#its like i could move to new zealand tomorrow and nothing would change.... it would be ...just fine

[smute]

i really wish i had a home... a geographical home. a place with family or even just distant relatives or childhood friends, a place that feels familiar, a place to return to. but i dont

[xiolaperry]

The Piano - Chapter 6

Summary: Belle French and her daughter arrive in New Zealand to an arranged marriage with Gaston LeGume.  Gaston shows little interest in her or her piano and books. However, Mr. Gold is fascinated…

Rating: E (for smut, dark subject matter and violence in future chapters)

Also available on AO3

---

That evening the skin of her calf tingled, remembering his touch. She tuned out Gaston's hunting story as she replayed the caress in her mind.

Her attention snapped back when she heard her name.

“Belle, how are the lessons going?”

She gave a cautious nod. This was new. Gaston never asked questions. At dinner, he always spoke about his accomplishments and abilities. In excruciating detail. He sometimes reminded her of an overgrown little boy trying to impress his friends. When he spoke of the Maori it took all her effort to not roll her eyes. “How do they even know the land belongs to them?” was a popular refrain. It was better, though, than the stories of fights and brawls that showcased his quick temper.

“So you're getting along all right? Gold can be downright unpleasant sometimes.”

Belle smiled this time and nodded again. Having a conversation instead of being just an audience for his stories was a welcome change. Although Mr. Gold had not been unpleasant. Far from it.

“Aunt Cora told me to tell you and Tilly about the mission Christmas play. They have one every year at the beginning of December.”

“A play?” Tilly's face lit up.

“Yes. Reverend Hopper and my Aunt are in charge of it. Would you like to be an angel?”

“I would! Mama, please, may I?”

Belle signaled her affirmation. It would be good for Tilly to become part of the community. She knew she needed to make more of an effort. Especially with Gaston. He worked hard, spending more time out of the house than in it. And he hadn't tried to pressure her into his bed. Some men would have.

“It's settled then. Take her to my aunt's house tomorrow afternoon. It's next to the mission, you can't miss it. She can meet the other children and be fitted for her costume while you're at Gold's for a lesson.”

After the dishes were washed, Tilly bounced up and down, refusing to go to sleep. The excitement of the play and the gift of the cat had her wide awake. Gaston had gone to bed, and she did not want to disturb him, so Belle suggested shadow puppets.

“I'll be quiet as a mouse for a shadow puppet story!”

Belle set up the oil lamp while Tilly climbed into bed. She continued the story she'd begun on Mr. Gold's porch.

Her nimble hands created characters on the opposite wall to illustrate her tale. The sorcerer, besides enchanting his castle to look like a cottage, would transform himself into a black cat. Everyone chased the cat away, saying it was bad luck, except for one little girl who made friends with the cat by being kind.

A soft snore interrupted her. She kissed Tilly and snuggled in beside her.

---

The next morning Tilly twirled and danced all the way to the village. Belle didn't know where she got her energy.

“Do you think they'll be other girls there? Do you think I'll get wings?”

“Yes, and maybe,” Belle responded.

Cora's home looked very European compared to its surroundings. Belle rapped on the heavy wooden door with an ornate brass handle. To her pleasant surprise, Reverend Hopper answered.

“Belle, Tilly! How nice to see you again! Come in and meet everyone.”

Women and several children filled the large parlor. The buzz of conversation stopped when they entered. Tilly's damp hand squeezed hers when all eyes turned to them.

“I'd like to introduce Mrs. Legume and her daughter Tilly.”

Belle gave a brief nod and signed to the group.

“Mama says, 'Pleased to meet you all' and that you should call her Belle.”

A few murmured hellos greeted them.

“What's your mother doing with her hands? Why doesn't she talk?” asked a little blond girl, her voice ringing loud across the hush of the room.

“Emma!” An attractive dark-haired woman ran over, flustered. “I'm so sorry.”

Belle smiled and patted the woman's arm. There was nothing to be embarrassed about. Children asked questions; it was natural.

“My Mama talks with her hands. And she says most people speak rubbish anyway, and it's not worth it to listen.”

The woman let out a surprised laugh. “I suppose you know all about outspoken little girls, Belle. My name is Mary Margaret Nolan, and this is my daughter Emma.”

The two children sized each other up. Satisfied with what they saw, they started chattering, well on their way to being friends. The activity in the room resumed.

“Come sit by me,” said Mary Margaret. “May I get you some tea?”

“She says, 'Yes,'” replied Tilly, her answer for her mother second nature.

Belle sat down in the chair. The floral cushions were trimmed with rich red brocade. The two girls plopped to the floor in front of her.

Mary Margaret returned with the tea in cups even more ostentatious than the ones she had at home. They had gold trim, elaborately swirled handles, and roses of every hue. She compared them to Mr. Gold's blue and white tea set, elegant in its simplicity.

“Reverend Hopper is going around giving the children their lines, and Regina is measuring the girls in the other room and letting them pick out fabric. She is such a talented seamstress.”

Tilly pulled the wooden cat from her pocket to show Emma. “Look what I have.”

“Can I see?” asked Emma.

Tilly handed it to her. “Mr. Gold made it for me. He has a cat, Ebony. He let me name her.” Pride at this honor was clear in her voice. “Choosing a name is a tremendous responsibility.”

Belle stifled a laugh at the serious tone Tilly used when she spoke. She sounded almost like Mr. Gold.

Mary Margaret heard the interchange between the girls. “May I see your cat, Tilly?”

She examined it. “This is lovely.” Belle had to agree. It was well formed, the little eyes and whiskers charming.

“I didn't know Mr. Gold could carve. He made this for Tilly?”

Belle nodded.

“Are you.... friends with him?”

Belle wasn't sure how to answer. Were they friends?

Tilly saved her from having to respond.

“Mama is teaching him to play the piano.”

Thunderstruck, Mary Margaret leaned toward her. “My husband, David, told me he heard Gaston say that Mr. Gold traded 50 acres for a piano, but I didn't believe it. Is it true?”

Belle opened the little notebook she kept on a chain. She wrote, “Yes, it's true. Gaston traded my books and piano for the land.” Her mouth thinned as she remembered the 'discussion' they'd had about it.

“That is completely out of character. I would have never thought Mr. Gold would be interested in music. Or books. It makes no sense.”

Cora entered the parlor. “Tilly, Belle? Regina is ready for you.”

Regina was fast with the tape measure. She whipped it around, taking measurements and writing them down on a piece of paper. Finished with her notations, she asked Tilly, “Would you like to pick a fabric?”

Tilly considered them, stroking each one and holding the swatches up to the light. Regina didn't rush her. “May I have the blue, please?”

“I think that would be appropriate for an angel. Excellent choice.” She turned to Belle. “We're bending wire forms to make wings. We'll cover the forms with fabric and you'll attach feathers from an old feather bed. I trust you will be capable of doing that.”

Belle gave a sign of assent.

“Mother, please send the next child in.”

Cora led them out. “You can leave now, don't let us keep you.”

How did this woman infuse so much disapproval into simple words? Belle told herself it wasn't her, she would have found anyone lacking when it came to her precious nephew.

She waved goodbye to Mary Margaret.

“Are you leaving so soon?”

“Mr. Gold is expecting us,” answered Tilly.

“If it's all right with you, Tilly could stay here with Emma and I. After everyone's been measured and gotten their lines, we're going to practice.”

“May I? Please, Mama?”

“It’d be no trouble, really.”

Belle told Tilly that it was fine, she would return after Mr. Gold's lesson, and to thank Mrs. Nolan.

“Thank you, Mrs. Nolan. Goodbye! Pet Ebony for me!”

Thus dismissed, she left, pleased Tilly had made a friend. And she might have made one as well.

---

Mr. Gold was waiting in the doorway when she arrived. “No Tilly today?” he asked.

She shook her head.

He did not make eye contact and appeared ill at ease. She felt powerful. Desired. She never had that effect on anyone before.

After she drank her tea, she played, finding her voice through her music.

“Please take the top part of your dress off.”

The abrupt request resulted in a jangled chord. She stopped but made no move to comply. Did she want to do this?

“I want to see if your arms are as beautiful as I've imagined.”

She blushed. He'd imagined her arms?

“It would be worth two keys. You could earn your piano back faster.”

There were two options. She could refuse, and their arrangement would proceed along the same path. Or she could accept, the piano returned to her in half the time. Yes, she would do it. For the piano. Not because she was curious to see if Mr. Gold would touch her bare skin, and if it would be as electrifying as a touch through a layer of stockings.

Belle unbuttoned the top of her dress. Underneath she wore a thin white bodice with short sleeves above her corset. She resumed her playing.

Gold circled the piano to look at her from every angle. The backs of her hands and neck were the only parts of her browned by the sun. The rest of her delicate skin was pale, like the finest porcelain. He could almost see her nipples through her bodice. His cock stirred and took notice.

He stopped his prowling directly behind her. He let his fingertips just skim over her shoulders and down her arms, tracing the same path over and over, appreciating the softness. His tanned hands contrasted against the whiteness of her skin. It was a privilege to glimpse such beauty, to be close to it. He must be careful to do no more than this, lest he frighten her away.

His gliding fingers sent sparks dancing across her. Heat blossomed, the trail of flames he kindled consumed her. She was unused to the strange, dizzying sensations that rose through her body.

She could not concentrate on the melody, and it became mechanical. The ache he was building was the focus of all her attention. Her nipples tightened, and she could not catch her breath.

Overwhelmed, her fingers stopped. The desire advancing through her was too much. Belle stood up, re-buttoning her dress. Mr. Gold said nothing, only handed her a book.

On her walk back to get Tilly, her thoughts whirled. He wanted her, it was obvious. He touched her in such a reverent manner, like she was precious, like he didn't deserve to. She supposed he didn't. He wasn't her husband, after all. Mr. Gold made her feel alive and important. Her reactions to him were disconcerting but intoxicating. Her confused emotions followed her to Cora’s door, and all the way home.

[taeyongtime]

for the one i’ve always loved

genre: childhood friends to lovers!au ⎮ fluff

group & member: NCT’s Jaehyun

word count: 5.5k

a/n: inspired after watching the movie for ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ + please read the book series too and stamp “jaehyun channels big kavinsky energy” on your forehead 

“I have never seen a dirtier pigsty than your room, Jung Jaehyun.”

The familiar soft chuckle you grew up listening to since age five echoes across the four walls and you roll your eyes at his nonchalance.

“Are you going to clear some space up for me to sit or what?”

“You can just move my clothes aside,” Jaehyun laughs as he turns back to his computer. “It’s not like you haven’t done it before whenever you come over.”

“Then I’m not coming in,” you huff, lean against the doorway with your arms crossed. “Not until you clean your room and there’s visible space for me to sit.”

“You’re quite a lot of work as usual,” he sighs, getting up from his chair and clearing the pile of dirty clothes on his bed into the hamper while reorganizing the clutter on his desk. “Happy?”

“If you had developed a readily aware sense of when to clean then we wouldn’t be having this type of conversation.”

“Hold it, I just happened to be lazy on this day of all days.”

You take a seat on his cleared bed and glance at the dimmed laptop on his desk. 

“What are you doing?”

“I was watching a 19+ film before you interrupted me saying I needed to clean my room.”

“Oh my god.”

“I’m kidding. I was checking my email because I haven’t checked it in a while.” 

He turns around in his swivel chair. “What’s up?”

“My parents are currently traveling on a cruise ship for 2 months and didn’t think to tell me until this morning via a handwritten note taped onto the fridge.”

“Don’t laugh!” you whine at hearing his warm laughter. “It’s nothing to laugh about!”

“Let me guess, next you’re going to say something about crashing here for the next 2 months because you don’t want to be alone in that big house of yours.”

“…I hate you.”

One last chuckle and Jaehyun gets up to retrieve the sleeping bag he keeps in his closet for just an occasion, tossing the bundle at you as he teases about the injustice of sharing his space with a person he has known since youth when there was already not much room for two people when it could barely hold the things of one.  

—

You and Jaehyun used to be next door neighbors before he moved out to an apartment closer downtown.

The Jungs had moved in next door three days after your eighth birthday, the dimpled boy waving at you while sitting on a cardboard box with ‘TOYS’ written in black marker on its side instantly becoming your closest friend before you could even wave your hand back. Seat partners throughout elementary school and the number one go-to whenever you wanted to hangout or simply as company, Jaehyun was always there for you when you needed him and it couldn’t come as a bigger surprise when he told you of his move out the day he turned eighteen. Used to being able to hop over in a matter of five minutes tops for ten straight years, you had sulked for a good week before talking to him again, getting hold of his new address once he settled in and immediately working out the fastest navigational route to his new place from yours for an impromptu housewarming party.

“Where are your parents headed this time?”

“Australia and New Zealand,” you answer, wiggling into the sleeping bag and turning to face his bed rather than the bookshelf on the wall. “They said it’s quite nice there and they have friends to catch up with anyway. Then they’re going a bit further up to spend a week in Indonesia and two days in Thailand before coming back here.”

Jaehyun’s nose scrunches while he pauses to take in the information and a sneeze follows. 

“So… So tell me what made them think it was okay to leave you behind all by yourself?”

You shrug. “I don’t know. They think it’s fine since I’m an adult now but I can barely do anything when everything’s been done for me. Chores? Cooking my own meals? I already have a hard time deciding what to wear some days, how am I supposed to cook, clean, and manage my life when I’m practically no different from that of a baby?”

“Then it’s time to learn.” The bed creaks from the weight lifted off its frame and the light goes out, leaving you wide-eyed in the pitch black that was Jaehyun’s bedroom as he shuffles back to the warmth that was his covers. 

“You’ll be fine.”

“Really? What if I end up burning the house down trying to microwave popcorn at 2am?”

“You’ll be fine,” he insists. “I’ll be your chaperone in the kitchen to make sure you don’t set off the fire alarm and wake my parents next door.”

“You’ll come over, then?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Smiling into the covers of the sleeping bag, you mumble “good night” and he does the same, silence drawing the curtains to a close as sleep overtakes your remaining perception of consciousness.

—

You return home early next morning, but not before Jaehyun made breakfast when he woke at 9:30 and you 10am. Stomach content and brain alert after eight hours of deep sleep, you unlock the door with a cheery hum and take in the large empty space that was the living room and the open kitchen, the set of stairs leading up to the second floor only increasing the dread of being by yourself with so much emptiness around. Not only were your parents away on their trip, but it didn’t even seem like the housekeeper was here—that much your parents still allowed you on what they called “the journey towards independence” by allowing the housekeeper to still come in to clean. You didn’t hear the sweeping of the broom in the dining area or even the harsh vacuum for the carpet upstairs, and while she mostly kept to herself while she worked, there was still an occasional check-in whenever she came in during the afternoon to tidy up. A part of your daily routine was clearly missing today as you close the door and head upstairs to change into a set of comfortable clothes rather than the top and bottom you had gone out in.

“Where’s my pen?”

You dig around the container of pens on your desk and find the one you’re looking for, the tip still smeared in ink from yesterday’s leakage. Pen ready, you open the first drawer and reach all the way towards the back, taking out the round pink box nestled behind volumes of old schoolbooks and popping off the lid to reveal four envelopes within—three sky blue and one a dusty rose color. Lifting the flap to reach at the letter inside each one, you unfold the creased papers and scan over each one, deeming them fine as they are until you reach the letter from the pink envelope. Bringing the pen close to the next space on the line, you start writing as you see fit, ink slightly smudging the edge of your pinky as your hand travels down the page.

“And… done.” 

Clicking the pen to retract the tip, you note your spot in the letter and refold the worn crease marks from constant instances of unfolding and refolding. It would probably be best if you transferred everything to a fresh sheet for easier reading, but there was always more to add for this specific letter. There was a reason why this letter was in a separate color than the three sky blue envelopes, its recipient and intention on a whole different level than the other three.

Back in the box your letters go and you return them to their usual hiding place, closing the drawer shut and making your way to bed, wrapping your body up in the warm covers as you close your eyes into a light sleep. Writing a letter is truly something special to retain in this era of technology and everything fast-paced, the notion of snail mail holding a quaint inkling of fondness in your heart. Fondness of the writer at the thought of the sealed envelope making its way towards the intended recipient in due time and the surprise of the recipient at receiving a heartfelt message in the mailbox without prior notice.

But it’s not like you will ever send all the letters you’ve written. Especially not when the pink envelope contained a love letter of all things.

—

Jaehyun, as previously promised, comes over at six in the evening after dinner with his parents to oversee your first attempt at cooking a meal for yourself and nearly falls to the floor at the scope of the mess that was your cooking skills.

“What the hell happened here?”

“I told you, I can’t cook!” you yell, jumping back at the drops of oil bouncing out of the pan. “Can you taste the spaghetti and see if it’s cooked? I don’t know what’s the right texture to be labeled as ‘chewy but not too firm’.”

“… Stand aside.”

“I have to do this myself, Jaehyun. Just… I don’t know, walk me through it.”

Fifteen minutes later you manage to produce a plate of spaghetti that didn’t look like pig slop and didn’t taste that bad either, but definitely not as good as it could’ve been as you bite down on a strand of what seemed to be still slightly undercooked noodle.

“Passing for a first timer,” your best friend comments. “But spaghetti is one of the easiest dishes to make, so…”

“Okay, we get it, Master Chef, sit your ass down already.”

“I deserve an ice cream right?” he begins, already opening the freezer while you continue eating your dinner. “After saving your kitchen from being burnt down?”

You place the tomato-stained plate and fork into the sink after you finished eating. 

“Only if you wash the dishes first.”

“Deal.”

He ends up taking two ice cream bars rather than just the one he was promised, irking you to no end as you slap his hand off the refrigerator the moment it touches the space on the bottom to pull it open.

“You’re about to clear out my entire fridge, you pig.”

“Ouch. So mean.”

Edging him out of the kitchen to wash the dishes yourself, you jump onto the couch after putting them in the dish rack to dry and stare up at the ceiling, not knowing how you were going to survive on your own for the next two months.

“The semester starts tomorrow,” Jaehyun begins. “Nervous?”

“Actually, no,” you tell him truthfully. “Surprising, I know.”

“It’s good that you aren’t nervous. New year, new you.”

A playful flick at his shoulder for the attempt to lighten the mood and he gets up, brushing at his jeans. 

“I’d better go. It’s late and I have an early start tomorrow.”

“You can always stay over at your parents’ place, you know. That’s your home too.”

Jaehyun shrugs. “Yeah, but my backpack and stuff is back at my apartment.

“Can I use your bathroom before I go, though?”

“Use the one upstairs,” you tell him as he makes his way towards the bathroom by the kitchen. “The sink in that one’s kinda weird.”

“Will do.”

—

“Hey, you’re Y/N right?”

You lift your head up, having just barely set foot out of the lecture hall for 10am biology at the sight of the boy standing before you, lips pursed and arms crossed. He didn’t look too happy, and you sure hope you hadn’t done anything wrong when you nod and ask what business he had with you so early in the day.

“I’m Doyoung. We had an Intro to Statistics class together last semester.”

“Yeah, I remember,” you nod again. “You’d always sit in the same row as me.”

“Can you explain what you mean by ‘bigheaded prick’ in this letter?”

He holds up a blue envelope and your blood practically runs cold at the sight of the yellow happy face sticker on the seal, edge curled upwards from the envelope being opened to access the letter inside.

“How… How did you get that?”

“Found it in between my calculus homework,” Doyoung says in a clipped tone. “Didn’t know I had my very own anti-fan until now.”

You swallow at the memory of angry scribbles from last semester’s statistics class, complaining on paper about how Doyoung always asked so many questions during discussion and extending class time past the designated time slot because he always had something else needing an answer right after the first question was answered by the TA. How he was smart but needed an ego check, a know-it-all who couldn’t see past the raised nose bridge that was always cast down upon others… not good. Not good at all.

“I’m really sorry I said those things about you,” you apologize with a low bow. “I really… didn’t mean it.”

“I’m not sure you’re sincere about the apology at all.”

Your head dips even lower until you can feel the hunch in your back. 

“I’m sorry, I really am.”

Murmurs of curiosity begin to buzz around your hunched figure, Doyoung luckily having the decency to forgive you quickly before a crowd began to gather. 

“Yeah, fine, you’re forgiven.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m going to keep this, by the way.”

You recoil in surprise and he nods in the affirmative. “So I’ll know what people are talking about when they start talking behind my back.”

“Doyoung, can I please get my letter back?” you ask desperately. “It’s… private.”

“Not anymore.” He tucks the blue envelope into his backpack and shoots you a gummy smile. 

“See ya.”

You wave your hand weakly and sigh, fear slowly rolling in when you realize that if one of your letters had already gotten to its recipient, the other blue envelopes probably would be in the hands of their readers also.

“Oh no,” you gasp, pulling at your hair. “Not… Not the pink one too?”

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Spooked at the sudden question, you whip your head around and nearly collide into Jaehyun; he extends a hand for you to help steady yourself from falling.

“Something wrong?”

“I…” You open and close your mouth, not knowing how to best phrase the situation. “Uh… did you…. You remember that one time you came over to my house?”

