed to learn.

[thesportssoundoff]

“Prospects, Newbies and an old school TV card” The UFC’s 25th Anniversary (but not quite) in Denver

Joey

November 4th

Well folks, we've got a mere TWO months left in this Fox deal. That shakes out to two PPVs, four FS1 events, one Fight Pass Fight Night and one Fox event remain. Our first FS1 trip takes us to Denver, Colorado for a UFC Fight Night anniversary deal. In many ways, this event DOES feel like a throwback to the past. If you cut this show down to a four fight main card with no televised prelim slate, this would be a killer Fight Night. Yair vs Zombie is a fantastic main event on paper that should be an absolute gas while it lasts, the same goes for the action fighter vs action fighter clash as Mike Perry takes on Cowboy Cerrone and then the card is rounded out by two very intriguing battles between proven fighters and former title contenders (one champion!) in GDR vs Rocky Pennington and Ray Borg vs Joe Benavidez. It's not though and so plenty of folks will look at the lack of recognizable names and say "WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE!?" which while fair, also neglects how many top flight prospects they've got on this undercard. It's a four fight great card and then a combination of prospects vs prospects and newbies vs proven gatekeepers. It's actually a not bad fight card even if it's not the love affair many UFC fans probably want for their 25th Anniversary show. We've also got to get a face to face look at what seems to be a two month long farewell tour at 125 lbs as well. I'm not saying you HAVE to watch it but you'd be pretty darn happy TO watch it.

Fights: 13

Debuts:  Maycee Barber, Hannah Cifers, Thiago Moises, Julian Erosa, Devin Smith, Bobby Moffett

Fight Changes/Injury Cancellations: 6 (Frankie Edgar OUT, Yair Rodriguez IN vs Chan Sung Jung/Ricardo Ramos vs Ricky Simon CANCELLED/Chris Greutzmacher OUT, Thiago Moises IN vs Beneil Dariush/Maia Stevenson OUT, Hanna Cifers IN vs Maycee Barber/Alonzo Menifield vs Saparbek Sarafov CANCELLED/Jordan Espinoza OUT, Joby Sanchez IN vs Mark De La Rosa)

Headliners (fighters who have either main evented or co-main evented shows in the UFC): 9 (Chan Sung Jung, Yair Rodriguez, Mike Perry, Donald Cerrone, Germaine De Randamie, Rocky Pennington, Ray Borg, Joe Benavidez, Beneil Dariush)

Fighters On Losing Streaks in the UFC: (Ashley Yoder)

Fighters On Winning Streaks in the UFC: (Germaine De Randamie, Davi Ramos)

Main Card Record Since Jan 1st 2016 (in the UFC):  26-11

Yair Rodriguez- 1-0 Korean Zombie- 3-1 Mike Perry- 5-3 Donald Cerrone- 5-4 GDR- 2-0 Rocky Pennington- 3-1 Ray Borg- 2-2 Joe Benavidez- 2-1 Maycee Barber- 0-0 Hanna Cifers- 0-0 Mike Trizano- 1-0 Luis Pena- 1-0

Divisional Breakdown:

Lightweight- 4 Flyweight-3 Women's Strawweight- 2 Featherweight- 2 Welterweight- 1 Women's Bantamweight-1

Too Low- Beneil Dariush vs Thiago Moises

Let us begin with this fight, sitting comfortably at the very opening of the televised prelims. On a card full of debutantes, high level prospects and four really really good fights, this is one prelim fight that sort of kind of should be a lot higher and potentially as high as the main card. Thiago Moises is a pretty solid regional lightweight who got called up after a spot on the Dana White's Contenders Series in Brazil. At the very least, this has the potential to be a very fun back and forth grappling contest. It's far better than just assuming that these prospects in their debut won't have a slip up or get lost in their nerves.

Too High Up- Maycee Barber vs Hannah Cifers

Okay so this is actually a really good fight. I had a chance to watch Hannah Cifers throughout her Titan Fighting run. She's an articulate striker who often combines precision offense with pressure. She didn't do a ton of grappling in those fights but I'm going to bet she'll be okay there as well. There were basically three fighters given ample hype time going INTO the second season of the Contenders for Dana White; Greg Hardy, Nick Newell AND Maycee Barber. Barber walked through Jaimee Colleen who has a win over Danielle Taylor and outnumbered in her terms of experience. Barber has something different about her and it's not a surprise she's getting the O'Malley treatment given her age, talent level and the need for more fun things at 115 lbs. It just FEELS like you're asking a lot of her here and the same for Ciphers on short notice.

Stat Monitor for 2018:

Debuting Fighters (Current number: 27-35-1):  Maycee Barber, Hannah Cifers, Thiago Moises, Bobby Moffett, Julian Erosa, Devonte Smith

Short Notice Fighters (Current number: 28-23):  Hannah Cifers, Thiago Moises, Joby Sanchez, Yair Rodriguez

Second Fight (Current number: 36-28-1): Mike Trizano, Luis Pena, John Gunther

Cage Corrosion (Current number: 21-36):  Yair Rodriguez, Korean Zombie, Germaine de Randamie, Ray Borg, Chas Skelly

Undefeated Fighters (Current number: 30-21-1): Maycee Barber, Mike Trizano, Luis Pena, John Gunther

Keeping An Eye On But Not Really:

The UFC Win Check Test The records of fighters who have 4 or more UFC fights (or three full calendar years in the organization) but 0 wins against people still in the UFC:  Amanda Bobby Cooper

Twelve Precarious Ponderings

1- Are we TOO optimistic about this main event? On paper, Yair Rodriguez vs Chan Sung Jung is a fight for the ages. The all pressure power punching Zombie vs the super flashy Mexican star seems like the sort of shit you'd get excited about. There are just three key aspects about this fight that I'm having a tough time getting my hands around. The FIRST is the location. Yair Rodriguez has fought at altitude countless times before so it'd be unfair to assume he can't do it BUT it is worth remembering that he was absolutely dead tired in Mexico both times and he slowed down quite a bit in the 4th or 5th rounds in Utah. The Korean Zombie has never struck me as a dude who has had issues with his conditioning but that was a military assignment and a few knee surgeries ago plus I don't think he's ever had a real big altitude fight like this one. The second aspect is just the all around concern or confusion on Yair Rodriguez's mindset. Yair was crushed by Frankie Edgar in his sole UFC loss and that was in May of 2017. He admittedly opted to take a year off to heal up/get better/train around before getting cut from the UFC for a short spell due to Yair either turning down a succession of fights or just not wanting to get bullied into taking a fight. He took a fight vs Zhabit in September, pulled out due to injury and now he's back in early November with no mention of the injury. When Dana was asked about Yair after he pulled out of the Zhabit fight, Dana implied in so many words that Yair was a guy who just didn't want to fight. I think wondering where his head is at relative to taking a fight like THIS one is worthy of asking. Lastly, I think it's 100% fair to say we're not going to see the best version of either dude. The Zombie has fought just ONE time since 2013 and he's now officially beyond 30 years old. Injuries and a military service took him away from MMA for a looong time now and against Bermudez, he looked pretty rusty before he snapped back into it to end the show early. Yair Rodriguez is taking this fight on short notice plus  a year away plus the questions around his career plus the fact that the last time he saw him, Edgar was punching his face into the canvas. I'm not saying this fight will suck, I'm saying we should temper our expectations a bit.

2- How valuable will Yair Rodriguez's kicks be if he's to pull off this upset?

3- So much of Donald Cerrone vs Mike Perry feels like a matter of determining how washed up Donald Cerrone is vs how much you believe Mike Perry can improve under the watchful eyes of Jackson-Wink. Cerrone is what he is and he was able to fight at a frenetic pace against Leon Edwards, giving us an occasional glimpse of what he's good at while reminding us of all the things he's been bad at for his entire career. Mike Perry's upside is of the Chris Leben variety; a high level fun brawler who is going to throw down until the sun goes down on him. That said you'd have to hope an elite gym can iron out some of the weaknesses he's got, primarily his over aggresiveness and his defensive lapses. Would be the hope, riiiight?

4-  If you read this and you're rooting for Cerrone to win so you can get Diego vs Cerrone? Shame on y'all, man.

5- Anybody feel really bad about Ray Borg vs Joseph Benavidez? On paper, this is a really intriguing fight between the inconsistent Borg and the declining Benavidez; the sort of fight that could get Borg back on the winning track or maybe open the door for Benavidez to have one last run to the title. The problem is that there may be no title---and the problem may be that a really good fight on paper will be meaningless because the division is gone. That draws the air out of the building so much for me. The same goes for all three of these fights. Are the winners basically fighting for spots in the 135 lb division?

6- The Contenders Series is really about churning out quantity with some hype vs turning out future champions BUT they've got a few guys on here who could at least be in the conversation of potential title contenders. Maycee Barber is just 20 years old, undefeated and blessed with all sort of skills. Devonte Smith is getting a put together short notice fight vs Julian Erosa to pad the card but he's VERY good and figures to show out against a quality journeyman (fighting out of his weight class). Lastly Thiago Moises could develop into a quality lightweight who can be relied on to draw fights in Brazil.

7- Davi Ramos has won two straight in the UFC, both by submission. Normally that gets you a nice step up but the reality is that it's not happening here. He's getting John Gunther in what feels like an opportunity to run Gunther out of the UFC after his awful win vs Allan Zuniga.

8- GDR totally disappeared off the face of the Earth after her win vs Holly Holm, citing hand problems and an unwillingness to fight Cyborg to go along with a pull out of a fight vs Marion Reneau. She returns against Rocky Pennington who had an equally lengthy lay off prior to her fight vs Amanda Nunes. This feels like a last chance fight for two ladies with different issues.

9- Why is Amanda Bobby Cooper vs Ashley Yoder the featured prelim? Is there some sort of Mackenzie Dern victim prize at stake?

10- Chas Skelly vs Bobby Moffet is the Spiderman pointing meme of this card.

11- The TUF Undefeated Season was...something. It was a grueling watch live and the finale is easily the worst TUF finale I've ever seen. This is a big bounce back opportunities for guys like Mike Trizano and John Gunther. Luis Pena got hurt and was pulled off the show but dominated Richie Smullen so he's sort of safe. Trizano vs Pena is going to be a very interesting fight worth keeping an eye on.

12-  Would there be any interest in Holm vs GDR 2 if she wins?

[worldbuildingadventures]

THE JUNGLE

Detailed descriptions under the cut.

If you decide to use these or other Jungle races for an OC/campaign, feel free to @ this blog and I will be happy to advertise your work!

GRUNG: -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, Poison Immunity, Amphibious, Poisonous Skin, Standing Leap, Grung Poison.

Official Description:

Grung are poisonous frog-like amphibious humanoids that live in trees. Their society is organized in castes determined by each grung's color.

Grung prefer to live in shady areas, and need to remain in constant proximity to water. Their tadpoles develop in ground pools, already separated by caste. All grung continuously secrete a poisonous substance that is harmless to them.

In addition to their naturally poisonous nature, grung also poison their weapons. Each color of grung poison causes a different ailment in their victims.

Grung society has a rigid caste system, and each grung's place is determined by its color:

Green: Warriors, hunters, and general laborers.

Blue: Artisans and domestic workers.

Purple:  Supervisors of the green and blue grung.

Red: Scholars and magic users. Also known as grung wildlings, they are superior to purple, green and blue castes. Respected even by higher castes.

Orange:  Elite warriors, with authority over all lesser grung.

Gold:  Also elite warriors, with the highest leadership positions. Every tribe leader is a gold grung.

Some mobility is possible between the castes in cases of valuable contributions and great deeds by the use of ritual magic and herbal compounds.

Grung tribes also make extensive use of slavery, and are always looking for new creatures to enslave. They keep their slaves at bay by poisoning their food in order to inflict lethargy on them. Over extended periods of time, the effects of such poisoning can only be removed by magic.

Personal Commentary:

First, just to show some creative possibility with that color system...

We have the frogs for the job.

It sounds like this is a highly rigid, collectivist, authoritarian society. Isolationist in the sense that if you are not a grung you are not welcome in any role other than slave, very self-contained and very ordered. I don’t think it’s necessary to have grung “always looking for new creatures to enslave” because it sounds like again, they have a very structured system at work. Slaves equal a higher drain on resources whether it’s food, water, poison, shelter, medicine, whatever. Also, procuring slaves in the first place can be risky, and the more poison needs to be expelled controlling slaves the less efficient those slaves will be. So my suspicion is that while it would be common, slaves would be employed in specific grunt positions that wouldn’t be compromised by mental or physical lethargy. These positions would also be carefully monitored and not exceed the quantity required to avoid excess expense.

On top of that though, there’s the question of environment. As an amphibious race, the grung could potentially have architectural structures above and below water. Slaves would most likely be restricted to above water. Grung are referenced as having tribes, as if they might be nomadic, but if they know they have a consistent water supply capable of sustaining a large, rigid population, slaves, and nursery for tadpoles, it makes sense that they would be stationary and build defenses. Also frogs do weird stuff with mucus, underwater architecture and even above ground architecture could get really fun and unusual.

HALFLING: +2 Dexterity, Lucky, Brave, Halfling Nimbleness.

Official Description:

Wild halflings tend to be lean, with black hair and dark eyes. They live in small tribes in the jungles, separate from native humans. They have a primitive hunter-gatherer society and each tribe is ruled by a chief, who made decisions alone. They also practice polygamy, with males being free to have as many wives as they can comfortably support. A male can challenge another male for a female. Each village is completely self-sufficient, and the halflings have no use for trade. Their tendency to kill humans they find in their territory means that they rarely have visitors.

Wild halflings make a unique, paralyzing poison called kurari which they use on their arrows for hunting and fighting. In addition, they use knives to dispatch prey and to defend themselves.

They also have a number of superstitions, mostly concerning the intermixing of adult males and married females, and each tribe reveres a talisman. This talisman influences how they sacrifice people, something they do with any human caught in their territory. For instance, a tribe with a jaguar lord as their talisman will keep the creature in a pit in their village with sacrifices deposited there during an appropriate ceremony.

Personal Commentary:

No beating around the bush, the original blurb/concept is pretty racist. It’s also not the only one. “People who live in jungle climates are wild, stupid savages” is an unfortunately common trend for this setting. Ultimately though, the idea of jungle races being less civilized and doing things for no reason is just not gonna cut it with worldbuilding. Forget the tumblr outrage culture for a minute, the idea just plain doesn’t reflect reality and isn’t relatable. But that’s why homebrew exists.

For a hypothetical jungle-default campaign, I’m mainly drawing influence from civilizations in Mexico/Central America. This is partly because it seems like there were attempts to evoke the Mayans and the Aztecs, partly because tabaxi being “jaguar men” points to new world stuff. This is still DnD though, so of course artistic license historical influence is par for the course. IMO there should just be at least some knowledge of and respect towards source material before making changes, however.

As a rule of thumb, when it comes to cultural influence in fantasy I'd argue everyone should be equally default (normal to those living within a given culture), equally exotic (foreign, strange, barbaric, confusing, curious, etc. to outsiders), or even both simultaneously for the same groups. I’d also argue that using dead civilizations (ex. Ancient Egypt) is safer than using ones that still exist. If you’re going to draw from contemporary groups, it’s worthwhile to see if there’s precedent for members of that group telling fantasy stories using the same things you’re looking to tell stories about. Also, try to make sure you’re not trivializing anything sacred! If it’s commercial, dead, or has been used already in a similar way you’re probably alright. After that there’s more risk involved and you’ll need to tread lightly.

ANYWAY, back to halflings.

It’s important that halflings in this setting do not comprise a major civilization, but exist more in scattered villages. These villages are stationary both due to the presence of pits, the importance of familiar surroundings to keeping intruders at bay, and the utilization of agriculture. Halflings are not going to be mainly Mayan or Aztec inspired because they aren’t influential enough, and further it doesn’t make sense for them to be practicing human sacrifice given their small population size. Sacrificing certain animals or setting aside a portion of harvests as offerings would be fine, but in communities like this you need those numbers.

Additionally, I remember a researcher mentioning that for the Mayans in particular there was a HUGE body count just in terms of living in a jungle setting. That came from deaths in childbirth, deaths pre-sex, deaths post-childbirth, infant mortality, deaths from disease, deaths from fashionably reshaped skulls, deaths from warfare... when there is so much death happening on a routine basis, implementing some rigid cultural structure is a way of navigating that. It might mean using a calendar to decide when to conceive for instance, since giving birth the wrong time of year could spell certain doom. It might also mean ensuring maximum efficiency among surviving members of society.

So halflings having low populations, it doesn’t make sense for them to do human sacrifice OR to be completely opposed to all trade. They might want to stay hidden if there’s concern they could be subjugated by local civilizations, but they’re not going to want to antagonize those civilizations by actively seeking foreign sacrifices either. If they can co-exist peacefully with a group that might contribute technology and resources, that’s good for them. Therefore I’d argue jungle halflings are more likely to kill intruders if they can hide the bodies/make it look like an accident, but they’d prefer not to kill and just stay under the radar since it’s less risky. They would probably have alliances with other cultures provided those cultures won’t prey on them. Tabaxi, elves, tasloi, and aarakocra would all probably be okay for that while humans, dwarves, grung, trolls, and yuan-ti are more likely to be kept at arm’s length.

Polygamy in native Central American populations seems to have been practiced only among nobility (for Mayans and Aztecs), which makes sense since being able to support that many partners would be a mark of status and financial success. In small, isolated halfling villages it doesn’t make sense that there would be enough resources for that lifestyle so IMO that element can be completely scrapped. Strict gender roles could be practiced among halflings not so much to reduce opportunity or look down on either sex, but because low population and environmentally-posed obstacles + time needed to bear/rear kids has precedent. Women would probably be in charge of maintaining the home, rearing children, medicine, some crafts, and finances while men would be in charge of obtaining food/water, defending the village, some crafts, and negotiations with outsiders. Probably divergence from traditional roles would only be accepted so far as the exceptions were being productive members of the community, and there would likely be higher scrutiny tied to that.

A chief making decisions alone seems like it could go really bad if the chief doesn’t know what he’s talking about, especially in a tiny community. Makes more sense to me that the chief and their partner (if existent) would maintain leadership roles together with the chief having final say, but the head of each family in the village could hold counsel with the chief.

Men being able to challenge other men for women seems like it should be scrapped because that’s just going to cause fights and instability, which would in turn raise body count. Poison and knives make sense and can stay, talismans should only be called talismans if they are material, constructed objects. If they’re living animals the name should be different to avoid confusion, and there should be people within the village whose job it is to take care of those animals. Those same people would also be charged with making sure the village is safe with their animal and vice versa. If the talisman is an actual talisman, I’d argue in favor of it being an enchanted item with varying levels of power.

Physical traits with lean frames plus dark hair and eyes is fine! Clothing I tried researching some but couldn’t find non-Aztec/Mayan dress that I was confident recommending for influence, so I’d say probably drawing influence from Aztec commoner clothes for day-to-day activity is safe. This would mean...

“Men [...] mostly wore a loincloth.  Made from a single long strip of fabric that was then tied in front, the loincloth might be the only thing that a man wore.

A man with a plain loincloth would be of fairly low rank, or even called a slave, but a man with a  higher rank might have decorative fringe on his loincloth.  A man might also wear a kind of triangular cloak, known as the tilma or the tilman.”

Women, meanwhile, wore things like this:

But as I said, there’s some sweet artistic license with fantasy/DnD. None of these things are rules so much as useful jumping points.

TASLOI: -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma, Small size, +1 Bonus on Attack rolls, +4 Bonus on Hide checks, -4 Penalty on Grapple checks, Climb Speed 20ft, +4 Racial Bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks, in Thickly Forested areas Hide Bonus increases to +8, +8 Racial Bonus on Climb checks, can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, Darkvision, Low-Light Vision, Light Sensitivity, Nimble Escape.

Official Description:

Tasloi are humanoid jungle-dwellers whose race is thought to be thousands of years old. While very quick and nimble between the trees, tasloi are easily dazzled in bright sunlight and prefer to stay below the jungle canopy. Despite this, tasloi do possess low-light vision. They speak their own language, but some also speak Common or Sylvan.

Tasloi are 3-feet tall with gold, cat-like eyes; their green skin is thinly covered in coarse, black hair. They have a stooped, crouching posture and their knuckles drag on the ground when they walk.

Tasloi live in small groups consisting of several families. Their lairs are usually a series of large trees interconnected by vines and ropes, constructed on platforms high in the jungle canopy. Each tree sports platforms, 50-100 feet above the ground, upon which the tasloi live. Some tasloi work and live on the ground, along with the village's livestock. They raise dire rats or spider eaters as beasts of burden and mounts. The rats are kept as pets and used to aid in construction, maintenance, and protection of the community. Medium dire rats are used as mounts. If the village does have any spider eaters, those beasts were reserved as steeds for the most powerful tasloi in the settlement.

Tasloi normally attack from above, dropping from the treetops onto unwary opponents. If they manage to gain surprise, they use nets to ensnare adversaries, otherwise attacking with their short swords and javelins. They always use hit-and-run tactics in order to wear down tough foes, thus avoiding any stand-up fights. Tasloi always try to abscond with slain bodies, thus saving food for the group.

Often they can be heard at night, speaking in their high, whispery voices.

Personal Commentary:

When creatures use knuckles while moving as their default, it comes at a cost to dexterity. Our ancestors becoming bipedal was a huge deal in terms of evolution because it left our hands free for other things, like making and holding tools/weapons with greater skill and mobility. If you look up human beings who walk on all fours for medical reasons or even just look at great apes, it’s clear that there are costs to quadripedal movement.

If the goal is that Tasloi be extremely good at climbing, I’d say drawing inspiration from the spider monkey is probably a good way to go.

Arms can be proportionally longer than human arms without being equally long/muscled compared to legs. A very long and muscular tail acting as an extra limb for climbing would be a huge advantage, and you could do an experimental foot shape to continue buffing dexterity without losing balance.

Tasloi can definitely craft tools and weapons. It’s also explicit that they make nets, so most likely textiles are part of their culture as well as well. Tasloi aren’t stupid. If eating other humanoid races is a thing at all, I’d imagine it wouldn’t be a main food source. Even if there’s not taboo, cannibalism has health hazards. Feeding corpses to livestock is a different story though.

All this said, there are some cool opportunities to really experiment with architecture and art given this is a hyper-dextrous, arboreal race. It sounds like there might be a caste system with different levels of living off the ground for different tasloi according to job. It also sounds like tight family bonds are important and history is important, given there is an understanding of the race’s age. There might be room for ancestor veneration here.

ELF: +2 Dexterity, Darkvision, Keen Senses, Fey Ancestry, Trance.

Official Description:

Wild elves have darker skin than other elven subraces, in a range of light to dark brown. An average male is 5'8" (173 cm) in height and weighs 150 lbs (68 kg), while an average female is 5'3" (160 cm) and 130 lbs (60 kg). Their hair can be anywhere from black to light brown, and it grays then turns to white with old age. They prefer to wear as little clothing as possible and choose instead to adorn themselves with other decorations like tattoos, feathers or body paint. They can make and wear complicated and intricate beadwork. Males are usually larger than females, sometimes by as much as five inches or twenty pounds, but wild elves differ little in size from other elves.

Wild elves, like other elves, are nimble and agile in body, but they are commonly thought of as less intelligent than their elven brethren due in part to their aversion to civilization.

Wild elves are a quiet, withdrawn people who neither like outsiders nor tolerate any offense to their person. In some ways, wild elves are very savage and they are quick to violence if provoked. Few things are more dangerous in the wilderness than a vengeful band of wild elves with ill intent. However, wild elves are not wholly uncouth and most would rather let trespassers go freely than harm them, so long as they learn nothing that could be used against the tribe; those who do are usually wiped of their memories rather than killed. Wild elves are also trustworthy and loyal friends who, though so slow to trust that short-lived races such as humans are often put off the attempt, will happily reward those who earn their respect and admiration in any way they can.

Wild elves live in a tribal society without many of the advances available to the other elves. They rarely craft their own magical weapons and have lost the ability to use powerful magic. There are rare cases of powerful shamans; these are almost always female. Wild elves do retain the ceremonies and feasts often found among other elves, which are occasions of joy with singing and dancing. Hunts are events where each member of the tribe has his or her own particular place. Sometimes these are held on their own, and sometimes they are held as part of a larger event. Although it is common for wild elves to speak a number of languages, it is rare to find one who is literate.

Wild elves who leave their remote homelands to become adventurers are often drawn to careers that require physical strength, much more so than is the case in other elves. Rangers and barbarians are particularly common amongst warrior wild elves, though fighters are not unheard of. Although wild elves worship the gods they are only very rarely clerics or other divine spellcasters, feeling a closer affinity to the ways of the druid or shaman. Similarly, due to a lack of literacy or magical tradition, very few wild elves become wizards--though the path of a sorcerer is well-respected amongst the wild elves. More experienced wild elven adventurers commonly become arcane archers or druidic hierophants.

Wild elves strongly prefer art such as music and poetry to physical works of art like painting or sculpture. To a wild elf, the joy of art comes from its spontaneous creation, rather than latter appreciation. Because wild elves see the world as ever-changing and the things within it as impermanent, wild elves feel it is distasteful to write down musical scores or oral tradition, believing that it unnaturally locks the art into a sterile state. Wild elves carry on this ideology into their architecture, which is woven into the tangled limbs of living trees in a complex web that would baffle many "civilized" architects.

Wild elves are excellent craftsmen, but they prefer tools that can be assembled or deconstructed at a moment's notice, often resulting in a primitive or even crude aesthetic, though wild elven tools are no less effective in overall use. Weapons in wild elf society tend to be those that can be created without the need for metal, a resource that is not naturally available without refinement. Bows and spears or halfspears are common weapons, as are clubs, daggers and knives made from bone. Some prefer to wear hide armor but most are content to use their innate agility or various forms of camouflage as their primary defense.

Like other elves, wild elves are fond of wild animals and try to live in harmony with their feral neighbors. Many wild elves keep animals like wolves, birds of prey, or wolverines in their tribes as guardians. Wild elves are not even adverse to keeping larger, more dangerous dire animals, who are kept as companions only slightly less often.

Magic does not play as large a part in wild elf society as it once did. For these reasons, and others, wizards are uncommon. However, wild elves have, in contrast with their wood elven cousins, no particular aversion to the arcane arts and though they lack any strong traditions of the Art, they are generally welcoming of its use by sorcerers, who come by their talent naturally. Wild elves are also common practitioners of primal magic and druids are common amongst the wild elves, who typically use more words, gestures and material components in their spellcasting than is common among the druids of other races.

Wild elven religious practice is often very informal and rooted in animistic traditions that see the fey gods as simply part of a greater pantheon that include primal spirits.

As part of their unusual traditions, wild elves have several unique practices and beliefs. Tattoos are common among the wild elves, who often enchant the markings with power. Wild elves also believe that each member of their race has a spirit animal. These animals are believed to provide spiritual guidance and protection. Young wild elves must discover their own spirit animal by attending a ritual involving spending hours in an enclosed area filled with burning herbs. During this time, he or she is expected to have a vision of the spirit animal that will accompany him or her for the rest of his or her life.

Wild elves are not a very open-hearted race and are generally untrusting of outsiders, in part due to the harsh experiences of their history. Wild elves will commonly avoid or even outright attack intruders upon their lands, though not all wild elves are so extreme in their methods. Wild elves have been known to help lost adventurers, though usually such "help" involves capturing the intruders, magically altering their memories, and setting them free some distance away from their homelands. When wild elves themselves require help from outside, they will reluctantly seek it, sometimes even allowing visitors into their hidden sanctuaries.

Wild elves almost exclusively inhabit forested areas. Some tribes live in small villages of huts, and others live a nomadic lifestyle. It is common to find entirely male or entirely female tribes. Some wild elf tribes construct villages at the tops of trees, using considerable engineering skill.

Personal Commentary:

There is a lot of potential for elves living in the jungle, but what I said before about eliminating comments regarding savagery, primitive practices, or lack of intelligence? Full speed ahead in this section. There are a lot of contradictions here too, many of which read like whoever first developed the concept was going more with abstract ideas and stereotypes relating to tribalism. Some ideas here seem promising though. I’m not going to focus on specific, existing tribes here because that seems like iffy territory, but I am going to see how much of this concept can be streamlined, cleaned up, and adapted for a jungle campaign.

Physical description is fine, although beads can be scrapped since to my knowledge that isn’t as much of a thing in jungle regions. Also more flexibility for height/weight, especially since some homebrewers like to have elves taller than the average human. Feathers as decoration have a ton of precedent, they’d just probably be flashier, more tropical birds.

As with halflings, I think any violence, hostility, or suspicion toward outsiders needs to be deeply rooted in pragmatism rather than pride. No noble savage stuff, this is a setting where grung like to collect slaves periodically and there are two major imperialistic civilizations that practice human sacrifice using new arrivals to their empires. Which is to say nothing for trolls. If you’re part of a culture that has had positive relations with them in the past and has been identified as friendly, there’s no reason for them to be averse to trade for additional resources and advantages. Alliances among less influential groups that use that use stealth and evasion tactics to evade empires or predatory cultures just comes in handy.

Magic use seems to have severe waffling through this section. No writing system/using an oral tradition is perfectly well and good, and as the description says that does make sense as a MAJOR deterrent to having wizards in this society. But lacking other forms of magic in this setting is a major nerf, and also raises serious questions about how a mind-wipe would happen with any consistency. Druids, sorcerers, bards (should be HUGE in oral culture), clerics, even warlocks should all be very present and revered here for the advantages they bring. Warlocks more likely would be working with fey though, as opposed to say demons. Forget gender restrictions for magic users since a gift is a gift. Screw no crafting enchanted weapons of their own and lacking the capacity for powerful magic. I’d argue that enchanted weapons can exist and be potent, but due to limited technology with metalsmithing etc. there might be a heightened risk of enchanted objects breaking over time unless very carefully reinforced.