“I’ve been over to your house so many times,” he laughs. “Which time?”

“Be…Before the semester started,” you blurt out. “Do… Do you remember seeing a, uh, pink box? When you were over?”

“Nope.”

His answer only further sinks the stone in your churning stomach and you shake your head, hands pressed against your temples. 

“This is bad.”

Jaehyun frowns. “What’s up?”

“N-Nothing. I… I gotta go.” You hurriedly wave and leave without another word, feet frantically taking you away as your brain races to backtrack when you’d last seen the box of letters. One blue envelope was already out, and there was no call for where the other letters would be.

Hell, there was even a chance that he could’ve seen the pink one but was just keeping quiet for your sake.

—

News of the second letter came in the worst way possible, the jolly recipient of the second blue envelope broadcasting his encounter with the letter over the university’s radio station for all to hear late in the night. While gratefully given anonymity on the DJ’s behalf, his consistent rambling on your notation of his friendliness and bright personality on paper was enough to keep you from storming out to the radio station yourself to tell him to shut the hell up, not daring to leave the library when you still had to finish the second half of a 5-page essay due by 9am tomorrow. Plugging in your earbuds, you shift your focus back to your laptop and tune out the radio, which luckily switches to a new ballad song of one of the currently popular artists and not more talk about any handwritten letters.

It is nearly 2am before you finally submit the assignment, and on your way out of the library you bump into none other than Johnny Seo himself, the man in question who ran the radio station with an entire five minutes today on receiving a lovely handwritten letter. Unsure if he knew who you were, you quickly turn tail to avoid making conversation, but the exclamation for you to wait stopped you dead in your tracks.

“Sorry,” he apologizes when you turn around to face him. “I got the wrong person.”

“N-No problem.”

Silently whispering thanks to the heavens for letting you slide by, your triumph is short-lived at the sound of footsteps from behind, the frown on Johnny’s face easing into a slow smile as he shakes his head knowingly at having missed the obvious.

“You’re Jaehyun’s friend. We met a while ago, yeah?”

“Well, Jaehyun’s very popular across campus, so I’m not surprised if you don’t remem—”

“And you wrote this.” He holds up the blue envelope. “It’s addressed to me.”

You debate denying but find no point in doing so when he had already indirectly exposed your letter fiasco to the entire student body. 

“Yeah, I wrote it.”

“It’s a very nice letter.” He takes out the slip of paper tucked inside and scans the contents. “I didn’t know I had such a positive presence in your life.”

A flush of red creeps onto your cheeks and you duck your head down, not knowing how to respond. 

“Well… you’re always so encouraging to your radio listeners and just… an overall cool person.”

“May I keep this? This is the first fan letter I’ve ever received.”

“I… I’d rather…”

The eager look on his face too much to disagree upon, you find yourself nodding ever so slowly while sighing internally at having already agreed to give away two of your prized letters. 

“Okay. You can keep it.”

“Great! I’ll walk you home, if it’s fine with you?”

“Y-You don’t have to.”

“Please.” He offers an arm. “I insist.”

Once at your front door, you receive quite the pleasant surprise when Jaehyun’s mouth drops at seeing you and Johnny together.

“Hello.”

“Your best friend is cute,” Johnny smiles, wiggling his fingers to a wave before pushing you towards Jaehyun. “Take good care of her.”

“Will do,” Jaehyun laughs, beckoning for your house keys and opening the door to let you in first. “Later, Johnny.”

“Why are you here?” you ask your best friend curiously.

“Thought to ask you to go get food with me but then you didn’t show up until now.”

“How long were you waiting?”

“Uh….  Maybe four hours?”

Your eyes widen at the thought of Jaehyun waiting four hours outside your doorstep and punch him on the shoulder.

“Why didn’t you message me earlier?”

“I did,” he points out. “But you probably were too busy to reply.”

“God, I’m… I’m so sorry.” You usher him inside and drop your things down. “I was… preoccupied.”

He nods in understanding and sits down on the couch. 

“Want to talk about it?”

“Um… not really.” Even though he was your best friend, it wasn’t in your best interest to inform him about your missing letters. The slips of papers were your most prized possessions, hidden feelings recorded down in ink that you didn’t have the courage to reveal in person. Not that they were all love-related, with Doyoung’s being a vent about the difficulties of his character and Johnny’s an admiration of his bright personality and wanting to become his friend, but there did remain two letters harboring romantic interest—one blue one for a tiny crush and the pink one that could change everything if not handled the way you had intended for things to go.

“I just want you to know that I’m here for you,” he says with a smile. “You can tell me anything, you know.”

“I…” A heavy sigh falls through your lips. “Okay. Here’s what happened.”

❀

“Hey, hey, hey.”

“Oh, hi Johnny.”

An enthusiastic hand claps your back. “So I heard there’s still one more blue letter circulating around.”

You roll your eyes. “Did Jaehyun tell you?”

“A little bird tweeted it out,” he grins. “His name could be Jung Jaehyun, I’m not sure.

“Need help finding the third one? I can send out word through the radio.”

“That is the last thing I need right now, Johnny.”

He shrugs. “Just a thought.”

“I don’t even know how they got out in the first place,” you fret. “I keep them closely hidden at home, there’s simply no way—”

“Well, I got mine in Physics. Jaehyun was looking through my notes and noticed there was a blue envelope slipped inside between the pages.”

“Jaehyun found it?”

“Yeah.” He suddenly reaches into his back pocket and stares at his buzzing phone. 

“Sorry, I have to go. See you around?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Good luck with the last one.”

“There’s actually one more, but…”

Your words trail off as Johnny takes his leave, the gears in your brain slowly trying to piece together Jaehyun’s role in the situation of your missing letters.

“Did Doyoung find his through Jae, too?”

Before you can look through your phone for Doyoung’s number, a quiet cough sounds from behind and you turn around to face the recipient of your final blue enveloped letter.

“Are you the one who wrote this letter?”

—

The third letter was one that you put quite an amount of time into, but you didn’t know why you were so nervous as your fingers tightened along the edges of the books you were carrying in your arms. Not that your feelings were anything more than a tiny crush upon a guy who had been kind enough to direct you to an 8am class last semester when you didn’t know where to find the building it was located in.

Taeyong was only being nice then, but it didn't stop you from casting side glances at him when you found out he was in the same major and shared most of your classes with you.

“I…” You blubber. “I, uh… well…”

“Oh, hey, Taeyong.”

An arm slinks around your shoulder and you gulp as you greet your best friend, nudging at his side and casting glares at the blue envelope in Taeyong’s hand. Hopefully he got the hint that you needed to get away from Taeyong so you didn’t need to address the topic of the letter.

“Jaehyun, I need to go study,” you blurt out, your brain working overdrive to churn out a reasonable excuse of leave. “We made plans to go to the library together, remember?”

“Right,” he chimes after, glancing at the blue letter in Taeyong’s hand. “Catch you later, Taeyong?”

“Um, I was hoping to ask Y/N about—”

“Gotta go, bye Taeyong!” 

You pull Jaehyun after you and make it to the library entrance before stopping and turning around to face him.

“Thank goodness you showed up in time,” you wheeze, adjusting your grip on your books as you take much-needed breaths of air. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have known what to say about the letter.”

“Actually, I was specifically looking for you,” Jaehyun says with a shrug. “It wasn’t a coincidence.”

“Oh, okay. What did you want to talk about?”

“Well, about the letters…”

You hear an exclamation of your name just as Jaehyun opens his mouth to speak and drop your books onto the ground at the sight of Doyoung hurrying over towards you and Jaehyun.

“Are you busy?” he demands.

“No…”

“Then follow me, this is important.”

You glance at Jaehyun and he gestures for you to go. 

“I’ll wait for you at the biology hall.”

“Yeah, sure.”

It turns out that the important thing Doyoung had dragged you aside for was a review session for his current Statistics class, one that you had a different professor for. Apparently the review slides weren’t going to be posted online and he had entered the classroom fifteen minutes late, thus the proposal for you to transcribe the first half of the slides onto paper while he paid attention to the TA reviewing the second half of the powerpoint for the sake of the fifteen minutes he’d lost getting there after the start time and the five minutes it had taken to pick you up. Maximizing efficiency by utilizing all available resources, he had said.

“I’m missing a few points,” you tell him as students begin to file out of the classroom after the two-hour session comes to an end. “This is how much I managed to get down though.”

He skims over your notes and nods. 

“It’s good enough. The TA said this upcoming exam is focusing more on the newer material anyway.”

“Then why did you drag me here when I was in the middle of something with Jaehyun?”

“You owe me from the letter.”

“I remember receiving forgiveness for calling you a prick,” you scowl. “What the hell?”

“Now you’re forgiven,” he corrects you. “Thanks for coming here on such short notice.”

“… I don’t regret what I wrote in your letter.”

It was already dark out by the time you leave, hurrying over to where Jaehyun had said he’d be waiting. You didn't think it would take this long and had forgotten to text him to not wait for you during the whirlwind that was statistical facts and definitions demanding for your attention.

“You made it.” The figure sitting on the bench outside the biology lecture hall stands up and smiles in relief. “I was afraid you’d forgotten.”

“No, it…. it ran longer than I expected. Sorry for not letting you know ahead of time.”

Jaehyun shakes his head. “I would’ve waited for you to show up regardless.”

“Dinner’s on me for having you wait,” you offer. “Cool?”

“Oh, definitely.”

—

Jaehyun never brought up the topic of the letters after you’d grabbed dinner that night, and you receive the surprise of your life when Taeyong approaches your table in the library one Friday afternoon before your 3pm chemistry lecture.

“May I sit?”

“Y-Y-Yes.” You hurriedly move your things to make space and he smiles as he sits down. 

“Sorry it’s so… messy.”

“About the letter addressed to me…” he begins without missing a beat.

You brace yourself for his reply, closing your eyes shut so you didn’t have to look at him. The imagery of him rejecting you in the library and calling you a creep for staring at him in class was so embarrassing to even think about that—

“I think you’re a very nice person, Y/N.”

One eye slightly opens and the other gradually follows. 

“Me? Nice?”

Taeyong nods and smiles. “I didn’t know we had so many classes together either. If I had known, we could’ve been study buddies so I wouldn’t need to study all by myself last year.”

A nervous laugh escapes from your lips and you clap your hands around your mouth, ducking to avoid the stares and curious turns of heads from other tables.

“Thank you,” he whispers. “I don’t know if I share the same feelings, but your letter still means a lot to me.”

“I understand,” you whisper back, genuinely grateful that this hadn’t gone as badly as predicted. “Um, so this means you don’t mind exchanging numbers so we can study together right? You’re in like, three of my classes this semester.”

Warm chuckles bubble up in your corner and he inputs his contact information into your phone, dialing his own number from your device so he had a record of your phone number as well. 

“It’s no problem at all.”

You grab your phone back after he’s finished and nod in thanks.

“Actually,” he breaks in. “I do have one more thing to give you.”

“Oh?”

A pink envelope is placed on the middle of your notes and your eyes widen.

“I won’t say who I got it from,” Taeyong says slowly. “I was only told to deliver this.”

“But.. you didn’t…”

He leaves without another word and you hesitantly peel the flap of the envelope open, heart caught in your throat as you take out the letter inside and read the only line written on the center of the paper.

❀

Maybe deep down you’d already known it would be him.

The minutes tick by as you sit outside of the library, waiting for him to show up while the campus slowly empties out with the completion of classes and anticipation for the weekend. The numbers of people walking by dwindle down and you sit up when you spot the lone figure heading your way when most passerby walked the opposite direction.

“Sorry,” Jaehyun apologizes, sweat glistening at his forehead as he offers a sheepish smile. “I didn’t know my meeting would run this late.”

“It’s fine.” You get up from the bench and smile. “I know you would’ve done the same for me.”

His signature dimple makes its way onto his face and you take out the pink envelope Taeyong had given to you earlier. 

“So.”

“So,” he echoes. “What’s with the letter?”

“Where’s the original one? The one I had in here written about you?”

Feigned innocence twinkles in his eyes as he shuffles his feet, avoiding eye contact. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Come on, I can recognize your handwriting like my own. I know you have it with you somewhere.”

He reaches into his backpack, pulling out a sheet of folded paper that was creased all around the edges. 

“I was debating framing this up so I can stare at it first thing when I wake up in the morning.”

“Gross.”

“Can’t be more gross than the fact that you never told me in all the years we’ve known each other that you love me.”

Embarrassment rolling off your shoulders in waves, you start to walk and a second set of footsteps follow suit. 

“Hey, it’s true that you love me, right?”

“I don’t know,” you dismiss. “It’s cold out and I’d like to get home before it gets dark out and the wind picks up.”

The lax pace from behind breaks into a run and you stop in your tracks when a pair of hands grab your wrists together, sneaking around your waist to pull you into a hug.

“Let me go, Jaehyun.”

“Did you think I’ll say no when I’ve pretty much felt the same about you all this time?”

The gentle look in his eyes softens even more and he takes off his jacket, draping it over your shoulders. 

“Here, it’s getting a bit cold.”

“Well,” you huff indignantly, pressing down the feeling of bliss fluttering in your stomach. “If you love me too, then why did you send out my other letters? Those were private, you know.”

“I thought… they looked ready to be sent, so I just dropped them off anyway. They were all signed off and everything.”

He winces at the impending groan from your end and moves his arm up, resting his hand on your shoulder in apology. 

“Are you… mad at me for doing it?”

“It’s already been done, so there’s nothing more I can do about it,” you sigh. “But at least they all know how I feel and I can get some form of closure with my feelings.”

“Then…” His eyes scan your face, nervous as he bites his lips. “Then this also means you accept my apology… right?”

You eye him with a knowing glance and slowly break out the smile you’d been suppressing, bubbles of laughter echoing in the darkened night sky.

“What’s so funny?” he frowns.

“The look of fear on your face,” you giggle, “Priceless!”

Realizing you’d pulled a fast one on him, he pulls the jacket off your shoulders and you gasp in the cold of the night, the thin green hoodie on your back not nearly providing enough warmth as Jaehyun’s puffed one.

“Give it back, I’m cold!”

“Nope.”

“I’m cold!” you shriek, shoulders hunched at the wind nipping behind your exposed neck. “Give it back or I’m breaking up with you!”

“You’re breaking up with me already?” He offers his jacket just out of reach for your arm span. “Right when I was going to re-offer my jacket?”

“You never even answered me,” you refute as you cross your arms to retain whatever body heat that hasn’t escaped yet. “So I don’t know, maybe you’re breaking up with me, not the other way around.”

The padded layer re-drapes itself onto your shoulders and you hurriedly fit your arms inside the sleeves. 

“What’s your final answer, Jung Jaehyun?”

“I’ve already read your letter and told you I’m not going to say no, what more do you want?”

Displeased at the lack of clarity, you stuff your hands into the jacket pockets and start to walk, humming a quiet tune that only increases in volume as another hand slips into the right pocket to intertwine its fingers with your own.

“Your hand is warm,” you mumble without looking at him. “Aren’t you cold without your jacket?”

“No,” he answers, tightening his hold on your hand while matching his pace with yours. “I’m warm just by being with you.”

[enz-fan]

‘Split Enz On The Road’ story written for ‘Rip It Up’ magazine by lighting director, Raewyn Turner. Circa 1982.

“SPLIT ENZ – ON THE ROAD STORY

Raewyn Turner has been lighting director for Split Enz since 1975. She painted the cover for Frenzy and last year at Dennis Cohn Gallery exhibited drawings in her show entitled ‘On The Road Again’. Raewyn has written for Rip It Up, about behind-the-scenes- staging the 1982 Time And Tide tour of New Zealand.

Six months in a leaky boat and that story nears its end for the second time in two years, as Split Enz round the bend on their last lap of touring, finishing in New Zealand. The past five months have been a variety show, the star hosts mingle with us, briefly, from their conveyer belts, flanked by the extras who are directed to have walk-on and bit parts for the day. The many famed and fabled buildings and cities roll on the big rollers past the car windows, and lots of people pass us, in a hurry, to and fro, people with different accents, different smiles, clothes, lifestyles. While we sit and stand, walk and work, moving from car to aeroplane, airport to motel to theatre, the big rollers roll in the world’s projection room, on to the screens, which are our windows.

Split Enz, the audience, the judge, in the van with the video sensurround windows. The selection committee. In a chartered plane, seated in rows until a kind man appears and opens the exit door, ushering us into another windows room. We sit there, breathing in the muted greens and browns and admiring the blue sky, until we’re told to get out and into another room, where soft musak whispers that life is a breeze. Water flows from taps, milk is instant non-dairy whitener, food is but a phone call and an hour’s wait away, all-night television to lull to sleep, air comes from an air conditioner.

10.00 am on Monday, August 16 in Melbourne, and the band are making a film clip, ‘Never Ceases To Amaze Me’, that Noel has worked out with the director over long phone calls from Darwin. It doesn’t finish until 6.00 pm. Last night at the same time, the band had just come off stage, completing the last date of their Australian tour, an ‘Under-18s’ show in Melbourne.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 17

Melbourne, 7.00 am. Grant Thomas, the tour manager, dutifully makes wake-up calls and in six homes scattered over Melbourne, the entourage is busily preparing and packing to make the flight, leaving at 10.00 am to Auckland. 9.00 am we’re at the airport, tired and grizzly, only to learn that the plane has been delayed for five and a half hours. Back home for some more sleep, while the road crew opt to stay at the airport and busy themselves making badges to display their membership of an exclusive social club – the crew’s very own ‘Split Enz Sports And Social Club’ – crew only.

The same day, 10.30 pm, ‘arrive Auckland and proceed to Hamilton, going by the itinerary. Oops. Noel has left his bag at the airport, so we have to double back. Check into hotel, and the band settle for some sleep while I go down to the Founders Theatre to set up for the first show of the NZ tour. The stage set, which has some technical peculiarities, has to be explained and put up and the special effects projectors babied out of their case and wheeled around. Although the lighting plot was sent over a month in advance, the rigging, cabling and colouring of lamps takes forever on the first set up, so we do all but focus tonight. 6.00 am we call it quits and go back to the hotel for a few hours’ sleep. Laurie Bell, the production manager works on, there are many details to be taken care of before the stage and sound people begin work at 9.00 am.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18

Sound check is early, everyone expecs the first show to be difficult because of the new, unfamiliar NZ equipment – PA, foldback and lights. The Finn elders arrive, Finn cousins playing with the beach balls backstage.

The dressing room is newly painted and most of the band find they have severe headaches the next day. But battle dress donned, they take the stage with enthusiasm and anticipation, because it’s great to be on home soil. The audience is quiet, polite and serious. It’s been a whole year since Split Enz toured NZ and they’re playing new material, working hard. There are a few technical difficulties, but only minor ones. Back to the hotel for some hot chocolate with friends, before retiring.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19

1.30 pm. Wake up, and Eddie and I go down to the theatre to work on improving our computer programmes (Eddie’s synthesisers are digitally controlled and store many different sounds in computer memories). Computers and synthesisers are relatively new developments and computers, like humans, were not designed for the rigours of the road. Just as Eddie wanders around his hotel, wondering where he is and what he is doing there, these computers become similarly vacant and he is often to be found in a state of panic, trying to reprogramme his sounds minutes before a show. The lighting desk computer is but 120 channels of memories which can be reprogrammed for particular lighting scenes or progressions of lighting changes. However, it too has a habit of becoming vacant, or worse, storing more than its share, which means it could reveal the total lighting show at the press of one memory button.

The sound crew have been working all day, trying ti iron out the creases in last night’s sound.

Ed and Noel go off for a walk into town, looking for water pistols. The Ed Water Pistol Collection has swelled to number 120 over three years.

Soundcheck, dinner – Noel enthuses over the six veges – back to the paintstricken dressing room an hour before the show, to put on the ‘cossies’ (costumes), paint the faces, discuss song lists, tell a few jokes, wet the whistle (or sip a lemonade), do armstretches and leg raises, eat some peanuts or whatever is offering in snacks. The show goes ‘averagely well’ (probably ‘very good’ in another’s words), but we have our own rating system.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20

6.00 am, get up and drive to Auckland. The car breaks down on the way, but is fixed by a kind mechanic, free of charge. We feel that this could only happen in NZ. The production crew have been waiting outside the Logan Campbell Centre since 8.00 am, but the truck doesn’t arrive till 10. They begin work frantically and irritably, but still able to make light-hearted jokes, and the stage set slowly appears.

Meanwhile, Noel has gone to visit his folks. Tim and Neil arrive in Auckland with theirs, to spend the day together. Nigel, being the most boring (he is aware of the fact) member of the band, has experienced nothing of any interest whatsoever since arriving in NZ, not on this day, except for a sleepy interview with Colin Hogg. Eddie visits his sister and his friend Paul Crowther and they spend the rest of the day babbling about synths.

Backstage in the dressing room the champagne arrives – a greeting from the record company. The band have another of their ‘average’ performances, the crowd was ecstatic but the band are tired. The sound men aren’t feeling happy, so they make plans to spend all day tomorrow on improvements, to further dampen the echoes.

Back to the White Heron, now affectionately known as the Red Herring (no offence meant), for a few drinks with friends in the Carriage Bar. This is the first piece of glamorous living I’ve experienced for about a month or more – other people might call it just having a drink – but it means a lot being able to have the luxury of changing from work clothes to casual and being with friends.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21

1.30 pm. Wake up and with Noel and Eddie go to Parnell Village where we have breakfast with Noel’s folks, who are in Auckland for both shows. A flying visit to a friend strapped in traction in hospital and it’s on to soundcheck and an early show.

Nigel has spent the day sleeping, jigging and walking, his three favourite pursuits. Neil and Tim are having dinner with their folks at the table over from us. They bribe the resident pianist into playing ‘Feelings’ as an after-dinner tribute to the band. (This song was on the top of the list for singing at the top of one’s voice while bumping along in a van through North America.)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22

9.00 am. Depart the hotel for the airport, 9.55 flight departs Auckland for Palmerston North, without breakfast.

Tim feels detached from everything, and so opts for the hair-of-the-dog treatment, which will see him through until the end of the performance. The drinks backstage in the dressing room are there to be a starter motor, to kick a tired man into action. It’s an early show again, and it feels good to commence the performance about an hour after soundcheck. It’s still early enough to relax afterwards over dinner and watching TV.

MONDAY, AUGUST 23

10.30 am. Bags are being loaded into five cars, room bills are being paid, and we’re off to Christchurch. It’s a day off, everyone is anticipating what they’ll do, and probably they’ll do nothing. We’ve taken all the back seats in the plane and Ian Magan’s (tour promoter) Air New Zealand voice (fondly remembering “Ladies and gentleman, have you seen this?” on flights to London) booms from three seats away. Tonight he has promised the entourage a free dinner.

Eddie and I miss the free dinner – we’ve been invited to his brother’s house. This is one of the advantages of this job – seeing family and friends in all corners of the world at least once a year – where distance and fares would normally prohibit this. The visits are, however, usually too short and sweet.

The band enthuse over the selection of old cars in ‘perfect condition’ being driven around Christchurch, reeling off the makes as we drive around. Austin, Morris, Zephyr, Vanguard… Tim’s been after a Studebaker and is delighted to hear that people in the entourage have spotted three so far. Back home the Split Enz Club boasts a green FJ Holden (Neil’s), a black Mark II Zephyr (Tim’s), a pink Morris Major Elite 1963 (Eddie’s), a 1950 Black Triumph Renown (Noel’s) and a brown 1954 Fiat station wagon (Nigel’s).

Today Noel went shopping and got the costumes drycleaned. Nigel went for a five-hour walk along the Avon, Neil joined the road crew for a trip to the snow, there they used big plastic rubbish bags for sliding down hills and threw snow at each other.

Tim stayed in and did an interview, then cruised around, went for a walk, I think. Ed, Clark Flannigan (Polygram Records’ man on tour) and I finally got ourselves away from the hotel and went swimming at the QEII pool. It’s the first day of the school holidays and Ed and Clark get swallowed up in the crowds queuing for the hydrotubes. Clark can do 50m overarm in 35 seconds, he tries out the high diving board, but Ed and I only manage the lowest. End of day off.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 24

7.00 am. Get up, shower and down to the Christchurch Town Hall by 8.00 am. It’s a beautiful day, warm with blue, blue skies, the smell of blossom, cold air and woodsmoke, peculiar to NZ.

The stage set is constructed quickly and looks good. I’d anticipated, with sinking stomach feelings, that as far as equipment and organisation of technical details go, the NZ section would be the worst and most difficult of this six-month tour (probably because it has previously been that). However, there have been vast improvements made in the expertise of the hired technical personnel and in the equipment to be found here since we toured last year. It has taken a lot of hard work to elevate it to this level, and although the equipment is different to the systems currently available in Australia, this in no way makes for a compromise situation.

At 10.30 am, I offer to get the food – three dozen donuts, one dozen cream buns, three dozen filled rolls, a bag of apples. We work on until 4.00 pm and soundcheck is at 4.30. After a while, the band drift into playing their oldies, searching for the perfect replacement for ‘Hard Act’, which they’re sick of.

The band are tired. After five months of constant touring and only two weeks off in the period – no weekends – they are finding it hellish to think clearly and with enthusiasm about their shows. They want to try a new set, a different way of playing particular songs, but the energy somehow keeps being channelled the same way. They shone for the Auckland shows and will probably shine for the rest, but they try to break out of their feelings of exhaustion and automatic gear.

Tonight’s performance is once again good, although lacking the fire that the band are striving hard to produce. The audience is enthusiastic. The band and crew and managers return to the hotel bar, where we tell each other jokes until the small hours, winding down for sleep after a long day.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25

8.00 am. Woken by chainsaws, jackhammers and the noise of concrete being made in a wheelbarrow. These are quite regular occurrences in hotels where we have stayed, so I drift back to sleep. But Eddie has had enough and has decided to move over to the posh hotel, where Tim and Neil have recently moved, to escape the noise. The hotel is twice the price and offers a complimentary morning newspaper, but we prefer the squat NZ motels, having spent too long in high-rise hotels, with Coffee-Mate (powdered non-dairy whitener) for ea milk.

Soundcheck at 4.30, still the search for the perfect song replacement. ‘In The Wars’, ‘Jamboree’, ‘Under The Wheel’ and a few others are fiddled with and discarded.

Tim, Neil, Eddie and I drive off for dinner and discuss our fatigue and the artistic value (or not) of the song produced under pressure of having to be sold by a record company. The issue of touring arises and they talk about giving it up in Australia and NZ for two years, except for the occasional ‘spectacular’ – an alternative that would provide opportunity for lots of ideas to be exercised. Or perhaps they’d like to do a film, taking a year off to make it and write songs, using that period to develop their musical ability as individuals.

Showtime, the crew are lying around on couches drinking coffee and the first band are pounding away. Eddie is in the dressing room playing his other favourite song, ‘Loving You’ by Minnie Ripperton, accompanied by Neil singing. He breaks away into Chopin.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 26

A day off for some, but the three lighting technicians leave Christchurch at 9.00 am and arrive at Invercargill at 7.00 pm. (The truck has a sleep and they take turns at driving.) The rest of the crew fly down at 11.00 am and spend the rest of the day in the hotel’s spa pool. At 8.00 pm, Laurie, Glen (the set and projects man) and three loaders unpack the truck, having first to remove a fleet of five city council vans that were parked across the stage door. Glen gets to work putting up the stage set and is back at the hotel by 11.00 pm.

Tim, Neil, Clark, Eddie and I have made plans to drive to Akaroa for some fish and chips and scenery, but Eddie and I spend until 2.00 pm buying second-hand furniture for future use, by which time Clark isn’t to be found. The free day has just about slipped away. We make rearrangements with the cars and Tim and Neil go to Akaroa. Noel, Eddie and I take a drive that meanders along a peninsula beyond Lyttleton, and we end up driving along a tractor path up a mountainside. The green pastures, trees in blossom, the mountain and valleys, we can’t wait to settle back here and enjoy the countryside. Tim and Neil return with tales of spectacular scenery, quite in awe of the beauty of the countryside. Neil, in surprise, says it’s always so much better than he’s remembered. Of course, all this talk about ‘nature’ crops up in our conversations especially after a few months on the road, staying in orange and purple hotel rooms. At the same time, the touring lifestyle has another advantage – it provides the blinkers and forces a total commitment to work.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 27

9.00 am. Wake up call from Grant, we move quickly and tiredly into the day.

Arrive Invercargill and greeted by an over-officious officer on the sidewalk at the airport. Magan has an argument with him and Neil throws him a coin as we drive away. Later, Magan receives a speeding ticket from the same officer.

Stop off on the way to the hotel, at the art gallery for a typical photo of the band posing next to a huge anchor for the local papers.

I go straight to work. The crew, having become accustomed to the equipment, are working very fast these days and focus is early. The set works well in the Civic Centre, because the tiers of balconies tower over the stage, which is shallow and therefore the sail has a steep incline. I don’t have a good show, getting my fingers jammed in the faders, despite a grand performance by the projector operators, Glen and Keith, who are by now quite skilled.

Noel apparently just about falls backwards off his drums, fatigued and the rest of the band are tired. But there are only 11 more shows to do, so they attack each one with enthusiasm.

After the show, the musos’ club is less than hospitable, hassling the band at the door. Eddie, Tim and Neil leave and end up helping Magan, who is hosting a three-hour radio show.

The road crew have busily packed clean socks for the Saturday soundcheck before heading off to Queenstown in search of the thrillseeker jetboats. Bed.

Part two of this feature will appear in next months ‘R.I.U’.”

[keywestlou]

HURRICANE IDA WILL NOT BE SWEET AS APPLE CIDER

Hurricane Ida will not be as enjoyable as Eddie Cantor performing Ida Sweet As Apple Cider. Cantor brought joy. The Hurricane guaranteed not to be pleasant in any fashion.

It is anticipated Ida will hit the New Orleans area sometime tomorrow as a Category 4. Winds 140 miles per hour. Surges 10-15 feet. Ida’s force will be extremely dangerous. Life threatening.

A major blow! Interestingly, it will hit at the same time of the year as Katrina did.

Ida’s strength will be attributable to the warm Caribbean water it will be traveling over. The water will get warmer as Ida approaches landfall.

May God protect those that will feel Ida’s wrath.

Sirhan Sirhan might be paroled! The assassin who killed Robert Kennedy. Hard to believe!

Sirhan has spent 50 plus years in jail for his crime. Not enough from my perspective.

Kennedy was one of America’s heroes. He was running for the Democratic nomination for President at a time when the U.S. needed a person of his quality. We were in trouble as a nation.

I was involved in politics back then. A Kennedy supporter. I was running his campaign in my community. Kennedy was scheduled to speak in an adjoining community 14 miles away. My marching order’s were to be there to meet with Kennedy. I assumed for a hello, how are you and thank you.

Did not work that way.

Kennedy was speaking from the stage in a high school auditorium. When I arrived, I was taken behind the stage curtain. A few minutes later, Kennedy and an aide appeared. Three chairs were dragged over. We sat and I got my marching orders. It was not an hello, thank you, etc. meeting. It was business. What he expected, how he wanted things handled, etc. He knew all the players in our area.

We spent 15 minutes together. When he was done, he stood, thanked me, and walked away. Never a smile. Not a criticism on my part. Such was the man. Serious. He was on a mission.

If society is going to start taking sympathy for someone who committed a heinous crime and has spent a long time in jail for it, there are many similar criminals who should have been let out of jail. Like Charlie Manson.

Sirhan’s recent appearance before the parole commission was his 16th. His parole would have been denied, except for two of Kennedy’s sons.

Kennedy fathered a total of 8 children. Robert Kennedy Jr. and another son supported the parole. The other six have announced they will fight the parole recommendation at each and every step. California’s Governor Gavin Newsom has to approve it.

I never met Robert Jr. However had an experience back in the late 1980’s which left me with a sour taste in my mouth as far as the man was concerned.

Kennedy was involved in environmental law as I was. He was teaching at Pace University. Pace had an excellent environmental curriculum. Kennedy was an adjunct professor and also headed Pace’s Litigation Clinic.

I was handling a major piece of environmental litigation in the area on behalf of an insurance company. At some point, I received a letter from my principal to turn everything over to Kennedy’s Litigation Clinic at Pace. Second and third year law students were going to handle the case from that point forward.

Was I pissed! You better believe it. It was a major piece of litigation. Now to move from my hands to students. An insult. In addition, I was being paid top dollars for my efforts. I was not one who enjoyed losing the opportunity to earn a significant fee.

Nothing I could do. I sensed what was going on. Kennedy’s son wanted his people to handle the case. Great experience to be had. My insurance company was not going to deny a request by the son of Robert Kennedy.

I have followed Robert Jr.’s career since. It does not surprise me he supports the parole of the man who killed his father.

Coronavirus continues surging. Yet some governors and states fight the tide of mask wearing and vaccination. They who do contribute to the deaths of many.

Alabama in a “crisis” situation. One of the hardest hit states in the nation. Deaths have reached an “extreme.” Alabama is at the point where it has run out of places to hold the bodies of the dead. The state is now using mobile trailers to hold the bodies.

Alabama reflects another problem. One of great concern. There has been a spike in child COVID-19 cases. Last week, 5,571 children tested positive. Forty two children died.

Deaths nationally are on the increase. Deaths in 14 states increased by 50 percent last week. In 28 others, deaths were up 10 percent.

New Zealand is experiencing a new set of numbers. Not encouraging.

New Zealand has fought coronavirus hard from day one. The country went into lockdown the first time around. Total lockdown. The people cooperated.

New Zealand had not had a new case since February. Last week, it had its first case since February. New Zealand went into immediate total lockdown. Did not catch the problem in time. In the last 10 days, New Zealand has had 347 new cases.

New Zealand’s lockdown has added another phrase to COVID’s book of phrases: Hermit strategy.

Locally, the Tropic Cinema announced it will be closing down the theater beginning September 2. The theater is concerned with the increasing number of cases in the Key West area and want to do its part in helping to prevent the virus’ spread.

I broke quarantine yesterday. For less than one hour. Got a haircut and manicure.

Drove Duval to see how the tourists were handling the COVID problem. No change. No one was wearing a mask. Not one, not even a child.

Enjoy your day!

HURRICANE IDA WILL NOT BE SWEET AS APPLE CIDER was originally published on Key West Lou

[yasbxxgie]

On Monday, the United States officially began the process of pulling out of the Paris Agreement, an international deal struck in 2016 that aimed to keep greenhouse gas emissions low enough to keep Earth’s climate-induced warming to under 2 degrees Celsius (3.7 degrees Fahrenheit).

But even if the U.S. stayed in the agreement, finds new research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday, there are long-tail, unavoidable consequences for the world’s coastlines. Even if all countries hit their Paris targets by 2030 and then stopped emitting carbon entirely, an unrealistic scenario but a useful thought experiment, the world’s oceans will still slosh higher. Under these idealistic conditions, by 2300—about eight generations away—sea levels around the world will be about 3 feet higher than today, the scientists say.

From the Paris Agreement period alone—between 2015, when the agreement was signed, and 2030, when the stated commitments end—the world will have caused enough warming to drive sea levels about 4.5 inches higher in the future. That’s just from that 15-year stretch.

That doesn’t mean the situation is hopeless, the authors say: far from it. What it means is that decisions made today matter greatly. The quicker emissions drop to essentially zero, they found, the slower the ice will respond—giving coastal cities more time to prepare or move, and giving humans more time to devise solutions to the climate crisis.

“We can clearly see that there’s a massive sea level rise contribution coming from emissions over such a short time frame, just over the Paris period,” says Alexander Nauels, the lead author of the report and a sea level rise expert at Climate Analytics. “But this is risk we can reduce, by all means, if we can, and it seems like we can.”

The Paris period

In 2015, leaders from 195 countries gathered in Paris to sort out an international strategy for addressing climate change. At the meeting they agreed to aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions enough to limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius (3.7 degrees Fahrenheit) over temperatures in the 1800s, before the Industrial Revolution. It would be even better, the leaders agreed, to keep temperatures from warming past 1.5 degrees.

(See which countries are hitting their targets, and which aren't).

Since then, an avalanche of major scientific reports backed up the 1.5-degree goal, warning that each bit of warming past that threshold would endanger millions more people and make adaptation harder and more expensive. Other science has demonstrated that those thresholds may have been passed already in many parts of the world.

That reality makes the commitments set out in the Paris Agreement even more important to hit.

In the 2015 Agreement (which went into effect in 2016), countries agreed to aim to cut their emissions by some self-determined amount by either 2025 or 2030, and to keep revising those goals every five years until then. These “Nationally Determined Contributions,” or NDCs, varied widely in ambition and feasibility, but marked an important benchmark by which progress could be measured. (See which countries are hitting their targets and which aren’t even trying.)

The Trump Administration has indicated that it intends to withdraw the U.S. from the agreement. November 4 is the first day it can legally begin the process, which takes a year to complete. Already, though, the U.S. is far from hitting its targets.

Emit today, feel the impacts tomorrow

The NDCs were designed to get countries on track to keep air temperatures from rising too much. But it’s not just heat that will affect people in the future. Warmer air means all kinds of other changes to the climate system, from stronger storms and wetter monsoons to rising seas. Many of those impacts are already being felt.

“We’re already seeing the impacts happen much more quickly than we thought we would,,” says Nick Golledge, an ice sheet expert at Victoria University Wellington, in New Zealand, “so we don’t want to get complacent. We are committed to that amount of sea level rise, but there’s still quite a lot we can do about how fast it happens.”

But many of the impacts will take a long time to make themselves felt, and probably can’t be reversed even if the world got on track toward its best-laid plans.

Sea level changes are one of those slow-developing impacts. Even if emissions dropped to nothing and stayed there, sea levels are still going to rise for the next few hundred years. That’s because the world’s ice responds slowly, like a shuddering, awakening bear coming out of hibernation, to the stimulus we apply now.

Over the past few years, scientists have built a robust understanding of how that ice in Greenland, Antarctica, and in the mountains will change, if it’s pushed by hotter temperatures. What they’ve found is that the speed of the change depends strongly on the speed of the warming.

It's adding up, and fast

In this study, the scientists wanted to pin down exactly how much today’s emissions, and today’s major emitters, would affect the future. They designed an experiment that could calculate the sea level rise from specific time periods and from specific emitters. First, they looked at the sum total of all emissions since the preindustrial period through the end of the Paris Agreement targets in 2030 and found the total amount of sea level rise those emissions would cause in the future: about 17 inches by the end of the century, and over 41 inches by 2300, on average.

Then, they broke those numbers down further. Five countries or regions—the U.S., China, India, Russia, and the EU—account for well over half of total emissions today. Each of those countries, therefore, will be responsible for a measurable amount of sea level rise in the future. From just the 15-year Paris Agreement period—2016 to 2030, the time when countries are allegedly doing serious work to rein in emissions—those top five emitters will lock in about 4.5 inches of sea level rise in the future, or 20 percent of 2300’s total.

Over what the authors call the “IPCC period,” starting from 1990, when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the IPCC) published its first major report on how humans were affecting Earth’s climate and stretching through 2030, those top five emitters will be personally responsible for over 10 inches of sea level rise by 2030.

In comparison, the planet has seen an average about 8 inches of sea level rise since 1900.

“Even a few inches it doesn’t sound like much, but every bit matters,” says Kristina Hill, a landscape architect and environmental design expert at the University of California, Berkeley. “Especially for things like pollution. You have a pollution lump sitting there in the soil, and it only takes the water intersecting it for that to be a problem, and higher sea levels mean more chance of that.”

Recently, scientists also re-evaluated the maps they’d been using to figure out how global cities will be affected by sea level rise. It turns out that, after correcting the satellite data that shows how high the ground is in many coastal cities worldwide, around 190 million people will live below 2100’s high tide line—about 80 million more than today, and about three times as many as had previously been expected.

For those 190 million people, just a little bit of extra water adds a lot of risk, explains Peter Girard of Climate Central, which did the re-evaluation.

“It’s the difference between damaged property or not, or an overtopped road or a dry one,” he says.

Act now to slow the seas

Although 280 years may feel far away, it’s well within the range of human memory. “I grew up in a country, in the U.K., where we still drove on roads built by the Romans 2,000 years before,” says Golledge. “So let’s not think that a few hundred years is outside of the realm of reality for our infrastructure.”

And the actions that are taken now—in pursuit of the Paris Agreement goals, or even more ambitious emissions reductions goals, will shape the experiences for millions of people in the future.

“The most important factor in continuing to protect people and building new defenses is time,” says Girard. “The more and the sooner global emissions are reduced, the slower the rate of sea level rise will be, and the more time governments and communities around the world will have to evaluate and plan and build defenses.”

[spookyspaghettisundae]

Stuck

Don’t go into the Outback unprepared. That’s the lesson here. You’ll end up as stuck and lost as me.

After my husband of ten years left me for a younger woman, I was in dire need of a change of scenery. We had got married right when I was twenty-one, but we never got around to having kids because he wasn’t ready, as he put it. I guess being ready had nothing to do with him accidentally impregnating his mistress and then having to do “the right thing”, according to him. Leaving his wife, who had helped him build his business, did his administrative work for free, kept his house clean and his belly full was obviously the right thing to do. It certainly didn’t feel right to me. In fact, it felt very wrong. Suddenly, everything I believed in made no sense, the relationship I had devoted my life to was over, and there was only emptiness where my joy had been.

Not knowing what to do and where to go, I crashed on my friend Beth’s couch for a while – I certainly didn’t want to live in my “happy” home any more. What was I supposed to do next? Put my business degree to good use and try to find a job after more than a decade. I had never officially worked for my husband. It was easier this way. How silly would it be to split the money he made to pay his own wife. We would just get taxed twice. That was the logic. I never much thought about it. We were one unit, his money was mine, it made enough sense.

So I was stranded on a friend’s couch, unsuccessfully trying to find a job, getting more and more depressed every day. I was lacking spirit, as Beth put it. Spirit, where would I find that? Then it dawned on me. I had to leave to come back home eventually, I had to get lost out there to find myself again. I needed to go on a spirit walk.