Arbitrary rules about how hunts are conducted are unnecessary and impractical. Hunts being strategic and being organized to each member’s advantage is fine, but anyone who is expected to be participating in hunts would probably be training for that from an early age.

In oral societies, meaning societies that specifically are NOT based in written languages, there are often ideas about “one true language” while other languages are considered barbaric or inferior. I think that works fine here. There are probably elves who can speak other languages, but those are inferior divergences from their true language.

Music and poetry being preferred art forms and value placed on transient things makes sense. However, I do think that architecture, pottery, utensils, tools, weapons, clothing, and other utilitarian objects would be far more artful than in some societies. None of those things are expected to last forever, but if something is going to be aesthetic in this society it makes sense for that to be paired with use value. Physical art existing only for art’s sake might not be practiced, but there’s nothing against art woven into daily function. I’d go so far as to say druids can play a huge role in the societies of jungle elves not just in terms of combat and agriculture, but as craftsmen and architects.

I think weapons made to be readily constructed and deconstructed seriously needs to serve a purpose if it’s going to be a factor. This isn’t the same category as something being easy to transport. If a weapon can be deconstructed EASILY, there might be a serious question of how durable that weapon is during a fight. Limits in materials are already going to be in place reducing the lifespan of weapons. They’re likely going to need to be replaced periodically as wear and breakage happen through use. Don’t nerf weapons further for arbitrary reasons. I don’t know that bone would be used so much as wood and stone. Aztec weapons looked like this:

Meanwhile, there was a wooden Mayan dart gun that looked like this:

Descriptions for how the dark gun worked can be found here. If these are coupled with poison too they could be insanely vicious.

Hide armor is fine and would probably be an important defense in a setting full of poison dart technology! Not overheating is just important too.

If there are sacred animals and animal companions are a major element for elves living in the jungle, it would likely (according to tradition and fauna) be jaguars, wolves, ocelots, tapirs, eagles, grisons, crocodiles, and so on. Outright, individualized spirit animals should probably be scrapped since there’s heavy debate on whether or how that could be used appropriately in tribal fantasy. Either thorough research is required, using the concept in a non-tribal way (e.g. Jungian psychology), or it’s just not necessary.

Fey gods and primal spirits as part of worship work fine, it might add further tension with humans and dwarves.

If enchanted tattoos are customary, I’d personally advise both checking to see what actual indigenous tattoos look like and then very carefully not ripping those off. Being inspired is fine, but these things can be sacred so it’s important to be respectful and avoid being exploitative or making a caricature.

Entirely male or female tribes don’t make sense with tiny populations that need to worry about being persecuted by other cultures, have small numbers, and occasional nomadic lifestyles. I could see gender segregation maybe if it was a very stable and stationary society where finding a partner and reproducing was super ordered and sacred and everyone knew exactly where everyone else was at all times. Not the case here. If anything, this seems like an instance where male and female elves would have more egalitarianism within mixed gender tribes due to low birth rates and long lifespans. Leaders could be male or female, hunters and craftsmen and medics and spellcasters could all be male or female. Rituals surrounding conception and childbirth are fine though.

Nomadic versus stationary lifestyles I think varies tribe to tribe depending on whether the strategy is run and hide from outsiders or hide and defend against outsiders with a fortress full of traps.

TROLL: Strength +4. Dexterity +1, Constitution +5, Intelligence -2, Wisdom -1, Charisma -2, Darkvision, Keen Smell, Regeneration, Loathsome Limbs.

Official Description:

Trolls are a ravenous, predatory species of giant-kin found throughout almost all regions and climates from arctic wastes to tropical jungles. They have several sub-species. All are uncivilized, monstrous creatures with voracious appetites that roam from one area to the next feeding upon whatever they can.

Most trolls are not overly territorial except with their own kind. They have no natural predators in the wild.

A typical adult troll stands around 9-feet tall on long, ungainly legs. Their deceptively thin bodies have thick, rubbery hides colored in shades of mossy green or putrid greys, possessing long arms that end in massive claws. The skull of a troll has a messy, hair-like growth colored black or steel grey. Females are typically larger and more powerful than males.

Although they walk upright, trolls possess a severe hunch which causes the backs of their hands to drag on the ground. When they run, their arms dangle. Despite their awkward physical appearance, trolls are surprisingly agile and well-adapted to be masterful climbers.

Troll senses are unbalanced. They possess poor hearing and sensitivity to light but superior olfactory senses.

Perhaps the most well-known factoid of trolls is their regeneration. Whether a slash in its rubbery hide or a dismembered limb, trolls can rapidly heal through most wounds. Only acid or fire can arrest the regeneration properties within a troll's flesh. Dismembered limbs will continue to attack opponents even after being severed.

Because of the regenerative properties of troll blood, it is extremely valuable. The blood that could be extracted from one troll is worth upwards of 400 gp. This green viscous liquid is used in the manufacture of poisons, antidotes and certain potions of healing.

Due to the adaptive nature of their physiology, trolls are especially susceptible to mutation. Although it is uncommon, actions taken throughout a troll's life could result in a physical or behavioral change within the same generation.

Trolls have little in the way of society. They travel in non-migratory clans of 3-12 and, upon discovery of an area rich with prey, will establish a lair. Caves are most favored, often located near smaller human settlements or just off established roads. They are opportunistic feeders who target those who stray too far from groups. Although they don't fear humans when encountered, they respect them as a group known to wield fire. Once established within a region, the band of trolls will hunt and devour as extensively as possible until all resources have been exhausted.

Troll dens are filthy places, led by a matriarchal shamanistic female who has a greater appetite for sentient flesh. This female-led dynamic extended into their faith as well, as each clan attributed their founding to a ancestor known as a great mother. They believe this being is a daughter of the ogre-deity.

Trolls have no language of their own, but speak giant and a guttural mix of common, orcish, goblin, and giant. Any culture they possess is passed down orally, usually kept within a single clan. Communication is often simple assertions for dominance or a mating female presenting a kill, along with a shared meal, to a prospective male.

Personal Commentary:

"All are uncivilized, monstrous creatures with voracious appetites that roam from one area to the next feeding upon whatever they can.” This is the kind of thing that needs to be eliminated. Not practical, not sufficiently interesting, not realistic or relatable.

“Due to the adaptive nature of their physiology, trolls are especially susceptible to mutation. Although it is uncommon, actions taken throughout a troll's life could result in a physical or behavioral change within the same generation.” This also has to go because Lamarck was full of it and that’s not how mutation works.

Time to rework this section into something wild.

Simple social structures that require little in the way of tools or technology works fine, but I do think certain elements are important and seriously do require recognition. First, if trolls wear clothes, paint, have tattoos, any of that at all, they have to be able to make them. That requires organization, some measure of intelligence, and a desire for those things toward a specific end. Even if “clothes” amounts to “a smelly, inexpertly tanned leather loincloth”, that still counts. Second, rope. If rope exists to tie garments on as per the picture, that is also a craft that trolls need to be capable of. To be honest it might even be useful to them if they want to transport prey alive to keep it fresh, if they want to fish, and if they want to construct even a crude form of shelter. The prey-preservation in particular is important since trolls prefer to eat without cooking their food, fire being a weakness of theirs. Even if they are highly resistant to bacteria, there’s a certain level of spoiled no animal’s going to touch and it’s important to maintain restrictions like that for added dramatic tension and risk.

Third, language. Trolls having any measure of oral tradition and capacity to communicate, particularly with non-trolls, is a huge deal. So while they don’t have to be the rocket scientists of the jungle setting, lets not treat them like animals here.

Territorial toward other trolls but not other species is fine. No natural predators is not. Other humanoids exist, coatls certainly exist, this is a fantasy setting full of dangerous shit and trolls are not the apex predator. Height and physical characteristics are fine, but I object to “hair-like growth”. Just call it hair, there’s no need to overcomplicate here. This is “blood orange” all over again.

Arms being long enough to be active inhibitions while running would not be a thing, fantasy DnD evolution would have phased that out. I’d be more open to trolls being knuckle-draggers than tasloi because it’s a major point that trolls are much more limited in their technology/intelligence, and this also reflects their lifestyle practices. Trolls probably move similar to great apes.

If troll limbs are not re-attached within a certain time frame, I think the severed limb should die and the troll-body needs to regenerate over time. Think like geckos with their tails chopped off. I’m not sure if trolls can or should be able to survive without brains or if they are capable of regenerating brains. These are the real questions.

More seriously, trolls probably have interesting ideas about death and distinct funeral rites since they’re so hard to kill once they’re established.

There’s a contradiction between trolls being non-migratory and trolls clearing out an area of all possible prey before moving to a new spot. I think very low-birth rates (anything else would just decimate the population given regenerative abilities), possibly high infant-mortality rates even within low birthrates, and non-migratory behavior all work. Travel presents risk, if a band of trolls knows they have established territory and how to defend their camp then that’s fine.

Other races might consider troll-dens filthy but I bet they don’t poop where they drink. They also probably either clean carcasses of all flesh or dispose of inedible bits. No need to raise risk of disease with spoiled food sitting around.

If there is religion, ideas of a great mother, tradition, and any level of shamanistic practice trolls need at least a little more intelligence as well. I’d go so far as to say there are probably very interesting spiritual chats among trolls. Food preparation (e.g. salting or seasoning) is likely important, making offerings to the deity is likely important, any clothes or shelters or ritual markings are likely important. Different trolls in a band have different jobs to perform, it’s likely very collectivist with shared kills and other resources but these are employed trolls here conducting skilled labor and by god they deserve respect.

Anyway, they probably don’t get along so well with other groups. It wouldn’t surprise me if trolls, while they have a super high threshold for bacteria and things spoiling, have developed immunity to diseases contracted by either cannibalism or consuming species that are too similar biologically. Trolls eating people is too consistent of a theme.

If a troll actually manages to learn Common, that troll is probably very smart and would act as a representative if there was ever a need for relations with other races. This could mean performing labor in exchange for goods and services, since money doesn’t mean much to trolls.

TABAXI: +2 Dexterity, +1 Charisma, Darkvision, Feline Agility, Cat’s Claws, Cat’s Talent.

Official Description:

Tabaxi are taller than most humans at six to seven feet. Their bodies are slender and covered in spotted or striped fur. Like most felines, Tabaxi have long tails and retractable claws. Tabaxi fur color range from light yellow to brownish red. Tabaxi eyes are slit-pupilled and usually green or yellow.

Tabaxi are competent swimmers and climbers as well as speedy runners. They have a good sense of balance and an acute sense of smell.

Tabaxi are a reclusive people who often avoid interaction with other intelligent races. However, as each tabaxi possesses a specific feline trait, some have an innate curiosity that compels them to travel and seek out stories, artifacts, new experiences and knowledge, never remaining in the same place or obsessing over the same piece of lore for too long.

In general, tabaxi do not care for wealth but they have an almost obsessive interest in ancient artifacts, relics and magic items, but not for the items themselves as much as the stories and secrets they hold. Once an item has been thoroughly examined and studied, its secrets revealed, it loses its allure and the tabaxi quickly lose interest and pass it on.

Not all tabaxi are motivated by curiosity to leave their homeland, however. Some find safer ways to satisfy their fleeting obsessions by becoming traveling minstrels and tinkers, often accepting interesting objects and stories as payment for their services.

Tabaxi are exceptional hunters and utilize these skills in combat. Speed and stealth combined with their natural camouflage mean that tabaxi are particularity skilled at surprise attacks. Tabaxi are even known to disguise their scent with aromatic herbs. Their hunting skills and intelligence make them formidable tacticians. Groups often drive prey into ambushes, sometime playing with their doomed foe before killing them. Tabaxi clans do have berserker warriors among them known as blood-stalkers.

For weapons tabaxi favor bolas, slings, macas, and javelins with atlatl. These weapons will often be made from wood, bone or stone. Tabaxi are just as likely to use weapons as they are to use their claws and teeth. Their preference of simple weapons is not due to a lack of capability. Tabaxi are quite capable of adapting to new technology or salvaged weapons.

Due to their knowledge of hunting, intelligence and sense of smell, it is practically impossible to trap a tabaxi.

Tabaxi society is built around clans. Clans are split evenly between males and females with 3 to 12 young. Each clan has several Hunts made up of two to eight individuals each. The Hunts patrol the area around the clan's lair.

Although tabaxi lairs are sometimes just temporary, they’re more often small villages of ramadas. Each ramada is built from wooden poles with grass roofs.

Clans are led by elders. About half of the time, leaders are aided by shamans. Clans tend to avoid each other and do not engage in trade. Tabaxi consider trade to be demeaning but in rare instances use third party agents to trade for them.

Tabaxi have few enemies and only the most degenerate clans attack members of other intelligent species without good reason.

Tabaxi are sometimes hunted for their pelts. Each pelt can be sold for up to 50 gp. Young tabaxi can be sold on the black market for around 225 gp.

Personal Commentary:

I used the official image, but jungle tabaxi probably look more along the lines of this:

Just go full jaguar. It completely makes sense and is culturally/environmentally consistent. Being jaguar-based also means heavier, more muscular bodies. Big cat tabaxi don’t need slit pupils since jaguars don’t have them.

I’m not a fan of “each tabaxi has one feline trait”, it reads bizarre, inconsistent, and arbitrary. Just make them feline, with all the variation in personality that actual cats have. Curiosity being a strong cultural quality works. I’d argue hunting, (occasionally sadistic) play, social grooming, leisure, acrobatics, and physical competition all make sense too.

I tried to hold back talking about the elephant in the room, but both to avoid furry territory and in light of how many young are around at a given time tabaxi probably have eight nipples.

I’m sorry, everyone. If we’re going hardcore serious DnD worldbuilding science this is the life that waits for you.

Stationary versus nomadic tabaxi territory makes sense, weapon preferences make sense, jobs and hunting strategies make sense. Tabaxi bards better be yowling and roaring and making exciting traditional cat sounds though. Also, controversial opinion I think tabaxi probably only bother with clothes if they’re living in a culture dominated by other humanoids. Their fur is great protection and camouflage already, why mess with that?

I don’t think most other groups would be hunting for their pelts or enslaving them in the jungle setting because jaguars were often viewed as sacred historically. Grung probably have no problem doing this but have little need for pelts. Trolls and tasloi might be a different story with skinning. Humans, elves, halflings, and dwarves native to the area I’d be surprised by those activities though. In human and dwarven empires while I suspect tabaxi were still subject to imperialism, they might or might not receive a pass on being used for sacrifice depending on whether it was viewed as a better tribute to the deity or heretical. Tabaxi were probably considered highly desirable as priests or clerics by other races, although those roles might bore them to the point that they’d need to be bribed with great food and various trinkets/finery. Tabaxi in canon have stigma against dwarves with albinism and I don’t mind keeping that as a source of conflict between the two groups.

But yeah. Simple cat people living simple cat lives.

HUMAN: +1 To All Ability Scores, +1 Extra Language.

Official Description:

They have lean bodies and angular features. The men never possess beards.

These humans, as a rule, are strong and intelligent but often lack wisdom in their decisions.

Their culture is largely warlike, and they were the first people in the region to practice human sacrifice. Religion is an important part of day-to-day society. There’s also a strong emphasis on aesthetics over substance. This could mean pyramids with grandiose mosaics and gaudy colors.