The little money I had from my uni days, I had invested well, so that I had enough to do something a little reckless, a little crazy, and a lot of fun as it seemed. Even just the idea of a spirit walk lifted my spirit, and I set out to do just that. My online research led me to believe that you shouldn’t really plan your spirit walk but go where the journey takes you. With my limited resources, I couldn’t go all that far, but seeking adventure and a certain degree of seclusion, I didn’t actually have to go far. The Australian outback had always fascinated me, and now I would finally get to experience it. As a Kiwi, a New Zealander, I had been to Australia several times, visiting friends in Melbourne, Sidney, Brisbane, travelling up and down the east coast, even checking out the lush beauty of Tasmania on a three week trip once, but I had never really ventured into the hinterland. But now I would cast all my fear of the wilds aside and experience their beauty on my own.

So I told my family and the few people I still considered my friends about my trip and about the fact that I wouldn’t be able to stay in regular contact because of the obvious reception issues of the areas I was about to go explore. Some were happy for me, some were a little anxious about my solo trip, and some thought I was crazy. Either way, I was eager to go.

As soon as I had reached my destination, which was Adelaide, I got myself a rental car and drove off towards Port Augusta, from where Stuart Highway, or The Track, as it is locally called, would lead me through the red heart of the country all the way up to Darwin in the very north. The searing hot centre of the country seemed to promise the inner cleansing I was seeking. I spent several weeks of adventure and a growing fascination with the country while backpacking where possible. Otherwise, I spent the occasional night sleeping in my car until I reached a town called Katherine.

After a night of much needed sleep and a day of exploring the pretty little town, I spent the evening in a local pub where I heard both locals and tourists talk about the beauty of a region called the Kimberley at the very northern tip of Western Australia. The scenery they described spontaneously made me turn my car left towards that stretch of land as I continued my quest the next morning. I soon reached the area where the Northern Territories meet Western Australia, and I immediately understood the people’s infatuation with the region. Dusty and red earth met lush green thickets. Emerald rivers that made you want to stroll along them aimlessly, which is exactly what I did. I parked my car somewhere off the road near a local creek, grabbed my backpack, and started walking.

The sun dancing on the water had an almost hypnotising effect on me, so that I soon felt both light-hearted as well as light-headed. I still don’t know how it happened, but while I was walking along the river, I suddenly heard a sucking noise and was knee-deep in muddy sand. I had read about the occasional occurrence of quicksand around rivers and on beaches, but it still came as a complete surprise. I tried to get my calves out, but by putting more weight on my feet, I only sank in deeper. The sandy, wet mass was now already up to my mid-thighs.

That’s where I started panicking a bit. My heartbeat got rather fast and my breath even faster. I forced myself to breathe slowly, holding my breath for a few seconds in between every breath cycle. I had heard somewhere that I was supposed to pull my legs up and slowly pull myself up and out in a forward fashion. I tried my best, but the quicksand was already up to my hips, which made moving my lower body almost impossible.

Even though I was quite sure that there was no use to it, I took my backpack from my shoulders and put it on backwards, so that it covered my belly. I took out my phone and checked. No reception. Figures. I also found a bottle of water in there, and decided to have a few sips, no need to get dehydrated while being stuck. I tried lifting my legs again, but still couldn’t really move them at all. At least I didn’t seem to sink any deeper.

So I did what everyone would do in this situation: I cried for help. It did not have the intended effect. In fact, it seemed to have quite the opposite effect because I heard a slight splashing right behind me. Not like someone or something hitting the water’s surface but rather like something gliding into the river with as little noise as possible. I told myself to stay calm. I assured myself that it was nothing even though Northern Australia plus coastal rivers equalled crocodiles in my head. “Beware the salties” is what the locals had jokingly said to me before I had left to explore this beautiful natural wonder of lush yet rugged shrubbery and deep green rivers. It didn’t seem funny at all any more.

To see what was going on in the river behind me, I tried to turn around as best as I could, but with my restricted movement, I couldn’t see all that far back. There were ripples in the water and they slowly came closer. As I was desperately trying to free myself from my wet prison, my thoughts went to my messed-up life, and I found that it wasn’t all that messed up after all, or at least it was mendable somehow. I would find a way to make thing right, if I only got a shot. Just please, please, don’t let me get eaten by a crocodile.

Well, I got my wish. The ripples disappeared. Whatever had produced them decided to dive off into another direction. Which was of course a great relief, except that I was still stuck. While I was trying to free myself yet again, the sun was very slowly creeping towards the horizon. But not before it left me feeling parched and drowsy, and worst of all, out of water. The bottle was empty before I realised it. My head started hurting, and I started losing time. I don’t know whether I was actually unconscious for a while or if I just didn’t realise how the day slowly crept on, but suddenly the sun was setting behind the bushes and the dust-coloured hills.

As the twilight approached, I felt a little better and found it in me to cry for help once more, ignoring the fear of many-toothed reptile jaws mauling me to death. The only effect was a flock of birds flying off. Then it dawned of me that I might have to spend the night stuck in a hole in the ground and that tomorrow would be another day with the sun beating down on me relentlessly in this late Australian summer. Would I die of heat stroke or of thirst first? Oh my god, I had to get out of here. I leaned forward as best as I could and pulled my legs up backwards. My hands clawed through soggy mud and it felt like I was moving forward towards hopefully dry ground little by little.

Then I suddenly saw it. A ghostly light slowly approaching from the right. I yelled so they could find me, but I got no answer. Yet the light came ever closer, as if its bearer knew exactly where to go. I got an ominous feeling in my stomach and decided that it was wiser not to shout any more. I’d rather take my chances freeing myself, which was slowly working as it seemed, than being freed by whoever was coming closer. And closer they were coming.

The light was now shining through the branches of the bushes next me, and what came closer looked almost like a hooded old figure holding a wicker lantern in his hand. He seemed to be holding a ball of tiny branches with an impossible pale light shining in its centre, and his eyes reflected that ghostly light.

He burst through the branches and shone his lantern straight at me. Squinting, I saw a massive black hound sitting next to his feet, baring his fangs at me. They also reflected the ghostly lamp’s light.

“Need help with thy fate? I can help you pass over and cope. Guiding lost souls is my speciality,” the apparition said with a creepy smile and a croaking voice.

“Stay away from me, you fiend. I’m not done with this life yet. Scram, old man.”

“Hey, now. First of all, I’m not that old. And also, you must have misunderstood me there. Are you okay? You must have heatstroke or something. Just to make myself clear, I offered you my help to pull you out of that hole you’re stuck in.”

And with that the old man turned into a ruggedly handsome Aussie guy in his thirties, holding an electric lantern, with a blue heeler sitting loyally at his ankles. I sighed with relief and said, “I must have been hallucinating. What did you say when you offered your assistance?

“I said something like: need help with this, mate? I can use the Rover’s leash as a rope. Finding lost folks is our speciality.” With a shy smile, he added, “the last part was just me trying to impress the pretty lady.”

“Ha, I don’t feel very pretty right now. Mostly, I feel like I might be losing my mind. You’re either a handsome, athletic outdoorsman with a faithful dog or the grim reaper who offered me assistance in passing over while a scary black dog was staring into my soul.”

“I don’t know about the handsome part, but I am here to help get out of this hole and back on your feet. I’ll even throw in a shower, a hearty meal, and a spot on my couch for the night if you need it.”

“I wouldn’t say no to a sheltered and safe place to rest my weary head. I’ve had enough of being stuck for a lifetime.”

“Then grab this leash and after that my hand.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re more than welcome.”

So I made my way out of this mess and into what I was supposed to find at the end of my spirit walk. No need to roam about any more, I found my way back home to myself. I was finally ready to mend my life.

—Submitted by Lone-Eyed

[ellatravels]

10 tips to do this properly

Well... I did not think this moment will be here so soon but here I am. The last week of my one year adventure on the other side of the globe. I know there are a thousand blog posts out there talking about experiences abroad and, in particular, in New Zealand. However, everyone experiences things differently and I though I should come up with my own tips on how to enjoy this experience as much as possible. I am not going to lie, this year has not been all a path of roses and sunny days... It could get pretty rough sometimes. However, here I am, writing this little shitty post with tears in my eyes.

Anyway... Here are my 10 tips to do Auckland properly:

Pack your winter coat. I don’t know why we stupid Europeans assume that New Zealand is a warm country. It is, after all, quite far away from the Equator. So pack your coat, your winter sweaters, your wool socks and anything you have to keep yourself warm. You will thank me later. On the same note, you really, REALLY, want to invest on a heater. Most houses in New Zealand are not properly insulated and have no central heating. You’ll find that it’s often colder in your living room that in the top of Mount Cook.

Invest in hiking shoes. Anywhere you go in New Zealand involves some hiking. No joke. Depending on where you live, even on your way to the local supermarket you might need to climb a couple of volcanoes - giving that there are about 50 just in Auckland. New Zealand is a beautiful country, full with scenic locations and wonderful spots to get to know. You want to get around as much as possible and use every opportunity you have to go somewhere new. Having your own hiking shoes available makes this so much easier!

Learn to love the rain. If you are one of those who does not enjoy a bit of a storm, better stay back home. It is not a secret that it rains a lot in New Zealand, what kiwis seem to keep to themselves however, is that you can wake up to a 25 degree sunny day - thinking that summer is around the corner - and once you have walked a couple of blocks from home, it will start pouring down like there is no tomorrow. I would like to say that with a raincoat and an umbrella you are good, but I’ll be lying… Nothing can save you from the Auckland rain!

Walk it. Contrary to what everybody says, it is possible to live without a car in New Zealand. Would it make things a bit more complicated? Sure! But at the end of your trip your buttocks will look like Beyonce’s. No, seriously. You can even travel the country and move around with plane, boat, bus and train (yes! there is a train - even though you’ve never heard of it). Finding your way around without the comfort of a car will push you out there to cross over your comfort zone. You’ll be maybe obligated to hitchhike and ask the locals to give you a ride - Kiwis are the friendliest of birds and can barely say no to a tourist in distress!

Avoid the CBD. I can’t count how many time I’ve heard tourists say that Auckland is an awful city. That it’s boring and ugly… No, no, no! If you think so, you are doing it all wrong! A typical travelers mistake is to hang out in the CBD. To build their social lives around the Quay area or Fort Street. Obviously, you will never like it there. To get to know the real Auckland you need to avoid the CBD at all costs. You have to learn where to go and to explore the neighborhoods that surround the city center. I am not going to lie - Auckland is not the biggest party city, but that’s where its charm lays. However, if you know where to look, you will find the coziest bars, the chillest gigs or super artsy events and exhibitions! This is why it’s important to hang with locals (which brings me to my next point) - they know where to go, and they will take you with them if they like you!

Avoid your people. No matter how homesick and lonely you feel, avoid flocking up with fellow travelers. Don’t worry, the eighty-something million Germans you left at home will still be there when you go back — you don’t need to catch up with them all while in New Zealand. Instead, go out and meet the locals. I know, I know… It is not going to be an easy tasks. Kiwis are shy birds that don’t always know how to behave around newly inserted birds. Still give it a try — the best places to meet them is at work or sneaking in to a house party. Force yourself into their life to the point they do not remember a world without you. Be patient… it just takes the right amount of consistency and stalking.

Embrace a bit of the kiwi pride. Yes, praise the country and its customs — after all, New Zealand will be your home for a while. An easy way to do this is by starting every conversation with the Aussies about how Pavlova is, in spite of its Eastern European name, a New Zealand invention. Defend this fact to death - it’s of vital importance! In fact, just adopt a general position of skepticism in front of anything made in Australia - Except Tim Tams - they are great! However, don’t let yourself be carried away. You are not a kiwi and therefore, it is ok not to wear jandals to work or to absolutely hate pineapple lumps (though you secretly love them).

Learn to enjoy life without cheese. If you are a cheese lover, maybe you should reconsider coming. The prices of dairy products in New Zealand are similar to the ones in a cow-extinct planet. Actually, everything in general is quite expensive compared to most countries in Europe —mainly because the minimum salary here is a bit of a joke. However,  nothing compares to the prices of dairy and meet. But hey - think about all the fat you are not consuming because of not eating cheese!

Get drunk. What you can find somewhat cheap and of good quality in New Zealand is beer and wine. Moreover, if you went a bit to crazy last night, you can get some of the world’s best coffee here too - also for an ok price. This is all good news!

Go all in. There is something about being in New Zealand that changes you. Maybe it’s being so far away from home — you probably can’t get further away — or maybe it’s about being in a different hemisphere. Things here feel different, more intense maybe. Therefore, it becomes quite easy to, for example, fall in love. As much as this can suck — because, lets be honest, chances are it won’t work — you can use it in your favor! Let yourself be carried away and allow your heart  to fall from the highest point in town till it breaks in a million pieces. Trust me, that might be the only way you would want to leave this heavenly piece of land.

I will miss you everyday of the rest of my life New Zealand!

[thisdaynews]

How do you solve a problem like 8chan?

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-8chan/

How do you solve a problem like 8chan?

Rene Aguilar and Jackie Flores pray at a makeshift memorial for the victims of Saturday’s mass shooting at a shopping complex in El Paso, Texas. | Andres Leighton/AP File Photo

President Donald Trump’s vow Monday to scour “the dark recesses of the internet” came as this weekend’s deadly gun violence provoked ire over fringe online platforms like 8chan, an anonymous message board that has hosted a racist manifesto linked to Saturday’s deadly shooting in El Paso, Texas.

But any effort to curb dangerous extremism online will run into a host of obstacles: The Constitution and U.S. laws protect hateful speech, and obscure sites like 8chan are relatively immune to the kinds of political pressure that Washington is increasingly bringing to bear against mainstream platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Google. And the same big tech sites have made only slow progress in removing content supporting terrorist groups like ISIS, despite years of pressure from the Obama administration.

Story Continued Below

Trump promised to press forward anyway, saying in a televised address, “We must recognize that the internet has provided a dangerous avenue to radicalize disturbed minds and perform demented acts.” He said he was directing the Justice Department to coordinate with government agencies and social media companies “to develop tools that can detect mass shooters before they strike.”

These are the some of the reasons the effort won’t be easy:

1) U.S. law offers a safe harbor

The First Amendment protects even racist, misogynistic and other hateful speech. And online sites enjoy broad legal immunity through another statute — Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act — that has become a major focus of the bipartisan congressional backlash against online sites like Facebook.

Under the law, websites enjoy almost blanket immunity from liability for content their users post. Lawmakers of both parties have questioned whether Section 230 offers too much cover to tech companies that fail to police their platforms — and the 8chan link to the El Paso shooting offers an opening to further attempts to weaken, change or do away with the law.

But industry groups argue that removing the 230 clause would only worsen the proliferation of dangerous material, because the provision is what allows tech platforms, acting in good faith, to take down harmful content without opening themselves up to legal troubles.

“Section 230 empowers platforms to stop the spread of vile content from the dark corners of the Internet,” said Carl Szabo, general counsel at NetChoice, an e-commerce trade group representing Facebook, Google and Twitter. “Without Section 230, extreme speech would become more prevalent online — not less.”

Even some groups highly critical of the online industry’s efforts to crack down on extremist content are warning against dialing back the legal safeguards, which they say protects a vast swath of content aimed at countering hate speech.

“I don’t think we should be in a rush to change the law because these horrible things are happening,” said Heidi Beirich, who tracks online extremism for the Southern Poverty Law Center.

2) Fringe sites often escape scrutiny

Lawmakers and activists have all kinds of leverage against companies like Facebook and Google, which employ vast lobbying armies in Washington, sometimes vie for big government contracts and can be swayed by pressure from their shareholders and employees.

But that kind of leverage has little leeway with sites like 8chan.

8chan, whose owner resides in the Philippines, represents the self-proclaimed “Darkest Reaches of the Internet” seen as a haven for unbridled free speech and a breeding ground for domestic terrorism. It’s even more of a free-for-all site than its better-known counterpart 4chan, which developed a reputation for racist content.

Numerous reports have linked 8chan to misogynistic material, child pornography and the infamous QAnon conspiracy, which claims Trump is waging a secret war against pedophiles and so-called “deep state” actors.

That fringe quality, though, means it’s harder to get such sites to remove content than it was to get big social media companies to remove videos and posts by Islamic State supporters.

“The difference is that with ISIS you’re mostly dealing with the mainstream sites of the world: YouTube, Google, and Facebook,” said Seamus Hughes, a former top staffer at the National Counterterrorism Center who now serves as deputy director of George Washington University’s Program on Extremism. “But with white nationalism, white supremacy, you’re dealing with fringe websites that aren’t part of the larger ecosystem of content moderation.”

In 2017, under pressure from Washington and after years of proclaiming the difficulties of determining what counts as terrorist content and removing it across their platforms, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and Google-owned YouTube formed a group called the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism to share best practices and work together to combat violent and extremist posts. Pinterest and Dropbox later joined what Hughes calls a “coalition of the willing.”

Only more recently have lawmakers like Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, turned their attention to sites like 8chan.

“To be honest with you, most of us had never heard of that channel until a few months ago, and then you find out people have been using it for quite a while,” Thompson told POLITICO in May.

3) Even the big sites still provide gateways to radicalism

Experts on white supremacy say that while 8chan might grab headlines, some people — especially young white men — first get a taste of the ideology on popular sites like Twitter and YouTube, despite all the years of pressure for the services to stop fostering hate.

Beirich said tech industry leaders turned a blind eye to white nationalist speech on their sites until the deadly clash between white supremacists and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Va., in August 2017 that prompted a public reckoning about online hatred.

“Until 2017, for 10 years, we had no idea how many young white men were radicalized into hardcore white nationalism” online, she said. “This is why we’ve been arguing hate groups should come off of these mainstream platforms for years.”

Since then, the companies have taken steps to crack down. Facebook earlier this year expanded its definition of hate speech to include white nationalist and white separatist content. But the move sparked objections from some right-wing commentators, who tied the policy to longstanding allegations that online platforms censor conservative speech. And advocacy groups warned that the policy shift could inadvertently sweep up groups looking to combat online extremism.

“When speech is censored by private parties based on the content of that speech, there’s nothing stopping Facebook — or YouTube or Twitter — from using that same power to censor organizations fighting to protect abortion rights or individuals fighting against climate change tomorrow,” American Civil Liberties Union staff attorney Vera Eidelman told POLITICO earlier this year.

Fringe platforms, meanwhile, have pointed to the ongoing presence of hate speech and extremist content on top platforms to shield against criticisms. “My question is, why is the focus on 8chan? The El Paso shooter also had accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter from my understanding,” read a statement posted on the Twitter account of Gab, a social network known as a hotbed for white nationalist content.

The gunman who killed more than 50 people in March at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, livestreamed that massacre on Facebook, he pointed out, “and no one called for Facebook to be shut down.”

4) Racially divisive speech can fail to trigger the necessary alarms

8chan has served repeatedly as the digital home base where suspects in mass shootings have promoted violent or racist views before carrying out their plans. In March, an account believed to belong to the Christchurch, New Zealand, gunman aired white nationalist sentiment in a manifesto posted to the platform. And in April, an individual who identified himself as the suspect in a deadly shooting near San Diego, Calif., aired racist views on the forum prior to that attack.

But Shahed Amanullah, a former senior adviser on technology to secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, said that both government and industry are less likely to view domestic expressions of racial extremism as problematic than they are with statements supporting international terrorism.

“Back when I was in the State Department, obviously people were very concerned about this behavior coming from Muslim groups, like al Qaeda, but there’s a disconnect: When it’s people who are familiar or closer to home, it doesn’t register as an existential threat, because people are just too familiar with it. There’s terrorism and there’s this thing we don’t think of as terrorism,” said Amanullah.

“But there’s no such thing as ‘domestic terrorism’ anymore because borders don’t mean anything,” he said. And the online platforms, he says, need to take homegrown white supremacist rhetoric seriously: “If you’re truly serious about keeping language off your platform that leads to violence, you need to be true to your word whether it’s Islamic extremists or white nationalists.”

Washington’s failure to treat white supremacy as a serious threat can mean that online platforms don’t feel pressure to act, said Hughes, the former counterterrorism official. “Technology companies respond to the threat of regulation, and if that happens with white nationalism, you might see more action,” he said.

5) The real decision-makers — internet infrastructure companies — don’t want the responsibility

The real power brokers at the moment are the internet infrastructure companies that have the power to erase whole sites from the web, at least for a time.

On Monday, the CEO of Cloudflare — a company that helps protect websites from cyberattacks that can render them unreachable — said that he’d made the decision to pull his company’s protective services from 8chan in light of the El Paso attack. “The rationale is simple: they have proven themselves to be lawless and that lawlessness has caused multiple tragic deaths,” wrote Matthew Prince, the CEO.

Some lawmakers have pointed to those sorts of moves as useful progress. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) told POLITICO that while fringe sites like 8chan “have yet to demonstrate any willingness to limit content depicting violence, torture, racism and child pornography,” public scrutiny, and the resulting response by services such as Cloudflare, has succeeded in limiting their ability to operate.

“Our efforts should be focused on containing, counter-messaging, and delegitimizing these bastions of hate,” said Rogers, the top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee.

But Prince, the Cloudflare CEO, says he dislikes wielding that power. “We continue to feel incredibly uncomfortable about playing the role of content arbiter and do not plan to exercise it often,” he wrote. “Cloudflare is not a government. While we’ve been successful as a company, that does not give us the political legitimacy to make determinations on what content is good and bad. Nor should it.”

Eidelman, the ACLU staff attorney, told POLITICO that “as odious and truly reprehensible as the statements in the manifesto are, I think we have to be careful about a world in which a handful of actors can drive speakers off the web at their sole discretion.”

8chan was offline for parts of Monday, but is likely to return to the web when it lines up other service providers.

Read More

[davidalatorreblog]

Revealed: how ANZ executives can earn 300% bonuses – live

Chief executive offers mea culpa after appearance by AMP’s acting chief. Follow all the developments and updates

• AMP boss admits customers face waiting 17 years for remediation • The biggest banking scandal is that everyone knew – but still did nothing

6.17am GMT

What have we learned?

The royal commission spent a considerable amount of time asking Shayne Elliott, the chief executive of ANZ, about ANZ’s remuneration regime.

5.41am GMT

The day has finished off with Orr asking questions about ANZ’s response to the Sedgwick review.

Elliot will be back tomorrow at 10am, so we’ll hear more from him then.

5.36am GMT

Interesting.

Orr wants to know if ANZ has a clawback mechanism to reclaim remuneration after it has been paid to its Australia and New Zealand executives.

5.33am GMT

Orr rounds out this line of questioning by asking Elliott about his own remuneration.

Orr: “We know why your variable remuneration has been reduced, Mr Elliott.

5.29am GMT

Elliott says another reason individual executive compensation should not be published regularly is because it can lead to pay inflation across the industry.

Elliott: “I think it’s a reasonably well accepted – it may not be – but reasonably well accepted view that actually the regime of disclosing senior executive compensation has actually led to inflation in executive compensation.”

5.15am GMT

Elliott doesn’t want to be explicit about why ANZ executives have had their bonuses cut because he doesn’t want to create a “culture of fear”.

Orr: “Can I suggest to you that it’s not so much about a public shaming; it’s just a part of holding them accountable?

We run an organisation that is large. I have 40,000 people who come to work every day at ANZ in 33 countries. They have all sorts of backgrounds. They are all sorts of circumstances, beliefs, religions, ethnicity, etcetera. For me to be able to confidently assess that I can nail that communication and it not to be understood that it not to create a culture of fear, I think would be extraordinarily difficult. And I believe that we can do that in more general communication, rather than, to your suggestion, of essentially publishing performance assessments of the most senior executives of this company.”

5.10am GMT

The royal commission is spending so much time looking at the remuneration regimes in Australia’s banks.

Do you think it’s a safe bet that Hayne’s final report will contain recommendations on remuneration that won’t be welcomed by bank executives?

5.01am GMT

Orr wonders why ANZ doesn’t send internal communications to its staff to tell them why specific executives had their bonuses cut.

Elliott says it would be demotivating for ANZ’s executives.

4.57am GMT

Elliott tries to explain himself.

I think in the remuneration report from the directors, they do refer – I would have to refresh my memory – but they do talk about the generic decisions they’ve made about how they come to determine the appropriate [bonus] pool and ranking for people.

“I think they even talked about – and they will talk about it later – had applied downward adjustment to equity that had previously been awarded to previous executives.

4.51am GMT

ANZ shareholders kept in dark

There’s a long discussion about the reasons why, for the 2018 financial year, there were four instances of a current or former ANZ senior executive suffering a cut in their variable remuneration for reasons relating to risk, conduct or compliance.

4.31am GMT

Not bad for a year’s work

The royal commission hears about ANZ’s system of executive remuneration.

4.26am GMT

Elliott expresses frustration with the “two strikes rule.”

He concedes individual shareholders have very little say in how a large publicly-listed company is run, despite theoretically being part owners of the company.

4.12am GMT

Orr wants to know significant the expectations of shareholders are in setting remuneration structures for executives.

Elliott says they have a “very significant” voice, given their ability to vote on particular issues around remuneration means.

4.07am GMT

Orr talks about the remuneration regime for ANZ’s senior executives.

She wants to know if there has been an “incorrect calibration” - to use Elliott’s euphemism - of senior executive pay.

3.57am GMT

Orr: “In your submissions in response to the interim report you’ve said that, or ANZ said that, as a generalisation over a number of years, and due to various events, the financial services industry has developed a culture that has become overly focused on revenue and sales?

Elliott: “Yes.

3.55am GMT

Orr moves on to remuneration, and how it can encourage misconduct.

3.54am GMT

Orr: “Could each of those steps have been taken much earlier than following the Commission’s inquiry into these matters in the fourth round of hearings?

Elliott: “Of course.

3.51am GMT

Orr: “Now, since that round of hearings, ANZ has taken several steps directed to assisting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander customers living in regional and remote locations?

Elliott: “Yes.

3.44am GMT

Elliott had told colleagues of his, before the fourth round of hearings, to tell him how many ANZ outlets service communities of people that predominantly rely on Centrelink payments.

About 40 outlets meet that definition.

3.40am GMT

Elliott takes Orr through the steps again about the economics of ANZ’s branch network.

Orr then asks Elliott why ANZ was so concerned about being prepared for the fourth round of hearings, which were held in late June and early July.

3.11am GMT

We’re back after lunch.

Senior counsel assisting the royal commission Rowena Orr QC is asking ANZ’s chief executive Shayne Elliott about his bank’s decision to close scores of bank branches around Australia.

2.16am GMT

AMP’s acting chief executive, Mike Wilkins, wrapped up his evidence to the royal commission this morning.

It didn’t fill AMP’s shareholders with confidence. AMP’s share price has lost 3.7% today (as of 1pm AEST).

2.03am GMT

But with that we have broken for lunch.

The hearing will resume at 2pm.

2.02am GMT

Elliott insists that ANZ thinks seriously about its branch closures, taking things on a case-by-case basis.

He agrees there have been some cases where ANZ’s decision to close a branch has led to the final branch in a regional community shutting down.

1.58am GMT

Orr wants to know if people still go into branches to discuss significant things like home loans.

Elliott says they do, but for ANZ’s home loan book less than a third of home loans are originated through a branch – 55% come through brokers, another roughly 15% come through ANZ’s mobile banking network.

1.52am GMT

Orr changes the topic to ANZ’s branch network.

This year ANZ has closed 35 branches.

1.42am GMT

Interesting.

As part of ANZ’s attempt to ensure Neave remains independent they’ve put him on a fixed three-year term which won’t be renewed.

1.37am GMT

There has been a long discussion about ANZ’s “customer fairness adviser”.

In December 2016, ANZ appointed Colin Neave as ANZ’s customer fairness adviser with particular focus on remediation. Neave is a former commonwealth ombudsman.

1.34am GMT

And again on AMP, the sharp fall in the shares follows a release to the stock market confirming the figures revealed by Wilkins yesterday that the cost of fixing the company’s rep will be a hefty $778m.

Here is that statement to the ASX.

1.28am GMT

And just to follow up on the AMP shares post, this is a chart showing how the stock has performed in the past 12 months.

1.19am GMT

Shares in AMP have tanked this morning after the acting boss Mike Wilkins endured a fairly torrid time on the witness stand yesterday and today.

They are selling for $2.335, a fall of 3.91%.

1.09am GMT

Elliott’s performance so far has been reasonable.

It stands in severe contrast to Ken Henry’s, the chairman of NAB, who spent yesterday slouched in his chair, deigning to answer Orr’s questions when he thought they were worth responding to.

12.56am GMT

Orr: “So where does customer remediation sit now on your list of priorities for the application of your resources?”

Elliott: “I don’t have a list of priorities that numbers them one through 10 or something. I have a group that are all important. Remediation is there. If we were to speak to our team who run the Australia business, of which this refers to, they would tell you - and they have - and it’s documented - that remediation is their number one priority as a team. If I look at our board - and I believe it’s documented in the minutes - have encouraged or ... demanded that remediation deserves to be a top priority of the organisation.”

12.54am GMT

She wants to know why ANZ has previously described customer remediation as a “distraction”.

Asic uncovered an internal ANZ document in which a staff member said the bank put less focus on customer remediation – it was seen as a distraction, at the expense of earning revenue, and therefore not always given the highest priority.

12.45am GMT

Orr takes Elliott to the final finding in the ASIC report.

Asic found it took the major financial groups an average of 251 days to make the first payment to customers affected by a significant breach after the end of the investigation.

12.34am GMT

Orr takes Elliott to a second finding in ASIC’s report that it took the major financial groups an average of 150 days after commencing an investigation to lodge a breach report.

There is a legal obligation under section 912D of the Corporations Act to report significant breaches within 10 days of becoming aware of the breach.

12.31am GMT

Orr: “Would you still today be unable to look beyond seven years to see how many customers had been affected?”

Elliott: “Not in all cases.”

12.29am GMT

Elliott tries to offer an explanation, saying ANZ’s business was extremely complicated with different lines of reporting and oversight.

He says changes have been made, but he can’t say how long it will now take to identify a breach and report it to Asic. He would hope it could be significantly lower than 1,500 days.

12.18am GMT

It takes ANZ over four years to identify an incident that’s later determined to be a significant breach

Orr takes Elliott to an ASIC report on the breach reporting practices of Australia’s major banks.

12.14am GMT

Shayne Elliott offers a mea culpa:

Obviously the issues that we were talking about were over a period of time, in particular the [last] 10-year period, but I think, in fairness, drift back further than that in terms of the causes.

There was a recognition that at times we had – we always have to get the balance right between the needs of various stakeholders – that we had become far too focused on revenue, in particular, we don’t use the word sales but certainly revenue, as a definition of good behaviour, or good outcomes of excellence, if you will.

People who drove good revenue outcomes were seen to be doing a good job, and we paid less attention to how they achieved those outcomes.

12.10am GMT

ANZ has already acknowledged to the royal commission that it has engaged in a range of misconduct and conduct that fell below community standards and expectations.

In submissions to the commission the bank has blamed a culture that has become overly focused on revenue and sales.

12.08am GMT

Elliott has been CEO and executive director of ANZ since 1 January 2016.

Since last year he has also been the chairman of the Australian Banking Association.

12.04am GMT

Shayne Elliott, the ANZ chief executive, is now in the witness box.

Senior counsel assisting the royal commission Rowena Orr QC is leading the questions.

11.58pm GMT

Wilkins is very defensive about AMP’s vertically-integrated model.

The commissioner, Kenneth Hayne, isn’t buying it.

11.51pm GMT

In recent years, the banks repeatedly claimed that their financial advisers were acting in their customers’ best interests by selling them products that just happened to originate from the very banks for which the advisers worked.

And why wouldn’t an AMP-aligned financial adviser advise a customer to buy AMP’s products? AMP’s products are superior to its competitor’s products!

11.41pm GMT

Hodge lays out AMP’s vertically integrated model.

He says AMP customers are channelled through various distribution networks, with the main distribution channel being “advice” – via either direct or aligned financial advisers.

11.24pm GMT

Howard-McDonald warned in her memorandum:

As a business, we talk often about the value of a vertically integrated business but in practice my feeling is that we have little organisational understanding of what this means in terms of customer and other stakeholder expectations.

Further, on a day-to-day basis we operate as broadly four separate business lines who happen to share the same name and spend a lot of time doing business with each other, sometimes to the detriment of customer outcomes.

11.19pm GMT

The senior counsel assisting the royal commission Michael Hodge QC asks Mike Wilkins about a document Wilkins was handed by AMP’s customer advocate, Melanie Howard-McDonald.

Howard-McDonald’s role was to deal with customer complaints on a day-to-day basis.

11.05pm GMT

Good morning, everyone.

Thanks for joining Guardian Australia’s blog of the banking royal commission.

Continue reading... Revealed: how ANZ executives can earn 300% bonuses – live published first on https://yuanex.tumblr.com

[sparklyeaglepoetry-blog]

Am I Insured driving in the UK if im from Ireland and have 1 years driving experience?

"Am I Insured driving in the UK if im from Ireland and have 1 years driving experience?

I am not a novice and I am driving my own car over

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I am not a novice and I am driving my own car over

Car insurance recommendations?

hi im 16 and trying very hard to get emancipated i havent told my mom yet though because it seems like a great idea not to get kicked out first, but anyways i have locked in a steady job at a clothing store but i am only working part time for now. What would your recommendation be for cheap car insurance i have no idea where to even start but if i can get cheap insurance than i will be able to spend more on an appartment or trailer. plz give me your recommendations and any advice on how to accomplish my goal. and please no bad comments i just want advice.""

What is the Benefit of an insurance company selling a new for old Policy?

And... Why is it important to them to have the correct reserve... I already know a few reasons, but I'm revising and my mind has gone blank! Please can someone help? I'm normally very much on the ball.. but its just left me! Thank you""

Did you know that Geico could save you 15% or more on car insurance?

Did you know that Geico could save you 15% or more on car insurance?

What company offers best auto insurance rates for not so good driving records?

What company offers best auto insurance rates for not so good driving records?

Whats the best motorcycle insurance in ottawa for an 18 year old?

Whats the best motorcycle insurance in ottawa for an 18 year old?

Cheap auto insurance?

Ok im 18 with a lience and my papa is thinking of giving me his ford f 150. wat is a super cheap insureance i can get? i dont need all the extra ****. and legally do i even need insurance??

How much will auto insurance be for me?

I want to buy an eclipse,and im 20 years old. Had my license over a year. just want an average price""

Do spoilers raise insurance price?

is it true that having a spoiler on a car will make insurance higher?

How much does a broken wrist cost after insurance?

I have a paper from school and in it I must in include all details of a situation. My story line includes a child breaking their wrist. I was wonder what someone would have to pay after insurance? If you could help me be detailed as much as possible like how much would it be for like x rays, doctor visits, medicine, etc. I've never broken anything so Im a bit lost. Even just a average estimate would be appreciated.""

How much will my insurance go up after I've gotten a speeding ticket?

Alright here is the deal, this Monday i got pulled over by this idiot cop who gave me a speeding ticket for going something like 8-10 mph over...I'm 17 going on 18 and have had my license for about a year and a half or longer. I have had no prior tickets, violations, ect. It was a 75 dollar fine which im paying....but im really worried about my insurance, my parents pay it, and i havn't told them about the ticket, im just going to pay it...so my question is...will they notice a dramatic change in my insurance rates? for one speeding ticket? oh and also, i live in idaho...i know these things vary by state.""

Do you get cheaper insurance for older cars or new cars?

Do you get cheaper insurance for older cars or new cars?

Where can i get cheap car insurance?

Ive tried compare the market and a few of the other leading companies but they all a bit to high for me - whats so annoying is when i find one thats suitable it ends up higher than the listed price. Anyone know of a good one

I am a soon to be mom without health insurance.?

I have not had health insurance for 3 yrs now. Till now it's not really been that big of a deal because I'm a very healthy person and was able to pay for all of ck ups @ the doc. but now I'm expecting & I'm not going to be able to pay in full for prental care,& birth delivery of a baby. I have not gone to the doc because I would like to get on health insurance first & I'm scared if I go to the doc first insurance will say it was a preexisting condidtion & not insure me. The baby's father says I should get on Medicaid but he makes $6000 a month, & we live together, so I'm scared that he makes too much money for me to get on Meicaid & we can't afford for me to have any kind of insurance that is expensive. What is the best thing for me to do?""

Will having a new licensed driver in the house affect car insurance rates?

I live in New York, and I'm getting my license. My sister is afraid that having another licensed driver living in the same household will raise her car insurance rates. I told her I didn't think it would, since I wouldn't be going on her insurance, I would be getting my own. Does anyone know the answer?""

""Cheapest Car Insurance in Houston, Texas?""

Okay I am 21 will be turning 22 this October, I have a 1989 Chevy Blzaer, never had any violations can you guys give me a hand here please. Thanks.""

Insurance rates?

How much will insurance be for a 16 year old driving a 2007 Dodge Charger in the state of California? By the way, I get the good student discount.""

What to do with my auto insurance?

hello I plan to give my 18 year old daughter my car and I plan to get another car. Does anyone know how does this work. I mean I not only will be putting her on my insurance but I will be adding another car. Will I have to pay double because of this? Or would it be cheaper for her own insurance and if I should leave the car I am giving her in my name or put in her name?

Young drivers - What is your insurance?

Hey there! Im an 18 year old male , and to get insured on a 1999 1.0 GLS Vauxhall Corsa it will cost 3000+ a year! Am i doing something wrong , what kind of car should i look for? (that quote was from Gocompare.com). So yeah , young drivers what is your insurance , what is your car and insurance company? Thanks""

What are some cheap cars to insure for an 18 Year old?

What are some cheap cars to insure for an 18 Year old? I am learning to drive at the moment but I want to know what some cheap cars are to insure?

Uk Motorcycle insurance question?

I'm currently doing my CBT and the going to do my A2 licence, which would permit me to ride a 400cc bike, so i'm planning on getting a 600cc bike and restricting it. Would that lower the insurance if i were to mention it has been resticted, i looked it up and for an 18 yr old i got a quote for a 600cc bike for about 1,300. would that be lower if i said it was restricted??""

""I don't get insurance at all, like car insurance health insurance, etc?""

Yes, I know it is kind of a stupid question to ask but I really don't get it at all. I know there are different types of insurance like life insurance, health insurance, car insurance, but.... 1. what other types of insurances are there besides the ones i just listed? 2. does the insurance company pay for everything and do you have to pay them back? 3. how hard is it to find insurance? 4. what is the different between health and car insurance? 5. how do u get insurance? does it matter if ur poor or rich? THANKS! I know this is kind of random :)""

Driver doesn't have license or insurance?

My fiance sister is 19 & keeps taken their mom's car with total permission. She has a permit but not a license or insurance. What would/could she be charged with if she was pulled over or in an accident. Could his mom get in trouble too? I thought his mom had to press Grand theft auto charges for the insurance company to fix/replace the car. What happens with Grand theft auto charges?

Whats the best dental insurance to cover for braces? AmeriPlan?

braces for adults in general...? and what exactly is AmeriPlan... if they are not insurance...what are they? and are they dependable?

Cheap home owners insurance?

they keep raising rates with no justification. Which company do you use? Are they expensive? Are they cheaper? I Cr 13;8a

""How to apply for Louisiana Children's Health Insurance Program, LACHIP?""

Are you looking for a low cost health insurance program for your children? Do you live in Louisiana? Well, I just recently found a program called LACHIP that offers affordable healthcare coverage for children. Step1 I'm a stay at home mom, and for awhile my child was getting sick all the time. Our insurance was good but, it didn't cover everything. Then suddenly, my boss told me that she was cutting my hours. I frantically started seeking healthcare insurance that was affordable but, would cover everything we needed. That's when I found a program called LACHIP. Basically, LACHIP is a no-cost or low-cost medicaid health insurance program for children. Step2 First thing, you need to find out if you qualify for the program. The program is basic on income. To find out the income guidelines, contact your medicaid office. They will also give you an application to fill out. To find out your medicaid office contact information, go to: http://www.dhh.state.la.us/offices/contacts.asp?ID=119 Step3 Finally, when you get the application in the mail, fill it out and return it back to the office. Now when I filled mine out, I did not have to put a stamp on the envelope because it was already pre-paid. Then within about a week, someone from the medicaid office will call you and tell you if you are approved or not. If you are approved, then you will receive a medicaid card in the mail for your child(ren) within 6 weeks. Once you receive it, you use the card anywhere medicaid is accepted. Also, don't forget to ask your medicaid representative to include a list of things that medicaid covers. For more how to articles, please visit http://www.ehow.com/members/kleighwickham.html?view=3rd""

Am I Insured driving in the UK if im from Ireland and have 1 years driving experience?

I am not a novice and I am driving my own car over

How much would motorcycle insurance cost for a 23 yr old?

Impeccable driving record, no tickets, felonies etc... Have a car and I've been driving for 6 1/2 years. My premium with Geico is only $80/mo. I just need a general figure for something with over 600ccs. Thanks.""

About how much more would insurance be on this car?

i want to get a chrysler sebring convertible. i tried calculating insurance but it didnt ask if it was a convertible or not. Im just trying to see how much more the insurance would be since its a convertible.SO! how much more would insurance be on a 99 sebring coupe than a 99 sebring convertible. it would have 46000 miles.

Cheapest way to get car insurance?

we know of a family that is going through tough times. Mom works 3 jobs, daughter (18 y.o. works 2 jobs and goes to school full time) while the dad has two DUIs on him. Of course the daughter can't get insurance(because its too expensive). Around $2k a year. Know of any other viable options?? Its in California. Thanks!""

Cheapest Car to Insure on 18 Year Old Male ?