Personal Commentary:

Scrap those comments on “gaudy”, “aesthetics over substance”, and “lack wisdom”. These humans align pretty closely with the Aztecs in how they’re set up, and the Aztecs were insanely interesting so I’ll be referencing them a lot in terms of how jungle humans might operate.

Aztecs looked kind of like this:

Meanwhile, their cities looked something like this:

The Aztecs were very into conquest, more than the Mayans were from what I gather. There is a comparison chart here between the two civilizations (although I heard the Mayans were more focused on corn harvests) that might help avoid confusion somewhat. I’ll also be linking other research sources in this and the dwarven section since I’m personally tying humans to Aztecs and dwarves to Mayans. I don’t want to get too far off the DnD focus by splurging on research, so while I’ll provide links I’m mainly going to be discussing more fantasy elements.

Aztec History Lesson #1

Aztec History Lesson #2

One important exerpt:

“The Aztec Artists:

Stone workers who carved statues and other idols

Scribes kept records of events, decrees, and history

Painters of pictographs

Pottery makers used clay shaped by hand

Feather designers making head dresses and other adornments (usually for nobility and rulers). Feathers of brilliant colored tropical birds were used.

The Musicians and Dancers:

Instruments were rattles, whistles, flutes, bells, shells, drums, and trumpets

Dancers were trained at an early age. Every one in the village danced before the gods to honor, beseech, and praise.

The dancers acted out significant acts of the gods in attempts to imitate them.

Costumes were different for different ceremonies. Bright colors, bells, and elaborate feathers often were part of the most important rituals.”

If you’re going with a human bard based in Aztec tradition, rattles, whistles, flutes, bells, shells, drums, and trumpets are all fair game. Dancing is very much fair game, and both music and dancing would be big parts of jungle human society. Stonework, mosaics, scribes (written language existed!), pottery, and so on were also very much part of the setting. IIRC I’ve read that metalwork was not practiced among pre-Columbian Aztecs or Mayans, and wheels were  not generally used either. While artistic license DnD/people can always change this, IMO it makes for some interesting weapons and technology. Leatherwork and woodcarving would be massive industries. Human settlements being based on the banks of canals or rivers makes a lot of sense in light of this too, since it allows for easier transportation of heavy materials.

Jungle-based humans would be run on monarchies, but with high priests/priestesses being comparably high status to that monarch. Worship and the gods would be integral parts of society, and particularly given a human empire would be large and constructed through a combination of trade and conquest the population is high enough to allow for sacrifice provided everything else is running smoothly. Sacrifice, especially if the deities are receptive and can communicate their approval through clerics, could be used both to maintain obedience in conquered groups through fear and to ensure better ventures for the empire, such as harvests or hunts. If the conquered groups still benefit to some degree from sacrifice as absorbed parts of the empire, that reduces the odds of rebellion somewhat... especially if those sacrificed are revolutionaries or criminals. Tithes and rights would probably be different for non-native citizens, but if status elevation is possible through deeds of loyalty or significant contributions to the state that encourages patriotism in newly integrated groups.

Wizards, warlocks, and sorcerers would likely be important not only in combat, but in helping maintain cities and the crops that sustain them. Livestock, too, would be very important given heavy materials are used architecturally.

Because numbers are less of a concern and more resources are at the disposal of a human empire, I think greater flexibility being afforded with respect to gender roles makes sense. There are probably still restrictions on things like when it is acceptable to conceive for example due to health hazards, but artistic license with respect to jobs being based purely on how well a job is performed seems fine. A stable society has more room to experiment. Patriarchal polygamy can be practiced among the nobility, with the patriarchal aspect in place because biologically women can’t conceive and are expected to take it easy for the nine months they’re pregnant. A man, however, could continue making babies and working no problem. The issue in this instance is whether multiple partners would be supported by a single man during the time that they’re pregnant, so only very wealthy, high-status men would be able to support multiple wives and any children those wives had. Most likely the monarch had multiple wives and/or concubines, and some (but not all) nobles would be in similar situations. Common people would be more likely monogamous.

Textiles would be primarily cotton-based for accuracy and because it breathes better than say, wool.

Humans don’t need to have much stigma against other races because they’re approaching any relationship from a position of power. Likely there’s some tension with dwarves since (as I’m setting things up at least) dwarves are a major rival civilization and can compete in terms of resources, manpower, and territory. Yuan-Ti might be considered allies, particularly if there is a shared serpent god a la Quetzalcoatl (granted, Mayan) or if coatls...

...are considered mutually sacred. Grung are likely on their own in terms of allies because they’re so prone to abducting and enslaving other races while holding deep-seated ideas of racial superiority. Any negotiations between humans and grung would likely be dangerous and with little trust lost. Members of less powerful races could be sucked into the empire, but depending on how a given group weighs costs/benefits of being part of the human empire they might have very different opinions about that.

YUAN-TI: +2 Charisma, +1 Intelligence, Darkvision, Innate Spellcasting, Magic Resistance, Poison Immunity.

Official Description:

Yuan-ti call themselves vrael olo (which means "favored ones"). Daily use typically uses the shortened "vrael", and can be modified to "auvrael" (meaning friendly or known yuan-ti) and duthrael (unfriendly or unfamiliar yuan-ti).

In general, the more serpentine features a yuan-ti possesses the higher its status in yuan-ti society. Abominations are at the top of their society, followed by halfblood, and finally purebloods. Within their subraces, yuan-ti are ranked by achievements and the demonstrated favor of their deity.

Whenever possible yuan-ti choose manipulation over open confrontation, the whisper over the fang.

Female yuan-ti lay eggs in brood chambers, mark each clutch with its parentage, then abandon them to the care of broodguards. Yuan-ti hatchlings are hatched from these eggs (which are always curious and eager to explore) and will seek food immediately. Hatchlings will even eat each other if sustenance is not at hand. Initial training and education is provided by broodguards, who monitor the hatchery. Young yuan-ti are trained in the use of their powers shortly after being born. They turn into tiny vipers and slither to the nearest cover when they see danger or hear a warning.

Yuan-ti in their prime will scheme, breed, and work on behalf of their tribes. Breeding is carefully controlled (seen as a holy act) in order to produce the "best" offspring. Prospective partners will coldly measure one another and if both agree that the match is promising, they usually mate, regardless of their personal affections towards each other.

Often elder yuan-ti grow lazy when they reach great age, sleeping or lying in torpor for longer and longer periods - first for days, then weeks, then seasons at a time, then finally years upon years. At last, they fail to wake at all.

Yuan-ti come in several distinct castes or breeds. The three most prevalent are as follows.

Purebloods: Appear mostly human, with minor reptilian features such as slitted eyes, a forked tongue, or patchy scales. They serve as diplomats and infiltrators pretending to be human.

Malison: Humanoid in shape, they have a wide variety of noticeable serpentine features such as a snakelike tail in place of legs, full scales, a cobra hood, a snake's head, and/or snakes in place of arms. Malisons, also called halfbloods, serve as warriors and temple assistants.

Abominations: Almost completely snakelike, with only a few human features, such as arms or a humanoid head. They are the most venerated within the yuan-ti society, serving as clerics or other roles of power.

Personal Commentary:

First, on the record there are too many opportunities to tie things to Quetzalcoatl not to play with Yuan-Ti. I’d even go so far as to say Yuan-Ti and aarakocra should sometimes mix to produce feathered serpent people for maximum aesthetic/sacred value. Second, I deliberately did not include a lot of things like the canon Yuan-Ti idea of divinity and their goal of destroying the world because I don’t think it’s needed or engaging for this setting.

I also think there should be fewer snake-headed yuan-ti within half-bloods because if you have the opportunity to make a naga just fucking do it. Do it for the early-2000′s internet that remembers these things and all of the consequences of that.

I don’t have any major objections to information presented above, but I do think that there should be more influence from actual constrictors in particular. I think I remember them doing bizarre breeding ball activities rather than carefully selected mates and that’s bizarre and unsettling enough for me to say just go for it.

Also, snakes are kind of emotionally odd and don’t exactly experience bonding, morality, and emotions in the same ways that mammals do. This isn’t to say those things don’t exist at all, but it’s worth making a few adjustments so that the less pure a Yuan-Ti is, the more alien their perception and behavior reads.

Basically snakes are weird, it’s okay for Yuan-Ti to be weird too.

Also they are probably, similar to tabaxi, very in demand as priests and other spiritually significant members of human and dwarven societies. I don’t think they hide as much as elves or halflings unless they really want to avoid being brought into an existing empire, but they get some good resources and perks for being brought in (as with tabaxi, less likely to be sacrificed) so it’s not such a bad deal for them. Within Yuan-Ti societies they probably sacrifice more humanoid races and consider it EXTREMELY heretical to sacrifice more serpentine Yuan-Ti. If humans or dwarves are firm demanding sacrifices as tribute it’s going to be purebloods, and Yuan-Ti practicing human sacrifice themselves aren’t going to be choosing their own race or even tabaxi, aarakocra, or grung. They’re picking humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, trolls, tasloi, etc. They might even help humans and dwarves conducting ritual sacrifice provided the victims selected overlap with their preferred victims. Yuan-Ti also probably do have some notions of racial superiority, but it’s a little more subtle in its presentation.

As with other jungle races no wheels, no metals. They probably take steps to make sure they can be kept sufficiently warm as a cool-blooded race. I suspect they have neutral to positive relations with most races in this setting with the exceptions of trolls, grung, and maybe a few tabaxi tribes. They should have consistently positive relationships with aarakocra because again, feathered serpents. This is probably a specifically regional development and has a lot of history.

DWARF: +2 Constitution, Darkvision, Dwarven Resilience, Dwarven Combat Training, Stonecutting.

Official Description:

These shield dwarves are albinos, with white skin and hair coupled with pink eyes. This means that they were very sensitive to the hot sun and therefore only come above ground at night. Otherwise, they are physiologically like most dwarves.

Jungle dwarves are even more somber and grumpy on average than other shield dwarves. They are not especially violent, but they will defend their homes and mines at any cost.

Most dwarves live deep below the earth within one of many mines full of gems, minerals, and ore. They made use of surface animals as transportation and muscle during mining operations. Their culture revolves around the wealth of their subterranean mines, and they are superb craftsmen, particularly when working with gems and precious metals.

Tabaxi superstitions equate the color white with death, so jungle dwarves are often feared.

Personal Commentary:

Like I said for humans, no metalsmithing and no wheels makes for a dramatically different setup where dwarves are concerned. I’m going to go ahead and say the race isn’t purely albino, but does have a significant subpopulation with albinism that is prized as a beauty standard while being associated with luxury/not having to do so much grunt work. Dwarves with albinism would probably be given preferential status as clerics, wizards, or warlocks regardless of class, since they could be of use there while their efforts would be less productive in other areas.

Most cases jungle dwarves likely have a mid-brown or tan complexion and dark hair/eyes. They can still absolutely be nocturnal however, which especially if they are modeled after Mayans gives them more access to reading stars given innovations in astronomy and calendar systems.

Some cultural information about the Mayans:

Mayan History Lesson #1

Mayan History Lesson #2

Mayan History Lesson #3

Mayan History Lesson #4

Further, Mayans looked something like this:

And their cities looked like this:

Important excepts include...

“Most artistic and cultural achievement came about during the Classic period 300 - 900 AD. The Mayans developed a complex, hierarchical society divided into classes and professions. Centralized governments, headed by a king, ruled territories with clearly defined boundaries. These borders changed as the various states lost and gained control over territory.”

“Anthropologists used to contrast the "peaceful" Mayans with the bloodthirsty Aztecs of central Mexico. Although human sacrifice was not as important to the Mayans as to the Aztec, blood sacrifice played a major role in their religion. Individuals offered up their blood, but not necessarily their lives, to the gods through painful methods using sharp instruments such as sting-ray spines or performed ritualistic self mutilation. It is probable that people of all classes shed their blood during religious rites. The king's blood sacrifice was the most valuable and took place more frequently. The Mayans were warlike and raided their neighbors for land, citizens, and captives. Some captives were subjected to the double sacrifice where the victims heart was torn out for the sun and head cut off to pour blood out for the earth.

The Mayan civilization was the height of pre-Columbian culture. They made significant discoveries in science, including the use of the zero in mathematics. Their writing was the only in America capable of expressing all types of thought. Glyphs either represent syllables or whole concepts and were written on long strips of paper or carved and painted on stone. They are arranged to be red from left to right and top to bottom in pairs of columns. The Mayan calendar begins around 3114 BC, before Mayan culture existed, and could measure time well into the future. They wrote detailed histories and used their calendar to predict the future and astrological events.”

“Excavations of Maya sites have unearthed plazas, palaces, temples and pyramids, as well as courts for playing the ball games that were ritually and politically significant to Maya culture. Maya cities were surrounded and supported by a large population of farmers. Though the Maya practiced a primitive type of “slash-and-burn” agriculture, they also displayed evidence of more advanced farming methods, such as irrigation and terracing.

The Maya were deeply religious, and worshiped various gods related to nature, including the gods of the sun, the moon, rain and corn. At the top of Maya society were the kings, or “kuhul ajaw” (holy lords), who claimed to be related to gods and followed a hereditary succession. They were thought to serve as mediators between the gods and people on earth, and performed the elaborate religious ceremonies and rituals so important to the Maya culture.

The Classic Maya built many of their temples and palaces in a stepped pyramid shape, decorating them with elaborate reliefs and inscriptions. These structures have earned the Maya their reputation as the great artists of Mesoamerica. Guided by their religious ritual, the Maya also made significant advances in mathematics and astronomy, including the use of the zero and the development of a complex calendar system based on 365 days. Though early researchers concluded that the Maya were a peaceful society of priests and scribes, later evidence–including a thorough examination of the artwork and inscriptions on their temple walls–showed the less peaceful side of Maya culture, including the war between rival Mayan city-states and the importance of torture and human sacrifice to their religious ritual.

Serious exploration of Classic Maya sites began in the 1830s. By the early to mid-20th century, a small portion of their system of hieroglyph writing had been deciphered, and more about their history and culture became known. Most of what historians know about the Maya comes from what remains of their architecture and art, including stone carvings and inscriptions on their buildings and monuments. The Maya also made paper from tree bark and wrote in books made from this paper, known as codices.”

“By the late 20th century, researchers had concluded that the climate of the lowlands was in fact quite environmentally diverse. Though foreign invaders were disappointed by the region’s relative lack of silver and gold, the Maya took advantage of the area’s many natural resources, including limestone (for construction), the volcanic rock obsidian (for tools and weapons) and salt. The environment also held other treasures for the Maya, including jade, quetzal feathers (used to decorate the elaborate costumes of Maya nobility) and marine shells, which were used as trumpets in ceremonies and warfare.”

“Mayan farmers grew Maize and guords. Maize was the main food of the Mayans which was prepared by the women in a variety of different ways. These included an alcoholic drink called balche, which was sweetened with honey and spiced with bark as well as flat maize cakes in a form of bread which are known today as tortillas. The Mayans also grew avocados, chilli peppers, squash and sweet potatoes.