Hi everyone, I'm Victor, 18 Year Old Male which has Just passed his driving test. Now, here comes the hard part. The F*cking Insurance! What car is cheap to insure, I don't mind going as a 2nd driver even third becuase I'm unemplyed at the momment but once back in a job I will be the 1st Driver to gain my NCB. So I will most likely be a 2nd driver (I know its ilegal) BUT here's the thing I'm only using the car to get to college and back, it's not a full time driving expirience so in a sense, yes I won't be breaking the law!. My dad will most likely be using the car to get around with shopping etc during nights, weekends. I just genuinly need the car to get from A to B (Work and College). I have 900 to spend on any car, I've been quoted on my fathers Vectra (O8) 1000, which is really good but what riddles with me is that I know that car has a high fuel compsumption. HELP ME!! I've read a ford mondeo is cheap to insure, but there's the clue, I Heard . No body knows is true. So I leave it to you my dear clever people. Help.""

Can you have car insurance in a different name than the title?

I have never had car insurance in my name before and I am 20 so I am getting quoted from every company for at least 300 a month. The car i'm planning on buying is a 2007-2010 mazdaspeed3. Would I be able to have the car insurance in my fathers name while the title of the car is under my name?

""10 points! I'm 17, moved out, car insurance?""

Ok, so in 7 months i am moving out of my moms house and in with my boyfriends family for a year or two. ( My mom is aware of all of this btw) Anyways, allstate is throwing me off my moms car insurance due to the fact she will live in a seperate state and away from me. The time i move and the time i turn 18 is a two month difference. I move in june my bday is in august. It's nearly impossible for me to find insurance qoutes because im not 18! I do't want to get emancipated it seems like a waste for 2 months difference, but if i do can i get insurance on my own? i will be sharing this car with another driver older the age of 18 but still cosidered a young driver. What are my options? I have to drive to get to work!""

Cheap young driver insurance?

im 17 and im looking for some cheap car insurance and on the price compare websites it is too expensive does anyone know of a company that does it for a fair price?

""Will the USA one day have affordable, comprehensive health insurance for all its citizens?""

Will this be a reality one day soon? Other countries have it, and they have maintained their systems for generations now. Why not the USA?""

How can i get affordable insurance for my pregnant wife?

im not sure what my options are at this point. my wife is 4 months pregant and her temporary 45 day medical has expired and healthy families wont accept her. we've tried to apply for medical before but were denied due to my income. my income looks more than it is since i have to spend over $500 a month in gas with no compensation. we have very little wiggle room when it comes to income. is there something out there that may be able to help us. we also have two other children but i was able to get them healthy families

""When the term is up on term life insurance, what happens to the money you paid? do you get it back?

im in my early twenties and im looking for life insurance outside of my job. i want to know if you sign up for term life insurance and the term is up what happens with the money you've paid? or is it just better to sign up for whole life insurance?

Single mother looking for cheap car insurance?

im a young single mother trying to get my life together, fix a car, etc... got a lot on my plate. is there any resources for car insurance i can use? anything?""

Cheap car insurance..?

I need to know a cheap place around here that is under $80 for three people. I tried looking it up, but where I am staying at right now the Internet sucks on my phone. I'm 20, my parents are over 50. And we live in Cleveland, Tx So, I guess what I'm asking is if someone can look up a cheap place for me.""

WHAT IS AN INSURANCE PREMIUM?

My partner did my insurance online without knowing i had an endorsement on the licence so when i add this to the existing policy does that mean my insurance policy goes up ...and what is my insurance premium ???

Best public health insurance plan in nyc?

I've been traveling after college and won't go back to school for another year. I've been volunteering only and haven't worked for over a year. I don't qualify for ...show more

Motorcycle insurance for a 20 yr old?

i just got a 2004 ninja zx10r, any one know of a place that has motorcycle insurance for cheap??""

My age is 30 years and spouse age is 21. which is the best Health insurance policy?

I want minimum 3 lacs sum assured. I have option of Tata AIG (Hospital sickness Policy), Star Health Insurance's family floater, Max bupa's Family Floater or government company's policies.""

What's the insurance price for a 10 ft boat?

I would like to know how much The insurance would cost for a 10 ft fiberglass fishing boat? Anyone can give me an estimate? Thanks

Are VW Beetles cheap or expensive to insure?

I've been looking into getting a car (I'm 25, female and it will be my first car) and I'm really loving VW Beetles. I'm leaning more towards getting an old one (say around 1970), maybe the convertible version, if I can find one. Either I would restore it myself or buy it already restored... it depends what I can find. On one hand it would be fun to restore it myself and I'd learn a lot, but on the other hand it could become quite costly. I'm just wondering whether or not they are cheap or expensive to insure? I'm thinking they would be fairly cheap? The reason the beetle appeals to me is it's very cute and also they get great gas mileage. I only really drive to and from work, which is about 20 - 30 mins each way. I don't drive long distances. Any info you can give me about beetles, I appreciate it :-) Thank you! (I want a red one!)""

Should i get a '94-'2000 toyota camry for my first car?

I'm trying to be reasonable, i know i need an older car so my insurance is cheap (i cant be on my parents). and i know toyotas are good cars, i like the look of the camry 4-door. and ive seen alot for under 7,000.. any other ideas for good cars that are cheap?""

Does car insurance really go down at age 25?? how much?

How much does car insurance go down when a person turns 25? How much can I expect mine to go down? I am a woman now paying 82 a month. I have nothing on my record, no tickets, accidents, claims in my life (8 years since 16)""

""Drivers licence, auto insurance in california.?""

I have my drivers permit, and I want my drivers license. I don't have a car so if I get my drivers license are they going to make me pay for auto insurance? Because I don't plan on driving a car, I don't have a car yet so how can they make me pay for auto insurance if I don't have a car? I just want a license so that I can save up for a car and just have a license before I buy a car. So I have until August 2010 to pass my drivers test and this insurance thing is really holding me back because I don't have money to pay for car insurance. So can they really make me pay for car insurance in California when I don't have a car to drive?""

What the average of a male 25 year old would pay for car insurance?

i planning on buying a dodge charge 2013 and getting my own car insurances i want to know around how much i would pay i'm been driving for 6 years already but with my parents insurances. but now i want to get my own car insurance

How much is insurance for an 18 year old?

Who lives in Kentucky and wants to find a car that's cheap but will get him around without breaking down. Know what I mean? He has $2,100 out of college money to help pay until January. Then he gets more o.o So what do you think? What should my friend do?""

How long do you have to get insurance on a car after loaning?

A relative of mine wants to take over notes to my current car. I'm waiting for papers to come back to approve her and get the title in her name. The note was too high anyways but I have to pay for the note ($375) and insurance ($251) until everything is situated. Well I found a cheaper car for 6,000 and I'll be paying a little more than $100 each month. I want to hurry and get this car because I really like it and if I wait too long then it would be gone. Do I have to get insurance on it right away. I won't be driving it until I get insurance. Would they come and repo it if I don't have insurance but paying the note? I can't afford two notes and two insurances. So that's why I wanted to wait until I got rid of my first car to get insurance.""

WHAT CAR INSURANCE COMPANY IS THE CHEAPEST IN NJ?

WHAT CAR INSURANCE COMPANY IS THE CHEAPEST IN NJ?

Am I Insured driving in the UK if im from Ireland and have 1 years driving experience?

I am not a novice and I am driving my own car over

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cheap-first-time-car-insurance-blake-weber/"

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cheap auto insurance

"cheap auto insurance

cheap auto insurance

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

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How much would extra would i pay for another car on my policy?

I currently own 2 cars and am looking to buy another one. It is a 99 crown vic police int P71. I dont want collision or anything extra, i want the lowest insurance policy that i can get. Im taking that, that would be a liability only policy, am i correct? If not what kind of policy do i ask for? Also, how much more a month would this cost? No one will steal it because its a former cop car, but you couldnt tell and i doubt i will reck it.""

Will a provisional influence car insurance?

Hi guys, Im thinking about getting myself a car when Im 17 and Im looking into the insurance and what type to look for so I can save and know what Im looking for. So I was wondering if I have a provisional moped license will that help to lower my car insurance? and what car should I be looking for that cheap and easy to run and best on the insurance. Thanks in advance for your help.""

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I have a harley davidson ultra - its 800 yearly - my cars cost less. I am with geico

Car insurers recommendations?

hi there people, Since passing my test in December, I have been looking to buy (and insure) a car. Shortly I will be able to afford a little run around and have been getting insurance quotes for cars like the Fiesta and Corsa. I have noticed that over the last few months comparison site quotations have jumped from an average of 1800 to 3000 for someone in my circumstances. I have read and understand why car insurance has been hiked up, no win no fee claims are more popluar, fraud and bogus claims and economic recession are responsible for a massive increase in car insurance premiums...Im so angry at these things. I cannot believe this as I though 1800 was extortionate to begin with. I have found Elephant insurance who are quoting me reasonable prices however, back to around the 1800 mark. Please can you recommend any other good car insurers for first time drivers. I am 33 and live in Manchester England. All the big name insurance sites that appear on comparison sites see like a rip off, so any smaller insurers you have had experience of would be useful;, Thanks.""

Suggestions on cheap home insurance?

I'm looking for an economical home insurance that will be able to cover the inside only. I'm looking for suggesting, mostly not well known companies since they can be a bit more pricey.""

Does anyone know a reliable life insurance company that is also inexpensive?

Permanent Life Insurance, Term-Life Insurance, others, ect...For male, 56 years old""

Going on my dads car insurance...question?

My dad has Triple A auto insurance ..I do not live with him I am on my own in my own house, I never ask my family for help. But right now my tabs are expired and since I am only 20 I cannot afford auto insurance..they want me to put 300 down just for no fault and I think its ridiculous, Right now I dont have 300 dollars either so I asked my dad if he could help me out temporarily and put me on his car insurance ..i have a 98 cavalier so it shouldnt be that bad. its been 2 weeks and he keeps saying hes talking to the agent after tomorrow I can no longer drive my car because my tabs say march and april is comming up, I told him I would pay whatever costs to add me on it and whatever he needed a month. I was just wondering if they charge extra to add me on his insurance and my car or is he just making it up because I dont think It should take that long...like I said I am living on my own have never lived with my dad because he was in jail for a long time, moved out when i was 18 and can't get help from my mom or him,,I cant even ask to borrow money from them yet I can loan my dad 200 dollars. Feel like its so wrong, I think im doing pretty good being 20 years old working full time owning a house my own car that I bought myself and going to school...and Im having my first child.""

Where can I get the third party insurance?

I am travelling in New Zealand and I am looking for a temporary third party insurance policy. I am a non resident of New Zealand and was wondering if anyone knows where i can get an insurance policy?

Insurance.?

Does anyone Own a Mustang GT Bullitt and by any chance happen to know how much the insurance usually is?

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Looking for good medical insurance BUT AFFORDABLE?

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Should I use my insurance to pay for car damage and will my rate go up?

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How much would it cost to get insurance on these mopeds?

Separately, how much would it cost (roughly)? I am doing this for an E-Consumerism project, but I may also want to actually buy the Duke Touring. Can anyone give me a rough estimate, in dollars, for the cost of each? Please leave some sort of source so I know you didn't just make it up.""

What is the cheapest auto insurance?

What is the cheapest auto insurance?

Using business address zip code for cheaper car insurance?

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Car insurance?

which car would be the cheapest to insure for a newly qualified driver aged 19 male uk thanks in advance

Do you still have to get insurance if you have a license but don't have a car?

I'm 17 and want to get a driver's license. I won't have a car for a couple years, so do I still need to get insurance?""

Whats the cheapest car insurance?

im 18 and a new driver

Motorcycle Insurance cost in Ontario?

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What are teenage driving insurance rates for girls?

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Nissan 370z insurance cost?

Hi, im 16, and im looking into getting a 2009 370z next year. I already have the financing calculated and I can afford the monthly payments with the job i currently have. But I know the insurance would rock my wallet. And that's if they even DO insure me. So my question is, will insurance even take me? If they do, roughly how much yearly? Do you think its too expensive? Should i look into a used 350z? Thanks in advance.""

How much would insurance be for an 18 year old with a Ninja 600?

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Motorcycle Insurance?

I got into a car accident almost 2 years ago and I was wondering if it will effect me when I get insurance for my motorcycle?

How much would be my car insurance? I'm 18 years old?

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cheap auto insurance

cheap auto insurance

A GOOD first car that is great for insurance?

i need a car that will b a good first car for a 16 year old male. it has to be reliable, safe, low cost, and has to have low insurance. any suggestions?""

A question about insurance on a car?

ok i live in england, and i am 27yrs old, i drive and have my own insurance which is fully comp, as i am over 26 i can drive any car third party, my boyfriend is just starting to learn to drive and since neither of his parents drive, hes going to have to get his own car with his own insurance on, which is obviously going to be quite high as hes a new driver, hes 20yrs old. we got told that if he put me on his insurance as a second driver then it would work out a bit cheaper for him, but im wondering if this is true, as i can drive his car anyway on my insurance, so im not sure if its legal to go on his or if they will let me. any advice would be appreciated.""

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I am 21 and I was wondering if I should purchase a $1,000,000 term life insurance policy through USAA. I received a quote for $42.19 (and an additional $11.66 for waiver of disability) and the premium is guaranteed for 30 years. Do I need this policy at my age? Also, should I get the Waiver of Disability for $11.66 more per month? All answers are appreciated!""

What Cars Have the Best Car Insurance Rates?

What Cars Have the Best Car Insurance Rates?

Confused.com form for car insurance?

Im looking to purchase an audi s3 and im 21, however the insurance is too much so what im thinking is to buy the car and then insure the car to my dads name so he can drive it for a year or 2 (I WONT BE INSURED ON IT) until i can be insured on it. My question is, on confused.com it asks when did you purchase the vehicle? And if i put say 2 years ago the price of the insurance drops compared to if i brought it say today. Is it ok to do this? When they ask when did you purcahse the car can i say 2 years ago? Hope this makes sense if you use confused.com you will know what i mean. Im really enthusiastic about audis and in particular the s3, im looking to join the members club online. So will this work to lower my insurance when i want to insure myself on it? Also what will be the deal with the registered keeper and owner of the vehicle? Would that be me? Even though my dad would be the person insured on the vehicle? I know im trying to obtain cheaper insurance but if i dont drive it for 2 years i dont see a problem in this. any ideas? What if my dad is the registered owner then registers it to me in 2 years will i have to say i brought the car 2 years ago or when my dad registers it over to me?""

Getting insurance for a car?

my step daughters cousin is buying her a used car. tiffany does not have a license yet. she has her learners permit. we live in pennsylvania. her cousin does not want the insurance in her name she wants my step daughter to get it. can you get insurance without a license? she lives with her dad, can she get on his policy? would she automaticaly be on her cousins insurance since she will own the car? thank you""

Can I insure my car in California if it is registered in Oklahoma?

I currently have insurance in Oklahoma. My permanent address is in Oklahoma but I am stationed in California and California doesn't require military personnel to register their vehicles there.

""Insurance policy,,,,,,,,,,,?

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I am 19 years old and my mother is taking me off her insurance and I need to found another insurance company but I work at Zaxby's. Any suggestions

What are life insurance quotes and its advantage?

What are life insurance quotes and its advantage?

Car insurance? Do they check your credit rating?

I have just phoned to change my insurance over to another car, and was told twice that it was declined - firstly, he said due to the group of insurance, and secondly, I was told that the operator had a system problem. I am a bit concerned as I know my credit rating is bad at the moment, but I am trying to better it, and I don't know if this is why my insurance was declined? I thought that they had to tell you if they carry out a credit search, but nothing was mentioned and I don't particularly want it going against me if it was searched twice. I have paid my insurance for the year, and was going to pay any extra instantly, so there would be no need for a credit search as far as I can see. Does anyone have any more information on whether they credit search you or not for this?""

How much does car insurance cost?

Im planning on getting a 2012 honda accord coupe. will it be more expensive to insure compared to the sedan model or will it only be a slight expensive?

Teen Motorcycle Insurance in ontario?

hello, i am 17 years old, turning 18 in october. I live one hour north of Toronto ontario in a city of 125,000 people. I am wondering the approximate cost to insure me on a 2011 Honda cbr 250r, which costs approximately $4000. I have completed a drivers education program as well. PLEASE DON'T TELL ME TO CONTACT AN INSURANCE BROKER I can't check online quotes either because of my age. I just want to know if it is even worth looking at or if i will be paying like 4 grand a year to ride 5-6 months. thanks!""

Car insurance?

im trying to look for a cheap car insurance company any ideas??

16 year old insurance question?

i dont wanna hear the bs about only a agent can quote me i want a average of the cost for a 16 year old male! driving a old truck with driver ed paper saying that i passed umm i exspect it to be 100$ monthly?

National insurance for under 16s?

If a 14 year old set up an online business in england, when it comes to paying taxes how can they fill in the tax form if the don't have a national insurance number. Can a 14 year old have a national insurance number??""

Does a car absolutely need insurance and plates?

I'm going away to college so I will not be using my car for while. My mom wants to sell it, but I know if she does I may never get a replacement. She says that it needs insurance and a new sticker and if she doesn't get them it ruins her record or something like that, but if the car is not going to be moved at all does it really need that?""

Can you get insurance for something you order online?

I'm buying a macbook pro from Pc world but will I be able to get insurance?

Can i insure a car in one state and register in another?

i am going to school in South Carolina and have a permanent address in New York. Can i register my car in SC and insure it in New York?

UK car insurance for 17 year old male... Please Help...?

Hello, I am 17 and I am a male and now I am learning to drive and when I pass my test (well I hope I do) I want to get a car for transport to and from college and if I can get an Apprenticeship then also for use to get to that job. I want a car that will be safe and cheap to insure that has low running costs. Been 17 and male I know that insurance is high and this is why I am posting here for advice on cheap insurance and low running cost cars. Please do not say things like you are 17 and no car will be cheap or any stupid comments as this is not helpful. The lowest quote I have had is over 4,800 and that is on a Chevrolet Matiz. Thanks for any help and advice.""

LEGAL!? Can I be added into my friend's car insurance?

Hi, gentlemen. I got my driver license(in CA) and a used car the other day, and I have to get my car insurance. Here is the question. Is it legal for me to be added into my friend's insurance(AAA)? He told me that I would save money if did so. Is it legal to do so even though I'm not his siblings or relatives? I'm an international student, so I wanna save money as much as possible. Thanks for reading. Every answer helps!!!""

How much would my insurance go up?

I'm looking at getting a coupe for my first car. Possibly a 2010 Camaro or Mustang. As of now my mom and I share her car, a Cadillac CTS. The insurance for myself is about $140 a month (I'm 16) so if I got a coupe, around how much of a jump would that make my insurance go up?""

Medicate and your own private insurance ?

A friend of mine stated that even If u have insurance (private insurance at that) that u can sign up for emergency Medicare If your insurance only covers a certain amount of your procedure. Is that true? I find that to be nonsense!

cheap auto insurance

cheap auto insurance

How much would i pay for car insurance? Estimate?

I know that it depends on a lot of factors but can you estimate how much i would pay for car insurance on a monthly basis - I am 18 years old - will be driving either a 1999 or 2000 model - will be attending college after the summer - clear background - this will be my first car - I live in a very wired and exotic place called MARYLAND

What are the average insurance rates in ontario?

like yearly, and how much would it cost for me to insure my car right after i get my license?""

Do I have to pay for insurance on a moving van rental?

I want to rent a moving van from Uhaul. They won't let me rent the van unless I pay for their insurance coverage. Is that legal?

I need insurance on a car I just bought what should I tell the insurance company I am using it for?

I am planning on using it for all 3 options so I am wondering what one will cost the least. The options are Commute, Business, and Pleasure.""

Cheap car insurance for 18 year old?

Ok my younger brother is looking for cheap car insurance, hes just turned 18 and is looking at cars in the 400 region, there has been loads of nice looking cars for that price all fully working but obviously reasonably old. this is fine but when it comes to insurance some companies have quoted up to 8000!! I was just wondering if anyone had any tips that could help us out? aiming for under 1000 if possible! Thanks. Mark.""

With millions of people losing their jobs and health insurance every month....?

can you see why we need affordable health coverage for all Americans? When I left my job, my option to keep my Insurance for a year would cost $1,300 a month for me and my family. As we see more and more Americans lose their jobs and unable to afford health insurance, the crisis only grows. If you don't believe we should have a government health care program that covers all Americans, what is your solution?""

Car accident involving two parties with same insurance company?

Hi there, My dad was involved in a car accident where the other party was at fault in WA state. Both parties have same insurance company. The Insurance company deemed the car as a total loss and sent a check of $4000. Meanwhile my dad had to go to a doctor because his neck is super stiff. Did anyone have similar experiences? $4000 isn't enough for a new car, and they can't afford car payments at this time (my mom has was just laid of), should we get a lawyer to contact the insurance company to demand higher compensation? Thanks!""

Where can I find cheaper car insurance quotes?