The Mayans also cleared the forest floor so that small, edible plants could grow. Dogs were the only tame animals of the Mayan people. They raised turkey and honeybees in farms and hunted deer, rabbits and piglike animals. They also fished for shellfish and fish in rivers and the sea.

Chocolate was greatly loved by all Mayans, rich or poor. It was made from cocao and tasted very bitter. In order to sweeten the drink they added honey and chilli for spice. This was mixed with water and sometimes maize. The Mayans were very fussy with their chocolate drink and required froth ontop. In order to do this they would poor the drink from high above the cup or blow on the spout of the pot in order to mix air with the drink.”

Back to dwarves though. I seriously think it’s better to draw from the Mayans in this instance than just going with what DnD plopped down. Strict social hierarchy, strict calendar system, monarchy (possibly all consisting of dwarven aasimar) and high-ranking priest class (similar to humans) but with bloodletting a huge ritualistic practice conducted throughout society as part of standard religious practice. Sacrifice being used specifically with prisoners of war to set an example as offerings also retains historical consistency and makes sense as a means of intimidating enemies while getting DnD-style godly favor.

Temples, astronomical sites, and sports being important to dwarves also fleshes them out beyond stereotypes. Mining would NOT be a major cultural touchstone, particularly without metalsmithing. These would likely be above-ground dwarves whose craft focus manifested more in manipulation of various stones, shells, woods, and leathers. Dwarven cuisine in this region is also probably in-demand.

Physically, while body hair still exists I’d argue that due to the sheer heat and humidity it might be less prevalent compared to other dwarves. Ritual tattoos and scarring make sense, particularly given bloodletting practices. As with humans magic users likely play a prominent role in agriculture and architecture even outside combat. Also similar to humans, polygamy could be practiced among wealthy nobles but was not as prevalent outside that. One major difference that might be fun to utilize for dwarves compared to humans though, there were some cases historically of the Mayans having queens as opposed to kings.

The roles of Mayan women that I think would be worth continuing for dwarven women in the jungle would include bearing and raising children, economics, textiles, government, and religion (e.g. ritual practices). In some areas matrilineal bloodlines were prioritized, so I think that might be fun to do with the monarch since it guarantees the bloodline is pure. That also works if the monarchs are aasimar as per divine representatives. In non-polygamous households unfaithfulness could be fiercely punished by the wife, and in polygamous households there would often be fierce competition between wives.

Overall I think in terms of gender roles there can be a little more fluidity due to societal strength, stability, and influence, but class and profession are probably much more rigid.

There is tension between dwarves and humans, but dwarves have a more consistently positive relationship with yuan-ti and aarakocra due to heightened spiritual reverence for feathered serpent deities, coupled with their aasimar. Other races have similar dynamics to dwarves as they do to humans, but fear associated with the color white probably does create greater tension with tabaxi in particular. Grung having caste so strictly color coded might have slightly higher regard for albino dwarves due to the class specialization they tend to receive.

BONUS:

AARAKOCRA: +2 Dexterity, +1 Wisdom, Flight, Talons.

Official Description:

Aarakocras resemble humanoid birds. The average specimen stands about 5 ft (1.5 m) tall and has a wingspan of 20 ft (6.1 m). Halfway along the edge of each wing is a hand with three human-sized fingers and an opposable thumb. An elongated fourth finger extends the length of the wing and locks in place during flight. The hands can’t grasp while flying, but they are nearly as useful as human hands when an aarakocra is perched and its wings folded back. Their powerful legs end in four sharp talons that can unlock and fold back to reveal another pair of functional hands. These humanoids have hollow, fragile bones. Their faces combine the features of both parrots and eagles. They have gray-black beaks and black eyes. Plumage color varies, but males generally have red, orange, and yellow coloration, while females tend towards brown and gray.

Aarakocras live among the highest mountain peaks in small tribes that control hunting territories and share a communal nest. The eldest male serves as leader, assisted by the tribe's shaman. Aarakocras are known to be extremely claustrophobic.

Personal Commentary:

Why use parrots and eagles when you can use quetzals?

These birds are in the area and were commonly used to adorn clothing for Mayans and Aztecs. They’re pretty and distinct, too.

I don’t think wings-as-hands are necessary or make sense here. If the aarakocra has a twenty foot wingspan and halfway up that is where the fingers are located, the aarakocra has 10 foot long arms. It’s not useful. Just give them six limbs like an angel.

No mountain peaks in this jungle, and I don’t think communal nests are needed at all. There’s an opportunity to seriously, SERIOUSLY play with nest architecture here and I don’t see why that should be passed up. Probably there are also nest-structures for various aarakocra craftsmen, spellcasters, and spiritual leaders.

Aarakocra bards are probably fantastic, it’s all birdsong. They probably do well with bows and swords too because if their hands are free while flying they get different distance, speed, and position advantages. As a disadvantage, these are big bird people flying in an area full of trees so they can’t always reach maximum speed.

Aarakocra, like tabaxi and Yuan-Ti, are likely very desirable as priests for humans and dwarves. Like I mentioned for Yuan-Ti, I think they have consistent positive relations with Yuan-Ti and do sometimes crossbreed to form feathered serpent people.

Quetzals feed on fruits, berries, insects and small vertebrates like frogs. I’m going to say aarakocra are the only race to have developed immunity to grung poison, and they sometimes do eat them. Whether this constitutes cannibalism is up for debate. I think aarakocra also probably fish a great deal, cultivate fruit trees, and feed on other fauna in the area.

Thank you for reading, congratulations if you’ve gotten this far, and feel free to offer suggestions/critique!

[cool-cillian-murphy]

E-book Reader Market Update - 3 Reasons 2021 Could Be The Year Of Great Turnaround

Latest Research Study on Global E-book Reader Market published by AMA, offers a detailed overview of the factors influencing the global business scope. E-book Reader Market research report shows the latest market insights with upcoming trends and breakdown of the products and services. The report provides key statistics on the market status, size, share, growth factors, Challenges and Current Scenario Analysis of the E-book Reader. This Report also covers the emerging player’s data, including: competitive situation, sales, revenue and global market share of top manufacturers are Kindle [United States],Samsung [South Korea],Kobo [Canada],Sony [Japan],Apple [United States],iReader [China],Hanvon [China],Asus [Taiwan],Amazon [United States],Google [United States],JDRead [China],BOOX [Italy]. Brief Summary of E-book Reader: An E-book reader is a device that is designed mainly for the reading books in digital form. These devices optimize readability, portability and battery life to suit the readers need. Students and business professional readers are expected to generate considerable demand for e-books. With internet availability on the go, e-readers can excess variety of books and easily find the meaning of words they are unaware about which makes the reading convenience. Free Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @ : https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/6592-global-e-book-reader-market E-book Reader Market Report offers a detailed overview of this market and discusses the dominant factors affecting the growth of the market. The impact of Porter's five armies on the market over the next few years has been discussed for a long time in this study. We will also forecast global market size and market outlook over the next few years. Types of Products, Applications and E-book Reader Market Report Geographical Scope taken as the Main Parameter for Market Analysis. This Research Report Conducts an assessment of the industry chain supporting this market. It also provides accurate information on various aspects of this market, such as production capacity, available production capacity utilization, industrial policies affecting the manufacturing chain and market growth. The Global E-book Reader Market segments and Market Data Break Down are illuminated below: by Type (Electronic Ink Screen, LCD Screen), Application (Ages <18, Ages 18-35, Ages 36-50, Ages >50) What's Trending in Market: Growing Number of Women Readers

Rising Online Fiction Book Sales

Audio-books are Gaining Traction Among E-readers

Challenges: Inconveniency in Reading Especially Among Older Age People

Need to Charge the Battery of the Devices Frequently

Restraints: Privacy and Copyright Issue

Cause of Eyestrain Due to Prolong Reading

Market Growth Drivers: Increasing Availability of Free E-books

Rising Internet Penetration and Digitalization

Changing Reading Preferences of Millennial Region Included are: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Oceania, South America, Middle East & Africa

Country Level Break-Up: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, South Africa, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Germany, United Kingdom (UK), the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Turkey, Russia, France, Poland, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Australia and New Zealand etc. Enquire for customization in Report @: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/enquiry-before-buy/6592-global-e-book-reader-market Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of Global E-book Reader Market:

Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the E-book Reader market

Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary – the basic information of the E-book Reader Market.

Chapter 3: Displaying the Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges & Opportunities of the E-book Reader

Chapter 4: Presenting the E-book Reader Market Factor Analysis, Post COVID Impact Analysis, Porters Five Forces, Supply/Value Chain, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent/Trademark Analysis.

Chapter 5: Displaying the by Type, End User and Region/Country 2015-2020

Chapter 6: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the E-book Reader market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company Profile

Chapter 7: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by Manufacturers/Company with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regions (2021-2026)

Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source Finally, E-book Reader Market is a valuable source of guidance for individuals and companies in their decision framework. Data Sources & Methodology The primary sources involves the industry experts from the Global E-book Reader Market including the management organizations, processing organizations, analytics service providers of the industry’s value chain. All primary sources were interviewed to gather and authenticate qualitative & quantitative information and determine the future prospects. In the extensive primary research process undertaken for this study, the primary sources – Postal Surveys, telephone, Online & Face-to-Face Survey were considered to obtain and verify both qualitative and quantitative aspects of this research study. When it comes to secondary sources Company's Annual reports, press Releases, Websites, Investor Presentation, Conference Call transcripts, Webinar, Journals, Regulators, National Customs and Industry Associations were given primary weight-age. Get More Information: https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/reports/6592-global-e-book-reader-market What benefits does AMA research studies provides?

·        Supporting company financial and cash flow planning

·        Latest industry influencing trends and development scenario

·        Open up New Markets

·        To Seize powerful market opportunities

·        Key decision in planning and to further expand market share

·        Identify Key Business Segments, Market proposition & Gap Analysis

·        Assisting in allocating marketing investments

Definitively, this report will give you an unmistakable perspective on every single reality of the market without a need to allude to some other research report or an information source. Our report will give all of you the realities about the past, present, and eventual fate of the concerned Market.

Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia. About Author:

Advance Market Analytics is Global leaders of Market Research Industry provides the quantified B2B research to Fortune 500 companies on high growth emerging opportunities which will impact more than 80% of worldwide companies' revenues.

Our Analyst is tracking high growth study with detailed statistical and in-depth analysis of market trends & dynamics that provide a complete overview of the industry. We follow an extensive research methodology coupled with critical insights related industry factors and market forces to generate the best value for our clients. We Provides reliable primary and secondary data sources, our analysts and consultants derive informative and usable data suited for our clients business needs. The research study enable clients to meet varied market objectives a from global footprint expansion to supply chain optimization and from competitor profiling to M&As. Contact Us:

Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager) AMA Research & Media LLP Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ New Jersey USA – 08837 Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218

sales@advancemarketanalytics.com

  Connect with us at

https://www.linkedin.com/company/advance-market-analytics

https://www.facebook.com/AMA-Research-Media-LLP-344722399585916

https://twitter.com/amareport

[clementine-lominsan]

The Age of Trump

2016-02-27

ELIOT A. COHEN http://www.the-american-interest.com/2016/02/26/the-age-of-trump/ How on earth did this happen?  Some, like Robert Kagan, think it is solely the result of a prolonged self-poisoning of the Republican Party. A number of shrewd writers—David Frum, Tucker Carlson, Ben Domenech, Charles Murray, and Joel Kotkin being among the best—have probed deeper. Not surprisingly, they are all some flavor of conservative. On the liberal (or, as they say now, progressive) end of the spectrum the reaction has been chiefly one of smugness (“well, that’s what the Republicans are, we knew it all along”), schadenfreude (“pass the popcorn”), and chicken-counting (“now we can get a head start on Hillary’s first Inaugural”). Their insouciance will be stripped away if Trump becomes the nominee and turns his cunning, ferocity, and charm on an inept, boring politician trailing scandals as old as dubious investments with a 1,000 percent return and as fresh as a homebrew email server. He might lose. He might, however, very well tear her to pieces. Clearly, he relishes the prospect, because he despises the politicians he has bought over the years. The conservative analysts offer a number of arguments—a shifting class structure, liberal overreach in social policy, existential anxiety about the advent of a robot-driven economy, the stagnation since the Great Recession, and more. They note (as most liberal commentators have yet to do) Trump’s formidable political skills, including a visceral instinct for detecting and exploiting vulnerability that has been the hallmark of many an authoritarian ruler. These insights are all to the point, but they do not capture one key element. Moral rot. Politicians have, since ancient Greece, lied, pandered, and whored. They have taken bribes, connived, and perjured themselves. But in recent times—in the United States, at any rate—there has never been any politician quite as openly debased and debauched as Donald Trump. Truman and Nixon could be vulgar, but they kept the cuss words for private use. Presidents have chewed out journalists, but which of them would have suggested that an elegant and intelligent woman asking a reasonable question was dripping menstrual blood? LBJ, Kennedy, and Clinton could all treat women as commodities to be used for their pleasure, but none went on the radio with the likes of Howard Stern to discuss the women they had bedded and the finer points of their anatomies. All politicians like the sound of their own names, but Roosevelt named the greatest dam in the United States after his defeated predecessor, Herbert Hoover. Can one doubt what Trump would have christened it? That otherwise sober people do not find Trump’s insults and insane demands outrageous (Mexico will have to pay for a wall! Japan will have to pay for protection!) says something about a larger moral and cultural collapse. His language is the language of the comments sections of once-great newspapers. Their editors know that the online versions of their publications attract the vicious, the bigoted, and the foulmouthed. But they keep those comments sections going in the hope of getting eyeballs on the page. Winston Churchill recalls in his memoir how as a young man he came to terms with hypocrisy, discovering the “enormous and unquestionably helpful part that humbug plays in the social life of a great people.” Inconsistency between public virtue and private vice is not altogether a bad thing. No matter how nasty the realities are, maintaining respectable appearances, minding the civilities, and adhering to the conventions is part of what keeps civilization going. The current problem goes beyond excruciatingly bad manners. What we increasingly lack, and have lacked for some time, is a sense of the moral underpinning of republican (small r) government. Manners and morals maintain a free state as much as laws do, as Tocqueville observed long ago, and when a certain culture of virtue dies, so too does something of what makes democracy work. Old-fashioned words like integrity, selflessness, frugality, gravitas, and modesty rarely rate a mention in modern descriptions of the good life—is it surprising that they don’t come up in politics, either? William James, a pacifist who understood this point, argued in “The Moral Equivalent War” that “intrepidity, contempt of softness, surrender of private interest, obedience to command must still remain the rock upon which states are built—unless, indeed, we wish for dangerous reactions against commonwealths fit only for contempt.” Just so. Trump might have become a less upsetting figure if he had not wriggled through the clutches of the draft in the 1960s. Trump’s rise is only one among many signs that something has gone profoundly amiss in our popular culture. It is related to the hysteria that has swept through many campuses, as students call for the suppression of various forms of free speech and the provision of “safe spaces” where they will not be challenged by ideas with which they disagree. The rise of Trump and the fall of free speech in academia are equal signs that we are losing the intellectual sturdiness and honesty without which a republic cannot thrive. There are other traces of rot. They can be seen in the excuses that political leaders and experts have begun to make as they cozy up to Trump. Like French bureaucrats in the age of Vichy, or Italian aristocrats in the age of Mussolini, they are already saying things like: “I can make it less bad,” “He’s different in private,” “He has his good points,” “He is evolving,” and “Someone has to do the work of government.” Of course, some politicians—Chris Christie, that would be you—simply skip the pretense and indulge in spite or opportunism as the mood takes them. This is not the first age in which politicians have taken morally disgraceful positions, even by the standards of their time. In the 1950s and 1960s there were flagrant bigots in Congress. But many of them were in other ways public spirited—think Senator Richard Russell of Georgia, for example, who presided with dignity over the Senate Armed Services Committee for nearly two decades. Lyndon Johnson may not have opposed the evils of his time forthrightly, but he used the full extent of his wiliness to break through the institutionalized discrimination of the South. The villainy of today takes softer forms, but it is pervasive—politicians swallow their principles (such as they are) and endorse a candidate they despise, turn on a judge they once praised, denounce the opposition for behavior identical to their own, or press their branch’s prerogatives and rules to the Constitutional limit, and beyond. The rot is cultural. It is no coincidence that Trump was the star of a “reality” show. He is the beneficiary of an amoral celebrity culture devoid of all content save an omnipresent lubriciousness. He is a kind of male Kim Kardashian, and about as politically serious. In the context of culture, if not (yet) politics, he is unremarkable; the daily entertainments of today are both tawdry and self-consciously, corrosively ironic. Ours is an age when young people have become used to getting news, of a sort, from Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert, when an earlier generation watched Walter Cronkite and David Brinkley. It is the difference between giggling with young, sneering hipsters and listening to serious adults. Go to YouTube and look at old episodes of Profiles in Courage, if you can find them—a wildly successful television series based on the book nominally authored by John F. Kennedy, which celebrated an individual’s, often a politician’s, courage in standing alone against a crowd, even a crowd with whose politics the audience agreed. The show of comparable popularity today is House of Cards. Bill Clinton has said that he loves it. American culture is, in short, nastier, more nihilistic, and far less inhibited than ever before. It breeds alternating bouts of cynicism and hysteria, and now it has given us Trump. The Republican Party as we know it may die of Trump. If it does, it will have succumbed in part because many of its leaders chose not to fight for the Party of Lincoln, which is a set of ideas about how to govern a country, rather than an organization clawing for political and personal advantage. What is at stake, however, is something much more precious than even a great political party. To an extent unimaginable for a very long time, the moral keel of free government is showing cracks. It is not easy to discern how we shall mend them.

[elleharperbcu]

Critical Thinking Lectures 2

During this lecture we discussed what the future holds and how the prediction of current social changes impact on fashion & textiles.

Today's objective we are going to start to investigate current social factors, and we will try to predict the impact that these drivers will have on the future of fashion and textiles.

The key causes of changes to the industry are: Sustainability, consumerism, innovation, division of wealth, social media, politics & power.

Politics and power - As a group we spoke about the most powerful people in the world. We decided that governments are the most powerful. A government is an institution where leaders exercise power to make and enforce laws. A government's basic functions are providing leadership, maintaining order, providing public services, providing national security, providing economic security, and providing economic assistance.

WATCHMOJO.COM said that the following people are the most powerful people in the world:

Xi Jinping: China’s president

Vladimir Putin: Russia’s president

Angela Merkel: German Chancellor since 2005. Compassionate leader. Powerful lead over European Union’s.

Pope Francis: Fairly progressive leader; pro women & spoke in favor of LGBT community

Donald Trump: Massive following, continued to make headlines.

Jeff Bezos: Founder of Amazon. Worlds richest person.

Bill Gates: Microsoft Founder high profile. Charitable trusts (reported a wealth of 120 billion).

Larry Page: Co-Founder of Google (reported a wealth of 78 billion) 6.9 million searches on google every Fay.

Narendra Modi: India’s longest serving prime minister.

Mark Zuckerburg: Founder of Facebook.

1 Xi Jinping (General secretary to China’s communist party) 2nd largest economy and inhabited country

Amended constitution to broaden his power, scrapped term limits

���Chinese Dream - personal & national ideals for the advancement of Chinese society” Ewalt, D (2018)

2 Valdimir Putin (Ruled since 2000 4 terms)

Putin set up constitutional changes allowing him to remain in power in Russia beyond 2024

FBI investigation ref influencing Trump’s presidential campaign Trump

Europe is dependent on Russia’s oil and gas supplies

Nationalistic focus

Rise of wealth and standard of living

Stamped out democracy – controls media, critics and journalists of opposition have been killed

“Socially Conservative” negative regarding homosexuality according to Wikipedia (2019)

3 Trump Zurcher, A BBC (2018)

Immigration: closed border to some Muslim countries & building a wall between America & Mexico

Healthcare: repealing Obamacare

Environment; reduction in commitment, to save USA costs

Intention to make America a great nation by increased infrastructure, reducing imports whilst expanding exports

Huge following

Division & Wealth

Global inequality = poverty and social conflict

The richest 1% of the world is twice as wealthy as the poorest 50%. The world richest 1% have more than twice as much wealth as 6.9 billion people, almost half of humanity is living on less than $5.50 a day. Global inequality causes poverty and social injustice. The inequality may affect the fashion industry as not everyone will have the chance to study fashion, due to not having the money or opportunity.

Consumerism:

The rise of fast fashion: As online clothing sales increase during the rise of Covid-19, our unsustainable habit is proving hard to stop. This shows that even the pandemic couldn't solve the fast fashion issue. Online clothing sales in August were up 97% versus 2016 consumer's mindset is returning to unsustainable habits. Boohoo's profit increased by 50% during the pandemic, despite the factory scandal. The Boohoo supplier was involved in 'multi-million-pound' fraud scheme. Leicester clothing factories with links to Boohoo and Select Fashion have been involved in a “multi-million pound” money laundering and VAT fraud scandal, an investigation has found.

Sustainable Fashion:

The Global Goals for Sustainable Development:

“These goals have the power to create a better world by 2030, by ending poverty, fighting inequality and addressing the urgency of climate change. Guided by the goals, it is now up to all of us, governments, businesses, civil society and the general public to work together to build a better future for everyone.” Global Goals 2020 

The pandemic has definitely grown the understanding for sustainable fashion.

Innovation: 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) - the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. Rouse, M 2018. 

Robotic technology - the use of computer-controlled robots to perform manual tasks. If AI and robotic technology could equate to massive job cuts, i.e. Amazon are already testing drones to complete unmanned delivers to customers, this will mean many people will lose their jobs. The cost of producing and maintaining these machines and this new updated technology may mean people who are already not being paid fairly will be paid even less. If robots are used in war there is nothing stopping robots from being able to design fashion. 

How AI is transforming the fashion industry?

Chatbots 24/7 fashion advisors 

Analysis of social media conversations

Forecasting - AI being used to plan the nest trends

Real time data analysis to assist retailers 

Stocking systems - what to keep in stock and restock 

Khaite merged AR, film and traditional mediums, sending presentation boxes to editors and buyers, including lookbooks and fabric samples with QR codes revealing fashion films and AR 3D renderings of their new shoes.

Farra. E. Vogue Runway 2020 This Is the First Augmented Reality Experiment of Spring 2021

https://www.vogue.com/article/khaite-spring-2021-augmented-reality-experience 

Social Media

Social media is very important to have when starting your own brand, it is an easy way to grow connections and loyal customers by promoting your business online. However social media also has its dark side. The documentary The Social Dilemma on Netflix taught me this. “If you are not paying for the product you are the product”. Social media uses persuasive technology to manipulate the product/ people. Technology engineers use addiction & manipulation psychology to control the user. The user is controlled to look at more adds to get more money. Social media is a drug. 

How are we being manipulated? 

Everything online or on social media is watched, recorded and monitored building a model of each of us - to enable the technology to predict what we will do & how we will behave. 

Machine learning algorithms that are getting better & better so that they can engage humans on social media more & more; learning from our internet searches to suggest the next leading topic...leading us down the rabbit hole. 

Technique have been designed to get people to use their phones more i.e. likes, photo tapping, notifications etc... 

We were asked to type into google “climate change is” we all have different results based on our individual algorithms that have been developed by the platforms. 

What can we do ?

Products need to be designed humanly.

We have a responsibility to change what we built.

People (users) are not a product resource. 

Introduce more laws around digital privacy. 

Introduce a tax for data collection.

Reform so don’t destroy the news.

Turn off notifications. 

Don’t use social media after 9pm.

Always do an extra google search - double check your resources.

Don’t follow just follow suggestions. 

How does the fashion industry use social media? 

For the fashion industry, social media has brought connectedness, innovation, and diversity to the industry. Instagram, for example, functions as a live magazine, always updating itself with the best, most current trends while allowing users to participate in fashion rather than just watch from afar. People are influenced by social media when it comes to there fashion through trendsetters like, celebrities and fashion influencers. 

Although social media has many positives, there is also many dangers that comes from it as well. People become obsessed and addicted to social media, always needing to post and show off everything they are doing. Everything people post on social media is mainly the best parts of their lives making people who have struggles feel even worse. Especially for the young generation there is a need for having the most followers, likes and comments and if you don’t you’re not ‘popular’. Due to social media the younger generation mainly compare themselves and their lives to the ‘perfect’ people they see on social media, which is not the reality. It is all a lie, everyone has good and bad parts to their lives but no one shows the negative sides on social media. This is what creates a depressed generation. Everyone then just hides behind screens wishing they were someone else which then leads to jealousy and evilness. Most trolls on social media are those who are just jealous of the love and support these high followed people on social media receive and the high quality of life they live but what they don’t see is the bad side to these people's lives that is not shown half the time.

[fateshaped-a]

► EVERYONE HAS POTENTIAL ! ! ! ‘70s

    Established back in 1970 as an underground club for SPECIAL PEOPLE // GIFTED BEINGS & THOSE WHO FELL OUTSIDE THE ‘NORMALITY’ the man under the codename LAZARUS had a clear message ; “ everyone has potential. Striving to build a bridge between humanity and the reality, he fought diplomatically for the sake of their right to co-exist among humans, people, though his efforts were frowned upon. Lazarus wanted noting more than for people to be able to embrace their nature, gifts and heritage, for those who fell out to come back in and feel acknowledged; seen as a crazy man many drew away from his ideas, though some heard his words and sought him out. From all sorts of states, north to south, people crowded the small underground base. It started out as a group, club, with the purpose of making people feel like they belonged somewhere. A safety spot for people.

    Something Lazarus himself never had.

    The club’s original members consisted of a small gathering of ten individuals, all with various powers that included foresight, super human strength, super human speed as well as great intelligence. It was a club made in order to create a sense of safety in an already unstable world, though one that eventually got a greater purpose. Equally made up of men, women as well as non-binary, Lazarus embarked on the journey of trying to make them all fit in somehow.

    Cue the volunteer work. Engaging in various volunteer work, such as charity work, they began approaching humanity through the one perk everyone knew; kindness. By showing that they wanted to help and that their nature was ‘pure’ Lazarus figured it’d be easier to pass the ‘expectations’ from regular humans. His idea wasn’t wrong, nor was it correct. Each time one tried to use their abilities for the sake of good there would be more negative outcomes than positive ones, people often threatening to call the police and report them for scams. In addition some people threatened to capture and call the military as the members held ‘superhuman abilities’ that went beyond regular skills. Lazarus would have none of their opposing threats, which was why he told everyone to pick out a Nickname for themselves. This way they wouldn’t be able to track down the members by name.

    The names of the original ten was: Lazarus ( 28 ), Mint ( 21 ), Theorin ( 18 ), Wünder ( 45 ), Hamlet ( 59 ), Apollo ( 20 ), Quicktime ( 32 ), Seven ( 19 ), Florence ( 25 ) & Timian ( 29 ). Their backgrounds were rather different as some came from great homes with great education, some having struggled and others having come from a ‘hybrid’ past. What they all had in common were abilities exceeding the regular human kind, their nature unique in the fact that they possessed some sort of gift. Lazarus, the creator, held the ability to manipulate blood, an unfortunate gift he had discovered during his nursing program where he accidentally clogged up the veins of a person whose vein popped during surgery. The gift got him in touch with the head doctors of the hospital, though they didn’t want him for their own sake — but for money. His talent was favored and envied, seen as a miracle but also as leverage. The hospital put Lazarus up for auction in secret whilst performing various tests to figure out what he was capable of. He could stop and start hearts of people, all while controlling the blood. It was a marvel, but also that a curse that nearly got him killed.

    Lazarus had enough. He left. The purpose of a gifted should not be a used as a matter of currency, but as a means of good, hence the club’s original catchphrase; everyone has potential ! ! !

►A HERO LIKE THAT // HEAD OF THE LAW . ‘90s

     Ten multiplied over the years, and soon it turned into fifty; some came and left with the years, as people passed away but also decided to pursue a new purpose of life. Lazarus, however, remained firm in his position as the founder as his child grew into a much more acknowledged community. Over the years it became more serious. Applications was added as people now had to apply to join his group ; it was no longer fit for everyone as people needed some sort of proper gift in order to be welcomed. This was implemented due to the large amount of regular humans who simply wanted to be a part of the moving organization --- that, and there were dishonest people that wanted to learn about the ‘secrets’ many accused Lazarus of keeping to himself. He was accused for performing experiments on the members, feeding them drugs, to be actors and that he exposed them to heavy radiation; all lies and slander, Lazarus held his head high and kept on going. His main goal was still to make sure that everyone had a safe haven, but how it had taken on a greater audience --- he wanted to make sure that everyone felt safe. Just like Batman and Superman, only less destructive. 

    The 90′s were the golden years of the organization, simply known as ‘G.I’ back then ( gifted individuals ). Going from a independent organization to an organized one, Lazarus signed a plea with several of the local police forces and courthouses ; it was a small step, but it was the start of an overwhelming project. Some claimed him to be the modern Professor Xavier, though others saw him as a mad genius heading towards power. He was feared and loved by many people, some wanting him dead than alive. 

    G.I develops and it takes on a building that is transformed into somewhat of an academy, clinic as well as agency. There are dorms built for the runaways who seek comfort in the community, but also rooms for those who had to leave family behind in order to seek out the group. Education systems are implemented as well in order to provide the younger ones education as they work on developing their skill, some simply in dire need of help to control their power. Lazarus enjoys taking in people and he thrives as he watches his community growing. They achieve trust from the law, the term ‘hero’ becoming more and more familiar for those enrolled and involved with the group. Needless to say, they are something like heroes. 

    Fighting crime and assisting wherever they can, G.I becomes a useful resource to the law and they are eager to help them expand. The offer is declined, Lazarus wanting the headquarter to be located at one specific location, making sure that everyone know where home is. 