I'm 17 in a few months, have a car, and have been checking insurance quotes. From my previous experience of quotes from Churchill, Quinn-Direct, Directline etc. it doesn't cost much, if at all, to insure on my provisional license with hopes of changing the policy to insure me on a full license in the future. I have got a 1997, 3 door, 5 seater, diesel peugeot 106 with a 1.6 litre engine and the best insurance quote I have recieved so far was from Quinn, but they have recently stopped insuring in the UK so I won't be able to use it when I am 17...They gave me a quote of around 800 whereas everyone else are offering me 1,500. Does anyone know of any other companies who can give me cheaper comprehensive cover? Thanks for any answers""

Hit and Run Insurance Claim: How do you go about it?

I have case # from the police. Will the Insurance company send someone to check the car or should I have to get them quotes?

Cheap used cars and cheap insurance?

i need a cheap used small car anyone have any ideas where it would be reliable to get one..? not auto trader because i cant exactly trust a randomer selling a car which is probly going to break down 2 days later.... any ideas of something or places plz

How much to insure a 20 year old female learner on mothers insurance for one month in ireland?

i am 20 and want to learn to drive in my mums car (citron saxo 2001) how much roughly would it be to add me to the insurance for one month if ive never had lessons and have only had a provisional licence for 2 months? i live in ireland thanks

Insurance for a teenager?

I just got my license but my parents dont want to put my name under insurance because they dont want their insurance price to go up. I recently heard from a friend that you can put your name under your parents insurance and say you're only using the car 10% of the time and they dont raise your insurance? Is this true? If not, what can i do to not increase the insurance price for my parents. I really want to drive their car.""

I cancel my car insurance because I sold my car.?

I was told by the car insurance company that I have my car insurance that I would have a laspe in my insurance. I was also told that I would not be able to purchase insurance with another company. Why is this? Why should I keep my insurance if I don't have a car and won't be purchasing one for awhile?

Need cheaper car insurance?

right now im paying 388 with a company called dairyland insurnace. i have points on my license right now. and it is killing me. the car is a 06 dodge stratus. should i raise my deductible? switch to aig insurnace. this is just way too much. the lowest id prefer to go is 300 even. anyone know any good companies or the best way to find cheap insurnace . should i look in the yellow pages and not the net

How much will my car insurance increase after a 4 point speeding ticket?

The ticket will also go down to be a 2 point ticket when i pay it Im a 16 year old girl, i live in colorado, i have state farm car insurance...how many dollars will the insurance increase? my parents told me i have to pay the difference in car insurance now""

Which family car has the lowest insurance rates in Toronto and why?

Which family car has the lowest insurance rates in Toronto and why?

Whats the best way to cancel my car insurance?

Iv had my car insured fully come with Halifax since the 28th Dec and iv already paid around 450 on the policy but as they will not give me any sort of discount on to add my new car on the policy I want to cancel it but they want me to pay another 300 to cancel it, its only been insured for a month and I agreed to pay 1600 per year and they want nearly half of it, would it affect future insurance if I just cancelled it anyway?""

Which is the best Health Insurance and Car insurance in NYC? if you know the answer to each or any let me know

Thanks.... Car insurance i am looking for the cheapest as far as health insurance i am considering HIP PRime but not sure if its good.. if you know about hip let me know if thats a good choice.. only reason why i might choose that is because there are no copay and no deductibles :) FREE lol but i want to make sure its a good choice... besides the obviouse.. take care and i am thanking you in advance for your advise

Why does the Affordable Health Care Act make health care more expensive?

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/dec/10/obamacare-fee-of-63-per-person-to-begin-in-2014/ If the name was correct, shouldn't costs be going down? What would be a ...show more""

What is the cheapest month to Insure a Car in UK?

Hi Ive been recently doing insurance quote searches Ive found out that during summer period car insurance is around 200 more than if you was to do a insurance search in winter ? So does anyone know which month is cheaper ?

Ontario motorcycle insurance help?

im a 17 year old male wanting to get my m1 and buy a 1985 yamaha virago, and i really don't know where i can insure it for cheap because of the year most insurance places in ontario wont insure it, id have the Absolute bare minimum so it would be cheapest. please help""

Any ideas about how much insurance would be for this car?

I'm thinking about buying a Mitsubishi Eclipse soon. My bro has one and i drove it a few times and loved it. My current insurance company charges me $30 per month on a Loaded 2003 Ford Taurus SES. Any idea what they would charge for a sports car like an 02 5 speed manual Eclipse or Eclipse GT? And yes, i realize i could just call my company and ask them, but they dont have 24/7 calling and i don't wanna wait til tomorrow Lol Thanks in advance!""

Car & Health Insurance?

How pathetic of a country are we, that car insurance is mandatory, even criminal if we don't have it, yet health insurance is not? What does this say about us as a society?""

How much would it honestly cost me for a Kawasaki Ninja 250 '08?

Im 16 getting a permit very soon, working at a summer job and when the summer is over, going to work at a local pet store or grocery store (part time because of school, so ill be getting minimum wage..) By the end of the summer, i will have about 1,300. As you can see, im looking at a ninja '08 but of course thats not set in stone because i am only 16. But I am really dedicated to have the time for it and I am trying to get the money now. My dad said he will probably put me on his insurance, but since it is a motorcycle and I am young, I'm not sure how much the insurance is... Also, I have read 10,000 people say the Ninja 250 is a really good beginner bike, so if anything i would buy a used one. How much would the used bike, insurance, equitment (helmet, etc), and locks for the bike cost in total? Thxx a lot""

Where can i find a cheap car insurance?

i live in UK from 2011 and i am self employed. i have a very cheap vauxhall and i pay nearly 2000 a year on car insurance. i want to have a second car to be clean and for social use only but i will need to pay an extra 1000 per year. i am 27 years old and have 5 years EU driven licence. can you advise me in any way?

cheap auto insurance

cheap auto insurance

Is group insurance cheaper than individual policies dollar for dollar?

I know they give discounts when husband and wife enroll but if you have the same insurance carrier,united of omaha, is the group going to be cheaper necessarily?""

Health insurance .?

hello...i am 33 year old and going to school full-time. anyone out there know any cheap health insurance that i can apply for? i am mostly healthy but just in case. plus does the government support full-time students with at least health insurance? i am from memphis tn are. thank you!!!

My car is registered in wisconsin how can I get insurance in california?

My mother bought me a car in wisconsin and i live in california, but the car is still registered in her name in WI. how do i get insurance coverage without having to register the car in my name? is it possible?""

How much would my car insurance be in new york?

i'm 27, this is my first buying a car, thinking buying a honda accord ex 2003 2 doors. but i'm a little concern about the cost of my car insurance for this particular one? please serious answers""

SSN check for auto insurance - WHY ?

I've received a number of answers for the question. It seems that in a number of cases the quote that's received depends on how good or bad your credit is. What's the difference if someone has bad credit, as long as he's a good driver? Insurance premiums are paid in advance so why the credit check ?""

Car Insurance - No claims question?

If you have been banned for a year, and are now back and allowed legally to drive, can you continue to use/put down your no claims bonus. For example, if you had 9 years, then were banned for a year, can you put the 9 down this year? Or does the ban wipe that out? As the ban wasn't a claim on the insurance, can it still be used? Does anyone know, or any ideas where I could check this out? Looking for quotes online and Im not sure which number to put in.""

Affordable Health insurance Ideas?

I enrolled in health insurance that is costing me 92/mth BUT I'm really feeling it as I have many other expenses. Can anyone suggest any low price healthcare insurance for me. currently with Coventry. I need an insurance that has good therapist that make home visits. Thanks

How much is a g35 coupe insurance?

I am a 17 male and am about to buy a 2004 g35 and was wondering how much insurance was. I have a clean slate, no accidents or tickets. I have farmers insurance and was wondering how much my monthly insurance would be roughly? I have a good gpa of above 3.0 so doesn't that give me a discount?""

What to do with my auto insurance?

hello I plan to give my 18 year old daughter my car and I plan to get another car. Does anyone know how does this work. I mean I not only will be putting her on my insurance but I will be adding another car. Will I have to pay double because of this? Or would it be cheaper for her own insurance and if I should leave the car I am giving her in my name or put in her name?

Car insurance for young drivers UK?

im 17 atm and passed my test last week ive been looking at car insurance for a cars but the insurance is really expensive for a 17 year old what are cheap car insurances for young drivers in the uk?

Does car insurance cost the same for every car?

I'm 18 and right now I have 800 for a car, but the one I want is 4000, would the car insurance on that cost more than the 800 one?""

Is it true that your auto insurance company considers the color of your vehicle when determining rate?

I am buying a new car, and I've heard that your insurance rates may go up or down depending on the color of your car. I've heard that a red car has higher insurance rates, while white cars are the lowest. Is that true?""

Will i need cash deposit or visa to get rental car after accident in which other party is at fault?

i did not have insurance at time of accident. i live in california.

How much did your insurance go up?

I am unemployed. My wife has me, our son, and herself on her job group rate medical insurance. Up to October this year, for the last 10 years, she pays $79.00 per month for medical ...show more""

Which insurance company is father of reinsurer?

i need to know the answer for my interview in an insurance company. also which company is biggest insurance company in world.

Is auto insurance cheaper in Texas than California?

Is auto insurance cheaper in Texas than California?

What is the best and cheapest car insurance for a 17yr old in London?

I'm not 17 yet, but I am next year. I was wondering, what are the best sites or companies for cheap insurance for cars?""

I changed my car and the insurance is so expensive?

Hello Everyone, Ive changed my car and I've bought Mazda RX8, the thing is my insurance does not insure these type of car, and they said send us the certificate and we will send you a 3 NCB. I've checked many sites such us moneysupermarket, confused.com etc. and they cheapest quote was 2200 per year. anyone knows how can i get a cheaper insurance for this car ? Thanks""

Can your car be towed if you have no insurance?

Can your car be towed if you do not have insurance on your car? I was in an accident where the other car did not have insurance on the car that was not his. The police gave us a ticket, which it was our fault, I'm not denying that, but the police drove off not having the car towed . It kinda makes me wonder if the cop let them go with no ticket or anything.""

How much will a 21 year old pay for car insurance?

I am 21 years old and kinda new to america. i wanna get a car. how much do you think i will be paying for the insurance. i am experienced driver. any info. would be helpful. thank you

Insurance change help?

i am with geico and i want to go to allstate do i surrender my plates to switch insurance or do i keep the plates and call they and they will transfer me

Can a health insurance company abroad outside the USA look up my health insurance information ?

If I provide them with my insurance policy and other info can they look up my health insurance information?

Which insurance companies will let me drive other cars whilst fully comp at 21?

Which insurance companies will let me drive other cars whilst fully comp at 21?

How much dose it cost to rent a car in NYC for a week ( including insurance?)?

How much dose it cost to rent a car in NYC for a week ( including insurance?)?

Car Rental Insurance?

I will be going to the US soon. I am a US citizen but do not live in the US. I will be going to visit family for a month and will be renting a car. My question is this, do I need to get the insurance from the vendor or is there a 3rd party insurance I can puchase? Most of the car rental places have LDW / CDW insurance for purchase but this almost doubles the cost of rental. My credit cards and car insurance here in my country of residence do not cover car rentals so I will have to get something. Does anybody know of a different route to take other than purchasing at the vendor?""

cheap auto insurance

cheap auto insurance

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/young-adults-covered-under-parents-health-insurance-till-taylor/"

[the-dragonwriter]

Fox Glacier

Today, Dad and I hopped in the car and drove to Fox Glacier. Sounds easy, right? HAH! Not so much. First of all, Fox Glacier is literally on the other side of the country from Christchurch (okay, so it’s a narrow country, but still). Secondly, in order to cross the entire country, you must go through a range of imposing, though breathtakingly gorgeous, mountains on a windy little two-lane highway whilst driving on the wrong side of the road. Wheeeee!

*unclenches white-knuckled fingers*

But no, really, the trip was just fine. It started off by us getting completely lost, which under most circumstances is not unusual for me. However, I take some special pride in the fact that I was able to get lost despite having the GPS! I had programmed the Garmin to take us to Fox Glacier, and at first it appeared to actually be doing so. However, not long after we got out of Christchurch, the Garmin lost its little mind and started taking trips without us. It put us in the wrong position on the map…it told us to take roads that weren’t there…it continued to move the little animated car along the little animated roads even after we had stopped. Dad speculated that we had entered a multi-dimensional anomaly and the GPS just couldn’t figure out where we were. We had a few turnabouts and false starts, and eventually had to admit we were lost. So we found a largish road and a petrol station to ask directions. By a TOTAL freak accident we found ourselves on the right road after all (really, neither of us could take credit for that), so we piled back in our rental car (named Hesperus II, for chillingly apparent reasons) and made our way to Fox Glacier. The drive was indescribably beautiful. East of the mountains was fairly dry and brown—not a lot of color and very little green.

We climbed into the mountains, navigating the hairpin turns and chicanes fairly easily by now, though still often startled when a wee car popped up and zoomed past us on the right. We made our way to Arthur’s Pass (pictures to come as soon as I download them from my camera), over one-lane bridges and behind cascading waterfalls, and started down the far side of the mountains. Suddenly…New Zealand became lush and green, a dense rainforest of tangled ferns and strange trees that looked a tad Dr. Seussian in form and color.

A mist hung just over the tips of the peaks, and it was truly one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. We made it to the coastline, turned south, and proceeded to glacier country.

Fox Glacier Village is pretty much what you’d expect—a very small hamlet built to accommodate a large number of tourists. But the people running the tours and guides were extremely funny and friendly and fun to talk to. Our guide, Gary, was a young, slim man with a friendly face and a sweet smile, which he showed to us a lot. He was going to take us to the glacier itself and tell us all about it. I was a little worried about the hike, since we would be going over rocks and scree and streams and whatnot, so he gave me a walking stick, which made the whole thing much easier. We changed into hiking boots, met the rest of our group (a very nice family from Bristol), put on our jackets and set out.

The walk was lovely, and not too difficult. We were able to walk up quite close to the glacier, but not on it—which was all right with me. The glacier had a HUGE cave mouth at the bottom, and I could see where some ice had fallen from it to the ground.

Gary explained to us that the ice was constantly moving—advancing, retreating, melting, feeding the river that flowed by our feet. He told us stories of ice avalanches that blocked the river for a time, and then the surges of water that followed once the river broke through the barrier. He actually went down to the river and retrieved two large pieces of glacier ice for us to touch and feel. It was a really neat thing to handle and touch. I took a gazillion pictures of the glacier, the mountains, the waterfalls, the river…but then our attention was diverted back to the ice cave mouth. A small trickle of rock had fallen from one of the upper ledges and it was causing some excitement amongst the gathered viewers. As we watched, we saw cracks form in the ice along the side and the top of the cave mouth. Gary laughed and said, “If you’re lucky, you might get to see a piece fall off. I’ve only seen that maybe half a dozen times all the times I’ve been doing this.” So we watched and we waited. For a long time, nothing seemed to happen. Then…suddenly…a large crack appeared along the top of the mouth, and it grew across the length of the ledge. In the next breath, an enormous chunk of ice—it must have weighed tons and tons—broke off and fell to the earth.

I screamed and pointed at it, and everyone turned to look. It seemed to fall in slow motion, as if it lived in a world with a different concept of time than my own. I knew that it looked slow because it was falling from such a great distance, but the effect was still incredible. Then it hit the ground, and a resounding “BOOOOOOM!!” reverberated through the moraine. I could feel it in my chest as it echoed off the mountainsides. It’s always impressive when Nature shows just how powerful she is. But she wasn’t done yet. More cracks appeared, and now it looked like the whole ledge was ready to come down. We stayed as long as we could, hoping it would fall, but eventually Gary said we had to turn back. So we started the long return hike back to the bus, but before we had gone twenty yards, another shout alerted us to some movement. Another chunk of ice had fallen. Then another…and then the mantle of the cave mouth completely collapsed, dropping thousands of tons of ice into the river.

It was an incredible sight. And, just as Gary had told us, the river slowed and lowered, blocked by the new deposit of ice at her feet. At this point, the guides began ushering people out of the valley much more quickly…because once the surge began, nothing was going to stop it. We made our way to high ground and stopped to watch.

The surge began slowly and picked up speed. Each white roll of water tumbled over itself in an effort to overtake its neighbor, and the waters rushed back into the riverbed as it broke through the barrier of ice. It carried huge chunks of ice with it, and it tossed enormous boulders around as if they were juggler’s beanbags. Eventually the spate quieted and the river went back to its customary meandering, but the face of the glacier had been changed forever. I figured that of all the days and all the tours we could have taken—that was the right one. One of the young men in our group actually managed to video the last fall of ice—the biggest one—on his iPhone. I gave him my email address and asked him to send it to me, so as soon as I get it, I will post it here for you to see.

Chattering excitedly, we made our way back. I was quite grateful for my walking stick—and the kindly helping hands from Gary and my dad—as I made my way back over wobbly stones and mud-slicked trails. Tomorrow we drive back to Christchurch and the next new adventure will begin.

[melindarowens]

It’s A FOMC Day! – Daily Pfennig

Chuck Butler’s: A Pfennig For Your Thoughts 

December 13, 2017 

* What will Yellen say today? 

* Dollar backs off for a day… 

* Chuck wants to be a reporter? 

Good Day… And a Wonderful Wednesday to you! Well, looky here! The Pfennig at the normal time! YAHOO! Well, close to normal time that is…  I figured that since this is the last Pfennig this week, that I had better get it out closer to normal time, to leave that thought on your mind as we go to the weekend.. HA!  Yes, tomorrow is an infusion day, and it’s scheduled quite early in the morning, so no Pfennig tomorrow or Friday, on infusion confusion day…  Tyrone Davis greets me this morning with his song: Can I Change My Mind…    

The Fed members will put away the board games today and get down to brass tacks regarding the rate hike that everyone and their brother expects this afternoon. I would think that the rate hike is already all price in, but what isn’t priced in is the press conference that outgoing Fed Chair, Janet Yellen will hold following the rate announcement…  

Man would I love to be a member of the press that got to cover the press conference, as I would be the only one brave enough to stand up and ask her, “Why did you think it was prudent to hike rates again when your inflation target hasn’t been met, and the country is in peril regarding the possibility of a government shutdown next week?”   I would then sit down and probably hear her say…  

“thank you for your questions, but we continue to see inflation rising and want to be ahead of the curve with these rate hikes. And the Fed can’t be held hostage by what the lawmakers do or don’t do, they’ve made life difficult for Fed members with their deficit spending, but have you ever heard us complain?”     And the markets would all give her a standing ovation, because, well, they are star struck with the Fed…  And I would just sit there shaking my head in disbelief of this scenario…     

OK,  let’s get back to reality here… The dollar has taken another breather, and the currencies were able to hold steady Eddie, albeit at lower levels yesterday, and through the overnight markets… And that’s the reason I believe the Fed rate hike is all priced in…    But if Yellen decides to go all hawkish in her last press conference as Fed Chair, and talk about multiple rate hikes in 2018, the dollar could very easily get back on the rally horse this afternoon…  

The European Central Bank (ECB) meets tomorrow, and I really think that soon the focus on Central Bank meetings is going to shift to the ECB meetings, for in 2018, there will be major moves in monetary policy coming from the ECB, as the Eurozone economy continues to improve for all parties and not just for Germany.  In the FWIW section today, I have a Bloomberg article about why the Big Banks are calling for another bad year for the dollar, based on this thought about the ECB and the Eurozone economy…  So, you won’t want to miss that!   

The other three Central Banks that I told you on Monday would meet this week, the Bank of England (BOE), Norway’s Norges Bank, and the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will follow the ECB’s lead tomorrow and let everyone know that they too are remaining steady Eddie with their policies for now…  As I said on Monday the wild card here is the ECB, as ECB President Draghi could either go all RAMBO on us with hawkish talk about monetary policy, or he would be a real lamb, and talk about the need to keep things steady Eddie just a bit longer, which is what I think he’ll do…    

The antipodean currencies of Australia and New Zealand always seem to be able to carve out some small gains whenever the dollar backs off and yesterday was no different for the two. Makes you get all warm and fuzzy inside thinking about how these two could potentially take off for higher ground when the strong dollar trend finally gives up… 

I saw and article yesterday that Lola aka Goldman Sachs were really touting commodities…  That pretty much tells you that commodities will rally, given that whatever Lola wants, Lola gets, right?  Hey! I have no problems with this call by Lola, for I too believe that commodities are gearing up for a nice bull run in 2018, as inflation returns to the countries of the world…  Shoot Rudy! We might even see inflation rise in Japan in 2018! Now that would be something to see, right?  

Well, Gold didn’t lose ground yesterday, and the shiny metal  had that going for it… My friend, Ed Steer, continues to have website troubles, but for those of us who paid attention to my calls in the past and signed up with Ed Steer, you get his daily email and don’t need to go to the website!   Well, I very rarely quote Ed, so I thought for today’s discussion on Gold, his thoughts this morning would be great! So, here’s Ed! “Gold finished the Tuesday session in New York at $1,244.00 spot — and up $2.40 on the day. For the second day in a row we’ve had either a new intraday low set, or new low close for this move down — and net volume has been relatively quiet. That was the case again yesterday, as it checked in at something under 206,000 contracts.” – Ed Steer        

The U.S. Data Cupboard had the November PPI (wholesale inflation) which I told you yesterday that I thought we would see a rise in, and we did as Nov. PPI printed at 0.4%, the fastest monthly rise in a month of Sundays.  The Federal Budget / Deficit was greater than expected… What else is new?  And now we’re going to pass a tax bill that adds $1.8 Trillion to the national debt? When will all this madness stop? Oh, I know the answer, please call on me Mr. Kotter!  