    Lazarus is shot in ‘98 as an opposing activist makes their way into the building, seeking him out to ‘make him pay for his crimes’. The shooter is caught with a stroke, Lazarus having taken a bullet to the head. Leaving the shooter with an aneurysm, Lazarus fought but chose to die --- the shooter turned out to be a relative of a former hero, someone whose life was lost during a mission. Lazarus felt their pain and decided to let them do what they needed to do. It relieved him of his own pains and trauma, his power having begun to affect him negatively; he had once managed to stop his own blood, nearly causing himself to faint due to lung malfunction. 

     The organization was then left in care of Apollo and Seven, the two making the decision that it was time to expand to smaller organizations --- not to spite Lazarus, but to provide with safety for those who wouldn’t be able to afford seeking them out.  

     Lazarus’ name is listed as Unavailable in the Hero Application papers, alongside Quicktime and Hamlet. All for various reasons, but with the same purpose --- not to be worn by other, upcoming heroes. Another law is also implemented : One can no longer use nicknames / aliases such as those who are in command due to confusion. G.I also officially changes name to T.S.A --- True Super Agents in order to make it known that they are not another bunch of agents, but the unique kind that does more than carry guns and hold up badges. 

►1-3-3 WONDERS OF THE WORLD . modern era .

     Superheroes is a common term, and it becomes even more common over the years. More and more people tend to show tendencies of gifts and some are raised within the education system. They graduate to be lawful workers, people with insight in laws of all sorts of divisions depending on their power. Some become firefighters, others following the ‘true hero’ branch which involves a prominent position with the local law enforcement. This branch allows some specific individuals to work side by side by the most modern headhunters, trackers and crime fighters there is; they receive gun training if needed, some taking on bomb squad missions as well. There are jobs for everyone and the agency is blossoming as the years move on ; unfortunate events only bring more opportunities to them as they constantly expand their branches. They keep a close contract with the military, too, in order to function as a source for upcoming war heroes. It’s a great advancement, and they are no longer in the society’s shadow. Having stepped into the light, they now hold a prominent place in society as many kids dream of becoming a hero --- something only people with gifts are capable of. It’s still a firm rule in the book; 

     ‘ All Applicants Must Be In Possession Of A Gift In Order For The Application To Count. The Applicant’s Gift Shall Be Tested. '

     It helps the agency to keep a track of their members, though not everyone agrees with the rule. Some see it as a way of ‘separating’ people from ‘mutants’. To the school it’s a vital part --- not everyone is cut out to be a hero, much like not everyone is cut out to be doctor. Being a full time job, it requires a lot of physical and psychological aspects of those who apply. They need to have high scores when it comes to understanding of the law, as well as a high level of control over their power. The agency can only do so much, the rest is left to the applicants.

     T.S.A is still undergoing development as they plan to reach out to Europe, stepping outside of America, Mexico and Canada in order to seek out new potentials. They aim to have Seven headquarters located in the world, a dedication to their former leader, Seven ( who retired due to exhaustion and trauma ); they aim to become the new seven wonders of the world, hence their emergency number 1-3-3. 

Essential trivia for the modern T.S.A :

Applicants must be above the age of 15 and have consent from their parents approving their attendance to the agency. If no parents are present they will need approval from their legal guardian, or the ones in care of the applicant.

The courses vary from one-two year course with possibility of a branch ( adding an additional course in order to develop further ), to the longest being a ten year course. The longest course is known as the ‘pure heroism’ course where the applicant undergoes strict training and teaching. It has a balance of hero practice and studying where a lot of the hours goes into research and experiments of all sorts of natures.

It’s not a school, it’s a practical and theoretical program aiming to develop resources of the law ; they are basically trained to be ‘weapons’ for the government. 

Applicants are not exposed to practical tests until they are of age ( 18 ) due to the violence they encounter. T.S.A aims to protect children from the harm found in the branch for as long as they can. 

T.S.A also encourages a background with charity work as they are on the lookout for people who have the time and energy to help others for the greater good, as well for free as they won’t earn money during their period ( all expenses at the agency, however, are paid by the agency --- those who live there receive free housing, meals and whatnot ). If they receive work during their practical exercises the employer is put in charge of paying the hero.

original content . do not copy , borrow or take without permission . names linked with the X-Men series do not belong to me, nor do i claim to own the franchise . i do , however , own the story revolving the said jab .

[go-redgirl]

Border Patrol Chief: 330 Miles of Wall Up By End of 2020 Newsmax ^ | Aug. 12, 2019 | Sandy Fitzgerald

More than 330 miles of new "border wall capability" will be in place by the end of 2020, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost said Monday, noting that repairs to the wall in the San Diego area bring the current total to "57 miles that we have put in."

An additional 47 miles is under contract. Provost told Fox News' "Fox and Friends."

(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com

TOPICS: US: Arizona; US: California; US: New Mexico; US: Texas KEYWORDS: borderwall; immigration; mexico

__________________________________________________________________

INDIVIDUALS/COMMENTS/COMMENTS:

There are several ways of counting the miles: Completed, or including those miles on contract, and too late to stop?

DHS projects only, or including DoD projects?

The bottom line is that we are now off to the races building border barrier.

On Friday, San Diego was completely walled off from Mexico. That is changing the reality there. Increasingly, we are going to see that again and again. Formerly high crime areas being pacified. We started this year building about a half mile per week, but before the end of this year we will be building about a half mile per day. A lot more crews will be working at the same time, in every state along the border.

Top of the line wall system, where it is most needed first.

1 posted on 8/12/2019, 2:35:37 PM by BeauBo

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: BeauBo The way to count the new miles of new border wall is what has transitioned from an ineffective section to the new design.

The mainstream alphabet media seems to want to say if there was chicken wire before and then a new wall went up it does not count.

I am so sick of the ABCNBCCBSFOXMSNBCNYTWP propaganda machine.

3 posted on 8/12/2019, 2:39:32 PM by gunsequalfreedom

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: BeauBo Several FReepers have complained in here about President Trump’s promise to build a wall not happening...

For one thing, does anyone think the Lame Stream Media is going to report how much wall is being built???

For another, replacing old broken strands of rusty barbed wire and small wooden posts with substantial barriers IS building a wall...

With all the interference and liberal leftist obstruction that our President has faced on this issue, I think he’s done a great job so far...

In other words, I really don’t give a crap about all the negativity I’ve seen in here from a few hand wringers...

5 posted on 8/12/2019, 2:46:09 PM by JBW1949 (I'm really PC.....Patriotically Correct)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: morphing libertarian I am satisfied with the job that he’s doing...The wall isn’t the ONLY thing he has to do...

And I have no problem with castigating those who seem to think he is a “King” and can do whatever he (or they) wish...

I have posted his accomplishments since taking office before, but here they are for you one more time:

Economic Growth

4.2 percent growth in the second quarter of 2018. For the first time in more than a decade, growth is projected to exceed 3 percent over the calendar year.

Jobs

4 million new jobs have been created since the election, and more than 3.5 million since Trump took office. More Americans are employed now than ever before in our history. Jobless claims at lowest level in nearly five decades. The economy has achieved the longest positive job-growth streak on record. Job openings are at an all-time high and outnumber job seekers for the first time on record. Unemployment claims at 50 year low African-American, Hispanic, and Asian-American unemployment rates have all recently reached record lows.

African-American unemployment hit a record low of 5.9 percent in May 2018.

Hispanic unemployment at 4.5 percent.

Asian-American unemployment at record low of 2 percent.

Women’s unemployment recently at lowest rate in nearly 65 years. Female unemployment dropped to 3.6 percent in May 2018, the lowest since October 1953.

Youth unemployment recently reached its lowest level in more than 50 years.

July 2018’s youth unemployment rate of 9.2 percent was the lowest since July 1966.

Veterans’ unemployment recently hit its lowest level in nearly two decades. July 2018’s veterans’ unemployment rate of 3.0 percent matched the lowest rate since May 2001.

Unemployment rate for Americans without a high school diploma recently reached a record low. Rate for disabled Americans recently hit a record low. Blue-collar jobs recently grew at the fastest rate in more than three decades. Poll found that 85 percent of blue-collar workers believe their lives are headed “in the right direction.” 68 percent reported receiving a pay increase in the past year. Last year, job satisfaction among American workers hit its highest level since 2005. Nearly two-thirds of Americans rate now as a good time to find a quality job. Optimism about the availability of good jobs has grown by 25 percent. Added more than 400,000 manufacturing jobs since the election. Manufacturing employment is growing at its fastest pace in more than two decades. 100,000 new jobs supporting the production & transport of oil & natural gas.

American Income

Median household income rose to $61,372 in 2017, a post-recession high. Wages up in August by their fastest rate since June 2009. Paychecks rose by 3.3 percent between 2016 and 2017, the most in a decade. Council of Economic Advisers found that real wage compensation has grown by 1.4 percent over the past year. Some 3.9 million Americans off food stamps since the election. Median income for Hispanic-Americans rose by 3.7 percent and surpassed $50,000 for the first time ever in history. Home-ownership among Hispanics is at the highest rate in nearly a decade. Poverty rates for African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans have reached their lowest levels ever recorded.

American Optimism

Small business optimism has hit historic highs. NFIB’s small business optimism index broke a 35 year-old record in August. SurveyMonkey/CNBC’s small business confidence survey for Q3 of 2018 matched its all-time high. Manufacturers are more confident than ever. 95 percent of U.S. manufacturers are optimistic about the future, the highest ever. Consumer confidence is at an 18-year high. 12 percent of Americans rate the economy as the most significant problem facing our country, the lowest level on record. Confidence in the economy is near a two-decade high, with 51 percent rating the economy as good or excellent.

American Businesses

Investment is flooding back into the United States due to the tax cuts. Over $450 billion dollars has already poured back into the U.S., including more than $300 billion in the first quarter of 2018. Retail sales have surged. Commerce Department figures from August show that retail sales increased 0.5 percent in July 2018, an increase of 6.4 percent from July 2017. ISM’s index of manufacturing scored its highest reading in 14 years. Worker productivity is the highest it has been in more than three years. Steel and aluminum producers are re-opening. Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and NASDAQ have all notched record highs. Dow hit record highs 70 times in 2017 alone, the most ever recorded in one year.

Deregulation

Achieved massive deregulation at a rapid pace, completing 22 deregulatory actions to every one regulatory action during his first year in office. Signed legislation to roll back costly and harmful provisions of Dodd-Frank, providing relief to credit unions, and community and regional banks. Federal agencies achieved more than $8 billion in lifetime net regulatory cost savings. Rolled back Obama’s burdensome Waters of the U.S. rule. Used the Congressional Review Act to repeal regulations more times than in history.

Tax Cuts

Biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history by signing the Tax Cuts and Jobs act into law Provided more than $5.5 trillion in gross tax cuts, nearly 60 percent of which will go to families. Increased the exemption for the death tax to help save Family Farms & Small Business. Nearly doubled the standard deduction for individuals and families. Enabled vast majority of American families will be able to file their taxes on a single page by claiming the standard deduction. Doubled the child tax credit to help lessen the financial burden of raising a family. Lowered America’s corporate tax rate from the highest in the developed world to allow American businesses to compete and win. Small businesses can now deduct 20 percent of their business income. Cut dozens of special interest tax breaks and closed loopholes for the wealthy. 9 in 10 American workers are expected see an increase in their paychecks thanks to the tax cuts, according to the Treasury Department. More than 6 million of American workers have received wage increases, bonuses, and increased benefits thanks to tax cuts. Over 100 utility companies have lowered electric, gas, or water rates thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Ernst & Young found 89 percent of companies planned to increase worker compensation thanks to the Trump tax cuts. Established opportunity zones to spur investment in left behind communities.

Worker Development

Established a National Council for the American Worker to develop a national strategy for training and retraining America’s workers for high-demand industries. Employers have signed Trump’s “Pledge to America’s Workers,” committing to train or retrain more than 4.2 million workers and students. Signed the first Perkins CTE reauthorization since 2006, authorizing more than $1 billion for states each year to fund vocational and career education programs. Executive order expanding apprenticeship opportunities for students and workers.

Domestic Infrastructure

Proposed infrastructure plan would utilize $200 billion in Federal funds to spur at least $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investment across the country. Executive order expediting environmental reviews and approvals for high priority infrastructure projects. Federal agencies have signed the One Federal Decision Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) streamlining the federal permitting process for infrastructure projects. Rural prosperity task force and signed an executive order to help expand broadband access in rural areas.

Health Care

Signed an executive order to help minimize the financial burden felt by American households Signed legislation to improve the National Suicide Hotline. Signed the most comprehensive childhood cancer legislation ever into law, which will advance childhood cancer research and improve treatments. Signed Right-to-Try legislation, expanding health care options for terminally ill patients. Enacted changes to the Medicare 340B program, saving seniors an estimated $320 million on drugs in 2018 alone. FDA set a new record for generic drug approvals in 2017, saving consumers nearly $9 billion. Released a blueprint to drive down drug prices for American patients, leading multiple major drug companies to announce they will freeze or reverse price increases. Expanded short-term, limited-duration health plans. Let more employers to form Association Health Plans, enabling more small businesses to join together and affordably provide health insurance to their employees. Cut Obamacare’s burdensome individual mandate penalty. Signed legislation repealing Obamacare’s Independent Payment Advisory Board, also known as the “death panels.” USDA invested more than $1 billion in rural health care in 2017, improving access to health care for 2.5 million people in rural communities across 41 states Proposed Title X rule to help ensure taxpayers do not fund the abortion industry in violation of the law. Reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy to keep foreign aid from supporting the global abortion industry. HHS formed a new division over protecting the rights of conscience and religious freedom. Overturned Obama administration’s midnight regulation prohibiting states from defunding certain abortion facilities. Signed executive order to help ensure that religious organizations are not forced to choose between violating their religious beliefs by complying with Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate or shutting their doors.

Combating Opioids

Chaired meeting the 73rd General Session of the United Nations discussing the worldwide drug problem with international leaders. Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse and Reduce Drug Supply and Demand, introducing new measures to keep dangerous drugs out of our communities. $6 billion in new funding to fight the opioid epidemic. DEA conducted a surge in April 2018 that arrested 28 medical professions and revoked 147 registrations for prescribing too many opioids. Brought the “Prescribed to Death” memorial to President’s Park near the White House, helping raise awareness about the human toll of the opioid crisis. Helped reduce high-dose opioid prescriptions by 16 percent in 2017. Opioid Summit on the administration-wide efforts to combat the opioid crisis. Launched a national public awareness campaign about the dangers of opioid addiction. Created a Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis which recommended a number of pathways to tackle the opioid crisis. Led two National Prescription Drug Take Back Days in 2017 and 2018, collecting a record number of expired and unneeded prescription drugs each time. $485 million targeted grants in FY 2017 to help areas hit hardest by the opioid crisis. Signed INTERDICT Act, strengthening efforts to detect and intercept synthetic opioids before they reach our communities. DOJ secured its first-ever indictments against Chinese fentanyl manufacturers. Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) team, aimed at disrupting online illicit opioid sales. Declared the opioid crisis a Nationwide Public Health Emergency in October 2017.

Law and Order

More U.S. Circuit Court judges confirmed in the first year in office than ever. Confirmed more than two dozen U. S. Circuit Court judges. Followed through on the promise to nominate judges to the Supreme Court who will adhere to the Constitution Nominated and confirmed Justice Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Signed an executive order directing the Attorney General to develop a strategy to more effectively prosecute people who commit crimes against law enforcement officers. Launched an evaluation of grant programs to make sure they prioritize the protection and safety of law enforcement officers. Established a task force to reduce crime and restore public safety in communities across Signed an executive order to focus more federal resources on dismantling transnational criminal organizations such as drug cartels. Signed an executive order to focus more federal resources on dismantling transnational criminal organizations such as drug cartels. Violent crime decreased in 2017 according to FBI statistics. $137 million in grants through the COPS Hiring Program to preserve jobs, increase community policing capacities, and support crime prevention efforts. Enhanced and updated the Project Safe Neighborhoods to help reduce violent crime. Signed legislation making it easier to target websites that enable sex trafficking and strengthened penalties for people who promote or facilitate prostitution. Created an interagency task force working around the clock to prosecute traffickers, protect victims, and prevent human trafficking. Conducted Operation Cross Country XI to combat human trafficking, rescuing 84 children and arresting 120 human traffickers. Encouraged federal prosecutors to use the death penalty when possible in the fight against the trafficking of deadly drugs. New rule effectively banning bump stock sales in the United States.

Border Security and Immigration

Secured $1.6 billion for border wall construction in the March 2018 omnibus bill. Construction of a 14-mile section of border wall began near San Diego. Worked to protect American communities from the threat posed by the vile MS-13 gang. ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations division arrested 796 MS-13 members and associates in FY 2017, an 83 percent increase from the prior year. Justice worked with partners in Central America to secure criminal charges against more than 4,000 MS-13 members. Border Patrol agents arrested 228 illegal aliens affiliated with MS-13 in FY 2017. Fighting to stop the scourge of illegal drugs at our border. ICE HSI seized more than 980,000 pounds of narcotics in FY 2017, including 2,370 pounds of fentanyl and 6,967 pounds of heroin. ICE HSI dedicated nearly 630,000 investigative hours towards halting the illegal import of fentanyl. ICE HSI made 11,691 narcotics-related arrests in FY 2017. Stop Opioid Abuse and Reduce Drug Supply and Demand introduced new measures to keep dangerous drugs out the United States. Signed the INTERDICT Act into law, enhancing efforts to detect and intercept synthetic opioids. DOJ secured its first-ever indictments against Chinese fentanyl manufacturers. DOJ launched their Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) team, aimed at disrupting online illicit opioid sales. Released an immigration framework that includes the resources required to secure our borders and close legal loopholes, and repeatedly called on Congress to fix our broken immigration laws. Authorized the deployment of the National Guard to help secure the border. Enhanced vetting of individuals entering the U.S. from countries that don’t meet security standards, helping to ensure individuals who pose a threat to our country are identified before they enter. These procedures were upheld in a June 2018 Supreme Court hearing. ICE removed over 226,000 illegal aliens from the United States in 2017. ICE rescued or identified over 500 human trafficking victims and over 900 child exploitation victims in 2017 alone. In 2017, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested more than 127,000 aliens with criminal convictions or charges, responsible for Over 76,000 with dangerous drug offenses. More than 48,000 with assault offenses. More than 11,000 with weapons offenses. More than 5,000 with sexual assault offenses. More than 2,000 with kidnapping offenses. Over 1,800 with homicide offenses. Created the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office in order to support the victims and families affected by illegal alien crime. More than doubled the number of counties participating in the 287(g) program, which allows jails to detain criminal aliens until they are transferred to ICE custody.

Trade:

Negotiating and renegotiating better trade deals, achieving free, fair, and reciprocal trade for the United States. Agreed to work with the European Union towards zero tariffs, zero non-tariff barriers, and zero subsides. Deal with the European Union to increase U.S. energy exports to Europe. Litigated multiple WTO disputes targeting unfair trade practices and upholding our right to enact fair trade laws. Finalized a revised trade agreement with South Korea, which includes provisions to increase American automobile exports. Negotiated an historic U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement to replace NAFTA. Agreement to begin trade negotiations for a U.S.-Japan trade agreement. Secured $250 billion in new trade and investment deals in China and $12 billion in Vietnam. Established a Trade and Investment Working Group with the United Kingdom, laying the groundwork for post-Brexit trade. Enacted steel and aluminum tariffs to protect our vital steel and aluminum producers and strengthen our national security. Conducted 82 anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations in 2017 alone. Confronting China’s unfair trade practices after years of Washington looking the other way. 25 percent tariff on $50 billion of goods imported from China and later imposed an additional 10% tariff on $200 billion of Chinese goods. Conducted an investigation into Chinese forced technology transfers, unfair licensing practices, and intellectual property theft. Imposed safeguard tariffs to protect domestic washing machines and solar products manufacturers hurt by China’s trade policies Withdrew from the job-killing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Secured access to new markets for America’s farmers. Recent deal with Mexico included new improvements enabling food and agriculture to trade more fairly. Recent agreement with the E.U. will reduce barriers and increase trade of American soybeans to Europe. Won a WTO dispute regarding Indonesia’s unfair restriction of U.S. agricultural exports. Defended American Tuna fisherman and packagers before the WTO Opened up Argentina to American pork experts for the first time in a quarter-century American beef exports have returned to china for the first time in more than a decade OK’d up to $12 billion in aid for farmers affected by unfair trade retaliation.

Energy

Presidential Memorandum to clear roadblocks to construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Presidential Memorandum declaring that the Dakota Access Pipeline serves the national interest and initiating the process to complete construction. Opened up the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to energy exploration. Coal exports up over 60 percent in 2017. Rolled back the “stream protection rule” to prevent it from harming America’s coal industry. Cancelled Obama’s anti-coal Clean Power Plan and proposed the Affordable Clean Energy Rule as a replacement. Withdrew from the job-killing Paris climate agreement, which would have cost the U.S. nearly $3 trillion and led to 6.5 million fewer industrial sector jobs by 2040. U.S. oil production has achieved its highest level in American history United States is now the largest crude oil producer in the world. U.S. has become a net natural gas exporter for the first time in six decades. Action to expedite the identification and extraction of critical minerals that are vital to the nation’s security and economic prosperity. Took action to reform National Ambient Air Quality Standards, benefitting American manufacturers. Rescinded Obama’s hydraulic fracturing rule, which was expected to cost the industry $32 million per year. Proposed an expansion of offshore drilling as part of an all-of-the above energy strategy Held a lease sale for offshore oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico in August 2018. Got EU to increase its imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States. Issued permits for the New Burgos Pipeline that will cross the U.S.-Mexico border.

Foreign Policy

Moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Withdrew from Iran deal and immediately began the process of re-imposing sanctions that had been lifted or waived. Treasury has issued sanctions targeting Iranian activities and entities, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force Since enacting sanctions, Iran’s crude exports have fallen off, the value of Iran’s currency has plummeted, and international companies have pulled out of the country. All nuclear-related sanctions will be back in full force by early November 2018. Historic summit with North Korean President Kim Jong-Un, bringing beginnings of peace and denuclearization to the Korean Peninsula. The two leaders have exchanged letters and high-level officials from both sides have met resulting in tremendous progress. North Korea has halted nuclear and missile tests. Negotiated the return of the remains of missing-in-action soldiers from the Korean War. Imposed strong sanctions on Venezuelan dictator Nicholas Maduro and his inner circle. Executive order preventing those in the U.S. from carrying out certain transactions with the Venezuelan regime, including prohibiting the purchase of the regime’s debt. Responded to the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime. Rolled out sanctions targeting individuals and entities tied to Syria’s chemical weapons program. Directed strikes in April 2017 against a Syrian airfield used in a chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians. Joined allies in launching airstrikes in April 2018 against targets associated with Syria’s chemical weapons use. New Cuba policy that enhanced compliance with U.S. law and held the Cuban regime accountable for political oppression and human rights abuses. Treasury and State are working to channel economic activity away from the Cuban regime, particularly the military. Changed the rules of engagement, empowering commanders to take the fight to ISIS. ISIS has lost virtually all of its territory, more than half of which has been lost under Trump. ISIS’ self-proclaimed capital city, Raqqah, was liberated in October 2017. All Iraqi territory had been liberated from ISIS. More than a dozen American hostages have been freed from captivity all of the world. Action to combat Russia’s malign activities, including their efforts to undermine the sanctity of United States elections. Expelled dozens of Russian intelligence officers from the United States and ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle, WA. Banned the use of Kaspersky Labs software on government computers, due to the company’s ties to Russian intelligence. Imposed sanctions against five Russian entities and three individuals for enabling Russia’s military and intelligence units to increase Russia’s offensive cyber capabilities. Sanctions against seven Russian oligarchs, and 12 companies they own or control, who profit from Russia’s destabilizing activities. Sanctioned 100 targets in response to Russia’s occupation of Crimea and aggression in Eastern Ukraine. Enhanced support for Ukraine’s Armed Forces to help Ukraine better defend itself. Helped win U.S. bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Helped win U.S.-Mexico-Canada’s united bid for 2026 World Cup.

Defense

Executive order keeping the detention facilities at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay open. $700 billion in military funding for FY 2018 and $716 billion for FY 2019. Largest military pay raise in nearly a decade. Ordered a Nuclear Posture Review to ensure America’s nuclear forces are up to date and serve as a credible deterrent. Released America’s first fully articulated cyber strategy in 15 years. New strategy on national biodefense, which better prepares the nation to defend against biological threats. Administration has announced that it will use whatever means necessary to protect American citizens and servicemen from unjust prosecution by the International Criminal Court. Released an America first National Security Strategy. Put in motion the launch of a Space Force as a new branch of the military and relaunched the National Space Council.

Encouraged North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to increase defense spending to their agree-upon levels. In 2017 alone, there was an increase of more than 4.8 percent in defense spending amongst NATO allies. Every member state has increased defense spending. Eight NATO allies will reach the 2 percent benchmark by the end of 2018 and 15 allies are on trade to do so by 2024. NATO allies spent over $42 billion dollars more on defense since 2016. Executive order to help military spouses find employment as their families deploy domestically and abroad.

Veterans affairs Signed the VA Accountability Act and expanded VA telehealth services, walk-in-clinics, and same-day urgent primary and mental health care. Delivered more appeals decisions – 81,000 – to veterans in a single year than ever before. Strengthened protections for individuals who come forward and identify programs occurring within the VA. Signed legislation that provided $86.5 billion in funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the largest dollar amount in history for the VA. VA MISSION Act, enacting sweeping reform to the VA system that: Consolidated and strengthened VA community care programs. Funding for the Veterans Choice program. Expanded eligibility for the Family Caregivers Program. Gave veterans more access to walk-in care. Strengthened the VA’s ability to recruit and retain quality healthcare professionals. Enabled the VA to modernize its assets and infrastructure. Signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act in 2017, which authorized $2.1 billion in addition funds for the Veterans Choice Program. Worked to shift veterans’ electronic medical records to the same system used by the Department of Defense, a decades old priority. Issued an executive order requiring the Secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs to submit a joint plan to provide veterans access to access to mental health treatment as they transition to civilian life. Increased transparency and accountability at the VA by launching an online “Access and Quality Tool,” providing veterans with access to wait time and quality of care data. Signed legislation to modernize the claims and appeal process at the VA. Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act, providing enhanced educational benefits to veterans, service members, and their family members. Lifted a 15-year limit on veterans’ access to their educational benefits. Created a White House VA Hotline to help veterans and principally staffed it with veterans and direct family members of veterans

12 posted on 8/12/2019, 2:59:00 PM by JBW1949 (I'm really PC.....Patriotically Correct)

________________________________________________________

OPINION:  Well, that’s the very, very best than we’ve ever witness in this country by any President.  There’s no one alive today that can bet that score card.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[olympictickets]

USA Artistic Swimming Squad Goals to Qualify for Olympic 2020 Games

US Young Girls, ambitious, and eager to show the world at the Pan American Games 2019 in Lima that they have what it takes to make it to Tokyo 2020 after a 12-year-absence from the Games. Olympic Artistic Swimming fans from all over the world can book summer Olympic Artistic Swimming Tickets online from our one of the most trusted online ticketing market platforms.

Their brave and brand-new robot routine has been getting a lot of attention in recent months, and the Olympic Channel has gone behind the scenes to document their progress.                        

Can this group of young hopefuls, their star choreographer and four-time Olympic medal-winning coach Andrea Fuentes reach Tokyo 2020?

Only the winner of the women's team event at the Pan American Games 2019 will gain an automatic Olympic qualifying spot.

Faced Crises

They have been trying to complete the near-impossible. In just five months.

Here is the story so far: the Olympic Channel has followed their inspiring journey. Working hard with "Mr. Robot" Chadd Smith to their working out the campus in Las Vegas.

We were in Barcelona where the USA artistic swimming team showcased their revolutionary routine for the first time outside of the US, and we witnessed their performance at the 2019 FINA World Championships in Gwangju, Korea.

Eleven girls’ aims to jump in competition

Before, The USA artistic swimming team was not qualified since the Olympics since 2008. These 11 determined girls are aiming to change that.

The U.S. Federation enlisted the help of famous robot dancer Chadd Smith (aka Madd Chadd) with the aim of developing a competitive synchronized routine in time for the world championships and Lima 2019.

Plan

"We wanted to create a routine where people question the reality of what they are seeing," explains Smith. And of course, to impress the judges.

From Korea to Peru

After presenting the unique robot routine at the FINA World Championships 2019 in Gwangju, Korea for the first time in a major competition word spread very quickly that these women were attempting something totally new for the sport.

While team entrances to the pool are traditionally silky smooth, the United States’ jittering, mechanical approach – designed to imitate a robot walking – is unique and attention-grabbing.

The team displayed some well-executed lifts and jumps that drew plenty of ‘oos’ and ‘ahhs’ from the bleachers.

Their final score was 84.40 points which were commendable but only good enough for an 11th place finish in the final.

“We are much happy, but the coach always wants to do a little bit better. It was team-best performance ever,” coach Fuentes told Olympic Channel immediately after their FINA World Championships 2019 final.

Great competition in Lima

Fuentes told us that she intends to make some changes for their upcoming Pan American Games routine.

"We know it is going to be difficult as we just came from the world championships. This is just one week after. The body is super tired, and now the mind has to be strong. This is what I ask of the team as they seem super tired," she said to Olympic Channel.

"I told them you must try and fight. You have to finish with pride. For most of them, it is the first time at Pan American Games so this will be a big injection of motivation. "

It will take an amazing performance to finish top in Lima and outclass the favorites Canada and Mexico.

"I am super excited to get another opportunity. We just got back from Korea, and we still need to improve a lot of things," said Team USA's Hannah Heffernan. "We definitely need a miracle but we are doing everything we can."

Should they not win in Lima there is still another chance to make their Olympic dream come true.

The last 3 qualifying spots for the Olympic Games 2020 will be awarded at the final Olympic Qualification competition in April in Tokyo.

Olympic enthusiasts can get up to the minute updates of Olympic Tickets through our trusted online ticketing market place. OlympicTickets2020.com is the most reliable source to book Olympic 2020 Tickets.