Today’s Data Cupboard has the stupid CPI and of course the FOMC rate announcement this afternoon… I love it though, that the stupid CPI will print this morning, and show inflation below the Fed’s target rate, and then this afternoon the Fed will ignore that, and hike rates… 

To recap… It’s all about the Fed rate announcement this afternoon, and the press conference that will follow the rate announcement… What will Janet Yellen say?  The markets are waiting with anticipation like kids on Christmas Eve…   The dollar has taken a breather, and it will all depend on what Yellen says that decides whether the dollar gets back on the rally horse this afternoon, or not…   

For What It’s Worth… Well this was pre-billed above so with no further ado, here the article on Bloomberg regarding the dollar’s outlook for 2018… https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-12/after-stunning-rout-traders-see-no-end-to-dollar-pain-in-2018  

Or, here’s your snippet: “For the almighty dollar, 2017 has been nothing short of abysmal, 2018 might be even worse.”

Chuck again… Sorry but the cut-n-paste feature won’t work with Bloomberg articles, so you have to click on the link above to read the article…  Crazy technology… Sometimes I wish things wouldn’t change…    

Currencies today 12/13/17… American Style: A$ .7567, kiwi .6946, C$ .7777, euro 1.1740, sterling 1.3357, Swiss $1.0082, … European Style: rand 13.6193, krone 8.36, SEK 8.4433, forint 267.65, zloty 3.59, koruna 21.8410, RUB 58.99, yen 113.30, sing 1.3525, HKD 7.8058, INR 64.41, China 6.6189, peso 19.17, BRL 3.3096, Dollar Index 94.03, Oil $57.45, 10yr 2.41%, Silver $15.72, Platinum $876.06, Palladium $1,011.13, and Gold… $1,243.30   

That’ it for today… and this week…  Friday will mark my sister, Terri’s, birthday… December 15th, used to be the day each year that my dad would bring home the Christmas Tree…  great memories! The injury bug has hit our Blues, and the names on the injured list are some of the best players we have, so it was not a surprise to see them lose last night…  The St. Louis U Billikens stopped their losing streak with a win VS Murray State in basketball last night…  Well… I’m halfway through the 6 weeks of this pain of antibiotics every 6 hours…  I told someone that it was like having a baby in the house again, getting up every 3-4 hours… UGH! But, like I said I’m halfway through, so I’ve got that going for me! No college football this weekend, I guess I’ll have to switch to college basketball…   The late, Great, Leon Russell takes us to the finish line today with his song: Back To The Island… Listen to that one, and you’ll fall in love with his music…  And with that, I hope you have Wonderful Wednesday, and Be Good To Yourself!   

Chuck Butler

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source https://capitalisthq.com/its-a-fomc-day-daily-pfennig/ from CapitalistHQ http://capitalisthq.blogspot.com/2017/12/its-fomc-day-daily-pfennig.html

[everettwilkinson]

It’s A FOMC Day! – Daily Pfennig

Chuck Butler’s: A Pfennig For Your Thoughts 

December 13, 2017 

* What will Yellen say today? 

* Dollar backs off for a day… 

* Chuck wants to be a reporter? 

Good Day… And a Wonderful Wednesday to you! Well, looky here! The Pfennig at the normal time! YAHOO! Well, close to normal time that is…  I figured that since this is the last Pfennig this week, that I had better get it out closer to normal time, to leave that thought on your mind as we go to the weekend.. HA!  Yes, tomorrow is an infusion day, and it’s scheduled quite early in the morning, so no Pfennig tomorrow or Friday, on infusion confusion day…  Tyrone Davis greets me this morning with his song: Can I Change My Mind…    

The Fed members will put away the board games today and get down to brass tacks regarding the rate hike that everyone and their brother expects this afternoon. I would think that the rate hike is already all price in, but what isn’t priced in is the press conference that outgoing Fed Chair, Janet Yellen will hold following the rate announcement…  

Man would I love to be a member of the press that got to cover the press conference, as I would be the only one brave enough to stand up and ask her, “Why did you think it was prudent to hike rates again when your inflation target hasn’t been met, and the country is in peril regarding the possibility of a government shutdown next week?”   I would then sit down and probably hear her say…  

“thank you for your questions, but we continue to see inflation rising and want to be ahead of the curve with these rate hikes. And the Fed can’t be held hostage by what the lawmakers do or don’t do, they’ve made life difficult for Fed members with their deficit spending, but have you ever heard us complain?”     And the markets would all give her a standing ovation, because, well, they are star struck with the Fed…  And I would just sit there shaking my head in disbelief of this scenario…     

OK,  let’s get back to reality here… The dollar has taken another breather, and the currencies were able to hold steady Eddie, albeit at lower levels yesterday, and through the overnight markets… And that’s the reason I believe the Fed rate hike is all priced in…    But if Yellen decides to go all hawkish in her last press conference as Fed Chair, and talk about multiple rate hikes in 2018, the dollar could very easily get back on the rally horse this afternoon…  

The European Central Bank (ECB) meets tomorrow, and I really think that soon the focus on Central Bank meetings is going to shift to the ECB meetings, for in 2018, there will be major moves in monetary policy coming from the ECB, as the Eurozone economy continues to improve for all parties and not just for Germany.  In the FWIW section today, I have a Bloomberg article about why the Big Banks are calling for another bad year for the dollar, based on this thought about the ECB and the Eurozone economy…  So, you won’t want to miss that!   

The other three Central Banks that I told you on Monday would meet this week, the Bank of England (BOE), Norway’s Norges Bank, and the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will follow the ECB’s lead tomorrow and let everyone know that they too are remaining steady Eddie with their policies for now…  As I said on Monday the wild card here is the ECB, as ECB President Draghi could either go all RAMBO on us with hawkish talk about monetary policy, or he would be a real lamb, and talk about the need to keep things steady Eddie just a bit longer, which is what I think he’ll do…    

The antipodean currencies of Australia and New Zealand always seem to be able to carve out some small gains whenever the dollar backs off and yesterday was no different for the two. Makes you get all warm and fuzzy inside thinking about how these two could potentially take off for higher ground when the strong dollar trend finally gives up… 

I saw and article yesterday that Lola aka Goldman Sachs were really touting commodities…  That pretty much tells you that commodities will rally, given that whatever Lola wants, Lola gets, right?  Hey! I have no problems with this call by Lola, for I too believe that commodities are gearing up for a nice bull run in 2018, as inflation returns to the countries of the world…  Shoot Rudy! We might even see inflation rise in Japan in 2018! Now that would be something to see, right?  

Well, Gold didn’t lose ground yesterday, and the shiny metal  had that going for it… My friend, Ed Steer, continues to have website troubles, but for those of us who paid attention to my calls in the past and signed up with Ed Steer, you get his daily email and don’t need to go to the website!   Well, I very rarely quote Ed, so I thought for today’s discussion on Gold, his thoughts this morning would be great! So, here’s Ed! “Gold finished the Tuesday session in New York at $1,244.00 spot — and up $2.40 on the day. For the second day in a row we’ve had either a new intraday low set, or new low close for this move down — and net volume has been relatively quiet. That was the case again yesterday, as it checked in at something under 206,000 contracts.” – Ed Steer        

The U.S. Data Cupboard had the November PPI (wholesale inflation) which I told you yesterday that I thought we would see a rise in, and we did as Nov. PPI printed at 0.4%, the fastest monthly rise in a month of Sundays.  The Federal Budget / Deficit was greater than expected… What else is new?  And now we’re going to pass a tax bill that adds $1.8 Trillion to the national debt? When will all this madness stop? Oh, I know the answer, please call on me Mr. Kotter!  

Today’s Data Cupboard has the stupid CPI and of course the FOMC rate announcement this afternoon… I love it though, that the stupid CPI will print this morning, and show inflation below the Fed’s target rate, and then this afternoon the Fed will ignore that, and hike rates… 

To recap… It’s all about the Fed rate announcement this afternoon, and the press conference that will follow the rate announcement… What will Janet Yellen say?  The markets are waiting with anticipation like kids on Christmas Eve…   The dollar has taken a breather, and it will all depend on what Yellen says that decides whether the dollar gets back on the rally horse this afternoon, or not…   

For What It’s Worth… Well this was pre-billed above so with no further ado, here the article on Bloomberg regarding the dollar’s outlook for 2018… https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-12/after-stunning-rout-traders-see-no-end-to-dollar-pain-in-2018  

Or, here’s your snippet: “For the almighty dollar, 2017 has been nothing short of abysmal, 2018 might be even worse.”

Chuck again… Sorry but the cut-n-paste feature won’t work with Bloomberg articles, so you have to click on the link above to read the article…  Crazy technology… Sometimes I wish things wouldn’t change…    

Currencies today 12/13/17… American Style: A$ .7567, kiwi .6946, C$ .7777, euro 1.1740, sterling 1.3357, Swiss $1.0082, … European Style: rand 13.6193, krone 8.36, SEK 8.4433, forint 267.65, zloty 3.59, koruna 21.8410, RUB 58.99, yen 113.30, sing 1.3525, HKD 7.8058, INR 64.41, China 6.6189, peso 19.17, BRL 3.3096, Dollar Index 94.03, Oil $57.45, 10yr 2.41%, Silver $15.72, Platinum $876.06, Palladium $1,011.13, and Gold… $1,243.30   

That’ it for today… and this week…  Friday will mark my sister, Terri’s, birthday… December 15th, used to be the day each year that my dad would bring home the Christmas Tree…  great memories! The injury bug has hit our Blues, and the names on the injured list are some of the best players we have, so it was not a surprise to see them lose last night…  The St. Louis U Billikens stopped their losing streak with a win VS Murray State in basketball last night…  Well… I’m halfway through the 6 weeks of this pain of antibiotics every 6 hours…  I told someone that it was like having a baby in the house again, getting up every 3-4 hours… UGH! But, like I said I’m halfway through, so I’ve got that going for me! No college football this weekend, I guess I’ll have to switch to college basketball…   The late, Great, Leon Russell takes us to the finish line today with his song: Back To The Island… Listen to that one, and you’ll fall in love with his music…  And with that, I hope you have Wonderful Wednesday, and Be Good To Yourself!   

Chuck Butler

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from CapitalistHQ.com https://capitalisthq.com/its-a-fomc-day-daily-pfennig/

[leiyahime]

A Distant Song - Summer Challenge

IT’S DONE! THIS IS THE END!!!!

The longest fic I’ve ever written now finds a satisfying end. I hope you liked it. Have fun with the much too long epilogue!

Epilogue

 Hotsuma stared at the ship in front of him: A large white cruise liner. “Are you sure that’s the right ship?” he asked.

 “Yup. That’s the ship I’ve booked for us which would carry us to a few cities in Australia and then New Zealand,” Shuusei replied with a smile. They had taken a flight to Perth where they would go on board and then spend the next two and a half weeks on this ship. “But we will need English on board. It’s not a Japanese ship.”

 Hotsuma just shrugged. He knew English well enough.

 “Do I want to know how expensive it was?” He asked clearly impressed.

 “Nope. I won’t tell you anyway. I’ve invited you to this trip, remember? Come on let’s go.”

 They went on board and soon got their keys. Their luggage was still on its way from the airport and would be delivered directly to their room.

 When they had found the correct room Shuusei took the key and opened it. “I hope you like it?” he asked and looked around. It was a suite with a balcony and very comfortable. Shuusei was content. It had been expensive, yes, but he didn’t mind. He wanted to have a great trip with Hotsuma and didn’t want to have a look at finances for now. He knew he had enough.

 “I... guess I’ll sleep on the couch.” Hotsuma announced when he saw the queen-size bed and suddenly seemed very insecure. Shuusei tried not to smile too much when he turned around.

 “Why? I don’t mind you sleeping next to me. There is no need for you to get the uncomfortable sofa,” he said as innocently as possible and saw how Hotsuma’s cheeks turned slightly pink.

 “No, Shuusei... I... I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable... I’m gay, as you know very well...”

 “And? You know I don’t care.” Shuusei slowly walked towards Hotsuma who tried to keep his distance. Somehow it was fun to tease his friend like this, although he knew it was not very nice of him. “I know you wouldn’t do anything I don’t want, so what’s your problem, my dearest Hotsuma.”

 “My... god... Shuusei... I’m damn serious... I’ll take the couch.” Hotsuma had reached said piece of furniture and fell onto it.

 Shuusei shook his head. “It’s unnecessary”, he said and sat down next to Hotsuma very close to him.

 “It is! God... Shuusei, stop this!” Hotsuma sounded like he was close to a panic attack and Shuusei was close to give up. He didn’t want to torture his friend too much no matter how cute he thought his reaction was. But he really didn’t seem to have a clue about the real reason Shuusei wanted him close. Shuusei smiled gently and took Hotsuma’s hand but he pulled it away.

 “Shuusei... really... stop torturing me! Damn, I love you! But I don’t want to make things awkward! So please, let me sleep on this damn couch so I can sleep without having to fear that I can’t keep my hands to myself during the night!”

 Shuusei looked at his completely flustered friend and shook his head again. “Declined.” He said and pulled Hotsuma into his arms. “I’m sorry... But your reaction is just too cute. What If I don’t want you to keep your hands to yourself?” he asked.

 Hotsuma instantly stopped his struggles. “What?” he asked completely confused.

 “I love you, too. I thought you had noticed by now.”

 “What?” Hotsuma repeated. “You...”

 “I love you. And I want to be with you. Now that I am free from any contracts I can safely tell you.”

 Hotsuma got a small distance between them to look into Shuusei’s eyes. “Are... you serious? If you’re just teasing me stop it! I thought you didn’t even like guys!”

 Shuusei chuckled again. Then he lifted a hand to gently caress his friend’s cheek. “I am serious. I would never play with your heart in that way. You are too important for me,” he said and leaned his forehead against Hotsuma’s. “I love you.”

Then he turned his head a bit so that he could gently place his lips on Hotsuma’s. At first he could still sense his confusion, but then Hotsuma seemed to notice it was not a dream. He got his body to move again and embraced Shuusei and returned the kiss; still softly, testing but it was such a good feeling to be able to do this after this long time of just having to be content with watching Shuusei.

And now they couldn’t stop kissing each other, slowly, searching for the other’s lips again and again. They were only disturbed by a knock on the door. Shuusei sighed. “Must be the luggage...” he said and got up, but Hotsuma didn’t accept it and pulled Shuusei down again before he got up.

 “You rest. I take care of everything else.” Hotsuma went to the door to get their suitcases and gave the man who delivered them a tip for his work.

Then he brought their things inside and started to unpack his suitcase and Shuusei came to pick up his guitar. No, he couldn’t leave his beloved instrument at home for more than two weeks. He had already asked if it would be okay for him to play on deck a few times if he liked to without getting legal problems because he wasn’t part of the entertainment programme of the journey. Then he went back to Hotsuma to take care of his own suitcase but Hotsuma protested.

 “Shuusei! I said I take care of everything... Or... do you have... things in your suitcase I’m not supposed to see?” Hotsuma asked with again red cheeks.

 Shuusei chuckled. “No, Nothing but clothes you know well enough from the laundry days.”

Hotsuma was so incredibly cute. Shuusei took his guitar and started to play, while he was watching his frie... boyfriend while he unpacked their things. Somehow it didn’t feel very different from before, but well, they had been very close for a long time now. Tsukumo had once said when he saw them together he had the feeling of watching an old couple. Shuusei smiled. Perhaps he had been right. The more he had been surprised that Hotsuma had not even noticed that he also had feelings for him.

 “It’s not that interesting to watch someone unpacking your underwear.” Hotsuma protested at a point where he was indeed putting Shuusei’s underwear into the wardrobe.

 Shuusei replied while still pulling the strings of his guitar: “I find it very interesting to watch a very handsome person unpacking my things.”

 “Shuusei!”

 Shuusei chuckled. “The ship is going to cast off soon. I want to see it. Do you want to come with me?” he changed the topic. When he looked out of their window he could only see the  far side of the harbour.

 Hotsuma nodded and got up, closed Shuusei’s suitcase to put it to his own under the alrge bed.

Shuusei placed his guitar back into its case and got up. But he didn’t get far because Hotsuma stood in his way.

 “I am not dreaming am I?” he asked insecurely and held out a hand for Shuusei who instantly took it.

 “No. You’re not.” He stepped up close to Hotsuma and kissed him again to prove him that this was indeed real.

 It was only after another few minutes that they found it inside themselves to let go of the other and leave their room.

 After the ship had left the harbour they decided to take a walk around the ship. There was almost everything. Four swimming pools: two inside, two outside, a tennis court on deck, bars, restaurants, stages, which Shuusei would definitely only see as a spectator and not stand upon.

 There were souvenir shops, a pharmacy, and a few boutiques; in fact you could buy almost anything here. They both were impressed. And when they had seen everything it was almost time for dinner in the large dining room.

 “Let’s just hope we don’t have any fans sitting with us...” Shuusei sighed when they were on their way.

 “Hey, this is an Australian ship, so there should not be too many people here who know you.” Hotsuma assured him and he was right. They got a place with an elderly couple from Perth who loved to travel and who seemed to be nice so Shuusei was quickly calm again. They were nice people and it was not hard to talk to them although at first it was mainly Hotsuma who did the talking. But Shuusei soon felt more comfortable especially after the woman asked them if they were together and seemed so happy for them when they nodded and admitted it was still very fresh between them.

 ~~~

 “Do you want to do something else tonight? A stage performance? A concert?” Shuusei asked after dinner but Hotsuma shook his head.

 “Perhaps tomorrow. Today I want to have you for myself,” he admitted a bit coyly. “If it’s okay for you. If you want to do anything I’ll come with you.”

 Shuusei smiled. “I asked you. Everything’s fine for me.” So they returned to their room where Hotsuma switched on the TV and both of them got ready for bed. It wasn’t very late, yet, but they had had to leave early this morning to the airport so at least Shuusei was very tired.

“Please don’t say you still want to sleep on the couch!” Shuusei asked when Hotsuma came back from the bathroom.

“Don’t worry. If I can have you in my arms I will use that!” Hotsuma grinned and claimed one side of the bed and Shuusei got the other And soon Shuusei felt how Hotsuma came close to him to embrace him. Shuusei smiled and closed his eyes.

 “Hotsuma... I already want to say I’m sorry if I’m moody over the next time. It has nothing to do with you.” Shuusei began a bit insecurely while his fingers brushed through Hotsuma’s hair.

 “Why? Is something wrong?” Hotsuma asked worriedly.

 “No. It’s just... I’ve purposely left my pills at home. I want to return to a normal life and function without any medical help to fall asleep and get over the day... So it’s highly possible I may have problems falling asleep and be moody because of the caffeine withdrawal. And I want to apology in advance if I‘m getting obnoxious...”  Shuusei explained and felt how Hotsuma tried to pull him even closer.

 “It’s okay. I’m glad you try to get rid of the stuff,” he said and kissed Shuusei, this time more passionately. “And I’m here for you whenever you need it!” He added and kissed Shuusei again and now deepening the kiss.

 “Shuusei?” He asked after he brought a small distance between them again.

 “Hn?”

 “If... just hypothetically... If I said I wanted to do... more with you... how would you react?”

 Shuusei smiled. It was just too sweet how careful Hotsuma was with him.

“I would ask you to wait a bit. Just a bit. Today I just want to be in your arms and enjoy you being close to me.”

 Hotsuma nodded and kissed Shuusei’s cheek. “I... I just want to know... you know... we’ve never talked about you... I didn’t even know that you like men...”

 “I like people. I don’t fall in love with a man or a woman but a person. And I don’t mind getting intimate with that person.” Shuusei said and gently kissed his boyfriend’s lips. “But not right now.”

 Hotsuma nodded. “That’s okay for me. It would even be okay for me if you wouldn’t want it at all. I just want to be with you. You’re my most important person!”

 Shuusei smiled. “I love you, too.”

 “Since when?” Hotsuma asked.

 “What?”

 “Since when do you... love me?”

 Shuusei shrugged. “I don’t know. I really can’t tell... But it’s long. Perhaps even the moment in Germany a certain Kenshin held me back to tell me he still remembered me... And I was constantly afraid you might start to look for someone else and I don’t have a chance anymore when I finally got free of that damn contract.”

 “I thought about it... but no one is as perfect for me as you are. I only want to be with you!” Hotsuma murmured and pressed a kiss on Shuusei’s earlobe.

 “Then stay with me.”

 “I will. As long as you want me to be with you.”

 “Then you will never go anywhere else.”

 “That’s fine for me.” Hotsuma yawned and soon had found a comfortable position and fell asleep. Shuusei smiled and gently brushed his fingers through Hotsuma’s golden locks until he as well fell asleep.

  THE END